Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

A pretty generic cookie recipe, but oh so delicious!!

 Ingredients:
1/2 cup softened, salted butter
1/2 cup (packed) light brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

pinch of salt
1 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/4 chopped nuts (e.g. walnuts)
1/4 cup dried fruit (e.g. cranberries)

• Pre-heat oven to 350F
• Cream butter and sugar together
• Mix in egg and vanilla
• In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg
• Add flour mix slowly to butter mix
• Stir in oats
• Stir in chocolate chips, dried fruit, and nuts
• Drop round balls of dough onto un-greased cookie sheets ~1inch apart
• Bake 10-15 minutes (until brown)
• Allow to cool (best on a coolling rack), and enjoy!

baby cardigan

I made this super cute sweater by Linden Heflin (see her AMAZING knitting blog here: Stockinette and the recipe for this sweater here: Baby Sophisticate Knitting Recipe)

The pattern is easy to follow and turned out perfectly. I used Spud and Chloe superwash wool in sweater weight, and some wooden buttons. The sweater came out smaller than I had hoped (I was knitting for a 1.5 year old - this would fit a 0 to 3 month old). So, I made a second version, altering the design based my gauge and desired size. I also added a cable detail that I think looks like owls at the base of the sweater. I forgot to do short rows in the collar in this second version, but it looks fine with the same number of rows as there is along the button area.

I've written out the owl pattern I used below. If you want to alter this sweater the same way, it requires some planning to make sure the owls are evenly spaced depending on the number of stitches. Add as many owls as will fit (I did 7) and change number of pearls between the owls to make it fit (I have put the changeable # of pearls (right side... so knits when working wrong sides) in brackets. You may need to have a different number of pearls at the edges of the sweater than throughout to make it work. Just make sure it's consistent. I highly recommend writing it out on graph paper to make sure it will work for you. Writing out your own owl pattern is crucial if you're as forgetful as me!

Knit as many rows as you like below before starting the owl pattern. I started mine approximately 10cm below base of arm hole.

ABBREVIATIONS
RS = right side
WS = wrong side
P = pearl
K = knit
C4F = slip two sts onto cable needle and hold in front, k2, k2 from cable needle
C4B: slip two sts onto cable needle and hold in back, k2, k2 from cable needle

OWL PATTERN
Row 1 (RS):  *P(3), C4F, C4B, repeat from * to end
Row 2 (WS): *K(3), P8, repeat from * to end
Row 3 (RS): *P(3), K8, repeat from * to end
Row 4 (WS): *K(3), P8, repeat from * to end
Row 5 (RS): *P(3), C4F, C4B, repeat from * to endRow 6 (WS): *K(3), P8, repeat from * to end
Row 7 (RS): *P(3), K8, repeat from * to end
Row 8 (WS): *K(3), P8, repeat from * to end
Row 9 (RS): *P(3), K8, repeat from * to end
Row 10 (WS): *K(3), P8, repeat from * to end
Row 11 (RS): *P(3), K8, repeat from * to end
Row 12 (WS): *K(3), P8, repeat from * to end
Row 13 (RS): *P(3), C4F, C4B, repeat from * to end
Row 14 (WS): pearl

You can make your owl shorter or longer by adding or removing an even number of straight rows between the cabled rows.

I added yellow eyes to the owls by sewing them in after with yellow yarn. It would be fun with button eyes, or maybe something glow in the dark too!

Thunder Bay, Ontario, May 13, 2012

En route to a 2 week job at a mine in northern Ontario, I spent an afternoon in T-Bay. I walked along the Kaministiquia River, that empties into Lake Superior.

It's a lovely walk. There are great bike trails along the river and all through the town of Thunder Bay.
I saw a sunbathing turtle, and a number of mallards.I turned north at the railway tracks and looped back to my hotel.   I'll be back in July and am hoping to spend a day on Sleeping Giant. A perfect, relaxing afternoon before work!

Canada Day on Saltspring Island

I've been busy busy busy writing a thesis lately. Many late nights in front of the computer, and full beautiful days spent tucked inside windowless buildings. It's been great, but I've been craving an escape from my bubble in the city. So I jumped on the ferry on Canada Day and spent a lovely evening with some fun-loving people.

I took the milk run from Tsawwassen to Long Harbour, stopping at Mayne, Pender, and Galiano Islands before reaching Saltspring. It tool nearly 3 hours. The boat was packed with cars filled to the brim with kids, dogs, and camping gear. Their cargo overfilled onto roof tops and trailers. There must have been 100 bicycles piled along the edges, similarly loaded down with overstuffed paniers and odds and ends tied down to any available surface.

Along the way, the ship passed a pod of orcas. The chief steward made an announcement and anyone who wasn't asleep clamored out to the decks. With cell phones and cameras in hand, we all collectively oowed and awed as their backs surfaced and dove back down. One even breached! Amazing. I didn't get very good photos... but I got a couple OK ones:

  The fin is that pathetically small black dot just below and right of the white boat. The black boat is a whale watching boat. We got the tour for free!

This is one of the splash the breaching orca created.


I'm still getting used to my new camera...


From the ferry, I biked into Ganges for lunch before making my way to my friend's place. The town was bustling with tourists and locals, and small Canadian flags were tacked up along the filled patios. It was rainy and cold, but still felt warm and welcoming. Had a delicious lentil dahl and ginger green tee at the Saltspring Coffee cafe. My new bike served me well, but tying my bag on the pack was a little cumbersome. It shifted so much at one point I actually fell over! I'm very happy with the new ride!

We had planned on canoeing in the afternoon, then watch Gange's fire works from the water, but the weather was cold and rainy. Instead we stayed in for an amazing and simple bbq dinner, a few beers, and enjoyed the company of dogs, kids, friends and good music.

July 2nd was a lazy one, with a late start. We managed to get a round of disc golf in and an amazing lunch at the Rock Salt Cafe in Fulford before catching a ferry at 2:00.

The ferry ride back to town was quiet. I was pretty thankful I had my bike though - the line up of cars was at least 2 ferry waits long. I made it back to Vancouver in the early evening July 2nd, refreshed and ready for more writing!