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Holiday Entertaining 101 – Part 3

November 27, 2009 Fridays with Kerry

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Beautiful glassware presents your holiday cocktails as presents all their own.

Here’s the skinny on setting up the Perfect Bar!

Very important – make sure your bar is completely set up before your guests arrive.

• Ice & lots of it ~ running out of ice isn’t cool!

• Shot glass or jigger for measuring

• Strainer for chilled drinks without the ice

• Pitcher for mixed drinks with long handled spoon for stirring

• Shaker set for those “shaken, not stirred” cocktails

• Small cutting board (bar board) and paring knife for cutting lemons and limes

• Cocktail napkins

• Swizzle sticks

• Bottle opener

• Corkscrew

It’s not always possible but having a designated bartender is a bonus and takes some of the pressure off of the host.

HELPFUL HINTS:

Don’t stick to lemons and limes for garnishes. Set out bowls of cranberries, raspberries, star fruit, vanilla beans, lavender, lemongrass, chocolate swizzle sticks, flowers, olives, pickles, etc.
If fridge space is limited use your deck, porch or balcony!
Offer some low-carb and low-cal beverages, such as light beer or light coolers.
Serve both plain and sparkling water and lots of non-alcoholic choices.

Gorgeous glassware is must! I don’t know about you, but my red wine just doesn’t cut it when it’s served to me in a plastic glass (go “green” and use glass not plastic, rent or borrow from family or friends if you have to). Go above and beyond and serve beer in a tall pilsner glass – adds a touch of class (unless your guests specifically request their beer in a bottle).

Make sure that you have enough glasses for everyone, usually two per guest for each type of drink you will be serving. Why not write the names of guests on holiday gift tags, tie them to the stems of the glasses as you hand out the drinks. OR, as Rachael Ray recommends, use a china marker and write the names directly on the glasses.

Easy Homemade Eggnog

12 large eggs

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

3/4 tsp salt

12 cups Homogenized milk (for richness, some recipes call for whipping cream so this isn’t so bad!)

3 tbsp Vanilla

2 cups Brandy

1/2 cup rum

Ground nutmeg

Beat eggs in extra large bowl until light. Continue beating while adding sugar and salt gradually. Beat until sugar is dissolved. Add milk and vanilla. Add brandy and rum. Adjust strength by increasing or decreasing liquor. Stir. Can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours before serving, or stored covered for 6 days. To serve, run immersion blender through to foam. Garnish with nutmeg. Makes 28 servings.

Curried Nuts ~ so easy, and a great addition to any bar!

1/4 cup butter

1 tsp medium-hot curry powder (curry flavor is not too strong, adjust as desired)

1 tsp salt

Dash or two of Worcestershire sauce

4 cups of mixed nuts (pecans, almonds, peanuts, walnuts, cashews etc.)

Melt butter in large saucepan. Stir in curry powder, salt & Worcestershire. Sauté until fragrant. Add nuts. Stir to coat. Turn into ungreased roasting pan and bake in a preheated (325 degrees) oven 10 – 15 minutes. Stir occasionally while baking. Cool then store in an airtight container.

Check out our Facebook Fan Page for more holiday entertaining tips. We have the skinny on all the cocktail trends for 2010, and we’ll be posting more holiday recipes as we head closer to Christmas.

Ghosts & Goblins Go Green!

October 30, 2009 Fridays with Kerry

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Why didn’t the skeleton cross the road?

He didn’t have the guts.

I just love Hallowe’en; the decorations, the smell of roasted pumpkin seeds, gooey mushy pumpkin guts, the doorbell ringing followed by the chorus of “trick or treat,” and of course the pillowcase that is overflowing with yummy treats and treasures!

So what’s the buzz this year? I would have to say it’s all the talk about ‘Green Hallowe’en.’

Green Hallowe’en is a non-profit, grassroots community initiative to create healthier and more earth-friendly holidays, starting with Hallowe’en.

Canadians spend over $1.5 billion on candy, costumes and decorations each year for Halloween. Most of these products will be used once and then thrown away.

