| Bakersbeans (Wanda Baker) logo

Recipes (Main)

Cast-Iron Mac n Cheese

· 3 Comments

Take your Cast-Iron Mac n Cheese to a whole new level by cooking it on the grill over your campfire.

Cast Iron Mac n Cheese

Cast Iron Mac n Cheese

While we think Mac n Cheese is a North American dish mostly due to a brand name version in a box, the United Kingdom also claims this dish as their own, calling it simply, macaroni cheese. This recipe was born while camping. I had it on the agenda and had packed all the ingredients, knowing it would be on the menu one day while enjoying a weekend away!

I added Old Bay Spice, cheddar cheese and smoked gouda cheese.

Noodles for Mac N Cheese

 Toasted Breadcrumbs

If you don’t enjoy toasted breadcrumbs on mac n cheese, leave them off! We enjoy the light crunch they offer against the creaminess of the sauce.

To save time you can toast your breadcrumbs at home before you leave for camping. Store in a plastic zip up baggie. Grating the cheese and keeping in a plastic bag is also a time and dish saver.

Cast-Iron mac n cheese doesn’t get the broiler treatment to crisp up the top while camping, however toasting the breadcrumbs first offers the crispy bits we crave.

If you aren’t able to get the breadcrumbs toasted in advance, simply toast the bread crumbs in a pan over medium-high heat before sprinkling on top.

Cheese sauce for mac n cheese

Mac n Cheese Leftovers

When we make this recipe for a crowd there are not leftovers. When we make it just for our family there are leftovers and we are a family who loves leftovers!

If making this while camping, you can butter a pie iron, add a good block of cold mac n cheese, even a little extra shredded cheese if there is any, and cook over a fire. It becomes crunchy on the outside and remains soft and gooey on the inside.

Cast-Iron Mac n Cheease

PRO TIPS:

Whether you are going to try this recipe at home, or while out camping, here are a few tips you help you on your way!

  • Toast breadcrumbs in advance.
  • Use whole milk and light warm first.
  • Any combination of cheese works, grate in advance.
  • Use butter, not margarine.

Campfire Mac n Cheese

Other Camping Recipes we love and recommend!

If you made this recipe tag Wanda Baker on Instagram and hashtag it #bakersbeans or #wandabaker

 

Italian Sausage, Zucchini and Bocconcini Pasta Salad

· Leave a Comment

Summer fresh grilled veggies with fresh basil and bocconcini is favourite dish around here when it gets to hot to cook. Leftover veggies are an easy addition the next day to any dish, like these Grilled Veggie, Pesto & Bocconcini Pizzas.

Today we jazzed up our grilled veggies with bacon, grilled Italian Sausage and lots of fresh garlic. It was a hot one so making something easy and cool for dinner was right up our alley. If you have a side burner on your grill you could also cook the bacon and pasta right there to avoid your oven all together.

In our family we have some who don’t like peppers, some zucchini and some bocconcini cheese (insert gasp). Since I don’t cater to anyone’s likes or dislikes when I make a meal, I always tell them to pick out what they don’t like and eat what they do.

This would be an easy dish to partially prepare in advance and take camping. Make your dressing and store in a sealed jar. Cook all veggies and store in the fridge in a sealed container. Cook the rest when you are there and assemble.

 

Italian Sausage, Zucchini and Bocconcini Pasta Salad
Italian Sausage, Zucchini and Bocconcini Pasta Salad

 

 

Chimichurri Sauce

· Leave a Comment

Chimichurri Sauce is a fresh and flavourful, uncooked green condiment perfect served alongside dishes like grilled meat and vegetables.

Use Chimichurri Sauce as a table condiment for grilled meats

Chimichurri Sauce

Our first time hearing about this condiment was through friends who had traveled through Argentina and Peru in South America. Since my husband loves garlic we tried and it and like it so much, we’ve tried it a few different ways, slightly changing up our chimichurri sauce every time we make it.

We’ve made variations along the way and this was one of them: Grilled Steak with Chimichurri Sauce.

What is Chimichurri Sauce

Chimi sauce, as it’s known in Argentina, is a mashup of garlic, tangy red wine vinegar, spicy if you like, green condiment that is simply delicious on grilled meats. It can also be used to marinade meat before cooking or added to ingredients for a flavour burst.

It pairs nicely with cooked fish, grilled vegetables and skewered baby potatoes. We also enjoy it crostini or grilled baguette.

Chimichurri Sauce with grilled potatoes
Served with skewered grilled potatoes

 

Like many cuisines chimichurri sauce can vary by family and region although they all seem to have have the basic traditional ingredients in the sauce: parsley, oregano, oil, vinegar and garlic. Other ingredients include citrus, other herbs and a spicy element.

In this version I have opted for less garlic and finished the sauce with red pepper flakes and pink peppercorns.

Chimichurri Sauce on baked cheese
Served on baked cheese

Want to give chimichurri sauce a try?! Here’s a few tips to help get you started.

PRO TIPS

  • Use red wine vinegar in this recipe. Other vinegars will not offer the same tang.
  • Chili flakes are optional. Don’t like spicy, leave them out.
  • Love garlic, add more.
  • Add more salt if your palate says so.
  • Hand chop your parsley. It’s therapeutic and turns out better.

 

Beef and Mushroom Spring Rolls

· 13 Comments

Beef and Mushroom Spring Rolls can be made as an appetizer or served with other dishes to make a complete meal. Earthy, fresh mushrooms are cooked with tender beef and veggies, rolled up in a wrapper and cooked, creating a delicious, crispy bite!

beef spring rolls

Beef and Mushroom Spring Rolls

Spring rolls are found in multiple Southeast Asian cuisines and can vary region to region. I’ve been eating them at Vietnamese and Thai restaurants for years and have learned that they are also common in China and other Asian cultures around the globe.

