Cranberry Maple Banana Bread

Cranberry Banana Loaf

This banana bread is different from your typical banana bread because it has coconut and cranberries. It has a nice mixture of sweet from the bananas and tart from the cranberries. It’s a great way to use up old bananas and cranberries that may be lingering in your freezer!

Cranberry Raspberry Compote

Cranberry Raspberry Compote

Here’s a cranberry raspberry compote recipe that you’ll want to have on hand for many different dishes. It’s the perfect blend of cranberries and raspberries with a little sugar and orange juice. It’s great on yogurt, ice cream, cheesecake etc. Whatever it is, the compote will make the dish shine.

Spicy Cranberry Ginger Sauce

Spicy ginger Cranberry Sauce

Here’s a spicy version of cranberry sauce to serve at your next Christmas dinner. It’s also good on chicken, pork or in sandwiches! It’s a simple recipe and can be made a few days in advance.

Cranberry Muffins with Brown Sugar Cinnamon Topping

Cranberry Muffins with Brown Sugar Cinnamon Topping

Yummy Cranberry Muffins!

This is a fun cranberry muffin recipe to try. They are perfect to have with your morning breakfast or on a coffee break. The sugar-cinnamon topping creates an intriguing blend of tart and sweet. These cranberry muffins are easy to make and freeze nicely.

Yummy Molasses, Cinnamon and White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Molasses, spice and white chocolate chip cookie

These molasses cookies are fun to chew on. They’re spiced with cinnamon, ground ginger and cardamon, which makes them a cozy cookie for the fall season. But the real treat is munching on the white chocolate chips sprinkled throughout.

Simple & Fast Tomato, Olive, and Fresh Basil Penne

Tomato Olive Basil Penne

If my husband was to make a meal for dinner, his go-to dish would be pasta. His sauce typically includes whatever he feels like throwing into the pot that day…and he never uses a recipe. 

This dish is similar to his pasta dishes, except there is a recipe for it! I use fresh cherry tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes and basil to give it a lively taste. I do like to use extra-virgin olive oil because of the flavour, but regular olive oil will do just as well. 

And if you feel inspired, don't be afraid to throw in other ingredients you like.

Whatever you decide, this is a super fast and delicious meal to prepare at the last minute.

Cayenne Pepper Mixup

Cayenne Pepper Should Be Bright In Colour. Not Dull!

We all make mistakes in the kitchen from time to time…it’s the spice of life!

Like the other day, I made a beautiful fruit crisp for dessert. It was filled with luscious colourful blueberries and raspberries, topped with a crunchy sugary oatmeal coating. Yum!

I served it to my family in small white bowls after our main course. As I was eating the crisp, my mouth began to fill up with a fiery heat infused with sweetness. I was confused. Was I really feeling heat? As in, hot pepper heat? Or was it just warmth from the oven?

I kept eating, trying to figure out the mystery…was I imagining the heat in my mouth? It was like listening to a friend talk while multitasking. They mention a life-changing event that happened to them, and because you’re distracted, you’re confused with what you heard. Eventually you stop, look at them in bafflement, and ask them to repeat themselves.

Finally, my husband spoke up. He quietly asked if I’d added jalapeño peppers to the fruit crisp. That’s when it dawned on me…I immediately knew. I had inadvertently sprinkled cayenne pepper into the fruit crisp, thinking it was cinnamon.

Mushroom Orzo Pasta

Mushroom Orzo Pasta

Mushroom Orzo Pasta - a Fantastic Side Dish

Orzo is a small pasta that cooks fast. This is a fantastic side dish to throw together and goes with many meals.

Broccoli Mushroom Frittata with Gruyère Cheese

Frittata with Mushrooms and Broccoli

As I was thinking about what recipe to cook the other day, I became intrigued with mushrooms. Mainly because when we are shopping for mushrooms, my husband always buys the more expensive brown cremini mushrooms and I buy the less expensive white ones. He says the brown ones are tastier.

I always thought they were the same, but in my sleuthing on mushrooms, I found that they are different and he was right! Dang! 

Because they are a different kind of mushroom, cremini mushrooms do have a stronger umami flavour, a rich savoury taste. 

Another fun fact I learned is that the small cremini mushrooms are just a smaller version of the bigger, portabella mushrooms. In just a matter of days, the small cremini mushroom can morph into a giant portabella mushroom. 

We Are All Cooking Heroes

It’s September, and time to get back into the routine of everyday home cooking. For some, it can be a tough transition – especially after the long, lazy days of summer.

I don’t know about you, but I find summer cooking simple and easy with all the fresh local produce that’s available (think salads and barbecues). But as September sweeps in with cooler temperatures, the local produce is not so easily prepared. Sturdy root veggies force us indoors to take up our positions in front of our stovetops to cook soups, stews, and simmering one-pot meals.

To motivate myself during this transition of daily cooking, I started listening to podcasts on how to create change. 

I learned to start with small steps, celebrate success with small wins, and continue to build until you reach your desired result. Great advice!

The podcasters I listened to also suggested treating or rewarding yourself when you reach your goal. For instance, one expert would reward himself with his favourite smoothie whenever he accomplished his exercise target.

Hmmm…what would I choose as my reward for cooking dinners seven days a week? That’s a tough one.