Desserts

The Places That Scare You!~Chicken Casserole with Chocolate Cake

/ Lee Reynolds

BOO!

Okay, so you’re not scared. It’s only a picture of our twins, trying on the Halloween outfit they will wear to their preschool party on Friday. I couldn’t resist though as they were so darn cute. But going back to the word,”BOO!” Was I ever a bit scared four years ago this week, when I went in for my first ultrasound after finding out I was pregnant. I’ll never forget the ultrasound technologist telling us that she wasn’t a Doctor and therefore couldn’t tell us anything….but she said she could show us “something”, and then she moved her ultrasound wand across my lower belly and said, “here is one “thing”, and here is two.”

My husband who was casually chewing gum and holding Will throughout the exam didn’t stop chewing, instead he said,”look Will, there is your new baby brother or sister.” He hadn’t picked up on what the technologist was showing us AT ALL

I, on the other hand am an old hand at ultrasounds and was heightened to every word she uttered from the time she asked us to follow her into the exam room. You see, I had been spotting and was so scared  the first words I would hear were, “I’m so sorry there is no heart beat.” So when I saw those two flickering heart beats I was elated, truly excited, but yes also extremely scared.  We called them our Boo babies at the time.

When D and I left the building I stopped him before we got to the car and said, “you know what she was showing us don’t you?” And he just went, “Huh?” And it was then I uttered the words, “Twins!” He stopped chewing his gum and just went quiet. He was in that state for many weeks and although I was scared, I was just so happy to have babies with heart beats. When you have tried a long time to complete your family and you are finally pregnant, you just enjoy each day that comes and try not to be fearful about the future.

Thankfully, the pregnancy went well and the girls are thriving and healthy. Talking about my fear, reminds me of the fears of many women. The fear first that they may never find a partner in order to have a child, or the strength and courage to choose motherhood as a single person if they are partnerless. Then there is the fear of infertility, which can be devastating, debilitating and sadly, in many cases cause severe depression. As if infertility isn’t bad enough, often women then have to pull themselves out of the trenches of deep darkness to fight their battle for a child.  And even when that dream finally comes true, they then have to deal with issues from post traumatic stress while trying to find some semblance of happiness being a new mom.

Then still others have the fear of  not experiencing a healthy pregnancy, dealing with a painful labour, difficult delivery and finally having a living, breathing child.. And that is all before their baby arrives on earth. Don’t get me going about once the baby arrives as I will let your imagination take over from there, although I will leave you with this one story of  when our first baby slept through the night for the first time. I asked D to check on her as I was so scared we had lost her in the night. You see, our OB-GYN who delivered her, had just lost his infant son from sudden death syndrome a few months earlier and I thought, if it could happen to him well we are not immune. Irrational I know, but this is the stuff of life. FEAR!

Well, I could go on and on with regards to fears, but what I wanted to say was thisHalloween time of year reminds me of the day, 4 years ago that we found out we were having TWO BOO babies……and it’s been a wonderful experience. Yes, my hands are full as many people often comment, but they are full of multiple blessings. The biggest thing that scares us is often fear itself.

This post though is REALLY about a book review I wanted to share since tonight is my Sacred Circle book club meeting and the book we are discussing is, “The Places that Scare You, a guide to fearlessness in difficult times,” by Pema Chodron. I don’t know if you’ve had the chance to read this book or not, (I invited you to be a sacred sister on one of my blogs in September) but in case you haven’t and in case you have your share of anxiety and fears, this book gives one many insights to  contemplate and incorporate  into ones life.

Front Cover

I have recently written about the terrorism that occurred in Canada on a prior post (Earthlings Get Grounded) and a thought that really rang home to me was on Page 7 of this book. The author wrote, “Hatred never ceases by hatred-but by love alone is healed. This is an ancient and eternal law.”

On page 42, Pema Chodron writes, “In cultivating loving kindness we train first to be honest, loving and compassionate towards ourselves.”

And on Page 52, she says, “As a result of compassionate practise, we will start to have a deeper understanding of the roots of suffering.”

It was quite timely to read this and so I thought, “I send love to all terrorists around the world.” I know many would not understand this way of thinking but if we truly believe we are all connected, I’m only hurting myself by thinking anything but love.

In Chapter three, “The Buddha taught that there are three principal characteristics  of human existence. They are, “impermanence, egolessness, or dissatisfaction.”

Recognizing these qualities, to be real and true in our own experience helps us to relax with things as they are.

I loved this concept since the theme of my life is all about surrender It’s a life lesson that runs through each moment of my life as I attempt to not attach to anything, instead, just notice what I’m reacting to and then letting it go. I’m not brilliant one day and a screw up the next. I’m not what I do, or what people think if me. IF I don’t attach to anything, then nothing, NO THING, can influence me or make me feel good, or bad.

It’s a journey for sure but something I’m finding easier as I’m getting older. Good thing too since one of the biggest fears most humans have is dying. Accepting that our earthly body is always in a state of change, and will eventually stop functioning is either a freeing idea or scary to some. Understanding that we ARE, not the human body, that this is only our vehicle while on this earth and eventually it will stop working, makes it easier to let go of even dissatisfaction, like aging, or a part of our body that appears not perfect to us.

The other main idea that was presented in this book has to do with the sweet spot in life. Is it when things are going great and all our dreams are coming true? Nope! It’s when things are really tough and difficult. When we are able to remain in that place and stand our ground, that is when we become true warriors. It’s when we really soften and become more compassionate towards ourselves, and others. It’s when we glimpse the idea that we are all connected.

