Easiest Sweet ‘n Sour Meatballs

Sometimes you just need a no-brainer recipe for dinner, and this fits the bill in spades.  These are so easy, even your budding ‘Chopped’ 5 year old could make them.  No fancy ingredients by the dozen required either.  Only 3 simple, everyday ingredients and a slow cooker are needed to transform ho-hum meatballs into a wonderfully sweet and tart sauced dish worthy of chefs extra-ordinaire Scott Conant or Aarón Sanchez…ok, maybe not actually them, but your family will love them nonetheless!

DSC09152Ingredients

1 500 ml jar Chili Sauce
1 500 ml jar Grape Jelly
2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
50 MeatballsRead more...

This Week’s Menu

What a fabulously warm weekend we had here in Southern Ontario.  Makes me itch to get in the garden, but the snow piles are still very much evident so I must curb my enthusiasm for now.  Instead we hauled out buckets of hot, soapy water and Mr. Clean, then proceeded to clean the cars inside and out.  They are much better looking now that they don’t resemble salt licks.

This weeks menu was a snap to pull together, and I am really looking forward to Tuesday’s meal as it is one of my favourites.  An elegant meal with minimal fuss … Read more...

Triple Mix Meatballs

From Albania to Vietnam and a hundred countries in between…Meatballs come in a wide variety of styles and flavours.  Known as Albóndigas from Spain and Latin America to the Danish Frikadeller to the Indonesian Baksos, they are all variations of the humble meatball.

I have to admit, I am a cooking show junky, and after watching numerous episodes of Guy Fieri’s Triple D, settled on a method of cooking meatballs that renders them so juicy and tender, you will never go back to regular, pan-fried, dried out meatballs. 

There are actually two secrets to juicy, tender meatballs…the first being … Read more...

January 2013 GangUp Challenge Results

Good morning All!

Are you ready to see the results of the latest Cooking Challenge?

Perfect…then let’s go, no sense dragging it out any longer…

The following creations will be displayed in the order of when I received them.

Up first is a man that certainly knows his way around a kitchen.  Which is a good thing for my daughter, as this fellow is her husband, and without him, she would be eating cheese and crackers the rest of her life.  He certainly makes sure she is well taken care of…meanwhile, he was so excited to join in this time, … Read more...

It’s Friday!

Which means…

It’s PIZZA DAY!

Today’s Pizza will be BBQ Chicken Pizza.  One of the easiest and quickest pizzas to throw together at the end of a busy work week.  Sure, you could go out and pay almost 20 bucks for one at a local pizza joint….but I will show you how easy it is to make your own at home for a fraction of the cost.

To start with…you need pizza dough.  Click on Whole Wheat Pizza Dough to access my recipe and that will get you started.

Next, you need a chicken…not a live one, nor a whole … Read more...

1st GangUp Challenge of 2013

I like to challenge myself in the kitchen because I can never seem to stick to a recipe (unless I am baking, baking is a science you don’t mess with) when I am trying out something new for dinner.  I look at a new recipe and think….hmmm..what if I added this instead of that? or maybe add more or less of a certain ingredient?…or I know hubby wouldn’t eat it with that in it…. hence why I never give reviews on any recipes I try off the internet – it wouldn’t be fair to judge a recipe after I fooled … Read more...

Soup’s On!

Mmmmmmmm…..who doesn’t love the aroma of a pot full of home-made soup?   I am a sucker for new soup recipes too.  As soon as I come across one that really gets my taste buds fired up – I haul out the soup pot.  One of the benefits of soup is that it can also be one of your best tools for Weight Loss.  Soup needn’t be full of fat to be delicious!

Soup is not only a take-the-chill-off meal in the winter months, but it also delivers your daily intake of required meat, veggies and water, all in one … Read more...

Fish On!

I am heading to BC to wrestle a 25lb. Sockeye into a boat for dinner….OK, I fibbed, as much as I would love to, I will head to my nearest fish monger and ask for a couple of nice, fresh Salmon filets instead.  Salmon is an excellent fish to get your daily intake of ‘good fat’ when disguised as a burger. 

Serve open-face style on whole grain bread with a side salad to get the maximum benefits in this heart-healthy meal to help in your quest to lose weight.  If you are not a salmon fan, try subbing it with … Read more...

How To Make Granola

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.

DSC08561Ingredients

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

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...