"I could never think of education without love and that is why I think I am an educator, first of all because I feel love"- Paulo Freire
The Grand Finale Well, friends, we’ve officially reached the end of this delicious, sticky, sometimes chaotic canning journey. What started as a simple attempt to preserve some fruit quickly snowballed into a full-blown kitchen adventure—complete with jam mishaps, pickling triumphs, late-night marathons, and a thumb fracture (my personal “canning purple heart”). Along the way, I’ve
Continue reading Wrapping Up the Canning Adventure – Jars, Laughs, and a Handy Recipe Book
Week 9/10 (a.k.a. The Forced Canning Hiatus) Well, folks, I’ve done it this time. Apparently, my jar-lifting, lid-tightening, and produce-chopping escapades reached a whole new level of “extreme sports.” Let’s say that canning at the crack of dawn isn’t recommended—no matter how much you love tangy, spicy, sweet goodness. Yes, you read that right. I,
Week 8 I’m using my MIL’s homemade recipe as a starting point because, let’s face it, mothers know their way around a Christmas spread. That’s the pros part: this recipe has been tested, perfected, and likely critiqued by generations past. She’s got the sweet and spicy combo down to a science—cinnamon, cloves, and allspice dancing
Continue reading The Family Recipe Showdown: Mom-in-Law’s Mincemeat Madness
Date: Week 7 It’s officially that time of year—the countdown to Christmas has begun! While most people are brainstorming gifts and decking their halls, I’m deep in my kitchen, surrounded by jars, spices, and a growing mountain of lids. This year, my canning escapades are pulling double duty as thoughtful, homemade gifts. Because honestly, who
Continue reading Blog Post: Tomato Jam and Christmas Gifting Goals
Date: Week 6 Canning and preserving food is often considered a lost art, but there are so many reasons it’s worth bringing back. Whether it’s a way to save a little money, reduce food waste, or add a burst of flavour to every meal, canning has a lot to offer. Plus, I now have a
Date: Week 5 This week, I ventured into the colorful world of pickling beets and carrots. Pickles? Simple enough. But pickled beets? Now that’s a different story—one that left my pots, countertops, clothes and HANDS looking like they’d been splattered with beet-red paint. Turns out, pickling beets and carrots is a whole new level of
Continue reading Blog Post: “Just Beet It: Carrot-ing On with My Pickling Adventures!”
Week 4 Pickles. Simple, right? Well, that’s what I originally thought when I first attempted it a couple of years ago – (curious; read about it here.) From prepping the cucumbers to fighting off a geyser-like explosion from the canner, this pickle-making journey was full of surprises. But hey, if you’re going to pickle, you’ve
Continue reading Blog Post: The Great Pickle Saga – How I Survived Grandma’s 2-Day Recipe
Date: Week 3 After surviving my first sweet and sticky venture into the world of jam-making, I felt ready to take on a new challenge—or, rather, a delicious challenge. This time, I decided to whip up some classic strawberry jam and, for a bit of indulgence, a sundae in a jar featuring none other than
Week 2 It’s official: I’ve taken my first step into the world of canning, and what better way to kick things off than with a sticky, sweet adventure of jam-making? For my first batch, I went bold, choosing not one but two recipes—Saskatoon Berry Jam and Cranberry Raspberry (CraZZ-Berry) Jam. But before I got to
Continue reading From Garden to Jar: The Art of Pretending You Are a Domesticated Goddess
Baseline: Where I Started Before I dive into the details of my journey into the world of canning, it’s important to lay the groundwork for where I am starting from. My knowledge of canning techniques can be summed up in one word: basic. Sure, I’ve heard about water baths and pressure canning, but my understanding
Continue reading Canning for Dummies: How to preserve food without losing your mind (or your lunch)