Wordless Wednesday - Barns

Staycation Day 3 - Idle No More

We slept in AGAIN....... well I managed to doze off again after waking at 6am!

We eventually stirred ourselves to get going and headed down to our beloved Granville Island to have brunch at Edible Canada......all locally sourced food......delish.  Lovely to be sitting outside, under the bridge, lots of people about.....and I cannot lie - the Canadiano is a grrrreat way to start the day!

We wandered for a while, looking at boats, as we do, and as we dream a bit about buying one and taking off.......

It was another spectacular day - so many people on the water...... it was lovely.

We headed home to let the brown waggy wagtail out but not before hitting up a couple of fishing stores..... such fascinating places - depending on where you stand you could be in a craft or sewing store - so many feathers and cotton and felt....colourful.    Allan got some materials for tying flies for his next fishing trip.

We came home and had coffee and some coffee cake for lunch (again) and I said......

"Don't be alarmed Allan but I am going to  have a nap gut the Laundry Room"

He looked up from his fishing magazine and looked at me through his new glasses and before his mouth said a bad word his eyes had already communicated his feelings!

I absolved him of any need to be involved which he accepted warily and I went to work.

He went to tie flies.

It was hot and sweaty work because naturally I was actually doing laundry at the same time so the dryer was going.

I chucked out a lot of garbage and shop vacced  (Lindsay and Spanner if either of you need any of your hair back please take it up with the shop vac - also Lindsay half the worlds hair clips are also in the shop vac FYI).

I collected more stuff for David's Garage sale (we are getting close to being ready for this fundraiser for his France trip so if you have goods for us we'd gladly take 'em).

I cleaned, I attempted to tame the mason jar explosion, I reorganised, I reigned in Spanners stuff and a I cleaned!

I stopped short of taking on the paper accumulation in there as the sweat was dripping into my eyes and....well....its stings......and I took it as a sign to stop.

                                      BEFORE                                                                       AFTER

We made ourselves a lovely dinner of ribeye, new potatoes, Chilliwack corn and....... wait for it......... balsamic and honey roasted beets.  It was all yummy.  Even the beets.

Not yummy enough to win me back to the Beet Fan Club though.

We sat and sipped beer as the heat of the day cooled and as my summer staycation 2014 ebbed away.

It has been a wonderful 3 days off.  I have enjoyed every minute (except for the minutes robbed by beet rage).

I feel rested and happy.

While I have no more planned vacation this summer I am hoping to catch a day or two here and there.

Thanks Allan Byres for being a good sport and a great vacation partner......I love you!

Staycation Day 2 - Beet Up

We slept in.  We're so old that means we slept until 7:30am.

After a lovely brunch I baked.

Oops sorry for just blurting that out - I know it was a shock for some of you..... I apologise for the lack of warning... I last baked in 2009-ish.

I was inspired by blueberries and baked a blueberry coffee cake.

It was easy as pie cake?

I forgot I could bake.

I forgot I enjoyed the process.

Funny what stress tricks your brain into forgetting.

Allan and I enjoyed coffee cake and coffee in the shade of the backyard on another hot, sunny day and called it lunch.

I then processed the rest of the blueberries.

The freezer is officially full.

While the cake was baking I decided to do something with the three weeks of CSA accumulated beets.

Week 1 they were itty bitty.

Week 2 they were normal.

Week 3 they were baseballs.

I am a little afraid of Week 4 beets

So I put a pot on to boil.

Week 3 in first followed by week 2 10 minutes later and week 1 15 minutes after that.

I marveled at the jewel colored water boiling them away.

I commented on the lovely earthy smell competing with the sugary, buttery cake baking smell.

But here's the thing.

I am over beets.

I am over cooking them.

I have tried, honestly tried, to love the ridiculous, messy and long process to make beets edible.

Their preparation is not worth their bite...... if you see what I mean.

You clean, you boil, you peel, you chop, you bake and FINALLY you eat ....and they're "meh"

And my chopping board and I look like we committed a heinous crime.

They could't have come like mandarin oranges?  or even onions?
I have put this item on my list to discuss with God one day...... it's not high on the list....but its on the list.

This is not the time to message me with quick ways to do beets.

I am sure there exists a delicious chocolate cake made entirely from beets.....no doubt its ah-may-zing.

I don't care.

I am annoyed at beets.

Hearing how you prepare them in under 10 minutes will NOT make me feel better.

However if you know of a quick way I can un-lady-macbeth my hands before I go to work tomorrow and scare the children I'd appreciate it.

Click "like" now to be entered into a draw for my CSA week 4 beets.  :)

Now..... where is that coffee cake?

Staycation 2014 - Day 1

Alarm at 5:30am is hardly the way to start my 3 day summer staycation.

Up and out the door at 6am with the kids all packed for Camp.

At the boat in Coal Harbour at 6:30am.  Our drop offs are quick these days - no need for us to linger (though I might like that!).... we hugged them both and we were off.

And so at 6:40am our one week of no parenting began.

We drove east.  Through quiet downtown streets.  I love to see the City coming to life.

We hit the highway and were soon over the Port Mann bridge and driving into the Fraser Valley.

I googled "Best breakfast in Chilliwack" and up came Cookies Grill.  Tapped the google map app and voila in 20 minutes we arrived in a light industrial area.  Our first clue was tons of trucks and cars.  Our second clue was limited parking and the final clue to know we were in for a great breakfast was a packed restaurant when we opened the door.

We found the last empty table and sat down.  The decor was....well honestly...there was none.... some of the tables were just Canadian Tire folding tables and chairs...... but the food..... well the food was exactly what you would want from a great cook.  Eggs exactly over medium.....hashbrowns crispy on the outside, crisp bacon.... simple, well cooked....perfect.  And friendly, efficient service.  And who doesn't love a menu with great quotes printed on it?

The less said about the coffee the better.

Then we headed on up to the cabin to deliver some new patio furniture.  The cabin is for sale (sniff) and my parents wanted it to look sharp and it sure does!  Spanner had a blast running through the forest catching sticks.  He loves that place as much as we do.

So our job done and only 9:45am!

We wandered back through the Fraser Valley stopping for their famous corn and other veggies and fruit - it really is such a fertile valley and the crops were looking amazing.  Allan indulged my need to stick to back roads and so we kept turning left and came home via fields and barns ( Wordless Wednesday!) and quaint farms.  Time to chat and marvel at the views and vistas...... while Spanner napped on the back seat.

We eventually had no where to go but the highway so we stopped for our usual cheaper gas fill up and a decent coffee.  We discovered the pet store there had a pet bath facility and after a few hours in the truck with Spanner we were up for trying that!  Poor guy didn't see it coming but he is clean and fresh now!

We came home and processed the corn (blanch in boiling water for 5 mins - then into an ice bath - cut off cob over a baking sheet and bag for future use!) and the no spray strawberries, made pesto with fresh basil and fresh walnut from the valley and prepared some tasty mojitos for dinner with friends.

A truly relaxed and delightful evening with dear friends...... as the hot day cooled into a spectacular evening.

My heart is full.

And its only day 1.