Snow Days

Posted on February 11, 2013 by Deborah

For 2 days, the almighty Weather Gods were forecasting up to 25 cm (or more) of the white stuff along with blowing, white-out conditions…. Hubby scoffed… ‘Sure, sure, you just wait, they get me all worked up for a big storm and then like Lucy to Charlie Brown, yank the football right out from under me…’

If it is one thing you must know about hubby…is that he loves to shovel snow…don’t ask me why, he has been like that since we met way back in the mood ring fad year of 1974. Nothing brings a smile to his face … Read more...

Dream Kitchen

Posted on February 8, 2013 by Deborah

I think it is safe to assume pretty much every woman (and culinary inspired men too) have an idea of what their dream kitchen would look like and what appliances they would like to see gracing their spaces.

Whether you are the Modern type wanting the sleek, stylish and somewhat sterile-looking Stainless Steel appliances that have been all the rage for the past 10 years…

Of which a major advantage of them being that their sharp, clean lines suit a wide ranging colour palette.

Or a throwback to the 50’s and 60’s wishing to combine Retro styling and bold … Read more...

Planning Out Your Garden

Posted on February 7, 2013 by Deborah

YIPPEE!!!!!

They Came!

My seed order that is…now I am all set, I just need some warmer weather to arrive to be able to dive into the dirt, trowel in one hand and pea seeds in another….

Last year I came upon a great website (Mother Earth News) that features a fabulous program that allows you to draw your garden space out on a virtual grid, then plop fruit/veggies or herbs to fill in the space. You not only get to drag and drop plants in place, but while doing so, it will tell you what plants get … Read more...

Super Bowl ~ Super Fattening Luncheon

Posted on February 6, 2013 by Deborah

I ate HOW MUCH in Calories???

Last Friday was the annual Stuper Bowl Luncheon.. I mean Super Bowl Luncheon at the office. Hosted every year by my football crazed boss (meant in the nicest way too), it doesn’t matter if his team is in the ‘Big Game’ or not as he just loves football and likes to share his enthusiasm with the rest of us. Thank you again Ed, we truly appreciate what you do every year for us (no, I am not sucking up, even though it looks like it).

The list of yummies gracing the back office bullpen … Read more...

The Queen of My Domain

Posted on February 5, 2013 by Deborah

Danger! Danger! WOOP! WOOP! WOOP!

Look up at the right hand corner of your screen and you will see a flashing red alarm light…

Ha-ha..made you look…

Ok, in all seriousness, please note that a domain name change has been implemented as of February 4, 2013.

www.thehomesteadingrealtor.com has been replaced with www.ournorthernhomestead.com

Why the change you ask??

Well…Red Tape, Spies and possible illegal, underground activity conspired to make life difficult for me…

OK, maybe not, but it sure sounds better than the real, mundane reason….

Please re-bookmark the new site into your Favorites and/or update your RSS Feeds.

For those … Read more...

Green Eggs and Spam….

Posted on February 4, 2013 by Deborah

I, for one…..HATE spam….

I am not talking about the weird, pulverized meat stuff that comes in a can either.

Internet / Email Spam has become a major hassle for anyone and everyone that has an email address or a website. Pushing knock-offs of every conceivable product known to man. Fake purses, watches, NFL/NHL jerseys, shoes, coats and jeans just to name a few. You can’t seem to escape from it, it is insidiously infiltrating society at an alarming rate.

From late summer to today’s date, my spam filter on this blog has caught 34,720 spam messages. Persistence is their … Read more...

Groundhog Day ~ Really?

Posted on February 1, 2013 by Deborah

Whether you follow Wiarton Willie…or Punxsutawney Phil (I had to google the name, still have no idea how they came to arrive at the spelling/pronunciation), do you believe his/their predictions of an early Spring…or an extended Winter?

Or is this one of those time honoured traditions of pomp and circumstance, that are done annually just to appease us inhabitants of northern climes?

Here in Canada, Wiarton Willie is from Wiarton, Ontario, and he is one of the most beautiful (if you can call a groundhog beautiful) groundhogs in history…mainly because he was an albino groundhog and pure white. Unfortunately, the … Read more...

Are They Here Yet?

Posted on January 30, 2013 by Deborah

You probably think I am talking about the arrival of beloved relatives, or aliens, or cows…but nope… I am anxiously awaiting the mailman and what he will be bringing me…and I am pretty sure he doesn’t appreciate me pouncing on him everyday when he walks up the driveway.

But I can’t help it.

You see, I ordered my vegetable/flower seeds the other day from OSC (Ontario Seed Company) and of course, I am as usual…incredibly *impatient* to get them. Ok, impatient isn’t the right word… I am not impatient. I prefer to think of it as spontaneity. A joyful, lively … Read more...

January 2013 GangUp Challenge Results

Posted on January 29, 2013 by Deborah

Good morning All!

Are you ready to see the results of the latest Cooking Challenge?

Perfect…then let’s go, no sense dragging it out any longer…

The following creations will be displayed in the order of when I received them.

Up first is a man that certainly knows his way around a kitchen. Which is a good thing for my daughter, as this fellow is her husband, and without him, she would be eating cheese and crackers the rest of her life. He certainly makes sure she is well taken care of…meanwhile, he was so excited to join in this time, … Read more...

Pantry Organization

Posted on January 28, 2013 by Deborah

Have you ever opened the door to your pantry and wondered just WHO put all that crap in there? A bag of rice cereal with barely a quarter cup in it, a smidgeon of panko bread crumbs sandwiched between an almost empty box of noodles and the olive oil…. and just why did I buy a brand new box of mashed potato flakes back in 1998? I have no clue why it’s there…..this is called general mayhem in the pantry.

Here is what to do (put the beer down, that is not that answer)…..

Step 1: Head to your nearest … Read more...