Birthday Cake Popcorn!

Fresh popcorn coated in white chocolate, cake mix and sprinkles makes an adorable, fun snack!

This is a great treat for a kids (or grownups) party, a school snack or just for fun.

The ingredients are easy to find in the bulk store or the baking aisle.

Here's what you need for this easy recipe:

Chocolate Chip Sour Cream Coffee Cake

I've enjoyed reading Deb Perelman's Smitten Kitchen blog for a while now.  All the recipes are beautiful, doable and always turn out delicious. So when I had a container of sour cream leftover from Christmas and guests popping by our new house for coffee, I knew just where to look for a coffee cake recipe. 

This Chocolate Chip Sour Cream Coffee Cake would use up all the sour cream, and I knew I had all the other ingredients on hand. Plus it uses cinnamon which is my favourite flavour in coffee cake. 

This cake is incredibly easy and delicious. The eggs are separated and whipped whites are folded into the batter, making the cake puff up beautifully as it bakes. 

Chocolate chips and cinnamon sugar are layered within the batter and strewn on top of the cake.

We were impatient and ate the cake warm from the oven, but it's even better once it's had a chance to cool and the chocolate chips form back into firm nuggets of chocolate.  The flavour was even better the next day.

You can find the recipe here:  Smitten Kitchen Chocolate Chip Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Make it and enjoy!  

Dark Chocolate Bark with Seeds

I don't write much about desserts on this blog because we rarely eat dessert. But this is a tasty snack for after a healthy meal or to get you through the afternoon.  It's inspired by the Bon Appetit Food Lovers Cleanse.  

This is all you need for this easy, tasty treat:

100 grams dark chocolate
1/3 cup pepitas (raw, shelled pumpkin seeds)
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1/4 teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt

Home Made Guacamole

So easy and delicious. This simple dish has gotten me more amazed compliments than anything else I've ever made. I shouldn't even share how simple it is, but everyone deserves to reap the accolades of home made guacamole!

My recipe varies based on what peppers and ingredients I have on hand, but here's the basics:

Ripe avocado, red onion, garlic, jalapeno and/or chili peppers, lime - and tomatoes if you like.

Chop the garlic, onions and chilis in a small food processor until very finely chopped.

Open the avocado and remove the pit.

Scrape the avocado flesh into a bowl with a spoon and then mash it with a fork.

Add the juice of one whole lime and plenty of salt.

Add the minced onion, garlic and chilis and mix.

Serve immediately if possible or cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate. The lime should keep it from browning for a few hours.


Serve with tortilla chips, chicken fajitas, fish tacos, taco salad, or anything you like. Double or triple the recipe with several avocados and more chili and lime and watch your friends go bananas for it!

Short & Sweet Sunday - Cheese!

Recently we drove through Jordan, Ontario to visit our favourite winery Cave Springs. We love their Riesling.  As we drove through town we passed the Upper Canada Cheese Company and couldn't resist stopping in.  They were happy to give us samples of several cheeses, but we loved the Niagara Gold.

It is salty, nutty and delicious. Bread and cheese has to be one of my favourite things in the world to eat. 

Last week we even had it for dinner with some fresh figs. Couldn't be easier or more delicious!

We had some Artisan Oka along with the Niagara Gold for a nice, creamy contrast. 

Short & Sweet Sunday - Apple Butter Snack

In honour of Family Day weekend, this is so short and sweet it is barely even a recipe. It requires no cooking and very little effort but it makes a delicious, healthy, low-calorie snack.

While we were eating healthy I found this to be a nice snack or quick breakfast.  Take two rice cakes.

And some apple butter

This is just apples, no sugar added but it makes a yummy spread.

Spread the apple butter over the rice cakes

Then top with almond butter. You could also use peanut butter but almond butter has such a nice flavour and texture.

 It may not look pretty but it tastes surprisingly great!