tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3507456988820547652011-11-24T16:16:45.132-07:00My journey for the sweetest things in lifeLeave-Room-for-Desserthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312971848745685265noreply@blogger.comBlogger691100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350745698882054765.post-38578767997375529362011-04-02T10:25:00.000-06:002011-04-02T10:25:14.128-06:00

Whew... It's taken a lot longer than I expected it would, but I finally have my brand new home for my blog!  That means, http://leave-room-for-dessert.blogspot.com/ will no longer be updated.  Instead, www.alwaysleaveroomfordessert.com has a brand new look and some new features, and will be the permanent home for this blog. I want to thank you all for you readership and support (and

Leave-Room-for-Desserthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312971848745685265noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350745698882054765.post-66375203680146368102011-03-07T16:25:00.000-07:002011-03-07T16:25:27.767-07:00

florentine cookies and coquelicot panna cotta The February 2011 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Mallory from A Sofa in the Kitchen. She chose to challenge everyone to make Panna Cotta from a Giada De Laurentiis recipe and Nestle Florentine Cookies. A true cookies and cream combination!  Silky panna cotta, served alongside a chewy oatmeal sandwich cookie filled with rich chocolate..

Leave-Room-for-Desserthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312971848745685265noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350745698882054765.post-33920043051388575962011-03-07T13:58:00.000-07:002011-03-07T13:58:38.807-07:00

Café Norden's Caramel Latte As you'd expect, when you visit so many great countries, you get exposed to a lot of really great food, and this trip was no exception.  I found a fabulous and super sexy resto-café in Copenhagen, called Café Norden, that serves a killer mushroom pasta with grilled chicken, or, if you're only in the need of a hot drink to warm you up, sit back in one of their

Leave-Room-for-Desserthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312971848745685265noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350745698882054765.post-67367733158723491152011-02-16T20:10:00.006-07:002011-02-16T22:00:28.139-07:00

I'm back!  I've returned to the land of snow and ice and slush, from an incredible 24 days in Europe.  My Darling Hubby, knowing how much I hate our winters, sent me off to do some "research" abroad for what is typically the worst part of said winter (I know! In my opinion, he has a free pass for Valentine's Day, anniversaries, and birthdays and any other special events for the next year or so).

Leave-Room-for-Desserthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312971848745685265noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350745698882054765.post-39194097139995029652011-02-04T02:05:00.001-07:002011-02-14T08:28:14.188-07:00

First, please allow me to apologise for the delay in posting, but for the last few weeks I have been traveling through Europe, and posting from the the road is not without it's challenges.... I know, feel bad for me, okay? (PS it's due to these challenges that there are no photos with this post, a situation I am trying to correct) Jacode Entremets.. not perfect, but pretty good for my first try

Leave-Room-for-Desserthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312971848745685265noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350745698882054765.post-41426854333822760112011-01-18T14:17:00.001-07:002011-01-18T14:23:19.869-07:00

It's fairly obvious that I have been an absentee blogger lately, but I do have my reasons. Or excuses at least... The holiday season was a busy for hubby & I (like it is for 99.9% of the rest of the world), but then throw into the mix the preparations for a month-long trip through Europe and wrapping up parts of one life so that a new one can begin. You see, a little over a year ago, right

Leave-Room-for-Desserthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312971848745685265noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350745698882054765.post-9660693849029875362010-12-27T05:01:00.002-07:002010-12-27T05:01:00.267-07:00

The 2010 December Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Penny of Sweet Sadie’s Baking. She chose to challenge Daring Bakers’ to make Stollen. She adapted a friend’s family recipe and combined it with information from friends, techniques from Peter Reinhart’s book.........and Martha Stewart’s demonstration. Fresh from the oven Stollen loaf... sans rum and sugar coating Being of more French

Leave-Room-for-Desserthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312971848745685265noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350745698882054765.post-42170028649911087492010-12-25T13:27:00.000-07:002010-12-25T13:27:50.825-07:00

