Hippo Mates Crochet Pattern

I made these adorable hippos when my children were small and for friends when they had children. They are so cute. The pattern comes from Annie's Crochet Newsletter Sept-Oct. 1988 No. 35.

Sunday Bike Ride

This Sunday we went on a new trail we have not been on. It is off Jerseyville Road. It will take you to through Dundas and to Hamilton. We rode about 13Km. today. Next time we will park further down and continue the ride. These are some pictures I took today.

Saturday Apple and Pear Picking

On Saturday we went apple picking at a farm near us. Orchard Home Farm. Here are some photos we took while there. It was a beautiful day to pick. This is such a great time of year.

Buttermilk Drop Donuts

These little donuts are soooo good. They are like the little ones you get at the flea markets. We found the recipe at cdkitchen.

Buttermilk Drop Donuts

Ingredients:

Vegetable oil
2 cups unbleached flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. ground nutmeg (we did not use)
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup buttermilk

1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla paste

Sugar, cinnamon sugar or icing sugar for coating

Heat oil (2 to 3 inches) in dutch oven to 375F.

Mix flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, nutmeg and baking soda in mixing bowl. Add oil, buttermilk, egg and vanilla. Beat until smooth.

Drop batter by teaspoonfuls (do not make to large or they will not cook through) into hot oil. Fry for 3 minutes or until golden brown on both sides; drain on paper towels.

Immediately after roll in sugar mixture of your choice.

Sunday's Bike Ride Pictures

Sunday was a beautiful day for a bike ride and I remembered the camera!!!! Here are some pictures we took.

Oatmeal Cake

This recipe was given to my now X. We have enjoyed it over the years. It is very moist and have a wonderful texture.

Oatmeal Cake

1 cup quick cooking oatmeal ( I use large flake oatmeal)
1 1/2 cup boiling water.

Pour water over oatmeal and let stand for 20 minutes or until cool.

In Mixer
Cream: 1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs

Add:
the cooled oatmeal to above mixture

In separate bowl:
combine: 1 1/2 cups unbleached flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon

Add:
Dry ingredients to wet. Blend together do not over mix.

Pour into 9 X 13 baking pan. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes at 350.

Topping for Cake:

1 small can carnation milk
1/2 cup butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 1/2 cups coconut

Mix this mixture well and spread over warm cake.

Place under broiler and broil until golden.

Let cool.

My First MeMe

Sarah at What Smells So Good has tagged me. She has a great blog. I have bookmarked a few recipes I wish to try out.

• Players, you must list one fact, word or tidbit that is somehow relevant to your life for each letter of your first or middle name.
• When you are tagged you need to write your own blog-post containing your own first or middle name game facts, word or tidbit.
• At the end of your blog-post, you need to choose one person for each letter of your name to tag. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.
• So if I've tagged YOU, please join in on the fun!

My name is Hendria

H * Health- I try to eat well. At least 3 times a week I ride my bike on the trails around my area. Recently started to drink Soy Milk for the hot flashes......so far not HELPING!!!!!

E * Energic - I run on high speed during work, Multi-tasking.

N * New: Love trying new things. Over the years my hobbies have included Sewing, crocheting, knitting, tole painting, collecting magazines for crafts, painting as well as cookbooks, Photography, Baking , Gardening

D * Desperate Housewives: I watch this religiously.

R * Restless: I can feel like a caged cat at times. I enjoy being busy and on the go.

I * Independant - Separated for 8 years. Divorced for a year of that. Love my life now. My son still lives at home. Daughter is on her own, engaged.

A * Art - Love art of all kinds. Artists are very special. I would have to say Nature art is my most favorite.

My Tags:

The Glutton
Kitchen Wench
Sweet Tooth
A Cat In The Kitchen
Rosemary's Blog Spot
Vanille & Chocolat
Cookie Madness

Sunday Dinner this Week

We painted the dining room this afternoon. I put the second coat on all the trim and baseboard to help Dan out. Then the only thing left is the primer on the bottom part of the wall so the wallpaper will stick. Put the chandelier up and this room will be done except for the carpet. Doing the happy dance here!!!! We will then have to put all the furniture back into the dining room in order to paint the living room and the computer room. This has been a project that has been going on since ....February. I should start a blog on our renovations. Anyway....about dinner. He BBQ steaks (strip loins). With it we had fried onions and cauliflower and the Crumb Top Cherry Pie.

Fried Onions

Medium sized sweet onion
milk
flour

Cut the onions as thin as you can
Place sliced onions in bowl and cover with milk. Let this mixture sit about 1 hour before you fry them.

When the steaks are just about done start the oil heating. While the steaks are resting start the onions.


Take the onions out of the milk and dredge them in the flour. Make sure they are well coated.


Place onions on slotted spoon and drop into hot oil.


Cook until golden brown. Remove from oil and place on paper towel sprinkle with salt. When you have enough onions fried for your dinner. Place on top of steak. And enjoy!!

Our Tomatoes from the Garden

The above is the Hillbilly Potato Leaf Tomato

The Tomato in front is the Cherokee Purple

Dan (my son) ordered seeds for tomatoes from the Seed Saver Exchange. They are heirloom varieties. The two I have pictured are called: Hillbilly Potato Leaf Tomato and Cherokee Purple Tomato. Both are really good tomatoes.

My Latest Cookbook Finds

Country Cooking: is A Canadian Collection of Favorite Home Tested Recipes it was published in 1996. I found the crumb topping for Dan's Cherry Pie in here. I found these two and the Mennonite cookbook at Southworks Antiques in Cambridge, Ontario.

Hooked on Mixes: The Quick and Easy Guide to Homemade Mixes. It was published in 1983 in Kitchener, Ontario.

I found the Baking with Julia at an Antique Warehouse in St. Jacobs, Ontario. While looking through a shelf of cookbooks I spotted it and put back the other two I was going to buy.

Mennonite Community Cookbook: Favorite Family Recipes. It was first published in 1950. The fifth printing was in 1953. Without realizing I seem to be collecting Canadian Cookbooks.
In this book there are a few pictures: under one it says "These old favorites - Stuffed Pig Stomach or Dutch Goose, Scrapple and Pickled pigs' feet or souse. Dan was not to thrilled to try these. It does however have a lot of good old recipes in it about 1100 in total. This was also at Southworks Antiques, Cambridge, Ontario.

And I bought all these Canadian Living from Bibles for Mission Thrift Store, Brantford, Ontario.
There are about 20 of them.

Crumb Top Sour Cherry Pie

We bought a pail of cherries because my son (Dan) wanted to make cherry jam. But, the renovations have been keeping him busy so he has of yet not made the jam. He did decide to make a pie. He wanted it to have a crumb top; so I went looking for one he could use. I just found a few older cookbooks which I posted about already and found a crumb topping for him. He found the recipe on Martha Stewart's page. You can find the recipe here.

Crumb Top Sour Cherry Pie

4 cups Sour Cherries
1 cup Sugar
1/4 cup Corn Starch
1 tsp. Cinnamon

Pie Crust

2 1/2 cups unbleached flour
1 tsp. coarse salt
1 tsp. sugar
1 cup chilled cut up butter
1/4 to 1/2 cup cold water

Crumb Topping

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup unbleached flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
1-2 tsp. cinnamon

Prepare pie crust: Put flour, salt, sugar in bowl. Add butter and use pastry blender to blend mixture until it resembles coarse meal. Add water a little at a time until mixture comes together. Divide dough in half and make into a discs. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in frig for 1 hour.

Pie Filling: Combine Cherries, sugar, corn starch and cinnamon in bowl. Set aside.

Crumb Topping: Crumble chilled butter, flour, sugar and cinnamon together. Set aside.

On a slightly floured surface, roll one disk of dough into a 12" round about 1/8" thick. Line your pie shell with dough. Pour in Cherry filling. Then add Crumb topping.

Bake Pie 350 F for 20 minutes then turned down oven to 320 F for 25 to 30 minutes. We have a very hot oven, this is why a lower temp. Cool. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.