Inspiration 365: Day 29

Fondue. Love.

Grew up on oil fondues in the 70s, graduated to cheese fondues in the 80s and was most recently introduced to {healthy} broth fondues in the 90s {Thanks, Jan!}.

Fondue has been a New Year’s Eve tradition for most of my adult life. A perfect meal to inspire recollection and thought to the future. A time to contemplate the past, and consider the days ahead.

Marshall, Cierra and I enjoyed a simple broth fondue tonight. We simmered beef, cauliflower, red and yellow peppers, mushrooms and pearl onions over many varied matters of conversation.

When all was said and done, the remaining broth—having housed those delicious meats and vegetables for the past hour or so—beckoned to be transformed into a hearty soup. There was a handful of veggies left, about a dozen cubes of beef, a few baby carrots and an onion all wanting to hop in the pot to join the party. Cierra had the idea to add our newly purchased, yet-to-be-tried Quinoa noodles, to great success.

Here’s to supper tomorrow night… Can hardly wait.

{ Psst… I love to receive feedback on my posts. Please leave your comments whenever you feel inspired to do so! }

Inspiration 365: Day 20

You know those times when you see a product in a store that you think looks super cool, but… well, you’re not too sure if it’s really gonna work as well as they say it will? So you go home and look it up online, and… yah, people say it’s cool, but… really?

So the item falls to the back of your mind until you come across it again in another store. Damn. That thing really looks so cool. You add it to your Christmas ‘maybe’ list for the kids. You continue to investigate online—customer reviews, photos, blog references. Yep. Trés cool.

What the heck. It is reasonably priced, available for purchase in your neighbourhood, and again… seems really, really cool. You go for it. You wrap it up all purdy, and eagerly anticipate your children unwrapping it, and reveling in its glory more so than any other gift under the tree.

{Who are we kidding? There was a remote-control helicopter under the tree this year.}

But you know what? I nailed it. ZOKU nailed it. Their Quick Pop maker is everything they said—and I hoped—it would be, and it is without question the gift we have all spent the most time enjoying since its unveiling Christmas Day. Elegant design, simple use, fail-proof instructions, creative recipes and the opportunity to spend time exploring adventurous flavour combinations for—and with—my kids.

Go check it out. You know you want to. ZOKU Quick Pop Maker.
And yah, it can make grown-up pops too.

Chocolate Peanut Butter with Fresh Strawberries

Inspiration 365: Day 17

Tasty Tuesday…

For 2012…

I have been contemplating these past few days on what my 2012 Daily Post will be. My Grateful Statements have been wonderful—though challenging at times—to write. What I set out to achieve was certainly accomplished within the first 30 posts. I had hoped my friends, family and followers on Facebook and this blog, would catch the wave and consider their own gratitude for things big and small. I had hoped they would share their gratitude with others as well, and so on… My heart danced when I would read somebody’s Facebook status update starting with the words, “I am so grateful that…”

In 2012 I am going to widen the scope to include all inspirations—what this blog was originally designed to capture and share. So for 365 days, I will not let my camera or notepad leave my side. I will be scouring both the soft-copy and hard-copy versions of this extraordinary world, and the people who populate it, for excerpts of creativity, spontaneity, design, wisdom, humour, beauty, flavour, joy—all things inspired and inspiring.

As always, you are encouraged to leave feedback and comments {please!}, and share with us what inspires you.

The purpose of all this? To open our eyes to beauty—inside + out. And to share.

Enjoy… and Happy New Year!

Food in Colour

You’ve heard it before… Try to combine as many colours in your meals as possible. Here is some inspiration for you.

This collection of vegetables made for a most nutrilicious salad for both lunch and supper today…




Another colourful meal from last Autumn: Lean Italian sausages, grilled sweet potatoes and zucchini, raw vegetables, and a sliced hard boiled egg…


What are your favourite, most colourful foods?

“JoeGirl Approved” Cookies!

These flourless, sugarless cookies are a breeze to make when you need a guilt-free sweet. Of course, if you eat a dozen, the guilt-free idea might as well be tossed out the window. Enjoyed with an espresso or cup of tea, these dense and chewy cookies simply cannot be beat when you need a little healthy indulgence.

3 ripe bananas
2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup unsweetened carob chips
1/4 cup currants
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon

Combine wet ingredients, then add dry. Mix well. Scoop into 1" balls and flatten. Bake at 375° for 25 minutes.

Topped with melted sweetened carob chips (the unsweetened ones do not melt), and a pecan half.

Ooey Gooey Goodness: Hallowe’en Popcorn Balls

Despite my attempted avoidance of all things sugary and sweet, I couldn’t resist making up a batch of these Popcorn Balls with the boys today. Something fun we could do together, which I knew they would enjoy in anticipation of Hallowe’en ahead.

What you need:
[makes about 18 balls]

16 cups of popcorn
10 cups mini-marshmallows
3/4 cup butter
1 cup Smarties or M&Ms
1 cup Candy Corn
1 cup mini-marshmallows for glue

How to make them:
1. Combine popcorn and candies in a VERY large bowl.

2. Melt butter and marshmallows over medium-high heat, just like when you make Rice Krispie Squares. When smooth, add to popcorn mixture, and stir quickly to combine evenly. You may need to use your hands, but be sure to butter them or you'll be all stuck together! Oh, the Smarties or M&Ms will melt a little, but that's what gives the balls their all-over chocolatey goodness!

3. Form moderately-tight balls with your hands. Allow to cool/dry on waxed paper for several hours.

Ooey Gooey Glue:
Melt 1 cup of mini marshmallows in the microwave for about 20 seconds on high. Stir well. You’ll have to reheat the marshmallow glue several times throughout the project to keep it pliable.

