A girl's best friend

I'd rather have roses on my table than diamonds on my neck.  ~Emma Goldman

Farmers Market

The weather was chilly and it rained but I wore my long-johns underneath my jeans so I was set for the four hours at the Hubbards Farmers Market :) It was busy market this morning, people were dancing to the folk music and enjoying coffee! I am looking forward to when the weather starts warming up thats for sure.

Ocean joined me this morning and took this picture of me at my table. I am up early 5 am, baking muffins, making wraps and cinnamon buns so excuse the morning face :P This is the first week that I had an official banner sign!

This is an early morning photo of the inside of the barn, before it gets busy. Come down and check it out, its on every Saturday at 8-noon.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend! 

ENERGY!

I feel energized! I finally have my kitchen in and I am making some vegan treats, like these Energy Orbs, for the first farmers market of the season! If you are in the Hubbards area on Saturday morning between 8am-12pm come by and grab some local produce and a vegan treat :) Its a lovely drive from Halifax if you get off at exit 5, pass by some of Nova Scotia's best beaches:)


Here are the directions if you are unfamiliar with the area...

From Halifax along the highway

• Take HWY-103 West toward Yarmouth
• Take exit 6 toward Hubbards
• Turn left at Mill Lake 1 Rd
• Turn left at HWY-3
• Look for the Hubbards Barn and Community Park sign on your right

Scenic route from Halifax

• Take HWY-103 West toward Yarmouth
• Take exit 5 toward Tantallon
• Turn left at Hammonds Plains Road
• Turn right at HWY-3 (St. Margaret’s Bay Road)
• Follow St. Margaret’s Bay road along the coast until you reach Hubbards
• Look for the Hubbards Barn and Community Park sign on your left

Farmers Market

I managed to make my way this morning to the Hubbard's Farmers Market with the little one. I am pretty pressed for time with moving, also I am catering a wedding brunch on Monday. It's my first catering gig so I am a little nervous. For me this is what the market is all about....

 

Yum Yum

Good morning run

Sunshine in the garden

Hubbard's Garden

The loot

Roses are red and houses are blue

I had a great morning at the farmers market. Every time I attend  I always end up meeting someone new. It really has a community feel... I know I have mentioned that before, but that is why I enjoy it so much.

Another beautiful bouquet. I managed to sneak away from my table and snag one. Can't you  imagine these at a wedding with the white dress, and some pretty red and yellow accents? I also got a yummy loaf of bread.

So remember the great news that I mentioned a few posts ago...well we bought our first home!! I am so excited to finally own a home. It has been a dream of mine for so long. Its blue and cute, and only a two minute walk to the beach. It needs a little TLC but I have lots to give, and I am so excited to finally get to do things the way we like them.

Its so much fun planning out what colours to paint, and what I want my kitchen to look like ( it needs a reno:P), but everything in time. We get the keys on the Wednesday!! I will be keeping a scrap book of our new home and the updates we do.  I hope to share my ideas with you and hopefully you can give me yours.

When you have only two pennies left in the world, buy a loaf of bread with one, and a lily with the other.  ~Chinese Proverb

Summer strawberry cream pie

I love summer...especially love the fruit it brings. There is always a special place in my stomach for strawberries :P This year I am going to take the girls to the berry farm, and pick some. Last year we went blueberry picking, we enjoyed ourselves...17 pounds later.

Its been a pretty nice June for us here in Nova Scotia, sunshine one day and fog the next :P I am at the Hubbard's Barn Farmers Market again tomorrow, selling my vegan goodies.What better to celebrate summer then fresh local strawberries!

I picked up a couple of baskets and at first I was thinking strawberry muffins, keeping in mind that the market is a morning thing,and then I thought why not make mini-pies or tarts?

I made the pie crust with vegetable shortening. The filling is similar to my coconut banana cream pie, but this time I used half almond milk, half coconut milk.  Sliced the fresh strawberries, and arranged them nicely. TA-DA! Done :)

I still have a basket of strawberries left....muffins?

A beautiful Saturday morning at the Farmers Market

Hi bloggy friends....I have been really busy the last couple of weeks, just with life things. I think that is why I have been neglecting my blog. Not that it's a job or work, I love taking photos of the food I make and sharing the recipe with the world. That's what its all about.

This weekend I was back at the Hubbards Farmers Market, I love that place. It has such a good community feel, and such a great ambiance about it. If you ever get the chance, I highly recommend spending a Saturday morning there. This is where I bought this beautiful bouquet! My plan is to put it on my bedside table, so that when I wake up I see flowers.

I know that I mentioned some wonderful news on my last post, I don't want to jinks it. So I will tell you my news soon, when its more concrete.

