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Granville Island

March 27, 2011

Adam and I took advantage of the unusually nice weather in Vancouver this weekend. We even went bowling Friday night! Saturday morning we ran some errands and then headed downtown to Granville Island. It’s one of the nicest marketplaces in Vancouver. It’s located underneath of a bridge right next to the water. It has some beautiful views of the Vancouver skyline and offer’s some delicious food! There are lots of local vendors inside the marketplace, bakeries, deli’s, specialty foods etc. It also has lots of shops around the marketplace for unique and original gifts and home decor. There are also restaurants and play areas for children. It’s a great for a lazy Saturday or Sunday, just go down and walk around the market sampling some delicious baked goods or produce. It’s one of my favorite things to do in the summer, especially when the weather is extra warm.

There is lots of things to do and see at Granville Island.

Like watch a totem pole carving..

The public market!

You definitely can’t leave without visiting Lee’s Donuts! Made fresh & oh so delicious.


Adam chose his favorite, honey dipped, and I went with a lemon filled. We shared one there and saved one for later. As in this mornings breakfast =)

There are stands full of delicious produce!


We were deciding on someplace to grab a snack for lunch, and came upon this vendor. Fraser Valley Juice & Salad.

We chose to share a small bean salad. I forget the name of the beans, but they were sooo good! It was hearty and so fresh. I could eat this every day at lunch! Adam also had a pepperoni stick from one of the deli’s.


Of course, we couldn’t go without a visit to a bakery.


We got a mini carrot cake for dessert later that night, a Biscotti to share, and Adam got two of their live bars. It was vegan and dairy free, made with delicious fruit.

Annnd who could go without sharing a gelto? It was ‘Donatella’ made with nutella. Yum.


Yup it was a beautiful day!

Pie

Happy Birthday, sweetie Pie!=)

March 19, 2011

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These last couple weeks have been just crazy! Lots of school and trying to sort out my life. I am so excited that I’m going to be graduating next year with my Bachelors Degree. I have so much I want to do once I graduate and once I have more free time! I’m already planning on painting for the two weeks I have off between Spring and Summer semester. And I’ve also been doing some DIY projects around the apartment, as well as cooking and baking lots. I have been trying to re-do my website, and hopefully it will be finished in the coming months. I wanted to add some new pages for DIY projects, and other more general content rather than food related. I have a new addiction as well, Apartment Therapy. Have you been to it? You should. I do could spend countless hours on there. I just love decorating and all things home related. I’m noticing lots of bloggers have been posting about their homes, apartments etc and the before and after photos. I just can’t get enough of it. I could really spend every waking hour blogging, cooking, and re-decorating. But, school has to fit in there somewhere…and it is usually top priority. Usually.

I am also super super excited to start playing baseball again this year! I had played all my life, but of course once I graduated I stopped a year after. I tried to keep it up but lots of girls couldn’t fit it into their schedule and showing up to the field only to forfeit because there weren’t enough players sucked. So I hope this season is good. I mentioned that Adam and I went up to Whistler to celebrate his birthday last weekend, and now this weekend we are celebrating again. He’s spoiled. And he knows it 😉

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I asked him what he wanted most for his birthday dessert, and he said pie. I couldn’t make anything on the night of his birthday due to school, although I did end up making homemade pizza and then some cinnamon rolls for dessert. I even put a candle in one and sang him happy birthday. But now we’re having some of our friends over for a ‘bring-your-own-toppings’ pizza party. And of course, what goes best with pizza pie? An apple pie of course!

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I’ve posted in the past about the easiest pie dough, and it really is. It’s so simple. I actually had two dough batches frozen in the freezer, so it was even easier. I just took them out of the freezer last night, and left them in the fridge. I took them about for about 30 minutes prior to rolling them out and it was ready to go.

Today it’s actually sunny here in Vancouver. And it’s the opening day soccer game for the Vancouver Whitecaps! Great day for a game!

Basic Pie Dough

Yield: one 9-inch pie crust (double for double crusted pie)

Ingredients:

  • 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp. sugar
  • 8 tbsp. cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
  • 3 tbsp. very cold water

Directions:

  1. Combine the flour and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Mix briefly to blend.  Add in the butter pieces and mix on medium-low speed to cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse sand and the largest butter pieces are not much bigger than peas.  Mix in the cold water on low speed just until the dough comes together.
  2. Shape the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.  (This dough can be frozen for up to 2 months.)  Remove from the refrigerator.  Roll out the dough on a lightly floured work surface.  Use as directed in your desired pie recipe.

