Preparedness – doesn’t have to be difficult or hardcore. It can be Simple and Straight forward with a little forethought

I hope, as you do, that this terrible situation we find ourselves in with the Corona Virus (late winter of 2020) will soon have an end; that we will accomplish what is needed to reduce the rate of spreading infection, as well as develop weapons to use against it, not-the-least-of-which is a vaccine. I hope that soon life will return to one where we can freely be in each other’s company again, and where we can reach out and ‘touch’. Who could have imagined that shaking hands and hugging would become taboo overnight? How can humanity – the social creatures that we are, go on indefinitely without the wonderfulness of ‘touch’?

But in the meantime, there are undoubtedly many things we can learn. Ways we can turn this awful experience to our good. If we come out of it unscathed and in time go back to the way things were, then it benefits us nothing. And I just cannot believe that such a BIG deal is meant to benefit us nothing. The Lord tells us “all things shall work together for your good” and here’s the clincher “if ye walk uprightly and remember the covenant wherewith ye have covenanted one with another. ” (D&C 90:24) This is a ‘covenant verse’. [covenant see below] It carries with it a promise. IF you do this, THEN I will do that. In this case IF we walk uprightly and remember our covenants THEN the Lord will ensure all things work to our good. I love this verse. It is in my top ten favourites. In it I find hope and assurance, because He also said “I the Lord am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise.” (D&C 82:10) This is my mantra. It governs my life. Find out what the Lord wants me to do and DO IT. I cannot think of a single being that I am more anxious to have BOUND to me than my God. And He happily agrees to it. If I am to have Him work an experience to my good, then I am under strict obligation to honour my commitment which is to walk uprightly before Him (remember Him and obey His commandments) and honour my covenants.

I also find it interesting that He says “ALL things shall work together for your good“. He doesn’t say “some things”. He doesn’t even say “most things”. He doesn’t say “all things except drug abuse”, or “all things except for deliberate conscious, stupid choices”. He says “ALL things”. The word ALL is pretty inclusive in our language, and I will take Him at His word. I choose to believe He intended me to know He means “ALL things” including a global pandemic which may in fact take the life of someone I love.
I will go forward with that understanding. The question then is – what is my my part? my responsibility in this arrangement? We know that “there is a law irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated – and when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated.” (D&C 130:18-21) So it is simple. Find the law. Obey it.

There are certain principles of preparedness that are basic. I am sure we’d all select them in a multiple choice quiz, but it is shocking how many of us refuse to live by them. In fact we prefer not to think about them at all. We’d really rather laugh at the people who govern their lives by them. How boring right? Well, when it hits the fan and the unthinkable is happening, some things are just not so funny anymore. At the time of me writing this, we are in (what is probably) the beginning of the Corona Virus pandemic. Schools have closed. Gatherings of more than fifteen are prohibited. For the most part, citizens are voluntarily self isolating at home. Every detail of the fabric of our society has shifted in a matter of weeks. The changes are fluid. Moving targets. Policies replace policies almost every hour. Unemployment is high, stress and anxiety are epidemic, and the future is shrouded in mystery.

Recently I spoke to a friend of mine Helaman Petlacalco, who lives in Mexico, in an area that is 100% dependent on tourism for its economy, the Yucatan Peninsula. Tourism is to them what Oil is to us in Alberta. In light of the pandemic I asked him how he and his family were doing. I have read and re-read his answer multiple times. His perspective is refreshing, encouraging, even empowering. Let me share a little of it here. He reminded me of some memorable, relatively recent times that stood out to him as affecting their economy. Things such as *1985 earthquake in Mexico City – *1988 hurricane Gilbert in Cancun – *9-11 in 2001 which affected air travel and tourist confidence for a very long time – *2005 hurricane Wilma in Cancun – *global economic crises in 2008 – *2009 swine flu originating in central Mexico – *2017 a public shooting in the main police office in Cancun days only after another public shooting in close by Playa del Carmen. . . . . . . . .

He said “Thanks to all of these experiences and the gospel, I was ready and prepared. I told my kids and their spouses several weeks ago to get ready for this adventure. The thing I thank my Heavenly Father so much for, is that this is happening after our high season of tourism. He gave us the chance to work and to save money. Otherwise, it would be really very hard.”

Can I just interject here? He refers to some of the worst times in their recent economic history as “good experiences”. What an interesting perspective. I happen to know that they were bad experiences for tens of thousands of Mexicans, including his own family, and yet – he reflects upon them as “good” experiences. Without trying to read too much into my friend’s words, he is of course, referring to what came out of those experiences. The lessons that were learned. Those lessons taught principles of self reliance by unveiling weak spots in current habits, and showing a better way.

Then he concluded his message by bearing personal testimony – revealing the true foundation for his hope and strength. “I don’t know how long it might take,” he said “but I would love so much if this was part of the second coming and to see my Saviour very soon! That is really exciting!” For millennia, people have referred to that “Great and Terrible Day” of when the Saviour returns. The two terms ‘great’ and ‘terrible’ are generally polar in definition, and imply that for some it might be great and for some it might indeed be terrible. I don’t want to get into a discussion of that right now, other than to acknowledge that my friend’s mention of it refers to more than just a physical, temporal preparation. Just saying. For now. Another conversation for another time.

He then concluded “I don’t know why my character is so positive, but I trust in Him and I understand that He knows what He is doing. I love Him for all that He did, does and will do for us.” – Helaman Petlacalco (private letter)

the Good Shepherd by Simon Dewey

There are pearls of wisdom in Helaman’s comments, that can help us all. We have all had times of difficulty from which we should have learned important life-lessons, and developed skills and attitudes that would sustain us in the future. If that is not the case, or if you can’t recall them specifically right now, then perhaps our current shared experience with the Corona Virus will help. Perhaps THIS will be our “good experience”. The one that teaches us what our strengths are, where weaknesses in our self-reliance lie, and where we can reliably place our trust. Will we get over this and return to normal? I believe we will get over it. I genuinely do. But I hope with all my heart that we don’t ever go back to ‘normal’. There are many things wrong with our ‘normal’. I hope that we will learn from this and become a better people – globally, nationally, in our own communities, neighbourhoods, and especially in our own homes, with our own families. We can only do that if we make the decision to learn, and to do better.

quote from Maya Angelou

Here are two foundational issues of temporal self reliance that I believe are critical for us to focus on. Our physical, mental and emotional well beings are intricately connected to them both.

Money

Most North Americans are a single pay check away from insolvency. That is a scary thought because we’re talking about real human beings – with faces and names, and families and homes that they will lose. Consumer debt is at an unprecedented high, and increasing at an alarming rate annually. This spells d.i.s.a.s.t.e.r for individuals, families, communities and nations. We MUST do our part by starting at home. Rules to live by:

over spending and mismanagement of household funds is a huge source of stress and anxiety
  1. Stay out of debt.
    Okay I said it. That’s where it begins and ends. If you couldn’t pay for it last month what made you believe you could pay for it this month? Or next month? There is no possession that will make you feel so good that it is worth the stress and burden of debt. Interest never sleeps. It has no sick days, and it never goes on vacation. It is constantly on the clock. And it is not your friend.
  2. Save Up rather than Pay Off.
    This requires some self governing. Maybe you don’t get that ‘thing’ right now. Maybe you save for another few months (or years) and get it when you can. Maybe you never do. That’s okay. You’re working toward something much more important. Peace of mind. There is no price nor substitute for PEACE of mind.
  3. You don’t ‘deserve’ that thing you want.
    What kind of foolishness is that line of thinking? Having a shiny new, fully loaded truck is not a basic human right. Get one you can afford. Yes, it might be used. Yes, it might not have all those bells and whistles. And yes, you might even want to learn to change your own oil. But above all, learn to distinguish between “privileges” and basic human rights. They are not the same.
  4. Live within your means.
    If you can’t pay for it by the end of THIS month, You-Cannot-Afford-it. There it is. Straight forward and unadorned. For something so difficult to live with, it is amazingly simple. Remind yourself of that continually. It gets easier. Trust me.
  5. Debt for this or that?
    Okay let’s be reasonable. I know some debt is necessary for some things in our society. But those things are FEW.
    – A house. Modest and affordable. One that you can reasonably hope to pay off, and one with payments you can manage without spending every last dollar.
    – A vehicle. Perhaps. But one that is modest and affordable and that you can pay off in a year or two at most.
    – An education. If necessary, and which should be reasonable and subsidised by seasonal or part time work when possible.
    NOT a vacation-in-the-sun. NOT a fancy new zoom-zoom car. NOT a brand new motor home. NOT dance lessons, dinner out, new clothes or a movie. And for heaven’s sake NOT food! Sacrifice what you need to, to put healthy food on the table – that you can afford. Garden if you can. Go back to the basics, just don’t spend what you don’t have. The other stuff: if you can pay for those things – enjoy them. If you cannot, wait till you can.

