CLIMBING OUTDOORS AT LA CONCEPTION

Groupon deal $99 for 2 before October 14

MORE FOOD IDEAS

KUNG PAO CHICKEN

Chicken Satay

Marmalade chicken

Vegetarian meal plan

SUNDAY SERMONS WITHOUT IN-HOUSE COMMUNION

My friend and I were talking about work-life balance and she was excited to hear an upcoming Sunday message. I kind of forgot about it, but she reminded me the day before and I was pretty sure I would never make it the next morning.

No worry! Listen to it online later in the day. Brilliant! Here is Valuing Rest in a Fast-Paced World.

"If you can't rest, you are a slave." Galatians 4:9-11

"The Sabbath was made for man, not the man for the Sabbath." Jesus, recorded by Mark

MY GIRL STARTING "HIGH SCHOOL"

Wednesday morning, my princess pirate starts grade seven at a local high school. It's hard to believe, but it's been a while that this girl has been moving slowly towards teenagehood. That being said, this last week of summer has been a great reminder of how great she has been at childhood.

It's a fine line with an only child, not to treat them like the oldest child, and expect too much from them, nor to treat them like the last child, and be too easy on them. Sometimes I see that she has been spoiled, without the expectations that she should take care of everything shared, but have no others to share the responsibility with. This was intentional. As the oldest girl in my family, I was expected to help the most and take care of more than myself. But I was also told not to be so serious, as though I hadn't been trained to obedience and selfnessness that led me there. So letting my daughter not have all her responsibilities was intentional. Sometimes though, she reminds me too much of her dad, taking more than her share, and not being grateful, but instead feeling entitled. So I have to remind her of how her perspective is skewed, and how lucky she really is. And for the most part, she does see it.

So two days away from the start of school, after sitting attentively through the introduction session, and reading the agenda details, what do I find her doing when I get up, or finish the dishes, or call her for supper?

Making mud pies and birds nests from twigs and leaves and mud.
Playing in The Hundred Acre Woods with Pooh and Piglet, Tigger and Rabbit.
Feeding dolls and reading to them.
Sorting through books from her childhood, reading and organizing and weeding her bookshelf.
Swimming like a frog, dolphin, mermaid.
Planning cakes and cookies for an easybake oven.
Running through the sprinkler.

I don't know how she is going to react to high school, but I hope she finds windows to stay the beautiful child that she is. I hope her teachers allow her to use her imagination. I hope that she can apply her creativity to the tasks at hand, and put her enthusiasm into the projects that are assigned.

I have no doubt, though, that we will continue to need to protect her free time, so that she can sing and play as well as study and work. I look forward to this next adventure!

INSPIRATIONS FROM AN INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT

MEAL PLANS FOR THE MODERN COOK

I was eating 1 week old canned pears with a brownie for brunch today after a busy work week of 2 weekend nights and 3 early days, about 50 hours of work and 8 hours of commute, averaging 5.5 hours of sleep. It was not my worse moment, but not my finest.

So when I chatted with a friend, she offered her solution that had worked for her and her husband the last 3 months: a meal planning site called the Fresh 20. The title refers to the idea that each week you only have to shop for 20 ingredients, and they vary according to season. If you are a member, you have access to archives that date back at least 5 years. One year costs roughly $99US.

Earlier this summer, another friend had signed up for a grocery basket called évoilà5 that would feed her family of four for about $132 for 5 meals, but she was going to downgrade it to the $92 2-3 portions basket because she felt it was too much food.

Maybe I should consider these options soon. I keep working on a menu planner, but live meal to meal some days. I also see all my cookbooks and wonder what would happen if I worked my way through them. So many of us use a handful of recipes from a book and no others.

It's also been a rough summer in a hot house. Maybe the solution is a heat pump.

Lots to consider, but cobbled together a meal tonight in 20 minutes that lacked vegetables but contained vegetable protein and iron enriched pasta, with some redeeming qualities. I do miss the option of my friend's catering from home: Coeur d'amandes has gone off line. :(

If grocery shopping doesn't inspire tomorrow, I might just order pizza. Just kidding! I am gourmet girl! I can do better!

LAKE WILLOUGHBY, VERMONT

My friend fell in love with a photo of a lake, and found an AIRBNB  for a summer vacation. She was not disappointed. She was the second to talk about blue water like the Mediterranean or the Caribbean (the first was Tobermory). Lake Willoughby is in view of two mountains, surrounded by beaches, a national forest, trails like Mount Pisgah's, and a drive just a little over an hour to the quaint touristed Stowe and the Trapp Family Lodge.

