Holiday

Christmas Gingerbread Bowl

Dec 3, 2018 · 14 Comments

The story of this Christmas Gingerbread Bowl goes way back to the 1990’s. It’s been with me for a long time. During one of our office December potlucks, one of the girls brought in a show stopping gingerbread bowl filled with home made gingerbread cookies. I was seriously in awe. These were the days I photocopied recipes from the local newspaper because Internet, Google and Pinterest did not exist. I know, hard to believe right. Even KitchenAid Mixers did not exist back then. BUT we still managed to cook and bake and make fabulous food. Us home cooks.

I made this bowl once or twice during my Vancouver, BC days back in the 90’s and then shuffled the recipe into a folder. Fast forward, I move to Calgary, Alberta which sits well over 1,000 meters above sea level (Vancouver is right about sea level. Being so high affects baking and cooking. It just does.)

In my early Calgary years I found the recipe and attempted to make that exact recipe. Several times I failed. Sometime along the way I created my own Orange Gingerbread Cookie recipe (make with or without the orange) which I make annually, for bake sales or cookie exchanges. I decided this year I wanted to attempt the Gingerbread Bowl Recipe again but then I had an aha moment. My cookies bake beautifully, so why not use my own cookie recipe instead of the one given to me. So I did. BAM it worked.

I will forewarn you it’s a process that takes time. Make the time, refrigerate the dough. Roll the dough out, mould onto a prepared bowl, refrigerate again. Remove bowl, cut out shapes, refrigerate again. Bake bowl, let sit on rack until completely cool. Remove bowl. See, a process.

If you want to attempt this recipe give yourself the day to make it. Follow my Orange Gingerbread Cookie recipe and make the dough. Split into two discs, wrapped into plastic wrap and refrigerate for a couple hours. This step is really important. Remove dough from fridge, let warm up a bit and start to roll. If you start to notice cracks, you need to let it warm up a little longer but not too long!

Christmas Gingerbread Bowl Method:

Tools:

Aluminum Foil
Cooking oil or spray
Cutting board or platter to fit bowl (not too big, not too small)
Small cookie cutter
Baking sheet
1 1/2 quart ovenproof glass bowl

I use a Pyrex Mixing Bowl:

Pyrex Bowl — Pyrex Mixing Bowl, Photo Credit Pyrex

With aluminum foil cover outside of 1 1/2 quart ovenproof glass bowl with a lipped edge. Ensure the foil comes over into the inside about 1/2 inch. Spray or oil the entire surface of the bowl including the lipped edge getting every crack and crevice. Do your best to make sure foil is smooth and has no rough aluminum foil creases.

On floured surface roll out one disc of dough into a circle about 1/4 inch thick. Lift rolled out dough and place evenly onto bowl. Carefully and lightly press dough onto bowl, moulding firmly to shape bowl without stretching. If you end up with a crack, a little bit of water rubbed onto crack will help seal it. Trim dough around edge of bowl with sharp knife. Place on same size cutting board or plate and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Remove from refrigerator, and using your small cookie cutter start carefully cutting out cookies around the middle of the bowl about 1 1/2 – 2 inches apart. Do not go to close to the top or bottom. Refrigerate for an additional 1 1/2 hours. Firming your dough will help stop slippage during baking.

Preheat your oven to 350F.

Place inverted bowl on an ungreased baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Allow gingerbread bowl to cool right on bowl on the sheet. When completely cool, carefully loosen foil and lift foil and gingerbread bowl off your glass bowl. Remove any additional foil.

Until ready to use, store it uncovered in a dry place. With the second gingerbread disk, make cookies for your bowl following the steps in the Orange Gingerbread Cookie recipe.

This recipe will make two bowls or one bowl and cookies.

Broken Glass

Feb 6, 2017 · Leave a Comment

A popular potluck item for decades, Broken Glass is an easy, pretty and show stopping jello dessert to make for your guests or with your kids.

We’ve taken this treat to potluck gatherings, class activities and enjoyed them as snacks at home. You can colour code it to a birthday party theme, bridal showers, picnics, or any kind of holiday celebration. Simply pick your favourite jello colours and follow the instructions.

One of my closest friends mom’s made it once for our little girls 2nd birthday party. She made it rainbow coloured and it was such a special treat for us I had to recreate what she did and make it for Valentine’s Day.

Plan in advance of your event as you will need two days to let the jello set up. I have little cookie cutters that I like to use to cut smaller shapes and a few in the shapes of hearts.

I used the heart shaped cutters instead of cutting cubes to make jello hearts. When adding them to the casserole dish they went in just before the milk and were selectively placed. To ensure I had an equal mix of red to white I used only 2 small boxes of jello. You could use more however I like the white to show through.

The instructions are fairly straight forward to make this dessert. Give yourself time and have fun! Do you have a favourite Valentine’s Day treat you like to make for your family?!

