E's 3rd Birthday

I won't even apologize for a lack of posting.  Our lives have changed enough that posting isn't a priority anymore.  But, every so often, I get inspired to post; mainly to document something from our lives.

It's strange how one day you're announcing the birth of your firstborn...and then the next it's his/her 3rd (10th...20th..25th..) birthday.

1st Birthday

2nd Birthday

A few days ago, we celebrated E's 3rd birthday.

I finally got to use the cupcake cake form that Giz decided should live at my house.  I used Barefoot Contessa's Ultimate Chocolate Cake recipe.  I was worried that the batter was too liquidy and would fall apart once removed from the pan, but everything came out perfectly.

Actually, this was her second birthday cake, since we had an early birthday celebration in Toronto, with a Minion-themed family birthday party.

Our friends came over for dinner on her birthday and I tried out a new recipe, 20 Minute Skillet Chicken and Spinach Parmesan.  It was a yummy recipe that I would definitely use again.

Cheese Babka

I just returned from trip #3 to Poland.  This trip was quite different than the others.  We weren't on our genealogical journey this time; we were there for Actor Boy's marriage to the lovely "M".  If you believe in fate, this union is one to put in the journal.  Both AB and M were attending the same conference, she from Warsaw and he from Toronto and met in Montreal.  Although many say that long distance relationships are particularly challenging, this one seemed to thrive and after many cross Atlantic visits for extended periods at a time, they decided to tie the knot.

Each trip reminded me of my European roots; the phrases people use to describe things, the quirky shared history that summons both grief and uncontrollable laughter, words in a foreign language that I remember hearing my parents say and most familiar - the food.  I would often think to myself that I used to have this or a version of it at home. And the pastries - simple, plentiful (every street corner type of plentiful) and delicious.  It's easy to see how I developed a love for, no... love isn't exactly the word, it's more like obsession for European cuisine.  It started with Polish recipes and has now spread to the rest of Europe and moving into Asia.  I keep thinking that one of these days my European recipes on Pinterest will just explode but for the time being, we'll go through them one at a time.  It's a good thing there's a fair amount of overlap in European cuisine; often different names for the same thing with maybe just a little twist here or there.  Some recipes have ingredients that are similar but not the same as North American varieties so the challenge is always to recreate flavours with twists here or there.  Sometimes it works, sometimes not so much.

Today I decided to give the Cheese Babka a whirl.  Even the name "babka" is endearing - it means "grandmother" so we associate this sweet with a kindly old grandmother kneading and filling pastries for her family to enjoy.  What could give you a warmer feeling of home than that vision?  Afraid of yeasted doughs?  Don't be.  This recipe is so simple and the hardest part of the whole thing is waiting for the dough to rise.

Dough:

2 pkg active dry yeast
1/2 tsp and 1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup 110 degree water
1 cup milk
4 oz. (1 stick) softened butter
1 tsp salt
3 large beaten egg yolks - reserve 1 egg white for basting top before baking
5 cups all-purpose flour

Filling:

36 oz. softened cream cheese ***
3 large egg yolks
1 1/2 cups sugar

Crumb Topping

8 Tbsp all-purpose flour
8 Tbsp sugar
4 Tbsp cold butter

*** The cream cheese in this recipe is a dry curd cheese or quark cheese that's a full milk variety and when you mix it, becomes very smooth and cream cheese like.  Don't use the Philadelphia style cream cheese.

Prepare 3 - 9x5 bread pans (you can either spray them or grease with a little canola oil)

Preparation:

Stir the yeast and 1/2 tsp sugar into warm water.  Set aside until frothy.

Scald the milk and place in a large mixing bowl or stand mixer.  Add soften butter and stir to melt.   Add 1/2 cup sugar, salt, yeast mixture and the 3 beaten egg yolks.

Add the flour and knead until shiny and elastic.  Place in a greased bowl, turning to coat both sides; cover with greased plastic wrap and let rise until doubled.  This could take a couple of hours.

The Crumb Topping

Mix the flour and sugar and cut in cold butter as you would for a pie crust until it's crumbly.

