Chocolate~Blueberry Jam~

All things blue in a garden..including blueberries..and my new bush..(I know I may need another..)..recommended by Nancy.I have also had to put a covering over it..as someone or something is picking off the little bundles of unripened fruit..and they lay there:(Never to be comestible..So the armor is partially on:) Wrong armor,but I will work on that~



I've been waiting for this one..since I saw it at Jasmine Cuisine~
I think when I made the little topper..I thought it would be for Blueberry Jam..

But then it hit me..THAT Blueberry jam..My husband loves Blueberries and Chocolate..

So it's a match made in heaven..and he was my hand model the night he tasted it on ice cream..but on croissants or scones..:) it would be sinfully heavenly decadently delicious also..
Do you like chocolate covered blueberries? Well you will enjoy this:)



It's the season.. the garden is bursting with blues and mauves..although my new little shrub was dubbed:"Early Producing.."..the blueberries used for the jam were not mine..they have a way to go..

I made 3 small jars.. we quartered Jasmine's recipe and it worked to a T..or a B:)

Here is what I did..
Adapted from Jasmine Cuisine..

2 Cups of Blueberries
1/4 Cup water

Boil the above washed and prepped blueberries w/ the water for 10 minutes..

Add 1 3/4 cups of sugar.. stir to dissolve completely..

add 1/2 cup chopped dark chocolate stir until dissolved

and add the 1 1/2 tsps of lemon juice from a little plastic lemon:)

Cook stirring occasionally until it gets to 104 Celcius with your candy thermometer.
add 1/2 sachet of liquid pectin and bring to a full rolling boil for 1 minute..stirring occasionally..

Remove from heat and add 1 tbsp of Brandy..it is optional but recommended and I did..again stir to combine.
Fill your jars..pre-sterilized..to 1/4 " of the top.. close and bathe ..hot water bath for 10 mins..
Let cool..

Divine.




My notes..I did not mash my blueberries..I wanted them whole..it worked well..I made a much smaller quantity because it is just for Jacques..I did give a small jar to my daughter..her husband likes chocolate covered blueberries..

Please refer to her recipe for exact quantities and her method..
My version is adapted...like my version of gardening and mixing Blueberry bushes with Baptisia and Irises..and roses..

Soul Food #96~

Some favorite words in our garden~
I seem to have some here and there..In And Out of the Garden:)Our entry..the kitchen..and a guest room.. have words that mean so much to me..
They still bring pleasure to me after years of reading them..

In every little spot..there's a reminder of words that were important at a certain time..
Some were given away..
Someone once told me that if you receive a gift..even if you love it..it's yours to do what you want with it..

I don't mean regifting..I mean giving something away that means a lot to you..
One thing that somes to mind..

A lovely garden accoutrement.. That said: "Hope Never Dies In The Heart Of A Real Gardener"

Oh when they gave me that I was over the moon..
Then one day..I heard a doctor I liked a lot..who was a Medal Of Honor Gardener..


I gave her that plaque..

I think of it at times..remembering the offering..(s)..

To me it was giving her the hope she needed..
I hope she is well..
She astounded me with her gardens..



Words.. can travel..well.

You see ..the French sign?

It's from Oregon..:)

The Dream..from the USA..

The Garden Queen..from here..and old MTL has it also..
I think a spot in California too:).Oui..the posies too..They live in California also..
I can't tell you how many Californian items..live here.. Well French things..and South African things..And USA things..

Never underestimate.. what a kind little gesture can do..and you know what.. they linger..the words in e~mails..in letters..in life~I think I have said this many times since I began this little blog..

One day..I hope to get words by personally visiting California..spots of the USA.. and France again. Further? I only hope right now for closer:)
I love to pick up memories..not gold.. or priceless monetary items.. just things that SAY.. where I have been.:)
Or who has thought of me ..and I of them~

PS I have read that the physician is well.:)

Bolognese /Jacqueline's~

When I read PCH's post about her experience making Bolognese..I wanted to make it right away:)

So I did..

