There is something luxurious about sinking into a bubbling hot tub after a long day of skiing. It is even more spectacular when you can sit outside and gaze up at a starry sky while sipping a cold beer.

One of the first purchases we want to make, after we take possession of our new vacation property, is a hot tub. According to CottageBlogger, “It is a hard fact that most renters in the fall and winter will rent a cottage with a hot tub in favour of one without, even at a higher cost.” Since our new property is located at a popular ski destination, having a hot tub makes good business sense with the added bonus that we get to use it too.

Budget for $7,000 plus

A good hot tub from a reputable dealer that can seat six people is likely going to start around $7,000 and that’s before installation and maintenance. It is strongly advised we buy from a dealer who will offer a good warranty program.

Installation

And then there are the installation costs. The best installation calls for a poured reinforced concrete slab, or an already well-constructed LEVEL patio or deck. Most hot tubs require a dedicated 220 volts service in addition to a GFCI breaker - not sure what this is going to cost, but we will need to hire an electrician to assist with the installation. Cottageblogger recommends budgeting an additional $2,000 for electrical upgrades.

The other challenge will be getting the hot tub onto the deck, as access from outside is virtually impossible. It is going to have to go through the condo. Hmmm - need to look into this.

Maintenance

Operating a hot tub will drive up our electricity bill by an estimated $40 a month. Chemical supplies will likely run between $12 to $15. And then there are the extras:

• Submersible pump - it helps to change the water faster
• UV sterilizer, recommended over an Ozonators - good for people who forget to add the chemicals
• Zorbies - oil sponges that help obsorb oily lotions

The hot tub will need to have the water checked and chemicals added to it on a regular basis, especially if it is being used by a lot of people. We will need to make arrangements to have someone perform the maintenance on our behalf, again, adding more cost to it’s maintenance.

Test Sit

It’s also recommended we try out a few hot tubs for comfort before we purchase one. This will entail calling up the dealers and arranging for them to fill them up so we can go and have a soak. This just makes me giggle to think I’ll be sitting in a show room in Burnaby having a jacuzzi.

There is a lot research that will go into the final purchase, so stay tuned. If anyone has purchased a hot tub recently, I would love to hear from you.

Cheers,

Julie

And the winners of The Great Frozen Dinner Entre are…..

1. Costco’s Kettle Creek Ribs - These gooey barbecued ribs are still my number one favourite - just heat and serve. One rack with feed two adults.They retail for $13.00 a slab.
2. M&M Cabbage Rolls - Sweet - comes in two serving sizes, heat and serve. Small portion contains 6 rolls, and retails for $8.99.
3. Costco’s Zinetti’s Chicken Florentine - at first I balked, but the cream sauce is yummy, and the noodles are firm. I would even consider serving this one to company. Great with a salad (note it takes 70 minutes to cook in the oven), and retails for $13.00. One package contains two trays and would likely feed 10 people in total.
4. Costco’s Mrs. Paterson’s Aussie Pie - 9 individual chicken pot pies. These buttery flavoured pastries make a great lunch served on their own, or add a salad and have them for dinner. Everyone liked the flavour and texture of these frozen pies.
5. President’s Choice Smokin Stampede Sliced Beef Brisket - sent to us by Chris McNeil, they are described as being, “thinly sliced dripping with thick spicy Chipotle BBQ sauce.” Chris suggests serving them on rolls with a salad or french fry wedges. They feed four people.

My search is by no means over. I will continue to shop the frozen food isles in search of the perfect pre-fab dinner. In the meantime if you come across something you love, or a website that has great recipes, please feel free to share them with the rest of us.

Cheers,

Julie

Today’s subject is something I confess I know absolutely nothing about, but am totally fascinated by it. The part that I find fascinating are the people who enjoy sitting on a frozen lake, often for hours at a time, in a small wooden (or canvass) hut, freezing their —- off, waiting for the fish to strike.

My brother, Running Car, is one of these people. Now in all fairness, he is an avid fisherman. During the summer, long after the sun goes down, there he sits in his aluminum fishing boat, reeling in one walleye after another. His frozen minnow by his side, his fish finder activated, and the net ready, he takes this sport very seriously.

How do people sit still for so long? Apparently, hot toddies are one of the necessities of this sport, in addition to a well stocked ice hut. According to The Cottage Bible, these huts can be as large as 10 by 12 feet, constructed on skids for towing to a site and have four to six bunkbeds, a gas or woodstove, and gas lighting

Another website I checked out for the definitive guide to ice fishing, Ice Fishing Canada, had some interesting stats. Did you know:

• Canada is home to the greatest number of people who “hard water” fish
• In 2000, anglers across Canada spent a combined total of 4, 489,296 days fishing
• Fewer than 1/3 of fish caught beneath the ice are eaten
• 60% of the fish caught are released
• If you are fishing with a group of people make sure the ice is at least18 centimeters thick and if you’re going to drive on the ice, it should be 28 centimeters thick.

