UsedEverywhere.com

Messy Projects Your Kids Will Love

What is it about a mess that is so irresistible to kids? We all have seen kids up to their elbows in paint, mud, bubbles, water, playdough and occasionally, dinner. We don’t seem to have the same urges they do, so what is it that drives them to splash, spill, slop and swirl when given the chance?

Freedom to play, use their creativity, and explore are all good reasons to let kids get messy from time to time. Allowing them the chance to get messy in a controlled setting might also control the number of times they decide to get creative with their pasta sauce or soup!

We went looking for some great ways to let your kids get messy – with your blessing, of course. These are great rainy day projects, or alternatively, consider letting them play outside so you can limit the mess indoors. Young children can make messes in their highchairs, or in the tub, with your close supervision.

Most of the following can be made in your kitchen with a few simple ingredients:

Bubble dough: mold it, cut it, let it drip – great sensory material

Summer snow: fluffy and icy cold, almost like the real thing

Soap clouds: who knew you could create THIS in your kitchen?

Frozen fun: especially great outside on a hot day

Sparkly snow playdough: this simple, sparkly dough will charm your little ones

Homemade flarp or gak: this slippery, sloppy putty is everything kids love

DIY playdough: this recipe has a secret ingredient – can you guess?

Homemade finger paints: easy peasy recipe for brightly coloured homemade paints

What else might your kids enjoy? Try paints, chalk, sidewalk chalk, or letting them play in the kitchen sink with water and bubbles. Anything that offers them a chance to get their hands dirty, to feel the paint or dough or other substance and to manipulate it in whatever way they choose.

Do your kids love to make a mess? What on this list would you try?

Community Angel Car Seat Recycling Project

Working as a community angel with UsedVancouver.com is very rewarding because environmental and human stewardship is the focus. My favourite project is the car seat recycling initiative that includes our amazing community partners Bellies to Babies Celebration and Gibsons Recycling Depot. On May 5th, UsedVancouver.com collected a total of 83 car seats and boosters and then transported them over to the recycling depot to be deconstructed and recycled. The plastic base and metal clips are the main pieces of the seats that are recycled.

The buzz for this car seat recycling project was amazing and parents within the Lower Mainland kept repeating the same comment: “Thank you for giving us a convenient way to dispose of this piece of baby gear that we’ve been saving to keep out of the landfill.” Even parents who learned about the initiative through social media loved the idea from afar.

For anyone interested in hosting a car seat recycling campaign or finding a place to dispose of a car seat, I recommend calling nearby recycling depots to start. Once you find a location that will recycle the plastic and metal from the seats, if a recycling depot receives enough interest from parents, it might see the value in testing several seats to find a common thread of plastic to continue the campaign. Our hope is for future campaigns to include more baby items once they’ve expired or been passed down many times, so they have a place to go and will be recycled. If you think of large baby items, they are usually comprised of several different materials, which makes things difficult for a recycling depot. Once common materials and types of plastics are defined, a broader scope of strollers, highchairs and saucers can be included.

Hosting this initiatives show the importance of grassroots UsedEverywhere.com movements and it’s wonderful to work with a company that so environmentally focused to reduce landfill waste.

Highlights of the collection this year include: most unique drop-off transportation. Check out our favourite two drop-off people that we’ve been calling Scooter Guy and Bicycle Mama. Both were super cool to chat with and we had to take a picture of the unique ways these car seats ended up for collection at Bellies to Babies Celebration:

Scooter Guy

Bicycle Mama

The collection was very successful and we doubled our efforts from last September. The van that was used to transport the seats was packed from floor to roof once we made our way to Gibsons Recycling Depot the following day.

It was an amazing day to tour the Gibsons Recycling Depot (GRD). I highly recommend anyone with children to find a local recycling depot and arrange a tour or field trip. Every time I go to GRD I learn something new. The most amazing part of the depot is learning if personal waste actually reaches a depot, there isn’t much they can’t recycle. Items that prove tough for the depot always go back to mixed plastics, dirty or contaminated plastics and Styrofoam. An example of this is Styrofoam meat trays. Normally Styrofoam can be depleted of it’s air and packed down into small flats that is actually sold to be reused. But this can only be done with clean Styrofoam (from packing boxes of appliances, etc.). When GRD receives contaminated meat trays they can’t recycle them. So do you know what they do? Make planters (pictured below) for people to take/buy from the Depot. Amazing things can happen with waste if it just gets to the right place.