The Inspiration

I’ve always said inspiration comes from everywhere and sometimes when you least expect it. These beef spring rolls were created for the blend and extend challenge hosted by Mushrooms Canada. I was inspired by some of the flavours in our Thai Salad with Jalapeno and Mint, adding in finely chopped mushrooms for extra flavour.

beef spring rolls

Making the filling

There are no rules about what goes inside Spring Rolls. The filling typically consist of seafood like crab or meat like ground pork or beef, combined with vegetables and some seasonings. The Mushrooms offer a luscious umami flavour.

Ingredients

Soy Sauce
Fish Sauce
Cornstarch
Lean Ground Beef
Napa Cabbage
Carrots
Green Onions
Sesame Oil
Sugar
Garlic
Ginger
Mushrooms
Cilantro
Spring Roll Wrappers
Egg
Canola Oil

Once you’ve compiled all your ingredients, the fun begins! Try to prep as much of the ingredients in advance as possible.

spring roll instructions

Make it Vegetarian

To use less meat in these rolls, decrease the amount of meat to half a pound and add extra mushrooms, carrots and cabbage. Enough for another cup of veggies and more vegetables on your plate. Or make them vegetarian by omitting the meat. Use Veggie ground round, soy crumbles, more mushrooms and vegetables.

Looking for other great fun recipes to try? Our Vietnamese Pork Meatball Banh Mi‘s are a flavour explosion. Moo Shu Pork in Wraps and Baked Chicken and Bacon Taquitos are fun foods to eat with your hands!

spring rolls

Spring Roll Wrappers

A variety of wrappers are available in most grocery stores. Sometimes you will find them in the frozen section, other times in the fresh produce section. If they are frozen, defrost them. Let the wrappers sit on the counter defrosted for at least 15-20 minutes before using.

To fry or to bake

Frying our food is not something we do often, but when we do, we make it worth it! If you prefer not to fry the rolls, you can bake them.

To bake: spray or brush a baking sheet with oil, preheat oven to 425, take the ready-to-cook rolls and roll around in the oil on the pan a little to cover all sides, bake until golden on top, about 10-15 minutes. Turn the rolls and bake another 5-8 minutes or until golden. You might not get the same crunch and crisp when you bite into baked rolls, but you will still get the delicious taste!

Sauces

There are a couple of different ways you can go with sauces. Thai Sweet Chili Sauce, a thinned-down Red Pepper Jelly or mix with the Thai Sweet Chili Sauce, Peanut Dipping Sauce, although better with fresh salad rolls or Vietnamese Nuoc Cham.

Sauces, like many food items, are subjective, however as we all have different likes and dislikes. So I say try a variety and you decide what you like!

dipping sauces

PRO TIPS

  • You can make and cook these in advance. The flavours blend together overnight. The next day we reheat in our toaster oven. They will not be as crispy as just fried but still retain some crunch!
  • Swap ground pork, turkey or chicken for beef.

For more fun and recipes, follow along on Facebook, tag Wanda Baker on Instagram, save on Pinterest and check back regularly for updates and new recipes!

 

 

 

Healthy Road Trip Snacks for Kids

· Leave a Comment

It’s no secret we camp frequently in the summer and road trip or travel all year round. There are many great day trips to take from Calgary, in fact I wrote about it here 10 Day Trips from Calgary. With families in BC, Manitoba and Saskatchewan it’s fair to say we’ve traveled the four Western Provinces up and down and back again. From the time our kids were babies we were strapping them into their car seats and hitting the road ready to experience the next big adventure.

When the littles were babies I made my own baby food. It made sense to pack a small cooler full of healthy snacks for them. Washroom breaks or gas stops make it easy to purchase something on impulse and that’s why we always try to have a cooler packed with snacks ready to go.

In your cooler include a zip up plastic bag filled with wet wipes or napkins, plastic cutlery, a travel safe knife and old grocery bags for garbage.

1. Fresh fruit. Cut up and/or washed fruit and berries in a plastic container

2. High fiber and low sugar cereal like Cheerios

3. Terra or other brand Veggie Chips

4. Cheese sticks

5. Rice crackers or other healthy crackers

6. Rice Cakes in plastic bags with Nut Butter

7. Home made popcorn (I also put this in the kids lunches)

8. Pretzels mixed with dried fruit or nuts

9. Granola bars or Energy Bites

10. Yogurt tubes

11. Fresh veggies

12. Mini homemade muffins or Pizza Muffins

13. Applesauce cups (don’t forget spoons)

14. Preservative free healthy sausage with cut up cheese and crackers

15. Juice boxes, bottled water or infused bottled water

16. Hummus with crackers, pita or veggies

 

 

 

12 Free things to do in Calgary this Summer

· 2 Comments

Planning on a Calgary stay-cation this Summer, or looking to find more frugal ways to enjoy the Summer? With the economy in a slump, it’s good to have some options for places to take the family, friends or visiting relatives without burning a hole in your pocket book. Here are 12 Free things to do in Calgary this Summer.

Calgary Parks, Pathways & Water Parks

Beat the heat and let the kids cool off in a water park. Or enjoy any of Calgary’s parks or pathways. Some of the parks offer free Music in the Park during certain times. Check website for full schedule.

Calgary International Spaceport

Beam me up Scotty! The International Spaceport is a unique educational and entertainment facility focusing on space and aeronautics. Located at the Airport, they offer hands-on exhibits and displays making for an interstellar adventure.

Bow Habitat Station

On July 21 and August 18 take advantage of the extra daylight hours and enjoy free admission to the Discovery Centre from 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm. Note: Admission does not include access to the Fish Hatchery.

Trips to feed the fish will be made available on a first-come, first-serve basis at a fee of $2 per person. While there investigate, explore and discover Alberta’s fish, wildlife, water and aquatic ecosystems, explore hands-on exhibits or take a stroll along the trails in the Interpretive Wetland.

