Adventures in Self Sufficiency

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Adventures in Self Sufficiency

Learning skills for greater self-sufficiency: gardening, foraging, preserving, cooking from scratch, upcycling, and more! We'd love to hear from you!

We are passionate about environmental sustainability, self-sufficiency, information sharing, and community building. We love to make things by hand and share/exchange info with other like-minded folks. We handcraft natural soaps, wild teas, preserves, herbs and spices, and vinegar infusions using ingredients that we forage from the wild and grow in our garden. Let us know what you're most interested in right now, what adventures of your own you've been having, what questions you have, or whatever else you'd like to share :)

You can also follow us on Pinterest and Instagram:

https://www.pinterest.com/tdereis/

https://www.instagram.com/adventures_in_self_sufficiency/

Cheers!

10/07/2026

ONE LAST PUSH! 💙👩🏻‍🍳✨

We’re officially in the FINAL WEEK of fundraising for Diabetes Canada’s Aprons in Action competition!

Next month, I’ll be heading to Toronto to compete in the FINALS...something that still feels completely surreal to say! 🤩
But there’s one more challenge before I get there…

The finalists are fundraising this week, and the team that raises the most gets first choice of celebrity chef for the finale.

And you guys know who I want. 😂
CHEF ALVIN! 👨🏻‍🍳🙌💞

So I’m making one final ask before fundraising closes this weekend. If you’ve been following this crazy adventure and would like to support me (and, much more importantly, help raise money for Diabetes Canada), even a small donation helps!

I have been absolutely blown away by the support I’ve received throughout this competition. Every donation, soap purchase, bag of bottles, share, message and cheer from the sidelines has helped get me here, and I am so incredibly grateful. 💙

Let’s give Diabetes Canada one last fundraising push, and see if we can get Chef Alvin in my corner next month! 👩🏻‍🍳🔥🙏

Donations made through my fundraising page (link below) also receive a charitable tax receipt from Diabetes Canada.

Fundraising closes this weekend!

Thank you so much for being part of this with me. Toronto, here I come! ✈️👩🏻‍🍳✨

10/07/2026

FINAL FUNDRAISING WEEK SOAP SALE! 🧼💙

This is the LAST WEEK to purchase soaps as part of my fundraiser...the deadline is Saturday! 💙🧼

I still have a limited number of several soaps available, AND a fresh batch of Coffee Soap! ☕

The new Coffee Soap ☕️🤎 is ready for pickup/delivery, but needs 4–6 weeks to cure before use...perfect timing for Christmas!🎄🎁

The rest of the soaps are cured and ready to use:
☆ Oatmeal Lavender 🌾💜
☆ Dandelion Honey 🌼🍯
☆ Christmas Tree🎄
☆ Deep-Cleanse Activated Charcoal 🪨
☆ Gentle Unscented Goat's Milk 🐐🥛

$7 each or 3 for $18, with all proceeds going toward my Diabetes Canada Aprons in Action fundraiser!

Message me to place your order! ✨️ Pickup or delivery in Prince George.

10/06/2026

☕🧼 COFFEE SOAP SALE — THIS WEEK ONLY! 🤎

My fresh batch of Coffee Soap is officially made, and look at that gorgeous creamy coffee goodness! 😍

This soap sold out during my last Diabetes Canada fundraiser, so I brought it back for one final fundraising push after being selected as one of six national finalists in Diabetes Canada’s Aprons in Action cooking competition!
$7 each or 3 for $18.

💙 These soaps are for sale THIS WEEK ONLY. My final fundraising deadline is the end of this weekend, so all soap sales need to be completed this week in order for the proceeds to count toward my final fundraising campaign for Diabetes Canada.

🧼 You can pick up your soaps or have them delivered this week, but because this is freshly made cold-process soap, it needs approximately 4–6 weeks to cure before use. I’ll provide the ready-to-use date with your soaps so you know exactly when they’re fully cured.

They’ll be ready in plenty of time for Christmas, perfect for stocking stuffers, teacher gifts, hostess gifts, or a little treat for yourself! 🎄🎁

Every soap sold helps my final fundraising push for Diabetes Canada. 💜

Message me to order. Local Prince George pickup or delivery available. ☕🧼🤎

10/05/2026

☕🧼 COFFEE SOAP IS BACK! ONE LAST BATCH! 🧼☕

My Coffee Soap was HUGELY popular during my last Diabetes Canada Aprons in Action fundraiser! It sold out almost immediately, and I had several people asking for it after it was already gone.
So… I’M MAKING MORE! 🙌☕

This will be my last batch of soap for quite a while, so if you wanted to try the Coffee Soap and missed out last time (or you loved it and want to stock up), this is your chance!

