Backyard Garten

April 1st-NO JOKE!

2011-02-21T08:16:00.000-08:00

We have purchased the domain and are shopping around for hosting while working on the content and design of the new site!

We've set April 1st as our own personal deadline to launch. I'm very excited and looking forward to the outcome and all of the possibilities!

In the meantime, follow us on twitter!

Tansy & Fern

Here are some photos from the crafternoon and cupcake swap that I hosted pre-christmas.

We made a really nice little mess!

TEA!

CUPCAKES!

Happy Family Day!

It's that time again...

2011-02-07T12:49:00.000-08:00

Seedy Sunday Toronto

2011’s Seedy weekend events are now in three locations!

* Hart House, U of T
* North York
* Scarborough

for locations and directions, please visit http://www.tcgn.ca/

Seedy Sunday and Saturdays are hosted by the Toronto Community Garden Network (TCGN) to provide gardeners, plant-lovers and the general public with a head-start on their spring gardens. Featuring a grassroots seed exchange, seed vendors, garden and food organizations, and free workshops.

This year, the theme is Increasing Access to Seeds/Gardening/Food.

By adopting this theme, TCGN hopes to raise awareness of the full spectrum of access issues. This is why we keep entrance costs low, strive to have wheelchair friendly venues, and provide family-friendly children’s activities at the Seedy events. Our aim is to encourage community gardens in Toronto to be even more inclusive and mindful of those with special needs.

For more information:

Contact Name: Melissa Benner
Website: http://www.tcgn.ca/
E-mail: melissa.benner (at) gmail.com

Additional Contacts & Websites:

Seedy Saturdays across Canada
http://seeds.ca/ev/events.php

planting a seed

2011-02-04T16:09:00.000-08:00

There is a brand new food/garden blog in the works and it should be up this spring! I am partnering up with one of my very smart and talented pals to make sure that recipes, book reviews, hilarious how-to videos and subpar photography flow freely!

I'm totally excited and ready to have more focus. Who am I kidding!? I have not updated this blog since November so any focus is better than my current focus, right?

The new blog will be based on healthy recipes made with real foods. Whole food cooking, mostly free of refined ingredients (as much as possible!), raw foods, and food we can grow ourselves. We are not professionals and although she has a natural nutrition background we are learning as we go which I think is a great way to approach it. We will be trying things for the first time and we will also be able to share our knowledge on gardening, sprouting, preserving and general cooking from our own experience.

I am excited! Stay tuned!

Halloween: The Food

2010-11-12T18:33:00.000-08:00

Some pals I work with planned an amazing Halloween party and asked if I would help them out the the food. I said, "heck yes!" since it meant getting to hang with them, cook and bake stuff and not have people come to my house! Jokes! I actually love it when people come to my house but my place could never accommodate a full-scale party situation. Ben and Nat own a stellar home north of Queen Street in Parkdale and have lots of space for smoke machines, spooky decorations, dance floors and dead bodies.

My favorite part was meeting up to chat about what they wanted for the party. We went for drinks at a new place in my 'hood called Drift where we checked out some hilarifying stuff online for inspiration. Nat asked if I could make a sacrificial red velvet lamb cake to celebrate a girl who was having a midnight birthday. I did it but I'm still trying to track down some snaps because I didn't take any. You will just have to trust that it was delicious and disgusting at the same time. Success! All the cheeses were picked up at the Green Barns farmer's market. They are from my favorite cheese freaks, Montforte.

Nuclear waste punch made with grapefruit perrier, melon liquor, vodka, lemons and limes and a bunch of fruit.

These cupcakes were fun to make! The are filled with a rockmelon sago pudding and topped with green tea frosting.

I wish I would have got a close-up of the meathand but you get the idea. Check out the slimy mud pie in the background (beer and nut brownies with gummy worms).

Have you seen more frightening crudites? Unlikely! The pumpkin housed "Day of the Dead" dip. Ah hum...black beans. We also had roasted bat wings (blackened chicken wings) and shark attack skewers with "chum" sauce (satay chicken with a red dipping sauce) but they were not ready for their close-up at picture time.

Oct 25, 2010

2010-10-22T20:44:00.000-07:00

I don't want to tell anyone what to do but if I went through life without having any beliefs strong enough to share I think I would have lost at it.

I want to let anyone who might be reading this know that I'm voting for Joe Pantalone. I met him when we were working to get the community garden set up at Christie Pits and he was a huge advocate of our efforts. He was at our community meeting in the beginning and he came out to support us and celebrate our success at the ground-breaking event last summer. Speaking from personal experience and from the experience of others who have known him for years, I could not imagine a better fit for my city.

On an even more local note, I spoke to Kevin Beaulieu on my front steps today about Dufferin Grove. We spoke about the problems they have been facing including conflicts between the city and longstanding community groups. I was so impressed by his understanding of the issues and his confidence that the events and market will continue to happen. He strongly agrees that it is an important part of the city. I think he is the most progressive and engaged candidate in my Ward and has decidedly secured my vote.

If you support urban farming, parks, diversity, and a healthy city, I hope you will come out and vote. Be informed and don't be swayed by the polls or the media. Vote for your first choice for mayor. Our city is beautiful, not broken.

2010-10-20T21:02:00.000-07:00

There are things about the fall that include layers and delicious art.
These tiny donuts deserve a mention. Especially the ones they make in coconut fat at the Wychwood farmer's market. (Also the ones at the EX.)

Having a craft thing and cupcake swap on November 12th at 1:00pm. The girl who made my gorgeous blue scarf will be there.

Be still
Last year fall fairs.

Garden Blogging.

2010-09-11T10:09:00.000-07:00

It seems I have managed to go through the summer without writing about gardening. Not even once. How embarrassing. It may not seem like I have been gardening but I have! I swear I have!

In fact, I have been spending my time not writing about gardening actually gardening. Gardening, feeding friends, preserving, drying, and baking. All the while, learning more and more. I don't feel so bad. I feel a little bad but not hardly bad at all, actually.

Free food has been the theme this summer! We ravaged a pals cherry tree in early summer getting more than 40lbs of cherries. We froze and canned them all after spending hours pitting.

A few days ago I cleaned our backyard concord grape vine of all it's delicious purple orbs! This morning I transformed them into a spiced jam. It tastes like the weather. A comfortable combination of fall and summer.

I flew north at the end of August for family visits and spent much of my time foraging, picking and processing our bounty. We made a kalyna-apple jelly, hawthorn berry apple butter and a sweet and tangy beet relish. I also inherited a few large bags of wild blueberries to restock our freezer. I wasn't able to pick myself since the season ended early this year due to warmer weather.

The hawthorn berries were a bit of an accident. My m

om thought they were high-bush cranberries. When we got back my dad was disgusted! "Tamara! You've lived here your whole life and you don't know what a high-bush cranberry is!" The silly thing is we also accidentally picked high-bush cranberries thinking they were choke cherries. OOPS! At least we had our kalyna for the planned jelly.

My mom passed me down this very cool strainer that was my grandpa's. It's called a chinois. I used it for my grape jam today and can imagine myself using it for years to come. It is so simple and obvious and much easier to clean than a food processor or the complicated attachments for my stand mixer. It's also OLD. Old is sometimes good.

So I guess I've managed to avoid blogging about gardening again.

