It's 7 years this April since I had surgery for NSCLC (Non Small Cell Lung Cancer). I have not written an article about my personal health for a while, but as I have been receiving concerned questions as to the status of my current health thought it was time to write an update ... here...
Australia & Climate - An Extraordinary Time
Climate & Australia : is having an extraordinary time at the moment and the last year has been overwhelming. It seems each day when reading the current news there is another climate associated disaster in this "sunburnt country". I have seen some of these occurrences, firsthand, such as the migration of the Bairnsdale flying...
Why Shoot Cow Moose #2
This is a continuation of a publication from the 1980's entitled "Why Shoot Cow Moose". Here are more options for the management of British Columbia's declining moose populations. This guest article was researched and written by Ken Child, Wildlife Biologist. Chemical spraying of wildlife habitat ... an appalling example of ecological destruction wrought by...
Why Shoot Cow Moose?
Recently a guest article was published on "Moose in Manitoba" with videos made in 2018 by Doc Moose, biologist, Dr. Vince Crichton. Today's guest article is the transcript of an article written in the 1980's by Ken Child, Wildlife Biologist entitled "Why Shoot Cow Moose" regarding the status of moose populations at that time in...
How to Grow Your Own Superfoods
Superfoods are a group of foods with extra qualities which help improve human health and prevent some diseases. Depending on which list you read there are differing fruits, vegetables and proteins which are attributed to this group of special foods. We grow, harvest, preserve and gather these nutritious and beneficial foods and have done so for many...
Top Tweets in 2018
The Caramel and Parsley article on top tweets in 2017 was a favourite blog article so here is a repeat exercise for 2018. After a great 2017 on social media it was amazing that January 2018 started out with such a "block buster" tweet from Dr John Yudkin's book "Pure White & Deadly", 1986. All in...
Moose in Manitoba by Doc Moose
This guest article is based on the lifelong work of biologist Dr. Vince Crichton. The short videos are an illuminating insight into the life and current status of our Canadian moose populations. The videos include sights of moose in the wild most of us will never see ourselves. As well we can learn more of...
6 New Year Resolutions for 2019
Happy New Year! Every New Year people collectively make thousands (millions?) of New year Resolutions and evidently only a small percentage keep them. Most of them are related to money, diet and exercise so I am keeping with the trend with all three. The following resolutions are of course all good for you, even fun...
The Meaning of Christmas...
What's the meaning of Christmas? ... Charlie Brown asked Linus this question in a Charles Schulz movie titled "A Charlie Brown Christmas" in 1965. Charlie was fed up with the commercialization around Christmas and asked anyone for an answer to his question and here is what Linus said ... What's Christmas all about ... https://youtu.be/h-_w9xkZE78Video...
Christmas Time is Here Again ...
Christmas is once again upon us as we prepare to celebrate this special season of the year. Here are a few of the most popular articles written over the years including many ideas for spending time with family and friends. Plus great ideas for making eco-friendly gifts and sharing with those far away. A short article...
Nutritious Healthy Organic Eggs & Recipes
Nutritious, wholesome organic eggs on the daily menu for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Here is a little background on organic BC SPCA fed chickens and their eggs as well as a few family recipes and health benefits of the "impressive" egg - and yes there is a difference between organic and non organic eggs ... Whats special about Organic Eggs : There...
3 Environment Articles & Our Changing Times
The environment is such a wide and varied topic today as there is so much happening. News headlines cover violent climate and weather occurrences; global wildfires; air and ocean pollution and species extinction. Here are 3 diverse articles ranging from our dwindling Fraser River salmon runs to the incredible record-breaking wildfires in British Columbia in 2017 and...
Tasty Homemade Soups from Scratch
Soup Time! It's a busy Fall in the garden and kitchen and time for homemade soups from the abundance in the local fields. There is simply nothing more enjoyable than your own soup from scratch. It may take a little longer to cut or puree the vegetables ie pumpkin but your family will thank you....
