In The Kitchen: Chive Vinegar

       Last week a couple of  friends posted enticing photos in their Instagram feeds of some lovely looking Chive Vinegar that they were brewing up- I was instantly intrigued by this pretty pinkish concoction. Fate always has a way of stepping in for me and giving me what I need and last weekend was no different- we arrived at my parent's house where the chives were in full bloom- thank you fate- or nature- whatever- at any rate I had access to an abundance of chive heads- so I thought I would try this pretty Spring treat.

   Gather

1 1/2 cups of Champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
2 1/2 cups of chive heads- snipped right at the base
a mason jar or two
parchment paper

   Do

- warm the vinegar in a small sauce pan- do not let it boil- you want the warm vinegar to bring out the flavour

-rinse the chive heads in cool water to dispel any garden creatures hitching a ride- gently wash

- place the flowers into the jars- pack them in

- pour warm vinegar over the flowers and allow to cool

- place the parchment paper over the mouth of the jar before screwing on the lid- the metal will make your lovely vinegar taste terrible

-place in a cool spot and allow to steep for a week or two

- use in tasty Summer vinaigrettes or even on fish and chips- adding a slight onion taste to any dish

- Thank you to both Carie and Michelle for their inspiration- my salads thank you as do my fries!

          Friends it is Friday again- we have a busy weekend packed full of Birthday parties and Farmers Marketing! Today we have no school and so we are celebrating the wonderful weather by heading out to our favourite outdoor pool for the first time this season! Hooray! Much peace and love Friends- Happy Friday!

By The Window

Garden instructions for the coming weeks-propped on the sill

A jar or purple jump ups picked by grubby little boy hands

evidence of last week's visit from the Easter Bunny

so many generations of our family have sat in this highchair

always a latte when you need one

the light in my Mother's kitchen is amazing on any given day

In My Kitchen

Who: Pinned from a friend on Pinterest

What: Marinated Mushrooms

When: just last night

Where: on the BBQ out on the deck! Yup it's staying lighter out longer each day!

Why: last fall I was going through some health stuff and started on a path to better nutrition- recently I got even more serious about it- I am kick starting my metabolism post babies and incorporating more vege- like a lot more vege into my diet! In an effort not to get bored I am searching out new and interesting recipes mainly to replace the rice on my plate!

How: This could not be easier! Since our kiddos don't eat mushrooms I thought there would be plenty of leftovers but no- the Mr. and I ate them all- so good!

1/2 tablespoon harissa
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
a few pinches of oregano
2 cups mushrooms


- whisk together harissa ( the star of this recipe- caution spicy!), olive oil, balsamic and oregano in a bowl- clean and slice mushrooms in half- I used white mushrooms as that's what I had on hand but Portobello or Brown mushrooms would also be great! Add mushrooms to marinade, toss to coat and let stand for a half hour.

- preheat over to 350 degrees or heat up grill- roast in over for about 10 minutes or grill on BBQ for about 5 min per side

Seriously try this- so easy and so, so yummy! The Mr. who is not as big of a mushroom fan as I am even had seconds- this recipe is a sure fire winner!


* I purchased my harissa at La Marche St George
* the original recipe is from the blog Dinner & Dreams