…..thanks to Trablogger for hosting Mundane Monday
Mundane Monday Challenge – 136
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Category Archives: Food
Beautiful Vegetables vs Huge Ugly Ones
…..from the Royal Winter Fair
I always enjoy looking at the prize winning produce at the Royal. This year did not disappoint. The giant pumpkins are always a big hit and there was a good variety of oversized root vegetables (some completely unrecognizable). This year there was also a display of perfectly formed vegetables that were grown in a greenhouse.
Large and Ugly
Rutabaga
Parsnips
Uniform and Perfect
WPC – Temporary
….this week’s WordPress Photo Challenge is temporary
Often photos of precious moments or beautiful sunsets, fall colours or fields of wildflowers are fleeting. Bonfires, midways, cloud formations, celebratory sweets and all living things are temporary.
Share Your World – November 6, 2017
….thanks Cee for hosting Share Your World
Would you rather take a 2 week vacation with an organized tour or take a cruise of your choice?
Sometimes I think I would like a two week vacation with an organized tour, especially in an exotic place where I don’t know the language. China and India come to mind. On the other hand, I’m far too spontaneous and I’m somewhat adventurous and I think I’d like to organize some of my itinerary. I see benefits to both ways of travelling.
Did you like swinging as a child? Do you still get excited when you see a swing?
I did like swings but I was wary of going too high. I still get that sick feeling in the pit of my stomach when I see children soar to the max.
What is the most important thing that you ever learned ? (I bet it’s not something you learned in school)
In my 20s I learned that not everyone will like you and often the reasons are not clear. The hardest part is to except it and get on with your life. Focus on those who love you and don’t try to change for people who don’t.
What inspired you or what did you appreciate this past week? Feel free to use a quote, a photo, a story, or even a combination.
Last week I went to a wedding and met up with old friends of the family. When we first came to Canada my parents knew few people but my father’s good friend and his wife, along with their 4 year old son arrived before us. As their family and ours grew we were almost like cousins. Carlo was my godfather and my father was godfather to their third boy. In my family there were three girls and they had four boys. On the weekend the second son’s youngest boy married and we were invited. Everyone still calls my Dad, Onkel Heinz and they were thrilled to be able to finally introduce their children to us. It was so nice to put faces to all the names we’ve heard over the years.
The next day we celebrated my oldest daughter’s birthday. It was actually the day before but because of the wedding we delayed the celebration by a day. We met at Barque’s for brunch and then went back to Andrea’s and Josie’s place for cake.
On Monday my 91 year old father wanted relive some memories of his past by visiting the Royal Winter Fair. As a boy he grew up next to a farm and helped tend to some of the animals. Last year I went there with my youngest daughter, Gaelan and her daughter Winnie who was only one at the time.
It was wonderful seeing the joy my father got out of such a simple excursion. We started off watching the horse jumping competition and then walked through the barns where we saw cattle, sheep and pigs. We strolled amongst the prize winning vegetables and fruits and then we went to the food court and had some lunch.
After a meal of fish and chips we headed towards the President’s Choice Theatre to watch the Super Dogs show. We arrived a bit early so we also took in the Medieval Times presentation. My dad loved both shows and was so impressed that he felt that it should have been televised. I explained to him that the Royal wants you to go there. If it was on TV people wouldn’t need to attend.
Wordless Wednesday – November 1, 2017
Share Your World – October 16, 2017
…… thanks Cee for hosting Share Your World
If you had to move to a country besides the one you currently live in, where would you move and why?
I think I would move to Italy, in the hills of Tuscany or Assisi. I loved the serenity while I was there but I might miss being close to water.
What color would you like your bedroom to be?
I’ve lived with this horrible grey for so long and I agonized over what colour to replace it with. I’ve purchased a rich cream colour but the thought of having to move everything to paint over this dreary grey has held me back.
What makes you Happy? Make a list of things in your life that bring you joy.
- My husband and children and granddaughter
- My friends
- Making Art
- Taking photographs
- My cottage
- Talking to and visiting my sisters
- Travelling with my husband
- Baking for my father
- Reading a good book
- Listening to great music
What inspired you or what did you appreciate this past week? Feel free to use a quote, a photo, a story, or even a combination.
I’ve appreciated the warm temperatures that we’ve experienced this past week. October has had all kinds of weather but it’s been mostly warm. Even on overcast days I’ve been able to get out for my walks with the dog and take some great photos.
I got together with some friends last week. I think the one thing about being retired that I miss is the daily interaction with colleagues, so when I do get together with friends it’s extra special, even if it’s just to talk and do some errands together.
Every week I try to get to Hamilton to spend time with our granddaughter, Winnie, and give her mother a bit of a break. Last week she let me take her for a walk down her street after the three of us shared a treat at the local coffee shop.
