Zucchini {Nut} Muffins

Bonjour mes amis! Ca va bien avec vous?

I am indeed in Montreal. Was it the french that gave it away? Homeward bound I go, after the loveliest of weekends in Toronto City, to give my little family a big squeeze. *Watch out guys, the 'bizous' are headed your way! 

You'll get filled in on all the juicy details of the weekend in the next few days. Go ahead and be very excited! But right now I am going to take full advantage of my inspiration overload high, integrated with coffee, my love for the easy flowing french surrounding me, and the few hours I have left to myself and just sit. Sit and process where to go from here. Not literally, Halifax is my physical destination, but in life and on this blog. Hmm...That is for another day though. Today we eat.

Have no fear, I didn't forget what Sunday means around here. I pre baked a delicious recipe to share with you today and is it ever a goody. Not only is it quick and easy, requiring the most basic of baking ingredients, but it is perfect for the season. Win, win my friends.

What you'll need:

• 4 Eggs
• 1 Cup Sugar
• 1/2 Tsp. Vanilla
• 1 Cup Vegetable Oil
• 2 Cups Shaved Zucchini
• 3 Cups Flour 
• 1 1/2 Tsp. Baking Powder
• 1 Tsp. Baking Soda
• Nuts or Chocolate Chips {I didn't have any on hand but they were just as delicious without.}

What you'll do:

1. Preheat oven to 400° F.
2. Lightly grease muffin tins.
3. Whip the eggs until fluffy.
4. Combine the eggs with the remaining ingredients until just blended.
5. Fill tins and bake for 10-13 minutes or until golden brown.
6. Enjoy. *To problem right?

Enjoy your day and I'll be chatting with you tomorrow!
Happy baking.

Sweet Potato Soufflé

My second stop on the 'flavours of fall' train is sweet potato. I couldn't resist whipping up one of my all-time favourite recipes. This dish, though not overly appealing at first sight, is absolutely delectable and near and dear to my heart.

I was introduced to the concept of Sweet Potato Soufflé during my time in Southern Georgia. Have I mentioned this before? I spent two high school semesters living in the 'Deep South' and fell head over heels in love with the people, farming, the low paced lifestyle, the land, and the cooking! That cooking will get you every. single. time! I can't believe I haven't mentioned this before now. Shame on me. I'll sit down one of these days and tell you all about it. But until then, give this tasty creation a try and I can guarantee you'll be on the first plane South!

Ingredients:

• 3 Cups Cooked and Mashed Sweet Potato
• 3/4 Cup White Sugar
• 1/3 Cup Softened Butter
• 1 Egg
• 2 Tsp. Vanilla
• 1/2 Cup Milk
• 1/2 cup Coconut Flakes
• 1/4 Cup Flour
• 1 Cup Packed Brown Sugar
• 1 Cup Chopped Nuts {I use Pecans and Walnuts}
• 1/3 Cup Softened Butter

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F.
2. Combine the mashed sweet potato, white sugar, butter, beaten eggs, vanilla, and milk.
3. In a separate bowl, combine coconut, flour, brown sugar, nuts, and butter. 
4. Spoon wet mixture into lightly greased baking dish. 
5. Sprinkle dry mixture over wet mixture.
6. Bake for 35 - 40 minutes, or until top crumble is golden brown.

And that is that. Done like dinner.

Happy Baking, ya'll!

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

Fall is fast approaching. I can feel it fill the air. Soon enough it will be creeping in through the windows and turning the leaves every shade of red, orange, and yellow. I suppose that means we will need to start switching out the summer gear and implementing a few different organization schemes to accommodate winter and all its glory. Ah, the changing of the seasons. Always bringing a renewed sense of hope...and a lengthy to-do list!

With all these changes and going-ons I can't help but be moved in that same Fall direction in the kitchen as well. I am all about deliciously warm comfort food this time of year - bring on the soups! This year at our house that means breaking out the crockpot, Vita-mix, and the flavours of Fall. First stop? Pumpkin. I've been aching for anything and everything pumpkin. It has been much too long my friend. 

So this week, kicking things off on a scrumptious foot, I found a recipe that adds a pumpkin twist to an old favourite. 

Pumpkin Whoopie Pie anyone?? 

Do give them a try! They come highly recommended from our household. Easy and equally as delicious are always a hit around these parts.

Cookie Ingredients:

• 2 Cups Packed Brown Sugar
• 1 Cup Vegetable Oil
• 1 1/2 Cups Packed Pumpkin Puree
• 2 Eggs
• 3 Cups Flour
• 1 Tsp. Salt
• 1 Tsp. Baking Powder
• 1 Tsp. Baking Soda
• 2 Tsp. Vanilla 
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. Cinnamon
• 1/2 Tbsp. Ginger

Filling Ingredients:

• 1 Egg White
• 2 Tbsp. Milk
• 2 Tsp. Vanilla
• 2 Cups Confectioners Sugar
• 1/2 Cup Shortening

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F {175°C}.
2. Go ahead and lightly grease your baking sheets. Set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl combine the oil and brown sugar.
4. Mix in pumpkin puree and eggs. Beat well.
5. Add in the dry ingredients - flour, salt, baking powder, soda, cinnamon and ginger. Mix well.
6. Add the 2 teaspoons of vanilla. Mix one last time.
7. Drop the dough onto prepared baking sheets by heaping teaspoons. *I made mine bigger actually, so used heaping tablespoons which worked just as well but had to bake for fiveish additional minutes. They where more snack size with coffee versus snack bites at a party. To each their own.
8. Bake for 10-12 minutes {or 15-17 if larger} until a toothpick comes out clean.
9. While cookies cool completely make the filling: Beat egg white and mix with the milk, vanilla, and 1 cup of confectioners sugar. Mix well. Then beat in the shortening and remaining confectioners sugar. Beat until light and fluffy.
10. Make the sandwiches from two cookies filled with icing.

