Sweet Cherry Lemonade, ya'll!

We've been getting really hot temperatures here in the last week. 40+ degrees Celsius or that's 104+ fahrenheit.

I am a fan of Paula Deen. I love southern cooking, and I think as Liv feels she was meant to actually be born in NY, I was meant to be born in the south, back in the 1700s. Wearing a white frilly dress with a parasol and lace up boots, eating fried chicken and biscuits, and collard greens drinking sweet tea on a front porch of our veranda on our plantation while I gossip with other women about the newest fashions and other women. Okay, clearly I've overthought this fantasy, so we'll move on.

I'm actually not a fan of fried chicken. In fact they opened up a popeye's restaurant up here in my hometown and it closed 2 months later due to lack of business. Canadians just aren't as into the greasy fried foods Americans seem to have as part of the culture--unless you live in America's skinniest city--Manhattan. Or granola-ville Seattle. But the point is, we just haven't been raised on it so we don't eat it much I guess.

However, that being said, I do enjoy other southern dishes including this Paula Deen one: Sweet Cherry Lemonade. So here we go, ya'll!

So one thing you'll notice is I won't try to make my kitchen look fancy and clean. Well, this is my girlfriend Karen's kitchen. However, I think that making your kitchen look perfect or non-existent in photos makes the process look maybe a bit intimidating? I just want to be honest---I make a kitchen mess and I don't give a hoot if it gives me a good result. I'll just get someone else to clean it ;)

So up above here we've got some beautiful and glorious Okanagan cherries. If you're from BC you'll know Okanagan cherries. British Columbia is awesome because we have different climate zones and physical regions all over the province. We've got warm, tropical, orchard-inspiring climates in the BC interior, with ocean and mountains on the coast. We've got coastal rainforests, interior desserts. and arctic tundra to the north. It's pretty much why we're considered Hollywood North other than the enormous tax breaks we give American and other filmmakers...we offer natural scenery that can immitate almost anywhere in the world without having to travel further than 12 hours of driving ---though typically only 3-4 hours.

Wow, that was a rant. So back to the lemonade. So I've got 2 cups of pitted OK cherries but you can use any sweet cherry that's available to you. The actual recipe calls for frozen cherries but not for this girl--not when you've got access to fresh. I used an actual pitting tool that you can see at the base of the photo. It's pretty awesome, and if you use one, I recommend pitting in the sink and holding it low as it sprays and you do NOT, I repeat NOT want cherry juices on your white summer clothing. Wear an apron if you have one!

Below the cherries I also added 1 cup of white sugar though you can adjust this to your taste. I just add 1 cup and then adjust the soda water I use.

Evidence of pitted cherries. And evidence of the spray.

Cool artistic shot of cherries in the blender.

This is my beautiful friend Karen helping me out juicing the lemons. These girls are rustic, so we don't have a juicer--not even a manual simply one. So, we're using the strength of our hands and the utility of a spoon. We need about 1 cup of fresh squeezed lemon juice.

BREAKING NEWS: RESULTS ARE IN AND SURGEONS GENERAL WARNING STATES THAT USING FAKE LEMON JUICE CAUSES DEPRESSION, FREQUENT CRYING, AND SELF-INFLICTED INJURIES.

As seeds can be found in most lemons and I didn't want pulp in my lemonade we strained the lemon juice. We kept having to move Karen's young daughter Lily out of the way as she always wants to help, but 3 months ago when Karen was making her homemade caesar salad dressing, she grabbed the lemons then put her hands in her eyes and well let me tell you that was NOT a pretty sight. Not pun intended. Well, maybe.

The casualties.

Now pour the lemon juice into the sugar and cherries. Karen insisted I get her sparkly wedding ring bling in the photo so here's to her!

Next step you puree your cherries, lemon juice and sugar. Look at that colour(color) folks! I basically puree until the bits of cherry skin are as small as possible--1 minute.

Club soda (I grabbed 2 litres) and an empty juice jug or if you wanna get fancy one of those gorgeous glass pitchers one just doesn't own when one has children!

Now pour the blended cherry mixture into the pitcher.

Get all of that creamy goodness into the pitcher.

I never got a picture of it but you just add the club soda to the mix, slowly, while stirring continually. You want to avoid creating a lot of foam on top as it takes forever to come down.

VOILA! Pour your fab sweet cherry lemonade over ice and add a slice of lemon for garnish or to prevent getting swine flu.

