Everyday Foodie

Unplugged

2012-02-10T18:00:00.000-08:00

I am unplugging early tonight to snuggle with the hubby and watch some TV (without the computer on my lap like it usually is).

I will leave you with this video though ...

It is worth the 3 minutes of your life:

Yes, I realize the irony that this video was shared on YouTube and now on my blog :-)

What are you up to this weekend?

Kitchari

2012-02-08T20:51:00.000-08:00

I had never heard of kitchari until I saw a recipe for Gingery Red Lentil and Quinoa Kitchari on a blog. It looked so good and was full of wholesome ingredients. I bookmarked it in my must-make list, and yesterday was the day!

I served it with a spinach salad and it made a perfect dinner.

You can find the recipe here.

Goodbye cookbooks, hello blogs! All the best recipes come from blogs!

Where did you find the last recipe that you made (book, TV, blog)?

What is the BEST recipe you have ever found on a blog? - Feel free to link away!

Vita-Mix Dry Attachment

2012-02-07T17:12:00.000-08:00

I was at Costco a couple of weeks ago and saw the dry attachment for the Vita-Mix. Since I use my Vita-Mix daily, I figured that I would probably use this attachment regularly as well.

I am SUPER impressed with it. It grinds coffee beans in seconds, can make flour, grate cheese, etc.. Today I used it to grind flax seeds. Everything goes into it dry - no wet ingredients needed! The blade pushes everything up instead of sucking it down like a regular blender blade.

Before:

During:

After:

Into the freezer to keep it fresh!

Have you had your eye on any appliances (or attachments) lately?

Butternut Squash Soup

2012-02-06T20:05:00.000-08:00

Last week I went to a cooking class for a friend's bachelorette party and we made a flavourful butternut squash soup. I adapted the recipe slightly, and the hubby and I enjoyed it for dinner tonight.

Before making the soup you need to roast a large butternut squash (or two small ones).

Roasting a Butternut Squash

Cut the end off the squash:

Slice the squash lengthwise and scoop out/discard the seeds:

Spray a cookie sheet (or use parchment) and roast the squash skin side down for 45 minutes-1hour @ 400:

Once the squash has cooled you can scoop the insides out and discard the skin:

Butternut Squash Soup

1 T olive oil

1 large onion

3-4 cloves minced garlic

2 T fresh minced ginger

1 liter low sodium chicken/veggie broth

1 can coconut milk

Insides of 1 lg or 2 small roasted butternut squashes

Salt and Pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil on medium. Add the onion, garlic and ginger and cook for a few minutes. Add the broth, coconut milk, and squash and simmer for about 20 minutes. Puree with an immersion blender (or regular blender). Sprinkle with cilantro, grated cheese, or whatever you like!

Homemade soup is one of my favourite ways to start a week!

How was your Monday?

Anything exciting on the agenda for the week?

Lazy Sunday ...

2012-02-05T19:03:00.000-08:00

Some friends of ours got married yesterday!

Congratulations Jessie and Chris!

I was too busy dancing to snap many pictures, but I did manage to capture a few shots of the fabulous meal.

The white and pink thing was some kind of delicious coconut dessert. Mmmmmm!

I had no thesis work to do this weekend, or any other responsibilities to take care of so today was a couch day. The hubby and I lounged around all day and watched TV/movies.

I also did something I haven't done since I was about 13 ...

I ate ramen noodle soup.

I saw this flavour and just couldn't resist giving it a shot.

It didn't disappoint, but I got my sodium intake for the year, so it will be a very, very long time before I ever eat this again!

Okay, tomorrow I am back to being an adult. Off the couch, no more ramen and to work and the dentist I go.

Are there any foods that you ate as a kid/teen that you have purposely abandoned as an adult?

(I used to loooove pizza pops!)

Friday Things

2012-02-03T21:54:00.000-08:00

1) Actual conversation in my house last night:

Me: "Maybe add some cumin or something so it's not so one dimensional."

Hubby: "Don't talk so loud ... the chili is going to hear you."

2) Got my greens in today with a green monster, salad and spinach pizza:

3) Today is my nephew's 5th birthday!!! Happy Birthday Giovanni!

4) I found these new coconut treats ... they get 2 thumbs up!

5) We have our friends' wedding tomorrow night - can't wait!

What are you up to this weekend?

Cooking Class Bachelorette Party!

2012-02-02T06:07:00.000-08:00

Friends of mine are getting married on Saturday! The bachelorette/bachelor parties took place last night, and for the bachelorette party we took a cooking class!! It was something I have always wanted to do.

We were split into two groups of eight. The first group made the appetizer and potatoes for the main course. Our appetizer was a white bean dip with veggies and crackers.

I was in the group that prepared the meat, made the soup and the zucchini "fries." We each cut open and filled our own pork tenderloin. We also made one giant batch of coconut butternut squash soup, and we each cut up a few small zucchini for the fries (which we just tossed with olive oil and sea salt and baked at 430 F).

It came together really well, and the soup was my favourite part. I loved the ginger in it.

Throughout the evening we also decorated cookies. It was the first time I ever made my own decorating bag (out of parchment paper).

It was a yummmmmy evening and a nice change from the usual bachelorette party.

Have you ever taken a cooking class?

Do you have any weddings to go to this year?

We have three already!!!! I love weddings :-)

5 Tastes in 5 Courses

2012-01-29T15:07:00.000-08:00

Last night I hosted a Foodbuzz 24x24 dinner. Each month Foodbuzz holds a contest for its Featured Publishers called 24x24 in which 24 special meals take place within the same 24 hours. In order to enter the contest a Featured Publisher needs to create a proposal for a meal that will be made and enjoyed on a specific day of the month. The winners are given $250 to make the proposal come to life. I was lucky enough to be chosen for my proposal "5 Tastes in 5 Courses." I was also selected a couple years ago for my dinner "A Little Feast on the Prairies."

5 Tastes in 5 Courses

My vision for this dinner was to create five courses, each celebrating one of the five basic tastes of sweet, sour, salty, bitter and umami. Four of our close friends joined us for this fun foodie evening.

Salty

We began with a selection of salty munchies including caviar, rice crackers with sea vegetables, sea weed, veggie straws, soft cheese and pretzels stuffed with peanut butter.

We enjoyed the appetizers with red wine.

I was a paparazzo while my friends nibbled and sipped.

Bitter

Kale salad with lemon tahini dressing and walnuts. This course was enjoyed with beer.

Sour

Ciorba (Romanian sour soup) with sour dough bread and whipped butter.

Umami

Ultimate umami burger and french fries with truffle salt and homemade curry ketchup.

Ultimate Umami Burger

2 lbs lean ground beef

2 tablespoons Taste No. 5 Umami Paste (optional - fish sauce or soy sauce would work too)

Season with fresh ground pepper and truffle salt.

Mix the above ingredients. Form into patties and then BBQ. Top with bacon, Gruyere cheese, caramelized onions, mushrooms and Parmesan crisps.

Homemade Curried Ketchup

2 pounds tomatoes (unpeeled and quartered)

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 T apple cider vinegar

1 T fresh ginger, chopped

3 cardamom pods

2 star anise

4 cloves

1 tsp onion powder

2 T curry powder

salt and pepper to taste

Put everything in a pot. Simmer for about an hour (or more) until broken down and reduced. Strain, discarding peels and spices. Refrigerate.

The truffle salt is quite potent so we put it on the table so our guest could adjust the seasoning on the fries to their liking. We also put regular ketchup, mayo and mustard out.

Sweet

There were three sweet desserts including red velvet coconut donuts:

Double chocolate merlot cookies:

Jumbo rainbow cookies:

I sent my guests home with little goodie bags - 5 Tastes to Try at Home.

Included: Pack of Smoothie Blend Jelly Bellies (Sweet), Dark Chocolate (Bitter), Dried Porcini Mushrooms (Umami), Sour Skittles (Sour), Pop Corners (Salty)

It turned out to be a great evening with yummy eats and great friends - Thanks Foodbuzz! This dinner was the highlight of my weekend.

What was the highlight of your weekend?

What is your favourite of the 5 tastes?

Prepping for Foodbuzz 24x24 Dinner

2012-01-28T11:05:00.000-08:00

We have a special dinner happening at our house this evening, so last night was all about prep work ... and as I am sure you are well aware, prep work is much more fun with wine!

This was a very smooth, reasonably priced (approx. $22) bottle of wine.

I drank some, but I also shared ...

With my friends double chocolate cookies!

I haven't tried one yet, but if they are as good as the chocolate cake I made with wine, then I will be hooked.

There were other things being made in my kitchen last night ...

Check out my post tomorrow to see my full recap of my Foodbuzz 24x24 dinner!

What are you up to tonight?

