Thanksgiving 2013

Nancy, Paul and Dylan joined us for the weekend. While the boys cut and split firewood, Nancy and I cooked up a storm. I saw Ree Drummond aka The Pioneer Woman brine a turkey, so we did the same and @&$! me was it good!!!

We also rocked a baked ham with Sailor Jerry rum and a myriad of delicious side dishes.

Sunday we went on a side by side adventure to Big Lake, Marguerite Lake, Indian Hill and Jackson Lake, then home to harvest and split some firewood for Paul and Nancy to take back to the city. Then we ate some more... No one ever starved to death at our place, except maybe a vegetarian.

 

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Justin Graduates from Camp Wainwright

On Friday May 3, class 0138 graduated from their 4 month infantry training program. Next stop is Edmonton Garrison where they take up their place in Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry 3rd Battalion.

Blaine and I drove up with Carol and Ted to watch the ceremony. After the ceremony the boys (there were no girls in his class) put on a display of close quarters combat. Next we moved to the Junior Ranks Mess for a reception including a short movie of course highlights.

Wainwright doesn't suffer from an over abundance of fine dining establishments so we decided to stay in for supper on Friday night and Carol and Ted hosted a beer and pizza party in their room. The leftover pizza made a great breakfast in the truck as we make our way across the endless flatness that is Eastern Alberta.

Congratulations Justin!

Sugar Shack Update

On Friday we stopped for a late lunch at the Sugar Shack in 70 Mile House. We shared a Montreal Smoked Meat Poutine which was delicious. I didn't take photos because we ate most of it straight off without stopping for breath so I will do my best to describe the dish in all it's awesomeness.

The fries were thick hand cut ones with the skins still on and cooked to crispy perfection. The meat was super tender and incredibly flavourful (they also do Smoked Meat sandwiches which I think will be our next try). The cheese curds were proper stringy ones and the gravy was "off the hook" crazy tasty with green peppercorns and other delicious, complex flavours. Seriously it is like something you would expect to get on your steak at a fancy restaurant.

The owners are super friendly and welcoming so do yourself a huge favour and stop there next time you are in the Cariboo.

Check out their website
http://www.thesugarshack.sfobc.com/

And "like" them on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Sugar-Shack/639159372766434

Success!

Evidently Johnny tried to chew his way through the prison but they didn't get out. Yay!

Puppy prison v4

Hopefully they will both be inside when I come home on Thursday

Naughty Dogs

Yesterday afternoon we put the dogs outside to enjoy the sunshine and fresh air while we got on with our chores. Just before 5pm I went out to do the weekly hot tub maintenance and called the dogs to come home. After a minute or so I heard the distant sound of Johnny barking. Movement on the opposite, northern, shore of the lake caught my eye so I grabbed the binoculars and quickly confirmed that Johnny and Sage were on one of the docks over at the cabins. Presumably the afternoon sunshine had melted the ice against the north shore, stranding them on the far side.

Our house is about 2/3 of the way along the lake on the south side. The east end of the lake is a privately owned ranch. Blaine went into rescue mode and set off in the the side by side back out the road to the 11 km marker, then onto the trails through the forest to get around the west end of the lake and then along behind the north side. The trails are just ATV/snowmobile trails, unmaintained, narrow, winding etc. Blaine struggled through deep snow and fallen trees along the little used trail. After an hour he reached the dogs who were beside themselves with happiness at being rescued.

One of the trail sections was particularly bad with lots of snow and trees down across the path. Blaine was able to make it through as he was travelling downhill, but he knew he wouldn't be able to make it back up that way. There is a road into the cabins that connects to the Beaver Valley Road which connects McLease Lake to Big Lake, Blaine took that road east with the intention of cutting down past Jackson's Hole. Unfortunately the Jackson's Hole road was impassible so he was forced to go all the way to Big Lake and back along the trail by Marguerite Lake. He got home at 7:30pm freezing cold but with two very happy, hungry puppies.

Today I locked them on the deck. When we came home from work they were waiting at the top of the road. We put them back on the deck and put their food on the driveway to force them to reveal the secret of the escape. Johnny did a series of wiggles to get his head, shoulders, then hips through the gap between the railings. Sage eventually and reluctantly jumped over the fence. Blaine spent the evening barricading the areas that Johnny got through, as for Sage we assume/hope that she will stay put so long as Johnny is contained.

Fingers crossed it works for tomorrow!

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The Sugar Shack at 70 Mile House

Wow! Having driven passed it many times I finally insisted that we stop at the Sugar Shack in 70 Mile House. So very glad we did. Blaine and I were both still full from our crappy Tim Hortons breakfast so we didn't sample the poutine but we for sure will next time. The fries are hand cut and the meat is smoked right there in the yard. $12.50 would have got us a huge portion of proper québécois poutine topped with either pulled pork or Montreal smoked meat. Instead we opted for coffee and beaver tails. Unable to pick between Maple Butter and Cinnamon Sugar we got one of each. The cinnamon one was finished with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice which sent it over the top and made it the winner for me, but the maple butter was awesome too. Double shot white americano to keep me awake and all is good. Definitely making this a regular stop on highway 97 from now on.


