Happy Holidays and Happy 2026!
Stay warm, drive safe and all the best in the New Year!
Enjoy that winter wonderland of snow (if you have any).
I still love it, just not the driving part. 😉
Summer (and Daisies) Have Returned!
Don’t you just love daisies? I sure do.
Summer’s “smiling flower” has returned.
I am now posting mainly at my author’s site where I share seasonal photos, haiku poetry and book promo updates. Groovy Green recipes to enjoy too.
Wishing you a Happy, Healthy Summer, with plenty to smile about. 🙂
Brrr…It’s (Still) Soup Weather!!
It’s been a LONG, cold and snowy winter, here in Northern Alberta. Soup has definitely been on the menu a lot in recent weeks, including this one that was originally published in my first (print) cookbook: Not Just for Vegetarians.
I hope you and your family enjoy a bowl (or two) soon!
Wishing you a Happy, Healthy and Memorable Spring season. It’s on the way!!!
🌷 🌷 🌷 🌷 🌷
Not Just for Vegetarians Scotch Broth Soup
My remake of this traditional family favorite. I’ve tweaked the recipe a bit more recently including the addition of Worcestershire sauce for added flavor and color.
Serves 6 generously.
3 T. vegetable or olive oil
1 large onion, finely diced
4 large carrots, finely diced
3 stalks celery, finely diced
3-4 cloves garlic, finely minced (opt. but adds flavor and a nutrient boost)
1 C. sliced mushrooms (opt.)
¼-1/2 C. uncooked pearl barley, thoroughly rinsed and drained (Adjust amount depending on how thick you like your soup. barley expands a lot so don’t add TOO much)
6 C. vegetable soup stock
2 T. chopped fresh parsley (or use 2 teas dried if necessary)
½-1 teas. sea salt , to taste
¼- ½ teas. freshly ground pepper, to taste
1-2 teas. Mrs. Dash Original Blend OR Spike Seasoning Blend
3-4 T. Worcestershire sauce (look for vegetarian type, if desired)
½ C. TVP – (textured vegetable protein crumbles) (opt.)
In a large soup pot, heat oil over medium heat, add vegetables and sauté for 5 minutes.
Add barley and all remaining ingredients except TVP and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over low heat for 1 hour.
Add TVP for the last 10 minutes of cooking (opt, if desired, for a heartier, “meatier” texture).
Adjust seasonings and serve.
Original recipe from Not Just for Vegetarians by Geraldine Hartman. All rights reserved.
My Fav Season Is On The Way….
Wishing you a magical, colorful and memorable Autumn!
Time to start baking again too. 🙂
Check out one of my most popular bran muffin recipes here if you need some inspiration!
Summer Wishes….
I’d like to be there right now, knitting needles in hand and a cool drink close by. 🙂 Wishing you a Happy, Healthy and Memorable Summer!
Spring Has (Almost) Sprung!!
It’s been a very warm March so far, here in Northern Alberta; spring definitely seems to be on the way.
I hope you enjoy this haiku poem/photo, from the archives. How I love to see that first spring crocus, peeking out from under the snow.
Hope the sun is shining where you are and wishing you a very Happy and Lucky St. Paddy’s Day too!
Holiday Greetings, Fond Memories and a Little Romance!
One of my all-time fav photos from the archives of me and the fabulous Mr. Cheddar that still brings a smile to my day, every time I see it.
Our beloved pets are such a blessing. I have loved each of them with all my heart and they will never be forgotten. Hugs to one and all, on this side and over the beautiful Rainbow Bridge. Enough said, I feel the tears welling up…
As for a little romance, I hope you will enjoy this dream sequence, excerpt from my midlife romance, Third Chapter, Second Chance. This is always a time of year when I especially remember those I have cared about and loved, through the years. Sadly, so many have already passed on. Others, I have lost touch with. Where are they now, have they been happy, were their “roads taken” happy ones…? Fortunately, in my novel, there IS a happy ending, so no worries there!