In the Garden and Ancient Grains

2010-06-05T05:53:00.000-07:00

I spent the morning drinking tea and working in a wet and muddy garden. I like to do my weeding when it's a little damp because it's so much easier to pull out those pesky things. I know it's not good to work in a wet garden because it's easier to spread disease and such but it's a price I am willing to pay for easier weeding. Weeding is the worst!

This year is turning out to be such a great garden year. My garden is bursting with green! We've been harvesting herbs and lettuce regularly and I can't wait until we have fresh peas and beans! My fingerling potato plants are basically skyscrapers and our strawberries are turning red and almost eatable! After weeding, I sat in my chair and listened to the birds, sipped cherry blossom green tea and blissed out for an hour until my stomach took over and I was ready for breakfast.

What's for breakfast?!

Amaranth is considered a "pseudograin." It was grown by those crazy-smart Aztecs for thousands of years. If they liked it, I am most decidedly down with the stuff. Amaranth is high in protein, fiber, vitamin B, and good fats and is gluten-free. Is there anything wrong with amaranth? Sometimes it can be difficult to cook since the seeds tend to stay crunchy while creating a soft consistency on the outside. It can take on a sandy porridge quality. You should still try it out for yourself because you may just love it like I do!

I like to make hot cereal with this stuff! You can even prepare a pot the night before and keep it covered in the fridge. It will be ready to hit the stove while you work on your face in the morning.

This recipe will make enough for two people.

1/2 cup amaranth rinsed

1-1/2 cups plain soy milk (or sweetened if you so desire)

pinch of cinnamon

pinch of sea salt

1 large apple (or other seasonal fruit that will stand up to cooking)

Place everything in the pot and bring to a boil stirring frequently. Cover pot and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 20-25 minutes or until amaranth is soft. Top with your favorite nuts and more soy milk if you like your cereal to be swimming.

Have a great weekend my people!

Kinda Healthy Cookies

2010-06-01T17:12:00.000-07:00

I haven't eaten a cookie in over a month. That is far too long to live without a cookie! I've been avoiding sweets (yes, even homemade, delicious sweets) for the last while to help get my bod in shape for summer and possibly the rest of my life! It's also been an experiment in controlling my moody 'tude and avoiding my daily ups and downs. It has been working to my delight but the cravings have not ceased. I made a deal with myself that I can have things in moderation and on special occasions. I also decided to make my treats better for me and to include some healthy bits!

I found this recipe in a book that a pal lent to me called The New Whole Grains Cookbook by Robin Asbell.

Chocolate Chunk Buckwheat Cookies

1/2 cup unsalted buter, softened

1 cup brown sugar

1 large egg

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup buckwheat groats

6 ounces dark chocolate chopped into chunks

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. In a stand mixer or bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, vanilla, and almond extract until well mixed.

In a small bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, salt, and buckwheat, and add to the butter mixture, beating to incorporate. When the flour is mixed in, add the chocolate and stir until combined.

Drop 2-tablespoon-size balls of dough onto the ungreased sheet pans, leaving 3 inches of space between the balls. The cookies will spread while baking. bake for 6 minutes, reverse the position of the pans in the oven, then bake for 4 to 6 minutes more. A pale, soft center surrounded by golden brown cookie is the desired result.

Let the cookies cool on the pans for 5 minutes, then transfer to cooling racks with a spatula let cool completely before storing in an airtight container for up to a week.

Try applesauce if you are not down with ovum and margarine if dairy is not your friend!

I skipped on the almond flavor and used vanilla bean instead of extract.

ENJOY!

The end of the blueberries.

2010-05-02T06:13:00.001-07:00

My dad knows where all the best, biggest and most tasty blueberries grow in Northwestern Ontario. He knows where they grow so thick that picking them is easy and delicious. The reason he knows is because wild blueberries really like to grow up around old logging roads and areas where the forest has been harvested. They have room to stretch and get lots of needed sun for sweetening their round, purple fruits. I have been known to sit on the ground like a black bear, filling my face and staining my fingers until dusk. My dad is a logger and he's got the inside scoop.

Every summer when we visit we bring back bags of frozen blueberries. Their taste does not compare to conventional, farmed berries. Wild blueberries are deep in colour and sickly sweet in taste. They are smaller and have less of a grainy texture. I don't like regular blueberries and will only eat them if times are desperate. Thankfully, we have been rich with wild blueberries these last few years and have even had enough to share with pals. Until now!

This morning I woke up and had a hankering for pancakes. Blueberry pancakes to be exact (as if you didn't know where this was going). I made up a batch using our last bit of blueberries and here's how it went...

These serve two people two large pancakes each.

1/2 cup buckwheat flour

1/2 cup quinoa flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp baking powder

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

3 tbsp chia cereal mix

1/2 cup frozen or fresh blueberries

pinch of salt

I used a chia mix as a sort of binding agent. You can get these cereal blends at most heath food stores. They are high in fiber, calcium and iron. Heat up some water on the stove and add a small amount to the chia mix to moisten and set it aside.

Mix all of the dry ingredients in a medium size bowl. Add 3/4 cup of water and stir. Add more water in small amounts until you get the consistency of batter you desire. (I find these pancakes to be better with a thinner batter.) Add the cider vinegar and stir. Stir in the chia mix and then the blueberries. You can add a touch more water if the mix has become too thick.

Cook up the pancakes as you would regular pancakes and enjoy with your favorite fruit or some maple syrup!

*Next time I make these I'm going to add toasted, unsweetened coconut which will taste lovely with the nutty flavours of the flours.

Happy Birthday to my Daddy! He is 49 years old and is the best guy I know.

High Park

2010-04-17T10:06:00.000-07:00

This tree means everything to me.

2010-04-07T19:03:00.000-07:00

This weekend was truly a gem of a weekend! One of the best since I don't remember when. I wish I had more photographic evidence of it's uhmazingness but I was just too busy enjoying it. We spent a lot of time outside, walking around the city. We also drank a variety of brews and ate a lot of delicious cheeses.

Jordan helped me in the garden.

Corey came by and ate some cake that he found in the fridge.

Here are some tomato babies. Just wee-little guys, hardly out of the gate.

So right now I am just watching Dolly Parton vids on You Tube and making fun of J for pretending he's going to go see Awesome Color when I know he is gonna get snuggly in bed instead. What a sucker!

Easter Peeps!

2010-03-30T18:37:00.000-07:00

I wouldn't really call Easter a holiday. I'm not religious, but I feel like it's too serious to be a holiday in the traditional sense of the word. Maybe I'm way off base but I've always just felt different about Easter. That being said it is my very favorite of all those government issued days-off. All the pretty colours! Nests, eggs, and bunnies! These are my kinda things! It's also a very nice way to celebrate spring and I think for me, that is just what it is.

My mom always did Easter right. When I was a kid I remember being given all kinds of amazing things. Sometimes my sister and I received spring inspired gear like pink and yellow raincoats or rubber boots. Eggs were always hidden in amazing places and we always had multicoloured baskets filled with pink plastic grass that cushioned socks, chocolate bunnies and blown glass ornaments. My grandma who skipped casually over birthdays, always gave us goodies. Every year she gave me a white chocolate hen and I think she secretly died laughing every time thinking of my crippling fear of chickens as a small one. She was a little sick, in the best way.

This year it's just J and me. We're not heading anywhere, no plans for a ham. I think I will tidy up the garden and maybe go to the gym. I think we will hide some eggs though, and I will be thinking about family and being small, I'm sure.

