Friday, and a reminder!

I have mentioned a few times this year that 2014 is the year that I am trying to embrace healthy, home cooked, hearty meals. At least three times a week (with enough left over to carry the rest of the days) I have managed to make it happen!

I am not really sure why I was so hesitant to try my hand, but think it is mainly that I was scared to screw up which obviously isn't really a reason not to try. I still am not great at meal planning, but with only three meals a week to aim for I really doesn't irritate me too much to make a couple grocery runs (not sure why, but I HATE grocery stores). 

The best thing for us is that we are eating better food, saving money (I didn't anticipate that, BONUS!) and we aren't trying to scrounge up something for lunch or dinner at the last minute the following day. So far 2014 resolution is a success!

[ chopping herbs for a rub on a roast chicken with my favorite Jamie Oliver knife ]

And on a totally unrelated note, don't forget that this weekend is the last weekend you can sign up for my Be Crafty workshop at the discounted early bird price!!!

Seats are $70 for the rest of the weekend then go up to $85 next week so don't wait too much longer if you are hoping to attend. I know $70 seems like a bit, but I can promise that Amanda and I have cooked up some really fun crafts and there will be plenty of snacks and refreshments from local vendors and don't forget about the sweet swag bag everyone will be leaving with (which I can't disclose what is inside yet, but I can promise it is good!). You can grab your tickets here if you want to join in the fun!

Now go have a great weekend, you!

I don't believe in Resolutions, BUT...

I have never set New Years resolutions. Not once in my life. I just don't believe in trying to change things or expect myself to stick with it, so I just keep on keepin' on. And this year is no different.

But a couple weeks before Christmas Sean and I had a fairly deep conversation. I can't even remember how it all started, or why but it somehow evolved into us telling the other person what single thing we would change about them if we could ( these can be dangerous waters guys! tread carefully!).

I told Sean I wish he would try not to sleep in so much on the weekends. Trust me, I know I live a charmed life when that is my one complaint. But we love hanging with him since he works so much during the week, so we want any extra time we can get!

Sean's wish was that I try learning how to be a better cook. It is a totally valid wish, but if you know me, you know it is kind of a lost cause. We don't eat out all that much, but I have learned to HEAVILY rely on a local dinner service that pre-portions all the ingredients for a meal and all I have to do is follow the simple instructions and cook it. I love this because I feel that every time I attempt a recipe I need $50 in ingredients I didn't have laying around, and what doesn't get used will almost always go to waste.

But since we each picked one thing I promised to try my darnedest to whip up something creative a few nights a week (Rome wasn't built in a day...).

I have a pretty decent cookbook collection from Williams Sonoma (which I now see is entirely online here)

so I have been picking a couple meals every week to attempt.

{ probably the first time this sink has given spinach a bath }

 

The reviews from both my test subjects have been good, or they must be great actors with iron clad stomachs, and I think I may have turned a corner in my hatred of cooking. Something about seeing them enjoy dinner time so much makes me almost enjoy it. Almost.

lunch time is a totally different story though...

Do you have anything you wish you could change about yourself? Or more importantly, your partner LOL?

Berry, Scones, and Cream. Oh my!

 

We had a little break in the heat this morning! Wren and I hadn't enjoyed a good baking session in a while (I don't think turning on the oven is wise when you don't have AC...) so we quickly mixed up a batch of our go-to favorite: scones. 

 

When you think about it, scones are actually one of the most versatile things to bake! You can add things to the mix, or top afterwards for endless options. But our classic favorite is plain scones with fresh, warm berries and whipped cream!

 

If you are interested in making a batch of your own here is our little twist on the recipe:

2 cups flour

1/4 cup of sugar

1/2 teaspoon of salt

6 tablespoons of cold unsalted butter

2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 cup of milk

1. mix the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder together

2. dice up the butter into little cubes and add to the flour mixture, mix until just starting to look like pea-sized dough balls

3. add in your milk and mix until it is nice and even.

4. make 6-8  1/2 inch thick rounds out of your dough and bake at 240 for approximately 7-10 minutes (until golden). You can use a cookie cutter if you like but Wren enjoys shaping hers by herself and it is a good project that doesn't require perfection so encourage the kids to get messy here!

To make the hot berry topping we just throw some fresh berries in a frying pan with a little water and a tablespoon of sugar. Stir as they simmer for about 3-5 minutes and serve on your fresh scones!

Little confession: they are better as breakfast.

I hope you try to make some on your next cool summer morning!

