stitch and knit.

this post is for my dearest k-far. 

i saw your post about the realization that knitting season is officially upon us. the threads you were sporting in your post photo looks pretty darn sweet. you asked what others might be knitting. 

well.

i'm excited to tell you i've successfully accomplished my first hat. 

here, i'll share...

sigh. it's happened. i'm a hat knitter, a little feat to some, but i feel on top of the world.

i'm also giddy to report that i'm road tripping in nova scotia, so i have the chance to visit my favourite wool shop.

knitting is officially in season. 

happy stitching.

little farmer fun zone.

i haven't blogged for a month... that makes me one of those unfortunate, shameful blogger doesn't it?

my apologies, this month has been a whirlwind. 

everdale farm camp for kids was launched, delivered, and successfully concluded. the energy and planning it required made my head spin, but it was simply so much fun. 

the little farmers did everything from:  collecting warm eggs from under the hens, harvested organic vegetables for their families, fed and cared for the animals, rolled oats to bake in cookies, grew their own garden, and more!

this is what i call a rich education.

babe.

we got a piglet! beauty, ain't he?

okay,  maybe i should rewind. we have two flocks of chickens: one is a flock of laying hens and one is a flock of what we call meat-birds. i'm sure you understand. free-range, pasture-bred, grass and grain-fed, antibiotic free. what i call a 'happy bird'. a few of our meat-birds are in phone 1.
 

in photo 2 are the chickens' coop-mates; turkeys. cute, in an ugly sort of way.

and finally. photo 3 is our newest friend on the farm. he's just over 6 weeks (as piglets need to stay with their mothers until they are this old) and he's absolutely bewildered. sweet though, huh? curly tail and all.

lovebirds.

this weekend i attended the most lovely wedding i've ever been to. two of my favourite people got married - to each other! every love cliche fits like a glove on these two: two peas in a pod ~ birds of a feather flock together~ two nuts off the same tree. you get the idea. young love.  sigh.

the wedding vows were said in front of a back drop of miniature white flowers and rustic antiques. the ceremony was followed my lawn games like croquet, crokinole, and kite flying. congratulations were shared in conversation on the heritage property of the blushing bride. whimsical, really.

congratulations becky and dan - my little heart is beaming for you two lovebirds.

smudge.

this is one of my favourite farm animals, smudge the donkey.

two donkeys live here, the other one's name is sergeant. sergeant and smudge came from the local doneky sanctuary and are best friends. they don't go anywhere without each other. they spend their days in the chicken and sheep pasture standing guard while they  protect and defend. 

and might i add that they take their job very seriously. donkeys might seem rather... useless but on the contrary, donkeys throw one effective hee-hawing fit when coyote danger approaches.

smudge is a miniature donkey, which is a large part of my affection towards him. i relate to smudge. he's little but he's a force to be reckoned with. at first glance you might not expect much of smudge other than a good snuggly hug - but oh no. smudge is full of admirable character.

my ode... to smudge.

sites and smells of everdale.

my first week at everdale is complete. and it was grand.
above are a few shots of the sites and smells of the farm. my friend from peterborough has been here all week as well, volunteering on the fields by day and cooking up mean farm dinners with us by night.

i spent all of yesterday doing the farm store's inventory and creating the displays for our opening on thursday. i was happy to see that our biggest seller is my favourite cookbook: simply in season. it is organized by winter-spring-summer-fall, featuring recipes that coordinate with what fruits and vegetables that are in season in north america. none of this pineapple in january bit. it's a must have for those who frequent their local farmer's market.

the same authors (a mennonite community) have gone on to create two others that i'll be excitedly using this summer: extending the table - recipes from argentina to zambia and more with less - eating better and consuming less of the worlds limited food resources.


what's your favourite cookbook?

chocolate granola balls

a sunny afternoon in my backyard with chocolate.

if there is any sweet treat i love, it's chocolate.
those who know me well know that i have a dark chocolate bar stashed in my purse at all times. 24/7. go ahead and check. i'll share. ♥

this is an extremely quick treat to make in a pinch and the results are heavenly.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/3 cups vegan chocolate chips (look for "unsweetened"/"pure" chips, they are usually vegan)
  
• 2 cups granola, any kind
• dried cranberries
  
  + add in any other favourite dried ingredient kicking around such as raisins, hemp hearts, flax, or currants
  

Preparation:

Line a baking tray or large dish with wax or parchment paper.
On low, heat the chocolate chips until melted, always stirring . Remove and gradually stir in the granola.
Drop by spoonfuls or get in there and get messy, making one tablespoon balls.
Place in the refrigerator and allow to cool before serving.