Good Friday, April 6th - Happy Easter Everyone

It's o' outside but the almost full moon is shining brightly in the sky,heading for sun and 5',  my sweetie is asleep upstairs and I have 3 days off work. Does it get any better than that???
So, Wednesday afternoon, Lloyd calls to tell me that he didn't get on the flight he hoped to get on and was in Montreal. The good news (or so he thought) was that he knew he could get on a flight to Moncton. So his plan was to fly there (arriving at 11:25 at night), stay overnight at a hotel and then take the bus over in the morning. Great plan, except for one little glitch - there are no buses - they've been out since the fall due to a work stoppage.
So it appears there is only one solution - ROAD TRIP! I agreed to drive over after work and pick him up. So after I called Brenda and told her what was going on, as our evening plans depended on whether or not he got here, she offered to go with me.
After driving home, changing into jeans, switching cars and grabbing something to snack on, I picked her up and we headed down the road. The trip was uneventful, fortunately and we arrived in rainy Moncton with about 1/2 an hour to visit the mall. After touring around there a bit and window shopping some after everything closed at 9:00 we headed into downtown to find something to eat. The lady at Eddy Bauer had suggested The Pumphouse and the name rang a bell with me. I was pretty certain that was the place some of my IAAP cohorts frequent when in town on conferences. Wasn't that the place with the blueberry beer? The Eddy Bauer lady confirmed, yes indeed, it was. Brenda had a vague idea of where it was and we found it with no problems.

Once inside we ordered two wood fired pizzas - a garlic finger one and a BBQ chicken one washed down with two small blueberry beers. Not a bad way to pass a bit of time! I really enjoyed the crust on the pizza and was impressed with how it came out of the wood fired oven. Got to get me one of those!!!

After leaving we toured the City of Moncton. I've only really been there a couple of times and haven't really seen the city so we drove all around and Brenda pointed out places she was familiar with.

Eventually it was almost time to go to the airport so we stopped first at a Tim Horton's and managed to close that place too. Turns out they close at 11:00 so we were able to get our coffee and tea just in time. From there we went to the airport and picked up Lloyd who arrived right on time.

Once we got headed back onto the road, Brenda attempted to catch a bit of sleep in the back while we sat up front. It must be difficult for someone to try  to sleep in a car with me and the deaf guy trying to have a conversation. Not only does everything have to be repeated several times, each time it's repeated the volume is increased. Not conducive to sleeping, I'm afraid.  We had a safe trip although at one point we passed a brightly lit transport truck parked on the other side of the road and while I didn't see it as I was busy watching where I was going, Lloyd noticed some debris on the road that looked like chunks of meat so I suspect the truck may have hit some kind of animal. We didn't stop as I didn't want to create any more hazard by being in the way but it appeared to be under control as the driver was walking in front of his truck so it appears he wasn't hurt and there didn't appear to be damage to the vehicle.  It's a scary thought that you might 'run into' a moose on that stretch of road. Having lived in Northern Ontario for many years I am all too familiar with that risk.

I always breathe such a big sigh of relief once I've made it to the bridge. Then I know the remainder of the trip will be without incident  - or at least that kind of incident.

All in all a pretty good trip, and after dropping Brenda off at her house we were home by 2:15. Needless to say it was a short night but I did sleep in till 6:30 instead of my usual 5:00 but it was a long day.

SO now I'm getting through the day, a little sleep deprived but looking forward to lunch with Lloyd at the restaurant that is right next to my place of employment. We had a meeting with a lady to go over some investment/banking/financial stuff and she suggested we meet there as it was most convenient for me. So I arrive at the restaurant at 12:03 and she arrived a couple of minutes later. The waitress eventually came and asked what we wanted to drink and I ordered a club soda. Not an option, so I chose water instead, not a problem. We waited a while for her to come and take our order, but we were busy talking so I didn't notice how late it was getting. Lloyd and I ordered the sea food chowder and Margaret ordered a salad. We continued on with our conversation and at one point I did think, gosh, it's taking a while for the soup. Finally she came back and announced that there was no sea food chowder, Did I wish to order something else?  I looked at my watch and realized that it was 12:55. My lunch hour is pretty much over. I told her it was too late, I didn't have time to wait. If she had told me that 20 minutes earlier I could have made another choice. So I was finishing up my conversation and getting my coat on to leave and the waitress comes back and announces it's okay, they have some now. Again I explain as I finish putting on my coat, that my lunch hour is now over. Then just as I'm saying good bye she arrives with the salad and chowder for Lloyd.
I wandered back to work, tired AND hungry!

