My love of movies began as a kid in the 1960s, when Dad took us older siblings to movie night at the PV Hall. The first theatre movie I remember seeing was “The Sundowners”, starring Robert Mitchum. As teenagers, we were excited to go to the Columbia Theater in Vermilion, where Clint Eastwood, John Wayne, Walt Disney films, James Bond, and Elvis Presley lit up the silver screen. Who knew I would become a huge Elvis fan! I loved the cartoons that ran before the feature and the

Food research has proved how important fiber is to our bodies. It is what delays a high blood sugar response. Adding fiber to every meal, increases health benefits, and decreases blood sugar spikes. It is advised that we consume 30 grams of fiber a day. Start small and increase daily, until you hit your target.Flax is one of those foods that we seldom eat, yet it has a multitude of benefits including fiber. When eating flax, it is best to consume the ground flax seed. Whole

It was getting close to supper time, and the wind had died down. Around here, that is usually a blessing. The prairie wind is relentless. It seemed like the perfect evening to barbecue steaks for supper. I stood on the deck looking out over our countryside, feeling blessed. Beautiful green pastures rolled into hills, moderately treed with green poplar, and above it all stretched a blue sky so wide it made a person stand a little straighter. I reached for the handle on the bar

Coconut Haystacks are drop cookies that are fast to make, and they are gluten free as well, making them an excellent cookie when you need some treats for your summer gatherings. When it’s super hot outside, this is a cookie that does not require you to turn on the oven. In this recipe, there is a bit of lard used, and that helps keep the cookies soft and moist. If you like the drier and harder fudge cookie, then use all butter, and no lard. We just celebrated our farm being

Here is an easy work week day meal, it hearty, full of flavour and easy on the budget. The other bonus is that you can create this meal in one skillet. This dish is full of fiber and protein. When the cheese and beans are combined, they create the amino acid profile of a complete protein, plus there is extra complete protein from the ground beef. White beans are full of healthy fiber and antioxidants. Kidney beans are a protein fiber combo that helps stabilize blood sugar. Be

There may be a few of us who cannot sleep at night and sometimes find ourselves prowling around the house like barn cats with secret business. You lie there for a while, staring into the dark, solving absolutely none of life’s problems, and finally decide that perhaps a cup of tea and a piece of toast will restore order to the universe. The trouble is, the moment you try to be quiet, every object in the house joins a marching band. You reach for your sweater on the night tabl

Over the past few months, I have spent countless hours travelling Alberta’s highways while delivering newspapers to our outlying communities. Before taking on this route, I often wondered how so many serious collisions happened on roads that seemed straightforward enough to drive. My thinking was simple: stay on your side of the road, obey the rules, pay attention, and everyone gets home. I couldn’t have been more wrong. After thousands of kilometres behind the wheel, I have

Summer has arrived, and summer is always a great time to make and enjoy home-made ice cream. There is no need to use an ice cream churn with this recipe. The best benefits of this ice cream are that there are no food additives plus all the health benefits of butyrate found in cream. Butyrate helps maintain a healthy gut lining and aids in preventing leaky gut, and gut inflammation. Studies have showed that the consumption of high fat dairy, reduces the risk of both diabetes a

In Portugal often made out of timed tuna and sardines. While the prairies are land locked, we can stock our pantry with a few cans of these fish and instead of enjoying it ocean side, we can sit out side on our deck, balcony or patio and soak in some sunshine. Tuna is an excellent and inexpensive source of protein. Tuna is also a source of omega 3 fatty acids that benefit the heart, eyes and brain. When selecting canned tuna, look for small tuna varieties such as light and sk

When it comes to baseball, Vermilion usually took on teams from the local area. Occasionally, a team from Saskatoon, Edmonton or Lloydminster came out. Arguably the team that may have come the farthest to play in Vermilion were a women’s team from Chiacgo. On Aug. 14, 1926, the Vermilion Senators took on the Chicago Athletic Girls Baseball Team. A huge crowd came out to see the game. It was called the best-attended game of the entire season. Unfortunately, it was a tough game

