I’ve gotten into the habit of adding my sourdough discard into a container in the freezer. When it is full, I defrost it and plan a baking day. Yesterday it was crackers with everything bagel seasoning on them. So good!
Today it was overnight fermented monkey bread. Fermenting the dough makes the nutrients more available to the body and easier to digest. The kitchen smelled amazing while it was baking. It wasn’t out of the oven for 5 seconds before we both tucked in. All I can say is OMG!!!!!!
Filed under Cooking adventures, sourdough
It is winter again! Is it just me or did spring and summer seem to only last a few days this year 😉😂. I am so glad I resisted the urge to plant stuff already (who am I kidding….my heart wanted to plant but my body had no drive/ambition – blame it on COVID fatigue). For once, procrastination paid off.
My greenhouse is overflowing but at least everything is still alive. Looks like we accumulated a few inches of snow.
Filed under Garden
We finally got our official title certificate from CKC (Canadian Kennel Club) for Spirit’s Tracking Dog title that she earned last September. I guess we can be grateful that it only took 8 months….some people have waited almost 2 years to get theirs.
Breaking News: a very naughty Golden Retriever was seen committing a very bad and dirty crime in broad daylight today. The perpetrator has not been seen in public since the “incident”. It is not known whether he is still alive 😩😡.
Filed under Brodie
Who could ask for a better way to get your Mother’s Day card delivered?
Filed under Brodie
Our province, heck our country is not doing a great job getting the vaccine out in a timely manner. My age group was not scheduled to receive our first vaccination until June. Surprise, today they updated the rules and anyone 40+ now qualify. I started calling and going to pharmacy websites trying to book an appointment. I was so relieved when I was able to talk to someone and actually book one for May 10. Then about 5pm I got a phone call from one of the pharmacy’s that I put in an online request. They had a last minute cancellation and said that if I could be there in 30 minutes I could get my shot. We dropped everything, jumped into the car and raced downtown. I now have my first vaccine. I can’t tell you how happy I am. I feel like a won the lottery. It sounds so silly but that is how I feel.
Update: I was warned that I would feel really awful after my shot but I feel fine. My arm isn’t even sore when I move it. If I go hunting around I can find a little sore spot if I press on it but that’s it. I got the Moderna shot. Rumour has it that the second shot is harder than the first with Moderna.
Filed under Uncategorized
Today we celebrated the skinny guy’s 2nd COVID birthday. Started the day with a nice off-leash walk with the dogs. We came home and I made him bacon, eggs and roasted potatoes. We have dog stuff tonight so Birthday dinner will happen on Saturday. To make up for the delay, he got to sample the lemon meringue pie today. He loves a huge mountain of meringue.
I think his delayed birthday supper was definitely worth the wait. Slow roasted bone-in prime rib. Mmmmm!!
Filed under Uncategorized
In 2019, I made a special quilt for Spirit’s breeders, Coreen and Steve of Tailspin Bernese Mountain Dogs. Sophie, their foundation bitch and Spirit’s Mother, had been diagnosed with a very aggressive form of cancer and had passed away just shy of her 8th birthday. In 2020, the Bernese Mountain Dog Club of America had their inaugural art and craft show and, as I surprise to Coreen and Steve, I entered Sophie’s quilt in the show. Today is was announced that Sophie’s quilt won best in show and that a picture of it would appear in the 2021 spring edition of the Alpenhorn magazine. I am so thrilled for them to have their girl honoured in this way.
Here is the link to the 2020 gallery for your viewing pleasure: https://www.thealpenhornjuriedartshow.com/copy-of-jury…
Four years ago today I flew to Victoria to pick up this beautiful bundle of joy. Best decision ever!!!
Filed under Brodie
Brodie and Spirit got mail from C-WAGS today. Spirit earned her Level 1 Ranger Ace title which means she earned 14 qualifiying runs (4 runs for the Scent Ranger Level 1 title and an additional 10 runs to get the Ace). This is the first time Spirit has earned a title before Brodie. Brodie earned his Level 4 Super Sleuth Title (4 qualifying runs).
Today I got the most exciting email:
“Dear Deborah
On behalf of the CQA/ACC Board of Directors, I am pleased to inform you that your entry, Through Lucy’s Eye has been accepted into the virtual National Juried Show (NJS).”