Not to worry. We will make up for it after work with a burger downtown, and make up for it we did. We chose the Old Triangle for our Burger Love and I wasn't disappointed. I think so far it's my favorite. I really liked the bun - the same dough as a soft pretzel ( one of my most favorite snack foods) and the meat was juicy but not so juicy that it ran all over and the bacon was extra crispy, just the way I like it.. The only criticism I had, and the waitress says most people say the same thing - was the lobster fritter on top of the meat. While I liked the crispy fritter it didn't contain much lobster. In fact I would not have known it had lobster in it if the menu didn't say so. SO for that I think they may have missed out on having a top winning burger but on the whole, I really liked it. We chose to buy one burger and split it which is actually a great idea. Then you can order something else to try as well. In this case it was the chicken dip that Brenda and I had eaten before and we both really liked it. We probably could have done without dessert but the rich warm brownie with chocolate sauce, vanilla ice cream and whipped cream was a pretty good end to our meal.

"FISHERS + FARMERS = THE ULTIMATE TEAM. 
A SUPERBLY BALANCED BURGEr EXPERIENCE." - the Surf and Turf

100% Island Beef topped with Caramelized Mayo, Butter Lettuce, Tomato, Double Smoked Bacon, and homemade Lobster Fritter on
a Pretzel Kaiser with a Dill Pickle and Lemon garnish.

On our way home we stopped into the liquor store and picked up a bottle of white wine for tonight's dinner and then headed home.

Needless to say it was an early night for me.

Thursday, April 5th - a slight glitch in plans

Due to unforseen circumstances, a trip to Moncton was necessary last night, resulting in getting home at 2:15 in the morning this morning. Therefore, I will see you tomorrow morning...

Wednesday, April 4th - Hopefully I'll have company today

It's a bright star filled sky this morning with temperatures hovering around the freezing point. We're heading for a high of 5' and a mix of sun and cloud so here's hoping they're right. Of course they're also suggesting some snow flurries for tonight but they might be wrong on that one - they were yesterday.

With any luck Lloyd should get home this afternoon. The flights are pretty full so it's a bit of a gamble but we'll see what happens. He's not going to have much time here so we want him to get here earlier rather than later so he can get everything in order for taking the trailer back with him on Sunday.

Yesterday I took his car in to get the oil changed and then at lunch I went over to the car wash that does the outside by hand and cleans and vacuums inside. Unfortunately a few other people had the same idea. There were 4 cars in line ahead of me when I got there and by the end of my lunch I had moved ahead 2 spaces so needless to say, the car is still not done. I had thought about doing it at the do-it-yourself place after work but it was just too darned cold yesterday. Besides Brenda called and invited me to supper. Our friend Bob was coming over and she was cooking liver and onions and bacon so how could I refuse? We had a lovely time and I ended up staying later than I probably should have, as I hadn't gone home first, but everything was fine when I got there a little before 8:00.  I still had to call the dog to come downstairs when I got home. He didn't seem to mind that I was late but I know I was pushing it.

So, really, nothing new this morning. Lloyd will be here for the full moon. When the sky is clear it's such an incredibly brilliant event. I don't think the Dennison's have been here for a full moon yet but I know they'll be astounded the first time they are.

Tuesday, April 3rd - one more sleep (hopefully)

Just one more sleep till Lloyd gets here - with any luck. The flights are looking a little full but we'll try to remain optimistic.  Unfortunately we're not having quite the weather he's probably gotten used to but it won't be so bad. This morning it's a frosty -5' and we're only headed for a cloudy 1' and a chance of snow flurries.  But it should get nicer as the weekend approaches.

Yesterday was mild and sunny so I used that opportunity to clean out his car and today I'll take it in at lunch to have it cleaned and the oil changed this afternoon. Then he should be good to go on Sunday.

