There are so many joys to be found in baking – none more so that successfully releasing a cake from a bundt pan. I’ll admit I put off making a bundt cake for several years because I didn’t want it to be a disaster, but when an opportunity came to make one – inspired by my favourite cake no less – I thought I’d be brave and give it a shot. And boy did I pull it off! This rich, indulgent cake is bettered by the addition of tangy and sharp quark from Wunder Creamery. What can often be a heavy cake, is lifted thanks to the addition of the quark – and consider it a healthy dessert too…it packs in 1 ..read more

Gift giving has always come naturally to me. I know my friends and family so well that I am consistently getting people what they didn’t know they wanted. Apart from one time in my mid-teens when I thought my Dad would really enjoy a book about farts. Epic fail. As I am very much a homebody, more so this year thanks to the pandemic, I have been looking for ways that I can make gifts (as well as supporting local businesses too of course), and my first venture into homemade gift giving came in the form of some scrumptious, creamy apple butter. Using Autumn Glory Apples just made so much sense fo ..read more

2020 has been the year of comfort food. From whipped coffees in the spring, to the sour bread and banana bread trends of the summer, people have been baking, cooking, and feasting on food that is good for the soul, as well as the stomach. As we ease into the holiday season, many of us will be enjoying the welcome break from work, and hopefully being able to (safely) see friends and family. I’m delighted to be collaborating with Super Fresh Growers again this winter, and will be bringing you a few more recipes as the season goes on. This simple rice pudding recipe is perfect for cozy dinners, o ..read more

All this (unseasonably) warm weather means I haven’t quite stopped drinking iced coffee or tea, so what better time to share my scrumptious autumn cold brew tea recipe with you? Featuring a new (to me) tea from Inca Tea, this is a great way to ease into fall as we’ve packed this with plums, apples and thmye – a match made in iced tea heaven! INGREDIENTS 4 Inca Tea Panchau Peach tea bags  6 Plums (halved) 3 Apples (slided on the horizontal) 72 fl oz (6 cans) of seltzer, soda or sparkling water 2 tbsp sweetener of choice Sprigs of thyme or rosemary to garnish DIRECTIONS Cold brew the tea in ..read more

Nothing heralds the start of autumn more than changing leaves. I have had so many peaceful – and pretty – drives around south west Ohio this last month, drinking in all the yellows and oranges, reds and deep browns. The change in foliage has had me thinking about all things apple and cinnamon when it comes to baking. And what better way to honour everyone’s favourite season than by kicking starting a new campaign with Autumn Glory Apples with some apple and blackberry turnovers. With warm delicious cinnamon notes, Autumn Glory Apples remain my favourite apple to bake with, and when paired with ..read more

I love that broccoli is available all year round – it’s never out if style, and it is one of the most adaptable veggies out there. Grill it, batter it, stir fry it…however you take it, broccoli is going to boost your intake of vitamins K and C, and provide you with fiber too. It is a triple threat: a delicious, nutritious, transformable vegetables. Forget trying to sneak vegetables into kids meals, us adults need to up our fruit and veggie intake too, and we can’t think of a more fun way to enjoy veggies than in tater tot form! These herby cheesy crisp little nuggets are packed with flavor an ..read more

Matcha is a tea anomaly in that it comes in powder form (no, iced tea powder does not count. Why? Because I said so, and because it is awful) and therefore is not brewed in your typical kettle, teapot, teacup style. Due to it’s powder form, it is far more concentrated than your average bagged green tea, and can have up to 10 times the nutritional value too. High in antioxidants, matcha is more powerful that you’d ever think – boasting 1300 units per gram, while the humble little blueberry has just 91! This means that a scoop or two of matcha to your smoothie in the morning will boost your anti ..read more

When pushed, I think I would say that biscuits (the British kind, of course) pair best with a cup of tea. Somedays I might learn towards something more savoury like a bacon sandwich, but the majority of the time I find myself rummaging through the biscuit tin while waiting for the kettle to boil. That was until I started drinking every other type of tea beyond English Breakfast. Now I find myself yearning for macarons (or macaroons), brandy snaps, even the odd biscotti, but one sweet treat that I simply adore is the humble cupcake. This little recipe is the perfect introduction to tea the flor ..read more

For many, the end of summer heralds the start of the greatest of sport seasons: baseball, football and basketball are either just winding up for the start of a new year, or are starting to wind down and play finals. So there is a sweet spot from late August thru Halloween when on any given day, you have any number of games to watch! And with games and sports on such heavy rotation, let’s explore some prime game time chips and dips. Darista Dips – Za’atar Hummus vs. Stacy’s Simply Naked Pita Chips This dip is not for the faint-hearted. There are multitudes of herbs and spices swirled into this ..read more

One change I wasn’t expecting during a global pandemic was to my skin: I’ve gone from having relatively normal skin, to sensitive and dry with a dash of cystic acne in a matter of weeks. I’m blaming masks – is that normal? As you’ll see my skincare regimen is top notch. Masks and mandates, plus the stress of buying a house, and trying to balance work/life/motherhood has left my skin looking tired and dull. A few weeks ago I decided to change up my skincare routine and I took the opportunity to reeeeally look at what I was putting on my face. As we continue to see the obvious impact humans have ..read more