Summer recap :)

Whoa! I haven't been here in a LONG time. I planned to blog a lot this summer.... but I had a very lazy summer :)

The end of school is always a busy time -- but this year was busier than ever. My daughter, the Lovely Miss L -- had a baby! I'm refering to him as G -- my little Grandpeanut. He will call me Mimi (mimmy). I just can't face being called Grandma yet -- besides, my mom is Gramma -- and we don't want to confuse the little peanut, do we?

I had a lovely time this summer on the East Coast. I missed the little peanut, but Miss L was SO GOOD at FaceTiming with me, and texting me photos.

Andy loved rowing with our neighbour, B! She took us out into our inner harbour. So peaceful!

 

 I taught myself how to filet mackerel. The internet is one awesome teacher.

 

I went a little overboard with the preserving. I canned blueberry sauce, rasberry sauce, raspberry jam, raspberry lime jam, raspberry-saskatoonberry jam, blackberry rhubarb jam,  pincherry-lime jam(my favourite), saskatoonberry jam, and many kinds of blackberry jam (seedless is worth the work!)  I filled about 100 jars. Guess what EVERYONE is getting for Christmas this year!
And I made watermelon rind pickles (sweet) and some curry pickles (vinegar)! (I also made watermelon jam. Not my favourite)
I tried to make choke cherry jam -- but I couldn't get that weird astringency to go away, so I composted it.

 Lots of pin cherries. Imagine pitting these. Not so fun. But so worth it!

 All of those berries, i picked from my yard, or from the sides of the road. Foraging is so fun. I picked those pin cherries, and then  later that afternoon, the birds swooped down and ate ALL of the cherries from the tops of the trees (and the few that I missed lower down)

 Freezing raspberries

I picked so many blackberries that I had to give away a whole grocery bagfull of frozen packs at the end of the summer.  I couldn't fit them in the cooler to bring back to Toronto. Uh, we had 3 coolers full of jams and berries....

A very huge thank you to Marisa McClellan from Food in Jars for her brilliant blog and her perfect recipe books.

And a shout out to Joel MacCharles and Dana Harrison for their awesome recipe book, Batch (I made my own pectin!)(And that is where the watermelon rind pickle recipe came from). And they are home town favourites (Toronto). Their website is Well Preserved.

If you want to get into preserving -- there are so many places to take classes. Last fall, Mr. B and I took a CSA canning class at the West End Food Coop. Last year, BlogTO created a list of where to take cooking classes in Toronto -- lots of them have canning classes. And so many other cooking classes.... (Mr. B? Pick a class! - MY birthday is coming up :)

My perfect dream life would include canning and preserving every day. I LOVE teaching, but canning would still win :)
I bought a food dehydrator this year too. So far I have made rhubarb candies (from Batch) and dried apples and dried raspberries (I was picking 4 quarts a day at one point! my freezer filled up too quickly!) I'm hoping to dry a lot more this fall.

Well, that was summer. Let's see if I manage to blog more often in the fall :)

Today in Port Mouton -- a thank you to volunteer firefighters everywhere

 Very early this morning (3 a.m.), I was awakened by the wailing of sirens.

 In the big city, I'm used to the sounds of sirens, but when a vehicle with a siren drives by my home here, it means that something bad has happened on my road. So, I did what most of my neighbours did, I padded to the window to see what was happening. It was a fire truck, and it was heading out on to the wharf. Then another came, and another and another. Lots of flashing lights, but I couldn't see a fire (it was quite foggy). Then, whoosh, fire shot 50 feet into the air and I could hear the crackling.Then lots of small explosions. And the fire kept on strong. Over the next hour more fire engines drove past (and also many fishermen -- worried about their boats). It wasn't boats on fire, but a seafood processing building (Mersey Point Fish Products).

When I walked out to the wharf this morning (because I walk out there every day), I saw many exhausted firefighters. Volunteers. Keeping us safe.
No one was hurt today, thank goodness, but I wanted to thank all of those firefighters for putting their lives on the line for us.  Thank you to all firefighters everywhere.
You can read more about the fire here.
and read and see photos here.

Today in Port Mouton - Rubber Boots

So, today I am going to rant about RUBBER BOOTS. Because rubber boots drive me crazy. And you need rubber boots here in rainy Port Mouton. (actually, in the summer it is not so rainy here, but the dew in the morning is very wet!)

Anyway, here are my boots. From left to right:
Canadian Tire
Liberty for Target
Kamik

I have had many many many pair of rubber boots over the years. I LOVE rain boots.

The Liberty ones here are my very favourite boots. But I never wear them. Because they have a crack in them (see below). They've had a crack in them since the first summer that I bought them. I just keep them because they look so pretty lined up with the others. Don't judge. They seem to be of such great quality. They are lined. They have the cute calf buckles. They are Liberty. I cannot believe that Liberty put their name to such crap.

