Oh yes, dear friends, there is definitely still more s'mores ideas out there!

     ....Hello. How are we today? I am EXHAUSTED!!!!!! : ) 

     No, but seriously, I've been more stressed lately than I ever thought I could possibly
be - I've had a constant headache for a week, my body is aching, I have hardly slept, and I even developed a canker sore on my lip!!! 

     K, I'm done now. I'm  just whining to all of you, to whoever will be a listening ear! 

     I think it's time we got back to s'mores though, because s'mores always make me feel better! : )  

    In August of 2014 I wrote a s'more compilation post called "Please Sir....I Want S'more...", and last July I compiled another list of s'more-ific ideas in "It's Time For S'more!".

    I love-LOVE-LOVE  s'mores! They have been a passion of mine for years and years!  So, when I recently received an e-mail from Julia Arangure of Shari's Berries with a request to share their 9 unique s'more ideas on Bushel & A Peck, I thought, "well, it's worth looking at".

    Let me say that when I opened the link she sent, I went "whaaaaaaaaaaaaaa?!?!?!".

     For.  Realz. 

     When Julia said "unique" she meant it, and I have honestly never seen s'mores like the ones she shared with me, and that I am going to share with you!

    These amazing s'more ideas where created and photographed so beautifully, and I want to try every single one of them! 
    
​    So, here they are -9 unique ways to make s'mores from Sharis Berries! 
     

........I mean, c'mon, right?!?!

     I am so excited about these s'mores, and I think I want to try the birthday one first! TO find out how to make all of theses, hop on over to Sharis Berries and the original post about these 9 amazing and unique s'more ideas! 

     Today is Canada Day here in (obviously!) Canada! We've got the usual fun things to do in our wonderful little town of Tweed: a parade, face painting, boat tours, kids crafts, fireman water activities, live entertainers, hot dogs and cupcakes! Then, this evening we're heading to a Canada Day BBQ, where we'll be saying goodbye to some military friends who are moving to Seattle. Thumbs down to people leaving.

     Anyway, I hope if you live in Canada you have a wonderful Canada Day! If you live outside of Canada, have a wonderful Friday! Either way, any day is a good day to try out a new s'more (in my opinion, at least!). 

    On Tuesday I'm going to share with you how we do s'mores around here so that it isn't a complete and utter disaster! 

     Have a great weekend! 
  

​

   Truthfully, the first time I heard the words "ruhbarb cake" I thought, "bleh!"I couldn't imagine how a cake made with rhubarb could taste good at all.

    In one of our horse paddocks we have a large rhubarb patch though, and a neighbour asked if she could take some to make this "rhubarb cake". I only really use it to eat the crazy sour stuff raw (it's alarming and refreshing!), and I've made a paleo strawberry rhubarb bare bottom pie last year for national strawberry rhubarb day, but that's it. I never even went out to cut it down and freeze it because I just never really loved much that was made from rhubarb. 

    Anywho...back to my neighbour....she got some rhubarb from our field, made some cake, and brought some over for me to try...and, let me tell you people, this freakin' cake was so good! So, so, soooo good!!! I'm a little excited about this cake. I plan on making 2 more today! I feel some sadness over the rhubarb I've let go to waste because I didn't know about this delightful cake. 

    This cake is a very simple white cake with rhubarb mixed in, and a crumbly, buttery, cinnamon-sugary topping. It is very moist, and not too sweet, not too sour. 

    After I had made 3 pans of my own rhubarb cake, I brought some over to another neighbour who said that he quite hates rhubarb, and has never had any cake, pie or jam of it that he enjoyed. So I told him I wouldn't be offended if he didn't try it, but he said he would anyway. He said he was always willing to try something, just in case. Well, didn't I go back to see him the next day and he couldn't believe how good the cake was! He said (in a thick Italian accent) that his face didn't pucker, and that the sweetness wasn't too much and he loved the cinnamon in it. 

