Lawn to Food

The local cenotaph did not holding a public gather today (Remembrance Day) so we paid our respects at home. I used a red cloth swag bag and cut out poppy shapes..., sewed on dark felt centres, added dowel pieces to make lawn ornaments. Dave made a 2x4 cross that I painted white with black freehand letters. Lest We Forget See more

Beneath leafless maples and tall fir. Taking deep breaths to clear my mind’s blur. Aiming to stop a minor headache. Twenty minutes around Lafarge Lake.... I’m aware of strangers walking too. Heads down, leaves scuffing, stuck to wet shoes. Robotic, plugged in, barely awake. Twenty minutes around Lafarge Lake. Critiquing them, so my issues ignored? Sad way to up my personal score. Focus on yourself for goodness sake. Twenty minutes around Lafarge Lake. Green sheen Mallards calmly drifting. Silhouettes of men silently fishing. It was then I saw the route to take. Twenty minutes around Lafarge Lake. This crisp morning air, under dark skies, Helped bring awareness to my weary eyes. Now wide open, learning from my mistakes. Twenty minutes around Lafarge Lake

We have relocated to a new home where we’ll start new garden plots this spring. Meanwhile, we’ve set up two composters for vegetable waste and have been busy stock piling leaves. If the ground was ready (retained, level & fenced) then I would start lasagna layers, but it’s not. I’m excited to share our new adventures with you.

Waste not I can’t even discard a half eaten kid’s apple. I used this one to make apple pie grilled cheese for the grandkids lunch. It was a hit! And frugal fooding.

We’re settling into the new urban homestead soon it’ll really smell like home!

We are moved into our new family home where we’ve blended 2 household (with daughter’s family) and live closer to our youngest son’s family! Stay tuned for updates on the front yard food garden development and other adventures in My Lawn to Food Life.

Grazing outside of the fence is fair game

Friday April 16 Hale Kale! at the Farmstand on Friday I will have bags kale florets (taste like broccoli-asparagus), curly kale and lacinato kale for $3 each. K...ale has been rinsed but needs a wash before you consume it. Eat small tender bits as is, remove spine from older leaves and then shredded for adding to coleslaw, salads, dips, soups, stews, quiche. It's delicious and full of vitamins & minerals. Bags will last in your fridge for at least 7 days. Also available for pre-order (leave a comment or pm me) or stop by and shop in person: $1.50 baguette $2.00 Salt or Pepper&Salt Pretzels $2.50 Orange & Currant Scone $2.50 Lemon Scone $2.50 Blueberry Scone $2.50 for 2 Kale & Cheese Biscuits $4.00 Raisin Round Possibly some garlic, herb, olive oil mini-bread loaves. We'll see how my early morning goes ;) I'll also have some pots of assorted herbs and flowers starts. They will be priced as marked in the rack to the right of the Farmstand. Thank you for your continued support! I really appreciate serving our community and the ability to work from home

I've been busy starting seeds for the upcoming season. Peppers, onions, tomatoes, brassicas, lettuces and herbs are all emerging in the greenhouse. what hav e you got planted already?

Farmstand is re-opening on March 1

This idea came to me at 2am last night (painted during the daylight). I had a bunch of quotes/titles for it .. If you think you’re absolutely right, you’re wro...ng and When you shake a finger at someone, three are pointing back at you but mostly ... Be the Change You Want to See in the World and for me that means no animosity towards, or blaming of, others. Simply more positive, forward direction from me because that is all I can control push the rest out of the world! ... please share See more

Hubby has been busy fixing the Farmstand roof and getting the bench back to level. It's hard to believe but this will be my 7th season operating the Lawn to Food Urban Farmstand!! It's been an amazing adventure and I am thrilled to get going again for 2021. Opening Day will be Monday March 1. Be sure to Like/Follow the Farmstand link above if you are interested in what I'll have available each day. Soaps are all cured, labelled and priced ready for the new display shelves. https://lawntofood.com/lyndas-lather/

There's is no need to buy plastic tabs for pot labels. One tub can provide a lot of labels, either wide or narrow, depending how much information you want to include. A Sharpie marker will last through quite bit of watering and then they can be wiped off for re-labeling. (I recycle the thick cut off edges of plastic).

I really like this planting guide :)

A bit of nostalgia for you all my Lawn to Food business and blogging started about 8 years ago. This gem is from our first front yard gardening season in 2014. Brusselsprout is almost 13 now (and he's taller than me!) I hope you enjoy this post as much as I did, its astonishing how much the adventure has evolved.