Here's my rant.
Why can't rubber boot manufacturers make rainboots that won't crack? My hardware store specials ($12) will last forever. I wear them almost every day all summer. Mucking around in the garden, the pond, walking the dog, whatever. They look the same as the day I bought them. The super cute Liberty ones, and every other fun pair I have ever purchased get cracks in them within the year. What's with that?

Last year I donated 3 pair of boots to a store in my neighbourhood (in Toronto) so they could plant flowers in them. At least they didn't go to landfill (right away).

The Kamik ones up there don't have cracks in them, but I hardly ever wear them because they are too small around my calf -- they are for bare legs or for skinny guests, lol. (but they look nice in the boot lineup, don't they?). But they are also some shiny plastic -- maybe not rubber? Anyway -- I've heard that Kamik boots are built to last - and are a viable alternative to Hunters, which I covet, but I just cannot spend $180 on rubber boots!

What kind of boots do you have? Do they stand the test of time, or crack within a season?

Today in Port Mouton - Holy Mackerel!

Something that I look forward to every summer is the consuming of seafood. I've not been a big fan of seafood over the years, but living here has really helped it grow on me. Of course, I love fish and chips, but I have broadened my horizons to include fish cakes and halibut steaks (and cheeks :). I'll also eat fried shrimp and clams :) . I'm ambivalent towards lobster, however, so I don't usually order it because the joy is not worth the cost ( i.e. I'd rather have fish and chips). 

Last year I tried mackerel. It was okaaaaayyyyy, but I didn't think that I needed to try it again. But I did. Because I'm determined to eat healthier. AND because I got to go out on Captain Bob's boat again and go mackerel fishing!  

Captain Bob making sure that we don't hit the rocks :)

The mackerel weren't biting much, but we caught a few:

I had planned to filet the fish myself, but D did it for me :) Thanks D! He also caught most of the fish. He didn't take any home though, because they had eaten mackerel the day before and mackerel don't freeze well.

and the gulls said a little thank you too...

When I got home, I fried up the filets and put some dressing on them. These were the best fish I've ever had!

So I thought I'd share my recipe:

Fry the mackerel fillets in a non-stick frying pan (or in a bit of olive oil). Do not overcook them -- hard, dry mackerel is yucky.
- season the fillets with salt and pepper
- fry for 2-3 minutes, skin side down
- turn the fish over and cook for an additional 1 minute

Drizzle with dressing (spinach salad dressing, recipe below) and serve with salad.

Spinach salad dressing (spinach, walnuts, cranberries)
Whisk together:
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup cider vinegar (or red wine, or balsamic)
1/4 cup white sugar
1 tsp minced onion
1/8 tsp paprika

Today in Port Mouton -- Living off the Land

So, I was out foraging a bit yesterday. There are many many Amalanchier trees/bushes along the side of the road. Of course, I discover them while walking Andy. Nothing like a walk with the dog to help you see the world. You may know them by other names. Serviceberry. Saskatoon Berry. Juneberry. I'm going with Saskatoon Berry. The local population doesn't seem to know about them. So they don't have a name for them...

So I picked about 3 quarts (and am so glad that I was wearing insect repellent -- the mosquitoes were like a fog around me). All picked from one tree. Not to worry -- I left tons for the birds. I couldn't reach them, lol.

Then I sorted the berries....

and crushed the juicy ones.

And I put the less juicy ones in pans.

 

So I will have dried saskatoon berries! (taste like almonds)

And lots of jam! I was worried about all of those seeds. But I had some of the jam on toast, and the seeds aren't an issue at all. The jam is VERY sweet, but I can cut the sweetness by adding stewed rhubarb. (once the jar is opened).

 My neighbours brought over a bunch of rhubarb (mine isn't doing so well, while theirs is a gigantic patch :). So I made rhubarb concentrate -- a simple rhubarb syrup -- when mixed with Sprite it makes *the best punch ever*).  Left over from the concentrate is a whole pile of stewed rhubarb. So I froze it in little containers.

 

And look what are ripening now! Raspberries! I'm going to freeze these as I pick them so I will have enough for jam. I think that 2015 is the year of the jam.  (Ha! it is the Chinese year of the Ram. Ram, jam :)

Port Mouton in the Winter

Some people go away to the seaside in the winter. They usually go south :) Where it is warm. I go east. Where is is not warm.
But our house in Port Mouton is very cozy. Very hygge.
We spent a glorious week there.

Here we are on Day 2 -- at Carters Beach
(please click on these photos -- they look so much better when they are large!)

 (can you see that little cape islander? it is coming in from hauling lobsters!)

Our little bit of festive decor :)

We woke up one morning and the frost looked so beautiful. I ran outside in my pajamas to take these shots!  The pond. Hence "Pond House" or Pond Cottage (what do you think of Pond Cottage?)

If you want to see more of the fantastic beaches in the area, please go to Sara Harley's blog and visit her videos of the 12 Beaches of Christmas (you will have to scroll down a bit to find them at the end of 2014). They are all within a short drive of  us. And they all look (and sound) so different.

