Comfrey
It’s everywhere, taking over gardens and impossible to get rid of and I think I know why. I think it’s the universe knocking us up side of the head saying “for Pete’s sake, notice this plant, it is amazing!” It has been used for over 2000 years for ulcers, wounds, muscle soreness, bruises, rheumatoid arthritis, varicous veins, gout and fractures, rashes, scars and the list goes on and on. This past Fall my Aunt Joanne shared that she had Comfrey taking over her garden and I was welcome to take as much as I liked. Yay! So I decided to start with an Herbal Infusion. This is made by...
Read MoreThe Fours Secrets of Successful Soil Building
This year many of us went back to our gardens to grow more food in the face of an uncertain future. Since plants constantly remove nutrients from the soil, if these nutrients are not replenished, plant health in your future crops will be jeopardized. Your garden will never be as good as it was the year before. So here are my four secrets of successful soil building. Secret Number One: Compost is the gardeners’ version of humus, but it is produced much more quickly. The quality of compost as an organic soil additive depends on the residues from which it is made, as well as the extent to...
Read MoreCovid and me made for a very strange year
The happenings of 2020 will forever be a period in time that will be with all of us forever. No one escaped from the world wild mayhem that was created by Covid-19, obviously some more than others.I am so fortunate, that to date I, and those that I care about, have not become a victim and thereby a statistic of this disease. I live in Chemainus which has become my cocoon from the daily horror stories being faced by the rest of the world. Being a mother, a grandmother and the publisher of Island Woman Magazine.ca has caused me to experience the mental stress and pain caused by Covid-19 ...
Read MoreThis is a twist on a classic Christmas dinner.
I love it because most of the prep can be done in advance and carving the galantine is a snap. So easy and so festive. You can serve the galantine with cranberry sauce if you like. Galantine of Chicken This recipe sounds complicated and it is certainly not for the faint of heart. However, the final results are sensational and look very impressive. While complicated to make, the final cooking and carving are very simple. 2 large whole chicken breasts, keel bone removed, skin attached, trimmed of any excess fat Salt and pepper Place the 2 breasts on 1 large piece of plastic wrap and then cover...
Read MoreAncient Healing Wisdom – Energy Space Clearing
Did you know that your energy, the energy of others and of events can settle into your home, office, even the earth? As we move through these days of Covid and so many of us are staying in our homes, our energy is collecting and pooling around us, with the potential to become stagnant, blocked and even emotionally toxic. Living in close proximity to each other over long periods of time can strain even the healthiest relationships. If you’re finding yourself feeling overwhelmed, despondent, touchy, irritable or under the weather, the solution could be to move those blues with a vigorous...
Read MoreNational child-care system
Liberals have promised to make a long-term spending commitment to create a national child-care system A new report estimates that hundreds of thousands of women could get back into the labour force if the Liberals follow through on a pledge to create a national child care system. The paper to be released Wednesday makes the case that federal spending to create a national program would “pay for itself” in the form of extra income tax, extra spending and reduced social costs as more parents entered the workforce. There is also the potential for tens of thousands of construction jobs as new...
Read MoreFinding Commonality In the Big Picture
In my last contribution to Island Woman I wrote the following: “This is a unique time on planet Earth where the people of the earth are sequestered in their homes. This is creating an extremely powerful field of commonality which is conducive to opening our hearts to one another and to the planet. The transformation is meant to be uplifting …” Usually I flow through the moments of distancing, and mask wearing with ease and acceptance, following the way things are unfolding. Then occasionally I find myself slipping into a sort of contraction, where the events occurring in the world...
Read MoreCelebrate B.C. Women Entrepreneurs with #WEcreateBC
Online campaign will run until Women’s Entrepreneurship Day VANCOUVER, OCTOBER 28, 2020 – The inaugural #WEcreateBC campaign launched this week to celebrate the impact that women entrepreneurs have in creating businesses, jobs, connections, and communities in British Columbia. The campaign is a joint effort between Women’s Enterprise Centre (WEC) and Forum for Women Entrepreneurs (FEW) and will culminate in a virtual toast on Women’s Entrepreneurship Day on Thursday, November 19. “Women entrepreneurs play a key role in the economic success and recovery of our province, and they...
