Choose a firm pumpkin with no soft spots. The orange-skinned, round pumpkins are better for carving and decorating rather than eating. Pie pumpkins and sugar pumpkins are the best choices for cooking. Smaller pumpkins are sweeter and more flavourful than larger carving pumpkins. Cut pumpkin in half lengthwise. Place cut side down on baking sheet. […] Read more
Tag Archives recipes
It’s apple season, and what a delicious season it can be
Apples, picked fresh off your own tree, bought at a local farmers market or in the produce aisle of a grocery store, are in season and ready to delight our taste buds. Biting into a crisp, fresh apple is still my favourite way to indulge. To uphold the reputation of the saying, an apple a […] Read more
Trying to keep farm families fed in 1930s was a struggle
During the 1930s, an almost decade-long drought affected much of the Prairies along with infestations of grasshoppers, gophers and cutworms. With the lack of rain, the dry farmland blew away, creating terrible dust storms. A worldwide Depression, which led to a rapid decline in global trade and rising unemployment, occurred at the same time. Prairie […] Read more
Many prairie communities continue fowl supper tradition
Fowl suppers were an annual event in the farming community where I grew up. It was a time for everyone to get together and socialize after the busy harvest. Tables were set in the basement of our small country church and the ladies served a full turkey dinner. Pies were made by the neighbours and […] Read more
Exploring Northern Canada for the fireweed jelly
In June, we checked off some items on our bucket list, travelling to two of the three Canadian territories and touching the Arctic Ocean. We have now been to all the Canadian provinces and territories except Nunavut, and we have travelled from sea to sea to sea by road in Canada. It was a wonderful, […] Read more
A little honey goes a long way in cooking and baking
I remember my father raising bees and extracting honey when I was a child on the farm. If I had to guess, I would say that he did this just to satisfy his own sweet tooth. He loved honey, in all its forms — liquid, creamed and solid. Fresh honey is a liquid, and over […] Read more
Feeding the thrashers was a never-ending job in the 1920s
In the early 1920s, one of a farm woman’s biggest challenges would be feeding the threshing crew in autumn. Crews of 10 to 20 men and teenage boys would need to be fed three hearty meals and two or three coffee break lunches each day. These meals were prepared on a coal and wood stove. […] Read more
Versatile zucchini can be used in many different recipes
Editor’s Note: the original version of the “Oatmeal Zucchini Cookies” recipe below was incorrect. It has been corrected. I am not a model gardener, but I have luck with zucchini even on less-than-perfect years. I often find my zucchini plants are too abundant. Zucchini plants, from the summer squash family, are loaded with fibre, vitamins, […] Read more
Try this versatile purple fruit for a plum-delicious feeling
Fresh fruit such as nectarines, apricots, peaches and plums satisfy our longings for something sweet and are so juicy when picked fresh from the backyard or bought from the local market. Fruits are naturally hydrating and provide our bodies with nutrients and fibre. Seasonal summer eating would not be complete without a basket of plums. […] Read more
Lavender not just for making soap — try it in the kitchen
Sequim, Washington, (pronounced squim) is the second largest lavender producing region in the world. Only Provence, France, produces more. This is quite an accomplishment, considering lavender was only introduced in the 1970s. With the dairy farms shuttering and the local economy sliding, residents met to discuss a revitalization. They were set to put Sequim on […] Read more
