The Canning Diva has a slogan, “Food is Art. Canning is my way of Preserving Art.” And boy, does she ever! Diane Devereaux the Canning Diva, may use a mason jar, but her idea of canning goes way beyond your grandmama’s jams and jellies.
Diane is a Michigan native who developed a love for gardening and canning in her early teens. The Canning Diva website is stylish and vibrant, providing all the information on food preservation you could ever want, plus, recipes, ideas for meal stretching and, if you live in the Michigan area, you can see Diane in person where she frequently hosts classes and provides live demonstrations. We asked her to tell us about her blog and she eagerly obliged.
Why did you start your food blog? The biggest reason I started my food blog was to demonstrate my From the Garden to the Jar way of thinking! Blogging provides a platform to connect with like-minded people and has opened doors to others who had thought about gardening and home canning but never knew how to get started.
How would you describe your approach to eating/health? I would start by saying, I am not perfect but strive every day to better myself and my family. I home can one-quart meals and meal starters to take the painstaking process of “what to make for dinner” out of the equation. In Michigan where our growing season is short, the best way for me to bring a summer’s yield into our home during the winter months is through home canning!
Have you always had an interest in healthy food or did it come later in life? Thank goodness for my mom – she is my true inspiration! She raised my sister and I to always start with a natural approach, whether it be in our diets or in medicine. Taking a homeopathic approach has given us many valuable tools in life. Learning to eat and preserve fresh foods, as well as knowing medicinally what strengthens and heals our body has been instilled into us since childhood.
What are your favorite food/ingredients to use in the kitchen? My meals come from scratch. Coconut and olive oil are staples as well as garlic and onions. When canning, I create meals using these staples then make triple batches to home-can for quick meals when we are short for time. In the summer, fresh fruits and berries are my favorite to use in the kitchen; like a recent creation of mine, Peach Pistachio Conserve.
Has blogging changed the way you view food and cooking? If so, how? Blogging hasn’t changed the way I feel about food and cooking because I am sharing what I do naturally in my home. If anything, blogging has given me an outlet to explore my creativity with food. I believe food is art and every stainless steel stock pot is my canvas!
Favorite recipe to date? My favorite recipe to date is my Signature Strawberry Salsa! I get all excited when I watch someone’s eye light up when I tell them of its ingredients, flavor and many uses. I love the versatility of the salsa. It can be used as a traditional salsa, over cream cheese with tortilla chips, atop a spinach salad with pecans and balsamic vinegar and my favorite – as a marinade for meat! I’m pretty proud of this recipe and its reception!
Which three recipes would you like to share with our readers?
Basil Diced Tomatoes
Signature Strawberry Salsa
Zesty Spaghetti Sauce
Diane is featured in our series of spotlights on healthy food bloggers. Be sure to check back next Sunday to meet another healthy blogger in our midst.
Also Read:
Food Blogger Spotlight: Katie from Chocolate Covered Katie
Food Blogger Spotlight: Ashley McLaughlin of Edible Perspective
Food Blogger Spotlight: Holly Whitleff of The Healthy Everythingtarian