195/365 (July 14, 2010) – Nothing profound to say, just a day spent trying to catch up on marking and such. Last minute shot pulled from the list of ideas inspired by other images seen on Flickr at some point.
Posts Tagged ‘food’
Day 166 – Fresh Tomatoes
June 15th, 2010, posted in 365 Challenge, Food & Drink, Photography
166/365 (June 15, 2010) – I love this time of year….fruits and vegetables actually start to taste like they should again.
I tend to prefer to buy produce in season, usually it’s the best quality, and it hasn’t travelled to places I haven’t!
Day 165 – Bagel with Cranberry Blossom Honey
June 14th, 2010, posted in 365 Challenge, Food & Drink, Photography
165/365 (June 14, 2010) – I’ve never been great at breakfast, eating it that is. And my memories of honey are tainted because when I was a child I often came down with terrible coughs (still do as an adult too) and cough syrup never worked (still doesn’t).
In an attempt to get to sleep, my father would haul me out to the kitchen and make me eat honey by the tablespoon in hopes of coating my throat and stop the coughing. So, as a result, honey is not a treat, but a medicine.
But I also know how darned good it is for us. Natures miracle syrup really. I mean, think about it, take that jar of honey that’s been sitting at the back of the cupboard for years…anything growing in it? I bet not!
So I’m trying to introduce it back into my diet a bit at a time. It’s made it’s way into my chai tea. I used to use sugar, then switched to Stevia in an attempt to reduce sugar intake. Now I’ve switched to honey.
And, since taking a drive out to the Honeybee Centre in Surrey and finding some wonderful different flavours of honey based on the fields they are raised in, I am having it on my bagel too.
Cranberry blossom honey….very, very good.
Day 156 – Out of Season
June 5th, 2010, posted in 365 Challenge, Photography, The Environment
156/365 (June 5, 2010) – I grew up not eating corn until August. Because that’s when the local growers in the Okanagan had it available. I spent so much time on my grandparent’s farm & orchards that I just knew what was available when. And that’s when I still expect it. And if it’s available outside of that season, I traditionally didn’t buy it, simply because it is never as good as when the local crops are ready.
So I didn’t expect much from this corn. But I was pleasantly surprised, it was very, very good.
I still try to buy foods that are in season locally, it supports the local growers, and I know the foods haven’t been transported huge distances, increasing their ecological cost.
But sometimes I break down.
Day 154 – Banana & Sour Cream Bread (with chocolate chips)
June 3rd, 2010, posted in 365 Challenge, Food & Drink, Photography
154/365 (June 3, 2010) – Do you know what the best part of this photo is? (Besides the fact that I get to eat what’s in it)
This banana bread is baked in my grandmother’s bread tins. Probably about 75 years old, and still going strong in my kitchen.
Now that’s getting back to basics! No strange chemicals coating these babies….just old tin that rusts if it isn’t dried well.
I have many recipes for banana bread, but this one is my current favourite. This is a modification of a modified recipe that I found in a Harrowsmith Baking Book.
Banana & Sour Cream Bread
2 large or three small ripe bananas
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup chocolate chips (substitute walnuts if that’s more to your taste, or leave them both out…but why would you want to leave out chocolate!)
In a shallow dish, mash the bananas and blend well with the sour cream, baking soda and vanilla. Cover the dish and allow it to sit for a half hour or so. Don’t know why, but like I said….this is a really good recipe and whatever this does…it really makes good bread!
In a large mixing bowl cream butter and sugar together really well.
Add eggs and beat until well blended. Add the banana mixture to the bowl and mix well, then add the flour, salt and baking powder. Mix the chocolate (or nuts) in gently and pour into one greased 9 inch or two 7 inch loaf tins.
Bake in a preheated 325F oven and bake for 30-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Note: I actually find that this takes longer in my over than the recipe says, probably because I usually use three large bananas, which makes it a wetter batter. So I bump the heat up by switching to convection, but don’t drop the temperature. I also usually bake it for at least 45 minutes and usually closer to 50 or 55. Just watch it closely after 40 minutes though.