Our Sunday Morning - Animal Pool

We're back from a two-week trip to the West Coast. It was a bit of a bonanza, but i'll get into that at another post, where i can share with you highlights (including a great trip to Astoria and Cannon Beach, Oregon - we had such yummy vegan treats there!).

For now, a day late, but here's a photo of our morning yesterday. Lil C fell in love with dolphins when he met them for the first time at the Vancouver Aquarium. Since he can't say 'aquarium' we worked on 'animal pool' and this is our version of it. We worked on the garden in the morn and he kept busy splashing away.

Meet Our Lemon Cucumbers

We weren't sure what these would look and taste like when we got the seeds, but we've been pleasantly surprised - they taste like cukes but have the appearance of a yellowy lemon/egg - more egg shaped than yellow colour. But definitely not your typical looking cucumber.

I love putting slices in water - what a great combo of what we assume to have in it but with a twist!

They are in full bloom now so we are harvesting them a lot this week. I'm thinking of making a chilled cucumber and chick pea soup later this week too. Can't wait!

The Garden is Growing

What a great season it has been for the garden. The mix of rain and heat has been very productive for our wee little piece of greenery. We've already enjoyed oodles of raspberries, more than any other year. And, now we are anxiously awaiting our tomatoes and zucchini.

What I'm Thankful For

As another Thanksgiving weekend comes to a close, i have a lot to be thankful for this year. It was a holiday that took me by surprise, as has a lot over these last 3 months.

Being a new mom has taught be a lot about patience, simplicity, priority, and love. I have my baby boy to thank for that. And, i have my partner to thank for helping me get through these last few months.

I love how we can look back at the whirlwind these last few months have been, to notice that summer flew by without us noticing too much, but also how amazing it is to have our baby be welcomed by our friends and family as he has. Thank you to all of you.

On another less mushy note, i also have our garden to thank - for a new kind of abundance and love of the Earth. Look at the squash we grew, by surprise i might add, in what we lovingly called Gumball's Garden - luckily his first solid food might be some of that lovely yellow Turban Squash. I didn't get to invest as much time and energy in the garden as i would have liked, but i admired it by the window and when getting a few minutes out back with Clem. Next year, i know we'll get more time there!

Zucchini Blossom Goodness

We have been busy here getting to know baby, but fortunately we were lucky enough to create a lovely dinner with friends recently. Better still, some of the items for our dinner came right from our garden.

We are growing all kinds of veggies - squash, zucchini, and cucumbers - that love to crawl. So, since we had a lovely supply of zucchini blossoms, we recalled recipes that existed where we could get a taste of the lovely yellow flowers. There are oodles of recipes on-line, and my non-vegan friends really enjoyed this one. I made a vegan cream cheeze with dill/chili pepper cream that was lovely too. We also did a simple batter of spelt flour, club soda and salt instead of the more elaborate one. With the left over batter, we made onion rings and yummy (i swear!) deep fried bananas with chocolate chips!

Our Own Community Garden

We decided this year to extend our backyard space to friends who live close by, don't have an outdoor area, and who love gardening and fresh food like us. Though it's stretching the concept of community garden a wee bit, it's our own personal interpretation of it.

We all have met and discussed what veggies, fruit, and flowers we'd like to grow, as well as where and how to grow them. It's been great learning both from our friends' knowledge of gardening as well as they good books we now have in our ever-growing library.

Here are some great books that helped us get started:
* Garden Anywhere by Alys Fowler
* All New Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew
* You Grow Girl by Gayle Trail
* A Year on the Garden Path: A 52-Week Organic Gardening Guide by Carolyn Herriot
* Compost by the publishers of Rodale Organic Gardening Basics magazine

This past weekend, we made a huge dent in the garden. A beautiful day perfect for gardening allowed us to fill container boxes with soil and some actual goods! J and a wonderful friend made the boxes a couple of weeks ago - and we made one especially for Gumball! (our baby to be, not our lovely cat, who also loves the outdoors!)Now we just have to stay on top of watering the little lovelies. Already, there are some great things growing in the garden (from last year) like Laurel, Chives, Mint, Raspberries, Marigolds, Currants, Sorel, Rhubarb, Green Onions, Garlic, and more. This past weekend, we planted veggies like zucchini, lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, more herbs (basil, lavendar thyme), as well as some great flowers like sweet peas, zinnias, cosmos, coneflowers, and hollyhock.

