Those good 'oldies'

I had to laugh when I grabbed my Canadian Living Cookbook (1978 edition) off the shelf - it is split in half and I don't know where the cover disappeared to ... but I know exactly where to find the oatmeal cookie recipe all my guys have enjoyed over the last few years (page 244) - liked with raisins, and loved with chocolate chips.

I'm a Domestic Goddess!

Over the last week have made a batch of Pineapple Chutney - fermented, so good for the belly - and coconut macaroons - also good for the belly! I just love the juicy color of the pineapple; recipe from author of Nourishing Traditions, and the macaroons are from author Nigella Lawson in her book 'How to be a domestic goddess'.

Beauty and Kindness

I came upon this quotation that I wanted to share today -

"How beautiful a day can be
When kindness touches it!"
- George Elliston

Real Food

Reading both these books about food - one is by the author Bill Phillips (of the #1 New York Times Bestseller Body for Life) with a book titled 'Eating for Life'. I can not believe the foods he recommends in this book, from sugar free jello puddings and soy protein powders to sugar substitutes such as Splenda. He focuses mostly on fat-free foods and products that substitute for sugar.

On the other hand, author Nina Planck of the book 'Real Food' highly recommends you eat your foods the way your grandmother prepared them - with the skin, cream, butter. She focuses on traditional foods and how they are healthy for you. I just started reviewing this book and got so hungry for a 'real' egg, that I picked up a few dozen free-range eggs from my local farmer - can hardly wait until we have our own girls in the back!

Crispy Fall air and Crunchy apples

With the leaves changing colour and the temperature dropping, I get the urge to cook and bake up something new - lucky me, found this cookbook at the library by Rose Murray 'A Year in My Kitchen'. The book is divided by seasons so new Fall recipes I will try this week include Baked Penne with Roasted Vegetables and Apple Crisp!.

Hardworking guys and a Happy Mom

When I see the work all the guys are putting into the workshop, I feel as happy as this sunflower - a healthy treat to keep them happy would be something topped perhaps with a touch of chocolate -
Blend 1 cup of low-fat vanilla yogurt, 2 TBS honey, and 1/2 tsp. almond extract in small bowl until mixture is smooth. Divide this mixture into two dessert dishes - make sure they are equal! Place raspberries on top, garnish with 1 TBS sliced almonds, and some grated dark chocolate.

I have a thing for beans...

and the colour orange lately - lucky me, found a three-bean salad recipe in the Alive magazine with three types of beans and mandarin oranges:
In large bowl, mix 1 can navy beans, 1 can kidney beans, 1 can chickpeas (drained & rinsed), 4 plum tomatoes (I will use my garden cherry tomatoes), 1 can mandarins (drained), 2 celery stalks (sliced thinly), 1/2 red onion (chopped fine), and 1 cup curly parsley (chopped). For dressing, whisk together 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar, 2 Tbsp. agave syrup, 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, and salt & pepper to taste. Add and mix dressing to beans, may drizzle with lime juice. Chill in fridge 2 hours - It would be nice to add to healthy lunches the following day!

Disrupting our food supply

As I was taking these photo's I could not help wondering where all the bees were this year. Went online to do some research and found a recent Toronto Life article; the author states that Indian researchers released a new study that links cellphone radiation to the drastic drop in bee populations throughout Europe and North America. The radiation interrupts bees' navigational systems.

Think about this - about one third of the food we eat, such as apples, nuts, and squash, depend on these important pollinators!

Yummy Summer Berries

After going for an afternoon walk with my son and pup today, we came across two types of berries which both belong to the Rosaceae family. Chokeberries (Aronia) are often mistakenly called chokecherries. Earlier this year, the chokeberry bush showed off its gorgeous tiny white flowers. I've read that chokeberries can be used to make jam, syrup, and wine. We harvested some blackberries and used them in a yoghurt and smoothie treat ... yum!

Colour popping up everywhere!

Everywhere I look, there are happy colours popping up around the 'Workshop' gardens -from the rose-purple field milkwort and red poppies to yellow evening primrose, yellow meadow parsnip and multi-coloured zinnia's. I had never seen field milkwort before, so the Peterson Field Guide for Wildflowers came in very handy!

Through the Wild Garden and Wild Heart

Parts of my garden are starting to look a little wild with purslane growing where it wishes to (over the garden paths) and mugwort reaching far (over the garden paths). Just came back from a wonderful weekend at Blessed Maine Herb Farm where I met other students very young and 'old'! Gail showed off her beautiful new schoolhouse and I have just started to read her new book 'Through the Wild Heart of Mary'- teachings of the 20 Mysteries of the Rosary and the Herbs and Foods Associated with Them.

Just love these colourful herbs...

