Homemaking

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I Love the Free Store!!!

Dawson is an awesome place to work on decluttering projects since it is so easy to dispose of items: just take them to the free store. I’ve been on a decluttering frenzy this summer, ruthlessly piling into a basket anything I haven’t used in two years, like extra linens, clothes, kitchen items, and books. Yesterday, the basket was spilling over, so I decided it was time to take everything to the dump. While there, I did some quick browsing, but I really wasn’t there to shop. I did get a couple of coffee makers for work and two sweaters for myself, then was about to head out when something told me to open a box.

I did and hit the jackpot:

It’s a working, clean, rice cooker!

I’ve been hankering to try one of these since the first time I tried to cook rice on the RV stove. It just doesn’t work because there’s too much heat. I’ve always ended up with spillover messes. The microwave wasn’t much better. So, I’ve probably had rice only about once a month since hitting the road, which is a shame since it’s my favourite carb! But I didn’t want to invest in a rice cooker until I knew if I would like having one or not.

I gave the machine a quick wipe and then added rice and water in the proportions I would use on the stove (2 of water to 1 of rice), latched the lid, and turned on the machine. The result, only a few minutes later:

Not a bad first attempt! I would have needed a bit more water and also to spray the bowl with non-stick spray seeing as I got a lot of stickage. But I’m definitely a convert! I’ll be able to make a full pot of it once a week and have rice for several meals. A friend told me that the tray at the top with the holes is for putting veggies and even fish. I think I need to read up on what can be made in a rice cooker!

There’s another wonder appliance I love, the breadmaker. I’ve had one for almost ten years and wouldn’t be without it. I can go for months-long stretches without making my own bread and then go on a homemade bread frenzy. Unfortunately, mine was dying a slow death and didn’t bake reliably anymore.

Not a problem, a friend brought me back this from the free store a little while ago:

As the title says, I love the free store!!!

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A Quiet Autumnish Afternoon

Fall crept up on the Klondike while I was in Inuvik. We’ve had beautiful, hot, afternoons, but the nights are cold and the mornings cool. It feels like mid-October in western Quebec.

I started work early this morning, so it was a real pleasure to be done for the day at 2. I went to town for lunch, then came back and tackled some housework. Just when I needed a break, there was a knock at my door. It was a friend/colleague heading out for a walk with her dog. She’d been wanting to show me her ‘secret spot’ for two summers now, but the timing was never right until today. I was glad to have an excuse to go out.

She took me down a road I’d always assumed was a private driveway and down a path that led to a solidly constructed bridge. I’m trying to figure out who spent the money for such a nice bridge there! It spans Bonanza Creek shortly before the creek spills over into the Klondike River.

When I came back, I collected my next handful of ripe tomatoes. I’m probably going to lose what’s left because we’re starting to get frost at night and there’s no place in the rig where I can bring them in and have them safe from the cats. I’m just glad that I’ve been able to enjoy the dozen or so that ripened on time. This bunch wasn’t quite as flavourful, so I decided to cook them:

I didn’t have enough to make a pot of sauce, so I mixed them with a can of condensed tomato soup and water, then added basil, garlic, salt, pepper, and vegetarian ground. The vegetarian ground makes the sauce into almost a stew that is especially nice over spaghetti (I like the multigrain variety).

Speaking of vegetarian ground:

I love this ‘substitute for ground beef’ that has so much flavour and texture. I put it in spaghetti sauce, stews, tacos… But the price has crept up over the years. I remember buying it for $2.99 a package, regular price. Now, regular price is anywhere from $4.99 to $5.99 a package down south. In Dawson, it’s $8.99 a package, which makes it a frivolous luxury. I do eat chicken now, but was a vegetarian for so long that I still have cravings for favourite foods and meals from that time in my life. In Dawson, I can eat all my favourite bean dishes, but anything like ‘mock meat’ or tofu is off limits because beans and chicken are so much cheaper. One of the first things I plan to make when I get to Whitehorse next month is a big pan of scrambled tofu!!!

Back to the vegetarian ground, I was treasure hunting at the General Store yesterday and found seven briefly outdated packages on sale for $1.99 each. I bought them all! They’ll keep up to three months in the freezer, but I doubt they’ll last that long!

Somehow, the day as crept up to 10PM already. It’s quite dark out and will be fully dark by the end of the hour. I’m going to go do the supper dishes (yes, I eat late!) and then rummage around for dessert. Yoghurt sounds good. 🙂

Hard to believe we’re already at the end of August. Departure from Dawson is schedule for the 14th of September. I’m reeling with shock at how quickly this summer passed and how little I feel I got accomplished!

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Yukon Bounty

Check out tonight’s dinner’s main event! It’s all Yukon-grown!

First, let me point out that beautiful tomato, which is my first of the season! I gobbled it up after taking the picture and it was succulent!

As for the big green thing, I got to the cash at the grocery store yesterday when a friend working the register told me to go check out all the local produce. Fresh produce up here tends to suck because it has shipped so far and it’s not always easy to distinguish between what’s local and what isn’t. She sold me on that green thing by telling me “It’s so delicious!” and I completely forgot to ask her what it is!

So, I Googled ‘mutant hybrid child of broccoli and cauliflower‘ that gave me a link with a description of something called ‘romanesco’ that fit the description of the veggie I had on hand. I Googled romanesco, and that’s exactly what I have. It’s considered a broccoli, but tastes a lot more like a cauliflower. I can’t believe I’ve never had, much less seen, it before! I grew up in a  household with a very progressive view of vegetables and in which we had all kinds of wonderful things none of my peers had ever seen.

Dinner ended up being chicken cooked in pesto over egg noodles boiled in the water I used for steaming, and the veggies which were the impossibly sweet carrots and the romanesco. With unadorned tomato and cucumber as an appetizer.

Simple, rather rustic, and oh-so-delicious.

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Shopping in Dawson City

Today, I went out shopping for frames for the toilet room pictures (can’t believe I forgot to pick those up down south!!!). I went into stores I’ve never before entered and their names just got better and better as I went along:

-Aurora, our full service office supply store.

-Peabody’s, our full service photography shop.

-the Dawson City Trading Post, which is a page right out of the Gold Rush era. They have all manner of late 19th century gear available, plus modern camping equipment. I wanted one of everything! 😀

-Maximillian’s Gold Rush Emporium, filled to the brim with books, toys, tee-shirts, and sundry items.

-The Raven’s Nook, which sells jewelry, sportswear, and souvenirs.

and, my favourite

-The Dancing Moose, which is your quintessential gift shop.

Found lots of frames, but none in the sizes I need. I guess I will need to hold off on the big toilet room reveal. 😀