Sometimes it rains…
And sometimes it rains a lot…

And sometimes it rains too damn much.

Here’s my list of “36 Things to Do” at the lake when it rains:

1. Rise and shine at 5:00 a.m. to enjoy the sun!
2. Go back to bed at 5:30 a.m. when it clouds over again
3. Wake up, lay in bed and calculate how many days it’s been raining by counting every single digit on your body
4. Discuss at length the last time there was this much rain
5. Make a cappuccino; it takes longer than instant coffee
6. Skip the Fruit Loops and have a “real” breakfast (a little pain perdu, perhaps?)
7. Take the lens off your camera and clean all the dirt and water spots from the sensor (if you damage it, no prob, you’ll have something else to do)
8. Go for a wake surf anyway and freeze your *#@ off
9. Lay on your lawn chair fortified with a good book, sunglasses, blanket, an umbrella and Bailey’s (“Have you ever drunk Bailey’s from a shoe?”)
10. Pretend that you’re in training for the Ride to Conquer Cancer and take a long bike ride in pelting rain (you have to get used to it eventually)
11. Buy a new iPod, evidently iPods can get soaked in the back pockets of those fancy cycling shirts
12. Go golfing in a downpour, swing vigorously, and see whose club can fly the farthest
13. Shop at Value Village and update your look
14. Make a marguerita (or two or three) in that new Margueritaville Blender you bought for those sunny fun days at the lake
15. Google a remedy for brain freeze and tequila hangovers
16. Buy a pellet gun and snipe at people coming in off their boats a target
17. Have a leisurely nap
18. Have a leisurely snack
19. Paddle board whilst dodging lightning strikes
20. Have a leisurely nap.. again
21. Get a really long leash so your dog can run outside while you stay dry under the deck
22. Download a television series you’ve been meaning to watch from Season 1 through 8
23. Watch as iTunes painfully downloads then loses the weak lakeside Internet connection (Do you think iTunes makes more money when it rains?)
24. Watch kids screaming around getting soaked in the rain because their mothers finally told them to “take it outside”
25. Call your parents and fish for an invitation to dinner
26. Resign yourself to making dinner; perhaps barbecuing this week’s slightly off Bison Burgers (because no one wants to go buy groceries in the rain)
27. Rent a new movie on Shaw (are there new movies on Shaw?)
28. Rent “Hall Pass”, it’s 14A so make sure you watch it as a family (NOT! It should have been rated 18A)
29. Text, enliven and enlighten your moping daughter (who wishes she was at the lake because it’s raining where she is)
30. Practice scales and those three bars on your instrument, over and over, everyone around you will be delighted!
31. Search for an appealing recipe from that new cookbook you bought for rainy days
32. Plan to buy a new cookbook because you realize that you’ve tried all the recipes in the last one
33. Sit out on the dock at night and watch the lakeside lightning display
34. Skinny dip if you dare to be seen…then hit the hot tub to chat up those broads… each other
35. Have a shower, an invigoratingly cold one because everyone else had the same idea at precisely the same time
36. Shivering, crawl under the covers to warm up; ensure you get to bed early so that you can do it all over again tomorrow!

I’m thinking I could get to “40 Things to Do” but can’t seem to find the energy to try… or perhaps I have imbibed in a tad too much Bailey’s…

I’m sure you’ll let me know if I’ve missed anything!

xo Barb

Almost forgot…here’s a recipe to try, nothing too fancy but it just might cheer you up!

Fragrant Cinnamon Nutmeg French Toast when Going Nutty at the Lake

 

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Ingredients

• Unsliced loaf of french white or whole-wheat bread
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups milk
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• ½ tsp vanilla flavoring
• pinch salt
• pinch cane sugar
• maple syrup
• berries
• orange slices
• banana slices

Instructions

1. Preheat skillet on medium high temperature.
2. Crack 3 eggs into a large, wide mouth bowl and whisk with vigor. Add milk. Stir all other ingredients in order.
3. Slice loaf of bread into thickset slices. Thick slices take slightly longer to cook through in the middle so use a lower setting on the stove and let them be for a while longer.
4. Dollop a pat of creamy butter or a sparing amount of oil onto your hot pan. Pick up a piece of bread by hand and quickly dredge through the egg and milk mixture, mopping up the egg mixture. Plop into golden sizzling butter and repeat. (Hint: don’t soak for too long… might get too soggy and fall apart.)
5. When toasted golden brown, toss up and over to brown the other side.
6. Splash with maple syrup, berries, orange slices…
7. Variations
8. The measurements in this recipe are quite adaptable. You can’t go wrong with more eggs or more milk, in fact I almost never measure. If using more eggs than milk you’ll get more protein, which is always a good thing. I use skim milk but you can use any milk or cream, just make sure you hit the gym afterwards! The pinch or two of sugar helps to brown and caramelize the bread… also a pretty yummy occurrence!
9. Vanilla can be replaced with some orange or lemon zest. I haven’t tried almond flavoring, but I think it would be delicious!

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Cinnamon Nutmeg French Toast

Directions

Preheat skillet on medium high temperature, warmer than it is outside.

Sharply crack 3 eggs into a large, wide mouth bowl and whisk with vigor. Deluge with milk. Shower and sprinkle all other ingredients in order.

Slice loaf of bread into thickset slices.  Thick slices take slightly longer to cook through in the middle so use a lower setting on the stove and let them be for a while longer.

Dollop a pat of creamy butter or a sparing amount of oil onto your hot pan. Pick up a piece of bread by hand and quickly dredge through the egg and milk mixture, mopping up the silken eggy elixir. Plop into golden sizzling butter and repeat. (Hint: don’t soak for too long… might get too soggy and fall apart.)

When toasted golden brown, toss up and over to tan brown the other side.

Splash with maple syrup, berries, orange slices…

Variations

The measurements in this recipe are quite adaptable. You can’t go wrong with more eggs or more milk, in fact I almost never measure. If using more eggs than milk you’ll get more protein, which is always a good thing. I use skim milk but you can use any milk or cream, just make sure you hit the gym afterwards! The pinch or two of sugar helps to brown and caramelize the bread… also a pretty yummy occurrence!

Vanilla can be replaced with some orange or lemon zest.  I haven’t tried almond flavoring, but I think it would be delicious…