Wednesday, August 8, 2012

icky-blicky day in the city!


ok - to be fair...it was an absolutely gorgeous day! (see obligatory sky pic for my sis Helga above)!

which is why it sucked so bad that we had to go into the city of Sydney...the only city on our island, thank goodness. the population of Sydney - about 36,000. they got a strip mall, a giant Sobey's (grocery store), a pretty big Walmart, pretty big Home Hardware, pretty big Canadian Tire. no Costco, no Ikea, no other big chain stores. but it's still a city, it's still ugly and dirty, and it's still ....well....not Framboise! we hate going there!!! especially on such a gorgeous day!

but to be honest, we don't have to go there often and if that is the worst place that we have to go for the rest of our lives...well, i guess we should count our lucky stars.

but anyway.....we got a yacht! more coming on that in a future post - i promise. and when i say yacht - i don't mean those fruity 80footers - i am talking - YACHT!!!!! you'll all soon see. we finally got the baby down to the river today and tomorrow is looking like a yachting day. it's green and blackish-grey cammo pattern...some of you survivalists will drool. it doesn't have any walls or rooms....and it's only 12ft long...and aluminum...and it's actually kind of piece of shit (POS)....but to us - it's a yacht. oh you guys are gonna love the yacht post - i promise!!!

continuing...we have been on a korean food kick for the past few days...i think it's the latest batch of kimchi that has been making our stomachs want korean food. back in the city, we had access to some fine korean restaurants. not so on the island...sad to say. so we have to make our own. i've got traditional spicey kimchi down to a very fine art...and i now have perfected radish kimchi. and together, we have perfected delicious korean bulgogi...have a look-see for yourselves:


oh man....the spicy kimchi is to die for. the radish kimchi, you would sell your mother for. and the bulgogi - you would just have to keep having kids in order to sell them to the devil to deserve this bulgogi!!!! it was deelissssssh! with onions and green peppers and a ton of sesame seeds. with traditional korean bulgogi, you marinate the meat for 72 hours (72hr bags anyone - bahahahahah!). we tried...but couldn't help ourselves from caving after 24 hours. it was awesome...but we are making marinade tomorrow and are going to try to last at least 48 hours - i'll keep you updated - no worries.
 
lastly, we don't live in a place that's named the french for raspberry for no reason! jambaloney got these suckers off of one bush on our road while i was showering. wild, delicious, sweet and tart little raspberries just growing all over our 9 acres just because they can. and we encourage these babies! check 'em out. lots of freezing, drying and canning in the next few days! we love 'em!


i have spent the last few days trying to catch up on all of your blogs - today threw me for a loop because we were gone all day to the city. but home again now and everything is fine at the Manor! have a great night!

38 comments:

  1. you live well.....

    Wildflower

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    1. Wildflower - we certainly do! and we know it and are very grateful. i wish everyone could live this way!

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  2. Be careful with aluminum boats. They usually don't have much in the way of reserve boyancy. A friend of mine was working under a dock, and a wrench punched a whole in the bottom of the jon boat. He said they went down like the blink of an eye.

    Sidney doesn't have too much in the way of books stores. Looks like a Coles, and a few specialty shops.

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    1. Russell - jambaloney has been around aluminum boats since he was 5 - he rode his grandfather's boat for over 30 yrs - he knows how to take care of them and that you have to be careful with them. but thanks for the tip!

      oh ya Sydney - our biggest city on the island - bahahahah! it's a pretty sad city!!! it really has very little in the way of books or anything. but it's still ugly and dirty and that's where we have to go for appointments. both of our skin crawls when we are there - bahahahaha!

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  3. Sweet Kymber and Jambaloney,

    Pretty sky picture!!! WoooHooo a yacht, it's so relaxing to cruise on the river or ocean. Be careful nude bathing, don't want you to get burned from the sun reflecting off the water. I think having something that works for the both of you and that you can manuver easily in and out of the water is a really good thing. I'm jealous, I guess, I better setup the kiddie wading pool and go lay in it. It's the only water I will see for a long long time, lol..... Picture an adult in a childs pool (NOT NUDE) with 5 inches of water and Beans barking at his silly mom....oh what a site to see :-).

