Spareribs on Winter Days

Our first real snow arrived two days ago. It was a cold day, but a great day for baking spareribs. I absolutely love them so this was the perfect excuse. Hans doesn't crave them as I do, but he does like them, especially my ribs with the barbecue sauce. On this particular day, I made two others that I also love.

 

The BBQ ribs shown I made for lunch one day last July for women friends.

Spareribs Canadian-and-American-style are not known that well here in Germany, at least not in our part of the country.  They generally are not something found on a Gasthaus menu.  If they are on a menu, they will often be accompanied by sauerkraut (but no sauce).  Many fresh ribs at the supermarket here are already marinated--although not all are. I prefer to marinate my own and make my own sauce.



 

Below, that snowy morning through our kitchen window.

 



 

A few years ago, I decided to serve my spareribs with BBQ sauce to German friends.  I wasn't sure how ribs would go over.  Well, both couples loved them.  Hans-Peter declared them the best he had ever had!  He and Monika had a house in Ontario at that time where they spent their summers, so they were familiar with them they told us.  They immediately christened them "Schottische spareribs" because of my Scottish ancestry (even though I am a 6th generation Canadian!).  They asked for my recipe.  Monika has made them many times since.  Gertrud and Jürgen were also familiar with ribs, having lived in Winnipeg for a few years, although I don't know if they ever cooked them at home.  But they did like mine. 

The first time I had spareribs myself was back in about 1962 in Lamorteau, Belgium where we lived at the time.  We were part of the RCAF based in Marville, France, which was situated just a few kilometers from the Belgian border. 

 

An old postcard of our village of Lamorteau

Several Canadian military families lived in our small village and we women would meet from time to time for afternoon tea and talk.  (None of us worked outside the home; in fact, rarely did any woman during those days.)  Recipes were passed around.  On one occasion, one of the women, Ruth Cowie, served sweet and sour ribs.  That was the beginning  of my love affair with spareribs.  Another friend at about that same time, Helen Danyluc, gave me her recipe for barbecued ribs.  I made both those dishes for many years as my kids were growing up. 

(During those same years, I also acquired a taste for Chinese food while visiting Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen, Denmark.  That, however, is another story; no spareribs that day.)\

 

 

I  became a huge fan of spareribs and eventually I started cutting out recipes for them whenever I saw one that appealed to me--and many did.  I have so many clippings that I shall never make them all, but I love reading them and from time to time trying one of them out.  I have many cookbooks as well, so I have more recipes than I will ever need or will ever make.  I think, though, that is the fun of it all:  the browsing through them and almost tasting the dishes from the pages!
 



 

I have gone beyond sweet-and-sour and barbecued ribs, although I still love them.  I now also love Asian-style and maple-glazed and so many others.  One that I made many years ago is without a sauce altogether.  The recipe is called "Crown Roast of Spareribs."  It is in a cookbook called The Lily Wallace New American Cook Book that my mother gave me as a shower gift before I was married.  I needed that book as I could barely cook.  I didn't make those spareribs, however, until we were posted to France about nine years later and after I had had those sweet-and-sour ribs to spur me on. 

Crown Roast of Spareribs:  Those ribs were left in one large two-pound piece, tied so that they were in a crown roast shape, and then set upright around the edge of a baking dish.  Into the cavity went the rest of the ingredients, all mixed together first:  2 cups cooked regular rice; 2 cups bread crumbs (I pulled bread apart into small pieces); 1 minced carrot; 1 large minced onion; 1/4 cup raisins; 3 tablespoons butter or fat; 1/2 teaspoon powdered sage; 2 teaspoons salt; 1/4 teaspoon pepper.  It was then baked in a 325F/160C oven for two hours. 

