no fences make for great neighbors!

i may be lonely, but i’m definitely not without company!

all day today, there have been two moose hanging out in my back yard. its amazing. i’ve had quite the week, a rollercoaster you may say. and nothing is morning calming or grounding and nothing takes me away from whatever i may be dealing with then these two moose, just lying there.

i went to go into town today, to get some errands done, and to get dog and cat food. i ran out this morning, ironically! but last night it poured rain and this morning it was -4, so i should have put two and two together, but i hadn’t  really thought about it until i started the car and went to back up. i didn’t move. or i did, but sideways. my driveway consists of mostly hill and a little bit of flatness, but mostly hill. i had a bag of sand, which i emptied. i tried again, in reverse, but to no use. i would make it halfway up the hill and spin out. so after a couple tries i gave up and parked.

after getting my car inspected yesterday we found out that i have a cracked rad. which had yet to give me any trouble, but it was warm out today, and therefore the build up of pressure inside my rad was greater. i’ve been keeping tabs on my fluid levels and there wasn’t anything out of the ordinary until this last time. so i popped the hood and checked. i was clear out of rad fluid. not good. so between the ice on the road and my rad fluid soaking into the road, i wasn’t going anywhere. by car.

i was out of dog and cat food, remember? i had to go to town. i had to do something. i’m just kind of stewing in all this and weather or not i’m going to fight this to the bitter end or not, its still kind of depressing. kind of, is a matter of option. well, anyway…

so I walked the 4 kilometers into town. it was a totally lovely day, warm, partly sunny, breesy and every once in a while, it would snow. it was quite lovely. itook schooner, and he thought it was the coolest thing ever. so many different smells, and then when we got to town, there were people, and dogs…and oh the excitements! lovely. lovely. lovely. so dog and cat food obtained, i hailed a cab (not as romantic as it sounds) and told him to drop me off at the top of my driveway – i didn’t want to feed him dinner!

this is when i first saw the moose, for today. i walked down the driveway, animal food underarm, and up the steps and right in front ot me, there they are, two moose, just lying there enjoying the carefree afternoon. i run inside of course, shutter happy as i am to grab my camera. i snap 10’s of pictures thinking that they be gone before i know it. but this is not the case at all…there are still there now, 5 hours down the road. i just think its amazing. schooner has gone and checked them out a few times, they just lye there, he sniffs, poops and comes back to the house. mission completed i some way i imagine.

i made “baby’s got the blues brownies” its from a cookbook mum got me on a trip to idaho she took last year, and the same book the soup came from.  it’s a fabulous book, and a fabulous restaurant i am told. and if you’ve got the blues or not, these brownies definitely do the trick and paired with cup of tea and a hockey game they do well to rid the blues. 

baby’s got the blues brownies

4 oz unsweetened chocolate (or 3/4 cup cocoa)

½ cup butter ( or ¾ cup butter)

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 ¼ cup sugar

2 eggs

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup flour

preheat oven to 350. grease and flour an 8x8 square or round pan.

melt chocolate and butter together. take off heat and cool. when cool vanilla, sugar, eggs and salt to the chocolate mixture until thoroughly combined. add flour and stir until completely mixed. pour into prepared pan. bake for 40 minutes (this seemed a little long to me, i’d bake for 35 next time). cool on wire rack, then enjoy and feel the blues vanish away! 

t.h.e. jalapeno and avocado cream coup

8 jalapeno peppers, stemmed and seeded

2 tablespoons butter

1 cup finely diced onions

5 cloves minced garlic

8 cups cream* 

2 cups chopped roasted tomatoes**

1 diced hass avocado

Salt

Pepper

1 small bunch cilantro

*or whatever combination of milk and cream you want

** i roasted a few tomatoes in the oven, and then chopped them

mince jalapenos, taking care not to get the chile oil on your skin! painful later!!

