Changes

Why, hello there.

(If only I could have Jian Ghomeshi say that in his dreamy voice for you.)

You may have been wondering where I am of late. I have some good news and bad news. Which do you want first?

Okay, bad news (let's get it out of the way). This is my last post on Backseat Gourmet. I know, but it needs to be done. That's where the good news comes in.

#1 I'm pregnant! Yeah! Or mostly yeah. I don't enjoy being pregnant and with the demands on me physically of this pregnancy and mothering two crazy wild girls something had to give. But at the end I get a little creature that is so, so wanted and already loved by all.

#2 My first book is coming out in March! I managed to post through the writing of the book, but the promo and planning is also a lot of work. Combined with the freelance work I've got it means more demands on what little time I have, with what little energy I've got (see above).

#3 I'm still posting recipes and food related posts on a consolidated blog: Dining Room Empire. I will try to have a regular schedule of 1 food related post, whether that is a recipe or adventure or rant per week. While you are checking out new sites, you could also review my portfolio site. It includes links to my writing and a gallery of quilts.

This was not an easy decision. I've really enjoyed this blog, my readers, and the opportunities that have come out of it. But I'm not superwoman, despite my best efforts. So, thank-you dear friends and readers. Please join me at Dining Room Empire and we'll continue the journey together.

PS I've got a yummy recipe for Cranberry Vanilla Muffins with Orange up there...

Thievery (Recipe: Cranberry Vanilla Muffins with Orange)

Lest you think I am the perfect sort of person I must confess: I'm a thief.

As a kid I stole something, a toy or a book or who knows what, from my neighbour. My parents found out, despite my denials. So my Dad drove me to the police station to turn me in. I confessed as we were pulling into the parking lot. Returns and apologies later I should have been cured.

Should have.

In University I worked part-time for a caterer. She had a spot in a fancy mall food court and mostly catered to hospital events. She was a very nice woman, good cook, horrible boss, and a bad business woman. She would literally do her grocery shopping from the kitchen where we worked. No inventory, no record of what she was taking. We staff initially felt bad that we were even taking home the food that was supposed to be trashed at the end of the day, but as her grocery shopping increased and her presence decreased we got cranky. Despite the fact that I was a poor student (woe is me) I never actually got my daily groceries there, but I ate well from leftovers. And I had a serious addiction to making hot chocolate with the couverture chocolate she bought by 10 kilo packs.

Then one day I crossed the line. It was a slow day and the two of us working started flipping through the cookbooks at the back of the kitchen. I can't remember the recipe that made me want to borrow the book, but that night I took one book home. And never brought it back. I worked there for many months more. At home I cooked from that book a few times, as much as my budget would allow.

That was over 15 years ago and I still cook from that book. Only now I don't feel guilty anymore. I'm a thief and I know it.

These muffins have been in my repertoire since the first winter with this book. I've made a few changes to the recipe over the years, but the spirit of Sarah Leah Chase's Cold Weather Cooking is still there. Definitely best the day they are made, better yet, still warm. They are closer to a cake than a muffin, a real treat.

Cranberry Vanilla Muffins (with orange)

(Adapted from Cold Weather Cooking)

Makes 12 muffins

1/2 vanilla bean

1 orange, zested

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup softened butter

2 eggs

2 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup milk

2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries

Topping

1/2 tsp freshly ground nutmeg

1 tbsp sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a 12 muffin tins with papers or spray with non-stick spray.

2. Chop the vanilla piece into smaller pieces. Combine with the sugar and orange zest in a blender or food processor. If you don't have a food processor you can substitute 1 cup sugar with vanilla sugar or sugar plus 2 tsp vanilla extract. Process until the vanilla bean is broken up and the sugar is fully flecked with those black seeds of the vanilla and the gold of the zest.

3. Cream together the sugar and butter until fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well each time.

4. In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to the the creamed butter and sugar alternating with the milk. When the batter is smooth fold in the cranberries.

5. Pour into prepared muffin tins. Sprinkle with the nutmeg and sugar topping. Bake for 22-25 minutes, until a tester comes out clean.

Happy Faces

Other than fabric stashing, I don't collect much. These mugs are one exception.

My Baba (grandmother) had a few of these hanging on little cup hooks in her only kitchen cabinet. They were pulled out and filled with hot raspberry tea when we arrived at her house in the winter. I looked forward to that tea every time we visited. It was a small pleasure in what was likely to be a crowded, somewhat boring, and filled with starchy fried food visit to a tiny house on the side of the highway in Saskatchewan.

That tea never seemed the same at home. Even though we had Baba's homemade raspberry juice and used the same sweet tea to make it. I concluded long ago that it was the mugs. So when we were packing up Baba and Dido's house as age forced them into care the mugs were the only thing I adamantly claimed. Over the years I broke one, but I've added two.

These happy face mugs are a little bit silly and that's why I love them. On particularly dreary days I can pull it out for my morning tea and I can't help but smile.

They are also very hard to find. So, I'm asking you, my readers, that if you are out on thrifting adventures to keep an eye out for these mugs for me. They are made by Anchor Hocking and the brand is Fire King. There are many gorgeous patterns under the Fire King brand, but I'm only interested in the happy face mugs. If you ever see one, let me know and I'll probably ask you to buy it for me.

Warmth

It's November, the snow is on the ground, and it is time to think about warmth.

Warm colours, that is. I've noticed a trend in all the quilts I've been working on lately. All cool colours. Blues, greys, greens, and a little bit of beige. That includes Network, Kinda Herringbone, Camouflage, and a handful of projects on the go, like this 36 patch.

It's time to bring out the orange, the pinks, the reds and add the warmth back to my dining room table. Chilis, stews, and hot chocolate are all on deck, why not spice things up with fabric too?