MAYBE THIS IS HOW I CAN TRAVEL MORE

Starting from a google search of the highest pool in Singapore's Marina Bay hotel, I found a local blog that has some great tips in how to travel better and more while spending less. Like flying around the world for $1210, hitting Paris, Milan, Athens, Singapore, Phuket, Bangkok, and Shanghai, for a month long trip, November to December.  Incredible!

So, keep in mind, and follow: blog.flytrippers.com

COLOMBIA

My brother was born in Cali, and for the last 3 decades, we have talked of visiting a place we have heard about from childhood. I had it slated for my 80s, but have started thinking about it nearer since a slew of people visiting La Perdida Cuidad, Cloud Forest, Bogota and Medellin, and an interesting podcast of news that would have otherwise passed me by about stability post-Pablo Escabar. How did I not hear that the government made a deal with the King of Narco?! Of course, my brother knew this already!

So this summer, we siblings have already started talking about the possibility.

Via Toronto, we can be in Bogota in less than $800 and for less than $800.

But the budget will be tough to get until a 25th anniversary trip is taken, and the summer will be the most expensive but only possible time to go.

So there is time to do some research, brush up on Spanish and save some money.

Still, the germ of an idea is started, and that anticipation is a great place to start!

KNOW YOUR POTATOES

Browsing through my The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook, I found a little paragraph to expand on the knowledge of potatoes that began with, yes, another Martha source, her magazine.

The knowledge begins with the difference between floury and waxy.

Floury potatoes are high in starch, and cookd up fluffy, easily absorbing liquid, making them perfect for mashed and roasted potatoes. E.g. Russet aka Idaho baking potatoes

Waxy potatoes are low in starch and have a denser texture; keeping their shape when cooked, making them perfect for potato salad, but make for gummy mashed potatoes. E.g. red potatoes

All purpose potatoes have a medium starch content and can be used for both roasting and salads. E.g. Yukon Gold and fingerlings.

FEED THE LIFEGUARD WEEK AT THE BELUGA POOL

Cut out

Fashioned with love

Decorated with colorburst candy melts and sugar cookie balls

Sugar cookie projects: Belugas, Thank you Penguins and a Birthday cat!

The final product

Iconic winter penguins, rescued from the garbage and ready for snow!

MARTHA'S CORNMEAL BISCOTTI

For the longest time, I thought biscotti was an awful cookie. Years ago, before second wave coffee had a name, there was often a glass jar of biscotti that some people insisted were worth a try. They were always almond, sometimes with a  dipped end in chocolate. To me, I remember biscotti as dry and bland and edible only if dipped in coffee.

Then an italian nurse brought (colloquial brand) them to work one day, and they were soft and fragrant. 

So years later, for Christmas, a friend made almond chocolate chip biscotti for christmas tins and I tried out a recipe from a Martha book with a cornmeal twist. The original called for pistachios and cranberries, and when we baked the both together, we both agreed they were a real hit. I don't crave any others now.

Yesterday at work, a nurse/firefighter who doubles as a baristo when on his break or if it is not busy, made me a much appreciated mochaccino. Tonight I made biscotti to bring in tomorrow to complement his work! They are far from the best batch I've ever made, but they are delicious, and I think they will disappear before my shift ends tomorrow!

Even the failures taste great!

I went with the sweet soft pecan to replace pistachio in combination with dried cranberries. It was a good choice, but I wonder if walnut or almond would be just a good.

What happens when your dough is too wet: it spreads too much, the bottom browns without the top cracking,  and the edges cook too quickly. 

The dough seemed a bit wet. I thought I should add some flour, but I didn't. To note, the high today was 28 and the humidity was 72%. I should have listened to my first instinct. Also to note, although my Silpat is pretty hard to read, it had all the markings that I needed to fashion the prerequisite rectangle of 14" x 3 1/2". Turns out you don't have to worry about what height it will be, if you keep to the two dimensions with a nice sharp edge. It started out beautifully!

SCAROLIE'S PASTA EMPORIUM

The spaghettini with tomato sauce on the side was a little disappointing and forgettable, but the sauce was lovely, almost reminiscent of a green curry  with fresh sugar peas, fennel, button mushrooms, red pepper and chicken breast.

HOW TO WRITE A BOOK REPORT

Homework Centre: How to Write a Book Report

Another great reference:



INTRODUCTION

Title
Publication information: Publisher, year, number of pages
Genre
1-2 sentence introduction to the book and your report

BODY

Give a brief description of the setting, point of view, characters.
Summarize the plot.
If you are writing a review, don't give all the plot details or give away the ending.
Don't try and summarize everything. Focus on the most significant or interesting topics.
Analysis and evaluation: Write your own opinions. Was it a good story? Was it well written? How did it make you feel? Did you find it believable? Would you recommend it to others?

CONCLUSION

Sum up the book and your report. What impression were you left with? What do you want to reader to know about the book?

HOW TO WRITE A BOOK

This gem of a book goes throught the basic creative process in a fun way for children and adults alike.

1.  GET  IDEAS

Read. Learn. Ask questions and look for the answers. Observe. Invent. Record details. Journal. Doodle.

2. BRAINSTORMING

Once you have an idea, start brainstorming. I like lists but the suggestion of an idea web has led me to a few inspiring pages. At the beginning, no idea is a bad idea. Don't  edit. Be creative. And don't forget to write them down!

3.  RESEARCH

Go to the library. Do a web search. Look in books, magazines, newspapers and encyclopedias. Ask around. Interview someone. Do something.  Listen to a podcast. Watch a video. TAKE NOTES! Photograph and sketch.

4. INVENT CHARACTERS

Be creative. Base it on someone or creat someone completely new. Make them seem real. Think about their TRAITS. Name them.

5. SETTING

WHERE AND WHEN

Think where your book could take place. Be creative! It may be inspired by the characters and where they usually reside, or maybe you will pick a place they don't usually live.

6. PLAN/BUILD your book. List what might be in your book and doodle. You can change anything at this point, but don't forget the things you think will be important. Think of the title. Consider the genre. Try different plans. 

6. STORYBOARD

This helps plan the sequence of events. Draw a picture in each square, like a  comic strip, and summarize the action.

In FICTION: It should include the PLOT, with a beginning, middle and end. Often the main character encounters a PROBLEM, and the story evolves with finding a SOLUTION.

In NON-FICTION: Write about the facts you found in research.

7. ROUGH SKETCHES

Begin with making the art for your book. Make simple line drawings of the characters and settings you plan to use.

8. TITLE

Find something that will make people want to read your book!

9. ROUGH DRAFT

Use your notes, lists and plans to write a first draft. Leave space for editing. Try to write quickly. Don't try and perfect at this stage. Have fun and experiment!

10. SHARE

Let a person or group look at your work. Keep an open mind, but don't change things unless you believe it makes your story better.

11. REVISE

Switch words around. Use lively language. Change general words for specific ones. Include interesting details. Brainstorm and research more if you need to.

12. EDIT

Fix your mistakes and finalize your story. Check your grammar and spelling.
Get someone to check your work too.

REFRESHING WATER INSPIRED BY PRINCESS PIRATE

I have a big batch of wild mint, and have been enjoying water on and off with mint. Sometimes, though, it is not enough.

So today Princess Pirate offered to make me a water she had concocted from the garden.

3 small leaves of oregano
2 large leaves of oregano
2 large leaves of mint

It was just perfect!

MY CURRENT HYDRATION PACK

I am not running very long distances, but running 6 km in 30 degree weather requires more a little water. For every other run, I like to keep track of my distances and frequency with Runkeeper, which requires bringing at least my phone. This Northface Flight Series hydration belt has room for a house key, ID, 500ml of water and a phone.

The velcro tends to loosen and catch some shirts.

It's been a trusty companion for many runs now. If only I could figure out how to order 2 more "Fuel Tools". Maybe then I will break the 10 k barrier!

CARIBBEAN OF THE NORTH:TOBERMORY

800 km from Montreal is a place my friend is going for her 25th wedding anniversary tour. I had never heard of Tobermory, but I had heard of Bruce Peninsula. Highlights include Bruce Trail (starts from Queenstown near Niagara-on-the-Lake and travels Northwest to Tobermory) on the Niagara Escarpment and a grotto on Georgian Bay. The clear water and shipwrecks make snorkelling and diving possible. The geology feature of note is Flowerpot Island.

Yet another place to consider for next summer.

