Category Archives: Life in Manitoba

Schools Out for the SUMMER!

The past two weeks I’ve been in Winnipeg working on my final two courses in my Adult Education Certificate. (This is something I started when I was working at Red River–but didn’t have time to complete the last two courses. I hate having something ‘unfinished’ so it was time to return to Winnipeg to finish the courses as well as visit friends I hadn’t seen since I left Winnipeg 5 years ago!) School's Out for Summer_0012

When I was making these plans earlier this spring I didn’t realize what I was doing…. finishing up work, then 2 days later flying out to WInnipeg to be a student for 2 weeks! Eek…timing sometimes is crazy, but I did it… and now can JUMP for joy.. because school’s out for the summer and I’m on holidays officially! School's Out for Summer_0007

The last two courses were really fun… I met a lot of really neat people…with various experience teaching and a wide range of areas that they teach! School's Out for Summer_0001

WE got time to ‘play’…. I put together this fun 3D puzzle…with the help of a colleague. (Did I tell you how much I LOVE puzzles?) School's Out for Summer_0002

…during our mini-teaching sessions we got to do so many fun things! Like these really awesome mini-cheesecake bites. School's Out for Summer_0003

I learned how to tie a windsor knot… which you never know when that might come in handy!
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One of the brainstorming ideas we talked about the napkin academy… and was given ‘permission’ to doodle in class!!! Also brainstormed words and ideas of what good educators should have… and then wrote them on our hands! School's Out for Summer_0005

…it’s always fun to have culinary arts instructors in your class on a mini-teach day!!! These little puppy cupcakes were definitely NOT pinterest fails.. and the icing was oh so freak’n great! School's Out for Summer_0006

I presented on the new skill I learned, and shared some of the bread I had baked. (See more of this story in my blog about making Artisan Bread). School's Out for Summer_0009

One of the fun demos we had was having an airbag deployed in the parking lot! It was pretty loud…and I must admit I jumped. School's Out for Summer_0011

Here’s my morning class of classmates from the past two weeks… Wish you all the best as you continue on your adventures in teaching and learning!

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Making Artisan Bread- Dough for $$$Dough$$$

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Today I ended up doing something I wanted to do for over 4 years!!! My friend Pat started doing Artisan Bread workshops in order to raise awareness and money for Seva Canada. This was way back in 2012. I was up in Pangnirtung seeing all Pat’s Facebook posts about making awesome bread in Winnipeg—even though I couldn’t smell it drove me crazy!

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Pat decided to combine her love of baking and teaching by giving something back to people that need the gift of sight. Seva has been working to do this…and a $50 donation can help change someone’s life! It blows my mind that something so simple can totally change a life… anyways.

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In the fall of 2014 Pat put out a Facebook message to her friends to see if they wanted to donate to help her reach a fundraising goal at that time. I decided after researching a bit more about Seva it was something I wanted to support so did an online donation. Pat so far has raised $18, 290 for SEVA by offering workshops! She promised me a bread making workshop the next time I was in WInnipeg… fixed (1 of 1)

I was so excited to join 3 other friends to learn how to make bread. Pat did not disappoint!! We were Pat’s 58th bread workshop and numbers 211, 212, 213 and 214 that have baked in Pat’s kitchen.

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Pat had pre-made dough to make a seeded oat bread. She started off with the teaching… how to slash bread, why we need to do that (to let steam escape) and then how to ‘throw’ a loaf into the oven onto the stone… (3 different ways)! At times I felt so overwhelmed with the information…but Pat was there step by step to reassure and help us out!
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Cloaking the dough was another new term I learned—basically it’s getting handling your dough ball to get all the gluten lines in a row. Dough for $$$Dough$$$_0006 Dough for $$$Dough$$$_0007 Dough for $$$Dough$$$_0008

Perfect dough… now to flatten it out to make Focaccia. So yummy… or as Pat said, “Pizza dough without the cheese and sauce!” Dough for $$$Dough$$$_0009

Throughout the workshop we all took turns doing different steps of the process. When it was my turn to ‘cloak’ the dough it was quite the experience. I was nervous—because you shouldn’t handle the dough too much… and it was too sticky…(I didn’t put enough flour on it). But I got through it…with Pat’s calm help and guidance and ended up with a perfect dough ball. Dough for $$$Dough$$$_0010

It was fun when we moved onto the tasting portion of the day!!! OMG-this bread is so yummy… I can’t wait to get back to my own kitchen to make some more bread. Dough for $$$Dough$$$_0011

It was an awesome 4 hours of talking and learning… something that was well worth the wait! Dough for $$$Dough$$$_0012

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UPDATED (July 12th):

I thought that the workshop might be the end of my baking journey…but as luck would have it one of my assignments in my classes was to “learn something new”. I talked with Pat and went over to her house to bake in her kitchen again. She was gracious enough to take these photos of me baking a 1lb loaf and an orange-cranberry swirl from the master dough recipe!

