Organic Granny

These oat-aquafaba waffles are a dream. Great as a part of breakfast or a savory meal. Aquafaba is becoming quite trendy with vegan bakers. It is, of course, just bean juice-- what is left over in the can when you take out the beans (usually chick peas or northern beans, although ALL beans make aquafaba when you cook them in water.) Aquafaba works very much like egg white in recipes, so it is a great egg replacer for vegan items such as meringues, macrons, marshmallows, and in angel food cake (I have yet to try that!) It does not smell or taste beanie in the baked item, but if you overdo it you may find that you suffer from some of the effects of over-eating beans, so take it easy.  Less is more.  Amazingly, a quarter cup of aquafaba, what you find in a 14 oz. can of beans, is enough to lighten and puff up 5-10 waffles in this recipe. Try it and see what you think! Aquafaba is best if it does not contain salt and other additives. Check the ingredients on the can when you buy it. You ca

Natural Causes: An Epidemic of Wellness, the Certainty of Dying, and Killing Ourselves to Live Longer by Barbara Ehrenreich My rating: 4 of 5 stars As many of the previous reviewers have suggested, this book by Ehrenreich is a series of essays with a general theme related to taking a more realistic approach to life and death than our selfist, sentimental, superficial generations are generally willing to take (my impression of the author's impression of today's people). Every essay in the book had at least a kernel of information that was gold for me-- something I had never before thought about, and that seemingly explained some conundrum that had come up in my life or reading/thinking. While there were invaluable learnings for me in this book-- virtually the masterful distillation of wisdom from dozens of books and academic manuscripts-- there was also an almost verboten (or maybe, almost unfamiliar) negativity and cynicism that permeated the text. I live with a kind, joyful

More Letters from the Country by Marsha Boulton My rating: 5 of 5 stars "More Letters from the Country" by Marsha Boulton is a 1997 follow-up to her "Letters from the Country" that won the esteemed *Stephen Leacock Award for Humour*in 1996. Like the first book, it is a series of short humourous essays on the trials and sweet moments of raising domestic animals of all kinds-- including stories about ducks, chickens, geese, horses, a turkey, and primarily, sheep and lambs. A dog, a cat, and even deer also make their way into some of the stories. Boulton is delightfully witty and writes in a style that is both relatable to the contemporary Canadian (although Millennials might have to google some words from the 1990s when the book was published) and would have met the high standards of Stephen Leacock himself for satire and spot-on detailed descriptions of hilarious events in her life on the farm. I found this delightful book in a local Little Library. You can read it

 I made this yummy apple-raisin quick bread this morning and unfortunately, my husband and I have practically eaten the whole thing before I thought of how useful it would be to get the recipe down here. I'm sorry. I know it would have been nice to have seen the whole loaf. Maybe the next time I make it (there will be a next time) I will remember to photograph the whole loaf. In the meantime, here is the recipe: INGREDIENTS : 3 cups of self-raising flour (see below) 2 cups (16 oz) apple sauce, sweetened l teaspoon cinnamon (optional) 1/2 to 1 cup Thompson's raisins (or other raisins) Canadians don't often use self-raising flour. It is so handy to have on hand for biscuits, and the like. Here is a recipe: For every one cup of flour (all-purpose), use 1 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder and 1/2 salt. I want to make 6 cups of self-raising flour so include: 6 cups of flour, 9 teaspoons of baking powder, and 3 teaspoons of salt. I whisked the above well and stored the additional qua

 My current favorite quick black bean-taco hummus made with organic black beans, taco spice, peanut butter, garlic, lemon juice, and salt. Delicious with corn chips, veggies or on crackers or bread.  This scrumptious hummus is Mexican-influenced. The taco spice by Clever Crow contains paprika, cumin, coriander, sea salt, black pepper, oregano, garlic, and chilies. It is gluten-free. To order go to their website at Clever Crow Farm. INGREDIENTS: 2 14-oz. cans of black beans, drained and rinsed 2 teaspoons Taco Spice 2 tablespoons peanut butter 2 minced garlic cloves Juice of 1 lemon or 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 1 teaspoon sea salt Put all the above ingredients in a blender carafe and whirl until smooth.  Add in a little water or more lemon juice or cider vinegar to blend if needed. Store in a jar or dish with a lid in fridge. Enjoy as a dip with chips or vegetables, or as a spread on tortillas, buns, bread, crackers, pitas, or a homemade pizza. Talavera Ceramic Mexican Pottery C

O Canada!  Our safe sea home and pristine land! Apparently NOT... Take a gander at the plastic gunk garnered from our "pristine" waters: A man-made garbage hill like this is known as "ghost gear" and is the lost, abandoned or trashed gear -- mostly plastics--of the fishing industry, that ends up as a disgusting 58% of marine macro debris.   Want to be part of the solution and not the problem?  Learn More →   . Learn More →   Marine Sea Glass Crafters and Collectors -- today only-- 39-piece sea shell and sea glass collection from Vancouver Island beaches. From Etsy Canada Also take a look at Natalie McIntosh's London, Ontario enterprise: I am an affiliate with Etsy. When you purchase using the above link, I receive a small fee that does not in any way affect your purchase cost or satisfaction. Thank you so much! ~Cynthia