Cheers!
PAULA DEEN'S SWEET CHERRY LEMONADE RE-CAP

All-Star Lineup

2 cups cherries (fresh is best but you can use frozen), pitted
1 cup granulated sugar (adjust to your liking or use splenda)
1 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice without the seeds.
5-8 cups of club soda (again adjust as needed or to taste)

1. Pit cherries and add to a blender along with the sugar and lemon juice.
2. Puree mixture for 1 minute or to desired consistency as per your blender.
3. Add mixture to pitcher and combine with club soda stirring continually.
4. Pour lemonade over ice or into chilled glass and add lemon (or a whole cherry) for garnish.

SERVE AND ENJOY!

We took this shot later in the day after we were at the lake. It tasted even better after sitting for a few hours. Or maybe just because I was bloody hot.

Leaving on a jet plane...

In less than eight hours I will be taking off from Whitehorse, Yukon and heading south back to my beloved Vancouver/Fraser Valley, BC. And of course reunited with RB and my friends and family.

Here's a map:

For those of you from down south this is mostly a map of Canada. It isn't in fact all bare up there hahaha. The red check marks are places I've lived. The black dotted line is my flight tomorrow morning--you can see how far north I was for three months.

The black hearts (not so fitting but what odds) are places where important people live, namely my best friend, my mama and Liv and Aussie Chic hahaha I thought they'd get a kick out of that. The red line is of course our road trip route that I am uber excited about. The red heart is where I was born and raised and my family is.

Well anyway back to packing, just thought I'd share my geographical skillz with ya'll.

Cheers, eh?
Dawn

Summer soundtrack

Make this part of your summer soundtrack if you love country music! My good friend Kristal Barrett's album High on Life can be purchased on itunes.

In particular I LOVE Tennessee, Feels like You, and Rhythm of Love is just AWESOME.

3 days

Three days and I will be reunited with this man.

In three days we will no longer be apart--ever.
In 1 year we spent a total of 9 months apart and we got through it.
Isn't he the dreamiest? Well, I think so...


And he's being reunited with this...


God help him, it's an elk.

Hope he has a tag to bag this one...

Ahem.

My Sisters

To the outside world we all grow old. But not to brothers and sisters. We know each other as we always were. We know each other's hearts. We share private family jokes. We remember family feuds and secrets, family griefs and joys. We live outside the touch of time. ~ Clara Ortega.

Our siblings push buttons that cast us in roles we felt sure we had let go of long ago--the baby, the peacekeeper, the caretaker, the avoider...It doesn't seem to matter how much time has elapsed or how far we've traveled.~Jane Mersky Leder

Sisters annoy, interfere, criticize. Indulge in monumental sulks, in huffs, in snide remarks. Borrow. Break. Monopolize the bathroom. Are always underfoot. But if catastropher should strike, sisters are there. Defending you against all comers.
~ Pam Brown

One of the best things about being an adult is the realization that you can share with your sister and still have plenty for yourself ~Betsy Cohen

Of two sisters one is always the watcher, one the dancer. ~ Louise Gluck

To my sisters: She is your mirror, shining back at you with a world of possibilities. She is your witness, who sees you are your worst and best, and loves you anyway. She is your partner in crime, your midnight companion, someone who knows when you are smiling, even in the dark. She is your teacher, your defense attorney, your personal press agent, even your shrink. Some days, she's the reason you wish you were an only child. ~ Barbara Alpert

I will be home in 5 days to see the two most important young women in my life--my sisters. I want them to know that I love them, cherish them, and am so utterly and completely proud of them. I am very blessed to have them in my life and cannot wait to grow old together and reminisce about our childhood.

The video below is one of my favourite songs from Reba and if you have sisters maybe it will make you tear up like I do. I'm such a sap!

Ode to Kathleen

Back to my "ode to's" I am going to dedicate this post to my very bestest best bff in the world Kathleen.

We met in Aug 2001 when I was hired on right after high school at the local "OJ/DQ" at the mall. She was 6 months pregnant with her first child and only a few days away from getting married to the love of her life.

Kathleen and I hit it off though only in a few months she'd be off on maternity leave. We both had a good work ethic, both leaders and wanted control of the store. We clashed a few times in the beginning because of this need for control but we learned to work around it. I worked days and she worked nights and we both knew that when the other came in or off a shift the store would be in perfect shape for the next one.

From 2001-2003 I worked at OJ/DQ on and off until I moved to Vancouver Island for almost a year. When I came back I reconnected with Kathleen (in early 2004) and we have been inseparable ever since. She had just given birth in June 2003 to her second child Alexandria, and Mikayla had been born in December of 2001 of course. She was still happily married and living in Abbotsford. I started to go visit her. I had just ended a semi-serious relationship the previous summer and was looking to have some fun.

I would go to her and her husband Bryan's house all the time. Pretty much all summer of 2004 we were together at her house and I was watching her little ones grow. I pretty much knew Alex from when she was crawling around in diapers. When Kathleen went out or worked I'd sometimes watch the kids. They were like my kids to me.

