One Local Summer::Week 2

I was completely uninspired and too busy with the kids and getting ready for our second boating adventure (overnight!) that I may have copped out a little this week.
For breakfast Saturday morning I had a Monteray Jill Cheese Omlette, with a slice of homemade rye bread. As mentioned in my first week’s post, the eggs are from a local farm, and the cheese from Qualicum Cheeseworks.

The rye bread is from this fabulous book, and I adore making the bread recipes and feeling all clever and home-baked in no time. However, none of the ingredients are local. It did inspire me to look for local flour, and I could buy locally made bread in Cowichan Bay at the True Grain Bakery or at least, locally milled flour to make my own bread. I am going to attempt to get to Cowichan Bay before the end of the challenge and get both the flour and the bread.
The apple is a B.C. Tree Fruit (or so my local supermarket claims) so I’m guessing it’s from the Okanagon. Not within the 100 miles, but the picture needed some color and I love me some fruit. I have a feeling this was picked in the fall and stored because apples are certainly not in season right now. Strawberries are, but I haven’t seen any local sellers.
The coffee doesn’t even come close to meeting ANY requirements of the challenge, just the requirements of a Mama of a 2 mth old and a 20 mth old. It did motivate me to look for some more local options and I found Creekmore Coffee which is very close to my house and offers organic, fair trade coffee. We may never get local coffee, but I guess this is the next best thing! Will certainly be changing my coffee-buying habits from here on out.
If this challenge is doing anything for me, its forcing me to do the research I’ve been putting off for years.

Fathers

This has been the Week from Hell* and I could go on and on about the injustices and annoyances and how bitter and angry and sad I’ve felt numerous times over the course of the week. I could complain about the pump dying and being without water with two little ones since Tuesday night. About missing out on my much anticipated “Amber’s Night”. About being pulled over and realizing my insurance was expired. About my dog biting (yes BITING) the neighbour.
I want to. I want to just gripe and moan and feel downright sorry for myself.
Then I realized that this weekend is Father’s Day. After a week where a rather big part of me would like to give Steve a huge slap upside the head (and he deserves it, trust me), I really wasn’t in the mood to celebrate the man. Then I thought, hell, let it go girl.
Steve is a lot of things. He has the ability to procrastinate like no one else I know. He won’t, and probably never will, win the award for Most Considerate Man. He needs to be told, in Capital Letters, how I want to be appreciated and what I want for my birthday. Seriously, if I don’t actually say “Tonight you will go to this store and buy me this purchase for my birthday” I will get nothing. Not even a card (I used to get a card, but now he’s decided they’re environmentally unfriendly).
That said, he is also a great man. He prides himself in the work he does at his job, and has worked really hard to get to where he is right now and he’s good at it. He is gentle and patient and accepts me for the person I am, annoying faults and all. He will drive 45 minutes back to Nanaimo to pick up my purse, sunglasses or wallet because I left them somewhere, with no more than a joking jibe in my direction. He’ll let me give birth at home even though he was more than a little apprehensive. He’ll let me feed him natural peanut butter, and stop buying cheese. He’ll let me throw out all the plastic toys and bottles and not think I’ve lost my mind.
And he is an incredible father. Its been a joy to watch him with his children. He is attentive and protective, moreso than I could ever be and he makes me want to be the best Mama I can be. In the evenings when he is putting Callum in bed and the monitor is on I can hear him gently reading to our son, and then hear them throwing kisses to each other after he tucks Callum in bed. He’ll curl up next to his little girl and quietly talk to her, and her eyes light up with pure joy. If we’re out with friends, he gladly follows Callum around for hours, without complaining that he hasn’t had a chance to sit around and chat or drink a beer. He gets Callum out of bed in the mornings and gives him breakfast because he knows that if I have a chance to get dressed and showered first thing, I can take the kids to the park or go for a walk and we’re all a little happier. He always calls to let me know if he’ll be a little late and checks that its ok because he knows that the dinner hour can get a little crazy.

Even after a week where I just want to curl up in my bed, knit, and pretend the world doesn’t exist, I feel honored to be his wife and the mother of his children. So, a warm and loving Happy Father’s Day to the man in my life, and Happy Father’s Day to all the Dads out there!
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*The one sunny part of this week is that I finally got to meet the adorable Miss Gwen for the first time, which was a real delight. She was perfect and all smiles and coos the entire time I visited. There is talk that she can scream like no other, but I feel her parents lie. There was not even whimper the entire time I was there, even though Claire had two fits. Even if Laura refuses to call it crying

One Local Summer::Week One

So, my One Local Summer participating got off to a rocky start, I’m already two days late with this post (and the meal, even). But I did it, and I’m proud dammit. Really proud considering both my children screamed during the preparation of this meal and Claire hasn’t stopped yet. She’s still screaming while I type.

We had salmon patties from the French Creek Fisk Market, mixed salad greens and a sauted pepper from Nanoose Edibles, with some Monterary Jill Cheese from Qualicum Cheeseworks for an extra something special. The salmon patties were simple – the salmon and an egg (a local farm egg, of course!).
I also made rice for Steve and Callum, although I skipped the rice and found the meal to be pretty satisfying on its own. California rice, at least, so it didn’t get here from India, even if it wasn’t in the 100 mile radius.
I also cheated just an itty-bitty bit and mixed mayo and dill and put it on my patties. I suppose I could have made my own mayo – is vinegar exempt? Can you buy vinegar locally?

A little perspective. Please.

“man, my nipples are killing me after my run in the rain”
“You’re complaining to me? Seriously?”
“I’m just sayin’.”
“Don’t.”

Our First Boating Adventure

I love boating!

I’m having the best time!

yay! Boating!

It was fun. No. Really.