Cure for the Common Cold

I woke up this morning with a sore throat, and plugged nose.
The Common Cold has struck again.
I'm actually surprised I lasted this long, seeing as how my dad had it pretty bad not too long ago, and Katie just had it last week.

But I don't want this to stick around , so I wasted no time in brewing up Taryn's healing elixir :)

Allow me to share.

When I arrived at Strathcona Park Lodge in early May last year, it was still like the middle of winter. I didn't realize how high in the mountains it was, until I drove up and saw snowy peaks just across the lake.

Needless to say, I was unprepared for the weather, when I had left Kamloops wearing shorts and t-shirts.

So were a few other people. It wasn't long til people were stumbling around, blowing their noses, eyes watering, throats aching.

Luckily, my friend Taryn is amazing with natural remedies. She would make this drink for the poor sufferers, and inevitably they would feel much better after they finished their mug.

I was skeptical, mostly because it looked nasty, and smelled quite strong. And I'm not a huge fan of ginger. I avoided it, until I got home and got a cold. And then remembered what she had taught me, and it works folks....it really works.

Plus its all natural, and tastes better than Neo Citron (and it won't make you drowsy).

So here's the recipe. Its easy. You only need 4 things.

*A thumb-size piece of fresh ginger root
*Half a lemon (I have a theory that using a fresh lemon is better than the bottled juice)
*Honey (to taste)
*Cayenne pepper

I only used a small part of this ginger

1. Peel your ginger, and slice it. Place it in a small pot, and add 2 cups of cold* water


2. Heat to med-high. Boil for 5 minutes, or until the water takes on a distinctly yellow tinge

3. Juice your lemon half.


4. Strain the ginger water into a mug, and add the lemon juice.
5. Add 1-2 spoonfuls of honey, depending on how sweet you like it. Don't leave it out, you're gonna need it.

6. Throw in a pinch of cayenne pepper.

Voila!

Now drink up! Its not the most pleasant thing out there, but it works...

I don't know why the ginger works, but its very soothing to the sore throat. Lemon is full of vitamin c, and I think honey is also used for soothing the throat, as well as improving the flavor. The cayenne pepper is used for something to do with improving circulation . Its actually not as nasty as it sounds. I'm actually acquiring a taste for it.


*I used cold water, because I think it extracts more from the ginger than hot water. For me its the same principal as when making soup stocks with bones. You start the bones in cold water and as it heats up it draws the goodness out. Conversely, when you want to keep the good stuff IN, you start it on something hot, ie: a steak on a grill. There you have it...I DID learn something from a year in culinary school...

Feelin' Granola

I recently saw a recipe for homemade granola, on A Piece of Cake. I love this blog because it has,
1. Great photos
2. Great stories
3. Great recipes

When I was working at Strathcona Park Lodge, the morning cooks made all their own granola, and it was extremely similar to this recipe. I would eat it every morning before work.

The method is very basic, but it is so versatile. At the lodge, you never knew what would be in the granola that morning...it was always different! Nuts, seeds, dried fruit, coconut...whatever you like can get tossed in, and whatever you don't like can be left out! *I prefer crasins over the cherries, and walnuts instead of almonds.

I made a batch this morning, and I'm eating a bowl now for lunch...yum! It tastes just right.

Starting the Year Off Right

So I decided I'd better get started with my goals of becoming little Susie Homemaker...

I actually started this project last summer, while I was at Strathcona Park Lodge.
I was inspired by my unique and creative friend Taryn, who seemed to think people can do anything they put their minds to. We worked in the kitchen together, and so we had many opportunities to talk about everything, and anything. I discovered in her a really amazing person who exudes joy and contentment with herself and life in general...an intriguing characteristic, to someone such as myself who has difficulty with that. In other ways we were very similar, so I found myself wondering why I couldn't adpot her positive thinking and open mindedness.
Taryn was very encouraging to me, especially when it came to trying new things (since she was vegan and gluten-free, this really applied to the area of food as well!) She is a very creative person, who draws, paints, sews, weaves (on a loom she built), and did all manner of craftsy artsy things. Not only that, she drew me into her sphere of creativity too.
Inspired by her confidence and you-can-do-it attitude, Taryn somehow made me believe that I too, can make things and try out different creative venues.
So I made moccasins, Thai Fisherman pants (picture below), got dreads, ate vegan food, went for long walks/hikes/drives all by myself, and discussed ideas and views I'd previously taken for granted.

