Usually reading is a very passive thing. That’s why we like to do it, amiright? One can escape into a book and leave the present world behind…at least for a little while. I love those kinds of books, especially for the past 18 months since we have pretty much all had to assume the role of armchair travellers if we wanted to get someplace different.
But for the past few weeks, I have been diving into a book that is making me sit down and paint. I bought Everyday Watercolor back when I was still working for a living…thinking I would find the time to do the exercises every day. Well, that never happened (quelle surprise!) yet somehow this book made the cut and got packed to come with me to my new home on Vancouver Island.
I have to hold the cover down as I’ve been weighting it down with objects to keep it laying flat while I work through the exercises.
I’ve been making s-l-o-w but steady progress through this book (hindered somewhat by a strained back that makes sitting forward to paint – or blog – quite fatiguing). I am enjoying it. So much so that I have been temptedseducedforced inspired to shop for more watercolour painting supplies (See Princeton brushes, above! Thanks to Karen, for telling me about these!).
For instance, this beautiful palette of Kuretake Gansai Tambi paints (Thanks again to Karen, for introducing me to these paints as well!):
Swatching the colours in the conveniently provided chart, inside the lid. You can buy this palette on Amazon.
And these gorgeous colours, “Northern Lights” by Indigenous-owned company Beam Paints (Thanks yet again to Karen, for making me aware of this company…uh, I think. Hmmmm. 😉 ):
I love their commitment to avoiding any and all plastics in their packaging.I like that the paints are made from local (to them) and natural ingredients. But that doesn’t make them safe to consume. Be safe:Kinda sad that this needs to be stated. Besides, these paints would make a pretty expensive snack!
Here’s what they look like, in my workbook:
Close-up:
Such a beautiful shimmer, created by the mica in their paint.
Have you ever used a book that helped you learn a skill, with daily exercises? Did it make you shop better? I can see some improvement already and am encouraged to keep up with this, as my back (and credit card) allows.
Thank you to Donna et al, for providing this interesting monthly blog challenge! And thanks to Karen, for helping me to drain my bank account and increase the art supplies hoard. 😉
Luckily we brought both the good gear and the good attitudes to this rainy day hike.I wore my bear bell, just in case (not needed on this hike, fortunately).Today’s hike.Part of THIS trail (old sign).Now known by this name.We went in search of this.Known as “The Abyss”. Apparently caused by an earthquake in the 1940s.It’s quite deep but not very wide. However, sometimes small dogs fall into it and have to be rescued.Donna, photographing The Abyss.There were many other stunning sights and views, even in the rain and mist.Closeup of arbutus bark.Arbutus berries.I think this is called bristly beard lichen.Beautiful foliage. So many shades of green.Misty view of Nanaimo and the Salish Sea.Tansy.Donna capturing the view looking east from the ridge.Hawthorn. We were also this dripping wet during our hike. 🙂I’m so glad we got out on this trail, despite the wet weather.
For witnessing sunrises like theseFor clouds reflected in lakesFor warm, comfortable footwearFor views from the pathFor the sun lighting up the changing leavesFor experiencing new hikesFor finding new trailsFor beautiful wooded pathwaysFor big trees and moss-covered branchesFor someone to share the mysterious woods withFor visiting my first hatcheryFor beautiful, musical spawning streams and riversFor witnessing the annual chum salmon runFor learning more about the salmonid species that inhabit the rivers and seasFor gorgeous views everywhere I lookFor fish tacos and Jarritos at Tidal TacosFor sneaky, cheeky birds eyeing our lunchFor friends, both near and farFor the beauty of a Vancouver Island autumnFor Thanksgiving gatherings with family and friends
Well, the weather outside is not exactly frightful…but it has changed and fall is definitely in the air. At Chez Badass, that means it is that special time of year once again. Oh yeah baby – I’m talking about Soup Weather! I like to make lots of different soups once the weather cools down…and one of my favourites is Lemon Chicken Soup.
This week’s forecasted weather.
I base my soup on this recipe: Yum & Yummer’s Lemon Chicken Soup with Orzo but I use rice instead of orzo and spice it differently because I am lazy like that and I hate bay leaves according to my preferences.
