Wanderlust and Words

Cider Day Saturday, Apr. 1  Crossmount Cider Company is hosting Cider Day Saturday from 11 am to 4 pm , Apr. 1. There will be cidery tours, guided cider tastings, and a spring craft market. Be sure to check out the newly opened Apple Crate Café while you’re there. Sweetsugarbean’s Book Launch, Apr. 24  The countdown is on. Renée Kohlman will be launching her cookbook, All the Sweet Things , at 7 pm , Apr. 24, at McNally Robinson Booksellers . There will be treats from the cookbook, drinks from Living Sky Winery, and a reading. Additional events are listed on the sweetsugarbean website . Imprint Plant-Based Foods Imprint Plant-Based Foods is a new Saskatoon start-up. Their goal is to offer alternatives to animal-based foods. They’re currently offering four vegan cheeses and plant-based protein burgers. April at The Local Kitchen  The Local Kitchen has started to list its April cooking classes . Lindsay Janzen ( Prairie Bella Gourmet Pasta ) will be demo...

I’ve just spent 6 months house and cat sitting in France and the United Kingdom starting out in Corsica and southern France where I needed summer clothes followed by rainy winter weather requiring a hat, gloves, and a jacket. Spring is warmer but still wet. I’ve stayed in large cities but also rural villages. No problem, you say, just take a large suitcase. But I would be travelling by bus and train to 20 different locations and I have a weak back. The suitcase had to be small, supplemented by a backpack which was primarily for my laptop, iPad, and electronic gear. I’m nearing the end of my time abroad, and I’m relatively content with what I packed. And the total weight was less than 18 pounds (12 for the suitcase and less than 6 for the backpack). Here’s what I took: 2 pairs of shoes (1 dressier pair, 1 heavy waterproof pair that could handle mud) 2 pairs of black pants (1 casual, 1 dressy) 2 sweaters Lightweight black skirt and matching cardigan (invaluable in the hott...

Food Films Night, Mar. 24 Saskatoon Food Council is screening 11 short films about food at 7 pm , Mar. 24, at Station 20 West. Food Unites ALL of Us, Mar. 26  Food Bloggers of Canada are hosting potluck dinners across Canada to celebrate diversity. Noelle Chorney is hosting a dinner in Saskatoon on Mar. 26. Bring a dish that represents your family and your heritage. Co-op Liquor Tastings Co-op Liquor has a great line-up of tasting events . There’s Italian wine on Mar. 24 , Regina’s Rebellion Brewing beer on Mar. 25 , Sherry on Mar. 31 , Bourbon on Apr. 1 , and Prairie Bee Meads on Apr. 8 . Artichokes  Our Farm is growing and planning to sell artichokes. Artichokes are a perennial in milder climates. In Saskatoon, they have to be replanted every year and tricked into believing they’ve experienced a mild winter. Find out all the details on Our Farm’s Facebook page . Canada’s History in Cuisine From pemmican and tourtière to perogies, ginger beef, Yukon gold pot...

St. David’s is a pretty little town with a cathedral hiding in a valley. I had visited last year but was eager to return. It was much warmer this time, so I was able to comfortably wander some of the green lanes around the cathedral and admire the flowers. I was surprised to see what looked like white bluebells. A little online research informed me that they are Three-Cornered Leek , a non-native plant that spreads almost too readily. Various parts of the plant are edible.

Veggie Options at Boffins  I'm pleased to see a variety of vegetarian/vegan dishes on Boffins’ new lunch menu . There’s a pasta dish with squash, chickpeas, almonds, Portobello mushroom; a kidney bean patty with walnuts and corn salsa, and vegan harissa cheese; a halloumi and winter vegetable fritter in a sweet potato naan; and housemade paneer in an eastern spice blend. Additional veggie options are displayed on their website . Now – if they could just improve their evening menu! Downtown Grocery Store  City of Saskatoon staff has been asked to study the market for a downtown grocery store . Let’s hope the results are encouraging. Think Outside the Bean My brother and his wife picked up a package of Wize Monkey coffee leaf tea at Dad’s Organic Market. Apparently, coffee leaf tea has been consumed in Ethiopia and Indonesia for over 200 years ago. It doesn’t taste of coffee and is supposed to be rich in some rare antioxidants. The Vancouver-based company has made per...

The weather in Wales is wet and mild. I take advantage of any dry (maybe even sunny!) spells to go for a walk. And every time I do, I see more signs of spring. There are still masses of daffodils and snowdrops, but I’m also beginning to see primroses and bluebell leaves. Lesser celandine is also blooming. And there are buds on the trees and bushes. Look what I discovered in the pond beside the house! Soon there will be lots and lots of tadpoles. One of my favorite walks is down at the parrog (harbour). I took a new route to town today and crossed two streams – the first on a narrow plank bridge and the second via large flat stones. This is the view from the stepping stones.

Go Local, Mar. 12  The College of Pharmacy and Nutrition is hosting GO LOCAL! , a nutrition student initiative about the local food system and bridging the gap between producers and consumers, from 2-5 pm, Mar. 12. Seedy Saturday Seedy Saturday is happening now around Saskatchewan. Check out the dates and venues here. Floating Gardens Floating Gardens is planning to have community garden plots behind their greenhouse in Osler this summer. Local Feta Balkan-style feta from Coteau Hills Creamery is available at SaskMade Marketplace . Cutting Down on Waste  The University of Saskatchewan has installed a food dehydrator to handle food waste from the Marquis Hall dining room. They hope that the machine “will turn roughly 2,500 pounds of weekly food waste into a nutrient rich material that can be added to its compost mixture.” Warman Collective Garden This sounds like a great program: “The Warman Collective Garden focuses on creating community through progr...

I'm very happy to be housesitting once again in Pembrokeshire and spending time with one of my favorite cats. The gardens and roadsides are bright with daffodils and other spring bulbs. Tiny birds flock around the bird feeders and the fields are oh so green. March 1 is St. David's Day honouring the patron saint of Wales and daffodils are certainly a Welsh trademark. So I'm sending you all a bouquet of daffodils to share at least a little of this lovely place with all of you. And, in case you're feeling ambitious, here's a recipe for Welsh cakes , which are absolutely delicious. They're not really cakes - more like a flat scone with lots of raisins and spices. Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Hapus!