GLEN VALLEY, B.C. and HELLO FOCCACIA

It's pleasant to walk the same route almost every day .   We just head out the door; rain or shine.  Vesper even gets excited and begins to hurry when we're getting closer to our coffee spots.  . . she's looking forward to her daily homemade doggie biscotti.  
  

But every once in a while it's an extra-special treat to drive somewhere and see new things.

Turn off the Trans-Canada onto 264th Street and you’ll find yourself going  down and down as a wide, flat expanse opens before you.   Then, the road is lined with the cranberry and blueberry fields of boggy Glen Valley. 
  

There’s parking behind the red-painted heritage Hassall House, a pioneer home built in 1917.  

From there, we walked 1.7 km along the road beside the Fraser River to get to Glen Valley Regional Park.   (Today 4 C above here; -45 with wind chill in Manitoba!)

A nice wide gravelled path leads to picnic tables and a  3 km loop trail.    There's a 
car park here, too, 

so you could actually skip the walk from Hassall House,

 but it was an interesting walk past farms 

and 

sundry "collectibles". 

                                            Also, mysteriously bubbling water. . . 
   

When the trail begins to loop you find a sign inviting you to walk another 2.6 km to Duncan Bar.    

That took a little discussion but off we went past some more lovely places

                                                 and a rotting hulk named Wine O.

Here it is:  Duncan Bar.   2.6 there and 2.6 back . . .  

                                                                        Hmm.   

In total, we walked more than 10 km today.

******

And then we collaborated for supper!  I made soup while Bryan made foccacia:

I’ve made good focaccia before, but I LOVED the texture of this one.  I think the difference is the olive oil in the dough . . . or maybe it’s Bryan’s expert dough-handling!  Anyway, you definitely should give it a try.

FIG, ONION, & GARLIC FOCCACIA

            From:  HELLO magazine: October 5, 2015

DOUGH

1 cup warm water

2 ¼ tsp yeast

1 tsp sugar

¼ olive oil

1 tsp salt

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

TOPPINGS

3 onions, thickly sliced

1 head garlic, cloves separated and peeled

3 tbsp olive oil, divided

10 figs, cut in quarters or a bit smaller

130 g or more goat cheese, crumbled (grating works even if the cheese is soft)

1 tbsp chopped rosemary

1 tsp salt

·        Preheat oven to 400.

·        Stir onions with garlic and 1 tbsp olive oil on a baking sheet.

·        Bake 20 minutes.  Let cool.

·        Stir sugar and yeast into warm water.  Let stand until frothy (5 min).

·        Stir in oil, salt, and most of the flour.  Knead in the rest.

·        Oil the mixing bowl and put in the dough.  Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour.

·        Oil a 12x16 inch baking sheet.  Put dough on it and roll out to fill sheet.

·        Brush with remaining 2 tbsp olive oil.  Sprinkle with onions, garlic, figs, goat cheese, rosemary, and 1 tsp salt.

·        Cover and let stand 20 minutes.

·        Preheat oven again to 400.

·        Bake 30 minutes.

Serve with soup. . . or just by itself . . . it’s like a pizza.  Delicious! 

   

VESPER . . . and an exciting new French Dressing

                               Best HIKING COMPANION ever!    

                                Vesper helps keep us cosy, too.

Her breeder’s really proud because Vesper is now officially a champion!

Happy Birthday, Vesper!

At Vesper’s party we devoured Bistro Burgers on Black Olive Bread and a salad with my exciting new French dressing!

******

WOW!  FRENCH DRESSING

4 tbsp canola oil

2 tbsp cider vinegar

1 tbsp white wine vinegar

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

½ tsp sugar

¼ tsp paprika

Our new favorite! 

SAN ANTONIO, Texas CHILDREN'S MUSEUM . . . and TURKEY PIE

Holding one car, Kepler hands me another.  “Play cars, Grandma.”

Taking the proffered toy, I respond, “Uh, okay.  Is this a good car?”

“No, bad car.  Run, run, Grandma.” 

He holds up his car to challenge mine and I run away, screaming.   He comes after me, but suddenly I whirl about and Kepler squeaks as my car revs up in the most awfully threatening way.

Away he goes with me in hot pursuit.    Suddenly, he stops and turns.  Oh, oh.  His car has the power again.  

Run, Grandma! 

“There’s a new Children’s Museum in San Antonio,” remarked Nicole.  
    

*********

After him!

And see the blur?  Yep, there he goes!

                                   But look at this!

What a good idea, right?

          

                      Checking out the Spy Room for older kids . . .

                                    and the Flight Deck

Totally the best!

And for the finale . . .

  the River Walk

and dinner at the Rain Forest Cafe.

*******

Gotta keep up our strength at home, too:

TURKEY PIE        (or chicken)

      From Cheryl Sedaker’s 365 WAYS to COOK CHICKEN

Mary Stadnyk’s Pastry for Double Crust Pie

Filling:

2 tbsp butter

½ cup finely chopped onion

½ cup finely chopped celery

1 garlic clove, minced

1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup

½ cup light cream

½ cup or more chopped cooked turkey  (or chicken)

1/3 cup chopped parsley

½ tsp salt

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/8 tsp nutmeg

¼ tsp pepper

1 ½ cups cooked rice  (Leftover and previously frozen works well)

4 hard-cooked eggs, sliced

·        Prepare pastry.  Line a 9 inch pie plate with bottom crust.

·        Melt butter in frying pan.  Cook onion, celery, and garlic until tender; about 3 minutes.

·        Stir in soup, cream, turkey, parsley, salt, lemon juice, nutmeg, and pepper.  Remove from heat.

·        Spread alternate layers of rice, eggs, and turkey mixture in pie plate. 

·        Top with pastry.  Brush with milk.

·        One hour and a quarter before serving time, preheat oven to 375.

·        Bake pie one hour.

This pie is easy and soooooo good!  Thank you, Cheryl Sedaker.