Welcome to Sunday Favourites, where we share some of the best things that we’ve seen through the week. Perhaps it’s a blog post that caught our eye, a product we’ve been wishing for, a song that we can’t get out of our heads, or simply something that makes us grin from ear to ear.

• This pumpkin cream cheese from Tracy at Shutterbean tastes as great as it looks. It’s definitely a must-try.

• We cannot get over each of Tara’s post on her site, Seven Spoons. Her Maple Walnut Custard Piepost is no exception- it’s absolutely wonderful.

• These Bonfire Sticks from Dan Lepard over at The Guardian look simple and delicious- perfect for any cold autumn/winter evening.

• We absolutely love this Pumpkin Gnocchi post from Happyolks. The video, the writing, and the photos are absolutely wonderful!

• This list of Fall Favorite Cookbooks by Megan over at A Sweet Spoonful is just what we needed to keep up with the great cookbooks that have been released this season.

So, tell us, what sites / posts caught your eye this week?

Winnie Abramson is an inspiring photographer, writer and baker. She creates beautiful, healthy recipes in her green kitchen, and shares them on her blog, The Healthy Green Kitchen. We’re regularly inspired by the light Winnie captures and the way she transforms ingredients. Between her training as a naturopath, life as a mother of two, and ventures into chicken and bee-keeping, Winnie’s perspective is fresh and always brings us back to her site. Today, we’re lucky to be able to get to know her a little bit better while sharing with you.

What is your favorite part about being in the kitchen with your kids?
My kids both love being in the kitchen, and this of course makes me very happy. While I adore them just being around when I am cooking (most weeknights, they do their homework at our kitchen island while I make dinner), I absolutely love it when they decide they want to make something on their own. My daughter is 9 and she loves to bake; my son is 12 and he’s more of a cook. I give them a lot of autonomy (as much as is safe and reasonable, anyway) and enjoy seeing what they come up with. The clean-up is another story, but we won’t talk about that ;)

What is the one thing you hope they never lose about their relationship or experience with food?
I hope my kids will always have a healthy relationship to food, that’s they’ll always be adventurous eaters, and that they’ll always want to share home cooked meals with family and friends.

Your parents owned the Quilted Giraffe (a prominent New York restaurant) when you were growing up. How has that influenced your experience and understandings of food?
I could go on and on about how that experience shaped my feelings about food, but to keep it brief: I think above all I learned about the importance of procuring the highest quality ingredients and using them in uncomplicated, yet creative ways.

What ingredient is never missing from your pantry or fridge?
I keep chickens, so I guess it would be eggs. I’ve always got organic salted butter on hand, too, though.

What is one ingredient you wish you had tried sooner?
I guess I’d have to say fontina cheese. I just discovered it this summer.

What recipe idea has been bumping around in your head, that you can’t wait to make?
Funny you should ask. I saw this maple glazed date cake in an issue of Donna Hay magazine last fall and I’ve been wanting to play with the recipe to incorporate pumpkin. I finally did so yesterday…it came out great!

How does your career as a naturopathic doctor influence the way you look at food?
Because of my naturopathic education, I see food as much more than just fuel or something that makes us feel good. I see it as having the power to harm or to heal. I am very conscious of the fact that there is not one way to eat healthy- we are all unique individuals with different dietary needs. I try to feature a wide variety of recipes on my blog because of this; I really try to make whole, real foods as creative and beautiful and appealing as possible.

What was the first food blog you ever read?
The first blog I ever read was Gluten Free Girl, and I continue to enjoy Shauna’s work to this day.

What is the most recent addition to your list of must-read websites?
Wow that is a tough question. There are so many excellent blogs, and I discover new ones I love every week. If I had to name the one I’ve most recently fallen in love with though, it would be Fresh New England.

Three words. Go.
1. Family 2. Food 3. Fun

It was such a pleasure to have you here, Winnie. Thank you for taking the time to chat with us!

All photos courtesy of Winnie Abramson.

We apologize for the lack of posting lately, but we’re making our way back with some link love!

So, welcome to Sunday Favourites, where we share some of the best things that we’ve seen through the week. Perhaps it’s a blog post that caught our eye, a product we’ve been wishing for, a song that we can’t get out of our heads, or simply something that makes us grin from ear to ear.

