Tinkerblue

Lamingtons

 

A few weeks back Rose and I were paddling and chatting. She mentioned she had lived in Melbourne when she was a child, and she used to love these cakes covered in coconut and chocolate. Lamingtons? I promised to make her some.

On Friday night we were going to a wine and cheese party, what better contribution to a wine and cheese party than lamingtons?

I had forgotten that even though they are easy to make they are bloody messy.

Sponge Cake Ingredients:

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup milk

 

 

Sponge Cake:

• preheat oven to 350F or 180C
• In a large bowl whisk together flour, baking powder and salt
• Beat butter until soft (normally in an eletric mixer, but mine is in storage, so I used the old fashioned method, a bowl in a sink of warm water and a wooden spool).

 

 

• Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy 
• Add vanilla extract and beat until combined
• Add flour mixture and milk, in 3 additions starting and ending with the flour

 

 

• Spread the batter into 8x8 cake pan
• Bake for 20-25 minutes until skewer comes out clean
• Cool cake in pan for 10 minutes. Then cool completely on wire rack.
• Wrap in plastic wrap and refridgerate for several hours or overnight.

 

 

Chocolate Icing Ingredients

• 4 cups icing sugar
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup milk

Chocolate Icing:

• Place sugar, cocoa, butter and milk in a bowl over saucepan of simmering water
• Stir mixture until it becomes smooth and reaches a liquid consistency

 

 

Cut cake into 16 squares

Cover each of the 16 squares in chocolate icing - I did 4 at a time

 

 

Then dip in coconut (dessicated coconut is best, but I couldn't find any and used sweetened coconut)

Leave to set

Eat or can be stored in an airtight container for a few days

 

 

 

I made 8 of the squares as above. The other 8, I cut in half, spread a layer of blackberry jam and put them back together before covering in chocolate icing and coconut.

 

 

 

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ANZAC Biscuits

The boss's son has been studying ANZACs at school. ANZACs are/were the Australia New Zealand Army Corps, they fought in WW1 in Gallipoli, Turkey.

His teacher mentioned ANZAC biscuits and gave them a copy of the recipe.  He asked if I could make some for him to take to school. I know I probably should have told him to make them himself, but I like baking and it's been awhile since I've made ANZAC biscuits. So I baked them.

 

The story behind ANZAC biscuits is that they were made by the wives to send to their soliders overseas because the ingredients would last forever and the biscuits would survive the shipping to get to the troops.

 

 

The recipe is simple:

• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup dessicated coconut
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 tbsp golden syrup
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 tbsp water

 

• Preheat oven to 180C or 350F
• Combine flour, oats, coconut and sugar in a bowl
• Melt butter and golden syrup in a saucepan over low heat
• Mix baking soda and water, then add to butter & golden syrup
• Pour the liquid mix into the dry ingredients, mix well
• Spoon on to baking sheet, about a tablespoon per biscuit, allow room for biscuit to spread during baking
• Bake for 15-20 minutes

 

 

ANZAC biscuits are really easy to make and taste good, I don't know why I don't make them more often. They're also good when you add wattle seeds, but for some reason wattle seeds are not readily available in Canada. I wonder why. I do have some but they're in storage at Michelle's. Next time.

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Paddler's Challenge 2012 Week 8 - Sechelt Inlet Poker Run

Oh, this is old now.  Week 8, the last week our summer Paddler's Challenge was 3 weeks ago now. September 6.  We finished with a poker run in Sechelt Inlet. What? A poker run.

We started out at Halfmoon Sea Kayaks on Sechelt Inlet (their second location).  We each picked one card before we launched.

Then we paddled out to Poise Island and pulled up a trap. In the trap was a deck of cards, and we each blind picked another card. 

From Poise Island we paddled to someone's house, I don't remember whose, to get our next card. Some poor chickie was standing on the shoreline waiting for us all to paddle by. We were kind of spread out, so I hope she didn't have to hang round too long.

Our next destination was  directly across the Inlet on the beach at the Provincial campground.  Two more friendly souls were patiently waiting for everyone.

It was't a race, the winner was the best hand not to the first to get back. The water was calm. We took our time paddling back. We had one more stop to make at the white boat.  Yeah, that's helpful. There's a whole bunch of white boats in the inlet.

Before we found the white boat, we found a smack of jellyfish.  Yep a group of jellyfish is called a smack. Did you know that? I didn't. Virginia did.  I learnt something new. The smack of jellyfish was pretty cool. There were so many of them. It was hard work pushing my paddle through them.

 

Virginia got a really awesome video of them. Check it out.