My "Hippie Pants"

It was exciting, exhilarating, and freeing.
After completing my pants on her sewing machine, I was feeling pretty good about my creative abilities, and so when I saw a sling bag that belonged to my friend Barb, I asked myself, "Why can't I make that?". I examined it, and determined it wouldn't be "that hard". After all, it was only 2 pieces.
I traced it, cut out my homemade pattern, bought fabric in the discount bin at the fabric store, and dove in.
In my enthusiasm, I may not have thought it all out properly...

When I pinned it all together, somehow it didn't fit. Instead of a large sack-like shape, I had a bag with two weird pouches on either side. Confused and frustrated, I pinned, and re-pinned, sewed, picked out stitches, and re-sewed...and picked-out stitches again.

By now, hours had gone by. I was tired, and fed up with this first solo sewing adventure.
I guessed that by tracing the bag for my pattern, I had created a curved edge where there should have been a straight edge, and I didn't have the patience or will to figure out how to correct it. I also didn't have enough fabric to cut out a new one, so I felt that I had wasted a lot of time, money, and energy. Project: FAILED.

I didn't touch the thing again...until today.

Today I resolved to get started on my crafting resolution. The bag had to be conquered. It represented my mental block concerning my confidence in my own creative abilities. "I can't" had to become, "I can...if I try hard enough".
Resisting my natural tendency to avoid anything I'm "not good at", I dragged out the pieces, ironed them, and worked out what needed fixing. I decided the bag needed panels on either side to fill in the 'blanks' that I had made by curving the fabric, so that the bottom would fit in naturally, instead of becoming tight in the middle and creating those loose pouches.

Long story short, I made a pattern for the panel, and it worked!
Encouraged by this victory, I hauled the sewing machine upstairs and set to work with renewed energy. With my dear mother's help in getting the machine's cooperation, I was soon whittling away at the project.
By 8:30 tonight, I was proudly displaying my completed sling bag (it even has pockets on the inside), and even though its far from perfect, I'm really pleased with it. While sewing might never be my strength, I have proven to myself that that doesn't have to stop me.
Its a good feeling.
I don't know why this pic is upside down and I can't get it to change! Anyway, you'll be able to see a little bit of the seams if you click on it.

Eye of the Beholder

I am coming down with a cold now.
I was sneezing last night at work, and then when I woke up early this morning my throat was like a gravel road. On a rocky mountain. With sand.
Being the kind of person that believes sleep cures most ailments, I rolled over, and went back to dreamland for a couple hours.
When I got up, it was much better, but I feel like I have to do all that I can to keep it at bay.
As soon as I get the proper ingredients, I will introduce your to Taryn's Elixer for the Common Cold, which my one of my very good friend's from Strathcona used to cure everyone at the lodge when we were all suffering from sore throats and sniffles.

Until then, I do not have the strength or will to come up with interesting blog topics.
So today I bring you another Strathcona special, which we cooks discussed because we spent numerous hours in the kitchen working with our hands and not our minds, and had nothing better to do...

The statement in question was,

Women Place More Value in Beauty Than Men Do.

Bear in mind, it is acknowledged to be a generalized statement, which means obviously not everyone is the same...therefore, "Women in General," and "Men in General" would be more accurate wording.

Also, we are not talking specifically Physical Beauty. This is just Beauty in General.

We really had to word our discussion statements carefully over there.
It got pretty intense.

So what do you think?
I know I have both male and female readers, so I'd love to hear from both sides...

A Loss Keenly Felt

It was a great day and I was having fun.
Spending time with a wonderful friend on a beautiful beach.
The Ocean was warm, and we dipped in our toes, and then waded.
I fell in, and decided to go swimming.
We tossed our things on the shore and frolicked in the salty water, seaweed, and sand.
Splashing, dancing away from fish and crabs, laughing...never realizing the sinister force at work.
Time passes quickly when you're having fun. We finally turn back.
Where are our things?
A little worry grows. Did we leave them further up? Did we drift away from them? Did someone take our stuff?
I think it was here.
Karissa plunges a hand into the murky shallows, and retrieves a sopping, seaweedy mess.
Conflict of emotions:
Hurray we found our stuff! My glasses are not washed away!
Oh no! My camera...!
I open the case and a flood of seawater comes out.
The lens is swimming with liquid destruction.
Foul tide! Sneaky and silent and lethal as a ninja, Poseidon has claimed another victim.
No last pictures of friends around the lodge, no candid snaps at the upcoming wedding...
There will be a gaping hole, a festering wound, in my scrapbook of 2009.
This will be a loss keenly felt.