Homemade Apple Pie for Thanksgiving
Who doesn't love apple pie? Every Fall I bake an apple pie or two and the past few years used our own chemical free apples from our garden. It is so simple - there is no reason not to bake your own apple pies one for now and one for the freezer as a winter...
Coconut - a Healthy Childhood Treat
Coconut: Is it a fruit, a nut or a seed? As a child growing up in Australia, fresh coconut (from Queensland) was a sweet treat instead of sugar candy and I have happy memories of breaking the outside shell on the concrete driveway of our home, trying not to lose any of the coconut milk....
Grow Your Favourite Vegetables at Home
Growing your favourite vegetables in your home garden seems simple enough, yet every year I always plant too many zucchini which ends up growing like crazy, taking up space and giving away the gourds. Over the past couple of years I have simplified my choices for ease of gardening, and planting only what we use...
The Low Carb Lifestyle - Links & Information
The Low Carb Lifestyle - what's it all about and what is the connection between diseases like diabetes, metabolic syndrome, cancer and heart disease; processed foods and sugar; overall health and well-being? I have received many questions on this subject since posting a few articles on "sugar" this past year. Plus ... the response to...
Why I love Where I live - Beautiful BC
Beautiful BC! One of our all time favourite past times in our spectacular province is going out and exploring new places and areas we have not visited before. Of course we have a few special destinations we return to each year but there is always so much to see and enjoy. "Water & air the...
3 Super Simple Salads for Summer
Here are three super simple fresh salads great any time of year but delicious as an accompaniment for a summer BBQ on the porch, in the park or at the beach. Quick Greek Salad This is always a favourite and is great made ahead. Keep dressing and feta cheese separate to mix when served: Ingredients:...
Invasive Species Watercraft Inspection in BC
The Invasive Species Watercraft Inspection Program is a plan to prevent introduction of non-native species to BC. Recently when heading off for some spring lake fishing we were stopped at a checkpoint on #1 highway for a mandatory invasive species inspection of our boat. The conservation officer explained that there is a current concern for two...
6 Reasons to Change to a Low Carb Lifestyle
Information on the Low Carb (carbohydrate) food (or the LCHF - Low Carb High Fat) Lifestyle is trending and gathering momentum in social media, science and medical fields and increasing public awareness. Recently over lunch with friends we discussed people who have switched and are following this nutritious and remarkable Lifestyle. Prepare to be amazed, often within...
4 Reasons to Leave Kale to Winter-Over
Kale is a major vegetable grown in my home garden along with tomatoes and garlic. Last year 16 plants (4 varieties) were left to winter-over with great success. Here are my main reasons for leaving them in our home garden in the Fall. Continuous Greens Kale is usually the last summer / fall vegetable in...
Turkey Burgers ~ just the way you like them
Turkey burgers are simply the best! Only positive raves about this recipe from family food critics. This recipe falls into my personal cooking criteria of : Mince is easy to keep on hand or in small freezer for a quick meal Economical to buy A little turkey mince goes a long way in feeding family or...
What You Need to Know about Sugar
There is a sugar revolution taking place as many people are changing their lifestyles by cutting their added sugar intake to improve their health. This includes reducing ultra processed food from their diets as a high percentage of all processed food has added sugars. People are continuing to question what they can do to be proactive with...
Strawberries are Good for Your Health
We all love strawberries and now we know they are good for our health. Spring has arrived in the West Coast, BC and the strawberry plants are in full bloom, with picking time not far away. Here are a few ideas on how to grow, eat and enjoy one of our favourite, easiest and healthy fruits...
Creamy Cauliflower & Coconut Soup
Have you ever tried Cauliflower and Coconut Soup? I had not tried any kind of coconut soup until recently when we visited a local restaurant and I thoroughly enjoyed a delightful Coconut and Yam soup. It was quite spicy and I decided to make my own at home but use plentiful and reasonably priced cauliflower instead...
How to Make Non-toxic Beeswax Candles
I started making and using non-toxic beeswax candles (made from Canadian beeswax sheets) many years ago. They are easy to roll using 100% pure beeswax and have many benefits over paraffin wax (a petroleum derivative) candles. Beeswax candles - a natural, healthy gift always enjoyed by everyone for their fragrance and safety. Easy to make so...
