THE GOODS

Saludos!

2013-01-18T21:55:00.001-07:00

We are off to Mexico for two weeks - tis the January ritual! Stay warm friends and family. Some great blogs on the horizon!

Easy, addictive and vegan - who knew?

2013-01-01T14:11:00.000-07:00

I know I write this often, but I've found, yet again, my favorite cookie! This time, it's different. It's real and it's awesome! First off, it combines chocolate, oatmeal and walnuts. Need I continue? Secondly, it's vegan, which mean it avoids the foods I know I am allergic to, so it's a pleasure to eat. And thirdly - it's a pleasure to eat! Try them. The only "different" ingredient would be coconut oil, but I find most natural food stores carry coconut oil because of the currenthealth benefits" it provides. It's a bit expensive, but splurge - you are worth it! And I'd love to hear your feedback :-)

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies (Vegan)

Ingredients

1 cup coconut oil
¾ cup brown sugar
¼ cup white sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 ½ cups flour
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
⅓ cup boiling water
2 cups rolled oats
⅓ cup chopped walnuts
¾ cup chocolate chips (vegan)

Directions

Beat coconut oil until soft. Add sugars and vanilla and beat until fluffy. Add flour and salt and mix well.
Dissolve baking soda in boiling water. Blend into mixture. Stir in the rolled oats, nuts and chocolate chips.
Drop 1 tablespoon amount on a lined baking sheet and separate about an inch apart. You can also indent them with a fork. Bake at 350F for 10 to 12 minutes.
Done.

Happy New Year!

2013-01-01T13:56:00.004-07:00

From me to you, a wish of health, happiness and continued growth for 2013!

The new year brings more than just your chosen new year's resolutions. It's a time of hope, anticipation and excitement of the year ahead, a new slate, a clean start or lofty ambitions. Whatever the season is for you, embrace it, celebrate it and try to take it with you over the following months.

Speaking of resolutions, I typically resist the urge to set my own. This year, I set one in November, a bit off calendar, but it's set nonetheless. I am focusing on my health this year, as I firmly believe everything comes from that and without it, well, everything else is pretty useless! And to get the ball rolling above and beyond the regular check-ups, I discovered a new service at a local Pharmacy - the Hemocode test is now available here in Canada! For us Edmontonians, that means a simple visit to your nearest Rexall Pharmacy, a finger prick for a blood sample and leave the store a lot lighter in the wallet! What it buys you is a test for food allergies and intolerances of over 250 foods and additives, a guide to better health set out by a Naturopath, including a how to reset your body, vitamins designed to assist in repair and of course, recipes that avoid the food that doesn't work for you.

The end result: awareness and better health, and if followed, some people finally shift those few pounds that were once impossible and the discomfort of food: bloating, sickness and a general feeling of constant unwellness, subsides. For those of us with intolerances, and supposedly 3 -4 out of 10 people reside in that group, the knowledge and tools are priceless. Now, I'm just waiting for those test results to roll in....

So a toast to your health for 2013!

Something French

2012-12-13T18:16:00.001-07:00

Continuing with my heritage theme for Christmas cookie recipes, I thought it would be a nice idea to record a recipe for my daughter that represents her French background. As a child, she was always taken with fudge, and particularly her Grandfather's Quebec classic: Sucre a la Creme. I recently saw a Food network Christmas special that highlighted Quebec traditions and low and behold, there was the "fudge" she loved so much! Jenna's version is plain, sometimes with walnuts or maple syrup, but this is a great jumping point for so many varieties!

So, here's hoping Jenna enjoys making this fudge as much as she does eating it! And hopefully, she'll continue this tradition for many, many years!

Sucre a la Creme (with Maldon salt and pecans)

Ingredients

Oil, for greasing pan
1 1/2 cups/375 ml brown sugar
1 cup/250 ml 35-percent cream
1/2 cup/125 ml sugar
1/2 cup/125 ml maple syrup

1 tablespoon/15 ml butter
Pinch

salt

1/2 teaspoon/2 ml vanilla extract

1/2 cup/125 ml pecans, toasted and roughly chopped, for garnish

Maldon salt, for garnish

Directions

Line an 8-inch (20-cm) square pan with plastic wrap and lightly oil. In a saucepan, combine the brown sugar, cream, sugar, maple syrup, butter and salt and bring to a boil, stirring with a wooden spoon to dissolve the sugar. Attach a candy thermometer in the center of the pan and simmer over medium heat without stirring until the thermometer reads 237 degrees F (114 degrees C). Add the vanilla extract without stirring. Place the pan in a cold water bath. Cool, without stirring, until the thermometer reads 113 degrees F (45 degrees C), about 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the water bath. Using an electric mixer or a wooden spoon, stir vigorously until the mixture begins to lighten in color and become creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. Please note that if you whip too much, the sugar and cream mixture will harden before you have time to pour it into the pan. Pour immediately into the prepared pan and smooth with a spatula. Garnish with crushed toasted pecans and Maldon salt. Cover with plastic wrap. Let cool for about 1 hour at room temperature or 30 minutes in the refrigerator. Remove from the pan and remove from the plastic wrap. Cut into squares. Store in an airtight container.

Looking back to Christmas

2012-12-12T17:12:00.001-07:00

Every year, albeit usually a bit earlier than this, I always get in the mood to experiment with new cookies for the Christmas season. Whether to have on hand for guests, the all-too-often time my daughter and I kick back with some hot chocolate, quick hostess gifts or whatever event comes up, cookies in the freezer are a good thing.

This year, I've been thinking alot about my grandmother, who could whip up a batch of cookies before her morning tea and single-handedly supply the local bakery with fresh bread before her second cup of tea. I have fond memories of afternoons in her apartment being apart of this cooking frenzy. But frenzy had nothing to do with it, it was a typical day which happened several times a week for her. The best part was waiting for my Father to pick me up after work and see how pleased he was to leave with cookies, many loaves of bread and maybe a kid! :-) These thoughts, of course, led to a search for these recipes and recreating them with my own daughter this Christmas. (Unfortunately, my one regret was not collecting her recipes before she passed away.) I still remember a simple drop cookie she made which was my absolute favorite - blonde in colour, raisins and I think, an assortment of spices. For years I searched thousands of recipes, just to come up empty.

