September Camping in the Cariboo . . . and HUNGARIAN BEAN & RIB CASSEROLE

  

We started out on Friday at 7:45 am.  It was a long, long way so I was able to start and finish reading a Shakespearean play aloud in the car.

 It got dark shortly after we set up the tents and had dinner.

For the next two days, we had the entire site almost entirely to ourselves except for the squirrels.  

Vesper had a great time!

Cooking was a cinch.  Almost everything was prepped ahead . . . from Bryan’s Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Bread and

  my biscuits for toasting  

to beans for breakfast and stews for supper and Sauerkraut Buns for lunches!

We were really lucky with the weather . . . lots of sunshine. 

   

We started packing up at 6:45 am on Monday and were on the road by 8 am.

We passed by one group of deer after another, grazing by the road.

Such a beautiful weekend!    

 *******

BABOS KAPOSZTAFOZELEK (Hungarian Bean and Sauerkraut Casserole)

      

      From DRIED BEANS & GRAINS: The Good Cook Techniques & Recipes

1 ½ cups pinto beans, soaked overnight and drained

1 pound (or more) pork ribs

2 cups sauerkraut, drained

2 lbs. medium tomatoes (about 7 tomatoes)

1 large onion (12 ounces)

2 tbsp lard

2 tbsp flour

1 tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

·        Place the presoaked beans and pork ribs in a large pot.  Cover them with 8 cups water, bring to a boil, and skim.  Cover the pot and cook for one and one half hours until the beans are tender.

·        Peel and coarsely chop the tomatoes. 

·        In a large stainless-steel frying pan, cook tomatoes over high heat for 5 minutes.  Then reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring,  for about 5 minutes, or until most of the juice has evaporated and the tomatoes are a thick pulp.

·        Grind the tomatoes in a food processor.

·        Simmer the sauerkraut and tomatoes together for 10 minutes.

·        In a saucepan, sauté the onion in the lard over medium heat until soft.  Add flour and stir until light golden. 

·        Add the onions to the sauerkraut.  Mix well.  Add salt and pepper.

·        Drain the beans, reserving the liquid.

·        Start oven preheating to 350 about 45 minutes before you want to serve. 

·        Put beans and ribs into a large pan.  Add sauerkraut.  Pour over top ½ cup of bean liquid. 

·        Cover and heat in 350 oven for 30 minutes. 

·        Serve with salad.  

·        When freezing some for camping, add more of the reserved bean liquid to the jar (about 1 cup) so that it won’t burn when reheating.  

Sept 6, 1978 . . . SOUR CABBAGE HEADS . . . and Ukrainian Dolls

Sept 6, 1978

Cabbages can stay in the garden till you hear of hard frost but if they are cracking you have to bring them in sooner.  The only thing you can do if you still don’t want to bring them in, as the longer the better, you pull them up a little so it’s not all pulled up but don’t get to grow any more much.  But you will see that by the end of Sept they be need to bring in, the latest by Oct 5.

                                                                              Oksana

BULLIES . . . a School Story: page 1

OLIVIA OTTER and the BULLIES of OOLICHAN BAY

            Story by Eleanor Stadnyk

            Illustrations by Nestor Stadnyk

Page 1:

The doors of Oolichan Bay’s elementary school banged open.

“Look at that!” shouted Kit Otter.

It was a beautiful fall day and warm sunlight glittered off the blue ocean

just ahead.

“Come on!” yelled Kit. “Last one in is a smelly oolichan.”

“Gang way!” shrieked his adopted sister, Millie Mutt. (His family had

found her crying at the end of summer outside an empty cottage.)

But if Olivia Otter heard her little brother there was no sign. She never

even raised her head.

Bewildered, Kit ran back to Olivia. “What’s the matter?” he asked.

“Aren’t you coming?”

“Leave me alone,” said Olivia.

“Okay, if that’s the way you want to be,” said Kit and he ran off to join

his friends.

For HOMESCHOOLING or TEACHERS . . . BLACK BEAUTY Comprehension questions

Yesterday, this paper turned up in one of my old blog binders.  I had used the back of it to do some planning.

BLACK BEAUTY was in the classroom library when I was in grade two, and I loved it.  One of the things it taught was not to be cruel to animals. 

The questions I developed can be used in a variety of ways.  A  teacher could read the book to a class.  Alternatively, of course, a child could read the book alone.   For parents, however, I would recommend, reading with the child.  Take turns reading aloud.  Then do these questions:

1.      The main idea in Chapter 2 was:

(a) A hare was killed.

(b)  A hunt in which people riding horses that followed dogs was described.

(c)  Black Beauty’s mother was upset because a horse was killed.

2.     There are still hunts in England where people ride horses and follow hounds chasing a fox.  These people enjoy hunting as a sport.  Other people say it is cruel.  What do you think?  Why?

