by on March 15, 2018   •   2 Comments Easter

Entertaining at Easter: A Brunch Menu

The Easter long weekend just might be one of my favourite occasions to entertain and I’ve been hosting a brunch for well over a decade on the spring holiday.

Easter brunch is the perfect opportunity to invite friends and family over and set a pretty table. Clara and I always dye a few eggs for a centrepiece, playing around with real ingredients for natural dyes. I iron my grandmother’s embroidered tablecloth and round up all my floral and pastel dishes. It’s okay if they are mismatched; they still look elegant.

And then there is the menu, which is always so fun to plan, but whether you simply bake a tray of hot cross buns and brew a pot of coffee or go for an elaborate ham & eggs spread, it’s the act of gathering that matters the most.

[Read more…]

by on December 23, 2017   •   6 Comments Christmas

How to style a holiday cookie tray

T‘is the season for sweets of all shapes and varieties: frosted and glazed, rolled and stamped, sandwiched and sprinkled.

Today’s mail delivery brought a pretty box of assorted cookies and confections to our door, straight from the kitchen of my talented friend, Marie. Along with the goods from my recent cookie swap, our cousin cookie decorating party, and a few baking projects of my own, our stash of holiday sweets is quite substantial.

It’s a good thing we love to share. Most of our treats get boxed up and delivered to neighbours, teachers, and family; others are served up for tea time with friends around our table or brought to a gathering for all to enjoy.

A tray of assorted cookies is a sweet and simple way to end a holiday meal. Sure you can always just heap them on a plate and call it a day, but today’s post shows you how to have a bit more fun with presentation.

[Read more…]

by on November 27, 2017   •   8 Comments Entertaining

What to eat while watching The Crown Season 2

If you whooped with joy upon hearing of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s engagement this morning, then this post is probably for you.

We Anglophiles closely followed Will and Kate’s love story. We watched every episode of Downton Abbey – twice. Many of us remember when Princess Diana died. And we all fell head over heels for the Netflix series The Crown. This recipe round-up has been in draft for a little while, intended as a lead up to Season 2, which returns on December 8th. Now with Prince Harry and Meghan engaged and planning a spring wedding, it just feels right to go ahead and toss the virtual confetti.

The second season of our favourite period drama grants us permission to bake shortbread and throw a tea party. It provides an excuse to make my favourite sandwich on the planet. It might even be inspiration to cook a Sunday roast, Yorkshire pudding and all.

Whether you are celebrating the return of Claire Foy and Matt Smith to Netflix, rejoicing with the happy news from Kensington Palace – or merely counting down to Christmas, this light post is loads of fun. Read on!

[Read more…]

by on November 22, 2017   •   1 Comment Gift Guides

My favourite cookbooks from 2017

If I am not in the middle of developing original recipes for my own content, I am alway diving into a delicious cookbook for new kitchen play.

Old and new, I read them like novels and geek out over food styling, photography, recipes and stories. For me, an authors’ voice has to come through the pages of a cookbook and bring the recipes to life. And speaking of recipes, they need to be solid. I always carefully test a handful of recipes from the books that makes this list and the whole family gets a taste test.

I’m so excited to present my favourite cookbooks for 2017. I have read each one from cover to cover and they are all truly unique. It’s been an incredible year for cookbooks, as I predicted – and there were many more treasures beyond this list that will forever hold a place on my bookshelf. These ones, however, have me truly excited to get in the kitchen and cook or bake.

[Read more…]

by on October 18, 2017   •   7 Comments Outdoor

Five reasons to plan a fall picnic

Now that the weather has cooled off doesn’t mean you have to head indoors for good. With a bagged lunch, a thermos, and a quilt from the backseat of the car, you can still have that picnic you were too busy to plan in August.

It just so happens that our recent decision for a lifestyle change has introduced a lot of new topics to discuss as parents. Do we buy a home or build new? Lakefront or ocean? Do we travel before the move or after? Start a business or stick with what we’ve been doing?

Uninterrupted conversation is rare between Danny and I when we are at home with the kids. It’s hard to unpack a topic and take the time to look at it from all angles. So we’ve taken to meeting up for a picnic lunch once a week, weather permitting, and then going for a walk afterward.

[Read more…]