Remembering GEORGE on his birthday . . . and Oven-Barbecued Spareribs

One of the best things about getting together with family is talking about the old days.  One time, George told us a story about how he and Donald used to go trapping.  He said traps used to be very cheap.

I asked George how he and Donald learned how to trap.  He said mostly by trying but Dad knew a bit.  Dad told them never to break into a muskrat’s house with an axe; always use a spade.  Then you leave the trap inside and fill in the hole you made.  The muskrat is away swimming.  When he comes home, the trap is waiting.  

Once, they left the tractor on a neighbor’s yard when they went to check their traps.  They came back carrying over 300 muskrats but the tractor wouldn’t start.   Then they noticed that the wiring had been all changed.  The neighbor took an ax after Donnie over a muskrat house because he said it was on his property even though it was on the road allowance.  "And he buggered up the tractor.”

They had to carry the muskrats all the way home on foot.

******

George's daughter, Naomi, wrote:

I set this day aside for memories. As today or yesterday would've been his birthday. As you question why I would say today or yesterday of course with my dad there's always a story to go with it.

We would wish him happy birthday on the 27th and he would say no it's tomorrow. We wish him a happy birthday on the 28th and say no you missed it it was yesterday.

The story was told that when he was born Gido had to walk to town to register him and that he was celebrating the birth of his son and when he got to town he made a mistake on the day that he was born when he was registered.

Dad you will always be missed and your memories will always stay with me and that is something nobody can ever take from me.

*******

Some people don't like spareribs that have been boiled and then barbecued, but the only way I don’t really love spareribs is if they’re covered with one of those sweet, red Barbecue sauces.  

Here’s a great recipe for piquant ribs :  I think George would have liked them.   

OVEN-BARBECUED SPARERIBS  (serves 4 to 6)

            Easy and delicious!

4 to 6 lbs spareribs

1 cup cold double-strength coffee

½ cup molasses

1 tbsp Worcester shire sauce

½ cup cider vinegar

¼ cup Dijon mustard

2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp chili powder (not cayenne)

·        Preheat oven to 350.

·        Place spareribs on a rack in a roasting pan and bake 45 min.

·        Meanwhile, bring to a boil all the other ingredients in a saucepan.

·        Remove spareribs from oven and put into a 13x9 pan.

·        Pour sauce over top.

·        Bake 45 minutes.  Yum!

FIRE AWAY! In Tennessee . . . and Peanut Butter Crunch Muffins

                     

                                       Bouncing Birthday Party with little guys

Arcade and GoKarting Birthday Party with family culminating with  

a Predator Cake.

For a short Spring Break I planned a road trip to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.  

A full day on the road took us to The Crowne Plaza Hotel at Greenville, South Carolina, the halfway point.

The next morning, Kepler and I explored the Greenville Children's Museum while Bryan and Nicole took in the art gallery and other sights of Greenville.   

                                             Kepler especially loved the groaning stomach and . . .

However, Greenville was as far south as we got.  We all agreed we had spent too much time in the car just getting there so we cancelled the Myrtle Beach Hotel and headed north.

We stopped for lunch in Asheville and had a GREAT pizza made with local mushrooms.   

Narrow  winding roads in the Smoky Mountains led us, none too soon, to Dolly Parton's DreamMore Resort Hotel outside of Pigeon Forge. 

 Although Dollywood was closed, we were able to go horseback riding.  "If anyone's brave enough to go riding in this weather," the ticket lady said as snowflakes drifted about , "we'll take you out." 

Bryan was the only one who had a pair of gloves so I got one and Nicole got one.  He bought a hand-warmer for himself.  My hero.

We rode single file for 45 minutes behind the guide.  One of Kepler's favorite games right now is with toy soldiers but I was still a bit nonplussed by his frequent shouts from up ahead of  "Fire away!"

Turned out that Bryan's horse was intermittently doing just that, LOL!

We had a tasty lunch at Paula Deen's in Pigeon Forge:  the collards were outstanding and we also enjoyed the fried chicken and fried catfish.

