My cousin, Larry Leschasin

Another of my cousins gone . . .  and my world has lost more of its vibrant colour.   

Mary Stadnyk (my mom) and Marion Leschasin (Larry's mom)

                                                               Wes Leschasin and Larry

                                                           Marion Leschasin and Marilyn

Halloween . . . Ukrainian Folk Remedies . . . and Mixed Peel Biscuits

I asked Mom to write down whatever she could remember of what people did when someone got sick and she gave me the following: 

And also this!

 *************

What is the difference between biscuits and scones?  

Answer:  Scones have eggs.  Biscuits don't.

MIXED PEEL BISCUITS

3 cups flour

3 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup shortening (try it!  It is much cheaper than butter and it works.)

1/3 cup mixed peel (find this in the Baking Needs aisle)

1 cup milk (or milkadamia if you're vegan)

Lightly grease a cookie sheet.

Start oven preheating to 450.

Put flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in food processor.  Run it a few seconds.

Add shortening that is at room temperature or from fridge.  Process until all mixed up. 

Turn into a large mixing bowl.  Stir in the milk.

Drop by large spoonful onto cookie sheet.  Shape each one lightly into a biscuit.

Bake for 15 minutes.

Let sit 5 min before serving.  

      (If biscuits are served too hot and you spread them with butter, the butter melts too quickly and makes them mushy.)

Slice and toast any leftover biscuits.  Delicious!

   

PAUL STADNYK (my cousin -- the son of Alex Stadnyk) . . . and Perfect Chocolate Icing

  Thank you to Sheila Bunka for sending me this obituary.  

First, I want to clarify who this Paul Stadnyk is because Dad's oldest brother was also named Paul Stadnyk.  

This Paul Stadnyk was the son of Dad's brother, Alex and his wife, Olena. . .  I never met either of them. . . but I did meet my first cousin, Paul and his wife, Anne. 

                       from: Marion Turetski's book: "Fifty Years Young"

So, Allan Parke, this Paul Stadnyk was first cousin to your mother, Sophie.  And, he was first cousin to Danny's father, Steve.)

 I particularly remember them coming to visit in their new Edsel.  

Their is one inaccuracy in the obit above.  Paul and Anne did  not build a new home "on their homestead".  Paul actually bought that farm from my father, Nick Stadnyk, who homesteaded it with my mother, Mary Stadnyk.  My mother went to that homestead as a bride in October, 1931.  She carried water to the house from a slough and patched her first oven with mud.  Six of  Nick and Mary's 7 children, including me, were born there.  

Paul did build a new home, however, because the house I was born in burned down.   There was a poorly designed chimney which caught fire more than once before the final conflagration.  

Paul and Anne worked very hard and prospered on the farm, building up his holdings to 7 sections before he died, but, sadly, they did not have any children. 

One of the workers Paul employed, as mentioned in the obit, was my cousin, Larry Leschasin.  

**************

CHOCOLATE ICING:  excellent and very easy!

             (enough for a two-layer cake)

 

1 ½ cups chocolate chips

¾ cup sour cream (175 ml)

Dash of salt

 

Melt chocolate chips in top of double boiler. 

Add sour cream and salt.  Beat until creamy and smooth.

Spread immediately while still warm on top and sides of cake. 

******************************

                                                                            This is a book I have really enjoyed.

 

Sam (Kasian) Stadnyk . . . and Mary Stadnyk's Potato Salad

 I have not been much interested in blogging for some time now but am responding to 2 contacts expressing interest in my memories of Sam Stadnyk and his family.   One was from his grandson, Allan Parke.  The other was from Sheila Bunka whose boyfriend, Danny Stadnyk, is Sam’s grandson.  

Uncle Sam and Strayna Varvara lived just a mile from us, but they were in the Angusville district while we belonged to Foxwarren.  I believe they moved there around 1949, at the same time we moved to our farm.  They had a large family, but most of them were grown and were living elsewhere.  Ernie and Steve were a few years older than Nestor, Diana, and me, but we really liked them because, when they came over, they would play nicely with us.  I especially remember playing Kick-the-can.  Unfortunately, they did not come often; nor did we visit them often.