This year, with the power of Facebook, I came across a blog of Newfoundland recipes - NL Rock Recipes and low and behold, a plethora of old fashioned Newfoundland cookie recipes! One of my Nan's favorites were snowballs - it was a mixture of marshmallows with a fudgy surround, rolled in a ball and through coconut. However, I didn't realize until lately what battles arise across the province over what is a "snowball" cookie - some say it's just the fudgy chocolate base rolled in coconut, others say it's marshmallows. Either works for us!

So I decided to start this brief series of Christmas cooking with a nod to my heritage, a fond look back at my childhood and remembering my dear Nan who accepted me so easily as her Sous Chef. Thanks, Nan. Jenna is going to love these cookies!

From www.nlrockrecipes.com

Snowballs

Key to the success of this recipe is the length of time that the base of the recipe is boiled. More precisely, it is the temperature that the mixture reaches when boiling that is critical. Much akin to making fudge, you are looking for the mixture to reach soft ball stage or near soft ball stage on a candy thermometer. Use one if you have it but if not, the five minutes gentle boiling as directed in the recipe is a pretty dependable guideline. It is also very important not to stir the mixture as it boils or you risk the sugar crystallizing and leaving you with a hard, crumbly finished product.

In a large saucepan, combine and boil together gently over medium high heat for 5 minutes or until mixture reaches about 230 degrees F on a candy thermometer:

3 cups sugar

3/4 cup melted butter

1 1/4 cups milk

Once mixture begins to boil it is very important not to stir it at all.

Mix together:

3 cups large rolled oats

1 cup unsweetened fine coconut

12 tbsp cocoa

Add the boiled mixture to the dry ingredients until well combined and chill well. until mixture is able to be shaped into 1 1/2 inch balls. Roll the balls in additional coconut. Makes about 4 dozen. These should be stored in the fridge. These freeze very well (my kids eat them frozen all the time, just like my siblings and I did as kids)

What's in your Houzz?

2012-11-14T10:05:00.002-07:00

In the middle of my husband's first renovation at our house. This renovation should not come as a surprise, as we've been avidly collecting power tools for him over the past year and a half, but the actual removal of our shower was, well let's say, a bit shocking. For David, it's not his first renovation ever, but for many, many years and the first one with me. For me - well, it's the first time I've seen something ripped off the wall and sawed into movable pieces. Reason: Hubby wants a bigger shower, and gosh darn it, a nicer one. Response: go for it! There is only a few downsides: my inability to make up my mind and in a surge to make the most cost efficient decision, never seem to make the most satisfying choice, and two, the budget. Thankfully, this is hubby's project, his sweat and full on launch into projects during retirement! I am merely the designer and assistant.

So, currently, the shower is the focus - everything else remains intact until that is resolved. Shower has been removed, shower is now enlarged and being tiled. Shower heads and decision to go with travertine - done. Frustration working with travertine - a real and present danger. Shower doors to be ordered. Kathryn comes across awesome website to help plan renovations and decorating - damn! Why do these things happen out of sync for me?

www.houzz.com

Get on it! A fantastic new website with oodles and oodles of pictures, descriptions, shopping tags, Q&As from designers and enthusiasts alike. Similar to Pinterest, you can create labelled ideabooks and store all the photos that resonate with you, plus give descriptors of what it is about the visuals that inspire you. Love the color paint, the vanity or want to know where you can get that fabulous rug? Look no further: many of the designers have listed a product sheet or simply ask the question. Genius. Now, if only I had run across this website in September. Oh well, I know where to go for the next renovation project!

Awesome brownies, anyone?

2012-11-12T14:46:00.001-07:00

Not just brownies, but freakin' awesome ones. In fact, I probably have about forty different brownie recipes - a conservative estimate - but after a few "not so perfect" choices, I prompt gave up, whipped up a batch of cookies and never really made it back to find that perfect brownie. You know, the one that has a slightly flaky/crunchy top but almost fudge and all spectacular chocolate inside. Yeah, that one.

That was until this past month. My daughter was longing for a trip to the Duchess for her favorite brownie when the urge took us both over to just make the damn things and make them now. We started searching the reliables: Ina Garten, Martha Stewart, Laura Calder and then the classics. What we came up with was a selection of recipes that were marginally different, based on your own preferences: all chocolate, dark or milk chocolate, pecans, walnuts, chocolate chips? We settled on our brownie primarily being the good old fashioned fudgy chocolate and a sprinkle of pecans for an extra crunch.

Note: the biggest problem is waiting for the darn things to cool. Jenna ate a 1/3 of the batch before the hour cooling was complete... Don't worry - it's a good thing :-)

Jenna's Fudgy Brownies

Ingredients:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, plus more for foil
8 oz. good quality, semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 1/4 cup sugar
3/4 tsp. salt
3 large eggs
3/4 cup flour
Optional:
nuts: 3/4 cup walnuts or pecans, milk, dark or white chocolate chunks

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Line an 8-inch pan with foil (leaving overhang on two sides); butter or spray the foil.

Place the butter and chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl and set over a saucepan of simmering water. Heat until the butter and chocolate are melted; stir.

Whisk sugar, then salt into the chocolate mixture; whisk in eggs and then gently whisk in flour just until the batter is combined. Do not over mix. Fold in any additions you might want.

Spread the batter into your foil-lined pan and bake for 45 minutes. A toothpick should come out almost clean - just a few crumbs attached. Remove from the heat and let the brownies cool completely.

Lift the foil (and brownies) out of the pan and peel the foil from the brownies. Cut into pieces and enjoy!