    Enough said.
​

Rhubarb Cake
Adapted from Oma's Rhubarb Cake


Ingredients:

For the Cake:

• 1/2 Cup white sugar
• 1/2 Cup brown sugar
• 1 Tsp baking soda
• 1/2 Tsp salt
• 2 Cups flour
• 2 Eggs, beaten
• 1 Cup buttermilk/sour milk (measure 2 Tbsp lemon juice or vinegar into a measuring cup, and fill to 1 cup with milk, stir and let curdle)
• 4 Cups chopped rhubarb

For the Topping:

• 1/2 Cup white sugar
• 1/4 Brown sugar
• 1/4 Cup butter, soft (room temperature)
• 1/4 Cup flour
• 2 Tsp Cinnamon

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan (I accidentally wrote "plant" instead of "pan" because I'm listening to the broadway recording of "Little Shop of Horrors" which is about a man-eating plant!!!) Haha, anyway, don't grease any plants....moving on....
2. In a large bowl, whisk together sugars, baking soda, salt and 2 cups flour
3. Stir in the eggs and buttermilk until smooth, then fold in the rhubarb. The batter will be pretty thick, but fear not, it should be! Pour batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly
4. To prepare the topping, in a small bowl blend together the sugars and butter until smooth, then stir in 1/4 cup flour and cinnamon until the mixture is crumbly
5. Sprinkle the mixture evenly onto of the cake
6. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean, about 45 minutes. 

​

   The first time I tried making this it was a gloomy Saturday. The weather was gloomy, and I felt gloomy.

​    By the time the cake was finished and cooled, the sun had come out and the weather was no longer gloomy - and neither was I! The cake smelled so good, and looked so beautiful, and tasted so wonderful! 

   So, that's all there is to this lovely little cake!

   Tonight the girls have a soccer game, then I think we'll let them have some time playing at the splash pad, and maybe we'll have a campfire tonight too. We plan to go and visit some friends tomorrow who we don't get to see too often, so I am looking forward to that also. 

    I hope you all have a lovely weekend.


xo

    So, yesterday I went with my middle child on a field trip to a place called "Sky Zone Trampoline Park". I wasn't sure (at all!) what to expect, but it turned out be a really fun day (except for the long bus ride there and back!). I don't know how to describe the "park" exactly, except to say that everything is trampoline based! It was fun, and (total) I probably jumped on a trampoline for at least an hour - which is a lot for an old gal like me! : )  Ok, the jumping itself wasn't too bad, but I did need to take a lot bathroom breaks to make sure I didn't pee myself! Hahaha, seriously though, having kids (and vaginal births!) really makes things like jumping on a trampoline more like playing a game of Russian roulette! Whomp whomp.

    Anywhooooo, this recipe today is really tasty, and not difficult to put together. 

    There's a new Thai/Japanese restaurant in Belleville that we've been to a few times, and it has opened my eyes to the many wonderful Thai (and Japanese) dishes I've never known about. I also tried sushi (well, I tried it once before, about 10 years ago and hated it!) and really loved it. So, all that to say I've been experimenting at home with different Thai flavours, and I was pleased as punch with this dish.

    The sauce is adapted from Stupid Easy Paleo's Sweet Chilli Dipping Sauce, and the meatballs are just a few ingredients with nothing fancy. Well, unless you consider sesame seeds fancy? If you want to make your own Asian cuisine at home, just get yourself some sesame seeds! Just commit to it; they aren't terribly expensive and they are delightful and (in my opinion) essential in making Asian foods! All that said....you can omit the sesame seeds if you don't have any. But just get some. : ) 

Thai Meatballs with Sweet & Spicy Sauce

Ingredients:

For Meatballs:

• 1 ib ground beef
• 1 medium sized carrot, grated
• 1 Tsp EACH garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and ground ginger
• 1 Tbsp sesame seeds
• Pinch of salt & pepper

For the Sweet & Spicy Sauce:

• 1/2 Cup apple cider vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
• 4 Garlic cloves, minced
• 3 Tbsp honey
• 1 Tbsp fresh grated ginger (or 1/4 Tsp ground)
• 1 Tsp chili flakes
• 1/4 Tsp Cayenne pepper (optional)
• 2 Tsp Arrowroot starch (if not paleo, you can use corn starch)

Method:

For the meatballs:

1. Place all ingredients for meatballs into a bowl, and, using your hands, combine. Don't over mix though, just work everything together gently
2. Place a large skillet on medium, and drizzle some olive oil into the pan
3. While that's getting nice and hot, begin to make your meat into balls. In order to get uniform sized balls, I use my small Pampered Chef scoop, but if you don't have one of those, simply use a tablespoon to scoop out the meat mixture and gently roll into balls (you may need to put a little oil onto your hands to keep the balls from sticking)
4. Once the pan is hot, place a few meatballs into the pan, and sear to create a nice "crust" on the meatballs. I generally place a few into the hot pan, then take the handle of the pan and give it a smooth shake so that the meatballs rolls around and keep a nice shape as they brown. You can also just use tongs or a spoon to gently roll the meatballs over so that all "sides" are being browned. Don't overcrowd the pan though! Do this is batches (the exact number depends on how big your pan is) until all of the meatballs have been browned and in the pan for at least 5 minutes and nearly cooked through. Remove each batch of meatballs from the pan and set aside on paper towel or newspaper to drain slightly
5. Once all the meatballs have been cooked, remove some of the grease from the pan, either by pouring it off, or using paper towel to dab it out (we're using the pan for the sauce now) : )

For the sauce:

1. Once the grease has been taken out of the pan, return it to a medium heat
2. Add the vinegar into the pan, and deglaze, scraping up the nice browned bits from the pan that the meatballs left behind
3. Add in the other ingredients for the sauce, except the arrowroot
4. Once the honey is melted, and the sauce is warm, add in the arrowroot starch and whisk to combine (make sure you don't leave any lumps behind!)
5. Once the sauce is well combined, add the meatballs back into the pan to warm back up as the sauce gets hot and thickens (this should only take a few minutes)
6. You're all set! Serve it up!

​

***If kids are eating this, and they don't like spicy food, just leave some of the meatballs out of the sauce. They still taste great on their own!***


​

    So, really, a pretty strait forward recipe, but with really fantastic results! 

     I like to eat this with a quick fry of shredded cabbage, bean sprouts, thinly sliced peppers and onions, and spiralized zucchini. I'll just top it with the meatballs, and spoon a little extra sauce on it. 

      Anyway, on Monday on my health & fitness post I talked about dealing with stress. One of the things that had been causing me anxiety was a decision to cook at a camp this summer. Once I decided I would do it, I got started on menus. I like creating menus, but I've only had to do it for my family, and special menus for if guests are coming over. 

    So, I'm putting it out there - what kind of food would you consider quintessentially "summer camp", and what foods would you think could work on a summer camp menu? I always lean towards healthy options, but I realize (and my husband keeps reminding me!) that the whole world, and most children, don't eat or believe in eating the way I do. So I need to balance healthy foods with camp foods, oh, and all on a budget too! This might be a challenge, but I am totally up for it! Input would be welcomed though!!! 

    So please, if you've read all this way, give me some suggestions! 

    Have a great weekend! 

   Hello there!

    I'm sharing a recipe today that was from Paleo Parents, who shared if from Julie Bauer's cookbook "Paleo Cookbook" So much sharing! 

    I like to do a syrup based breakfast for the kids on Saturday mornings - wait, what? You don't know what a "syrup based breakfast", is? Well, it's a food item that gives you an excuse to eat maple syrup!!! :)  I am truly Canadian.

   Anyway, making great paleo pancakes can be difficult, but I've made a few that I liked a lot (like these Chocolate Monkey Pancakes), but I was wanting to try something new, and also something I could make ahead.

    Well, I found this little dream of a recipe, and we loved it!

     I made the mini pancakes on Friday night (and wanted to eat them right then!), then I simply stuck 'em into an airtight container overnight, and got the rest whipped up in no time in the morning! 

    This is so good! If you make the mini pancakes and think "why can't I just eat these like this?". Well, you can if you want to! But, making them into a delightful little pancake bake just makes it seem more like a cozy bread pudding. It seems more filling and satisfying somehow. 

   I also changed the recipe slightly, and swapped out the coconut milk for applesauce in the mixture you make that gets poured over the mini pancakes before being baked. It made these a wonderful, apple cinnamon pancake bake!

    Anywho, it's the bees knees, and I think you should give it a whirl! 
​ 

Mini Cinnamon Pancake Bake
From Paleo Parents, with some adjustments of my own


The Mini Pancakes

Ingredients:

• 1/2 Cup coconut flour 
• 1/2 Cup tapioca flour
• 1 Tsp baking soda
• 1 Tsp cinnamon
• Pinch o' salt
• 3 Large eggs, room temperature
• 3/4 Cup almond or coconut milk
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
• 1 Tsp maple syrup or honey
• Grease for the pan (ghee, coconut oil or butter)

Method:

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt
2. In a small measureing cup, mix the milk with the tablespoon of acid (lemon juice or applecider vinegar) and allow to sit for a moment.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, maple syrup or honey, then add in the milk mixture
4. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture. and blend until nice and smooth
5. Grease a large frying pan with your grease of choice, and place it over medium heat
6. Scoop about 1 1/2 tbsp  (use a 1 1/2 tablespoon cookie scoop if you've got one-it'll make this easier!), pour the batter onto the warmed pan, cooking three or four pancakes at a time
7. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until bubbles begin to form in the batter, then flip and cook  the other side for another 2-3 minutes until the pancakes are fluffy and cooked through. Remove from the pan and set aside, then repeat with the remaining batter.
8. Serve the pancakes topped with maple syrup. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to two days or in the freezer for one week and thaw them before reheating in the pan......or, make 'em into the lovely mini pancake bake! 

The Mini Cinnamon Pancake Bake

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp grease for the baking pan (ghee, coconut oil or butter)
• 1 batch Mini Cinnamon Pancakes
• 1  Cup unsweetened applesauce (you can also use 1 cup full-fat coconut milk, as the original recipe has)
• 3 Large eggs, room temperature
• 1 Tsp cinnamon

For the topping:

• 1/4 Cup ghee, coconut oil or butter, softened
• 2 Tbsp maple sugar (the delicious granulated maple sugar)
• 1 Tsp  Cinnamon
• ​Maple syrup

Instructions

1. Grease a an  8x8-inch baking dish or 9x5-inch small loaf pan with your choice of grease, and  stand the pancakes up in rows in the pant (as shown in the photo below)
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
3. Whisk together the applesauce, eggs and cinnamon, and pour the mixture over the pancakes, then press the pancakes down into the mixture to help them soak up the liquid
4. Bake for 40-45 minutes, until the egg mixture has completely set in the middle and it doesn't look "wiggly" anymore
5. ***While the pancake mixture is baking, make the topping***
6. In a small bowl, mix together the ghee, coconut oil, or butter - whichever you have chosen, with the maple sugar and cinnamon.
7. Use a knife or spoon to spread the topping mixture on top of the pancake bake when it comes out of the oven. If the pancake bake is still nice and warm, the topping mixture will melt. If it doesn't melt, place the pan back in the oven for 2 to 3 minutes until the topping mixture has melted.
8. Serve with fruit, fruit syrups, coconut whipped cream, or maple syrup....um, or all of the items mentioned :)  

​
​

    I have a very (VERY!) wiggly 6 year old on my lap while I'm writing this and when she saw the pictures she said, "Oooooohhhh! I looooove these french toasts!!!" : )

    So, I think that sums this up nicely!

    Have a wonderful weekend! 

     Hello there! 

     Until a few years ago I would not - nay - COULD not eat shrimp. Originally, this started from a place of growing up not eating a lot of shrimp, but also knowing that shrimp were bottom dwellers (garbage eaters!), made my stomach turn. This does not seem like a great intro to this post....hold on, it get's worse! Hahaha!

    So, after I got over that and tried shrimp again randomly as an adult (I just tried the cold shrimp with the classic seafood sauce), I came to realize that shrimp was pretty tasty and I actually liked it. And then, a set back.

   We showed up for an Easter meal at my in-laws, and my brother-in-law had something smelling so good on the BBQ. I asked what it was and he said he had been marinating jumbo shrimp for a few hours and was now grilling them. Well, yum-diddly! I had only really eaten "party shrimp", as mentioned, but this smelled so good, and I was willing to try!

     Well, didn't he just bring me one when they were ready.....and it was a large, frightening, unpeeled shrimp! I literally went, "OH NO! No, no, no, no, I can't eat that....". Like a baby. Like a giant baby.

     My father-in-law came to the rescue and offered to peel it for me (where I couldn't see him doing it!), and then I ate that shrimp. It was tasty. But I knew my shrimp limits then and there. If the shrimp is naked, I'm good. If it's got eyes, and creepy little legs. Good golly, keep it away from me!!! 

     For this post I wanted to find some useful links to help with the peeling and deveining process, and literally, out loud at my computer sat going, "Bleeeeh! Eeeewwwwwww!!" while making faces of disgust. I still can't handle shrimp that look like little sea creatures. Here's a link for those of you who can handle it though! 

     If all of this made you question eating shrimp at all....I'm sorry. Seriously, so sorry. 

     This coconut shrimp is so good though....you may want to reconsider your feelings. I shan't ever change my feelings about shrimp I'd need to peel and devein, but shrimp that's ready for fried coconutty goodness? That's a no brainer!     