The reason for this extra batch of coffee soap: I MADE THE FINALS!! 🤗🎉🏆 I’m officially one of just 6 finalists from across Canada heading to Toronto next month for Diabetes Canada’s Aprons in Action Finals & Celebration Gala!

There is one last fundraising challenge for us finalists this week, and the finalist who raises the most gets FIRST CHOICE of the CELEBRITY CHEF who will coach them during the live Mystery Box Challenge at the Gala! And I have my sights set on CHEF ALVIN (from the show Master Chef Canada!)! 🤗👨‍🍳🏆🙏

So this final batch of Coffee Soap is officially part of Operation Get Chef Alvin. ☺️☕🙏

One important note: because this soap will be freshly made, it will still need time to cure before it can be used. You can take your bars home right away, but you’ll need to tuck them away somewhere dry and let them finish curing. They’ll be ready in plenty of time for Christmas, so they’re perfect for keeping for yourself or giving as gifts! 🎄🎁

☕🧼 Coffee Soap: $7 each or 3 for $18
All proceeds will go toward my final fundraising challenge for Diabetes Canada. 💞

I’m taking pre-orders now! Send me a message to reserve yours. I’ll be making this batch based largely on demand, and once this batch is spoken for, that’s it for a while!

Thank you again for the absolutely incredible support that got me all the way to the finals. 💞🙏✨️

Now let’s turn some COFFEE SOAP INTO CHEF ALVIN! ☕🧼➡️👨‍🍳🏆

10/05/2026

When the leftovers turn into something totally new and delicious… 🤤🙌

After hosting a gathering yesterday, I was left with a fridge full of odds and ends: spanakopita filling, sautéed sweet onions, chives, turkey bacon, quiche custard, shredded cheese, and a whole lot of pita bread that had been trimmed and cut into little squares for my falafel bites.

Challenge accepted. ☺️

I mixed the spanakopita filling with the onions, chives, turkey bacon and a little grated mozzarella, then layered it in a casserole dish with pieces of pita. Three layers of pita, interspersed with generous layers of filling, and the leftover quiche custard poured over the whole thing.

And in a particularly satisfying bit of leftover Tetris, the curved edges we'd trimmed off the pita rounds fit perfectly around the edge of my round casserole dish, and then the little squares filled in the middle. 😂🙌

After letting everything soak for about 15 minutes, I baked it until the pita was golden and the custard was puffed and set, then added mozzarella for the last part of baking, and…OH. MY. GOODNESS. 🤩

The pita soaked up the custard but kept its structure, almost creating soft savoury pastry-like layers between the spinach, feta, onion and turkey bacon filling, while the pita and mozzarella on top got golden and crispy.

It was SO good. And Steph's verdict: “Really good.” 🙌

This is one of my favourite things about cooking. Sometimes a recipe starts with an idea and a carefully planned ingredient list…and sometimes it starts with “What the heck am I going to do with all these leftovers?” 😂

And the best part? I still have enough filling and whole pita left to make a whole other dinner tomorrow: spanakopita-inspired pita pizzas. 🤤🙌 (I may have purchased WAY too many pitas. 😆)

Waste not, want not...and occasionally, accidentally invent a new dinner or two. ☺️❤️

10/02/2026

🎉✨️ I’M GOING TO THE FINALS!!! ✨️🎉

I can FINALLY share the news I’ve been anxiously waiting for…

My Berry Trifle with Lemon Zucchini Cake has been selected as a FINALIST in Diabetes Canada’s Aprons in Action national cooking competition!! 🤗🍓🍰🏆

I honestly don’t even know how to put into words how excited I am right now. 🤗💞

This recipe means so much to me. Over the past couple of years, I’ve lost 100 pounds while learning that healthier eating doesn’t have to mean boring food, deprivation, or giving up the things you love. I entered this competition because I wanted to create something that reflected that journey: a dessert that is beautiful, delicious and celebratory, while thoughtfully incorporating ingredients and techniques that make it a more nutritious choice.

I also entered this competition in honour of my dad, who I lost to diabetes-related complications a few years ago. 💔 Throughout this competition, I’ve felt him with me...through every milestone, every moment of excitement, every stressful day, and every little victory, I’ve thought about him and heard his voice in my mind cheering me on. 💜

There’s a part of this moment that is bittersweet because I can’t call him and tell him, “Dad, I made it!” But I know how proud he would be of me. 💞

And I absolutely could NOT have made it this far without everyone who supported me! 🙏💞 You voted. You shared my posts. You bought soap. You donated bottles. You donated money. You cheered me on, tolerated my increasingly obsessive competition updates 😂, and helped me raise an absolutely incredible $3,800 for Diabetes Canada, finishing #1 in fundraising among the semifinalists! 💞🙌

Special thanks to the local businesses who supported me in making it this far too too! Live and Lift Ladies Fitness, Sunset Studio, VideoNexus Productions, and Validity Counselling!! 💖🙏✨️🙌

I am so incredibly grateful to every single person who helped me get here. 💖🙏 There were 15 semifinalists from across Canada, and now just 6 finalists (two in each category) advance to the Aprons in Action Celebration Gala in Toronto!