Cupcakes from Sweet Paul

Garden Season 2010

2010-03-17T18:56:00.001-07:00

So the other day I went outside to check out the backyard. It's pretty messy but I can see some stuff already starting to grow back. I have to admit, I have not been very excited about gardening this year. Last year sorta felt like a bust. I was sure that gardening would be like most things and get easier as I gained experience but I feel like there are so many variables and that it might NEVER get easy. It is a complex thing and there is so much to learn. Also, fuck a cold summer man. Seriously.

I had this brilliant and zany idea that I would just sprinkle the whole area with wildflower seeds.

Just kidding.

Here is a list of seeds that I have purchased but failed to start yet. Eeek!

Bean-Refugee

Bean-Fin de Bagnol

Carrot-Tonda di Parigi

Chard- Five-colour Silverbeet

Eggplant-Diamond

Lettuce-Little Gem (Sugar Cos)

Lettuce-Bronze Arrowhead

Lettuce-Buttercrunch

Melon-Montreal

Pea-Spanish Skyscraper

Radish-Cherry Belle

Straight Eight Cucumber

Tomato-Aurora

Tomato-Believe It or Not

Tomato-Black Giant

Tomato-Camp Joy

I really love all the names. How does one get to name a plant? I would like that job.

Wild things for Amy

2010-03-06T09:48:00.000-08:00

Liquid Levain

From from Piano, Piano, Pieno by Susan McKenna Grant

"Creating your own natural starter or sourdough culture will take a few seconds of your time each day for a week. Once you have achieved a healthy, bubbling mass of starter, you are ready to bake. If you look after your starter properly once it is made, it will last a lifetime. This formula is based on one I learned at the San Francisco Baking Institute. It's really the simplest, most foolproof and sensible method I've found, after trying many. When working with natural starters, I like to use unbleached, organic flour, as it is apt to contain more wild yeast than bleached flour. This starter should have a batter-like consistency, something the French term a "liquid levain."

Ideally, feeding should be 12 hours apart from Day 1 to Day 4.

Day 1 Evening:

28 g (1 oz) (1/4 cup) rye flour

28 g (1 oz) (2 tbsp) water

1/8 tsp liquid honey

Stir well, cover and slow to ferment in a warm area.

Day 2 Morning: First Feeding

28 g (1 oz) (2 tbsp) of the mixture from above (discard the rest)

28 g (1 oz) (1/4 cup) rye flour

28 g (1 oz) (2 tbsp) water

Stir well, cover and allow to ferment in a warm area.

Day 2 Evening: Second Feeding

28 g (1 oz) (2 tbsp) of the mixture from above (discard the rest)

28 g (1 oz) (3 tbsp) unbleached all-purpose four

28 g (1 oz) (2 tbsp) water

Stir well, cover and allow to ferment in a warm area.

Day 3 Morning Through Day 4 Evening: Feeding

Continue feeding as above, twice a day, using unbleached all-purpose flour.

Day 5: Final Refreshments and Build-up Day

You should have an active, bubbling mass of goop that smells yeasty. (If not, keep up the twice-daily feedings until you have a powerful, active starter. It may take another day or two. I find that hot, humid weather is the best for getting a starter going; in the winter in tends to take a little longer).

Today is the build-up day, a day you will always need before your baking day to reactivate your starter with three refreshments and to build up it's volume. Feedings ideally should be 8 hours apart.

Morning:

28 g (1 oz) (2 tbsp) starter

28 g (1 oz) (3 tbsp) unbleached all-purpose flour

28 g (1 oz) (2 tbsp) water

Stir well, cover and allow to ferment in a warm area.

Midday:

28 g (1 oz) (2 tbsp) starter from above (discard the rest)

28 g (1 oz) (3 tbsp) unbleached all-purpose flour

28 g (1 oz) (2 tbsp) water

Stir well, cover and allow to ferment in a warm area.

Evening:

To the above add:

85 g (3 oz) (2/3 cup) unbleached all -purpose flour

85 g (3 oz) (1/3 cup) water

Stir well, cover and allow to ferment in a warm area.

Day 6: Baking Day

At this point you are ready to bake. Before you make your bread, you should reserve and feed some starter for your next bake.

Take:

28 g (1 oz) (2 tbsp) starter (reserve the rest)

Add:

28 g (1 oz) (3 tbsp) unbleached all-purpose flour

28 g (1 oz) (2 tbsp) water

Stir to mix, put in a jar and let sit at room temperature for 2 hours, then refrigerate. In the meantime, proceed to bake!

How To Use And Maintain Your Refrigerated Starter

If you are not baking regularly, you need to keep your starter alive by feeding it every 3-4 days. To do this, take 28 g (1 oz) (2 tbsp) of the starter you have save in the fridge (discard the rest) and an equal amount of flour and water. Stir, leave at room temperature for 2 hours, then return to the fridge.

To make bread with your refrigerated starter, begin at "Day 5" on page 41. You need a day to refresh and build up your starter, and then you can bake the next day.

If you are going to be away for an extended time, there are a few ways to keep your starter alive:

1. For a short absence of a week to 10 days, give your starter a final refreshment, using twice as much flour as you normally do. Essentially, you're giving it a lot to eat at once so it will keep longer without being fed.

2. You can make an even drier starter in your mixer or food processor by mixing in enough flour to make a powder. This dry starter will keep for several weeks in the fridge. You will need a few days when you return home to revive it--use equal parts flour and water, twice a day, to return to active liquid levain.

3. Some bakers freeze their starter, but I find it just as easy to make a new one. If you do freeze it, you'll need to thaw it and give it two or three refreshments a day for several days until you see that it is very active again. It should be kept at room temperature during this time."

Grandma

2010-02-19T08:52:00.000-08:00

This is a photo of my Grandma Fern who died in December. I'm pretty sure this was taking in Devlin where my parents live now and near where she loved up until her death. She is 18 in this photo. What a Swedish babe.

Seedy Sunday

2010-02-11T10:34:00.001-08:00

Hey there green thumbs! Don't forget to hit this amazing event. Go early! Last year was a mad house but so fun and so many amazing seed peddlers!

More info here...

Progress Report

2010-02-06T18:29:00.000-08:00

Michael Pollen says that you can eat all the junk food you want as long as you cook it yourself.

I'm not sure he meant for me to make chocolate pudding at 9pm. I know the trainer at the YMCA would NOT APPROVE. Either way, I'm looking forward to when the pudding is set and I can top it with some whipped cream and shove it into my face. Tomorrow I will stuff the rest into chocolate cupcakes to bring to a Superbowl party. This will be my first Superbowl party but I should probably get used to it since I am such an athlete now. I do yoga, guys.

Jordan is noodling on the guitar and I am drinking a glass of red wine. Long live the weekend!

Magical Zucchini

2010-01-31T05:18:00.000-08:00

I just killed a magical zucchini.

It lived to be a ripe old age of 5 months. Truly ancient, in zucchini years. I don't know how this zucchini kept so long and the real tragedy is that I don't know it's variety. It could be one of two kinds that I planted this year, neither of which were very prolific compared the the never-ending supply last year.

This zucchini sat for months, patiently waiting on our dinning table with the thick-skinned butternut and a widowed potato squash. Every week she changed a little in colour and every so often I would stop to give her a gentle squeeze. I would confirm that she was still eatable and my sense of wonder would grow. By December, I stopped wanting to eat her out of pure curiosity! Her skin changed from a green so dark it was almost black to softer shades of emerald and orangey yellow. A friend was over and upon her inspection I stated "it's going bad." She said, "Oh no, I think it's ripening."