These pumpkin sweets went perfectly with morning coffee and blogging chez-moi. *Feel free to add that to the recipe. But they would make for a great party treat or favour in a smaller snack size.

How will you enjoy your Pumpkin Whoopie Pies? 
It is a gloomy Sunday here. Ideal for baking... Just throwing that out there! Wink. Wink.

Buttermilk Pie

Good Morning All! What a lovely, raining first day of September! Today, I bring to you one more scrumptious sweet treat before I return home to New Brunswick and all that it entails. {School, work, 2AM study nights and so on} Therefore, with just a few sweet days of “summer break” left, I decided to spend some time in the kitchen for one last relaxing baking escapade.

This week’s recipe is a gem I unearthed thanks to one of the charming ladies I have had the pleasure of spending the past few months with at my summer employment. This summer was new for me. I spent my days {and nights… long, awake nights, to be clear} working in a Senior’s Care home here in Pictou County. I am typically a nanny and student in New Brunswick so, this was both different and not. Anyhow, back to the point of this long-winded story, I found myself discussing favourite food and recipes with one of my residents. She mentioned how much she love, love, LOVED something called Buttermilk Pie. She was kind enough to dig through her closet for the recipe so I could copy it and enjoy at our home! I have to admit, I have been blessed to be surrounded by such wonderful people here in Pictou County this summer!

Ever heard of Buttermilk Pie? Myself, not so much. This was the first time I ever heard of such a thing, so I looked it up. Apparently, it originated in the UK and is now well known in the south, particularly Texas. But enough about that, let’s get down to it.

Here is goes:

In a bowl (I used a KitchenAid Mixer) mix together:

• 3 Lg. Eggs 
• ½ Cup Melted Butter 
• 2 Cups Sugar 
• 2 Tbsp. Flour 
• 1 Tsp. Vanilla 
• 1 Tsp. Fresh Lemon Juice 
• ¾ Cup Buttermilk 

Pour the mixture into an UNBAKED piecrust. *I used Tenderflake frozen pie crusts. Yum. And easy. **Makes two pies. Few, tenderflake comes in a two pack!

Bake at 375º for 50-60 minutes.

Optional: Finely chop ½ Cup walnuts and sprinkle on top of pie. I did not do this – nuts are ew. {Read “ew” in Jimmy Fallon’s Sara voice}

***Please see video below to completely understand ew. And for a laugh!

Sarah

Brown Sugar Cake with Raspberry Coulis

This week, I was put to the task for a recipe, as I am every week. Typically they just reveal themselves to me like the Sword of Gryffindor appears to those who need it most? Well, this week was an exception and I had nothing on tap. Off to Pinterest I clicked and to my pleasant surprise, after only a few short minutes… okay add a few more minutes… I discovered this gem. Berry Brown Sugar Cake. Sounds delicious, right? Well, it is. But don’t take my word for it, give it a try yourself!

This is what you will need:
For the Cake:

• 2 eggs 
• ½ Cup Canola Oil 
• ¾ Cup Granulated Sugar 
• 1 Cup All Purpose Flour 
• 1 Tsp. Baking Powder 
• 2 Tsp. Vanilla Extract 
• 2 Tbsp. Dark Brown Sugar 

For the Topping:

• 12 oz. Berries (I used Raspberries… yum!!) 
• ¼ Cup Water 
• ¼ Cup Honey 

This is what you do:

1. Preheat oven to 350º, grease and flour springform pan and set aside. 
2. In mixer bowl, mix together canola oil and sugar until well blended. Mix in eggs and vanilla. 
3. In a separate bowl, sift together flour and baking powder. 
4. Fold flour mix into egg mixture by hand and pour into pan. 
5. Sprinkle cake with brown sugar. 
6. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour. (I took mine out at 35 minutes and really, it could have done with less time, so be sure to check your cake before 45 minutes! Ovens vary!) 
7. While cake is baking, sprinkle remaining brown sugar on berries and bring to a boil with honey and water. (We have WAY too many frozen berries in the freezer, so this is what we used. Turned out great!) Turn temperature down and allow to simmer for 15-20 minutes, or to desired thickness. 
8. Pour over cooled, sliced cake and enjoy. I sure did!! (Might even be good with a touch of whipped cream?) 

