Pin(tested) Recipes

One of the many reasons I love Pinterest is the quick and easy way to find and save recipes. My In the Oven and On the Stove board has the second most pins of all my boards. Occasionally I even find the time to test a few out. (That's really my way of justifying the amount of time I spend pinning things ... if I try one or two every now and then it totally makes the hours and hours of fun I have worth it ... right?). As I was living true to yesterday's post and enjoying some quiet time with a coffee and a muffin on Pinterest, I thought I'd share a few of my recent Pin(Tested) recipes.

First up, are these brownies. I love to find a healthier version of favourite treats, especially those that satisfy a sweet tooth. These came from a recent copy of Chatelaine magazine and I went online and pinned them so I could recycle the mag and keep the recipe. While they still have a bit of sugar in them, they use ground almonds as a flour substitute. They also use only egg whites, no butter and no dairy. So, dairy free and gluten free, these sweet mounds of goodness are "two-thirds the calories, half the fat and three times the fibre of ordinary brownies." (as per Chatelaine). 

After making the first batch as per recipe and altering a second, I did discover that using store-bough ground almonds were my preference over home ground almonds, as they're a shade finer. I also added a half cup of unsweetened applesauce which made them a touch moister. As is, recipe was really good. Altered, even better.

Next up is this delightful avocado vinaigrette from Cassie at Back to Her Roots. Avocados are a regular purchase these days, given HP loves them beyond and they are perfectly soft for bite-size finger feeding and chewing. The only problem is he only eats part of one each time and once cut they simply don't hold up well. For the first few weeks I was enjoying the rest with my lunch, in salads and on sammies. But even I tired of that day in and day out (though HP doesn't seem to - still one of the first things he reaches for on his tray!). I went searching for alternate uses for the leftovers and found this dressing.

Again, second batch was altered to cut the vinegar in half and add about two tablespoons of honey. The original was extremely bright and citrusy, but a bit too much for tastes. I like a slight sweetness to cut the tang of the vinegar in vinaigrette. With the adjustments it was perfect for my tastebuds. Loved it over a chicken salad (hmmm supper tonight?) and mixed in with some hard-boiled eggs instead of mayo in an egg salad.

Quinoa is a new favourite in our house and I went in search of a Mexican-inspired quinoa dish to go with some salsa chicken. Pinterest didn't let me down and gave me these delicious sweet roasted peppers stuffed with quinoa via Good Cheap Eats.

Again, as is my M-O, I changed it up a bit to work with the ingredients I had on hand. I used yellow peppers in place of celery, corn instead of carrots, left out the black beans but added extra of all the veggies to compensate and cut the whole thing in half. I also left out the cheese from the mix, just topping with it instead (and for no reason other than I forgot!). Even with the modifications, these were excellent. And even cutting the recipe in half, stuffing four pepper halves instead of eight, I had a heaping cup of the quinoa mix leftover. Mmmm.

And finally there were these beauties from the Brown Eyed Baker which I wrote about here. Mocha Espresso Cupcakes, need I say more?

There you have it, four recipes I have Pin(Tested) on your behalf. Go forth, replicate (or modify) and enjoy!

What I Made Wednesday

Well, technically it's what I made on Tuesday, but as I'm sharing it with you today I think I'm safe to title the post What I Made Wednesday. While the loves of my life were working and napping on Valentine's Day, I decided to get messy productive.

I got right down to business during the morning nap and whipped up a sweet treat for dessert for our v-day dinner at home. On the weekend I enjoyed a delicious cupcake made by Sweet Love Bake Shoppe. I've been wanting to try icing up my own fancy cupcakes at home for a while and my weekend indulgence collided with the love day holiday creating the perfect timing. I found this recipe by Brown Eyed Baker and tried my hand with a Mocha Cupcake topped off with Espresso Buttercream Icing. Given it was my first time really icing a cupcake with an actual pastry bag and special star tip, I think they turned out lover-ly.

