Elvis Gets a Visitor.....

While I was outside watering the vegetable garden after work on Thursday, I could hear the sometimes neighbour in the woods. All of a sudden out popped a dog and of course Elvis had to go and check him out. He`s a pretty guy. I quick got hubby to grab the camera for me.......

His owner kept calling him and he wasn`t listening until finally he came to the fence at the edge of the woods in the back yard, apologized and convinced him to come away with him in some language that sounded Eastern European. Elvis and I didn`t mind his visit.

I want my friend back......

It`s Canada Day here on Monday and our long weekend...yeehaw!!! Monday (ouch...the traffic) we`re going to Toronto to help my daughter. My son and their Dad are moving her things and picking up her chair from here that I`m giving her and then bringing back the two chairs she`s giving me. They`re antiques but covered in ugly old apholstery at the moment. One of the girls she was renting with didn`t want them and left them behind. Who has time to mess with old chairs when there`s more interesting things to do like travel Europe eh? LOL
Whether your weekend is long or short, have a great one! The weather here, they predict, is going to be nice and sunny with no humidity. I`ll be mixing a few marguaritas :)

Chilean Meat Pies...Going Down Memory Lane...

also known as Empanadas

The first time I went to England, the second leg of my journey was to Devon where I stayed in Exeter with my cousins. Being a unniversity city, and my cousins also having unni boarders staying with them, I met a lot of people from different countries. One girl was from Chile and gave me a Chilean Pie to try. I loved it! Filled with meat and spices and eggs and olives. For years I tried to recreate that exact pie to no avail. Then along came the internet and I was able to find several recipes which I combined for this past Sunday`s supper to make what I remember as the exact pie I had in Exeter. Although I think her`s was a little hotter, next time I`d add some hot peppers into the mix. I served these with thick slices of tomatoes on the side.


Servings: 8-10 large empanadas


Put in a large bowl

3 cups unbleached flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
Mix with a fork until combined.

Then add:

10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup vegetable shortening, cut into small pieces
Cut the butter add shortening into the flour mixture using a pastry blender or pulse in a food processor until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.(I used a fork and my hands because I broke my food processor blade and don`t have a pastry thing-a-ma-jig) If using the food processor, transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Then, drizzle over the top:

11-14 tablespoons ice water
Mix gently with a fork until the flour mixture is dampened enough to gather into a ball. Shape into a flat disk, wrap tightly in plastic and refrigerate for at least 45 min.

Ingredients for the filling: Heat in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat:

1 tablespoon olive oil
Add:

1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
Cook, stirring, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Then, stir in:

1 pound lean ground beef
Cook until the beef is browned. Then, stir in:

1 tablespoon Adobo Seasoning (recipe below)

1/4 cup coarsely chopped pitted green olives
4 chopped hard cooked eggs
cook stirring constantly to evaporate any pan juices. Remove from the heat and let cool completely.
Pre-heat the oven to 350 F.

To Shape Empanadas:
Roll out the dough 1/8 inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Make sure that is thin, it makes for a better empanadas. Cut 6 inch rounds from the dough (you'll have to re-roll the scraps to get the 10-12 rounds). Spoon about 1/4 cup of the filling onto each round. Moisten the edges of the rounds with water, brings sides up together and press the edges together to completely enclose the filling. Place 2 inches apart on a baking sheet. Brush the following mixture over the tops of the pies:

1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon milk
Pinch of salt

Adobo Seasoning
(makes 1/2 c.)

3 Tbsp. Salt
1 Tbsp. Onion power
1 Tbsp. Garlic powder
1 Tbsp. Black pepper
1/2 tsp. Oregano
1/2 tsp. Chili powder
1/2 tsp. Cumin.....* (I used only 1/4 tsp because I think it smells like stinky feet)
1/2 tsp. Cayenne pepper
Combine all and mix well. Store in an airtight shaker container or plastic bag.

My Weird " I don`t really know what I`m doing" Gardens

I pulled off some dead branches over by the pond near the woods to make some tee pees for the beans because I planted them in 3 circles rather than in rows. Not very straight looking but definately "oh natural and recycled" LOL The tomatoes and peppers are doing great in the big pots to the side that isn`t showing here. Just have to make sure I water them everyday because they dry out really fast.

I`m not sure what this is that somehow found it`s way here in the "would have been, lovely bricked raised garden". I didn`t plant it. Some kind of melon? I don`t like melon. Unless it`s watermelon, yum. Squash? I don`t like squash either. Eck.

I love this sunflower plant. Had one last year and couldn`t figure out why it didn`t come back again. Then my Dad told me that it was an annual. For some reason I thought Sunflowers were perennials. A shame.

The climbing red rose is finally climbing this year...

I think I must have planted this pink one backwards because the highest part that`s supposed to climb against the wall is in front. I attached it slightly. Don`t know if that will help though.....

The clemetis is growing like mad this year. That big green clump is Shasta Daisies. They`ll be blooming soon...

This is the front garden with the funny cat jump up and down thingy so they can get in and out of the cat door in the window. It`s a little wilder looking than I had planned and there`s short flowers behind high flowers hehe. I added a few stepping stones just in case the cats feel like usig them rather than stomping on the flowers.

Hope everyone has a great weekend. We`re off to a little party at a friend`s house tonight :)

Fruit Filled Oven Baked Donuts

I never thought to take pictures so I had the tops on and sealed when I did remember LOL




1 package dry yeast(1 scant tablespoon)
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup lukewarm water
3 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour(approximately)
1 cup lukewarm skim milk
1 large egg
1 eggyolk
pinch of salt
grated zest of one lemon
3 tablespoons reduced fat butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup cherry pie filling, jam, or whichever fruit preserve you prefer
confectioner's or granulated sugar for sprinkling


1. Dissolve the yeast and 1 tablespoon of the sugar in the water.
2. Put the flour in the bowl of a food processor equipped with a steel blade. Add the dissolved yeast, milk, egg, egg yolk, salt, lemon zest and the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. Process until blended. Add the butter and process until the dough becomes sticky yet elastic. ( I needed to add more)

3. Remove the dough to a bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place for at least an hour. If you want to prepare the dough in advance, place it in the refrigerator overnight, then let it warm to room temperature before rolling and cutting.

4. Grease and dust flour onto 2 cookie sheets. Dust a pastry board with flour. Roll the dough out to a 1/2-inch thickness. Using the top of a glass as a cutter, Cut into a dozen 3-inch rounds. Spoon 1 teaspoon of fruit in the center of half of the rounds. Brush edges with a little water then top with remaining rounds of dough which also have been brushed with water. Press edges to seal. Place filled rounds on a floured baking sheet and repeat with remaining dough. Cover filled rounds with towel and let rise for about an hour, until doubled in bulk. Place the balls about 1 to 1 1/2-inches apart on the greased cookie sheets. Cover and let rise 30 minutes more.

5. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the doughnuts for 10 to 15 minutes or until they're golden. Remove from the oven and let cool.

6. Brush while warm with a bit of margarine or butter and sprinkle with confectioner's or granulated sugar.

It made me 10 filled donuts which aren`t too bad tasting at all. Haven`t tried one cold yet, but their nice while warm. I think I would add a bit more sugar next time to the dough for a sweet treat. These would also (without the sugar) be a great recipe to add a meat filling, cheese and veg or pizza filling instead!