Getting close to 2010

It is so hard to believe that another year is just about over.  2009 is a year that I will never forget and I hope that 2010 is much better…..

Last night we had an interesting dinner, I cooked Lobster Corn Chowder, It was my first time cooking it but I must say it was good.

Lobster Corn Chowder:

Ingredients:

1 lobster (about 1 & 1/2 pounds)

2 med potatoes

1 med onion

4 ears of fresh corn or (2 cups frozen corn)

1 quart of half and half

4 tbsp butter

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

4 quarts water

Directions:

Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a 6-8 quart soup pot.  Add lobster, cover, and boial about 10 minutes.  Remove lobster and drain, retaining liquid.  Remove meat and reserve shells and carcas for stock.  Cut lobster meat into large chunks.  Peel and cut potatoes into 1/2 inch dice.  Mince onion(1 cup).  Remove corn kernels from cobs (or drain and set aside thawing corn).  Put reserved lobster shells and carcass in a large saucepan with half and half.  Bring half and half to a boil, lower heat, and simmer for 4 minutes.  Remove from heat and set aside.  Melt butter in a pot.  Add potatoes, onion and corn kernels and saute over medium-low heat until onion is translucent: about 5 minutes.  Strain the lobster cream the vegetables, bring to a simmer and then simmer slowly until potatoes are tender, 6-8 minutes.  Stir in lobster meat, cayenne pepper, 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper.  Simmer just until lobster meat is hot; about 5 minutes. Ladle into bowls and serve hot with some nice fresh rolls.

Household Hint of the Day:

Bees, hornets and wasps in the house: Hairspray works better than insect sprays on most flying insects.  It stiffens their wings, immediately immobilizing them….

Joke of the day:

A blonde, wanting to earn some money, decided to hire herself out as a handyman-type and started canvassing a wealthy neighborhood. She went to the front door of the first house and asked the owner if he had any jobs for her to do.

“Well, you can paint my porch. How much will you charge?”
The blonde said, “How about 50 dollars?” The man agreed and told her that the paint and ladders that she might need were in the garage. The man’s wife, inside the house, heard the conversation and said to her husband, “Does she realize that the porch goes all the way around the house?”
The man replied, “She should. She was standing on the porch.”

A short time later, the blonde came to the door to collect her money.
“You’re finished already?” he asked. “Yes,” the blonde answered, “and I had paint left over, so I gave it two coats. “Impressed, the man reached in his pocket for the $50. “And by the way,” the blonde added, “that’s not a Porch, it’s a Ferrari.”

Another Day

Well good morning to all you readers.  Christmas Eve myself and Lee got ready for our annual Christmas Eve fondue, I was so excited to try out my brand new fondue that Lee had bought for me.  It came with the Lazy Susan and all…..anyhow when Lee lit the fondu the gel started to ooze out through the side which should have been glued and we had a nice little fire (actually very scary)  Lee and our friend Geoff managed to get it from the coffee table to the Kitchen where we smothered the fire with a pot……The darn thing was defective…so back it went today and we have decided to go with an electric one…..If any of you readers have the electric one please let me know if you like it.

Today’s Recipee will be for a Jiggs Dinner, which we all love……….

Jiggs Dinner:

Ingredients:

2 – 3 pounds salt beef

1/4 pound junk salt pork

1 pkg split peas (350 grams)

3 – 4 pounds potatoes

1/2 pound carrots

1 turnip (approx. 1 pound)

1  cabbage ( approx. 1 pound)

Dirrections:

Cover salt beef with cold water and soak overnight.  Drain, and add fresh, cold water, salt pork and place peas in a pudding bag.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook for about 2 hours.  Add potatoes, carots, turnip and cabbage which you cut into wedges, about 30 minutes before meat is cooked. (serves 4 – 6).