Other sources that are tough to dispose of are mixed plastics where a recycling code isn’t shared. Plastic pots from plants, mixed plastic shopping bags, baby items discussed at the beginning of this article, and many toys cause problems with waste management. The key message I always leave GRD with is to strengthen my resolve to manage my family’s personal waste. Biggest problem being plastic – buy it second hand! Plastic is such a durable material which is why it’s so difficult to recycle. Put that durability to use by listing and buying plastic online. Try hard to not bring new plastics into your life. When we do need to purchase plastic it would be great to have a clear vision of where these plastics will end up at the end of their life. If they are mixed, try to curb the original purchase unless buying used and encourage manufacturers to use a recyclable material. Hopefully car seat manufacturers will understand this problem and change policies to accept car seats back after they’ve expired to reuse the plastic and metal at their own manufacturing plants. But until this happens, UsedVancouver.com is proud to be offering this service to local parents. Grassroots efforts do make a difference and we thank all the people that brought us seats and our community partners for another great campaign!

Share your thoughts with us in the comments area below or visit our UsedVancouver.com Facebook page to chat with us and find out what we’re up to next in the Lower Mainland.

Attracting Birds to Your Yard

The return of migratory birds to our yards and gardens can be a welcome sign that winter has passed us by and spring has finally returned. Some of us wait for robins, while others wait for geese and ducks to return to ponds and waterways. We hear them in the trees through our open windows, and we see them as we start to spend more time outside. It doesn’t take us long to realize how welcome they are once they are back, and to wonder how we can attract more birds to our yard – or perhaps coax the ones we have to stay, and nest.

What birds need:

• natural habitat and shelter (birdhouses or boxes, plus an abundance of trees, shrubs and plants for shelter)
• water (for drinking and bathing)
• nesting material (twigs, sticks, grass, dried leaves, feathers, pet hair, etc.)
• food (natural sources and supplements you might want to provide)

What to feed birds in your yard: 

Birdseed, sunflower seeds, suet (which you can purchase mixed with seeds and/or berries), millet, cracked corn, nectar for hummingbirds (sugar water, without red food colouring, please). Larger birds might like peanuts, popped popcorn, fruit, soaked raisins, or other larger items. Be creative, do a little research, and if you have kids, don’t hesitate to try preparing your own bird food at home. It can be a great project to share with little ones.

Be sure to do a little research to find out what the birds in your area are eating, and ensure if you decide to offer food that you are keeping the feeders clean and dry, that the suet isn’t left out to go rancid and other health considerations. It doesn’t help to offer food that won’t be healthy or safe.

Most birds get what they need from nature, but the more we clear trees and develop our cities, the less there is for birds to eat. If you want to attract them into your yard to stay, it would be a good idea to think about food sources. Well-fed birds will often stick around, and if they do, many will likely nest.

Benefits of welcoming birds to your yard:

Extending a welcome to birds in your yard is good for everyone. Our communities are bettered when we find ways to coexist with the species we are displacing as our urban areas spread. It’s also good for kids to stay in touch with nature, and to foster their interest and respect from a young age. Birds help us and our yards by eating insects that are considered pests in most yards – think of how many mosquitoes some species eat! And finally, our love for our outdoor spaces increases when we engage, connect, and find ways to increase our enjoyment. Kids also tend to love projects that get them into nature, so keep them busy preparing bird food, cleaning bird feeders, building nesting houses and feeders, and gathering nesting material to leave out for the birds.

Birds common in Canada :

Birds native to Canada can vary from province to province. It can be a great family project to track what bird species you have seen with your kids – does it change year to year? Does it vary from home to perhaps your favourite greenspace or camping spot?

Here is a list of all the birds commonly found in Canada, but you could do your own research to find ones common in your specific area. This could be good research for kids who show an interest

Ask your kids to look over your list as the year progresses – which birds are migrating?  Which are staying?

Do you get a lot of birds in your yard? How do you attract them? Do they stay and nest? We’d love to know if you have tips or tricks to share!

Bubble Blowing: Spring Activity for Kids

Most of us remember blowing bubbles as kids. Our memories are full of images of brightly-coloured wands dripping soapy water all over our front steps or back porches and bubbles sailing off in the wind. We competed to see who could blow the largest bubbles, and whose bubbles would last longest before popping. Any of us who grew up to have kids are sure to pass this activity along to them…it’s too much fun to miss out on. It’s also a great early spring activity, when the kids want to play outside and would love some water play but it’s too cold for hoses and water guns.

