Gramma and Sandy cook Salmon Chowder

Me again with Gramma!!! It's always good when Gramma comes because she helps with so many things. And cooks us nut cake... mmmm....

She helped hem the living room curtains this time...

We also made some onion muffins...

Originally it was a recipe for zucchini muffins, but a few years ago, Gramma experimented and came up with onion muffins... they have a touch of jalapeno in them... Soooo good!!! I'm thinking Little Fox's friend, Reindeer, might like them?

But today, the big project is making salmon chowder.... First we dice up some garlic, onions, carrot and celery with some... wait for it... bacon!!! (Hi Droopy... I know... two posts with bacon in it back-to-back... go figure).

Then you saute the bacon... and then the veggies...

Then you add the salmon broth...

 And let it simmer away...

This is hard work you know... watching things simmer....

Are we done yet? I've never had salmon chowder? Is it any good? Silly question... anything that Gramma cooks is good!!

Oh yum... towards the end, we added the salmon into it (it was already cooked)...

Oh, and we added some peas and corn from the freezer just to bulk it up a bit... mmmm...

Chef Sandy cooks Rouladen (with a bit of help)

Hullo, Chef Sandy here. Today I am going to supervise the creation of rouladen. Mmmm... sooo yummy!!!  We have three packages of rouladen meat...

Certified Angus beef... yum!

And now we need some diced bacon...

I know a certain Droopy Dog who is probably going nuts right now... yes... that bacon looks good, doesn't it?

And some thinly sliced onions...

Wait, what is this??? Someone has pulled out the least fatty bits of the bacon for their rouladen? Who would do that???

Surprise!!!! It's Gramma!!! She's here for a visit!!

 Nose noogies with Gramma...

Now we pound the heck out of the meat...

It's hard being a Chef supervisor you know...

Squeeze on some mustard and smear it around...

Then add bacon and onions...

Not so hard is it? Well.... not when you have Gramma to help!

Then you roll up the rouladen, poke them together with toothpicks and tie them up with string for good measure.... And now we roll the rouladen in flour (we forgot that part last time).

Make sure to pat off excess flour....

Now the messy part... you get a pot going at super high heat and then drop them into a bit of oil so that they sear on the outside...

Then we put them in the slow-cooker with some onions on the bottom. And some water that has gotten all the ooey-gooey goodness of the pot that you just seared them in. And now we wait...

Or... maybe not... Gramma's making something else? With eggs and sugar? Hmmm...

A certain Jerry bear might be a little interested now!

And finally... we sit down to dinner with fall-apart rouladen, potato dumplings and red cabbage... and gravy of course. Mmmm....

But wait... there is more...

For dessert we get a Nut Cake or Nut Torte... just basically ground hazelnuts, sugar and eggs I think... with a bit of rum aroma... mmmmm...

 Chef Sandy signing off... stay-tuned for more Adventures with Gramma!

Treasure Hunt Photos!

My pal Beanie Mouse hosted a Treasure Hunt contest for May. I did a bit of scrambling and... came up with some photos. But yarn on a pole??? Seriously?

1. Manhole/Drain Cover

This one is pretty darn cool I think. That's supposed to be the moon. There was another one with the sun in the middle.

2/ Graffit'd Cable Box
 We do them kind of special out here...

3. Graffit'd Wall
Eagles you know... and ocean and arbutus trees!

4. Metal dropped on sidewalk.
A bolt... or is it a nut? I hope it's not important from someone's bike or car!

5. Abandoned Book
We found this book on the ferry last year... can't find the picture for the life of me... soooo...

6. Button on Sidewalk
This one has a griffin on it! I think... it could be a lion. It's tiny!

7. Knitting attached to lamp post/tree/etc.
Errr... no such creatures here... but this gnome house might have knitting inside. I knocked but no one came to the door... Does that count?

8. Yellow Bike
Hah!! A motor-bike

9. Flag up a Flag Pole
Yep... there they are....

10. Skull (with or without crossbones)
It's a deer skull... without crossbones! But has antlers instead!

11. Bonus - Metal Sculpture from bits and bobs

Sandy... the Orca Rider!

Neat, eh?

Whew! Done! And just under the wire... at least Pacific Time...

Back Online... I hope.

Ok... are we ready... argh? What is it with these vertical coloured bars... ***whacking noise***

Hello? Are we live?? Ugh... ***more whacking noises***

Oh... well... that's no better... let me just... urgh... thump this... mmph... darn thing again... *whack*

That's better... let me just... adjust.... the angle a bit...

Ack!!! Static and colour bars!!! Just one more time now... *whack*

Wait... hold it right there... that's perfect... now just carefully zoom out a bit.... They can practically see my nose hairs...

And just a wee bit more....

Perfect... ah-hem...

Sandy Bear here! I know, it's been ages since I've posted anything. Combination of sekrebeary issues (they get sooooo easily stressed and overwhelmed you know)... busy spring... visitors and goodness knows what else. Anyhow... I am hoping we have the kinks ironed out for now. Good help is soooo hard to find.

Before I catch up on all my adventures... and I have been having adventures (just no blogging of those same adventures!)... I got some mail today!! It's a card from Astrobear Ajdin... He's found the Space Shuttle finally! I wonder if he's going on the Mars expedition?? It would be great if he could be the First Bear in Space. Assuming of course that none of those other people ever took one of their bears into space... you never know...

Thanks Ajdin!!!

Farewell Victoria

Sigh... it was a great trip. We ended it by driving to the top of Mount Douglas - a great view from here. You can see all the way to the Olympic Peninsula...

I didn't see even a fraction of what Victoria has to offer... it would be a great location for a Stuffie Tour!

Hope you enjoyed the trip with me!