Mulled Wine

Is there anything better for a cozy evening in after a cold, rainy/snowy day? I say no.

Well, actually, I say mulled wine and spiced hot apple cider are tied for first in my books, but since today we're talking about mulled wine, we can just pretend that it has no competition for best cozy evening drink. I won't tell if you won't.

Ingredients
1 bottle red wine, a Pinot Noir or Cabernet Sauvignon

4 cups apple cider
3 tablespoons honey or brown sugar
3-4 cinnamon sticks
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon whole cloves
3 whole star anise
3-4 candied ginger pieces, chopped
3/4 orange, sliced into half wheels

1/4 orange, juiced

Directions
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan, bring to a boil and stir. Boil for 5 minutes, stirring often. Reduce heat and let simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Strain using cheesecloth {I kept some of the orange slices to the side before straining and used them in my mug}. Serve warm while writing your holiday cards.

Roughly adapted from this Ina Garten recipe.

Chocolate Caramel Drop Cupcakes

Looking for a delicious baked treat that you can whip up in under 30 minutes? Well, congratulations, you've stopped by the right place.

I usually bake from scratch, but since this recipe is all about quick and easy, I thought I'd use the boxed stuff instead. 

Ingredients:

1 box of Devil's Food Cake mix

Cake mix add-ins {mine called for eggs, milk, and oil}

Caramel squares

Prepare your cupcake tins with liners and preheat oven as directed on the package. Prepare cake mix, divide into cupcake tins, and bake halfway. Gently press caramel squares into the centre of each cupcake and finish baking. The first time I tried these, I added the caramel in right at the beginning, but it ended up melting and sinking entirely to the bottom of the cupcake. This adaptation worked much better.

Since the cupcake was pretty rich on its own, I chose not to add any icing - but feel free to do so if you're so inclined! I like to enjoy these puppies warm. 

Green Smoothies

I. Have. Been. Loving. Green smoothies lately. They're amazing and delicious! I know they may not sound it - spinach or kale blended with fruit? You may be thinking, "yuck." But think again, my friend! A few benefits that I particularly love are that they are nutrient-rich and high in fiber and antioxidants, plus they help with your digestion! And did I mention that they are delicious? Because they are. Although I don't drink them every day, I usually try to have them ~5x per week.

Here are a few of my go-to recipes:

Kiwi & Kale
1 frozen banana
4 leafs of kale {stems removed}
2 kiwis, chopped
1 c. water {or sometimes I use organic lemonade}
Blend kale & water/lemonade. Add in other fruit and blend. Enjoy!

Glowing Green
1 c. water
2 handfuls spinach
1/2 lemon, juiced
3 sticks celery
1 frozen banana
1 apple
1 pear
Blend spinach, water, and lemon juice. Add in other ingredients and blend. Enjoy!

Raspberry & Coconut
1/4 c. unsweetened coconut flakes
1/4 c. greek yogurt
6 coconut water ice cubes
1 c. frozen raspberries
1/2 frozen banana
Coconut flakes to garnish
Blend together all ingredients and garnish with coconut flakes. Enjoy!

Nutella & Cinnamon Roll Ups

This weekend was spent mostly indoors - away from the crazy wind storms we are having - and experimenting with new baked goods recipes! These tasty little roll-ups were super easy and delicious!

1 square/puff pastry dough {yes, I used pre-made pastry dough. Jamie Oliver once said that he doesn't make his own - and if it's good enough for Jamie Oliver, than it's good enough for me.}

1/3 c. Nutella spread

1 tsp. cinnamon + more for sprinkling

2 tbsp. granulated sugar

Flour for dusting

Roll out the pastry dough and until you have enough for 8-10 triangles. Spread the Nutella evenly over the pastry dough. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Cut the dough into triangles. Roll up the triangles, starting from the wide end, rolling towards the narrow end. In a small bowl, mix together cinnamon and sugar.

Place the roll-ups on a baking skeet, lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar mixture. Bake in preheated oven {275F} for roughly 20-25 minutes, or until your stomach starts grumbling. Whichever comes first.

Enjoy!

Homemade Marshmallows

If you know me, then you know that marshmallows are my favourite food. Marshmallows, followed very closely by strawberries and cheese. After that falls pretty much every other kind of food. 

But those ones top the charts. Every time.

So, as part of this everlasting love, I have been intrigued by the idea of making marshmallows from scratch. It's been on my list of things to try for a while now, but I had been putting off the purchase of a candy thermometer. Every recipe I found told me I must use a candy thermometer to make them, but I didn't have one. I don't know why I was putting it off, but I was for some weird reason. And then the other day, I just decided that I needed to make some marshmallows. 

