Wonderful Wednesday Recipe: Maple Syrup and Apple Bread Pudding topped with Sugared Apples

Maple syrup is for many Canadians the most iconic food in our collective culinary repertoire. Glistening like polished amber, real maple syrup, tapped during the last weeks of winter and boiled into one of nature’s finest sweet offerings, is a taste that instantly makes us glow with national pride.

Generally it is between February and April when maple syrup is harvested in Ontario, and though I won’t be tapping any trees myself this year (as fun as I’ve always imagined doing so would be), when maple syrup season rolls around, I – as if almost by instinct – am drawn to dishes (both sweet and savoury) – that include this home-grown ingredient.

This recipe, which I first discovered many years ago (I’m inclined to say in an old copy of Canadian Living magazine, but am not entirely certain of that) is sometimes known by its French name “Pouding Au Pain À l‘Érable”, which I rather enjoy using (doesn’t any dish sound lovelier when its name is spoken in French?) – and most definitely relish eating, no matter what it’s called!


{One of the lovely things about most brands of genuine maple syrup is that it still comes packaged in charming glass bottles, just like the one in this 1950s advertisement for Log Cabin maple syrup, a brand that it still on the market today. Image via Jackie121467’s Flickr stream .}


A simple, uncomplicated recipe (which is vegetarian and can be made vegan if you opt to use vegan margarine in place of butter or non-vegan margarine) with soothing flavours, this dish can easily be jazzed up further with the inclusion of a hit of apple brandy, some chopped nuts, cinnamon, or your favourite dried fruit. I’ve served it piping hot, cold from the fridge, and perhaps my favourite, at room temperature (call me odd, but I really like my bread and rice puddings at room temperature). It’s scrumptious, comforting and very morish, whether eaten toasty or chilly.

The apples you put to work here can be any baking variety that you like. I lean towards Cortland, Macintosh, Red Delicious, Liberty or Spartan, but the choice is entirely up to you. If you wanted to take this recipe is a slightly more tart direction, you could use Granny Smith or Greensleeves and introduce a whisper of lemon or orange peel into the mixture before popping it in the oven.

Serve this tasty dish for breakfast, brunch, dessert or even with afternoon tea, paired, should you fancy, with whipped cream, clotted cream swirled with a little maple syrup, or a dollop of cinnamon or vanilla ice cream.



Maple Syrup and Apple Bread Pudding topped with Sugared Apples

Ingredients

-1 cup fresh bread crumbs (I like to use day old French or sourdough bread with the crust removed)

-4 cup peeled, cored and chopped apples

-2 apples, peeled or un-peeled (as you like), sliced (note: you will need six apples in total for this recipe)

-1/2 cup real maple syrup (this is not the time for imitation maple syrup!)

-1/2 tsp salt

-1 cup of water

-1/4 cup dry bread crumbs

-Approx. 1/2 cup white sugar

-2 tbsp light brown or muscovado sugar

-3 tbsp (unsalted) butter or margarine


Directions

Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C/gas mark 4).

In a large mixing bowl combine the fresh breadcrumbs, chopped apples and salt. Place these ingredients in a buttered baking dish (I generally use an 8x8 or 10x10 inch dish for this recipe, but a similarly sized oval or rectangular dish could be used, too), and set aside for the time being.

In small sauce pan, heat the maple syrup and water over high heat just until it comes to a boil (you don’t want it to caramelize). Remove from heat and pour over the apple and bread crumb mixture. Sprinkle dried bread crumbs evenly over top, and then set aside for a moment more.

Combine the white and brown sugars in a shallow dish or plate and then dredge the apple slices (from the two apples that you sliced, not the chopped ones which went into the fresh bread crumb mixture) through the mixture, coating each side (add a little more sugar to the dish, if needed). Place the sugared apple slices evenly atop the bread pudding, and then dot the top of the pudding with small pieces of butter or margarine.

Place baking dish in the oven, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes, or until the apples feel tender when pierced with a skewer (or fork) and the top of the pudding has taken on a pleasingly, pale golden hue.

Allow to stand for a few minutes before serving this soft, fragrant, wonderfully Canadian pudding. Saying "dessert is ready, eh!" when you bring it to the table is entirely optional :D

Serves 4 to 6

Bon appétit!