Thursday Things

2012-01-26T20:23:00.000-08:00

1) I hate making salad. Usually I suck it up and painstakingly wash lettuce. Today picked up a pre-made salad from Costco and it made me very happy.

2) I took a break tonight from reading articles and brushing up on my statistics. I needed a TV fix and American Idol was the drug of choice. It's nowhere near as good as The X Factor, but it'll do.

3) Speaking of X Factor there are some auditions I still watch over and over and over and over. Love.

4) I don't usually like Nutella, but it is fantastic in oatmeal. Make the oatmeal with coffee and toss on some coconut and you have Coconut Hazelnut Mocha Oats!

5) Now this is my kind of cupcake!

6) Hmmm, not too sure about these ... Bahh, who am I kidding!? I will probably make these next week.

What are some of your Thursday things?

What do you have planned for the weekend?

Good Eats and Exciting News

2012-01-24T20:50:00.000-08:00

My eats today have been deeeeeelish! Breakfast was a toasted tomato sandwich, which is one of my all-time faves.

I am loving the new organic, sprouted grain bread that Costco carries. It is vegan, and free of GMOs and preservatives. It also has six grams of protein per slice. It is not as soft as some breads, but it is nutty and satisfying.

Lunch was a leftover brown rice and garbanzo bean dish (with coconut milk, ginger, spicy peanut butter, water chestnuts, pineapple and green pepper) adapted from this dish.

Believe it or not we fired up the BBQ this evening! It has warmed up (still below zero though) and we took advantage of the sun. We had burgers with salad. I have recently discovered that salad is soooo much better with onions.

Exciting news! Each month Foodbuzz holds a contest for its featured publishers called 24x24. In order to enter the contest a Featured Publisher needs to create a proposal for a unique meal that they will create, capture and post about. The winners are given $250 to help make the proposal happen. I recently found out that my proposal was selected, and I will be participating in this on Saturday!

Stay tuned to see what my proposal was and how the dinner goes! I was chosen for this once before for my dinner idea - "A Little Feast on the Prairies" which you can check out here.

Do you put onions on salad?

Would you fire up the BBQ in temperatures below 0?

Working on the Weekend

2012-01-22T19:18:00.000-08:00

I spent most of the weekend at the university researching and writing for my thesis. Surprisingly it wasn't too painful. Last night I was able to get out for a friend's bridal shower and a bit of dancing!

Went to the in-laws for dinner this evening and they had made a turkey dinner :-) Great way to end off a weekend of hard work and productivity. I will be doing more thesis work this week, but I also have something fun coming up this weekend that I must plan for ...

I usually do my school work at home, but I have recently realized that I dread it less when I leave the house to work. It allows me to think of time at home as my time to do whatever I want, and time away from home as "work time."

Do you do work, or school work at home?

What was the highlight of your weekend?

Mine was definitely the dancing and catching up with friends!

Neeeeeeed Sleeeeeeeep!

2012-01-20T20:38:00.000-08:00

I haven't slept well all week. Brutal.

Luckily my eats have been pretty yummy ...

Cranberry Coconut Oats

Veggie Pita Pizza

Chicken Cordon Bleu with Basmati rice and a mixture of cilantro, tomato, lime and jalapeno

I had some chamomile tea and am now going to read a chapter of fiction hoping it takes my mind into dreamland and helps me to fall asleep.

What kinds of things do you do to get yourself to sleep when you are having trouble?

What are your plans for the weekend?

Love Notes

2012-01-17T17:59:00.000-08:00

My husband wakes up earlier than me (not like that's difficult), and often leaves me notes, such as "Don't forget the treats for your students", or "Please start the dishwasher."

These are always left in the kitchen, where I am sure to see them.
On the coffee pot usually.

Today my note was left on another well-loved appliance.

(Funny, he never seems to leave me notes on the iron ...)

In case you can't read the hubby's chicken scratch, or cannot believe your eyes, the note does in fact say:

"It's really cold out today. -27 and -39 with the wind. Love ya."

This temperature means the same thing in Celsius or Fahrenheit = BLOODY FRIGID. The only saving grace was that we had this soup cooking in the slow cooker to make for a comforting evening meal.

Please tell me it is warmer where you are!

Dinner with Friends

2012-01-15T09:52:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I spent the day baking and prepping food for dinner, which included chopping up a variety of citrus fruits that I would be using in a salad.

We had some good friends over for dinner and a visit.

We started with prosciutto wrapped bread sticks (some with a fig dip and others with cranberry Boursin cheese) and jalapeno poppers because I was totally craving them :-)

Next was a citrus salad with feta and mint.

The 3rd course was fire-pot soup. This was spicy, but not too spicy, with a delicious curry coconut milk broth.

The main course was citrus crusted tilapia, lemon risotto, beets with carrots, and asparagus.

Dessert included lemon crinkle cookies, and a dense, very moist, red wine chocolate cake.

How was your weekend?

When was the last time you had dinner with friends?

Beer Mac and Cheese

2012-01-12T20:12:00.000-08:00

I have been loving fruit and toast for breakfast lately, especially if the toast is made with homemade bread (as in the second picture).

I had leftover healing chicken soup for lunch today, and beer mac and cheese for dinner!

The mac and cheese was made with rice pasta, and I couldn't tell the difference - gluten free is just as good!

I love cooking (and baking) with beer.

Time to grab a grapefruit or some snap peas for an easy evening snack.

Tomorrow's FRIDAY!!!

What do you have planned with the weekend?

Do you ever cook with beer?

Healing Chicken Soup & A New Stew

2012-01-10T18:17:00.000-08:00

Healing Chicken Soup

Chicken stock:

1 small organic chicken (rinse)

enough water to cover chicken in a stock pot

3-4 carrots, roughly chopped

2 onions, roughly chopped

3-4 stalks celery, roughly chopped

4-5 cloves

5-6 peppercorns

Bring to a boil and then simmer for a looooooong time. I simmered mine for about 8 hours. The chicken will fall off of the bones and be extremely juicy and flavourful. Pick off the meat to use in the soup. Strain the broth and discard bones, skin, etc..

Chicken soup:

1 T olive oil

2 onions, chopped

Half of the chicken stock (I froze the other half for a later use)

3 carrots, chopped small

1 head kale, rinsed and roughly torn (no ribs)

Chicken pieces left from making stock

1 cup of fresh parsley

1.5 tsp dried basil

Pinch of nutmeg

Pinch of salt

Pepper to taste

In a dutch oven, heat the oil. Add onions and cook until they start to brown. Add the stock and bring it to a boil. Add the carrots. Once the carrots are soft, add the kale and let wilt. Add the chicken herbs and spices last, just to warm.

This was a perfect dinner for tonight as it is starting to get quite cold and windy on the Saskatchewan prairies.

Last night I made a chicken, butternut squash and quinoa stew. Mmmmmmm!

The recipe was found here.

Do you make your own soup stocks?

I have a ham bone in the freezer that I must tackle next!

Dream Home Day Dreams

2012-01-08T19:04:00.000-08:00

We got up pretty early (for us) this morning and I started prepping dinner for tomorrow night while the hubby made vegan pancakes for breakfast.

For lunch I made whole wheat pizza crust which I topped with caramelized onions, bacon, fontina, romano and a balsamic glaze. This was my first time making pizza crust, and I think it turned out rather well.

I basically followed this recipe, although I didn't use the red peppers.

While the pizza was baking I threw a small organic chicken and some veggies in a pot to make a stock for soup that I will finish tomorrow.

The hubby and I spent the afternoon looking at show homes, and fantasizing about our dream home. Basically, I would want a BIG kitchen with a ridiculous island and a lot of counter space. I am not a fan of islands with sinks in them, and that seems to be all that builders are doing these days. I am convinced that we will have to design our next house ourselves, as none of the new houses in our city are practical. Who needs 3 living rooms!? Not us!

We love the house we are in now, but it is just a starter home. Sometime in the next 5 years I would expect we will move into our next home. Other things on my house wish list: laundry room on the same floor as the bedrooms, a lot of storage/closets/built in shelving, walk in closet (NOT off of the master bathroom), no wasted space, floor plan perfect for entertaining.

How about you - Are you in your "forever" home, or your "for now" home? What would you want in your dream home?

How was your weekend? Did you do any cooking this weekend?

Sunny Days

2012-01-07T21:05:00.000-08:00

t has been unseasonably warm on the Saskatchewan prairies. Winters for as far back as I can remember have been freeeeeezing cold, but this year we have lucked out and are actually experiencing some melting. It is glorious, and makes me cheery.

Sunny days call for sunny drinks, like this pink juice.

Pink Juice

1 small beet
small chunk of ginger (1 tsp size)
2 apples
1/4 of a small pineapple

This juice gave me some energy after a very long sleep. All day at work yesterday I had a headache. I came home, ate dinner and could not stay awake. I fell asleep around 6:30 p.m. and slept until 8:30 this morning! Crazy, but I think my body needed it.

