The Point Grill

Yesterday, my friend/roommate Eva (of The Hungry Undergrad) and I were too lazy to cook, so we decided to go to the new(ish) restaurant on campus, The Point Grill.  According to the website, it is an "innovative upscale casual dining restaurant with exceptional cuisine, beautiful and stylish decor, and cheerful service in a relaxed lounge style environment."
Right, well that may be a bit of an exaggeration - I'm not sure I'd call it innovative, or the cuisine exceptional, or the decor beautiful... but let's have a look at what we had, shall we?

We both started with a local beer - a Granville Island Pale Ale, which was very nice.  $5 for a bottle too, which is relatively good value.  They also had it on tap.  They have a pretty large selection of drinks, alcoholic and non-alcoholic, including some nice looking but relatively expensive cocktails.
They had a good selection of appetizers, but Eva and i went straight for the mains.  Since the restaurant is primarily a grill, they had a lot of burgers, steaks etc. but there were also some alternatives like big salads and pasta and noodle bowls - see the menu here.

I had a Berber Chicken Burger with garlic fries

Eva had Wild Salmon Fish and Chips


The Verdict:

My chicken burger was well cooked and had a nice avocado salsa, and the fries were nice and crisp and very garlicky! I tried a bit of Eva's fish, and despite my reservations, the deep fried salmon actually worked - I thought it would be too fatty, but it was just right - although the batter could have been a bit more crispy.  Overall, I enjoyed the meal, and will definitely go back.  The service was very friendly and fast, and I liked the atmosphere of the place.  The prices were reasonable, but possibly a bit steep for the quality of the food, although there are big portion sizes to make up for it. If you are at UBC and you want some tasty, laid back food, here is the place to go - just perhaps not if you are on a diet!

So, what is it exactly that you do all day?

I am a first class procrastinator - for instance I should be revising for a chemistry quiz right now - somehow I always find something pointless to do when I should be doing homework, or tidying my room etc, etc.  So, in the interests of letting you get to know me (or perhaps infecting you with my bad habits) I'm going to share with you some websites that I find really interesting and check regularly for updates, especially when I feel like procrastinating! These sites all have pride of place in my bookmarks bar or podcast collection.

National Geographic Photo of the Day

http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/photography/photo-of-the-day/?source=NavPhoPOD
There are some really beautiful photos on this site - as you probably guessed, a new one is added every day.  They have different themes every month, whether it is best wildlife photos or the shortlist from a photography competition.  Today's photo, which you can see above, is a picture of the Lion's Gate Bridge at first light - gorgeous!

Cake Wrecks

http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com/

This website is hilarious - you would not believe the mistakes professional cake decorators make! Jen and John's commentaries are the perfect accompaniment!

Married to the Sea

http://www.marriedtothesea.com/

At Married to the Sea, they take old etchings and the like and pair them with amusing captions.  There is a new one every day, and they tend to give a good giggle. Here are some of the classics that get me every time:

Little man quit poking me

Symptoms

Nature fight!

A Folk Song a Day

http://www.afolksongaday.com/

A truly remarkable project by one of the most awesome people on the planet.  Folk singer Jon Boden (of Bellowhead, Spiers & Boden and The Remnant Kings) is posting a different folk song every single day for a year.  He started in June, and is already on song number 99! A very dedicated and ridiculously talented man! There is a podcast that you can subscribe to, but if it all seems a bit overwhelming, later this week I hope to post some of my favourites so far.

BBC Radio

BBC Radio programs are my lifeline to home.  I don't have a radio in my room, so I don't listen to Canadian radio, but I can listen to the BBC live via my computer. My favourite programmes include:

Radio 2:

Radcliffe and Maconie - this is my favourite radio show.  I listen to this programme at lunchtime, and if it is working (which it hasn't been recently) I use the listen again link so that I can hear the entire show.  They play music that I love, they have great live sessions, and an ongoing feature called "the chain".  Plus of course, who could forget the hilarious banter between the two presenters? There is a high level of listener interaction, so my highlight was when they read out one of my emails to Bellowhead when they were on the show!