Decorate with licorice strings and allsorts, gummy worms, Smarties, etc...

Happy Hallowe’en!

Palette: Chicken and Broccoli

Yep. I’m on a health kick. And that means very few simple carbohydrates, plenty of protein and oodles of green vegetables. The challenge with my meal plan (diet), is finding new ways to prepare the same old ingredients. I wasn’t feeling particularly hungry tonight, never mind creative. The refrigerator offered little more than a leftover chicken breast, a head of broccoli, some sliced mushrooms and a few soon-to-be-wilted green onions. Better use ‘em up…

I steamed the broccoli, sautéed the chicken and mushrooms with a splash of oyster sauce, and topped it all with the green onions. It was amazing, and I am stuffed.

“Chicken and Broccoli”: Pantone 476C, 465C, 575C, 7492C

Pantone is a colour system used primarily by graphics professionals and offset printers. As always, if you’d like to know paint equivalents for these colours, simply post a comment with your request, and I will be oh-so-happy to oblige!

[Please comment with your thoughts on this palette, and if you would like to see more colours in the future. Thanks!]

Tasty Tuesday: Garden Frittata

1. Heat 6" skillet with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil (no more than a teaspoon).
2. Toss diced green and red peppers, asparagus, mushrooms and onions until tender, though still colourful.

3. In small bowl, combine two egg whites and one whole egg. Beat until frothy.
4. Pour over veggies in pan, reduce heat to low, and cover until eggs are cooked through.


5. Serve with a couple handfuls of mixed salad, or plenty of steamed green beans.

Delicious, and oh-so-good for you!

[Frittata: Calories: 135, Fat: 5g, Carbs: 1g, Protein: 13g]

The New Caesar

One of our favourite graphic design clients, Nancy, had me over for lunch one day, many years ago. Nancy is an incredible lady—appreciative of the finer things in life, especially food. She prepared and served a phenomenal cheddar soufflé—which, by the way, is so frikkin easy you’ll want to make it your Friday night favourite—and this Caesar salad.

Never have I tasted such a “clean” Caesar—no mayonnaise or heavy cream to clog the arteries…no way! This is going to become your go-to recipe for buffets and brunches, parties and pot lucks. Don’t be intimidated by the eggs, bacon or croutons—you can do as little or as much of this as you like. It’s the dressing that makes this Caesar salad so delectable.

1 clove garlic, crushed (or a dollop of the jar stuff from the grocery store)
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp mustard
1/8 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp pepper
3/8 cup olive oil
1 tbsp anchovy paste, or 2-4 anchovies, finely chopped
(anchovy paste comes in a boxed tube, usually in the section where you get
pickles and mustards)

Romaine lettuce, torn into bite sized pieces

2 hard boiled eggs
4 strips bacon
French bread, torn or cut into croutons
Fresh grated parmesan cheese (tastes way better than the stuff in a can)

— Fry bacon until just crisp. Remove from pan. Do NOT drain fat.
— Toss croutons into bacon fat, and fry on low until croutons are crispy and
tossed in fat, about 20 minutes (Your house is going to smell amazing!)
— Mix dressing ingredients (I put all in a sealable cup or container and
just shake it)
— Slice eggs and toss with crumbled bacon, croutons and lettuce.
— Add dressing just before serving.

If you’re feeling particularly adventurous, and would like to experience Nancy’s entire meal, try this fabulous recipe for Easy Cheese Soufflé, from Canadian Living Magazine—best fool-proof recipes ever.

Beef Stroganoff

Meh. I didn’t love it… wasn’t the flavour I was hoping for. More like a beef stew, with roasted onions. Don’t get me wrong—I love onions, but for some reason beef stew has never been a favourite of mine, and tonight’s Stroganoff simply reminded me too much of stew.

Nonetheless, here’s the recipe for those of you eager to try something quick and easy, and perfect for an Autumn supper.

Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff

Put in crock pot:
2-3 pounds stew meat
1 tsp. salt
dash of pepper
1 onion, sliced

Mix in a bowl and pour over meat:
¼ tsp. garlic salt
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1½ cups beef broth
1 tablespoon ketchup

Cook in crock pot on low for 7-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours. When cooked make a simple roux by whisking 1/3 cup flour with enough apple juice (about 5-6 tablespoons) to make a thick but still pourable flour mixture. Whisk the roux into the crock pot and add 4 ounces sliced mushrooms. Cook on high for 15-30 minutes. Then stir in ½ cup sour cream. Serve over broad egg noodles.

I have lots of nice easy recipes. Stay tuned…

30 Seconds to Sangria!

We’re finally heading into a hot weekend here in Ottawa, and I want to be prepared to enjoy every moment. This has been a Summer of unpredictable weather, chilly mornings and rainy afternoons, so the next few days promise lots of outdoor adventures, dancing in the street, and cool drinks on the front porch.

One of our favourites to mix up on demand is the easiest Sangria imaginable.

Ingredients:
. 1 750ml bottle of any red wine you can find. Even the cheap stuff will do.
. 1 can frozen Five Alive Citrus
. A big, sweet, juicy orange

Mix it up!
. Pour the red wine into a typical juice jug.
. Add the can of frozen Five Alive.
. Top with cold water, orange slices and ice cubes.
. Decant into a festive pitcher and enjoy with friends!

This recipe was given to Andrew by a Mexican woman with whom he once worked. If she can get away with making Sangria this way, we all can!

What’s your favourite Summertime beverage?

Holà!