The Agricultural Alphabet Starts with Bee ~ I’m someone who truly appreciates nature, including, and probably most importantly, the wondrous bounty of fruits, vegetables, and flowers it provides us with each year. My sensibilities as a cook are always greatly heightened with the arrival of each year's new crop and the anticipation of using fruits and vegetables literally bursting with flavour and freshness. Photo credit: Florian Martys via VisualHunt.com / CC BY-NC-SA Let's face it … [Read more...]
Let’s Do Our Part to Give Poverty The Boot {w/Twitter Party}
April 20, 2017 by · 2 Comments
Did you know Roma Boots merges fashion with philanthropy to give poverty the boot? Well, they do! Their mission is to bring impoverished children throughout the world hope, love, and lasting change through aid and education. For every pair of boots sold, a new pair is donated to a child in need. Honestly, why can't every company do this? It would make such a huge difference in the lives of so many! ABOUT ROMA BOOTS Roma was founded in 2010 by Samuel Bistrian, who wanted to … [Read more...]
Hop into Spring with Kellogg’s {w/ Recipe & Giveaway}
April 11, 2017 by · 129 Comments
It's time to Hop into Spring with Kellogg's ~ Compared to the epic winter of a couple of years ago, when we received 17 feet of snow. Yes, you read that correctly, 17 FEET, this past winter, here on the east coast, we escaped relatively unscathed. We had a few snowstorms, but nothing compared to the snowmageddon of 2015. The sights and sounds of spring's arrival have been in full force these past couple weeks. The perennials are cautiously poking their heads through the soil and the birds … [Read more...]
32 Easter Treats “Everybunny” Will Love
April 6, 2017 by · Leave a Comment
32 Easter Treats "Everybunny" Will Love ~ Most of this past winter I have longed for the warmer days of spring. Finally, the snow is now melting and the temperatures are starting to rise. I even heard some brave birds chirping this morning! Maybe, just maybe, spring will actually arrive this year! Other than the snow melting, the days becoming longer and the temperatures moderating, even though the calendar says differently, to me Easter marks the "official" arrival of spring. I remember … [Read more...]
Double Chip Peanut Butter Pudding Cookies
April 2, 2017 by · Leave a Comment
Double Chip Peanut Butter Pudding Cookies ~ I do believe one of my favourite things to bake is cookies. There is just something so satisfying in mixing up a bunch of ingredients in a bowl and an hour or so later having a big batch of fresh from the oven, still warm (or hot...depending on how long you wait to try one...lol) cookies cooling on a rack. Sure, in a pinch, I have purchased packaged cookies from my local grocery store. But, let's face it, there is really nothing as tasty as … [Read more...]
~ CLOSED ~ Southern Italian Turkey Pasta Puttanesca {w/Video & Giveaway}
March 24, 2017 by · 247 Comments
I didn't grow up having traditional "Sunday dinners", however, my husband's family did. When we were first married and when our children were little, we ALWAYS went to my in-laws for a big dinner every weekend. As the years went by and my in-laws became older, the dinners were held more and more often at our home. Even now, with our grown children scattered across the country, it is a tradition my hubby and I continue each week. And, both of our kids, even though they live alone, almost … [Read more...]
~CLOSED ~ The New “Must Try” PC Insiders Collection w/Meal Recipes & Giveaway
March 16, 2017 by · 235 Comments
It is mid-March and even though...THIS...happened overnight, I am still hopeful that spring is on the way! The days are getting longer, the temperatures are getting into the "plus" column and the sun is starting to emit some heat...not a lot of heat, mind you, but definitely things are warming up. I have even seen some brave robins flying among the trees in our backyard. I don't know about you, but I am longing for barbecues, beaches and sipping a glass of something cold on the back … [Read more...]
27 St. Patrick’s Day Recipes {A Round-Up}
March 10, 2017 by · 2 Comments
St. Patrick’s Day is a week from today! It's a fun occasion when just about everyone you know will proclaim to either actually being Irish, or wishing they were Irish. Did I mention my maiden surname is Kelly, so I am not fibbing when I tell you my Irish roots run deep! I have a few "Irish" themed recipes of my own, plus I canvassed my blogging friends and asked them if I could share some of their St. Patrick's Day recipes too. Together we have come up with is a fabulous round-up of 27 … [Read more...]
Chocolate Banana Bread
March 6, 2017 by · 12 Comments
A couple of days ago, I noticed "yet another" crop of overripe bananas languishing in the fruit bowl. I had recently made Banana Bread, Banana Cake, Banana Oatmeal Muffins, Banana Chip Bread and although I love all banana related foods, I was in the mood for something different and I was craving chocolate...hmmm....Chocolate Banana Bread! So, basically what I did was take my grandmother's Banana Bread recipe, substitute 1/2 cup flour with 1/2 cup cocoa, white sugar for brown sugar and … [Read more...]
~ CLOSED ~ Spring Giveaway of $200 via PayPal, Ends 3/13, Open WW
February 27, 2017 by · 44 Comments
Wow...I can barely believe that in just a couple of days we will be in the month of March! Don't get me wrong, I am definitely not complaining. But when I think back to Christmas, which in many ways feels like it was just a few weeks ago, I find it difficult to imagine that we are already heading into March. Weather wise, we have had a fabulous winter with really only two major snowstorms, which just happened to be two days apart that left us with 90 cm plus of snow on the ground. (It's … [Read more...]
Easy to Make, Broccoli Cheddar Soup
February 21, 2017 by · 6 Comments
A couple of weeks ago, I was picking up a few items at our local grocery store and noticed a huge clamlike container of very fresh looking broccoli florets for only $1.99! What a great buy considering one bunch of two small heads of broccoli was $2.79 that same day. I should have snapped a pic of it, so I could show you, but that would have made too much sense...lol. We used about one-quarter of the broccoli at dinner that night, but I still had cups and cups of beautifully green … [Read more...]
It’s Heart Month ~ What To Do If You Suspect a Heart Attack!
February 13, 2017 by · 10 Comments
I am very excited to announce that I was chosen as a 2017 brand ambassador for Bayer. As a brand ambassador, I have been compensated for this post. However, as always, all opinions expressed are my own. It’s hard not to have hearts on your mind in February. Every store is full of them: chocolate hearts, heart-shaped cakes, heart-shaped frames. This annual celebration of romantic love isn’t the only reason to give that blood-pumping organ in your chest a second thought this month. February is … [Read more...]
Cranberry Orange Bread
February 8, 2017 by · Leave a Comment
Last week I was craving something sweet (which is nothing new...) to have with an afternoon cup of tea. As I stood, staring blankly into the fridge and freezer, I noticed a bag of frozen cranberries which were left over from Christmas. Then I remembered there was also a big orange in the fruit bowl...eureka, I could make Cranberry Orange Bread! Ever since Christmas, and knowing I had the frozen cranberries, I had thought of making a Cranberry Bread. Originally I thought of pairing the … [Read more...]
~ CLOSED ~ Have You Tried the New Kellogg’s Products? {w/Giveaway}
February 6, 2017 by · 107 Comments
Well, there is no doubt about it, we are definitely in the midst of the belly of the beast known as "Winter". The weather has been cold, snowy and icy and if you're thinking there is not much to look forward to, except, more of the same, then I have a fun surprise for you! This year, Kellogg Canada is debuting eight new products that are sure to satisfy your taste buds and make this long cold winter more bearable. From quinoa and dark chocolate to mixed nuts and real fruit pieces, these … [Read more...]
