Painting the Cottage Wooden Floor
Our summer cottage had an old wooden floor painted forest green which I did not love. We gave it a coat or two of neutralizing paint for a quick makeover.
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Lollipop Lamb Chops
Lamb Lollipops are one of our go to entrees for entertaining – they are simple to prepare, but delicious and impressive.
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Blanket Flowers
Blanket Flowers have been the biggest surprise success in our Northern cottage garden this summer!
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Labour Day
Labour Day, observed on the first Monday of September, signifies more than just the end of summer in Canada. It’s a rich tapestry of history, family traditions, and seasonal changes. For our family, it was often the last big day to barbeque before the kids went back to school, or attend a local fall fair (last year even a rodeo!).
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Spicy Red Pepper Jelly
Little jars of spicy red pepper jelly – make a nice addition to a cheese or charcuterie tray. They make great little gifts as well.
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Blueberry Boy Bait
Blueberry Boy Bait is a recipe for a delicious cake baked with blueberries with a hint of cinnamon. The title is old-fashioned and maybe even inappropriate – but it really is boy bait!
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Duck, Duck, Goldendoodle
A few pictures of ducks in the blueberries and our doodle trying to protect his property.
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Butter Tart Squares
Butter Tart Squares taste just as delicious as those classic Canadian butter tarts, but are so much easier to make!
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Bread and Butter Pickles
The cucumbers are ready to pick! A recipe for bread and butter pickles.
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Painting a Brick Fireplace
Painting the fireplace in our Northern Ontario Canada cottage. A DIY Before and After story.
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Purple Sauerkraut
Preserve beets and red cabbage by fermenting with salt. A purple sauerkraut recipe Continue reading Purple Sauerkraut
Carrot Ginger Sauerkraut
Preserving Carrots by fermenting with a Carrot Ginger Sauerkraut recipe.
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Cabbage Turmeric Garlic Sauerkraut
Make sauerkraut at home with this easy recipe. Fermented cabbage is not only delicious but also packed with probiotics and health benefits.
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Daylilies
Daylilies are cheerful, easy to grow, they prevent erosion and shade other garden plants – and the price is right!
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How High’s the Water?
The Water level is rising at our Ontario cottage. We keep asking each other “How High’s the Water?”, which reminds us of a Johnny Cash song.
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Vintage Vegan Radio Pudding
Radio pudding is a vintage classic dessert – made with simple ingredients. A simple cake-like pudding baked in a butterscotch syrup. We have made this classic dessert in vegan style. Continue reading Vintage Vegan Radio Pudding
Signs of Spring
This past week in Southern Ontario we have had a lovely quick blast of summer temperatures! We are heading back to colder temperatures again next week, but we’ve had a wonderful time of it while it lasted!
Continue reading “Signs of Spring”
The Story of My Experiments with Truth
Our house is littered with unread and partially read books. This autobiography of Mohandas K. Ghandi has made it to my favourite bookshelf. I very much enjoy reading non-fiction – and in particular stories of history. This book kept me riveted!
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Growing Lupins
Starting lupins from seed to add to our Northern Ontario island garden. All about the island, starting lupin seeds, and growing lupins.
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We Made Our Own Wine
We had fun making a batch of “home made” wine at our local make your own wine store!
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Blue Jays Spring Training Tour
We took a last minute trip to Florida to watch some Toronto Blue Jays spring training games and had a wonderful time with very little advance planning!
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Lamb Stew
A delicious recipe for Lamb Stew – perfect for a spring or Easter dinner.
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As Canadian as Peanut Butter
The history of peanut butter – A delicious and healthy Canadian food!
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Tiramisu Cheesecake
We prepared this easy Tiramisu Cheesecake for a birthday celebration. It’s a seemingly fancy dessert but we made it no-bake and without eggs or mascarpone cheese.
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Spring Head Start – Seed Starting
Get a jump on spring gardening with simple seed starting tips. Learn how to choose the right seeds, create the perfect environment, and care for your seedlings for a bountiful harvest.
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Ontario’s Ice Harvest History
Our mysterious island barn is a legacy of Ontario’s historic Ice Harvest industry.
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Kitchen Pantry Update
A vintage thrifted baker’s rack painted – becomes a pantry. Continue reading Kitchen Pantry Update
Groundhog Day
Lots of facts about Groundhogs and Groundhog Day! Happy Groundhog Day 2023!
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Vegan Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
A very easy recipe for a delicious roasted butternut squash soup that just happens to be vegan!
