First Canning of the Year

Hello Readers! So sorry I missed posting last week! My daughter is having some health issues and I've been running her around to different doctors and watching my 3 grandkids since they're all home due to summer break.

I was finally able to take some time for myself this weekend and picked up some fruit from a local berry farm. Bring on the jams! Today I made Saskatoon Berry (Juneberry) jam. I've never made it before and come to think of it I don't think I've ever had them in a preserve before so this should be a fun kitchen experiment.


Easy Jarred Jam

4 cups Crushed Saskatoon Berries
2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
1 Box of Certo
5 cups Sugar

Crush berries, set aside. Place jars in a sink of hot water. Put a small pot of water on the stove to boil for jar lids. Place jar lids in pot of boiling water for at least 5 minutes, turn heat down to low.

Mix berries, lemon juice and Certo in a pot. Bring to a hard boil. Add sugar all at once to berry mixture. Return to a boil and boil for one minute. Pour jam mixture into hot jar, wipe rim clean. Grab a  disc lid from the pot of boiled water, place on jar and screw on the ring. Set aside and repeat for next jar until all jam is gone.

If you have less than a jar of mixture left for your last jar it's ok, just put it in the fridge after cooling and use it first.

When the rubber seal on the disc cools down it will create an airtight seal. When it's sealed you will usually hear a "Pop" noise.

Leave jars to cool 24 hours before storing. Check seals. If some haven't sealed, keep them in the fridge and use them first.

Makes approx 7 one cup jelly jars of jam. Amount will vary slightly due to berries and boiling.


Here are some pictures of today's Kitchen Adventure


I crush my berries in small batches. Makes it easier to make sure all the berries are crushed properly.


A few of my raw crushed berries in a pot.


My boiling jam after the sugar has been added. Smells delish!


My jars sitting in a sink of hot water.


My lids sitting in hot water. Burnt my fingers a few times grabbing one.


Filling the jars. I use a soup ladle and a canning funnel.


This is how full I fill my jars for proper sealing.


I set my jars on a cookie rack so they cool more evenly and faster. Also makes it easier to move them around without burning myself.

Let The Classes Begin!

It's Sunday night and time for another post. My apologies that it's not going to be anything fancy, I've been busy trying to set up some craft classes in my home.

My kids are grown, I'm not on a farm anymore and I've found that I have extra time on my hands. I've tried looking for work, but since most of my skills deal with looking after my family and home, it hasn't been easy. I was having coffee the other day with my daughter and she asked me why don't I put my crafting and cooking knowledge to use and work for myself. I'm pretty sure she gets her brilliance from her mother.

When my children were little I taught many craft classes. I volunteered with Girl Guides and Scouts. I also ran a few after school programs for the City of Saskatoon. When we moved to the farm I couldn't find the time to teach the classes I so enjoyed, sharing my knowledge of what some call "lost art".

The idea was perfect and so ATT LAST was born.

At last I've found purpose. At last I've found something to do with my time. At last I feel like I can contribute again.

If you're in the Saskatoon area and are interested, please feel free to check out the Classes page.

Summer Porridge

Today's post is about my biggest meal change I've done due to having gallstones and going through menopause.

Everyone always says breakfast is the most important meal of the day. As much as I've believed that, I've never been able to sit down in the morning and eat. Over the years I've tried to force myself, but more often then not it hasn't worked out. I prefer a coffee and a cigarette to start my day. With the new body changes and health issues, it's more important than ever to not skip a meal. I've found that if I can quickly make my way through breakfast, I actually feel better for the rest of the day.

My daughter (She's awesome) scoured the net looking for something healthy, easily inter-changeable depending on my dietary needs, and can be made ahead of time so that I can just grab it and go. After many hits and misses, more misses than hits, she stumbled upon Summer Porridge. There are many different recipes on the net for Summer Porridge, but most of them didn't quite suit my needs. The following is my recipe and why certain ingredients that aren't normally in other ones are in mine.


Summer Porridge

1/4 cup Oatmeal
1 tsp Chia Seeds
1 tsp Maple Syrup or Honey
1/4 cup Yogurt
1/4 cup Milk
1 tsp Ground Flax Seed
1/4 cup Fruit

Mix all ingredients in a seal-able container and store in the fridge for up to a week. Makes 1 serving.

I make mine every Sunday and store them in individual containers for an easy grab and go breakfast.



For the oatmeal I prefer quick oats because of the consistency. There has been a lot of debate about the nutritional benefits of the three different types of oats - Steel cut oats, Rolled outs and Quick oats, but there really is no actual difference unless you're boiling your oats. I use the oats mainly as a source of fiber.

Chia seeds are in the recipe for two reasons. First being that it helps bind it all and gives it a thicker consistency. Second reason is the health benefits. Chia seeds are a good source of protein, calcium, phosphorus and manganese. I also always have chia seeds on hand because I grow them for my birds, but that is another post for another day.

Maple Syrup/Honey is the natural sweetener for the Summer Porridge instead of adding processed and chemically filled sugar. Maple syrup is a source of calcium, potassium, zinc and manganese. Honey has small amounts of antioxidant, including Vitamin C.

The yogurt I use is homemade Greek Yogurt. There really is no need to post all the health benefits of yogurt, since we all know how good it is for us and why. Keep an eye out for a post later about how to use a yogurt maker.

Milk is there to thin it out and to be absorbed into the oatmeal so that it's not crunchy. I used to use 3.25%, but since my gallbladder attack I've switched it to 1% for a lower fat content without a problem.

The main reason I use flax seed is to help alleviate hot flashes. There are many other good reasons to add it also such as it's use to lower cholesterol and it's high dietary fiber content.

For fruit I do two different kinds. Raspberries are a great source of fiber and taste good. Wild Blueberries are another of my favorite fruits and are high in anti-oxidants. I've used fresh, frozen and on the odd occasions substituted for a Tbsp of jam. Just make sure your fruit pieces are bite-size.

Happy Fathers Day!

With a week like I've had I'm grateful for a day to just sit down with my family and enjoy their company. The children are giggling in the living room, the smell of barbequed chicken is wafting through the window. It may be a day for Dads but I enjoy it just the same.

The weather in Saskatchewan this year is rather disappointing. By now we should be complaining about the heat and cranking up the air conditioners, instead I'm crocheting slippers and looking for a warmer blanket.



I don't know if it's the comfort or the satisfaction of doing it myself, but I swear there is nothing better then the feeling of homemade slippers snuggling the feet. My kids always bug me because of the color choices, even though they're 'waste-not, want-not' slippers. I've always just used the left over ends of balls from other projects. Who cares if sometimes I have bright orange and green feet, I'm warm! Lol.

Earlier this week I ended up in the hospital with an extreme gallstone attack. I'm on a slightly restrictive diet as a preventive measure. Luckily since I make most of our food from scratch, it's not a hard diet to follow. Tune in next week for a couple simple recipes.

Welcome to my Blog

As the title says, welcome to my blog. I'm not too sure what to write for my first post, so please bear with me I'm just going to wing it.

I am a housewife that does things from scratch. I used to live on a farm where we grew our own food (from fruits and vegetables to meat). I enjoy making homemade gifts for Christmas and birthdays. I love cooking and baking, I even make my own yogurt. I find homemade is much healthier and cheaper then most of the store bought foods.

Since we've moved to the city I've felt a little lost and have a lot of time on my hands. I'm hoping that offering classes will allow me to share my knowledge and keep myself busy.