    “Look to the condition of your finances. Discipline yourself in your purchases, avoiding debt to the extent you can. In most cases, you can avoid debt by managing your resources wisely. If you do incur debt, such as a reasonable amount in order to purchase a modest home or complete your education, work to repay it as quickly as possible and free yourself from bondage. When you have paid your debts and accumulated some savings, you will be prepared for financial storms that may come your way. You will have shelter for your family and peace in your heart” (True to the Faith, 2004, 48–49).
  6. Save for a rainy day.
    I know it is easy to say we should all set some savings aside, but I also know what it is like when there simply isn’t anything left at the end of the month. We too went through years of living hand to mouth, barely able to make it through the month, being stressed about kindergarten fees, school supplies, additional field trip expenses, new clothes for the kids, and inside shoes for school, not to mention birthdays, Christmas and all those ‘extra’ things that are part of family life. Putting money in the bank seemed impossible. We’ve all read the counsel to “pay yourself first”. Whatever! When you have nothing, that is insulting to even hear. I know.

    But I am here to tell you that even $10 in the bank is better than nothing. And $10 once a month turns into $120 in twelve months. And one year turns into two years, then pretty soon ten. The point is to start where you are. Put something aside. Anything. And then do it again. And again. Consistently. Tires need replacing, kids need braces, furnaces quit in the middle of winter cold snaps, …. emergencies that could have put you into debt can be met head-on by a rainy day fund. It gets easier as time goes on. And watching it grow (even slowly) is immensely satisfying.
  7. Be charitable.
    I saved this for the last, not because it is of lesser importance, but because I want to emphasize it. Moroni tells us that “charity is the greatest of all“, and that though all things must fail, “charity never faileth“. Charity, he clarifies, is the pure love of Christ, and we must all possess it. (Moroni 7:46,47) Taking care of oneself should never be at the expense of charity. How can one reconcile the two when our own personal need is great? They are not mutually exclusive. Jacob counsels us to “seek ye for the kingdom of God …. before ye seek for riches“. (Jacob 2:18) It becomes a principle of faith. We always have something we can share when the spirit prompts, even though there might be sacrifice involved in the sharing of it.

    Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are asked to go without food for a period of time every month. The money that would normally be spent on those missed meals is freed up to give to those who have less. We call that a ‘fast offering’, and there are real and tangible blessings that come from a generous fast offering. Yes, it is another principle of faith – to give when you feel you don’t have much to give, but it is a principle that becomes easier with testing. “I the Lord am bound when ye do what I say”(D&C 82:10) is the comforting, and accompanying principle that attends any example of obedience, including charity.

    Sharing as the spirit prompts and giving service as opportunity presents itself, will never be in conflict with basic principles of self reliance. One should still avoid debt and live within our means; we cannot give what is not ours to give. It has been my experience that the Lord will never allow himself to be in our debt. When we sacrifice, He blesses us. When we sacrifice again, He repays more. No matter how much we try to get ahead of him, we will always be the ones in His debt, because the attending blessings are too great to number. Trust in Him, and like the Widow of Zarephath, you too will be blessed for your charity.

    In our effort toward Self Reliance and Preparedness, never think to get ahead at the expense of charity.

the way out

I am not pretending to be an expert on debt reduction, but we have been on both sides of it. More than once I am embarrassed to admit. We first hand know the despair that comes from over spending and unmanageable debt. Of living outside of our means. We also know the relief of that final payment, and the peace of mind that follows. We know what it is like to lose our house in a season of unemployment. We also know what is to NOT lose our house in another season of unemployment. And I don’t want to trivialise the journey by giving some trite recommendation; it deserves a much bigger picture than that. Such as I have something to offer, I will address it in a future post. But for now, we can say it requires the DECISION to do so, and then the commitment to follow through on that decision. Make the decision now to do whatever it takes to begin the journey of being debt free.

Food and other Necessities

Home Storage
During the early days of the Corona crises, we were all shocked at the sudden shortages of certain items in grocery stores that resulted from panic-buying. Ridiculous items like toilet paper. One person’s full cart prompts another to reconsider their decision to buy only one, which prompts another and another. We are so susceptible to social suggestion, and sometimes make regrettable decisions based on crowd mentality. Surely all that money spent on toilet paper could have been put in more sensible purchases if a little forethought had been applied. Whatever the motivation – personal use? possible future trade? business investment? or to take advantage of others later … the whole fear-fed panic purchasing situation is so preventable with a little preparation.

If you are one who relies on weekly grocery shopping or regular take-out, it might seem overwhelming to have a long term supply of food on hand. What to buy? How and where to store it? And most importantly, how to afford it? …. Step back. Take a breath. This is not only good counsel, it is very doable. It may take time (and it should take time), but with a little planning and consistent execution you will start to feel the peace that comes from being a week ahead, two weeks ahead, … a month ahead, six months ahead.
Consider these steps:

Don’t go to extremes.
Calm down. Avoid the temptation to go into debt by trying to establish your food storage all at once. Remember the rule above – if you can’t pay for it, you cannot afford it. Have a plan. Gradually adding to your ‘Home-Store’ one step at a time, will not be a financial burden to you. I promise.

Store what you Eat and eat what you store.
Don’t go all crazy and buy a bunch of shelf stable stuff you have never eaten before and don’t even like. Doing that gives “food storage” a bad reputation. If it would take a zombie apocalypse to talk ourselves into eating it, then we have made some poor food choices. But get real, this might imply that we start integrating more basic foods into our daily routine, so that we can learn to prepare them and become accustomed to using them.

Don’t forget the fruits and vegetables. Yes, the basics: flour, rice, beans, grains, pasta etc, but good health is intricately connected to good nutrition, and good nutrition is dependent on FRUITS and VEGETABLES. Clearly with fruits and vegetables, a form of preservation is required. Nutrition should be our primary focus when considering what form of fruits and vegetables we intend to store. Most fruits are picked before they’re ripe, for better travelling. This is unfortunate as the final stages of ripening involves the development of many vital nutrients, that would get utterly missed if picked before fully ripe.

Options:

* Canned:
Whether commercially canned or home bottled, the process retains approximately 40% of the food value. Not ideal, but still an easy and reliable method of home preservation.
Shelf life TWO years. Caution: often contains other less desirable ingredients.

* Frozen:
Whether frozen at home, or commercially frozen, the process retains approximately 60% of the food value. Must be properly prepared and properly stored.
Shelf life three to twelve months, depending on what it is. Caution: completely dependent on electricity.

* Dehydrated:
Could retain up to 80% of food value but assurances of this and the shelf life are unstable due to the number of variables. Whether home dried, or commercially dehydrated (drum dried), answers to the questions of *temperature during drying process? *length of time from harvest to dehydrator? *how much moisture did you remove? *are you sure about that? was the use of sulphurs used in the process? all contribute to the bigger picture.

* Freeze dried:
Freeze drying could retain up to 98% of the original food value. Whether freeze dried at home or done commercially, it is a two step process that involves 1) freezing as fast as possible, and 2) removing the remaining moisture through a vacuum-like process using no heat. This yields a food that is completely without moisture. When it is packed in an oxygen free container, it’s shelf life is a remarkable twenty five years.

