Easy Pumpkin Pie

Hello all!

Another delicious holiday recipe that I recently discovered online...the easiest pumpkin pie you will ever make!

Here's what you will need...
1 (14 ounce) can pumpkin puree
1 (14 ounce) can Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk
2 large eggs
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
20-30 mini unbaked (ready-made) tart crusts
1/4 sugar (OPTIONAL - see note)

Preheat oven to 425F. Whisk pumpkin, sweetened condensed milk, eggs, spices and salt in medium bowl until smooth. *NOTE: this recipe, though delicious, is NOT very sweet, so if you like, you can add about 1/4 cup sugar at this point - but I didn't add it and they were still yummy!

Pour into tart shells, filling them almost to the top.

*TIP: Use a measuring cup to pour the batter, it's much easier!

Bake 30 min at 350F, or until a knife inserted into filling comes out clean. ***KEY POINT HERE: COOL the pies before serving. The first time I did this, I couldn't wait for the pies to cool, so when I topped with whipping cream, it immediately melted! It was a mess. Also, they tasted like raw pumpkin! If you cool the pies for a few hours, or better yet, overnight, this will not happen.

Garnish with whipping cream and ground cinnamon. Enjoy!

Holiday delights!

Hello all,

So I know it has been QUITE some time since I have blogged...I did post in September but I have recently been editing/deleting things so that post has been disintegrated!

Another semester, another YEAR, GONE. I cannot believe it! It sure has been an adventure. Anyways, now that I am on holiday - no excuse! So, I am posting a few last-minute holiday ideas you can easily and quickly prepare for all your December/January-related celebrations!

ENJOY!

Snowball Cookie Balls (the original recipe is from the Kraft Canada website but I have tweaked it to suit my own tastes)
-1 (250g) package Philadelphia light cream cheese
-350g cookies (Kraft suggests store-bought peanut butter cookies, but I MADE my own Coconut Cookies for this and the results were DELECTABLE - recipe to follow)
-2 packages (6 squares each) Baker's white chocolate
-1/2 cup flaked coconut
-fancy cupcake liners
-optional: 3 drops blue, green OR red food coloring, silver mini decoration balls/sprinkles

Crumble cookies (just use your hands it's more fun!). Mix cream cheese and cookie crumbs until well blended. Shape into 42 (1 inch) balls. Refrigerate 30 minutes.

Melt white chocolate squares (as per package directions) - but I used a double boiler so I could be sure the chocolate wouldn't burn. (To do this, put a pot of water on to boil. Place a stainless steel mixing bowl on top (this is where you put the chocolate). Keep the stove on medium/high heat and KEEP stirring until the chocolate melts and has a shiny appearance.)

Stir in food coloring (optional - if you really wanted to have some fun, divide the chocolate into three portions, and add a different color to each portion - you will have a variety of colors!). Dip balls in chocolate, place on parchment or wax paper-covered baking sheet. Sprinkle with coconut. (Optional: sprinkle with silver balls.) Place in fancy cupcake liners! Refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm. ***WARNING: do NOT try to take the balls out of the muffin cups before they are firm, or you will have a sticky mess on your hands. Wait until they are firm, and the balls will easily come out of the cups.

Also, Kraft's tip for easy coating - roll cookie balls in chocolate using two forks and let the excess drain before placing it on a baking sheet - HARDER than it sounds. Give yourself extra time if you have never done this before.

And that's it! DELICIOUS DELICIOUS DELICIOUS! Many of my friends have tasted these delights and they absolutely LOVED them.

Now if you are ambitious (like me)...here is the recipe I used for the cookies. ***WARNING: IF you are using the below recipe for the Snowball Cookie Balls, I would suggest you only make 1/4 of the recipe, because it makes ALOT of cookies!

Coconut Cookies
-1 cup butter/margarine
-2/3 cup white sugar
-1/3 cup brown sugar
-2 eggs
-1 tsp. vanilla
-2 cups all purpose flour
-1/2 tsp. baking soda
-3/4 cup coconut (finely shredded and UNSWEETENED)

Cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs. Mix well. Add vanilla. Mix.

In separate bowl, mix flour and baking soda. Add to egg mixture. Mix well.

Add coconut. Mix. Drop cookies onto baking sheet with teaspoon (or hands). Bake at 375F for 8-10 minutes.

And now...here's another delicious holiday treat - mini cheesecakes! They are great because you can use lower fat ingredients and the portions are just right for this rich dessert.

