catching up.....

I feel as though I need to do some serious catching up with my blog and hopefully in the next week or so I can do just that. It is a busy time of year right now with all the fruits and vegetables coming into peak harvest season and I love to do a bit of canning. This has kept me away from the blog and busy for the last several weeks. I don't go overboard with it but I love to walk down to my root cellar with jars in arms and line the shelves with natural goodness that has come from the earth and will grace our table in winter. There must be a pioneer woman inside of me that is manifesting herself in my current life and she helps me get back to my roots of living a simple life. That has been a common thread vision that has been a part of my being for as many years as I can remember. To live a life of simplicity and to live happily and quietly with myself and others. Preserving helps me to do that.

I still have some canning on my list of things to do before the harvest is over and then I hope to get back to more regular posting. After the canning season is done I will be gathering my energies to reestablish my Reiki practice once again. I am excited about this and will write more about that as things progress.

For now though I must close the laptop and get myself ready to head off to work. Yes, that paying job that allows me to live the life that makes me happy. So, we will come together again here soon and we will chat and reflect on many things. Until next time........

Blessings,

Maggie

taco seasoning mix......

I have huge issues with MSG. It turns me into this person who can't sleep and the results of this are not good. It proves itself as an excitotoxin when this happens and I am still discovering for myself which foods it is in, some of which are obvious, and in other foods it is a hidden poison.

A couple of weeks ago we made a quick dinner of tacos from a package spice mix and I thought nothing of it until the next morning after a dreadful nights sleep (actually no sleep) that I put it all together and realized that I had ingested MSG the night previous. I was mad at myself because I had actually looked at the package ingredients and saw that it included 'natural flavour' but I went ahead anyway and used it thinking that it would be ok. I was so wrong.

Out of this experience I decided that I wanted to come up with an alternative to this very popular brand of taco seasoning mix and searched the internet to find one. I found one that seemed to fit the bill and today got the ingredients together and made my own mix.

So here's my MIY (make it yourself) Taco Seasoning mix!

MIY Taco Seasoning Mix

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon onion powder 

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

~Mix together all the ingredients. Store in an airtight container until ready to use. 

~Use about 2 tablespoons mix per 1 pound of ground meat. Use more or less to adjust to your own taste. 

~Brown your beef and drain off fat. Sprinkle seasoning evenly over meat and add 1/3 cup of water. Simmer until water is absorbed.

Enjoy!!

Maggie

*Credit for the recipe must go to Family Fresh Meals website.

my fav pic of the summer......

I think the picture speaks for itself. The beauty of real food at its best.......

Spicy Honey Mustard

I've been busy with canning for the last several weeks and have not been posting any blogs so I thought I should catch up a bit. My latest canning project was this Spicy Honey Mustard that I found the recipe for in my favourite and most used canning book this summer. I have shared the book previously in my blog but it bears sharing again. Food In Jars is the name and it's a great one to have in your library of recipe books! It's been my go-to book for the season.

I decided to make the mustard recipe and see how we would like it. I think it's a great way to have total control of what goes into my mustard and know that it doesn't have any hidden ingredients.

Here's the recipe for anyone that wants to give it a try!

Spicy Honey Mustard

1 cup dry mustard

1 cup cider vinegar

1/3 cup honey

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Prepare a boiling water bath and sterilize 4 quarter-pint jars. Place lids in a small saucepan, cover them with water and simmer over very low heat.

Combine all ingredients in a small pot. Whisk to blend and bring to a simmer over medium heat for 5-6 minutes. When the mustard is thoroughly heated through, ladle it into the prepared jars, leaving 1/2 inch of headspace. Wipe the rims, apply the lids and rings and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

By making your own mustard you can design it to your own tastes and make it milder or even spicier if you like. That's the beauty of making your own! I think these 4 jars will probably last us for the winter season and if not then I will just make us another batch. 

Enjoy! 

Maggie

glad to be home.......

I've been away pretty much since last Tuesday and that means I've been living out of a suitcase during that time. That part of being away is not the fun part. I just never feel grounded when I'm living out of a suitcase. But I was able to get away with my girls to Niagara-on-the-Lake and also to Wasaga Beach with my partner. It was a nice getaway for me but I have to admit there is something really nice about arriving back home and getting back into my routine of life. Well, maybe not being up this early to go to work in a bit, but certainly the comforts to home are nice. Both times away afforded a lot of laughter and fun times though that were much needed to relax and recharge. So it was time away that was meaningful and had purpose. It was time away one on one with my daughters and time away with my partner and our friends. Memories were made that will be long remembered. So the suitcase is part of the equation as much as it is the downside, but without that part we would never get away and make memories. Alas, it is a trade off for sure.

Back to routine blessings :)

Maggie

a few days away........

I'm taking a few days off from my regular routine and will be heading to the Niagara region for a small holiday with my two daughters. It will be nice to have some one-on-one time with them as all of our lives are so very busy. So we are heading to wine country, specifically Niagara-on-the-Lake, which is a beautiful small town that has such charm. I"m looking forward to relaxation and laughter and memories that will be made.

See you all in a few days....

Blessings,

Maggie

mini harvest......

Today's mini harvest....... the cherry tomatoes are so sweet and delicate! 

Garden blessings, 

Maggie

soul to soul........

"Step aside from your busy day today and look soul to soul into someone else's eyes.......your day will brighten right then and there, right in front of you ......because at at the end of the day we only have each other...."

Just my early morning thoughts as I stood on the porch waving good-bye to my love as she drove off to work. We get caught up in moments of our busy lives, but I can carry with me the look we shared as we connected for a brief moment before she left......a soul to soul connection. Ours alone. 

Morning blessings, 

Maggie

it arrived!

I've been looking for something special to include in the opening of my Reiki practice. I stumbled upon a great website and discovered that they will design personalized ABC art. I have seen this type of art many times and I like the look it gives to certain words. I am opening up my Reiki practice again in the fall and wanted a piece of art to represent the Reiki. I put this together and loved how it turned out! I was excited to see the package on my front porch yesterday when I got home! Yay for Fed Ex for making my day.....on a day that was otherwise quite difficult. But this was evidence that all of life balances itself all on its own.

Here is a preview of my artwork!

I really love how it turned out! Can't wait to pick out the perfect location for it to hang!

Reiki blessings to all,

Maggie

Check out the website @ Great Big Canvas