I did modify the icing recipe just a bit as it tasted way too buttery and not nearly sugary enough for my tastes. I added about 3/4 of a cup more icing sugar and a few splashes of coffee jacked up with extra espresso powder until it was the taste and consistency I like in a buttercream. Des ate two after dinner, as did I, so I can heartily recommend them. Even my little batter taste tester gives his stamp of approval.

Between baking and icing {the cupcakes had to cool off a little}, I hauled out the scrapbook supplies. I had a copy of HPs Valentines picture printed off and wanted to scrapbook it. HP was still napping so I got started. I sprayed ink, I cut paper, I stuck tape and before I knew it, he was awake and my crafting went on hold for a bit. I finished it up after he went down for his afternoon nap. I still might add some journalling strips to the left of the title before I call it fully done. Isn't he just the sweetest little Valentine?

and who says you can't use pink on a boy layout ;)

I had planned a run during afternoon nap, but was still waiting for Rogers to show for a repair appointment. Rather than waste the time, I also cooked up a batch of kale chips. Des and I love them and my batch last week failed for some unknown reason. Simply wouldn't crisp in the oven. Then at a lovely retro cocktail party on the weekend complete with sidecars and martinis with olives, there was a bowl of the green goodness. We nibbled on some, but did our best not to eat the lot in case others should want some. Of course that just left us craving for more. This batch came up great and made the perfect pre-dinner treat when Des got home from work.

I ended the day making supper - a shrimp risotto with roasted asparagus. I don't know about you, but I call cupcakes + icing, a scrapbook layout, kale chips, and supper a pretty good What I Made Wednesday Tuesday ;)

Tis Soup Season

With Des heading back to (new) work in just over a week, I've been in the kitchen stocking the freezer. I'm pretty sure there are going to be many an evening where an already-prepared hearty-n-healthy supper will be appreciated, not to mention a necessity!. Lucky for me, we're soup lovers in the middle of soup season. A steaming bowl of soup on a chilly winter's eve is soothing for the mind, body, and soul.

We have a few standards that make the cut every time I stock up, including this one and this one. This week I decided to try this curried chicken soup from the Food Network to change up the flavours. Oh. My. Word. Was it ever delicious. It will definitely be added to the standard soup list!

image from foodnetwork.com

For the first pot (I made a couple), I followed the recipe as is sans fresh herbs (couldn't get any that were worth buying ... joys of shopping in NL in the winter). It was very good, but a just little too much broth and a little too little substance for my tastes. For the next batch I doubled up on the chicken and carrots and added in some cooked rice near the end for the added bulk that we like and it was even better.

We enjoyed large bowls for supper last night and more for lunch today (hence the double batch). Even HP lapped into this dish with no fuss no muss - that alone makes it a keeper in my books. Mmmmm.

Do you have a favourite soup recipe? If so, please share!

The Turkey Twist

We are in the midst of enjoying a very happy holiday season with family and friends, so this is just a quick post to give you some turkey tips should you need them. I know we enjoyed a large bird on Christmas Day followed by turkey sammies later that evening, turkey soup on Boxing Day, and still have leftovers to spare. If you're in the same boat, you might enjoy these twists on turkey leftovers.

For Breakfast or Brunch
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Herbed Turkey + Waffles - courtesy of BHG



The Anything Frittata - also courtesy of BHG

For A Light Lunch or Side Dish

Leftover Turkey Spring Rolls - courtesy of The Pioneer Woman

Baked Turkey Croquettes - courtesy of Gina at SkinnyTaste.com

For A Something-Other-Than-Soup-n-Sammies Supper

Deep Dish Turkey Pot Pie - from Kraft Canada

Southwestern Turkey Pizza - from Chatelaine.com

Turkey Vegetable Biryani - also from Chatelaine.com

Hopefully something appeals to your turkey taste buds!

Guest Post: Who Wants Candy?

