How does your garden grow?

Until recently, I had no ambition to try and grow anything except for my clothing collection. Not flowers, not vegetables, not herbs. It didn't make a whole lot of sense since my Dad used to have a rather impressive vegetable garden inhabiting the back half of our yard. He grew rows and rows and rows and rows...and rows.. of green and yellow beans, which would then be picked and frozen to eat during the winter months. He would have cherry and normal sized tomatoes, peppers, and once I believe he tried to grow strawberries which ended up as a snack for the birds.

He also planted sunflowers.
And gladiolas.

So, gardening is in my family. I am going to just come out and make the assumption that, until this year, I had neither the ambition, nor the means to make a decent garden. It is, after all, a little difficult to grow tomatoes when you are working at a camp or living in a dorm room.

It surprised me, more than anyone, that I suddenly have this overwhelming urge to turn my world into a green and growing paradise. So, because of my unfortunate lack of funds, I have jumped on the kitchen-scrap-garden bandwagon and taken to trying my own experiments in mason jars and small planters on the jane-eyre window sill of our dining room.

 First up is the green onions and romaine lettuce plants.

Green onion is easy. You save the bottoms, stick them in a jar or cup, immerse in water, and wait. Within a week they will have have regrown to near their original height (provided you've found a sunny place) and then you can keep chopping off what you need when you need it. I've harvested from these probably 5 times already, and they just keep growing.

The romaine lettuce I started today. I need to keep the bottom immersed in water until they begin to regrow roots, and then they will be transplanted into a pot.

Well, specifically this pot.

The celery currently inhabiting the one side was in the mason jar which now hold the lettuce. It finally started developing roots, and I transplanted it into this smallish black window planter this morning. I used a clotheshanger to make the sign (and you will notice that clothespins were also used to make the signs for the lettuce and green onions).

Now. Side story.
I tried growing peppers from seeds in my peppers. Turns out that doesn't work. I started the seedlings in an egg carton in April (like Pinterest told me) in a mix of potting mix and garden soil. I tried everything to get them to grow. I watered them every day, I put them in sunlight, I danced for them, and I even played them a healthy dose of Jack Johnson in the hopes that their little seedlings spirits would be filled with springtime joy - images of birds and bees and ladybugs and sitting by the lakeside soaking up the sunshine and listening to Bob Marley...

Turns out, my pepper seeds had no imagination and no capability to grow. I gave up and surrendered them to decompost in the backyard.

Adding some ribbon and twine to the outsides of the mason jars (and just ribbon to the pot) has given these a fun inside touch.

This week I plan on fixing this:

Cite our horrendous backyard.

What you can't see is the sprouting grass which is starting to come up after this week's rainstorms. We are supposed to be getting more rain tonight and tomorrow, so hopefully that will prompt the stubborn grass to grow in our poor, dusty backyard.

I also put bulbs in the fridge this week that I plan on pulling out mid-July and trying to grow again.

'Tis the season, I suppose.

The Mini Chocolate-Chip Cookie

Hello friends!

Today I wanted to share with you my favourite Chocolate-Chip cookie recipe.

It seems that everyone has their own recipe for Chocolate-Chip cookies. It's probably because they are the most popular (and one of the easiest) types of cookies to make. They are really designed for the novice baker to succeed at. So clearly the cookies are something even I could handle.

What you'll need:

3/4 cups margarine (I use Becel's Olive Oil margarine.)
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 large eggs
2 1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup Chipits bittersweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup Chipits mini bittersweet chocolate chips

Optional: 3/4 cup walnuts or dried bananas. I have made these cookies with both.

Method:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

On your laptop, put on an episode of Grey's Anatomy.

Mix margarine and sugars until mixture is fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until creamy. I used a fork, but you can also use a handheld blender.

Mix flour, baking soda, and salt together thoroughly. Then add to the wet mixture.

Add chocolate chips, walnuts, and/or banana peices.

Using a teaspon, place dough on ungreased cookie sheet, spacing them apart evenly. Do not flatten.

Bake for 8-10 mins.

I used a really large cookie sheet, so I got 20 cookies on it. The recipe should make 3-4 dozen depending on the amount of ingredients you use (ie. the recipe will go further if you add other tasty things: dried cranberries, nuts, etc.).

If Grey's Anatomy isn't your thing, I suggest listening to these songs whilst waiting for those cookies to bake.



And...





Happy Baking, friends!

Soup on Sunday

Not a weekly installment by any means, but I wanted to share my recipe for Potato Bacon soup with my readers.

It seems appropriate to make soup since the weather here has been getting colder and rainier by the hour. There was one glorious moment this week when the winter coat made a cameo (and I may have rejoiced a little). The cold weather, to me, also means it's time to make soup - and this week I plan on making - and freezing - enough of it so that I have some to pull out on those rainy days.

So here it is. Brittany's Rainy Day Potato Bacon Soup!

Recipe:

[You Need]
4-6 large potatoes
1 medium red or white onion
1 1/2 cup of chicken broth
4-6 strips of bacon
1 stalk green onion
1 can of Cream of Mushroom/Celery/Broccoli soup
1 1/2 cups of milk
Salt
Pepper
Other assorted spices

1. Dice whatever type of potato you like best. I prefer yellow potatoes, since I find they last a really long time. They are also a little sweeter, and less starchy than white potatoes, which is good, since potato soup tends to have a lot of salt in it, and starch and salt together doesn't always make for the healthiest choice. When you've diced the potatoes (I used 4 large-ish potatoes for a medium sized pot), toss them in the pot with some water and bring them to a boil.

2. Next, dice a medium sized onion. The diced onion peices should be about the same size as the potato (no more than 2 cm in width). Toss the onions in to boil with the potato. Red onions are fine if you want to add some colour.