TRIATHLON TRANSITIONS AND SAFETY ACCESSORIES

Last night, my triathlon buddy and I did our best to simulate transitions after a quick 30 laps to simulate the 750m swim. Our master's coach criticized our transition, but, to be fair, I hadn't planned to leave the pool so quickly, and I had to communicate with the Princess Pirate who was going to take the pool stuff home, and be on her own for the first time, and I left her swimming under the care of my other triathlon buddy who didn't have his bike.

I did have everything I need for the bike, but two essentials I need for the run: Sports bra and my proper runners. We biked 11 k and then ran half a km just to see. The transitions weren't bad. I found it hard to keep up a pace swimming or biking, but the swimming with alternating 50 m crawl and 50 breast worked well. For both, I was chasing my friend, which works out too.

The swim list:
swimsuit
goggles

a spare pair of goggles
towel
bag to put wet things

The bike list:
bike
combination lock
bike pump
tire patch?
helmet
sunglasses/glasses
bike gloves
bike shorts
sports bra and shirt
socks and runners (watch the laces don't loop/hang)
someway to pace?
platypus backpack 2L water
snacks

The run list:
hat
stow bag for above

To verify on my two decade old bike:
front white reflector
front tire white or amber reflector or circumferential reflector on tire
red rear reflector
white or red rear tire reflector or circumferential reflector on tire

For nighttime:
white light in front
red light in back

For more details see Bike safety in Quebec

An oddity of the Esprit Montreal Sprint is that the cycling is counterclockwise, so the slow lane is keeping left, and passing is on the right.

I may need a triathlon suit or wet suit. Maybe even a new bike! Argh! First, must try and borrow for the day.

FRANCAIS QUOTIDIEN

lutter(v), la lutte(n) = fight, battle, struggle
être bien décidé = to be determined
Merci pour votre soutenu = thanks for your support
haut les coeurs = chin up

ATAINING SELF ACTUALIZATION

I always thought I might be one of those people who are able to attain self actualization by the end of my lifetime, but as I move through middle age and find myself sometimes just barely, or honestly, sometimes not even able to tread water or keep up with the flow of life, I stop and reevaluate where I truly am. Without self-evaluation, I am convinced, it is harder to happen upon a goal. Many things in life require a concerted effort with a drive towards a specific goal.

SWIMMING TWEAKS I AM LEARNING (BEFORE I FORGET)

The last 3 summers, I have been swimming with a group of adults in a program called Masters. Basically, most people were swimmers as kids, and they come and follow one of two programs: long or short. Then there are a few of us, like me, who need a lot more work, and struggle to get the shortest program done. I try and stay out of the way, but each time I go, I feel a little bit stronger at swimming.

Not having goggles was the biggest limitation to me learning how to swim properly. A close second, though, was the feeling of lightheadedness that cause me to quit at Red Cross level White. The technique still remains to breathe every 3, 5 or 7. I still feel breathless on finishing a lap or two with breathing every 3, so I am best breathing every 2, no matter how lopsided that makes me feel.

What I have learned, is that lightheadedness is far from the warning needed to modify my breaths. This is based on the physiologic warning of increased CO2 and not from lack of oxygen. Still, I find it the biggest challenge to feel at ease breathing and being immersed in water, now that I have a pair of italian goggles that I adore.

There are four stages of breath holding:
First is that feeling of lightheadedness.
Second is diaphragmatic spasms, but this too is not life threatening, but your lungs will be burning.
Third is a splenic release of oxygen-rich blood released into the bloodstream, and you may give you a surge of energy. This may be your last chance to pull out. This also may be a mammalian dive reflex.
Fourth, and last, is blackout.

The front crawl is now called freestyle. The idea is to keep your legs kicking continuously, hinging from your hips, and to keep your hips up, so that your head rotating to breath is flat at the surface. This means using your abdominal muscles to bring your hips to the surface when you are breathing. I haven't mastered this yet, but apparently all it takes is one eye out, but I am still surfacing both. Also, to get the best strokes, you need to do the "Superman pose", externally rotation the shoulder as you extend, careful not to cross over your arms/hands, as I apparently do.

The breast stroke is my favorite, but it is clearly not as efficient. I had been doing it all wrong. I love the breathing, because it is one to one, so when I get tired, this is my go to stroke. The tough bit is the kick. Unlike the frog kick I practices for decades,  the whipkick comes from the knees, with thighs glued together. The head looks down after the breath with hands in streamline while you kick, and then pause to glide. Repeat.