So out I went to get myself a candy thermometer.

Now, before I recommend this recipe to you, I need you to be aware of the following warning: this is not a clean undertaking. It is messy. Very, very messy.

But, please also note that I am a neat-freak to the furthest extend of the term. I usually clean after every step of preparation. But between the time and heat necessary in this recipe, that wasn't too easy. Not to mention you're working with corn syrup. And honey. And sugar. But it's worth it. So go ahead and get messy.

I used a knife to cut them up in the pan, but I read that taking them out of the pan and using a pizza cutter works better - I will definitely be employing that tip next time! And yes. There most certainly will be a next time.

Enjoy!

{P.S. I finished that quilt a few weeks ago, all by myself!}

Strawberry & Goat Cheese Quinoa

I love quinoa! I'm always looking for new ways to prepare it and this weekend I thought I would experiment a little. 

Salad:

2 c. cooked quinoa

1/2 c. chopped strawberries

1/3 c. chopped walnuts

1/3 c. goat cheese

Dressing:

1 tbs. balsamic vinegar

1 tbs. honey

2 tsp. olive oil

2 cloves garlic

Salt & pepper to taste

Combine salad ingredients, being careful not to overwork the quinoa. Mix together the dressing ingredients together with a fork and drizzle over salad. Enjoy!

I served it with these scallops, on a bed of pea shoots.

Lavender Lemonade

I treated myself to a batch of lavender lemonade this weekend to celebrate the endings of summer and to kick off the beginnings of my favourite season: Autumn!

Here's how to make your own:

Juice 3 lemons. Boil 1/2 cup of lavender flowers {I used some form my mom's garden} in 5 cups of water for 4 minutes. Strain lavender liquid. Add 3 cups of cold water to lavender liquid and combine with lemon juice. Add 1/2 cup of simple syrup to mixture and serve cold.

Tip: This lemonade also makes excellent popsicles!

Enjoy!

So, these are in my life again...

Homemade Peanut Butter Cups

From the Oven: Early Grey Cupcakes

I had a bit of an undergrad flashback last night when I found myself baking at 10:30 pm. I used to bake at midnight all the time, back when I was a hardcore night owl and I strangely found myself in a similar mood yesterday. So I thought I'd just go with it.

I worked from this recipe {see actual recipe above} and baked them at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Baked Gnocchi with Ricotta & Marinara

This weekend, I experimented with gnocchi for the first time. I was really happy with how easy it was to work with {so happy, in fact, that I have made this twice in five days...} and so I thought I would share the recipe with you!

The recipe was from Martha Stewart's "Everyday Food Light" recipe book, but can also be found here. I especially loved how few ingredients and steps this dish involved, not to mention how quick it is to throw together. The second time I made it, I added about a cup of grated mozzarella to the top, which I really loved.

Mint & Ginger Limeade

While at the market this weekend, I passed by some mint bunches that I just couldn't leave without. Without knowing exactly what I was going to do with it, my mint bunch and I happily headed home. The following concoction is what I came up with!

Ingredients:
the leaves from 15 sprigs of mint (I may have gone a little crazy here), slightly muddled
2 cups of Santa Cruz Organic Limeade
the juice of one lime
2 cans of soda water
1 liter of ginger beer
3/4 cup of rum
1 tablespoon of icing sugar
ice

Throw all the igredients into a pretty jug and stir with a giant wooden spoon. {I'm quite sure there was a more eloquent way to do this, but let's get real, I'm not all that eloquent}. Enjoy!

A Weekend of Breakfasts

My friend Teri came over for a visit this weekend and it was awesome. We had a lot of laughs, really great chats, and amazing food. We're lucky in that our taste in food is precisely the same. Somehow at the beginning of our visit, we decide to make all meals breakfasts - because who doesn't enjoy a little breakfast for dinner... and lunch and, well, for breakfast?

Smoked Salmon and Shrimp Eggs Benedict with Hollandaise and Garlic Fries

Fried egg sandwich with avocado, cheese, capers, and extra cheese.

Crispy french toast with fruit salad and whipping cream.

Fruit salad and english muffins with cream cheese.

 Other highlights:

We saw a man walking his pet snake on the beach. It was ridiculous and terrifying.

We watched the new "Footloose" and listened to this song on repeat.

We goofed around on the guitar and she discovered that they do make "Teri-sized" guitars.