melt butter in large heavy bottomed soup pot. cook onions and jalapenos together in butter over low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently to avoid any scorching. add minced garlic, and continue cooking until onion is translucent and beginning to brown, 20 minutes more. 

turn heat to low and add the cream, tomatoes, and avocado. carefully bring soup to a simmer over low heat. cook it at a gentle simmer for 30 minutes. stir often to keep soup from burning and sticking. 

add generous amounts of salt. (you really have to taste for this. we add a lot, as the cream base can take it, and without salt the subtle flavors of the soup get lost.) add a good amount of cracked black pepper and most of the cilantro leaves. this soup keeps well and reheats nicely with the help of a flame tame. 

shall we say, depressing?

so i'm doing to positivity dance. or trying too. 

yesterday, after waiting too long for people to get back to me and after giving them plenty of time to do so, i decided enough was enough. i called guy at the ministry of transportation back, only to find out that i had to file a claim, now why couldn't he have just told me that a few days ago when i first called him? cause maybe my little incident wasn't important and it wasn't worth his time? well i don't give up that easy... and i'm sorry, but i'm getting to the bottom of this. you don't end a road, and not bother to warn people. signage, guys, would be great. 

yesterday, after finely being made aware that i actually had to file a claim (like hello!) to get this big nasty ball rolling, i went in to pick form up. its just like a regular form: name, address, phone #....and then this little box in the middle full of reminders, like "please remember to attach quote or estimate". well, that was something that hadn't gotten yet. so after work today i headed over to the auto body shop, partly terrified, and partly totally thrilled by the wonderfully warm sunshine. it was really an amazing day! 

so, to make a long story short, just write the check out to heidi, for $3000. its just a small amount really. just a drop in the bucket. no problem. 

how much would it have cost them to put a bloody sign up!! for freak sakes!!

i'm not bitter at all. 

i just feel like i'm getting the run around. i had called the highways guy on monday to see why there wasn't a sign up and i've been waiting for his call back all week. then today when i called him, he was well.....unavailable. no kidding! but the lady at reception told me that the file states that a sign was put up on the 27th - the day after i called him to report the lack of!!  so there was obviously supposed to be a sign there: i'm not off my rocker, and i'm not giving up. (did i say that already??)

i have decided to file an icbc claim as well, two avenues is better then one, right? but at this point i'm wishing i had never even gone down that first avenue, or should i say road, in the first place.

the positivity dance isn't really working. i'm kind of not dancing anymore. i just kind of feel like a bowl of ice cream right now. 

snow.q.drive.soup

its snowing. for the second time today. when i came home from work it was not snowing. then all of the sudden, outside my windows there was a wild and crazy blizzard with small flakes. now its a blizzard with big flakes. i like the snow, and winter in general, so i'm pleased either way, as long as i can make it out of my driveway in the morning. 

i'm sitting here inside, with a snowy blizzard out, listening to CBC radio two. which i have really only recently discovered, and i have fallen in love with drive, with rich terfry. he plays such and amazing array of music, with great commentary to boot. i've was devastated when Q switched time slots this summer. i loved to come home in the afternoon, go for a run and then lie out in the sun on the deck, jian ghomeshi's voice echoing from my speakers. now, with his brand new 10am slot, frankly i miss the guy. i'm slowly getting used to the point, but its different, its not Q. its growing on me, slowly i must say, but its still not the same. so drive in a way is filling that gap...although its so totally different. apples and oranges. 

