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Ken B

@kenby.bsky.social

3.2K followers 3K following 8.7K posts

Techie, AI guy, Humanist, Watcher at the Gate, Hermit in the Meatverse, 🇨🇦 photographs, Critically thinking rationalist with an artistic shiny-object gland in my brain. No DMs!! Photo ALT text often interesting. 🇨🇦

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Ken B @kenby.bsky.social · 7h

It's against the law to harvest ramps here. It is a French Canadian cultural item that has been wayyyyy over-harvested and they are hard to find (except in my ravine). I don't pick them though.

Ken B @kenby.bsky.social · 8h

What you called a latch/buckle, -it's not. I recognize it as a square chain link that was connected to a sprocket that was turned by a wheel on an antique manure spreader. When the sprocket was engaged the chain would pull wooden bars across the base of the spreader, bringing manure to the blades.

Ken B @kenby.bsky.social · 8h

Googling ... that's a new one on me. Moi, I like Normandy cultured butter.

Ken B @kenby.bsky.social · 8h

I can gain weight just by looking at food. And it takes a week or two at the gym, going the full 2 hours each evening, just to get back to normal.

Ken B @kenby.bsky.social · 8h

I'm a big fat pig who can't stop stuffing my cakehole with turkey & stuffing deliciousness left over from Canadian Thanksgiving dinner yesterday. I gobbled down a huge plate of turkey meat and that cheesy, mushroomy, herby croissant stuffing (the recipe that I posted two days ago). Gym, here I come!

Turkey and croissant stuffing.

Ken B @kenby.bsky.social · 18h

Again another typo -- it is Bohemia, not Bohemian. Bohemia was Good King Wenceslas country.

Ken B @kenby.bsky.social · 19h

Dammit, the "e' fell off the word "huge". I wish that I could edit posts. I need an editor, or a proofreader, or slow down typing.

Ken B @kenby.bsky.social · 19h

There is something satisfying to a man, using a big needle to inject stuff into a hunk of meat. It is almost as satisfying as a trip to the hardware store or using a chainsaw. And when it works out in a good way, it is doubly satisfying.

Ken B @kenby.bsky.social · 19h

I have had vegan Buffalo Chicken Wings. There was a lot of cognitive dissonance while eating them. They weren't bad, but they weren't good. It was like eating Buffalo wings in a dream and something is not quite right.

Ken B @kenby.bsky.social · 19h

This is the view of the ravine in our yard on Monday (yesterday) morning, the official Canadian Thanksgiving Day. We have it a lot earlier in Canada, because it is a harvest festival and our climate is a lot colder. There is often snow in November. A lot to be thankful for this year and every year.

The autumn colours of our ravine in the side yard.

Ken B @kenby.bsky.social · 19h

Wifey went looking for decorative gourds for our Canadian Thanksgiving table and house decorations. She said that these were grotesque. They look like they have tumors all over them and this collection was the skin cancer ward of the gourd world. We bought more conventional ones. Are these edible?

Every weird shape and size of decorative gourds.

Another view of the varied and decorative gourd box.

They really do look grotesque with all of the bumps on the skin.

These ones were particular freaky.

Ken B @kenby.bsky.social · 20h

We had a ton of gravy from the pan drippings mixed with the veggie mirepoix & the avocado oil that I injected into the turkey. I used avocado oil because we have a family member who is lactose-intolerant -butter was out of the question. Even though you can get lactose-free butter, it's not the same.

Our pot of gravy. This is just half of it.

Ken B @kenby.bsky.social · 20h

Since we had the croissant stuffing on the side for our main Canadian Thanksgiving turkey dinner, the cavity of our turkey was a mirepoix of aromatics consisting of celery, onion, carrots, lemon, garlic, parsley, rosemary, thyme and sage with salt & pepper. It was baked in a fan convection oven.

The veggies that went into the turkey cavity.

The herbs that went into the turkey cavity as well.

