My Boyfriend skijorring with our dog Dio. Dio is pulling John along on his Nordic skis. Skijorring is  great excercise for both parties and a great way to have fun in the snow. The commands are very similar to sleddog commands. Hike to go, Whoa to stop, Gee for right turns, Haw for left turns. Dio caught on within days and loves going skijorring.

 

Here is a link to a video of John and Dio Skijorring.

Growing Asparagus

We planted male Asparagus crowns last spring. They are really quite easy to plant. The site needs a bit of preparation, you dig a trench, work in compost and organic matter, make small mounds for each individual crown and carefully fill in around the roots. It is a very similar procedure to planting strawberry crowns. The hardest part about growing asparagus is the wait. The first year you cannot harvest the spears. There is some debate as to whether you can harvest any the second year, some say you can for the first couple of weeks and others say not until the third year. I think we'll wait until the third year to be on the safe side. We should have lots of greens growing in our cold frames to keep us from snagging any spears. Weeds can be a problem with asparagus so it's important to keep on top of the weeding. If we take good care of our Asparagus bed we should have asparagus welcoming us into spring for years to come.
You can learn more from this Mother Earth News online article right here- Growing Asparagus.

Happy Holidays!

This is our kitty Boris lounging under last years tree. I debated getting a living Christmas tree this year. When Christmas is over I take our tree outside and cut all the limbs off of it. I  then use the limbs to cover and protect my flower beds for the winter. You put them on your bed really lightly and take them off in the spring.

It works great and you need not obtain extra materials to cover your beds. I don't feel so bad about having a  Christmas tree since I use the remainder for another purpose.

Mountain ash or Rowan berries covered in snow. Partridges, Blue Jays and all kinds of birds eat these berries in the fall. Our chickens are HUGE fans.  

Have a Carrot.

My Best Buddy, Dio, enjoying a carrot from our garden. This is a picture from last year when Dio went into the garden and dug up all our carrots we were storing in the ground. Carrots, Parsnips and Turnips can all be left in the ground, covered with a mulch and then dug up over the winter as needed. They keep really well that way...as long as your dog doesn't have a taste for or access to them.   

Brussel Sprouts and Squash Soup for Breakfast.

Here's the girls chowing down on some leftover Squash soup that was destined for the compost bin and some surplus Brussel sprouts someone gave us. We will likely be growing our own Brussel sprouts next year as they seem to do really well around here.



This is how they grow, out of the ground of course, I don't have anything growing behind my sink.

I picked through these ones and we will eat the ones that are still good, the chickens get the rest.

Sunday Project.

We've been meaning to build a large cold frame for several weeks now. Sometimes when you own your own business and try to do everything you can for yourself with your own hands time is more valuable than money and not something we have a lot of.

My Kale, Radishes, Swiss Chard and lettuce greens are remarkably still holding on despite their lack of shelter and the cold weather we've been having. The cold frame will protect them for a little bit longer but it's mostly being built so it will be ready in March for planting onions, greens, radishes and any other delicious veg that can handle the cooler temperatures.

Cancer 'is purely man-made' say scientists after finding almost no trace of disease in Egyptian mummies.

Still Growing.

I picked these radishes this morning with some Romaine lettuce to make a wrap for my boyfriend's lunch today.

A Hollyhock flower, simply because I love them.

Indoor Gardening.

I started my Paperwhite Narcissus much too early, I was aiming for Holiday blooms, and it has flowered. No worries, I love a surprise, especially one as lovely as this.  I will know for next year.

A Great Idea.

This is a great idea, Recycled Nest Boxes from large plastic buckets. If you have extra large plastic buckets from farm/garden/home supplies you can easily convert them into nest boxes for your ladies to lay in. 

Potato and Leek Soup

1 Tbsp. Butter or coconut oil
2-4 good sized leeks
1 onion
2-3 cloves garlic
2 stalks celery (optional)
6-8 good sized potatoes
vegetable broth or chicken stock
salt and pepper

Wash the leeks thoroughly making sure to remove all the dirt as leeks can hold a lot of soil.
Slice the leeks and celery into about 1/2 inch segments and dice the onion and garlic. Melt butter on just below medium heat. Add leeks, onion and celery sprinkle with a few grains of  sea salt. Cook until just tender about 4 minutes and add diced potatoes. Cook until potato softens about 5 more minutes and top with stock or broth. Add more stock/broth for a thinner soup, less for a thicker , creamier soup.
Add pepper and salt to taste and  any additional desired seasonings. Puree and serve warm or cold with a dollop of organic sour cream and diced chives or fresh parsley.

A farm where the cows decide when they would like to be milked?