Giving away a $100 online shopping spree from LA Vintage

As the plethora of photos and posts on many of the wonderful vintage blogs in our community attests to, as a collective group, we are an immensely stylish bunch. Our tastes veer not to the “it” trend of the moment, but to the alluring, sometimes elegant, sometimes wonderfully playful world of vintage clothing – and the fact that wearing such pieces immediately helps to elevate our look above the cookie cutter styles sported by so many these days.

I know that like myself, many of you are massive fans of fashion, too, and I have a sneaking suspicion that you’re rather keen on fantastic blog giveaways (really, who isn’t?). Put those two interests together and you have the recipe for Chronically Vintage’s brand new blog contest!

This week I’ve teamed up with a stellar US site by the name of LA Vintage, in order to offer you, my amazing readers, the chance to win a $100.00 online shopping spree from this sleek, vibrant shop.

For those who may not have had the joy of exploring LA Vintage’s site yet, let me tell you a tad about this lovely online vintage clothing shop. With an eclectic mix of pieces spanning the 1950s to the 80s, this easy-to-navigated site is filled with excellent photos (of real live models – so you can get a sense of how a garment will actually look on a real person) sporting the terrific range of constantly revolving items LA Vintage stocks.

One of the things that endears me to this great vintage clothing site is that they have a wide selection of pieces (think adorable dresses, versatile separates, mod boots, timelessly lovely accessories) in both average and plus sizes (I adamantly believe that everyone should have the chance to rock vintage fashions, no matter their size!), as well as an array of menswear items (an area that far too many online vintage sellers overlook).

LA Vintage stocks a diverse assortment of items, from flashy disco era dresses to adorable full skirts from the 80s that could very easily be worked into a beautiful 1950s inspired outfit. Amongst the slightly more modern pieces, one can sometimes find vintage items hailing from the 50s. Each item LA Vintage stocks is unique (in other words, each garment or accessory is vintage/retro and generally the only one of its kind being offered amongst the sites wares).



{A sampling of some of the pieces that really caught my eye on LA Vintage’s website, aren’t their photos wonderfully redolent of those from the pages of a glossy fashion magazine?}


LA Vintage recently celebrated their first anniversary of being online (with roots stretching back to the early 90s), and I must say, they’ve built up a really great site in the span of just one year. I was tickled pink when LA Vintage offered me the chance to extend a $100.00 shopping spree to one of my readers, and really want to thank them for doing so!

Now, when I say “shopping spree”, what I mean is that the lucky winner will receive a coupon code from LA Vintage which will enable them to save $100.00 upon checkout. You do not have to purchase anything else or be a pre-existing customer. This coupon code is the online equivalent of a $100.00 gift certificate that you’re free to spend on whatever item(s) you’d like from this stylish site.

Today marks the first day of the giveaway, which is going run until 11:59pm on Sunday March 21, 2010. LA Vintage ships internationally, so I’m positively delighted to say that this contest is open to all of my readers worldwide. On March 22nd, I’ll randomly draw one lucky winner and announce that person’s name in a post. From there whoever wins will need to zip an email my way with their name and email address, which I will pass along to the folks at LA Vintage who will provide you with your coupon code so you can get start shopping! :)

I want you all to have as many chances as possible to win this great prize from LA Vintage, so there are five ways for you to earn as many as five entries in this giveaway.


-Post a comment below telling me your favourite item from LA Vintage’s site, or what kind of item you’d like to find there if you’re the lucky winner.

-Post about this giveaway, including a link back to this announcement post on Chronically Vintage, on your own blog, telling your readers about this contest (if you'd like to use the photo collage I created above, just right click on it to save it to your desktop). Once you’ve written about the giveaway, come back here and let me know you’ve done so by leaving a comment with a link back to your post.

-Spread the good word about this contest via Twitter. Leave a comment here letting me know you’ve done so (this is also a great way for us to follow each other on Twitter, if we’re not already doing so!)

-Add Chronically Vintage to your blog roll (or other area of your site/blog where you list some of your favourite blogs) – or let me know if you’re already doing so. Stop by to let me know in the comment section that CV’s on your blog roll, and you’ll gain another entry for the contest.

-Become (or let me know if you already are) a Google Follower of Chronically Vintage (see the right hand side bar to join). Again, be sure to jot down a comment letting me know you’ve done so.


Everybody is welcome to enter in however many of the five ways they wish, just be sure that you let me know about each entry in a separate comment, to better enhance your chances of winning (four comments for example, would give you four entries into the contest, thus four potential chances to win!). Please remember to post a separate comment for each entry!

