Hello Friends!
It's a snowy Sunday here in the Laurentian mountains! I'm back in the woods early in the morning now that we set the clocks back an hour. I got this photo just as the dogs all heard something. It ended up being a rabbit and they went nuts! I have SO much energy today...the house is spotless, I've got loads of laundry going and I have some dinner rolls rising...I'm emptying out the fridge and making a few soups too, that should offset the Halloween candy hangover!! 😏
Due to high winds, we lost power all day Friday and most of the day/night yesterday. Every time we lose power for extended periods of time, I get anxious and scared because it reminds me of the 1998 Ice Storm in Montreal that I lived through. It was traumatic for me. No power for 2 weeks in frigid January weather, no clean water, price gouging and looting. I was all alone then, my parents told me I could stay with them (they had a fireplace and a barbecue), but I couldn't bring my dogs. How nice huh? None of the bank machines worked and I had maybe $10 to buy water. The army was trying to force people out of their homes to stay in shelters, but again, no pets allowed. There was no way I was abandoning my 2 pugs. I remember soldiers banging on my door and me trying to keep my dogs as quiet as possible...I hid for 2 hours until they left my street before I lit another candle. It felt dystopian...I learned a lot having lived through that.
Experiences like this strengthen my resolve to set up my future home off grid. We were okay the last few days though I could use some brushing up on my prepping...thankfully it wasn't too cold out, we had lots of blankets, candles and water. Good thing we had plenty of Halloween food to eat too!
This was the Halloween feast! I'm so thankful we had power on Halloween so I could cook!
Shrunken head potatoes.
Halloweenie shaped mini pizzas.
Mummified Baked Brie. This was the star of the show! You can make this without the mummy attire for any occasion. I'm thinking it'll be back for Christmas time!
The oozie goodness! 😊 There is a layer of cranberry sauce in there, leftover from Thanksgiving.
And to end my favourite holiday of the year, Halloween Cupcakes. The cupcakes have an orange flavour, so I added Grand Marnier to the frosting.
What are you up to today? I'm just about to clean out the cupboards, take inventory and plan the monthly shopping trip and meal plan.
See you on Thursday for our art date, the theme is Crisp and Brilliant! Oh, by the way, during the power outage, I grabbed my notebook and wrote out the themes for every Thursday's Art Date in 2020. I just listed them for now and I'll update them with a linked page for ideas if you want to check it out!
See you on Thursday for our art date, the theme is Crisp and Brilliant! Oh, by the way, during the power outage, I grabbed my notebook and wrote out the themes for every Thursday's Art Date in 2020. I just listed them for now and I'll update them with a linked page for ideas if you want to check it out!
What a wonderful feast. I love the mummy pizzas. So cute. It's so mean that they wouldn't allow animals at a shelter. I would have stayed with Lucy and Spunky no matter what. They are my fur babies.
ReplyDeleteI agree Leanna. But dare I say that the Quebec mentality is very different from a lot of other provinces/countries. Quebec is VERY far behind on all matters of taking care of the Earth and our world. The disposable society that is the general mind frame here includes pets. Wow. That's me being ultra political lol...anyway, it's one of the reasons why we're leaving this province for good next year.
ReplyDeleteSorry about the power. The food photos look so yummy.
ReplyDeleteThanks Nicole :) The food was very yummy, actually we still have leftovers!!!
ReplyDeleteLove your doggies, what a happy troupe - and rabbits! Your Halloween food looks wonderful, I'm wondering what to eat first - What a pity you live so far away! That must have been a terrible experience for you, just awful, and I can understand your anxiety. I had very bad experiences as a child and can never forget the terror and helpessness. You were so strong to survive through it all. Be happy, stay safe, have fun! Hugs, Valerie
ReplyDeleteIt's great you have such energy. I'm a bit in low gear today. I can't see how the government people could live with themselves, not taking care of the dogs.
ReplyDeleteYour pups are SO beautiful! But Mr. Cheddar is not amused!!😽 He prefers chasing BUGS!!😏
ReplyDeleteAnd the food all looks great too. Makes me hungry, especially the cupcakes.🍰
Snow in November, I do remember it from the Prairies, but don't miss it most days, here on Vancouver Island. It's warm here today but cloudy.
