So, things have changed pretty radically for me, since our move back to Ontario and our 145 days of All-Barbeque-All-The-Time…!! I’m back into Iyengar Yoga (an obsession of mine, from pre-Alberta days) and so healthy living and eating are back… um… on the table… so to speak. One of my crazy yoga buds (oh, we’re a *crazy* bunch, all right!) has recently compelled me to join her in a SPRING CLEANSE, if you can believe it!! Now, we’re not doing the “kit” thing or the “pill” thing – it’s all about food (well, for me, at least – no spirulina capsules for this yogini!). So, I might just be sharing some tasty vegetarian or vegan taste-testers as I go along – I mean, I might as well be optimistic, right?? Maybe it’ll turn out this is what’s truly meant by “cleansing the palate”….

Mise en place

A fancy French term that the Culinary Institute of America defines as everything in place. Essentially, it is a chef’s way of knowing he has his shit together for a service. All of the items and food stuffs he or she might need during a lunch or dinner service is prepared and close at hand in an organized and familiar fashion so it is all where it is expected to be.

To some home cooks, like Sandy, this means getting absolutely everything you need out of the cupboard beforehand and then working around it while preparing a dish. Me? The kitchen counter is one of the few places I seem to be capable of being organized. I like everything I need properly prepped before I begin cooking so I’m not dicing and slicing and pushing stuff around while I’m cooking.

Of course that organization only goes so far. Tonight we are making a somewhat modified version of Noodles with Spicy Ground Pork from Tastes of Home. The store only had 2 small packages of udon noodles, so we decided to use miki noodles instead. We were going to add in some baby bok choy, but we forgot to buy it. One of the kids isn’t so fond of super spicy, so I was going to use the chili sauce we had in the fridge instead of chili peppers. Had being the key word. No problem, some chili & garlic sauce will do nicely instead.

Having your meez in order is important, but so is being flexible enough to try new things and roll with the punches. After a few tries, that flexibility will become confidence. Confidence to trust your instincts and just let the flavors flow. Once you get to that point, the world is your stir fry!

A while back, I received a message from non other than Guy Kawasaki telling me about his new project, Alltop. He wanted to include TheGarageBlog.com on their newly launched automotive page. Of course I was a bit surprised to hear directly from Guy himself, but also flattered to be included early on in the project. Alltop Auto has grown into one of the best sources of car news on the web.

This morning as I read through my Twitter feeds, I noticed an announcement from GK that they have now launched a cheese page on Alltop! Once I stopped giggling, I went for a peek and discovered that there is a serious wealth of Foodie related pages in the library. Wow, what an incredible resource!

Just a few pages:

Food

Wine

Beer

Bacon Yes bacon! Where else might I have found someone called Mr Bacon Pants?

With all of this info in one place, we could almost abandon our foodie magazines!

She Said

O… M… G….

Can it possibly be??  I almost thought we’d never get here:  I am finally going to have a stove.  And an oven.  And a hood fan.  After 145 days of All-Barbeque-All-The-Time, we are going to have a kitchen!!

I’m practically trembling at the prospect.  And yet, I can’t bring myself to believe it’s actually going to happen….

Rob Wyman Appliance Installations is scheduled to be here at the crack of 11:00 a.m..  I’ve been dealing with his wife, Jacquie, by phone for well over a month.  She thinks our original installation date, back when I was young and naïve and pre-booking for such things, was September 19.  So we’ve had a couple of laughs since then (heck, if you don’t laugh, you’ll cry, right?).

At 11:05 I start to wonder if I jinxed myself when I e-mailed a friend last week, letting her know that we were actually close to completion!  I joked that it would all go according to schedule as long as the delivery truck didn’t break down on Monday.  Or Rob didn’t injure his back or have a sick child (Jacquie has gone on vacation this week…).  Or a small planetoid didn’t destroy our block….  Y’know; the kinds of things that would prevent an appliance installation….

At 11:24, Dawn (by phone) reassures me that it’s only 11:24.

By 12:49, however, I’m starting to go with my disaster theory.  Maybe the planetoid struck the job he was working on earlier today…!  Seriously, though, it’s raining out and I know his first job today is way on the other side of town and I admit that I’m a little worried about him….  I know; I’m lame.  Finally, I have to break down and call him….

He’s just “a little delayed”.  He should be here in about an hour.  I had to laugh and confess to him that it’s really no problem, but that I had honestly begun to think that perhaps I had written it all down on the wrong date!  I did, after all, wake up this morning thinking today was tomorrow….  And, lest you think I’m just being paranoid… again… need I remind you of the Gerry Dewan worse-than-being-stood-up-for-a-date disaster??  I didn’t think so.

