Fresh From The Garden

So last night, before everyone came, I was setting all my dishes out on my buffet, getting everything ready for coffee. My husband came in, looked at the buffet and said "You know what you need, right in the center of that piece? A big arrangement of flowers!" Laughing to myself about the fact that maybe he would remember that as he passed the florist tomorrow on his way from work (not), in walked my mother and sister in law. First, my mother in law handed me a vase filled with the prettiest bunch of creamy white flowers (I actually can't remember the name of them at this minute) from her garden. Next, my sister in law said "Happy Belated Birthday!" and handed over this massive green vase filled with an array of things from her garden - coleus, false sunflowers, hosta leaves and even some pretty, droopy pink "thing" that no one knew.

It always amazes me how much flowers can brighten a room - and my mood! They're a beautiful hostess gift and can be very cost effective if you have a garden with a wide variety of choices!

Sneak Peak!

So here it is - your little peek into my new living room and dining area! Are you excited? Because I am! This has been something I've wanted to tackle for a very long time, and though it's not entirely complete (there are still a few last minute touches to be done this week), it's close... so close!

Enjoy! And, check back soon for more to come of the room in it's entirety.

Simple Swedish Style

I have a horrible habit of over-doing things sometimes (...okay all the time). I'm constantly taking on three projects more than I can handle, under-estimating the time it may take me to complete each project and over estimating my ability to remain unaffected by it. I always add just a little too much to a room in a constant attempt to get it "just right" before dismantling it entirely and beginning again. I have big ideas on small time lines and end up running around at the last minute. It's not that I'm unorganized, because I'm fairly organized. And, it's not that I hate finishing things. It's simple really; I get distracted. My husband makes fun of me all the time for this, but, it's not something I can help. I can be in the middle of one thing when all of the sudden I have this grand idea for another. My brain just doesn't stop, and sometimes, it's too much for the rest of me.

Take my redecorating situation. I just finished the huge project of redecorating my basement. It too me a long time to finish, which was something I planned on. What I wasn't planning for, was the fact that before the paint's even dry, it seems, I've moved on to my living room and dining room upstairs. This is why:

The couches in my living room upstairs were more relaxed and comfy, whereas the couches downstairs where more formal, structured love seats. To me, that was backward. I want to live in my comfy couches downstairs where we spend our time as a family, and I want the formal love seats in my living area upstairs, making it a more formal space. So, I switched them. But, now I have rusty orange (my husband's pre-marriage) couches in a beige room - yuck! The solution? I bought slipcovers in a natural sailcloth. So now the old couches are out of the room and I'm about to move in the new ones, and I think to myself - if everything is already out, why not just throw a coat of paint on the walls? (Because it always seems like such a casual affair) Before I know it I've completely redecorated my living room/dining area! So you see how this works? A leads to B which leads to C and so on. But, I'm always happy in the end - for a few seconds before I start the next thing.

Ultimately though, I want a more simple lifestyle. I spend a lot of time at auctions and estate sales and I have quite the collection of stuff piled up. I'm constantly bringing in new findings and after a while, it just gets to be a lot. My goal for this redecorating was to incorporate some of my fabulous vintage finds into the room, without adding the clutter.

Last night, my in laws all came over for coffee on Sunday evening. This was my deadline. No one had really seen what the rooms liked like (except for my sister-in-law, who saw them at the peak of chaos) and I wanted as much to be done as possible when they got there.

This meant that all day Saturday, and all afternoon Sunday was spent organizing, cleaning and setting everything up. Hours and hours of it! But, by the time 7 o'clock hit, and they walked in the door, I had just put the vacuum away (thrown it in our bedroom) and was lighting candles.

The entire night I just kept looking at it and getting almost giddy with excitement over how much I loved the transformation. There were so many times when I saw it all unfinished and doubted how it would look when it was complete. The colour was out of my "typical range" and at times I was unsure if I would really love it or just have to put up with it because it's done. But, once every little piece was in it's place (at times, this took a dozen different tries to get it to where I was satisfied), the flowers were arranged and the candles were all lit, it really did look better than I could have hoped. I'd like to say I planned it all that way, but I didn't. I had an idea of what I was going for and knew what I wanted to do, but getting there still seemed like a surprise.

Anyway, it's almost finished. Obviously I couldn't have it completely finished before they came because it just wasn't humanly possible. And I didn't worry about it. They don't care if my throw pillows aren't complete, or my slip covers aren't fitted perfectly, or even if there are some paint spots that need to be touched up. There will be lots of time to do all that this coming week. For now, it just feels good to be able to actually move in the room!

So... photos. Obviously, I want to do the big reveal when it's completely done. So you don't get to see it just yet. I will however post a couple little sneak previews later today!

Until then, enjoy this fantastic home tour! This is the home of David Weiss, restaurant chef, and Martina Arfwidson, co-owner of Face Stockholm by the Hudson. It's "Swedish tradition meets casual American style".

