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Holiday

Brussels Sprouts with Candied Walnuts

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This perfect side dish has been topped with candied walnuts and plump cranberries turning these Brussels Sprouts with Candied Walnuts into a very popular holiday item!

Brussels Sprouts with Candied Walnuts
Brussels Sprouts with Candied Walnuts and plump cranberries

Growing up it was boiled frozen brussels sprouts during holiday  meals. No disrespect to those who still love them cooked this way, my husband being one of them, but it was never my thing. Too plain, to simple for me.

It wasn’t until I moved to Calgary that I experienced them sauteed, fried, crispy and full of flavour. Now we both like brussels sprouts sauteed and loaded with flavour although husband still defers to the boiled and plain occasionally!

Brussels Sprouts with Candied Walnuts
Plumped up cranberries add loads of flavour to this dish

There are many ways to cook brussels sprouts. You can steam them or boil them as mentioned earlier. We like to roast them, BBQ in a grill pan or sautee in a pan on the stove.

Essentially these little cabbages can take on lots of flavour just like a coleslaw or slaw for tacos.

Brussels Sprouts
The perfect bite: brussels sprout, walnut, cranberry

This was one of three recipes we created for a local magazine making it gluten-free, dairy free and sugar free.

The other two recipes shown below are roasted and fresh carrots with lentils and lemon roasted potatoes with a parsley pistou.

Recipes for the other two dishes we created for the magazine are below.

Other Sides Recipes

I grew up in British Columbia, my husband in Manitoba. We had the same traditional Thanksgiving dinners every year even though two Provinces apart!

Besides the classic mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce and gravy, what are some of your favourite Thanksgiving sides?!

 

Reese Peanut Butter Chocolate Nanaimo Bars

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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
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.

Reese Peanut Butter Chocolate Nanaimo Bars
Reese Peanut Butter Chocolate Nanaimo Bars

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

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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.

 

Festive Mars Bars Squares
Festive Mars Bars Squares

 

Gingerbread Dip

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In preparing for our annual Ladies Wine Night & Cookie Exchange I was well, unprepared. There I said it. Sick, bake sales and other life stuff slowed me down.

Our cookie exchange night is something I started 4 years ago. It’s a fun night for us moms/ladies to have a fun evening without kids. We typically all bring a bottle of wine, some bites to share and in this case a dozen cookies per attendee. Since I hadn’t given the night much thought, I started thinking about a cheese ball a friend use to make back in the 90’s. Simply made with cream cheese, butter and cheese. Tasty but not so healthy. As I was thinking about the cheese ball I was eating one of my Orange Gingerbread Cookies. See where I am going with this? Somehow an AHA moment happened. And the 2 ideas collided.

I used the spice list from my gingerbread cookie and started measuring and adding to taste, carefully writing down quantities. Didn’t want it to sweet. Didn’t want it to molasses-e. In the end it turned out delicious despite my suspicions it might not. I always like more feedback when I create a recipe, so I needed me some taste testers. The only ones available were Luisa, our German student and the ladies who were coming over that night. They are always pretty keen to taste my food. Thankfully. In the end, everyone who likes gingerbread liked it. One discovery that came after the fact…if you let it sit a day or two in the fridge, the flavour somehow improves.

This dip in all fairness is a little rich. Not something you could eat tons of but definitely an enjoyable addition to a table filled with goodies. I tried it with veggies and no go. Apples didn’t really cut it for me either. Plain crackers/crisps or macaroons/shortbread did work and tasted really good. This recipe is a keeper.

 

Eggnog Sugar Cookies with Candy Cane Sprinkles

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What a crazy past couple of weeks. I remember Halloween..then my son’s birthday and wham here we are just weeks away from Christmas. From frantic bake sale baking, long distance cookie swap baking to mom’s wine night & cookie exchange baking….I feel like I barely came out alive. Maybe I just take on too much every holiday season and need to rethink my strategy next year. To add to all the craziness was the onset of the sick in November. From colds, pneumonia, bronchitis, tonsillitis to ear infections..4 in our party of 5 got hit pretty hard and I was one of them. Seems the older you get the harder you fall and while I don’t usually get sick, I fell pretty hard this time. Which meant no wine for weeks. On the bright side we are all done with being sick and I refuse to let it back in the house any time soon. Bring on Christmas.