Our Issai Hardy Kiwi is ready to harvest I can’t wait for this vibrant green jam to be spread on my toast!

Garlic planting has begun! I’m late putting some lime on (best a few weeks before planting) but I’m sure it’ll sort itself out. 85 cloves planted between 7-10 inches apart in this fertile bed with good drainage. Covered with straw to prevent rain erosion, weeds and provide some insulation.

My Chopped Canada Episode ~ Duelling Over Devilled Eggs

October 1 wheelbarrow load of garden harvest after I thought I had harvested most of the food in that plot A couple of ones that got away zucchini and a My Octopus Teacher carrot and an Avocado pit-ling that I’m bringing inside for the winter.

Prepping some October garden vegetables for supper, Scarlet Runner beans, Rainbow Chard, Butternut Squash which are going with Rosemary Pork Roast

This year, above any other, it’s been amazing to stay home and make meals from our garden and pantry. Today’s Mexican inspired brunch black stripe cherry tomatoes, onions, garlic, peppers, chili, delicata squash all homegrown with local eggs. Delicious! #sundaybrunch #lawntofood #growfood #selfreliance

KimChi Coleslaw is a great way to use bits and pieces from the garden. Today it’s 1 twisted carrot, 2 green onions, 1 clove of garlic, 1/2 of a tiny purple cabbage, 6 leaves of kale and 1/4 of a green cabbage. I chopped up some kimchi and added 2 TB of mayo with a squeeze of lime juice. Served with fried chicken

My super cute Harvest Helpers After collecting a peck of potatoes (which saved my back) I asked them what potato lunch item I could make for them ... potato salad? mashed potatoes? scallops potatoes? ... nah, we just like French fries.

A must-watch movie also on Netflix https://kisstheground.com

Green Tomato Mincemeat

I’m suppose to be sorting my office space today but I’ve gotten side-tracked in my grandmother’s recipe book (because I’m preparing to finish writing my book). Pickle batches from the year I was born!! and in the second photo her time is recorded. 3 hours in 1989 and 4 people 1 1/2 hours for 1991. Priceless.

Making Paisley Daisy’s interpretation of Bacon & Beans brunch.

More food preserving for today. The top snips of my three basil pots (before they head to the greenhouse). Garlic, lemon, cashews, pepper, Parmesan and olive oil to create 2 jars for the freezer. Roughly the recipe below.

WHATSUPnot your normal ketchup 2020

I stole this name from Marja because, well, she nailed it

A must-watch movie also on Netflix https://kisstheground.com

‘tatatoes as Charles used to say

Garden stuffed peppers (these are baby Bells and green Italian Sweet Reds but I’ve recently used Poblanos and Jalapeños)! So simple with only 4 ingredients, quick and delicious!

Sauce and Salsa season has started at the Smiths.

An eclectic morning harvest for today

My favourite harvest

Stuffing Zucchini to preserve them for winter. Zucchini is one if the few foods that you don’t have to blanch before freezing. Of these 5, (which are the largest I will let them grow) I’ll use 4 on the left for stuffing because their skins are still tender. The one in the right has tougher skin so I’ll grate it for baked goods. Filling: 2 cups of leftover chili, 1 cup of assorted grated cheese, 1 egg, and some bread crumbs or in my case crumbled chili cheese biscuits. If you ...want them Keto friendly, or gluten free, omit the bread crumbs. Cut in half, scoop out spongey/seedy part with a spoon, fill with meat mixture, add more cheese or diced tomatoes on top, freeze on a tray or pop a couple in the oven for dinner

Waste Not My garden is full of broccoli side shoots. I cut them all today and preserved it into pasta casseroles: Chop the broccoli stalks. If your sharp knife goes through the stalk easily, it can be eaten easily, if not, peel the outer layer off before chopping. I sautéed the stalks with some bacon & onions. To cook the florets, I added them to the last minute of pasta cooking. I made a simple roux with butter, milk, S&P and grated cheese. Tossed it all together and filled 2 casserole dishes that I collect from yard sales/thrift shops. Cover, label and freeze. Bake 350F for 35 minutes. Add cheese or crumb topping if desired.

Kimchi and Sauerkraut are about to ferment. It amazes each time I make these, how much garden produce can be squished into a jar.