Hello Blog Friends!
As you will see from the photos above, the season has certainly shifted around here as we launch into autumn!
Office time this week has been filled with a variety of tasks. Monday morning began with preparing the agenda for the September Day Camp committee meeting planned for this coming Tuesday evening, and also updating the list of contributors to the 2023 Program both of which documents were sent out on Tuesday.
Wednesday I also took time to put together a flyer for the Alumni Advent Study Program. Although it won’t be distributed until October I would like to include the basic info in the PowerPoint I’m making for the Harvest Team Gathering. In the next couple of weeks the worship leader and speaker will both need access to the PP as they enter the songs and scripture readings for the evening.
Early in the week I also sent a round of badgering emails to the CTM Board members, reminding them of the September 15th deadline for submitting content for the Harvest/Thanksgiving newsletter. After this Labour Day Holiday long weekend everyone tends to hit the ground running as so many meetings and events resume after a summer hiatus. I have noticed that many activities are still planned as online events, with Zoom or Google Meet being the new normal as we slowly transition out of pandemic mode.
Late Monday afternoon I also enjoyed a second visit with my friend Michelle, this time accompanied by her daughter Sophie who has just started classes at McGill. It was an extremely hot and sticky day so we enjoyed our slices of Tropic Aroma cake with glasses of kombucha rather than the usual hot tea! Michelle flew back to the UK on Wednesday but she and I are still committed to meeting weekly on FaceTime so as they left the house she said “see” you on Monday, which cheered me slightly, although the joy of being together in person certainly beats trying to hug a friend through a computer screen 😊
As of Wednesday, I began carving out time to work on the” Changing of the Decorations” and by yesterday almost everything was in place. This is one of the more complex changes as it involves the arranging of both indoor an outdoor décor. The large houseplants that have spent the summer soaking up sunshine on the deck and porch are hauled back into the house and replaced by hardy chrysanthemums from a local garden centre and Mexican terracotta suns of various sizes are changed out with grapevine wreaths.
Indoors all the soft covers and bedding are changed, summer china packed away and replaced by autumn sets and of course all sorts of small ornaments and wall decorations exchanged. This huge upheaval includes a thorough dusting and mopping everywhere but the results are well worth a few days of chaos and the indoor décor will now remain in place until Advent although much of the outdoor arrangements need to be removed in early October before the frosts come 😊.
And so this morning I have been working in the garden, checking on the house of some neighbours who have gone for a month to visit family in Scotland, walking Thomason and getting the baking started. Right now Sue’s gluten free loaves are in the oven, soon to be followed by a batch of biscotti, some rolls and a pan of cinnamon buns, an apple crisp and a batch of dog biscuits for Thomason, which means we had better close off with our recipe so that I can get back into the kitchen. 😊
Sometimes on the Blog I like to do a “Monthly Recipe “theme, so for September I thought I would focus on Asian Bowls, starting this week with: –
Miso Tofu Rice Bowl
- 1 block extra-firm tofu, cut into 8 slices
- 3 Tbsps. Tamari
- 1 Tbsp. minced ginger
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- ⅛ tsp. cayenne
- 1 Tbsp. honey
- 2 tsps. lime juice
- 2 Tbsps. miso
- 2 Tbsps. rice vinegar
- 1 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil
- 3 Tbsps. olive oil
- 1 large red or green bell pepper, sliced
- 3 cups cooked rice
- 1 cup kimchi
Combine the Tamari, ginger, garlic, cayenne, honey, lime juice, miso, rice vinegar and oils in a small bowl and whisk well. Lay the tofu slices in a single layer in a shallow dish and cover with the marinade, turning with tongs to coat both sides. Marinate for 15 minutes. Meanwhile preheat the oven to 375ºF and slice the pepper into thin strips. Remove the tofu from the marinade and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Dip the pepper slices into the marinade to coat and place them on the baking sheet. Roast the tofu and peppers for 15-20 minutes until deep brown. Divide the cooked rice between 4 bowls and top each serving with 2 tofu slices, some of the roasted peppers and ¼ cup kimchi. Serve immediately. Serves 4.