Foodie on the Hunt - Week 3

Better late than never, we're finally headed to pick our own strawberries. It happens every strawberry season where we head up north and by the time we get back blueberries and raspberries are ready and I get all excited for them and forget the good ol' strawberry. Not this year.

The nice thing about our local "pennysaver" type Friday night paper (that comes with all the lovely flyers) is that they have a pretty great listing of all the pick your own places. Normally, I'd head back to Red Barn - I know where it is, it's pretty close to home and convenient. But I've already been there this summer. Time to expand the horizons, right?

So I think we'll head to Thames River Melons - The Chesney farm. They're located within a 15 minute drive and, while I've seen their farm gate sales in parking lots throughout the city, I've yet to visit the farm.

Linky Link.

I'll have to call them to see how the strawberries are and if they're open tomorrow. Cross your fingers because there is no way we're headed out in thunderstorms and the like to get strawberries.

If they're not open, my plan is to hit them next week and go to this little Portuguese bakery that's in town and get some of their homemade pierogi. They even have "dessert" pierogi. Should be interesting.

I also meal planned for the week this week already this morning. Lucy was up early and I've had enough coffee to jolt a rhino. Jim's on afternoons next week, so it's just me and the girls. Here's the plan:

Tonight: The BBQ grilled cheese, tomato and basil sandwiches I didn't get to do last night (we ended up at the Cantebury Folk Festival, where we munched on overpriced food vendor fare).

Sunday: Beer Can Chicken, loaded baked potatoes and corn on the cob (if I can find decent corn).

Monday: Breaded pork bites, mashed potatoes and cherry tomato salad.

Tuesday: MINA'S 8TH BIRTHDAY!!! It's also soccer night, so you know we'll do homemade pizza and, of course, we'll have birthday cake.

Wednesday: Fettucini alfredo with mushrooms.

Thursday: Korean ribs on the grill, refried potatoes and steamed veggies (probably peas and carrots).

Friday: BBQ baked chicken wings with side salads.

Foodie on the Fly - Camping in Hell

Before we get to the adventures of the last week, let me define camping in hell. Camping in hell is when your vacation starts out relatively nice and, within a day, the weather turns cold, the rain starts to fall, your kids stop sleeping and start getting cabin fever (making an unbearable situation that much worse), then they inevitably get colds, which they share with you to enjoy on the one, single day of halfway decent weather.

Let's put it out there. I hate to camp. Even when my "roughing it" has no iota of "rough".

Needless to say, this was one vacation I was happy to return from.

Of course, not all of the past week or so was terrible. We actually left Mina at Jim's Mom's for a few days and left Cody at camp with Jim's Dad and headed back home and had some Foodie Fun on the way back. We saw some odd sights and had some laughs. We got to spend time with the Foodie Family, which makes up for all the rain, my inability to find really great local food up north (both from lack of availability in the region and my lack of motivation to dig deeper).

I missed my food though. I missed cooking. So I'm happy to be home and back at it.

But, let's focus on the good stuff. Our mini trip back home mid-vacation. We made great two stops: The Candy Shoppe (located on the 400 both southbound and northbound) and The Flashback Diner in Barrie.

First we stopped at: Candy Shoppe. Highway #11 North, Orillia, Ontario
(705) 327-8337

A true candy haven. Rows upon rows of hundreds (or thousands.. I didn't count) of kinds of candies and chocolates. I think the best part of the candy available is the selection from the UK (Cadbury items and, my favourite, Flake bars) and the selection from the US (Baby Ruth bars, Razzles, Wonka bars). Even those little Fizz candies I loved as a kid that made my tongue burn and bleed if I ate too many.

Check out their website - you can even order online. Hmm. Maybe not so great that I discovered that. I think the best part (other than the candy) was the little park out back. A good distraction for those travellers who get super antsy. I bet you thought I meant Lucy. No... me. The equipment may be a bit older than most, but it seemed fairly well maintained. Although Lucy was more enchanted with the flowers and the trees. The funny part of the Candy Shoppe is that I have passed it, going north, so many times and have always wanted to stop. I'm glad we did, even though my dentist may be less thrilled at my next checkup.

