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11/21/2022

Fashion trending in canada

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Do you wear a toque? My urban dictionary says a ‘toque’ is the ultimate in high Canadian fashion, worn year round, whether it’s cold or warm outside. Wikipedia, is more traditional, ‘popular from the 13th to 16th century in Europe, especially France, now known primarily as the traditional headgear for professional cooks.’ Those people are so darn smart, don’t you think? For me with a rather thick glop of hair, it means a headgear that must be worn in the deepest of winter…and in northern Canada that can pretty well be any time after November 1st.

I shall not complain. I will wear my Canadian gear, and remember my favorite stuff for REAL cold, like toques that allow brains to keep working in freezing temps and mukluks, with imitation seal to quiet my passage when walking in the bush.

It use to be that we wore camouflage pants and jackets for hunting in the fall. But now camo clothing is trendy! Who really are we trying to hide from? Blame it on the French – the word camouflage came from the French Army in 1915. It is actually a verb meaning ‘to make up for the stage’. I wonder, what stage?

And of course, there’s plaid – but we have the Scottish to blame for that. With the Welsh helping out with flannel. Flannel plaid is very popular in Canada, warm and cozy – reminding you how you should feel on a cold winter’s day. Seriously, what works against our extreme cold:

Silk is one of my favorites under my heavy oilskin or wool pants. It’s a natural fabric and wicks away sweat while providing a natural insulator. It is more expensive but if you have ever tried to put thermal underwear under a pair of YOUR jeans, you might have to wear someone else’s – a size larger – not with silk
Fleece is wonderfully warm! I have a fleece liner vest that is adaptable to many of my coats. Fleece has raised pile that keeps body heat trapped – very similar to our Alaskan Malamute’s undercoat that traps a layer of air between the hairs and the Malamute’s skin for cold or warm, depending on what they need
The Balaclava is essential in a cold Canadian climate. It has holes for your eyes (and possibly nose) but covers the remaining part of your face where frostbite can occur. No one wants large blisters on their face. Beware there are many different types. The good folks in Britain invented the balaclava in 1854 during the Battle of Balaclava

So, here’s the thing – warm air rises – cold air sinks. I am not a doctor, nurse, or shrink. What I do know is keep your head and your face covered, as well as your torso, legs, and ohhhh, I will have a whole session on hands and feet. And yes, many of these so-called trends actually came from our European and Indigenous ancestors. Sometimes I wonder if we are really re-inventing the wheel.
It is steaming cold in Canada!

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11/11/2022

a bird in the hand is worth 2 in the bush

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Did you ever just want one of something? All I really needed was one – one carrot that is for a pot of turkey soup that had most of everything else but color. I did not want to get tempted to purchase more than I needed as I envisioned the limp and soggy remains of the last batch in my refrigerator.
I stopped at the Sale sign in the grocery store. Fall was upon us. There were turnips, cabbages, parsnips and carrots – in quantities that spoke to larger families, but not a company of two, and a hungry Alaskan malamute. I would not be tempted. I strolled onwards.

To my delight, there were small batches of four or five carrots, much more manageable for our appetite. No one heard me gasp, at least I don’t think so. It would cost me $5.00 for this small bunch of carrots. My turkey soup would not taste significantly different – it was already rich with plenty of turkey trimmings, vegetables and various spices. I refused to pay that much, and slowly walked on by.

I found myself at the corner, ready to disappear forever from the vegetable world – still thinking however of lack of color in my soup. My mind took me on another journey, back to where I started, eyeing the root vegetable selection. A large bag of carrots – about seven pounds – for $2.99. Without any more deliberation, they were in my basket. I had a plan.

Two days later, I stood at the chopping block on my kitchen counter, slicing carrots between a quarter to half inch. They would be blanched for a couple of minutes, dowsed in an ice water bath and frozen.

Here are the critical parts:

try to get consistency with the size, when it comes to the very end, cut those a little larger than the head of the carrot
start timing when the water starts boiling with the carrots in it – don’t overdo blanching, if anything under do
drain quickly and put in cold water with ice just until they feel cool to touch (this stops them from continuing to cook)
remove, dry with towel and place on cookie sheet to freeze
let freeze for a couple of hours and put in freezer bags. This stops the carrots from clumping together into a giant carrot head!
when you cook them, it will only take a couple of minutes in the microwave, or steamed, or in your stews, soups, or other recipes. Delicious!

I had already blanched sweet corn, dried tomatoes and green peppers, and froze a variety of fruit when they were in season. My husband, with a slightly sweet tooth will appreciate these carrots. I was happy to spend a little extra time to have ‘put food by’ (rather old saying of preparing food for winter storage).

So, what does this have to do with the saying, ‘a bird in the hand is better than 2 in the bush’? In this case, it has nothing to do with birds whatsoever! What it does have to do with is preparing food when it is the best price and at its best flavor – rather than buying it later when it is not local; has sat in a truck for weeks being transported, and is at a premium price. A carrot in your hand in the fall is worth a bushel that would cost you a small fortune in the winter.

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Fashion trending in canada

a bird in the hand is worth 2 in the bush

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