My Method : Instead of buying one large slab, I often placed half the ribs--meat-side facing up--into the casserole, piled the stuffing on top and then placed the remaining ribs on top of it all--meat-side down.  (The fat from the ribs and the butter moistened the dish.) That was enough for the four of us, the children being very young.  It wouldn't be enough today for four.  I haven't made those ribs for many years, so I am not sure how they would compare to many others I have made since.  If I were making them today (and perhaps I shall before long), I might make a BBQ sauce to pass around for those who wish it.  I think, though, that I likely would still enjoy them now with or without any sauce.  I might decide, however, to add another herb or two.


Another ribs recipe in that cookbook called for sauerkraut.  Just sauerkraut was used and placed between the two layers of spareribs.  Some juniper berries, a bay leaf, a little sugar and perhaps some chopped onion and apple mixed into the sauerkraut first would add more flavour.

On the left, a postcard of Zweibrücken, Germany from the 1950s, but one I bought there in about 1962.  Below, Saarbrücken, Germany as shown on a tourist brochure.


In those days that we lived in Belgium we bought both the ribs and sauerkraut at a German Metzgerei near Saarbrücken.  From time to time we visited Canadian friends, Evelyn and Brent Rudolph, in Zweibrücken, where RCAF 3 Fighter Wing was located.  On the way back to Belgium, and before driving into the country of Luxembourg (another Belgian neighbour and on Germany's western border), we passed this butcher shop.  The Metzger, or butcher as we call them in North America, would scoop the fresh sauerkraut out of a huge barrel, place it into a container and along with the ribs off we would go.



As you can see, I've been a spareribs fan for many years.  During the last few days I have been poring over clippings in my spareribs file folder, in my computer recipe file and in a couple of books trying to decide which ones to give.  It's been a difficult decision as I have so many that I love.  Below, two types of ribs that I made this week.  Recipes to follow.  But first:


Precooking ribs in water:  I nearly always precook spareribs in water for about 45 minutes to an hour, even when not called for in a recipe.  I also usually do that instead of precooking in the oven first as is sometimes called for.   I have done otherwise, but the recipes I am giving, I simmered them as follows:

Place ribs in a high pot and cover well with water.  Add the following:  a bay leaf; a celery top with leaves; several peppercorns; 1 small onion cut in half; 6 to 8 juniper berries; some salt.  Bring to a boil and then simmer them until tender, but not longer than 1 hour.  Drain them.

At this point, you can cool them and place them in the fridge until ready to use later in the day or the next day.  Or--as I sometimes do--after they are cool, place them in a zip lock bag and freeze them until ready to use.  It makes it much easier to have them all ready to bake, barbecue or simmer in a sauce on the stove or in the oven later.  A much shorter time will be required to finish them as well.

Baked Asian Spareribs - Serves 4 to 5
My sister Paula sent me this recipe but had not made them yet herself.  I tried them and really liked them.  I believe she found the recipe on the internet.  I have made several changes and prepare and cook them somewhat differently.  I have made these twice, the last time just this week. 

3/4 cup brown sugar (I used dark brown)
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup ketchup (Heinz is best)
1/4 cup white wine (I used Weissherbst this last time, a type of rose; both the white and rose are good)
1/4 cup pineapple juice (I used peach juice another time; both from canned fruit and both good)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon gingerroot, grated
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
About 4 to 5 pounds or 2 to 2-1/2 kilo back pork ribs

Marinade:  Combine the sugar, soy sauce, ketchup, wine, juice, garlic, gingerroot and parsley.  Mix well.

Place the pre-cooked ribs into a large zip lock bag and pour the marinade into the bag over the ribs.  Close the bag and place it in a bowl and refrigerate for several hours or overnight, turning the bag occasionally.

Preheat the oven to 325F/160C.  Place the ribs, marinade and all, into a casserole dish large enough to hold them well.  Cover them with tinfoil.  Bake them for about 35 to 40 minutes, basting them a few times, turning them occasionally as well.  Remove the foil after about 25 to 30 minutes (or earlier if wished) and baste the ribs a few times until they are brown but still with sauce left in the casserole dish.  Don't cook them too long as you want them to be tender and not overdone. 