Trunk Show = Desserts

2012-11-05T14:43:00.001-07:00

Seems like a no-brainer. Mix guests with Stella and Dot Trunk Show and what do you get? Desserts. Take it up a notch over the official holiday season and you get magical bling + friends = french desserts. I now remember why it's such a dangerous time of the year for my waistline, but alas, I carry on - there is no room for quitters in a kitchen.

Tonight is my first of two Holiday shows for my customers, as of course, one night does not fit every one's schedule, and to be honest, I couldn't possibly fit all these desserts I need to make into one night! On the menu this evening is a simple but deadly lemon tart, walnut cake, some dipped strawberries and my interpretation to date of a hummingbird cake. Now, I am still in the test kitchen figuring out the right measures, but the once indulged treat at Duchess proved to be a beautiful balance of banana bread with coconut and pineapple. Stay tuned if I ever finish this recipe enough to blog it. However, while you wait, I can share with you my fail proof recipe for Cream Cheese icing, which, happens to be the perfect topping for the fore mentioned hummingbird.

This is a recipe from Ina Garten, however, I tend to let the kitchen aid work at the final incorporation and slightly whip the icing - I'm a sucker for a lighter, meringue style topping...

Cream Cheese Frosting:

6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar (1/2 pound)

Mix the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on low speed until just combined. Don't whip! Add the sugar and mix until smooth. Yield: frosting for one 9-inch cake.

Holiday Time!

2012-11-05T12:19:00.003-07:00

I know, the first week of November is a bit early to mention the upcoming season, but tonight, I have my first of two Holiday Trunk Shows and I am sooooo excited to share with everyone the great new look of Stella and Dot! Not only can you assume some fabulous pieces of bling are in the mix, but with that, comes a collaboration with Alice Temperley - very popular British fashion designer, the launch into a scarf collection, beautiful candles and in addition to the purse line - wallets and tech wallets - a wallet just large enough for your iPhone, money and cards. In one word: brilliant!

Here is a peek of some of the great items in store for all those Stella shoppers, new and old!

Great new retail gathering!

2012-09-18T13:11:00.001-06:00

It's been awhile since I've been on Edmonton's infamous Whyte Avenue. I can't remember the last time I visited a pub, restaurant or ambled down the blocks of local shopping boutiques and artsy cafes. I miss that. However, with the increase in popularity comes the expected: no parking, crowds and police. I miss that less.

A dear friend of mine recommended an acupuncturist/herbalist specialist to me a few months back, the only downside - located on Whyte Avenue. However, my want to see this much talked about sanctuary and of course, receive great wellness care quickly overcome the glitch of nightmare traffic about two months ago. I was impressed. Located in a new building named Roots on Whyte, this community-based building, newly constructed on Whyte Avenue (with cheap underground parking) and even more to offer than a fantastic wellness retreat! Located within three stories is a variety of local wellness businesses from chiropractor, dentist, yoga studio, therapist, hair salon to pilates studio. On the main level, you'll find Blush Organic Market, deCapo Italian coffee bar and a quaint and quirky noshery Under the High Wheel - with beautiful plates of seasonal food lovingly prepared for you.

This is heaven. Grab a coffee, get your shopping done, have a bite to eat and then off to the main event: Wellness on Whyte, for some loving care. Add a pilates session in and that, my friend, is the definition of a morning well spent!

If you are seeking some loving care, I'd highly suggest Wellness on Whyte. (www.wellnessonwhyte.com ) The owner, Geha Gonthier, is a fabulous and knowledgeable professional who offers only the best in her sanctuary to help ease the mind, body and soul. Geha is now, my acupuncturist, and I am all the more wiser for adding her Eastern medicine practises into my overall wellness routine. Geha also has some other fantastic professionals on staff, including my daughter's new best friend - massage therapist, Leslie. Leslie has both Jenna and me under her care and is a wonderfully caring individual with great technique and personality. I hear Geha has also added a traditionally trained European facialist to the roster. Hmmmmm...I sense another visit very shortly!

All in all, it's worth the traffic and drive to experience better well being through Wellness on Whyte as well as all the other fabulous storefronts at Roots on Whyte. With ample parking and central location, this should be your next favorite place to spend an hour or three!

Happy Birthday!

2012-08-15T22:58:00.001-06:00

Happy Birthday, Julia! If she was alive today, Jooooolia would be celebrating her 100th birthday, no doubt with a great meal which included butter and cream, wine, good friends and smart conversation!

I love this lady, and I must admit, I miss her presence in the ever expanding world of food. One of the many female models of my youth, I loved Julia Child for her strong personality and character. Her ability to say what was on her mind, her success in following her passion and her advice on moderation. I'm still working on the moderation bit, Jools.

Too much fruit?

2012-07-31T11:13:00.002-06:00

That's a complaint you will NEVER hear at our house, or at least, never admit too. We love gardening, we love the summer and we love our harvest. And, for the first time, our cherry tree is giving off a bumper crop, however, a bit on the *pucker* tart side. So... no freakin way my husband, daughter and I will be chowing down on these things raw. And time is not on my side - ripe today, on the ground tomorrow, so with bowl of cherries in hand, I marched off to the kitchen to do what anyone would: insert cherries in pot and add heat. Jam. Or Jelly. Heck, why not compote. I figured the consistency would determine the title, because it has to have a name - especially when Hubby walks in and asks why I'm cooking when it's 30 degrees outside!

A little bit of sugar, some lemon peel and a squirt of lemon and then.....off to the trusty Ipad to make sure I wasn't missing any key ingredients - it was my first go at cherry something. And when I came across David Lebovitz's No Recipe Cherry Jam recipe, a sigh of relief. It's all good, it tastes fantastic and I have a piece of toast just screaming for a partner. Hubby's thumbs up, a good sized bowl of cherry ____, and I'm the Jamish Queen for the next week. Life is good. Life is slightly better with an abundance of fresh fruit. Life is awesome with a happy family and a bowl full of preserve. Enjoy!