CORTADO COFFEE

My brother loves coffee. He judges a new place by a drink I have never heard of: Cortado. I am trying to learn the term, because each place that serves it makes a pretty pattern.

Here is the cortado at Cafe Myriad, near Concordia University.

HAPPINESS DEFINITION

Malcolm Gladwell has extraordinary friends. Listening to his podcast  #11 Season 3 May 10, 2018 Revisionist History bonus, he debates his friend Adam Grant, who has a great sense of humour. This is one of the gems that comes up during the debate (a quote by Tom Magliozzi) :

Happiness= Reality -Expectations

FOOD AS CHUCK HUGHES RECOMMENDS

Montreal where to eat

OSLER BOOK CLUB LIST

OSLER FELLOWSHIP RESOURCES

STRADDLE INJURIES, 60 DAYS AND OVERTRAINING SYNDROME (OTS)

This week I am suffering from more than one injury. The great thing about a triathlon is that you have to procrastinate three times to do nothing, so usually you run out of excuses and can at least do one form of exercise!

MIAMI BEACH ART DECO

Art Deco Miami beach tour
(Come back for night lights!)

The tour starts at the Art Deco Welcome Centre at 1001 Ocean Avenue.

Miami Beach is famous for its Streamline Moderne Art Deco architectural style. It is considered the second wave of Art Deco, and unlike the initial Skyscraper style that began in the 1920s, it reflected a simpler more austere style in keeping with depression years of the 1930s.

The stone found throughout is a limestone full of coral patterns. It is called Ulitic limestone or Keystone Coral, and comes in peach, pink, blue and green. All of it is quarried from the nearby Everglades. It lines exterior and interior walls, even at the base of decorative fence walls .

Here is an example from the iconic Beach Patrol Headquarters.






Here is an example from The Viscoy Hotel facade:







Here is the interior counter from The Tides Hotel:






My favorite part was finding the detailed motifs:

geometric like zigzags, chevrons and semicircles
natural like leaves, fern fronds and sunrises
tropical like pelicans and water
frozen fountains

Here are some essential links:
Origins and Influences
Architecture in the US and the Dawn of Deco

PS
These are the notes from my beach tour:

Ulitic limestone (keystone coral) peach, pink, blue, green-quarries from Everglades
Frozen fountains
Rum runners-mob brought alcohol to Miami beach during prohibition
Nautical Deco
Portholes
Ziggurats
Stainless steel
Streamline
Geometric
Porter house style?
South of Fifth SoFi-Jewish quarter
Segregation beach-curfew-African Americans
View-no Jews
No AC
No pools
No building on east side of ocean drive
Miami Vice
ABA
Mediterranean revival- rebuilt Chris Colombo -Versacci killed by serial killer
Sea grape tree-shedding leaves-yellow parrots
Modern Art Deco
Grackles
Quaker came down from PA to see why his coconut investments weren't making money-helped build the bridge to Miami Beach-grew avocados( alligator pears) and mangos
Barbara Capitman started preservation of Miami Art Deco
Leonard Holovitz chose the paint colours
Aztec Art Deco-the Carlyle

ARISTOTLE'S GOLDEN MEAN

Alexander the Great of Macedonia was not known for moderation. But as fate would have it, his teacher was Aristotle, who must have at least mentioned it during his education.

The Golden Mean preceded Thomas Jefferson's idea of moderation, but it describes the balance that goes back to ancient China and the balance of nature called Yin-Yang.

I like this table that outlines some of the details.

WEST ISLAND TO THE OLD PORT: MANJIT CHATRIK

I love art. I love some artists especially. I realized that Mr. Manjit Singh Chatrik is one of those artists when I saw him at his booth on Place Jacques Cartier. I was happy to introduce my friends to his exquisite work. His works include animals and birds, and people and places around the world. He uses water colour, patterns in metallic paint and moonshapes to create fantasy and beauty in every painting. Today I learned he was previously an illustrator, which is where he developed his style. He also let me call him Mr. Singh, which was how I remembered his name, but I think he was just too polite to correct me! Strangely I couldn't find a website, but here are a few images. Check him out!

