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ARCHIVES: SEPTEMBER 2008 Tuesday September 30
Lately, I am interested in making basic, simple food items that I can and/or do eat with frequency. Last week, I made granola bars, using Gluten Free Girl's recipe just because I happened upon it and had enough ingredients to make it happen. And because, let's face it, the store bought ones SUCK. The results were a little too wonderful and Adam and I (along with a little help from friends) polished off the whole batch in 2.5 days. When I make it again, I will use much less sugar and I won't use very much honey because of it's overwhelmingly distinctive flavor. Next time, before they are all gone, I will definitely try some of the crumbs with yogurt. Tuesday September 23 Back from Vancouver. There is much to share about the trip. (pictured above waters of Sechelt Inlet) I will start with the most exciting moment which was the scenic floatplane tour up the Sechelt inlet, just north of Vancouver. Yes, floatplane, as in a small airplane with skis on the bottom. It was something we had lightly talked about doing and then kind of forgot about, but then we stumbled into the 'airport' (2 people and a coffee machine at a strip center on the marina) and Adam decided that this was not to be missed. He was right. I was naturally skeptical -- and in many ways it all felt steadier than I had thought. The water runway was smooth that day and the air was calm though the motor sounded like a 1965 VW beetle. I was amazed at how many really tiny islands had single homes on them. People really do own their own islands.
(pictured above in Gibsons, also north of Vancouver) This must have been the most unexpected sight. It's a house-boat-garden-float y'all! Isn't it the MOST wonderful thing you've ever seeeeeeeen??? The part on the right side is actually a boat with a motor and the rest is stationary. The overcast skies made the greens and colors of the flowers more saturated and in contrast with the overall whites of the ships in the marina, was something spectacular. (pictured above, Smitty's Oyster House in Gibsons) This was the best meal of our trip. We were stalling for time for the next ferry over to Horseshoe Bay, when we saw the house-garden-boat and THEN saw a bright blue marina-front oyster bar sitting right near it. This was our first overcast day in BC with a slight chill in the air and when you're sitting by the docks, surrounded by maples and conifers, and wanting a steamy bowl of clam chowder -- this is it. It all came together. And the oysters -- Let me say that I have only eaten oysters in Texas and now that I've had oysters up there, I know that there's a whole layer of oyster complexity that I never knew about. These are called Summer Ice and they have a creamy, cheesy finish to them. Hard to describe but especially delectable with that homemade cocktail sauce and the smell of the ocean to wash them down with. Yum.
(picture above taken in Sechelt on the street) Look at this big ball of amber sap! No sense of scale from this picutre, but it was about the size of a large gumball. Isn't it magical? Can you see your future in there?
(picture above taken in VanDusen Botanical Gardens) There were more mossy crevices than I had time to look at. This was our last stop on our trip - it was raining a little, so we skipped shopping and wandered about these gardens with hot beverages. Thanks for the rain or I never would have seen those precious little droplets on the hairs on this tiny collection of life. Thursday September 11 A few random bits: 1. We are leaving town Saturday to Vancouver!!! Its going to be a hell of a heck of a trip. The first part will be spent in a cabin just off a nook of water.....home to moysters! mussels and oysters! You can kayak and grab them out of the water and slurp them right down. I can't tell you how thrilling that sounds. I am starved for natural adventures! After our stay in the woods, we venture into the city for the remaining trip. 3. Speaking of books, I am boarding the Stephanie Meyer train and starting Twilight on the trip. I googled it for the wiki link and see links about the movie due out this November - oh brother - I better hurry and read the books that are out before I see the movie images. Yay for new books! Friday September 5 Last night was the first official night of the new football season - it's not football's fault but I find I'm a little sad to see summer passing by. Hello Oddtember. |
