Author Archives: jackmansjourney

Coffee Pu’erh

16 Friday Dec 2011

Posted by in Cafe, Self Improvement, tea, Update

≈ 1 Comment

The taste.  The smell.  The thickness of it.  The endless options to put in it.  Coffee, that’s what I’m talking about.  I like a good cup of coffee in the morning.  I have slowed down since about a year ago when I had to stop drinking coffee altogether.  But I started up again last Spring!

I could drink lattes again that weren’t decaf!  I was able to drink coffee again and feel no pain!  That was exciting.  But the last couple of weeks have been sad.  The sad realization that I am going to have to give up coffee once more.  I wonder if it will be harder to give up coffee than it was to give up Facebook?

I’ve done it once, so I can do it again.  Right?  I just love the taste and the feel of coffee.  I love adding eggnog or chocolate milk and maple syrup.  Oh and my favourite, a little cod liver oil, just kidding!  Coffee is comfort.  Coffee is good.  Do you get my drift?

I love tea.  I have a variety of loose leaf tea (which is way better then tea in a bag – sorry Tetley).  It’s just not the same.  I don’t add anything to it so it is like drinking flavoured water, which I don’t mind but I just don’t get the same feeling as when I drink coffee.  It’s different.

HOW AM I EVER GOING TO SURVIVE?

The answer:  Coffee Pu’erh

It is a tea!  I had never heard of it before until one day I visited David’s Tea in the city.  I thought I would try it out.  Today is the first time I’ve had some.  It’s dark!  It looks like coffee.  Not the same taste of coffee, but I think it will do the job.  I thought of adding a little eggnog to see what happens.  Today I will just have it black.  Here is what David says about this tea:

“Pu’erh has come a long way since its heyday as a tribute tea to Chinese emperors a thousand years back. It’s still got that legendary healing power, but the new “cooked” varieties are really something special.  it combines coffee, chocolate and a touch of caramel flavour.  Rich, smooth, aromatic and subtly sweet.  Even your coffee-addict friends will go crazy for it.”

As I take another sip it kind of reminds me of after being out in the snow all afternoon and your mittens are soaked and your hands smell like sweat and wet mittens and you can kind of taste it in your mouth.  Now I know you really want to try it!

Would you ever give up coffee?

Cup of Coffee Pu’erh
Looks Like Coffee to me!

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Crepes

14 Wednesday Dec 2011

Posted by in Cooking

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One Saturday morning I went to a house brunch with a bunch of friends from ADC.  I took my lovely Oatmeal Buttermilk Pancake batter along with me to make pancakes.  When I got there someone was making omelettes, another bacon, and still another crepes.  Yes, crepes!  Something that I have always wanted to try making, but never had.  I was very excited when Matt (who is taking a culinary arts program) asked if anyone wanted to try cooking crepes!  HELLO!  OF COURSE I DO!

Crepe with peanut butter and banana

He showed me the technique and I was on my way to cooking awesome crepes.  He even used my favourite website to find the recipe: allrecipes.com   One morning I woke up and decided to try it on my own since I hadn’t made the batter, I had only cooked them.  They turned out great!  I was very pleased.

For those of you dying for the recipe, here it is:

1 C      all-purpose flour
2          eggs
1/2 C   milk
1/4 C   water
1/4 tsp  salt
2 tbsp   butter, melted

1.  In a mixing bowl mix together flour, eggs, and gradually mix in milk and water until combined.  Add salt and butter and beat until smooth.
2.  Heat desired size griddle or frying pan (as you can see by the size of my crepes I used a small pan) with a bit of olive oil.  When hot, lift frying pan off the stove and scoop about 1/4 C of batter into centre of the frying pan.  Tilt the with a circular motion so the batter coats the surface of the pan evenly.
3.  Cook crepe for about 2 minutes.  Loosen with spatula.  Turn and cook the other side until lightly brown.  Serve hot.

Notes:
– do not use more then 1/4 C of batter because then they will be too thick (small pan).
– You see it cook from the outside in.  Once the outer edges are cooked you can start to lift it with the spatula.
– Next time I am going to try making them with whole wheat flour and see how the turn out.

Ways to Serve:
– plain (how boring, but good!)
– any kind of jams / syrup
– peanut butter and banana
– brie cheese and salmon
– ice-cream and favourite toppings
– tuna melts
– taco’s (soft shell)
– burrito’s
– any kind of wrap you can think of
– use your imagination!

What’s your favourite kind of crepe?

P.S. I hope to make a video at some point for the technique of cooking crepes.  Stay tuned!

Above Left: Before it was flipped
Below: After it was flipped

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Kale Chips

30 Wednesday Nov 2011

Posted by in Cooking

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I love this healthy snack!  It is so delicious!  Don’t knock it until you tried it!

Make them on your own.

~ Get a bunch of kale (found at the local grocery store or markets)
~ cut or rip the leafy part of the hard stem
~ wash in a salad spinner (if you don’t have one just run under water and pat (use dish towel, not paper towel) or shake dry
~ in a bowl use 1 – 2 tbsp of olive oil and mix in with the kale
~ add in your favourite seasoning – salt, balsamic vinegar (my fav), soya sauce, spices, herbs, etc.
~ place on a cookie sheet in one layer
~ bake at 350 in the oven for 10 – 15 min.  They should come out crispy and not brown.  Watch them so they do not brown/burn.