Bakerview EcoDairy is a step in the right direction. Located in Abbotsford B.C. the farm has a robotic milker and cow brush that the cows decide to use at their leisure. They also provide comfy mattresses for their cows to sleep and relax on. You can watch live video of operations on the farm including their robotic milker.

A small bowl of some of our Shallots and Garlic we grew this past summer. Our Shallots grew larger last year but these ones are still really flavourful and guaranteed to make your eyes water.

I forgot all about the Rutabagas.

I was just poking around in my garden this afternoon and realized that earlier I left out a very important component to our vegetable garden. Rutabagas are one of those vegetables you want to leave in the ground for a 'kiss' from the frost to convert the starches to sugars producing a tastier Rutabaga. I apologize to the Rutabagas, with all their possibilities they should never be underrated.

One more quick stroll down Memory Lane.

I really, really miss gazing out at this scene while eating my morning egg.

Winter Read.

I have obviously spent too much time in the bathtub with this copy.

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver is a truly inspiring, humorous non fiction account of growing your own food for a full year. Barbara documented the feat her and her family accomplished in an honest, passionate fashion that allows you to vicariously live with the Kingsolvers through their year of sustainable eats. Makes a terrific gift for the gardening enthusiast or just a great read to keep you motivated through the grey months without gardening. 

Memory Lane

Now that the snow is about to fly my garden is looking fairly vacant. We have planted one side with garlic and swiss chard. Leeks, beets, carrots, parsnips, radishes, romaine lettuce, kale, the odd fennel bulb and green onion are still growing. We have plenty of storage vegetables like potatoes, garlic, onions, carrots, parsnips etc. and canned preserves to treasure until March when we can plant again. I find myself nostalgically reminiscing on photos of, what was this summer,  a beautiful garden. It is as if you appreciate the sheer beauty of life and growth more when there's less of it surrounding you outside. The lushness of the fresh vegetables is a real treat for your peepers when there is leaves on the ground.There is more than one reason to take photos of your garden. If your memory is poor and you want to follow the organic practice of crop rotation to prevent and reduce diseases photos can ensure you rotate properly. I do not trust my memory to file the pinpoint where I planted my peppers last year.  I use the winter months to plan my garden for the following year and the photos make it easier. They can also make the long months of snow easier by reminding you of the bounty to come. Here is a few of my favourite pictures looking back on the gardening year, in no particular order.

Oregano, Chives and Garlic hanging in the herb bed I plant close to my kitchen door for easy culinary access.

Boris and a Checkered Lily.

Strawberries, Beets, Carrots, Onions and Potatoes.



Pea trellis.

In all it's glory with the Hens in the background.

Have some Pollen.

Some early onions drying.

Baby Chick.

The season of the squash.

Squash have been harvested and laid in the sun for sufficient time now to toughen their skins for storage. Butternut, Acorn, Kobocha and Pumpkin are popular varieties. They all taste delicious when roasted, turned into a soup, made into a pasta dish or a warm or cold salad. This weekend I made a butternut squash lasagna from our own harvest, unfortunately the lasagna was so good it didn't last long enough for a photo. Squashes have a slightly nutty, sweet taste and are extremely flavourful. Squashes are high in fibre, nutrients and phytonutrients. I feed my leftover squash seeds and inner scrapings for my Hens but never my pumpkin seeds, I always keep those to roast for ourselves.

 Beta-carotene rich squash soup garnished with fresh parsley.

Vegetable Pate

This is one of my favourite snacks to have on hand. Great for get-togethers, Holiday parties and just to have on hand for a delicious, filling and nutritious snack. Try spread on crackers, baguette or my favourite celery sticks.
You can experiment with the vegetables and seasonings to make different pates for different seasons.

Vegetable Pate
1 cup sunflower seeds, preferably soaked overnight covered in water.
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cooking oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 potato, chopped
1 large carrot peeled and sliced
1 onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
1/2 teaspoon dried savory
1/2 teaspoon black ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground dry mustard

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease an 8 by 8 inch baking dish. In a food processor, blend sunflower seeds, whole wheat flour, nutritional yeast, salt, veg oil, lemon juice, potato, carrot, onion, celery, garlic, water, thyme, basil, sage, savory, pepper and dry mustard. Process the mixture until almost smooth. Transfer mixture to the baking dish. Bake in the preheated oven one hour, or until bubbly and lightly
browned.

Supertreat.

Here's a real fall treat. Homemade pumpkin pie. Small Sugar pumpkins make an amazing pumpkin pie with their sweet, flavourful flesh. The crust is made with whole, unbleached white flour and I topped the slices of pie with maple whip cream. To make the maple whip cream you simply whip your cream with maple syrup.
Delicious!

