Bacon Cheeseburger Soup

This soup is hearty and healthy.  It satisfies a craving for a cheeseburger, and it is a hit with kids.  It even uses up leftover mashed potatoes!

Ingredients:

1lb ground beef

3 rashers bacon

1 onion, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

1 celery stalk, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

8 mushrooms, halved then sliced

1 tbsp each mustard and ketchup

1 tbsp flour

1 14 oz can diced tomatoes

1 litre chicken stock

1 cup leftover mashed potatoes

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

6 dill pickles, chopped

1. In a large pot or dutch oven, cook the bacon slowly until the fat is rendered and it is becoming crispy on the edges.  Remove to a paper towel lined plate and set aside.  Drain the bacon fat from the pot. and add the ground beef, breaking it up and cooking it until it is very brown and caramelized.  Meanwhile, chop up the cooked bacon and set aside again, 

2.  Add the onions, celery, carrots, garlic and mushrooms to the pot and allow to cook sweat, cooking slowly.  When all the vegetables have released their water and become soft, stir in the mustard and ketchup, then the flour.  Cook for a further 3-4 minutes, then add the canned tomatoes and chicken broth.

3.  Simmer 15-20 minutes, then stir in the mashed potatoes to thicken the soup.  Allow the soup to heat through, then stir in half of the cheese.

4.  Serve hot, with the remaining cheese and the chopped bacon and pickles to sprinkle on top as garnish.

Grocery Store Beauty: Honey

This week I remembered the healing powers of honey.  With twin (almost) three year olds in the house, there are quite a few booboos that require minor first aid.  Not to mention some pretty ugly burns from the Nume curling wand I got for Christmas (I love that thing but damn! It's hot!).  As my husband and I had our third argument of the week over whether polysporin was helpful or hurtful, I had an epiphany.  Honey!  After my cesarean section, my doctor advised me to try applying honey to the incision scar to prevent infection (as a sidenote, I love that my doctor is knowledgable about and recommends natural remedies).  I applied it to the nasty burn on my thumb, and to the paper cut on my daughters finger.  It releived itching and helped heal these minor ouchies while also preventing infection.

A few days later, I woke up a mouth-breathing monster.  My throat was sore, I couldn't breath, I was weak and tired ... Ugh, I hate having a cold.  I acted like a baby and drank a lot of peppermint tea spiked with a lot of honey, and in less than 48 hours (a miserable 48 hours mind you ... Mostly for Suneil lol), I was almost back to myself!  My doctor, incidentally, has also recommended using honey instead of cough syrup, and for the kids I definitely prefer this delicious and naturally soothing antibiotic syrup to the potion of processed sugar, alcohol and artificial colour/flavour that is cough syrup.

Granted, this post is more about a grocery store pharmacy product than a grocery store beauty product, but honey has many uses as a beauty product as well.  Try using it for one of the following things:

-Apply about a tablespoon to your face as a face mask.  It will help kill bacteria and tighten your pores, while also providing a wonderful natural moisture and glow to your face.

-Stir about 2 tablespoons of honey with 2 tablespoons of coconut oil and 3 tablespoons of sugar, then use it as a scrub on your body and hands.  It will exfoliate, prevent body acne, and moisturize all at once!

-Stir a few tablespoons of honey with a few tablespoons of avocado or coconut oil and a splash of orange blossom water, then pour it into a warm bath before you get it.  It will moisturize and sooth your winter-dried skin, smell great, and cost next to nothing!

As a final counsel, make sure that you are using all natural, unpasteurized honey.  Get it unfiltered too if you can find it.  Otherwise all of the wonderful natural benefits will already be processed out of it.

My Favourite New Years Resolution Breakfast

Like the rest of the world, I am making attempts to be healthier in 2015.  My favourite hearty breakfast is quick and super simple to make, and it's a hit with the whole family.  I've made two batches already this week!

Meusli is new to me this year.  Previously, I had never tried making it because it seemed too simple to be truly delicious.  Also, something about the word "meusli" is a real turn off to me.  Strange, but true.
 

Now that I've tried it though, my breakfast rotation is forever changed.  Now I can serve oats for breakfast even if I don't have time to spend slowly cooking my father-in-laws amazing porridge (check out the recipe here: Creamy Cinnamon Porridge)

Now, I just need 5 minutes the night before, and a hearty, healthy and yummy breakfast is ready in the morning! What could be better?!?

Here's the link to the recipe: Hearty Overnight Oatmeal

 

Too Much Turkey Leftovers? Never!

After Christmas Dinner in my family there is an excited frenzy of filling containers with leftovers to take home.  I am always relieved to know that I won't have to cook for a day or two as we work through them.  After a day or so, though, I begin to wish I could eat something other than turkey sandwiches and leftover mashed potatoes.  With so much food leftover, though, it is hard to think about cooking up a meal with fresh ingredients and leaving the rest to go to waste. 

Start out by making a delicious broth from the turkey bones.  In a stick pot along with the bones, place a few carrots, a few onions, a bulb of garlic broken up (no need to peel any of this, just make sure its clean).  Add 3-4 bay leaves, a teaspoon of peppercorns, and any other vegetable trimmings you have on hand.  I keep a bag in my freezer where I place perfect stock-making goodies such as leek tops, parsley and other herb stems, the base from heads of celery, broccoli stems, corn cobs etc.  Cover it all with water and add a splash of white wine and place over a burner to simmer for 3 hours. Strain the broth, place it back into the pot and then reduce it for another 2-3 hours to make a concentrated fragrant golden liquid. 

Here are a few quick and simple recipe to use up more than just your turkey!