Household Hint of the Day:

Speedy Baked Potatoes: To have your baked potatoes ready sooner, preheat your oven to 450º F as you boil the potatoes in salted water for about 10 – 15 minutes.  Put the potatoes into the hot oven for quick baking.  Another way to quick-bake your potatoes is to insert a nail into the center of the potatoe….

Joke of the Day:

An Ontarian wanted to become a Newfie .  He went to the neurosurgeon and asked, “Is there anything you can do to me that would make me into a Newfie?”.
“Sure it’s easy.” replied the neurosurgeon. “All I have to do is cut out 1/3 of your brain, and you’ll be a Newfie.”
The Ontarian was very pleased, and immediately underwent the operation. However, the neurosurgeon’s knife slipped, and instead of cutting 1/3 of the patient’s brain, the surgeon accidentally cut out 2/3 of the patient’s brain. He was terribly remorseful, and waited impatiently beside the patient’s bed as the patient recovered from the anaesthetic. As soon as the patient was conscious, the neurosurgeon said to him “I’m terribly sorry, but there was a ghastly accident. Instead of cutting out 1/3 of your brain, I accidentally cut out 2/3 of your brain.”
The patient replied “Qu’est-ce que vous avez dit, monsieur?”

Please remember that our jokes are not to be taken seriously…hehehehe

Beautiful outside

Good morning!

I have not ventured outside yet to see how slippery it is out there, I’m sure under all that pretty snow sits some very slippery ice.  Freezing rain makes the trees look as if they are made of crystal.  Beautiful site for any photographer.  Some of the most beautiful ice photos can be of objects witha coating of glaze ice over them.

Last night I made the usual boxing day meal, Hot turkey sandwhiches and fries, I usually cover mine with stuffing before putting top slice of bread on.  Lee also puts lots of cranberry sauce on his.  It was delicious but I am now ready to move away from turkey.  I can only eat the same thing two days in a row and then….I”ve HAD ENOUGH!  Today has to be a normal day with NO turkey.

Today I will post a few of my favourite recipes, I hope you enjoy the tea buns as much as I do.  Even though mine comes out good, they truely are nothing compared to my moms…..and  the ginger buns I have to say are delicious.

Tea Buns:

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

2 tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp cream of tartar

1/2 cup butter (or margarine)

1 cup milk

Directions:

Combine, flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and cream of tartar in bowl.  Cut in butter until crumbly.  Pour in milk.  Knead dough and roll out until 1/2 to 3/4 inch thickness.  Cut into shape (I use a glass to cut mine).  Bake at 450 F for 12 – 15 minutes……Brush with a little milk before baking….Enjoy with a nice cup of tea.

Ginger Buns:

Ingredients:

3/4 cup butter (or margarine)

1 cup white sugar

1 egg, well beaten

1 cup molasses

1 tsp baking soda

4 cups flour

2 tsp cinnamon

3 tsp powdered ginger

1 tsp salt

3/4 cup hot water

Directions:

Cream butter, sugar and well-beaten egg until light and fluffy.  Add molasses and hot water.  Beat again.  Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture.  Drop from teaspoon on greased cookie sheet giving dough lots of room  Bake at350 F for 8 – 10 minutes.  These are great also.

Household Hint of the Day:

Add 1 tablespoon of vinegar to the fat when deep frying to keep the food from absorbing too much fat.  This cuts down on the greasy taste as well.  You do not taste the vinegar.

Joke of the day:  Here are some tongue twisters for you….

Randy wondered why Willie really wasn’t well.

Sam saw six shiny silver spoons.

Giddy gophers greedily gobble gooey goodies.

Slippery slimy snakes slide slowly.

Six shiny snails sighed sadly.

Pretty Patty Piggy pickles plump pink peppers.

Cheryl say Cher’s sheer shawl Sunday.

Six seals slick sick seals.

How much dope could the dope dealer deal if the dope dealer could deal dope?

Sheep shouldn’t sleep in shacks.

I slitted a sheet, a sheet I slit now I sit on the sheet I slit.

