Little Green Heads

A few weeks ago I decided that our greenhouse may be warm enough to try a few little rows of seeds, spinach and lettuce. The rows were small as I did not want to waste seed, if they did not grow nothing would be lost and if they did we would enjoy a very early crop. To my surprise there was a few little green heads poking through on investigation yesterday! We still have some cold weather to get through so it will be interesting to see how they fair. I may plant a few extra rows and some radish seeds.

Little Lettuce

Small Spinach

Easter Goodness!

It would not be Easter without some scrumptious homemade Hot Cross Buns. I would usually make them with white flour but as we have run out I had to use wholemeal. I am sure they will taste fine, just a bit more texture.

Happy Easter

The cross was not as white as you would normally see, I use organic white sugar which does have a slightly different color when ground up.

Pizza Supper

I recently made a big pot of smoked ham and tomato soup, and although the soup lasted for quite a few meals I always try to squeeze a couple more. After whizzing the soup up I strain it and keep all the bits and bobs left to make something else. In this case it was pizza.
Once the pizza dough has risen, rolled and put on the pizza pans I use the soup leftovers as the sauce base.

Soup Leftover Base

 Spread the soup leftovers over the base

Caramelized Onion and Mushroom Mozza

Mozza and Chedder

Add the topping of choice and bake for 30 minutes or so until bubbly and browned. Yum Yum!

Pretty Eggs

We have quite a few varieties of chickens around and a couple of duck breeds, this mix of breeds makes for a pretty egg carton. I was going to add some further heritage breeds to our flock this year but with our possible relocation to another province I decided not to bother. We will just stick with the girls and boys we have now :)

Some of the hens eggs and their color variations

Egg type from the top working in a clockwise fashion -
White Leghorn cross Ameraucana
Ameraucana Cross
Wellsummer
Muscovy Duck, at the bottom
White Leghorn
Golden Laced Wyandotte

Oh Snow!

Well it happened, and we knew it would. Yesterday, there was very little snow to be seen. This morning we were greeted with this.

The Drive

Garden Path

Far View

 Despite the snow fall we do expect it to thaw over the next few days as the temperatures get to about plus 4 with sun.

Very Early Planting

It is way too early to even consider planting anything outside yet but to my surprise whilst doing a greenhouse inspection I noticed how warm in there it was, in fact it was that warm I had to wear a short sleeve. This made me wonder if trying an early crop of spinach and lettuce was worth a go. So out came the seed box and I planted some small rows of spinach and some rows of lettuce. The only trouble is watering the seeds was a bit of a problem, our hosepipes are still totally frozen and the greenhouse is a trip across the yard, a bit far for carrying buckets of water.
We have a few pockets of deeper snow still left, so I covered the planted areas with. The heat in the greenhouse will melt the snow thus providing the water!
However, when all the snow has gone I will have to go back to the drawing board.
I may also see what else I could try to plant, maybe radish?

A Few Large Puddles

We are having a abnormal thaw here in Southern Manitoba at the moment, quite a fast thaw in fact. All the snow melt is creating a large amount of deep puddles which may be a slight nuisance to us but it is the best thing in the world for the ducks!

Garlic, How do you eat yours?

I wonder from place to place how one eats garlic. I know that these pungent little cloves are more often than not used as a small addition to cooking, more like a seasoning. It adds great depth of flavor to most dishes, it is a super food!
Garlic is one of the most powerful medicines known to mankind but its strong flavor and odor put a lot of folk of using it fresh. In this household we chomp through clove after clove, raw! Yes you read right. Garlic is at its most powerful raw, and this does not need to be as daunting as it sounds, even my two year old will eat it. It is just awesome on a grated cheese sandwich or sprinkled over a meal. I can even it it as is, completely raw.
The more you eat it the more you like it and you may even find you crave it.
So folks, the question is - Garlic, How do you eat yours?

Speedy Soup

It has been a very busy house here this weekend, we have been painting painting and painting indoors. The weather definitely looks like it is on the up, and there is much to do. It is handy when meals can be made super fast, and of course super tasty.
I had some leftover peas and potatoes hanging about in the fridge so in a pan they went with a couple of cloves of garlic, an onion, the leftover water from the peas and potatoes, a splash of milk and some seasoning. This was cooked for 40 minutes and whizzed to create a lovely thick soup. Served with homemade wholemeal bread.

Pea and Potato Soup

Laura's Vanilla and Choc Cake

I am not the only one who enjoys all things baking, both my eldest children are not shy of the kitchen which is great. I have taught them well!
Laura recently treated us to this lovely cake which was a nice to eat as it was to look at :)

Pretty and Tasty

10oz of plain white flour
5oz of sugar
3 eggs
8oz unsalted butter
1tsp vanilla extract (not the flavored stuff)
1tsp baking powder
1oz cocoa powder
A splash of milk if needed

Add all the ingredients except the cocoa into a large mixing bowl and mix until well incorporated and creamy, you may need that splash of milk. Place half of the mixture into another bowl and mix in the cocoa to that half. Spoon a bit of mix from each bowl into a 8 inch cake tin until both mixes are used up. Bake on 350 degrees until cooked through. Enjoy with a nice hot drink of tea or coffee.
  

Easy Eggs

We have gone from a scarce supply of eggs to an over abundance of them, and the ducks have not even started to lay yet! Usually for lunch we will have bread, cheese and some pickles of different varieties that I canned over the Fall months. For a change and to use up a bunch of eggs I recentlly made this quick and easy egg recipe.

Super Food Eggs

To make this all I did was fry an onion until soft, add a load of whipped eggs, I used 8, and mixed in a bit of grated cheese and a pinch of salt and pepper. I cooked it on medium in a frying pan, carefully turning once until it was cooked through. This was a great nutritious lunch packed with protein.

The Lion Roars

The beginning of March here in Manitoba did not feel like Spring is in the air anytime soon! In with a lion seems more like it. We have had bitterly cold weather the past couple of days, actual temperatures down to minus 26 and with windchill minus 37. Brrr, roll on Spring!
The cold snap however does not seem to have deterred the chickens from laying a plentiful amount of eggs. For the first time in some months I have two eggs containers in my fridge and they come in all shapes, shades and sizes! Thank you hens!