Parmesan Pancetta Rosemary Macarons This holiday season has been a busy one for me, but I am not complaining. It's incredibly flattering to have people hire you to do baking for them. This means, prior to leaving for vacation, most of my nights have been spent happily up to my elbows in sugar and flour and butter and eggs... and almonds. Yes, I made quite a few macarons this month, and

Leave-Room-for-Desserthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312971848745685265noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350745698882054765.post-26408916890678117892010-12-10T11:58:00.004-07:002010-12-10T21:19:26.146-07:00

If you happen to follow me on Twitter, lately you have seen me gushing a lot about @darrenstravels.  The owner of that twitter handle is my hero, and lucky for me, he also happens to be my uncle.  @darrenstravels  (aka "Uncle D")  My hero "D", as he is affectionately called by nearly everyone in the family, is my mom's baby brother - "baby" by enough that he is only 12 years older than me,

Leave-Room-for-Desserthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312971848745685265noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350745698882054765.post-75589182814669278452010-12-05T20:28:00.001-07:002010-12-05T20:38:16.822-07:00

The 2010 November Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Simona of briciole. She chose to challenge Daring Bakers’ to make pasta frolla for a crostata. She used her own experience as a source, as well as information from Pellegrino Artusi’s Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well. I was pretty excited when I saw the challenge for November, because I've actually

Leave-Room-for-Desserthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312971848745685265noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350745698882054765.post-48779779184268641592010-11-26T23:35:00.000-07:002010-11-26T23:35:12.565-07:00

"What does Fall mean to you?... Does fall mean Thanksgiving, or deep cinnamon flavour, are apples your calling or do falling leaves announce the season to you? Or then, is it the warm comfort and luxury of hot cocoa or warm spiced cider?" -Mactweets l'Automne.  Quite simply my favourite season of the year, when the river valley is an explosion of reds and golds, and the sunny but crisp days mean

Leave-Room-for-Desserthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312971848745685265noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350745698882054765.post-14118432013563435702010-11-07T21:33:00.001-07:002010-11-08T08:33:21.311-07:00

delicately sweet Cashew Butter Cookies It's kinda funny.  As a kid, I would not have classified myself as a nut lover.  Sure, I enjoyed my fair share of peanut butter on toast or in PB and banana sandwiches, but nuts in their non-butter form, not so much.  Even then, nuts of the non-peanut form were pretty much a rarity (ya ya, I know - peanuts are not "technically" nuts, whatever).  I

Leave-Room-for-Desserthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312971848745685265noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350745698882054765.post-46298452470203820422010-11-04T23:27:00.000-06:002010-11-04T23:27:56.051-06:00

I recently mentioned the amazing Strawberry Panna Cotta hubby and I enjoyed on a day trip to Sausalito, and the memory seems to be a strong one, 'cause I cannot seem to get it out of my mind.  It was creamy and delicately sweet, surprisingly thick yet not heavy or overly rich.  For a girl who misses UK double cream like I do, it was heaven on a spoon.  So it's no surprise that, upon returning

Leave-Room-for-Desserthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312971848745685265noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350745698882054765.post-49984075045473743932010-10-27T22:21:00.000-06:002010-10-27T22:21:37.912-06:00

For the past couple of months, I have been a bad MacTweet-er.  I have missed not one but two challenges in a row - not because I've wanted to, but because hubby and I have been busy putting in some new flooring and putting a fresh coat of paint on a few rooms.  The downstairs portion of our house is looking pretty great now, and Molly and Riley are quickly learning they can't quite corner as fast

Leave-Room-for-Desserthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312971848745685265noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350745698882054765.post-70788392247419344512010-10-25T21:08:00.000-06:002010-10-25T21:08:54.349-06:00

mmmmmmmmmmmmmm....doughnuts. Homemade Vanilla Bean Glazed Doughnuts The October 2010 Daring Bakers challenge was hosted by Lori of Butter Me Up. Lori chose to challenge DBers to make doughnuts. She used several sources for her recipes including Alton Brown, Nancy Silverton, Kate Neumann and Epicurious.  Thankfully, I no longer have a fear of frying, so I was pretty excited about this

