J.T. Sugar Cookies

These cookies are the best 'special occassion' cookie out there.  For those of you who live in South Western Ontario, I compare them to Spicer's cookies.  If I'm being entirely honestly, I think this recipe is better :)  This isn't your typical thin, rolled and cut sugar cookie.   Definitely give these a try when you have the time.

1 c sugar

1 c butter, softened (not melted!)

1 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

1 egg

2 1/3 c flour
½ tsp baking soda

Yields 2 dozen large or 3 dozen small cookies


Heat oven to 375 degrees. Beat sugar and butter with electric mixer on low speed until light and fluffy.
Stir in vanilla, nutmeg and egg. Stir in flour and baking soda. (add flour in 3 parts, mixing in between) Shape dough into balls (about the size of a tim bit). Place about 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten slightly with bottom of glass (or something flat).  Bake 9-11 minutes.  Don't let them brown around the edges at all.  They will look slightly undercooked but don't worry - they are fine! Remove from cookies sheet to wire rack.  Cool & ice.

Sugar Cookie icing
1 c confectioners' sugar
2 tsp milk
2 tsp light corn syrup
1/4 tsp almond extract or vanilla extract
assorted food coloring
In a small bowl, mix together confectioners' sugar and milk until smooth. Beat in corn syrup and almond /vanilla extract until icing is smooth and glossy. If icing is too thick, add more corn syrup. Divide into separate bowls, and add food colorings to each to desired intensity. Spread onto cookies. Be sure to decorate with sprinkles immediately as this icing hardens right away.
yuuuuuuuuuuuuuumy!

Fresh Pesto for ladies night...

Two girlfriends are coming into town for the night and will be doing a mini triathlon tomorrow morning.  They need a carb and protein packed meal for dinner so I decided on Pesto Chicken Pasta.  Hope they like it!

Homemade Pesto Sauce

2 c fresh basil leaves, packed

1/2 c freshly grated Parmesan

1/2 c olive oil

1/3 c pine nuts

3-4 garlic cloves, minced
Salt & pepper

Combine the basil in with the pine nuts, pulse a few times in a food processor. Add the garlic, pulse a few times more. Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on. Stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula. Add the grated cheese and pulse again until blended. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.  Use on pasta, spread on baguette slices or on baked potatoes.

Basil Galour...

The beautiful basil plant my Mom gave me a few months ago is still kicking!  It sits on our kitchen counter and is put to good use frequently. For my school lunches I've been taking tomato salad that was inspired by my friend Leah, who brought a similar one to a poolside ladies lunch this past summer. For all of you tomato lovers out there...ENJOY!

4-5 plum tomatoes, diced

splash of olive oil

2 tsp balsamic vinegar

1 tsp red wine vinegar

8 fresh basil leaves, chopped

salt & pepper

goat cheese, crumbled (amount is up to you!)

Gently mix all ingredients together in a leak proof container. It's more tasty if you make it the night before you eat it so the awesome basil flavour infuses its' way through the tomatoes and cheese. Yum!

...too good to be true.

In a previous post I gloated about our fabulous Ontario peaches this year and not getting a bad one....yet. I jinxed it. I bought about 12 at the grocery store late last week, bit into one on the weekend and spat it out (that's what she said). It had a sand like texture. I'm not much of a waster when it comes to food (my Mama taught me well), so I decided to bake a peach crisp. A few weeks ago I did a peach cobbler - this recipe is far better than that one, in my opinion. This was a yummy treat on this cool fall evening.

7 peaches, peeled, pitted & sliced
1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 c rolled oats
1/4 c flour (all purpose or whole wheat)
1/4 c butter, not quite all the way melted (do you like my technical description?)
1/2 - 1 tsp cinnamon (depending on how much you like it)

Put sliced peaches in a baking dish. In a bowl mix brown sugar, flour, oats and cinnamon together. Drizzle butter over top and mix. Sprinkle/spread over peaches. Cook at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. This recipe can be used with apples too. Yummy!!! Serve with vanilla ice cream.

15 minute Garlic Shrimp Rice Bowl

Tonight I was looking for something quick to make for dinner, preferably something that didn't produce a ton of dishes. I've had a craving for shrimp for the last few days so thought I'd use some of the frozen precooked shrimp taking up space in our freezer. I was pleased with the outcome of this make-it-up-as-you-go creation. This yields two servings.