Mini Cheesecakes
-1 crust recipe (to follow)
-2 (250g package) of light cream cheese
-2 Tbsp. butter/margarine
-3 eggs, separated
-1/2 cup sugar
-1 cup light sour cream
-1 Tbsp. vanilla

Crust
-2 cups flour
-3/4 cup (total 3/4 cup NOT each) finely chopped walnuts and pecans
-3/4 cup light brown sugar
-3/4 cup butter
-1 egg yolk
-fancy cupcake liners

For the crust: combine flour, nuts and brown sugar. Cut in butter (just like for biscuits) and toss with beaten yolk. The mixture should be crumbly. Pack down lightly at the bottom of fancy cupcake liners. Bake at 350F for 8-10 minutes. The edges should only be slightly golden brown. After removing them from the oven, let them cool.

For the mini-cheesecakes: beat cream cheese and butter together. Add egg yolks and sugar. Stir in sour cream and vanilla. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form and gently fold into sour cream mixture. Pour into cupcake liners on top of crust. Bake at 325F for 15 minutes, then turn off the oven and LEAVE mini cheesecakes in oven for an hour. DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN. This prevents your cheesecakes from cracking. Afterwards, you can top them with whipped cream, berries, or, as I did, white and milk chocolate! These treats are delicious for any occasion, including a birthday surprise. ENJOY!

And finally, no holiday would be complete without SHORTBREAD! This is a recipe I found online, it is SO easy and quick to make and you will not get over how LIGHT and AIRY they are!

Whipped Shortbread Cookies
-1 cup butter
-1&1/2 cup all purpose flour
-1/2 cup icing sugar
-optional: sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 350F. Combine butter, flour and sugar. Beat for 10 minutes.

Drop from teaspoon onto cookie sheet. You can then top with a few almond slices if you like. Bake for 13 minutes (if smaller cookies), or up to 15 minutes if the cookies are larger than a teaspoon until bottoms lightly browned. Makes about 26 cookies.

And now, I think this post has definitely made up for my lack of posts for months! Hope this gives you some great ideas...ENJOY, HAPPY EATING AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

This might be a little cheesy....

Hello all!

Today's post is just a quick link to yet ANOTHER, delicious, Canadian, food-related website (which I thought of posting about because I received my CHEESE magazine in the mail today). Honestly, we all just love to eat here.

Here are some great ideas for what you can do with another one of my favorite things - CHEESE!!!!

http://www.dairygoodness.ca/cheese/all-you-need-is-cheese/

Happy eating!

An EGGCELENT idea!

Hi all!

Just a quick post today - in the spirit of healthy eating (in particular using foods you most likely already have in your fridge) - a site about EGGS!

http://www.eggs.ca/

Eggs are great for energy and so versatile you can really do anything with them. The site has recipes and nutrition facts on why eggs are a great source of protein!

So GET CRACKING and enjoy an egg today!

Below are a few of my own ideas of yummy things you can do with eggs...

PANCAKES!!!

I use the Aunt Jemima mix, BUT instead of just adding milk/water (what the package says)...I add a bit of canola oil, eggs and milk to the pancake mix and I find it tastes yummier. You can add chocolate chips, oats, mashed bananas, blueberries - ANYTHING you like (I've even made a JALAPENO pancake upon request once).

SCRAMBLED EGGS a million ways!

I chose to make mine with potatoes and sausages all in one pan, smothered in ketchup, with a side of croissants and cranberry juice. DELICIOUS, quick and simple.

Anyways, hope you enjoyed my ideas for today!

Happy eating!

Fancy a Drink?

...How about MILK?!

Hello all! Today's post features a couple of interesting websites about my favorite food group - DAIRY.

#1. Never. Stop. Milk. (http://www.neverstopmilk.ca/milk)

The above site is devoted to giving you USEFUL information about milk and dispelling many myths about the yummy moo juice. There are also a number of youth-friendly recipes (appetizers, drinks, desserts, etc.), and the site is fun to browse!

Here are the top three facts I learned about milk from it:

1. Drinking milk is NOT fattening (unless of course you decide to drink whole milk everyday).

2. Milk is a GREAT source of ENERGY!

3. Milk is an awesome and REFRESHING post-workout beverage (I LOVE chocolate milk - it gives me some protein and that boost of energy I need after exercise. Get the facts HERE>>> http://www.rechargewithmilk.ca/get-the-facts.php#fact-1).

#2. Get Enough. (http://www.dairygoodness.ca/)

This site has TONS of useful facts about milk, including recommended serving sizes. There are lots of yummy recipes here - everything from soups and sides to drinks.