Assembly

Punch down dough and divide into three equal parts.  Working with one part at a time while covering the rest, roll into a large rectangle 1/8 - inch thick.

Spread dough with 1/3 of the cheese filling.  Fold the short sides towards the centre (about1 1/2 inches of dough) and roll up the long side away from you.( the way you would make a jellyroll)  Place into prepared bread pan.

Brush with beaten egg white and sprinkle with 1/3 of the crumb topping.  Repeat with remaining two dough balls.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rest until the dough rises above the rim of the pan.

Place the rack in centre of the oven and heat to 350 F.  Bake babkas for 40-50 or until an instant-read thermometer registers 190 degrees.  Let cool in pan for 5 minutes.  Using a knife, loosen babka from sides of pan.  Cool completely in the loaf pan.

There's always some learning when we follow a recipe for the first time.  I learned:

1.  Make sure there isn't an overabundance of moisture in your final mixed cheese filling.
2.  Don't be impatient with the rising process.  It takes as much time as it takes and works better when your dough is in a warmer part of your kitchen.
3.  Just because you may like raisins, overloading the babka with goodness isn't always going to get you the outcome you're looking for.  I think I went a little crazy on the raisins.
4.  I didn't put the crumble on the top - I think having it there would have been a good addition  OR I can still put icing sugar over the top.

Jeanne's Cake

Google Reader is shutting down this weekend. I've decided to move over to Bloglovin. You can follow me through Bloglovin here.

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It's funny how our tastes can be influenced by what we grew up with.  You may recall me mentioning Jeanne's Bakery in the past.  It's a well-known bakery in Winnipeg that makes a distinctive cake with a cookie bottom and chocolate shavings on the side.  For many Winnipegers, Jeanne's is a staple for any celebration.  

The thing about Jeanne's cakes is that most people, who try it for the first time as an adult, are pretty unimpressed with the cake.  The cake itself is pretty dry.  It gets worse if you put it in the fridge (freezer or counter storage only).

The flavour isn't particularly strong.  It's not even that nice to go to the bakery itself.  It doesn't have that typical bakery smell that entices you to add a couple of treats to your order.

Despite all of this, it's a hugely popular cake and is one of the few food items I will add to the request list when family is coming to Ottawa for a visit.

Recently, my dad and stepmom came to visit to celebrate Father's Day and my dad's birthday. Somehow bringing a Jeanne's cake wasn't added to the "bring to Ottawa" list.  So, my stepmom and I decided to take matters into our own hands.

Jeannie's Cake

Base
1/3 cup shortening
1/4 cup icing sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 teaspoon baking powder
Cake
1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
Frosting
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup shortening
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup icing sugar
1 dash salt
Directions:

To prepare base, cut shortening into dry ingredients, mix well.

Pat firmly and evenly into an 8 inch square pan and bake at 350 deg. F. for 10-12 minutes. Cool. 
Note: the base and cake are baked separately.

For cake: cream shortening, and sugar; add eggs and vanilla, beating well until fluffy. Sift flour, baking powder and salt together; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk.

Pour batter into a greased and floured 8 inch square pan. Bake at 350 deg. F for 25 - 40 minutes.

Frosting: in small saucepan, stir tog. milk and flour. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixute is thickened and smooth. Cool.

On highest speed of mixer, beat cooled flour mixture with butter, shortening and vanilla until smooth and fluffy.

Blend in icing sugar and salt; continue beating until frosting is very fluffy. This will take at least 15 minutes.

To assemble cake: place shortbread base on serving plate; spread with small amount of frosting. Place cake on base. (you can split the cake for layers).

Cover top and sides of cake with remaining frosting. If desired, garnish sides of cake with shaved semi-sweet chocolate. Note: If you are decorating your cake, it is best to add the shaved chocolate beforehand.

Note: we found that the chocolate was easiest to shave when it warmed up a bit.  Next time, I'd probably try freezing it after shaving so that it doesn't melt in my hands when pressing it onto the cake quite so much.  Any advice on how best to do this is welcome!





