JUNK BOAT TRAVELS: 2026

17 April 2026

My Recipe Box - Parmesan Roasted Potatoes

April 2026 - Toronto ON

I tried these and John pronounced them a keeper, so here it is!

I really only eyeballed the ingredients for two of us. As I mention below, I improvised with a russet potato.

Ingredients

¾ pound mini gold potatoes scrubbed and halved. I sliced 1 large russet potato into 5 pieces

1 ½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

onion powder

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper

2 ½ ounces Parmesan cheese freshly grated, a heaping 3/4 cup

2 teaspoons truffle oil optional

Instructions

Place a rack in the center of your oven and preheat to 400°F. In a large bowl, toss the potatoes with the oil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Grate the cheese directly over an 8x10-inch or similarly sized baking dish, then spread into a single layer.

Nestle the potatoes tightly beside each other in rows in the baking dish, cut side down, so you have a potato "sheet."

Bake until the Parmesan is deep golden brown, about 50 to 60 minutes, depending upon your dish and oven.

Let cool, until the cheese hardens into a delish crispy layer, about 5 minutes. Drizzle the truffle oil over the top (if using).

16 April 2026

Day 3 - Siem Reap

February 2015 - Siem Reap Cambodia

2015 Awesome Asian Adventure RECAP contains links to all daily posts.

Day 1 - Bangkok to Siem Reap, fish massage, market

Day 6 February 11 Siem Reap

Today, continue your sightseeing of the Angkor temples. Unlike the other temples, TA PROHM has been left relatively untouched. Tree roots grow over and through the ruin walls, allowing you to experience the temple with the same wonder as the early explorers who discovered it.

Then, visit BANTEAY SREI, a unique temple dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. Unlike other temples, it is built on a small scale from red sandstone, which can be carved like wood.

This little guy was having his lunch of clams.

Next, stop at LES ARTISANS D’ANGKOR, a development project teaching young adults traditional handicraft techniques.

Of course, the shopping excursion. Nothing was purchased, but the box I bought at the market was cheaper here!

She's on her cell phone as she works.

The rest of the afternoon is at your leisure to explore this charming town. (Breakfast)

The bus dropped us at the market and we had a quick lunch at the Red Piano.
A stroll through the market first.

Some shoes...

A foot massage (again) for John and I had my hair coloured along with a massage.

Back to the hotel by tuk tuk and we decide to have a drink in the bar before heading out to dinner. It turns out that the dancers were putting on a show at the hotel so we ended up staying in for the show and dinner.

Egg rolls and satay, very good!

15 April 2026

Canada

Written by J-P Bisson: A friendly reminder.

You hate Mark Carney.

Cool. I don't care. But I need you to explain something to me.

Because I keep hearing "he's done nothing" from people who can't name a single policy he's passed.

So let's play a game. I'm going to list what the man has actually done in 12 months and you tell me which part you disagree with.

________________________________________________

1) He killed the carbon tax.

Gone. Day one. The thing you've been posting about for five years. He ended it. You're welcome.

________________________________________________

2) He scrapped the EV mandate.

No more government forcing you to buy an electric car. Replaced it with a $5,000 rebate if you want one. Your choice.

________________________________________________

3) He reversed the capital gains tax hike.

The one that had every doctor, investor, and small business owner looking at the exit door. Reversed.

________________________________________________

4) He passed the One Canadian Economy Act.

Tore down interprovincial trade barriers that have been strangling this country since Confederation. Passed with Conservative support by the way. Nobody talks about that part.

CMHC says this alone could unlock 30,000 new housing starts a year.

________________________________________________

5) He launched Build Canada Homes.

Not a press conference. An actual federal agency building 45,000+ homes on government land across six cities.

________________________________________________

6) He dropped $51 billion on real infrastructure.

The Build Communities Strong Fund. Hospitals. Bridges. Water systems. Transit. Universities. Stuff you can walk into and touch.

________________________________________________

7) He cut 40,000 government jobs.

Trimmed the federal machine and committed to balancing operational spending by 2029. With a plan. On paper.

________________________________________________

8 ) He slashed temporary resident admissions.

From 673,000 down to 385,000. Because he understood what the last government refused to accept: you can't add people without adding capacity.

________________________________________________

9) He hit the NATO 2% defense target.

Something every PM has dodged for decades. Canada just made the biggest defense spending jump in generations. Over $63 billion. Then at the NATO summit he committed to 3.5% of GDP by 2035. The Americans aren't laughing at us anymore.

________________________________________________

10) He flew to the UAE and came back with $70 billion.

A $70 billion investment pledge into Canadian infrastructure. Not a handshake. A signed agreement.

________________________________________________

11) He went to China and played hardball.

Got tariffs on Canadian canola dropped from 85% to 15%. Cut EV tariffs from 100% to 6.1%. That's not weakness. That's someone who knows what leverage looks like.

________________________________________________

12) He signed Canada's first bilateral free trade deal with an ASEAN country.

Indonesia. New market. New money. New doors.

________________________________________________

13) He made Canada the first G7 nation to recognize Palestine.

________________________________________________

He's made 26 international trips in one year.

Building trade relationships, signing deals, and putting Canada back in rooms we got quietly removed from (yea by Trudeau...he's not Trudeau).

Now here's the part that should make you uncomfortable.

Read that list again.

Carbon tax gone. EV mandate gone. Capital gains hike gone. Immigration reduced. Defense spending up. Government jobs cut. Trade barriers removed. Foreign investment pouring in.

