Soup of the Week #1

Growing up in my house we rarely ate soup from a can, and generally the weather determined what meals would be on the dinner table. I often find myself thinking "today is a soup day" or "today is a chili day". Sometimes I can smell the comforting fragrances that filled the house on cold winter days. Now on October 20 I woke to find a blanket... well more like a sheet of snow covering the cars and rooftops of Red Deer and it inspired me to resurrect a tradition I started while in university in Fredericton - "Soup of the week". Along with that I thought I would post the recipes here :)

This week Chicken Soup

Chicken Soup

1 Homemade Chicken Broth (see below)
4 cloves of Garlic thinly slices
1 medium onion finely chopped
2 celery stocks chopped
3 carrots thinly sliced
3 small red potatoes cubed
4 mushrooms sliced
3 green onions sliced
1 small sweet potato cubed
2 cups cooked chicken torn into small pieces

1. In a large pot bring to a boil broth, onion and garlic.
2. Once broth is boiling add celery, carrots and potatoes. Allow them to simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Add Mushrooms, green onions, sweet potato and chicken. Allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes and serve.

So Yummy!!!

Homemade  Chicken Broth

Bones of 1 roasted chicken
Water

1. place the bones of 1 chicken in a large pot and cover with water
2. Bring to a boil. 
3. Reduce to a simmer for 1-2 hours.
4. Strain off bones and allow to cool for freezing or use immediately

Cheers!
CN

And the countdown begins!

I am now working on month 11 of 360 of my career, which means I am only a month away from my 1 year anniversary of being an Albertan... well not a real Albertan, just a Maritimer whose body is living and working in Alberta, but soul and mind will forever be on the East Coast. And to celebrate my time spent here Michael and I have decided to go on vacation to ......

Yes that's right folks we are headed east on November 29th after going to the Paul McCartney concert in Edmonton. This vacation will be filled with surprises and time with the family and friends I miss so much. I can't wait to show off my corner of the country. I hope I will get a chance to see everyone while I am home. I can't divulge too much about what we will be doing but I can say that we will be home November 29-December 8 and would love to bump into or have drinks or dinner or games with as many of you as possible! Just PM me if you want to get together and I will let you know what our schedule looks like.

Cheers!

CN

Zip Lines!!!!!

Although it rained the entire time and I was frozen stiff, this Friday surprise was a great time! We went to Mount Sima to Wild Play on Monkido and Zoom. Monkido is a high ropes course for children and adults alike. It is much like TreeGo back home, but this course allows you to take in the mountains!!! I was able to make it thought the Green, Blue and Red courses... but Black took a little more upper body strength than I have at the moment... 

But Michael finished the course pretty easily see:

After swinging through the trees we took a little snack break, then took the ski lift up the mountain and Zoomed back down via Zip Lines!!

About to head down Line #1 ZOOM!!!

Landing #1

View from the start of Line #2

Longest Zip line!! Over 1km long!!!!!!!

End of Line #2

Start of Line #3

This one was super fast!!!

Michael at the end of the line!

Line #4 Zoom Zoom!

Just before the last line!!!

Here I go!!!

You can skip ahead to 1:20

Michael's Turn!!!

This was the last of my surprises and confirms that I had the most adventurous vacation ever! I don't think I will ever regret saying "Do you want to go on an adventure with me?" when I opened the door on our second date... it seems to be the running theme of our relationship.

Cheers!

CN

Back to Whitehorse

After a few days in Atlin we headed back to Whitehorse, but first we took a little stop at the Tarahne, which is oddly enough a small piece of the maritimes in Atlin. Well not really, it was co-owned by the Irvings (maritime old money for those of you not from home), but I would never have thought I would find anything connected to home in the tiny piece of mountain paradise.

On our drive back to Whitehorse we landed in the dessert! And I don't mean the tundra, I mean a real life Sahara/ Mohave dessert like dessert.

Never expected to see this in the northern mountains

Then after a long scenic drive we arrived back in Whitehorse where our plans took a huge curve ball... The plan was to go to a high ropes course and  zip lining, and tour the Klondike, but being the first week of fall tourism, the course was closed and the Klondike was closed forever. So instead we did a little low key tourism like..

A walk through the woods to a little suspension bridge

Over a fast moving gorge 

Then we found a totem poll in down town Whitehorse....

IT IS REALLY BIG!!!

Then we headed to the Klondike... although we were not allowed inside, we did get some pictures of the outside. The sky was wicked that day and made for beautiful pictures, but as you will see in the next post, a very rainy day the next day!

Up next! ZOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!

Cheers!

CN

10,000 year old cocktails

After an amazing morning of exploring the Lake No Lake Glacial field we relaxed in the afternoon then went for a walk to the waterfalls...

Then while making dinner we enjoyed cocktails made of glacial ice...

Don't worry there was enough Malibu in there to kill off any prehistoric critters that may have made it through the thaw


Cheers!!
CN

Yeah I guess I am that lucky

So as we pulled into this surprise on that sunny Tuesday morning I said..... "I thought you hated the Bachelor!!!"

Private Helicopter Tour!!

Shot Gun!

First view of Lake No Lake

What? Who invited the Captain??? Mmm... rum

I just had to lick it!

Special Rock for Ella

Is there any question I was a dancer??

Floating Glaciers!

Peek-A-Boo!

This was almost the best surprise ever! Second only to finding out I would not be going home alone!!

Still more to come!

Cheer!

CN