SHIFTING ROOTS

home, garden, food, and prairie lifestyle

  • About
    • Contact
    • Work With Me
    • Features
    • Privacy Policy
  • Blog
  • Gardening
    • How to Start a Garden: Especially if you’re in Zone 3 or Zone 2
    • Seed Starting
    • Vegetable Gardening
    • Perennials
    • Cut Flowers
    • Small Space Gardening
  • Recipes
    • Canning
    • Preserving
    • Prairie Fruits Cookbook
    • The Best Pumpkin Recipes
    • How to Make a Tempting Christmas Cookie Tray (Plus Recipes!)
  • Popular Posts
  • E-Books
    • Pretty & Practical Garden Planner
    • Cut Flowers Made Simple
    • Constant Colour Perennial Garden
    • Small Garden, Big Harvest
    • Growing Roots Online Gardening Course
    • Frost Proof Flower Garden
    • Bouquets Made Beautiful
    • Savvy Seed Saving Annual Cut flowers
    • Prairie Fruits Cookbook
    • Online Gardening Consultations
  • Seasons
    • Christmas

The Cutest Fall Themed Edible Tic Tac Toe Game for Kids

October 2, 2018

Who doesn’t love a game of tic tac toe?  Keep the kids in your life entertained with these adorable fall themed edible tic tac toe desserts.  They’re perfect for a fall carnival, Halloween treat, or a fun Thanksgiving snack.  Not to mention its a good dinner table activity to keep the kiddos occupied until dinner is served!!

No more “Moooooom, is it ready yet?” for you.

It's the night before your kids classroom Halloween party, what fast and easy sweet treat can you make?  This easy edible fall tic tac toe dessert.  Pumpkin candy, icing, graham cracker, and you're done!  So cute for toddlers, kids, and schools. #halloween #treats #fast #easy #nobake #kids #toddlers #recipe #desserts #party

[Read more…]

Kristen Raney

Kristen is a former farm kid turned urban gardener who owns the popular gardening website, Shifting Roots.  She is obsessed with growing flowers and pushing the limits of what can be grown in her zone 3b garden.  She also loves to grow tomatoes, but oddly enough, dislikes eating them raw.

www.shiftingroots.com

Leave a Comment
Filed Under: Halloween, Recipes, Simple & Easy Tagged: Autumn, classrooms, edible, fall, fun, Halloween, Kids, party, simple and easy, Thanksgiving, tic tac toe

Pumpkin Seed Brittle: A New Twist on an Old Classic

October 1, 2018

Don’t throw away those pumpkin seeds from your jack-o-lanterns or your last recipe of pumpkin puree!  You can combine those delicious pumpkin seeds with a few simple ingredients to make a fall take on the the Christmas classic, peanut brittle.

It’s also really similar to a dessert that Costco sells, so if you’re addicted like I am, make this instead and save yourself a bit of money.  One batch whips up in about 20 minutes, not including time for hardening.

Spiced pumpkin seed brittle is a fun fall twist on classic peanut brittle. It's an easy dessert recipe that you can make for homemade gifts, cookie exchanges, Christmas baking, Thanksgiving, and more! #pumpkinseed #peanutbrittle #Thanksgiving #pumpkinrecipes #fallrecipes #dessert #sweettreats #cookieexchange

[Read more…]

Kristen Raney

Kristen is a former farm kid turned urban gardener who owns the popular gardening website, Shifting Roots.  She is obsessed with growing flowers and pushing the limits of what can be grown in her zone 3b garden.  She also loves to grow tomatoes, but oddly enough, dislikes eating them raw.

www.shiftingroots.com

Leave a Comment
Filed Under: Baking, Christmas, Halloween, Recipes Tagged: Baking, Christmas baking, cookie exchange, fall baking, gift exchange, homemade, pumpkin brittle, pumpkin seeds

Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip Muffins

September 27, 2018

Can’t get enough of everything pumpkin spice?  Me neither!  Call me basic, but once September rolls around I just can’t get enough of pumpkin flavoured goodies.

These chocolate chip pumpkin muffins are sort of healthy, great for lunches and after school snacks, and just plain delicious!