Buckwheat Crepes with Turkey, Wild Rice and Cranberries

Turkey Curry Soup

Hosting a Stress Free Christmas Dinner: The Big Day

With all of the prep done, here's what's left to do on the actual day.  Look how much relaxing is slotted in!  Just think how much wrapping paper you can clean up and how many batteries can be installed into wonderful noise-making toys!!  Alternatively you could spend the day trying on your new diamonds with different outfits (Ha!)  Or you could just watch Home Alone, Home Alone 2, Home Alone 3 ... This schedule will have dinner on the table between 5:30 and 6:30.

• 9:00 (5 minutes)

Take the pies out of the freezer and place in the garage/fridge to partially defrost.  Bring your turkey out of the cold to come to room temperature for a few hours before roasting.  Bring in the rest of the food to come to room temperature as well (cranberry sauce, stuffing components, etc.) but not the salad - it should be refrigerated until you are ready to serve it. 

• 11:30 (30-40 minutes)

Preheat the oven to 350 F.  Meanwhile, pick a handful of sage leaves and  place 1/4 cup butter in a small frying pan.  Heat the butter over medium heat until it begins to foam, then drop in the sage and allow to cook until it crisps up and the butter turns brown and smells fragrant and nutty (about 2 minutes).  Remove from the heat and use a slotted spoon to remove the crispy sage leaves to piece of paper towel on a small plate.  These will be sprinkled over the roasted carrots and parsnips later.  Put the browned butter into a bowl and add 1/4 cup maple syrup.  This will be used to glaze the turkey later on. 

Once the oven comes to temperature, put in the turkey along with the meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, without touching the bone.  Set the meat thermometer for 155 F.  You will want to cook the turkey to 170, but when it gets to 155, its time to glaze with that maple butter every 10 min or so with a pastry brush until the turkey comes to 170.  If you have a fresh turkey that has never been frozen and is at room temperature, this could take as little as two hours.  A previously frozen turkey will take 3-4 hours depending on the size of your turkey.

Heat the stuffing base (onion, celery, butter and herb mixture) in a pan or the microwave until the butter melts, then toss together with all of the dried bread cubes.  Stuff it all into the slow cooker along with the turkey neck and pour over a splash of chicken or turkey broth.  Place the slow cooker on low or medium setting for 4-5 hours.  Keep an eye (and a nose) on it and check it each hour or so to make sure the bottom is not getting to brown.  It is okay to gently move it around and get different parts to the edge to brown.  A little browning and crisping on the edges is what you want, but you don't want it to burn.  You can also prevent it overbrowning by adding more splashes of broth, but be careful not to add too much and make it soggy.

• 3:00  (45 minutes-1 hour)

Set the table, including buns, butter, salt, pepper and cranberry sauce. (Ideally, someone else could do this for you, since you're preparing them a gourmet dinner!)   Prepare another surface for the buffet with a tablecloth and all of your serving platters.  You will probably need to begin glazing your turkey every 10-15 minutes at this point too.  When the turkey comes to 170 F, remove it from the oven, place it on a large platter or cutting board, tent it with foil and let it rest at least 30 minutes or up to 90 minutes before carving and serving.  Heat the oven now to 400 F.  Now make the gravy.  Remove the vegetables from the roasting pan.  Place the roasting pan directly onto a burner or two on your stove and turn it to medium heat. Add a splash of wine and cook it down, scraping up all the brown bits you can.  Add some chicken stock and/or water to make the volume of gravy that you want and bring it to a simmer.  In a mug or bowl, mix 1/2 cup of flour and 1 cup water until it is smooth and there are no lumps.  Pour about a third of it into your gravy and allow it to simmer.  If it is not thick enough, add more flour mixture and simmer again.  Continue until you have the right consistency (Coats the back of a spoon) then season to taste with salt and pepper and pour into (microwave safe) gravy boats (or if your family loves gravy as mine does, a small pitcher) and cover with foil to keep warm.   Have a cup of tea (or a cocktail ... maybe two).

• 4:15 (90 minutes)

This is the home stretch and the busiest task list.  It will take less time if you have a helper or two.  It might take longer if you've had more than two cocktails haha.  Try to delegate if possible, but even if you are on your own, 90 minutes of concentrated work should get it done.

Place the pot of potatoes on a burner, add a good amount of salt, and turn it on high.  Put the lid on and bring to a boil.  Once boiling, they should take about 20 minutes to become tender, depending how large the pieces are.  Check them occasionally.  Once they are fork tender, drain them and leave them in the pot with the lid on to keep warm. 

Meanwhile, Toss the carrots and parsnips with olive oil, salt and pepper (or, if you have some as I do this year, replace the olive oil with duck fat Mmmmmm), then spread out on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and put in the oven.  Set the timer for 30 minutes.  Check the potatoes.

Place the Brussels sprouts and squash into two large sauté pans.  Add a glug of chicken stock (just enough to cover the bottom of the pan) and some salt to each pan then cover and set over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until they are about halfway cooked.  At that point, remove the lid and allow the stock to evaporate and the vegetables to brown. (Check and drain the potatoes?) Don't move them around too much or they won't caramelize.  This will take a further 10 minutes or so.  You could also roast them off the way you did the carrots and parsnips if you don't have the space on your cooktop to do them.  I find the Brussels sprouts get a little bitter that way, but they are still good.  Check the parsnips and carrots and remove them from the oven when they have begun to brown and caramelize.  If they are not finished after 30 minutes, add another 5-10 minutes to the timer.

Take the salad from the fridge, sprinkle it with the grated cheddar cheese and the pea shoots or alfalfa sprouts and set on your buffet table.