2 servings of cooked basmati rice (I cooked 1 c rice in 1 1/2 c of water which gave me leftovers for lunch tomorrow)
4 large mushrooms, quartered
20 frozen, devained, precooked shrimp
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp sea salt or kosher salt
1/2 tsp hot pepper flakes
1 tsp dried parsley
1 large tomato, diced (you could also use 1/2 c of canned diced tomatoes)

Put rice on to cook. Thaw shrimp under water. Remove tails. Warm olive oil over med heat in fry pan. Add salt, garlic, hot pepper flakes and parsley. Let cook for a few minutes. Add shrimp, mushrooms, butter and tomato. Let simmer for 5 minutes. Serve over warm rice.
*** I wish I had white wine on hand for this recipe because I think it would have added more to it. If you have white wine kicking around add a 1/2 cup after your garlic has browned slightly.

Artichoke Dip & Pita Chips

My husband is working hard in the basement today so I decided to put together a yummy lunch for him. We both love meals that are made up of appetizers so I thought this would be a perfect Sunday lunch. I made the dip recipe up as I went a long and was happy with the results. The baked pita chips idea came from a good friend, Jenny (check out her awesome craft blog www.craftylittlebiatch.blogspot.com) who shared this idea with me a few weeks ago. I believe she made hers with Parmesan cheese on top but I thought with the creamy dip this might be a little too much. Thanks for the inspiration Jenny.

Artichoke Dip
1/2 package light cream cheese
1/2 c 1% plain yogurt or light sour cream
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 artichoke hearts, finely chopped
1/4 c Parmesan cheese

Mix together all ingredients in a bowl. Transfer to an oven safe dish. Cook at 375 degrees for 17 minutes, until bubbly. Double recipe if feeding more than two. We ate about 3/4 of this for a meal.

Pita Chips
1 1/2 whole wheat pitas
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tbsp butter, melted

Cut pitas into triangles. Rip each triangle along the seam to create two pieces. lay out on a cookie sheet. Mix butter and garlic powder together. Brush mixture onto the pitas. Put in oven for at 375 degrees (while dip is cooking!), for 2-4 minutes. Keep your eye on them because they brown quickly. Serve warm with dip. Enjoy!

Baked Chicken Thighs

I typically don't enjoy meat with the bone in (that's what she said), but I've been consciously trying to purchase more of it at the grocery store. This unfamiliarity causes my judgement on cooking times to a little off, I proved that tonight when I served up a meal with chicken that wasn't fully cooked! Oops! Back in it went for a few more minutes. It ended up being very tasty! Hope you enjoy it too. You could also use chicken breast with this recipe.

4 large chicken thighs - skin on or off, bone in
1/2 cup light sour cream
2 tsp corn starch
2 tsp dried basil
1/2 bread crumbs
2 tbsp Parmesan cheese

In one bowl mix mix sour cream, corn starch and basil. In a second bowl mix bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Lay chicken thighs in a shallow baking dish. Pour on sour cream mixture. Sprinkle on bread crumb mixture. Put in oven for 45 minutes at 375 degrees. If cooking with no bone thighs you can cut cooking time by about 7-10 minutes.

D.I.S.H.E.S.

The worst thing about cooking...

Homemade Hot Peppers Poppers

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!

I guess I can't call them poppers if they aren't stuffed and don't actually 'pop' in your mouth (that's what she said). How about 'Open Faced Stuffed Peppers'? Meh - who cares....
As promised here is my hot pepper creation that I put together this morning in preparation for my Mother's Birthday celebration with the family tonight. I cooked up a test one to make sure they were tasty and am extremely happy with the outcome. I prepared the remainder and put them in the fridge until the fam arrive, at which time I'll toss them in the oven. I will be serving them before we head out to have a lobster dinner on the beach. YUM! (Fingers crossed the rain holds off). Since my brother has a gluten allergy I made this without breadcrumbs. This recipe could also be altered to be vegetarian. Hope you like it!

