Chickpea Soup

Here is a recipe my Aunt passed along to me. This soup is so quick and so delicious I have made it several times now and each time one of our guests has asked me for the recipe so here it is...

2 tins of Chickpeas (19 ounces each), drained

1 tin of light coconut milk (13.5 ounce)

1 tin of whole tomatoes (14 ounces), drained and chopped

1/4 cup of natural apple juice

1/4 cup of cilantro leaves

1/2 tsp of garam masala

1/2 tsp of ground ginger

1 cup of chicken or vegetable stock

salt and pepper to taste

In a blender combine: chickpeas, coconut milk, tomatoes, apple juice, cilantro, garam masala, and ginger. Puree until smooth.

Transfer to a medium saucepan. Stir in stock and simmer over medium heat. Season with salt and pepper. 

Serve with plain yogurt and fresh scallions on top. 

Serves 6

Calories: 288, Fat: 6gm, Fiber: 8.7 gm

Coastal Trek - Week #10 - August 1st - August 7th

Weather - Sunshine, sunshine, sunshine. High 31C 0r 88F.

Hikes - Day 1 - Paradise Meadows, Strathcona Provincial Park
Length - 8 kilometers or 4.8 miles
Elevation change - 250 meters or 825 feet
Sub-alpine meadows, lakes, flowers, whisky jacks.

Day 2 - Mt. Becher, Strathcona Provincial Park
Length - 13 kilometers or 7.8 miles
Elevation change - 815 meters 0r 2690 feet
Hike from lodge to our backyard mountain peak (elevation 1385 meters or 4570 feet). Wood Mountain Ski Park. Rolling track through old growth and sub-alpine. Short scramble. Lunch on the summit with splendid views of Strathcona Park mountains, glaciers, waterfalls. Descent back to lodge includes an amazing panorama of ocean, islands and the Coast Mountain Range on mainland.

Day 3 - Tree Island Kayaking
Length - 10 kilometers or 6 miles
Day trip from Union Bay launch dock to Tree Island, officially known as Sandy Island Provincial Park, fantastic, serene, Navy Ship, beautiful sand beaches, tropical paradise.

Day 4 - Elk River Trail, Strathcona Provincial Park
Length - 22 kilometers 0r 13.2 miles
Elevation change - 798 meters or 2634 feet
Fast and light, rolling single track through Vancouver Islands deepest valley surrounded by its highest peaks, lush old growth forest, sparkling rivers, Elkhorn, witness effects of 1946 7.3 earthquake, Landslide Lake, Mt. Colonel Foster, Icefall!

Day 5 - Kwa'as Park, Cortes Island
Length - 10 kilometers or 6 miles
Elevation change - 300 meters or 990 feet
Boat shuttle with Captain Dan of the S.S. Morningstar, Desolation Sound, Cortes Bay, country roads, forested walk, lake vies, cliffs, ladders, lunch and swim at "hot lake" porpoises, mega-yachts.

Day 6 - Kwai Lake Loop, Strathcona Park
Length - 16 kilometers or 9.6 miles
Elevation change - 490 meters or 1617 feet
Mountain, lake and glacier views, old growth, sub-alpine flowers, mama grouse and babies, crazy squirrel, 3-D orienteering, magnificent Kwai Campground picnic, lots of laughs!

Week Totals: 79 kilometers or 47.4 miles, 2653 meters or 8755 feet

Check back soon, photos to come!

A Gift from Aotearoa

As part of our sponsorship of the Vancouver Island Musicfest we were privileged to host the Pacific Curls of Aotearoa. For those of you who don't know, New Zealand is Shayne's other beloved home, so we felt especially blessed to have Ora, Sara and Kim as our guests (as Shayne said,  it was as if a little bit of home had settled in the lodge).

On the night before their departure they graciously performed for some of our guests and staff. It was an intimate gathering with an audience of 6.

With the field stone fireplace for a backdrop and with the timbers overhead the women bestowed us and the lodge with a special gift. To try to describe their music is to try to describe the beautiful and diverse New Zealand itself: a mixture of Pacific and European culture that melds together to create something new and unique.

In between songs we were invited to inquire about the various instruments that the Pacific Curls so skillfully play. From the guitar to the nose flute, the fiddle to the poi, the ukulele to the tambourine, all are played with skill and joy.

Thank you to Ora for her beautiful vocals and storytelling that left a lasting impression with all...

Thank you to Sara for her Celtic energy and spirit that flowed from her and her fiddle and upbeat banter....

Thank you to Kim for her masterful guitar and ukulele playing, vocals and the unique instruments she shared...

We look forward to your return.

Arohanui,

Andrea and Shayne

Coastal Trek - Week #9 - July 25th - 31st

Weather - A little cloudier, a little windier, a little rainier, and a little cooler than usual. Highs in the low 20's or 70's, Lows in the teens or 50's.
Hikes - Day 1 - Seal Bay Nature Park and Nymph Falls
Length - 8 kilometers or 4.8 miles
Elevation change - 80 meters or 264 feet
Farmers Market, fern valley, spectacular falls, Bob the Stonehunter studio tour.
Day 2 - Sawchuk's Forest, Little Qualicum Falls Provincial Park, Cathedral Grove
Length - 9 kilometers or 5.4 miles
Elevation change - 95 meters or 314 feet
George Sawchuks sculptures studio tour, moss laden canyons, crystal clear water falls, Cameron Lake, big-big trees.
Day 3 - Strathcona Provincial Park - Paradise Meadows to Lady Lake
Length - 13 kilometers or 7.8 miles
Elevation change - 261 meters or 861 feet
Sub-alpine hike, amazing bloom, white-bog orchids, heathers, arctic lupines, white rhododendrons, dwarf dogwood, mountain buttercup, asphodel, globeflower, queens cup, arnica, Lake Helen-Mackenzie, Battleship Lake, Kooso Lake, creeks, brown and rainbow trout.
Day 5 - Hornby Island - Helliwell and Big Tribune Bay Provincial Parks, Mt. Geoffrey
Length - 11 kilometers or 6.6 miles
Elevation change - 234 meters or 772 feet
Boat rides, purple star and pink sunflower fish, Helliwell bluffs, golden grasses, white sand beaches, ridge trail with incredible vistas of the ocean, islands and mountains.
Day 6 - Strathcona Park - Buttle Lake Parkway Tour
Length - a few short hikes totaling 6 kilometers or 3.6 miles
Elevation change - minimal
Rainy day sightseeing, Elk Falls Provincial Park, Deer Falls, Moose Falls, emerald lagoon, Lupine Falls, candy stick, lunch on the lake, Karst Creek reversing and disappearing waterfall.
Week Totals: 47 kilometers or 28 miles, 670 meters or 2211 feet.