Aprons for the Undergrad

Do you know a student heading off to the wide world of academia? It is exhilarating to be embarking on a fresh chapter in life with shiny new textbooks, lectures and new friends. If you know a new student who will be entering dorm life or perhaps, gulp, their first apartment away from home, make the transition more stylish with a Domistyle apron. Frat boys can look cheeky in a Will Cook For Beer apron and ramen noodles will seem more special when served by a Microwave Maven. Add a few easy favourite recipes along with the apron and your budding academic will be inspired to consume more than just Kraft Dinner and beer!

Instant Status Upgrade

Are you always labelled a Microwave Maven rather than a Gourmet Goddess? There's nothing wrong with being a little challenged in the kitchen you know. Many a tasty birthday cake has been created from store bought cake mixes. All it takes is a little creativity and presentation to make something not quite from scratch special. No need to hang your head, dear Microwave Mavens, hold your heads high and rejoice in your other gifts!

If, however, you still dream of hearing people exclaiming over your kitchen prowess I have the solution. Go to Kitchen Stuff Plus and get yourself a kitchen blow torch and make creme brulee. I finally bought a blow torch and made this recipe from Canadian Living and it was a show stopper! I had no idea creme brulee was so simple, nor did I know that torching something could be so much fun! You can hang up your Microwave Maven aprons and graduate to Baking Beauty in an instant.

I can't wait to find more recipes that involve torching!

Sweet and Spicy Black Beans

You can never have enough easy bean recipes and variations of chili. This one is simple and delicious. Even a Microwave Maven who would rather open a can of pre-made chili can handle this one. (by the way, our Microwave Maven aprons are 15% off right now!) Grab your apron, serve these beans with with some brown rice and coleslaw or just a loaf of crusty bread and you are set. Yummy!

Mini Hotdogs

I can't remember the last time I ate a hotdog.These adorable mini hotdogs that I saw here almost make me want to start. Too cute! Maybe it is because sliders are everywhere. If I see one more mini burger my head may explode. A tiny hotdog though? That's a whole other story. It feels fresh and oh so fun. I'll have to search and see if I can find vegetarian mini hotdogs.I think they would be amazing at a backyard party with plenty of beer and potato chips.

(Photo: Oh Happy Day)

Frozen Grapes Covered in Yogurt

 (photo:Delighted Mama)

It really feels like summer has arrived and with it come thoughts of cool, summery snacks. If I could I would eat gelato every day, twice a day, but if I want to keep things a little healthier I need to find some healthy tasty alternatives. I love the look of these yogurt covered frozen grapes. I love popping grapes in the freezer in the summer, they are such a delightful snack but this recipe takes them to the next level of deliciousness. Yogurt and pistachio bits elevate them to candy status. Hello summer snack!

Easiest Cookie Ever!!

I don't think this wondrous concoction can even qualify as a cookie. How do I describe it? It is kind of like a fancy lace cookie. Almost transparent when you hold it up to the light, it is so thin. It is crispy, delicate, oh so fancy and would look heavenly tucked into the corner of a scoop of ice cream. How is this beautiful wafer-y delicacy made you ask? Buy an Eatmore candy bar, slice it into eight equal pieces, bake it on a cookie sheet for 8 minutes at 325 degrees and there you have it. Is that crazy or what?!

Happy National Popcorn Day

Who knew, right? I think there is a day for everything now. I for one am happy to celebrate the golden kernel. I am a big fan. My Golden Globes popcorn was delicious, I gobbled up my creations in no time but knowing that today is a day celebrating popcorn I have no choice but to make some more. Perhaps today it will be peanut butter popcorn (put peanut butter on anything and I am going to like it) or classic caramel corn.

It's Time for Soup!

It has been a non-stop month long feeding frenzy! I have enjoyed all the noshing but I think I've hit a wall. Between multiple Christmas dinners with family, visiting with friends, bonbons and baked goods that seem to be appearing from everywhere, I have been in constant eating mode. I know how sharks feel where they are just swimming and eating in constant motion.

Tonight I decided to give my overworked jaw a break. It is snowing like crazy and everything is calling out for a bowl of soup. No sides, no dessert, just something soothing and nourishing that I don't have to chew.

I made this Green Pea and White Bean Soup from Chatelaine magazine and it fit the bill perfectly: a pretty colour, soothing and super easy to make. I will chew again tomorrow. For now I will put my feet up and sip.

Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad

Thanks Chatelaine! I expect that this recipe I tore out from Chatelaine magazine is going to keep me fueled and healthy for the upcoming One of a Kind Craft Show. I love quinoa, it is chock full of protein and I need something that will be easy to pack and nibble on to keep myself fortified during the long hours at my booth.