Mike Harding - a weekly folk hour, with regular take-overs by folk artists

Radio 4:

Radio 4 is a talk station, so they have good readings and radio plays, including The Archers, a very long-running radio soap about the residents of a fantasy country village.  It's a bit of an institution back home, as is The Shipping Forecast.  As an english person, the shipping forecast holds some magical, soothing properties for me.  The formula is always the same, and there is something hypnotic about the listing of the areas and the vocabulary they use.  Its always comforting on a winter's night when you can't sleep to lie tucked up safe in bed and feel glad that you aren't stuck in "Viking north 7 becoming cyclonic"! Oh, and in the morning it is followed by the national anthem!

Empire Online

http://www.empireonline.com/ 

Empire is a film magazine, and the website offers, amongst other things:

-up-to-date film news

-film reviews

-thoughtful and witty blogs

-funny film features and guides

BBC News

http://www.bbc.co.uk

I rely on the BBC to be unbiased, up-to-date and accurate.  Along with the major headlines, they also have really good science and nature articles and accurate weather forecasts.  They also offer impartial information about political parties when election time comes round.

Hark, A Vagrant!

http://www.harkavagrant.com/ 

Kate Beaton's hilarious historical comic strips!

A couple of good ones:

http://www.harkavagrant.com/index.php?id=202

http://www.harkavagrant.com/index.php?id=240

The Pioneer Woman

http://thepioneerwoman.com/
My inspiration for starting this blog, Ree Drummond's website features cooking, home and garden and photography features, amongst many other things.  I love the "confessions of a pioneer woman" - a glimpse into the life of a ranching family.  Witty and thoughtful writing combined with a wacky sense of humour = my kind of blog!

Recipe: Teriyaki Salmon With Soy-Braised Vegetables

I made this for dinner tonight, and it actually turned out pretty well.  I also remembered to take some step-by-step photos, although I have to apologise for the lighting - it was light when I started, but just when I was about to start cooking the veg the fire alarm went off and we all had to evacuate the building and sit around in the commonsblock for ages.  By the time I got back the sun was setting and the light was terrible.
Anyway, here we go!

Teriyaki Salmon With Soy-Braised Vegetables


Start off with a nice fillet of salmon, and some store-bought teriyaki sauce.  Put the salmon in a dish and slather the top and sides with around a tablespoon of the sauce.

then cover the dish with cling film and put it in the fridge to marinate while you prepare the veggies!

Chop up some veggies of your choice - I used cabbage, courgettes and curly kale, but next time I think I won't have the courgette because it goes mushy in the time it takes to cook the cabbage and kale.  However, if you like mushy courgettes, go for it! Also, peel two cloves of garlic and grate about a teaspoon of ginger root (I use the ready-grated stuff you can buy in jars, it's way easier).

Next, heat some vegetable oil in a deep frying pan or wok (one with a lid would be best), mince the garlic and throw it in with the ginger.

Cook for a minute, then add the vegetables, along with 2 tablespoons of soy sauce and half a cup of water - this is the "soy-braised" part.  Mix it all together, then cover and leave it all to cook while you do the salmon.

Heat some oil in a pan - there is probably a bit too much here.

Put the salmon in, skin side down, then leave it alone for a few minutes.  Don't even think about touching it - I mean it! The idea here is to crisp up the skin and render the fat underneath it.  Salmon is a fatty fish and can be too rich and greasy if you don't let the fat render out of it.

When it looks a bit like this, you can turn it over...

Then cook it for a few more minutes until it looks more like this!

Plonk it on a plate, then add your veggies, which should be cooked by now...

and there you have it! Teriyaki salmon with soy-braised veggies!
If you want to change it up a bit, I think the addition of some sesame oil or seeds to the veggies would be nice.  It would also be good served with rice or plain noodles.  You could probably substitute the salmon for a chicken breast too if you don't want fish.

here's the ingredient list again:
Fillet of salmon
1 tbsp teriyaki sauce
veggies of your choice
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon minced ginger
2 tbsp soy sauce

College Survival Tips - Staving Off Homesickness

Homesickness is something I, along with many of my friends, had problems with last year.  If you are close to your family, leaving home is always going to be hard, and for many people homesickness is unavoidable.  As someone who survived being 9000 miles away from home, I certainly know what it feels like to be homesick.  Keeping this in mind, I want to share five things which helped me to get through the tough times.  Hopefully someone out there might find these tips helpful!
p.s. I know nothing about psychology, these tips are just little things that help me.  Obviously everyone is different, and this is by no means a professional guide to combatting homesickness