Shakespeare by the Bow

This year Theatre Calgary continues Calgary’s Shakespeare tradition on Prince’s Island with HAMLET. Starring a cast of emerging theatre talent, their annual outdoor production is a magnificent way to spend a summer’s evening.

Grab a blanket, a picnic, and take in one of Shakespeare’s greatest plays in one of Calgary’s favourite places. Shakespeare by the Bow takes place from June 21 to August 21. Admission is free however they do encourage cash donations.

Free First Thursday Nights at the Glenbow Museum

An amazing adventure awaits when you step into the Glenbow Museum. Learn about the Age of Exploration in North America, journey through the Blackfoot Gallery, take in the Art of Asia, the mineralogy exhibition and so much more. This offer is only valid from 5pm – 9pm on the first Thursday of July and August.

Music in the Plaza at Heritage Park

2016 is the Year of Music in Calgary and every Wednesday evening in July and August, the Stampede Talent Search partners with Heritage Park to provide a weekly opening act. This collaboration offers novice young performers a public performance venue with featured acts selected from Western Canada’s finest up and coming artists.

Performances are free of charge and take place before the Park gate in the Engineered Air Bandstand. Pack a blanket, picnic basket, bug spray, sun tan lotion and enjoy those Summer nights with some awesome tunes. Family friendly, no pets, rain or shine.

Summertime Festivals

Many festivals are admission free although some may charge a small fee to attend. We’ve been to quite a few, here are some to get you started: Marda Gras in Marda Loop, Calgary Turkish Festival, Sunfest in Inglewood, Fiestaval Calgary, Calgary Arab Festival, Spaghetti Western Festival, Carifest, and the Dragon Boat Festival.

Inglewood Bird Sanctuary and Nature Centre

Bring your binoculars to the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary and keep your eyes peeled for any of the 270 species of birds, 21 species of mammals (including deer), 2 amphibians, 2 reptiles, 7 species of fish and 27 species of butterflies. This 36-hectare wildlife reserve has beautiful trails and is just a short drive from downtown Calgary.

Chapters | IndigoKids Presents: Storytime & Fun

Check their website to see weekly offerings of story’s and crafts and more. What better opportunity to get them interested in books then to surround them with books!

Calgary Stampede

Suncor Family Day & BMO Kids Day

A fun way to experience the Calgary Stampede is take the family down on either Suncor Family Day or BMO Kids Day. Both days include free admission within certain times in the morning. Please check the website for more information, where good walking shoes, sunscreen and get there early!

Stampede Parade

Get up early to snag your curb side seats and enjoy the official kick off to the Greatest Show on Earth! The Calgary Stampede Parade will start with Parade Marshall’s Jann Arden and Paul Brandt leading the way. The horses, the floats and the bands will get your boots tappin and your hands a clappin. Check website for street closures and parade route.

Stampede Breakfasts

A Calgary Stampede tradition, find Free Breakfasts during Stampede all over Calgary. Enjoy food, music, entertainment and event a few celebrity appearances at these breakfasts every day of stampede.

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

 

 

Grilled Beef Satay

· Leave a Comment

Beef Satay is the perfect, light summer meal. Use your favourite marinade or try this one the next time you make these. They literally melt in your mouth. Make sure you cut your beef thin and let it marinade for at least an hour or more depending the cut of beef you use.

If you are using a cheaper cut of steak like I did (inside round), ensure you have acid in your marinade to tenderize the steak and let marinate for longer than an hour if you can. With this meal I par-boiled some baby potatoes, let them cool, skewered them and added olive oil, salt and pepper. A few minutes on the grill finished them off.

This is an easy and tasty meal to get your Summer Grilling on!

Grilled Beef Satay
Grilled Beef Satay

 

9 Things to do with Dad on Father’s Day

· Leave a Comment

Father’s Day is around the corner and there are so many great things to do with dad in Calgary. From planes and fishing, to runs and Jazz walks, there is something for everyone.

Check out some of these fun activities!

1. Wings & Wheels at the Aero Space Museum of Calgary: Now entering their fifth year, Wings & Wheels returns with a few select cockpits open for viewing, vintage vehicles and motorcycles on display, and the opportunity to take a helicopter city tour with your family (for an additional cost). They tend to offer kids activities and best of all, dad is FREE with a paid admission!

2. Do it for Dads Day Walk & Run: In 2015 it was estimated 66 Canadian Men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer every day. The Do it for Dads Walk Run 5KM is a fun, family-friendly event, hosted on Father’s Day, that raises awareness and funds for the leading cancer affecting Canadian men and the families that love them. So get out there and Do it for Dads Everywhere!

3. Park Fest at Ralph Klein Park: Bring your family and friends to Ralph Klein Park for an afternoon of free activities and entertainment. Enjoy face painting, pond dipping, guided walks, nature crafts and more. Learn about Canada’s largest man-made wetland, visit the park’s Environmental Education Centre and explore the wonders of nature all around.

4. Bow Habitat Station: Go Fishing! The Kids Can Catch Trout Pond aims to educate and inspire youth to learn to fish and to be responsible anglers.

5. Cabela’s Father’s Day Fun: Kids and families will enjoy getting to know law enforcement, the Canadian Forces and EMT personnel through games and good fun. Buy lunch with proceeds going to Special Olympics, try Hover-Ball Archery or Master Scope Mounting. Lots of great fun to be had.

6. Fort Calgary’s Father’s Day Brunch: Fort Calgary is located just east of downtown Calgary on a 40-acre site. Open year-round, the Fort offers Calgarians and their guests fun, interactive exhibits, tours and school programs. Enjoy lunch and then the Fort. Reservations recommended.

