Christmas Cookie Round-Up

Happy New Year.  I’m a little behind the eight ball already in the blogging department.  I’ve decided to make a couple changes, or more precisely bring back the savory side since I’m attempting to go gluten free for a month.  However, I made a few cookies for the holiday season, so I thought I’d share them as I work on recipes both sweet and savory.  Don’t worry, the treats you’ve come to expect will be going no where, but I’m always thankful for new savory recipes, so I’ll be sharing them too!

I’m also still trying to work through my back issues from last year.  I’m mending but very very slowly.  Please bare with me as I continue to heal.

So on to the cookies!

No just imagine 700 of these.  Yup, that’s a lot of cookies!!!

Happy New Years!!!

and thanks for looking :)

Easter Cookies

Short and simple post today.  I won’t be home for Easter but found the cutest cutters at Michaels and wanted to use them.  So I made some cookies for the girls.  The girls got to decorate cookies too with the somewhat over cooked mini’s I also baked this week.

We’ve all done it, multi-tasking sometimes doesn’t work in your favour.  OOOPS!  They still tasted great!

Once I composed myself and a day passed, I made these:

I think the chicks in eggs are my favourties!

Thanks for looking!

Linking with:
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Happy Independence Day–Our first July 4th :)

It’s only fair that if I do a Canada Day post I should be equal and do an Independence Day post. I mean I even went for a run this morning as I did on Friday morning!  However, with all the baking I’ve done recently I couldn’t possibly bake anything else.  So I got creative and simple.

Jell-O stars

and Strawberries, blueberries and cream!

Simple and super kid friendly!

Happy Independence Day USA…Have an amazing day :)

Thanks for looking!

Lemon/Cherry Canada Day Cake

If you read my Canada Day Post you know I made a few desserts.  Today I’m highlighting the cake.  It consisted of layers of vanilla sponge that had been moistened in lemon and cherry simple syrups.  I made two 8” round cakes and I coloured one using Americolor Super Red.  I mean it’s for Canada day so shouldn’t the cake be red and white?????

I used my standard vanilla sponge.

Recipe:

For Two 8x 2-inch cakes (40-50mins)

• 3 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tbls plus 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 6 large egg whites (3/4 cup)
• 1 ½ cup whole milk
• 8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 tbsp vanilla/lemon

1. Combine flour, baking powder and salt set aside.
2. Measure egg whites and add milt and set aside.
3. Cream butter and sugar together.  Add vanilla.
4. Alternate milk and flour into the creamed butter.
5. When mix, divide into two.  Colour one with 1/2 tsp red gel food colouring.  Pour into 8” pans.
6. Bake at 350 for 40-50minutes or until tester comes out clean.
7. Cool completely.

The simple syrups are quite easy and keep in the fridge for a while.

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup lemon or cherry juice

1. Whisk until combined and heat over medium heat until sugar is dissolved

Even out each cake and then divide into two layers each.  Brush the simple syrups on to their respective layers.  Cherry on red, lemon on white!

The layers are separated by lemon buttercream and it’s crumb coated in the buttercream as well.  I covered the cake in homemade fondant and decorated with different sized maple leaves.  Abby and Rowan helped me with the border.  I rolled out the red and then used the open end of a piping tip and cut out circles of red fondant.  They rolled them into little balls and placed them around the cake.  Team work was greatly appreciated!

It’s a simple cake but the syrups really pack a nice punch!

Thanks for looking!

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Happy Canada Day 2011!

Hey,
I'm not a lumber jack
Or a fur trader
And I don't live in an igloo
Or eat blubber
Or own a dog sled
And I don't know
Jimmy, Sally or Suzie from Canada
Although I'm sure they're really really nice
I have a Prime Minister not a President
I speak English and French not American
And I pronounce it about not "a-boot"
I can proudly sew my country's flag on my backpack
I believe in peacekeeping not policing
Diversity not assimilation
And that the beaver is a truly proud and noble animal
A toque is a hat a chesterfield is a couch
And it is pronounced "zed" not "zee" "zed"!
Canada is the 2nd largest landmass!
The 1st nation in hockey!
And the best part of North America!
My name is Karen and I am Canadian!

Best rant ever, this was used in Molson Canadian Beer commercial circa 2005

So many changes this year and of course the biggest of them all is that we no longer live in Ottawa, Canada’s capital city.  Rob told me that this was the first time in 10 years he hasn’t been on Parliament Hill to celebrate Canada’s birthday, so weird right????? and with William and Kate there too :)

As we are away from “home” we decided to really do it up Canadian!  Rob asked me to make a cake for his office and then do up some other truly Canadian foods.  A little more difficult in the south, but I love a good challenge!

The Menu:

Appetizer: Poutine

Main: Canadian bacon on a bun

Dessert*: Raspberry and Lemon Cake with Fondant maple leafs, decorated sugar cookies and butter tarts

Beer: Molson Canadian, Labatt Blue and Moosehead

* I will do separate posts on each of the desserts, I leave this post to the savory!

The Recipes:

Poutine:

• fries
• cheese curds - are the solid parts of soured milk either eaten alone or used in various regional dishes, mostly in Canada, the northeastern and midwestern United States. These beauties were brought down from Canada from Rob’s mum, Nancy, who is visiting over the holidays!
  
  
• beef gravy

1. In the above order, in a bowl add fries (baked are good, deep fried are better), cheese curds (bought at ) and pour gravy over top.
2. The Gravy: In a saucepan, over medium heat, combine 2 tbsp butter and 2 tbsp flour. Stir until incorporated. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes for a dark roux. Stir in the 2 cups beef stock. Bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and continue cooking for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and keep warm.  Add salt and pepper to taste.
3. Enjoy!

Canadian Bacon on a Bun:

• Canadian bacon
• Buns

1. BBQ thick slices of Canadian bacon.
2. Toast buns.
3. Add bacon to bun et voila! 
4. so easy right? I’m not sure it could be any easier!

Desserts:

Again, I’m going to do separate posts on each of these because really that’s what I do, so I’ll tempt you with pics!

Thanks for coming by for Canada Day!!!

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July 1st and 4th…it’s all about the cookies isn’t it???

Just wanted to show you what kind of cookies we are sharing for our two national holidays!!!  As a true Canadian living in the United States it’s only right that we celebrate both days!  Besides isn’t two fun days better than one? Also, all I need to add is a little blue to the already red and white and voila I’m ready for the 4th!

I totally stole this first idea from Occasion Cookies at http://occasionalcookies.blogspot.com/2011/06/more-lollipop-sugar-cookies.html.  The ladies over there give a fantastic how-to on these bad boys.  They got two thumbs up from my girls.

The Canadian

The American

The Happy!

I then made some royal icing decorated cookies.

First up some patriotic flags.

Then a few stars.

And finally, you can’t have national birthdays without fireworks!  It’s just wrong.  Saw this on the cover of Martha Stewart Living and thought that’s something I must do!

Thanks for looking!

If you are interested in ordering cookies, check out my order info page above!

Linking with:
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