APPLE PICKLES......... Apples.....sweet, tart and so versatile.....Apple Pickles.....you bet!

Apple season is upon us,  the long hot summer we have has helped the apple crop to shine....  the apples are amazing. Thank you to my friends Tina and Geoff for sharing their apples with me so that I can share this post. I came across a recipe for these Apple Pickles, they are crispy, a bit sweet and a bit sour......reminds me of an apple pie in pickle form. Great as a snack, in a peanut butter sandwich or served with some perogies or a simple cheese soufflé. Make up a jar for your family and friends.
Happy September.

 APPLE PICKLES

 

 

The ingredients you will need.

 

 Apples are sliced and layered in a jar.

 

 The brine is ready for the apples.

 



 

 

 

Yum, can't wait to sample these.

 

Apple Pickles ready for family and friends!

 

APPLE PICKLES RECIPE

2-3 medium crisp apples

1 cup apple cider vinegar

1 cup water

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 cinnamon sticks

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

 Instructions

      Fill a 1-liter mason jar with apple slices.

   Combine cider vinegar with water, sugar, cinnamon, salt and ginger

 in a medium saucepan over high.

Stir until sugar dissolves and mixture is hot.

 Pour over apple slices, close lid and refrigerate overnight.

 Keep up to two weeks.

“If you're really listening,
if you're awake to the poignant beauty of the world,
your heart breaks regularly.
In fact, your heart is made to break;
its purpose is to burst open again and again
so that it can hold evermore wonders.”
~Andrew Harvey

 



Blackberry Bars

 

Blackberry Bars, Blueberry tea and friends from near and far away...
I received an email that our close friends Beth and Lindsay (from Vancouver) wanted to share with their friends from Tazmania our Sunshine Coast and the ferry ride over. So after a 3 hour wait in Horseshoe Bay they arrived at our home .It is blackberry season and with the sunny summer we are experiencing they are plentiful, sweet and juicy.

I decided to bake a batch of my Blackberry Bars to share with them along with some of my 'Blueberry sun tea'.

The Blackberry Bars recipe I had reworked from something I had seen many years ago.

 So easy to put together, so delicious, with blackberries picked from my own blackberry bush.

 These Blackberry Bars freeze so very well and this makes them perfect for unexpected company....or our new Tazmanian friends loved the bars as did everyone else. 

 You can see them in the photos below enjoying their second piece of Blackberry Bars!
Another great visit with our extended family and some new friends. Safe travels back to your home Lorraine and Andre .....perhaps a visit to your country is on my bucket list.

 

Blackberry Bars

 

Ingredients you will need for the pastry base.

 



Freshly picked blackberries



The rest of the ingredients for the Blackberry Bars

Everything mixed and folded in and ready for the oven



Blackberry Bars right out of the oven.

Serve with ice cream or just as is!

 

 



 



And there are more in the pan.....enjoy!

 

Andre and Lorraine waiting to sample the Blackberry Bars



Blackberry Bars sampled and the vote was 'delicious'

 

PAM'S BLACKBERRY BARS RECIPE

 

1 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup sour cream
1 egg, beaten
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup fresh blackberries ( I have used frozen, but bake a bit longer)
Preparation:
Combine flour, brown sugar in a medium sized bowl.
 Cut in the butter until it resembles coarse meal.
 Press 11/3 cups of mixture into a 8 inch square pan.
In a small bowl beat eggs, vanilla, salt and sour cream and cinnamon,
 mix in the baking soda then fold in the blackberries.
Spoon over crust, spreading evenly.
Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes ( more if using frozen berries)
Cool, cut into bars.
 You can sprinkle with powdered sugar if you like ( but I find them perfect just the way they are).
Makes about 12 bars - 21/2 x 21/2 inch bars

'If you say it with Honesty, don't apologize for it. If you say it with cruelty, take it back.
If you say it with anger, you'll regret it.  If you say it with Love - it will Lift You Soul.'



Raspberry Cobbler

Sunshine, blue skies and warm temperatures are the perfect combination for delicious ripe fruits. My raspberry patch started producing raspberries very early this year and my freezer is stocked with many bags of beautiful raspberries. I have shared a few pickings with friends as they were ripening fast and my freezer was getting full.

I have made few batches of raspberry jam, a combination of jams that included raspberries and many sweets filled with the juicy red and golden berries.  

This  Cobbler is a family favourite and I have been making it since my children were very young.

