Late to the (Virtual Tea) Party #virtualteaparty2021

Better late than never, they say…whoever “they are. At any rate, here I am with my offering for this month’s Virtual Tea Party, held by our ever gracious hosts Su and Del (go check out their blogs, please!) A day (or two) late, and a dollar short, through no fault of my own! This week marked the end (at least I hope so) of a long story for me involving esophageal spasms, acid reflux, gastritis, the reveal of a hiatal hernia, and not one but two gastroscopies. Let’s blame it all on the hospital-administered sedation! Anyhoodle, here I am: hale and hearty (and sober) again and wanting to share with you a delicious, substantial blueberry lemon oatmeal muffin cup recipe, from the Clean and Delicious blog site.

This recipe rings all the bells for me. Easy to whip up, contains my favourite flavours, powers me through to lunch, easy to sub in other things if need be, and contains no wheat (a trigger for my acid reflux). I need a quick and easy brekkie these days as I find myself running down to the beach while it is still dark if there is even a hint of a pretty sunrise to come. And those runs sometimes pay off. Behold:

By the time the sun has fully risen and I’ve made my way back to my place, I can just about chew my arm off. My poor stomach thinks my throat has been cut. My belly button can touch my backbone. Cue all the hunger idioms you can think of….I need victuals, STAT! These muffin cups come to my rescue so I make sure to always have some in the freezer.

Fresh out of the oven.
Good with Greek yogurt and raspberries.
Also with cottage cheese and blueberries.
Cinnamon on top is a nice addition.

These would make a fine addition to any tea table, in my decidedly-biased opinion. 😉

Do you have a go-to quick breakfast? Do tell, and…

Rock on,

The WB

February is for Comfort Food #virtualteaparty2021

If you came to my house in February for “tea”, I probably wouldn’t have many baked goods to share. I tend to do the majority of my baking fails around Christmas time, like so many people. However, fear not! You will be fed! I will have plenty of comfort foods to share with you, along with a lovely cuppa.

You see, it’s been that kind of vibe around here lately. The days are kinda gloomy and damp…and we finally even got a significant dump of snow recently – a first for me in my new Island home.

February had started off great, with a lovely trip to the west coast of the island, and some hometown views like this:

Sunset view from the pier at Nanaimo’s seawall
Hellebores blooming in Mafeo Sutton Park

And then last weekend, this happened:

February 13 view of my balcony. Pretty sure the fern will survive. They’re mighty tough.

Is it any wonder that I turned to comfort foods? First up, old-fashioned rice pudding made in my new-fashioned rice cooker. I won’t share the recipe because it came out of a fairly new cookbook (you know – copyright and all that), but there are plenty to be found online. I used arborio rice, and maple syrup instead of sugar.

Overseen by You-Know-Who
The hardest part of this recipe is waiting for the rice to cook in the milk. Porridge setting takes a good long while. Seashell Jesus agrees. I’m singing: “An-ti-ci-pation, it’s makin’ me late, keepin’ me waitin’.” 8 minutes to go…
Rice finally done, and ready to stir in tempered maple syrup and beaten egg, to finish off the pudding.
Everybody say “Love!” There’s a big ole bowl of Valentines comfort, right there.

Next up in the comfort food February hit parade, let me present a viral recipe my daughter was raving about: Baked Feta Pasta.

Super simple recipe with easy-to-source ingredients
Hot out of the oven
Smoosh it all together, and get ready to add cooked pasta, garlic – and in my case, due to lack of fresh basil – pesto!
David: What does that mean? Moira: You smoosh it all together, just like the Widow Badass said. David: But I don’t know what to do. Moira: David, I cannot show you everything. (Apologies to Schitt’s Creek 😉 )
Cooked pasta (gluten free) smooshed in and looking good!
And tasting better. Take that, wintry weather! Holly bush at the side of my balcony is looking even more spectacular than usual, thanks to the snow.
The best part – lots of leftovers! I added a couple of sliced cooked chicken breasts to the bowl later, along with more pesto. Yum yum. I expect more modifications as I play with this recipe.

And last but not least, in honour of Fat Tuesday: my mother’s Dutch pancakes (she only made the sweet kind). And here’s her recipe as given to me many years ago:

Mix together flour and milk, throw in an egg (or two), a pinch of salt, some sugar, and some vanilla. Add more ingredients until the correct consistency is achieved. You’ll know you’re done when it smells right.

Smells right?! SMELLS RIGHT!?! How am I supposed to work with this??? WHERE. ARE. THE. MEASUREMENTS. WTF.

Gentle reader, after more than a few attempts I figured it out. Here’s how I make them.

