by on March 27, 2020   •   3 Comments Dinner

How to Make Homemade Macaroni and Cheese

Two recipes for creamy homemade macaroni and cheese – classic and deluxe – made from scratch. Essential comfort food for all.

A friend recently asked me for my homemade macaroni and cheese recipe, after a meal we shared together. Our combined six children had made short work of the baked casserole – no surprise there!

It was then I realized that I never use a recipe for homemade macaroni and cheese. I always cook by instinct – béchamel + pasta + cheese – each time adapting the recipe to use what I have on hand.

Well, it’s high time I share my method for homemade macaroni and cheese here on the blog. This has felt like the longest March absolutely ever and comfort food has seldom been so necessary.

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by on March 23, 2020   •   Leave a Comment Bakeshop

Tips for Baking with Kids

Simple tips for baking with kids at home. Great for both beginners and experienced bakers. Includes a list of easy recipes to get you started.

Lately, we’ve been spending more time cooking and baking as a family in the kitchen. Each child has been taking a turn to prepare simple meals and snacks for the family.

It’s actually quite nice to have ample time to cook – and teach – instead of the frequent rush that is our daily life with three kids in school and two working parents.

Laying a foundation for a healthy family food culture starts with a willingness on your part to invest the time in teaching kids to bake.

Since we’re all staying home these days, I thought these tips for baking with kids could be helpful. Let’s get started!

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by on March 17, 2020   •   7 Comments Bakeshop

Chocolate Pretzel Monster Cookies

Chocolate Pretzel Monster Cookies are a fun kitchen project to make with kids. Think of huge oatmeal cookies but jazzed up with pretzels and chocolate mini eggs and various pantry staples. Yum!

If you’re looking for a baking project to make with the kids, these Chocolate Pretzel Monster Cookies are simply the best.

Nutty and crunchy, soft and chewy, they are an impressively huge cookie, made even more fun with the addition of chocolate mini eggs and salty pretzels.

I’m willing to bet you have all of the ingredients right now, and if not, the recipe is easily adaptable for substitutes.

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by on March 3, 2020   •   1 Comment Home DIY

Regrow Vegetable Scraps for a DIY Spring Centrepiece

Easy, gorgeous and frugal: make this DIY spring centrepiece for the Easter table or just a splash of everyday beauty.

We Canadians have to wait for spring just a bit longer than seems fair. So if you’re like me, and itching to see tiny greens sprouting from the earth, then you’re going to love this idea for a pretty (and economical) spring centrepiece.

The concept is simple: just put your vegetable trimmings – like carrot tops or celery stumps – in water and watch them sprout and grow.

After a few days, tuck the vibrant green shoots into thrifted tea cups or other cute bowls and group them in the centre of your table. Voila, a touch of springtime beauty from what would have been compost.

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by on February 26, 2020   •   9 Comments Dinner

Classic Beef Stew with Root Vegetables

A simple, classic beef stew with root vegetables, full of flavour and served up family style.

This dish really needs very little introduction. It’s a big pot of comforting beef stew, featuring a good balance of meat and vegetables.

Two cookbooks and a decade of recipe writing, I’ve never shared a beef stew recipe. Why now? Because my children are asking for my method and I’m finally putting it down in writing.

Stew should be simple, and this one is just that, with a whole lot of well-rounded flavour.

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