I hope you all have the opportunity to throw a little sugar in your lives this week!!
Sarah

Brown Sugar Cookies with Brown Sugar Frosting

Sugar, sugar, sugar. Can one go wrong with a healthy dose of brown sugar? The answer is no. Brown sugar is great for so much more than just a sweetener in your oatmeal! As I was scrolling the Pinterest this week, I stumbled upon brown sugar frosting that looked absolutely delicious, which was followed by a search for a vessel in which I could put said frosting on. This search brought me to the blog Cookies & Cups and all of the sudden I was in paradise.

This cookie is not only chewy and moist, it is tasty! So, try it out! Here is what you will need:

Cookie Dough:

• 14 Tbsp. Butter (1 ¾ sticks)
• 1 ¾ Cups Light Brown Sugar (packed)
• 2 ¼ Cups Flour
• ½ Tsp. Baking Soda 
• ¼ Tsp. Baking Powder
• ½ Tsp. Kosher Salt
• 1 Egg
• 1 Egg Yolk
• 1 ½ Tbsp. Vanilla

To Roll Cookie Dough Ball in:

• ¼ Cup Sugar
• ¼ Cup Light Brown Sugar

Frosting:

• ½ Cup Light Brown Sugar (packed)
• 3 Tbsp. Butter
• ¼ Cup Milk
•  2 Cups Icing Sugar

This recipe involves a little more work that your typical cookie recipe, but trust me, it IS worth it!

Here’s what to do:

• Preheat the oven to 350º and line your baking sheet with parchment paper. (This is my new favourite thing in the kitchen this summer)
• Heat butter in medium saucepan over medium heat until it is a caramel brown colour. Swirl the saucepan to keep the butter from burning. Once caramel, set aside and let cool for 15 minutes.
• Whisk together your flour, baking soda & powder, and salt in a bowl and set aside.
• Once your butter is cooled, mix together with brown sugar in electric mixer until smooth.
• Add egg, yolk and vanilla to electric mixer until smooth.
• Add in your dry ingredients to the electric mixer bowl small bits at a time and blend well.
• Roll cookie dough into balls, then roll in sugar mixture (1/4 cup sugar and ¼ cup brown sugar together in a bowl). I found the dough a bit sticky and the more I touched it the more the ball changed shape so I mixed it around in the sugar with a spoon.
• Place balls 2 inches apart on baking sheet.
• Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Cool while you work on the frosting.

Frosting:

• Melt butter and brown sugar together in saucepan over medium heat, bring to a boil and cook for one minute. Remove from heat and cool for 10 minutes. 
• Once cooled, beat in milk until smooth.
• Add icing sugar a little bit at a time until desired consistency is reached. 
• Spread on cookie. 
• Enjoy!!! 

This cookie was a huge hit at our house among adults and children alike! I hope the opportunity arises for you to give it a try! 

Icingless Option for the Babe

**Disclaimer: As the theme has been going in recent weeks, this is not gluten-free, nor is it vegan.

Sarah

Coffee Cake

Happy Sunny Sunday Morning! What a beautiful morning to sit outside on the porch, drink in the sunshine and beauty, nibble on a piece of fresh baked coffee cake and wash it all down with a freshly brewed cup of coffee! No coffee cake at hand, you say? Well, we can help you there!

My mother has offered up her delicious coffee cake recipe for us to try this weekend and did we ever enjoy it! This recipe is very simple. We didn’t even need to run to the grocery store for anything!

Here is what you will need:

Batter                                        

• 1/2 Cup Margarine                      
• 1 1/2 Cups Flour                         
• 2 Tsp. Baking Powder                
• Pinch of Salt                               
• 1 Egg Slightly Beaten                
• 3/4 Cup Sugar
• 1/2 Cup Milk
• 1 Tsp. Vanilla

Filling

• 2 Tsp. Butter {Melted}
• 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
• 2 Tsp. Cinnamon
• 2 Tsp. Flour
• 1/2 Cups Nuts {We used Pecans}

Add Cherries for the top!

Here’s what you do:

1. Mix batter. 
2. Put half of the batter in an angel food cake pan or tube pan. Half of the filling on top of batter. Then remainder of batter. Then finish with remainder of filling on top and sliced cherries.  
3. Bake at 325 for 40 to 45 minutes. 

The sun is still shining! Start brewing your coffee and enjoy a slice! Or two?

What are you favourite relaxing Sunday morning treats? Have a great week everyone!

*Disclaimer: Again, this recipe is not gluten-free or vegan. Also, don’t be fooled by “angel food cake pan”… this is not the same as a bunt cake pan! We learned this the hard way and may have spent a few minutes on the phone with my mother sorting this one out!

Sarah

Mars Bars Squares

Every family has that quick go-to treat that they bring to every family event - Church potluck, baby shower, wedding shower, BBQ - I could go on but I think you get the picture. Years ago my Mum stumbled upon a lovely, yet easy, indulgence called Mars Bar Squares. This quick and easy recipe has never failed to put a smile on the faces of those who have had the pleasure of relishing it.

Let’s get down to it. The name of the squares is quite self-explanatory and a little bit unfortunate. It doesn’t quite do them justice. I am willing to take suggestions for better names once you have tried these gems. Anyway, back to the mundane name that is Mars Bar Squares.