Baked Apple Pancake

Dec 31, 2016 · Leave a Comment

The first time we had this baked apple pancake we were hanging out in the Okanogan in B.C. The people we were staying with made breakfast and this was one of the items they served. It was so good I immediately asked for the recipe, wrote it on a recipe card (over 10 years ago people, internet was still blooming) and tucked it away into my little black recipe box.

The little black recipe box made an appearance recently over the holidays, the Baked Apple Pie remade and much to my surprise absolutely adored and inhaled by my two little kids. I added a few of my own touches to the recipe and will be making it again soon using other fruits like pears, plums, summer stone fruit, even grapes.

The really cool thing about this pie is it puffs up while baking and settles back down once it comes out of the oven. Let everyone see it as it comes out of the oven for the ooohs and aaahs. Serve it with a sprinkle of icing sugar and some maple syrup.

Jalapeno Tex Mex Dip

Dec 17, 2016 · Leave a Comment

An upgrade on a classic, this Jalapeno Tex Mex Dip is full of flavour and sure to please at your next potluck, event or even on Game Day.

Found in many homes during gatherings and events back in the day, the 7 Layer Dip is really a North Americanized version of Mexican food, a mash up of Tex Mex cuisine if you will. This dish became so popular when we were kids, you would find it at every gathering you attended whether it was a potluck, shower, office luncheon or holiday gathering. Then it seemed to disappear for awhile only popping up on a rare occasion. Since it was one of my favourite things to eat, I snagged the recipe from a friend and I typed it out. Oh yes I did. Typed it out and taped it to a recipe card. Because that was what you did back in the day before the Internet.

Recently we visited with family and enjoyed a table full of potluck items, goodies and a similar variation of the 7 layer dip. Only with 2 layers. Got me thinking about the 7 layer dip and that it was time to find this recipe I had typed out so many years ago and make it again. Only with a twist.

I’m not a fan of canned black olives so we always use sliced Kalamatas which my girl loves. Jalapenos can be fresh or pickled and if you do not like them, keep them off and replace with chopped up bell peppers instead.

We’ve upgraded the classic 7 Layer Dip with this simple Jalapeno Tex Mex Dip featuring Greek yogurt, to make us feel better about eating it.

Smoked Salmon on Pumpernickel Rye

Nov 2, 2016 · 2 Comments

Smoked Salmon on Pumpernickel Rye comes together quickly and is easy to prepare in advance or when you arrive at your gathering when you have your ingredients prepped and ready to go.

Coming from the Pacific West Coast, I’ve eaten my fair share of smoked salmon. Even freshly smoked then canned via my momma. As a child my dad would catch river salmon and smoke it regularly. I craved it. When I moved to Vancouver I had a hard time eating smoked salmon that was not his. Eventually lox and cream cheese on bagels won me over and I let go of that craving. But it still resides in my thoughts as a taste I will never forget.

Did you know this recipe’s origins are German? We were asked to bring an appetizer to a recent family gathering or celebration of cultures. Since we have a Spanish student living with us, I wanted to hi-light some Spanish food. But he’s 16 and we couldn’t get it together in time.

I reached out to another former student from Germany, one who has become a second daughter to us. I am partially German with relatives living in Germany so I was intrigued to see what she would suggest. She sent me pictures of lox on Pumpernickel German Rye Bread and advised it’s very popular in Germany. I clearly had no idea! This was a dish I could get behind and off I went to find pumpernickel rye and lox.

Pumpernickel German Rye Bread is a heavy, dense and simply flavoured bread. Lox is sold everywhere here but as a touristy item. Fortunately thanks to twitter I located some that was both a decent price and delicious. The bread came from the European deli.

What I put together really didn’t look much like the photos she sent me but more based on my memory of lox on bagels with cream cheese. And the best part of it all, our Spanish student helped me assemble these German appetizers and did his share of eating them. I expected nothing less from a growing teenager.

Crockpot Cinnamon Hot Chocolate

Oct 27, 2016 · Leave a Comment

As Fall approaches my kids remind me it’s time to make hot chocolate. I have a small but legit Starbucks habit (don’t hate) that started when I lived in Vancouver. Whenever I indulge my habit here, the kids seem to be with me and always request hot cocoa. I may or may not have turned them into hot chocolate monsters.

We spend a lot of time outdoors in the winter, sledding, skating, playing in the snow. The promise of warm hot cocoa topped with marshmallows is never far from their minds. It’s easier most days to grab a premade mix. These days I want the kids to experience home made hot chocolate and learn to love it.

This hot chocolate was ready two hours before they came home from school. I was surprised it thickened as it sat on low in the crockpot. They were not used to it being so thick and weren’t sure if they liked it or not.

Googly Eye Halloween Treats

Oct 21, 2016 · Leave a Comment

The last three years we’ve had an International Student living with us. First Germany, China and now Spain. You learn a lot about yourself and sometimes the student when you allow them into your home to share their culture and learn about yours. Of the 3 students, we’ve had two good experiences so far, 1 not so great.