My cousin Steve was tall while Ernie was short.  This was typical as my uncles were a mixed bag when it came to height.  Uncles Paul, Alex, and Steve were over 6 feet but my dad, Uncle Sam, and Uncle Fred were of average height.  

I remember liking Uncle Sam.  One memory is of him standing in our kitchen when I was only a little girl.  He admired my pet bush rabbit and offered to buy it.  I refused but I must have enjoyed the attention because the memory is a pleasant one.

I also really liked Strayna Varvara.  She was a plump woman and very welcoming.  She deep-fried bread dough for us (sort of like elephant ears) and we LOVED it. 

I remember their parlour as being dim, roomy, and uncluttered with a large oval-framed portrait on one wall of a young boy.  This was Stanley, the son who had died when he fell off a hay wagon.  My sister, Anastasia, says that Strayna was devastated by this death.   

There was an old railway caboose or perhaps a trailer near Uncle Sam's house in which, I was told, he lived rather than in the house.  

The youngest of their daughters was Anne who moved to the Maritimes after she married but did come to visit us, perhaps twice that I remember.  Mom and Dad really liked her and she seemed like a really nice person. 

I believe it was Sam's daughter, Jean, who married Frank Presniak, and I have met some of Jean's family more often.

  

Sheila has helped me compile a list of Sam's children: Harry, Matt, Stanley, Martha, Emily, Jean, Sophie, Anne, Ernie, and Steve.  

I also remember that Uncle Sam died of stomach cancer and I was at his funeral when I was about 13.  There was a large reception in a Ukrainian Hall and I noticed a pretty young woman with a large lump by the side of one eye.  This was Sam's daughter, Sophie.  Mom told me it was a tumour and I think it was going to be removed once it grew large enough?!?

The funeral also was memorable because Uncle Fred (Sam’s brother and my dad’s) was there, but he was too proud to ask for a ride or a place to stay afterwards so, after the reception, he set off in the dead of night and winter to walk to Brandon!  Fortunately, someone saw him and stopped.

These are only hazy memories from long ago and I wish I had more.   

A couple of pictures in the Pozir book list Jessie's name and Martha Stadnyk and Henry Stadnyk but I can't identify them in the groups.

                                                                           My brother Matt and cousin Ernie

    *******************************

You'll want second helpings of this!

MARY STADNYK’S POTATO SALAD

2 lbs potatoes, cooked

2 eggs, hardboiled and chopped in big pieces

1 stalk celery, finely diced

¼ cup dill pickles, finely diced

1 cup chopped dill, if you have it

2 or 3 green onions, sliced in ½ inch pieces

¼ cup chopped red or white onions

5 or 6 radishes, chopped

***

Dressing:

¼ sour cream if you have it.  Otherwise, use sweet cream or mayo.

¼ cup mayonnaise (this is besides what is suggested above)

1 tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

1 tbsp prepared mustard (Dijon or French)

***

Stir all together. 

 

 

My Birthday Trip in British Columbia

KAMLOOPS

River Walk

Crusty Pickles at the Noble Pig Brewhouse

***************

THE SALMON RUN at ADAMS RIVER

 

We didn't see many because the run was almost over, but we did see a few wonderful rusty-red salmon.

***********

MERRITT

After breakfast at the Quality Inn, Bryan and I walked around Central Park.

Then, we picked up Diana and headed up Juniper Drive to a grand lookout.

Next, we enjoyed strolling around the town.  This old hotel looks very Western and the bar is open but it was early so we chose an indigenous restaurant, instead.

I enjoyed a Saskatoon Berry Bannock here.  Diana had a cherry topped bannock.

The Baillie House museum is closed, unfortunately, between Sunday and Tuesday.

*********

HOPE

No trip would be complete without a bookstore and this one in HOPE was wonderful!  I wish I had taken an interior picture so you could see the towering bookshelves all crammed with lovely, old books and all for $2.00 a piece.  I picked up 3 by Helen Forrester! 