*Notes*
These are best eaten out of the oven or up to 3 – 4 hrs later.  They are not that great the next day.  Plus, once you start eating them you won’t be able to stop!  🙂

Other ways to incorporate the very green veggie into your healthy eating plan:
– put it in smoothies: Just rip it up and throw it in (don’t use the stem – just the leaf).  Try putting it in first so it grinds up well.  Can’t even tell it’s in there!
– in stir fry: rip up or cut the leaf off the stem and throw it in (closer to the end of cooking time)
– in the juicer: you do not get that much juice from it, but if you want some green in there it will work
– in salad: put it in salad with other leafy greens
– plain: just pop it in your mouth and chew away

It’s a great veggie and I hope you try it and incorporate it into your eating habits!

How have you used kale?

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Fluffy Omelettes

25 Friday Nov 2011

Posted by in Cooking

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I’ve always wanted to make my own omelettes.  I’ve tried in the past but they haven’t turned out that great.  The funny thing is I don’t really like ordering them when I eat out for breakfast (and I love eating out for breakfast).  I think it is because they always have things in there that I don’t want in them and I don’t want to be bothered to ask them to leave it out because it normally ends up only having cheese in the omelette.

I have access to a small frying pan and flipper, which I think are key to making a lovely omelette.  I can also put what I want in them – no onions or peppers!  I also fluff them up.  I use an electric whisk.
Something like these (either one works):

This fluffs the egg up really nicely!

Today I added cheese, kale, and some lemon herbs.  It was delish!

I’m not going to go into details about how to make the omelette, but if you are curious, just ask.  
                                                      Or go to www.allrecipies.com  
                                                      A great cooking website!

The eggs do make a difference!
These are our own free-range eggs.

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Let it Snow: The Storm

25 Friday Nov 2011

Posted by in Update

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It SNOWED!  On Tuesday the awesome weather forecast said that on Wednesday we would get 30 – 40 cm of snow.  We really did get it.  I woke up around 6:45a.m. and the snow was already falling and didn’t stop until around 10 or 11 that night.  Sometimes it was light snow, and it was the worse in the afternoon. I managed to get the animals all snug in there homes.  Afternoon classes were cancelled, but I did not go in to school in the morning either.  I thought I would share some pictures with you from the first “real” snow fall of the season (we had a light dusting a couple of weeks ago).

I took this the night of the storm.  
Let’s say I wasn’t looking forward to digging it out in the morning.
This morning as I think about what to do.
Dig out and go to school?  
Classes ended up not starting until 10, but I still would not make it on time.
Plus no winter tires yet make for not fun driving.
Tried to get into the car.  I really needed to shovel!
Getting the top cleaned off!
I made it a little deeper.
Top cleaned off.  
In some places it was up to my knees.
Harley in his snow filled pen.  
Although in some spots you can still see the grass popping out.
Gotta love snow drifts!
Yatchi enjoying the snow!

For some reason the hens and rooster weren’t coming out of the coup!
Figuring out what’s going on!

The tractor who finally came to clear the driveway!

I did get myself dug out!  It took me about an hour to shovel around the car.  I had to take a break halfway through.  I’m not use to doing something like that!  It was good exercise.  I love the snow, I just don’t like driving in it.  My favourite things to do in the winter:

~ Sit on a comfy seat and watch the snow fall while sipping a hot cup of tea/hot chocolate/coffee
~ Snow shooing
~ Ice skating (outdoor or indoor)
~ Playing in the snow
~ Going for walks

What’s your favourite thing about winter?

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Cafe Jackman

19 Saturday Nov 2011

Posted by in Cafe, coffee, tea

≈ 2 Comments

I love visiting a good cafe.  The problem is that around where I live the closest real cafe is about 20 minutes away.  I do not go often, unless I plan to go on my way home from school.  The upside of this is that I am saving a little bit of money by not going everyday and getting a decaf caramel latte (I miss Cafe O).  The down side, I miss the experience, sitting at a table doing work and watching the people.  There is less distractions and there is wonderful drinks.

Cafe Jackman

How to solve the solution?  Make my own wonderful drinks at home and set up a little area that can be a substitute.  I’m sitting at it right now!  It’s by two big windows in the corner of the living room, so I can have the option of two views.  A cute little table to sit at.  Ability to create my own drinks.  This morning I’m having hazelnut coffee with crushed candy canes, chocolate milk, and a little bit of maple syrup (it might not sound tasty, but it is!).  I also enjoy regular coffee with chocolate milk and maple syrup.  If you have never had it you need to try it!  At Cafe Jackman we also have a shelf dedicated to tea (mostly looseleaf).  It has acquired more since my last picture (which is on Facebook, not my blog – where I thought it was.  Unless you saw it on FB while I was still on FB [see Facebook Escape or Facebookless: 1 Week Already!] then you won’t know the difference.)

I love so many choices of tea from our assorted looseleaf or bag teas.  We have Tetley, David’s Tea, Teaopia, Steeped Tea, from St. Jacob’s Market, and more.   
We did some rearranging in the living room and that is where these great things came about.  I love the checkers on the coffee table!  We haven’t played yet, but it is sitting there waiting to be enjoyed.
Cafe Jackman is always open, so come visit us.  And the drinks are always on us!  
We love having visitors.  A bonus to our Cafe experience is that you can come and enjoy the Mini Farm.  Hmmmm…. sounds like we could actually have a little Cafe here!  For now, it will just be for friends.