I'm in a major recipe mood these days. You wait, there's a few coming down the line. First up is this super easy, delicious and easy to look at recipe for caprese melon skewers. It takes a fresh melon-y twist on a traditional Italian classic. The best part? No turning on the oven or stove involved which is exactly what you want in the summer. Also it's super easy to eat, which is something I … [Read more...]
Sizzling Sips: Spicy Mexican Hot Chocolate Recipe
So the holidays are over but Winter most definitely is not. Sit tight folks, there's still a solid 3 months of this glorious white (freezing) winter land. I find the only way to get into winter is to find the silver linings, such as eating lots of great food, warm drinks full of calories and getting away with being able to wear a bunch of layers to hide it all. Coffee and tea are great all year … [Read more...]
No Bake Maple Bacon Cheesecake Cups
Sometimes I love spending hours in the kitchen playing around with a recipe or two....and sometimes I'm looking for something a little more simple, but no any less delicious of course. Well now you can have your cheesecake and eat it too. If there ever was a dessert that combine two cliche stereotypes any more I'm not sure what it would be. All the cheesecake lovin' ladies and bacon obsessed guys … [Read more...]
Almond Snowball Cookies Recipe
Don't let their simplicity fool you. These little snowball cookies are jam packed with nutty almond flavour. Like throwing a snowball, you can't stop at one. It's impossible, I've conducted an extensive study. My Italian family makes very similar cookies, in fact you may see/hear them referred to as Italian cookies or Russian tea cakes. Those people don't mess around so you know … [Read more...]
DRINK UP: 5 refreshing summer cocktails
It's not officially summer until you've had your first patio cocktail (or two, or five) and have had a go at making herbal cocktails to spice up your drink. Today I'll help you kick off summer with 5 refreshing summer cocktails. You can find these delish drinks and more sunny sipping recipes in the summer issue of Merry, coming next Monday, June 8! Consider this your sneak peek! I didn't realize … [Read more...]
GOOD EATS: mushroom & goat cheese pizza
This is a quick and easy one people. Sometimes I dream up recipes I want to try, make my list, go shopping, spend lotsa time making it and photographing it to share....and sometimes I just kinda photograph what I whipped up for dinner. That's one of those times. I like to share lots of different recipes because I looooove food but it's also important for me to show truly how simple & easy some … [Read more...]
GOOD EATS: funfetti Easter Cake
When I was a kid, Easter was easily the next best thing after Christmas. Baskets full of candy and gifts, hunting for chocolate, frilly dresses, that was the life. Now as an adult it's about the long weekend and the amazing homemade feast. I grew up in an Italian family so the feasts were definitely something to talk about. One thing that I could count on and looked forward to every Easter as … [Read more...]
GOOD EATS: gluten free chicken fingers with dairy free garlic chive dip
I'm not gluten or dairy free but I know sooooooo many people who are. It can make having people over for a bite a little more challenging. I like to cook and I also like company so it's great to have a few go-to recipes to keep my gluten & dairy free friends happy, or at least alive. That's why I'm so excited to share this gluten free chicken finger recipe with you today. Most people think … [Read more...]
Some thoughts & entertaining for New Years Eve
Welcome to the last day of 2014. What kind of year did you have? What are you looking forward to most in 2015? I'll be totally honest - I decided to disconnect digitally for Christmas and I'm having a really hard time connecting again. I'm such a live in the present type of person, which has it's benefits, but one of the con's is that I've never been good at looking back or forward. Or rather, … [Read more...]
GOOD EATS: jalapeno cheddar loaf
I was home for Thanksgiving and got in the mood to try something totally new in the kitchen. My mom had made a jalapeno oil mixture that inspired me. I've been on a real jalapeno kick for awhile now. I don't know what happened, I went from being a total hot spicy wimp to wanting to put jalapeno and chili flakes on everything. It's kinda hard for me to put together 'recipes' because I really … [Read more...]
GOOD EATS: then and now recipes / 01
I thought I would put a spin on my Same but Different series and create one that's well....same but different. Welcome to my new Good Eats Then & Now recipe series. As you know I spend a lot of time trolling thrift shops and I love coming across old cook books. Obviously people have been cooking for ages and it's always been a hobby but with the introduction of speciality food television, … [Read more...]
GOOD EATS: spicy avacado hummus recipe
This is a REALLY easy one folks. If you love avocados and hummus and want those two delicious worlds to collide then this avacado hummus recipe is for you. You may recognize this as one of the delish snacks I whipped up for my summer patio wine & dine event awhile back. Not only do I like to tease your palette, I like to drag it on for at least a month before giving you the recipe. But it's ok … [Read more...]
GOOD EATS: let them eat rainbow cake
Happy (sorta) long weekend folks! I'm assuming that most people took Monday off to make it a long weekend with Canada Day on Tuesday. It's a big weekend here in the city - not only are we celebrating Canada Day with the rest of the country but we're also hosting World Pride with a bunch more people. I have 3 different BBQ's this weekend, one of which I'm hosting so that means I've been getting … [Read more...]
GOOD EATS: salted caramel & chocolate coconut cheesecake
Drool much? Well you will be by the end of this post. I recently found out about the Philadelphia Cheesecake of the Year contest and thought it would be a great reason to try baking a cheesecake. For the first time ever. Yikes! Well I think this photo kinda gives it away but all went well and here you have my own little creation I like to call Salted Caramel & Dark Chocolate Coconut … [Read more...]
GOOD EATS: lilac recipes to love
I'm not a gardening expert although I wish I knew a little more. But I love lilacs and I'm told that they bloom in late May, early June so we should see those beauties any time now. (disclaimer: do not go all green thumbzilla on me if this is not true). Who doesn't love the smell and stunning colour that lilacs bring to your table? It's time to take them from the centrepiece to the main attraction … [Read more...]
