Update

 So, it's been a little while since I last posted. I assure you that I have in fact been busy (At times). In the past few weeks Teegan and I have made several trips down to Regina to set up life/job and my garden plot (Pictures below), I have been packing (Move day is tomorrow) and in the last few weeks I have found myself busy making and refinishing furniture (Because one must have something to put a TV on!)

2 nights ago I made some BBQ pizza and I couldn't have been happier with the results (It makes me sad that this was the first time I have ever tried it)!

Once I found out that I did in fact rent a garden plot I started another tray of seeds - even though most of these seeds don't need an inside start, I decided I would give them a head start (Zucchini, cucumber, mint, catnip, etc.).

This sideboard (Which is going to hold my TV), is currently a gardening table allowing my little seeds to get sun all the day long. The sideboard was initially a full kitchen table, but I ripped it down, glued it together and sanded it thinking I was going to give it a coat of paint, but my mother in law wouldn't have it - informing me that distressed furniture is quite popular these days. So for the time being it will look like this.

 

My garden plot is about a 5 minute drive from our new place. I went down earlier this week to plant everything but things took a little longer to get going then I thought. The 2 biggest struggles were getting my plot tilled and fighting the wind (Which did eventually win the battle). I left my plot there to sit until my return (Probably Monday), 10% planted.

Slowly but surely!

Good news - I am pretty sure I have managed to reserve a spot in one of the community gardens in Regina. It'll will be at 45 x 25 foot plot, which will give me lots of room to grow and experiment. Seeing as this is my first attempt at a serious garden I am looking at this year as a practice round! I am going to see if all the weird veg I got will actually grow here (Seeing as they probably has a different planting zone preference). I also want to see if I am going to be able to manage a plot of this size (ideally I would have a number of plots, but will start with one).

As of late my 2 little trays of sprouts are probably get way to much attention, and with a garden my sprouts will be left mostly to there own devices (Which is probably a good thing - I imagine I hinder growth more then I help it along).

Almost all of my seeds have sprouted (Besides the half a dozen lazy pea seeds). I have thinned my Swiss Chard and Arugula and for the most part they are doing well in the bigger cups (I do intend to sow seeds right into the ground as well but this will give me a few earlier rounds of salad.)

My Peppers took a long time to come up and for a while there I thought they were all going to be duds (They are the smallest ones in the peat pellets.
The Basil is growing slowly, but they are quite hardy so I have no nerves about them dying off.
The peas like I said are being lazy. I have 5 out of 10 peat pellets with sprouts. I consulted the website I bought them from and it does say they have a lower germination rate. I am quite excited to grow these little guys.

Beer Butt Chicken!

I picked up a few whole chickens the other day and decided they would be best done on the BBQ. So after a little scrounging I found a really bad bottle of beer (Which will remain nameless) that a previous guest had brought over and left (Who will also remain nameless). I then rinsed out 2 pop cans and divided up the beer into both (Though I did wonder what chicken would actually taste like steamed with a bit of Coke - perhaps an experiment for another day).

I made a spice rub, which contained:

Paprika

Chili Powder

Onion Powder

Garlic Powder

Salt and Pepper

Cayenne Pepper

And Brown Sugar

I found the chicken is quite stable on a can if on a flat surface (Though you can buy holders for 10 dollars a piece - which to me seems steep). I cooked the chicken with indirect heat and tried to keep the BBQ at a temp of 350. Your chicken is done once it reaches a nice internal temp of 180.

The side of potato's (Next to chicken), were cut up into small pieces and tossed in Sumac, Thyme, Salt and Pepper. Once all the potato's were resting in the tin foil I laid a few pieces of bacon over the potato's and wrapped with more foil (The only thing that could make potato's better is bacon fat!). Cook till tender and bacon is cooked to your preference (about 30 minutes or so).

Starting Seeds

Even though spring is taking it's sweet time making it's way to the the prairies (Or so people tell me), a few days ago I  decided to start some of my seeds (Indoors). I have been a little eager ever since I got my seeds in the mail a number of months ago.

I planted seeds into 50 peat pellets - which I now think will be far too many - seeing as I don't have a place to live starting in may (So if anyone knows of a nice place in Regina for May 1st or the 15th - let me know!).

10 Pepper plants
10 Winged peas
10 Basil plants
10 Arugula plants
10 Rainbow Swiss chard

 After 3 days - Arugula are the only sprouts showing up.

Stayed tuned to see where these little guys end up. 

Sausage

15 pounds Pork

15 pounds Beef

30 T curry powder

15 tsp cinnamon

15 tsp salt

15 tsp pepper

3 bulbs of garlic

2 bags of purred sun-dried tomato's

All the spices were supposed to be double what I added (Besides the garlic/tomato) - but to be honest I got a little scared the flavour would become to intense. This way I know I am going to be able to taste everything and if it's a little on the tame side - I will know that next time I can go full board.

My hands a full day later still look jaundice.

Stuffing the cavity with the sausage mix.

While I was busy prepping, my father was cleaning up (sorting) some of his earlier work from the previous day.

Cranking the sausage out has always been my favourite part of the process. Except I remember getting to turn the crank, not guiding the sausage out. Traditions being past on - I guess.

3/4's of the way there.

My Dad showing off the skills he learned a few decades ago (As a butcher). He started off slow but once his hands remembered what they were doing he churned this out in a few seconds.

Getting ready for smoke.

My Fathers smoke house. Which has seen use.

I will add that the pictures were all taken by Teegan who wasn't initially to pumped to come out to the shop for the process. I will tell you that she did in fact thoroughly enjoy it.

The final product.

I BBQ'd some up this evening and I am happy to say that it was good.
Nothing was overpowering and everything seemed to be pretty balanced. Perhaps I would cut back a bit of the cinnamon next time - or add a bit of sweetness but all in all I am content with my product.

Hiatus

For those of you out there who read my blog, I will be taking a bit of a break - most likely a month or there about.  Teegan and I our finding ourselves (once again) in a time of transition, and my supplies and time will continue to dwindle as the month rolls on. So more then likely the next time I blog, I will be back in my homeland of Saskatchewan and hopefully I will be bringing this Ontario weather with me!

Bbq - Baa!

Very rarely do I purchase lamb - In fact I can count the number of times it's seen the inside of my shopping bag on 2 fingers - I should also point out that today was that second finger (Lamb blade chops!). 

I marinaded the 2 chops in a oil, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, garlic, dried oregano and S/P. 

After letting it soak for a few hours in the fridge I decided to brave the -13 temperatures and start up the BBQ. I was a little chilly, but completely worth it. 

I paired the chops with some millet which I ended up cooking and then re-frying with some spinach, cranberries, almonds - seasoned with a bit of cumin and cinnamon - and topped with some goat cheese.

 

I will be buying more lamb!