Fall tastes like these easy pumpkin muffins with chocolate chips!  You've got to try this healthy, deliciously moist, from scratch recipe now!  Perfect for Thanksgiving, Halloween, and after school snacks. #pumpkin #chocolatechips #muffin #recipe #fall #autumn #snack #Thanksgiving #Halloween

[Read more…]

Kristen Raney

Kristen is a former farm kid turned urban gardener who owns the popular gardening website, Shifting Roots.  She is obsessed with growing flowers and pushing the limits of what can be grown in her zone 3b garden.  She also loves to grow tomatoes, but oddly enough, dislikes eating them raw.

www.shiftingroots.com

Leave a Comment
Filed Under: Baking, Halloween, Harvest, Recipes Tagged: Autumn, Baking, chocolate chips, desserts, fall, Halloween, pumpkin, pumpkin muffin, snacks, sweet treats, Thanksgiving

Drool-Worthy Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Buns

September 21, 2018

Got a rainy and kind of boring fall day on your hands?  Perfect!  It’s a great day to make these pumpkin spice cinnamon buns.  The main recipe is exactly the same as the Pumpkin Bread that I posted about a few days earlier.  This time, you just roll it out, sprinkle on the spices, sugar, and butter; roll it up, and bake your way into some amazing deliciousness.

Crazy for pumpkin spice?  You need to make these pumpkin cinnamon rolls!  You'll love this easy homemade recipe that's perfect for Thanksgiving sweets. #pumpkin #pumpkinspice #cinnamonbuns #cinnmonrolls #recipe #dessert #sweets #best #fall #autumn

[Read more…]

Kristen Raney

Kristen is a former farm kid turned urban gardener who owns the popular gardening website, Shifting Roots.  She is obsessed with growing flowers and pushing the limits of what can be grown in her zone 3b garden.  She also loves to grow tomatoes, but oddly enough, dislikes eating them raw.

www.shiftingroots.com

Leave a Comment
Filed Under: Baking, Halloween, Recipes Tagged: Baking, Cinnamon buns, fall, fall baking, Holiday baking, pumpkin, pumpkin spice

How to Make an Adorable Halloween Chick Costume

October 28, 2017

One of the things I love most about my son is that he’s not like everybody else.  In the last three years when I’ve asked him what he’s wanted to be for Halloween, he’s always come up with a unique answer.  And he never waivers in his choice either.

Last year he wanted to be an orange chick.  Try finding that in a big-box store.

Thankfully, the year before he wanted to be a rooster, so I already knew how to make his costume with just a few modifications.

Today I give my public service to the internet, should any other Mom find themselves with a child asking for an orange chick costume.  I’ve got you covered.

[Read more…]

Kristen Raney

Kristen is a former farm kid turned urban gardener who owns the popular gardening website, Shifting Roots.  She is obsessed with growing flowers and pushing the limits of what can be grown in her zone 3b garden.  She also loves to grow tomatoes, but oddly enough, dislikes eating them raw.

www.shiftingroots.com

10 Comments
Filed Under: DIY, Halloween, Parenting Tagged: Autism, costume, DIY costume, easy, Halloween, Halloween costume, minimal sewing, orange chick, random, tutorial

  • 1
  • 2
  • Next Page »

Grow roots with us

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Welcome!

Hi, I'm Kristen and I help new gardeners learn to grow their own vegetables and beautify their yards. I also share recipes that use all that delicious garden produce. Grab a coffee (and your gardening gloves) and join me for gardening tips, simple recipes, and the occasional DIY, all from the lovely city of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

P.S. First time gardener? You'll want to download the quick start gardening guide below!

Recent Posts

  • 26 Best Flowers to Grow for Dried Flower Arrangements
  • 17 Perennial Flowers That Love Shade
  • How to Design a Cut Flower Garden in Raised Beds
  • How to Start a Cut Flower Garden
  • How to Make Watercolour Decorated Sugar Cookies

Welcome!

Hi, I’m Kristen and I help new gardeners learn to grow their own vegetables and beautify their yards. I also share recipes that use all that delicious garden produce. Grab a coffee (and your gardening gloves) and join me for gardening tips, simple recipes, and the occasional DIY, all from the lovely city of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

Connect with Shifting Roots On. . .

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Find What You’re Looking For. . .