3. While the potatoes and onions are boiling away, start a frying pan on medium-high heat. Take out your bacon, and use about 4 slices. I cut the bacon up into peices about an inch wide with scissors before throwing it in the frying pan. It cuts down on cooking time, and you don't have to wait for the bacon to cool before 'crumbling' and putting it in the soup.

4. By the time your bacon is done frying, your potatoes and onions should be boiled. Strain them. Dump back into hot pot, and mash around with a fork. I like to have potato and onion chunks in my soup, so I didn't mash it completely.

5. Add your milk, and canned soup, and stir up until creamy.

6. Add bacon, without the grease.

7. Add chicken broth, and half a can of water.

8. Stir in green onions (and any other veggies...I've put corn, tomatoes, and avocados in this before, too). Allow the soup to simmer on the stove for about ten minutes on medium heat. It should come back up to a low boil.

9. Add pepper, salt, garlic powder, seasoning salt, bay leaves, celery seed, and any other spices you like. I threw some roasted red pepper seasoning in it too. Once you've added your spices, let it simmer for about ten more minutes. When it's hot, scoop into a bowl, and add some cheese.

I finished the dish with some rye bread, cheese, avocado, ground pepper, and turkey. To drink: Oasis's Pomegranate and Berry juice. 

Yum!

Let me know how your "Rainy Day Potato Bacon Soup" turns out! 

Oxymoron #18- Dry Wetnaps

My lovely parents have made their way out to a sweet vacation spot to celebrate their 21st wedding anniversary (*party streamers and noisemakers cue*), leaving my sister and I to fend for ourselves all week. Of course, both of us are self sufficient, so we have had no problems. Tonight we decided to put our mediocre culinary skills to rest and took ourselves out to Crabby Joes, along with our cousins. Meal was delicious, dessert was excellent. Steven provided astounding comic relief. It was a great evening. The main source of amusement was when we openned a wetnap and unfolded it- only to find it was dry. Many jokes were made, someone made the suggestion that Steven should ask the waiter for a wet one, and then of course, we all realized rather quickly the connotations involved with that request. Cheap bill, thanks to 39 cent wings they had going on. All in all, a good deal.

Tonight I was passing time by flipping back and forth between Leno and The Hour (with George Strompo-something), and George had this really interesting economist on. He was the former head guy from CIBC and he wrote a book. His ideas were interesting, suggesting that three digit oil prices might just send globalization on a reverse course. He said that eventually, fueling everything to bring around the world for the demands- such as fresh fruit we have in the grocery stores- will just not be cost effective any more. Our world will become smaller, because people will not be able to afford gas prices to commute 40 miles to and from work. Supply and demand is going to need to be met within regions. Remember the old family farm? Suddenly back in business in the local markets. It makes sense. But what does that do to our manufacturing (or lack there of) businesses within our country? This economist suggested that triple digit oil prices will bring back industry. Yep, I was confused too. But it made sense. For the money that China, let's say, is using to transport the iron to it's factories to make the steel, and then ship it out again, will just not be cost effective. They aren't suffering for the hour's wages it takes to make the steel, but the transportation costs. Suddenly, manufacturing factories are reinstituted in places nearer to home.

One of the notions that struck me, was his insistence that our diets would change. We wouldn't have access to all the fresh produce year round (worst case scenerio), and so we would have to grow things appropriate to our climate. Carrots, potatoes, beans, corn, strawberries, raspberries- and start freezing veggies and making jam again. Local farm will come back to serve their communities, and backyard chicken farms (all the rage in Europe) will become a part of every home.

My decision about all this? Marry a farm boy with land and horses.

MCC: 8

Word of the Day: Wetnap

Quote of the Day: "You're an oxymoron!" "Yeah! Well you're an idiom!"

Grocery Shopping

On the agenda for tonight, with the sister.
Stalking up on fruits and veggies! Yum!

How to Make a Stir Fried Face...

Well, this is dinner at the dorm. I apologize for the fact that the camera moves all over the place. I forgot that when I load videos on to the computer, it doesn't change screen positions like my camera does. Oops!

A Recipe..

I know what you're thinking, Mom. A recipe? Yeah, well, this one is kind of good.

What you Need:
-8 Boneless Chicken breasts (for 4, just cut the recipe in half)
-1 box 'Shake 'n' Bake'
-Kraft Ranch Dressing (low fat is best)
-1/2 Onion-chopped
-5-6 large mushrooms - chopped
-salt
-pepper
-thyme
-1/2 cup water
-Large glass casserole dish

Defrost Chicken Breasts (just in case you didn't think of this for yourself..) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place Chicken Breasts into casserole dish and pour in water. Add mushrooms and onions and spread them evenly across the dish. Pour ranch dressing over the casserole dish until it is mostly covered and then distribute the 'Shake 'n' Bake' on top so that it covers the entire casserole dish. You may need to use both packages in the box. Sprinkle salt, pepper and thyme on the top and place in oven. Let it cook for 40 minutes.

Serves: 8

:)

Lament of Food

We need groceries. As in, we NEEED groceries. This morning, there was the whole pancake fiasco. Roommate decided she wanted to eat pancakes. Problem was, we had the mix and the milk...but no eggs. So off we went, next door to the boys dorm and took one large egg. And we made our pancakes.

Then we went to eat our pancakes.

This provided a new problem...we had no syrup. So, back we went, trudging across the porch into the boys dorm to see if they had syrup. They did. The only thing was, all of them were either in class or sleeping. So Roommate and I decided to leave them a little note on their whiteboard.

I guess the guys smelled the pancakes, because they woke up and trudged on over to our dorm for breakfast. So now, we have no food. Well, we had no food to start with. I think its time to groceries. LOTS of groceries. :)