With all these methods of preservation, it is critical to process fruits or vegetables as quickly as possible from the garden to the kitchen. This ensures nutrient stability as produce begins to deteriorate within the first hour after harvest. Buying fruit that was picked green a week ago to can, freeze, dehydrate or freeze dry yields a substandard product to begin with. Attention to this detail is important. When purchasing freeze dried foods, you should have assurance that time from field to freezer is as short as possible.

Starting Small Works:
During your normal shopping trip, when you come across a good deal of what you would normally buy – buy an additional one, or even a few more than you ordinarily would. As you can afford it. It really IS as simple as that. When you go home, set it aside as the beginning of your Home-store. A few extra tubes of toothpaste, an extra package of toilet paper, a few additional cans of tomatoes, etc. Keep it up, and watch as it grows, perhaps slowly at first, but steadily nonetheless. Focusing on those foods that are already IN your ‘normal’. reliance. Buy what you can afford, but remember that paying interest on top of a good deal – defeats the ‘good deal’. Every week you will feel more peace-of-mind about your increasing level of self

Rotating food:
Every food has a shelf life, and yes, I know that the food doesn’t self destruct the day after that best-before date, but nutrition is lessening every week that goes by. The answer of course, is to USE the food in our Home-store. When we buy more, put the new cans in the back so that we are always using the oldest cans first. I usually write the date I buy the food on the lid so that I see that information readily.
With freeze dried food, the open shelf life is generally a year. I mark the day I open the can on the lid to keep it front-of-mind. Remember to keep the lid on, as being without moisture the food will readily absorb moisture in the air (even when you don’t think there is any). Moisture won’t spoil the food, but it will take away its ‘crispness’, and that is what gives it its long shelf life. I keep open cans in my kitchen so they are hand to use for every day meals.

HOME-Store vs Food Storage:
The concept of a “Home-store” is that when the kitchen runs out, one simply goes to the home store to bring another one into the kitchen. A Home-store is in a constant state of replenishment because it’s constantly being used.
I cannot count to the number of people I have spoken to over the years who live by the principle that food storage is Food Storage and groceries are Groceries, and never the two shall meet. No offence intended, but what kind of goofiness is that? It is contrary to the whole concept of rotation and the counsel to “store what we eat, eat what we store”. We all know how quickly time flies and soon even the food with the 25 year shelf life will be a decade old. I have known people who boasted “I have a whole lot of freeze dried food in my food storage.” As soon as I hear this, I know how the conversation will develop. I ask “How do you like it?” They say “Oh I’ve never used it.” I say “Why not?” They say “Because its FOOD STORAGE. And besides, I haven’t got a clue what to do with it.” Then comes the clincher. I ask “How long have you had it?” The answer: “we bought it the year we moved here.” How long ago was that? “We’ve been here 37 years.” . . . . pause . . . . “You realize its 12 years PAST the expiry date right? When exactly were you thinking about using it?”

I get the concept of ‘protecting’ one’s food storage. But by doing that, we more often unintentionally waste it. Can using it regularly, continually replenishing in a Home-store model, be more expensive than throwing out $6000 worth of food that is decades older than it was ever intended to be?

It is my hope and prayer that we will learn valuable lessons from the wonderful hands-on experience we’re sharing in this Corona Virus chapter. We are in fact living History. Books will be written about what we are going through at this very moment in our lives. Our grandchildren will learn about it, the way we learned about the world wars, deadly Spanish flue epidemic and great Depression. Many of us will suffer more than we needed to, but the lessons we are learning are ones we could never have learned any other way.

I’d love to hear your thoughts.
I’d love to hear your strategies for navigating these waters, and riding this wave of social isolation and the tremendous effect it is having on our economy.

Warmly,

Cindy Suelzle

references

do better … that’s enough

Studies show that of the 45% of Canadians who make New Years Resolutions, 75% maintain the momentum thru the first week of January. 46% of us last past the 6 month mark, and 8% follow through sufficiently enough to reach their goals.

The key words of course are: FOLLOW THROUGH.
If it was a good idea on Dec 31, then it is still a good idea. If we have slipped or wavered from our intentions, we don’t have to throw our hands up in the air and give up – again. There is an alternative. Admitting that you fell off the wagon may be discouraging, but getting back on the wagon is a good strategy.

Self-improvement or education related resolutions take the top spot at 47%. I’m surprised, because I didn’t know there was any other kind of resolution. I mean really, if its not going to make you a better human being, what was the point of making the goal? Oh well, who am I to question statistics?

I know enough however, to know that anything we do that is better than we did, is a step in the right direction. The Best time to Do Better was a long time ago, but the second best time is always today.

I have this quote silk screened onto a scarf that I wear often. It is a personal reminder to me of my commitment to do better, and permission to let go of mistakes: “Do the Best that you can until you know Better. Then when you know better, DO Better.” Maya Angelou

Here’s to RE-commitment to better choices even though January is over ….

Cindy Suelzle

Late summer days should smell of hot apple juice

We had three apple trees here when my kids were home, and although the apples weren’t great for eating, they made terrific apple sauce, apple juice, apple leather, and apple butter. What we found most useful for our family in those days, was apple juice. The rich, homey smell of apples juicing on the stove was a familiar fragrance that said “Welcome home” on those early days of school in September.

Luke was in elementary school and I worked full time in our family Bookstore. Our apples were generally ready the last week of August. Once we picked them it became a race against time to get them all put up before they spoiled. In the final weeks of summer of ‘that’ year, I was particularly busy at the store. And with everyone busy getting back to school and routine, and homework, the start of seminary, music lessons, and everything else that goes on in a growing family, . . . . . . well, the timing just wasn’t great to take care of a couple hundred pounds of apples. But you gotta do what you gotta do during harvest season right? So we picked the apples as a family on the only day we had all hands on deck, and loaded them into 5 gallon buckets to wait their turn at the juicer. The kitchen and back porch were lined with apple buckets, while we got the steam juicer, canner and jars ready to begin the next phase of our life – a project that once started, we knew we’d be fully committed to till it was finished.

The job fell to Luke and I most of the time. Don’t ask me why. Probably because it mattered to me the most and Luke was still young enough to enjoy hanging out with me. But that might be another story for another time.

We had a system. When we got up in the morning, we’d empty the steamer basket into the backyard compost bin. Then we’d pour off the juice, turn the stove on and refill the basket with stemmed apples cut in half, ensure the water reservoir had enough in it to not boil dry, make sure the flame wasn’t too high, and then go eat breakfast and get Luke off to school. The apples continued to steam over boiling water while I got ready for work. We had already washed and sterilized plenty of 1-quart and 2-quart jars ready to fill, and the canner stood by ready to can the juice. We were pros at this. All should have gone slick as a wick – like it normally did. But this time, during those critical days, I never seemed to find the time in the evening to actually process the quarts of juice in the canner! It didn’t take long before they filled the fridge and then the counter tops, waiting for me to have time to finish the job. Ideally, if I had had even a few days in a row to devote to the project, I could have poured the hot juice directly from the juicer into sterile jars, affix hot sterile lids, and put them into the hot canner immediately. Before new jars of juice were ready to put into the canner, the processed ones would be out and sitting on a clean tea towel to cool. It should have been that easy. And it should have been relatively quick. Two or three days at most. But that week I was just so busy at the store, I simply couldn’t find an extra hour to finish the job. Fruit once harvested however, doesn’t wait. It has no sympathy and no ability to slow down time. And fruit flies? … … Well, lets just agree that fruit flies are a hateful part of summer harvesting.

So we kept it up, Luke and I. Because it seemed like the only thing to do. I would strain off whatever juice we extracted from the morning, then turn the stove off on my way out the door for work.   When Luke got home from school, his job was to take the basket of spent apples out to the compost, dump it and start filling it up again by cutting the apples in half, and removing the stems. Then he’d turn the stove on and begin the water boiling, draining off whatever juice might have accumulated during the day.  After I got home we just continued the process right into the night amidst dinner and homework and our usual routines, finishing off as many steamer baskets of apples as we could, pouring off as much juice as we produced, and taking the pulp out to the compost heap in the backyard to the delight of late summer wasps and hornets. We could get a few more batches done until about midnight, when I’d pour off the last of the juice, turn the stove off and go to bed. In the morning we’d start the whole process over again. The cycle of our days during apple harvest was pretty predictable. Except for the not-getting-them-processed in the canner part. That part was new.

