It is time to start planning your Thanksgiving dinner! Thanksgiving is about more than just the turkey of course, it is about friends and family and football and feeling blessed by all of the wonderful things in your life. Okay, now lets get real, it is a little bit about the turkey, and the stuffing, and the mashed potatoes and all of the other food favorites that you get to cook and indulge in once a year. Every family has at least one story revolving around food at Thanksgiving, whether it is a turkey that is so moist it practically … Continue reading →

We’ve always been able to feed our dogs table scraps thinking we were being kind to them. Now we have discovered feeding pets too many table scraps can be no good. This Christmas we encountered a problem. It seems that the off cuts of ham and pork that were fed to one little pooch ended up giving her a case of constipation. Since we had been encountered this once before with our other dog and it turned into a major drama, we were very quick to react. Of course it happened on a public holiday over the Christmas period when … Continue reading →

Handmade gifts can make the perfect Christmas gift especially for that hard to buy for person – you know the one I mean who seems to have everything. Nearly all of us know someone like that and it can be stressful trying to think what to give them. So why not give then something you have made yourself. Food products are nearly always welcome. In our food blog, you will find suggestions of slices, cookies and chocolates you can make. For those with a wheat and gluten allergy, many of them are gluten free. Don’t just put the gluten intolerant … Continue reading →

For me, trying to make exactly the same recipe again is like trying to re-crack an egg. It’s just impossible, because I can’t resist looking for ways to improve and alter it. That’s not a bad thing. Coming up to Christmas, handmade gifts are always appreciated. They’re good for the elderly and people in nursing homes. They’re good for the hard to buy person or those you simply don’t know well enough to know their taste but want to give a small gift too, people like a child’s teacher or a person who has helped you or done work for … Continue reading →

Have you ever had a dessert that you absolutely fell in love with? One that you dream of at night and placed on your list of foods to be included in your last meal on earth? That’s how I feel about the Chocolate Peppermint Cheesecake I was served at a friend’s house last Christmas. The decadent dessert is to die for. Honestly, I would contemplate swimming in shark-invested waters if it meant that I would be rewarded with a slice of this incredibly rich cheesecake. I included the recipe below in case you want to impress your friends at your … Continue reading →

Somewhere around now, I start getting a little “cookied” out. The mixing, the rolling, the baking, the decorating start to become more of a chore than an enjoyment. Still, there are cookie exchanges, cookie gifts, holiday parties, etc., when cookies are required. or, are they? If you are getting fed up with cookies, try one of these alternatives. Mini muffins Get a few mini muffin pans and bake up some goodness. These tiny muffin bites are just the thing to take the place of cookies. They can still be popped in the mouth and enjoyed, and a multitude of varieties … Continue reading →

My daughter’s school Christmas party is two days away and I haven’t bought a single ingredient for the dish I’m required to donate. Time has flown by this month and I’m behind of nearly all of my holiday baking. Fortunately, I have a stock of quick and easy Christmas treat recipes that can be whipped up at the last minute. If you need to donate holiday goodies to a class party or office get-together this week, consider the following super simple recipes: FRUIT CAKE BARS Ingredients: 2 1/2 cups flour 1/2 cup powdered sugar 1 cup butter or margarine 1 … Continue reading →