Read MoreSlow roasted duck legs,
quinoa, glazed carrots, pear and ginger upside cake I love duck. It is so rich and flavourful and this is the perfect dish for fall. Full of great flavours and hearty enough to warm the soul when the weather starts to turn cooler. This is also a great dish to cook on a workday as you can start the cooking first thing in the morning and leave the duck cooking all day. When you get home, you just need to finish the sauce and the side dishes. If you don’t want to leave your oven on all day, you can reduce the cooking time and increase the temperature – say 350°F for 2...
Read MoreRonna-Rae Leonard,
BCNDP Candidate for Courtenay-Comox I was proud to serve as part of the first government caucus in BC that was 50% BCNDP women, with 50% of the Ministers being women. Women need to see other women in leadership positions, who can and will reflect our lived experiences in setting policy to make a more equitable world. I have been inspired by other women in politics to rise above the undercurrent and overt sexism that runs throughout society, to give voice to the needs of women everywhere; and I am proud to be part of Team Horgan, to seek re-election to continue the work of government to see...
Read MoreSheila Malcolmson
BC NDP Candidate for Nanaimo I am running for re-election because I love my community, love the coast, and want to keep fighting for it. After 16 years of BC Liberal cuts to services, schools, seniors care, and tax holidays for the wealthy and well connected, the NDP has been working hard to build BC back up. We’ve made a lot of progress for Nanaimo the past three years – investing in childcare, care homes and the hospital here, for example. We’ve advanced reconciliation with Snuneymuxw First Nation. There is still more to do and the BC NDP will keep supporting people...
Read MoreThis recipe is for a full blown Greek meal.
We start with a flambéed cheese dish – Saganaki. Followed by a main course of slow cooked leg of lamb served with rice and a Greek salad followed by a classic dessert of Ekmek. Saganaki 2 small packages of Saganaki cheese (can be found in the cheese section of good grocery stores or in specialty shops) – 110 gm each Flour as required Oil as required Dust the cheese lightly with the flour. Heat the oil in a large enough pan to hold both slices of cheese at the same time. As soon as the oil is smoking hot, add the cheese and cook on one side. Carefully flip and cook on the opposite...
Read MoreThe 2020 Provincial Election .
Island Woman Magazine will actively support and encourage all the women candidates on Vancouver Island that will be running in the upcoming October 24th 2020 provincial election. We invite the candidates initially to send us biographies of who they are, and why they are running for office. We encourage them to state their values and their vision of what needs to be done to ensure that we can maintain and improve the quality of life that we enjoy here on Vancouver Island. Most importantly, we ask them why we should vote for them. During the campaign we will post the details of any meetings...
Read MoreForces of Nature
My mother visits twice a day, at 11:11, since the day she died, 20 years ago. My father comes to me in the guise of a Hummingbird, at least once a day, if not more. There was a Hummingbird on the sign they put on his room the day we took him off life support, almost a year ago. I was already relating him to the Humming Birds who were fliting around my place in such numbers in his final weeks. When I asked the nurse why the Humming Bird sign was on his door she was quiet at first, as if deciding what to tell me. She chose honesty, for which I was grateful. “It’s to tell the staff not to...
Read MoreTo Break Through We Have to Break Down
I have felt a certain kind of interest and excitement since the first moments of hearing about the Covid -19 virus. Being aware of it gave me a certain tingling in my body and my soul. My heart reached out to the expanding movement of the virus, recognizing a certain sureness that it had come into our lives as a teacher and guide. An agent that would lead us into something that we badly needed, something that could no longer be avoided. A rendezvous with human evolution physically and spiritually. (Please don’t be shocked or surprised by this at first glance. I will explain.) My...
Read MoreIf you’re thinking about building a website
getting more online traffic, outsourcing, or growing your business then don’t forget to join us for one of our free webinars! , August 27 [This Thursday!] | How to Plan and Launch a New Website September 10 | Export Ready: Resources to Grow Your Business Outside of BC September 15 | Privacy: How to Outsource Work While Keeping You and Your Customers Safe September 17 | How to Get and Grow Your Website Traffic: The Basics September 21 | Finding and Bidding on Opportunities with the Government of Canada Please see below for more information and feel...
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