A Perfect Summer Moment in February

Birdwatching. It conjures up images of walks in the countryside, wearing tweed and bringing a picnic lunch (for future reference, any image I conjure will be catered). And although I am planning to bring that image to life in the coming months (it’s a little damp and dreary for picnicking right now) bird watching has become a part of our routine here in the hive.

We’ve always been bird-lovers, and both come from families of bird enthusiasts. My grandfather raises homing pigeons and one of my favorite sounds is that of a flock of pigeons taking off from their loft and circling overhead, occasionally swooping low in perfect formation, and ending their flight with a choreographed landing. There’s no word in the English language to describe the sound so I won’t attempt it, but that sound, combined with the warmth of summer and the scent of freshly cut grass forms about as perfect a moment as I can imagine. Unfortunately, it’s a sound I haven’t heard since I’ve been here, and I miss it very much.

There are, however, other birds, and the sight and sound of them has brought our home a lot of joy over the past few months. We noticed the birds hanging around when the Mountain Ash trees in our back yard were full of berries, and quickly purchased some bird seed. Our efforts have been rewarded by many visitors, and a copy of Peterson Field Guide to Birds of North America has helped us to identify them. Generally we have a lot of Juncos and Sparrows, and on occasion a few Red Winged Blackbirds. While watching our regular bird feeder visitors during the fall were lucky enough to see a flock of Canada Geese flying overhead. About a month ago, I noticed a Bald Eagle in a tall spruce tree several blocks away. He stayed there for several days, left, was replaced by a crow, and the tree has been vacant ever since. I keep looking back, hoping to see my eagle, but so far he’s staying away.

Our Yorkshire Terrier enjoys the birds; after coming home from the shelter he discovered a comfy spot on the back of our sofa and that is where he spends the majority of his days, keeping watch over the backyard and the birds. Occasionally we are summoned by his insistent yapping to some avian upset that has taken place, but for the most part he is quietly content watching his friends through the window.

As we have been observing the birds through the window, we’ve been missing out on one of the best things about bird watching, bird song. I took the dogs out the back door early one morning and was greeting by the trilling and tweeting of happy, well-fed birds. This made me think of how wonderful it will be in the summer when the windows are open and their songs will be heard inside. I thought of our gardening plans and how we could plant some flowers that appeal to birds so we could attract more to our yard. Our window would be perfect for hummingbird feeders, too…suddenly, despite the mid-winter chill, I was feeling a little bit warmer.

And then, a few days later, it happened. I was standing on my patio in the back yard, watching Molly and Tinky Wink run around, when I heard it. It was a familiar sound, one that transported me to my grandparent’s backyard on a perfect Cape Breton summer day, with the scent of freshly cut grass perfuming the air. A glance up confirmed it, it was the sound of several small but strong wings taking off and circling overhead, occasionally swooping low in perfect formation, and ending their flight with a choreographed landing. I couldn’t believe it. Standing on my toes, I strained to see where they had landed, and there they were, bobbing around on the ledge of a pigeon loft. Homing pigeons. The February day felt quite warm now, and as I headed inside with my dogs, I had a smile on my face, a spring in my step, and summer in my heart.

Enjoy your weekend and any unexpected adventures it may bring! And Happy Valentine’s Day!

Household-y Delights!!!

Ah, guilty pleasures. We all have them. There’s the lavish ones; chocolate, angora socks, veal. The funny thing is, when revealed, guilty pleasures have a certain cache and give their owner an air of luxury and magnificence. We all know someone who has a fabulous shoe collection, or who always brings Piper Heidsieck on New Year’s Eve. And even as we think “I would never” there’s a part of us that whispers “Wish I would.” Let’s be honest, we grudgingly admire someone who indulges in their heart’s desire.

Now, all that being said, there’s another form of guilty pleasure that, curiously, is a little harder to own up to and raises more eyebrows than pricey treats. These activities would normally be considered mundane, boring, dull, even…work. Housework, to be exact.

Sparkling faucets. Sweeping behind the sofa. Perfectly folded towels. These things may seem unremarkable to some, but to many they are simply thrilling. I personally love waking up the morning after going on a cleaning spree and seeing the sun spilling in on perfect, smudge-free floors. Or coming home, opening the door and smelling the sweet scent of clean.