David Lebovitz's No Recipe Cherry Jam

1. Buy as many cherries as you feel like pitting.
Usually I have the patience for about 3 pounds, but it’s up to you. Figure one pound of cherries will make one good-sized jar of jam. Plump, dark Bing cherries work really well, although Burlats are good, and if you can find sour cherries, your jam will rock.
2. Wear something red. Rinse the cherries and remove the stems. Using the handy cherry pitter that I told you to buy a few weeks ago, pit the cherries. Make sure to remove all the pits. Chop about 3/4ths of them into smaller pieces, but not too small. Leave some cherries whole so people can see later on how hard you worked pitting real cherries. If you leave too many whole ones, they’ll tumble off your toast.
3. Cook the cherries in a large non-reactive stockpot. It should be pretty big since the juices bubble up. Add the zest and juice of one or two fresh lemons. Lemon juice adds pectin as well as acidity, and will help the jam gel later on.
4. Cook the cherries, stirring once in a while with a heatproof spatula, until they’re wilted and completely soft, which may take about 20 minutes, depending on how much heat you give them. Aren’t they beautiful, all juicy and red?

5. Once they’re cooked, measure out how many cherries you have (including the juice.) Use 3/4 of the amount of sugar. For example if you have 4 cups of cooked cherry matter, add 3 cups of sugar. It may seem like a lot, but that amount of sugar is necessary to keep the jam from spoilage.
6. Stir the sugar and the cherries in the pot and cook over moderate-to-high heat. The best jam is cooked quickly. While it’s cooking, put a small white plate in the freezer. Remain vigilant and stir the fruit often with a heatproof utensil. (Wouldn’t it be a shame to burn it at this point?) Scrape the bottom of the pot as you stir as well.
7. Once the bubbles subside and the jam appears a bit thick and looks like it is beginning to gel, (it will coat the spatula in a clear, thick-ish, jelly-like layer, but not too thick) turn off the heat and put a small amount of jam on the frozen plate and return to the freezer. After a few minutes, when you nudge it if it wrinkles, it’s done.

If not, cook it some more, turn off the heat, and test it again. If you overcook your jam, the sugar will caramelize and it won’t taste good and there’s nothing you can do. Better to undercook it, test it, then cook it some more.
Once it’s done and gelled, add a bit of kirsch if you have it, clear cherry eau-de-vie which will highlight the flavor. Or add a few drops of almond extract, but not too much, or it will taste like a cheap Italian cake. Ladle the warm jam into clean jars and cover. Cool at room temperature, then put in the refrigerator where it will keep for several months.

Fall already?

2012-07-09T22:05:00.003-06:00

I know, we just started the first heatwave of the summer and already, Fall is in the air - or at least in the magazines, on the Internet and of course, sprouting up everywhere for Stella and Dot. Yup, the much anticipated Fall 2012 collection was released on the weekend. And although that means we retire some classic design pieces, it means a cheerful hello to some spectacular new ones!

Themes for this collection include a new and updated charm collection, Mod Safari (think bright colors, oh so hot animal print trend and a nod to the 60s) and the New Romantics collection, inspired from Alexander McQueen's collection of masterpieces, Victorian estate jewellery and mixed metals. One thing is for sure, Stella and Dot is always on trend, seems to get better and more intricate in it's design as the collections progress and is wearable for any age!

Check out a few pieces:

Like to browse the entire collection? Simply click on the STELLA! link in the navigation bar :-)

What to do with all those radishes

2012-06-24T15:41:00.003-06:00

Several years ago when my husband and I started our first vegetable garden, radishes where on the first list of potential vegetables, every list of food to grow and of course, the shopping list for the above said garden. Why? It's the ultimate test: if you can't grow radishes, well.... get used to spending time at the Farmers Market for those fresh veg! With a maturity date of around 1 month, you can simply plant radishes from seed straight to your soil, water and watch them grow. And there are many varieties of radishes: different colours, shapes and variations on flavour that make such a beautiful picture when you pull those puppies out of the ground. I have to admit, though, I've never been a fan of this lovely-looking vegetable. The taste. Blah. But every year we plant, every year we harvest and every year my husband adds a few to his salad and stores the rest in the fridge. Seems a shame, don't you think?

So this year, I decided to give the hearty radish another look and taste. We have three variations this year: the traditional red bulb (red globe), a white and red long bulb (french breakfast) and a white version (icicle) that looks more like a carrot than anything else! The questions then remains: what do I do with this harvest? Coincidence or not, we found ourselves in NYC in May and on my list of places to nosh, was the Spanish gastropub, Tertulia. With great reviews and a nice tapas menu, we were bound to have a great meal. On the list was a radish salad - paired with baby market carrots and an anchovy vinaigrette. OK, two strikes on this one: the radish and the anchovy. But hey, when in NYC, you try something new. I loved it! What a great re-introduction to this little vegetable. Now, to recreate the salad when on home turf... On return to Edmonton and when firmly seated in front of my computer, there seemed to be no shortage of mention of this salad, from Martha"s (Stewart) Blog as well as GP's Goop!

I found a recipe from the New York Times for the anchovy vinaigrette and basically harvested a variety of our radishes as well as some baby and organic carrots, added a little sweet onion and herbs.

Anchovy Vinaigrette

Ingredients

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons or more good red or white wine vinegar
Salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste
1 heaping teaspoon Dijon mustard, optional
3 anchovy fillets, or more to taste, with some of their oil
1 large shallot (about 1 ounce), peeled and cut into chunks

Preparation

1.: Combine all ingredients except shallot in a blender, and turn the machine on. A creamy emulsion will form within 30 seconds. Taste, and add more vinegar if necessary, about a teaspoon at a time, until the balance tastes right.
2.: Add shallot, and turn machine on and off a few times, until shallot is minced within the dressing. Taste, adjust seasoning and serve. (This vinaigrette is best made fresh but will keep refrigerated for a few days. Before using, bring it back to room temperature, and whisk briefly.)