Start out with 1 cup of milk and beat an egg into it. Add a pinch of salt, and a tablespoon of sugar (optional for sweet pancakes…not critical or necessary). Add 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla (only for sweet pancakes), to start. Whisk in 1 cup of flour. I usually start adding more milk at this point because I like to be able to create thinner pancakes. On this particular day 1/4 cup more milk was needed to achieve the batter consistency I wanted.

Then I smell the batter.

Needs more vanilla, which I added. Thanks, Mom!

This recipe can be easily doubled, tripled…whatever your pancake lovin’ dreams call for. The pan temperature and preheating is critical. Find the setting that works and commit it to memory. I prefer making my pancakes in butter but have used oil in the past and it works too. Don’t rush your first pancake as the pan will probably not be hot enough. You want the temperature to be hot enough to create the golden lacy effect, which will never happen if the pan is too cold.

Unfortunately you have to figure this out as everyone’s cooktop is different.

Fortunately you can eat your mistake(s) as you wait for the pan to come to the correct temperature. 🙂 I prefer to call it my…ahem…”trial” pancake, when it happens more often than not.

Leftovers (if any) can be stored covered, at room temperature for ease in grab n’ go snack-ability.

Pannekoeken (Dutch pancakes) can be made sweet (plain or with apples or raisins cooked right in) or savoury (with added bacon, ham, cheese etc.) They are not eaten for breakfast usually, but are a meal in themselves. Mom used to make them to stretch out a meal of leftovers. And she would make so many, there WERE pancake leftovers (unbelievable as it sounds) that disappeared the next day as breakfast or “snacks”: delicious rolled up and eaten out-of-hand, plain and at room temperature…yum!

Pancake factory, in action. Mom used to have 2 cast-iron skillets going at once. Now that’s talent! (And an arm workout.)
To get nice thin pancakes, it’s all in the wrist action.
I’m going for a simple pancake meal. Dressed only in fresh raspberries and maple syrup. Note desired golden lacy effect.
Dutch Pancake Perfection.
Don’t call me a crepe!

Well, there you have it. Not exactly tea fare in the traditional sense. Unless perhaps you are using it in British sense: “tea” meaning the evening meal. Perhaps I should start my own monthly challenge…something like “What’s for Dinner?” or “What’s on Your Plate?”. Hmmmm. Would anyone be interested? (It’s quite possible that something like this already exists in the blogosphere, and I am not aware of it.) Gawd knows I need inspiration to cook myself a decent meal these days. Let me know in the Comments, below.

Thank you for reading this far (it was a looong one, sorry)…and for joining me in this month’s Virtual Tea Party – hosted by Del and Su. Click on their links to go see them and the lovely things they made!

Rock on,

The WB

We Interrupt Our Regular Programming…

In lieu of the annual blog posts on Barbados that occur at this time every year, (there’s a global pandemic on, don’t you know) Widow Badass Industries brings you instead some views of the west coast of our local island paradise. Specifically: Ucluelet and Tofino. My daughter and I spent a couple of days there recently. And here’s what we saw and did.

Morning view of Tofino Inlet from Tofino Resort and Marina (highly recommend staying here).
We headed to Ucluelet first. My first visit. Won’t be my last! We decided to experience the Lighthouse Trail.
BC trees are like none I have ever seen in Canada. On the Lighthouse Trail.
The views were incredible.
Sea Foam – sign of a healthy ocean.
Pardon my shadow.
Rock formations and islands in the misty distance.
Wild Ucluelet views.

On the way to Ucluelet, we passed a sign in Pacific Rim National Park that said “Rainforest Trail”. That was our next destination.

The Rainforest Trail did not disappoint.
When not staring at the trees, the chevron pattern on this platform caught my eye.
Tried to capture the sun rays in the woods.
This giant is over 800 years old.

After the Rainforest Trail, we had worked up an appetite so it was off to our favourite Tofino eating establishment, to refuel before our next adventure.

Tacofino!
A little pandemic humour.
Every day is (Taco) Tuesday in Tofino, as far as I’m concerned.

After lunch, it was time to check out our favourite beach (Chesterman) and soak up the delicious sunshine we had been blessed with.

Pinch me. Is it really February…in Canada???
It was lovely to just sit in the sun and watch the surfers (and parasailers and windsurfers) enjoying the beautiful day and high waves.
Checking out the waves (and other surfers).
There he goes!

It was so pleasant out, we stayed there all afternoon and waited on the sunset. It did not disappoint.

Nope, it certainly did not disappoint!
Two surfers left; packing it in for the day.
And finally, the last of this day’s glorious light.