You can imagine that we had begun accumulating a fair number of jars of juice.  The fact that they needed to be processed in the canner began to weigh heavily on my mind, but I simply. could. not. find. the time! “Tomorrow I would.” Always tomorrow.  Well the natural circle of life is a real thing, and it cannot be stopped or even slowed down in a summer kitchen.  One day I noticed a few jars on the back counter had begun to foam. Urgency was added to the heavy weight, but then – the clock and I have never been friends. 

It seemed that with every hour that went by, the juice in some jars was not only foaming at the top, but carbonating. I though didn’t know what to expect from the taste, when I tested them, they were great! Even better than usual. A little ‘fizzy’, but I kinda like ‘fizzy’. I finally had to admit that the word I was looking for, was “fermenting“.   Now in a house like mine, this was not a word I wanted to say out loud but it was pretty evident to everyone what was happening under my watchful eye.  I had zero experience with this type of fermentation.  I had made pickles and sauerkraut, yogurt, sourdough bread and even kimchi, but fermented juice was in a class of its own.  I didn’t know if it could be processed in a hot water canner under the circumstances. I had no idea what to expect from a jar of juice during the fermenting process. What to do? What to do?  I determined that I couldn’t risk canning it, but after two weeks of juicing, and a whole season’s worth of apples, there was no way in this green earth I was gonna waste it.  Waste not – Want not. Right? Only one option that I could see, and that was that we needed to drink it.

Lots and lots of apple juice.  We started with the older ones, the ones at greatest risk of being lost. Apple juice for breakfast, apple juice for lunch and apple juice at the supper table. Carbonated apple juice.  We had a LOT of fizzy apple juice.  And even though we had half a dozen people living in our house, it seemed to be like Elijah’s cruse of oil.  No bottom to it.  It went on forever.  Getting more carbonated every day.   It was delicious! Luke and I loved it. We couldn’t get enough. The others?  Well they didn’t feel the same way. They simply weren’t as ‘invested’ as we were.  They hadn’t spent two weeks juicing apples so they didn’t ‘feel the feels’ when we considered the possibility of having to pour the fermenting juice down the drain. Luke and I soldiered on.

Finally, mutiny started to rear its ugly head, and I started to see cracks in the seams of our otherwise unified wholesome (non alcohol drinking) household.  Other family members began making rude comments regarding the fermentation of the ‘juice’.  They used words like ‘stillery‘, and ‘moonshine‘. Luke and I were all “Yeah whatever! This is GREAT!”  Them?  Not so eager.   As the days passed even I no longer felt that the word “juice” was appropriate, but I sure as heck wasn’t gonna use the “W” word. I had no idea exactly what apple cider was, but I decided it was a safe place between juice and wine so I started calling it apple cider.  Luke was totally supportive. 
“I love apple cider!”  he reaffirmed daily.

Dan and my other kids continued teasing but I brushed it off.  “Sour grapes!”

One day as Luke got the chilled jug of apple cider out of the fridge to set the table for dinner, seventeen year old Zack complained “This again to drink? I’m getting tired of drinking this for ever single meal. And I’m thinking we shouldn’t be drinking it anyway.” 
“Oh lighten up Zack.”
I told him “This is as close to wine as you’re ever gonna get.”
“Frankly Mom,”
he said as he got himself a drink of water, ” I have NEVER felt the need to get this close.” 

One by one the family dropped off till only Luke and I remained.   True appreciators of this wonderful accidental apple cider we created with the help of a little natural yeast and time. 

One afternoon my sister was in town and stopped in on her way home.  I prepared us a nice lunch, with apple cider of course.  She loved it and helped herself to more.  And then a little more. Three days later she phoned me wanting the recipe … “That was THE best apple punch I have ever had! I cannot stop thinking about it. I need your recipe.”

Super simple.” I told her. “Nothing to it. You just make apple juice.  Leave it on the counter for a week or two till starts foaming.  Then sweeten with a little bit of sugar and leave for a few more days.  Easy Peasy. (lol)” She didn’t think it was as funny as I did.

Surprisingly, that apple ‘juice’ took longer to consume it all, than it did to create it. But eventually all good things must come to an end.  Even apple ‘cider’. And soon enough the last jar of apple cider was served.  I do believe it was only Luke and me who stayed with it right to the end.  It was a solemn moment when we shared that final glass. We had taken lots of ribbing and name calling along the way, but it was worth it.  Truly that apple cider had gotten better every day, but by Christmas it was only a memory and a funny story.  … … The following summer we had another great crop of apples and while I dreaded the work, Luke looked forward to the smell of apple juice in the house again, and our shared tradition.  “Can we make some more of that apple cider Mom?” he asked. 
Uh, no I don’t think so Luke.  We can only ever do something like that by mistake once.  After that, …… its not a mistake anymore.  I think we had our day in the sun.”

Today my steam juicer’s second home is Luke’s house, where it continues to live a purposeful and fruitful life.  Luke says that late summer days should smell like hot, sweet apple juice and he’s determined to make sure his boys grow up with the happy memories that that slightly spicy, comfortable fragrance conjures up. The one that smells like “Welcome Home“.  

What are some of those comfy smells that bring back memories for you? You know. The ones that put a smile on your face when you think of them.

Warmly,

Cindy Suelzle

money really did buy happiness – best money ever spent

Thirty years ago we bought the best trampoline that we could afford with the money we earned delivering flyers for two years. It was a long two years of seeing little reward except the hope and promise of a trampoline. We had four kids at the time and it was a family effort, not without it’s share of frustration. Hot days. Cold days. Rainy days. Busy days. Days when they’d rather do anything else. Days when they said “This is stupid. I don’t even want a trampoline!” Sometimes I said it too. Quietly to myself. Shhh.

We wondered if we’d EVER have enough, but every nickel we earned went into that savings account, and then one day it was over! We took our money and all of us went to buy the trampoline we had chosen after much research and deliberation.

Our kids grew up on that trampoline. Thousands of hours of fun and noise. Very patient neighbours. Innumerable memories. Not a single regret. Not even for those flyer delivering days.

Three decades later our grandkids are growing up on it too. 
Seriously this trampoline is right up there with the Top 10 Best Purchases of our life.

What would you say are a few of your Top 10 Best Purchases?

Warmly,

Cindy Suelzle

Chamomile

. . . and wild chamomile

Chamomile is a common name for a range of several daisy-like plants from the Asteraceae family, so if you’ve been confused, its okay. The one you’re most likely to come across in Alberta is the common German Chamomile. Then of course there is what is commonly called “wild chamomile” (pineapple plant). I know. Relax, we don’t need to over complicate it. Chamomile is really just a simple down-home herb that grows well in poor soil. It is an annual plant and can grow up to three feet in height with hundreds of lovely bright and cheery daisy-like flowers. Its a weed. But don’t be one of those bigots who think that ‘weed’ is a bad word.

The plant is most commonly used as a tea (the correct term is INFUSION* – see below) for it’s calming properties which come from its daisy-like flowers. The flowers contain volatile oils (including bisabolol, bisabolol oxides A and B, and matricin) as well as flavonoids (particularly a compound called apigenin) and other therapeutic substances.

The flowers of a chamomile plant are very similar to those of a feverfew plant, and if looking at the flowers only, confusion can be understandable. The difference in in the plants themselves.

German Chamomile plant. More airy.
Observe the leaves.
Feverfew plant. More compact. Observe the leaves.

Chamomile ‘Tea’

First of all, let’s get the whole ‘tea’ thing out of the way. I always thought everyone knew the difference between ‘tea’ and herbal ‘tea’. I’ve had people ask why it is that as a Latter-day Saint, I drink herbal tea but I don’t drink ‘regular’ tea. answer: They’re not the same. Not by a long shot. And no, it is not splitting hairs.

*TEA is an aromatic (usually hot) drink made from the cured leaves of a ‘Tea’ plant. It originated in China centuries ago and spread to the rest of Asia as a medicinal and recreational drink. Early European explorers, missionaries and merchants introduced it to Europe in the 16th century where it became very fashionable, especially among the English aristocracy. The English took their ‘tea’ so seriously, they began large scale production of it in India, where it is still a very important export. In fact, over 60% of the world’s tea comes from either China or India. It is an actual PLANT. Called “Tea”.

