All posts by sammee44

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About sammee44

I am a West Coast Reader and Writer who enjoys the big and little things in Life. My philosophy is--if you don't enjoy those precious moments and savour the joy, then how can you appreciate the little things that crosses your daily path?

GRANDMA’S TRIPLE CHOCOLATE DOODLES (Recipe for. . .)

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I never realized how many “doodlers” are out there, drooling over my Grandma’s “Triple Chocolate Doodles. ” My family has always called these “doodles” because it was a fun thing to request. And lots of chocolate makes it special. . . . Do let me know how these turn out for you! The reduced sugar is correct as the added chocolate chips and chunks are added sweetness.

Cream together 1 cup butter or margarine with 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1/3 cup brown sugar. Beat in 2 large eggs with 2 teaspoons vanilla extract. Stir in 2 heaping tablespoons of Fry’s Unsweetened Cocoa Powder, 2 teaspoons baking powder, heaping cup of dark chocolate chips and 1 cup dark chocolate chunks. Gradually stir in 2 -1/2 cups flour (may be less or may be more–hate to say this but it must “feel” right. . .) Refrigerate the dough for 10-minutes.

Line the cookie sheets with parchment paper. Drop by heaping tablespoon onto prepared sheets. Flatten very slightly with a fork if desire. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 15 to 18 minutes. Cookies are slightly crisp at the edges and soft with melty chocolate inside. Allow to sit on the cookie sheets for 2 minutes before removing to cool on the racks.

TRIPLE CHOCOLATE DOODLES

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NOTE: Thank you to Anya and Lindsay requesting this from the Archives. Now I have to dig up the rough recipe and make some. . . .

When I was growing up, everyone in my family cooked or baked or did both equally well. We weren’t fancy cooks or bakers, just great comfort foods and family favorites. One of the most requested family faves was the ” Triple Chocolate Doodles” my Grandma invented. As I grew older, I realized it was actually a variation of the “Snickerdoodle”, a vanilla-flavored cookie dough, soft enough to drop from a teaspoon onto a cookie sheet. Snickerdoodles were good, but if your tummy had a craving for chocolate, then only this triple chocolate doodle filled the bill.

The problem was Grandma didn’t have a written recipe for this family favorite. It was made so often that the recipe was engraved on her brain. It wasn’t exactly a real recipe when Grandma demonstrated what she did. As her granddaughters avidly watched and made copious notes, Grandma would be saying, “Now a chunk of butter like this, a couple of large eggs, a dollop of vanilla, this much sugar, keep adding flour until the dough feels right. . . .” and as she was talking, my grandma would be beating the life out of the butter, sugar and eggs. Fry’s cocoa powder played a huge part in the recipe as well as lots of dark chocolate chips and dark chocolate chunks. When the cookies were hot out of the oven and cooling on the racks, Grandma would add her finishing touch by drizzling melted dark chocolate over each doodle.

Every time Grandma made these, they were melt-in-your-mouth delicious and absolutely fail-proof. It didn’t matter if you asked what precise measure would make a “chunk” or how much exactly was a “dollop?” Or even how much was a “smidge?” After all, it had to be the same every time because scientifically, a more or less difference in the chunks, dollops and smidges would produce a less than perfect triple chocolate doodle. Right? At least that was my logical reasoning. And another thing, when does the dough feel right?

Well, I just figured out the secret of the family recipe. Precise amounts of ingredients doesn’t work. Throw logic out the window. Go with the chunks, dollops and smidges. Triple Chocolate Doodles are still a winner and absolutely fail-proof when you use Grandma’s recipe with her own special measurements made with lots of love and heaping amounts of chocolate. After all, anything with plenty of chocolate will be fail proof and perfect every time. Grandma had that right!

MEANDERING PATHS AND LANES

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I do enjoy the discovery of new paths and laneways. Oak Bay has so many that passing fellow walkers assures me there are many more. Often these laneways are an adventure to follow, just to see what familiar street or road it eventually merges with. And it can be an adventure what a walker discovers or encounters.

