Irish Spring

St. Paddy's Day has come to the Great White North...well, a North that is looking a little less white these days and more beige, brown and gray. The sun is shining vigorously and the snow is melting away faster than it came. We didn't Spring Forward, as Saskatchewan changes its clocks for no one, but forward into Spring we have gone nonetheless!

Drip, drip, drip. These are the day of our lives. The snow remains, and will for a few weeks yet I imagine, but the promise of Spring is very much alive and well Up North.

It seems like the entire town has been out enjoying the warmer weather lately, including a chance to revel in the glorious rays during a recent fishing derby. 

Winter drips away slowly before our eyes. The sun is so incredibly warm and it makes its presence known on a daily basis these days. The clouds don't seem to stand a chance, although I'm certain that they're regrouping somewhere waiting to strike. And they will. But the sun has given its promise that it will conquer in the end, and that is all I need to celebrate.

And celebrate I will! Melting snow and fishing fun can be overshadowed by the fact that it's St. Patrick's Day! A saint back on an Island in Europe has initiated a Day of Revelry (or something like that, there may be more to it) and I will answer the call. This drink is not a traditional Irish one, but delicious nonetheless. It's a drink I've posted about before that I first had at a restaurant back home in Ontario called Borealis. The Lemon Ice Wine Martini is a beautifully refreshing drink that can be made an instant Irish dalliance with a hint of green food colouring. Otherwise it's all fresh lemon juice, vodka and vidal ice wine. I found that this combo seems to work fine, although tweak it to your own liking:

1 and 1/2 ounce Vidal ice wine

1 ounce vodka

1 quarter lemon, squeezed 

It's a nice aperitif or a sweet-but-not-too-sweet cocktail to sip on a warm Spring afternoon. Check, and check.

After you've downed your citrus concoction, grab a Guinness (or in my case a nice glass of red wine, which is nowhere near Irish but a damn good substitute so drink what you like because life is too short) and have a bite of Irish Soda Bread along with an Irish Stout Cheese. The cheese was purchased (I was surprised to find it in The North, but life is nothing but full of surprises) but the bread was homemade with the help of this tasty recipe. It really is as easy as the recipe claims, and super duper good!

Dinner was served, a lovely Shepherd's Pie, but sadly dinner didn't get photographed. Dessert, on the other hand, made it to the reel (or iPhone album, as it were), but just barely. What could be more Irish than a Chocolate-Guinness Cupcake with Baileys Frosting? Well, if we'd followed the Irish Car Bomb Cupcake recipe and added the Irish Whiskey Ganache, but one can only be so ambitious during the course of a day and mine just didn't have a panache for ganache. Not being a fan of super-sweet desserts, I think that the ganache would have been over the top anyway, as the cupcakes were as rich and sweet as I like them to be already. Truly a perfect end to a lovely day of warmth and celebration with friends.

March on to Spring

March. A time when Spring starts to make itself known, but still a month that brings prospects of bitter winds, chilly mornings and snowfall with gusto. We've had a mild winter Up Here in Northern Saskatchewan, with temperatures staying mostly between -10 and-20 during the day. Some days have been cooler, some much warmer, but I would guess that to be the average temperature range.

Happily for me I've got my Canada Goose parka to keep me warm no matter what the weather. Here I've got it zipped up completely and although I have severe tunnel vision, it does keep the wind out of my face on those coldest of forays out into the Great White North. I've not had to go out like this because it simply hasn't been cold enough this year, but I will do so if I must.

I'm much more likely to wear the hood comme ça. Regardless, the coat is so warm that I've stopped using it on days that go higher than -10 because I get too hot in it! I'm sure I won't say this after having experienced a real Northern Winter, but I've been kinda disappointed at the lack of -40 and -50 degree weather. I wanted to really know what that feels like, but I suppose I'll have to wait until next winter now.

 

Another thing about this time of year is that although the weather is getting warmer and the lovely, fresh food of a new season springs to mind, the fridge (if you mostly try to buy in season like me) is still stocked with hearty winter fare. I found a recipe for this lovely Raw Beet Salad on the Vegan website Oh She Glows. I'm not a raw foodie, and I love cheese way to much to ever consider Veganism, but I can appreciate eating clean so I check out the blog every so often for inspiration. This one is great, especially since it proves that cooking in season (or not cooking, in this case) doesn't have to be bland or without colour. This vibrant dish is improved upon by goat cheese, in my opinion, so I opted to replace the almonds with it, but other than that I haven't changed the recipe on the site. Enjoy!

 

Raw Beet Salad

1 beet

1-2 carrots

1 apple

1/3 clove garlic

1 teaspoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon maple syrup

1 pinch red pepper flakes

salt and pepper

sprinkling toasted sesame seeds

crumbled goat cheese

Peel and shred the beet and carrot, mince the garlic and chop the apple into small pieces and combine in a bowl. Mix together oil, vinegar, lemon juice, maple syrup, pepper flakes and salt and pepper to taste, and add to the beet mixture to toss. At this point, you'll want to put the salad in the fridge for at least half an hour so that the flavours can really sink in. If you taste the beets now and then later, I'm sure you'll agree that they're much better once the dressing has been able to leach in a bit and soften them up. After a rest, top with sesame seeds and goat cheese. If you like the intensity of raw garlic then by all means add as much as you want. I like the flavour well enough, but I found myself hesitating to eat the salad the next day because I didn't want to be tasting it for the rest of my life. I also drastically reduced the amount of dressing because I found that there was just too much. I don't want my greens (or in this case, my purples) drowning so I tend to go lightly. Less can be more. I accompanied the salad with some leftover homemade rolls. I've already mentioned this recipe in an earlier post, but I'll include it again here because they're so good!

