Our Somewhat-Urban Homestead

Spring has returned... for good?

2011-04-30T23:41:00.001-04:00

Today was a the most perfect spring day. Warm, the temperature hovering around 17C; sunny, but with pleasant cloud breaks; and the best part: a sweet warm breeze that just smelled of spring.

I never realize during the winter months just how much I miss the sun. But then we get a beautiful day like today and I realize I've been craving the sun's rays. I throw my arms up skyward and want to sing, and dance, and cry out thanks for the soft golden light.

The boys were loving it too, as were our newly planted flowers. Lucien was a great help today and together we planted, sunflowers, nasturtiums, snapdragons, stocks, cosmos, and a variety of other "flower garden" mixes. All the seeds were started in biodegradable coconut-husk planters, which will disintegrate once they are planted. And what's better; I can finally share it with you as I received a new camera for my birthday!

I didn't realize just how much of a difference a new camera would make, but the photos turned out much better than the ones I was taking with the old one. Shots such as this would never have been possible:

The first leaves just begin to open on our plum tree.

An unexpected surprise; lilies breaking up through the undergrowth....

Our onions, growing like weeds under the canopy of the "greenhouse." And what's that between them? Yes, that's right, weeds.

I still cannot believe how fast our rhubarb is growing. I just cannot wait for that strawberry-rhubarb jam!

It was wonderful to spend the afternoon outside with the boys, even though I spent more time chasing after Marcus than I did weeding. He's walking now, and doesn't understand why he has to stay in the yard, and not run after the leaves or sticks or other things that catch his fancy. Would that I could be like that, too!

Musings of a Working Mother

2011-04-26T09:25:00.002-04:00

This post is long overdue. I know. I just haven't had the drive nor the energy to write; not so much because I've been tired (working, Easter-dinner cooking and being sick will do that to you!), but because there's been so much I've wanted to say that I think I became overwhelmed.

I've been back to work now since the first week of April, and I am still not sure how I feel about it. To be honest, in the few weeks leading up to going back to work was dreaded it so much. The idea kept me up at night; and whenever I thought about it during the day I would get a tightness in my chest and a knot in my stomach that I just couldn't shake. I wanted to weep, but couldn't; I wanted to scream, but wouldn't. I wanted to cry out to the world how unfair it was that I had to leave my little boys, my most precious and too young boys in the care of another just so we could afford to feed, clothe and house them. I will not even get into how I feel about a society that no longer supports a single-income family. Oh that I could return to the days of being a "home-maker," content to provide the warmth and support of a loving home, and leave the "working" world to my husband! Is there really anything wrong with wanting that?

I know I am not alone. I know there are many mothers (and fathers!) out there who feel the same way. We are quite fortunate, we have a dear friend who comes into our home to watch the boys while we are at work, and being at home in a comfortable, familiar environment has made the transition easier for them.
Knowing that does give me peace of mind to know the boys are safe at home during the day, though it doesn't make going to work that much easier. It's not that I don't want to work, trust me. It's actually been quite nice to be in the company of adults again, and to have a new set of challenges and goals to work towards that are not only home-oriented (and I even enjoy having to dress up and wear make-up again!). Yet there is still so much I want to accomplish at home, and the tasks are only going to get harder as we head into planting/gardening season.

I find that I just can't achieve a balance: either I spend my free time at home cleaning/catching up on chores such as laundry and then the boys suffer for my attention, or I spend the time catering to their needs and desires and the house becomes neglected. It seems lately that I can never spend enough time with them; when I have just finished playing "swords" with Lucien and go to start the dishes, he breaks down in tears because he wants to play with me longer.

And at the end of the day I am so exhausted that I do not have the energy to even knit, or the mental capacity to sit down and write or plan for the store. I can hear you all now: "you are crazy to be opening the store on top of this!" But that is my dream, my passion, and I am not willing to give up on it even if it kills me!

How does one do it? I keep coming back to the word balance, because that truly is my goal for the moment. I need to find balance between working at work and working at home. I need to find balance between my time spent with the boys, and Chris, and also myself. I need to be able to see what is really important (For example I am still adamant that making our baked goods from scratch, without the added preservatives and sugar/salt, is important. Time intensive yes, but important nevertheless!), and what can be put on the back burner, at least for now. But I am at a loss for how.

Even now, I've hit a roadblock. I have more I'd like to say, but I cannot see past the mound of dishes in the sink, or the little boy tugging at my sleeve to come watch The Lord of the Rings. So I shall leave it at this, and hope that somewhere, out there in the vastness that is our universe, there in an answer to my plight of balance!

Onions, already?!?

2011-03-28T08:34:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was a wonderful day.

We spent the better part of the afternoon outside; both boys, Chris, and I, and did so prepping the garden beds for planting. Planting! Can you believe it? For anyone living inside zone 4 as we do, they will agree that that is a pretty impressive accomplishment. At this time of the year, the ground in most places is still frozen solid.

What is even more remarkable is the fact that we also planted our first crop of the year: onions! We planted them in one of the covered raised beds, and the difference inside was astounding. The air is much warmer within the covering, and is so moist that the inside walls have beads of condensation on them. When we started tilling the earth we got another surprise: it was so warm much warmer than even the air inside that it released steam every time we turned the earth over, and is full of worms! I don't remember there being that many worms in the beds even in the summer, so they must have been drawn to the heat.

In other exciting news, we received our other vegetable seeds too! We ordered them from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, a company that works with smaller organic seed farmers, and even tests their seeds against GMO's. Now I am not sure how I feel about the GMO seed and food debate, and I am sure I will cover that in another post in the future. However, I do like the fact that the seeds are grown in a pesticide-free environment and that they are heirloom-variety (assuming we can figure out how to harvest our own seeds in the Fall). As an added bonus I appreciate that the seeds are collected in partnership with smaller community-based farms throughout the U.S. and developing countries, and are therefore helping to support the local farms and their inhabitants. It's just a shame none of them are Canadian! (Though I think I may need to start researching more local seed producers, or start learning how to harvesting the seeds ourselves!)

I also finally took some video, and will share it with everyone below. Unfortunately the "free" software I was using was only a 30-day trial version (though nowhere was that stated when I downloaded it!), so we're on the hunt for some new software that is decent enough yet will not cost us a small fortune. In the meantime you'll have to bear with us as we share our unedited version with you!

Signs of Spring

2011-03-23T18:03:00.000-04:00

The snow is almost completely gone now.

The air is warmer, the sun stronger, and the bare earth has finally revealed itself in an array of browns, yellows, and if one looks close enough, faint greens.

Just in time for my least favourite chore ever: cleaning up the offerings our pooches have left us in the backyard. Hidden from sight for months under the pristine white banks, only to be revealed as the ground is left muddy, yucky, and brown. Hooray.

On a happier (and decidedly less-disguesting note), I've noticed some shoots coming up in the front flower beds and along the path of bamboo in the back yard! Even peeking up through the last remnants of snow are my crocuses, daffodils, and tulips. And just in time for some photos of the new additions to our nature table!

The new spring outfit I made for our Mother Nature doll.

Embroidery detail on the petticoat. Though it's difficult to see, the flowers are snowdrops and forget-me-nots.

Easter eggs and basket. The eggs were knit in the round and then embroidered, while the nest was made using a variation on the basketweave stitch.

Finally, some little rabbits will complete the nature table! As per a request from my eldest I even made little i-cord carrots for them; though they are currently lost in the realm of toys so I could not take a picture (as was the fourth little bunny!).

Bake of the Week: St. Patrick's Day Brisket

2011-03-21T10:08:00.000-04:00

This past week was very busy in the kitchen. Friday was Chris' birthday so there were birthday cupcakes, fresh bread, and a big birthday dinner to make. And the day before, Thursday, was St. Patricks Day!

We always did something special on St. Patricks day in the past, but this was given greater meaning a few years ago when we discovered that Chris had an Irish lineage only a couple generations ago. So now, we do our best to honour Ireland's patron saint in style!

This year, I did my best to produce a truly Irish-inspired meal. I have never cooked a brisket before, so when I saw corned beef brisket on sale last week, I knew I had to give it a try. The recipe originally called to cook this on the stove though I used the slow cooker. And I have to say, it worked brilliantly!

Irish Beef Brisket

1 medium-sized beef brisket, corned or otherwise
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, diced
1 tbsp olive oil
half a head of cabbage, cut into eigths
4 medium potatoes, cubed
4 small turnips (or 1 large), cubed
3 large carrots, cut into 1cm long pieces
1 bottle/can of Kilkenny ale
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste
enough water to cover

In a frying pan, fry the onions and garlic in the olive oil under the onions begin to go transluscent. Remove from heat.

In a crock pot/slow cooker, place the brisket and arrange the vegetables around and on top of the meat. Add the fried onions and bay leaves, and the salt and pepper. Pour over the ale, and then enough water to completely cover.

I cooked the brisket for about 5 1/2 hours on high, but you just want to cook it until the topmost vegetables are tender.

Once cooked, transfer the vegetables to a glass baking dish, the meat to another. Bake for 20-30 minutes at 350 F to just crisp the edges of the meat and get rid of some of the moisture in the vegetables. I then used the remaining liquid from the pot to create a gravy, simply by adding a bit of cornstarch to the broth! Enjoy with a cold glass of Guiness!

Cleaning without chemicals - Part Two: Essential Oil Properties

2011-03-21T09:46:00.000-04:00

Though I'll admit I do not like the work involved in cleaning, one thing I do love is the way the house smells after I've just spend the day washing the floors, wiping the counters and polishing the wood. A fresh mix of orange and lavender, with just some underlying hints of tea-tree please the senses.

Yet using essential oils for cleaning is fairly new to me. And as I become more comfortable with making my own cleaners, I want to become more adventurous with the scents combinations I use.

Though for scent alone essential oils are wonderful, they also have many tested benefits for health as well as cleaning. I promised last post that I would cover some of the ingredients that I use in my cleaners, but on second thought was afraid I would insult my reader's intelligence if I started listing what common household items like vinegar and baking soda were good for. So instead, I'll focus on the essential oils and their properties.

I am not going to list all the available oils or even perhaps the most popular, but the ones that I personally like the scents of and that I have used before (or the ones I would like to try!).

Lavender - In lab tests this oil has proven to have anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties. It is important to remember though that the lab tests were most likely performed un-diluted, so when making your cleaners do not expect them to be 100% disinfecting. Lavender has also been thought to have many health benefits; from relieving pain and depression, to helping with headaches. I have also read that putting a small sachet of dried lavender under your pillow helps aid sleep, though I've never tried it. I use this oil in all my bathroom and kitchen cleaners, particularly near the kitchen garbage. I also use it in my air-freshening spray/soft surface deodorizer. Though this has a very pleasant scent, I find it can become overpowering, and usually use half the amount as I do the other oils. This oil blends very well with clary sage, orange, and patchouli.

Orange - This is by far my favourite scent, though I must warn you to only ever use sweet orange, as opposed to orange blossom or other orange variations. Sweet orange has the true "orange" scent, while orange blossom comes off as "perfume-y" if that makes any sense. I find the scent of orange so bright and fresh without the unpleasant after-scent that citruses like lemon can have once they start to fade. Like other citruses orange is great as a de-greaser, and I use it to boost my dish washing liquid and to clean my kitchen counters. And because we have so much wood and laminate in the house, I also use this as a floor cleaner: it brightens and polishes the wood beautifully. Yet even if this had no cleaning properties whatsoever, I would still use it as I just love the smell! Blends well with lavender, clary sage, patchouli, and sandalwood.

Tea Tree - This oil is one of the strongest antiseptics, and also has the benefit of being non-allergenic. I remember as a child whenever there was a note sent home from school that there had been a case of head lice, my mother would put small dabs of tea tree oil along my scalp to act as a deterrent. It certainly seemed to work! This also works to kill mould and mildew if diluted with water and then sprayed on the source, though I have not yet tried it. Apparently it will permanently take away the mildew smell too. From everything I've read, the recommended type to use for cleaning is the Australian tea tree oil. This blends well with lavender and clary sage.

Patchouli - Before I had any other essential oils, this was what I used to boost all my commercial cleaning products. I purchased it originally as a personal fragrance, yet I like the smell enough to use in cleaning, too. Use this sparingly though as it is quite strong and if used in too great a dose, I find can cause a headache. This is commonly used as an antiseptic and anti-fungal cleaner, and when used in small amounts, is known to boost your mood. This works well with orange and sandalwood.

Peppermint - Peppermint has been used to repel pests such as rodents (mice and rats), but also for bathroom cleaners because of it's disinfecting properties. I used to purchase a "natural'' cleaner that's main base was peppermint but I did find that when used in large quantities the scent became a little overpowering. So when making my own mixes, I would dilute it with some complimentary oils. Such oils would be lemon, lime, thyme, or bergamot. Lemon or lime I am not too crazy about, and I have not tried the others. Thyme I do know is also supposed to be a great bathroom cleaner and I am curious as to what the two scents would be like blended. Perhaps that will be the next combination I try.

Clary Sage - Many of the recipes I have come across online have called for clary sage. Because of the warm relaxing, yet uplifting scent, it is highly recommended for women, and has been used to help relieve PMS symptoms and anxiety, as well as those for pre-menopause. Though I could not find much information on the cleaning properties of Clary Sage, I suppose because of the many health benefits (particularly for females) it is often used simply for it's scent in cleaning products. This is one oil I am very excited to try! In addition to using it on its own, it also blends well with lavender, orange, tea tree, and sandalwood.

Sandalwood - One of my earliest memories of this scent is of soap my mother used to buy in Chinatown. The soap had a wonderful warm, earthy smell, and I used to love using it to bathe. As an essential oil I have not tried it, but I plan to in the near future. Because the scent is an undertone, it lasts longer yet is not as powerful as the other scents I have written about. This makes it a great addition to recipes with blended essential oils, and one that I would love to try. This blends especially well with patchouli, though I plan on trying it with all the essential oils listed above in small quantities to make the scents last longer.

Yarn Store Logo

2011-03-17T10:56:00.001-04:00

We now have a logo for the yarn store:

It was so much fun to design, and it really captures the feeling I wanted. I am quite happy with it if I do say so myself!

Cleaning without harsh chemicals - Part one

2011-03-08T13:16:00.000-05:00

Over the past few weeks, we've had some beautiful weather. We got what I thought was our Spring thaw on Friday and Saturday, only to be unpleasantly surprised when Winter re-established his rule Saturday night. It was a great reminder that until the crocuses, snowdrops, and daffodils begin to sprout, Spring is still a ways away (and even then, we often get one more snowstorm just for good measure!). But it go me thinking.

The house is almost due for it's thorough Spring-cleaning, but there's something I've wanted to try for a few years now: to make my own cleaning products from scratch. There are several reasons for this. For starters, I hate the idea of using any harsh chemicals because of the impact they have on our health and the environment. And secondly, so many cleaners can be made out of common household items (such as salt, baking soda, and vinegar) which end up costing less than purchasing pre-made cleaners.

Now we already use cleaners such as vinegar for glass, and baking soda as an abrasive counter and surface cleaners, and make sure that those cleaners we do purchase are phosphate-free and are made with plant-derived surfactants, but I've wanted to try my hand at making more complex solutions.

This has also been coupled with the fact that I've wanted to introduce essential oils into our home as well, but for the longest time didn't know where to get them in our area. I've since established a couple suppliers: If you want smaller two-dram bottles to try out new scents, or if you will not be using large quantities, check out my friend Bonnie over at The Hocus Pocus room. If you require larger quantities, Poya Naturals is a great place to get bottles as large as 500ml (that's two cups!).

So after a little research, I've put together a few recipes for general household cleaning. Now, I will mention that I still have not found substitutes for a few store-bought cleaners. Though salt and baking soda are great abrasives (especially on items that you do not want to use harsh chemicals on such as food preparation surfaces), I find that they still do not work as well as Vim or Comet on tough surfaces such as bathroom tile and counters. I do my best to use them sparingly, but I'll be honest; sometimes they're the only thing that will get the bathroom clean again!)

But apart from that, most of your daily cleaning can be easily accomplished with just these common household items:

All-purpose spray cleaner
1/2 tsp borax
1/2 tsp vegetable oil-based soap
2 tbsp vinegar
10 ml essential oil (use whatever one you prefer, I'll go into the benefits and properties of some common ones in the next post)
2 cups hot water
Combine into a spray bottle, and shake vigorously until all the solids are combined. Simply spray and wipe clean with a damp cloth or sponge.

Air freshener/deodorizer
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 tsp tea tree essential oil
1/4 tsp lavender essential oil
2 cups warm water
Combine and place in a spray bottle, and lightly mist the air or soft surfaces (furniture etc.), shaking before each use. Some say the tea tree and lavender have disinfectant properties, though I am unsure of this in such diluted proportions. It certainly cannot hurt, at least!

Floor cleaner (especially hardwood/laminate)
2 cups white vinegar
10 ml sweet orange essential oil
5 ml lavender essential oil
4 litres hot water
Though this works especially well for hardwood floors (because of the orange oil), it is safe for all floors, and works remarkably well. It also leaves your house smelling wonderful!

Some of these recipes were variations of ones found in the green clean recipe book, a great little go-to for cleaning that I found on sale at our local Coles a few years ago. Most of it is pretty basic, though it does have some neat recipes, organized into the various rooms of your home.

Certainly give these a try, and I'll work on a post that covers the basic ingredients and their properties (including the most common essential oils) to take the thinking right out of environmentally (and human!)-friendly cleaning!

Do what you love!

2011-02-24T15:03:00.001-05:00

I have to be honest, the blog has been one of the furthest things from my mind the past few weeks. It started with the flood in our basement, but that was cleaned up within a few days. Though we're still dealing with the aftermath of the insurance and cleaning company (and trying to figure out what happens now with everything that was destroyed), it is no longer the urgent disaster that it was.

But what has been all-consuming for me has been a new venture that I (and by exstention; our family) am starting. I'll admit it, I get distracted easily. As soon as something new and shiny comes along, I have difficulty not becoming all-consumed to the exclusion of everything else. It's something I'm working on!

The new venture is something I have been dreaming of for a few years now. I've talked of it often to family and friends, but it was always along the lines of "what if...?" or "if we ever won the lottery..." Chris a few weeks ago began to encourage me to look at the numbers and begin research to see if it would be viable, and the result is:

I am opening up my own yarn store!

Now, my research is not complete. One of the largest unknowns is on the market research end of things; at the moment I do not know just how much of a demand and interest there is to support such a store. I know our community has many knitters, crocheters, and fiber artists, but not if there is enough to support a full-fledged store.

There are several considerations, the first being that the store must be successful enough to allow me to hire a full time manager. I will not work in the store, for several reasons. For one; it will allow me to focus on being an entrepreneur, and not on the day-to-day operations, and second; it will allow me to continue to work at my day job without wearing myself out (or taking too much away from family time). Especially for the first few years I believe it's important to not throw all my eggs in one basket, and if the store turns out to not be financially successful, I will still have been working throughout it all.

So to test out the market I will operate the store at first on a smaller scale. Starting this June, the pilot project, operated out of our home, will open. It will be a part-time venture that will run for 12 months, at the end of which I will have a much better idea of what kind of market there is in the area. I am so excited!

Many people will tell you to find what you love or where your passion lies, and use that to make your living. So in my own way, that's what I am trying to do!

So I must ask for the pardon of my readers. Things are not the planning frenzy they once were, so I can now focus once more on this blog, and the home and garden aspects of my writing.

I am also working on a website for the store. Once it is complete, I will be moving any of the knitting and crafting patterns/tutorials over there (of course links will be posted!), and this site will once more focus on the "homesteading" parts of our lives.

Oh, and for anyone following the news, I refuse to omit the words "urban homestead" from the blog. I will continue to use, and encourage others to do so as well and not back down. If you have no idea what I am talking about, check it out here.

Swimming, anyone?

2011-02-10T11:32:00.000-05:00

In the works are posts about:

Ordering seeds
Two Bakes of the Week
Lunar New Year

However, since our basement decided to become a swimming pool this week, things are going to be on hiatus for a while. 25 cubic metres of water will do that to you!

So please be patient while we work with the cleanup crews/insurance company, and I'll start posting again as soon as I can!

Mornings

2011-02-02T09:05:00.004-05:00

I am not a morning person.

Or at least, I am not right now. I find that I go through phases in my life when I do enjoy waking early, and others when I most decidedly do not.

There was a time, just before the boys were born (particularly the summer before I had Lucien) when I would get up early with Chris, see him off to work, and be outside in our little apartment patio to enjoy the view, fresh air, and my tea. All this before a quarter to eight. It was so peaceful, so beautiful; I would spend the first few hours of my day puttering in our little garden before the sun became too hot, and just relish in the silence and beauty that is early morning in this town.

Even when we still lived in Toronto there were times when I was able to enjoy and appreciate mornings for what they are. This time however, I was up early due to necessity. I worked at a local cafe which had to be open on Saturdays before seven o 'clock. It was the most amazing thing to witness; the city as I'd never seen before. It was winter; and before the sun had even begun to rise above the horizon, everything had a pale blue cast to it. The snow sparked, there was silence (at least as silent as a large city can be!), and not a soul to be seen. It was not eerie as it is late at night, when even though no one is in sight you half expect them to be there, hiding in some unseen shadows. Instead, there was a calmness in the air, a quiet breathe before the city began its day.

