Trip to Tweedsmuir

To be honest, this trip mostly involved eating. 

My sister in law is a great cook and incidentally very organized 

(if you live almost an hour from the nearest grocery store its a good thing to be) and we ate well!

Here we are in the Super Duty, which is enormous and pretty fun to drive in.

We also ventured out into the cold which ranged from about -20 to -15 degrees Celcius 

(when were went outside) to do some of the most fun things ever. 

Cross country skiing was on a set trail about 15 minutes away in the middle 

of a forest on undulating ground that provided interest and a little speed, 

which mostly made me crash but by the end of the second day I was doing better. 

I wonder if it was due to holding my breath?! Concentration at its finest, eh? 

The most exciting and new event that took place was dog sledding, 

of which I have no photos because the best things are too exciting to remember to take pictures. 

The dogs were smaller than I expected and six of them pulled two people on a sleigh. 

I loved one little red one and wished to take him home... 

Click for info on Sundogs Sled Excursions

Another piece of joy was ripping around the lake on the snowmobile. 

It froze my face but then again it thawed later on.

I also discovered Oka cheese. It's Canadian and made in Quebec. 

I'd never noticed it before and then just yesterday I bought some Camembert and when I unwrapped it, I saw it came from the same place ... With the Agropur signature. 

Not every label falling under this title is on par with the new cheeses I've tried so far 

(ïogo for example is not actually yogurt as far as I can tell), 

but Island Farms is on the list.

Go Canada!  

French Cooking

It's what gets me every time. 

What do they know, I don't know? 

At least I know I've discovered something I love. 

And I've even found a human source to unite me with the skills 

to make French deliciousness in my own kitchen! 

We started with chocolate from Belgium. A lot of chocolate. 

Yes that entire sack is full of 60% cocoa...

We made Mousse au Chocolat first.

Then we made a casserole of spinach and bacon rolled in crêpes, 

finished off with white sauce and cheese. 

The best part is that it all went so nicely, my learning experience is not over! 

However, I am responsible for some payback. 

Canadian, or at least not French or Belgian, cooking instruction sharing is my job... Any ideas? 

All I've come up with so far is pancakes. So if you have any ideas, please, please send them my way!

Rising Jealously

What I am most jealous of is the rising perfection my father achieves. 

It wouldn't be so bad if I used another technique and didn't get the same results but the thing is, 

I could stand right beside him and do precisely the same things, 

and my loaves would rise to half the size. 

Grrrr. 

Okay, so actually we've never tried that, so I don't know that's true, but it seems that way. 

We've had many conversations about what I might be doing differently or wrong to no avail, 

but this year beginning (and hopefully end) of my quest for bread perfection.

Golden Sunflower Loaf

I've been using a basic white loaf recipe from Kitchen Aid's recipe book that came with 

my stand mixer, my Dad's Golden Sunflower loaf recipe and most recently a Baguette recipe 

from a guide book to baking bread titled Bread Making, by Lauren Chattman.

The silver lining in this cloud is the allure of warm, fresh bread. 

No one seems to mind eating it even if its a little dense :)

The Bread Making book is from the library, a few times renewed, and it is very informative 

and full of very specific recipes, which I think should be quite helpful. 

I need to master the simple breads with dry yeast, 

but I am looking forward to creating my own yeasts in the future. 

Sourdough!!!

A Fresh Baguette

 The most success I have had so far is with the baguette recipe. 

I have been informed by a connoisseur it even rips like a real baguette! 

...And then he ate it all. 

Also a good sign I'd say. 

The second attempt was even better than the first, 

though I have been too scared to ruin the beautiful rise to try slitting before baking.

Bow Valley Provincial Park

If the weather is warm enough, and Chinooks allow for this type of fun, 

a little mountain get away is so good for the soul!

  

Wind carved snow on the lake.

Mt. Yamnuska 

is my favourite feature on the horizon between the foothills and the Rockies.

And now it's mighty cold again. So glad I made time for an outing!

Cancun!

I realize Cancun is normally a place for partying, 

but if you are with the right person it can be whatever you make it. 

If you want to get up before the sun, you can. 

We did and walked the beach for miles each morning.

Until it got too hot.

By 9am it was time to cool down in the salty waves.  

The hotel, Cancun Oasis, was pretty cheap, but it had some nice spots.

The food was pretty good and so were the drinks. 

I would recommend the Italian Restaurant for the pizza 

(ask for added pineapple!), chicken and lasagna, and the Mexican Restaurant in general, 

but make sure you try the 'Mexican Drink' from the dessert buffet. 

It's like a Reece's Pieces smoothie, but beware: There's tequila in there!

A few of the other guests came by to say 'Hi!'

Still looking pretty white and Canadian here. But cute!

This neat wave photo op marks the spot where you can leave the beach to check out 

a Mayan ruin, which I'm standing in front of below.

It was a warm and sunshine filled vacation of joy! 

My heart is still reeling...!!

Reflect to Resolve to Improve

Time for a little change of environment. 

With the Christmas decorations away I felt like going a bit funky 

- bold colours and a bohemian influence. 

It feels uplifting and empowering.

Just the way to start new year, especially with my long list of 

learning, dreams and goals all laid out in front of me.

Yes those toes are mine!




Some goals are for dreaming,
or are at least for farther into the future than 2014
as it's always nice to imagine and writing it down adds inspiration in my life.
(Think travel... Egypt)

Others are more immediate and easier,
(stand up straight... 
please call me on this one if you ever see the slouch creep over my shoulders!)
while some take a lot more time and effort!
(learning a language).

I like to categorize my goals by the following titles:
Work/Language/Health/Friends/Family/Travel/Knitting/Financial/
Learn To/Reading List/Just Do It/Visit
and I guess I like it so much I've done just this every year for quite some time.