On page 122, Chodron writes, “The fact we spend a long time in the middle, the juicy spot is  the fruitful place to be—resting here completely—steadfastly experiencing the clarity of the present moment is called, Enlightenment.”

I loved the quote at the beginning of Chapter 7 on Loving Kindness-

“Peace between Countries must rest on the solid foundation of love between individuals.”                                    ~Mahatma Gandhi~

“No matter where we are on the journey-we are always stepping further into groundlessness. Enlightenment is not the end-it’s just the beginning of fully entering into we know not what.”

The last words of that sentence….WE KNOW NOT WHAT….isn’t that our worst fear? That we don’t know what is ahead of us and that is something that is really hard for most people to deal with…letting go and trusting that ALL SHALL BE WELL.

Before I close my book review, I liked how Pema Chodron brought in stories of her experiences with her teachers. A few simple words they said to her in response to her training came back to me and resonated with my soul, they were, “It’s no big deal.” and “It’s Okay.”

Although this book was rich with wonderful ideas, at the end of it, I was just thinking to myself, I’m okay, and it’s no big deal. And that is what I’m taking to book club tonight.

As we are about to head into Trick or Treat season, when scary creatures are ringing our door bell, literal or figuritively, I thought I would leave you with a comfort food recipe that I made last night. PERFECT for making this weekend, “Country Chicken Casserole and Biscuits” and a recipe for a quick “Chocolate cake,” you can whip up really fast and delicious enough to impress your scariest guests.

Happy Halloween! if I don’t get the chance to post again…it’s really busy around here this time of year although I had hoped to get my famous sugar cookie recipe on my blog…stay tuned for my pumpkin cookie recipes. I have to make it for Will’s kindergarten class party so I will try to bring you in the kitchen for some fun creations. Enjoy this special time of year when we really have to look fear in the face and say, BOO!

Hope’s Country Chicken Casserole with Biscuits

Ingredients
  • 3-4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3 cups diced potatoes
  • 1 cup diced carrots
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • ½ cup sliced celery
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 2 cups of vegetables whatever you have….I used brocoli, cauliflower, swiss chard and kale,
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup milk
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • if you have some sage and parsley they make a nice seasoning that you can add when you cook the celery, onions and garlic

 Note: If you want a really creamy sauce double the sauce ingredients above

 

Instructions

 

  1. Preheat oven to 400º F.
  2. Bake chicken pieces until lightly browned, no longer pink. ( it took 40 mins for my breast pieces which were quite thick) Remove from oven, cut up into small 1 inch pieces. Set aside
  3. Cut up potatoes into nice big chunks and boil until almost done, add carrots and the rest of the vegetables…cook until all are tender. Remove and drain water.
  4. In a sauce pan, melt 2 tbsp butter, cook celery, onions, garlic until tender. Add chicken broth and cook until boiling. Remove.
  5. Melt butter in 3-quart saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour until smooth and then slowly pour in milk, whisking constantly. Remove from heat and add salt, pepper if you wish.
  6.  Put chicken and vegetables into a a casserole dish along with the chicken broth and  white sauce, mix well.  

(Make biscuits  and put on top of casserole….bake in hot oven 450 F for 12 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown)

This is what it looks like before adding the biscuits….since this was such a large pan though, next time I would add more white sauce…and also next time I’m going to do the English Pea and carrots….my kids aren’t crazy about peas but I LOVE THEM ..my Grandma Clark used to say, “they will put hair on your chest!”

Hope’s Biscuits

Ingredients

2 cups All purpose Flour
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup shortening
1 cup milk

(For our larger family I double the recipe….any extra biscuits get eaten with jam the next day)

Instructions

Mix together flour, baking powder and salt. Cut in shortening with two knives or a pastry blender until the mixture is the consistency of course cornmeal. Make a well in the centre of these ingredients; add liquid slowly. When all the liquid has been added, stir dough rather vigorously until it comes freely from the side of the bowl. Turn dough onto lightly floured board and knead lightly for a few minutes. roll or pat out to desired thickness–about 1/2 inch thick. Bake in a hot oven, 450 degrees F. Makes 12 biscuits

 

David loves it when I’m cooking for my “blog” because he often gets a glass of wine too….

Tonight we added a nice white wine that my sister J and brother in law B, gave D for his birthday. B says it is the best quality white wine for it’s price…we love B.C. wine! Thanks J and B!

 

Perfect with my Country Chicken Casserole with Biscuits….ENJOY!

And for another comfort food that will surely chase anything you are scared of, AWAY>>>>

Hope’s Comfort Food Homemade Chocolate Cake

Ingredients
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups sugar
  • ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1½ teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon espresso powder (opt)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup milk
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup boiling water…I had left over coffee so I added a cup of hot coffee

 

Instructions

 

  1. Preheat oven to 350º F. Prepare two 9-inch cake pans by spraying with baking spray or buttering and lightly flouring or 1-13×9 pan.
  2. For the cake:
  3. Add flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt and espresso powder to a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk through to combine or, using your paddle attachment, stir through flour mixture until combined well.
  4. Add milk, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla to flour mixture and mix together on medium speed until well combined. Reduce speed and carefully add boiling water(coffee if you have it) to the cake batter. Beat on high speed for about 1 minute to add air to the batter.
  5. Distribute cake batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans or in one large pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
  6. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes, remove from the pan or let cool completely and ice in pan. .
  7. Frost cake with a Buttercream icing….I added a tsp of hot water with instant coffee for a mocha flavour to my icing
 I was in such a rush, taking kids to piano, picking up University kid, Skyping other University kid from a distance to see how his Mid term exam went, and texting high school kid to see when Volleyball practise ended that I was lucky to ice this cake…turned out really great although the decoration of coconut and almonds weren’t the greatest…hey but it’s life. I’m glad I don’t have all the time in the world to set up my blog posts looking perfect because you know, life isn’t like that…not real life and that is nothing to be scared of. It’s sometimes messy but tastes GREAT!