But as I said, I am not a morning person. Right now. I get up as early as I need to, or after as many times as I can hit the snooze button. I stumble down the stairs; trying to keep up with the dogs anxious to be let outside, but not so fast as to risk my still-asleep body falling down them.

Water is put on for tea and coffee, dogs are let outside, breakfast is made. Breakfast is eaten, Chris' lunch prepared, and somewhere in between babies are collected from beds. It is the same routine, with only minor variables, but I just don't enjoy it the way I have in the past.

There have been a couple mornings, here and there, when I did feel rested enough to get up a little early. I was able to get in a few minutes of reading or knitting before the morning started, and that was special. But on the whole; mornings and I do not agree.

Perhaps it is the fact that I am still waking up twice a night to feed or settle Marcus. I am only ever up for perhaps 20 minutes at a time, yet it is amazing how much that disturbs your sleep. It is easy to forget what it was like to get a full, uninterrupted night's sleep, and I fear it will be years before I am able to experience that again!

I know that is not true. By the time Lucien was a year and a half, he was sleeping through the night, almost 10 hours straight. So there is a light at the end of the tunnel, it is just hard to see...

So for days like today, when every cell in my body cries out for me to curl back into bed, I need to keep my head up, my eyes open, and drink another tea.

I suppose I better go put on more water.

Chili for a chilly day

2011-01-20T08:58:00.001-05:00

Chilly is one of those magical foods alongside with stews and soups that no matter what type of cold day it is, it will warm you straight to the bone Yet is hearty enough to provide you with the energy for any type of adventure.

It is perfect on those crisp cool September days; dreary soak-you-to-the-bone November ones; and is equally warming on those days in January when the cold can suck the breath right out of you.

Yesterday was the perfect day for chili: not only was it freezing cold, but what should have been a short errand run became almost a two hour long ordeal when I locked us out of the house!

So the chili was the perfect ending to our adventure, and was very easy to make!

Homestead Chili
1 medium package of lean ground beef
1 clove of garlic, crushed or finely chopped
1 medium onion, diced
1-2 small green peppers, diced
4-6 medium white mushrooms, diced
2 cans red kidney beans (or one white, one red) drained and rinsed
1 large can diced tomatoes, drained
1 large can crushed tomatoes
1 tsp salt
3 heaping tbsp chili powder (or to taste)
1/2 tsp chili flakes (optional)

In a large pot, saute the garlic and onions with a bit of water until the onions are translucent (I have been using water to saute my meat/vegetables for a while now, and only add a little olive/sesame oil for taste if a recipe calls for it). Add the salt, chili, and ground beef, and saute until the meat is fully cooked, then add the mushrooms and green peppers and continue to cook until they just turn soft.

Pour in the beans and tomatoes and while stirring, turn down the heat so that the chili stays at a nice low simmer. Simmer with the lid on for half an hour to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve on top of steamed rice or with garlic bread, and enjoy!

Sunday Bake of the Week: Peanut Butter Dog Biscuits

2011-01-16T20:57:00.000-05:00

When we made the decision to avoid processed food as much as possible for our family, that included all members; furry or not.

However, it has taken this long for me to actually start making their treats myself. I am not sure why. Perhaps I imagined them to be more difficult than cookies designed for human consumption, or perhaps I just didn't know where to start looking for recipes.

Either way, I decided that I'd waited long enough; and that it was time I started making healthy and cost effective treats for our pets (with the added bonus of knowing exactly what I was feeding them!).

For the recipe, I knew I wanted one that was peanut butter-based. Both dogs go crazy over the stuff, and we still had almost a full jar of it that we were not going to eat ourselves (it was left a little too close to the edge of the counter and was "found" by the dogs - I never threw it in the compost though because I knew such an occasion would arise where I could use it!). I eventually found one and modified it slightly (substituting eggs for oil, and adding rolled oats), and the end result is a crunchy, yummy-smelling cookie that the dogs will do anything for!

Peanut Butter Dog Biscuits
Makes 50 medium sized biscuits
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpous flour
3/4 cups whole wheat flour/or any stoneground grain flour (I used a seven grain flour)
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 cup cold water
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 egg, beaten

In a large bowl, mix together dry ingredients. Quickly stir in the water, egg and peanut butter.

Transfer to a well floured surface, and after adding a couple handfuls of flour (I had to add about 4 in total to get a dough that was pliable but no longer sticky), begin to knead.

Once the dough is the right consistency, roll out to 1/4 of an inch thick. Cut with a cookie cutter appropriate for the dog consuming these (I have two medium dogs, but usually ere on the side of smaller, to make the treats last longer and give them less at a time).

Preheat the oven to 350 F, and bake the cookies for 20-25 minutes, or until they are a nice golden brown.

Transfer to racks to cool completely before storing in an airtight container, and just watch for the tail wagging to begin!

Painting Pianos?!?

2011-01-16T20:11:00.000-05:00

One of our readers had asked if we would share some pictures of the creative painting and crafting space I made for Chris. As I had already filmed footage of our new piano to share, I thought it would also be a great idea to film the new room as well!

So here is our family's second vlog; showcasing the new piano and crafting room!

A New Year's Suprise!

2011-01-13T18:58:00.002-05:00

There are many changes that are going to take place over the next year here at the Homestead, and just now the first one has become a reality!

For a while now I've wanted to start taking footage and create some videos to suppliment the blog (which became even more important once we stopped having use of our camera!), but that has been exeedingly difficult considering we didn't own a video recorder.

But no longer! One of my gifts from Chris this year was a beautiful little Flip camera, and since Christmas Day I've been wanting to share that footage with you!

Alas, editing (and filming oneself for that matter) is much more difficult than I imagined. For starters, I find I am still quite self concience speaking into the camera. Me. Camera shy. I know, it's hard to imagine. But this strange phenomenom occurs whenever the little red light goes on: suddenly I forget everything I planned to say, I get nervous, and my voice gets high and sqeaky.

I know it will pass; the more I film the more comfortable and less self concious I'l become, but in the meantime, please bear with me!

This was also my very first attempt at film editing ever. I just know that in a year or so I'll look back at this video and loath it, but I also know that's just the learning experience right there. But for the almost two hours of footage shot, I still couldn't believe the end result was under 9 minutes!

Though I want the vlogs to be regular, at this point I am not sure what regular means. I still have footage from Boxing Day and New Years to edit, and a short vlog about our piano and painting space. What I do know is that the vlogs will vary in content, including but not limited to:

Cooking and baking recipes
Family antics and special events at the homestead
Knitting, sewing, and crafting tutorials

So before this gets too long, here it is: Christmas Day at the Homestead!

Bread Tutorial Evolution

2011-01-12T13:35:00.000-05:00

Our goal of not buying bread on a regular basis and of making it ourselves is still going strong. I can only think of one instance since Autumn that I've broken down and purchased some and if I remember correctly, it was because we were all sick.

So when my sister asked for the recipe and I had a look at what I had written all those months ago, I realised that the recipe needed some revamping.

If I've said it once, I've say it a thousand times: making bread is more of an art than it is a science. Once you become practised, the exact measurements become less important than the texture of the dough when you've added just the right amount of flour; the way the starter and dough look when they've just risen enough (though it does help to know what it looks like when it has risen too long - then you'll know what to avoid!); or the colour of the bread once it has baked for the perfect amount of time.

I have tried to add some notes where I can; things that were left out in the original recipe but that I've discovered are paramount to creating a delicious and airy loaf of bread. That being said; home-made breads are (in my experience, at least!) more dense than their commercial counterparts. It takes a little getting used to, but now I dislike how "squishy" store-bought bread is.

When we last bought bread (and I bought a fresh loaf from the Foodland bakery, hoping for an improvement over the packaged commercial kind) we had such a hard time cutting it and we ended up with flattened slices of toast!

Because home-made bread is a little heavier, smaller loaves are perfect. The smaller slices are just as filling as a slice from the store!

One thing I do want to mention is what happens when you either let your starter or your dough rise to long:

An over-risen starter is easier to fix; simply add a few tablespoons more of flour (and water, if necessary), mix, and let stand a little longer until it has risen up again.

If your dough has over-risen and fallen, there is not much you can do. Continue to form the loaves or, if the loaves are what have fallen, just bake as usual. Just be prepared for bread that is crunchy and not as soft. Do not despair though: this bread if cubed and mixed with a little salt, olive oil, and seasoning makes great croutons. Bake the cubes at 300 F until golden brown and enjoy on Caesar salad!

Here is the link to the bread tutorial, and I encourage you all to give it a try! It is well worth the effort, and after a few successes, you'll be hard pressed to find a loaf that tastes as great, uses as simple ingredients, or keeps as well as this one!

Resolution Time

2011-01-11T09:49:00.000-05:00

It seems as if every New Years I make the same type of resolutions: to loose weight; get in better shape; or just to eat healthier (though I do remember one year while still in school resolving to make smarter financial decisions - IE. not to spend so much frivolously!). This year however, my resolutions are much more family-oriented.

For starters, I need to seriously tackle Lucien's potty training. Over the summer I started (but not with much earnest) and then when the holidays approached it was abandoned entirely. I know Lucien is ready, at this point his main set back has been a lack of consistency from me. He got some brand new Spiderman briefs from Santa this Christmas, now it's time to put them to work.

All you mothers reading this; wish me good luck and infinite patience!

Secondly, now that it's January, I am starting to look ahead to April when I will be going back to work. I'll be honest: I am still unsure of how I feel about that. I miss my coworkers, and even like the idea of spending time in adult company again. Yet I am saddened that I will no longer be home all the time with my boys.

I am sure this is something every working mother goes through, no matter how old her children are when she re-enters the workforce. I find it comical that I feel this way now though; by the time Lucien was 4 months I was already back at work.

Perhaps it's because I've had this past year spending 24/7 with both boys, but I feel like Marcus is still too young to be left in the care of someone else. And the fact that breastfeeding is still going strong, I don't want to give up that special bond that he and I share.

And there are other considerations. Being at home, I've slowly built up a great routine over the past months in which I've included art and activity time with Lucien, a some-what regular cleaning schedule, and increased the amount of made-from-scratch foods exponentially. In fact, apart from crackers, all the baked goods we consume are made from raw ingredients; cookies, breads, pizza, snack foods... not to mention the canned goods I've made as well. We have been able to limit the amount of processed foods our family consumes to a bare minimum and I am sure we are all healthier because of it. However, I worry that I will not be able to maintain this once I am back at work. Or, I'll maintain it, but wear myself out. Not sure which is worse!

My head tells me that everything will work out, and it will just be the next chapter in our family's day-to-day routine. But my heart doesn't really believe it. So for the next three months, my second resolution is to prepare our family (and myself!) for the return to work.

Things are going to be busy!

Holiday Time is Family Time

2011-01-02T12:07:00.000-05:00

HAPPY HOLIDAYS
AND A
HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Things here have been crazy since a couple weeks before Christmas. It was a flurry of activity; baking, cleaning, knitting, sewing, painting, and I can't even remember what else. But it is now over, and we are left with feeling very full, very warm, very loved, and yes, very exhausted.

For us the holidays are always special because they are first and foremost family time. After the chaos and activity of the weeks preceding, we can finally sit back, relax, and enjoy the warmth and company of our loved ones. It is a time to enjoy and reflect on our wealth, both in material and non-material terms, and give thanks for how blessed we truly are.

The weeks of festivities (for with the amount of extended family we have, it truly takes weeks to get in visits with everyone!) started off with Yule (December 21). I made a special dinner, and we celebrated with just the four of us the Return of the Sun. (For anyone not aware, Yule is also the winter solstice; and though it is the longest night of the year, it also marks the point in which the days will start getting longer.) I lit candles around the house, and the first gift of the season was given: two new bookcases for the family to enjoy in the living room that I put together all by myself!
Christmas Eve was a quiet evening in with one of our best friends; I made pizzas, we played the piano, and then the little ones were ushered up to bed.

It was peaceful, serene: everything you could hope for the Night before Christmas.

After weeks of scheming, Christmas morning arrived. I was able to give Chris the big gift I'd been planning and working on in secret: his painting and craft space.

We have a beautiful sun room at the front of the house that up to this point has been filled with unopened boxes in various amounts since the day we moved in. Our goal was to have the room turned into a knitting/painting/sewing/crafting room for us adults (because it has the wonderful benefit of having french doors that lock!), but neither of us had the time nor storage options to make that goal a reality.

So I knew that would make the perfect gift.

After a few setbacks the room finally took shape, and it is now a sanctuary where both Chris and I can be creative and little ones are kept at bay until they are old enough to get into the hobby knives, paints, knitting needles and crazy glue!

We spent Christmas day with Chris' family at his parents house, and enjoyed the first of the turkey dinners. The boys got to play with their cousins, and there was more laughter and great food to be had by all.

Boxing day was another turkey dinner, this time with Chris' birth mother and her family. The boys were spoiled by all their aunts and uncles, and we left afraid to eat another morsel lest we explode. I think I am still full with turkey!

This week was a little quieter, though both Chris and I became sick. Whether we actually had a virus, or whether we finally succumbed to sheer exhaustion I don't know. We went back down to the in-laws for New Years, had very long naps, and went to bed early. I did get to attend my first fondue party there, and that was quite something!

I do have something special planned to share with you all, and once I overcome some technical difficulties, it'll be up and running!

Bake of the Week: BBQ Sauce and Wet Rub Kit

2010-12-12T17:11:00.000-05:00

I am going to apologise for a couple things; firstly, the lack of posts. With all the Holiday baking, sewing, knitting, cleaning and general gift-making, I have had little time to go on the computer and write. There have been a couple posts I wanted to share, one of which was the bringing home of our tree (I just love Fraser Firs!), and the special ornaments we hang each year. Then we got a beautiful piano (for free! Pay it forward is the most amazing idea ever!), and again, I wanted to share what a blessing that has been for our family, and show off the beauty of this 101+ year old instrument it is. Alas, that brings me to my second apology, which will be the lack of photos for a while. I lent the camera out to my sister in law, so until she's finished with it there will be no photos.

But to stay on topic, the theme for this weekend's cooking (and coincidentally gift-making) was everything BBQ. We have many BBQ enthusiast in the family, and so I decided to try my hand at making several variations of BBQ sauce and meat rubs. I scoured the Internet for recipes that sounded appealing, but also quite different from one another, and finally came to these six; three sauces and three rubs. I altered the amounts slightly from the original recipes, and will include those amounts instead.

For the rubs the directions are the same: combine all dry ingredients first, then add small amounts of vegetable oil (or any other flavourless oil) at a time, stirring completely, until you have a firm paste. Transfer into hot, sterilized jars (I just run the jars through the dishwasher), and then boil the jars for about 10 minutes. Because of the oil, refrigerate after opening so the rubs do not go rancid.

Chili-Lime Steak Rub
Caution; has a some kick to it!
1/4 cup sweet or Thai basil
1/4 cup chili powder
1/4 cup garlic powder
2 tbsp cumin
2 tbsp coriander
1 tbsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp chili flakes
1 tbsp sea salt
2 tsp black pepper
3 tbsp lime juice (add this at the same time as the oil)

Jamaican Jerk Meat Rub
1/4 cup dried onion flakes
1/4 cup onion powder
8 tsp thyme
8 tsp sugar
8 tsp sea salt
4 tsp allspice
4 tsp black pepper

Kansas City Meat Rub
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup smoked paprika
2 tbsp black pepper
2 tbsp sea salt
2 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp onion powder

Chicken and Rib BBQ Sauce
This is your basic all-round BBQ sauce. It's great just as-is, but I plan on experimenting with other additions to see what flavours I can come up with!
3 cups ketchup
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup brown sugar
6 tbsp olive oil
4 tbsp chili powder
4 tbsp paprika
4 cloves of garlic
Mince the garlic and saute in olive oil until golden. Add the ketchup, water, and vinegar and still until combined. Add the remaining ingredients and let simmer for 10 minutes. Transfer to hot, sterilized jars, and boil the jars for 10 minutes. Store at room temperature, but refrigerate after opening.

Teriyaki BBQ Sauce
This sauce wasn't as "teriyaki" as I'd like, but I have to remember that it is a BBQ sauce, not a basic teriyaki sauce. Despite that, it is delicious!
4 cloves garlic
2 small onions
6 tbsp sesame oil
3 cups ketchup
1 tbsp chili sauce
12 tbsp soy sauce
12 tbsp brown sugar
Mince and saute the onion and garlic in the sesame oil until the onions are translucent. Add the ketchup, chili powder, soy sauce, and brown sugar, and mix thoroughly. Let simmer for 10 minutes. Transfer to hot, sterilized jars, and boil the jars for 10 minutes. Store at room temperature, but refrigerate after opening.

Chipotle BBQ Sauce
Caution; very hot!
2 1/2 cups ketchup
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup diced onions
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp chili flakes (okay, so I know this really isn't chipotle, but it does the trick!)
1/2 tsp black pepper
Combine all ingredients, including diced onions in saucepan and let simmer for 10 minutes. Transfer to hot, sterilized jars, and boil the jars for 10 minutes. Store at room temperature, but refrigerate after opening.

If not by MY hands; then by my Neighbour's

2010-12-05T08:33:00.001-05:00

For me it is easy to get so caught up in the idea of a Handmade Holiday, that it's easy to forget that that doesn't necessarily only handmade by me.

Even for one who professes to be as crafty as I, it would be hubris to assume I could do it all alone. Whether due to lack of time, or resources, or skills; at some point I have to look to others for help.

Yet I am lucky enough to live in a community that though small in population, has a wealth of talented artisans and craftsmen.

Our local nexus for the artisan and fair-trade community is the shop The Karma Marketplace. Not only is it an outlet for crafters and artists to sell their wares, but they also sell local organic meat and produce, preserves, and soaps.

Yesterday I went searching for something for some of the women on our list, and found these:

I wish I could convey to the Internet how amazing the soaps smell, and I just know the jewellery will look stunning on the recipients!

Both jewellery and soap making are two more crafts I would like to try my hand at in the future, but for now I am happy to be able to support my neighbours who are creating them!

Preparing for the Holidays Part 4: Wreath Making Bee

2010-11-30T15:52:00.002-05:00

Next year, when I am presumably more organized (do I not say that every year!?!), I want to hold more workshops, tutorials, and other simple gatherings for the women (and men!) in our family and neighbourhood to come together with the purpose of creating handmade and crafty Holiday gifts. I've been inspired by some of the craft ideas I've seen on other blogs, and now I am just itching to try them out myself!

But that is not to say I havn't been able to organize anything yet this year. In fact, last night we (the women of my husband's family) held what I hope will be our first annual wreath making bee. It was a wonderfully successful time, filled with delicious food, aromatic hot mulled cider, and of course, the scent of a mountain of evergreen:

We had everything set up in our kitchen, and listening to the sound of children's laughter in the next room, began our work:

I am always amazed how that even with the same supplies available and the same techniques used, we were all able to create unique and beautiful works of art:

Edit: Last night I forgot to take pictures of my own wreath, but it was just as well. My mother in law gave me a beautiful string of lights for the wreath, so I was able to take some pictures with them on!

Preparing for the Holidays Part 3: The Magic of Wizards and Truffles

2010-11-25T10:43:00.003-05:00

A tradition Chris started the very first Christmas we celebrated in Penetanguishene together was to make truffles. Not the find-with-a-pig-similar-to-a-root-mushroom kind, but the ones make with chocolate. The ones that boast deliciously thin and hard shells and melt-in-your-mouth soft centres. And last weekend, he started the hundreds that will eventually find themselves to the hands (and stomachs!) of our family, friends, and neighbours.

This year he is making truffles with the following centres:
Bailey's
Rum
Mint (non-alcoholic)
Mint (alcoholic)
Cherry (non-alcoholic)
Cherry (alcoholic)
Raspberry-White chocolate (made with our own home-made raspberry jam!)
Caramel

I don't know how he does it, but every year he makes hundreds of the little chocolates all without recipes. And each year, the centres become creamier and creamier; and the variations of chocolate and filling become more elaborate.

I was also busy in the kitchen, making the first batches of cookies that will accompany each box of truffles. Last weekend was the first batch of gingerbread (I'll have to do at least one more before the holidays), and from it, I made a large gingerbread house for Lucien, several gingerbread men and women, and quite a few mini ones. Last time I was at our bulk food store I purchased a pair of tiny cookie cutters, about 2 inches high, that make the cutest gingerbread "hobbits."

And speaking of hobbits, I've finished the first part of Lucien's knitted gift; Gandalf the Grey from the Lord of the Rings:

I am working on Aragorn now, and then I have the four hobbits to complete (Should "hobbit" be capitalized? We don't capitalize "human," but it still does not look right. And yes, this is where my mind wanders....), Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin. I also finished the hat for my brother-in-law, so that's two gifts done. Yay!

So on that note, less typing, and more knitting!

Sunday Bake of the Week: Gingerbread

2010-11-22T18:24:00.000-05:00

Holiday cookie baking in our home is a funny thing; shortbread and gingerbread, the two cookies that are most representative to me of the holiday season, also happen to be the two cookies Chris detests the most.

And then there's Lucien. Given the choice between a chocolate chip cookie or a gingerbread one, he almost always goes for the gingerbread. So when planning the cookies that I will be baking each year, I have to make sure that there are enough that Chris will enjoy to combat the gingery goodness.

But for all of us gingerbread lovers, here's a recipe that's sure to make your yummiest gingerbread people (and trees!) ever;

As well as the perfect base for all that candy!