We didn't do any scrapbooking last night as Brenda also had stuff to do to get ready for a busy weekend. Being Easter, she has lots of church things to take care of and Meghan is coming home as well so she had lots on her plate at the moment. We'll all get the chance to relax and enjoy at the Globe on Saturday afternoon when we take in a little blues and burger action. I'm sure Lloyd will be up for that!

So, as promised, here's the second burger we sampled. It was at the Cross Keys Restaurant in Morrell. It was the Belt Buster:

One Pound of 100% Island Beef infused with Garlic, Onions and BBQ Sauce, layered with Mozzarella and Blended Cheese, Chipotle Dusted French Fried Onions, Grilled Garlic Mayo, 
six strips of Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato on a Garlic Butter Toasted Bun with Dill Pickle Spears.


It was a challenge to finish that pound of meat but Bernie and I were able to do it. Brenda, very wisely, chose to take some of it home. I talked to her last night and she said neither of them slept very well that night and Bernie had indigestion. I'm almost embarrassed to say I slept very well, although I did feel quite bloated in the morning and had some Tums for breakfast instead of my usual bagel.


  It was very tasty but I did find the meat was a little overcooked which resulted in it being a little dry. Looking at the description I didn't detect the chipotle either, but still and all, a good burger. Because of it's size, it was a little difficult to eat, but we managed.


Two down, 20 more to go!

Monday, April 2 - it was a burger sort of weekend

What a wonderful weekend - bright sun and milder temperatures. It's still a bit chilly but at least it feels like spring. This morning it's -2' but we should reach 5' with a mix of sun and cloud so it will be nice.

So the PEI Burger Love Campaign has kicked off once again this year with even more participants.  Click here to view all the competitors. http://www.peiburgerlove.ca/    This year is bigger and better with 22 restaurants involved.

Friday night I stopped into the hardware store on my way home to pick up a compost bin for the kitchen as they were on sale, and my phone rang. I didn't get it dug out of my purse in time but the caller left a message. It was Brenda - "call me back as soon as possible - it's an emergency". Needless to say I did just that and it turns out she was trying to reach me before I left town. Bernie was already home from Boston and they were coming in to town to sample the first burger of the competition. Was I interested?  Emergency? Absolutely! So I did a couple of errands I had reserved for Saturday and met them at St. James Gate for the


Happy Hour Burger

100% Island Beef with Alexander Keith's Secret Sauce, Jamieson Irish Whiskey BBQ Sauce, Guinness Cheddar, Apricot Brandy Candied Double Smoked Bacon, Black and Tan Onion Rings, Lettuce, Tomato and Pickles on a toasted Onion Kaiser.

It was very good but it was our first one. We'll have to reserve judgement until we have more to compare it to. It wasn't too big. Although it was fairly large it was manageable. The addition of a side was a bonus. The onion rings were crispy and the sauce had a pleasant sweetness to it. All in all, a good burger. 

The evening was made even more pleasant as some friends of Bernie's from New Brunswick were in town for a hockey tournament so they joined us for a beer and some wings. They didn't have the burger as they had limited time.

Tomorrow a report on the Cross Keys burger...

Saturday night we enjoyed dinner at Chez Van Gaal. Brenda made a salad recipe that she'd seen in my Food Network Magazine. It was made with baby spinach, torn pieces of toasted pita and charred cherry tomatoes with a vinaigrette dressing. It was a very tasty starter to our meal of roasted potatoes and pan fried moose steak with compound butter on top. I made an mandarin orange cake for dessert. We topped off our meal with the documentary on the Food Network on "The Village Feast".  They did a great job with it and the views of the island were wonderful. Now all the foodies in Canada will be wanting to come here for sure.  We did spend part of the evening sitting in the dark as it was earth hour so we can feel good about doing our little part. 

It truly is spring when I can hang clothes out on the line. Yesterday I washed all the bedding and hung it out. One of THE greatest pleasures in life is to climb into a bed made with freshly laundered sheets that have hung out to dry. I got into bed and just kept smelling the pillow case as I drifted off  to sleep. Is there anything nicer than that? I don't think so.

