The best cobbler EVER!

As the title hints at, yes, I have found a to die for Blackberry Cobbler recipe.

Let's call it:

Hilary's Blackberry Cobbler

1 cup flour
1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
6 tbs cold butter
1/4 cup boiling water
2 tbs cornstartch
1/4 cup cold water
1 tbs lemon juice
4 cups fresh cleaned blackberries

Preheat oven to 400 degrees, line a baking sheet with aluminum foil
in a large bowl mix the flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in 1/4 cup boiling water just until the mixture is evenly moist.
In a separate bowl dissolve the cornstarch in cold water. Mix in remaining 1 cup sugar, lemon juice and blackberries. Transfer to a cast rion skillet, and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Drop dough into the skillet by spoonfulls. place skillet on the foil linned baking sheet.
Bake 25 minuted until the dough is golden brown


But whatever. That's too much work. So what I did was:

Mix all the ingredients as it says. But I don't have a cast iron skillet so I put the sugar berry mix into a pyrex dish and did not cook it, as it will cook in the oven anyways. It was recommended that you double the dough recipe, which I did. I would also cut the sugar down a bit, maybe 1 cup total. Also if you double the dough you have to cook it for longer. It took about 35 minutes

Update

Well in response to the many inquiries I received, today I went back to see what was in the duffle bag. It was GONE. I'm so happy because the last thing I want to do was get close to it!

This last week, I met up with Theresa who is visiting en route to Taiwan to teach English. We had a very nice long walk around the sea wall, through stanley park on some trails, and around and around the west end. Add it all up we probably did close to 20 Km! We topped the day off with sushi and met up with her Vancouverite friend who did not know a single landmark in Vancouver. Lost Lagoon-nope, Denman- nope. Georgia-nope. Second beach-nope. Needless to say meeting up with this person was exceedingly difficult!

I also went to the BCCOM show and shine on Sunday. It was amazing! I didn't expect such a huge show, or such crowds. Good job Shannon. I watched Jim Byrnes play, which was awesome, and then I sat 3 feet away from him as he chilled between sets. Darren scored a table on an patio with the perfect view of the stage and the loner guy who danced the entire time by himself! Clearly this guy was feeling the music. Unfortunately his girlfriend wasn't feeling it when he pulled her up infront of the crowd for a little bump n'grind. ewww. We also met Otto from Norway, a businessman here for a month. Very nice man, we enjoyed talking to him. I think he just didn't know what to make of the North American bike culture.

gluttony

Doesn't anyone know how to make pies anymore?

Screw selling books, I should sell pies! Everyone should learn how to make pies, it's so easy. Well maybe instead of doing canning for Xmas, I'll make frozen pies. I'll go for the tri-fector for Shannon, Blackberry pie with goat cheese and post-its.

My secret dream is to own a goat farm and make expensive cheese. Good to know there is another goat cheese fiend out there, I'll need a taste tester.

ever feel like you're in a movie?

Well for some reason I haven't been able to upload pictures onto my blog for a while. Sarah had the same problem a while ago- I assumed it was something she was doing, apparently not!

I was trying to upload a picture of blackberries. The fruit not the tech-gadget. There is maybe a week or so left in this years blackberry season. Get outside and pick some! It has always been a little scary picking blackberries as there are tons of coyotes in the ravine. However this year apparently there is a cougar in the ravine as well. I find it hard to believe. It was sighted a few weeks ago- apparently. Although today I thought I found a body...

I pick behind queen's park hospital, not actually in the ravine, but along the edge of it. In some spots there are trails that go down into the ravine. I was near one of these when I saw what I thought was the upper half of a person in a little clearing in the middle of the blackberry bushes. After a few deep breaths for courage, I took a closer look. It was a rather large duffel bag that was stuffed full. I have no idea what's in there, I was too scared to look. But I figured if there was some poor soul stuffed in the duffel bag it would probably smell. Who knows. If it's still there next time maybe I'll give it a kick or something. In movies duffel bags either contain bodies or unmarked american money...

If your curious I'm making blackberry jam and pies.

shameless self promotion

I have a huge book donation. The freecycle website has come through again for me. I just picked up about 200 books from 2 people on Agnes street. Since I don't drive this presented a problem! I borrowed a really good granny cart from Nana (it actually collapses small enough to fit in a grocery bag.) So I was able to lug all those books home. The strange thing is that some guy actually follwoed me the entire way uphill from Agens at St. Mary's all the way through the park, down pathways, all the way to ginger drive! Freak alert! (some middle aged guy) The books were so heavy if he'd offered to pull my cart I might have said yes!!