7. Rad Dad Day at Calaway Park: Let the thrill-seeker in dad come alive and get FREE admission when accompanied by a child (hopefully his)!!

8. Jazz Walk in Inglewood: From 12-6pm grab a coffee or tea and wander through Inglewood to check out the tunes or join AJ Proc for a guided tour.

9. Try a new Restaurant for Brunch: Several restaurants are offering up a delicious brunch for dad. Check out the availability through open table and book the time and place that works for you.

Fruit Salad with Gouda

· Leave a Comment

Fruit salad screams summer and adding cheese offers new flavours your family will love. The nutty sweetness from the cheese combines perfectly with the fruit, making this Fruit Salad with Gouda one for all your summer barbecues!

Aiden's Gouda Fruit Salad
Fruit Salad

Kids can cook

With a little encouragement your kids will be inspired to get in the kitchen and start cooking. Help them find an easy recipe to get started.

Wee ones can help by choosing the fruit, washing ot and sampling for quality control it as you go. When they get older have them help cut up the fruit.

This salad was created by my son Aiden and he now makes it when summer fruit is in season.

What fruits to use

Considering making a fruit salad at other times of the year using whatever fruit is in season in your area.

 

 

 

Greek Pasta Salad

· 3 Comments

Our go to summer side is Greek Pasta Salad combining all you favourite fresh Greek salad vegetables plus pasta, and a zesty dressing! Additionally it’s a potluck favourite that gets requested again and again!Greek Pasta Salad

Greek Pasta Salad

My family adores Greek salad also known as a Greek village salad or horiatiki and we can never have enough of this salad during the summer months. The addition of pasta noodles creates a hearty side dish perfect with any main. Also try it for lunch or as a main.

The Inspiration

Several times over the years I have played in softball slow-pitch leagues on many teams. When I moved to Calgary, I played again and met a ton of fun people to hang with. Same year I also joined an indoor soccer team and billiards team because why not. It was around then I met my husband, through work of all places, and life was forever changed.

During my Calgary ball season, our team did a few weekend tournament camping trips that included lots of beverages. Meals were potluck style and it was around this time someone from work introduced me to Club House Pasta Salad Dressing Mix. I used this dressing mix in my Greek pasta salad and ever since we are addicted. In fact anytime I make this salad for a potluck, I always get asked for the recipe!

Greek Pasta Salad

Memorable Summer Salad

With the arrival of summer so comes all the fresh fruits and vegetables. Truly my favourite time of the year to pig out on produce. Serve this salad with any barbecued meal, at a potlucks, gatherings or picnics. Leftovers are a tasty lunch the next day!

Camping Food

This is the easiest meal to prepare camping. Since ball team camping, I have precooked the noodles and stuffed them into a zip up plastic bag. Mixed up the dressing and stored in a sealed jar. Pre chopped most of the veggies so all you have to do is add feta, mix and serve. A hit every time!

greek pasta salad

This Greek pasta salad hits all the right notes. Here’s a few tips to help get you started.

PRO TIPS

  • Do not rinse pasta after cooking. This is an old wives tale. Drain pasta and spread pasta on a baking sheet to let cool down.
  • Do not add oil to the pasta water. Simply not needed. Make sure it’s salted however.
  • Pre-chop all veggies.
  • Pre-make your salad dressing.
  • Take this salad anywhere and be prepared to be asked for the recipe.

greek pasta salad

Like this salad idea, check out a few of our other favourites:

If you made this recipe tag Wanda Baker on Instagram and hashtag it #bakersbeans or #wandabaker

 

Getting Organized with GLAD Products

· Leave a Comment

With a busy baseball season upon us, I’ve teamed up with GLAD to help get my refrigerator and meal planning in order. We have one child in softball Monday, Wednesday and Thursday and the second fastball Tuesday, Thursday and Fridays. This has us running on all cylinders every night of the week including weekend ball tournaments so knowing what our meals will be and having food ready is key.

It’s also important for us to sit down together every night for a quick meal at the dinner table and catch up on each others day before heading off in separate directions. Even if it’s a sandwich or hearty soup and fruit, it’s a time for us to reconnect as a family. Knowing ahead of time what we are having and prepped food in the fridge ensures this happens.

Meal Planning
Meal Planning

Meal planning is essential to ensuring meals are quick and easy each night requiring little thought and preparation. Plan your meals two weeks in advance and create your grocery list from your plan.

GLAD agrees and shares the following guidelines for Organized Meal Preparation.

  • Take everything out of the grocery bags when you’re done shopping and invest 30-60 minutes in prep work. Wash, cut and store your veggies so they’re easier to throw into stir fries or salads. Cut up fruit and divvy into glad bags for quick snacking and meal preparation.

Wanda says: Get the kids involved in meal prep. They can wash and chop their own fruit or vegetables for their lunch snacks during the week. Give them each GLAD bags and a marker to label days and their names. Check bags for holes and wash bags and dry to reuse or recycle when they are done.

  • On Sunday, try to utilize all of your appliances at once to maximize your time. Make a big batch of sauce, soup, stew or braised meat in the slow cooker. Bake off a few pounds of chicken breasts. Saute up a bunch of vegetables or make a big batch of quinoa or rice on the stove top. Then divide all of the ingredients up either in plastic containers in the fridge if you plan to eat them within the next 2 days, or cool, and pack them into freezer bags that you can simply pull out, defrost and rewarm throughout the week.

Wanda says: Do your shopping early in the morning to avoid line ups. Poach several chicken breasts and shred for quick meals like sandwiches, salads, quesadillas, soups, soul bowls and more. Label your containers or freezer bags for reference later on.

  • With all of these things, you can combine them in different combinations to make everything from a bowl of chili with bread and a big salad, to pasta, stir fry with rice, to a healthy protein packed lunch salad with quinoa.