I wish I had an Irish wrist watch to watch on my Irish wrist.

Stick a sticker where it’s sticky where a sticker once was stuck.

She sells sea shells by the sea shore.

Sure, the ship’s ship-shape sir!

Does the wristwatch shop shut soon?

Boxing Day!

Good morning!

I can’t even see out my windows this morning for the freezing rain.  I went outside with my camera because everything is so pretty, but came back in because it is very dangerous out there.  It is like walking around a ice rink.  I am at the age now that I respect my hips and don’t take chances anymore…

Yesterday being Christmas Day, of course we had a nice turkey dinner and all the trimmings.  You can not beat Christmas dinner.  I usually stuff myself and then go sit on the couch for an hour..hehehe.  Oh well, it is only once a year.

However we did have a Newfie desert.

We had partridgeberry crumbles.  Anything with partridge berries makes Lee happy.  I have seen him put partridgeberry jam on his chicken…..I don’t like it that much.  I use splenda to make my partridgeberry jam so it is not as high in calories.  No change in the taste either.

Partridgeberry Crumbles:

Ingredients:

1 cup flour

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1  1/2 cups partridgeberry jam

Directions:

Cut 1/2 cup butter into flour, brown sugar and rolled oats until crumbly.

Press half of crumb mixture into greased pan. Spread with partridgeberry jam.

Cover with remaining crumbs and pat smooth.

Bake in preheated oven at 350 F for 35 minutes or until light golden brown.

Cut into squares.  These are delicious.   You can serve these with ice cream.  Enjoy!

Household Hint of the Day:

Fruit pie tip: when baking fruit pies, sprinkle sugar under the fruit instead of on top to prevent the pie from boiling over.  This works really well.

Joke of the Day: Newfie Love Poem:

Susie Smith fell in love;

she planned to marry Joe

she was so ‘appy ’bout it all

she told her pappy so.

Pappy told her, Susie, maid,

you’ll have to find anudder

I’d just as soon your ma don’t know,

but Joe is your ‘alf brudder.

So Susie put aside her Joe

and planned to marry Will,

but after telling pappy this,

he said, “dere’s trouble still.

You can’t marry Will, my dear

and please don’t tell your mudder,

but Will and Joe, and several mo’

I know is your ‘alf brudder.

But mudder knew and said, my child,

just do what makes you ‘appy,

marry Will or marry Joe

you Hain’t no kin to pappy.

Tribute to my mom!

Merry Christmas to all my family and friends!  This is a bit of a tough christmas for our family this year being our first without our mom, who happened to be the greatest mom in the world.  I will dedicate this page to our mom….

Thank you to my sister Deanne for taking this beautiful picture of mom.

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Last night (Christmas eve), myself and Lee spent it with our wonderful friends Sharon and Geoff.  We had a lovely fondue and a few glasses of wine.  I was going to cook  some meat cakes but we filled up on the fondue.

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Todays Recipe will be for the Meat Cakes that I didn’t cook, however I have cooked these many many times and they are delicious!

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Meat Cakes:

Ingredients:

I can of corned-beef

2 grated potatoes

1 onion

1 egg

1 tsp dry mustard

pepper

oregano

Directions:

Mix all ingredients and form into cakes.  Roll in flower and fry in frying pan.  You can use fat pork as I do or you can use vegetable oil.

A good desert to have with this is some good ole Molasses Fudge………I love anything made with molasses in it.

Molassess Fudge:

Ingredients:

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup molassess

1/2 cup cream

2 squares unsweetened chocolate

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup chopped nuts

Directions:

Combine white and brown sugars, cream, molasses and butter.  Bring to a boil for about 2 minutes.  Add chocolate which you have already grated and then boil for another 5 minutes, stirring until well blended, and then only occasionally to prevent burning.  Remove from heat and add vanilla.  Stir until creamy.  Pour into well-buttered pan and cut into squares.    Not too good for you if your watching your figure…….well a little bit won’t hurt..