Is it unseasonably warm where you are?

Have you ever fell asleep at 6:30 for the night?

Favourites

2012-01-05T19:18:00.000-08:00

My dad took my sister and I out for supper tonight ... a tradition we have for birthdays. My sister turned 25 on New Years Eve, but we didn't get a chance to go out until tonight. We ate at one of my favourite restaurants in the city - The Creek in Cathedral Bistro. I had the tenderloin with potatoes, veggies and a red wine sauce.

A couple of other things that are my "favourite" these days include:

These crackers. They are like crack. Crack crackers. Crackalakajaka.

A little something special that I got this December ...

Maple glazed, pepper crusted salmon ...

Recipe: Marinade in 1 part soy sauce, 3 parts maple syrup. Cover with fresh cracked black pepper. Bake for 15 minutes at 350, or until done.

This brand of face cleansing products ...

Tell me something that is your favourite ...

When you find something that is your favourite, do you stick with it?

Red Wine Chicken and a Gingersnap Milkshake

2012-01-03T21:17:00.000-08:00

Being on holidays is glorious! This morning I slept until 9:30. I then took my time juicing peppers and grapefruit to enjoy with a cozy bowl of oats.

While my oats were one the stove (1 minute to cook, 2 minutes covered off heat), I whipped up 2 loaves of bread. Trust me, this bread is really that easy.

Dough

I leisurely enjoyed my breakfast and read blogs, and before I knew it the bread was done.

It would make a perfect toast to have with a couple of organic eggs at lunch time.

I did some work on my thesis this afternoon, and pondered what to do with the wine I had in my freezer. We have started freezing leftover wine to use for cooking (yes, there is occasionally leftover wine in my house ;-)). We freeze it in a container and it scoops out really easily whenever we need it. I tossed around a few ideas and then came up with a delicious red wine chicken recipe for dinner this evening.

Red Wine Chicken

(Serving size: 2)

2 skinless boneless chicken breasts (I used cook from frozen ones from Costco)
1/2 cup red wine (mine was from the freezer, and therefore slushy)
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 minced cloves garlic
1/4 finely chopped onion
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms

Line a 9x13 pan with tin foil or parchment to aid in cleanup. Put everything into the pan and bake at 400 for approximately 30 minutes, or until chicken is done according to a meat thermometer. Baste occasionally while it cooks.

This chicken was extremely easy, moist, and full of delicious flavour. I drizzled the saucy leftovers in the pan over the chicken before eating it.

I was feeling inspired so I made the hubby a yummy dessert - a gingersnap milkshake.

Gingersnap Milkshake

(Makes 1 BIG milkshake or 2 small)

2 cups vanilla frozen yogurt (or ice cream)
3/4 cup vanilla almond milk (or milk)
3/4 T molasses
1/2 tsp ginger
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon

Blend all together and serve!

Optional: 2 T almond milk, 2 T gingersnap crumbs to do a cookie rim. Put almond milk on a plate, and gingersnap crumbs on another. Dip the glass into the milk first, followed by the crumbs so they stick.

Do you ever freeze leftover wine? If so, what do you do with it?

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T11:04:00.000-08:00

We have started this first day of 2012 out well. We woke up at 9:30 feeling great, and made some of the best tea in the world that we got as a favour at our friends' summer wedding. Our buddy Matt knows his tea, and this stuff was great. We are on our 6th or 7th infusion at the moment.

Breakfast was a bowl of chocolate, banana, coconut macadamia oats, featuring 1/2 a packet of macadamia nut butter sent to me by the kind people at Artisana.

Yesterday, on New Years Eve, we had a fabulous day with friends. It was also my sister's 25th birthday! Happy Birthday Leah! We had breakfast at our friends' house, and enjoyed some of the best coffee in the world, Jamaican Blue Mountain.

After breakfast we came home and finished preparing for dinner. We had 2 couples over for a vegetarian New Years Eve dinner; some friends in town from California, and our friends Emma and Dalton who own the best ~~vegetarian restaurant~~ restaurant in the city (which happens to be vegetarian).

We started with a homemade hummus and things to dip in it, and brie stuffed mushrooms.

I made savoury cream puffs which I stuffed with a beet, goat cheese and balsamic mixture.

We also enjoyed cauliflower soup and homemade Irish oatmeal bread.

The main course was lentil, mushroom mousakka, kale salad, tomato salad, and a delicious quinoa.

Dessert included coconut red velvet donuts, and chocolate fondue (un-pictured):

After dinner I sipped on sparkling water and we visited until just after midnight before calling it a night.

It was a wonderful new years eve.

11 Goals for 2011 - How did I do?

1) Finish 4 more grad classes - I did 5, finishing all course work for my degree - PASS
2) Decide on the thesis topic and begin thesis research - Done and done, and I have been writing too - PASS
3) Make one new recipe per week (most weeks) - I made 78 new recipes this year - PASS
4) Read books for me (not just for school) - I didn't have time to do a lot of this - FAIL
5) Take a class just for me (not school related) - Nope, couldn't find anything in my city - FAIL
6) Host some new types of parties/meals - Hosted a shower & Stagette, but not a luncheon or tea party like I had wanted to - 50%
7) Give running one last fair shot - Epic Fail
8) Be productive this summer - I took a July class and worked on my sister's wedding - PASS
9) Go on two out of country trips - NY and Las Vegas - PASS
10) Do some home renovations - New front door, basement windows in, touched up paint, but didn't replace carpet in rooms like I had wanted to - 75%
11) Make sure that the hubby's 30th, Dad's 70th and sister's wedding are memorable - PASS!!

6 Goals for 2012

For the last couple of years I have made a number of goals based on the year (i.e. 10 in 2010, 11 in 2011). 2011 was an insanely busy year, and I had a lot on the go. I had to learn to say "no", which I am not very good at, and also had to stop trying to "do it all." It felt good. I plan on putting less pressure on myself this year. No lofty plans... I am just going to hang out and see where life takes me. I have come up with 6 fun and achievable goals that I look forward to achieving :-)

1) Finish my thesis and convocate with my 3rd degree before I turn 30
2) Read a bunch of books just for pleasure
3) Host a luncheon and tea party
4) Travel out of North America
5) Drink more water
6) Have an epic 30th birthday party!

What is something fun that you want to do in 2012?

Eleven Fun Memories from 2011

2011-12-30T21:44:00.000-08:00

2011 has been a very busy year full of highs and lows.

We had some unhappy times, such as when our house got broken into, as well as when someone tried to steal my car from my work parking lot. I had to give up on being Suzy Homemaker in order to manage full-time work and school.

We also had some awesome memories, and these are just eleven of them ...

We went vegan for a week!
Italian Dinner Party with Friends
We went back to NY for a week
We threw my Dad a surprise 70th Birthday Party
We had some new friends over for a wine and cheese party
I hosted my sister's bridal shower
Hubby's Half Ironman in Calgary - Great Weekend
Folk Festival
Best Camping Trip EVER
Three Awesome Weddings!
Trip to Vegas

Things are happening in my kitchen this evening. I am prepping for the last day of 2011 ...

I have a feeling we will make even more good memories tomorrow, especially since we are having both breakfast and dinner with friends.

Tell me one (or more) of your favourite memories from 2011!

Winter Cleaning Time!

2011-12-28T20:35:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!

We spent Christmas eve with my family. I made a giant ham, cabbage rolls, perogies, veggies and dessert and then after dinner we opened a few gifts and played Scattegories.

Christmas morning was spent with the hubby at home, and it was really nice. Since the hubby is an early riser on Christmas morning we were at his parent's home by about 10:30 (his Christmas morning excitement is worse than a child's ;-)). We had brunch there, and then later dinner at his aunt's house.

Turkey Dinner on Christmas Day

On Boxing Day we drove to Saskatoon to visit my mom, grandma, and other relatives. We spent two nights in Saskatoon. One meal highlight was dinner at Saigon Rose. I had the curried chicken soup.

We got home today, and our friends invited us over for dinner :-) We have now had dinner with friends or family six days in a row, which makes me really happy.

I was surprised with some wonderful Christmas gifts this year, which means it is time to purge. I have more than I need, and therefore I need to go through my belongings and send some things over to the outreach center in my city. Tomorrow the hubby and I are doing a major winter-cleaning/purging.

I have to make room for this cute cookie jar:

How was your Christmas? Was Santa good to you?

Do you need to do a winter-cleaning?

Christmas Eve

2011-12-24T12:53:00.000-08:00

Happy Christmas Eve everyone!

Have a fabulous weekend with your loved ones.

Tonight my family is coming over for a beautiful ham dinner - Can't wait!

Hehe, cookie had it coming.

I Will NOT ...

2011-12-23T15:22:00.000-08:00

Be sick for Christmas. No no no.

