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I dream of being a farmer.

Yes, really – farming is my dream. I dream of sitting on my back porch, overlooking fields of green, coffee in hand, with the people I love next to me, knowing we have a pantry full of food for another year. After the harvest of course, because anyone who knows anything about farming knows there isn’t much time for sitting during the farming season.

Until the time comes when I can realize my dream, I am very content planting our own garden plots in the backyard. This year I’m going to chronicle the entire garden process – start to finish.

I hope you follow our gardening experience this year. We’d like to show people that with a little bit of money, and a bit of sweat, you can grow a lot of food. You can provide for yourself and your loved ones.

Gardening is just so satisfying.

I’m dedicating a new page on the blog to this year’s garden. You’ll see the Frilly Garden posts go through the blog the same way the everyday posts do, but you’ll also see a collection of the garden posts, as posted through the garden season, on a page called The Frilly Garden 2012. I thought it would be nice to see the whole thing, start to finish, in one place.

I really hope you like watching the garden grow the same way we do. Hopefully we’ll all learn a few things too.

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October is finally here again – my most favourite month of the year. I am always so sad to see it go, and elated to see it come back.

When I think of October, I think of cool nights and warm spices, of crunchy leaves and soft gingerbread, of orange leaves and well… orange pumpkins. October is the month I start nesting for Winter, baking and pickling, and sewing and crafting.

I thought it would be nice to start October with a chat about pumpkins. Not that I think that October is the only month we should concentrate on pumpkins – they are a wonderful and versatile fruit (that’s right, fruit!) that can be used in both savory and sweet dishes.

These pumpkins, used decoratively at our wedding and currently sitting on our front porch and veranda, will be made into pumpkin puree and canned, probably before the end of the month.

Pumpkins and nutrition go hand in hand. Pumpkins are packed full of the antioxidants alpha-carotene and beta-carotene, which are converted by our bodies into Vitamin A. Vitamin A is good for immunity and vision. And listen to this, ladies – alpha-carotene is thought to slow the aging process. Pumpkin Olay anyone?

Alright, back to food. Canned pumpkin found on store shelves can stretch across several recipes, so you can make muffins, cake, pudding, bread pudding, pasta sauce, scones, and creme brulee all from the same can!

If you haven’t tried pumpkin puree, now is the time! If you’d like to try to make your own pumpkin puree, give it a go. It’s really quite easy. The following method is taken from Joy of Baking:

“If you want to make your own pumpkin puree you need to use the small Sugar Pie, Baby Bear or Cheese Pumpkins (approximately 5-7 lbs., 2 1/2 – 3 1/2 kg.) which are sweeter and less fibrous than the larger pumpkins we typically use for jack-o’-lanterns. When choosing pumpkins look for ones that feel solid and are heavy for their size, free of blemishes, cracks, and soft spots. Once you are ready to make the puree; cut the pumpkin in half lengthwise, remove seeds and stringy fibers, and place cut-side down on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 350F for approximately 45 minutes to 1 1/4 hours (depending on size) or until easily pierced with a knife. Then scoop out the pulp and puree in a food processor until smooth. You can then strain the puree through a cheesecloth-lined strainer to extract all the liquid. Make sure to cool the puree before using.”

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I’ve been thinking a lot about lists lately.

I’m currently planning my wedding and training for my first half-marathon, so lists have become a pretty big part of everyday life recently. All of these lists have got me thinking of more lists, including this one, my kitchen bucket list, because who doesn’t need more lists, right?!?

This is my favourite of all of the lists though.

My kitchen bucket list is a list I’ve had written in the back of my mind for a very long time now. It’s a list of kitchen accomplishments I’d like to achieve, dishes I’d like to “master”. It will never be complete, and it will always be a work in progress. Some of these things I’m pretty good at right now, but as with most things, they can always get better.

My kitchen bucket list:

• ice cream (this may always be at the top, as ice cream is my favourite thing, and there are so many wonderful and delicious flavours to try)
• souffle (not yet been attempted)
• cinnamon buns (another of my most favourite things to eat)
• consistently properly cooked eggs in every form
• cheese (no particular kind and every kind imaginable)
• sushi
• kimchi
• marshmallows
• angel food cake
• roast chicken
• pasta and sauce
• mustard
• biscuits and scones
• pie crust
• puff pastry
• french fries
• pizza
• creme brulee
• honey
• wine
• butter
• caramels
• sausage
• french onion soup
• cabbage rolls
• chimichurri sauce
• croissants
• macaroni and cheese
• onion rings
• mole sauce
• truffles
• caesar salad

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I had the pleasure of tuning in to #SpiceChat today on Twitter, hosted by @TableFare and @MySpiceSage. Today’s topic: cinnamon.

Some great excerpts from the discussion:

~ Cinnamon is great in a burger.
~ Cinnamon is an aphrodisiac for men.
~ Cinnamon is great to eat if you’re a diabetic, as it helps regulate blood sugar.
~ Salt and pepper and cinnamon, oh my!
~ Put cinnamon in french onion soup for an entirely new spin.
~ Cinnamon and caramelized brussels sprouts? Yes!
~ Cinnamon has anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-parasitic, and anti-inflammatory properties.
~ Cinnamon is believed to lower cholesterol.

Here are my answers to some of the questions asked:

Q1: When you hear the word “cinnamon”, what foods or food memories do you think of?
~ I always think of making cinnamon rolls in my grandma’s kitchen.

Q2: What 3 words best describe the aroma and flavour of cinnamon?
~ Intense, Warming, Lively

Q3: What are your favourite ways to use cinnamon in desserts and baked goods?
~ Too many ways… oatmeal cookies, bread pudding, with anything pumpkin, with chocolate…

Q4: How do you use cinnamon in savoury cooking?
~ Chili, soups

Q5: What vegetables are enhanced by cinnamon?
~ Sweet potatoes, carrots, pumpkin – many others I’m sure

Q6: Do you have a favourite kind of cinnamon?
~ I was unaware of any other available kinds until today!

Q7: In what kinds of dishes do you use cinnamon sticks over ground cinnamon?
~ Soups and drinks mostly.

Q8: What spices do you like to combine with cinnamon? Do you have any particular blends to share?
~ Chili powder, nutmeg, cumin, cayenne.

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