This past month was a challenging one. My family and I took on the Family Financial Challenge and took a very close look at our spending habits and made a concentrated effort at saving more. After reading Gail Vaz-Oxlade’s “Money Rules”, I learned a lot about my family’s spending habits. If you're interested in saving or improving your family's spending habits, I’d highly … [Read more...]
The Return of The “Wife-Saver”! This Time with Dempster’s Zero!
Bread. Ah, bread! It's something my husband cannot live without. Being a farm boy, he grew up with bread served at every meal. Every day of the week. My mother-in-law used to bake ten loaves of bread each week and the family would pretty much eat a loaf a meal! If you think of it, bread has been an important food for farming families. It fills them up and it's also very … [Read more...]
The Beef Farmer’s Borscht
There once lived a humble beef farmer whose family lived a simple life. They were frugal, but happy and no matter how challenging things got on the farm, they always had a roof over their heads, food in their bellies and love in their hearts. The beef farmer's wife and child loved their soups and veggies, but the beef farmer was a meat and potatoes man. What better marriage … [Read more...]
Sunday Brunch: Zippy Eggs & Fun Pancakes!
Weekday mornings are a zoo in our house, as I'm sure it is for everyone else. Though I give Little One a wholesome breakfast every day, we really look forward to weekend breakfasts where we can have a leisurely meal as a family to start our day off. Sundays are our special brunch days. Little One looks forward to Sunday Brunch because I try to do something fun each time. … [Read more...]
Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup
Thick, hot, and comforting on a cold Winter day, Split Pea Soup has always been one of my favourites ever since I was a kid. I grew up in Québec and have to admit that as a child, I always looked forward to Soupe aux pois (jaunes) (aka: yellow pea soup). It's a traditional dish in Québécois cuisine and I have to tell you that my Dad makes the best Split Pea Soup I have … [Read more...]
What exactly is a #felfie, you ask?
Just recently, the #felfie hashtag made its appearance all over the net. It was actually my boss who told me what a #felfie was! My friend (and fellow rural dweller/farm chick), Julie Nowell best described what a #felfie was in her blog post here. She also mentions on her blog why the #felfie matters. Like Julie, I believe people are losing touch with our food. … [Read more...]
Farm Life #WordlessWednesday
Farm Life: Snippets of our everyday life. Trying to mesh my city self, my culture, and everything about me with my life in the countryside. Living in a small rural town has a lot of getting used to. Every day is a brand new lesson. Most days I love our simple life. The rest of the days, it's pretty much new understanding and learning how to just "be" and "do". Not sure if … [Read more...]
Pebblewood Farm: Handmade Soaps & More #ManitoulinSpotlight
I've been living on Manitoulin Island for nine years and am always in awe of how many amazing businesses I stumble upon regularly. I always love coming across new local businesses and when I found out about Pebblewood Farm, I was really excited and curious to check out their products. There's something so rewarding about making something that is your own. Whether it be a … [Read more...]
Pampered Pet Grooming #ManitoulinSpotlight
When I lived in Toronto, my canine baby was a pampered pooch. He got groomed twice yearly and had the royal treatment. He really was a spoiled boy. Fast forward a few years and we're no longer living in the city. We're on an island in the middle of one of the Great Lakes and in Northern Ontario! How on earth did we get here?! Chance seems to love rural living though. … [Read more...]
Eat Locally ~ #WordlessWednesday with Linky
Have you ever stopped to really look at an egg before? They're so perfect and so beautiful. Each one is so unique.We get our eggs from Hubby's sister, who as chickens. We also get eggs from Blue Jay Creek Art Farm. For the most part, we try to grow what we can and eat and buy locally as much as we can. Link up your Wordless Wednesday posts! We'd love to check them out! … [Read more...]
Country Living – Favourite Recipes @LifeMadeDelish #LMDConnector
Many people who live with the hustle and bustle of busy city dwelling always tell me how much they love heading to the cottage on Summer weekends. For me, I've left the city and have through some strange turns of events, ended up embracing a life of country living.Glorious sunrises and Monet-like sunsets, cattle grazing on green pastures, and afternoons at the beach are all … [Read more...]
Royal Agricultural Winter Fair ’12 – Revisited
When I think of my childhood, I remember the field trip I took in grade 2 to La Ferme d'Andre in Ormstown, Quebec. Being a kid who grew up in the 'burbs, farm life was something completely foreign to me.I'll never forget le grange a Tarzan, going horseback riding, milking cows, feeding the pigs, cuddling adorable little kittens in the barn, and just having a great time with my … [Read more...]
#WordlessWednesday~ You Know You’re Raising a Farm Kid When… w/ Linky
FYI: Those are chocolate drops. Link up your fab, fun Wordless Wednesday posts! We'd love to check them out! … [Read more...]
Zucchini Fritters Two Ways
This year, our garden was really prolific. We had zucchini coming out of our ears! I've already grated eight large ones and quartered six, and stored them in freezer bags for Winter use. I've cooked eight, and have five on my kitchen counter. There are still a few that need to get picked tomorrow. With so many zucchinis, I've had to come up with many different ways to cook … [Read more...]
CLUTCH! SHIFT! HEADER! BRAKE!!!!
I am a multitasking Mama. I can talk on the phone, tweet on my BlackBerry, close a deal with a client, cook supper, and tend to my almost 4 year old...all at the same time. Multitasking is my middle name....Except when it comes to operating farm equipment.The sad truth of the matter is that I cannot drive stick shift. I have a mental block when it comes to driving standard. … [Read more...]