Every summer, I spend as much time as possible barefoot in the garden.  Weeding the raised beds, deadheading the flowers in baskets and watering everything in sight!  With the lack of rain this year I spent most of my time rehydrating the wilted and crispy flowers, and struggling to keep a few things alive- sorry, dahlias! 

But it catches me by surprise every year, one day I turn around BAM something has  thrived and grown out of control!  This year, it was in the office where my partner works.  When dropping off a morning smoothie, there it was, sitting quietly in the corner aerogarden…a basil jungle!

This seemed like the perfect opportunity to share the little journey my plant friends are going to make through live tweeting.  So, I start snapping some photos and share a few of my crazy plant lady thoughts along the way…

While I am proud of these two for thriving, the other poor plants had barely set four spindly leaves so it was clear, the basil is out of this hydroponic paradise.   I generally try and do this while the plants are MUCH younger so the roots can still be taken out with the plant above and they all get plopped nicely into a new pot to live outside until the first frost.  But, time got away from me and these plants are huge!

So, I tugged and the plant didn’t give- so I pulled and rriiiiipppppp, the majority of the roots completely separated from the plant.  Well, nothing I can really do now except try and set them up as best as possible.  I realized that I certainly wasn’t the only one that accidentally subjected plants to cruel neglect and torture- hopefully there is someone else out there who will empathize with my situation.

After trimming off the plastic container and floofing up the roots a bit, into a container they go.  Terra cotta with some fresh potting mix is what’s kicking around, so it will have to do.  

I decided to take a quick break to get my dog involved.  If there is something related to dirt and/or digging, he’s there!  But, to his dismay, he was only involved to the extent that he got garnished.  I couldn’t resist!

…back to the plants.  After a good watering, they have settled into their dirt bound home just fine.  

I’ll certainly be keeping an eye on the mint plant so it doesn’t overgrow and succumb  to the same fate as the half-root basil plants (but, I’m hoping for the best, obviously). 

There is nothing like a well earned cocktail at the end of the day. This drink was inspired out of necessity and the common good...well at least that's what I'll keep telling myself!

Hello, summer!

It’s summertime, which means adventures, delicious fresh food and time spent out in the sunshine!

But, on a morning walk I was reminded that I am not the only one enjoying everything the season has to offer- the bears are too! The evidence of both bear’s presence and their love for berries is dotted along the trails by the river, in town and of course, around my house!

Take a peek at this helpful guide to see if your house is too welcoming to these giant furry friends…

Around this time last year, it resulted in multiple encounters with Boo; yes, the town gave him a cute name.  One evening, Boo was even relaxing under our pergola until my dog snuck around us at the door and chased him down the street. 

It’s a cute story now, but wasn’t at the time, especially for poor Boo! He was just looking for a treat.

So, after a lovely bike ride, it was time to grab a lemonade, and get to work. 

This means, picking all the delicious berries that I want to eat in one bowl, then taking a second trip with some berries for the juicer/compost.  At the end, you need berry free branches for the bears, and a good harvest for yourself.

Berries for me…

…branches for the bears!

Now, for the delicious part… If you have never had saskatoon berries, they are a treat!  After a good year with some watering, and plenty of sunshine they grow to the size of a blueberry, are sweet, and leave a surprising almond-y after taste in your mouth.  mmMMmmm. 

Now, all that’s left is to pop these into everything I eat this week! They make a delicious addition to salads, baked goods, a fantastic pan sauce on seafood, chicken and beef or simply topped on ice cream. 

I decided that the best way to cap off the day was with a drink. With a bounty of berries and a ridiculous amount of basil, I whipped up this summer cocktail. Oh boy, does it taste like summer!

Saskatoon Garden Cocktail

6 Basil Leaves, plus more to garnish

1/4 cup Saskatoon Berries

1 oz Elderberry Balsamic

2 oz Gin

Sparkling water

Ice

1. Muddle first three ingredients in a shaker glass.
2. Add gin, ice and shake.
3. Strain into a glass with ice
4. Top with sparkling water, garnish.
5. Enjoy!

