Quirky Quinoa Craving

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

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...

Next Weeks Menu

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….

Noah's ArkOk….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...

Turkey, Carrot and Orange Beet Soup

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

DSC09420_AIngredientsRead more...

Next Week’s Menu

I liked having the menu done early last week, so I will carry it forward to be posted every Friday vs Monday to showcase the following week’s menu….makes it easier for me to plan and shop beforehand too.

This coming weekend is supposed to be damp, so aside from working Saturday, I think Sunday will just be a lounge around in pajamas all day with my knitting ~ and some hot chocolate featuring Bailey’s for a boost….sounds like a good day to me!

Enjoy your weekend everyone!

Here is next week’s meal inspiration for you….

maple leaves green frameRecipe Links

Home-Made Pizza DoughRead more...

The Best of March

The weather in Southern Ontario was anything but stellar for March.  I even heard rumours of lynch mobs ready to string up Wiarton Willie for lying about the early arrival of Spring.  The weather was for the most part cold, windy and wet, with the sun making rare appearances now and then, teasing us with it yellow glow of tepid warmth.

Here is hoping that April finally sees us getting into the traditional, warm, sunny Spring weather we deserve…. although it seems to be taking a page from the book of March for the first few days so far.

As … Read more...

Giveaway Winner is….

Drum Roll please……Rat-a-tat-tat-tat-tat…

Kelly C. is the proud owner of 3 new Northern Homestead Dishcloths!

Congrats Kelly!
You will be contacted via email to obtain your mailing particulars.

Thanks for those that entered for a chance to win
Look for another great giveaway in a few months time!

For those that can’t wait and would like to knit their own dishcloths, click the hypertext link above to get to the easy-to-follow pattern.… Read more...

Giveaway Reminder!

Just a wee note to remind folks to drop a note in the comment section of the 200th Blog Post anniversary to enter to win a 3-pack of Hand-Knitted Northern Homestead Dishcloths.

These gorgeous dishcloths are made from 100% cotton and really are remarkably absorbent and durable, hubby actually endorses them…yes, he does the majority of the dishes at the Homestead as our house rule is whoever cooks, the other cleans up!

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Click the link above and scroll down to leave a comment, the draw date is TOMORROW,
so you don’t want to miss out!… Read more...

This Week’s Menu

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...

Edible Easter Table CenterPiece

What better way to showcase your Easter Brunch or Dinner Table than with an edible arrangement?  Your kids will go ga-ga over them and it beats fresh cut flowers any day.

This is a super yummy basic Sugar Cookie Dough recipe that will soon become a staple in your cookie repertoire…and they are not just for Easter either, but will also become a standard for making cookies at Christmas, Halloween, Valentines Day, or whenever you want to make ‘cut out’ cookies.  This recipe will be your new go-to from now on.

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Ingredients

1 1/2 Cups Un-Salted Butter, softened
5 Cups … Read more...