Learning to Salsa

I’ve dabbled in canning here and there periodically over the years, but last summer I was bitten by the canning bug, badly. The inspiration was probably due in part to my ever-increasing infatuation with local food, as much as it was to harvesting my first real crop of homegrown veggies. I had an abundance of…

Happy birthday to me!

For my birthday, I got to meet my nephew! Magnus is finally home and he’s doing great. And apparently I’m one of the first to see him with his eyes open (with a little coaxing from his mama).

The fruits of my labour

I’ve had the chance now to enjoy tomatoes from all the various types I have growing and I thought I’d make a few notes on them. Probably the tomato I am least happy with in flavour is the Yellow Pear heirloom variety. It is a low-acid variety so that probably accounts for the blandish flavour,…

Zeus Yarn by Vergeknits

About a week and a half ago I received a treasure in the mail. I’m not yet sure what I’m going to do with it, but its already a very important memory for me. My big monster dog, Zeus, an 11-year-old Saint Bernard, is certainly enjoying his golden years and I know its unlikely I’ll…

I have a nephew!

Word came last night at about 11:30 that my new (and first!) nephew has arrived! Magnus Daniel Mulholland was born at 10:18 pm on September 3, 2008, weighing 8 lbs 4 oz. This has been a difficult pregnancy for my sister-in-law due to blood pressure problems so the delivery was induced after some stress tests…

Lakeside rejuvination

The blog has been quiet on the home front because I’ve been lounging at the cottage. I know, I’m spoiled. And this year especially. We had a full week with only one day of rain, which was really only a misty wet day, which was kind of pretty in its own right. Fall is coming…

Flowers you could eat off of

Last year my Mom and I scouted out some perennial hibiscus plants at the St. Jacobs Farmers Market. You have have seen these show-stoppers around, they’ve become more and more popular over the last few years. They tend to come in a deep red, pinks or white with pink centres. I brought one home and…

First harvest

Last summer I cleared myself an overgrown section of the front gardens to make into a veggie plot. It was a hugely daunting task, since the approximately 12 by 6 foot plot was thickly overgrown with ivy and self-propagated day lilies. Not to mention tulip and hyacinth bulbs that had been planted there by Chris’s…

Gifts from the past

I’ve had it really rough the last few weeks. Being off work in the height of summer is really hard work! Truthfully though, I have a good reason for my slacking off! At the end of July I under went a surgery to remove my parotid (salivary) gland on the right side of my face….

Kimchi for the masses

Kimchi isn’t for everyone. Making it at home is certainly not for everyone. But I have a confession to make. After only really trying kimchi in the last few years, I’ve become rather addicted, and I even find myself craving it. The stuff you can buy pre-made isn’t too bad, especially because Toronto has a…