scones and seascapes   12 comments

Posted at 1:08 pm in Uncategorized

Late last Saturday evening, Sage, Sabrina and I rolled into the yard here at our old house in Round Hill, Nova Scotia. This summer, I have quite a long mental list of tasks to work at, none of which are particularly pressing. When you take on a project such as this old place, you soon learn that it’s a bit like Rome. it won’t be done in a day, a week, a year, or perhaps even a decade, especially if you are doing pretty much everything yourself. For me, the trick in this old house rescue work has been to not take it too seriously – just work away at it the best that I can, while trying to leave room for walks and late night moth photography. That said, I am a pretty hard task master and probably don’t give myself enough time for rest and recreation. i vow to do things a little differently this summer. As well, I’ve made a pact with myself to try to eat better this year. Oh, it’s not that I don’t eat well, but ever since Don’s death, I have tended toward utilitarian cooking and eating. I would cook a huge batch of one thing and then just have that as my sole foodstuff for the next three or four days. Food was food. Such a change from the days when I happily labored endless hours in the kitchen preparing Pad thai, vegetarian Indian dishes, home baked bread, or what have you. Without Don to cook for, there hasn’t seemed to be much point in going to any trouble. However, I do hope to try a little better this summer. To that end, I decided to buy a new campstove that has a small oven (see above – click on all photos for larger views). For two summers here, and four years of nomadic autumn travels, I have made do with an electric frying pan and/or a compact propane single burner campstove. This new addition is bound to have some impact on the cuisine here at Round Hill.

This morning was my first attempt at using the new camp oven to bake. The instructions repeatedly state not to use the stove indoors due to the danger of carbon monoxide gas. The writer need not have feared for my safety as my natural paranoia of propane deterred me from setting up the stove in the well ventilated entrance hall. Instead, I set it up on a folding table in the back of a small utility trailer. As you can see from the reflection of the big Sugar Maple in the glass door (second photo), I am virtually cooking outdoors.

My first experiment was to attempt to bake a round of berry scones. The baking went quite well, although I do believe the baking time was about double what it might have been in a regular oven. However, eventually the task was accomplished and the scones proved to be very tasty. Of course, I experienced a thrill somewhat akin to a child baking his or her first cupcake in an Easy-Bake oven. On second thought, perhaps it was closer to the elation that Don and I both felt after successfully installing a water line and hydrant to our goat barn many decades ago. One would have thought the spout was pouring liquid silver rather than water the first time we turned on the hydrant. Let me assure you that a couple of winters of lugging a dozen or more water pails each chore time will do crazy things to your head.

Anyhow, now I am able to put food into a metal box and see it BAKE! Quite a novelty!

On my way to my home in the east, I always stop at the Nova Scotia welcome center to take a break from driving on the thousand mile or so trip made from Ontario to here over two days. Don and I did that drive together a dozen or more times during our summer holidays each year. We both loved Nova Scotia, and as many of you know, Don was planning to retire in April 2008 with the intention of moving here that summer. Instead, he became ill and died at our farm in Ontario that autumn. It is a fact that brings me much sadness. Stopping at the welcome center is very difficult now. It feels like hallowed ground to me as we always paused there to rest and gaze out over the Tantramar Marsh toward our beloved Bay of Fundy, whose salty waters rush up red muddy channels with the influx of each tide. We had Sabrina with us many times, and Maggie before her. As always now, I can almost see Don standing by the ship’s mast amid the half-circle of Nova Scotia flags – his strong tall body silhouetted against the silvery light of the marshlands. In that moment, I am reminded of how like the tides are our lives – rushing and full one minute, only to become empty and still in another. But like the ocean, life was never meant to be one way or the other for long, and so we carry on.

Written by bev wigney on May 9th, 2012

12 Responses to 'scones and seascapes'

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  1. Lovely fragrant berry scones! In the midst of my fairly simple home repair project, I am missing my usual routines of cooking for myself. I delight in cooking and eating generous amount of the simple foods I relish, using a cast iron skillet and a large steamer. The season of fresh salmon is coming soon. In Bellingham, we have access to plenty of fresh vegetables, fruits, and seafood, as I am sure you have in Nova Scotia.

    It is a beautiful day here. I am picturing the same in Round Hill today for you and Sabrina and Sage. Looking forward to seeing how things are looking around your house and land as you settle in for the summer of 2012.

    am

    9 May 12 at 3:33 pm

  2. lovely post bev. And welcome home, to this home.

    megan

    9 May 12 at 3:37 pm

  3. The scones look delicious! I’m glad you’re getting settled back in. Poignant memories for sure. I know that spot you’re talking about. Have stopped there at least half a dozen times back when I was making my semi-annual treks between Halifax and Toronto for work. So true about the tides.