Just five years old, Kepler's favorite thing of all on this trip was the Laser Tag at Wonderworks!

Warming up in front of one of the hotel’s large gas fireplaces  

Next up was the zoo in Knoxville. 

Good to be home!

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PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE CHIP MUFFINS

                 (Adapted from Esther Brody’s Peanut Butter Crunch Muffins)

1.      Grease well a jumbo tin to make 6 large muffins.

2.     Start preheat oven to 400.

3.     Prepare topping in a food processor and set aside.

Topping

3 tbsp peanut butter

4 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp flour

1/8 tsp salt

4.      Prepare muffin batter:

2 cups flour

1 tbsp baking powder

½ cup sugar

½ cup chocolate chips

1 egg

1 cup milk

1/3 cup melted butter

Combine flour, baking powder, sugar, and chocolate chips in a large bowl.

Beat egg in a medium bowl.  Stir in milk and butter.

Stir wet ingredients into flour mixture.

Put in muffin pan and bake 20 minutes. 

Marvellous texture and Kepler enjoyed these!  . . . he's not easy to please LOL!

A Sunday in DUBLIN, 2017 . . . and Collards Colcannon

The shuttle from our cruise ship took us to Merrion Square.  

  

A very helpful Irish girl told us the fastest way for us to get to St. Mary's Pro Cathedral in time for the 11:00 Mass was to walk.  

I had put St. Mary's on my MUST SEE list when I found it in an old list titled “The Best of Ireland”.   There are only 18 Irish churches on the list.   The clincher was when I read that the best time to go is at 11:00 on a Sunday because you get to hear 

the Palestrina Choir.

                                              Here's the General Post Office.

Go past the James Joyce Statue.

                              St. Mary's is the main Catholic cathedral in Dublin. 

                        The mass at 11:00 was in Latin.  What a beautiful experience!

We marveled at the beautifully illuminated and decorated books in

the Chester Beatty Library.

What’s this now?

                                                     

Irish snack?  Pizza!

No one's complainin' . . . 

                                          It's all for me grog me jolly jolly grog!

We'll just make our own Irish food at home.

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COLLARDS COLCANNON  (Okay, I made this up, but it's good!)

1 pound collards

2 tbsp butter

1/3 cup water

1 ½ pounds potatoes

¼ cup milk

¼ tsp pepper

Salt to taste

*Cut out the stems from collards.  Cut collards into short ½ inch wide strips. 

*Heat 2 tbsp butter in Dutch oven.  Cook collards over medium heat for 5 minutes. 

*Add 1/3 cup water.  Reduce heat to low.  Cook 30 minutes covered.

*Boil potatoes in salted water.  Peel and mash (or put through ricer).

*Add potatoes to collards.  Stir with milk, pepper, and salt. 

*Turn into buttered casserole.

*To reheat for supper, cover casserole and put in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.  

"what you would like me to bring" . . . and Irish PRATIE OATEN

                           

March 3, 1973  Dear Eleanor & Diana, If I don’t get any word from you by next Sat. I will know you don’t seem to be getting my letters somehow so I will phone you Sat or Sunday to tell you we will be coming to stay with you March 16^th I will tell when to meet us and what I will be bringing for supper as for now I don’t know yet as I haven’t been feeling my very best I can’t get my glasses till March 26^th but don’t worry I be all right the only thing I would like a brown or tan hat but I may get that when we get to Winnipeg as I think the bus gets there at 5 oclock and if I hurry I may get some thing in Hudson Bay its not far from bus depot (stop)

Dad is watching the hockey and I washed the floor and don’t have much to do.  I washed Thursday so there is ironing but I will do that Monday.  Dad got some lumber for that bedroom so he says he will start Monday.  I hope he does as there is a lot to do in that basement.

Matt been having trouble with his teeth he was to see the Dentist Friday and is going again Tuesday to get some out he’s sure sore today his nose is swalllen & upper lip too even his eyes are sore looking.

Dugie is walking some now. 

