Mango-Cranberry Chutney
MMMMMmmmm…This is my Christmas tradition. I made it last year. I’m now making it this year. Thank you to my colleague and friend: Quebec-Martin. He made this recipe one year for his Thanksgiving. I wasn’t at his Thanksgiving, but somehow, I got this recipe. It is simply fabulous!! (Oh. On a side note, it is best to open a bottle of red wine while you are making this recipe. Preferably, a bottle from my neighbour’s personal cellar: Bluenose Petit Syrah.)
3 teaspoons peanut oil
1 small (sweet) onion, chopped
pinch of salt.
1 teaspoon of curry powder
1 cinnamon stick, broken
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup of lightly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup of cider vinegar
2 large under-ripe mangoes, peeled and diced
1 pound of cranberries
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1. Heat 1 teaspoon of peanut oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion and salt and cooked over moderately low heat, stirring until the onion softens (about 8 minutes).
2. Add the curry powered and cinnamon stick and cook for one minute.
3. Stir in the sugars and vinegar and bring to a boil.
4. Add the mangoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened (about 35 to 40 minutes).
5. Add the cranberries and cook over moderate heat for 40 more minutes, crushing them against the sides of the pan.
6. In a separate saucepan, heat the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil. Add the mustard seeds and cook until they begin to pop. Then, add them to the chutney.
7. Stir the chutney. Transfer to a bowl and let cool.
By this time, the bottle of wine should be imbibed. You could be typing a blog, calling friends and family long distance, or hopefully, doing something else far more interesting. Merry Christmas to all: especially our friends and families.
Much love,
Jennifer, Dorothy, and Ken.
Dadisms
The other day, I was eating dinner with my friends Katie and Sean. They were making wine in their garage and I wanted to take pictures. Originally, I thought this blog entry would be about how Californian’s make home-made wine, but then, when we sat down to dinner, Sean said: I’m so hungry, I could eat the crotch out of a rag doll!
I laughed and said: Hmm. My Dad would say: I’m so hungry I could eat the asshole out of a skunk and come back for the ears! Sean loved that saying. Then I thought that I would make a blog about my Dad’s sayings becasue they are pretty colourful.
Here are some more Dad-isms:
- “If clues were shoes, you’d be walking on the cheeks of your ass!!” For when you do something stupid.
- “If conceit were consumptious, you’d be consuminated.” For when you might think it appropriate to congratulate yourself a bit too much.
- “Cuttin’ hair and building igloos.” For when somebody asks what you are doing and you think it is fairly obvious exactly what you are doing–nothing!
- “It’s so cold out there, you could freeze the balls off a brass monkey in mating season.” For whenever it’s below -30 degrees Centigrade AND there is a wind chill factor.
- “My back teeth are floating and my front teeth are singin’ Anchor’s Away.” For when you have to piss so badly, you can’t even see!.
- “Up and down more times than a whore’s pair of drawers!” For when you are running up and down the stairs by the side of the house because you’re working on the deck at the back, but all the tools and wee things you need are up at the front.
- “As ugly as the second coming of Christ.” Usually used to describe people that you don’t particularly like.
- “As useless as tits on a boar.” Use this phrase to describe what you really think of something, some person, or some idea.
- “Have to use a shingle to scrape my leg.” For when you are in San Francisco and you are driving with your daughter and she goes through a red light because she’s pointing out all the sites and simply doesn’t see the red light.
- “Skunk hungry.” Derived from the quote: I’m so hungry….(above). You can use this phrase to describe how hungry you are.
- “Skunk dinner.” Again, derived from the quote: I’m so hungry…(above). Use this phrase to describe the dinner you just ate because you were skunk hungry. Also, if it so happens that you had liver and onions for your skunk dinner, you can use this phrase to describe how you smell because you ate a skunk dinner!!!
- “So hungry, my spine is talking to my belly button!” Again, you can use this phrase in reference to food and how hungry you are. (Hmmm….food seems to be a dominant theme with my Dad!)
