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Make your own, healthier sugar alternative Dates have been cultivated in the Middle East and the Indus Valley for thousands of years. There is archaeological evidence of date cultivation in Arabia from the 6th millennium BC. The Date Palm was essential for the people in those regions, who made much use of it – and not just the fruits. The leaves were made into baskets, mats, brooms, and ropes. The trunks were used to build structures, the sap was fermented into wine, and the fruit was eaten. Dates are not 'just' an alternative sugar substitute! They are packed with plenty of nutrients, which make them perfect for adding to our diets. If you enjoy them in moderation (like everything sweet) they can help enhance your metabolism and give you an energy boost. 100g of dates have about 100 calories less than the same amount of industrial sugar! On top of that, they contain a good amount of fibre and that causes the blood sugar level to rise slower than the industrial one. So how to make your own date sweetener and turn dates into paste and syrup? How do you use your dates?

Let me show you what I do: Every summer I can barely wait for ZUCCHINI abundance time. Some of you will probably call me nuts...lol. But Zucchini is such a versatile vegetable....or is it? Well, Zucchini is a fruit which masquerades as a vegetable! Now you may ask what is the difference between fruit and vegetable? It is fairly easy to differentiate them: Botanically spoken: it is the part of the plant they come from. The fruit develops from the flower of a plant and contains seeds. Vegetables are growing on other parts of the plant, such as roots, stems, and leaves. In the kitchen, we tend to separate them by taste and uses: “Vegetables” are generally used in savoury dishes as main or side dishes. Whereas fruits have more sweet and/or tart flavour and are used in desserts, jams, snacks or juices. But sometimes even that is interchangeable ;-) Back to our Zucchini Abundance: I am sure that lots of you know and make sweet and savoury dishes with Zucchini, such as Zucchini Bread (sweet) and Zucchini as a savoury side. Does anyone of you use them in any other way (besides chicken food for winter)? For the past 2 years, I started to pickle them and both my men complained that I haven’t put up enough! So this year I will make ‘tons’ of our BBQ Zucchini pickle with our Garlic Bread Seasoning! They can be pickled just like any cucumber pickle you like! But I will also sprinkle prepared zucchini bits and pieces with a variety of our salt-free spice blends and dehydrate them into crunchy, savoury and healthy chips (I am sure kids will love them!). And last but not least I will crush some of them into breadcrumb size bits and use them instead of breadcrumbs. Dehydrated zucchini, just plain, will be blended into a powderlike consistency to stretch my flour for baking (think zucchini bread). But the powder can also be used in shakes, smoothies and ice creams! Here is a little video for your inspiration: Zucchini galore......what to do with the abundance What are you making with your Zucchini?

Traditionally, red and green pepper jellies are served at Christmas time with cream cheese and crackers. And that is an absolutely awesome counterbalance to all the sweetness of cookies, cakes and other sweet goodies! As well as a nice appetizer for Christmas parties. But there are so many more ways to enjoy pepper jellies throughout the year! And so many more varieties! Here are some of our favourite uses for the rest of the year: You can find the Pepper Jellies we offer right HERE glaze for meat and game: after you have browned the meat well from all sides, 10 minutes before the meat is done, spread the pepper jelly of your choice on the meat and let it caramelize. You’ll have a new and flavourful taste of your roasts rub it on your steak short before it is done on the BBQ and here we suggest any hot pepper jellies. spread it on chicken breast and then 10 minutes before they are done pour some cream on top. We suggest Orange Pepper Jelly with Garlic or Yellow Pepper Jelly with Ginger for a salad dressing combine a little cream and a pepper jelly of your choice, and a little salt and pepper to taste as a dip made of sour cream, mayo and your favourite pepper jelly marinade meat in a mix of your favourite pepper jelly in stir-fries burgers and wraps Wraps Burgers Ribs Tacos coat bacon with Jalapeno Pepper Jelly and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 180° C flip after about 10 minutes and bake until crisp tacos and ribs blend it into your frozen margaritas, here especially the Red Pepper Jelly with Chili use it as a topping for vanilla ice cream, we love the Wheels of Fire with it w spice up your peanut butter and jelly sandwich with Peppery Pear phyllo pastry tarts appetizer on savoury thumbprint cookies, we recommend our “Traffic Light” Pepper Jellies: Red Pepper Jelly with Chili, Yellow Pepper Jelly with Ginger and Green Pepper Jelly with golden Tequila pinwheel appetizer made with a tortilla wrap and cream cheese mixed with any kind of the pepper jellies top a baked brie with it and serve with french bread dip chicken fingers, wings and tenders into warmed pepper jelly There is no end to the possible uses! Let us know your ideas and we will add them to the list!