I’m all for a greener Hallowe’en–lets just make sure that we don’t take all of the fun out of it!

Here are my top 5 tips on how you can start to contribute to a “Greener Halloween.”

(We might be a bit late for this year, but let’s keep it in mind for next.)

Once you have carved your pumpkin, keep the seeds for roasting and don’t forget about the flesh (can be used in soups, pies, breads and casseroles). Compost the remainder of the pumpkin that isn’t used, same goes for the carved pumpkin after Halloween. (You can also compost leftover candy as long as you take it out of the wrappers.)
Have kids use pillowcases–just like the good ole’ days–not the store bought plastic bags (pillow cases hold more anyways!).
Instead of buying new Halloween costumes, try to use what you currently have at home. Go through your closets and drawers to see what you have, you’ll be surprised what your imagination can come up with, or host a costume exchange, or rent a costume.
Purchase organic or fair trade treats, or buy locally produced treats from local merchants. Buying locally supports your economy, and also reduces fuel consumption and pollution associated with transporting products. In Belleville we’re lucky to have the best chocolate around, Donini Chocolate . You could also hand out non-food items (just make sure that they are fun, like seed packets).
When decorating, try to reuse last year’s decorations. Ask yourself, do I really need to buy new or more, or you can try to make your own. If hosting a party, avoid disposables like napkins, plates, cups, tablecloths etc.

If hosting a Green Hallowe’en dinner party, this soup is so full of flavors it just might wake the dead. Make sure that you buy two cans of coconut milk so that you can use one to make some creepy cocktails for before or after dinner!

Pumpkin and Coconut Curry Cream Soup

2 Tbsp butter
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 large clove garlic pressed
1 – 540 ml can pure pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling), about 2 cups
2 cups chicken stock
1 can coconut milk (or 1-cup, just don’t use low fat version, not as much flavor)
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp curry powder or curry paste
Salt for seasoning
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Pinch of cayenne to taste

Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Cook onion and garlic 5 minutes, until softened. Add curry powder, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, cayenne, ginger, and pepper, toast the spices, stirring constantly for 1 min. or until fragrant.

Add broth and pumpkin puree, mix well and bring to a simmer. Simmer 10-15 min. Add coconut milk and heat through, without letting it come to a boil. Season soup with salt and pepper. Serve in hollowed out mini pumpkins and garnish top with pumpkin or sunflower seeds.

Pina Ghoulada (Martha Stewart)

Serves 10 to 12

FOR THE “BLOOD”

3 tablespoons corn syrup
1/4 tsp red food colouring

FOR THE DRINK

20 ounces pineapple juice
1 can (15 ounces) cream of coconut
1/2-cup heavy cream
1 cup orange juice
10 ounces good quality rum

Directions

Pour the corn syrup in a shallow bowl. Dip a toothpick into the food coloring, and stir a very small amount into the syrup to combine. Hold a glass by the stem, dip rim into the syrup mixture, and turn glass, coating entire rim. Turn the glass upright, allowing mixture to drip down sides. Dip the remaining glasses. Set aside.
Whisk together drink ingredients. Place 2 1/2 cups ice in a blender, and add 1-cup drink mixture. Blend until smooth; add more pineapple juice if mixture is too thick. Repeat with remaining ice and mixture. Carefully pour into prepared glasses; serve.

Enjoy and Happy Haunting!

Transparency

October 29, 2009 Public Relations

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More days than not, I (Bryna) marvel at how much I have to learn about business (and let’s face it, life generally). Being at the beginning of one’s career is a strange place; all at once full of so much potential and uncertainty. After five years of post-secondary, I’ve got about all the education I can handle right now, but the experience is a different beast altogether.

I certainly am not one to pretend I know everything. In fact, I think one strength any ‘under 30’ professional can have is the knowledge of their limitations, and the bravery to be transparent and ask questions when need arises. I think it’s this honesty that builds trust.

Building trust is a theme that’s been running through my mind, and many social media circles lately. The financial crisis of late has prompted a renewed questioning (or at least more public discussion) of old hierarchies and systems of governance, both financial and political. The idea of corporations being lumbering dinosaurs isn’t new, but I believe the urgency at which we address that issue is.

