I have a love-hate relationship with coffee. While I find its aroma absolutely intoxicating, I really don’t like to drink it too often because 1) I always seem to need more sugar than I'd prefer to use to cut the bitter taste and 2) it often leaves me jittery and sweaty.
Summertime opens up a whole world of cocktail possibilities and I like to shake things up (pun intended) each year with a few new creations. I’ll be kicking off my backyard parties in style with these delightful warm-weather drinks, which you can make ahead and store in the freezer so they’re ready to serve whenever you feel a fiesta coming on! Use whatever herbs you like to add a delicate pop of flavour to your drinks – I’ve tried basil, mint, rosemary and cilantro and they’ve all been delicious. The taste testing was arduous (ok, not really). The best part?
Maybe it’s because I never got that Easy-Bake oven I so desperately wanted as a kid. Or maybe it’s because I grew up hearing ‘good things come in small packages’. Whatever the case, I really do have a soft spot for miniature versions of both sweet and savoury dishes. They just look so darned cute when you present them to family or guests and they can make a recipe that is hard to serve up prettily (I'm looking at you, Shepherd's Pie) so much more appealing.
I was out walking my dog nearly two years ago with my best friend Andrea. It was a warm, sunny May evening and I’ll never forget hearing her utter the four words no one ever wants to say: “I found a lump.” We both reassured each other that surely it would turn out to be nothing. But it didn’t. It was cancer and there was so little I could do to help her as she went through the frightening, arduous journey of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. One of the little things I could do for my friend and her family was bake.
I recently discovered a book at my local thrift shop entitled Smiley’s Cook Book and Universal Household Guide, published in 1894. This weighty tome is self-described as a profusely illustrated (it has a half-dozen poorly-drawn coloured plates) comprehensive collection of recipes and useful information pertaining to every department of housekeeping.
I used to have regular mini meltdowns at the sad sight of abandoned pita in my freezer. My picky family only likes them when they’re really, really fresh so after one day on the counter, any that remain in the bag would get optimistically tossed into the freezer, never to see the light of day again. I used to let them languish there until they were dried out and crumbling, then I’d throw them out. Picture me repeating this process in frustration over and over again. But no more!
It's definitely easier to feed your kids while you're out and about once they're old enough to enjoy packable foods like cut up fruits and veggies, sandwiches or muffins, but for little ones it can be little trickier.
I am amazed how many people I meet every month who are avoiding gluten, whether by choice or out of necessity. I often ask them what they miss most now that they’ve cut gluten out of their lives and to my surprise, many people name cookies rather than bread as their biggest craving. Thankfully, it’s super easy to made delicious flourless cookies.
Most families count grilled cheese among the meals in their regular repertoire. It's fast, easy and everyone loves it. But what if I told you that one simple change can make your grilled cheese MORE delicious and LESS greasy?
Now that I have your attention, here you go. It's this simple: spread the outsides of your bread with mayonnaise instead of butter, then cook as usual in your frying pan or sandwich press.
I love crafting delicious mashup dishes, just to shake my menus up a little. This creation involves two of my very favourite things: fruit salad and Vietnamese summer rolls. Summer rolls, sometimes called salad rolls, are typically made with loads of fresh vegetables and herbs. Much like my Vietnamese Bahn Mi Bread Salad, making summer rolls with fruit for a change is a great way to incorporate some new flavours into a traditional dish.
Just as musical mashups can be absolutely addictive, so too are creative culinary combinations. While bread salad is typically considered a Tuscan dish, this Vietnamese version is even more delicious plus it's super quick to prepare. It’s based on the traditional Bahn Mi sandwich, which consists of baguette-style bread filled with meat, mayonnaise, cilantro, cucumber and pickled carrots. With its bright, fresh flavours, this satisfying salad will have your tastebuds singing a happy tune for hours.
Creamy, perfect risotto in fifteen minutes is just one of the reasons I don’t use a slow cooker. I know lots of people who love their slow cookers, but I am not a fan. My problem with them is that you have to be really organized to have everything ready to start a slow cooker meal at 7 am before heading out the door. I am the kind of person who likes to figure out on a day to day basis what I feel like eating; I’ve been this way ever since I had some major food aversions during my pregnancies.
There’s something about science experiments in the kitchen that kids find irresistible. Maybe it’s because you get to transform familiar ingredients into new concoctions, or maybe it’s because you (almost) always get to eat your creations. When I found out how easy it was to capture various liquids in little edible spheres, I couldn’t wait to get some mad science on in my own kitchen.
I don’t like to dispense parenting advice unless I’m asked a direct question, but there is one tip I’ll gladly dish out to just about anyone. It’s this: always, always, always have barf buckets in your car. Why do I know this? Because when you’re on a 16 hour drive with not one but two kids who have strep throat, you’ll probably need barf buckets. Repeatedly. Similarly, stash a few under your kids’ beds because if you have two kids sick at home with strep throat, they both might be too weak to make it to the bathroom.
I’m pretty sure my kids could mount an impressive argument in favor of chips as a food group. We love ‘em over here, but there are occasionally issues of … ahem … self-control. (Points reproachful finger at husband and son). My solution is to serve up small batches of delectable homemade chips which are not only fresher, tastier and chemical-free, they’re also ridiculously easy to make – a great kitchen project to enjoy with kids!
If your kids are like mine, their favourite cooking endeavours probably involve sweet stuff. At our house, cookies came before casseroles, cakes before cauliflower. As they got older, they became quite intrigued with aspects of food science, especially the chemical reactions involved in baking. This tasty experiment requires just a little prep time followed by a lot of patience but kids will have a great time watching the crystals grow and, of course, sampling the finished product. It would be a great project for a school break or for homeschoolers.
This cake was a family favourite when I was growing up. When I was really little I was more than a little alarmed by the name, thinking EVERY SINGLE TIME there were actual marbles in the cake. Who knew that the art of swirling vanilla and chocolate batter together was also called marbling? Not five year-old me, that's for sure.
There’s something really magical about multigenerational travel. Kids get special time with grandparents, parents get a break thanks to extra helping hands, and everyone gets to experience the joy of leaving schedules and routines behind. Having a better adult-to-kid ratio also means you can divide and conquer, taking turns doing kid-friendly activities and pursuing adult interests. A recent trip to Virginia’s Roanoke Valley area, nestled in and around the gorgeous Blue Ridge Mountains, made me realize it's a great getaway for kids, parents and grandparents alike.
I have to admit I have sometimes taken cookies for granted. I like them, but so often they’re just a utilitarian sweet treat, rather than something that elicits a ‘wow’ reaction. This recipe changes all that. A chewy cookie that offers the seductive combination of salty and sweet as well as a nutty crunch … what more could you ask for? One of the things I love most is that these cookies are so delicious (kind of like how one square of really good chocolate is sometimes just enough), that I find eating just one is enough to satisfy a sweet craving.