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Winter Squash
Squash are versatile, easy to grow in the garden and nutritious. What could be better? Continue reading Winter Squash
Lobster Macaroni and Cheese
A delicious recipe for Lobster Macaroni and Cheese. Continue reading Lobster Macaroni and Cheese
Blogging 2023
An update about why I blog, WordAds, affiliate marketing, Search Engine Optimization, my Bing struggle and blog appearance! Continue reading Blogging 2023
Five Ways to Turn Blue Monday Around
Five ways to turn Blue Monday around! (It’s not a real thing anyway!) Continue reading Five Ways to Turn Blue Monday Around
Kitchen Island Counter Replacement
We replaced the existing wooden countertop of our kitchen island with quartz. This was a quick refresh to our existing kitchen in our 130 year old home. Continue reading Kitchen Island Counter Replacement
Calgary to Cochrane to Canmore Drive
We took a day trip from Calgary Alberta through Cochrane to Canmore and back. Map, distances and Yamnuska Wolfdog Sanctuary review. Continue reading Calgary to Cochrane to Canmore Drive
Happy New Year 2023
Happy New Year 2023 Continue reading Happy New Year 2023
Best Red Wine Gravy
Try this luscious dark gravy for prime rib roast made with red wine and beef stock. This recipe is very easy, doesn’t require complicated ingredients and tastes delicious. Continue reading Best Red Wine Gravy
Christmas Shopping Then and Now
Three anecdotes about Christmas Shopping now and in the not so distant past. Continue reading Christmas Shopping Then and Now
Poppa’s Vegan Shortbread Cookies
A traditionally flavoured and textured shortbread cookie recipe – but prepared in a vegan style with only four ingredients Continue reading Poppa’s Vegan Shortbread Cookies
Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies
An easy recipe for vegan peanut butter cookies, that doesn’t require any special ingredients. Continue reading Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies
Vegan Butter Pecan Cookies
An easy recipe for Vegan Butter Pecan Cookies, with only five ordinary ingredients. Continue reading Vegan Butter Pecan Cookies
Vegan Cocoa Sugar Cookies
Vegan cocoa sugar cookies are crisp and taste chocolatey delicious – made with 5 simple ingredients Continue reading Vegan Cocoa Sugar Cookies
Christmas Photo Traditions
Christmas photo traditions including a composite picture, family calendar and photo Christmas cards.
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Coq Au Vin – Rustic Elegance
A recipe for Coq au Vin – a rich, rustic, comforting classic with red wine, chicken, and vegetables. Continue reading Coq Au Vin – Rustic Elegance
Canadian Flights
A story about our flights from Ontario to Calgary and back on Flair Airlines, and some thoughts about Westjet and customer service. (and an update!)
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Heroic Vegan Pumpkin Spice Cake
This easy vegan pumpkin spice cake will make you a hero and has only two ingredients! Continue reading Heroic Vegan Pumpkin Spice Cake
Happy Thanksgiving!
Photos of wild turkeys crossing the road Continue reading Happy Thanksgiving!
Pork Roast over Ratatouille
An easy to prepare recipe for Pork roast served over Ratatouille -a delicious family style comfort food recipe. Continue reading Pork Roast over Ratatouille
Planes, Trains and Automobiles
Some Links to Travel Booking Websites Continue reading Planes, Trains and Automobiles
Old House Floor Upstairs Landing
A before during and after story about our 1890s floor refinishing project Continue reading Old House Floor Upstairs Landing
Green Tomato Relish
A recipe and canning instructions for Green Tomato Relish – what to do with those green tomatoes? Continue reading Green Tomato Relish
Fiesta Salsa
Preserving the last of my tomato harvest with Fiesta Salsa – recipe and canning instructions Continue reading Fiesta Salsa
Bruschetta Preserves
A recipe and canning instructions for Bruschetta Preserves from fresh tomatoes and herbs. Continue reading Bruschetta Preserves
Zesty Chili Sauce
A recipe for a zesty ketchup-like chili sauce that is easy to prepare with your tomato harvest Continue reading Zesty Chili Sauce
Blender Herb Garden Tomato Sauce
A simple recipe for tomato pasta sauce with herbs from the garden. This is a freezer recipe for a basic but flavourful sauce recipe that avoids the step of peeling the tomatoes. Continue reading Blender Herb Garden Tomato Sauce
It’s Tomato Harvest Time
This post is the beginning of short series about harvesting our home grown tomatoes – and what to do with them all and some details about tomato nutrition.
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Zucchini Relish
A recipe for Zucchini Relish – with canning instructions. What to do with your zucchini harvest. Continue reading Zucchini Relish
Junque from the Sheds
Our island sheds were filled to the brim with old stuff – and a few treasures that I painted blue. Continue reading Junque from the Sheds
Blueberry Hill
A story about growing blueberries with jam FAQs and lots of facts about varieties, nutrition and planting tips. Continue reading Blueberry Hill
How to Make Blueberry Jam
A recipe for blueberry jam with canning instructions and a printable recipe card. Continue reading How to Make Blueberry Jam
Labour Day
A little bit of Labour Day history Continue reading Labour Day
Garden Dirt – The Dirty Truth
Spreading the word about types of soil, composting, the evolution of soil and dirt – and a few puns about dirt just for fun. Continue reading Garden Dirt – The Dirty Truth
The Mad Trappers
We rescued a marooned red squirrel with a live wildlife trap. Continue reading The Mad Trappers
Make Homemade Ice Cream
It’s easy to make ice cream at home without a machine or special equipment and just two ingredients plus your flavour of choice. Continue reading Make Homemade Ice Cream
Make Homemade Strawberry Rhubarb Jam
What could be better than making homemade strawberry rhubarb jam. Rhubarb is an easy to grow perennial vegetable and is wonderful with strawberries. Continue reading Make Homemade Strawberry Rhubarb Jam
Island Cottage Life
We love our island cottage. A story about the pros and cons of island life. Continue reading Island Cottage Life
Ontario Wildlife Photos
We were blessed to see these examples of Ontario wildlife this summer. Continue reading Ontario Wildlife Photos
How to Clean Oil Paintings
How to clean old oil paintings at home – a DIY project Continue reading How to Clean Oil Paintings
Hot Dogs, Pogos and a Twist
A little bit of history and trivia about hot dogs, pogos and corn dogs and a recipe for corn dogs.
