Fondest food memories

Fondest food memories

Prairie Palate: So many good memories of my mom involved food

I lost my mom this spring. She had Alzheimer’s disease so, in a way, we had lost a great part of her already. It was incredibly sad. I was assigned the task of writing her obituary for the local newspapers. As I scanned the fondest memories of my mom, it seemed so many of them […] Read more

Baked pork chop rice — Hong Kong style

Baked pork chop rice — Hong Kong style

This may look intimidating to make but it is well worth the effort

Editor’s note: Amy Jo Ehman will return. We are happy to have Diana Chan as a guest columnist while Amy Jo is away. Sizzling fried rice and crispy breaded pork chops topped with a flavourful tomato-based sauce and gooey cheese, all baked together in the oven. Gook joo pah fan, or baked pork chop rice, […] Read more


How to talk with your boomer parents

How to talk with your boomer parents

Seeds of Encouragement: Here’s some tips that may be helpful to do just that

As a Hudson Institute Certified coach I’ve been taught to always ask, “How old are you?” This is not rude. This is a helpful piece of information to assess what key issues need to be talked about. Scott Zimmer of Bridgeworks has helped me with decoding helpful language for communication between the generations. Here’s some […] Read more

Yellow Pea Fava

Ring in the International Year of Pulses with this recipe

Prairie Palate: United Nations has declared this for 2016 — and with good reason

Take your pulse. Not that pulse. I’m talking lentils, chickpeas, beans, peas. The United Nations has declared 2016 the International Year of Pulses. That’s something we can celebrate here on the Canadian Prairies, where we grow more pulses than most places on earth. But we don’t eat them, not nearly enough. Almost all our pulse […] Read more


How to prevent divorce on farms

Divorce can wreak havoc and is one of the biggest threats to farm family legacy

A new year of possibilities. My parents married December 27, 1955. My brothers each chose to marry that same week in 1984, and 1990. I, being the rebel got married on Independence Day, July 4, 1981. Wes and I have outlasted Chuck and Di who married the same year, same month. Divorce is one of the […] Read more

Ripe Bean Soup

Resolutions for 2016

Prairie Palate: Because they all revolve around food they are likely to last

It’s time for New Year’s resolutions, and for that I usually look to the kitchen. My resolutions always seem to revolve around food. One year I resolved to eat more potatoes. The next year, to eat more beans. The following year, to eat berries every day. Another year I pledged to make a pot of […] Read more


Carol Schroeder with her artworks.

Preserving farm memories

Home Quarter: Woman uses art and autobiography to do just that

What began as two different hobbies for Carol Schroeder have both developed into successful ventures. Her first endeavour involves using pressed flowers to make items like decorative cards. Schroeder grew up on a farm northwest of Wolseley, Saskatchewan. Inspired by her grandmothers, she loved arts and crafts, including knitting, weaving, painting, sewing and embroidery. “I […] Read more

Increase your fun factor this Christmas

Play, people connections, and photo memories can all increase the fun on your farm

Christmas Eve is eight weeks away as I write this note to you and possibly mere days away as you read this! I am curious if that statement strikes panic into your heart or soothes your soul. Strong farm families celebrate together. I wonder what kinds of intentional moves you could make this year for the […] Read more


Do you have a collection of empty ice-cream pails?

Do you have a collection of empty ice-cream pails?

If you do, you probably use some to fill with Christmas goodies to have on hand in the freezer

My parents never threw out anything that might be used for something else. This was never more evident than in the stack of plastic ice-cream pails leaning like the Tower of Pisa in a corner of the laundry room. No kidding, it’s taller than I am. Growing up, we ate a lot of ice cream. […] Read more

Farm women… love yourself more than your cows!

Home Quarter: Are you tired of being last? Decide what to hang on to and what to let go of

The cartoon featured a man and wife sitting upright in their bed with the man holding a pitchfork and a Holstein cow between them. The caption reads: “Honey you love your cows more than me!” Some dairy folks don’t find this funny, because they see a grain of truth in the humour. The cows often […] Read more