I wish everyone who participates the absolute best of luck and thank you all in advance for taking part in this marvellous, vintage fashion filled blog giveaway!

Today’s Vintage Treasure: March 7, 2010

{Perhaps it’s the fact that the temperature here is sitting at a very pleasant (well at least when compared with the fiercely snowy days we had just a couple of weeks ago!) 10°(C), or the wonderful thought that before the month is up, spring will have sprung once again, whatever the case may be, my mind has already turned to thoughts of summer.

With such daydreams comes the reality that our little apartment sorely lacks air conditioning! Naturally this means that once the temps begin skyrocketing, we start flicking on the fans in a hurry. Whether you have (the luxurious joy of) AC or not, this strikingly lovely vintage industrial fan would look just as gorgeous as an objet d’art as it would as a means of beating the heat. This sturdy industrial tabletop fan is fully operational and can be had for $68.00 (US) – which is surely less than the cost of the all ice cream you’d have to eat to stay cold without it :D – from etsy seller Lucky Little Dot.}


How are your weekends going, my sweet dears? I have joyful news to let you in on a smidge in advance of the actual announcement post...tomorrow I’m going to be kicking off the start of a new (and if I may say so myself, absolutely awesome!) blog giveaway contest. I don’t want to ruin the surprise, but I will give you a hint by mentioning that the prize relates to vintage fashion.

February was a bit of a touch month for me as I sought solace and time to sort my thoughts out during a mini blogcation, and a great many of you were there for me every step of the way, roviding me immensely helpful comments, caring words and excellent suggestions. For both that and all of the terrific comments you’ve left lately on various posts, I felt the least I could do was hold a new blog giveaway as a way of expressing my sincere thanks to all of you.

Wishing you each a blissful (Oscar night) evening and a week ahead that bursts with an abundance of sunshine and serenity!

Saturday Snapshots: March 6, 2010

“Old soldiers never die; they just fade away” ~ General Douglas MacArthur

{There’s something immensely elegant about this crisp photo, shot on the streets of New Orleans in 1953. Here a lone gentleman and his cane stand between the shadows of a passing bus and the glow of an antique shop window. Yet, I also sense that this fellow, while certainly dressed dapperly, was a bit of a tough cookie, a little hard around the edges, the sort of real life character I very easily imagine the actor John Garfield portraying.}



{A small crowd looks on as the ship The Queen Mary enters port in 1939, perhaps they were waiting for loved one to arrive (or maybe they just wanted to enjoy some fresh air while watching something exciting). Though this photo is by all accounts a calm one, you can’t help but detect a bit of wind blowing up off the water, as the flapping flag in the center of this shot attests to, which helps lend this otherwise placid image an element of movement.}



{Two elderly women stand out in this fiery tinged photo taken indoors at the Farmers Market in Los Angeles. There is much to see all around them in this shot though, such as the young man absorbed in a book as the ladies walk past him, and (my personal fave) the sign pointing to the “citrus department” just to their right hand side.}



{The people in this photo are radiantly dignified. The bride and her magnetic smile seem to glow with the flame of contented bliss (as she cradles her rather darling bouquet of tulips), the debonair gent (in his stately top hat) is poised and dignified, and all those present at this beautiful 1920s or 30s wedding shot seem to be having a wonderful day, don’t you think?}



{I really don’t think I’d be overstating things if I proclaimed this striking young woman (named Louise) to be downright gorgeous. Though I realize the skillful hand-tinting applied to this portrait plays its own part, there’s no denying that this girl could have easily passed for the poster child of youthful, all-natural 1930s/40s beauty and charm.}



{If there was an award for the most ornery looking toddler in a vintage photo, this dark haired youngster would be a shoe-in to win! :D Yet, even with her comical scowl and dagger-like glare this child and her mother, playing together in their yard, make for an adorable slice-of-life family snapshot.}



{Seven family members of various ages squeeze into this portrait, which has a very impromptu sort of vibe to it. An assortment of expressions grace their faces’, from that of the denim jean wearing gal who looks like she’d rather be abducted by aliens than have to sit there and appear happy for the camera, to grandma in the middle, who almost seems to be saying with her eyes, “Why can’t this family ever look properly composed?”.}



