Pastizzi

Just look at the Blues here painted on the side of the building.

This shop has been here located in Toronto for decades.....I can still remember when I was in high school. They make the best "Pastizzi" in town....it is a Maltese favourite food item. This whole area has a Maltese Church, stores and coffee shops........

We have an apartment building around here that we rent out so when we visit the tenants we have to pass by and it is so hard not to stop by and have a few......especially when my husband is with me. He always stops.

 

Pastizzi

source; Wikipedia

A pastizzi  is a savoury pastry from Malta. Pastizzi usually have a filling either of ricotta or of mushy peas, and are called pastizzi tal-irkotta, "cheesecakes", or pastizzi tal-piżelli, "peacakes".

 Pastizzi are a popular and well-known Maltese food.

Pastizzi are usually diamond-shaped or round-shaped and made of filo pastry. 

I'm not supposed to eat these because I'm on a diet.....but I couldn't resist and took a bite from my husband's pastizzi, you can see my red lipstick mark.

Thanks for stopping by.....linking to; smilingsally.blogspot.com

TINY TOM DONUTS

Every year in Toronto 2 weeks before Labour Day weekend we have the annual Canadian National Exhibition  (CNE)....I always stop by this "Tiny Tom Donuts" booth to get my fix on them delicious donuts......they are very mini mini so I don't feel guilty eating a dozen of them all at the same time...... you have two topping to chose from, one is confectioner's sugar (icing sugar) and the other with cinnamon my favourite.

So today for "BLUE MONDAY" I'm showing these BLUES.

 My daughter in the middle.

Sprinkled with cinnamon....yummmmy

Today I'm linking to;

smilingsally.blogspot.com

BRAISED CABBAGE

"World's Best Braised Cabbage"

Farmer's Market

I know when you think of Cabbage you turn your nose up....but this recipe deserves some praise. With the cabbage, onions and carrots and seasonings along with the long braising time it brings out a delicious flavour and not too mention the aroma going through your home. Be sure and not have any clothing hanging around or your clothes will be the same smell like the cabbage that you just braised for days.

Coming from a Ukrainian background (which I've never been to that country yet) I grew up with cabbage.......it was due to the fact that my Dad loved anything with cabbage. We would have pickled cabbage or sauerkraut every year that my Mom, Aunt and Grandma along with Grandpa slave away at shredding all that cabbage on one of those hand slicers and shredders......and they had no fingers missing either. :-) But that was a long time ago.....when I was a kid and that practice stopped when my Grandparents passed away. I guess that's how they grew up and still practiced that method. Now for sauerkraut I hit the supermarket and get a good old jar....which I really don't eat too much of either.

My most favourite cabbage dish was the Cabbage Rolls...that is too much work, very labor intense. Reason being is that I would do 4 or 5 large cabbages......this way I can give one of brothers a pan full of them. This procedure takes me two days......one de-leafing those darn cabbages and the next day making the filling and rolling them up...here is my recipe; http://erica-sweetonyou.blogspot.ca/2011/11/cabbage-rolls.html

 Bin full of cabbage...all picked over.

 Farmer's Market, a truckload full of cabbages and at the end of the day they are all gone.

This recipe I got from a Foodie Buddy and cooking blog that I belong to. Her name was Becky and she had the best recipes with stories to tell......Becky (RIP) you are sadly missed.

This is the best time of the year for some nice young fresh green cabbages.

World's Best Braised Green Cabbage

Source; Molly Stevens...from All About Braising

1 medium head green cabbage (about 2 pounds)

1 large yellow onion (about 1/2 pound), thickly sliced

1 large carrot, cut into 1/4-inch rounds

1/4 cup chicken stock or water

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste

Fleur de sel or coarse sea salt

 Heat oven to 325°F. Lightly oil gratin dish or baking dish (about 9-by-13-inch).

