The first time I had this little piece of heaven on a plate, that is Cranberry Pistachio Bark, I fell totally in love! It was about 15 years ago and a colleague of mine had brought in a tin of this luscious ambrosia during the holidays. After stuffing a couple (OK, a few) pieces of this food of the gods into my mouth I knew I needed to have the recipe. Thankfully, my kind co-worker readily agreed and quickly gave me the recipe from memory. Yes, it is that easy that you really don't even … [Read more...]
Homemade Nuts and Bolts are the Perfect Holiday Snack!
December 3, 2013 by · 2 Comments
Do you enjoy having a savoury snack in your home during the holidays? We do too, but let's face it loading up on box and bag after box and bag of purchased snacks can be very expensive. They are also very high in calories, salt, fat and often contain many unpronounceable words! A friend of mine gave me the perfect recipe for Nuts and Bolts and I know you will love it too! You can customize it to suit your family's likes and dislikes and it makes a HUGE batch that will last throughout the … [Read more...]
PC® Red Velvet Cake with Raspberry Buttercream
November 28, 2013 by · 3 Comments
Are you thinking you would like to make a show stopping dessert this holiday season, but you don't want to spend all day baking or mortgage your house to pay for the ingredients? I have just the recipe for you, PC® Red Velvet Cake with Raspberry Buttercream! Notes: Raspberry buttercream icing has a lovely pale-pink hue that sets off red velvet cake. For a darker pink icing, add more raspberry purée to buttercream 1 tbsp (15 mL) at a time. CHEF'S TIP: For a softer icing, add 35% … [Read more...]
Pregnant? You May Want to Make a Groaning Cake! {#Recipe}
November 8, 2013 by · 6 Comments
I just recently finished reading The Birth House by Ami McKay. In the book she spoke of labouring women making Groaning Cake and I knew, even though I will never again be pregnant, that I had to give it a try! Groaning Cake "The tradition of the groaning cake, or kimbly at (or following) a birth is an ancient one. Wives’ tales say that the scent of a groaning cake being baked in the birth house helps to ease the mother’s pain. Some say if a mother breaks the eggs while she’s aching, her … [Read more...]
Oven Subs are Delicious & Simple to Prepare
October 27, 2013 by · 5 Comments
My husband first made these delicious Oven Subs several years ago, I have been hooked ever since! We will often have them on a Friday or Saturday evening when we are looking for a simple meal that requires minimal preparation and time. One of my favourite things about these is the ability to customize the sandwich to suit each person's individual tastes and wants. I am not a big meat eater, so I always make mine a "veggie" sub, my husband on the other hand is a meat lover, he always packs on … [Read more...]
Rosemary & Sea Salt Focaccia
September 13, 2013 by · 15 Comments
My husband is a huge Italian food fan. He would literally eat Italian, especially pasta, every day of the week and be completely happy! I like Italian food also, but I am definitely not in the same league! However, I must admit to loving Italian focaccia bread. Focaccia is a flat oven-baked Italian bread, which is usually topped with herbs or other ingredients. It is popular in Italy and is usually seasoned with olive oil and salt. … [Read more...]
Chocolate Mousse Squares {Recipe}
August 19, 2013 by · 17 Comments
The first time I had these deliciously decadent, Chocolate Mousse Squares was several years ago. A fellow nurse and I were working the week-end shift in the Operating Room and she brought in a pan of these squares as a little dinnertime treat! It was love at first bite! These squares are a silky, smooth, creamy delight; once you have one, you will definitely be hooked. … [Read more...]
Broccoli Salad ~ Simple & Delicious {Recipe}
July 22, 2013 by · 5 Comments
This recipe for Broccoli Salad has been floating around since long before Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook and probably even the Internet it self! I have several variations scribbled on bits of paper and tucked into "old-school" recipe boxes and books. There is a very good reason for the longevity of Broccoli Salad. It is simple to make, delicious, can be made ahead of time (bonus!) and is easily customizable to suit your own family's likes and needs. Set your imagination free and switch up the … [Read more...]
Seafood Linguine {Recipe}
June 13, 2013 by · 16 Comments
We make this delicious Seafood Linguine two or three times a year; almost always to mark a special occasion such as a birthday, Christmas or a family celebration. It isn't difficult to make and we usually all gather in the kitchen with a glass of wine and everyone pitches in to help. You can vary the seafood to suit your own tastes; we always have lobster, scallops and shrimp but will sometimes add crab meat and chunks of salmon or a white fish. Just put in a variety of seafood your family … [Read more...]
Lady Ashburnham Pickles
September 23, 2012 by · 37 Comments
Lady Ashburnham Pickles ~ We haven't made these, or any pickles for that matter, in quite a few years. No reason for the pickle drought, except maybe laziness. Well, this year we turned our kitchen into "Pickle Central" and made dill, sweet Bread and Butter and this delicious, all time favourite of ours and many other Maritimers, Lady Ashburnham. Our favourite way to eat these is with a creamy mound of mashed potatoes, but they have an almost relish like consistency so they would also be … [Read more...]