Starting to think about Root Cellars

In terms of keeping our harvest as long as we can, 

we used to do a lot of freezing.

We experimented with different sized veggies and what would thaw out better.

We learned what froze well and what certainly did not.

One day, a pipe in our basement exploded over our large chest freezer.

That was the end of freezing that year.

We lost so much stuff...it was heartbreaking.

But like most things in life - I chose this sad event to be a learning experience.

How can we save our harvest in other ways?

Last year was an experiment in air drying and preserving.

We have dried some veggies and lots of herbs.

We dried seeds for planting next year.

We put stuff in jars too!

Pickled jalapenos, dill pickles, beans, salsa, wild leeks, 

ramps pesto, strawberry jam, mint jelly and maple syrup.

Ever since the freezer died, I've had my mind focused on root cellars.

The idea of storing things with no electricity.

What a concept!!!

View from the roadside

Across the street from our house there was a lot for sale.

It used to have a small home that fell into disrepair.

The western border of the property has a steep incline.

Built right into the side of the incline is an old rocky root cellar.

I have passed by this structure for a few years now, but decided to take a closer look. 

The above shot looks straight into the cellar, showing both sides and the back.

The structure has long been unused.

It is missing its roof and door.

I imagine what it must have looked like way back when.

Can you see the bright green moss?

It grows off of the sand or mud that was inserted between the rocks.

The above image shows how the original builders of this root cellar used preexisting rock.

See the big one at the bottom of the wall?

I wouldn't want to have moved that one!

See that swirl in the middle?

I imagine there was a piece of wood supporting whatever roof was on this structure.

The sand hardened over time and stayed long after the wood rotted.

I don't think this design is necessarily the best concept for a root cellar.

That being said, someone obviously used it at one time.

Since it is still there (for the most part), I'm going to say the design was very sturdy!

WINTER HOMEWORK:

I'm going to start some research on the best home made root cellars 

so that we too can enjoy zero carbon footprint food storage.

In terms of our home, there are a few places I thought would make good cellars.

Over the last few years...I have been monitoring each area.

Upon further inspection, the temperature and moisture levels fluctuate a little too much for my liking.

Perhaps an exterior food storage option is the way to go?

Only time will tell...

What is your favorite method of storing your food?

Just about missed the strawberries!

We are so fortunate to have a choice of pick-yer-own farms in our area.

Both are great for different reasons.  Both are run by members of the same family.

We decided to go to Paulridge this year, because of necessity.  My mother in law called ahead to see which farm actually still had strawberries left!  We had waited too long in the season to have the luxury of choice.

So off to Napanee we went back at the beginning of July!

(Ideal timing in our area seems to be the middle to end of june for strawberries...but raspberries are later on)

Paulridge Farms is a family run operation that has been going on for years.

They really do have it down to a fine art.  They provide everything one might need for the experience.

http://www.paulridgeberryfarm.com/

Quaint placards display current pricing, wagons to haul your load to the car.  The parking lot is a short hike from the fields...kind of a nice treat to see the exhaust is kept a safe distance back from the food.

Owen shows me he is ready to go with all the tools he needs.

(Lucky for him Mum brings the other essentials like sunscreen, a cushion for your knees or bum and lots of water.)

The driver takes us on a flat bed trailer to the spot that is currently being picked.

Owen moves down the rows searching for the ultimate berry!

Lucky for us it was a hot day with no scorching sun.

Owen still needed a rest in between the rows.  Whew!

We were able to haul out 3 baskets of berries between Owen and I.

Nana picked 3 baskets herself.

We do eat some while we work...but after a while you just want to get out of the uncomfortable hunched over position.  So you pick faster...and snack less.  On the ride back to the main buildings, we snack a bit in sheer exhaustion and bliss.  Behind Owen are the baskets picked by the employees.  Those berries are sold at a premium, as "pre picked berries" at the main buildings.  The flavour of home grown, fresh picked berries but without the back pain.

Paulridge Farm has a play area at the main buildings. 

Its a nice little spot to rest up before heading back home.

We had to wait a little bit as Ches and Noah went their own route.

We decided to divide and conquer, splitting our efforts between strawberries and raspberries!

Ches and Noah picked 2 baskets of raspberries, which is saying a lot!