I have had a sore throat for the last couple days, and have been losing my voice. Other than that, I feel fine. No cough and no sniffles, and I plan to keep it that way!

I am officially on 2 weeks of holidays and I started them off with a massage, and some last minute shopping. Tonight is sushi dinner with friends, and a gift-wrapping party with the hubby :-) We have to get ready for an early Christmas at our house tomorrow evening with my family.

How did you spend your Friday before Christmas?

Monday Dinner Surprise

2011-12-20T19:31:00.000-08:00

Our friends Dalton and Emma gave us a shout Monday after work inviting us to come over and help them eat the giant salmon filet they bought. It was a nice surprise to have dinner and a visit with good friends on a Monday night, and a great start to the week.

We ate the salmon with a fabulous mixture of vegetables.

My darling friend Emma also sent me home with a giant bowl of homemade chicken soup, loaded with herbs, greens, and flavour which were so perfect for fighting off the cold that is trying to get me. My Green Monster breakfast (smoothie with 3 cups spinach, almond milk, 1/2 banana, tsp cocoa, tsp vanilla) and that chicken soup, along with numerous anti-cold pills should do the trick. I refuse to get sick!

How is your week going so far?

Do you have much left to do before Christmas?

I only have two work days left before two weeks off - woot woot!

Two Family Dinners

2011-12-18T21:01:00.000-08:00

On Saturday morning we went to a Karen New Years celebration. I have taught a lot of students from Burma and each year I get invited to their New Years celebration and feast. The food, which is like Thai food, is incredible. The people are so inviting and friendly and a joy to be around.

Saturday evening we got to enjoy another incredible meal at the hubby's aunt Charmain's house.

We had Boursin and prosciutto wrapped bread sticks, as well as cheese and olives to start.

The main course included numerous dishes, including bread with olive oil and vinegar that his aunt brought back from Naples.

The hubby's aunt is a great hostess and we always love when we get an invite for dinner at her place.

This evening we hosted a family dinner.

We started with Italian wedding soup.

This was followed by linguine and meatballs, with fresh noodles and an Emeril Lagasse sauce.

Dessert was pretty gorgeous - a cinnamon roll cake.

The batter was ridiculous ...

Close up ...

Cooked and ready for glaze ...

Still warm and ready to eat ...

The hubby loved this but it wasn't my favourite.

How was your weekend? What was the highlight?

What do you have planned for this last week before Christmas?

Umami

2011-12-15T21:10:00.000-08:00

By now most of you have probably heard of umami, the scientifically proven fifth taste.

Salty

Sweet

Sour

Bitter

Umami

Umami can best be described as savoury deliciousness, with its flavour due to in part to the amino acid glutamate. Umami was discovered in 1908 by a Japanese scientist, who wanted to uncover the source of deliciousness in dashi stock (made with kelp). He isolated glutamate and coined the term umami to describe its distinct taste. In the 1980s umami, found in glutamate, was scientifically accepted as the fifth taste.

Umami increases salivation, palatability, and reduces the need for salt. It has been referred to as the "perfect quality" in taste, or the reason you describe a particular meal as the "best thing I have ever tasted."

If you haven't heard of umami, you most likely have heard of MSG, which is a chemical flavour enhancer used to add glutamate to dishes. Although the glutamate in MSG and umami is the same, umami is a natural taste, just like sweetness and bitterness, whereas MSG is artificial.

Foods with natural umami include, but are not limited to:

Parmesan cheese (cheese is umami in general, but Parmesan in particular because it's low water content allows for concentrations of glutamate which are visible - ever notice those small white crystals in parm? Umami at its finest and highest levels).
Egg (especially yolk)
Soy
Fermented foods
Beef (especially aged beef, like jerky)
Pork (bacon anyone?)
Chicken (chicken bones are packed with it - may be why chicken soup is so comforting)
Mushrooms (both mushrooms and tomatoes appeal to our taste for protein, thus making good meat substitutes)
Tomatoes (add parm and you have a real kicker!)
Truffles
Potatoes (including potato chips)
Many sea foods

Some restaurants are catering to everyone's love for umami, and I hope to make it to one of these places in my travels: Umami Burger (LA, with one opening in NY late 2012), Umami (San Fransisco).

Mmmmmm!

Until then, I will have to make my own umami dishes at home, and this stuff might help:

It is like natural MSG, adding pure umami deliciousness to any food I desire. I picked it up while traveling in April but have yet to try it.

The ingredient list includes: tomato paste, garlic, anchovy paste, black olives, balsamic vinegar, porcini mushrooms, Parmesan cheese, wine vinegar, olive oil, sugar and salt.

What is your ultimate umami dish?

Balance

2011-12-13T20:07:00.000-08:00

After a weekend of eating junk the hubby and I were craving some one-ingredient foods.

Summer squash and salmon for instance ...

As much as I love cheesy dips and other munchies, a plate of fruit and green tea is sometimes all that I crave. My body does a really good job of telling me what it needs and when it needs it. Balance is most important. I can tell instantly when something in my life is out of balance. A few weeks ago the work/play aspect of my life was out of balance, but luckily that is much better now that I am done classes.

The hubby asked if we could eat some vegetarian meals this week, and of course I said yes! We had a hippie bowl this evening and tomorrow we are having sweet potato burritos.

Do you feel that your life is currently in balance?

What, if anything, is off balance in your life right now?

Christmas Party

2011-12-11T21:06:00.000-08:00

Last night we hosted our annual Christmas party. We spent Friday evening prepping so that Saturday was a breeze. The house was decorated, the food was pretty much ready to go, and I even had time to curl my hair.

The hubby and I poured a drink before our friends started to arrive.

We greeted our guests with cranberry orange sparklers (1 cup cranberry cocktail, 1/3 cup Cointreau, equal parts sparkling wine and ginger-ale).

Then ... we ate ... and ate.

We also did a little gift exchange game that is a Christmas party tradition at our house. I bought a ukelele kit complete with ukelele for $22 at Costco - I thought it was an amusing gift :-) I ended up with some artisan beer <3.

We were up very late last night, but we slept in for the first time in ages, and then the hubby made breakfast with mimosas. He made my bacon just how I like it - SUPER crisp. If it can't snap, it is not done.

We spent the day Christmas shopping, watching movies, and just hanging out (while eating some junk).

What a great weekend!

What was the highlight of your weekend?

How do you like your bacon - soft, crisp, super crisp?

What is your favourite Christmas movie?

Prepping for Party ...

2011-12-09T23:07:00.000-08:00

For the past few months my kitchen has been lonely and neglected, begging me to come in for a visit - to stay a while. Last night and this evening magic started happening as I began prepping for my Christmas party that will take place tomorrow evening ...

I have already made:

Pumpkin Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars

Pumpkin Pie Fudge Brownie Bars

Hot Cocoa Cookies

Oreo Stuffed Double Chocolate Cookies

Old Dutch Caramel Corn (recipe on back of bag)

Spiced Nuts

Pumpkin Cupcakes (with Salted Caramel Buttercream that still needs to be made)

And savoury dips which I whipped up while enjoying wine of course ...

In the next couple of days expect some yummmmy recipes from me!

I will leave you with a festive overnight oat parfait recipe.

Pumpkin Gingerbread Overnight Oat Parfait

1/3 cup quick oats
2/3 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 scoop chia seeds
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Mix the above 4 ingredients together and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, put 1 frozen banana, 2-3 T gingerbread crumbs, and a few splashes of almond milk into a food processor/Vita-Mix and blend until whippy. Add more almond milk as needed. Layer with the oats.

The house is decorated and the food is prepped - we are ready for our friends to come over and celebrate the season with us tomorrow evening!

What do you have planned for the weekend?
Do you feel ready for Christmas?

Father-Daughter Night Out

2011-12-07T20:21:00.000-08:00

My dad took me out to a dinner and show at the casino last night. We had a pretty decent dinner with drinks, which was followed by a Doc Walker concert. Doc Walker is a Canadian country-rock band, that I used to be a big fan of. I haven't listened to country in a few years, but they still put on a really good show.

Dinner started with a salad and rolls.

The main course was chicken (or turkey - couldn't tell), sweet potatoes and beans.

Not sure exactly what the dessert was, but it was pretty tasty.

On the way out of the concert each person was given an autographed Doc Walker album and chocolates - sweet!

I did some work on my thesis this evening, and tomorrow I have BIG baking plans. I can't wait.

What are you baking this December?

Lemon Chicken

2011-12-05T20:04:00.000-08:00

Today was the first freeeeeezing cold day that really made it feel like winter. I warmed up this morning with a bowl of chocolate banana gingerbread oats (1 cup unsweetened chocolate Almond Breeze, 1/2 cup quick oats, 1 tsp maple PB, 1/2 banana, T gingerbread crumbs).