After our stop for candy, Lucy started letting us know that she was getting hungry. There is always one big problem I have with our 4-5 hour trips up north to see Jim's family. We inevitably fall prey to those oh-so-convenient-side-of-the-road service centres. And if there is one thing that I'm getting tired of it's fast food, scarfed down on the side of the road. It's always the same. I once had a friend ask me that if you weren't enjoying what was going into your stomach, why would you eat it? I think it's an extremely valid point that isn't asked often enough. I have nothing against burgers and fries. But there's a difference between a GOOD burger and fries and McDonald's version.

It was because of this philosophy I maintained to Jim that - unless absolutely necessary - when travelling, we would try to find local establishments to eat at and take the time to explore the places we were passing through.

As dinner time hit, we were closest to Barrie. So we got off the highway and hit:

Flashback Diner
309 Bayfield Street
Barrie, ON L4M 3C2
(705) 726-6555

The name pretty much sums it up. Diner atmosphere, diner food, diner shakes. The food is pretty good, the shakes and the cherry cokes are great. The decor is reminiscent of decades past with the old booth radios being replaced (cleverly enough) with small televisions that played (even more cleverly) a kid-friendly movie.

Comparitively speaking though, if I had my choice to go to this diner or McD's on the side of the road, the diner wins. Hands down.

Our order? Jim had the 10 ounce bacon cheeseburger, fries and a chocolate shake. I had the classic turkey club, coleslaw and a cherry coke. Lucy got a grilled cheese and white milk.

The highlights? Jim's burger. Well seasoned, well cooked. The toppings were pretty basic (hint for them: local lettuce is in season - use it instead of tasteless iceburg). The chocolate shake. When you use fresh, real ingredients and add in real whipped cream and a cherry it's hard to screw this one up. The turkey club. Made with real turkey and not deli meat. 'Nuff said. It wasn't stellar, but they win points for not using cheap meat.

The letdowns? The cherry coke. It would have helped to actually.. oh, I don't know.. put a cherry in there. Lucy's grilled cheese. Points given for using real cheese and not processed slices. But it was marble. And greasy. Which means she loved it, but I didn't love her having the same amount of grease she would have had eating a McDonald's quarter pounder.

Overall, a good experience. Not too pricey for decent food, which was a vast improvement over the fast food. I have to say though, I got the biggest kick out of the bathroom doors. Clever. Moreso for me, who has a kid named Lucy.
And that was our mini-trip back home during our vacation. Which, I have to say, was probably more exciting and food-filled than the rest of the vacation.

Of course, when we got home on Monday night, I had to do a quick meal plan for the week. Here it is:

Tuesday: Steak sandwiches (Jim's favourite, of course) with potato salad

Wednesday: Manchego burgers with smashed and fried potatoes

Thursday: Bangers and mash with mushy peas

Friday: Grilled cheese, tomato and basil sandwiches (on the BBQ) with corn on the cob

Tonight was the Manchego burgers. In a word: superb. Jim's secret burger recipe (I'm still bugging him to let me share it here) with my cheese choice and super fresh toppings made for a fabulous and easy meal. I had to out-do the burger he loved so much at the diner, you see.

Foodie Goes North

After a completely crazy week of packing, the end of school and general craziness, late last night the family packed it up and headed north.

Every July, just in time for Jim's birthday, we head to South River and hang with Jim's Dad (also a Jim) for a week.

Instead of Foodie on the Hunt this week, I'm going to head into town today and see what kind of local food I can find in the North. I already know that there is a microbrewery in town that I have to hit for Kathy at work.

Currently, I'm sitting here, having a coffee, watching the ducks on the lake as Cody makes friends with Jager (the resident dog here). The trailer has a slight lean to the left, so Lucy is navigating her way around while trying not to fall. Mina is watching cartoons on the flat screen TV and Jim is cleaning.

I like this kind of "roughing it". I'll like it even more when we get some breakfast.

Found: Krug's Meat Market and a Father's Day Feast

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!

To celebrate, I made Jim a big dinner last night, filled with stuff he loves: pork, the BBQ and chocolate.

Before I get into the menu details, let me tell you about Krug's.

There is something heartwarming about finding a local "hot spot" that is so well loved in a small community that the line extends out the door. This is Krug's.

Found: Meat Market Extraordinaire. Also known as Krug's Meat Market. 28 Woodstock Street, South Tavistock, Ontario. 519-655-2221.

I love this place. Located about 15 minutes outside of Woodstock, it has a huge selection of really great quality meat (plus, bakery items, cheeses, pantry items as an added bonus). What I enjoy more though is the hospitality and charm. The staff are nice and helpful. Which I assume rubs off on the clientele, because they too - while waiting in a long line of anxious meat eaters - were kind and considerate. Refreshing.