It wasn’t Barbados, but it was pretty damn fine all the same.

Rock on,

The WB

P.S. I posted multiple videos of this adventure on Instagram. Why not head over there and check them out? (Sound on!)

January on Vancouver Island – A Wordless Wednesday Post

Some pictures telling the story of my first January on my new island home…

Love these lines and shadows. On the beach at Parksville.
Shadows on the sand, Parksville.
Bridge in Nanoose Bay
Donna setting up to shoot me.
View from Parksville Beach
Looking towards Parksville
Forest bathing.
More forest bathing. Photo by Donna Connolly
Donna on my favourite Departure Bay Log.
Geese, awaiting the dawn.
Dawn on Departure Bay
Outgoing Ferry, heading for Horseshoe Bay.
Incoming, heading for the Departure Bay Terminal.
Snowdrops blooming.
Have never seen a kayak with an outrigger until now.
Mainland mountains in January.
Enjoying a London Fog on the patio at Drip Social. Resting my soaking feet, after an adventurous walk along the shore at high tide. 🙂
New year; new hair. I had all my bleached locks cut off. Selfie taken in the bathroom.
And I got one of those fancy ring lights, for Zooming and FaceTiming and such. For such remains the reality of life. See the blurring magic fakery trickery difference good lighting makes?
I need to carry one around and shine it on me, always.
Ah, zee glah-mour! 😉

In case it makes my friends back in Ontario feel any better, snow is in the forecast for this coming Sunday and Monday.

Rock on,

The WB

Neck Point Park in November

A Silent Saturday post.

Rocks and trees and water. What more do you need?
As close as I dare get to this drop.
Sea birds and mainland mountains.
November shoreline.
Inscribed stone.
A burst of colour framing the cove.
Stairway down.
iNaturalist says these are Harlequin ducks.
Always remember to look up.
Famous Neck Point Park fairy houses
People Fairies leave treasures inside.
Another fabulous fairy house.
A fairy house for dinosaur aficionados.

Living my best November pandemic life…

Rock on,

The WB

Wordless Wednesday: Mainland Trip – to Grand Forks and Back

Waiting to board, at Duke Point. No time to take any more pictures on this leg of the journey, as I was racing to get as far as I could before nightfall.
I woke up to snow falling. Just about to brush off my car for the 3rd time this morning.
The moon throws a lot of light in the mountains
Beautiful views surrounding Grand Forks
Outside my sister’s place
Grand Forks snowy sunrise
Goodbye, Johnny’s Motel! Time to head home.
Reduce speed, indeed! Descending the Anarchist.
Looking down into the Okanagan Valley and Osoyoos
Another view of Osoyoos
Climbing up the other side of the Okanagan – at the scenic overlook
Continuing the drive home…
Too much gorgeousness
Trees with fall colours along the riverside
Waiting for the ferry to depart, Tsawwassen
Sun setting over the Salish Sea
Traffic on the Salish Sea
Vancouver Island mountains casting shadows on the sea

Rock on,

The WB

(Almost) Wordless But Not Whale-less Wednesday

If you’ve been reading Ye Olde Blogge for a while, you may remember that I have been on a fruitless search for whale-sightings ever since Newfoundland. Either I was on the ocean and not seeing them, or I had tours booked that were cancelled at the last minute. It was kinda frustrating then, when the Thanksgiving Monday tour that had been booked with a company out of Duncan, B.C. was also cancelled at the last moment, due to not enough customers to warrant the excursion. Thanks to some quick-thinking by Donna of Retirement Reflections within moments she had us booked with Aboriginal Journeys, out of Campbell River. And thus the day was saved, in the most spectacular way, and the whale-sighting drought was over!

Let the pictures (and the videos) do the talkin’!

Captain Gary, of Aboriginal Journeys – our most affable and knowledgeable guide.
The hopeful whale watchers – Donna, her husband Richard, and I
It was a beautiful afternoon to be out on the water
Common muirs in the sunlight
Harbour seals basking on the rocks
Cormorants
Captain Gary took us to a sea lion colony
Yukon and his master helping Captain Gary scout us some whales!
Two Humpback whales sighted! I was thrilled to hear “Thar she blows!” come over the marine radio. Yukon’s master had sighted some whales and we headed to where they were.
Pardon the unsteady camera but we WERE on a boat…the whales and sea lions were playing and feeding on herring together, Gary told us.
We were lucky enough to witness a breaching whale
Humpback Whale waving goodbye, until next time!

And you KNOW there is going to be a next time!

Rock on,

The Whale-Watchin’ WB