Sandra's Baked Beans

Nova Scotia Kitchens

Welcome to Sandra and Barrie’s warm and welcoming off-grid kitchen in the woods. They have created a lovely open space to live and work in, surrounded by trees and nestled in the curve of the river. They are warm and welcoming, like their home, and are just the kind of people you want to spend an afternoon with. In the audio, you’ll hear the bean recipe with pro tips from Sandra, and her husband Barrie arrived just in time to whip up a batch of his biscuits. I will tell you now that these were the best baked beans I have ever eaten, and I don’t say that lightly. The addition of a few slightly unorthodox but perfect key ingredients, and maple syrup for the sweetener makes them full of complex flavour - unlike the one-note sweet beans that you may be used to.

Sandra Phinney is a writer, and you may recognize her from her writing in Saltscapes magazine and other publications - including her book, Waking Up in My Own Backyard, which was released last spring! My copy is full of post-its with notes of places to visit, and it is such a gem. Related to that, she also chats about her new project, The Heartsong Travel Project - and if you’re in Canada, you’re invited to join in!

Other things mentioned in the episode:
Frenchy’s mugs - if you’re not local, Frenchy’s is a chain of thrift stores started in Clare. (More than half of the things in my house are from Frenchy’s.)

Birchdale Lake.

Emin’s double-smoked bacon, available at Emin’s Meat Market in downtown Yarmouth. You can omit this if you’re vegatarian; you could use liquid smoke for a similar flavour.

Peeling ginger with a spoon. (In the vidoe, he pushes the spoon scoop away; I pull it toward myself, which I find much easier.)

One more time! Sandra’s book! Waking Up In My Own Backyard - you should get your hands on a copy.

Heartsong Travel - if you’re in Canada, you’re invited to contribute!

Sandra's Maple Beans With Ginger

Barrie’s Buttermilk Biscuits