Contrast this to what we call “herbal teas“. We call them’teas’ not because they ARE ‘tea’ (which comes from an entirely unique plant remember) but because of how we ‘prepare’ them. Herbal teas are made from flowers, leaves, or roots of herbs – fresh or dried. They are prepared by pouring boiling water through them and letting the drink steep as it cools. Like regular tea they are drunk hot or chilled. They taste nothing like the original ‘tea‘, and have their own unique properties depending on the plant. If one wanted to be precise, one would not call them ‘tea’ at all, they are actually INFUSIONS. Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints may choose not to drink TEA (according to our counsel), but often will drink herbal teas. Now you know why.

There. Now that we’ve got that outta the way, lets talk about ‘Chamomile Tea’. As with all herbs, it is safest to start with a weak tea (low dose) till you know how you deal with it. You can work up to stronger tea (larger dose) for more therapeutic value slowly. Chamomile contains chemicals called flavonoids. These flavonoids are a type of nutrient present in many plants, and they play a significant role in chamomile’s medicinal effects.

To make a tea, start with a small handful of fresh flowers or a tablespoon of dried flowers and pour boiling water over top. Let steep for a few minutes and strain as you pour into a cup.

The strength of the tea will depend on the quantity of herb you add of course, but also how long you let it steep. I begin pouring the tea thru the strainer withing two or three minutes of having poured the boiling water over it, leaving some in the pot. The first pouring will be mild, the second pouring will be stronger. As it gets stronger, I often add more hot water to dilute it. Don’t throw left over tea away. Put it in the fridge for a very nice chilled tea tomorrow.

Chamomile has been used for centuries in teas as a mild, relaxing sleep aid, to calm an upset stomach and to soothe heartburn, as well as other ailments. While I know some use the oil of chamomile, I prefer to use the herb in a simple home-friendly herbal infusion – “tea”. Something I can easily harvest and use. I have heard of chamomile being used as a mouth rinse for cankers and mouth sores. I filed this away in my brain for when or if I am ever in need of trying it, but I have no experience at this point.

Without being too wild with claims it is fair to say chamomile is helpful on many levels. It is often used to reduce anxiety and distress, and I’ve read some interesting studies that it helps with the severity of menstrual cramps as well as anxiety and moodiness connected. I’m not confident the studies I read are too scientific, but it is a logical connection so I suggest making one’s own study. Claims have been made that chamomile reduces inflammation and that applying directly to a wound assists in healing. Also, worth experimenting. I’m paranoid about infections with open wounds,

I highly suggest trying chamomile tea as in regular does of one or two cups a day. At the very least, it will simply be an enjoyable and relaxing hot tea, or a refreshing iced tea. At the best, it could offer improvement in your overall health by adding the valuable components with which nature has endowed it.

People who have a history of allergies particularly to pollen should probably avoid chamomile, or experiment in weak infusions at first. People with weakened, compromised or undeveloped immune systems (such as infants), who it is advisable to avoid honey, should also avoid chamomile and many other herbs.

growing German Chamomile

The plants you’ll find growing wild on the side of the road or in the alley will likely flower mid to late July or early August. I’ve tried to grow chamomile in my garden with limited success but I noticed a volunteer plant this year that seems to be doing well. Perhaps the birds helped me. I have no problem foraging for chamomile, but I’m a bit of a control freak and if I can grown anything in the safety of own backyard, I’m always happier.

 German chamomile grows from seeds sown directly in the garden. The seeds are very tiny (almost dust like). They can be scattered on the soil’s surface, then gently tamped down with the flat side of a hoe. Plant early in the spring, about the same time you would plant peas. The young seedlings will withstand a mild frost. The seeds generally germinate in a week to ten days, growing slowly at first, and need to be kept well weeded. I know, this seems counter intuitive when we’re talking about a weed after all. I think that’s why I had limited success in my earlier attempts.

Wild Chamomile or Pineapple Weed

Now this is an herb most of us are familiar with – even though we don’t know much about it. …. Pineapple Weed. The next time you see it, don’t be so quick to just pluck it out and throw it away. Remember: a weed is just a plant growing where it doesn’t belong. Once you understand it, and want it to be there, you can be friends.

Native to North America, pineapple weed is hardy and grows in poor, compacted soils; so you’ll usually see it growing on the side of roads, in cracks of sidewalks and other inhospitable places. The plant grows from 2 to 16 inches in height, and flowers from early spring through September. Although it is called Pineapple ‘Weed’, it is actually considered a wildflower. When foraging for this weed, be mindful to not pick it from an area that’s been contaminated by pollutants. This is something to consider since it grows so well on the sides of roads.

Native Americans used it for a variety of medicinal and culinary purposes. (I don’t know what they called it – probably not pineapple weed – lol). It is not only edible – its pretty tasty. Similar to pineapple. Could be the taste where it got its name, or could be that the yellow green cone shaped flower head resembles a pineapple. Take note of the obvious lack of petals on the flowers. Since it looks so similar to chamomile, this is a good indicator that it is what it is. Also, if you crush the flower head between your fingers, you’ll notice a sweet pineapple-y smell. Another good indicator.

Pineapple Weed makes a good herbal tea! Reminiscent of chamomile tea (same family), but slightly sweeter. Steep a small handful of young flower heads in hot water for 5 to 10 minutes. Delicious! Can also use the leaves or even whole plants to make tea, but the leaves have it a slightly more bitter flavour. Add it to your next garden salad. It is nutritious as well as delicious. As with most garden produce, the younger the plant the sweeter, it gets more bitter as it gets older. If you already have allergies to certain plants and weeds, you might want to keep that in mind when experimenting with this one.

It has a mild sedative property similar to chamomile – and is soothing to the tummy.  I am told that the entire plant was used as a insect repellent by the native people, but I do not know how. Maybe just having it around? 

It is an annual plant which means it doesn’t over winter, but comes back from seed every year. If you want to grow more, allow the flower to dry out and go to seed (still in the ground). Crush in your fingers and broadcast the seed all around the space you’d like it to grow next year. I do this with lots of seeds. Then the next spring, I just pull out the ones growing in spots I don’t want them.

Remember, pineapple weed does well in lousy soil, so put it in your least desirable spots. It wants sun though. Both of these plants are easy to forage in most disturbed ground. They are ‘people plants’ as they are wherever people are. But they deserve a place in my garden so that I can ensure they’re clean and green. However you harvest them, I highly recommend you do so. Another good friend from the plant world.

Enjoy! 
I’d love to hear your experience with these different chamomiles.

Cindy Suelzle

Common Herbs and Spices in Your House and Yard: Oregano

Oregano is a major player in my herb garden. To the right you can see a few varieties of thyme. Behind the thyme are feverfew plants in full bloom, St. John’s wort behind the feverfew with yellow flowers. Also purple lupins and poppies in bloom.
Raspberries in the very back along the fence.

Oregano is a staple in every herb garden. Primarily because it is so doggone easy to grow, and easy to please. It is super friendly and loves everything and everyone; a real confidence booster for first time gardeners.
* Spring came early this year? Great! Oregano will be one of your first plants to green up.
* Late spring? Don’t worry about it. Oregano will be pushing through the cold nights like a trooper.
* Lots of rain and hardly any sun? No problem. Oregano can be its own mini rain forest.
* Lots of sun and a little on the dry side? Gotcha covered. Oregano is very forgiving on either end of the spectrum. For a plant that originates in the hot areas of the Mediterranean, it is surprising how hearty an established plant can be in a typical Canadian year.

in the garden

Oregano is a hearty perennial that makes a useful ground cover in any sunny part of your garden. It may start out low, but can grow up to two feet high when mature! It has a lovely pink to lavender coloured flower (some varieties might have white flowers) so I make sure to have it in a few different spots: my herb garden of course where I keep it trimmed by harvesting, and in a couple of my flower gardens where I allow it to flower to use in bouquets and flower arrangements. Strip off the lower leaves to use fresh or dry and then enjoy the flowers in a jar of water. Because its so independent (not one of those high maintenance fair weather friends), oregano is the perfect beginner for any herb or backyard garden. If you’re much north of Edmonton, or live out in the country where your garden is open, its possible your oregano might not make it through every winter. Just be prepared for this and don’t take it personally. That’s one reason I keep it in a few DIFFERENT spots throughout my garden. I don’t want to put all my eggs in one basket, and we do live in Canada after all. I even grow some in my vegetable garden as it is a friendly and helpful companion to many other plants.