Not that very minute... but the next day:)

We have been to Italy..and I have such fond memories..of the sights..the scents..the sounds..
I love making fresh pasta..


I had my friend's tomato sauce..no pancetta..so I used some bacon..I know..not great for the heart ...and not the true recipe..but it worked..next time to recreate her recipe to a T I will use pancetta..
But nevertheless it was delicious..

I liked the idea of cooking the meat in milk..

It was so good..

I added fresh herbs from our garden..basil..but sage would be great too..jacques added a few crushed chili peppers..

It was a nice day to do both the sauce and the pasta..
One day I may get the pasta attachment for my KA..but so far..the little manual machine works so well..
Don't hesitate if that's all you have..I used J.DiStasio's pasta recipe as I usually do~

You can find Jacqueline's lovely blog entry and recipes..here..

Thank you ..


Delicious.

Soul Food #95~

What saves a man is to take a step. Then another step.
Antoine de Saint-Exupery

I loved these feet at a recent birthday party:)
I love my boys runners and crocks and flip flops and bare feet too..There will never be cuter feet for me.I have even been known to eat them...But Clémence's feet just made me smile..the shoes..were her mom's cousin's:)

Peace..Is Every Step..remember?

And I Hope You Dance~

Every day of your lives:)

Lemon Custard Cakes~

Not sure if I have shared this before..but it's a keeper.. first of all there's lemon in it.. and it's light and refreshing.I particularly like their look and taste out of the oven..
All puffed up and steamy..

Love to add blueberries..raspberries..

La Recette~

Courtesy Every Day Food..Years ago!


Lemon Custard Cakes

Unsalted butter, room temperature, for custard cups
3 large eggs, separated
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 to 3 teaspoons grated lemon zest (1 lemon)
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Preheat oven to 350°. Set a kettle of water to boil. Butter six 6-ounce custard cups and place in a dish towel-lined baking dish or roasting pan.

In a large bowl, whisk egg yolks and sugar until light; whisk in flour. Gradually whisk in lemon juice, then milk and zest.

With an electric mixer, beat egg whites and salt until soft peaks form. Add to lemon batter and fold in gently with a whisk (batter will be quite liquid).

Divide batter among prepared custard cups; place baking dish in oven and fill with boiling water to reach halfway up sides of cups. Bake until puffed and lightly browned (but pudding is still visible in bottom), 20 to 25 minutes. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature, dusted with confectioners’ sugar.



P.S..My friend Michelle..is having a giveaway~ Her blog is peaceful..colorful..kind..and sweet.. like she is~You can visit her here..for a taste of Family.. South Africa..Beauty..and Inspiration~

Enjoy..And I hope one of you win the give-away..

Soul Food #94

“Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.”
Marcel Proust

The blues still predominate..the irises are just so pretty like the fanciful victorian ladies in their frocks.. My husband said.. they are a touch of elegance in the gardens..Sometimes.. his choice of words ..makes me smile broadly.I loved that he said that.
The yellow rose of Texas shines in June..
Some of the perennial geraniums..thalictrum,some roses and peonies..But still mostly the blues..the aliums..baptisias..rhododendron..
I have one patch of bright orange,huge poppies that don't match a thing.But I cannot pull them ..they reach for the sky and pop!The light cathes them in a certain way that make them magical..

The corals and pinks will bloom next~
It broke my heart to cut Bluebird way back.. but it was growing up the wrong railing and became hidden by a yew..Too pretty to be invisible but to us..so now I will train her towards the right~She has it..she must flaunt it..I believe in that for flowers..not people.
No flaunting...:)

Have a nice time in your gardens~ Small of large.A pot or a plot.

Rhubarb/Rosemary Marmalade~

Oh what a little treat this is~



I saw it here..A most beautiful blog.. I had the rhubarb,and the rosemary..and the sound of it..was just too much to not get up and make it the very next morning after letting the rhubarb and sugar sleep together all night~

La Recette..