I would love to hear from the hard water fishermen out there as to why this sport attracts so many Canadians. Pictures are always welcome (email julie@cottagedaily.com).

Here’s to some interesting fish tales.

Cheers,

Julie

Technology is a great thing, but when it fails, stand back. Such is the case with our email alerts. For those great people who subscribe to our notifications, I sincerely apologize for the barrage of emails you have been getting from us. I know how bad it is because I get them too, sometimes two a day. UGGGG.

Emails can be overwhelming, kinda like a child tugging on your leg, saying, “mom, mom, mom,” over and over again. Like a ringing phone, we can’t seem to ignore them. This is stressful, confirmed by the number of people who canceled their email alerts this week. I totally understand.

As one reader wrote, “7 is too many.” So we have temporarily canceled our posting notifications. Going forward, we will not be sending out an email alert everyday, but rather one a week, highlighting the week’s stories. If you see something you like, click on it, if not - that’s what the delete key is for.

Like a cottage, we are a work in progress. We are continually striving to make CottageDaily.com a fun experience - your daily escape.

Once we get everything sorted out, we will open up the Hammock Give-Away contest again.

Thank you for your support and patience.

Cheers,

Julie

PS - We have had a lot of great feedback coming in from the Chic-Choc Mountain Lodge Granola Bars - They’re a hit. You can alter the ingredients, just keep the proportions the same.

Looking up at our roof in Whistler, where there’s about 3 feet of snow squarely packed on top of it, I often wonder if someone shouldn’t be shoveling it off.  I think the same thing about cottage roofs.  We used to make an annual winter trek to our cottage on Rice Lake lake to shovel off the roof.  Should cottagers be concerned with their roofs caving in this time of year?

I came across this exact topic on the Cottage Life website recently.  According to the article, Taking a Load Off, “A cottage roof built to building-code specifications and properly maintained will stand up to the worst winter can throw at it.” If your cottage was built in the last 20 years, it’s not likely going to collapse.

The article goes on to state that more people are injured or killed every year trying to shovel roofs than from the roofs falling on them. Shoveling and walking on the roof can also cause the shingles to crack and in some cases you can damage roof vents.

If you’re bound and determined to remove the snow from your rooftop, you may want to invest in an snow rake. Avalanche Snow Removal, based in the U.S., makes one that can be used from the ground.

If you’re up at your cabin, it’s also a good idea to take a look inside your cabin’s roof to make sure there’s no water damage, split or sagging rafters, or cracked drywall where the walls meet the ceiling.  These are all signs of roof damage.

One last cautionary note, check your johnny-on-the-spot, boat house, and tool sheds roofs, as they may not have been built to code, or their roof’s may have a shallower slope, putting them at greater risk caving in.

Cheers,

Julie

I came across this recipe in my latest edition of Ski Canada magazine. Looking at the ingredients: nuts, dark chocolate, dried fruit and butter, I’m thinking these certainly sound a whole lot better than the Nature Valley granola bars I snack on.

This has to be as close to healthy as delicious gets. The recipe hails from the Chic-Chocs Mountain Lodge in Quebec’s Gaspe Peninsula. I’m going to try these out on the kids as a substitute for breakfast on the mornings we’re scrambling to get to the hill for ski lessons, that is, if we don’t eat them all first.

Chic-Chocs Moutain Lodge Granola Bars

Ingredients

• 3 cups rolled oats
• 2 cups mixed nuts and seeds
• 1 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup dried fruits
• 1 cup dark chocolate chips
• 300 ml (1 can) condensed milk

Butter a pan (not sure what size - I’m guessing 9 x 13). Mix all dry ingredients. Add the condensed milk along with the butter and mix well with a wooden spoon. Pour mixture in the pan and press lightly to even out. Bake 20 - 25 minutes at 325F. Let cool in pan, cut in portions and wrap in plastic wrap. Keeps for several weeks in the refrigerator.

Cheers,

Julie

The bird feeder’s mounted, filled to the top with black oil sunflower seeds and white millet. Now if someone could just tell the birds it’s here. It seems bird feeders are like new restaurants, it takes a while for the word to get out.

In order to advertise and promote our feeder, Daphne Solecki, coordinator of the Young Naturalists’ Club of British Columbia, suggests we scatter seeds along the ground and on the window sill, in other words, provide samples like they do in grocery stores at dinner time.

