I’m having trouble keeping up with my blog! So many lovely and exciting things happen to me during a week that I hardly have time to sit down these days (and I am NOT complaining).
I spent a lot of time last week fretting about Charlie, who started having an anxiety attack last weekend when he heard fireworks, and then proceeded to panic all day and night for the next five days. After trying behavioural tricks, covering the windows, distracting him with a kong filled with peanut butter, and locking him in the wardrobe with white noise (none of these things worked in the least), I resorted to picking up a prescription from the vet for Valium. The first dose wasn’t as effective as I’d hoped, but after the second dose on Friday night, he was back to himself. Thank the gods: a week without sleep is not good for woman nor beast. I’m so happy to have my dog back!!
this is your dog on drugs
Saturday September 11: Canning Day #2
I needed to get through 20lbs of pears. Why did I buy half a bushel of pears? Why not, I say!
I now know that 20lbs of pears equals one pear crisp, 4 jars of sliced pears, 6 jars of pear chutney, 2.5 jars of pear cranberry chutney (or as I like to call it, cranpeary chutney), and 2lbz of frozen slices for future baking.
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I’m going to share with you my recipe for CranPeary Chutney. I didn’t make this one for canning, it’s for sharing with my friends over the next few weeks
3 cups diced peeled pears
1 cup dried cranberries
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 onion, finely chopped
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, finely chopped
1 Tbsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
Combine ingredients in saucepan and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for approximately 25 minutes, until thick enough to mound on spoon.
What do you do with chutney? Besides slathering it on meats and fish, my favourite is crostini with fresh goat cheese, topped by a generous helping of chutney.
I’m so lucky to live in farm country, where fresh produce is bountiful and affordable. And preserving it means when I get a craving for fruit this winter, I can just open my pantry and help myself!
My next round of baking is going to revolve around squash and potatoes. There’s a farm close to home that grows three kinds of sweet potato! Round Plains Plantations is owned and operated by Bob and Juli Proracki. I used to take swimming lessons with their son Jamie. That’s how it goes around here: everybody knows everybody somehow. Check out www.ontariosweetpotato.com.
After all that time in the kitchen, what I really needed was a party. Next blog, Martinis & Mocktails at SHA & CA’s with my girls!
