Weekend Adventures

How was everyone’s weekend? Mine was adventurous, active and relaxing, filled with sunshine.  What else can I ask for?

While I was waiting at Bootcamp for my instructor, one of many feral cats decided to jump on the hood of my car.  It was very interested in what I was doing inside and even started playing with me through the window.   Kind of looks like my Misty, just a little more scruffy looking.

Here Kitty Kitty…..and yes, I do need to have my windshield replaced.

Buster and I met up with a friend for coffee that I haven’t seen in such a long time.  Another friend and her family showed up with their dog Magie and Buster just thought it was the greatest thing since sliced bread.  I’m glad I had my phone with me to take these shots.

Saturday was a day of adventure.  I went for a hike to Upper and Lower Myra Falls, which lies in Strathcona Provincial Park.  Did you know that this provincial park is 100 years old?  It’s British Columbia’s oldest park and is worth a visit.  The scenery is breathtakingly stunning. 

Upper Myra Falls

The hike to the falls was not too bad..about 45 minutes each way and moderate.  We had to climb over a few fallen trees, but not bad considering I am still taking it easy on my weak ankle. 

Lower Myra Falls

On our way out, we decided to stop at Lower Myra Falls.  Worth the stop, don’t you think?

Next stop… a little bit of fishing heaven….Buttle Lake

 
“Why not try to catch our dinner?” I said earlier in the day.  And this is what happened…

I actually caught 2 Cutthroat Trout, but one got away from me right on the shore.  I guess he didn’t want to be dinner like his buddy.  I will get you again….muawhahah….

We didn’t get back home until 8pm and I was bagged, but I had an invite for another beach fire, so I made an appearance for a little while.  The fire definitely wiped me out more and I was in bed by 10:30pm. 

Buster enjoyed the fire too….he’s so silly.

Well I’m off for the night…going to watch a movie tonight..anybody seen “Horrible Bosses”?  I will review it soon. 

And stay tuned for my yummy trout dinner. 

Enjoy your evening…back soon.

Bea

xoxo

Protein Green Monster

I’m always trying to add more protein to my meals since I workout almost every day, so I thought it was time to come up with a new smoothie concoction.  I also battle with iron deficiency, so sneaking in as much greens as possible into my smoothies is also an important factor for me. 

So I came up with this bad boy…..

Once again I threw together a bunch of ingredients into my Vitamix, but I did write them down as I went along. 

To the Vitamix, add…..

• 1 cup OJ
• 1/2 cup frozen peaches
• handful of baby carrots
• 1 celeri stick
• handful of cantalope
• 1 cup fresh baby spinach
• 1/4 cup Liberté 0% Greek Yogurt – Plain
• 1 scoop Navita’s Naturals Twisters Protein Powder 

 

The Yogurt is awesome…I am addicted to this brand because it’s so hard to find Greek Yogurt that does not have a ton of sugar and additives.  It’s kind of pricy, about $4.50 for the tub when it’s on sale, but I eat in moderation.  The awesome thing about it too is it has a whopping 18g of protein per serving.  Another bonus point for this yogurt.

This is my other special ingredient.  It contains a blend of 3 super foods:  hemp, cacao and maca.  Hemp is an excellent source of protein and those healthy Omegas.  Cacao is just plain antioxidant awesomeness and gives the smoothie a great taste.  And maca is great for us women, as it benefits the endocrine system.  I can’t think of 3 better ingredients to add to my smoothies every day.  Plus, once scoop adds a great taste and loads up the protein content of the green-monster. 

I really didn’t feel like slaving over a hot stove or BBQ tonight, so I made me one of these for dinner.  A great go-to option when a sit-down dinner just isn’t in the cards. 

Enjoy and let me know how yours turns out.  What other ingredients do you add to your smoothies? 

With love

Bea

xoxo

Spinach Salad ‘à la smoked salmon’

Thanks to my recent new adventures in hot smoking salmon, I am trying to get inspired with new recipes.  Of course, I really enjoy smoked salmon on it’s own as a snack, or crumbled on a rye cracker with a light cream cheese.

