Eat to Live, Postage, Cream, Europe and Pigtails.

I just bought: 'Eat to Live: The Amazing Nutrient-Rich Program for Fast and Sustained Weight Loss' by Joel Fuhrman – this gives you a link to Amazon.com where they are selling the book for less than $10. I originally borrowed this book from my library and think it sounds so good I bought it for my Kindle. Funnily enough I first heard about this book from a friend in Australia, if she is reading this, thanks for the heads up.

I did a few errands yesterday, including returning the defunct Kindle to Amazon plus the ear buds, the latter cost me $5 to mail, I wasn’t happy about that. I also bought my quota of Christmas stamps for this year, they are of stained glass windows, quite pretty; quite expensive LOL. When we came here 36 years ago a postage stamp was 8¢ today its 59¢, I know, it’s a lot of years, but!!!

In fact it doesn’t seem that many years most of the time although it won’t be too long before I have lived in Canada longer than in the British Isles. Matt has a few more years to go before he can make that claim. There are still things I miss about living in England, but I don’t think I could go back, the place is too pokey for words. Now if I could buy English cream, I don’t mean clotted, just ordinary every day cream that I used to get from the milkman and which I know you can still buy as my step daughter buys it for me when we go over there. Not, you understand, that I don’t like clotted cream, but it isn’t good for everything for which one would use regular cream Apart from anything else, it didn’t take me forever to whip it into really thick cream, not like the stuff I buy here which takes forever to whip. Once I was whipping it on a summer’s day and ended up with butter, really. I think I have told the story before when we went to stay with an aunt in the Channel Islands and she had made a trifle for dessert. I saw it and thought, mean thing, she hasn’t put cream on it, its just topped with custard. Guess what, that custard was good old Jersey cream, luverly stuff. And I’m reading a diet book!!!! I guess that’s why.

Another thing I miss about the UK is the ease of travelling to Europe. Just a short trip across the English Channel and you can go wherever you want and not take all that long to get there. Of course, to me, this brings to mind food again, I don’t know what it’s like today, but I have never had a bad meal in France, even in the pokiest of little towns and villages. However, I am told that even in France, the young women are not interested in learning to cook, what a tragedy. Its very possible that is the same in other European countries although one can hope it’s not.

Tonight we are going for our annual visit to the Hespeler Village Legion – a very active Legion post, where they will be serving pigtails and schnitzels this evening. Matt is not that interested in pigtails, but I like them, plus we have a number of friends who go, so its usually a fun evening although I can’t really dance any more, sadly. People are allowed 3 pigtails a piece and then they often have left overs. I must say I prefer my pigtails barbecued and crispy, but they don’t serve them that way. I enjoy them just the same. Not diet food you understand, but delicious.

It being very much the time of year for cranberries, I thought this recipe would be appropriate, especially as its shown with a generous dollop of cream.

Cranberry Upside-Down Cake

Source: © EatingWell Magazine

10 servings

This rustic cake is a delicious alternative to pie and uses one of the tastiest fruits of the fall harvest—cranberries. The basic recipe is very versatile and can be made with apples, pears, peaches, plums or any full-flavored, slightly acidic fruit. Just arrange the fruit in the skillet before you pour the batter over it. The cake is best served warm; if you can, put it in the oven just before you sit down to dinner. (Recipe adapted from The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters.)

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, divided

2 tablespoons plus 1/4 cup fresh orange juice, divided

1 12-ounce bag fresh or frozen (thawed) cranberries (about 3 cups)

3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour (see Note)

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs, at room temperature (see Tip)

1/3 cup canola oil

1 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup low-fat milk, at room temperature

Whipped cream for garnish

Ingredient Note: Whole-wheat pastry flour has less gluten-forming potential than regular whole-wheat flour and helps ensure tender baked goods. Kitchen Tip: To bring an egg to room temperature, set it on the counter for 15 minutes or submerge it (in the shell) in a bowl of lukewarm (not hot) water for 5 minutes.

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Heat brown sugar, 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons orange juice in a large (12-inch) cast-iron or regular skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the butter melts and the mixture starts to bubble. Let cool. Coat the sides of the skillet with cooking spray.

Bring the remaining 1/4 cup orange juice and cranberries to a simmer in a medium saucepan, stirring often, until about half the cranberries have popped. Pour evenly over the cooled brown sugar mixture in the skillet.

Whisk whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.

Separate egg whites and yolks. Place the yolks in a large bowl and add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, oil, granulated sugar and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer or stand mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Stir in the flour mixture alternately with milk, using a rubber spatula, starting and ending with the flour. Stir just until the flour is incorporated. Beat the egg whites in a clean dry mixing bowl with clean dry beaters on medium-high speed until they hold soft peaks. Fold one-third of the egg whites into the batter, then gently fold in the rest until almost no white streaks remain. Spread the batter over the cranberries.

Bake until the top is golden brown and the cake pulls away from the sides of the pan, 30 to 40 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the pan and carefully invert the cake onto a serving plate. Let cool for at least 30 minutes more before serving. Serve warm or room temperature. Garnish with whipped cream, if desired.

Have a great weekend