It is always interesting to look back to see what I managed to accomplish last year as well.
Reviewing can be a good reminder of successes and ideas yet to be fulfilled.
I am proud to say I accomplished my work, financial, friends, family and other goals.
I took good care with my health, too.
However my reading list, knitting list and travel lists were 
only 43%, 57% and 50% met respectively,
and I failed miserably in the language and learn-to sections.

In honest reflection I do think 2013 was a pretty good year over all!

Here's a few goodies in store for 2014:
I want to perfect my home made pasta and bread making.
I want to either (or even better both) finally take my bike tour I've wanted to do for five years
from Passau to Vienna along the Danube, and climb mount Kilimanjaro.
(I must also see some sunshine pretty quickly before my skin actually becomes transparent.)
Language learning should be a little easier with all the foreign pilots at my base, 
so really there's no excuse!
I want to use all my Irish wool acquired over the past summer....

All of those things will be blogged about and I sincerely can't wait to do them!

I'll be looking at everything a little differently this year as well... !!!

I love my new glasses <3

Cross Country Skiing!

It was such a lovely day yesterday (-2 in Canmore and a nearly cloudless sky) 

so I'm especially glad I picked it for my first cross country skiing in a long time.  

Long as in 20 years or so long.  About time I revisit it!

 We (Allison and I) skied at the Nordic Center in Canmore, 

where the trails are groomed for skate skiing and tracks are laid for a more traditional approach, 

rentals for two hours is $20, and $10 for the ticket.

Driving time is about an hour each way so it's quite possible to do prior to afternoon reserve!

I wish I had taken more photos and made the mountains more of a focal point of the backdrop, 

but here's the one shot I did take. I can't decide if I like better in colour or black and white.

A few things around the house:

Another little knitting project completed. 

A gift of time and know-how for a friend who supplied the yarn :)

Below is the first 2014 pasta trial.

A Carbonara. Who can say no to bacon and Parmigiano Reggiano? 

The pasta itself was delicious but it's not yet ideal.

The great thing is that I've found a few people happy to help in the kitchen, 

making the experience not only better but also who would like to share their specialties with me! 

(Just think Brussels and Chocolate!!! And a Galardo pasta enthusiast!!!)

And just for fun:

A Seared Chum Steak; Japanese Flavours

Christmas on High

...and New Years too!

I stopped being such an ice queen, although it's still fun to joke that I am one, and entirely enjoyed my holiday season.  It could have been this napkin that cheered me up.

 Early Christmas on Salt Spring was special as always with my Parents. 

We picked out a cute but not so bushy tree from near the house, which 

I personally chopped down with a chainsaw (Yes, Miss Danger Rose herself) 

which my mom made beautiful with a string of lights and 

all the decorations she's collected over the years.  

Pretty much the same as every year because what's Christmas without traditions? 

 The socks I knit for my Dad fit well and so did the toque for my mom. 

As they were the only two items I knit up this year I was very happy they worked out.

The christmas socks on their blocking hangers:

The toque with buttons freshly sewn on:

Flying on Christmas Eve into the 25th was good for an elf like myself (less exciting for our excessively delayed passengers and my captain... or is that putting it too mildly?!) 

but tiring since we got back into Calgary at 6:30am. 

Christmas Day I was included at a friend's parent's home for the big dinner, which was very nice - particularly the invited part, I thought! 

I cannot really even say how much it means to be included on a special day.

I had no part in these truffles but since I found them to be inspiring in packaging, 

appearance and imagined flavour, I thought I'd include this photo! 

I did have one non-traditional yet completely delicious baking event that involved 

mint and chocolate, 

which can be well backed-up by plenty of tasters who offered their opinion, 

which I will share here with you:

Minty, Chocolaty Brownie Cookies

(a slight modification of Jennifer Pallian's Mint Chocolate Cookies as found on the Internet)

1 cup butter, room temperature

1 3/4 cups sugar, mixing brown and white together

2 eggs

1 lid-full vanilla extract

1 lid-full peppermint extract (could be more if you like)

2 cups flour, all purpose 

1 cup cocoa

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder 

1/2 tsp salt

about a cup of chopped mint chocolate squares

(those brown and green layered ones in the grocery store bulk section)

Cream the butter, then with the sugar, then with the eggs and extracts. 

Combine dry ingredients, mix them in well. Add chocolate chunks and stir in.

(It is very dry in Calgary and I added some water to make the dough stick together...

I would be surprised if that would be necessary in other climates...)

Scoop with a melon baller or an ice cream scoop and bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes.

They should be a chewy moist cookie with a tendency to disappear... 

 *******

Following Christmas my best friend, Martina, came out for five days of fun which we spent in 

Calgary and in the mountains, with another friend, Jordan. We made a pretty good trio I'd say. 

The three of us enjoyed a spectacular Rocky experience in a fair amount of snow 

with a good visit and craic in Jasper at the Fenton-Weir's including 

carols on the grand piano, yorkshire puddings of golden goodness, a slide show of the latest african adventure, cuddles with Ozzie and the remote alpine cuteness of Jasper itself. 

Martina spent some time pointing out geological features of the mountains during our drive 

(shhh Jordan and I are learning..!) and taking much better photos than what I have here for you. However our favourite photo must certainly be of us in the old fashioned bathing suits 

we rented to take a dip in the hot springs in Banff!

New Years was a massive martini event. 

The drink list was extensive and the tastes exquisite thanks to the host who was a friend of a friend's, 

which also meant there was a nice mix of friends and now new friends with whom to socialize. 

Below, (not the beginning of the night) is our favourite cocktail of the evening 

- a raspberry and lime delight.

I think I will avoid martinis for some time now and make a list of healthy, 

horizon widening goals for 2014!