To market, to market

One of my favourite things about summer is the weekly Farmers' Market. 

Here are some of our delicious finds this morning on Main Street.

Freshly baked sourdough from The Glen Oven Tea Room. Ben's favourite!  

Our weekly organic veggie CSA from Whole Circle Farm. We went with potatoes, sweet potatoes, kohlrabi, green onion, kale, broccoli, swiss chard, spinach, and herbs. Yum! 

Nothing beats fresh, local berries. Hello, strawberries!

What are your favourite market finds?

Love is a bag of buns

Dear Ben,

I keep thinking about our argument last night. You know, the one about bread?

Obviously it was about more than just bread (we're deep like that), but still, it was bread that set the whole thing off.

Today, I feel pretty silly about my role in that quarrel. But, at the same time, I love that you will bicker with me about bread, because through such superficial arguments we tackle some of the deeper issues.

I'm trying to grow from last night's spat.

I'll try to listen better. React with love rather than frustration/annoyance/snarky comments.

And to address the surface level of our fight, here is a peace offering: a bag of buns, a stack of sliced turkey, a rosy red tomato. May you create the tastiest of sandwich in whatever your preferred medium -- bread or bun!

With love,
Erin

It's a cookie kind of a day

A tradition with the extended family on my mom's side is to throw a recipe shower for couples getting married. At the shower, the couple-to-wed receives favourite recipes from the family along with some of the required ingredients and/or baking tools/pans.

One recipe we received that has been often whipped up in our home is this one for Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies (that's no typo; double the chocolate, double the fun).

Today, with all its rain and dreariness, called for a cookie (or three) and some tea.

Here's the recipe for when you have your own cookie kind of a day.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)*

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. In large bowl, beat butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt; stir into the butter mixture until well blended. Mix in the chocolate chips and walnuts. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.

3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or just until set. Cool slightly on the cookie sheets before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

* I never add the walnuts. According to Ben, nuts and raisins are destroyers of cookies. 

These are a few of my favourite things

You know you really love a store when you wake up in a fright after having a dream it was shutting down.

I had said dream the other night, but thankfully it was not a vision of things to come. I've been by the store since, and it is still bustling with people and brimming with some of my favourite things.

Things like tea and coffee. Baking supplies. Spices galore. Natural home cleaning products. Nifty kitchen tools.

Here are just a few of my latest purchases at Foodstuffs in downtown Georgetown.

Mmm. I'm inspired to bake up something tasty with these ingredients.
The curry is optional.

And, because I'm hoping it will inspire Baby V to arrive sooner rather than later, some Red Raspberry Leaf Tea.

Come on, baby!

If you enjoy cooking or baking and supporting local shops, you really must give Foodstuffs a visit!

... And, because it is just too absurd, here is another of my favourite things. Enjoy!

The first day

Today was my first day of maternity leave.

Depending on when Baby V makes his/her appearance, I'll have anywhere between tonight and mid-December to nest and rest.

So today I did a bit of both. And it was lovely.

I slept in.

I baked some bread.

I made some pumpkin chocolate-chip muffins.

I cooked up some winter veggie casserole in the slow cooker.

I tidied up around the house.

And then I had a nap.

My schedule will definitely not be so restful when our little one arrives, so for now I am thoroughly enjoying this time of quiet preparation.