Making Cream Puffs At Home Is Easy!

Homemade Cream Puffs Using Conestoga Farms Free Run Omega-3 Brown Eggs
Homemade Cream Puffs Using Conestoga Farms Free Run Omega-3 Brown Eggs

This post is sponsored by Conestoga Farms Eggs. All opinions are my own.

Making cream puffs at home is like discovering your inner pastry chef! Yes, they’re that easy to make. And, you can have fun with the sizes and fillings you choose to make and use. Cream puffs are also perfect for bringing to a summer gathering because they’re a finger-food dessert.

Eggs are the key ingredients in cream puffs, and recently I made a batch using Conestoga Farms’ Free-Run Omega-3 brown eggs. I love that local Southwestern Ontario farmers produce these eggs because buying food raised close to home makes me feel good about what my family eats.

Homemade Cream Puffs Using Conestoga Farms Free Run Omega-3 Brown Eggs
Homemade Cream Puffs Using Conestoga Farms Free Run Omega-3 Brown Eggs

The Conestoga Farms’ Free Run Omega-3 brown eggs are laid by hens living in weather-sheltered barns where they can run freely to forage for food. The hens are grain-fed and their diet includes flax seeds, a high source of Omega-3 polyunsaturates. Omega-3 fatty acids can benefit heart and brain health. Continue reading

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Fattoush Salad – A Favorite In Our House!

Fattoush Salad
Fattoush Salad

Fattoush Salad, a popular salad in the Middle East, is one of the tastiest and most requested salads in our house! As my kids have gotten older, their tastebuds have evolved and cooking for them is a pleasure.

Fattoush is an easy salad that is forgiving in both the quantity and variety of ingredients. If you went to ten people’s homes, you’d find ten versions of this salad! There are so many ways to make fattoush. People refer to it as a peasant salad in that people used whatever leftover vegetables they had on hand to make this dish. I’ve even seen it made using only purslane, tomatoes, and cucumbers, which is very different from the recipe I’m sharing below.

With Ramadan entering its second week, this salad is a staple found at many Iftar meals. Iftar is the evening meal that breaks the fast for Muslims around the world. I thought it would be a good time to share the recipe my mom has taught me for making fattoush.

Fattoush Salad
Fattoush Salad

There are a few things that distinguish the typical fattoush salad from a green salad. The simple green salad has lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers. Fattoush adds onions, sumac, green peppers, mint, parsley, pita chips, and a dressing of oil and lemon with the option of adding pomegranate molasses. My mom doesn’t use pomegranate molasses, but many restaurants use it for a tangy taste. Continue reading

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Egg Salad + The Easiest Way To Peel Eggs!

Egg Salad With Celery Seed
Egg Salad With Celery Seed

Making an egg salad is one of the best ways to use up eggs and to pack some protein into your meals. I often find myself with eggs about to expire, either because I didn’t get around to baking or because my kids didn’t ask for scrambled eggs breakfasts. When eggs ‘pile up’ in the fridge, I boil a dozen and make an egg salad. We eat the egg salad for dinner and have leftovers for breakfast on toast, or as a snack.

There are so many ways to make egg salad! I’ve seen the simplest of recipes, like eggs mashed with a fork, with added salt and pepper. And, I’ve seen eggs dressed with lots of mayonnaise, and egg salads made with curry powder.

Egg Salad With Celery Seed
Egg Salad With Celery Seed

In our house, we like our egg salad with celery, green onions, whole celery seeds, mayonnaise, and dijon mustard. I usually use 6 whole boiled eggs, and 6 boiled egg whites. The reason I don’t use all 12 yolks is because I want to cut down on the taste of too many yolks as well as cut down the cholesterol levels.

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Cornmeal Banana Oatmeal Waffles – Vegan & Gluten-Free

Banana Cornmeal Oatmeal Waffles
Banana Cornmeal Oatmeal Waffles

My love for waffles is never-ending, and these Cornmeal Banana Oatmeal Waffles are my latest creation! (You can also check out the recipe for my Strawberry Banana Waffles).

I often have waffles more than once a day. If it’s not for breakfast, it’s as the base for a savory lunch waffle sandwich. Lately, I’ve been looking for ways to add fiber and protein to my diet. When I saw that 1 cup of yellow corn meal contains about 9 grams of fiber and about 10 grams of protein, I got very excited. I spent some time subbing out part of the flout for cornmeal, and came up with this recipe.

Cornmeal gives food a crunchy texture that you either like or you don’t. I’m a huge fan of cornbread as well as any Middle Eastern desserts that contain semolina or cream of wheat. The texture is satisfying for me. So, I didn’t need much convincing to make these waffles part of my weekly meal prep. I make these cornmeal waffles, store them in the fridge, and toast them for meals.

Although photos on my blog and Instagram include syrup, I rarely eat the waffles with syrup. Syrup is for extra special occasions! I usually eat my waffles plain, like a piece of toast, and add fruits when I have time.

Banana Cornmeal Oatmeal Waffles
Banana Cornmeal Oatmeal Waffles

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Peanut Butter Oatmeal Freezer Fudge

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Freezer Fudge
Peanut Butter Oatmeal Freezer Fudge

For the past few weeks, I’ve been making batches of this delicious peanut butter oatmeal freezer fudge and I wanted to share my recipe with you. These peanut butter oatmeal fudge pieces taste a bit like an Oh Henry or Baby Ruth candy bar! (BTW, check out this post for the recipe for Homemade Oh Henry Bars.)

I’m kind of addicted to freezer fudge these days, and for good reason: it’s easy and quick to make, there’s no cooking required, and it’s a satisfying treat. There’s something about having a cold snack/treat that makes it that much more tasty. I have a few other fudge recipes that I’ve also developed, and I will be sharing them with you over the next few months.