Did you know Halloween is not something celebrated by those who live outside of North America? We North Americans tend to do holidays BIG, HUGE in fact. It humbles me every time a student comes to live with us and I quickly realize bigger is not always better. You soon realize you really don’t need all the things. Except well maybe the food (food blogger, what can I say).

We love to have fun with our food and what’s more fun than putting edible Googly Eyes on snacks and sending them to school with your kids lunches? As I prepared the fruit and juice boxes my kids were chomping at the bit to bring them to school. Keeping their lunches interesting ensures they will continue eating well.

Recently we were in the kitchen with Deb Matejicka from The Weather Network talking about googly eyes and fun Halloween treats for the kids.

Tip: Pick up googly eyes at your local craft store, Bulk Barn or buy them online.

This is how we make these fun treats for the kids!

1. Remove straws from juice boxes. Poke a hole in a strip of white tape and place over drink spout for straw. Wrap juice boxes up in white duct tape, white electrical tape or medicine tape. Add googly eyes and secure with a mummy bandage (piece of tape). Tape straw to back of box.

2. Using a tube of white icing as your glue, glue two eyes to pears, apples, bananas or oranges. Completely edible minus the peels.

3. Make your favourite rice krispie recipe and lay out on a rimmed baking sheet. Chill until firm. Cut into rectangle shapes. Pick up some candy melts and carefully melt the chocolate. Dip one corner of your rectangle rice krispie into the chocolate. Add 2 googly eyes to the chocolate part and lay on baking sheet. Chill to set.

4. Add googly eyes to granola bars, cookies, brownies and squares, chocolate bark, caramel popcorn, cupcakes, vegetables (why not), and using icing glue them on to straws for your smoothies or milkshakes.

Fun for kids Googly Eye Halloween Treats

Here’s the Youtube link with Deb Matejicka.

Have you used edible googly eyes before? What’s your favourite way to use them?!

Armenian Roasted Vegetables

Sep 12, 2016 · Leave a Comment

A sucker for roasted vegetables, I couldn’t wait to make this recipe by Olia Hercules and her Mamushka cookbook. Fall and winter has us roasting vegetables regularly. I’ve roasted cabbage before and loved it so the combination of these Armenian Roasted Vegetables was quite intriguing to me.

Ensure you cut your vegetables thick as illustrated in the recipe. I’ve noticed while making recipes from this cookbook they use a lot of dill and yogurt in Eastern European Cooking. Our student from Spain has advised the same. Things I would have never known had I never joined the cookbook club. My mom used to cook with dill she grew in her garden. Dilled baby potatoes are one recipe that stands out from childhood. It’s an herb I adore. Serve these veggies along side a roasted chicken, pork loin or beef roast.

Olia also suggests to change things up, try adding some feta before serving.

Apple Sponge

Sep 9, 2016 · Leave a Comment

There are only so many days in a month and when you have over half a cookbook flagged with recipes to try, the struggle becomes real. Plus kids, activities, events to attend, life in general! But I’m determined and so I made my way through a good handful of recipes from Olia Hercule’s cookbook Mamushka.

The monthly cookbook club I belong to allows you to try any recipe you want and share it to Instagram. There are no other requirements besides check out what others in the club are making. I have found through this process this year there are several recipes I would make again. This being one of them.

This Apple Sponge contains no rising agent. You create height by beating air into the eggs. The cake was moist and using Fall apples harvested at their peak makes it the perfect Autumn dessert. I added salt to the recipe to enhance the flavour but that’s entirely your choice.

Olia’s mom would make this whenever they had a craving for something sweet, calling it biskvit (“a sponge”).

Spinach Artichoke Dip

Apr 25, 2016 · Leave a Comment

With so many variations of Spinach Artichoke Dip out there, how do you find just one to love?!

This recipe was inspired by Liz of OMA’s Gourmet Garlic. We started bantering back and forth on this thing called twitter, maybe you’ve heard of it, and I learned she sells garlic grown in her garden in Aldersyde, Alberta.

Growing garlic runs in the family Liz explains, her dad received some garlic from a Russian friend in the mid ’80’s and grew it for years in his backyard garden. Her mom carried on with the growing of the garlic after her father passed away. In 2003 Liz received some garlic from her mom and decided to plant some of the cloves in her own garden. They started to sprout and 9 cloves produced 9 bulbs of garlic. This is where Liz’s story begins.

Garlic is planted in the Spring over 6-8 weeks as this offers the best harvest, Liz says. The garlic cures for four – six weeks before selling the fresh begins in October and November.

Today this naturally grown garlic is sold to several local Chefs, restaurants and stores in fresh or dehydrated forms. And if she’s not busy enough tending her garden and weeds, Liz writes a column affectionately called the ‘Tales of the Stinking Rose, in the Wild Rose Country’ in ‘The Garlic News’, a quarterly Canadian publication.

I recently met Liz for the first time when I picked up some garlic granules and dehydrated garlic. She had me taste just 1 or 2 itty bitty specks of the granules before I left. That’s all you need Liz said and by golly she was right. I was my own sweet stinking rose for the rest of the day from those two little itty bittys samples.