I created this salad for lunch the other day and used some of the fresh smoked salmon that came right off the smoker….hmmmmm… as I type this, everything around me smells of smoked hickory goodness.  This salad is great because not only will you be getting loads of iron, but it’s also a great source of lean protein, healthy fats and veggies.

Aren’t those some pretty colors?

In my salad went……..

• 2 cups of baby organic spinach
• 1/2 apple
• 6 baby carrots
• 1 celeri stick
• 1/2 cup corn
• as much or as little smoked salmon
• fresh dill
• dressing:  1 Tbsp Balsamic Vineger + 2 tsp maple syrup

Drizzle the dressing over the salad and chow down!

I was planning on eating outside when I took this picture.  As you can see, the sun is shining, but the wind is also blowing.  Living by the water makes things a little chilly at times. 

Hope everyone’s day is going well.

What is your favourite way of eating smoked salmon?  Anybody have any inspiration to send my way?

I am going to be freezing a lot of the salmon, but I also want to eat some of it fresh while I can. 

Back soon.  Take care.

Bea

xoxo

Creamy Dill with Salmon and Orzo

Here’s a great recipe that’s a breeze to put together in a snap.  It’s relatively low in fat and Dairy-Free.  You can make this one Gluten-Free if you sub the orzo for a GF pasta or even some good brown and wild rice. 

So I kept aside some of the fresh sockeye salmon that I was smoking, enough to make this great dish.  I didn’t take pictures in the process either.

Ingredients: 

• olive oil
• 1 minced garlic
• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
• 3 mushrooms, sliced
• handful of fresh spinach, chopped
• as much or as little Dill as you like ( I added about a handful)
• some fresh salmon
• splash of skim milk (maybe 1/2 cup or so) – sub for a dairy-free milk variety
• 2 tsp of GF flour, such as sorghum or rice
• pinch of salt and pepper
• splash of Worstershire Sauce
• 1/2 cup cooked orzo

Procedure:

Over medium heat, heat oil and sauté the mushrooms and pepper until translucent.  Sprinkle the flour over the veggies and stir until slightly browned.  Add the milk and mix so avoid clumps.  As it boils, the sauce will thicken.  I can’t exactly remember how much I added, but if the 1/2 cup is too little, add more.

Next add the minced garlic and spinach, as well as the salmon.  I sliced my salmon into strips and this will cook very fast.  Also add your dill, salt and pepper and worstershire sauce.  Cook for about 5 minutes or until your salmon is cooked through.

Drain your orzo and serve the sauce over the orzo.  And ladies and gentlemen, here is the Creamy Dill with Salmon and Orzo.

Bon Appetite !

Have a great weekend everyone.

Bea

xoxo

My adventures in Smoked Salmon

While in town Tuesday, I came across a wicked deal for First of the Season Fresh Wild Sockeye Salmon that I could not pass up.  I bought 3 big suckers and thought it would be a perfect occasion to pull out my smoker for the very first time. 

The salmon came head-off and gutted, but herein lies my first hurdle…how the heck to you fillet a salmon?  I’ve always watched my dad and brother do it, how hard could it be?  I never bothered trying myself in the past because they would always give me their smoked goodness, but now I had 3 huge salmon in my kitchen and I had to learn quickly.  Helloooooo Google   and Youtube

“Dear fishies...I'm sorry if I butcher you while attempting to fillet you so that you can be smoked.... a new adventure awaits for yours truly.”

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Day 1:  Let me introduce to you pesco numero uno.  Such a beautiful species.

After my first attempt, Mr. Fishy looked like this….

Buster wanted desperately for me to drop some for him…let’s just say a couple of small pieces made it to his dish.  I could I not? Look at that face !

After completing the filleting of the other 2 fish, I stuck them in a brine.  One part brown sugar, one part coarse salt and lots of dill. 

Of course my bucket was way too big for the fridge and it really only needs a cool place to go for about 12 hours, so voila..a solution was found… high up from nosy dog and cat.

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Day 2:  After my morning bootcamp class and my afternoon physio appointment for my knee/ankle, it was time to prepare for the smoking process.

Voila…my smoker…. My little Chief was passed down to me by my dad.  This smoker used to come camping with us when we visited this town in the late 80’s and early 90’s.  It makes awesome smoked salmon.  But many years ago my parents upgraded to a newer one and now I get to use this one. 

