Recipes

I love heat and sunshine, but I still think summer desserts are one of the best parts of summer. Because we’re celebrating my daughter’s elementary school graduation this weekend, I’ve been in the kitchen with kids and up to my elbows in summer desserts. Here’s what’s been chilling out in my kitchen this week. 

I’ve learnt a lot about how to travel with kids over the years, but the number one thing on my road trip checklist is always road trip snacks. Packing your own snacks saves you time and money while you drive, and because you aren’t always stopping for fast food, you can eat healthier too.

BBQ chicken is one of those dishes that’s perfect for every occasion. From backyard BBQs to company picnics, served hot or cold, BBQ chicken makes a great addition to any menu. It’s also the best main course you can make ahead, because it stores for an entire week of sandwiches, wraps, and salads too.  

Have you ever wondered what’s in those store bought popsicles? I’ll skip the secrets and just go ahead and tell you that besides water, the only other real ingredient is sugar. Not just one type of sugar either – the last box I picked up had both sugar syrup and corn syrup, not to mention other artificial ingredients to give them colour and flavour. That’s why the Zoku Quick Pop Maker is one small kitchen gadget I don’t want to be without this summer.

From summer potlucks to a cozy winter dinner, lasagna is just one of those pasta recipes that taste great no matter what time of the year it is. Get ready to shake your pasta maker, because we’re going to make the world’s best lasagna.

Strawberries, peaches, blackberries, and blueberries – those little gems of the fruit family are nutritious on their own, but when you bake them up and wrap them in buttery crust or turn them into an icy-cool summer dessert? That’s when summer really kicks off at my house.

Good Chinese food or Chinese takeout can be hard to come by. So what to do when you get a craving for Chinese food but you don’t know where to order from? You can jump online and hit up Yelp or other review sites, looking for a recommendation. Or, you can do what I finally started to do – make it yourself. Creating Chinese food at home isn’t hard at all, and if you have the right tools it’s a fast, easy way to get your Chinese food fix. Here are a few of my favourite make-at-home Chinese food recipes:

When I think of the BBQ, I think of burger recipes. Most people stick to the basic hamburger, done up in a bun with mustard, relish, ketchup and maybe a pickle or two, but this year it might just be time to branch out a bit and explore your burger options. With so many different hamburger recipes to choose from, you could make a new version of the classic every night of the week.

In the vegetable world, Kale is the Captain America of Super Foods. Mistaking this rich, green leaf for just another type of lettuce would be seriously undervaluing it’s super abilities including lowering cholesterol, upping your fiber content in a single bound, and lowering your risk of cancer. It also has 45 different flavonoids that have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits.

Welcome to my life spaghetti squash! Actually, I’ve been creating spaghetti squash recipes for quite some time now. When I discovered how the golden squash will turn into noodlelike strands when you bake it, we were off to the races. It has a light flavor, so it basically blends in well with whatever sauce you’ve picked for it.