Verdict: Well...it's the closest thing to a Jeanne's cake I've tasted that wasn't from Jeanne's Bakery.  But, that isn't really a huge feat.  I found the cookie crumb to taste more like shortbread than Jeanne's.  Also, I tasted the shortening in the icing more than I'd like.  The cake itself wasn't as fluffy.  Everyone liked the cake, but I wasn't crazy about it.  I forgot to put icing between the cookie crumb and the cake.  I'd definitely recommend doing this...maybe even a layer mid-cake.  

Pineapple Cheesecake for Dieters

Bet you thought I fell off the face of the world.  Truth be told I've been out of commission - a big yayy to Psychgrad for keeping things running.


I'd been hearing about this recipe for quite a time. My friend's mom, who is diabetic and has a sweet tooth had to find a way to enjoy a sweet dessert without creating an impact on her blood sugar level. Now I admit, that's a pretty simplified rationalization and there are a whole host of other dynamics at play with diabetes.... but .. if you're going to have a cheat let this be it.

2 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1 Tbls lemon juice
2 pkgs Knox Gelatin
1 pkg 500g pressed cottage cheese (I used Western)
1 cup cottage cheese (I used 1%)
15 pkg splenda
1 14 oz jar crushed pineapple (drained and divided)

Set oven at 350 F Spray an 8" square pan with Pam

1. Drain pineapple and add the gelatin to the liquid. Set aside.
2. In a food processor, add the cheeses and mix for about a minute.
3. Add the remaining ingredients and mix the batter for a good 5 minutes - you want it smooth textured.
4. Fill baking pan and bake for 35 min. Let stand to cool for 30 minutes, cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

Verdict: For NO Fat cheesecake - pretty good. Don't like pineapple - use peaches You can easily double this recipe into a 9x13 pan To dress it up I took some fresh blueberries, added a tsp of butter and a splash of lemon, cooked them on the stovetop and added a heaping spoonful to each slice.

 

Banana Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake

Is it just me or does anyone else think about the movie "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" anytime bundt cakes come up?  Maybe that's why I rarely make these "cakes with a hole in them."

My friend refers to her side of the family as the Bundt cake side, relative to her in-laws, who are louder and a bit crazier.  This is kind of how I feel about my family sometimes.  My in-laws definitely have their idiosyncrasies.  But in my family, confusion (and occasionally chaos) reigns, despite the fact that there is an excessive flow of information.  Everyone is in everyone's business.  But no one knows what is going on.  

So, when R's parents made the trip to Ottawa to meet their new granddaughter, my mind kept going to making them a bundt cake. I still had a bunch of bananas, so I decided to make a banana chocolate chip bundt cake.  

Banana Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake

     Ingredients

1/2 c. butter
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
3 large ripe bananas
1 c. chocolate chips
1 c. chopped nuts
2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 c. milk
1 tsp. vanilla

Instructions

In large mixing bowl cream butter and sugar together. Add eggs and beat until lighter in color. Set aside. Next, sift together flour, baking soda and baking powder and add nuts, set this aside also. Cream together milk, mashed banana, and vanilla. Add chocolate chips and stir in. Add creamed banana mix alternately with flour mix to your first mixture of butter, sugar and eggs. Scrape into greased, floured bundt pan. Bake 50 to 60 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool 10 minutes. Remove from pan.

Sift a few tablespoons of powdered sugar onto cake top.

Verdict: Tasted great -- particularly when warm.

Petite Treats - Vanilla-Cranberry Coffee Cake

My friends at Beth Cook Publicity sent me a complimentary copy of Petite Treats by MORGAN GREENSETH and CHRISTY BEAVER.  The whole idea of "guilt free" mini treats (they're guilt free right?) really peaked my interest.  I was particularly curious about making individual serving coffee cakes.  My introduction was with a recipe of Vanilla Cranberry Coffee Cake and I'm thinking of  the Hazelnut Fig Coffee Cake.  Maybe I'll just get fancier and bake the Strawberry Cream Eclairs.  The point is that the recipes are easy to follow and quick to put together.  If you have a large group for dinner, creating several choices is not a lot of work.

Pot lucks coming up for the holiday season?  Kids lunches with a special mini treat?  Hostess gifts?  There are so many possibilities.