Leave-Room-for-Desserthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312971848745685265noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350745698882054765.post-88408591217721837592010-10-11T21:03:00.001-06:002010-10-11T21:47:11.323-06:00

Fall is very officially here, no question about it.  We didn't get the nice, long Indian Summer I was hoping for... not quite, anyway.  Yes, we're back to warm, sunny days, but it took less than a week for all the leaves to turn colour and drop this year.  Who can blame them?  Summer ended very abruptly this year - sunny and 28C one day, cold, drizzly and 13C the next... and then it stayed that

Leave-Room-for-Desserthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312971848745685265noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350745698882054765.post-8979144423588655432010-09-27T11:46:00.044-06:002010-09-27T14:06:19.654-06:00

Golden Gate Bridge For hubby and I, one of our favourite things to do together is travel - get out there and experience new places, check out the local museums, shop (ya, that might be more "me" than hubby there), take loads of pictures and, of course, taste the local cuisine.  We like to see as much as we can of a new place, and for us, that means lots of our time is spent walking - I've

Leave-Room-for-Desserthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312971848745685265noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350745698882054765.post-10228268696275031072010-09-05T17:24:00.002-06:002010-09-05T17:32:13.555-06:00

S'mores... they're not just for camp fires anymore! So here I am, writing my first post in over a month.  It seems like I fell off the face of the earth, but I managed to pick myself up and dust myself off.  The last 6 weeks have been a blur of house-guests, out-of town visitors, errands, dinners,  more visitors, meetings, work functions, appointments and all on top of the regular day job.  Yep

Leave-Room-for-Desserthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312971848745685265noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350745698882054765.post-33451423034992020702010-08-01T21:20:00.000-06:002010-12-06T11:02:39.809-07:00

This month's Chocolate with François challenge was selected by yours truly.  When I was asked to select the recipe for July, I carefully perused Chocolate Epiphany, searching for something different.  I wanted a recipe that would really put my cooking and baking skills to the test, something that would teach me something new.  As soon as I read his recipe for Chocolate Beignets with Crème

Leave-Room-for-Desserthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312971848745685265noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350745698882054765.post-45036823389361843752010-07-27T00:01:00.002-06:002010-07-31T23:05:13.454-06:00

Chocolate Cherry Bombe The July 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Sunita of Sunita’s world – life and food. Sunita challenged everyone to make an ice-cream filled Swiss roll that’s then used to make a bombe with hot fudge. Her recipe is based on an ice cream cake recipe from Taste of Home.  Well, the timing for this recipe challenge could not have been better.  Dad's birthday is in

Leave-Room-for-Desserthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312971848745685265noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350745698882054765.post-74725323230527604072010-07-18T23:52:00.000-06:002010-07-18T23:52:28.390-06:00

Life-saving Almond Cookies... it could happen! The other day I was wandering aimlessly through the grocery store - one of those days where I couldn't seem to remember what the heck it was I needed to get, so I just walked up and down the aisles hoping to jog my memory. And before you recommend I make a list next time, I had.  I forgot it.  Yup, I was totally bringing by A-game that day.... But

Leave-Room-for-Desserthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312971848745685265noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350745698882054765.post-74639175150550901642010-07-12T23:00:00.003-06:002010-07-14T18:24:50.286-06:00

Carrying on a conversation is problematic for me when I'm baking, as inevitably I pay more to attention to one than the other, but I love having music playing when I'm working away in the kitchen.  I don't think I'm alone in this, as this month's MacTweets challenge was Sing-a-Song macarons.  Normally I think I would have chosen one of the songs on my favourite baking playlist - and some french

Leave-Room-for-Desserthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312971848745685265noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350745698882054765.post-60914526154141923092010-07-03T15:52:00.002-06:002010-07-03T16:07:26.923-06:00

Not that kind of cheap!  I mean cheap as in thrifty, a penny-pincher (or as we say in Canada, one who can "squeeze a nickel 'till the beaver farts").  We're a classy bunch, aren't we? :-) I've always been cursed with expensive taste, an appreciation for the finer things in life. That said, I was also raised by a veteran bargain hunter, a woman who can spot sale signs anywhere, even in a