Fundamentally it’s a people issue–not an ‘organizational’ one. Corporations, non-profits, whatever systems we function in, are all created, and lived out, by the people in them. The recession has stirred a very heated pot to a tipping point. It’s no longer enough to give lip service to corporate responsibility; people must actively participate in it.

By corporate responsibility I mean more than the textbook definition of an organization giving money to charity, or going ‘green,’ or participating in a cause du jour. Responsibility encompasses that, but it also goes deeper; it stems from an internal awareness of who we are, and a willingness to admit when we’ve dropped the ball. As individuals, looking inward can be a scary thing. Magnify that by 1,000 or so people, and it’s easy to understand why big business often turns a blind eye.

Rona Maynard

Today I had the privilege of taking part in the Women in Business lunch, hosted by the Belleville Intelligencer. Being a female ‘under 30 pro’ I was taken aback by the transparency of the message given by all participants, and most notably by Rona Maynard, the luncheon’s keynote speaker: Be honest, we all mess up.

Be honest, we all mess up. If only more businesses understood that it’s ok to re-evaluate, and back up the train when they realize they’re going in the wrong direction. This is responsibility: It starts with individuals recognizing their limitations, and it becomes truth in an organization when the members of that community foster a culture of honesty and trust.

What this will look like in the future is becoming more clear to some, and less desirable to others. I will adress some of these models in a later post, but right now I want to leave you with this:

The woman who was honoured with the distinction of Business Woman of the Year, Mary Rushlow, built her career over 35 years. I can’t imagine that in that time she never struggled with any challenges. Rona Maynard, former editor of Chatelaine magazine, had her share of failures (her words) too. What separates a crisis from a screw-up is the ability to recognize you’re wrong, and beat your pride down enough to switch gears.

If I can get this at the beginning of my career, my failures will become opportunities. If organizations can get this, their failures will become opportunities. We all have so much to learn.

The Mully Children’s Family Women of Hope Evening & Mixer

October 27, 2009 Public Relations

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We here at Engine have had the privilege of helping our friends at the Mully Children’s Family with some of the promotional elements for their 2009 North American Safari Tour. If you don’t know what the Mully Children’s Family (MCF) is, let us fill you in.

Charles Mulli, the founder of MCF, was abandonded by his family at six years of age and left to beg on the streets of Kenya. Through perseverance, passion and ingenuity, Charles became a self-made millionaire–overcoming obstacles of social class, race, and extreme poverty. Charles had seen his dreams become reality. But then fate intervened, and his life was changed forever.

In 1986, a group of street children stole Charles’ Mercedes during a business trip to Nairobi. His anger quickly turned to compassion as he realized that he was once one of them. He knew he had to do something.

Charles and his wife, Esther, gave up everything they’d accomplished–sold his homes, cars, and businesses–and used the money to open the Mully Children’s Family, a Christian humanitarian organization committed to transforming the lives of orphaned, abandoned and abused children in Kenya.

Since its opening in 1989, MCF has seen over 7,000 orphaned and abandonded children rehabilitated, educated, and rescued from AIDS, poverty, disease, and isolation.

Using his business savvy and experience, Charles has extended MCF’s work to include an agricultural program, medical centre, and environmental sustainability initiatives that provide income for the home and employ half of the surrounding community.

MCF also supports 40 projects around the world—offering guidance to other NGO’s and communities in the areas of child rescue and rehabilitation, sustainable development, agriculture, and HIV/AIDS education; and has helped shape Kenya’s policies and laws on children’s rights and protection.

As I write this, former stree youth, now under the care of the Mully Children’s Family are making their way across Canada on their North American Safari Tour. The two-month tour kicked off mid-October in Ontario, and is moving across the country through Winnipeg, Calgary, Grande Prairie, Kelowna and Vancouver until mid-December. The youth will perform at schools, churches and events across the country, presenting a dynamic show of traditional African singing, dancing, drumming, acrobatics, and karate demonstrations from their championship team.

