September 1st 1939 Nazi Germany invades Poland

On September 1st, 71 years ago, Nazi Germany invaded Poland.
This was a new beginning for my parents who lived in Poland
This was also a new beginning for the world as this invasion started World War II.

Why Do I Care about Poland??

September 1st 35 Years Ago Today

Thirty five years ago today I started my first day in business as a shop owner. Gone are the days of hot pink shag carpet right up to the ceiling, pscychedelic wallpaper and 12 hot pink hair dryers. Also gone are the days when we would work all day, close the shop and party till midnite. Leaving an empty bottle of Crown Royal and 10 ahstrays with dirty cigarette butts to empty in the morning. Then start again the next day with one bastardly hangover. Gone are many good operators, many good clients, 3 landlords and their leases, and three moves to new buildings.

A client asked me the other day " After 35 years, where's the money?" That is my question as well " Show me the money."

Babcia's Old House

Imagine...mix a little paint thinner too close to the furnace...and poof....EXPLOSION!!!!....big renovation....looks like a different house.

Cousin Slawek Vacationing in Mielno, Poland

Cousins from Legnica, Slawek and family on vacation in Mielno, Poland a popular northern town which is beach front on the Baltic Sea.

Slawek is Marian's son( or dads brother Stefan's grandson). Wife Asia and sons Piotr and
Michal and youngest of seven, Karolinka.

Slawek i Asia

.....juz 27 lat razem.......

Happy 27th Anniversary, August, 1983

Friggin' Wind

There used to be a beautiful clematis growing here.....not anymore...thanks to the wind last night.

Call the Doctor

Who has the most booboos, Cameron or Teddy Bear?

Baba Barbara and Graham Emile

Cousin Jarek in Italy

Our cousin Jarek has had the wonderful opportunity to live in beautiful Italy for the past few years near Naples. This fall he is looking forward to moving back to his Poland. These are some pictures from his holiday this summer in Sicily. His parents, Genia and Staszek in are in the Royal Garden of Caserta. Staszek was the son of dad's brother Staszek. Jarek is Staszek ( junior)'s son. The ocean view is over Naples with Vesuvio.

Hello my little brother.....you're finally here.

Come on my Baby

Glamping Baba's Polish Pork Burgers

Too die for. I've had a very busy day and these are just too good not to share. I bought some ground pork at the Polish deli...not that crap at Safeway that sells as ground pork. Fresh ground Polish Deli pork !

Glamping Baba's Polish Pork Burgers

1 pound ground pork ( Non-Poles and peasants buy at Safeway if you must)

1/2 an onion diced

1 egg

1/2 cup bread crumbs

Garlic salt

Salt and pepper

Mix ingrdients and shape into patty form and refrigerate for a bit.

About an hour before you wanna eat....

Dredge each pattie with flour, dip into beaten egg, then into breadcrumbs and brown on both sides in hot canola oil in a frying pan. When both sides are nicely browned place patties in a casserole dish. Mix 1 can Campbell's Wild Mushroom soup with 1 can milk and pour over patties. Bake covered in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Garnish with parsley and fry sliced, preboiled new potatoes in butter and fresh garden tomatoes with salt and pepper. A bottle of Santa Christina Red Vino and Heaven at your lips......tomorow's problem on your hips.

Glamping Baba's Dills

And after admiring all my dills on the counter...a nice shot of vodka to finish off the dilling process.

Glamping Baba's Dills

1 quart vinegar(Heinz)

4 quarts water

3/4 cup pickling salt

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon turmeric

Wash cuc's and pack into jars with sliced carrots or yellow beans or neither. Add 2-3 cloves garlic. How Polish you wanna be? Add 1 teaspoon pickling spice to each jar and a handful of dill. If you like a bit spicy...add one dried chili pepper to each jar. The turmeric will keep your cuc's a nice bright yellow green colour all winter. Boil the brine and pour into each jar over cuc's leaving 1/4 inch air space on top of each jar. Secure lids but don't screw tightly. Each to their own.... but I always put my hot jars into a canner of boiling water and leave them in for 10 minutes. I don't necessarily boil them but they are in the canner for 10 minutes. I have too many jars that don't seal if I don't put them in the canner. I like dills but I ain't eaten 3 jars a week that don't seal. These are generally ready in one week. Again get 'em while they are in season. Hurry!

Glamping Baba's Best Zucchini

This has to be my favorite Zucchini dish. Take medium to large zucchini's and cut off ends. If zucchinis are long cut in half lengthwise. Slice into 1/4 inch slices lengthwise, discarding outer end pieces with skin. Easier to fry in coating when both sides are fleshy. Put the zucchini slices in a colander and sprinkle with a teaspoon of salt..sea salt or table. Shake them up so all slices are coated.This is key to them holding batter. Let sit in colander for 2 hours until all juice drips off. Dredge eash piece in flour, dip into beaten egg, and bread crumbs and fry in canola oil in a frying pan. Make sure you have 1/4 pan with oil and keep on medium heat. Just enough oil for slices to nicely fry in without drying out. If you have alot of slices you might have to change your oil after 2 batches, because batter will leave oil crumbly and burnt.