Today, I shot a young deer wearing small antlers. Unless you consider my cellphone as a weapon, this deer was not interested in me. He was happily nibbling his way through someone’s garden when I came within 4 feet of him. We eyed each other curiously and he decided this human was not dangerous. Still munching away, he watched as I got my cellphone to the camera feature and got it focused. That’s when he tossed his head back, flashed his antlers proudly and posed. I was so flustered, I had to refocus. When he saw how slow I was, I swear he heaved a sigh as he focused on his breakfast. I shot a couple of quick clicks hoping for one good photo. The one I kept is the one he seemed to say, “Finally!” as he watched me walk away.

Just walking to the supermarket brings a new discovery. I was returning from my errands, on a street close to the recreation center but on the opposite side I normally walk, when I saw this treasure–a very delightful and charming gnome home, partially hidden by the tall grass and leafy plants. Some caring and imaginative homeowner had taken the time to craft a charming home for the Little Folks on the boulevard outside his yard. The other side of the huge oak tree had an equally entertaining scene–an artfully crafted home for fairies. I know this because the tiny sign on its perfectly inserted front door reads “Fairies Live Here.”

Yesterday I decided to walk to Willows Beach. I had read of a local project to make a trail of painted rocks, lining the boulevard’s path leading to the sandy beach. Volunteers were encouraged to drop off their painted rocks to add to the rocky trail. It sounded like a colorful project and I wondered at the level of artistic talent. I wasn’t disappointed.

Following my feet, away from the water, I ventured down a neighboring street and discovered this attention-getting free library for kids. It is now among one of my favorite creatively crafted free libraries.

The end of a very hot Summer is coming to an end, signaling Autumn’s colorful and vibrant entrance. Berry pickers have enjoyed the bounty of wild blackberries that line some of the lanes and connectors. The oak leaves are falling and the fruit trees, especially the apples, are showing an early harvest. One generous homeowner had posted a sign encouraging people to pick what they needed, but leave some for others.

I had started with a wildlife shot, so I’ll end with this very cute and confident fawn who was following his mother and his twin into someone’s garden for their lunch buffet. AND this was on my walk home.

I wish you all a bountiful harvest with family, friends and those beautiful, unexpected moments in your daily lives.

JUST WALKING AND CAPTURING THE MOMENTS

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I seldom have any specific plans, just a vague direction where I decide to walk. Sometimes I have a yen to walk by the water, especially if I have a hankering for a warm croissant, a leisurely cup of excellent coffee and a superb sea view. Other times, I’ll feel adventurous and follow lanes or connectors to discover side streets that I didn’t realize would take me down another lane. The highlights of my jaunts would be finding stuff to photograph—often unexpected stuff.

One recent venture led me to a couple of streets that displayed some excellent utility pole art—art that only the area locals or adventurous walkers would delight in finding. According to one of the neighbors, their Community Centre had supplied the paints and the utility companies had encouraged the artwork lining the neighborhood. It was a fun walk, following the poles where one street melded into another, until I found myself temporarily “lost” in an unfamiliar area.

I eventually found myself on a familiar street, but being temporarily “lost” was worth the neighborhood art show. I heard from another neighbor that the paints were no longer supplied and the utility companies terminated the art project. However, the enterprising artists on the street ignored this and purchased their own paint to continue the pole art.

On other walks I have discovered the coincidence of a recurring theme—decorative gates or artsy fences or even bicycles—miniature, middling or normal —all recycled.

And yesterday, my walk kept encountering boats. This was unplanned and nowhere near water.

It seems no matter which direction I take , there will always be something for a walker to enjoy. And if you’re an adventurous urban walker, there’s an amazing amount of photographical treasures to be seen.

HAPPY WALKING EVERYONE!

Searching for the Perfect Home

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Feeling in a frivolous mood and what better way to express this. . . .to all the little girls who believe in fairies, elves and gnomes. . . .

