Irene's Tea Buns

If you are like me there are some foods that I turn to when I feel like a touch of home (Newfoundland). Homemade bread, Jigg's Dinner, Gumdrop Cake and Tea Buns (smaller relative of the Tea Biscuit).

Here's my step-mom Irene's Tea Bun recipe. It was a favourite of my Dad and Brother, Calvin. There's a good reason why... they're delicious! She usually makes them with or without raisins, but for this version I used dried cranberries.  I don't think the buns suffered for it.

Things You'll Need (Otherwise Known as Ingredients and Supplies)

4 Cups Flour
8 Tsp Baking Powder
1/2 Tsp Salt (I use kosher salt in all my baking)
1 Cup White Sugar
1 Cup Coconut
1 Cup Butter, Chilled
2 Eggs
1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
1 Cup Milk
1/2 - 1 Cup Dried Fruit
 

Things You'll Do (Otherwise known as Directions)

Preheat oven to 400F
Take a large bowl, sift together flour and baking powder. Mix in sugar, salt, and coconut. Give a good stir to mix.

Rub in chilled butter. What does "rub in" mean? If you have ever made a shortbread base for squares it's basically the same method. I cut my butter up into small chunks and then using my hands work the butter into the dry ingredients until it completely incorporated and resembles a cornmeal.

Beat together the eggs and milk. Add vanilla.  Wash Hands.

Add wet mixture to dry ingredients. I use my hands to mix everything together. I don't like to over work the dough.
Add dried fruit and work until happy.

Pat mixture out onto floured surface to a height of about 1/2 inch.

Take a glass (tumbler) and cut out the circles. The size of the bun is determined by the size of the glass.

Put on greased baking pan. Don't crowd them.  They don't spread out (just up) but it's simply my personal preference.

Bake at 400F for 10-15 minutes until golden brown. I start checking at the 10 minute mark in 2 minute intervals.
Place on cooling rack and enjoy. If you are like me, I take one right away, cut it in half and slather butter on it.

Like my Aunt Beth's Gumdrop Cake recipe, I hope that this one can become a part of your family's tradition too.

Cheers,
Lori

Aunt Beth's Gumdrop (or Cherry) Cake

Growing up I thought that Gumdrop cake was the slightly better tasting cousin to the dreaded Dark Fruit Cake that every person at a Newfoundland wedding was obligated to eat.  Years later, Gumdrop cake became my most treasured Christmas present from my Aunt Beth (next to her wool tams, mitts or socks).  She could make a pie crust that would make your cry and soothe your heart with this cake. 

After Aunt Beth passed my step-mom Irene made me a gumdrop cake most often after Dad went "Irene maid, that child (meaning me) needs a cake to take back to Halifax with her.  What do I need to get at the Bulk Barn so you can make her one?" Irene would make the cake, wrap it up perfectly then Dad would put it in a carton with salt meat, bottled partridgberry jam, some moose meat and perhaps a few Purity peppermint knobs or lumps. Ahhh - my very own carton of treasures.

Now Irene always has a bit of cake on the go when I visit, but Dad isn't around to start the ball rolling. I really wanted to try it out myself so after a couple of calls home I mashed together the recipe.

This family recipe could end with me so I am hoping someone reads this, tries it and continues my family tradition of Aunt Beth's Gumdrop Cake.

Here we go....

Things You'll Need (Otherwise Known as Ingredients and Supplies)

Missing are the Lemon Extract and Food Colouring

1 Cup Butter, Softened
1 Cup White Sugar
2 Eggs
1 Tin (can) Heavy Cream (170ml) or plain yoghurt
1 tsp pure Vanilla Extract
1/2 tsp Lemon Extract
2 1/2-3 Cups Flour
3 Tsp Baking Powder
1/2 - 1 Cup Coconut (if desired)
1 - 1&1/2 Cups Gumdrops or Cherries (or a mix of both to equal 1&1/2 Cups). I use baking gumdrops but you can use regular ones and perhaps chop them. Don't use the black licorice flavoured ones. Rubbish!
Yellow Food Colouring
Milk or Plain Yoghurt (on Standby)

Tube or Bundt Pan
Butter or Spray to grease pan
Parchment paper

Things You'll Do (Otherwise known as Directions)

 Preheat oven to 275F.  Grease pan. Line with Parchment paper if you typically do for cakes. I did not need to with this pan.

Clay Bundt pan - Lovely but would not use again for this recipe

Cream together butter and sugar.  Add extracts, eggs, cream and a couple of drops of food colouring. Mix thoroughly.  (Note: Irene adds the food colouring so the cake doesn't look so pale and "sickly".)

Sift together 1 cup flour and 1 tsp baking powder (BP). Add to wet ingredients and incorporate until just mixed. Repeat with cup #2 and BP. My suggestion after this is to do a 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 tsp of BP and mix. See if the batter looks to "dry" if so, add a little milk, if too wet looking then add the last 1/2 cup of flour and BP.  I know, baking is an exact science but not in my family.

Add coconut.

Add gumdrops (cherries or mix). Mix by hand until just combined.

Fill Tube or Bundt pan with cake batter. Smooth the top as best you can.

