homemade

Homemade Butter Flavoured Pancake Syrup

By in Condiments, Homemade 5 Comments Tags: , , , ,

butter flavoured syrup

In a perfect world we would all have unlimited access to all-natural maple syrup at our fingertips (or if you’re Aimée you’d tap your trees and make your own. Brilliance I tell you!). But in reality, for most of us, it’s just so darned expensive, especially if you live outside of Canada or the US. It’s no secret that maple syrup is my favourite processed sugar alternative, but I know it’s not always possible to be as carefree with it as I tend to be (I’m Canadian, I practically bleed maple syrup). So today I’m sharing my go-to homemade syrup that replaces the butter flavoured stuff from the store. It’s not meant to be a maple syrup substitute so don’t go substituting it for maple syrup in recipes (that would kind of ruin the point ;)).

This syrup is just as delicious as Aunt Jemima’s but the ingredient list is a lot shorter. I always think it’s a good idea to make these kinds of things at home so you can see just how much sugar goes into it – it makes you more mindful when you get to pouring it over your pancakes. Syrup will never be healthy but you can make it just as flavourful and a lot more healthfully (i.e. less processed) at home. Plus it’s quick and simple, and pretty cheap to boot.

It’s the weekend. Go forth. Make pancakes. Make syrup. And, enjoy!

butter flavoured syrup

Butter Flavoured Pancake Syrup

  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • 2 teaspoons butter
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon pure maple extract

Place sugar, water and honey in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Boil one minute. Remove from heat, stir in butter, vanilla and maple extract until butter is melted. Serve immediately or cool (syrup will thicken as it cools). Store, covered, in the fridge.

Makes: 3/4-1 cup

Easy Homemade Yogurt (& Greek Yogurt)

By in Gluten Free, Snacks 19 Comments Tags: , , ,

homemade yogurt

Yogurt. Who knew it was so easy to make at home? Not me. Every time I read a recipe for making yogurt it always required special equipment that I didn’t have. Until now. And you know what? It is so easy and yummy. And, so much cheaper (by at least half)! Plus you can make regular or Greek yogurt depending on what you fancy that week.

We go through a lot of yogurt. We enjoy it in fruit bottom yogurt, smoothies, muesli, cooking, baking, desserts, popsicles and parfaits. We especially love Greek yogurt, but it’s so expensive and all they really do is drain out the whey for you. After trying this recipe, I’m converted. It’s so simple, I’m hoping you will be to.

All you do is heat up milk, let it cool a bit, stir in 2 teaspoons of prepared yogurt, tuck it into your oven for night and in the morning you wake up to homemade yogurt. See? Easy peasy. Get on this!

Easy Homemade Yogurt or Greek Yogurt

Greek yogurt is thicker and less tart then regular yogurt, and is made by simply straining out the whey. You can decide which way you like it. 

  • 2 quarts milk (your desired %)
  • 2 teaspoons yogurt (with live cultures)

Warm the milk in a medium-sized saucepan, stirring often, until the temperature reaches between 175-180ºF. Allow milk to cool, stirring occasionally, until the temperature reaches between 100-115ºF. Whisk in the yogurt and pour mixture into a large ceramic or glass bowl, or round casserole dish.

Starting with a cold oven, turn on the heat for one minute just to take the chill off. Cover the bowl of milk/yogurt with plastic wrap or a lid; wrap with a couple kitchen towels and place in the oven, with the oven light on (to keep it warm). Let inoculate for 8-12 hours or until thickened into yogurt. Stir and store in the fridge for regular unsweetened yogurt or strain out the whey for Greek yogurt.

To make Greek yogurt: Line a fine mesh sieve with cheesecloth or a clean dish cloth. Set this over a large bowl. Pour yogurt into the cloth-lined sieve. Allow to strain for about an hour or until the consistency you like (that’s the best part about homemade yogurt, you can make it how you like!). If you are not straining it immediately after you make it, or you will be leaving the house, you can put it in the fridge, it will take a little longer to drain but that’s no biggy. Once drained, pour into a storage container and whisk to smooth it out. Store, covered, in the fridge.