{Labelled simply “Greece 1960”, something about the lone woman in her lovely polka dot bathing suit, the vivid skyline, navy blue water and the taupe brown sand in this shot strikes a chord with me. These elements remind me a smidge of the sprawling beaches I grew up around (albeit on the west coast of Canada, not the sun-drenched shores of Greece). There is also a note of happiness on this unnamed woman’s face that pulls at you and causes the corners of your own mouth to turn upwards in unison with her.}



{Momentary tranquility seems to flow though this 1938 scene of domestic life, as we watch a man washing a small pup in a little metal bucket in his backyard (I’d venture to guess by his undershirt, during the dog days of summer). Meanwhile in the shot a woman mends a garment in a nearby chair, and junior peers out from between the bars of his wooden crib, perhaps wishing he could climb in the bucket and cool off, too.}



{This is one of those shots that leaves the nature of the couple’s relationship up for speculation. On the one hand the fact that his arm is around her back could indicate they were an item, but it could also just as easily be an endearing act carried out because he had fond feeling for this woman (whose pretty blush pink lipstick compliments that cherry blossoms in this shot wonderfully). Whether they were romantically involved or not, it’s clear that they certainly knew a beautiful spot to posse for a springtime snapshot when they came across one.}

{All images above are from Flickr. To learn more about a specific image, please click on it to be taken to its respective Flickr page.}


There is an undeniable sense of poetic melancholy to General MacArthur’s words, a longing for the notion they carry to resonate true, especially when one learns of the recent passing of the last known Canadian soldier of WW1.

Called the “Great War” and the hailed as the “War to end all wars”, the fighting that began on the battlefields of Europe in 1914 would prove to be one of the most horrific fights humanity has ever witnessed. It claimed, as it carried on for four arduous years, millions of lives – many of which were those of the soldiers on both sides, who went to stand, and all too often fall, for their nation.

At scarcely 16 years old, Ontario born John Babcock lied about his age in order to join the Canadian Expeditionary Force. A few months later this ambitious young man would find himself in England, though his true age was eventually discovered and as a result he never actually made it to the front-line. Nevertheless there’s no denying that Mr. Babcock was an enlisted Canadian solider during the First World War (he would later move to the US and fight as an American soldier during WW2), and that he served his country with honour and pride.

Sadly, at the venerable age of 109, John Babcock passed away this February. His death marks that of the last known Canadian WW1 solider (and, I would venture to guess, one of the very last remaining soldiers of that fierce war anywhere in the world), bringing with it the end of a generation – or at least of the those who went bravely into the abyss of battle to defend it.

While I personally believe in peace and would label myself a pacifist, I fully understand that there are certain extreme times when war becomes a harsh necessity so as to preserve a certain way of life and set of freedoms. The years between 1914 and 1918 was one such time, and I fully believe that it was the actions of courageous men and women like John Babcock who ensured that Canada would be able to continue growing into the great and free nation that it is now.

Perhaps like the faces in the photos above, so long as we hold onto the memory of a time and the people who inhabited it, MacArthur words ring true: “Old soldiers don’t die, they just fade away”, the last lingering effects of their valour surviving in the recesses of our collective history and the world we cherish today.

Vintage Fashionista Friday: March 5, 2010

There is always a degree of excitement when I begin a new type of post that is set to occur regularly within the pages of Chronically Vintage. A clear sense of eagerness accompanies that exhilaration, as I begin to tentatively create the layout design that future editions (in this case for the brand new “Vintage Fashionista Friday” series) will adhere to – or at least be guided in some measure by.

To date one of the most popular posts on this site (not to mention one of my absolute favourite to put together!) has been Seven Stunning Vintage Holiday Season Outfits, which appeared in the early days of last December. That holiday season article – and the immensely positive response it received – really got the ball rolling in terms of what inspired the idea behind this new “end of the work-week” post.

In that piece I created seven distinct looks based on different vintage styles (such as “The Jitterbug” and “The Bombshell”), handpicking a number of items for each style. I think that for this budding series of fashion centered posts, I’m going to adopt a somewhat similar approach, however, instead of classifying each look by a title (for example, “The Girly-Girl”), I’m going to bestow a female name upon each weekly look.

As I was mentioning just the other evening on the phone with my step-dad (while discussing an entirely unrelated matter), I’ve always had a passion for naming things. Growing up I named nearly everything in my bedroom, including the beloved down filled pillow that saw me through my whole childhood (it’s name, if you're wondering, was Squishy), and that passion for bestowing monikers onto things has scarcely waned over the years (to this day any doll, plush toy or anthropomorphic item that comes into my house gets its own special name).