We're on a tight budget as well as trying to stay organic. Not always things that work together well. We also have to cover the lovely work so that the stray cats and other outdoor critters don't just jump in. When we can, we'll take away the barricade, and put cayenne pepper done - humans 1, stray cats 0! I also love how none of us have a car, but we managed just fine carting stuff around - with quite the handy contraption, i'd say. Speaking of handiness, don't you just love the reused NDP sign used as a wall for Gumball's garden?

We have a lot more to do, but after this week and the great teamwork with our friends, we're pretty optimistic. We're all already dreaming about community dinners focused around our bounty - dishes made solely from our garden like Tomato and Basil Tarts, gazpacho soup, garlic salads, zucchini fries...mmm! Thanks for all the great teamwork everyone!

Oh My Bleeding Hearts

While i can't do a lot this year (at least now), the garden if '09 is off to a good start. J revamped the greenhouse, so now we have a shelf dedicated to growing seeds into seedlings and so forth. The shelf is from an old IKEA standard that we didn't need inside anymore. After making a few cuts and adjustments, it works just fine out here!

We planted arugula (see the forest of baby seedlings sprouting above), spinach, sunflowers, zinnias, peppers, and tomatoes. For now...

Fall Flowers in the Garden

Clearly, i have been busy this past month - i can't believe it's been that long since i've posted here. I wish there was something i could show for it. I guess not keeping up here is yet another sign of work fatigue and not taking care of myself. I pledge to do that starting now - self-care, self-care, self-care!

Speaking of self-care, this past year, i've learned that i like to garden. I'm still such a novice i like to say my thumb is only a wee bit like pastel mint green, but it is very therapeutic - calming, relaxing, invigorating, and rewarding. As the season has changed, and we are beginning to expect frost (already saw SNOW on Tuesday), i guess my wee little garden will have to take a long nap for a couple of seasons. For now, here are some lovelies from my garden for you:

What do you do for self-care, like after a hard day of work, school, or life on general?

All Dressed in White

No, i'm not getting married (already did that), but i couldn't help pick that title - so i can share some of the new white things in my life!
First up, here is a pillow i stitched together. It's made up of square donations from my knitting group at a local eating disorder support centre. I've been facilitating a group there for a while, and just love how knitting has helped bring out people, and help them find their creative selves, all by doing something so therapeutic! I took it home so i could finish it - it's it sweet?
And, tonight, when i was out front for a bit of a breeze (it's about 40 degrees here, don't you know?! Celcius), i realized my rose bush was flowering. I inherited it and had no idea what roses i would get. And the best surprise of all was revealed - my favourite roses - white!

Oh, and just for you to know, i will be away from Blogland for the next couple of weeks - i'm off to the West Coast (it needs capitolizing doesn't it?!). I can't wait to visit friends and see Vancouver, Portland, and Seattle! I'll share all, especially the vegan strip mall in Portland, when i'm back!

A Green Long Weekend

Victoria Day long weekend has come and gone - it seemed a bit early this year, and cold. We busied ourselves in the city, and spent the bulk of the day today in the garden. Supposedly, this first long weekend of the summer is associated with the first real bulk of garden work. Being new to gardening, and accompanied by such cold weather, i'm not sure if this was the best weekend to start! That said, i can't wait for my first batch of peonies to blossom (picture above).

So, i busied myself with other green things too:
I made this yummy Tofu Florentine from the Veganomicon. Tasty! I don't think i've ever had the 'real thing,' and while i know this isn't actually like it, i don't need it to be. The fresh green spinach added such a nice touch, as this wonderful photo taken by J!
Not quite for this weekend, but i made my mom this bulletin board for Mother's Day. It's green (her favourite colour). First, i sewed some pockets on to the fabric, and then i used a new cookie sheet with a lip, and used fabric adhesive to put this lovely vintage fabric on. Since it's magnetic, i also got a great collection of magnets too!

This old classic, first printed in the late 1880s seems to be a distant grandmother to these new books being printed today. The title may be hard to see, but it's called House and Home: A Complete House-Wife's Guide. My mom found it on the side of the road. I think this edition was printed in the 1940s or so, but it could be older. With chapters on "the Etiquette of Family Life," "Licensed Beggar or Business Partner" (a chapter on marriage), and a whole section on menu-making, i'm sure this book was the prize gift for any new bride. It's been fun reading this 'classic.' It's been fun reading it this weekend! Here's a quote:

One must, in mental and spiritual stature, get her head well
above the dust of conceit and the fogs of ignorance before
she can appreciate the dignity of true womanhood.

