How-to

  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.

How can you tell when fall is on its way? It used to be that we’d look for leaves turning yellow and that familiar chill in the air, but for the past few years there has been one true indicator that fall is here, and that’s when pumpkin spice mania hits again for another year. So if you’re in the mood to get your pumpkin spice fix, have I got some great recipes for you.  

I’ve got some news for you folks. You may not want to hear it, but it’s inevitable. Yes, it’s true; summer is coming to an end. Sigh. Fall is right around the corner, and with it will come even shorter days, cooler nights, and a whole lot of wet stuff falling from the sky. But it’s not all bad news, because fall is synonymous with many awesome things, including delicious comfort food. So rather than mourn the end of another summer season, let’s embrace the fact that the season of warm, gluttonous, nap-inducing food is upon us. Food like homemade, hot, cheesy, toasty, oven baked pizza.

If you’re aching for bacon like the rest of the population, you have to see these creative (and crazy) ways to get your bacon fix:

There’s a bumper crop of tomatoes out there right now, and they’re just begging to be chopped up into salsa. Check out my recipe, make your own homemade salsa, and add it to BBQ chicken or fish, plain rice, and anything that needs to be spiced up. A good rule of thumb is to take a look at what you’re about to eat and ask yourself, “Would salsa be good with this?” The answer is always yes, yes it would.

The words ‘Back To School’ can bring about mixed emotions for a lot of parents. On one hand, it’s nice to spend time with the kids in the summer – on the other? It will be absolutely amazing to get them back into a regular routine. But a regular routine means packing lunches, so here’s some creative lunch bag inspiration they’re sure to ‘eat up.’

There’s a little known fact about living in the dorm room that no one will tell you before you go for the first time – you will be hungry. Without access to mom’s kitchen, there is a lot you’ll have to do without. But armed with a microwave? You’d be surprised at what you can whip up to satisfy those dinnertime or midnight cravings.

For me, one of the most stressful parts of back to school is figuring out what to pack in their lunch kits. This year I’m getting a jump on things by creating a list of lunches that are cute, creative, and will be something they enjoy eating.