OMA’s Gourmet Garlic is available fresh and dehydrated (powder, granules or spice mill grade). You can find her on Facebook: OMA’s Gourmet Garlic.

I used a light sprinkling of the garlic granules in this Spinach Artichoke Dip. This is a small recipes and serves two nicely. Or one who doesn’t want to share.

Berry Orange Smoothie Bowl

Feb 11, 2016 · Leave a Comment

This Berry Orange Smoothie Bowl contains frozen berries, spinach, avocado, fresh orange, coconut milk and mint. A delicious blended smoothie you can make any time of the year – even when berries are not in season.

We created this smoothie bowl, loaded it with healthy goodness and added some extra zing with orange zest and fresh mint.

This bright and colourful smoothie is perfect for Valentine’s Day or Canada Day celebrations.

I’m currently participating in a Valentine’s Day Blog Hop Recipe round up with local food bloggers and this recipe is included in the round up!

Be sure to check out the other recipes and blogs participating to see what’s cooking in their kitchen this Valentine’s Day which also happens to be a long weekend here in Alberta. They are Merry About Town, Food Mamma, and Edible Life in YYC.

PRO TIPS:

If you do not like coconut milk, substitute for your favourite milk or cooled green tea
Mix the chia seeds in a well and give a few minutes to plump up before consuming
Fresh basil also tastes good in this smoothie
Not into smoothie bowls? Pour it into a glass!

Find Last Minute Stocking Stuffers for the Family at London Drugs

Dec 14, 2015 · Leave a Comment

Christmas is around the corner and one thing we haven’t purchased yet is stocking stuffers! We love opening our stockings every Christmas morning but always seem to leave this part of Christmas shopping until the last minute – ack!! There are four of us in the family if you don’t include the pets which means I shop for my husband, two kids and well sometimes myself. OK in all fairness my husband does pretty good in the stocking department but I may toss in my own items here and there.

In addition to this each year for the past 5 years we put together two more stockings to support our kids school fundraising initiative. It’s called Warm Feet For The Street for The Calgary Mustard Seed. The kids fill a stocking or sock with useful articles for a person who’s home is on the streets and must carry all their items in one bag. We also have family come for Christmas or we host an International Student on occasion who stays with us over Christmas, and yes, they get a stocking to.

London Drugs Alberta — A few of the London Drugs in Alberta

With all these stockings to stuff, and Christmas closing in on me, I need to be able to do one stop shopping versus running all over town or the mall. Where does one go to get it all done? Well I always find what I need at London Drugs. They have everything I want to stuff all my stockings and then some. I even pick up dog and cat toys for under the tree, because you know, they are part of the family after all.

If you are wondering what to get that special someone or need some suggestions I’m happy to offer up some ideas based on why I pick up my stuffers at London Drugs.

Stuffers for Him:

First thing you need to do is zoom in on what he’s into. Is it cars, mechanics, technology, reading, coffee, cooking, or bubble baths? Find out what the man likes and then visit a London Drugs store near you with a plan that goes beyond underwear and socks. They have everything for the techie geek like all the new hot Apple and tech products. Magazines are good fillers, as are chocolates, coffee, movies or music, and even jerky’s which my man loves. If he’s into BBQing, stuff his stocking with some new spices. Is he a gamer? They’ve got games and headphones that might kind of fit in a stocking depending how big your stocking is. If he travels a lot, check out the accessories in the travel section. Still stumped? Check out the hardware & home accessories section for more ideas. My husband can never have enough smaller flashlights and you will find those in London Drugs. Plus batteries!

Stuffers for Minions

I talk to some parents who don’t know what to put into their kids stockings. So I tell them to break it down. Boy vs girl. Some gifts overlap like the typical chocolate and candies. The seasonal [Christmas] section has all kinds of goodies to choose from and they even have Christmas movies and music. You will find lots of itty bittys in the toy section. My girl loves bath items and my boy does to. Jewelry and make up bags (to store hair stuff and lip gloss if to young) are also a big hit. In the magazine section they have books & magazines for kids. I do love to encouraging reading so my kids will get magazines. Pokemon and hockey cards fit nicely into stockings. As the kids get older (tweens – teens), personal care gift packages, memory cards, usb’s, batteries, cables, headphones and even movies and popcorn make great stuffers. Gift cards to and nail care items like polish or manicure sets (which boys need to).

Stuffers for Her

To me this is the easiest stuffer to fill. Maybe cause I can relate so well. Guys I would follow the same guidelines as stuffers for men. What is she into (cooking, bath & body, technology, games, reading)? Once you can write down 2 or 3 things she loves, your ready to get started shopping. Many women love bath and beauty products and perfume – you can even buy a gift set and take it apart to stuff the stocking! It’s fun to pick up several face masks – they are thin and stocking size. Does she enjoy tea and books? Fitbits and pedometers are a great gift for the lady who is wanting to work out more. Kitchen gadgets are one of my favourite things and many fit perfectly into stockings. Pictures, photo games, scrap booking..you will find all these items at London Drugs.

