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!

Chocolate for Breakfast?

When I find a breakfast I like, I make it a lot. But I don't like to make it exactly the same each time, so I come up with new versions of my favourite concepts. This is how I came up with the dish I am sharing today, my Chocolate Chia Pudding with Bananas.

I love the fact that this breakfast is super quick to whip up the night before you eat it, it travels well, it's pretty healthy (considering you could be choosing a donut or sugary cereal), and it tastes great. Plus, bananas and chocolate are always a great combination.

Ready for the recipe? Keep reading.

Banana Boat Fun #SummerWithChex

Summer is finally here and, for me, it wouldn't be complete without plans for camping. And camping wouldn't be complete without plans for lots and lots of s'mores overflowing with marshmallows and chocolate.

When we went camping last year, I somehow managed to forget graham crackers and I didn't remember until I was sorting through our food to get ready for dinner. Luckily I am pretty resourceful (plus I always seem to pack enough food for an army) and figured out a new dessert to make our camping treat complete. 

So what did I do? I just took some of the Chex cereal and a few of the bananas I had planned for a breakfast and created delicious, Banana Boats. I love that Chex is gluten free and a little healthier than graham crackers, so this year, I am not sure if I will even bother to add graham crackers to my shopping list for camping. My Banana Boats were that good.

Go Team Canada! #CheerForGold

Canada always seems to be known for winter fun. I have even seen an American car topped with skis and toboggans driving through Canada in August. I hope they weren't looking for a ski hill to be open, but if they were, at least they knew where to come back to in the winter.

Because Canada is so known for winter, I am always especially excited for the Winter Olympics. Our athletes are talented and they are going to be so much fun to cheer on!

Since I am so excited for the games next month, I want to learn a little more about our athletes and General Mills, a great supporter of Team Canada, has made that easy and fun to do. For a limited time, you can bring specially-marked boxes of Cheerios* Cereals, Oatmeal Crisp* Cereals, Lucky Charms*, Cinnamon Toast Crunch*, Reese® Puffs, Nature Valley*, Gushers* and Fruit by the Foot* to life on your Apple or Android smart phone or tablet with the help of the Blippar app.

New Year's Resolutions

For this month's Canadian Food Experience Project, we were asked to share a post on our resolutions. Every year I make resolutions, but I don't usually finish the year having kept them.

After spending a bit of time thinking about it, I think I know what my problem is. I think it's that my resolutions are usually too big and too difficult to keep. Or are something I just don't enjoying doing...

But I know this year will be different because I am only resolving to try one new food each month. That's just 12 new things and I can surely do that! I'll be posting about my new foodie finds each month and I hope that you'll be interested in trying a few of them along with me.

This month I am starting off by trying chia. I bet you once had a chia pet, one of those little terra cotta animals that you would scoop a little pile of seeds onto, water it, and then get to watch the plants grow? Well I had heard that chia seeds were really good for you and tasty too. Now I know that whoever said that was right!

Read on for my recipe for Chia Puddings, inspired by one from Giada's new cookbook, Giada's Feel Good Food.  I used fruit fitting for a Canadian winter and made a few other changes as well.

Banana Curry

When I go to a restaurant and I see a dish on the menu that I feel inspired to try to make at home, I know it's been a good night. The last thing I want in a restaurant is a boring menu filled with uninspiring things. Steak and potatoes or salmon with rice, all served with seasonal veggies, is nice - but I want to be excited by a meal.

When I saw a dish of banana curry with mussels on a menu recently, I knew I was in for a treat. I love curry and I love bananas. Plus I could see how that dish could work. I always use something sweet in my curries to counterbalance the spicy tart flavours of my dishes.

I was also really excited to have a new dish to try when I had a few overripe bananas. I love banana bread but everyone needs a break from the ordinary! Read on for my Banana Curry recipe!