Use a pastry brush to brush the tops of the pies with full cream and sprinkle with white sugar.  Remove the parsnips/carrots from the oven, turn it down to 350F and then put the pies in for 1 hour.

Put an appropriate amount of cream and butter into a microwave safe dish and heat gently in the microwave while you rice the potatoes (push them through the ricer back into the pot).  Add the heated cream, some salt and pepper, stir and taste to check seasoning.  Leave in the pot, covered, to keep warm.

Carve the turkey and put the platter on the buffet, covered with foil.  Don't forget to place all of the bones and carcass into a stock pot to make a delicious broth in a few days!

Place the carrots and parsnips on a platter, drizzle with balsamic reduction, sprinkle with sage leaves and place on the buffet.

Put the Brussels sprouts and squash on a platter, sprinkle with walnuts and goat cheese and use a small grater or microplane to grate over the zest of a lemon or two. 

Reheat the gravy in the microwave and place on the buffet.

Put the potatoes and stuffing into a large bowls and place on the buffet. 

Invite everyone to come and serve themselves.  Pour yourself a glass of wine (or tea).  Once they've all finished, dish yourself up a plate, remove the pies from the oven to cool, and enjoy your masterpiece! (and a few more glasses of wine ... or tea)

Hosting a Stress Free Christmas Dinner: Part Three

Today, my grocery delivery came and taught me a lesson in planning vs. improvisation.  I had ordered delivery for today (4 days before Christmas) to give my turkey ample time to thaw.  When it arrived today, it was fresh not frozen. No big deal.  The compound butter was not cranberry sage flavoured, but rosemary and roasted garlic.  That will still be delicious under the turkey skin, so no problem.  Leaf lettuce was unavailable, so I will have to make a trip to the store at some point (Darn!).  I'm sure I will realise we need something else anyway. I'll probably try to go at midnight or so, since the stores are open 24 hours this week (Crazy).  Also, the sprouts I ordered turned out to be pea shoots.  The thing is though, what makes this stress free is the attitude you bring to it. Don't sweat the small stuff.  Make a few changes to your plan and make it work!

Here's what needs to be done on Christmas Eve.  There will be a party at my house that evening, but I am not responsible for the food that night.  So, I will be able to spend the day prepping for Christmas Dinner instead.  These tasks should take around 2 hours.

• Prepare the Turkey:  Peel 3 carrots, clean 3 stalks of celery, and half and peel 3 onions.  Place it all in the bottom of your roasting pan to create a roasting rack that will also give great flavour to your turkey and your gravy.  Next, get an orange and stud it with 15-20 cloves. Clean and dry a sprig each of rosemary, thyme and sage. Rinse and half another onion, and cut the top off of a whole bulb of garlic.  Fill a very small bowl with salt and freshly ground pepper.  Place your Turkey on a large plastic cutting board or piece of wax paper.  Pat it dry with paper towel.  Put a few good pinches of salt and pepper into the cavity, then shove in the orange, herbs, garlic and onion.  Next place a wooden spoon or your hand between the turkey skin and flesh and loosen it as much as you can without tearing it.  Use your hands to spread the compound butter all over the breasts and legs of the turkey, under the skin.  This is very messy but so worth it.  Lastly, sprinkle the outside of the turkey with plenty more salt and pepper, then put the lid on the roasting pan and pop the whole thing in the fridge/garage until the next morning. 

• Prepare the Vegetables:  Peel and rinse the potatoes, then cut them into somewhat uniform size (the size of a lime is a good goal), place them in a large pot and cover them with water. Next, peel the parsnips and carrots then cut them into finger size pieces.  Place them on a parchment lined baking sheet, making sure they are not crowded or piled on top of one another.  Cover with plastic wrap. Clean the Brussels sprouts, then cut the bottoms off.  Cut them so that they are fairly uniform size, leaving tiny ones whole, medium ones in half, and larger ones in quarters or thirds. Place them in an airtight container.  Peel and deseed the squash then cut into 1/2 inch chunks.  Place in an airtight container. Put all of the prepared veggies into the fridge/garage until tomorrow.

• Set the table:  If you don't need the space or have young children who will mess it up, its a good idea to set the table and set out all of your serving platters etc the day before so that you don't have to worry about it on the big busy day.  Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on your outlook on life) I do have curious toddlers, so I am simply going to lay out my tablecloths and press them if necessary, put out my china and silverware in piles that will be easy for someone else to sort and set out tomorrow, and choose all of my serving platters and spoons to set aside so they will be ready and available. 

• Make the Layered Salad:  This recipe is inspired by my mom's classic layered salad, as well as by a recipe for Retro Layered Salad from Jamie Oliver's cookbook Jamie's Comfort Food (2014).  Here's the link for my hybrid creation :  Amanda's Festive Layered Salad  The cheddar cheese and sprouts/shoots are to be added just before serving, so just make sure the cheese is grated and the sprouts are clean so you can finish the salad off in less than a minute tomorrow!

Hosting a Stress Free Christmas Dinner: Part Two

The best way to ensure you spend the day relaxing and enjoying family time on Christmas Day is to commit some time in the few days before Christmas to get most of the work done. 

Here is my plan for getting it all done without stress or kitchen chaos.  I have not included amounts as it will depend how many people you are serving. 

I suggest allocating a place in your home to place your turkey to thaw (if you're using a frozen one give it at least three days) and to put all of your other prepared food until you need it.  In winter, I use the work bench in my garage, as it is very near the same temperature as my fridge, and keeps my fridge clear for other stuff. 

Two days before Christmas:

Actually, all of these tasks could be completed up to 5 days before the big meal.  Once the bread is dry and hard (after a few days), just place it into bread bags and store until you need it. 