Finally this year I get to enjoy the beautiful colour of my bee balm - in addition to the anise hyssop, thymes, and other herbs in shades of purple! Also, I am happy to report another Robin family has joined the herb farm - I am pretty sure there were three little heads sticking out of the nest! In terms of workshop building, guys have been 'busy as bees' working on all the porches - they look super. Speaking of bees, there must be at least a hundred of them on the St. John's Wort plants!

Are you looking at me?

Our youngest cat is trying to get my attention as he feels 'mom' has been taking too many pictures lately of baby birds ... how can you not when they are right in front of you in the workshop we are building. Momma bird is back on the nest again for a second 'batch' - she is feeling right at home in this noisy workshop. And speaking of looking, I should have remembered this is a construction site - I tripped last weekend and camera and I hit the cement foundation at the same time with dark bruises and a broken camera lens as a result!

Aromatic herbs ready for harvesting

Actually, as you can see on the photo, I should have harvested the thyme a little bit earlier - but I just could not cut down the flowers yet... The mugwort will be bundled up later to create smudge sticks. Gail Edwards in her book 'Opening our Wild Hearts to the Healing Herbs' (see my book list) states that mugwort has an ancient history as a sacred and protective herb with special healing qualities. The down on its leaves makes moxa, used by Chinese herbalists and acupuncturists to stimulate stagnant energy. American Indians used mugwort to relieve headache and backache, rheumatism, and parasite infestations. It grows quite tall and I think it is quite beautiful!

Let me introduce you to ...

Beautiful vegies like kale and other greens coming up in those container boxes we built! If that doesn't make you want to eat healthier, check out the recipes in the book 'The Kind Diet' by Alicia Silverstone - just picked it up from the local library - look forward to first of all trying out 'Sicilian Collard Greens with Pine Nuts and Raisins'...

Zinnia's already coming up!

The guys built a total of 7 amazing container boxes over the long weekend and already the zinnia seeds have come up! I also planted a variety of salad greens, squashes, carrots, a variety of flowers, and ofcourse herbs... We followed the method used in Mel Bartholomew's book 'All New Square Foot Gardening' - simple. Looking forward to doing less weeding work and more munching on greens!

Look what has come up!

Lots of action around the house with gorgeous tulips showing their colours, herbs 'stretching' their green limbs, camper being removed (sold to a happy young couple!), and workshop walls going up at lightning speed with the help of a bunch of teenage boys!

Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution

After watching his shows on TV, I was able to get my hands on a copy of his 'Food Revolution' Cookbook - so far have tried one of his curries (even the boys liked it!), his spring bean soup, the roasted chicken with a whole lemon stuffed inside (which was delicious!) and tonight on the menu is his sweet potato soup... love the photographs in this book, his style of writing, but would have also liked nutrition information, such as calories, carbs, etc. However, the most important point is getting the family together around the dinner table eating a home-cooked meal, yum!

Create natural Mother's Day products

You are invited to create a special gift bag for that special lady in your life - it will hold natural herbal products. Workshop will be held the Wednesday just before Mother's Day on May 5th at Mother Earth Natural Health, 747 Richmond Rd., Ottawa. For more information, you may contact Dawn at 613-321-3557 or just send me a quick email and I'll get right back to you. Hope to see you there with a friend!

Things are growing fast around here...

My baby herbs are not the only thing growing fast around here - the boys have grown so big that all of us simply can not sleep comfortably inside this camper any more. How quick the time goes! Wonderful memories going across US and Canada with this on top of our truck - if you are interested in buying it and know how to do some fixing-up work, send me an email. Beds, stove, bathroom great shape and fridge brand-new. Happy Camping!

Largest Hunting & Fishing Show in Eastern Ontario

Come and see these and other productive flies Mike has tied for the upcoming Annual Fishing and Outdoors show in Carp. The show is held from Friday to Sunday, April 9-11th and opens Friday for the public at 4PM. Mike will also give a presentation to introduce you to Fly-fishing and looks forward to assisting you afterwards with any fly-tying materials you may need. In fact, Mike's Fly Shop is the only exhibitor at the show that specializes in Fly-fishing and Fly-tying equipment - and there are more than 100 exhibitors.

Muscle strength and Vitamin D

Oldest son has been busy using his muscles fixing his truck - did you know that Vitamin D is not only important for the growth and development of muscles, bones and teeth, but also in the prevention and treatment of breast and colon cancer, osteoarthritis, and osteoporosis? Food sources for Vitamin D include fish liver oils, dairy products, eggs, liver, shiitake and chanterelle mushrooms, oatmeal, and sweet potatoes. I saw dandelion greens available at the grocery store the other day; other good herbal food sources include alfalfa, nettle, and parsley. Try to get outside for a minimum of fifteen minutes a few times a week and catch some sunrays to get your Vitamin D - enjoy the warmth on your face!