Gingerbread

3/4 cup ( 175 mL) unsalted butter, melted

    3/4 cup ( 175 mL) lightly packed brown sugar
    1 egg, lightly beaten
    1/2 cup ( 125 mL) molasses
    3 cups ( 750 mL ) all-purpose flour
    1 tbsp ( 15 mL) ground ginger
    2 tsp ( 10 mL) cinnamon
    1/2 tsp ( 2 mL) each of allspice, salt and baking soda

1. In a bowl, using a wooden spoon or electric mixer, beat butter with brown sugar until blended, at least 2 minutes. Beat in egg. Stir in molasses. In a large mixing bowl, using a fork, stir 2 cups (500 mL) flour with ginger, cinnamon, allspice, salt and baking soda until evenly blended. Make a well in centre, then pour in molasses mixture. Stir until all flour is absorbed. Stir in remaining flour, 1/4 cup (50 mL) at a time, until dough is no longer sticky but still soft. Divide dough into 4 portions. Form into balls. Wrap or place in resealable plastic bags. Flatten dough slightly and seal. Refrigerate until cold, at least 30 minutes or up to 1 week, or freeze.

2. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350F (180C). Lightly grease baking sheets with shortening or vegetable oil, or coat with cooking spray. Roll out 1 ball of dough until 1/4 inch (0.5 cm) for thick cookies or 1/8 inch (0.3 cm) for thinner cookies. Cut into shapes using cookie cutters. Place on baking sheets.

3. Bake in centre of 350F (180C) oven until deep brown around edges and firm to the touch, about 10 minutes for thick cookies or 7 minutes for thinner cookies that are about 2 inches (5 cm) wide. Larger cut-outs require more baking time. Repeat with remaining dough.

4. Remove baked cookies to racks to cool. Cool sheets slightly before adding more cookies to be baked. Store cooled cookies in an airtight container in a cool dry place. They will keep well for at least 1 month.

It's the Middle of November, and you're still harvesting what?!? (Garden Update)

2010-11-18T08:58:00.000-05:00

So at the end of the summer, Chris got this brilliant idea. Why not build frames over the vegetable beds and arbours, cover them with sheet plastic, and see what happens!

At best we thought it would keep frost and snow from accumulating on the beds, allowing us to plant even earlier in the spring. We had a thought that we'd be able to leave some veggies in the "green houses" for a few weeks or so, and it would just be like they were in a refridgerator. But so far, the experiment has exceeded all expectations.

Not only has the covers protected the vegetables from frost, but the air inside is at least 2-4 degrees warmer than the outside! The soil is also retaining moisture; we can see that each afternoon when the inside walls are covered with condensation and dew.

As for the vegetables, they are flourishing! Not only has the covers protected them from frost, but instead of just keeping the plants dormant as they would in a refrisgerator, they are actually still growing! Three weeks ago I harvested the last of the carrots, but we still have beets, scallions, romaine lettuce, and our swiss chard in the first two beds.

As this is an experiment, the last bed we decided to leave uncovered (as there were no vegetables left in that bed) to act as our control bed. That way in the spring, we can see if covering the beds really makes a difference in how early we can plant next year's crop.

That being said, even if there is no difference in how early we can plant next year, I am sure we'll still use the covers again next fall. The fact alone that it is the 18th of November, and we have vegetables still growing is enough of a reason to do it again. In fact, we plan to plant specific "Winter" crops late Summer/early Autumn, such as kale, beets, lettuce, and scallions to see how long we can keep them in the beds. I am thinking we could even plant some cooking onions in the fall, and have them ready even earlier in the summer, perhaps getting two crops next season instead of one!

We had to change the design of the covers slightly once they were up for a couple weeks. The first design consisted of wooden 1 inch strapping forming a triangular prism over the beds and arbours, over which we stapled the sheeting, and reinforced with duct tape. But after a couple rain and a good wind storm, the pieces of sheeting began to seperate and pull away from the frames. So Chris purchased more strapping, and sandwiched the plastic between two lengths of lumber. So far that seems to be holding quite well (we also switch to contractor-grade outdoor duct tape!), and we'll just have to see what shape they're in in the Spring.

The frames may not be the prettiest, but if they mean our growing season is extended, and the amount of food produced increases, than it's worth it!

Mother Nature Doll pattern up and running!

2010-11-16T13:34:00.001-05:00

I finally finished edited the pattern for the Mother Nature doll I created back in September, and am now working editing the patterns for her clothes!

I am very happy with the results and I think I've worked out all the kinks; but of course, if anyone would like to have a go at it and let me know if there are any issues, or what they thought of the pattern, that would be wonderful!

Also, if anyone does make her up, I would love to see pictures! It would be wonderful to see what Mother Nature looks like to others!

To see the pattern, click here, or check out the link at the right!

Sunday Bake of the Week: Apple-filled Scones

2010-11-14T09:10:00.001-05:00

Every Friday I go to our local cafe to knit, chat, and enjoy the delicious coffees and baked goods. One such goodie is a scone they make that has a strawberry-rhubarb filling. It is divine.

But being advernterous, I thought it couldn't be too difficult to mimic, and gave it a try!

Due to lack of either strawberries or rhubarb, I had to go with what I had, which was apples. Lots, and lots of apples. Yet the scones turned out brilliant, and you could easily substitute other fruits for the filling. As I try other combinations, I post the variations used.

Fruit-Filled Scones

Preheat oven to 425 F

Filling:

2 medium sized cooking apples; peeled, cored, and diced

1 tbsp plus 1 tsp flour

1/8 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

2 tbsp brown sugar

(1/4 cup raisins)

Combine the apples with the dry ingredients in a saucepan, and mix until the apples are thoroughly coated.

Add:

2/3 cup water

1 tsp lemon juice

Put over low heat and stirring frequently, bring just to a boil. Turn off the heat, cover, and let sit while you prepare the dough.

Dough:

2 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1 tsp salt

8-12 tbsp of butter, shortening, or a combination of both

Using your fingers, two knives, or a pastry cutter, mix together until it resembles course meal. Make a well in the centre, and add:

1 1/4 cup milk

Quickly blend the milk into the dry ingredients, adding more if the dough is too stiff. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface, and knead for about 2 minutes. At this time, I divide the dough in half to make it easier to work with.

Taking one half of the dough, roll it out into a square about 1/4 - 1/2 inch thick. Take half of the apple filling, and spread it out over the rolled dough, carefully leaving about 2 inches without filling at one end (that will be the outside of the roll). Starting at the opposite end, start rolling the dough into a pinwheel; trapping the filling on the inside. When you get to the end, place a few drops of water along the edge to seal it.

Cut the roll into 12 pieces, and repeat for the second half of the dough.

Now transfer each piece, with the pinwheel visible from the top, to a greased muffin tin. Each piece should sit inside one muffin cup to bake.

Bake for about 20-25 minutes, until the tops are nice and golden, and the apple filling has become caramel in colour.

Let rest for 5 minutes in the pan before transferring to cooling racks. These are best served fresh and still warm, but can be reheated for 20 seconds in the microwave as well.

Makes 24 scones.

Make Ready the Holidays; Our knit group

2010-11-13T08:13:00.001-05:00

Back in October, when I started looking at all the gifts I wanted to make this year (and feeling overwhelmed!), I decided that the only way I was going to get any of it done was if I planned specific time each week where I could escape from the boys; the chores; the chaos of the house.

And that is when I realised that I was probably not alone in that thinking. And thus, our weekly fibre arts group was born.

The wonderful flyer I made, but never printed out and distributed. Despite that, we've still had a great turnout each week!

We meet at our local coffee pub, The Froth Cafe, enjoy delicious hot drinks and goodies;

And just sit, knitting;

Crocheting;

And gossiping; enjoying the company of other like-minds, and relishing in the fact that we are slowly completing the gifts on our lists.

We have a variety of ages, women from various stages in life: students, mothers, grandmothers; yet we all have a common interest in creating works of art with just needles and yarn. It's a chance to relax, recharge, and to just enjoy being in a great environment with great food.

At this point, Chris needs a special mention. Each Friday night he keeps the boys safe at home for three hours, instead of going out with the guys, as I get to escape to my fibre sanctuary. Thanks hun, and remember, Christmas is almost here!

Preparing for the Holidays Part 2: Organization Cont., and the Handmade Holiday Challenge

2010-11-12T22:47:00.001-05:00

So remember that wonderful list I made in the first post in the series, where I outlined all the gifts I'd like to either knit or sew? Well, it's changed. Quite a bit.

I knew this would happen; that I'd take a second look at the list, and realize that yet again, I was being a little too ambitious. So I whittled it down. But then I took those items that I was planning on making, and made some of them a little larger, or more elaborate. So really, I'm not sure I did myself much of a favor. Here's the final version. (Final that is, until I decide that I am still being a little overzealous, and trim the list down further still!)

But the good news is, I finished the first item on my list, a pair of anklet socks I made in Patons Misty!

Holiday Knitted Gift List, v10.0:

~~Anklet Socks~~ (Done. Hurray!)
Fellowship of the Ring Dolls (which includes Gandalf, Aragorn, Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin!)
Winter Gnome Doll
Purse (partially made from a recycled fair isle sweater)
Cabled Hat
Neck warmer (also made from the fair isle sweater)
(...if I have the time, I'm including another man's hat, some coffee cup holders, and finishing the blanket I started for Marcus when I was still pregnant with him!)

In addition to the things I am knitting, gifts we will be making also include homemade BBQ sets (sauces and meat rubs), apple butter, cookies, truffles, hot chocolate mixes, and breads. The next two months are going to be busy!

Also, we have joined the Handmade Holiday 2010 challenge, and we encourage you to do the same! For more information, and to see all the blog posts associated with it, click here!

One man's trash....

2010-11-10T11:16:00.002-05:00

Waste not, want not!

I remember first hearing/reading that phrase as a child, when I was reading the Little House on the Prairie series of books, and obsessed with all things "homesteady/pioneer." At the time, I didn't quite understand the meaning, yet the phrase always stuck with me.

Now, as an adult, I know the meaning of that phrase all too well. And luckily, so do our friends and family! We are forever receiving bags and boxes of clothes, cups, pots, and other household items. In fact, except to purchase a specific item for say, the holidays, I think I've gone shopping for the little one's clothes a grand total of perhaps two or three times. It's wonderful.

The same thing happened when we first moved into our house. It seemed like everyday for weeks (it still happens!) someone or another was showing up with a kettle they didn't need, or some pots, or a food processor: more kitchen gadgets than you can shake a stick at! Not only did this save us so much money, but it probably prevented a good portion of those items from just ending up in the garbage. This happened so much that now when I'm given a box of household items (or clothes!) I can afford to be choosy, and decide which one of a given item I want to keep, and which one I'll be giving away. I love freecycling!

And yet even in your own possessions, you can still find unexpected treasures. About four years ago, Chris received some sweaters from my mom that she had accumulated over the years. Most he like and wears, but there was one, a fair isle knitted sweater, that he didn't care for. At the time, though I thought it was beautiful, I couldn't see a use for it, so I just packed in up in the thought that one day we'd find a new home for it.

However, now that I am more versed in knitted and fibre arts, I can truly appreciate what a work of art it is (and it's 100% wool to boot!), and instead of just giving it away as is (plus it has a few little holes starting in it), I have decided to try my hand at steeking; and use it to make a purse, neck warmer, and whatever other small gifts I can get out of it (perhaps some coffee cup holders!). I love the idea that something so beautiful and yet previously unloved will get a breathe of new life as someone else's beloved object. I can't wait to start!

Canadian produce; an endagered species?

2010-11-03T08:31:00.002-04:00

I saw this post on YouTube the other day, and it started me thinking again. Firstly, I was equally surprised and impressed that a company like Hellman's would make such a video. Obviously their doing it for their own advantage first, but it's great to see awareness of this making larger headlines than a few of us bloggers can do.

It also made me think of our own gardens, and the experiences we had over the summer when it came to purchasing our food from a grocery store. For a while, when we were reaping such a bounty from our own gardens, I wouldn't buy anything else that wasn't grown in Ontario. It wasn't too difficult, but then again the only produce I was buying was our fruit, so mostly that meant apples. But even our favourite variety, Gala, we weren't able to buy, as it was always imported from China or South America. I also noticed that we ate vegetables in rotation. Instead of how we normally enjoyed a variety of vegetables every week, we'd go a few weeks only eating fresh cucumber. Then when the zucchini was ripe, we'd eat cucumbers and zucchini, then when the cucumbers ran out we'd eat zucchini and green beans etc. Which is how humans would traditionally eat I imagine; always in season.

But now that the growing season in Canada is done, trying to buy local is made that much more difficult. There are still some apples, carrots, and other root vegetables available, but the picking is slim, at least in our area. And the smaller shops that do carry local produce have to charge way more to support the local farmers, that it's hard to afford the decision to go local. How can I afford to buy 6 potatoes (a small container) for $3 when I can buy 5 lbs for 99 cents? Even the meat is much more expensive. At our Foodland, I can buy a medium sized package of lean ground beef for about $4. I can buy ground beef from a local farmer, the same amount, for $6-8.

I wish we had the income to support only buying local. Our area has such diversity when it comes to meat especially; there's the usual chicken, beef, and pork; but also lamb, goat, elk, and deer. But the issue, at least for our family, is the cost. And I fear because most families are in our situation, that to keep afloat local farmers will have to charge more to compensate for less being sold, and therefor less and less families will be able to afford to buy food from them.

Something is wrong, when it costs me more to buy food that literally comes from 2 kilometres away, than it does to purchase food that comes from another county! I understand that it betters trade relations, but our government needs to step in and support our local food producers at a National level. Or before we know it, Canadian produce will become an endangered species.

All Hallow's Eve and Crazy-Costuming-Goodness!

2010-11-01T09:42:00.003-04:00

Hallowe'en has got to be one of my favourite holidays. And not just because it's an excuse to dress up, or that it falls on the same night as Samhain; but because of the effect it has on children. I can see in my own son the same excitement I felt as a child when he got to put on his costume, hurried on by the fact that there are already trick-or-treaters at our door (though to try and get him to eat his dinner on Hallowe'en night is another matter entirely!).

And then, the curiosity and fear as we walked up to each house, unsure of what spooks or tricks my await us near the doors. His favourite quote of the night was "Mommy, it's not scary!" whenever we came to a house with minimal decorations. It's amazing that we forget how scary a simple skeleton or cobweb can be to a child.

Of course, the night started out with carving and lighting the pumpkins; both to ward of the spirits that might wander our way, and to let the neighbourhood children know they'll find goodies inside (a pirate for Lucien, a one-tooth-wonder for Marcus).

Then it was time for the short trek up and down our street to collect our treasures (though in fact this picture was taken after we just got home, hence the little red noses!)

And that brings me to the topic of the costumes. Marcus wore the little dragon outfit that Lucien wore for his first Hallowe'en (though it barely fit - we couldn't get the hood over Marcus' head!), but I think both Chris and I went a little crazy when it came to Lucien's costume.

At first he wanted to be Strider (also known as Aragorn, from the Lord of the Rings). But after I started working on the leather armour, he decided he wanted to be Rohan, or one of the Rohirrim. So I had the adjust the design and colour scheme slightly, but in the end, it turned out fantastic!

First, I made him a tunic out of recycled green linen from an old sun dress I was given. It is all stitched by hand (though I was lucky enough to use some of the pre-existing seams and edges which cut down on sewing time!), and the front is closed with ribbon buttons.

The undercoat was made from wool broadcloth, which I then went over and painted on gold detailing. I chose just simple Celtic and Norse knot work designs that I though would mimic the actual garments worn in the movies.

The armour was my first real foray into working with leather. I originally bought this buckskin to make Lucien moccasins when he was a baby, but after a first attempt that I was unhappy with, I hadn't touched it since. I painted the rough side with watered-down acrylic, and then used sandpaper to give it a worn look. The designed were painted with the same gold as the wool, and I took inspiration from the gilding on Theoden King's own armour and the outfit worn by the hobbit Merry when he was a squire of Rohan, and then created my own images.

All the stitches had to be made in the leather with a hammer and awl first; hard work, but actually a lot of fun!

Chris also went overboard with the construction of the sword but I am so glad he did; it is amazing! Lucien loves it so much that by the time Hallowe'en came, he had already beat up the blade, and it had to be repaired several times. But it was well worth it. It was made with pine strapping that Chris whittled and sanded by hand, and the blade and handle (one piece) was fitted through the hand guard, and glued in place. The handle is wrapped in metal wire, and the blade and hand guard is covered in polished metal foil. It was the perfect accessory to his ensemble.

The cloak was also made from the wool broadcloth, and was attached directly to the chest plate with metal buttons. The detailing on the collar was a nightmare however, and for some reason I kept over-thinking the knot work, which caused it to take twice as long to finish as it should have.

And there is our lad, kitted out and ready to slay any Nazgul that may approach!

All in all I would say the night was a success, even though it was over too soon. At least now I can get back to working on Christmas and Yule gifts!

Our Thanksgiving - And a better-late-than-never Bake of the Week!

2010-10-30T10:36:00.001-04:00

~~Well, there you have it everyone: our 50th post! I feel like we should celebrate with a cake or something. No? How about with some zucchini-apple pie then:~~

~~It didn't last long at all!~~

~~I am sure I've mentioned it before, but this is my favourite time of year...~~

As you can tell, this is just one of the three posts I started, then never finished. This one was dedicated to the wonderful Thanksgiving we shared, and was also going to feature a new creation of ours; zucchini-apple pie. (I can only take partial credit for the pie; though I baked it, the whole idea was Chris'. I think I looked at him like he had two heads when he suggested using zucchini in an apple pie, but as always, he was right. It was delicious!)

Our Thanksgiving was amazing. Everything; from the food, to the conversation, to the warmth and love of being surrounded by our family and friend (you know who you are; and I use the term "friend" loosely; we consider you more family than friend!). Our house was packed; and at final count, ourselves included, there were 19 people present. It was a blast! I kept looking at the food, and beautiful new dishes (we didn't have nearly enough place settings and so I had to purchase more - and was very fortunate to find plates and bowls at $1 a piece, and the flatware was also on sale!), and couldn't believe how lucky we are. That with so many people going hungry in the world, with so much hurt and devastation, we were able to feed that many people a great meal, and not break the bank. Mind you, all the vegetables came from the garden (we had 6 different side dishes), and the desert and dinner rolls were home-made, but still. We are blessed.

And even though our kitchen was packed, it was not uncomfortably so. It kept the house warm, and our rooms were never without the sound of laughter. And then the next day, we went over to Chris' parents for another dinner - what a wonderful weekend! (My stomach is still recovering!)

But back to the pie...

I took the basic apple pie recipe I use, and just substitute peeled and cored zucchini slices for some of the apples. The ratio depends entirely on your own preference, and does nothing to the way it is cooked. In fact, I would go as far as to say it does nothing to the taste, either. It is preferable to use zucchinis that grew large (at least 1 1/2 feet in length) as the texture is then more like apples, but as far as taste goes, the zucchini just absorbs the spices, sugar, lemon, and apple flavour. None of our guest knew what was really in the pie until we told them (after it was consumed, mind you!), and even then, some didn't believe us!

Apple-Zucchini Pie

Take 6-8 cups of a combination of:

apples, peeled, cored, and sliced 1/4 inch thick and

zucchini, peeled, cored and sliced thinly

Mix fruit together in a large bowl with:

3/4 cups sugar

2-3 tbsp flour

2 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp salt

Let the mixture stand at room temperature for 15 minutes, or use the time to prepare your favourite dough recipe. You'll need enough to make a bottom and top crust for at least a 9 inch pie pan. Once you've filled the pan with the bottom crust, pour in the fruit mixture, and dot the top with 2 tbsp of butter. Cover with the top crust (don't forget to put vents in the top), place a baking sheet undernieth to catch any overflow, and bake at 425 F for half an hour. Then reduce the temperature to 350 F and bake for another 30-45 minutes, until the crust is golden and juices come bubbling out.

I like to serve the pie warm with vanilla ice cream, but it is still good at room temperature (and actually cuts better when it's cooler).

So yummy!

The curse of the 50th post

2010-10-29T15:35:00.002-04:00

I have to apologise for the break in writing this month. I am not sure why I stopped, sure, with Hallowe'en costumes and Christmas presents being made we've been a little extra busy, but not so much as to keep from making even a couple of short posts.

I started writing three different topics, but just wasn't able to finish any of them! The first was a celebration for the 50th post; and then it just went downhill from there. But we did it! Here is the 50th post on the blog!

Perhaps to some it is not considered a huge achievement, but to me, it is the start of a long and wonderful journey towards sharing our family's experiences with the world. It may be of some interest to know that one of my main reasons for starting the blog is that I want to one day write a book chronicling our progress towards a more sustainable lifestyle. And by writing a blog, I can not only share our journey now, but go back at a later date and use these posts as the basis for that book.

Sure we've started small; just with friends and family following us here or on Facebook, but every time I see that someone new (and previously unknown to us) has liked our page or has chosen to follow the blog, I get so excited! Though I know that to keep people reading and interested, I have to maintain my posting!

So without any further interruptions, I am going to go finish the other posts I had started (including continuing the Bake of the Week again!), and I'll be back with some more interesting news soon!

True Wealth

2010-10-11T15:20:00.002-04:00

I once heard Chris remark that the only true material wealth is land. Not your house, or business, or the buildings on it. But the soil, the earth; the land itself.

For currencies can fail; stocks become worthless; even all the jewels and gold in the world are only worth as much as someone is willing to pay for them. But with enough land to feed and house you, you and your descendants will never be poor.

