Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Breads n' Beans

I am in a preserving food for next Winter mood. Today I baked three banana breads which I have nicely wrapped and put in the freezer for later use. It's nice to prepare wholesome foods for Winter consumption. I also made a huge pot of gypsy soup with haddock pieces in it. Got four meals out of it.
Our first crop of green beans from our garden. We had these with our supper tonight. Ymmmm!

Saturday, July 28, 2007

Clover honey

Last evening while awaiting Ginette's arrival I made clover honey. I found the recipe in an old recipe book 'A Taste of Acadie'. All you need is sugar (I used cane sugar), water, clover blossoms and wild roses. Honey was often made with cloves and wild roses boiled in sugar many years ago. What I can't figure out is why would'nt they just use the sugar to sweeten their food...

Ginette's here

It's a very special and meaningful weekend... not because it's the local Acadian Festival that's starting but because our loving daughter came home from New Brunswick for the weekend. Here she is enjoying her favorite dish (and mine also) - rappie pie.

Now that my bathroom fixtures are no longer lilac I am decorating with lavender... go figure. I love the smell that lavender gives off.

One of many, many hollyhocks.

Too bad daylilies only last a day (hence the name)...

Thursday, July 26, 2007

Tea time

A perfect day for brewing a batch of sun tea. This time I made it with organic earl grey tea and lemon balm. I bought the tea yesterday in Grand-Pré at Just Us. Another place I would recommand visiting next time you go through the Valley. It is right next door to Tangled Garden. It brewed all afternoon in the hot sun and by supper time I had nice refreshing pure iced tea.
I pretty much took it easy today compared to the hectic day we had yesterday. But I am not complaining, Dave and I had loads of fun yesterday...

I have a batch of alfalfa sprouts going also. By next week I'll have beautiful sprouts for my sandwiches.


Tonight, Dave and I went to Port Maitland Beach to enjoy that beautiful weather we've been having. Is it really Summer !!!

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Day trip

Dave and I decided on a day trip to Halifax today. The weather was out of this world fabulous and it sure was hot in the city. We left the house this morning at 7:30 a.m. and got back tonight at 8 p.m... both very exhausted.

We talked about going on this tour 'duck boat' but we ended up not going. We mostly walked Barrington Street and Spring Garden Road.

We picked up a baquette, a couple of cheeses, olives and pastries and went in the Public Gardens for a picnic. It is amazing how they rebuilt this wonderful park after the destruction left by Hurricane Juan.


I am not much of a city girl myself. Dave has lived in Halifax for a few years when he was younger. Here we are exiting the city via the MacDonald Bridge.

Once yearly I have to make a stop at Tangled Gardens in Grand-Pré. It is almost a secret place (if you don't know it's there, you'll have difficulty finding it. We found this forest person along one of the path.
A very comfy private sitting area in the gardens. Temperatures were in the 30's... so shade was nice.


We did'nt have a set schedule for our day. Everywhere we went was mostly planned at the last minute.

In New Minas we headed up to the Look Off on Cape Blomidon. The picture doesn't give the view justice... it was breathtaking.


After this, we made a few more stops then we headed home both very content with our day.

Sunday, July 22, 2007

Perfect weekend

Even though I've been on vacation since 3:30 p.m. Friday I will only feel officially on vacation tomorrow when I get up and don't have to go to work. Here is a picture of a fruit torte I made Friday evening.

We had a wonderful weekend. Last night we had friends over for BBQ before heading out for some very fun and entertaining dancing at the Little Brook Social Club. We ended up being 13 in our kitchen for supper. Below is a picture of two of those 13 enjoying a friendly chat. Somehow my photographer was busy so we only took this picture. A friend is suppose to send me a bunch of pictures she took.

Today Dave and I went to Yarmouth on the hunt for a hammock but I did'nt find one that suited me so we came home without a hammock but with a whole bunch of other stuff. We had our take-out fast food at the Yarmouth Waterfront. Here is a picture of Dave taken in front of a lovely mural painted on a building at the waterfront by a local artist.

A portion of the Yarmouth Waterfront. The weather forecast for today was for rain and wind... we had neither.

When we got back from Yarmouth we heard on the radio that there was a local festival at the Belliveau's Cove Marina so we headed that way. Dave enjoying a feed of steamer clams.

Yours truly at the Belliveau's Cove beach.

Dave having a dip (up to the knees).

Back on the range... our veggie garden is soooooooo beautiful and healthy. Wanted to show you a picture of my kale. I cut a bunch tonight to make a gypsy soup tomorrow.

More garden eye candy.

Hollyhocks are starting to bloom.

Lavender patch.

Friday, July 20, 2007

Vacation

As of later this afternoon I am on summer vacation for the next four weeks ! Will I last the four weeks away.... i'll keep you posted.

In the meantime, everyone enjoy the rest of your summer and I will surely be posting in the next four weeks.

Thursday, July 19, 2007

26 years ago

BONNE FÊTE GINETTE !!!!!

26 years ago this amazing person became part of Dave and I's lives and we are so grateful to be blessed by her love, understanding and that "oh so wonderful free spirit". She will forever be our "mini-prutte".

Sunday, July 15, 2007

A park, the ocean and our backyard

Today Dave and I decided to leave our bikes behind and go for a drive at Ellenwood Provincial Park in Yarmouth County. We had sun with cloudy periods. It was very, very hot when the sun was out. Below, you'll notice Dave sitting in a shaded area at the picnic area of the park.


Immediately after Dave took this picture of the gorgeous butterfly.... it flew away (the butterfly, not Dave).

When we returned home from the park, we worked in the yard for a short while. This is a picture of my sexy gardener !

Wild rose bush and honeysuckle on the side of the house.

Daylilies and evening primrose all over the place.

When the yard work was done we headed out to the ocean. I picked some wild flowers to make a wreath.

We ended up on the Saulnierville Wharf. This little house belongs to a 'wharf wild cat'. The Clare SPCA have placed hundreds of these little houses on every wharf in the Clare area to house the wild cats that hang out at the wharfs.

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Fog is good

We need all type of weather conditions - sun, snow, rain, wind... and of course fog ! That is what we've been getting lately. That is the typical Maritime weather. I took this picture at Cape Sainte-Marie tonight. On a clear day, you can see for miles and miles behind those fishing vessels.

Monday, July 9, 2007

Dieppe, New Brunswick

Another beautiful gathering this past weekend. Dave, Luc, Tabi and I joined Ginette and André at their beautiful new home in Dieppe, New Brunswick.

Seeing this was Tabi's first long distance drive in the car we made a few extra stops on the way up Friday evening. She traveled amazingly well, not a bother at all.

We arrived at around 10 p.m. Friday evening and I think Tabi and Dave were both happy...

Saturday we enjoyed a delicious lunch BBQ prepared by André.

Ginette and Dave constructed a veggie planter for the backyard to plant a few tomato plants.

Luc and Dave on break from the chores... finished planter is on location.

Dave spent Saturday morning painting Ginette's office and Luc did a whole bunch of electrical work in the house (sorry I don't have any pictures).

Ginette and Tabi.

Planting a shrub that Ginette and André got as a house warming gift.

Watering said shrub.

Getting ready to reload the car to leave later in the day Sunday. We left at 4:45 p.m. and were home in Meteghan Station at 9:45 p.m.

This picture is out of focus but it is such a beautiful Columbine flower. I took a smaller one home to plant in my garden.

Can't have a blog of a visit at Ginette's without a picture of 'Le Puss' (aka Tache).