Although if you’re thinking of hanging a bird feeder at the cabin, I wouldn’t recommend it, as you will likely attract bears, raccoons and other little four legged creatures. When I ask Mark from Vancouver’s Wild Birds Unlimited, about bear proof feeders for the cottage, he suggests people attach a medium seed tube to a thin metal line strung across two trees or two posts. I’m not sure about this; I liken that to hanging candy just above a child’s head and then telling them they can’t have any.

The good news is, we have no bears in our backyard, so I scatter seeds liberally around the feeder. I have chosen this particular mix , comprised mainly of black oil sunflower, for its high oil and protein content.

Chipped sunflower seeds are also recommended for feeders, and will attract Steller’s Jays, titmouses, finchs and chickadees, but it’s expensive so make sure your feeder is squirrel proof.

Our feed mix, in addition to attracting chickadees, (I spotted one yesterday but he seems to be keeping the feeder a secret) will also entice Evening Grosbecks, house and purple finchs, sparrows and Red-breasted Nuthatchs. Adding thistle seed to our mix would attract even more finches, as it is their favourite food.

The placement of the feeder will also determine who comes to dinner. Platform feeders attract the biggest number of wild birds; it seems they like a place to perch while they snack. They also attract other animals, so we opted for a window mounted feeder that caters to birds only.

Ironically, we have quite a few birds, mostly Dark-Eyed Juncos, already pecking through our yard. It seems these ground feeders have more than enough food without us adding to it. Or maybe they prefer “homemade” seeds to our “take-out” variety.

Whatever the case, my favourite bird, the Steller’s Jay, likes peanuts in the shell, which our feeder cannot accommodate.

If you’re interested in setting up a feeder or simply want to attract more birds to your backyard, there are some great online sites like, the-scoop-on-wild-birds-and-feeders, and Bird Feeders Direct.

If you do have a feeder at the cabin, I am interested in hearing if you’ve had any problems with bears. I’m off to stalk our feeder.

Cheers,

Julie

Stand up and be counted. Actually, if you’re not a bird could you please sit down? From February 15 to the 18th, 2008, bird enthusiasts from all over Canada and the United States will spend 15 minutes a day for the next four days, counting and recording bird species found in their own back yard, local park or favourite natural area.

Sponsored by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the information gathered during the count is then added to the 36 million other bird observation records, housed in the Avian Knowledge Network, where they are accessed by scientists from around the world.

Last year over 11 million birds were counted, and organizers are hoping to attract even more counters this year. The information being gathered helps scientists track the ups and downs of the bird population as well as their migratory movements. The count is done in February so scientists can determine how the birds are surviving the winter and where they are located before the springtime migration begins in March.

This is a great activity for the young and old. If you’re like me, and are new to bird watching, you can click here to download a Checklist for your area. The hardest part is identifying the birds, so a field guide is recommended or click on the online bird guide which contains over 600 species.

If you are not unable to participate in the four day event, you can still record your bird-observations online by going to eBird.

We’re actually going to cheat a little bit with our count. I have installed a bird feeder in the hopes that we will be able to attract more birds and make it easier for us to record and identify the ones we spot.

Tomorrow we will examine bird feeders, their placement and the types of food used to attract different species of birds.

Cheers,

Julie

I’m sitting in the Whistler Walk-In Clinic, while the slim athletic doctor reviews my x-rays. “So how long have you been snowboarding,” she asks, her blond hair falling forward. “Um, well, it was my sixth time when I fell,” I reply, trying gently to shift the weight off my very, bruised backside.

“Are you a skier?” She demands, this time raising her sharp blue eyes above the laptop she is typing furiously onto. I am quickly realizing her concern is not focused on my very, very sore bottom, but rather on what I am doing on a snowboard in the first place. “We see a lot of snowboard injuries in here, mostly knees, wrists and elbows, way more than skiing. Take my advice and go back to skiing. It’s much safer.”

There it is my prognosis and my treatment along with a prescription for Tylenol 3’s. She has, in her not so subtle way, warned me that I am too old, and will likely continue to get hurt if I keep up this foolish notion of snowboarding.

Am I too old? Should I have started this sport sooner? In the prophetic words of W.M. Lewis,

“The tragedy of life is not that it ends so soon, but that we wait so long to begin it.”

Everything I read about our aging populations states that 60 is the new 40, so isn’t it only fair to conclude that 40 must be the new 20 or 30 at least? Is age a state of mind or a way of ensuring our survival? According to the Life Expectancy tables, Canadian women are now living (on average) until we are 82.3, and yes, we are still outliving our male counterparts who are checking out at 77.2. According to these tables, and not God, I will be around for at least another 40 years.