Did you enjoy your Canada Day celebrations? What are your favourite Canada Day memories? My earliest memories established my excitement for Canada Day for life. My parents loaded us up in the vehicle when we were young and we drove to Maidstone, Saskatchewan for the July 1st Sports Day. We had many relatives on my mother’s side who lived there. It would always be a great reunion as well as enjoying the festivities of Canada Day. We would stay overnight for one night with my a

I recently attended a school baseball tournament where my grandson was playing, and from the moment I stepped onto the grounds, I felt as though I had walked straight into a memory. The perimeter grass had been freshly mowed, leaving that clean, sweet smell that only a ball diamond on a sunny day can have. The fields were neat and ready, their white chalk lines bright against the red shale and the bases stood out clearly on the diamond, marking each stop along the play; first

When it comes to baseball, Vermilion usually took on teams from the local area. Occasionally, a team from Saskatoon, Edmonton or Lloydminster came out. Arguably the team that may have come the farthest to play in Vermilion were a women’s team from Chiacgo. On Aug. 14, 1926, the Vermilion Senators took on the Chicago Athletic Girls Baseball Team. A huge crowd came out to see the game. It was called the best-attended game of the entire season. Unfortunately, it was a tough game

We have entered barbeque season. Along with barbequing meat, some potatoes on the grill are always great as a side dish. This recipe can be oven roasted, or the potatoes can be wrapped in foil and cooked on the barbeque. I have made these several times, and they are always a hit. Even a little four-year-old loved them, because he thought that they tasted like potato chips. Potatoes are a good source of many nutrients that our body needs, including fiber, and copper. Copper is

As it is the second column of the month, I like to take a look at what was going on in the community a century ago. What may seem like minor events all helped to build the community as it is today. On June 4, Vermilion held a very successful sports day. Communities from around the area took part. Minburn emerged as the champions of the basketball tournament when they defeated Mannville 26- 17 in the final. The baseball tournament saw Vegreville win the final against Vermilion

Back in April 1944, news came that the Canadian Women’s Army Corps basic training centre near Vermilion was going to be turned into a Nazi Officers’ Prisoner of War Camp. The training centre was due to close on May 15, and it was believed it would be the perfect location for the prison camp. The Vermilion Centre was owned by the Alberta Government and was previously the Agriculture School before it became the training centre in 1941. The centre was Canada’s first basic traini

Shrimp Benedict is a twist on the weekend breakfast favourite, Eggs Benedict. The hollandaise sauce is always the highlight. It consists of a toasted English muffin covered with cooked shrimp. A poached egg goes on top of the ham and then the masterpiece... the hollandaise sauce that tops it all off. The modern hollandaise is one of the five mother sauces in French cuisine. Like any famous dish there are many variations. My recipe has evolved and developed over time. In my

In the 1970’s, a friend of our family was moving. She stopped at our farm enroute to her destination with all her possessions packed into a station wagon. Tucked in the very back, was a large goose named Charlie. She sadly had to part with him because her new place was in town and apparently came with a strict no-geese-in-the-backyard policy. One of my brothers was absolutely thrilled and instantly they became friends. Charlie loved to chatter as if he had urgent farm busines

Broccoli and cheese sauce is always a hit. You can substitute the broccoli for cauliflower. It is a great side dish and comfort food that pairs well with meatloaf, homemade burgers, pork chops, ham and oven roasted barbeque chicken pieces. Broccoli is a nutrient powerhouse, with a 1/2 cup providing your daily need for vitamins C and K as well as significant amounts of Vitamin A and at least 18 other vitamins and minerals. The benefits of broccoli include: antioxidant abiliti

I have always been captivated by two and three storey houses with a veranda and even as a youngster, dreamt of living in one. There was something enchanting about the stairs that went up to another level, and the world looked different from the panoramic view of the second storey. The ranch house that was originally on our home quarter was one such a house. I was very young but there were special areas of the house that stayed in my memory; the long stairway to the second flo