CRANBERRY-VANILLA COFFEE CAKE

Get your morning off to a delicious start. MAKES 12

½ vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1¾ cup sugar
1 cup fresh cranberries
2 cups plus 1 tablespoon allpurpose
flour, divided
2 teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon unsalted
butter, at room temperature, divided
2 large eggs
½ cup heavy whipping cream
powdered sugar, for dusting

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a standard 12-well muffin pan with paper
liners.
** I cheated a little here and used the larger muffin tins.  Baking time was 25 minutes.
2. Scrape the vanilla bean into a food processor fitted with a blade. Discard the
pod.
3. Add the sugar and pulse until combined. Transfer all but ¼ cup to a
medium bowl.
4. Add the cranberries to the food processor. Pulse briefly until the cranberries
are coarsely chopped but not pureed.
5. In a medium bowl, sift together 2 cups of the flour and the baking powder
and salt.


6. In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle
attachment, combine ¼ cup of the butter and ½ cup
of the vanilla-sugar mixture. Beat on medium until
pale and fluffy.
7. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing fully after
each one and scraping down the bowl as needed.
8. Reduce the speed to low. Add half the flour mixture, then half the whipping
cream, then the remaining flour, then the remaining whipping cream, scraping
down the bowl as needed.
9. Using a 2-inch ice cream scoop, fill each muffin liner halfway full. Place a
dollop of cranberry sugar on top of the batter, avoiding the edges. Top with the
remaining batter, filling each liner three-quarters full.
10. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon flour to the
remaining vanilla sugar. Blend with your hands until combined. Sprinkle over
the top of each cake.
11. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center returns with no crumbs. The
toothpick may return with cranberries on it, and that’s OK.
12. Allow to cool for 15 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a cooling rack
to cool completely. Use a fine-mesh sieve to dust with powdered sugar before
serving.
13. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Verdict:  What a delicious mini cake this was and just enough to make me happy.  The crumb of the cake is light and the topping divine.

Grace's Sweet Life

I recently received a copy of fellow blogger's Italian dessert cookbook called Grace's Sweet Life; the same name as her  blog . My biggest problem with this cookbook, filled with the most drool worthy pictures of classic and contemporary Italian desserts, is where do I begin?

Grace Langlois, originally from Belgium, of Italian parents and living in London, Ontario, Canada has overcome several obstacles to reach the point of publishing this visually gorgeous book.  Kudos to you Grace!!

I've learned that although I find Italian cooking to be straight forward and simple, the creation of the pastries is another story.  We're not talking 4-5 ingredients anymore and the final products generally look like a work of art.  Think about a Seven- Layer Cake (Torta Sette Strati) or Mini Lemon Mousse Cakes with Limoncello-Lemon-Jelly (Mini Torte Mousse al Limone con Celatina di Limone al Limoncello) or Sicilian Cannoli (Cannoli Siciliani).  Is your mouth watering yet?

I really wanted to reproduce one of the recipes in the book and finally decided on Grace's Orange Cake  (Torta all' Arancia)

Now, although my cake didn't look like Grace's (to say the least), I found that in my oven (a fast oven), the 350 F was too high.  The next time I make it, I'll do it at 325 F.  Note I said I would make it again.  It's so easy to put together.  I also think my eggs were not completely room temperature.  The cake fell somewhat but the flavour was incredible.  A mild but very distinct orange flavour comes through and with a cup of tea or coffee, I can't imagine this not being a hit.  I didn't finish it off with the orange syrup but I do think it would be a great addition.  I prefer dry cakes without the addition of syrups and icings.