Prepare a second pan with cold water to add steam to the oven and maintain the moistness of the cake. I used an old loaf pan.

Place Tube/Bundt pan in oven and put 2nd pan next to it.

Bake for 1 1/2 hours at 275F. Remove and invert on a cooling rack. Leave it for a couple of mins and then remove the pan.

 Let cool and slice!

Lessons Learned: The clay bundt pan was excellent but I think wrong for this cake. I think the clay may have made the cake too dry. I recommend a metal pan.

If you have a favourite gumdrop cake recipe you want to share, please comment below!

Enjoy and please, carry this tradition on - I think Aunt Beth would love that.

Cheers,
Lori

Aunt Beth - Played a mean game of 120's too!

Journey to the Camino de Santiago - What the heck to bring?

Here I am about 8 months away from leaving for the Camino and trying to figure out what is it exactly I need. 

Let's revisit my backpacking experience thus far.

...
...
even more ...


That's right!  Nada.  I have to admit, that's one of the most terrifying part of this process.  Yep, I know that there are shops all along the way but I am doing this on a tight budget and the idea that I get to Spain with a key item forgotten that costs $$$ ... well, makes me nervous.

Thankfully I have a bevy of knowledgeable folk around me who are generous with their patience and advice.  First up, my #caminotwits partner, Krista (who is the blogger behind bitesizedtravel).  She has a wealth of knowledge, great at planning and who will be critiquing my pack ruthlessly (with my blessing).  Also on my speed tweet is Todd (the blogger behind dragonflyhiker). He's a guy who gets gear, tries gear and evaluates it.  A big plus for me!

A few questions that will influence what to take:

1. What must I purchase here?
2. What can I purchase there?
3. How much space do I have (aka How much am I willing to carry)?
4. How long am I going?
5. What's the weather going to be like?
6. Is it possible to share items amongst others traveling with me?

I thought these questions were brilliant.  Not at all original but wicked brilliant anyway.

All the credit goes to Krista - she started me on the list and recommended 95% of what is here.  She is doing her blog post as well.  It will be interesting to see what is different and what is the same.

Lori's Preliminary Camino Packing List 

(as of September 9th, 2014 - updates are in RED)

Item	Size /# of Items	Sourced From	Name/Link/Notes
General Gear
Backpack	40 L(itre)	MEC	Aria 40 Daypack
Backpack Cover	25-40L	MEC	Pack Rain Cover (Silicone)
Waterproof Sacks/Stuff Sacks	Various Sizes	MEC	MEC Pack Rat Sil Stuff Sacks  - I opted for a 2L and a 5L and a Outdoor Research Ultralight Dry Sack in 15L.
Lightweight Sleeping Bag Liner		LL Bean	Big decision. I opted for a sleeping bag liner to piggy back on my silk liner. I've packed one inside of the other. It's less than half in weight than the sleeping bag I was considering. Total weight of sleeping gear =  348g/12.27oz   Sea to Summit Thermolite Sleeping-Bag Liner
Sleep Sheet	Silk/Cotton Mix	Trekmates via Amazon	Trekmates® Silk/Cotton Mummy Travel liner
Ultra Light Weight Towel	XXL	MEC	MSR PackTowl Ultralite Towel
Spork	1		MEC Folding Spork
Hydration System	2 L (1)	MEC	Decided on the Source WLP Hydration System.
Clothespins	4-6
Laces	3-5ft		Also to be used as a clothesline if needed.
Headlamp	1	MEC	Black Diamond Cosmo
Batteries	1		I'll likely purchase spares in Spain
Guidebook/Albergue Lists	1		I'm using the one from John Brierley
Walking Poles	2		This has been an ongoing debate about the poles. After last weekend's hike, I think the poles are a good investment for my body. I opted for Mountainsmith Carbonlite Pro via Amazon.
Money Belt	1
Clothing
Hiking Boots		MEC	La Sportiva FC ECO 3.0 GTX Trail Shoes (Women's)
Sandals		Lahout's	Teva Terra FI Lite - Scored it at $60US
Socks (prs)	4	IceBreaker	Multisport Ultra Light Mini. I'll likely switch socks 1/2 way through the day so I figure I need 4 pairs for washing and drying time.
Underwear	3	IceBreaker	Tested both Merino and Synthetic fabrics (here's the post). One pair to wear, one is drying and one in case of emergency. Decided on Sprite Hot Pants. Also purchased 2 pairs at Take it Outside.
Bras	2	Moving Comfort via MEC	Moving Comfort Fiona
Fleece Jacket	1	MEC	Men's Trek Jacket
Wool Gloves	1	MEC	Wool Gloves - Upon consultation with the wondrous Krista Spurr I decided to get a pair of wool gloves
Rain Jacket	1	LL Bean	Discovery Rain Jacket.
Tank Tops	2	MEC	Merino Wool blend (2).
T-Shirts	2	Take It Outside	Merino Wool blend (1) thus far. Icebreaker brand. One (1) synthetic technical T shirt from Nike.
Long Sleeved Shirts	1	MEC	Merino Wool blend (1) thus far
Pants	1	LL Bean	Comfort Trail Pants from LL Bean.
Shorts	2 (was 1)		I purchased 1 pair of The North Face and 1 pair of Adidas quick dry running shorts. Mens. They have the length I want and the bagginess I like.
Sleep Gear	1	MEC	Boxers and T-Shirt
Sun Hat/Buff	1		Have a Running Room hat and a Buff (Thanks dragonflyhiker!)
Personal Care Items
Ear Plugs			Snorers in the Albergues.
Laundry Soap			I am traveling with a friend and we are splitting some necessities. I have the phone, she has the Laundry stuff.
Shower Gel/Soap			One small bottle to start then purchase in Spain.
Shampoo			One small bottle to start then purchase in Spain.
Hairbrush	1
Mascara	1		Benefit They're Real mascara in travel size. No joke - It's coming!
Deodorant	1 small		Should last 21 days
Toothbrush	1		Travel sized
Toothpaste	1 small		Replenish in Spain
Floss	1 small		Replenish in Spain
Contact Lenses (spares, case)
Contact Lens Solution	1		Travel size will be enough
Eyeglasses	1
Sun Glasses	1
Facial Tissues	1 small
Toilet Tissue	1/2 roll
Body Lotion	1 small		Replenish in Spain
Face Cream (with Sunscreen)	1 small		Replenish in Spain
Vaseline			People swear that slathering your feet in this makes a world of difference
Moleskin			Purchasing some here and refill in Spain. I have learned that putting some on parts of my foot prevents blisters. Sides of Big Toe for instance.
Antiseptic Spray or cream			Reduce infection around blister area.
Anti-Trots Medicine			Thank you Immodium
Pain Reliever			Ibuprofen and Motrin (Muscle & Body)
Sunscreen	2 small		Replenish in Spain
First Aid Kit	1 small	MEC	Very Basic - Will add some of my other items to the packet
Electronics
iPhone (with a Spain SIM card)	1		Wifi is openly available in Spain. Still, in emergency...
Camera & SD cards	1	Amazon	Olympus VR-370 Point and Shoot Camera.  Weight=172g
Charger for ipod/camera	1
Power adapter for Spain	1		As I am taking a phone, Linda is responsible for the power adapter for all electronics (she's taking an iPad).
Miscellaneous
Journal	1		I have a leather journal that I purchased in Florence, Italy.
Pen	1
Multi-tool	1	MEC	Knife, scissors, etc. From MEC. Leatherman Squirt PS4 Multi‑Tool
Not Addressed/Undecided
Money/ Credit Cards/Passport/ID
Solar Charger	1		Levin Solstar Charger - I have purchased this to test to see if it is worth the extra weight on my pack. It should hook to pack to charge while walking. We'll see.
Micro Solar Lantern	1		Luci Light - It's a backup light should I get stuck in a place where lighting (over and above my headlamp) is needed.

