As I am writing this post we are having very strange weather for April. One minute the sun is out and the next heavy ice pellets are falling from very dark clouds. When I went to the store I was bombarded with three different batches of these white things. Where is Spring? The ice is going out of the lakes, most of the ones around here are now ice free. None of them are very deep. I think the ice will be gone from our big Lake in Canada soon if not already. It is always a fascinating time for me to be there and watch it go out. It is very noisy and I love the sound.

Update on Jenny Lane

We started the week off very quietly. After last week we were not unhappy to have a reprieve despite being very excited to get this current project just a little more finished. The days were nice so the boys were working on outside projects and put us off until it rained on Friday. It was quite the day. This was the day the heated floor and tile was to go in the bathroom. They brought in an expert, Forest, who has a lot of experience installing this kind of flooring as well as tiling. It was interesting to watch him work with the team – they showed him great deference.

Two worked on the bathroom while the other two did work in the laundry room. They installed the dryer vent – I know doesn’t sound like much but it certainly was. They just missed the wires to one of the wall plugs but they cut through the wall to the outside and got it hooked up. Next they decided to install, temporarily, the tall cupboard that is going in one corner. Temporary because it has to line up with the sink cabinet which is on order so it can be moved if/when necessary. Then they installed the under the stairs cupboard. Both of these were extra due to shipping issues and ended up being a gift to us as the company didn’t want them back. So glad we were able to use them.

And finally, we are trying to choose a color to paint the outside of the house. With any luck this will happen in the next few weeks. This is what we think.

Walking This Week Outdoors

The dogs and I got out and walked on the Rail Trail and through the Proctor Ski Area this week. It was heaven. The snow is melting pretty fast on the ski hill but I could see they were using the groomer for something. Maybe just to check on things. We were all curious. It is a great pleasure to be outside walking again without the ice. It puts a big smile on all our faces. We ran into a few friends and had a couple of wonderful conversations catching up after the winter. The dogs enjoyed scratching their backs on the rough field grass.

On Friday, when the tiling and construction was going on, I spent the time in the kitchen baking a cake. I love to bake cakes and haven’t done any in quite a long time. Mostly because then I eat them. This one was to take to a friend’s house for dinner. To be totally honest, this looks way better than it was. It was a pretty healthy cake but it was so awfully dry. We served it with some coffee gelato which helped and the icing was terrific. However, I think there was something off with my ratio of flour to the coconut milk. The batter was more like bread dough than cake batter. It did taste pretty good but I need to make it again to see what I did wrong. Again, it looked prettier than it tasted!

Another Half-Baked Harvest recipe that we loved and this one tasted better than my photo makes it look. Here’s the recipe for Creamy Bacon and Tuscan Shrimp.

2 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 pounds jumbo raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped or grated
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon paprika
Crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil, drained and chopped (I used dried and soaked them)
1/2 cup dry white wine, such as pinot grigio
1 cup full-fat coconut milk or heavy cream (I used coconut milk)
3 cups baby spinach
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Juice of 1 lemon
Fresh basil leaves for garnish
Bread or pasta for serving (we had pasta)
Place the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook until crispy. Transfer bacon to a paper towel lined bowl. Add the olive oil to the bacon fat and heat over medium heat. Pat the shrimp dry. When the oil is shimmering, add the shrimp and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, flipping once, until the shrimp are pink and opaque, about 2 minutes per side. Add the garlic, rosemary, oregano, paprika and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Continue cooking, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and cook until their oils release, about 1 minute. Pour in the wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan and bring to simmer. Cook until the liquid is reduced slightly, 2-3 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk, spinach and Parmesan. Return to a simmer and cook until the spinach is wilted, 2 to 3 minutes more. Remove the skillet from the heat. Stir in the lemon juice. Sprinkle the bacon and basil over the top. Serve with crusty bread or pasta.

We are heading to Canada for the first time in 31 months on Wednesday. I am so looking forward to getting back to our home up there and to seeing how it weathered all that time without us. Yes there were folks staying there but it’s not the same thing, is it.