Health fact of the lovely radish: radishes provide several vitamins including Vitamin C, K, B6 and folic acid!

Other food combinations I found for radishes:

Strawberry and radish salad with balsamic vinegar
Panzanella salad with radishes
Roasted radishes, with or without other root vegetables
Escabeche of shrimp, mango and radish

Whatever your preference, if you are a new gardener or one in need of almost instant gratification, the radish is a simple and hearty vegetable to grow for your summer table. And for those that thought the radish belongs only in Asian cooking or tossed in as an after thought with your salad, think again! Boiled, steamed, roasted or eaten raw, this vegetable is worth another go on your plate!

Best Olive Oil in Town?

2012-06-15T12:28:00.001-06:00

For the past week, my husband, daughter and dog have been hosting some dear friends from England. First time in Canada and of course, first time in Edmonton. Where to start the tour on a Saturday in June? Why the downtown Farmer's Market, of course!

It's been a while since my last toodle through the 104 Street area of town, and you know, it never fails. What's not to like about a few wine bars, coffeehouses, a great french bistro, diner, etc alongside a festival, parade and the local market. In fact, it was a bit of an assault of the senses. But through the crowds, I did notice a new storefront. New to me, as I have to admit, I'm not sure how long it's been opened. Nonetheless, it's a find that I can strike off my list as this store sells...Olive oil! Yes, I'm as shocked as you! A store completely dedicated to vats of olive oil from around the world (OK, vinegars and some other specialty items as well) and in Edmonton. In a city where I have always struggled finding a nice olive oil to suit our meals, it's a breath of fresh air. And to my delight, a tasting store - YES! Edmonton, meet Evoolution. Evoolution - thank you for coming!

Take a look at their beautiful interior...

Label for each olive oil

This is what I love about Edmonton: as northern a city and as more of a town feel than an urban metropolis, you can find gems that bring the world to you. Would you believe I found an olive oil David and I tasted on one of our trips to the Sonoma/Napa region? And such a beautiful store as well - I love the industrial stainless steel vats mixed with the warm wood. Very Californian, very foodie and very welcoming. Staff are readily available to walk you through the complexities of choosing an olive oil and happy to educate customers while they taste the wares. This is my kind of store! It's hard not to like a place where you can shop, eat and learn all at once. Well, for me, it's ideal and it's on the list for next week!

For the Health of it

2012-05-21T18:04:00.002-06:00

After a recommendation from a trustworthy source, I finally made an appointment with an eastern medicine Physician (Acupuncture, Herbalist, etc). When our western medical professionals come up short, I fully believe it's a good thing to have both sides of the coin working on your behalf. So about ten days ago I met with this doctor for a consult, and guess what? Yeah, supposedly I am lacking minerals in my diet and she thinks my liver could use a good "cleaning". Great. I know most naturalists believe in cleansing the liver in the spring, so I wasn't that surprised when she recommended it for me. What I was surprised at was the process. Pills? No. Expensive pills? No. A recommended food list? Restricted diet? Nope, a juice cleanse. And no, not along side a strict diet, just the juice. More specifically, vegetable juice. Three days, no food, just vegetable juice. What do I do with this? I have no place in my head for even three hours without solid food let alone three days. My consult quickly turned from thoughts of a massage and organic food plates into being drafted for the next round of Survivor.

So, I've put it off until this weekend, when I went to my trusty computer and searched. If you start a search for recipes for a liver cleanse, you will get some very informative websites and interesting YouTube videos of a health quack who believes he knows when the juice is right simply by the smell. Lovely. Can you sense my excitement? I guess I should also point out some of the vegetables you use for the above mentioned cleanse:

Kale
Beets
Carrots
Parsley
Cucumbers
Lemons

Why can I not get the visual of Steve Jobs on his carrot binge out of my head? And did I mention it was for three days? Anyway, I did manage to remember that Booster Juice has a nice concoction of a beet, carrot and apple juice that I quite like, and with some further searching, turns out apples and pears are also OK to add to your concoction. In fact, you can even have a full meal with apples. Didn't know that would be possible, but....okey dokey....

I also remember reading an article in Goop about 18 months ago highlighting a mild cleanse. Yup, here it is, a great, and much more suitable to those who enjoy food, cleanse to get you going:

http://goop.com/newsletter/15/

I actually quite enjoy the Kale juice from this cleanse as well as the teriyaki chicken recipe. The Smoothies highlighted are also very similar to the ones I make at home:

Smoothie

1.5 cups unsweetened almond milk
2 Tbsp. VEGA protein powder
1 cup berries (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries or cantaloupe)
ice

Combine all ingredients into a blender, add a splenda if you'd like it a bit sweeter or if your berries are not at the peak of their season.

For those looking for some "cleansing" tips, here are a few things to consider:

Start your day off with a glass of lemon water - lemons are great for detox
Eat lots of vegetables as snacks, get away from your carbs and yummy sweet snacks
Juice! Try a concoction of 1 - 2 beets, 4 - 6 carrots, 1 apple and a 1/2 lemon. Adjust to taste!

Well, today was the day I had a pow wow with a heap of vegetables and my juicer in the kitchen and began the process. After an hour of prepping, juicing, storing, cleaning and repeating, I have enough juice for a day! No better day to start than tomorrow, so Tuesday it is. I figure if it goes OK, I will juice more for Wednesday and then repeat for Thursday. In actuality, my doctor recommended two to three days - might as well shoot for the stars, right?