Finally found the white boat. In the end it was easy to find - Cam and Shannon from Halfmoon Sea Kayaks were standing at the stern, passing cards down to us. The card Cam gave me sucked, he wouldn't let me give it back.

Back at shore we loaded up our kayaks and then headed to the Lighthouse Pub to celebrate the end of the challenge.  I did not win. I had 3 of a kind, but lots of people had better hands. I did win a pack of playing cards - with kayaks on them.  

We also received our t-shirts. Must remember I do not need an XL in unisex tees. I can almost wear it as a dress. It's a tad long.

I am so glad I decided to join the Paddler's Challenge back in July. I got to paddle to some fantastic places that I wouldn't have gone on my own. I've also made some great new friends who I hope I keep in touch with no matter where I end up.

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ECCO Hobart Boots

How could I not buy these boots?

One, they fit my 17.5" calves
Two, they are named Hobart. I grew up in Hobart.

I've been looking for brown/cognac boots for ever. Seriously, ask Shazza and Kath who were with me last year. We looked in Vancouver and Seattle.

Ask Michelle who has heard me bitch more often than she ever wanted to.

So where did I find said boots? In Sechelt. That's like saying I bought them in Bicheno (for my fellow Taswegians) or Rye (for Victorians).

They were slightly over budget, but when you find boots to fit beyond extra wide calves, and they're called Hobart, you buy them.

BBQ Chicken Marinade with a Kick

You know how I don't cook? Well apparently I can BBQ.  Or more specifically I can BBQ chicken.

Last week I BBQ'd chicken using Michelle's marinade, it was a success. This week I was told, "There are chicken breasts in the fridge, maybe you could find another marinade and BBQ again."

 

So I  asked around for a marinade that had a bit of spice to it. This is what I was sent (I'm not sure where the recipe originated from):

• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp sriracha
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro or parsley or mint or dill. (I used a mix of parsley and mint from the garden)

 

Suprisingly enough I had all those ingredients on hand. I also added black pepper and sea salt.

 

Whisk it all together (I used a food processor), put in ziplock bag or deep dish, add chicken, cover with saran/glad wrap and marinate for 6 hours or overnight. I used bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts (thanks for the tip Michelle). Bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts stay tender and juicer better than boneless, skinless breasts.

 

BBQ on medium for 20-30 minutes bone side down. Turn, grill on breast side for 10 mins. This was pretty good, it was just spicy enough for me. If you like things good and spicy then consider adding another tablespoon of Sriracha or your favourite hot sauce.

 

 

 

Skookumchuk Narrows

 

I've been trying to get up to Skookumchuk Narrows all summer. Michelle and I planned to go in May, but run out of daylight.  I was going to go with Andrea C and Sean, but had guests in house.

 

 

Finally Michelle and I made it up there on the September long weekend.  We checked the tide charts, and although we would have liked to have seen the flood tide (waves), it was at the crack of dawn. With a 45 minute drive from here to there, and a hike in from the parking lot, the crack of dawn was not happening. So we went in time for a large ebb tide. 

 

 

 

Skookumchuck is a Chinook word that basically means strong water. Strong water it is.  Skookumchuk Narrows is a narrow opening between Georgia Strait and Sechelt Inlet. The difference in water levels between the two sides can be over 2 metres in height. The speed of the rapids can exceed 30 km/hour.

 

 

 

On a flood tide it's a playground for whitewater kayakers. Not for me. I ain't paddling in there.

 

 

 

From the parking lot there is a 4km hiking trail into the Narrows. There are two viewing points.  North Point for the ebb tides (whirlpools) and Roland Point for the flood tides (waves). You don't have to be there right at the exact best viewing time, there is a 30 minute window on either side. The best viewing times are here.

 

 

It was well worth the walk.  I'd like to go back and see a large or XL flood tide.

Copper Sky Cafe and Gallery

Michelle came to visit on the Labour Day long weekend. Instead of me cooking breakfast, we decide to grab something on the way to Skookumchuk Narrows. We had no idea where we were going to stop, we just hit the highway and hoped for the best.

 

We passed quite a few places - fancy resort restaurants, pubs, cand cafes before finally settling on Copper Sky Cafe and Gallery in Madeira Park.

 

Love this sign - it's an old fridge door

 

It was a beautiful, sunny day so we decided to sit outside and enjoy.  Breakfast was a choice of eggs  and toast, omlettes, french toast, fried egg sandwiches, homemade granola and a selection of baked goods. I order a banana butterscotch muffin, Michelle went with 2 eggs and toast and jam in her coffee.