We make our stockings fun, edible and sometimes a little serious but we love that you can buy Stocking Stuffers for everyone at London Drugs. If you walk in and are not sure where to start, ask one of the employees, they are super helpful and can help you get the job done. Another great thing you may not know about London Drugs is they have a hassle-free return policy and price matching guarantee allowing them to save you trips around Calgary! You can find out more about the London Drugs Guarantee here.

What are your favourite stocking stuffers to buy or receive?!

Thank you to London Drugs for inviting and sponsoring me to write this post. As always, my opinions are my own based on my own experiences.

Celebrate the Season with Cococo Chocolatiers Holiday Delights – Giveaway

Dec 4, 2015 · 70 Comments

The holidays are not quite the holidays in our house without indulging in chocolate. Here you’ll find it in baking, under the tree, in stockings, put out for snacking, and sometimes even in advent calendars and hidden in my closet. We can honestly say December without chocolate is like coffee without the coffee beans. One of our favourite chocolates to have in the house during this time is the chocolate from Cococo Chocolatiers, a local manufacturer and retailer of sorts of chocolately goodness.

Cococo Chocolatiers, owners of Chocolaterie Bernard Callebaut, are based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada and offer their products exclusively at over 30 retail stores in Canada and the United States. It’s also available for online purchasing (winning) and they offer up some tasty recipes for you to try using their chocolate. Recently these guys took home prizes at the Canadian National Chocolate Competition, a nationwide arm of the International Chocolate Awards, including Gold, Silver and Bronze in numerous categories.

There are so many beautiful items to choose when you visit their stores or shop online (Bernard Callebaut), that it’s sometimes hard to choose and even harder to leave with just one item. I am especially fond of their fusion chocolate bars, sea salt caramels…..salted peanut butter chocolates..and well the list might be longer than expected.

So today is Friday and I’m so excited to be offering you the chance to win some Chocolaterie Bernard Callebaut Chocolate just in time for the holidays! We are giving away three prizes on the blog so you have a chance to win 1 of 3 delicious prizes!

First Prize is A Stylish Advent Calendar. If you like chocolate, then you’ll love this take on the holiday classic. For 12 days before the holidays, you can sit back and enjoy selections including flavours like Honey Anise, Apricot Jelly and Nutmeg Orange. The Cococo 12 days of Christmas chocolate box celebrates the holidays in style. A perfect gift!

Our second giveaway is the Tidings of Chocolate Traditional Chocolate Yule Log. The holidays aren’t the holidays without friends, family and a table full of treats. Only available during the holiday season, Cococo Chocolatiers, owners of Chocolaterie Bernard Callebaut® offer a traditional chocolate Yule Log that you will want to add to your holiday spread. Packed with a selection of individual chocolates, this holiday favourite comes in various sizes and can be filled with 16, 24 or 35 chocolates. Yum right?

Our third prize, and a personal favourite giveaway is not one but two Chocolate Bars That Rival Willy Wonka. Experience a new kind of chocolate bar with exclusive spiced fusion bars. These unique bars are infused with various spices and finished with Habanero Sea Salt. With flavours that include Oregano Fusion in dark chocolate and Rosemary Fusion in milk chocolate, these bars are the perfect addition to any holiday charcuterie board or glass of wine by the fire. I agree, they are the perfect accompaniment to a glass of red anywhere.

Enter this amazing chocolate giveaway below. It’s open to Canada only (excluding Quebec – sorry!) and will run until Friday, December 11th, 11:59pm. At that time 3 random winners will be selected and notified by e-mail. They must respond within 48 hours. Winners will receive their chocolate directly from Cococo Chocolatiers.

Thank-you Cococo Chocolatiers, [Chocolaterie Bernard Callebaut] for providing samples of this incredible giveaway, and for sponsoring this post. As always, all opinions remain my own.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

How to Assemble a Charcuterie Board

Dec 1, 2015 · 4 Comments

Charcuterie boards have become all the rage in recent years with many restaurants offering it on their menus. When you think about it, charcuterie is a term that’s been in our vocabulary for a long time, just called something different. Like sausage and cheese plate. Right?!

When I put together a charcuterie board, or a cheese board, it’s essentially different every time. It always depends on the season, the event, and what I feel like when I shop for ingredients. Sometimes I go into the store with a plan, other times I wing it knowing I need the basics of meat and cheese.

With the holidays fast approaching, and several gatherings in our future, I will most likely end up preparing charcuterie boards. Here we show you how easy it is to prepare one for your next event.

First thing you need to consider is presentation. How will you display your items? Pieces of tile purchased at a home reno store, wooden boards, pottery or rustic platters, a cake stand or tray with handles along all become the perfect platform for your spread. Pair it with some smaller bowls or dishes and cheese knives, tools or markers. Have extra fresh herbs on hand? Pretty up your board with the addition of herbs.