Friday

Today is the kick off to the Canada Day long weekend! I have garage sales to scope out, a lingerie bachelorette party to dance the night away at and of course lots of BBQing and fireworks thrown in the mix.

If any of these treats show up on my adventures I will be mighty excited. I doubt they will so maybe I'll whip up some of my own.

via Cakies

via W network

{a little more subtle nod to the holiday, Maple Walnut cake}

via Kitchen Simplicity

via LushHome

{and because it wouldn't be Canada Day weekend, or any good weekend for that matter, with out pancakes and maple syrup }

via FoodMonger

via IntrepidTravel

 

While we are enjoying this perfect summer weekend I want to remind everyone down in Southern Alberta that we are still thinking about them. That there is hopefully some silver lining to all this destruction.

 

If anyone out there feels moved to help but are like me and don't know where to start, the fastest and easiest way is to donate or volunteer for the Red Cross (click here to be redirected).

Have a safe, happy and festive weekend!

 pssssst, don't forget to

you only have until Sunday to transfer from Google reader!!

Pinkalicious Lemonade

You know all those amazing summer cocktails plastered all over pinterest? I won't be making them. I guess I could find the time to go out and buy the proper liqueur, syrups and garnishes. But let's be honest, 99.9% of my events this summer include a 4 year old guest of honor (and hosting adult-only events like once a year just doesn't warrant stocking up a bar cart).

Also, have I mentioned that I am kind of a fake-Martha? I am all about the final outcome, but getting there will involve any and all shortcuts. Nope, no fresh pie crusts are made in this house.

Or freshly squeezed lemonade. 

 

Wren has been wanting to make fresh squeezed lemonade for about a week now. But as a mom I knew the reality would be me making fresh squeezed lemonade, while Wren watched. So we decided to juice up the canned version together.

 

I cut strawberries for about 2 minutes...

Wren enjoyed adding them in for about 10. See? win-win.

 

She stirred for about as long, taking her creation VERY seriously.

 

The outcome was a sweet, refreshing creation (aka lemonade and strawberries) she was super proud of. 

Dare I say, I am even interested in now coming up with my own semi-homemade creation? Maybe lavender lemonade? Basil-melon lemonade? I am going to get creative and let you know how it goes. 

Have you created any unique summer lemonade combos before I should try?

Spring Animal Parade Cupcakes

 

These fun and happy cupcakes are actually a creation of Wren's and I found them so adorable that I just had to share!

If you have little people or a party on the horizon I am sure these will please everyone.

 

Our project starts with the animals. Wren and I picked up a bag of various animals at a thrift store for $2.99. Some of the animals had stripes wearing off and were ready for a new lease on life. We tossed them in the dishwasher just to get them all clean before we started painting.

 

With a few paper plates and our favorite colors of craft paint we gave each animal 3 coats. After they were dry we added a few variations to a handful like polkadots or stripes, but others we just left as is. To do the polkadots and striped we just used the blunt end of a skewer dipped in paint!

 

This is where Wren came in. We originally just planned to paint and play with the animals but she really wanted to put them on our cupcakes. I am well aware that craft paint is not edible and probably not a good idea to use on products touching your food. But for a little afternoon fun I felt it was fine. Would I leave the animals on the cupcakes for days? Probably not. For an hour or two? yeah. If you have an issue with it I am sure it would be easy enough to mount the animals on skewers with some hot glue so they don't quite touch.

To give our cupcakes a little hint of color and a lot of flavor we diced and added blackberries to a boxed white cake mix. These adorable baking cups are AMAZING because they don't brown or discolor during baking, I am a huge fan. You can find them here at Sweet Social.

All iced up, with a few nonpereils Wren stuck her favorite few animals on enough cupcakes to serve at a family dinner we had at our house.

 

To top off our creations we used our favorite stamp and made little flags on skewer sticks. A Happy Day, indeed.

 

The rest of our zoo wandering around, waiting for dessert to be served.

 

Be sure to stop by tomorrow to enter a really cute, customozed giveaway I'm hosting!

The most delicious breakfast. EVER

Can you believe Blueberry week is already half over?? Neither can I! Specially because it is something that really only exists in my head. Thanks for playing along guys...

Today I am making some awfully gutsy statements about a last minute creation I first made last Summer that has become nearly as famous as my karaoke rendition of Bootylicious. Meaning, not all that famous but it really should be.

I'm dubbing them the most delicious, simple (this is the key!) breakfast ever.  

It all starts with a cup of fresh blue berries...

