Jessica's Blog

The other day, after boohooing about my fridge breaking, and giving merry hell to the poor young repair guy who made the mistake of plonking his tool box down on my sterilized surfaces, I spent the better part of the next hour gaining perspective and being reminded that Love and Light are the only things that really matter in this sometimes frustrating, sometimes heartbreaking world. This story starts one Thursday evening last summer at the Sidney Street Market. Apparently I sold a kilo bag of Morning Chorus to a woman named Shar. I like to chat with my customers, but...

So, the other day I drove to Vancouver to stand in front of a panel of seven judges and give a four-minute pitch to convince them that Singing Bowl Granola should win the BC Food Production Association’s “Product of the Year” award. That four-minute pitch not only took an entire day of travel, but also a week of reflecting on the past six years of business and figuring out what the heck I’m actually doing here. I got up at 4:30am, pumped and empowered. The travel gods were with me. Every time I doubted my route, a low-flying eagle would...

The number one rule in our kitchen is, “Don’t kill anyone.” Number two rule: “Make the granola perfect Every. Single. Time.” After that, we’re pretty relaxed. Okay, maybe not that relaxed. I’ve been known to tell off health inspectors for trying to place their clipboard on my worktable. But, other than being obsessed with hygiene (a trait I, personally, would like to see in all food producers) and production quality, I try to maintain the homemade, slightly unpolished feeling with Singing Bowl Granola. We live in a world that is polished within an inch of its life. Everywhere you turn,...

Some fifteen years ago, shortly after I had given birth to my second child, I was consumed with an overwhelming dose of fatigue and anxiety. I hot footed it to my local herbalist who gave me a tincture of Avena sativa - or, as most of us call it: oats - to sooth my weary soul and help me regain my emotional balance. That same child whose entrance into this world triggered my need for Avena sativa, has recently been prescribed the very same remedy for nerve-induced skin irritations. The mighty oat is known to sooth both the brain and...

Holy smokes, wasn’t 2016 one helluva a year? There were some major ups and there were some terrifying downs, personally and globally. One month into 2017, and the ride is looking even rockier. I bounce around between horror and despair into optimistic empowerment, and everywhere in between. Now, more than ever, is a time to take a serious look at what lies ahead and where we stand. But, there’s no moving forward without glancing behind and assessing what has passed over the previous 12 months. As with the turn of each new year, I like to take some time every...