Leave-Room-for-Desserthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312971848745685265noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350745698882054765.post-18455962119124860812010-06-28T20:46:00.003-06:002010-06-28T20:51:17.658-06:00

The June 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Dawn of Doable and Delicious. Dawn challenged the Daring Bakers’ to make Chocolate Pavlovas and Chocolate Mascarpone Mousse. The challenge recipe is based on a recipe from the book Chocolate Epiphany by Francois Payard - a book already in my collection. Ahhhhh, Pavlova. There's a dessert I haven't had in years! This was one of the dessert's in

Leave-Room-for-Desserthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312971848745685265noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350745698882054765.post-66989025830291573442010-06-25T09:43:00.000-06:002010-06-25T09:43:46.435-06:00

I love to bring people joy with my food, it's one of my favourite things about cooking and baking.  This why I like bringing desserts when we get together with friends, or baking a cake for someone's birthday.  It's the reason I send treats to work with hubby, or take a pie over to a friends house "just because". While I don't necessarily need an occasion, Father's Day was as good an excuse as

Leave-Room-for-Desserthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312971848745685265noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350745698882054765.post-10747830020782416022010-06-18T21:19:00.005-06:002010-06-22T10:42:15.662-06:00

Hazelnut Pound Cake with a Nutella Ribbon Writer's block sucks.  I've been back from London for 10 days now, and am still "stuck" on what to write about.  There's no shortage of stories to tell, or topics to discuss - it's simply a matter of the words not coming.  I think I'm just over-thinking the whole thing.  Trying too hard and getting absolutely nowhere. My whole routine has been slightly

Leave-Room-for-Desserthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312971848745685265noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350745698882054765.post-38090478253428192212010-06-11T14:01:00.000-06:002010-06-11T14:01:12.241-06:00

Hello all! Well, this week I have spent a lot of time trying to get caught up on so many things: posting, sorting through photos, catching up at the day job, and getting some sleep (that 8hr time difference really kicked my butt).  On top of that, I have spent several hours attempting to restore my blog to it's previous look - unsuccessfully.  No idea what happened there, or how, so instead of

Leave-Room-for-Desserthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312971848745685265noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350745698882054765.post-74106091714360822652010-06-10T16:30:00.002-06:002010-06-11T14:03:03.642-06:00

This month's MacTweets Challenge comes hot on the heels of my trip to Food Blogger Connect, in London. It was an incredible trip, one of the best things being tha I finally got to meet a few of my fellow MacTweeters like Cecilia with her One Vanilla Bean, Bethany and all of her Dirty Kitchen Secrets, Pam a.k.a. the Cooking Ninja, Sarah, who lives at the fabulous Maison Cupcake, the fabulous Mowie

Leave-Room-for-Desserthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312971848745685265noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350745698882054765.post-51207076420363186942010-06-09T23:50:00.001-06:002010-06-11T12:34:15.871-06:00

**BLOG PRESENTATION DISCLAIMER** Hello Everyone, This is just a very short note to everyone visiting my blog (thank you!), that I have just returned from a fantastic trip to Food Blogger Connect 2010 in London.  I had an amazing time, details of which I will be sharing very soon. However, I have returned home to see that the templates, headers, titles and colours are all missing from my blog. 

Leave-Room-for-Desserthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312971848745685265noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350745698882054765.post-4056353163792321632010-05-30T22:20:00.011-06:002010-05-31T09:13:01.290-06:00

For May's Chocolate With Francois challenge, Linda at Diva Weigh selected Chocolate Blinis. Traditionally, blinis are made with yeast and are served with caviar and sour cream, but in this case, they are leavened with whipped egg whites, and are definitely more sweet than savoury. Essentially, these are light, fluffy little pancakes, that are incredibly chocolatey. The batter came together