I hope you have a wonderful week.❤ Hugs to you and your pets.
www.mypoeticpath.wordpress.com
Snow? Here we sit with the temps in the low 80's this week. I live to look at snow but you get waaaaay more than I would be comfy with. Give me about 6 inches and I'm good. Your food looks so fantastic and the cupcakes would be all gone if they were at my house.
ReplyDeleteAfter hearing about you experience in Montreal, I now understand your determination to be totally self sufficient. I could never leave my dogs behind to fend for themselves either. What a horrible way to treat someone during an emergency.
Rain, all I can say is you are simply amazing! How brave you were to stay home through the ice storm and keep your dogs with you. You have a kind heart. and that Halloween feast! I've never seen anything like it. It's beautiful, and looks so delicious. I love your three dogs!
ReplyDeleteMy hat is off to you, Rain. You have some serious resolve. So the soldiers just left the dogs behind too - thinking they were in there by themselves? I guess they had no choice, but it sure sounds awful - on all fronts. On a cheerier note... I LOVE those shrunken potato heads. Clever girl!
ReplyDeleteOh, and the picture of the three stooges (I mean, pooches) with their heads hanging over the seat. That is just adorable.
ReplyDeleteWell your food looks very warm and comforting! Thanks for sharing those cold frigid times in your past life, so sorry to hear about this recent outage. (And your parents...at least they could suggest something for the pups).
ReplyDeleteOff to see your list for 2020, wow, you are so full of ideas!
This Halloween passed without my ghoulishly delicious dinners. Bat wings over maggots, severed hands on a grave and roasted grave robber's vegetables, eyeballs in putrid slime etc. I think it's ghoulish feast I've missed in over twenty years.
ReplyDeleteHaving off grid and a well stocked pantry is a godsend when the power is off. Knowing how to preserve your own food is an essential skill during times of plenty to hedge against the lean times.
Wow what extreme conditions you have had to cope with in the past.
ReplyDeleteI keep bottled water in the garage for an emergency but if we were cut off with no power I don't think I would be very self sufficient. Your halloween spread looks delicious, I love the potatos - will remember that and copy next year!
That food looks so good. Yum. I wish I had time to cook today, but I think it'll be leftovers or PB and J. Have a great week.
ReplyDeleteRain,
ReplyDeleteNo one likes a power outage but living in such a cold zone that you do I can't even imagine how miserable that had to be to do without electricity for two weeks. I go bezerk if it's off for a few hours. I think that's just crazy that the National Guard was forcing people from their homes. I think it's up to each person to decide what's best for his/herself. I admit I wondered what prompted your alls decision to live in the seclusion of the woods and this explains a lot. I get the appeal of being off the grid if you can but that's not practical for us while DH works. Of course, I'm not sure that we'd want to even after he retires. We enjoy the convenience of being near the city. I guess we'll be in for if there's a zombie apocalypse. :)
A spotless house? I can't remember the last time that happened to me! Probably when I was working and had a cleaning gal! LOL! But I keep working at it!
ReplyDeleteLove your celebration food! Yumm! I cannot believe all you accomplish! I'm glad your electric came back on and I would've been just like you about not leaving my dogs...yes, self-sufficiency is very important nowadays. Have a great week and love the pics of your 'family'. They are so sweet! You and Alex too! LOL!
We were two weeks without power, too. It was awful. I understand your fears.
ReplyDeleteI've been busy with laundry and stuff, as well.
Yum on that cheesy mummy! Your story reminds me of a friend of ours that lived in Georgia, and a hurricane was headed our way. Living in Florida at the time, the thing we would do is run somewhere till the storm passed. She said we could come to her house, but couldn’t bring the animals...as if they could wait out a hurricane till we got home... NOT. I am really excited for you to get that farm going! Have a terrific week, and thanks for sharing this great post!