AND I’M ONE OF THEM!!! 😭🤗🎉🏆✨️

Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU to everyone who helped make this happen! 💞🙏✨️

Toronto, here I come!! 🤗🇨🇦🍓🍰🎉

09/29/2026

Cold and rainy day...perfect for some homemade ham & split-pea soup ☺️🥣✨️💜

09/27/2026

The fruits of some of yesterday's labor: apple cinnamon sourdough loaf turned into French toast this morning with a bit of maple syrup and caramel-flavored Greek yogurt...OMG, so yum 🤤🧇✨️

09/24/2026

👩🏼‍🍳💙 My official Diabetes Canada apron finally arrived!! 🤗✨️

I received this apron for reaching the first fundraising milestone in the Aprons in Action cooking competition, and it feels extra special putting it on now that I’ve officially made it into the Top 5 in the Dessert category! 🤗✨️

I definitely didn’t get here all by myself. Between all of the votes, donations, shares, encouragement, and people cheering me on, I’ve had an incredible amount of support throughout this whole adventure. Thank you so much to everyone who has helped get me to the semifinals! 💜

And beyond the competition itself, together we’re raising money that supports Diabetes Canada’s research, education, advocacy, and community programs and helps make a difference in the lives of Canadians living with diabetes. That’s something I’m incredibly proud to be a part of. 💜

We’re in the home stretch now! Fundraising continues until September 30, and it makes up 50% of my semifinal score as I compete for one of the two Dessert spots in the finals in Toronto! 🙏🤞

So I’m going to keep cooking, fundraising, and giving this everything I’ve got for one more week, and hopefully, with your continued support, I'll be on my way to Toronto for the Finals in November! 🙏💙👩🏼‍🍳✈️

Thank you, thank you, thank you all for your support! 🙏✨️ I really do have the most amazing group of people behind me. 💜☺️✨️

If you’d like to help me with this final push toward Toronto, you can support my Diabetes Canada fundraiser through the link below. All donations go directly to Diabetes Canada, and donors receive a charitable tax receipt 💜👍👇
https://apronsainaction.crowdchange.ca/page/adventures-in-self-sufficiency

09/23/2026

🧼❤️ FUNDRAISING SOAP SALE FOR DIABETES CANADA! ❤️🧼

It’s official: I MADE THE SEMIFINALS!! 🎉👩🏼‍🍳🍓🫐

My Berry Trifle with Lemon Zucchini Cake has advanced to the semifinal round of the Diabetes Canada Aprons in Action national cooking competition, and now I’m fighting for a spot in the FINALS IN TORONTO! 🙌✨

And this round comes with a new challenge: fundraising for Diabetes Canada makes up 50% of my semifinal score.

So... I’m breaking into my stash of handmade artisan soaps and having a fundraising soap sale for my PG Peeps! 🧼☺️💞

100% of the money from every bar sold will be donated to Diabetes Canada through my official Aprons in Action fundraising campaign. That means your purchase does double duty: you’re supporting the important work of Diabetes Canada AND helping my recipe compete for a spot in the national finals!

I would absolutely LOVE the opportunity to head to Toronto and represent Prince George on the national stage. ❤️

🧼 AVAILABLE VARIETIES:
☕ Coffee
🌸 Wildflower Bouquet
🎄 Christmas Tree Embed
🪻 Oatmeal Lavender Goat’s Milk
🌼🍯 Dandelion Honey
🖤 Activated Charcoal
🐐 Gentle Goat’s Milk (Unscented)

Limited quantities are available, and some varieties are VERY limited, so orders will be filled first come, first served!

💰 FUNDRAISER PRICING:
$7 each OR 3 for $18, mix and match!

These normally sell for $8 each, so you get a little deal while helping a great cause. ❤️ And with Christmas sneaking up on us, handmade soaps also make great stocking stuffers and little gifts! 🎁🎄

📩 TO ORDER:
Send me a private message with the varieties and quantities you’d like.

⏰ Orders must be placed by Saturday, September 26.

🚗 I’ll be doing local deliveries around Prince George on Sunday, September 27.

And if soap isn’t your thing, sharing this post would be a huge help too! Someone on your friends list might need to stock their soap cupboard, get a head start on Christmas gifts, or simply want to help support Diabetes Canada. ❤️

I’ve already been completely blown away by the support I’ve received from this community. Now I’ve got one more big goal: TORONTO! 🍓🫐🍰✨

Let’s see how much money we can turn this soap stash into for Diabetes Canada! 🧼❤️✨️

Thank you, Prince George! ❤️🙌

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