This idea was a driving force for us when we purchase our home, and we were lucky enough to not only find a house that was everything we could need and more, but one that came with a property large enough for us to begin farming it and make the land work for us. Yet lately that has had an even greater meaning for me.

Unfortunately, the health (both mental and physical) of my grandmother is failing. It is hard enough to watch as she becomes like a little child again; confused and angry when her body and mind let her down, or to hear of the effect this is having on my grandfather; who used her as such a point of strength and support. But now I learn that "The Farm" she owned will be up for sale, and most likely sooner than later.

I use the word farm loosely; though in the days my great-grandfather owned it it was a working cattle farm, right now it is 49 acres of pristine meadows, forest, and lake.

I remember as a child, going up for days at a time and just running free. Playing in the grasses, walking through the woods, having refreshing snacks under the great maple trees that shaded the patio. We were super-heroes there; pioneers; even Sailor Moon! And to hear my mother talk, she has similar memories, of visiting her own grandparents and playing in the fields, being as carefree as a child can be in such nature.

And now, as I think about The Farm leaving the family, I am filled with such a sense of mourning. Not just that it has been with the family now for two generations, but the fact now that even if anyone wanted to, there is no way any of our family could ever afford to purchase that kind and amount of land ever again. It must be worth a fortune.

But I honestly don't care about that. I am saddened that such a gift will be leaving the family. To me, something like that is to be cherished, passed from one generation to the next. I do not care who in our family owns it, as long as someone does.

I do not blame my grandparents; they must do what they feel is right, and I suppose it really is none of my business. What angers me is that it seems like no one realizes what a loss this will be. Everyone is so focused on the here and now, that they give no mind to what my generation's children, or their children's children could be doing with such land. As one of my relatives mentioned, "we've all enjoyed the farm over the years, and it's fair to say that that era is coming to an end." It is spoken as if it was just a place to have fun (which it was), but it boggles my mind that no one realizes the value of The Farm, and not just the monetary value of it.

I just wish I could do more. I know emotionally I can be there for them, offer my support, and I will always be there, no matter what happens. But I just wish I could do more.

I wish I had the funds to buy The Farm outright. It would be in the family, they could spend as much time as they wanted there (or any family members for that matter), but not have to worry about it being a money pit, or about having to keep paying the taxes etc. on a place they just can't live at (the winters can be hard there, the driveway alone is a chore to navigate once the snow arrives).

I wish a bunch of us in the family could go in together and buy it. There is so much that could be done! The Farm could be rented to a family to actually farm it. We could turn it into a CSA; have it available to the Scouts to use as a camp ground (which they used to, I remember as a child walking through the forest and seeing the tree forts they had built); or use it as a venue for re-enactors. It could be lent to a university or school to experiment with various environmentally-responsible gardening techniques.

Now part of me did know this day would eventually come. But I still feel so helpless. I know it's not my place, but I just wish I could do something! Once The Farm is gone, not in any of our lifetimes would we be able to acquire such a thing again. It's sad.

A few months ago, before my grandmother began to get so ill the boys and I went to visit her, and took some great photos. I am afraid they will be all I'll have left to remember such a place, and only hope I can get back again to see it at least one more time. It really is amazing.

Garden Summary 2010: Part 2

2010-10-09T08:34:00.000-04:00

As I look into our outside, I am reminded that Autumn has arrived in full regalia. Our backyard is a sea of vibrant orange-red; the maple leaves creating a stunning contrast to the bright green of the grass.

Each morning I expect to see frost now when I let the pups out, and our house has even hit 19 degrees C a couple times. At least we have made it to October this year before we had to use the furnace! (Last year it was September 27 and we had a cold snap, we were so dissappointed!)

One of the things I had meant to discuss in the first garden summary was our soil; I was supposed to include it under the heading of the garden beds. Alas, my mind betrayed me, and I forgot. So that will be the first thing I talk about!

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Soil composition

The soil in the side yard where the majority of our gardens ended up was originally sand, with a lot of clay. Certainly not ideal for growing vegetables, but like I mentioned before, one of the beauties of raised beds is that you can compensate for poor soil by filling in the beds with any that you like. Because of it being the best of all worlds, we chose to fill ours with triple mix: the peat moss meant that the soil would not compact as much, and the high organic content would provide more nutrients right off the bat to our veggies.

The nutrient content was very important to us, particularly as we are not using any commercial or artificial fertalizers. We started the composters early this year, so hopefully by next spring we'll be able to empty the first, and use it to renew the beds for the next season!

I would like to talk more about the composters, but my knowlege in that area is far surpassed by Chris'. I've just asked him if he'll write a post on them, and he's agreed, so stay tuned!

Now, on to the fruits and veggies!

Green Beans

Originally, I started the green beans, zucchini, squash, and cucumbers in trays, with the idea that once they'd sprouted, I would transfer them to the beds. I thought this would give me a head start on the growing season (not that we needed it this year, it was early enough as it was!), but ended up having to replant most of them in the beds anyways. Of the 16 or so seeds I planted in pots, only about 7 came up. I had issues getting the right amount of moisture in the little containers: either they were too wet, or too dry, and in the end I think I killed off many of the seeds that would have grown. It was much easier to maintain consistant moisture in the beds, so the next time I am not going to start any of the beans in trays but plant them directly in the garden.

At first we thought we were not going to get many beans from our plants. We ended up with 14 plants at maturity (in a bed 4 feet wide, we planted two rows of 7, with about 6 inches between the two rows), and got perhaps a dozen or so beans from each plant by about the middle of August. We couldn't really see any new flowers, but then around the end of August Chris looked at the tangle of vines (That's another thing we'll change; instead of having them grow up a ladder of twine, we're going to have them grow up poles, about three plants a pole. This was something we saw at a local historical site; they had the beans growing up straight branches that still had the bark on.) he saw several beans that were about 6 inches long, and many more smaller ones hiding. Once all those were picked, we still kept getting new flowers!

So next year we're going to plant twice as many beans, plant them closer together, but then train them to grow up poles.

Zucchini
Our zucchini grew amazingly well this year. I am not sure how many fruits we got, but I now it was much more than we had expected. We platnted two hills, 3 feet apart, and each hill had 4 plants. By the time the we had to cut down the plants, they had completely filled their section of the bed, went into the beans, and even into the walkways!

Most of the zucchini we picked at medium size, around 3-5 lbs, but about 6 or 7 we let grow until they were at least 1 1/2 feet. These had more of the consistancy of squash, and the seeds and skin were no longer edible. So I peeled and cored them, shredded half and sliced the other, and put them in the freezer. Because I put them in small bags, it's easy to grab just the amount I need and in fact, I am using some of the slices to make apple-zucchini pies. If they turn out, I'll post them as the Bake of the Week.

Next year, we're going to plant even more zucchini. They freeze so well, and there are so many things you can do with them, they're just an all-around useful fruit. We're going to move them next year though to around the back deck (which has high wood trellises all around), and train the tendrils to grow vertically. Hopefully they'll take, and if so, will be much easier to harvest than trying to navigate the webs of prickly vines!

This is long enough, so for part 3 I'll talk about our acorn squash, cucumbers, and swiss chard!

Giving Thanks

2010-10-08T07:03:00.000-04:00

As this weekend is the Canadian Thanksgiving, I thought it would be appropriate to write a post of thanks myself. This is only made more befitting as we have just about finished our harvest season, and with good food, good friends, and good family about to be celebrated by us this Saturday (we are hosting dinner this year; 20 people are expected, and I am cooking a turkey for the first time - yes, I am terrified!), I would like to share my thanks on the Web, as well.

I am thankful for my amazing, hardworking, talented, and all-around wonderful partner. Without him I would not be as happy, healthy, and prosperous as I am with him. I would probably not have gone back to school, or pursue a career worthy of my talents, nor had our beautiful children. Not to mention the love he showers on me each day; I am so lucky to have him in my life.

I am thankful to my sons; each beautiful and marvelous in their own ways. We have been blessed with two healthy, inquisitive, creative, and intelligent boys, who will keep us running and busy for many years. I am filled with such awe and love whenever I look at them, and find it hard to believe that such perfect, smiling little beings came from me.

I am thankful for our extended family, and our friends who are family if all but in blood. We are blessed to be surrounded by such supportive and giving people; both in my family and in Chris'. There is so much love in our family, it is beyond compare.

I am thankful for our home. It was a long time coming - many years of sacrifice and doubt, but the culmination of our hard work has paid off - we have found our "forever home." A place where our sons will grow into men, and finally leave the nest. A place where we will continue to leave our mark on it, and slowly over the years make it work for us. I will not say we are making it our own, because it has felt like that almost from the day we moved in. I still cannot believe some days how great a house this is, yet it has always felt like ours.

I am thankful for our furry children, too. Though they all (four of them!) may drive me to distraction; they also bring such joy to our home, and warm bellies for feet on a cold night. They are teaching us patients, consistency, and the meaning of unconditional love. We are blessed.

I am thankful for our harvest. Our gardens gave us a (albeit small) taste of what it is like for the farmers who grow our food: the frustrations, successes, and finally the sense of accomplishment that comes with growing your own produce. The fact that we are teaching our sons that food is not something that magically appears on your table or the super-market, but something that takes a lot of time and effort to grow, will hopefully give them an appreciation for what they consume. And how it is so important to do this in a sustainable, healthy, way.

I could probably go into a thousand more things that I am thankful for, but I will end with this: I am thankful that I live in Canada. We may gripe and grown over our government, our taxes, our health-care system. But we have it good. It is all too easy to get caught up with the doom-sayers, and only dwell on the dwindling fresh-water supply, vanishing forests, or polluted earth. So today I am going to be thankful for what we do have. A great and beautiful country, were freedom of speech is not only allowed but encouraged, where freedom of religion and point of view is allowed and all the consequences that follow. That I can walk my son to the library at night and not fear for my life. That we have brothers and sisters who are willing to leave the safety and comfort of their homes to try and bring peace and stability to the lives of others less fortunate all around the world. I am thankful for our beautiful trees, our fresh air, and our clean waters.

I am very lucky, and very blessed. A huge thank you to everyone who checks here regularly to follow our family. Thank you for your patients when real life got in the way of posting, and thank you for your kindness and support in reading the post that do get posted.

Though this weekend is Thanksgiving in Canada, wherever you are, please take the time to thank those in your life who are important to you. Take the time to reflect on just how lucky you are; that in the chaos and misery of the world, we all have our little piece of heaven.

Sunday Bake of the Week: Oatmeal Fruit Bars

2010-10-06T15:20:00.000-04:00

This sunday I wanted to reinvent a recipe I've used many times.

For my birthday this year, my sister in law gave me the cookbook Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld (yes, Jerry's wife!), a great book that introduces different ways to include various fruit and vegetable purees into everyday food. This recipe originally called for blueberry preserve and spinache puree, but ideally you could use whatever jams/preserves you have at home. Bear in mind though, if you're going to use a strong tasting vegetable like spinach, that you use a strong tasting fruit like blueberries to hide the taste.

Oatmeal Fruit Bars

2 cups quick oats

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 cup butter

1 cup fruit jam/preserve (I used apple butter)

1/2 cup vegetable puree (I used apple sauce)

Preheat oven to 375 F and grease a medium sized baking pan.

In a large bowl, mix all the dry ingredients together. Add the butter and vanilla, and combine with the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles small peas. It is okay if some of the butter is showing. Put most of the mixture into the greased pan, setting aside a little less than 1/4 for later. Using your fingers, press the oatmeal mixture firmly into the pan.

Bake until the crust is just lightly browned at the edges, about 13-15 minutes.

While it is baking, mix together the fruit preserve with the vegetable puree. One the crust edges are browned, spread the fruit/veggie mixture evenly over the top, and sprinkle what is left of the oatmeal mixture over that.

Bake for another 20-25 minutes. Let the bars cool almost completely in the pan before cutting, and enjoy!

Try as many different variations as you can think of! I've also made it with strawberry jam and squash puree, and next time want to make it with raspberry and yams!

Sunday Bake of the Week: Pumpkin Spice Cookies

2010-09-27T11:28:00.002-04:00

I spent the weekend with my family in Toronto, and at the last minute realised I had not prepared anything for the bake of the week! Wanting to make something that would begin the transition to more Autumn-like cooking, I looked for a recipe that called for pumpkin, and came across this recipe for cookies. I am going to experiment with substituting 1 cup of oats for one cup of flour next time, as I wasn't too crazy about the consistency of the first batch. I'll update this post once I've tried that.

Pumpkin Spice Cookies

1 Cup butter, softened
1 1/3 Cups firmly packed brown sugar
2 Large eggs
2 Teaspoons vanilla extract
2 Cups canned or fresh pumpkin puree
4 Cups all-purpose flour
2 Teaspoons baking powder
2 Teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 Teaspoon baking soda
1 Teaspoon salt
1 Teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 Teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 Teaspoon ground clove

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a VERY large bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar. Add egg and vanilla, and once combined, mix in the pumpkin.

In a separate bowl, mix the remaining ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin, and mix thoroughly.

Grease cookie sheets, or line with parchment paper. Using a spoon, drop the batter onto the cookie sheets, about one tablespoon at a time. Or, if you want a neater-looking cookie, flour your hands and roll each tablespoon into a ball, and flatten the batter on the sheets with the palm of your hand.

Bake for about 15-18 minutes, until the batter is set, but the cookies have not yet turned brown. Let cool on racks, and enjoy!

Garden Summary 2010: Part 1

2010-09-25T22:01:00.001-04:00

Though the growing season is not completely over, we've now had the opportunity to harvest each crop at least once (we had such an early spring this year that some crops, like our lettuce, beets, and radishes; have been planted twice or even three times!), so we are now able to take stock over our efforts, review, and see what things worked, and what we could improve upon.

First and foremost, this year's garden was all about experimentation. Everything, from the type of garden beds we built to the produce we grew was mostly new to us, and we were unsure of what type of yield we would receive. And I am very happy to announce that overall this year's garden was a huge success. The simple fact that we've purchased virtually no vegetables, and only a small amount of fruit the entire summer is a testament to the wonders of growing your own food. We've been very blessed.

That being said, I want to go over each thing we grew, and the methods we used, and review what worked, and what changes we will make next year. There is no way I will be able to fit this all into one post, so I will be breaking the summary up into several parts. I am not yet sure how many, as it all depends on how long each post ends up. This is not only for ourselves, to keep record of our efforts and document the various techniques we've tried, but hopefully also be useful to others; that they may learn from our ~~mistakes~~ example.

Yet before I go into the summary, I'll give a little update: we've started winterizing the garden beds. Chris went out and bought clear plastic sheeting and strapping (which is not, as I originally thought, the fabric strapping used to tie down boxes during shipping, but wood strapping, 1"x1.5". It is looking MUCH better than I had imagined in my head - silly me!), and is covering each bed to make 3 removable greenhouses. By keeping the snow and frost off each bed, we should extend our growing season well into Autumn this year, and make for earlier planting next spring! Did I mention my husband is a genius? Of course, this is all unproven and yet another experiment for us, but so far the interior of the plastic has already been a few degrees warmer than the outside air, so that's promising. Anyways, on to the summary...

The plastic sheeting going up to winterize the beds

The first "greenhouse" completed

The garden beds
The first things I'd like to go over are the garden beds themselves. We researched many methods and ideas long before we actually built the beds, and from everything we read, we decided raised beds were the way to go. The beds were supposed to be 12" x 4", though ended up more like 12'x5', 12'x4.5', and 12'x4'. We were using wood given to us, so we can't complain! I will say however, that for me, at 5'4", it is much easier to work in the bed that was only 4' across. The very first bed I often had to step into to weed the very centre, which defeated one of the reasons we used raised beds in the first place. They are supposed to ensure you never have to walk in the bed; which means the soil is never compacted and remains light and airy. Also, by not having to make room for pathways, you can ignore the spacing given on the seed packaging, and grow your produce closer to the ideas set out in square foot gardening. This gives you greater yield in a smaller space.

As mentioned, we used wood given to us, and the beds ended up about 6" high. That is probably the lowest you'd want to make the beds, and I would recommend making them about 1' high. Not only is this easier on your back, but if the soil you are starting out with is not the best, then you can give your plants more nutrients by filling the beds with triple-mix (as we did) or other organic matter-rich combinations.

Wood is not the only thing you can make the beds out of; I've seen pictures of other materials used: bricks, concrete blocks, or you can even just pile the earth up without any type of retaining wall. We chose wood because although it will have to be replaced in 5-10 years as the wood rots, it gives up the opportunity to change up the layout later on, and is simply not as permanent. That is also why Chris constructed the arbours in wood and without nails; for the simple reason that they can be taken apart with relative ease.

As this post is becoming rather long, I'll leave it at this, and continue part two by discussing the arbours!

We've entered a contest!

2010-09-25T07:21:00.000-04:00

If finances were no object, we'd be most likely off the grid by now (or at least producing most of our own energy through wind and solar power), and would have implimented many other systems to make ourselves as self-sustaining as possible. These would be things such as a solar hot water heater, wood stove, and rain and greywater capturing systems.

But alas, all of these are quite large expenses, and ones we will continue to slowly work towards. Which is fine.

However, if the opportunity ever comes along to implement one of these ahead of schedule, then we would jump at the chance.

SoNice, a soy milk producer, is currently having a contest to do just that.

They are running a contest, for which the grand prize is $5,000! You simply write, in 300 words or less, how you would use the money to make yourself more sustainable and create a more organic world. You can find out more information here.

To see our entry and to vote for us, click here!

I love to see larger corporations get on board, and it's wonderful that they're giving the average person an opportunity to really make a difference. Check it out!

Silence

2010-09-24T13:54:00.000-04:00

I've forgotten what it is like to live in the city; and living in a small town often makes you take certain things for granted.

Silence, for instance.

I am visiting my family in Toronto, and last night had to step outside for a moment. Ignoring the fact that the night sky is a pale orange instead of black; and that stars are nowhere to be seen; I couldn't get over the noise!

I am not talking about the sound of cars or sirens, which though annoying; are to be expected when you live so close to a major road. It's the constant electrical hum: almost inaudible, but yet hits you to your very core. I don't remember hearing it when I lived here, and I bet most people don't even notice. But it takes leaving for a while to actually notice again.

And as far as taking things for granted, you forget how wonderful true silence it. And the noises we do hear just connect us to nature: birds chirping, the wind in the trees, cicadas rubbing their wings.

We truly are fortunate.

Preparing for the Holidays Part 1: Organization

2010-09-20T08:55:00.000-04:00

I have to apologise for my absence the last week or so; life has been a little chaotic! However, I plan to be back on track this week: I have many garden updates and other things to cover!

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I know some people will call me crazy for even thinking about the Winter Holidays, but the truth is every year I start early and full of confidence, and yet somewhere along the line I become cocky in my abilities and the amount of time I have left, and then I am left scrambling at the last minute to get everything done. Which usually means I am unable to finish everything I had wanted to, and end up vowing to start even earlier to following year. So here's to staying on track and on time!

The reason I am always pushing myself so hard to make so many gifts is because I believe it is just one more thing I can do to lesson our dependence on items and materials produced out of country and far from home. The less distance something has to travel to us, the less energy, money, and materials it takes for us to have it, which is just better all around.

I also understand that it is just not possible for everyone to make their own gifts. Even I will not be making all our gifts from scratch, but as many as I can. The rest I will try and find from local merchants. Again, by frequenting smaller, locally-owned businesses and tradespeople, less dependence is made on transporting foreign goods, and you are supporting your local economy.

But here's the rub: one argument I've heard is that we need to support the smaller, less-developed countries by purchasing their goods, and that without our patronage the people will be out of work, and therefor starve (in not so many words). Unfortunately that may be all well and true, however, I think as a global society we need to rethink the way global trade is done on a grand scale. Instead of buying t-shirts and plastic toys produced in these "less-developed," why not give them the means to support themselves independently, and then focus on obtaining all our goods and services close to home? I suppose that's just not good business.

But I don't really know enough nor want to get into that debate.

The second reason I want to make as many of the gifts ourselves is because I want our children to learn the importance and reason for giving a gift. I want them to learn that gifts are not given to show off wealth; or to see how much one can get. A gift is given because someone loves you, and they want to show you just how important you are to them. A gift that cost a lot of money is not any more valuable than one that did not; it is the thought, and reasons behind the gift that is important.

And what better way to show that then to give something that has taken much time and love to make. Better yet, if I can teach my sons a new skill or idea while I am at it, than it truly is a valuable gift!

We are very blessed to have family and friends that also think that way. I know when I make say, a pair of thrummed mittens, that it will be appreciated and cherished, and not looked down on that it was only a small gift.

So unless I run out of time or suddenly become ahead of schedule, this is what my Yule/Christmas gift list looks like:

To knit:
4 Hats (and perhaps at least 1 pair of mittens to match)
3 Bags
1 Set of knitted dolls to make the Fellowship of the Ring (that's 9 in total!)
1 Pair of socks
1 Baby blanket (which I started before Marcus was born, and have yet to finish)

To sew:
2 Knight costumes (a cape and vest each)
1 Shrug

Over the weekend I sorted through my yarn to see what could be used for any of the projects, and then ran out to our local yarn store to purchase what was missing. It's a little overwhelming to think of what all needs to be done, but I know it is all too easy to become obsessed with that and never get anything done. So on to knitting!