In the past, I’ve made tahini freezer fudge, and the recipe is on the blog, here. The main ingredient in freezer fudge is coconut oil, which helps the fudge set.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Freezer Fudge
Peanut Butter Oatmeal Freezer Fudge

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The Freshest Tomato Bruschetta Recipe

Tomato Bruschetta
Tomato Bruschetta

This fall I attended an event at the Miele Experience Centre in Vaughan, Ontario, where the Miele chefs gave us many kitchen tips and taught us how to make delicious, classic dishes, like tomato bruschetta.

The event was part of the Kitchen Stuff Plus and Henckels & Staub combined product knowledge day on the functions of the various knife offerings. Making bruschetta using the sharpest and most appropriate knives for the job was an absolute delight.

It seems strange to post a recipe that calls for fresh tomatoes in the middle of the winter, but I think this is the time of year we start to crave a variety of fresh vegetables! Continue reading

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How To Assemble A Stunning Cookie Box !

New Year's Cookie Box
New Year’s Cookie Box

As much as I love to bake, I also love the creative process of packaging said baked goods — and, nothing does it better than a cookie box!

Cookie boxes have been around for a long time, including old-fashioned tin boxes, cardboard bakery boxes, holiday-themed boxes, and basically any container you can get your hands on.

But, have you ever assembled a cookie box that contains separate compartments for cookies and other treats? They’re so easy and fun to put together, and the presentation can be quite spectacular. You just have to check Instagram and Pinterest for inspiration!

New Year's Eve Cookie Box
New Year’s Eve Cookie Box

Here are my tips for assembling a stunning cookie box:

  • have a theme. It’s so much easier to know how to compartmentalize and what to include when you start with a theme
  • keep a large shoe box or other large shipping box on hand for special occasions. You can even use in-season packaging, like a wooden clementine crate, or an old cookie tin to which you add compartments or smaller boxes
  • wrap a plain box with kraft or wrapping paper. You can also paint a wooden box, or use a deep dish baking pan. If the plain box is sturdy and elegant, like the one I used here, then there’s no need to adorn it
  • collect smaller boxes and containers from around the house, such as: cardboard jewelry boxes, tins, jars, old drinking glasses, bowls, etc
  • choose boxes that are different shapes and sizes
  • use tissue paper to add color and height to the box and treats
  • wrap cookies in bakar’s string or place in clear cello bags
  • use a combination of store-bought and homemade goodies, as well as in-season fruits
  • if you’re transporting or shipping the box, make sure you have a lid or safe way to cover the cookies
  • wrap with twine for a rustic look, or use ribbons

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3 Last Minute Chocolate Christmas Treats – No Baking Required!

Easy No-Bake Christmas Desserts
Easy No-Bake Christmas Desserts

If you’re looking for some last-minute Christmas treats, here are three colourful ideas, all no-bake, made with chocolate. These sweets are so simple…you don’t even need a recipe to make them!

Chocolate Dipped Marshmallows
You may have seen chocolate dipped marshmallows in stores – they are usually made with jumbo marshmallows. They’re dipped in chocolate and embellished with crushed candy canes, sprinkles, and any other candy you can think of. And, they come wrapped in clear cellophane and tied with a ribbon.

Chocolate Dipped Marshmallows
Chocolate Dipped Marshmallows

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3 Easy Tricks To Turn Chocolate Chip Cookies Into Christmas Cookies!

Christmas Chocolate Chip Cookies
Christmas Chocolate Chip Cookies

(This post is sponsored by Kitchen Stuff Plus. You can read the original post that first appeared on November 21, 2018, directly on their website, here; all opinions are my own.)

Every year, I get a head start on my Christmas baking by taking my go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe and changing the mix-ins to create a variety of holiday cookies. It’s an easy way to make festive treats out of a basic recipe!

Before getting started, I make sure to have fresh baking soda and vanilla on hand. I also check the state of my baking pans and mixing bowls and replace any that need upgrading. I love the Wilton pans, spatulas, and glass bowls that I picked up at Kitchen Stuff Plus recently.

Visit your local bulk food store to purchase some fun mix-ins available during the holiday season. I’ve included the recipe I use for making chocolate chip cookies at the end of this post.

Christmas Candy & Mix-Ins
Christmas Candy & Mix-Ins

Trick 1: Use Red And Green Candies

Substitute some of the chocolate chips for red and green chocolate-coated candies or for red, white, and green chocolate chips. Use half of the chocolate chips that the recipe calls for and then put the colourful candies on top of the cookies to get the full effect of the green and red colours. I put the coloured candy in this red and white host tray and bowl set, just to make it easier to reach for the toppings. Continue reading

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The Best Holiday Shortbread Sugar Cookies, Ever

Shortbread Sugar Cookies; Holiday Cookies
Shortbread Sugar Cookies; Holiday Cookies

I don’t know about you, but nothing reminds me of my childhood more than iced sugar cookies! One day I came home after school from 3rd Grade and my mom had made heart-shaped sugar cookies with pink icing. I must’ve devoured half the cookies on the spot, and my sweet tooth was very satisfied. I was happy and my mom was happy, because she loves when we ask her for food. It’s a mom thing, wanting your kids to have healthy (and sometimes not-so-healthy) appetites.

The sugar cookies my mom made were from a Betty Crocker cookbook that our American neighbor had gifted her, after I kept asking my mom for all desserts American. Growing up in an American compound in Saudi Arabia means that my love for the sweetest of American sweets is well-developed. I’m talking about sugar cookies, chocolate chip cookies, fudge, toffee, caramel anything, pralines, pecan pie with ice cream, etc.

Shortbread Sugar Cookies With Icing
Shortbread Sugar Cookies With Icing

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