MARRIAGE VOWS FROM KATHERINE HEPBURN'S "WOMAN OF THE YEAR"

Dearly beloved...
...we are gathered here together
in the sight of God...
...and in the face of this company...
...to join together this man
and this woman in holy matrimony.
Which is an honorable estate...
...instituted of God...
...and therefore is not by any to be
entered into unadvisedly or lightly...
...but reverently, discreetly, soberly...
...and in the fear of God.
You are performing an act
of utter faith.
Believing in one another to the end.
As the bride gives herself
to the bridegroom...
...let him be to her
father and mother...
...sister and brother...
...and, most sacred, husband.
As he gives himself to her...
...let the bride inspire and sustain him...
...let her unite with him
in all the experiences of life...
...to which their paths shall lead.
The great moments and the small.
That the joys of each
shall be the joys of both.
And the sorrows of each,
the sorrows of both.
If you wish your new estate
to be touched with lasting beauty...
...cherish those gracious visions
of your first love.
Let them not be blurred
by the common events of life.
Be not moved in your devotion.
Believe in the ideal.
You saw it once.
It still exists.
It is the final truth.
William...
...wilt thou have this woman
to thy wedded wife...
...to live together after God's ordinance
in the holy estate of matrimony?

Read more: https://www.springfieldspringfield.co.uk/movie_script.php?movie=woman-of-the-year

IMMIGRATION AND THE PASSES

My daughter's school curriculum enlightened me to why I was a fourth generation immigrant to the Canadian prairies, but it did not do a good job explaining how the west was populated when it was already indigenously populated.

Today I watched a documentary that explains this "shared history". It explains "The Pass system", starting in 1885, concomitant with the immigration of farmers encouraged by "free landplots". For 60 years, the system was created that still echoes today. In order to leave the reservation, an aboriginal needed to ask an Indian Agent for a pass. To visit town, to go the hospital, to visit their children, who were taken as wards of the state to residential schools. They weren't always approved, were often hard to obtain, brief, and punishable by jail if not obtained.

Why is it so hard for history to be told by more than one side? As Napolean said, "History is a set of lies agreed upon". Surely it's time to tell a story with at least two sides?

SCAVENGER HUNT OLD MONTREAL

Today was a great day. It is easy to say that it was a great day because, we, as a group of four women, went on a fun scavenger hunt in Old Montreal today. It is tempting to blog the details of our great dim sum lunch (I will, but it beside the point). But the best part of the day was the reality that I have these three wonderful women in my life that I can rely on, have fun with, and I feel I belong with.

The funny thing about it is that it is easiest to blog about the food, then about the details of a scavenger hunt we did together, but it is hard to find the words and spend the time writing about what matters most.

It is also funny how some terribly important  and monumental events happen, and there are no blog entries, and how some blog entries occur with very little meaning. I suppose this is reflective of our photo albums and even our own memories.

DIM SUM AT RUBY ROUGE

I don't remember a lot of the names, but we were four people, and we ate a lot for $15 each at Ruby Rouge. It was wonderful. Definitely not vegan. Almost all were brought in threes, but since we were four, they were cut in half and gave us each a taste. We were late for lunch, but confirmed that they were serving with the carts until 3. One hour gave us enough time. A nice lady confirmed the entrance as it was not obvious to enter into the restaurant, but instead looked like a shop on St. Laurent.

We had steamed rice rolls (cheung fun is the one made of prawns) with shrimp and bbq pork. Highlights were the stuffed eggplants with shrimp, stuffed green peppers with shrimp, and taro dumplings. Simple shrimp dumplings were even better with "vegetables"; basically green with leeks. A simple plate of chinese broccoli. Phoenix claws (chicken feet) eaten for collagen's beauty. Some sticky rice bamboo packets. Sweet  sesame balls and "salty" deep fried balls of pork. All washed down with pots of brown tea and a finale of silky tofu pudding with ginger syrup.

What follows are not the best photos, as no plate was left untouched before I could photograph it! At least it will trigger some memories for next time!

Taro dumplings, bbq pork steamed rice noodle roll

Eggplant stuffed with shrimp, bamboo leaves of glutenous rice and pork

Chiu-Chao dumpling, veggie-shrimp and shrimp

Silky tofu pudding with ginger syrup. Yum!

SUMMER GARDEN TEA PARTY

It was a warm and perfect night. The girls came in their finery, and Cindy had made some incredibly beautiful fastinators that were inspirational!

I thought, after ten years of December parties, I wanted to host a summer one. The weather called for thunderstorms, and wikipedia suggested a high tea starts at 5 pm. Thankfully, we had a clear, if not a little warm, evening until dusk set and we cleared away the dishes. Only then did it start to rain!

