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. 

Summer Spread: Herby White Bean and Feta Dip

 

This is a sponsored post. While I was compensated by the Ontario Bean Growers, I've been a huge fan of all things bean related for a very long time. All opinions are mine.

While the “official” start to summer is less than a week away, I’ve been feeling those summertime vibes for some time now. It’s another scorcher of a day here in Saskatoon, and with a house that lacks air conditioning, finding meals to cook without generating any heat inside the house is a huge deal for me. Heck, even when I boil the tea kettle, my thermostat goes up by half a degree! Gotta love old houses and the sweat boxes they truly are. Oh what I wouldn’t give for a finished basement and/or the hum of air conditioning right now. Alas, I’ve sweltered in the summer for well over a decade here, and I am more or less used to it. Doesn’t mean I won’t whine about it from time to time!

White Bean and Chicken Chili

For the last few weeks I’ve been all about the comfort food. Like many of you, I’ve been hunkering down in my kitchen, testing recipes and trying to figure out what the “new normal” is going to look like. So far it looks like me eating a lot of bread and yummy soups, pasta, and chili. I’m into it. These are the days to reach for whatever brings you comfort, while also cooking healthy, nutritious meals without having to run to the grocery store every few days. I’m trying to hold out for at least two weeks and so far, so good. Having a well-stocked (but not hoarding!) pantry of canned beans, chicken broth, and other essentials, means dinner can come together easily, and taste mighty delicious. 

A New Year, A New Cookbook!

"Anything can happen! Anything can be!" 

~ Shel Silverstein

Happy New Year! I hope everyone enjoyed their holidays, and while I can't believe we've slipped into a new year, a new decade, here we are. I'm slowly coming out of the chocolate and cheese coma that is December, and ready to get roaring on my brand new project that will consume a great deal of my 2020. I'm writing another cookbook! Vegetables: A Love Story will be published in the fall of 2021 by the fantastic team at TouchWood Editions once again. I'm super excited to finally share the news with you, though I first broke it on my social media a few weeks ago. You follow me over there too, right? For more behind the scenes cookbook adventures, be sure to see what I'm up to on the Instagram and Facebook. Plus, sometimes there are photos of cats! And cookies!

Smokin' Hot: Grilled Corn & Black Bean Salad with Pepperoni

This is a sponsored post. All opinions are mine. And, as usual, I will only write about products that I really love! 

Those mid-August days are creeping up on us, and while it's easy to think that in a few weeks summer will be winding down, I'm firmly planted in the here and now. There are still so many things I want to do before the nights get cooler and the leaves start turning yellow. Road trips! Picnics! Backyard barbecue feasts! These are the days that need to be sucked of all their marrow. Go out there and live your best late-summer life! And bring snacks!

Honey Chipotle Roasted Fish Tacos with Peach Salsa

This is a sponsored post. I was compensated financially to write about California Cling 

Peaches. All opinions, thoughts, feelings about canned peaches are my very own.

My Instagram feed is currently flooded with folks frolicking on tropical beaches, 

and I have to admit I’m a little jealous. Clad in slippers and wool, I stare out onto a 

snow-covered front yard, and the only things frolicking are the brave birds, happily 

eating up the food I put out for them. How I wish I could trade in my boots for sandals, 

my shower for a swim-up bar, and the snow for some sand. And, everyone seems to 

be eating tacos on their tropical vacations, which makes me crave the sun and the 

beach even more. Seeing as I can’t transport myself to a place where the cold doesn’t 

hurt my face, I made my own fish tacos with a delicious peach salsa and pretend 

there isn’t another month of winter left.

A New Year & a New Kitchen Toy: Roasted Beet Hummus

Disclosure:  Cuisinart sent me this lovely food processor free of charge.  All opinions about it are my own.  

Happy New Year, dear friends.  I hope you all survived the holidays relatively unscathed.  I'm super glad they are over, and now we can carry on with everyday life.  Keep in mind that my everyday life still involves cookies and cakes, but also plenty of vegetables and pulses.  It's all about the balance, you know. 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Spread & That Time I Went to Georgia

Disclosure:  The Peanut Bureau of Canada paid for my travel and accommodations.  All opinions about peanuts and this trip are mine.  They did not pay me to write this post.  

What a difference a month makes!  On the first day of September, I was recuperating from ovarian cyst surgery, my mom was here taking care of me, and I was watching way too much Daytime TV.  Today, I'm all better - just a few scars remain - and my routine has gone back to "normal" - whatever that may be.  I even hopped a plane (or four!) and headed down to Georgia to see how peanuts are grown.  And .... I had dinner with President Jimmy Carter - yes that Jimmy Carter - just to make things even more awesome.  But, let's start at the beginning, because that's where I always like to start things.