• We can’t get over how heavenly these Seckel Pears and Espresso Mascarpone Cream from Minimally Invasive look. Om nom nom!

• This is such a beautiful beet cake video. I think we could watch this over, and over, and over… – we think you get our drift ;)

• Stainless Steel Drinking Straws- genius!

• Nutella Swirl Pound Cake. Need we say more?

• We’re warning you, this recipe for Honey and Toasted Nutmeg Ice Cream from Tara over at Seven Spoons will leave you swooning!

• These Golden Postickers from the lovely Heidi at 101 Cookbooks? The perfect finger food, especially for a long flight!

So, tell us- what caught your eye this week?

Of course, homemade mixes surely should not be limited to those of us with food sensitivities. The best part of homemade mixes is the fact that you can make it yourself with a handful of your favourite recipes. There are certain types of recipes that they work much better for than others- when all the dry ingredients are added at once, it works best. Otherwise, you need multiple bags or jars and that can become a chore, rather than a quick solution.

Start by labeling your ziptop bag with the recipe and the instructions. If using a jar, you can write an instruction card for it.

Then, gather everything you need. The dry ingredients necessary, a medium-sized bowl and measuring cups and spoons.

Folding over the edges of your ziptop bag can help to make sure everything gets in the bag rather than some powder escaping into the bowl. Having the bag in the bowl also helps to prop it up and prevent spillage.

Add all of the ingredients.

When you’re done, zip it up, shake it, and it’s ready to be stored for future use.

When it comes time to use, pour it into the bowl.

Then whisk it up and use as your recipe instructs!

For some great recipes to use as mixes, check out these links:
Gluten-Free Millet Biscuits (as pictured)
Fluffy Gluten-Free Pancakes
Gluten-Free Banana Bread

Merry-Jennifer Markham is a talented writer and blogger whose honesty is always laid out on the page. She inspires us with her marvelous recipes, kind heart and willingness to give. As a full-time oncologist, and mother of two, she has a unique perspective. Merry-Jennifer writes at The Merry Gourmet, where she chronicles her life through food. We’re regularly inspired by Merry-Jennifer, so today we’re thrilled to share her with you as we get to know her better.

What was the first food blog you ever read?
The first true food blog I ever read was Smitten Kitchen. I was finally able to meet Deb in person last month at IFBC in New Orleans, and it was so great to meet the woman whose blog inspired me from day one and continues to do so now.

What is your most recent addition to your list of must-read websites?
The most recent blog I’ve added to my Google Reader list is Lottie + Doof. I’m hooked on that blog. His style and photographs draw me in.

What is your first kitchen memory?
My mom didn’t really like to cook, but one year when I was growing up she decided to make homemade grape jelly from the Muscadine grapes that grew on the 100 year old grapevine on our property. The grapes ripened each July and August, the hottest months in north Florida. We had no air conditioning in our house, and there were no fans in our tiny kitchen. I remember her sweating away, straining hot grapes and their near-black juice through cheesecloth, during the jelly making process. It was pretty great jelly, but she refused to make it again because of the heat.

What is your favourite part about being in the kitchen with your kids?
Seeing them develop a love for creating with food is the best. My daughter has gone from a picky eater to the most adventurous eater in my home, besides me. She tells me that she’ll eat anything I make. I love that.

What is the one thing you hope they never lose about their relationship or experience with food?
I had such hangups about food when I was growing up. I grew up in a home where I had to eat everything on my plate, no matter how many hours it took. Weight issues became a big thing for me as a teenager, not helped at all by the fact that my father liked to point out if I looked chubby. I was always on some fad diet or another. My kids simply enjoy their food, and they have fun with it. They don’t have the emotional baggage that I do with food.

How does your career as an oncologist influence the way you look at food and blogging?
I’m constantly being asked by patients what they should eat while on chemotherapy, or what they should eat (or not eat) to avoid cancer from returning or developing. I also witness a lot of patients lose their sense of taste, or have an altered sense of taste, while on chemotherapy or radiation, and those are devastating side effects. And, besides the simple facts that cooking and writing for my blog are therapeutic creative outlets for me, I have a real appreciation for the simple act of eating a meal and tasting it fully. When so many of my patients can’t, I refuse to take eating and tasting for granted.

