[edmonton life]

It has been 10 months of first-time home ownership and 11 months since we moved from England to Edmonton. Gosh, lots has happened in that time (new jobs, travels, friends, marriage, a baby on the way...) but what we've been really enjoying is settling into our new ( 6 year old) home. Not only have we now been excited about organising a nursery for the little one on the way, but over the last ten months, just doing the routine house maintenance hasn't been a chore but a pleasure. At last we're no longer renters and keeping someone else's abode in tip-top condition; it's our own.

Last summer (mid June), as soon as we took possession of the house, I set about planting some trees and bushes. I couldn't believe that the previous owners had lived here 6 years and hadn't planted one thing...not a flower, not a seed! I quickly found out what plants could withstand an Albertan winter and am so pleased to see that our trees have survived. I was warned that our delicate lilacs wouldn't make it (though I did pick ones that were grown in Alberta and hardy for our climate).

So far, our cherry tree, maple tree, red ash tree, lilac bushes and willow are doing well. I'm hoping the apple tree will show more signs of life soon but it is in the shadiest bit of the garden.

This summer (hopefully this weekend!) I plan to start my raised bed in which I'll grow veggies.

Besides gardening, we also wanted to get our back garden fully fenced in. For some reason the previous owners didn't bother bringing the side fences all the way to the back of the house to enclose the garden. Yesterday, a brilliant retired carpenter came and not only built us our fence, but added on two gates. I didn't want just one gate...then you're stuck in the garden on one side. This is how it looks now. We'll be able to stain the new addition in a week or so once the wood has dried out a bit more.

As you can see, there are four hinges on each gate. These are extra wide gates and the additional hinges offer that much-needed support. Also, a few of those beams on top of the gates will come off, they're there also to offer support while the cement (for the posts) dries.

And this is the view from the bottom of the garden:

And yes, there are a few patches of slow-growing grass...I have reseeded but this dry Alberta weather is not the best for grass. I'm actually looking forward to it raining!

[wedding flowers]

I saw these and just *had* to get some. We had yellow and orange Gerbera Daisies at  our wedding last June...they're so cheerful. Love them!

[vanilla cake]

Those who know me, know I love cooking. I find it a good way to unwind and relax. Mindless stirring does wonders for my soul. Recently, I've been expanding my baking repertoire. I did a lemon cake, some scones and today I thought I'd try a vanilla cake.

I basically made my lemon cake with vanilla rather than lemon and instead of milk I used buttermilk. Steve says it's very good... The icing is a meringue style. I first dissolved some sugar (I used about 3/4 of a cup) with three egg whites in a double boiler. Then I whisked them up with a touch of salt and tartar powder in my new Kitchen Aid stand mixer (I've only wanted on for about 10 years!). Just as stiff peaks were forming I added 2 tsp of pure vanilla extract.

The final product:

[baking: scones]

A friend came over for tea today, so I thought I'd relieve my cream tea experience from Montague Arms in Beaulieu, the New Forest (England). I set the table with tea cups and had the teapot warming before I made the tea. I tried my hands at some scones (first time) and they went down quite well.

What you'll need:

2 cups all-purpose flour 

1/4 cup white sugar

2 ½ tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup cold butter

1 cup milk

Before you start mixing, have your oven heating up to 400F. Then get your baking trays ready (greased and floured). 


Basically you want to sift and then mix your dry ingredients together so that's the flour, sugar, baking power, baking soda and salt. Add your cold butter. It helps to dice it first so it's easier to blend. When you have floury breadcrumbs you're ready to add in your milk. You don't want your dough too sticky so add just enough milk to get a silky smooth dough. At this point some people like to add sultanas....not me! 


Now it's time to shape your scones. You can roll out the dough (about 2 cm thick is good) and then use cookie cutters to make your shape. Usually scones are circular but I had some maple leaf cookie cutters so I tried those. Some patriotic scones. Bake for about 12 minutes. When I took my scones out of the oven I brushed them with butter and then sprinkled with icing sugar. Decadent and quite delish.

[portrait practise]

Yes fine these are photos of my cat...but for photography practise!

 

  

 

[lemon cake with chocolate buttercream icing]

Yesterday, in between some lesson prep., a telephone interview and journal article editing, I found some time to bake a cake. Here's my lemony light cake with chocolately frosting:

 

Yes, you'll notice that a few slices are already missing...it really is that light and fluffy. Note, this is not for those of you on a diet...you need a bit of butter for this but it's good!

For the cake:

3 eggs

1 cup of butter (I used softened, room temp.)