I always love the look of a few industrial bits in a room - something like this step stool or the chairs.


Talk about refreshing! This space just seems to go on forever. It's clean, it's airy but it's still homey.


Again, super bright (which the mirrors only enhance) but still relaxing. It's easy, neutral colours and very simple pieces but it's still very elegant.

This is my favourite piece in this entire house - it's just so fantastic! It's a breezy entrance way that's fresh and full of light.

I think the reason I was drawn to this house was because of it's simplicity. There's not clutter and it's not over done. It's minimal without being cold and it's open without being distant. And, it's just comfortable! I love it. It really inspired me this week!

A Picnic and A Play

The last weekend of August happened to be my birthday. My husband had planned an evening out for us the weekend before, for our anniversary, and we had the most wonderful time at a chef's tasting dinner at Hillebrand Winery in Niagara on the Lake. I'll be writing on that separately later because it was just too good of an evening not to share! Anyway, since it's two weekends in a row, I wasn't sure what he would have up his sleeve for the second. To my surprise, he planned a night at the theatre, once again in Niagara on the Lake.

I've never been to see a proper show, especially one in a historic theatre. We saw "One Touch of Venus" at the Shaw festival (a biannual theatrical festival the town hosts each Spring and Fall). It was fantastic! The music was great and the story was quite funny. It was about a Modern Art museum that brings in a statue of Venus by request of the very wealthy owner. She comes to life and falls in love with the already engaged barber who happened upon her while attempting to cut the owners hair. I really enjoyed it and recommend going to see it, or any other play for that matter! It makes for a very cultured and fun evening out. (You can't help but feel glamorous when you're going to the theatre in a historic town!)

The Shaw Cafe downtown.

The iconic Prince of Wales Hotel - it's so grand and would be a wonderful place to stay!

The theatre! Isn't is glamorous!

So, since we needed to have dinner, but had already done the fine dining the weekend before, I decided to pack a picnic to bring with us. We found a cozy spot right on the water along the Parkway. It was just down a hill so it was nice and private and the perfect spot to sit and enjoy each others company over a glass of wine as we watched the sun set.

Since it was a special occasion, I didn't want to pack just anything. We had taken home a lovely bottle of red wine from Hillebrand and were waiting for a nice evening to open it. This was the perfect occasion! I had heard of a quaint little cheese shop a town over called Chez Fromage and decided to check it out. It's funny because it's this idyllic little french cheese shoppe in this tiny little town in the middle of nowhere. Funny enough, she had a line up! Once it was my turn, I was greeted with a Bonjour! I told her the wine I was serving and that I was looking for a couple little bits of cheese to nibble with our picnic and that I wanted them to compliment the wine. Immediately she started grabbing wedges of various cheeses and shaving off samples for me to try. It was so great because she was getting so excited about each one and telling me the characteristics of them, where they come from and how they would suit the wine. I was very impressed by her knowledge and by how easy going she was about it all. Cheese, like wine, can be very intimidating to select and she made it so much fun!

These are the cheeses she selected for me and what each one was:

Niagara Gold ~ A buttery, creamier cheese with an earthy truffle taste.

Raspberry Bella Vitano ~ A fruity, cheddar~like cheese with Parmesan flavours, aged in raspberry ale.

Peau Rouge ~ A semi-soft cheese with hints of grilled hazelnuts and caramel.

Compte France ~ A unique cheese aged on spruce boards.

All of them were fantastic! They paired perfectly with the wine and were all good starter cheeses (nothing too crazy). It was about $15 for all four and though they seemed like smaller portions, they were perfect for nibbling!

Out bottle of wine for the evening; Hillebrand's Showcase Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 Clark Farm ~ complex aromas of sweet vanilla, spice, black licorice and black current.

$45 at winery.

(For a more budget friendly bottle, try the Artist Series Cab. Sauv. from Hillebrand at the LCBO. It's about $15 a bottle and it's also very good.

We enjoyed the wine and cheese with some fresh baguettes from the bakery as well as a selection of meats from the deli; prosciutto, salami and calabrese.

And the Grand Finale - dessert from Indulgence (downtown Fonthill). It's a little bakery downtown that specializes in cakes and desserts as well as breads. I usually go there for their killer pecan sticky buns but every once in a while I'll pick up a little dessert for us to share. This was my birthday cake though so I wanted something special. My selection? Turtle Cheesecake with pecans and caramel (top) and Chocolate Fudge Cake with lots of gooey chocolate ganache frosting (bottom). Can you tell I like chocolate?? They were both to-die-for!

Overall, it was another wonderful evening. It was so relaxing, just the two of us by the water. We couldn't stop ooing and ahing over how good the food was! The best part, it was so simple to throw together and it was a combination of these great foods that our local shops have to offer! It was fantastic and definitely something we're looking forward to doing again!

Thanks for another great night dear!

xox

BAKING DAY ~ Pumpkin Cranberry Loaves

How "fall" are these?