Assembling some of the first ingredients needed, and using the actual recipe for guidance.
Chop onion, carrot, garlic (I use the already minced stuff) and celery and sauté in olive oil until onion is soft and translucent. (I don’t measure. I just chop till it looks like enough, to me.)Then add the seasoning. I like Italian seasoning for my soups. I put that shit on everything. Again, I don’t measure. I just shake it on till it seems like enough. I can always add more later.
Season to your preference.
Then I prepare the chicken stock. Since I don’t have a big freezer anymore, I no longer have homemade stock on hand. This is the next best thing, I have found.
I usually make about 6 cups worth of bouillon to go into this soup. Then I get to work on the lemon. Best to have it at room temperature – makes it easier to get the juice out or so I’ve been told.Lemon zested.
Zest BEFORE juicing. I can’t stress this enough. It is so much harder to zest a juiced lemon not that I would know anything about that. This recipe calls for 1/4 cup lemon juice. I managed to get just that amount from my lemon.
Cut zested lemon in half and juice that rascal!
Add lemon juice and zest to the soup. Then I add the rice (1/2 cup). I have used brown and basmati, in the past. This time I used arborio, just for a change. You could add whatever starch you like to this recipe. Barley, noodles, potatoes…anything (or nothing) would be good. Go crazy!
Sometimes (like this time) I add 1/4 teaspoon turmeric for colour.
I had previously cooked and chopped up chicken breasts in the freezer, so that got added to the soup.
I took the chicken out of the bag before adding it to the soup. Just to make that clear. 😉
Let everybody in the soup pot commingle and get to know each other for about 20 minutes or so while things are simmering.
Soup’s on!Let’s eat!Oh boy! I love soup weather!Down the hatch!Did you notice that freshly baked loaf of rustic bread in the table shot? I sure did. I also adjusted the recipe a bit – now I only use 1/4 tsp yeast, add an extra 1/3 cup of flour and let it rise for 18 hours. Even better!That’s some ooo-ey chewy goodness, right there!Happy soup-filled tummy.
As always: please feel free to let my co-host Donna or myself know what’s on your plate at your house, in the Comments of either Donna’s or my post (or both, if you are so inclined!). Please check out Donna’s post, to read about the delicious dessert she makes for sharing with friends!
Remember: if you decide to blog or Facebook or Instagram about it, to use the tags #whatsonyourplateblogchallenge or #woypbc so we can find you out on ye olde interwebbs!
Now that Summer 2021 is firmly in the rearview mirror and my second fall on the island is in progress, I have decided to make it a goal to explore 1 new-to-me trail per week. Earlier this week I headed out to experience the Cable Bay Trail (and Joan Point Park and Dodd Narrows) in Cedar. Cable Bay Trail is apparently one of the top-ranked forest trails on Vancouver Island. And Dodd Narrows is known for sea life (sea lions and orcas) frolicking in its strong current. (Unfortunately no frolicking during my hike, which occurred at high tide…only 1 lonely sea lion seen although many were heard!) Here are some photos of this walk. I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed taking them.
Cable Bay Trail pathwayConjoined trunksRock carvingHole in base of treeKnobby trunkBlue Tooth FungusWoodpecker buffet treeArbutus trunkView from bridgeSun through the treesMossy maple trunkLooking back at NanaimoSandstone and seaBoat entering Dodd NarrowsBoat leaving Dodd NarrowsSun on sea at Dodd NarrowsBanana SlugSun through the trees at Dodd NarrowsBack home. Après hike beverage because hiking is thirsty work! 😜
I urge everyone to use this day to broaden their knowledge about Indigenous peoples: their culture, struggles, and what they have had to endure since colonization.
This course – at University of Alberta – is online, free, self-paced and a great place to start:
Yesterday was one for the books! (My personal history books, I mean 🙂 ) My sister and Donna and her husband had arrived in Campbell River, BC the day before in order to be on time for our early morning Homalco Tour’s Great Bears of Bute adventure. (You might remember we were in Campbell River earlier this year…so of course part of the agenda for THIS trip was to revisit our favourite Indigenous woman-led businesses there and to stock up, which we happily did!)