We have found that filling a full basket of raspberries takes twice as long because they are smaller and the bushes hide those ripe suckers!

In the end the boys were happy with the haul.

Total haul:  6 baskets of strawberries, 2 baskets of raspberries, 4 pints of fresh peas and 1 pint each of green and yellow beans.

It took approximately 2 and a half hours from the start of our trip door to door.

We made a huge batch of strawberry jam along with a couple of raspberry jams.

We rinsed and froze some of each kind of berry in large freezer bags.

Some of those frozen berries will turn into smoothies or be inserted into pies or crisps.  The newest thing for us is thawing a few for a batch of home made raspberry vinaigrette. 

All the tops we cut off the berries when we prepared them will go great in our composter too!

We ate the beans and peas almost immediately.

Eating fresh peas from the pods remind me of my childhood driving from Oshawa to a farm in Bowmanville.

My Mom and I would shell and eat them all the way home.

My paternal Grandma Bell was also big on picking your own when they were in season.

Perhaps that is a peak into her farming childhood or a reminder of the hikes in Selwyn Park in the Kawarthas where her and her husband built a cottage on Chemong Lake.

I just hope that my sons take their children picking berries and the tradition will continue.

Memories are made along the journey...not when you get to the destination!

Apple Crisp....winter warmth...

I have to admit that I love making apple crisp in the winter time.

The smell of it permiates throughout the house.

It sends me through a time warp of past memories.

Just the simple smell of crisp is uplifting.

Its the reason we work so hard in the fall preparing large freezer bags full of sliced and peeled apples.  Enough to fill half a chest freezer!  The apples were a combination of ones we had picked from my mother-in-laws house 15min from here and the rest were from our neighbour's tree.  Its so close we don't have to leave our property to pick them!  (but we do get permission first!)

Its so simple (and way too easy) to make a crisp at the drop of a hat with the apples already peeled and sliced, all you have to do is thaw out the amount you want.

Once thawed (or in the above picture semi-thawed) you can arrange them in a baking dish.

The topping is so simple a child could make it...as illustrated by my 4 year old son Owen.

Although if Owen were in charge of ingredients, it would be an all-sugar topping.

So Mum takes charge of ingredients...and Owen is in charge of "smashing" the topping.

Start with the dry ingredients:

1/2 cup of white flour

1/4 cup of quick oats

1/2 cup of brown sugar packed

1/4 cup of white sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon (or more if you like)

1/4 tsp nutmeg

Blend thoroughly.  Add 8 tbsp of butter or margerine.  Cut in the butter with pastry knives or a device like Owen is using.  Its so easy you can do it in front of the tv!!!

The picture above features the pre-oven version. 

Sprinkle the crumb-like topping evenly over the top of your sliced apples.  Some cookbooks I've read say to knock the pan a few times to settle the crumbs.  I gently shakes my baking dish from side to side. 

It's up to you.  Whatever floats your boat...

And here's the finished product!  You bake this beauty at 375 degrees F for 55min.

Your house will smell yummy and your tastebuds will love this winter warmer!

Alternatives:

• Add rhubarb chunks in with the apples and switch the brown sugar for white sugar for a sweet, tart flavour.
• Add frozen raspberries or strawberries for a taste of summer.
• Add cubed cheddar on top of the topping for a savoury twist ("Apple pie without the cheese is like a hug without the squeeze!" a direct quote from my cousins)
• Add a swirl of maple syrup on top of the topping for a sweet and naturally Canadian taste.
• Add chunks of caramels (you can buy them at The Bulk Barn) on top of the topping for a decadent dessert.



Storing your garden goodies...Late summer edition

I find this to be a very busy time of year.

The garden is bursting with goodness and I'm either not home enough to make meals at home or too busy to actually be in the garden.  Sigh.  Unfortunately this is the WORST time of gardening season to be so busy!  There is so much of everything ripening that it seems like a huge waste to le it all go bad.

We are currently swamped in tomatoes and apples we've been given by my mother-in-law.  What to do with 7 baskets of tomatoes and a milk crate full of apples?  Well, this post is all about what we DID do with them!  Below is my wonderful husband.  He's carrying our hard work from Saturday (after we checked out the Verona Garlic Festival).  We knuckled down and peeled until our fingers hurt. 