This cake was the perfect comfort dessert after the Country Chicken Casserole with biscuits…I hope you try it out on a day that you need some home cooking to comfort you.

If you are interested in hearing more from Pema Chodron, on Fear and Fearlessness.…check out this YouTube video.

 

And another one with Oprah…..why fear is nothing to be afraid of

Until we meet again, may you be well, happy, peaceful…and FEARLESS!

Blessings from Hope

 

Ambrosia Salad~Grateful Hearts

/ Lee Reynolds

Warm sunshine, blue skies and the scent of apples fills the air as we get ready to celebrate Canada’s Thanksgiving weekend. It’s been a busy week but truly glorious. Last Saturday, was the twin’s bike a thon fundraiser for their preschool. I was at a loss how to decorate their bike, yes, singular, since our other tricycle fell apart literally a few weeks before the big event and was unrepairable. We tried to find another bike for them second hand but was unable to find anything that fit or was in decent shape so they shared our old radio flyer. Hey it worked great and reinforced our family’s mission statement, to use what we have and not buy more stuff. And was good advertisement for my blog.

Victoria was a shining example of green power at it’s best

On Tuesday, Will’s  kindergarten class had a field trip to the fire station near his school. That night, David purposely burnt toast so our smoke alarm would go off, while I read the little ones stories. As we escorted our excited bare footed children, wearing nothing but their jammies, out into the clear, cold night,  I was hoping our neighbours weren’t calling 911, as the sound of the shrill alarm rang through our cul-de-sac. Then if they heard shrieks they may REALLY think there was an emergency, well, maybe not, since that is a common sound coming from our home. It was lovely being out in the evening though as we marvelled at the full harvest moon.

Then on Wednesday, I accompanied the little girls and their preschool friends to the Pumpkin patch. I can’t tell you how many times I have taken THAT tour (with each of our older children, often twice, once in preschool and then in kindergarten) but it was really fun to see it through their eyes. As I bought a large box of apples and a big bag of pears after our morning at the farm, I was thinking how thankful I was to be able to experience this once again.

The tractor ride trip to the patch was a highlight, bumpy bump, giggle, giggle.
While very commercial, I am thankful for farmers who have a vision to create a place for children to see pumpkins growing, some were still attached to their vines and some were still flowering.
Victoria sits on her pumpkin, I was thankful for the big bag I brought
Kate and her new pumpkin “pie”friend

Of course, Harrison and Grace also kept us busy driving them to their jazz band, drum, piano and voice lessons, the later two being for Grace. And the week was also speckled with volleyball practices and games which thrills me to no end, since I played volleyball as a teen and so far none of the older children have taken to the game despite me purchasing a really expensive volleyball and net several years ago. The boys ended up using the end poles for weapons of battle and the ball is probably under one of our huge cedar hedges as we speak.

Thursday, Oct 9th, was D’s birthday so it was a quick dinner of fish and chips, coleslaw and cheesecake from Costco’s, which was delicious by the way. Have I mentioned I LOVE Costco? After dinner, cake and gifts, we went to watch another volleyball game. It wasn’t a total failure. Thankfully, our school team won ONE of the games. They are a school known for their honour and academic excellence, but not their athleticism, we are lucky to be mid way in the pack after a season. I love sports as it teaches us how to play in life and hopefully, with a detachment of the outcome. Still, you can hear me cheering with the best of them. I inherited that from my Dad, M, who was a brilliant hockey coach, assistance soccer coach and loved to cheer encouragement at my older sister’s basketball games.

Did I mention we also had a guest on Thursday? Will was so excited to introduce Fluffy, the bear, to me when he arrived home from school. Fluffy is the kindergarten mascot and each evening he is sent home with a lucky child to have a sleepover. The child is to draw a picture of what they do with Fluffy and perhaps write some words if they are able. After school we took Fluffy to the library and of course he was a birthday guest and then came to the volleyball game as well.  As Will clung to him at bedtime, I let go of the idea that Fluffy could also see the inside of my washing machine while he visited us.

Will, thankful for having his time with Fluffy at the library where we picked a book called, “Bears Day Out.”

After such a busy week, while the girls were at preschool on Friday morning, I picked up the Thanksgiving weekend groceries and then came home to throw a load into the washing machine and make beds. The day seemed to fly by though but was highlighted with a visit from my sister J and brother in law, B. They are doing some major projects around their homestead and it’s always exciting to hear about the latest. Building a pizza oven with their kids was a big addition and hopefully soon it will be cured enough to start baking some pizza and enough bread to feed their rural neighbours.

So here it is, Saturday morning. We took the turkey out of the freezer first thing, D made pancakes shaped, he said, like GHOSTS, and while I write now, he is getting our swimming hole winterized. We haven’t had any frost here yet but it’s around the corner. This morning we woke up to see leaves scattered everywhere as the fall winds blew overnight. I have to get out and cut the rest of my herbs and bring in the last of the tomatoes. YES, they are still growing but changing colour very slowly now as the hot days of summer are far behind us.I also want to cut a few stalks of corn to decorate our front entrance for Halloween.