On the dock at 7 am, a bit bleary-eyed and raring ready for adventure! L – R: my sister, me, Donna and Richard.
We eagerly boarded the beautiful Klohoy (Homalco word for chum salmon), a comfortable aluminum boat with 2 seats per person on the tour (1 in the indoor heated cabin with onboard loo, 1 on the viewing deck). After a brief safety lesson (including being instructed to wear our masks at all times), we were off on the 2 hour journey to Bute Inlet!
Words and pictures cannot begin to describe the beautiful views we encountered at every step of the day’s adventures.
We weren’t too far into the trip to the mainland when Captain Flavian noticed whale blow. Which meant of course we had to stop to investigate.
Humpback whale blow – photo by DonnaNot the greatest photo of 2 humpback whales. For better shots of these magnificent mammals, please go to an older post, here.
After enjoying the whales for about 15 minutes, we continued on to an inlet where Captain Flavian had grown up, to learn some of the more recent (last 200 years) history of the Homalco people. Our guide Holly also tried to teach us some words in the Homalco language.
From Donna’s notes, here are the English translations from top to bottom: 1. The language of our people (4 tribes); 2. Grizzly Bear; 3. Chum salmon (name of our boat); 4. Whale; 5. Seal; 6. Sea Lion; 7. Eagle; 8. RavenHolly and Flavian.
Holly told us to notice that the waters of the inlet were the most beautiful colour, due to glacial sediment from the rivers that feed it. And that the boat’s colour scheme had come from the colour of the water. See for yourself!
Orford Bay, Bute InletA pretty good match, don’t you think?Orford Bay welcome signWell, actually I am kinda hoping there are lots of bears in the area 🙂
After docking, we made our way to the cultural centre to get a safety briefing from our bear guides: JJ and Ian. Basic takeaway: Listen to your guides! When they say “back on the bus”, this means NOW, not 2 more photos first! On the bus, JJ also regaled us with stories involving bear spray…er…misadventures from his childhood, and cultural stories of what the Homalco learned from observing grizzly bears.
At our first stop, a bear ambled into view even before we were all able to get off the bus. And there were bears at every stop thereafter. Holly mentioned she has yet to be “skunked” on any bear adventures she has hosted. Please check out my Instagram for the many videos I posted of this adventure!
Of course the bears were there for one thing only: to fatten up on the many chum salmon in the stream! Unfortunately the fish – although plentiful and easy to spot – were very hard to photograph through the running water.
Where there are bears, there are also many birds (including bald eagles – no good photos to share, unfortunately) – also there for the salmon…both for the eggs in the river and to clean up the fish who had already died on their journey to spawn.
Everybody’s gotta eat!My sister and I are beaming, under our masks. Taken while visiting one of two specially constructed bear viewing platforms.Donna, my sister and I in front of the bear sign. We asked and were granted permission from our guides to move to the sign for a photo. The Homalco word for grizzly bear is pronounced “howgas”. (I hope I am not butchering the language too badly.)
After 3 hours of being awestruck in the presence of the magnificent grizzlies, we were as hungry as the bears themselves.
Eating our delicious boxed lunches in the world’s most beautiful outdoor “restaurant”.
Once back on the boat for the journey back to Campbell River, even more wildlife was spotted.
Harbour seals sunning on a log in Orford Bay.Orca! My first sighting!!!! This male is T11A, and you can read more about him and wild transient orcas here.Steller sea lions having a bit of a bro fest.Adult males can weigh up to 2500 pounds.The stunning views just never stopped on this trip.
After over 8 hours on the water and the mainland of British Columbia, it was time to head back to the dock in Campbell River, and from there back to home in Nanaimo.
Today I received the following (excerpted, from the email) from Homalco Tours:
Thank you for joining us on a recent tour from Campbell River. We sincerely hope that you enjoyed yourself!
By travelling with us, you are contributing to the growth and preservation of Homalco First Nation culture, Indigenous employment, and to the restoration of wild salmon populations in Bute Inlet. “I:mote” means “it is good” and is the word for gratitude in the Homalco language. We extend that gratitude to you.
