It's been a while since I've updated my blog. Since we got back from the wedding it's been hectic with school starting up - harvesting the garden - then dealing with the harvest! My good friend Maria came over last weekend and we canned tomatoes - plain, and stewed - applesauce and apple pie filling, and our new neighbour, Dave, gave Don a large box full of pears so I made pear marmalade, pear mincemeat and pears in syrup. It just keeps coming and coming!
This week I also made jalapeno jelly (Yum!) the tomatoes are still coming and the plums are just about ripe! Prune plums are great fresh - but when you have about a bushel of them it's really hard to eat them all! Other years we've given most of them away, and I often make a batch or two of plum jam, but last year I tried canning them in a light syrup. My mom used to do that. They are GREAT! Put them over vanilla ice cream, or in a smoothie and they're fabulous! I may do up some of those if my jars hold out, and give some out in my Christmas hampers (which reminds me - all those of you who benefit at Christmas and other times from my industrious canning - I'd really appreciate the jars being "recycled" back to me ;-)) Anyway, it's still not over yet! Maria keeps asking me when we're going to make anitipasto! And I was thinking today as I put a chicken in the stock pot -- I wonder if I could can chicken soup...." It's an addiction this canning! I love to see the shelves in my pantry full to bursting, and to share it will the people I love, but there's no time to do anything else!
__________________
Actually, that's not true! I had a wonderful day on Saturday. We had a union meeting in the morning (I'm the treasurer so I have to be there - what a way to get a break!) then afterwards I ran away for the day with my good friend Nancy!
We went to Coombs Country Market where a I bought some lovely saskatoon berry jam, tarragon dijon mustard and jalapeno cheese bread at the market, a really cool handmade witch's broom for Hallowe'en and a Japanese Anemone at the garden centre, a lapbelt (that's a jingly kind of scarf thing you tie around your waist for bellydancing! - Maria and I took a class last fall and I'm thinking of taking it again this year; it's so much more rewarding when you can make noise when you jiggle your belly!) Nancy bought a really good top and co-ordinating necklace at the same store. She wasn't brave enough to go for a lap belt - and yes, Nancy - this is a challenge!
After we'd exhausted ourselves poking around Coombs we went to Parksville for lunch at the Bayside Inn. If you've never been to the restaurant there - it's worth a visit! It's called Heron's and it has an incredible view of the water and Parksville Beach and the food is just terrific! Nancy and I each had a bowl of Butternut Squash soup (yum!) I had spinach and strawberry salad with almonds, she had tomato and gonnichini (or something italian like that- it's a kind of mild cheese), she had the crab cake appetizer and I had the duck comfit appetizer, and we shared a bottle of the featured chardonny. Wow...... then we had dessert! Creme brulee for her and fresh fruit tart for me. Holy. We totally splurged! The fruit tart I had was garnished with edible flower petals from Nanoose Edibles.
After lunch we got to the initial intent of our adventure - a visit to Gramma's Quilting Cupboard in Parksville. It's on a little side road off the Parskville Highway, right next to Thrifty Foods. We had fun there! I bought the most fabulous snowman flannel to make up into a quilt, a panel for making new stockings for Christmas, and a few other little things. Between us we spend almost $200 in there! Fun, Fun, Fun!
By that time it was 5:00 and the bank was pretty much tapped out and although I was pretty much ready to go home, Nancy wanted to go for a little walk at the beach. Sooooo - we went on another little adventure! There was a really cool beach my ex had taken the kids and I to a couple of times, south of Parksville, and I knew the general direction, if not the specific location...... As we travelled along down the road I thought we should be travelling and I was beginning to think we'd gone too far - we came upon a sign that said "Nanoose Edibles - this way!" So - having just eaten some of their flowers on my dessert at the restaurant, we were naturally intrigued.....
It's a really cool little farm and you can pick your own, go on a tour, share information, buy fresh produce, flowers, herbs, eggs, etc.... neat! The young guy manning the stand was very mellow and soft-spoken with long hair and gardener's hands. We had an interesting conversation about the herbs, squashes and my garden. I think the guy was either a little slow - or more probably stoned out of his mind- but very pleasant and somehow quite endearing. Nancy bought some onions & beautiful fresh picked strawberries and I bought 3 kinds of squash and some fresh basil. It's okay to spend more $$ -- this is groceries!
Back on the road again we found our beach down "Wall Beach Road" south of Craig's Bay. The beach is so cool because it's basically a sandstone shelf and it looks like the moon! Really different, interesting and worth a visit - if you can find it! Next time we go I have to bring my camera! Nancy loved it and wants to go back soon. The tide was up quite high when we were there, and it was getting late so we only spent about 15 or 20 minutes exploring. I collected some bits of shells, beach bark, and a palm-sized flake of sandstone to take home for Don. I don't know if he appreciated it or not, but it's something I would have loved to have him do for me on such an occassion!
That was my fabulous day with Nancy. My oldest and dearest friend. We've been through a lot together - and been friends for more than 30 years. Imagine that! Wow! That's a long time. I must be old. But "Old friends take a long time to make, but are worth the wait!" I just made that up - what do you think?
xoxo Until another day - Think free - be free - take time to just be!