We tried a new recipe this evening, Barefoot Contessa's Lemon Chicken breasts. We used skinless chicken breasts to make it a little healthier.

Lemon Chicken Breasts

(Adapted Slightly from: Barefoot Contessa)

1/4 cup olive oil
9 cloves garlic, chopped
1/3 cup dry white wine
Zest from 2 lemons
2 T fresh squeezed lemon juice
1.5 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp salt
2-4 boneless chicken breasts (skin on or off)
1 chopped lemon (8 wedges)

Warm the oil over medium. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute (don't brown). Remove from heat and add wine, zest, lemon juice, herbs and salt. Pour this mixture into a 9x13 baking dish. Put chicken on top of sauce, season, and tuck lemon wedges around the chicken. Bake at 400 for 30-40 minutes.

Are you a lemon fan? Do you use lemon most often for cooking or baking? What is your favourite way to use lemon?

It's Beginning to Taste ...

2011-12-04T20:20:00.000-08:00

A lot like Christmas!

Christmas party season is in full swing. We went to the hubby's office Christmas party last weekend, and then we had my staff Christmas party on Friday. We had dinner at the Mediterranean Bistro where we started with a goat cheese souffle. It has a very mild flavour that got better and better the more we nibbled at it.

My main course was beef wellington. The beef and potatoes were good, but the veggies were undercooked and had little flavour.

It was so nice to have a Saturday with nothing to do. I spent the day with my dad, shopping and having lunch. We ate at a restaurant called The Mercury, where I had the hot hamburger.

On Saturday night we went to our friends' house for an evening of appetizers and drinks. We made cream cheese stuffed jalapenos wrapped with bacon.

There were lots of other tasty eats, only some of which I snapped a photo of.

The hubby convinced me to not work on my thesis today and instead spend the day Christmas shopping. He didn't have to twist my arm too hard. We got a lot done, and made a BIG trip to Costco for some necessary holiday foods. I got 4 lbs of butter, 6 packs of cream cheese, 4 packs of bacon, vanilla, cream, and a lot more that you will see me use in the next week. I have a lot of baking and cooking to do :-)

Another necessity around Christmas ... red wine! The in-laws served some with dinner this evening.

Do you do a BIG Costco (or other) grocery shopping trip around Christmas?

How many Christmas parties do you have this year?

Freedom

2011-12-01T18:48:00.000-08:00

15 months, 8 grad classes done. The semester is over, and with that all course work is done for my degree. I can breathe again. No more heading to class. No more assignments. All I have left to do now is the rest of my thesis, which is flexible and pretty stress free. My plan was to finish this degree in 2 years or less, and I won't let anything stand in my way.

To celebrate the hubby surprised me by making one of my favourite meals, and the same meal that he made me the first time he ever cooked for me when we were just teenagers.

The noodles and meatballs are actually from a local restaurant (made fresh in store) and the sauce is a delicious, time consuming Emeril recipe.

I feel very free knowing that I don't have class or assignments to worry about. I have so many things to look forward to this month, and I am very happy to get back to my regular blogging.

This December I am looking forward to ...

Cooking and baking a lot.

Christmas shopping.

Christmas parties galore!

Watching Home Alone with the hubby while snuggling and drinking wine.

Spending time with my family.

Blogging Regularly.

What are you looking forward to this December?

Thankful Thursday - 5 Things

2011-11-24T20:18:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving to all my American friends!

This evening we had a Thanksgiving feast too :-)

It is a tradition to get together at our friends' place each year for a turkey dinner. We each contribute a side dish while the lovely hosts, Anthony, Tara, and Chris make the staples.

(1) Today I am thankful for an amazing group of friends that have been like family to me for about half of my life.

(2) Today I am also thankful for blogger's recipes. I have never found better recipes than the ones I find on blogs. The cupcakes below are a perfect example. They are 100% the best cupcakes I have ever had. You can find the recipe here. I made them for my colleagues last week and they were a big hit.

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Butter Cream.

(3) Today I am thankful that a week from today I will be done all my grad classes! I have 4 papers left to write, and I have already started to feel lighter, happier, and free. December is going to be a great month.

(4) Today I am thankful that the hubby and I booked another trip to New York! This spring we will be back in our favourite city for a third time.

(5) Today I am thankful that the snow is melting and the weekend's forecast is unseasonable warm.

What are you thankful for today?

Depression Potato Soup and Biscuits

2011-11-19T08:43:00.000-08:00

My great grandmother lived until 101. She was an extraordinary woman, healthy right until the end. She lived through the depression and other times of having very little, making meals out of what could be found in the garden. Meals had to be simple, using very few ingredients.

She passed on her potato soup recipe to my grandma, who made it for me when I was growing up. My grandma passed this recipe to my mom, who also made this for me as a kid, serving it with baking powder biscuits. Now, I have my mom's recipe, and occasionally make potato soup, every time thinking of my mom, grandma and great grandma, each making this soup to feed their families.

You start by peeling some potatoes. There are no magic numbers for ingredients with this recipe. It was pretty much always made from memory and never measured.

Chop the peeled potatoes and throw them into a pot.

Cover the potatoes with water, and cook until tender.

Meanwhile, chop an onion and saute it in butter until translucent.

Once the onion is translucent, dump it into the pot.

Add some salt and parsley and cook for about half an hour.

Put a bunch of butter into the pot. If you think you added enough, add more.

Then comes the fun part! Make the dough balls. Put 1 1/2 cups of flour and a pinch of salt into a bowl. Add 1 beaten egg, 1 t oil, and about 1/4 cup water (or more if needed) until you have a dough.

After about a half an hour of cooking the soup, and stirring occasionally, it should start to get creamier looking. If not, cook a little longer. Add more butter - it makes the soup! Add more salt as needed.

Once you think the soup is about 5 minutes away from being done, take some of the dough onto a fork and dip it into the soup. Keep doing this until all the dough is gone. Warning - the dough grows, so take small amounts.

This will create little "dough balls" or dumplings in the soup.

As a kid, these were by far my favourite part.

I would always have my grandma make me one HUGE one.

Then, for good measure ... add more butter.

This soup is best served with baking powder biscuits, and I have the BEST recipe.

Baking Powder Biscuits

2 cups flour
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup veg. or canola oil
3/4 cup milk

Mix above. Knead for 30 seconds. Roll out and cut into rounds (with a small glass). Put on an ungreased pan and bake at 400 for 12 minutes. Serve right out of the oven with butter or whatever.

Potato Soup Recipe

Peel and cube some potatoes and put in a pot with water to cover (or a little higher).
Cook until almost done.
Add 1 tsp salt (or more).
Meanwhile, cook 1 chopped onion in butter until translucent, then add to pot.
Cook for another 1/2 hour or so.
Add butter, parsley, salt - LOTS!

To make the dough balls, put 1 1/2 cups flour and a pinch of salt into a bowl. Add 1 beaten egg, 1 tsp oil, and 1/4 water or more, until you have a dough. Use a fork to pick up some dough and dip it into the soup in the last few minutes of cooking.

Serve with more butter, because butter makes everything better.

Are there any recipes that have been passed down many generations in your family?

Dinner Party Recipes

2011-11-14T19:48:00.000-08:00

Don't worry ... I wouldn't leave you hanging. Below are all the best recipes from my dinner party on Friday. The main course of fish and veggies was excellent, but I don't have much to share. Just roasted veggies, and baked fish - I didn't doctor them up too much.

Baked Fontina (click here for recipe)

Stout Bread (click here for recipe)

Oatmeal Bread (click here for recipe) - this stuff is amazing.

Cauliflower Soup (click here for recipe)

Pumpkin Gingerbread with Spiced Butter Cream (click here for recipe)

Orange Creme Brulee

6 lg egg yolks
7 T sugar
2 1/4 cup whipping cream
2 T Grand Marnier
2 t vanilla
1 t grated orange zest

Preheat oven to 325. Whisk yolks and sugar until pale yellow. Bring cream to a simmer. Gradually whisk hot cream into yolk mixture. Add the rest of the ingredients. Don't over mix. Divide among 6 ramekins. Arrange in a 9x13 pan, and pour boiling water in the pan up to half way up the ramekins. Bake until gently set - about 25 minutes. Cool and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Cover lightly with sugar and torch before serving.

This dinner party was definitely the highlight of my weekend. I needed some therapeutic cooking, and got just that. A whole days worth! Now back to the books for a couple more weeks.

What was the highlight of your weekend?

Is cooking therapeutic for you? Do you ever spend the day cooking?

Dinner Party - Celebrating Winter Fruits and Vegetables

2011-11-12T17:40:00.000-08:00

Last night we had some friends over for dinner. We tried cooking some things for the first time, and also made some of our old favourites.

We started with crostini and dips, baked fontina, white wine steamed mussels, escargot stuffed mushroom caps, bread and prosecco. The prosecco was followed with red wine.