Cake

6 large eggs
2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup (120 ml) vegetable oil
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp (225 g) superfine sugar, divided
grated zest of 2 oranges
1 cup (240 ml) freshly squeezed orange juice
1/4 tsp cream of tartar

Syrup

1 1/2 cups (355 ml) freshly squeezed orange juice
1/2 cup (113 g) superfine sugar
zest of 1 orange in large strips (make sure no pith is attached)
1/2 vanilla bean, split and seeded
2 to 3 Tbsp Cointreau or other orange liqueur

Directions
1.  Separate the cold eggs.  Place the yolks in a large bowl and the whites in a stand mixer.  Cover each bowl with plastic wrap and allow the eggs to come to room temperature, about 30 minutes
2.  Preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C).  Very lightly coat with butter the bottom and sides of a 10 inch tube pan with feet and removable bottom
3.  Using a fine-mess sieve, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl.  Whisk to combine well.
4.  Use a handheld mixer to beat the egg yolks, oil, vanilla, and 1 cup (225 g) sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
5.  Beat in the orange zest and juice
6.  Reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually add the flour mixture, beating to just combine (do not overmix)
7.  In a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment, beat the egg white to stiff peaks beginning at low speed and gradually increasing to medium-high.  When the whites are foamy, add the cream of tartar. At the soft peak stage, add the remaining 2 Tbsp (30 g) sugar.
8.  Using a large flexible spatula, fold one-third of the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture to lighten the batter, then carefully fold in the remaining egg whites until just combined.
9.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan, spreading it evenly with an offset spatula.
10. Bake until golden and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 50-60 minutes.
11. Remove from the oven and immediately invert the pan onto a wire rack.  Let the cake cool completely in the pan upside down on the rack.
12. While the cake bakes, prepare the orange syrup.

To Make the Syrup

1.  In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring the orange juice, sugar, orange zest, and the vanilla bean and seeds to a simmer, stirring until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes
2.  Reduce the heat to low, add the liqueur and continue to simmer until the syrup reduces and thickens slightly - about 5 minutes.
3.  Remove from the heat and strain the syrup through a fine-mesh sieve into a pourable container.  Allow the syrup to cool slightly.

To Assemble and Serve

1.  Flip the cake pan over, carefully run a thin knife around the edges of the pan , and turn the cake onto a serving plate or cake stand.
2.  To serve, place the cake on dessert plates and serve with warm orange syrup.

You can see how light and airy this cake is and the best part is it's not too sweet.


I found Grace's instructions to be very clear and precise.  The pictures in the cookbook are amazing and do justice to each dish.  In the words of the television shopping cart ladies, Anna and Kristina, this book is a "BUY".  The only challenge I found with the book was that some of the recipes are long with many steps.  A 5 page recipe can be rather intimidating.

Blueberry Crumble Cake

Every year, current and previous residents of my street are invited to a picnic.  About 50% of the street slowly trickles onto a neighbour's lawn and catches up on neighbourhood gossip.  In general, I  try to keep a healthy distance from my neighbours.  I've heard too many horror stories and every once in a while, you'll see or hear something that makes you take a mental note to avoid someone.

Take, for example, my neighbour who has yet to mow his lawn.  The day I saw him jump his fence and start swearing and yelling his head off at someone, I thanked my lucky stars that he doesn't live in my house and made a mental note to avoid him.

At the picnic there was another uncomfortable experience with a different neighbour.  I was chatting with the neighbour when the former owner of his house came up to us.  Former owner asked how the house was doing.  Neighbour said, "It's one big project -- I've been working non-stop."  I thought that it was a bit insensitive to say to former owner, who is in his 80s and lived in that home for over 40 years. But, I let it go.  Then neighbour continued: "You didn't do any work on that house.  I call it 'the dump'." Awkward!

After a couple more insults from neighbour, former owner just walked away from the conversation.  R and I stood there a bit dumbfounded.  Finally, I said meekly, "I don't think he liked when you called the place, "the dump."  Neighbour said he didn't care and he was really angry about the condition of the house.

Personally, I think it's natural to have animosity with the former owner of the house. It's almost inevitable that you're going to feel like something wasn't revealed to you.  Not to mention that it's probably the biggest investment of your life.  So the stakes are high.  But, there's really nothing to be gained by talking to the previous owner that way and it comes off as cruel when the previous owner is so old he can hardly stand.  The former owner moved into a retirement residence because he couldn't maintain the home.  It was a difficult move for him to leave the home he raised his kids in.  I still see him and his wife, every once in a while, circle the block to check the place out.

On a more positive note, the dish I made for the picnic was really good!  But that should come as no surprise since all Ina Garten recipes are delicious.