So, if you are feeling a bit sluggish this spring or just lack energy, you might want to consider adding these to your routine, or better still, join me in my three day hiatus from glorious food for a juice cleanse! I'm hoping it will a be good thing :-)

Refresh and Redo on a Budget

2012-05-15T10:49:00.000-06:00

My husband and I wanted to complete a few renovations on the house this year, just as a refresh for us to enjoy, but also to keep the place in order for when we do decide to downsize. With our pennies a bit scarce, we spent the past month or so researching a deciding on several options. Some wallpaper here, upgrade the powder room, new paint there. Typical refreshes, but the most frightening being - refinishing the cabinets in the kitchen island! I mean, if it works, it's brilliant! If not....a very expensive replacement might be in store for us! I also wanted to re-finish the fireplace in our bedroom and my husband's desk in our study.

So, I found a product from Rustoleum, called Kitchen Transformations.

http://cabinets.rustoleumtransformations.com/

The box project comes with everything you need, except a paint brush! At $99 I wasn't quite sure what to expect or how far it would go. You have two choices: go dark or light. The secondary choices of specific color/stain are about 24, but remember to stop by the paint section of the store prior to checkout to get them to color your stain! (Rookie mistake!)

There are four fairly simple steps: a deglossing phase where you make sure the surface is ready to accept a new stain, the actual stain, and optional gloss (I would highly recommend it) and a clear protective coat. The project, pending the complexity and size, takes approximately two days to complete, so great for the weekend. So, here are the results of the smaller project, our fireplace:

The original fireplace, with a medium cherry colored stain and granite.

After the first two stages: stain applied in Espresso

After #3 glazing

The completed project!

Now, all that's left for the master renovation is paint, curtains, etc... It's going to be a long year :-)

The party is over, but luckily, some nuts remain

2012-04-23T11:13:00.001-06:00

Tis the season - the husband birthday party season, that is! Well, we survived another birthday party and thankfully, it was just a smaller gathering. However, when you decide to celebrate Mexican, it doesn't matter how many or few people attend, we always find the tequila collection scattered on the bar and way to many limes that met their untimely demise the next morning.

Our friend, Louise, was adamant I share the recipe for our Mexican nuts, so here it goes. Truth is, I decided to go for many Rick Bayless recipes, including the aforementioned Champagne Margarita. Life is pretty good with a handful of chipotle roasted nuts and a glass of salt rimmed champagne margarita to get the party started! Enter in some lively guests and you've got the making for a party that goes until 2:50am. Monday is tough this week....

Chipotle Roasted Peanuts

Cacahuates Enchipotlados

Makes 4 cups of nuts
Recipe from Season 6 of Mexico - One Plate at a Time

Ingredients

2 canned chipotle chiles
1 tablespoon adobo (tomatoey sauce in the can of chiles)
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons ketchup
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 scant teaspoon salt
4 cups (20 ounces) oil-roasted peanuts

Directions

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Scoop the chipotle chiles, adobo, lime juice, ketchup, sugar and salt into a blender and process to a smooth puree. Pour into a large bowl along with the peanuts and toss until the nuts are evenly coated. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and evenly spread the nuts on it.
Bake until they are fragrant and no longer moist, 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Cool the nuts on the sheet pan, then scoop into a serving bowl and set out for all to enjoy.

Thank you Rick - you've never let me down :-)

Summer Capsule Launched Today!

2012-04-10T19:19:00.002-06:00

For those lovers of the oh so wonderful and on trend Stella and Dot line, your wait is finally over! The much anticipated Summer Capsule was launched today to complement and complete the Spring/Summer line. Take a look:

Interested in getting this for free, then host a Trunk Show - it's easier than you think with no pressure sales, think instant pop up jewellery store for you and your friends in the comfort of your own home. Hostesses often earn hundreds of dollars in free swag and have a great time getting together with friends and family!

Or, browse my e-boutique by simply clicking on the STELLA! button in the navigation bar above and shop on your own time!

Red Hot Chili Peppers

2012-04-10T19:08:00.003-06:00

For those who would like to add a little heat in their life, through food, here's a quick breakdown of those fantastically smokin' chiles used in Mexican cooking:

Fresh Chilis

Poblano - large, dark green, meaty chili that can be mild to hot. Used commonly blistered and peeled, veins and seeds removed for Chili Relleno. Also used cut into strips (rajas) for various purposes from tacos to quesadillas. Anaheim Chiles can be used as a good substitution.

Jalapeno - Elongated, blunt, dark green chilis 2-3" long, ripened to a fiery red but with a good green vegetable flavour. Hot to very hot! Used in strips or whole, pickled, charred, as a condiment or fresh in sauces.

Serrano - Similar to Jalapeno but smaller in size. The serrano is preferred for fresh or cooked salsas.

Habanero - Considered the hottest of Mexico's chiles, they are beautiful bright orange or yellow in colour and lantern shape with a distinctive perfumed flavour; used fresh or charred in salsas and Mexican condiments.

Dried Chilis

Ancho - This is the dried version of Poblano chiles. Heart shaped, small to large in size. Mild, fruity flavour widely used in sauces, also stuffed for Chiles Rellenos. Choose dried chiles that are still flexible, with a skin that has a shine to it. Generally prepared by soaked or toasted before stuffing or blending with ingredients for sauces.

Pasilla - Dried chilaca chili, rarely found fresh. Long and narrow, with black wrinkled skin; used in sauces and moles. Rich, sharp flavour also used to garnish soups; for rustic table sauces and other cooked sauces.

Guajillo - Deep red, mild with a slight citrus flavour. Commonly used and popular in sauces; similar to California chiles in the US and used in enchilada sauces.

Chile de arbol - Very hot, small red chile used mostly for table sauces.

Chipotle - Jalapeno ripened to a fiery red, dried and smoked. Hot to very hot with a good smoky flavour; often canned in adobo sauce. Used as a condiment or in dried form to flavour soups, pasta and meat dishes; stuffed and batter fried as Chili Relleno.

Information courtesy of Casa Coloures (Cooking School) in Cabo San Lucas.

