Organic Granny

This faceless grape pie is a big hit in our house. Everyone has seemingly waited for me to start making pies, and now, with my discovery the galette-- so easy and so satisfying-- we have been eating pies like I imagine normal pie-making people always have. Not every day, of course, but not depriving ourselves of the experience when the desire for pie hits.  We had a lot of grapes this year. And the birds didn't seem particularly interested. So, there was a harvest. I spent several days detaching grapes from their vines and freezing them in bags. We are set for smoothies and other frozen grape recipes . So, today I made the galette. Here is the recipe: THE PASTRY Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups organic all purpose flour 3 -5 tablespoons sugar 6-7  tablespoons solid coconut oil or vegan butter (salt-free) 1/4 cup ice water THE FILLING Ingredients: 1/4 cup sugar (plus 2 tablespoons) 1/2 cup cashew pieces or raw almonds (I used cashews as I had them on hand) 1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract o

These oat-aquafaba waffles are a dream. Great as a part of breakfast or a savory meal. Aquafaba is becoming quite trendy with vegan bakers. It is, of course, just bean juice-- what is left over in the can when you take out the beans (usually chick peas or northern beans, although ALL beans make aquafaba when you cook them in water.) Aquafaba works very much like egg white in recipes, so it is a great egg replacer for vegan items such as meringues, macrons, marshmallows, and in angel food cake (I have yet to try that!) It does not smell or taste beanie in the baked item, but if you overdo it you may find that you suffer from some of the effects of over-eating beans, so take it easy.  Less is more.  Amazingly, a quarter cup of aquafaba, what you find in a 14 oz. can of beans, is enough to lighten and puff up 5-10 waffles in this recipe. Try it and see what you think! Aquafaba is best if it does not contain salt and other additives. Check the ingredients on the can when you buy it. You ca

 I made this yummy apple-raisin quick bread this morning and unfortunately, my husband and I have practically eaten the whole thing before I thought of how useful it would be to get the recipe down here. I'm sorry. I know it would have been nice to have seen the whole loaf. Maybe the next time I make it (there will be a next time) I will remember to photograph the whole loaf. In the meantime, here is the recipe: INGREDIENTS : 3 cups of self-raising flour (see below) 2 cups (16 oz) apple sauce, sweetened l teaspoon cinnamon (optional) 1/2 to 1 cup Thompson's raisins (or other raisins) Canadians don't often use self-raising flour. It is so handy to have on hand for biscuits, and the like. Here is a recipe: For every one cup of flour (all-purpose), use 1 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt. I want to make 6 cups of self-raising flour so include: 6 cups of flour, 9 teaspoons of baking powder, and 3 teaspoons of salt. I whisked the above well and stored the ad

 My current favorite quick black bean-taco hummus made with organic black beans, taco spice, peanut butter, garlic, lemon juice, and salt. Delicious with corn chips, veggies or on crackers or bread.  This scrumptious hummus is Mexican-influenced. The taco spice by Clever Crow contains paprika, cumin, coriander, sea salt, black pepper, oregano, garlic, and chilies. It is gluten-free. To order go to their website at Clever Crow Farm. INGREDIENTS: 2 14-oz. cans of black beans, drained and rinsed 2 teaspoons Taco Spice 2 tablespoons peanut butter 2 minced garlic cloves Juice of 1 lemon or 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 1 teaspoon sea salt Put all the above ingredients in a blender carafe and whirl until smooth.  Add in a little water or more lemon juice or cider vinegar to blend if needed. Store in a jar or dish with a lid in fridge. Enjoy as a dip with chips or vegetables, or as a spread on tortillas, buns, bread, crackers, pitas, or a homemade pizza.       WHAT IS LYCOPENE AND HOW CAN

Salad and Tzatziki with Quinoa + Sun-Roasted Soy Curls It is hot and humid again today. The temperature is 30 degrees C. in the morning. Way too hot for us. I am sorry for complaining about the blue skies and sunshine when some of you read my woes about our long Winter and Spring with low temps and lots of rain (even some snow that stayed around). Is there any pleasing me? Well, a real blessing for us is to have this nifty American Sun Oven that harnesses the power of the Sun (immense power on a sunny day) for FREE! (Well, after you've paid for the oven-- you'd have to do the Math for that). Keeps your kitchen cool. Keeps the rest of the house cooler. Good for the environment. Excellent when you are off the grid on a fishing trip or on a research assignment or just like using your backyard for something besides the garden and the selfies with the flowers. And the food cooks just right, there is NO burning-- you might experience a little food dryness when you are getting used to

When the July Sun bursts forth (finally) on Beautiful Vancouver Island, out comes my American Sun Oven and then we get creative-- no more HOT kitchen cooking. (If you purchase the oven through clicking in with my link (highlighted in yellow above), you qualify for a discount on the total cost of the oven  Thank you!) Today's recipe is for our favourite veggie recipe (and we are vega n, so you know that it's gotta be good to be Top of the Faves, eh? Pretty easy. Pretty flexible. VERY colorful. (or colourful as I usually write it, being a Canadian and all) I make a double recipe and put one in the fridge for the next day if it is also going to be sunny and nice. You could just make a half the recipe if you only want it for one day. Here are some of the vegetables  you might choose to add into the pot: *Aubergine, or eggplant, small-- sliced or chopped *Chickpeas (a can, because you are going to use the juice (aquafaba) as well *Mushrooms (1/2 a little container, any kind you li

Of course, Easter is a Christian holiday that purports to use the egg as a symbol of Jesus having risen from the dead. The egg was before Christianity, a symbol of Spring fecundity and the return of the sun. It seems rather obvious that the egg has pagan origins and was co-opted by Christians. But how ever this might be, the egg at Easter is a significant part of many traditions and meals.   Celebrating Ukrainian culture Ginger Kulas spoke to a full house at the Minden Community Centre on April 5. Kulas, who is married to Ukrainian-Canadian Bill Kulas, spoke on Ukrainian culture and gave a Ukrainian Easter egg demonstration. Find more at Pysanky for Easter The beautiful pysanky, or painted eggs that the Ukrainian diaspora brought into our lives, is an example of how the egg has made its way into Christian symbolism. Priests in the Eastern rites of the Orthodox Church have a service for blessing the pysanky after the regular Easter Church service. Blood red dyes were originally used on