Maple Glazed Ribs - Makes 4 to 6 servings

These may be cooked in the oven, on top of the stove or for the last few minutes on the BBQ.  This recipe is easy.  The ribs are sticky.  There is not a lot of sauce, but you don't need much as the sauce adheres to the ribs while cooking.  Follow the method I gave above for precooking in water.  This recipe came from Canadian Living 1985, but with my changes.  Make sure you have lots of finger wipes as you will be sticky, too.  These are finger licken good!

3 pounds pork back ribs (I use about 4 lbs; you can double the sauce if wished; I often do.)

Marinade
3/4 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons ketchup (Heinz)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard powder (hard to find in Germany, so use 1 tsp or so German or English mustard)


Preheat oven to 325F/160C.
Cut the ribs into serving pieces.  Optional:  Place the precooked ribs in a large ziplock bag.  Place the marinade ingredients into a small pot and bring to a boil. Mix well. Cool a bit and pour over the ribs in the bag. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Then, place all into a casserole dish and bake for about 35 to 40 minutes, basting and turning occasionally until they are tender.

Or, you can place the ribs uncooked into a casserole dish.  Pour the warm marinade over them and bake, uncovered, for at least an hour or until tender.  These are so good, especially if you like sweet ribs!

In summer when in Nova Scotia and visiting my friend Jean in Dartmouth, one of the places we go to occasionally is a pub near her called the Mic Mac Bar and Grill on Waverley Road. I always have their barbecued ribs and they are excellent. I smartly order the large size so that I'll have enough to take home with me the next day. It is also the best buy. I didn't get there last summer but I hope to next year. In the meantime, I made barbecued ribs for myself here in June when Hans was in N.S. (I went over later.) The picture shows the ones I made for myself that evening along with homemade deep fried potato slices.



Finally, to my recipe for those ribs:

Follow the precooking method for the ribs.  Then either cook them right away or place them in the fridge, in with the sauce or not.  As the sauce makes a lot, you will likely have some left over.  I put any leftover, unused sauce into a jar in the fridge and use it as a sauce for chops, steak or chicken.

Janet's Barbecue Sauce - Enough for 4 to 6 pounds/2 to 3 kilo ribs
Makes 4 to 4-1/2 cups sauce (This recipe can be halved or doubled.)

2 cups (1/2 liter) Heinz ketchup
1/4 cup chili sauce
1 tablespoon Tabasco Sauce
2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 to 3 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons mild to medium mustard (preferably Dijon or German)
2 tablespoons salad oil (not olive oil)
1/4 cup molasses or honey (I use molasses)
1 tablespoon steak sauce, such as HP Sauce
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard powder (or use a teaspoon or so Canadian/American/German mustard)
3 or more cloves garlic, minced
2 medium onions, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Salt to taste
1 cup export beer (not Pils and not dark beer; use regular beer)
(Optional) A little smoke or Ketchup with smoke

Mix all sauce ingredients together. Place ribs in a large pot or in a casserole dish. Add as much sauce as you need to the ribs and cook them on top of the stove (in a pot) or in a pre-heated 325F/160C oven (casserole dish or roast pan) for about 45 to 60 minutes. Turn and baste every so often. Watch carefully so that they don't burn.

You can pass the remaining sauce at the table or refrigerate it for another use.  Serve and enjoy!  (Make sure that the sauce you keep in the fridge to use later was not cooked with the ribs.)  Any remaining ribs and sauce that were cooked together freeze well. 

Above, the Asian ribs and BBQ ribs along with two types of chicken wings that I served Monika and Gertrud here last July for lunch.  I'll write about chicken wings sometime as they are also one of the favourite things that I make from time to time.
I left out one of my favourite rib recipes as I know I will get another craving and perhaps that will urge me on to write about spareribs again.  Lots of recipes still.  But not for a while!  This week I had ribs twice, so for now my craving has subsided.  I might, though, have them one more time as a few are still left!