Clearly, it involves Mars Bars. So, here is what you will need:

• 4 Mars Bars (You can get a four pack, what?!) 
• ½ Cup of Margarine (I do find it works a bit better with margarine than butter) 
• 3 Cups of Rice Krispies 
• 1 Cup Chocolate Chips (Semi-sweet works best) 
• ¼ Cup Margarine

What to do:

• Melt your ½ Cup of Margarine and 4 Mars Bars over medium heat on the stove (preferably in a pot). Be careful here, you don’t want to cook it, so keep it from bubbling. I usually break up the mars bars and stir often to “help them out” a bit.

*Allison was MIA with the camera during this
baking session so all photos are via phone. Sorry.

• Once that is melted, turn off the heat and add three cups of Rice Krispies. Stir them in gently until they are thoroughly covered. 
• Pour them into an 8” square pan (clearly, I didn’t have one… any shape will do, really) and pat it down so it is even. Set aside. 

• Next, over medium heat on the stove, again preferably in a pot, melt your ¼ Cup of Margarine and 1 Cup of Chocolate Chips (I cheat and use the whole bag… is there really such thing as TOO much chocolate? I think not.) 
• Once completely melted and combined, pour over Rice Krispie mix in the pan and smooth with a spatula. 

• Let it cool, cut into squares and ENJOY.

 **Just a quick disclaimer. I have been doing a lot of gluten-free/vegan recipes lately. This is NOT gluten free (Canadian Rice Krispies are not gluten-free) and it is NOT vegan. It can be made gluten free if you choose. Just take a visit to the gluten free section in your local grocery store and buy gluten free mock Rice Krispies. Still delicious!!

Sarah

Carrot Soup

Summer time here is lovely with the bon fires, the birthday parties, the get togethers, the beach… on and on goes the list. So, when the sun is out and friends are calling, my desire to spend four hours in the kitchen whipping up a gourmet meal is just non-existent. This leads us to the problem “What is gluten-free, vegan, quick AND delicious?”.

Well, my friends, if you want an answer to that, check out my fellow Frederictonian’s blog, Georgia Trying Something New. I stumbled upon this blog via facebook not long ago and I was incredibly impressed with the recipes that were not only easy, but very satisfying to the taste buds. So, I set out to try Georgia’s Carrot Soup recipe in order to have something quick and easy available before rushing off to the beach with Allison, Finley & Moe.

This is what you will need:

• 2 pound bag of carrots, peeled & chopped  
• Half of a large yellow onion, chopped (Al & I both love onions so I used a bit more) 
• 1 1/2 cups of vegetable broth 
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil 
• 1/2 tablespoon of salt 
• 1/2 tablespoon of pepper 
• 1 teaspoon of basil  

Follow these easy steps for some delicious and satisfying soup:

1. Cook carrots until soft. 
2. Meanwhile, sauté your onions in your oil in a frying pan until they are translucent.
3. Once both the carrots and onions are done, pulse in the food processor (or in our case, as always, the VitaMix)  
4. Add your vegetable broth (I like PC Organics), salt, pepper & basil. 
5. Pulse until the soup is at your desired consistency.

 A few notes:
*Actually measure your salt. I did not. This was not a good decision. There is such a thing as too salty.

Despite the fact I may have made it a tad too salty, this soup was amazing and so simple to make. Allison and I enjoyed this with avocado and hummus sandwiches and loved it. It made enough for three meal times for the two of us and made life easy after a long afternoon in the sun when we were much too tired to cook. Highly recommended and thanks to Georgia for sharing this lovely recipe on her blog!

 We hope you enjoy

'C' is for Cookie...

...that is good enough for me. OOOHHH Cookie Cookie Cookie starts with C!  Num num num num num!!

Nobody says it better than Cookie Monster, after all, he IS the COOKIE Monster. He knows what he is talking about. The Cookie Monster and I are very much on the same page when it comes to cookies. So, you can imagine my dismay at the thought of no more cookies now that I am a gluten-free vegan. However, as I scrolled down the pages of my Facebook newsfeed one afternoon, I happened upon a gluten-free, animal by-product free cookie! What is this? Could it be? Yes. It can.

As it so happens, I have adopted the role of Recipe Writer here at the MacDonald residence and a wild craving for sweets that I can have guilt free. I whipped up a batch and put them to the test.

Here is what you are going to need:

• 1 ¼ Cups of Canned Chickpeas 
• 2 Tsp. Vanilla Extract 
• ½ Cup + 2 Tbsp. Natural Peanut Butter (I used Natur brand Creamy Peanut Butter. It is gluten-free, as your peanut butter should be, because your only ingredient should be peanuts! Be sure to check labels, though. You never know where they will sneak some gluten in!) 

• ¼ Cup Honey (To be truly Canadian, I used Maple Syrup tapped by my very own multi-talented Father & his best friend) 
• 1 Tsp. Baking Powder 
• Pinch of Salt (Assuming your Natural PB does not have salt) 
• ½ Cup of Vegan Chocolate Chips or Carob Chips (I used Enjoy Life brand Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips – they are guaranteed gluten-free AND vegan and are still tasty! Can life get any better?) 

