This is gonna hurt….

Posted on October 16, 2013 by Deborah

While the gardens kept me busy throughout the summer, it is time to get back into an exercise routine now that the last of my canning/gardening chores are behind me. I need to focus on getting my beach bod in shape for my January trip to sunny Mexico, not to mention build some upper body strength to deal with the impending white stuff.

So I pulled my exercise runners and Pilates DVD’s out of mothballed storage and got to work first thing this morning. After 45 minutes of huffing, puffing and feeling like a bloated cow wearing a size x-small … Read more...

Soup For The Soul

Posted on September 25, 2013 by Deborah

As the sun lightens the sky this morning, it reveals a low fog that has settled over the lake during the night. The tree tops of the offshore islands are just barely visible, with nothing to see below but fog. It blends with the calm waters of the lake making for an eerie and ethereal landscape. A Blue Jay screams good morning as he lands on the bird feeder, breaking the silence. Good morning to you too I reply.

With the temperature hovering around 46F and my hands firmly wrapped around my mug of hot tea. My thoughts wander to … Read more...

Preserving and Canning Food Guidelines

Posted on August 28, 2013 by Deborah

In light of recent news of a jam being responsible for the food poisoning episode last week at Toronto’s annual CNE (Canadian National Exhibition), it shows that even a commercial maker of jam’s and jellies can slip up when making their product.

Home cooks must follow a very strict and rigid set of rules when canning/preserving food for their families to avoid serious illness contracted from bacteria as a result of improper food handling.

I preserve a lot of food for my family, most of it being different types of jams, jellies and tomato products. I have always taken every … Read more...

I’m Shrinking….

Posted on June 18, 2013 by Deborah

I feel like the Wicked Witch in the Wizard of Oz…..

Last week I went for my annual checkup…you know, that place you go once a year to be told to lose weight, eat more veggies, exercise more and stop drinking so much. After sitting in the waiting room for 26 hours (I know why they call it a waiting room, I take my knitting with me to pass the time), the nurse takes me into teeny cube room #1 for weighing and measuring…like your a trophy Bass or Muskie.

Weight was ok, exact same as a year ago – … Read more...

Smoothie…out the Bumps

Posted on May 15, 2013 by Deborah

And Lumps

Awwww Spring. Time to put away the heavy sweaters, hoodies and jeans and pull out the shorts, T’s and tank tops….but….dangit…apparently some evil little gremlins broke into your Spring/Summer clothes storage and altered all your clothes ~ making them all too tight.

What to do?

Smoothies of course.

Smoothies are a great way to get in your protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals without piling on the calories. Choose your ingredients wisely though. Not all smoothies are made alike.

Opting for Fat-Free Yogurt and eliminating the use of fruit juices will keep Smoothies in the healthy, whole food chart … 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...

This Week’s Menu

Posted on March 28, 2013 by Deborah

I know it isn’t Monday yet, but seeing as this weekend is Easter weekend, I wanted to highlight our Sunday dinner before the actual day, plus, it gives me an excuse to show off the minute iota of Photoshop skills I have acquired lately…it only took me an hour to get those 3 little coloured eggs on the menu board and for that, I think I deserve a big high-five.

After this Sunday’s annual stuffing of excess food, by the way, didn’t we just do this a few weeks ago at Christmas?! sheesh, time flies… it will be time to … Read more...

OMG ~ I am over 50!

Posted on March 6, 2013 by Deborah

What the heck happened?

Last time I checked, I was 34 and busy refereeing a teenager and a tween who were chasing each other around the house threatening dismemberment to each other. Thankfully, the only casualty was our son’s bedroom door when daughter put her foot through it, apparently he deserved a lot worse. Anyway, on with today’s revelation….

Last Sunday hubby and I drove up to the Homestead to give it the once over for insurance purposes (as it is closed for the winter) and on the drive in, we stopped to grab a copy of the local newspaper … Read more...

Tigger By The Tail

Posted on February 28, 2013 by Deborah

Ta-Dah! It’s Tigger!!

Here is a project near and dear to me as it is for an old friend who was recently diagnosed with cancer. I mentioned it in a post a couple weeks ago, and I finally finished it…

Here it is…all done up ~ Tigger style.

As she has just started chemotherapy, it is only a matter of time before one of the many side effects of chemo shows up ~ hair loss. So while she is enduring the rounds and rounds of treatments, she can wear this chic chapeau with pride and be the envy of … Read more...

Inspiration

Posted on February 13, 2013 by Deborah

Comes in many forms…

I heard from an old friend yesterday. We had not spoken in over a year (life gets busy apparently) and she dropped a bombshell via email.

She has just been diagnosed with breast cancer after a lump was found during a routine mammogram. To say her family is devastated is an understatement. She is set to begin immediate chemo before any surgery can even be contemplated.

Right off the bat she was worried about losing her hair, more so than any other side effects of chemo. I told her that losing her hair temporarily is a … Read more...