Leave-Room-for-Desserthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312971848745685265noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350745698882054765.post-17144043260044868192010-05-26T23:17:00.016-06:002010-05-26T23:23:13.220-06:00

Even the name sounds yummy.... cro-kemmmmmmm-booooooooshhhhh. The May 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Cat of Little Miss Cupcake. Cat challenged everyone to make a piece montée, or croquembouche, based on recipes from Peter Kump’s Baking School in Manhattan and Nick Malgieri. I was super excited when I this month's challenge, for a bunch of reasons... I won't have to make anyone

Leave-Room-for-Desserthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312971848745685265noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350745698882054765.post-90964971418088967252010-05-24T21:53:00.000-06:002010-05-24T21:53:37.147-06:00

Growing up, Sis and I were probably considered luckier than most kids.  You see, when Mom went grocery shopping and bought cereal, she always allowed my sister and I to each choose one box of the "good" cereal.  You know, like Froot Loops, Lucky Charms, Franken-Berry, Count Chocula, or the mouth-shreddingly good, Cap'n Crunch. Even today, my sister is a total and complete cereal addict.  To

Leave-Room-for-Desserthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312971848745685265noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350745698882054765.post-91885602832212022342010-05-23T17:55:00.002-06:002010-05-23T18:04:54.635-06:00

Recently, I received a flattering invite from the fabulous Mardi at Eat.Live.Travel.Write., asking me to join in the fun for Hay Hay its Donna Day.  Denise at ChezUs, who organizes this monthly challenge group) announced Mardi had won April's HHDD event, and therefore gets to host May's challenge, and she selected Blackberry Cheesecake Pots.  It wasn't a hard decision to join in the fun - I love

Leave-Room-for-Desserthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312971848745685265noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350745698882054765.post-87672939940928406722010-05-20T21:52:00.002-06:002010-05-20T22:32:54.932-06:00

Harry: "The first time we met, we hated each other"Sally: "No, you didn't hate me, I hated you.  The second time we met, you didn't even remember me."Harry: "I did too!  I remembered you.  The third time we met, we became friends"Sally: "We were friends for a long time"Harry: "And then we weren't"Sally: "And then we fell in love.  Three months later, we got married"Harry: "Ya, it only took three

Leave-Room-for-Desserthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312971848745685265noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350745698882054765.post-41561311290128809452010-05-17T00:22:00.007-06:002010-05-20T23:34:33.956-06:00

Since my less-than-stellar attempt to make brioche a couple of weekends ago, I have moved on to a couple of other more successful recipes.  I soothed my bruised ego with a batch of good ol' back-to-basics Chocolate Chip Cookies, put together a pretty decent Bread Pudding from the least disastrous batch of brioche, and padded down memory lane with some paw-printed Macarons for my May Mactweets

Leave-Room-for-Desserthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312971848745685265noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350745698882054765.post-84478499526853260552010-05-09T23:08:00.001-06:002010-05-09T23:12:43.125-06:00

It's that time again.. MacTweets Challenge Time!  I have to admit, with April being little more than a blur to me, the date for our monthly macaron bake-off completely snuck up on me. This month's challenge was a bit of a thinker for me; "MacTell Me A Story!  Storybook Macarons".  I really had a tough time wrapping my brain around this one, until this morning.  Waking up early to roll out and

Leave-Room-for-Desserthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312971848745685265noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350745698882054765.post-28499663626490184322010-05-06T21:37:00.003-06:002010-05-06T22:00:17.961-06:00

April showers bring May flowers, but I don't know what the hell April snowstorms bring... misery perhaps?  An incredibly strong urge to head for the airport, passport and credit card in hand?  Ok, so technically it's May now, but that doesn't make a spring snowfall any more welcoming.  In just 24 hours, I went from wearing sandals & enjoying a coffee in the morning sun, to shoveling my car out

Leave-Room-for-Desserthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312971848745685265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350745698882054765.post-19708008862537298852010-05-02T14:16:00.007-06:002010-05-03T10:04:40.307-06:00