You may notice that my much loved, much mocked (yes I'm looking at you +Krista Spurr) eyelash curler has been removed from my list.... Reluctantly. It won't be making the trip to Spain though - the extra grams mean so much!

So there is my list to date. It seems daunting especially as I hope to keep my pack to less than 15lbs total!  I will be updating the list with my finds as they are decided. I know I've forgotten things. All a work in progress.

There is one thing that all experienced pilgrims/trekkers/hikers agree... Cotton is whack!  It gets absorbs sweat/water and keeps it close to your skin.  Yes, yes, so does wool, however reports indicate that cotton when wet loses insulating properties.  Wool does not. Opt for merino wool or synthetics that wick sweat from your body.  Also a good idea are clothes with antibacterial properties - you know... the smell and rash thing.

I will be posting on my continuing saga for good underwear and socks, the right way to tie my shoe laces, and my physical training for the Camino.

You think I am kidding about the underwear and tying of my laces.... I am not.

Next up is my footwear selection adventure!!!

Buen Camino,
Lori

Journey to the Camino de Santiago - AKA Why I am stubborn and slightly unhinged

As most of my friends (enemies, acquaintances, strangers on the street) already know I am planning to hike the Camino de Santiago Fall of 2014.  Lots of people ask me why I am doing it: is it spiritual, physical, or somewhere in between.

I wish I had a good answer. All I know is that I HAVE to do it. I think the reason will evolve the more I read, talk and learn.  The past couple of years have been... difficult and I need to understand, well, me.

I have my body to train but also my mind. You see, I've never hiked before... A stroll, a walk that involved taking a sandwich but never a multi-day - not knowing where you're going to lay your head, trek.  I'm both terrified and jazzed.  Apprehensive and fearless. I'll have friends with me but when you are at Day 5, 10 clicks into your hike, how am I going to do?

Now before you ask, I'm doing the French Way.... but not the whole way. My plan is to start in Leon, Spain and trek to Santiago.  Anywhere between 13-15 days I figure.  About 300kms.

My plan is to blog the prep, the journey and my thoughts after.

So join in and hopefully help me figure out what the hell I am doing.

If anyone is on Twitter and want to follow along with one of my Camino campadres, check out the hashtag (#) #caminotwits.

We also keep things grouped by week in Storify.  Here's some of our chatter.

Buen Camino,
Lori