Quinoa-Tabbouleh Salad
Bring 1 3/4 cups of water to a boil in a small pot. Rinse 1 cup of quinoa with cold water then add to the boiling water with a pinch of salt. Simmer, covered for 10-15 minutes.

Dice 1/4 English cucumber and 1 green pepper. Thinly slice 5 green onions and chop a bunch of parsley. Whisk 1/2 cup olive oil with a 1/4 cup lemon juice, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp chili powder.

Add the hot quinoa to the oil mixture and toss, then let cool. When cool, toss with the vegetables and parsley, refrigerate for 1 hour.

Healthy craft show snack here I come!

Tasty Thai Soup

I am happy to be back home in my own cozy bed after a long tour of show duty. It was great being in L.A. and Vancouver, I met some delightful people, the shows were a lot of fun but I am pooped! I think I am also coming off an extended sugar high. My daily diet mainly consisted of cookies and chocolate, standard show fare, but I am starting to realize that a girl can't live on cookies alone. As I noshed on sweets in my booth I started to dream of green veggies, hearty soups, and platters of real food that would be chock full of nutrition.

As a result I am beyond excited to be eating a pail of this heavenly Thai soup I found here. It was easy to make and has all the spicy goodness I was dreaming of when I was in my sugar haze. Soothing soupy paradise!

Easy Thai Soup:

In a soup pot heat 1 tbsp oil, add 1 chopped onion, 1 clove of minced garlic, and stir till it is soft. Midway add 1 tsp chopped ginger and stir some more. Add 1-3 tsp red curry paste (I added 3 tsp and lordy! it was hot, maybe tone it down a bit with 2 tsp). Add 3 1/2 cups vegetable broth, half a can of coconut milk, 2 tsp brown sugar, 1 tsp turmeric, and 1 tbsp soy sauce.

Bring it to a boil and add some chopped veggies. I had carrots, celery and broccoli but you can use whatever you have. You can also add tofu or noodles if you want to make the soup heartier.

Let it simmer until the vegetables are soft, then stir in the juice of a lime.

It was so yummy and delicious. Just what the doctor ordered for a gal who has been overdosing on sugar!

Take Along Caramel Apple Kit

Caramel and apple is one of life's great combos. Like peanut butter and chocolate, macaroni and cheese, and pie and ice cream, some pairings are just magic. I love this idea for a DIY caramel apple kit that I saw on Oh Happy Day. If it ever stops raining I would love to plan a fall picnic, bundle up in a cozy sweater, pack a basket with tasty snacks and a thermos of hot soup and gather a group of friends for a final salute to al fresco dining. What could be a more appropriate addition to a fall picnic than caramel apples? While I'm waiting for a dry day I will experiment with some tasty apple combos on my own, all for research purposes of course.

Improv Grilled Peach Salad

I saw a delicious looking grilled peach salad here and instantly wanted it. It is a last gasp of summer type of salad. The original recipe is here, and calls for grilled haloumi cheese, rocket, pine nuts and pomegranate balsamic vinegar. I didn't have any of these items, but I did have peaches, my indoor grill and little bit of inspiration. I threw together spinach, toasted some almonds, crumbled some feta over top, threw in a few olives for fun and drizzled some olive oil and balsamic vinegar over it. The grilled peaches were delicious and everything else worked well together. It was a yummy last little bite of summer.

Pickled Carrots

I may as well say what everyone's thinking, carrot sticks are boring. No matter how much we try to pretend that they are an exciting, flavourful snack, they are unquestionably dull. Well I am not going to take it anymore. Good bye yawn inducing carrot sticks, hello eye popping life of the party pickled carrots!

I found a recipe here, and I am now a bonified carrot munching maniac. So fun and bursting with flavour and personality. I will never bother with a plain old baby carrot again.

Asian Salad

I was watching The Food Network the other day (food porn at its best), and was taken with Giada de Laurentis's Asian Chicken salad recipe. She was working from home and decided to whip up a delicious and nutritious salad, since that is what food network superstars do. I too was working from home and feeling a little peckish so I decided to make my own variation of Giada's salad, sans chicken. How is it that I have never experienced the magic of sesame seeds on a salad before? Suddenly it felt like my salad was elevated to new heights, all with a simple sprinkle of sesame seeds. Delicious.

Cauliflower Popcorn

I made a delicious snack of roasted cauliflower and I can't eat it fast enough. So fun and yummy! It is like having popcorn made of cauliflower!

I broke a cauliflower into little florets, tossed it with a sprinkle of olive oil, coarse salt and chili powder, spread it in a single layer in a roasting dish and roasted it at 450 degrees for forty minutes. Presto! Spicy cauliflower popcorn!*

*Disclaimer: Okay. maybe I am exaggerating a little bit. It doesn't taste like popcorn. If there was a blind taste test involving my cauliflower popcorn no one would whip off their blindfold and be astonished that they hadn't been eating real popcorn. They would know. I'm just saying that as far as having a healthy snack of vegetables, this one is pretty exciting and is a welcome and tasty change from celery sticks.