Wanda says: We love to cook up batches of quinoa, rice, bulgar wheat, lentils or couscous a day or two before we plan on using them. These items can be added to salads, quesadillas, wraps, veggie bowls and more. Take these precooked items camping with you packed up neatly in your GLAD storage containers.

  • Plan for unconventional leftovers by mixing and matching dinner and breakfast staples. Eggs for dinner cook in minutes, or include quinoa in breakfast staples in place of oats. Try mixing them with milk and berries for a high-protein healthy meal.

Wanda says: If you have a little extra time try our healthy Quinoa Porridge Breakfast idea anytime of the day and store extras in your GLAD containers. Or saute some cut veggies, mix in some scrambled eggs, add some cheese and toss everything into a wrap. Heat up to melt the cheese and dinner is served.

GLAD Products
GLAD Storage Products

 

With all these great tips from GLAD, it’s important to know how to store your food properly in the refrigerator for maximum freshness.

GLAD shares more great tips and tricks about proper food storage.

  • Keep onions and tomatoes in a cool dry place, not in your refrigerator where they will lose flavour
  • Pears, peaches, kiwis, mangoes, apricots, melons, avocados and bananas can be kept on the counter. Once they are ripe enough, move to the fridge.
  • Salad greens and fresh herbs can be sealed tightly in a glad freezer or storage bag with a tiny bit of air and a small piece of paper towel.
  • Citrus can be stored up to a week in a cool dark place away from sunlight or in a fridge for longer in a glad bag.
  • Celery should be wrapped in press n’ seal or cling wrap and sealed in a veggie crisper.
  • Avoid washing berries all at once, wash as you eat them because the water will cause mold growth.
  • Store your prepared fruits and vegetables in clear, plastic containers so you can see what you have. Research suggests that the food we can see and is right in front of us is most likely to be consumed first.

 

Wrap once with GLAD wrap and place in GLAD plastic freezer bag
Wrap once with GLAD wrap and place in GLAD plastic freezer bag (parmesan rinds)
Using-GLAD
Taco meat, poached chicken, tomato sauce, salad all prepped in advance and ready to go. Also in photo is blueberries and coconut milk.

 

With a little advance planning, meals can be ready to cook and on the table in no time at all giving you more time to breathe and relax a little before a busy evening adventure.

Disclaimer: I was compensated for this post, all opinions remain my own.

White Chocolate Lavender Brownies

· 11 Comments

Fudgy brownies are infused with culinary grade lavender and white chocolate chunks making these White Chocolate Lavender Brownies the ultimate treat!

white chocolate brownies

White Chocolate Lavender Brownies

Every summer we visit Kelowna, British Columbia, and the Okanagan Lavender & Herb Farm. It’s a visit I look forward too as we wander the farm, do a little shopping (like culinary grade lavender) and indulge in lavender infused treats before we leave.

I’ve been experimenting with lavender in my baking, and decided to put some in these brownies.

white chocolate brownies

Using Lavender in baking

Lavender adds flavour but like vanilla it should be used sparingly or it can over power a dish. Always use culinary grade as this ensures the lavender has not been sprayed with anything first. You will want to either steep the lavender buds and strain, or grind small.

You may have used lavender before in cooking and not even known. Herbes de Provence, a blend of strong herbs, typically contains lavender. It will also have rosemary, thyme, and oregano mixed in.

Find it at your local spice store or order it online.

lavender buds

Brownies

Brownies should be moist and fudgey on the inside with crispy edges on the outside. They are an easy recipe that requires no fancy methods, just mixing ingredients together, pouring into a pan and baking. That is why they show up at so many functions – easy peasy!

white chocolate brownies

When baking brownies, it’s better to pull them out early, then leave them in too long as it could dry them out. Once out of the oven they need a little time to cool down before devouring.

Other treat recipes to check out!

If you made this recipe tag Wanda Baker on Instagram and hashtag it #bakersbeans or #wandabaker

Cinnamon Butter Cake

· 6 Comments

Lately I’ve been going through old small town cookbooks where my mom inspired myself and so many of her family members to submit recipes to the annual cookbook collaboration. I have two of them dating back to the 90’s and as I go through these books carefully page by page, I can’t help but smile when I see an Aunt or a friend with a recipe I so fondly remember. I also have several recipes posted from my Vancouver days where I dabbled with cooking constantly.

Who also has these kinds of books? Please share in the comments!

I often wonder the history of some of these retro recipes. So many of them where taken from early early cookbooks and changed up a bit to become Grandma’s or Mom’s recipe. I recall being at a food blogger conference once where a representative from Random House Publishing said exactly the same thing. Every recipe starts from a book somewhere. While I don’t believe “every” recipe does starts from a book since I’ve whipped up my own from scratch, I’m sure there are many that had a helping hand.

This is one of those retro recipes I took from the book and changed up to suit my tastes. I’ve never heard of it before so I was excited to give it a go. It’s a butter cake but I added a ton of cinnamon into the glaze because why not? Cinnamon has health benefits so I needed something to make me feel better after all the, well, butter!

 

Cinnamon Butter Cake
Cinnamon Butter Cake

It’s moist and perfect with tea or coffee.

 

 

Cinnamon Butter Cake
Cinnamon Butter Cake

 

Watermelon Berry Popsicles

· 2 Comments

Stay hydrated and cool off on hot summer days with homemade Watermelon Berry Popsicles.

watermelon popsicles

Watermelon Berry Popsicles

We’ve combined fresh watermelon, mint, lime juice, strawberries and coconut to create vegan, gluten free watermelon berry popsicles perfect for summer!

Why Coconut Milk

When we first created our watermelon berry popsicle recipe we were working with a gluten-free blogger. We wanted the popsicles to be flavourful and accessible to anyone with dietary restrictions.