About 2 weeks ago I moved the zucchini, now a little softer and a bit sensitive, to a place on the kitchen counter. I was preparing her, without realizing, for a better fate than rotten mush. Today when I woke, I knew it was time. I couldn't hold out much longer without chancing it becoming heartbreakingly unusable.

I grated her up--she was slightly soft and a buttery yellow in the middle but her skin was tough and she smelled like the end of summer. I carefully measured out my ingredients and mixed her up in a fragrant, gooey mess. She slid willingly into a bread pan and I popped her into the oven with a the same sense of wonder I had when I first noticed how special she was many months before.

In less than an hour I will eat her, slathered with melting butter and still warm. She lived a good life and died an even better, deliciously smelling death. Rest in peace magical zucchini.

The recipe I used is from the lovely book, "Grazing: Portable snacks and finger foods for anytime, anywhere" by Julie Van Rosendaal. My mom got this for me years ago and it's filled with wonderful low-fat recipes that you would hardly guess to be low-fat since they are so yummy.

Zucchini Lemon Walnut Bread

2 cups flour

3/4 cup sugar

1 Tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional)

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup canola oil

2 large eggs

grated zest of 1 lemon (optional)

2 cups grated, unpeeled zucchini

(about 1 large zucchini)

1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Preheat oven to 350 F.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.

In a small bowl, whisk together the milk, oil, eggs, and lemon zest and add to the flour mixture along with the grated zucchini and nuts. Stir by hand just until combined. Don't worry about getting all the lumps out.

Pour into a 8" x 4" loaf pan that has been sprayed with non-stick spray and bake for one hour, until golden and springy to the touch. Cool in the pan on a wire rack.

Makes one loaf, about 16 slices.

*I made some variations to this recipe since I didn't have all the right stuff. I used raw sunflower seeds in place of the nuts and I used grapefruit zest instead of lemon.

changes

2010-01-19T18:58:00.000-08:00

I have cut back on my internet time by about half. I am facing some serious resolutions and need to really focus on sticking to them. I have been doing extraordinarily well considering I have NEVER seriously made or stuck to flimsy resolutions of the past. This year is different. I am approaching 30 and while most people decide to "get it together" at 30, I have decided to "get it together" in preparation for 30. I would like to slide into home base feet-first and feeling awesome instead of face-first with a mouth full of dirt, an empty bank account and a really awesome Facebook profile, but a giant ass.

So, here's to saving money, dressing well, eating better, working out regularly and deleting that nasty Facebook habit and all the ex-girlfriends, ex-friends, ex-party pals and extended family that goes with it.

Wish me luck in 2010. Somebody is on my side already--I got a great promotion at work and I have an awesome new gym buddy.

Failure is not an option dudes!

Happy Boxing Day!

2009-12-26T11:38:00.001-08:00

It was a white Christmas up north!

Fern

2009-12-12T08:02:00.000-08:00

Pink english roses, cucumber sandwiches, phallic cacti and humming birds. Kitty-cat love, stuffing with apples and raisins. An unbreakable pride. Northern lakes and Swedish love affairs. Hilarious gossip and a deep bellied Lundstrom laugh. A "Ukrainian" garden. Patients, understanding and unconditional love. Deep secrets, boxes of photographs and mountains of books.

She would hug me so hard I could hear her teeth grinding.

Do you have the time?

2009-12-02T18:14:00.001-08:00

I have been looking for a good clock. I need one for the kitchen. I'm sick of using my cell phone to check the time and honestly, pretty sick of my cell phone at all. I keep the ringer off more and more and called rogers to cancel my voice messaging service because I hate messages. I never checked them anyways. But! This is not about cell phones this is about clocks...real ones with hands and everything. Here are a few I've been admiring from afar.

From decoylab on Etsy.

This sweater clock appears in Anthropologie's winter catalogue.

I saw this cozy white clock on a Swedish design blog Fridas fina but I don't know where it's from because I still don't speak Swedish.

Christmas is around the corner...

2009-11-25T18:22:00.000-08:00

I can't quite believe it's almost the end of November. It feels like I was complaining about our cold and wet summer just a few weeks ago. For me, the wintertime before Christmas always flies by at warp speed. They are the busiest months at work and it seems there is never enough time for gift shopping, spending time with pals or getting the house festively adorned. Every year I tell myself I will get a Christmas tree and I never seem to get around to it. I think this year I will take the pressure off and be inspired by some simple and non-traditional design ideas. These are swiped from some of my favorite blogs.

Whimsical felt Christmas trees from Sirkka Kannusmaki's website are anything but boring.

A gleeful garland from Dottie Angel

Simple and sweet hanging mobile from Emma's Designblogg

I've never been a fan of deep red and forest green. Delicate pinks and minty greens are a girly and fun alternative. Check out Yvestown for more of the same.

Bling out your place with sparkly wall art from Nice Package.

By Cup & Saucer

A lovely and casual grouping for your dinning table centre piece.

Pure Blog.

I'm off to Montreal this weekend with a few wonderful ladies for shopping and fun. I'll take some snaps to share when I get back. Have a great weekend!

Lame?

2009-11-21T13:51:00.000-08:00

I have been very lazy about bloggin' lately. Check out my tumblr for mostly regular updates.

Curry Ketchup.

2009-11-01T05:15:00.000-08:00

I love the Internet and I am fully aware that without it I wouldn't be able to enjoy half the stuff I enjoy. I have a mom and grandmas who cooked and kept wonderful gardens and of course they are an inspiration to what I do whether it's in cooking and baking or gardening. That being said, a lot of the recipes I use and information I get about that stuff is from the Internet. I think it's an amazing resource and inspiration. I can be looking up something and end up stumbling upon an amazing new blog or site or finding a recipe for something I've never heard of.

As much as I love and use it, not everything is on the Internet! I recently had a conversation with a friend who visits Belgium a lot and she told me about curry ketchup. I had never heard of the stuff but thought it sounded amazing. It's a popular condiment in Germany and Belgium and is used similarly to regular ketchup and with sausage dishes. I knew I had to try some!

Around the same time this ketchup talk went down, I had a lot of tomatoes in the garage. When we were in Montreal, I couldn't resist buying a bushel from a vendor at Jean-talon market. They were half the price I paid for them here in Toronto and looked wonderful! I thought this was an excellent idea but I was also sort of burnt out on canning tomatoes and made a deal to split the bushel with Amy R. Most of the bushel had been canned and processed but there was a huge chunk of them remaining and they wern't getting any younger if you know what I mean. I picked up a few bottles of wine and made a date with Amy to make ketchup...curry ketchup!

I wasn't able to find a canning recipe for this stuff online so this would be a test kitchen style job. We recorded the results and now it will be added to the Internet! Voila! That is how it all works.

Spicy Curry Ketchup

Yields 8-500ml jars.

8 lbs of tomatoes

3 med. yellow onions, diced

1 tbsp olive oil

4 cloves garlic--made into a paste

6 small fish peppers (or more to taste)

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1 tsp dry mustard

1 tsp Hungarian paprika

1/2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp cinnamon

2 tbsp salt

2-1/4 cup brown sugar

1-1/4 cup red wine vinegar

3 or 4 tsp of your favorite curry powder

hot sauce to taste (we used Valentina)

Clean and core the tomatoes and add them to a large, heavy bottomed pot. Cook them until they break down and make a sauce. This will take an hour or more. While this is going on, you can sweat the onions in a large pan with the olive oil until they are clear.