An illustrative diagram of my desk, which is actually looking abnormally tidy

Tip number 1: Make yourself at home

Something that makes me feel a lot better when my parents leave is having a little space that I have made my own.  Little things like picking out bedclothes that you like make a surprising difference to how you feel in your room.  Obviously having a room to yourself gives you a lot of freedom when it comes to making a room feel homely, but even when you are sharing a room (as I was last year), there are still many ways you can personalise your own space.

some examples:

• Bring some mementos of home.  Pictures of friends or little souvenirs (see the postcards behind my laptop) help you to remember that you aren't alone in the world - home still exists when you aren't there, and you always have old friends you can talk to.
• Decorate! Posters and little knicknacks help a room seem more lived-in. New places, especially college dorms can seem a little soulless when you first move in
• Find some greenery. It's very surprising how much a plant can make a difference to how homely a room feels.  Plus, if you look after them properly they will pump a little extra oxygen into your room - just the thing your brain needs when you are studying!

Tip number 2: embrace similarities, celebrate differences

Hmm... She looks familiar...

If you moved away from home, you must have been looking for a change - otherwise, why didn't you just stay where you were?  Sometimes new places can feel overwhelming, so it is comforting to look for similarities between what is familiar, and what is new, whether it is the colour of the taxis or the fact that they sell your favourite foods in the supermarkets.  Just remember that change can be fun, and living somewhere lets you see exciting things that could be missed by the average tourist.

Tip number 3: Keep in touch!

Homesickness makes you feel lonely, and it helps to have a link to home that you can go to for a feeling of familiarity.  Whether it is talking to your parents on skype every day or just keeping up with the news from your home town, it is important to feel that you aren't completely cut off.

Tip number 4: Home comforts

I love it, in case you were wondering

Having the comforts of home really help you to feel better about being away from it.  Go out and find your favourite foods, or bring your special teddy or comfy slippers with you when you pack up. If you are in a foreign country, there is bound to be a regional speciality shop somewhere near you - ex-pats get everywhere, believe me!

Tip number 5: Keep yourself occupied

If all else fails, break out the period dramas!

Homesickness is always at it's worst when you are alone. Obviously you can't be hanging out with your friends at all hours of the day, and there are bound to be days when you are sitting at your desk but you just can't face doing work.  When you feel like that, try not to wallow in misery, tempting as it is, but rather keep yourself occupied.  Bring your favourite dvds from home, or books that you know cover to cover and can dip into whenever you want to.  Make playlists of relaxing music, and find websites and blogs that take your interest.

Overall though, the most important thing to remember is this: you are not alone.  Homesickness is tough, and can leave you feeling lonely, like you are the only one feeling this way.  You are not.  Leaving home is hard for everyone, and if you talk to other people in your situation, you are bound to find that they are going through exactly the same emotions as you!

It made me smile...

So I think this is quite possibly my new favourite OKGO video:


Mainly because it involves some very cute dogs, and I adore dogs! One of the things I miss about home is not having a crazy little creature ruling over the household and giving me an excuse to do nothing but sit and scratch her tummy for hours - basically I miss my dog, Molly:

What a cutie!

I'm sure Molly will be popping up in quite a few of my future posts, but in the interests of an introduction, Molly is a miniature schnauzer, she is almost 8 years old and while she is an absolute terror to everyone else, to my family and people she sees a lot, she is a complete sweetie. It's not that she savages people or anything, she is just trying to protect us from what she sees as scary strangers by making lots and lots of noise (not fun in a very echoey house, let me tell you!).

Anyway, back to the original purpose of this post, when I am away from home, I become an avid dog-spotter, whether it be on the street or on tv or in youtube clips, so this new OKGO video made me very happy. I hope it brightens your day too!

If you aren't familiar with any of OKGO's back catalogue, try these (try to listen to the music too, the videos tend to distract you from the actual song!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pv5zWaTEVkI&feature=channel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qybUFnY7Y8w

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAQZ_uui1SY&feature=related

Weekday Staple

UPDATE - I now have caffeine/cold-induced jitters - that coffee was definitely a mistake!