The 16 pound turkey.

Ken B @kenby.bsky.social · 20h

Over Canadian Thanksgiving, we went to dinner at friends who also live on the side of a mountain in the alpine boreal forest. Their mountainside home is steeper than our (photo right). However the view from their livingroom window is glorious. They've a hell of time getting up the hill in snow.

View of the lake from the living room window.

The said living room and the view.

Their yard isn't exactly a conventional yard.

Ken B @kenby.bsky.social · 20h

I bought this hug, marinade injector syringe at the dollar store because of the shiny object gland fired off in my head. It had more "joke" potential than culinary use. Well, not any more. I injected our Canadian Thanksgiving turkey with oil making it an Avocado-ball turkey instead of a butterball.

My marinade injector syringe.

Ken B @kenby.bsky.social · 20h

Wifey left this to me. A challenge that we had for Canadian Thanksgiving, was creating a dairy-free, egg-free, gluten-free pumpkin pie. The crust was almond flour and coconut oil held together by Xanthan gum. Filling was made with coconut cream, pumpkin, maple syrup, sugar & cornstarch. It was good!

Can of coconut cream for the pumpkin pie filling.

The crust made with almond flour.

Ken B @kenby.bsky.social · 20h

Since my grandparents originally came from Bohemian (I am one of the last red-hot Bohemians), at every festive meal, we have perogies for the carbohydrates. These were made with 00 pasta flour, stuffed with potatoes mixed with copious amounts of extra-old cheddar & mozzarella cheese. They are a hit!

The counter full of uncooked perogies.

Ken B @kenby.bsky.social · 1d

Over the entire Canadian Thanksgiving weekend, I've been eating huge dinners with family & friends. On Friday, it was a roast beef dinner. On Saturday, it was roast chicken. On Sunday we had a Thanksgiving ham, thankfully not at our house. And today, we had the turkey with just family. I am stuffed.

Our turkey prior to being cooked.

Ken B @kenby.bsky.social · 1d

Thanksgiving throwback, on October 10, 2005. It was unseasonably warm in the alpine boreal forest of Québec. Autumn colours were just starting. Wifey & I spent the weekend (both Saturday and Sunday) with all sides of the family in Ontario. On holiday Monday, finally at home, we played golf locally.

Playing golf in the alpine boreal forest with exquisite scenery.

Ken B @kenby.bsky.social · 1d

Joyeuse Action de grâce Canada!
Bonne Action de grâce à toute ma famille, mes amis et Suiveurs et suiveuses.

Ken B @kenby.bsky.social · 1d

Every day, I am thankful that I was fortunate to end up by mere circumstances in a beautiful, large, clean, free and safe country that has enabled me to live a healthy, happy and a life free from major wants, for my children and my family, in every aspect of human existence.

Ken B @kenby.bsky.social · 1d

The motto of Canada reflects a nation spanning the continent, from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean, from the Saint Lawrence River in the east, and the Columbia River in the west, all the way to the North Pole, that's home to a multicultural, diverse, polite & inclusive nation of people.

Ken B @kenby.bsky.social · 1d

Canada's motto on her coat of arms is A MARI USQUE AD MARE from Psalm 72:8, which in Latin reads, Et dominabitur a mari usque ad mare, et a flumine usque ad terminos terrae – "He shall have dominion also from sea to shining sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth".

Ken B @kenby.bsky.social · 1d

Today is Thanksgiving Day in Canada. 🇨🇦 We in the true north strong and free have so much to be thankful for in this truly egalitarian country that exemplifies the best of what enlightened humanitarianism can be. From sea to shining sea, from the great river to the end of the earth, we are fortunate.

Across a splay of Maple Leafs, it says HAPPY THANKSGIVING CANADA 2025.

Ken B @kenby.bsky.social · 2d

Guess who is going to get roasted tonight for tomorrow's Canadian Thanksgiving.

A pair of butternut squash.