Sunday Bake of the Week: Helen's Zucchini Bread

2010-09-12T21:01:00.001-04:00

I actually did not think this post was going to happen. We got a last-minute phone call Friday night from my brother-in-law telling us that there was going to be a dinner for Opa's birthday, and we were invited to come stay the night at their place. We got back at 6:30 this evening, when I realised I had baked no bread or snacks for the coming week. So a quick batch of zucchini bread was in order!

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There are many dishes that I make that Chris considers the best he's ever had. My philly cheese steak sandwhiches, for example. But no matter what recipe I try or variations I attept, I have never been able to make a batch of zucchini bread that equals his mom's. So I finally got around to getting her recipe and though I hate to say it, it is by far the best zucchini bread I have ever made.

Helen's Zucchini Bread

makes 2 loaves

3 eggs

3 cups shredded zucchini (squeezed of excess liquid)

2 cups sugar

1 cup oil

2 tsp vanilla

3 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

In a large bowl, combine first five ingredient. In a seperate bowl, sift together the rest of the dry ingredients, and add to the zucchini batter.

Pour into 2 bread pans, and bake at 325 F for about an hour, or until the top is golden, and a toothpic inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Remove from bread pans, let cool on racks, and enjoy!

I finished her! Now should I start charging?

2010-09-09T10:21:00.000-04:00

This is truly a momentous occasion for me and my crafting: I have just completed not only my first Waldorf-style doll, but also my first complex set of patterns (because in truth, the doll and her clothes are multiple patterns, not just one giant one - thankfully!)

I find that my pattern-generation is pretty much all trial-and-error. I start out with an idea of what I think I want the end result to look like, and then I just jump ahead and start. Which means that for each article of clothing (I am not even going to talk about the doll Herself!) I probably started and restarted at least 4 or 5 times, if not more.

I even completely changed the original colours I was going to use, there was a beautiful goldenrod yellow I wanted, but in the end it just looked too bright and garish against the rest of the darker tones. So I think I'll save that colour for when I make her "summer" outfit (because yes, she is going to have a different outfit for each season - it's easier than making four different dolls! And that's not too bad, I was originally thinking of making one outfit for each Sabbat, which would have been a total of eight!), and made her shawl out of that beautiful garnet heather.

All the yarns used are natural fibres, most came from knitpicks, with the undyed wool from a large stash my grandmother gave me. I could be their spokes-woman. Which leads to a dilemmah I've been facing lately. When I created my first pattern (the mesh produce bag), I had the intention that all the patterns would be available free, for anyone who wanted to use them. It was a no-brainer decision, as I myself scour the internet for free patterns. Unless they're in a book or bought in a physical store, I almost never purchase patterns. So I wanted to give back to the community in any way I could.

Eventually my dream is to write a book on an entirely knitted nature corner through the seasons; but I will create most of those patterns with the purpose that they'll be in the book. So in the meantime any pattern I create will be offered free of charge.

But now I am at a crossroads. I was reading into the Indipendant Designer Program offered through knitpicks, and it got me thinking. Certainly not this doll (I'm saving her!), but my bag patterns may have a good chance of being selected. And if I could actually make money at doing this, perhaps it could become just one of the avenues I could take to support me staying home with the boys (that is, assuming there would be an interest in my patterns - I am taking a lot here for granted!). And the great thing about the IDP is that it is not exclusive, I could also sell my patterns on Ravelry or on the blog, too.

I've been told that the best way to be happy when it comes to careers is to find something you love, and then find a way to have it pay you. I think I may have, but my human side keeps winning over my business side. And I am constantly reminded of a message I received when I put my first pattern up on Ravelry; "thanks so much for making this available for free!" So here is my choice: continue to provide my patterns for free (I really have to go back now and finish writing the others I have) and contribute to the community; or begin researching the possibility of making an income off of them (at best I'll probably just cover the cost of my yarn, but hey, it's a start!). What do I do?!?!?

Playing with Photoshop

2010-09-07T19:19:00.000-04:00

For a while now I have been toying with the idea of revamping the blog. This is all in hopes that one day, I'll have enough interest and followers to warrant leaving blogspot and having a domain name of our own. I've been playing with photoshop over the last month or so, trying to come up with a colour scheme and feel for the blog that I like.

This has been a great learning experience for me. Up to this point, I've only used photoshop to do just that: to touch up photos here and there. I had never created anything from scratch.

Originally, my plan was to try and mimic the current background we have. I love the colours, I love the textures, but it just isn't as bright and whimsical as I will eventually want. So I've started this:

Now bear in mind this is the very first draft of the very background, and most will be hidden. In the foreground, probably coming right up to where the clouds end will be our fruit trees; underneath which I'll add the various fruits and vegetables we also grow. Hopefully I'll also be able to add some chickens running around too!

This was created with lots and lots (and lots!) of layers. Did I mention I used layers? I also discovered you can adjust the transparency of each tool, and not just the layers themselves. That helped a lot with the clouds. I probably deleted more than I saved, but so far, I like the way this is looking. As Chris observed, it has a very painterly quality about it (I would say ethereal, but hey, that's just me!).

I really enjoyed making this (though I have many more hours of work ahead of me!), it's been a long, long time since did anything artsy that didn't involved needles and yarn (or fondant). And it feels great to be back.

Sunday Bake of the Week: Doggy's Favorite Cake

2010-09-06T13:09:00.001-04:00

Each peach pear plum, my dog ate the plum cake; that little bum!

A good friend of ours used to make us the most delicious German apple cake whenever we came to visit. It was a nice, firm base, not too sweet, but just sweet enough, with fresh apple slices arranged on the top, and then a brown-sugar glaze poured over it all. It was to die for.

I used to make it all the time, but often I'd substitute peaches for the apples instead. This made the cake a little more moist, but equally yummy. So when my sister in law gave me some miniature black plums to use up, I thought I'd make the cake again, and have plums as well as peaches on the top.

When I was finished, it looked so good cooling on the counter - too good in fact - that my dog couldn't resist jumping up to the counter and eating the cake while we were upstairs! (Apparently my dog is taller than I thought!)

Luckily, I did take some pictures for the blog before the dog got to it, so at least I can share those.

Silly mutts!

Peach-Plum Cake

1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp butter
1/4 tsp salt

Combine above ingredients in a large bowl, and mix with a patsry blender (or your fingers) until it resembles course cornmeal. In a measuring cup, whisk together:

1 large egg
1/2 tbsp vanilla extract

And enough milk to make one cup. Add to the dry ingredients and mix to form a soft dough. Spread evenly in a 9" cake or pie pan, and top with:

4-6 large apples, pears, plums, or peaches, sliced

Make sure the pieces overlap and that none of the dough is visable. Next, sprinkle the fruit with 1/2 cup brown sugar mixed with 1/2 tsp cinnamon, and 3 tbsp melted butter.

Bake at 425 F for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Note: don't do what I did and forget to put a cookie sheet under the cake to catch any overflow of juices. I've never seen so much smoke in my kitchen!

Wierd Weather

2010-09-03T20:22:00.001-04:00

So for the last three days it's been so hot and humid that it's given me a headache. And without air conditioning, our house has been a lovely 28 degrees. Yet this morning, I woke up so cold that I had to put socks on, and ended up dressing the boys in long sleeves and pants! I just don't understand Mother Nature.

I was just reading the forums on CBC about Hurricane Earl, and it was mostly the same thing: people going on and on about how global warming is changing our storms, changing our weather, and how we are all to blame. I certainly believe we have had a part to play in the changes in climate, but I am unsure whether or not I believe we are completely at fault. If one looks at the Earth's history, it has gone through natural cycles of warming and cooling (think of the ice ages), as well as natural changes in CO2 levels. From the little bit I've read (science and history are interests of mine, though I would still love to learn more!), as I understand it the earth's atmosphere acts on a sort of pendulum effect; once it swings too far one way (ie., too much carbon dioxide in the air, thus causing global warming), it over-corrects itself (which leads to an ice age) time and again. Of course, this is super-over simplified, and lacking in all the subtle factors that lead up to or are caused by each extreme state, but the idea is that this has been going on for longer than we have existed on the planet (or even our direct ancestors for that matter), and will continue after we as a species have become extinct.

Though I may not agree that "global warming" is being cause entirely by us, I certainly believe we are speeding up the process. Our use of fossel fuels is releasing CO2 into the atmosphere at a rate much faster than they would naturally. To have the same amount of toxins and pollutants enter the air without us would require an event of catastrophic proportions: the errupting of several volcanos at once, for example.

So what does all this mean to us at home? We are so fortunate to live in an area seldom hit by natural disasters (though even our little ''safe'' neck of the woods was hit by both a tornado and an earthquake in one day - it sure made for interesting times!), but when I hear of all this disasters; earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, etc. increasing in strength and occurance, it makes me want to find even more ways to become completely self-reliant and sustainable. Even if not just for the benefit of ourselves, but for that of our children and future decendants. Chris and I both look to our home and property the way property was viewed back 50-100 years ago; we do not plan on selling our home in our lifetime, but instead it will be willed to our children, and hopefully, as the years and finances progress, we'll have the opportunity to purchase more land to increase our family's wealth. In the meantime, we're doing what we can to make our home as productive as possible.

The gardens have just been the first step. Our choices in food are also slowly changing, as we try to make as much as we can from scratch. When I finally get around to purchasing some essential oils, cleaning products will be the next thing to be made completely at home (we already use baking soda, vinegar and salt a lot), and eventually we'll try our hand at a home-made laundry detergent. Next year we should be getting our chickens, and after reading about the Garden Pool, I have started doing research to perhaps add a small fish pond ecosystem to our backyard, with water-cress and other aquatic plants acting as food and filtration for the fish. And apparently chicken manure also makes a great food for the algae that will feed the fish. (Yet another use for chicken manure we have discovered - chickens are such useful creatures!)

A pond certainly would be an interesting addition to the homestead! (Though I have no idea where we would fit it...)

Shopping saturdays and the lack of car

2010-09-01T08:35:00.003-04:00

It's September!!! Remember that heat wave I joked about a couple posts ago? We'll it's arrived....

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Something I have not talked very much about on here is our lack of vehicle. And when I say vehicle, I mean the gasoline-powered type. Ignoring that, we have many vehicles: bicycles, (both power-assisted and conventional), strollers, wagons... we are just lacking in the car variety.

When we lived in Toronto, this was not out of the ordinary at all. In fact, about half of the people we knew did not own a vehicle; with bikes, taxis, and public transit it was actually faster to get around the city than to try and fight with traffic. It suited our lifestyle just fine. When we moved to Penetang however, things got a little more complicated.

It is by no means easy living in a rural community without a long-distance vehicle. To get around town is fine; we live very close to downtown, so to run to the grocery or hardware store isn't a problem. But if we want to go to the doctors, or any of the larger stores in the adjacent down, we either cab it, or rely on friends and family to cart us over. Even attending family functions requires extra planning, as we have to figure out who has enough room in their vehicle to take 2 adults and 2 children in car seats. Often we have to split up.

All this is compounded in winter. During the summer, I can take the stroller or wagon where I need to, but winters in Penetang are something else when it comes to sheer snow accumulation. It is not hard to find snowbanks taller than I am, and the rest are at least 1 1/2-2 feet. Even though our wagon can convert to sled runners (a genius idea!), making it over the banks without toppling the cargo (groceries, boys, etc.) is tricky.

Our weekly grocery shop

Even with the challenges however, we wouldn't change it, at least for now. I am sure the time will come when we simply can no longer burden our relatives and friends to cart us around, and we'll have to bite the bullet and purchase a car. Chris says he holding out for a hydrogen-powered one (though I fear we'll have to purchase one before the infrastructure is in place to support those!), but we'll most likely have to settle on a regular gas-powered one, or a hybrid, at least.

But I am afraid that once we have a vehicle, we'll start using it more than necessary. Right now we walk/bike everywhere because we have to. Which is fine when you need to go to the library or store just blocks away. I am afraid that though at first we'll agree to only use the car for out of town visits, we'll then decide to use it for our weekly grocery shop. And then one day I'll realise I'm missing an ingredient, and use it to just run to the store. And because we've done that once... before we know it, anytime we go out, we'll be using the vehicle, even when the destination is well within walking distance. Because it's the easy way. Humans by nature will always take the easy way out, why else have we created tools and technology to make our daily lives easier and more efficient? But I am afraid that such a change to our lifestyle would actually be a disservice to us. Right now Chris bikes to work, and I walk where I need to. Ignoring the obvious financial benefits, it is such a benefit to our health, and we can keep peace of mind knowing it's one more thing we are doing to reduce our carbon footprint. But if we purchase a car...

...How could we have a vehicle, and yet maintain the willpower to not use it needlessly?

Sunday Bake of the Week: Naan

2010-08-29T19:14:00.000-04:00

Today for dinner I decided to make curry, a meal we love and one that I haven't made in probably close to six months (it's just been too darn hot!). But in our house if I am going to make curry, we have to do it right: basmati rice, raita for dipping, chai tea (for me at least!), and of course, naan bread to wrap the curry in. I've tried many recipes for naan, from the Joy of Cooking's version to my first attempt that was flour, water and salt, fried in a pan. Yes, it was as unappetizing as it sounds.

After lots of practise making yeast-risen bread, I finally came around to a recipe that is both easy, and tastes like it was just baked in a tandoori oven. Enjoy!

Naan Bread

3/4 cup warm water
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp active dry yeast
1 tbsp salt
6 tbsp plain yogurt
2 tbsp melted butter
about 3 cups of flour, or as much as you need to create a soft, pliable dough, but one that does not stick to your hands

In a small, non-metal bowl, dissolve the sugar in the water, then pour the yeast over the top, but do not stir it in. Leave it for about 15-20 minutes, until the yeast mixture has bubbles on the top.

Transfer yeast mixture to a larger bowl, and add salt and yogurt, and mix thoroughly. While stirring, add melted butter. Slowly add the flour, half a cup at a time, until the mixture is too hard to stir by hand. Pour dough onto a well floured surface, and begin kneading, still adding flour, until you have achieved the right consistency. Continue to knead for a total of 10 minutes. Form into a ball, and transfer into a well oiled bowl, turning once to coat all sides. Cover, and let stand to double in size (about 2 hours).

Preheat oven to 450 F. Remove dough from bowl, and cut into 8 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, and flatten to about 1 cm tall. Place on greased baking pans and bake for 5 minutes, flip, and bake for another 5 minutes. Cool on racks. If you want, you can also fry them just before you eat them in a little butter or oil, but it's not necessary.

Autumn Air

2010-08-26T14:44:00.001-04:00

Autumn has arrived. Though the leaves have not really begun to change, the signs are here, and you can feel it in the air.

The mornings now have that crispness that so remind me of my grade-school days, and for the first time this summer we are actually chilly when we step out of the shower. We've taken to wearing slippers and socks around the house (which we normally avoid at all costs - we truly are a barefoot family!), and even my cooking has changed.

I have the urge to bake more; this very morning I was up just after 6:00 to make a batch of our oatmeal chocolate-chip cookies and a bunch of squash tarts and a pie. I have also started making more heartier meals; and plan on making some stews and curries for next week's dinners; meals that were just too hot to eat during the summer. Even breakfasts now include hot cereals, though despite my best efforts I cannot make one from scratch that my boys like as much as the Quaker instant oatmeal.

I feel torn though: Autumn is by far my favourite season, yet now that we have the garden I am not sure I want Autumn to come. On one hand, I look forward to the frost in the morning, the crisp sweater-weather days, the blue-grey skies. Yet on the other hand, all those mean the end of our growing season, and that I am not happy about.

You can see the change in our garden already, the once vibrant light and dark greens are slowly being replaced by gold and brown tones:

Right next to a new flower is a sign of the decay to come:

The zucchini, acorn squash, and cucumber plants just about took over half our garden this year, but the yield of zucchinis and cucumbers was well worth it. We lost a lot of squash to blossom end rot this year, so hopefully with some more nutrients they'll do much better next year. Even still we'll get at least 4 or 5 when all is said and done, not bad for our first attempt!

Chris was disappointed in our tomato yield this year, and even as the last few cherry tomatoes cling to the plant, it is already dying:

My herbs however, did amazingly well; here the sage and basil plants threaten the whole bed!

Despite it being the end of the growing season for most of the vegetables, a few winter crops have just sprouted, such as these beets:

Chris dug up half of the potato plants a couple weeks ago, and the rest have just started falling over. They'll be ready to dig up soon!

After a shaky start and a war with some Japanese Beetles our little fruit trees are finally settling in well. We though that one of the cherries trees was dying on us, but it may have simply been a case of over-watering. So far they've done much better.

I am sure we'll have at least one more heat wave before the summer is officially over, but on our walk today the cool breeze coming in off the harbour was definitely not summer-like. The thought has put me in panic mode, as I begin to think of everything I want to accomplish before the next holiday; the Autumnal Equinox (September 22). I have the knitted creatures to finish for the nature corner, the shelf itself to finish, as well as plan for putting in the new floor in the playroom. This in addition to the harvesting and freezing/canning that must be done as the rest of the garden ripens for the last time!

Sunday Bake of the Week: Oatmeal Chocolate-Chip Cookies

2010-08-23T09:40:00.001-04:00

Ever since I came accross this recipe over a year ago, this cookie has become a snacking staple in our house. They're so easy to make, increadibly delicious (despite being chok full of oatmeal-goodness!), and even though this recipe makes about 60 1 1/2 inch cookies, they never seem to last very long!

And every time I make these cookies, I'm reminded of the old Pringles commercials.... "bet you can't eat just one!"

Oatmeal Chocolate-Chip Cookies

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 cup butter (the original calls for unsalted butter, but I've always used salted and had them turn out just fine!)
4 cups quick-cook oats
1 package (1-1 1/2 cups) chocolate chip

Combine the first 4 ingredients together in a very large bowl. Cut in butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla, and cream together with the flour mixture. The batter should still be fairly sticky. Add the chocolate chips and oatmeal. You'll be able to use a wooden spoon at first, but in order to have the oatmeal thoroughly combined you'll have to use you hands to mix the batter. Trust me, it's worth the messy hands.

If you need to you can add more oatmeal, but the cookies turn out better if the batter is still sort of sticky. It makes for crispier cookies. Shape the batter into small balls (about 1 1'2 inch in diametre) and place on a greased cookie sheet, and flatten them slightly with your palm. Bake for 14 minutes (or until they just start to turn golden) in an oven preheated to 350 F. Let cool on baking racks (if you can!), and enjoy!

I can usually get about 60 cookies or so, though it's hard to tell. The first batch is usually eaten before they're even cool, and each successive batch has several missing too!

Canning

2010-08-16T08:36:00.001-04:00

Saturday was the first canning day of the season, and was actually one of the most productives ones I've had yet (the bounty we've been harvesting from the garden certainly helped!). I made two preserves, tomato pasta sauce, and raspberry jam. We were interested to see just how much jam we got this year compared to last, as we were pretty sure we had more raspberry canes come up. As it turns out, we got about 10 cups of raspberries last year, and this year, a little over 15! (Not to mention all the berries we ate straight off the bush!)

15 cups of ruby yumminess!

I was a little hesistant to make the pasta sauce, as all my attempt in the past to do so never turned out as good as I'd like. They were either to bland, or bitter, and could just never compare with store-bought sauce. Mind you, I was always using vegetables I bought at the store, so perhaps that was the difference right there. Either way, this is some of the best sauce we've ever had, and is so full of good-for-you veggies (partially hidden for those pickier eaters!) that other than meatballs, nothing has to be added!

This recipe of course yeilds a large amount, but could be cut down to make one or two servings only. And the vegetables used just happened to be the ones that are in season from our garden, so you can pretty much adjust and add/remove depending on what you have available, or what your family's tastes are like. I would have liked to add green peppers as well, but ours just weren't big enough yet. So I'm saving them for salsa.

At the end of the day, we had 4 litres of pasta sauce, and a little over 3 litres of raspberry jam. I would say it was a success! Next week I'll be making my own salsa, and snap bean pickles!

Hearty Tomato Pasta Sauce

4 medium onions, diced
2 handfuls fresh basil, diced
1 bulb of garlic, crushed
6 large mushrooms, diced
5 large swiss chard stems and leaves, diced
1 large, or two medium zucchinis, peeled, seeded, cut into eighths and thinly sliced (if the zucchini is small enough, peeling and seeding is not necissary)
6 medium tomatoes, core removed and diced (or in our case, 9 little ones!)
3 large carrots, shredded
3 tbsp salt
2 156ml cans tomato paste
1 796ml can of crushed tomatoes
1 796ml can of diced tomatoes
1/4 cup sugar

Using a large pot (I mean very large!) saute everything but the tomatoes in a little olive oil and water until the onions go transparent. Add the tomatoes, and simmer over low heat for 2-3 hours. Transfer to mason jars or freezer containers. If canning, boil jars for 20 minutes before storing. This yeilds enough to fill 8 500ml jars, with a little left over.

Sunday Bake of the Week: Marshmellow Mixed-Berry Pie

2010-08-16T08:01:00.002-04:00

Lucien is a huge fan of Maurice Sendak's "Little Bear." And for over a year now, he's gone on about how he wants to make marshmellow mixed-berry pie; a dessert Mother Bear makes often. He even calls our raspberries "marmallows" because he knows they go into the pie. So when I was at our farmer's market yesterday, I was able to pick up a cup of blackberries, and thought I'd finally give the dessert a try. I wasn't too sure how it would taste to have cooked marshmellow in with a berry pie, but the end result was actually quite pleasant. Instead of there being clumps of marshmellow (which I thought would happen), the berry filling got an interesting caramel flavour. All around this experiment was a success, and one recipe that I'll be making again for sure!