Bon Appetit!  

 

Enjoy the Winter Days and the Advent Season!

 



 









Remembrance Day 2012 in Lahr, Germany

 

The City of Lahr Wreath in Commemoration and Honour of the Canadian Fallen

 

It was dreary and chilly last Sunday as it often is on Remembrance Day.  We stood at the top of the hill at the Lahr cemetery where the Canadian cenotaph is located.  All of us had gathered there just before 1100 hours for the service to remember and honour those Canadian military men and women who had died in battle.  The Canadian Legion with Colour Party along with other Canadians, Germans, members of the German-Canadian Club, the City of Lahr and a German band were represented.
 

Dipping the flag
 



 

I was only 17 when my eventual husband-to-be joined the Royal Canadian Air Force.  He served for 28 years (two tours in Europe) before he died--while still serving, although not in combat.  Hans also served for 28 years (including two peace-keeping tours in Cyprus and Egypt) and another 10 years at Command Headquarters Europe as the Command General Safety Officer.  I worked for the Canadian military myself for about 14 years, two of them at RCAF Station Lachine, Quebec, and 12 years at Canadian Forces Hospital Europe.  So I have been part of the Canadian military family for much of my life.
 

 

Long before I became a wife, mother and partner, I was a very patriotic young Canadian girl.  I already knew as a child of ten that many had died in World War II.  I later read much about that terrible first World War.  I also knew that my great uncle, Alfred Riggs, had died in the Battle of Paardeberg during the South African Boer War.  He was just 22 and a medic.  I had never met him, of course, and neither had his nephew, my father, as he was born several years after that. 

At left, a list of men who died on the date shown to the right of their names.  My uncle's name is second from the top.

 

Alf, as he was always called in the family, was an artist (on his military papers he is listed as a painter) as was my father.  My uncle died on 27 February 1900, the last day of that famous and terrible battle.  He was part of the 2nd (Special Service) Battalion of the Royal Canadian Regiment and is buried in Cornwall cemetery, Paardeberg.  He received the Queen's medal with two clasps posthumously.

 

 

Today, the Boer War is rarely mentioned on Remembrance Day. So many young Canadians in our wars died far from home in service of their country and should be remembered always by that country, no matter the war nor how long ago it was.
   

 A salute to the fallen

 

 After the Service



We all met after the ceremony at the Legion meeting place--the Gasthaus Linde in Reichenbach--for clam chowder, a tradition on this day.  Bill Fairley, Past President of Legion #2 in Lahr, Germany, made the chowder as he has done for several years.  We all agreed that it was the best yet. 

 

The half-empty pot of clam chowder and, in the picture at right, Bill at centre

 





 On the right, below, Reg Bonner, Zone Commander, Europe; on the left, Bill Fairley, Past President of Legion #2



 

Following are a couple pictures of those who attended:

 

 At left, Albert Schneeburger; on his right, Ken Gardener


At right, Fred and Barbara Lacombe with Trisha Cornforth in centre

 

 

 Hans wearing the Queen's Own blazer and tie with crest and medals, the regiment he served with during his first three years in the Royal Canadian Army.  His next 25 years were with the RCA Medical Corps which later became the Canadian Forces Medical Services.  

There have been, and still are, so many wars where thousands are dying.  Let us hope that one day peace will reign around the world.  I have always thought that all those who fought, on whichever side, did what they had to do.  They all were soldiers, fighting for their country, no matter their politics.  Hans and I will always honour and remember those who lost their lives as well as all who were badly wounded in their fight for freedom.


As always, the Remembrance Day Service is a solemn occasion and a time for reflection.  It is always a sad time.  So many everywhere have died for a cause--whether right or wrong.  Let us hope that all will soon fight for the cause of freedom and the rights of all without bloodshed.

Lest We Forget!

 

We Shall Remember!

 





 

 

 

 

Happy Hallowe'en!



