I purchased a deep 1- inch non-stick skillet on a whim one day as it was on sale and it turned out to be a good thing when I needed an small oven proof skillet to make my first frittata. This Kale & Pancetta Fritatta is a fantastic way to use kale during the height… Read more »
Maple Dijon Chicken Tenderloin
I am always looking for new marinades for chicken. This one is quick and easy and very tasty. The first time I made it I marinated some chicken tenderloins then skewered them on BBQ skewers like a satay. Grill for 10 minutes and enjoy. INGREDIENTS 3 tablespoons maple syrup 3 tablespoons dijon or, our favourite,… Read more »
The Peas Are Here — So Are The Deer
We enjoyed our first snow peas today fresh from the garden but it was a close call. Two nights ago some deer climbed over our 3 foot fence and decided to have dinner. Their tasty meal consisted of just perfect, ready to pick romaine and boston lettuce after which they enjoyed the tops of our… Read more »
Carol Mackie Daphne Sudden Death
I am sad to say my 6 year old Carol Mackie Daphne, planted in 2005, succumbed to what I believe was root rot this past spring. Despite not disturbing the roots and only pruning out damaged wood, my once thriving Carol Mackie started showing signs of branch wilt in 2010. By 2011 the damage was… Read more »
San Marzano Plum Tomatoes Under Cloches
We are trying to get a head start on the garden this year since planting everything in a two week time frame can be a bit overwhelming. I purchased 8 small San Marzano Plum tomatoes Monday from a local garden center and rather than nurse them along in the tiny pots for a couple of… Read more »
Window Well Coldframe
Unfortunately my coldframe was full of planted lettuce this spring so that meant no room to put my starter plants out to harden them off. Looking around I decided to use my window wells as cold frames and they worked beautifully.
Worth The Wait – Flowering Dogwood
I planted my Cornus Florida ‘Rubra’, flowering pink dogwood, in 2009 and have been waiting, not always patiently, ever since for it to bloom. With all the cold weather this year many of our spring blooming trees and shrubs have been a disappointment. The magnolia blooms have been hit by freezing temperatures more than once… Read more »
83 Yards Of Mulch — Really!
I’m starting to think perhaps I have too many garden beds. OK never mind, that’s just not possible but 83 yards of mulch does seem a little crazy. So we started out like this: 20 yards of mulch, delivered twice to our driveway, and spread out by ourselves over two weekends. Then we ended like… Read more »
The Red Admirals Are Here
The people friendly Red Admiral butterfly is back in Ontario. I’ve seen quite a few in the garden since early April but several were out today, I guess enjoying the return to good weather as was I. Red Admiral caterpillars feed on nettles, and while I don’t have any in my garden I know they… Read more »
Growing Celery in Ontario
Always eager to try something new, I decided to try growing our own celery this year. I thought it would be nice to see if we could have our own fresh celery to add to potato salads during the summer and to my Neapolitan Tomato Sauce at the end of the season. Celery has a… Read more »