Catching up on the Freebies

Did you miss me last week? Friday got away on me somehow, but I did get something in the mail. I'll just include it in this batch as I tell you what has arrived since the last time I reported in.

I received an envelope from Marc Angelo, with a coupon for a dollar off any of their products. I had just finished eating a lovely barbequed bacon wrapped turkey breast. It was so good, I'm likely to use this coupon on another one of those.  As there is no expiry date on the coupon, I'll just hang on until they go on sale again.

I also received a coupon for $3.49 off an Lindt Swiss Classic 100g chocolate bar.  That likely makes it free. I won that during a contest they had online. This is just in time as I had just one bite of the last one I won left when the coupon arrived, and it's totally gone now.  Yes, I like chocolate, but one bite is usually enough to satisfy my craving, so a chocolate bar this size can last me a few months.

The Nivea people sent me a couple of samples, along with some coupons too.  The samples are from their Aqua Effect line. They sent Mattifying Day Care, which moisturizes and controls shine, and a Purifying Cleansing Gel, which deeply cleans pores.  That appears to be a new product.  There is apparently also a Purifying Toner available, to use between these two, and one of the coupons offers $5 off if I purchase all three products.   Otherwise, the other coupon is just $1 off if I I buy only one product.  At the moment, I'm too well stocked on facial products to even consider using these coupons.

There was also a big envelope in my mail this week, and when I got home I was surprised to find a complimentary copy of Chatelaine in it, along with a bookmark.  It seems they are trying to coax me back.  I do hope some of the other magazines try this tactic.  Actually free magazines often work well with me, as you may have noticed in a previous post.

Testing and Reporting - A Little Late

Last fall Chatelaine had me acting as a recipe tester again.  Of course I couldn't tell you what I was testing at the time, and I meant to do it when the issue containing those recipes came out.  I always get behind in magazines during the holiday season and have so much to catch up on afterwards that I'm afraid I'm a little late with this but I'll link you to the recipes as they appeared in the January issue.

One was called Maple-Walnut Quinoa Chicken when I tested it, but now they have changed the name to Maple-Cider Chicken and Nutty Quinoa.  Either way I thought it was good. I had never had quinoa before.  I don't know if I'll be making this recipe again, as the man of the house didn't care for the flavour.  In the past, if a recipe listed quinoa as an ingredient, I turned the page, but I wouldn't be so quick to do that now. I'm glad I tried this recipe.

The dessert I made was the Bushberry Pudding Cake.  The sauce for this one has whiskey in it, but the cake alone is still very good.  If you want to feed it to children without the sauce, or just make it that way, go right ahead.  I know I'll make this one again, and may try it with different combinations of fruit as well. Peaches and blueberries, or apples and blackberries would also be great, I'm sure.
If you do make this cake, and want to use the sauce, pour the hot sauce over the cut pieces, not the whole cake. The cake is fine cold, but the sauce needs to be heated.  If you pour the sauce over the entire cake, and there are left overs, the butter in the sauce congeals and that spoils the flavour as all you end up tasting is butter.  Without the sauce, it's a great picnic cake and is about to become a family favourite.

I didn't have time during the testing period to make the Bannock, though I had intended to. I have, however, made it since then.  This is extremely easy and well worth the extra effort if you are having something like chili, soup or stew.  I don't know that it even needs the cheese. 

Refrigerator Cookies

I see an unusual number of people are coming to my page looking for Refrigerator Cookies for Christmas.  That may be because I once tested some for Chatelaine, and you can find that recipe if you go to their site and search for it there.  However, my family still prefers the ones I've always made, so, since so many people are looking for recipes, I guess I'll take a moment and share that with you.

Refrigerator Christmas Cookies

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
 2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup chopped candied fruit or glace cherries

Mix the ingredients together and chill for 1/2 hour.
Shape dough into 2 smooth rolls about 1 1/2 inch in diameter.
Wrap in wax paper and chill overnight or until firm.  (can also be frozen at this point)
Slice into 1/8 inch slices.

Bake on an ungreased sheet at 375F for 8-10 minutes

Makes about 10 dozen

Note:  These are actually easier to slice if frozen.

Enjoy, and Merry Christmas to each and every one of you.

