Pancakes!

Early this month made some pancakes with my daughter.....here's the result......and yes we colored later on too. :)

Whole Wheat Bread machine recipe

I have been making this recipe ever since we got our bread machine last Christmas. I have tried other variations but this one is a keeper.

2 ¼ cups water (80 to 90°F)

3 tbsp. olive oil

2 ¼ tsp. salt

3 tbsp. maple syrup

4 cups whole wheat flour

1 ½ cup all purpose flour

1.5 tsp. bread machine yeast

1.      Measure ingredients into bread pan in the order listed

2.      Select the Whole Wheat setting and the 3-lb. settting on bread machine

Enjoy!!

Greek Caviar....Taramosalata

Has fun making this today....My wife was with the kiids so they were not jumping on me :).

Text was copied from another blog.....

Get your hands on

• 5 oz tarama (fish roe).

That's the hardest ingredient to find; you'll have to look at groceries that import Mediterranean food. Tarama is usually sold in larger jars, but you can store the remainder in the freezer for months (even beyond the printed expiration date). You'll also need

• 1 lb potatoes (that's usually one large potato, or two small ones).

Boil the potatoes in water. Boiling potatoes requires just enough water to cover them up. If you cut up the potatoes first, they will boil faster; hi heat and a covered pot will also help. The potatoes need to boil as long as it takes for them to be soft all the way down to their core. When they are soft, take them out of the water, and peel them.

Instead of potatoes, you can use bread instead. In that case, use

• 1 lb of sweet French bread (definitely not sourdough).

The catch is that you have to wait until the bread is stale. Then, you should get rid of the crust and soak the bread's interior in water. Then, you must drain the bread and leave it on an absorbent paper towel to dry thoroughly. I prefer potatoes because the recipe is simpler and because I like the mix of the potato/tarama-salad flavor.

In a mixing bowl, mash together the potatoes (or bread) with the tarama. Add

• 1 tsp of shredded and dried onion (or onion powder).

Some recipes recommend putting 1 tbsp (or more), but that's a matter of taste. It's very important that the onion is dried up, which is why it's best to use onion powder or dried onion (sold as spices) instead of starting with a fresh onion.

It's best that you use an electric mixer or blender for the mixing as you have to mix the ingredients very well. While doing so, add gradually (i.e. you pour in six equal doses and mix until fully absorbed before the next dosage)

• 2 cups corn oil (or 1 cup olive oil; you need less due to its stronger taste), and
• the juice of one lemon.

If you just dump them in, and then mix, the mixture is likely to turn into an eternal sea of oil with clumps of potato and tarama (and there's no cure from that). If you mix in gradually, though, the mixture will turn into a very nice, smooth dip. If the mixture peaks, then pour in a little water until it's smooth again.

Chill the taramosalata in the refrigerator for a few hours (keep covered or the top will form a crust), and then serve cold.

A Few Pics:

Filet Mignon....

Tried a new recipe tonight, but did not fair well. (To much Balsamic Vinigar)

Here's the recipe if you want to give it a go:

Filet Mignon with Rich Balsamic Glaze

2 (4 ounce) filet mignon steaks

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper to taste

salt to taste

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup dry red wine

Directions

1. Sprinkle freshly ground pepper over both sides of each steak, and sprinkle with salt to taste.
2. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Place steaks in hot pan, and cook for 1 minute on each side, or until browned. Reduce heat to medium-low, and add balsamic vinegar and red wine. Cover, and cook for 4 minutes on each side, basting with sauce when you turn the meat over.
3. Remove steaks to two warmed plates, spoon one tablespoon of glaze over each, and serve immediately.

Childrens' bed time stories

The best time to connect with your child is through play time and through reading books to them. Here's a few pics of books we read and go through.

My son is learning to count money and is thrilled whenever we go shopping because he likes to review the store receipts.

Groundhog day storm

What a day/storm!! Montreal got hit but not as hard as I thought it would. The children and I played well. With my boy we turned his Thomas the Train track into a F1 track, he's so into the Formula 1, and we used his matchbox cars to race around it.
My girl is getting better @ puzzles and loves playing with Mommy.
Tonight's bed time story was this book below.

chapters.indigo.ca: Lifecycles Egg To Chicken: NA: Books

Woohoooo I'm Blogging!

Wow, tonight I said let's give blogging a shot and here I am typing on my blog. So far so good, and we'll see what I will do tomorrow with the family .......and the blog.

This will get interesting. :)