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Notes from a bemused canuck

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Month: January 2020

Brexit fatigue

Posted on January 31, 2020February 26, 2020 By admin

So it happened. Boris banged a gong and had beef-and-stilton-filled mini yorkshire puds. Nigel was smug but didn’t get his booze and fireworks because of council ordnance bans. A new 50p coin was (re-)issued. A “we’re sorry, we’ll be back” message was beamed on the the white cliffs of Dover.

While the world didn’t end from one day to the next, the “real” fun hasn’t begun yet. We’re in the transition period now. Things kind of stay the same. We still pay EU dues, but have no representation in parliament. Now, the government really needs to get all its long-term agreements sorted out before the timer runs out. Boris is already trying to be bombastic, but he’s soon going to realize that the “position of power” he’s claiming to have exists only in his head and not in the real world. The US is already salivating at the prospect of having access to the NHS (to raise drug prices) and food markets (to dump less regulated products like chlorinated chicken).

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Ring demoted to pendant now

Posted on January 30, 2020January 30, 2020 By admin

As an unexpected consequence of my weight loss, all of my rings are too big now. One I can reform to tighten, one I can move to a different finger, one can’t be resized because of what it’s made out of. This one however has to be made into a pendant because, as soon as my finger gets slightly wet, it goes flying. As in, I’ve already almost lost it down a bathroom sink at work and, this morning, I had to fish it out of a cafeteria recycling bin.

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Canadian Internet Authority Launches Free Stock Photo Library

Posted on January 26, 2020January 27, 2020 By admin

The Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) has released their very own stock photo library packed full of hilarious images of Canadian stereotypes. Hockey, maple syrup, poutine, moose, they’re all there and they’re totally free to use as long as you give proper credit.

The point of the stock photo library, explains the CIRA, is to enable people to “add a little Canada to your website,” with some “maple syrup-infused visual masterpieces.”

I must incorporate one (or more) of these into my next deck for work.

Image credits: All photos by CIRA/.CA.

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One less defective pet in the menagerie

Posted on January 25, 2020January 27, 2020 By admin

Flash has left the building. When we took the cage back into the living room, post Lily, we found him lying unmoving in front of his coconut house. It must’ve happened during the night. Ben’s OK with it. It’s never pleasant, but he had a long life of benevolent neglect and honestly lived much longer than we expected him to, after having eaten his cage mate years ago..

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Stressed-out dog

Posted on January 25, 2020January 27, 2020 By admin

Lily was over for the week while her human was away for a family emergency. Its a hard life…

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[recipe] Greek salad dressing

Posted on January 23, 2020January 27, 2020 By admin

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1 large lemon, juiced
2 tsp minced shallot
2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp fresh black pepper

Put all the ingredients in an airtight container and shake to combine. You will need to re-shake before each time you serve it.

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Feedback on chicken tikka biryani

Posted on January 18, 2020January 27, 2020 By admin

First off, the recipe isn’t clear, but you need cook the rice and prep some caramelised onions. I added a stock cube and some cinnamon stick to the rice. I made my own tikka mix (see below).

2 tsp. ground ginger
2 tsp. ground turmeric
1 tsp. ground paprika
1 tsp. garam masala
1 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. kosher salt

The recipe is super tasty, but needs more veg. Next time, I’ll add cauliflower and peas to the curry sauce. Maybe some spinach.

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[recipe] Chocolate ganache tart

Posted on January 14, 2020January 16, 2020 By admin

Cookie Crust:

150g cookie crumbs (sugar cookie, graham cracker, digestive, etc.)
85g unsalted butter, melted
50g granulated sugar

Dark Chocolate Ganache Filling:

340g good quality dark chocolate, finely chopped
240ml heavy whipping cream
60g unsalted butter room temperature, broken up

Toppings:
Maldon Sea Salt Flakes

Preheat oven to 350F/175C.

Crust:

Combine all crust ingredients in a medium bowl until crumbly. Press firmly into a 9″ tart pan (sides first, then bottom). Bake for 7-8mins. Cool completely in pan.

Filling:

Place chopped chocolate and butter into a large bowl.

In a small saucepan, bring cream just barely to a simmer. Pour over chopped chocolate and cover bowl immediately with plastic wrap. Let stand 5 mins. Stir with a spatula until combined and smooth.

Pour into cooled tart shell and allow to set – overnight at room temperature or 1-2 hours in the fridge.

Sprinkle with sea salt.

Serve at room temperature.

NOTES & TIPS:

You can use any kind of cookie crumbs to make the base (graham cracker, digestive, Oreo, etc).

This freezes very well. Store in fridge for up to a week or freeze for up to 1 month.

Slice with a hot, clean knife for cleanest results. Run it under hot water for a few seconds, dry, then cut — do this between each cut.

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[recipe] Summer rolls

Posted on January 12, 2020January 16, 2020 By admin

1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tbsp mirin (sweet Japanese rice wine)
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp unseasoned rice vinegar
60g thin rice noodles
12 8-inch rice paper rounds
150g halved little gem lettuce leaves
250g shredded rotisserie chicken
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced into 2-inch matchsticks
1 medium carrot, very thinly sliced into 2-inch matchsticks
1 English cucumber, thinly sliced into 2-inch matchsticks
1 red chile (such as Fresno; optional)
25g cilantro leaves with tender stems
25g mint leaves

Stir sugar and 1 Tbsp. warm water in a small bowl to dissolve sugar. Stir in lime juice, mirin, soy sauce, and vinegar; set dipping sauce aside.

Soften rice noodles according to package instructions. Drain; run under cold water until chilled.

Fill a shallow dish with warm water. Working with 1 rice paper round at a time, dip in water, turning occasionally, until just pliable but not limp, about 20 seconds (replenish with more warm water as needed). Transfer to a cutting board.

Place a ½ lettuce leaf in center of the rice paper. Top with a small handful of rice noodles and a few pieces each of chicken, bell pepper, carrot and cucumber. Top with chile, if using, and cilantro and mint. Fold bottom of rice paper over filling, then fold in sides and roll like a burrito into a tight cylinder; cut in half if desired. Place roll, seam side down, on a platter. Repeat to make 11 more rolls. Serve with reserved dipping sauce.

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[recipe] Fondant chocolate cake

Posted on January 12, 2020January 16, 2020 By admin

200g dark chocolate (at least 50% cocoa)
125g butter
100g all-purpose white flour
1 packet of baking powder (10 g)
4 large eggs
150g icing sugar
1 pinch of salt

1. Cut the chocolate and butter into small pieces. Melt them in a double boiler until they have a homogeneous mixture. Remove from heat.

2. Add the sifted flour and baking powder to the melted chocolate.

3. In a bowl, whisk the eggs with the sugar. Then add the chocolate mixture.

5. Pour this mixture into a baking dish covered with parchment paper (24 to 26 cm in diameter).

6. Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes in a preheated oven at 180C. Bake until cake tester comes out clean.

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