Birthday Planning

2012-04-07T12:34:00.003-06:00

It's that time of year again - time to start thinking about Hubby's birthday party. I'm actually ahead of the game this year, with the decision to pare down the celebrations and a new motivation to start exploring more Mexican cooking! Last year was a bit, well...hectic! It was a great time celebrating a milestone with David, family and friends, however, I have to admit the house was heaving with 40+ people inside! This year, I'm looking to celebrate his birthday with a more intimate occasion, but highlighting some of his favorite fun food.

You can't have a party without some festive libations, right? Our first house party together was... a bit out of hand! Picture this: David behind a fully loaded bar and a seemingly endless list of alcohol recipes from an electronic Brookstore purchased bartender's guide. I'm surprised he stayed vertical as long as he did! Since then, we have tweaked our house parties to include music, food and a limited menu of beverages: always a non-alcoholic choice, sparkling waters and three alcoholic choices. This year with our Mexican theme it has to include cervezas (beer), zinfandel wine (it works well with Mexican cuisine) and for the third, I like to offer a cocktail to greet my guests, so for inspiration I turned to Rick Bayless. His take on Mexican cuisine and parties is both refreshing and inspiring!

http://www.rickbayless.com/

Low and behold, the perfect cocktail: Margarita Champagne - the most pleasant mix of a bubbly, celebratory fizz with something uniquely Mexican. Thank you Rick, I think my Husband is going to enjoy his birthday this year!

Champagne Margarita

Makes 8 6-ounce drinks
Recipe from Season 6 of Mexico - One Plate at a Time

Ingredients

The finely grated zest (colored rind only) from 1 lime
1 cup fresh lime juice
1 cup Cointreau
1 cup silver tequila (I like El Tesoro and Partida)
Superfine sugar, if needed for added sweetness
1 lime, cut in half, for serving
Coarse (Kosher) salt, for serving
1 bottle Champagne or other sparkling wine

Directions

In a pitcher, combine the lime zest, lime juice, Cointreau, tequila and sugar if you are using it. Cover and refrigerate until cold, at least 1 hour).
Just before serving, strain the mixture to remove the zest, and pour enough salt into a saucer to cover the bottom. Rub a lime half over the rim of each champagne glass and upend into the salt to crust it lightly. Pour about 3 ounces of the tequila mixture into each glass, fill the rest of the way with Champagne or sparkling wine and hand to one of your lucky guests.

New Products to Love

2012-04-04T17:24:00.002-06:00

Back when I was growing up it "wasn't easy being green" and healthy meant, well...granola. These days with the amazing advances of the food industry, technology and the raging trend towards health products be it for anti aging or general health, I am constantly amazed at the phenomenal products on the market, but also the crap ones.

Hats of to Galen Weston. I mean, not only is he the richest man in Canada, but he's cutting edge with food trends, cycles and health products. The now several years old launch of his "blue menu" line included some great starts for those looking to cur back on fat or calories. Over the past few years, he's super sized this menu, including the latest healthy grains and products, gone more "natural" and is on the bleeding edge of all health trends from Omega oils to no trans fat. It's much easier to admire a Billionaire with a healthy attitude over, say...McDonalds!

Anyway, my recent favorite blue menu product is their natural peanut butter. Banished from the house is Skippy or Kraft and the health food version with a substantial layer of "stuff" accumulating on top. This is a no mix, natural peanut butter with added Omega 3 that is light whipped in texture and packs an awesome peanut butter punch. If you happen to be passing by Superstore, pick up two!

And if you haven't been on a trip to Superstore in a while (I have to admit, I've been avoiding the place for almost a year now), you'll be surprised to see not only a full isle of natural products, health food, natural weight maintenance and baking ingredients, but also a full isle dedicated to products with soy. Being allergic to soy, the latter isle is of little interest to me, but the former - hello - heaven. Officially gone are the days where I am forced to stop by planet organic to purchase spelt flour, which is my most frequently used flour, or almond meal, flax or my favorite assortment of organic nuts and grains - they all happily reside in one isle and at a substantially less cost. I know I should be supporting Edmonton local businesses, but hey, some thing's gotta give!

A new bar I recently discovered in Mexico is called KIND. There is a full range of products from fruit and nut bars to bars with nutritional boosts (antioxidant, etc) as well as healthy grains snacks. Best thing: the low sugar count/low glycemic levels, gluten free and sometimes soy/milk free, low sodium and no transfat but completely natural product. Gone are the days of dreading to eat a trail mix bar as the sugar content rivals that of a can of soda! Nope, all natural, all good using lower glycemic level sugar equivalents. Perfect for the diabetic in the family or someone like yours truly that is addicted to sugar! AND...fancy that, now available at your local Superstore!

In fact, take a look at the general website for Superstore - it has some great links so you can take a run through all their products, recipes and tips on healthy living - it's a great start!

http://www.presidentschoice.ca/

The Mighty Yorkshire Pudding

2012-04-01T19:47:00.002-06:00

I know, the Yorkshire pudding for most is the equivalent of cornbread in the south or biscuit with stew, but when you are married to a Brit and have a pudding-crazed daughter, you'd better know how to whip up a batch of these babies and they have to be, well...spectacular!

Here's my dilemma: since my husband and I have been together, a traditional roast dinner with the fore mentioned mighty has been an every-other-week and only in the winter months, so practice doesn't allow to make perfect. Coupled with the fact that another family member suggested it was much easier to buy the powered package, add water and bake, it was an easy out not to find the best recipe or fine tune one's Yorkshire-making abilities. I know, I know - how disappointing. As most of you know, food from a package and add water is not my thing. In fact, it's basically against all the rules in my kitchen and it bugged me. Hubby tried on several occasions to make a batch, whether a Jamie Oliver recipe or any other celebrity chef who seems to know what he/she is doing, and they turned out, errr.. different. Yorkshire biscuits or pucks were more closely related to the final product coming out of the oven than a pudding.

My husband and I looked at one another and knew, we were in trouble. We'd have to crack this mystery. I mean, it's Yorkshire Puddings not a fine french souffle - every woman in Northern England can whip up a batch of killer puddings in 30 seconds or less and damn it, we were going to as well.