Looking for a last minute gift or tasty treat for yourself? Allow me to introduce you to our next guest writer, Martha Muzychka, and her Almond Buttercrunch. Martha is a writer and consultant living in St. John’s, Newfoundland with her husband and son. Martha and I met through our profession several years ago and I have learned much from her over the years, both about communications and craft. When not working with words, Martha likes to be elbow deep in flour and sugar, mesmerized by threads and fabric, or captivated by paper and paint.

Close to 20 years ago, when the Internet was just a fledgling community, I came across a food recipe group. People posted their favourites to share, and the focus was on the easy, the unusual, and the tasty.

One day someone posted this knock off recipe for a well known candy delight -- almond roca. I immediately latched on to it, especially since it didn’t require a candy thermometer. I have lost count how often I have made this recipe, but with few exceptions, it has always turned out well.

I used to make about 400 pieces for an annual fundraiser, but now I make just a couple of batches for my child’s school Christmas bazaar and another couple of batches to eat and share at Christmas.  Just a couple of tips: do not double the recipe; use a commercial butter, and not a local dairy butter; and do not touch the candy while it is liquid. It is extremely hot.

Almond Buttercrunch**

2 cups white sugar

1 lb butter (use Lactantia)*

1/2 cup sliced almonds***

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1. Line a baking pan with foil. Do not use an insulated pan. Use the old rimmed cookie sheets for best results.

2. In a heavy pot, melt butter with the two cups of sugar over medium to medium high heat. Heat to boiling and keep stirring the sugar butter mixture with a wooden spoon. When the mix turns golden (light tea colour) add the sliced almonds. Keep stirring until the buttercrunch turns a deep amber.

3. If it starts to smoke, turn down the heat. DO NOT TOUCH THE CANDY! It is extremely hot. When it has turned the deep amber colour (or the colour of a nice deep honey), pour the candy into the foil lined pan and spread with the wooden spoon. Do NOT lick the spoon, just sayin'.

4. After five (5) minutes, sprinkle the chocolate chips on top and let the heat melt the chocolate. Spread all over the candy. Let cool completely. Don't bother with a knife to cut this. Just snap it with your fingers into small pieces. Keep in an air tight tin.

* If you use a local butter, such as Spyglass, the candy will not work because it has a high water content and the candy will fail.

** I have made this without nuts for my son's school bazaar. One pan will make about two pounds of candy. I usually bag it up in four or six ounce lots. One year I found small take out containers on sale at Michael’s and they looked super cute hung on a tree.

***A friend with whom I shared the recipe told me she added a half cup of dried cranberries to the candy and that the results were delightful.

Thanks Martha! I can't wait to try these.

Guest Post: Mmmmm, Cake Pops!

I'm pleased to introduce you to another guest blogger, Jennifer Wellsman of Me, Myself and I. Jennifer is a wife and mama of two who, after the recent birth of her second child Harrison, loves the fact that life just got more interesting. Currently on maternity leave, when time allows, if she's not reading or listening to great music, she loves spending time in the kitchen cooking or baking up a storm, especially with her little girl Charlotte.

Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice
by Jennifer Wellsman

I started at the beginning of November thinking about some ideas for hostess gifts for the Christmas season. We have a number of family gatherings over the Christmas season and I wanted to bring something special. I had decisions to make. Should I buy a little token or make something? I decided it would be nice to make something. Being on maternity leave I have lots of spare time, right? Once I decided that I would make something, my next step was obviously what. I decided it would be some type of food item rather than a craft. I wanted it to be something that hopefully people would not only appreciate but enjoy eating. Being the Christmas season, I wanted it to be something that they probably wouldn't make themselves. In my research, I came upon cake pops.

Chocolate cake pops with Christmas sprinkles

The first time I saw them was this past summer at Starbucks. My little girl loves them. They are just enough to satisfy her sweet tooth. Apparently though, they've been popular for 3 or 4 years, who knew. Cake pops are relatively easy to make, but do take some time due to the freezing process. They are very versatile though and can be adapted to any occasion. You just have to change the toppings accordingly. New Years, Birthdays, Canada Day, Halloween, Christmas... these little guys will have you covered. And if you have kids, get them involved in helping you make them. My little girl loves to dip the balls in all the coatings!

