I Ran out of Bread

I ran out of bread this weekend. Usually I buy whole grain bread but the sales at two of my local shops were all sold out. I was too busy and too tired to try making a loaf so I whipped up a batch of bannock. You can find the recipe here.

I formed the dough into a loaf rather than a flat slab. I also added some Tuscan herbs to the top. If you make it this way, the loaf will not be like a yeast loaf. It will be more crumbly. I just did it this way for variety and I quite liked it. I hope to make Turkish bread soon and will post the recipe and photos when I do.

It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

Matthew 4:4

Note: Please stop a moment and enter my giveaway here.

Moose Stew

I grew up in the far north where traditionally my people lived on wild game and fowl, as well as made bannock (for bread). We didn't grow up on milk, green vegetables and fruits like many people take for granted today. One of my favourite wild meats is moose meat.  I've also eaten deer meat, beaver, bear, wild rabbits and a wild bird whose name escapes me at present. Mostly though I loved to eat moose meat. Moose steak in particular with boiled potatoes and bannock. My mother could cook moose steaks that were so tasty. She used just shortening and a little salt. I featured bannock in a blog here.

Nowadays so many of the people that hunted and that I knew are no longer alive. Sadly with their passing, the knowledge and skills or interest in hunting has also dramatically decreased in my community.  That basically means I get very little wild meat to eat and when I do it is a real treat.

Moose is a very lean animal and when you cook it you must be careful not to dry it out. The moose is a very large animal. I've posted a picture below (I didn't take this photo and I'm not sure who did) and you can learn more about this beautiful and wild animal here.


You can imagine how blessed I was to be the recent recipient of some wild game just before Christmas. I won a picture in a raffle organized by one of my friends, Rose. I gave Rose some funds to support her fund raising raffle and asked her buy me some tickets for the food basket that contained some wild meat. Instead I won a huge picture! Was I disappointed or what.

Apparently the picture was much coveted by another woman at the church raffle and she was very disappointed that a stranger won the prize she coveted, lol. It turns out she was the woman who donated the wild meat for the food hamper. Unbeknownst to me, Rose approached this woman and told her I might be interested in a swap. Indeed I was if it meant I got to have some wild meat!

Long story short, I got the meat and the other woman got the picture she wanted. I guess she wanted it for a Christmas gift for one of her grandchildren. In the bag of meat there was minced moose (like hamburger or minced beef), a package of moose stew meat and some bear chops. I took the bear chops to mom at Christmas and next time I visit I hope to cook them up.

Yesterday, I got to use the moose stew meat in a simple recipe but it was so delicious.

My Recipe

- about six cups of water to boil
- pieces of moose stew meat (about 1.5 pounds)
- 3 potatoes, peeled and chopped
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
- 2 tablespoons of vegeta (vegetable seasoning) to taste
- salt to taste
- flour as needed (approx. 1/2 cup) to coat the meat before frying and to thicken the stew
- coconut or other shortening/oil to brown the meat before stewing
- freshly cracked peppercorn for garnish

First chop up the stew meat into small cubes about 1/2 -3/4 inch square; coat with flour and brown in a hot frying pan until nicely browned. Most of you have already made stew but just in case you haven't, make sure you turn the meat so that it doesn't burn and so that the loose flour in the pan doesn't burn.

In a stew pot, boil some water and add the salt. Once boiled put in the chopped veggies (carrot, onion, pototoes and the browned meat). Let the mixture boil and then reduce heat slightly until the vegetables are cooked.

In a small bowl mix, remaining flour with a few tablespoons of water until it is a mixture of medium consistency. You don't want it too thick or too thin. Add the vegeta or vegetable seasoning to it and slowly stir the mixture into the stew mixture. Stir the post constantly so that no lumps of flour form in the broth.

Cook (the now completed stew) for another few minutes. Serve in a bowl and add freshly ground pepper for garnish.

Enjoy!

Note: I just learned that vegeta has an ingredient called monosodium glutamate (MSG). Not a good thing for many of us with MSG sensitivities. I'm going to have to find a substitute. I actually have other seasonings like Mrs. Dash.