Sent from my iPhone

Rrroll up the rim

Tim Hortons coffee shop chain is a big deal in Canada. They run competitions where you roll up the rim to find out if you have won something (from a coffee to a truck). A colleague has had a terrible run and is something like 0/25. I have previously never bothered to even roll up my rim, just thrown the cup away. Today I rolled up my rim for the first time in 5+ years and won a coffee.

Good food in Cache Creek shocker!

The lunch time conversation at work yesterday was all about where to stop/eat when driving between Williams Lake and Vancouver. My colleagues spoke highly of Annie's bakery so we phoned ahead and ordered a 12" Meat Lovers for a 7pm pick up.

The pie was ready waiting for us and piping hot so they were dead on with the timing. The toppings were generous, good quality and evenly spread over the homemade tomato sauce. The base was not too thick nor too thin and was also homemade. My only criticism was that it was a bit greasy but that is because they are baked in a pan.

I will definitely be ordering my drive through food from Annie's in future!

Ice Fishing

It was a lovely sunny morning so we loaded up the qamutik and went ice fishing out on the lake. Alas we didn't get so much as a bite but we very much enjoyed a couple of hours in the sun. the dogs really aren't at all sure what is going on and probably think we are mad but they seem happy enough to hang out with us. Blaine said that they are not very helpful when it comes to tying the hooks on the line though.

 

Campfire

Yesterday afternoon, after a long day of chores we took the sleds for a quick ride around the lake. It was my first trip all the way to the southern end and I was surprised by how big the lake is. On our way back we saw a group of people waving energetically from the deck of one of the cabins on the other shores so we stopped by for a chat and they invited us back in the evening for a campfire.

After supper we saw the fire burning across the way so we grabbed the dogs, jumped on the sleds and rode toward the light. Another couple came over too and the group of us enjoyed stargazing while sitting around the fire.

Tyee Time Zone

On Monday I start my new job. The clocks go forward this weekend. 

My ingenious solution was to turn the clocks forward on Wednesday so that the dogs and I can ease into our new routine. 

Blaine is mostly on the road at the moment so he has to fend for himself.

Fun in the Snow

This weekend we had planned to go ice fishing but opted out since the lake was barely visible through the falling snow, it didn't seem like it would be much fun. On Sunday afternoon it started to clear up a little so we grabbed the sleds and went out for a ride. I didn't turn on my GPS tracking app but I am sure you have a good idea by now of where we go.

We rode over to Indian Hill and then took the trail to the barns on the south of Marguerite Lake. However, we were unable to get through as the stream was decidedly liquid. Blaine turned off the trail to turn around but his sled sank in the thigh deep snow so we spent some time extracting it then retraced our route to join the main trail to the north of Marguerite.

Instead of going all the way around to the rest area we elected to take a short cut over the lake. Blaine went ahead first to find a liquid free route. I do not enjoy riding my sled on water. Johnny, Sage and I took a short walk on the lake while Blaine zipped over and back.

  

The dogs were a little confused as to why daddy had left us but they enjoyed playing in the snow.

 

We parked up on the point by the hunting cabin and enjoyed a beer (snugged in Jimmie Johnson stubby coolers) and a packet of crisps.

This is my view on the sled. Johnny stands on the gas tank, Sage sits behind me on the passenger seat.

On the way home Blaine and I rode around the trails near our house so that they were beautifully groomed for my dog walk on Monday.

Happy Anniversary Mum & Dad

On March 4th this year my parents will celebrate their 41st wedding anniversary. 

Wow - congratulations!

I can't be there to prepare a meal for them, so instead I devised this menu for mum to cook. My idea was to create something healthy but that felt decadent rather than measly to eat. I hope I have succeeded.

Click on the pictures to open a bigger version.

Diamond Jubilee Medal

I am incredibly proud to share the news that my husband, Blaine Wiggins, is a recipient of the Diamond Jubilee Medal. He was awarded this honour in recognition of his many years of work on (the often seemingly insurmountable challenge of) improving fire safety on reserve in Canada. 

Congratulations baby.

Medal

Certificate

Cover Letter

Thank you Paul!

Today I awoke to another beautiful morning in the Cariboo and I knew I had to get out there and enjoy it. But how? Walking the dogs is lovely, however we are limited to being in the forest which takes away from our enjoyment of the sunshine (of course in the summer I will be craving that shade). The lake is a bit too scary for me to venture out on alone since my last walk took me past way too many open patches,  the only other option for open skies is Indian Hill. However, my skidoo is in the seacan which has snow piled up in front of it that would have to be dug out to get the doors open.

I posted my dilemma in my facebook status. Paul posted "dig out the machine". It took about 20 minutes to get the doors open as the snow was actually ice disguised as snow.

