Weekend Update
The drive into work today was not bad at all, just a little slower than usual. Still I found myself shaking my head a couple times and thinking, "It's snow, people! It happens every year!" However, I can't be too hard on my fellow drivers - apparently even Norwegians "forget" every summer how to drive in snow and have driving snafus during the first couple snowfalls.
Last night I finally, after three and half years of hearing my darling husband talk about it, tasted the Cameron House "Duck with Soy" that comes with the side sauce that he and Vlad describe as "liquid sunshine". The four of us (Mel had spent the afternoon at our place sewing) went there for dinner after gaming. Very delicious and worth the hype :) And no, I can't tell you what the sauce is. "Liquid Sunshine" describes it well. It has oil and vinegar (but I don't know which kinds of each) so it looks yellow and orange and separatey on the surface. It has finely minced garlic and something that gives it just a touch of a smokey flavour. Apparently the recipe is a secret. At one point, an attentive waitress trying to clear extraneous dishes from our table tried to take it. I successfully restrained myself from rapping her knuckles with my chopsticks, but made it clear that the sauce really did need to stay on the table!
Also yesterday I finally made it back to St. Luke's for church. They were having their Christmas Cantata and I have to say the music was very well selected. One song in the middle really reminded me of something out of Walker's Southern Harmony or the Sacred Harp (Quaker Hymnbook). It was an unusual touch that I really liked. Afterward as I shook the pastor's hand on the way out the door he stopped and said, "you were here before." "Yes," I replied, "in October." "Don't tell me," he said, "... Bluevale?" I was surprised. That is the street I live on. "Good memory," I said. That's when explained that the Sunday after I had been there, my next door neighbors had had their son, Braxton, baptized. He remembered Bluevale because I had signed the guestbook. I didn't know my neighbors were Lutheran!
Saturday we had dinner with Val & Heithr, who we hadn't seen a couple months. That was also a lot of fun. Jay wanted us to bring a bottle of wine and sent me to the LCBO. I had been thinking about German wine recently and remembering that my Dad told me once (years ago) that a wine I had tasted in Germany that I liked must have been a Rheingau. I had been under the impression that Rheingaus were not available outside of Gemany (I don't know why), but I went in asked if they had any Rheingau wines. Sure enough, they had one! a Riesling-Kabinett. So I bought it. It was only a couple dollars more expensive than the Ontario Pino Grigio I'd been considering. It was a nice addition to the evening.
All in all, it was good weekend. The only disappointment was when I got my red "Russian" coat out to wear for the first time this year and discovered a moth hole. Actually, disappointment is an understatement. I'm devastated. It's just about my favourite item of clothing :( My cousin Nancy bought it for me my first year in Washington, D.C. so I would have "proper" coat to wear for dress up occasions. She was thinking black or navy and I chose red! But I loved it and she agreed it was nice, if very "high style." I still smile thinking about that night.
Last night I finally, after three and half years of hearing my darling husband talk about it, tasted the Cameron House "Duck with Soy" that comes with the side sauce that he and Vlad describe as "liquid sunshine". The four of us (Mel had spent the afternoon at our place sewing) went there for dinner after gaming. Very delicious and worth the hype :) And no, I can't tell you what the sauce is. "Liquid Sunshine" describes it well. It has oil and vinegar (but I don't know which kinds of each) so it looks yellow and orange and separatey on the surface. It has finely minced garlic and something that gives it just a touch of a smokey flavour. Apparently the recipe is a secret. At one point, an attentive waitress trying to clear extraneous dishes from our table tried to take it. I successfully restrained myself from rapping her knuckles with my chopsticks, but made it clear that the sauce really did need to stay on the table!
Also yesterday I finally made it back to St. Luke's for church. They were having their Christmas Cantata and I have to say the music was very well selected. One song in the middle really reminded me of something out of Walker's Southern Harmony or the Sacred Harp (Quaker Hymnbook). It was an unusual touch that I really liked. Afterward as I shook the pastor's hand on the way out the door he stopped and said, "you were here before." "Yes," I replied, "in October." "Don't tell me," he said, "... Bluevale?" I was surprised. That is the street I live on. "Good memory," I said. That's when explained that the Sunday after I had been there, my next door neighbors had had their son, Braxton, baptized. He remembered Bluevale because I had signed the guestbook. I didn't know my neighbors were Lutheran!
Saturday we had dinner with Val & Heithr, who we hadn't seen a couple months. That was also a lot of fun. Jay wanted us to bring a bottle of wine and sent me to the LCBO. I had been thinking about German wine recently and remembering that my Dad told me once (years ago) that a wine I had tasted in Germany that I liked must have been a Rheingau. I had been under the impression that Rheingaus were not available outside of Gemany (I don't know why), but I went in asked if they had any Rheingau wines. Sure enough, they had one! a Riesling-Kabinett. So I bought it. It was only a couple dollars more expensive than the Ontario Pino Grigio I'd been considering. It was a nice addition to the evening.
All in all, it was good weekend. The only disappointment was when I got my red "Russian" coat out to wear for the first time this year and discovered a moth hole. Actually, disappointment is an understatement. I'm devastated. It's just about my favourite item of clothing :( My cousin Nancy bought it for me my first year in Washington, D.C. so I would have "proper" coat to wear for dress up occasions. She was thinking black or navy and I chose red! But I loved it and she agreed it was nice, if very "high style." I still smile thinking about that night.