One of the cookie swaps I am involved with again this year is the Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap 2014. It’s a world wide affair but you have to be a Food Blogger to participate. For a small submission fee (goes to Cookies for Kids’ Cancer), you get matched up with other Food Bloggers in your Country. You always hope you end up with delicious cookies but that is the chance you take when you participate in something like this. It annoys me to no end to hear people complain that their cookies were not that good. Then honestly don’t participate it’s that simple since it’s for charity and it’s fun. The only thing I wish more bloggers would do is get acquainted with the more popular social media channels!! This year I sent my cookie swap cookies to BC and Saskatchewan. A little closer for me and I was happy about that (less travel time).

I had wanted to do a shortbread cookie this year. And after testing out one recipe I totally changed my game plan as I had also been wanting to create an eggnog cookie. For like years. So with just days to spare I came up with I guess a cross between a blossom cookie and a sugar cookie. I say sugar as the ingredients closely resemble a sugar cookie recipe. Took me two tries to get the ingredients right, but I did and it’s pretty darn good. I ran out of chocolate kisses so improvised with chocolate balls. I like this idea so much, my next batch of blossom style cookies will have balls and not kisses.

The cookies I received from Bloggers are: World Peace Cookies from The Blenderist, Coffee Sugar Cookies from Oven Mitt Adventures, and just received is my prettiest package yet, Sour Cherry White Chocolate Chunk Cookies by Wanna Come With. A fun way to get to know other bloggers!

This recipe makes close to 30 cookies so I had lots leftover. So much so I made these Eggnog Sugar Cookies with Candy Cane Sprinkles for another cookie swap!

 

Roasted Garlic & Sausage Casserole

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This year I was asked to be part of The Great Cream Challenge 2014. This cross Canada recipe challenge pairs 3 Canadian Food Bloggers against each other in a special monthly cooking challenge. At the beginning of the year you pick three challenges (one per month) to participate in using real cream, and then let the recipe testing madness begin.

My first challenge was in January and called The Slow Cooker Challenge. I made a Dulce de Leche Bread Pudding and came in 2nd out of 3 bloggers. It was a ton of fun.

My second challenge quickly followed and this Roasted Garlic & Sausage Casserole, was my recipe submission for April’s The Family Brunch Challenge. A little more labour intensive with a few extra steps, but it is well worth it and perfect for a special Mother’s Day or Father’s Day Brunch at home. This time I placed…..2nd out of 3 bloggers! Foiled again ha ha but at least I lost to another Alberta Food Blogger. My 3rd and final challenge is coming up in June, so who knows, maybe third times a charm? I’ve had a great time either way and loved the friendly competition with my fellow food bloggers.

To save time you can cook up your sausage, potatoes, roast your garlic, and toast your bread cubes the night before. Assemble all the next morning and Bob’s Your Uncle. Or Fred.

Either way family breakfast casseroles started with my mom and this family breakfast casserole is a fun tradition I have continued with my own children. This version has some roasted garlic, fresh tomatillos, and is topped it with cooked bacon and fresh eggs.

It’s definitely luxurious, but then everything in moderation, right?

 

Green Bark

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The one thing about making a chocolate bark is the variations are endless. And it’s super easy. Start with your favourite chocolate (white or brown), grab a few candies, nuts or pretzels, and you are ready to go.

I made this one yesterday, in time for St. Patrick’s Day, all the while trying to use up as much leftover Christmas baking candies as I could. Green smarties, green sprinkles, green m&m’s…it was fun sorting through it all only to realize I have a heck of a lot of Christmas candies leftover, still. I should have done this on Valentine’s Day too with all the red candies. Note to self for next year.