These are glampascrumptious hot or cold.

And hurry before the fresh zucchinis are out of season. I make this every week while they are available and take them for lunch cold.

Cameron has News

My new friend Hayley and I sure miss her

Glamping Baba's Borsch

With fresh summer vegetables in the garden centres, the conversation this week is on Borsch. Borsch is actually the national soup of Ukraine. There is no correct way to make borsch as everyone has their own idea on how it should be made. What it is for sure is a Slavic dish that one could not escape from while growing up in a Slavic home. You either like it or not. Some like it fresh , some like it processed in jars. Some like beans, yellow, green or broad or white. Some like it meatless like in Poland and others prefer a meat broth with chunks of meat, like in Ukraine. Personally I prefer a meat broth with pieces of meat and so that is my version of the best borsch. I like it best in the summer when the beets are fresh and everthing else in it is also fresh from the gardens. The old saying " Cheap like Borsch" no longer holds any meaning because if you are buying veggies, it is not cheap anymore to make. Forget about the meat...the veggies cost you more than any meat.

Glamping Baba's Borsch
1 pound pork loin back ribs
(You can substitute 4 chicken drumsticks instead of pork
or 4-5 cubes veggie cubes to water instead of meat)
12 cups water.
1 heaping tsp. salt
5 medium fresh beets with good greens
1 medium onion
3/4 cup raw peas ( or frozen )
2 carrots diced
2 stalks celery diced
1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 big clove garlic
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper
11/2 tbsp. butter
1 big tablespoon baby dill
juice from 1/2 a lemon
1 tbsp. sugar
salt and pepper to taste
Sour cream or whipping cream

A loaf of fresh rye bread and butter.

Rinse off backribs and immerse in 12 cups cold water. Add 1 heaping teaspoom salt. Bring to a boil and skil off foam. Cover and simmer for an hour.
In the meantime peel and grate the raw beets and put into a big bowl. Shred the beet greens. Dice the carrots. Add peas. Add celery.
Just before the meat is ready dice up the onion and garlic and saute in 11/2 tbsp. butter until translucent. Set aside. When meat is cooked, remove from water and dice up in small pieces. Discard the bones. Set meat aside.
Put all the raw veggies into the pot of hot broth and add one can diced tomatoes. Stir evenly and add a good tablespoon of baby dill. Add a bay leaf. Add sauteed onions and garlic. Bring to a boil and skim off foam and cover and simmer for about 30-40 minutes. About half way through this simmering I add the lemon juice and sugar. Salt and pepper to your preference.When done, remove the bay leaf and discard.
Just before serving I add a smidge of whipping cream or sour cream to the individual bowls. If you prefer a sweeter taste use whipping cream, but if you like it tangier then use sour cream. I like both. If this pot is going into the fridge for leftovers, don't add the cream to the pot. It reheats nicer with no cream...then add to whatever your taste buds prefer in the moment.
Sometimes I even add a can of pork and beans to this borsch.
And if I don't have beet greens I shread a bit of cabbage. Just makes the soup heavier.

If you want your money's worth here..buy a big package of sweet and sour ribs and simmer them. Take out meat when done, set aside and keep warm. Make your soup in the broth but leave the meat alone. Boil new baby potatoes in a separate pot. Have your borsch, then serve baby potatoes smothered in butter and dill, salt and pepper and nice simmered pork ribs alongside that. Hmm, hmm, good!
So on a nice rainy evening like today, a bowl of hot borsch for supper and a slice of buttered rye sounds hmm,hmm good.

The Euroglamper

Well Kassie didn't glamp at Crimson Lake cuz' she was glamping high style across Europe. She didn't dip her toes in the muddy lakes of Alberta cuz' she was gondoling in Venice and toga-ing in Carfu and viewing ruins in Rome.

I wanted her to experience the best gyros in Paris as Rob and I had but this one looks a little short of what ours looked like. I think there was a little chinzeria going in here with the meat. Big time. This was half the size of ours and missing the lettuce. Oh Kassie you must go back and have the real gyro...this is a cheap imitation. ....and 7 French fries. Oh my God! One good reason to go back. You gotta have one that drips all over you as you eat it.

Little Lukee is like Rob's twin

This is the only shot without his soother.

Pit Stop and the Best Damn Toasted Fried Egg and Ham Sandwich south of Leduc

There's a truck stop 45 km. from Leduc on Highway 2, with a little trailor called Fays's Diner. It's reminiscent of little town cafes years ago with round stools at the counter and a glass gallon of pickled kielbasa and crockpots of soup. They make the best toasted fried egg and ham sandwich on a road trip with coffee.