Flavourful Saskatoon, September 8, 2014


It was a pleasure to meet a Wanderlust and Words reader at the Saskatoon Farmers' Market on Sunday. It made me really happy to know that she enjoys reading my blog. Don't hesitate to introduce yourself - and let me know if there are particular topics you'd like me to cover.

Prairie Sun Brewery 
It’s hard to keep up with all the events at Prairie Sun Brewery. They’re launching their Saskatoon Berry Saison over brunch on September 13.

#yxe Oktoberfest, complete with local beer, games and food trucks, is on October 4.

Street Food Fest 2014, Sept. 13 
Don’t forget that Saskatoon’s first street food and music festival takes place from 11:30 am – 10 pm, Saturday, September 13, on Spadina between 2nd and 3rd Avenues. There will be 14 mobile food vendors.

Needs and Yields: A Community Exchange
Some of you may be interested in joining Needs and Yields, a Facebook group that is designed to provide a forum for sharing skills, seeds, plants, etc. with the local permaculture community. If you need something or have something to share, post it.

Sofie’s Solitaires
Helen Woodhouse was my best friend in high school. I can remember long hours listening to music (Cat Stevens and Gordon Lightfoot come to mind) and enjoying her mother’s Mennonite food. Helen remembers that we both wrote poetry (one of mine was even published in the yearbook!).


Helen has just had her first book published. Sofie’s Solitaires is a delightful account of a little girl who is bored and wants a pet. She quickly learns a great deal about freedom versus captivity and the responsibilities that come with owning a pet. The story is set in Costa Rica, where Helen and her husband now live, and offers an intriguing glimpse of Costa Rica, its scenery and wildlife. I love the monkeys who reappear in almost every illustration.

Sofie’s Solitaires is available as an ebook from Amazon. You can order paper copies either online from the publisher or by request at McNally Robinson Booksellers.

Bring Your Own Container: Lose All of that Packaging 
I’ve started writing a column about reducing waste and greening our lives for the bi-monthly flow magazine. Here’s my first article from page 45 of the September/October 2014 issue. 

Have you ever looked in the cupboard and wondered how on earth you could have accumulated so many take-out containers? Or maybe you threw them out but felt guilty about creating unnecessary waste.

Here’s one solution: provide your own container.

I try and remember to stash a reusable container in my car or office drawer so that if I pick up soup for lunch or have leftovers after a restaurant meal, I can use my own container. Reusable containers are sturdier so I’m less likely to dribble sauce all over my desk, and I’ve avoided adding to my Styrofoam stash.

There’s a side benefit to providing your own container as it prevents impulse purchases. You’ll be less likely to buy a piece of that decadent chocolate cake if you only purchase it when you have your own container.

I feel sorry for restaurants and other food businesses as there really aren’t any environmentally friendly take-out containers. Recycled paper is one of the better options and some vendors, like Floating Gardens, are paying extra to use clamshells made out of recycled plastic.

But the best option of all is your own container that you can use over and over again.

Flavourful Saskatoon is a weekly Monday feature. I also post regular profiles of culinary entrepreneurs, new restaurants and new food products.

You can follow Wanderlust and Words on Facebook, Twitter, or by email (top right corner).

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