Chef Pat#3

about me

Hi. I live in SW Ontario on a mixed farm with my husband and 4 growing boys. We grow a variety of edible beans, corn, wheat, oats, and hay. We raise sheep and cattle, a few free-range laying chickens, a few meat chickens, rabbits, cats and a dog. I work with my husband on the farm and our drainage business sometimes, volunteer at the boys school, church, and 4H. I also just started a part time business with a friend of mine - housecleaning.

I love to vegetable garden. Every year I buy too many seeds, grow too many plants and end up with a whole lot of weeds. Last year I made 2 raised beds, and this year I plotted out several small "beds". We will see how that goes. When the kids get off the bus during pea season they will head out to the garden for their snack. That is what makes gardening so worth it to me.

My pet peeve: Oooh this one still gets me. Do you work? HMMMMMMM....yes, I work. I put on a full course meal almost every evening, volunteer more than most, had 4 boys in less than 4 years, do chores, etc. My friends who work at a paying job would often say to me "I wish I were like you and be able to do whatever I want whenever I want" That makes me just growl.

Favorite Foods:

This is tough, because I enjoy almost all foods. My hips and belly love rich fatty desserts. Because we have our own beef, I cook a lot of it. I like chicken better, so we are raising our own this year.

The best meal at a restaurant I had was in Chinatown, Toronto 20 years ago (so long ago - ouch!) It was a little side street restaurant. This was when I was single and would go into a restaurant alone on a whim. The waiter showed me how to eat spring rolls - they were not cooked, just fresh, cold and I can still taste them - they were just so good.

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