I considered doing a quick drizzle of milk chocolate on top, but was in too much of a hurry to get it done in time for the kids. The kids will love getting involved in making these and probably sampling the goods as they go.

 

Orange Pistachio Ice Box Cookies

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This was the second batch of three ice box cookies I was testing in December. The last of the 3 turned out but one or two things didn’t, so the 3rd recipe won’t be featured on the blog. What I learned making Ice Box Cookies is you can put almost anything into them…well almost.

These cookies are both pretty to look at and easy to make. The combination of pistachios, orange and cranberries transcends both sweet and savory items and is always a winner when it comes to baking.

And I love the ice box cookie concept. Get your dough ready, roll and pop into the freezer to be made at a later date. This is something I might consider for a future cookie exchange. Each lady gets a frozen log to take home and a batch of the cookies. Fun!

 

Old Cheddar Cheese and Bacon Fondue

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Whether it’s broth, oil, cheese or dessert fondue, there are several varieties to. This Old Cheddar Cheese & Bacon Fondue is one of our favourites and contains an ingredient that surprises most people!

Old Cheddar Cheese & Bacon Fondue
Old Cheddar Cheese and Bacon Fondue

Loaded with old cheddar cheese and bacon, this old cheddar cheese and bacon fondue is extra fun because it’s always a battle at the end to fish out the last pieces of bacon and fortunately there have never been any causalities during battle bacon, yet. Other favourite cheese fondues of ours? One with beer and of course the Classic Swiss Fondue.

Why Broth Fondue

Broth fondue offers more flavour as you can add all kinds of ingredients to the broth to really pump up the flavour.

We’ve done oil fondues several times over the years but every time ends up the same. Grease everywhere, our clothes and hair smells like oil, and the oil smell stays in the house for days.

Another great reason for a fondue broth is the leftover broth can be cooled down and frozen for soup later on.

What surprise ingredient

The surprise ingredient I referenced earlier, it’s sour cream. You will be surprised when you taste this fondue, you will not even know there is sour cream in it. Sour cream adds a hint of tart to the fondue and replaces the need for any additional acid. Plus it’s a natural thickener.

A delicoius cheddar cheese fondue with bacon
Old Cheddar Cheese & Bacon Fondue

When we fondue we like to have two or more fondues on the table. A cheese fondue variation and a meat in broth fondue. The kids are slowly coming round to cheese fondue, have always loved the broth ones and request Chocolate Fondue regularly. It’s actually a fun way to wind up or down a birthday party gathering.

Since we enjoy fondueing, we try new variations all the time. Some make the cut, some not so much, however it’s definitely a fun evening to have with family or friends!

If you try our Old Cheddar Cheese & Bacon Fondue let us know what you think in the comments below!

Cheddar Cheese and bacon come together to create a memorable fondue
Old Cheddar Cheese and Bacon Fondue

Looking for more fondue recipes? Check out other favourites of ours below.

  1. Pork Fondue in Lemongrass Broth
  2. Classic Swiss Fondue
  3. Teriyaki Beef Fondue

 

Pink Lady Punch

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This recipe comes from my Father In Law’s girlfriend Paulette. She wrote it out for me on a little piece of paper several years ago following a visit and sampling. And like so many other recipes, I’ve been hanging on to the piece of paper shuffling it from folder to folder for safe keeping.

This is the perfect kids drink and accompanying beverage to any holiday meal. Also a tasty solution for those who are not partaking in any alcoholic beverages. It’s simply delicious and you can pretty it up by adding in some pomegranate seeds or serving it in a champagne flute.

This punch was very well received by all the kids on Christmas day, making it the perfect punch to serve at a tea party, birthday party (big or small) or any kind of gathering that involves people and fun!

 

Chocolate Gingerbread Brownies

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I seemed to be a on a gingerbread kick this past Fall. Since finding a flavour combination we all love in these Five Spice Ginger Cookies, I have had so many food ideas in my head that I want to start testing. But as it goes we are at the end of the year, well, we were yesterday when I started this post, and with the craziness of getting our seafood feast ready for last evening, it didn’t get posted.