An Artist in the Family - George Williams 1910 - 1953
Guest article written by Peter D Gardner * In 2011, my sister inherited a still life of Roses in a bowl, painted by my father's first cousin George Williams. The particular painting was my mother's favourite and had been in her possession for 50 years. She in turn had inherited it from my grandmother Eva,...
If I Had My Life to Live Over
If I had My Life to Live Over: This poem was originally published on Caramel and Parsley in 2010 / 2011 and removed a few years later. During the recent holidays I was deleting articles and came across this poem again by Erma Bombeck and believe it should be included on my website. It is still an encouragement. ...
Changes After Cancer - Health & Laughter
Changes after cancer? Recently after my wonderful news of an "all clear" 5 year CT lung cancer scan I was asked what, if anything, did I do differently in those 5 to 10 years after two primary cancers. What a question! So I have devoted some time to thinking about this and what was important in...
Coconut Flour Pancakes ~ A Must Try Recipe
Pancakes are everyone's favourite! This recipe using Coconut flour has to be tried to be believed how good it is! It is great for brekkie or brunch with eggs & sausages or even an afternoon snack with goat cheese & kiwi. If you follow a diabetic, gluten-free or Low Carb diet this recipe is for...
Top Twitter Tweets of 2017
2017 Top tweets of the year. This year has been unusually busy for Caramel and Parsley especially in the second half of the year. It is interesting how trends and people's interests change over the years. Here are the top tweets for each month in 2017 : Top Tweets for 2017 in Review January The top...
How to Make a Simple Healthy Omelette
An egg omelette is a very healthy, quick and easy breakfast and is also great for brunch, lunch or dinner! This basic omelette does not take long, although made from scratch. Simply increase ingredient quantities for the family for a nutritious start to the day. Omelette Ingredients (for 2 - 4 people) 4 - 6 eggs...
A Winter's Day ...
New Years Day was definitely a Winter's Day in the Fraser Valley after a chilling and very icy few days. Living in the Fraser Valley and northern British Columbia for many years, I do not recall an extended cold weather experience like this with the freezing rain. The icy conditions have caused havoc on the...
2017 A Remarkable Year - What's in Store for 2018
2017 a remarkable year millions of us will remember for a vast number of reasons: many related to changing climate, both here and globally. It seemed like a new disaster occurred each day; the terrible hurricanes in the US; deadly floods overseas and widespread record-breaking wildfires in British Columbia and the USA, and finally devastating earthquakes in Mexico to name a...
A Special New Year Celebration Dinner
New Year is definitely a time to celebrate the passing of the old year and welcoming in the New! A special dinner is always a good way to celebrate a once-a-year occasion. Fresh seafood from our Pacific North West ocean is a marvellous way of using our own freshly caught (and quick frozen) Dungeness Crab....
The Hope of Christmas ...
A guest article to celebrate Christmas ... One Person's Story My heart ached for a hope that would last ... As a child from a broken family I eagerly waited for December, when my mother dragged the Christmas Box from our humid attic and unpacked the mysteries of the holiday. Colored lights. Glistening ornaments. Handmade...
More Real Healthy Food #2
More Real Healthy Food is a continuation of the recent article on Easy to Make Real Healthy Food Here are some of my personal healthy favourite foods. It really is not complicated to put together a quick lunch or dinner to please anyone! A few of my Favourite Healthy Foods Soups are a big favourite all...
Easy to Make Real Healthy Food
What is Real Healthy Food, or more to the point what is NOT. Recently there has been tremendous social media interest in articles on exercise, lifestyle, diet, added sugars and obesity as it pertains to our health. For those looking for a less processed (fast food) Christmas here are a few ideas to balance out...
Lung Cancer 5 Year CT Scan results - 2017
5 year CT scan results ~ this is an incredibly special day. Five and a half years ago I had a Non-small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) nodule (invasive), and one other removed from my lung. More to the point my prognosis at that time was not for the long-term so, for me, it has been...