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We’re back in isolation … again.

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I wasn’t going to write today but after a provincial announcement yesterday, I’m livid and heartbroken. We’re entering into another “lockdown” so to speak. But not really. The rules are murky at best. People are confused. There’s a lot of panic going around today about getting vaccine passports and such. All I want to say is… I’m just tired of it all. I want life to go back to “normal” whatever that might look like.

I’m resigned to the fact that I may not be able to see my dad over the next while. The rules again aren’t clear here. But for me as a single person, I’m only allowed to visit with “two close contacts” for indoor visits. The weather has turned bitterly cold already and sitting outside with that wind is not ideal.

So today, I got up early – finally pain free with energy – I’m showered, dressed and will be heading out soon to get my xray and second shot. I can’t unfortunately do my bloodwork tomorrow but I can get that done next week. It’s hard to do much when you’re in a flareup and I’ve been in a hypermobility flareup for nearly two weeks.

I ordered a new slow cooker and it’s pretty!

Today however, is a good day. I feel good. I got some sleep last night. I had a shower. And I have a slow cooker on the way from Amazon. It’s teal and really pretty. My last one cracked right in half two years ago and so I’ve been without one. I’ve missed it. The Zest Pot just does not cook meat the same way a slow cooker does.

And no, I didn’t order the slow cooker based on the color alone. I did a lot of research and found a decent budget model in my budget range $60 CDN – the teal color that matches my kitchen is an added bonus.

The Zest Pot is terrific for rice and pasta dishes. Sometimes even soup. But a perfectly slow cooked beef stew? There’s nothing quite like it. It was on sale for $80 and was the lighter version of the instant pot. I’ve said it before – I’m not a fan of pressure cooking. It’s not the same as slow cooking.

Fitness challenge – I see progress!

Tomorrow I’ll stock up on healthy food again with my biweekly grocery order. I used up most of the fresh vegetables in my fridge. I made the perfect roasted chicken the other night and ate the leftovers last night. It was even better reheated in the microwave. I paired it with the most perfect side of roasted vegetables – mushrooms, mini potatoes and broccoli. With a tad of olive oil, and seasoning. Cooked at 400F for about 40 minutes is the key here.

I even got out the apple oatmeal loaf that was terrible. I reheated it last night, added some butter and a few chocolate chips and it was delicious. I think I just need to tweak the recipe a little bit next time. Or maybe the apple was too bitter. I don’t know. But yesterday was a good eating day.

I stepped on the scale this morning and I’m down a few pounds. I used the tape measure and the inflammation is finally down because I’ve dropped a couple of inches. That means that I’m almost down another dress size – and that feels amazing. I think the inflammation from the arthritis and hormones are a killer and that’s been holding me back.

And so, that’s where we are this Thursday morning. It’s chilly outside. Like 2 degrees Celsius chilly. It’s been way too cold to sit outside at night. I think I’ll have to sit outside before the sun goes down now which happens at like 7 pm. They’re calling for a brutally cold winter and I’m not okay with that. I’m just grateful for my fireplace (it’s really just a heater) that keeps me warm. I still haven’t turned on the heat and don’t plan on it until October.

Recipe project – more coming soon!

Well, that’s it in a nutshell. I have plans to work on my recipes and food page for you. I’m looking at innovative ways to make recipe cards that won’t take a lot of work. I may go back to older recipes and re-write them totally. I need to remove some instagram links. I also want to get into recording cooking videos. I finally have a tripod for my phone, and I ordered a new mic stand and filter for my youtube channels.

Let me know how you are surviving this never ending pandemic. I’m so tired of it.

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Christmas Cravings – I made eggnog, for the first time from scratch! And it was delicious

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Once my Christmas tree went up a couple of weeks ago, the cravings for Christmas treats started to hit me hard. I think it’s a combination of winter being thrust upon us, and being stuck at home in isolation as I wrote about this morning.

Eggnog has been on top of my shopping list for weeks but to no avail. None of the stores have it in stock at the moment. To my extreme dismay.

For the past week or so, I’ve been binge watching cooking videos on Youtube on how to make your own eggnog. And for once – I had all the ingredients on hand. Except for one – nutmeg which is a huge part of eggnog. I decided to get creative and tried cinnamon instead.

This was a LOT of work for one person – and it better be worth it. I’ll be extremely disappointed if the recipe doesn’t pan out.