Today is a new day, and a new year full of hope and happiness. The recipe is up and I wish all of you a very Happy and Healthy New Year!

Monday night some friends and I gathered later in the evening to celebrate a birthday with a few glasses of wine. Most of the ladies there as far as I know are transplants, meaning we all come from other Provinces in Canada and have no immediate family here in Calgary. I am grateful for these friends to share life’s ups and downs with when needed. A couple hours out with the girls to just chat, enjoy some bits n bites, some wine and good company always soothes the soul.

And true to form I can’t just show up at a gathering, as simple as it is, without some form of food (and wine) in hand. Last night was the perfect night to test out a few recipes on said friends, who admit they are willing guinea pigs who love to try my food. Rave reviews on these brownies and here is the recipe.

Made a couple days prior and dusted with icing sugar upon serving, these brownies are a moist, flavourful and sinfully delicious bite. I could have iced these brownies, but I felt they had enough flavour to stand alone and nobody noticed the lack of icing.

Omit the cocoa powder and you have an equally delicious Gingerbread Brownie, minus the chocolate.

 

Frozen Candy Cane Dessert

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Frozen Candy Cane Cheesecakes
Frozen Candy Cane Cheesecakes

Always on the hunt for a light, easy, and tasty dessert, this is one of those recipes I discovered a long time ago and it quickly became a favourite. Over the years it’s evolved, and gets made differently, but the basics remain the same.  One of my favourite renditions of this treat is a Valentine’s Day version. Instead of using candy canes, I crush up cinnamon hearts. I like to experiment with this treat during holidays and change up the candy based on the event. This has been part of the fun.

This dessert is a great make ahead & take treat. Quick and easy to put together and you can make them up to one week in advance. These desserts stay in the freezer until you are ready to serve. Top with a dollop of whipped cream and crushed candy canes. It’s a light dessert that looks spectacular on a plate, and a perfect finish to a heavy meal.

This is my kind of easy during a busy holiday meal.

 

Grandma Stimson’s Carrot Pudding

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As it goes I have had an insane month with working full time, part time and trying to keep on top of my full time hobby with all kinds of deadlines, commitments and contracts to sign. Somewhere in there add in cookie swaps, nights out and oh…I am a mom and wife too!

Enter December’s round of the Canadian Food Project. A little late, but still posted in December! The Canadian Food Project Experience was started on June 7, 2013 by Valerie Lugonja of A Canadian Foodie. It’s a compilation of Canadian Food Bloggers who are committed to sharing their time, unique regional Canadian food experiences, and recipes. We hope to bring clarity to our Canadian Culinary identity by sharing food that is important to us as Canadians.

This month’s recipe comes from my Mother-in-Law Lynda. It’s really the Baker Family Tradition carried on from the Stimson family and of course adopted by us. Which makes this recipe over 60 years old (I think). The first time I tried Grandma Stimson’s Carrot Pudding, I was hooked. This was over 10 years ago when I met my future in-laws for the first time. It was so good and there was just enough for all of us to have one serving. One serving was clearly not enough, but it definitely resonated and found it’s place in my memory. As we devoured the pudding that night many family stories were shared and some of the special ingredients in the pudding revealed. I learned carrots and potatoes were a huge part of making this pudding so fabulous. I had no idea.

Last year my in-laws made the long trek from Manitoba to spend Christmas with us. It’s always such a wonderous time when we spend it with our Manitoba family. Fortunately for me, Lynda and I made this dessert together as part of our Christmas Feast. It was a very special moment in time for me to be able to make this traditional dessert with my mother in law. A dessert that is so near and dear to my husband’s heart. It’s a moment I will cherish always.

While this is a fairly new family tradition for me, my husband fondly remembers as a young boy, helping his mom peel and grate the carrots for the pudding. She would place a small baking dish covered in foil in a large pot with water (a double boiler). The vanilla sauce was made in an electric frypan. Following turkey dinner, everyone eagerly awaited Grandma Stimson’s Carrot Pudding. This is his memory, a long standing family tradition and one I fully intend to keep alive in our family.