These popsicles are dairy free, sugar free, vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free making them a very desirable summer snack.

watermelon popsicles

Popsicle Ingredients

Popsicles, like smoothies, can be made using a variety of ingredients and we have definitely tried a few variations in all kinds of unique popsicle molds!

Consider fresh herbs like fresh basil instead of mint, dairy free milk or yogurt, fruit slices, cold brewed tea, chia seeds (allow to bloom), even nut butters. Make them as simple or complex as you like but be sure to make extra as they won’t last long.

watermelon popsicles

Making the Popsicles

Once you have all your ingredients assembled and the molds ready, it’s time to make popsicles! We recommend using good quality popsicle molds as cheaper ones we’ve had over the years have broken or chipped.

PRO TIPS

  • Invest in good quality popsicle molds. Forget the dollar store varieties as they don’t last.
  • Add more fresh mint if you like mint.
  • Make the day before you want to enjoy them.
  • Replace mint with fresh basil.
  • If no kids are involved you could add a little splash of coconut rum to the popsicle mix. We won’t tell.

Other fun recipes to try:

If you made this recipe tag Wanda Baker on Instagram and hashtag it #bakersbeans

 

Cafe Blanca debuts Siphoned Finca La Primavera from Colombia

· Leave a Comment

Café Blanca is a cute little cafe tucked over in the North West corner of downtown Calgary close to Sien Lok Park. It’s the perfect spot to get your coffee fix, perhaps grab a light snack and stroll on over to the river front to enjoy the park and view.

Described by owner Derek Ho as a playground for creative professionals, harbouring creative talent, conceptual thinking and collaboration. It’s a cafe offering a stage for musical performances, piano encouraging musical creation, and they even showcase an area for exhibitions or private events. You will find several varieties of coffee, snacks and a full catering menu for your next special event. According to Ho, Cafe Blanca is the only place in Calgary that uses the vacuum method of brewing coffee.

Editors Note: This Cafe has permanently Closed.

Cafe Blanca Siphon Coffee
Cafe Blanca Siphon Coffee

Vacuum coffee also known as siphon coffee works on the principle of expansion and contraction of gases to brew a full infusion style of coffee and filter the grounds efficiently. What is left is a clear, beautiful tasting cup of joe. This process involves your senses; aromas, fragrance, motion, touch, action, tasting, cooling, tasting again, and then new flavour notes appear different from the first ones. It’s a fascinating and memorizing process to watch and experience. Ho recommends you take the time to sit and enjoy your siphon coffee from start to finish to really fully experience the different levels of taste as the coffee cools down.

Cafe Blanca Siphon Coffee
Cafe Blanca Siphon Coffee

For the next two months Cafe Blanca has partnered with Apex Coffee, a green bean importer, and is featuring an exclusive Nano Lot specialty coffee called Finca La Primavera. These beans come from a local Colombian farmer who grows only 130lbs of this special varietal of green bean coffee every year. This coffee is known as the Nano Lot and Cafe Blanca purchased all the beans from this farmer for their cafe this year. They are showcasing the coffee all of May and June, or until it runs out. You can enjoy Finca La Primavera in the cafe via two brewing methods; Drip coffee and Siphon coffee.

This coffee enthusiast dropped in one day to experience a demonstration of Siphon Coffee using the Finca La Primavera Colombian coffee and was pleasantly surprised by the clean, crisp taste of the coffee. One known to drink and enjoy coffee cold, I was further delighted to taste new flavour notes as the coffee cooled.

This coffee is only available for a limited time. For more information or to try this delicious coffee and method of drinking coffee, drop in and visit Cafe Blanca.

Photos Credit: Cafe Blanca
Photos Credit: Cafe Blanca

 

Broccoli Lentil Salad

· Leave a Comment

Did you know the UN declared 2016 to be the International Year of Pulses? It’s true! For those who don’t know what a pulse is, a pulse is also known as grain legumes, and are a group of 12 crops that includes dry beans, dry peas, chickpeas, and lentils. They are high in protein, fibre, and various vitamins, provide amino acids, and are hearty crops. They are most popular in developing countries, but are increasingly becoming recognized as an excellent part of a healthy diet throughout the world.

Pulse crops are one of the most sustainable crops a farmer can grow. It takes just 43 gallons of water to produce one pound of pulses, compared with 216 for soybeans and 368 for peanuts. They also contribute to soil quality by fixing nitrogen in the soil.

Beans have always been a staple in our diet, but lentils only entered about 15 years ago when I started experimenting more. And now I can’t stop! Search the website to see some of the ways I’ve used lentils in my cooking (ie: smoothies)!

Here’s a quick and easy broccoli lentil salad that pairs nicely with any grilled meat and is the perfect potluck or picnic side.

 

 

 

Infused Water

· Leave a Comment

About four years ago I hosted one of our annual Mom’s Who Needs Wine Evenings. One of the ladies was pregnant so for her I filled a lovely jug with spring water and added cucumber and fresh mint. She loved it so much that when we went camping together that summer it was all she drank! We experimented more in summer with fruit and the kids loved it.

I try to encourage the kids to drink lots of water during the day. We don’t drink much juice here and rarely pop so infusing their water with good stuff encourages them to keep at it, and eat the good stuff!

There are so many combinations of infused waters the variations are endless. Put out a variety of ingredients and let the kids make up their own. It will encourage family bonding time and them to drink the water. We made three infused waters for these photos and re-used water bottles from a local juice store. Mason jars or any other easy to carry and pretty jar with a lid would also be ideal.

In these photos we made three variations. Here’s how we did it.

Infused-Water-v2

Infused Waters
Infused Waters

 

 

Spinach Artichoke Dip

· 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.

 

OMA's Gourmet Garlic
OMA’s Gourmet Garlic

 

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.