Oregano in upper right, parsley in center and sage forefront. Lupin (purple flower) upper left of center, feverfew upper far left (flowering like little white daisies). Red orache center left.

Most herbs are considered weeds (we are such name calling bigots lol), and as such they’re not particularly fussy about the soil in which they grow. Oregano is no exception. Not surprisingly then, rich loamy soil is actually not even desirable for oregano. It actually prefers sandier, lighter soil that drains well. So if you have a difficult spot in a sunny area (rock garden, along a sidewalk, or close to your kids’ sandbox) – let your oregano show you what its made of. If you’re in an apartment with a sunny side, or small condo with limited patio space, oregano will do well in a pot. If you live where I live, be prepared. A pot makes it a one season plant as it won’t survive the winter outside of the ground. Best to plant it in the ground if you have a spot available, so that it can come back, but if you don’t – no problem. Just treat it like an annual and replant it again next year. It does best in sun of course but doesn’t demand full sun. Other than that it is virtually trouble free and maintenance free. Having said all this, my garden has excellent soil and I really don’t have a poor-soil place to plant it, so it is where it is. Thankfully its pretty difficult to offend oregano.

The leaves of oregano are flat and oval and can range from fuzzy to almost smooth. Occasionally mistaken for marjoram as they belong to the same family and look very much alike. 

Oregano plants are in the mint family (and a close cousin of marjoram) so they propagate themselves through root expansion. They’re not ‘invasive‘, but they will spread if not contained. I like this fact and it keeps my oregano plentiful so that I have lots to move around and to share.

It can be started from seeds but they take a long time to germinate. Catalogs offer a wide variety of seeds, but unless you’ve got your heart set on a particular type that you can only get by seed, spend a few bucks and get a plant from your local nursery. Better yet, get a cutting or division from a friend, then you’ll know exactly what to expect and you’re more sure of its hardiness. After a few years, you can divide your own plants to spread oregano to different parts of your garden, and share with friends.

Few garden pests bother oregano, (another great attribute), in fact the strong scent of oregano repels pests, making it an excellent companion plant in your vegetable or flower garden or under fruit trees.

Many use oregano oil as a natural insect repellent, and even as bug spray for your household plants! Simply add a few drops to a spray bottle with water, and spray your plants with it. You will keep aphids away.

in the kitchen

Oregano is a MUST-HAVE in any kitchen garden, probably the herb I use the most during the cold months, as it is so wonderful in soups, meat stews, pasta sauces, chicken dishes, dressings, and roasted vegetable dishes (especially those with a Mediterranean flavour. One of my favourite ways to use it in the summer months is with a few other herbs on vegetables roasted over the barbeque with a little bit of olive oil. Did you know that climate, soil, and moisture can cause variation in the flavour? That means that your oregano can be quite unique to YOU.

As with most herbs, oregano leaves taste best before the plant flowers. In my herb garden I pinch the flowers to keep the plants bushy and prevent it from bolting to seed. In my flower garden, I allow them to flower and then cut to use in the house in flower arrangements. Either way, cutting the flower off keeps the plant vibrant.

To harvest (anytime after the plants are close to 6 inches), simply clip with some kitchen scissors or clippers. I cut the stem right to the ground to encourage more stems from the base and keep the plant looking plump. I pick the bigger, older stems that are a little more ‘woody’. Swish lightly in clean water to wash and shake excess water off in the sink. Let sit to let the wetness dry off, and when no longer damp, strip the leaves from the top by holding the top and sliding your finger the thumb down the stem.

Oregano and Thyme. Very good friends.

Conveniently, harvesting = pruning. Most woody, perennial herbs don’t require pruning to grow. They’re fine left to their own devices and given the right growing conditions, in fact many will become shrubs or carpets of ground cover. But in a well kept garden, pruning will improve the look and strength of the plants, and the whole idea in a home garden is to USE the herbs anyway right? Pruning also encourages new growth which will have the best flavour. Having said this, the flowers of the oregano plant attract bees and other friendly pollinators which is very desirable in any garden, so allowing some flowers to stay on the plant is a good thing. There simply is no bad way to grow oregano. It is going to like you and help you no matter what you do or don’t do regarding it. Wouldn’t we all like to have friends this loyal and forgiving?

Using it fresh in salads, and many other dishes, using it dry during the winter, and even making into a tea – which is quite tasty bytheway. I sometimes use it in my pesto to supplement basil if I’m a little low on basil. When you know something is super nutritious as well as delicious, your incentive to use them MORE is enhanced.

However you use it, just make sure you do!

oregano is good for you

More than just a culinary herb to use in the kitchen, oregano is rich in antioxidants, boasting one of the biggest antioxidant ratings. Keep in mind of course that we don’t eat handfuls of oregano like we eat handfuls of berries, but just knowing that should make us want to include them as much as possible in our diet. Rich in Vitamin K, (a lesser known but important nutrient), it is helpful in preventing heart disease and building strong bones.

a veritable bouquet of herbs! Clockwise from 11:00 and 12:00 is Feverfew in full flower,
1:00 is Red Orache (more green than red here),
3:00 is Orache, 4:00, 5:00 and 7:00 is Mint, 6:00 is Feverfew and dead center is Oregano

Oregano is well known to strengthen our immune system, so make sure you have plenty on hand for flu and cold season. Because it has powerful antibacterial and anti-fungal properties oregano oil is very popular. It has a remarkable ability to fight bacteria and studies indicate that it’s antimicrobial quality is not diminished by heating. For those who suffer from arthritis and other inflammatory conditions, it is helpful to know that oregano contains a substance known as beta-caryophyllin, which inhibits inflammation, so we can add anti-inflammatory to the list of favourite ‘antis“.

Oregano has earned its honoured place in my garden, and I love that the flowers attract bees which are welcome guests. I highly recommend it in your herb, flower, or vegetable garden.  A single plant can yield you enough to use fresh during the summer and enough to dry for the rest of the year.

I’d love to hear your Oregano story. 
How do you grow it and where? 
What are your favourite ways to use it? 
Any tips for the rest of us?

Warmly,

Cindy Suelzle

One step at a time. One project at a time.

Every year since we bought our first house in our early married years (a real honest to goodness fixer upper), we’ve kept to a plan of home improvements as we could afford them. Limiting ourselves to two projects a year, helped motivate us without overwhelming us. It also kept it affordable. Over the years, we’ve stuck to it in every house we lived – even when it was a low income rental when Dan went back to school. It kept us thinking, planning, and making things better for ourselves, while keeping projects in perspective and manageable, All these many years later, we still follow the same formula. One inside project. One outside project.

Some have been big projects – like 2015’s kitchen, and the 2021 greenhouse.  
Some have been smaller projects – like planting a tree, painting a wall, replacing a fixture or a single window or laying some reclaimed brick in the garden paths. The outside project is in the warm months, the inside project is reserved for the cold months. No one wants to waste beautiful summer days working in the house.

hard to see the glass brick patio in this little bistro area off the kitchen door, but this is where it is. To the right, you can catch a glimpse of a 45 gallon rain barrel hooked up to the rainspout

One year we scored some glass bricks from a friend’s reno project. I was so happy! Dan – not so happy. They sat around for a year or two, Dan trying to talk me into getting rid of them, (hoping they’d break so I’d have to) and me just ‘knowing‘ they had a higher purpose in my life. LOL.