ReplyDeleteHi! Sorry you were out of power for so long. I have never experienced being out of power for too long and hope I never have too. I love the pictures you post of your dogs! Nancy
ReplyDeleteYour food looked delicious. I liked the faces on the baked potatoes. The picture of your dogs looking over the back seat is so cute.
ReplyDeleteSeveral years ago we had a bad ice storm here and our electric was off for 4 1/2 days. Luckily we have an old stove that does not have electronic ignition pilot lights. We had the oven on (with the oven door closed) for a for a few hours at a time, and then off for a while, and on again.
We didn't go to bed at all with the oven on. For the first two days and nights the house was comfortable enough for us to stay in, but by the third day we went to stay at our daughter's home, and my husband would return and run the oven for a few hours each day. It got cold enough to kill my house plants, but our pipes never froze. Ever since then I have wished we could get a generator, but they are expensive and we haven't bought one yet.
What an amazing feast! Everything looks so yummy.
ReplyDeleteMy heart ached just thinking about what you wrote. Abandoning fur babies? NO! Oh my gosh, no.
That must have been so scary. I wish we could go off grid. Who knows ... maybe one day.
ReplyDeleteYour huskies must love the snow.
The food looks delicious like always ... the baked brie ... mmmm I love baked brie. I have to make some SOON !!!
I just wrote an update as well :)
how amazing it feels when some days we have our full energetic mode dear Rain
ReplyDeletei did lots of laundry last day and today i am feeling quite low :(
yet looking at these vibrant first image and reading your exciting words made me feel lighter :)
your food is absolutely APPEALING and ASTONISHING to eyes :)))
what a perfect treat for scary event ,i am amazed by your intellect always :)
power story you shared is really upsetting ,how brave and sweet of you to prefer your pets over your own comfort ,i am touched by your kindness dear Rain !!!
i hope your power is back and you have done all your chores successfully now :)
i might return to visit your food corners
wishing you more blessings each day my friend!
OMG- You are truly amazing with your culinary skills! These need to be posed on Instagram! Hugs, RO
ReplyDeleteThank you Laurie :) I wonder if the ice storm reached you too back in 1998. It was very traumatic, so many people were not prepared! And yes, home is very safe and cozy, I'm so glad I have a rood over my head! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Valerie :) I'm sorry for your bad experiences as a child. It's very true that it's hard to forget the feelings associated with those events. We learn to manage the memories, but those emotions feel like it's happening to us all over again!!
ReplyDeleteI know John...it's the mentality here. It's really terrible, you can see that mentality rampant in the shelters in this province.
ReplyDeleteThanks Geraldine :) LOL...I'm sure Mr. Cheddar would be plotting along with my three cats too! :) I envy your weather!
ReplyDeleteOh Marsha, I would love some of that 80 degree weather!! I learned a lot from that ice storm - about prepping and about people. Sad realizations, but at least I'm better prepared now!
ReplyDeleteThanks Henny Penny :) The feast was something else! I actually still have lots of candy left! :)
ReplyDeleteLol Becki, it's funny because I call the dogs the Stooges all the time...especially when they try to walk out the door all at the same time! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Christine :) I can't believe I got that 2020 list together so quickly...I guess I had nothing much else to do during the power outage lol!
ReplyDeleteThanks Jo :) Your Halloween feasts sound so gross lol...I'd love to see those! :) Yes, preserving is so very important. I bought a pressure canner last year. I didn't preserve as much this year because Alex and I were supposed to move and we didn't want to move boxes and boxes of canned food. My dream is to can enough food to last us an entire winter.
ReplyDeleteThanks Betty :) The potatoes were fun! And roasted potatoes are good always! If you really think about it, I don't think many people are prepared for long term power outages. We are more or less, but we could use a lot more preparation that's for sure. The power here is so unreliable.
ReplyDeleteThanks Kristina :) PB and J sounds great to me!