What was the last thing you ate?
A simple meal of pot roast and new potatoes, made in the pressure cooker. The only one who refused to eat it was my almost-five year old. He’s still in his hot dog phase.

What ingredient is never missing from your pantry or fridge?
Olive oil and balsamic vinegar, potatoes, canned beans, rice, eggs, dried pastas, steel cut oatmeal, stone ground grits. That’s not terribly exciting, is it? I keep a lot of basic pantry items for quick dinners during the week. On the weekends, I tend to shop both days for the evening meals. I like very my produce very fresh, so we shop for that a few times during the week.

What recipe idea has been bumping around in your head, that you can’t wait to make?
I can’t say that there is just one. I tend to have multiple ideas floating around at any one time. I keep a running list on Google Docs, and I also keep scraps of paper with recipe ideas shoved in my work bag and purse. The dish that I’m on a mission to perfect – or at least find the best version of – is shrimp and grits. I just can’t get enough of those.

Three words. Go.
Live. Dream big.

Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with us, Merry-Jennifer. It’s an honour to have you here.

All photos courtesy of Merry-Jennifer Markham.

I’m the kind of person who doesn’t check ingredients before starting a recipe. This is usually a problem. I’ll be in the middle of creaming butter and sugar when I realize I’m out of eggs, or measuring dry ingredients when I notice there’s only 1/4 cup flour left. I’m constantly at the grocery store buying new supplies.

Except baking powder.

I think we’ve been using the same tin for years now. It just never runs out! The other day I flipped it over and saw that the expiration date had long gone. Luckily, it’s simple to check your baking powder for freshness.

Fill a small bowl with warm water.

Measure out about a teaspoon of baking powder and dump it into the water.

The baking powder should immediately fizz and bubble, letting you know it’s fresh. If there’s no action, throw it out.

Welcome to Sunday Favourites, where we share some of the best things that we’ve seen through the week. Perhaps it’s a blog post that caught our eye, a product we’ve been wishing for, a song that we can’t get out of our heads, or simply something that makes us grin from ear to ear.

• We love the show Good Eats for its fun food science, reliable recipes, and of course, its quirky host Alton Brown. The show taped its last episode this week after 13 years on-air. Listen to this NPR interview with Alton Brown himself about the series finale.

• Whether or not you’re planning a wedding, you’ll appreciate this DIY cupcake wrapper tutorial from Offbeat Bride. All you need is paper, tape, and some creativity!

• Larabars are gluten free, raw, vegan, and surprisingly delicious. Make your own with this recipe for homemade Larabars. She says they taste like Snickers, how could you go wrong?

• You can never have enough teapots, and we’re smitten with this raw chocolate teapot on Etsy. Wheel thrown, with a chocolate stoneware exterior and a glossy sea foam green interior, it makes us want to snuggle into the fall chill with a cup of chamomile.

• Do you think in 140 characters? Check out David Lebovitz’s post on a behind-the-scenes visit to Twitter headquarters in San Fransisco.

What caught your eye this week?

With the recent earthquake and hurricane hitting the East Coast, we couldn’t help but think about those in need, especially those in Japan. While there isn’t much media coverage in Japan anymore, this doesn’t mean everything is back to the way it was. People are still struggling. Families are still broken. Children wake up without their parents. Mothers wake up each morning without their children or their husband. There are people still suffering.

When we heard our friend Tara Austen Weaver (we interviewed Tara, here, a while back) wrote an e-book to help raise money for those in Japan who have had their lives shattered by the earthquake and tsunami. In her beautifully written e-book, Tales from High Mountain (Part 1), Tara writes of her experiences in Japan. She writes about her childhood visits to Japan with her brother and mother, her struggle to learn the language on a three-month-long trip as an adult, her struggle to be understood, and her struggle to feel as if she fit-in in Japan and in her own country. She speaks of the holidays she experienced, and notes that food, family, and tradition are at the center of the culture she was able to learn about while staying with a family in Takayama.