Even those who weren't sure they couldn't make it did, and the places around the outdoor tables matched the number of verrines, plates and spoons. 8!

It was an evening full of food, laughter, and love. The courses went off without a hitch, and my Princess Pirate helped with the festivities. I think I may have to expand my party repertoire to twice a year!

Served with everything was tea I recognized from my Uncle's good taste and collection he sent to my grandma for gifts: Taylor's of Harrogate, which I found at my local Bramble House. I picked my favorite Earl Grey in leaf form, but figured that an afternoon tea might be best served with the Afternoon Darjeeling Tea. I was not wrong. It was the most popular tea served!

On the list for next time:

tomato bruschetta
vanilla macaroons
rhubarb crisp
fruit skewers (strawberry bocconcini)
almond marzipan dates
apple or zucchini cheddar rose pastries
spinach egg squares
quinoa salad

Allergy list
pineapple
gluten
milk
hazelnut
raw apple/peach/apricot

White roses being watered, inspired by Camilla, and a pink ribbon topper, inspired by Eugenie 

Currant scones, almost perfectly done this time, with Devon custard (from Devon!), clotted cream (overpriced butter), marmelade and a gift of pineapple sriracha jam

English tea cups from the family collection

Mint and edible floral ice cubes

Mint water in champagne glasses and colours of summer with floral arrangements

Crudités in hummus

Red Pepper soup, served cold, with quinoa and avocado,  rice crackers with red pepper pate

For the gluten avoiders, roasted chicken and almonds, mayo, chives and cucumber slices. The recipe comes from one I copied from Cooking Light 2005. It was originally made with rosemary, but I had fresh chives and enjoyed the variation at least as much.

Cucumber and roasted chicken, and almond crustless sandwiches

Seaweed and tofu salad by Jae

Veggie chips, Deviled eggs

Dulce de leche, brownie, custard and strawberry verrine

Sesame graham crackers, lemon poppy seed petits fours and brownies

RED PEPPER SOUP

I had been looking at Martha's Meatless book, had a large jar of roasted red peppers in my cupboard, as well as a ripe avocado and quinoa on hand. I made this Roasted Red Pepper Soup with Quinoa Salsa for the first time hot, and took it to work, and I skipped the red onion for everyone else's sake. It was still good, but I found it a little thin. Still, with the garnish, and a generous dollop of quinoa, it was a good lunch.

When I had the girls over for tea, I decided to serve it cold and in small verrines. I still omitted the red onion, and it was very popular.

CHILLED ROASTED RED PEPPER SOUP WITH QUINOA
Meatless Cookbook
Serves: 4 (doubles) servings

INGREDIENTS
1 yellow onion (chopped)
2 T EVOO, for cooking
1 garlic clove (sliced)
1 cup cooked quinoa
4 red bell peppers (roasted with seeds, skins removed)  I rinsed prepared and removed seeds and doubled these.)
3 cups low sodium vegetable stock ( I doubled stock)
1 avocado
2 T chopped cilantro

INSTRUCTIONS
Heat oil in a medium saucepan.
Add onion, and garlic stirring until onion is tender about 6-8 min.
Add roasted peppers, and stock.
Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
Let cool slightly.
Working in batches, puree soup in a blender until smooth, or use an immersion blender and puree soup directly in the pot.
Refrigerate to chill soup (at least 2 hours) or re-warm to serve hot.
Ladle soup into bowls and top with a scoop of quinoa, avocado slices, a few pieces of cilantro. Diced red onion would be good too, but okay to omit.

SESAME GRAHAM CRACKER SNAPS

My grandma used to make these simple crunchy cookies. I liked making them, especially using the recipe written in her handwriting, which she called "Mini Graham Snaps".

ROSEMARY (CHIVE) CHICKEN SALAD SANDWICHES

Makes 5 sandwiches.

From Cooking Light 2005

Ingredients

3 cups chopped roasted skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 3/4 pound)
1/3 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup chopped smoked almonds
1/4 cup plain fat-free yogurt
1/4 cup light mayonnaise
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly
ground black pepper
10 slices whole-grain bread

How to Make It

Combine first 9 ingredients, stirring well.
Spread about 2/3 cup of chicken mixture over each of 5 bread slices, and top with remaining bread slices.
Cut sandwiches diagonally in half.

