Ashtanga Yoga: Getting Back Into It!

Once upon a time...
Ashtanga Yoga was an important part of my health & wellness routine. I had no issues finding the time, or money, to incorporate several lessons a week in my schedule.

source

Then... I quit my job, went back to school, and got pregnant, then after graduating became a stay-at-home Mom. I know there are some women out there who are perfectly happy to exercise while pregnant, and get back down to 'pre-baby' size shortly afterwards - but I was not...
 

Jack O' Lantern Pumpkin Pie

What did YOU do with your Halloween pumpkin?

In 2011 there were 2,239 farms with pumpkin patches, covering 6,778 acres in Canada - producing 88 400 tonnes of pumpkins! The estimated farm gate value of these pumpkins is $16.7 million! The most surprising statistic I found was that a whopping 43 310 tonnes of pumpkins and squash were IMPORTED into Canada in 2011! (source)

For the Love of Jack O' Lanterns! How many of these pumpkins do you think were cut into jack-o-lanterns and then thrown away afterwards? I could not find a statistic, but I can only imagine...

I am proud to say, our Jack O' Lanterns were used to make food!
This is how we did it:

Pocket Urban Foraging Guide

Whether you want to forage for fun, or you have 'survival' in mind, check out this great freebie - courtesy of Wild Food School!

Soap Nuts

Nature's Solution to Dirty!

Wow, there is a considerable amount of conflicting information on the internet regarding these soapy little gems! Since I am not a Soap Nut expert by any means, I will stick to what I know...

Saving Tomato Seeds

DIY Seed Envelopes

If you save your own seeds, you need something to do with them...

Green Tomato Salsa Verde

 

Since the frost came before all my tomatoes ripened... I decided to try a Green Tomato, Salsa Verde.

Whipped Body Butter: Small Batch

City Apples

Preserve The Harvest!

DIY: A Handbook for Changing Our World

A Radical Guide to Ethical and Sustainable Living

Download a copy

 The author describes this book as a call to get involved in practical action, reflection and to create more sustainable and fairer ways of living. I highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in a better way of life for yourself, family, society and our planet.

The best part is, this is a free pdf copy! No ads, sign up, special programs needed to view it, or other such bull is required. I downloaded my copy into my e-reader (my new beloved toy) from here although that is not the only location a free copy is available.

Walking a Labyrinth

source

A labyrinth and a maze are different. There are no dead ends, or wrong turns in a labyrinth; it contains only one path and the entrance and exit are one. Although they are used extensively by many cultures throughout history, a modern day walking labyrinth is often used for meditation and self-reflection. 

The Naturalist’s Herb & Spice Cough Syrup (kid-safe!)

 

The Naturalist's Salute To: Merv Wilkinson

Source

Today’s salute is special to me. This particular naturalist has been a personal inspiration to me in my pursuit of an environmental career, and has contributed greatly to my vision of how we can live in balance with our sacred Mother Earth.

Urban Chickens on Trial: Support The Appeal

HELP SAVE URBAN CHICKENS!!!
Please help Canadian food activist, Paul Hughes, appeal the decision by a Canadian court that owning Urban chickens is not a constitutional right!

Cheesecake - From Scratch

Because you don't live near a bakery, doesn't mean you have to go without cheesecake! ~Hedy Lamarr

Here is my first attempt at a "New York Style" baked cheesecake.

Wind Energy is Beautiful!

I took this photo while fishing the Old Man River (in southern Alberta) last weekend. I have heard many complain that windmills are an "eyesore" - so I took this photo to prove them wrong.

Renewable Energy IS a thing of beauty!

The Naturalist's Salute To: Julia 'Butterfly' Hill

source

After becoming enchanted by the majestic redwood forests, Hill joined a protest in order to protect a, 180 foot tall -1500 year old, California Redwood tree from loggers. To ensure the tree's safety, Hill lived in the tree (that was named Luna) for 738 days!!!

Urban Chickens on Trial: The Decision

Some sad news for Urban Homesteads...

source

Calgary food activist has lost the backyard hen battle, for now...

Quick Harvest

From the Garden Today:
Tomatoes, Zucchini, Pattypan Squash, Spearmint, and Calendula Flowers (for drying)
 

Edible Wild Mushroom: Hericium ramosum

  Forage it - Cook it - Eat it!

So I found this beautiful fungus, Hericium ramosum, then I cooked it! It was not like any mushroom I had eaten before, and it was a great experience - I can't wait until I find more!

Give Kindness and the World Gives Back ♥

This is a reminder to always be friendly to your neighbors! 

Spruce Grouse: Watchful Momma

As we were hiking yesterday, I heard a soft 'coo' and noticed this stunning female Spruce Grouse out in the open, right on the path!

Spruce Grouse (Falcipennis canadensis) prefer to remain silent and hidden on the forest floor, so I was surprised to see one out like this - but then we saw why....

This Morning's Foraging Find

 Agaricus campestris: The Meadow Mushroom!

The Meadow Mushroom can be difficult to ID because it has several look-a-likes, and at least a few of those cause gastric upset. I was lucky to find this stash, presenting in every stage of it's life cycle - making it much easier to identify! The pink gills before the partial veil breaks open is a tell-tale feature for this species.

 

Sole fillets over Fried Rice & Wild Edibles!

You might call it a simple flower arrangement...
But I call it inspiration for dinner!

The Naturalist's Salute To: Wangari Maathai

source

 
  






"It's the little things citizens do. That's what will make the difference. My little thing is planting trees." ~Wangari Maathai

Urban Chicken Offender

source

Well.... It's 'Another Monday on the Homestead', and I have some not-so-great news to share...

Kale Chips: my new favorite snack food!

Kale chips are yummy and healthy! 

 Here is a recipe, however I just eyeballed it and used Sea salt instead of seasoned salt. You can use less oil if you rub the olive oil into all the leaves with your fingers instead of drizzling it over. Flipping the kale in the middle of cooking helps get everything nice and crunchy.

Urban Hens on Trial: The Beginning

 The Canadian Right To Food Trial

In 2009 I decided to build myself a chicken coop, and get myself a couple of heritage breed hens. The only issue was, I live in the City of Calgary, where there is a bylaw prohibiting livestock and poultry within the city limits. Well I didn't let that stop me, and you can read my post on The Egg Industry in Canada to learn more about my motives.

Fruit Leather

Fruit leather is a great snack for kids! 
I packaged mine up as little fruit roll-ups to put in goodie bags for my daughters first birthday party! ♥ ♥ ♥
 

The Egg Industry in Canada

source

In the name of affordable food, millions of hens in Canada suffer each year. This September I took a stand against the Canadian Egg Industry. I no longer purchase eggs from battery hens, and have decided to unlawfully raise my own healthy, happy hens for eggs in my backyard.

Learning to Forage for Dinner

This is a picture of one of my very first foraged meals of wild mushrooms and some stuffed zucchini blossoms from the garden. The wild mushroom species pictured here are: Leccinum spp. (top right), Russula lutea (bottom), and Hydnum repandum (top left).

Letter of Support: Urban Hens

 My letter of support for urban hens...