When the tomatoes are ready, put them through a fine sieve in batches (depending on how large the sieve is) to separate the seeds and skin. You can also use a food mill for this. Return the sauce to the cleaned out pot and add the seasonings, garlic paste, peppers and cooked onion. Blend with an immersion blender to smooth out the onions.

Cook down until the sauce is thickened like ketchup. This takes awhile--make sure you have a lot of wine.

While the ketchup is reducing, sterilize jars and prepare water for a water-bath canner. When the ketchup is done, fill jars and process for 30 minutes.

*Note--The spices in this recipe can be adjusted and changed to your liking. Experimenting is encouraged. I think it's important to have a good quality curry spice for this recipe. I purchased mine at the Brick Works Chef's market from Whole World Trade Ltd. and it is really great.

Free canning label templates at Apartment Therapy and iDiY.

The Swede in me...

2009-10-24T17:40:00.000-07:00

I bought two Scandinavian cookbooks awhile back and have been neglecting them for some of my more recently purchased books. On Thursday, I watched a Swedish film and it reminded me not only of my ancestry but also of the lovely books on the shelf in my office-turned pantry. Looking through them, they appealed to me because a lot of the ingredients are ones that I would think of as important or traditional to the Canadian food I grew up eating. There is an obvious hunter-gatherer vibe with recipes calling for things such as moose tournedos, crayfish and chanterelles. Multiple rhubarb and blueberry recipes appear and it seems that just like in my moms house, dill is the most popular herb.

The two books are unpretentious and lovely. They are filled with photos (a must for me in a cookbook!) and have a bit of cultural background with most of the recipes. The following are two simple recipes that would be in season right now for us in Canada.

This recipe is from "Kitchen of Light" by Andreas Viestad.

Veiled Farm Girls

1-1/2 cups bread crumbs

3 tablespoons superfine sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1-1/2 cups heavy (whipping) cream

1-1/2 cups applesauce,chilled

1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts

In a nonstick skilled, combine the breadcrumbs, sugar, cinnamon and butter. Stirring constantly with a heatproof spatula or wooden spoon, heat over medium heat until the crumbs are uniformly golden. Remove from heat.

In a large bowl, whip the cream until stiff.

Layer the applesauce, bread crumbs, and cream in individual glass bowls. The top layer should always be whipped cream, "veiling" the dish. Sprinkle with the chopped nuts and serve.

This simple and elegant recipe is from "The Scandinavian Cookbook" by Trina Hahnemann and is inspired by shopping with my friend Amy. She picked up some jerusalem artichokes today in Leslieville!

Jerusalem Artichoke Salad

3 lemon slices

1-1/3 pounds Jerusalem artichokes

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon superfine sugar

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

1/4 cup walnut oil

1/2 pound grapes, seeded

1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped

Salt and pepper

Have ready a bowl of water with the lemon slices. Peel the Jerusalem artichokes and cut them into very thin slices, adding them to the water as you go to prevent browning.

Whisk together the mustard, sugar, vinegar and walnut oil to make a dressing.

Drain the artichokes and place in a bowl with the grapes and walnuts. Fold in the dressing. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Mix it up!

2009-10-22T17:43:00.000-07:00

I've had my eye on this baby for a long while. Thankfully, I was blessed with a fat bonus and a desire to burn it. IT WILL BE MINE!

Montreal

2009-10-08T15:24:00.000-07:00

The first thing I do when I arrive in a hotel room is take off my pants. It's my home, temporarily thank goodness, but still...

Keepsakes.

Jean-talon market it the BEST market.

Suicide note.

J ATE THIS! I had Matzo ball soup.

Americans are weird!!

I want to move to Montreal. I don't care if it will feel like a small town compared to Toronto or even that I don't speak french. I really love Montreal and next summer I'm going to move there.

Thrifty

2009-09-29T18:08:00.000-07:00

J's band is playing at the Velvet Underground tonight. I would normally be a perfect girlfriend and attend despite being worn out from work, having a headache and also facing an ever expanding inability to imagine being around other humans. All of the above make leaving the house for a Dan Burke rock show very difficult but in this case I'm just trying to save some dough.

We are heading to Pop Montreal this weekend where Ancestors will play a Saturday night with the likes of Anagram and Catl. I am prepared for mondo party-times which will certainly include couch-sleeping and cell destruction. The kind of fun I have not engaged in since 2007--whoa.

While you wait for those juicy photos let me share with you some of the great weekend finds from St. Lawrence Market.

Pyrex butter dish.

Vintage fabric.

Hornsea elephant mug.

A Delicious Birthday

2009-09-27T17:29:00.000-07:00

I went and got older this weekend!

Harvest Cold

2009-09-20T07:04:00.000-07:00

It's September already? Well, yes...this ain't no summer cold, that's for sure. It was a chilly sweater weekend and I spent most of it inside trying to control my snot production. I did go out to check on the fall garden--I secretly love the look of the browning, crispy stems and leaves scattered around. It's a sad sight but I am a person that can really stew in sadness. I used to make my mom sing me "500 Miles" by Peter, Paul and Mary every single night even though it made me sob. She didn't want to sing it but I relished the way it made me feel. A masochist at 7 years old.

Easypeasy copy-cat-crafting

2009-09-12T05:19:00.000-07:00

My goal last night was to clean the office. It has been shown extreme neglect--even distain since I bought the laptop (which is so functional, amazing and adorable that I can't get enough). I even bought an expensive cover for it which may not protect it from being run over by a mac truck but will protect it from kitty-bum, greasy boy-hands and droplets of Stiegel-I hope.

Not only am I famous for not following recipes, I am also famous for avoiding things. To avoid tackling the real issue, last night I went ahead and did some crafting. This little chalkboard house is inspired by the one at Yvestown. Mine is a little different--I wasn't in the mood for garage hangouts and power tools so I just used what I already had laying around. I left out the chimney which I'm starting to think was a mistake. What do you think? I may just have to avoid cleaning the office today again and paint one on. Once I attach this baby to the wall in the office, reminder notes can be left on it such as "eat more fiber" and "clean the office."

Copy-cat.

KRAUT!

2009-08-21T16:11:00.000-07:00

There is a lady at the Wychwood market who makes the BEST perogies, sauerkraut and pork sausages. She has them there in the winter and serves them hot in a cabbage leaf with sour cream. In the summer she is strictly down to the veggies and seedlings business so I have been waiting patiently for fall to arrive when she will have this Eastern European treat once more. Here is a link to her blog in case you are interested in keeping up with her market dates and locations. It also offers some insight into the workings of a modern day, organic farm.

http://sosnickiorganicproduce.blogspot.com/

In the meantime! I had heard that it is ridiculously easy to make sauerkraut and that you don't even need a recipe. It's only salt and cabbage! I am the queen of not following recipes (I attempted to do some recipe testing for Jae Steeles' new book and realized I could not help her since we were not allowed to do substitutions or tweaking.) I added garlic and onion to my mix and according to the site where I got the directions, anything reasonable can be added. My mom said that my great grandma and grandpa used to make buckets of kraut on the farm. I wonder if they turned out as yummy as mine? I tasted it for the first time tonight and it is tangy like kimchee but without the spice. The flavor will change and mature as the cabbage slowly ferments. I am looking forward to tasting this first batch at different stages and being able to determine the perfect amount of time before it's "doneness."