The Cheese. If you go to a specialty cheese or European store to buy your cheese, the selection can be slightly overwhelming. Plan on purchasing both soft and firm cheese. Consider the type of cheese it is: cow, goat or sheep milk. Choose a couple in each category (soft and firm) including a blue, and an aged cheese. Be sure to include a popular, common cheese. Ask an employee for assistance if you are still uncertain in your selection. Remember to bring your cheese out and let sit on the counter for at least 15 minutes before serving.

The Meat. Pick 3 different types of meat. A salami (ie: sopressata), bresaola, prosciutto or sausage all sliced thin. Try to arrange the meat on your board looking a bit messy or whimsy. Roll it if you choose, layer sausage pieces, in the end it doesn’t have to be perfect. Smoked salmon or pate could also be included on your board. The meat, like cheese, should be served at room temperature.

Sweet, Salty, Crunchy. Think nuts, olives, pickles, artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, peppers, tapenade, dried fruit, compotes, preserves. These items really enhance the flavour element you have created on your board, and are perfect in those smaller bowls or dishes we talked about.

Crackers & Bread. Offer a variety of breads and crackers. Thinly sliced baguette, crostini, bread sticks, and a small selection of crackers are great choices. I really like the thin water crackers and Leslie Stowe style crisps.

Fresh. Ensure you have some fresh fruits or veggies on your board. Have you ever tried apple slices with cheddar cheese or brie? Pear with blue cheese? Grapes or figs are a lovely addition to any board. We encourage you to try different fruits with the cheese you have selected for a little wow factor.

Your board doesn’t have to be jam packed with all the things. Keep it simple, do what works for you. Some boards we’ve created over the years: Greek, Mediterranean, seafood, grilled, meats and mustard’s, cheese and pickles, and even as simple as crudites. A little goes along way, just make sure you have some variety.

Espresso Cookies

Nov 30, 2015 · Leave a Comment

I like coffee and I love the smell of coffee. But I typically can only drink about half a cup of coffee before I’ve had enough. I even like it cold so the new nitro cold coffee fad was made for me. Unless of course my coffee comes with baileys or some other delectable enhancer.

While I may not drink a lot of coffee, I do like to eat my coffee. In baking and rubs and whatever else might work.

For this recipe I whipped up a batch of cookie dough and dropped in some of my ground espresso. What happened next was this insanely delicious cookie dough. In fact it was hard to stop eating it. The ground espresso showed beautiful flakes in the dough. It’s easy to roll out and doesn’t need to be refrigerated to firm up before baking.

The cookie dough displays a strong coffee flavour. The baked cookie just a hint. In fact my kids love this cookie (they are to young to drink coffee so they don’t really recognize the coffee flavour). You can add some sprinkles or not. Cut out any shape you like, re-roll and start over. These cookies were so good I’m going to go espresso & cookie crazy I think since the combinations could be endless.

Pork Fondue in Lemongrass Broth

Nov 23, 2015 · 2 Comments

Pork Fondue in Lemongrass Broth keeps the broth fondue’s new and interesting!

The holiday season is a time to build lasting memories with family and friends. It allows you to reconnect with those you don’t see or speak to very often, and gives the opportunity to create new traditions with those you love.

We have several Christmas traditions in our home we factor in every December and a few of these include opening new pyjamas on Christmas Eve, and marking off December days on an advent calendar. These are the moments we carry with us, not the gifts we receive, and it’s these special times we like to reflect upon with our own family while we create new memories.

As children we did not have family close by, so Christmas’s were spent with friends. There would be Christmas music and singing, a traditional turkey dinner complete with Christmas cake, and lots of laughter. As adults with our own families we also spend Christmas with friends since our family is not near by.

One of our holiday traditions is to fondue with friends Christmas Eve. If we have time we also fondue on New Year’s Eve. The Christmas Eve Fondue-palooza evening begins with a gathering of friends at The Festival of Lights at Confederation Park, for a wander through the Christmas lights and some sledding until it gets too cold.

After an hour or two at the park, we head back to the house to prepare for our potluck fondue evening. Every family pitches in bringing food and beverages. This broth fondue can be prepared in advance and reheated when it’s time to eat. In addition there are several cheese fondues on the table, like a classic Swiss Fondue. And a simple Chocolate Fondue.

Fondue is an exciting way to get family and friends together around the table, and initiate some great conversations while having fun with your food. Here is one of several broth fondues we enjoy during the season, Pork Fondue in Lemongrass Broth. Freeze leftover cooled off broth and use later one in soups and stews.

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by the makers of ZANTAC®, but the opinions expressed are my own.

Pumpkin Creme Brulee

Nov 17, 2015 · 2 Comments

One of my favourite desserts for as long as I can remember is creme brulee. This year I have been experimenting with creme brulee quite a bit. I tried a delicious summer peach brulee this past August but didn’t get the measurements right, or used to much peach – which added to much liquid and my custard didn’t set. Great flavour though!