Privacy Policy

Are you gardening in containers this year? When y Are you gardening in containers this year?  When you're shopping for vegetable seeds, look for varieties that have names with words like patio, tiny, small, etc.  While lots of vegetable varieties will do fine in a container, you'll have an easier time with ones that are specifically bred for that situation.⁠
⁠
📸 by @blushbrandphotography
I'm living the pepper dream in this photo. While I'm living the pepper dream in this photo.  While these ones are a bit on the small side, who doesn't want ripe peppers in July in zone 3?!?! ⁠
⁠
Over the years I've gotten better at growing peppers, and I promise I'll spill my secrets in February when it's actually time to start them.  Until then, get yourself all or one of my four favourite varieties: ⁠
⁠
🌶️Carmen⁠
🌶️Escamillo⁠
🌶️Candy Stripe⁠
🌶️Hungarian Hot Wax⁠
⁠
Do you have a favourite pepper variety?⁠
⁠
Have you flipped open a seed catalogue lately? It Have you flipped open a seed catalogue lately?  It's so easy to get completely overwhelmed, especially if you're new to gardening.  Why are there so many varieties of everything and which ones do I choose?⁠
⁠
Here's how I try to narrow it down.⁠
⁠
🌤️ Short growing season like me?  Try and prioritize varieties that have short dates to maturity.⁠
🥗 What do you or your family actually eat?  While I think you should always try a couple of new things, there's no sense in planting a giant garden filled with vegetables that you're not going to cook with. ⁠
🥒 Do you care whether your vegetables are heirlooms or hybrids?  Heirlooms are the kind that have been around for 50+ years and you can save seeds from.  Believe it or not, this year we're prioritizing hybrids for some of our garden.  The Hermit @mgsraney is obsessed with production this year, so anything that's going in "his" greenhouse better be able to produce a lot.  I'm using more heirlooms in my "glamour garden" as we call it, because I want things that are pretty and I can save seeds from.⁠
⁠
What do you prioritize when you're picking out seeds?⁠
Last week we started thinking about our plans for Last week we started thinking about our plans for cut flower gardening, now this week we start thinking about plans for our vegetable gardens.  Unlike cut flowers, there's not as many vegetables that need to be started ridiculously early.  However, it's still fun to plan and dream and get your thoughts sorted.⁠
⁠
I'm curious--what size of garden do you have to work with?  Are you on an acreage or farm, city backyard, or do you have a couple of pots on an apartment patio?⁠
⁠
As for me, I have quite a mix.  I have my container garden on my backyard deck, the small cut flower garden in my yard, then vegetables in raised beds.  We also garden at my Mother-in-law's acreage, so there's a giant garden over there where we're figuring out how to grow food on a larger scale.  Then finally, sometimes my Mom grows things for me in her garden if I'm nervous that I'll ruin them in my own garden--call it a backup garden if you will.⁠
⁠
📸 by @blushbrandphotography
I hope you've enjoyed this week of chatting about I hope you've enjoyed this week of chatting about the best flowers to plant in a cut flower garden.  There's so many options, these 5 that I talked about all week don't even come close.  If you need more help creating a small cut flower garden, I created this plan intended for a raised bed (but you can plant it in-ground too.⁠
⁠
Head over to my insta links page on my profile, and you'll see the button to click on that will take you directly to it.⁠
⁠
#cutflowergarden #cutflowers #raisedbedgarden #raisedbedgardening  #growyourown #greenthumb #raisedbeds #urbangarden #urbanfarm #squarefootgardening #slowflowers
Hey friends! There's a lot of new faces in this l Hey friends!  There's a lot of new faces in this little corner of IG, so I wanted to introduce myself.  My name is Kristen and I'm the gardener & content creator behind Shifting Roots.  I'm wife to @mgsraney and mom to 3 kids, ages 8, 23 months and 7 months.  Needless to say, our house is BUSY.  I garden in zone 3 in Saskatoon, SK, so if I can grow it in my short growing season and cold temperatures, you probably can too.⁠
⁠
Here's a few fun facts, can you relate to any of these?⁠
🍅I don't like raw tomatoes, but I grow a ton of them because I like tomato sauce.⁠
💐I probably sound like every flower is my favourite flower, but my two favourites are peonies and zinnias.⁠
🌈I can't pick a favourite colour--I love so many of them in different circumstances.  If you force me to choose, I think I've got it narrowed down to coral and turquoise, but even then I still want to throw in yellow, emerald green, fuchsia. . . ⁠
🖤Even though I love colour to the moon and back, you'll often find me wearing black and white in real life, because it's just easier and I don't have to think about it going together.
When you think of rudbeckia, do you think of those When you think of rudbeckia, do you think of those maybe-slightly-boring flowers with yellow petals and a brown centre? (Please don't come at me with your pitchforks if that's your favourite flower!!)⁠
⁠
Rudbeckias, like these orange and burgundy ones, can be so much more!  Pair them with sunflowers & amaranth for an especially striking late summer bouquet.⁠
⁠
🤞I'll have amaranth and sunflowers this year to play around with.⁠
⁠
Need help planning the cut flower garden of your dreams?  It doesn't have to be complicated.  Grab your copy of Cut Flowers Made Simple and have pails of flowers like this one at your fingertips.⁠
⁠
See my link in bio and click on the ebooks button.
Load More… Follow on Instagram

Theme Design By Studio Mommy · Copyright © 2021

Copyright © 2021 · Beyond Madison Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in