Ingredients:
1 Two-layer cake mix or cake recipe of your choice
2-5 tbsp icing (depending on desired consistency you may want to use less or more). I use the bought icing rather than making it as the quantities are quite small.
24 oz of melting chocolate (I use Wilton Candy melts - about 1 to 1-1/2 bags)
35-40 lollipop sticks
Toppings (crushed candy canes, chocolate or coloured sprinkles, coloured sugars. Bulk Barn has lots of options)
Floral foam

Directions:Bake the cake according to instructions. Let it cool and then break into pieces in a large bowl.

Break the cake into pieces

Add the icing sugar and mix on low until combined. If you want a cake-like consistency, use about 2-3 tbsps of icing. For a more truffle-like consistency, use more, around 4-5 tbsps.

Once the desired consistency is achieved, form balls (1 1/2" mound) using a teaspoon of the mixture and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Once all the balls are formed, put the cookie sheets in the freezer for about 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, melt a little bit of chocolate according to the instructions on the packet and dip the tips of each stick into the chocolate then stick into the balls. The chocolate on the sticks helps them stay in the cake balls. Return the balls to the freezer for at least 30-60 minutes. The more icing you use, the longer the balls will need to be frozen.

When the balls are ready, melt your chocolate and prepare your toppings by putting them in bowls for easy dipping.

Crushed Candy Cane

Dip each ball into the chocolate and turn to allow the access to drop off. Immediately dip the tops into desired toppings. 

Dipping the balls straight down into the toppings

Stick the pops into floral foam to allow to dry. This prevents one of the sides from being flat.

Using different toppings adds to the overall look & feel

Once the pops are dry and set (about 30 minutes), they can be packaged or put in a covered container layered between parchment paper. They can be stored in a fridge for up to 1 week or in a freezer for 1 month.

When packaging for a gift, use a decorative tin or mug. Place a piece of floral foam in the bottom to hold the pops. Then wrap using a plastic gift bag and ribbon.

The finished hostess gift

Makes about 35 - 40 depending on the size of the balls.

Of course, these cake pops make a nice alternative to cookies too. Why not keep some for yourself and impress your own guests?

Enjoy, and Merry Christmas!


Thanks Jennifer - and as a lucky recipient of these cake pops I can vouch for their deliciousness!

Holiday Recipe {Pin}spiration

Pinterest is such an awesome space. Whatever your bag, it's on there. I have a bunch of different boards that I refer to regularly, including In the Oven + On the Stove where I pin my "must try" recipes. Over the last few weeks I have tested out a few of my pinned treasures with marvelous success. There are a few we've enjoyed so much that I thought I'd pass them along in case you're searching for that perfect new recipe to try this holiday season.

If you're looking for a delicious pancake for that holiday brunch, I highly recommend this Gingerbread Pancake recipe. It's on the healthier side with it's greek yogurt and whole wheat flour, so you can guiltlessly ladle on a little extra syrup should your heart desire. It's also heartier and denser than your traditional pancake house stack, which we loved as it holds you over all morning long and then some - a pro if you've got last minute shopping, wrapping, and visiting to do! Give it a try, your tastebuds will thank you.

Whole Grain Gingerbread Pancakes from PBS

Perhaps you have a holiday coffee break with friends planned? If so, these gingerbread muffins are the perfect companion. Muffin-like in texture, gingerbread-like in taste, these are just spicy and sweet enough to balance out a nice medium-bodied coffee or holiday tea blend. I whipped these up in no time with ingredients I already had in the house and I swear they came out looking exactly like this. Love that!