This week I also made jalapeno jelly (Yum!) the tomatoes are still coming and the plums are just about ripe! Prune plums are great fresh - but when you have about a bushel of them it's really hard to eat them all! Other years we've given most of them away, and I often make a batch or two of plum jam, but last year I tried canning them in a light syrup. My mom used to do that. They are GREAT! Put them over vanilla ice cream, or in a smoothie and they're fabulous! I may do up some of those if my jars hold out, and give some out in my Christmas hampers (which reminds me - all those of you who benefit at Christmas and other times from my industrious canning - I'd really appreciate the jars being "recycled" back to me ;-)) Anyway, it's still not over yet! Maria keeps asking me when we're going to make anitipasto! And I was thinking today as I put a chicken in the stock pot -- I wonder if I could can chicken soup...." It's an addiction this canning! I love to see the shelves in my pantry full to bursting, and to share it will the people I love, but there's no time to do anything else!
__________________
Actually, that's not true! I had a wonderful day on Saturday. We had a union meeting in the morning (I'm the treasurer so I have to be there - what a way to get a break!) then afterwards I ran away for the day with my good friend Nancy!
We went to Coombs Country Market where a I bought some lovely saskatoon berry jam, tarragon dijon mustard and jalapeno cheese bread at the market, a really cool handmade witch's broom for Hallowe'en and a Japanese Anemone at the garden centre, a lapbelt (that's a jingly kind of scarf thing you tie around your waist for bellydancing! - Maria and I took a class last fall and I'm thinking of taking it again this year; it's so much more rewarding when you can make noise when you jiggle your belly!) Nancy bought a really good top and co-ordinating necklace at the same store. She wasn't brave enough to go for a lap belt - and yes, Nancy - this is a challenge!
After we'd exhausted ourselves poking around Coombs we went to Parksville for lunch at the Bayside Inn. If you've never been to the restaurant there - it's worth a visit! It's called Heron's and it has an incredible view of the water and Parksville Beach and the food is just terrific! Nancy and I each had a bowl of Butternut Squash soup (yum!) I had spinach and strawberry salad with almonds, she had tomato and gonnichini (or something italian like that- it's a kind of mild cheese), she had the crab cake appetizer and I had the duck comfit appetizer, and we shared a bottle of the featured chardonny. Wow...... then we had dessert! Creme brulee for her and fresh fruit tart for me. Holy. We totally splurged! The fruit tart I had was garnished with edible flower petals from Nanoose Edibles.
After lunch we got to the initial intent of our adventure - a visit to Gramma's Quilting Cupboard in Parksville. It's on a little side road off the Parskville Highway, right next to Thrifty Foods. We had fun there! I bought the most fabulous snowman flannel to make up into a quilt, a panel for making new stockings for Christmas, and a few other little things. Between us we spend almost $200 in there! Fun, Fun, Fun!
By that time it was 5:00 and the bank was pretty much tapped out and although I was pretty much ready to go home, Nancy wanted to go for a little walk at the beach. Sooooo - we went on another little adventure! There was a really cool beach my ex had taken the kids and I to a couple of times, south of Parksville, and I knew the general direction, if not the specific location...... As we travelled along down the road I thought we should be travelling and I was beginning to think we'd gone too far - we came upon a sign that said "Nanoose Edibles - this way!" So - having just eaten some of their flowers on my dessert at the restaurant, we were naturally intrigued.....
It's a really cool little farm and you can pick your own, go on a tour, share information, buy fresh produce, flowers, herbs, eggs, etc.... neat! The young guy manning the stand was very mellow and soft-spoken with long hair and gardener's hands. We had an interesting conversation about the herbs, squashes and my garden. I think the guy was either a little slow - or more probably stoned out of his mind- but very pleasant and somehow quite endearing. Nancy bought some onions & beautiful fresh picked strawberries and I bought 3 kinds of squash and some fresh basil. It's okay to spend more $$ -- this is groceries!
Back on the road again we found our beach down "Wall Beach Road" south of Craig's Bay. The beach is so cool because it's basically a sandstone shelf and it looks like the moon! Really different, interesting and worth a visit - if you can find it! Next time we go I have to bring my camera! Nancy loved it and wants to go back soon. The tide was up quite high when we were there, and it was getting late so we only spent about 15 or 20 minutes exploring. I collected some bits of shells, beach bark, and a palm-sized flake of sandstone to take home for Don. I don't know if he appreciated it or not, but it's something I would have loved to have him do for me on such an occassion!
That was my fabulous day with Nancy. My oldest and dearest friend. We've been through a lot together - and been friends for more than 30 years. Imagine that! Wow! That's a long time. I must be old. But "Old friends take a long time to make, but are worth the wait!" I just made that up - what do you think?
xoxo Until another day - Think free - be free - take time to just be!
posted by lakechick at 8:14 PM
2 Comments:
MMMMM! Jalapeno jelly - my fave!
Sounds like you had a really good time with Nancy. Did Victoria have her baby yet?
I love those lazy days exploring around Coombs/Parksville/Qualicum. Too bad the weather is starting to turn!
I think I remember going to that beach when we were little, it was pretty cool! Make sure you let me know when you are going out there again.
Becky
xox
Wow that sounded so fun and oddly relaxing. Sometimes I think 'we young people' are so caught up in trying to do big amazing exciting things all the time that we miss out on a lot of the neat stuff that's right here all around us...
I continue to be exceedingly jealous of your pantry!! It must be so satisfying:)
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