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By doriluthy, January 22, 2009 2:12 pm

Hey cats! Thanks for the yummy feedback about the granola- glad to hear it’s spreading it’s oaty-goodness across the planet!

I’ve been in a baking mood of late, and had the pleasure of making a big funny cake a couple weeks ago. I wanted to share the recipe here, because it was the best carrot cake I’ve ever had. And I’m not tooting my own horn, because the recipe is called “Canada’s Best Carrot Cake”!  And it really is! The Canadian’s I served it to LOVED it. Icing- not too sweet, cake- lots of carrots, and SO moist. I know of a big carrot cake fan who reads this blog- let me know how it goes?

Why did I bake it? The Mergatroid building- which is where my studio is located, along with about 40 other artists, had a big party, to celebrate the new year, and we threw in a surprise “lotta-love-in-our-hearts” celebration for our building owner, Mr. M.F., who is just the biggest sweetheart in the world. I mean, how many people can say that about their landlords? I CAN! The cake was part of the surprise.

So here ya go:

Link to REcipe: Canada’s Best Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

And photos:

OH the magic of food colouring! Thanks to my business guru, who is quickly becoming a expert (ahem) kitchen helper, for mixing up JUST the right colour green.

About that colour- the Mergatroid bldg is painted that colour. I forget what Mr. M.F. called it, but I think it’s chartreuse. The photo doesn’t capture it very well. But dang it was tastey!

Moments before devouring:

This cake passed the strict Flavour Approval Rating Taste System (FARTS) of 6 year old Maya. She gave me a FARTS-2.  That means she came back for seconds! (Your FARTS is directly proportional to the number of times the child goes back for more. This can be tricky if parents are nearby to manage the system, greatly limiting the highest rate achievable. I personally think this cake deserved a FARTS-6. Honestly.)

Enjoy the recipe!

Ciao.

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By doriluthy, January 11, 2009 2:28 am

I watched the Curious Case of Benjamin Button tonight. I went to the theatre by myself, a date with Dori seemed like a good thing to do. The movie was incredible, the kind that makes you think and feel and love the whole way through. And when it stops, you sit and wipe your eyes and wonder.

The movie was filled with this precious wisdom, bits that remind us we only get one chance here… “For what it’s worth, it’s never too late, or in my case too early, to be whoever you want to be. There’s no time limit… start whenever you want… you can change or stay the same. There are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. I hope you see things that stop you. I hope you feel things that you never felt before. I hope you meet people with a different point of view. I hope you live a life that you’re proud of and if you find that you’re not, I hope you have the strength to start all over again.”

If you get a chance to see this on the big screen, I would highly recommend it.

I’ll go see it again with you.

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By doriluthy, January 7, 2009 1:03 am

For those who devoured their granola in a couple days (or less!), here is the recipe so you can make your own. Feel free to play with the amounts of nuts- add more or less if you like, or try other kinds…

Cypress Granola! (named by Dan Luthy in winter of Dec. 2003)

6 cups whole oats

1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1 cup sunflower seeds

2/3 cup pumpkin seeds

1/3 cup flax seeds

1 cup chopped dates

2 tsp cinnamon

2/3 cup honey

2/3 cup safflower or sunflower oil

2 tsp vanilla

Directions:

1. Mix all dry ingredients, including cinnamon. Preheat oven to 250*F.

2. In a saucepan on low heat, mix the oil and honey until the honey is melted. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Stir the wet into the dry, and mix well until all dry is coated.

3. Spread mixture onto 2 baking sheets, put into 250*F oven and bake for approximately 1 hour- stirring mixture every 20 minutes.

4. Allow granola to fully cool to room temp. Put it in an airtight container to store.

Delicious with warm milk and sliced bananas, or sprinkled over vanilla ice cream for a nice treat! Enjoy!!

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By doriluthy, January 4, 2009 2:21 pm

Well, even though we call this day Sunday, it’s actually rainy and gray- no Sun here, no way. I woke to the sounds of drip drop on the window. Hey, why do we call it Sunday?  Oh, thanks Wiki.

But FRIDAY was lovely and sunny, and seeing how I hadn’t left the house in almost a week due to the aforementioned kidney infection, I grabbed the camera and headed out into the snowy Strathcona just before sunset (4:00pm). I’ll call it Fri-sun-day. The light was inspiring the camera and me. I came home with lungs of fresh air and even more love for the hood. (Is it possible to love it even more?!)

Here’s a quick shot before I left the house- it was what inspired me to put on my galoshes and get my butt going out the door and get a little sun before it disappears for 4 months. Sunny tulips- it feels like spring!

Look at their fuzzy petals! Aren’t they amazing? What a world we live in, such beauty… (click on the pic to zoom in, if you want a face full of fuzzy tulip. Highly recommended.)

My first steps out the door and I hear their calls. Not just one, but two eagles perched on the Korean Foursquare steeple. It wouldn’t be Strathcona…

Here are a few shots of the hood:

This kind of snow is very unusual for our little world. And personally, I am a big fan. The snow just slows everything down, quiets the streets. A good excuse to walk with care, and wear lots of layers of sweaters and scarves. Don’t you love to bundle up? I do!

Sunny rooftops, lavender clouds:

The Wilder Snail- best coffee in the hood. (decaf latte, please):

End of the day, looking up snowy Union St. to the west. The sky is alive!

Then I headed home for a big mug of hot chocolate- to warm my hands of course!

The End.

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By doriluthy, January 4, 2009 3:39 am

We woke up this Saturday morning to (more!) snow falling. Thick wet flakes that begged to be photographed and played in. So what does a person do in this kind of weather? Put on the layers and hop into the 4×4 pickup truck and head to the beach! Lovely. Lovely. Lovely. Here are few shots from the adventure out and about.

(But no sledding or rough-housing, this gal’s recovering from a not-so-nice kidney infection.)

So, clothing is optional?

Ummm, maybe not today.

It was eerie not being able to see the city, north shore, or islands from the beach. It felt as if everything had fallen away.

The shadows of the container ships, ghosts on the horizon.

Looking west towards Vancouver Island… where is it?

Clothing is optional, but galoshes are not.

Happy winter everyone!