Tips and tricks:

Ask anyone who takes their bubble blowing seriously and they will tell you that making your own solution at home is the trick that will make all the difference. You’ll get bigger, longer lasting bubbles – and isn’t that the point?

Here is a homemade bubble solution recipe that I’m dying to try.

As simple as bubble blowing can be, there are a few other tips and tricks that can make the whole process more fun for you and the kids. Give kids small amounts of liquid if they want to play independently, and keep a larger container out of reach so adults can assist with refills. If it’s cool out, put your kids in rubber boots as they likely will drip. In warm weather, let them go barefoot. Shop for different types of bubble blowers – small to start, large wands, different shapes or try making your own. Remember bubbles can also be blown in the bathtub in inclement weather or to help very young children enjoy bathtime.

Unique ideas to shake up your bubble time:

A make-your-own bubble blowing station 

Water bottle bubble fun for small kids who struggle to blow bubbles

Can you freeze a bubble?

Beaded bubble wand craft perfect for older kids or a party activity

Reminders:

Bubble or soapy solutions can make surfaces slippery so use caution with young kids standing on wooden decks, steps or other smooth surfaces. I like to let my kids blow bubbles on the grass so there is no risk of falling.

Warn your kids that getting bubbles or soap in their eyes can sting and encourage them to keep their hands away from their eyes and faces. A bucket of clean water nearby or even a towel or clean cloth can be handy if someone crosses paths with a wayward bubble.

Don’t forget to take pictures! Blowing bubbles can make for some great candid shots as kids concentrate on blowing, then break into laughter or chase and reach for bubbles.

Bubbles can be a great, easy party theme for a young child. Their simple but appealing shape can be repeated throughout the decorations, the blowing itself can be an activity for any young children present, and guests can take home bubble blowing supplies as their take away treat or loot bag.

Do your kids love to blow bubbles?  Any tips or fun ideas to share with us?

Used Tips: Tell Us Yours

My friend Deanna inspired this post. I joked recently about buying her some Used angel wings. Seriously, this woman finds everything on UsedVictoria.com. If you need something, just ask Dee, she will find it for you on a Used site. Anything you want. Just ask. It’s kind of a running joke with our friends, but it’s also really useful!

So I checked in with Dee to see what her tips are and I’ve added some of my own. I am guessing everyone uses Used in a different way, so please share your tips with other bargain hunters and environmentally responsible shoppers:

• Bookmark it baby – Dee has UsedVic bookmarked and centre on her favourites tool bar. I thought this was strange, but it turns out about 90% of my friends have the same thing
• Search – it’s an obvious one but remember to search in different ways. One person’s patio set might be one person’s garden furniture set. If you want something specific, be specific. Search for Nissan, but if you know the model you want, search Nissan Altima. Use the advanced search option to narrow down to area, price and types of sellers
• Alerts – You have to have an account to sign up for alerts, but this really is the smart way to use Used. This way you can save yourself the trouble of the refresh button and let those ads come to you. Alerts go by category and can either be sent to you via text or by phone
• Account – Sign up for an account and have access to more special features, such as the alert service explained above. If you are a frequent seller, an account makes everything so much easier, no need to add contact info each time you sell, it’s all set up for you already
• Barter – Dee always barters. Always. I however do not and I should. The worst people can say is ‘no’ and then it’s up to you how much you want the item in order to pay the asking price
• FREE – The Sunday just gone, Dee alerted me to a free ladies’ bike and a free car bed (any mom of a two-year-old boy can likely tell you how coveted these twin beds are!). There she was at home riding that free button and I know she wasn’t the only one, because despite emailing both sellers minutes after their ad went up, I was next in line for both! For tips on finding only free items on Used, check out this interview with Karen Bragg,  a local Victoria woman who renovated her whole property for free! Karen talks about etiquette, which can go a long way with being a successful Used user as well as offering other insights into being a pro searcher on Used
• Wanted – A wanted ad may just catch the eye of the person about to upload an ad for exactly what you are looking for
• Help – Hit the help button if you want to know how Used can work for you. There are lots of tips and FAQs covered on this page
• Social Media – When it comes to interesting and unusual finds, curiosities and collectibles, you can bet your dollar, that our Used team has scoured their home site and will post their finds on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. If you are a serious collector, this is a great way to have an extra alert

How to Spend $1000? Invest in Yourself!

What would you do if you suddenly came into a thousand dollars?

When I was a kid, I used to think a hundred dollars was a big deal, never mind ten times that amount. Now that I’m an adult however, a ‘cool grand’ has lost a bit of its lustre. Don’t get me wrong, a thousand dollars is still a nice amount of money, especially if one finds themselves the sudden recipient; it just doesn’t seem as infinite as when I was a child.