Before the weekend grabs a hold of me and takes me on a whirlwind of gardening, cleaning, and cooking, I thought I would pause to wish all my Canadian blog viewer’s a very Happy Thanksgiving weekend. For those of you, (waving to my daughter in the U.K.) and to my other readers around the world, (Waving Hi to those in France and Trinidad…wow) each day is perfect for giving thanks. Greet the morning as you rise with, “thank you.” As challenging, stressful and full of suffering life is at times, knowing our heart still beats, we have another moment to make a difference and time to enjoy the abundance here for each of us, well that is something to embrace in our grateful hearts.

Something my mom, E was always thankful for was having a LARGE helping of Ambrosia salad at Thanksgiving, so I thought I would share the recipe with you in case you haven’t been initiated into this tradition. It’s a favourite for young and old and is extremely easy to make. I like how it lightens the palate and brightens the Thanksgiving plate too. So without much ado, here’s my family’s Ambrosia recipe. Dedicated to my mom E, my daughter Alyssa and my son Mitchell (in the U.K. and at University in Victoria). You are all in my heart and I’m thankful for the many Thanksgiving weekends we had together.

Hope’s Ambrosia Recipe

Ingredients

1- large bag of coloured mini marshmallow
1- 500 ml tub of sour cream
1- can (14 oz) of pineapple tidbits (drained…save the liquid and make a smoothie)
1- can (14 oz) of fruit cocktail (drained)
1/2 cup of coconut flakes, walnuts, dried cherries….whatever you have in your pantry

(optional)…you can always use a can of mandarin orange slices instead of the pineapple)

 

 Instructions 

Mix all ingredients together really well in a large bowl. Pour them into a casserole dish (with a lid) and top with the nuts, coconut and cherries. Put the lid on and place in fridge overnight. 

That’s it! Easy peasy…and if you are a family with little children and going to someone else’s house for Thanksgiving….perhaps this can be your contribution. It’s easy, it’s something your kids will surely eat AND I’m sure your host(ess) will appreciate it as well.

“Many will be the blessings and short will be the time, so let’s rejoice, let’s be thankful, for the abundance in our lives. ” 

                                                                         ~Lee Reynolds~

Before I leave you, if you have the time, check out this You Tube video clip on being thankful.
(If you have problems connecting with the video, see the highlighted words above..on being thankful)

Until we meet again, may you be well, happy and peaceful.

Blessings from Hope

P.S. I’m thankful for my readers….we hit over 3000 views a few days ago….WOW for being up and blogging such a short time I just want to say, “thanks for sharing your life with me. ”

 

Chocolate Quinoa Cake AND Symptoms of Inner Peace

/ Lee Reynolds

My 5 year old son, Will woke up early this morning. TOO early. “Time to get up Mommy,” he sang out to me as he bounced around my bed. I cracked an eye open to peak at the clock beside my bed and groaned, “Will, it’s too early to get up.” With that he crawled into my bed and curled up next to me, wrapping his chilly bare feet around my legs. Oh to only have another 15 minutes of deep sleep would have been heaven, I thought.

As if he had read my thoughts, he promptly kissed me on my forehead, which is our sacred place for kissing one another. He has tried a number of times to kiss me on my lips but I always tell him that is where Daddy kisses me and I want my children to have their own special place to physically show love. We have chosen the third eye area which seems so appropriate since he is so much “in” soul.

That kiss, warmed my grumpy spirit and I started to think about the upcoming day. My monkey brain turning already. As soon as I wake up and am somewhat conscious, it likes to take over and run my life. It was going to be a busy morning getting Will and Grace ready for school and on the 8 am bus and then  since the high school bus no longer picks up in our area, (don’t get me started) I would have to drive Harrison to school. Then return home quickly, get the little girls ready, drive our oldest son to the University bus stop and then the twins to preschool. So much rushing in such a short amount of time.

Will interrupts my running silent dialogue and asks, “can I start the bath mom?” I look at the clock again and see now it is time to get up so reluctantly I say, “oh all right.” He pops out of our warm cocoon and a moment later, I can hear water running in the bath.

We have a morning ritual before the little girls wake up. Will and I like to have a bath together. We have been doing this since he was around a year old and sadly I can see the end coming since he is now in school and getting too old to bath with his mom. (Usually around kindergarten time, at least in our house, that is usually the signal for more modesty) But for the present time, he is still my bath mate.

One good thing we did when we built our house was install a really big, deep tub in our master bathroom and it has been delightful bathing with our  little ones over the years. I’m a bath person. I could spend hours in there and in the old days, before children, I used to read whole novels in one sitting, (or rather bathing) replacing the hot water every hour or so. I hardly think about those days now for having a sweet little boy to bath with and chat the morning away is so much nicer in my opinion.

Here is a glimpse into our master bath…you can get a tiny sense of the tub etc that I could while away my days…or chat with my little people while they are enjoying a ritual bath.

When I think the bath must be full enough I get up and see Will in his birthday suit and poised on the edge of the tub. He is deep in thought and looking out of our large bathroom window. It looks straight down the lake which is below our house. My husband always says, how many houses do you know where you can sit on the throne and look down a lake? Did I mention the back of our house is private too? So this is where I find Will this morning. I ask him, ‘what’s up Bud?” and he turns to me with a glowing smile and says with tons of enthusiasm, “Isn’t nature BEAUTIFUL Mommy?”

This is the view of the lake from our lower deck..outside the back of the house…it’s not exactly the view out of the bathroom window…which is even better…but gives you an idea.

I walked over to the edge of our tub to look down the lake. We have lived above the lake for over 20 years and although this was one of the main reasons we built our house here, I often take it for granted. It’s only when we have people at our front door and their mouth is gaping open as they look through our house, out to this panoramic view of the lake, that I stop to appreciate the view. But this morning I stopped to see it anew. White mist is lingering over the glistening grey/blue water and the sky is starting to glow lighter and brighter as the promise of another lovely fall day begins..

