Liz HughesNanaimo Bars
January 7th 2011 20:23
We had traveled approximately 10 hours. It wouldn’t seem as if a trip from San Diego to Vancouver Island, British Columbia would be that taxing. However, when you add in a layover in Seattle and immigration, it can add up to a long day. As well, we had subjected ourselves to bringing our 1 ½ year old shelter dog Ty. Carrying around a 20 lb. dog in a too small bag and trying to shove him under the seat, proved to be more than we expected. Fortunately, we remained confidant that the destination would be worth the trip.
Every summer our family, myself, my husband Brian and my two children Jake and Eva, vacation at Shawnigan Lake where my in laws own a cabin right on the water. We pray for sunshine and enjoy countless hours on the dock watching our children frolic in the water and partake in numerous water sports. My in laws live in a condo on the Victoria Harbor Front and my sister in law’s family live in a town about 20 miles north of the lake. The cabin becomes the central meeting spot for the family during our vacation.
On the night we arrived last August, it was already dark and the interior of the cabin was chilly. We were on our own until the following afternoon when our family would gather, including nieces, nephews, sisters, brothers and parents, on the dock for food and libations. However, on the kitchen counter, I spotted two tupperware containers. I immediately knew, that the containers had been provided by my sister in law Sheila. She always came by the cabin to be sure it was clean and comfortable for our arrival. This time she had also looked after our breakfast. In the first container were homemade blueberry muffins baked to a perfect golden brown with a crunchy cinnamon topping. It was hard to not eat one right on the spot, but I vowed to enjoy a muffin with my first cup of steaming coffee in the morning. The second container still awaited my attention. It was filled with homemade chocolate chip cookies that were still soft and fresh, most likely baked a few hours before. These did not require any denying. They were a sweet ending, to a tiring day.
The next several days we were treated to more of Sheila’s expert baking and other gastronomic delights. We were pampered. There were cheeses, dips and fresh veggies along with assorted cocktails on the dock prior to dinner. Dinners were always an array of salads and perfectly barbequed meats dutifully tended to by Sheila’s husband Barry. One of Sheila’s desserts that I found especially enticing, was the Canadian phenomenon, the Nanaimo Bar. The bottom is a crumbly chocolate cookie crust with bits of nuts and coconut. The middle layer is a smooth and mouth watering vanilla cream and the top a thin layer of hard semi-sweet chocolate. Another specialty of Sheila’s was homemade fruit pies. On this vacation her son Kris requested cherry. The crust was perfectly crimped at the edges and the tart yet sweet cherries were perfectly covered by another layer of the golden, flaky crust. I had to guard the pie to be sure that a piece was left for Kris after his evening wake boarding session on the lake.
This trip to Shawnigan Lake will always hold a very special place in my heart. It would be the last days my family ever spent with Sheila. Tragically, this past October, my dear sister in law died unexpectedly in her sleep. There was no reason. She was perfectly healthy. An autopsy report proved that. It rocked our family to the core. How could the shining star of our family not be with us any more? It was surreal and a pervasive grief gripped us for days and months to come.
Once again this coming summer we will enjoy our summer vacation at the lake. Sheila’s daughter Kim will be getting married which will add a touch of joy and celebration to the trip. I know there won’t be muffins waiting on the counter and the trip will definitely be void of something special. However, memories of the previous summer and years of good times and good food with Sheila will cast a glow over all of us and we will try our best to make every day as special as Sheila did.
The link to my favorite Nanaimo Bar recipe is at the top of the page.
Every summer our family, myself, my husband Brian and my two children Jake and Eva, vacation at Shawnigan Lake where my in laws own a cabin right on the water. We pray for sunshine and enjoy countless hours on the dock watching our children frolic in the water and partake in numerous water sports. My in laws live in a condo on the Victoria Harbor Front and my sister in law’s family live in a town about 20 miles north of the lake. The cabin becomes the central meeting spot for the family during our vacation.
On the night we arrived last August, it was already dark and the interior of the cabin was chilly. We were on our own until the following afternoon when our family would gather, including nieces, nephews, sisters, brothers and parents, on the dock for food and libations. However, on the kitchen counter, I spotted two tupperware containers. I immediately knew, that the containers had been provided by my sister in law Sheila. She always came by the cabin to be sure it was clean and comfortable for our arrival. This time she had also looked after our breakfast. In the first container were homemade blueberry muffins baked to a perfect golden brown with a crunchy cinnamon topping. It was hard to not eat one right on the spot, but I vowed to enjoy a muffin with my first cup of steaming coffee in the morning. The second container still awaited my attention. It was filled with homemade chocolate chip cookies that were still soft and fresh, most likely baked a few hours before. These did not require any denying. They were a sweet ending, to a tiring day.
The next several days we were treated to more of Sheila’s expert baking and other gastronomic delights. We were pampered. There were cheeses, dips and fresh veggies along with assorted cocktails on the dock prior to dinner. Dinners were always an array of salads and perfectly barbequed meats dutifully tended to by Sheila’s husband Barry. One of Sheila’s desserts that I found especially enticing, was the Canadian phenomenon, the Nanaimo Bar. The bottom is a crumbly chocolate cookie crust with bits of nuts and coconut. The middle layer is a smooth and mouth watering vanilla cream and the top a thin layer of hard semi-sweet chocolate. Another specialty of Sheila’s was homemade fruit pies. On this vacation her son Kris requested cherry. The crust was perfectly crimped at the edges and the tart yet sweet cherries were perfectly covered by another layer of the golden, flaky crust. I had to guard the pie to be sure that a piece was left for Kris after his evening wake boarding session on the lake.
Nanaimo Bar
This trip to Shawnigan Lake will always hold a very special place in my heart. It would be the last days my family ever spent with Sheila. Tragically, this past October, my dear sister in law died unexpectedly in her sleep. There was no reason. She was perfectly healthy. An autopsy report proved that. It rocked our family to the core. How could the shining star of our family not be with us any more? It was surreal and a pervasive grief gripped us for days and months to come.
Once again this coming summer we will enjoy our summer vacation at the lake. Sheila’s daughter Kim will be getting married which will add a touch of joy and celebration to the trip. I know there won’t be muffins waiting on the counter and the trip will definitely be void of something special. However, memories of the previous summer and years of good times and good food with Sheila will cast a glow over all of us and we will try our best to make every day as special as Sheila did.
The link to my favorite Nanaimo Bar recipe is at the top of the page.
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