Spelunking!

The other day two friends from the lodge and I drove out past Gold River to visit the Upana caves! The park is out in the middle of nowhere on a back road to Tahsis, surrounded by mountains, with a small river running through it. We were armed with hard hats, headlights, rain gear, and a poorly designed map which allowed us to partake of a self-guided tour.

Nancy, Me, and Cole just before our first spelunk!

At first we walked right by the caves. Some entrances/exits were hidden in the bushes, others appeared to be nothing but an overhang at first glance, and others seems just too small. WELL...little did we know!
At last we got our map sorted out and realized, hey this must be a cave! Nancy was terrified at first, but I was eager to do some exploring, so I took the lead. At first it was very narrow, and then it expanded suddenly into a spacious, if cool and drippy, cavern. As we clambered over slick unsteady stones, the cave gradually spiraled downwards, growing narrower and narrower as it went along. I couldn't believe it was so big, and went so far! From the outside it hadn't looked like much at all! Some places were quite tight, some required crawling on hands and knees, and for others wriggling like an earthworm was necessary. It was so worth it though!
The biggest cave had multiple openings, and was so large I could imagine Robin Hood and his merry men living in it. My favorite part was discovering a tunnel that went straight up. Naturally, I had to climb...
It kept going up and up, and then it lead straight out to what would appear like a small hole in the ground from above. Another was very low, so that we had to waddle like ducks throughout the exploration...even more duck-like because it was nearly up to our knees in black, very creepy water. I didn't like that one so much, because there could have been anything hiding in there...ick.
I've been in a few caves before, once in Guatemala, and once in Ireland, and while both were bigger, they were also guided tours with far less freedom to explore and enjoy in your own time. This was a great (free!) day trip that would be fun to do again!

Where's the Pause button?

I can't believe...cannot grasp...that it is well into August already. Sort of. I mean, I honestly feel like time is going so fast that I can't keep track of it anymore. The pages of the calendar are doing that fast-flippy thing they do in the movies to show months passing in a matter of seconds.
The end of my time at Strathcona is in sight. Like, for real. August 25 on the schedule reads, "Thank you!" signifying that my name and hours will not listed be on the next week.
I find myself thinking about packing up my things, and how the heck is it all going to fit in my car? And how do I manage to accumulate so much in such a short period of time? And why did I spend money on that? Wait...I never think that.I also begin to think, hm I really should spend more time with that person, or too bad I didn't hang out with them more.
And then I ponder what the future holds.
Some of you may be aware that I am not going back to school in the Fall. Instead, I am going to find full-time work which will not necessarily be, or even likely to be, in the food service industry.
I'm trying out new things this year, and hopefully learning a lot, and saving a lot! I'm very excited for it, but it does mean a lot of change and challenges. For one, in a few weeks I will be doing one of the things I hate most: job hunting! Yick.
In two short weeks one of my oldest friends, Caliegh, is getting married, and a week after that my dearest Lizzie is getting married as well! I'm excited to be a part of that, and looking forward to seeing her and all my Kamloops friends again!

It all seems like its coming so fast, and this whole season at the lodge has simply flown by. Its going to be hard to leave the island, and the friends I've made here, and friends that I've been able to visit so often that I usually can't visit very often at all! But I think it will be good to go "home" for a while, and feel like I'm a little more permanently situated for once.
Anyway that's enough rambling from me! Now you know what's going on. I may or may not write again soon!

Hooray!

I woke up to the sound of RAIN this morning!!!
I'm very excited.

Respite

All this dry, dry heat has been a real killer.
There is no end in sight as the temperatures remain in the 30's for the next couple weeks. However, it has, shall we say, sparked a way out.
There are wildfires all around the park's vicinity. Some near Gold River. We are not in any danger...don't worry! The good news is all the smelly smoke has blocked out the sun, and we have all been able to cool off! I've actually been sleeping with my blankets ON, and it was chilly this morning when I left my room. Yesterday the kitchen temperatures were actually bearable, and I have a feeling today will be even better.

