In My World

Thin White Sauce 1 tbsp butter or fat 1 tbsp flour 1/4 tsp salt 1 cup milk, cream, or stock Medium White Sauce 2 tbsp butter or fat 2 tbsp flour 1/4 tsp salt 1 cup milk, cream, or stock Thick White Sauce 3 tbsp butter or fat 3-4 tbsp flour 1/4 tsp or more salt 1 cup milk, cream, or stock Method #1 Melt fat, stir in flour and salt.  Cook until mixture bubbles.  Remove from heat; add liquid, and stir until smooth.  Cook in double boiler or over low heat until mixture thickens, stirring constantly or not at all. Method #2 Melt fat and remove from heat.  Add flour and salt.  Stir until smooth.  Add liquid gradually, stirring constantly over low heat until mixture thickens. Method #3 Stir enough liquid into flour and salt to form a thin smooth paste.  Scald remainder of liquid in double boiler.  Add flour paste to hot liquid, stirring constantly until mixture thickens.  Cover and c...

Day 7 in Halifax was a catch-up sort of day spent doing laundry and a bit of shopping.  Laundry was so much fun.  We found ourselves at a little laundromat that was also an Ethiopian restaurant, The Aster Cafe.  When the owner found out that Hal didn't like spicy food it became her mission to find something he liked.  Hal actually did try every sample she gave us. Back at the Stardust Motel we hung up or put away all our clean clothes and made lunch out of the fridge.  Hal wanted to watch a TV show so I crawled onto the bed with him and apparently fell asleep until late afternoon.  I must have needed it but I was sad because it also felt like we wasted the day. We were saved by my nephew, Marc, and his wife, Andrea.  They fed us our first home cooked meal in a week and it was BBQ!!!!  Everything was sooooooooo good.And then we went on a driving tour of the waterfront.  Apparently we could have gone on the naval base exc...

It is my birthday and the appetizer served at our favourite restaurant, Rail City Bistro, last night was an awesome present--Sockeye Salmon right out of the Copper River in Alaska that was smoked in house and topped goat cheese and dill on a sourdough crostini. Delicious. I have always been a fan of salmon, smoked or not, but smoked is so perfectly delicious.

#26 on the Let's Travel Canada list is Lake Ontario. That seems a bit of a broad geographical area so I'm going to make a list of the places I recall visiting along the shores of Lake Ontario. Niagara-on-the-Lake ~ The Olde Angel Inn is the oldest operating inn in Ontario. The Olde Angel Inn was established in 1789 and rebuilt in 1815 after the War of 1812. We enjoyed a wonderful English meal there one day so I was shocked to see they have absolutely no idea how to make a proper cup of tea. Wineries -- Lots and lots of wineries. We spent an afternoon on a wine tour at Chateau des Charmes where we learned how to taste wines and then enjoyed an afternoon of cheese and wine pairings and an extra bottle of brut (can't call it champagne because it isn't made in the Champagne region of France) because it was our anniversary.  Heritage District -- loved the Niagara Apothecary Museum . So charming. We've been to the Fort George National Historic Site of Canada ...

1 pound (4 cups) cranberries 1-1/2 cups sugar 2 cups water Wash, pick over, and drain cranberries. Put berries, sugar, and water in a saucepan.  Bring slowly to boiling point.  Cover and cook slowly about 10 minutes or until skins burst.  Skim any foam and cool.   Makes about 4 cups.

Grand Pre National Historic Site is in the heart of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  Once a thriving Acadian settlement and now one of the most significant memorials to the upheaval and the resilience of the Acadian people, the museum and displays were very educational and well curated.  We wandered around the museum and then went to the theatre (decorated to look like the hold of a ship) to watch a movie about the Acadians and their expulsion from Nova Scotia. It was quite emotional and very educational. Evangeline   A Tale of Acadie   Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807–1882) THIS is the forest primeval. The murmuring pines and the hemlocks, Bearded with moss, and in garments green, indistinct in the twilight, Stand like Druids of eld, with voices sad and prophetic, Stand like harpers hoar, with beards that rest on their bosoms. Loud from its rocky caverns, the deep-v...

If I had known how much I was going to love Prince Edward Island I would have planned more time there.   After we left Cape Breton Island we drove right to the Caribou Ferry.  I have some advice for you.  Don't make a reservation unless you MUST be on the ferry at a specific time or if you will definitely be leaving the island on the Caribou Ferry as well.  They charge the two-way price when you get on the ferry with a reservation.  If you just show up and get in line and take the ferry to the Island you will pay when you leave the Island to return to the mainland.  If you return to the mainland using the Confederation Bridge the fee is lower than if you leave on the ferry.  You should also know that if you do reserve their website suggests you arrive 30 minutes early.  Without a reservation you should arrive an hour early.  So basically you just have to decide what will work best for your trip.   We reached the ferry ...