Sasakatoon Berries and Martha

Some vintage Martha (early 90's) my mother handed down to me. What is great about Living magazine is the content is classic and never goes out of style. Even the photos are timeless. I love just looking through her magazine for inspiration. In this blog post I am going to channel my inner Martha and try posting a recipe. Enjoy!
Above are the buds of a Saskatoon berry bush (service berries in the States) - meaningful because my husband has family roots in the prairies. Every year we get a few berries- hardly enough for the famous Saskatoon berry pie...so I end up adding blueberries which work just as well.


Finally things are starting to bloom around here...and the weather is getting warmer. I have been walking to school to pick up the kids as much as I can which is a nice change These tulips are at the side of our house - a nice contrast to the gray concrete and above is a little purple iris starting to peek through the soil.


Here is a little recipe for Saskatoon Berry pie - has anybody tried this kind of pie? You can substitute blueberries if you can't find saskatoon berries:

Ingredients

• 4 cups saskatoon berries
• 3/4 cup sugar, granulated
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1/4 cup water
• pastry for double-crust pie
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Directions

1. In a saucepan, simmer saskatoon berries in water for 10 minutes.
2. Add lemon juice.
3. Stir in granulated sugar mixed with flour.
4. Pour into pastry lined pie plate.
5. Dot with butter.
6. Cover with top crust; seal and flute edges.
7. Make slits in the pie crust for air vents.
8. Bake in 425F oven for 15 minutes; reduce heat to 350F oven and bake 35-45 minutes longer or until golden brown.

this recipe is from this link. Here is another interesting recipe for Pork Tenderloin with Saskatoon Berry Sauce.

Rideau Bakery

Somewhat of an institution in the city I have been wanting to take a photograph of this sign for many years. It is one of the remaining few "retro" signs around and I have always loved it (especially the bakerman). I am glad I took it because I have a feeling it will be gone and lost as many others have been. They do not have a website yet however I can attest to how delicious their poppy seed bread is! Such a Sunday morning treat.

Sunshiny Saturday

This picture is of a beautiful gothic church in Ottawa called Notre-Dame Basilica. It is the oldest surviving church in the region with the first stained glass windows being installed in 1879. Strolling downtown last Saturday I could not resist taking this picture with the brillant blue sky in the background. On another note we stopped into The Tea Store a lovely little shop with bulk teas from around the world. I am trying to recreate some absolutely delicious Aveda tea I had at April Point Resort on Quadra Island, British Columbia.