Now, don’t be alarmed. I realize this recipe has chickpeas. This is what I love about this recipe, you wouldn’t even know it has chickpeas. And for the bonus round, chickpeas are protein. This is a healthy cookie! Again, I realize I am being a bit liberal with the word healthy, but it certainly beats something you may find browsing Paula or Martha’s site. Just sayin’.

Back to the cookie:

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. 
2. Throw your chickpeas (rinsed and patted dry) into the food processor (in our case the blender) and blend until smooth. In my 540mL can of chickpeas, it was only slightly more than 1 ¼ cups, so I used the whole can.
3. Blend in the rest of the ingredients (except the choc. Chips) in the food processor OR mix in a bowl, until well blended. 
4. Stir in chocolate chips. 
5. Form small balls (1 ½ “) and place on parchment paper on your baking sheet. They don’t need to be too far apart because they won’t rise much, if at all. Also, it definitely helps to wet your hand as you do this to avoid the cookie “dough” from sticking to your hands. I appreciated this handy tip. 
6. Squash balls with a fork to desired thickness. 
7. Bake for 10-15 minutes.  
8. Enjoy with some tasty, cold Almond Milk. Yummmm. 

Not only did these moist, doughy cookies satisfy MY sweet tooth, but they were also found guilty of deliciousness by the true judge - Honourable Judge Finley.

We hope you have the opportunity to give these cookies a try!

Sarah

Alfredo Sauce with a Healthy Twist

I have some very exciting news on this sunny Sunday morning!

For the past few months I have set my scheming and organizing aside come Sunday to share delicious new and classic go-to recipes with you. Because I am not the best of the best when it comes to cooking, I have the tendency to share more of the baking goodies I do rather than meal ideas. Enter that exciting news mentioned above.

Sarah, my dearest friend staying with us for the summer, is however a phenomenal little chef on the rise {so to speak} and has been whipping up delicious gluten free meals since her arrival. In the middle of partaking in one of her delectable, while still healthy, creations the other night a lightbulb idea came to me - she should take over Recipe Sunday for the duration of her time with us!

This way we all save our waist lines from a few extra pounds during bathing-suit season. Am I right? So, for the next few weeks instead of pastries, do look forward to healthy meal alternatives the whole family can enjoy.

______________________________________

Hmm, how I love creamy, tasty, calorie-rich alfredo sauce poured over a bed of pasta.

However, with the desire to make healthier choices and eat “clean” this summer, your everyday alfredo sauce doesn’t seem to be the right choice for us. This desire for a healthier option has sent us full throttle into combing the Internet for these healthy choices. Upon our combing of the World Wide Web, we have stumbled upon many great blogs for healthier choices. One of these being The Skinny Fork by Amanda Plott. Amanda takes traditionally “unhealthy” dishes and keeps them delicious while making them significantly more healthy for you and your waistline. So, as you can imagine, when I came across this Guiltless Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce we jumped at the opportunity to put it to the test while Rob is away.

Here’s what you will need:

• 2 Cups Cauliflower, Cooked
• 1 1/4 Cups of 1% Milk
• 3 Oz. Fat Free Cream Cheese
• 1 Tbsp. Flour (We used gluten free for my sake)
• 1 Tsp. Salt
• 1 Tbsp. Butter
• 3 Garlic Cloves, Minced
• 1 Cup 2% Milk Italian Cheese Blend, Shredded (Kraft has a lovely cheese blend that we used)

Instructions:

To start, we cooked up that cauliflower in the microwave until it was soft and proceeded to blend it with the milk, cream cheese, flour and salt in our VitaMix blender (a food processor would be very handy at this, as well). One lesson we learned about blending cauliflower in the VitaMix was not to remove too much water from it first. The end result was much easier to accomplish in this case than the cauliflower pizza crust adventure just a few weeks previous.

Once this is smooth in the blender, set aside and begin your stovetop portion of the cooking.

Melt your butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat and add the garlic to sauté for a few seconds.

Transfer your cauliflower mixture from the blender to your garlic & butter saucepan.

Cook and stir as it comes to a simmer, approx.. 3-4 minutes, following with some more stirring and cooking as you watch it thicken. You are almost done!

Remove from the heat immediately and add your cheese blend. Stir until well mixed then set aside with the cover on for 10 minutes to thicken.

Enjoy!

This was a thoroughly enjoyed recipe by all here . We poured this over a bed of pasta (GF in my case) with chicken and added a bit of crushed red pepper to add a bit of ZING!

This is a very healthy yet DELICOUS alternative to the traditional alfredo sauce we all love, the healthy part just being a bonus to the fabulous taste and easy task that is making it! We hope you all enjoy!!

Sarah

Charlie Salad

Todays recipe is easy as one, two three! Literally.
A family recipe, this 'salad' always makes an appearance at our annual christmas get together. The only time of year we can all set our differences aside and spend time together! The aunts, uncles, cousins, young, and old{er} go to my Moms house and bring along a dish or two. *My mom always hosted because the house was her contribution and the guests could bring the food! Gracious, have I ever learned valuable lessons from that woman!
Now, I know it is not christmas time. There is a heat wave going on outside my door and seeping in through the windows. But I always loved the families Charlie Salad recipe no matter the time of year. Especially in the summer months because it is a tasty treat. *I honestly have no idea why they call it a salad. And it is a great option to bring along to a BBQ or to throw together for last minute guests. I may even try to freeze it and see if it works as a popsicle treat.