1 cup of sugar (I used caster suga)

Zest and juice of one lovely lemon

2 cups of flour

2 tsps baking powder

Dash of salt

I creamed the butter, then added the sugar. Slowly I sifted in the flower and then stirred in the eggs (which I'd beaten seperately) and the lemon juice and zest. With a mixer I'm sure you could just throw all the ingredients in.

Pour into two round tins (that's what I had but use whatever tins you have available. You might need to adjust the timing) and bake at 350 for 30 min. 

For the buttercream icing:

1/2 cup of butter

icing sugar (enough to reach your desired consistency)

cocoa powder (to your taste)

I creamed the butter and added in my sugar and cocoa powder. I added about 3 tbl spoons of cocoa to ensure a velvety chocolate taste. We weren't disappointed.

[snowed in!]

 

  

  

Snow fight!

 

And yes, my Hunters' wellies aren't quite adequate for Edmonton snow.

[kitty antics]

I know, I know... a post about my cat. But...she's exploring her new home and has found a window ledge about 24 feet up....

 

Don't worry, we've put plenty of landing mats should she miss her landing when she leaps ever so gracefully...



Update: she jumped and landed unscathed.

[stuffed crab shells, potato gratin and carciofi]

You know the feeling. It's Tuesday evening. You're hungry but tired too. What can you rustle up that's tasty and doesn't take too long to prepare? How about stuffed crab shells, easy potato gratin and carciofi (artichokes)?

Stuffed Crab Shells

tin of crab meat (I certainly cheated here, it is a week night after all)
white wine
tarragon
garlic (I used 3 cloves)
shallots (I used one)
olive oil
panko bread crumbs
smoked cheddar (or whatever cheese you like, you just need a bit for crumbling)


While your oil is heating in the pan (you want a medium heat, not high), finely slice your shallots and garlic. Add them to the pan to soften and lightly brown. Once browned, add in your white wine. Bring to a soft boil and then lower. Add freshly ground sea salt and pink pepper (or whatever pepper you have to hand) to taste. 


Take your juice off the heat and delicately stir in your crab meat. Add your fresh tarragon now (or dried). I used a good tablespoon.


Now, take your crab mixture and fill your shells (or ramekins). Lightly top with panko break crumbs and sprinkle on a bit of cheese. I used smoked cheddar because that's what I had in the fridge and it worked well with the sweetness of the crab.

Put the shells in the oven (350) for 20 minutes. The breadcrumbs will crisp and the cheese will melt. When still warm, sprinkle over some chopped cilantro or parsely.

Easy-Peasy Potato Gratin

Three large potatoes (this will serve four people)
Shallots (2)
1/2 cup of cream
1/2 cup of milk
dob of butter
salt and pepper


Have a pot on the stove with your milk and cream warming with the finely sliced shallots. As it warms, thinly slice your potatoes and add directly to the cream. Once all your potatoes are added, bring the cream to a light boil and then lower. Simmer for about 20 minutes. If you find your liquid is evaporating, your heat is probably too high. You can also add a bit of chicken stock or white wine if you need a bit more liquid.


After simmering for 20 minutes, transfer your slivers of potato to any oven dish. Make sure you pour on any of the creamy sauce, filling each dish about two thirds of the way up. Bake in the oven at 350 for 20 minutes. If you time it right, your crab and potatoes will both be in the oven at the same time, and ready in 20 minutes.

Carciofi 


While your crab and potatoes are in the oven you can make your artichokes. I had four baby artichokes from the local farmers' market so they were perfect for a quick cook-up.


I just used ingredients similar to above. I sauteed a couple of thinly sliced shallots in olive oil. When soft and translucent I added some finely chopped fresh chili (I used a whole red chili). I added a couple of good glugs of white wine and about a third of a cup of chicken stock and pepper, not too much salt because of the stock. Essentially I had a bit of a broth. When that started bubbling I chucked in my baby artichokes (which had been washed and trimmed). I let that go over a medium heat for about 20 minutes (that's when the crab and potato gratin were ready).

This meal was ready in about 30 minutes. We added a green salad (romaine and fennel) for a bit of freshness to cut through our decadent crab and potato main.



And now it's almost time to sample the left-overs....

[sunday night supper: focaccia]

After a day of mulching, watering and general outdoor diy, what better way to recuperate than kneading?


My recipe for a super simple focaccia:


2 3/4 cups flour (in the U.K. plain flour is fine, here I used all-purpose)
2 teaspoons ground sea salt
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
a few teaspoons of whatever herbs you like. I chucked in chili flakes for one focaccia, fresh rosemary and sage from the garden for another and some chopped green olives for another. Just put in whatever catches your fancy.