8 hot peppers
1/4 tsp basil
1/4 tsp oregano
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp olive oil
1 artichoke heart, minced
1/2 container light cream cheese
4 strips of bacon, precooked (or slices of Cheddar cheese or olives for a vegetarian option)

Cook bacon, set asside. Cut hot peppers in half length wise and remove all seeds. Rinse peppers thoroughly (and wash your hands VERY well!). In a bowl combine all ingredients except peppers and bacon. Fill hot pepper halves with cream cheese mixture (not too much or it will be messy). Top with a 1/3 strip of cooked bacon. Put on cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving. ***My peppers weren't spicy at all because I removed the seeds and rinsed. Hot factor will depend on the type of peppers you are using. Jalapenos will have more kick.

Two Bite Brownies

I purchased a mini muffin tray about a month ago and have yet to put it to use. I decided on homemade two bite brownies - a lower fat recipe when compared to store bought brownies. They turned out GREAT! I will definitely been making these again.

1/4 c butter, softened
1 1/4 c sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. instant espresso or coffee, dissolved in 1 tsp. water
1 c all-purpose flour
1/2 c cocoa
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, mix together butter and sugar with electric mixer until well combined. Add eggs, vanilla and coffee and mix until well blended and smooth. In a medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Add to the egg mixture and stir by hand just until combined. Spoon the batter mini muffin cups that have been sprayed with non-stick spray. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until puffed but still soft to the touch. Do not overbake! Test with toothpick. Makes 24 brownies.

Farm Fresh

One of the biggest benefits of living on a farm (other than the privacy) is the unlimited space available to plant a vegetable garden. I am far from a gardener - in fact, I don't like to garden at all. With little patience and a fear of most insects, gardening is pretty much my biggest nightmare. However, there's something about my veggie garden that lours me in. I find myself walking around barefoot checking on my peppers like they are my children. I get this weird thrill when I see fresh fruits and vegetables growing just outside my back door. FREE FOOD?! Yup, I'll take it!

For the last 3 years my husband and I have been experimenting growing different types of produce. This year we planted 5 new crops (pumpkins, watermelons, green peppers, hot peppers and tomatoes) while keeping a few the same (green peas, lettuce, green beans, carrots and fresh herbs). We also have an enormous amount of blackberry bushes that have had an incredible year. We ended up with so many berries we had to pon them off onto friends.

Our hot peppers are doing so well. I was at a get together this weekend and had homemade stuffed jalapenos. They had the perfect amount of spice to them because the seeds were removed. I will be trying out a similar recipe this weekend and will post the results.
It looks like we are going to end up with about 6-10 good sized pumpkins this year. Last Halloween I saved 6 seeds from our jack-o-lanterns. It's amazing how much they have grown.

I was nervous to grow green peppers since I heard that they don't do well with wind - - and apparently I live in a wind tunnel. Green peppers are looking amazing! They'll be ready to go within the week. Yum!

There are currently about 8 watermelons and I'm fairly certain we'll have more. Watermelons can be hit and miss at the store - fingers crossed these ones don't have that gross sandy texture.

What a summer it has been - Sunny, hot and VERY humid. An awesome summer for the garden, a not so awesome summer for a teacher home from work for two months with no A/C. I cannot complain though - - two months filled with visits with friends and family, cooking and adventures. ugh... back to school I go...

* Apologies for the grammatical errors throughout this blog - Rest assure I am not an English teacher ;)

Tomato Sauce Attempt #1

This has been the first year since I moved to the farm that our tomato plants didn't contract powdery mildew that South Western Ontario has been hit with for the last few years. We planted two beef steak plants and one plum tomato plant - all are thriving! While on vacation last weekend many tomatoes ripened up. I decided to create my own tomato sauce with them for two reasons. One, my husband won't eat tomatoes and there was no way I could eat them all on my own. Secondly, in my years of cooking I've never made a batch of sauce from scratch before (with fresh tomatoes). I was feeling a little risky yesterday and decided to make it up as I went. I'm not overly thrilled with the outcome but will explain where I would make changes next time.

