Don’t let your ice cream melt
Isn’t this the truth? Let’s all put our attention on our blessings, on what we have and not on what we don’t. Nothing increases the impact and delight of an experience than being fully present within it. Let’s not let distraction or comparison steal our joy. Deal?
Keep at it
Keep at it. If you love it, keep at it. If you don't love it, find something you do.
Every Brilliant Thing
I am in love with Every Brilliant Thing, have watched it twice, and am about to start a third.
Testing setup of new blog parameters January 17, 2018 I am rebuilding my web site and blog from scratch. If you receive notification of this blog post, please comment below. With much gratitude, Elaine.
Autumn Squash Soup with Honey and Sage
Autumn Squash Soup with Honey and Sage This is a very easy, one pot soup that makes a great appetizer or a light lunch. Prepared on Dinner Television Edmonton, October 10, 2015 2 tbsp butter or oil 1 medium onion, finely chopped 2 large garlic cloves, chopped 1 litre vegetable or chicken broth, low-sodium 375 gr butternut squash, peel & cut into 1/2″ pieces 375 gr acorn squash, peel & cut into 1/2″ pieces 1/2 tsp rosemary, dried & chopped small 1/2 tsp thyme, dried 1/2 tsp savory leaves, dried…
Baked Stuffing
Baked Stuffing is a delicious side dish for your turkey, chicken, or roast pork. The trick is the double strength chicken broth. It gives that poultry flavour without needing to be stuffed inside the bird.
Fresh Greens with Cranberry Vinaigrette and Toasted Pecans
Fresh Greens with Cranberry Vinaigrette and Toasted Pecans A bright and refreshing salad that makes a great accompaniment for holiday and heavy meals. Try any type of green you like – spinach, kale, arugula, chicory, beet greens, romaine, mustard greens, Swiss chard greens, etc. Prepared on Dinner Television Edmonton, October 10, 2015 6 cups roughly torn or chopped salad greens of any type you like 1/4 cup dried cranberries 1/4 cup toasted nuts and seeds, whatever you have on hand 2 or 3 tbsp grated or shaved pecorino or parmesan…
Fair Trade Chocolate – why should I pay more?
In the comfort of our homes or at our favourite restaurant, most us frequently enjoy chocolate in some form or another. Perhaps it’s a creamy bowl of chocolate ice cream, a gooey brownie fresh from the oven, or a cup of hot cocoa. Nestled among the cushions on the sofa or sitting around the table with friends, we don’t really consider how the chocolate got to our plate, except via the kitchen. Many of you remember the disaster last year ago when the garment factory in Bangladesh collapsed and 112 workers were killed.…
Vanilla Frosting / Vanilla Icing
A basic vanilla buttercream or base for a flavoured/coloured frosting. Makes about 2 to 2-1/2 cups 1/3 cup butter, softened (about 75 gr) 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional) 500 gr icing sugar (about 3.5 cups) 30 to 60 ml cream Beat the soft butter with the vanilla and 1 cup of icing sugar until well blended. Continue to add sugar to thicken the icing, and then add a bit of the cream to give it a creamy, spreadable consistency, but not too soft. Spread evenly on the cake or cupcakes. Refrigerate…
Easy Peasy 30-Minute Chocolate Cupcakes
This is a great recipe to make with kids – delicious fun! You can make the cupcakes in under 30 minutes – less time than it takes to go to the store and buy a mix. I’ve taught this recipe to kids at home cooking parties, and cooking camps for the City of Edmonton. Serves 12 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp milk (not skim) 1 tbsp white vinegar 1 cup all-purpose flour 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa 2/3 cups sugar 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/4 tsp salt 1/3 cup melted butter…
Vanilla Cupcakes
A super easy, quick and light cupcake. Serves 12, or makes one 9″ round layer cake. 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp milk (preferably not skim) 1 tbsp white vinegar 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1 1/4 tsp baking powder 1 pinch salt 6 tbsp butter, softened 3/4 cup sugar 1 egg 1 tsp pure vanilla extract Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cupcake tin with large paper liners. In a small bowl, combine the milk and vinegar, stir and let sit to curdle. In a medium bowl, combine the…
Lemon Cupcakes
A quick and easy cupcake with a bright citrus flavour. Serves 12, or makes one 9″ round layer cake. 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp milk (preferably not skim) 1 tbsp white vinegar 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour zest of 2 lemons 1 1/4 tsp baking powder 1 pinch salt 6 tbsp butter, softened 3/4 cup sugar 1 egg 1 tsp pure vanilla extract Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cupcake tin with large paper liners. In a small bowl, combine the milk and vinegar, stir and let sit to…
Love is spelled T-I-M-E
Being present, truly in the moment with those we love is the greatest gift we can give.
