It's been awhile ...

Hi peeps!

Clearly I've been slacking ...

Well this is just a quick update to let you know that I'm planning a BIG re-branding of my blog! I'm pretty stoked about it. You'll see more recipes, garden projects with some how-to's in the mix, DIY projects and loads of cute & crafty articles! The best part (for me at least) will be my newly re-designed office space (formerly known as the hoarder office – pictures to follow, it was scary). The idea is to revitalize my creative juices by creating an idea inspiring workspace that is free from clutter (that is in the eye of the beholder as far as I’m concerned).

Stay tuned … TBD (I’m aiming for the beginning of June)! I’m really excited and to the handful of people who read this – I hope you are too!

~B

Kale Chips

It may seem a little odd that I decided to make kale chips @ 9 o'clock in the morning but given the healthy attributes that kale posses I figured what the hell? So I ventured out into the sunny garden and cut several leaves from my plants.

After preheating the oven to 300 I cut the leaves down the centre on either side of the rib and then discarded the rib.


After tearing the leaves into bite size pieces I transferred the kale to a small bowl. I have a bad habit of not measuring when it comes to recipes like this so I apologize for not being able to provide exact instructions, I'm sure you can eyeball it for yourself. I drizzled olive oil and balsamic vinegar over the kale. A few shakes of garlic powder sea salt and my favourite - crushed chili peppers! Using my hands (it's the only way to do it to ensure each leaf is evenly coated) I gently mixed the kale in the bowl. Placing each piece completely flat on a baking sheet.


Depending on the oven the chips take anywhere from 10 - 15 minutes to cook. They are extremely easy to overcook. If they do you'll smell them burning. So I don't recommend leaving them in the oven unattended.


Once cooked you can eat them right away - they taste really yummy hot!


Enjoy your very own kale chips!





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Berries, berries, no berries?

I LOVE strawberries! I pick gallons of the suckers every year. One of the highlights of this house was the garden AND this garden came complete with a strawberry patch! You can just imagine how pleased I was, shit my Dad was excited for me! This little patch is the perfect size, I could make jam ... if was disciplined enough not to eat them all.


Just last week I got to eat the first berries of the season. They were delicious!


The following day I noticed I was missing berries.


Whatever it was it was picky. Leaving the parts of the berry that hadn't even turned red yet. I kept a keen lookout for the culprit. Turns out it was robins! These aren't just any robins. These are urban robins. They probably dine on leftover sushi covered in wasabi. First I tried spraying the plants with chemical-free dish shop & water. That didn't work. Then I tried Sriracha HOT Chili Sauce mixed with water. No go. Actually I also covered a couple of berries with pure Sriracha and they gobbled them up as if it was covered in bird seed. How crazy is that? What was originally a strawberry patch with a promising yield was quickly turning into a handful. My Dad suggested that I cover them with a net. I headed to the Dollar Store and picked up a giant garden net (yes, that's what it said on the label) and a package of plastic spikes.


I make it sound simple but it was a bit of a pain in the butt. Once the net was finally secure I was able to finally enjoy the fruits of my labour! YUM!!!




*No birds were harmed during this experimentation. To be honest, I don't think they suffered even a slight case of heartburn!




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CUPW: YOU SUCK

This is my first official This Sucks rant. I promise to keep it short.

I'm dedicating this post to all CUPW employees and anyone else that believes unions are a beneficial to the democratic, taxpaying population.

You (CUPW employees) make more money than many hard working, taxpaying Canadians. Why do you think it's OK to suspend a basic form of communication? What you forget is for every day that mail delivery is suspended we (Canadian citizens) STOP supporting you. This union (among others) should be eliminated altogether so you can get a taste of what it's like to EARN an annual increase. Not having it handed to you annually on tax payers silver platter. This debate is getting old. Is this what we have to look forward to every four years? Aside from those of you who are actually apart of the CUPW I have yet to meet one person who agrees with your complaints. You should be grateful you have a job and that I am not the person in charge because I would fire all of you and start over – sans union. I would not be surprised if you experience cut backs once you do get legislated back to work because of all the business that Canada Post has lost to other courier companies over the course of the strike. National and International business cannot be suspended because "it's not fair" to you. Didn't anyone ever tell you life is not fair? Be grateful for what you have, get off your high horse and get back to work!!!

P.S. You should fire your union rep, he's delusional. You're not being ripped off if for not receiving anything you didn't have in the first place. Clearly it was not in writing or it wouldn't be an issue (re: recent negotiations that fell through).

