Let’s Go For a Ride

Nova Scotia is perfectly designed for people who love to drive. There are miles and miles of road that travel the coastline going up and down and in and out. It feels like being in a car commercial. A really classy car commercial where every view is perfect and so is the music. Being two people who love to drive, Brad and I will often go for drives that have no destination. We've been listening to Miracle Fortress and it has become the theme song to our own personal car commercial as we drive down the road staring out of the window, the sky and scenery whizzing past.

These pictures were all taken today. The camera was leaning on the window and without looking through the viewfinder I would just click the shutter… for fun. So, press play and let's go for a ride.

I found the link to Grooveshark when I was visiting the scout website. I love her sense of humour and I also love that I found a way to post and share songs without jumping through hoops and scavenging for linkable play lists. I have a feeling it was designed for more lofty purposes than my modest application but I'm loving it just the same.

Do You Dream of Pastry?

Blueberry tarts with a dense custard
Almond pastry with a hint of raspberry
Custard pies
Flaky, buttery croissants
Apple turnovers in a delicate crust
Apple, honey, raisin sourdough
Parisian baguettes
Multigrain loaves with crackly crusts
Chocolate studded custard wrapped in pastry

I certainly do. Every single one of these haunts my dreams regularly. When I found them all in one place I had to pinch myself. Rick of Boulangerie la Vendèenne is in Lunenburg every Thursday for the winter market. And then when I realized he sets up shop at the Biscuit Eater in Mahone Bay every Friday I nearly lost my mind. Rumour has it that he can also be found at the Wolfville and Halifax markets on Saturday mornings.

If you have a chance to meet up with him, I highly recommend sampling everything. It's a pastry dream come true.

The Big Bad Wolf

He can huff and he can puff but he has nothing on fire. Thank god this wasn't our house but it's a constant reminder that we live in a town made entirely out of wood.

What’s that Smell?

The other day, Brad and I bought the most delicious loaf of raisin, apple and honey sourdough bread. It was so delicious that we kept sneaking some before lunch and by the time lunch was done so was the bread. We also bought a wheel of Camembert to go with it. It turned out to be so stinky that we couldn't eat it. We really tried but we just couldn't get past the stench. I swear, Limburger has nothing on unpasteurized Camembert.

We triple wrapped it and put it in the fridge hoping that we could find something to do with it. Every time the fridge opened the smell would overtake the kitchen and creep through the rest of the house. We started planning our trips to the fridge so that we could maximize our retrievals and minimize the odour's release. Even so, it was more than we could bear. Your kitchen can only smell like a garbage dump for so long before something must be done.

With the only other solution being to throw the stink bomb away, we opted to bake the daylights out of it. Before long the foul odour was gone and replaced with the most delightful aroma. We served it with some rosemary crackers and it was so good, so unbelievably good, that I would actually consider poluting my kitchen again just to experience that wonderful flavour one more time.

There is a Smiley Face Rule

Since I first started making pancakes, Brad has always put a maple syrup smiley face on the girls' pancakes. When Geneva was quite small I tried to get in on the action. Now, I don't now why I thought I needed to change the routine but I guess I was bored with the regular, old smiley face. I drew a sad face on her pancake instead. Yes, I know, but I did. I don't know why, but I did. The poor little thing cried. She stared right at me and the big, round, tears just pored out of her eyes. Don't worry. It's okay now. The whole family pays me back every time we have pancakes, which is a lot, and they remind me in detail of the time I drew a sad face on Geneva's pancake and made her cry. As part of my punishment, I don't participate in the game anymore.