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9 years ago (my lord, how is it that long ago?) Paul and I spend most of December and the first week of January in Italy. We visited Venice, Bologna, Florence for short trips and then stayed in Rome for the remainder of our time. European cities go all out at Christmastime.
Here are some shots of Venice at Christmastime.
Cat owners know this to be true!
It is difficult to believe that Christmas is one month today!
I will say that trying to stay on top of the Christmas preparations as a retiree is a hell of a lot easier than when I was working! I don't know how parents manage it. It's no wonder the festive season is so damn stressful for so many.
Last week I was focused on making cookie dough. We now have logs of dough to slice, tubs of dough to scoop, and dough to roll and cut as we need it throughout the holidays. It sure makes things easy!
Each one is labelled with cooking instructions to I just have to pull out what I need, slice (or scoop or roll) and bake. Easy peasy.
I also made Christmas cakes. They are in a cool spot, wrapped in brandy drenched cloths, waiting. I made a large cake this year that I plan on icing in the old English style. I mean, if you have time in retirement why not try new things?
One thing that has NOT changed in retirement . . . I am still challenged by food colouring and end up with more on me it seems.
:-)
I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that a friend of ours is flying to Florence today for a short week away. Her husband died a year ago. With the anniversary and Thanksgiving all coming quick an escape to lovely Florence seemed to be just the ticket.
It probably comes as no surprise that I follow a lot of folks from Italy on Instagram. One of them was posting pics of the light displays over the weekend. Paul and I took these pics when we were in Florence in December a few years ago.
These are the type of lovely sites that Sandi will see.
Salmon is a strong flavoured fish unlike other fish with no flavour to speak of at all. Because of that it holds up well to sauces and marinades with a more robust flavouring. This maple Mustard Salmon recipe, originally from the folks behind Becel, is a good example of that.
Full confession. We do not use Becel. In this recipe you're asked to use Becel Buttery Taste. Now I don't know what that is but in my books if you want buttery taste you use butter. Which is what I did.
This dish comes together very quickly. In fact the oven took longer to heat up than everything did to come together and cook.
We both thought the taste was wonderful.
I had some extra sauce leftover so I tossed it with some roasted veggies that we had on the side to complete the flavour profile.
If you're looking for a quick weeknight meal this is a good option for you.
Maple Mustard Salmon
1 lb(s) (500 g) salmon fillet, bones removed and cut into 4 pieces (or use 4 fillets)
¼ cup butter
¼ cup (60 mL) pure maple syrup
4 tsp (20 mL) Dijon or grainy Dijon mustard
1 tsp (5 mL) low-sodium soy sauce
Preheat oven to 425° F (220° C). Arrange salmon in 8-inch (20-cm) baking dish.
Melt butter for 15 seconds on high in microwave. Combine with mustard, soy sauce and maple syrup.
Pour mixture over salmon. Bake 12 minutes or until salmon flakes with a fork. Serve hot with extra sauce over the top.
It is sort of fitting that I follow up my last post with this one. LOL
Let me say right away - the only thing Tuscan about this recipe is the name. That is it. If you can get past that you'll be in for a treat. I confess, it has taken me three years to get past the name thing.
This recipe is a copycat recipe of sorts of an Olive Garden dish. I know, I know. I've never tried it myself but tons of people rave about it so there you go.
Using the instant pot means you'll have this dinner on the table in less than an hour. In fact, I made it on a day where I got sidetracked and forget to get dinner started. I was about to pull some leftovers out of the freezer when I decided to give it a shot. I am glad i did because it really is quick and delicious.
The chicken is juicy and moist with a garlic infused sauce with the tang of sin dried tomatoes and spinach.
Enjoy.
Instant Pot Tuscan Chicken
1 tablespoon sun dried tomato oil from the jar
3 tablespoons butter
2 pounds (900 grams) chicken breasts skinless and boneless
1 teaspoon salt divided
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
5 cloves garlic minced
½ cup chicken stock
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
¼ teaspoon chili flakes
½ cup sundried tomatoes chopped
1 cup heavy cream
½ cup parmesan
2 cups baby spinach leaves
On the Instant Pot choose the SAUTE setting. Heat the oil and melt the butter.
Add minced garlic to the pot, and cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant.
Add chicken/vegetable stock and deglaze the pot by removing any bits stuck to the bottom of the pot, these bits contain a lot of flavor that will enrich the cream sauce. This step is also important to avoid getting the BURN message.
Season with Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and chili flakes.
Secure the lid and set the vent to SEALING. Select the PRESSURE COOK/MANUAL setting and set the cooking time for 5 minutes at high pressure/8 minutes if using bone-in chicken thighs. The Instant Pot will take around 6-7 minutes to come to pressure and start cooking. When the cooking program ends, quickly release the steam.
Carefully remove the lid, take the chicken out of the pot onto a plate and set aside.
Choose the SAUTE setting, stir in the heavy cream and the freshly grated parmesan.
Add chopped sundried tomatoes, and spinach leaves to the pot. Switch off the SAUTE setting, and allow the spinach leaves to wilt.
Put the chicken back in, and spoon the cream sauce over it. Serve over buttered pasta or rice with extra grated parmesan cheese.
Hamilton is home to more than 100 waterfalls, and with one of the highest number of waterfalls of any urban area of its size, has been called the Waterfall Capital of the World. Many of the waterfalls are found along the Niagara Escarpment and Bruce Trail, and can be easily accessed from groomed trails and viewing areas. Last week I did the short hike to see Sherman falls.
Sherman Falls is a 17 metre high curtain waterfall whose source is Ancaster Creek. It is located on private property near the Dundas section of the Bruce Trail. It has a year-round flow and also enjoys the romantic nicknames of Angel Falls and Fairy Falls.
Sherman Falls has been known by many names, depending on who owned the property at the time. Samuel Smith and the Egleston family, both owned the land at one time. Francis Whitton bought the farm and landscaped it with spacious lawns and the beautiful gardens. He built a large elegant home, a garage, greenhouse and gardener’s cottage. The Whitton home was sold to the Sherman family. Clifton Sherman, an American with years of experience in foundry management, established the Dominion Foundries and Steel Co. (Dofasco) in 1912. Members of the Sherman family became well-known in the local community and managed Dofasco for decades until Frank Sherman stepped down. After the death of Frank Sherman, Colin Dunbar bought the property. It is from the Sherman family that the waterfall got its name.