I don't have any recipes to share, because I haven't been making a whole lot of different things. Sometimes I just go to my "know what works and tastes the best recipes", and sometimes its just not that interesting. haha

I am madly trying to clean my house, we are leaving next week. I am excited to go and see friends and spend some much needed time in the city. I miss the life of city living, but I am sure that once I'm there for a week, I will be thankful to come back to my little shire.

I have invited a guest to do a post while I am away, Noelle, from An Opera Singer in the Kitchen. I feel lucky to have her as a bloggy friend. She was one of my first friends, and her food is always super yummy looking. I can't wait to see what she makes!

Have a great rest of the weekend. Hope wherever you are you are enjoying some sunshine :)

Broccoli and Caramelized Onion Quiche

I have been super busy the last couple of weeks...I am getting ready for the Hubbards Farmers Market getting supplies planing out what I am going to make. This seems so easy, but its really a job itself. I am also teaching another vegan cooking class which involves planning a menu and making sure the recipes work. I am back cooking again for a couple which I did last summer! All this plus the regular things in life that keeps one busy :)

The Hubbards Market is this Saturday from 8-12pm, and because its more of a morning thing I decided to go the breakfast/brunch route. I have been checking out recipes for vegan quiches, and found lots. Its hard to pick one, because they all sound so good. I read the ingredients and if it sounded good I added it, increased the amounts, added a few of my own thoughts.

Orginally I was going to make the quiches in individual tart pans, but then I thought that I would be too time consuming. Its hard to cook sometimes when you only have two hands! So I opted for muffin tin style.
So far, so good, I haven't had one fall apart yet...

• 1 block firm tofu- crumbled
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 onions- sliced
• 2 cloves garlic-minced
• 1 bunch broccoli- chopped into small florets
• 3/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tbsp dried dill
• 1/4 tsp chili flakes
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• freshly ground pepper

In a food processor add tofu and mix until smooth and creamy- adding water if necessary, to help with the texture.

In a saute pan, heat oil on medium heat, add onions let caramelize (about 10 minutes)
add the garlic and broccoli, saute until soft.

In a large bowl combine tofu and broccoli mixture along with everything eles. Stir it up good.

With you favorite pie crust recipe... cut out rounds and push it into a muffin tin.
scoop the tofu mixture into the shell.
Bake at 375 for 35-40 minutes

Farmers Market Finds

The farmers market is winding down, I think there is only 2 left in the season:(
I really enjoyed the leeks this week, I made a lovely potato & leek soup for thanksgiving dinner, along with lentil and rice stuffed peppers, and a very tasty vegan pumpkin pie!
It was so yummy I forgot to take pictures of it, and when I realized, it was too late:P
I love fresh cut flowers, I usually don't buy them for myself, but I figure I deserve them once in a while!

Farmers Market Finds

What a beautiful morning to go to the Hubbards Farmers Market. With $22 dollars burning a hole in my pocket, these are the things I bought along with a fair trade coffee. The lettuce is HUGE, and looks delicious! I am going to make a big batch of gazpacho this afternoon, we have a quite a lot of tomatoes kick'n around, and the basil I got this morning smells amazing. I love Autumn<3>

Farmers Market Finds

This week has been a busy one...with work, getting ready for school , friends visiting from out of town, and my mom duties.
So I have not posted any recipes:( I did however make a really good curry the other night!)
We watched a documentary the other day...Earthlings.
Earthlings.com
I think all humans should watch this. It is life changing.

Speaking of which, we have taken the next step....Veganism.
It has been easier than I thought, a little more time consuming (reading every label), but well worth it.
I know that being a vegan is one huge step in the right direction...for the planet.

I got up early this morning and looked outside and it was grey and a bit wet.
PERFECT! A great morning to spend at the farmers market:)

I think this will be a good night for chili and cornbread. (I tried to make cornbread last week, but it didn't cook properly, so I will try my hand at it again.:P)

Hubbards Farmers Market

I set my alarm clock to get up early this morning, because the last few times I went to the market everything was bought up. To my surprise the market was still really busy, but I got some goodies, which made me happy:) After, I went for a walk on the beach and was pleasantly surprised, I was the only one there!
Morning beach sessions are amazing.
I already know what I am going to do with the beets!

Farmers Market Finds...

This morning I went to the Hubbard's Farmers Market, its not huge which I find appealing, and its in old red barn. There is live folk music and a sand box for the kids.You can find a whole bunch of goodies.( I love the almond croissants:P)
As the summer progresses, the veggies get better and better.

I have been busy the last few weeks,we have had a friends and family visiting weekly,(many trips to the airport!) but the best part....I was hired to be a personal chef!

I visit there home twice a week and make meals ...I am going to start taking my camera so I can document the food I have been making.

Stay tuned....