Hi to all Canadians, I just wanted to wish you all a Happy Canada Day. Here in my part of Alberta we’re having a very hot sunny day, when we had the big snowstorm in April it didn’t seem as though we’d ever be warm again! A sad thing about that storm, many of the Canada Geese eggs that were laid by the geese that migrated early froze.
Happy Birthday Canada!
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And Happy Canada Day to you, from BC. It is hot again here today, but thankfully, not as bad as yesterday. Still ...I think I'll wait to continuing painting the outside of the house until later this afternoon. (Some of us will use any excuse in the books to stay inside and sew ...giggle!)
I know what you mean, I've been washing and drying some of the new fabric I just bought a couple of weeks ago on our shopping trip south of the border, washer and dryer are in the cool basement. Now if I could just figure out something cool to make for supper, other than a salad (or cereal). Marsha.
Hi, Marsha - we haven't heard from you for ages! Happy Canada Day to you, too, from BC (yah, I moved here May 1st), so I'm really glad we met at the Creative Stitches show in March.
Yes, that was a terrible storm in April - too bad about the Canada Goose eggs.
You're not going to want to come out of the cool basement to make supper. If you don't want salad or cereal, you'll just have to BBQ. Have a great day - & a good time sewing up all that new material. Take care!
Gloria
Hi Gloria, great to hear from you. Yes, I'm glad we were able to meet at the sewing show, I hadn't tried to get in touch with you as I thought you'd be busy moving, packing and unpacking. You really made a move, right out of the province, I thought you were just going to another place in the city. No doubt the lack of available houses or apartments and the high rents were a deciding factor. What area in BC are you? The heat continues, so it will be a taco salad for supper. Stay in touch, Marsha.
Your Taco Salad sounds yummy! Thanks for the suggestion. I think I'll make it tonight, too, &, if Sewslow gives us her Chinese Chicken Salad recipe, that will take care of tomorrow, too. I'm trying not to bake, too, but the cookie jars are nearly empty (I'd hoped I would have enough to last until it cools off outside), so may have to bake squares early in the AM & cook up some potatoes. We're never prepared for the heat, eh? If it lasts, we run out of meal ideas fairly fast, as men get tired of main salads for every meal, & we don't have a BBQ anymore (really miss it). We're improvising, though :). Take care.
Gloria
Glad I could help with the taco salad suggestion. Although we have two bbq's we don't use them, not really worth the effort for just the two of us. That Chinese Chicken salad sounds good, I'll have to try it sometime, need to get a few of the ingredients first though. Keep cool, Marsha.
We used to BBQ for two all the time, but we had a larger BBQ. Now I'd like to get a smaller one. When we did BBQ, we made enough for the next night, too, so it wasn't a waste of time (except when we had steak) or gas. Speaking of gas, our car gas went up to 1.49.9 today = yikes!
As for Sewslow's chicken salad recipe, I don't keep peanut oil in the house, either, but I use canola or olive, instead. I wouldn't think it would change the taste that much. Now I'll see if I have the water chestnuts on hand (although I've read that you can substitute raw potato instead). I'll see how it goes. Keep cool, yourself! It's up to 32C here now & no wind.
Gloria
The next cool day we have, I'm going to cook some chicken and freeze small portions of it. Then it will be ready to toss into a salad on these hot days. In fact, it might be a good idea to do the same with a small piece of beef and pork as well. I've got a recipe (don't we all) for Chinese Chicken Salad that is so yummy, that my husband doesn't even notice that we're not have a "meat and potatoes" kind of supper.
This scorching weather and a cool basement is enough to justify another sewing machine ...just for a basement craft room ...to supplement the one upstairs ...when the weather is boiling. This is only my second summer here, and I must admit, I had no idea that the summers got so hot. Still, it beats Phoenix, AZ. which was 110-degrees Fahrenheit last week. Good Grief ...talk about hot!
Cooking up some stuff and freezing it is what I wish I'd have been able to do, but as long as I don't do any baking, especially bread, the house doesn't get too hot. As for not wanting to eat a hot meal on a hot day, well, I just make the meal a bit earlier and let every thing cool. I think a taco salad will be on the menu tonight.
Getting a new sewing machine just for using in the basement won't work for me, I already have 7 sewing machines, one felting machine and two sergers. I could move one of those downstairs, but which one? I am so lousy at making decisions! I really should find some time to get some sewing done, I haven't sewn anything since before Christmas, at which time I broke my wrist. It wasn't until mid-April that I started adding to my fabric stash and collections of buttons, beads, threads, yarns and books. And have I ever made up for lost time!
You mentioned this is only your second summer here, where were your previous summers spent? Marsha.
Thanks for the Taco Salad idea; my husband as tickled with the idea when I told him ...so he says thanks as well. ;-) I moved to Canada from the US when I married a Canadian.
