Amazing Adventure- Milton Farmer's Market- Sweet Treats and excursions!

Now, here's part 2 of our awesome trip to the Milton Farmer's Market. This blog post is brought to you by my sweet tooth!

As mentioned previously, I love to buy locally produced products. So I was just thrilled to stumble upon this lovely little piece of heaven. Moose River Preserves, check them out on Facebook ...

https://www.facebook.com/mooseriver.preserves

They make wonderful jams in the most unique flavours. Like Gingered Pear Jam.

Blueberry Mango...

Tipsy Strawberry...

and Raspberry Jalapeno. They had samples and let me tell you they were delicious (ok, my sweet, sensitive taste buds didn't have the guts to try this one)! Wait 'til you see what we did them!

You know how I love cupcakes... well look who we found at the market.... Hillary (well I think it was her husband, she was at the Ribfest selling her mini treasures) selling these beautiful cupcakes!

All kept safely under cover from those pesky wasps and bees. Which one should I try???? For a list of all the flavours, check out her website, another locally owned operation of sweet proportions! (http://www.hillaryscupcakes.com/)

Melanie chose a vanilla of course, my little vanilla girl!

But you know, I had to get my chocolate on, with a minty frosting too! Yum, Yum, Yummy!

Okay, here's my sister eating a salty treat, back bacon on a bun! I just had to include her in these food indulgence pictures!

After those lovely snacks we had to 'walk it off' a bit. So we went up the street to a little park right on the water. Just look at those sweet cousins enjoying the view.

We saw Canada goose and these mallard mommies.

It was so sweet seeing Stephanie observing those duckies and making the 'coin, coin' sound... because, you know, that's the sound ducks make in French.

Lovely bird watchers!

Ok, time to go, Stephanie could had to get a ride back, all that Farmer's Market, Duck Pond love was just too much fun for a sweet little girl to handle!

Amazing Adventure- Milton Farmer's Market -Freshness at it's best!

The Milton Farmer's Market- What an awesome way to spend a sunny Saturday Morning!

My sister invited Melanie and I to join her on a trip to the Milton Farmer's Market. Well this was no 'in the parking lot of a mall' type of market, no! This was a 'close main street downtown' type of market and what an awesome experience!
It was filled with farmers and local producers of gorgeous food and tons of people and wagons and dogs! It was alive and kickin' and full of delicious, fresh and tasty produce. Check out what we found!

I love to buy local produce and support the local farmers and economy. Well in the last weeks of August, this is when all of nature's best is available! It's great to go with my sister because we get to buy big quantities of things like blueberries or potatoes and split it later when we get home!  Check out the peaches...

Tomatoes, little cucumbers, potatoes.

This cool looking bunch of zucchinis called 'pattipan' they look like tops and taste just like zucchinis!

Look at these gorgeous sunflowers... and the bee!

 

.. and these gorgeous colours...

... and these gorgeous blooms, they look like fireworks exploded! Did I mention I love flowers?

Some corn... great to split a dozen with your sister!

Little fingerling potatoes in all colours!

 

One of Melanie's favourite summer veggies... string beans!

 

Mother-daughter walking time.... ya, that happens when Stephanie doesn't want to stay in the stroller anymore.

But it's a great time to learn all about flowers.

The little botanist and her mom, learning, discovering...

...and most importantly, smelling!!!! Roses smell so fresh and sweet, right Stephanie?

Yup, she says wearing her 'Chicks Rule' shirt... I am done, what's next ma tante Chantal?  Well, you gotta wait and see for the next installment of the Farmer's Market  Amazing Adventure in a few days!

Healthy Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie

You wanna add some health to some homemade cookies?  Here's what you do... add oatmeal and whole wheat flour.

I present to you the....

Best Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookie Recipe

Adapted from (http://www.versagrain.com/peanut-butter-oatmeal-cookie-recipe.html)

Ingredients (Serves 30)

·         1 cup all purpose flour (I used whole wheat flour)

·         1 cup Old-Fashioned Quaker Oats

·         1/2 teaspoon baking soda

·         1/2 teaspoon baking powder

·         1/4 teaspoon salt

·         1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

·         1/2 cup butter, softened

·         1/2 cup granulated sugar

·         1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

·         1/2 cup peanut butter

·         1 egg

·         1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

·         6 ounces of semi-sweet baking chocolate, coarsely chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, add flour, oats, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.

In a large bowl, add butter, sugars, and peanut butter. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Then mix in egg and vanilla.

Add flour mixture a 1/2 cup at a time, blending well after each addition. Stir in chocolate.

Drop heaping tablespoonfuls of dough, 2 inches apart, onto non-stick baking sheets. (Avoid using baking sheets you have to grease because the grease can cause your chocolate peanut butter oatmeal cookies to burn.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. DO NOT OVERBAKE. Two extra minutes can mean the difference between rocks or soft chewy oatmeal peanut butter cookies.

Allow cookies to cool 1 - 2 minutes before removing and placing them on wire racks to cool completely.

Check our the gooey batter.

Big scoops...

...they come out so delicious...

...just look at the up close and personal shot after my first bite!

Evening in Thornhill

This summer, we had the pleasure of being invited to my colleague Susie's home for an after work team party. Not many of our team made it, but the ones who did were completely in for a gourmet fair. You see, usually at these summer team meetings we have hot dogs and hamburgers.... but no, not this year. Susie, our kind hostess, is not a hot dog and hamburger person, so when she was asked to come up with a menu for the staff BBQ, this is what she came up with... a fantastic array of healthy, wholesome salads and kebabs and the best salmon I have ever tasted!

 Orzo vegetable salad.

 Claire's Quinoa salad (recipe to come).

 Chicken and veggie kebabs.

 Grilled Salmon. The best I have even had.

... and don't forget the grilled zucchini.

 ...prepared with a spray of lemon...

 ...yes, check out this cool kitchen tool. It's a twisty spray top you screw into any citrus and it sprays the juice on the lemon. Susie, you have the coolest tools!

 So here are a few of the colleagues who came out to enjoy this gourmet affair! Here are a few candid shots...

 Judy and Cookie Monster!

 Bogdan.

 Sarah, incognito with those glasses.

 Joyce and her cold beverage?

Claire and Iain, wonder who's fighting for that glass of wine?

 Lily and Lily wearing matching magenta sportswear... my favourite colour!

...one Lily laughing out loud...

 ...one Lily is laughing inside!

...colourful bunch of colleagues!

Here's our lovely hostess Susie and her grill master husband Mark. Thanks again for an awesomely delicious evening!

I know your wondering, what did Chantal eat... well it was stacked with delicious, wholesome goodness! Check it out! Wonder if we can get Susie to bring in her salmon at the next office pot luck???