- “Well, you know what thought did!” When you try to explain something with what you thought was a pretty reasonable explanation–but is actually pretty lame. If somebody says this to you, you have to sheepishly admit: “He thought he farted and he shit himself!”.
- “Being a dumbass isn’t covered under the warranty!” A new quote for my Dad, but I think he might use it. Derived from a recent episode where HE filled my tank on my 2005 Honda Civic with diesel fuel.
- “Covered in {tar | paint | glue } from asshole to breakfast.” For when you are taring, painting, or glueing and you get the stuff all over yourself, the wall, the trinket, the roof–whatever project you are trying to complete.
- Added because Jorden said it to Chantel the other day, but we all know where he got it!!: You can shit in the middle of the table and say you’re sorry…” For when you do something and say you are sorry but it doesn’t change the fact that there is a big, stinkin’ pile of crap in the middle of the table.
- Not necessarily a saying from Dad, but from my sister Nat and along the same lines: “Who pissed in your corn flakes this morning??” You ask this question indignantly when somebody seems to be pissed off at you for now apparent reason. And you let them think about it.
- Added 25 April 2006 “Suckin’ the hind tit!” For when you’re feeling behind the game and like you’ll never catch up. Derived from the fact that the runt of the litter always gets the last tit available–not to mention that it’s also the closest one to all the shit.
- Added 18 April 2008 “Slower than molasses in January!” For when you’re trying to do something and it needs to be done really fast and there’s someone or something who’s holding you up. You’d say: “Come on, let’s get going. You’re slower than molasses in January. My Mum would say to me: “Come on Miss Jibbs. You’re slower than molasses running uphill in January!” Apparently, I always took my time when I was young. I geuss I had the time when I was young.
Redd, Nat, do you have anymore? I know you do. Save them in the comments and I’ll update this entry.
Red Headed Cheddar Cheese With a Little Bit of Mold on Top
I have been thinking about nicknames lately. Nicknames, pet names–any term of endearment. I usually give nicknames to people I know and talk to alot. My nicknames are never malicious. Never. Nicknames usually just appear for people. They are very personal and specific and arrive out of a series of circumstances or events. I use that nickname for a while, before another one appears and I start using that one. I got to thinking, though, that I have a few nicknames myself.
My mum has two names for me. She calls me Miss Jibbs or Jibby Jones. I like that: Miss Jibbs. I just like it. AND If I ever become that famous saxophone player jazz musician (right!), I will probably use the Jibby Jones identity. Somehow it fits.
One of my current nicknames is Yukon Jen: the domain name for this website. Derived from the fact I am from the Yukon (Mile 906.8 to be exact) and my name is Jennifer. Also, part of it is a bit from this song from the Shuffle Demons: Yukon Girl. I love the Demons!
I think my very first nickname was Freckle Face. Ugh. How un-original. But, can you really expect anything more from a 5-year-old in kindergarden? And, looking back at pictures, I barely had any freckles then.
I think my most original nickname was from a fellow in grade two. His name was Jean-Marc Lechman. He was exotic because he was French Canadian. (And we were currently living in the Yukon–the other end of the universe from Quebec.) I guess I may have been exotic too as one of the only three redheads in school. (My sisters were the other two. The kids on the school bus used to call us Big Red, Little Red, and Medium Red. I was the youngest, so I was Little Red. I guess that qualifies as a nickname too.)
Anyway, on picture day, I wore a dark green velvet jumper dress. I also wore green velvet ribbon in my hair to tie it away from my face. Everytime I passed Jean-Marc, I would shyly smile and look away. (I had a crush on him if you haven’t guessed.) I know he knew I liked him because being a typical guy, he decided to tease me. He started calling me: Red Headed Cheddar Cheese With a Little Bit of Mold on Top (because of the green ribbon!!).
Now, that nickname is original. Descriptive. Articulate. Unique. A mouthful. A handful. I like to think it’s everything I have become! I love it!

