If I'm at a restaurant and they have scallops on the menu as an appetizer I order them EVERY SINGLE TIME. But not once have I ever made them because the idea of over or under cooking scallops stressed me right out. That is until I found this amazingly simple and fast recipe for Whisky Scallops that is so easy even this Canned Soup Mom can make them mistake-free all while guests are having their first sips of one of these Top Five Pitcher Drinks.

Believe it or not, I am one of the few people in North America who grew up never having eaten a Sloppy Joe. My husband, however, remembers eating them often and enjoying them. He describes his mom using something from a can and while I am the Canned Soup Mom and never opposed to using convenience products, my sister sent me this recipe and honestly, it doesn't get much easier than this.

Ingredients:

Two days ago I loaded my three children onto a plane (two actually) and flew across the country to spend three weeks at "home." That means for the first time since moving 3,000 kms away from everything and everyone we have ever called home, I get to spend the next few weeks in my Dad and Stepmom's kitchen eating all of my favourite foods.

Those rotisserie chickens you can pick up for under $10 at the grocery store are life savers for busy moms like me. My kids will eat cut up chicken breast warm or cold for lunch (yes even school lunches) and dinner. But taking those store roasted convenience chickens from boring to party friendly appetizer or guest worthy lunch item is easier than you think.

Simply soak store bought rice paper in warm water for 5 seconds two at a time and lay flat on counter (I use two rice paper circles for each roll).

I've always loved potato salad. 

My grandmother makes the yummiest traditional potato salad with finely-diced celery and radishes and sliced hardboiled eggs lovingly placed on top.

My sister's grandmother (I'll let you figure out the family dynamics there) makes one with vinegar and salt.

I absolutely love mushrooms as a side dish.  I usually sauté them in white wine and garlic but now that I've tried them marinated, skewered and grilled I don't think I could ever go back to the old way.

If you're a Canned Soup Mom like me, don't let the marinating and skewering and grilling scare you off because the hardest part of this recipe is not eating all of these mushrooms BEFORE dinner is served.

My Dad and Step-Mom moved to Calgary for a few years when I was in University. Every few months I would fly in for a visit and they would take me and my brothers and sister to Banff.  Thanks to them, I have loved the Canadian Rockies ever since.

My dad and step-mom moved to Calgary the year I went to University. While they only stayed for a few years, it was my first introduction to flat prairie land, cowboys, rodeos and the mountains. Needless to say I fell in love.

While I have been lucky enough to travel from one end of this country to the other, Calgary will always be one of my favourite Canadian cities especially at this time of year—Stampede time.

There are few recipes and even fewer desserts that carry with them a true Canadian pedigree. While the exact origins of the butter tart are not always clear what we do know is the earliest Canadian pioneer women were making this mouth-watering buttery goodness since well before the first known recipe was published in 1900.

Remember how easy the Three-Ingredient Crockpot Chicken Tacos were? Or how simple the Four-Ingredient No-Knead Bread was?

This recipe is just as easy and perfect for the men in your life (like my husband and son) who like their hardy meals—especially on Fathers Day.

When Erica Ehm messaged me to say my Breakfast Muffins recipe had over 11,000 shares on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest I knew it was time to share my Pizza Muffins recipe with you.

This recipe uses the same basic assembly as the Breakfast Muffins except they take even less time to make because you don't have to fry up any bacon or eggs.

Simply roll out the biscuits.

I've always wanted to learn how to make bread and this year and while I've been ignoring my New Year's resolutions to write more and lose weight I have actually made a few attempts to bake bread. Because of the kneading and the rising and the resting and the kneading and the... well you get the picture, homemade baked bread was still a rarity around our house.

That is, until I found and perfected this recipe.

Simply mix the ingredients.

I'm officially in the running for Mommy of The Year according to my kids because this weekend I let them have cookies for breakfast.

Now before you call the nutrition police hear me out—these cookies are packed full of all the things we TRY to get our kids to eat for breakfast in the morning including bananas, oatmeal, and apples! 

Simply mix all of the ingredients in a bowl (including a few optional chocolate chips).

I absolutely LOVE peanut butter and chocolate. While I have never been that great at resisting any kind of dessert, there is a special place in my heart (and preferably my stomach) for anything peanut butter and chocolate.

You can often find me curbing my PB cravings by negotiating with my youngest daughter to let me have one tiny taste as she eats peanut butter with a spoon right out of the container or by smothering a chocolate chip cookie in peanut butter goodness.

May 19, 2012 is Food Revolution Day.

Inspired by Jamie Oliver’s television show, Food Revolution Day is about fun, getting out into our communities, sitting down for family meals and packing healthy lunches for our kids.

Ladies, with Mother's Day just around the corner I know you are looking for some subtle and not so subtle hints to send your partner on things that would make you feel celebrated on this very special day and yet are easy enough for your other half to handle. 

I promise, this recipe is easy enough that even my husband could make it and he probably would make himself one while he was at it.

My kids love muffins. Blueberry, oatmeal or bacon and eggs it doesn't matter, they love them all. 

That's right—I said bacon and eggs because if it comes from a muffin tin and fits in their hands it's a muffin and they love it. Seriously, if I could find a way to make a roast beef dinner in the shape of a muffin they would eat it.

With three kids and a full-time job I do a lot of rushing around and some days you just can't avoid drive-thru meals. Other days I take it on as a personal challenge to come up with recipes that are faster than ordering and waiting in the drive-thru line (especially when they get your order wrong and you have to run in or drive-thru all over again).

These mini pizzas are one of those "recipes" though I hesitate to even call this a recipe because it's just so easy. So easy in fact that while the oven is heating up I get my kids to make their own pizzas.

Remember the Rice Krispies squares commercial where the mom is in the kitchen reading a novel, and when she’s finished reading she splashes flour on her face, puts on an exhausted look, and comes out of the kitchen with a plate of Rice Krispies Squares, making it seem like she's been slaving away over a hot stove? No? You mean, I'm really that old? Okay, I digress.

When I am "volun-told" to bring dessert for family celebrations or potlucks, this recipe is my go-to spring and summer favourite. Like many of the recipes that get tested until perfect in my kitchen, this one has been passed down from my grandmother. When I am in charge of Easter or Mother's Day brunch (the whole thing, not just dessert), it is not uncommon for me to serve this cake after my Grandma's Tater Tot Omelette Pie.