A complete list of tour dates is available on the Mully Children’s Family Charitable Foundation (MCFCF) website: www.mcfcf.ca.

The MCF tour will arrive in the Quinte area the week of November 2-6th. These events are a must see!

On Tuesday, November 3, Engine Communications is partnering with MCF and local speaker, author and blogger, Sheila Wray Gregoire, to host the Women of Hope event.

This evening is geared toward local business women, but any woman of any age will walk away from this event feeling inspired. No more will the word, ‘Africa,’ conjure images of poverty and despair. As you hear Esther and Mueni Mulli share their visions for their contintent, country, and it’s women, your heart will break but your spirit is sure to soar.

Specificallly, the discussion will focus on the future of education and micro-business opportunities in Kenya and rural Africa, for its women. Testimonials from local women who have visited MCF will also be heard. This is a learning and networking opportunity for anyone interested in social justice, business, and international development.

Whether you’re a mother, a daughter, an entrepreneur or student, you’ll be inspired by the stories of women, just like you, doing great things to change the world. You’ll also have the chance to buy some unique Christmas gifts to support the Mully’s efforts in Kenya.

There is no cost for admission, but donations to the Mully Children’s Family will be accepted.

If you would like to attend this event, please RSVP to our Facebook event page, or email Bryna Jones [email protected] or Sheila Wray Gregoire [email protected]. You can also call Bryna at Engine Communications: 613-771-0090.

Guests are welcome to bring friends, and seats will be available at the door (just in case you’re not sure you can commit). No one will be left out of this special mixer.

The Finish Line!

October 23, 2009 Fridays with Kerry

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100 Mile eating can be really amazing with a little extra effort in the kitchen.

Well, here we are, day five of our 100 Mile Diet Challenge, and boy am I ever craving a hot cup of coffee on this cold damp morning! Five days of hot apple cider is getting a bit much, and quite frankly, I’m not to fond of the herbal tea that I bought – YUCK!

On the up side, I feel that I have eaten pretty well this week–all local and quite yummy! Last week I didn’t include a recipe so I thought that I better step up to the plate this week. This is a recipe that I prepared during the challenge, and shared with my colleagues at Engine.

Roasted Chicken with a Butter & White Wine Sauce

2 Chicken breasts ~ skin on (if you want flavor that’s where a lot of it comes from)
1 Small onion ~ quartered, then quartered again
4 Cloves of garlic peeled and cut in half
1 Portobello mushroom, sliced (Wellington Mushroom Farm)
1 slice of bacon chopped
1/2 tsp of dried French Thyme (Vicki’s Veggies)
1/4 cup of white wine (from one of our many local wineries in the County)
1/4 cup of homemade chicken stock
2 tbsp of butter (Stirling Creamery)

Happy eating!

Heat oven to 375, place chicken in baking dish or stoneware, put cut veggies, garlic and bacon around chicken, sprinkle everything with the thyme, mix wine and stock together and pour around chicken. Bake for about 40 min., put a tbsp of butter on each piece of chicken and broil for the last 5 – 10 min., the butter will melt over the chicken, helping it to brown and then mix with the wine and stock sauce. Once beautifully browned, remove from oven and serve with hot buttery wine sauce. Garnish with fresh parsley.

Serve with a Chardonnay from Black Prince Winery where yesterday, we took part in a grape crushing challenge (which Shaun won), and a wine tasting. Thanks to the folks at Black Prince for their hospitality and fun!

Hint: if not taking part in the 100 Mile Diet Challenge, I would use sea salt and fresh black pepper to season the chicken as well. This is truly the hardest part for me, I am a salt freak and it REALLY does enhance flavor!

Enjoy!

A special thanks to the crew at Cogeco for a great week! Mike, Anne–you made us think local, get engaged and you helped us have fun doing it. We really appreciate all your hard work. Thanks to Chris at the Milford Bistro–you’ll be getting a visit from the whole team soon, but this time we’ll let you cook. We also appreciate the warmth and hospitality of Kerry and Rod at Black Prince Winery. We had so much fun with you! It’s been a great week. Hope you enjoyed it as well!

