Home, Furniture & Kitchen

A few days ago I went grocery shopping, and as I was paying, the cashier asked me if I was collecting stamps. “Stamps for what?” I asked. “Stamps for new knives” she enthusiastically replied. To be honest, I’d never really given much thought to knives before. I mean, I have a set that I got when I first moved out many moons ago, but I took my stamp and went on my merry way. Later, I was flipping through the knife brochure that came with my stamp and after about page 6, I started thinking – why are there so many different types? What knife is for what? Do you really need 18 or will two do? As it turns out, you do! Here’s a breakdown of what makes one knife different from another.

While going through the old letters researching my ancestry, I also came across old recipes. There’s nothing like food to trigger memories of growing up, and when I look back I remember different German dishes on my Grandma’s kitchen table. Because it’s Octoberfest, I’ve been creating authentic German weiner schnitzel, frying pans full of cabbage, and big, puffy Bavarian pretzels. If that sounds delicious, it is, so today I thought I’d share a ‘how to’ make Bavarian pretzels on Shelly’s Friday Favourites.  

Adding a few exceptional knives and pans to your kitchen can make all the difference in your kitchen. Using guidelines from my chef friend,  I checked out the ZWILLING JA Henckels Professional “S” collection and the new frying pan. I was impressed with their quality and performance.  

If you have ever been stranded in a car that won’t start, it is at that moment that you regret never having invested in jumper cables. Well, forget the jumper cables and get a Wagan Tech IonBoost V8 instead. I was just sent this to review and believe me it is an amazing unit. Not only will it start your car in those stranded situations it has the versatility to keep your cell phone, tablet, and laptop charged up, not to mention a myriad of other devices. Read my review to learn all about it.

When it comes to Halloween, the only thing I struggle with each year is making enough candy apples, cupcakes, and treats for everyone. But every year I get a little wiser, and this year I’m going to put the kids to work making kid-friendly goodies. Creating these treats can be part of the Halloween fun, and you’d be amazed at how many hours kids will work on them with you supervising and helping them along.

Revitalizing a tired room can be as simple as adding some colour, creating an accent area or simply re-arranging your furniture. By following some suggestions from the pros, I recently did a mini makeover of tired rooms that didn’t blow the budget or stress me out.

  Toronto just hosted it’s own Cocktail Week and London kicked its 5th Annual Cocktail Week yesterday. If you live somewhere there isn’t a cocktail week, you can still feel like you’re participating in this trendy event. All you have to do is host your own cocktail evening and create a few batches of your DIY cocktails. But remember, if you stick to your usual Bloody Mary or Mojito recipe, you’re definitely missing out on the spirit of the event. Cocktail Week is a time to branch out and try something new.

The air outside is crisp and cool, so if you’re in the mood to warm up in the kitchen with some fall recipes, here are a few great comfort foods you can try this weekend.

You know the old saying, an apple a day keeps the doctor away, but a bunch of apple recipes will keep you happy all weekend. Maybe it doesn’t go quite like that, but you’ll agree with me once you’ve tried this bushel of amazing apple desserts.