Will keep for at least one week in the fridge.

Good to Know
  1. If your homemade yogurt is fresh enough you can use it as the starter next time. To do this easily, without feeling like you constantly need to be making a fresh batch of yogurt, you can freeze a tablespoon of your fresh homemade yogurt to save as a starter so you can have it on hand to make it when it works best for you.
  2. If you make Greek yogurt you can either discard the whey or put it to use with these smart ideas.

Makes approximately: 7 cups | Greek version makes approximately: 4 cups

I’m avoiding going information heavy in this post because I want you to see just how easy it is to make yogurt. But if you would like to understand more about the process and how it works visit Annie’s Eats and Salad in a Jar, my sources for this yogurt recipe.

Gingerbread Playdough

By in Christmas, Kids 2 Comments Tags: , , , ,

gingerbread play dough

I first made this playdough last spring. I’ve been waiting and waiting until Christmas to share it with you. While we make it all year long it is especially wonderful at Christmas. It’s a great distraction for the kids when you want to get some baking done by yourself. The kids can feel like they’re participating and you can do your own thing. It also makes great homemade gifts for classmates or cousins.

When my kids play with this, the whole house smells like cinnamon and spice. My hubby will come home and think I’ve been baking something wonderful when really the kids have just been playing with playdough. A disappointment to him but at least the house smells nice and the kids have been happily entertained. :)

I figured since it’s a recipe I could share it on a food blog. Plus, technically it is edible. Disgusting and salty, but edible. ;)

Gingerbread Playdough

Stored properly this dough should stay supple for a couple of months.

  • 1 cup all-purpose flourx
  • 1/2 cup salt
  • 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil
  • 1 cup water

Mix together flour, salt, cream of tartar, and spices in a medium-sized pot. Stir in the oil and water until evenly mixed (will be thick). Place pot over medium-low heat, cook and beat with a wooden spoon, until the mixture is playdough consistency. Remove from pot (Careful, it’s hot!) and knead with your hands until smooth. Store in an airtight container.

Makes approximately: 2 cups

Adapted from The Sweet Adventures of Sugarbelle.

Christmas Tree Hunting + Classic Vanilla Marshmallows

By in Candy, Christmas, GF Sweets No Comments Tags: , , , , , ,

christmas tree hunting

Last weekend we braved the snow and the cold and headed out west to find a Christmas tree with my family. I haven’t gone tree hunting in many, many years, so I was really looking forward to it. And, it did not disappoint. It was so much fun, despite the cold. And, after we all found our perfect tree, we made a fire, sharpened some twigs and roasted some homemade marshmallows to make s’mores. It was a wonderful way to kick off the Christmas season.

One day I want to get a tree like this. I think it would be adorably hilarious. It just looks so whimsical. :) But, since this was the first time we’d gotten a tree as a family we needed to find the classic “perfect” tree. So the boys went on a search and when they found it, Max helped his Daddy cut it down.

I didn’t get any pics of the s’mores fun because I was too busy roasting marshmallows and making sure my baby girl didn’t make a dash for the fire. But they were delicious and I love how the homemade marshmallows caramalize over the fire – so much better than store-bought I tell you!

When we got home, we turned on the christmas tunes, poured some eggnog and decorated the tree. Now all that’s left is to bake some gingerbread cookies to hang on the tree. It’s officially Christmas at my house!

I just had to share this marshmallow recipe with you. It is a crowd pleaser. I made both chocolate and vanilla marshmallows, and these vanilla marshmallows won, hands down. They are great for roasting, melting on top of hot chocolate (I like to cut up any scraps and turn them into mini marshmallows!), given as gifts, or used in your favourite Christmas recipe that calls for marshmallows.