What we ended up with was the following:  4 large freezer bags of chopped apples (ready for plopping into a pie shell or under a crisp topping), 2 large freezer bags of tomatoes, washed, rinsed and scored (so the skins with come right off of them when we make soup this winter), 3 containers of tomato sauce.  All ready for the freezer and will provide fresh summer goodness all winter long.  YUM!

The best was the apple sauce we made from scratch!  Sounds impressive, but once you find out how easy apple sauce is to make...you'll never want to buy store bought again!  (That's kinda the point, after all)

Take a whole buncha apples, you can use almost any type or apple.  Although I do know some apple purists who swear you can only use certain types.  A quick Google search will tell you to "Make sure you use a good cooking apple like Golden Delicious, Jonagold, Granny Smith, Fuji, Jonathan, Mcintosh, or Gravenstein."  I'm sure there is a reason why, but I only use what I have, so whatever Nana grows is what we use.  You don't have to be picky about the quantity of apples, because you can adjust the taste as you go!

You chop and peel the apples and unless you have a herd of pygmies working for you, you may want to use this trick.  Have a bowl of cold water and lemon juice handy.  Place the peeled and sliced apples in the lemon water until you are ready to use them.  That way the apples will not brown prematurely!

Place the apples (not the lemon water) into a pot.  Heat slowly and the moisture from the apples will steam out of the pot, leaving nothing but warm sweet applesauce.  Hubbie likes to get fancy by adding some brown sugar, allspice and cinnamon.  Basically its like apple pie fill when we make it.

Then we place it in jars.  We steamed the jars to keep the insides sealed until we're ready to eat it.  Leaving a 1/2 an inch from the top of the lid, just in case we decide to freeze the jars we aren't going to eat right away.  This is a perfect way to keep the fall taste of fresh apples all winter long, and its also a great way to make home made foods in advance for school lunches.



Delicious, nutritious, home made, low carbon foot print apple sauce!



What are you planning to make from scratch for your kids lunches? 

Maybe a better question would be, what changes are you going

to make regarding your kids lunches?

Strawberries!

Its a little bit late, but strawberry season is upon us (although I think its just about done at this point...in our area anyway) 

Our strawberry plants took 3 years to make a decent crop.  Growing strawberries is definitely a labour of love and an act of patience.  I was hoping it would be worth it in the long run, but like anything in the garden, you never know how its going to turn out.  This year seemed to be a jackpot, so I decided to forgo the annual strawberry picking trip and try our hand at home harvesting our load of freezer jam.  Its one of our favorite fishing trip snacks as well as a bedtime snack (PB&J sandwiches) so we go through a lot of it!

In previous years, we have gone to two different pick your own places in our area.  Both were 20 min drive away, so I felt good about not using any fossil fuels to get to our berries for a change.  Fruition Berry Farm off of Hwy 15 and Paulridge Berry Farm north of Napanee on Palace rd are both great places.  The kids have enjoyed both farms for picking.  The one thing I'll say is that Paulridge had a lovely shaded area for the kids to play in...which was a welcome site after a couple of hours in the field under a burning hot sun.  Paulridge is typically not open on Sundays...so that's when we opted for Fruition.  The best part about Fruition is they have THE best teenagers working there.  Helpful, polite and eager...which is a great thing when you have a crazy moment of thinking you can pick berries with a 2 yr old in a stroller...by yourself!  (I clearly didn't think that one through)  Both places run about $8.50 per big white basket.  You can bring your own containers and they weigh them on site.  We purchased the big white baskets years ago...for a whole $0.50 a basket.  It added a bit to the price of our berries, but we've used them every year AND we use them in our garden too.  A good investment indeed! 
 

We picked our first batch and ate most of them, throwing some into pancakes to start.  By the second and third pickings, we had enough to make jam.

Crushed berries (1 3/4 cups worth in a liquid measuring cup), 3 cups of white sugar (I cut down the recipe from 4 cups, as our berries were small and super sweet), 2 tbps lemon juice and one packet of Certo.  Its the fabulous no cook recipe!  Stir the sugar and berries and let stand for 5 minutes.  Stir in the rest of the ingredients and let set for 10 min.  

 

Fill plastic containers so that there is about 1 inch left before the lid.  Let stand (covered) on a countertop for 24 hrs.

Freeze in the freezer! 