An art quilt I made of Lucy was juried into the 2021 Canadian Quilters Association National Juried Show. Last year, a quilt I made of Spirit was juried into the show that was supposed to be hosted in Edmonton. Unfortunately it was cancelled because of COVID-19. They carried forward last year’s juried entries so that means two of my quilts will be in this year’s show.
I am not allowed to post any public pictures just in case they may be seen by one of the judges.
Jennifer Adam
Jo Allbutt
Sharon Allman
Terry Aske
Ilene Atkins
Lija Bane
Judy Barnett
Janet Bedford
Emilie Belak
Lise Belanger
Melissa Bieman
Pat Borecky
Wilma Brock
Natasha Bugarin
Peter Byrne
Sabrina Capune
Kim Caskey
Elaine Cawadias
Leanne Chahley
Michele-Renee Charbonneau
Marilyn Cleven
Marsha Cochrane
Chriss Coleman
Deanna Corrigan
Lorna Costantini
Trudy Cowan
Linda Crouch
Deborah Csongradi
Millie Cumming
Patricia Dance
Sonia Darby
Brenda Davidson Payer
Shirley Dawson
Alison Dean Cowitz
Katherine Dossman
Colette Dumont
Joan Dupuis-Neal
Christine Earl
Debi Edwards
Donna Edwards
Georgette Ehr
Faiza Elmayergi
Tannis Fahlman
Leslie Forbes
Therese Fowell
Cheryl Fuhrer
Helen Fujiki
Judy Garden
Laura Gates
Laurrie Gerzanich
Brenda Godin
Victoria Gray
Marianne Haak
Jan Hall
Shirley Hauck
Lynda Hutchison
Margaret Inkster
Mary Jo Jensen-Birnie
Margaret Jessop
Karen Johnson
Ruth Jones
Joan Kilpatrick
Sue Klym
Reina Lamothe
Judy Leslie
Susan Lett
Tish Leupen
Kelly Levant
Kathy Logan de Chavez
Mary Lorenz
Joanne Love
Wanda Lumsden
Susan Madu
Fuzzy Mall
Melissa Marginet
Lynda Mariani
Beverly Marsh
Tracie L. Maryne
Regina Marzlin
Tuddy (Ellen) Mathieson
Jennifer May
Elizabeth McDowell Heagy
Melissa McIntosh
Holly McLean
Sandra Melnik
Diane Merrithew
Janet Mireault
Jane Monchak
Patti Morris
Kim Mullen
Diana Mulvaney
Roxanne Nelson
Margaret Notar
Bridget O’Flaherty
Tatiana Oleychenko
Stacey O’Malley
Angela Pachal
Dianne Papp
Chris Perren
Katie Pidgeon
Noelle Piegsa
Janet Reader Day
Restoule Quilters
Pat Reynolds
Theodora Rijkhoff
Terry Rowland
Anne Ruhl
Carol Russell
Sandra Sandvik
Katie Stein Sather
Pearl Sceviour
Linda Schmidt
Anne Selder
Lorna Shapiro
Sue Sherman
Sandy Simmelink
Marlene Speed
Adriana (Arja) Speelman
Bill Stearman
Joy Takahashi
Susan Teece
Cheryl Thomson
Kathryn Upitis
Ineke Van Gent
Susan van Goethem
Elizabeth van Wyngaarden
Maggie Vanderweit
France Vannobel
Brigitte Villeneuve
Barb Virtue
Tella Visconti
Sandra Wald
Mariya Waters
Jim Wilford
Debbie Winn
Maureen Wood
Brandon Wulff
Bernadette Yuzik
Philippa Zapf
Velta Zvidris
I wish I had smell-o-vision. The house smells absolutely amazing. Fresh out of the oven: a cinnamon raisin boule and 2 jalapeño, cheddar, roasted garlic and bacon 🥓 batards. Thank goodness I am giving some away because I don’t think I could be trusted not to eat them all immediately.
This evening I used up the rest of my discard on banana, raisin and walnut muffins for my sweetie.
Filed under Cooking adventures, sourdough
Friday, sourdough discard bake day, started with some delicious fermented sourdough pancakes for breakfast (we snarfed them before I had a chance to take a picture). Then came chocolate chip cookies and liverwurst dog treats.
There is also a pail of sourdough doing a bulk rise before I bake my bread tomorrow.