I looked down at my son’s blonde curls and was in awe at his coming. His BEING. At his ability to always bring me right back to the moment appreciating beauty of the here and now. This awareness reminded me of the 12 Symptoms of Inner Peace I used to recite regularly to ensure I was in that state. I haven’t looked at those signs in years because I am often reminded daily, through my children’s eyes, how spectacular earth is and how blessed I am to be alive.

In case you don’t have a daily reminder, check out the 12 Symptoms of Inner Peace. How many can you count occurring in your life lately?

SYMPTOMS OF INNER PEACE

 

by  Saskia Davis

 

 

 

Be on the lookout for symptoms of inner peace. The hearts of a great many already have been exposed;  and it is possible that people, everywhere,  could come down with it in epidemic proportions. This could pose a serious threat to what, up to now,  has been a fairly stable condition of conflict in the world.

 

        

 

         Signs & Symptoms of Inner Peace

 

A tendency to think and act  spontaneously rather than on fears based on past experiences

 

 

 

An unmistakable ability to enjoy each moment

 

 

 

A loss of interest in judging other people

 

 

 

A loss of interest in judging self

 

 

 

A loss of interest in interpreting the actions of   others

 

 

 

A loss of interest in conflict

 

 

 

A loss of  ability to worry

 

                                                         

 

Frequent, overwhelming episodes of appreciation

 

 

 

Contented feelings of connectedness

 

with others  & nature

 

 

 

Frequent attacks of smiling 

 

 

 

An increasing tendency to let things

 

happen rather  than  make them happen

 

 

 

An increased susceptibility to love extended  by others  and  the uncontrollable urge to  extend it

 

 

 

WARNING

 

If you  have  some or all of the above symptoms, be advised that your condition of inner peace may be too far advanced to be curable. If you are exposed to anyone exhibiting any of  these symptoms, remain exposed only at your own risk.     © 1984
     
                                                       
Isn’t that GREAT?
And if you would like to add to your Inner Peace quotient, check out my recipe for Chocolate Quinoa Cake.
You won’t be able to contain your smile once you taste a bite of this moist, decadent cake.
This recipe was given to me by my soul sisters, Yania. She made it for one of our Sacred Book club meetings. She is one of the most conscious consumer of healthy food products I know, other than my oldest daughter Alyssa.  This is now a regular favourite in our house. I hope you like it too.
Yania’s Chocolate Quinoa Cake
You will need the following ingredients:
The only other thing you need, not shown is sugar and salt
 Ingredients:
 
2/3 cup white or golden quinoa
11/3 cups water to cook quinoa
1/3 cup milk (any milk will do but we use almond milk)
4 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup butter melted and cooled (you could also use coconut oil which would give it a nice taste)

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 white or cane sugar (this was originally 11/2 cups but was cut in half and is still great)
11/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Directions:

Bring Quinoa and water to a boil in a medium saucepan. cover, reduce to simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Keep moist. Turn off head and cool a bit.

Bring quinoa and water to boil, put lid on and then simmer on low heat for 10 minutes



Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease two 8 inch round or square cake pans. Line with parchment paper.

Combine milk, eggs, and vanilla in a mixer/blender or food processor. Add 2 cups of cooked quinoa and butter and continue to blend until smooth.

Adding the cooked quinoa to the milk, eggs and vanilla



Whisk together the sugar, cocoa, salt, baking powder and baking soda in a medium bowl. Add the contents of the wet ingredients and mix really well. 

Mixing the sugar, cocoa, salt, baking powder and baking soda together



Divide batter between pans and bake on centre oven rack for  40 minutes. The key is to not over bake. Our oven, like Yania’s whipped this cake up in less time than that…30 minutes for us until the toothpick came out clean. 

I just sprayed my pans with a cooking spray but next time I’m going to put down parchment paper



Let sit for 5 minutes in the pan and then turn cakes onto a rack to cool completely. I put our cakes into the freezer for a bit because I wanted to ice them quickly and serve the cake after dinner. It was great because it was easier to frost.

I put jam between the layers and frosted it with a traditional chocolate icing, topping it with dried cherries and a few almonds. The next time I make this, I’m going to make the cake with coconut oil and also make the chocolate icing with coconut oil as well…did I mention I love coconut. But let your taste buds be your guide. My husband would also like me to make a chocolate mocha icing another time as he loves coffee and then I would put a few chocolate coffee beans on top as a garnish.

I added little pieces of dark chocolate to the icing for a little extra something…topped the cake with dried cherries and almonds


This cake is so moist and wonderful. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

And when you eat it, think of a blonde little boy who loves life and who lives in a state of Inner Peace…he inspires me daily.

It’s all good!

 

And serving up my little man first who reminds me that chocolate cake adds to our Inner Peace

 

What a nice way to end a wonderful day!

I hope you try this healthy and yummy chocolate quinoa cake….and while you are eating your piece, enjoy a song that Will and I like to sing before bed….”I see skies of blue, clouds of white, the bright blessed day and the dark sacred night….la, la,la, la…la”.

(If you are using an Apple product, you may not be able to view the following but hopefully this link will bring you to the YouTube video, Louis Armstrong’s song, “It’s a Wonderful World.”

It’s a WONDERFUL world!

Until we meet again, may you be well, happy and peaceful.