    Yummy, Bulgogi!!!! I'm there :-)
    Raspberries, my favorite berry. It's great to have wild berries running freely throughout your property. What would you make with the berries?

    Sending Love and Hugs You Way,
    Your Friend,

    Sandy

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    1. hey sweet Sandy - you have already seen the yacht and it is a real beauty - bahahahah! as for your kiddie pool - get it set up girl - i have one too - bahahahahah! i love raspberries too...i like every kind of berry to be honest. what i do with the berries is freeze them and/or dehydrate them. then when i making something with the berries i just defrost them or use them dried....rather than making a bunch of pies all at once so as not to eat up all the room in my freezer. lots of love and hugs going your way, too!

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  4. Bulgogi!

    (Shouted out loud, it sounds like an insult.)

    I make a passable bulgogi (when I can get to the right Asian market). At least my wife says it reminds her a lot of the food she had when training in S. Korea. (Multiple black belt.)

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    1. bahahahahahahahah - yer a silly billy, North! oh if your wife says it tastes like what she ate in Korea then you definitely make a passable bulgogi. do you use a pear and/or pear juice in yours?

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    2. I have sweetened it with juice rather than sugar. I'll have to try it with pear, next time. Will you send me your recipe?

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    3. i will send it pronto my friend!

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  5. bulgo, bugolg,bulgolg, bul whatever, it sounds delish! I'll have to go to the google and check that out. Isn't food wonderful??

    I'm so excited to hear about the "yacht" too. Fun fun!

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    1. 1st Man - there are a ton of recipes for bulgogi out there and it isn't hard to make at all...the hard part is letting it marinate for 72 hours...i always cave at about 24-30 hrs. but trust me, if you marinate it the full 72 it's worth the weight. search for "traditional korean bulgogi" and then make sure the recipe calls for a pear or pear juice - that's the authentic way. wait until you see the yacht - you'll die laughing at it!

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  6. The berries look scrumptious ! It doesn't matter how long it is. It is still a yacht ! You can still go yachting, and if you're not yachting to me it doesn't need to be as large as 80 feet anyway ! LOL

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    1. oh Jane - the berries are just amazing....and they are everywhere!!! we're going to need some of you to come up and help us pick them all. and about the yacht - you are right as usual!!!

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  7. kymber...how do you make your bulgogi? I use equal parts of soy sauce and red cooking wine. crushed garlic, green onions, sugar, black pepper and sesame seeds. We marinate over night and then cook on a very hot charcoal grill...Yum, Yum... I just bought some cheap chuck roast. I think I'm gonna have to dust off the meat slicer.

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    1. hey Mamma - i will send you my recipe. i got it from my Korean teacher and she made the best bulgogi ever! the trick is to use an asian pear. email coming soon!

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    2. Thanks sweet kymber... I don't think I have my email posted so here it is...just put it all together.
      seed sprout @ wild blue . net

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    3. Mamma - recipe on it's way!

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  8. Just read about a guy who buried a sailboat. I assume that's not your plan.

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    1. buried his sailboat? not sure what you mean, Mr. Smythe but we certainly don't plan on burying ours - we love it!!!

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  9. Hey Sis - So glad you don't have to go to the city too often. Staying at Framboise is definitely a lot more fun - with great food I can't pronounce. Bahahah !!


    Raspberries I can pronounce and eat by the buckets - they look incredible ! A yacht huh - okay, then get it seaworthy and lets cross the Atlantic and see if the farm is still there. Oh bahahah! I can hardly wait to see it !

    Have a marvelous yachting day and many thanks for the entrancing sky.