      These tasty morsels come together easily and relatively quickly. They are great on a salad, served with sauce, eaten alone, and even eaten cold the next day! I usually eat mine next to a mountain of Moo-shu (I just make a meat free version).

Paleo Coconut Shrimp
​From Wiked Spatula

Ingredients:

• 1 lb medium sized shrimp, peeled and deveined (here's that link again for help with this step if you can stomach it!)
• 1 egg
• 1 Tbsp tapioca starch
• 1 Cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 2 Tbsp coconut flour
• Pinch o' salt
• 1/4 Tsp paprika
• 3 Tbsp coconut oil

Method:

1. In a small bowl whisk the egg and the tapioca starch together
2. In a second bowl, combine the shredded coconut, coconut flour, salt and paprika.
3. Butterfly your shrimp by slicing down the back of them until they open up and could almost lay flat (check out the link for a more detailed instruction). If you want to, you can can leave the tails on. This does make flipping and eating considerably easier!
4. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the coconut oil.
5. Dip the shrimp into the egg & starch mixture, let the excess drip off, and then dredge the shrimp through the coconut mixture, making sure it's well covered by gently pressing the shrimp into the mixture
6. In batches (so the pan isn't too crowded) fry the shrimp for 2-3 minutes and golden brown on the outside. The exact time it may take for the shrimp to cook depends on the size of the shrimp. But remember that shrimp can get rubbery if overcooked!
7. If the pan runs out of oil simply add 1 or 2 more tablespoons before the next batch and let warm up before adding more shrimp
8. Transfer cooked shrimp to a newspaper or paper towel lined plate to drain excess oil while cooking the rest of the shrimp
9. Serve as is, or with a favourite sauce 

      Looks good, eh? It is. It so is. 

      Well, that's all for today! I didn't get a chance to post anything last Friday because it just turned into a day of busyness (not business), and then last minute my husband and I decided to go out for a late anniversary dinner, and well, the day just vanished. Poof! 

      Anywho, how do you feel about shrimp? I want to know! So, feel free to share with me your truest feelings about the little sea creature. : )

​

   Is it true?! Is it really real?!? Is spring finally, finally here?!?!?! : )  

   Our spring here has been warm...and then snowing! And then warm....and then snowing!!!! And then all the kids got sun-burnt one Saturday.....then we had an ice storm! I mean, good golly.

    Anywho, I'm washing the snow pants and winter coats for the third time to put away for the warmer months, and am hoping it'll stick this time! 

    Well, when the winter won't end, more and more cookies get made! These super simple gems are made using a cake mix, and we added some super fun mini candy covered chocolate chip thingies.....I honestly can't remember what they are really called...? 

    Anyway, enjoy!
   

Cosmic Cake Mix Brownie Cookies
I get approx. 22 cookies using a 2 Tbsp sized scoop from one batch


Ingredients:

• 1 - 400g boxed cake mix (gluten-free works too - it's what I've used in this posts photos!) ***Do note that every brands boxed cake mixes can have more or less in them, so be sure to check to see what you've got, and then adjust your wet ingredients accordingly*** 
• 1/3 Cup oil (plus 3-6 Tablespoons more as needed)
• 2 Eggs
• 1 Cup cosmo chips (I get these at the Bulk Barn in the section with all the sprinkles)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 375 and prepare a baking sheet with parchment (if you don't trust your baking sheets non-stickiness factor!)
2. Combine the cake mix and wet ingredients together, adding additional oil, 1 tablespoon at a time, until you have a thick, but manageable dough. The dough won't be at sturdy as regular cookie dough, but you should be able to scoop it and have it keep it's shape (and not run)
3. Mix in the cosmo chips
4. Using a 2 Tbsp scoop, or a heaping tablespoon, scoop your cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheet, about 2 inches apart
5. Bake for 8-12 minutes. until the cookies look set, but still soft (you want a nice, fudgy centre - not a dried out puck!) : )  

​

     I made this particular batch o' cookies with a President's Choice Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake Mix. Someone at church gave it to me because their son who used to eat gluten free wasn't anymore, so she kindly gave us a bag of random gluten-free goodies!

    I basically never need a gluten-free cake though except for Caleb's birthday, and my homemade recipe is so darn good, so using the mix for cookies was definitely more up my alley. I was able to pack away a bunch of the cookies in the freezer and have them ready to take-along for my gluten-free Caleb if we went somewhere I knew there would be some treats he couldn't partake in.  