I always appreciate when my husband cooks dinner, which is most of the time but last week he made pizzas from scratch, which he hasn’t done for awhile. We weren’t sure how Dad would like the fig and mozzarella pizza so he made two different pizzas. Dad loved both of them.
7 Day Challenge – Day 4
….black and white photos
I received this challenge from my blogging friend Cee over at Cee’s Photography
Rules are
- Seven days.
- Seven black and white photos of your life.
- No people.
- No explanation.
- Challenge someone new each day.
Today I challenge Joanne over My Life Lived Full. If anyone wants to play, feel free to jump in and start your own Seven Day Challenge.
Wordless Wednesday – October 11, 2017
Image
Share Your World – October 9, 2017
…..thanks Cee for hosting Share Your World
What do you consider is the most perfect food for you? (It can be your favorite food to something extremely healthy.)
My most perfect food would have to be grilled salmon and oven roasted vegetables. Not only is it healthy but it is also one of my favourite meals. For comfort food I would go with homemade macaroni and cheese but I tend to eat too much of it and any health benefits go right out the window.
Are you focused on today or tomorrow?
Since tomorrow never comes I’d have to say I tend to focus on today. That’s not to say that I don’t think about tomorrow but if I focused on it all the time I’d never get anything done.
If you could interview one of your great-great-great grandparents, who would it be (if you know their name) and what would you ask?
My great-great grandparents were born between 1828 and 1838 and died between 1908 and 1917. After more research I discovered the names of 8 great-great-great-grandparents. These were only the ancestors on my grandmother’s side. I know very little about my grandfather. These ancestors lived from 1789 to 1895.
I’m very fortunate to have photographs of my great-great-grandparents and I found one photo of my great-great-great-grandmother Karoline (nee Witte) Mewes. Karoline was born in 1814 and died 1895. The photo I have of her is with her adult son Walter Mewes (born 1840 and died 1917). It appears to have been taken when Walter was in his 30s or 40s. I’m assuming the family had money by how well they were dressed and the number of professional photos they had taken of the family. Walter was a very distinguished looking man, always with a cigar in hand. His mother, Karoline appears quite stern and dressed in somber dark clothes. She bore 6 children.
If I could interview Karoline I would ask her about her past and if she had help raising her six children. I would also ask her if she ever had any desire to have a career.
What inspired you or what did you appreciate this past week? Feel free to use a quote, a photo, a story, or even a combination.
This past week I appreciate being able to get six family members together to celebrate their birthdays which all take place from Oct. 2nd to Oct. 17th. The birthdays span 89 years; the oldest being my father who turned 91 and my granddaughter who is two later this week. The other birthdays include my husband, my cousin, my son-in-law and his brother. 
Happy Thanksgiving Canada
….celebrating with a Southern flair
This year we substituted turkey and stuffing with deep fried chicken, BBQ ribs and macaroni and cheese. We started the meal with curried pumpkin soup, served in the pumpkin shell and freshly baked corn bread. Our daughter hosted the meal and because there were 14 of us we decided to share the work with a pot luck meal. I brought the soup and bread and plum cake. Gaelan and Brendan cooked the meats and the mac and cheese. Other contributions included roasted potatoes, pasta salad, coleslaw, wine and meat and cheese platters as appetizers.
As you can see from the photos our granddaughter loved the pumpkin but she loved the soup just as much. Even my Dad who normally dislikes pumpkin pie enjoyed this soup.
The recipe came from a cookbook that my friend Janice gave me as a gift last Christmas. Her church, St. Philip’s Lutheran Church, collected soup recipes from friends and members of the church and created the book It All Begins With Soup and sold the cookbook as a fundraiser. This recipe is dead simple.
Curried Pumpkin Soup
1 large can of pumpkin puree
1/4 cup coconut oil
1 chopped onion
2 cloves of garlic
3 cups of chicken broth
1 Tbsp curry paste (more if you like spicy)
1/4 tsp. coriander, salt and pepper (adjust seasoning to your taste)
3/4 cup coconut milk (1/4 cup for swirls in the serving bowls)
Saute the onions and garlic in the coconut oil. Stir and cook for 5 minutes. Add chicken stock, paste and seasonings. Stir and cook until boiling. Cover and continue to boil for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add pumpkin puree and coconut milk. Whisk until smooth. Cook for a final 5 minutes before you puree the soup in a blender or food processor. Serve warm with a swirl of coconut milk in a bowl.
- if you are vegan you can substitute chicken broth with vegetable broth
- I doubled the recipe to serve 14 people – the bowls were small but some people had seconds
- my pumpkin was way to big – the soup filled just over half the pumpkin
Mama Cormier 