I am not quite sure what happened with this photo, I think something was stuck on the camera lense...

Little Bear's Marshmellow Mixed-Berry Pie

1 heaping cup blackberries
2 heaping cups raspberries
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tbps lemon juice
10 large marshmellows, broken into small pieces (or the equivilent of small ones)
2 tbsp raspberry jam
2 tbsp corn starch

Make ahead your favourite pastry dough, set in fridge to chill. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl, and allow to sit for about 10 minutes, until the berries start to release their juice. While filling is sitting, roll out dough and place in a 9-inch pie pan. Pour filling into pie crust, and using strips of dough, form a lattice accross the top. Trim excess dough from the sides, and flute the edges to secure top and bottom layers.

Bake in a pre-heated oven at 350 F for about 35 minutes, or until the crust is golden, and the filling has started bubbling (don't forget to place a large cookie sheet underneith to catch any drippings - or you have a horrible mess to deal with!).

This is a pie that is best left to cool completely before cutting, but is well worth the wait. Thanks Little Bear!

I love old houses!

2010-08-14T15:55:00.001-04:00

We are fortunate enough to have very little carpet in our house, but the carpet we do have drives me to distraction. It's hard to keep clean, looks dreadful, and somehow seems to draw every single piece of pet hair towards it like a magnet. And being in the process of house-training a puppy certainly doesn't help, either. It's a good thing we don't have much.

Where we do have carpet is the stairs, upstairs hallway, playroom, and front sunroom. The sunroom isn't too bad, as we rarely go in there (it's still the catch-all of unpacked boxes - one year later!), but whoever decided that white carpet was a good idea not only in a playroom (that is what the previous owners used the room as like us), but in the only room with a door to the backyard; I want to throttle.

So needless to say, I've been looking for any excuse to replace ALL the carpet in the house. Though Chris does not share my loathing for carpet, he has been kind enough to humour me, and last weekend we just went out and purchased enough laminate (in a beautiful rosewood colour) to refloor the playroom. But that still left the stairs, and hallway.

It has been our suspicion that the upstairs hallway at least, perhaps even the stairs, had hardwood underneith the carpet, as the upstairs bedrooms all have what looks like the original flooring. But with carpet as old as we have, there was no telling if that was the case, or if it was hardwood, what shape it would be in. But yesterday I finally went ahead and took up the carpet; if only to discover what we were dealing with. And I found this:

Sure, it needs to be sanded down, the white paint splatters washed off, and there is a spot right in the middle where a previous owner tried to cover a grate-hole with plaster. But it's beautiful! Chris wasn't as impressed, he just remarked that the baseboards now need to be replaced, and the wood needs to be refinished, but I believe in it's potential. I love the old worn look, it makes me wonder how many people and generations have walked across that floor. And yes, the floor is stained a different colour from the bedrooms;

But with a little sweat equity, look how nice they turned out:

I just love old houses!

My first Waldorf-inspired Doll!

2010-08-11T17:52:00.001-04:00

I finally did it! I made my first Waldorf-inspired doll! She reprisents Mother Nature, and I designed the pattern myself to go in our Nature Corner. She is completely knit, and I'll be posting the pattern as a free download as soon as I finish her clothes. I gave myself the deadline of Sept 20th to finish her (clothes and all), though I'd also like to have some more mushroom-children and perhaps some acorn ones finished as well.

I am making her so she'll have a new outfit every season (basing her clothing off 18th century patterns), and then by December 20th I want to have Father Time finished; wearing the outfit of King Winter.

If I want it all done though, I better stop typing and start knitting!

Another pattern that will be posted soon is another market produce bag; I'm almost finished!

This last shot was supposed to show the detail of the braided bun, but the camera focused instead on my husband's painting. I'll take some more photos when her clothes are done!

Fruit trees and play!

2010-08-10T18:43:00.003-04:00

Edit: Chris suggested I try new batteries in the camera, and lo and behold, it fixed the problem. Who knew it would be so simple! So as promised, here are some pictures with better lighting...

I think our camera is dying. Everytime I take a picture outside, or anywhere where there is a strong light source, the lighting turns out bright pink - and looks as if someone has increased the saturation. I've played with the settings and adjusted the flash, but nothing seems to work. So unfortunatly, until Chris or I can fix it, there will not be any more pictures on the blog. Oh the horror!

Of course, the camera died before I was able to take better pictures of the trees.

Oh, that's right, the trees! I havn't yet talked about our trees!

Last week, we got our first fruit trees! Chris and I have been talking about adding fruit trees to the property almost since the day we bought it, and they are just one more step on our journey to self-sustainability. With fruit trees we get the obvious fresh fruit, but also all our own home-made jams, pies, ice-cream syrops, apple butters... my mouth is watering just at the thought of it!

Our cherries to the left and centre, the plum to the right.

Our little pear tree

I want it noted that the poor quality of these pictures is because in my excitement to have photos the day after we planted them, I took this pictures at 6:15 in the morning....

Originally our plan was to plant three apple (one early, mid, and late harvest), one pear and one peach. After some research, we found out our climate wasn't well suited for peach, so we started looking at cherries instead. We'd found a self-polinating variety, but then decided two apples would be sufficient, so we started looking at other types of fruit. Chris suggested plum, so again we started looking at self-polinating varieties.
Then last week I called aroound to our local nurseries and discovered one was having a sale on fruit trees, but that their supplies were dwindling. When Chris got to the nursery he discovered they had no self-polinating cherry varieties, so we ended up with two cherries, one golden plum, and a pear tree. They didn't have any apple trees left, so we're looking at another couple nurseries and if they are out as well, we will have to wait until the spring to plant them.

The types of apples we want to plant are MacIntosh (a proudly Canadian creation!) and Gala, one soft and great for baking, and one more firm for taking in lunches, but both tasty in their own ways.

For me, planting our fruit trees is an important milestone. The gardens are a huge addition to our home, but theres is just something permament about planting a tree. If they do well, they will be a lasting gift for future genrations. And thats why this is really important to me; this is just one of many ways we can better the lives of our children in the years to come.

--------------------------------------------------

Another thought that crossed my mind is how amazing is the imagination of a child. Lucien has many toys, in all shapes, sizes and functions, yet it is with the toys of no specific purpose that he has the most enjoyment.

Just recently I went through the toy room to clear out toys that had long been abandoned, or toys that I was just not happy with (you know, the cleap plastic toys that come from fast-food children's meals? I have no idea how he ended up with so many - we rarely eat out!). As I was doing so, I put front and centre his wooden blocks, lego, and dress-up clothes. To my delight I walked into the playroom the other day to see he had made several small "towers" of mega blocks, in varying hights. As I watched him, I heard him refer to the 4 small ones as Frodo, Sam, Pippen and Merry, then a larger one was Strider, and another one Gandalf. He was playing Lord of the Rings! Later on, he had built a tower so tall he had to stand on the coffee table to reach the top (the one time we did not reprimand him from standing on the table), and that was the Balrog.

He also makes his wooden blocks into pirate ships and mountains, and the little wagon that houses the blocks is his skateboard. Chris remarked once that one of the best presents he and his brothers ever recieved was a set of two-by-fours that his father had cut into various lengths and sanded down. I too remember hours of playing "sidestreet, mainstreet" with my dad, using blocks as both the roadways and the houses.

By making toys so specific in purpose, I fear we are in fact robbing our children of their creativity. If a toy car is a car, then the child has no other options. But a block can be a car one day, a loaf of bread the next (I used to do this all the time when my siblings and I played pioneers) or just a plain old block of wood, to be used in building any object they need.

And the things they come up with! It's so amazing; you can practically see new neural pathways being formed each time they play!

Sunday Bake of the Week: Beef Burgers and Buns

2010-08-09T10:07:00.003-04:00

Okay, so I am probably the worst person in the world for time management. And something that has supposed to have been posted weekly has been more like every 10 days or so. So I am going to be strict with myself, and say that the Bake of the Week is going to be posted every Sunday. It may be at 11 o'clock Sunday night - but it will be done on Sunday!

So my apologies to everyone who thus far was expecting a weekly post; expect it now each Sunday!

Beef Burgers and Home-made Buns

I have been making our hamburgers from scratch for years now, but never actually took the time to measure out what I was adding. I thought it would be fun to see exactly what and how much goes into these delicious burgers. Because of the flavour of the meat itself, we never feel the need to add BBQ sauce when we cook them, but you can experiment with the taste.

As for buns, they had been one of the baked goods I had never tried. I don't know why. I think I had this idea in my mind that they would be terribly difficult to make, which as it turns out was completely untrue. They are no more difficult to make than bread (and actually take much less time!). And unlike the bread with it’s hearty crust, these buns turn out beautifully soft, with a nice golden top.

Both recipes make 12 good sized burgers and buns.

Burger Buns:

In a large bowl, dissolve 1 tsp sugar in 1 cup warm water. Mix in 1 package (2 ¼ tsp) yeast, and let stand 10 minutes. While you’re waiting, combine in a saucepan 1 cup milk, 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp sugar, 1 ½ tsp salt, and 2 tbsp butter. Heat over low heat until the butter is dissolved, and remove from heat.

Once milk mixture has cooled to lukewarm, add to the yeast. Slowly mix in 3 cups of all-purpose flour, one cup at a time, until the mixture is smooth. Transfer to a well-floured surface and continue to slowly add one more cup of flour (or how much is necessary to make the dough no longer stick to your hands), and knead the dough for 10 minutes.

Form dough into a ball and place in a bowl coated lightly with olive oil, turning once to coat the entire ball with oil. Cover, and let stand in a warm, draft-free place for 1 ½ hours.

After dough has risen, punch it down and on a floured surface, roll into a log. Cut the log into 12 pieces, and shape each piece into small ball, stretching and pulling the top of the ball under, so that the top is nice and smooth. Place onto cookie sheets that have been sprinkled with cornmeal, and flatten each ball slightly. Let rise for one more hour.

Preheat the oven to 400 F, and while it is preheating, mix 1 egg yolk with 1 tbsp water. Brush the tops of the buns with the egg, and bake for 20-25 minutes, until the buns are golden and the bottoms sound hollow when tapped. Transfer to cooling racks, and enjoy!

Unlike hamburger buns from the store, these are also great as a replacement for toast or bagels, and with a bit of melted cheese, work great for snacks too!

Beef Burgers:

1.25 kg lean ground beef
1 medium sized onion
1 egg (plus the leftover egg white from the buns)
1 tbsp Worchestershire sauce
½ cup course breadcrumbs (I find sourdough ones the tastiest)
Salt and pepper to taste

Dice onions as fine as possible, and in a large bowl, combine with all ingredients (there does not have to be a specific order to the way ingredients are adding, just throw them all in!). Using your hands (yes, you have to use your hands – using a fork or any type of mixer just doesn’t get it as thoroughly combined) squish the ingredients together – you want everything as mashed as possible!

Divide the mixture into 12 patties, I try to make each patty as flat as possible without breaking as I find once they cook they tend to come together and get higher but not as wide. I’ve never been able to figure out why they do that.

Cook them in a frying pan or on the BBQ, either way works well. I also freeze the patties I will not be using right away; just put wax paper between the patties and store in an airtight container or zip-lock bag.

Rainbows to chase grey skies

2010-08-06T14:13:00.002-04:00

Last week we implemented a new part to our daily routine; Craft and Art Time. For the most part it has just been Lucien and I drawing with crayons, but I am wanting to get into some other activities as well.

After reading a post by FroggyMama, I got the inspiration to create some rainbow fairies of our very own! Using food colouring and yes, those are baby wipes, we first dyed all the sheets in the primary colours.

Then we overdyed half of the sheets to create the secondary colours, and when we were done, ended up with 12 sheets in red, blue, yellow, green orange and purple. One colour each for mom and Lucien.

Of course, the moment I hung them on the line the grey skies opened up, and we had to rush to hang them in the bathroom.

It took them a full day to dry, so the next day's activity was to create the little fairies. Lucien was able to help scrunch up the wool for the heads, but after two quickly lost interest. Lego was more important!

I used some dogwood left over from the Holiday Wreath I made last year, and I think it made for a very nice centrepiece! Mind you it wont stay, as soon as I have the shelf up for my Nature Corner, I think I shall move it there.

Changes to Bake of the Week

2010-08-05T10:17:00.002-04:00

I was trying to think of a way I could archive old Bake of the Week posts, and with the seperate page, that just doesn't work. So I'll be making them as blog posts, but then linking to each post on the seperate "Bake of the Week" page. So to start things off, here is the post from last week:

Cheese and Spinach (in our case, Swiss Chard) Scones
Adapted from the Joy of Cooking

Mix together until it becomes the texture of cornmeal:
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
4-6 tablespoons butter (or a combination of butter and shortening)

Mix in 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese, and 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh spinach or swiss chard

Make a well in the centre, and add quickly 3/4 cups milk, and still until the dough just starts to come away from the sides of the bowl.

Scrap out the dough and place on a well floured surface. After thoroughly dusting your hands with flour, begin to knead the dough, adding more flour if neccisary until the dough no longer sticks to your hands.

Roll out to 1/2 inch thick, and cut into small rounds (about 1 1/2 inches in diametre). At this point it is recommended, though not neccisary, to brush the tops with milk or melted butter. This gives the scones a beautiful golden glazed look. Place scones on a cookie sheet, and bake at 450 F for about 12-15 minutes.

Very yummy, and if stored in an airtight container, will keep for almost a week in the cupboard!

Stubborness...

2010-08-03T13:11:00.001-04:00

As a mother, I am slowly realising (after being beaten over the head several hundred times by my beloved partner!) that children thrive on routine. They are miniature creatures of habit, and find comfort and confidance in knowing that their little world works and stays the same. Why else do they act out, or have drastic changes in attitude and behaviour when their world as they see it, comes crashing down? (Such as the birth of a sibling, or moving to a new house.)

Routine is something that I struggle with, and always have. By nature, I am a spontanious individual; whether it is a product of my chaotic and inconsistant childhood, or just who I am, I rebel against routine with every fibre of my being. I need the excitement, and even the craziness that routine tends to suppress. And it's not just routine of doing certain things at certain times, I even have an innability to always put certain things in the same place everytime; my purse, for example. (Which always leads to a panic of "Where is my purse?" each time we leave the house.) I know Chris has long had issues with my lack of routine, as he also needs routine and consistancy to be truly happy in his life. But as a couple without children, we just dealt with it. I brought excitement and spark to our lives, and he kept us grounded. Now that we have the boys however, I am slowly (and occasionally doing so kicking and screaming!) coming around to the idea that routine is something very important to have in the lives of children.

I am also realising that routine does not mean you do the exact same thing, everyday. Instead, certain important daily milestones, such as nap, meal, or bedtimes occur at the same time of day or night.

I have tried to install new routines in our home several times in the past, but I always tried to completely revamp the way we did things. In the end they became failures as I could not adjust to all the changes, gave up entirely, and went back to the chaos that was before.

So like all new things, I've had to go about it in baby steps. Two weeks ago, I started by making sure the mealtimes were consistant: breakfast was at 7:30, snack at 9:30-10, lunch at 12, nap at 1:00, snack again at 3:00 (or whenever Lucien wakes up from nap), and finally dinner at 5-5:30. Lucien's bedtime was always supposed to be at 8 o'clock, but before we always struggled getting him down before 9. Since making meal and naptimes the same time, everday, we've barely had a fuss from him. We start toy cleanup at 7:00 (which has had the added benefit of getting him involved with chores), bath/shower at 7:30, and by quarter to 8 we're in bed, reading stories. Most of the time I don't leave the bedroom until 8:15, but we're getting there.

Then last week I started doing my cleaning first thing in the morning after breakfast. With only short interruptions for snack time, I do my best to have all the day's cleaning/chores done before lunch. Except of course laundry, which I never seem to see the end of!

All together, I think this has had a greater impact on myself than anyone else. By the time I get a chance to rest and relax after Lucien has gone to sleep, the house is always clean and tidy, and I feel better knowing that I don't have to catch up on a million things the next day.

The positive effects have also been noticable on Lucien. Nap and bed times are no longer the fight they once were, and all around he is just a more well behaved child. I know it's still early, but I think routine and consistancy of schedule is slowly creeping in to other aspects of our lives. In respect to dissipline, having a routine is also helping me with being consistant in parenting in general. If Lucien knows before he does something what kind of consequence he'll face, he's more likely to think twice about his behaviour. And if he makes mistakes, it will be no surprise what the result will be. Parents it seem, just need to be more like hobbits:

"...you could tell what a Baggins would say on any question without the bother of asking him."

I am always complaining too, that I never have the time in a day, a week, to get in everything I'd like to do done. With this routine, I'm finding that times like now, when both boys are sleeping, I have the opportunity to work on the blog, my knitting, or my artwork. I get a little me-time. On top of that; this week I am adding in a regular craft time, just after afternoon snack, for Lucien and I.

I wanted time to work with Lucien on his ABC's and numbers, and to explore colours and shapes, but before could just never fit it in. It doesn't have to be long, I figure if I can squeeze in half an hour, or 40 minutes focusing on this, then we're doing great!

All-in-all, for someone who is so easily distracted, this is going well. I do not become overwhelmed with the chores, and I find more time to just enjoy being a mom. I do worry what will happen once I have to go back to work, but I suppose once this routine becomes second nature, it will be much easier to adapt.

Growing awarenes

2010-07-31T14:52:00.000-04:00

It's funny how your perception of when harvest time is changes once you actually have a garden. For my own part, I always thought of late August onward as harvest time; and have images of farmers toiling in golden fields, or in large gardens full of rich green bounty with Autumn leaves hanging overhead.

Our own experience so far has been somewhat different. As early as May we were able to harvest the first few crops of radishes and beets, and we also started trimming the tops of the cooking onions to use in salads and as garnishes. June came and suddenly we had lettuce, green beans, swiss chard, and raspberries. Then this past month our zucchini plants have exploded with new growth, almost daily Chris has been finding and harvesting squash that are all well over 5 lbs each! Our cucumbers too have been very productive, and from the amount of blooms still on the vines, it doesn't show signs of ceasing production any time soon. Carrots too, I am now able to start uprooting, though I have to work my way through the bed, only taking the largest ones as many are still too immature.

Zucchini, being grated and prepared for freezing

Many of the vegetables are still not ready for harvesting; the acorn squash are just starting to become the right size, the peppers are still tiny, or not formed at all, and our tomatoes are still green. Chris dug up one of the potato plants to see if they were ready to harvest (as the plants had all started to fall over), but most of the potatoes were still just forming. We managed to get 5 good sized tubers off that plant, so we'll leave the other 7 plants until Autumn.

I had the idea (I really don't know why!) that all the plants would mature around the same time for harvest, and that come Autumn, all the beds would be full of an assortment of ready-to-eat goodies. And though there are some beds that the vegetables have completely taken over, some like the onion and potato bed are now half empty: Chris just harvested all the onions last week! All 70+ of them are currently hanging in nice braids in the kitched, drying out, preparing for storage. But now the very front garden bed has a gaping hole in it! Not a problem really, we just need to decide now what to do with the space! Should we leave it bare, and prepare it for the Winter, or try to get another quick crop in before the frost hits. Not quite sure at this point.

The amazing thing though, about all the vegetables riping at different times, is that we've had such a bounty and variety of rich things to eat the last two months. And last week, I prepared my first meal, completely either from scratch (like the home-made hamburgers) or from our garden (grilled zucchini with roasted potatoes, onions, carrots, and garlic).

The taste was just amazing; I purposly left out any seasonings - and it just didn't need it! In fact, the meal prompted a whole discussion between Chris and I about commercially-produced meals, and how we are now more concerned about what additives are put in to give flavour (such as MSG). Our tastes are changing; as we realise that food can have a few, simple flavours, and yet remain delicious. It's all about quality. I do not need to add a lot of salt or other seasonings, just enough to compliment and let the flavours of the vegetables take centre stage.

Nature Corner

2010-07-22T08:38:00.004-04:00

A big part of the sacrifices we have made over the past few years, and the changes to our lifestyle we have adopted have been for our children. Most of them have not been any easier, but we have made them for the simple fact that we are offering our sons a better life because of it. We do our part socially, economically, and environmentally so that they may have a brighter and more rewarding future.

Our sons will know the meaning of living sustainably; of how to live frugally; and where their food comes from. Often times we are teased for going about things the hard way, but we can rest assured that our boys will understand that the best things in life come after working hard for them. This usually means not using electricity or tools with an outside power source, but they will learn that they can take pride in what their hands create. That there is almost nothing better than the satisfaction of accomplishing a difficult task, and being able to reap the rewards thereafter.

Knitted mushrooms, for Autumn

Yet I have my own personal reasons for wanting my children to live this way. In doing so, I am connecting them closer to nature, and Mother Earth. Though my religious and spiritual beliefs have soften somewhat over the past few years, I still have a great Reverence for the natural world, and want both Lucien and Marcus to learn respect and have a love for natures rhythms.

Part of how I will bring the natural world into our home is through a nature table, or nature corner. This is something I learnt while attending elementary school at the Alan Howard Waldorf School. It is simply a small shelf or table, where each season or holiday is set a different scene. Little creatures or spirits can be sewn (or in my case, knitted) to represent different aspects of the season (such as flower children for Spring, or Autumn leaf fairies), and organic matter brought from outside, like branches, pine corns, or acorns.

