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Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Housekeeping

I just realized that my blogroll is more than mildly out of date. I am in the process of updating. Please let me know if you would like to be added (crse, Lucy, Clementine, Miss Step - I am on it, just need to have a few minutes for the html work which I completely suck at and it takes forever!!!)

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

A Foodie Meme

Found this at daysgoby and just had to do it. Feel free to join in the fun.

1)Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you have eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.


1. Venison - A couple of times, always at restaurants. It was good, but I have Bambi guilt.
2. Nettle tea - nope.
3. Huevos rancheros - Yummy!!!!
4. Steak tartare - I prefer carpaccio.
5. Crocodile - Well, I think it was alligator but close enough. Tastes like gamier chicken.
6. Black pudding - Can't do it. Same with haggis.
7. Cheese fondue - Traditional, and many variations. I love cheese fondue!!!
8. Carp - Meh. Not a fave.
9. Borscht - ABest was at this amazing Russian restaurant in Atlanta.
10. Baba ghanoush - We almost always have some on hand - Clara LOVES it for breakfast!!
11. Calamari - Delisious!! Grilled, fried . . . it's all good.
12. Pho - Damn, now I'm getting hungry.
13. PB&J sandwich -No allergies here!
14. Aloo Gobi- Never made it, but a fave when we go out.
15. Hot dog from a street cart-Most often after bar-hopping.
16. Epoisses - Stinky cheese? Of course!
17. Black Truffle- Yes. And white truffle, too.
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes - Blueberry, peach, strawberry. Some more successful than others, LOL.
19. Steamed Pork Buns - I love going for Dim Sum!!
20. Pistachio ice cream - Not seen enough nowadays
21. Heirloom tomatoes - From my garden and the farmers' market
22. Fresh wild berries - Mmmmmm, berries (best when they are still warm from the sun.
23. Foie gras - And I feel guilty every time I do (which is really not often - I think I've had it 4 times ever)
24. Rice and beans - I miss Miami - always got amazing rice and beans there.
25. Souse and Brawn or Head Cheese - can't go there.
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet Pepper- I'm the one who bought a salsa book and looked through it to make the hottest salsa first. Pain is my friend when it comes to peppers.
27. Dulce de leche - Yummm.
28. Oysters - Raw or cooked, always delicious
29. Baklava - I love Greek food, and Greek desserts. But my favourite are still loukamades (hard to find!!!)
30. Bagna cauda - Tasty.
31. Wasabi peas - Some are better than others.
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl - I don't need the sourdough bowl. And the chowder better not be that tomato-y Manhattan crap!
33. Salted lassi - I prefer the mango lassi.
34. Sauerkraut - Reubens! And on steamed hot dogs ("steamies" in Quebec)
35. Root beer float - Yes. But not such a fan of the "Lumberjack Float" (I'll blog that story after)
36. Cognac with a fat cigar -Cognac was good, Armanac is better. I don't do tobacco!!!
37. Clotted cream tea - Seriously, the things I would do for a good cream tea!! I've had it in England, Australia, and here in Canada. The scones have to be warm and light, not heavy.
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O - my exception to avoiding jellied stuff is if there is alcohol in it :)
39. Gumbo -Delicious. And it is the only way to eat okra (which looks like slimy slugs in my opinion)
40. Oxtail - I have made this a few times
41. Curried goat- never tried.
42. Whole insects - And I didn't strike it because I still want to try Wichity grub if I ever get back to Australia
43. Phaal - I think I've had it. I've had vindaloo for sure, so I don't shy away from the spice.
44. Goat’s Milk- When I was in Greece. I prefer it colder.
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more - Nope
46. Fugu - In the daring, like-sushi category I'm interested. In the very much want to live past dinner, I probably wouldn't.
47. Chicken Tiki Masala- Yummy.
48. Eel - Not my favourite.
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut - Bad, addictive little fat and sugar laden things. Damn, thay are SOoooo good!
50. Sea urchin - Known as "uni" in sushi. In Atlanta. I still shudder at the memory.