First step was heating up some cream and milk. I used 2 cups of 1% milk (it’s easier on my stomach) and 1 1/2 cups of half n half cream. I let this heat up in a large pot on the stove top on medium low heat. All of the videos I watched told me not to let it boil or simmer. And to whisk often or constantly.

In addition to the milk and cream, I added in the about 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and about the same of vanilla extract. If you have vanilla bean or vanilla paste – I’m told that works just as well.

Next came the hard part – and one I was not looking forward to. Separating egg yolks. I had never done this before mostly because the mess it makes. But I was determined to make eggnog today no matter what to help snap out of this funk I’ve been in. The first egg didn’t work out so well. But by the fourth egg – I was a pro. I used 6 eggs in total – or 5 1/2 if you don’t count the one yolk that got away.

This next part – I think I messed up and added sugar too early. I used my metal whisker to whisk the eggs until they turned a light fluffy colour. I added in about 1/3 cup of sugar slowly while doing this. I couldn’t get the eggs as creamy or fluffy as they looked in videos and I think it’s because I used 1% milk. Whole milk, I’m told, works better for eggnog.

The next step was tricky for my left-handed self. You have to find time to whisk the milk mixture while mixing the eggs with your other hand. Then you take a soup ladel and drop in one scoop of the milk into the egg yolk mixture. And you have to whisk constantly while doing this step. It was very difficult to take a picture and the one photo I did get – came out blurry.

I mixed the egg yolk mixture until it was as creamy as I could get it – kind of like a thin custard – and then I poured it into the milk mixture. That’s where the real whisking begins.

I was paranoid about burning the milk but it wasn’t heating up fast enough for me and twenty minutes had already gone by. So, I turned up the heat and got out my $10 thermometer and waited impatiently for the heat to rise to 175F. That was good enough for me – to make sure the eggs were cooked enough.

I gave the mixture a good stir, turned off the heat and covered the pot with a lid to let it cool down.

Oh – I forgot to mention – I may have added a splash of rum or two early on into the milk and cream. Because why not? Most eggnog recipes call for rum, bourbon or scotch. Choose your pleasure, as long as it’s a dark or spicy. I chose my go to – Captain Morgan’s spiced rum which I’m almost out of.

Next came the hard part. You’re supposed to mix the egg whites in a separate bowl with a handmixer until you get a nice “peak” or until the egg white stiffens. But this did not happen for me. I mixed for a good 15 minutes. I even switched to a hand whisk for an additional five minutes. I tried adding cream. I tried sugar. Nothing. I eventually covered the egg whites with plastic and it is stored in my fridge. Maybe it will harden on its own – or maybe I can find some other use for it.

I’m now waiting patiently for the eggnog to chill enough so that I can have it for my after dinner drink. I’ve been craving it for so long but I never thought to make my own eggnog.

I’m not going to share the recipe since there are so many ways to make this wonderful drink that really should be available all year round.

Instead, I’ll share one of my favorite videos so you can see just one of many ways it’s made.

What’s your favorite drink this time of year? Let me know in the comments!

Now I’m going back to see what I did wrong with the egg whites. I’ll follow up with pictures later!

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Creamy Asparagus Soup

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I made this the other night and still have leftovers even despite having a large bowl for lunch today. It reminded me of when my mum used to make asparagus soup for family dinners as a kid. Some of my fondest memories were watching her in the kitchen standing over the stove whipping up some of her favorite recipes.

Normally when I make asparagus soup, I used a dry mix from the store. But I thought I would go all out and make it from scratch.

Next time I make this, I’ll definitely cook the asparagus first and puree the soup base which should result in a delicious, thick and creamy soup.

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Ingredients

  • 2 cups of asparagus chopped into 1″ pieces precooked (boiled or roasted)
  • 1 cup of spring onion diced
  • 1 cup of heavy cream or milk
  • 2 cups of chicken or vegetable broth
  • 1/3 stick of butter or 1/3 cup
  • 1/3 cup of flour
  • 1 teaspoon of minced garlic
  • Spices: salt, black pepper, parsley

Preparation

  • In a large pot melt the butter on medium heat. Add in the garlic and onions. Cook until onions are tender.
  • Add in the flour and stir constantly until the flour is fully cooked. Add in the cream a little bit at a time (about 1/4 cup) whisk constantly.
  • Add in the stock – or you can use water and a bouillon cube
  • Bring to a boil. Reduce heat.
  • Add in the asparagus and spices. Stir well.
  • Simmer for about 30 minutes.
  • Pour the soup into a blender and mix until you have a nice creamy puree mixture.

