I started this blog so my daughters could find all of our family favourite recipes in one place. It has actually grown into more than just the family favourites but also other recipes we've tried out in our kitchen. I don't like to fill up the post with alot of chatter. Sometimes there's a little story to tell, but usually I like to get right to the point. So this is for them, but hope you find some recipes that you like as well. I'll be sharing a lot of recipes, and along the way you'll find some crafty things and maybe some helpful hints too! Welcome!



Monday, March 31, 2025

One Pot Sausage and Vegetables

Here's a hearty, healthy fridge clean out recipe. A little of this, a little of that and substitutions are encouraged depending on what's hanging out in your fridge.

Ingredients:

3 Bolognese  sausages, sliced (190g/7 oz)

1 tbsp olive oil

1 small onion, diced

2 medium potatoes, sliced

1 small zucchini, sliced 

1/2 bell pepper, sliced

2 cups spinach, chopped

1/2 cup frozen edamame beans

1 cup chicken or vegetable broth

Heat oil in a skillet to medum high and brown the sausage slices. Add the onion and cook 2 minutes, then add the potatoes and cook 5 minutes. Pour in the broth to deglaze the pan. Bring it to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Add the zucchini, bell pepper and edamame. Cover and cook 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Toss in the spinach and cook 1-2 minutes longer.

Serves 2


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Sunday, March 30, 2025

Maple Apple Pie

Bursting with juicy apples and sweetened with good old Canadian maple syrup.🍁No refined sugar here! 

Ingredients:

3 lbs firm apples (like Honeycrisp) peeled, cored and sliced 

3/4 cup robust Canadian maple syrup

1/4 tsp vanilla (or maple extract for an extra maple oomph!)

1/4 cup flour

1 tbsp lemon juice

2 tsps cornstarch

1 tsp cinnamon

pinch of salt

pastry for double crust 9" pie

milk wash and a sprinkle of sugar, optional

Place a pizza stone (if you have one) on the bottom rack of the oven and lay a piece of parchment on top. Preheat to 425°F. Toss the apples, syrup, extract and lemon juice together. Then mix the flour, cornstarch, cinnamon and salt together and mix in. Have your pie dough ready. (My favourite recipe for dough is store-bought! 😉) Roll dough out to a 14" circle and place in a 9" deep pie plate. Wet the edge with a bit of water. Spoon the filling in and pile it high. Roll out another circle of pie dough to 13" around and transfer it to top the apples. Crimp edges to seal. Cut a few slits in the top to vent and trim off any excess dough. If you like you can brush some milk on top and give the pie a sprinkle of sugar. Place in the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 350°F. Bake 60-75 minutes. Cool completely before cutting.
Serves 10

Adapted from: healthyseasonalrecipes.com

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Friday, March 28, 2025

Salmon Sweet Potato Patties

Nutrient rich and heart healthy! Use your favourite canned salmon. We like sockeye. And surprisingly, no messy hands. Just scoop and flatten, then bake!

Ingredients:
1/4 lb sweet potato, diced 
2 tsps olive oil
1 cup Panko crumbs
1 egg
1 tbsp mayo
1 tsp grainy Dijon
Pinch of salt
1 tbsp capers, chopped
1 tsp minced garlic
1 - 213g (7.5 oz) canned salmon, drained and crumbled
Boil the diced sweet potato until tender, 10-12 minutes. Heat a frying pan to medium heat, add olive oil then Panko and toast the crumbs 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally then remove from heat. Mash the cooked sweet potato. Mix the mayo, Dijon, salt, 1/2 the toasted Panko, capers and garlic and add to the sweet potato.  Then add the egg and salmon (with the small bones mashed in too if you like), and stir together. Place the other half of the Panko on a plate (or spread them out in the frying pan you toasted them in). Using a 2" cookie scoop, take some of the mix and place it on the crumbs. Using a fork, press down to form a 3" round. Sprinkle more crumbs on top and gently press. Carefully transfer the patties from the plate of crumbs with a spatula to a lined baking sheet. Bake at 425°F for 12-14 minutes. Serve with a squeeze of lemon.
Serves 5 (or 2 if  you have a good appetite!)

