A simple recipe for Paska, a traditional Ukrainian bread that is baked in a tin and served during the Easter season.

As some of you may know, my family has a rich Ukrainian heritage. My maternal grandparents were born in Ukraine, but grew up on the Canadian Prairies. My Baba indelibly influenced my homesteading practices, including home canning, batch cooking, gardening and more.

As this horrible war on our motherland unfolds, my family and I are advocating, praying, donating and believing for a peaceful end soon. Each day I continue to bear witness to the war on Ukraine – I feel it is the least we all can do.

Even with all the sufffering, we still have Hope: Easter is just a few weeks away. I have so few words these days, just a crushing weight of emotions, which is why I bake and cook. Today’s recipe is very special to our culture; read on to learn about Paska.

A simple, stir-together cookie that yields delicious results in under 30 minutes.

I hosted my first cookie swap in 2006 and decided it was my favourite holiday party. It was a low-key, easy-to-plan gathering for this busy young mother.

I loved how the swap brought my friends together over coffee or punch, and had a practical side, too: a wide assortment of gorgeous, homemade Christmas cookies.

Today I’m sharing an updated version of a cookie that was ever present at those swaps: the beloved Gingersnap. With crispy edges, a chewy center and a deep, dark flavour, these Molasses Rye Spice Snaps are everyone’s favourite holiday treat.

From cobbler to Caprese, this recipe round-up is full of inspiration for cooking and baking with peaches.

Local peaches have arrived, and they are worthy of a spot on the table for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Nova Scotia’s stone fruits are slightly smaller than those in Niagara or the Okanagan (I’ve picked peaches in all three regions) but they are incredibly sweet, and in my opinion, unparalleled.

Just like the berries that arrive a month before them, stone fruits deserve their own kitchen celebration. Sure, they are delicious enjoyed fresh in hand, juices dripping, but cooking and baking with peaches really brings out their flavour.

In this post, I’m sharing my finest inspiration for cooking and baking with peaches. From cobbler to Caprese, these August recipes truly highlight the beautiful peach.

A recent rhubarb harvest inspired a baking project over the long weekend. I tossed rhubarb with lavender sugar and creamed butter with oats for the first ~ exquisite ~ fruit crisp of the season.

While I worked, I thought about how this rustic dessert is a perfect example of a zero waste recipe. I also realized I’ve never written about crisps or crumbles on this blog, despite the fact that I bake them up all. year. long.

So here we go! Kicking off this post are my genius zero waste tips for fruit crisps. By the end of this post, you’ll have a handy fruit crisp formula: a master recipe for this beloved dessert. And in between, I’ll inspire you to get creative with alternative ingredients for both fillings and toppings.

I’m also sharing my recipe for gluten-free, zero waste Nutty Fruit Crisp Topping. And I had to include instructions for a do-ahead, big-batch fruit crisp topping for those weekends when you’re feeding a crowd.

We have a lot to cover in this post, so let’s jump right in.

A simple tutorial for an old-fashioned doughnut recipe, with helpful cooking tips and suggestions for toppings.

A snow day last week provided the perfect occasion for an impromptu doughnut-making party. My youngest, Clara, and I rolled, cut, fried and glazed a perfect dozen. They didn’t last long.

My best doughnut recipe is for yeasted, lighter-than-air treats, scented with nutmeg, and not too sweet. We usually toss half in cinnamon sugar and glaze the rest with maple – a Canadian classic.

I know most of the country is in a deep freeze, and many (most?) of you have children home from school. This seems like an ideal time to share my best doughnut recipe.

Read on for tips, the tutorial, and – in my opinion- the best kept secret for making doughnuts at home.