10-15 large tomatoes (I used a combo of beef steak & plum)
5 cloves of garlic, crushed (I only used 3 and it wasn't enough!)
2 onions, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1/2 package frozen, chopped spinach, thawed & drained (I used a whole package & didn't thaw & drain...not recommended)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 tsp hot chili pepper flakes
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried thyme
*depending on your tastes add more or less of these herbs

Cut core out of tomatoes. Submerse 5 tomatoes at a time into a pot of boiling water for 10-20 seconds (until skins wrinkle). Remove with slotted spoon and put into sink of cold water. Remove skins. Repeat until all tomatoes are peeled. Squeeze tomatoes to remove the liquid and some of the seeds. This will ensure your sauce has some thickness to it (I neglected to do this!). Set aside. Heat large pot on medium and add olive oil. Once oil is warm, add garlic and saute for 1 min. Add onions. After the onions have gone translucent add all spices/herbs at once. Once you have everything mixed around and the spices/herbs are warmed up, add remaining ingredients. Reduce heat and simmer for 3 hours (uncovered!). Sample and see if you need more kick (pepper flakes) or seasoning (salt & pepper). Pour into food processor and pulse a few times. Don't do it too much or else you'll end up with a ketchup texture. I was able to freeze 4 sandwich sized zip lock containers from this recipe. This a fairly basic sauce that I will add to when I use it (ground beef or chicken, Tabasco sauce, Olive oil for more body etc.). Because I used too much spinach the colour was a little off. Attempt #2 will be posted once I have some ripe tomatoes.

Peach Cobbler

The Ontario peaches this year have been like no other. I bought far too many of them last week and haven't been able to eat them all. They started to go a little soft (that's what she said), so I decided to make a peach cobbler. Here is the recipe I followed - - I ended up halfing it. The hubby just sampled it and gave double thumbs up which means blog worthy!

7 cups sliced, pitted and peeled peaches
1/3 cup sugar
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp lemon juice
Biscuit Topping
1 c flour
1/4 c sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
pinch salt
1/4 cup butter, cold
Biscuit Flavouring
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 c buttermilk (I never have buttermilk on hand so I just put a splash of lemon juice in milk & let sit for a few mins)

In large bowl, gently toss peaches with sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice. Scrape into 8-inch square glass baking dish.

Biscuit Topping: In bowl, whisk together flour; sugar; baking powder; baking soda and salt. Using pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in butter until crumbly (I used my hands!).

Biscuit Flavouring:In measuring cup, stir vanilla into buttermilk; drizzle over flour mixture, stirring with fork to form soft, sticky dough. With spoon, drop dough in 9 evenly spaced mounds over fruit.

Bake in 400°F (200°C) oven for about 35 minutes or until bubbly and topping is light golden and no longer doughy underneath when lifted with spoon.

My Fav Chocolate Chip Cookies :)

For Christmas last year a dear friend of mine gave me the perfect gift - Baker's Chocolate Classic Recipes Cookbook. It is here that I found my favorite chocolate chip recipe. They are my go-to cookie recipe. I just made a big batch of these to take up to the family hunt camp last weekend - I've never seen 3 dozen cookies go so fast! They were a hit.

1 3/4 cup flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 c butter or marg, softened (NOT melted... learned that the hard way!)
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c firmly packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips (or chunks)

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Mix flour, baking soda and salt in medium bowl. Set aside. Beat butter and sugars(that's what she said) in large bowl with electric mixer until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla. Gradually beat in the flour mixture. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by heaping tbsp onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 11 - 13 minutes. Remove from tray immediately and put on cooling rack. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.
***Note: A lot of people neglect to remove cookies from baking sheets right away. If you don't the cookies continue to brown and become hard when the are cooled. The trick with these cookies is to take them out of the oven BEFORE they start to brown. They might seem a little under cooked but they aren't - they are meant to be slightly chewy.

Crock Pot Pork Tenderloin

1 large or two 2 small pork tenderloins
salt and pepper
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
4 tbsp grainy Dijon mustard
3 tbsp honey
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 tbsp cornstarch
3 tbsp water

Sprinkle pork lightly with salt and pepper. Place pork in the slow cooker. Combine all remaining ingredients and pour over the pork. Turn pork to coat thoroughly. Cover and cook on LOW for 7 hours, or on HIGH for 3 to 3 1/2 hours. Serve pork sliced with the thickened juices. I served with onion basmati rice and steamed brocoli.

