"G" is for Gambo, Gander, Glovertown & Glewood/Appleton.  These are just a few of the many  communities in this region that played a significant role in the assistance that was provided to the people from all over the world on that unforgettable day in September of 2001.

I live in Gambo, which is a mere 46 kilometers ( just under 30 miles) east of Gander.  I remember vividly the events of that sunny, fall day.  I, like many others, watched in horror. By supper time that evening, all churches, volunteer groups and organizations were in motion.  Our little town was called on to house some of the passengers....and we were ready!!  Every household that could was cooking, preparing sandwiches, dropping off fresh towels, sheets and pillows.  The local leaders went in to action and were very well organized.   The school shut down and the gymnasium was quickly converted for a sleeping area, with cots, pillows and linens.  Different classrooms were designated as clothing pick-up points, there were toiletries, baby items, over-the-counter medications...the list goes on and on.

The churches all went into action and church halls became dining areas.  The food was magnificent, everyone prepared the best of their best for our guests. Then the buses came.............remember the population of our little town of Gambo was 2200....our population almost doubled!  It's amazing how you recall things...as I just typed that last line, I remembered that the bus drivers were actually on strike, and they came back to drive all these passengers on the big yellow school buses!

Our local town hall stayed open round the clock..the library as well, with internet access for our visitors and use of the telephones.  The pharmacy stayed open, all the little shops and stores, especially the liquor store.

Below is a short video that gives an idea of the events of that day, from our perspective

Many great friendships were made during that time.  One couple even fell in love and got married!

My husband Roger and our daughter, Rana, hosted special guests as well.  I had just prepared the largest salad I had ever made (actually in my stainless steel bowl I use to make breads), and was dropping it at our church hall.  There were people everywhere.  Just to keep things in perspective, our church hall only has two bathrooms--one toilet and sink in each. Many of the people were being dropped at the school to shower or being taken to private homes.  I came home with four people that evening, two couples.  Our house became their home base.  It was heart-wrenching for them to watch the images on the news for the very first time.  They had been on their planes, and then directed to buses to be brought out to their designated "wait-areas", so no television was available to them until now.

Over the next three days and nights, many people were at my home,  everyone in our little community brought in guests and served them up Newfoundland hospitality at its finest.  Our guests ate mussels, moose, rabbit, codfish, berries, cakes and tarts, all served in traditional recipes....and most of them loved it!!

My mom, who was 75 at the time, and living on her own, also did her part.  Now you have to know my mom....she is now 86 and still drives her own car and is actually contemplating buying a new one!!!  Anyway...back to my story.  I was stopping in to pick up some food she had prepared to drop off at our church hall  with my things.  When I opened her front door and looked in through the entry, a very tall, dark and handsome man of about 40 was reclined in her favorite chair with the remote, intently watching the NBC news.  What really threw me off was the fact that he was wearing my mom's housecoat!!!!!  He looked at me and smiled, quite contentedly, and stood to introduce himself............turns out he's a physicist with NASA!  Right then, mom popped out of her laundry room with all of his clothes, neatly pressed, ready for him to put back on.  It was so funny.  Mom had insisted that he give her all of his clothes for her wash, dry and iron for him, while he showered....and he did!!!  That's my mom.  Anyway, he used my mom's place as his home base and they are still friends today.

Here's a snap of my mom, just a week or so after her 86 birthday--September 2011-ten years later.

Most of us still hear from many of our guests regularly.  There are hundreds of beautiful stories I could tell.  Many locals have gone to places like Germany, Florida, New York & Ohio, just to mention a few, to visit friends they made during that time.  Many host families received wonderful gifts like new computers, schools actually have had scholarships set up---all from the generosity of our guests from September 2001.

 
Anyway, sorry to have dragged this out so long, but I could go on and on.  There are so many stories to tell....all good ones.  In closing, hopefully there will never be such a terrible event again in the world....but if there is, you can be be sure, we'd all do it all over again!!

"F" is for...Fruit Pizza

Fruit Pizza

 1 cup margarine

1 cup brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup coconut

1 cup flour

1 cup rolled oats

1 tsp baking powder

1/2   tsp baking soda

Beat margarine and brown sugar, add vanilla, coconut & rolled oats;

Add flour, baking powder and baking soda and mix well.

Spread on a greased pizza pan or a cookie sheet, bake at 350* for 10-12 minutes. 

Cool completely

Spread the following over the cooled base :

1 8-oz pkg cream cheese

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Arrange sliced fruit over cream cheese:

(mandarin oranges, strawberries, bananas, kiwi, grapes, pineapple, etc)

Glaze:

1 cup pineapple juice

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp lemon juice

2 tbsp cornstarch

Cook until thickened, then spoon over the prepared pizza, covering all fruit well--Chill

This is delicious as  breakfast food, dessert, or appetizer.

It's a great way to get kids to eat fruit!!

Short post today guys, busy day at work, but I'll be more attentive tomorrow--off until next Tuesday....Yippee!!