Shelter from the storm.

This morning was great for working outside, mild and the soil is slightly warmed. I dug up some of my annual herbs to take inside and use over the winter. Rosemary, parsley and stevia are still growing in my herb bed and will not survive the frost much longer . I simply dug them out of their beds and placed them in indoor pots with new soil. They'll continue to grow, produce and thrive until the spring when they'll have to be planted outside again or tossed into the compost if too tired to carry on. I keep them on my kitchen table where the sun shines the most in the house and they are conveniently in reach while cooking.

Homegrown Leftovers # 2 consisted of ; Chicken salad made with homemade mayo from my own egg, leftover chicken pieces and minced green onion served on a bed of baby romaine. I would have included a picture but it was one of those meals that simply tasted much better than it looked regardless of how much parsley I decorated my plate with.

Homegrown Leftovers # 3- Beautiful Borscht

Made with chicken stock from leftover chicken and garden veggies including onion, carrots, beets, cabbage and tomatoes. Topped with a dollop of plain yogurt since I had run out of sour cream. Great way to use up fall vegetables and warm your body after a fall walk in the woods.

Homegrown Leftovers #1. - Straggler Salad with leftover home raised, free range chicken

Leftover chicken from roasted chicken shredded and tossed with some of the veggies that are still growing in the garden. Baby Romaine lettuce I planted in September for a late crop, grated raw beet, radishes I planted in September for a late crop and one very pleasant surprise of a green onion I found growing amongst some fennel.
I tossed these beautiful, fresh picked veggies with one of my favourite salad dressings.

Maple Balsamic Dressing
1/4 cup favourite oil such as hemp, flax or extra virgin olive.
1-2 cloves garlic crushed and minced
3 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp. Maple syrup
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1-2 tsp nutritional yeast ( I use more like 2-3 tbsp of nutritional yeast it depends on your taste)
Salt and pepper to taste
Whisk together oil, garlic, vinegar and maple syrup. Whisk in Dijon mustard and nutritional yeast until desired consistency. Taste and adjust flavours according to preference.
Great on romaine, spinach or any green salads.

Chickens on $15.00 a month.

We recently decided to figure out how much our Hens cost to raise and keep. We keep them in a chicken tractor so we are able to move them to fresh grass daily. We feed them all our food scraps we know they'd like. Mostly vegetables such as beet and carrot greens, swiss chard, tomatoes,  carrot and beet peelings, lettuces, cucumbers, zucchinis, fruits like strawberries, pears and apples and even things like feta cheese, organic yogurt and sour cream. If anything is going to waste in the garden or fridge we can feed it to the chickens. When herbs like cilantro, arugula or parsley go to seed or start to die we feed them to the chickens. Whatever the chickens don't want we compost. We supplement the chickens with grain but if there is any fresh food or grass around the feed goes untouched for days. We've been going through about one bag of feed for them a month. It costs, give or take a few bucks, around $15.00. The Hens were purchased for less than a dollar each as chicks. They started laying eggs at around sixteen weeks of age. We now receive on average 8 eggs a day from 8 Hens. They are extremely easy to care for requiring only the odd mucking out of their homestead, water needs to be refilled daily , eggs need to be collected  and we have to move them everyday to avoid too much lawn destruction. They seem to actually benefit the lawn. Where we've had them stationed the grass grows quickly back and lusher than before. We collect their manure to age and use on our garden in future years. We get a lot from our Hens and at $15.00 a month I think we're getting a good deal.

Here they are taking care of the jack o lantern remnants.

Homegrown Dinner.
Roast chicken cooked on a bed of leeks, parsnips, carrots and garlic. Beets and roasted potatoes.  

Formalities.

Hi. My name is Phallen and I am a graduate of the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition and a Registered Holistic Nutrition Consultant.
I run a home based business in the home my boyfriend and I purchased and fully renovated that I eventually hope to move into the community. I encourage individuals to take control of their own health, prevent disease, eat locally and sustainably, eat whole unprocessed foods as opposed to pre-packaged and prepared, exercise and strive for optimal nutrition. I believe the body has the ability to heal itself. I 'practice what I preach' and really appreciate having a job that allows me the freedom to do so. This was a choice I made for my health and my future. I grow a large garden that starts in March/April and ends in December and provides us with more than half of our vegetables for the year. We keep laying hens and raise our own chickens for meat. I try to purchase as little as I can from large grocery stores and like to support small businesses, craftsmen and producers. I'm frugal almost to a fault. We like to do everything we can for ourselves which can be stressful but is always rewarding. This blog is a place for me to inspire others, share recipes and nutrition information, gardening tips and much more.
Enjoy and Take Care!