Some standard kitchen staples make this French toast fast and easy to whip up. I don't have a special recipe  for the egg/milk mixture so I basically whip half up a half egg, half milk mix. Midway through beating the eggs and milk I throw in a teaspoon of sugar and of course a little cinnamon. We always have a loaf of crusty french bread on hand, usually for pre-dinner snacking with oil and balsamic vinegar but this is my favorite way to enjoy french bread!

Fry up your French toast until it is golden and crispy. Now comes the real secret to our toast!

While the pan is still hot, remove it from the heat. Throw all your berries into the hot pan and swirl the pan around to keep the blueberries moving. It is almost like popping corn on the stove. Depending on how hot your pan is this should only take a minute or two. But after a little while your berries will be extra plump and dark and this means they're ready!

Swirling them in the pan makes the berries super sweet and juicy. They pretty much explode in your mouth (Wren loves this part, but it does make for some really messy faces). I sprinkle with some powdered sugar and just a little syrup to finish them off.

And there you have it, the most delicious breakfast. EVER.

BlueBerry Cupcakes and my K-Cup obsession

Few things feel as quintessentially Summer as blueberries. When they are in season nothing beats a plump, delicious and juicy handful of them! We buy the absolute biggest container of them and it is usually gone within 2 or 3 days.  

There are tons and tons of recipes, ideas and drinks that feature blueberries so I thought it would be fun to dub this week my unofficial Blueberry Week.

I am not much of cook or baker so instead of detailing recipes, let's dedicate this week to simply enjoying the visual deliciousness of blueberries. I do have a couple easy ideas to share, but this is far from a cooking blog so bear with me! 

To indulge our sweet tooths this week Wren and I added a summer twist to our favorite snack: Cupcakes!

We made a batch of boxed white cake cupcakes, but before throwing them in the oven we added a spoonful of blueberry pie filling to the top of each cupcake. Bake normally and when they're done you have extra decadent blueberry cupcakes! Instead of icing we like to top ours with a cool dollop of whipped cream.

 

We love that they look and feel like mini upside down cakes!

She enjoys hers with a cool glass of milk, but I like to pair it with my new K-cups. We've probably saved hundreds of dollars in the last 7 months since the Keurig joined our family. I have honestly gone down from 2-3 Starbucks runs a week to maybe 3 since Christmas! I like to try new K-cups and mix it up with a spoonful of my favorite hot chocolate. Homemade Cafe Mocha is responsible for getting my engine roaring every morning. 

Now I just need to track down a blueberry flavored K-cup to coordinate with our theme this week!

Have you tried any new and tasty K-cups?? I am always looking for recommendations!

Indoor Herbs

I kind of suck at keeping most plants alive. There are a few I know I can manage, but for the most part if it needs regular watering I find it won't live at our house. But I've always dreamed of having a small collection of herbs sitting on my window ledge.

It may sound odd, since I know my incapacity of owning a healthy plant, but I actually made the decision to have deep sills in our new kitchen windows strictly for the purpose of growing herbs. I figure that if the plants are right in front of the sink I won't forget to water them!

It was almost a year ago our new windows were installed but until this past week I hadn't thought about trying my luck with a new plant. But now is the time to try because many garden centers are discounting their plants, these two basil plants were only $1.94 at Super Store. I like that they have an almost tree-like feel.

I am hoping they will make it into Fall and Winter, and that it won't be too cold in the window. We went with  extra energy efficient windows so if these won't work I don't think my window garden was meant to be.

 

Wren and I made cheese burgers for lunch this week and a few basil leaves were a delicious, flavorful addition to our tomato/ketchup-free creations.

Do you have an indoor herb garden? Any secrets to keep it going strong, even in the winter??

 (I need a lot of help here guys!!)

Home made whipped cream

I don't think I could possibly imagine a world without whipped cream. Good old fashioned, home made whipped cream only please! It makes anything you pair it with just a little more decadent, and I love that just by adding something so simple can elevate any fruit to dessert status. 

{ my coffee break is a little sweeter today }

I know some people prefer their whipped cream stiff, but I like mine fluffy but a little velvety. 

{ I could eat it all... seriously }

{ our staple summer snack }

With the whole Summer stretching out before us I think I need to try some new and exciting ways to enjoy my whipped cream fixation.

{ flavored whip cream: Yes Please! }

source

{ whipped cream instead of icing? }

source

{ how delicious does this strawberry shortcake look! }

source

{ adults only, cookies and cream shots }

source

{ pistachio shots you had me at 'sprinkles' }

source

Have a great recipe that features whipped cream? 

Please Share!

 - - - - - - -