Kathleen is many things. She's a hard worker and a wonderful and dedicated mother. She loves her kids and others kids like no one else. She is compassionate, accepting and is a great listener. She indulges me in my daydreaming and fantasizing whether it be trips I want to take or what I want to name my future children. She gets just as excited as I do even though she may think I'm crazy.

I am known as Auntie Dawn to Alex and Mikayla and I couldn't be more proud of two little girls.

You'll remember this from a previous post taken at the Valley Zoo in Edmonton, Alberta.

Today Alex is 6 years old and Mikayla will be 8 in December. I can't believe how fast the time goes. I want them to stay young forever, but I know that's not possible. One day I won't be the cool Auntie anymore. One day they won't want to sleep with me in my bed when they come to visit. One day they won't want to talk to Auntie on the phone and tell me about their new princess dresses. One day they'll start to talk about boys, shopping, and perhaps will become the princesses they've been bred to be. Alexandria is a poser. She loves to pose for the camera so maybe she'll be a model. Mikayla loves to sing, and she has a beautiful voice. One thing I know is that if they're anything like their mother they won't "take no crap from nobody".

RB and I will be stopping through as I've stated previously, again this summer. I cannot wait to see Kathleen, Bryan and the kidlets. We're staying for 6 days so that will make me happy. Seeing them once a year hurts my heart. Last summer when I went to leave with RB to hit the road at 5am, I got a phone call as we turned the corner from their townhome and it was Kathleen asking if I had gone far yet. I hadnt so I turned around. Alex had heard us leave and didn't get out of bed in time. She rushed down the stairs and started to bawl because Auntie Dawn was leaving and I never said goodbye. I was crushed so I had to go get her from momma's arms and she just cried and cried and then I cried and RB teared up. To say it wasn't the best experience is an understatement.

There are a few things that remind me of Kathleen. I've done this for every friend so far. Here we go!

• Pepsi. Kathleen LOVES Pepsi. Adores it. She doesn't care for water and doesn't care admitting it either. Pepsi all summer in big tall tumblers with lots of ice. No other way!

• Pugs. They currently have a Pug named Mae-Ling. She's adorable and every time I see a Pug I think of her.
• 10 Things I hate about You is her favourite movie. RB just had his own chick flick-fest the other night (I know! right?!) and watched it for the first time and liked it.
• Disney. Anything Disney reminds me of Kathleen because her girls have like every movie by Disney known to man. And they'll watch it over and over and Kathleen loves every song and memorizes every one and sings them in the car with the girls.

One of their favourite Disney movies along with The Little Mermaid and Brother Bear (my fav)

• Orange Julius of course because we worked at one together.
• Laughing Cow cheese. The girls actually love this stuff too. I loved watching them get older and eventually able to unwrap them on their own without mommy's help.

Needless to say, Kathleen and I can be two peas in a pod. It's unfortunate that in 2005 she moved with bryan to Edmonton, Alberta from BC because I don't get to see them as much as I'd like, but they are happy and that's all that matters to me.

Here's to you, Kathleen! Best friend and mother a girl can have. You're the best! MUAH!

And now for something completely different!

I enjoy cooking, and even love experimenting a little. I have since I was a little girl. My middle sister JC (you'll recognize her from the wedding photos) used to be the conventional cook. She'd cook typical meals, but well. I on the other hand had to grab out the Company's Coming cookbooks and find something absolutely new. In fact, like a food fashionista I dared not cook the same thing two nights in a row.

The recipe you are about to see unravel was designed by me, and not taken from a recipe book. I am a self-proclaimed meat-a-tarian. I come from a family of hunters and fishers and so I cannot claim to be a professional vegetarian chef. However, I find that most hamburgers are without taste and texture and have come to love the ever-hated but always-cheaptest-in-a-restaurant veggie burger. The problem with most I've found is they were either too dry or without taste. I may as well be eating beef. Many have been made with mushrooms and breadcrumb or tofu mixtures. They were never quite so satisfying.

Enter stage left: the chickpea. I really love chickpeas. I love the texture and the taste. You can add almost anything to them and 1/2 cup will give you a whopping 12 grams of iron. As a student, I typically don't eat well and turn anemic quite quickly so any iron I can get is a plus. So in my quest for the perfect veggie burger I knew I had to incorporate chickpeas.

Ladies and gentlemen, without further adieu, Le Grande Veggie Burger du Canada.

The team from left to right: Fresh cilantro, 1 large white onion, mushrooms (about 5), butter (unsalted), baby spinach, two large cans of chickpeas, 2 cloves of fresh garlic, rosemary leaves, salt & pepper to taste and of course whatever hamburger buns you wish to use. Oh, and you'll need some gold old EVOO to fry them up later on.