 

 

Bringing families together for Dinner With Canadian Beef

· Leave a Comment

Growing up in a Small Town [cue song from Paul Brandt Small Town & Big Dreams] in Northern British Columbia, we weren’t a busy family, but one who had more time to sit down and enjoy regular family meals together. We were a family of four and my father was a Canadian Beef lover so we often had beef roasts or steak on the weekends.

As a child I watched my dad grill the steaks and helped my mom cook the roast whenever I was allowed to help. It’s these memories and times spent together eating meals at the dinner table as a family that helped instill so many values in myself and remind me about the importance of taking the time to just “be” with each other at the table.

Today I have a family of my own, a family of four, and we call Calgary, Alberta our home. We take in International Homestay Students for 10 months out of the year and so we become a family of five. We enjoy introducing our students to new tastes and Canadian Beef is one of those they get introduced to early on.

When my husband and I got married in 2004 we contacted Alberta Beef about promotional items for our guests, and they sent us stickers to hand out at our wedding, that is how much we enjoy our beef.

I Love Alberta Beef Stickers from our Wedding
I Love Alberta Beef Stickers from our Wedding

On April 6th the Canadian Beef Centre of Excellence hosted a Media Cook off and Canadian Beef Family Dinner Event. They brought in Country Music Star Paul Brandt to perform a few songs for us during dinner and judge the media burger cook off between 3 well known local competitors. While we dined on beef sliders, ribs, tacos and more prepared by Chef Marty Carpenter, Director Canadian Beef Centre of Excellence and his team, we listened to Paul sing. It was an epic moment as I’ve been a Paul Brandt fan since I moved to Calgary 16 years ago. There weren’t many at the event who knew his songs well (or as well as me) and I may or may not have been singing quite loudly along with him during dinner. Thank goodness Periscope videos disappear.

It was an exciting evening spent with several friends in the blogging and media world. We were fortunate to hear Canadian Beef announce Paul Brandt as the spokesperson for over 67,000 ranchers in Canada. What an honour to have someone like Paul representing Canadian Beef. To learn more about what Canadian Beef looks like click on the video below.

 

FAMILY

Even though there are four of us originals in the family at any given time, we are very busy with activities and events that I attend. We make it a habit whenever we can to sit down as a family and eat our meal together before rushing off somewhere, even if we only have 15 minutes and it’s sandwiches. A little advance meal planning and shopping helps make this happen.

I am also a big fan of cook once, eat two or three times. We eat Family Style, allowing the kids to serve themselves, try one bite of everything (house rule) and clean their plate before going in for second helpings. These rules have worked well and our kids are very good eaters. More often than not I am sending them to school with leftover beef wraps, beef in pitas or even beef on a bun. This makes me a very proud mom!

Family Dinner
Family Dinner – Grilled Steak Salad

We cook a lot of beef and every summer we are known for our Bakers Beef on a Bun. We host a barbecue for friends and/or family which involves about a 13 lb beef roast smoked and barbecued for several hours. It’s our way of giving back to the ones who matter most and bringing everyone together to enjoy a family style meal.

Bakers Beef on a Bun
Bakers Beef on a Bun

 

RECIPES

With beef being a staple in our family, we wanted to share a few of our favourite recipes and offer some inspiration for new family meals.

Get the family together at the table with a fondue. We’ve been fondueing as a couple for as long as we’ve been together (14 years) and have tried many variations over the years. We prefer to dip our meat into broth fondues and one of our favourite is Teriyaki Beef Fondue

We often make burgers but whenever we are camping we mix up some Pizza Burgers and freeze them individually (raw) a couple days before we go. We pack the burgers in our cooler with ice and usually cook them the first night or second when they have defrosted. The kids request these regularly.

Change up your burger routine and try these Alberta Burgers. We eat them with pitas and they are delicious.

Meat on a Stick is a family favourite here. Our Beef Keftas are popular and fun to eat!

Whip up this Taco Pasta in 30 minutes or less for those busy nights where you have to eat and run.

Family Style Fondue
Family Style Fondue with Friends

 

CANADIAN BEEF

Did you know Canada is the 8th largest exporter of beef in the world? Here’s a few more interesting facts about Canadian Beef:

  • Wide open spaces for cattle to graze: an environment that’s been conducive to grazing herds since time began
  • Cooler climates that are like a natural meat locker: much less stressful on cows than any hot-weather ranchland
  • A heritage of hardworking ranching and farming families that are part of the nation’s culture
  • Cattle are fed high energy grains which lowers the environmental footprint of finishing cattle
  • The average beef cow herd size in Canada is 63
  • Almost 25,000 Canadian farmers and ranchers are under the age of 35
  • Canadians enjoy around 930k tonnes of beef a year

Learn more about Canadian Beef by following them here: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and find them on Periscope @LoveCDNbeef

Disclosure – This post is part of the #makeitCDNbeef influencer program. All thoughts and opinions on this blog are my own. Beef facts provided by Canadian Beef.

Roasted Jalapeno Hummus

· 6 Comments

Chick peas, also known as garbanzo beans, are a good source of protein, iron and several other vitamins and minerals. We’ve used the canned variety to make this quick, easy and flavourful Roasted Jalapeno Hummus!

Roasted Jalapeno Hummus

Roasted Jalapeno Hummus

Hummus is a popular Middle Eastern Dip and spread that has been picking up steam in recent years as it’s a healthy dip for fresh vegetables and the perfect dipper for your fresh pita bread.

This is not a traditional hummus but rather a short cut to get you to your hummus experience quicker than a custom preparation which involves soaking the beans overnight and cooking with baking soda before blending.

jalapenos

Learning more about this Dip

Admittedly, it’s a dish we did not grow up with and only learned about later in life through our many food adventures. In case you want to learn more about hummus, here are 8 Great Reasons to Eat More Hummus.

