4 Year Anniversary and Giveaway!

October 18th 2010

That was the date of my very first blog post.

It has been 4 years now...and I still love blogging.

Since then, so much has changed...

We moved to the woods.

We dove head first into foraging.

We started raising chickens!

I now host foraging walks.

Our son Owen loves most veggies...but loves eating weeds more.

And yet, one thing stays the same.

I still love to grow food and make delicious meals.

In honour of my 4 year blogging anniversary

I would love you to have some very valuable reading materials!!!

Check it out:

I have 3 copies of this amazing book (good for home owners AND apartment renters):

I have 1 copy of my gardening bible:
Already given to my dear friend Melissa Alena!

I have 1 copy of this incredibly readable guide to off grid living!!!

I am almost done this book...its so humourous and informative.

I'm having a hard time putting it down!

Be the first one to leave a comment in the comments section or my facebook page or group...
Let me know which is your favorite Small Purse, Big Garden post and I will reward you with a new book!
***also let me know which book you prefer***

In the meantime, here is a selection of some of my first posts...

Here I ramble about my family connection to gardening.

Here is a recipe for Moose Stew and the benefits of eating wild meats!

Here we experiment with Dandelion Coffee and explore settler life.

Susanna Moody likes her coffee..

Here is my post where I hypothesize that Carrot Cake is actually GOOD for you!

Enjoy!

5 Tips for the 5 day Challenge...

Healthy eating takes planning and a little effort...but it doesn't have to be a boring affair.

I wanted to show what kind of effort is required to help you stay on track.

My tricks for healthy eating all week long:

1.  Chopping Veggies

There are tons of ways to store veggies that you prepare ahead of time.

I store my carrots in water in a tupperware container in the fridge.

Change the water every few days to keep things as fresh as possible.

Celery, in particular, doesn't keep for long using the above mentioned method, but can do in a pinch.

Different fruits can be stored different ways.

Some in the fridge, some do better on the counter.

2.  Make Big Batches

I chose 2-3 big meals and make them on Sunday or Monday night.

That way I can put some in smaller containers and have a hearty, healthy lunch.

Some examples of this:  Sheppard's Pie, chili, slow cooker ribs, chicken stew or soup, pasta sauce, black beans and rice

 3.  Make a Litre of Dressing

I will make a big batch of dressing on a Sunday and then I portion it out into a smaller container each day.

You can make a few dressings if you like, but I like to keep it simple.

You don't just have to put it on salads either!

Just think of jazzing up a pasta salad or stir fry with that dressing!

What about marinating your steaks later in the week for a BBQ dinner to die for?

It only takes a few minutes to throw together a dressing.

It's healthy, has WAY less sodium and you control the flavor (I LOVE vinegar).

4.  Pantry Stocked

You don't want to break the bank, but if your pantry is well stocked, you won't have to worry!
Having staples in the pantry can add protein where its lacking, improve a boring entree, spice up a simple dish or add zest to a mundane meal.

Some things we keep in our pantry:

Maple syrup - tapped ourselves!
Salsa - home grown and homemade
Tortilla chips/crackers
Spices:  cayenne, cinnamon, thyme, coriander etc
Local honey
Nuts - almonds, walnuts, seeds
Quick Oats

5.  Baking Ahead

I'm not saying you have to spend your weekend baking up a storm a la Betty Crocker...
(especially not easy to do in the heat of the summer)
But it is easy to make a batch of breakfast protein muffins and keep most in the freezer, taking out one at a time.  The muffins will thaw out mostly on the way to work...whatever doesn't thaw out can be taken care of with the office microwave.

Stuff you can make for the week:  cornbread, breakfast muffins, biscuits,

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Use these simple tricks and you'll hold onto more of your hard earned cash.
(not to mention your body will thank you!)

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Don't forget to post what you bring each day on Facebook
Starting on Monday Sept 16th!

We wanna see who's got the stuff!!!

FOOD CHALLENGE! Can you do it?

A few months ago, I read an article on line boasting "A Whole Day of Eating Clean!".

I was intrigued, at first.

I'm always up for new ideas.

You never know when you'll find one, so with an open mind, I read on...

Only to be disappointed.

I read about a young lady who works for one of the online news outlets.

She vowed to document her meals for one day to show how easy it is to eat healthy, clean food.

There were several things that bothered me about this article.

1 - while she was eating "clean", she was not necessarily eating healthy.

2 - some of her choices seemed off...like baby carrots in lieu of actual carrots.

3 - her options seemed bland and boring.

4 - she only documented one day.

Why only one day?

I mean, anyone can walk the walk for one business day.
Here's my opportunity to talk the talk for 5 days!

And while I'm not documenting a whole day of food, it will be a picture of the food I take to work.

Here's a bit of background on my work:

I take 911 calls for ambulances and dispatch ambulances for a very large, populated area

- I work 12 hr shifts (day and/or night)

- I sit for all of those 12 hrs

- Its a very high stress job - emotional eating is a not so much a past time rather than a job requirement.