Spirit is impatiently waiting for her treats to cool.
Filed under Cooking adventures, sourdough, Spirit
It was 11 years ago today that this cute little fur ball joined our family.
My torn meniscus has really affected my mileage this month. I am 34km behind where I was last year at the time. Still managing to get out even if it is only for a few 100 metres each day.
Filed under Under Armour Challenge, You VS 2021, You VS The Year
Look at these whoppers. They are the biggest fruit my little Meyer Lemon tree has ever produced. There’s a few good sized green ones still waiting to ripen. That’s an 8oz water class for perspective.
Filed under Garden, Uncategorized
With Iron Paws wrapping up this week I was sad our pulling time was coming to end. Not any more. We learned about a new group called Wheel Dog League. Now we will continue to have all the motivation we need to hit the trails. We can earn titles and participate in challenges. We’ve logged our first few runs and earned our first badge
Filed under Brodie, Fitness, Spirit, Wheel Dog League
My seedlings are 7 days old today. I should probably wait until they have their first set of true leaves but to heck with it, I put them in the tower this evening. Looking forward to my first delicious salad.
Filed under Tower Garden
Aren’t they cute? Seeded just 4 days ago. My next batch of seedlings for the tower garden. Chard, endive, escarole, mustard greens, romaine and Bibb lettuce.
Filed under Tower Garden
I can’t believe that it was 6 years ago today that Spirit joined our family. She had such a fearful and stressful drive home with us that I thought we had broken her. She shivered, drooled and sat frozen with fear the whole way home. She even refused food (for those that know Spirit, food is the most important thing in the world to her). I took her straight into the backyard and once I put her on the ground she quickly recovered her composure and inhaled any and all food offered to her. I knew we had a fearful puppy but it was comforting to see that she also recovered quickly. She has grown into a big, shiny beautiful black girl.
Filed under Spirit
I joined the Under Armour You VS The Year challenge again. It gives me a goal to work towards and motivation to get out of bed and hit the trails each morning. I’m almost exactly at the same place I was last year at this time: 156km vs 141km last year.
Filed under Under Armour Challenge, You VS 2021, You VS The Year
For Xmas Sean and Catherine gifted us this beautiful Sassafras clay pot for baking bread. I used it for the first time this morning and my batard turned out beautifully. The crust is just amazing. Thank you both so much…I just love it!
Filed under Cooking adventures
Every New Year’s morning we participate in the Running Room’s 5k Resolution Run…that is until this year. We decided to try and keep the tradition alive and do our own virtual resolution. Today is also the start of the 10th Annual Iron Paws Stage Race
Brodie was just happy to get out with us.
Having wine and a steaming soak in the hot tub. Don’t know if we will make it to midnight so….Happy New Year everyone!
Filed under Uncategorized
We did it! When I initially signed up for the Under Armour You VS 2020 challenge I never thought we would actually cover the 1020km. I was just using it for a goal to motivate me to get out with the dogs and move. Then came COVID-19 and everything changed. Getting out with the dogs was the only thing I could do. All dog sports were cancelled and social gatherings were prohibited. We ended up completing 2392km, more than doubling the goal of the challenge. We finished in the top 2% of the 322,797 people who registered.
I just signed up for 2021.
Filed under Fitness, You VS 2020
Tried a new recipe for Christmas morning breakfast. Fermented sourdough pumpkin roll. So good! It is made with sourdough starter and then the batter itself is long fermented before baking.
What are the main reasons that people are turning to sourdough? Because it contains the same friendly cultures as homemade yoghurt and these work chemically on the whole grains during the fermentation process to make the most of flavours and nutrients, and make it much easier for the body to digest. Thus sourdough promotes gut and metabolic health, keeps you fuller for longer, and lasts longer in the bread bin too. A win-win-win situation.
Filed under Cooking adventures, sourdough
I am so pleased that my Blanket of Love is finished and dropped off. As much as I cursed the design I chose, I’m really pleased with the final look. I could see myself making one for curling up on the couch and reading a book or watching TV.
Here it is all lovely and crinkled after getting washed.
Filed under Blankets of Love, Charity Quilt
Brodie got his medal and $50 cheque today for coming in 2nd place at the Boneyard Challenge (scent detection) He thinks that the cheque should have been made out in his name so that he could decide what to spend it on.
