Saturday, June 26, 2010

Just An Okie From Muskoka, Eh!

So the G8/G20 Summit in Toronto is underway and I’m still here in the Big White.

Lady M threw a snit-fit when she heard that both Carla and SamCam were not going to attend the Canadian meeting of world leaders, and she refused to go. That is, until Smooty advised her that Canada was our neighbor to the north, and since she had spent nearly an entire week with our neighbors to the south earlier this year, this would be considered very bad form.  Normally that wouldn’t bother her, but Smooty said the Canadian press would accuse her of being racist. Boy, does that reverse discrimination racket ever bite! So we’ll be showing up for dinner tonight, but don’t expect her to be happy about it.

On today’s G8/G20 agenda: the largest protest march of any summit weekend yet, expected to begin at 1 p.m. Saturday in Toronto under cloudy skies and the threat of rain. Always a fun event!

anarchists2 best-g-20-protester-17314-1238688900-9

Although, if they really have a problem with the power brokers of the world, you’d think the anarchists would show up at Bilderberg.

Also expected today: rejection by the entire Socialist world of Big Guy’s request that they join him in his effort to spend more money than anyone in history. Sources tell me that the G8/G20’s original plan - which was to answer BO’s call for more spend-thrift with widespread and uproarious laughter - has been replaced with plans for an off camera dismissive, even derisive snicker delivered in a demeaning fashion by Nicolas Sarkozy.(open press)

But the world’s leading Socialists laughing in Big Guy’s  face for his plan to “spend our way out of debt” is, surprisingly, not the biggest story here. So far, that honor goes to Lady M and Carla’s  “no show” at the opening festivities. According to the Globe and Mail, the world’s FLs were very disappointed:

Some spouses of the G20 leaders were cheated out of two of the summit’s most-hyped sights Friday: the Muskoka landscape and U.S. first lady Michelle Obama. 

Laureen_Harper_-_ca_159627s  mo leap

Canada and US FLOT-ae, Laureen Harper, and MO, shown here at Pittsburg G8 

 

 

 

 

 

Let’s face it, the plans of FLOC, Laureen Harper, for a “local experience” – dubbed the “Muskoka Experience” – just didn’t fit our agenda all that well:

The small group of women spent the morning and afternoon at the Royal York, where an Algonquin craftsperson demonstrated beading on baby moccasins, and Parry Sound, Ont., boat builder Pam Wedd from Bearwood Canoe Company taught them how to make ribbed canoes. The spouses then signed two canoes, which will be donated to Camp Oochigeas, a program for children with cancer, and Camp Huronda, a network of national camps for children and youth with type 1 diabetes.

g20_spouses_with_726763gm-a

Not that MO wouldn’t  love to have been there for the canoe-gifting photo op, but  type 1 diabetes?  That type of genetic illness doesn’t really play to our No Child’s Fat Behind initiative.

THE_MOOSE_CAFE_ONE

I’ll give Laureen credit for trying. She did plan a nice lunch which is usually enough to get Mo on board, but, again, not really Lady M’s cup of tea.

After their arts-and-crafts session, the women were treated to a summery lunch, taking their taste buds to Huntsville with a soup made from chilled Muskoka strawberries, peppered organic cream and drunken berries.

That course was followed by a fillet of freshwater pickerel served with nasturtium butter and fennel pollen, dill braised carrots, cauliflower puree and a sweet summer pea emulsion.

Then they were served a treat almost as Canadian as the BeaverTail: an Algonquin canoe filled with mascarpone cranberry mousse and a chocolate canoe paddle. They sipped on Cabernet Rose from the Niagara region.

I’m not saying the “Muskoka Experience” is less than the experience offered at other G8/20s, but it does sound rather, uh, Canadian. You know, small white people of questionable taste.  Altogether a bit too much ‘Northern Exposure.’

dh16Canada’s Deerhurst Resort Dining Room: location for the Muskoka Experience luncheon

This is more along the lines of Lady M’s choice of dining establishments for a proper G8 meeting: Heinz Beck’s Apsleys at the Lanesborough Hotel on Park Lane in London: 

Apsleys in the Lanesborough

And here’s Lady M’s favorite dish there:

Heinz Beck’s signature carbonara fagottelliHeinz Beck’s Signature carbonara fagottelli: eat them all in one bite. No problem! 

seabass cannolo And, seabass cannolo. Yum O

Apsleys in the Lanesbourough: I don’t know, it sells itself! 

But then again, I’m sure Lady M would have loved the beaver tails: deep-fried dough – what’s not to love?

20090218-beavertails Canada’s Muskoka Experience Deep Fried Beavertails

 

american_beaver1

Boy, I know one lady who would’ve loved the whole Muskoka experience. She might have even brought lunch with her.

sarah-palin Elk steak at the Moose Cafe: you betcha.