And the soup is done! This recipe will serve up to four people or you will have leftovers for a couple of days if you’re single like me.

Serve on its own or with a grilled cheese sandwich. This is how I ate it today and it was delicious. I skipped the puree step this time and it was still delicious. I also added in mushrooms because I had a package I needed to use up – but most recipes just use asparagus.

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Happy Thanksgiving from me to you

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This morning I woke up feeling a little sad and lonely. Being single and living on my own is fine for the most part. But it’s holiday time – Thanksgiving and Christmas that I start missing my family. Especially my mum.

Mum would always get up really early on Thanksgiving day. By 9:00 in the morning, the kitchen would be filled with delicious aromas of turkey and onions for the stuffing. The turkey would be in the oven for 10:00 am. It was always a big bird – to feed an army. Which at twenty people, we almost were army sized.

I’m missing my mum so much this year. Especially with dad in the home. We can’t bust him out. I saw him yesterday and the visit was a disaster as he was not having a great day. They are serving a turkey dinner but it’s just not the same without him. My sister will see him Tuesday. It’s just hard being away from parents this time of year. I tried booking a visit to see him. I really did. What else can you do? I called him this morning to wish him a Happy Thanksgiving and said I’d see him soon and that I loved him.

I was sitting in my recliner, sipping my morning coffee and surfing youtube videos on how to cook chicken perfectly, when I got an invite from my brother in law for dinner. We’re a small group. The four of them plus me. This falls within the rules of family gatherings during COVID.

“It’s nothing special, just ham, sweet potatoes, broccoli. We’ll even pick you up.”

He had me at ham. I was sold.

The rest of the family are all doing their own thing. And that’s okay. We don’t need to get together all the time. As long as everyone is safe, healthy and happy. I just wish my dad could be with us. It feels wrong without him.

And so… my plans for cooking a magical Thanksgiving feast for one, will have to wait until tomorrow. I do have a package of chicken breasts I need to cook up so I will do that for lunch. I’m also going to make another apple crumble for dessert tonight.

I love my family. I’m missing my beautiful mum and her pies this year. I wish just once – I could see her one more time hovering over the kitchen counter with her rolling pin and high heels because she was short. Just once I wish I could hear her laugh and sing along to Bing Crosby and Dean Martin as she baked a million pies and desserts for the family.

Just once… I wish I could see her smile again and hold her tight and tell her I love her. But at least I won’t be alone this weekend. And for that, I’m ever so grateful.

Happy Thanksgiving. Stay safe and healthy wherever you are in the world.

Photo by Anna Tukhfatullina Food Photographer/Stylist on Pexels.com

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Banana Coffee Bread

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This might be the best banana bread I have ever made. I actually measured things this time around and watched the oven carefully. I just polished off TWO servings, so. I can attest – this loaf will turn out moist, sweet and delicious.

Dry Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
  • 1 cup of granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon of baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon of baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon of salt
  • 1/2 cups of rolled or quick oats
  • Optional: 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and /or nutmeg

You will need a large baking dish for this recipe. I used a deep dish baking pan that I inherited from my mum and it worked very well. Also, one less dish to wash. This dish has handles which makes it easy to grab.

Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease your dish with Pam spray or butter. I use the Pam Coconut Oil spray and it works well. Add the dry ingredients into the bowl and mix well – saving the oats for last. Add in the oats, and gently stir the dry mix with a wooden spoon. For additional flavour, you can add in cinnamon or nutmeg – or both! Set the dry mix aside while you prepare the wet ingredients.

This is an alloy steel baking dish – deep enough for a large cake mix or casserole!

Preparation – Wet Ingredients

  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 stick of unsalted butter (cold) (or about 1/2 cup)
  • 3 medium bananas ripe (almost brown)
  • 1/2 cup of brewed coffee (dark is delicious)
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
  • 1 cup of chocolate chips
  • 1 teaspoon of sugar (topping)
  • Optional: walnuts for topping (I did not use this)

I used my stand-up blender (also inherited from my mum) for this part and just mixed everything together in the blender. You could also use an immersion blender in a separate bowl. Use whatever you have!

