Christine's Kitchen

01/23/2025

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We have a new program coming your way!
🍲 Monthly Soup & Sandwich Social! 🥪
Join us on the 3rd Wednesday of the month [FEB 19TH] with lunch service from 11:30-1:30pm, and the hall will remain open for socializing. Lunch is by donation! Coffee and tea will also be served. Everyone is welcome, open to all ages and backgrounds. Taking place at the Horton Community Centre 1005 Castleford Rd (only 5 minutes out of Renfrew!)

01/23/2025

12/05/2024

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Butter tarts are a wonderful treat during the Christmas season (or any season really).
They are quintessentially Canadian, but what is the history of these delectable treats?
Let's learn the history of The Butter Tart :)

The origin of the butter tart is somewhat murky.
One possible origin dates back to the late-1600s when 800 young women were sent to New France from France to build the population of the colony.
They were known as The King's Daughters.

It is believed that the King's Daughter brought with them various traditional French recipes including sugar pie.
In their new home in New France, the women adapted the recipes to what they had around them. This included mixtures of syrup, butter and dried fruit.

These may have been proto-butter tarts, but there are other origins put forward for the butter tart.
One is that it comes from Scottish settlers in the mid-19th century.
Settling in Ontario and Western Canada, they brought with them their border tart recipes.

The border tart is similar to the butter tart, but again the settlers took what they had around them and adapted it into a new recipe called The Butter Tart.
There are other claims that the butter tart is an adaptation on the pecan pie from the United States.

The first published recipe of the butter tart was in 1900 in Barrie, Ontario. It was a recipe by Mary MacLeod, published in the Women's Auxiliary of the Royal Victoria Hospital Cookbook.
Another recipe was published in a 1915 pie book.

It is likely the butter tart as we know it emerged in the late-19th century. The simple ingredients of eggs, flour, syrup, sugar and a pastry made it a perfect treat for homesteaders to make. It was simple and inexpensive.

Today, the butter tart is celebrated as quintessential Canadian treat.
Canada Post issued a stamp to celebrate the butter tart in 2019. The butter tart was also name dropped in Steal My Sunshine by Canadian band Len in 1999.

The butter tart is celebrated in festivals around Canada each year.
The Midland Best Butter Tart Festival and Contest is the largest of the festivals, with over 50,000 butter tarts sold each year.
Now the only question is....raisins or no raisins?

I hope you enjoyed that look at butter tarts.

If you enjoy my Canadian history content, you can support my work with a donation at 👇
http://www.buymeacoffee.com/craigu

11/25/2024

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11/25/2024

In the Netherlands, communities are rewriting the story of how we source our food—choosing connection over convenience. 🌾✨ By creating their own biological food co-ops, they’re bypassing supermarkets and going directly to the farms. This isn’t just about fresh produce; it’s about building a system that prioritizes sustainability, transparency, and community.

Farm-to-table isn’t just a trendy concept; it’s a powerful reminder of how our food choices impact the planet, our health, and local farmers. 🌍🍅 By supporting initiatives like these, we reduce waste, cut down on food miles, and create stronger bonds within our communities.

This movement is proof that when people come together, they can create something truly impactful. Let’s take inspiration from the Netherlands and explore ways to reconnect with the source of our nourishment—one farm and one community at a time. 💚🌱

11/25/2024

Real Food, Real Flavour, Real People

11/25/2024

This is a great idea ☺️

Imagine if we all turned our lawns into bountiful gardens 🌱. Instead of rows of grass, picture rows of vegetables, herbs, and fruit trees, all thriving and ready to be shared. If each one of us grew a little bit of something different, our communities could come together, trading crops and exchanging the fruits of our labor. Not only would we be eating fresh, organic, homegrown food, but we’d also be reconnecting with nature and each other in a meaningful way. Let’s bring back the spirit of community and sustainability – grow food, not lawns! 🍅🥕

06/18/2024

I’ll try to remember to do this ….

06/15/2024

What have we done to ourselves and our children by creating , producing and watching these horrifying things?