De-Thatching Your Lawn

Posted on April 22, 2013 by Deborah

Psst…. come here…I have a FABULOUS New Workout Regime for you try out. Guaranteed to melt away any and all fat left on your body ~ If you live through it….

It is called ‘De-Thatching Your Lawn’….

and it is probably one of the hardest things to accomplish in your lawn care maintenance program. If you have one that is. Maybe you are the type that just ignores the grass and lets Mother Nature take it wherever she wants…like dandelion puffs blowing in the wind.

Not us though, we have been known to be a tad overzealous in our lawn … Read more...

Next Weeks Menu

Posted on April 19, 2013 by Deborah

Is it really here? Spring? Maybe? Stop teasing us ok? Enough of the whacko weather, let’s get down to some serious sunshine and HEAT….

This week we had one day of clear blue skies and sun so I summoned the energy and courage to finish the dreaded de-thatching of the lawn. I found out something…we have a LOT of lawn space. If you do not know about de-thatching, you are lucky, more on that topic next week….suffice it to say de-thatching a lawn makes for a very exhausted and sore Homesteader. There are still many other outdoor Spring chores to … Read more...

When Life Hands You Lemons

Posted on April 18, 2013 by Deborah

“Bitter, sharp, packed so neat
Whose for a lemon treat?
Suck it slow, your mouth contorts
Eat it quick, you might feel sick
But add it little to a drink
or whip it in some cream and sink
your spoon into the lemon-goo
I bet , like me, you like lemons too”
Poem By Sammy Stein

I love lemons, for more than just cooking and baking (or writing poems)
Lemons are useful in so many other ways.

Not just for lemonade or lemon meringue pie, lemons are also one of nature’s best cleaning agents. Combined with Vinegar or Baking … Read more...

Quirky Quinoa Craving

Posted on April 17, 2013 by Deborah

Ever have a really strong, unexplainable craving? I mean, so strong a hankering that you will stop at nothing to satisfy it? That has been me lately with quinoa. The stuff has been on my mind for a couple weeks but I have not had the time to sit down to come up with something new and tasty…and good for the waistline, which has gotten out of hand since Easter. My yoga pants are becoming all too comfortable and I really begrudge getting out of my jammie bottoms to leave the house.

So today I decided it was time to … Read more...

CookBook Fetish

Posted on April 16, 2013 by Deborah

How Many Cookbooks Is Too Many?

I can’t be the only one with a fondness for collecting cookbooks. Over the years, I have amassed a bundle, enough to start my own bookstore even. One side of the store would feature cookbooks, the other would be devoted to the fictional works of Tom Clancy, Robert Ludlum and Clive Cussler (those would be my hubby’s fav authors).

Pretty much at least half the cookbooks I own I purchased myself or were given to me as gifts, but the remaining half were handed down from my Grandmother after she moved to a nursing … Read more...

Elefantito

Posted on April 15, 2013 by Deborah

‘Elefantito‘ is Spanish for ‘Little Elephant’, and this adorable, knitted pachyderm will steal your heart and demand space on your bedside table, take centre stage in your living room, or become a cuddly inspiration on your desk.

I have just finished making this gray woolen softee for the daughter of a client. She is just shy of 2 years old, petite and cute as button and I found myself making it for her after I came across the pattern for it on Ravelry.

All told, I think it took me about 7 hours start to finish (over … Read more...

Next Weeks Menu

Posted on April 12, 2013 by Deborah

For this weekend’s jaunt to the Homestead, I am packing my rubber boots, slicker, rain hat, umbrella, snow shovel, de-icing medium, ice pick and Noah’s Ark that I personally recovered from Mount Ararat…..then it is on to gathering up the critters two by two….

Ok….that may be a stretch on Noah’s Ark, but seriously, the weather has been so dreadful I feel like I have been transplanted to Jolly ‘Ol England this past week. Here’s to hoping the sun makes an appearance soon, my poor garden seedlings are starving for some sunshine!!

Meanwhile, here is next week’s menu, leaning heavily … Read more...

Rain Day

Posted on April 11, 2013 by Deborah

Rainy Day…Rainy Week…Rainy Month of April

Today I am taking a Rain Day,

as I have lots of stuff to do…

But I will be back tomorrow.

Meanwhile…Can You Guess What Kind Of Bird This Is?

Anatomy of A Sock

Posted on April 10, 2013 by Deborah

Yup, this is another blog post about toe smotherers….first, let me preface this by saying that I have not, nor will I ever become a lover of socks, more like…I may actually tolerate them from this point forward now that I have completed 2 knitting torture projects.

Torture project # 1 if you recall was for my daughter. She loves socks, loves them so much she always has to have a gift box full of them under the Christmas tree every year. So it made sense that my first foray into attempting to knit a pair would go to her. … Read more...

Turkey, Carrot and Orange Beet Soup

Posted on April 9, 2013 by Deborah

Don’t let the list of odd ingredients fool you, the flavours of this hearty soup meld beautifully and the addition of the orange beets are a great way to get a serious boost of fiber, potassium and calcium into your diet. Beets are a low-energy dense food, meaning they have a low calorie content for its serving size, and the fiber makes you feel fuller longer as well as aiding in digestion.

Ok…enough of the blah blah blah health benefits of eating beets – just try the recipe out, you will love it!

Turkey, Carrot and Orange Beet Soup

Ingredients… Read more...