There’s something soulful and endearing about giving an item – or in this case, a handful of items grouped together – a human name. Doing so is certainly not a new act in the world of fashion; just think of the many clothing, shoe, handbag, and jewelry designers that assign monikers to their items and/or collections, some of which – like the Hermès Kelly bag – have literally become household names amongst those with a passion for style.

Of course the sort of look that one person might conjure up in their mind for the girl’s name “Evelyn”, for example, may be entirely different from what you yourself would picture someone with that name wearing. If you ask me, that’s part of the fun in assigning handles to things! The names I’ll bestow on each look are the product of my imagination; they’ll be based on anything and everything from a passing whim to a lifelong association with a direct source of inspiration.

In giving a ladies’ name to each weekly outfit (which is composed of a selection of different wardrobe pieces, accessories and related items that tie into a particular style), I feel that it embeds an extra level of depth to the very title “Fashionista”. For just as with women themselves, beautiful looks should always have a name to be remembered by.

And on that very note, let me present Chronically Vintage’s first ever edition of “Vintage Fashionista Friday”, staring a lovely, excellent for the beginning of March ensemble I’ve dubbed “Daphne”.


♥ ♥ ♥


{Sensuous curves and a fabulously elegant shade of steely-lilac, paired with gold toned arm bands, combine to make this stunning set of 1950s aluminum cat eye style frames a true work of art for your pretty peepers. Vintage women’s eyeglasses frames (which do not include lenses, so that you easily have them filled with your own prescription), $82.00 (US) from etsy seller Vintage 50s Eyewear.}



{Cardigans are a wardrobe staple all year round, but few times call for them more than when winter is slowly beginning to transition into spring. This immensely cheerful vintage button front sweater (labelled as size “M”) in the hue of fresh churned butter would pair well with everything from sun dresses to wool skirts, making a great piece to have on hand no matter the season. Splash some sunshine into your wardrobe with this cute cardi, which can be found from etsy seller My World of Wonder’s shop for $28.00 (US).}



{When I think of a woman named Daphne, I imagine a bold mix of sultry allure and girl-next-door charm. She’s the type of gal who wears a fragrance that is both feminine and powerful, such as Galanos (by Galanos), a classic scent that’s been on the market for over thirty years now. Mixing cedar wood with geranium, rose, carnation, oak moss, musk and other heady floral and earth notes, this scent would be perfect for the ethereal lady I envision in today’s vintage look. A 60ml bottle of Galanos eau de toilette can be had for $43.24 (Cnd) from FragranceX.com.}



{A cacophony of gorgeous leaves in rich shades of blue, plum and yellow swirl to and fro across this immensely pretty 1940s/50s cotton day dress (complete with rhinestone buttons down the front), which is fits up to a 40 inch bus/32 inch waist, and is available for $118.00 (US) from etsy seller The Greedy Seagull.}



{This glistening set of elasticized rhinestone bracelets from Forever 21 would be the perfect way to add a pop of sparkle to another wise understated outfit – or they’d do just as nicely as the finishing hit of pizazz for a to-the-nines look. No matter what you match them up with, there’s no denying their sticker price of $10.80 (US) for the entire set is real gem of a deal!}



{Sometimes it’s the most agelessly precious of items that can add extra life to an outfit or a room. Case in point, this darling Bukowski of Sweden plush bunny rabbit, which so wonderfully echoes the approaching spirit of spring and Easter time. This sweet little bundle of faux fur can be found for $10.00 (US) from etsy seller Hello Darling! Vintage.}



{Imagine you’re strolling through a field of vibrant daffodils as you go about your day in these upliftingly lovely “Lemon Meringue Heels”, complete with their playful matching bow. These stylish citron hued pumps are available in women’s sizes 5.5 to 10, for $34.99 (US), from ModCloth.com.}

♥ ♥ ♥


I truly hope that you all enjoy and garner your own wardrobe inspiration from this blossoming series of weekly Friday articles. I must say, I'm even more giddy about the idea of Vintage Fashionista Fridays then when I began writing at the start of this post (surely that's a positive sign of things to come!).

Wishing you each a gorgeous weekend filled with countless reasons to smile, my eternally stylish dears!