    Ed

    9 May 12 at 4:55 pm

  4. am – There is good produce here in summer and i will be putting in a vegetabe garden again this year. i look forward to growing as much as I can while here. there is something nice about letting the garden suggest what you will cook and eat each day. we are into a rainy spell here, but it won’t last and soon I will be working in the garden and getting down to work on the next phase of the house repairs. i hope your place will be back in order fairly soon!

    megan – Thanks! it feels good to be back at my eastern heart’s home.

    Ed -The scones turned out well. I took some next door to my neighbours.

    bev wigney

    9 May 12 at 8:39 pm

  5. A good thing, Bev, taking some interest in being more diverse with your diet. I know whereof you write when it comes to not bothering as much as one should if the only person eating is you. When Peter is away I always find it hard to get motivated, relying on much simpler fare. But we should look after ourselves as well as we look after our loved ones, even when they’re not around to share an appreciation.

    That little oven looks damned fine. I wish there were not such a distance between us, because the fruit scone is calling me loud and clear! (-;

    Glad to hear that you three are safely home. I’m looking forward to hearing about developments in the garden.

  6. Clive – You are so right about us needing to take care of ourselves and eat well. As much as anything, it is a self-preservation issue. Being alone now, I’m all the more aware of that need as I can’t really risk illness or injury these days.

    The little oven is really quite a fine thing. I’m certain that once I get the hang of baking with it, I’ll be whipping up home-baked bread and other delicacies. AThe one thing that takes a bit of getting used to is that there is no automatic thermostat to keep the heat at an even level. Instead, you must watch the temperature gauge and adjust the flame accordingly. I was a little timid with it yesterday, but as I learn the oven’s ways, I think I’ll become more adept.

    Yes, too bad I could not share these scones with everyone! I did take some next door to my neighbours’ house and am planning to do that often in future. I will be putting in a vegetable garden on their now unused plot so will be back and forth to the garden quite a bit, occasionally bringing along some baked goods!

    bev wigney

    10 May 12 at 8:57 am

  7. That new cook stove and oven looks like a great addition for your expanded cooking. It is hard to cook for oneself, but it is a good thing to know that and plan for simple delicious meals. I have a tofu recipe that I cook quite often and absolutely love. If you’re interested in it, let me know. It’s a delicious and nutritious meal, and the leftovers make a good sandwich. I like your new attitude about what can get done over the summer. Enjoy those walks and night-time photography. The perfect balance to a day’s work.

    robin andrea

    10 May 12 at 10:03 am

  8. robin – Sure, I love tofu and would like your recipe!

    bev wigney

    10 May 12 at 10:06 am

  9. That’s a lovely posting Bev and very poignant.

    I can well understand how your visits to the welcome center feel like being on hallowed ground with the special memories you must have of being there with Don. I had a similar feeling when making my recent visit to Blagdon on my birthday, having only ever gone there previously with my late mother.

    The scone looks gorgeous. I would like to have the recipe if you don’t mind sharing it. What berries did you use and are they wild ones you picked from the hedgerows or are they from cultivated plants you have grown in your garden?

    I am pleased to hear that you and both dogs have got home safely from you long journey.

    Best wishes,

    Marion Jackson

    11 May 12 at 11:10 am

  10. Marion – Thanks very much for the kind words about this post. I do feel that certain places become emotionally connected with memories and often with a particular person. There are a number of these places in Ontario and even a few in California and Arizona which seem strongly linked to Don. I have mixed feelings about being in those places – it makes be feel closer to him for awhile, but it is also very painful, so I don’t knowingly visit these places too often anymore.

    Sure, I will send you the recipe. I found it online but made a couple of modifications which seemed to work well. The berries were frozen organic berries purchased at the store. They were raspberries, blacberries and blueberries. Will write you soon after I get a bit more caught up after the drive here! Take care.

    bev wigney

    11 May 12 at 2:09 pm

  11. Glad you arrived back in Round Hill safe and sound! What a fine thing to visit this morning and see, not only a brand new cook stove, but a splendid batch of berry scones.

    Your observations about eating and cooking really rang a bell, Bev. Unable to eat most of what I might whip up these days, I have quite gotten out of the habit of creative cooking. It is something I must get back to, if not for myself then the rest of the tribe.

    cate

    15 May 12 at 8:02 am

  12. Hi Cate – Yes, sometimes it is hard to work uo much enthusiam for cooking – for one reason or another. I’m currently feeling inspired to cook for some the odd nice pastry for some neighbours and the upside of that is that I’m eating a little better than I might otherwise! Take care.

    bev wigney

    15 May 12 at 12:26 pm

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