On Valentine's Day I was tracing my little ones' hands on paper to make these Valentine's Day cards. When it was Sweetpea's turn I placed her hand on the paper and told her to straighten her fingers. She straightened all her fingers except her...
I enjoy relish, but my husband does not. Several years ago I made my own cucumber relish. It was a lot of work but nobody would eat it but me. I was so disappointed that I haven't made relish since. After my sister got married her mother-in-law...
Today is our last day in the Okanagan Valley. We had the chance to visit Mission Hill Winery and do some wine tasting. As I tasted the wine, I couldn't help but crave a piece of Moonstruck cheese and some bread to go with it. Instead, I started reading The Joy of...
Canning makes me happy. There's something about the smell of simmering fruit, the sound of the bubbling canner and the putting-it-together process that makes me giddy.Right now it's time for rhubarb. My rhubarb plant is pitifully small but a friend gave me a bunch of...
Very soon, my gardens will no longer be mine. We are planning (and this time for sure) to put our house for sale at the beginning of next month. I know that I'll be sad to leave my gardens. I'm already wondering who the next owners will be and if they will enjoy and...
A few years ago we bought ourselves road bikes. It happened after meeting my sister's boyfriend (now fiance). This man is an avid bike rider and we were amazed by his enthusiasm for biking. Not long after they started dating my sister bought a road bike and...
At Elisa LovesYesterday we went for a walk in a nearby demonstration forest. The trails are wide and easy making it an ideal hike for little ones. The viewpoints and lake add interest and are good rest points, which are a must for little people with little legs.Right...
At Elisa LovesIt is a beautiful day outside. The sky is clear with a few clouds. The temperature has warmed up since last week, and I'm finally putting away the last of our winter gear, hopefully for more that three months.My tulips are blooming. Most of...
To make sourdough bread you need a chef. I'm not talking about a professional cook, but one of those would be nice too. The chef is a fully active sourdough starter (the mother culture) that you use to make your sourdough bread. A healthy starter is filled with wild...
Over the last couple weeks I experienced clusters of early labour contractions. They would build up for a couple hours and then vanish completely for a day or two. I had been warned that this is very common for third and fourth babies, but that when I finally go into...
If you want to try making your own bath and beauty products lip balm is an easy place to start. Today I whipped up a batch of Peppermint Lip Balm. I substituted avocado oil with jojoba oil because that's what I had. The beauty of lip balm is that you...
I am surprised by how much a warm sunny day can lift my mood. Our daily rhythm seems to flow more smoothly and even the little ones are more at ease. Part of the reason could because we spend more time outdoors when the weather is nice.There are many benefits to being...
Play silks are pieces of dyed silk that little ones can use for imaginative play. A piece of blue silk can become a river when laid on the ground or a piece of red silk can become a cape. Purchasing play silks can be quite expensive. They can cost around $18+ USD for...
As a child, I have distinct recollections of eating canned pears that were preserved by my mother. Sweet, soft and totally irresistible. I am always amazed how food can affect emotions and stir up memories. When I began canning, naturally I started with pears....
We keep our rabbits outdoors. This limits us to when we are able to breed them. When we are in the dead of winter, no rabbits breed. The risk of losing a litter, no matter how well built the nest, is too high and the stress incurred by the does and ourselves is not...
To most, pressure canning seems like a dangerous and complicated task. Something like detonating a series of fireworks without getting singed. There are stories that feed the fear of pressure canning. My husband's aunt suffered serious burns after a...