Baking inspiration is all around me, and every where I look these days, I'm being inspired to make brioche.  Magazines, menus, blogs... I can take a hint - brioche is begging to be made!  So, after a less than spectacular day where anything and everything seemed to go awry, I came home and set about making some delicious, rich, buttery bread for hubby and I to enjoy in the morning.  I admit, it

Leave-Room-for-Desserthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312971848745685265noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350745698882054765.post-21267066516770074712010-04-27T06:00:00.007-06:002010-04-28T14:28:59.451-06:00

As I have mentioned before, I am thoroughly enjoying the whole food-blogging business.  Even though it took a big push from my sister for me to start it, I'm incredibly glad I did.  Since starting this blog back in January, I've joined a few food-blog-challenge groups, and I was excited to see I had been accepted into the Daring Bakers group on the Daring Kitchen.  I waited anxiously all last

Leave-Room-for-Desserthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312971848745685265noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350745698882054765.post-3868606095060072532010-04-25T12:54:00.001-06:002010-04-26T12:45:03.764-06:00

I am finally getting back into my food-blogging groove after two weeks of "life" has gotten in the way.  It feels so good to be back, checking in with all my new blog buddies around the globe - an incredible collection of kind, funny, food-focused people like me.  These are the people I am looking forward to meeting in person and getting to know better when I head to London in early June for my

Leave-Room-for-Desserthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312971848745685265noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350745698882054765.post-3784432772908387852010-04-24T22:48:00.002-06:002010-04-25T22:57:01.094-06:00

These past two weeks have been pretty busy - I've gone three whole days without even being on the computer for god's sake!  I do have a good excuse though - I've been either baking for or celebrating 5 of the 13 April birthdays in our combined families, or the anniversary of when hubby and I began dating 17 years ago.  Then there's my day job... April is fast becoming a blur to me.  And as you

Leave-Room-for-Desserthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312971848745685265noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350745698882054765.post-48413697609606173292010-04-10T12:21:00.004-06:002010-04-14T23:55:34.156-06:00

When it was announced that this month's MacTweets challenge was Holidays of April, I decided that pistachio macs needed to be made.  Something about the taste of pistachios always makes me think of spring.  This has a lot to do with fact that my aunt always used to make the same confetti-angelfood cake with pistachio pudding icing for every birthday when I was growing up.  Fast forward a few

Leave-Room-for-Desserthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312971848745685265noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350745698882054765.post-56239064042638259892010-04-06T21:52:00.006-06:002010-04-14T23:58:46.779-06:00

For as long as I can remember, Easter has been pretty much the same.  As girls, my sister and I would wake up on Easter Sunday morning and find new summer dresses laid out beside two huge Easter baskets filled with treats like jelly beans and malted eggs and always, always a chocolate bunny.  You know, the kind that only has one candy eyeball that just stares at you blankly from inside his

Leave-Room-for-Desserthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312971848745685265noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350745698882054765.post-11363179975284990882010-04-04T16:24:00.003-06:002010-04-06T22:01:17.106-06:00

It's the Easter long weekend- YAY!  Three whole days off!!!  For hubby and I, this also meant three consecutive evenings out for dinner, and 3 different desserts I needed to make, for that's what I do - I bring dessert (seriously, with a blog title like mine, you didn't think I'd be in charge of bringing salad, did you?).  So, for a Friday night BBQ at our friend's house, I decided to make

Leave-Room-for-Desserthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312971848745685265noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350745698882054765.post-18799226714402534822010-03-30T22:34:00.006-06:002010-03-30T22:56:44.621-06:00

If there's one thing my sister and I have a weakness for, it's cream.  Thick, luxurious, sweet heavy cream.  We've each been guilty of pouring straight heavy cream onto our morning cereal (why waste your time with milk?).  Growing up, a bowl of sliced bananas or strawberries with cream and a sprinkling of sugar was (and still is) comfort food for us both.  Whipped cream was served with so many

Leave-Room-for-Desserthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312971848745685265noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350745698882054765.post-417410482337544832010-03-28T14:49:00.004-06:002010-03-30T13:45:56.299-06:00