Courtesy of Un Déjeuner Au Soleil~


Confiture de rhubarbe au romarin (pour un grand pot de 300 g environ)

- 500 g de tiges de rhubarbe en tronçons (rincées et sans les extrémités)
- 280 g de sucre semoule
- 1 branche de romarin frais

Mettre la rhubarbe dans un bol et saupoudrer de sucre. Laisser reposer au moins 4 heures, voire une nuit (il se formera un peu d'eau). Verser tout dans une casserole avec le romarin et porter à ébullition pendant 5 minutes, baisser le feu, garder une petite ébullition pendant une vingtaine de minutes sans cesser de remuer. La confiture deviendra plus dense. Verser dans un pot préalablement stérilisé (à 130°C au four pendant 10 minutes), fermer et renverser. Faire refroidir avant de le remettre droit.

Rhubarb/Rosemary jam
For a large 300 g jar ap.

500 grams of rhubarb pieces washed
280 grams sugar
1 fresh rosemary stem

Put rhubarb in a bow and put sugar on top..I mixed mine.. Leave it to sit for at least 4 hrs..or overnight.

a bit of water will appear:)

Place everything in a pot for the stove with the rosemary..boil for 5 mins..lower heat and keep a small boil for ap.20 mins..stirring constantly..It will thicken..
Place in your sterilized jar..(oven method 130 C for 10 mins)..close and flip let cool before standing upright..

Mine were just put normally in 2 smaller containers..



Jacques said where did we taste this? In Provence?
I said no..it came from a beautiful blog~:)

Soul Food #93

Almost any garden,
if you see it at just the right moment,
can be confused with paradise.
quote / saying by Henry Mitchell









A garden is a place
to feel the beauty of solitude.
quote / saying by Bob Barnes








Les abeilles butinent..les fleurs charment.. le soleil brille~


C'est un des plus beaux temps..



Some of you may remember our Muskoka chairs in the snow:) It's a nice change..I enjoy every season..but green hits the spot after a while:)

And signs of blue of course..



Talk about anticipation.. re the above:)



The blues and mauves and pinks and greens predominate..with some whites...at this time of year..but soon all the colors will shine..the lavender will permeate the air.. as the peonies.. and geraniums and honeysuckles..




I truly love them all..the buds..the blooms..the bees.. the skies..the sunshine on my face~

From Columbines.. to Campanulas..to Clematis..and Irises.. Catmint..Korean Lilacs.. lilacs..Bleeding Hearts.. Hostas..Ferns..I appreciate my stroke of luck at having a plot of land to grow things..I am always grateful.


Gardens are a form of autobiography. ~Sydney Eddison, Horticulture magazine, August/September 1993

I hope you all have a space.. be it large or small..a pot..a balcony..a terrace..or even a hanging basket..to nurture and watch grow this summer~
Who knows who will grace you with their company and beauty~

Rhubarb Strawberry pie~

Summers always start with Rhubarb~and Strawberries..
One of my husband's favorite pies..is Rhubarb Strawberry~

It's so esay..

Your favorite crust..

4 cups of fresh chopped rhubarb,one cup of sliced strawberries, 1 1/3 cups of sugar,6 tbsps of flour..I add cinnamon and cardamom..'Bake at 450 for 15 mins then reduce to 350 for ap 45 mins..Read the exact recipe as stated:)
There are so many variations on this pie.. I have tried several and keep making different ones every year..
This one was from All recipes..and they mix the sugar and flour..sprinkle a few tbsps on the base of the pie cust and mix the rest w/ the fruit..dab w/ butter and top with crust~
The cinnamon and cardamom are my additions..as well as the cup of strawberries..

It is so true that the anticipation of the garden..is one of the most delightful things it provides~




We wait months for this..
It is always welcome~