If I Could

I say to my other half if I could I would paint and he had a little wry smile. Not doubt why

Canada Day 151

Construction season leaves little time for blogging or Canada Day and we didn’t really get a rain delay like I’d hoped. After yesterday’s marathon 14 hours we could have used a break. So, armed with new work gloves, a jacket and a swig of

Once upon a …

Seriously technology can be so annoying. I’ve just spent 30 mins on what should have been a 3 minute search.

This is an annoying tale about different

Sunday Snippets

June is, consistently, the month I blog the least in. The days are long, the list of outside activities is huge and life is full, busy and rewarding. It leaves little time to blog when you are making

What I Miss

There aren’t a lot of things I miss about life in the city but the

So Intense

In all my years of hanging out around native prairie in the spring I’ve never seen anything like this year’s crocuses. I’ve made time for

Pay It Forward Day

Today is, apparently, Pay it Forward Day. So if you pay it forward do you step forward and take credit for it or just quietly let your actions speak for themselves? I’ve decided it will

Report Card 1

Report card day was never my favourite day as I never really had an idea what the teacher or the exam results would say. Then of course add in the fact that I failed one of my five final nursing exams. Makes sense why report card day brings a sense of trepidation to me.

So why would I

Fingers crossed

I may have jinxed myself with yesterday’s post about first time out and things turning out exceptionally well.

Today I’m also trying something for the first time and feeding the results to friends! Hence the fingers crossed! I don’t have a plan B for supper so let’s hope.

The story begins a couple of years ago when my friend’s dad gave us some beans. He grows them and then dries them and shells them out. So this year I planted some of his and after we ate them fresh and green I let the plants continue. I pulled, dried and finally shelled them in a post called Side tracked

They’ve been patiently waiting for me to remember to soak them on a weekend night and have the day for them to simmer. First I checked with my mom for a recipe but it turns out that’s doctored up canned beans was the norm although she did hand write out a receipe for her granddaughter’s shower gift. I then turned to my two favourite on line sites only to find out they both used canned beans to create their baked beans.

So I just picked the first three hits, read the reviews, picked one (Genius kitchen which I’ve used before) and set about making it. They have to soak overnight in cold water; the next morning they are boiled in clean water for 10 minutes. While they were simmering on the stove I made the sauce for them; a modification here and there like less sugar and a jalapeno. Then I put them in the oven and walked away for several hours. We did have to adjust fluid levels a few times but I am happy to report they were cooked after 6 hours and the sauce was absolutely spot on!

So first time lucky but it sure won’t be the last time we have them. It takes pre planning but it is neither hard nor complex just time consuming for the cooking part. It was a casual meal for sure but paired with good friends and lively conversation and a brew it went down well.

Bernie

Spring Cleaning

The trees are heavily laden and show up against the tinge of blue in the sky. In the flower garden the “mulch” remains