New Tenants At The Homestead

Posted on June 17, 2013 by Deborah

Here in the Great White North, we are exposed to many, many creatures….some good, some bad, some cute and ever amusing and some are just downright scary (i.e. Dock Spiders), but out of all the critters that abound at the Homestead, the favourite ones I like to watch are the birds. Many different birds call Northern Ontario home during the summer, some of them migrating thousands of miles to breed and raise their young alongside the year-round avian residents.

My lovely daughter and son-in-law, knowing that I am an avid bird nut, gave me a birdhouse as a gift for … Read more...

Next Weeks Menu

Posted on June 14, 2013 by Deborah

Rain, Rain GO AWAY!

The 3-D weather (Dark, Dreary & Damp) lately has made it feel like I have been transported to Ireland (no offence to Trishie et al). It is so damp I think I have moss and mushrooms sprouting in my hair, just like my lawn, and I am impatiently waiting for the well deserved heat and sun of Summer to make an appearance.

Meanwhile, we continue to BBQ despite the rain (or snow, we Canucks are hardy folks who love our BBQ’s) and this weekend is no exception as Sunday is Father’s Day. One of the traditional … Read more...

Puzzled?

Posted on June 13, 2013 by Deborah

I admit it…. I am a Crossword Puzzle-A-Holic. I love the puzzles in the USA Today paper (when hubby heads stateside occasionally, he brings them back for me – Woot!), and when we are at the Homestead, we grab a copy of the local newspaper as they have 2 puzzles in every issue. One is fairly easy, but the other is pull your hair out difficult, and when conquered, I feel like a World Champion…able to leap tall puzzles in a single bound.

Sunday mornings I can be found with at least 3 cups of tea and several Crosswords to … Read more...

Mexico…Here I Come!

Posted on June 12, 2013 by Deborah

OK..maybe not at this very instant….but hopefully in the middle of the winter that will be here all too soon. I can hope, pray, beg and plead and maybe, maybe…I will get to go…..

Meanwhile, for those that follow me on Facebook (if you don’t, here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Northern-Homestead/110250042496781) you know that I started my latest knitting project a couple weeks ago (yes, I still have the knitting bug).

I came across this gorgeous pattern on the Ravelry site, (seriously, if you have never been to this site and are an avid knitter/crochet person, you are missing … Read more...

Mango Nectarine Salsa

Posted on June 11, 2013 by Deborah

Open a jar, close your eyes, sample a spoonful of this bright, flavourful salsa and you would swear you were dining al fresco in Mexico. It is that good.

Excellent served as a topping for grilled chicken, fish or pork, it also makes an excellent alternative to plain salsa alongside a bowl of crunchy home-made tortilla chips.

You can vary the heat by adding more jalapeños to your liking, or if you have wimpy taste buds, remove them entirely. Either way, I bet you will love the taste. Enjoy!

Ingredients

2 large, slightly under-ripe Mangos (if using the smaller … Read more...

Bike Butt

Posted on June 10, 2013 by Deborah

Hubby and I started bicycling last weekend on the country roads surrounding the Homestead. We are doing our part to be more active as we get older, plus, as much as we love walking, biking in Northern Ontario in the summer means you can go faster than the Deer Flies can fly. Seriously, these insect vampires will leave welts as they take a chunk out of you. So hubby pulled his bike out of mothballed storage and I pilfered (ok, I asked first) our daughters bike as mine had rusted out eons ago.

The first day was fun, exhilarating, and … Read more...

Next Weeks Menu

Posted on June 7, 2013 by Deborah

We are approaching the middle of JUNE already??!! Didn’t I just make a menu board up a few days ago for the 1st week of June? Sheesh, life is so busy that one day flows into the next and snowballs from there….speaking of snowballs, talk about COLD here lately, may as well drag the parka out of storage if this cold front hangs around any longer.

Meanwhile, I am still on my BBQ kick, actually, we BBQ all year round, but it somehow tastes better when you can tend to the BBQ without said parka and mukluks on. We have … Read more...

Lime Coconut Biscotti

Posted on June 6, 2013 by Deborah

‘She put the Lime in the Coconut, she drank ’em both up’…

Who doesn’t love the Coconut Song performed by Harry Nilsson? This is one of those songs that you either love or hate, kind of like anything done by Weird Al Yankovic. For those Muppet fans of yesteryear, this version I remember vividly and still laugh hysterically every time I watch it.

The Coconut Song has been stuck in my head for the past week and I haven’t been able to shake it. Probably something to do with a mental image of me being set amongst palm trees with … Read more...

The Best of May

Posted on June 5, 2013 by Deborah

May has come and gone like a flash. A welcome one for me though as the weather really didn’t cooperate for us here in Ontario. Actually, April was really miserable too…combine a miserable, cold, wet April with another miserable, cold, wet May with only a few days of sun provided to keep my sanity, meant for a very cranky Homesteader….

I WANT HEAT AND SUN!

There, now that that is out of my system…can we move on to summer please?

There was a glorious long weekend in May for both Canuck’s and Americans alike, albeit spanning 2 different weekends, which … Read more...

Silent Garden Marauders

Posted on June 4, 2013 by Deborah

Rabbits are
cute,
soft,
adorable,
and bring Easter Goodies,
BUT, they are also troublesome

I come home from the Homestead to find half the tops of my beets mowed down and ALL the pea plants gone. Zippo. Nada. Nothing left but dirt behind. Strangely enough the carrots and lettuce were not touched…. I thought carrots were Bugs’ favourite vegetable…apparently peas are.

Here I was thinking I was being highly proactive in boarding up the two small entryways into the backyard located at opposite ends of the yard where critters had taken advantage of fencing being too high and were able … Read more...