Flavour Bombs

I have a favourite recipe for banana muffins so I am always unsure about trying something new. So even though when I heard that Janet and Greta Podleski's Bananaberry Bombs were too good to pass up, I almost passed them up. 

After just one bite, I was happy I tried out the recipe. They're now my favourite banana muffin recipe and these flavour bombs really shouldn't be missed! 

If you don't like bananas, or don't have any super ripe ones, I would suggest trying these muffins with apple sauce in the banana's place. I often substitute mashed banana and apple sauce and have always gotten great results. 

Read on for my version of Bananaberry Bombs (AKA Applebarb Bombs) or visit the Looneyspoon's website for their original delicious version. 

Breakfast in Bed

One of these days I think I might be served breakfast in bed. I've certainly dropped enough hints about wanting it as a treat, but it still hasn't happened yet. 

I've mentioned how special a cup of tea feels when it's brought to me, and while that might be enough for some girls, this one is going to keep dreaming for the real deal. 

I might not be making you breakfast in bed today, but this breakfast is a make ahead treat that just needs to be thrown into the oven in the morning. I think something like this would be perfect for my breakfast in bed dream!

Read on for how to make this yummy French Toast Bread Pudding!

Carrot Cake in a Cup

When I serve dessert, I love to serve individual portions. Individual portions always look prettier and we eat with our eyes first, so looking good counts for a lot. 

Today's dessert recipe is a new version of one of my old faithful desserts, my favourite recipe for Carrot Cake and I added in a fruity banana frosting to make it extra special. I think my dessert looks yummy and I know you'll agree after just one bite! 

Spooky Snack

Ok so maybe this brownie isn't spooky, but it is festive! I have shared my recipe for Chocolate and Banana Brownies before and now I've repurposed the recipe to fit the theme of Halloween.

Just whip up a batch of my Chocolate and Banana Brownies, but instead of using a cup of chocolate chips, use two boxes of Halloween themed Smarties or Reece's Pieces. I prefer the peanut buttery goodness of Reece's Pieces, but I have had trouble finding them recently. Luckily, there's nothing wrong with using Smarties!!

So what do you think? Will you be trying my Halloween edition of Chocolate and Banana Brownies?

Who's in a Cookbook?

Me! That's right! I am published in a cookbook and I am thrilled about it!

It's called the The Real Women of Philadelphia - The Cookbook and I thought the cookbook was only going to be published online. So, you can imagine my surprise to receive a copy in the mail and learn that it's going to be sold too! 

If you want to download a copy of the cookbook, or buy a copy, visit this site and be on your merry way!

I'd be sure to autograph your copy of the cookbook! Actually you'd have to try and stop me from autographing it!

And if you want to learn a little more about what kind of recipes you'll find in it, keep reading!

A Match Made in Heaven

Who doesn't love chocolate? Other than the few people I know that are allergic to my favourite feel better medication, I don't think I know anyone. 

I don't even need to taste chocolate for a pick me up, all I need to do is smell it. Of course, tasting chocolate really makes me happy, but a girl can only eat so much of it!

Today's post is a simple recipe that combines chocolate with banana, so you get a serving of fruit with your dessert. 

And while you read the recipe, try and guess what I am going to do to tweak it for Halloween this year.  If anyone guesses what I am going to do before October rolls around, I will let you know by making it early! 

Ten thousand thank yous!

I've always loved D'Italiano bread but now I have to say that I really really REALLY love it.

I don't think I will ever buy another loaf of bread, even if another brand is on sale.

And if you know me and how much I love sales, you'll know that's a BIG deal!

I clicked on the shiny gold button that said "find out" and this is what I found!

Happy (Belated) Mother's Day

Yesterday was Mother's Day and I really wish I had not been halfway across the country from my mom. I would have loved to be visiting her and cooking a special meal to show how much I appreciate everything that she has done for me.

My mom is really the best mom. Look at her with the cutest dog in the world. Olli the Portuguese Water Dog needs no excuse to hand out kisses to her.