New Family Favorite

While this might not be the most appetizing photo, Chipotle Shrimp with Couscous has definitely become a new family favorite. 

I tested this recipe on November 14th for Chatelaine magazine, and it appears in the latest issue (Feb 2012).  The picture there makes it look a lot better, especially since I forgot to put the basil on it before taking the picture. Honestly, I think I was far more interested in eating than taking any pictures that night!

This is, without a doubt, the fastest, easiest dish I have ever made and perfect for when we have been out all day and come home hungry. It can be on the table and ready to eat in about 10 minutes.

I always have shrimp in the house, and now I plan to keep a jar of roasted red peppers handy too.  We had never had couscous before, so the first time I made this dish (a home tester has to follow the recipe and directions to the letter) I also made some rice, just in case.  The couscous was fine.  Apparently toasting it first gives it more flavour.  Of course, you could use rice instead, if you prefer.

The name of this dish would normally have had me skip right by it, but I was feeling adventurous when they asked me to try this one, and I'm certainly glad I accepted the challenge.  It's spicy, of course, with the roasted red peppers and the Tabasco sauce but that certainly makes my man happy.  I like that :)

Year One.... A Summary

I had a well established blog about my geocaching adventures but I came to the conclusion that sometimes I wanted to tell you about other places I go, or things I felt like talking about, so a year ago I decided to start this new blog. I have tried to tie the two of them together, but never succeeded.  Now that this new one has a good following, I'm thinking I might just put the future geocaching adventures in here too.

Blogging has been quite an experience for me. This is my 77th entry in this new one, and I've published 82 comments so far.  The most popular post so far was called Nothing Natural About Art.  I was in an online webinar by Johannes Vloothuis with at least a thousand other students at the time.  I happened to mention the blog post in one of the forums about that at the time, and so it's not surprising that so many people decided to check it out.  The second most popular post was Girls Just Want To Have Fun, and that's not too surprising either. It was about Red Hatters and Elvis Impersonators, so I'm sure it popped up well on the search engines.  The third most popular post is my own personal favourite. It's called In Case You Didn't Know .  I just felt the need to explain why it is that I am always offering so much unnecessary, and likely unwanted, information and advice.  The next three most popular posts all have to do with food.  They are either about  testing Chatelaine recipes, or about the 17 Day Diet. 

Statistics show that I not only have a following across all of North America, but also in Russia, Germany, the United Kingdom and even Singapore.  Others have dropped in from Sweden, Iran, Hungary and South Korea, among other places. I can't help wonder what it was I said that drew people from such far away locations to my page, but I do hope they continue to drop by.

Most of the comments I get are from people I have never met, and I love that they take a moment from their lives to let me know what they think. I often click on their link, if they have one, and follow it back to their own blogs and leave a comment there too. 

Because of that, this year, through blogging, I have enjoyed watching one family adopt 3 little girls, to add to the 4 children they already have, and then try to get to a point where life could continue in some sort of normal fashion. I really enjoyed stories another mother writes about her "twinnies" and younger daughter....and sometimes her hubby who, like many men, is often just one of the kids anyway.  I have followed several art related blogs, where I learn all kinds of interesting ideas and techniques.  I have recently become more interested in multimedia and art journals, and always enjoy stopping to watch the videos by Donna Downey, where I learn not to be afraid to just try something different.  There's no telling where it, or blogging, will take me.

I actually feel like I've made a few new online friends this past year, and I even got a lovely homemade Christmas card from one of them.  So, please, if you're reading this, feel free to comment at any point.  I'd love to hear what you think.

Chatelaine Cookie Testing

This week I have been testing a Chatelaine recipe again.  Usually I have a list of them and have to choose at least two to test, but this time it was just one recipe and we all tested the same one.  All I can tell you about that, at this point, was that it was definitely the easiest thing I've ever made, and that it was a big hit with the hubby.  In other words, it will be added to my recipe file for sure.

The last test I did was for the Christmas cookies, which I expect will be in the next issue of Chatelaine.  Maybe not though, as I now see they have them up on their site.

The first one I did was a refrigerator cookie.  We taste tested them and decided my old recipe was better, so the second roll of them is still in the freezer.  They will look pretty on the Christmas platter, but I doubt that I will make them again.


