All posts filed under: Dessert

Strawberry-Rhubarb Compote

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Lots of people wonder where I learned to cook so well. Here’s the truth: I got it from my mama!… and my grandma too! My mom and my grandma are two of the best cooks that I know. They have always cooked the most amazing, and most flavourful food. One of their secrets is to buy the best ingredients available. So even if this means spending a bit more money, they will do it because they know the food will be that much better and they know people will remember them for it. Another one of their secrets (and one that works so well that it is the main focus of this blog) is to buy local food wherever available. I remember going to pick strawberries as a kid just outside of Mississauga, Ontario to make jam, or driving through Niagara to get fresh peaches and plums in the summer to make a fruit pie, and going to Hazel Ontario to get smoked pork chops, corn, and lots of cheese for a hearty fall meal. …

Power Up! Choco-Coconut Power Balls

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With this cold, dreary March we have been having so far, I am in desperate need of a pick me up. With the weather we have been having recently (it snowed AGAIN on Sunday) I have been so sluggish and unmotivated to do anything. At this point, all of the coffee, puppies, and flowers, in the world couldn’t help me at this point.  Ok… maybe the puppies would help. But, instead of continuing to mope this past weekend, I took matters into my own hands to create a few little pieces of happiness for myself. As it so happens, these little pieces of happiness are delicious and are also good for you. My Choco-Coconut Power Balls are a tasty, healthy, and filling snack to have on hand when you need a little bit of extra energy. These Power Balls are packed with sweet dates, creamy nut butter, crunchy oats, tender coconut, and rich cocoa powder that when combined, really fills you up. While I am excited about the fact that these Choco-Coconut Power Balls are …

Vancouver Sugar Cookies

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This Valentine’s Day I am celebrating my seven year anniversary. No, this anniversary is not with a special person, rather with a place- and that place is Vancouver, British Columbia. I fell in love with the city of Vancouver and the west coast in 2010 from watching the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics. Apart from the amazing athletes and that final Men’s hockey game (what Canadian will ever forget that?), my breath was completely taken away by the beauty of the city and its surrounding environment. From the snow-capped mountains to the sparking ocean and the lush forests to the Glass City, I fell completely in over my head, out-of my-mind in love with the city’s urban yet wilderness-like vibe. This was all complete infatuation. I never visited the city before let alone the west coast of Canada. I had fell in love with the city just from watching the Olympic coverage on TV and from the deep, soulful tourism commercials that were shown between events (way to go Destination BC- they worked). In 2010, I …

Coconut & Date Bars

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Apples with nut butter. Bananas. Carrot sticks and hummus. Frozen grapes. A handful of mixed nuts. I’m stuck in a healthy snack rut. 😦 As good as I am with coming up with new recipes, the meal that I struggle with the most is snacks. While I’m all for eating snacks (I mean who isn’t- snacks are amazing and prevent you from getting hangry), after eating the same ones over and over again, it gets a bit boring. Enter my Coconut & Date Bars. Made with sweet and sticky Medjool dates, shredded coconut, lemon zest, and toasted walnuts, this easy no-bake snack can be whipped up in 10 minutes. They’re basically date bars without the flour and butter, making these bars a perfectly healthy snack that satisfies your sweet cravings. They’re so sweet naturally that they can even be called a dessert. Yes, I said it, dessert. Add these Coconut & Date Bars into your healthy snack repertoire and your belly will thank you. See the recipe here! Items photographed: “Groc” Succulent plant: Kermodei Living Art, Parliament …

Chocolate Rudolph Cookies

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There are a few things in life that I know to be true: 1. The sun rises in the east and sets in the west, and 2. Everyone seen “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” (circa 1964) and has been totally creeped out by it. Whether it’s the animation, the blood-thirsty Abominable Snowman, the depressed/suicidal doll from Island of Misfit Toys, the fact that Santa and the other reindeer are complete dicks, or a combination of all the above…that movie still scares me- a grown woman- to this day. That and the Nightmare Before Christmas… eff that. Whether you have seen this movie or not, I’m certain you know all of Santa’s reindeer: Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner and Blitzen. And without a doubt, you know that these reindeer don’t matter. The true star of this holiday tale is Rudolph. Despite being bullied (like actually bullied) by the other reindeer, Rudolph with his very shiny, glowing nose, steps up to the plate and guides Santa’s sleigh at night to save Christmas. Yay! For this, he has these …

BC Blueberry Pie

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We are in the height of blueberry season right now here in BC and I just can’t get enough of these delicious sweet berries. I have been putting them in everything lately- smoothies, salads, yogurt, muffins- everything has blueberries! I really enjoy this seasonal treat and what better way to celebrate it than with a beautiful blueberry pie. This recipe is sure to win you a blue ribbon at a pie contest and make all of your guests smile. See the recipe here!