It’s important to note when you freely add things to the custard it can easily change the consistency and not set up. And you can over cook the custard (trust me). I tried this pumpkin recipe 3-4 times before I got the measurements right. It’s a delicious option for your holiday meal and feels light when you are eating it after finishing a big meal.

The canning jars are the perfect vessel for brulees, but please be careful when torching your sugar…getting to close to the edge of the glass can cause it to break! While I have admittedly never broke a custard dish from torching, my husband, a former and non practicing fire fighter has broken one of the glasses. It happens and it gets tossed.

Halloween Bark

Oct 30, 2015 · Leave a Comment

A great way to use up that extra Halloween Candy, and chocolate is to make bark. You can use dark or milk chocolate in place of the white, and the variations of bark are endless. This year I hit the bulk bins early to pick up some candy for my sons Birthday Monster Cupcakes. I always tend to overshoot the moon and buy more than what I need giving me….leftover candy!

I always find if I don’t get rid of the candy/chocolate, I will eat it. Just a piece here there…but eventually it disappears. So to avoid this temptation, I decided to toss it all into some bark. The kids love it and it goes pretty fast.

Make sure you have chocolate wafers or melting chocolate. Mix everything right in reserving a few pieces to dot on top just to pretty it up. It all tastes the same whether you mix the candy all in, or perfectly drop the pieces on top.

Roasted and Fresh Carrots with Lentils

Oct 29, 2015 · 2 Comments

Roasted and Fresh Carrots with Lentils are a delicious addition to your holiday table or the perfect side to to any main.

We always have luck growing carrots in containers on our deck. Not so much luck with radishes (worms) or lettuce (aphids) however but we haven’t given up yet amidst trying almost everything. The kids love to plant seeds, and watch them grow. It’s something they look forward to every year. They especially enjoy the coloured carrots, and admittedly always plant way to many seeds so we end up with all kinds of carrot shapes, and sizes. But it’s fun, I let them do their thing, and they are learning so much from this process.

I was asked to submit some recipes for the Winter edition of a Gluten Free Magazine. Many of my salad or vegetable recipes tend to be gluten free, so I knew exactly what I wanted to make, sides for a holiday dinner. Which could also be a delicious meal for one with some added protein. I had ideas, well several so I decided to make a trio of sides for the magazine. It’s a day of chopping I will never forget as I somehow managed to chop off part of my finger while preparing the parsley for this dish. Fortunately the kids were home (my daughter came to my aid), and my husband just walking in the door. He cleaned the counter/cutting board, and re-chopped a fresh batch of parsley for me so I could get the dish finished, and photographed since the deadline was looming. Plus there was still work to be done, and a cut finger wasn’t going to stop me although it’s the first time I’ve cut it this bad since I worked in a butcher shop when I was 16.

The first time I tried crispy lentils was at a Food Blogger Conference in Vancouver. They were sprinkled on a fish dish (halibut I believe) and it was delicious. I came home and started making crispy lentils which I sprinkle on everything. I promise to post that recipe soon.

The Trio of Sides recipes I made for the magazine are these Roasted and Fresh Carrots with Lentils, Lemon Roasted Potatoes with Parsley Pistou and Brussels Sprouts with Candied Walnuts.

Roasted and Fresh Carrots with Crispy Lentils

Pumpkin Coconut Smoothie

Oct 21, 2015 · 9 Comments

October always feels like pumpkin month. Thanksgiving here in Canada is celebrated in October, so we’ve been enjoying turkey, celebrations, great food, and pumpkin deliciousness for awhile now. I’m big into smoothies, and usually just want to drink mine immediately without taking the time to set up a photo.

Today as I was rummaging through the fridge for something breakfast related, I found some leftover pumpkin puree, and coconut milk (from a previous smoothie). This was the making of a delicious new smoothie, and one I need to share with you.

The pumpkin taste is not strong. All these flavours just flow together making this a very delicious breakfast or lunch.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Oct 20, 2015 · Leave a Comment

Some recipes just start with a memory don’t they?! Roasted Pumpkin Seeds is one of those memories for me that followed pumpkin carving and one we always looked forward to. Recreating those memories with my own kids brings me so much joy!

My mom would roast the seeds with salt – plain and simple (which is sometimes best)! I like to branch out and explore other flavours. One spice I adore is Ras el Hanout so I use this one often. I’ve tried cinnamon sugar, maple syrup, taco seasoning, old bay, salt and pepper, hot sauce seeds, chili or cumin with fresh rosemary. Any spice you would add to roasted nuts will also work on roasted pumpkin seeds. Since we usually end up carving four pumpkins, we can some times have lots of seeds. I separate into three bowls and experiment.

The first thing you need to do is gut your pumpkin. Pull out all the seeds and the gunky strings and then try your best to separate the seeds from the gunk (you won’t get it all, trust me). Place the seeds in a large bowl and add water. Swish the seeds around with your hands to remove any additional gunk. Do the best you can – a little on the seeds never hurt anyone! Remove from water and lay on paper towels or a clean dish towel.