Household Hint of the Day:

Turn your dirty white socks white again : When you think you need to throw out those yellowed white socks, just boil some water, add two slices of lemon, then throw in your socks and swish them around with a long handle spoon….Voila they are white again.

Joke of the day:

There was a family that had a parrot that was always embarrassing them by cussing and saying some pretty rude things.

So one day the boy took the parrot and stuck him in the freezer.  Two hours later the squawking stopped.

The boy checked the freezer and the parrot said, “okay i’ll stop cussing and saying bad things, but I do have one question for you”.

The boy said, “what”?

The parrot asks, “what did the turkey do”????

Once again, Merry Christmas to you all.  Hope your enjoying it with family and friends.

Happy Christmas Eve!

Well Merry Christmas Eve to you all.

Tonight myself and Lee had saltfish cakes.  Once again it is fish that we brought back from Newfoundland this summer….There were some real nice cod caught and salted.  Actually my sister Deanne went out one morning and caught the biggest cod, I was so proud of her…here is her picture proudly displaying her catch.

You know how guys brag about their big fish, well Deanne told them she would catch the biggest and she sure did.

I am not sure how much it weighed but this was one of the ones salted..

Looked about 15 or more pounds to me..

This just may be the one we ate tonight……Thanks Sis!

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Fish Cakes

Ingredients:

1 cup cooked salt codfish

1 small onion, chopped fine

3 cups mashed potaoes

1 egg, well beaten

1 tbsp butter

1/2 tsp pepper

Directions:

Combine ingredients and make into patties:  fry until golden brown.  I render out fat pork to fry mine in but you can use a vegetable oil.  This is one of my favourite meals…..I like this with a steamed partridgeberry pudding for desert……

Steamed Partridgeberry Pudding & Sauce

Ingredients:

1  1/2 cups flour

3 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup margarine

1 egg beaten

1 1/4 cups partridge berries

1/2 cup milk

Directions:

Sift dry ingredients into a bowl: rub in the margarine.  Add the berries, then the milk and egg.  Stir lightly to make a batter.  Pour into a greased one quart mold.  Place over boiling water and steam for 1 hour.  Serve with sauce.

Sauce:

Ingredients:

1 cup brown sugar

1 tbsp flour

1/2 cup water

1 tbsp butter

Directions:

Combine sugar and flour: add water and boil until thickened.  Remove from heat and add butter…………This is soooooooo good.  My dad would pick me these berries in Newfoundland every year and mom would pack them real good and send them to me via over night shipping…..was expensive but well worth it.   Hope you enjoy!

Household Hint of the Day:

Crispy Fish Batter:  Use 7up instead of the usual liquid when you make fish batter for deep frying.  The coating will be very cripsy.

Joke of the Day:

A Newfie calls RCMP officer:

A newfie calls the RCMP, “Hello is this the RCMP?  I’m calling about my neighbour Billy Bob Smith.  He is hiding marijuanna in his firewood.

The next day the RCMP descends on Billy Bob’s house and search the shed where the firewood is kept.  They bust open every piece of firewood, but find no marijuanna.  They apologize  to Billy Bob and leave.  The phone rings at Billy Bob’s….

“Hey Billy Bob, did the RCMP come to your house?

“yep”

“did they chop all your firewood?

“yep”

“Happy Birthday Buddy”

Well this is it…….Santa comes to your house tonight………

Cod au Gratin

Good morning everybody!

Boy did we have an awesome dinner last night.  Cod au Gratin served with veggies….

So today’s recipe is :

Cod au Gratin

Ingredients:

4 cups cod fillets, cooked

3 tbsp butter

4 tbsp flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

2 cups milk

1 cup grated cheese

Directions: Flake fish: make white sauce with flour, salt, peper and milk, stirring until thick.  Arange fish in dish: cover with sauce, top with grated cheese.  Bake at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for 25 minutes.