51. Prickly Pear -I don't think I have.
52. Umeboshi- but I'd probably try 'em.
53. Abalone -Delicate and delicious. Best ever when I was in San Francisco.
54. Paneer -I have had both sweet and savoury dishes made with paneer, but never on its own.
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal - Yes. I don't like Big Macs. (and really, I don't frequent McDonalds)
56. Spaetzle - I've never made it but man, it is so good when you have German friends!!
57. Dirty gin martini - Olives are one of my favourite foods, and so is alcohol!
58. Beer above 8% ABV - Maudite, a Quebec beer. Sold in quart bottles. So good.
59. Poutine -I'm Canadian. I live on the border of Quebec and Ontario. Of course. (and yes, it is delicious but man, I am getting too old to eat this - it's a once a year treat)
60. Carob chips - Fake, waxy, chocolate imposter!!!!!!!
61. S’mores - Camp food!!!!! Not the same without a bonfire but you can fake it in the microwave if desperate!
62. Sweetbreads - Just can't go there.
63. Kaolin - This has to be a spelling error, as the Google page talks about Chinese clay. But it is used as a food additive so . . . maybe?
64. Currywurst - Ummm . . . no.
65. Durian - nope.
66. Frogs’ legs - I don't think so. I know I have been at a table where they have been served, but I don't think I could get past the look of them, and the memory of all the little frogs I caught to observe when I was little
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake (and in Canada - Beavertails) - Yummmmmy!
68. Haggis - Even as a 9 year old, I knew it wasn't "oatmeal sausage". Liars!!!!
69. Fried plantain - Damn, I miss Miami for the maduros!!!!!
70. Chitterlings or Andouillette - nope. And probably not.
71. Gazpacho -Delicious summer food!!! I have made several variations, including a white gazpacho with cucumbers
72. Caviar and blini - Tasty. I love caviar(beluga and osstra, not sevruga - yes, I've tried them all - that Russian restaurant again)
73. Louche absinthe - No but oh my God, do I ever want to!!
74. Gjetost, or brunost- "Cheese, cheese, marvelous cheese."
75. Roadkill - Je ne suis pas un "redneck"
76. Baijiu - No, but it's alcohol. ANd I've had sake so . . . I'd probably try it.
77. Hostess Fruit Pie - Not in years. My mom never bought them, so it was surely at a friend's house, or a lunch trade.
78. Snail (let's go with Escargot) - Totally awesome if done right.
79. Lapsang souchong - Tea. Yep.
80. Bellini - Yes. Frequently.
81. Tom Yum- A staple of my Thai ordering. With the coconut milk and galangal root, please.
82. Eggs Benedict - As long at the poached eggs are not slimy, this is lovely.
83. Pocky - Not the official brand, but I'm sure I've had similar chocolate-covered biscuit sticks.
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant - Umm . . . at a couple. Gotta love my parents and being an only child!! (even one with wine pairings)
85. Kobe beef - I don't think so.
86. Hare- Nope.
87. Goulash - Mmmm, winter comfort food
88. Flowers - I love throwing flowers into salads, decorating cakes with sugared violets, and have had stuffed squash blossoms a few times..
89. Horse - All I can picture are the horses I rode and loved (Acorn!! Athena!!!)
90. Criollo chocolate - I don't think so. But I have consumed a lot of chocolate . . .
91. Spam - Sliced thin and fried crispy on a hot plate in undergrad - I think that was the last time.
92. Soft shell crab - Yes. Especially in spider rolls (also why my damn sushi bill is always very high!)
93. Rose harissa - I think I may have had this at a restaurant, but I'm not sure
94. Catfish - Fried. In the south. Meh.
95. Mole Poblano- I love mole anything!!!
96. Bagel and lox - with cream cheese. And capers.
97. Lobster Thermidor - Lobter done any way is fine by me!
98. Polenta - Mine has never turned out as well as my Italian friends'. So I just enjoy it there.
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee - Yes. It was coffee.
100. Snake - No. But I've heard it tastes like chicken. So . . . I'll stick with chicken

Saturday, August 23, 2008

Canada Wonders Why

Why am I unable to purchase the song that is stuck in my head from iTunes? It's not old. It's not obscure. It's completely addictive with its Warren Zevon beat and tribute to another rock classic. Why is Kid Rock's newest release, "All Summer Long", not available on iTunes?!