Blessings from Hope

 
 

Butternut Squash and Ginger Soup

/ Lee Reynolds

Tis the season. Soup season that is. Nothing says home, more than coming in the house after a long day to smell a delicious aroma drifting from the kitchen. Knowing it’s healthy and satisfying makes it our family’s fall comfort food. After a season of raw vegetables, salads and fruits, it’s like putting on a wool sweater to warm your body.


I was inspired to make this soup when Harrison woke up feeling under the weather. He had had his braces tightened, was feeling headachy and on top of that, felt like a cold was on his doorstep. I knew I had to make something easy to chew and filling. I went out into the garden to be inspired and when I saw the butternut squash, gleaming in the sun amongst the dying vines, I thought PERFECT!

 

(I planted 6 butternut squash plants in an area that wasn’t ideal. I had pulled up yucca plants from this area and I didn’t get all the roots up so I had little yucca plants growing up all around my squash this summer….but despite the competition for water and sun, the squash prevailed. Sadly, we won’t have any to store for the winter as we LOVE squash and have eaten almost all of it. Next year, I’d like to plant twice the squash for our size family.)

 

I probably focus on our 15 year old Harrison’s growing needs the most lately, since he literally grows a 1/8 of an inch every night. Okay, maybe that is an exaggerations. Let’s just say, his basketball coach is going to love seeing him this year! Anyway, I get worried when his braces are tightened as his food consumption drops a lot.

Then I came inside to rummaged around the pantry (noticing that many of my bottles needed to be topped up and it’s generally disorganized….another blog post for sure) and found some ginger root. I had purchased the ginger to make some tea but had forgotten all about it. Another PERFECT ingredient. I also dug some boneless chicken thighs from the freezer and although this soup is lovely with just vegetables, I find adding some pieces of chicken and broth very satisfying, especially for our son who basically lives on smoothies for days after he has his braces tightened.  If you are a vegetarian, of course please disregard the chicken aspect and use vegetable broth.

So without further ado, let’s get cooking.

Hope’s Butternut Squash and Ginger Soup

Ingredients

  • 1 butternut squash (peeled, seeds removed, and cubed)
  • (note, you can use 2 butternut squash instead of the carrots
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 4 large carrots 
  • 3 tbsp minced fresh ginger
  • 3 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 tsp nutmeg
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 cup thinly sliced onion
  • 3 large garlic cloves
  • 1/8 cup brown sugar
  • 1 lb chicken
  • 8 cups chicken broth
  • 2 cups cooked rice (I used a Basmati because Harrison loves that…but personally I prefer a nutty brown rice
  • Chopped fresh parsley
  • Sour Cream for a topping, (opt)



Directions:

Put the rice on and while it’s cooking;



Peel, the squash, remove the seeds and cube. Peel and chop the carrots. Mince the ginger, set aside 1 tbsp for later, and then crush 1 garlic clove.



Pour 2 tbsp of olive oil on a baking sheet and add the squash, the carrots, 1 crushed garlic clove, 2 tbsp of ginger, 2 tsp of cinnamon, 1 tsp of nutmeg and sprinkle with sea salt with freshly ground pepper. Coat all really well in the oil and put in the oven to roast at 375 degrees for 45 minutes.

If you are using chicken, you can cook it on a separate pan while the vegetables are roasting.

While the vegetables are roasting, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a pan, add 1 cup of chopped onion, 2 of the remaining garlic cloves (minced). Cook onions and garlic until translucent. Add 1 tbsp of minced ginger, 1 tsp of cinnamon, 1 tsp of nutmeg and 1/8 of a cup of brown sugar. Cook until carmelized. 



Transfer the onion mixture to a soup pot, add the chicken and cook well until both are sizzling, add the chicken broth at this point. Bring to a boil, then add the rice and the roasted vegetables.


Add the chicken to the onions
Add 8 cups of chicken broth…less if you want to puree it
Add your roasted veggies and your rice




The magic in this soup is layering all the seasonings, otherwise it will be bland. Finally, if you aren’t using chicken, if you wish, you can puree the soup in your food processor. I wanted our soup to have soft chunks for a filling main dinner soup. It would make a delightful fall soup prior to your entre. For our family, soup, salad, a rosemary dinner bun and old fashion rice pudding for dessert was perfect.




Ladle your soup into a bowl, add a sprig of parsley and a dollop of sour cream which is refreshing and a nice complement to the ginger. This is a warming soup full of flavour. Enjoy!

As if that wasn’t good enough….finish it off with some old fashion rice pudding. Oh my, talk about comfort food or WHAT!

This was the creamiest rice pudding ever! Harrison ate his portion and before bed he sat down to finish off the rest of the casserole dish.

I don’t know if it’s more enjoyable to eat all this wonderful homemade stuff or to hear my family’s contented sounds as they consume it.

This to me is one of the best parts of nurturing my children. Watching them appreciate food and grow.

If you are also interested in making the Rosemary dinner buns here is the recipe.

Rosemary Dinner Buns

Ingredients

*1 tbsp white sugar
*1 cup warm water
*1 package active dry yeast or 1 tbsp (I buy Red Star active dry yeast from Costco )
*1 tsp salt

Our rosemary plant next to the Kale
*2 tbsp softened butter
*2 tbsp rosemary….I went to the garden and picked it fresh
*1 tsp Italian seasoning
*3 cups bread flour…although you can use an all purpose as well
*1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
*1  beaten egg (opt)
 
 

Directions

  1. Dissolve the sugar in warm water in a medium bowl, and mix in the yeast. When yeast is bubbly, mix in salt, butter, 1 tablespoon rosemary, and Italian seasoning. Mix in 2 cups flour. Gradually add remaining flour to form a workable dough, and knead 10 to 12 minutes.
  2. Coat the inside of a large bowl with olive oil. Place dough in bowl, cover, and allow to rise 1 hour in a warm location.
  3. Punch down dough, and divide in half. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lightly grease paper. Shape dough into 2 round loaves, and place on the baking sheet. I like to shape my dough into balls and put on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with remaining rosemary. Cover, and allow to rise 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
  4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
  5. Brush loaves with egg. Bake 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brow

The Rosemary buns were such a nice flavour, next to the warming squash/ginger soup.

