5 Tips to Simple Organic Gardening...

As you step out onto your own little patch of Mother Earth, let me ask you something: How does your garden grow? And hope your answer is not: “with chemicals and sprinklers in the row”! As pesticide and water-shortage  continue, natural, organic based gardening has never been more the order of the day. But - how do we - ordinary people fight with tight budgets and hardly any time at all to improve the natural...

How to Calm a Crying Baby...

This little darling is my brand new grandson Jax - precious and beautiful even during this demonstration First - let’s get one thing straight: Crying is your new baby’s only way to communicate with you. And for sure - at first, it can be very difficult and distressing for you, But remember that a large part of parenting is trial and error and you will soon learn to anticipate and interpret your baby’s...

Easy Father’s Day Menu...

Treat dad, grand dad or any “father” guy to a make-ahead dinner - easy and all figured out right here for you! The key words being :”Make-ahead” - so here is Menu and the simple 4 Step plan: The Menu: Seven-layer Salad Chili Barbecue Shrimp Grilled T-Bone Steak French Fries with Mustard Mayonnaise Steamed Green Beans Chocolate Strawberry Shortcake Step 1: Up to 2 weeks ahead: Cut, blanch and...

Chili Barbecued Shrimp...

Big, juicy shrimp are especially appealing when they are grilled on skewers with spicy-sweet Chili Sauce: 2 lbs. of extra jumbo raw shrimp (about 32 shrimp) Chili Sauce: 1/2 cup of thick chili sauce 1 tbsp. of packed brown sugar 2 teaspoon of cider vinegar 1 teaspoon of hot pepper sauce 3/4 teaspoon of paprika 1 clove of garlic, minced Peel and devein shrimp, leaving tails intact. Thread lengthwise onto soaked wooden...

Seven Layer Salad...

This is a tradition potluck salad dish - but since it is always enjoyed , I added it to the Father’s Day Menu. The basic rule is to pick ingredients that you know your guy and your guests will enjoy. Here are suggestions for seven of them, but please use your imagination and experience as well! Seven Layer Salad: Romaine lettuce - torn into bite size pieces Spring greens - small size leaves Hard-boiled eggs -...

Grilled T-Bone Steaks...

These are simple, yet really, really good and popular steaks. Using smoked sea salt delivers woody aroma and unbeatable flavour! Depending on size, choose number of steaks to satisfy number of people you will be treating to the Father’s Day dinner. Choose steaks that are about 1-1/2 inches thick. Sprinkle both sides of the steaks with smoked sea salt and coarsely ground pepper. Place on the grill over medium-high...

Crispy french Fries with Mustard Mayonnaise...

Blanching the fries before frying or baking will make them extra golden and crisp. They will be even better and crispier when fried of baked frozen just after blanching! 3 lbs. of baking potatoes vegetable oil for deep frying 1/2 teaspoon of salt Scrub potatoes. With paring knife, cut out any eyes or dark spots. Cut unpeeled potatoes into 1/4 inch thick slices. Stacking 2 or 3 slices at a time, cut lengthwise into 1/4...

Chocolate Strawberry Shortcakes...

Strawberries and ice cream  are a terrific way to top these rich, chocolate shortcakes. 3 cups of strawberries 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar 4 cups of vanilla ice cream 1/2 cup of chocolate sauce Chocolate Biscuits: 2-1/4 cups of flour 1.2 cup of cocoa powder 1/2 cup of granulated sugar 2-1/2 teaspoons of baking powder 1/2 teaspoon each baking soda and salt 1/2 cup of unsalted butter, cubed 1 cup of buttermilk 1...

Growing a Healing Garden...

What better way to enjoy spring then to get out and get active in your garden? One of the great ideas for gardening is to grow a healing garden. Translation - starting and cultivating herbs. For centuries, herb plants were the curative of choice across cultures. Here are a few ideas for your own herb garden - easy to grow plants with medicinal properties. Most of these pants like full sunshine so make sure you place the...

Homemade Rhubarb Sticky Buns...

This recipe is a very nice alternative to the traditional cinnamon sticky buns and the rhubarb adds a great flavour. I also find that this time of year, with all the rhubarb available, this provides a great switch from the traditional rhubarb-strawberry pie. You can serve Rhubarb Sticky Buns for breakfast, brunch or for dessert - I am sure they will be a great hit! Homemade Rhubarb Sticky Buns: Topping: 1/4 cup cold butter,...