Potluck Holidays: Savoury Pies from Frozen Garden Vegetables

Mixed Veggie Pie with Mashed Potato and Beet Top Crust

I just found out that one of the holiday season gatherings I’ll be attending this year will be a potluck meal. That’s awesome! I hardly ever get to cook for anyone, so this is a lot of fun for me. I only wondered what to make for about a second and a half, maybe two seconds. As soon […]

Kernal Peanuts: Tasty, Healthy Snacks Grown Locally

Bowl of Kernal Peanuts (shelled, unsalted)

Finding local nuts isn’t something we generally think of doing in Ontario — and we’re right not to try too hard. But the peanut isn’t a nut, though it’s eaten just like one. It’s a legume — the kind we can get as close by as Norfolk County near the shores of Lake Erie, from Kernal Peanuts. We’ve […]

Keeping Honey Bees At Creekbend Farm

Bee carrying pollen in the center amid other bees.

The beekeepers of Creekbend Farm are perhaps better-known for their maple syrup operation, Sucrerie Séguin SugarBush, but they’re just as passionate for and knowledgeable about their bee colonies. Dan and Tracy Séguin partner with Michel and Louise Demers to manage the sugar bush, but they operate the bee business on their own. While the sugar bush has been […]

The Cluck Is On: Of Eggs and Hens

Our laying hens, which are producing eggs at half-capacity at this point.

There were a few weeks there when things were tough. We knew we’d be getting our laying hens soon so we didn’t want to buy too many eggs, and of course we ran out before our chickens arrived, being the egg-lovers that we are. When our chickens finally arrived, we felt life was good again. We made sure […]

Beat the Heat with Local Craft Beer: Five Ontarian Microbreweries

Glass of beer

With summer heat coming on full force and Canada Day weekend approaching, many of us have started thinking about stocking up on refreshments, and a stop at the LCBO or The Beer Store is on most of our lists. We think about buying our food locally at the grocery store because we’re conscious of health and nutrition, but […]

Sunday Baking with Almond Meal and Dehydrating Yogurt

Raspberry yogurt spread out on a dehydrator sauce sheet.

Ever since my pie-baking experience some months ago, I’ve been encouraged to try out a few more recipes here and there, especially since being introduced to a couple of cool all-natural and healthy ingredients. Having discovered that her daughter has trouble digesting dairy products, my sister started baking and cooking with coconut oil instead of butter, and turned […]

Farming in the North: The Poultry Problem

Farming in the north is more challenging, so sign on to the We Want Northern Chicken campaign to ask for fairer marketing board rules!

In the French River area as in the rest of Northern Ontario, chicken farmers (and their egg and dairy counterparts) are faced with challenges unknown to Southern neighbours, but yet must play the same game. The rule makers are concerned with profits, not food security. And so, farming in the north is more difficult than many people may […]

Holiday Overeating: Guilt-Free Fulfilment

A creamy sugar pie using my late grandmother's recipe.

A common stigma tends to surface around this time of year — fear of holiday overindulgence and its after-bulge. This year, there’s no need to worry because there’s a plan. After all, New Year’s resolutions are for looking to the future, not compensating for the past. During the festive season, an abundance of food — its sights and […]

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