3.     Put numbers in front of the following sentences to show in what order events happened.

---- People were riding in all directions: to the doctor’s, to the farrier’s, and to Squire Gordon’s.

____ The colts heard hounds.

____  A terrified hare went by the colts.

____  A black coach went by.

____  The colts saw the hounds.

____  A huntsman held up the dead hare.

____ The horsemen went by. 

____  A gun went bang.

____  The dead man was taken to the house.

***********

I was a school librarian for ten years

collaborating with teachers  (Betty Balon on the left).

Then, I asked for a classroom and was a teacher for over twenty years.

Reading was always my passion and I developed novel study after novel study so that my students could have an individualized program – each kid reading a good book at his/her own level.

The questions were designed to check comprehension and to develop different skills such as identifying main ideas and making judgements.

I sent some of them to Rainbow Publishing in North Battleford and received a lump sum; no royalties.  These are still available if you’re interested.  Just google:

https://www.amazon.com/Eleanor-Stadnyk/e/B00J8RK966

P.S. The BLACK BEAUTY questions were among the many novel studies I never got around to sending to the publisher. 

More Summer Fun in SURREY . . . and CRAB DINNER !!!

Finding little crabs

and big crabs 

CRAB for 4 with LEMON and BUTTER

From FISH WITHOUT A DOUBT: The Cook’s Essential Companion by Rick Moonen and Roy Finamore

You will need a very large pot.  I use an inexpensive large navy enameled canner.

2 crabs

16 cups water

1 ½ lemons

¾ cup coarse salt

1/8 cup coriander seeds

1 ½ tablespoons brown mustard seeds

½ tbsp. dill seeds

1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

12 allspice berries  

Put water in a very large pot.  Cut lemons in half, squeeze the juice into the water, and add the rinds.  Add the rest of the ingredients EXCEPT THE CRABS.  Bring to a boil. 

Add the crabs, cover, and bring back to a boil.  Turn off the heat and let sit for 15 minutes.

Remove the crabs.  Turn the crab over.  Pry up the apron (tail flap).  Discard.  Next, lift off the top shell.  Discard the spongy gills on the sides and the sand bag from the middle.  Rinse under hot running water.

Divide each crab in half.  Serve with melted butter and quartered lemons.  Oh, YUM!

P.S.  Cheese and Jalapeno biscuits . . . a perfect match.

PLAYLAND at the PNE . . . and CURRIED MUSSELS

Playland at The Vancouver PNE has some great rides for little people.

*******

So you’ve come home from a playground or camping or a trip somewhere and you need to make something for dinner.  Here’s a wonderful and easy recipe!

CURRIED MUSSELS  (serves 4)

            From CHATELAINE MAGAZINE, October, 2010

1 kg fresh mussels

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

½ red onion, sliced thinly

1 tbsp curry powder

¾ can coconut milk  (or use all of it)

1 large tomato

1 small tomato (such as a plum tomato)

½ tsp salt

½ cup chopped cilantro

·        Wash mussels in several changes of water until it becomes clear and free of sand.

·        If any are open, tap them with a table knife and set aside.  Check them in a few minutes.  If they’re still open, discard them.

·        Scrub the mussels with a kitchen brush and remove beards by pulling toward the hinge.

·        Put back in the fridge until serving time.

·        Chop the tomatoes.

·        Heat a large pot with oil.  Add onion and stir for 3 minutes.

·        Stir in curry powder and cook 1 minute.

·        Add tomatoes, coconut milk, and salt.

·        Increase heat.  When boiling add mussels and cover.

·        Cook 3 minutes. 

·        Discard mussels that don’t open.

·        Garnish with cilantro and serve.

YUM!  Serve the mussels in a big soup bowl with a simple salad and a loaf of chewy, crusty Italian bread.  Put some more large bowls on the table for discarded shells.

     from Bernard Clayton's New COMPLETE BOOK OF BREADS

BURNABY CENTRAL RAILWAY . . . and NICOLE'S ROASTED TOMATO SALAD

Best fun thing to do with kids in Vancouver?

Little trains are usually pretty much the same but just look at these ones                              in Burnaby’s Confederation Park.

You get a lovely long ride. 

Cutest little trains ever!

*******

Nicole is a creative cook and often doesn't measure stuff. Enjoy!

Nicole’s ROASTED TOMATO SALAD

About 2 cups of cherry tomatoes

2 or 3 plum tomatoes, quartered

about 1 tbsp Olive oil

Salt

Pepper

Black olives

Shaved parmesan (Use vegetable peeler.)

Fresh tarragon or basil

In the evening, preheat oven to 200.

Put all the tomatoes on a baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Roast for 2 hours.

Leave in oven overnight to cool down.

In the morning, transfer tomatoes to a glass dish.   Cover and let stand in fridge until close to serving time.

Sprinkle with sliced black olives, shaved parmesan, and chopped tarragon or basil.