Beet Borscht Recipe

September in Saskatchewan has been amazing thus far. Not only because it has been over 30c for the past week but also because we have been harvesting and eating the food from our garden. Our garden has been so productive this year that we are struggling to find things to make with our food before it goes bad. As a result we have been canning and jarring a bunch of different recipes so that we can have garden goodness throughout the cold long winter. This borscht recipe, which is a recipe from my grandmother Sophie, is the most delicious soup ever and almost every item is from the garden. So, if you are still looking for healthy ways to preserve your garden vegetables, I suggest you give it a try!!

Borscht Recipe
1 onion
1 small cabbage
beats
carrots
peas
beans
1 pound fresh tomatoes or 3 large cans of tomatoes
1Tbsp vinegar
1 Tbsp white sugar
1 large hand full of fresh dill


1. Chop onion and cabbage into small pieces and fry in butter or olive oil until cooked thoroughly
2. Chop remaining vegetables into bite sized pieces and add into pot. There is no set amount of vegetables so you can decide how much you want to add, based on what you like best.
3. Add tomatoes into pot and then add enough water into the pot to cover the vegetables.
4. Simmer until the vegetables are cooked and then add vinegar, sugar, dill, and salt and pepper to taste
5. Add a dollop of sour cream on top of each bowl and serve!


Enjoy!! Have a happy weekend!!


XOX,
Karen




P.S - If you are looking for more healthy recipes you should check out my friend Erica's blog -Organic Chatter!! She is a naturopath is training based out of Sydney Australia and has tons of good advice and recipes to offer!! 

Home inspiration: a sweet swedish cottage

Last year, we bought a cute, little house on the prairie and ever since we have been renovating it. Since we are only here in the summer, my design inspiration was a Swedish Summer Cottage and so far I love how our renovations are turning out. We still have a long way to go, as we are doing everything ourselves but I promise I will post some updated photos soon. In the mean time, I love everything about this sweet little Swedish cottage featured on design haven. I hope someday that our little cottage has this cozy yet modern feeling!!

Love,

Karen

Gardening Chic

If there is one thing I absolutely love about my little house on the praire, it is my garden. There is something so gratifying about planting the seeds, watering them, nurturing them, and finally harvesting the produce.

There are so many advantages to growing your own garden. First, you have the choice to decide whether you would like to use organic seeds and also the ability to not apply chemicals, the combination of which will result in produce that is way more organic than the produce you can buy in the store and for a fraction of the price. Second, you will know exactly how your food was grown and where it came from. Third, since most of the food in Canadian grocery stores comes from the sourthern states, Mexico or even South America, you will save our environment by not buying foods that have been trucked in from far away and emit tons of pollutants along the way. Fourth, many of the people producing our foods in Mexico, Canada and the Unites States are not paid fair wages and work in unsafe conditions. By growing your own food you can protest their inhumane working conditions. And finally, it is fun!!! The benefits are endless so if you have the space and have never tried it, I suggest you do!!!

Even though I know that nobody is watching, I love wearing pretty sundresses while I work in my garden. This would be my ultimate gardening outfit this summer!!! Lots of bright colors, lots of flowers and of course the Alex Monroe Bird pendent for that little bit of nature's inspiration!

Dress: Topshop

Clogs: Swedish Hasbeens

Flower Hair Accessory: Kate Spade

Floral Earrings: Tillys.com
Necklace: Alex Monroe

Sunhat: Melissa Odobash

watering can: Crate and Barrel

Love,

Karen