Notes on steaming pudding: Set a large saucepan (one that will accommodate the baking dish) with a tight fitting lid, on stove. If you have a steamer basket that will fit the baking dish use it otherwise a heat proof trivet set on the bottom of the saucepan will work. Important to note the bottom of your baking dish can not touch the bottom of the saucepan.

 

Kringle’s Cookies

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These cookies should really be called the last of the Christmas baking ingredients garbage cookies because essentially that is what they are. Searching through my pantry one day looking for inspiration on a cookie, and I started coming across all kinds of last little bits of ingredients to use up…a small ziplock bag of toasted coconut…bag of pecans…leftover glazed cherries…whatever I could find that looked good is what I grabbed and tossed into these cookies.

The cookie testers (including my Uncle) loved the cookies plain, meaning without any additional dipping into the naughty white chocolate and sprinkling of candy canes. The rest of the cookie testers loved them both ways and I must say the extra candy canes and white chocolate really do add that extra touch to these cookies that make them spectacular.

Now they could be made anytime of the year. Just omit the candy canes and use any hard candy, or even sprinkle plain rice krispies on the chocolate instead of holiday ones. And you could dip them into milk or dark chocolate.

Very pleased with how these cookies turned out and I can’t wait to make them again!

 

Orange Gingerbread Cookies

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A couple years ago I started a Mom’s Wine Group and this lead to an annual Cookie Exchange. It’s turned out to be a great evening hanging with the ladies each holiday season, talking smack, kids, partners or husbands, enjoying wine, bites and at the end of the evening getting to go home with dozens of cookies and/or holiday baking. Love this time with friends and the gift of cookies that keeps on giving. Until they are all gone.

This year I am making cookies for both our Annual Group Cookie Exchange, and, since I am always up for a challenge, The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap 2013. This Cookie Swap is Worldwide and you have to be a Food Blogger to participate. For a small submission fee (goes to Cookies for Kids’ Cancer), you get matched up with other Food Bloggers in your Country. Since my country “Canada” is rather large, I was paired with Food Bloggers who live in Eastern Canada. I am in the West.

For the cookie swap I needed a cookie that could stand up to traveling across Canada and arrive in one piece. Since moving to Calgary, I had been slightly challenged with getting a gingerbread cookie right, so I decided I was going to conquer gingerbread and declared let Battle Gingerbread begin.

Orange Gingerbread Cookies
Orange Gingerbread Cookies

A month or so ago I got to work playing with ingredients as I prefer soft gingerbread cookies and wanted to make sure I could come up with a recipe to get a soft cookie. In Calgary we are 3400 ft above sea level and as such ingredients need to be adjusted to compensate as this affects baking. The higher the altitude, the lower the atmospheric pressure. Lower pressure in turn causes water to evaporate more quickly. On or around my 3rd gingerbread cookie attempt I got the ingredients right with a little help from my Five Spice Ginger Cookies. Using a similar ingredient plan I was able to get the right consistency and taste adding in some orange zest for additional zip. Super Yum and I’ve even turned a few non gingerbread cookie fans into gingerbread cookie lovers with these gems.

If you choose to decorate and ice, I have included the royal icing recipe I use. The kids love to decorate these cookies and I love this cookie that has now become a family favourite and a new tradition.

By participating in the Food Blogger Cookie Swap I also received 3 fabulous cookies from Food Bloggers across Canada. Heather from The Tasty Gardener in Toronto sent over some “tasty” Egg Nog Cookies. Sarah at Feasts For All Seasons in Vancouver (my old stomping grounds & heart City) provided me with a Lovely cookie called Chocolate Gingerbread Crackles. Evelyne from Cheap Ethnic Eatz in Montreal sent along some Ohh La La Candied Orange Peel Shortbread. Fantastic cookies all around and I can’t wait until next year’s Cookie Swap 2014!

