Kitchen & Garden

What I’m Planting in My Victory Garden

April 7, 2020 by Sylvia Rose Leave a Comment

It’s finally happening. Victory Gardens are making a resurgence. Here’s a peek at what I’ll be growing in my second year of victory gardening. Will you be digging for victory, too?

what I'm planting Swiss chard for victory garden

MY LITTLE VICTORY GARDEN

In February 2020, I wrote about why victory gardens should make a comeback.

While I view self-sufficiency as a virtue, when you grow your own food, you’re connecting with your food, getting exercise, and declining to support industrial farming practices.

I had a feeling a victory garden resurgence was coming, but I didn’t know that it would be so soon or that it would be sparked by an illness.

2019 was my real first year of gardening, so naturally, I made a bunch of mistakes.

Still, I wanted to expand the garden, which is precisely what I did. My patch is more than double the size for the growing season ahead.

In true victory garden style, the goal is to make my land as productive as I possibly can.

To augment garden yields, I’ll also be growing with containers and converting one of my flower beds into a lettuce bed.

Ready to see what I’m planting?

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Homemade Cast Iron Meatballs (how to make them Italian-style)

April 3, 2020 by Sylvia Rose 5 Comments

Making homemade meatballs is a simple thing to do and so much more flavorful than buying frozen ones! Dust off your cast iron skillet and learn how to make your own italian meatballs from scratch.

cast iron skillet full of homemade meatballs

MAKING CAST IRON SKILLET MEATBALLS

First off, you don’t need a cast-iron skillet to make these homemade meatballs.

If you’re finishing off the meatballs in the oven, however, I do recommend using an oven-safe pan.

The reason I recommend cast iron? Because I’m a hardcore fan and think cast-iron cookware is the bee’s knees.

It’s easy to work with cast iron, it lasts forever, and it’s toxin-free.

RELATED: How to Cook with Cast Iron

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Cooking Dried Beans and Lentils on the Stove Top

March 31, 2020 by Sylvia Rose Leave a Comment

Cooking dried beans and lentils is one of those kitchen skills everyone should have under their belt. Learn all about the virtues of cooking dried beans and why it’s so much healthier to use dried beans instead of canned.

WELCOME TO MY FRUGAL KITCHEN

In true vintage fashion, my kitchen is a frugal one.

I’m bursting with frugal kitchen tips, like making homemade broth from kitchen scraps and saving apple peels and cores to make apple cider vinegar.

Cooking dried beans instead of buying cans is yet another way I’m able to flex my frugal superpowers.

The cost-savings are considerable, especially when you purchase dried beans and lentils in bulk.

What’s more, did you know that dried beans are healthier than canned beans, too?

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Savoury Steel-Cut Oats Breakfast Bowl Recipe

March 27, 2020 by Sylvia Rose 1 Comment

These savoury steel-cut oats are fermented overnight for an almost creamy mouthfeel, a quicker cooking time, and easier digestibility. Learn how to make this easy breakfast bowl and how to tweak it for endless variations.

Savoury steel-cut oats first appeared on my radar a few years ago.

In full transparency, I was a major skeptic and didn’t buy into them at first.

They sounded too weird to even comprehend!

Can you blame me?

I grew up with steaming pots of cinnamon raisin oatmeal, or oats with dried cranberries, pepitas and maple syrup.

Oatmeal was always sweetened, so I closed myself off to experimenting with a savoury alternative.

Something happened, though.

I switched from rolled oats to steel-cut oats for their nutritional content.

This simple alteration to one of my favourite breakfast meals meant I was open enough to test the waters with savoury oats, and that’s exactly what I did.

My favourite part about this breakfast dish is that it’s a vessel for what I would normally serve with toast.

Most of us know that oats are more filling than bread, but with oats, you can go even crazier than just the typical bacon and eggs accompaniment.

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The Spice Cupboard: The Best Spices to Keep on Hand

March 24, 2020 by Sylvia Rose Leave a Comment

The spice cupboard is one of the best places to turn to when looking to add flavour to a dish. Here’s what everyone should keep on hand and why.

WHY BOTHER WITH HERBS AND SPICES?

Before I answer this, let me begin by saying that I have a major problem.

I’m a spice hoarder.

I have 68 spices in my collection, including spice blends, but excluding variations.

For example, I have two kinds of saffron in the spice cupboard: quality saffron and cheap saffron.

Why on earth do I have so many herbs and spices?

Well, for one, herbs and spices can add depth and flavour to a dish.

They bring excitement to the table and allow you to experiment with different flavours, letting you taste the world in your kitchen.

Fresh garlic and herbs are two of my favourite flavour enhancers, but in the cold months when I’m too frugal to spend money on fresh herbs?

I turn to the spice cupboard again and again.

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Pan-Fried Chicken Caesar Salad (the BEST caesar salad ever)

March 20, 2020 by Sylvia Rose 9 Comments

This chicken caesar salad is going to make all other caesar salads pale in comparison once you take your first bite. Flavourful panko-crusted chicken, crisp romaine lettuce, garlicky homemade dressing and the easiest croutons you will ever make. You won’t want to go back!

PAN-FRIED CHICKEN CAESAR SALAD: A GAME CHANGER

Congratulations, you have just struck Caesar salad gold!

I have no idea how many chicken caesar salads I have eaten in my life, but this pan-fried chicken version is to-die-for.

I must warn you: there are a lot of steps involved.

You’ll have to clarify butter, make your own caesar dressing, and fry up some croutons.

I’m telling you…it’s WORTH the extra work.

I hope you love it as much as I do!

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