Sun tea is a wonderful way to enjoy tea in the summer! Sun Tea is a method of brewing tea slowly by using the heat of the sun to steep tea. It is a fascinating pastime to watch the water in the glass jar slowly change colour as the sun works its magic on the tea. Sun Tea is really easy to make and is very adaptable to your own personal flavour preferences. Pick them fresh in your garden, your windowsill garden or wildcraft them in the bush. Play with the combinations of herbs you like. Add flower petals and/or berries for additional colour and taste! Due to the gentle steeping time, the herbs add a natural sweetness to the brew, so most of the time you don’t even have to add a sweetener! How to make sun tea: Add 1 – 2 cups of fresh herbs or 4 – 6 tbsp of dried herbs of your choice to a gallon glass jar. Fill the jar with water and screw on the lid. Place in the direct sun for 4 – 6 hours, or until desired strength is reached. Place in the fridge or add some ice cubes (made from a “left-over” sun tea) To serve: add sliced lemons, fresh mint, and sweetener (honey, simple syrup, agave…etc.) if desired. Enjoy! #triplehhomestead

Spring is finally here! I found the first Dandelions! It is 3 weeks later than last year though. But that won’t keep me from being happy to see my favourite flower again! In my mind I am going over what to do with the expected abundance of Dandelions. Of course I will make our Dandelion Salve and Dandelion Leaf Tea. But the first thing that came to my mind is...........Dandelion Quiche. This hearty dish is my twist on a French recipe for Quiche Lorraine (a tart with smoked bacon and a savoury custard). We have a nice Green Salad with a Vinaigrette along with the Quiche and it makes a nice lunch or supper. The Quiche also freezes well and can be enjoyed warm and cold! Most of the times I don’t get to have it cold because it is gone in no time! Serve a nice red wine with it to make it complete, but our Red Fruit Happy Tea makes a good companion as well! Here are also some variations to the recipe: 1. Refreshing Tomato Quiche Substitute Dandelion Greens with sliced Tomatoes Substitute Garlic Bread Seasoning with Tuscan Herb Spice 2. Savoury Lambs-Quarter Bacon Quiche Substitute Dandelion Greens with Lambs-Quarter and add Bacon Substitute Garlic Bread Seasoning with Cowboy Steak Mix 3. Wild Herb Quiche Add to the Dandelion Greens herbs like Nettle, Portulaca or any other green blend Substitute Garlic Bread Seasoning with Herb de Provence Whatever you choose, let us know in the comments and post a picture! Pst..... please be careful where you pick your Dandelion Leaves! Look for places free from pollution of traffic, dog pee – just to mention a few! So let’s get to it – here is my recipe:

Finally….it’s summer! Or at least what we think it should be. Here in the mid-east of Saskatchewan, we seem to not even have had spring yet. The temperatures are kind of atypical. But that is something we cannot change however hard we try. The plant I want to talk about today doesn’t mind the weather and is flourishing: Lamb's Quarter Since we discovered the taste (yes, it is not an acquired taste) of Lamb’s Quarter, we are hooked! Lamb’s Quarter is known and used all over the world. Ha, when I heard that, I thought: See, it’s not just dandelion!) Lamb’s Quater is also known as wild spinach and that’s one of the ways how we use it. So what is so special about it? Lots of the wild edible greens will become fairly bitter by early summer, but Lamb’s Quarter retains its mild flavour and smooth texture throughout the summer. And we don’t have to worry about seeding or transplanting, it’ll just come again and again. Compared with spinach it takes some of the gold medals: 1 cup of chopped Lamb’s Quarter leaves will give you 464 mg of calcium ( 30 mg in spinach) and 66 mg of vitamin C (8.6 mg in spinach). Additionally, it’s very low in saturated fat and cholesterol. It is also a good source of Niacin, Folate, Iron, Magnesium and Phosphorus, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Protein, Vitamin A, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Vitamin B6, Potassium, Copper and Manganese. Thankfully Lamb’s Quarter grows all over the homestead, so we only have to go a few steps to pick it to have a variety of meals at our fingertips all summer long. The leaves are a great addition to a salad, even in a potato salad. A great summer meal is to steam them in butter with some garlic and onions. Serve them with some hashbrowns and poached eggs (one of our favourite staples when visiting grandma as a child ). The bud and young flower shots can be used just like broccoli. Steam them or prepare them just like you would broccoli. Brown some butter and add some bread crumbs to the butter and top the greens with it. The seeds can be cooked like quinoa, added to smoothies, stir-fries, cookies and so much more.

The biggest thing in my life was the dream of being rich and having a lot of tools to be able to live sustainably. Well....that dream came true, but in a totally different way than I thought it would. I never had lots of money, don’t have today and, I am pretty convinced, I never will! Not having tons of money made me inventive, and taught me not to waste and to see nature, work and life in a different way. Let me start with ‘not to waste’: I talked with a young man who studied agriculture at the University of Saskatoon. I told him that I grow my stuff naturally and was shocked by his response: He said, that he just got taught, that farmers HAVE to spray all those chemicals because otherwise, they could not feed all the people on earth. The very same day my wife showed me a Facebook post, where you could see big box stores throwing out food by the tons. Fresh produce, just on the verge of wilting, not bad and still usable. Canned goods are not even outdated and lots more. When the manager was asked as to why he answered: ‘Because we have to keep the prices up’. Ridiculous!!!!!!! Wasting in nowadays is a huge theme I could talk about for days on end. Our ancestors used everything and many times they repurposed things over and over again before they really became trash! For example: When butchering an animal they used every little bit of it, from the skin (to make cloth, shoes, rags a.s.o.) to the bones (for soup, bone powder as fertilizer, needles, knifes a.s.o.). Fabrics and clothes didn’t go to the rummage sale after being worn 3 times, they were worn for several years, handed down and then became quilts or strips for weaving rugs, or, if nothing else...rags. We all know that plastic is not compostable, but after emptying a yogurt or sour cream container they go to the dump. Why not use it at least 2-3 times over, i.e. as a planting pot for seed starting? No, it has to be a nice, new one – one like the neighbour has or even a little fancier than that – right? Ok – I better stop here, otherwise you really have to read until tomorrow ;-) I know that I am rich even without money because I have learned some old-fashioned skills like gardening, butchering, animal husbandry, composting, canning, and carpentry, just to name a few. These skills help me not to waste and use what I have, and invent things to find new uses as well. Let’s talk about inventiveness! I know you are inventive too! I can see you scratching your head and asking: “Me? No!’. Let me give an example: You go to the dollar store, Michael’s or similar stores, get supplies for $ 1.25 or so and create wonderful crafts, which look worth $100. That is fantastic and it saves money too. In my case I am going a step further and skip the drive to the store - I go into the bush instead! Mother Nature doesn’t charge and only asks to take care of her and doesn’t litter. You will find everything for the next birthday gift for your nephew, the anniversary gift for aunty or the wedding gift for the neighbours' daughter. At the same time, you can enjoy the beauty of nature, the clean air of the tree, the awesome looking flower (not the green, blue or black dyed ones like in stores – NO...the real colours!) When was the last time you took the time to enjoy a beautiful sunrise or sunset? Saw the sun making a dewdrop on a flower sparkle like a diamond? I know I am rich (without money) by enjoying the little things which are forgotten more and more in the modern-day rush of life! Go out and shut your phones off, forget Facebook for a couple of hours and enjoy what is really important. The beauty of nature and the temptations in it to become inventive. It does not have to be expensive! Marlon