Grape-covered hands post-challenge at Black Prince Winery, Picton, Ontario.

The Engine Team (L-R Kerry, Kathy, Fillmore, Shaun and Kathy).

The Engine Team (L-R Kerry, Bryna, Fillmore, Shaun and Kathy).

Weekend Road Trip

October 19, 2009 Television

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Kerry on her road trip to the County

Well, we’re off. Day one of our 100 Mile Diet Challenge has officially begun! So far the most popular question of the day has been, “What did you have this morning instead of coffee?” Day one and everyone is already very concerned about how the lack of coffee is going to affect them. Me, I just had some water on my drive in, certainly not the same as a nice hot cup of coffee, but I think that I’ll survive! Kathy on the other hand, just said that her caffeine withdrawal headache as already started – oh no, poor Kathy!

I started my shopping this weekend, with one of my first stops in Wellington, Aman’s Abattoir. I was lucky enough to catch Ted Aman, the owner (shop’s closed on Saturdays unless he is kicking around and can let you in). He opened the shop and let me go through his freezer to make my picks. He highly recommended that I try the smoked pork chops– a local favorite. I also picked up a large steak, bacon and some all beef wieners (same ones that Budda Dog uses). No worries about this shop being 100% local, the farmers walk their livestock in the back door; he slaughters and butchers them, then freezes the meat. The pork chops are on my menu for tonight, I’ll get back to you tomorrow with the verdict.

On Sunday I took a beautiful fall drive with my neighbor Tammy, we toured the County and made many stops, listed below were my favorite stops!

The Marshmallow Room Bakery – Bloomfield

The smell when you first walk through the door was reminiscent of walking into Grandma’s house right after she just finished her Christmas baking. This place is a must, they purchase their ingredients from sustainable sources and they try to source as much local, pesticide free, raw product as possible. They preserve as much local produce as they can and sell a line of in house made jams, chutneys and jellies. Tomorrow at our potluck we will be sampling their grainy beer mustard and 4 day shallot confiture with the all beef wieners from Aman’s ~ I’m getting hungry just thinking about it.

Vicki’s Veggies – Milford

This was like a little piece of heaven. We pulled up to a farmhouse with chickens mulling about, there was a small storefront and veggie stand close to the road. We walked into the store, the lights came on and we were in awe at how lovely it was, the smell of fresh veggies and herbs permeated the air–all I can say is GOOSEBUMPS! You’ll have to check it out for yourself, make sure you bring cash. The roadside stand is open daily during daylight hours.

Pat’s Jam’s – Milford

Jams are $4 to $7, in this quaint little jam cupboard store. I picked up a few, which we will also be sampling this week, we’ll keep you posted.

Creasy’s Apple Dabble Farm – Waupoos, 3091 County Road #8

Goosebumps once again! I opened the fridge door to get some apple cider and was hit with the strongest, freshest, most beautiful aroma of fresh apples that I have ever smelled. There I was, just standing there with the fridge door open, breathing in, breathing out, it was just intoxicating.

Black River Cheese Company – Milford

This was our last stop, and not a new one for me. I have made many a purchase at Black River Cheese, and yesterday was no exception. Again, we will sample a few of their cheeses tomorrow at our potluck – can hardly wait, is it Tuesday yet?

What an awesome road trip, I look forward to many more in the hunt for local food!

Cheers,

Kerry

Geared Up or Stressed Out?

October 16, 2009 Fridays with Kerry

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Our 100 Mile Diet is right around the corner and I’m trying to gear up, but that stress factor is starting to rear it’s ugly head– and we haven’t even started yet! This is going to involve some serious planning and research–good thing I don’t live in the Yukon. Yikes! We are so fortunate that we live in an area that has an abundance of fresh produce, dairy and meat products, all in our backyard, figuratively speaking.

Isn't this the most gorgeous butter you've ever seen?!