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Tuesday, March 25, 2025

John's Homemade All Purpose BBQ Sauce

My cousin is a heck of a barbecue cook! And we've always loved his BBQ sauce. I decided to ask him for his recipe, thinking he might not want to share it. But it turns out it was a recipe he had found in a book (sorry I can't give credit to the original author of the recipe). And it's pretty customizable. You can change the type of vinegar or mustard, use more or less Tabasco for heat and whatever barbecue rub you use will have an impact on the sauce as well.

Use it on literally anything! 

Ingredients:

2 cups ketchup

1/4 cup cider vinegar

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

2 tbsps molasses

2 tbsps prepared mustard

1 tbsp Tabasco sauce

1 tbsp of your favourite BBQ rub

2 tsps liquid smoke

1/2 tsp black pepper

Combine everything in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium to medium high heat, then reduce the heat to a simmer for 15 minutes. Pour into sterilized jars and store in the fridge for months (if it lasts that long!)

Makes 2 1/2 cups 

Used it here in How to Cook a Frozen Chicken:

https://www.hotandcoldrunningmom.ca/2021/11/how-to-cook-frozen-chicken.html 

And here on Make Ahead BBQ Pork Ribs:
Or just slather it on anything you've got on the barbecue or frying in a pan!

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Monday, March 24, 2025

Korean Style Ground Chicken and Sprouts

This healthy one pan dinner features lean ground chicken, lots of vegetables and enough ginger to knock your socks off!

Ingredients:

1 tbsp vegetable oil

3/4 lb ground chicken

1/4 cup soya sauce

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tsps sesame oil

3 tbsps fresh grated ginger

4 tsps minced garlic

2 medium carrots, shredded

2 cups shredded cabbage

4 cups bean sprouts

black pepper to taste

Combine the soya sauce, brown sugar and sesame oil and set aside. Heat the oil to medium in a large skillet or wok. Brown the chicken, breaking it up as it cooks, until no pink remains. Add the garlic and stir for 1 minute. Increase the heat to medium high and add the carrots, cabbage, ginger and bean sprouts. Cook 2-3 minutes, then pour in the sauce and heat through 2 minutes. Add black pepper to taste.

Serves 2-3  as a main or 4 as a side


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Saturday, March 22, 2025

Fluffy Whipped Chocolate Frosting

Fluffy and decadent and so easy to make. You'll love it! And the addition of coffee granules gives a deepness to the chocolate flavour without making it coffee tasting.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

4 cups icing sugar, sifted

1 1/2 cups cocoa powder, sifted

2/3 cup  35% whipping cream

2 tbsps vanilla extract

pinch of salt

1 tbsp instant coffee granules

Whisk butter on low to cream then on high until light. Measure the icing sugar and the cocoa powder then sift. Add the icing sugar, cocoa, whipping cream, vanilla, salt and coffee granules. Again, start on low to combine then whip on medium high to high for 5 full minutes until fluffy. Frost your cake then refrigerate to set.

Makes enough frosting for a 2 layer 8" cake.

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Wednesday, March 19, 2025

Air Fryer Mexican Stuffed Chicken

Elevate your dinner game with these air fried stuffed chicken breasts cooked to juicy perfection! 

Ingredients:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 oz shredded Monterey Jack or mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup chopped spinach

2 tbsps refried beans

1/4 tsp ground cumin

1 egg, beaten

2 tbsps parmesan cheese

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and flatten with a rolling pin between sheets of wax paper or saved waxed cereal bag. Spread with refried beans. Mix the shredded cheese, spinach and cumin together and spoon onto one side of the chicken. Fold over then brush with beaten egg. Coat with parmesan. Place the chicken in an oiled air fryer basket and cook at 400°F for 10-12 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165°F. Serve with salsa.

Makes 2 servings

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