The Joy of Baking... and Giving Away

Don't know about you, but around here Christmas feels like Christmas 

when the aprons come out and the kitchen is covered in a fine layer of flour,

the Nutcracker playing in the backgound.

We bake for our teachers, neighbours, friends and family,

and dropping off those baskets brings a happiness that opening no present could.

Monday I made peppermint meringues, these are an annual tradition -

 the other recipes may vary, but one year I skipped the meringues, and it wasn't pretty!

Tuesday was our fourth snow day - 

so we all made ginger sparklers (the easiest version of gingerbread)

 and sugar cookies with lemon glaze, my personal favourite.

I only ate one, okay - maybe two, or seven, can't remember..

Tuesday night we packed the meringues into jars (after felting the lids)..

wrapped the cookies with paper and tied them with strings.

(and forgot to take a photo :)

They did look something like this, we used bits of wrapping paper to dress up the kraft paper.

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Then we packed those goodies, a few chocolates, some specialty teas, mandarin oranges and candy canes into baskets and sent them off to school today for the kids teachers.. all 10 of them!!

Next week we repeat for friends, family and neighbours...

With two large families, and no one needing ANYTHING, 

we only buy for the kids, and the adults exchange homemade goodies.

I have given out these recipes loads of times, and if any of you would like them, 

just let me know - I'll send you a copy.

Time spent baking beats time spent at the mall.

til next time...

Saying Thanks..

My Mum always made us stand around the table, holding hands, at Thanksgiving dinner.

The food was served but no one could eat until we'd gone around the circle,

 each of us saying in turn what we were thankful for.

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I thought it was ridiculous then.

Now, as a Mum, I repeat the tradition

because we don't always stop to appreciate what we have..

and we have a lot.

On the menu - aside from my secret-recipe-butternut-squash-soup,

all the veggies, and ham/roast beef/turkey madness (my husbands family were butchers!)

I have an incredible appetizer to serve..

**warning** this dip is addictive :)

A friend wowed us with this dip a few weeks ago, and I have made a complete bother of myself  since, asking her for the recipe!

Not sure she wanted to share, but she caved out of sheer self-preservation!!

Thanks, Heather - maybe I'll give you the secret ingredients in my squash soup :)

Now I can share it with you...

delicious served with blanched asparagus, and shrimp if you like

Wasabi Mayo Dip

1 cup mayo (hellmans recommended)

1 tsp sugar

2 tsp soy sauce

2 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp wasabi (from tube)

mix and let sit in refrigerator for an hour if possible, so the sugar dissolves

SO GOOD! we had to make a "trial" today, just to be sure we could do it correctly ;)

Have a great weekend all..

til next time..

Bento Box Fabulousness!

So quiet here today... all the kids back in school..

in the spirit of things, a post on lunchbox ideas.

A while back I met Chantale on twitter.

One day I noticed her tweet about a bento box, and clicked.. to find this!

Is that not the cutest thing ever?!

As a Mum of three, I have to tell you, lunches get packed up quickly in the morning - 

the kids choose what they would like, get out all the supplies and containers required, 

and I whip them together while they eat breakfast.

I have never, ever made them something like this!

We do have a sandwich cutter which de-crusts and creates two heart shaped halves -

 that is as fancy as it gets!

I have been exploring Chantale's creations over the summer.. and feeling just a teensy bit guilty :)

Although I have not let the kids see these, 

I am planning to try and make them each monday this year - start the week off with a smile :)

Chantale has loads of inspiration on her blog, and provides links to some great sites..

Anyone game to try these with me?

I'd love to see what you come up with!

til next time..

Pie.

I remember, as a child, helping my Mum to make apple pie.

rolling the dough, slicing up the apples..

she always let me seal the top and bottom crusts together, working the dough like clay.

smelling the pie as it baked, and then waiting as it cooled - "I think it's ready NOW, Mum!"

She had learned to make pastry from her own Mum,

 who often made apple pie when she came to visit, 

always served with a slice or two of cheese

 ("Apple pie with out the cheese is like a hug without the squeeze!"

As an adult, although not always keen on cooking meals, I love to bake.

Cookies, muffins, tarts, squares, you name it - but never pie.

Something about making crust intimidates me!

Today we are headed over to friends home for an-end-of-summer BBQ.

 I am bringing dessert. Pie.

 It is about time I share these memories with MY daughters -

who always appear into the kitchen, gleefully grabbing their aprons,

when the flour tin hits the counter.

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After raiding Martha's site for the most reliable crust recipe,

and her classic apple pie, we gave it a whirl.

It was actually not that difficult - except I would not try to roll out the crust between layers of parchment again, my arms ached!! The top crust was rolled out the traditional way, with a little flour...