**********

HARRISON HOT SPRINGS RESORT

Bryan and I had the ground floor room at the very left and Diana's room was upgraded to the one next to ours.

We enjoyed the outdoor hot springs pools; but, oops, no pictures.

We also spent very pleasant hours in the hotel bar!

                Bryan had the "Harvest Moon" cocktail: Bacardi, Apple Sourz, Angostura, and Caramel

I had the "Sour Apple"

Then, we had dinner there: Portobello Mushroom Burger for me, Steak Tips & Frites for Diana, and  Salmon Burger for Bryan

                                                                

                                                                     Next morning: 

Breakfast in the resort's Lakeside Cafe 

Morning stroll from the hotel

*********

And then,

Nestor made me an amazing 75^th birthday dinner!

raw oysters on the half shell

mussels

pasta with prawns

lobster

tiramisu cake

 

SEARED SCALLOPS and FETTUCINE with TANGY CARROTS and a really good book

 

This book I recommend by Ruth Reichl

makes food sound irresistibly intriguing

and expressed this idea that speaks to me even though I don't totally agree with it :

 “working is the only thing that keeps you young.” 

 ******

SEARED SCALLOPS and FETTUCINE with TANGY CARROTS   (Serves 4 to 5)

      (for a side, serve buttered asparagus or a salad)

The fettucine recipe is loosely based on a recipe in Bon Appetit's PASTA AND PIZZA cookbook.

6-8 ounces onion

8 ounces carrots

1 ½ tsp fresh thyme (or ½ tsp dried)

1/3 cup olive oil

½ cup dry vermouth

¼ tsp minced garlic

½ tsp coriander seed, crushed (with mortar & pestle)

½ tsp dried marjoram

1 tsp salt

1 bay leaf

¼ tsp crushed red pepper

 

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

¼ cup chopped parsley

2 tbsp minced green onions or chives

¼ tsp coarse black pepper

 

Parmesan

1 pound fettucine

1 tbsp olive oil

1 pound scallops

Salt & pepper

2 tbsp butter

 

·        Slice onion finely in short slivers.  Set aside.

·        Slice carrot into matchsticks.  Set aside.

·        Chop parsley and set aside.

·        Mince green onions and set aside with the parsley. 

·        Juice a lemon and set aside ¼ cup. 

·        Put 1/3 cup oil into large saucepan.

·        Pinch leaves off thyme and put into the saucepan.

·        Crush coriander seed with mortar and pestle and put into saucepan. 

·        Add vermouth, garlic, marjoram, salt, bay leaf, and crushed red pepper.

·        Stir in onions. 

·        Cover and bring to a simmer.   Time 2 minutes.

·        Add carrots.  Time 3 minutes.  Taste carrot.  It should be tender but still crisp. 

·        Take off heat and add lemon juice, parsley, green onions, and ¼ tsp pepper.   

·        Set aside, covered, until you are ready to finish making the dinner.

·        Pat scallops dry with paper towels and refrigerate until you are ready to finish making the dinner.

·        Prep a salad or cook asparagus now for a side.

·        Grate some parmesan and set aside.       

******

·        Set table.

·        Put grated parmesan on table. 

·        Bring large pot of water to a boil.  Add 1 tbsp salt.

·        Start to reheat onion & carrot sauce, covered, on low heat.

·        If you are serving asparagus, start reheating it on low heat.

·        Sprinkle scallops with salt & pepper.

·        Melt 2 tbsp butter in a very large skillet over medium-high heat. 

·        Add scallops and sear them for 3 minutes on one side and 2 on the other.  Take them off the heat when they are opaque.   

·        Stir fettucine into large pot.  Test after 8 or 9 minutes.  Drain.

·        Put fettucine into large serving bowl.  Stir in a tbsp of olive oil.

·        Stir onion and carrot sauce into fettucine. 

·        Serve.  Yum!   

 

 

Bryan, Nicole, and Kepler in a Mexican café, 2021