Hi! I'm Liz. Welcome to my blog. I'm so happy you are here!
On Caramel & Parsley you will find information on gardening in the Pacific Northwest (I am located in western Canada) and include healthy lifestyle tips, especially easy and nutritious recipes.
Caramel and Parsley launched in the summer of 2010 even though I was forming ideas and writing articles since 2009. What a fantastic time it has been and continues to be.
I love my grandkids and our West Coast beaches. Passionate about all things "healthy". Life long learner and asker of "how". An encourager - we all need a little help sometimes. And a sense of humour.
If you are new here, visit my Start Here page.
Gardening as a Child
My lifelong love of gardening began at a young age when I was about 5. I would pick radishes out of the garden with my mom, rinse them off under the hose and eat them on the spot. I would help my mom with our many fruit trees and vines, meyer lemons, satsuma plums, pears, apples to grapes and passionfruit vines, and more. This included giving boxes of fresh fruit to our neighbours each year and preserving.
Very happy memories.
5 Acres in Prince George
In the 1980's my husband and two young children lived on a 5 acre property outside of Prince George. We had a ½ + acre garden which helped feed our family during some very challenging times.
I grew 6 ft sugar snap peas and scarlet runner beans, along a 50 ft trellis at the back of the garden. There were 6 (or 8) very large 4 x 12' raised beds in which we grew a variety of veggies. It was a most interesting time with bears in the compost to moose checking out the "greens" and wolves / coyotes checking out the chickens.
... there are no gardening mistakes, only experiments, and you can learn from those that don’t go to plan.
~ Janet K. Phillips
We also raised New Zealand white rabbits and chickens. My husband would fill our freezer with moose, deer, salmon and more on hunting trips throughout northern British Columbia. We were grateful to be able to live off the land and provide healthy, nutritious meals for our family. Home canning was always a big process every fall.
My Garden Now
Fast forwarding to today we have a 'suburban' backyard with raised beds, apple espalier, fruit trees and raspberry bushes. Plus my beloved greenhouse which is invaluable for early season growing in the colder climate of Canada. I have zeroed in on growing food we eat daily/regularly and in addition preserve locally grown non-GMO corn and beets every fall.
There is nothing quite like taking a bite of a just picked tomato or strawberry fresh off the vine! Also there is great benefit of increased nutritional value of food you grow yourself without chemicals. Check out my gardening articles on how to grow a variety of vegetables and fruits such as kale, squash to fruits like lemons and figs. Or start with one of my latest articles "Top 8 Vegetables to Grow at Home" with my choice of favourites.
I'm still learning all the time! I encourage others to begin "where they are, with what they know" and have fun.
Simple Recipes
I share quick and easy recipes that are all made from scratch, with simple whole ingredients. Many of my recipes can be made with basic kitchen staples and I definitely don't include ingredients you'll spend days trying to find in a grocery store! Many recipes use fruit and veggies I grow in my garden.
"This is my invariable advice to people: Learn how to cook - try new recipes, learn from your mistakes, be fearless and above all have fun."
~ Julia Child
Health History
One of the reasons why I started Caramel & Parsley was after breast cancer surgery and treatment for most of 2008. After this we decided to radically change our diet and lifestyle. In 2012 I had lung cancer surgery and this only deepened my focus on the most simple and healthy food and lifestyle for my family. This continues today having much still to learn and share. "Changes after Cancer - Health & Laughter"
I sincerely hope you find an article of interest and encouragement to stimulate you to make a positive change in your own life. Thanks so much for visiting Caramel and Parsley. My favourite saying still continues to be:
Every day is a gift.
Very best wishes and good luck to you! With thankfulness...
Liz Gardner