Check out this site for the directions.

Green Roofs and the Urban Heat Island Effect

2009-08-18T16:32:00.000-07:00

An article that J wrote for a magazine.

Photograph Selections

2009-08-17T19:10:00.001-07:00

I had a really bad day today. It's possible that I was in a bad mood right from the start since it was my first day back from vacation. My boss told me I seemed "sullen." I wasn't trying to be that way.

Even after work I just couldn't shake my downer mood. Sometimes I just get so sad and haunted feeling. I don't always know why. I am working on it though.

I was uploading all my pictures from the office computer to the laptop and as they were flashing by I couldn't help but cheer up. There were some funny ones and some sweet ones and they all brought back memories.

I grabbed a selection of some of my favorites. They are in no particular order and included for no particular reason expect that I like them.

Enjoy!

Drunken street dancing.

Community Garden work evening. Watering the guerilla area.

One of my neighbors has weird flowers.

Montreal

Loove yoou.

Magik Markers. Girl crush.

I always liked myself below the calf.

Snuggles.

Fall fair.

Red hair.

Drummer man.

Beach dog.

Cottage Amy.

Corey at the space.

Coyote on Peyote at Sneaky Dees

In an alley.

Found book.

The beaches.

Friend-Pal.

A little bit of home.

2009-08-04T16:12:00.000-07:00

Death is all around me! Mosquito death! I am attempting to catch a little signal from the lodge on the deck of the cabin and I have murdered at least 15 mosquitos! I am covered in bites from fishing a few nights ago and I can't stand to take anymore nibbles. Our vacation has been nice so far but it could be a lot warmer. We are heading back to my parents house tomorrow around noon. Hopefully, I will get in a bit more swimming before then. Jordan has gone for a bike ride and hike and when he gets back we will go out on the lake with my dad. Tomorrow we are going to a barn party and Thursday we will fish for big bass on Rainy Lake. I think we might head to Minnesota on Friday or do some blueberry picking. I've been thinking about all my city pals and hoping that it is staying hot and dry for them! Thinking about my garden and hoping it's been raining a wee-bit. Thinking about the kitties and hoping Corey is feeding them daily.

Paddle boating.

Underwater cousin.

Izzy and me at my parents.

Biking into Caliper Lake with Jordan and Auntie Ang.

At Rushing River.

A shirtless Jordan on Big Pine Lake.

Manny and Brookie.

Bumbleberry Tart

2009-07-28T06:25:00.000-07:00

I have always been reluctant to make my own pie and tart crusts. I don't know what the reason might be beyond that my mother never did it and therefore I always thought it must be very tricky. The reality is my mother never did it because it was cheap and easy to buy a Tenderflake and fill it full of goodness. My mom's pies were still delicious (especially her pumpkin--my dad's favorite) and obviously I have seen nothing wrong with following suit for the last while. But recently I have had a change of heart. There is really no comparing a pie or tart from scratch.

Tart and Pie Dough

Have measured:

1/2 cup ice-cold water

Mix together:

2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour

1/2 teaspoon salt (omit if using salted butter)

Add:

12 tablespoons (1-1/2 sticks) cold butter, cut into small (1/4-inch) cubes

Cut or work the butter into the flour with a pastry blender or your fingertips, leaving some of the butter in fairly large, irregular pieces. This will take 1-2 minutes. (Or mix for no more than a minute, at a medium low speed, in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.) Pour in three quarters of the water, stirring all the while with a fork until the dough begins to form clumps. (In the mixer, turn the speed to low and pour the water down the sides of the bowl, mixing for 30 seconds or less.) Keep adding water if needed. Divide the dough in two, bring each part together into a ball, and wrap each ball in plastic Compress each ball and then flatten them into disks. Let rest, refrigerated for 1 hour or longer.

This recipe is from Alice Water's "The Art of Simple Food."

I find it easiest to make a free-form rustic tart over a pie or more traditional tart. Last night I made a bumbleberry tart with raspberries and strawberries from the garden and the rest of my frozen, wild blueberries from Northwestern Ontario. (For a true bumbleberry pie, use apples too!) I used about a cup of each. I made the dough before dinner so that after dinner it would be perfect for rolling.

I preheated the oven to 375 degrees and I took one half of the dough out of fridge and put it on a floured surface. I floured my rolling pin and rolled it out to a circle about 1/8 inch thick. I dumped half of my mixed berries in the centre of my circle and arranged them so they were slightly overlapping and about and inch and a half from the edge of the dough. The berries will shrink a bit so make sure you have enough to cover. I sprinkled the berries with about two tablespoons of sugar (tart fruits would require more) and folded up the sides to finish the tart. I sprinkled a bit more sugar on the edges of the tart. Sometimes I do an egg wash but I was feeling lazy! I bake it for about 20 minutes or until the crust is golden and flakey.

Repeat with the rest of the dough and berries for a second tart unless you think one is enough. Considering the deliciousness, it's likely not. I served it with Hewitt's vanilla goats milk ice cream and a cup of tea.

Kinda awesome!?

2009-07-22T12:34:00.000-07:00

I can't really think of a better way to spend a portion of this month's bonus than on something like this! I'm officially a dirt-nerd.

Home Farm Horticultural Therapy Education
-New Practical Training-
Fall 2009
30 Hours of hands-on instruction over 5 Days
Hosted at The Julien Project in Guelph, Ontario
Monday September 14th – Friday September 18th
9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. daily

Home Farm is a Horticultural Therapy education business that offers both a travelling and Live On-line Horticultural Therapy Certificate accessible to students across Canada. Please visit the website to learn more about Horticultural Therapy (HT)and our educational opportunities. www.christinepollard.org

The Practical Training takes places at the Ignatius Jesuit Centre of Guelph, home of The Julien Project, a Horticultural Therapy organization.

Training will involve:
-Hands-on HT activities appropriate for year round, both indoors and outdoors, with various populations (seniors, visually impaired, those with restricted mobility, children and youth, developmentally delayed and mental health)
-Classroom instruction covering a variety of Canadian Horticultural Therapy Association HT Competencies
-An opportunity to learn from The Julien Project model how to develop an HT program from the ground up, towards sustainability
-Two days of field trips to innovative sites using gardening and nature for health promotion
-Approaches to sustaining ourselves

Who should attend?
This program is open to people interested in advancing their skills in the hands on application of Horticultural Therapy with various populations.
*Especially relevant to those working in horticulture, community gardening, education, human services and health care settings

Registration:
$600
*Fee includes three days of light lunches, coffee breaks, and all materials.
*Fee does not include meals during two field trip days and field trip transportation but carpooling will be arranged.

*Affordable on site accommodation also available

Please contact Emma Rooney for more information
email: homefarmassociate@gmail.com.

Emma Rooney, Home Farm Associate

Home Farm
416-767-2831

Summer love.

2009-07-21T15:44:00.000-07:00

We spent the weekend in Port Franks on lake Huron and despite not having the warmest of days it was a blast! Sunday was by far the nicest. No wind and lots of sun! The beach was just like I remembered it...sandy, swimmable and the opposite of crowded. Also, a great place to drink beer and do nothing.

