I was sent a sample demo of a charcuterie kit from Platterful and figured I’d give it a go! This is a non-sponsored post and I’ll be giving my honest opinion. The pack they sent me is their large kit, and it seems that every kit sold they donate 10 meals to kids in need. Included was a variety of cheese, meat, condiments and accompaniments like olives nuts and chocolate. This pack didn’t come with a board or platter but it looks like you can order them with. I have a tonne at home so it wasn’t an issue for me, but I guess keep that in mind if you’re thinking of gifting one to someone. What wa ..read more

I’m still craving these hearty type dishes, even though it’s weirdly not very cold here in NC. We are just LOVING our instant pot. I never thought I’d love (and slightly fear) a pressure cooker so much, but it really makes delicious things, especially meat, and cuts the time down significantly. Pulled pork in an hour?! Stew in 45, broths and soups are rich and full of depth. Literally the only convenience appliance I actually regularly use! Here’s my recipe for beef stew made in an instant pot/pressure cooker. What you need: (serves 4) 2 lbs stew beef or chuck, cut into 1″ cubes 2 carrots (1 ..read more

Are you into squash? I don’t eat enough of it but it’s delicious when made right. I kind of default to putting cinnamon/brown sugar/cayenne on it most of the time but there’s just something about the mix of spice and sweetness. Kale can be a tough customer, and I think a lot of people don’t realize you have to “massage” kale in order to eat it raw. It’s a strong, fibrous plant, and massaging it breaks down its cell walls somewhat making it nicer to eat and easier to digest! There are a million iterations of this salad, commonly served with pomegranate seeds instead of dried cranberry but I p ..read more

I’m so happy to be starting up holiday baking. Don’t tell anyone but we’ve been listening to a few Christmas playlists as well <_<. We really love spiced pastry in this house, and these Gingerbread Biscotti are perfect for the amount of tea and coffee we down on a daily basis! These dry out like regular biscotti but they’re also not rock hard impossible to eat without a tea because of the brown sugar and molasses in them. This recipe is for large sized biscotti, but if you want mini just divide the dough into two logs instead and bake for a bit less. These can be a slight bit fickle to ..read more

I’m one of those people that calls it stuffing regardless of whether or not it’s “stuffed” into anything. (dressing just sounds wrong) I’m also very against a wet soggy stuffing anyway, so prefer it baked to golden crispy perfection. If you like a super moist dressing, use a deeper baking dish, if you want even crisper, lay it out on a baking sheet. It’s all up to you! Don’t skip out on the fresh herbs and the tearing of the bread instead of cubing. The rough craggy edges we get from tearing instead of slicing allow for more surface area to brown, and we want those crispy bits! You can use wh ..read more

Welsh rarebit is traditionally served as a cheesy toast, but I thought I’d try something different. The concept isn’t outlandish, since beer-cheese dips already exist, but this one takes it a bit further with more adult flavours. Sharp cheese, dijon mustard, worcestershire sauce and a dark beer gives it a dynamic flavour and lots of depth. I wouldn’t feed this to the kids, but it’s a great way to switch up the usual beer-cheese we see everywhere. I also added some fontina to this recipe as it’s a great melting cheese that is very mild to break up some of the intense flavours and give it a so ..read more

These take a little time to make as they need to prove overnight but they’re pretty straightforward. I make these for any special holiday dinner, they are the best slathered in butter and dipped into whatever sauce or gravy you need to mop up. This can be a slightly challenging recipe as it’s rather easy to accidentally add TOO much liquid. Through the potatoes not being strained enough or adding too much water, err on the side of caution and also don’t be afraid to adjust with adding additional flour. These are meant to be moist, and will be slightly sticky through the dough making process ..read more

I really wanted to get together a few easy potluck style recipes because we’ll all be going to however many holiday parties and it’s nice to bring something somewhat unique. Deviled eggs are awesome, so are jalapeno poppers and bacon, you get the picture. These are lightly spicy, creamy and balanced. The addition of a candied bacon topper adds a sweet crunch as well as a fancy garnish. If you are worried about cracking eggs while cooking or have trouble peeling them there’s a bit of a trick. Before cooking, with the end of a pin, gently poke ONE hole into the bottom of the egg. This lets the ..read more

I love pumpkin spice but I’m an avid supporter of the spices that go into chai. (I’m also that jerk that’s irked by people saying chai tea since chai means TEA itself, but that’s another post) I also insist that chai spice is better than pumpkin and we should all swap over immediately. Give this a go, I think you’ll love it! Make sure ALL of your cheesecake ingredients are room temperature. Anything cold or straight from the fridge will make the cheese seize/harden and impossible to combine. You can also divide this into 9 lined muffin cups for easy single servings if you wish! What you need ..read more

We’re on a roll with the fall flavours so let’s keep this going. I like chunky, hearty soups, and anything with potato in it is always win. Ham, potato and leek are the perfect trifecta, and this soup only gets better over time. Use any potato you wish, I personally prefer Yukon Gold over anything else. Russet is fine but will break down a bit more into the soup so anticipate that. Make this veggie by omitting the ham and swapping for veggie stock, it’ll be just as delicious. What you need: 8 oz diced ham, bonus points if you can get a ham bone as well 1/2 large white onion, diced 1/2 cup c ..read more