It's a clothes line affair...

My clothes line love affair...there is nothing more sensual than feeling the crisp line dried sheets against your skin.  The smell alone sends me off on some daydream of wandering thru wild flower fields...sitting on the edge of a bubbling brook and have the water tickle my toes...standing under the shower with the cool water washing over me.  “Yes: I am a dreamer. For a dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world.” Oscar Wilde.

Time is a luxury today and one must spend there time wisely...I spend my time doing what makes me happy and gives me eminence pleasure.

The luxury of line dried sheets has it's serious side and I am also a pragmatist when it comes to the results...clean, fresh smelling, beautiful sheets to place upon my bed.  Just a note to think about...good quality sheets are a starting point.  I have two kinds of sheets Fall and Winter sheets are a heavy thread count of long fiber Egyptian 100% cotton, or a 100% Dutch linen and in Spring and Summer 100% cotton percale.  I have a few sources of delicious sheets, for the person who loves extravagance you can drool over the sheets from Julia B Linens & Frette... or if you are looking for something more eclectic, you can check out Jonathan Adler, Dwell Studio or Castle which has some fun trendy printed sheets.

 

Line Drying Secrets for your sheets…

 • Always line dry colors and bright fabrics in partial shade or in the afternoon in order to prevent fading.

• Let whites take in a bit of sun in the early morning, it might surprise you how strong a natural bleaching effect solar rays can have on your sheets.

• Dirty clotheslines make for spotty sheets. Once a month, use a rag to go over your outdoor clotheslines with warm water and pine oil cleaner. 

  Whether you’re washing by machine or hand, vinegar is a must-have in any laundry room. A cup of vinegar is an effective fabric softener in the rinse cycle, and adding a little bit to a hand wash will keeps anything from staying sudsy.

  Adding a quarter cup of baking soda to a wash will take care of stale, musty odors common during the summer months and give your machine a fragrant boost to boot.

  Bleached-out whites sheets can develop a dingy, discolored look over time. Prevent this by adding one-half to one cup of hydrogen peroxide to a load once the washing machine is filled with water. Allow it to soak for half an hour and add about one-third less laundry detergent than usual and wash as usual.

  Line drying is an easy and effective way to cut costs at home. Standard dryers account for 50 to 65 percent of the average household’s electric bill. Not only that, but you can scratch dryer sheets off your shopping list. Clothes that hang dry don’t develop static cling.

How to Hang anything on a clothes line…

  It’s worth taking the time to do it right. First shake each item to release wrinkles, then straighten and smooth each sheet as it’s hung.  

  Give your sheets some breathing room if you have the space. Leaving a foot or two between each item on a clothesline reduces drying time. 

  Choose a day that’s sunny and at the very least, breezy to dry clothes outside. The motion of the wind prevents clothes from stiffening and if left for a few extra hours, can help make your sheets noticeably softer.  

  For all its pluses, asthma and allergy sufferers should steer clear of line drying anything. Airborne pollen will easily stick to clothing, sheets and towels and will remain on items long after they were washed. 

  It’s important to take proper care of your clothespins and keep them clean. Place them in a mesh bag, swish in a bucket of warm, soapy water, rinse thoroughly and hang the entire bag on the line to dry.

 

Grow, Harvest, Cook, Eat...
Like I have always said with a small amount of work comes a tremendous amount of pleasure...

 Jenn

 

Spring has arrived...

How do I know spring has arrived...it is the sump pump going off continually and the faux creek bed turns into a rushing river.  I was out building trenches last week to direct my river down the driveway instead of washing out the drive way.  That happened the year before we had a about a 1/2 ton of crush wash into the garden...what a mess!!!!  We had our annual spring storm which knock out the power for a few days so we played camping in the cottage.  FUN for a few hours, than reality sunk in, the sump!!!!  We pulled straws to who was checking the sump and putting on the generator every few hours in the middle of the night.

