Chewy Cinnamon Oat Cookies

Today I decided to bake some treats, which I eluded to a few days ago. While eating my breakfast (oatmeal and granola) this morning and deciding to make some oatmeal cookies; I realized how much I like eating and baking with oatmeal. It is a great addition to baking as it adds texture, moisture, and flavour; and it's good for you!


Chewy Cinnamon Oat Cookies

1/2 cup  butter, softened
3/4 cup  packed brown sugar
1           egg
1 tsp      vanilla extract
1 cup     flour
1/2 tsp   baking powder
1/2 tsp   salt
1 tsp      cinnamon
1 cup     quick cooking rolled oats

• Preheat oven to 350˚F. In a large bowl, beat the sugar with the butter until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and mix well. Set Aside.
• In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Add oatmeal and mix.
• Add the dry ingredients to the wet, mix well.
  Spoon onto a greased cookie sheet, 1” apart. Use a fork dipped in cold water to press down (see pressed cookie in photo)
• Bake for approximately 9 minutes, or until edges are golden (*this is for chewy cookies, if you like your cookies crunchy bake for another 3-5 minutes, but watch they don’t burn!)
• Makes about 2 dozen. This recipe doubles well; but if you want three times the amount I suggest making a second batch. 
  
  

  

  A wonderful snack for afternoon tea

  
  

  

  A chewy favourite among my Newfoundland family!

Warmth for the Wedding

I am getting married in September of this year, which is no surprise to many people, but perhaps something I have neglected to share while blogging. And being the Newfoundlander at Heart that I am, I am going to do/make/organize as much as I can on my own (that is with the help of friends and family, and not the professional kind). Last week I posted about the scarflette that I knit with hand dyed and spun wool from Shawn at Island Sweet. Also last week, I found my wedding reception outfit (being the casual girl that I am, I plan on changing into jeans for the dinner). My mother commented: "late September can be pretty cool, we are going to have to find you some sort of knit thing to wear as a shawl". And my mind instantly drifted back to the beautiful yarn that Shawn produces. I sent her an e-mail inquiring about the possibility of a custom skein, and 11 e-mails later here is what she created:

 It will begin it's long journey from Newfoundland to me tomorrow! I can't wait! Thanks so much for doing this Shawn, it is going to be the perfect addition to my special day.

And yes, this does mean there will be more DIY wedding to come... it's still 7 months away, don't get too greedy!

Moose in Mysterious Places

One day at the Discovery Centre, in Woody Point, we noticed a large brown creature walking around the front of the building. When I went out the main doors, this is what I found:

A young bull moose (about 1 1/2 years) wandered into our little pond for a drink.

Cow moose and calf on a ridge, can you spot them?

I have many more photos of moose, as I was lucky to see many during my trips out there. Such a beautiful creature. It's amazing to think that the population on the Island is approximately 500 000, and the moose population is about 125 000!!! That means the ratio of moose to people is more than 1:5; crazy!!!

You learn something new everyday! Stay tuned for some yummy treats coming up soon.

Toddler Collar Scarf

This month is celebrate the boy, because boys often get over-looked when it comes to sewing and knitting tings for our little people. As I don't have a little boy of my own, I am celebrating my nephew loo (from crafty ave). Yesterday I posted the scarflette I made from Island Sweet and I decided it would be easy to make a similar pattern for a little boy. Here is the result:

Cute, no?

If you want to see more about celebrate the boy click on the lego above!

Beautiful Handspun from Island Sweet

September 2010 was the last time I visit my Newfoundland family. My mom travelled out there with me, and since we both get excited about arts and crafts we toured some local craft shops in the Woody Point area. My friends Joan and Charlie own Hunky Dory in Winterhouse Brook, and we stopped in there first. They have crafts from all over the Island, as well as crafts and music created by themselves. And of course we picked some things up! Then we went down the Bay to the village of Woody Point to see Molly at Molly Made; where I bought this kit from Island Sweet. She dyes and spins her wool, and adds cotton and other fibres to make these beautiful skeins of wool.

These chicks are cute!

