Dinnerbelles

Summer is coming to a close and with the herbs and vegetables left in the garden I’m starting to think of all the things that can be made out of the extras.  Planning ahead for gifts from the kitchen it helps to get your eyes looking for unique bottles and bags to hold the gifts now.

When my mind gets going like this, there is only one thing to do, start experimenting.  So I started trying some chives, onions and garlic this will be the start of a herb blend.  These herbs mixed with some peppercorns and some coarse sea salt should make a nice all-purpose seasoning.  At least it’s worth a try. Edible flowers, many dry nicely and make a pretty cake decoration, sprinkle on a salad - the possibilities are endless. See list of edible flowers at: http://flowerscanada.org/content/en/edible_flowers.htm

Dehydrating is a great way to enjoy your harvest year-round.  If you have not tried dehydrating it well worth the experiment.  The most foolproof way a to dehydrate of course, is with a dedicated machine.  However it is possible to have success using a regular oven on low settings.  Start with apple slices, sliced bananas, peaches, pears. Read the rest of this entry »

Well spring is in the air and I’m itching to get out in the dirt.  Last week I took out my seeds and got them started.  The first seeds have sprouted already — arugula!  The others aren’t far behind.  Easter weekend we woke up to the shock of snow on the ground, it was extra nice to see the plants green.  It reminded me that spring really was on its way.

 This year I’m going to divide the garden into three sections; herbs, cut flowers and vegetables .  Some of my favorite herbs are basil, parsley, chives and all very their flavor variations.  I’m also experimenting with some herbs that I use less frequently like tarragon and poppy seed.

In the vegetable garden, I always plan  on growing the basics for making salsa, canning tomatoes and fresh salads.  This year I wanted to try something new and exotic — artichokes is this year’s fun veggie.  I’ll let you know how it goes.  Last year, quite by accident the fun food was cayenne peppers we found many uses for them, I dehydrated them long into October and still have plenty in my pantry to share now months later.

It’s still not too late to pick up seeds at your local garden store and give them a head start indoors in my part of the world we usually start the cold weather seeds early may and the less hardy ones around the long weekend in May. Here’s a great Canadian resource if you’re new to this whole thing http://www.gardenersnet.com/atoz/germinat.htm

Valentines Day is behind us – whether you celebrate it as a special day or not, it is a reminder that we should make an attempt, not just on Valentines day but everyday to spread love to those we meet.

The kitchen is a room where people tend to migrate. Some of my favourite childhood memories come from the kitchen and the gatherings that happen there. The kitchen is by nature a place of food, conversation, learning, laughter and tears.Gary Smalley in his book The 5 Love Languages describes how we all perceive love in different ways. A plate of food says ‘I love you’ to one person but a listening ear says it to another. Take time to consider - how you can use your kitchen to say ‘I love you’?

Ok, the obvious is take time to make someone you love a homemade meal, some cookies or snack. Usually simple is appreciated just as much as the decadent when it’s made by you. If you don’t have time remember the often overlooked crockpot, or make-ahead meals. Everyone’s favourite the chocolate chip cookie, nothing can beat a freshly baked pan of cookies. For the right blend of crispy, chewy try my favorite ChocolateChip Cookies  Time saving tip: mix up a double batch, bake 1 or 2 dozen then freeze the dough in ready to go cookie size mounds, when company drops in or you need some quick cookies - warm up the oven and pop in the frozen cookies adding a few extra minutes cooking time. Fresh cookies - they’ll think you’re amazing.

Welcome to Dinnerbelles. A place where everyday chefs can talk about their experiences, their dreams and their culinary mishaps. I am excited about the discussions that we can have over a cup of tea and the lessons that we can learn from one another.

A bit of my history. I grew up in a large loving family, where the kitchen was often the center of the activity. Mom would never turn anyone away at mealtime - when she was serving the pot just kept giving food to the hungry.  Saturday’s we spent baking cookies, bread and beans - that was the saturday meal. It was in her kitchen that I learned to love experiementing with food and trying new things. Thanks Mom.