Off Topic Part Cinq

[Rhiannercakes 14]

My mom just emailed me about that too!

I'm surprised she didn't feel it... because I can feel 5.9s that come from the border.

[Marilyn. 340]

wow that is crazy about the earthquake...

*****

so it looks like the ocean-side cabin vacation is a go.. I have having a fun time finding a suitable cabin that is within my parent's price range... it is hard because most of them are booked for July.. I found a couple but they don't have a hot tub but my mom said my dad would just have to do without one ..lol

[Bern. 3]

Yeah, I was talking to a friend on MSN whose in Ottawa when the earthquake happened. He was like, why is my building shaking? Then afterwards he declared the whole thing awesome but awkward. Apparently cell phone towers quit working too.

[TimandJoyce 1]

I live in a beautiful part of the country. Only problem is I can't find a job.

Well...then I'd fit right in! I can't seem to find a job around here either!

[Kimbear 53]

so i go in to valley produce to get groceries, and OMG what do i find?? Real FIVE ROSES FLOUR MADE IN CANADA!!!!! /faint I was so happy i almost cried. cuz the flour here absolutely sucks ...

i tried to make eclairs for my father in laws bday and they were a flop..a complete and utter disaster..and i was so upset.. i love cooking..i have a kitchen aid mixer, kitchen aid pots and pans..i dont skimp on cookware. and i love baking cakes cookies breads. so when most of my recipes turn out like poop i get super upset. sigh only issue..the price it's like 8$ / bag..WTH!

And i really really miss crumpets..and no one has any idea what they are /cry.

[Marilyn. 340]

I have it narrowed down between two cabins now...

one has views of the ocean from the front porch and the living room and the ocean and mouth of the Smith River are about 500 feet away from the front door.... it also has two separate bedrooms and 2 full bathrooms with one being in the master bedroom. . this one would be $750 for 6 nights or $750 for the week (7 nights) .. and it has a grill out on the front porch.. the only thing it doesn't have is a hot tub..

the other one has limited views of the ocean from the front porch.. ..it is located on a bluff above the ocean with stairs leading down to the beach... it only has one bedroom with a Queen bed and a full-size convertible bed in the living room ... and it only has 1 bathroom. I am not sure if it has a grill but I have emailed them to ask.... this one does have a hot tub. it is $700 for 6 nights.. also this one has a special right now and I think I could get 8 nights for $750

I am leaning towards the first one because it seems like it is in a better location and because it has 2 bedrooms... but I guess it is up to my parents because they are footing the bill ...

[Marilyn. 340]

so the owner of the second cabin sent me a pic of the outside of the cabin

ugh, I think the first cabin will be better even though it is a bit more expensive and doesn't have a hot tub...

the first cabin is on a corner. So it is next to roadways on two sides. Behind it is a forested ravine

and next to it on the other side is a small house.

Edited June 24, 2010 by Marilyn.

[Kathryn41 3,205]

so i go in to valley produce to get groceries, and OMG what do i find?? Real FIVE ROSES FLOUR MADE IN CANADA!!!!! /faint I was so happy i almost cried. cuz the flour here absolutely sucks ...

i tried to make eclairs for my father in laws bday and they were a flop..a complete and utter disaster..and i was so upset.. i love cooking..i have a kitchen aid mixer, kitchen aid pots and pans..i dont skimp on cookware. and i love baking cakes cookies breads. so when most of my recipes turn out like poop i get super upset. sigh only issue..the price it's like 8$ / bag..WTH!

And i really really miss crumpets..and no one has any idea what they are /cry.

I know - the US flour is soft wheat and Canadian flour is hard wheat. Use a bread flour here for regular baking as it is a mix of hard and soft - still softer than most Canadian flours but much more likely to give you a reasonable product.

I LOVE crumpets! I can find them here frozen at Ingles so I make a trip several miles south to the closest Ingles and stock up. Before I found them at Ingles i did find them online through a store in San Francisco called Tea'n'Crumpets. It seems no longer to be in the business of shipping crumpets - but they were good. Here is a link to a company on the east coat that does make and sell crumpets. They are a bit pricey, unfortunately. http://www.vermontcountrystore.com/browse/Home/Food-Candy/Baked-Goods/English-Crumpets-%28Set-of-2-Packages%29/D/30100/P/1:100:1020:100630/I/f07953?searchid=7LM1SHOP&feedid=froogle

The crumpets I buy at Ingles are actually made in Canada and are sold by Multifoods of St. Paul. Minnnesota 55121. The brand is Gourmet Baker 'British Style Toaster Muffins Crumpets". You might be able to ask a local grocer if they could order some in and stock them for you.

[Sprailenes 47]

Wegmans has crumpets... what doesn't wegmans have??

[Flames9_RN 358]

Wegmans has crumpets... what doesn't wegmans have??

Our Wegmans doesnt have kraft peanut butter!! lol Only reason Itake a huge suitcase back to Sask is to bring home Kraft PB for my wife!!

[Ontarkie 13,920]

I use Gold medal bread flour for all my baking, and I mean everything for cookies, muffins, eclairs,croque en bouche, pizza, bread you name it. Its all I buy, and I use it the way I would use all purpose flour. If a recipe calls for 4 cups of all purpose or 3 cups of bread i still use the 4 cups of bread flour instead. Cause the bread flour in Canada would be different too. Every thing I make turns out perfect, very rarely do I notice a difference now and most times its such a small difference I'm still happy.

I did find crumpets at walmart and Kroger here, they are a bit harder to find and I only found them when I wasn't looking for them.

[Sprailenes 47]

Our Wegmans doesnt have kraft peanut butter!! lol Only reason Itake a huge suitcase back to Sask is to bring home Kraft PB for my wife!!

No but my mom comes down and stocks up on Wegmans organic peanut butter because she swears it is the BEST pb she has EVER had.

[OBX 51]

I know - the US flour is soft wheat and Canadian flour is hard wheat. Use a bread flour here for regular baking as it is a mix of hard and soft - still softer than most Canadian flours but much more likely to give you a reasonable product.

I use Gold medal bread flour for all my baking, and I mean everything for cookies, muffins, eclairs,croque en bouche, pizza, bread you name it. Its all I buy, and I use it the way I would use all purpose flour. If a recipe calls for 4 cups of all purpose or 3 cups of bread i still use the 4 cups of bread flour instead. Cause the bread flour in Canada would be different too. Every thing I make turns out perfect, very rarely do I notice a difference now and most times its such a small difference I'm still happy.

Another US food mystery solved! Most of my baking has luckily been turning out great but I have noticed the flour I use just seems different from what I was used to. Now I know why...thanks for the info guys.

Edited June 24, 2010 by OBX

[Kimbear 53]

well i don't have a wegman's or an ingle's anywhere here However my sister in law told me to check out Trader Joe's. I tried the gold medal flour we have here but it was kinda meh. I did a search online for flours, and found that some brands have a different gluten % in different states even though it's the same brand. Apparently some plants make it slightly different and it is not all universal. One of the ones tested was gold flour, but it was recomended overall.

Its just that some of the food here tastes not like it should and since i'm doing bupkiss atm i figured i'd make some homeade stuff and make myself feel better about being jobless, i mean there is only so much cleaning in a week i can do! lol

[Kathryn41 3,205]

We don't have a Wegman's either - or a Trader Joe's.

I hear you about the cleaning - I would really like to pay someone to come and do it for me - but I can't justify that since I'm at home all day - I hate cleaning . I do it, but I hate it.