I am hoping for a good month of sales, as August is a huge month for textbook sales. With some luck I might get the bloody cruise paid for! So remember if you have any books to donate, let me know! Now that I have a sexy cart, I might just be able to pick-up! Thanks to Dad, Judy, Cathy, Sarah and Whitney for their donations. Actually I can't remember if Sarah has actually given me any books, but she should!!! hahaha!

¢ ¢

This is what I learned today:

press ALT and then type 0162
and that's how to get a ¢ sign!!!!
I have always wondered how! Tell everyone you know

millions of apples, apples for free

hey!
Do you know how to can applesauce?
Neither do I.

I have been looking online for recipe but all the ones I found say that you have to strain the apple mush. I don't want to (mostly because I don't want to buy a strainer.) I don't actually like applesauce- especially since I'm allergic to apples, but I promised Nana I would make her some in exchange for the apples. So if anyone has a kick-ass recipe, let me know. Thanks!

Kassie

Today Shannon told Kassie how they are going to go for a trip on a ferry so big that they can drive their car on it. Kassie started to get upset and said she didn't want to go. So Shannon keeps telling her how much fun it will be, how big the ferry is and how they are going to go to an island. At this point Kassie is almost crying. Finally Kassie says that they only 'ferry' she's ever seen is Tinkerbell, and she doesn't think she wants to see a fairy that is big enough to carry the car! Isn't that the cutest!!!

Nearly Grown Up...

To answer the question once and for all.
How Much Longer Are You Going To Be At SFU?
I have 30 credits to go which is at MOST 10 classes. At the very least it is 6 and a half classes. Do I see the light at the end of the tunnel? No. I'm still scared to death that'll flunk out and finally admit to being a lifer at shoppers. That's scarier than the shining and nightmare on elm street!

cruiser chicks

Sarah and I went for a cruise around coal harbour and the sea wall monday. We decided that having super cute bikes made it much more fun. We borrowed the bikes from Justis- they are for sale in his shop The Denman Bike Shop. I have to admit that when I saw the price of the bikes I was more than a little nervous!!!! As Sarah said on her website, we only had one helmet (which Sarah wore) I was more worried about damaging the bike then I was my head.
I think I look super cute on the bike! After a few blocks I got use to back peddle brakes.
Out front of Whit's place. Justis gave me an earful about how I shouldn't be wearing flip flops on a bike. We were both wearing flip flops until I called Sarah to tell her about the shoe clearance going on at the bay! Big mistake, that girl can't pass up a shoe store without buying. How can Ryan possibly think she only owns 20 pairs?!!

In this heat Slurpies are considered required

Just a quick update for those not in Van City. Sarah is back in town, and I always get lazy updating the blog. Anyways, I watched some of the baseball tourney (which they won) got a fairly wicked sunburn and ate far too much sushi. I went and saw Pirates of the Carribean, not as good as the first, but I think thte 3rd one will be really good. Number 2 seems to be just a build up to #3.

Sarah, Ryan and I also went for a day trip up to Whistler- It was a long trip because of the construction, it was nice I haven't been there in years. We stopped for cheese sticks in Squamish I remember them being soo much better. We also stopped off at Warren and Karens in Brakendale and met D-Boz the Pit Bull. The dog has some bad manners! He would run around growling with a ball in his mouth and then run up behind you and while you're standing there, and shove his head in between your knees!

Nana turned 90 on Monday, I went out for possibly the worst food ever at the jiffy wiffy waffle house. It was my first time there, hopefully the last! I also went and picked the apples off her tree, but it's too hot to do any canning, the thought of turning the canning pot on....ugh! Hopefully the weather will change-otherwise I won't get any canning done.

Last night I went to laugh lines- the headliner was really good. The warm up act was a 73 year old gramma. It felt really wrong to laugh at her, and all her jokes were really raunchy, which made it even more uncomfortable. There was hardly any AC in the club, I think I lost about 10 pounds in sweat! I think the club did it on purpose, I didn't even bat an eye at the $7.50 drinks.

As I'm sure everyone in Vancouver is already aware, It is SMOKING hot here. Bus journey's are no longer enjoyable. There are lots of deoderant ads on the bus and skytrain, but I swear no one in Vancouver has ever used any! I am actually starting to long for rain. 2 nights ago I managed to sleep a little with the help of a cold shower and an ice pack. Last night I decided to forget trying to cool my house down. Instead I made a bed on my balcony! I highly recommned it, I was actually able to sleep.

In the last 2 days I have had nearly 150 comments posted on my blog. They aren't from anyone I know. I have no idea why I'm being spammed, but it's getting to be annoying. It's not that the comments are bad- it's comments like "This blog has lots of information for a beginner like me!" They're nice, but there's just too many. So from now on when you post a comment, word verification is required. Just enter the word/letters shown. Hopefully this will stop the spammer.

