Thanks to Lunenburg Save Easy, I was able to to cook a wonderfully healthy and filling ‘Grown Close to Home’ meal this evening. Let me explain…

I have recently and finally put my money where my mouth is and made a conversion to a different way of eating…… call it a kind of ‘environmental diet’ if you like (based on 1940′s wartime rationing). It involves making choices to use any imported food items infrequently and sparingly and to use as much fresh local produce as possible. Just plain simple, nothing fancy cooking.

This may sound not so difficult but as my diet involves a lot of vegetables and fruit it can be surprisingly difficult as a busy working Mum, to source local veg when you have little time to shop around or attend Farmer’s Markets during working hours. Typically, my weekly grocery shopping at a local store can take quite sometime as I check the labels to ensure that something is grown in Canada and preferably Nova Scotia!

So when this evening I decided to pop over to Lunenburg Save Easy I have to say, my pulse started racing as my first encounter was a ‘GROWN CLOSE TO HOME’ display….everything at the front of the store was grown locally (Nova Scotia). Although it wasn’t quite the same as buying veggies from your neighbours farm, it really was a BIG STEP in the right direction and made my shopping experience a quick and easy one. No longer did I have to study the labels closely to reveal words like ** Product of USA or Produce of New Zealand**…

So a big thumbs up for Lunenburg Save Easy- thank you!

Last night I cooked a full authentic 1940′s main course and dessert for myself, my youngest daughter Em AND my eldest daughters boyfriend. I cooked a simple meal of corned beef fritters fried in dripping, served with fresh green beans and carrots and for dessert a very satisfying bread pudding served with custard

All plates were empty and clean afterwards and I took this as a compliment…! Here is the recipe…

Bread Pudding

* 10 ounces of stale bread (you’ll have to use your kitchen scales!)
* 2 ounces of margarine or butter
* 1 ounce of sugar
* 2 ounces of dried raisin sultanas
* 1 egg (fresh or dried)
* milk to mix
* cinnamon
* extra sugar for topping

Put bread into a basin and add a little water. Leave for 10 minutes.

Squeeze bread out until fairly dry

Return bread to empty basin and add all the other ingredients (except spice) adding a little milk to make a sticky consistency

Add cinnamon a little at a time until your own taste

Place mixture into a greased pan (like a lasagna pan)

Cook at 160 degrees C for an hour or so until edges are browned and centre is hot

Sprinkle sugar on top 10 minutes before end of cooking

Allow to cool a little, slice and serve

Serves 8 to 10

Ever noticed just HOW expensive bread is? As a family of 4 with big appetites we need a daily loaf but purchasing one everyday is between $2-$3 which is $14-$21 a week or $56-$84 a month!! Hell that’s a LOT of money!

It really helps in our house to make our own bread whenever we have the time and purchasing a 10 kg sack of wholewheat flour in bulk and some quick rise yeast enables us to produce a 1lb loaf for less than 75 cents..

CLICK HERE FOR MY RECIPE PAGE

Here is a simple but tasty loaf recipe I use all the time modified from a wartime recipe…

Nothing Fancy Wartime Loaf

* 600 ml (1 pint) of warm water
* 5 teaspoons of quick rise yeast
* couple pinches of sugar
* 2 lb of wholewheat (wholemeal) flour
* 1.5 teaspoons salt
* 1 tablespoon rolled oats (for top)
* drizzle of vegetable oil

Place flour in large bowl
Mix in all dry ingredients except the rolled oats
Drizzle in vegetable oil
Pour in warm water
Mix thoroughly
When dough comes together knead for 10 minutes until dough is silky
Place back in bowl and cover
Let dough rise somewhere warm until doubled in size
Knead dough briefly again
Place dough into 4 x 1/2 lb tins (or 2 x 1 lb tins) that have been floured
Brush top with a little water and sprinkle on some rolled oats
Leave to rise for around 20 minutes
PLace in oven at 180 0C for around 30-40 mins (depending on the size of the loaf)
Remove from oven
Cool for at least 15 minutes before cutting

Back to blogging in a day or two..

Been very busy and having fun working at the Mahone Bay Classic Boat Festival since Thursday as part of my volunteer work on the organizing committee.

The Firework display on Friday night was amazing and yesterday was a delight with all the re-enactors from the Kings Orange Rangers, Shelburn Privateers and lots of folk from the town coming dressed as pirates etc… that attention to detail on some of the costumes was quite amazing. These people are awesome!

Must fly- final day culminating in the Famous Fast & Furious boat race at 3pm..

C xx