Whole Wheat Rolls

3 c. all-purpose flour

3 c. whole wheat flour

1/3 cup sugar

1 Tablespoon salt

1.5 Tablespoons yeast

2 cups warm water

1/2 cup olive oil

2 eggs

2-3 Tablespoons chopped herbs (optional) such as rosemary, thyme and sage

The recipe is adapted from one of my favourite food blogs, Once Upon a Plate. It's great with chopped fresh herbs, but is just as good without. The directions are my own, as I use my KitchenAid stand mixer instead of my hands to mix and knead the dough. I also omitted the oat bran because I find that without the rolls are more pleasantly lighter.

Heat water to around 125-130 degrees and combine with olive oil in the mixer bowl. In a separate bowl, combine flours, sugar and salt. Set the mixer to level 2 with the dough hook attachment and add about 2 cups of the flour mixture along with the yeast to the liquid, then eggs. Gradually add the rest of the flour mixture and keep "kneading" on level 2 for a few minutes. Add herbs. Rosemary, sage and thyme work really well. You may have to add a bit more flour if the dough is still sticking to the sides. Once dough is ready, cover and let rise until doubled, or about an hour. (If using quick-rise yeast, just let the dough sit in the bowl for about 10 minutes). Bring the dough to a floured surface. This recipe will make about 16-24 rolls, depending on the size. Cut the dough into smaller balls and place in a greased baking pan. Let rise in a warm place until doubled, or about 45 minutes. I find that sometimes they don't rise very much, but once I place them in the oven they always seem to puff up. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 15-20 minutes, until golden brown on top.

All in all a satisfying winter dish, and one colourful enough to make me think of Spring even on a blustery day in March.

Pupdate

It's been awhile since I devoted an entire post to the dogs in my life. My last note concerning the little furballs was just after their "fixings" over a month ago, and I'm happy to report that they have both recovered just fine from that episode. No lingering effects as far as we can tell and they're just as active as ever. 

You may remember Reina, our Spanish Queen. She's a purebred German Shepherd who enjoys chewing sticks, barking and long walks to the beach. She's a Gemini, which means she can be prone to mood swings but she's always the life of the party! The above pic was taken in September.

Given the stick-to-dog ration in this pic you may think that Reina is actually shrinking, but her attempts to play fetch with this branch just show how ambitious she can be. Sadly, at only 8 months she's developing some serious hip problems. Hopefully things will not progress quickly and she will be able to run about with ease for the years to come.

This used to be Nanuq's favourite haunt, but now Reina will curl up here just as often, putting Nanuq out onto the...gasp...floor! She's become the hands-down dominant dog in our home and she lords it over her little brother by taking all of the bones to her area and denying him access.

On one of our latest walks the pups decided to run down this steep incline. Nanuq came back up using the path they had created in descending, but Reina was determined to blaze a new trail. It took her awhile and she was panting fiercely but she eventually made it back to the road.

And then there's Nanuq. Part Shepherd, part Husky, all Rez dog, he's a rescued mutt with a stomach of steel. Born in early August, he's a Leo, which means that he is warm of spirit, eager for action and driven by a desire to be loved. You may remember this little guy from such episodes as: Fence Scaling 101 with your Host Nanuq, That Time Nanuq Ate an Entire Can of Grease, and finally, Why Wait for Summer to Eat the Fruit when you can Devour the Entire Raspberry Bush Right Now!

Sometimes I find it a wonder that he's still with us at all. Between escaping from the yard and having scraps with the neighbourhood dogs and eating anything and everything that he meets (really Nanuq, my crossword book? Or those Advil LiquiGels you stole from my purse?) I'm surprised that he is still intact.

He loves going for walks as well, and he particularly enjoys taking the front seat if there is no one accompanying me. Here he's taking full advantage of the heated seats in our F150 after a chilly romp in the snow.

The pups have been getting along better; that is unless Nanuq challenges Reina by trying to get a bone from her lair. Lately a lot of their little tussles have been over the right to our affection. It's flattering for me so I don't break it up like I maybe should. What girl doesn't want to be the object of such devotion?

I mentioned awhile back that I started making my own doggie treats from time to time. I'll share this recipe with you that I made, although I must warn you that it is not for a cook who is afraid of getting her hands dirty, or one with a sensitive disposition.

Liver & Flax Dog Biscuits

1 pound liver
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups white flour
1 cup oat bran
1 cup ground flax seed
3 eggs
4 Tablespoons flax oil
2/3 cup reserved liver water

Light several scented candles. Put the liver in a pot and cover with water; bring to a boil for 2-3 minutes. In the meantime, combine flours, bran and flax seed in a large bowl. In a blender or food processor, combine liver with eggs, oil and water. The resulting sludge will be disgusting, so try not to inhale too deeply. Add wet ingredients to the flour mixture and stir until a dough has been formed. Roll out on a floured surface and cut with cookie cutters or just use a knife or pizza cutter to cut dough into little squares or rectangles if you don't have cookie cutters. Place on a baking tray and bake in a 400 degree oven for about 25 minutes. Light an incense stick and waft it around your kitchen. If you want the biscuits to be crunchier, lower the heat to 200 and then continue baking for as long as you desire.

It's a melancholic exercise to remember when the little ones were just puppies. They were so adorable and everything they did was cute. Well, almost everything. I don't miss the accidents on the floor or their razor sharp puppy teeth. Still, I sometimes wish to return to the time when they could both so easily fit on the cushions together.

Through the fall and into winter they've continued growing. Here still they could snuggle together comfortably, although a little less so.

Today there's no chance of a reunion on the pillow. One of them can fit, but definitely not both. It's satisfying to know that they still try. Now that they're bigger I'm really looking forward to spring when we can get them back into the water at the beach and go for longer hikes. Puppies are cute, but I'm glad my dogs are growing up.