Front garden makeover

Let me start off by saying that this post is late for the simple reason that I could not find the cord for my camera! I've been dying to share these pictures with all of you. I hope you can appreciate the long hours - ok the entire day - it took me to complete this landscaping project. I'm incredibly proud! For those of you who don't know, we moved in last September so this has been my first crack at my very own garden that does not consist of all pots. So without further ado ...

BEFORE

AFTER

The idea was to create a virtually maintenance free front garden. Our street has heavy foot traffic and to be quite honest I would prefer to spend my time in the backyard. Planting perennials was the perfect solution! I chose plants that will fill in with time and will produce pretty flowers. I left the existing tulips that I had planted in the fall and added two flowering hostas (I really like the two-tone leaves) and four day lilies that will produce a variety of colourful flowers. You can't see it but I also put a weed barrier underneath the mulch. This will prevent and pesky weeds from showing their ugly heads in my garden. I chose an organic mulch that consists of coconut husks. It looks good and provides added moisture retention to my garden, great for those long hot summer days. And there you have it, my updated bed in my front garden!

Chewy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Skor Cookies

I had a craving for oatmeal cookies this weekend so I decided to whip up a batch of this classic with a sweet twist. This recipe is super easy and is by no means low fat but I do promise you will have 4+ dozen of deliciously chewy cookies. I can't stop eating them!

Ingredients

• 1 cup of softened butter
• 1 cup of golden brown sugar
• 1/2 cup of white sugar
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups of unbleached white flour
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon (more if you wish)
• 3 cups of rolled oats
• 1 cup of Skor toffee bits
• 1 heaping cup of milk chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

 

With the help of a mixer beat together butter and sugar. Add vanilla and eggs. Beat until smooth.

In a separate bowl mix together the flour, baking soda and cinnamon.

Gradually add the dry mixture to your wet mixture. Beat until well blended.

Add the oats one cup at a time.

Once the oats appear coated with dough mix in the Skor bits and chocolate chips. Be careful not to over mix!

 Using a teaspoon and your hands form dough into a 1"-1.5" balls and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake cookies for no more than 10 minutes or until just golden on top. Let the cookies stand 5+ minutes before transferring them to your cooling racks. You'll notice that the cookies will be super soft until they set.

 

Serve with a tall glass of cold milk.

Alternatively you can bake larger cookies and create to die for ice cream sandwiches!

Enjoy!

Quinoa Quiche

Quiche is often my weekday go-to recipe when I don't have the energy to make an elaborate meal (or feel like waiting in line at the grocery store). As long as you have milk and eggs you can toss virtually anything in.


I'm partial to spinach - it tastes great on it's own and even better when well seasoned (I like it spicy). Frozen or fresh the choice is yours just keep in mind that frozen spinach can turn your quiche into an edible sponge if you're not careful. It's imperative that you extract as much moisture as humanly possible (think Popeye but with paper towels). Quinoa adds a wonderful texture and flavour to this dish. Did you know it's loaded with protein and iron? Just a 1/4 cup of flour contains 4 g of protein and 10% of your DV of iron!

Here's a rough draft of how it's done:

• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1 generous tablespoons of crushed chili peppers
• 1 teaspoon of crushed garlic
• pepper to taste
• 1 5oz package of fresh organic baby spinach (or half a brick of frozen)
• 1- 2 cups of any variety of veggies/onions ... your choice
• 4 - 6 eggs depending on their size OR you may substitute half the eggs with egg whites. *Note all egg whites will turn out watery.
• 1/2 cup of milk
• 1/4 cup quinoa flour
• 1 generous tablespoon of fine herbe de Provence
• 11/2 cups of feta cheese

Preheat your oven to 350
Lightly grease an 8" pie dish.
Heat oil and seasonings. Sauté veg until soft (not soggy). Add spinach tossing until wilted. Transfer spinach/veggie mixture to your pan. Sprinkle half the feta cheese over top.
Whisk eggs and milk together. Add les herbes. Whisk in quinoa flour. Gently pour the egg mixture over veggies covering them as evenly as possible. Sprinkle with remaining feta.
Bake for 20-25 minutes - depending on your oven. Quiche should puff up and double in size. When the edges are golden brown remove from the oven and let stand for 10 min. Quiche will deflate.




Serve warm
with sliced
sweet cherry
tomatoes and
a crisp glass
of white wine!
Mmm







- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location: My kitchen