Gingerbread + Pear Muffins from BHG

For fear you think this is the gingerbread special, let's serve up a platter of these fancy-shmancy sweet potato appys shall we? I made these for a book dinner/social club potluck and they were a huge hit - with recipe requests. I made the topping with vinaigrette the night before, leaving out the nuts (so they didn't lose crunch) and the cheese. I baked up the sweet potato just before I left, took them with me keeping them warm, and topped them off before serving. Even just warm and room temp, they were delish. If you're serving them at home hot, even better.

Sweet Potatoes with Pecans + Goat Cheese from Smitten Kitchen

Finally, a quick, easy main meal that everyone will love and a staple dish in our house: mac & cheese. This time I was looking to make the family favourite a little more grown-up, so I used this base recipe with it's mix of mild and sharp cheeses, adding in a few pantry favourites - oil-packed sun dried tomatoes and marinated artichokes - for extra punch. It was delish. Try making your dish with a twist ... maybe tossing in some chopped ham, or a handful of diced tomatoes, or a blend of your favourite cheeses? Or keep it classic. Whatever you choose it's sure to be comfort food that's good for the tummy and the soul on a chilly December day.

Penne + Cheese from Family Circle

Now I'm just hoping to try this fireside bevvy out sometime over the holidays. Perhaps if you do, you can let me know how it is!

Amaretto Eggnog Latte from Cassie at Back to Her Roots

Rise {Again}

On the weekend, I finally attempted my first loaf of homemade bread. It's something I've always wanted to try, but have been afraid to actually do. There was just something about the yeast, the kneading, the rising, the waiting, and the baking that seemed a little complicated. Yes, I can find my way around a kitchen fairly well when it comes to cooking up a delicious meal or a sweet treat, but the balance of exact measurements and perfect timing required for a loaf of bread to come out just right always intimidated me.

I'm also surrounded by women who make excellent bread, including my mother, my grandmother, my sister, and my mother-in-law, but despite my best intentions and many a "I've got to get someone to show me how to make bread..." I never seemed to get around to it. So yesterday, I got over the fear and got around to it on my own. I figured what's the worst that'll happen? It won't rise. I'll over knead. It'll bake up too heavy, or too dense, or too flat. I decided if all of that was the worst that'd happen, I 'd be OK. I'd be out a few cups of flour and a packet of yeast and I'd be in some learning experience.

With a fresh packet of yeast in hand, I pulled up this recipe that I'd pinned a while back on Pinterest. It looked like a nice balance of healthy grains and white flour. Hey, if I'm going to go through the trouble of making bread, I wanted it to be something I could feel good about eating. The white breads of my kin are divine for the lips, but disaster for the hips. Grainy goodness was a must for me. It also looked fairly straightforward and had clear directions. Measuring cups. Check. Ingredients. Check. Loaf Pan. Check. Oven. Check. Let's get this loaf on the road.

what, you don't bake in your burberry scarf? I may be in the kitchen, but I can still be in style!

After some yeast mixing and blooming, some dough kneading and rising, some loaf baking and waiting, I ended up with this beauty.

fresh from the oven...

all buttered up and ready to eat

Looks like bread. And better yet, it tasted like bread. Like honest to goodness, warm, doughy, homemade bread. Smeared with a little butter, it made the perfect accompaniment to my glass of red wine on Sunday evening. Hey, I figured I went good grain on the bread, I did good on baking the bread, I needed to celebrate the bread ;)

It was even better with a cup of coffee yesterday morning. Mmmmm.

And after all was said and done, what was the worst that happened? I might have burned the motor in my Cuisinart food processor, despite it coming equipped with a bread blade and instructions that say it has a motor efficient enough to process multiple batches of dough in a row. I haven't had the heart to turn it on since, so we'll see.

Nonetheless, I think my bread dough will rise again, even if I have to knead it all by hand.

Italian Night - A Do-Over

Des and I get together once a month with four other couples for a supper club we call International Night (written about before here). We put the whole gig on hold over the summer and resume in the fall. With the next one coming up in just over a week, I realized I never shared the recipe from our last one in June.

