Welcome once again to Toni Taddeo's Tuesday 4. Here are some questions for you.
1. Where did your mother and father grow up?
My mother and father both grew up in northern Alberta in several small communities close to what is now the city of Grande Prairie. They were both born in Grande Prairie, Alberta too. Back then it was a one horse town but today it is a thriving and much larger city.
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| Grande Prairie as you approach from the west |
It looks very flat around this area but that's a bit deceptive because there are gently sloping hills and valleys all around just off the main highways and byways.
The following photos are not really in order of how we visited or passed through but they will give you an idea of the scenery in the area.
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It was summer when I was last there. This beautiful flower pot decorated the entry to the hotel.
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| More northern scenery |
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| And more....I think this was just after entering Alberta from northern British Columbia |
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We visited relatives in Grande Prairie & East to Valleyview before visiting an uncle in Fairview.
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| Not too many of these old wood buildings are still standing. |
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Now we are heading west to Dawson Creek, British Columbia (BC)
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2. Where did you grow up?
I grew up mainly in a small northern city in the province of British Columbia. The city is called Dawson Creek. It was small back then and it's still quite small today. It's claim to fame is that it is the place where the Alaska Highway begins. There is a sign to show where the highway begins at "Mile 0".
3. What was your favorite meal your mother made? What is your favorite recipe to make?
That's a difficult one. My mother could make something out of nothing and it would all taste good. Whatever she made was filling, 'stick to your ribs' food so you were not always hungry. The dishes that I recall liking a lot are spaghetti and meat sauce and roasted chicken pieces. The chicken was to die for, so tender and juicy and reminiscent of KFC chicken with flavour. My favourite as a child. She also made wonderful bread, muffins, pancakes, cinnamon rolls, cakes and pies, with the latter being her specialty. One of my brothers took after mother in the pie making department. I didn't inherit mother's skill of making pies. You would laugh if you saw my sorry attempts, especially concerning lemon meringue pies. It's too bad I don't have a photo of my efforts to share with you. I can laugh about it now but I remember at the time being frustrated when my efforts did not pan out.
I don't really have a favourite recipe but something I make often is a stir fried noodle, vegetable and meat dish or a stir fried vegetable and meat dish to have with steamed rice. Perhaps my favourite recipe is one I don't make very often. It's a Greek meal of chicken, lemon potatoes, Greek salad, Tzatsiki sauce and pita bread. I'd make it more often but it's quite time consuming and labour intensive because almost all of it, with the exception of the pita bread, is made from scratch. I prefer making something that is quick to put together but now and then I like something a little more involved. I also love to bake but try not to do too much of it because I eat too much when there are freshly baked goods in front of me.
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| I especially like baking bread. |
4. What are the advantages you enjoy where you live?
I'm assuming you mean, where I currently live which is a considerable distance from where I grew up albeit in the same province.
I live in the large metropolis of Vancouver, British Columbia. I love it for its plentiful trees, green spaces (parks and private gardens), and spectacular scenery (beaches and mountains). I live in the rain forest and I even like the rain. However, as as I get older I'm finding that even a winter with more rain than snow is still a bit too cold for me. The other thing I love about where I live is the fact that I don't have to travel out of town to access government services or health care and we have an excellent public transportation system.
I hope you enjoy this photo heavy post. I couldn't resist sharing a lot of photos.
Thank you for stopping by!