I am committed to taking a picture of the healthy food I bring for my 12 hrs for 5 days.

I will try to:

• make sure I had plenty of protein (but not enough for a construction worker)
• limit carbohydrate intake (but not remove it completely)
• decreased my salt intake (by making home made stuff, instead of packaged)
• bring stuff I could snack on throughout the day that was both sweet and savory (to satisfy both cravings)
• to eat the rainbow each day
• to reduce my waste by using and washing the same packaging

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Part of this commitment is to show how it actually is easy.

No tying yourself to the kitchen for days...

I'll even add in a bonus!  I'll show you the work I do to prepare the 5 days in advance.

I will make a blog post with a summary of the 5 days, as well.

Anyone want to join me?

Post your work food on my Facebook page or group starting next Monday Sept 16th...I'll do the same.

***  I feel like there could be a PRIZE for your stellar efforts ***

In celebration...2 Years and Counting...

In celebration of this blog officially turning 2 years old...

I thought I would have another contest!

So here goes:

You get your pick of the following books shipped directly to you!

Sorry, you can't look inside of the above pic...that's amazon.com's fault.

However, if you really want this book, I'll make sure it will be autographed by Mr Brill himself!

You may remember my post on Steve Brill and his amazing foraging awesomeness...

My original post:

http://smallpursebiggarden.blogspot.ca/2011/10/family-attempts-fall-foraging-trip.html

I've said it before, so I'll say it again...The Mathers are great!

If you want an introductory book about gardening in eastern Ontario that covers just about everything you'd want to know...this is the book you want!

Previous post on this great book:

http://smallpursebiggarden.blogspot.ca/2011/01/contest-arrives.html

Another great grab from The Mathers is the informative book shown below:

(also available for this contest)

This book is great even if you've only dreamed of being self sufficient...but a great guide if you have real intentions of becoming so.  Chock full of Mather humour!!!

Again, you can't look inside this one either.

However if you could...you'd discover a sweet sweet book about growing from a child's perspective.

A sure favorite of my son Owen.  (his review "9 thumbs up")

My original post on Peggy's book:

http://smallpursebiggarden.blogspot.ca/2011/06/gardening-with-kidsit-is-possible.html

Rebecca Lerner is a fantastic gal who amazes me with every post on her blog.

She resides in Seatlle and writes about all sorts of foraging.

(she won me over with her post about making MEAD...oh yeah, she rocks!)

I have yet to mention her in an offical post, sadly. (will rectify that in 2013 for sure!)

Here is her blog:

http://firstways.com/

Any of these books would be a great addition to your library,

or a fantastic holiday gift for the gardener/forager in your life!

There is also a selection for the wee gardener in training...

All you have to do is tell me a story...and which book you want.

Yup, that's it!

A short story (let's keep it under 500 words) that answers the question "who is your guru?"

Who inspires you to grow more or experiment in the outdoors? 

Who have you learned the most from in your life?

Let's make Nov 15th be the deadline, so the prizes get shipped well before that holiday is upon us!

And the winners are....

Its my readers lucky day! I just happen to have TWO copies of this fantastic gardening book...
So Jenn and Teresa are both winners!!!

Please send me your email addresses...so we can exchange mailing info.

Thanks again for participating in this contest and my blog!

The Contest Arrives!

If you've been reading my blog entries, you may already know about my love for the Mathers and this amazing gardening book.  I really can't say enough about this book.  So that's why I'm giving my readers a chance to win a copy of their very own!!! 

I had struggled in the past to find a complete gardening book that addressed a few things that I consider relevant.  For example, gardening in MY zone...not how to grow ornamental grasses in Victoria BC.  Also, I had difficulties finding a gardening book that didn't speak in scientific terms rather than plain old english.  If you are a novice gardener or if you consider yourself an expert...this book can still shed some light on things.

It features:  how to capture rain water and use it in your garden efficiently, a little history and how-to on root cellars or storing food without using ANY hydro electricity, it discusses gardening in an urban environment as well as living off the grid in the country, how to read a seed catalogue, it offers a variety of vegetables that can be grown right here in Ontario, and a lot of humour along the way.

The best part about this book is that Cam and Michelle Mather have been there and done that.  Whatever the issue may be, they have the experience and expertise to back up their information.  If they don't know about it, they probably have a neighbour who does!  They really do revel in the community aspects of gardening, sharing your information and your crops.  They even include some recipes!

So here's the catch....in order to win your very own copy of this amazing gardening book...all you have to do is answer the following question in the comments section of this post.  I will contact you about your mailing information if you are the lucky winner!

"What is your funniest gardening story?"

It could be something that happened whilst gardening, something unexpected that happened with a crop, something you learned and made you laugh.  Use your imagination and it just may pay off!

Winner to be posted by February 4th, 2011