The anticipation, anxiety and preparation as we awaited the arrival of our second little boy are over. He arrived early in the morning on November 21st and it has been quite an eventful month and a bit since he came. Our 9 lb 2 oz boy is named Patrick but we often use the nickname we gave him, Kit. I had to step away from blogging for a lot longer than I had anticipated. We were busy preparing for Christmas and getting to know our baby boy when the poor little guy developed a condition called Pyloric Stenosis. Feel free […]
Christmas Cake
This did not start with me. I remember my mother oiling brown paper bags to line Grandma’s cake tins that were only ever used for Christmas cake. I remember my parents diligently drizzling brandy over the cakes stored in the cold cellar once a week in the month leading up to Christmas. In all those years that my mother made those cakes for my dad, I never had a piece. They seemed strange and full of lumpy fruit and nuts that I avoided as a child. Mom drifted away from making Christmas cake sometime in my teenage years. She still […]
Gatherings Cookbook Review
In the era of Pinterest when everything seems perfect in other people’s homes, entertaining can seem to be a daunting task. It can feel like if you can’t put together a magazine worthy tablescape or pinnable spread for a kid’s birthday party you are somehow not quite up to snuff. There is certainly a time and a place to go all out and bring out your best decorating ideas and make some fancy appetizers; perhaps even set up a cocktail bar with fancy simple syrups and garnishes. Some kids’ parties really need a good bar, don’t you think? Just kidding! […]
Rich Cocoa, Beef & Mushroom Stew
One thing people will tell you ad nauseum about having a baby is how much it will change your life. I don’t wholly disagree with those people but at the same time I don’t feel as though my life was turned upside down with the birth of my first son. My husband and I have talked about this quite a bit. I think it is because we have always been home-bodies with little extra money to do things like have a nightlife or travel much. If you travel a lot and are a partier, then yeah, your life will change. […]
Spiced Pear and Almond Muffins
Baking is becoming a bonding ritual with my son lately. I know that I will never have a daughter and I have tried to interest my son in dolls, colouring, and other so-called girly things so that I can find something to do with him that I can relate to. My husband plays well with him; he wrestles, makes paper airplanes and builds things with him. Since I was making muffins again, I figured the best thing to do was include him. I didn’t make a grand lesson out of it; I just had him help. Some may be more intentional […]
Mango Raspberry and Kale Smoothie
I’ve long been a fan of smoothies. I try to cook healthy food and make sure that I get lots of fruits and vegetables in me but I often fail. When I say fail, I mean I have cereal for two meals and maybe some toast or a grilled cheese sandwich for dinner. I’m better at making sure Timothy gets some healthy food in him than I am myself. It is days like these that I turn to smoothies. I try to keep some sort of leafy green on hand and I will use either spinach or kale in a […]
Big Harvest Potluck – My Perspective
I’ve been watching the Big Summer Potluck from the sidelines of social media for a couple years now. I would see the hashtag crop up every summer and my curiosity would lead me to snoop around on Instagram and Twitter to see what it is all about. This conference appealed to me much more so than other big American conferences such as BlogHer Food. I don’t think I could handle the sheer number of attendees and mad scrambles to find a seat at the different workshops. It is simply, not for me. You see, I’m pretty shy. I’ve always […]
Messy Baker Monday – Book Review
Back in August I had the pleasure of attending the book launch for Charmian Christie’s new book The Messy Baker. It was a lovely afternoon spent with my friends Jenny and Robyn while we munched away at a sampling of what Charmian and her family prepared using recipes from her new book. While I was there, I happily bought Charmian’s book and flipped through the pages. I greedily ate the Sweet Potato Samosas and the Savory Pecan Cheddar Bites. She had many sweet items on offer that day, including the Double Stuff Oreos and the Blueberry Lime Muffins as well. I […]
Matcha Green Tea Ice Cream
Honey Sweetened Matcha Green Tea Ice Cream Summer is over now and for those unlucky Albertans out west, it left in a cruel hurry leaving behind a pile of snow. The photos on my Twitter and Instagram feed nearly made me weep. Well, actually, not really since I did have a bit of a smile but only because it wasn’t happening to me. I am definitely dreading this winter. I could care less about nearly all winter sports, both as a spectator and participant. I’m dreading the walk to school to pick up Timothy where I will be trudging through […]
Baked Peaches in Honey & Vanilla Syrup
Everyone needs an easy dessert in their back pocket. I’ve had a series of screw-ups in the kitchen lately and I’ve been looking for something to get my head back in the game. One of the dishes I made yesterday was a huge pot of tomato soup. I don’t have a recipe for that one because it was ad hoc affair due to the overwhelming amount of tomatoes I had on hand from my little garden. To share a recipe with you, I would like to have something that is easily replicated. This dessert on the other hand, is very […]