Searching for a home is universal–whether for fairies, elves, gnomes or humans. It is the same requirements: location, location, location. And the price has to be reasonable.

If brand new, the right tree in the perfect location has to be selected and must answer the many questions asked by the potential buyer,

Is the entrance (hole) facing the right direction? Is it high enough for an excellent view? Would the architect be able to design a 3-bdrm/2-bath plus a small attachment for Grampa?

Or perhaps a penthouse with its private ladder access might appeal . . . .?

Then there are all the other choices available. Did the buyer want a fixer-upper? A handyman’s special? Or maybe just a fresh coat of paint? What about landscaping? A basement suite?

Or maybe a nice ready-to-move-in home—–complete with nicely painted steps and door, a tiny table and is that a mailbox to the left. . .?

And there’s always that very secluded stone mansion in the woods . . . . .

Add a handy-dandy “Beware of Gnomes” sign to ensure no trespassers come through the woods uninvited. . . . .

See, those Tiny Folks are just like us when it comes to house-hunting. . . . .

BUT when that perfect home is found, then the “Welcome” mat is the first thing to show “this is finally HOME!”

JOYFUL SPRING

thoughts and observations

After a resting Winter, Spring is always a delight to welcome with open arms. I like to search for signs of Spring wherever I do my random walking routes. I hit a looloopalooza day yesterday, when I spotted a bountiful treasure of blooms, popping out of the ground and bursting forth from ornamental bushes as well as boulevard trees.

Daffodils, crocuses and snowdrops all vying for the attention of people passing by. . . .

This beautiful Dogwood tree, in early bloom, is BC’s provincial flower. It is definitely an early Spring surprise.

Whenever I see the simple sight of a row of yellow daffodils, lifting their heads to the warm sun, framed against a white picket fence, it makes me want to whip out my paint brushes and sketch book. . . .but I whipped open my senior cellphone’s camera instead. . . .

Magnolia trees are in various locations. My favorite has always been the deep pink, large as dinner-plate blooms. . . .

I love the sight of Spring crocuses bursting onto bare ground and a sparse lawn; it’s almost as if it couldn’t wait and just wanted to be out of the dark and into the sun.

And a rambling walker has to admire the trees too—-trees prove Spring is here. Pink camellias are in bloom. . . . .

Ornamental cherry blossoms makes the heart sing. . . . . .

Crocuses grow in the most unexpected places—rocky and bare. . . . .

Blossoming trees plus a blooming camellia bush are all positive signs that Spring has arrived in all her finery. YAY, SPRING. . . . .and that means, Summer is not far behind!

LANDMARK PERSON OR DIRECTION PERSON

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I’m a “landmark” person. That means you tell me to turn right at the yellow house, continue until I see Caffe Henri, then turn left and stop at the house with the red Spanish tile roof. That’s a landmark person. That’s me.

A “direction” person will follow differently worded directions to reach the same destination. He/She will head north on Turcotte, turn east on Sumter, keep moving until he/she see Caffe Henri and turn north-west at Birch. That’s a direction person. He/She has a brain like a compass and know exactly where they’re going. Lots of people grasp directions. I don’t.

I think that’s probably why I enjoy my rambling walks because I start in no particular direction and each of my random routes are peppered with landmarks.

This tiny Zen nook, nestled in a corner of a garden, lets me know that I’m very close to a laneway. Oak Bay is known for its numerous laneways and connectors. Each one leads a walker onwards to new “adventures.”

This is a fun house to walk past because the fence along the driveway is filled with art.

But along another route, through a laneway, there is a house with a decorative post. It shows a cheerful “Welcome” on one side and a ‘Come Again” on the other.

This has got to be an early sign of Spring—-tiny crocuses tucked among the grass and rocks.

A tiny blue guitar, placed in a tree. Perhaps, a trendy bird-house for just the right fun-seeking birds. . . .?

There are numerous free neighborhood libraries, scattered all over Oak Bay. Some owners are quite creative making these accessible libraries visible and fun. The one below was an entertaining landmark to a neighborhood park, but someone—-not fond of books—vandalized this funky library and the new replacement is just not the same. . . .