Peel and discard any bruised or ragged outer leaves from cabbage. Cut into 8 wedges. Arrange wedges in baking dish in a single layer, and scatter in onion and carrot. Drizzle with oil and chicken stock and season with salt, pepper and pepper flakes. Cover tightly with foil. 

Slide into the middle of the oven to braise until the vegetables are completely tender, about 2 hours. Turn the cabbage wedges with tongs after an hour. Don’t worry if the wedges want to fall apart as you turn them; just do your best to keep them intact. If the dish is drying out, add a few tablespoons of water.

Once cabbage is completely tender, remove the foil, increase oven heat to 400°F, and roast until the vegetables begin to brown, another 15 minutes or so. Serve warm or at room temperature, sprinkled with fleur de sel or other coarse salt.

Variation:...After you remove the foil, sprinkle on 1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, then turn the cabbage with tongs to distribute the vinegar, then roast for 15 minutes, uncovered, as directed.

Note:....This is great to be heated up the next day for about 15 to 20 minutes in the oven, but I sometimes just nuke it for a few minutes.
I never turned my cabbage wedges around half-way.....I just left them there but I did season them on both sides before. 
This time around I used my medium sized roasting pan......but for company coming I use a glass 9x13 glass Pyrex dish or a nice white oblong baking dish it looks prettier.
The carrots sometimes I cut coin size or as you can see I did them in chunks.

 Ready to eat.

THANKS FOR STOPPING BY. I'm linking to Foodie Friday.

Banana Bread

Banana Bread

Source; Martha Stewart Living, August 2004.........Makes 1 loaf

Ingredients

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature, plus more for pan

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 1/2 cups unbleached flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup mashed very ripe bananas

1/2 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan; set aside. In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, and beat to incorporate.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to the butter mixture, and mix until just combined. Add bananas, sour cream, and vanilla; mix to combine. Stir in nuts, and pour into prepared pan.

Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Let rest in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool.

Variations

To make the cream cheese frosting-filled banana bread ........in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together 6 ounces cream cheese, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract until smooth. Once bread is baked and cooled, halve horizontally. Using an offset spatula, spread cream cheese frosting evenly over bottom half. Top with remaining half; slice and serve.

******I used an 8 oz. brick of cream cheese and added a few Tbsp. of confectioner's sugar because we like it sweeter. Sometimes I omit the walnuts.

Fresh out of the oven and cooling.

 Cut in half the Banana Bread and smothered with the creamy cream cheese.

 Ready and sprinkled with confectioner' sugar (icing sugar).

 Delicious with a cup of tea.......my Mom's old Wedgwood Platter.

Thanks for stopping by!!!!!

Aegean Sea

"BLUE" Aegean Sea in Turkey.

 A cafe along the sea.........to enjoy your beer or Turkish Coffee.

Hope you enjoyed all the "BLUES" of the Aegean Sea in Turkey....this was taken outside the city of Izmir.

Today I'm linking to : smilingsally.blogspot.com

Blue Chairs

BLUE CHAIRS

Theses hand painted chairs were at "The Canadian National Exhibition" (EX) this year in Toronto.

They have different shades of BLUES.

Today I'm linking to;

     smilingsally.blogspot.com

Hostas in my garden.

"HOSTAS"

These are assorted "Hostas" in my husband's garden.....he takes care of them all summer. Watering and fertilizing them.....this year he was lucky because there were no slugs anywhere to be seen. Over the years they have managed to eat all the leaves up on most of the Hostas......which didn't look pretty. 

Tried everything from Home Depot, but finally after collecting them and dumping them down the sewer they have disappeared. Now they provide a home for the pesky and annoying Alvin the Chipmunk. So far he's been good, doesn't like too munch on the Hostas...but the impatients and parsley he loves.

 My lil' neighbour Mako gave me these this year so I replanted them under the Mulberry tree. She's getting on in her years and gave me her last Hostas as she can't look after them anymore too much.

 Thank you for stopping by...much appreciated.

Linking to ; /http://asoutherndaydreamer.blogspot.ca/