ReplyDeleteThanks Cathy :) I go a bit bezerk when the power goes out for more than an hour. I get cabin fever very easily, add that to the house starting to get chilly and having no running water...it's not a good situation for me. I try to remind myself that I'm safe here and worst case scenario, we can drive to another city and stay at a motel. I don't know that things will get that bad again like they were in 1998, but there is never a guarantee right? Don't get me wrong, I love electricity lol! But yes, setting up off grid or at least having a back up system is something I'm working towards. Just remember (according to Hollywood) zombies will die after 5 days if they don't feed, so if you hide long enough, you'll be safe! ;)
ReplyDeleteHa Sam lol...that made me laugh! Okay, let me define spotless house...the main floor and the upstairs bathroom and bedroom! :) The basement is a wreck lol!
ReplyDeleteHi Jenn :) I think that ice storm was a terrible eye opener for so many people. Sorry you went through that too!
ReplyDeleteHi Dino :) The mummy cheese is SO GOOD...it's addictive!! :) After I make some Camemberts I'm going to try it out with my own cheese, I bought the Brie this time around. I really don't understand that mentality! I DO understand non-pet people and that they don't want animals in/around their homes, but in times of emergencies...especially friends and family...wouldn't you kind of try to make an exception? That's awful about the hurricane...I would never leave any animal behind during ANY weather.
ReplyDeleteThanks Nancy :) I hope you don't have to deal with long power outages either. It can get very scary!
ReplyDeleteHi Susie :) Thank you! Generators are SO expensive...but I think Alex and I will have to find a way in the future, because as you mentioned, the pipes could freeze during long outages. That's something I didn't even think about back in 1998 because I was so young and living in downtown in an apartment. I've had my pipes freeze WITH the power on during the winters here. I've spend many an hour with the hair dryer going...when the temps go below 25C, we always leave a little drip going in all the faucets to help with that. We have a fireplace here, but it really doesn't help with heating. We're still renting and this cottage is so "leaky" and badly insulated. We are learning a lot for when we buy our forever home!
ReplyDeleteThanks Martha :) No way we would ever abandon our fur babies, I know, it's kind of shocking when you think about it. I'd live in my car before I'd do that!!
ReplyDeleteThanks Sis :) The baked Brie was just so good! I'm not usually a fan of the bloomy white rind, but I ate it very happily all melted up with the pastry! Off grid is such a big dream of mine! I hope I can set it all up too! But even if I can't, I will definitely have a wood stove for heat and a huge pantry full of water and canned goods just in case! A generator would be nice too if we can afford it!
ReplyDeleteThanks Baili :) Yes, like you, the day after cleaning and laundry, I lost my energy too. I get it in cycles I guess. When we lose power in the summer, my biggest fear is losing all the food in the fridge and freezer. But in the winter, it's really about survival because it gets so cold here. If we lose power for a long time this winter, we'll be okay but I just hope it doesn't happen!!
ReplyDeleteThanks RO :) Oh, I closed my IG account months ago! I was spending too much time there and I felt like it was getting to be a little too much of an addiction for me lol! :)
ReplyDeleteRain, Canning to last the winter is a reasonable goal. I prep/can enough now until next season or two. But then, I've been canning for decades. It helps to know how many jars you'll use of what for a year. A good place to start is your grocery receipts.
ReplyDeleteHi Jo :) I'm going to make that a plan for sure. Right now we are renting but next spring we're buying our home. I may not get to all the canning right away, but eventually we'll have enough for a few seasons too! It's a learning process for me. I already know that we go through about 120 pounds of tomatoes each winter (and by winter, I mean our winter here in the Laurentians which is November through to May). I have a list of the other foods we eat during those six months too. Having a stocked pantry is definitely something I'm striving for!
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh that ice storm experience sounds horrible! You're stronger because of it I am sure!
ReplyDeleteUmmmm love all the Halloween foods, so fun!
I am stronger Jenn, thanks!! :) I was so young and really naive when it happened.
ReplyDeleteLove the look of your Halloween food …
ReplyDeleteAll the best Jan
Thanks Jan :)
ReplyDeleteThat sounded really scary having to leave your pets behind or suffer through that! Great Halloween goodies!!!
ReplyDeleteIt was Nancy, and seemed so unfair, but I made the right choice! :)
ReplyDelete