Broiler and layer chicks, Frankie on the right didn't make it :(

wild turkey chicks

Don't forget the Ugly Stick

Newfoundland music is a wonderful thing, so happy and from the heart! Earlier, I posted about my experience kissing the cod... As wonderful an experience as that was, the best part of that night was the music played by some of the local people. The photo below is friends from the Gros Morne area playing some traditional Newfoundland instruments. My friend Jessica, from Mauzy Metalworks (take a look, although the site is still under construction), on the ugly stick!

Music is a significant part of the cultural history of Newfoundland. In the past, the Newfoundland winter was a long, cold and lonely season (and is still long and cold); most of the local people would spend their time working to cut down wood, hook rugs, move snow, and anything else that could be completed to make life in the winter a little easier. However, when there was some downtime from the hard work people would get together to play music and sing, and enjoy some time together. In many cases it was music that got them through the hard times.

Here is a short video I made that highlights some traditional Newfoundland music. This is a band that plays in Rocky Harbour a few nights a week during the summer. I never had the chance to see them, but I heard that it is fantastic show, and one not to be missed (oops). Also, you can see an 'ugly stick' in action (the instrument that looks like a mop:) Please take a look, and enjoy some entertainment from the Rock.

 Looks like a great way to spend a summer's eve, doesn't it?

Spring is in the air, and the garden is calling

For Valentine’s Day I did not want cut flowers because they die so quickly, I feel it is too sad, and also a waste of money. So on heart day Reggie came home with potted bulbs; spring flowers that were already starting to bloom! The lovely thing about these beautifully colourful blooms is that when they die the nutrients go back into the bulb and I can plant them in the garden to bloom next spring.

So with these brightly coloured spring flowers blooming in my home, and the recent warm weather we had in this area I was just about ready to get out my gardening gloves and shovel. And then the temperature went waaay down, and my delusion of an early gardening season went back into hibernation. Well February is much too early anyhow, I look forward to April when the snow melts, the breeze is warm and the days are longer.

Have a happy family day with those you care about!

Breakfast from the pantry

This morning I woke up to a beautiful sunny day, but when I came upstairs there wasn’t a lot of food around for breakfast. I decided to look through the cupboards for ingredients to make something delicious.

Here is what I ended up with: Honey Cranberry Granola and Hot Cocoa

Honey Cranberry Granola

3 cups quick cooking rolled oats

¾ cup  hulled raw sunflower seeds

¼ cup  raw sesame seeds

1 tsp    cinnamon

¼ cup  honey

⅔ cup  canola oil

1 cup   dried cranberries

Mix the first four ingredients; I always mix directly in a 10”x10” pan. Then in a small bowl warm the honey and mix in the oil. Pour the liquid over the oat mixture and mix well. Spread in a 9”x9” pan or on a baking sheet if you like it well done. Cook in 350˚F preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until granola is golden. When you remove from the oven immediately add the cranberries, and then leave in the pan until completely cooled. Transfer to an air-tight container for storage.

Easy Hot Cocoa

3 cups     milk

2½ tbsp cocoa (plus more if needed)

2 tbsp    sugar (plus more if needed)

Put the milk in a medium saucepan, heat over low-med heat. Add the cocoa ½ tablespoon at a time, until preferred taste. Do the same with the sugar. Ensure milk is heated through, but do not let it boil. Enjoy while hot.

What did you have for breakfast this morning?

Through my Lens (Skies)

Good morning! Thought I would share more beautiful scenes. This time I have focused on interesting skies; they are often amazing in Newfoundland, and I wanted to share some. Take a look. :)

Lobster pots and crab pots ready to go

Lobster Cove Head Lighthouse

Early morning over the Bay

Angry sky over the Tablelands

Pink sunset over the Gulf of St. Lawrence

Fog rolling in over Bonne Bay

Early morning at Woody Point Beach

Colourful evening sky

What do you see when you look into the sky?

Margo's Cargo - Where Reggie Got his Name!

Well I decided I had to share this little video for everyone to see. Stompin' Tom Connors wrote a song about me (only he forgot the 't')! And this little ditty wouldn't occur without Reggie's Rig, which is the way I feel about my Reggie. We are a team, and things don't get accomplished unless we work together. So thanks for the song Tom, and thanks for keeping me in order Reggie! :)




Has your Reggie done something nice for you lately?