Finally, if you are a lover of Rice pudding, then you have to try this recipe. I actually had Harrison make it while I was making the soup and the buns. (he wasn’t feeling that bad) We have been working in the kitchen together for years. I like to encourage all of our children to help me in the kitchen from the time they are small. We like to  make muffins, pancakes, cookies; things they are excited to eat.

Once they are around 11 or 12, I like to get them working on main dishes and of course teach them to cook the foods they love. Harrison was more than happy to make this dessert for this meal and ended up eating the majority, which was good since he hadn’t been eating much since visiting his orthodontist the day before. This is an excellent recipe to make if you have left over rice. I just made extra rice, when I made the Butternut Squash and Ginger soup.

Okay, get ready for comfort food extrordinaire……

Old Fashion Rice Pudding

* 3/4 cup uncooked white rice,
* 2 cups milk, divided
* 1/3 cup white sugar
* 1/4 tsp salt
* 1 egg beaten
* 2/3 cup raisins
* 1 tbsp butter
* 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
*  2 tsp cinnamon
* 1 tsp nutmeg

 

Directions

  1. Bring 1 1/2 cups water to a boil in a saucepan; stir rice into boiling water. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
  2. In a clean saucepan, combine 1 1/2 cups cooked rice, 1 1/2 cups milk, sugar and salt. Cook over medium heat until thick and creamy, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in remaining 1/2 cup milk, beaten egg, and raisins; cook 2 minutes more, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla.

 

After cooking the rice pudding on the stove top, pour it into a casserole dish, sprinkle it with cinnamon and nutmeg, put a lid on top and put it in the oven at 300 degrees for 30 minutes or until it thickens. Pour into dishes with a little piece of mint on top. It’s a wonderful finish to this evenings meal.

We doubled the recipe for our gang but this is perfect if you have a family of 4, unless you love rice pudding. Then there is never enough!

Put in a fancy dish, add a sprig of mint and it looks like something from a restaurant

I hope you try this delightful trio of recipes. Thanks for coming today, it’s always a pleasure having you in our kitchen.
Until we meet again, may you be well, happy and peaceful.

Blessings from Hope

Homemade Ice Cream Sandwich Cookies

/ Lee Reynolds

What makes you happy? For me, chocolate is right up there. Up there with eating chocolate, is making something chocolatey for someone I love. So on the heels of expanding my happiness quotient, I decided to share my recipe for Ice Cream Sandwich Cookies, CHOCOLATE, ice cream sandwich cookies. Just for you. Expanding happiness everywhere. I hope you enjoy them as much as my family did.

Will with the last bite of his ice cream sandwich

When I was at the grocery store recently I “almost” picked up a box of 4 ice cream sandwich cookies for my kids, a few of my kids. The cost was around $5.00 for this box, so  to feed my family it would have cost me at least $10.00 for 8 cookies. A few of us however would be looking on longingly. I made double that amount for half  the cost. It was healthier, PLUS, no packaging required.

First you need to make a batch of our
Country Fair Cookies

Ingredients

11/2 cups of butter
2 cups of sugar (your choice on how you sweeten it)
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla…or other extract flavouring of your choice
2 cups of flour
11/2 cups of cocoa mix
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp of salt
1 cup of adders of your choice…we use more chocolate..a cup of chocolate chips.

Directions:

In a large bowl beat 11/2 cups of butter until whipped. Gradually add 2 cups of sugar. Mix well.

Add two eggs, one at a time and beat until well mixed.

Add 2 tsp of vanilla or flavouring of your choice
Now add the dry ingredients together as well as 1 cup of chocolate chips, nuts or whatever you want in your cookies at this time.
This mixture takes awhile to come together so mix well, until you can make balls of dough.
Place one inch balls on a greased cookie sheet and press down….I also make a few larger balls for the bigger kids.

Before I bake the cookies I shake some coloured sprinkles on a few of the cookies.

(This cookie sheet has made thousands upon thousands of cookies…it doesn’t look great but it’s sacred in my kitchen)

Bake at 350 F for 10 minutes. When you bring them out of the oven, let them sit for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet before lifting them off so they set up. Then let them cool fully on racks. I put them into the freezer before I start spreading ice cream  between them.

 

Now the best part of making these ice cream sandwich cookies is next. Decide what kind of ice cream you want to put between the cookies…the choice is ENDLESS.  Personally, I like old fashion vanilla ice cream between this chocolate cookie.
 Our oldest son likes to make ice cream from scratch for the kids at the Science center where he works in the summer….they think he is awesome.
Here’s  how to make homemade ice cream
Now take the ice cream and with a spoon and butter knife spread the ice cream on one half, then put the other cookie on the other side. Press gently. If you push too hard, you will break the cookies, (and oh gee, you will have to eat that one) but it helps if you have frozen the cookies slightly before you work with them.
You can eat them right away but they taste even better when you have allowed them to set up in the freezer and you can pull them out the next time you want to spread some happiness.
 TA- DA!

 

Ta da, chocolate cookies with ice cream. Summer happiness.