Not the prettiest pie,
but it smells fantastic, if i do say so myself!
We added a couple of pears into the mix because I had some that were quite ripe.
Hope it tastes as good as it smells ..

Now that I have done it once, I think I may start experimenting a tad..
If I find any outstanding recipes I'll share.
Is there any pies you would recommend?
I'd love some suggestions!

Three very jittery kiddies here as school starts tomorrow..
all hoping they get a certain teacher at school,
wishing their best friend will be in the same class,
wondering if there will be any new faces..
The shopping binge has paused, thank goodness!
3 backpacks - bulging with supplies, 3 lunchbags, 10 pairs of jeans, countless t-shirts,
6 new hoodies, 6 pairs of sneaks, and two new dresses, for Coco, of course.
We even found boots and some ski gear already - mayhem!

I have some really outstanding bento box lunches to show you this week,
 done by a really clever Mum I've met on twitter.

What are you all up to today?

til next time..

For the love of OREOS!

Does anybody else love good, old-fashioned Oreos as much as I do? A plate of Oreos accompanied by a glass of milk never fails to be the perfect treat! In our house, a package of Oreos, especially double-stuf, will not last very long. Therefore, we don't buy them very often. It makes them even more of a special treat that way, too!

Recently, I came across some very tempting variations of America's favorite cookie. These Oreo recipes look amazing, and quite possibly even more delicious (how could that be?!) than the original black and whites.

The following recipes look awesome! They are all perfect dessert recipes to take to a dinner party, make for a shower, or just for making a sweet treat with your sweetie!

Try not to drool!

Cookies & Cream Cheesecake Cupcakes

(La Mia Vita Dolce blog)

Oreo Truffles

(MakeAWisk.com, adapted from bakerella.com)

Oreo Cream Cheese Swirl Bars

(beantownbaker.com)

Homemade Oreo Cookies

(tangled and true blog)

Semi-Homemade Oreo Cookie Ice Cream

(Vintage Chica)

Can we say.. YUMMMMMMM?!

Summer Sweets: Pink Lemonade Cupcakes

We went to a housewarming BBQ yesterday..

this was, of course, a perfect excuse for the kids to make cupcakes!

I should say for the girls to make cupcakes, 

Cam really only get involved during the eating process :)

Natasha and Chloe chose a new recipe, Pink Lemonade Cupcakes - perfect for summer.

They were scrumptious, and really easy - so thought we'd share the recipe with you all..

who doesn't love a good cupcake splurge now and then?!

Pink Lemonade Cupcakes

• 1 package white cake mix (without pudding in the mix)
• 3 egg whites
• 1 cup water
• 1/3 cup plus 1/4 cup frozen pink lemonade concentrate, thawed and divided
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (we used olive and it was fine)
• 5 to 8 drops red food coloring
• 4 cups sifted powdered sugar (we skipped the sifting and it was fine!)
• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• candy, straws for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line standard muffin tins with paper cupcake liners
2. Beat cake mix, egg whites, water, 1/3 cup lemonade concentrate, oil and 4-6 drops of food coloring at medium speed for 2 minutes. Place in muffin cups.
3. Bake 18-22 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool for five minutes, place on wire racks to cool completely before icing.
4. Beat powdered sugar, butter, remaining food coloring and remaining 1/4 cup of lemonade concentrate at medium speed until well blended - I thought this was going to be way too much icing so made half, and then ended up making the other half!
5. Frost cupcakes, being sure to taste test cupcakes, icing and garnishes on the way :)

     This makes 24 cupcakes, if no one snitches any during the process.. we had 22!

These are so cute, and were the hit of the party..

which ended badly -

my little Chloe was bitten on the face by their Doberman Pinscher

which was terribly frightening.

Luckily, she only got a few small punctures and lacerations, no stitches required

it could have been much worse.

Growing up around docile, loving, and ever-patient Chocolate labs

 means that my children don't have much of a fear of large dogs, 

and Coco patted their dog absentmindedly while walking by, which prompted the attack.

I can't for the life of me understand having a dog like that as a family pet,

needless to say it will never have the opportunity to harm one of my children again,

because we will never allow it in the same house as them.

Sorry for being a bit of a downer, but just needed to get that off my chest - hope you don't mind!

Off to make a slipcover for Coco's "snuggle chair" in her room..

hope you are enjoying this beautiful weekend.

til next time..

I Need Cake.

I don't know if any of you have been to the fabulous blog 

Mary Mary Culinary

but you must stop by sometime.

Just don't go when you 're hungry!

Mary is an old friend.

She studied cooking, then travelled the world for years teaching.

The whole world. 