That's it!  That was all there is to it!!!  We ended up with 6 plastic containers in the freezer, 4 strawberry and 2 strawberry rhubarb.  Now the next sweet berry will be the raspberry.  Blue berries follow shortly after that.  We aren't in a good part of Ontario for peaches or cherries...but one can still hope. 

I have several strawberry recipes that I want to test out this year, but I may have to resort to local picked berries.  Our patch seems to have stopped producing for this year anyway. 

I was so excited to plant strawberries 3 years ago, that I had no idea there were types of strawberries.  I had no idea there was a variety called the ever-bearing strawberry.  Now that I know, I will pass along this piece of advise.  RESEARCH before you do anything...as our plants are now so established...it would be a shame to dig them all up now.  However, the idea of having strawberries for longer than the month of June is almost to much to bear!

Now all that's left to do in our strawberry patch is to keep on top of the runners, which will continue to try and make new strawberry plants until the fall comes.  Its quite a bit of work, but, like I said, its a labour of love.

Are you making any preserves with the sweetness of Ontario summer?  Tell me about it!

Adventures in foraging....Wild Leek Edition

WILD LEEK PICKING

Three years ago, a family friend showed up where to go and how to pick wild leeks.  It was such an amazing experience that we've continued going each year since.  I can't tell you where we go....or I'll have to kill you.  Seriously.  Its a well guarded secret location. 

This was the first year I noticed WHY its such a well guarded location.  The leek crop seems to be less and less.  When I discussed this with my hubbie, we talked about how the conditions were substantially wetter than previous years.  That could be a factor as to why there are less leeks on the hillside than before.  I read an article in Reader's Digest about the foraging phenomenon.  The article discussed the fact that in Quebec, you are no longer allowed to legally pick leeks.  Its actually against the law now, the leek population was in such decline.  We try to leave at least one leek per bunch, just to keep out little secret place going year after year. 

I thought I would blog about our trip this year...so you all know what to look for and what to do with them!

WARDROBE:

Bug protection, long pants, and a bunch of bags.  Thats really all there is to it.   The time of season you get to pick leeks are when the black flies are at their worst and when the mosquitos are just starting to suck blood.  Its not an ideal time for humans in the woods, but its definitely prime for leeks.  The kids always get the bug jackets...just for convenience sake.  If this is your first time picking, you may not want to look this dorky....but trust me...its WELL worth the one-time expense.  Bug spray is key as well.  Sturdy shoes for hiking in the woods are also helpful and proctect your ankles from pesky bug bites.



Owen sports the latest in leek picking fashion

LOCATION:

You'll want to look in an area where you can see trillium flowers.  You know, those white, pink or purple flowers you CAN'T pick?  Yeah, those areas in the woods where the canopy of maples and birch stretch tall and the forest floor is covered with dark mulchy leaf matter. 

Look for broad leaved plants with a small crimson flower bud (as shown below).  I think leeks disguise themselves as trilliums, as I think that's what I always mistook them for.



 

HOW TO PICK THEM:

Brush the leave matter away from the base of the plant...shown below...



Sink your fingers right into the soil...you'll feel some bulb like things under there.  If its too early in the spring, the bulbs will be deeper.  The later on in the season, the closer to the surface you'll find the bulbs!



The earth is loose and moist, so it should be no trouble at all.  Sometimes, we've found leeks growing out from under thick roots or big rocks.  Those we tend to leave behind.  Its not worth the struggle when there are ususally so many more readily available leeks nearby.





Voila!



Another telltale sign you've been picking leaks is the smell.  Shortly after you pull a few wild leeks, you'll start to notice a distinct garlic aroma around you.  You'll wonder if someone just started cooking a fantastic Italian meal right there in the woods.  Its amazing really!  We always bring snacks on our foraging trips, mainly to keep the kids busy when the thrill of digging in the dirt has worn off, but sometimes its because WE get hungry smelling the lovely garlic! 



A gorgeous bag of leeks ready to come home with us!