 

These are girls after my own heart. They love chocolate.
Until I see you again, may you be well, happy with chocolate and peaceful.
Blessings from Hope

 

Zucchini Bread~Zucchini Chocolate Cake~Summer’s Bounty

/ Lee Reynolds

 

Okay, maybe it was crazy to start a blog and start writing about my homestead right in the middle of summer. I mean, gesh, as though I’m not busy enough with my 8 kids, summer camps, having family come to visit,  agreeing to take care of the neighbour’s flowers (and I’m not talking about a few pots, they are everywhere, but don’t get me side-tracked) as well as hosting a long weekend family re-union (which was amazing and so worth every moment…I have to write about that in another post)….all while I’m trying to stay on top of my garden and the harvest.

Recently, I went out to check on what was growing and was absolutely shocked to find, not a few zucchinis ready but a basket of them and more ready only a day or two behind. (What do you do when you have a dozen zucchini in a  few days time? This past spring I worked at a wonderful garden center as a garden consultant, where I kind of got known as the veggie lady because I was imparting my gardening knowledge with gusto (often would get hungry just talking about growing veggies) to those who wanted to grow things they could eat.

Early in the season we had single zucchini’s for sale and those got snapped up….smart people, or not. Later, our growers provided zucchini’s in a 6 pack. Each time a customer came in and asked where our zucchinis were, they would moan and groan when they saw our lovely, healthy 6 pack of zucchinis. They didn’t know a good thing when they saw it.

I told them I would give them a few great recipes to go along with the 6 pack and they just smiled. Most people left with the beautiful zucchini 6 pack but said they were going to find me and drop the extras on MY doorstep. Ooohhhh that made me want to sell them all the more…..or so I thought at the time. The way I look at food though is you can always do something with the extra bounty and if not, there are always people looking for food. Even zucchini.

As I write this post though, I wonder what was I thinking to plant  6 zucchini plants in “my” garden and don’t get me started on the butternut squash or the pumpkins growing right next to them.

“One” of the pumpkin growing on our homestead

But again, I transgress. What I intented this blog post to be about was sharing a couple of great recipes if you too are blessed with a summer’s bounty of zucchini.

After I brought a few of the green giants into my kitchen, I started by grating them with my food processor. Then I pulled out my recipes. Yes, I still have them in old fashioned recipe cards.

I thought I’d make some loaves for eating right now, freeze some, and make a delicious chocolate zucchini cake that I could also throw in the freezer for our upcoming family re-union. I was also able to fill several large freezer bags with grated zucchini so in the middle of winter I could remember the blessings of summer. I just love the smell of zucchini leaves, don’t you?

Here’s a few picks./pics from my garden…..I hope you In JOY!

Zucchini Bread

Preheat Oven to 325 degrees
Spray 2 loaf pans with a non stick vegetable oil spray

Ingredients:

3 eggs
2 cups of sugar (1 white/1 brown or you can use honey)
1 cup of vegetable oil….lately we use a lot of coconut oil but I used a sunflower oil this time)
2 cups of grated, glorious, under appreciated zucchini
1/2 tsp vanilla
3 cups  of flour (I like to use 2 white unbleached white to 1 cup of whole wheat)
2-3 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
opt….we love nuts…so we add 1/2 cup walnuts to our bread

Beat eggs until frothy, stir in sugars, oil, zucchini, and vanilla
Mix dry ingredients really well….then add to the wet ingredients. Mix until all combined.
Pour into prepared loaf pans

Bake for 50-60 minutes, until the toothpick comes out clean.

Let sit for 10 minutes, run a knife around the edge of the pan and then turn out on cooling rack.
We like to eat it warm from the oven and I put the second one in the freezer or share with a friend.

And here is the finished product….yummy.

Now I also wanted to share another recipe we made but sadly I didn’t take any pictures of the results as my kids ate it so fast that I didn’t even have a crumb to show you but oh my gosh, this was a delicious, moist cake so here is the recipe for our chocolate zucchini cake.

Hope’s Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Ingredient

2 cups of flour (again….I prefer 1 cup of whole wheat flour and 1 cup of unbleached white)
2 cups of sugar (1 cup brown, 1 cup white)
3/4 of cocoa powder
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
pinch of salt
4 eggs
11/2 cup of vegetable oil….(and again you can use coconut oil if you prefer)
3 cups of grated, glorious zucchini
3/4 cup chopped nuts…we use walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degree F.
Grease and flour a 9×13 baking pan

In a medium bowl, stir together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and a pinch of salt.
Add eggs, one at a time and oil. Mix well, then fold in the zucchini and nuts until they are well distributed.

Pour into pan.
Bake for 50 to 60 minutes and done when the toothpick comes out clean.

Cool and eat…or spread with a chocolate glaze.

We made a chocolate glaze for icing. Some icing sugar, cocoa, and coconut oil…oh yummy. In Joy!

If you are blessed to have a bounty of zucchini, like us, I hope you try these recipes. If not visit your local Farmer’s market and I’m sure you will find them plentiful at this time of year.

You can also grill your zucchini or do what we do, just cut thinly sliced pieces, drizzle some olive oil on top, add some garlic, fresh basil and oregano…(I have to blog about my herbs another time) and garlic, and of course some parmesan cheese, All my kids love this and it goes with so many other foods, make some quinoa, wild rice, a green salad and you have a complete meal……and gosh anything that is easy, healthy and stretches our budget is what I love so I can spend more time with family or my garden.

Stay tuned as I want to share my sun ice tea recipe next. It goes great with my zucchini bread and is a perfect choice when family or friends pop over for a summer visit.

Until I see you again, may you be well, happy and peaceful.

Blessings from Hope