The Most Wonderful Day Of The Year!

Posted on September 3, 2013 by Deborah

Bwahahahahaha…the kidlets head back to school today. Thank goodness the running amok all day long, screeching like banshees is done with for another summer.

I don’t like children very much. I tolerate them at best. They are loud. They can be smelly. They can definitely be dirty…and they ask WAY too many questions.

Why?

WHY?

I don’t know why! Go ask your father!

So in honour of today’s special day (Back to School Day), I am spending the day in my jammies, knitting, reading, skinning and chopping tomatoes for sauce along with making one last batch of peach jalapeño … Read more...

Painful Weekend

Posted on August 26, 2013 by Deborah

I am so very grateful this morning. Grateful that it is actually Monday. Monday should be called the ‘day of rest’, not Sunday. Hubby and I hurt in so many places, every time we move even a pinkie we both wince. Watching us get up from a chair, you would think we were in our 90’s. What is wrong you ask?

Roofing.

The weekend forecast called for clear skies, plenty of sun and temps in the range of 22C to 24C. Not too hot, just about perfect weather for climbing up on the garage roof to strip off the old … Read more...

It’s Roofing Day!

Posted on August 23, 2013 by Deborah

Or weekend for that matter. Last year we replaced the roof on the Homestead cottage (read post here), but the garage didn’t get done at the same time and now it needs to.

So up we go again. Hubby says I don’t have to help with this one as it is a straight 2-sided peak, no funky angles and stuff.

So do I continue to can tomato sauce or go help him?

Tough decision…… I think tomato sauce will win this battle.

Stay tuned for a recap next week!

What I Did On My Summer Vacation

Posted on August 19, 2013 by Deborah

I am back from Vacation. Did you miss me? I hope so.

I love vacations. They allow you to spoil yourself with too much food, too many spirits, too many late nights and too many days sleeping in. All that spoiling leads to weight gain and a vacation hangover of monumental proportions.

Time to get back in control before I become the eighth Dwarf named Glutton.

I did accomplish quite a bit of stuff around the Homestead though. The gardens kept me busy picking and weeding, along with herbs being trimmed, washed and hung to dry. With the bounty … Read more...

Vacation Time…

Posted on August 8, 2013 by Deborah

Yes, it is actual vacation time.

Last time was a forced vacation due to Cyber-Space issues.

For the next week I will be off enjoying the waning days of summer as well as canning/preserving lots of fruits and veggies and doing lots of other important stuff that I need to get done…someone has to do it….may as well be me. Enjoy the peace and quiet.

See you in a week or so, don’t forget to feed the cat while I am gone.

Fall is in the Air

Posted on August 6, 2013 by Deborah

This past weekend was a chilly one at the Homstead. Well, for me anyway. Hubby hates the heat so he reveled in the cooler temps that finally graced the area. With highs of 20C barely being reached and overnight lows of 12 to 14C, it was a stark reminder that the Northern Summers are fleeting and before we know it, the snow will soon be flying.

The days have already shortened considerably from what they were a month ago. The sun taking longer to reach over the roof to warm the deck on the north side of the cottage. What … Read more...

Civic Holiday…

Posted on August 5, 2013 by Deborah

Is today.

We get an extra valuable long weekend in a short Canadian Summer.

But exactly what IS Civic Holiday?

It depends where you live for starters as not all Provinces recognize it as a Statutory Holiday while some do. Some don’t recognize it as anything other than a normal Monday in August.

It goes by a variety of names too….in British Columbia, it is British Columbia Day, in New Brunswick, it is New Brunswick Day and in Saskatchewan, it is Saskatchewan Day. In Nova Scotia, it is celebrated as Natal Day, but is not recognized as a … Read more...

Next Week’s Menu…

Posted on August 2, 2013 by Deborah

Will be a surprise for all involved. This weekend, our daughter and her husband (oh, and don’t forget the ‘grand-kitty’) will be coming up to the Homestead for 9 days. They love coming up for vacation and they actually haven’t been up since last August, so I know they are pretty darn excited. We are excited too, but I think I am WAY more excited than they are as son-in-law is the chef of their household which means….

I DON’T HAVE TO COOK EVERY NIGHT!

I get a holiday within a holiday!

Did I tell you I was excited?

They … Read more...

Of Ducks and Salmon….

Posted on July 31, 2013 by Deborah

Diary of Homestead Vacation continued….(see prior post here)

Salmon…. the Ocean’s gift to a healthy heart, diet and lifestyle.

I love salmon. I could eat it every day of the week. I broil it, BBQ it, bake it, steam it and have been known to skewer it. There isn’t a more versatile fish than the humble salmon. You can Cajun it. Blacken it. Smoke it. Salt Cure it. Can it. Make a salad out of it….or eat it Tartare fashion.

This fish of Omega-3 fatty acid fame has a long standing history with humans. Native peoples on both … Read more...

Chapter 6 of the Homestead Vacation

Posted on July 30, 2013 by Deborah

Diary of a Homestead Vacation Continued…(see prior post here)

I need to preface this Chapter for my good friend Tina ~ please do not read this, it will only make you want to run for your duck recipe book…and your gun…

As I sat out on the deck in the afternoon tap-tap-tapping away on my computer, with clear skies and hopefully no return of the hot, hazy and humid weather that we have had recently, it was turning out to be a beauty of a day. The lake was calm and quiet, with hardly a whisper of … Read more...