Plum Lucky

I just got back home from visiting my family and I'm ready to start sharing recipes again!

First up is a great scone recipe that my mom and I put together one cold morning at the cottage. We didn't have all the ingredients we needed so we subbed in what we had and came up with a winning combination.

Here's to the delicious Zesty Plum Scones we made. It's lucky we had a big stock of plums!

A "Heart"y Valentine Dinner Made Delicious

Today's post is dedicated to anyone who is planning on making their partner a home cooked meal this Valentine's Day and also to anyone who loves puns because those are two things I cannot live without on February 14. If you're still looking for some foodie puns for your card this year, I've got a few up my sleeve that I'm willing to share with you.

You're my "butter" half, Valentine

Take another "pizza" my heart now, baby

I'm "nuts" about you!

You make my heart "beet" like crazy, Valentine

And here's one more special punny Valentine I've created just for someone who wants to make my Crab Stuffed Portobellos with Shrimp Hearts....

I'd never "shrimp" on my love for you, Valentine. You're the best.

Ok, so maybe I'm not going to be employed by Hallmark anytime in the future, but I know that my recipe is perfect for you to serve to your loved ones tomorrow!

Blackberry Crumble Muffins - My Canadian Love Affair

I love digging into the first bite of anything delicious. But my favourite first bite is always one from a fruit pie or crumble. I love fruit pie and crumbles so much that I'd love to eat a big helping each and every morning, but sadly my waistline doesn't agree.

So in when I heard that this month's Canadian Food Experience Project's challenge was to write about  My Canadian Love Affair, I knew exactly what recipe I'd share in my post.

Today's recipe isn't exactly a pie, instead it's a healthier breakfast version of a pie - Blackberry Crumble Muffins. And to make them even more Canadian, I've used the blackberries that grow wild in my own backyard.

What's Better than a Stuffin Muffin?

I know most of my posts this month have featured healthy recipes, but I still pine for hearty comfort food too. I love a good stick to your ribs, make you feel warm, or take you back to Mom's house kind of meal.

For me, that kind of meal almost always comes out of an oven. It almost always involves roasted veggies and hopefully some of kind of baked bread, bun, or bread pudding. Some of you might choose to serve a roast chicken with your meal and I think that today's recipe would go perfectly with one.

Today's recipe is a Stuffin. They are muffins made out of stuffing. I don't want to pretend that I made them up, I thought I might have but I looked up a stuffin on the Internet and found out that they sadly already existed, but the recipe I came up with is pretty darn delicious. They're quicker to make than a big casserole of dressing so they feel a little less thanksgiving and a little more weekend comfort food.

Read on for the recipe!

La Belle Patate

Does anyone out there make their own rolls for the holidays anymore? I used to think it was too much work, but then I discovered this incredible potato roll recipe that you make in a muffin tin.  It uses up leftover mashed potatoes and creates moist little rolls that are the perfect size for mopping up gravy or snacking on before dinner. 

I don't know about you, but I think making your own rolls and freezing them a few days before Christmas would be the perfect way to impress a mother in law at the big day's dinner. Plus, you can also half the recipe to get 12 rolls and a loaf of delicious raisin bread for breakfast. Who could say no to that now?

Double the Fun

When I have friends over for a wine and appy party, I know I'd like to create a menu of entirely handmade little delicacies - but I also know that would only make me frazzled. I know I need to use my time wisely and make a few homemade appetizers and a few from the frozen or deli sections of my grocery store. 

The two appys I am sharing today start might come in handy for those of you that want to make things even easier. These appys start out as the same basic recipe and then ever off into two different directions so you can have even more choices besides the wheel of Brie. 

Get ready to run out to grocery store for wonton wrappers because these recipes need them. :) 

Christmas Sliders

'Tis the season to be jolly and also to look for time saving ideas! December seems to fly by in my house every year and while I wish for an extra hour every day in December, Santa never gets me the gift I really need so I have to find the extra time I wish for another way.

One of the ways I save time is by visiting the Pillsbury area of my grocery store. I like to say I'll be serving homemade cinnamon buns in Christmas morning, but it hasn't happened yet so I always buy a big roll of Grands Cinnamon buns. And I like to think I'll be making my own buns to serve with Christmas dinner, but I always buy a package or two of Pillsbury Crescent Rolls, "just incase".

This year I am little more organized than other years because I'm not pretending that I'm going to be making everything from scratch. I know what's going to end up happening. This year I'm stocking up on Pillsbury goodies, but planning on making them a little extra special by adding a few little twists. 

On Christmas morning, I am planning on making Life Made Delicious' Easy Crescent Danish Rolls and I think I might make Life Made Delicious' crescent rolled covered Raspberry Baked Brie at least once between now and the big day - because when I have I ever turned down Brie?

But first I made some incredibly yummy and surprising simple Shrimp Sliders on Pillsbury Crescents for a happy appy at a potluck I recently went to. I know you're going to want to make a batch up yourself. Read on for the recipe!

Pizza Provençal

Pizza is one of the few foods that I love to gorge myself with. I could eat pizza until I literally burst. All that dripping cheese, hot tomato sauce, and toppings galore make me tingle with happiness. But I've just discovered a truly gourmet pizza that begs to be savoured in ways my typical Friday night pizza can't imagine. And it's easy enough to make at home. 

The recipe is from this month's Chatelaine magazine but since they only included a delicious pizza dough recipe and a handful of suggested topping, I like to think that my new favourite go to gourmet pizza is sort of my own. 

