It’s time to mix up the vegetable sides for this year’s holiday celebrations. Although there are some things that I never tire of (hello mashed potatoes with gravy, fresh cornbread & stuffing), sometimes it’s nice to think outside of the box when it comes to side dishes to serve with a turkey or roasted ham. I am personally a salad freak, so the fresh vegetable factor will always have a place on my dinner spread, but I’ve listed 2 cooked vegetable recipes that I think you and your family will love that might not already be on your radar. One of them is a cheesy, creamy corn side dish with ..read more

Whether you're enjoying hot cocoa by the fire or spending time with the family, the holidays are a time to kick back, relax, and enjoy yourself. But if there is one day we all can't wait for, it's Christmas. There are so many ways to enjoy Christmas, too! Many like to get away by retreating to cabins and ski-resorts, while others might love to catch a new rendition of a classic play. If you're like me, watching the neighbourhood light up with all of its dazzling decorations is more than enough to put me in the holiday spirit (although I'm also not opposed to snuggling up with a cheesy, feel-g ..read more

Halloween Cheesecake Brownies Prep time: 20 minutes Cook time: 30 minutes Total time: 50 minutes Yield: 16 brownies Ingredients For the Brownies 3/4 cup salted butter, cubed 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips +  1/4 cup chocolate chips, for sprinkling over the top of the brownies 1/2 cup cocoa powder 1 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup granulated sugar` 2 eggs plus 1 egg yolk (room temperature) 1 tbsp coffee Splash vanilla extract Black food colouring 1 cup all-purpose flour For the Cheesecake Layer 1 (250g) package cream cheese, room temperature 1/4 cup granulated sugar ..read more

Sometimes the easiest and quickest meals can still be elegant and satisfying. The most important part of executing this simple dish is to not overcook the eggs! Nothing is worse than rubbery, dry and overcooked scrambled eggs. If you cook the eggs low and slow, you will feel like you are eating at a high-end restaurant for breakfast from the comfort of your own home. This dish is not only quick & easy, but also great on your bank account! The entire meal is 3 ingredients that are most often already in your fridge/pantry. You can add in whatever other toppings you would like, or eat it as i ..read more

Cherries are one of my favourite snacks during the summertime. They are so delicious on their own, but feeling inspired by the flavours of Morocco I thought they would taste wonderful in a nice salad, perfect for a picnic on a hot day. This salad is vibrant, herbaceous and well balanced. It is easily made vegan by omitting the feta or using a dairy-free feta cheese alternative. I used pearl couscous because I had some on hand but this would be wonderful with regular couscous, quinoa, barley, etc. To sneak even more nutrients into this meal, serve it atop a bed of arugula or spinach.   Mo ..read more

This salad offers the flavours of Spring on a plate! This vibrant salad has a salty bite from the grilled halloumi, umami from the chicken, creaminess from the avocado, sweetness from the berries and a fresh kick from the lemon and mint. It’s low-carb and gluten-free and with a couple of quick substitutions or items removed can also be made dairy-free or vegetarian. Blackened Chicken and Grilled Halloumi Salad with Fresh Berries Prep time:  12 minutes Cook time: 18 minutes Total time: 30 minutes Yield: Serves 4 INGREDIENTS For the Salad 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, butterf ..read more

One thing that a lot of us have practiced in 2020 is baking. All of the baking trials and tribulations have no doubt helped us for this very moment: Christmas cookie time! Since we might not be able to see all of our friends and family this year, a great way to ensure the people in your life that you care about most know you are thinking of them is to drop off some homemade treats. You can make the cookie recipe below using either an electric stand mixer or with an electric hand mixer.   Cranberry and White Chocolate Shortbread Cookies Prep time:  40 minutes + 3 hours inactive Cook t ..read more

The holidays are a time to flex your baking skills. It’s usually cold outside and most people have an abundance of time on their hands (this year with not a lot of places to go), so it makes sense to warm up the house by turning the oven on and starting on a fun new project.  A croquembouche is a show-stopper type of dessert. It’s a tower of cream puffs, glued together with caramel sauce and is absolutely stunning, not to mention delicious. I opted to use premade cream puffs because honestly, you can get some pretty dang good store-bought ones so why the heck not? If you are feeling up fo ..read more

Thanksgiving might look a little different this year. In lieu of large social gatherings, why not show your thanks to the people who mean the most in your life by dropping off a handcrafted gift? Honestly, food gifts are the best gifts because they always get used/ eaten. Because this recipe is meant to be gifted it is a fairly large batch. Feel free to cut the recipe in half if you don’t need to feed a crowd!   Sweet Pumpkin Spice Snack Mix Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 45 minutes Total time: 55 minutes Yield: ~40 servings (half cup servings) INGREDIENTS 5 cups Chex cereal (or equ ..read more

Sometimes you need a quick, easy, healthy breakfast on the go. Nothing’s better than a smoothie since you can keep most of the ingredients in the freezer. Enter these 3 smoothie recipes all using 6 ingredients or less. If you are wanting an extra kick of protein to fill you up feel free to add a scoop of your favourite protein powder! 3 Quick & Easy Breakfast Smoothies Prep time: 5 minutes Cook time: 0 minutes Total time: 5 minutes Yield: each variation yields 2 smoothies INGREDIENTS From front to back: Berry Ginger Blast Smoothie, Tropical Sunrise Smoothie, Get Your Greens Smoothie Get Y ..read more