Fresh Basil Sauce

My beautiful, thoughtful Mother brought me a luscious, fregrant basil plant when she came to visit last week. Tuesday nights are soccer nights for my husband so I wanted to make a nice light meal. I created a basil sauce and poured it over chicken breast and served with corn and edamame. The sauce was great - the lemon added a great punch of flavour that complimented the basil. It would be perfect over pasta, perhaps with some cherry tomatoes.


4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2/3 c olive oil
3 tbsp lemon juice from concentrate
1/2 tsp cummin
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 c lightly packed fresh basil leaves (YUMMMMY!)
2 cloves of clove garlic
1 tsp grated lemon zest

Whisk 1/3 cup of oil, 1 1/2 tablespoons of lemon juice, cumin, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Pour into a ziplock. Add chicken and seal bag. Massage the marinade into the chicken. Refrigerate at least 30 mins (the longer, the better - I let them sit for two hours). Turn chicken occasionally. Meanwhile, blend the basil, garlic, lemon zest, remaining 1/4 cup lemon juice, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a blender until smooth. Gradually blend in the remaining 1/3 cup oil. If desired season with additional salt and pepper.

Remove chicken from ziplock. Discard remaining marinade. Cook chicken at 375 for 25 minutes in a shallow dish, uncovered. Pour basil sauce over cooked chicken breasts. Serve. Enjoy the taste and aroma! Nothing beats fresh herbs...

Roasted Red Pepper & Spinach Hummus

We are off to a friends place tonight for a BBQ and decided to create a new hummus recipe. I absolutely love hummus - the summer flavour and the versatility, not to mention the health factor. Tonight, I am serving the hummus with whole wheat pita triangles. This hummus would be great as a spread on a sandwich, to dip bread sticks in, served with crackers, as a dip for veggies etc. Here is the recipe I came up with. Hope you like it!

2-3 cloves garlic (depending on how much you love garlic)
1 can chick peas, rinsed & drained
1 tbsp peanut butter
2 tbsp olive oil (PB & Olive Oil are used as a substitution for tahini)
3 tbsp of lemon juice from concentrate
2 whole roasted red peppers (homemade or from a jar - both work)
1/2 package of frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1/2 tsp salt

In an electric food processor combine all ingredients. Process until everything is finely chopped. Taste test and add salt, pepper and additional garlic if needed. If more moisture is needed, add lemon juice & oil alternating until desired texture. Transfer hummus to a bowl, cover and chill until you are ready to serve. I find chilling for a few hours lets the flavours infuse throughout the mixture. Enjoy!

Spicy Sausage Rotini with Vodka Tomato Sauce

Spice + Pasta + Vodka = Delicous.
Mom is here for a visit so I wanted to make a new dish. I love pasta and haven't made it in ages so I thought I'd whip up an Italian meal. Fresh bread from Angelo's dipped in olive oil, vinegar and herbs, garden salad with avocado's and plum tomatoes from our veggie garden, a giant pot of sausage rotini and a few glasses of pinot noir. Overall, I was pleased with the outcome of this hardy dish.

1 bag uncooked rotini pasta
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 can diced tomatoes
1 can crushed tomatoes or pasta sauce
3/4 tsp salt
2-3 tbsp vodka
1/2 cup half and half cream
1 tbsp dried parsley
1 tbsp basil
6 Spicy/hot Italian sausages

Yields: 8 large portions

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente. drain. In large skillet, heat oil over moderate heat. Remove casing from sausage and add to skillet. Cook, breaking up the meat, until brown. Add garlic, herbs, spices, salt and cook until garlic is golden brown. Add tomatoes and vodka, bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes. Add cream and continue simmering for a few more minutes. Reduce heat to low and add pasta, toss for 1 minute. Serve and ENJOY!

I'm a cheater...

Today was spent reading and relaxing, followed by a hike with my puppy. With all of the relaxation I didn't have much time to create a masterpiece of a meal. I dug to the back of the cupboard and found a jar of President's Choice Mango Coconut Cooking Sauce. I am posting it on here because I was pleasantly surprised with the outcome. When in a crunch, definitely worth it!