This was followed by cauliflower soup and laughter.

The main course was steel head trout, roasted beets and carrots, and Brussels sprouts. We served this with two types of homemade bread - oatmeal bread and stout bread.

Dessert included an orange creme brulee and pumpkin gingerbread with spiced butter cream.

All in all it was a fantastic evening with friends, and I cannot wait to do it again!!

I realized last night, after my first time cooking mussels, that I am NOT a fan of them. I wanted to try something different, because I am often intimidated to cook seafood. I have never made lobster or crab, and I am too scared to try!

Do you like mussels? Have you ever cooked them?

Are you intimidated to make any types of seafood?

November Numbers

2011-11-08T21:11:00.000-08:00

This is my last month of classes for my master's degree, and the countdown is on!

3 weeks left of classes.

4 more papers.

1 presentation.

1 major project.

It will feel so good to be done all this and be able to focus solely on finishing my thesis ... and Christmas shopping of course! BTW - 46 days until Christmas.

I have one Christmas party to attend in November.

I love when the festivities start early.

This week has started out great and has not been too busy. I had some time to cook, which was nice. I made some vegetarian enchiladas on Monday.

Vegetarian Enchiladas

6 large wraps (or 10 smaller ones)

4 small sweet potatoes, peeled

1 19oz can black beans

1 small can green chilis

1 small white onion, sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp chili powder

salt to taste

1 jar/can red enchilada sauce

Toppings: I used Cheese, avocado, pico de gallo, sour cream and cilantro

Directions: Boil and mash the sweet potatoes. Stir in the black beans, chilis, and spices. Meanwhile, caramelize the onion with the garlic. Add this to the sweet potato mixture. Fill the wraps generously and wrap tightly. Place in a 9x13 pan that has been spread with some enchilada sauce. Top with cheese and more enchilada sauce, or pico de gallo. Bake for 30 minutes @ 350.

Before:

After:

My plate

(My eyes were bigger than my stomach, and I gave up halfway through):

After work today I whipped up some of my hippie sauce. We enjoyed it in a brown rice bowl with tofu and loads of veggies.

Mmmmmmmm! It tastes best when eaten with chopsticks. I think all things do :-)

This time of year especially, veggies are a big priority for me. I swear they help me fend off invading germs. I am planning on polishing off an entire giant bag of Costco spinach this week. Mostly in the form of Green Monsters.

Lately I have been loving this recipe for my monsters:

- Approx. 1 cup of unsweetened almond milk (vanilla, regular, or chocolate)

- 1/2 frozen banana

- 3 giant handfuls of spinach

- 1 tsp vanilla

- 1 T unsweetened cocoa

Mix it to smithereens and get your glow on!

How has your November been so far?

What are some of your November numbers?

Weekend Off

2011-11-06T07:47:00.000-08:00

This is what I woke up to this morning:

The first snow fall of the year ... and I think it is here to stay.

I am not too sad about it, especially because it came at the end of a fabulous weekend.

There is a lull in my semester, and I shockingly had no homework that I had to do this weekend. I decided to take the weekend off and enjoy myself.

On Friday night I went for dinner with my best friend Shauna.

We ate at the Lil'Belizean Cookshack. The food and conversation were both just what I needed. We started with samosas, which the cook/waitress/owner hand makes from scratch. They take about an hour to come out, but are well worth the wait.

My main course was curried chicken roti with coleslaw. I barely put a dent in this flavourful entree, because I was full of samosas.

Yesterday the hubby and I ate at a busy little noodle house called Ngoc Van, for the first time.

We shared a pork steamed bun and fresh rolls, and really liked both.

I didn't order well, and ended up with an entree that I didn't like. The broth was good, but the "beef" balls were not what I was expecting, and were not good. I also hated the texture of the "sweet potato noodles". They were very worm like, and had a bizarre texture and bite to them.

The hubby really liked his entree, and other dishes around us looked great, so we will definitely be back to try something else on the menu.

How was your weekend? What was the highlight?

Not San Fransisco

2011-11-03T20:27:00.000-07:00

I did not get on a plane today and head to San Fransisco for the Foodbuzz Festival. Although I had been planning to, and enjoyed myself so much last year, it just didn't work out this year. I wasn't willing to pay $1800 for two days in San Fransisco, and couldn't seem to find a hotel/flight deal that was reasonable. I was willing to spend about $1200, and since I also had to lose a days pay at work, I figured that I should give myself a limit on what I would spend for this trip. Usually I would just spend the extra, but I see no need to be frivolous ... Also, I am actually not too sad to miss out, because two of my best bloggy friends that I hung out with last year are not going to be there either. Perhaps I will see them there next year :-)

The hubby told me he wanted to take me out for a fabulous dinner tonight to make up for the good festival food I have to miss out on this weekend.

We went to one of the nicest restaurants in the city - The Creek Bistro.

We had some wine and 2 appetizers.

One of the appetizers was a cheddar chili cheesecake with local black lentil "caviar". We also had escargot stuffed mushrooms, prawns, and a polenta caprese salad bite.

My main course was a strip loin with scallops and a chipotle butter with seasonal vegetables and frites.

After dinner we got lattes at Starbucks and wandered around Chapters.

It was nice to take a homework break and enjoy a nice evening out with the hubby - especially on a day when I thought I would be heading to San Fransisco.

How much would you be willing to spend for a weekend away? (2 days, 2-3 nights)

The hubby and I went to Vegas in September for the weekend and paid only about $1200 for the two of us (for flight and hotel). I thought that was a fantastic deal!

Taking a Break ... Now and Then.

2011-10-30T09:41:00.000-07:00

The last couple weeks have been pretty crazy. I have read over 100 articles just this week, and have had very little time to cook and clean, let alone have fun. I basically come home from work, do research, eat, and then do more research.

I have been fueling up on veggies to get a bunch of vitamins and help keep me from getting run down. My latest favourite snack has been a giant bowl of brussels sprouts. I have also been juicing:

On Thursday I took 1/2 hour to make risotto to go with the turkey sausage that the hubby made:

Also, I was very thankful that the generous people at One Earth sent me some Quinoa Crunch Chocolate Square Mix, that allowed me to bake something in 5 minutes.

All I needed to add was eggs, butter and oil.

I went out last night for the first time in a couple weeks. After a long day of a thesis seminar, and making notes, I needed a break. We decided at the last minute to dress up and head to our friends' Halloween party for a couple hours. We only went out from about 8:30-11:00, but it was nice to step away from papers and my computer for a while.

I dressed up as Minnie :-)

Did you go out this weekend to celebrate Halloween?

Are you handing out candy on Halloween, taking someone trick or treating, dressing up, going out, or none of the above?

Enjoy your Sunday peeps!

I will be writing all day, and praying that it goes smoothly.

Ridiculously Easy Beer Bread

2011-10-25T16:01:00.000-07:00

This recipe literally took me 2 minutes to throw together yesterday after work. My friend over at Simply Life made it with pumpkin beer, but I didn't have that, so I worked with what I had. It turned out beautifully, and is so moist. I made a sandwich with it today.

Easy Beer Bread

Adapted from: Simply Life

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup white flour

1 T sugar

1 tsp sea salt

1 T baking powder

14 oz beer (I used Kilkenny)

Preheat oven to 375.

Mix everything except beer into a bowl. Add beer. Stir.

Spray a loaf pan and pour in batter.

Bake 45 minutes.

Before:

After:

Have you ever made your own bread?

What is the easiest, most delicious bread you make?

Feel free to leave links!

Another super easy, amazing bread that I love to make is this one.

Dinner Party and Thesis Research

2011-10-23T12:18:00.000-07:00

Last night our friends Emma and Dalton had us over for a dinner party to celebrate Dalton's birthday. We started with some delicious edamame beans with olive salt, lemon, and olive oil. We also had 2 delicious salads and fresh bread. My favourite salad was this one:

The main course was a cheesy, delicious manicotti.

I loved every bite, and went back for seconds:

We had a huge selection of desserts. I brought burnt grapes, and some of Angela's pumpkin pie brownie 'cupcakes':

They were the first thing that I baked this fall, and it felt good to get back in the kitchen, if only for a short time.

Today I have a date with this stack of articles:

Dear Thesis Research,

You suck.

How was your weekend?

What was the highlight?

Eating from the Freezer

2011-10-21T07:16:00.000-07:00

I had class on Wednesday night, and had to do homework before heading to class. The hubby took some bolognese sauce from the freezer (I made a bunch before the semester started), and we had dinner together in no time.

A few weeks ago he baked 4 loaves of my favourite bread, so that mornings could be quick and easy as well. Yesterday I toasted two slices of homemade bread, to enjoy with my perfect scrambled eggs.

Another quick meal ...

Hot dogs.

I just can't let go of summer.

