This recipe is a real crowd pleaser! We are known at our house for always supplying some interesting libations to kick off our dinner parties or weekend gatherings. Now that the weather is getting cooler, this recipe makes a regular appearance. I actually have to make double, as almost everyone goes back for seconds.
Ingredients
4 cups chocolate milk 6 tbsp cocoa powder 8 heaping tsp marshmallow topping 1 can sweetened condensed milk 1/4 cup brandy 1/4 cup Kahlua 1/4 cup cinnamon whiskey
These are a big hit in my house, but the truth is I really make them for myself! They are the perfect little dessert bites, mostly healthy with a touch of chocolate to make them extra delicious.
This is one of my families favourite winter soups. My family loves the hearty flavour and zesty, spicy taste.
I love this soup too, but mostly because it is so easy and quick to prepare. Little do they know, it is also really, really healthy. It's packed with veggies and low in fat; it is a great weeknight meal that takes so little to pull together.
This is another one of my favourite go to recipes. On a busy weeknight or weekend, when we have lots on the go, this makes for a perfect easy and quick to prepare meal. It’s actually faster to make this dinner than it is to pick up a menu and figure out what to order from the local pizza place.
We are huge soup fans in my house. Cold winter days always brighten up a bit when there is a warm, hearty bowl of soup on the table. This is one of my favourite recipes, and we serve it for lunch or dinner at least once a week. It's delicious and filling and super easy to make. It also freezes well, so I always cook up a little bit extra to put away for those nights when I am too busy to cook. It's hard to believe there is no added cream or dairy in it, as it blends up super rich and creamy. With just four ingredients and a little salt and pepper,
This is one of my regular go-to appetizer recipes for get togethers and parties. It's really quick to pull together and looks impressive when you serve it. Even better? It’s a vegetarian dish and a healthy one, which is a nice change from your usual appetizer line-up. You can make the falafel up to a week in advance, which makes this a snap to put together minutes before you need to serve it. I like to pan fry the falafel in a tablespoon of oil instead of deep frying, which still makes it crispy while keeping it healthy. The pomegranates and pistachio
These crunchy chewy little bites of goodness are so quick to throw together and bake in about 15 minutes! The absence of flour or egg yolks make them pretty healthy on the typical cookie scale too. They aren't the 'prettiest' of cookies - but what they lack in looks they definitely make up for in flavour. I like to spike mine with some spicy accents that work well with chocolate. In this version I added a bit of cardamom and some star anise to take that rich chocolate flavour right over the top.
Our neighbourhood has become quite the little hub for regular social events, get-togethers, celebrations and pot luck dinners. I’m one of the regular food contributors and this has become one of my more popular go-to and super easy to prepare dishes.
Blondies are a classic favourite around here. The un-chocolate version of a sort-of brownie always hits the spot with a big glass of milk. Blondies make a great base to add all kinds of goodies to. I like to mix in nuts like walnuts or pecans, or add dried cranberries or dried cherries. You can have some fun with peanut butter or chocolate chips or add one of my favourite things like I did in this recipe - Nutella! It's a great way to gets the kids to help out when you can give them some ingredients to get a little creative with.
These perfect little bites of yumminess will become your families new favourite dessert! Muffin-top pans can make any of your regular cake recipes into a delicious set of mini cakes and who doesn't love a mini version of dessert? This happens to be my usual banana bread recipe topped with one of my favourite icing recipes. Your kids will love the combination of banana and peanut butter, but I guarantee the adults will love it, too. At three bites each, you can probably enjoy having several!
These power packed protein bars are a combination of everything good you need to be noshing on everyday. They are a perfect way to kick start your day or give you a little pick me up when you are suffering from that mid afternoon crash. Filled with slow burning grains, seeds, nuts and nutrition, they will keep you filled up and going strong on those days you just can't seem to find the time to have a proper meal. I like to keep a few on hand, but be warned, they are so tasty they go fast!!!
This is one of my favourite weekend meals, perfect for the family but equally perfect for guests. It's one of those amazing recipes I keep in my back pocket, because it contains the holy trio of criteria; cheap, easy and impressive! You can buy ready made polenta at any supermarket these days for under $2.
This salad puts the best of summer flavors on a plate. The chickpeas are toasted to give a nice crunch, the cherry tomatoes are blistered to bring out all their juiciness, the peaches provide a sweet note and the arugula provides the perfect peppery base. Delicious! Make some extra chick peas to have on hand in the fridge - they are a great protein boost for lunches and snacks.
Weeknights are always a bit chaotic at our house. Dinnertime can be a bit of a moving target and there is always pressure to get dinner on the table in a hurry. This is one of my staple go-to recipes when I need to rustle something up in a hurry and make sure there are leftovers that make a great lunch too. I usually make a big batch of the pesto to have on hand. This recipe makes about 1.5 - 2 cups of pesto that you can store in your fridge for up to a week or freeze for up to 2 months. I usually make the pasta in the morning or the night before. Dressed
Everyone I know has a favourite cornbread recipe, but I guarantee you this one is the bomb. It’s a little lighter than regular cornbread and is sweetened entirely with honey and no sugar. I’ve added a pinch of hot pepper and some fresh rosemary to take it to the next level, but feel free to add in any herbs you have growing in your garden. It is a great bread to have on your table with any summer BBQ but I also love to serve it with
After a BBQ dinner where I serve a big skillet of corn bread, there always seems to be a lonely piece leftover the next day. This dish came together one evening when I found myself staring at that bread wondering what I could do to save it from a fate of landing in the compost bin. I bought a piece of country of ham, threw it all in a pan and served it with fried eggs. It was a hit that has become a regular, favourite dinner, perfect for everyone to eat while we are having a family movie night or sitting out on the deck for a quick dinner after a long day out. Try it
These little, light, chewy and crispy puffs will be the next dessert hit in your home. They are ridiculously easy to make so they are a perfect project to get your kids in the kitchen with you. Okay, obviously if you include the whipped cream this will not be a fat-free dessert but I have listed this as optional, because we love these desserts just the same with no whipped cream at all. If you are feeling a little decadent or have company coming, add a little splash of liquor to your topping, but they are really spectacular just on their own. You can make them up to a we
I love the idea of summer pickling. Putting beautiful summer veggies in little jars that you can stow away in your cupboard and eat months later. It’s almost like packing up a little piece of summer for your future self when you really need it most, on a snowy winters day.
These days we are BBQ'ing almost every day. Most days I can make my entire meal on the grill but dessert has been an entirely new challenge. I was toying with the idea of fire and sugar (can we say YUM!) and was thinking about those warm and gooey Krispy Kreme donuts we all used to go bonkers over. I grabbed a package of glazed donuts one day and just decided to BBQ them. Net result? Pure magic! They had that warm and gooey quality I remember loving but also had a hit of smoke and char that made them a little extra special.