One of the big surprises this year was finding my first Morel mushroom!  I've never come across one in the wild, but I've done lots of reading about them in hopes that someday I might.  I was so excited!  Its like finding treasure!  (The gold colour helps with the illusion)  My step son was wondering why I was so stoked over a weird looking thing I grabbed out of the dirt.   When I explained that they are expensive in stores because they are so hard to find...his eyebrows went up!  When I told him I'd never seen one in the wild in all my 35 years on this earth...his whole face changed.   Thats when he stopped leek picking and started his adventures in morel hunting.  (hunting...like they're going to get away on you or something)


 

HOW TO PREPARE YOUR WILD LEEKS:

When you get these leeks home, be sure to soak them in cool water.  Snip off the green ends and the root base.  We composted our greens and discovered that our compost bin has never smelled better!





Fresh wild leeks ready for picking and the freezer

I really enjoy taking my kids out on excursions like this.  Its truly an experience I appreciate, coming from a childhood in the city myself.  Exploring the woods is always a good thing, even in an urban environment.  Once you discover the hidden treasures the forest has to offer, you'll never look at it quite the same.

At one point, during our picking session, I noticed Owen became very quite.  I looked around to see what he was up to.  I was suddenly struck by how serene he was.  He was standing on a fallen tree, looking out into the wooded valley.  I could hear a million spring birds.  I could smell the lushness of the forest.  I could hear chimunks, squirrels and other critters telling each other about our presence.  No planes, no cars, no sirens.  It was divine. 

I could tell that Owen was soaking up every second of it.

Next post - the wild and gathered spring feast - BBQ'd chicken breast with fresh asparagus and fried leeks and morel mushrooms.

Sexy Sailors! ok...its really about parsnips...

Its it sad that I couldn't come up with a delicious sounding post title....I know everyone turns their nose up at parsnips!  I used to be one of you!!!  Several years ago I read an article in Canadian Gardening magazine that stated if you left your parsnips in the ground until a few frosts had hit them...they turned into a COMPLETELY different vegetable...

Thats where they had me....I HAD to find out how different they were...and it was such a dramatic flavour...I became a born-again parsnip lover. 

This year we staggered our crop of parsnips and it allowed me more time for peeling and chopping these massive roots vegetables.  After I peel and chop...they get placed in freezer bags (not heaping full, just half full then pressed flat).  I ended up with 4 large freezer bags of them...and I ate plenty while we were digging them up!  They are great prepared like a roasted potato, or added to mashed potato (which I use on top of sheppard's pie)...that is until I saw this month's recipe in my Foodland Ontario 2011 recipe calendar.

PARSNIP, APPLE & BRIE SOUP....

I HAD to try it....I like each of the individual ingredients enough to want to make it.



Straight out of the calendar

  I was hoping you could read the recipe in the above picture...but basically its 4 cups parsnips, peeled and chopped, 4 cups veg or chicken broth, 1 onion, 1 tsp of butter, 2 apples, peeled and chopped...125g of brie and salt and pepper to taste.  Melt butter and fry onion until just cooked, add parsnips, apples and broth, simmer until soft.  Use blender or handblender to smooth.  Cube the brie and add while warm. 


my version


I will DEFINITELY make this again!  A few alterations though...I would use 3-4 apples...instead of just two.  I would also use the whole 200g wheel of brie.  I love brie.

This soup was wonderfully hearty and tasty.  Technically all I had to buy was the brie...as we buy broth in bulk, had parsnips and apples in the freezer, and saved a dozen onions from the garden in a slightly make shift root cellar...which is working out so far...but its more accidental than planned out.

I encourage you to try this soup out...it may just bring you back over to the parsnip side!!!

You're the apple of my eye....and heart too!

Oatmeal is one of those comfort foods.  It reminds me of my Grandma Bell, who always seemed to have a pot cooking on the stove every morning I ever stayed at her cottage.  I remember its texture and the smell of it.  The instant I start to smell my own stove-cooked oatmeal, I am transported back in time.

Lately I've been hearing a lot about oatmeal, but these days its in relation to soluble fibres.  I try to always make the quick oats as opposed to instant, mainly for tradition's sake...but also because I can control the salt and sugar content. 

I also love coming up with new variations so that the kids will eat it all up.  Noah is a fan, but Owen is still getting used to the texture. 

The label on Quaker Oats says oatmeal is a soluble oat fibre which contributes to healthy cholesterol levels.  This is one reasonably priced food to have in your pantry.  One bag, in our house, seems to last for a long time.  All I know is its great on these cold, damp mornings before you start your day.