Happy Friday! What do you have planned for your weekend?

Missing the Kitchen

2011-10-18T21:54:00.000-07:00

Thank you for all the wonderful birthday wishes! I had a great time celebrating, and was able to enjoy one of my favourite meals ...

Bee Bim Bop

I also ate more kimchi than everyone in Korea combined on Saturday.

It was nice to get our for dinner, as I haven't had a lot of time to go out lately. I also haven't had much time to cook, and I am really missing it. I feel like I haven't done any cooking in the past two months, and truthfully it has not been a lot. I have a major itch to get in the kitchen and try some new recipes.

I haven't even made anything with pumpkin yet!

The hubby has been awesome, as he has been making supper most evenings while I research or write. He has also been on his own for house cleaning, grocery shopping, etc.. I am excited to have more time to help out in about 6 weeks when I am done all my classes for the degree I am working on.

Last night he made some chicken with Indian spices and brown rice.

What are you missing right now?

Last Year of My Twenties ...

2011-10-15T13:36:00.000-07:00

Today is my 29th birthday, and I woke up to this lovely breakfast made for me by the hubby.

After that it was 3.5 hours at the spa ... and tonight we are going out with a bunch of friends for a Korean dinner, and a night of fun at our local Oktoberfest.

Not a bad way to start out my 29th year ...

My New Addiction

2011-10-13T21:55:00.000-07:00

My dinner of spaghetti squash and trout was fantastic this evening, but by about 8:30 I was craving a snack, and a grapefruit just wasn't going to cut it tonight.

The hubby and I dug into our new favourite snack - Veggie Straws (from Costco). We have been nibbling on these for a couple weeks now and are hooked.

The hubby told me he could easily eat the entire bag to himself.

He's not alone.

The crunch of these french-fry like snacks is so satisfying. They are totally addictive.

Random Fact: The word "addicting" is a pet peeve of mine. I much prefer "addictive"

Example: "These chips are so addicting!" - BARF

Example: "These chips are so addictive." - Not barf

Have you tried veggie straws?

What snack do you find to be highly addictive?

Do you say "addicting" or "addictive"?

Thankful

2011-10-10T21:31:00.000-07:00

Today is Canadian Thanksgiving, so I want to wish a very Happy Thanksgiving to all my fellow Canadians.

Today I am thankful for my loving husband, who made me waffles this morning.

I love him more and more each day.

Today I am thankful for my family, and the time we get to spend together. My dad had us over for a delicious turkey dinner this evening. He can pull off a Thanksgiving feast on his own, at 70 years of age, and make it look easier than making toast. If I have any skills in throwing dinner parties, they have been passed on to me by my parents - both of whom have talents in the kitchen, barely batting an eyelash while having 7 or 8 dishes on the go. It is really impressive.

What are you thankful for today?

House Guests and Weekend Wedding

2011-10-09T14:19:00.000-07:00

We hosted some house guests this weekend. Some friends of ours were in town for another one of our friend's weddings, and so we made up a guest room for them for a few nights. They arrived on Thursday evening, and we went out for some authentic Thai food.

The hubby and I shared some wraps, and then I had the Pad Thai.

Last night we had a fabulous time at our friends' wedding, dancing, eating, and visiting.

It was an Italian wedding, so as we went through the receiving line we were given a little snack, and a shot.

The meal started with antipasti, which was followed with lasagna, and then chicken, carrots and potatoes.

The bride and her family made the cake, and there were four different kinds. I had the some of the coconut cake with almond butter cream.

And if that wasn't enough food, there was also a midnight lunch, and a candy bar.

We were at a friend's wedding in the US a couple years ago, and since the groom was a Canadian, they decided to include a midnight lunch in the wedding. The Americans hadn't heard of this tradition.

Not everyone has a midnight lunch, but it is quite common where we are from.

Have you ever heard of a midnight lunch at a wedding?

Do people do this where you are from?

Craving New ...

2011-10-04T21:55:00.000-07:00

I haven't had the time this semester to do a lot of cooking. Luckily I cooked about 20 meals for my freezer at the end of summer, and did 3 months worth of meal planning to make things easier during these busy few months of full-time grad school and full-time work. It has definitely helped keep me sane.

I have the major urge to try something new, and if it can't be a new recipe, then it will have to be a product I haven't tried before. The kind people at Artisana sent me some samples of their products, and yesterday morning I tried the walnut butter. I used it in a bowl of banana, maple walnut oats.

Luckily, yesterday I also had the time to try a new recipe. I made Angela's Creamy Roasted Tomato, Garlic & Onion Coconut Soup. It was full of flavour (I added extra Garam Masala), and good for a cool Fall day.

Today I had a simpler, very-easy to make dinner - a Hippie Bowl.

You can find my recipe for it here.

Have you been trying any new recipes lately?

Are you having a busy Fall so far?

I'm Totally Transparent

2011-10-02T10:37:00.000-07:00

In class on Wednesday my sweet friend Vanessa told me she had something for me ...

She bought me this bookmark :-):

She thought it was sooooo me.

I have absolutely no idea what would give her that idea.

Hehe - thanks Vanessa!

What are you up to this weekend?

I am attempting to do homework, but really I am thinking about buying this.

Fall Food

2011-09-29T22:04:00.000-07:00

So apparently Fall is here. It is amazing how one day the leaves are green and on the trees, and it seems like they turn colour and fall to the ground without me even noticing. I just wake up one day, the air is chilly and the colourful leaves are strewn about.

I haven't had a lot of time to get out and enjoy the change of season, but I did manage to sneak two fun gatherings into my homework-filled days.

On Saturday evening we had a sushi and karaoke night with a bunch of friends, most of whom the hubby met through his racing/training. They are such a fun group!

We ordered all-you-can-eat sushi with our good buds Emma and Dalton.

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

On Sunday afternoon I took a much needed break from my thesis work and went to a friend's bridal shower. The food was insanely awesome because it was made by a bunch of Italians, and they know good food!

I am looking forward to the wedding next weekend, when all our out-of-town friends will be home for a "friend reunion." It is sure to make for a fun-filled wedding long-weekend.

Oh, and as a side note ...

Make this.

Now.

That is all.

Have you met any friends through racing, blogging, or another hobby of yours?

Whirlwind Vegas Weekend (Part 4)

2011-09-26T21:48:00.000-07:00

Our weekend trip to Vegas about a week ago was definitely quick, yet relaxed. We had limited time, but since it was our second trip to Vegas, we really enjoyed it and never felt rushed.

We spent most of Sunday wandering around with our friends, enjoying a bevvie in an Irish pub and pondering where we should go for dinner.

We chose Sea Blue in the MGM Grand. It was quite expensive, and pretty good. The best part was the naan bread that they brought out to start.

The hubby and I ordered some exotic tempura mushrooms for an appetizer, and they were fabulous.

I ordered shrimp as my main dish, and we ordered a few sides to share at the table (the main dish is basically a protein, and the sides have to be purchased separately).

After dinner the hubby and I and a friend of ours went to my favourite place in Vegas - The Salute Lounge in The Palazzo Hotel to see the Dueling Pianos.

We sat their for the entire evening, thoroughly entertained, wishing that it would never end.

I even got one of the pianists to play/sing Lil Wayne's How to Love ;-)

Our party of three definitely put the most requests up on the piano, and at the end of the night one of the performers thanked us for the awesome/wide variety of requests.

Most of our friends flew home Monday morning, but we were in Vegas until later in the afternoon. We stopped at Emeril's Table 10 before heading to the airport. The first time we ate at this restaurant (dinner on our 5 year wedding anniversary) the meal was one of the best I have ever eaten. The lunch menu wasn't as fancy, and wasn't as good either.

We shared some dumplings first, which were perfection ...

But the gumbo tasted (and looked) like it came from a can.

It had absolutely no flavour.

I will definitely recommend Table 10 again, but only for dinner. The lunch menu is very ... meh.

Have you ever eaten at a celebrity chef's restaurant?

Are there any celebrity chef restaurants you are dying to try?

Thomas Keller's French Laundry is definitely on my bucket list.

Whirlwind Vegas Weekend (Part 3)

2011-09-25T09:01:00.000-07:00

Last weekend the hubby and I (and our friends from California) ate at Thomas Keller's Bouchon in the Venetian hotel in Las Vegas.

We had a lovely outdoor seat with a great view.

There were plenty of carbs to go around, each one better than the last (which was hard to believe). I only nibbled a bit because I was saving room for my main course:

I ordered something I have been wanting to try for about a year - a Croque Madame. It is a hot ham and cheese sandwich topped with a fried egg and Bechamel sauce.

It was HUGE, and came with a ridiculous pile of fries that I barely made a dent into. Unfortunately the sandwich did not live up to my expectations.

I think it would be better made at home, with less meat, and grilled bread.

