Snow Balls

I know, I know, it is spring, and the snow has melted there are no snow balls. I must beg to differ, and my goodness they are delicious! Our reenactment season is starting again, and with it comes the annual "Cast Iron Chef" competition. John and I have decided to enter this year, so the practice begins. We have been pouring over our 18 century cookbook (the recipes have to be accurate for the period). For desert we decided to try Carolina Snowballs. They are actually easy to make, it is plating them that is tricky. You take a piece of cloth, on it you place about 3 tablespoons of rice. On top of that you place an apple that has been peeled and cored. Place a little lemon zest in the hole, and tie the cloth tightly around the apple. This is far easier to do with two people, and I found that it helped to push the rice up, and around the apple (smoothing it out a bit). These pouches (Parker said they look like money bags) are placed into a pot of cold water. The water is brought to a boil, and then left to boil about 25 minutes. The tricky part is removing them from the cloth, without breaking the layer of rice that has formed. There is a sauce that is poured over this snowball. It is made with a 1/4 pound of butter, a cup of white wine (we used white grape juice), cinnamon, nutmeg, and sugar. It is so tasty, I think this will be one of our favourites for quite some time. We have learned that the recipes of old were very rich and had an extremely high fat content, it reaffirms how different life really was. This one though, is not too bad for fat. If you choose to try it, you won't be sorry. I best go, I think I want to try to get the last snowball.

Blue Cheese!

I seem to have recollections of liking blue cheese as a child. I have vague memories of going to visit Rodgers, and eating it with Chris. At the time, I was also on a schedule of getting two needles three times a week, to keep my allergies under control. As I grew, I somewhat outgrew my allergies. That is, until I went to high school, and they started construction. Going to school in that environment, had brought my allergies back with a vengeance. What brings seemingly meandering thoughts? I went out to dinner with my dear husband last night. I decided to try the veal cordon-blue. Not thinking things through, it did not occur to me that it had blue cheese in it (I know, the name says it all). I thought nothing of it until later in the evening, when I started to break out in hives. I know I have been told that cheese mold is close to penicillin, so I guess I have to pay more attention to what I eat. It sometimes amazes me, how seemingly small things can become big things, yet we take it for granted.

SHOES!!!

For those of my family who are on Facebook, you already know that I have been trying to make shoes. It has been an ongoing process, as I try to get the shape right. You may wonder why I would try something so crazy. We really enjoy our reenacting hobby, but some aspects can be quite expensive. One of these aspects is footwear. I was fortunate enough to be given a used pair of shoes that work well for everyday wear. I have however been desirous to have shoes that went nicely with my fancy gown. Shoes of the 18 Century had a particular shape, and so I cannot just go down the street to buy a pair at Walmart or Payless.
These shoes would only be worn a couple times each year, and so I did not feel that I could justify paying $100-200 for a pair of fancy shoes. (yes, some people do pay that for a nice pair of leather shoes) I started looking online to see if I could alter a modern pair and fake it, but I did not find much I could use. I did however find a book that teaches ladies how to make their own shoes. The techniques are modern, but I figured I could alter them enough to get the look I wanted. I have a friend who had a pair of shoes made after she embroidered the pieces 20 years ago (they are the ones in the bottom picture). She let me trace her shoes, and the fun began. The shoes are not perfect, but for a first try I think they turned out pretty good. I used scrap pieces from my camp gown for the first pair. With some minor readjustments, I think I will be ready to make another pair soon. If they are right, then I can use the remnants of my fancy gown to make another pair. I will be dressed for high fashion indeed.

Back from the West

We thoroughly enjoyed our time in the west to see family. It was great to get together and just enjoy each other's company. For those who did not know, this trip also included our girl moving out. We stopped in Manitoba on the way back, to visit friends and get her settled. She starts her first day at the bakery today.
Our trip home from Manitoba, was the least enjoyable part. We faced horrible weather delays, to start. This had us arriving home a full 24 hours later than planned. There was one poor girl who was sick the whole time, and we had the unfortunate circumstance of having to hear her in the bathroom for 24 hours.
All of that being said, we are happy to be home, and returning to our regular routines. I just received a bolt of wool to start sewing coats again, Hubby is back to the hectic pace of two jobs, and the boy is back to school. (We all took yesterday to sleep, and recuperate. Two nights on a bus do not amount to a good rest.) We are also starting now to put a little money aside, to allow us to FLY out again. We hope to come in the summer.

Happiness

I have some wonderful news to share with you! Zac has been doing an immense amount of growing over the past few months. He went out to Winnipeg, and has settled into life on the base. On his weekends, he has been traveling South to visit our Friends the Kelleys, who moved to Glenboro a year and a half ago. He has been doing a lot of pondering, and spends a lot of time talking to Dave. Zac has come to the conclusion that he really does want the gospel in his life, and all that it brings. It took him some time to come to this conclusion, but he has made the first steps. He went to church this Sunday, and met with the bishop. He is determined to come back to full activity, and set his life in order. We are so happy, and amazed at the change in his desires. Already we notice a difference in him, and look forward to seeing the great things the gospel will bring into his life. We only ask that you keep him in your prayers, as he travels the somewhat difficult road back.

Happy Turkey Day!! (minus the turkey)

Hey family! Happy Thanksgiving! We just finished having the family over today. We did not have turkey though. On Wednesday I got a call from an old acquaintance, and he had two geese for us. I went to pick them up, but there was a catch. I had to clean the geese myself. (I actually knew this from when he gave us a couple ducks years ago). I had never cooked a goose before, and wild geese are another story altogether. We weren't certain it would turn out, or that anyone would like it, so we had a ham, too. The geese did turn out, so needless to say, we had a lot of food. It was great to get together, but I look forward to getting together with family out there again. Hope you all have a great Thanksgiving!

Highway of Heroes

I heard this song on the radio the other day, and it just brought me to tears. The first thing it brought to mind was the powerpoint I got in my email, I think from dad. (It was a year or so ago)



I don't know if it would have affected me so much a year ago, but now I understand it. Earlier this year we were heading to Kitchener to spend time with family, and to go to the temple. Car trouble caused us to have to pull off and get repairs. When we finally did get back on the road, we had the privilege of getting caught at the end of the traffic delay of one of our heroes coming home. Had it not been for that email, we might not have known exactly what it was. It was amazing to see the fire trucks, police cars, and thankful people lining every overpass from Trenton to Downtown Toronto. It is so humbling to witness. For those who don't know what I am referring to, let me explain what the Highway of Heroes is.

When one of our soldiers is killed while serving over seas, they are flown into Trenton. They are driven from there to the Coroners office in Toronto. Their remains are sent on to their families from there. The Stretch of the 401 Highway from Trenton to that exit in Toronto was renamed The Highway of Heroes. As the video showed the people line the overpasses, and the lights on the fire trucks and police cars flashing. This is true of every overpass on that stretch of road.

John heard this song a couple days after I did, and he found that it affects him stronger now with a son in the Air Force. All I know is that I find it sad that we do not always see as much support for our troops while they are still alive. I am so thankful for the sacrifice they make, and the families who sacrifice to allow them to serve.