I don’t think there is a big enough word for me to express my gratitude to the Homalco people for providing me the opportunity to partake of this adventure on their land. IT IS and WAS GOOD.
My sister from Ontario is here on Vancouver Island, visiting for 2 weeks. Last weekend we spent a delightful 2 nights in Tofino. Here are some pictures from our stay. Hope you enjoy! (We sure did!)
My sister enjoying the washed up wood on Chesterman BeachOf course we had to visit Tacofino for a trio of delicious tacos: fried fish (lingcod, I believe), seared tuna, beefRainy Long Beach walk on Saturday, followed by lunch (Zoe’s Bakery: highly recommend!) and a visit to the Aquarium in Ucluelet.There is a tuna derby going on all week long at our resort (Tofino Resort and Marina). $40K grand prize. Exciting!This was cause for celebration on our part. It was so much fun to sit at the pub and slurp back oysters, and watch the fishermen bringing their catch of albacore tuna in at the end of the day.Caught in mid-bro fist. Sporting his lucky fishing wig? Or did he lose a bet? 😉Official weighing: each team brought forward their 4 biggest fish of the day to be weighed.Leader board with Day 1 resultsSunday morning found us on the Rainforest Trail.Looking up at a giant cedarOf course we had to visit the tree my daughter and son-in-law chose for their nuptials.After checking out of the resort, we were off on a whale watching journey, guided expertly by Elder Moses Martin of Clayoquot Wild.There were stunning vistas all along the journey. We spent a good amount of time watching a gray whale (named Orange Crush by the locals because of an orange spot on its fluke). I was too awestruck to get out my camera…sorry (not sorry).We did see a good number of sea otters, and those I did capture a few shots of. They are much bigger than river otters. These guys were hunting salmon.So many beautiful views.Gorgeous.Happy, tired faces. Ready for the drive back home over the mountains, and to get rested up for our next adventure.
This is going to be somewhat of a looong story and a picture-heavy post so I hope you don’t mind. If you do mind, I don’t mind – so feel free to click away. My introduction to this recipe started way back at the beginning of the pandemic, when my good friend gifted me the most delicious loaf of homemade bread you could imagine. Jonathan somehow secured not only flour but yeast (remember those days?) and told me that this bread was not only insanely good, but insanely easy to make. He was 100% correct on both counts. His recipe came from the New York Times, I believe…and there are a bazillion versions of this bread recipe floating around Ye Olde Interwebs. Even recipes for gluten-free doorstops loaves, which I have tried (and failed miserably at).
The loaf that started it all. In my old kitchen, back in Ontario. March 26, 2020
Despite having issues with wheat (not gluten, but something else in bread), I can digest this bread just fine and without pesky heartburn. I think it is the very long rising…something that doesn’t happen in a production bakery. Anywho, here is the recipe (adapted by me from a gluten-free one I found somewhere…) told in pictures for this no-knead rustic bread loaf; pandemic and/or lockdown not required.
Assemble your tools and ingredients!
You will need:
3 cups of flour plus a little extra for dusting
3/4 tsp active quick-rise yeast
2 tsp kosher salt (I don’t see why you couldn’t use regular salt)
1.5 cups room temperature water
measuring cup and spoons
large glass bowl (Why glass? Does yeast hate metal/ceramic/plastic?)
wooden spoon (Don’t ask me why it has to be wood. Aesthetics? The anti-metal thing? I don’t know.)