(yes, I know I can watch it on YouTube, but that isn't getting anything done around the house, or allowing me to go anywhere. I want to blast it in the car - is that so wrong?)

Thursday, August 21, 2008

YES!!!!!!!!

Woo hooo!!!! Eric Lamaze won gold in the equestrian individual event!! I am SOOOO happy (in addition to my glee that Ian Millar finally scored an Olympic medal with the equestrian team silver). Beautifully done, Hickstead and Eric!!!

Monday, August 18, 2008

Bittersweet

I know that I have mentioned before that autumn is my favourite season. There is usually a point in August, when the sun starts slanting differently in the late afternoon and the evenings are cooler, that I think "bring on fall". I had a twinge of that very early this year (it was just a really cool morning breeze which made me happy ), but today was the day that I saw the sun casting a different glow around four o'clock. A more golden, the-sun-is-lower-in-the-sky kind of light. And as much as I am looking forward to the season and all it brings with it (Back to school!! Crisp nights! Sweaters! Beautiful leaves! Pumpkins!), this year it is very bittersweet. Because Beck leaves on Friday.

This is not a bad thing. In fact, it is wonderful and exciting. She is headed to Yale to do her Master's with a full scholarship. I am so proud of her and her accomplishments. She was always an old soul, even when she was 11 and in the youth group at church that Hubby and I ran for a couple of years. She and I really became friends towards the end of my first season singing in the choir. At first I felt a little odd - here she was, all grown up and I didn't know what to say besides hello, until one day we started chatting. Since then, she has become one of my closest friends (and Clara's idol! The first time Beck came over for dinner, Clara couldn't eat because she was so mesmerized by Beck's long hair!). She and I were the core of the Church Bar Group that go for drinks after choir. First it was Beck and I who started going out, and then we added to our group . . . Diva, Daisy (before she left choir), Bugle Boy, and Newfie Postdoc. Last week, we did some psalm recording for Gordon on Tues and Thurs evenings. On Tuesday, Bugle Boy, Diva, Beck and I went to the Church Bar afterwards, and I realized that it was probably the last time. And on Thursday, when Beck was singing, I almost started crying because it finally hit me how much I'm going to miss her.

I may have joked . . . frequently! . . . that I was really looking forward to choir this fall because with Beck gone, there was one less first soprano and I would be more than happy to fill that spot. I would often say to her "yeah, yeah, hurry up and go to Yale, I want your spot". But as excited as I am for her, I would gladly stay in the seconds to keep her here. I'm going to miss her so much.

*Please excuse any grammatical errors - it's hard to type when you're weepy

Friday, August 08, 2008

The Cottage in Photos

This is the front of the cottage:


The first duck that came to visit - a female mallard:



View of the dock and lake from the porch:



The little painted turtle that Clara found, Corwin caught, and we took pictures of before setting him free again. How cute is that little neck!?



Corwin in his boat, checking out the fish situation:



Jumping off the dock - Clara went first, Corwin soon followed:



The mama duck and her three babies. They visited often, and would be within inches of us by the time we left. They would even get up on the dock when we were there, and the ducklings would nestle together and snooze:



Clara taking pictures of the ducklings:



View of the cottage from the dock:



Corwin took this picture of the room where he and Clara slept. When I uploaded it, I discovered that Clara was still asleep when he took it!!

Sunday, August 03, 2008

You'd Think I'd Muster A Little Enthusiasm

Tomorrow, Hubby, the kids and I are heading to a cottage until Wednesday. There's a lake, and a canoe, not sure about a paddle boat (I do not look forward to the whining from Corwin if there isn't one). Sounds fun, right? It should be . . . but the in-laws have rented the cottage. Two nights. Under the same roof. Oh.My.God. I'd better go pack some "medication" (wine.beer.tequila.anything alcoholic!!). Wish me luck. (and look forward to some interesting posts upon my return - only rivalled by the potential posts from my upcoming family reunion next Saturday!!)

Oh, and I'm also sad because Jazz-dog isn't invited (it's a pet-free rental). I'm just very, very glad that Beck is coming to stay with her.