The other one I made was called Chocolate-Date Truffles, and it was really fiddly, and because of that, I figured I'd never make it again. That was until I tasted them. Oh my, but they are soooooo good!  I suggested a method that would help with the construction of these, but I see they have come up with one of their own.  If cooling the mix down first doesn't work for you, just oil your hand every so often, so the mixture doesn't stick to it.

As you see, I rolled some in nuts, some in coconut, and left some plain. That makes a nice variety, even if you don't have other cookies to put on the plate.

I had a friend who had a hip replaced just about the time I did all this testing.  I took her over some of these treats and she loved them so much she has even volunteered to come and help me, so that I will make some more.  I think I'll take her up on that too, so she can take half of them home. They are so good I'd have a hard time staying out of them. It would be better if I shared the batch, just for my waistline's sake!

Back on the Job

I'm an official recipe tester for Chatelaine magazine. (see Working in an Official Capacity and  Kitchen Experience ). 

I turned down the last assignment because it was for gluten free recipes, and I didn't want to have to buy strange flours I'd never use again.  I told them that and also told them I hoped that wouldn't knock me off the list for future assignments. The recipes I didn't want to test can be found in the September issue.

Now they are lining up testers to do some baking, I can only assume is for the Christmas season.  I was contacted and I jumped at the chance.  I was sent 10 recipes and I have to bake at least 2 of them. I didn't have too much trouble narrowing down which recipes I'm going to try. I may do as many as 4, but I've only got a couple of weeks, so we'll see.  I can't tell you any more than that.  You will have to wait patiently until the issue comes out to know specifically what recipes I tested. 

Let's just hope I don't gain too much weight taste testing along the way.

Chatelaine Test Recipes

For those of you who read my previous posts about testing recipes for Chatelaine, I will now pass along the links to the recipes I tested.  (while reading the link above, follow a link there back to a previous one too)
Upside-down Shepherd's Pie
Chicken and Dumplings
Classic Lemon Tart

Enjoy.  And do tell me if you make any of these, and what you thought of them.

Kitchen Experience

Some of you are waiting for a report on how the test recipes turned out.  I mentioned the first one in Working in an Official Capacity and you heard about my troubles getting my hands on the proper pan for the tart. As I was afraid I might not get that pan before the deadline,  I purchased ingredients for another recipe as well.  Chatelaine requires me to report on two of the nine recipes they send, but I could do more if I wanted to.  The third one was Chicken and Dumplings.

I couldn't get the skinless, boneless chicken thighs called for in the recipe and you are not allowed to make substitutions.  I went online and watched a video on how to debone a chicken thigh, as any previous attempts at this procedure didn't work for me at all.  I already knew how to remove the skin. 

Now, deboning requires a very sharp knife and I'm a known klutz in the kitchen when it comes to anything sharp or hot.  I enlisted my hubby to help. But after seeing the video, it looked so easy, I wanted to try it myself.  It wasn't nearly as easy as the video made it look.  But then, my hubby pointed out, the guy in the video probably did it all the time, and practice makes perfect.  Anyway, between the two of us, we got the job done. I wouldn't hesitate to do it again either, even though The deboning process turn out to be the most difficult part of the recipe. 

I also purchased fresh dill for this dish.  I've never had that in the house before either.  The meal was excellent and I'll definitely make it again.

The tart, on the other hand, proved not to be good enough to entice me to buy a special pan so I could repeat the recipe.  It was easier to make than a traditional lemon pie, even a packaged one, but it didn't have as much flavour or wow factor. Maybe I just like meringue too much. 

I do hope my reports to Chatelaine were good enough for them to keep me on as I really did enjoy the experience of making these recipes. I learned a few things along the way, like how to debone a chicken thigh, and how to get a tart out of a bottomless pan, and onto a plate all in one piece.  It's definitely a worthwhile experience, and I'm glad I volunteered for the job.

Year One.... A Summary

A year ago I decided to start this new blog. I had one before, but it was all about my geocaching adventures. I felt that sometimes I'd like to tell you about other places I go, or things I happen to be thinking about, so that's why I called this blog Other Rambles.  I tried to link them together, but was not successful, and I think, now that this one gets so much more traffic, I'll just plop the geocaching adventures into this one too, in the upcoming year.