 

Orange Gingerbread Cookies
Orange Gingerbread Cookies

Merry Cherry Ice Box Cookies

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Always wanting to create and try new cookie combinations I decided to investigate Ice Box Cookies as they are new territory for me. I googled ice box cookies and learned they are simply butter, sugar, eggs, flour, a few other ingredients and your add in of choice. Pretty much the basis to any cookie, except they are rolled and put into the fridge or freezer until ready to use. As usual my mind started spinning with all kinds of combinations I could make and so I went back to one of my basic cookie dough recipes and excitedly made 3 different variations of ice box cookies in two days hoping they would all turn out great.

The only time I used candied cherries is in Christmas baking, so I fondly named these Merry Cherry Ice Box Cookies. For my first batch of cookies, I opted to make them without baking soda or powder to see what they’d do. And I rolled them in toasted coconut since I love coconut. They turned out lovely and good enough to share. A simple but tasty little cookie that has received 4 thumbs up here.

 

Brussels Sprout Slaw with Pancetta

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Change up your brussels sprouts game by serving our Brussel Sprout Slaw with Pancetta!

Winter Brussels Sprout Slaw with Pancetta
Winter Brussels Sprout Slaw with Pancetta

If you like coleslaw with fresh cabbage, you will love our winter slaw using thinly sliced brussels sprouts.

We mix our sprouts with napa cabbage, crispy pancetta, toasted pine nuts, fresh pear slices and pomegranate seeds. An apple cider vinaigrette is drizzled on top and mixed in combining all the flavours before serving. You can prepare earlier and let the flavours mingle or serve right away.

Winter Brussels Sprouts Slaw with Pancetta
Winter Brussels Sprouts Slaw with Pancetta

Brussels Sprouts

These tiny cabbages are a powerhouse vegetable with all kinds of benefits. Cultivated in Belgium in the 16th century, Brussels Sprouts are cruciferous vegetable low in calories but high in fiber, vitamins, minerals and rich in antioxidants.

Like cabbage, Brussels Sprouts are a great vessel to soak up a ton of flavour. Growing up our sprouts were boiled and flavourless. These days we love adding all kinds of flavour enhancers when cooking them like sesame oil, fish sauce and spices.

How to Shave Brussels Sprouts

There are a few ways to get the job done.

  • Mandoline. We’ve tried this method, it’s not the easiest however some people love their mandoline so who are we to judge.
  • Sharp Knife. This takes a little longer but there are not many in the recipe so take your time, slice them in half and slice each half into thin slices.
  • Food Processor. Clearly the easiest method in the bunch. Pulse until they are all shredded.
Brussels Sprouts Slaw with Pancetta
Brussels Sprouts Slaw with Pancetta

PRO TIPS:

  • Cheese. Add grilled halloumi, goat or blue cheese to the salad for an additional flavour hit.
  • Avoiding Pine Nuts? No problem, use slivered almonds, pecans, hazelnuts or walnuts instead.
  • Make this vegetarian by omitting the pancetta.

Looking for more side ideas, here are a few popular ones!

  1. Green Apple & Cranberry Quinoa Salad
  2. Lemon Roasted Potatoes with Parsley Pistou
  3. Brussels Sprouts with Candied Walnuts

 

Krispy Pumpkins

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As it goes I’ve come up with what I thought was a fabulous idea for rice krispies this Halloween…and Wham it’s been done. As mentioned in previous posts I gave up googling my ideas until after the recipe is created, tested and posted. Then it becomes a comparison….how did they create their food compared to how I made mine. But I’m still taking the credit for coming up with this idea myself even if it has been done before. If it’s an idea I’ve gotten from somewhere, credit is always given where credit is deserved, as it should be. Food Bloggers Law.

We are having a Halloween Boogie Bash for the little kids and I wanted some fun food bites for them to munch on. Thought some food colouring in the rice krispie squares would turn them into great little pumpkins. Made a small batch so if you are wanting a lot double the recipe. In the end, success and the kids loved them.

