Archives for June 2012

by on June 29, 2012   •   5 Comments Yard DIY

Rain Barrels: How we installed ours and other tips

Written by Danny.

This past week, Aimee’s parents have been visiting from Northern British Columbia, visiting their newest granddaughter and hoping for some summer heat.  Unfortunately for them, the beginning of this week was cool and rainy.  Bad news for them, but good news for… our rain barrel!

Knowing that “we’re into that thing”, my dad had gotten us a pair of rain barrels about a month ago at a civic fair, and we installed them right away, wanting to get the spring rains stored up to get our gardens as lush as possible. This post discusses what we did to install ours, and some resources that I’ve pulled when trying to figure out what to do.

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by on June 27, 2012   •   33 Comments Quick Bites

Tips for Growing Fresh Basil {Recipe: Cucumber Basil Bites}

Written by Kristen of Dine and Dish.

I don’t have a green thumb. I’ve tried and tried gardening throughout the years but for some reason, it’s not a skill I can seem to grasp.

With that said, I am probably not one who should be sharing gardening tips with you, however, I have found one thing I can grow really well and if I can grow it, I know you can too. Fresh basil!

Fresh basil is one of life’s little pleasures, in my opinion. It grows big and plentiful, has a most wonderful aroma and can add the perfect amount of garden fresh flavor to your recipes. Every variety of basil I’ve tried to grow has succeeded without a lot of extra attention from me. Low maintenance, easy to grow, and high on yield… that’s my kind of plant! [Read more…]

by on June 25, 2012   •   28 Comments Cooking School

So I attended a food photography workshop

Last weekend the stars aligned in my favor and I slipped away from everything – dishes, diapers, and other domestic duties – to attend a food photography workshop here in Montreal with Aran Goyoaga of Cannelle et Vanille.

Organized by the resourceful Mayssam, to whom all credit is due, the intimate workshop was held at Montreal’s SAT food lab, a thoroughly modern yet rustic setting.

I came expecting to learn from Aran, as well as network with a few fellow bloggers; what I didn’t expect was the affinity that formed within the group, nor the lump in my throat that came while watching Aran fashion her magic.

With absolutely awe-inspiring focus, she demonstrated the making of a definitive ‘Cannelle et Vanille‘ photograph. I learned so much just by watching her, but perhaps my greatest lesson of the session was to slow. down. Think more about the shot, the story, the light.

We got to play around in the afternoon session. Here are a few favorite shots of mine that I snapped.
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by on June 20, 2012   •   23 Comments Bakeshop

Rustic Rhubarb Custard Pies with a Walnut Crust & a Pie Party

I‘ve made buttermilk dinner rolls in a jar, as well as copious amounts of canned goods, but pie in a jar has eluded me until now. Something about patting the dough into the small jar had me reluctant to try it, although I have admired the trend from afar for some time.

Leave it to Shaina to come up with a quick and easy solution that I could execute despite my sleep-deprived baby brain, and with my pre-schooler ‘helping out’: a nutty crust that is pressed into the jars, thus eliminating the rolling pin.

In this seasonal dessert, walnuts, sugar and butter are whisked together in a food processor and pressed into the bottom of the jars for a simple crust that marries perfectly with the rhubarb and custard pie filling. Yes, we’re still enjoying an abundant rhubarb harvest, and these little pies are the very best way we’ve enjoyed rhubarb all season.

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by on June 18, 2012   •   21 Comments Dinner

Grilled Fruit Salad with Lime

Yesterday was Father’s Day, and Danny gave up breakfast in bed to join his dad and the rest of the family for a good cause: the Procure 5k walk to raise funds for prostate cancer research.

Even Clara came along, and we strolled the course, not concerning ourselves with the time, but just happy to be together, and with a cancer survivor in our group.

When the race wrapped up, we headed back to the grandparents to jump in the pool and fire up the barbecue. I wanted to contribute a dessert that was refreshing after our (rather sweaty) walk and quick to toss together.

I decided on a colourful salad of grilled pineapple, mango, and peaches, with a handful of raspberries thrown in, and a squeeze of lime juice on the top. It was a fine, fine choice.

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