Caramelized Apple and Maple Cream Cheese Danishes

This is a sponsored post. While I was compensated to write this post, all opinions are my own.

If I could choose any item to go with my morning coffee, it would be a flaky and buttery pastry. This choice likely stems from my time spent living in Montreal as a young art student, when lining up at the local boulangerie was a weekend ritual topped off with steaming cups of café au lait. It was a decadent treat for this budget-minded student, but one that obviously left a lasting impression. 

Shiny and New: Baked Apples with Brown Butter Streusel

 

This is a sponsored post. While I was compensated to write this post, all opinions are my own. 

Happy New Year, dear friends. I hope 2022 is off to a grand start for all of you. Six days in and so far I can’t complain yet! It’s been snowy and very cold here in Saskatoon, and I’ve largely been hunkering down with the cats and Dixon, catching up on episodes of Ted Lasso. Not a bad way to start the year! I’ve also been making us delicious things to eat, of course, and these baked apples were like a cozy hug - warm and soothing. The perfect winter food. 

Golden Goodness: Christmas Eve Cauliflower

The house is cozy on this Christmas Eve, as the cold wind blows about outside and the aroma of butter and chocolate still lingers in the kitchen. It's been a bonkers busy month, with major cookie baking - both for my holiday boxes and for the Saskatoon Farmers' Market, where I now have a table and sell my baked goods (and cookbooks!) every weekend. This decision came about in early October, just as I was about to launch my second cookbook, and I have to say it's one of the best I've made. Perhaps starting a business in the midst of a pandemic is a bit wacky, but heck, folks have done nuttier stuff. I love working for myself, and baking delicious cookies for awesome customers is just the best. I've got some great ideas coming in the new year, so if you're in Saskatoon, stay tuned for that!

Welcome to the World: Lazy Perogie Casserole and Links

It's official! Vegetables: A Love Story has officially launched out into the Universe! And while there hasn't been as much drama as William Shatner shooting off into space, things here have been very busy and I'm overjoyed to say that this second book baby has been received with glowing reviews. It's even number two on the McNally Robinson Best Seller list! Woo hoo! My online book launch party is happening tomorrow October 21st at 7 pm. Here is the link to register. While we can't do in-person events due to covid, this is the next best thing. I hope to see you there! Dixon is going to make a cameo, and the chat with Jenn is sure to be entertaining. I'll read some stories and answer your questions. Please join us! 

On its Way: Curried Butternut Squash Soup with Coconut Milk

You guys. I've held my new cookbook in my hands and I'm in love. Seeing all of the words and photos and recipes come to life in this beautiful hardcover beauty has thrilled me to my core. I'm so happy that Vegetables: A Love Story is beginning to find its way into your kitchens and hearts. The official publication date is just over a week away (October 12th), but I've delivered many preorders to those who've ordered directly from me in Saskatoon, and even sent some copies as far away as Montreal and Vancouver. If you've been following me on social media, you've watched the progress of the book unfold. It's been a journey, that's for sure! I'm simply over the moon that Vegetables: A Love Story is on its way, out into the world, from my kitchen to yours.  

Medjool Date and Chocolate Oat Bars

 

This is a sponsored post, but as always, all opinions are my own.

I don’t know how it has come to be the last week of August, but here we are. The mornings, at least here in Saskatoon, have a notable chill to them, and some of the leaves have started to turn yellow. It has been a very dry, very hot summer and I’m not sure if this change is due to summer ending or the parched landscape the trees find themselves in. Nevertheless, change is coming and I’m here for it. Over the next few months I’ll be celebrating the launch of my second book baby Vegetables: A Love Story, and I can’t wait to share all of the exciting details with you. Stay tuned! In the meantime, I’m here to share with you an absolutely delicious recipe for Medjool date and chocolate oat bars, which I just so happen to be nibbling on as I type this. I just can’t get enough! 

Easy Does It: Chocolate and Cherry Cheesecake Jars

Just five days ago, I had to say goodbye to my sweet orange cat, Sunny. If you've been reading my blog long enough, or following me over on Instagram, you know that this little fella was a dear furry friend to me. Found in 2010 when he was just a young one, Sunny was my sidekick for over 11 years. He was a special little guy and I miss him so much. In recent years, he was diabetic. Needles full of insulin twice a day, special food for a special diet, you name it, we did it. He continued to be active and healthy, with a good appetite and spirit. But in the span of a week he stopped running around the yard and trying to snag the bacon off of my breakfast plate, to not wanting to eat, drink or even move. I rushed him to the emergency vet hospital on Saturday and it was there we found out he was very sick with complications to his diabetes and treatment would be very costly and extensive. I made the toughest decision to let him go, as I couldn't bear it if he was suffering. We said our goodbyes curled up together on the cold floor of a dimly lit room. I brushed the soft fur on his belly one last time and told him I'll love him forever. And then my sweet Sunny was gone. Just like that. On the drive home the Saskatoon sky was lit up with orange and pink, and I can't help but think this was Sunny's way of saying his final goodbye to us. The house feels strange now, like something is missing. The other cats have felt it too - not wanting to eat very much, and are looking around for him outside. They never got to say goodbye to their brother, and I know they miss him too. I've been trying to take it easy this week, being gentle with myself and letting the grief come and go. Cats are like family, and I loved Sunny dearly. But, the thing is, we carry on. We live the next day and the next. We laugh to remember and cry, too. Life is full of really great and really sad moments. Taking the good with the bad is the just the way it goes. I'm hoping for more of the good now, please.