Tips for Apple Pie

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Over the years I’ve read lots of tips on how to make a great apple pie. Here are a couple I think are key

  • Sprinkle a tablespoon of graham cracker crumbs on the bottom pie crust before filling it with the apples. This way, the crumbs absorb extra sauce from the apples and you won’t get a soggy bottom crust.
  • Use lots of butter! And Shortening. I use a 1/4 cup of shortening as well as the butter it calls for. It makes for a super tender and flaky crust.
  • I highly suggest an egg wash. In a small bowl, whisk together one eggs a dash of water and a few tsp. of sugar. Using a pastry brush apply it to the top of your pie crust. This will give it that golden look, and help keep it flaky without drying out. You can also sprinkle some extra sugar on top of it just before putting it in the oven to make it shimmer.
  • Use lots of apples. Don’t skimp. It should have a slightly domed look once the top crust is on. And make sure you cut some ‘vents’ in the top as well.

All of these will provide you with a super delicious pie! And, of course serve it with some Vanilla ice cream!

Cookies

Peanut Butter & Honey Cookies

March 14, 2011

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The Monday after a relaxing weekend is always a bummer. Especially when you lose an hour. Thanks daylight savings. This past weekend Adam and I went up to Whistler to celebrate his birthday. I made reservations at La Rua Restaurante in the Upper Village on Blackcomb Mountain. It was delicious to say the least. We ordered mussels for an appy. I’ve converted Adam from a non-seafood lover to one who will try just about anything. I had the Short Rib Fazzeoletti which was like a giant lasagna noodle/savory crepe, filled with heritage beef, peas, carrots, mushrooms and bechamel with herbed beef jus and crispy onions. It was mouthwatering good. And huge! The portions at the restaurant were well worth the price. I had to give Adam two big portions of mine, and I was still stuffed! Adam ordered one of the evenings specials, the Veal Porterhouse, that came with garlic mashed potatoes, asparagus and sweet potato like thin chips. It was perfectly cooked, the meat was so delicate you could cut it with a butter knife. We also got a complimentary amuse bouche, and ice wine. By the end of the night we were both too full for dessert. Plus, we had gone to the grocery store beforehand and bought some food for the suite. Which also consisted of a tub of mint ice cream.

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It was quite snowy Friday night, and Saturday we walked around the village but it was rather rainy. We came back home Sunday afternoon, in the rain. Overall it was a relaxing weekend. Even with the loss of an hour. For Lent this year, Adam and I agreed to give up something. I gave up chocolate! I dunno why, or how I will withstand it but we’ll see. And Adam said he would avoid fast food! haha. Meaning his sometimes-weekly lunch of A&W is on hold for a little while.

So last night after we unpacked and ate dinner I was feeling like a little snack. As my dad would say ‘something sweet.’ I just wanted something simple to curb my sweet craving, and it had to be non-chocolate. Now, Adam isn’t the biggest fan of peanut butter, but I however love it. I actually gave it up for quite a while after I realized I had a slight allergy to it. But I found that if I eat a small amount of it I’m fine. And, I really can’t help it. I just love peanut butter. Definitely the combination of PB&J and PB&Chocolate. But I couldn’t have the latter.

So I decided to make simple peanut butter cookies. I promised Adam he’d change his mind (much like the seafood.) After his first bite he said “oooohhhhh,” I’ll take that as a compliment. There’s just something so good about a warm peanut butter cookies fresh off of the cooling rack. There are some cookies I like when their cool, such as chewy chocolate chip cookies, but a semi-warm peanut butter cookie just melts on your tongue. I have had a strange obsession with honey the past little while, ever since I made those Chocolate Cupcakes with Honey Buttercream. I’ve been using it in everything. My favorite is honey and mustard marinated chicken on a salad. Mmmmmm. The addition of the honey helps to sweeten the cookies. I used natural smooth peanut butter, but you can use regular if you like.

I also experiment with rolling them in sugar, and leaving some plain. Personally I actually like the plain version. I halved the recipe for Adam and I, and it made about 20 larger cookies. I posted an Iphone picture on Facebook and my aunt commented about how the ‘crossed fork’ design has endured over the years. It’s that simple imprint that marks peanut butter cookies.

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Peanut Butter & Honey Cookies

  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups natural smooth peanut butter
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 2 1/2 cups AP flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • optional – extra sugar for rolling
  1. Preheat oven to 350. In stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat together butter, sugars and peanut butter until light and fluffy. Add in honey and mix until incorporated.
  2. Beat in eggs & vanilla.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and baking powder. Add to the stand mixer and mix together, scraping sides with a spatula.
  4. Form dough into small balls using the palm of your hands.
  5. If you like, roll in a small bowl of sugar and place on un-greased baking sheet. Using the prongs of a fork make a criss-cross across the top of the ball flatening it slightly.
  6. Bake at 350 for 11 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to sit for a couple minutes until you can transfer to a cooling rack.

Store in container for a few days {if they last} I like to warm them up in a microwave for about 15 seconds to soften the up a little if their too hard.

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Also try: Chunky Peanut Butter Cookies, and Classic Peanut Butter Cookies