We were heading over to the in-law's for a games night last night, so I decided I should bring some desserty-type thing for a treat (ok, so it's not the first time, I'm sure it won't be the last).  But with the early onset of les printemps here in Edmonton, I am craving fruit - and lots of it.  Sure, none of it is local at this time of year - (yes I would completely fail at being a locavore, but

Leave-Room-for-Desserthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312971848745685265noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350745698882054765.post-83013808772557944132010-03-25T22:30:00.001-06:002010-03-30T12:51:15.180-06:00

Recently I was strolling through the aisles of Planet Organic, one of the specialty organic stores in town.  It's an interesting place to go for unique and hard to find ingredients such as cocoa nibs or agave syrup, but also for inspiration, not to mention all of the top-notch organic produce.  One thing I happened upon last trip was some Blue Cornmeal.  Hmmm... interesting.  The package says it

Leave-Room-for-Desserthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312971848745685265noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350745698882054765.post-72646670377961566802010-03-13T22:43:00.000-07:002010-03-14T21:28:16.292-06:00

23 eggs1.6 kg of butter7 lemons400 g of chocolate800 g of Saskatoons600 g Nutella1.2 kg flour500 g sugar14 pies for Pi Day (for those of you questioning my sanity, you're not alone...) Pi Day is finally here!  Yes, it is officially a day observed by math geeks around the world (I use the term "geek" with nothing but affection - I consider myself to be a food geek), but I don't see any reason

Leave-Room-for-Desserthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312971848745685265noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350745698882054765.post-33265680423689351862010-03-10T21:48:00.000-07:002010-03-11T21:16:05.154-07:00

I'm new to the food-blogging scene, having just started in January of this year.  I would often sit for hours on my computer and read the incredible food blogs of folks like David Lebovitz, Clotilde at Chocolate & Zucchini, or Fanny over at Foodbeam.  Sure I would daydream about having a blog of my own, but I've never considered myself much of a writer, and could tell that there was a lot of time

Leave-Room-for-Desserthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312971848745685265noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350745698882054765.post-52603391277254794842010-03-09T17:53:00.000-07:002010-03-10T22:35:03.034-07:00

Alright folks - this Sunday will be Pi Day (3.14), sure it's more an occasion for math geeks, but hey, the only thing keeping us foodies from jumping on board that bandwagon is one lousy "e".  So, the question is... whatcha making for Pie Day? For me, I'm thinking along these lines..... Shall we all meet back here on Sunday to show off what we made?  It's a date! Happy baking :-)

Leave-Room-for-Desserthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312971848745685265noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350745698882054765.post-46540417848455484722010-03-08T00:00:00.000-07:002010-03-08T14:21:17.419-07:00

Growing up in Canada during the 70's, Carrot Cake is one of those things that we were treated to every now and again.  Even today, it seems to be one of those things that often pops up at family events and birthdays and office parties everywhere.  The problem is, they're not usually very memorable.  Still, most people like it, which is why I included it the "wedding cake buffet" I made for my

Leave-Room-for-Desserthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312971848745685265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350745698882054765.post-611303993849332652010-03-04T21:28:00.000-07:002010-03-08T09:53:06.336-07:00

So I completed my MacAttack challenge using the recipe I have had the most success with, but as Jamie pointed out in her lovely comments to me, yes, I had a tonne of leftover macaron shells.  I’m not sure just how big they make their macarons – maybe the size of a hamburger – because the recipe says it makes *20* sandwich cookies – I got 90.  That’s right, 180 shells in total.  Well, seeing as I

Leave-Room-for-Desserthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312971848745685265noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350745698882054765.post-70725307817183177632010-02-28T13:05:00.000-07:002010-02-28T14:39:03.221-07:00

As many of you already know, or are finding out, I **LOVE** Paris.  I love the architecture, the shopping,  the language, the culture, the people... everything - especially the FOOD.  And one of the Frenchest (is that a word?  yes, I'm going to go ahead and decide it is) things you can eat while in Paris is le macaron.  You can hardly walk down the street without seeing these shiny, colourful