You may recall that, at another point in the process, I was talking about having Chris do the range installation.  Chris is a wonderful guy who is a gas fitter and a friend of a friend.  I first met him when I was at our friends’ house and he was installing a 30-inch gas range for them, which they had inherited from a sister who was renovating her kitchen.  Although his main line of business is in heating and cooling, he was willing to hook them up… uh, so to speak.

Chris came out when we first moved in to hook us up with gas to the Weapon of Choice.  He had a heck of a job facing him, since the gas was situated on the other side of the house.  He ended up having to drill a hole in the basement wall to take the gas into the garage, then skirt the garage walls and take it out the other side of the house, then down along the house to the backyard.  At the time, he just built the installation of the range into the price.

But then, once I started talking to him about having him come back, he started talking about just kind of muscling my behemoth into place.  I asked if he was going to need extra hands (i.e., would Mooby have to arrange to go into work late?).  I started to imagine strained backs and broken toes.  And chipped counter tops and a dented range….

Instead, I set it up with Jacquie to add the installation of the range to our appointment today.  Rob, after all, was recommended by Neil at Universal Appliances, and so I’m inclined to go with the guy who’s been doing kitchen installations for 17 years.  Plus Jacquie says he’s got some crazy contraption she calls his “Magic Carpet” to help him (Mooby thinks he recalls Rob mentioning some kind of hydraulic tool).  In the end, I negotiated with Chris to give us a credit towards either an air exchange unit or a fireplace, in future.

Rob, with a helper in tow, arrives just before 2 p.m. to a chorus of dogs, to whom he collectively refers as Kujo.  He doesn’t seem to be having the best day ever.  But then, I’ve only ever met with him solo.  As it turns out, he’s hired this young guy who started yesterday… and quit… yesterday.  Rob’s making him stick out the week.

Umm.  Do I really want this young guy drilling through my exterior brick?

I don’t like to hover.  I’ve heard enough from the collection of contractors who have been here that it can be extraordinarily annoying.  We hire contractors for a reason:  they have the skills that we don’t.  Otherwise, we’d be doing it all ourselves.

Yet, I’m compelled to check on them… at least once in a while.  The first time, the hood has been hung!  They’re working on the venting.

I try to resist rushing back when I hear an “Oops!”.

Next time I go to look, it’s because I can hear the fan running.  It’s alive!!

Once again, you’re going to think I’m just creating drama, but Rob can see it, too.  The duct cover is dented.  I’m disappointed, for sure, but it sounds like this is common for this piece.  Alas, I have to give Neil, at Universal Appliances, a call.  It’s 4:40 and I think they close at 5:00.  But tomorrow is Neil’s day off, so I can’t put off calling….

He’s as chipper as can be.  Actually, he has one on the floor – it’s meant for a 30” range, but maybe it’ll fit.  I tell him that mine is 12” wide.  He’s going to go and measure, and swap it out, if it’ll fit.  Meanwhile, I speak with Rob.  I’m not sure how much work he’s got left to do….  If, hypothetically, Neil’s vent cover is in pristine condition, I could get there and back inside of about an hour.

Unfortunately, his is dented, too.  Guess it is common!  Don’t know how that will bode for me next time….  But Rob says, just keep ordering until you get one that’s not damaged.  And of course, he’s right.  And, even if Neil’s hadn’t been damaged, Rob says he doesn’t even have an hour’s worth of work left….  Which means… I’m going to have a stove!!

Neil, needless to say, is going to order a new vent cover.

And now for the moment of truth:  the range is going to be installed.

Remember that I was afraid for Chris’ and Mooby’s backs because they were going to try to muscle the thing into this tight spot??  Well, turns out that Rob doesn’t actually have a crazy Magic Carpet… he’s just going to shove it into place, after all!  But, he’s been doing it for 17 years, so I’m not going to sweat it with him….

In it goes!  But then, I have to ask him to centre it, since it’s tight to one side, and there’s a gap on the other.  He says, “What?  You want more??”  But he’s just teasing me.

Until it won’t move.  The uneven nature of the tile is preventing the range from being adjusted….

At the last second, though, Rob decided to give it one last try….  And it works!  Tee hee!!

Alas, another thing that Rob points out is that our burner inserts (“bowls”) don’t appear to be quite the right colour.  The surface of the stove is black, whereas the inserts are kind of a greenish-charcoal.  I’ll have to drop by Universal and see if there’s a demo to double-check against; I’m sure we can swap them out, if they’re not quite right….