Walking by my snowboard, now gathering dust in our garage, I feel this twinge of disappointment. My posterior has long since healed, but the fear of falling and hurting myself again, prevents me from climbing back on the board. I am further taunted, each weekend, by the young fearless people who effortless curve by me, barely conscious of their skill and ability.

I don’t want to be too old to try anything, this excludes sushi. Sure I may be 40 ish, but like Jean Cretin, I plan on water skiing well into my 70’s, that goes for downhill skiing too. So maybe that’s the trade-off. Maybe I have a 100 runs left in my knees, and maybe staying away from snowboarding will ensure that I get to cash-in on every one of them.

In the meantime, if anyone is looking for a barley used snowboard, send me an email.

Cheers,

Julie

Despite the fluctuating temperatures in the east, here in the west, things are downright frosty. The cold weather makes me crave comfort food. Macaroni and cheese, ribs and baked beans, are among my favourites. The following recipes were selected for their great taste and simplicity. O.K., the baked beans are a little bit of work, but I prep them in the morning, put them in to bake and then head outside to enjoy my day.

I hope you enjoy these “One-Pot Wonders“.

Stovetop Cheddar Mac (Rachel Ray’s Recipe)

Pork Noodle Soup with Cinnamon and Anise (Gourmet)

Baked Beans (Gourmet)

Stovetop Cheddar Mac - served it last night to the kids, it’s quick and easy. The trick is to use half-and-half - don’t substitute for milk, you won’t get that rich creamy taste.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups elbow macaroni
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp flour
• 2 cups half-and-half, warmed
• one 8 ounce bag shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese (2 cups)
• Salt to taste

Directions

In a large saucepan of boiling water, cook the macaroni until al dente; drain in a colander. While pasta is cooking, melt butter over medium heat in a separate pan. Wisk in flour, cook for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the warmed half-and-half and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture is steaming hot and thick, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cheddar until melted. Add the cooked macaroni and season with salt to taste.

Pork Noodle Soup with Cinnamon and Anise -Don’t let the title fool you, this noodle bowl is filling.

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 pounds country-style pork ribs
• 6 cups water
• 2/3 cup soy sauce
• 2/3 cup Chinese Shaoxing wine or medium-dry Sherry
• 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1 head garlic, halved crosswise
• 3 (3-inch) cinnamon sticks
• 1 whole star anise
• 5 1/2 ounces bean thread (cellophane) noodles

Directions

Gently simmer all ingredients except noodles in a 6-quart heavy pot, covered, skimming as needed, until pork is very tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Transfer pork to a bowl. Discard bones, spices, and garlic. Coarsely shred meat. Skim fat from broth, then return meat and bring to a simmer. Rinse noodles in hot water and allow them to soak for 3 minutes in hot water, then stir into broth and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until noodles are translucent and tender, about 3 minutes. You can serve steamed broccoli, Chinese broccoli, or steamed bok choy on the side, just sprinkle a little oyster sauce on top of vegetables for added flavour instead of butter.

Baked Beans

Ingredients

• 1 lb dried navy beans (2 1/4 cups)
• 1 (1/4-lb) piece salt pork (rind discarded)
• 4 1/2 cups water
• 1 large onion, finely chopped (about 2 cups)
• 2 chopped garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup Grade B maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon dry English mustard (preferably Colman’s)
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Pick over and rinse 1 lb dried navy beans (2 1/4 cups). Soak in cold water to cover by 2 inches at least 8 hours. Alternatively, quick-soak beans (see cooks’ note, below). Drain.

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Rinse and pat dry 1 (1/4-lb) piece salt pork (rind discarded), then cut into 3 pieces.

Put beans and pork in an ovenproof 3-quart heavy pot with a lid. Add 4 1/2 cups water, 1 large onion (finely chopped; about 2 cups), 2 chopped garlic cloves, 1/2 cup Grade B maple syrup, 1 tablespoon dry English mustard (preferably Colman’s), and 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper and stir to combine. Cover pot and bake until beans are just tender, 3 to 4 hours.

Reduce oven temperature to 325°F. Remove lid. Bake beans, stirring occasionally, until most of liquid is absorbed but beans are still saucy, 1 to 1 1/2 hours more. Remove from oven. Stir in 1 tablespoon cider vinegar and 1 teaspoon salt or more to taste.

Cooks’ notes:

• To quick-soak, put beans in a 4- to 5-quart pot and cover with cold water by 2 inches. Bring to a boil, uncovered, then boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, 1 hour before draining.

• Baked beans keep, covered and chilled, up to 5 days.

Here’s to tasty, hot, stick-to-your-ribs cookin’

Cheers,

Julie