In fact, with credit card bills, utilities, car payments and rent or mortgage amounts due, a thousand dollars can come and go in the blink of an eye. In fact, one can spend a thousand dollars so inconsequentially that just a few years later, it may be difficult to recall exactly where the money went – a sad state of affairs for an amount of money that used to ‘razzle-dazzle’ me as a child.

Now, if you have reckless tendencies like me, you might make the suggestion to go ahead and “Treat yourself! Buy something nice!”. A new iPad? Perhaps a high-end handbag? Maybe even a glorious full-package deal at a spa? These are all fantastic but the joy will most likely be fleeting and again, in a few years, it’d be difficult to recall exactly how that thousand dollars was spent.

Investing is always an option. It’s super easy to funnel a thousand dollars into retirement savings, a children’s education plan or even just a tax-free savings account. Doing any one of these things is a smart move but again comes up a bit short. Inching one’s retirement savings from, say, $28,000 to $29,000 hardly qualifies as fulfilling, memorable or exciting.

Sticking within the realm of investing, the option to gamble on the stock market is always there. This approach is risky but can yield much higher returns on an investment, which definitely ups the excitement factor. However, what I personally found out this year is that a thousand dollars is kind of a lame amount to invest. I made a thousand dollar stock purchase and saw my money grow by about 15% in just a few weeks, providing a pretty good return on investment. What soon became apparent is that in actuality, this meant I only gained $150, which winds up being about half that after taxes are applied. The lesson here is that the stock market is designed, more or less, for those wishing to invest much larger sums of money.

So what to do with a thousand dollars?

Just recently, I came across an article in MoneySense Magazine that asked this very question. While it covered several different approaches, one suggested action really stood out: Invest in yourself. The gist is that should a person ever come into an unexpected thousand dollars, an intelligent use of that money would be to spend it on increasing personal knowledge, abilities or skillsets with the goal of being able to use the newly attained qualities to generate income. For instance, if you’ve always had an interest in woodworking, then you could enroll in a part-time course that teaches cabinet making, birdhouse building or even something unorthodox like intarsia.

The opportunities for investing in yourself are vast and varied. I live in Halifax, Nova Scotia and in just a few minutes, I was able to come up with a handful of self-improvement courses and workshops that suit my fancy. Here are just a few examples:

• Learn How to Keep Bees, $225 
• Photo Manipulation with Adobe Photoshop, $397 
• How to Bake Wood-Fired Bread, $500 
• SCUBA Diving Open Water Course, $350 

While the above are local to Halifax, opportunities like these are almost always available in-and-around towns and cities across Canada. Apart from investing in yourself being a unique approach to spending a thousand dollars, it can also provide an actual return-on-investment. By investing in a skill, while money is initially lost, over the long run a person can actually earn that money back (and then some) by turning the skill into a small business. This can also be a big benefit when one retires, as having the ability to self-generate income helps with financial security in old age. Lastly, apart from the practical aspects of acquiring a new skill set, the other bonus is that investing in yourself guarantees that you’ll never forget when and how you spent that extra thousand dollars.

So, how would you invest a thousand dollars in yourself?

Keep Your Basement Dry This Spring

Why basement flooding happens:

In spring, melting snow and early rains can cause basement flooding – either via cracks in the foundation, leaking window wells or other structural issues. Sometimes a sump pump can fail, or a sewer can back up due to issues with the public sewer system.

Consequences:

Water in a basement has all kinds of negative consequences. Besides the immediate mess and damage to belongings that can be an irritation and expense to clean up, there can be damage to walls and flooring that require insurance claims and renovations. There are long lasting effects of mold and mildew if water seeps in and is not discovered right away. Insurance rates can go up, and property value can suffer if it goes on too long.