 I use whatever fruit is in season and right now it is raspberries.
This recipe is quick and easy, you can double it for a larger crowd and it is so good!
Bake up a pan for your family and friends and enjoy with a cup of coffee or tea.

 

Pam's Raspberry Cobbler

 

 The ingredients you will need for the fruit layer

 

The ingredients you will need for the batter ( I use coconut oil but butter/shortening works)

 

The fruit is cooked and batter blended, ready to layer

 

 The batter is poured into a greased pan



 I ladled the fruit filling over the batter



 Raspberry Cobbler just out of the oven



Serve with a few fresh raspberries

or the way my Grandmother and Mother served it, with fresh whipping cream

poured over top! So delicious and moist.

 

PAM'S RASPBERRY COBBLER RECIPE

 

11/2 cups fresh fruit (can use frozen just thaw) see note below*

1 cup sugar - divided

1/4 cup water

1 egg

1 Tablespoon coconut oil, butter or shortening

1 Tablespoon milk

1/2 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

cream

Preheat oven to 375.  Grease 8x8 inch square pan.

In a medium sauce pan combine prepared fruit, 1/2 cup sugar and the water.

Bring to a boil, stirring frequently, keep fruit mixture hot.

Meanwhile in a medium sized bowl with a spoon, beat egg, 1/2 cup sugar and

the coconut oil until fluffy. Add milk, stir in flour, baking powder and salt.

Spread batter in a greased baking dish, spoon cooked fruit mixture over top.

Bake 25-30 minutes until lightly browned and set in the middle.

Serve with cream or ice cream.

Serves 6

*Note: I used raspberries today but if using peaches, pears, plums etc. thinly slice the fruit

before adding to saucepan.

 

"Every breath we take, every step we make can be filled with Peace, Joy and Serenity"
Thich Nhat Hahn

QUINOA ZUCCHINI PATTIES

The sun shines brightly, the skies are blue, the plants are loving this heat wave. Zucchinis will be plentiful in everyone's gardens and this is just the recipe for you.  Simple, delicious and so very versatile. Eat them in a bun or serve them as is with a sauce......horseradish sauce, salsa, perhaps even some tzatziki....let your family decide. They can even be made very small and be served as appetizers. Enjoy

QUINOA ZUCCHINI BURGERS

The ingredients you will need.

Zucchini is shredded and liquid squeezed out

Parmesan cheese is grated and mixed with Panko crumbs



 

The squeezed 'dry' shredded zucchini

Purple basil and garlic is prepped 



 

All ingredients combined and ready to form into patties. 



 

Set out on a cookie sheet waiting for the frying/baking

Pan is nice and hot

Patties are set to cook

 

  

 Yum!  Eat on a bun with your favorite toppings

or serve as a patty with you a sauce of your choice.

 

 

 

 

 Quinoa Zucchini Patties

Serves 6

Ingredients

2 cups cooked quinoa
1/2 cup cannellini beans, rinsed and drained overnight, optional
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs (or seasoned breadcrumbs)
2 zucchinis, grated
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large egg, plus 1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
olive oil, as needed

Directions

Wrap grated zucchini in paper towels and wring them over the sink

to squeeze out excess moisture.

If beans are not already dry, pat them dry with paper towels,
 then transfer them to a large bowl and lightly mash them.
Add zucchini, quinoa, garlic, parmesan, panko and basil to the bowl, and season everything with salt and pepper.
Add your egg and egg yolk, mix together until combined.
Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat
and let the pan get really hot.
Form quinoa mixture into 2-3-inch patties,
 then carefully drop them into the hot oil.
Note: only fry a few patties at a time so that the pan stays hot.
Cook for 3-4 minutes per side, or until golden brown,
 then flip and repeat on other side.
Continue with remaining patties.
Transfer cooked patties to a paper towel-lined plate to drain, then serve immediately as is, or with sour cream, horseradish mayo or the sauce of your family's choice.
* I also experimented with baking some of the patties.  Bake at 375 for approximately 20 minutes (I preferred the baked version)

'Note to self....Slow down...Calm down...Don't worry...Don't hurry..

Stop overthinking..Have hope...Thank happy thoughts...Choose kindness..

Love, laugh, learn...

Trust the process......'