Ultimately, though, by the time it’s all in place, I’m thrilled!!

The irony, though??  I’ve been stranded in the house all day; Rob stays to chat for an extra hour (he’s quite hilarious, in fact) and by the time he’s done and gone, it’s 6:45 and we have no groceries….  So we end up eating out!!

O… M… G….  After 145 days of All-Barbeque-All-The-Time, I can’t wait for tomorrow and the chance to cook in the kitchen!!

BTW, we now just have a few cosmetic aspects and repairs to tackle – paint, new switches and receptacles (not white), some baseboard and trim (like below the cubby-holes on either side of the room), etcetera.  We also need some furniture in there — we’re thinking we’ll go with either a stainless steel or a butcher block work table…. When we have visual updates, I’ll post new photos.  In the meantime, however, take a gander:

Heartfelt thanks to everyone who’s offered support and sympathy over the last four and a half months!!  We’ll try to repay you with a few recipe offerings in the coming days and weeks!!

~ One of Seven

She Said

I receive a phone message from the area manager of installations for Home Depot….  He wants to know if he can come by to see how the tile backsplash is coming along.  Sort of a “spot check”, I gather, on the installers

I call him back to let him know that he’s welcome to come and check it out, but they finished yesterday.  He’s surprised, since it was scheduled as a two-day job….  I explain it the way it’s been explained to me:  the mortar for backsplash tiles dries more quickly than for floor tiles; hence it could be completed in just one day.  “Ah, yes; that’s right.”  Well, he’d still like to come and take a look, if that’s all right with me….

I haven’t completed the sealant, but he thinks it looks really great.  He reviews with me the items that have yet to be completed by Home Depot:  some of my cupboard doors were damaged and need to be replaced, one end cabinet arrived with the wrong finish, which needs to be rectified and I need to have some fill put in at the bottom of the cubby holes, as a base.  I also need that crazy little stopper for my shutters!  No problem; he’s making notes and he’ll take care of it.

As he’s leaving, I make a point of telling him how wonderful the staff we’ve worked with has been.  Didi, Mary and Joanne have all been extraordinarily courteous, helpful and humorous.  We’ve appreciated every interaction and have felt that we’ve been treated extremely well by everyone.  He appreciates hearing every word – he says it’s great to hear the positives, since most consumers only ever make a point of delivering negatives.  Mental note:  I should put all this in writing for these employees and their managers.  They really have each done a superlative job.

Back to the task at hand:  washing the grout dust off the backsplash and applying the glossy sealant!  It really does look pretty awesome!!  Take a look for yourself: 

Next….  Finally…!  The range and hood!!  Dare I believe it’ll actually happen??  Stay tuned!!

~ One of Seven

She Said

Today is the day we’re supposed to get our slate backsplash.

Alas, it was only at 6:20 p.m. yesterday that I realize I’ve never had a tile delivery!!  I call Home Depot – the same one that’s been having all the computer glitches since having their system replaced.  It takes them a bit of time to find the order.  Looks like the tiles are still there.  The gentleman on the other end informs me they’re open until 10:00 p.m., if I want to come and pick them up.

Ummm.  Since I’m starving and therefore nearly homicidal, the answer is likely “no”.

I check my calendar and apparently have not marked down what time the installers are slated (…get it?  Ugh.  I’m not feeling funny today…) to arrive.  What if they arrive at 8:00?  I call Ottawa Diamond Flooring, who is doing the installation.  Naturally, they closed at 5:00 p.m. and it’s now 6:40.  I leave a message explaining the situation and indicating that, since I’m not sure when the installers are going to show, I would be willing to pick up the tiles in the morning, assuming they don’t have another plan.

Amazingly, I did manage to sleep last night, even knowing that, if the backsplash doesn’t get done, it could push back our hood installation next week.  Mooby is right, though, if there’s a problem, it’ll just have to get fixed.  We’re so close!!

At 8:02 a.m., I receive a call from Jessie at Ottawa Diamond.  Her delivery guy is on his way with the materials and the installers are scheduled to arrive between 8:00 and 9:30, so everything should be fine.

The delivery arrives around 8:30.

Our slate is to be installed on the wall where the hood fan will be hung and the range will be situated.  It’s a cool offset to the floor tiles, which are square; these are rectangular, but irregular (unlike “subway” tiles) — Eames-esque, supposedly.  They range in length from 2” to 4” to 6”.  I hope it’ll look as great as I think it will!