The greatest use of life is love.
The greatest use of life is love. The greatest expression of love is time. The greatest time to love is now. – Rick Warren –
No sodium sunflower seeds – woohoo!
I have been a sunflower seed eater forever, introduced to them by my dad. He would eat spits watching TV (likely a substitute for the cigarettes he had quit when we were young) and I picked up the habit. Over the years, though, the salt level has become untenable. When visiting China in February, I discovered this brand in Shanghai which has so little salt that 1/4 cup portion has 0 mg. I just discovered that T&T Supermarket carries it – ChaCheer brand available in original, spicy, coconut and green…
Lunar New Year, Hong Kong
Spending Lunar New Year in Hong Kong is an outstanding experience. The dragon dancers can be seen everywhere, writhing to the energetic drum beats, blessing businesses for a prosperous year to come. Every home and building is decorated with pink, red and the ubiquitous orange tree. In the foyer of a neighbouring hotel, we found the most detailed ginger sculpture, an homage to the new year to come. Visiting the largest temple in Hong Kong on Lunar New Year is an exercise in patience and not for the feint of heart nor…
Flourless soy sauce
Chen chen soy sauce made in Thailand has not been certified gluten-free, but celiac & sensitive customers have reported no side effects. Tastes great & bonus – lower in sodium, too.
Words for the Journey
"We do the best we can. When we know better, we must do better." - Maya Angelou
Dilled Sour Cream Potatoes
I love, love, love! sour cream on potatoes. A great baked potato isn’t the same without, but how can we keep the flavour without excessive fat? Here’s a great recipe that does just that. This recipe uses baby potatoes, dill and just 2 tbsp of sour cream to serve 4 people. When I’m wanting a real baked potato taste, I use sliced green onions instead of dill. A quick and easy side dish for roast beef, burgers, chicken, fish – and works great with reheated leftover potatoes, too! Click here for the recipe.
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Autumn Squash Soup with Honey and Sage
Vanilla Frosting / Vanilla Icing
Keep at it
Oven-Roasted Fish with Fresh Tomato-Basil Sauce
We hear that we’re supposed to eat more fish, but besides pre-packaged fish that can be high in fat and added salt, how can it be prepared easily and taste good? Pan-frying is one alternative, but clients are always asking how they can cook fish without it sticking to their frying pan. My solution: roast it. There are different methods
My favourite comfort food –
People don’t believe me when I tell them this, because they assume that it’s going to be something more elegant or sophisticated or complicated. When I lived in Thailand, this was one of the few dishes that would make me feel better if I was under the weather, or just hit the spot when I wasn’t feeling particularly adventurous. Maybe it goes back to the first experience of the only “exotic” meal we had when I was very young. Like every small town on the prairies, we had the local…
Apricot & Wild Rice Salad with Orange Vinaigrette
This is a very easy salad, great with leftover rice (make lots the next time you cook it and portion into 1- and 2-cup containers to freeze for quick meals and salads). Don’t have apricots? Try cranberries. Don’t like orange? Use grapefruit. Zesty hints of acid, perfect for warming salad. The whole grain in the wild rice, along with the fruit and a no-fat, no-sodium vinaigrette makes this perfect for Heart Health month. Don’t forget to donate and get even more heart-healthy recipes all February! And to sweeten it up,…
Kid-Friendly Cooking – Easy Chicken and Vegetable Soup
In-home cooking classes for kids are a really fun activity for birthday parties and sleepovers. We talk about kitchen safety, food safety and cooking tips for kids and their grown-ups. They get right in there and have a great time being creative in the kitchen and sharing their creations with their families. The most popular classes are Pizza, Taco and Cupcakes, but today’s birthday girl wanted to learn how to make chicken soup and bread, so we made this incredibly good Easy Chicken and Vegetable Soup and Easy Cheesy Biscuits. Even if you’re…
Mascerated Berries with Ginger Lemon Crème – a taste of summer
I love that my clients are requesting lighter desserts for their dinner parties. After a lovely 3-course meal, having cheesecake or chocolate torte may be delicious but it’s also heavy, often weighing in at over 500 calories per serving. I came up with this dessert a couple of years ago and have made dozens of variations of it. It’s becoming a popular way to balance a dinner party – light, delicious, and with the price of berries this time of year, definitely a treat. It’s not the season for local berries in Canada…
Halloumi Cheese – what the heck is it and how do I use it?