We are prepared for all act of nature during the seasons, from a blade for the ATV to a second well for water, one must be prepared for anything.  We even have add more than enough doors to the cottage just in case the toads attack, I am terrified of toads, irrational fear I know... before we put the sunroom on the cottage we had a lovely cement patio out from...the toads loved to sun bathe, well one day there must have been about 10 huge toads all flattened out basking in the sun.  I freaked out calling Bruce at work telling him I was trapped in the house because the toads have invaded the patio...after he calmed me down, he said why don't you go out the back door...Oh, we have a back door????  Yes, of course we have a back door...silly me.  Well I added a few more doors just in case...laughing. 

Well the snow has almost disappeared in the gardens I am looking out thinking I have one heck of a lot of clean up this year.  Hugh will becoming out soon to wander thru all the gardens with me to see what we have to prune, what needs dividing, and what has been damaged over winter.  Last fall I planted 350 new bulbs and I am anticipating a colorful spring...after brown season one needs color!!!!
Bruce and I sing this ditty....

People always ask me the time that gets me down? 
I tell them that it's brown season, it's the brown that gets me down
Every where I look...
Every place around...
it just brown, brown, brown...
I tell them that it's brown season...
Because everything is brown.


Grow, Harvest, Cook, Eat...and Happy Spring

Jenn

EARTH DAY @ Petty Catwater... April 22, 2015

In celebration of Earth Day

 Petty Catwater will be hosting it's first "WEED & FEED WEDNESDAY". 

 April 22, 2015

 Earth Day

What better way to celebrate our planet than giving it some tender loving care...The love of gardening is a seed once sown that never dies.  Come out and planet a few seeds, pull a few weeds and enjoy a delicious Farm Table Lunch. 

I say, if your knees aren't green by the end of the day, you ought to seriously re-examine your life. ~Bill Watterson, Calvin & Hobbes


My green thumb came only as a result of the mistakes I made while learning to see things from the plant's point of view. ~H. Fred Dale (Thanks, Anne)


Gardening requires lots of water — most of it in the form of perspiration. ~Lou Erickson


 Gardening is cheaper than therapy and you get tomatoes. ~Author Unknown


There can be no other occupation like gardening in which, if you were to creep up behind someone at their work, you would find them smiling. ~Mirabel Osler
 In my garden there is a large place for sentiment. My garden of flowers is also my garden of thoughts and dreams. The thoughts grow as freely as the flowers, and the dreams are as beautiful. ~Abram L. Urban

 Don't wear perfume in the garden — unless you want to be pollinated by bees. ~Anne Raver

Grow, Harvest, Cook, Eat....

Jenn

Good Morning Northern Gardeners

February marks the start of gardening season here in Northern BC. If one would like leeks for the end of summer/fall we must start our plants in the first two weeks of February.  I love leeks they add a richness to any stew, or soup and one can even just roast leeks for a side dish. 

Leeks enjoy a long and rich history, one that can trace its heritage back through antiquity. Thought to be native to Central Asia, they have been cultivated in this region and in Europe for thousands of years. Leeks were prized by the ancient Greeks and Romans and were especially revered for their beneficial effect upon the throat. The Greek philosopher Aristotle credited the clear voice of the partridge to a diet of leeks, while the Roman emperor Nero supposedly ate leeks everyday to make his voice stronger. The Romans are thought to have introduced leeks to the United Kingdom, where they were able to flourish because they could withstand cold weather. Leeks have attained an esteemed status in Wales, where they serve as this country's national emblem. The Welsh regard for leeks can be traced back to a battle that they successfully won against that Saxons in 1620, during which the Welsh soldiers placed leeks in their caps to differentiate themselves from their opponents. Today, leeks are an important vegetable in many northern European cuisines and are grown in many European countries.

When considering leeks one must know how to clean and what part to eat...mostly just the white and light green parts are eaten, though the darker green parts have plenty of flavor and can either be cooked longer to tenderize them, or used when making homemade soup stock. The challenge when cooking with leeks is that they are almost always dirty. When leeks are grown, soil is piled up around them, so that more of the leek is hidden from the sun, and therefore lighter in color and more tender. What produces a beautiful leek, a long pale body, also results in sand and dirt been lodged deep inside the leek.
There are basically two ways to clean leeks, the method you use depends upon how you are going to use the leeks in cooking. The easiest way is to prepare them chopped for use in soup.