Sauna

It has been so hot here these days.
Its reminding me why I don't miss Kamloops summers. Because they are always this hot.
And I can't stand it.
I am not a hot weather person. I get cranky and irritable and my brain begins to melt out my ears.
Its especially awful when you work in the kitchen where the ovens are blasting hot air, and there are open flames on the stove, and the dishwasher is pumping out steam, and all you can think about it is the possibility of spontaneous combustion, and the sweat trickling down your back.
I've been drinking so much water this week, but I'm always thirsty, and my throat is always dry.
My skin is permanently sticky and its grossing me out! Not to mention having dreads in this weather is like wearing a perma-tuque. I guess that will be nice in the Fall...

Sorry for being such a whiner.

But...

Today it was 39 degrees in the shade.

Outside.

Not in the kitchen.

Beeeeautiful!

On the same day I went to the Dutch Import store, I also visited Cathedral Grove, and old growth forest on the way towards Tofino.
It was sooooo cool!I love forests so much, especially West Coast forests! They are so lush, green, and dense! Cathedral Grove has some trees 300+ years old, which I guess is relatively young in comparison with some forests, but seeing trees this huge is still pretty impressive!
Apparently this is where they shot the Ewok Village scenes from Return of the Jedi...It was very cool, and I had to take lots of pictures, because when I get back to Kamloops, I can kiss green forests goodbye!

Dutch Much?

The other day my friend Cole and I headed south to explore Coombs, the Cathedral Grove, and basically just get away from the lodge!
As we were leaving Coombs I spotted a sign by the side of the road that said "Dutch Imports: 4km". Being the good little Dutch girl that I am (well the maternal half, anyway) I eagerly insisted that we check it out. I smelled dropjes!
It was easy to find. A vibrant orange sign, and the above tourist attractions made it pretty obvious! It took .5 seconds for me to whip out my camera and get these shots.
Then we explored the inside. It was so funny! Just like being in a Dutch tourist shop. Magnets declaring "I love Oma", and traditional white hats, and Dutch soccer jerseys, and lots of Delft...
And there was food. Lots of weird food packaged in Dutch so I couldn't understand.
My favorite part was located in the far right side of the store. Bins and bins of dropjes in bulk. All my favorites, and many more I haven't ever tried before! Cole was disgusted of course, but that didn't stop her from trying out the little dropjes labeled "Extremely salty! Go ahead and feel free to try a sample!". I loved 'em, but she spit hers out. Big surprise!
I'm not going to lie: I spent an exorbitant amount on dropjes that day, and I've enjoyed every moment eating them.
We also spent a lot of time chatting with the store owners. They were the nicest people...probably because they were Dutch. And they own the best store ever.

Dreaded

Yes, its true.
Before...

I've been dreaded.
After!
I know I look like I've become a total hippy since moving out here, but...I've wanted dreads for a long, long time. And the time was right.
Halfway through the long process:
Actually, I was going to get them done in June, but couldn't find anywhere to get the wax, so it was postponed for a month. My friend Haley sat down with me on July 6th, and I spent the better part of the day getting dreaded. At first it looked like a tarantula had died on my head. I could not believe the volume! It was uncontainable for about a week.
Slowly they've calmed down. Now, 3 weeks later, they look a lot better. They take a lot of maintenance at the beginning: I wax and roll them almost every night, or else they get fuzzy and start to come apart. Have I stopped washing my hair? Well, I did for for nearly 2 weeks without washing it...not gonna lie. It gave them a headstart in life, ok? Now I wash them with special "dread shampoo" which is made with hempseed oil and peppermint or something. It smells nice.
And it stopped the intense itchy head that I got from not washing it!
Anyway...now the secret it officially out! I wanted to surprise my parents, but ended up giving them some warning. Didn't want my mom to freak out too bad ;P

Project #2 Completed!

Well, actually they are not entirely done, because I still have to put soles on them. But essentially, this is what they will look like when they are complete.
They are handmade moccasins! Moccasins made by my hand.

Each shoe is made from two pieces of buffalo buckskin, sewn together with artificial sinew. I chose to sew them flesh-side out instead of the usual skin-side out, because I like the fuzzy look.Then I cut out some strips of moose leather for the ankle ties. They wrap around twice, so that's why the laces are so long. I like 'em a lot!

Ps. I am SO close to finished Project #1, but the sewing needle broke so it was postponed. I might get a chance to work on them tonight!