Ingredients:

• 1 Small Tub Cool Whip
• 1 Cup Cottage Cheese
• 1 Package Orange Jello 
• 1 Can Crushed Pineapple

Instructions:

1. Collect above ingredients.
2. Combine collected ingredients.
3. Refrigerate combined collected ingredients.

What did I tell you? Easy as 1, 2, 3!

Give it a try and let me know if you likey. It may sound strange but I assure you its delicious. 

The only other explanation would be that my entire extended family is crazy. But that could be the case actually...

Enjoy! And chat soon.

Delectable Red Velvet Cake

Today's recipe is one of my all time favs - Red Velvet Cake. And with this weekend being filled with Canada Day celebrations I deemed it absolutely apropos.

There are many versions of this recipe available, like anything these days, and I have done my share of searching around for the best one. But I am here to say that the recipe below turned out the best I have ever had or made. *The sole exception being Mrs. Vicki Lee, but I've chosen to exclude her in the comparison because I strongly believe it is not the recipe itself that makes the difference but the love that goes into it! Gosh I love me some Southern bakin'...

Back to the cake. I originally found this recipe over at Divas Can Cook blog. When Monique claimed it was the BEST red velvet recipe ever I had to take a closer look. And when I caught sight of the last ingredient I knew, even before it was out of the oven, that it would be my go-to forever more. I was absolutely right.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups All Purpose Flour
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• 1 tsp Salt
• 2 tbsp Cocoa Powder
• 2 cups Sugar
• 1 cup Vegetable Oil
• 2 Eggs
• 1 cup Buttermilk
• 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
• Red Food Colouring {1-2 oz + Depending on how bright you want it}
• 1 tsp White Vinegar
• 1/2 cup Prepared Plain Hot Coffee {Key to Success - Don't skip this Ingredient}

Now let's get baking:

1. Preheat oven to 325°
2. In medium sized bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa powder and salt. Set aside.
3. In large bowl combine sugar and vegetable oil.
4. Mix in eggs, buttermilk, vanilla and food colouring.
5. Stir in the coffee and vinegar.
6. Gradually add the dry ingredients in with the wet ingredients. 
7. Grease and lightly flour two round cake pans.
8. Pour batter evenly between each.
9. Bake for 30-40 minutes on centre rack. *Do not over bake. It will continue to cook as it cools.
10. Let stand for several minutes before removing from pans. *Loosen the cake from the pan with a knife before trying to remove. Allow to cool completely.
11. Once cool, trim the cakes straight across the top for level stacking.
12. Ice the top of the first layer. 
13. Once smooth add the second layer and ice top and edges.

*I used Cream Cheese Frosting. The same as for my Carrot Cake.

And there you have it - delectable in cake form! Just in time for the red and white festivities {blue could certainly be incorporated}!

What other goodies are gracing your tables this weekend? Dish! Or if you are stumped, scoot over to Divas Can Cook for more great recipes.

Chat soon.

Extra Healthy Smoothies

Smoothies are a great easy and healthy snack when you are on the go. You can't go wrong really. Throw a few different berries into a blender, maybe some yogurt, blend, and you are on your way with a delicious treat. Those are the facts.

But since getting our new-to-us Vita-mix we are looking at smoothies in a whole new light. The options are endless to what you can make! I've made just about everything in it - exceptions include pot roast, twice baked potato, and deep-fried clams. But seriously, Finns baby food was a breeze. Soups from scratch come out boiling. Easy clean up cake mix. Tasty ice cream. And of course the most deliciously strange of smoothies. Here is my latest blend.a.roo:

• 2 cups Strawberries
• 1 cup Pineapple
• 2 cups Spinach
• 1 Green Apple
• 1 Avocado
• 1 Frozen Beat {Pre Diced}

You can quite literally throw anything in there and it will slice and dice to your hearts content. Other great ingredient options, to name a few, are: blueberries, mango, banana, orange, pineapple, kale, flaxseed, a splash of peanut butter, asian pear, carrot, and cottage cheese.


First give all your ingredients a good cleaning. Then peel and dice as applicable.


I do all my beats at once because they are messy. Then I store them in freezer bags so they are ready for the next time round. When frozen they eliminate the need to add ice cubs to cool the drink which is oh so much better. Ice, well the water, will separate from the drink if left for too long but with the frozen beats you can keep coming back to the drink just the way you left it. *If it is easier for your lifestyle, you could pre package and freeze all the ingredients into individual servings and cut out the prep all in one swoop.

I've found the simplest approach is to add the juicy fruit ingredients first. I followed the order listed above. That way the juiciness {not my favourite word choice but there it is} from the berries will help pull the rest of the dry and/or bulky ingredients down for easier mixing.


It is incredible how smooth the outcome is. And you cant even taste the extra healthy goods you threw in there! The fruit flavouring stand out. I wouldn't lie to you. And if you still don't believe me, ask Finley...