I included my recent favorite variation.  Enjoy!

I make the oatmeal as per the directions, but just before its completely cooked...I add in some 1% milk.

During the cooking process I pull out a bag of peeled and sliced apples.  We picked these apples from Owen's nana's few apple trees.  Normally we would have gone out apple picking in the fall with the family.  The beauty of freezing apples in this format is that you can pull them out of the freezer at almost anytime for nearly instant apple crsip or pie....or in this case...apple pie oatmeal!  I add a dash of nutmeg, and a tsp of cinnamon...or if I have it, I'll add Victorian Epicure's Apple Pie Spice.  Its a gloriously fragrant mix of spices...NO SUGARS!   The final touch is the 1 tsp of vanilla.  If you want to know more about the healthy benefits of the spices I mentioned above, be sure to check out my post on carrot cake.

Of course you can add brown sugar if you decide, but I prefer to limit the amount of extra sugars we take in.  The kids get enough of it in treats.  I love to show the kids that things can taste great without the need for sugar....the look on Noah's face was priceless when I told him breakfast tastes great and it actually healthy!  (Does.....not....compute.....)

So dig into some old fashioned oatmeal...you can make it ahead and reheat as necessary.  Your heart will thank you!   Perhaps your family will too...

LOCAL BIZ SPOTLIGHT: Something Cool Frozen Foods

When I started this blog, I had intended to spotlight some folks in my community that operated small businesses.  Specifically, I wanted to talk to others in the neighbourhood who valued the environment as well as eating healthy.  So, for my first installment on local businesses...I proudly present Beth Freeland, owner/operator of Something Cool Frozen Foods.

You may be asking, what???  I thought this was a gardening blog?!   And you would be right!  But another aspect of this blog is the discussion about what we eat, why and how.  If you extend that discussion, you also talk about where your foods come from...if you can't or aren't gardening. 



Something Cool Frozen Foods and Beth Freeland

So on with the interview!

What does Something Cool do/offer?

Beth:  Freezing foods was the original method for food storage.  There are no preservatives and its environmentally friendly, with little to no packaging.  The food is frozen fresh, which preserves the nutritional value.  We offer our customers year-round access to fruits and vegetables, natural and organic foods, prepared meals, fish and seafood, as well as ready to bake items.

How does Something Cool contribute to less packaging?

We buy in bulk and repackage in plastic bags.  Our products are sold and bagged in paper bags or boxes, all of which are recyclable!  Even our store itself only produces a small kitchen garbage bag each week!

What local suppliers does Something Cool use?

Rita's Natural and Organic (Picton), Ledbetters Meat Products (Orillia), Salmon River Smokehouse (Tamworth), Margo's Pies (Elgin), Paulina's Curry Mix (Kingston), Sue's Gluten Free (Kingston), Guthries Farms (Harrowsmith), and coming soon Ella's Exclusives (Harrowsmith). 

Are there any qualifications you would like your suppliers to have to be stocked in your store?

Yes!  I try to carry high-end products where possible.  If I stock chicken fingers, I chose the brand that is actually all white meat with the least amount of breading.  Also, oven cooking rather than deep frying.  I have my customer's health in mind when I chose these items.  We also cater to those customers with special dietary considerations such as gluten sensitivities, diabetes and vegetarians. 

How do you help contribute to your customer's overall health?

I like to talk with my customers, and find out what their dietary needs are.  When you get to know your customers, you can easily make suggestions that suit their needs. 

What is it like to operate a food store in a rural area?

My grandfather operated a general store in Bellrock, and some of my earliest (and happiest) memories are from being in and around that store.  I love the social aspect of running a store and knowing your customers.  I love making suggestions for meal parings. 

What so you feel you offer your customers that beats the competition?

Personal service!  We really do have great customer service here.  We offer such convenience, as you can phone or email your orders in and they'll be ready for pick up!

What are your thoughts on the 100 miles challenge?

I meet that with the majority of my suppliers.  I do deal with Sysco for some items and you can't always control where Sysco buys its products.

What is the best value item in your store and why?

Its got to be the 4k case of boneless/skinless chicken breasts.  Its a very lean protien and can be prepared in a variety of different ways.  Also, our natural, often gluten free and organic soups!  $5.99 for a litre!!!