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It was so awesome to see that I had remembered a lot of the steps. If I had a question Pat was quick to help out…but for the most part I proved to myself that I could do it!

Making the master bread recipe… 4 ingredients…so easy!

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…this danish dough whisk is awesome… I need to get me one of these bad guys! Dough for $$$Dough$$$_0019

After it’s all mixed up it had to rise for 2 hours in the bucket…then you can bake with it….OR keep it in your fridge…the older the dough is the more ‘sour-dough’ taste it gets!

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…it’s as easy as 1, 2, 3… when you have an excellent Bread Mentor and teacher! Once you have the master bread made…you can do so many things with it!
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The Cranberry-Orange Swirl is such an amazing bread… Dough for $$$Dough$$$_0016

…you just have to add the extra stuff.. then roll it all up, then let it rise for an hour! Then pop it into the oven.
Dough for $$$Dough$$$_0017 Thanks again Pat for your help and opening up your kitchen for me. You have such a huge heart and I’m so glad I can call you my friend. If you are in Winnipeg and interested in a workshop let me know…I can see if Pat’s available!

On the road…Day 1:

Last night I had a bit of a homemade ‘tetris’ game to play! It was great fun, (actually took me like 15-20mins)…and the rain held off until after I was done! I had 4 winter tires… 2 big suitcases; 4 rubbermaid tubs(1 was full)…a green shopping basket filled with stuff… plus two duffle bags–that weren’t really full at all! Oh, plus a piece of artwork.. and my didgeridoo…! But I got it all in my car.. and was able to keep all my mirrors and could see out the back window!!! (yep, I’m THAT good…) hehehe

Day 1- Road Trip- 1

So you know what the funny thing is? I did this drive EXACTLY a year ago!!! (weird eh).. Apparently this is the time for me to make that trek from Winnipeg to Wawa.. perhaps I have a new tradition that I’ll have to keep up!? I didn’t take any photos today… partly because I just wanted to get to WAWA so I could get back to sleep! hehehe…but if you want to take a look at my trip from last year!

Before leaving Winnipeg I stopped at Tim’s and got some ‘supplies’… (thanks to friends that gave me some gift certs!!)

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I had a long day on the road today! All in all it took me about 12hours and 30mins +1hour for the time change= 13 1/2 hours…. I covered 1182 kms… and got myself to Wawa and the Northern Lights Motel!!

Look who was here to greet me? –you’ll have to wait to see who it was!

Day 1- Road Trip- 5

*I can’t seem to upload my photos…and i’m ready to sleep… so I’ll have to figure that out tomorrow!!! 🙂 check back for that update! 🙂 Sarah

**edited–to add the photos from the day!! 🙂

It’s a Wrap…

In the last two days, I’ve been pretty busy—wrapping up life here in Winnipeg. It’s been a bit of a crazy time, but also one of thinking back… and reflecting… I guess it is true that you don’t realize what you have, until you have to leave. I’m really going to miss Winnipeg, and the friends I have left behind…(yes, I do have friends here!)… it’s funny how all of a sudden a strange city becomes your own…unfamiliar streets become familiar… you end up going to a social not thinking you’d know anyone there..but then run into people you know before anyone in your group does! The last 18months I put down roots in Winnipeg… I’m not saying it was easy… but I did it!

I’m going to keep this pretty simple…and let some photos do the rest of the talking! Here’s some ‘highlights’ of my time here in the ‘peg…I do realize that this selection of photos is pretty random… yep, that’s where my brain is at!!!

*DISCLAIMER: (This is what I could pull together–it’s been a crazy few–sleepless nights, sorry if I left anyone out..it wasn’t intentional.)

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Goodbye Winnipeg… thanks for the memories!

…time to move on!

When I was in the English Gardens I was saddened to see that my ‘mum’s home that I purchased for her ‘visits’ had burnt down….Mother’s Day 2010…I gave my mum a few gifts.. you can look at those in this fun post HERE…(I’ll wait.. so you have a have a quick look….
O.K. are you back?

I was saddened to see when I walked by THIS was the site of mum’s ‘house’….

Then I walked around the corner… back to the comfy-log-home that I claimed for my own…. (in the midst of all the ‘bears’..) and guess what? It was GONE…

Maybe it’s the English Gardens in Assiniboine Park that’s telling me something… my days are just plain numbered here in Winnipeg… soon again I’ll be ‘homeless’ until I reach Nunavut!

Sarah on the Road

…creating adventure wherever life takes me!