Gardening That Grows With Me
Last year, I discovered the power of writing down my garden design objectives. What began as a simple bucket list for 2024 transformed into a valuable roadmap that kept me focused throughout the season. It’s not like I worked on one project at a time until completion – I did follow my usual habit of… Read more »
Like any gardener, I have a weakness for seeds (and yes, plants and tools too, but let’s focus on one obsession at a time). While I dutifully try to plan ahead each December, making detailed lists of what I need, the siren song of seed displays proves irresistible. Whether at garden centers, hardware stores, or… Read more »
Creating clean, defined borders in the garden has transformed both the look and maintenance of our outdoor space. While I’ve always appreciated the semi-formal aesthetic that crisp edging brings to garden beds, the decision to edge all our borders was equally driven by practicality. Our robotic lawn mower has become a much more efficient gardening… Read more »
Easy and very flavourful INGREDIENTS 1.1 kg deboned chicken thighs, clean off extra skin 1 cup maple syrup 1/2 cup Dijon mustard 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 1 tablespoon mirin 4 teaspoons soy sauce 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper 1 sprig rosemary chopped DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 450F Combine all sauce… Read more »
What happens when you mix sweet treats, signature cocktails, and five friends? A lot of fun! Recently, I hosted our neighborhood ladies for a Cookies & Cocktails afternoon. I thought it would be fun to combine my love of baking with some festive libations (which I’m new to). Here are the cocktail recipes that accompanied… Read more »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »