June - A Year of Light 2021

June

Things to Notice: Light

The light, again! I know that the “thing to notice” in January was also the light, but it’s just so different this month, and every bit as much worth noticing. At this time of year the evenings are long, the mornings arrive early, and sunny days tend to be more frequent. Having said that, we’ve just come through a dark and rainy stretch, and this evening the sky is dark and thundershowers are in the forecast for overnight. If it’s going to make an appearance, the sun is up well before 6:00am and doesn’t set until after 9:00pm in this corner of the world. As the sun rises and stretches across the lawns and fields, it catches every drop of morning dew. When it’s high at midday it feels like a warm hug, and in the evenings the sunsets are spectacular this month. If you can sit for a little while underneath an apple or cherry or other blooming tree as the sun peeks through between the blossoms at any time of day, do. The bright green new leaves are still tender and the light glows through them. There is such an abundance of light this month, and it’s easy to take for granted! You can make your own light to keep it going after dark with a little fire and some roasted marshmallows, too.

Things to Make

Plantain salve: I’ve been enjoying Terri Conroy’s YouTube channel called Danu’s Irish Herb Garden. Every time I watch one of her videos, it inspires me to or appreciate something from the garden or the wild. I recently watched this plantain video, and am hoping to make a batch of plantain salve this month. I find her videos are a bit like a pleasant visit with a friend; just calming and lovely visits in her Connemara garden.

Rhubarb Squares: I’ve shared the recipe before, and I will again - it is so perfectly delicious. Sour and sweet, custardy and shortbready, quick as a wink to whip up, and they use up some of that rhubarb in your yard or that a neighbour left on your step. I theoretically could eat an entire pan of these, but have discovered there is a limit to what my digestion can handle, despite my enthusiasm.

Rhubarb Custard Squares

Makes an 8x8 pan, approximately 12 servings.

Preheat oven to 350.

On the stovetop in a medium pot, melt 1/2 cup butter. As it's melting, line an 8x8 pan with overlapping parchment paper, to make removal from the pan easy. Remove melted butter from heat and stir in 1/4 cup icing sugar and 1 cup flour. Spread evenly in pan with a wooden spoon or hands and bake for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine in same pot (to save dishes!) 2 beaten eggs, 3/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup flour, 1/4 tsp salt. Mix well, then fold in 2 cups diced rhubarb.

When the base comes out of the oven, pour the rhubarb mixture on top and bake for an additional 45 minutes, or until set and slightly golden. Cut into squares or bars and enjoy! You can double the recipe and use a 9x13 pan. 

Rose water / syrup: This is another seasonal recipe that I’m planning to make later in the month when the many rosa rugosa are in bloom along our beaches. A splash of rose syrup in sparkling water, along with a sprig of mint is just a delicious delight on a hot afternoon. And the colour is just incredible! I shared a post all about it over at another project of mine, Nova Scotia Kitchens awhile back. You can the recipe and some photos here.

Things to Do

Dehydrate herbs for tea: I seem to do a lot of things with herbs, I’ve noticed now that I’m keeping a bit of a log of the things I like to do through the seasons. Lemon balm and mint are two of my favourites. There are many ways that you can dry herbs; a dehydrator woks best, but you can also use paper bags if it’s not too humid where you live, and some people have had luck with a low oven - but if they get too hot they lose colour and flavour. There are many other ways that you can preserve them, too - freezing in cubes, using in jellies - there really are hundreds of possibilities. Once they are nice and dry, I like to store them in a dark cupboard in glass jars - and don’t forget to label them.

If you don’t have either mint or lemon balm in your garden, now is the perfect time to plant them! They both spread enthusiastically, so if you don’t have a space where they can do that freely, you might want to plant them in pots. They’re readily available at garden centres, and - even better - if you have a friend with either or both, you can just take a bit to start your own! And the combination of flavours in tea is minty and lemony - perfection.

Find some lilacs: Drink in the scent. It is heavenly, and only accessible for a very short while each year. I can’t explain what it does to our brains and senses, but it is amazing. Right at this very moment the lilacs here are in their glory, and it seems like every other house or old homestead has some. I was driving for work yesterday, and opened the window as I drove - the scent wafted in. It was amazing. 100% recommend.

Nature watch: There is so much happening in the wild at this time of year, that it would be a shame to miss it. The hummingbirds have arrived, and the ducks, geese, robins and other songbirds are singing in the mornings and evenings, visiting feeders, and raising babies. If you don’t have a yard to look for wildlife in, there are bird nest webcams online and public parks have lots to look for. I especially like checking in on the same things often to see how they’re changing as spring progresses. We have a pair of muskrats that have moved into our pond this spring, and they are such a delight! They’ve done a number on our cattails, which we are thrilled about, and it is so much fun to watch them do laps back and forth, their mouths full of grasses and leaves as their little tail-rudders steer them along. I’m hoping they might have some babies that we will be able to watch before long!

June really is a magical time of year, and it can be so busy that is slips by almost without noticing - that is something that I’m determined not to let happen this year! I hope you’ll join me.

May - A Year of Light 2021

May

Things to Notice: Greens

There are so many shades of green that appear in May, and I love them all. As the leaves are emerging on trees and plants around you, notice how each plant and tree comes alive in its own time. None of them are hurrying up to catch up to the one next to them, or worrying that they leafed out too early. They’re just doing their thing in their own time, bringing life and colour back into the landscape. (There’s your metaphor for life for the month.) Look for the bright, deep greens of grass on lawns filling in after the golden colour of winter. There are the light, lime-y greens of new leaves that are just starting to emerge and will be wide open, darker in colour and tougher in texture by the end of the month. There are the dark greens of the evergreens that are so steady and reliable throughout the year - and the contrast between that and the almost minty colour of the new tips as they emerge. (Taste one - they’re delightful and tart and fresh!)

Things to Make

Hummingbird nectar: Over the past few years, keeping hummingbird feeders from May through September has become one of my favourite things during the warmer half of the year. It’s usually the first week of May when they arrive for the season. These are the two that I have and love, but you can also make your own if you search online for ideas. This window one is great - so easy to clean and fill, and it’s really, really neat to be able to see the hummingbirds so close up. You can also hang that one or put it on an included post. And I love this antique glass style one that I’ve had for years. (Not sponsored!) The nectar is easy to make - just dissolve one part white granulated sugar into 4 parts boiling water and let cool. You have to clean and refill the feeders often so mold and bacteria don’t take over. It’s definitely worth the effort to have them whizzing around and see their feathers glinting in the sun - they are so delightful!

Potato salad with chives from the garden: Potato salad tastes like spring to me - we’re getting plenty of eggs from the hens right now, and the the chives are in full swing. Chives are so easy to grow, with zero maintenance required (more on that below). For the simplest potato salad, just boil two eggs and some peeled, cubed potatoes. Combine the cooked and cooled potatoes, chopped boiled eggs, salt, pepper, a glop of mayo, salt and pepper and a handful of chopped chives. Bacon bits add some extra oomph, and I think a bit of sriracha is also good dotted on top. You can play around to find the ratios you like best. Best if eaten outside in the sun!

Fir/spruce tip tea - There are a lot of fir and spruce trees here, and the fresh little tips of new growth are not only edible, but tasty and nutritious. They have a bright, lemony flavour that’s hard to compare to anything else. The simplest tea is simply from a few tips, steeped either in hot water or in the sun in a jar of water. There’s a comprehensive post here all about them and there’s also a recipe for fir tip syrup.

Things to Do

Plant some herbs! If you don’t already have them growing in your garden, my top two are mint and chives. There are many varieties of each - we have spearmint, chocolate, and strawberry mint… and a few others I’ve forgotten. I love mint SO much to dry and use in teas through the winter, to freshen up iced tea and as a garnish - it’s lovely. It’s easy to grow, and will take over wherever it is planted once it’s established. Chives are equally easy - you just plants them and leave them. They come up in early March, bloom the prettiest purple (also edible) flowers in May, and are just delicious, with a subtle onion flavour. It’s so much less expensive to grow your own rather than buying the little plastic containers at the grocery store. If you have a friend or neighbour who has them, they can be easily split and shared from one garden to another. They can also be grown in pots, if you don’t have space in the ground.

Take a photo walk: I just love going for a walk and taking pictures to share. It’s even more fun when there is a specific theme - this time of year, there are so many things to choose from - colours, flowers, trees - the options are endless. I find it helps me to look more closely at my surroundings when I’m thinking about taking pictures.

Plan something fun: Planning is a huge part of the fun of a trip, and even though we can’t travel as much as we might want to, there are fun things closer to home. We have a few camping trips booked for the summer, and I get so excited about planning menus, and all of the details. We’re back in lockdown right now, but are able to get out and about in our own communities for outdoor exercise - I’m looking forward to the warm weather this month and getting out in it. Planning some new-to-us walks and hikes is almost as fun as actually doing them.

I hope that despite everything, you find something to enjoy this month. Take care!

April - A Year of Light 2021

April

Things to Notice: Peepers!

One evening last week, my oldest son came into the house, yelling for me to take out my earbuds and go outside. He knows me well, and was one hundred percent correct in thinking that I would be absolutely thrilled to hear the spring peepers for the first time of the year. Peepers are the teeniest tiniest little brown frogs that are quite widespread in North America. Their mating calls sound like a very loud, very piercing, almost electronic “Peeep peeeep”. We’re hearing a few this week, but by mid-April, the chorus of them calling is as loud as someone talking in the house, even with the windows closed. They live near ponds and marshy places, and are so tiny and well-camouflaged that often the only way to find one is to watch for a blade of moving grass, and look down it until you might be lucky enough to see one hanging on. (I’ve only ever seen one!) The volume of their sound is incredible for such tiny creatures, which makes me think of other seemingly tiny things in life that can have a huge impact - my attitude toward a particular task, those extra few moments spent chatting with someone, and dropping everything for a few minutes to be fully present and check in with your people.

Another sound I’ve been appreciating this week is the birdsong in the mornings! After so many months of leaving for work in dark and silence, it is so life-giving to be leaving the house as the sun is coming up and the birds are riotously singing their little hearts out. I’ve been hearing new calls almost every day, and I love it SO MUCH.

Things to Make

Coloured Easter Eggs: This weekend is Easter, and even if you don’t have any kids in the house, dyeing or colouring eggs is fun to do, and a nice way to welcome Spring. When my boys were small, before we had our own Easter Egger hens to give us pre-coloured eggs, the least messy, easiest, and most satisfying way that we coloured eggs was to boil a dozen white eggs, and colour on the shells using crayons while the eggs were still quite warm but not too hot. The colours stay bright and vibrant, and you can write names and draw fairly detailed patterns or pictures in several colours. You can just keep them in the fridge and eat them, or keep them out for a day or two and then compost them. If you’re looking to spend some time in a more involved process, there are a million and one tutorials on using natural dyes to colour your eggs.

Flourless Chocolate Cake: Speaking of eggs, we are almost overrun these days. We don’t usually think of eggs as having a season, but right now as daylight hours increase, egg production from the hens is high. It’s also birthday season at our house, and this flourless chocolate cake was requested by my youngest son for his cake. It uses up several eggs and is absolutely smooth and rich and delicious. It would be super cute as an Easter dessert with some candy eggs on top, too.

Someone’s day: Call or send a message to a relative or friend you haven’t seen in awhile, just to let them know that you’re thinking of them. Or drop off a little gift of food or something you’ve made, just because. It’s a small thing that can make someone’s day brighter, and who couldn’t use a little of that?

Things to Do

Open the windows: I’ve been known to sneakily open windows in mid winter just because the air felt stale, and to open all of the windows wide on the early sunny (yet still quite cold!) days of Spring. It just feels and smells (usually - sometimes the farm scents of freshly spread manure waft over, like yesterday) so good to get some clean, fresh air into the house. Bonus points are always earned for opening windows opposite each other and getting the holy grail of fresh air in the house - the cross breeze! (Adam makes fun of me for my love of a good cross breeze. So be it.)

Find some flowers: Whether you have your own garden or not, unless you’re further North than we are here, there is likely somewhere that you will be able to find some flowers in April. Snowdrops and crocuses are up early in the month; coltsfoot and some early dandelions will be coming up in a few weeks. If you’re local and looking for some flowers to enjoy in your house, Lisa of The Flower Bucket has some flowers grown in her hoop house available at Canadian Tire - this isn’t sponsored; I just love Lisa and her flowers.

Declutter: Okay, so this is something that I kind of do year-round… but I’ve been on a proper decluttering kick for the past few weeks; Spring just feels like the right time for it. The Minimal Mom (Dawn) on YouTube has lots of great practcial tips and advice for decluttering if it’s something you’re interested in. Honestly, if I needed another career, professional organizing and encouraging people would be so satisfying to me! It’s fun to have a motivating video on in the background as you empty a cupboard or drawer (or room!), and you might find something you find helpful on her channel.

I hope that you find many things to enjoy in April; it will come and go before we know it. Let’s make the most of it!

March - A Year of Light 2021

March

Things to Notice: New Life

The days are noticeably longer now, and the first bulbs are just starting to appear. I learned from Gardener’s Question Time (my favourite podcast) that a waxy coating protects flowers emerging from bulbs, so that even if they begin to appear in midwinter, they won’t be destroyed by cold blasts and snow. Snowdrops are the first bulbs to open here, and it is a highly anticipated event for me at the end of every winter. There may still be snow and ice and wintry weather, but it won’t last for long, and spring will definitely be here soon. I love the edges of seasons, when evidence of the previous season is still present, but the change is just beginning to take place.

As we shift into March here in Nova Scotia, there are also lovely changes in the scents of the air outside as the weather warms. I’m not sure how much of that can be accounted for by changes in the ocean, but I think it’s a contributing factor for sure. Variations in ocean and beach scents carried on the breeze are one of those things that I find absolute, pure delight in several times a year, and I’m expecting a significant change in March from the cold, scentless winter air to all of the muddy, warmer scents of Spring.

The world may still look barren and wintry in many ways, but so much new life and growth is coming- it’s just hidden from view. So much is taking place that we can’t see as sap is coursing through trees, the ground is thawing and plants begin to awaken - feel free to apply that metaphor to whatever you’d like.

Things to Make

Frittata: Our hens are laying more eggs now that the days are longer, and a standby meal that we can almost always whip up is a frittata. You can serve it with salad or soup, eat it hot, warm, or even cold, and use whatever ingredients you have on hand. It’s simple, quick, and delicious. The chives in the garden are just barely starting to emerge, and there will definitely be handfuls ready to add in later this month. This is one of my favourite flavour combinations.

Herbed Frittata

10 eggs

1/2 tsp salt

10 cherry tomatoes, halved

1 generous handful kale, torn

1/4 cup grated fresh parmesan

1/4 cup milk or cream

2 tbsp chopped fresh chives

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Heat a 12 inch cast iron pan to medium on the stovetop. Add butter or oil to grease.

3. In a large bowl, whisk eggs thoroughly. Add salt and whisk until incorporated. Add remaining ingredients, and gently stir until egg covers all of the vegetables. Pour into the heated pan and cook on the stovetop without stirring for 3-4 minutes, until the bottom is just set. Remove from stovetop and place pan in preheated oven.

4. Bake for 16-20 minutes until frittata is slightly puffed and set in the centre.

5. Slice and serve warm; also makes wonderful leftovers, or a great lunch with a salad on the side.

Notes: You can skip the stovetop and just bake the frittata for a longer time (30-35 minutes) in a non-preheated pie plate or casserole dish. Another favourite combination is 1/2 cup chopped ham, 1/3 cup grated cheddar cheese, and chives. Spinach, feta, and tomatoes is also delicious. And if you have half an onion to use up, sauteeing it in butter makes an excellent start to any combination. To make a pretty garnish, lay some intact chive spears across the top of the frittata before baking. I buy parmesan in large blocks, which I grate and then store in the freezer for easy use.

Something for outside: I feel like the focus in March tends to shift from inside to outside, and it’s a great chance to take a look around and see if there is something you would like to make to liven up your outdoor space. Maybe it’s a planter for a bit later in the season, a bench, a birdbath or feeder? Or maybe a fire pit? Take a look on Pinterest and I’ll bet that you’ll find something within your time, skill, and budget constraints that you’ll be able to enjoy through to winter.

Toilet cleaner: I found this recipe from Simply Living Well on Instagram a few weeks ago, and it’s great! Not everyone has citric acid on hand, but it’s pretty easy to find online. Combine 3 cups baking soda, 5 drops lavender essential oil, and 5 drops lemon essential oil in a bowl. Add 1 cup citric acid, and stir to combine. Store in an airtight container. To use, scoop 2 tbsp into toilet bowl, wait for fizzing to stop, then scrub. I have a hard time finding less harsh toilet cleaners that really work and that I can stand the scent of - this works a treat!

Things to Do

Garden plans: Gardening is one of the greatest joys in my life. It sounds dramatic, but it is true! There is nothing quite like it. In March, I like to take stock of my seeds, decide what plants I want to add and decide what I’d like to focus on this gardening year. The bindweed was such a problem last year in some areas that I think there might be some overhauling in our garden this time around.

Go for a walk somewhere new: I don’t know what it is about Spring, but it feels like there are so many possibilities. Going for a walk in a new place makes us more alert and aware of our surroundings, and it’s just a nice change from the ordinary. There is a trail in Wedgeport that I’m planning to visit sometime this month - I’ve technically been there before, but it has been many years.

Sit outside in the sun: I can almost guarantee that there will be at least one (and hopefully more) days when it’s really warm in the sun. Make a point to sit outside with a book and a cup of tea and uncover as much skin as is comfortably possible, to start producing that vitamin D.

I hope that this March is kind to you!

If you love honeybees as much as I do, here’s another photo background option for you that I took last March of one of our bees. Look at all of the pollen, dusted all over her! Gorgeous.

February - A Year of Light 2021

February

Things to Notice: The Cold

February is the shortest month of the year and usually brings the coldest weather here in Nova Scotia. I love thinking about contrasts of all sorts, and the difference between cold and warm is a tangible, relatable concept that everyone has experienced. This month, notice the cold; really pay attention. What is your first response to it? Even just thinking about it, now? Are your shoulders hunched and tensed? Did you shudder? By changing your perspective a bit, you can maybe shift from hating the cold and just wanting it to be over to embracing it as the temporary, fleeting experience that it is, just like every part of life. Bundle up and BE outside on a cold day - feel it in your lungs and on your skin. Notice what the cold air feels like in your nostrils and lungs, how your body warms it before exhaling - notice what your footfalls sound like on the frozen ground, the particular quiet of outside in winter. Notice how, as you move, your body generates its own heat and warms from the inside. And then, embrace the contrast when you’re back inside and your body warms - the warmth is all the more welcome after the cold, and is what gives it meaning.

Things to Make

• A lovely warming drink: chai is a favourite of mine; with an oatcake, it is the perfect afternoon pick-me-up. There are recipes for chai concentrates online, you can buy a bagged version (I like the Tazo one.) For a quick version of decaf chai, which is a difficult thing to find premade: make your decaf tea (I love Yorkshire Gold) and plop a piece of a cinnamon stick in there. Take it outside on a walk and enjoy the contrasts of cold and warmth.

• Oatcakes: I found this recipe through 3191Q many years ago. It is a gem.

  1 1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats

  1 cup flour

  1/3 cup brown sugar

  1/2 tsp baking soda

  1/2 tsp salt

  1/2 cup cold butter, cut into small pieces

  1/4 cup plain, whole fat yogourt

  • Preheat oven to 350. Combine oats, flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Add butter and work in with hands or pastry blender until you have a coarse meal texture. Stir in yogourt until a soft dough forms - I find I have to tip it onto the counter and gently knead it for it to come together. Pat it out on a floured surface and roll to 1/4 inch thickness. Using the top of a jar, a glass, or a biscuit cutter, cut into rounds. Bake for 15 minutes or until slightly browned. Store in an airtight container. Recipe can be doubled, and they freeze very well. Perfect with a cup of tea!

• Hand/lip balm, since your skin might be feeling the winter-ness of this time of year. Measure out equal parts by weight of coconut oil, olive oil, and beeswax. Melt the beeswax and coconut oil over low heat, add the olive oil and allow all of them to melt together. Stir gently, and pour into small jars. This makes a very firm balm; adding less beeswax makes it a bit softer. It’s a lovely gift, and you can easily make a lot - just keep the proportions the same.

Things to Do

• Exfoliate and moisturize! It will make your face feel less like a flaky wintry desert. It doesn’t need to be with anything other than a warm, damp face cloth. Wring it out, lay it gently over your face until it cools. Gently scrub your face, all of the way to all of the edges, in a circular motion. Immediately moisturize - a few drops of oil (argan is nice, but you can use olive, grapeseed, almond, etc.) on damp skin, then your regular moisturizer gives your skin a bit of extra love. Try the oil cleansing method - I do it every now and again in the winter and it feels so good.

• Watch a documentary to mix things up and put yourself in someone else’s shoes in a different part of the world. It’s so easy to feel like our own little part of the world is all there is, especially this year. I loved Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat by Samin Nosrat on Netflix, and My Octopus Teacher was wonderful.

• Have a fire, outside or in, and again - enjoy the contrasts of cold and warmth. Or light candles (over which you can toast marshmallows, by the way.)

Sending you love and warmth this month,

Sherrie

January recap

Before posting February’s ideas for A Year of Light later today, I thought I would recap a bit of what I noticed, made and did in January.

Noticed:

• Light: honestly, this past month was very, very grey. There were a few sunny days, but they were few and far between. This did make it extra nice to see the sun when it did appear, and it felt more urgent to take advantage of it and get outside.

• Sun pillars: I only saw a sun pillar with my own eyes once in January, a couple of weeks ago as I was driving as the sun rose. It was so, so beautiful. I’m hoping to see more in February - these coldest mornings and evenings of the year are when they appear.

Made:

• Winter soup: I made a giant batch of winter soup early in the month, taking the opportunity to use up straggling vegetables in the fridge and freezer. It was delicious and warming and filling.

• Beeswax candles: I tidied up the space where I keep my wax and equipment, and decided not to make more candles until we use up more of the ones we still have on hand. I had a small stash set aside that I had forgotten about, which was a delightful surprise. The daylight hours are getting longer, but it’s still nice to have a candle lit at suppertime.

• Cards: I did send out a few cards this month to friends and relatives, and included individually wrapped tea bags in some. I also connected with a longtime friend for a FaceTime visit last weekend - I hadn’t seen her in years, and it was so nice. These little ways of connecting are so important for the heart.

Did:

• Bulbs: I had an amaryllis bulb that I planted in November and gave up on after over 6 weeks of it sitting in the pot and doing nothing obvious. I finally took it out of the soil to find the roots shirveled and browned, and I thought it was a dud. I popped it back in the pot to deal with later, and then - it started to grow. It still hasn’t opened, but is almost a foot tall now and looks like it will very soon!

• Tidying: I had one of those days a few weekends ago when all I wanted to do was tidy. I cleaned the back porch where I keep jars, soapmaking supplies, and extra household goods. I tidied the garage, kitchen drawers, and cleaned the dishwasher filters. It was lovely, and I’ve been enjoying the results ever since. And just this past week, I went through the bathroom cabinet and tossed a few things that had expired or I would never use, freeing up a bit of space. It’s such satisfying work!

I hope that you noticed the light and did some satisfying things in January. The shortest month starts tomorrow, and the new photo and ideas for February will be up shortly! <3