Peachy Keen.
I have to apologize for a serious lack of yummy posts in the past few weeks. I have been busying myself with preparations to visit Ontario in less than two weeks. It's been almost two years since I've visited my family and friends and I can't be more excited!
What makes this trip extra special is that I'll be maid of honour and dessert caterer for my friend, Lisa's wedding. Lots and lots of cupcakes. Three different flavours. Three different cakes. Three different fillings. Three different frostings. And adorable toppers and baking cups to tie them all together. I'm having dreams about cupcakes to say the very least. Don't worry, I'll keep you all up to date as the deliciousness unfolds!
For now, let's switch gears. I thought it was fate when I saw these Ontario peaches at the store begging me to buy them. It seemed only right that I get a little Ontario preview and share it with all of you. There's nothing better than a fresh Ontario peach, fuzzy and bursting with bright flavour.
I've been on such a peach kick lately. Peaches in my yogurt, peaches in my hand, peaches and whipped cream, peach smoothies, peaches in my mouth. Then suddenly I remembered, oh yeah I have a food blog don't I? So why not share some of the peachy goodness with all of you?
Here is the first of a few peach installments to come. Honey Peach Smoothies!
When Life Gives You Lemons.
In a family you operate like satellites that orbit around the home. When one moves the others shift to compensate. So when Lee starts working a late shift and doesn't get home until 2am some nights we all have to make some adjustments.
I miss him in the evenings and I stay up late to welcome him home. It doesn't feel right to go to bed alone. It's dark and cold without my personal heater. Go to bed late, wake up late. Being that it's winter I run out of daylight so I haven't been able to find the time to bake much.
You have to make the best of a bad situation. Cake helps. Sandwiches too. And texting. Lots and lots of texting. Strangely I've been finding myself watching a lot of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but that's neither here nor there. I'm not responsible for the bad late night reruns I watch while in a semi-comatose state.
So when life gives you lemons make Cranberry Pomegranate Lemon Yogurt Cake.
That's how that goes right?
Heebee Jeebees.
Popsicles. Is there anything better on a hot Summer day? But it's not all fun and games. There's evil lurking in your popsicle. Splintery, wooden, spongy evil.
Is it just me or does the thought of biting into a refreshing popsicle down to the wooden stick give you the heebee jeebese? It not only ruins the whole experience it also incites a physical reaction in me that is most unpleasant.
You know that feeling when you drag your fingernails across a chalkboard or when you accidentally touch a bug? It feels like you need to chop your fingers off to get rid of the weirdness. Either that or run your fingertips across an SOS pad until the pain replaces the icks.
I used to chew on popsicle sticks when I was a kid then promptly hide them in the basement couch because I was too lazy to take them upstairs to throw them out. The thought of doing that now makes me cringe for a few reasons.
Sorry to make you think of bugs, amputation and skin abrasions while setting eyes on this rainbow of Fruit Punch Yogurt Popsicles. These have plastic sticks so no worries.
Enough of my neurosis. Let's get crack-a-lackin of some popsicles.
I’m Cool Like That.
Like most of you out there I've been trying to figure out any way possible to avoid turning on the oven in this summer heat. Lots on BBQ pork chops and salads. It's not enough to avoid heating up the house but I'm also trying to devise ways to cool down too.
Sitting directly in front of the air conditioner is good, if not a little restricting.
Pony tails are nice. Just the act of getting my thick hair off the back of my neck is a relief.
Popsicles help. Yes they do. Especially the orange ones. I think they're a couple degrees more refreshing.
Ice cream too. Oh my yes. Lots and lots of ice cream.
Have you ever been to a Marble Slab Creamery? If not you need to get yourself to one as soon as humanly possible. You'll thank me later. It's custom. It's fancy. It's expensive. It makes you feel like you should be clutching your White Chocolate Raspberry Swirl chocolate dipped waffle cone with your pinkies out.
After reading a recent post by Brown Eyed Baker on how you can make ice cream without an ice cream maker it was decided. I needed to do this. There was no way around it. I do still plan on getting an ice cream maker attachment for my Kitchen Aid stand mixer, but in the mean time I can still live it up in custom made ice cream fabulousness.
But I made it frozen yogurt because I kind of prefer it. Or at least that's what I tell myself.
Balance and Precision.
You might have already guessed this, and some of you know first hand, that I'm a bit of a perfectionist. It's gotten so bad that I even annoy myself. Most jobs around the house I insist I do myself mostly because I don't trust anyone else to do it the way I like it.
I have these multicoloured dishes and I have to line them up in the cupboards not only from biggest to smallest but also in accordance to the order of a rainbow. You know: red then orange then yellow then green then turquoise then blue...etc. It actually physically hurts me when I see someone putting them away in the wrong order.
I've arranged and rearranged the kitchen pantry cupboard several times because I start freaking out when something isn't where I expect it. All the spices in one place, all the muffin cups in another, all the pasta here, all the cans there. You get the picture. One time, while putting away the groceries, I ran out of space on one shelf where the garlic just HAD to go and I began hyperventilating. That's normal right?
Ok before I debase myself completely let me just reassure you that I don't have to flick the light switches on and off twenty-two times before I enter a room or sleep with my shoes on. Yes I am a little obsessive compulsive, but only about the things that really matter. Aren't most artists? Something about the creative genius maybe.
Baking is all about balance and precision. Maybe that's why I like it so much. It's about sureness and confidence. It's about knowing that when you mix flour, eggs, baking powder and milk then stick it in an oven it will rise if only a little.
So without delay, here's your recipe of the day. Apple Yogurt Dip with Cinnamon Bagel Chips in honour of balance and precision.