Ahhh, hard work never tasted so good. Well, it wasn’t really hard work, but this refreshing drink feels well deserved.

Give it a try yourself, and let me know what you think!

Cheers!

Additional delicious recipes…

Saskatoon BBQ Sauce

Berry Butter Tarts

Saskatoon Crisp

Saskatoon Muffins

Traditional Saskatoon Jam

So, you've got a story?  Set yourself apart and ensure its heard by following the best practices below. 

Without taking advantage of these principles, your story runs the risk of being lost among the endless noise!

...and the best stories are worth sharing.  So write it, and hopefully it will take on a life of its own.

This story begins in the same way most great stories do, in childhood.  Both for myself the viewer, and for the main character, young Simba.  That’s right, I’m talking about The Lion King.  

After the animated film’s initial release on VHS in 1994, it was played on repeat in my home as soon as the tape finished rewinding.  While that obviously contributed to its memorable factor (yes, I can still recite all the songs), it was the story itself that made the movie so engaging. 

How engaging you ask?  So much in fact that it has been remastered into a broadway show, had many sequels made and recently completely remastered.  With so many adaptations, it is clear the story and its characters resonate with a broader audience.

So, what set this story apart from the rest Disney released at the time?  While Disney and Pixar were still two separate entities at the time, we will take a look at this movie through the lens of the Pixar story spine. 

Beginning

Once upon a time… a lion cub was born to be the heir of the animal kingdom.

Everyday… he grew and explored the land with his best friend Nala.

Who hasn’t reenacted the “reveal” with poor unsuspecting pets?  The story begins with the epic scene of the animal kingdom coming together for the celebration of the birth of a new heir.  The importance of the cub is solidified as you watch them grow and explore, rooting for their success through their everyday (mis)adventures. 

The Event

But, one day… his jealous uncle Scar, killed his father Mufasa, and blamed young Simba (then attempted to have Simba killed as well)!

Ahhh the twist- greed and envy grabbed hold of his uncle.  This brings in all sorts of moral dilemmas and makes you question the moral compass of THAT uncle everyone has.  

This event went so far as becoming a way for young children to express sadness.  One clever three year old recently utilized the emotional impact this event has had on people… in hopes of not sharing her birthday cake. 

Middle

Because of that… He ran away and was raised by a meerkat and warthog.

Because of that… His uncle became king and decimated the land he was to rule over and protect.

Because of that…  His best friend searched for help after his lion pride (yes, it's the collective noun for lions) was starving and found him!

Now, time to overcome adversity. Simba built a new and happy life with his friends based on adventures and bug eating.   He never processed the event and was encouraged to just push the feelings down and move on.  While things weren’t so rosey back home, Simba was oblivious to the decay and destruction.  Yet, this all came to a head when Nala found him and forced the past and present to collide. 

The Climax

Until finally… Simba realized that he needed to return and take his rightful place on the throne...after fighting and killing his uncle!

Time to learn a lesson and fight for what you believe in and your family!  We now all love Simba, are proud of him for accepting forgiveness and want Scar out of the equation.  Especially since we are budding environmentalists who can see how quickly greed can take over and ruin the land we rely on.  So, they fight an epic fight and we flinch when coals get tossed into Simba’s eyes and we cheer for a young cub to kill his uncle (very confusing, but still we do). 

End

And, ever since then… The land regenerated, he married his best friend and they had themselves their own heir to the throne lion cub. 

Ahhh the circle of life!  You sang it a bit, didn’t you? We see the land restored and justice served.  Simba understands who he is and he takes his place in the whole animal kingdom.  It’s a pretty great role, but you can’t say he didn’t work hard to get there!

It ends with a similar scene to the one that started this whole journey in the first place; the reveal of the heir to the animal kingdom throne.   Now, all that’s left to do is hit rewind…