Which leads to another dorky guilty pleasure, cleaning products! For some, clean has a distinct smell. Bleach for some. Lemon or pine for others. Many like to use the trendy scent du jour. I did this once. I purchased everything lavender. Cleaner, dish soap, laundry detergent and softener. Even disinfecting wipes. Body wash and hand soap and lotion. Scented candles. I did this while my husband was away for a few months since he’s, well, allergic to lavender. My goal was to get lavender out of my system and de-stress while I was at it.

Of late, I’ve become more concerned with green methods of cleaning my home than with designer fragrances. As the owner of four pets, I’m concerned with what they are picking up off the floor. And I’m thinking a lot about what all six of us are breathing in and absorbing. So I’ve been using a lot of vinegar, baking soda, and lemon juice.

We’re planning more ways to go green as well. Back home, we had curb-side recycling, including organics. We don’t have this here so we have fallen out of the habit, and it really bothers us to see so many bags going to the curb. So, one of our next household projects will be to start recycling again. It will be more work for us since we’ll have to haul our recyclables to the depot ourselves, but it’s something that’s important to us. We are also planning to purchase a manual push-mower and to plant a garden.

This could become my newest obsession. Enthusiastically going green, while still a glamour-less guilty pleasure, is something we can all benefit from and aspire to. After all, a healthy, happy environment should be everyone’s heart’s desire.

Weekending and Dreaming of Spring

Happy Monday! I hope you had a wonderful weekend full of happy weekend-y things! Things like breakfasts, parties, sleep-ins, and dog walks, those simple past-times that remind you that you aren’t on the clock!


We had a lovely weekend here at the hive. Saturday started late after sleeping in. I whipped up some scrambled eggs and toast and wonderfully strong French press coffee. I have a new toy; after years of watching the legendary infomercial, we finally purchased a Magic Bullet mixer. I have to confess I’m hooked. I used it to whip up the scrambled eggs. We were going to a party later in the evening so I decided to make two dips, guacamole and black bean dip. So, after eggs we made a quick trip to the grocery store. Well, my poor little Bullet met its match, rock hard avocados. By the time everything was ready I didn’t have time for a disco nap but I’d had a fabulous workout! We headed out for the evening and had a great time with friends.


Sunday we slept in again (hey, what are weekends for!). I made pancakes with raspberry syrup for breakfast (again with the Bullet!). We worked off the pancakes with a walk along the shore of the Kitimat River with some friends and chatted about how much we are looking forward to fishing season. Since Sunday was British Yorkshire Pudding Day, we had planned to have pot roast, but it didn’t thaw in time (blame it on a late night!). Luckily we had a few t-bones thawed and wouldn’t you know, they taste great with Yorkshire Puddings, too!


I also finished my first sock! I can’t wait to show off the completed pair. I got to try a few new techniques such as turning a heel and shaping a toe!


Looking Ahead…


We received our Vesey’s Seed Catalogue last week! This summer we are planning to have a vegetable garden and so we’re having a great time flipping through the catalogue pages and deciding what we want to plant. Even though it’s still February and according to the groundhog we have 6 weeks of winter left, there’s something about a seed catalogue that makes you feel a little bit warmer.
Our plan is to plant tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, peppers, beans, peas, squash, and pumpkins (which I know are technically a squash but I like the word pumpkin). Also some herbs. I’m also planning to freeze and preserve as much as I can. Ordering the seeds will be the first step in a project that will take the better part of a year. Planting will actually get underway in March as we start our tomatoes and peppers indoors. I’m looking forward to sharing our progress with you as we work towards our garden.


Enjoy the week ahead!

Holy Cow!

This fall, I bought a cow.

Actually, I bought a quarter of a cow. I had been finding it difficult to consistently find the cuts of beef that I frequently use in recipes, and so when we had the opportunity to purchase a quarter of beef we jumped at it. I’m a little embarrassed at how excited I was. I couldn’t wait for it to arrive. And when it did arrive it was fabulous: Boxes and boxes of every cut imaginable. All of it wrapped in brown butcher paper with the cut stamped on. I was elated.

This may not be a big deal to most, but to me, seeing standing rib roast in my freezer alongside many, many sirloins and T-bones was thrilling. Whenever I wanted to make a particular recipe I would have the right cut at my fingertips.