Here in Germany Hallowe'en is not celebrated as it is in North America.  Children here do come around to the doors in their neighbourhoods at a different time of year, however, and are given cookies, candy and usually a little money.  One of those times is shortly after Christmas for Three Kings' Day.  It is definitely not the same huge affair nor with large numbers of kids.  They come in small groups of four, chant a verse and then mark the year in chalk beside the door frame, after which we pass out the good things they hope to receive plus money for the poor. 

I don't miss Hallowe'en at all although I loved it as a child myself as did my own children.  In those days we had loads of candy ready to give out.  I also made candy myself for the kids and after they finished "trick or treating" and came back in with bags of sweets, they and their friends bobbed for apples on a string hanging from the ceiling and/or apples placed in a large pan of water, picking them up by grabbing onto the stems using their teeth only.  It was a fun evening for them all.

This year, no children at the door, but Hans carved the above pumpkin and tonight I set it outside.  I placed a candle inside and lit it.  The lighted candle glowed in the dark and reminded me of those earlier pumpkins on our doorstep many years ago.


Pumpkin Soup- Once again

The flesh that Hans removed we turned into pumpkin soup.  I used Petra's recipe (see my last blog post) and one we came across of Jamie Oliver's, the well-known British chef.  I did make some changes and we made some additions.  The main ingredients I used along with the pumpkin flesh are shown in the picture at right: 1 leek, 2 carrots, 2 to 3 garlic cloves, 1 celery stalk, 1 small onion, 2 potatoes and 2 fresh rosemary sprigs.


I used a tip of Oliver's in that I sauteed several bay leaves in olive oil for about a minute.  I then removed them and added the remaining ingredients, except for the 2 potatoes, all of them chopped first.  These vegetables, which I seasoned with grated pepper and salt, I sauteed for about 10 minutes.  In the meantime I had chopped all the pumpkin flesh and placed it in a large pot along with the chopped potatoes.  I then added the sauteed vegetables to the pumpkin along with 1-1/2 to 2 liters of chicken broth and some vegetable broth.  It simmered for a good 30 minutes until the pumpkin was soft.  Then into the blender it went in stages until all was finished and poured into a new pot.

It needed a lot of seasoning, especially salt.  We added cream, a little Sherry, a little butter and a sprinkling of Fondor.  I also added a sprinkling of paprika.

I had earlier sauteed fresh bread cubes in butter and served them over the soup.  I would have sauteed the bread in some garlic as well, but I had no garlic left.  It was a mild-tasting soup so not too strong a flavour of pumpkin due to the many other vegetables used.  But the pumpkin taste was still there nonetheless.  Excellent.  See a bowl of it below that we had for supper.

 

Next time we have it, we shall try some creme fraiche instead of cream to see how that would taste.  We shall also add some Parmesan. 

 

My friend Monika told me today that the pumpkin flesh can be frozen as can the soup itself. That is a good thing as we have lots of it!

Guten Appetit!

Autumn Days

The beautiful days of spring with new growth soon become the lovely days of autumn harvest.  The leaves are just starting to turn here with rust, orange and yellow being the main colours.  We do get some reds, but nothing like in Eastern Canada and the USA as there are not as many maple trees here.  Nonetheless, it is still magnificent. 

The picture at left is of the trees in our yard, taken last year in early November.

It is the time of year when one contemplates the outdoor work to be done before the colder weather is upon us.  Everyone, including us, is now readying the gardens for next spring, making sure bushes and hedges are trimmed and house plants come back onto the window sills inside.  I do look forward to winter here as it is relatively mild and rarely do we need snow boots or even snow tires, although the latter are required by law in mountainous areas after a certain date in November.

The trees shown are across the street, also taken last November.

