Home Made Spice Rub!

Here's a little sumthin' that I like to whip up for the cooks in my life.

Super easy, VERY affordable, and looks great when you're done.

Head to your nearest Bulk Barn or equivalent - any Bulk food store will do.

Next trip, any local Dollar store to pick up fancy labels and jars.

Similar ones to this were THREE for $1.25

You can get fancy labels to peel & stick, too! 45 for 1.25! 

Photo credit: Spruce Up Organization

This is the mix I use, and the approximate amounts of each. You can adjust and tweak away to suit your tastes! The entire take home price was just under $20.00 for all the below ingredients.

You can do gifts for almost 8 people (depending on size of the jar) for less than $30.00!!

Ingredients:

Chili Power, Ancho Chili Powder, Smoked Paprika, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Black Pepper, Kosher Salt, Basil, Oregano, Rosemary, Cumin & Turmeric.

Uses: Use as a dry rub for chicken, beef & pork. Slather on your favourite BBQ sauce overtop for an extra yummy bonus. Great as a marinade, just add lemon juice!

In a big bowl, I mix: 

1 Cup each of:  Chili Power, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder

Half Cup each of: Ancho chili powder, black pepper

Quarter Cup each of: Kosher salt, basil, oregano, Cumin, Turmeric

2 Tbsp Smoked Paprika

3 Tbsp Flour (Can be omitted)

Using a  wooden spoon, mix up all your spices. Taste test and adjust accordingly.

Spoon into glass jars, add some ribbon or trim, and voila. 

Cute, functional and affordable Christmas gifts.

Different ideas for how to wrap!

Quick & Easy Summerweight Quilt

These pics were taken at sunset, and I didn't notice the shadows until after.  And it IS actually a rectangular quilt, laugh. I am just working on my photography posing skills.

This is a summer weight quilt I made for my Mom. She's in a home and it's so beige and institutional she asked me for something bright for the bed. 

As you can see, this fits that bill!!

 I used fabrics from my stash for the front; it's a mix of Moda prints and other prints that I have acquired over the years. 

I used this print as inspiration - it was so varied these two squares below are actually the same print.

A Moda print called "Guatemalan Floral" I've had it for easily ten years or longer.

For the batting I used a flannelette winter sheet for just enough added weight & warmth. It was so easy to FMQ, it came together really quickly.

For the backing: 

I found an AMAZING textile shop near where I live; and they have ooodles of wax printed fabric for AMAZING prices. I fell in love with this really striking black and white print.

I bound the quilt with a soft pink that worked really well with the backing. In fact, I *almost* like the backside of the quilt best!

This was a very easy and very quick to come together quilt. A simple 9 inch square of one of the primary colours, and a 3 inch brick of a contrasting colour.  And I am pretty sure Mom will love it.

I promise to take better photos!

 

Saturday in Photos

The sun was shining, a beautiful day

To walk downtown to the Farmers Market

Sunny Blue Skies

People enjoying the day, and each other

These onions caught my eye

My new BFF Sefora; from the Co-op & REFIF #Refif

So gorgeous....but I resisted....

It wasn't easy.

I did *not* resist. Who could? It's Kettle Crack Corn!

One of the best kept secrets in downtown Brampton; handicrafts for cheap!

Reflected back at me via City Hall

And home again, with the Mighty Muffin in the window!

#lovemygarden

Summertime Fun and Stuff

You know that saying, "a picture is worth a thousand words?"

Enjoy.

"A" is for sleepy Afternoons

B is for baking

"C" is for Cottage Life and Canada Day

D for dark forest hahahaha

E for everything you need to eat is right here at Timmies!

G for great mess of flip flops and crocs

H is for Happy Canada day weekend!!!

G is for Good Doggie!

Okay so enough with the alphabet LOL

Makings of my first ever pineapple upside down cake

Summer Strawberries!

I love summertime. It's my favourite, for many reasons. One of which not the least of which is STRAWBERRIES!!!!!!!!!!

 I love love love strawberries. Love them. Could eat them everyday (and I have been.)
And I don't mean the shipped-from-California or Florida ones that have sat on truck for 5 days after being picked and processed etc etc.  I mean the grown 10 minutes from my house kind that you get in the local market for those three magical weeks late June to early July.
The smell of fresh strawberries...that 'pop' when you first close your lips around one...there just isn't anything like it.

When we were kids, we had a giant garden. Mom grew everything.....from parsnips to squash to potatoes to rhubarb, you name it, she could grow it. Dad would be out there labouring away and when I was a teenager I *hated* to work in the dirt. Hated it. Now, I can't wait to get diggin' and growin.

One of my favourite things my Mom used to make was something she called "Rhubarb Stew". It was always cooked on the stovetop and served warm with a lot of sugar on top.

I was surprised years ago the first time I made it, how simple and easy Rhubarb Stew was to make. You cut up a bunch of rhubarb into inch size cubes, dump it in a giant pot, add a cup of sugar and let it cook down, down , down until it's a gooey yummy sludgey rhubarby stew. Simple, easy, delicious.

I'm big fan of the Slow Food Movement   and in the summer, try to grow as much as I can, and freeze and can (when possible). There's a FABULOUS market in my home town Briwood Farm Market that I visit when I'm home to visit. Almost everything is as local as can be, and so fresh and so good...can't say enough wonderful things about it. Even if I still call it "Giffords" from time to time. I'm old. I forget.

So..... having bought 4 pints of strawberries, they needed to be used. I ate a bunch, froze a bunch, and used a bunch in my lovely New Rhubarb Stew!

Rhubarb Stew

Clean and prepare 1 solid bunch of rhubarb stalks. Cut ends off, cut into 1 inch cubes. 

Clean and hull strawberries, cut into quarters.

In a large stockpot (I used my canning pot as you can see here, because I did a double batch. Usually I use my 6 qt pot).

Add 1 half cup of white sugar, and 1 half cup of orange juice.

Place on burner at medium-high heat, bring to boil.

Keep an eye on the pot, stir with a long handled wooden spoon occasionally.

It will cook down, slowly, about 2o mins .....

  

And after about 30 mins it should be boiling and look something like this:

Reduce heat to med-low and simmer another 15 mins or so

 

This is the finished stew, I usually like to stir it up some and mush up any pieces of fruit that are still kinda solidy. Let it cool for a bit, this will be WAY to hot to eat.......so be patient!! (I speak from experience here.....avoid the scalded tongue!)

Enjoy over really good vanilla ice cream.....this is also yummy cold, too.

 

 

 I hope everyone is enjoying their summer safely and happily, and eating as much local produce as they can fit in their bellies!

By the way, Thanks to Mr J for the wonderful present that has enabled these amazing pics!!!