(Long) Weekend Observations

It was Thanksgiving this weekend, here in Canada. I hung out with family and friends not really going near my computer or even my phone. A nice little break! I'm curious....who else likes to take a break from technology? Would love to know.

Here's a some of my weekend....

We spent a few hours at Hasting Racecourse on Saturday. It was a beautiful sunny day, and perfect for hanging out watching some amazing animals, with a stunning mountain back drop.  The last horse race I watched was the Melbourne Cup, years ago. Melbournians take their horse racing seriously...it's a public holdiday. Love that.  

Quick and easy. Bring to a boil 1/4 cup of water with 2 tablespoons of butter. Toss 3 cups of raw cashews with butter, 1 tablespoon of curry, 1/2 teaspooon cayenne, 1/2 teaspoon cumin and 2 tablespoons brown sugar. Spread out on a baking sheet and bake for about 15 minutes at 320f. Mmmm. 

I hope you all had a great weekend. What did you get up to? To my fellow Canadians, did you celebrate Thanksgiving on Sunday or Monday? We're in the Monday category. 

I have to say, I'm so thankful for all of you for stopping by and all your nice comments and emails. It really is a great way to start the day off, so thank you! 

janis

x  

Baked and Happy Friday

Happy Friday everyone! I've been thinking about Thanksgiving (in Canada) this weekend, and thought I should work out what we're doing for the dinner. Yikes. I can definitely check off the dessert now. I've made several variations of this recipe, but the addition of caramel and sea salt really amps it up. This is so easy and pretty delicious. If I had had more whipping cream, I would have added that on top. Next time ;) 

Pumpkin Cakes with Roasted Apples and Caramel Glaze - makes 12 cakes

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

5 large eggs

2 cups canned pure pumpkin

1 cup vegetable oil

3 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350f/180c. Lightly grease a large muffin tin and set aside. In a large bowl, beat together the eggs and granulated sugar for a few minutes, until fluffy. Add the brown sugar, a little at a time, and beat until thick and fluffy. Add the pumpkin puree and beat until smooth. With beaters running, slowly add the oil in a steady stream, until well combined. 

In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and salt. Add dry ingredients to pumpkin mixture, a little at a time, stirring well. Spoon into greased tin and bake for about 25-30 minutes or until a skewer, inserted in centre, comes out clean. 

Roasted Apples

5 gala apples, cored and cut into 8's

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon sugar

Place apples in baking dish. Drizzle lemon juice over top and sprinkle with sugar. Bake in a 375f oven for about 40 minutes or until soft. 

Caramel Glaze

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

1 cup whipping cream

1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract

Pour water into a saucepan, then add sugar. On medium high heat bring the water and sugar to a boil, without stirring. Cook until the sugar begins to lightly brown then stir a little until a deep golden brown. Slowly add the whipping cream and vanilla and whisk until smooth. Allow to cool. 

To assemble, place cake on a small plate with a few pieces of apple and drizzle caramel over top. Sprinkle with a little sea salt. Enjoy!

If you're Canadian, have a happy Thanksgiving! Have a great weekend everyone!

janis

Hello Monday Morning

I hope you all had a fun weekend! I'm over at Poppytalk today, with a wrap up of IDSwest and some of the designers I loved. Click here for more.

Have a great day!

Happy Friday!

But before I wrap up for the weekend, I'd like to announce the winner of my 2013 wall calendar.....

Dagmar of From Dagmar's Desk. Congratulations! Thanks to everyone who took part!

Back next week!

janis

Baked

How's your week going so far? Hope it's been smooth sailing!

I had heaps of plums, that were on their way out, so I made a tart. Inspired by a recipe from Ina Garten, I just added a basic custard to the mix.

Plum & Custard Tart - makes one 9" tart

1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
3/4 cups pecans
1/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1 large egg
1 lb plums, pitted and cut into quarters

Custard:
1/2 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons sugar
1  large egg
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350f/180c. Lightly grease a 9" springform pan and set aside.
In a food processor, pulse together the whole wheat flour, pecans, and sugar. Add the butter and egg and pulse until a crumbly mixture forms. Scoop about half the mixture into the pan and press down making an even layer. Layer the plums on top of crumb crust.

To make the custard, place all ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk together until it thickens a little.
Pour the custard over top of the plums, then sprinkle the remaining crumb mixture, evenly, on top. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until the sides are slightly golden. Allow to cool before cutting. Enjoy!

This is so easy to make. If you try it out, let me know how it goes!

If you didn't see Monday's post, I'm giving away one of my 2013 calendars. Click here to check it out. 

Back soon!

janis

Weekend Observations, and a Give-Away!

I hope you had a good weekend!

Here's a bit of what I got up to....

We helped our friend, Isabelle Dunlop, set up her pop-up shop. If you're in the Vancouver area this coming weekend, check it out at 3573 Main Street. I love her red and black plaid coats lined with vintage fabrics. Also on display are some of Robert Edmond's (a.k.a. my husband) paintings. 

Click here if you'd like to check out more of the New Domestic Shop.

I also worked on my new calendar for 2013, and I'm offering one up as a give-away! To enter, just leave me a comment and I'll make a random draw this Friday. Good luck! A limited amount will be for sale in my shop as well. 

Have a good day! Back soon.

janis

Hello weekend, and welcome Fall!

I can't believe fall kicks in tomorrow morning. Love this time of year. Do you? 

Back next week!
janis