Homemade and all natural with Golden Milk Latte, Nourishing Green Latte and Boosting Red Latte What is summer without ice cream? In fact, what is life without ice cream? With this awesome tasting, colourful ice cream you’ll have another easy way to make this cold treat at home without hassle! It doesn’t take much longer than a few minutes, not counting the freezer time! VEGAN VEGETARIAN LACTOSE-FREE GLUTEN-FREE Ingredients 6 Bananas 3 tsp Maple syrup or date syrup (make your own) 1 tsp Golden Milk Latte 1 tsp Nourishing Green Latte 1 tsp Boosting Red Latte fresh seasonal fruits roasted coconut flakes or roasted nuts of your choice a sprig of mint Directions Peel the bananas cut them into smaller pieces and freeze them for 3 hours in the deep freeze. Next, put them in a blender and add the syrup of your choice, and blend until combined. Divide into 3 dishes (i.e. mason jars) and add each latte flavour to one of the dishes and stir until well combined. If they get a little too soft, put them back into the freezer for a while. Before you serve them add fruits and nuts or herbs of your choice as garnish. Enjoy!

As I am writing this, I am sitting outside in the spring sun, enjoying the warmth and the quiet farm noises of chickens, a crow and my hubby working on the greenhouse. It is the week before Easter – an important time for Christians, celebrating the resurrection of Christ and Passover for the Jews – remembering the evening before they left the slavery of Egypt. It also marks the time when we find new beginnings all around us in nature. Here on the Homestead, the chickens roam free again, helping Marlon to till the garden. The seeds have become little plants and greens are showing up all over the place. Did you know that dandelions are not naive to the American continent? The first settlers and pioneers brought them along, for they knew that dandelions are robust and un-destroyable plant, which is abundantly nourishing. The first fresh greens in spring make a wonderful and tasty meal. I can’t wait until the dandelions are out! The first thing I will make is a: Spring Dandelion Salad 1 good handful of spring dandelion greens, coarsely chopped 12 cherry tomatoes, halved 2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced 1 tbsp organic extra virgin olive oil 1 tbsp raw apple cider vinegar 1 tbsp water 1.5 tbsp finely chopped nuts (walnuts, pine nuts, hazel nuts, sunflower seed – your choice) 2 tsp prepared wild mustard 1.5 tsp Tuscan Herb Spice Mix – salt-free 1 pinch of LOVE Sea salt & pepper to taste several slices of bacon from pastured pigs (optional) 1. In a large bowl combine spring dandelion, cherry tomatoes and eggs. 2. In a separate bowl whisk together the remaining ingredients, but the bacon. 3. Arrange salad mix on a plate and drizzle with vinaigrette. 4. Garnish with freshly fried bacon, if you like. Enjoy! Do you have a favourite dandelion recipe? Send it to me and I will add it to our blog to the recipe library. And when I will write my dandelion cookbook, with your permission, I will add it together with your name as a contributor! I’d love to hear from you! Until then my hubby and I like to wish you and your family a Happy and sunny Easter! Yours Sabine

Last Saturday, we had a Homestead Evening at the Wandering Market in Moose Jaw. The room actually gave an impression of our living room with all the wooden walls around us. The menu was a greek dip with freshly baked sourdough bread, a hearty potato soup with bacon and homemade ice cream! We all had quite some fun and could share a lot about homesteading old and new! We surely will offer more evenings like that!