Wow! Seven sewing machines! I've got only one (but I love it, and it does everything beautifully ...including embroidery), and two sergers. But I would just LOVE to have a felting machine. I do want to add another Pfaff though, one that does not do embroidery. This way, I can be sewing while the other one is doing embroidery ...and being the same brand, I can inter-change feet.
Have a great day everyone. I'm off to sew.
Thanks for posting the Chinese Chicken Salad recipe, I don't have some of the ingredients on hand so my trying it will have to wait until the next time I go grocery shopping. I'm not too fond of peanuts, I wonder if there is a substitute for the peanut oil?
One of my sewing machines is a Pfaff Creative 1472, it's the one I use most of the time, it's a great machine. Marsha.
Do share your Chinese Chicken Salad with us - sounds good! I'm glad Marsha mentioned Taco Salad, as I'd completely forgotten about it & we run out of salad ideas when it's this hot, eh? I think I have enough stuff in the house for Taco Salad. I do have cold chicken in the fridge, so your recipe would be welcome. Are you from Phoenix? I just couldn't stand that kind of heat. Anything over 24C drives me nuts - I feel like I have to lay in a cool place or a cool floor like a dog :). Now I wish I had a basement. I'm to the point of wandering around with a water spritzer - it helps. Hope you had a good day yesterday.
Gloria
Hi Gloria: I agree with you; Marsha's idea of Taco Salad sounds great (and I'd forgotten about that one, too), so I think I'll make that for tonight as well. Now then, I'd love to share my Chinese Chicken salad recipe. The first time I made it was for a visit from my mother when I lived in Denver ...June 27, 1986. Funny ...but I frequently write a note in my books when I first served something, along with the date. Strange habit! ;-) Anyway, here it is:
Chinese Chicken Salad
Dressing
1/2 cup peanut oil
1/4 cup sesame oil
2 Tbsp. (or more) soy sauce
1 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
1 bunch scallions, sliced diagonally
3 celery stalks, sliced diagonally
1 Tbsp. freshly grated ginger root
Salad
6-8 water chestnuts
1 whole chicken breast, poached (I've just used any leftover chicken
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1 oz (2 Tbsp.) butter
1 head of romaine lettuce, finely sliced
1 can (1-lb. 2-oz.) chow mein noodles
For the dressing: Mix both oils with soy sauce. Add pepper. Add garlic, scallions, celery and ginger root. Let macerate as you stir occasionally.
For the salad: Slice water chestnuts and reserve. Remove skins and bones from chicken breasts and tear meat into long shreds. Saute chopped walnuts in melted butter until butter is absorbed (nuts are somewhat brown and aroma is irresistible). Let cool.
To Serve: In salad bowl, place sliced romaine, and layer chow mein noodles and chicken. Drain macerated vegetables and place on top. Reserve dressing.
Pour reserved dressing evenly over salad and sprinkle with water chestnuts and walnuts.
Optional Garnish: Use fresh sprigs of cilantro (alias coriander, Chinese or Italian parsley)
Enjoy!
Thanks so much for the recipe - sounds yummy! I wonder how many on these threads will be making Taco Salad tonight :). I'll plan for the chicken salad tomorrow (or I might switch them & have the chicken tonight).
That's a lovely idea of yours making notes on your recipes - brings back good memories every time you use them. Besides, these are the books/recipes that your children will value when the recipes are eventually passed on to them. I have done binders of favourite family recipes for my boys & they were so happy to get them, as the recipes are favourite of theirs, too, & aren't in most cookbooks.
Gloria
You are welcome. And ...I'm glad you mentioned making notebooks of all your favorite recipes for you kids. Mine have asked me to do the same for years, and I keep putting it off. Perhaps this will be the Christmas that I do that for both of them. I just needed another boost, I guess. ;-)
I'm sewing this afternoon (too hot to paint), and my husband wants to go up to one of the lakes later for a picnic and possibly a bit of fishing. (I guess the Taco Salad will have to wait). Happy Day!
Ah - a picnic beside a mountain lake - sounds wonderful (& hopefully a bit cooler). It's 32C here now, with a severe thunderstorm watch in effect, so we'll see how the day unfolds (still no clouds in the sky). Good luck fishing - maybe that will be your supper tonight?
Gloria
Happy Canada Day from the Nation's Capital, or rather just south of it anyways. Warm and finally dry here today, should be great for fireworks tonight. Going to go watch them in the little place near here tho, too busy on the hill for my taste. Cathy
Another B.C. HAPPY CANADA DAY wish - from the west coast where the sun is shining, light wind to speed the tall ships on their way.
That sounded wonderful - I can see it in my mind's eye (BTW, have you heard the Tall Ships Suite? It's a CD that was made in 1992 that I recently heard on CBC & had to order - beautiful, light classical, & you can actually 'see' the tall ships. as the music is expressive). At least it's cooler at the coast. We had a vivid & loud thunderstorm last night at the same time as the vivid & loud fireworks - quite a display with the lightning in the background, but no rain to cool things off. Hope you had a nice day.
Gloria
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