I’m suddenly clutched by the thought that maybe these tiles won’t match (hey, I’ve admitted to the paranoia before…)!  I check through all four boxes.  Turns out I was right, in a way – one of the boxes doesn’t contain as much brown and gold as the others – much more of the bluish-grey tile, and so I’ll reserve that one and talk to the installers about it.

The installers arrive at 10:30.  It’s Charles and Rob again.  Charles’ had to take his daughter to the bus this morning and that’s why they’re late.  Frankly, I’m just glad to see them.

They need to avoid the spot where the venting for the hood fan will go, so I go over that with them.  Rob’s working the saw and Charles is gluing the tiles on.  I thought this would take two days, as in the case of the floor, but it seems the mortar dries faster for wall tiles and so they can grout and finish today!

So, after sticking all the tiles to the walls, they apply the sealant that was used originally for the floors.  This, apparently, delivers a permanent seal.  Turns out, the glossy stuff is just a temporary finish – two to five years, depending on the wear.  I’m okay with that, because I love the look, so I’ll be happy to reply every couple of years.

Next, the grout.  Holy cow, what a freakin’ mess.  It’s everywhere!  I’m cautiously optimistic, however, that they’ll do a good job cleaning.  And that they haven’t scratched my brand-new cabinets and pristine countertop.  But we’ll see.  Oh, we’ll see.

Finally, they’re done and “cleaned up”.  Who knows how many more hours will be required….  Fortunately, the counters and cabinetry seem to be in tact, although I did find some stuff that resembled crazy glue on the counter.  I seem to have got it off, though, after wrecking a couple of nails.  There are also a bunch of globs of grout cemented to my floor now; that takes a bit of work….

I really like the effect!  The same, but different!  I’m actually trying not to make any judgements until tomorrow, when I’ll have to wash it all down to get the (grout) dust off the tiles and then apply the glossy sealant that we also used on the floor.  I’ll post a photo once that’s done….

Can’t wait for Mooby to see it when he gets home!!

What’s next?  I can hardly believe it….  The final appliance installations!  Stay tuned!!

~ One of Seven

I was pretty stoked and curious to see this at our local LCBO…an Ontario Stout!  I’m talking about Hockley Valley Brewing Company’s Hockley Stout.  I love the tag on the can…”It pours like liquid midnight.”

 Just go buy it.  It’s a really great pour – beautiful coffee aroma is what I got, and a bit of that on the palate too.  I just love stout when the weather gets colder, and the fact that an Ontario brewer is producing the “black delicious” is really exciting for me.

Cheers,

Mooby

She Said

The Latitude installers return to put in our Silestone backsplash.  Again.  Hopefully, the fabricators got it right, this time….

The window given to me was 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.  They arrive right in the middle, at 1:00.  One installer is the same as two weeks ago; the other is new.  I try to make a joke, but I don’t think they’re having a good day.  Or maybe I’m just not funny….

I’m feeling trepidatious.  What if the same thing happens again?  I’ve got a couple of installations hinging on this coming out right… today.

Second time’s a charm, I guess!  All that finger crossing’s paid off and it looks friggin’ awesome!

To be honest, I’m really glad that I asked to have the backsplash reach up to the bottom of the window, since it turns out that the window sill is seriously crooked.  The backsplash manages to camouflage this fact.  If it had been designed to be a 3″ backsplash, which is typical, I think it would have emphasized the problem.  Since it’s a custom order no matter what (as it would be with granite or Corian), it didn’t cost us extra money, except in terms of 2″ of materials.

The installers take off and now I’m just waiting on the hood installer to take a look at the wall were the range and hood will be, so that he can indicate on the wall where not to tile (“X” marks the spot… at which the venting will be cut out).

Next step:  the slate backsplash!  Stay tuned!

~ One of Seven

She Said

The day of my dreams (okay, one of my dreams) is here.  Today, I will have running water… again.  And the reverse osmosis filter that we haven’t been able to use since we moved in….  And a dishwasher!  And a full-size refrigerator!!  Indeed, after 132 days, our bar fridge will become a bar fridge!!

Eric arrives at 7:45, as is his custom.  Chipper as ever, he’s ready to get started on those four tasks.  Alas, I have to ask him a favour….

“So, last week, I had electricians here…”.  I explain the situation.

Eric says, “Oh sure.  I can move that; no problem”.

I think I love him.

Meanwhile, Doug arrives.  He’ll be helping with the installations.  They’re scheduled to be here until noon.