In 2002 a big bush winter killed and had to be removed. Just outside the kitchen door, which was very provident! I had the boys chop it down and dig the roots out. We could have planted another tree, but I had visions of a little bistro-type area. Zack and Joseph were willing to make my vision come to life. Dan was not convinced it would work, and didn’t like the idea of the glass bricks being a floor, so he kept his distance from what he was sure was a doomed project. The boys created a base out of sand from the sandbox, and laid the glass bricks as if they were ‘bricks’. Truth be told, I only expected those bricks to last a year or two. None of us were very hopeful about what the winter might do to them, but we had nothing to lose by trying, and everything to gain.  So we did it anyway.

These pictures were taken 14 years later. We’ve had to replace a brick or two from time to time, but not more than 6 or 8 in total. They’ve sunk a little bit, owing to our amateur job of packing the base layer in. But they’re still wonderful, and I still love the spot on our east side, just outside the kitchen door. The perfect spot for a summer breakfast, or a dinner in the shade.  In the picture above you can see the strings from the hammock (on the left) strung from this tree to the one next to it.

In 2016, our inside project was a big one that took 10 times longer than we anticipated. We created a bathroom downstairs adjoining a room that we call “Gramma’s room” for my mom. This was the first big project in preparation for my mother coming to live with us, hence the name “Gramma’s room“. We used to call it Uncle Luke’s room, but things have changed. It was a very big deal. The first project quite so all inclusively complicated. When it was done, we considered having a “Bathroom Done Party” to celebrate. If you came to visit in the months after it was finished, we probably invited you to come see it. LOL. We rejoiced for months and I found myself going down to look at it several times a day for the first few weeks.

We had started the bathroom in January and finished the end of June. When I use the word “WE”, I am of course referring to the “royal WE”. Meaning Dan, although I do the clean up when things get done. There were lots of domino projects that had to get done simultaneously to make it possible. It was a big project that impacted every room downstairs before it was done, and our grandchildren couldn’t play downstairs for so long, they forgot we had a downstairs.

The adjoining bedroom “Gramma’d bedroom” would be the next year’s inside project, but that was a subject we avoided discussing for a very long time. Not surprisingly, the outside project that year was a small one. It was tempting to not do anything that year, but we had made the decision long ago, and that meant we would make one improvement a year outside and one inside. And sticking to it was important.

We painted the fence panel behind our bistro area in the backyard. I know. Big deal. It only took me one day. (We needed easy because the bathroom sucked all our energy.) But easy doesn’t mean ‘do nothing‘. It is important to be flexible with our energy and our expenses, and to not bite off more than we can chew, or afford. Some jobs are big and some are just small. But each one moves us forward, and brings with it a sense of accomplishment. It is just as important to stick to the plan, and move forward. Progress means forward. One step at a time.

Do you have a plan for fixing things up in your little world? I’d love to hear it.


Warmly,

Cindy Suelzle

CHIVES your garden’s best neighbour

CHIVES are one of the first plants in your garden to come up – even before the garden has dried out, and well before the cold is over, their bright, cheery green spears say “spring is around the corner” – the words I wait months to hear.  They are the easiest herb to grow and are a valuable addition to every summer kitchen.  They are low maintenance and high yield – my favourite combination

No matter how much of a novice gardener you might be, CHIVES make every gardener look good.  They are nature’s confidence builder.  Simple to grow, drought and cold resistant, will tolerate too much rain, they thrive on neglect, and are very forgiving.  They love sun, but will tolerate partial shade like the good sports they are.  As perennials they grow back every spring.  When other plants let you down, you can always count on CHIVES. 

CHIVES have a light onion flavour, and their brilliant green hollow, grass-like leaves are are the perfect addition to salads, soups, sandwiches, baked potatoes, almost anything that calls for a mild onion flavour.  Although its usually the leaves we eat, the entire plant is edible.  That’s right, even the blossoms and the roots.  Try adding the blossoms as garnish on the plate.  Better yet, eat the blossom with your potato salad.  The black seed which are hidden inside the ripe blossom have a wonderful peppery-oniony taste to sprinkle over top scrambled eggs, potato salad …. the sky’s the limit. 

It is a well accepted garden fact that bees are attracted to the colour purple, so the vibrant purple blossoms of CHIVES is the perfect garden attraction for pollinators. I have my biggest chive plant as a centerpiece in my herb garden, but I also have it in a few other spots throughout the garden among perennial flowers and vegetables.  Grow them in your vegetable garden as a friendly companion. They are great neighbours.

I cut the purple flowers throughout the season to add them to summer bouquets.  My house is full of fresh bouquets from May through October.  Chives are often in them. 

Hint: the black seeds are IN the flower heads.  If you don’t pick them, they’ll ripen – going to seed and drop to the ground. You will get a hundred little baby chives next year – which is alright as you can dig them up to eat the onion like bulbs.  You will also have some to transplant to other areas, and plenty to give to friends.  Cutting the flowers keeps the population under control. 

Growing:

You can start CHIVES from seed, but why would you?  Yes, they’re easy to start indoors in the spring for later planting, but how many plants do you want anyway?  Or you can simply take a ripe flower head from a friend and sprinkle the seed in your summer or fall garden to start themselves next spring.  That’s the way nature does it. 

The most common way is to simply get a division from a friendly neighbour.  Gently loosen the soil around the clump and pull away a smaller clump from the main plant.. The smaller cluster should have at least five to ten bulbs. Transplant this smaller plant into your desired location, or into pots to give away.  Where I live they can’t be overwintered in pots, but you can try bringing them indoors.  If you have a nice sunny window – you can use them all winter long.

Although they’ll grow in almost any soil conditions, CHIVES prefer good fertile well drained garden soil.  As a special treat, work compost into the soil of new plants, or into the top soil around existing plants.  They love the sun and will reward you abundantly if they get lots of it, but if sun is at a premium in your garden, partial shade is alright too. 

Companion Gardening:

CHIVES are your garden’s Best neighbours.  Plant them in your vegetable garden as your first line of defense (along with Marigolds). They repel carrot flies, aphids and cabbage worms (my mortal enemy).  I sprinkle seed among my garden vegetables and let them grow at will.  If there’s a spot I don’t want them for some reason, I’ll pull those up.  Its not like you’re gonna run outta seed when nature keeps you abundantly supplied in those gorgeous round blossoms. 

CHIVES don’t have much for natural enemies.  They say aphids can be a problem sometimes, but I guess I’ve been lucky as its never been a problem for me.  Their strong onion scent seems to deter pests.  In a strawberry bed, their scent screens the sweet smell of the berries, deterring slugs and other pest that are attracted to the sweetness.  Chives adds potassium and calcium to your soil through their dropped leaves, so let them grow, mature and die in your strawberry patch or vegetable garden.  Add any discards to your compost pile, or better yet, leave them as mulch around the plants. Another benefit of growing chives in the strawberry bed is the mulch.

Remember that their purple flowers attract bees which is what you want more of in your strawberry and vegetable gardens.  Pollinators of all kinds will be drawn by the purple flowers. Plant CHIVES among your other herbs, flowers, and among your vegetables especially your tomatoes, carrots and strawberries (yeah I know strawberries are not vegetables). 

Chives in the Kitchen:

I cut a handful of CHIVES with a kitchen knife to bring into the kitchen just before I’m gonna put them on the table.  Actually ‘I’ rarely do.  LOL
Usually, just as I’m putting the final touches on dinner, I ask one of my kids or grandkids to go cut a handful of chives.  Simply grab a handful and cut one or two inches above the soil.  In the kitchen, pull the hard flower stems (put them in water as a cut flower) and brown leaves out and then either chop on a cutting board, or cut with scissors into little pieces about 1/2 centimeter long.  Sprinkle over your mashed potatoes, steamed vegetables, omelettes, salads, potato salad, stir fries, … limitless potential for use in your favourite dishes.

Once in awhile – if you’re not using them often enough, the plant gets too big and straggly with too many flowers going to seed.  If that happens – when that happens, take a serrated kitchen knife and cut the whole thing down about two inches from the ground.  Relax.  It will grow back and give you another chance to stay on top of it.  A good reason to have more than one plant. Sometimes your plant simply needs a little haircut. A gentle trim will do. Just to keep things tidy.