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How to Grow Basil
You can never have too much basil – A few tips about how to grow basil. Continue reading How to Grow Basil
Canadian Tulip Festival – Ottawa
The Canadian Tulip Festival in Ottawa Ontario – May 13 -23, 2022 – is an enjoyable and easy to access event. Continue reading Canadian Tulip Festival – Ottawa
The Greatest Salesman That Ever Lived
I take those sales calls because I remember the greatest salesman that ever lived. Continue reading The Greatest Salesman That Ever Lived
How to Make Ravioli
We had fun making fresh homemade ravioli ourselves. Continue reading How to Make Ravioli
Cottage Memories
My husband loves cottage life. It’s funny that his childhood cottage memories are so similar to mine. Continue reading Cottage Memories
Easter Weekend – Easter Eggs & The World’s Biggest Easter Egg
Do you know where the World’s Largest Easter Egg is? This post is a silly look at some giant roadside attraction style eggs, a few Easter egg facts, and some egg quotes. It is frivolous and light hearted, and a shameless outreach to my children who are far away and at home.
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Dining Room Before and After – Removing Wallpaper
An old house dining room before and after – and how to remove wallpaper Continue reading Dining Room Before and After – Removing Wallpaper
What’s in a Sauce? A Bolognese Recipe
Our family favourite recipe for Bolognese Sauce. Printable recipe card included.
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Spring Happiness and Simple Things
Sometimes the simplest of things make us happy. Enjoy spring! Continue reading Spring Happiness and Simple Things
Older Adults and Tech Rage
Is getting older making me grumpy, is it the technology, or the tech support ?- older adults and tech rage Continue reading Older Adults and Tech Rage
Pi Day?
Why not bake a banana cream pie on Pi Day? Continue reading Pi Day?
Mr Beer Home Brewing
I made home brewed beer with a kit and refills from Mr. Beer. Continue reading Mr Beer Home Brewing
Positive Thinking
Positive thinking quotations – is your glass half full? Continue reading Positive Thinking
More Snow Days
Silly thoughts while waiting for the snow to melt. Continue reading More Snow Days
The October Crisis – War Measures Act
A post from 2020 about the War Measures Act during the 1970 October Crisis – and comment about today’s invoking of the Emergency Act Continue reading The October Crisis – War Measures Act
Renovating the Master Bedroom (Part 2)
Part 2 of our Century Home Bedroom Before and After Continue reading Renovating the Master Bedroom (Part 2)
Make Fresh Homemade Pasta
There is no comparison between fresh homemade and dried storebought pasta. Try these two recipes for homemade pasta – one vegan and one with eggs. Continue reading Make Fresh Homemade Pasta
Blogging Advice 2022
A few Blogging Tips for 2022. Continue reading Blogging Advice 2022
Renovating our Master Bedroom
Renovating the Master Bedroom in our century home ourselves. Part 1 of a Before and After story. Continue reading Renovating our Master Bedroom
Weather Drama
Some scary winter weather terminology. Continue reading Weather Drama
Ice Fishing Lake Nipissing
A few travel details about our latest ice fishing road trip. Continue reading Ice Fishing Lake Nipissing
I am The Little Red Hen
This pandemic makes me feel like The Little Red Hen Continue reading I am The Little Red Hen
Winter Swans Revisited
I wondered whether the swans in our local river were supposed to stay during the winter. Continue reading Winter Swans Revisited
Stepping into 2022
Being good to myself one small step at a time. Continue reading Stepping into 2022
Ontario Road Trip – Staycation
Our Ontario government is encouraging us to take Ontario Staycations this year with a refundable Tax Credit We took three drives this winter across Ontario. Continue reading Ontario Road Trip – Staycation
Family Room Reno – Before and After
A before and after story about our century home family room makeover. Continue reading Family Room Reno – Before and After
Vegan Cinnamon Buttermilk Holiday Cake
An easy recipe for a holiday style cake with cinnamon and raisins, made with vegan buttermilk. It’s perfect as a coffee cake, as a snack or as a dessert. Did I mention it’s a vegan recipe?
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Rapid Tests and Omicron
Two personal anecdotes about rapid testing (including an Omicron experience) Continue reading Rapid Tests and Omicron
Canada’s Carbon Tax Confusion
The Canada’s Carbon Tax is ineffective and confusing Greenwashing Continue reading Canada’s Carbon Tax Confusion
How to Care for and Wash Vintage Linens
Sorting and soaking my vintage tablecloths and linens was easy and worthwhile. Continue reading How to Care for and Wash Vintage Linens