Just as thrilling as the expensive cuts was, however, the sheer quantity of cheaper cuts. Chuck roast for slow cooking, blade steaks, and lots and lots of ground beef. I’ve had tons of fun working with all this beef. The great thing about buying a bulk order like this is, again, you get a variety of cuts. Normally I would go grocery shopping and purchase specific cuts needed for a recipe; now, I discover a recipe and have what I need in the freezer. Also, with so much meat on hand, I depart from my regular recipes and try new ones. I’ve noticed with interest as the winter wears on that I’m using more of the cheaper cuts than the expensive ones I had initially swooned over. In particular, the ground beef.

Now, ground beef gets a bad reputation sometimes, and anyone who’s tasted poor quality, hamburger would understand why. That is why it is best to purchase a good quality beef. However, sometimes this isn’t possible. The ground beef from my cow is amazing!! With just the right amount of fat, it barely needs to be drained, yet it doesn’t get dry and burn easily like a lot of lean ground beef does. It has a full delicious flavor, not gamy or greasy. I’m thrilled, especially considering I have so much of it. The challenge has been to keep coming up with creative ways to use it.

Even if you purchase your ground beef at the grocery store (as most folks do) it is generally a good value (thus the popularity of prepackaged hamburger meal kits). It cooks up quickly, making it ideal for quick suppers. And because of its texture, it takes on flavours well in saucy recipes, such as spaghetti and chili. However, it tends to get used over and over again in the same recipes, making cooks reluctant to make them. In some cases it’s because the recipe grows dull and tired (think the original comfort food classic, meatloaf, or hamburgers) while others are made in big batches that require a lot of preparation and simmering (again, spaghetti and chili).

My strategy to avoid hamburger hell has been to look at new ways to prepare and present. To start, the humble burger. One of my favorite magazines is Everyday With Rachel Ray. Every month she features a burger. Sometimes they are what she refers to as “fork and knife” burgers, essentially, burgers you eat with utensils instead of your hands; back home we would call it a hot hamburger sandwich. The first one I tried was topped with stewed vegetable gravy, served on an English muffin. This recipe was a hit, and quickly became a regular menu item because we almost always have root vegetables on hand. Once you start brainstorming all the things you can top a burger with, the hot hamburger possibilities are endless! Mushroom or onion gravies would be tasty and traditional, or, mix some garlic and basil into the burgers and top with spicy tomato sauce for easy grinders! Go a step further and throw some sweet pepper and mushrooms into the tomato sauce, sprinkle some cheese on top and you’ve got pizza burgers. The idea it to make the ground beef burger a canvas for your toppings.

One of the best things you can do with ground beef, in my opinion, is stretch it out in a big pot of chili or pasta sauce. In our house, a pot of pasta sauce is the ultimate timesaver, as you cook once but eat many times. However, in a busy household sometimes it happens that the meat gets thawed but the chili or spaghetti never gets cooked. Why? Because the cook didn’t have a couple of hours to prepare all the ingredients and then let the pot simmer. One of my favorite new things is skillet cooking. It’s a kind of cooking challenge I have with myself. I thaw a package of ground beef and then have to prepare the dish using my cast iron skillet. My favorites so far are skillet spaghetti and skillet chili. Although the yield will be smaller than if you took the time to cook a big pot, I find that we can get four to five meals out of it. I’ll explain how I break that down shortly. But first, the recipes.

For the spaghetti, I brown a pound of ground beef in a tablespoon of olive oil in my skillet. When the beef is cooked, I add a splash of stock and cook for a few minutes more. Then I add a diced medium onion and minced garlic to taste. When the onion begins to look translucent, add a can of diced tomatoes and a small can of tomato paste. Let simmer until thickened and reduced. Add your favorite spices. To stretch this recipe, we ate it for supper with pasta the first night. My husband took a serving with his lunch to work the next day. For supper the next night, I prepared pizza dough, and to the remaining sauce I added a half a can of diced toms, adjusted the seasoning, and used it as pizza sauce. Since the meat is in the sauce there’s no need for pepperoni (but of course you can add it if you like for a “meat lovers” pizza!)

For the chili, I followed the same process, using my favorite southwestern spices. I also added a can of black beans and a cup of frozen corn. I served the chili over hamburger buns for “Sloppy Joses.” Of course you could eat the chili as is with your favorite fixings. Leftover chili makes a great topping for nachos or hot dogs for the next evening’s meal.

The possibilities are endless!! So whether you purchase your ground beef a pack at a time or you have 50 packages of it in your freezer, enjoy the last few months of comfort food season and come up with some creative ways to prepare it. And of course, share your favorites in the comments!

Happy Friday! Have a great weekend!

Molly the Woodle at the Olympic Torch Relay

After a long journey across the country, the 2010 Winter Olympic Games Torch Relay has made its way to British Columbia. On Monday, it came to our town.

I knew that I wanted to go see the flame. I’m not a huge sports fan, and I sometimes feel that the grandeur and significance of the games has been cheapened of late. Between the overwhelming presence of corporate sponsors and the scandals that fly in the face of the sportsmanship and camaraderie the games are meant to exemplify, the Olympics have begun to leave me a little cold.

And yet…there is still something about the torch relay that thrills me. I think it has something to do with the fact that ordinary people, who would never have anything to do with the Olympics otherwise, have an opportunity to carry that flame. In this day of millionaire athletes on a podium meant for amateurs, the tradition and ritual of that flame passing from hand to hand, community to community, makes me understand, if only a little bit, all the fuss over the Olympics.

And that is why Molly the Wonder Dog and I decided to go watch the flame run through town.

We’d been invited to attend the relay with some friends and their dogs. At first I hesitated and considered leaving Molly home. It’s not that she’s a bad dog; it’s just that she has a few habits that can make public outings a bit embarrassing at times.

Molly is a Woodle. And Woodles woodle.

A bit of history is probably necessary here. Molly joined our family about 3 ½ years ago. The phone rang one November morning and I half heard a conversation between my husband and his father. The gist of it was that he knew of a Maltipoo puppy that needed a home. My husband has never been a fan of toy breeds and so he said no. As he was telling me this, something in me tugged. I wanted this dog. After a bit of discussion, we called back and said we’d take the puppy.

About a week later my husband picked her up. He knew from the moment he looked at her that she was nothing resembling a Maltipoo. He took her to his parent’s house, where I was waiting, and placed her on my lap. Bright intelligent eyes looked out of a wolfish little face. Her body was lanky but tall, and she had huge paws.

We settled on Molly as a name. We now had no idea what kind of dog she was, and those giant paws weren’t getting smaller. We bumped into a friend on a walk who, upon seeing us with her, remarked that he didn’t know we’d gotten a wolfhound. A wolfhound? Irish wolfhounds can grow to be over six feet tall on their hind legs and can weigh up to 120 pounds. Some toy dog!

In time, Molly grew up and filled out, although not to the size of a wolfhound. She is about 30 pounds and is a terrier / schnauzer mix (as far as we and our vet can determine). However, one day, while still quite small, something outside caught her attention. She stiffened, made a few sharp barks, and then threw back her head and…woodled.

Molly’s howl (and with sufficient provocation, she loves to howl) is a bizarre noise that sounds like “woodle woodle woooooooooo!” This noise, along with the fact that we had earlier thought she was part poodle, part wolfhound, led to her being known as “The Woodle.”

When she was a puppy, almost anything could set the girl to woodling. As an adult dog, she reserves it for real threats, or real excitement. Meeting new dogs to play with can bring on Woodling. Seeing a person she likes can set her off. And so you can understand why I was hesitant to take her to the torch relay. However, I wanted her to get out and do some more social activities. I had been watching “The Dog Whisperer” and Cesar always says to embrace challenges, and with that in mind I tied her Canada flag bandana around her neck and off we went.

She was quite good on the walk to town, despite the excited crowds lining the sidewalks. Once we arrived at our destination things took a turn for the embarrassing. Upon meeting a few new dogs, she started her woodling which rapidly escalated into her newest noise, reserved for when she’s really excited and happy. This noise is best described as a scream, and you’d swear I was stomping on her feet when she lets loose with it. I could feel my face getting red as I cajoled her and tried to get her to quiet down. Finally, we found ourselves a quiet spot away from the crowd to watch the torch.

As the torch approached, I felt myself relaxing. Molly sat by my feet, calm and happy now. I fed her a cookie. The corporate presence was there; incongruous I thought but ah well. The torch bearer reached the next runner and the flame was passed. Cheers erupted from the crowd. Molly made a little noise but another cookie stifled any further protest. And then it was over, the relay procession going off down the road.

We met up with my husband and we had a good laugh about our dog daughter, who he knew was in attendance; even though he couldn’t see us he could hear the woodling. As we headed home, I was glad that I had attended, and even happier that my girl had attended with me, howls and all.