 

Lavender Lemonade......a refreshing drink on a hot summer day

Lavender, such a fragrant plant full of healthy oils and easy to grow.  I have many, many plants in my yard and enjoy each and every one. Since moving to the Sunshine Coast I have been able to grow so many amazing plants - Lavender is one of those plants and is so easy to grow and the lavender buds are easy to harvest. Lavender is best harvested just before the buds open.  The scent of lavender is so very calming, used in essentials oils, teas and bath salts, and cooking too.  Today my niece Leah posted a beautiful photo of some lavender she harvested from her garden and this inspired me to make some Lavender Lemonade.  Watching the chemical reaction when the steeped lavender water is added to the lemon/ sugar and water mixture is amazing to see.  (there is a video of this in this blog).  I hope you enjoy this recipe and the Lavender Lemonade this summer.



 

LAVENDER LEMONADE 

 

You will need approximately 4-5 lemons and some fresh lavender buds.

The lavender buds have been stripped from their stems and added to boiling water.

The lemons have been juiced and measured.

After steeping the lavender buds for 15 minutes, strain through a coffee filter.

 

This is what the 'lavender water' looks like (smells amazing)

 

 The lemon juice, sugar and water have been mixed and waiting for the 'lavender water'.

 

Watch what happens when the lavender water is poured into the lemon/sugar/water mixture.

 You have Lavender Lemonade....such a pretty and flavourful drink.

 

 

 

LAVENDER LEMONADE RECIPE

 



Makes 11 cups
1 cup fresh (lightly packed) lavender buds
2 cups boiling water
8 cups cold water
1 cup fresh lemon juice
1 cup sugar
Lavender stems and strawberries for garnish
In a bowl, steep lavender in boiling water for 15 minutes
Pour through a clean coffee filter. Set aside
In a large pitcher or jar, stir together cold water, lemon juice and sugar.

 Add the Lavender infusion, ice, lemon slices, and fresh lavender blossoms
Serve with strawberries on Lavender skewers.

 

 

"Those who contemplate the beauty of the Earth 

find reserves of strength that will endure
as long as life lasts.”
~Rachel Carson

Eatmore Bars.....love filled memories

Chocolate, nuts and a few other ingredients make for one of my Dad's favorite snacks.  My Father loved his chocolate bars, Eatmore and Oh Henry were two of his favorites.  I have been making this recipe for many, many years as it is also one of my favorite sweet treats.  I grew up with my Father growing many different vegetables, fruits and of course nuts! One year he grew peanuts and I can still remember the day when he took us to the garden with him to watch him harvest the patch of peanuts.
How surprised my sisters and I were to find out that peanuts grow underground - just like potatoes!
Father pulled up the peanut plant and there hanging on by their 'roots' were many many peanuts. He washed them off and then we had to wait until they dried and were roasted in the oven.  What a wonderful lesson we learned that day.  My Father was an amazing gardener, there was nothing he wouldn't try to plant.....'just to see' how it grew.  This I carry on with me and today I planted peanuts 'Valencia' variety in my Father's memory. I also made Eatmore bars (from store bought peanuts) to 'share' with Dad while I drank my tea.  Make some up for your family, no oven required.  They freeze beautifully and are great to share with family and friends.  Thank you Dad for all the lessons you taught us, for all the laughter you shared with us - for so many wonderful memories.

 EATMORE BARS 

The ingredients you will need.

The 'sauce' is melted together on the stove.

The dry ingredients combined waiting for the 'sauce'

 All the ingredients are mixed together waiting for the pan

 



Everything is pressed into the pan....now the waiting begins.

 

A delicious treat, this can also be dipped in melted chocolate for an extra special treat.

 

EATMORE BARS RECIPE

 

2 cups chocolate chips

1 cup corn syrup

1/2 cup peanut butter (I like the chunky kind)

1 cup oatmeal (quick cook or old fashioned - or half and half)

1 cup toasted unsweetened coconut

2 cups (generous) peanuts, chopped (I leave some whole)

 

Grease a 9x13 inch pan and set aside.

In a medium saucepan, melt the first 3 ingredients on low

until everything has melted and is a smooth texture.

In a large bowl combine the oats, peanuts and coconut then pour

the chocolate mixture over the oat mixture and stir until well mixed.

Press into the greased pan, cover and refrigerate until firm.

Cut into bars, logs or whatever shape and size you prefer.

This is where I sometimes dip them into melted chocolate and roll into

more finely chopped peanuts. Let cool and enjoy!

If there is a peanut allergy in the family change the peanut butter to another nut butter

and the peanuts to other 'nuts' and everyone is happy.

 

'Treat your parents with loving care....

For you will only know their value, when you see their empty chair....'