Here's what I learned:

1. Adults from 19-50 (MOI) need at LEAST 2 servings of milk and alternatives DAILY.

2. One "serving" can include...

-1 cup of ANY flavor milk (this includes chocolate milk - I like to flavor mine with MILO - you can drink it hot or cold...it has LESS sugar than Nesquik or Ovaltine per serving!)

-50 g (1.5 oz) cheese (my current favorite is Laughing Cow - the light version has LESS fat and calories than Philadelphia Light Cream Cheese per serving - snack ideas coming up!)

-200 ml (1 bottle) yogurt drink - YOP IS AN EXCELLENT AND TASTY ONE that I highly recommend!!! Flavors include strawberry, raspberry, blueberry (all of which I've tried and LOVE).

-175 g (3/4 cup) YOGURT - see my Healthy Snack Idea #1 post for my tip on how to enjoy it!

For more specific questions, the dairy goodness site also has a "ask our dietitian" link.

All in all, two very useful and worthwhile sites to check out. Don't know about you...but I suddenly feel a craving for milk coming on!

Happy drinking!

These are a few of my favorite people...

Hello all!

Today's post is all about my favorite professional foodies (from my favorite channels - Food Network and TLC).

Here are my TOP FIVE...

#1: Buddy Valastro - Host of Cake Boss and Kitchen Boss (TLC)

(Image borrowed from http://www.brides.com/wedding-ideas/wedding-cakes/2009/06/buddy-valastro-on-the-latest-wedding-cake-trends)

Buddy is an AMAZING, artistic baker and a wicked awesome CHEF!!! I watch both of his shows EVERY DAY at least once if not more. I really love his style and his personality. He seems like a really nice guy too! He runs Carlos Bakery in Hoboken, New Jersey with his family. Here are his sites...check them out! Very entertaining!!!!

http://www.carlosbakery.com/

http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/tv/cake-boss

http://tlc.discovery.com/tv/kitchen-boss/

#2: Chuck Hughes - Host of Chuck's Day Off (FOOD NETWORK)

(Image borrowed from http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/theappetizer/archive/2009/03/23/q-amp-a-chuck-hughes-takes-a-day-off-cooking-to-cook.aspx)

Chuck is a really awesome chef. He runs a restaurant called Garde Manger in Montreal, Quebec. He is enthusiastic and very fun to watch. On his show, he cooks for friends, family, and anyone else he feels like treating. I've tried a couple of his recipes and they were DELICIOUS!! His love of food runs so deep that he's got tattoos of his favorites on his arms. No joke! He also just beat Bobby Flay at Iron Chef - one of the best moments of MY life. It really had me at the edge of my seat - I was so absolutely THRILLED when Chuck won!

http://www.foodnetwork.ca/ontv/shows/Chucks-Day-Off/show.html?titleid=229156

http://www.chuckhughes.ca/

#3: Giada De Laurentiis - Host of Giada at Home (FOOD NETWORK)

(Image borrowed from http://www.foodnetwork.com/giada-de-laurentiis/index.html)

Giada is the cute and cheery host of Giada at Home, where she cooks, bakes and entertains her friends and family with her delicious Californian-style Italian recipes. Her food always looks delicious, but is simple to prepare. You can tell how enthusiastic she is, because she's always smiling. A real treat to watch!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/giada-at-home/index.html

#4: Michael Smith - Host of Chef at Home (FOOD NETWORK CANADA)

(Image borrowed from http://www.theex.com/concerts-events/celebrity-demonstrations/)

Michael cooks from his home in Prince Edward Island. He prepares everything from outdoor seafood feasts to desserts and breakfast delights. His recipes always contain fresh ingredients, and he often brings his cameraman along to the grocery store if he's looking for something particularly interesting. His son Gabe is his biggest critic but so cute to watch!

http://www.foodnetwork.ca/ontv/shows/Chef-at-Home/show.html?titleid=82664

#5: Ricardo Larrivée - Host of Ricardo and Friends (FOOD NETWORK CANADA)

(Image borrowed from http://www.citylifemagazine.ca/tag/ricardo-larrivee)

Ricardo hosts his show from Quebec. He cooks food for friends in his home...very delectable creations. I have tried a couple of his recipes as well - they turned out great and were so unique! A fun chef to watch with French flair.

http://www.foodnetwork.ca/ontv/hosts/Ricardo-Larriv%C3%A9e/host.html?hostid=41070&titleid=101887

*For some reason the blogger template did not allow the links to show up when I posted them as links...so I apologize people, you'll have to copy and paste.