Blueberry Crumble Cake

Ingredients

For the streusel:

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

For the cake:

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature (3/4 stick)
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 2/3 cup sour cream
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• Confectioners' sugar for sprinkling

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9-inch round baking pan.

For the streusel:

Combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a bowl. Stir in the melted butter and then the flour. Mix well and set aside.

For the cake:

Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on high speed for 4 to 5 minutes, until light. Reduce the speed to low and add the eggs 1 at a time, then add the vanilla, lemon zest, and sour cream. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the batter until just combined. Fold in the blueberries and stir with a spatula to be sure the batter is completely mixed.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and spread it out with a knife. With your fingers,

crumble the topping evenly over the batter. 

Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool completely and serve sprinkled with confectioners' sugar.

President's Choice Holiday 2011

I recently received the holiday package of samples from the Holiday Insider's Report . How beautiful is the container the PC products came in? Kudos to the marketing team that put together this campaign - it's brilliant!


It made me think about those timeless memories that we all have about the anticipation of holidays. Sit back and think about what those are for you. Do you remember your growing up years and the etched in stone traditions of the holidays? Do you have young children that you're creating new memories with? Wouldn't you love to just be able to put time in a bottle?



The rituals of the holidays include family, friends and equally as important is the food we enjoy and share. I don't know about you but for some reason, this year feels like it was a total blur and I can't figure out how it's getting to be Cbanukkah and Christmas again. Every year I make myself entirely crazy over prepping for the holidays. Not doing it this year. Well, at least I'm going to enlist some help. I'm thankful to be able to have a large variety of food products available at reasonable prices that are either ready to go or require minimal preparation.

So many delicious looking new and tested ideas for entertaining. When I'm going through new products to review I generally like to take everything out, check each item individually firstly for how appealing it is to me and would be to my family and secondly (and equally important) I check the ingredients. While I was doing that I came upon one item that it been the only product I'd received, I would have had a smiling girl for the whole day. For those who don't know me, I have a wierd and wonderful connection to all things peanut butter. I'm wierd and the peanut butter is wonderful.


Peanut butter pretzels with white candy topping - oh my gawd!!!! In my opinion, this is a treat that should be available to everyone during the holidays and beyond. I know it will be in my home.
The second thing that immediately caught my attention was a bottle of Memories of Morocco.
I like to buy chicken when it's on sale. I marinate and freeze it in zip lock bags and defrost it in the fridge with the marinade day before. Memories of Morocco is an ideal marinade for this. The combination of sweet and spicy with the fragrance of Moroccan spices is hypnotic. I shared the bottle with a neighbour who is from the Middle East and her evaluation was the same as mine. Her comment to me was "why bother making it at home; this is terrific". That's the whole message with the new PC products; if you've got a product that's not hard on the wallet and fills a need while saving you your precious time I can't find an argument to not buy it. See how easy it is to put together a great meal in minutes.

I'm happy to share some of the newer branded PC products with you;
Do you enjoy a dark roast cup of coffee?

or a decandent Dulche de Leche decaf

or try something you might never have even thought of ...

Looking for some quick and easy appetizer ideas? How about Blue Cheese with Walnut Canapes?




Timeless melba toast that works with so many toppings:

with Goat Cheese and Cranberry (my personal favourite)

or just plain Goat Cheese

While you're busy in the kitchen and wrapping gifts, don't forget to keep yummies on hand for the kids;

Give yourself some munchie treats while you're at it.

You're not going to stop creating old family favourites but instead of slaving over so many different varieties, give yourself a break with some of these ageless treats AND get the kids to chip in - isn't this what memories are made of?







Who says you can't add chocolate chips :)

Now if I could find an elf that would wrap everything for me, life would be complete. There are the gifts for the concierge, the mailman, newspaper boy/girl, friends down the hall, teachers and hairdressers to name just a few. Who wouldn't enjoy some of these'




(I love that the biscotti has a COR that makes it kosher/dairy. A fabulous Hanukkah gift.








I can see this post is getting very long but I still have much to share. Stay tuned for further posts on making memories with President's Choice.