This is delicious!  We used our own cod that Lee caught when we were in Newfoundland this summer for the fisheries.

Folk Remedy:  Hiccups –  there are a few ways to get rid of the hiccups…Eat a spoonful of sugar…(i tried this but it didn’t work for me).  Drinking water and breathing rapidly into a paper bag worked very well for me.  Good Luck!

Household hint of the day:

Golden Brown French Fries: To get golden brown french fries you must cook them twice.  Cut up your fries then par cook them in the deep fryer, (just until they are soft), but not brown.  You will probably require several basketfulls, depending on the number of people that you are feeding.  I usually do this in the afternoon if I am having fries for supper/dinner…..when ready for dinner heat up fryer and cook until brown…Only takes a couple of minutes.  This is how I cook my fries and they are Excellent!!!!

Joke of the Day!

Mirror Mirror

In a fancy Paris restaurant, there is a magical wish-granting mirror. But it only grants wishes if you tell the truth — if you lie, you disappear. One day, a blonde, a brunette, and a redhead enter the restaurant and decide to try out the mirror. The brunette goes first.

“I think I’m the smartest woman on earth.”

“POOF!” She disappears. The redhead goes up to try. p> “I think I’m the prettiest woman on earth.”

“POOF!” She disappears. The blonde goes up.

“I think–”

“POOF!”

Just 2 more sleeps till Santa!

Hello world!

Hello to all my Newfie friends, family and those people that just love some good old Newfie cooking…….I am dedicating myself to post as many recipes that I can find. I will try them all out for sure. I will also post some little newfie sayings and home remedies etc……

Our first recipe was dinner last night.

Newfie Pea Soup: Directions: Soak a piece of salt beef or ham bone overnight (I used a ham bone). Soak dried peas overnight as well. In the morning cook both together in fresh water. Add chopped carrots, turnip and onion…..(judge how many to how many your feeding) Boil for 20 minutes…Then put in a few cut up potatoes. Once potatoes are done Voila your done….enjoy….you can have this with dumplings or some fresh rolls.

Here is my first Folk Remedy: one that my mom use to use faithfully!

This one is called a Poultice and is put on an injury that has been infected like if you steped on a nail…..Soak 1/2 a slice of bread in boiling water. Scrape off a few flakes of sunlight soap and mix with bread. Squeeze out excess water and place on cloth. Put this poultice on wound and leave over night to draw out the infection. Now I remember when I was young I did actually step on a nail and as soon as my mom saw the little red mark coming from it, she put a poultce on it and the next morning, sure enough the mark was gone….So this did work for me.

Household Hint of the Day: To keep your dinner rolls hot, place a piece of aluminum foil on them, under the towl.

Newfie Joke of the Day:

A Newfie walked into a  in Toronto and asked for the loans officer. He told the officer that he was going to Newfoundland on business for two weeks and needed to borrow $5,000, however he was not a depositor of the bank.

The bank officer told him that the bank would need some form of security for the loan, so the Newfie handed over the keys to a brand new Ferrari. The car was parked on the street in front of the bank.

The Newfie produced the title and everything checked out. The loan officer agreed to hold the car as collateral for the loan and apologized for having to charge 12% interest.

Later, the bank’s president and its officers all enjoyed a good laugh at the Newfie for using a $250,000 Ferrari as collateral for a $5,000 loan.

An employee of the bank then drove the Ferrari into the bank’s underground garage and parked it.

Two weeks later, the Newfie returned, repaid the $5,000 and the interest of $23.07.

The loan officer said, “Sir, we are very happy to have had your business, and this transaction has worked out very nicely, but we are a little puzzled. While you were away, we checked you out and found that you are a multi-millionaire. What puzzles us is, why would you bother to borrow $5,000?”

The Newfie replied: “Where else in Toronto can I park my car for two weeks for only $23.07 and expect it to be there when I return?”

See you tomorrow :  3 more sleeps until santa comes……………