We came home to a healthy looking garden--watered, weeded and ate strawberries. My berries are an anomaly. They continue to produce even through strawberry season is totally over! No complaints. Having raspberries and strawberries at the same time makes for delicious yogurt and granola style breakfasts!

]

tonight and a rad today

2009-07-10T14:55:00.000-07:00

I've been downtown at managers meetings for the last two days and they have been ruling. I did a presentation today and was so nervous! I ruled it and it felt SO GOOD. I will tell you more about it but it had to do with organics and local buying. I also won a hundred bucks for most improved room out of the whole factory and two bottles of champagne for having the highest fulfillment in Toronto for the whole year. 99.6%! I feel like a superstar!

This is happening tonight. Don't be late!

Parks are not Dumps!

2009-06-22T07:30:00.000-07:00

Please help us to protect our parks and community gardens.

http://www.petitiononline.com/fcpp/petition.html

Photo updates.

2009-06-15T12:03:00.000-07:00

Things are growing...slowly. It's good weather for broccoli and peas but not so good for cucumbers and squash or tomatoes. I havn't included any tomato photos (you can kinda see them in one shot) here because I am rather embarrassed about their state. I had so many last year, I feel like maybe it was an accident. Like when you get a nice big tax return and then a week later a letter from the government arrives saying, "actually, we take that back...YOU owe US." I kinda feel like that but it's too early to tell. I just know those poor little plants look barfy.

I think you should!

2009-06-09T20:31:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Susy at Chiot's Run and Amanda for her mad skills!

We have the patio weather permitting!

Monday

2009-06-01T19:53:00.000-07:00

I think everyone feels me on Mondays, right? They are the worst. This weekend was a blur. Did it even happen? I would hardly know if I did not have a few cell phone snaps as evidence.

Here we have the community garden on Saturday afternoon. Neil, Joan and I measured out all 22 individual plots, staked them and marked them off with twine. It was a lot of work!

The next day, all the gardeners came and started planting. They dug out the paths which will be filled with wood chips at a later date, and filled their areas with compost.

There are more photos of the garden HERE

Now for some totally random and unrelated photos....Maxwell, basking in the sunbeams! What a peach!

I dunno, I thought this was a great street name and the whole way home I was talking to myself saying, "to be frankish..." and then I would say something else but I don't remember what now and it isn't very funny anymore anyways.

Some pole beans for in my home garden.

I love/hate these boots. I think I need to retire them but for some reason I cannot. I bought them in Winnipeg 4 years ago at some goth-type store. They are a couple sizes too big. I don't know why I keep pulling them out summer-style. I think it's because they make me bike faster...in my brain.

Jordan is gone to Atlanta for a week "on business." A greenroof conference to be exact. I have already messed up the house pretty good. He hates it when I don't towel off properly after showering. I am a big fan of puddles.

An early start.

2009-05-31T02:21:00.000-07:00

It's 5:23 am! What am I doing up on a Sunday!? Finishing off 10 large batches of organic, whole wheat pizza dough.

Today is our groundbreaking event at the community garden. Yesterday we sectioned off the individual plots and set up our rotating compost system (that we made ourselves out 90% found materials). The space already looks amazing with its new load of compost and the plots clearly marked. We were a little disappointed to see that the city had given us their "regular" compost all filled with pieces of plastic. We assumed the compost we got would be more veggie friendly. No heavy complaints. You take what you can get and we are happy to have anything at this point.

We will have Master Gardener Sara Katz at the event to answer questions. We will also have some dudes playing guitar, the above mentioned pizza and apparently CBC radio will be there to interview people. You will find me near the wood-oven getting my bake on.

My garden at home is thriving! Beans and potatoes are up. Radishes, beets, onions and greens are well on their way to being munchable. Strawberries are forming and broccoli is looking strong. My cucumbers are looking pretty sad and I might plant some from seed to ensure at least some yields. Yesterday I put my tomato plants out. I hope they made it through the chilly night. Pictures of everything coming very soon!

Mothers Day Bake

2009-05-10T10:17:00.000-07:00

Happy Mothers Day to all the awesome moms out there including mine.

This morning I made a cake from "Get It Ripe" by Jae Steele. I am not a vegan and would not normally do vegan recipes but after flipping through this lovely and easy to follow book, I wanted to try some stuff out. This is my 4th recipe attempt and I have been satisfied with every one. One of my favs was a Morroccan style, cinnomony soup with garbanzo beans. I added moose sausage, making it very not vegan but it was so yummy and would be just as yummy sans the wild game, no doubt.

Carob Chai Cake with Cardamom Icing

1 -1/2 cups light spelt flour
1/3 cup carob powder (plus extra to dust pan)
1 tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves
4-5 twists of the black pepper mill
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup maple syrup
2/3 cup organic non-dairy milk
1/2 cup non-hydrogenated coconut oil
or sunflower oil (plus extra to coat pan)
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Lightly oil a 9-in cake pan and dust with carob powder.

Whisk together the flour, carob, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, pepper, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.

Pour in the syrup, milk, oil and vanilla, and mix with a silicone spatula just until all flour is absorbed. Add the vinegar and stir quickly--you will see pale swirls as vinegar reacts with baking soda. Stir just until vinegar is evenly distributed throughout the batter, and immediately pour batter evenly into pan.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, until top is domed, edges have begun to pull away from sides , and a toothpick inserted un centre comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool in pan for 10 minutes in pan before transfering to a rack or serving plate.

Serve warm simply dusted with powdered sugar and pinch of ground cardamom, or let cool completely before frosting.

Cardamom Icing

1-3/4 cups powdered organic sugar, sifted
1/4 cup arrowroot powder, non GM cornstarch,
or tapioca flour, sifted
1/2 cup softened non-hydrogenated coconut oil or non-dairy,
non-GM margarine
1/4 cup good-quality coconut milk
2 tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/8 tsp sea salt (omit if using margarine)
5-13 raw almonds (for garnish)

Combine all ingredients (except almonds) in a medium bowl or food processor. Mix until just smooth, adjusting measuring slightly if necessary for a speadable texture. Spread a very thin layer over cooled cake (crumb coat) and then refrigerate for 10 minutes to set.

Remove from fridge and frost with the remaining icing, starting in the centre and working out to and down the sides. Garnish with a combination of chopped and whole raw almonds if desired.

I steeped rice milk with coco chai rooibos tea for some extra flavour and I used filberts and cacao nibs as garnish instead of almonds. I probably took mine out a little early as I had less of a dome and more of a swimming pool making for a denser cake in the middle. Oh well, next time I will leave it in for 35-37 minutes as I think my oven might run a little cool. Also, upon tasting this moist cake, there is a tonne of spice flavor. If you are going to do the tea like I did, I would cut the spice quantities in half unless you really like your chai.

Jae also has a blog totally worth checking out...

Love, love, love....

2009-05-02T21:58:00.000-07:00

J and I don't really have an anniversary. We had a shaky start and when I think back, things fell into place without a lot of planning or foresight. Lately, people seem to be celebrating beginnings and I have found myself jealous. I needed to make a special date.
I went back a few years in my e-mail and found one that seemed to set things in stone (maybe not stone...maybe more like play dough.) It was the big 'question' e-mail, full of all the awkwardness that one cannot face in person. What are we? Are we really still seeing other people? Let's not. And my response was pretty good. I loved him. I wanted to be around him all the time. He made things feel easy and light and he never made me feel guilty or insufficient. December 5th, 2006 must be the day.

