Terry Fox Run Day

Every year since 1982, we have participated in the TERRY FOX RUN. That first run was very special because we were living in Port Coquitlam, Terry's hometown, at the time. And Rick Hansen was there, we got to meet him and he autographed books and shook everybody's hand.
This morning we did a 7k walk in the blazing heat and we did it in 1 hour and twenty minutes and that includes water breaks and time to snap some photos along the way.
Normally we would go out for brunch to celebrate the day but this time we decided to have our breakfast of champions at home with homemade blueberry buttermilk muffins, sausage patties from the Calgary Stampede, and potato patties.

Busy and relaxing

In honour of Labour Day, I made a special brunch. These cinnamon buns are the best I have ever tasted. Yes, they are a little extra work (they have to rise overnight in the fridge) but they are well worth it. The recipe is from FAMILY MEALS by Maria Helm Sinskey.
So in order to burn off all those calories, we took a hike in Kenna Cartwright Park. It was overcast but by the time we got to the top we had to take off our jackets. The view as always was fantastic.




Spent the afternoon in the kitchen - I tried another new recipe - Apple Galettes. Rustic individual pies - Valodya was in seventh heaven when he had a taste. I used the recipe from the June 2008 issue of Canadian Living magazine.
And for dinner, Valodya really outdid himself on his favourite Onion Tart. He added roasted red peppers and lots of olives to the onion and cream cheese mixture. With an insalata mista it was a perfect ending to a wonderful long weekend.

Labour Day long weekend

This is Maura's t-shirt quilt, a quilt that has been a year in the making. It took me quite a while to find just the right blanket for the backing. It had to be cotton and it had to feel good. The only size I could find was a twin blanket so I bought two because Maura has lots of t-shirts. The t-shirt squares are pinned on and I have basted the cotton twill tape over all the edges. This is a labour of love.
As a little reward for getting so much done on the quilt, I whipped up my favourite pesto recipe using the basil from the farmers market. I mixed walnuts and pecans, added extra parmiggiano and lots of olive oil. It was a hit at dinner.
Our beautiful rain barrel was overflowing this morning so we did not need to water the garden. Just had to grab a bowl and fill it with golf ball sized squash, celery, tomatoes, and cukes.
We tried cantaloupe for the first time this year; we have three babies and they look really cute but we will not be enjoying our own melons this time.
The celery went crazy and it tastes wonderful. Somebody mentioned that they were going to make Ceasars - can't wait.
Our turkey stir-fry consisted of veggies from the market or from our own garden.
Yellow beans from Rock Creek - so good and so simple to prepare. Cooked until al dente, added garlic, salt, fresh parsley, and olive oil. Serve cold with vinegar.

Sharing the bounty

Good news - we had some rain last night which helped the forest fire situation a little but along with that much needed moisture we also got thunder and lightning. The dogs in the neighbourhood were howling their heads off during the storm.

Was awakened this morning by a long distance call - Maura is doing well and slowly settling in to her apartment and teaching routine in Korea.

Great start to the day. By midday things didn't look too good. Went out for a walk and when I came back I discovered that a friend had sent all sorts of fruits and vegetables from her farm. The goodness of sharing - that is what I will remember about today.

Weekend visitor

No matter what time of year Alex comes for a visit, he always comes bearing gifts. And this being late August, his truck was full of potatoes, beans, cukes, tomatoes, apricots and even a nice bunch of dill.
For our late night Saturday supper, Valodya made chicken and peppers with fried potatoes. It was mouth-watering good.
For dessert, nothing is better than a crisp, cold watermelon from the farmers market.
Alex tried to tune up TG's guitar but it needs more work so he is going to take it home with him and work on it. That will be a nice surprise for TG.
After a hearty breakfast of bacon, scrambled eggs, toast, muffins, coffee and oranges Alex headed back to the Rock.

Lunch and a talk

Sometimes all it takes to make you feel better is an al fresco lunch with a good friend. A good friend who makes a chicken bun with mayo and lots of mixed greens just the way you like it. We shared a cold refreshing persimmon; a fruit that makes you feel good even when you're feeling down. She gave me an orange which I will enjoy tomorrow morning as I start another day.

Last day of freedom

Tomorrow I go back to work. So this being my last day of freedom, I made blueberry muffins with a streusel topping - so rich and so good. Spent the morning browsing through my favourite junk shop and it didn't even matter that I didn't buy anything. Finally ordered new carpeting for the basement bedroom from HD. Worked on Maura's quilt. Had a siesta. Painted my toenails. Enjoyed Valodya's peaches and cream, and watched a movie.