GARLIC CHIVES

Also known as Chinese leeks, garlic chives grow in the same areas of the garden as regular chives, and most of the information is completely transferable.  The leaves are a little larger, longer and flat.  The flowers are bigger than chive flowers, but more flat than globular.  They attract pollinators and other beneficial insects.  Full sun is best. 

As with chives, the entire plant is edible, the roots are especially ‘garlicky’.  The flavour has a distinct garlic overtone to the ‘oniony’ taste you’re already familiar with in chives.   Use when you want that extra punch that garlic offers, like in soups, sauces, omelettes, and in all Asian dishes. 

I’d love to hear all about your CHIVE story.
How do you grow them and where?
What are your favourite ways to use them?
Any tips for the rest of us?

Warmly,

Cindy Suelzle

Feverfew – the garden herb you should know

FEVERFEW is a biannual herb that grows very prolifically in our region – Edmonton, Alberta.  Bushy, ferny even. Drought resistant, will grow well in full or diffused sun. Very hardy.

By the end of June, you’ll get profuse amounts of compact little gorgeous daisy like flowers that are perfect for fresh bouquets in the kitchen. Don’t pick them all though because it self seeds. I always have dozens growing throughout my garden so I am in no danger (anymore) of not having some come back next year – no matter how many I cut for bouquets.

 

Using FEVERFEW 

Feverfew leaves are used to treat migraines and lesser headaches. You simply pick the leaves and eat them in which ever way you find most suitable. They can be chopped up and put in salad or a sandwich.  They have a bitter taste so best to disguise them by eating with something else. They say that a few leaves daily is sufficient as a preventative.  

I got my first plants from my mother in law more than 20 years ago. She made a point to eat a few fresh leaves every day and was convinced it helped manage her migraines.  That is what interested me initially in Feverfew, and I subsequently did quite a bit of reading about it over the years.  I noted when I worked in a health food store that many people purchased feverfew for headaches and they swore it made all the difference.  It is not a pain killer.  It is a ‘preventative’.  When asking many customers how it helped them, they would universally tell me that by taking a small amount every single day, their migraines were less frequent and much more manageable when they did come.  That sounded pretty wonderful to me.  There is also compelling evidence that feverfew is helpful for menstrual cramps. 

Personally, I am not prone to headaches.  Good thing, because I have a very low tolerance for them.  Lucky me I haven’t had a headache in years and I have never had a migraine in my life, but I like the idea of growing an herb that has so much respect medicinally.  Since I have some members of my family who are prone to migraines I decided years ago that I would always have some in my garden.  If you are not able to grow your own feverfew, you can buy it in your favourite health food store, or if you grow it, but want some during the winter, dry it and either make it into a tea (with some pleasant tasting mint because it doesn’t have a great taste itself), or powder it and put into capsules to swallow.  Be smart about quantity.  One should do it.  

The ferny bushy plant flowers pretty much all summer long!  Because it is a biennial – meaning it grows for only two years, going to seed the second year in late summer, I allow some flowers to ‘ripen’ and go to seed.   I then take the seed and sprinkle them generously throughout my flower garden and herb garden.  They come up profusely and I simply pull what I don’t want.  After all, a weed is only “a plant growing where it doesn’t belong“.   If you don’t let the plant go to seed, or then sprinkle the seeds around, you may find yourself with none the next year as I did.   A mistake I only made once. 

It deserves an honoured place in my garden, and it is a pleasant bonus for me that the flowers are so pretty.  I highly recommend growing feverfew in your herb or flower garden.  At the very least, it will be a pretty little flower.  And if you’re prone to migraines it has the potential to become your best friend.  

Total Win / Win 

I’d love to hear your experience with Feverfew. 

Warmly,

Cindy Suelzle

I Will Walk You Thru the Night. . . . . a mother’s promise

There were many times as a younger mom when I knew I had made a mistake.

Sometimes I would be so ashamed – I wanted so much to be a ‘good mom’.  I wanted to raise my children to the Lord, and have them be well rounded and strong and healthy in every way.  I wanted them to enter their youth and adulthood prepared for all that this telestial world could throw at them.  But alas, I was so flawed as a mother – that sometimes I realized I was failing miserably at being the mom they deserved.

Sometimes I would try to make it right – and I’d sit on my oldest son’s bed at night and tell him “I know you didn’t mean to ….. I know you’ve never been a little boy before and you’re just learning how, and that you’re doing your best. I never have been a mommy before either, and I’m just learning how, and sometimes I make mistakes too. But I’m trying to get better.”  Sometimes I would make deals with him, and always I would promise to be better at it tomorrow.  But I don’t know that I always was.  More likely, I just discovered a new mistake to make.  I was always great at making discoveries. 🙂
image by Brian Kershisnik
One day when he was a teenager and we were having yet another one of our ‘disagreements‘, he sarcastically asked “Is this gonna be another one of those times when you come sit on my bed and say you’re sorry?”
Whoah!  To say his timing was poor – was to put it mildly.  I was after all, still the flawed Mother, and I certainly was in no mood to hear that!

“MaaaaayBe.” I retorted “But right now – it doesn’t feel that way!”
I admit it, it wasn’t my finest mothering moment, and I do believe it marked the end of those tender little bedtime talks.
. . . .
So, long story short – we finally made it, and my kids are all grown up.  I’d like to say I finally got it right and that all my mistakes are in the past. ….. But sadly – I am painfully aware that I’m still making them.  Sheeeesh.  I hate to break it to all you moms who are younger than me, but you may never really ‘get it‘. ….. Or maybe YOU will. ….. Thank goodness, I don’t seem to be repeating a lot of the same mistakes.  Nooooo, I am inventing new ones as I go.  I told you I was good at making discoveries.  It is a talent I don’t seem to have lost.

I am comforted by a revelatory experience I had when my oldest was about 7 or 8 years old.  It suddenly occurred to me that he was now the age that I was when I began collecting more vivid memories from my childhood, and specifically of my own mom.  I realized that the memories my kids were making NOW would be with them their whole lives, and I also realized – with a stark reality check, and a healthy dose of humility, that my mom had done the very best she knew how – just like I was trying to do. And I was filled with compassion for her, and forgiveness – for whatever mistakes she may have made along the way, and for whatever faults she may have had. And I fervently hoped that one day, my kids would realize the same thing, and would also forgive me for all my mistakes in this great circle of life, because one day in their turn, they too would be doing the best they know how to do, and one day to follow, they too would pray for forgiveness for not always getting it right. I hoped they would learn from my mistakes and not make the same ones – that somehow they would be better than me, and that with every generation we could minimize the mistakes in our family, and become better parents and better people. Who knows? Maybe – if we were allowed enough generations before this ol’ world comes to an end, and if we put all of our effort into it, we might even become really good parents.

I came across a quote from May Angelou a few years ago and it is very prominently displayed in my home. “Do the BEST you can until you know better. Then when you know better, DO BETTER.”  I don’t beat myself up about things I did.  I know I did the best I knew how to do, and there is great comfort in that.  But I do know better now, and it is my obligation to act on what I know.

Cherie Call put some of my most tender thoughts as a mom to music (she seems to read my mind sometimes) in this wonderful song WALK YOU THROUGH THE NIGHT on her album GRACE.  (Mercy River also sings it on their album COME ALIVE.)  Perhaps the words speak for you too. Thank-you Cherie – you speak to my heart.

“I may not be the best at very many things
but I believe I love you perfectly . . . ”

If good mothering could be judged by that attribute alone, then I could be the best mom ever!

“. . . you are bound to have some nightmares
so am I
but you can count on me to hold you
when you cry . . . .
I can’t promise that I’ll always get it right,
but I will walk you thru the night.”

Thank goodness, its not over and I still have time to learn.  Grandchildren are the great gift of second chances – a chance to make restitution.  Whew! And I hold out hope that one day – perhaps by running out of mistakes to make, I will have exhausted the list, and I will finally get it right, and be the kind of mom my kids deserve.

“If God will grant my wish then I will wait for you
beyond the veil, just before you slip through.
As you softly close your eyes I will sing my lullabies to you,
and before you make your way into the light
I will walk you thru the night.”

click HERE to find out more about Cherie

image by Brian Kershisnik

Cindy Suelzle