Des and I hosted the June supper, which meant we picked the theme, coordinated the details and had everyone over to our place. We decided to do Italian - A Do-Over. See, we did Italian around the same time we started the supper club (which I think was four years ago - wow!). However, one of the guys in the group is allergic to tomatoes and unbeknownst to one another, everyone was considerate of his food allergy and brought a dish that didn't contain any tomatoes. Yes, we had an entire Italian dinner without a stain of tomato in sight. Crazy right? Better yet, the guy who had the allergy ended up having to cancel! So in the end we all enjoyed our tomato-less Italian feast without the guy who was the catalyst for our collective consideration. 

After many recountings of the tomato-less Italian meal, Des and I decided enough was enough. We were due for an Italian Do-Over dinner with tomatoes. (Now, not to fret, we did still consider the needs of our fellow diner and made tomato-less versions for him where appropriate). For our dish, we went with this Penne with Braised Short Ribs recipe. I'd made it before and thoroughly enjoyed it. The repeat attempt did not disappoint. (For our friend. I simply separated out a few short ribs before braising and made a pesto-based variation for him that turned out equally as delicious.)

Penne with Braised Short Ribs (from FoodNetwork.com)

The full assortment of ingredients

There's a funny story behind these beautiful short ribs:
I sent my hubby to the butcher near his work to get them, but realized I had forgotten to convey the amount needed. I sent a follow-up email with the quantity, yet when he came through the door that evening he had nearly $45 in ribs in hand! I asked what in the world he was doing with more than double the amount of ribs needed. Seemed he didn't get my email until after his trip to the meat man and he best-guessed it. Oh well - the rest were saved and enjoyed on the grill later in the summer ;)

Anywhoo.... the ribs are seasoned with salt and pepper before heading to the pan



And there are the beauties, all browned up to add that extra richness to the dish



diced onion and garlic... makes everything good! Saute lightly in the big dutch oven for about 2 mins

add in tomatoes, dijon mustard and and a cup of red, wine ... you can see where this is going now hey!

All the goodness (sans ribs) coming to a boil on the stove top, becoming friendly

Some beef broth joins the party

and the ribs are invited back in with that broth.
The cover goes on now and this pot of goodness goes in the oven for 2.5 hours at 350 degrees,
basically cooked until meat falls away from the bone

near the end of the cooking time, get your shred and chop on with the herbs and parmesan

You'd also cook up your penne as you take the meat out of the oven. While the pasta is a-boilin' to al dente,

you remove the ribs from the pot along with any excess fat from the top of  liquid. Then process the remaining liquid until it becomes a smooth sauce. Remove the meat from the bones and shred with two forks and add shredded meat back to the warm sauce. 

We served it up family style, topped with the cheese and parsley:

It is rich and delish.  In fact, it's a perfect fall dish. Hmmm....

Happy Labour Day

Labour Day always feels like the end of summer even though the official end is still a few weeks away. Even when the warm weather is lingering and we hold onto hope for that coveted Indian Summer, Labour Day still feels like last hurrah of season. I suppose that's because it is usually associated with the return to school, the first fall month and the end of vacation days for most.

Like many people, our little family has some great plans to celebrate the long weekend with family and friends. There's a short road trip, a double 50th-birthday celebration, plenty of eating and sociables, and {hopefully} some R&R on the agenda. I'll be making one of these tasty pans of goodness for the party crowd and I'm pretty sure it'll be a crowd-pleaser.

What`s different this year though is that I`m pish-poshing the notion that summer is gone with the weekend. I`m not returning to work, there`s no school starting for us and, besides, I still have a few items to check off that summer to-do list.  So come Monday, I plan to continue enjoying summer until it's last official day of the year!

Happy Labour Day weekend!

Sticky Sweet

I had a plan for today's post. My plan was to share with you a couple of new recipes I was trying for Des' birthday barbecue feast. I had planned to take a bunch of the step-by-step photos and finished dishes for your enjoyment. Unfortunately, like many good plans, it didn't survive first contact with the enemy.

The enemy: yesterday's humidity.