Halloumi cheese is known by a few different names: haloumi, halloum, haloum, halloom. It is a pressed cheese from the Cyprus and is popular in Mediterranean cooking. As a pressed cheese, it is excellent for grilling and pan-frying as it browns without sticking. While it does soften somewhat in cooking, Halloumi cheese keeps its form and shape. Delicious sliced, grated or cubed, I’ve used it on pizza, in sandwiches, salads, and pan-fried and drizzled with chili oil. It is worth noting that this is a salty cheese, so when adding to…
Tuna – if fish is good, why do I hear tuna is bad?
This excellent fish provides many nutrients and is an excellent source of protein. The concern about tuna is that certain type of it contain high levels of mercury, an element that can be dangerous, particularly to children, pregnant women, and those nursing or looking to become pregnant (source: Health Canada). Almost all fish contain some level of mercury, and other fish with higher levels of mercury are shark, swordfish, marlin and roughy. The concern over tuna is that inexpensive as it is, and readily available cooked and packaged in tins,…
Sweet treat – Santa Cruz Organic Chocolate Syrup
Part of balance eating is to enjoy something indulgent now and again. Tonight I had a craving for chocolate, so I enjoyed 1/3 cup of vanilla ice cream with a tablespoon of Santa Cruz Organic Chocolate Syrup. I love this stuff! It’s all-natural and dairy-free, rich and chocolaty so a little goes a long way. You can enjoy it at room temperature or heat it as a hot fudge sauce. I use it on crepes, ice cream, in protein shakes, and sometimes just on a spoon! In Edmonton, it’s available…
Thai Cilantro-Garlic Pork (or chicken…!)
What a great Thai Stirfries demo cooking class last evening. It was a really fun group of people who came out with good questions, great energy and lots of interest; some returning students from previous classes and lots of new ones, plus the winners of the Breakfast Television ticket contest. Someone even live tweeted the class which explained the many alerts my phone sounded all evening. We enjoyed 4 Thai stirfry dishes together, plus a bonus recipe, Thai Cilantro-Garlic Pork (recipe below). This is a spicy dish with lots of garlic and cilantro…
Fork Fest 2011 in Edmonton
A delicious festival in the middle of winter, this is a great chance to sample some of those talked-about restaurants at a fraction of their regular menu pricing. Three-course menus are $25 or $45, depending the location, and there are several restaurants participating around Edmonton. Visit the festival web site for restaurants, menus, and locations. Sponsored by Live Local, a great resource for restaurants, shops, farmers, and local producers of delicious local products.
Breakfast Television – Spicy Thai Cashew Tofu
One of the most enjoyable parts of doing the live television cooking segments on Breakfast Television is all the people I get to connect with. On the day it’s the crew and cast of the show, then the station staff coming in to sample what we’ve made, and later on, the viewers who get in touch. This is one of the most requested recipes I’ve done on Breakfast Television to date. (Click here to download the recipe or read it below.) Some people are leery of the texture. A nutrient dense protein, I suggest using…
