Pimping my Preserves!

Back in the summer/early fall while I was unemployed and looking for work I made a ton of preserves.  In anticipation of things being tight this Christmas I made an extra 24 jars of fig jam, 12 jars of crab apple jelly and 12 big jars of spicy dill pickles that I could give for gifts come the holiday season.  Luckily I am now gainfully employed but really aren't handmade gifts better anyway?  Plus preserves also make wonderful hostess gifts.  

How to give SNAP users more access

It's been a while since I blogged. Life got away from me for a bit, but I've managed to wrangle it back into beautiful submission (please don't misconstrue that as oppressive language). I've had cause in the last months to do some serious reflecting on just how tentative our food systems and social safety net really are. Any real safety net in our lives comes from the community we build around ourselves. And then, of course, what about those without the capacity to engage in that level of community building?

Girls and Guns

Or this post could alternatively be titled "Shana's 15 Minutes".  Several months ago I was approached by a friend of a friend who was putting together a little internet chat show about food.  Ever the fame whore I jumped on the opportunity.  I'm not going to lie - fantasies of being the next internet sensation did cross my mind.  Maybe I'd follow in Rachel, Nate or Dr. Oz's footsteps and be discovered by Oprah...

Fall garden adventures

It's getting colder.  There has even been some nips of frost in the mornings when I'm out on my beagle walks.  So these days I'm busy putting the gardens to bed, cleaning up the yard and preparing for winter.  This weekend I need to empty our rain barrel (so it doesn't freeze and crack this winter), reattach our downspout, rip out the rest of the annuals and collect a bunch of seeds from my purple pole beans.

Which anniversary is pig ear again?

Last weekend was our fifth anniversary.  To celebrate we decided to take a little road trip to Stratford, Ontario for the Savour Stratford Perth County Culinary Festival. You know how I love a road trip!  Coming from the performing arts to be honest when I think of Stratford I immediately think of the Stratford Shakespeare Festival but in recent years their focus on celebrating local food production has come to rival the performances on the stage.  Stratford and area is home to some of our favourite producers and products, like Monforte Dairy and Perth County's famous hardneck Music Garlic.

Cooking for Life

Just a quick little post to share a cool program I toured the other day at Covenant House here in Toronto. I've been spending more time exploring initiatives that engage youth in the production or preparation of good food. (Trying to marry my day job at Project Canoe with my passion for food policy and food security.)

Garden before and afters

The CNE is on, the mall is teaming with kids back to school shopping and the garden is full of tomatoes.  I don't want to believe it but it seems summer is coming to an end.  We're lucky in Toronto and will likely get a few more humid sticky days right through September but really the season's days are numbered.  

Entertaining and celebrating on a budget

I've written about my recent change in circumstance and how the Hubs and I were buckling down and budgeting closely to get through the next while until I find the perfect new job.  I'm happy to report we continue to eat well and sustainably despite a tightened belt.  We're eating expensive items like meat and cheese less and gorging ourselves on fresh corn, tomatoes, peaches and other vegetables from our garden and markets, and lots of whole grains, beans and fresh bread from our local Portuguese bakery.  I realize come winter I might be singing a different tune but for now we are very fortunate!

Fresh Moves for food deserts

Dog days of summer

It's a long weekend here in Canada (August 1st is our Civic Holiday dear American readers) so you'll have to excuse my lack of posting this weekend.  As is tradition I was busy BBQing, swimming, beaching, boating and eating the best ice cream in the world.   But I thought I'd share some pictures of the bounty we've been enjoying from our own garden and the farmers market!