A word on the reverse osmosis filter….  Our home is situated on a lot that depends on a well (no municipal water).  As such, we have a water softener.  Typically, water is softened with sodium chloride.  When we moved in, the previous owners had just topped it up and so it took about 2 months to run it down.  What this meant, practically speaking, was very salty-tasting water coming out of the taps.  This is what a reverse osmosis filter is for:  to remove the saltiness.  Although we switched, after that first two months, to potassium chloride, which is less salty and ecologically friendlier, the coffee still tasted a little gross and the drinking water was just a little off.  I’m looking forward to trying it once the filter is reinstalled.

At 11:45, Eric lets me know that they’re all done!  Doug comments on how quiet the dishwasher is.  It must be, since I didn’t even know they’d tested it!!  The fridge is humming along and I should have ice by early afternoon….  The sink is finally useable, the taps are hooked up and it now really hits me that we no longer have to buy 10L containers of drinking water!

It’s finally coming together!  I’d better find some beverages for that bar fridge…!!

Next steps:  two kinds of backsplash – finally!!

Stay tuned!

~ One of Seven

She Said

Today, the electricians arrive.  Alas, it’s not Glen himself, but a couple of underlings:  Rich and Mark.  They’re nice enough, for sure, but sometimes you just have a feeling….

Today’s work includes a few minor things.  First, moving an outlet that is just about two inches too far to the left, which in the old kitchen was fine.  Now, however, they’ll be too close to the gas burners of the new range.  Second, trying to split a circuit that used to be a dedicated line to the old fridge.   We also need the power supply for the new hood fan moved.

In a more challenging vein, however, we need a new, dedicated circuit for the fridge, which, in the new kitchen design, will be placed on a wall that previously had none.  The challenge?  The basement, as described on Day One, is finished.

Our electrical panel, interestingly enough, is located in our garage, not in the basement.  Access to our attic (we live in a bungalow) is also through the garage.  As such, the solution that was suggested to me aeons ago, probably by Didi, our kitchen designer, was to run a circuit up through the attic and down through the wall that needs power.

Gerry Dewan (Beware!  See Days Six and Seven), the electrician who stood me up, didn’t seem particularly fond in this solution.  Probably because it was a really hot day when he came by and he was disinterested in spending time in the attic.  He took a look at our finished basement and started talking about only needing a few holes to fish the wire through the lovely, flat ceiling.  It’s at a time like this that I know that karma is what it is, and things happen for a reason; no matter how bad things seem at the time…

These guys from Copperhead Electric have been scheduled for half a day.  They arrived at 8:00 a.m. and are done by 10:00.  There’s not a single hole anywhere, which is the great part.

The not so great parts?  I’ve asked to have the old, dedicated circuit split, so that I can use both outlets.  The response:  “Not likely”.  Hmmm.

Secondly… did I mention having a feeling that you just want the guy with a bunch of experience?  Well, in asking to have the power moved for the new hood fan, I thought electricians who regularly work on kitchens would actually know where to move it.  Apparently not.  I break out the installation instructions for their benefit.  Looks like Greek to me, but surely they’ve had to do this kind of reconnaissance before.

Guess not.

Hold on, now.  Let me try to call the guy who’s going to install the hood.  He recommended Copperhead Electric in the first place….  No dice; can’t reach anyone.  And these guys are packing up their things.

In a last-ditch effort, I try to call Viking Range Corporation.  In any other instance, they have been incredibly knowledgeable and helpful, over the phone.  Today, however, is not my day.  I have to spend several minutes on the phone.  And in the end, I get a very vague answer with regard to the location of the power connection.

Together, Mark and I end up going with our best guess.  He punches a hole in the wall and fishes the wire through, and then they’re ready to go.  Okay then; bye bye.

As usual, panic strikes me.  I have to go out anyway and follow up with Joanne (I didn’t manage to call her back yesterday, since I got home after her shift would have been done); but now that I think of it, she didn’t call me back, either…!  At any rate, I’m going to try Universal Appliances again, in hopes of finding the correct answer.

Neil is in today.  And, as luck would have it, they have a hood fan there, similar to mine, without the “guts” inside, so I can see precisely where the electrical should enter the hood!  Why didn’t I call them this morning, instead of everyone else on the planet??

Well, at least now I know.

I scoot over to Home Depot to speak with Joanne.  It’s her day off, so I leave a message with another associate and have an opportunity to speak with Mary.  I explain my electrical conundrum to her.  I’m wondering if Eric might be able to move it, next time he’s back.  She says he might be able to, but she’s not sure just when he’s next scheduled to do work for us.  I, however, actually do have him on my calendar.

Sounds like it’s as easy as just asking him when he arrives!

Oh, I hope I hope I hope I hope I hope….

Stay tuned!

~ One of Seven