What truly makes this veggie burger other than the chickpeas are the caramelized onions. Saute 1 large onion (white or yellow) in a pan for about 45-50 minutes to do this.

While I realize that this photo didn't turn out well, the concept is what matters. Any good "green" 21st century chef should always compost their veggie matter! In go the onion bits!

Now I'm going to teach you a trick to chopping your onion into even bits without going all Iron Chef on your onion. Cut the onion from left to right in quarter inch widths without going all the way through the onion. Go about 95% of the way through but DON'T let the knife hit the cutting board.

I tried to make it easy for you to see the cross slices. But turn the onion 90 degree and cross cut the same was as before about 95% of the way through.

Then flip the onion on its side depending on what hand you use. I am left handed so I flip the onion with the base to the right. And then cut down and voila!

Heat up a large sauce pan and add some butter! Yup, I said butter, the churned stuff without the darn salt there's enough of it in the chickpeas and we don't need anyone's heart drying up on my watch.

I wanted you to actually see me adding the onion. I think seeing my arm gives the whole activity some legitimacy don't you think?

See the consistency of the onion? They're even little bits. I'm not OCD at all. Fry little onions, fry!

Add some fresh ground pepper because what person in their right mind doesn't like fresh ground pepper, I'd like to know!

Now the process of caramelizing onions is really fairly simple as the pan and butter and onions do allll the work. The best caramelized onions I've had are made in a well-seasoned cast-iron fry pan. However, I live in a house with boys at the moment and they don't own such old-fashioned items so these non-stick ones will have to do.

As I stated it takes about 45-50 minutes to cook the onions down. They will first go translucent where at that point you then turn the heat down to medium-high and continue cooking them down until they start to look brown. If they start to stick at all in whatever pan you use, simply add a bit of water.

Mmmm brown oniony goodness.

Almost there.

They're "Eh"-Okay!

Some garlic because we get taste and ward off vampires at the same time. Unless it's Edward Cullen in which case I don't mind. I'll be your Bella, Edward! Erm..I don't think he cares for veggie burgers.

Rough chop some mushrooms when Gordon Ramsay isn't looking.

Rough chop some cilantro. I'd say I'm being artsy but really I'm just lazy.

Now I'm using a double-type steamer dealy here. I didn't know what it was before I moved here as I always used the electric ones. This is just a pan with holes over a pan with no holes with some water added. I'm steaming the chickpeas from the cans here to make the pliable.

Prior to this step, do the same thing to a handful of baby spinach. Add it on the plate then next to the cilantro and put the chickpeas in and it should take about 20 minutes to steam to perfection.

Add the garlic, spinach, mushrooms and 1 tsp of rosemary leaves with some pepper to the onion mixture and saute a bit further to get the mushrooms cooked down.

When the chick peas are done, chuck 'em into a big 'ol bowl. The boys here don't have a big baking/cooking bowl so I used the big stock pot. Whatever works, eh? Use a fork, or a potato masher to roughly mash up the chickpeas. I say rough because you can leave some whole. You could use a food processor but only do a few pulses.

Doesn't this look delightful? Probably something the cat threw up but hairballs never tasted so good. Add 2 eggs and 3/4 cup breadcrumbs to help it all stick together. Also add in the onion-spinach mixture to finish it off. Just make sure you beat the two eggs separately and stir them in quickly as the chickpeas are hot and you don't want scrambled eggs in your veggie burgers, trust me.

Add 2 tbsp. of evoo to the fry pan used for the onions and heat it up. Form the hairball mixture into some patties and add it to the pan. Fry til golden brown on both sides then you're done!

And here is the set-up. Put it on a hamburger bun of some sort, whatever you fancy. I like mustard and here I have turned the mayo in shame because it's not real mayo but devil-mayo (aka. Miracle Whip). The white creamy stuff is Canadian goat cheese and then fresh baby spinach. Serve with your favourite Australian red wine--if you're me.

To recap: Le Grande Veggie Burger du Canada.

2 cans of chick peas
1 large onion (white or yellow will work)
2 cloves garlic
2 tbsp fresh cilantro
1 tsp of rosemary leaves
2 tbsp of butter
2 tbsp evoo (extra virgin olive oil)
5-6 mushrooms (medium sized so not button and no gigantic big ones)
1 bunch of fresh baby spinach (1 cup)
1 box of wine or whatever you fancy
A cute guy to share them with whether your husband, boyfriend, cute young son or cat.
1 all time greatest hits of The Eagles or angsty Alanis Morrisette.

BON APPETIT!