On the third day of Christmas; Home made goodies as gifts!

Banana Bread is a popular choice, or Orange Cranberry loaf  makes a perfect holiday treat.

This year we will be giving some home made gifts as well as a few store bought ones. We have already done a lot of the work over the summer and fall when we canned fruit, made jam and antipasto!

We usually bake at the holidays. Cookies, cakes, and loaves make perfect gifts that will not be wasted!  

Peaches  in syrup from the Okanagan this summer.

Strawberry Jam we made in June.

Cynda's Antipasto made in November.

It is easy to plan ahead and make large batches of fruits, jams and even more "complicated" things like antipasto. They are colourful and thoughtful gifts you can feel good about giving to people.

free water

Our rain barrel is full! Well it was at least the other day when I went to water my garden! I purchased it from the city last month and hooked it up to the front drain pipe of my house. I didn't think too much about it after that. Our family went on vacation for a few weeks, I guess it has been raining a lot in those two weeks because when I returned home this week and decided to turn the taps on this barrel we had water! LOTS of water! The pressure was akin to the backyard hose!

The city of New Westminster is selling rain barrels for $75 each. A good investment when you factor in the savings from using the hose to water the garden, unlimited recycling, and no chlorine in this water to boot!

I am thrilled as I have only barely started my garden, knowing we would be out of town I selectively planted a few things and lefts most of plants in containers, dreading the cold nights or droughts that may affect them in my absence.
Thanks to my wonderful friend Jenny, and the plethora of rain, all my plants have survived! (with the exception of one small catnip plant that a neighbourhood cat likes to remove from it's container every night!)

My previous gardening experience has been limited to the rooftop gardens I have had while living down town. This is our first year in a house and the possibilities are exciting and a little overwhelming!

I have been dreaming and planning for the warm weather, and now it is here and I need to get our and plant! I read recently that gardening is the number one hobby in Canada ( they must not have asked the hockey fans) I also read that younger people are coming to gardening, but that it is a harsh reality to encounter, as we are used to an instant gratification that does not come the day the seeds are sown, but weeks and months later.

I plan to grow vegetables and flowers, I have two strawberry plants and a raspberry stalk that has already flowered! I have a bunch of herbs, and a backyard plot that is currently overrun with lemon balm and some other interesting looking "weeds" that I will examine further before planting back there.

Gardening is a lot of work and so rewarding! There is nothing like fresh vegetables from your own garden! My basil is already needing some pruning so we will be making pesto this week for sure! I am looking forward to getting into the garden and growing Kale, peas, carrots, chard, beans, peppers, onions and potatoes, it may not sound exciting, but really I can't think of anything I would rather be doing!

Now I am off to water my raspberry stick, um I bean bush!

diggin in

We are famous! Well I never post pictures of myself or children online, even facebook. Recently things have changed! We are on the cover of the local paper! Here!

I have been volunteering with the local community garden society. I strongly believe in their mandate. To bring people together in the community around growing food!

The community gardening society has been successful in securing our first plot for a garden and it is just steps away from my house! There are a number of initiatives under way in the city of New Westminster. Including the community gardens, farmers market, community kitchens, an environmental partners organisation, and a food security group.

Knowing where our food comes from and how to grow food is becoming more important to many people.
To be sustainable we need our food source to be local and to take personal responsibility for food choices.

Every thing you can grow yourself bring you one step closer to nature and you will reap more then a few herbs and vegetables. Growing food is more satisfying then you can imagine! Why not try something new this year and grow your own?