1 cup warm water (this is approximate. I ended up using just under one cup)
3 tablespoons olive oil (again this is approx. you want a smooth and elastic consistency)





Now, get your hands dirty. Put all the ingredients in a bowl (though you might want to put in only a bit of liquid at a time to make sure you get the right consistency) and mix. When the ingredients have combined start kneading until you get a smoothish and elastic mound of dough. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and let the focaccia rise. My kitchen was quite warm so it only took about 20 minutes but you might have to give yours 30 min. to an hour to double (approx.) in size.

Have your oven on to preheat at 375 degrees (but perhaps 400 if you don't have a convention oven).



When your dough is ready, oil whatever baking sheet you'll be using. Then oil your fingers and punch down and then pat our your dough. Some people make rectangular shapes but whatever shape you choose, stretch out the dough until it's about 2cm thick (or so).

When you've lined the baking sheet with your dough, you're ready to make some finger indentations and then scatter on your toppings. Do give a healthy drizzle of olive oil too! You can use slivers of onion, potato (for a traditional Abruzzese focaccia), sprigs of rosemary, salami...

I did potato and rosemary on one, salami and sage on another, Parmesan and chili flakes on another.

I also had a little dipping bowl of olive oil and balsamic; adds a nice twist to your focaccia.

[difference in edmonton]

As I've mentioned before, driving to and from uni gives me time to notice all sorts of differences between the village in Hertfordshire (Kimpton, just north of London) where I was living in England and now Edmonton.  Exiting the Anthony Hendy motorway (or rather, highway here) and travelling east on 100 avenue (all the streets go north and south, all the avenues go east and west), I found myself marvelling at the six lanes of traffic, all going in one direction while the next street north had six lanes for the opposite direction.

Although there are a few traffic lights, there doesn't seem to be a build-up and we flowed along nicely. Also notable each time I'm on the road is the sheer size of the vehicles. Most drivers here seem to prefer trucks though there are a few smaller jeeps and SUVs.

[views of edmonton]

[going paperless = a tidier desk]

Time for some procrastinating after all my work today...by procrastinating I erm...mean work. Because, everyone knows that tidying up one's work area is really part of the job description and...a tidy desk means more work gets done which has nothing to do with procrastination...


1) What do I do with the myriad of business cards I've collected from conferences, meetings, interviews and general travels (you'd be surprised who one can meet on the train out of London). Ah ha. I'll send my clutter cards over to shoeboxed and because it is now mashed with evernote, it means I'll be able to folksonomize all my cards...hey, tagging business cards, that'll make them way more searchable.

2) Next, looking around I see my desk has a lovely collection of receipts; train tickets, that ever-necessary coffee in the morning from the station shop, museum tickets etc...I think my receipts or pixily will be able to help. Interesting with my receipts, seems that they're partnering with shops so that receipts begin as digital copies rather than paper in the first place. This is how pixily works:

3) Ok. So papers on my desk are disappearing...but what about all those wires. Ugh, mouse wire, keyboard wire, web cam wire, camera cable, power cord, external hard drive cable, speaker wires, headset cables, printer, scanner...the list goes on. I think I'll be ordering the nice blue cable turtle from, hurrah, a uk company. So this doesn't really help me use less paper...but it does help with the digital tidying.

4) Some fiction books that I won't read again, an unopened box of Christmas crackers (don't ask) and some photo frames are going to my local freecycle site. Most already off to good homes.

5) Of course, what desk would be complete without a few old mobiles scattered around? With all my important information (i.e. my memory) in my snazzy pink blackberry, I can send my old mobiles to envirofone and even make a bit of cash in the process.

6) Online banking means no more silly paper statements messing up my lovely and now visible desk!

7) I'll be using remindr to, wait for it, remind me to do things like return those pesky library books that have been sitting on my desk, all used and ready for the bookshelf. I can also use remindr when little kitty needs to be combed (trying to keep fur balls at bay), bring in the laundry, return that dvd or pay the newspaper bill...I can get reminders to my mobile, via twitter, e-mail or gtalk. Excellent stuff.

8) Instead and jotting notes while I talk on the 'phone, I'll add my scribblings directly to a google doc or perhaps if I'm driving, I'll add my voice notes (hands-free of course) as a memo to spinvox.

9) So I'm addicted to my lovely pink leather filofax (how old school, I know) and I get a good overview of my time because I can flick though pages and see weeks and months at a glance. However, a useful online tool is google's calendar where I can let friends and family add their info too so it becomes more like a community calendar. There's an app. for my blackberry too so I can sync the two, perfect.

10) Though most of my communication is done online, there are times when I need to send physical post. Handily, the Royal Mail now lets me buy stamps online which I can then print out. So, no more books of stamps sliding to hide indefinitely under my keyboard.

11) Those cds that I used to love now sound soooo 2001...I'll be sending them to music magpie. They also accept dvds and games.

That's so much better now...

[may day 2008]