Friday, March 30th - creativity prevailed once again

It's an overcast, chilly -2' this morning but we should reach 3' with a mix of sun and cloud today so that's not so bad. We may also experience a few flurries overnight but since March came in like a lamb I expected it to be much more lion-like in it's leaving. Perhaps Mother Nature got her days mixed up and thought Tuesday was the end of the month.

Last night I almost had my first bonfire of the year but not intentionally. When I got home from work I decided to clean some of the ashes out of the stove. I filled my bucket and took it out and poured it on top of the firepit, which is heaped with dead branches and dried grass from last year. A little while later I noticed a plume of smoke out the kitchen window. Sure enough some of the dead stuff had caught and was smoldering. Fortunately it wasn't a windy evening so it didn't go anywhere and didn't really amount to much. I was surprised it even did that as it would still be wet from the snow earlier in the week.

So, I have this project I've undertaken. A fellow I work with is getting married in July. He actually got married last summer in China but they want to have a reception her for his friends and family. I was talking with his wife, Willow, one Saturday at work and by the end of the conversation I said I would do their cake as a wedding gift. I've been thinking over ideas and one thing I wanted to do was have some chinese symbols on the sides. I was trying to figure out how to do this neatly. I decided I'd like to print them on. How do you do that you ask? Well, you can actually buy printer cartridges filled with food colouring and if you have a dedicated printer just for that you can use it. You can also buy sheets of
'paper' made from sugar with a paper backing that you print on. That's how you sometimes see cakes with photographs on them. But the issue I had was trying to find a model of printer compatible with the cartridges available. They are all older models and not easily found. So I dispatched Lloyd to try to find one with his vast array of resources but he wasn't successful either. He could have done some more digging but I figured out an alternative.

Yesterday I remembered I have a light box that I use for scrapbooking sometimes. (They don't call me the gadget queen for nothing!). Last night when I got home I located a Chinese symbol and printed it onto regular paper. Then I rolled out some pieces of fondant - a white one and a blue one - as a test. Sure enough, you can see through with the light box. I 'painted' on one piece of fondant with  a couple of different colours of paste food coloring and the other piece I cut out with the tip of a knife. I'm not sure where I'm going with this idea but it will work. I've been tossing around a few thoughts in my head and I'm meeting with Willow and Mike tomorrow. I wanted to have some possibilities to share with them and to get some ideas of what they are looking for.  I also need Willow to verify what the appropriate symbols look like and what they mean.I'd hate to put something offensive on her cake because I didn't know what it said.
I still have some more research to do but this is one option. Another option is markers filled with food colouring that are available.

I'm going to go now and look for those and send Lloyd the details so he can pick them up for me before he arrives next week. (It is a little handy sometimes having someone coming from Ontario once in a while)

Thursday, March 29th - more seasonable today

Last night was a chilly but beautiful night. The sky was clear and filled with bright stars, The temperature this morning is -6' and heading for -1' with a mix of sun and cloud. Much more appropriate weather for this time of year!

Well, I know I've said in the past I'm not a big fan of Indian food. But last night Brenda and I went out for curry at the Churchill Arms. They have a 2 for 1 special on Wednesday nights. We really could have used Lloyd there to help us order but we managed to figure something out. I ordered the Butter Chicken and Brenda ordered the Madras Beef. They each came with your choice of rice and/or fries and Chapatis. The curry part was served in a separate dish so we just asked for a couple of side plates so we could split both curries and share. The Madras indicated on the menu that it was very hot but it really wasn't. There was some heat and the flavour was good - but it wasn't so hot you couldn't taste it. The Butter Chicken was good as well. It wasn't like the buffet type of things I've been too where everything always tastes the same. It's still wouldn't be my first choice for a meal out but I would go there again. (Lloyd will be glad to hear that), I chose to order half rice and half fries but I think I would just go with rice the next time. I really like basmati rice and this was good mixed with the sauce from the meat.

Other than that it was a pretty uneventful day. Work was really busy so the day went by pretty quickly.

We left the restaurant a little before 7:00 and it was still bright daylight outside, as it was when I got home. Spring is here for sure.