Our Backyard Kitchen

I love finding things on the side of the road, and even more so when i walk by one time and debate about picking something up, only to say no. But, when i walk by a second time and the object of desire is still there, then i know for sure i need to grab it.

Even if it's a bit awkward to carry.

So, i just loved this cute little play stove/oven. I think it will be a great addition to our backyard. J has always wanted an outdoor kitchen a la Jaime Oliver, and this will have to suffice for now. We're planning to store patio stuff inside. The back of it says 'parenting' so i'm assuming the original home of the toy kitchen appliance was a school.
We have been busy gardening all week and hope to finish the bulk of it this weekend with planting seeds and some further flowers. Since i'm a full-on lover of daffodils, i'm so happy that my parents could donate some to us - aren't they lovely? My very own (my very first) daffodils...

April Showers....

I've been busy with personal and work stuff outside of my craft blog, and i just noticed it's been weeks since i've posted here. So, i had to get my butt and creative juices in gear, in order to write a new post. I primarily use this blog as a form of 'self-care' and i had to remind myself that i actually really needed self-care over these last few weeks. So, here i am.

Well, now that Spring is officially upon us, i am excitedly learning how to garden. I have a LONG way to go, but am happy about the idea of getting my hands dirty, getting dirt under my nails, digging up worms, smelling the cool Toronto spring air, and reaping in the benefits of my garden. Alright, it may be a year from now when i reap in any of them, but i am really looking forward to planting a herb and veggie garden, and having my favourite flowers in my own background. Now, i am the first to admit that i don't know the first thing about GROWing them, but i plan and vow to learn.

My dream garden would include:
* Peonies * Heritage Tomatoes
* Daffodils * Herbs - basil, thyme, mint, rosemary
* Tulips * Lettuce
* Lily of the Valleys under the tree * Cucumbers
* Sunflowers * Raspberry bush
* Lilac Tree * Carrots
With great books like these, i think i'm on a good start. You Grow Girl is written by a local gardener and writer, so i hope it will be the help i need. I love the way it's organized - with sections like Plan, Plant, Grow, Bounty, and Chill. There's also a great website to turn to for added help. The other great book we got as a housewarming gift is A Year on the Garden Path: A 52-Week Organic Gardening Guide. Written for a BC audience, we'll have to adapt it somehow for our Toronto weather. But, it's very educational and has good info on composting, and featuring various plants.

Now, i'll have to get busy with the actual garden work. I've read about it for a few weeks now, we've raked out the dried leaves and garbage, i've cleaned out the greenhouse (yes, it came with the house!). I'm ready.

A Welcome Break

I came home from the house to discover my paper whites are starting to bud. The smell is divine. I bought them last year, and forgot about the bulbs until i was packing my garden supplies a couple of weeks ago. Lucky for me, the paper whites were just starting to come out.

In all the chaos that is my life right now, this is a welcome bit of green and loveliness.

Long Weekend Fun-ness!

After a few weeks off from blogging ( i can't believe i just didn't have anything to write about!), i had a nice and relaxing long weekend - the first of the summer season! May long weekends are usually full of bad weather, but fortunately for us, the weather came and went earlier this week. In some parts of southern Ontario, the rain and its aftermath seemed quite treacherous, but it didn't seem to hit us in Toronto.With this year's April showers, though, we sure now see the May flowers in abundance. This Spring, i really am trying to take notice of everything outdoors - the greenery, the fresh smells, the buds in trees that quickly turn into leaves. Last year, it felt like Spring for 2 weeks and then the heat of summer came down.
This was the first May long weekend in a long time that we chose to stay home for most of it. So, we made it fun sans cottage retreats - we went to High Park and played croquet, had our first watermelon and cherries for the season at a friend's BBQ party, drank on a patio, and i planted my fresh herbs for this year's garden. We don't have access to anything outside (not even a patio) but we have a lovely sunroom that works almost as well. Nothing better than fresh basil or rosemary on your salads and tofu dishes!

Oh, and i can't forget that i have an extra long weekend because i'm taking tomorrow off too for J's 33rd birthday!