Thunderous Storm

The other night I fell asleep to the pitter patter of rain on the roof...quite soothing.
A few hours later, I was awakened by the loudest crack of thunder I think I have ever heard! It was a bit of a scary moment! I froze into a rigid, confused little ball. The rain had become a torrential storm, beating against the building on all sides, and an icy cold draft stole through the window, snaking its way around my neck and beneath my warm duvet. My roommate was away so I was alone in this big old room, while the room became fully illuminated again and again as lightening struck, and thunder boomed milliseconds afterwards.
I was right in the very center of this storm!
I still can't believe how loud the thunder was...seriously, it was so intense and crazy. It sounded like the property was ripping apart from the very core of the earth. I'm not one to be afraid in a thunderstorm- I actually think they are fantastic, and enjoy them very much- but I'm not going to lie to you...I was a little freaked out. This one sounded like it was right outside my door. And it was. I wondered if our building would be struck by lightening and set on fire. Luckily, we were spared.
However, a tree in the high-ropes course just behind us was struck, and ruined.

The next morning it was all anyone could talk about.
All us BC-ers were so wowed, but everyone from East of BC was like, "We get storms like that all the time!"
Craziness! It was a first time for me!

Life is Good

Today I...
1. slept in
2. did 1 1/2 hours of yoga on a warm sandy beach
3. ate a yummy lunch (that I didn't make)
4. drove to Campbell River with friends
5. found some good deals on a sale rack
6. blasted my music on the drive home and sang along
7. went for a swim in the lake...sooo nice!

and now I will...

8. work on craft project number 2 (picture to come)
9. eat a yummy supper (that I didn't make)
10. work on craft project number 1 and hopefully finish it, or come close!

After that, who knows. Maybe I will read, or watch a movie or....

well, that's gonna be a secret until later on...hee hee hee....

Coombs

I randomly had last Thursday off, so I jetted South in search of the fabled, "Coombs: land of weird shopping". I was under the impression that it was somewhere between Campbell River and Courtenay, but apparently that was a lie...
I called up my good friends Karissa and Karen, and drafted them into my search party. Luckily, Karissa knew where Coombs was. So we got there. And tried on hilarious animal tuques.
And perused the limitless ice cream flavors available. Karissa got Moose Tracks, Karen got Lemon Meringue (my runner up), and I got Licorice...which was delicious!! But apparently my smile of delight was kind of freaky.
After that we tracked down the Goats.
You know...the ones on the roof.
It was quite an awesome day.

Midnight Drive

After a great day out at the lake, hanging out with friends, and tubing behind a speedboat, I cranked up my music and headed back to the Lodge.
I love driving alone...not that I don't like driving with people, but there's a certain freedom when you can cruise along blaring the music of your choosing and singing along at the top of your lungs...

Anyway, point of the story...by the time I got to the lodge, I wasn't ready to end my alone time. So I kept on going...

and pulled over somewhere along the road, to take in the beautiful view of the sunset....It was so silent and peaceful. Not a car on the road, not a sound. Just the moonlight, Peppy, and me.

It was the best.

Myra Falls

Last week some fellow cooks and I took off for an afternoon to explore Lower Myra Falls.


It was such a gorgeous location. I was in awe of the thundering waters, and view of the mountains. The perfect place for a photoshoot :)
I love being out in nature.

MouseAdventures

After a long day of work yesterday (11 hours...ugh) I arrived home to find a neat little mouse turd right smack in the middle of my bed. Just a pleasant reminder of my little mouse friend, Houdini's, existence.
After his close call with the mousetrap, the nights in the Annex have been pretty quiet. I thought he had finally decided to leave.
It was not to be.
He woke me up sometime between 12/1AM, scrambling around like a maniac. I turned on my light and watched him scurry about the room, revolted, irritated, and a little squeamish. I wanted to throw my hiking shoe at him and squish him. But I didn't want to get too close, and I didn't want to wake everyone up.
Eventually my roommate did wake up, and we plotted the mouse's demise in the darkness. We set our traps in strategic places, but he just kept running back and forth between my half of the room, and hers.
Then he went next door and woke our neighbours up. They have peanut butter.
My roommate knew this, and quickly ran over there to get some. We baited our trap and waited...

Sure enough, even Houdini cannot resist the temptation of peanut butter.
He didn't go down without a fight though. Oh no, not this one. He couldn't die a quick, peaceful death. He had to thrash around for five minutes and make sure we were good and awake before he bit the bullet.

I thought maybe he had escaped again, because later I heard another mouse sound. I think it must be Party Mouse's cousin. Also known as...victim #12. Muahaha!