What I got? A huge pork shoulder roast (more on that later), ground beef, a huge cut of their garlic smoked sausage and an even bigger cut of the candied sausage. Price tag? $25. Sweet.

What did the girls get? A Krug's wiener. Heaven for them and I think Lucy won the award for quickest to inhale a hot dog. Here they are, post-wiener, looking all happy and content.

I was starving, so I ate a huge chunk of the candied sausage on the way home. I'll take pictures of it today, since I'm bringing it to the Father's Day BBQ. It's smokey and sweet and chewy and all kind of yum.

Of course, my work wasn't done when we got home. I had to do Jim's dinner. Since the shoulder roasts looked pretty good at Krug's and I snagged one, I decided to do an Apple Glazed Pork Shoulder on the BBQ with grilled veggie kebabs and Chocolate Pots for dessert. All Jim's favourites. Dinner was delicious, but I still have a bit to learn on proper cuts of meat. While I use the shoulder cut often for pulled pork, it doesn't make that perfect roast. It was good, but next time I'll use a loin roast. Chocolate pots.. well.. nothing ever goes wrong with them other than my eating a small second helping. Ouch. My hips didn't thank me for that. My taste buds did though.

Apple Glazed Pork Roast

You Need (rub):
- 2 tbsp of ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp of paprika
- 2 tbsp of brown sugar
- 1 tbsp of celery salt
- 1 tsp of dry mustard
- 1/2 tsp of cayenne
You Need (glaze):
- 2/3 cup of apple sauce
- 3 tbsp of orange juice
- 1 tbsp of grated ginger
- 1/4 tsp of dry mustard
- Pinch of ground cloves
- Pinch of cinnamon

To Do:
1. Cook the pork using indirect heat. Place pork on far side of grill where there is no direct heat. Leave it cook for 4-5 hours (internal temp around 145-150), rotating side to side every 30-45 minutes. When there are 2 hours left, start to glaze with every turn.

2. Tent pork for 10 minutes before serving.

3. To make the rub, combine all ingredients. Rub over pork roast and let sit minimum 3 hours, or overnight.

4. To make glaze, combine all ingredients and bring to a simmer for 10 minutes. Once cooled, use to glaze roast.

Chocolate Pots
You Need:
- 7 ounces of high quality semi-sweet chocolate - chop fairly finely
- 1/2 pint of heavy cream
- 2 egg yolks
- 3/4 ounces butter

To Do:
1. In heavy bottomed sauce pan, heat cream until *almost* a boil. Remove from heat.

2. Add in chopped chocolate, stir until melted. I often notice if there isn't enough and will add a good cocoa or another ounce of chocolate to thicken.

3. Lightly beat egg yolks in seperate bowl. Temper into chocolate.

4. Cool a bit and stir in butter until glossy.

5. Serve in small glasses (it's rich, you don't need a lot) with your choice of fruit. My favourite? Raspberries. Mina loves banana though.

Weekly Meal Plan

Since it's been a crazy week, I glanced through the flyers and found a few things of interest for the plan this week. That said, we're leaving for camping at the end of the week, so I want to use up as much pantry/fridge/freezer items before we go. So, it's kind of a mixed bag this week.

Tonight: Haven't decided. It's Jim's Father's Day dinner that I'll make just for him. Some kind of grilled meat, grilled veggies, coleslaw and homemade ice cream sandwiches for dessert. He'll get blueberry pancakes and BBQ bacon for breakfast in bed.

Sunday: At my brother's house. Sausages, hot dogs, greek salad, antijitos, shrimp and lots of fruit and veggies. Typical 'Que fare.

Monday: Steak sandwiches with spinach salads. Jim's favourite meal.

Tuesday: Homemade pizza. It's soccer night, of course.

Wednesday: Homemade "Hamburger Helper" (ground beef, pasta, veggies).

Thursday: Bangers N' Mash with steamed peas (make mine mushy)

Friday: We're LEAVING for camping!! Dinner will be on the road.

Dinner last night: Baked chicken wings. I did a sauce with soy, hoisin, garlic, ginger, hot sauce, paprika and a bunch of other stuff. It was fantastic. Served with steamed brocolli it was a good, quick dinner.

And since I missed it - Dinner on Thursday? Grilled steaks with compound butter served with cheesy mashed potatoes and peas.