Whoever said barbecuing was the perfect solution to supper on hot days was someone who's idea of a barbecue is throwing wieners on the grill and calling it a day. That wasn't my plan. Like most good barbecue recipes, mine were a bit more labour intensive than that and required some prep time in the kitchen before anything could hit the grill. Doing that prep in a hot kitchen with little airflow and a baby is not recommended.

On the menu were these ribs, this coleslaw, corn and baby potatoes. I planned to get things going late afternoon while my husband was out at an appointment. It was his birthday, so I wanted him to have to do nothing other than be all man-like with tongs at the barbecue when it was time to actually grill. So around 4ish I started with the ribs that needed to be parboiled for 45 minutes to an hour. Once I had those going full bore on the stove, I moved on to the sauce that needed to be mixed and simmered. Once that was fired up on the next element, it was onto the coleslaw. The coleslaw, while easy, required shredding, chopping and mixing. Then the potatoes, as simple as they were, needed to be chopped and tossed with herbs and oil. The corn had to be husked. Undertaking these tasks when the humidex is making it feel like 34 degrees outside (I don't even want to know what it was like inside with the stove elements aglow and me getting my chop-n-dice on) is not fun.

Oh and did I mention there had been a request for a flourless chocolate cake, which had been baked in a 350 degree oven. I was hot, sticky, clammy, you name it. Even my knees were forming condensation. Or maybe that was sweat. Whatever it was, it wasn't pleasant. Add to that a baby who was about as keen as I was to be in that kitchen in that heat and I think you're feelin' me.

With the ribs and sauce on the go, I was trying to mix the slaw when I realized the boy had spit up over himself and the chair he was in. So I stopped what I was doing, stripped him and moved him to another baby containing item while I cleaned the chair. I had just resumed the slaw when he spit up again. Another wipe down of him and the chair along with relocation to his play mat. Back to the slaw. After a moment I realized the boy had become quiet and thought "am I lucky enough that he's drifted off to sleep on his mat?" No. No I am not. He had just spit up again (yes, again... clearly he doesn't do well in humidity) and was now rolling around in it. Yeah. That's right. Ear to ear people. Ear to ear. More clean up. I must have washed my hands, his face and his belongings about a zillion times in this process... using warm water of course.

By the time Des returned home my plan of having him not do anything but grill was foiled. I had to get him to husk the corn and set the table. You see, I still had cream to whip to top the cake. Ever try whipping cream in 34 degree humidity? Well, if not, don't. Even with a chilled bowl and beaters it was a challenging ordeal. And yes, I could have (and should have) done some of this prep work the evening before, but I simply wasn't anticipating the humidity. All this to say, my plan of taking photos of the ribs and slaw recipes was aborted very early on. I think somewhere around the first wipe of the brow or perhaps the first wipe of spit up. I did start out with good intentions:


The fennel in slicing progress



The cabbage being prepared for the food processor
... and this is the last prep shot I took

Nonetheless, once all was said and done and everything was on the grill and I kicked back with a glass of vino chatting with my husband and a friend who joined us for the feast, it was all good. And once everything hit the plates, it was better again and most definitely worth the effort. The rib sauce was delish. The slaw was the right amount of tangy. The corn and potatoes grilled to perfection. And the flourless chocolate cake topped with cinnamon whipped cream the perfect finish to the meal. Better than all of that was my husband's smile that said "I'm stuffed to the gills and going to retire to the garage for a cigar now thank you very much."


happy as a clam he was


So, while my plan for this blog post failed, my plan for my husband's birthday supper was a sticky sweet success.

Post edit: Coleslaw link edited to correct link.

Lemon Poppy Seed Scones

I recently indulged my husband's enjoyment of homemade scones and whipped up a batch of lemon poppy seed ones for a late morning breakfast. Normally I shy away from scones whipping up batches of muffins, sweet loafs or egg-based goodies instead. As a rule, these items are less messy and less risky (ever had a dry scone?  Probably the result of a chemical imbalance in the ingredients or an overzealous kneader...see, risky) scones. But, seeing how my hubby has occasionally requested scones in recent months, I decided to get over my Type A control/neat freak self and get down to (risky) business in the kitchen. Must be love.

