Canadian Country Woman

Stormy Day

2011-11-18T11:49:00.001-07:00

Driving in from Medicine Hat last night, there was no indication of the wintry weather we would be waking up to this morning. I had forgotten just how icy the wind can get when blowing across open prairie. It's a good day for staying indoors and baking cookies. Which brings Christmas to mind. Do you have any favourite memories, traditions or recipes you would like to share? Will family be coming to visit you - or will you be going away for a vacation? Send in...

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A NEW HOME

2011-05-27T15:51:00.001-06:00

A lot has happened in the past half year - not the least of which was moving to a new country home. I'm now located in the village of Empress - a tiny place in the middle of vast regions of prairie and badlands. Map of Empress, Alberta It is a place of endless sky. Where you're never quite sure where the next road will lead. A place where you need to stop and really LOOK, or the subtle beauty will pass you by. And where the ravages of extreme weather and time have...

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Winter Chill

2010-10-29T14:01:00.003-06:00

Early morning mists cover the land as bare trees reach up to the grey winter skies. There's a definite nip in the air and a scattering of snow now covers the ground. But just because the weather has turned colder is no reason to stay indoors. Get bundled up and enjoy this new season! To keep your little one's toes nice and warm while sledding, skiing, or just traveling around the block, I've posted the latest Wool Baby Sock colors online. This is the...

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Autumn Joy

2010-10-23T09:55:00.006-06:00

In the midst of the rush to clean up the garden before the winter snow flies, I sometimes forget the sheer joy Autumn brings. Fresh, crisp air. The glorious colors of the leaves. Fall flowers in their last bloom. And squirrels scurrying madly from tree to tree (much to my dog's delight) grabbing up the last of the acorns. I was reminded of the joy of Autumn this past weekend when my garden was invaded by "Leaf Creatures". So helpful they were - gathering all the...

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Thanksgiving Weekend

2010-10-08T11:50:00.002-06:00

Thanksgiving has always been one of my favourite holidays of the year. The weather is still warm but with the crispness of fall. The trees are beautiful in their multitude of colors. And what's better than friends and family gathered around a table laden with delicious food? Taghum, BC In keeping with our family tradition of enjoying fruits & vegetables from the garden, I thought I would share two of my very favourite Thanksgiving recipes. Home-made Cranberry JellyThis recipe is...

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When should I pick all my tomatoes?

2010-10-01T14:20:00.001-06:00

As the summer draws to a close, one of the most common questions that I hear is, "When should I pick all my tomatoes?" Tomatoes definitely love warm weather, and don't like frost in the least. So the time to pick all tomatoes is before the first frost. Yes, you can try and cover the plants to extend the growing season - especially if they are in a warm location such as the corner of the house, and you are expecting a couple more weeks of continued warm weather. Blankets, bed sheets,...

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How To Harvest Tomato Seeds

2010-09-11T15:02:00.009-06:00

I have been an avid seed-collector all my life, and it's quite normal at this time of year to find my cupboards starting to fill with enevelopes full of seeds. Nasturtium, marigolds, cosmos, some tender green beans, and my newest addition - Pearly Pink Cherry Tomatoes. This is an amazing, medium-sized cherry tomato that I found in the heritage seed list from Saltspring Seeds. Cherry Tomatoes So here I was in my kitchen, happy because of the bumper crop of little tomatoes that I had...

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Lots of Changes at Canadian Country Woman

2010-09-04T18:10:00.001-06:00

All kinds of things have been happening on the Canadian Country Woman website in the past few weeks. I've gotten back into the technology side of site design, and have totally changed the look of the site. Now it features some of my favourite photos throughout the seasons. Golden bush in Leslie's garden Another change you'll find is that the Japanese garden section on the website has increased. And the tomato pages, which had grown to the point where they deserved their own...

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Gardening Thoughts

2010-08-23T13:10:00.014-06:00

It seems as though time has gotten away from me the past couple of months. So much to do. And with all the rain we've been having this year on the prairies, those who didn't get washed out have had a lot of weeds to deal with. But the sun is now shining and the gardens are absolutely popping with flowers, fruits and vegetables. I hope you're having a wonderful summer as well. At this time of year I get a lot of questions about bugs of all sorts. Remember, not...

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Spring Fever - container gardens on my windowsill

2010-02-06T17:18:00.006-07:00

Well, I think it's official. I have a bad case of Spring Fever! First it was garden bulbs, and now I've gone and started a container garden as well. It all happened while on a trip to the local Wal-mart. I was only intending on getting a few little things for Valentine's Day when I noticed some discounted plants. VERY DISCOUNTED. Now there's just something about a sale - and about plants that look like they would like to see some sunlight - that brings out the imagination in me. I start...

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Is It Time For Spring Yet?

2010-01-30T14:18:00.010-07:00

I don't know about you, but I'm finding that I'm yearning for COLOR in my life. Flowers, bulbs, even new curtains - anything to break the monochromatic winter months. So after a browse around our local gardening/hardware store, I purchased a few spring bulbs to try and grow indoors. I've never done this before, so in the words of my children, "It's an EXPERIMENT!" Not quite knowing the best way to go about things, I decided to get some of the smaller bulbs like crocus, the...

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What to do when it's 45 degrees BELOW ZERO

2009-12-13T19:30:00.003-07:00

Yesterday we had the dubious record for being the coldest location in Canada! At -45 C there's not much to do other than stay indoors, cook good food, and watch movies. It was this afternoon, when the sun finally shone through the clouds for a while, that I noticed the intricate patterns the intense cold had drawn on the windows. And there, in the bottom corner of the patio window, were the beautiful structures of black ice. The colors in these photos have not been...

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Wool Baby Socks

2009-12-12T18:26:00.011-07:00

It all began when we first moved to the mountains. It was winter, the snow was extremely deep, and I learned that not only did we need to shovel walks and driveways, we had to shovel our roof as well! That first winter, it seemed as though my feet were always freezing. My daughter was expecting her first child, and while browsing through my knitting books for something for the new baby, I came upon a pattern for wool socks. From there I was hooked. I knit socks for myself. I knit socks...

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Christmas Craft - Willow Candle Basket

2009-11-26T12:27:00.004-07:00

To me, candles are a highlight of the Christmas season. Their warmth and gentle glow have cheered me through many a frosty night when we were living "up North" and the temperature hovered around the -40 degree mark. The air got so cold at times that it used to crackle when you breathed. But to this day there is nothing more beautiful to me than a full winter moon casting midnight diamonds on endless fields of glistening snow. Supplies needed: glass globe candle holder, tea light, glue...

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