She's lived in places that I don't know how to spell :)

When I found out she had a blog, I started reading, 

and am so inspired by her creations.

Mary makes preparing these delectable goodies seem quite effortless, 

although I imagine it may be more trying for someone whose

recipe prerequisites are fast and easy!

I make about 10 things really well, and the rest are passing grade.

Occasionally I endeaver to try new things, with mixed results. 

D. knows that every once in a while I may go on strike,

and we will have a couple days of eating out - LOL.

But Mary's really done it this time.

This Raspberry Cream Cake has pushed me over the edge.

I need it.

Off to the market for a few supplies, and we're going to give this one a go..

Are you crazy for cake, whipped cream and fruit concoctions like me?

What makes you break out the apron?

Dinner Time: Jackets Required!

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I love that the British call baked potatoes "Jacket Potatoes"! It's so appropriate if you think about it because the skin is like a little jacket. Tres fashionable, non?

I recently saw a classic British jacket potato on a menu and though I'd already eaten, I filed it away in my brain for a future dinner option! I made it on Monday night for dinner and I must say, it was devine, super easy and a fun dinner! I then found myself lying in bed with insomnia dreaming up all the fabulous ways to dress up a jacket potato and I thought I would share them! Kids would love this meal and if you're entertaining, it would be really cute to do a potato bar, letting guests create their own suit, starting with the jacket!

Here are a few ways I would serve jacket potatoes:

*All potato ideas are better with plenty of butter and salt, but if you're health conscious like me, try either olive oil, a flavored olive oil or a low-fat, low-cholesterol spread with Lo-Salt or an alternative salt substitute. If you're in the US, I'm a huge fan of Mrs. Dash and they come in multiple flavors!

*Pop the potato back in the oven once it's full of toppings to melt the cheese! YUM!

1. Classic British
Chopped bacon (smoked ham would be a good substitute)
Heinz Baked Beans (look for the blue tin as UK baked beans are different than US versions)
Shredded Cheddar Cheese


2. Southwestern
Chili con carne
Kidney beans, if not already included in the chili you use
Corn
Shredded cheddar or Mexican blend taco cheese


3. Meatless Monday
Boil a generous amount of frozen shelled edimame or soya beans according to package directions. Boil 1/2 - 1 cup of water and mix well with a veggie boullion cube. Add 2 or 3 tablespoons of lemon juice (to taste). Season with salt, pepper, crushed chili flakes, crushed dried parsley and any Italian seasonings (basil, oregano, etc.). Add Edimame to the sauce. It should thicken slightly.

Top potato with edimame sauce mixture. Top generously with shredded parmesan cheese.

*This is an approximate recipe as I make it for 2 people, but can/should be modified for more or less people. If sauce doesn't thicken enough, use cornstarch to get the consistency you desire.

*I like corn in this recipe as well. Experiment with adding additional veggies you like.

4. Mexican Fiesta
Fajita chicken/beef or taco filling
Refried beans (black beans work too)
Sour Cream
Guacamole
Shredded cheese
Any veggies you desire

5. Italian
Grilled chicken (the premade ones for salads in the deli are great!)
Sauce - Either tomato type or cream based works
Pancetta, Prociutto or Salami add a punch
Shredded Mozzarella Cheese (a little parmesan sprinkled on top is nice too!)

6. Pizza
Pepperoni
Veggies (if desired)
Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

* Add further meats for a different "meat lovers" type dish including ham, sausage, chicken or ground beef.

7. Bangers & Mash Guvnah!
Diced pork sausages
Onion gravy (beef gravy works well too)

*Add fried onions if you like.

8. Roast Dinner Jacket
Chopped grilled or roast chicken (can be bought pre-made)
Diced, cooked carrots
Corn
Chicken gravy

9. Southern Comfort
BBQ chicken
Corn
Cole slaw

10. Thanksgiving
Stove top Stuffing
Sliced turkey
Corn
Carrots
Turkey Gravy

*Add cranberry sauce or additional veggies if you like.
*If you like, this might be nice on a baked yam or sweet potato instead.

11. Hawaiian
Pineapple
Ham
Mozzarella Cheese

12. English Breakfast
Heinz Beans
Chopped bacon
Chopped sausage
Fried egg
Shredded cheddar

*Add black and/or white pudding if you like. Serve with toast.


Don't be fooled. These aren't just potatoes. They're a meal. I made the classic British version this week and we were STUFFED! I just love the idea of a self-contained meal like this and it's great fun! It's also cheap and easy... what more could you want from a potato? Also, potatoes aren't as nutritionally devoid as we've been lead to believe! The following information is from Wikipedia.org.

