My Everchanging Garden
Gardening That Grows With Me
Welcome to my garden blog
I love to garden. I also love to experiment. Throw the two together and you have my everchanging garden.
In 2004 we purchased a little over 2 acres in the country in Southern Ontario. My garden has taken many twists and turns since then and I have made many discoveries along the way. My blog is a simple record of how our garden landscape has changed over the years. I also post our family recipes, something I can refer to easily and share among family and friends.
I post here for my own garden record. It’s my garden journal and bullet journal of to-do lists and goals. If you manage to stumble upon a page or two, I hope you enjoy a little of what is here.
Latest from the Blog
Classic Rolled Shortbread Cookies
Category: Let's Talk Recipes
I adore the idea of making festive cutout cookies during the holidays – but traditional sugar cookies are just too sweet for me, and we don’t like icing on our cookies either. Since I’m a big fan of buttery shortbread, I figured – why not try shortbread cutouts instead? I asked Claude (my AI assistant… Read more »
Rice Flour Shortbread
Category: Let's Talk Recipes
I got this recipe from my mom, who got it from Claudette (whom I don’t even know!). It’s fun to see how recipes are passed around, even without the internet. I adjusted it slightly and added a few more instructions based off my test baking of the recipe. INGREDIENTS 1 pound butter, well-softened 1 cup… Read more »
Herb-Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Garlic Parmesan Spaghetti Squash
Category: Let's Talk Recipes
An easy and quick dinner: For the squash (I roast ahead, then warm & toss with herbs when meat is ready): Cut in half lengthwise, scoop out seeds Drizzle cut sides with olive oil, salt, and pepper Place cut-side down on a baking sheet Roast at 400°F for about 30-40 minutes until tender but al… Read more »
Broccoli & Cheddar Soup
Category: Let's Talk Recipes
It’s soup time. We enjoyed this with perogies and bacon. Ingredients: 1 quart (4 cups) chicken broth 4 cups fresh broccoli florets, chopped (see stems below) 1 cup diced onions, diced small 1 cup diced carrots, diced small 1 cup diced broccoli stems, diced small 3 tablespoons butter 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 cup whole… Read more »
Spiced Mushroom Pilaf with Left Over Lamb
Category: Let's Talk Recipes
We like rice pilaf with lamb. This is my new test recipe. It’s a small batch only, just enough for two – with some left over. Main Ingredients 1 cup basmati or long-grain rice 250g cremini mushrooms, sliced thin 2 cups hot broth (vegetable or chicken) 1 medium onion, diced 2 garlic cloves, minced 2-3… Read more »
Hearty Instant Pot Pork & Squash Stew with Beans
Category: Let's Talk Recipes
I made this Autumn inspired stew from butternut squash grown in our garden. A nice change from beef stew. Ingredients: 1 pork tenderloin (about 1 lb), cut into 1-inch cubes 4-5 slices bacon, sliced across about 1/4 inch width 1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cubed (about 3 cups) 1 small can beans (northern, cannellini… Read more »
Cheese and Herb Zucchini Loaf
Category: Let's Talk Recipes
I’m working towards a savoury zucchini loaf with no sugar that goes well with salmon or quiche. This is my first try. The cheese and herb was there but it was a little dry and maybe a bit bland. Next version, add more oil/melted butter and maybe 1/4 cup sugar, plus more salt. INGREDIENTS 2… Read more »
June Blooms in the Garden
Category: Let's Talk Gardening
While in the thick of it, my overall impression of June 2024 was that it was wetter and warmer than in 2023. Sure enough, I was right. Not only did we get more rain in 2024 (91.1mm compared to 64.9 mm in 2023), but the daily rainfall was more consistent. We also had more consistently… Read more »