They are also pretty much foolproof. My candy thermometer crapped out on me while I was making these marshmallows so I ended up cooking the sugar syrup far past the soft ball stage, and they still turned out fabulously soft and chewy. Although, there were strands of hard sugar stuck on the whisk, and the occasional sugary crunch in a marshmallow. Oops! But, that is to say, don’t be intimidated by making marshmallows, it’s easy peasy and not nearly so stressful as you might think. And if you don’t have a candy thermometer, not to worry, I’ve got instructions for that too.

I’d love to know, how are you kicking of this holiday season?

Classic Vanilla Marshmallows

  • 4 envelopes unflavoured gelatin
  • 3 cups sugar
  • 1 1/4 cups light corn syrup
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 cups cold water, divided
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • icing (confectioners) sugar

Lightly grease a 9×13 baking dish, line with parchment, and grease again; set aside.

Place sugar, corn syrup, salt, and 3/4 cup water in a medium-sized saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Cook, without stirring, until mixture registers 240ºF on a candy thermometer (the soft-ball stage*).

Meanwhile, put remaining 3/4 cup water into the bowl of an electric mixer; sprinkle with gelatin. Let soften 5 minutes.

Using whisk attachment, gradually beat hot syrup into gelatin mixture, on low-speed. Slowly raise the speed to high. Continue beating until mixture is very stiff (about 12 minutes). Beat in vanilla. Using a greased spatula, scrape mixture into prepared baking dish, smoothing the top. Let sit, uncovered, until firm (about 3 hours).

Spread some icing sugar onto a work surface. Unmold the marshmallow onto the sugar; remove parchment. Lightly brush a sharp knife with oil or more icing sugar. Cut marshmallow into 2-inch squares (or use a cookie cutter to make desired shapes). Roll each marshmallow in additional icing sugar, to coat, shaking off excess. Store marshmallows in an airtight container. Freeze for longer storage

*If you don’t have a candy thermometer you can test the sugar syrup for the soft-ball stage. To do this, drop a small amount of syrup into a bowl of cold water, it should form into a ball, when you remove the ball from the water it should flatten out naturally in your hand. This is when you know it’s done and should remove the sugar syrup from the heat.

Makes approximately: 24

Adapted from Martha Stewart.

23 Homemade Edible Gifts

By in Christmas 5 Comments Tags: , , , , , ,

23 Homemade Edible Gifts

I love giving the gift of food at Christmas, and I know I”m not the only one. Dreaming and scheming about what to make for holiday parties, hostess gifts, stocking stuffers and to have on hand for last-minutes guests, is just so much fun. I thought I”d kick things off with some of my favourite holiday foods that are perfect for gift giving. Many of these will be making their way into the gift baskets and stockings that I”ll be giving away all throughout the month. Shhh. Don”t tell. ;)

Breakfast

Gingerbread Granola / Pear & Walnut Sour Cream Coffee Cake / Chai Spiced Banana Bread

Invited to a holiday brunch? Why not return the favour and bake up a breakfast treat for the host to enjoy at a later date? The coffee cake and banana bread are great additions to the brunch itself, and the granola makes a fabulous gift because it will stay good for a couple of weeks, so there”s no pressure to eat it all at once.

Snacks

Fig Newton Crumble Bars / Maple Walnut Apple Chips / Homemade Wheat Thins

Bringing snacks to a holiday party is a must. Wether it be crackers, dried fruit or bars, these make for some yummy holiday snacking – and on the healthy side to boot.

Jam

Apple Cranberry Jam / Grapefruit Cranberry Marmalade / Vanilla Tangerine Marmalade

Preserves make great hostess gifts, stocking stuffers or last-minute presents, incase you forgot someone! If you haven”t already put up some summer fruit, have no fear. You still have time for a fall canning session. These jams take advantage of in-season produce – apples, cranberries, grapefruit and tangerines.