Wading Through the Pox

... one child at a time. Kassie has chicken pox. Kaitlyn is coming down with the pox. The daycare kids have all been exposed. The neighbour's kids have the pox, the neighbour has the pox. Shannon is sick too. So what does this all add up to? Between 7 and 9 children with the pox, 2 out of commission mothers and one neighbour (me) who gets to run the daycare. Do you think Costco sells industrial sized calimine lotion?

Sleeping Beauty she is not!

"CLEVELAND (AP) - Officers who went to a home to serve a search warrant found a skeleton in the bed where an 80-year-old woman said her mother was sleeping.
Police believe the remains belong to woman's 98-year-old mother, who hadn't been seen in at least three years. Officers went to the home Wednesday to serve a search warrant for building, housing and health code violations, but the woman said they couldn't come inside because her mother was sleeping. After persuading her to let them in the house, the officials pulled back the blanket on the bed and found the skeleton.
The daughter, whose name was withheld until her family was notified, was taken to St. Vincent Charity Hospital.
Cuyahoga County coroner Elizabeth Balraj said Thursday she would need more information to identify the body, which showed no signs of injury.
Police Lieut. Thomas Stacho said no charges were expected. "

She must be crazy if no charges are pending. How long did she figure mom was going to sleep for?

I am shocked! Here's a pic of the guy behind cats in sinks and kitten war:


I don't think I can endorse his sites anymore. He probably has a kitten mill where he forces the kittens to be cute and pose for pictures. Very cruella de ville.

Better than cat's in sinks

I can't remember if I ever posted the www.catsinsinks.com website on the blog or not. Check it out if you like cats in sinks. Here's a sample:

But now these people have made a new site about kittens!!! http://kittenwar.com/

First Freebie received!
I received the sample of greenies today, it's a cat treat that is supposed to freshen breath and clean their teeth. Her breath smells like chicken now. Not what I'd call fresh. But she likes it, and I have a coupon to buy more. It is also salem's first piece of mail- it is addressed to her, not me.

My fridge died this morning. It's going to be 28 degrees today and it is the start of a long weekend. Not good. Luckily though I called the co-op fridge guy 2 days ago, so hopefully I might get a new fridge soon. Shannon is going away this weekend, so I plan on moving my food to her house. Good thing too, because my freezer has around 30 jars of jam in it. I don't think I can eat that much jam. The only thing worse is when my hot water tank quit in Christmas day!

contradiction

I was chatting with someone recently about how blogs are like diaries. At the time I agreed. But no, this isn't a diary.

Dear Diary,
----I don't open like this, I also don't include obscure little haikus about my computer.

blinking,
I have mail,
the ink is low.
Office Depot savior.

Thankfully this is not a diary. And that was not a haiku, it was a Senryū

Bye Bye Bert

sigh

I have a bit of an update for y'all.

Worms:

I joined a discussion group/forum that's all about vermicomposting. I'd done my research before I started, but I was a little worried because I only had a few worms. But everyone was really nice and said that I was doing everything right. Well apparently I am. The worms have had babies! They are only about 3/4 of a cm long and kinda white in colour. So that's good! I was worried that I didn't have boy and girl worms, but hey no worries they don't have sex- they reproduce asexually- did you know that?

I also did 6 batches of strawberry freezer jam in the past week. I have put a posting on my local freecycle site that if anyone has a fruit tree, I'm willing to take the fruit off their hands. Hopefully that way I can get more fruit for free. If you are interested there is a link in my links section- people post stuff that they don't want or stuff that they want- the only rule is that everything must be free. You must apply to join the group.

free is the right price for me!

Name: Evian Affinity
Freebie Type: Free Sample
Availability: Canada only
Get a free sample of Evian (yes, like the bottled water) Affinity skincare products. Choose between Original Hydrating Lotion or Oxygenating Cleansing Gel. Sign up for your sample at www.evianaffinity.ca

Name: Downy
Freebie Type: Free Sample
Availability: Canada only
Go to the Downy website, click on "request a free sample," then fill out your info to get your free sample of Downy plus Whitening liquid fabric softener. One sample per household, and only while supplies last!

Name: Nike Fitness Dance DVD
Freebie Type: Free DVD
Availability: U.S. & Canada
Register to be a member of Nike.com and then sign up to receive a free Nike Fitness Dance DVD featuring Rihanna. You should receive the DVD in four to six weeks. Hurry! Offer is only good while supplies last!

Name: Greenies
Freebie Type: Free Sample
Availability: U.S. & Canada
Click on "Get Greenies" on the Greenies site to get your free sample of cat or dog treats. Ships in 4 to 6 weeks.

Shannon got me hooked on free samples, lets see how many of the samples actually show up.