Her three-month trip ends with her arriving back home in California, longing for a culture that she became accustomed to. Missing Takayama, in the end, she fights her way back in the country after arguing with doctors, lawyers, and her insurance company to let her go back.

That is just part of the story. A bit of part one.

The details:

In addition to the three months and part of her childhood she spent in Japan, she includes several photos and (both traditional and non-traditional) recipes. For just $3.99, we’re absolutely thrilled that anyone can have access to the book without hurting their pockets.

We insist that you download a copy of the e-book today. It’s available on Kindle and as a PDF version. We highly recommend the latter.

For more information on Tara’s efforts, please click here.

To purchase the PDF version, click here.
To purchase the Kindle version, click here.

Just over 2 weeks ago, one of our dear blogging friends, Jennifer Perillo of In Jennie’s Kitchen was struck by tragedy. Her husband and best friend, Mikey suddenly passed away. A massive heart attack stole his life. Within a split second, Jennie was left to take care of her two lovely daughters – 3 and 8 years-old- alone.

In the food blogging community, one is never alone unless they need to be. We help those, as they were our own loved one, just as Jennie would. Today in partnership with Bloggers without Borders, we’re doing what we can to help Jennie and her family. In addition to strongly encouraging you to donate whatever you can to help (using the button, which goes directly to paypal, at the bottom of this post), we’re auctioning off packages from the each of us. Think of it as purchasing 5 gift baskets at once, filled with the things we love which will arrive in your mailbox one by one. All of the proceeds will go straight to Jennie.

Here’s what you’re bidding on (a 5 for 1 deal!):

From Lauren- an 8×10 photo print & a can of Quebec Maple Syrup.

From Elissa- an 8×10 photo print & a jar of Maine blueberry jam.

From Kamran- an 8×10 photo print, a variety of Homemade Indian Sweets* & a jar of his Great-Grandmum’s sweet mango chutney.

From Tessa- an 8×10 photo print, a Microplane zester & a Le Creuset spatula.

From Hannah- an 8×10 photo print & a set of 4 custom made photo postcards (pictured above)

Note: Photo prints are winners choice – we’ll let you pick from our archives or opt for a surprise assortment.

*Some sweets are naturally gluten-free; let us know if you need them to be. If you’ve food allergies or anything of the like, we can bake you something of your choice, instead. 

Bidding starts at $100. Please leave your bid in the comments of this post. Be sure to leave a valid email address in the form that we can use to contact you if you win. Bidding ends August 31st at 7pm EDT

US & Canadian addresses only (but if you are outside North America and would like to bid, the food items can be switched out for additional photo prints.) The items will be sent separately to the winner, from our respective locations.

If you’re unable to bid, but would like to donate to A Fund for Jennie, please click on this Bloggers Without Border Button (it will take you straight to the PayPal account). Every dollar counts! For a list of other auctions around the blogosphere benefiting Jennie Perillo, head here.

No one can contest that we need food. It is a matter of simple survival. However, when it comes to the community surrounding one’s experience with food, there are numerous possibilities. My favourite part of creating food is the act of sharing it with those I love. Watching something I have bred love into–that bring joy to others– is wholly satisfying. Don’t get me wrong – I adore eating what I make as well, but the ability to share adds so much to the experience.

This summer, I’ve had the pleasure of cooking with and for a handful of friends. More often than not, someone comes into the kitchen (or to the market) with an idea. On some days that is inkling, and on others, it is a full-blown menu plan. No matter how it begins, we end up in the kitchen. Tasks get divvied-up and the meal begins to take shape. Occasionally, music will be playing and we’ll sway as we cook. Conversation flows and memories are recalled as we create new ones.

Sitting down with good food and even better company is the best gift. Time is the one thing that we never know how much we may have, so sharing it with those we love is not a wasted effort. Roasted potatoes eaten out of the pan, warm-from-the-oven banana bread given while walking out the door, grilled halloumi salad, and peanut butter pie all mean different people to me. Food starts out as nourishment, and with a little love becomes memories. Quiet nights are just as valuable as dynamic ones, as the most important part is always the company.

Never underestimate the power of sharing a meal with those you love.

Who have you shared a meal with lately? What made it special?