Sweets

Caramel Cappuccino Walnut Bars / Peanut Butter Popcorn Crunch / Cinnamon-Honey Marshmallows / Mocha Chip Banana Bread / Mocha Almond Biscotti / Cappuccino Nanaimo Bars

Mocha and coffee flavoured things seem to be a theme with me at Christmas. And why not? Just hearing the words gives me a warm and cozy feeling. If coffee”s not your thing make sure to try the cinnamon-honey marshmallows or peanut butter popcorn crunch. They make for a great movie night with friends!

Cookies

Lattice “Pie Crust” Sugar Cookies / Ginger Crinkle Cookies / Christmas Cookie Puzzle / Eggnog Sugar Cookies

Cookies are a must at Christmas and can take all sorts of fun shapes, sizes and flavours. Sugar cookies are great for gift giving because they don”t go stale very quickly. But you can”t go wrong with ginger crinkle cookies either because they just look and taste so festive.

Chocolates

Dark Chocolate Rum Truffles / Hazelnut Truffles / Chocolate Dipped Coconut-Almond Candies / Cranberry Almond Bark (not pictured)

Truffles and bark are so fun to make, and so adaptable too. The only thing to keep in mind is that most recipes need to be stored in the fridge so you”ll need to take this into account in your packaging, and make sure to let the recipient know too!

I can”t wait to share more edible gifts with you over the next couple of weeks!

What are your favourite foods to gift during Christmas?

Crispy Baked Taco Shells & Seasoning

By in Beef, GF Mains, Gluten Free, Main Dish 2 Comments Tags: , , , , ,

crispy baked taco shells

Normally my family eats our tacos burrito-style – rolled up in a soft flour tortilla. But, lately I’ve been craving crispy taco shells. It’s just something about that crunch. But, I don’t really like the ones you get from the store, they’re not the epitome of health and aren’t all that flavourful either. So, I started brainstorming about an easy way to make crispy shells at home without having to deep fry. As I was thinking about how I make my tortilla salad bowls it hit me. If I took tortillas and propped them up in an upside down muffin tin (see picture below) then they should hold their shape as they bake. I’m happy to say it worked! And, we’ll now be enjoying our tacos this way often. The shells are not only tasty and have the desired crunch, but they don’t fall apart as easily as the ones from the store do, which is a big bonus in my book.

I’ve been making homemade taco seasoning for forever. I’m not really sure why I haven’t shared it with you yet. I guess it seemed like too simple of a recipe for an entire blog post. But now that I’ve armed you with a way to make crispy tacos shells I better hand over the goods for a tasty filling too. The first time I tried this recipe I knew I would never have to buy a store-bought packet again – it’s bang on. I suppose you could make it in bulk and store it  in the cupboard, but I find it just as easy to measure out the ingredients as I need them.

Taco night will never be the same again! Yumm.

Crispy Baked Taco Shells

Invert a regular-sized muffin tin. Warm as many 6-inch corn tortillas (or flour, if you wish) as you need, in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, until soft and pliable. Fold gently and prop up between the bottom of 4 muffin cups. Bake at 450ºF for 3-5 minutes or until crisp and lightly browned.

A few of the taco shells may curl over on the top while baking, which makes it a little harder to fill. You could solve this by either propping them open with something oven-proof (such as tinfoil) or by filling them with your meat and cheese before baking, that would also make the cheese nice and melty, which is never a bad thing! I haven’t worried about it because it only happens to one or two, but if you find this happening too much, then you may want to do something about it. :)

1 muffin tin makes 6 tacos shells

Taco Seasoning

  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 teaspoon oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1.5 teaspoons cumin
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder

Cook 1 pound of ground beef (or desired meat) in a non-stick skillet until cooked through. Sprinkle with seasonings. Add a splash of water to help the seasonings stick to the meat, cook and stir until evenly combined. Season with salt and pepper.

Makes enough for 1 pound of ground meat.

Taco Seasoning adapted from allrecipes.

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