I used this recipe as a base with a couple of modifications, namely using half white flour and half cake/pastry flour instead of all one kind and using cream instead of buttermilk. I also used this trick for cutting in the butter and loved it. Normally I'd use the food processor but hubby was sleeping, as was the boy, so I feared it would wake them (homemade scones = risky business). I was also feeling too lazy for the fork/pastry cutter method. But the grating-frozen-butter method worked like a charm!

I do apologize for the lack of step-by-step recipe photos, but the mess of flour, poppy seeds and batter that covered my kitchen counter and hands simply did not abide (see above reference re: control/neat freak). Hopefully the finished product shot will be enough to satiate you.

Fresh from the oven topped with homemade blueberry basil jam gifted from a friend (as seen here) and a dollop of organic yogurt, they were more than worth the risk and the mess.

Kale Chips

I can't help but think of the reaction my sister and bro-in-law will have to this recipe. You see, in their view I already eat like a rabbit. You know, consuming things like carrots, broccoli and spinach - none of which appeals to their tastebuds in any way, shape or form. You can imagine how they'd feel about kale chips. Though, initially I hardly blamed them on this one. Even for me, baking a curly green leafy veg until crisp and calling a chip seemed like a stretch. That is until I tried it.

Don't judge a book by it's cover, isn't that the saying?

I had seen kale chip recipes before, here and there, and shied away. My inner sister coming through I suppose, but they just didn't seem that appealing. Then I started seeing various mentions popping up all over the place - on blogs I frequent, in friends' facebook status updates, in magazines, etc. And when a friend noted on facebook that even her kids snapped them up and - wait for it - asked for them, I thought I gotta give this a go. Sometime. Maybe.

Then, lo and behold, last week during our visit to Lesters Farm Market there was fresh, local kale on the shelf. T'was now or never.

kale's in the bag

I pulled up a few different recipes online and then just went with my own variation, as follows:

I started with a bunch of kale, 1 tbsp EVOO, 1 tsp sea salt, 1 tsp chili powder

Cut kale away from ribs and cut or tear leaves into bite size pieces.

Toss with olive oil and get leaves coated. 1 tbsp was more than enough, you just want the leaves lightly covered as otherwise they'll crisp up too much and/or burn quickly.

Then sprinkle with sea salt to taste. This is where the end result gets a close resemblance to "real" chips in flavour. I used 1 tsp, but it was a bit much for our tastes given we eat very little salt in this house. I will definitely cut that back by half next time. But if salt is your thing or you want that salty chip flavour, give 'er.

Then sprinkle with chili powder (note that this is a bit more than a tsp and I didn't use all that's shown here - good thing too as it was perfectly spicy with just the 1 tsp). Here's where you can play. A few recipes I read varied spices from nothing other than salt to cayenne to curry, even parmesan and asiago cheese. I'm going to give the curry a go sometime for sure!

Spread kale on baking sheet (lined for easy clean up if desired) and bake in 350 degree oven for 12-15 minutes. Watch closely as the leaves will brown up quickly once it gets going. I ended up taking mine out at 11 minutes. Apparently, they'll take on a bitter taste if burnt or browned to much, so you're going for crispy and just lightly browned edges.

Serve and enjoy.

And that's exactly what we did. This entire bowl was consumed by two adults in short order and unanimously agreed that we'd I'd make it again. I can't say they taste exactly like your favourite bag of Frito-Lays, but they're a great fantastic healthier substitute. The oil gives them that slightly greasy feel we all love about chips, the salt adds that 'you can't stop at just one' taste and the crisp is like that of a good thin chip. Even better, they take no more than 15-20 minutes to make, so you can whip 'em up fresh just about anytime you get the craving for a salty treat.

If you make 'em, lemme know what you think.