Neighbour Love

For those of you who have or whose job it is to exhibit at trade shows you know how exhausting they can be. What helps keep you going is great neighbours...ones that you just connect with and can share a few laughs along the way.

At the CGTA show we met Joy Annett, an incredibly talented metalsmith and designer with a love for shoes almost as much as mine. Her work is so beautiful I've already added a few items to my Christmas list!

At NYIGF we met the lovely Carla Hall (of The Chew and Top Chef) and her equally wonderful team including Verlette and Tim. After a harrowing experience of trying to get to our booth through the mayhem of show set up, Carla and the gang were right there to welcome us. We were instantly smitten. They make these delicious petite cookies that are tiny, but boy do they pack a punch of flavour. They are truly little bites of love. 

We also met and reconnected with some fantastic retailers at both shows. Thank you for coming by and spending time with us. We know it's exhausting for all of you as well!

So was it all worth it? Absolutely. We made some new friends!

xo
penny

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?!

Life Lesson Cookies

It was one of those glum kind of days. I had boring paperwork to do and it was raw and miserable outside. I decided that as a reward for slogging through the tedium I would bake cookies (my classic, never fail, oatmeal chocolate chip faves) and have a night of cookies and TV in my pajamas. Somehow, although I have made this recipe a gazillion times, I overdid it with the oats and flour. They were dry and wouldn't stick together. I was suspicious about adding an egg and I wasn't sure about adding more butter at the end so I added a dollop of peanut butter. When I added walnuts I realized I had miscalculated there too, making the dough even drier and unmanageable. I was tempted to just dump the whole thing and run out for ice cream. Instead I decided to use the kitchen as my lab and see if things can be salvaged and become even better in the process. First I added more peanut butter.Things seemed to stick a little better. Then I threw in some raisins. If they weren't going to be my classic chocolate chip cookies why stop at the chocolate chips? They still felt too dry so I added a generous scoop of almond butter. I rolled things in my hands and started to feel better, tedious day and kitchen mishap notwithstanding. Sometimes you have to step back and look at what you are stressing over. It is rarely worth deep sighs and foot stamping. Usually you just need to take a deep breath and decide to enjoy the ride, even if the results seem to be going downhill fast. It is the act of doing that should really matter. If we just allow things to happen and not sweat it, our mistakes can end up being happy accidents and surprise victories.

This was not one of those times.

My cookies were a crumbly, hockey puck textured mess but I am still came away feeling rather Zen and like I had learned something (like read a recipe every now and then even if you think you know it like the back of your hand...).

Glazed Lemon Cookies

The other day I was passing a fruit stand and noticed that they were selling packages of lemons for a mere buck! They must have been reaching the end of their shelf life but being a lover of all things citrus-y and tart I couldn't resist, knowing that I'd find a way to use them before they went moldy. Next thing you know I stumble upon a Martha Stewart recipe for glazed lemon cookies. It was obviously a sign. They will be the perfect fresh treat to enjoy now that spring is in the air.

The Perfect Holiday Cookie

I know that in the vast world of holiday cookies, there are many that can be considered the perfect specimen: your favourite auntie's shortbread, extra boozy rum balls, painstakingly rolled rugelas, gingerbread men just begging you to bite their heads off...

I know it isn't fair to just say that there is one perfect cookie out there, so I won't. Let me just say that these chewy gingersnaps should be added to the list. The kitchen smells amazing while these are baking, spicy and warm and way better than any holiday scented candle. They are chewy with a bit of crispness around the edges, the candied ginger offers a little kick and the cashews give them a hint of salt. Heaven. Did I mention they freeze well too? These chewy morsels of delight will be a perfect little gift for the holidays.

You can find the genius recipe here.

Yoga Cookies

My two favourite things combined! Yoga leaves me blissful and cookies are delightful. Combine the two together and you get instant Nirvana!

Find these yogi delights at bakedideas.com.

Mrs. Fields Cookie Recipe

Who doesn't love Mrs. Fields cookies, those gooey bastions of cookie perfection?

I found a recipe claiming to be the Mrs. Fields cookie recipe here and decided to try to recreate the magic. I suspected that a key magical ingredient would have been left out. I've heard of cooks who omit something so that it never turns out quite the same in order to retain their champion cookie/cake/preserve maker crown.

I decided to attempt them despite my suspicions. I baked the cookies for longer than the recipe specified because they looked underdone and my oven can be weird sometimes. Next time I will bake them just as Mrs. Fields instructed. They were very yummy but not quite as magical as the original. I will just have to keep baking (and eating) until I get it right. Someone's gotta do it.