This mock maple syrup from the 1940s is easy to make and has only three ingredients. It actually tastes like maple syrup and reminds me of maple flavored store bought syrups, only so much better! It’s amazing and one of my family’s favorite homemade syrups. It is fantastic on Oatmeal Griddle Cakes or any other…
Oatmeal Griddle Cakes
These oatmeal griddle cakes are fluffy and tender, and are quite filling. I can definitely understand why they were a popular meal during wartime. Griddle cakes, pancakes and the like were prepared as a way to use cheaper flours and meals such as barley, buckwheat and oatmeal which were considered unusable for bread. This was…
Rendering Pork Belly to Lard
Lard is animal fat derived from pork belly, butt or shoulder when the meat is separated from the fat and rendered down by cooking. Historically, lard has been used for cooking, baking, soap making and even in preservation before there was refrigeration. Lard was primarily the fat used since before medieval times, all the way…
Ground Pork Patties & Gravy
In Ukrainian, kotleti (pronounced cot-lay-tee-ah) is a Ukrainian style meatball or patty that is often breaded and then cooked in a skillet. Different European cultures have their own version of this patty using an assortment of ground meats (usually pork mixed with another ground meat), mixing it with bread and milk or sour cream, dill,…
Garden Update — June 2025
Happy June! It’s hard to believe we have been gardening for a month now! Let me show you around the yard throughout the month of June! “Weeds are nature’s graffiti.” — Janice Maeditere June 6 It’s been very hot and muggy this week. Most days are between +27C to +32C (80F to 89F) with very…
Apple Raisin Cinnamon Rolls
These apple raisin cinnamon rolls are amazingly delicious! They’re soft and tender with a lovely cinnamon flavor and filled with apples and raisins in every bite! Instead of putting raw apple in the cinnamon rolls, I made apple pie filling which is essentially cooked apples in cinnamon and sugar. This created the ooey gooey part…
Cheesy Garlic Focaccia
If you are looking for a bread to bake that’s soft and fluffy with a lovely flavor of garlic and a little cheesy, then this cheesy garlic focaccia will be your new favorite bread to accompany any meal! Let’s get started! Combine water, sugar and yeast. Stir. Let sit 5 minutes until fluffy looking or…
Dutch Baby — Baked German Pancake
This morning for breakfast we made a Dutch baby which is a western version of a German baked pancake. It is like a combination between a popover and a thick crepe. It puffs up but then collapses and is fabulous with a dusting of icing sugar, syrup and fruit. This delightful breakfast dish is quick…