For soup or stock:
Step 1: Cut off and discard the dark green leaves an inch or so above the white part of the stalk (the greens are bitter and tough). Then trim and discard the roots. Halve the remaining stalk lengthwise, then cut into pieces of the desired size.
Step 2: Fill a bowl with cold water, add the cut leeks, and swish them around a few times. With your hands loosely cupped, lift the leeks out of the bowl and place them on a plate or work surface. (the grit will remain behind in the bowl.) Discard the water and grit. Fill the bowl with fresh water and repeat until the water is clear.

Potato Soup:
For a more deep rich flavour to your soup I would suggest you use a homemade stock of chicken or turkey.  In my Potato Leek soup I used a roasted turkey stock.
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 to 5 medium Yukon gold potatoes (1 pound), peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
3 large leeks (1 pound), cleaned and cut into 1 inch slices
6 cups roasted turkey stock
1 bay leaf
Kosher salt, to taste
1 to 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup crème fraiche
1/3 cup minced parsley or chives

Directions:

Heat the oil in a large (6-plus quart) stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the leek and potato. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have begun to soften and brown slightly, about 8 to 12 minutes (this time will vary greatly depending on the surface area of the bottom of your pot).

Add the turkey stock and bay leaf, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Remove bay leaf before blending.

Blend until smooth, either using an immersion blender or by carefully transferring to a blender in batches.

Add the cream, and season to taste with salt (I start with 1 teaspoon and go from there, tasting frequently) and lemon juice.

Ladle into bowls, and garnish with a dollop of crème fraiche and a healthy sprinkling of minced parsley.

 

Leeks are easy to grow and delicious to eat...so when planning your garden this year think about planting leeks.

Grow, Harvest, Cook, Eat...and plant leeks

Jenn

   

 

Are you serious...laughing

My husband Bruce finally found the perfect kitchen gadget to stop the waterfall of tears when cutting onions. 
He has tried all the tricks...

Have a fan blow the air away from you,  unfortunately he blow his recipe all over the kitchen I was finding bites of herbs behind things for months...

Dunk the onion in cold water for 20 minutes first...at one point he had a garbage can liner filled with water and he was bobbing for onions, and the floor started looking alike a child's wading pool.

Cut really, really quickly, since he was not a trained chef...cutting really quickly was a recipe for a emergency room visit while I held a few of his finger tips. 

Chop near a flame...the last time Bruce got near open flames was at a New Years Eve Party many years ago and lite his hair on fire...Nope didn't think it was a wise choice.

Use a super-sharp knife...Yes, he tried this and he emptied my band aid box.  Thankfully he still has all his fingers!!!     

 When I first came around the corner into the kitchen, I nearly fell over laughing...I ran to grab my camera because I couldn't believe what he was wearing.

 Bruce rocks the goggles!!!

It's nice to have a male sense of humour in my kitchen, next up his is bringing in the air compressor for the crispy chicken skin candy!!!!

Grow, Harvest, Cook, Eat...and laughing uncontrollably

Jenn

Seeds, Seeds and more Seeds...

To plant a garden is to believe in the future.
How does one go about planting a garden from seed...or from "scratch" as we say in the kitchen.  It's not just a simple Jack and the Bean Stock throw a few magic beans in the ground.  First of all SOIL is a major component in OLD SCHOOL gardening.  When I say old school I mean soil, seeds, water and sun.  When you old school it...manure, compost, bugs, worms and delicious dark dirt...are your friends.  It's extremely important to add nutrients to your soil all season, you can top dress with compost or aged horse manure.  I caution the use of chemicals, just because you are eating the bounty...however there are those who believe bigger is better.  The most important thing about gardening is the PLEASURE you derive from it. 

