Sweet Tarts

I just got back from a weekend of camping and I can't count the number of the bug bites, aches, and bits of dirts on me.

Not to mention the facts that it was a long drive, it was cold, we forgot my sleeping bag and part of the stove. So... let's just say that I've had better camping trips.

So when I crawled out of our tent both mornings (yes, we did remember the tent) I longingly thought of the delicious pancakes I had created the weekend before.

They were sweet, tart, and oh so warm and comforting. But thinking of them made me a little sad, since I was stuck with cold cereal.

I'll be enjoying these yummy creations of mine soon enough though. And, luckily, not all of the weekend was bad. Some of it was pretty fun.

Greener on your side

I hate the phrase "it's greener on the other side". I hate thinking someone else has something better than me and everything will always look better than what I have. 

Personally, I think that phrase is for unhappy people, because I am happy and I think I have it pretty good. 

Sure, there are a lot of little things I'd like to change. But when I achieve them, that's it. I'll be happy with them and I don't think that other people's things and lives will necessarily look better than my own. 

So because I am so happy with myself, I wanted to share the wealth and make a dish that screams green on your plate. 

Maybe then everyone will see parts of their lives that look pretty great and stop looking at their neighbours with envy to see what they have going on. Everyone has something great, you just have to find a moment to stop and smell the roses to find it.

In the meantime, try this super green rice. It's flavourful, healthy, and fun. I don't see anything wrong with it!

Pillow Fight

I never liked the idea of pillow fights when I was younger because they looked like they would hurt, my hair would get messy, and my favourite pillow might get ruined in the process. 

Basically, I looked at a pillow fight as a no win situation. And since I still don't have any inclination to partake in a pillow fight, I think I was right. 

The only type of pillow fight I can get on board with, is one around the table for who gets seconds of my Zucchini Pillows with BLT. 

These little pillows of goodness are worth fighting for because they taste great, are easy to make, and healthy at the same time. So in order to prevent a squabble, you might want to make up a few batches.

And if you choose to make only the one batch... Don't say I didn't warn you that a fight might break out for the last helping. 

And at least it's only an appetizer, so hopefully you can appease your friends with thoughts of the main.

Happy Appy

If you come over to my house for a dinner party and get something other than a pie for dessert, you know something's up because I love baking pies.


I love fruit pies, chocolate pies, sugary pies, tarts of all kinds, citrus pies, cream pies, and any other possible pie you can think of.


But have you ever come to someone's house and received a pie for an appetizer?  Would someone ever do that? Dessert before dinner?


Well look no further because here I am, the bringer of sweet tarts for a happy appy!


And the best part is that this little recipe is a quick one to throw together. Not to mention, there are only four ingredients in total!


So why wait? Get your friends over, make them a sweet treat to wet their palates before dinner, and fake them out when they hear how easy these are to make --- if you share the easy recipe!

Good Luck

Have you ever thought about how people say "oh it's good luck for rain on your wedding day" or "it's very good luck for a bird to poo on you"?

Well I had the pleasure of enjoying a whole lot of "good luck" if the latter of the two is actually true, because a few days ago I was walking down road and felt the most enormous wet splatter all over me.

This was no ordinary bird either; he had to be huge. It felt like someone had leaned out a window of the building I was near and poured a bowl of pudding on me. I was completely covered from my feet to my hair to hands and everywhere in between.

So to enjoy my so called "good luck", I decided to take a few eggs and create a quiche with them. Maybe that will teach the birds a few manners.

Here are a few of my tips for a yummy and easy quiche.

Beet the Heat

Living in Victoria, BC this year, I had practically forgotten what summer felt like. It feels a lot like spring feels like year round here and while I do miss the summer, I do not miss the harshness of the Halifax winters.

So when the heat rolls around here and I haven't been expecting it, I both love and hate it. I miss the summer but I'm not used to the heat, so the oven stays off and the BBQ goes on.

Here's a delicious salad I made to star in the this weather. And if it's cooler out, bake the beets in two small baking dishes. The oven really crisps up the bit of beet greens and adds a delicious texture!

From A to Z

I love to visit a Farmer's Market. I think about it all week and for once in my life I get excited about being spontaneous with cooking.

I do try and cook new things on a regular basis, but I always head to the grocery store with a list of items I'll need to make all the meals for one week. That means there isn't too much spontaneity once I get to the store.

But when I go to a Farmer's Market, there is no list in sight. I let my eyes do the talking, buy whatever I like, and somehow fit the goodies into my meal plan. But could you do it anyway else? There's someone selling everything and when you find some goodies you're forced to take them home.

At my last visit to a Farmer's Market I spied some huge zucchinis for $1.25 each and took two home with me to make into something. (That's another thing I love about Farmer's Market, you just can't beat those prices!)

I thought about it and finally decided on baking a loaf of zucchini bread.

I was glad to rediscover this old favourite and hope you're glad too.