 

The mid October weekend is when most geraniums--the plant that symbolizes the Schwarzwald in summer--disappear from the outdoor boxes, hanging baskets and ledges.  It is a glorious sight as one drives through villages and towns in what is known around the world as the Black Forest.  Of course, geraniums fill boxes throughout Germany and France and many other countries as well, but the flowers along with the typical Black Forest houses add charm and atmosphere.  The house at right is in the town of Schweighausen, not far from where we live.  I took the picture in late September and it looks exactly the same today, flowers still blooming.

Our friend John heading to the fest hall

Of course, autumn means festivals, in particular October beer fests and wine fests. There are many, sometimes almost too many. We have been to three thus far, two of which I wrote about in my blog last fall. Friends from Canada joined us then as well as this year. We sang, clapped and swayed to the band from the Hofbrauhaus in Munich, where they play each year at Europa Park in Rust and to the band called "The Lustige Fünfziger" at the Linde in Wallburg.  ("The Happy Seniors," most of them older than 50 now--including a couple of members in their 80s.) 

 

 



 

John with a liter of beer at the Oktoberfest at the Linde in Wallburg, along with his Oktoberfest hat

                                                               





After we left the Linde, we all joined German friends at a small fest in Münchweier, our next village.

Hans in his Trachten is on the left and Leona, John's wife, is on the right.  Jean is partly hidden beside Leona.  Our German friend Adolf, who is 87, is beside them.

A couple of days later, Jean, Leona and I sat far above the vineyards of Durbach on a beautiful early afternoon and enjoyed Flammenkuchen (tarte flambe) and a glass of wine.  We sat on the terrace of a former Schloss and one renowned in the area for its wines.  Below, Jean and Leona as well as a view of the vineyards, hills and the town far below.





On that same day, the men--Hans and John--drove over to France and toured some of the WWI and WWII battle areas in Alsace.  Enroute, they stopped at a cheese maker's in the Vosges mountains to buy the farm's fresh Munster cheese made from unpasteurized milk (superior to using pasteurized milk).  Hans and I enjoyed ours a few nights ago for supper.

 

Below, a vineyard in Alsace.  Crosses are seen throughout Alsace and also in our area as well.

A war cemetery in Alsace

Gasthäuser add specialties on their menus from time to time throughout the year.  Spring and fall especially denote the changing seasons.  In spring, it is Bärlauch soup and many other Bärlauch specialties as I noted in one of my spring blogs.  Fall brings pumpkins and pumpkin soup.  The latter is offered everywhere, from the simple Gasthaus to the more expensive restaurant.  It is a fairly new trend, as a few years ago we never saw a pumpkin dish offered.  Today, pumpkins are ubiquitous.  Now one sees them sitting on doorsteps and ledges and in the stores and markets as in North America.

I have never seen canned pumpkin here although I haven't looked for it in a supermarket in Alsace.  All Germans I know who make pumpkin soup start by removing the flesh from a whole pumpkin.  A lot more work.  Something to think about, though, when carving out the pumpkins for Hallowe'en.   The pumpkins below were part of a display at the Super Store in Kingston, Nova Scotia in early September before I left.

Hans recently had a bowl of pumpkin soup at the Linde in 'Wallburg, where I go nearly every week for chicken.  It was creamy and delicious.

Here is my friend Monika's daughter Petra's recipe for Kürbiscremesuppe:

Cream of Pumpkin Soup
1 medium to large pumpkin, top cut off and flesh removed and mashed
2 to 3 large potatoes, peeled and cut into pieces
1 leek, white part only, cut into pieces
2 carrots, peeled and cut into pieces
Soup bouillon or a cube or soup powder
Salt and pepper to taste
Sour cream or whipping cream
Bacon, diced (optional)
Onions, diced (optional)

Place first four ingredients in a good-size pot.  Add some water to just barely cover the vegetables; don't overwhelm them.  Add some soup bouillon or a cube.  Bring to a boil and simmer until soft.  Puree in a blender.  Add some salt and pepper to taste and sour cream or whipping cream, depending on which you prefer.  Monika prefers sweet cream as do I.