Note: no two pumpkins are created equal so have fun with your shapes and don’t try to make them all perfect.

 

Pomegranate and Orange Quinoa Salad

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This Pomegranate and Orange Quinoa Salad was made for our recent Ladies Halloween Wine Evening. Since it was a theme evening, I named it “blood clot salad with crunchy finger nails“. It was very well recieved and so much fun to make.

It all started with a variation of this salad I’ve been making all year. The dressing always stays the same, as does the main ingredient, oranges. Typically I tend to add some form of greens into it. Parsley, kale, scallions…anything I find in my fridge.

One day last week I was cleaning a pomegranate, with a hovering daughter, and I started thinking about putting pomegranates into the quinoa salad. They are everywhere in the stores and I swear we’ve already gone through half a dozen as my daughter loves them. They certainly are the perfect snack, full of antioxidants and I love how much she enjoys them. While cleaning away, I was having more thoughts about our Halloween evening and what bites I was going to bring. I had already decided on Pumpkin Vomit, made with guacamole, but I wanted a second dish to bring. Just because I’m crazy like that!! For some reason the term “blood clots” came to mind and then the light bulb moment….pomegranates in the salad could be blood clots. I think it could work.

I eat a lot of quinoa salad and always cook the quinoa the day before as I prefer it cooled down for my salad. It becomes very fluffy when you allow it to rest after cooking. The next day I scooped the seeds out of my mini pumpkin and carved it. It was going to by my vomiting pumpkin prop. Since we always roast our pumpkin seeds, I wanted to roast these ones to munch on. I tossed the seeds with oil, salt and cumin but had to turn the oven off and run out to the bus to get my kids mid roast. When I returned the residual heat from the oven had crunchified them a little. Still yummy however and then it came to me, they could be a salad addition of crunchy finger nails. Boom Chaka Laka. We were on a roll.

This is pretty much how this salad came to be. Started with the usual suspects, didn’t have any parsley so I used some of the bok choy greens in my fridge, roasted some pine nuts and tossed it all together.

This is enough for one serving. Double and triple if you are wanting to feed 4 or more and have leftovers for lunch.

 

Blood Clot Salad with Crunchy Finger Nails
Blood Clot Salad with Crunchy Finger Nails

 

 

Pumpkin Pancakes

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Autumn always brings a harvest of delicious produce, and admittedly it’s my favourite time of the year. I love experimenting with pumpkin, and watching the kids try pumpkin recipes I’m testing and love it. One of my favourite go to Fall cookie recipes is my Pumpkin Orange Chocolate Chip Cookies. They are delightful. The combination of chocolate, and pumpkin is sinfully delicious. I decided to take this combination, and make pancakes for the minions one day for lunch. They kept asking for more.

Using my Basic Pancake Recipe, I added in some pumpkin, and chocolate chips. I doubled this recipe, and made two sizes, regular pancakes and dollar size. Once cooled down you can separate them with parchment or wax paper, carefully place them into a freezer bag, and store them in the freezer. Breakfast and/or brunch is ready whenever you need them.

My boy was curious when he heard they were pumpkin pancakes. He then went on to eat 6 of them. Sigh growing I suspect. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do.

 

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

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Seems we live in a world of Whoopie Pies these days. Everywhere I go there are Whoopie Pies! Never being one to jump on a band wagon, I can honestly say this is the first time I’ve ever had or made a Whoopie Pie. It started when friends invited us over for Thanksgiving dinner. Our friends were making a traditional turkey dinner and so I planned on making a traditional pumpkin pie. But I wanted something else, something more, just in case some people do not care for pumpkin pie. I googled pumpkin and have no idea how I ended up at pumpkin whoopie pies, but I did and the idea stuck. Always up for a challenge, this was definitely going to be uncharted territories. I do not particularly like to bring a recipe to a gathering that I have not tested yet. But there wasn’t much time and with the array of ingredients I had assembled, I felt quite confident making these cookies.