The following tasks should take you 60-90 minutes, unless you are making buns which will take about 4.5 hours in total, about 45 minutes of which is actual hands-on work.  Of course, purchasing buns from the grocery store is also perfectly acceptable!!

• Make the Buns: My mom thankfully offered to make the buns for Christmas dinner (and leftovers!) but if you want to make them, check out the recipe:  click here for the link to my mother's bun recipe

• Make the cranberry-cherry-orange sauce: In a medium saucepan, place roughly equal amounts of fresh cranberries and frozen cherries.  Add about 1/2 cup sugar and 4 tbsp. marmalade for each two cups of berries.  Pop in a cinnamon stick and add a splash of water and turn the heat on to medium. Bring to a simmer and allow the sugar to dissolve, then taste it and add more sugar to suit your tastes (be careful as it is HOT!) Allow to simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15-20 minutes, or until it becomes slightly thick and coats the back of a spoon.  Taste one last time and adjust sweetness if necessary.  Refrigerate until needed.

• Make the honey balsamic reduction: I suggest using a whole bottle of balsamic vinegar for this, no matter how many people you are serving.   The reason is that this stuff is amazing drizzled over just about anything: omelets, pasta dishes, salads, even ice cream.  Pour the balsamic into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer.  Simmer gently until it is reduced by two thirds.  Add a few tablespoons of honey and continue simmering until it becomes syrupy and coats the back of a spoon.  Remove from the heat and allow to cool before pouring into a squeeze bottle.  Store until needed.  No need to refrigerate.

• Prepare the ingredients for the stuffing: Start by cutting the white bread into 1 inch pieces and placing them out on trays to dry.  Leave them somewhere out of the way until you need them on Christmas day.  They will become dry, hard and stale, which is exactly what you want.  Next, for each loaf of bread you are using, chop 2 medium onions and two celery stalks along with about a teaspoon each of fresh thyme, rosemary and sage.  If you have the turkey neck, gizzard and heart, brown them in a large frying pan with a little oil, then set aside.  In the same large frying pan, melt 1/2 cup of butter.  Add the vegetales and herbs along with 1 teaspoon of poultry seasoning, 1/2 tsp of garlic powder, and a large pinch of salt. Cook until softened, about 15 minutes, scraping up any brown bits from the neck etc, and then add a splash of white wine and allow it to cook down for a few more minutes.  And yes, at this point you are essentially boiling your vegetables in butter.  It's only once a year my friends! Refrigerate the cooked down mixture with the neck etc. until Christmas morning when you will combine it with the stale bread, pack it into your slow cooker with a splash of chicken stock, and leave it be until dinner time!

• Roast and Chop the Walnuts: Place the whole nuts in a microwave safe dish.  Microwave on high for one minute.  Stir.  Continue microwaving at one minute increments, stirring each time, until the walnuts become fragrant.  Be very careful not to overcook or burn them.  If you think they are almost done, switch to 20-30 second increments.   Cool slightly, then chop roughly and store.

• Boil the Eggs:  These are for the layered salad.  Simply place as many eggs as you want (I'm doing one egg for every 3-4 people) into a small saucepan, cover with water, bring to the boil and set the timer for 6 minutes.  When the 6 minutes are up, remove the pan from the heat, drain the eggs and cover with cool water.  Once cool, refrigerate until needed.

Hosting a Stress Free Christmas Dinner: Part One

The key to being stress free on Christmas Day even if you are cooking and hosting the meal is to plan and work ahead.  Now, admittedly I do not have a solution for the stress caused by the dynamic of a large gathering of family members.  I don't have that problem (wink) so I can only make suggestions for the workload, but I do think that reducing stress in one area helps make other stresses easier to deal with.

It is not too late for you to implement this plan, even if you are reading this post just three of four days before Christmas.  Here's what's on the menu:
Butter Basted Turkey with aromatics and maple-sage glaze; mashed potatoes; gravy; onion and sage stuffing; cranberry-cherry-orange sauce; Roast carrots and Parsnips with honey balsamic reduction and crispy sage leaves; sautéed Brussels sprouts and squash with lemon, walnuts and goat cheese; layered salad; homemade buns with butter; Saskatoon pie with ice cream.

First, Get the Groceries (3-7 days before the event)

I bought most of my groceries a full week before Christmas to avoid the zoo-like arena that the stores become in the days before Christmas.  My turkey and veggies and a few other things that needed to be fresh are being delivered 4 days before Christmas. 

As always, I can't stress enough the importance of buying the best ingredients you can afford.  I ordered my turkey from a nearby Hutterite colony.  Buying free-range or natural protocol poultry makes such a huge difference in the flavour and texture of the meat.  It is also important to seek out and purchase sustainably caught seafood and fish.  I also get most of my vegetables, cheeses and other ingredients locally as much as possible.  Obviously citrus fruits and many other ingredients are just not available locally in central Canada, but I have been pleasantly surprised with the range of local foods that are available.  Local ingredients are more fresh and delicious as well as being more sustainable food sources (ie better for the environment).

Currently I use a grocery delivery service called Local and Fresh (Regina Only) that has made partnerships with many local farmers and artisans to provide easy access to a wide variety of locally grown and crafted products.  Check out their link if you live in Regina : localandfresh.ca

Finally, here is the link to the grocery list: Link to Christmas Dinner Grocery List
I have not provided amounts, and will not likely do so in the recipes either, you will have to improvise based on the number of people you are serving.

