Better with grout

Progress on Monday night and Tuesday morning (just before my parents left) included grouting both the shower and floor. Like everything else in this project.... it just took a LONG time! Jeff keeps describing this project as one with " just a few more hidden difficulties" around each corner. I guess that's the reality of renovating an older home. Despite this, we are still really happy with how everything has turned out and extremely grateful for the long hours of work my parents put in to make this happen. They were tiling troopers. THANK YOU!!

We now have to wait a bit to seal all of this beautiful grout. Then it's wall patching, paint, reinstalling the toilet, installing the shower faucet and curved curtain rail, adding new baseboard trim, removing the vanity tile and adding a new vanity counter top. And, at some point I need to to purchase something I have never purchased before (for some strange reason)- a shower curtain! I think this list will wait until we get back from vacation. For now, we're just very pleased with how much we've been able to accomplish in the space of a very short (but very busy) week.

Progress.....

Jeff laying the final shower tile

Today was a day of tiling. And tiling. And more tiling! We didn't get to the floor but the shower is done, thanks to these hard working (and very talented) tile guys.

Tomorrow- we tackle the floor tiles and LOTS of grout.

Tile style

The tiling has begun!  After completing prep work (like figuring out how to hang straight lines of tile with completely crooked walls), we started tiling this afternoon. The lesson of the day was: Don't choose subway tile for your first tiling project! While we're very happy with how things look (especially that vertical row of mosaic tile that was an impromptu alternative to cutting very narrow pieces of the subway tile), it has been slow going. Tomorrow is going to be a LONG day but we think we can get it all done... along with the floor. Thankfully, the floor tiles are much larger and will be much less fuss than these ones have been.

Tub trouble

Things are progressing with our bathroom renovation, although slower than we had hoped. After digging concrete, rerouting and extending plumbing, Jeff and my dad faced even more challenges fitting the new tub into the small bathroom. In the end, we had to remove gyproc from two walls as well as the door jam to get the tub perfectly squeezed into it's new home.

There were some frustrating moments but thankfully, all ended well. Tomorrow, the new green e-board backing goes up and then we start putting up tile.

Latest Project

My parents like to help with a project during their visits. It's an endearing, helpful, welcome, appreciated and slightly stressful part of who they are.  Our school/work schedule has been so busy that Jeff and I did not give much thought to what this project would be- I just thought we would unleash my folks and their energy in our garden for a few days and POOF!!!  a manicured, pruned and well-behaved garden would magically appear. That REALLY is what happens when both my and Jeff's parents tackle a project. It really puts us to shame.

During a phone call last week, my dad casually mentioned how much he had enjoyed tiling the bathroom and kitchen in their basement suite. This triggered an idea.... and a project for their visit was hatched.  For a few years, Jeff and I have wanted to add a shower to our basement bathroom (where there was previously only an old metal brown tub) and make this guest bath actually hospitable to guests.

Less than two days after my parents' arrival, the bathroom now looks like this:

Can you believe this is a space where demolition just occurred?!?! Jeff and I are amazed at how both sets of our parents keep such clean renovation spaces.  Jeff and my dad had the old tub, ugly tile and gyproc out of the bathroom before I had a chance to snap a "before" picture. 

Today, my dad cut out the gyproc to the height you see here and added additional framing to support our new soaker tub, future wall of tile and shower.  The plan tomorrow is for my dad and Jeff to fit in the new tub (which will first require hammering out some concrete to move the  drain) and run plumbing up for a brand new 7+ foot shower high enough for every one of our very tall family and friends who might possibly come to visit.  If all goes according to schedule, we'll be tiling by Saturday morning.

Are we crazy? Probably. But we've actually had a fair bit of fun so far. After a year of reading and writing more than I ever thought was possible, it is another nice change of scenery.  

  

Spring Break

After completing my last (and most difficult) course late Sunday night, I am officially now on spring break. My parents arrived yesterday and with them came some sunshiny spring days and the first blooming daffodils. It's a VERY nice change of scenery.

Happy greens

Today is a happy day. It is not raining (for the moment), a pot of soup is simmering on the stove, my thesis concept is right on track for submission on Sunday, and I get to wear green. In celebration of shamrocks, Guinness and certain red haired friends, I offer this nod to the Irish. I really don't think you can watch this without breaking into a smile.

Quiet on the home front

Yes... it has been quiet here. I have been writing, writing and MORE writing, trying to get through the first two topics of my thesis literature review. This requires that I read all academic literature over the past 30 years on each topic and try to come up with an intelligent (huh?) summary of how it all relates to itself (who agrees with who, who built new research and ideas on who, who is completely out to lunch etc. etc. etc.). While the first topic went all right, the second has been about as easy as extracting my toenails with a teaspoon. If that did not paint a visual-enough picture for you... I can honestly say that after 4 18-hour days researching and writing non-stop (except to see our dryer die in a flash of burned-out heating coil and eat Jeff's lovingly prepared meals), I feel something like this:

Thankfully, this too shall pass. In 7 days, to be exact. My thesis concept (of which the the painful lit review is Chapter 2) is due next Sunday.... so let the countdown begin.

