Welcome to my Nest!
Happy New Year, everyone! And to celebrate, here’s a recipe for pie. What, you think I’d start the New Year out with celery sticks? Think again, my dearest friends, think again. That’s so not how I roll. If you have one resolution this year, make it this: Eat more pie. To add to that, bake [...]
I have never been a cobbler kinda gal. I like my fruits in crisps, the cakey topping that I usually associate with crumbles can’t hold a candle to the crunchy oatmeal topping that crisps are known for. The story that lead me to this recipe is a common one around this house. It started with [...]
Oh, yes I did! These lovelies were inspired by my first trip to the Bulk Barn, prompted by everyone on Twitter telling me how much I was missing in life by not frequenting said store. And I mean everyone. I think even Jessica Alba chimed in at one point and said “Are you crazy??” Ok, [...]
The devil made me do it. That’s the only thing that came to mind when I realized that on a day when it was about plus 28 Celsius, I was finally making the cookies that have been niggling in the back of my mind for a long, long time. I recently posted the base recipe [...]
Or at least they were before the snow and tornado like winds that we received in April. Good ol' Alberta. Gotta love it here! I was very happy to see green poking through the dirt, but not so happy that I had to water the flowerbeds to achieve this. What a dry spring, I have never had to water my flowerbeds to get things growing. But there was a point where I could see the front was parched and … [Read more...]
Looks like I can try sweet potatoes after all! This was our weekend project and it's complete except for the dirt. Which is my next dilemma but I'll get to that later. This was a big task on my list of things to do this spring (one of oh-so many) and I am so happy that they are done. We built one deep one that is 12 feet long and about 4 feet wide and a short one the same. The deep one will … [Read more...]
Signs of spring around my place lately... ..weeds that are growing... ..flowerbeds that are cleaned out..hurrah! There are ladybugs everywhere, absolutely everywhere... Like on my hat when I went in the house! I kinda flipped out though, because I had *just* squashed a dozy wasp that I disturbed among my irises. I screamed and smooshed. Lucky for the ladybug there was … [Read more...]
I took a peek at my sweet potato again today, and was shocked to see a flippin' tree growing out of it. And to think it has been OUT of the sun's rays. So now I have put it on the buffet in the direct sunlight and will see if I can really get it going. I don't think it's a sweet potato vine, I didn't think the tubers grown from the vine varieties were commercial fare for people, are … [Read more...]
It has occurred before that weird things start growing in my kitchen sometimes (besides the mold on food in the fridge. shudder) but this is the very first time a sweet potato has started sprouting in my house. A sweet potato that I fully intended to use. In December. Let's see, I had thought to make sweet potato couscous, or curried yam soup, or something equally fun. Instead it sat there … [Read more...]
The hoar frost was gorgeous yesterday morning, and I always kick myself when I leave my camera at home. I should know that it needs to be attached to me all day, because I always see picture opportunities and never have my camera. The land by my daughters preschool is bare, and yesterday there was a beautiful low sun shining through trees with beautiful hoar frost coatings on them...and no … [Read more...]
You know what I love about carrots? The fact that they can stay in the ground as long as it doesn't freeze. They outlasted the plague that went through our family, all through the month of October and were ready and waiting for me to harvest the remnants in November. They weren't as sweet and new as they were this summer, but they still tasted better than store bought, and actually, inspired me … [Read more...]
Uhhh, did the weather gods forget my request for a warm Fall? A nice October? Oh wait, of course! It's because I booked my shift off on Halloween, which is on a Saturday this year, and we were going to have a bonfire in the back yard and spend sometime outside. So really, I asked for this snow. I did. By actually even considering an outdoor activity. Hopefully this is short lived. I have a … [Read more...]
A few of my fall beauties, my gaillardia fanfare, above, actually went to seed last year, and I have about 6 plants that grew this year. However, they aren't as healthy and large as the main one that I first planted. I re-read some information on them, and I have to cut them back hard this fall, which would mean almost to the ground, I guess. Hopefully then next year, they are better than ever. … [Read more...]
Scooby the rabbit really doesn't have much to do with the blueberries, but she was running fun and fancy free in the yard the whole day while we worked outside, and thus there is a picture of her, of course. Being bad and eating my plants, of course. My blueberries did not produce this year, and it could be for a number of reasons. Blueberries are notoriously picky and hard to grow, they love … [Read more...]
If there are garden deals to be found, my sister and I will sniff them out. Even if I am 400Km away from home, in the middle of a wedding weekend and in a strange town. I just knew if I went to the Walmart in Okotoks, I would score! Ok, to be honest, I just went to get Mike "short white socks". Yip. That was my order from him, short....white....socks. However, my sister and I got completely … [Read more...]
It warms the cockles of my heart that my kids take their little Tikes car (which is completely and utterly too tiny for them, but they will play with it until they are 16, I swear) and go play Garden Shop. They pick peas and beans and pull carrots, throw them into the back of the car, and off they go to "home" (their playhouse fort) and ask me to wash up their groceries so they can snack on them … [Read more...]
My glads are now in full bloom, and absolutely gorgeous. I put red ones in the front to quasi match the house colors a bit, and they turned out beautifully. Except for the one lone white on in the bunch. I don't understand how I never, ever, get a full package of one color, there is always a surprise color mixed in. I had to rescue some out the flowerbeds, we are getting crazy, spooky windy … [Read more...]
Earlier this year, I was dumbfounded when I discovered my vines, all three, cucumbers, zucchini and pumpkins, were not producing a single healthy vegetable between them all. Every time I would see the small vegetable just start to grow, it would drop off and die. After searching the internet, I discovered that the most likely source of the problem was a lack of pollinating insects, and mainly … [Read more...]
Dear Green Pepper, Hello, my nemesis for many reasons. Not only are you expensive in the stores to start, and organically grown you are out of my reach entirely, but you also were my major garden FAIL this summer. You are covered in black, unappealing spots that can mean many things, but the main concerns are that I wasted $6 on a plant, precious time and watering, and you taunt me openly with … [Read more...]
My carrots have been a total success this year, I grew the baby variety, and I have tons waiting still in the garden. The kids were so excited to pick these, I haven't ever attempted root vegetables before. My worry with them has always been soil quality, since they are roots they absorb anything good, but on the flipside, they also will absorb anything bad in your soil. So until this year, when … [Read more...]
Yes, I am a nerd. I spent the day phoning garden centers in the area searching for what has been my Holy Grail for a couple years now. Its not that it is especially difficult to find, but by the time I remember I should be looking for it, its sold out. Ok, well I just lied a little. This year the actual number of garden centers that had it to begin with were small, Holes never actually had it on … [Read more...]
They bloomed, of course, while I was gone on vacation as I knew they would, but I did get to see them when I returned! The first thing I looked for was them in my front flowerbed, yes, I am a garden nerd I know. Who cares if the house is still standing, as long as my allium have bloomed, its alllll good. I must admit, I thought they would be larger! A few years ago I saw some in a garden in my … [Read more...]
And I am tired. But its done, and it was finished Sunday morning before I went to work, I can't believe that I managed to get all that done this weekend between working, but I did, and I am so glad that its done. So, I am not going to my no-till gardening course tonight, seems a little like the cart before the horse since I have everything in the ground and there is no way in Hades that I would … [Read more...]
I love my kids, my husband and chocolate.
The order depends on when you ask.
Welcome to my nest!