If wished, saute some diced bacon and then add diced onions to the bacon fat and saute until crispy. Add them to the soup bowls before serving.



Here is a recipe from a German magazine for Kürbissuppe that is somewhat different.

Pumpkin Soup
1 kilogram/2 lbs of pumpkin flesh
1 small onion
1 piece of ginger
1 small red chili pepper
30 grams butter (a chunk)
1 garlic clove, peeled
1/2 liter chicken broth (2 cups)
3/4 cup whipping cream
Salt and pepper
Nutmeg
1 tablespoon of chopped parsley

Chop finely the pumpkin flesh, the onion, the ginger and the chili pepper.  Saute the onion, ginger and chili pepper in the butter.  Mince the garlic clove through a garlic press and add it to the pan.  Saute the chopped pumpkin briefly in the pan.  Add the broth.  Simmer 20 minutes or until the pumpkin is soft.  Blend it in a blender or mixer.  Add the cream, salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste.  Sprinkle with parsley.  Serve.

Note re pumpkin soup:  You can also use canned pumpkin for these recipes, but then you might have to adjust the amounts used of the other ingredients.

The grape harvest is almost completed and the barrels are filled with the wine that will be ready next spring.  We are fortunate to live in an area where breweries and wine cellars are abundant, with both wine festivals and October beer festivals celebrating the harvest.

Ein Prosit!

 

 

Zum Wohl! 

 







 

Summer's End

This has been a busy summer here in Nova Scotia and soon I shall be leaving and heading back to Germany.  I had car problems and mower problems most of the summer.  One car almost burned up and was a write-off and another had a dead battery--as did both mowers.  Now, when almost time to go, those things have been solved.  All I can say is "Thank heavens!"

A blue jay checking out supper!

The birds are getting ready to fly south; in fact, some of them already have.  A large flock of blackbirds stopped here a day or so ago and robins are also stopping by enroute south.  Whenever I see them, I think of my childhood in Charlottetown and awaiting their arrival.  We always thought of the robins as the harbingers of spring.  I hadn't seen the humming birds for over a week but just five minutes ago, one was at our humming bird feeder.  I shall keep the feeders out until I leave in case any others stop by.  I throw bird seed out on the ground and into the other bird feeder during the summer, but I shall slow that down gradually over the next week.  The crows are always waiting as are the blue jays and doves, but it's now time they headed elsewhere for their sustenance.

 



Yesterday Laurie--my brother-in-law--saw a large buck deer in a nearby meadow.  Many others, mostly doe, have been seen as well.  They love apples.  I have had a couple here this summer eating them right off our trees.  You can see one of them at right!  We didn't have many apples this year and those that we had were small due to the dry weather.  Laurie took some of his fallen ones over and spread them on the small crest of the hill near the house.  If the deer come, and I have no doubt that they will, I shall be able to watch them--always a beautiful sight.  I shall never understand how anyone can shoot them. 

The chipmunks and squirrels are busily gathering their food to store for the winter months.  I have found some of it under the hoods of our cars, so I shall have to check there before putting them into the garage.  This little chipmunk is thinking it over on our deck!  

When Hans was here in late spring and early summer, he had raccoons coming every evening.  I saw them only once.  He fed them; I didn't.  We didn't see or hear any coyotes, but Paula and Laurie heard them howling at night at their place.  A couple or so years ago I did see a couple of them at the edge of our property.

I don't think I've cooked as much in years as I did this summer.  Hans does the majority of it, but this year we came separately; so with lots of company coming and going, it was up to me.  We had many family get-togethers both here and at my sister Paula and Laurie's just up the road.  At one point, they had 12 people at their house for several days and that included six children and three dogs.  Glad I was here at mine!

The picture at right:  My three sisters and two brothers-in-law on our deck enjoying drinks before a casual supper.  It was Buletten night.

Below, my sister Carol (who lives in New Hampshire) on the left and Anne (who lives in Toronto) on the right.