After browsing tons of whoopie pie recipes, all with similar measurements and ingredients, I finally made up a list of what I needed, combining a few ideas into my own concoction. In the end this recipe is not too far off some of the ones I saw and so I’m not sure who to give credit to, but I will go with the first recipe I looked at.

These cookies ended up being super easy to make and incredibly tasty both with and without the cream cheese icing. They would be the perfect bake sale item.

Now that I have made a basic whoopie pie, and they were a huge hit this past Thanksgiving, I am predicting more whoopie pies in our future. And just so you know, these cookies taste equally delicious with a dollop of leftover whipping cream on top!

 

Five Spice Ginger Cookies

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Thrilled to be participating again in the 3rd Annual Calgary Food Bloggers Bake Sale. Proceeds from this Bake Sale go to The Calgary Foundation’s Flood Rebuilding Fund. A great charity to support considering the year Calgarians and Albertans have had following the nasty flood of 2013.

This is my first kick at the can with a ginger molasses cookie. Love to eat them. Bad habit of buying them at Starbucks all the while wondering about all the extra additives that might be in them. Until now. Starting with a basic cookie dough recipe and adding a whole whack of stuff, I believe I have given Starbucks a run for their money and no longer need to buy their cookies since these are delicious.

Early this week I decided to make these cookies but as always wanted to add my own spin. At first I thought chocolate dipped ginger cookies. But then, after snooping through my spices, I decided I would add in some Five Spice. I use Five Spice all the time and figured it would pair nicely with the spice in the cookie.

My gamble paid off as it’s an explosion of equally balanced flavours in every bite. I’ve gotten all kinds of positive feedback from the taste testers who have received a batch of these cookies and loved them. I choose to make these cookies for the bake sale, monster size. Definitely make them smaller if that’s what you prefer and you will get more out of the batch.

Another tip: make sure your butter is softened, not melting. It is the key to getting a good chewy molasses cookie. It was a hot day when I made these cookies and as such a hot evening in the house. I recall the inside temperature reading 27 degrees at one point. As you can imagine, my room temperature butter would melt and I would have to put it back in the fridge to firm up. Quite the game butter and I played the night I made these cookies.

 

Bakers Brown Butter Blondies

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This is one of the easiest recipes to make and one our family has enjoyed for many years.

In a nutshell it’s a big cookie bar with whatever add-ins you want, baked in a dish.  It’s your basic cookie dough recipe and can easily be made into cookies.

Simply perfect for pot lucks, picnics, gatherings….you can spruce it up or keep it simple.  I like to whip up a quick batch to bring camping since it’s that easy.  I love how chewy it is on the inside and crunchy around the outer edges.

This batch makes just over one dozen squares depending on how big you cut them.  One batch is never enough for our family.  When you make them nut free they are perfect for school snacks.

Add-ins could be anything from nuts to cut up chocolate bar, toffee bits, smarties or m&ms, marshmallows or broken pretzels.  For this recipe my add-ins are peanut butter chips and chocolate chips.

 

Sugar Cookies

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A day late and a dollar short I am with this recipe.  It was to be Recipe 12 of my 12 Day of Holiday Baking but for some reason my 2 yr old hard drive decided to die on me 3 days before Christmas.  Since we were expecting the In-Laws to arrive any minute I really had no time to commit to getting it fixed.  Then colds & sick came along as well as other distractions.

Happy as pudding to report hard drive data recovered, new hard drive in place programs reinstalled and everything good in the land of nod.  I am happy to bring the final entry.

I never had sugar cookies growing up…it’s one thing my mother never made.  I feel like somehow I must have been missing out since they are so yummy and such a great cookie for kids to be involved in making.  My kids have so much fun with these cookies and I love creating these memories.

I’ve experimented with a few sugar cookie recipes over the years and haven’t had the best luck until I found this one.  It’s yummy, easy to make and fun for all.  Even hubs gets involved when it comes to our cookie making & decoration sessions.  It’s awesome!