Happy Reading!

Healthy Snack Idea #1

Hola everybody!

As an avid (and constant) snacker, I decided to share with you some of my ideas for easy-to-make, healthy-but-delicious SNACKS!!!

Here's what I've come up with today.

Greek Yogurt with Granola Cereal and Mixed Berries

Add as much of your favorite plain yogurt to a bowl (THE LESS FAT/SUGAR the BETTER - Greek Yogurt is FAT FREE - it's made with skim milk - only 2g of sugar and 120 cal in 3/4 cup of it...and it tastes CREAMY like sour cream). Top with your favorite granola cereal and mixed berries (I added blueberries, raspberries and blackberries - H&W has them all on for CHEAP and they're GOOD). The crunchiness of the granola and sweetness of the berries complement the slight tartness of the yogurt brilliantly - you won't even MISS adding sugar. A delicious, filling and sweet snack!

Happy (healthy) eating!

The Hunt for the Chocolate Moose!!!!

Hello all!

No, that is NOT a typo..I did not mean MOUSSE the dessert..this entry features my most recent culinary adventure in MOOSEJAW, Saskatchewan (pop. 35,629), home of the Chocolate Moose Fudge Factory - absolutely DELECTABLE creations!

Here's a teaser:

Now before I dive right in, I'd like to set the scene for you. I recently visited Regina, SK..for the first time in my life. Quite an adventure from the get-go. Below was the inside of our PLANE (I apologize for the somewhat blurry image - I was laughing so hard my hands wouldn't stop shaking).

It seated 50 people including the captain and the stewarddess. I tell you this is the smallest plane I've ever been on in my LIFE. No video screen, just a tray table. And we were seated over the wing, so every time the wind blew, the plane SHOOK. On our return flight, we were seated in the front so we told ourselves we were flying first class. HAHA! But honestly, on THIS plane, everyone was in PEASANT CLASS. OH! And also, we had to walk OUT onto the TARMAC to board the plane! I felt like an unemployed celebrity.

And now for some of Regina's natural wildlife...

They weren't pigeons...more like partridges I believe. Probably edible. HA but don't worry, I didn't eat them!

And now...for our 30 min ROADTRIP! WOOO!!! Moosejaw here we come!

Again, sorry for the blurry photo. Potholes!

The back alleys of Moosejaw...

I had to take a picture of this because I just couldn't believe it. FREE PARKING?! We were lucky we went on Sunday!

And now, for the moment you've all been waiting for...*drumroll*...

...THE FUDGE!!!

Here's what we ordered (I averaged my and my two fellow foodies' ratings)...
Summer Turtle

My first bite was a whole pecan, which I did not enjoy...but after trying it again, I found that this was one of my favorites! The texture of this flavor (and all the others we tried) was sinfully and delectably sweet! (7.7/10)

Maple

A truly Canadian flavor...I could really taste the Maple and I thoroughly enjoyed it! (6.8/10)

Heavenly Goo

Goo indeed - it was a mixture of chocolate, vanilla and caramel flavors...joining together in a symphony of heavenly flavors! (7.7/10)

Cookies and Cream

A light flavor with a hint of crumbly chocolate - tasted just like the Hershey's chocolate bar! (8.7/10)

Orange Cream

It tasted EXACTLY like ORANGES...MMMmmMMM. YUMMY. (7.8/10)

And that's not all! The fudge factory also sold maple syrup, berry creations (spreads, jams, etc.),

silly souvenirs,

and...

GELATO!!!

OF COURSE, we had to try some.

I had the Mint Chocolate Chip - delicious, but had an odd extra-minty-toothpaste aftertaste which I didn't really enjoy (6/10). My accomplice had New York Cheesecake - ABSOLUTELY DIVINE!!! It tasted JUST like a cheesecake! YUMMY!!! (8/10)

Last but not least, a few interesting things I saw in Moosejaw:

-Murals on buildings - that was really neat and reminded me of London.

-A SPA! What do you know!

And across from it, a casino. The town that has everything. Haha.

-Moosejaw's historic and majestic City Hall

-A bakery! Though I really wouldn't recommend it...we went inside and it looked quite shady. But, I thought it was notable to mention that no matter where I go, my food/bakery radar is ALWAYS ON. 24/7/365. Hehe.

Both myself, and Massey the Moose (that really is his name I didn't make it up),

hope that you enjoyed my adventure in one of Saskatchewan's many hidden gems - Moosejaw - Surprisingly Unexpected.