speaking of food, i'm going to post a recipe on here, in the next little bit, today or tomorrow at the latest. for jalapeno and avocado cream soup. it is seriously one of the most amazing soups i've made, ever. and one that comes with a warning label. but don't be alarmed. the warning label only targets the making of the soup. not the consuming. i had read the recipe though, but had not thought it through. 8 jalapenos, minced. try doing that, no food processor, no gloves. i won't even dare you. next time i'll wear gloves, heavy ones. and a long sleeve shirt. if you like to cook naked, which i can admit, is pretty cool sometimes, will at this point will get pretty hot and i caution against it. but you don't even notice anything the first day, then the next, you'll come home from work, jump in the shower, and realise that you're on fire. not fun. so be careful. however, after you have simmered the soup for 30 minutes, almost all the heat is gone, and if you eat leftovers the next day, you notice even less temperature. i do find all of this quite interesting though. first of all cream soups are never simmered. you always simmer the main broth, veggies and whatever, you take off the heat, add cream/milk and slowly bring back to temperature, but there is no simmering once the cream is added. second of all, this soup has 8 jalapenos. and one would wonder how the heat in 8 jalapenos is going to take a hike?! the only liquid, is cream. 8 cups to be exact (i added 2 cups full cream, and the rest homo milk, the budget didn't like the whole cream bit). added to all this, is one avocado. so do the math, the fat content is quite high! and how do you combat heat, when you eat somthing too spicy? milk. but really its the fat content in the milk that de-activates or dissolves the capsaicin in the peppers which are used to create the heat. so in the end, you get a fabulous soup, no heat, high flavor. rather lovely actually! 

a fabulous match for a nice slice of artisan bread, toasted with butter. ummm! 

sunday morning...

i sit here with my big woolly socks and coffee freshly poured. the mountain through the window in front of me, covered in snow, white and glistening in the mid-morning sun, entices me. i would like to climb to the top of it today, and look out upon the valley, watch the train rumble on, the puffs of smoke puffing, keeping houses warm this -25 morning. 

today is sunday and i only "have" to do a couple things. none of which i feel like doing. yesterday while traveling down a road i had never been down, i rounded the corner only to find that the road came to an abrupt end. the one hundred feet the remained was glare ice, my brakes we're no good, and i am lucky that the snow bank at the end was angled, or i would have lost more then my bumper. i was pissed off. i still am. there were no signs that would have lead me to believe that the road ended, the last sign that i saw was the 50km/hour sign just a ways back. so today i have to drive back out there, again, and confirm that in fact there were no signs. doing so will give me a leg to stand on when monday morning i call that person who is responsible for things like this, and tell them them that they will pay for my new bumper. 

i don't want to go out. i don't even really want to drive my car. but whats the saying, "get right back on the horse"?. really, i came out of the whole scene rather unscathed, just missing a bumper. but i've never had anything like this happen, ever. i feel stupid, like i should have known better. but how could i? but whats done is done. 

that's really the only thing that i have to do. i would like to go out and take pictures as well. the day is lovely beyond words, and schooner would be on cloud nine. but at this point, sitting in the sun, drinking my hot coffee, listening to CBC radio is feeling pretty darn lovely. 

CBC morning fact: 95% of the worlds gum balls are made in toronto. they are environmentally friendly -no packaging! and they are brand name free! 

croissant master recipe

croissant dough

2 teaspoons yeast

2 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons warm water

1 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons unsalted butter*

1 cup cold milk

2 ½ all-purpose flour

butter package

1 cup unsalted butter*

2 tablespoons flour

*I used salted butter but next I think I will use unsalted, cause they seem a little too savory.

In small bowl dissolve the yeast and a pinch of the sugar in the warm water. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.

In mixer fitted with paddle, combine the remaining sugar, the salt, melted butter, milk, and the yeast mixture and mix on medium speed until combined. Gradually add the flour ½ cup at a time and mix just until the dough comes together in a sticky mass.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a rectangle about ½ inch thick. Transfer to a half-sheet pan, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until chilled, about 40 minutes.

To make butter package, using the heal of your hand, knead the butter on a work surface to flatten it and warm it to about 60*F. Sprinkle the butter with the flour and gently knead again Shape the butter into a 6x8 rectangle. If the butter has become too warm, wrap it and put it in the fridge until its pliable.