     Well, that's it, I guess. My mind feels like bleh....yesterday I was filling out a form for a police check, and I wrote my birthday year as 1893. Then I put a 5 instead of an S at one spot, and I also wrote my address one line above each line I was actually supposed to write it on. Golly gee willikers. Hopefully my brain is taking some sort of rest to get ready for some sort of awesomeness....? Yes? Fingers crossed? 

    Have a great weekend - and a great Mother's Day! Be sure to show some love to some motherly figure in your life! 


​

    I can't seem to get a good nights sleep lately!!! Blah!!! Ok, sorry, I'm just feeling pooped and cranky. The End.

     So, eating healthy food can start to feel boring because often times we get stuck in a rut of making the same things over and over. When this happens, I've found the best way to kick the food boredom in the butt is to inject some culturally diverse and intense flavours into my life! Seriously, it makes me look forward to dinner, it feels so satisfying, and it's rarely boring adding some Chinese, Thai, Curry dishes, or Mexican cuisine into a weekly meal plan.

    And this recipe is really simple, and you can add other things you love or take-away things that may not quite appeal to you. You could add more heat with the additions of dried hot chilies, or swap out the almond butter for peanut butter. You could throw shrimp into it if you're not vegan, or spiralize some carrots or a handful of bean sprouts into it if you want some more veggies! I had mine with a big heap of kimchi (I use this recipe, but I omit the fish sauce), and a soft boiled egg. Perfection.      

​Stir-Fry with Spicy Almond Sauce

Ingredients for stir fry:

• Olive oil (just enough for frying pan)
• 1 Large onion, I used a white onion, cut in half, then cut into strips 
• 1 large sweet pepper, yellow, orange or red, cut into 1/2 inch wide strips
• 6 Zucchini, spiralized into noodles (I used blade D on my Inspiralizer), or  use a mandolin to get nice thin, uniform pieces
• Pinch of cayenne (optional)
• 1 Tsp garlic powder, ground ginger & onion powder
• Salt & pepper 

Ingredients for sauce:

• 4 Cloves garlic, crushed and micned
• 1 Inch hunk of ginger, minced
• 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp sesame oil
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp almond butter
• Water to thin (if needed)

Method:

1. Heat a large frying pan or wok on medium heat, and drizzle olive oil into pan to warm up
2. Once warmed, add the onions and fry for a few minutes, until getting brown
3. While the onions are browning, in a small bowl whisk together all the ingredients for the sauce, adding the water only as needed to get the desired consistency (you can also just whirl this around in a mini food processor to blend together), set aside
4. Now add your peppers to the pan with the onions, and cook until the pepper is getting soft, 1-2 minutes
5. Add your zucchini noodles, and gently toss to coat
6. Add in your spices, and toss to coat again
7. Allow the noodles to warm up, tossing very gently every minute or so until they are fully warmed. This will take 3-5 minutes maximum - If you cook them longer they'll get too soft & squishy
8. Divide stir fry into bowls, and top with spicy almond sauce and serve!

    Sometimes when it comes to a "closing" on a post, I have all sorts of things to say. Other times my brain is an empty shell, and I can't get any thoughts or quips together. Today is more of the latter. 

    Having shared this, I shall simply say goodbye, and I hope you have a lovely weekend!
​    
​     

    I've been married and cooking for myself for nearly 12 years, and until recently, I had never bought pork tenderloin. Except for bacon, I don't buy pork.

    It's never been my favourite. Whenever I think of pork, I think of dried out pork chops. Bleh. No thanks! My brother once brought a tenderloin to my house (among many other groceries) because he used to stop by to visit and fancied himself to be Jamie Oliver and would whip up some of the most delicious meals I've ever had!!! But, in that instance he decided to prepare another meat he had brought, and the tenderloin got tossed into the freezer, only to be pulled out later and turned into pulled pork. Oh yeah, I'll eat pulled pork, but, c'mon, it's shredded meat covered in a yummy sauce and eaten with coleslaw! Tasty! 
 
    Anywhooooo, when scrimping and saving on groceries, beggars can't be choosers! Pork tenderloin was on sale, a sale so good I actually did a double take and went back to the cooler to investigate.