I know that there are many reports that say MSG is safe, however for those of us with sensitivities, even small amounts can be unsafe or lead to symptoms which we do not need. For example, I find when I eat Chinese food with MSG, I break out in hives under my eyes. Fortunately the MSG in the vegeta seems to be a small amount. The only real side effect I've experienced is some swelling, which is bad enough really, isn't it? So please, if you try this dish with another kind of meat, you might want to consider your seasoning.

Reminder: Don't forget to enter my giveaway here

My First Giveaway

I've been blogging for less than a year now and in the process I've learned a lot. I have a lot more to learn from the knowledge and talents of other bloggers so I'm hoping to blog and read blogs for a long time to come.

One of the things I've learned about, and participate in with glee, are the giveaways that various bloggers sponsor. I think giveaways are fun and I always try to participate to show bloggers that I am paying attention to what they write. I think it also shows gratitude for what they do to develop reader participation.

The winter Olympics will be here in a few short weeks so I thought it would be fun to giveaway one of the Olympic mascots. There are actually three of them and I like Sumi best so Sumi is part of the giveaway.

My regular readers know I live in Canada and that I am a proud Canadian so I thought it would also be great to provide a few souvenirs of my country. These few gifts will go in a reusable tote bag with the word "Canada" embossed on the front. This is in homage to the many people out there who I know are into the simple life and want to keep our planet free from as many plastic bags as possible.

Here are a few photos to show you what will be in the Canada bag.

[Pens, stickers, souvenirs, luggage tags and Olympic mascot]

In order to participate, please leave a comment and let me know what you would like to learn about Canada or Vancouver. I then hope to feature a blog post on the winning subject in a future post.

The winner will selected at random and be announced on Friday January 28, 2010, (changed to Thursday, January 227, 2010 to allow time for wrapping and posting) and contacted for address information so I can mail your parcel before I leave town on the same weekend. In the meantime, happy blogging. If you have children or grandchildren, be sure to enter as they tend to love these sorts of things though I've tried to include things that adults might also use (luggage tags and pens). If you are from another country, it would be lovely for you to have some souvenirs from Canada. If you are not from another country, please enter anyway. Everyone is welcome! Good luck

Bathroom Ruminations

Organizing is what you do before you do something, so that when you do it, it is not all mixed up.
A. A. Milne

Another day has come and gone and I'm happy to report that the decluttering and reorganizing project continues and much progress has been made in the bathrooms and in organizing the master bedroom.

The master bathroom does not have enough cupboards and drawers to keep everything nice and neat. In this country you will rarely find adequate closet or bathroom storage. I'm guessing this is the case where you live as well, especially if you live in some of the older buildings in Europe.

Years ago, I purchased a kitchen pantry unit to address this deficiency in bathrooms. Currently the unit is standing in the master bedroom to keep things organized and out of sight. The pantry unit has served me well for a number of years in this way. It is a simple, plain white pantry. I could paint or stencil it but I like in its simplicity in white.

Right now this unit is housing many items. Mainly overflow items from the master bathroom. For example, it contains a basket of items that I need when I travel like a cell phone for use in Europe/Africa. The phones we use in North America do not work in Europe or Africa though I understand this will change within the year. The basket also holds things like extension cords and converters, passport holders, plastic rain gear, small sized containers for carrying shampoo and lotions, etc. Another basket contains small gifts for those occasions when I have to have a gift item ready on short notice. I also keep a few cds on hand for those occasions when I want to listen to some soothing music in the bedroom. Finally, the unit holds some decorating magazines and some books I placed there recently.

I also placed a wing chair in the corner of the room. My plan is to add a lamp and make a cosy reading nook. The wing chair was one of my excellent thrift store finds. It is in perfect condition and only cost $35 (Canadian). The chair was previously languishing in the front room until I found a good spot for it. Here is a photo of it along with my cherished Pendleton blanket.

Now let's go back to the bathroom shall we? Both bathrooms in the apartment have these generic light fixtures above the bathroom vanity as in the photo below. They are great for throwing a lot of light but I really don't like them because they take too many bulbs and are hard to clean.

The master bathroom in the photo above has not had any decorating attention since I moved in. In fact the shower curtain is 23 years old and the hand towel is from the thrift store. I think it needs a change to liven things up a bit. Do you have any suggestions in terms of colour, pattern, solid, etc.?