For this part, you can use a blender or handmixer to mash up the bananas. Add in the rest of the wet ingredients, one ingredient at a time and blend/mix until you have a nice puree like mixture. Make sure not to over blend it – you won’t want it too runny.

Grab the dish with your dry ingredients and pour the wet mixture in. Mix well with a wooden spoon until all the flour is blended in nicely and it looks something like the blurry picture below (sorry about that). Add in the chocolate chips last. Stir with the wooden spoon again.

This next step is where you can let your creativity shine. I didn’t have any nuts on hand, but for the topping you can add walnuts or almonds. I used chocolate chips and 1 teaspoon of sugar.

Baked this massive loaf in the oven at 350F- the nice thing about preheating the oven while you prepare the ingredients is that the oven will be nice and toasty warm. Cooking times will vary. My oven took about 45 minutes. You will want to check the loaf around the 40 minute mark with a toothpick. I wound up putting the loaf back in for a few minutes and it was perfect. I mean, this is the best I’ve ever made – and I’ve made a lot of loaves!

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500 followers!! Welcome to fall with mostly single!

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I FINALLY hit the 500 mark! It’s taken over a year – but it’s worth celebrating! I was at the 500 mark, then lost a follower? But I gained a couple of more today!

So, THANK YOU!

Now that fall is here – which is obviously my favorite time of year – I’ve revamped this blog and changed up the colour schemes. I’ve always hated ultra white backgrounds as it’s hard on the eyes at night time. So, hopefully you find the website to be softer and more “fall” like.

I’m also working on some new banner art and other graphics and things. I’m trying to make the most out of the blog .

What do you think? Does it put you in a festive mood?

Fall is my favorite time for year for many reasons. Some you know already – but for my new readers – it’s worth sharing again!

Sweater Season

The weather is cooler and we can bring out our fuzzy sweaters and my favorite pajama pants. There is nothing finer than sinking into bed and snuggling up under a warm comforter. Of course, a body would be nice at times – but you know how that goes!

Fall is beautiful

When I was in better shape, I would go for urban hikes with my camera. The River Valley is just so beautiful this time of year. The leaves turn brilliant shades of yellow, orange and crimson red. I get lost in the natural beauty.

Yes, the days are shorter. But cloudy and cool days are perfect for sweaters, hot chocolate, and snuggling up with a blanket while watching a movie on Netflix.

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Fall Cooking

I love fall cooking – as you may have guessed with my sudden desire to get back into the kitchen. Casseroles. Soups – I made a delicious chicken noodle soup today and will share the recipe with you this weekend. I made a blueberry loaf the other night – and it’s GONE already.

I got brave and decided to try some baking. I’m not good with dough. My mother was the baker in the family and I spent hours watching her in the kitchen as a kid. I squealed when the scones I made yesterday came out nearly perfectly. My diet went out the window as I ate like five of them.

I love stews and casseroles. Butternut squash, zucchini muffins, beet stew, pasta casseroles — there’s just so many recipes out there to try.

Scones – I didn’t have a pastry brush tho

I spent the entire afternoon in the kitchen. I was sweating by the end of it. My condo is nice and toasty warm after having the oven on for most of the day. And this chicken noodle soup – while it’s not perfect – it’s hearty and delicious.

So yes! I’m excited for fall. I have a whole bag of tomatoes in the fridge – what do you think I should make with them? Bruschetta? Or a casserole? The choices are literally endless.

Even though life gets busy in the fall with kids going back to school and parents going back to work – especially right now with COVID — for me – this time of year feels less hectic and less rushed. Maybe that’s because I’m not working right now.

The cool crisp air in the mornings is refreshing and reminds of being in the mountains. I love getting up early on Saturday mornings, sipping a hot cup of coffee and starting my day with some music.

Jasper 2015 – mostlysingle.com

I hope I can continue this routine when I go back to work in a few weeks.

Can you believe it’s September already? Where has the year gone? Time doesn’t slow down even when we’re at home. This time of year, makes me appreciate the days a little more.

For the month of September, I will be working on a “positive” challenge and thinking of all the things I’m thankful. I’ll be sharing things like poems, inspiring quote and art.

Thank you all so much for being here! If you’re a new reader, welcome! For long-time readers, THANK YOU. I appreciate all your comments and engagements – even if sometimes we disagree.

What’s your favorite thing about all?

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