    Stay Safe ! I Love You Always ... xoxoxoxo

    Email coming later

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    1. I miss my sister like I would miss my right arm AND my left leg - all at the same time. She kept me balanced. Kymber is a great substitute, but can I add YOU to the fold?

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    2. Lotta Joy - Yes, Kymber is a great substitute and she is a wonderful friend for you to have. I'm so sorry that you miss your beloved sister so much - and please keep your limbs !
      Bahahahah !!!

      By all means you can add me to the fold - indeed such an honor ! We come in pairs - Kymber and I. So be prepared for double trouble ! Kidding !

      You have yourself a great day and yell if you need us !

      Cheers ... Helga :))

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    3. hey Helga, honey - yep - you know it, sis, we hate going to the city. i wish you were here cuz i would just dump you in the field and you could just eat your way home - there are sooooo many berries!!!! and they are deelish! email coming back to you hon! love you Helga!

      lotta joy - there is enough wonderful and love in Helga to go around and share!!! you would love her to death!

      and Helga's right - we are double trouble. if we threw you in the mix we would be triple trouble. i like the sound of that!

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  10. kymber - the yacht sounds exciting :) Can't wait for pics...

    Have you tried pickled ginger? Dunno if it will go with bulgogi, but have a feeling is just may add a something extra :)

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    1. Dani - you'll scream with laughter when you see the yacht - bahahahahah! and yes - i love pickled ginger and it is normally served with bulgogi. i just have to get up off my butt and make some.

      oh almost forgot to tell you - all of the ginger that i planted has sprouted - woohoo!

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  11. Is the yacht for fishing? Since my grape arbor was knocked down my my neighbor's tree, I have had no fruit in the yard. Those raspberries look scrumptious.

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    1. PracticalP - the yacht is for fishing, for recreation and for going to the ocean. it's about a 10 minute drive to the ocean but it will be like 3-4 mins in the yacht - it's super fast! and ya - the berries really are scrumptious. wish you were closer cuz i'd bring you some!

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  12. Sometimes you have to leave your little heaven to realize how good home is. By the sound it is a trip to the "city" does that for you.

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    1. jacqueline - honest to goodness i don't have to leave to know how good it is - if i had my way i would never leave the property except to go to community events - bahahahahah! even tho the city is only 36,000 - it's still too big for us. we prefer our nearest town which is only 9,000 people.

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  13. Oh, can't wait to see the yacht! The raspberries look good too. Looks like you're going to have a bumper crop year!

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    1. Wendy - you'll have to show the yacht to the boys - they'll die laughing at it! and yes - this year is going to be bumper for a pile of different berries - yummeh!

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  14. We lived surrounded by fields, with a sister at the top of the hill we lived at the base of. The ONLY area of Florida that I agreed to be dragged to is a country type of area with one stop light. So we have to go to the city, 30 miles away, for everything we need. It's excruciating, seeing all the cars zipping by like cockroaches on a mission.

    I'd love nothing better than a more searchable 'address' of your nearby city so I can do a 'bird's eye' view on google. I do that a lot and it's SO enjoyable seeing places I will never be able to visit in person.

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    1. hey lotta - ya, i hear you about the cars zipping by - we hate it! if we have to go get something, we prefer to go to our little town of St. Peter's - it's much nicer there. you have our address - just put it into to google maps and you'll be able to see where we are. you can't zoom in very much, thank goodness, as google hasn't made it out our way but you can see our nearest town, St. Peter's. also you'll be able to see our sister community, Fourchu. enjoy hon!

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  15. Looking forward to the yacht update.

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  16. Ah, such joy! NOW you are prepared. Always be aware when you are on the water that you can use up one of the nine lives of scrutty cat by using it as a drogue.

    HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAA.

    Winston

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    1. Winston - i am NOT using one of my cats as a drogue - shame on you! bahahahahah!

      but yes - now we are really prepared. if we need to bug out - there's no better way than by boat!

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