We came to an understanding that we shall not spread old nicknames with new acquaintances - many threats were thrown around.

Treat of the Week: Summer Sips

Even though Spring only just arrived, I've already started to prepare for Summer {thanks to Pinterest}. In doing so, I've come across so many gorgeous - not to mention delicious-looking - drinks that I can't wait to try out. And then I thought, why not share my excitement with all of you! Here are my top picks for recipes to try in the coming months. And no, it isn't a coincidence that they are all in the pink color family.

Pimp Your Lemonade

Mango Ginger Smoothie

Pink Grapefruit Margaritas

Blackberry Sage Cooler

Lemonade Sparkler

From the Oven: Introductions and Blueberry Muffins

Meet Freddie Mercury, my new best friend. No, not the singer/songwriter - the Kitchenaid! Yes, that's his name. Please do not judge me - it fits him, okay? And my goodness have I waited a long time for this bad boy. As a teenager, I typically spent my Saturday nights doing my laundry, watching Trading Spaces and the Food Network, and making lists of all the items my dream home would one day have. The Kitchenaid was always at the top of those lists. Now, I know what you're thinking: "Why couldn't I be that cool when I was in high school?" I'll tell you: it's probably because you were too busy hanging out with real people.

Freddie and I decided to jump right in with some Blueberry Muffins for the office last night. In case you're wondering, Freddie performs really well. Both the mixer and the person. Okay, so this may get confusing.

Recipe from here.

Treat of the Week: "Mom's Apple Pie" from DAVIDsTEA

Treat of the Week is a new series I am starting in order to celebrate the simple indulgences in life. Each week, I will feature a favorite pastime, product, place, or project {alliteration, anyone?} that I happen to be enjoying at that given time. So, with no further ado, let's begin!

This week's Treat of the Week is the "Mom's Apple Pie" green tea from DavidsTea. I'm a little bit of a tea addict, and this one is perfect as we start to move into the nippy winter months. There aren't too many things I enjoy more than curling up with a great book and some warm and delicious tea. To me, this green tea tastes and smells like cinnamon and apples, sort of like a light apple cider.

{This autumn/winter flavored tea pairs perfectly with a big holiday mug.}

My collection of DavidsTea has slowly been growing over the past two years and I love them for their unique flavors and dedication to making a quality product. With the exception of a few NYC locations, DavidsTea has store locations across Canada, plus shipping to all of North America.

Story time: I definitely researched whether there were DavidsTea store locations in my new city before I moved. As the interweb told me there wasn't, I made a special trip before I moved to stock up. Flash forward to the night of my arrival in my new city. I'm driving through downtown and what do you suppose is the first store I see? Yep, you guessed it: DavidsTea. I have since come across two additional locations since being here. So what have we learned from this little story? Don't trust everything you read on the internet. {Except this piece about DavidsTea being delicious. Because that is a cold, hard fact.}

As a side note, I am seriously considering their 24 Days of Tea Advent Calendar as an early Christmas present for myself this year. I think it would be such a fun way to sample some new flavors! Plus, who doesn't enjoy an advent calendar in December?

From the Oven: Spiced Apple Cider

First off, yum! I was so pleased with this recipe! I will definitely be making this several times before this holiday season is over.

Ingredients
5 cups cider
1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon whole cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ginger
1/2 orange, sliced

Directions
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan, bring to a boil and stir. Boil for 5 minutes, stirring often. Reduce heat and let simmer for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Strain {I placed cheesecloth over a strainer and strained the cider twice}. Serve warm, cinnamon sticks and brandy optional.

Recipe is a combination of pretty much every apple cider recipe I could find on Martha Stewart's website.

Roasted Butternut Squash and Red Pepper Soup

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, chopped
1 piece (2 inches) fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped in half
4 small sweet potatoes
2 butternut squash, prepared and cut into 3/4-inch chunks
Olive oil
3 cups water or vegetable stock (I used water)
2 teaspoons nutmeg
1 teaspoon paprika
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
Sour cream (optional)

Directions:
Place chopped squash, sweet potatoes, and garlic on an aluminum foil-covered baking sheet. Place red pepper halves on top of the other vegetables. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle on salt and pepper. Bake in oven for 30 minutes at 400 F.

Sauté butter, onion and ginger on medium heat in a large saucepan until lightly browned. Add roasted vegetables and water. Boil for 5 minutes, add paprika, nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir to release steam.

Add in orange juice. Using an immersion blender, blend until pureed.

Serve hot with a small dollop of sour cream and a light sprinkle of nutmeg.

Recipe adapted from here.