Over the weekend I make some strawberry cupcakes/muffins! I say they are both cupcakes and muffins because they are sweet like cupcakes, but I prefer them without icing, so it's a bit more like eating a muffin. These are great to have as a little dessert, as they are made with real strawberries and are nice and sweet. Such a great treat!

Makes 12 Muffins

• 8 Tablespoons of butter
• 1 Cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 Cup Coconut flour
• 1/2 Cup buckwheat flour
• 1/2 Cup brown sugar
• 1/4 Cup white sugar
• 4 Eggs
• 1 Teaspoon vanilla
• 2 1/2 Teaspoons of baking powder
• 3/4 Cup of blender strawberries
• 1/8 Cup milk

1. Mix together the butter and sugars.
2. Then add the eggs, and the vanilla.
3. Blend the strawberries together in a bender (doesn't have to be smooth).
4. Add the flours and baking powder, alternating with adding the strawberries and milk.
5. Once everything is mixed together, spoon out into a muffin pan. You can either use muffin paper liners or butter the pan.
6. Set the oven to 350 degrees and cook for 20 - 25 minutes. 
7. Let cool and enjoy! 

I enjoy making smoothies for breakfast. They are easy to drink while doing other things, and pack in a lot of nutrients at once (including some veggies!). I change them up quite often, mixing up the ingredients. This is one of my favourites as it incorporates a tropical taste, which I need right now as the weather is still blah. If you can't get away somewhere warm here's the next best thing!

I love crepes! They are so delicate and buttery, and there are so many options when it comes to fillings and toppings. I enjoy both savoury crepes and sweet crepes. In fact, sometimes I like to combine the two types for the ultimate tastebud satisfaction. 

Here is a recipe I use for classic crepes, but there are tons of recipes out there that use everything. I also really enjoy buckwheat crepes. Use your imagination when it comes to toppings and fillings. My favourite are, for savoury spinach and cheddar cheese, and for sweet is strawberry and bananas, that is then drizzled with melted dark chocolate. Other great ideas are: maple syrup, jam, Nutella, yogurt, other fruits, eggs, bacon, even chicken. 

Classic Crepes (makes about 10):

• 1/4 Cup butter
• 1 3/4 Cup flour
• 4 eggs
• 2 1/2 milk

1. Melt butter and allow to cool.
2. Put flour in bowl and mix in eggs one at a time.
3. Then add half the milk, and continue mixing until smooth.
4. Add the rest of the milk and the butter and mix.
5. Let mixture rest for at least an hour (I tend to make the mixture up the night before, and then it is ready for the morning).
6. Mix again, it should be the consistency of cream. If it is too thick add a bit more milk.
7. Preheat crepe pan or pan on medium.
8. Make sure to use lots of oil when cooking as you don't want them to stick.
9. Pour a small amount of mixture onto the pan and spread it out, let cook for only a few seconds and then flip. They cook very fast since they are so thin. This will take some practice. 
10. Place on a plate, and then serve with all your toppings. 

I decided to make up a slightly healthier twist on the original chocolate chip cookie. I changed up the flours, sugar, and added almonds to the mix. They turned out pretty well, and disappeared quite fast. 

I was introduced to this Rice Krispy Square recipe at a good friends place by his mother. There are a lot of allergies in that house (surprisingly peanuts is not one of them) and so this was a dessert everyone could have. They are really yummy, and like the original, really easy to make and slightly healthier too. 

I was once given a spice kit to make chicken korma, and it was so good, that from the kit I adapted my own recipe. This is not a very exact recipe, and you can always add or subtract to your own taste. Over the years it has become one of favourite dishes to make, and having some fresh naan bread to go with it is even better. 

While going through some old recipes we found this one. Dutch Babies, a recipe that my mother-in-law gave us, and childhood favourite of my husband. I had actually never heard of dutch babies, but I'm glad I have been introduced to them!

Ingredients: For 4 people (keep doubling for number of people)

1/8 cup butter
4 eggs
1 cup milk
1cup flour

1. Cut butter into chunks and melt in large, shallow glass dish
2. Mix together flour, milk, eggs
3. Pour over melted butter
4. Bake at 425 F for about 20 to 25 minutes
5. Add any fruit on top (we used blueberries this time)

So easy and so good! Enjoy!

So we have been staying away from sugar, and have been doing a really decent job of it. The more I learn about sugar the more I know it needs to go from my diet. However, the baker in me just needs to bake sometimes. So I gave in the other night and make some cookies. Once these guys are gone we will go from practically no sugar, to no sugar again. Gotta have a treat every so often!

I decided to make Martha Stewart's Chocolate Cookie Cutouts, but change it up a bit. I only put in half the sugar, less butter, and changed up the flour.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup buckwheat flour or whole wheat flour
• 1 tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder (exclude for a plain white cookie)
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup butter
  
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1. Mix together butter and sugar, then add in the egg and vanilla.
   
2. Mix in all the dry ingredients, flours, salt, cinnamon, and cocoa (if you are using it).
3. Wrap dough up in plastic wrap and put in the fridge for about an hour.
4. Roll out dough and cut into stars (or whatever shape you would like). Decorate as desired. 
5. Turn oven to 350 F, and bake cookies for about 8 - 9 minutes. 
6. Enjoy!

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving! We didn't get a chance to visit family this year, but we had our own little family meal complete with pumpkin pie tarts! As far as I'm concerned, we can eat anything for the main meal, as long as there is pumpkin pie, it's a Thanksgiving dinner. We ended up roasting a chicken, having mashed potatoes, veggies, and fresh homemade buns! As well, for an appetizer, I stuffed orange bell peppers with goat cheese and fresh basil, grilled them, and then drizzled a balsamic reduction over top. So yummy! 

Another thing about the holidays that I love to do is to set the table. Right now I only have a kitchen island to set up, but hopefully soon I will have a proper dinning room table to host beautiful dinners on. I enjoy picking a theme for the dinner and creating table settings to match. Holidays come with a preset theme, but that doesn't mean it has to be ultra traditional. 

This was our table last Thanksgiving and how the table looked this year.

I usually make my own pie crust, but feel free to use whatever method you like for the crust. You can use this recipe for one whole pie or a dozen or so pumpkin tarts. I also like my pumpkin pie spicey, so put less of the spices in if it will be too strong for you.

• 3 Eggs
• 1/2 Sugar
• 2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 teaspoon ginger
• 1 teaspoon cloves
• 2 cups of pumpkin
• 2 cups light cream

1. Mix the eggs with the sugar and spices. 
2. Then add in the pumpkin and light cream.
3. Cook in a pot over low heat just to warm it up before pouring the mixture into your pre-baked crust.
4. Bake at 375 for about 15 minutes for tarts and about half an hour for a pie, until the pumpkin mixture shakes like jello. 

I spotted a big basket of fresh Roma tomatoes at the St. Lawrence Market, and thought tomato sauce! I spent my Sunday afternoon making a big batch of sauce. Some to enjoy now and some to put in the freezer and eat throughout the fall.