You will also need a large roasting tin that can also be placed directly onto the burner of your stove, a large slow cooker, a potato ricer and a digital meat thermometer as well as many other commonly used kitchen items that I assume you already have (baking trays, pots and pans and serving dishes etc.)

Cheap and Easy Holiday Crafts

Here are three crafts simple enough for toddlers using materials you may already have around the house.  They are super fun and make minimal mess as there is no paint involved!

Here are the materials needed for each, the rest is obvious!

 

For the Santa:

paper plate, googly eyes, red construction paper cut in the shape of santa's hat, cotton balls, a red pompon for the nose, a brown marker to draw the mouth, white glue 

For the Snowman:

2 paper plates, googly eyes, blue construction paper cut in the shape of a hat (and scarf if you want), orange construction paper cut in the shape of a carrot nose, pompoms for buttons, pipe cleaners for twiggy arms, small circles for the mouth (we used the eyes that popped out of our gingerbread men but you could use a hole punch and some construction paper), a stapler and white glue 

For the Gingerbread Men:

foam gingerbread man shapes (or cut some from construction paper), Pom poms, glitter glue in squeeze tubes, border stickers or ribbon and glue 

Grocery Store Beauty Products: All Natural Toners

A few months ago I made a wonderful discovery.  I had been struggling for a few months to find an affordable toner at the drugstore that still made my skin feel great. My oily-combination skin really needs something soothing and balancing - not too drying, and with anti-aging benefits too.

I had tried Burts Bee's Radiance Toner with Royal Jelly and I really liked it, but I found it hard to find and it was more than $20 a bottle, so I began searching for something cheaper.  I tried a few common drugstore brands but I found it nearly impossible to find anything that was paraben and sulphate free, as well as being alcohol free.  Any toner that contained alcohol (pretty much all of them) left my skin dry and patchy in some places and extra oily in my t-zone because my skin was overcompensating for the drying quality of the alcohol.

Then I discovered Rose Water and Orange Blossom water.  I have to give credit to Youtuber Lisa Pullano as it was watching her videos that inspired me to try using these products as toners.  I have kept these two items in my pantry for years as ingredients I used occasionally in recipes (try stirring a bit of rosewater and honey into some yogurt and drizzling over roasted figs, YUM!).  These two products smell so amazing and are less than $5 a bottle at the grocery store!! (check the international items aisle).  The only ingredients are rose petals/oranges and water.

I noticed a difference in my skin immediately.  Using orange blossom water in the morning and rose water in the evening, the dry patches on my face disappeared and the oiliness of my t-zone decreased dramatically.  I have since even learned that flower waters (aka hydrosols) have anti-aging benefits such as being packed with anti-oxidants that make them anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial as well as antiseptic. They also contains small amounts of hydrating essential oils. They are said to help with acne and redness and to prevent and even reduce the appearance of wrinkles.  They are gentle enough to use even around the delicate eye area.  Best of all, they smell amazing.  I find the rose water very soothing which makes it perfect for before bed.  The orange blossom water is the perfect natural, subtle and exotic perfume.  It is even said that the scent can reduce stress and anxiety, which makes it a perfect start to the day.  Since I began using these products, I have received so many compliments to the beauty of my skin and I believe these are the products that have made the difference.

A few other things you can do with these products:

• put a few drops into cake batter or frosting to give a subtle aroma
• Pour a few teaspoons into your bath water for a soothing soak
• Put it into a spray bottle to use as a makeup setting spray or hydrating spray throughout the day
• Pour a few teaspoons into a pot of simmering water to create a natural air freshener

Perfect Holiday Baking: Tips and recipes

Here are my holiday recipes that I am making this year, along with tips to make them the best they can be.  I have collected links to all my favourite recipes from various websites, and have developed a new recipe myself!

As with all recipes, better ingredients make a superior product.  Wherever a recipe calls for chocolate (baking squares, chocolate chips or whatever) I always substitute 70% dark chocolate (the best quality for the best price that I have found is the huge 300g Presidents Choice brand bars sold at Superstore/Loblaws).  Whatever chocolate you choose to use, make sure to find something with the percentage of cocoa solids clearly labelled.  If it is nowhere to be found anywhere on the package, who knows what you are really getting. I find many popular brands of chocolate chips and baking squares to be overly sweet and very waxy in texture.  To get a beautiful deep chocolate flavour and smooth texture, I suggest a cocoa solids percentage of at least 50%.  Costco sells packages of chocolate chips that are 51% cocao solids.  It is also important to use pure vanilla extract or vanilla powder, and I always use butter in my recipes, never margarine.

The holidays are a time to indulge and you will see that these recipes do not call for whole wheat flour, healthy fats, or anything that is very good for you.  Eat them in moderation and enjoy!  I love to make big batches and then make little packages to give as gifts.  They make a perfect hostess gift for a holiday party or dinner, they are great for taking to work as a share-able treat, or dropping of with neighbours and friends.  Just grab some cute holiday tins at the dollar store and let the generosity of the season take over!

Here are links to the recipes!  Click on the recipe title to see the actual recipe.

Crunchy, Sweet and Salty Squares (aka crunch "bars")

This recipe from Kraft Canada is so easy, and you probably have the ingredients on hand already. This square starts with a humble soda cracker, but the result is so delicious you would never guess!  The recipe calls for walnuts as a topper, but I love to add crushed candy canes as well.  They are also great with pistachios, toasted coconut, or slivered almonds.  You can customize to suit your family's tastes or allergies!  Be sure to use salted crackers, as the sweet and salty combination is what makes these so special.