 

Inside the gallery

 

While we were were waiting for the hot food, I took a quick look in the gallery side. There was a lot of art that I wouldn't mind having in my non existant house. Photos by Andy Cotton in particular. I could do a big chunk of my Christmas shopping here.  But the only thing I bought was my breakfast.

 

 

The cafe made us laugh. Or more to the point the staff made us laugh. It was like granny was in the kitchen and she was in a foul mood.  She was yelling at the staff, but nobody seemed to mind. It was like a scene out of a movie. You know the scene in a diner, with the gruff cook but good food.

 

 

My muffin was a little dry, nothing some butter didn't fix. Michelle ate all her breakfast so I'm assuming it was good. 

 

 

We'd go back again. Food was good. Price was reasonable. And the entertainment was priceless. 

 

 

Copper Sky Cafe and Gallery

 

 

Paddler's Challenge 2012 Week 7 - Pasley Island Group

This is going back almost two weeks now. The last Thursday in August.

 

A little further from home for this paddle. Launching from Gibson's Marina. The plan was to paddle out to the Pasley Island Group. A smaller group this week. Only 7 of us. Jen, Virginia, Pat, Bill, Naomi, Henny (?) and myself.

 

 

Heading out from the Marina the water was calm. Mirror like.  But it wasn't the same outside the marina.  On the drive down to Gibsons I could see whitecaps. Not huge, but still, there were whitecaps. Pretty much everyone else had noticed the same thing. So as we set out, our plans were not set.

 

 

We headed past this float full of old burnt out cars. Not sure why it was there. For a movie, perhaps? Some pretty spectacular houses built into the cliff face. With long, steep staircases down to the water. Then we head across to Salmon Rock and Home Island. No photos of the crossing because it was windy and we were traveling broadside to the waves, which meant I was not taking my hands off my paddle to find my iPhone and take a photo.

 

You can see the water around Home Island is a little choppy, it wasn't too bad. But the forecast was not great. We took shelter in a small cove to discuss our options.

 

 

We decided that we could probably make the journey across to the Pasley Island Group with no problems, but coming back might be an issue.  The forecast called for rain, wind, a possible thunderstorm and we were losing daylight fairly quickly. So the Pasley Island Group was out.

 

 

We were going to paddle along the shoreline of Keats Island and explore. Patrick opened up his umbrella and sailed along for a bit, while the rest of us looked on enviously and kept paddling. Someone looked behind us and saw....

 

A big wall of pretty unfriendly looking clouds. Time to turn back already. We might like our kayaking, and we might be fairly confident in our skill but no one had any desire to be caught out in a storm. So head for home it was.

 

 

Heading through pass was an obstacle course of rocks just below the surface.  We think at one point Bill was sitting atop one but he says no.  It was kind of fun, winding our way through. I followed Naomi, my thought being, if she didn't hit anything then neither would I. It worked.

 

 

We sheltered near Salmon Rock for about 5 mins and then paddled back over to the Marina.  

 

 Because our intended paddle had been cut short, we weren't really ready to stop. So we headed into the Marina and kayaked amongst the boats, house boats, piers and just generally played around. It was a lot of fun.

 

Loopy Lola's

 

 Yellow building is Molly's Reach (Beachcombers)

 

 

Three amigos with their matching cameras

 

Almost full moon. It was full moon the next night.

 

And then my battery died, but we were pretty much done anyway.  We loaded up our kayaks and stopped at Tim Hortons for a hot drink and a donut.




 

 

I Will Wait - Mumford and Sons

 

 

Looking forward to Mumford and Sons new album Babel later this month.

Hanging Out in Halfmoon Bay

A couple of week ago Andrea C and Sean came to visit for the weekend. Well they were camping in Porpoise Bay, but that's close enough I managed to see them a few times.  Saturday morning they hiked to Skookumchuk Narrows and I met them afterwards in Halfmoon Bay.

 

Halfmoon Bay, like it's name suggests is a curving coastline between Sechelt and Pender Harbour. I met Andrea and Sean at Upper Crust, where we treated ourselves to icecream. I ordered one scoop of raspberry cheesecake icecream, and ended up with 3 huge scoops. It was melting quicker than I could eat it. But it was so good.

 

 

We ate our icecreams while sitting on the beach. It got pretty hot pretty quick, so Andrea and I ended up wading into the water to cool off. If I'd had my swimsuit I'd have gone for a swim.

 

 

From the bay we could see out to Anchor Rock and Whale Island and along to Coopers Green. I'd like to kayak out to Anchor Rock - it has a bloody big anchor on it.

 

After we finished our icecreams we wandered back up to the Heritage General Store to buy some local (Powell River) beer to drink on the deck at home.