One of my absolute favourite dishes is my Layered Eggplant, Zucchini, Tomato Gratin. Years ago, I used to just put throw in all my vegetables for my ratatouille in a baking dish and cook them, but I find the presentation for this dish is so visually appealing. When it comes to making side dishes for our meals, I love a very generous helping of vegetables. I've been … [Read more...]
Holiday Entertaining ~ Tips & Recipes for a Fabulous Party
Entertaining is something I absolutely love. Though we live in a very modest old farm house, our home is always filled with people. At times, it seems our home is busting at the seams with the volume of people we host. I love it though, and I'm always excited about holiday entertaining! Since I love holiday entertaining (and entertaining in general) so much, I wanted to … [Read more...]
Mini Chocolate Chess Pies
It's National Chocolate Day, so we whipped up some Mini Chocolate Chess Pies. One of my husband's favourite desserts is Chocolate Chess Pie. Hubby mentioned recently that I haven't been baking as much as when we first started dating. Before we got married, I baked him gourmet cheesecakes regularly. Now, he only gets homemade gourmet cheesecake on his birthday or on … [Read more...]
Salmon with Maple Dijon Glaze
One of the greatest things about living on an island is that we have access to fresh fish. A favourite of ours is salmon. Manitoulin Island is a fisherman's paradise. The fish you can catch depends on the time of year, and which lake you are fishing at. Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned fishing enthusiast, or whether you like fishing from the shore, the dock or … [Read more...]
Refreshing Raspberry Cider Vinegar Drink
This Raspberry Cider Vinegar Drink makes me think of the Raspberry Cordial from Anne of Green Gables. It was Summer sometime in the mid 1980s. The sun was shining and the gentle breeze made my dusty rose Venetian blinds sway. I remember the gentle clicking sound the blinds made when they hit my window sill. School was out for Summer, and I was lost in my new favourite book. … [Read more...]
Hasselback Potatoes – Another Family Favourite
I married a beef farmer. He loves his meat and potatoes. He really loves his meat and potatoes. This means I've got to pull out all my favourite potato recipes, as well as be on the look out for new recipes to try! I have been seeing Hasselback Potatoes on all of my social media networks. In fact, I'd be pretty hard pressed to go online and not come across photos and … [Read more...]
Super Easy Greek Pita Pockets #FreshBTS
Super Easy Greek Pita Pockets made by a 7 year old? I can hardly believe that Summer is almost over! Say it ain't so! It feels like I just blinked and it's almost time for back to school! I won't lie. The thought of back to school has me thinking of school lunches! I asked Little One to come up with some ideas for lunches, as she isn't really a sandwich kind of kid. … [Read more...]
Summer Entertaining #Snapware
Summer is finally here, and that means it's time for Summer entertaining. One of the things I love most about Summer is enjoying home-cooked meals on the patio and sharing good food, conversation, and laughs with loved ones. Whether you're doing some outdoor dining on the patio, or packing a picnic lunch for a family hike, or going to a potluck BBQ party, it's important to … [Read more...]
Lemon Blueberry Coffee Cake
Mmmm...Lemon Blueberry Coffee Cake! One of my favourite flavour combinations is lemon and blueberry. Together, they are the perfect marriage of flavours. I love all things lemony and I wanted to use up some of the blueberries I had from last year so I could restock my freezer with blueberries to come this Summer! There's nothing that screams Summer like pulling over on … [Read more...]
How to Cut a Mango
My seven-year old daughter asked me to create a blog post on how to cut a mango, so here it is! This may sound funny, but whenever we eat mango, I always think of my grandparents. My grandfather showed me how to cut a mango (his way) when I was a little girl, and now I always cut it this way for Little One's lunches. When I was a little girl, I spent a lot of time at my … [Read more...]
Getting My Child to Eat her Food: The Truth Is…I Have No Tricks!
Several friends have asked me countless times how I get Little One to eat her school lunches every day. The truth is, I have no tricks or tips. We've just been very lucky that Little One happens to have an adventurous palate and a voracious appetite. Seriously. That is all. I was thinking about how all kids are different and have different tastes. What works for one … [Read more...]
Filipino Spring Roll Bites
The reason I call these Filipino Spring Roll Bites is that these appetizers are bite-sized versions of the Filipino favourite. Lumpia, also known as spring rolls, come in the vegetable version and the meat version. I love the vegetable lumpia and my husband and daughter love the meat version (Lumpia Shanghai). Ever since I was a little girl, experiencing my Mom and her … [Read more...]
Genmaicha: Gen Mai Tea ~ Evoking Memories Through Flavours
I often find it incredible how a certain fragrance, taste, or even a song can evoke memories. Have you ever had that experience where a certain smell can transport you to a particular time in your life? My Dad said that genmaicha does that for him. Dad recently told me about how his Grandmother used to use the leftover rice from meals and roast the grains to use for making … [Read more...]
Happy Year of the Monkey 2016! Plus a Beef & Broccoli Recipe!
Gung Hei Fat Choi! Happy New Year! As we welcome the Year of the Monkey, we wish you a happy, healthy New Year. Living on Manitoulin Island, I wanted to make sure that Little One is aware of her cultural heritage and that she embraces her roots. Yes, she was born in Canada and is Canadian, but she also has Filipino, Chinese, Caribbean, Scottish, English and even a bit of … [Read more...]
Lengua Estofada
Though my grandparents on my maternal side have both passed away, I think of them often. Most days, life goes on as it always does, but every now and then, something triggers a memory and I miss my grandparents tremendously. Cooking with my little one reminds me of my childhood and spending lots of time in my grandparents' kitchen. I was always curious about our … [Read more...]