The table should be set up within reach of the children so they can help set up each season, or play while they are learning about the natural world. For me this is important as we will celebrate harvest time, the Winter and Summer Solstices, planting season, and the new year. As they get older, they will be able to help create the scenes, and it will become a focal point of their nature education.

Shiver me Timbers!

2010-07-13T15:57:00.009-04:00

Imagine the best pirate voice you ever did hear...

Hallo me hearties! Mommy-pirate here, and I'm gonna regail you with such a tale as to make your head swim like th' fishes! It all started last Sunday, when a wee pirate, Captain Lucien, decided he wanted to throw a deck party for all his skurvy dogs on account of it being the day I did birthin' him.

His own pirate prize, that me and his pirate-king father did see fit to give him was a set of brand new slops, fashioned after the greatest of all pirates, Captain Jack Sparrow (at least as far as the wee lad is concerned!) complete with tricorn, linen pirate shirt, and many belts to hold fast his saber!

So we hoisted the anchor, raised the main sail hull, and took off to the grandest party you ever did see! There was much lootin' and pillaging and all 'round debauchery. We showed those landlubbers how to party! Yarr!!!!

We brought out plenty of grub and grog, enough to have everyone three sheets to the wind, and our cook even prepared a cake with the pirate Sparrow taking on the British Surprise!

And what would a pirate party be without a treasure hunt! All the scallywags came out to search, and after finding loot enough to kit out the Royal Navy, they at last found their prize: a chest full of [chocolate] gold!

Even our more gentler guests got into the spirit of it, and Captain Lucien made off with all sorts of pirate-themed swag!

All around it was a grand affair, and lasted well past nine bells! After all, it was have fun, or walk the plank!!!

Bake of the Week

2010-07-13T12:30:00.004-04:00

I've started a new addition to the blog; a weekly post entitled "Bake of the Week." I started a new page to cover it, though I think the topic should be pretty self-evident. To access, simply click the image to the right, I am working on getting a better one soon!

Bon Apetit!

Dealing with loss

2010-07-08T11:47:00.003-04:00

This is a post that was supposed to be completed back on the 16th of May, but just didn't have the heart to finish. The feeling of loss is still there, but its faded now from an overwhelming sadness to a almost an inaudible crack in my heart, an empty sort of whole that just sits there. We havn't had much luck with a surveyer yet, but at any rate, to have a survey done (which must happen in order for us to pursue any sort of recourse with our neighbour) will set us back about $1,000.00; no small sum. I think we are trying to just forget it ever happened, which is near impossible: to walk in our backyard and see the stump, and the glaring heat on our deck, which at one time was mostly shade. I still don't fully know how to describe how this has left us....

We lost a member of the homestead yesterday.

Both Chris and I were awoken to the sound of chainsaws and powertools, which is really nothing of note for a Summer Saturday morning. We got up, and went about our morning routine without giving it much thought, other than for me to post on Facebook "I wonder what poor tree is being mutilated/destroyed outside..." It wasn't until Chris went outside to let our dog out back that he came back in, fuming.

Apparently the tree was one of the large, 100 ft tall, 100 year old maples that straddled the border between our backyard and our neighbour's.

There was no warning, no consultation with us. And because we do not have a survey of where the property line actually is, so far it looks as if we cannot do a darn thing about it. Chris went right away to go talk to them, but our neighbour was not home, it was his father overseeing the job. And because it was a Saturday, we were unable to contact our municipality, or a by-law officer. In desperation, Chris phoned the OPP, hoping to just get some information, but even after talking to a couple officers, all they could tell us was that it was a civil issue (which we knew!).

Now it's Sunday, and every time I look out the back I am overwhelmed with grief. That tree provided so much shade to our yard (the deck is now almost unbearable at noontime), not to mention privacy and noise reduction from a major street. I am so upset - cutting down that tree just seemed so random and senseless - it will be a lifetime before another one will ever be that big.

I can understand if they were afraid of it rotting and falling on their house (which could have been a possibility, though so far none of the branches I've seen so far looked like they had any rot whatsoever), but the fact that they did not even mention it to us, let alone get our permission just galls me. But apparently, in the town of Penetanguishene, you do not need a permit to cut down a tree, no matter how large. All you need it to have a licenced arborest take it down. Chris even went over to ask what was happenening with the wood, but it's already been sold. We shall see. I need to talk to the town on Monday, and see what recourse we have, if any. Even without a proper survey, the trunk was so large, and because of the position, there is no doubt that it falls on our property as well as theirs. But it is looking more like it may have been entirely on ours....

Garden Update...

2010-07-07T16:28:00.003-04:00

Since it has been so long since I posted, I figured I should show how everything is growing!

We have already harvested all the radishes and beets, and planted a second harvest, and the cooking onion tops have started to fall over, and will soon be reading for harvesting as well.

The raspberries are coming in larger than ever (as are the cucumber, acorn squash, and zucchini plants - we can hardly get by the path now!), but perhaps the most exciting thing is that Chris dug up our first potato! He just wanted to see if any were growing, and sure enough, they're huge!

Furry Companions...

2010-07-07T10:37:00.007-04:00

I know a post is long overdue, and I apologise.

Part of what's kept me busy and away from the computer, has been a new addition to our family; Norah. She is a 15 week old Siberian Husky/German Shepherd cross, and we've had her now for just over a month.

I have wanted to write a post about her, and all the wonderful changes that have happened to our family since the last time I posted, but I would be lying if I said it was just the family and housework that kept me from writing. To be perfectly honest, I wanted to write about Norah, but was finding it very hard to find any positive things to write about the whole experience.

When we first moved back to Penetanguishene from Toronto, Chris started talking about getting a second dog. Not right away, but he wanted one before our current dog, Lexxy, got too old: he wanted her to teach and train the new pup with all the positive behaviours she has, such as her playful yet gentle nature with the children, her abilities as a guard dog, as well as her wonderful sense not to close her mouth if your hand or any body part is near it.

When we started to look for a house of our own, I promised Chris we could get a new dog then, as she would be 9 years old, and we would actually have the room for two of them. Well that date came and went, and when we found out that I would be on maternity leave, we thought that would be a great time to start looking, as that would mean someone would be home with the puppy 24/7. We had a couple leads, both which fell through, and throughout the disappointments we kept telling ourselves that we were waiting for the right one. Finally, through Kijiji, I saw a post about a litter of puppies that were Shepherd crosses. The information looked promising, and after contacting the owner, decided that we had found "the right one." She was born and raised in a family with similar views about dogs as our own, and it sounded like their human "mother" was as enamoured and crazy about her dogs as Chris himself; it would be a good match.

Yet once we made the decision, and had confirmed plans to go pick her up, I started dreading the whole situation. Marcus by that point was only just under two months old himself, and I knew that having now a newborn, toddler, and a young puppy was going to be a LOT of work.

Needless to say, it was, and still is, a lot of work. Trying to potty train a 3 year old, as well as house train a puppy all at once is probably not the smartest of ideas.

Yet I have learned more already from this new puppy than I could have ever imagined.

It is only too easy to see the difficulty in life; to only dwell on what is hard work, and inconvenient. It is easy to complain. And for my part, I do not think I was even willing to give her a chance. I wanted my life to be simpler again, and back to how it was. I was not ready for change. I started looking at everything that I felt went wrong in my day, and placed the blame and anger onto her little shoulders. It was not fair to her, it was not fair to me, it was not fair to my family.

In not being able to see past my own frustrations, and my feelings of being overwhelmed, I failed to see the joy she had brought to our family.

Lucien has a new companion. She has taught his little hands, often over-excited and careless, that they have to be gentle and caring. Our home is now constantly bright with the sound of his squeals and laughter as he devises new games to play with his dog. Even the mischief they get into has been rewarding, as I can almost see the neurons forming as he plans new and more devious ways to get around locks and closed doors, all the while Norah patiently standing behind him; awaiting the spoils of their working together.

Even our old girl Lexxy, now in her tenth year, acts more like a puppy than I have ever seen before. The two play almost all day, running up the stairs, then down, or out in the yard, chasing, wrestling... Lexxy is also learning proper dog etiquette - she no longer barks non-stop when playing, but instead only lets out the odd one to emphasise a point.

Chris is of course loving having two dogs around. I know this has been a dream of his for a long time, and he is beyond happy to have that dream finally realized. Even I, against what I thought possible, have developed a soft spot for her. At the end of the day, when I finally have the chance to sit, exhausted, she is never far - often her favourite spot is right at my feet, her soft fur gently pushed up against my skin.

The warmth and love that our pets bring to our home is something that should never be overlooked. For a dogs love is truly unconditional; what other being is so excited, no matter what the day, no matter what has happened, to simply see you walk in the door, no words or actions needed. When the day has been long, or fraught with sadness, a simple head in the lap, or a few friendly kisses, are all that is needed to lift the spirits, and tell you that you are home.

I for one, must never forget that. No matter how troubling the days are, no matter how tired your back is, or your hands are worn. No matter how alone you feel, or isolated in your thoughts; there is someone who loves you, and his happy to be with you, for the simple fact of being with you, no strings attached.

Welcome Norah, and may we have many happy and fun-filled years together as a family.

First harvest

2010-05-22T21:37:00.005-04:00

We have new neighbours! Sure they may be of the small, furry variety, but it's still exciting!

I am sitting here in our playroom feeding Marcus, staring out the patio doors at our backyard, and just noticed a group of black squirrels playing in one of our trees (which caught my attention, as I've never seen 5 squirrels staying together on the same branches at one time - and not be fighting!). Then I see them go in and out of a hole in the trunk. And then I notice that two of them are babies, probably from this year!. I don't know why I found that so exciting, but I love that our property is now providing a home to two families! It just caught me by such surprise that I thought I'd share it!

In garden news, Chris went shopping today and got some new toys! We now have a hose (no more hauling a watering can to and from the kitchen!), and the hanging baskets for the arbours. He also stopped by his Uncle's to grab the last vegetables for our garden; we now have six pepper plants and eight tomato plants hanging from the arbours, and several more in pots on the ground. That will make for some tasty eating!

We also got to harvest our first veggies yesterday, and brought in over a dozen radishes! I'll admit the majority went to our neighbour (it was at his suggestion that we even put them in this year!), but we got to feast on some sliced with dinner tonight, very yummy! After we finish harvesting the two rows that are fully mature tomorrow, we'll replant them (there is a third row that has just started sprouting), and at this rate, we should have at least four harvest over the course of the summer!

Chris also picked up about 6 lbs of fresh rhubarb from his uncle as well, which he has just finished stewing. He made some like an apple sauce (which we just had over ice cream, deliciously sweet with a surprising tart bite at the end), and then strained some juice as well. Apparently it is great if you are constipated. The recipe was very simple, for about 6 lbs of rhubarb he added 3 cups of sugar, and let it simmer until the fruit was tender. Then he strained the fruit, blended it until smooth, and let it cool. Voila! I'll be able to add that as a base to pies, or just do what he does and top vanilla ice cream!

It is wonderful to see the garden come to fruition - pun intended. And it hit us today that we have many types of garden going on: raised beds, level beds, hanging planters (both with veggies planted upside-down and right-side-up), and veggies planted in regular pots. All we're missing is the rice paddies and large fields of grain! Now all that stands between us and a bountiful harvest is many hours of watering, weeding, and maintenance!

And...

2010-05-19T18:19:00.003-04:00

..It's our one year anniversary! (Of owning our house, that is.)

I had every intention of writing another post before this, but in lieu of certain events last weekend (which I will post about, I promise!), I just didn't have the heart to. But on to the happy news!

We formally took possession of our home May 19, 2009, and oh, how much has changed!

The front entrance was tiled; our picture wall painted black (still sans the pictures though); the playroom painted green; the nursury painted and trimmed; and of course, the garden! Though perhaps the most dramatic change since moving to our new home was the addition of our second son, Marcus!

So Happy Anniversary to us!

In other news, Chris finished the arbours last night, here are some updated pics!

Mermaids and Crocodiles

2010-05-13T09:34:00.009-04:00

Today the boys and I started a new routine.

I got up early with Chris, made his lunch, dressed, fed Marcus while drinking my tea, and then bundling Lucien in a blanket in the stroller and Marcus in the moby wrap (still in their pyjamas, I might add!), we followed Chris out the door for a walk at quarter to eight. Whereas I usually try to stay in bed to feed Marcus, and don't leave the bedroom 'til that time!

We headed down towards the harbour, leaving the chaos of the morning rush behind and took the sidestreets; the last person scrambling to their car nothing but a distant melody.

sunrise

We reached the water, and suddenly the calmness enveloped us. The sky a bright blue with the sun just breaking above the trees cast a pale golden light across the harbour. There was not much of a breeze, a soft cool breath that was barely enough to break the glassy surface of the water. We found a bench and sat, serenaded by the red-winged blackbirds, geese, and occassional chickadee, and watched a lone man in a canoe cast his line. Lucien pointed out to me everything he saw; from mermaids, to crocodiles, to dolphins. I never knew there was such an ecosystem in our little patch of Georgian Bay!

It was hard to make myself get up to leave, but already the air was getting warmer, and the sound of the town coming to life was starting to reach our ears. As we walked back towards the hill home, we passed several elderly couples, just starting their morning walk.

I really do love the morning, the thought that you are the only one awake; one with the silence of human noise, but alive with the sounds of nature.

Once the sun comes up though, it's as if the spell is broken and we have to head home once again: to start the day.

What's old is new again

2010-05-09T08:30:00.006-04:00

I often wonder if we were born in the wrong century.

I have always enjoyed working with my hands, both in a crafting sense (needlepoint, sewing, knitting, and hopefully soon crocheting), in creating our food from scratch, and working in the garden.

I find it relaxing, and there is something rather wholesome knowing that the results you see are directly related to your hard work and sweat equity. It is so different from our "day jobs" where both Chris and I stand in front of computers. You can work for an entire day and at the end of which, not really have anything to show for it (other than a paycheque, that is!). That is probably why I have such urges to work on some sort of knitted/sewn projects; they may be time consuming, but once I am finished I can look back and say I made that.

Now Chris too is able to experience and reap the rewards of working with his hands in all the improvements he is making around the house, and in the gardens. Last weekend, he came in from a full day of working in the pouring rain, and commented on how even though it's physically hard work, he never thought he would actually enjoy the labour the way he does.

And of course, we have to do things the hard way.

When I want a loaf of bread or other baked good, I can no longer justify buying it, now that I have the time to make it. And I do not own a bread machine or mixer; each loaf/pastry is mixed and kneaded by hand.

And when Chris made the raised beds, (and he is doing the same working on the arbours) his brother had brought over a circular saw for him to use which he is refusing, and instead has cut each piece of lumber by hand with a small wood saw. It's not that we are Luddites; not by any stretch of the imagination. We both embrace technology, particularly when it helps our goal of becoming more sustainable (I cannot wait until we can add our first solar panel or the wind turbine!) or has anything to do with computers!

I suppose it is just that fact that we can no longer justify using an outside power source if it can be avoided, especially when we have perfectly good ones built right in!

We've started a trend!

2010-05-04T09:17:00.067-04:00

...Okay, maybe not. But it is so neat to see an idea we had years ago suddenly become commonplace.

Much to the chagrin of our friends and family, we do not own a [gasoline powered] vehicle. Yes, that's right; a family with two small children, living in a rural area, does not have a car. Or truck. Or van.

For the most part, we walk where we need to. And living close to the centre of town certainly does help. If we need to travel a little further, like to the adjacent town (which is larger and has more amenities - and is also where I work) we can either hitch a ride with someone, or take a taxi. Our families have been wonderful in accommodating us when we need it (though they all think we're crazy!) in driving us to family functions etc., though it does involve extra planning whenever we want to travel a greater distance or for a longer period of time.

Two years ago, when I got a job in the next town (which is only about 4 km away - but is literally uphill both ways!), we started looking at other methods of travel. Though taking a taxi was less expensive than having our own vehicle, it was still an expense we wanted to minimize. We looked at mopeds and scooters, and during our research we came across some power-assisted bicycles that were on sale at Canadian Tire. These have mountain-bike type frames (though a little more heavy-duty) with a battery cell mounted just behind the seat, and then attached to the gears of the back wheel is the motor. On the front handle bar is the throttle so you can adjust the amount of power, or decide to not use it at all.

Unfortunately, the battery cell itself is quite heavy (it's almost 50 lbs!) so if you go up any sort of incline (or are pulling a trailer) you almost always need to use the motor (unless you have thighs of steel, which I do not). The batteries have a fairly good range in between charges (we've gone out to Chris' parents, a distance of over 20 km on a single charge - with pulling Lucien in a trailer), though we just recharge the batteries each night by simply plugging the battery into a wall socket. The newer models are much more light-weight and have a very small battery cell (and look like a regular bicycle with a netbook attached behind the seat), but apparently they are still working out issues with the amount of power and time between charges for the batteries, they just aren't as powerful as the 'ol clunkers we have!

We have had to replace the batteries every year, but the bikes were designed for 'leisure' use, not the two trips a day, 5-7 days a week (whenever there is no snow on the ground) that we've put them through. We can even go grocery shopping with them; by hooking up the trailer and filling it with our bags. Right now Marcus is too small to go in the trailer, but once he hits one year, we'll be able to pile him in beside his brother and then the whole family can go on an outing!

So back to us starting a trend....

When we bought the bikes 2 years ago, I had never even heard of them before let alone see one in person. Then last year I saw a couple people riding around on them, and now, almost every day I see or hear someone with the distinctive whine of the motor our bikes produce. It is so exciting!

Now we've had many people give us comments such as "hey, that's cheating" or "that's not a real bike!". What they forget is that we are not using them to replace bicycles (in fact, I have my eye on a beautiful little street bike... but I'll have to wait for next year to get that), these are our version of a car. When you think of them as our vehicles, they don't seem so silly. In fact, even with them being so heavy, and the fact you can not put conventional fenders on them (because of the layout of the battery) and thus get soaked when it rains, they are a great alternative to gasoline-powered vehicles for shorter distances. All we need to do is hook up an outlet to a solar panel or small wind turbine, and they would be completely self-sufficient!

New sprouts!

2010-05-02T17:10:00.049-04:00

We have had very warm, humid (and very rainy!) weather the past two days, and as a result, the garden has sprouted like proverbial weeds! (Okay, some of them have been weeds...)

Now we understand that it is still very early in the season to be planting anything other than frost-hardy vegetables such as onions, but with the unusually warm weather we've had this April, we've taken a gamble that the growing season started early this year. (Here's hoping we were right!)

Here's a quick peek at what's come up so far:

the raspberry bush

a lone zucchini

green beans

cooking onions

potatoes

beets, with radishes behind

The fight for Urban Homesteading

2010-04-28T07:31:00.027-04:00

Fifty and more years ago, it was commonplace for families in towns and cities to dedicate part or all of their backyards to grow edibles. In the early thirty and fourties, these gardens were given media and social attention when the term "Victory Garden" was coined (the propoganda being that they were supporting the war effort by not relying as heavily on ration coupons), though either way the effect was the same; by growing their own fruits and vegetables (and the occasional chicken as well, but I'll tackle that in a later post), the less money they had to spend buying those same foods, and the more self-sufficient they became.

Now I am not sure when, how, or why it happened, but over the course of the last 50 or so years, it suddenly was no longer as culturally-acceptable to have such gardens in an urban settings (especially when said gardens were easily visible!). I have heard many stories of neighbours complaining, fights with landlords/bylaw officers, all in the struggle to maintain a more sustainable home (and not just with gardens, but to raise chicken/other small animals for food, wind turbines; even Toronto has a rediculous by-law against hanging clotheslines!), but this article posted by one of my friends on facebook really takes the cake. The article tells of a group of housemates in Vancouver who decided to use the space in their front yard to grow a "permiculture" vegetable garden (not usings straight, orderly rows, but a more random, organic layout). Apparently, after a couple of complaints from neighbours the city has ordered them to "clean up" their yard, or face hefty fines.

My first thought after reading it, and looking at the picture provided was "that doesn't look ugly or untidy at all!" Mind you when it comes to gardens I do like the more natural, rustic appearance as opposed to a perfecly manicured one, but even still; I think that the city's ruling was a little too severe. I am curious to see how this pans out.

I am sure this is not the only case of it's kind. I want to know when the "look" of a garden was more important than it's substance (I suppose I can understand if they had old cars and trash littering the yard, but this was not only a garden, but one that was tended!). Urban centres, and society in general has reached a point when we can no longer afford to uphold such laws and by-laws that prohibit individuals and families from living sustainably. Now this is a tough thing to say, because granted, we cannot let ourselves submit to anarchy in the name of living as environmentally friendly as possible, but there has to be some give.

And granted, not everyone has the option of having their own garden, or putting up wind turbines/solar panels etc. But there are things that can be done. In Penetang, a group has just re-opened the community garden to the public after years of disuse. Individuals/families can now apply to rent a plot for the year (I do not believe there is a fee involved), and have it to grow vegetables/flowers as they see fit. It is a wonderful opportunity for anyone wanting to start a garden, but has no land themselves (such as apartment/condo dwellers). I know for years (not sure if it is still there) there was a large development of this kind down in Ash Bridges Bay in Toronto, as well as elsewhere in the city.

Another option is container gardening. My sister-in-law just introduced me to the book Crops In Pots; which has some fantastic ideas for beautiful arrangements in planters, all of them edible. (And for each container "recipe," there is an actually recipe that uses all the vegetables/fruits planted in the pot!) I was actually quite surprised to find out how many fruits and vegetables thrived in container gardening, even things like corn, miniature apple trees and grape vines that I would have never suspected. A fantastic book!