Are smoothies one of your household go-to's? How do you make yours? I love hearing your ideas! Do send them my way.

Chat soon.

Gluten Free Pizza

With gluten sensitivities appearing so prevalent these days, or at least people being more aware, the scramble to find a delicious gluten free recipe is on! Sarah, our freeloader for the summer {just joshing}, falls into that category. So we are on the hunt for tasty meals that will please the whole gang. First stop - Pizza!

Attempts at gluten free crusts often fall victim to crumbling cardboard-like texture and taste. And who wants to eat that? That certainly won't fulfill my need for a good pizza fix! Thankfully people are getting creative and gluten free pizza crust is taking a turn for the better! Michelle Annett, over at the Lucky Penny, claims to have the BEST cauliflower pizza crust one could ever make. So we put her claim to the test.


Here is what you will need:

• 1 small to medium sized head of cauliflower {2 to 3 cups after food processor}
  
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
  
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  
• Dash of crushed red pepper {Optional. But we would highly recommend it!}
  
• 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
  
• 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese
  
• 1 egg
  
• Toppings of your choice {We opted for a delicious veggie option.}
  
• Cheese
  
• Pizza Sauce {Or Olive Oil instead. My fav.}
  

Now for the work:

Preheat your oven to 450º F and place your pizza stone/baking sheet in the oven.

Wash and dry your cauliflower - cut off the florets, not much stem is needed. Throw the florets in your food processor and pulse until the cauliflower is powdery and snow like. 
*This step was a bit different for us for we have no food processor to call our own. So we used the Vita-mix instead. This ultimately worked for us, however, it required the cauliflower be pulsed in small chunks at a time and the “snow” had to be removed before adding more florets for pulsing. This added a bit more time to the process and may not have been quite as finely minced as it should have been. We will know for next time.

Now go ahead and place cauliflower “snow” in a microwave safe bowl and cook in microwave for 4 minutes. Place the cauliflower in a clean tea towel and once it is cool enough you can ring out all the excess water. Add the cauliflower and ingredients (except toppings/sauce and cheese for the top) to a bowl to mix.


Grease parchment paper with oil or non-stick cooking spray and form your pizza crust on your parchment paper. Then slide your parchment paper with the crust onto your pizza stone/baking sheet (we used a baking sheet and it turned out great). Place in the oven for 8-11 minutes. My oven isn't hot hot so it took ten.


Now remove your crust. Go ahead and add your sauce. I highly recommend just a splash of olive oil instead because it will let you enjoy the flavours in the crust. Add your toppings, cover with cheese and place back in the oven for 5 to 7 minutes. *Ours ended up going back in for closer ten again.

Voila! You have a praise-worthy, gluten-free masterpiece on your hands.


I must give full credit to Michelle for this delicious recipe {her original write up can be found here}. You really cannot muck it up and the flavor is incredible. Everyone at our house was 110% satisfied with this option - even Moe was hunting down every last crumb!

*And just a quick side note: If you are looking for 100% gluten free, be sure to check your cheese because some do contain gluten. A guaranteed option here in the Maritimes is Barbour’s Sussex Cheese.

Enjoy! And we will chat real soon.

Carrot Cake Recipe

Todays recipe is an oldie but a goodie. Dug out of my own personal recipe box {which is actually shown here in my pantry makeover}.

I've been craving cake as of late. In a mean sort way! Like sending Robert to the store late at night kind of way. And he goes because he loves me. Not because I am pregnant - for those of you thinking it. Or maybe he does it because I get cranky without delicious baked goods...either way. So instead of spending a small fortune on more store bought goodies I thought Id whip something up myself. *And Common-Law went back to work early this time round so Id have to go get it myself which quite honestly takes some of the joy out of it.

So who wants Carrot Cake?

Oh! Oh! Pick me! Pick me!


It is one of my favourites {after Red Velvet and Peanut Butter a-la Mrs. Vicki Lee}! The recipe is fool proof. The ingredients basic. And it is easy to adjust to your families tastes. Three things I love to hear when it comes to anything in the kitchen.

You will need the following:

Cake

• 4 Eggs
• 1 1/4 cup Vegetale Oil
• 2 cups White Sugar
• 2 teaspoons Vanilla
• 2 cups Flour
• 2 teaspoons Baking Soda
• 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 2 teaspoons Cinnamon
• 3 cups Grated Carrots
Icing

• 1/2 cup Softened Butter
• 4 cups Icing Sugar
• 8 ounces Softened Cream Cheese
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease and flour a 9x13 pan. Go ahead and set the pan aside.

In a large bowl beat together the eggs, oil, sugar, and vanilla. Then go ahead and mix in the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, powder, salt, and cinnamon.


Then it is time for the grated carrots. We use a grater with smaller than average holes so that the carrot slivers are not as thick in the cake once baked. Picky eater alert! But the recipe is just as successful with regular sized grating. Either way go ahead and stir the grated carrot on in. Gosh that was a lot of grates. Grate, grate, gratety, grate!

*At this point you could certainly add any nuts or additional spices that you may prefer. It should not alter the outcome of your recipe as long as you add quantities within reason.


