Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Zucchini Relish

A delicious relish to top your next burger or hot dog made with garden fresh zucchini.




This delicious zucchini relish is on my to do list every year when canning season rolls around and zucchini is in season.  For some reason (I can’t remember why exactly) I didn’t get a batch made last year and well before the barbecue season has ended we ran out.  I actually had to resort to buying some relish from the grocery store – you know that bright green, unnatural looking stuff that has very little flavour.  Once you have had this delectable tasting relish, the store bought kind just won’t do.

Wednesday, August 19, 2015

Pasta Salad

Packed with veggies and a delicious dressing, this pasta salad is ready for your next barbecue.


Summertime!! The season of outdoor barbecues, impromptu neighbourhood get togethers and reunions.  Always fun and always a ton of fantastic food.  I love an easy throw together dish to contribute to these events and this pasta salad fits the bill.  You can always find an arsenal of pasta of many types in my pantry and this time of year, the fridge is usually full of fresh produce making this salad a favourite of mine.  So it was this particular salad I decided to make last weekend for a cousin get together.

Although the weather was horribly hot, (I bet you could have cooked an egg outside that day) it was great to visit and chat with people that we haven’t seen in years.

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Ham and Broccoli Pasta Casserole

An easy casserole using leftover ham with loads of veggies baked in a flavorful alfredo cheese sauce.


Easy casseroles that are quick to put together and use ingredients that are usually in my fridge and pantry are a favorite in our house.
When large bone-in ham goes on sale, we always stock up the freezer with a few to take advantage of the great price.  I think the last time we stocked up, an 8 pound ham was slightly more than $6.00.  After first enjoying a huge dinner of baked ham with all the fixings, I cube up the leftover meat into 2 1/2 to 3 cup portions that go into the freezer for casseroles and soups.

Friday, August 7, 2015

Cauliflower Gratin

Cauliflower baked in a creamy, rich gruyere cheese sauce.


I love this time of year when a stroll through our Saturday morning farmer’s market is on our agenda every weekend.  I try to pick up all our veggies and fruits here before heading off to the grocery store.  There is nothing better than the great flavour from locally grown produce.  The last couple of weeks, I’ve been eating tomatoes that actually taste like a tomato and haven’t tired of just a simple toasted tomato sandwich for lunch almost everyday — but on to the cauliflower.

Thursday, August 6, 2015

Molasses Cookies

Chewy molasses cookies with hints of spice and rolled in sugar.  Flavours will remind you of gingerbread.



Last week, the hottest day of the summer, I got a big craving for cookies.  Now the dilemma was – should I even turn on the oven on a sweltering day like this?  But really, when the craving hits, I can make any sacrifice to satisfy that craving!  Which meant, of course, turning on the oven.  These molasses cookies are an all time favorite around our house.  The dough is rolled in sugar to give that pretty crackling when they are baked.  They are soft and chewy, loaded with raisins and lots of flavor punch with cinnamon, cloves and ginger – a  flavor combination that you find in gingerbread.  If you enjoy gingerbread, you will love these cookies – and they are easier to make!!

Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Chocolate Ice Cream

Enjoy a fast and easy rich chocolate ice cream without using an ice cream machine!!


Nothing is better on a hot summer day than a special treat of ice cream.  When we were kids, there was an ice cream truck that drove through the neighbourhood in the summer months and we all waited patiently for that special time of the day when you knew the truck was coming as it was preceded with that great carnival type music.

Monday, July 20, 2015

Blueberry Sauce

A simple and quick sweet sauce made with fresh summer blueberries that can used as a topping on
ice cream, pancakes, waffles and cheesecake.


Summer has hit us in earnest this week as Mother Nature really cranked up the old thermostat.  The temperatures this week were scorching!!

This year, I made a vow to myself to do lots of canning and preserving.  I have been planning out all the goodies I want to make and slotting them on the calendar to coincide with when the produce is at it's peak growing season.

This weekend I was fortunate to find a 2 lb container of beautiful plump blueberries for just $2.00.

Friday, July 17, 2015

My Favourite Kitchen Hacks

Some of my favourite kitchen hacks to save time and frustration.


 
I'm all for things that help me to save time in the kitchen and all things that make the job easier.

Today, I would like to share some of my favourite kitchen hacks that help out on this front.

Wednesday, July 15, 2015

Peanut Butter Frosted Brownies

If you enjoy the flavour of chocolate and peanut butter together, then these squares are for you.  A brownie base topped with a peanut butter frosting makes a delectable treat.



When you live with someone who is basically a meat and potatoes guy, it can be difficult at times to come up with a dessert that we both will enjoy.  Typically, we have a bowl of fresh berries for dessert.  But there are times when I need something more to satisfy my sweet tooth.  Anybody else with me on this?

These bars certainly fit the bill!! The flavours will remind you of those famous peanut butter cups.

Monday, July 13, 2015

Summertime - It's All About the Berries!!

Freezing strawberries preserves the tastes of summer for delicious berries to enjoy in smoothies or to add to baked goods all year long.



Because we have such a short window of time to enjoy fresh from the garden berries, I decided to keep on the strawberry theme again today.

My first round didn't seem to last long at all!! We had berries and whipped cream for dessert every night, I made a batch of freezer jam, used some in these delicious scones and froze the rest before they spoiled.

So that meant a trip back to the berry farm to load up on more!!

Wednesday, July 8, 2015

Strawberry Scones

Light, fluffy scones speckled with fresh strawberries to enjoy with your morning coffee.


 
 
When summer weather creeps up on us, I know it's time for strawberries.  And once that calendar has flipped over to summer time mode, life seems to get so busy ( how does that happen?) which means that  the last couple of years I seemed to have missed out on the berry picking.  

Friday, June 26, 2015

Rippled Ice Cream

Creamy rippled ice cream.  A perfect cool treat on a warm summer's day and no ice cream machine required!!

Summer is upon us and what better way to cool off than with a nice dish of creamy delicious ice cream!!

Friday, June 19, 2015

Decluttering with Technology - Part 3 (Cookbook Software)

Welcome to Part 3 of my declutter marathon.

This morning I have a confession to make and I'm sure that I am not alone on this one.

I am recipe hoarder!!! Is this you too?  I love cookbooks.... I love cooking magazines.... I love the Food Network....I love food blogs....I love recipe sites.  All of these give me great inspiration to make cooking exciting and to serve up great tasting dishes for my family.

Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Decluttering with Technology - Part 2 (On-line Recipe Storage)



Welcome to Part 2 of my paper declutter mission.

The internet is a treasure trove of information and inspiration for all our baking and cooking endeavours.  There are so many wonderful food blogs and recipe sites that tempt us with their delightful dishes and drool worthy photos.  But how to save this information for later without creating paper clutter by printing means on-line storage.  What is the best way to accomplish that?

Today, we will touch a bit on Pinterest which is very popular and most of you are already using it, as well as Copy Me That, which may be new to some.

Monday, June 15, 2015

Decluttering with Technology - Part 1

Hope everyone had a fantastic weekend!  The month of June in our neck of the woods, has been very rainy, which has given me lots of time to work on my clutter project.  Specifically - all that paper!! I have to admit that I haven't been so keen on embracing technology as much as I should be to help reduce or perhaps even eliminate all that paper that seems to accumulate everywhere.  This has been my special project this year as I find new and better ways to get rid of paper piles entirely!!

This first declutter post deals specifically with books. 


I have always been an avid reader - since my young teens.  Next to baking and making a great dinner, nothing makes me happier than curling up with a good novel and getting lost for hours in a good