This recipe is an adaptation from the cookbook SUGAR by Anna Olsen.

So today is September 1st. I don't know why, maybe with the changing of a season, or the fact that kids are heading back to school, but I always feel that with September comes a fresh start. The air starts to get a little more crisp each night, and as the temperature begins to drop, the comforting wafts of a fire start to fill the air. With it comes comfy fall clothes and even

more comforting food. I think that's one of the reasons I look forward to the season change. I love the rich colours and the rich textures of fall food. The idea of a bountiful harvest and the awaited family gatherings and the tradition! It's just all so comforting.

Anyway, in honour of the fact that Fall seems to be right around the corner, I made something uber fall this morning. Pumpkin loaves filled with cranberries, raisins, pecans and even pumpkin seeds! It doesn't get anymore fall than this!

Here's the recipe. They're really easy to make, in either muffin tins, mini loaf tins or a regular loaf pan, and the pumpkin puree ensures a moist loaf every time!

Enjoy!

PUMPKIN CRANBERRY LOAF

Ingredients:

2 c. flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. cloves

1/2 tsp. ginger

1/2 c. unsalted butter at room temperature

1 c. sugar

2 eggs

1 c. canned pumpkin puree

1 tbsp. orange zest

1 tsp. vanilla

1 c. orange juice

1 1/2 cups cranberries, fresh or frozen.

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices. Set aside. In a medium bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Carefully add 1 egg at a time, fully incorporating after each addition. Stir in pumpkin puree, zest and vanilla and once mixed, stir in juice. Add half of the dry ingredients, only mixing until incorporated, and then the same with the second half. Once mixed, fold in cranberries. Spoon batter into greased tins and cook for 60-75 minutes (until a tester comes out clean).

Now for my alterations - I actually use 2 tsp of pumpkin pie spice (the above all combined together) and an extra pinch of cinnamon instead of the cloves, cinnamon and ginger separate.

I also substitute half of the orange zest for lemon zest, just for an extra kick.

I prefer freshly squeezed orange juice to bought, but sometimes you just don't want to squeeze oranges! And to be honest, I don't always think you can taste the difference on this one.

As you can see, I use dry cranberries, as well as raisins, pecans and pumpkin seeds. I like the look of them all in the loaf and it's healthy! I just add each until it makes a total of roughly 1 1/2 cups. I also sprinkle a few of each on top just because it looks pretty and some raw sugar for a bit of a sweet crunch.

Doing Lunch - 13th Street Winery

Recently, my husband and I were able to attend a Wine Etiquette evening with tastings and hors d'oeuvres at 13th Street Winery. It's located along 4th Avenue, nestled somewhere between St. Catharines and Historic Jordan Village. The evening was fantastic (as were the wine and the food) but what intrigued me the most was the old barn that was exuding aromas only a bake shop could produce. Sure enough, the long-time family owned, Whitty Farms had opened a bakery on site at the winery. We stole a peek in the door, unbeknownst to the baker, and found everything but the kitchen empty.

I returned a few weeks later with my cousin, Jess, for lunch. The bakery was true to the character of the winery - clean, simple and a place where the food (or in the case of the winery, the wine) speaks for itself. We enjoyed a rather large flat bread with baby spinach, crumbled feta and garden tomatoes for lunch and for dessert, coffee and a butter tart - the best ones around.

The bake shop was simple. There were a few different preserves you could purchase, some fresh fruit from their fruit stand, a few baked goods and pre-made flat breads. We had a hard time deciding on the flat bread; our other choices were Roasted Red Pepper, Zucchini, Onion and Asiago Cheese or Roasted Beet, Pear, Pecan with Balsamic Drizzle. Everything was delicious, as it always is in our experience.

After our coffee we toured around and enjoyed the yard and gardens on the property - all of which are gorgeous. The exercise was more than welcomed after the dangerously delicious tart.

If you haven't been - and are near it - pop in for a coffee or for lunch. It's secluded and quiet and a great place to catch up with a good friend over a coffee and something sweet. Or, visit the winery for a wine tasting. Neither will disappoint!

The winery - it's so gorgeous and simple.

The gardens on the grounds - they actually used the fresh herbs and tomatoes from here on our flat bread.

The butter tarts that are to die for! Of course, they have a larger selection of delicious treats but these are my favourite and some how, I can never pick anything else!

The flat bread - doesn't it look delicious!

The entire bake area is covered in gorgeous Wisteria.

This little seating area outside is actually what caught my attention first - isn't it the perfect spot of enjoy a cup of coffee?

Produce and preserves for sale in the shop.

And as if you still had to be convinced, they also serve wine by the glass!

New Shop Items ~ Ephemera Pack, Spools, Keys and Clothespins

Here is a little preview of some new items just added to my Etsy shop.

- THE GROWERS DAUGHTER -

www.etsy.com/shop/GrowersDaughter

Check them out!