Deep Breath please....

So now that the oven is working fine and that Xmas prep is well under way...

The hot water heater decided to spring a leak on Friday night.  I was running like a chicken without a head!

Finally to calm my nerves I wrapped a couple of Xmas gifts and with a clear head I was able to attend to the mess.

I filled buckets, pitchers and bottles and then I brought out the ladder ,closed the breaker and the valves.

When the water stopped it was 11:30 pm.

 This ol'girl was built in 1998.

 It was running from around the valve.

 That didn't stop me from baking the traditional Quebec

meatpies, just in time for Xmas

 Of course the kitchen was a mess after...and I had to bring 

all the dishes down to my Dad's to wash.

In the meantime.....

 Yoda was lounging in the cat grass.

Here's the new hot water heater.

All bright spanking new

 The installation was over at 1:30 pm.

I was to get hot water by 3:00 pm.

Guess what?

NO HOT WATER!!!

it is 10:39 pm and no hot water....

I just want to scream and cry

They are coming back tomorrow.....

Balls of meat

Yes ok that is a strange title and could generate improper thoughts....

As usual every year around this time I make Tourtiere; the traditionnal french canadian meat pie.

The dough was ready and so was the meat...

When I realized that I had no small aluminum foil plates left.....

I had a couple of large ones...but no small. I then remembered that last year I ran out and had to use Pyrex Pixies to make the pies.

So I used my large foil plates then the Pyrex Pixies....By then I still had meat and dough!

That is when I came up with balls of meat!

Actually tourtiere meat encased in pie crust.

       They were delicious! That is thrifty ingenuity incarnate, yep!

       Today I went to the dollar store and picked up 16 small aluminum foil pie plates, I like to be prepared....But Dan doubts I will remember where I stashed them next December!

We will see. I will surely do another meat pie post....and I will make some french canadian balles of meat for sure!

Be well, be safe and be thrifty!

Busy, busy!

So I started my Xmas cooking monday. After my bike ride I made

some good ol' tourtières (meat pies). This is the first batch, I ususaly make another one in December. I was able to squeeze out eight individual ones. They are kinda big for one and we usually split one for supper, and they're perfect for Dad (half for supper,half for his lunch the next day). This is so cute! My Dad still brown bags it!

With the leftover dough I made Pets de soeurs (nun's farts). LOL ok the translation is real funny! This is really an old time dessert. You roll out the dough, spread some butter,sprinkle some brown sugar, roll the dough in little logs and cut in slices. You cram them up in a pie plate (in this case Pyrex) and bake until golden. Garanteed to add junk in your trunk!

Yesterday I stuffed a batch of italian sausages in their casing (all y my lonesome), loaded up the dehydrator with ground cherries,Gala apples and pineapple slices. And one must not forget the big batch of candied ginger I made. It's a classic for the holidays and has health benefits as well. It will help your digestion and is amazing if you have a cold.

Especially in this messed up cold season. I'm still debating if i'll get the shot or not....

Have a great one and don't forget to visit tomorrow for VTT. It's going to be gooood! I'll give you a hint...Canadian Pyrex! LOL

Hum...Meat pies!!!

Monday I made meat pies (tourtieres). This is traditional french canadian winter food and served at Xmas in most households...

You can buy pretty good ones, but since I got the bestest (yes bestest) dough recipe in the world...Thanks to my friend and ex-collegue Chantal Cardinal (and one of the most accomplished cook I know...) I just have to make some....They truly are a joy to eat (for us meat eaters). The filling is a mix of ground beef and pork and bacon and leeks and garlic,onions and herbs and spices....

Usually I make the small ones because we are only two and I give some to my Dad and to my step daughter (who was a vegeterian at one point but could kill for some rib roast or proschiutto). This year I didn't find any small plates but a had a big bunch of new large foil plates...They came out perfect, so perfect actually I might need to make another batch!!!

My friend Chantal makes at least a dozen this time of year....

I eat mine with green beans or broccoli and fruit ketchup!

Delightful....Next time I will show you today's snowstorm...TTFN

Cold, sooooo COLD

Yesterday there were big waves on the Ottawa river and today presto-changeo ICE!!!

I never saw the river freeze so fast!

On the first picture the steam you see is the only spots were it's not frozen.

And the temperature dropped by time too with the wind chill factor it is minus 30 celsius (it's minus 22 F). My morning walk lasted only 10 minutes...LOL

Oh well I'm occupying myself by cooking....A vegeterian stew in the crockpot, a big borscht on the stove and I'm also working on tradional tourtieres (Quebec meat pies). No Xmas is complete (for me at least) without these delicious meat pies....Good eating!

And I'm also posting new things on Etsy. Business is picking up! How exciting!

Later!

Jellin'

HUUUUMMMM!!! Red pepper jelly with chipotle tabasco....Just spicy enough...That was one of my Monday projects!

The magazine said that this recipe was real fast (30min). It took me longer because the lids wouldn't snap, so I boiled a big ol' pot of water to sterilize them. 2 out of 3 snaped so I have a jar in the fridge...Oh well what can you do? I can't wait to try it on pork roast or pork chops or on tourtiere...(a quebec culinary specialty...basically a meat pie served in the winter or for Xmas, pork, veal and beef with spices...cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg and grated potaoes...sticks to your ribs!) definitly not a warm weather specialty! LOL