You got soil...next up is SEEDS!!!  You will be kid in the candy store, so please proceed with caution.  Remember those itty bitty seeds grow, expand, enlarge, and a few go a long way.  So make a garden plan, what you want to plant, what you like to eat, your region for growing, and throw in a few odd ball seeds for fun.  I'll give you a lesson I learnt a few years back...I use to love zucchini until I planted 8 plants one spring.  Are you serious!!!! you are saying to yourself if you already know this lesson...and yes, I am serious.  Well, 8 zucchini plants could have feed half of a starving nation.  So those packets of 50-100 seeds with the attractive price tags, sometimes are not that attractive after all.  Seeds do have a shelf life of about 3 years if stored properly...but 50-100 zucchini seeds???? 
After you decide on the seeds you want, it's time to purchase the seeds....and here comes the endless seed catalogues and not all catalogues and seeds are created equal.  Seeds are harvested from plants and these plants are grown for the quality of seeds they produce. 


Salt Spring Seeds
Heritage & Heirloom Organic Seed Catalog 2015


Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds
The Whole Seed Catalog 2015


West Coast Seeds
Gardening Guide 2015


Veseys Seeds 2015
serving Canadian Gardeners since 1939


These are just a few I use, there are many more interesting catalogues you can look through and buy seeds from.  Talk to other gardeners and find out where they buy seeds and search the internet.  In the end it's your choice. 


You have soil, You have seeds, now you need WATER & SUN and some shade.  These are the two   jokers in the house of cards we just created...laughing.  Sometimes we get excessive water in spring from the heavens above which means little sunshine...and then drought like conditions in mid summer...which means you must water, water, water, and than water some more.  It's important to check if you are on a well that you have enough water to water in your growing season.  For my husband and I we had to drill a new well just for our gardening endeavours.  If you are on city water system make sure your water restrictions don't leave high and dry.  As for the sun, well I have come up with a sun dance...and I beg the sun gods. 


The love of gardening is a SEED once sown that never dies.




Grow, Harvest, Cook, Eat and enjoy the quiet moments in a garden this year...


Jenn

Jenn's Jamming

I am back jamming...I had a small stash of raspberries that I had grown in the summer which I couldn't process at the time.  So in celebration of LOVE month, I have made a few jams..." A Cardinal Sin" Raspberry Sambuca Preserve and Dangerous Curves is a mixture of berries from my garden, it's a chunky preserve so you have texture and taste.  I also made a surprising espresso and chocolate jelly...and a lovely mandarin orange marmalade.


What is jam?
Jam comes in a small pot, it's a labour of love, a delicious spoon of summer on a cold winter morning, a sparkling jewel on the breakfast table, feeling the warm morning sun on your face, a pot of bubbling sweet stuff, bare feet on a polished wooden floor, smell of dirt, sounds of chirping birds,  buzz of bees, the sting of the thorns as you reach into the raspberry bushes...the Blood Curdling Scream as I come across the extremely gigantic toad hiding under the strawberry leaves...there is more to jam than one can imagine.


Jam starts with the selection of sweet fruits or berries in the height of there growing season.  You want to pick the fruit that is slightly firm, you want to be able to smell the skin and say apricot or peach and the same goes for berries.  I can smell my raspberries as they ripen in my garden.  Next you want to create a recipe to enhance the already delicious fruit or berries, no cover it up.  You should source your recipes from a reputable canning guide.  The guide will tell you the amount of fruit, sugar, lemon and pectin needed to have the perfect texture.  Once you have a basic recipe it's time for your imagination to kick in.  Imagination the thing your parents told you get out of the clouds when you were a kid....laughing.


I myself have a few dozen jam making books and over thousand source recipes that I use for inspiration.  I have spent years developing a flavour palate, it takes time and a passion for that perfect taste!!!  I know when I have hit the golden taste, it's when I wake up in the middle of the night and it calls me to the fridge.  It becomes a addiction...Hello my name is Jennifer and I am a jamaholic. 


Grow, Harvest, Cook, Eat....and make JAM!!!


Jenn