Luckily though, it seems like it was mostly the larger cities and urban centres that fell prey to the mentality that urban homesteading is unnapealing. One only has to stroll through the backyards (and sideyards, and frontyards!) of Penetanguishene during the summer months to see that urban vegetable gardening is alive and well. It is not uncommon to have the majority of your backyard dedicated to your garden, and as I have learned from various family members of Chris', this has always been the case. However, what has changed is that it is no longer just the older generations participating in these ventures. Younger couples and families have since seen the benefits of growing their own food, and the awareness is increasing.

And that is in part what I hope this blog will accomplish: awareness, if nothing else.

Back to my roots

2010-04-23T13:46:00.021-04:00

It's funny, but I find as I get older, and am responsible for planning and making most of the family meals, I am craving the foods we ate growing up; the very foods I rebelled against eating as a child!

The foods we ate for the better part of my childhood were part of a diet called Macrobiotic cooking.

The idea is to basically to avoid meat and meat products (unless it has been organically and free-range farmed - and even then protein is mostly obtained through the eating of beans/bean products). The belief is that most commercially grown meat contains too much trans or saturated fats, and that animals raised in the stressful environment of commercial farms pass on that stressful enegy to whoever consumes it. Fish is more acceptable, yet it too is eaten sparingly. The main staples of macrobiotic eating are whole grains (brown rice, millet, barley,buckwheat, spelt etc.), green leafy vegetables, root and round vegetables (such as squash), beans, and additions such as tofu, tempeh, various prepared seaweed, miso, and my all time favourite; gomasio.

The essence of such eating was started by a Japanese army surgeon named Sagen Ishizuka, who attempted to create a balanced diet by combining oriental eating habits with eastern and western medical philosophies. In his theory, everything we consume has certain properties that either help or hinder different parts of the body, and thus he set out his macrobiotic guidelines to help create a healthy and balanced body. This diet is also purported to heal all types of ailments without the help of medication. I won't go any further into this way of cooking/living, but if your interested, this Website is a good place to start.

Though I am not sure I believe all the claims of macrobiotic cooking, (nor even like all of the food!) there are certain things that just make sense; such as eating whole grains (and staying away from refined, pre-processed foods), eating locally-grown vegetables and those in season, and avoidind foods and oils that are high in trans fats.

So what in the world is gomasio?

Gomasio is a condiment, designed to add a salty flavour to food without having too much sodium added. It is created by first toasting sea salt, then sesame seeds, and then combining them together in a suribachi (Japanese mortar and pestle) and grinding them until most of the seeds have popped open. The ratio of sesame seeds to salt is about 1/4 cup seeds to 1 tbs salt, and is absolutely delicious on grains.

Whenever I can (which is usually when Chris will not be there for mealtime - he decidedly does NOT like this way of cooking!) I will make myself a small meal of grains and beans, and I find now that I am breastfeeding, I crave whole foods more often. And with the first steps we've made at producing our own food, it's bringing us one step closer to only eating organic, locally grown food. I suppose this just proves that no matter how hard you try, you can never truly get away from your roots!

Best laid plans...

2010-04-16T13:37:00.010-04:00

Every wise general knows that in battle, the best strategy only survives as long as first contact with the enemy. And as we have quickly learned; so it is with garden planning.

I had spent the better part of the last few weeks finalising the layout of the three vegetable beds; based on what I thought would be the best spacing and with vegetables adjacent to others that offered some sort of benefit to one another. What I did NOT do however, is actually measure the beds, and using optimal spacing, figure out just how much of each vegetable we could actually fit. Which is an important step!

Once I actually did this, I realised very quickly that my beautiful garden plan would not work. For example, in the original plan I had only accommodated room for a few rows of cooking onions. Once I actually started placing the bulbs at 6 inch intervals, I ended up using almost half of the first bed! (Mind you that was 100 onion bulbs planted!) That combined with the fact that not all the vegetables we will be growing will be planted the first year (corn, asparagus, and rutabaga to name a few), and a few last minute additions (radishes as a surprise for our neighbour) means that the actual layout of the garden is much different than originally planed. Yet I think we found a suitable solution, and one that has room to evolve as we find what works, and what vegetables are just not worth it at this scale (I hope all do though!).

Another change that will occur from the original plan is that the tomatoes will not be planted in the beds alongside the other veggies. When planting tomatoes, one has to be very careful as they have a tendency to leach nutrients from the soil at a much greater rate than most other vegetables. This means at the least their position in the garden has to be rotated from year to year, and that extra care has to be made to replace the nutrients via compost and manure. Originally, we planned to do this as we have in the past; until in his research Chris came across the idea of planting the tomatoes upside down, in planters.

I have seen this done before with annuals such as petunias or violets, but was initially skeptical of planting vegetables this way (from what we've read, not all vegetables can be planted this way, but in addition to tomatoes, peppers also take to this method of gardening). Chris has since devised a creative way to hang the tomato planters which will not only take up no extra space in the garden, but also provide shade during the summer of intense heat and little to no rain, as well as visual interest. He is going to build a set of three trellises; one above each garden bed. From these trellises can be hung the tomatoes, which will still be high enough to work in the beds without any hindrance. Each trellis will also have a set of hooks along the top, and I'll be making sets of canvas "sails" that can be attached across the three trellises. On days when we need the extra shade, the sails can be attached, and will save the vegetables from being scorched, and should also look interesting. The sails will be narrow and not block out the sun entirely, just enough to provide some relief. It should look pretty unique!

In the meantime Chris has also been doing his own researching on composting. In fact, his knowledge in that subject has now far exceeded mine, and he has become our very own Compost King (and he seems to take glee in informing me what I can and cannot place in the compost and what is "Greenbin" material - though if you ask him he is still frustrated that his compost is not "composting" yet).

Contrary to common belief (including my own), it is not sufficient to simply throw organic matter in a composter and let it sit. You will certainly have the materials break down over time, but it will take a VERY long time, and the compost will not be at it's prime condition. The method Chris has employed involves two composters. The first we used until it was about half full of kitchen waste, or "green matter," at which time Chris filled the rest of the composted up with leaves and other yard waste, which provided the "brown matter." He let that sit for several days, after which he shoveled everything out of the composter, mixed it thoroughly, and put it back in. Now the composter will begin to compost, when the matter begins to heat up as it breaks down, and that heat is what creates the compost. The exact ratio of green to brown matter varies depending on who you ask, but Chris decided that half and half would be best for now until we have a chance to experiment. I believe the more brown matter added, the more carbon, whereas the green matter provides the nitrogen (which you want slightly more of) but I would have to check to be sure. Now we are on to filling the second composter, and the theory is that once we have filled the second, the first will be ready to be emptied, and the compost spread on the gardens!

And baby makes four!

2010-04-09T16:30:00.019-04:00

After months of waiting, planning, and painting (to which Lucien's room is STILL not finished!), our new son has finally arrived!

Marcus Raphael arrived on April 5, just 5 days early of his due date (I was not even the least upset by that - I am glad to have it over and to finally meet my son!), and thus far has been a hale and hardy little boy! Though we've been home since Wednesday things are still quite chaotic; and with not much semblance of a routine. I do have Chris home for another two weeks which has been a tremendous help, I don't know how I would survive without him! We are quickly learning to tag team between both boys, and I am sure the routine is soon to follow.

Another bonus to having Chris home is that rapid headway is being made on the side yard and gardens. One bed is completely in (it was my surprise present!), and the other two have been framed out. We just need to order about 3 cubic yards of topsoil to flesh out the beds and a truckload of wood chips for the walkways, and we'll be ready to plant! I even had the drive to begin clearing out the herb garden of rocks and debris the weekend before Marcus was born, so all Chris has to do is finish tilling it and it'll be ready to plant as well.

This weekend I planted my onion bulbs (they should have been in already) and I'll be starting my seeds indoors for the other veggies, and once the May 24 weekend arrives, we'll be ready to go!

It's amazing, but with the birth of Marcus, our resolve to channel our lifestyle to one that is more sustainable has been strengthened even more. I look at the progress that has been made with the gardens in particular, and I so look forward to feeding my family fresh fruits and vegetables that we have grown ourselves. To know exactly what is going into our food is important, as well as to know no pesticides/artificial fertilisers will be present either.

Garden planning (and planting?) time!

2010-04-01T09:01:00.021-04:00

Well, it's finally that time of year! I get to start planning a real (or at least large) vegetable garden! Last year, other than the odd herb or flower I wasn't able to flex my green thumb at all, so you can imagine how excited I am at the prospect!

The first thing we had to do was design the layout of the garden. We have chosen to use the side yard of the house as it's a faily large plot (all together usable space is 35'x18'), and gets a good deal of sun, as well as being removed from the main backyard (which is beneficial in deturring little ones and dogs from running through the beds) We have decided on 3 main raised beds (the benefits I'll go into more detail of later), our raspberry patch (which Chris pruned and walled last Autumn), and a herb garden, which is part of a raised level about 2 feet above the main garden.

Why raised beds?

It's been at least three years since I started researching ideas and resources for my dream garden, and from everything I've read, it looks like block-style raised beds (beds that are built up with wooden/stone walls) would suit us better than the traditional hills of earth that are commonly used as garden beds. These beds can be anywhere from 6"-24" high, depending on individual preference, and the benefits of using this technique are numerous. They are never built more that 4 feet wide, so it is easy to weed/plant/harvest from both sides of the bed without ever having to step in the garden, and thus eliminates unwanted packing of the earth. And because of being slighly removed from the main ground, raised beds usually thaw faster in Spring, and remain warmer further into Autumn thus extending the growing season, if only by a few weeks. Raised beds are also less susceptable to ground frost, and retain water more evenly and longer. Our own are going to be build from 4"x6" logs that we got from Chris' dad, and though will not be that much higher than ground level, should still provide some relief from having to bend over so far.

Vegetable Harmony

When all is said and done, we will eventually have a total of 17 different varieties of vegetables (unless we later decide to add more), and a myriad of herbs. I have done research to understand the compatability of certains veggies to one another (for example; growing corn to provide a pole/relief from sun damage to beans, close to zucchini to deter pests as done in the Native Canadian Three Sisters technique, or how beets provide nutrients to the soil that are used by broccoli and other such veggies), and have come up with what I hope will be a well nurished and flourishing garden plan. Each garden bed will be rotated at the end of each year, so that plants such as tomatoes and peppers that leach the soil of nutrients will only be in the same bed once every three years.

The veggies we plan to cultivate are (ones in italics denote what will be planted the first year):

green/red peppers
green beans
scallions
bunching/cooking onions
zucchini
kale
carrots
tomatoes
spinach
broccoli
head lettuce
beets
corn
romain lettuce
asperagus
potatoes
rutabaga (yellow turnip)
cucumbers

In addition to those veggies, we will also be planting in our herb garden basil, thyme, rosemary, oregano, parsley, lavendar, dill, and garlic.

When Chris is off for three weeks on holidays (once I have had the baby) we will be building the physical garden beds, and importing the soil/compost needed. But with two composters in the backyard, and a large property full of vegetation and trees, it will not be long before we have our own supply of compost going. We have also decided that anywhere in that side yard not a vegetable garden will be covered with a layer of woodchips, for easy walking and to keep any weeds at bay (plus it will just be more esthetically pleasing). That means this weekend I get to go out and get my first batch of seeds to start indoors; I couldn't be happier!

As an aside; eventually we plan to order heirloom varieties of the herbs/vegetables and harvest the seeds ourselves. But that will have to come in later years, as I want to make sure we are knowledgable enough to end up with a decent yeild of food first!

MMmmmmm... what's that smell?

2010-03-29T16:00:00.012-04:00

Arguably one of the nicest (and most homely!) smells that can waft from the kitchen is that of fresh-baked bread. And ours is no exception. (Okay, vanilla or shortbread cookies come pretty close!)

And one of our dearest goals is to become as self-sufficient as possible, especially when it comes to our food. Obviously I doubt we will ever get to the point of raising our own pigs or cattle; but with the vegetable garden and fruit trees going in this year, and the chicken coop (yes, I did say chicken coop!) going in either next year or the year after that, we will be making small steps to mostly eating only what we produce ourselves.

One of the key steps of this way of eating is to get away as much as possible from pre-packaged and pre-processed food. At Christmas, part of the gifts we gave were packages of raspberry jam (from our own raspberry bush!) and homemade bread. I have tried several recipes, all to varying degrees of success, and have finally settled on a modified whole wheat recipe from the Joy of Cooking cookbook. I still have yet to find a white bread recipe that works for me, but to be honest we enjoy the taste of whole wheat (or rye!) much better.

The recipe states that it makes 3 loaves of bread, but I found them to be quite small, and instead make 2 larger loaves. One thing to remember with home-made bread is (and it took me a while to realize I wasn't doing anything wrong!) that it is much more dense than store-bought. But that allows for smaller, thinner slices, which is just as pleasant.

Ingredients

1/2 cup warm (but not hot!) water
2 1/2 tsp dry active yeast
2 large eggs
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 1/2 cups lukewarm water
3 tsp salt
1/4 cup sugar (or honey/maple syrup)
4 cups all purpose flour
4 cups whole wheat flour (Plus some extra when kneading to get the right consistancy. You want the dough firm, but not sticky.)

Mix together the yeast and warm water in a large bowl, and let sit for 5-10 minutes. Gradually add the next 5 ingredients until well combined. I usually add the 4 cups of all-pupose flour all at once, then stir until well combined. Then I add the whole wheat, a cup at a time, untill it is almost impossible to stir. Then I dump the bowl onto a floured (with whole wheat) surface, and knead for 10-15 minutes, constantly adding more flour (by the handful) as I need it.
Once you have the right consistancy (which IS trial and error - let me assure you!), form the dough into a ball and cover with a thin coating of olive oil. Put the dough back in the bowl and cover with a clean cloth. You need to let it rise in a warm, non-drafty place until it doubles in size (about 1 hour - you can tell it's doubled in bulk when the dough retains the imprint of your finger), then you punch it in the centre, turn it over, and let it rise again another hour. The you can divide the ball into two loaves, place in greased (very important!) bread pans, and let rise another 45- 50 minutes. Then bake at 350 F for about 45 minutes, until crust is golden brown and the bottom sounds hollow when you tap it. Let cool completely before you cut it, though we usually cut the loaves as we need them.
I try to make at least one batch of bread a week, though time doesn't always permit that. What is nice though is that we havn't bought a loaf of bread since Christmas; now I just have to learn how to make nice hamburger/dinner rolls and we wont ever buy those either! In addition to the bread, I also try to make one goody/snack a week too, sometimes cookies, sometimes muffins, depending on what we have lying around my pantry. Today I tried my hand at bisccotti for the second time ever (I made some yesterday that I was not entirely happy with - though I think I've worked out the kinks!), and it turned out wonderful. Chris still isn't entirely convinced (apparently he's never has bisccotti before) and thinks they taste like stale cookies, but that just leaves more for Lucien and I!
My next baking-goal for myself is to learn how to bake bread using starters (yeast mixes that you continue to add to and then use, you can potentially have the same starter batch for months!), which would allow me to make sourdough rye bread. Dimpflmeier Bakery in Toronto makes an amazing sourdough rye - one of my all-time favourite breads. If I could reproduce that at home, I'd be a VERY happy woman!

Archaic posts...

2010-03-28T18:26:00.005-04:00

As I was going through my computer today, I came across what I was hoping to be the start of this blog back in March of last year. Oh how much has changed! Though they are just short little blurbs, I thought they'd be fun to post anyways. Even when we were still at our apartment we tried to bring a little "homesteading" into our lives; and now, we can finally realise that true dream!

March 7, 2009:

Now that spring will be here within a month, it is time for us to start planning for all that must be done for this season and also the coming summer. Though the summers are beautiful here and draw visitors from all over the province and beyond; I still find the warmer season much shorter than I remember in Toronto. Not only does this mean less time to bask in the sun’s warm rays in only shorts and a t-shirt, but less time to use our electric bikes (or any bicycle for that matter), and less of a growing season for our gardens (though I have just recently discovered the idea of winter gardening, and cannot wait until I have a house to try some of the techniques on—but more on that later).

The season of the bike approaches:

So the first order of business for us (other than to start my seeds indoors) is to get our bikes in shape. Both have to be taken in to the shop for a tune-up, and I want to get my back breaks looked at again, so I can avoid any unpleasant surprises like those I had to deal with last fall. I also have to order a new adaptor for my bicycle, and unfortunately, it looks like we may need to order two new batteries as well. But we shall see. If the snow keeps melting the way it has the past few days, it probably won’t be long before Chris starts riding to work; I want to wait until I know there is no chance of ice or snow build up along the highway, but that may take until April.

No garden for me...

With the excitement that comes in buying a house this summer; also comes the disappointment that I will not be able to have a full herb and vegetable garden this year. Though I am determined to still have some fresh food growing, so I have decided to start herbs indoors this year, and then once the fear of frost has passed, grab some tomato sprouts from Chris’ uncle and plant two bushes in pots on either side of the front door. I am thinking to leave as a present to our landlord some nice annuals in the garden instead.

Spring is almost here, and with it, new life!

2010-03-27T13:12:00.002-04:00

So much time has past (almost 10 months!) since I started this blog that I was beginning to fear never looking at it again! The Summer and Autumn passed in a whirlwind of work and getting used to having a house to call our own, with all the small challenges and extra work that is associated with that. We were pretty much settled in just before Winter, and with such a beautiful and warm September and October as we had, we spent lots of time just enjoying the outside. Needless to say, after the initial burst of improvements when we first moved in, things slowed down to a crawl.

Winter passed by somewhat uneventfully, though it was amazing to finally celebrate the Holiday Season in our own house! We ended up having quite a few people over for Christmas dinner, and it was wonderful to share in the love and warmth that it brought to our home. I even managed to convince the dear husband that getting a real tree was the only way to go; you just cannot replace the wonderful aroma of a fir tree!

Once the new year started, we made the effort to begin working again on improving the house. The first thing we began was Lucien's room, and instead of simply doing one basic colour, or even an accent wall or two, no; we decided to have a mural on all FOUR walls, AND the ceiling! It is done to look as if you are in the jungle, looking up at the night sky (complete with accurate Milky Way and constellations!), with the ocean and full moon rising on one side. I can safely say that we did not realise just how involved this process would be (we have probably already clocked more than 50 hours painting it, with about another 20 more to finish!), though if I had to go back, I would still do it again. The effect is will be just amazing!

In other exciting news, we have started painting the third bedroom, as a nursery! We are soon to welcome baby boy number two in only a matter of weeks! This room was a much quicker job, with only one more final coat of paint on the trim to go! The change has been dramatic (as you can see below), and will make for a bright and cheery first room for our new little one. We have also decided to introduce new baseboards, quarter-round and trim to both boys rooms (and eventually throughout the rest of the house) to try and bring back the feel reminiscent of the age of the house. Just the act of putting trim around the windows, then painting the casements white evokes a much older feel, and one we are quite pleased with.

For both rooms, we were lucky enough to find that the previous owners left us much of the remaining cans of paint that was used throughout the house. This meant that we were able to match the white trim paint exactly with what was painted already, and saved us a lot of headache. However, we were able to buy VOC-free paint for the wall colours, which eventually will be all we use inside and outside the house. Not only is this paint safer for the environment (and us by default!), but is amazing to work with - imagine no paint fumes whatsoever! And for rooms that will be used by our children, that is very important.

As for the outside, once Chris is off for a few weeks with me and the new baby, we will be building in the raised beds of the vegetable garden. Initially this was supposed to happen in Autumn, but between working and other engagements, it just wasn't meant to be. Though we did level and clear out the side yard, and Chris cleaned up and built a bed just for our raspberry bushes, which ended up providing us with over 10 cups of raspberries, of which I made some yummy Christmas jam.

Hopefully we'll get a decent yeild this year from the gardens, and though it will mostly be a learning experience, I am hoping we will have enough fresh produce to last us at least a couple months through the Winter. I know we are still due for at least one more good snowstorm, but I cannot wait to get outside and enjoy some beautiful Spring weather with my sons!

A House for Us!

2009-07-01T18:06:00.001-04:00

Finally! It's been almost 6 years now since we moved to Penetanguishene, Ontario, and after much planning (and lots of saving!) we have finally purchased a home! It has been almost a month since we moved in, and have already begun the process of improving and adding equity to it. A co-worker gave us old tile that she didin't need any more, and Chris has almost finished installing it in the front entrance. It's amazing how great leftovers can look; the tile works so well against the hardwood and laminate already installed!

Now we've reached the point where we have to start allocating funds, and deciding what major projects/upgrades we want to do to the home over the next few years. This september I am hoping to have all the raised vegetable garden beds made, and then I can order all the seeds I need for the spring.

We plan on having 6 beds, each 4 x 7 feet that will fit along the south side of the backyard. I have already made a list of the various veggies we'll have, and even what will be planted in the same bed, and we will rotate the beds each year to allow for optimal soil condition.

We are also hoping that next spring we will buy our first solar panel. We are just going to connect the panel to the rest of the house (not have it power something specifically) and then once we've added a few, and with the addition of a "smart meter" they should go a long way in cutting electricity costs.

We were also going to be purchasing in a few years time a solar hot water heater, but when we received our first gas bill we also received a flyer for buying one though our local utility company