Peanut Butter Fudge

This recipe from Sorted Food is very quick and easy to make.  Watch the video to get great tips and tricks to make this turn out perfectly.  Since they are Brits, the recipe is in weight measurements. See the link for the video and instructions, and here are the North Americanized measurements as best I can approximate:
1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp butter
200 mL milk
2.5 cups loosely packed brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup crunchy peanut butter
2 1/2 cups icing sugar

Ginger Marmalade Sandwich Cookies

I love these citrusy cookies from Rachael Ray, and the basic cookie dough can be made into so many different varieties of cookies (you can check some of them out in the link).  These are my favourites, and I use the Presidents Choice Black Label Seville Orange Marmalade from Superstore/Loblaws.  It really makes these cookies special.  Any high quality marmalade will do, but one with a nice bitter note will be best to contrast the sweetness of the cookie.

My Homemade Nanaimo Bars

Suneil grew up with Nanaimo Bars at Christmas time, so when he requested these this year I knew I needed to develop a recipe to suit my own tastes.  Since I was horrified by the ingredient list on the store-bought custard powder, I decided to experiment and come up with my own delectable filling.  This recipe is also inspired by a new friend of mine, who reminded me that the key to the success of a Nanaimo Bar is in the consistency of the filling: it should be soft enough to squeeze out the sides just a little when you bite into it.  You do not want it to gush out the sides as you eat it, nor do you want it to rest firmly in place without moving.  At room temperature, I think I have achieved that with this recipe.

New Series!: Garden and Farmer"s Market Recipes

Of late, my cooking inspiration has come from the bounty of fresh summer fruits and veggies that I have had on hand.  My garden is full of cherry tomatoes, lettuce, kale, leeks, swiss chard, cucumbers and herbs.  My sister's massive garden provides beets, carrots, potatoes, onions, turnips, summer squash, beans and peas: enough to feed four families! In addition to that, we are members of the local CSA (community supported agriculture) with The Green Ranch (thegreenranch.ca) from which we get weekly delivieries of fresh organic vegetables.  This abundance of fresh delicious produce has been inspiring us to eat such healthy meals.  It is easy to make vegetables taste fantastic when they are fresh from the dirt!

I have tired of my Frugal Friday series, and I have decided to begin this new series, inspired by seasonal produce that is available in Saskatchewan this time of year. If you don't have a garden at home, consider joining a CSA near you, or shop at your local farmer's market

A harvest from my sister's garden.  I sauteed these in butter with some chopped shallots, then sprinkled them with paremsan cheese.  

This week, the recipe is Roasted Root Vegetable Chips.  These are quick and tasty, and great for using up those smaller vegetables that are too much work to peel before using (golf ball size is perfect.  Don't use smaller vegetables for this or the chips will be tiny!)  To see the recipe, click on the title, or find the link above among all of my recipe links!

I chose to remove these from the oven before they were too crispy, and I drizzled them with greek yogurt to serve.

June favourites!

Here are my favourite things from the month of June!

Beauty:

My number one favourite new product this month is my Loreal Majic Nude Foundation.  I had been putting off buying it because it is quite expensive ($19-$20 Canadian) for a drugstore foundation, and I just didn't need a new one.  When London Drugs had all Loreal foundations for $11.99 I took advantage and picked this up.  I loved it instantly.  It is a very thin consistency so it blends out really quickly and easily, but it also provides a really good medium coverage that looks really natural.  It tranforms into a powder finish when it sets so it gives a really beautiful finish to the skin.  It gives the coverage of a liquid with the lightweight feel and look of a powder.  Perfect for spring and summer!  I only wish it had SPF protection (that would make it worth the almost $20 price tag!)

My other beauty favourites have all been lipsticks, so watch for a post all about my most loved and hated lip products soon!

Parenting:

This month I have to write about something that has been one of my favourite parenting, beauty, and food products for quite a while, but I use it so often and in so many different ways that I always forget about it!  This miracle multi-purpose product is Cold-pressed Extra Virgin Coconut Oil.  I get mine in a huge tub from costco which stays in my kitchen.  Then I scoop some of it into containers that I keep in my own room and in P's room.  I use this stuff numerous times a day.  I'll stick to its parenting purposes for today, but it also has so many health benefits when used in cooking or as a beauty product.  Google it people!!

P sucks her thumb as she falls asleep, so she often gets sores on her lips and thumbs from this habit.  I apply coconut oil to her lips and thumbs a few times a day and the sores clear right up.  This stuff is perfect because it doesn't matter  if she ends up ingesting it .  For that reason I cant use polysporin or anything like that as it is being applied to spots that will inevitably end up in her mouth.

Once I started using coconut oil for that specific purpose and seeing how well it worked, I started trying it for other things as well.  Low and behold, it works great on cuts and scrapes before you put on a band-aid because of its anti-bacterial and anti-fingal properties. It is great for bug bites for the same reason, and it even soothes and heals diaper rash!  It is perfect as an all-over moisturizer for dry skin (which D suffers from terrribly).

I also use it a ton in baking and cooking because of its health benefits, but I'll write more about that in a future post.  If you don't already have some of this miracle oil in your house, you should consider getting some as soon as possible.  I just keep on discovering its wonderful qualities and uses!  

Cooking and Food:

Cooking: This month I have been inspired by a tall stack of cookbooks that I picked up at my local library.  I love food reading, and I am always interested in cookbooks written by celebrity chefs or cookbooks all about a certain country I am interested in at any given time.  My local library has a ton of cookbooks, and I bet yours does too.  For free!!  Check it out if you're a frugal food lover like me.