1949, the year Canada joined Newfoundland

1949 is actually the year that Newfoundland became a province of Canada. However, as far as the people on the Rock are concerned, the rest of Canada joined them.

I recently travelled to Ottawa, ON to visit some friends, and celebrate the birthday of my friend Caitlin. She is an awfully inspiring girl who can bake anything she puts her mind to. Check it out for yourself! While I was visiting we had the opportunity to go skating on the Rideau Canal, which is the World’s Largest Skating Rink, and we stopped briefly to enjoy a Beaver Tail. We decided that we felt very Canadian (and proud) during this little event, and it made me think of my friends in Newfoundland, and their homeland pride. Never before in my life have I met people who are so united in a sense of pride and accomplishment for the place they call home.

 

 What gives you a sense of pride?

Game in the Freezer!

I refer to my close Newfoundland friends as family. The way they took me in to their homes, and shared stories, experiences and life lessons was so special I couldn’t think of them any other way. 

On September 12^th, 2009 we woke up at 4:15am, packed the truck and piled in. I was going on my first hunting adventure! We were going to get a moose. I was so excited I’d never been hunting before, let alone moose hunting (and only ever shot a gun a few times, once during target practice for this event). I was amazed that I was wide awake at such a dark and early time of day. But I was excited to see what the day would include. I’m not going to do into too much detail, take a look at the collage below. We were successful! We got a fine young Bull Moose, and he was good eating (as my Newfoundland family would say).

After I returned from Newfoundland that year I was lucky to meet the man of my dreams. Many people thought that I would meet a Newfoundland boy, move there and never return to my Ontario friends and family. However, I met my future husband in Ontario! And even though he thinks I am a little obsessed with Newfoundland, I think he is also a Newfoundlander at heart. He lives to hunt and fish, which follows the traditional hunter/gatherer self-sufficient way of life! I am afraid I don’t have a moose recipe for you, but I do have a scrumptious plate that my love made for me recently. Roast venison, with asparagus and garlic mashed potatoes. Delicious!

I will give you the ingredients for the roast, but I don’t know the exact recipe as I have only ever had it cooked for me.

Maple Roast Venison

1          roast

1 lb      maple smoked bacon

3          onions, cut into large pieces

1 pkg   onion dip mix

1 bottle beer

As far as I know, you layer the bacon and onions on top of the roast, put the onion mix on the very top and add the beer. Put in the oven (with a meat thermometer) at 350˚F, and cook until thermometer reads med-rare (as beef).

Happy hunting! See you soon!

Homemade Love

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone! An exciting post today as Crystal (from Crafty Ave) and I created our own Valentine’s treats, and even made our own boxes to store and gift the tasty indulgences. 

 They look dangerously delectable don’t they!? We made:

• Easy Chocolate Truffles
• Oreo Truffles 
• Peanut Butter Balls, and
• Maple Fudge Walnuts 

For the first three recipes please click on the links above, you can find them over at Crafty Ave. And for the Maple Fudge Walnuts, I found this recipe in the Canadian Living Special Issue “Home for the Holdiays”, Fall 2008.

Maple Fudge Walnuts

4 cups  walnut halves, broken

1 cup   packed brown sugar

½ cup whipping cream

¼ cup  maple syrup

1 tbsp  butter

½ tsp   salt

½ tsp   maple extract

 

Roast nuts, on a lined baking sheet, in 350˚F oven until fragrant and golden, 12 to 15 minutes (be careful with this part, they can go from not cooked to burnt very quickly!); transfer to large bowl.

Meanwhile, in large saucepan, bring sugar, cream, and maple syrup to a boil, and boil until reduced to 1¼ cups (8 minutes, or I say until the liquid is quick thick and sugary). Remove from heat, stir in butter until melted, add salt and maple extract.

Pour syrup mixture over nuts; toss to coat. Spread on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Let cool. Break into pieces. (Store in an air-tight container, or freeze for longer storage)

People give and get so many cards every year, I like that this craft re-purposes these cards instead of sending them to the recycling plant. Also, the re-used card handmade boxes can be stored and re-used over and over again, for future tasty treats and small gift giving! To learn how to make them yourself, click here.

Enjoy, and try not to overindulge!