"A medium-size 150 g (5.3 oz) potato with the skin provides 27 mg of vitamin C (45% of the Daily Value (DV)), 620 mg of potassium (18% of DV), 0.2 mg vitamin B6 (10% of DV) and trace amounts of thiamin, riboflavin, folate, niacin, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, and zinc. The fiber content of a potato with skin (2 g) is equivalent to that of many whole grain breads, pastas, and cereals."

Would you try any of these funky jacket potato recipes? Do you have an interesting recipe for them you'd like to share? I'd love to hear it, so leave me a comment!

Weekend Goodies

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To all of you south of us, happy Memorial Day,

and to everyone else, Happy Weekend!

Hope your weekend is warm enough for some of these -

follow the links for recipes - x

Fresh Fruit Juice Pops 

Yogurt Pops loving those sprinkles...and the clever pretzel handle!

2 3 4

for instant gratification (who has time to wait?!)

Williams Sonoma carries the ingenious wee Zoku maker -

Zoku Pops in seven minutes!

If you have more patience you really don't have to buy fancy machines...

anything can suffice as a mold -

Loaf Pops and those "watermelon" lime pops are too cool!

For the adults.....

Strawberry and mint cubes add a zing to your table with these adorable Hors Dourves Pops.

  Frozen Fruit Cubes  are easy to keep in the freezer to drop  into drinks..

Cocktail Popsicles are a lux treat on a hot day.

Crate and Barrel is riding the popsicle train...

Doesn't get much simpler than cup pops - 

cup + popsicle sticks and whatever is hanging around..

 1 2 3 4

I love colorful food, what can I say ;)

We're helping my sister-in-law prepare her house for sale this weekend -

 starting with an enormous garage sale tomorrow...

how much do you want to bet I'll be her no.1 customer!

Pop by monday for a new Crushing on Color guest post -

one of my all-time favourite bloggers is going to dazzle you!

Happy weekend!

Pink Julep in the Kitchen: Healthy Lunches

I've been on a quest to find more interesting lunches with less calories! I'm not only interested in a trim figure, but also my health! Here are some new things I've been taking for my lunch instead of my usual Lean Cuisine!

A Different Twist on Tuna Salad

Light tuna packed in water, mixed with lemon juice, a sprinkle of dried or fresh parsley, 1 tbsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, small sprinkle of shredded parmesan cheese, a couple of dashes of Fiesta Lime Mrs. Dash, dash of salt, dash of pepper and 1/4 teaspoon of Cayenne Pepper. Mix together and put into a whole wheat wrap! YUM!

WASA

Choose your favorite flavor of Wasa (2 crackers). Split 1 triangle of Laughing Cow Lowfat Original Swiss and spread 1/2 on each cracker. Put a thin layer your choice of deli meat on top (I prefer honey ham or smoked turkey). An alternative to the meat is to use tomatoes to layer on top of the cheese.

Soup's On!

There are a lot of soups out there in small packages these days! I've been eating Campbell's Tomato in the small microwavable bowl, but Pacific also makes organic soups in little single serving cartons too! As an alternative to crackers, I've been using lowfat garlic bagel chips! This is a delicious and filling lunch!

Snacks throughout the day are important too, especiallly when you're trying not to run out for a break and buy an impuslive chocolate bar or a bag of chips! Here are some of the snacks I've been taking, alternating a couple of different ones each day.

1. 2 plain organic rice cakes with almond butter

2. sugar free jello (I make it myself in mini tupperwares!)

3. Genisoy Bars (I love the Peanut Butter Fudge flavour)

4. apple quartered with peanut butter

5. apple sauce (comes in single serving cups now!)

6. Quaker Ranch Flavored Mini-Rice Cakes (These are a great alternative to chips!)

7. microwaveable edimame pouches (So, they have Dora the Explorer on them... whatevs!)

Happy Lunching!

xoxo,

Pink Julep!

Pink Julep in the Kitchen: Lemon Bread

I made one of my favorite recipes over the weekend! Lemon Nut Bread from the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook! I love this bread because it's thick like cake, super yum and the ingredients aren't that bad! It actually works out at about 126 calories & 4 grams of fat per slice, which as sweets go, is not bad at all! And it's made from scratch, so you know what's in it! And it's a source of Vitamin C & A and Calcium. I make mine with Organic Fat-free Skim, which I'm sure betters the stats!

The recipe can be found in the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook (my favorite!) or there's a similar recipe here.

xoxo,

Pink Julep!

Mothers Day Brunch: Pretty Tables and Scrumptious Eats

A dreamy table.. or two..

A simple way to dress up a place setting..

On the menu...

Partake in pretty pastel perfection...

The best present...

Hope you have the happiest of Mother's Days..

til next time..