To laminate the dough, on a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough into a 9x13 inch rectangle. With a short side facing you, place the butter on the lower half, leaving a ½ inch border on all sides. Fold over the upper half to cover the butter and press the edges together to seal. Then, with a folded side to your left, roll out the dough into a 10x24 inch rectangle. With a short side facing you, fold the bottom third up, then fold the top third down, as if folding a letter. This completes the first turn, also known as a book turn. Return to the pan, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 45 minutes. ( I didn’t return it to the fridge, if it gets too warm then it might be a good idea, or if it needs to rest, but it just takes SO long if you chill every turn…)

Return the chilled dough to the lightly floured work surface with a folded side to your left and repeat the process to make 3 more turns, rolling, folding, and chilling the dough each time, for a totally of 4 turns. After the final turn, refrigerate the dough for at least 4 hours or for up to over night. ( I made the dough in the evening, let it sit overnight, then made the Pain au Chocolat the next morning) 

pain au chocolat

1 recipe croissant dough

6 oz bittersweet chocolate

egg wash

1 large egg

1 tablespoon milk

Using a box grater or a good processor, coarsely grate or chop the chocolate. (I melted it, and piped it into ¼ wide batons)

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry into a 12x16 inch rectangle. Cut it lengthwise into 3 equal strips, then cut each strip crosswise into 4 squares, for a total of 12 squares. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of grated chocolate in a strip in the middle of the square. Fold the bottom up a third of the way, then fold the top down so that it slightly overlaps the bottom flap. Pinch the seam to seal. 

Place, seam side down, on lightly greased pans. Repeat with remaining squares, spacing the rolls about 2-3 inches apart. Place in a warm, draft-free place to rise covered until doubled, about 1 ½ hours.

Preheat oven to 425*.

Lightly brush the tops of the rolls with the egg wash. Bake one sheet at a time until golden brown, about 15-18 minutes. (Boil water for coffee!!)  Transfer to wire rack to cool.

the beginning

i'm a baker. i wake every morning at 3:15. i push the snooze button until 3:34 and then i'm out of bed. i wet my hair. i make toast. i let my dog out. i start my car. i eat toast. i get dressed. i drive to work.

its all automatic and i'm half asleep until now. my drive to work takes about 10 minutes, unless i have trouble getting up the hill and out of my driveway. lately the weather has been funny and its been very interesting at times - i stay to the left hand side, keep my speed up, and make sure to not give to little or too much gas. its a small hill, and relatively tame, but sometimes to catches me off guard. 

i come home from work, just after noon with the whole day ahead of me it seems. for one the works a regular shift, it may seem like the day has only begun and the hours left are unless...but i can't help but keep a silent countdown of how many hours in the day i have left until i have to go to bed. it seems to come way to fast. my head hits the pillow [weather i like it or not] around 8pm. it is now, 10:30, so early really, yet, i'm nodding off, trying in vain to keep my eyes open, my brain alert....but i know sooner or later i will fall prey. 

i've lived in this house now, for just over a month. one month and one week to be exact. its little and rather cute, just the perfect size for the four of us, my boyfriend and i, and our cat and our dog. its out of town just far enough, and we're not five minutes from a lake. i'm excited to see what lies under the snow, when it melts - it will be a totally surprise! 

i've lived in this town since june of last year. i am quite and i do things that don't often involve other people, not by choice, but that’s just kind of the way it works. i like photography - i go on hikes to find the perfect shot. i like to bake, i work early hours, i go to bed early, not exactly a great way to meet new people. so in the 8 months i've lived here, i've been to a few hockey games and out for drinks once. it does bother me sometimes, i sluff it off thinking "that’s just the way it is and there’s no real way to cure it", but it still bothers me and i'm still lonely. my boyfriend works away from home and only comes home every couple of months, so i don't see him all that often either. although he is gone, and its hard on the both of us, we know its a means to an end. everyday we are closer to our dream. and that is what keeps us going.