What you can do to avoid flooding:

• Shovel snow away from exterior walls if you get a late snowfall or are having a late melt
• Clean out your gutters – this is a chore not to ignore!
• Clear out window wells and check for leaks
• Check your foundation for cracks that may need further inspection or attention
• Direct downspouts away from your home, and add extensions if necessary
• Watch your landscaping and grade – are there issues? Anything you can fix or remedy?
• Check your sump pump to be sure it is working properly, and have it checked periodically

Be prepared:

• Check your insurance policy – what’s covered? What’s not? Do you need additional coverage? Now is the time to ask, not later
• Check your storage and belongings – what do you store in your basement? Is there a better place for these items? Paperwork, memory boxes, keepsakes, important documents – all of these should be safely stored above the reach of potential water damage. Move or rearrange your storage in case the worst happens
• Keep contact numbers handy. Having a recommended plumber’s name and number at hand will be a relief, as will having your insurance documents and contact information close at hand. Don’t be trudging through water to open filing cabinets to look for this info. Put them in your phone or put the wallet cards in your wallet – whatever system will work for you
• Keep an inventory of your belongings, especially the most valuable or expensive. A list of what you own, the value of each item and the receipts for the most valuable would be immensely helpful in the event of an insurance claim

What else can you do?

If you live in a very flood-prone area, you could carefully consider the furnishings you choose for your basement as an extra precaution. If you build a home or develop the basement, choose flooring that can be easily cleaned after being wet. Ensure that furniture has legs or some elevation to keep your belongings off the floor. Build shelving to keep your possessions from getting soaked every time water seeps in.

Consider rallying with friends or neighbours in flood-prone areas. Let people know you are willing to help out or come to their aid if the worst happens and ask if they will do the same for you. If you end up with a wet basement, wouldn’t it be great to have a few people to call who can help support you, bring supplies and assist in the clean up? Or at the very least, if you have kids, take them off your hand for a few hours while you clean up and deal with the water? In this day and age, it’s easy to forget to be neighbourly…but having friends and family to help in a crisis can make all the difference.

Have you ever trouble with water in your basement?

What caused it? What did you do? Any tips to add to our list?

Top 5 Uses for Coconut Oil in Your Bathroom

Coconut oil is one of the most talked about oils to cook with but did you know it’s benefits for your skin, hair and teeth?  If this is the first time you’re hearing about coconut oil health benefits – it’s because of the fatty acid composition; the oil contains a high concentration of medium-chain saturated fatty acids like lauric acid. These are easily digested and fight bacteria, viruses, etc. To fully reap the benefits of coconut oil, select unrefined oil to bypass chemicals in the processing. Unrefined oil is processed by mechanically pressing the coconut meat soon after picking so it retains the compounds naturally present. Once you have selected an unrefined coconut oil – here are my favourite five uses for personal care:

Makeup Remover

Coconut oil magically melts away stubborn mascara and makeup. Add coconut oil to a dry cloth or Q-tip and remove makeup.

Facial Wash

When I ran out of store bought face wash last month I decided to try coconut oil to wash my face. I mix my coconut oil with a bit of baking soda to give it some abrasion then I apply with dry hands to my face and wash clean with water. I’m completely hooked and love how soft my face and lips feel after using! All store bought facial cleaners contain water and therefore require preservatives to ensure shelf life. Avoid these chemical preservatives with using this technique to wash and moisturize your face.

Tooth Polish

Have you heard of oil pulling? It sounds complicated – don’t let that stop you. All you need is a spoon and coconut oil. Think of it as oil swishing! You put approx. 1 tablespoon of coconut oil on a spoon, put inside your mouth, wait for the oil to melt into liquid form, then swish through your mouth (mixed with saliva) for 20 minutes. Don’t swallow the oil, swish for 20 minutes and then spit into the toilet. I promise you’ll feel like you just got home from the dentist. I’ve incorporated oil pulling into my morning routine and love how it whitens my teeth and removes plaque. Other benefits with dental care is coconut oil facilitates absorption of calcium by the body, so it helps in getting strong teeth. Coconut oil also stops tooth decay and whitens teeth.

DIY Deodorant

Aluminum-based compounds are used as active ingredient in antiperspirants. So I set off to make my own deodorant many years ago expecting it to be difficult and expensive. I was wrong and have used this 3 part ingredient recipe every since.

Ingredients:

5-6 Tbsp Coconut oil
1/8 cup baking soda
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons arrowroot powder or cornstarch

Combine equal portions of baking soda & arrowroot powder. Then slowly add coconut oil and work it in with a spoon until it maintains the substance you desire. I keep the ball of deodorant in a sealed jar, wrapped in parchment paper so I don’t get my hands sticky when applying. Store in a dark cool area of the bathroom so it won’t melt on hot, sunny days.

Hair Conditioner

Do you have dry ends or dry scalp? Coconut oil is one of the best natural nutrition for hair. Adding coconut oil to the ends of dry hair produces a beautiful shiny effect. It is effective in reducing the protein loss for hair and it’s my favourite part of maintaining long hair. After my hair is washed and dry, I add a quarter sized amount to my hand, rub into liquid form and add to hair ends. It can also be used as a slicker for fly away pieces of hair.  Also when your scalp gets itchy from dry skin – rub coconut oil into your scalp before bed. It will sooth itching and heal dry skin.