I am hoping for lots of snow here in Alberta, for our first Christmas spent in the province. Strange but true, I just LOVE snow and missed it a lot during all those “dry Decembers” in BC.
Wishing you and your family a magical holiday season and all the good things in ’24!
Happy Autumn and Upcoming Kindle Promos
My favorite season is on the way! How I love Autumn. 🙂
Here in Northern Alberta the air is once again clean and crisp, with just a hint of Fall in the early morning. A welcome relief, after weeks of the terrible forest fires that surrounded the area and the toxic smoke that went with it.
I have several upcoming Kindle Book promos that I hope you will check out:
-Laughing at the Grim Reaper- FREE- August 26-30
-Regrets: I’ve Had (Quite) a Few-Countdown Deal-August 26-Sept. 2
-Groovy Green Kitchen 1-FREE-Sept. 2-6
-Groovy Green Kitchen 2-Countdown Deal-Sept. 2-9
-Haiku Reflections 1- FREE-Sept. 9-13
-Haiku Reflections 2-Countdown Deal-Sept. 9-16
-Third Chapter, Second Chance-FREE-Sept.16-20
-Haiku Reflections 4-FREE-Sept.22-26
-My Poetic Path-FREE-Sept.29-Oct.3
-Mr. Cheddar’s Meowsings-FREE-Oct. 7-11
-Haiku Reflections 3-FREE-Oct.14-18
The FREE Kindle promos are available at all Amazon sites.
The Countdown Deals are only at Amazon.com.
Happy Autumn, Reading and Cooking!!!
Still travelling….
My travel/moving update, posted today at My Poetic Path. Happy week and stay warm!😊
By way of an update from my earlier holiday/moving post below.
We are still “in transit” right now but leaning towards Alberta as being our new home province, at least for now.
We had hoped to spend some time in Mexico before making a firm decision, but with all the upheaval and violence down South, it didn’t seem like the right place to be, even for a visit.
My heart goes out to the people of Mexico. It’s time for that awful cartel situation to end, once and for all. They’ve apparently made big progress in Columbia in that regard; I hope it is Mexico’s turn next.
I will post more when we do get settled. For now, enjoying some new places, people to meet and of course, lots of snow!!! Love it.
Stay warm and Happy February.❤
Holiday Greetings and Leaving BC
Hope that you have had a wonderful year in 22; in spite of the craziness going on in the world around us.
I’m convinced now that the best path to real peace and happiness going forward is to “carve out” a good personal space to dwell in and dwell on; not just in the physical sense, but mentally too.
When I get too fixated on “the news” and in particular, some of the very bad decisions being made worldwide by so-called “leaders”, it’s easy to get discouraged and depressed. That will continue to be one of my biggest goals, heading into 23. To dwell on “what I can change” and not nearly so much on “what I can’t”.
There is still joy, goodness, beauty, kindness, integrity….all the good things, in abundance, in this world. And all that still gives me reason to have hope and to feel cautiously optimistic.
Right now, the packing goes ON and ON and on…..as we are preparing to leave BC, after living in this province for about 15 years. It’s time for a big change and BC is not the province that it was, even 10 years ago. Very expensive to live here now and climate change that continues to “rear it’s ugly head” each summer with the wildfires raging for weeks at a time. Also, no incentives or perks from the government to stay here, just more ways to gouge us it seems. I have some fond memories of BC but not enough to want to stay; that’s been the case for too many years now.
We are deciding between Northern Alberta and Mexico to move to. How is that for a range of options? They both have their pluses and minuses. Time will tell. We plan to check them both out thoroughly and take some time to get a “feel” for what seems like a good place to really settle down and be “at home” in the best sense of that term.
I wish all my blog readers, past, present and future a VERY Merry Christmas and much happiness in the New Year. Here’s hoping it’s a memorable one for all of us, for all the right reasons!
VEGGIES, YARNS & TAILS 