I cut up 2 large chicken breasts and pan fried for 5 minutes then pour the entire jar on top. I simmered for 10 minutes and served on a bed of jasmine rice in a bowl. A spicy, sweet and delicious meal that will stick to your ribs. 15 minutes to prep - super easy! (Sorry, no picture of the final product because I didn't intend on posting this). Makes 4 servings.

Bran Muffins

Food and romance go hand-in-hand don't they? Well then, lets talk romance. Just as I was dozing off last night my husband turned to me and said..."Could you maybe make me some yummy breakfast muffins tomorrow?" I couldn't help it but laugh. I think he is enjoying this blog more than I am!

I decided to make a half dozen plain bran muffins and the other half dozen with fresh Ontario blueberries. The blueberries make the muffins a little too moist (ugh, I hate that word), but add a lovely sweetness to them. The more moist (ewww), the muffins, the quicker they become moldy. Make sure to store blueberry muffins in the fridge. I was happy with the way they turned out. Great for a breakfast on the go!

1 1/2 c wheat bran
1 cup milk
1/3 c vegetable oil (or 1/3 c unsweetened apple sauce)
1 egg (or 2 egg whites)
2/3 c brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 c all-purpose flour (or whole wheat flour)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup raisins or blueberries or chocolate chips (optional)
Yields: 1 dozen
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease muffin cups. Mix together wheat bran and milk; let stand for 10 minutes. Beat together oil, egg, sugar and vanilla and add to milk/bran mixture. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Stir flour mixture into milk mixture, until just blended. Fold in raisins/berries/chocolate chips and spoon batter into prepared muffin tins. Bake for 15 minutes. Cool and enjoy!

Golden Zucchini

I love this time of year - the sunshine, the smiles and the abundance of fresh local produce at our fingertips! My Mother-in-law has a fabulous vegetable garden that puts mine to shame. Every summer she graciously gives us unlimited zucchini. She also came up with a yummy way to cook it. This recipe is great as a side dish or an entree. Tonight my husband and I enjoyed it as an item on our appetizer tray. About once a month we make a platter of nibble foods that we change up every time we make it(veggies, cheeses, spring rolls, shrimp etc.). It's one of my fav meals!


1 beaten egg
1/2 c bread crumbs
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp Montreal steak spice
1 large zucchini
2 tbsp olive oil
salt & pepper to taste
ranch dressing for dipping

Beat egg, set aside. Combine bread crumbs, chili powder, steak spice, salt and pepper in a bowl. Slice zucchini very thick (3/4 of an inch). Dip each slice in egg then cover in bread crumb mixture. Place in large fry pan with hot olive oil. Cook over medium heat until golden brown. Serve with ranch dressing for dipping.


My husband is obsessed with steak spice so that is why I include it in my recipe. The great thing about this recipe is you can substitute the spices to vary the flavour.

Brown Sugar Buttons

Cute, soft & tasty!
These aren't my favourite cookies but they are different than anything I've had before.

1 c butter, softened
1 c brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1/2 c corn starch
icing sugar for decorating

Beat butter, brown sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add flour and corn starch in two parts. Mix until dough forms. Roll into 2 cm balls (smaller than a Tim Bit). Place on lightly greased cookie sheet. Flatten slightly. Make at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Remove, place on cooling rack. With wooden skewer poke 4 holes in warm cookies. Cool and dust with icing sugar. Yum!

Corn Soup

I had a bunch of leftover grilled and boiled corn on the cob from our corn roast a few days ago so I decided to make a soup with it. My professional taste tester (aka my husband) approved and said it was blog worthy. It has a very subtle flavour at first, but the after taste is delicious. Enjoy!

1 dozen ears of corn, cooked & cut off the cob
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
4 garlic cloves, smashed
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
Pinch of ground cloves
4 cups water
2 bouillion cubes (I used chicken but veg & beef would work too)
1/2 c cream or milk
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Sour cream for garnish

Cook corn. Cut the kernels off the cobs. Heat oil in large saucepan. Add onion, carrot, celery and garlic, cover and cook over low heat for about 15 minutes. Add the bay leaf, crushed red pepper, coriander, cloves, corn, water and bouillion cubes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 40 minutes. Discard the bay leaf. Transfer the soup to a food processor, add cream or milk and puree until smooth. Ladle into bowls, drop a tablesppon of sour scream on top and serve.

