How To Make Granola

Posted on November 23, 2012 by Deborah

I love Granola. Granola on yogurt. Granola in a smoothie. Granola sprinkled on ice cream. Granola by itself even. Makes a great snack anytime you get the munchies.

It is very yummy stuff…. but very expensive to buy and the commercial stuff is loaded with more sugar than necessary.

So make your own instead.

Ingredients

½ Cup Un-sweetened Apple Sauce
¼ Cup Canola Oil
½ Cup Lite Maple Syrup
2 Tbsp. Honey
1 Tbsp. Vanilla Extract
8 Cups Whole Rolled Oats
1 Cup Raw Sunflower Seeds (unsalted)
1 Cup Slivered Almonds (raw, unsalted)
¾ Cup Wheat Bran (or Cracked Wheat)… Read more...

It’s Healthy Food Time

Posted on November 15, 2012 by Deborah

Sometimes you need to step away from the butter laden, ooey-gooey, rich, decadent, make-you-swoon recipes and stabilize your blood sugar or before you know it, you will be living in sweatpants and over sized t-shirts hauling around an oxygen bottle for the rest of your life.

Not to get all preachy….ok, maybe a ‘little’ preachy…but the average person should aim to get 25 – 30% of their daily calories from fat, of that amount, approx. 7% should come from saturated fat (meats/dairy). Less than 1% should come from trans fat and the rest should come from mono and poly unsaturated … Read more...

How To Make Your Own Croutons

Posted on November 14, 2012 by Deborah

Making your own croutons takes about as much time to make a pot of coffee…and just as easy. Trust me, once you make your own croutons, you will never go back to store bought again. With the use of heart healthy Olive Oil, they are much better for you than the butter/transfat laden commercial variety too. These are made from day or two old fresh bread. Not the packaged, preservative laden stuff either, because no matter how long you leave it out, it just doesn’t get stale enough to be used as croutons.

Grab a fresh baguette (preferably whole wheat … Read more...

GangUp Challenge Results are IN!

Posted on October 12, 2012 by Deborah

As promised, today is the day. The day I showcase the results of the ‘Cooking Challenge’ that I threw out 10 days ago…. And boy, did the 10 days flew by fast. Doesn’t help that there was a holiday (Canadian) shoved in the middle of it to make it that much more harried for us in the Great White North.

BUT…

Here we are and let me just say, I am thrilled with the results. There are some extremely talented ‘Home Chefs’ out there that were not at all intimidated by the list of ingredients. This round was one of … Read more...

Time is Ticking!

Posted on October 9, 2012 by Deborah

Wednesday will be here before you know it so get your GangUp Challenge recipes and pics into me before the end of the day tomorrow!

I am excited to see what everyone came up with in the list of ingredients! (For a refresher, you can click here).

I will be compiling the results and featuring them in Friday’s blog post (October 12, 2012).

Happy (Canadian) Thanksgiving!

Posted on October 5, 2012 by Deborah

Happy Thanksgiving to my fellow Canadian friends and family. In honour of our holiday feast, I am giving you all a little gift. Instructions on how to create your own table decorations for your feast this weekend…..

Mini Gourd Tea Light Candles

I am all about cheap and DIY. Mind you, I draw the line at wanting to build/make my own car, it would take me an eternity and I am sure, not at all road worthy.

But there are some things that you can create in less than 10 minutes for pennies rather than paying 10 bucks at a … Read more...

The GangUp Challenge

Posted on October 1, 2012 by Deborah

Last week when I sent out a post about the site being down for a day or two, I alluded to a surprise for when I was back up on-line.

Today is the DAY!

Well, it was supposed to be last Friday…but hey, sometimes you just can’t help delays…

Over the last couple years, I was an active part of a cooking website and ended up being the chosen ‘ringleader’ for showcasing a recurring cooking challenge (something about good writing ability..pfft…no one else wanted the ‘job’ me thinks). But, I did have an added quartet of gals that I have … Read more...

Friday is NOT Just Another Day!

Posted on September 28, 2012 by Deborah

WooHoo! yes indeedy, Friday is here. In between Thursday and Saturday, Friday is the child of the weekend, ready to run amok before the teenager of Saturday comes in to steal the show.

I was going to surprise you today, but…due to circumstance beyond my control (ok, fancy speak for I wasn’t quite ready) I have delayed the announcement until Monday.

Don’t be mad, I am not just building the drama. It will be worth it though. I Promise.

So with that, enjoy your Friday, and stay tuned for Monday.

I will leave you with something to ponder though….

and … Read more...

Your Mini Virtual Vacation

Posted on September 24, 2012 by Deborah

Monday’s…you either love them or hate them. Me, it makes no difference as I work more on weekends than weekdays, but for those that hate them, sometimes a quick trip to Mexico is just what is needed on this day of the week.

So I am sending along something to brighten your day and get your week off to a great start. A small sampling of flora grown in and around the Mexican resorts. I gave up trying to think of the right word to describe them, as ‘stunning’ just doesn’t seem to do them justice.

Oh….and you are welcome … Read more...

Easy as Apple Pie

Posted on September 20, 2012 by Deborah

One of the best things about Fall are Apples. Apple season is now in full swing with lots and lots and lots of fresh, crisp apples ready for picking, eating, canning, juicing and baking. I am an Apple Snob though, only liking a few specific varieties to eat fresh. I do venture into other varieties for baking, as long as they stand up well to the cooking process.

Canadian Thanksgiving is approaching quickly and I am usually pressed for time in getting dessert ready in the days leading up to the annual food-a-thon. So this year I decided to venture … Read more...