So today, the stars aligned. Hubby was hankering for a nice roast and we happened to recently invest in a small case of high quality cuts. With ipad in hand and maybe even a small prayer, I searched for yet again, the right Yorkshire pudding recipe. They were all basically the same: 1 part milk, 1 part flour, a few eggs and seasoning. But then again, these recipes were from Chefs who reside in England - big difference when it comes to the finer things like sea level and humidity. No, this is not a joke, you have no idea how a perfectly great cookie recipe can rock in Alberta and become a pancake in Newfoundland - sea level - and I've been there personally.

So, we decided to try to get the consistency closer to the "mix with water" kind of pudding. Our 1 part milk became more and our 1 part flour became less. In the oven it goes and.....slightly fluffier pucks. That's it, I'm mad, and I now have cold beef and gravy - not a good mix for Sunday roast. We quickly went back to the kitchen, David did some further research and came up with a few other great tips to consider:

Don't use olive oil or butter - these forms of oil have a lower burning point and will start smoking before the right temperature is reached in your oven
Add 2 Tablespoons of cold water and whisk in the mixture just before baking - I guess this is to bring the mixture back to it's former consistency, as it does thicken a bit while resting
Do not open the oven door while the puddings are cooking - think souffle

And it seems that everyone has their own theory on what technique makes the perfect Yorkshire Pudding. I'm glad to say, we've finally cracked it for Alberta! Follow this easy recipe with a few quirky steps and you'll have light, fluffy puddings to proudly present as the masterpiece to your next Sunday roast!

Yorkshire Pudding

Ingredients

3/4 cup flour
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp. salt
pepper

Directions

In a medium sized bowl, add all ingredients and whisk together until the mixture is both foamy and lump free. It's vital to use a whisk to incorporate as much air into the batter as possible.

Let the mixture rest for about 30 minutes; if you are making the batter earlier in the day, you can cover and place in the fridge.

Set the oven to 425. Take a muffin pan and place 1/4 - 1/2 tsp. canola or vegetable oil in each muffin insert. Use a towel to wipe the oil around the insert and a little left over is a good thing! Place the muffin pan into the oven to warm. You will know and smell when it's time to add the batter - you will smell the oil and it will be at it's smoking point.

Quickly give the batter a good whisk again and add 2 - 3 Tbsp. cold water into the batter and incorporate to loosen the mixture. Pull the pan out of the oven and fill each muffin insert 1/2 - 3/4 full with batter. Place the pan back in the oven, shut the door and wait....

20 - 22 minutes was enough for our oven to convert the batter to puddings: remember not to open your oven door during cooking, simply use your oven light. Remove from oven when they are nicely brown and enjoy!

For Lana

2012-03-25T20:43:00.001-06:00

I have a great colleague (actually, MANY great colleagues!) at my not-so-new job that's made my transition into this new role a bit easier with her welcome smile, taking the time to answer my often simple questions and her amazingly optimistic view on well...everything! To boot, she's really motivated me by her stories of adventure with her kids and the chia seed trail she leaves around the office! It's great to have someone around the water cooler with a similar quirky view on life and a shared excitement over slipping flaxseed into cookie recipes!

So...this one is for Lana! Thanks for the encouragement and your great spirit! I love having someone that inspires me, just down the hallway!

I found a vegan and quite healthy cookie recipe online that I've tweaked to make my own - excellent as a breakfast bar or just a quick pick-me-up! The ingredients might surprise you, but don't turn the page! I encourage you to give them a try! With three very different tastes in this household and three thumbs up, it's worth the effort. And who'd think you could replace eggs with flax seeds and water, hey Lana? :-)

Healthy Oatmeal and Chocolate Treats

Ingredients

2 tsp. ground flaxseed
2 Tbsp. water
1 cup quick oats
1 cup spelt flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/3 cup good quality chocolate chips
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup maple syrup OR agave syrup
1 banana, mashed
1/2 tsp. lemon juice

Directions

Set the over to 350.

In a small mixing bowl, combine the flaxseeds and water and set aside until thickened, about ten minutes.

Mix the oats, flour, soda, powder, salt and cinnamon in a mixing bowl. Add the chocolate.

Add the remaining wet ingredients, including the flaxseed/water in another bowl, mix well. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and stir until combined, but DO NOT overmix.

On a prepared baking sheet, drop heaping Tablespoons of the mixture on the sheet and flatten the cookies slightly with the back of a fork. Bake for 8-12 minutes, until the cookies start to brown on the bottom.

Remove from the oven, let cool and store in a container for up to 2 days. I like to freeze these and just take them out of the freezer as needed!

Stella for 2012

2012-03-18T12:42:00.001-06:00

It's been awhile since I've blogged or even dove into my Stella and Dot business. The styles are fabulous, on trend and affordable, but life just became way too hectic this past six months. Now that I'm a bit more comfortable with my new job and Hubby is settling into retirement (not to mention you can feel Spring about to sprout!), I'm starting to get excited about this line again!

April will be the launch of the summer capsule and with that, I'll officially launch back into business. Until then, I'd like to give you a sample of what was released for the big Spring 2012 line. Inspirations are in four distinct categories: Amalfi, Savanna, Urban Splendor and Handcrafted and Forged. Take a look...

Amalfi: the beautiful Italian Riviera, with sea hues and shades of the Mediterranean and a nod to mid century Italian style

Savanna: Both fashion forward and fearless in attitude, it's very Southern, if you know what I mean!

Urban Splendor: Eclectic, cosmopolitan, everyday pieces with a touch of global artistry.

Handcrafted and Forged: Probably needs no explanation...

Of course, let's not forget Stella's more recent venture into the handbag line. Thanks to some brilliant designers, these pieces are starting to take off

Whatever your style, love it, embrace it! Hope to see you on the Stella site soon, and for those locals, Trunk Shows are coming back to a living room near you!