Or so I thought   I went to go plug it in and at first it was heating up, but then all of a sudden, it stopped.  After a bit of investigating, I noticed the breaker switch was down.  I tried a few more times, but same thing happened.  The smoker must have gotten a short over time. 

On to Plan B…. my BBQ and a smoker box.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is batch #1…the second batch is going on tomorrow.  Once the salmon was on the grill, I just had to close the lid and let the smoke do it’s magic.  I wasn’t exactly sure how long it would take or how long before I had to add more wood chips, but with lots of patience and time, it worked.  I was adding water-soaked Hickory chips every 45minutes or so.  The entire process took about 3 1/2 hours.

 

 

 

 

 

Basically, you want the salmon to be firm and glossy, but you also want to start seeing the white fatty substance appear on the surface.. then you know it’s done. 

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I’m looking forward to perfecting my smoked salmon adventures.  Hoping to learn how to fillet better and even catch some of my own salmon in the near future.  I better get out my fishing rod.  Now, who has a boat to take me out on? 

Here’s to hoping everyone has a wonderful sunshiny day and will be back soon with a great salmon recipe. 

Bye for now.

Bea

xoxo

It’s been forever…

Hello all you lovely readers and bloggers,

It’s been just over a month since I’ve had time to sit and update my blog.  When I first started it over Christmas time, I had all good intentions to blog almost daily, but that task is much harder than I had anticipated.  Life gets in the way and next thing you know, it’s a month later. 

So I am back again..hopefully this time I can keep up with a couple of entries a week.  I’m officially on summer holidays and have the next 2 months to do what I want.  I’m hoping that blogging will be part of the adventures.  I’m going to start with a recap of my June. 

1.  School/work ended on the 30th and let me tell you, it was a busy month.  I did not really get a chance to do much cooking..mostly boring foods since it was such a busy month.  I took my kids on a year-end day trip to a wonderful place called Strathcona Park Lodge.  They cater to all groups of people and offer wonderful programs for schools and the general public.  The weather wasn’t too bad for us.  It drizzled a bit, but all-in-all, we got lucky and the kids had a blast.  We played some team-building games before canoeing to a little island for exploration and lunch.  After lunch, we canoed back to the lodge, took a walk to a bog (very cool) and finished the day challenging outselves on a low-ropes course.  A few of the kids even braved the chilly waters to go for a swim.  Brr.

2.  I also had my colonoscopy and gastroscopy, which was not a very pleasant experience at all.  The actual procedure I really don’t remember, but the prep was horrible.  The hospital wanted me there around noon on a Tuesday.  This meant that I had to begin prepping Monday.  All day Monday I was aloud to only consume clear liquids, and nothing of the blue, red or purple variety.  I drank lots of green tea, apple juice and clear broths to keep my belly full.  Then at 3pm I had to begin drinking 4L of Colyte, which is a bowel cleanser.  I had to consume 1 glass every 10 to 15 minutes until it was gone.  The taste was horrible… the best I can describe is fruity tasting Baking Soda.  I plugged my nose and drank it through a straw to avoid getting the taste in my mouth, but instead straight down my throat.  About an hour and a half after starting it, my stomach cramped off and then I spent the rest of the evening in the bathroom.  But at least my bowels were completely cleaned out.  I was allowed to continue consuming clear liquids until midnight.  When I woke up Tuesday morning, I was starving, but was no longer aloud liquids until after my procedure.  Once everything was over and done with, the surgeon informed me that everything looked fine and that I should consume way more fibre than I currently do… I am to take Metamucil daily as well.  At least I know my insides are in good health

3.  Bootcamp is continuing to go well.  I am continuing to see great results.  I found out this morning that I won a Gift Certificate to our local Health Food store through a draw I entered every time I attended a class.  It’s not much, $33, but will help.  I can stock up on my Vega smoothie protein powder again

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I’m going to leave you with some pictures of my month of June.  They include some sights of my town that I took pictures of during a biking scavenger hunt a few weeks ago.  It was so much fun.  Looking forward to taking part in the scavenger hunt next year. 