Food: This month I stopped drinking coffee to see if it would help me feel better, since I had been ill.  It didn't :( but I did find that I started sleeping better and those terrible headaches I'd been getting went away (the ones that used to start a few hours after I forgot to drink my coffee...).  So, I didn't start up again.  Instead I started making a cup of herbal tea in the morning, and my favourite is the Presidents Choice brand Chocolatey Chai herbal tea.  It smells so good, and with a little splash of milk it satisfies my craving for something hot in the morning.  Also satisfies my craving for something dessert-ish in the evening. Ok, the stuff is delicious any time of day. Its cheap too. Bonus!

Random Stuff:

I have, of course, been watching TV and reading books this month.  I have not, unfortunately, come across anything so wonderful that I feel the need to recommend it here today.  If I'm gonna call it a favourite, it has to be pretty great. 

Frugal Friday: Quick and Easy Frozen Snacks

Here are some of my favourite things to make and have ready in the freezer for P and D all summer long.  They are quick and easy, cool and refreshing, and most importantly: super healthy! If you don't already own a Popsicle Mould, then you need to get one! It is one of my most used summer items, and my kids LOVE all sorts of healthy creations I freeze in them.  You could also use shot glasses and Popsicle sticks in a pinch.  Alternatively, the banana coconut lollipops need nothing but a few coffee stir sticks.

Banana Blueberry Yogurt Pops:  

I make these often because The ingredients are staples that I always have in my house. 

In a large bowl, mash one ripe banana.  Stir in one cup of plain yogurt (you can use flavoured yogurt, but then don't use the honey), one heaped spoonful of almond butter, one tablespoon of honey. Stir vigorously until smooth, then fold in a handful of fresh or frozen blueberries.  Spoon into Popsicle moulds, add the sticks and pop into the freezer for at least 3 hours.  Run the mould under hot water for a few seconds to loosen the pops and make them easy to remove from the mould.

Mango Lime Fruit Pops:  

I make these when cases of mangoes go on sale.  In order to use them all while they are still delicious, I have had to get creative!

Peel 2 ripe mangoes and remove the pits.  Place the flesh of the mangoes into a blender with the zest and juice of one lime and a few leaves of mint.  Taste and add a little honey if you want, though it's not really necessary if you're using good mangoes.  Pour the purée into Popsicle moulds and freeze for at least 3 hours.  Run the mould under hot water for a few seconds to loosen the pops and make them easy to remove from the mould.

Banana Coconut Lollipops:  

These are just so easy and again, I always have all of the ingredients on hand.  P and D literally cannot get enough of these!

Slice 1-2 bananas into thick-ish rounds (about 1.5 cm).  Stick each slice with a coffee stir stick through the rounded (uncut) side.  Place on a sheet of parchement paper on a pan, then place in the freezer for at least 2 hours.  Fill two small, shallow dishes: one with plain or flavoured yogurt, and one with unsweetened desiccated shredded coconut.  Remove the frozen banana sticks from the freezer and dip both sides into the yogurt, then quickly into the coconut.  Eat immediately, or place back on the pan and into the freezer until you're ready to serve them.  

Bonus tip: these lollipops can be made using infinite substitutions or combinations.  Try substituting melted peanut butter or (for a real treat) Nutella for the yogurt.  The coconut can be replaced with chopped peanuts, almonds or any nut, or crunchy cereal.  Use whatever you have on hand that your kids love!

Frugal Friday: Another Garden Update

A few weeks ago Suneil and I finally manages to get all of our plants into the ground.  They had been taking up space and making a mess in my house for months, so when the weather finally seemed to be turning, Suneil and I got out there and planted our first family garden!

Admittedly, by the time we got all of the plants outside there were a few that were a little worse for wear.  The beans in particular were planted much too early. I will know for next year NOT to follow the package instructions.  I will plant indoors 3-4 weeks before the last frost rather than the instructed 6-8 weeks.  Most of my okra plants died as well, I think due to lack of sunlight.  They got very spindly reaching for the light and eventually just gave up.  Two okra plants survived, and I planted them along with some seed which is sprouting now, so hopefully I will still get at least one okra harvest before fall.

The rest of the plants seem to be adjusting well and I am very excited to watch my garden grow and reap the benefits all summer long!!  This weeks project (for my dad!) is to rig up some sprinklers so that the garden will still get watered while we are away on vacation.

Here are a few pictures!

Our little plot

This pallet holds lettuce and herbs

This pallet is filled with radishes, chard, spinach and romaine lettuce

I wanted my peas and beans to grow up our chain link fence, so I am trying to grow them in these window boxes

Frugal Friday: Perfect Vegetable Recipes for Smmer

My family eats vegetarian one night per week in order to save money, be healthier and be earth friendly.  These are a few recipes we have enjoyed so far this spring.  These dishes use seasonal ingredients and hot-weather friendly grill cooking.  Click on the title to find the recipe, or find it in my list of recipes at the top of my blog page.

My Grilled Ratatouille recipe is extremely versatile.  The combination of tender eggplant and zucchini with sweet tomato and onion is addictive.  It makes a wonderful main course served with bread, quinoa or pasta.  It would be wonderful on top of a baked potato, or as a side dish with any protein.  It could also be used as a condiment to accompany a cheese platter, to top grilled bread or bruschetta, or to spread on a sandwich or wrap.  It is wonderful hot, cold or at room temperature.  The key is to season it carefully until it is perfectly balanced with a touch of salt, pepper and vinegar.

The Green Spring Pizza is a refreshing twist on a traditional pizza.  I love minty peas, and paired with the fresh zucchini, asparagus, and tangy lemon-scented goat's cheese, it is sublime.  Everything about this recipe is light, fresh and summery.  Since my kids love pizza, it was easy to sell them on all these green veggies!