    Per kg, pork tenderloin was cheaper that week than any of the other regular meats we would get. So, I thought, "well, I might as well see what I can do!", and grabbed a few. My husband thought I was having a stroke because I was buying pork. Ok, he didn't think that, but he was like, "huh....?"

    Once home I Googled and pondered the potential of this meat. It seemed stuffing it was a must for a more guaranteed finished product. I had spinach which I knew would be nice, and having bacon inside seemed like a great way to keep the tenderloin moist from the inside out while roasting. Lemon and rosemary are a favourite flavour combo of mine, and knew that they'd taste great with bacon and spinach.

    Lemme say that this roast was goo-ooo-ooo-ooo-ood (read that with a slight Southern drawl and it'll make sense) : )  
    

​Spinach & Bacon Stuffed Pork Tenderloin
​(with lemon & rosemary) 

Ingredients:

• 2 Pork tenderloins 
• 6 Slices bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 Onion, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 Cup broth/stock (any kind)
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp dried rosemary
• 3 Cups spinach
• 1/2 Cup lemon juice
• 1 Tsp dried rosemary

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 375, and have a roasting pan (or Dutch oven, or your deepest baking dish and tin foil for a top) ready
2. In a large pan set to medium, fry the bacon for a few minutes until the edges start to get crispy, then add the onions
3. Once the bacon is crispy, and the onions are soft, browned and fragrant, turn the heat to high, and pour in the cup of broth
4. Deglaze the pan by scraping up the bottom of the pan to get all the nice bacon and onion bits while the broth boils
5. Turn the heat back down to medium/low, and add in the 2 tablespoons lemon juice, & the dried rosemary. Stir to combine
6. Add the spinach into the pan and allow to wilt (you may need to do this a few handfuls at a time to get it to all fit)
7. Once spinach is wilted, transfer to a bowl and turn the heat in the pan back to high
8. Add the 1/2 cup lemon juice, and deglaze again (there likely won't be much in the pan to scrape up, but do it anyway), then add the dried rosemary and stir to combine. Remove from heat
9. Now you'll want to butterfly the pork tenderloins by cutting down the middle length of each one but not cutting it all of the way through, and spread the meat flat (like you are opening a book). Season with salt & pepper
10. Spread the spinach mixture on the butterflied pork tenderloin, and begin to roll the tenderloin up, starting at the narrow ends
11. Once rolled up, secure with toothpicks, and place into your roasting pan
12. Pour the lemon rosemary mixture over the roll, and place lid on pan
13. Cook the tenderloins for 45 minutes (or until the inside reaches 145F on a meat thermometer)
14. When the pork is done, transfer is to a cutting board and allow to rest for about 10 minutes, lightly covered in aluminum foil
15. Remove the toothpicks and slice the pork rolls 

​

    What we had for dinner that night I sliced into approximately 1 inch pieces, and we ate it with a side of mashed cauliflower, and the rest I tried to cut thinner so my husband could use it in a sandwich to take to work. Best sandwich ever!       
​

    Happy Friday one and all. I'll meet you here again next week!


​

    This recipe is a wonderful concoction of brownie, caramel, and cookie! 

     The first time I made this it was because I had some leftover oatmeal chocolate chip cookies from a sale I had been a vendor at. The cookies had gotten too hard to be able to eat (well, unless you dipped them into tea or coffee, which was yummy!), so I needed to just get them used up in another way.

    I thought if they were a crumb or crumble type thing for something else, it would be deee-lish! I found this recipe from Chelsea's Messy Apron, and adapted it to suit me and what I had one hand. 

    I've made this with from-scratch brownies, boxed brownie mix, even a modified-to-brownies chocolate cake mix. I've used wrapped caramels, as well as caramel bits, and I used my leftover cookies, but also store-bought oatmeal chocolate chip cookies! So, I mean, you can make this treat in many ways! And you should!