When I see my favorite bike rack, marked with a miniature bicycle, I know I can stop for my cup of coffee and snack at “Serious Coffee.”

I do enjoy seeing all my landmarks on my rambling walks. There’s always something that makes the random routes amazing. I just hope urban development doesn’t destroy any of these . . . . .

MY 2021 NEW YEAR LAPTOP

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I have gained more white hairs than Santa has on his entire face and head since I got a new computer. I’m not exaggerating. My computer hates me.

My desktop died two Christmases ago and I got a laptop to replace it. This was my new start in a New Year. It would give me more space on my desk. I had visions of me tapping away in my neighborhood coffee bar, writing that great Canadian novel.

Scratch that lofty thought out the window. This laptop had its own agenda. Remember that diabolical doll called “Chuckie?” That’s my computer.

The first thing happened while I was typing merrily along and everything froze. I truly mean froze—nothing moved—neither cursor nor keys. I gently tapped on the enter key and then I tapped a bit harder, a few more times.

Well okay, maybe I tapped a tad too hard as Hubby shouted that he “heard that” from the next room. When nothing happened after all that pounding, I did what we all do in those uncertain techie times, I turned the computer off, waited 2 minutes and then turned it on again.

It worked. Perhaps, this was a glitch. You know, new tech toy, new operator.

Then, the laptop got quite creative. It began to switch bits and pieces of my writing in an egg-scrambley way. I had cleverly killed one of my characters by having his ex-wife push him into a vat of rising bread dough. (He was the baker and owner of a fancy bakery). Well, Chuckie had switched pieces of written bits around when I checked my progress. It was the baker who was attacked by a vat of rising bread dough that was somehow dumped on his ex-wife. Mind you, this was kind of creative too, but it wasn’t what I intended.

Today was the ultimate attack. Microsoft had another update—a 4-minute one. So I left the computer to “shut off and restart” when it was done. As usual, extra bits were added to improve on things I never use but are all part of the Window 11 package.

The scenic view on my screen was spectacular. But, there was no access box for me to sign in. In fact, there was nowhere and nothing for me to access—just a big screen with a big picture. I hauled out the manual I had downloaded and printed out when I got my laptop. There was nothing that even remotely resembled my problem.

Hubby came to my rescue. “Hold your finger on the power/turn-off button for 30 seconds. Then turn the computer on again.”

It was a miracle. It worked.

At least the computer behaved. I was able to sign in and check my email. However, when I tried to reply, the keys didn’t type. The keys weren’t locked, they just didn’t type.

Back to the darn manual. It wasn’t any help at all. I couldn’t even tap out a “help” to Microsoft.

Finally, in exasperation as well as desperation—I turned everything off and unplugged the power cord, the printer and the internet. Then, I plugged everything back and turned Chuckie back on.

Holy macadoodle, it worked. I suppose after 4 hours of hasseling me, Chuckie called it a day. I know I’m exhausted but keeping my fingers and toes crossed that the computer continues doing what it should be doing, being a normal laptop tomorrow.

I’m going to call it a day too by baking a pan of Dark Chocolate Brownies and melting my Godiva dark chocolate bar on top—after all, chocolate makes everything so much better. . . .

WINDOW STOPPING

thoughts and observations,

“If it stops you in your tracks, then that’s the window worth a good look.”

Sometimes I like to do a slow window stopping walking route. The variety of shops and businesses along this route often have eye-catching windows. It makes it worth-while to pause and capture whatever caught my attention with my handy-dandy senior cellphone’s camera.

These distinctive little shoemakers, in the front window of the shoe repair shop, always makes me stop. They have me smiling to see these busy shoemakers working so industriously.

A few doors down is the buy-n-sell with its ever changing hodge-podge of “treasures” –or, just a fun stop to check out all the “what-nots” previous owners considered junk. Did you spot the old Singer sewing machine?