Next up : one more post about Nova Scotia -- and then onto some art! Yes, I still make art. I don't just collect art supplies.

Rowing on the Pond

It took all summer to get the rowboat on the pond. I didn't even get to row in it this year!
But Mr. B took my mom out on the last night that we were there.
That's the "pond" .  I would call it a lake :) But it is tidal (through the dyke adjacent to our property).

Isn't it beautiful?

For those of you who have asked where it is -- it is in Port Mouton, Nova Scotia. (claim to fame = Carters Beach)
A few miles "south" of Liverpool.
Or about 45 minutes south of Lunenburg , or an hour and a half south of Halifax :)

Bye for now, Nova Scotia

I didn't blog half as much this summer as I thought I would. Too much time up the ladders! Many people asked me if I had time to enjoy myself. Yes! All that time up on the ladders (outside) allowed me to be out in the beautiful seaside weather -- and to enjoy the fabulous views. I did finish painting pretty much all of the outside siding (except for the very top few feet of the peaks). The trim will be finished next year.

 

 

(almost done)

 (view from our front lawn)

 Mr B came back to NS in mid August and the Lovely Miss L and Mr Z came for a (too brief) visit. The day after they arrived my parents came! So my last few weeks in Nova Scotia were happily spent with family....

Reflections on the summer...

That Atlantic water is darn cold!  I didn't swim once! Next summer I WILL try to swim in the pond.

I'm sorry that I didn't get to spend more time getting to know the neighbours :( Next year, I will be a better neighbour :)

Tradespeople are SCARCE. Nothing got finished. Not. one. thing :) Sheesh.

I bought a little homemade rowboat at the end of the summer (actually, my mom went and finagled the final transaction). It was built by a man named... Squirrely.... I can't wait to buy oars next year and row it around the pond!!! We are having LOTS of fun coming up with a name. It is currently brown because it was made for duck hunting :) I'm not keeping it brown, because the only name that comes to mind for a brown boat is The Poop Deck....

My mom also found lots of furniture for me that I haven't even seen yet! (thanks mom)

And my dad did SO MUCH WORK. He wasn't supposed to. He completely cleaned the basement out (Z helped too!)... and tore the rotting front porch off and did so many other things after I left.... including shutting down the place for the winter. (thanks dad)

I'm really missing the Privateers Bounty flavour of ice cream..... (A black licorice ribbon, a sea salt caramel swirl and crunchy toffee pieces in rich vanilla ice cream).I wish that I could have brought home a gallon :)


But now I'm back in Toronto (aka The Centre of the Universe) again :)
Back to school has been great. My class is full of interesting characters this year! They'll keep me on my toes. Unfortunately, I came down with a cold last weekend, so I'm not in top form. And extra-unfortunately, I've been summoned for Jury Duty later this week. Ugh.

But for now I'm still dreaming of walking on the beach, while the water swirls around my toes....

 

And I'm singing this song......
(please click here go to Sara Harley's Blog to sing along with the G3s)

Today in Port Mouton... it's a lazy day

Overcast, 20 (68F)... waiting for rain....

I can't paint outside... I could have painted inside, but I needed a day off. I'm puttering, tidying, and catching up on my blog reading.
I needed this day :)

These are the coasters that I made with dropcloth scraps.

First I added some felt accents... but when I tested the wineglasses out on them, they were too wobbly.
So I'm going with a piece of felt sandwiched between 2 circles of dropcloth, and some simple stitching around the edges.

Mr. B is bringing some of my turquoise felt when he comes back next week, so I can make some more!

(and don't you just love my new mug?? I got it in a little shop in Mahone Bay. Sigh... I love Mahone Bay.. you can see the town live on the webcam here)

Today in Port Mouton.. summer is slipping away...

So I made slipcovers!!
I've never made slipcovers before -- but I've been procrastinating waiting for over 20 years to make these!

A kitchen island/ peninsula sure comes in handy as a cutting surface! (note Lie To Me on Netflix on my iPad)

I traced some parts and made paper patterns, and some parts I just measured and cut (the straight parts)
Then I pinned the pieces to the chair:

(can you guess what I used to make these? No? Painters dropcloths! It took 1 drop cloth (5x12 feet) to make each cover. With very little to spare. I made 4 coasters from the scraps!  Not bad for under $13.

The back and sides are pinned together:

And sewn and turned to check the fit (I basted it all together first, then trimmed the seams and finished them at the end. For the second one I trimmed and finished after each step because it made sewing on the skirt much easier)

 The seat base and the skirt, pinned!
 

Finished - except for the seat cushion:

This is what the seat cushion looks like :)

Andy seems to think that this is his own, personal chair.
 

 

Finished! 

Then I made the second one. It wasn't quite as fun as the first one.

Sorry that they are such a boring colour Meep! Meep has been hearing me talk about these for two decades. They were supposed to be burgundy... green.... velvet... patchwork velvet..... and, uhhh... I have all of the fabric for them.... but in the white beach house, they have to be white, right?