Pour the batter into your prepared pan and bake in preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes. Or until a toothpick comes out clean. Every oven is different. I let mine cool for 10 to 15 minutes before removing from the pan. Then allow to cool completely on a wire rack before icing.


For the icing, mix all the ingredients together: butter, icing sugar, cream cheese, and vanilla. *I add my icing sugar last, a little at a time. This way I can manage the level of sweetness by testing along the way. You may not need the full 4 cups depending on your preference.

A light all-over coat of icing will help keep the crumbs from spreading into all your icing. Then go ahead and decorate as you please.


If everyone isnt on board with nuts in the batter themselves they can be added as a topper with the icing. Even keep it out as a garnish on a piece by piece basis.


Now all that is left is to enjoy a deliciously moist slice with hot beverage. Leave the kitchen for later. It will still be there when you are done!

Enjoy and we'll chat soon.

Grrr...anola!

Todays recipe choice is on the healthier side of the spectrum. No thanks to me! Your gratitude for giving the waistband a break this week can be directed to our newest house guest, Sarah. She suggested I try to whip up a homemade granola to be added to fruit or yogurt {or ice-cream... *my contribution} for a healthy and quick snack.a.roo. So we did just that!

Sarah did the leg work finding a recipe that she thought fit the bill and settled with good ol' Martha. The clear choice every time. You can find the original recipe here. And with Martha as my guide, I rolled up my sleeves and set to work. *The term work is actually laughable in this circumstance. Sarah definitely ended up with the short end of the stick on this one. Which leads me to question, why have we not been doing this all along?

To try this yourself, or your own twisted version {in a good way}, you will need the following ingredients:

3 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup chopped almonds
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
5 teaspoons vegetable oil
5 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 teaspoons honey
1/4 cup dried cranberries/raisins

{You could also try adding wheat germ, oat bran, sunflower seeds, coconut and/or walnuts. Anything you want really. We opted to start out small and build from there. You know what Im sayin'?}

Go ahead and preheat the oven to 325º. Then in a large bowl, combine everything except the cranberries/raisins. Once thoroughly mixed, spread on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake until golden brown, approximately 25 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through. *While baking I recommend you sit, relax and enjoy the delicious aroma. Tea and reading material optional here. Or, better yet, have someone stop by within that time span. Without a doubt they will comment on the delectable aroma rolling from your home. You'll be the next Martha!

Let it cool, then stir in the raisins or cranberries before storing in an airtight container.


Now all that is left is to enjoy at your own discretion. Tea and reading material recommended again, but still technically optional.

Chat soon! & Happy Sunday.

Bark? Yes Please!

Todays recipe is quite honestly my biggest weakness in life! It is one of many recipes in my mother-in-laws stash that has seriously changed my life and regularly threatens my waist line. And up until now life was as it should be and I didn't know how to make it - for my own wellbeing. But when I was contemplating what to share with you today I decided to set my selfish ways aside and give it up. In advance, you are welcome!

Come to find out it is easy peasy, as all good things in life should be {right?}! And a crowd pleasing after {or before/during} meal snack. It also makes a great gift - perhaps for the kids teachers at the end of the year?! Just do it up in a little tin, you dont have to give it all away, or put a few pieces in a small cellophane bag and attach it to a gift along with the usual tag and ribbon. It will give it that little something extra! And I can guarantee they will be asking you for your recipe. Just send them my way!

Homemade Bark

Preheat the oven to 350º
You'll need:

- Parchment Paper
- Graham wafers

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Line that parchment paper with graham wafers {Elaine recommends the compliments brand because they are larger and easy to break to fill in the gaps}.

- 1 cup Brown Sugar
- 1 cup Margarine

Bring the sugar and margarine to a boil in a saucepan.
Pour the boiling mixture over the pan of graham wafers.


Pop the cookie sheet into the preheated oven and bake for 8 minutes {until it is sizzling!}

- 1 bag Chocolate Chips
- 1 bag White Chocolate Chips
- Almond Slivers {optional}

As soon as you pull it out of the oven scatter the chocolate chips and spread with a spatula.
Once fully melted add almonds {use your discretion}.
Place cookie sheet in freezer for at least 30 minutes to harden.
Once hardened, break apart into bight-sized 'bark' pieces. And presto!


*You could use any chocolate or spread of your choosing - mint or butterscotch perhaps? And the toppings could vary as well - skor bits, crushed candy canes {the holiday season will be back around before you know it}, pecans... the world is your oyster!

Bonne Appétit!
*Yeah that is truly how I look first thing Sunday Morning. No Judgement Please.

Add a homemade tag for an extra special touch!

Happy snacking! Don't get caught sneaking an extra piece!
{I recommend hiding a few {large} pieces in a small tupperware at the back of your pantry/cupboard for a rainy day!}

*I just have to add: While whipping this delicious treat up to share with all of you, Finley decided to have a #2. Sarah was on baby duty so she took a break from assisting me in the kitchen to change the mess. Out of the blue from the living room I hear, 'I have something brown on my arm. Can't be sure if it is chocolate or poo. Should I chance a lick??'...Welcome to my world!