Visit Beth's store in Sydenham (until Feb 16th then relocating to Harrowsmith on Feb 19th) or online at the following link:

http://www.coolfoods.ca/

I'm grateful that Beth Freeland took the time to talk with me about her business.  She's a brand new grandmother and also moving her store in the next two weeks to Harrowsmith!  Busy gal!!!  Thanks again Beth and good luck in the new location!  

When everyone is sick....



a yummy home made smoothie pop!

 For the last few weeks, we've all had some form of sickness...and my two boys were eating popsicle after popsicle after popsicle...I swear I thought I heard my 3 yr old say BRAIN FREEZE for the first time...

After several trips to the grocery store...I decided to put my popsicle making form to good use!  We got a smoothy maker given to us for a wedding present...and its definitely one of those things I couldn't do without.  I make morning smoothies and the recipe for the dandy pop above is a variation on what I make most mornings.

If you ever needed a reason to pick your own fruits and freeze them....THIS IS IT!!!  I couldn't possibly afford to make these if each bag of one kind of fruit is over $5.00 each.  Not only that, but I am convinced that my pops are way better for you....as I know exactly what goes into it!

Now this recipe won't have any amounts on it....because my smoothie maker already has idiot-proof measurements on the side.  The beauty of making your own pops is that you can tailor it to whatever flavours you love!  Plus you can also try new combos that you'll never find in the stores.

I'll run down what I generally put into pop:

Juice of one fresh orange (or grapefruit....I'm discovering how lovely they are in a smoothie)
non-fat yoghurt
1% milk
fresh banana (not frozen)
frozen berries (raspberries, blueberries, strawberries) - i like frozen, but fresh is ok too in a pop
macca protein powder

(in my morning smoothies I add flax seeds as well)

I guess I add the macca powder because as a parent I find that when my children are sick, my biggest concern is that they are getting enough of everything to help them get better faster.  I hate it when a sick child loses their appetite.  It makes my stomach churn with anxiety.  So if I can help their wee throats and stomachs feel better, while also ensuring they are getting some nutrients...I can rest a little easier.  I can see by the big smoothie grins I get from the boys, that I'll be making these well after the summer heat hits us again....

ENJOY!  This recipe is for the sick and well alike!  Don't wait for an illness to hit you to give yourself an excuse to try these darlings out.      

ALSO SHOWN:  an abstract painting I did in 2002

Planning your Garden...part 1

Ok I know its December.  You're probably thinking about shovelling snow and getting ready for the holidays....and NOT thinking about gardening...

Truth be told, I never stop thinking about gardening...but in reality gardening doesn't stop just because you aren't weeding or harvesting right at the moment.  You have to put a bit of thought into planning your garden and this is what today's post is all about.

Part one of this series is going to talk about looking at what you'll be planting come springtime.

Take Stock of Your Eats

The first way to decide what you want to grow in your garden is to take a look at what you like to eat!

Sounds easy...doesn't it?

For people who love vegetables or for those who subscribe to a vegan or vegetarian diet...its simple, but for those who aren't as familiar with gardening or vegetables...this very simple act may take more thought...and time!

I say start now by looking at the types of recipes you make for your family and looking at your grocery bills.  You'll start to notice vegetables you purchase all the time, and never thought about growing.  Perhaps this year will be the year you try it!

I'll give you a short list of the kinds of vegetables we eat on a weekly basis:

• Carrots
• Parsnips
• Squash
• cucumbers
• sweet peppers
• broccoli
• onions
• asparagus
• tomatoes
• herbs
• lettuce greens
• spinach
• peas
• beans
• zucchini

Let's look closer at this list...

Asparagus can be grown but requires at least 3 years of growing before you can harvest....in the long run its far more cost effective to grow your own.  Since you won't be able to rotate a crop like asparagus, you'll need to select an area that will provide great conditions year after year for your plants.  (but its worth it!)

Tomatoes grow like crazy if you give them proper nutrition....so you'll want to give them lots of space in the garden!

Lettuce greens can not be stored in any conventional way (that I'm aware of), so you'll want to consider staggering your plants to maximize your growing season.  If you decide to build a cold frame you could very well have fresh picked greens from April to late November!  That's a huge savings at the grocery store and your salad will have a ridiculously low carbon food print.