Let them dry a little. You don’t need them completely dry, but your seasonings will stick better if mostly dry. Do you like my terminology here?! “A little”, “completely”, “mostly dry” ha ha ha! Once at this point you are ready to follow the recipe below.

Have you experimented with pumpkin seed flavours? What is your favourite flavour?!

Bacon Wrapped Turducken

Oct 15, 2015 · 2 Comments

Thanksgiving has different meanings for different folks. Many celebrate and express gratitude through their religion, while others look forward to the tradition of spending time with loved ones, friends, community, and enjoying the harvest. There is typically always food involved, and it’s tradition to cook a turkey. Did you know Thanksgiving day is celebrated primarily in Canada and the United States? Last year our International German student was quite amazed to learn about a holiday she knew nothing about, and even more surprised at the feast we had prepared to celebrate this day. Thanksgiving definitely blew her away, so imagine how she felt when she learned and participated in her first ever Halloween.

In my youth we spent holidays with friends as family lived too far away, and winter time travel across Provinces from that small northern town was not exactly something you wanted to do willingly. Today we live in a City where we also have next to no family around, so we make our own traditions, and have recently started spending Thanksgiving with friends, alternating houses every year.

This year, Echelon Foods asked if we would be interested in sampling one of their Bacon Wrapped Turduckens. Having had an Echelon Turducken roughly 4-5 years ago, I knew we were in for a treat. Well who am I kidding, they had me at bacon. One great experience can only be made better with bacon, right? At this point my European followers might be wondering what a turducken is. Simply put it’s a deboned chicken stuffed in a duck stuffed in a turkey, and in this case, wrapped in bacon with an Italian sausage stuffing inside. Some even call it a Three Bird Roast. Luxurious, yet simple, solid but unique. The question begs to be asked – how does a turducken becomes a turducken?

Since it wasn’t our turn to host Thanksgiving dinner this year, I left the turducken in the very capable hands of my girlfriend Jody who is also a delicious cook. Our biggest hurdle and decision which should have involved wine was…do we cook low & slow, or do we rev it up a little and getter done. We choose the quicker method, and Jody cooked up that turducken like a pro. You can tell by the photos it came out beautifully. 12 of us sat down to enjoy the feast, the friendship, our health, the food & wine and our bacon wrapped turducken.

Important to note this turducken is available locally throughout the year. It’s a beautiful addition to a meal and something you might just get hooked on.

Echelon Foods provided me with a turducken to try and review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Reese Peanut Butter Chocolate Nanaimo Bars

Aug 18, 2015 · 7 Comments

We have been testing recipes using Reese Peanut Butter Chocolate Spread and came up with these fabulous Reese Peanut Butter Chocolate Nanaimo Bars.

Reese Peanut Butter Chocolate Nanaimo Bars

I’m beyond excited and fully wearing my fat pants. Why you ask? Well since the product arrived, truth be known, I’ve been diligently taste testing it every day, with a spoon, to ensure it hasn’t gone bad. I do what I have to for the people. Reese Peanut Butter Cups are one of my favourite indulgences and I’ll let you in on a little secret – Reese Peanut Butter Cups taste amazing squished into a S’more.

Nanaimo Bars are a dessert served mostly around the holidays and a recipe I know like the back of my hand since I helped my mom make it growing up. The good old Canadian Nanaimo Bar is a Canadian favourite and honestly they can be made any time of the year. Like summer. The Reese’s Peanut Butter Chocolate Spread was the perfect change up for our usual Nanaimo Bar Recipe, they are simply delicious.

Reese's Peanut Butter Chocolate Nanaimo Bars — Reese’s Peanut Butter Chocolate Nanaimo Bars

What ways do you enjoy Reese Peanut Butter Chocolate Spread?!

This post is sponsored by Hershey’s Canada and I’ve been compensated monetarily and with product to create a new recipe.

Festive Mars Bars Squares

Dec 29, 2014 · Leave a Comment

I am apparently a Mars Bars Squares Virgin. Who knew these delicious treats existed. I learned about them last summer on our way out of town on a camping trip. It always seems to take us soooo long to pack up no matter how many lists, and how efficient I am at getting things ready in advance. We can’t win. So by the time we get out of town we are exhausted by over excited kids and packing up…hence ready for a drink. But we are driving and have to wait for a beverage. So on this particular outing, we opted for coffee instead.

I checked out the GPS and there was surprisingly one on the way to our camping destination. So we stopped at at little place called Latte Da for our cuppa joe and were thrilled to find sweet treats available to. The folks in this little cafe were very friendly and when we walked in, they just so happen to be bringing out this huge platter of, well Mars Bars Squares. Intrigued, we bought a couple and devoured them before we left the cafe. Spectacular. A delicious tasting bite. I asked how they were made and Laurie, the owner, graciously shared her recipe with me.

I went on to make these a couple times over the summer and then while thinking about my Christmas Holiday Baking Round up, the thought came to me to make them again…but with a little candy cane twist.

Holiday

Christmas Gingerbread Bowl Method:

PRO TIPS:

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