Dutch oven
tea towel
parchment paper
cooling rack
oven (duh)
Mix dry ingredients together. The wooden spoon does look nice though…Add room temperature water and mix (with pretty wooden spoon) to form the dough. Cover with tea towel and let it do its thing for at least 8 hours (overnight works well). In winter when the air is drier, I make the tea towel damp first so the dough doesn’t dry out too much.Amuse yourself for the next 8 hours. I made and served a blackberry trifle for my son-in-law’s birthday. I think he liked it. 😉 (Completely optional but if you do choose to do this, invite me over 🙂 ).What it looks like after 8 hours of rise time. Finish admiring the magic, and then take a large piece of parchment paper and dust it with flour. Take the dough out of the bowl and mound it up on the flour-dusted parchment paper. I pre-crease the paper to make it a bit easier to fit back into the bowl, and eventually the Dutch oven.I usually put it right back in the bowl again once it’s on the paper…so the dough doesn’t spread itself out over the paper too much over the next hour. You probably don’t have to do this. But it bugs me, OK? There, I said it. Cover and let rest for 1 hour. Meanwhile, pre-heat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. When oven comes to temperature, place the empty Dutch oven (with lid) inside oven to pre-heat for at least 30 minutes.Very carefully place the dough (in parchment) into the extremely hot Dutch oven. Can slash the top of loaf several times with a knife, if you actually remember at the last damn minute. Put the extremely hot lid on it, and put in the whole shebang back into the oven to bake for 30 minutes. The loaf looks like this after 30 minutes covered bake time. Remove the lid (careful!!!!) and let the loaf bake uncovered for the final 15 minutes.Cool the finished loaf on a rack. Resist eating it because you made it to share with friends, for lunch the next day. (Optional, but highly recommended! Your hips will thank you for sharing. 😉 )Next day: Go on glorious hike with friends, on Hornby Island.Take in the views: Helliwell Provincial Park, looking east.Explore tidal pools.Helliwell Provincial Park, looking west. Me, trying to enjoy the view and not think of the tasty food waiting for us back at Ann’s place. Photo by Donna.Finally – Lunch time! Photo by Donna. Ann (between Janis and I) provided us with the most delicious Maui chicken and sides, and I provided the:Homemade bread! And it was mighty tasty. I’ve made this recipe many times now, and it has never failed me except for the gluten-free experiments that we really shouldn’t talk about anymore.
So…enough about me. What’s on your plate this month?
As always: please feel free to let my co-host Donna or myself know what’s on your plate at your house, in the Comments of either Donna’s or my post (or both, if you are so inclined!). My partner-in-crime Donna has crafted a beautiful post about food and friendship (a theme I have shamelessly incorporated into my own post, in a minor way). Please check out her post, to read more about the many happy hours spent sharing meals with friends over the past month.
Remember: if you decide to blog or Facebook or Instagram about it, to use the tags #whatsonyourplateblogchallenge or #woypbc so we can find you out on ye olde interwebbs!
So happy to join in on this new challenge, hosted by bloggers Sue Loncaric, Debbie Harris, Jo Tracey and my IRL buddy Donna! I’ve loved reading since I first learned how, and surprise, surprise: my favourite childhood gifts were books. And – just to confirm that you can teach this old dog new tricks – I’ve recently cultivated a love for audiobooks as well. Yeah, yeah…I know I am super late to the audiobook game…I remember my mom borrowing “books on tape” from the library decades ago…but it was something I couldn’t get into, until now. Thank you, retirement!
Anyhoodle…I have a goodreads account (see sidebar for widget), to keep track of my reading and you can find what I am currently reading right now right there! I do love goodreads, and recommend it to all my reading friends. Very handy for keeping track of what you have read and when, and for getting ideas of what to read next and what people thought of books you are considering to read/have read.
I usually read digital downloads from the library because your girl is kinda voracious when it comes to reading, and the book budget only stretches so far, ya know? I love the Libby app for this. It means I can always have a book with me – and at the ready – on my phone (and tablet). So handy for those times you are stuck waiting somewhere. And now that I have begun a love affair with audiobooks, it means I can listen from that same device either on my AirPods (when walking or hausfrau-ing) or through Edward’s speakers while driving.
But you can’t always find the books you want at the library…or in digital format. So lately my book journey has involved buying…gasp!…actual books. Here is the pile I have going at the moment:
The top 2 books are ones that were given to me by friends in Ontario, to take back with me and enjoy at my leisure. The next one is a purchase, the one after that a birthday gift from a dear friend, and the bottom 2 are also purchases.Could I find room in my suitcase to bring back a few books? Always 😉The rest of the books in my To Be Read pile.
If you can sense a theme in my purchases, you are 100% correctimundo!
I’m trying to get a more complete sense about the new land I call home, and how better to start than with stories from its original peoples?
That’s it for me, for this month. What are you reading or planning to read? Looking forward to seeing what’s on your bookshelf!
