Hot Cross Buns are made with a yeasted enriched dough that is fragrant with warm spices. Usually, dried fruit is added. These buns are an Easter tradition in many homes. Traditionally eaten on Good Friday, and marking the end of Lent, Hot Cross Buns, with their signature cross on the top, carry the symbolism of the crucifixion of Jesus. Continue reading Billowy Soft Hot Cross Buns
While many cast French Onion Soup as fine dining restaurant fare, it really is easy enough to make this soup at home. Read on for my recipe, hints, and tips for making this Classic French Onion Soup in your own kitchen. Yes, you really can make fine restaurant-quality food at home and your kitchen will have the intoxicating aroma of a French bistro! Continue reading Classic French Onion Soup Recipe
Mini Bundt cakes have become quite popular and trendy and they are ideal individual desserts that present so attractively on a plate. Today, I used my pan of fluted mini Bundt pan molds (each having a 1-cup capacity) to make individual Mini Blueberry Bundt Cakes with a lemon glaze. Continue reading Mini Blueberry Bundt Cakes
Homemade Baked Beans make a hearty stick-to-the-ribs meal. Add some homemade bread or biscuits along with molasses and a simple yet tasty meal awaits. I originally published my traditional Baked Beans in Maple Syrup recipe in 2012 and that recipe can be accessed by clicking here. My newest recipe, Baked Beans in Tomato Sauce, differs from my original recipe in that the yellow eye beans are slowly baked in a sweet and savory tomato-based sauce giving them a lovely rich flavor and reddish-brown color. Continue reading Baked Beans in Tomato Sauce
Who would ever think that the lowly black beans, known for their fibre and protein content, could be transformed into moist, fudgy, decadent, and super tasty brownies! But, it’s true and these Black Bean Mocha Brownies (now my new favorite) do not have the slightest taste of beans! Serve the brownies to folks and don’t tell them there are black beans in them and I seriously doubt they’d ever guess as much. With maple syrup, cocoa powder, coffee, and vanilla as flavor enhancers along with almond flour, you’d be hard pressed to find a hint of bean flavor in these brownies. Continue reading Black Bean Mocha Brownies (Gluten free)
For some reason, I always think of Raisin Pie as a late autumn or winter time pie. I suppose, perhaps, it might have something to do with spring, summer, and fall being the time when we think of fruit pies like rhubarb, strawberry, peach, and apple, for example, when such fruits are in season. In winter, those fruits are likely to be imported and more expensive so one tends to look for other types of fillings for pies. Continue reading Old-fashioned Raisin Pie Recipe
I am often asked for my recipe for pie pastry so that is the focus of this posting. There are many different kinds of pastry but, today, I am focusing on a basic all-purpose pastry suitable for both sweet and savory pies. But, first, let’s start with some hints and tips on making the pastry. There are many sources of information on pastry making and what follows is the method I have used for years with success to make my pastry. Hope it is of use. Continue reading How to Make Pie Pastry (plus Recipe)
The primary inspiration for this Sausage, Black Beans, and Pasta Casserole came from an abundance of tomato sauce in my freezer. I had surplus tomatoes in the garden last year and, since I detest food waste of any kind, I made and froze a lot of tomato sauce (recipe here) that needed to be transformed into meals. Continue reading Sausage, Black Beans, and Pasta Casserole
This is an oldie but always a goodie! This irresistible Hello Dolly Square is believed to have started circulating c. 1960s and may have been named in honor of the Hello Dolly musical of the same era. Continue reading Hello Dolly Square Recipe
Cranberries are a flavor often associated with Christmas so, today, I have taken seasonal cranberries and turned them into a divine Cranberry Curd for which the possibilities to enjoy it are endless and limited only by your creativity. Continue reading How to Make Cranberry Curd
These Rum Balls are adult-only treats. They are not intended for consumption by children. So, yay, the adults get to have their very own secret treats they don’t have to share with the kids! These rum-infused balls are a classic adult treat around the holidays. Continue reading Right Some Good Rum Balls
Mincemeat is a traditional Christmas food in many parts of the world, including mine. As mincemeat is a common staple ingredient in my pantry, I use mincemeat in a whole host of recipes including muffins, cookies, tarts, pies, squares, and quick breads. Today, however, I have used my own homemade Green Tomato Mincemeat to create a divine Steamed Mincemeat and Apple Pudding. Continue reading Steamed Mincemeat and Apple Pudding
These Christmas Fruitcake Drop Cookies are what I like to describe as a deconstructed light fruitcake turned into mighty tasty little cookies. The cookies, themselves, are not difficult or complicated to make though there are a couple of time delays required for them. One is the period required to soak the fruit in brandy and the second is the cookie dough resting period in the refrigerator. Continue reading Christmas Fruitcake Drop Cookies
A hearty Beef Stew is a soul-satisfying and tummy-filling meal. It’s pure stick-to-the-ribs comfort food, especially on cool autumn or cold winter days. Made with basic ingredients, what makes this hearty Rustic Homestyle Beef Stew so wonderfully tasty (in addition to the Beef Seasoning Mix) is the long, slow, moist heat method of cooking a tougher cut of meat in a small amount of flavorful liquid to tenderize the meat. I believe this is what makes the difference between a bland, lacklustre beef stew and a super flavorful one. Continue reading Rustic Homestyle Beef Stew
Pizza lovers will know that a pizza sauce can make or break a pizza. Some sauces don’t have enough flavor while others can be too spicy. Some are too watery while others are pasty thick. What I aimed for when I developed this Pizza Sauce recipe was to land somewhere in the middle! Continue reading Bistro Style Pizza Sauce Recipe
Green Tomato Quick Bread is a great bread to make when green tomatoes are plentiful. This bread is one I like to make in the autumn when my garden is overflowing with green tomatoes, more than what I can reasonably use either in their green or ripened form. Continue reading Green Tomato Quick Bread
If you are a salad lover like me, sometimes you just need to see a different salad on the table to the traditional green salad. Try this lovely Fresh Corn Salad when the local corn is in season. Continue reading Fresh Corn Salad Recipe
As the old saying goes, there’s more than one way to eat your vegetables and these cookies prove it! This cookie recipe combines ordinary zucchini with chocolate chips that results in yummy Zucchini Chocolate Chip Drop Cookies. Continue reading Zucchini Chocolate Chip Drop Cookies
One of the most versatile foods in the garden has to be tomatoes – enjoy the ripe ones fresh or make into into sauce. Use the green tomatoes to make Green Tomato Marmalade, chow, and the list of possibilities for their use is practically endless. Today, I am sharing my recipe for another use of green tomatoes – Green Tomato Mincemeat, the uses for which are extensive. Continue reading Green Tomato Mincemeat Recipe
I call this my “old faithful salad”. It’s so tasty, it’s almost addictive! This Rice and Spinach Salad is a hearty salad filled with cold cooked long grain rice, bright green healthy fresh spinach, veggies, dried fruits and nuts, and tangy crumbled Feta. A light vinaigrette dressing is all that is needed to complete this tasty salad. Continue reading Rice and Spinach Salad Recipe
