How to get the Perfect Baking Blend

Haven't we all been there... pulling out the baking soda or baking powder to realize they're full of lumps and clumps.  If those lumps make it into the final product, someone is in for a bad surprise.   Its such a disappointment to take a big bite of a cookie or banana bread only to find a chalky, bitter mouthful of baking soda. This is why I've made this simple improvement in my baking that makes lumpy baking soda a thing of the past.

Roasted Balsamic Brussel Sprouts

Brussel sprouts are so underrated.  When they're roasted, and not old-fashioned boiled, they're absolutely amazing.  I've yet to find someone who's not a lover of brussel sprouts, deep down inside...when they're prepared right.

Chocolate Oatmeal Pecan Cookies

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Cookies.  They're a sweet little indulgence, that can add up quickly - especially during the holidays!  This recipe gives all the flavor and texture of a traditional cookie, but is a much lighter version...so go ahead and take two.  

This recipe for Chocolate Oatmeal Pecan cookies has a hearty cookie texture, but uses much less sugar and butter than a traditional recipe - without losing the flavor!

Lemon Poppy Seed Madeleines

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As the weather gets chilly outside, there is nothing better than waking up in the morning and warming up the house with a warm oven and the smell of freshly baked French pastries!  These Lemon Poppy Seed Madelienes are simple, elegant, and the perfect snack with your favorite hot beverage.

Homemade Olive Crackers

One of the best parts of the holidays is having everyone come together, eating and sharing stories.  

I love putting together an 'Apero-Dineatoire' - a French concept that is perfect for bringing everyone together and enjoying each others company.  The idea behind Apero-Dineatoire is that there is plenty to eat, all in small finger-food portions casually served in the living room.  Everyone relaxes and explores the array, grazing throughout the evening over stories and music.  Its the best!

The Homemade Kitchen: Plum Tart

Plum season doesn't last for long, but I can't resist the juicy little fruits while they last. They're great simply sliced and eaten as a snack, but when I get a big batch I love baking them into a tart. 

Healthy Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

We are absolute yoghurt addicts at our house.  We eat it for breakfast, for dessert, and substitute it into recipes all the time with deliciously creamy results!

While living in Europe, I found myself preferring tubs of plain, unsweetened yoghurt.  This way I could decide just how much I want, and how I want to use.  As a savory substitute for sour cream, as the base for an improvised veggie dip, or sweetened with fresh fruit or homemade jam for dessert. 

Whole Grain Apple Oatmeal Muffins

You would never guess these muffins are so healthy!  

The freshly shredded apple makes them incredibly moist and gives a gentle, sweet flavor that is perfect for breakfast, brunch, or a mid-day snack.  Plus, serving them in cupcake liners makes them feel like dessert!

Holiday Roasted Olive & Tomato Chicken

Growing up, decorating the Christmas tree was always a VERY big deal in our family.  Each year at the beginning of December we'd spend hours wandering through the fields at our local Christmas Tree farm searching for the Perfect Tree.  It had to be just the right shape, evenly leaved without brown patches, and most importantly...GIANT.  At least in our little eyes.

Healthy Homemade Pita Bread

Pitas. They're so tasty and versatile!  Dip them into hummus, fill them with chicken salad, bake them into healthy pita chips...and the list goes on. 

But make them from scratch?  I'd always imagined these would be extremely difficult to bake.  How in the world would I get that pocket of air in the center?  How is it possible to get such perfect rounds?  Don't you need a special oven or tools?  Nevertheless intrigued, I decided to give them a try.  Success!  

Measure or Weigh - Which is Better?

The idea that one miss-scooped cup of flour will ruin a baking attempt is a scary one, and makes baking seem intimidating.  Why deal with all that risk when a boxed mix is a sure bet?

One way to ensure correct proportions, especially in a new recipe, is to use a kitchen scale.  Instead of measuring ingredients using cups and spoons, a kitchen scale gives accurate measurements in grams.  This helps alleviate the question of how firmly packed the brown sugar should be, or if the cups of flour are sifted or not.

Spaghetti Squash Oregano Bake

This Spaghetti Squash Oregano Bake is a perfect Meatless Monday or healthy eating option, because it has only healthy, nutritious calories - and very few at that.  Spaghetti squash is one of those wonderful "Eat as much as you want, and feel great about it" foods! 

Vegan Walnut Banana Bread

Flipping through the VB6 Cookbook I was drawn to the photo on page 87 of a nutty breakfast loaf:  Walnut Banana Bread.  Reading the caption, thinking about the browning bananas on my counter and last night's leftover rice...it was clear that this one was meant to be!

Nutty Homemade Granola

This granola is amazing sprinkled over yogurt.  We eat it for dessert!  Or, put a ribbon around the mason jar and it makes an adorable hostess, teacher, or DIY holiday gift.

How to Make Bread on a BBQ Grill!

Its too hot to start up the oven, and I've discovered that my favorite rosemary flatbread recipe "bakes" beautifully right on the BBQ grill!  (Click here for the recipe)  

This is rocking my world.  Fresh-baked bread at a cookout, yes please!  


Here's how:

Rosemary Wheat Flatbread

This is one of my favorite recipes of all time.  It takes just minutes to put together, and just requires a little stirring - no kneading, and none of the floury mess on the countertop that traditional breads have.  Just delicious, simple bread.  

And this bread is very fast to make, for homemade bread that is.  Start to finish, including rising time, can be as little as about an hour!

Mushroom Quiche

Quiche is one of those quintessential French dishes that sounds intimidating, but in reality is so simaple to make.  

This recipe is for mushroom quiche - portabella mushrooms happened to be in abundance at the farmers market!  It's basically a twist on a more traditional Quiche Lorraine.

Oven Roasted Cauliflower

Cauliflower is one of those vegetables that always gets neglected at our house.  I enjoy buying it, always with lofty ideas, and then it sits in the refrigerator.  For some reason, cauliflower has a hard time making it from the farm to our table.  Which is why I'm thrilled with this absurdly simple, very delicious recipe.  

French Madeleines - Easy French Pastries!

Madeleines are the traditional french cookies that are finally making a big move to the US...much to my joy!  

Save yourself a trip to the boulangerie...or the line at Starbucks... and make these very simple, delicious Madeleines at home in minutes.  Really.  Minutes.