Whole Wheat Banana Bread

A giant mug of freshly ground coffee + freshly baked banana bread = a perfect Saturday morning.

1/2 c butter (melted)
1 c sugar
2 eggs (slightly beaten) --- that's what she said.
2 med-large overly ripped bananas
1 c flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 c whole wheat flour
1/3 c hot water
1/2 package chocolate chips (optional, although I think a must!)

Melt butter. Blend with sugar. Mix in beaten eggs and mashed bananas until smooth. Add white flour, salt and soda. Stir in whole wheat flour and hot water, alternately. Stir in chocolate chips. Bake in 9 x 5 inch loaf pan 325 degrees 1 hour 10 mins.
Enjoy!

Quick Baked Beans

Living on a farm definitely has many perks - unlimited sweet corn being one of them. A few evenings ago my husband and I had a few of our wonderful friends over to help us chow down the 20 cobs we prepared. To provide a little variety, half were done on the BBQ and the others were boiled. I made a giant crock pot of baked beans to compliment the corn. They turned out very tasty! A great recipe for brunch too. Here is it - super simple.

8 slices bacon
1 sm. onion, chopped
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. white sugar
1 tsp. dry mustard
1 c. ketchup
3 can pork & beans (remove pork fat before adding to crock pot)
2 can romano beans, drained & rinsed
1 can kidney beans, drained & rinsed
Fry bacon crisp; drain and crumble. Mix all ingredients in crock pot and cook on high for 3 hours. Add about 1 tablespoon of bacon fat to crock pot. Stir occasionally. Remove lid for last hour to thicken. May also be baked at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Serves 10-12 side dishes.

Kitchen Must-haves

A dishwasher
 Seriously, how do people get by without one?
Dishwasher safe cutting boards
 I just purchased a few poly granite cutting boards from HomeSense. They are dishwasher safe, resistant to odors and non-porous. Sidenote: HomeSense is incredible for finding amazing quality kitchen items for very reasonable prices.
Good knives with knife block
 Make sure they are full tang and have triple rivets. They will cost more but will last you a life time. I have J.A. Henckels and I find them pretty good.
Knife sharpener
 When using place on top of a cutting board so you don’t dice up your countertops like my husband did a few evenings ago – you live and learn right?!
Rubber gloves
 For washing dishes – the hotter the better. If you are a freak like me you can also use a pair to handle raw meat.
Herbs & Spices
 And a lot of ‘em! I grab mine from the Bulk Barn so I can get exactly how much a need to fill my containers (I hate having extra packages of things – I need a pantry, badly!) I despise spice racks so here is a picture of what I came up with for an alternative. Magnetic containers on the side of my fridge.

Wine
 For drinking and cooking. Remember to cook with wines that you actually like to drink as those flavours will be infused into your food. Nothing beats the smell of garlic cooking in white wine…mmm…
Garlic press
 I couldn’t live without a garlic press. I put garlic in everything!
Pyrex set (with plastic lids)
 We recently purchased a set and love them for leftovers, fresh fruits and veggies, and office lunches. Out with the old PBA plastic containers and in with the new, safe and durable Pyrex set.
Food Processor
 I use mine for just about everything – chopping, pureeing, shredding. It saves a ton of time when making stews, soups and sauces (I hear it’s great for homemade baby food too!)
Crock Pot
 Although I should use mine more often, I am so thankful I have it when cooking large quantities.
Laptop
 Regardless of what I am cooking I have my laptop in the kitchen with me. It is a great tool when doing conversions, looking for substitutions or when you need a creative idea for a side dish to go with your entrée.

Triple F.

Welcome Fellow Foodie Friends (say that 10 times fast – or not). This blog is not an attempt to strengthen my pathetic writing abilities, but rather a chance for me to share with you some exciting, relatively easy recipes that I have created, altered or borrowed. As a teacher I have the luxury of having the beautiful summer months off to relax, regroup and overeat. I will be posting the good, the bad and the ugly as I take a stab at new recipes, while occasionally throwing in a few of my favs along the way. Enjoy! Cook, eat and be merry.