CSA adventure

graphic courtesy of the Louis Bonduelle Foundation website

Since reading Barbara Kingsolver's book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, I have thought about food and the origin of what we eat in a whole new way. Some members of my family tease that three years of living on Vancouver Island has turned me into one of those "granola-types"... and that's OK with me. The benefits of eating organic aside, the case for local food is strengthening as we watch soaring fuel costs and predictions of higher food prices in coming months.


Jeff and I both grew up with large gardens in our backyard. Last year, I had great intentions of turning our established flower jungle into a vegetable garden.... until I started my master's program. We managed to convert one flower bed into an herb garden (convert might be a strong word as we battled the returning Bishop's Weed all summer and expect to do the same this spring)  but that was it. Thankfully, we were able to purchase a lot of fresh produce from the Okanagan (delivered here on the Island every week) but it was not quite the same.


This year, we have bought shares in a Community Shared Agriculture (CSA) cooperative through the Crazy Dog Farm down the road in Crofton. Essentially, this share divides into a flat-rate for 20 weeks; this flat-rate buys us a weekly box of whatever fruit and vegetables is ripe for picking that week. Not only do we get the freshest of local produce, we financially support local farmers and "share" in both the risks and benefits of farming. If the tomato crop is wiped out by blight, for example, we don't get tomatoes. But if the tomato crop is a bumper one, we will be canning (and canning, and canning!) tomatoes. The box size varies each week (with the biggest boxes expected in August and September) but we are guaranteed to receive something from the first week in June until the middle of October. I admit- I am a little nervous about the feast or famine nature of this venture but am excited about the prospect of eating the very freshest of what is in season and learning to use items that I do not have a lot of experience with. I really have no idea what to do with fava beans or kohlrabi... but learning this, I think, will be part of the adventure. 


As a way to challenge my own learning and keep myself accountable to use everything we receive, I'm going to take a photo of the contents of each week's box of fruit and veggies and share what we do with it. Suggestions, recipes and ideas are most welcome! Stay tuned for the first week in June for this adventure to begin.   

Sunnier garden view

The past three mornings have been brilliantly bright and sunny with clear blue skies and air that smells like spring. It's a much better view than last week.

Key Lime goodness

Thanks to an amazingly super-cheap Air Canada seat sale, Jeff and I are headed south for some sunshine and R&R in a few weeks. It has been a long year with us each facing a relentless pace at school/work and things have (unfortunately) intensified a lot over the past 2 months... so vacation is most welcome. Jeff has always wanted to drive down the Florida Keys so that is exactly what we are going to do! To tackle some much needed planning for this trip, we enjoyed som home made coconut ice cream (our new #1 choice for dairy-free ice cream) while huddled in front of my computer as we sorted out accommodations for our trip and made plans to swim with dolphins, snorkel, visit civil war forts and eat conch fritters and Key Lime Pie.

I love just about anything made with lemons or limes and thoughts of Key Lime Pie were still on my brain yesterday. It was my week to make dinner for our small group and since one of our members was celebrating his very important 2nd birthday, cake was needed as well! I made Key Lime mini-cupcakes and they were so yummy that Jeff said I had to share the recipe. Here goes.

adapted from Bon Appetit Magazine, Sep 2008

Yield: 12-14 cupcakes (I made 24 minis and 6 regular)

1 3/4 cups cake flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 large eggs at room temperature

2 1/2 tablespoons lime juice

1 tablespoon of lime zest

a few drops of green food colouring

3/4 cup buttermilk (I substitute soy milk)

1. Preheat over to 350*F. Line a muffin tin with paper liners and coat with cooking spray.

2. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together. Set aside.

3. Using a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter/margarine on low until it is softened a little. Add the sugar and increase speed to medium. Beat until fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the lime juice, lime zest and food colouring and beat until mixed. The mixture will look curdled- do not worry!

4. Add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour, scraping down the bowl as necessary. Mix on low until just combined. Fill each cupcake liner 2/3 full.

5. Bake 20-25 minutes or until cakes test done. Cool completely and frost with lime cream cheese icing.

Lime Cream Cheese Icing

1/2 cup butter or margarine at room temperature

8 ounces cream cheese room temperature, cut into 8 pieces

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

2 1/4 cups sifted icing sugar

1 tablespoon lime zest

Beat the butter at low speed until it is soft. Increase speed to medium and add cream cheese, one piece at a time. Reduce to low speed and add vanilla and powdered sugar. Mix until icing is smooth. Stir in lime zest and enjoy!

The first time I made these, I prettied up the icing and garnished with a nibble of lime.