So I'm writing this post in an hour-long break I have between biology class, and, well, another biology class (such is the life of a biology student). I am in the student union building accompanied by a very large and probably ill-advised iced coffee. Today I want to share with you a recipe I came up with last week based on a few recipes I found and what I had in the fridge. It actually came out really well, and I only just finished the pot today.  This dish will last for a while since it is so hearty you will be satisfied after just a bowl or a cup of the stuff

Spinach and Rocket Soup
NB - this recipe requires the use of a blender



50g (very large blob) butter
1 onion, diced
1 celery stick, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon flour
1.2 litres chicken stock
250g spinach leaves
250g rocket (arugula) leaves
1/2 teaspoon ground/freshly grated nutmeg
salt and pepper, to taste

Melt the butter in a large deep saucepan, then add the onion, celery and carrot and cook gently in the butter for 10 minutes, until slightly softened and thoroughly coated in the butter. Sprinkle in the flour, and stir to coat all the vegetables in the flour, then cook for another minute before adding the chicken broth. Bring to the boil, stirring as you go, then turn down to a simmer and leave to cook for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes of simmering, add the spinach and rocket, then as soon as the leaves have wilted, whizz batches of the soup in the blender until smooth and bright green. Then transfer back to the pan and season to taste with the salt, pepper and nutmeg.

You can serve it immediately, but it also reheats really well - just keep it in an airtight container in the fridge, and reheat as much as you need either in a pan or in a bowl in the microwave. It should keep for 5-6 days

An Omen?

Three ravens just flew past my window in quick succession, and I'm wondering if this means something mystical is about to happen.  Actually I'm not worried at all, more excited by the fact that I can see ravens from my bedroom window - that certainly wouldn't happen if I was back home!
On the subject of the view from my window, boy am I happy with it! Last year my window looked out over some dumpsters which would be emptied very noisily at 6am sharp every morning. This year, I still have noise, from construction and the plant operations next door, but I also have this:

That's Mount Baker in the background by the way

Also, instead of sharing a single room, I get my own bedroom and a shared kitchen and living space, with this view:

Pretty Awesome

So basically, I'm pretty chuffed with my accommodation this year - now my friend and I have to work out how to live with two strangers who seem to be allergic to housework...

Simple Pleasures

My culinary highlight of the week so far was actually pretty sad:

I found Bird's Custard Powder in the supermarket on campus.

Now, perhaps if you have never experienced proper yellow custard before, this seems pretty mundane, but to me, it is just what I need to stave off homesickness and winter blues. So, in celebration, I am going to give you the recipe for one of the greatest culinary accomplishments of my family: My Granny's custard. That's right, it's made with custard powder, but I'm telling you, you have not tasted custard until you have tried this!

Granny's Custard Recipe

(makes 6 servings)

take the basic recipe for custard:

3 tbsp custard powder

3 tbsp sugar

but instead of plain milk, use a small tin of evaporated milk, then top it up to 2 1/2 cups (625 ml) with milk, making sure to combine the two milks well.

mix the custard powder, sugar, and a pinch of salt (very important) with a little of the milk mixture to form a paste in a saucepan, then add the rest of the milk, turn on the heat and bring to the boil, stirring all the time, then continue to stir as it thickens.  When the custard is thick enough for your tastes, take it off the heat (remember that it will continue to thicken as it cools). Serve warm or cold, with a dessert or on it's own!

About Me

Welcome to English Girl in BC!

from this

to this?

My name is Julia, I'm from Oxfordshire in the UK, but currently I spend about 2/3 of my life studying at university in British Columbia, Canada. In this blog, I talk about my day-to-day life, my cooking and my various interests. I'm a big fan of blogs such as thepioneerwoman.com, so I decided to start my own.
I had been toying with the idea of starting a blog for a while before I made the step of actually setting this place up, but a couple of things had put me off, namely:
-I might not be committed enough to post regularly
-I don't have anything interesting to say
However I realised that neither of those things mattered, If people want to read this blog, they will, if not, writing about my day can be pretty therapeutic anyway. My general day-to-day life mainly consists of going to class and doing homework, but since I moved into self-catering accommodation, I have been cooking for myself, trying not to get bored by testing and inventing new recipes which I want to share with others who may also be struggling for inspiration.