Review: Cypress Hills Provincial Park, Saskatchewan

This past weekend I had the pleasure of travelling with my family (including my parents) to Cypress Hills Provincial Park.  We enjoyed ourselves so much that I just had to write a review and include some of the highlights!

We camped in the Warlodge campground and it was beautiful.  The bathrooms were clean and the shower facilities were immaculate and had plenty of warm water. It was wonderful to literally share the space with abundant wildlife.  We saw many deer and a few moose sightings as well, including a mother moose wandering through our campsite with her baby not far behind! The park was perfect because there were plenty of places to grab ice cream, a quick lunch, or any supplies you might need.

This mother moose had to literally step around our clothesline to walk through our campsite!

The beach was small but sandy and the water seemed to have a sandy bottom as well.  We didn't go in the water, having seen quite a lot of algae around the small lake.  We spent one morning at the pool which was perfect for children of any age.  There was a large splash pool that was perfect for P and D (two years old) as they could play safely while we watched from the pool chairs.  There was also a large pool with many different depths that would be fun and safe for any other age child.  We were lucky enough to have free swim days, and lifeguards were still present.

We also visited a few of the local attractions.  We all went to Fort Walsh for a morning tour and picnic lunch. The drive was quite long from the campground (1 hour) but very scenic, with breathtaking views and more chances for wildlife sightings. We all enjoyed the Fort, though we did not follow the guided tour.  Instead we followed the whim of our toddlers who were fascinated by all of the old buildings filled with furs, old tools and antique furniture.  They also loved checking out the old wagons and eating fresh baked cookies straight from the wood oven.  The fort was staffed by locals recreating characters typical of the period in which Fort Walsh was thriving.  They were helpful and passionate about the stories they told.  They were also extremely knowledgeable about the local environment and the local history.  We enjoyed our picnic in the Visitor Center cafeteria because it was raining, but despite the patchy weather, we enjoyed our visit very much.

The wagon at Fort Walsh

Suneil and I visited the Zip Line park in the park core.  We did the canopy tour for $75 which is advertised as a 2 hour tour, but only took one hour.  We suspect this is because we  were in a group of 4 rather than the 8 person maximum.  We prefered the smaller group and found the tour to be a good value nonetheless. We felt very safe and enjoyed the staff and the views, as well as the thrill!  It was a great activity for an afternoon and we got a little exercise as well (though it is by no means necessary to be extremely fit to participate).  We enjoyed it so much that we took P and D back later that day to check out the baby zip lines, which were lines low to the ground where they placed swings that the kids could ride along.  They loved it.

We had a fantastic weekend and would definitely recommend this park, as well as any of the sites and activities we visited while there.

Check out the pizza oven Suneil and Dad built!

A simple pre-cooked crust with sauce, grated cheese and fresh basil.  Yum!

Happy Fathers Day!: The Toddler Tag

 As soon as I saw this video tag on Youtube I knew I wanted to do it with P and D.  Its so cute! And what a perfect way to make a record of what they are like as two year olds!  I have been wanting to film it for a long time and with Father's Day coming up soon it seemed like a fun way to record just what P and D are like on Suneil's third fathers day.  Now we will have a record of all their likes and dislikes, and a video of them in all their soggy diaper, dirty t-shirt, messy ponytail, incomprehenisible response toddler glory. Please enjoy this completely unedited, unrehearsed video.  We had a blast making it for all the great dad's in  our lives.  Happy Fathers Day Suneil(Wizardad), Grandpa and Babaji!!

Click on the link below to watch our video!
Happy Fathers Day Toddler Tag

Not so Frugal Friday?!? New Sephora in my City!

Today was an exciting and historic day in my city, Regina Saskatchewan, because we finally have a Sephora!!  It opened this morning and my sister-in-law and I were among the first to enter.  Now, it may come as a surprise for a makeup nerd like myself, but before this morning I had never been in a Sephora. I had ordered online, and my husband (saint that he is) would stop in to the Saskatoon location for me once in a while to pick up this or that if he was there for work.  Needless to day, it blew my mind.  I had been looking forward to this date with my sis-in-law ever since we found out Sephora was coming to Regina, and we had a blast.

I spent more money than I intended, and I cant even claim to have gotten good deals, as all we received was a measly and somewhat useless makeup bag (I mean, what makeup nerd doesn't already have way more of those than we already need??).  Still, it was a deeply rewarding and satisfying shopping trip on which I was able to swatch a ton of stuff I had been very curious about, and purchase some things I had long been waiting to own.

Among my purchases were a bite lipstick pencil, a Sephora cream lip stain, another Sephora lipstick, a Nars creamy concealer, a sample of Josie Maran coconut watercolour cheek stain, a Formula X for Sephora nailpolish, and a Beauty Blender solid brush cleaner.

My instant favourite is the Sephora cream lip stain in colour 01 red, which I put on as soon as I got home, and it lasted through lunch, the afternoon, and snacks eaten on the go while out at some community events.  I have been searching for the perfect red lipstick, and I have definitely found it!

Stay tuned for more reviews in future monthly favourites posts!

Perfect Red Lipstick!

Frugal Friday: My Whole Wheat Bread

Making bread at home can save a lot of money, and it is not as difficult or time consuming as you might think.  If you have a good and simple recipe, then the more you make it, the better and faster it will get.

 It has taken me a long time to test and perfect my whole wheat bread recipe. Recently I tweaked a few things and found my recipe turned out perfectly.  My recipe takes 3 hours total, but only about 30 minutes of hands-on work.  It makes 3 loaves of bread that are delicious fresh or from the freezer.  I have included every detail for making this bread turn out tender and delicious.  Click Here for the recipe!