Read on for the recipe! 

Super Salad

If you're someone who thinks that there is something about a salad that says diet food, you just haven't tried one of my salads. I don't mean that my salads are high in fat, I mean that my salads have enough oomph, flavour, and substance to leave you feeling full longer. 

And since I've paired today's salad with one of my favourite treats, green onion pancakes, it left me feeling full for a very long time. This feeling of being super full may have been because I had two helpings, but who's to say? I think that when a salad is that good, you should always have seconds! 

Grilling Caesar

I think I actually can now say that I am a big fan of grilled lettuce. I used to think that lettuce was something I'd never like warm, it's like cucumber and should always be kept cool and crispy. But now that I've tried a second recipe for a grilled salad, I know I am officially a fan. 

My first grilled salad recipe was for Iceburg lettuce wedges with a ranch dressing, and it was delicious, but my second grilled salad recipe is awesome too. It's a grilled Caesar salad and who doesn't love Caesar salad? 

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. 

Guest Posting on Hun, What's For Dinner

Yesterday was my first guest post for my friend Cindy at Hun, What's For Dinner. And since it was my first ever guest post, I wanted it to be something special. I had a few ideas running through my head and while they all sounded delcious to me, when I came up making my own goldfish crackers I knew I had found a winner. 

For my whole guest post, visit Hun, What's For Dinner. Or, if you're already drooling over the photo, read on for my recipe.

Not Just for Easter

Hot Cross Buns are traditionally a food made for Good Friday that brings health and luck for the year to come. I like to think that we could all use a little health and luck throughout the year and suggest that we enjoy these buns as often as we want. 

I made this batch for my family's visit to Vancouver Island and they were gone before I knew it. I hope they bring lots of good health and luck to us all. 

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!

French Food at Home

Whenever I go out to eat French cooking I always feel heavy on my way home. Sure, of course I love the way butter and cream tastes. But with each of those indulgent bites I know how I will feel for the next few hours. 

Today I am sharing one of my favourite French treats that doesn't make me feel heavy. I feel light, airy, and perfectly content during and after eating this meal. Add feeling good to the fact that the filling for these crepes is so versatile and you'll end up with a recipe that you'll keep turning back to.

Bun Buns

These buns are too perfect for Easter dinner. They're easy to make, taste like they're from a bakery, and they even look like little bunnies. I think. The only problem with them is that they're almost too cute to eat.

It took me a few tries to get them as close to perfect as I could for the holdiay. The first time they turned out like fat cats. If I had intended to make fats cats they would have been perfect, they tasted great! But I wanted bunnies for Easter.

Another try showed me my mistake was that I rolled round balls instead of longer pear shapes, my dough was too wet and I needed a little flour tossed on at the end, and I also didn't reshape the ears after I snipped them with scissors.

I don't think my Buns Buns are perfect yet, but I know they'll make a few smiles at my Easter dinner table. Read on for a chance to make your own Bun Buns, or Cat Buns if you like!

Popeye Sandwich

As a child I loved a breakfast my mom called a Popeye Sandwich. It doesn't have spinach or any muscles at all, so looking back, I am not sure why I just accepted the name.

Most people call this breakfast Egg in the Hole Or Toad in the Hole, but I'll keep my old name. I'll keep the name even though I now don't think that it was named after the muscular, spinach eating man. I now think the sandwich was named a Popeye Sandwich because there's one egg, or one eye, in the middle and the other eye was popped out.

Who knows if I'm right, all I know is the sandwich tastes yummy and brings me back 20 years ago.

Silver Linings

It's the Oscars tonight and I am not the biggest fan of award shows, but I do love the Oscars. I love watching the pre-show to see the amazing dresses (and the not so amazing dressing, if I'm being honest). I love seeing the stars as normal people and watching their joy as they win. And I love making appetizers for my Oscars party. 

I love appy parties and I love themed parties, so when it's Oscar time I rack my brain to get the creative juices flowing. I love to make appetizers inspired by a few of the honoured movies and today's post is one of my choices for 2013. 

Silver Linings Playbook is set in Philly, the land of cheese steaks. Philly Cheese Steaks are not the best food for a party so I made mine mini and they turned out great. Read on for the recipe!

Loving Breakfast

Breakfast is one of my favourite times of the day. I'm an early riser and like to get a little quiet time in before the rest of the world wakes.

But as much as I love quiet time in the morning, breakfast made for me by someone I love tops my list of favourite things. Whether it's a complicated dish like Eggs Benedict or a simple tea and toast, I'm happy to be surprised with a lovingly made morning meal.

My love of breakfast has brought me the idea for today's delicious post, Valentine's Day Pancakes, just in time for you to make them for your family!

And if you're looking for something fun to bake this afternoon, try Life Made Delicious's Chocolate Heart Peanut Butter Cookies, I know I'm going! If you like them, you should definitely try the new Peanut Butter Cheerios!

Super Appy

I will admit that I am not the biggest Football fan, I choose my favourite team based on who has the best looking players. But I am a fan of enjoying appetizers on a Sunday afternoon and that's why I love the Super Bowl.

Today's recipe is a super easy appy that may not be typical Super Bowl fare, but I think that it could quickly become a favourite. Or at least it could quickly become a favourite for ladies like me who watch the games for Tom Brady-esque players and the half time show!

Here's my two ingredient recipe for homemade Cumin Flatbreads, perfect for serving with smoked salmon and cream cheese.