Have you ever had a Croque Madame sandwich?

Was there ever a food/dish that you were dying to try for a long time, and when you finally did, you were disappointed?

Things You Never Knew You Needed ...

2011-09-24T16:07:00.000-07:00

Until Now.


Fourth from the left - Enchanted Mushroom Chocolate Bar. I don't know about you, but I have a feeling that mushrooms and chocolate are probably a match made in culinary heaven. Too bad I forgot to go back and buy one before leaving Vegas :-(

What are you up to this weekend?

I am ~~daydreaming about that bacon toothpaste~~ working on my thesis.

Whirlwind Vegas Weekend (Part 2)

2011-09-22T19:48:00.000-07:00

In Vegas everything is over-the-top.

Giant. Large. Over sized - All adjectives that apply to the crazy excess that is Las Vegas.

And it doesn't only apply to the hotels and shows ...

Gummy Worm!

Large Beer. Real Cheap.

What is the craziest "large" product you have come across recently?

Whirlwind Vegas Weekend (Part 1)

2011-09-20T22:27:00.000-07:00

Late last night we arrived home from a whirlwind, weekend trip to Las Vegas.

On Saturday morning we woke up at 4:00 am to make it to the airport for our flight out.

I ate sushi for breakfast:

We had a stop in Denver where I had a Pumpkin Smash Jamba Juice. It tasted like a piece of pumpkin pie blended into smithereens. It was good, but I could only drink about half of it before getting sick of it.

We landed in Vegas around noon and were in our beautiful hotel a short while later. We stayed in the stunning Palazzo, and were extremely impressed with our room, the service and the hotel in general. It is a AAA 5 diamond hotel and definitely lives up to the prestige. No room in the hotel is smaller than 720 square feet!

Our bathroom had a private toilet room, double sinks, a vanity, separate shower and jet tub, a TV and lush robes.

The rest of the room was roomy and full of conveniences.

The view was pretty good too:

We went on this trip with about 18 friends. Our two friends who arrived from California just happened to be staying across the hall from us. We knew they were in the same hotel, but were shocked that out of 3068 rooms they ended up in the one across from us!

Before heading out for separate bachelor and bachelorette parties, we went down to Bouchon Bakery for a bite to eat. I opted for something savoury, enjoying the bruschetta.

I then got dressed and head out for a ladies night, complete with dinner at an Italian restaurant and dancing at Pure Nightclub. My girlfriend Marian and I met up with our hubbies at the end of the night (early morning) and enjoyed a loooooong walk back to our hotel.

Have you ever had a whirlwind trip (flying somewhere for only a couple of nights)?

How was your weekend? What was the highlight?

And I am Off ...

2011-09-16T19:46:00.000-07:00

To VEGAS for the weekend!!!

I wrote a paper this evening, ate the delicious dinner below, and packed a small bag so I will be all ready to leave tomorrow for a weekend getaway to Vegas.

I went to Vegas a couple of years ago for the first time, but this time will be different because I will be with a bunch of friends - about 20 people in total!

Have you been to Vegas?

Tell me your favourite store/restaurant etc. there in case I get a chance to check out some new places.

Store-Bought Vegan Pancakes

2011-09-13T21:00:00.000-07:00

I came across this vegan, organic, gluten-free pancake mix the other day, and thought I would give it a try.

I liked the short ingredient list (all organic):

Buckwheat flour

Mung bean flour

Brown rice flour

Sorghum flour

Evaporated cane juice

Gluten-free baking powder (GMO free)

Himalayan salt

I liked that these pancakes were "add water only", making them very convenient for ~~mornings when I would rather sleep than cook~~ every morning.

I liked how easy these pancakes were to cook, and the fluffy, pleasing texture.

What I didn't like was the distinct mung bean taste. It was not unbearable, but definitely not desirable. I can best describe it as a lentily taste. I think I would like this flavour more if it wasn't in a pancake (and perhaps was covered in bacon and cheese).

I would not recommend this mix unless you have a special affinity for mung bean flavoured pancakes.

Next time I want vegan pancakes I will stick to these ones.

What was the last store-bought food item you bought that wasn't that great?

Do you ever buy and eat foods you don't really "love" just because they are healthy?

For me, if a food isn't great, I won't buy it again.

Tomatoes

2011-09-11T19:41:00.000-07:00

There is a certain satisfaction you get from growing your own food.

My tomato plants started out as wee little babies at the beginning of June, and they are now huge, with new tomatoes ripening by the day.

I had my first one this morning on a toasted tomato sandwich.

Simple, yet perfect.

Do you grow any of your own food?

Cinnamon Bun Oats

2011-09-08T19:23:00.000-07:00

Cinnamon buns are one of my favourite sweets, so the other day I turned them into oatmeal.

Cinnamon Bun Oats

1/4 cup quick oats

1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla Almond Breeze (or milk)

1 T almond butter

1 tsp cinnamon

1 T brown sugar

1 T golden raisins (optional)

Bring the Almond Breeze to a boil. Add the oats and boil 1 minute. Remove from heat, cover and let sit for a couple minutes. Stir in the almond butter and top with the other ingredients.

Mmmmmmmmm!

Other breakfasts this week have included eggs and toast, and smoothies with 1/2 banana, Amazing Grass, vanilla, cocoa, and Almond Breeze.

Now that I am back to work I have been packing a lunch. Lately it has included a sandwich, clementine and a cheese string. Boring, but it does the trick. Luckily I don't have to worry about packing a lunch for tomorrow. My colleagues and I always go out for lunch on Fridays.

The last couple days we have had fresh dinners that I am hooked on - Cobb Salad and a Hippie Bowl.

You can find my recipe for the Hippie Bowl here. It is SO good!

Do you pack a lunch for work? What do you take?

Do you ever buy your lunch at a restaurant during the work week?

International Bacon Day

2011-09-05T20:45:00.000-07:00

Saturday was ~~Jolene Day~~ International Bacon Day.

I grabbed this months Food Network magazine insert (which was clearly made for me) and chose a recipe:

I went with the Bacon Fried Rice:

It was even better topped with Sriracha.

My in-laws came over for a hotdog roast on Sunday.

We had veggie skewers and Mediterranean potato salad on the side.

Dessert included burnt grapes and s'mores.

Needless to say, it was a great long-weekend.

When was the last time that you roasted a hotdog or a marshmallow? How do you like 'em cooked? Burnt? Golden? Exploding?

Frustration

2011-09-03T11:40:00.000-07:00

I am totally frustrated for 2 reasons.

1) On Tuesday someone tried to steal my car, from my work parking lot, in the middle of the day, while it was facing a VERY busy street. They destroyed the driver's side door trying to get in, then threw a cinder block through the window, wrecking my interior as the block bounced off my center column and onto the floor of the car. They tore apart the steering column trying to hot wire it, and did so much damage the car will not start. It had to be towed to an adjuster. The hubby was out of town for work (for the first time EVER), when this happened, and I was without a vehicle for 2 days. We are waiting to hear if the car will be fixed (fingers crossed), or if they will write it off. :-(

2) I have just figured out that the comments I have been leaving on 3 different blogs (on each post) have not been showing up.

Love Veggies and Yoga
The Gonzo Gourmet
Girl with the Red Hair

For some reason, I cannot comment on your posts!! I have been commenting daily, thinking that it was working, but I don't see any of my comments on your posts :-( I don't know how to fix this. I also don't know for how long you haven't been getting my comments - I feel bad! I have tried re-following your blogs, and that doesn't seem to be working either. Any ideas of what could be wrong?

Is there anyone else who normally receives regular comments from me and has not been getting any lately?

September & The Grotto

2011-09-03T09:12:00.000-07:00

About 5 months ago we went to a restaurant in a small town about an hour away. It is usually a little coffee shop, but on Friday nights it serves an authentic fixe prix Mexican dinner. There is no menu to order from. You just show up and eat what they cooked that evening.

Last night we went to this restaurant for a second time with our friends Emma and Dalton.

The meal was definitely worth the drive.

Emma and I drank Green Iguana Margaritas:

The sopa ranchera doesn't look that great, but it was fantastic:

The main course included Pacific coast style BBQ 1/2 chicken, "sandles" filled with veggies and cheese, a beef tostada with green tomatillo salsa, Mexican style corn on the cob, and rustic Mexican salad:

I barely made a dent in this plate of food. The waitress said no one ever finishes all of it. Most people take a doggy bag home.

Dessert was a hibiscus flower cake. I tried a bite, and then the hubby polished it off.

Our evening out last night was a great way to kick off September and to start off a great long-weekend.

September, more than January, seems like a new year start to me. I start back at work and school, and the trees start to reflect the beginning of a new season. This September I am most looking forward to a weekend in Vegas that we have planned.

What are you looking forward to in September?

Is it a long weekend where you are? What do you have planned for the weekend?