..... Those are Conservative policies. Every single one.

A Liberal did them.

And that's what's really eating people alive. It's not that they disagree with the results. It's that the wrong team delivered them. So instead of saying "good, keep going" they say "he's done nothing" because their brain won't let them give credit to someone wearing the wrong jersey.

That's not politics. That's a personality disorder.

You don't have to like Carney. You don't have to vote for him. But if you're going to sit in this comment section and tell me he's done nothing after reading that list, just say what you actually mean:

"I don't care what he does. I decided I was against him before he started."

At least that would be honest.

The scoreboard doesn't care about your feelings. And after one year, it's pretty fucking full.

**** And tonight the Liberal Party has a majority in the House. Go Canada 🇨🇦

My Recipe Box - Armenian Pizza

April 2026

I had a come to Jesus moment and realized we didn't have to miss out on these anymore, we could use tortillas!!! And to my surprise it is highly recommended to do that, even on Turkish/Armenian websites!!!!!!

We found this slice of deliciousness many, many years ago (1980s) in Montreal. My sister introduced us to them and they became a family tradition.

We would buy frozen lahmajoun by the dozen, with a fresh one to snack

The car would reek of garlic on the way home!

Whether written as lahmajun, lahem bi ajin, lahmacun, or lahmajoun, this thin flatbread with a topping of minced beef, onions, tomatoes, herbs, and, sometimes, red peppers, is traditionally sold in Armenian, Syrian, Turkish, and Lebanese bakeries, reflecting the regions from which it hails.

Lahmacun is typically pronounced "lah-mah-JOON" or "lah-mah-JUN".

I also found this video - slightly different ingredients, by a Turkish YouTuber, but the same ideas, using tortillas and a food processor.

Ingredients

½ Cup Parsley

14.5 Ounce Can Whole Tomatoes

¼ Cup Tomato Paste

1 Small Yellow Onion, halved

4 Cloves Garlic

1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt

¾ Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper

½ Teaspoon Allspice

1 Teaspoon Paprika

1 Teaspoon Cumin

1 Teaspoon Aleppo Pepper

¼ Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

1 Pound Lean Ground Beef, I recommend using 85/15 or 90/10 ground beef. Lamb and/or beef could be used.

18 Flour Tortillas, taco-sized

Instructions

For the Lahmajoun:

To make these Armenian Pizzas, start by preheating your oven to 450 F.

Next, add the parsley, tomatoes, tomato paste, onion, garlic, sea salt, ground black pepper and spices to a food process or blender, and blend/process until it's smooth and liquidy.

Next, transfer the mixture to a large bowl and add in the ground beef/lamb.

Use clean hands to mix everything together, until the mixture is fully incorporated into the beef.

Next, grab two large baking sheets and line up 3-4 tortillas on each one.

Then, spoon 3-4 tablespoons of the mixture onto each tortilla and use the spoon to spread the meat mixture until it's super thin, leaving the edges uncovered. Repeat until all of the tortillas are covered in the meat mixture.

Place the baking sheets into the oven and bake the lahmajoun for 8 minutes, or until the edges of the tortillas are golden and the meat is cooked through.

Once they're done, remove them from the oven. Garnish with chopped parsley and lemon wedges, then serve and enjoy!

Repeat this process until all of the tortillas are used. See below for storage instructions!

For Storing & Reheating:

To store these Armenian pizzas in the freezer, simply place a small square of parchment paper in between each lahmajoun and transfer them to a large freezer bag. Place them into the freezer, where they will stay fresh for up to two months!

Then, once you're ready to reheat them, simply place them in the microwave for 30-40 seconds – this will produce a softer lahmajoun. If you'd like a crispier one, you can place the lahmajoun in a skillet on the stove, then cover and cook over medium heat until the bottom crisps and the meat is warm (about 3-4 minutes).

Morning Reflections

14 April 2026

Signs

Joining Tom at Signs2

Wordless Wednesday Wordless

December 2025

Wine Ho Chi Minh City dinner cruise

BANGKOK THAILAND

This item is "Rod Duan," a popular Thai street food snack made from fried bamboo worms.

Unique Features: Considered a "superfood" delicacy in Thailand, these worms are fried until they have a crunchy texture and savory, nutty, or cheesy flavor.

Preparation: Typically deep-fried, often seasoned with soy sauce or salt, and sometimes served with pepper.

Nutritional Aspect: Protein-packed alternative to traditional snacks.

Chiang Mai Thailand

VIDEO

Morning Reflection

13 April 2026

Tuesday Treasures

April 2026 - Toronto ON

Tom hosts Tuesday's Treasures.

The Rock Shop - Famous Toronto store with cathedral-style ceilings is on sale for $3 million.

Check out the photos in the above link!

If you're a witchy, crystal-collecting, Tarot-reading, full-moon-manifesting Toronto spiritually curious person, you might want to sit down for this one.

Because one of the city's most beloved crystal, magic and metaphysical supplies spots is about to change hands.

The property at 154 Harbord St. — home to The Rock Store since 2009 — has officially hit the market.

My photo - 2019

Monday Mural

I'm linking up at Monday Mural

January 2025 - Pecos TX

Day 6 Odessa TX to Las Cruces NM

Joseph Ortiz, a Pecos resident described as a dedicated city employee, was selected by the city and Veterans Association to paint a mural downtown representing the U.S. military. He said his son’s service in the Marine Corps helped inspire the design.