The best part of starting to incorporate coconut oil into your personal care regime is you’ll keep finding more ways to use it. It’s also very empowering to replace store bought products with ones you can make yourself because it ensures you know the ingredients you are applying to your family’s skin and body. A high quality unrefined coconut oil is pricey, but one jar goes a long way so the cost savings long-term are significant.

Get a Head Start: Starting Seeds Indoors

Spring is a funny time of year in Canada. Some areas enjoy early warmth and see grass greening up and flowers in bloom very early. Others wait, usually impatiently, through cold temperatures and even snow until April or May. Conversations between these two groups are often spirited and filled with teasing. Who doesn’t love to talk about the weather?

If you are shivering in the cold, you may not realize there are those getting a head start on their gardens by sowing seeds for some plants inside. Yes, if you check your reference guides, starting seeds indoors can begin as early as February/March in warm areas and in April/May in cooler climates.

What a great way to start getting excited for spring and put the winter behind us!

Starting seeds indoors:

In cool areas like the prairies, now is a great time to start seeds indoors. How to know which are good choices? Look for vegetables that can tolerate transplanting, and that might benefit from a longer growing season. You can also start annual flowers from seed as well, while perennials are trickier and need a couple of seasons to establish and bloom. Try vegetables like: Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cabbage, onion, cauliflower, peppers, tomatoes, celery, and eggplant. You could also try flowers like: nasturtium, lobelia, nicotiana, and cosmos.

Sowing seeds directly in soil:

In temperate areas like Victoria and Vancouver, it is already safe to be planting seed directly into the garden. In cooler areas such as the prairies and more northern cities, it is best to wait until early May before sowing seeds in the ground. This type of sowing is best suited to vegetables like: peas, beets, greens (spinach, lettuce, mesclun), carrots, garlic, turnips, rutabagas, kale, parsnips. These are all vegetables that can tolerate the cool soil, the cool temperatures and are often more successful sown directly in the soil than transplanted.

Supplies and equipment:

You probably have most of what you need to get started in your garden, and anything you are missing can be purchased at your local home centre. If you are just starting out, check your local UsedEverywhere site for deals. You might find someone clearing out their garage or garden shed – a great opportunity to save yourself some money. In the spring you may also find people giving away seeds they have collected, or even selling young plants they have started themselves. This can be a great way to add interesting plants to your garden. You’ll need simple garden tools, seeds, potting soil, peat moss, other amendments, peat pots or seed trays, and a sunny spot if you are starting seeds indoors.

Resources:

It is easy to find information online to guide you in your gardening plans. Here are a few links to get you started, but you can search for planting information in your area, or on specific plants/seeds:

Farmer’s Almanac – Frost Chart for Canada

Planting dates for Victoria, BC

Planting dates for Calgary, AB

Planting dates for Saskatoon, SK

Planting dates for Toronto, ON

Planting dates for Charlottetown, PEI

Now go start planning how to get a little green going in your life!  It’s a great way to enjoy spring even in the very early days, and you’ll be pleased later when your garden benefits from your extra efforts.

Do you start seeds indoors? Wait until you can sow them outside?

What has given you the best results?

Bubble and Squeak and Other British Delights

When I saw my fellow blogger Carly’s last post on leftover veg, I was pretty excited. ‘She is going to mention bubble and squeak’ I thought, but of course there was no mention of this British dish! I’m sure most Canadians have never even heard of it!

I call bubble and squeak a delight because I can’t call it a delicacy! Bubble and squeak is a dish made from leftover vegetables, specifically from a traditional English roast dinner. You fry up your veggies with mashed potatoes or crushed roast potatoes and usually serve with breakfast or brunch. The name bubble and squeak comes because the dish does just that as it is fried up.

In the earliest know recipes bubble and squeak was fried up with either leftover meat or whatever meat you were planning on having for breakfast, but nowadays this isn’t the case and your meat is always on the side.

Here is a simple bubble and squeak recipe for you to try, but to be honest, this really is as easy as throwing everything in a pan with some butter:

Ingredients:

• 4 tbsp butter
• Any leftover vegetables, cabbage, swede, carrots, peas, Brussels sprouts, finely chopped
• ½ cup onion, diced
• Leftover mashed potato or roasted potatoes crushed up
• Salt and pepper