Isn’t the little Bambi adorable with a capital A?  It’s one of two that comes to visit me almost every day.  I took this pictures when she was right outside my kitchen window…. I could have reached out and touched it.  Baby must be just a couple of weeks old. 

Hope to be back soon with new eats and new adventures to tell about.

With love,

Bea

xoxo

May showers bring June…showers?

 

I love Alex Burrows… and I still remember when he scored the game winning and series winning goal during Round 1 against those pesky Chicago Blackhawks (sorry if you are a Chicago resident or Blackhawks fan). 

Now we are on to the final round and playing for the treasured trophy that all NHL hockey players play for… that Stanley Cup will be ours this year… after 40 years, it’s about time

We won our first game against the Bruins tonight, so all I can say is…………

GO CANUCKS GO!!!

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So what is up with this weather?  We had so much rain and cool temperatures during the month of May, it was ridiculous.  Environment Canada said that the last 2 months were the coldest in more than 50 years.  They were wetter and colder months than normal.  I sure hope it’s going to get better.. I hope that the saying “Every cloud has a silver lining” is correct.  How has the weather been where you live? Also below norms?  At least this weekend they are forecasting nice warm and sunny weather.  Let’s hope this is a sign of many good days to come.

So a few new things to let my readers know about….

1.  I had my consult with the Ear, Nose and Throat Specialist and they are finally going to be taking out my adenoids and tonsils.  Supposedly they are chronically enlarged and have a bunch of scar tissue from all of the infections.  Now I just have to wait for the booking clerk to call me for my surgery date, which will be sometime in the next 3 months.  I am kind of hoping it will be in the summer since I don’t want to miss 2 weeks of work, but I will take what I can get. 

2.  I am scheduled for my Gastroscopy and Colonoscopy this upcoming Tuesday.  I am not looking forward to drinking the Colyte… I can imagine it won’t be tasting very good and I have to drink a huge container full on an empty stomach, starting 3pm the day before the procedure.  At least they will be putting me to sleep (kind of)…they are calling it a conscious sedation.  Should be barrels of fun. haha.

3.  We are now on the final stretch of the school year.  The month of June will be a busy one…field trips, final evaluations, finishing up the curriculum and of course the pesky report cards.  Then it’s 2 months of freedom…woohoo. 

4.  My knee has finally healed itself.  I tore a ligament in my knee after one of my runs and hobbled around for a good couple of weeks.  Now that it seems to be 95% better, I am back into the swing of things.  I am still not running, but enjoying Tennis, Bootcamp and back on my bike alot.  I weighed in today at bootcamp and was impressed with my numbers.  I am down 4% in body fat, my muscle mass has increased, and my BMI has dropped…all this in 4 weeks of bootcamp.  Looking forward to seeing more results. 

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And now for some food.  I’ve been trying to incorporate more balanced meals into my meals, as well as reducing my portion sizes.  So once again, here is a recap of my eats over the last few weeks.  Sorry for the poor quality of photos.. I have been lazy with recharging my camera.  I will do that tomorrow.  Sometimes the blackberry is just so much easier. 

My awesome neighbour brought me over this Salmon and Halibut Curried Pasta Salad.  It hit the spot after a really long day.

Curry Chicken and Veggies on a medley of brown rice.

Yummy Chicken Quesadillas.  I used pita bread because I didn’t have any tortillas.

Hmm… my favourite breakfast meal…. Cinnamon French Toast with natural yogurt and apples.

Grilled maple salmon with Rice, grilled asparagus and Brussel sprouts.

An awesome post-workout salad… 2 cups of fresh Spinach, 1 apple, 6 baby carrots, 1/2 cup strawberries, 10 walnut halves.  Then I drizzled it with 3 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar and 2 teaspoons of maple syrup.  Sweet and tangy. 

I had some leftover pork tenderloin that I sautéed and mixed together with fresh mushrooms, spinach, carrots, celery and a low-sodium free range Chicken broth, Fish Sauce, worstershire sauce, garlic and a couple teaspoons of Thai Green Curry and ginger.

Turkey Pasta over a bed of Spinach and Gluten-free spaghetti. 

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That’s it…. hope to be back soon. 

 

With much love….

xoxoxo

Beaglebea