Sweet and Salty Toasted Chickpeas

I saw a recipe for toasted chickpeas on Indie Fixx and had to make them immediately. Sweet and salty is the perfect combination for any snack in my book. What a splendid way to get a crunchy snack fix and be healthy at the same time. Next time I will pay attention to the instructions to cook the chickpeas for 20 minutes. I heard popping noises and took them out too soon and they weren't crunchy enough. I returned them to the oven and proceeded to ignore the popping and the burning smell, and managed to char half of them. The unburnt half tasted delicious.

I'll definitely be making these again.

Sweet and Salty Toasted Chickpeas (from Indie Fixx)

1. Drain a can of chickpeas and spread out on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet
2. Bake in a 450 degree oven for 20 minutes (Don"t take them out early like I did. Don't burn them like I did either)
3. Toss the warm chickpeas with 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp brown sugar, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1 and 1/2 tsp cumin, salt and pepper
4. Pat yourself on the back that you are eating a tasty snack full of protein

Not a Creamy Goopy Potato Salad

My picnic salad bonanza continues. Despite feeling swamped with wholesale shows, making product and feeling like the summer is on warp speed, I am still holding on to my picnic dreams.

It will happen.

I made Jamie Oliver's potato salad recipe and it is a welcome alternative to mayo laden potato salads. Who wants to worry about poisoning their picnic guests with spoilt potato salad? It is a fresh and light alternative.

Boil 2.5 to 3 pounds red skinned potatoes, halved or quartered, depending on their size, just until they are easily pierced with a fork. Drain.

Throw in 10 tbsp of olive oil, 4 tbsp of lemon juice, salt and pepper and 1/2 cup of dill (Someone needs to invent a cologne or eau du dill. I love it's fresh delicious scent). Mix all of it together while the potatoes are still warm and there you have it.

Easy peasy as Jamie would say....

Chickpea and Raisin Salad

This may be the easiest salad ever.

I found the recipe in Real Simple magazine and it has quickly become a staple. I have already brought it to a barbecue where it was an instant hit and I have been keeping some in the fridge for when I am peckish and need a little protein pick me up. I brought it with me to a wholesale show this weekend and it kept my strength up during the long days of apron showcasing and chatting.

Chickpea and Raisin Salad (from Real Simple magazine)

In a small saucepan simmer 1 cup raisins, 1/4 cup red wine vinegar and 2 tsp sugar. Remove from heat and let cool

Throw 3 cans of chickpeas (drained), 1 cup chopped cilantro (or parsley, but I am a cilantro freak) 4 sliced scallions and the raisin mixture in a bowl

Add 1/3 cup olive oil, 1/2 tsp cumin salt and pepper

And that is it my friends. Real Simple indeed and oh so tasty!

Homemade Popsicles

The temperature soared to over 40 degrees with the humidex yesterday. How is that even possible? This morning I met a friend for a walk and it was already 26 degrees at 7:30 am. I do not do well with the heat. I love warm weather but when things get extreme and the sun is sizzling me I am no longer enjoying myself. I decided to arm myself with homemade popsicles. I found this recipe on Epicurious and on top of being refreshing, they are so healthy! It is like having a frozen smoothie. What a great way to stay cool and eat fruit all at once.

I will be eating a lot of these, to stay healthy and hydrated of course...

No bake granola bars

I found these scrumptious looking granola bars on Kitchen Simplicity and decided I needed to make a batch immediately. I needed something tasty to munch on for the Love Local Show on Saturday and granola bars were a healthy and portable option. Really, they had me at "no bake". They were easy-peasy and I felt virtuous while I was nibbling and standing in a puddle (!!!) during the pouring rain.

Luckily the skies cleared in the afternoon and it turned out to be a great day and a fantastic venue. I enjoyed meeting some lovely apronistas and had fun, even with my somewhat damp feet.

Here is the recipe:

1. Toast 2.5 cups oats, 1.5 cups nuts and 1/4 cup shredded coconut in a large pan. Remove to a large bowl and toss with1/2 cup raisins. (I used dried cranberries, yummy!)
   
2. Place 6 tbsp butter, 1 cup brown sugar (I may use less next time), 1.5 tsp cinnamon, 6 tbsp honey and 2 tbsp molasses in a small saucepan. Cook until it comes to a boil. Remove from heat and stir into oat mixture until evenly coated.
   
3. Line a 7×11 inch pan with plastic wrap. Spoon mixture into pan, pressing it down evenly. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes. Remove from pan, peel away plastic wrap and slice into 16 bars.