On the plate, Buletten (large beef and pork balls, which Hans had made for me and left in the freezer); red cabbage which he also left but which I added to, plus cucumber salad with fresh cream.  (The three recipes I have given previously on my blog.)  They were accompanied by mashed potatoes with gravy and a tomato for taste and colour contrast. 

I served my pineapple squares for dessert (shown in the picture following), a favourite of my sisters, all of whom cooked and contributed wherever we happened to be, whether at Carol's in Hubbards, at Paula's or here at our house.  Anne, who lives in Toronto, and doesn't have a house in N.S., certainly did her fair share. Wine and beer flowed no matter where we were.  I'm surprised that I haven't gained any weight!

Dieter and Rosie, who live in Nuernberg, Germany but have a cottage on a lake near us in Nova Scotia, came one afternoon for coffee and cake. Rosie brought muffins and Alsatian Apfel Kuchen she baked--shown on the far side of the table (not really a cake, more like a pie; not really a pie either, but very good!). In the forefront are my pineapple squares (made for the second time). We are in our front porch.



We celebrated a couple of big events in mid August--one day apart--at Paula and Laurie's: our sister Anne's and Laurie's birthdays.  Carol has a house in Hubbards on the Atlantic shores in the summer, so she was here as well for a couple of days, staying with me.  (I also spent an overnight with her in Hubbards.)

Below, Laurie and two of his granddaughters with his cake.

The birthday girl and her cake!  Carol watching and Paula doing the honours for Anne.



Below, shepherd's pie with ground beef and pork with herbs, vegetables and pureed potatoes.  This is a Canadian/British casserole that is a great supper or lunch dish.  Many pubs in Great Britain have it
on their menu.  I served this at lunch time to Paula, Laurie and our German friend, Dieter.  Rosie was back in Germany.

 



 

On our deck on a warm night.  I served maple glazed ribs, baked chicken Spanish style and accompaniments.  Dessert was Paula's superb lemon meringue pie.

 

One of the super meals was hosted by Anne and Stephen at Paula and Laurie's:  a lobster feed! Note the lobster bibs on second picture below.  The lobsters were between 1-1/2 to 2 lbs each.

Another casual dinner I hosted here included spaghetti with sauce Bolognese, tossed salad and garlic French bread.  I followed Hans' recipe for the sauce and it was excellent.  It includes tomato sauce, red wine, herbs and spices, olive oil, Italian spices, a touch of sugar and Tabasco, garlic and onions.  Dessert was Alaska mint pie, a recipe I have had since the 1970s and one my sister Paula remembered having, thus the reason for it as a surprise.

In the two pictures below, we are sitting at the other end of our porch and enjoying the spaghetti.

 

Cutting the Alaska Mint Pie. 

It includes ice cream, whipped cream, Creme de Menthe, shortbread cookies and pecans among other ingredients.  I shall give this recipe and my pineapple squares at another time.

 

 

Most of the problems I have encountered have been solved.  It has been stressful at times as I don't usually have to tend to cars--and I don't want to either!  But it has been a great summer (minus the car and battery problems!) and one that is coming to an end.  All in all, lots of eating and good times.  I was so busy most of the summer that I hardly had time to get in touch with friends and family in the province.  I just began calling this week. 

I look forward to being back in Germany, driving my car and being driven in Hans' but not having to worry about either of them.  The Oktoberfests are about to begin there and our first one will be two weeks after my return.  Friends will be arriving from Canada to join in the festivities.

A late summer's morning by our house



Before I leave I hope to see a flock or two of Canada geese flying overhead enroute to their winter home. They land in nearby water and rest a while.  I'm not quite sure how early or late they leave their summer habitats, so I may not be that fortunate. We shall see.

The girls enjoying our pool on a warm summer's evening. 

Enjoy the lovely fall days that are not far off.  I shall get to more blog writing and already have a couple in mind--but that will be after Oktoberfest time!