cultivating a sustainable life
I know some people are anxiously awaiting Santa’s arrival, but what I’m most excited about is getting to listen to the Vinyl Cafe Christmas special. I’ve mentioned my love of the popular show in the past, but if you aren’t familiar with this Canadian treasure, …
The dark days of winter make me crave warm, hearty meals that stave off the cold. If it comes in casserole form and can feed a crowd, so much the better. As we head into the holiday season, I like to have some easy, crowd-pleasing …
I acquired my love of cooking from my mom, who grew up on a remote homestead in the Peace River valley. The oldest girl of 6 kids, she was expected to pitch in as soon as she was able, so cooking was something she picked …
I’ve posted before about how much I love the winter garden, but it bears repeating. Don’t get me wrong, the summer garden is a wonderful thing, with its sweet fruits and vibrant colours, but a lot of the time, the summer garden is all about waiting …
I’ve dreamed of keeping bees since I was in my early twenties, pouring over Harrowsmith Country Life and Mother Earth News magazines. When a girlfriend invited me to help with her father’s fall honey extraction while I was living in Nova Scotia, that was it, …
If I had to define my cooking style, I’d call it wholesome rustic. I love simple food made with basic ingredients. Whenever I’m looking at a new recipe, there are a few ingredients that, if listed in the recipe description, will hook me every time: …
We’ve been blessed with a few sunny days recently, so we took advantage of it by picking last of the basil (for pesto) and beans (for next year’s crop). Corn stalks came out finally, and are serving as Halloween decorations on the front porch for …
We grow a fair amount of squash, and it usually gets eaten throughout the year – roasted whole, tossed with pasta, turned into soup, or baked into muffins. Most years, I cook one of the big guys and freeze the pulp in glass jars (this …
I may have overdone it. Again. I have a tendency to get overly excited about one crop every year and plant way more than one family can possibly eat. Exhibit A, last year’s garlic haul: By June, when I still had half a bushel left …
If you’re familiar with my old blog, my love affair with this wholesome breakfast staple is old news, though I have continued to tweak it over the years, and it’s still a mainstay of our diet, so I thought it was worth sharing again. My …