Broccoli and Sweet Peppers take some time to get going....so if you're starting from seeds...you'll want to set aside a warm area in February and start your seeds in advance of planting them in the ground.  Peppers do not like cold soil, and they shouldn't be planted in the soil before the middle of June...so you can start now by setting aside some pots and potting soil in the area you want to reserve for pre-season growing.  (Wait until February...I'll be featuring a post all about it!)

Peas and Beans can be stored throughout the winter...so you'll want to stock up on Ziploc bags when the back to school sales are on!  Although this method is quite labour intensive...you can rest easy knowing that almost NO fossil fuels were used in getting these green delights to your table.  Yes, the frozen varieties in the freezer department are pretty cheap...but they can come from far away...meaning the carbon footprint on your peas could be as big as your CAR!  

Every year our family gets adventurous and tries out at least 1 hybrid and 1 new vegetable.  Last year we tried out purple tomatoes and eggplants.  I love experimenting this way, since all you really lose is the cost of the seeds or plant.  If you decide you don't like that veggie...you never have to grow it again...but you just may LOVE it!   

Another method of selecting your veggies would be to take a look in your favorite cookbook.  Copy or dog-ear the pages of recipes you'd like to try and see if there are any veggies you can grow in your garden.  I did the reverse this past year....we grew eggplants and aside from grilling them, I had no idea what to DO with them!  I poured over cookbooks and web sites...only to find that I was without some ingredients and often the eggplant wasn't so fresh by the time I went to make the dish.  This year I will have a plan!  I have already set aside tomato, zucchini and eggplant recipes...so when the glorious time comes...I'll be ready willing and able to make these delicious dishes! 

Another reason for planning ahead, is if you order your seeds from a catalogue.  You'll want to make sure you know what you want, prior to ordering...so that you receive the seeds in time!  (see what I said about sweet peppers above)

Check back for further posts about planning...

And a contest coming this January!!! 

Moose Stew

One of the things I've come to enjoy around this part of the country is hunting season.  Its not because I actually go hunting...or because my husband disappears to go hunting for weeks at a time.  Its actually because everyone we know who goes hunting usually has a wife who hates cooking game meat!  They usually wait a few months after hunting season is over and ask us if we'd take this meat away so they can have their freezer back. We win!  Not only is it free meat, but its lean and healthy too.  Wild animals aren't maintained the way that livestock is cared for, which can be good and bad. 

Good points:  no steriods or hormones were ever administered
Bad points:  you have really no idea where this animal has been getting its food or drinking water OR how much road salt its been licking up over the years.

At any rate, I like introducing wild meat to my kids.  It is a different flavour altogether and its nothing like they serve at fast food restaurants which has got to be a good thing.

Every time I eat wild meat I feel more like a pioneer than a consumer.  Living in the country, it just makes me feel like we live off of the land more...even if its not actually us doing the hunting.

I made Moose Stew the other night and this is how it goes:




Moose stew for you!


Rinse the meat really well once it has defrosted.  This method helps the meat lose some of the gamey flavour and any residue the meat may have.  (especially if you don't know who did the butchering)

Marinate the meat chunks in water and salt and pepper (or beef stock or wild game seasonings) overnight.  Discard water after.

Simmer meat on low in some liquid (stock or seasonings).  I used beef stock, less than a 1/2 cup per 2 lbs. (discard liquid after)

In a separate pot, simmer onions, carrots (from our garden) and potatoes. 

Add meat, more stock or seasonings, as well as 1/2 cup of  barley and simmer some more.

Towards the end of the simmering, I added frozen peas and beans from our garden that we froze and blanch devereaux'ed.  Its at this time you can add more stock if the barley has absorbed too much of the liquid.  I made the mistake of adding much more than I should have and decided to add some corn starch mixed in 1/2 cup of milk to thicken it up...but i should have just let the stew boil off.  That's why in the picture above the stew seems a little creamier than a stew normally is....

I also would have added some celery if we had any, but it still turned out nicely!  Not bad for not following a recipe....

I topped off this dish with garlic parmesan biscuits.....mmmmmmm.....

Now this is a thick and hearty meal from the Canadian wilds! 

I truly enjoy living where I live.  I especially love learning about the edible things in my area...so look forward to future posts about eating locally, foraging for goodies, and eating a true Canadian diet.