"E" is for

the most Eastern tip of North America, and of course the most Easterly point of Canada, where the beautiful island of Newfoundland lies.

Newfoundland and Labrador is located on the eastern edge of North America. Our capital city shares the same latitude as Paris, France, and Seattle, Washington. And by plane, we're just three hours from Toronto, four from New York, and five and a half from London, England.  Watch this!

One of my favorite places to visit in Newfoundland & Labrador is Eastport.  Look at these pictures and you'll understand why......

This is just one of the hundreds of pretty, clean, and safe places to visit in our great 

province on the Eastern Edge.

Now for my daily recipe....  Easter Cupcakes

Easter Cupcakes

1 white cake mix

1/4 cup each of strawberry, orange and lime jelly powder

Mix cake mix according to package, then separate into three bowls. 

Add a different colored jelly powder to each bowl and mix well.

Place a spoonful of each colored batter into muffin cups, do not stir.

Bake according to cake mix directions, then cool.

Top with your favorite frosting.

Exquisite!! 

“D” is for……

Newfoundland & Labrador is known for its uniqueness, dialect, cuisine, and probably most of all, some very unusual town names.  I’m going to take this opportunity to tell you about my choice for the top three “odd” place names—that start with the letter “D”.  Throughout this A-Z challenge, I’ll throw a few more out there for your perusal.

For a complete list of place names of Newfoundland & Labrador, visit:   

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_communities_in_Newfoundland_and_Labrador 

 Here's my top three, starting with the letter "D":

Number 3:   

Deep Bight--http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_Bight,_Newfoundland_and_Labrador

  

Number 2:  

Deadman’s Bay--http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deadman%27s_Bay,_Newfoundland_and_Labrador

 Drum Roll please……

Scroll down

V

V

V

Number 1:  

Dildo--http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dildo,_Newfoundland_and_Labrador

So, as you can see, some of the place names are very unique, but our rich culture and heritage is something all Newfoundlander & Labradorians are very proud of, as well as our place names.

Now, to close, let me share a great recipe...well, of course, it starts with "D".  It's for Dill Beans--I know, you might be saying...YUCK!!  But if you like dill, you'll love this recipe.  We use it as a side with cold meats, or as an appetizer with cheeses and wine.  Sometimes, we just open a bottle and munch on them right out of the jar.  I hope you'll give it a try.

Dilly Beans

 

2 lbs fresh green beans, rinsed and trimmed

4 cloves garlic, peeled

8 sprigs fresh dill weed

4 teaspoons salt

2 1/2 cups white vinegar

2 1/2 cups water

1 cup chopped onion

Cut green beans and to fit inside pint canning jars.

Place 1 clove garlic, 2 sprigs dill weed and 1 tbsp onion in each jar,

Add 1 teaspoon of salt to each jar, then pour vinegar and water mixture to to within 1/2 inch from the top.  Place sterilized lids and rings on jars, close loosely.

Place bottles in a large pot and fill pot with water to within 1 inch of the top of the jars.  Bring to boil over high heat, reduce heat to medium and continue boiling for 15 minutes.  Remove jars and tighten lids, set aside to seal.  Store in a cool pantry.  Let set for at least two weeks before eating...this allows all flavors to blend. 

Enjoy!!

"C" is for Capelin & Crab Tarts

Being on a large rocky island in the middle of the Atlantic ocean does have its perks......a great variety of fabulous seafood!

First , let me introduce you to the tiny, delicious and versatile capelin.

Here's what capelin looks like:

They actually travel in large schools and roll in on the beaches in late June to spawn.  It is a local tradition to get your winter's supply of capelin and smoke or salt and dry them.  People catch them with nets, in buckets...and sometimes with their bare hands.  It is so much fun to catch them, or just watch! 

We smoke them and dry them--they are awesome on the BBQ anytime or especially nice during the winter, when we go into the woods on snowmobile, cut down a few dry standing trees and have a outdoor fire.  In Newfoundland, that is referred to as a winter "Boil-Up".  Here's a picture of a "Boil-Up" that Roger & I had about a month ago on a nice frosty Sunday afternoon.  It was about minus 6 degrees Celsius, just right for an open fire and some smoked capelin and a beverage of choice!!

If you like salty or smoky foods, and if you like fish, you would definitely love smoked capelin on an open fire.  The capelin alone is a very mild, almost sweet tasting white fish. 

Now, for some crab tarts!!

Here's my recipe:
 

Crab Tarts

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk

¼ cup softened cream cheese

1 1/4 cup grated mozza

2 (4 oz) cans crabmeat--drained (1 cup of fresh crabmeat)

2 tbsp green onion (finely diced)

2 tbsp finely diced red or green pepper

1/4 tsp worchestershire sauce

Dash of salt & pepper

Combine all ingredients and spoon into unbaked pastry cups (3/4 full)

Bake at 350* for 20 minutes

Makes 2 dozen appetizers

Enjoy!!