I consider myself someone who tries to do my part and shop locally for the food that graces my table… honest. I buy cheese from our many cheese factories, I ONLY buy butter from the Stirling Creamery (even though I sometimes have to pay more for it). Their butter is ranked as one of the top 30 butters in the world. WOW!

I stop almost daily at Campbell’s Orchards roadside stand to pick up my veggies for the evening (best carrots in town), and of course a few apples. Sometimes I’m down three before I even make it home–they get gobbled up by the kids on the car ride. I buy lavender cooking products from Prince Edward County Lavender (lavender salt & sugar & Herbs de Provence), mushrooms from the Wellington Mushroom Farm, Maple Syrup from Fosterholm Farms and lets not forget, ice cream from Slickers.

Here’s the kicker, my daily stop at Gilmores Meat Shop & Deli – now this is where it gets tricky. I’m buying from a local butcher, but where does he get his meat from? Oh no, now I have to source meat and poultry from a local farm, this brings a new meaning to this ‘local’ business. Now it’s not stress but withdrawl rearing it’s ugly head! Not only do I buy my meat there, I buy their homemade bread and buns, cookies, squares, pies… must I go on? I’m sure that they are locally made, with local flour and butter and eggs, aren’t they?

Now this wouldn’t be a post by me if I didn’t make a slight mention about wine or beer, of which I also shop locally. I’ve toured and tasted at the many wineries, always taking home a bottle or two or three. I have yet to tour a local brewery, maybe that excursion should go on my wish list for our challenge?

Well, I think that I have finally figured it out! This is your classic Ultimate Food Road Trip! Fun, I love road trips. It’s time to hop in the car, take a drive through our beautiful countryside and see what our 100 miles have to offer – want to join me?

We’d love some help here, if you have any tips on local food stops and locations, great finds etc. send us an email, we can use all the help we can get. In the meantime, check out the Harvestin’ the County‘s Locally Grown Map. What an awesome tool!

Cheers,

Kerry

Kathy Goes Organic

October 15, 2009 Television

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Well, next week is going to be a challenging week for us at Engine! We are entered in the 100 Mile Challenge with Cogeco TV – where we can only cook with locally grown and produced foods. When thinking of preparing meals for next week, I realize that so much of what we eat is highly
processed and not at all local!

The big thing for me will be coffee…I need to find a coffee substitute … and quickly!! That got me thinking of calling local health food stores for support. The Organic Underground in Belleville will be a good contact. Also, County Sunshine in Picton is a very good natural foods source, as is Tara Natural Foods in Kingston. I plan on hitting all three shops this weekend to find out more information on local organic products as they usually support local certified organic products from member farms, which have been grown and marketed in a co-operative and sustainable way. Another website which provided very good insight into local organic farming is www.quinteorganic.ca.

I never knew there were so many local organic farms in the Quinte area! Most organic farms are small independently owned and operated family farms of less than 100 acres, and they produce a wide variety of meats and vegetables, as well as healthy organic herbs and teas.

If you’re going to go local…why not go organic?

When shopping for organic foods, look for these labels:

Save Me From Myself!

October 14, 2009 Television

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It's official. I'm going crazy.

Next week we’re embarking on our 100 Mile Diet Challenge, care of Cogeco TV. I have to admit, I’m getting less excited about this as the week draws near. In fact, I’m downright scared–cold sweats and shaking included.

In planning my diet for the next week, I have realized how typically ‘North American Consumer’ I really am. I am so Wal-Mart dependent, it isn’t funny. (And I’m lucky I don’t live in the US, because I’d have to add Target to my list of unhealthy relationships as well).

Sure, I buy the odd organic item from the grocery store; I frequent our farmer’s market in the summer. But in reality, I am a relatively thoughtless shopper. I thought local eating would be no challenge at all–I was thinking great restaurants in the County. I was thinking how boho/hipster I would be!

Somehow I was also equating ‘buying local’ with ‘buying healthy.’ Those are two totally different things, even though they go hand-in-hand when you’re buying local. Sadly, when evaluating my refrigerator recently, I discovered that although it’s stocked with healthy eats, I didn’t buy any of them from producers within 100 miles from home. Notta one!