Blogging has been an interesting adventure for me.  This entry will be the 76th of the year.  I've had 82 comments so far, and I seem to have a following not only from all over North America, but also quite a bit from Russia, Germany, Singapore and the United Kingdom.  Various other have wandered in from Sweden, Hungary, Iran and South Korea, among other places. I can't imagine what I've said to attract such far away readers, but I do hope I can hold onto them as I continue to ramble on.

Not surprisingly, the most popular post so far was the one called Nothing Natural about Art. I say this was not surprising as I was taking an online course with with Johannes Vloothuis and at least a thousand other people at the time, and I mentioned the blog in a forum connected with that.  The second most popular one was called Girls Just Want to Have Fun!  Since this was about Red Hatters and Elvis impersonators, I'm sure it popped up well in the search engines. The third most popular entry is my own personal favourite, In Case You Didn't Know. I just felt I had to tell the world why it is that I'm always passing along unasked for, and probably unwanted information and advise.  After those, the next 3 most popular entries were all about food, whether it was because I was testing some recipes for Chatelaine magazine, or simply trying out the 17 Day Diet.

As I mentioned, there have been a number of comments through out the year. Most of these have come from people I don't know.  I love that.  Not only does it let me know that I'm not just spouting off for my own benefit, it lets me know what others think.  I often follow the links back to these readers own blogs, and sometimes leave comments there too.  I actually feel like I've made a couple of new online friends this past year. I was pleasantly surprised to receive a lovely hand made Christmas card from one of them by snail mail recently.

I closely followed the adventures of one family as they adopted 3 little girls from the Philippines, adding them to the 4 children they already had and continued on with life, trying to make things as normal as possible for everyone in the family.  And I got some good giggles as a mother told stories of her twinnies and their younger sister....and occasionally her hubby, who , like many men, is often like another child in the family.  I also follow a few artistic blogs, where I pick up all kinds of new ideas and techniques.

It's been a great year, both reading and writing, and I'm looking forward to sharing more of my life, and taking a peek at yours.  Go ahead and comment so I can  find you!

Working in An Official Capacity

I recently took on the volunteer position of Official Recipe Tester for Chatelaine magazine. I applied, told them why I thought I'd be good at it, and was surprised when I heard I'd been accepted.  They sent me nine recipes and I must make and review at least two of them. I must also follow the recipe exactly, making no substitutions unless one is suggested.

The first one on the list captured my attention immediately. But once I read it through, I discovered a problem. It required a 9 inch tart pan, with a removable bottom.  I not only didn't have one of those, I didn't even know they existed.

I read through the rest of the recipes, most of which called for some exotic ingredient. It is up to me to buy whatever is needed to make the recipe I chose to review.  One of the reasons I told them I'd be right for this job was that I raised my family on recipes from Chatelaine.  It used to be you could make anything in the magazine by simply opening your cupboard and finding all the ingredients already there. But, for some reason, magazines have all yuppified their recipes.  They are fancier than need be, and always call for something many of my generation likely never heard of. No wonder so many families now eat so much fast food  and convenience foods.  Working women don't have time for this kind of cooking.  For that matter, neither do I.

I did find one nice hamburger based dish that I made last weekend.  I'll make it again too, but I'll use fresh vegetables, instead of the frozen ones the recipe calls for.  I've picked out a chicken dish too try also, if I have time, but I will have to scrounge up some herb I don't have on hand. It only requires a tablespoon full and I don't expect to ever use it again, so I'd rather not buy it if I don't have to.

In the meantime I asked everyone I knew, and used Facebook, to locate someone with one of those special tart pans.  A dear friend with an inn out west said she has three, but she lives too far away. That gave me an idea though, and I approached a local tearoom operator.  I think the idea that I was doing this officially for a magazine swayed her a little as she is lending me the pan for one day, and one day only, to get the job done. I'm so glad as I did go out and purchase all the ingredients shortly after I saw the recipe.  Now, if I can just get it out of that pan in one piece, I'll be thrilled.  I wouldn't count on that though.  Stand by.  I'm making it on Sunday.