    Perfect, fudgy brownies topped with caramel and more chocolate, then topped with a crumble made from cookies? Yes, it is every bit as delicious as it sounds!  
​

Caramel Brownie Cookie Crumb Bars
Adapted from Chelsea's Messy Apron

Ingredients:

For the Brownie Base:

• 1 Cup flour
• 2 Cups sugar
• 1 Cup salted butter, melted
• 4 Eggs
• 2/3 cup cocoa powder

For the Caramel Layer: 

• 1 1/2 Cups caramel bits, or 1 small bag of caramels (11oz), unwrapped**
• 2 Cups chocolate chips (semi-sweet)

For The Cookie Top:

• 2 Cups chopped oatmeal chocolate chip cookies (get a nice, hard/crunchy cookie)
• 1/4 Butter, melted

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350, and lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish, and line with parchment, leaving a little over hang on the sides to use later as "handles"
2.  Let's make the brownies!:   In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar and cocoa powder. In another small bowl, whisk together the butter and eggs. Add the egg mixture into the flour mixture, stirring until just combined. Pour this batter into the prepared baking dish, and bake until nearly, but not quite, finished-around 20-25 minutes​
3. While the brownies are baking, take your chopped cookies, and add the 1/4 Cup melted butter to them and stir to combine, set aside
4. If using the wrapped caramel squares, now is the time to open them, and cut them into smaller chunks (each square into 4 pieces works)
5. ​Once brownies are nearly done, take out of the oven and evenly spread caramels and chocolate chips over the base, then "sprinkle" the cookie/butter crumb mixture over top
6. Return pan back into the oven, and bake for another 10-15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the centre is clean, and top is crunchy and golden
7. Let cool in the pan for an hour or more before using the parchment handles to carefully lift the squares out of the pan to cut

    Oh, yum. These bars are just the tops! For real, they are just too tasty to fully describe! 

    So, this weekend-any plans?

    Saturday we go over to the neighbours for an annual pancake breakfast! My wonderful neighbour has a huge maple syrup shack (it's an enormous shop, really!) where he's been really, really, really busy, working away at turning the sap from our beloved maple trees into wonderful maple syrup! He doesn't even personally like maple syrup, but his father made it, and he wants to carry on in his tradition. So he hosts a wonderful pancake breakfast to share/get rid of some of the syrup he's made! : )  It's really so great, we always enjoy it a lot!

    Have a good weekend!

​

     Hello!

     I don't know about you or where you live, but here in Tweed, it's been feeling more like spring this week. It's actually raining right now....which is just yucky and miserable, but the spring makes me want something bright, light, and palate cleansing as a treat. Am I the only one? We spend the cold winter months eating comfort foods, then when it feels like the warmer weather is approaching we feel the need to switch it up? Maybe it's just me? I know I would, and have, eaten these cookies any time of the year, but they feel particularly "springy" to me because of the refreshing lemony-ness of them. 

    This recipe is one I've been using for a while now, but I made some changes, basically because I needed it to reflect what I usually have on hand! The original recipe is from a blog I frequent, Lauren's Latest. She's shares about home, travel, family, and she's got some wonderful, delicious and simple recipes (one of my favourites is her copy-cat Cinnabon cinnamon rolls! They are sooooooooo good!!!). 

     Anyway, I'm keeping this post short and sweet....and sour? Get it? Lemons? Sour? Hardy har-har, I know, I'm funny. : ) 

Lemon Crinkle Cookies
Adapted oh-so-slightly from Lauren's Latest Lemon Crinkle Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1-½ Cups flour
• ¼ Tsp salt
• 1/2  Tsp + 1 finger pinches worth baking powder (or an additional  ⅛ tsp if you've got that tiny measurement!) 
• ½ Cup butter, room temperature
• 1 Cup sugar
• 1 Drop yellow food colouring (optional)
• 1  Egg
• 1 Tbsp lemon Juice
• ½ Cups icing (powdered) sugar

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, or lightly grease and set aside
2. In a small  bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and baking powder, then set aside
3. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer or your muscles, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy
4. Now add in your egg and lemon juice and mix together well. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl as you mix to make sure you've got that egg well incorporated!
5. Add in the dry ingredients you mixed together in the small bowl, and gently stir until just combined. Scrape down sides of bowl, and mix once more
6. Grab a large plate, or bowl with a large, flat bottom, and pour the icing sugar onto/into it
7. Using a scoop, or a spoon, scoop out a heaping teaspoon of the cookie dough and roll it into a nice little ball, then roll that nice little ball in your icing sugar! Place the sugary ball of dough onto your prepared baking sheet and repeat this step until you've used up all your dough! 
8. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until bottoms begin to just barely get brown, and cookies look matte {not melty or shiny}
9. Remove from oven and cool cookies about 3 minutes before transferring to cooling rack

   So lovely looking, right? They are just delightful, soft on the inside, lightly crisp on the outside, and so refreshing! Well, as "refreshing" as a cookie can be, I guess! Haha! 

   Have a great weekend friends! 
​