Here is a photo of the adjacent bedroom to help you make your suggestions. The wall colour is a deep navy. I know some people find it a "cold" or "cool" colour, but I find it restful. The bedroom is a nice place to be in the heat of summer here. In winter months, I simply add flannel sheets, a mattress pad warmer and more bedding as needed. Since it can get rather chilly here in winter with a lot of rain, I have more blankets than I would actually like to have. But most of the blankets have been purchased to last my life time and I will only need to make the odd purchase of bed sheets and pillow cases when required.

If you have decorating suggestions, just know that the bed covers are not always floral in design and the wall colour will likely stay. In summer, the bedding could be a white matelasse coverlet or a large quilt with blue, gray and off white squares. A lot like this one here except the colours are not as vivid. In winter, the bed sometimes wears a wool Pendleton blanket with geometric design (as in the above photo) or a floral quilt from India in brick red, black and off white.

All the bed coverings, except the floral one in the photo, have sentimental value or have been purchased as investment pieces meant to last a lifetime. That means they will likely remain as part of the decor. This also means that I won't have to spend more money on bed covers.

The main bathroom in the photo below is going through the final stages of re-plumbing, as are other areas of the apartment. The light fixture above the vanity will be changed to a brushed nickel light fixture in a more traditional look. It looks a lot like this 4 light vanity fixture here. This fixture can take energy efficient light bulbs. Yeah! I hope to purchase another one like this for the master bathroom. The old fixtures can then be recycled by taking them to the thrift store.

The bathroom tub and floor tiles, towel bar, toilet paper holder and vanity were all replaced in September and new towels purchased in shades of teal blue, gray, and tan. We still need a waffle weave shower curtain which will likely be purchased in a tan colour (I may sew a contrasting colour like teal blue on it to brighten the room and blend with the towels). The previous towels in this bathroom were all about 16 years old so I think they have served us well. The shower curtain which was a green/burgundy/tan floral and the green soap dish, were still in good condition and they have been taken to the thrift shop.

Besides the organizing described above, the master bathroom was given a good cleaning and a lot of extraneous items were tossed or donated to the thrift store. I dropped off two bags at the thrift store today and several last week. I have a few more to deliver there later in the week. Two boxes of computer discs, old appliance warranties and old video tapes in the living room were sorted and eliminated altogether.

I will tackle the final two unpacked boxes in the living room and the other two in the master bedroom later this week. Once the plumbers are gone, the master bedroom closets can really be culled and a home found for the remaining photos and pictures which have not yet been re-hung. At the end of the month, the master bathroom will be re-grouted and re-caulked and some minor updating done to the fixtures. Then I can see about painting, changing the light fixture and adding new linens. So you have a few weeks to let me know if you have any suggestions. I hope to hear from you!

By the way, watch this blog as soon I will be posting about a giveaway. It will be my first one and I think I have just the right thing in mind. I'm excited and will be telling you more soon.

A Prayer for Haiti

Dear Lord,

I ask you to be with the Haitian people. Many are wounded physically and scarred emotionally, mentally and spiritually. I ask you to heal them today in every way.

I pray for many labourers in the field who would help the needy in Haiti and for many prayer intercessors from afar who would step into the gap to pray.

I ask also for your ministering angels to protect, strengthen, comfort and preserve the sick, the weary and the wounded. I ask for the creative miracles and other miracles of healing for those that need it and cannot get medical attention in time. I pray for protection and safety for the living from any possible outbreak of disease caused by so many dead people. I pray you will help the dead to have a name Lord and not to be "lost" because of mass burials. It is so tragic for their loved ones who may be left behind. I know You do not forget these dear ones Lord no matter who else does.

I thank you so much that you are a loving and healing God and that we can call upon you any time, night or day, and you are always there. You never sleep or slumber. We can be assured that you are there to hear us when we pray.

I want to give you all the praise and glory Abba Father for you have been so good to me. I would like it so much if these desperate people could know some of the joys and hopes and dreams that you have given me. I pray for them to have a hope and future as your word says in the book of Jeremiah. Let your glory be revealed in the Haitian people; our brothers, our sisters, our mothers, our fathers, our grandfathers and grandmothers; for you love them so very much. I pray the world would see how you want to bless these people abundantly because you love them so much.

I pray and I ask all things in the name of your Son Jesus; the matchless name of Jesus. Amen.