One of my favorite stops is Gardenworks as it has such great displays in their large display windows as well as inside their fascinating store. Their current eye-stopping window display shows off these beautiful orchids.

Perhaps it was a salute to the West Coast and being on an Island, but this Gardenwork’s nautical theme appealed to my senses and captured my camera’s attention.

Sharing the other half of the Avenue Butcher’s building is a talented chef/owner. He specializes in curing and preparing meats utilizing the “whole beast,” or animal in a variety of tasty methods. The name of his business is on an amazing mural on the side of his building.

Another window makes me pause as I ponder what type of service this store provides.,

Apparently, it is the Herbal Path, a store specializing in acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine.

Further along the street is an antique store with its front windows often capturing my attention. Sometimes the displays are large, ornately carved pieces of furniture; other times, the window display is quite simple.

Depending upon my mood, my walks are always an adventure. It could be a challenging walk with steep hills or a scenic walk along the water. Sometimes, it could be a walk through the residential side streets and laneways. But now and then, there is the leisurely fun stroll to simply window stop. . . . .

FOOTPRINTS IN THE SNOW

humour,

A brand new year always make me think of a fresh snowfall. It’s Day 5 of the new 2023, but I like to view my year as an unblemished canvas, free of footprints so far. It would be unthinkable to have anything marring the progress of a new beginning. However, this is real Life and Fate has a habit of intervening when least expected. And footprints tend to tread in unexpected places.

As the Holiday Season winds down, I started a search for frivolous, not-serious, fun facts that will put any thoughts of war, climate-change, Covid and other sobering thoughts aside for the moment.

The first gem was how to eat a croissant properly. I had never thought one way or the other how to tackle a flaky croissant. After all, flaky crumbs aside, devouring a freshly baked almond or chocolate croissant–even a plain one–warm from the oven, usually results in crumbs on your lap and on your plate. Well apparently, there is a protocol, written by Clarice Knelly, here is the link: https://www.msn.com/en-ca/travel/tripideas/how-to-eat-a-croissant-without-making-a-huge-mess/ar-AA15E2v7?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=U531&cvid=b50d7b75e7354b98d15af3da3f023b8b

Have you ever wondered what Astronauts nibble and nosh on up there in their space jammies? Me too. Guess what? According to the following link, heat resistant Hershey chocolates made a trip to the space station. Why “heat resistant?” Because silly–no one wants melted chocolates on their clean space suits. Here’s the link to “The Time Hershey’s Chocolate Went To The Moon.” https://www.msn.com/en-ca/foodanddrink/foodnews/the-time-hershey-s-chocolate-went-to-the-moon/ar-AA15C3LZ?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=U531&cvid=b50d7b75e7354b98d15af3da3f023b8b

I really love what people throw out on the Internet. Who hasn’t enjoyed unwrapping a Terry’s Orange Chocolate Ball? It is such a novelty to unwrap the orange foil, gently tap the round ball of chocolate and watch the ball fan out with chocolate slices. You’ll have to watch this brief video to see there is a purpose to a piece of the packaging—who would have thought? https://www.msn.com/en-ca/foodanddrink/foodnews/sorry-what-the-packaging-on-a-terry-s-chocolate-has-a-hidden-use/ar-AA15XMaa?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=U531&cvid=50eaebe7cb6349ce8bbb6a7f0fe18532

I saved this gem for last. Wouldn’t you love to impress family and friends by “sabering” the top off a bottle of bubbly. Click on this very helpful link. . .and apparently a sword/saber isn’t necessary. https://msn,com/en-ca/health/wellness/how-to-saber-a-bottle-of-champagne-using-a-sword-spoon-or-even-a-watch/ar-AA15GzKr?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=U531&cvid=50eaebe7cb6349ceBbbb6a7f0fe18532

Hopefully, I’ve plunged us into 2023 with smiles and a bucket of useful information. After all, not everyone knows how to eat a croissant properly or sabering off the top of a bottle of bubbly. . . . .