Good health to you!

After spending a day at Emergency for my mom (all tests results ok!) and hearing my niece underwent dental surgery (she told me she's ok!) I am again reminded how our health is top priority. As I went downstairs to check on my seedlings, I noticed the cherry tomatoes are coming up; they will taste good in this avocado ceasar salad recipe I found in a magazine - to make it:
-place 8 cups coarsely chopped romaine lettuce on a platter,
-top with 4 sliced green onions, 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes, 1 sliced avocado and perhaps some sliced radishes, croutons and bacon bits/beans. Add 1/4 cup ceasar dressing - Avocadoes are a good fat, source of Vitamin C and excellent source of fibre. Wishing you a happy and healthy day!

Great addition to salads!

Just finished growing some fenugreek sprouts - they are on the large side and should taste yummy on my salad or I can put them in a sandwich made with multi grain bread, spelt bread, or a tortilla wrap and add some veggie fillings such as cucumber, colourful peppers, and more greens... ok, I am getting hungry here! Fenugreek has a unique scent, and is known as the traditional herb for colds and flu.

Gold Medal winner at our house!

Both boys have been busy 'building' - from History class projects like the WWI Valcartier Camp complete with tents and trees to building walls, as required by the Eastern Ontario Secondary School Skills Challenge - Intergrated Building Tech division. All day long, our oldest son and his team members cut, hammered, and finished complete walls including a window opening - and won the Gold Medal for their division! Over 260 other students competed in a variety of skills challenges, and those that won first place may have a chance to go on to compete at Canada's largest Skills Competion in Waterloo this May!

How to make a perfect pot of tea

First of all, fill the teapot with hot water and allow it to stand for a few minutes - this will warm up the pot so that the tea you pour into it after will not cool down as quickly. Now empty the teapot, add the loose herbs (1 heaping teaspoon of dried herb per cup of water, plust 1 extra teaspoon for the pot), and fill the pot with boiled water. Cover and steep tea for about 10 minutes. To serve the tea, hold a strainer over each cup as you pour - on this photo, I made my delicious blend of herbal tea with good-for-digestion herbs!

Latest Workshop News...

How do you spell frustration?...Ordering, waiting, then patiently trying to connect furnace stove pipes that are mighty cold to the touch! Better get back in the warm house and watch some more Olympic Games - go Canada go!

Mom, may I have another muffin?

Few days ago, I made a wonderfully warming bowl of mushroom barley soup with some colourful cabbage salad on the side ...yum! Speaking of warming, the herb cinnamon has hot energy and is used in this Mott's Fruitsations Blueberry muffin recipe:
In large bowl, whisk together 2 cups all purpose flour, 1/4 cup wheat germ, 1 tsp. baking powder, 1/2 tsp. baking soda, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, and 1/4 tsp. salt.

In another bowl, whisk together 2 containers unsweetened fruit snacks, 2 eggs, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/4 canola oil, and 1 tsp. vanilla. Pour over flour mixture, stir in 1 cup blueberries. Spoon into 12 muffin cups, then combine 2 tbsp. flour, 2 tbsp. wheat germ, 2 tbsp. brown sugar, 1 tbsp. canola oil, sprinkle over muffins. Bake 350F (180C) for about 20 mins until centre comes out clean. A+ from the guys!

First visit to Richters!

Here is a tiny sample of the herbs, flowers, and vegies I'll be starting real soon... Richters is a wonderful warm place to visit for the selection of seeds, plants, and ... fat cats! One of the friendly staff members mentioned that the cats used to be good 'mousers', but have since taken on jobs as 'supervisors'. I just had to buy Hollyhock seeds as I had seen some gorgeous flowers last summer at Sage Mountain Herbal Retreat Center.

Food Matters

I thought it was great that 'Oprah' had Michael Pollan on the show yesterday - I highly recommend you also watch the 'Food Inc' and 'Food Matters' documentaries.


Here is a picture of my 'pup' taken two years ago - look at that snow! A friend had specifically requested a picture of her as only the kittens have been shown on my blog - fair is fair!

Healthy Digestion 101

You never know where the conversations will go when you teach a Healthy Digestion class - but one of the questions asked last night was "what kind of gas is good gas and what is bad gas?' - well, it sure helps to consume some fennel seeds. I made this skillet pizza the other day which has both flax and fennel seeds - great for the digestive system - let me know if you are interested in the recipe. We also talked about anise seeds, and licorice root - my childhood herb in Holland! Thanks ladies and Dawn at Mother Earth Natural Health on Richmond Rd. for a fun night!.