Snow-bound seacan before

and after

I went back inside and dressed Johnny in his jacket and boots, he doesn't wear them so much for the cold as to stop his legs from becoming snow/ice balls. I threw on my camo dungarees, CG jacket and hat, mittens and Sorels then went to start the sled. Fail. It wouldn't start. I fiddled around, tried the choke half and full on and wore myself out with the pull start. At this point I might have given up but Johnny and Sage were beside themselves with excitement, bounding around and running in circles. 

Using my awesome skills I set about checking stuff... Gas, yep; Oil, yep; What else...? spark plugs I guess. Thankfully a skidoo is a simple machine so I was able to identify the plugs, then I went and rummaged in the shop for new plugs and tools. There were several boxes of two types of plugs, one type had RMK written on it so it took the others. After some time I got the correct size wrench thingy and set about removing the old plugs and installing the new ones. I was really quite proud of myself, even more so when my sled started up!

 

The ride over was interesting as there has been a lot of traffic, followed by warm weather, then cold weather. This resulted in frozen ruts and bumps that made the 1800 road ride like a series of rollers in the terrain park. Sage did a great job of balancing on the back seat then hopped off to run once we arrived at the meadow. My machine seemed to struggle with the hill climb, could be my poor driving or maybe the belt needs replacing.

As always it was worth coming, the silence and the view combine to make this a very special place.

The frosty trees looked spectacular against the clear, deep blue sky.

more skidoo adventures

I used the "Map My Run" app on my iPhone to track our last two skidoo adventures. Naturally both involved a run over to the gas station at Big Lake, and a trip up Indian Hill to enjoy the view. 

37 miles on January 20th

On January 26 we explored mostly to the South, where I got my sled stuck on a hill in the woods. 

 

54 miles on January 26th

The following Saturday we went North and I got stuck in the powder on the shoulder of Beaver Lake road, and then tipped over completely less than a mile from home. Blaine looks forward to my incidents and thoroughly enjoys getting me and my machine out of our predicaments :-)

some of the dreary views I have to endure ;-)

Sundowners on Indian Hill

Shredding Sun Peaks with Shalla

OK Tire

When I first moved here I went to OK Tire to get the wheels balanced on the Suzuki. The owner, Chuck, is so unbelievably kind and helpful. He said that I could come to him for local advice as well as car related issues, and true to his word he has always welcomed me and cheerfully provided help. One morning he switched over the tow hitch for me, he connected us with the lawyer who handled our house purchase. This week I noticed one of the tires on the Tahoe was a little low, I drove into three gas stations but the air was off in each one... So I headed down to impose upon Chuck's generosity. True to form he cheerfully came out and filled the faulty tire, then checked all the others. Not only is he a lovely man, but he has skied the wall at Kirkwood so he is proper hardcore too. Thank you Chuck!

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Recipe: Ginger Beef - Calgary Style

Ginger Beef - Calgary Style

★★★★★

Prep Time: 2 hrs 5 mins | Cook Time: 35 mins | Makes: 2 | Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

• 500 grams good steak ie top sirloin, New York strip
• MARINADE
• 30 ml China Lily soy sauce
• 15 ml Sherry
• 30 ml ginger juice (grate and squeeze fresh ginger)
• 5 grams caster/berry sugar
• BATTER
• 65 grams cornflour
• 60 ml water
• 1 egg white
• SAUCE
• 30 ml sherry
• 45 ml Ketchap Manis (Indonesian sweet soy sauce)
• 30 ml rice wine vinegar
• 10 ml sesame oil
• 30 ml water
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 2 inches finely grated ginger
• 1 tsp red chilli flakes
• Plus
• 1 tsp cornflour combined with
• 15 ml water
• OPTIONAL
• 1 carrot cut into fine matchsticks
• 4 spring onions sliced diagonally
• 1 l peanut or canola oil for frying
• Plain white rice

Directions:

PREPARATION
Finely slice the steak across the grain.
Combine marinade ingredients in a shallow bowl, mix in the steak and refrigerate for 2 hours.
COOKING
Put rice on.
Combine sauce ingredients except cornflour & 15ml water.
Heat oil in wok or deep frying pan over high heat.
Whisk together egg white and water then stir in cornflour. Remove meat from marinade and stir into batter. Pour remaining marinade into sauce.
Fry meat for 2 minutes, working in batches (keeps oil hot and prevents from sticking together). Drain on kitchen towel. Repeat. Double frying makes it more crispy.
In a large frying pan bring sauce to boil over high heat. Boil rapidly for 2 minutes, then stir in cornflour & water. You want the sauce to have a honey-like consistency.
If you are using the carrot and spring onion stir that in now.
Add the meat and stir to coat completely. Serve over rice. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds if you like.

Notes:

Use fresh ginger & garlic, not the minced in a jar stuff (changes the consistency of the sauce)
Source: My Collection

Sent from Paprika Recipe Manager