Roasted Jalapeno Hummus

Adding Jalapenos

Once you have added your main ingredients; chick peas, tahini, garlic, lemon juice, hummus becomes a blank canvas. You can add all kinds of savoury ingredients to boost the flavour or top it with a variety of items including meatballs or sauteed mushrooms.

The addition of jalapenos worked well as I love spicy food. Roasting jalapenos breaks down the capsaicin in the skin, reducing the pepper’s heat while giving it a sweet and smoky flavour. It is important to note some jalapenos can be hotter than others. Using jalapenos in any dish may result in a mild experience or wild adventure depending on how spicy they are. Therefore you may want to start with just 1 jalapeno depending on your heat level tolerance.

roasted jalapenos

Roasted Garlic

I also love roasted garlic and roast up to 4 bulbs at a time keeping them in the refrigerator to use as needed. Once roasted squish out the entire contents of one roasted garlic bulb into this hummus for added flavour.

It’s even delicious spread on sliced baguette.

Roasted Jalapeno Hummus

Now that you are ready to make your hummus, check out these tips and tricks!

PRO TIPS:

  • This is a quick method to make hummus. The long method involves soaking dried beans, cooking and then blending.
  • Roast your garlic the day or night before to save time.
  • If you love spicy keep the seeds and membrane in. Otherwise remove.
  • Whenever possible use fresh lemon juice.
  • Salt to taste. I always add more.

More recipes to enjoy using chick peas:

If you made this recipe tag Wanda Baker on Instagram and hashtag it #bakersbeans or #wandabaker

 

Gouda and Olive Tapenade Grilled Cheese

· Leave a Comment

April is National Grilled Cheese Month and that makes me one very happy camper. I grew up eating pretty simple grilled cheese sandwiches made with Kraft singles. As yummy as they were my tastes changed when I hit my twenties and my love for cheese and/or melted cheese exploded. As I aged I started adding new cheese variations to my grilled cheese and then BAM grilled cheese became cool and popular which made me even happier as there were new variations I hadn’t even thought of.

One of my favourite things to do as a teenager was melt cheese in a pan and scoop it out with fresh bread (this was how I fondued). From here I moved on to toasting the bread, pressing it into the melted cheese and this is how I’ve always made my cheese toast. My kids love it and it’s perfect camping where there is no toaster oven.

This inspired me to up my grilled cheese game one day by pressing my grilled cheese into some melting cheese that was left in the pan instead of scooping it out and burning my mouth like I usually would. So I did both sides. Cheese on the inside and crispy cheese on the outside. It was reaaallly good!

Here’s how we do it.

 

 

Gouda and Olive Tapenade Grilled Cheese
Gouda and Olive Tapenade Grilled Cheese

 

Grilled Bread & Tomato Salad

· Leave a Comment

Sunny days make me want to get outside and eat all the things and plant or harvest my garden and eat fresh grown tomatoes. Right? We’ve had an unusually warm start to 2016 which is great for us Calgarians but not so great for the farmers and producers who rely on the moisture to plant their seeds.

I am slightly addicted to bread so anything that involved bread makes me happy. Having to make up something for a BBQ I decided on a bread, tomato, parsley salad. Simple but delicious. I picked up some roasted garlic bread, gave it some lovely brown char marks and tossed it with the tomatoes. Don’t dress your salad or even add the bread until you are ready to serve it or the bread gets soggy. And serve it immediately for as it sits the bread soaks up the tomato and dressing goodness and it becomes soggy. A little added chunky salami or even cooked chicken would make this the perfect meal in one.

Since I’m using garlic bread I opted not to add garlic to my oil. This dish is beautiful served alongside grilled steak or chicken.

 

 

Cherry Bomb Smoothie

· Leave a Comment

Here’s a quick smoothie so simple you’ll read the recipe and say geesh why didn’t I think of that. Or maybe you already have. It’s these simple recipes that require very little thought or prep that are so enjoyable.

Why is this smoothie called cherry bomb you ask? Well cayenne. If you like heat then you can add more affer your first sprinkle. Keep adding until you get the buzz in the back of your throat. Omit all together if you would like to avoid heat. It’s delicious with or without but the cayenne is essentially what gives this smoothie it’s name: Cherry Bomb. Plus cayenne is good for you.

 

Cherry Bomb Smoothie
Cherry Bomb Smoothie

Dulce de Leche Hot Chocolate

· 3 Comments

Dulce de Leche Hot Chocolate is a hot beverage enjoyed any time of the day. Creamy, with a hint of cinnamon and heat from the cayenne, it’s the perfect pick me up when the chill sets in.

Every year Calgary Meals on Wheels organizes a month long hot chocolate festival. There are some amazing entries and I find myself drinking more hot chocolate in one month then I have for the past 20 years. I’m not big on sweet, but more savory or I’ll take my coffee black please. The hot chocolate creations are so inspiring and I always want to make my own variation at home. This year I finally did using Cococo Chocolatiers [Bernard Callebaut] chocolate morsels and chocolate shavings. It ended up being one of the best hot chocolates I’ve ever attempted. If you can’t find this specific chocolate where you live you can order it on line.

In my pantry I had an older can of Dulce de Leche sweetened condensed milk. Have you ever tried this stuff? Goodness it’s hard not to sit there and eat it ALL with a spoon. I may or may not have tried. The kids had gone to the park with their dad and dog so I wanted to surprise them with a thicker and different hot chocolate when they returned home. Into the pot went the sweetened condensed milk (after I sampled it to make sure it was still good) and the rest of the ingredients followed. I love a bit of heat in hot chocolate or well anything, so I added cayenne pepper to the grown ups mugs, but not the kids.

Fresh whipped cream (or heck ya even the stuff you spray from a can) and chocolate shavings are a must. Take it camping, enjoy it after skiing, add something saucy to it like maybe ouzo or brandy and call it your own special creation.