I guess it's only been 2 and a half years. It feels like longer in the best way possible. I've got a best friend and his bum will probably be nice for a lot more years. I'm a damn lucky girl. Now, if I could only find a way to get along with his folks.

This little number...

2009-04-30T18:55:00.000-07:00

Yes, please!

Dirt under your nails!

2009-04-27T18:02:00.000-07:00

Apply for a plot in the Christie Pits Community Garden!!

on the bright side

2009-04-25T04:09:00.000-07:00

Even though the antibiotics are causing me to pee out of my bum, I woke up this morning with a feeling of hunger that I have not had since Sunday. I must be getting better.

The doctor told me to stay indoors this weekend because the air quality would be quite bad. Last night I thought it couldn't hurt to have the window open a little but when I woke up this morning all I could smell were rotten eggs. It made me wonder when the (affectionately named by I can't remember who) "cum tree" would be in bloom.

Ah, Toronto in the spring...I'm sitting on the edge of my seat (actually still kinda laying in bed dying a little).

YUCK!

2009-04-21T04:54:00.000-07:00

Here are a few more snaps from the sale. These are by Xenia. I have been battling the flu since Friday and will most likely die. I feel terrible. All my skin hates me. Someone please helps me. I think when I get better, Jordan and I are going to do some sort of cleanse which sounds terrible and will most likely be.

I havn't brushed my hair since this photo was taken most likely. PS. SOMEONE (me) needs to go to the gym more than once a week.

Garage Sale Season

2009-04-19T07:02:00.000-07:00

Saturday was so warm!!!!!!!!

I made some shit! Coconut date cookies, maple flax cookies, acorn squash muffins, apple carrot soup, backyard garten zine, rice pudding, and some tomato and eggplant seedlings. I am a bake sale super star dudes!

There was some cider. It was too yummy. It sold out real quick.

Garage sale? AWESOME PARTY more like it.

Good-bye bunny.

2009-04-15T17:27:00.000-07:00

Easter is over and it was perfect! We had plans to have dinner with my cousin Sheri and her boyfriend Ryan. My mom called me early Friday morning to say she had some extra days off work and found a flight to Toronto for cheap. Very exciting indeed! She would be arriving at 5...just in time to enjoy my holiday ham!

It's always nice to have someone come and visit in the city. It forces me out to explore everything it offers because after awhile, it gets easy to forget. We went to Chinatown, Little India, and Kensington Market. We hit the farmer's market at The Greenbarns, got pedicures and shopped our faces off. We ordered pizza, drank a lot of wine and she cleaned my apartment. I can't stop that woman...it's like, her thing.

Now, I am SO BEHIND and obviously getting more behind since I am blogging instead of working. I have to finish my garden zine for this Saturday. I will be selling them at The White House along with some baked goods, seedlings, and soup.
Also, I will be coordinating the events for the Christie Pits Community Garden this summer. Please let me know if your band wants to play or if you have a puppet show or want to put on a play or anything! I am open to all ideas. The application for plots in the garden will be available this weekend. I will most definatly post a link here when it is up.

Baby pictures.

2009-04-06T19:11:00.000-07:00

Winged Pea or "Asparagus Pea"

Marketmore Cucumber

A variety of tomatoes.

Mystery seedling...found in the worm bin.

Udmalpet Eggplant

Tomato newbies and a proud mom.

Poor Wormy Wormers.

2009-04-05T14:00:00.000-07:00

I only just found out that when a worm gets split in half both halves don't go on to survive as two worms! In reality, both halves die! This is going to make turning my soil a totally different experience. I thought I was multiplying my worms last year! What a crock!

I used to kinda want these...

Now I kinda want these....
I would settle for owning both.

bad day

2009-03-30T15:37:00.000-07:00

I am in the worst mood possible and stubborn okra seeds are not helping matters, man.

Sometimes it feels like everything and everyone is against me! I feel like a small child with this attitude! Whaaaaaaahhh!!!! I know it's not true. Most people don't give a shit what I am doing or why. Most people are not-not responding to my e-mails because they have a hate on for me...most people are just lazy and don't feel like responding to e-mails. But man, sometimes it hurts unnecessarily. Like, really unnecessarily.

Germinate already, okra!

cloudy with showers.

2009-03-28T19:15:00.000-07:00

Yesterday would have been the perfect day to clean up the garden. It would have been if I hadn't have drank too much last night and spend the whole thing in bed. Ooof! Jordan and I went to Adam and Amanda's place for an awesome turkey dinner. It was maximumly yummy! I like early Easter celebrations!

Later, Jordan was playing a show at Sneaky Dees and I was happy to attend. I bought a most excellent shirt from the Young Widows dudes. My Disco also played and were very cool. Who says things from Australia are all bad? These guys ain't! I left a little early to see Place Hands at The Press Club. That place is small and crowds easily but I like it and they have delicious beer (like I needed more). By the time they got done shreding, I was pretty tipsy and probably talked H eidi to death about gardening and farm life.

Today is raining and cloudy. I was suppose to meet Shujah at the Y for gravity fitness and I still should but I don't want to go out in this! Jordan is on his way back from a show in Windsor. I spent last night with just me and the cats and some take-out Thai food. I wish it was sunny so I could be outside in the garden. There is so much to do and spring is only so long.

The real work is the easy work.

2009-03-25T19:51:00.000-07:00

Our community outreach meeting for the garden was tonight and the turnout was amazing. We filled up all the chairs at Bob Abate and had people standing in anticipation. Joe Pantalone chaired and besides a minor fight with someone from one of the local centers over some obvious old wounds, he did a great job. Blogging about politicians has got me into hot water before so that`s all I`m going to say about that.

I made Whoopie pies with Matcha green tea filling and they were pretty rad.

Soloman Boye (the cities Community Garden dude) says we are totally approved. We will break ground when it`s thawed.

First Days Of Spring

2009-03-22T12:19:00.000-07:00

I guess I've been thinking about the spring for sometime now. I usually start thinking about gardening in the middle of February. It seemed to come even earlier this year with the Christie Pits Community Garden project. Going to meetings and workshops, working on posters and starting seeds has made the long and antsy winter months fly by. Now that project is storming ahead full speed, I can hardly keep up.

I think the better at gardening one becomes, the longer the season becomes. You learn what you can do while it's still cold. You learn what crops can be eaten out of the garden in mid-December and how to get the most out of cool-crop rotations. I cannot wait to see what I will be capable of next year.

I'm sitting next to my seedling shelf. I feel like it keeps me in the office all day. It's not like they are going anywhere just yet, but I like to keep a close watch. This morning I woke up to find at least four different varieties of tomato had started to sprout. The hairy little seeds growing quietly...pushing themselves up through the dirt with the energy of an idea. I hope the eggplants get the same idea. I need to buy some heating mats because I've read they really need bottom heat to get started. What dramatic little ladies they must be.

These photos are from this Saturday at the Trinity Bellwoods greenhouse. They were gracious enough to allow us a shelf to start seedlings for the communal plots. Between Joan, Deveri and I, we planted 8 varieties of tomatoes! We also started some peppers, amaranth, okra, broccoli and eggplants. The greenhouse is great and if anyone is interested in some shelf space, Gayla from You Grow Girl is starting a collective. Check it out.