So now I’m incredibly scared. I am a foodie. I love to eat. I’m actually having heart palpitations thinking about what I will do, and how I will plan my food shopping. I have to travel far and wide to get staples like flour and tea. I can totally forget about sugar and coffee! What about olive oil? What about OLIVE OIL?! (Even the apple I’m eating right now isn’t local–it’s just an apple!! What am I going to do with myself?)

I’m scared that by the end of the week someone is going to have to talk me off a roof.

What do you think? Will I survive? Any tips for eating local? Please help me!!

Friday’s with Kerry (on Monday): A Day at the Country Fair

October 12, 2009 Fridays with Kerry

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This Friday’s with Kerry is specially delivered to you on a Monday because it’s the Canadian Thanksgiving weekend! Hope you have a great holiday.

Last weekend was the Annual Ameliasburgh Fair which basically takes place in my backyard–only a 5 minute walk down the road. We started off Sunday morning with breakfast in the old Tea Room/Museum–yummy and so much food!! They call it the “around the table,” as you get a little bit of everything.

We were joined by our good friends and neighbours. Their adorable 18 month old son joined us, and he was more interested in the dog sitting rather impatiently outside the door, or the horses and chickens that you could hear in the distance, than his breakfast. Go figure!

After we enjoyed our breakfast, chatting lazily amongst ourselves and the many locals whom we knew, we headed out to see what this small town fair had to offer. Now, keep in mind, this certainly isn’t the kind of fair where you have to worry about losing your lunch on the tilt-a-whirl, but the kind of fair where you will see the most beautiful vegetables, flowers, canning, baked goods, art and photography–all grown, produced, taken or created by your very own neighbours and friends. Right, now I remember what a true fair is all about!

They have categories for everything and everyone, young and old. How did we forget about these time honoured traditions? Tammy, my neighbour and good friend, entered two zucchinis that she grew in her very first vegetable garden, and won 2nd prize. She was thrilled and we were so proud of her! She came to realize this summer that the rewards you reap from planting your own garden are so much more than just the tasty harvest, but the overall feeling of pride and accomplishment. She also entered some pictures that she had taken in the photography category, winning a ribbon or two in that category as well. Congrats to you Tammy!

Tammy's prize-winning zucchinis

Walking home from the fair I felt nothing short of inspired, I want to do the same next year, I want to be a part of that time honoured tradition and get involved; maybe even help out with the organization of the event? We have already started to discuss the shared garden that we will work together next spring. ‘Go big or go home’ is the theme I think.

With every year that passes, the gardens will grow, as will the kids and the traditions ~ hopefully the fair won’t grow too big, we’re not interested in the tilt-a-whirl, just some old fashioned fun!

Don't these look amazing?!
Skewered Fall Vegetables

Kissed with lime butter then caramelized on the grill, colourful vegetables brighten up any plate.

Servings: 4 ~ looks like Tammy will have enough Zucchini to feed 40 not just 4!

4 cobs of corn, husked
3 zucchini
1 each sweet green, orange and red pepper
1 tbsp (15 mL) vegetable oil
Coriander lime Butter:
2 tbsp (25 mL) butter, melted
1 tbsp (15 mL) minced fresh coriander
1 tbsp (15 mL) lime juice
1/4 tsp (1 mL) each salt and pepper

In saucepan of boiling water, cook corn until tender but firm, about 5 minutes; drain and let cool. Cut into 1-inch pieces. Meanwhile, cut zucchini into 3/4-inch thick rounds. Seed, core and cut green, orange and red peppers into 2-inch squares. Alternately thread vegetables onto metal or soaked wooden skewers. (Make-ahead: Cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.)

Brush skewers with oil. Place on greased grill over medium-high heat; close lid and grill, turning often, for 10 minutes.

Coriander Lime Butter: Meanwhile, whisk together butter, coriander, lime juice, salt and pepper; brush over skewers. Grill until vegetables are tender and lightly grill marked, about 2 minutes.

Source ~ Canadian Living Magazine: September 2006; Get Grilling: Summer 2007