I stopped knitting would have done some today but Dad forgot to get some yarn

 yesterday we were to see Wes & Marion

& Miron & Katie.

Wes is not so well his feet are bothering him the rest are fine.  Katie lost some weight she looks fine I guess a person can loose weight if they try hard enough I guess I don’t have will power I haven’t gained but didn’t loose any.  I got myself a long slip for the dress I will close for now looking forward on seeing you both.  I will close with best wishes and most of love. 

*****

March 4/73

Matt brought the letter from you after I have sealed the one I wrote to you instead of rewriting I am writing this note I thank you for the letter about the dress you keep it there we are planning to be there I likely will phone before we leave home only I would like to know what you would like me to bring I have canned chickens peas cauliflowers spinnich I may kill a small chicken and freeze for you for roast and do you need and like some canned fruit as for pickles I don’t have much.  And if you have any way to come before Easter please do but we will talk about it when I get there unless you wish to come this week end as the next we will be to see you       Love Mother

                

                     Here are Mom and Dad in 1973 at Marilyn and Bill’s wedding on . . .

June 30.

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“Never love anyone who treats you like you’re ordinary.”

(Oscar Wilde)

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Hurrah for the Irish!   

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IRISH PRATIE OATEN (Potato Oat Cakes)

From:  BRITISH COOKERY, edited by Lizzie Boyd

1 pound mashed potatoes

¼ pound instant oatmeal flakes

¼ tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

1/3 cup milk

Mix together all ingredients.  Roll out and cut into triangles or rounds.  Bake on a hot griddle.  Serve hot with butter.

*********

P. S. I sewed Mom’s dress for her.

******

Holiday at Sechelt . . . and Wicked Hot Chocolate

We were delighted to find many walking trails in the Sechelt area.

The seawalk in Sechelt itself is very pretty.  

Hidden Grove is very short, but pretty and also wheelchair accessible.

St. Francis Point Park is beautiful, but a tricky hike.

Refueled afterwards at Halfmoon Bay Café.  Their signature Amaretti cookies are really great.

Porpoise Bay is another short trail but has a pretty salmon creek leading to the estuary.

Cliff Gilker Park has several lovely waterfalls. 

 

Afterwards, we visited nearby Robert’s Creek and the Gumshoe Café.   

Their homemade bars are big and yummy!

 We loved the swamp and long boardwalks leading to Smuggler’s Cove.

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DINNER MENUS

DAY ONE

Delicious!

Modern Beef & Bacon Pie: p. 73, Game of Thrones: A FEAST OF ICE & FIRE
Leafy green salad

DAY two
Wow!
Chicken with Eggplant:  Lucy Waverman: Globe & Mail, Nov. 7, 2015
Orzo with Dill

DAY three

Yummy!

 Lamb Indad:  A TASTE OF INDIA, p. 71

Basmati Rice

Oven-Roasted Turnips 

DAY four

Unbeatable!

 Oxtail Stew
Kelp Scones:  Hello Magazine

day five

Family Favourite!

 Chicken Chasseur:  THE NEW PURITY COOKBOOK, p. 44
Spaghetti
Green Beans

day six

BBQ!

 Steak
Baked potatoes with Sour Cream
Broccoli

day seven

Fantastic!

 Pork Loin Chops with Cumin & Orange:  SUNSET magazine
Couscous

******

We loved the huge, covered deck on our rented cabin.  Perfect for listening to the soft rain pattering on the leaves all around while sipping Mulled Wine or the most decadent hot chocolate ever.

MINTY IRISH HOT CHOCOLATE  (4 servings)

     (based on Southern Living magazine, Jan. 2017)

4 cups whole milk

1 cup whipping cream

100 g minty dark chocolate (I used Lindt Excellence Intense Mint Dark Chocolate)

8 ounces grated white chocolate

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/3 cup Bailey’s Irish Cream Liqueur

Small marshmallows

Stir milk, cream, and chocolate together over medium heat until hot. 

Add vanilla and liqueur.

Pour into large mugs and top with lots of marshmallows.

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P. S. One of our awesome breakfasts . . .