"Fake-on" Bacon Bits

If there is one thing I miss about giving up meat, it's bacon. I truly, madly, deeply loved biting into a slice of crispy bacon and I miss it. I don't miss it enough to eat it again, but I do miss it enough to try making an odd "fake-on" version of bacon.

I'll start off by saying that it's made with a secret ingredient and it somehow looks and tastes exactly like I remember bacon tasting like. Plus, it's really much healthier!

I know I'll be snacking on this treat and coming up with tons of fun recipes to use it in. So get ready for some veggie friendly bacon recipes! You'll be seeing a few pop up here over the next few months!

Great Veggie BBQ

When most people think of barbecuing, I don't think they think about great vegetarian food. Burgers, hot dogs, chicken, ribs - sure they all to come to mind. And maybe a veggie burger might slip into a few people's minds, but not great vegetarian food. 

But today I hope to show to you that you can grill up some truly delicious vegetarian food, and not go anywhere near a veggie burger. I've made grilled polenta, BBQ sauce smothered grilled veggies, and fresh tomatoes and basil. I think it's a winner.

Thai One On

I never thought I'd be one of those girls that could order a salad for dinner and be satisfied. And, to be fair, normally I'm not satisfied. Normally I'm still hungry after eating just a salad.

But the salad I'm sharing today is different. It's full of Asian flavour, filling because of the peanuts, and incredibly healthy so you don't feel bad going back for seconds or even thirds.

Ok, so maybe I ate a lot of the salad and that's why I was full.... But I swear, it's a good one!

Crazy Ingredient Challenge - Beets and Eggs!

Beets and eggs are two of my favourite foods so hearing that they were chosen for August's Crazy Ingredient Challenge's ingredients made me very happy. And even more than two of my favourite foods, this month's ingredients allow me to do one of my favourite things - bake!

I dabbled with ideas of what to make this month, coming up with recipes I thought were unique like Gnocchi with Beet Greens and Fried Shallots or Tie Dye Devilled Eggs, but I was craving to bake and I really wanted to eat chocolate cake.

So, in the end, I decided to revamp one of my favourite recipes and make it beet-friendly. I think it turned out earthy and amazing. Read on for my Beet-iful Chocolate Brownies and check out everyone else's recipe too!

Crazy for Creole

I am so grateful for hot summer days this year, but the hot summer nights I could use a little less of. To counteract feeling a little too warm during hot summer nights I do one of two things - I either eat cool salads or spicy hot foods.

Cool salads seem to be eaten a little more frequently in house, just because they're easy and there's no cooking involved, so today I'm sharing a spicy dish. It's not too much work, but it looks impressive. And you can as much heat as you like, depending on how hot it is outside or how hot you like you food.

Ready for a mouthful of happiness? Read on for my Creole Bay Scallops and Rice.

Ribbons of Happiness

My mom rarely let's me buy her anything, so when she let me buy her a spiralizer, I knew it must be something she really wanted. To me it just looked like another one use kitchen gadget, the kind that you keep in your cupboard to collect dust until you finally have that urge to pull it out and do that one thing it does.

I might sound a wee bit like an infomercial, but it does so much more than one thing. And it's so much fun to use too!

I have spiralizer so many fruits and veggies for salads, cooked my spiralized ribbons, and fried them too. I now love my spiralizer and use it often. So it's time for me to share another delicious recipe that can be made with a spiralizer or even just with a grater, a mandoline, or some crafty knife work. Your choice.

Homegrown Lettuce

It's August and I think this is the first year I've kept my resolution all the way to the eighth month of the year! I promised myself that I would try one new food each month for all of 2014 and I'm proud that I've actually kept it up.

This month isn't quite as adventurous as other months, but it did take a lot more work than just pursuing the isles at the Bulk Barn. This month I tried homegrown lettuce!

I have grown lettuce before but for some reason it's always been a little too bitter for me to really enjoy. But this lettuce is different; it's tender, sweet, and a real treat to eat.

I paired my homegrown lettuce with some other yummy summertime ingredients - barbecued peaches, a light lemon vinaigrette, salmon, and blue cheese. I think I came up with a winning salad, but read on for the recipe to see if you agree.

Oatcakes, Oat Biscuits, Oat My

I was recently given products from Nairn's Oatcakes to try and enjoy. And, after just one bite, I was hooked. Nairn's Oatcakes are simple, healthy, wholesome, and a perfect pairing for a decadent topper.

Who am I kidding, though? Half of my family is from Scotland, so I am pretty much born to eat oats. Oatcakes, oat biscuits, oat anything is truly yummy to me. The only problem for me when eating Nairn's Oatcakes was when I tried to pick a favourite flavour. I liked them all!

So instead of choosing a favourite flavour, I worked on the perfect topper. What I came up with was something that was incredibly easy and incredible tasting. It's a Salmon Pâté that bursts with flavour and goes perfectly with Nairn's Oatcakes. Visit Nairn's Oatcakes on Facebook to learn more.

Bananas For Breakfast

There is nothing I love more than a leisurely long weekend breakfast. I love throwing a big breakfast for friends and enjoying one with my sweetie in our pjs. If you asked me to choose which I loved more, I don't think I could do it.

For BC Day this year, I made one of my most simple pancake recipes and topped it with a truly decadent sauce. It's a little reminiscent of bananas foster, but or so simple and perfect for a leisurely long weekend breakfast.

Ready for my Brandy Banana Nut Pancakes? Read on for the recipe!