I used roasted chicken pieces from a bbq chicken.
I replaced green onions and rosemary with chives, chopped.
I replaced yogurt and light mayo with Hellman's original mayo (simple ingredients, mostly Canadian).
I used white Italiano bread I had bought by accident, cut off crust and halved into rectangles.

SOCIAL ECONOMICS I CAN GET BEHIND

I had a problem. Then I listened to Planet Money Podcast #844: Nice Game. It solved my problem and freed my conscience.

My schedule is killing me. I am stuck feeling bad though, because I am only available half the month with half my time dedicated to  shared parenting. I have offered ways to maximize this to my scheduler. I have offered every spare moment not accounted for to my job. I have cried over my failure to do more.

I now have been freed from this burden. This is what happened:

I gave every availability possible. I asked for 24-36 hours after night shifts, no more than 2 evenings or 3 days in a row, and ideally four shifts a week. I left my weeks open.

But instead of respecting my parameters, I got 2 shifts one week, 5 another, and 4 weekend nights in August, two in a row at a time.

The theory of economics that works the best, working from the prisoner's dilemma, is to offer to cooperate until you are taken advantage of. Then you are best not to cooperate, until the cooperation is offered back to you.

It may save missiles being launched in our current world climate. It helps me to stop feeling guilty about laying out my time as carte blanche. It allows me to insist that I don't get 5 shifts in a row, and that I may not be able to do as many shifts as my boss thinks I should be doing.

I like the idea of living in a society that you give your best first, but you don't have to be a doormat.
If it's good enough for avoid geopolitical disasters, it seems like a good way to live my little life.

MYSTERY TREE: Manitoba maple

I have spent the day battling my forest of "weed trees", mostly Norwegian maples and Hawthorns. I found a couple of other trees that I wondered whether they might grow up into something I might want to leave. It led me and the Princess Pirate to a bush I have tried to keep manageable for years, and then similar small versions in Terra Cotta forest. We looked up the leaf shape in Trees of North America and wondered if it could be a maple.

We were right! I finally found it in Ontario's database. The mystery tree in my yard is a Manitoba maple!

I MAY GO TO THE FOREST BUT YOU MAY NEED TO GO TO THE SEA

“When anxious, uneasy and bad thoughts come, I go to the sea, and the sea drowns them out with its great wide sounds, cleanses me with its noise, and imposes a rhythm upon everything in me that is bewildered and confused."

Rainer Maria Rilke

DAVE'S SANGRIA

Sangria mix 1L
Red wine (dry, Chilean) 1L
Gingerale 1L
Frozen lemonade 1/4-1/2 container per pitcher
Peeled orange slices, diced pears, apples and strawberries

LEFTOVERS

I wasn't sure what would happen if I froze everything and then thawed it. The rice didn't hold out the best, but the thing about leftovers is that they are always welcome when you don't have to make another meal! Red curry lentils and aloo gobi. 

ROASTED RED PEPPER PÂTÉ

I had a bottle of merlot I would never drink alone, and an expired package of cream cheese that I needed to use up, and years ago I ate this yummy app at a weekend in Tremblant at the JB club, and have been looking at this recipe ever since.

So I invited a couple of girlfriends, opened the package, which was just fine, and between my daughter's grad and during her party, I whipped it together and baked it, and cooled it in the fridge until supper. This is what is looked like, unfolded, flipped upside down.

Take a look at the after hours with girls for the decorated platter flanked by crackers and baguette slices.

Cooked and cooled. I think it would look great moulded in other shapes too. I forgot to grease the aluminium and it came out just fine. Like frosting a cake, a layer of basil pesto (I used premade) and a layer of sun dried tomato paste finished it off. I had bought water crackers and had triskets and ritz crackers on hand, but my friend brought fresh baguette which elevated it to another plane! 

I used a jar of roasted red peppers, and the goat cheese came in 300g, so I omitted the butter and cayenne and pine nuts  and did not miss them. Froze the leftovers for the next get together!

AFTER HOURS WITH THE GIRLS ON THE FIRST DAY OF SUMMER

Prosecco and a picnic

Even when you invite girls for Merlot and Perrier, and provide roasted red pepper pate with crackers, olives, quinoa salad, strawberries, melon and cantaloupe, they bring Prosecco and veggie platters, baguettes, grapes, chocolate and more! What starts as a backyard simple supper becomes a feast with laughter, venting and plans for another event as soon as possible!