Leave-Room-for-Desserthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312971848745685265noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350745698882054765.post-55845455647774677522010-02-28T12:52:00.000-07:002010-02-28T12:56:01.350-07:00

A few years ago, while visiting friends in London, hubby and I took a quick jaunt over to Paris for three whole days and two nights.  I was my first trip to France, and as soon as I stepped of the train at the Gare du Nord, I felt like I was home.  Everything about that short three days was wonderful, save the sore feet... you see, we tend to enjoy seeing a new city on foot, so that's how we

Leave-Room-for-Desserthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312971848745685265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350745698882054765.post-4443543317751383992010-02-23T19:33:00.000-07:002010-02-23T19:33:55.375-07:00

Okay, I'm officially sick with being sick.  I'll admit, it's kind of nice to take a "benylin day" every now and again and have the hubby wait on me hand and foot... and as far as I'm concerned, a sore throat & headache is a good enough reason.  But it's been FOUR DAYS now, and this officially sucks.  I can't breathe, I get exhausted just getting out of bed to let the dogs outside, I can't be more

Leave-Room-for-Desserthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312971848745685265noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350745698882054765.post-45693441514363018712010-02-20T19:04:00.000-07:002010-02-20T19:31:51.062-07:00

The worst part of a sick day is the being sick part. I went to sleep last night thinking of the different things I would like to bake today.  Sadly, this morning I woke to a sore throat and a headache.  Super.  I mustered enough energy to get dressed & gear up to head out with my hubby to walk the dogs.  Less than a block from the house I could tell the cold air & brisk pace was doing me no good.

Leave-Room-for-Desserthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312971848745685265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350745698882054765.post-75851833975286025072010-02-20T17:57:00.000-07:002010-02-20T21:08:53.307-07:00

I love to experiment with new recipes and try new things with my baking.  Every time I taste some new delicacy or lay eyes on some stunning pastry creation, I see it as a challenge... I putter and play in my kitchen, making a huge mess and plenty of mistakes until I achieve some sort of success.  Often times though, it's nice to get back to basics and make something that puts a smile on

Leave-Room-for-Desserthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312971848745685265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350745698882054765.post-74146616396768584832010-02-20T13:52:00.001-07:002010-04-04T13:59:34.001-06:00

Believe it or not, I know people who do not like chocolate.  A proud chocoholic myself (my recent purchase of a 10 kg bag of chocolate chips guaranteed my status in that club), I personally find it hard to believe people who make this claim.  Be that as it may, for those of you who enjoy a sweet treat sans chocolate, Browned Butter Blondies are sure to be one of your favourites. There are two

Leave-Room-for-Desserthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312971848745685265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350745698882054765.post-8647284075655500442010-02-13T21:39:00.000-07:002010-02-13T21:39:38.426-07:00

Here's wishing you all a very Happy Valentine's Day.  I'm going to be devouring these wonderful chocolate hearts, filled with a raspberry crème fraîche from Chocolaterie Bernard Callebaut, and watching the Olympics of course...what treats are you and your sweetie enjoying? Go Canada!Vas-Y Canada!

Leave-Room-for-Desserthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312971848745685265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350745698882054765.post-41977808206916890612010-02-09T15:01:00.001-07:002010-03-29T21:50:25.128-06:00

On Sunday, my parents returned from their annual holiday in Hawaii.  Every winter for more than 20 years now, they leave the cold, bleak winters of Alberta for a month of sun and sand in Oahu.  I can only imagine how difficult it must be some years, to leave the ocean and warm breezes of Hawaii and return to bundling up in layers and shoveling snow until spring arrives.  I would hope that the

Leave-Room-for-Desserthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312971848745685265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350745698882054765.post-16345339855496510072010-02-04T20:24:00.000-07:002010-02-04T23:26:33.020-07:00

A few months ago, I went to visit my sister in California.  It was a great visit, but then it always is.  We go shopping (naturally - we were practically raised in a mall!), we go get our nails done at the absolute best nail salon in Southern California, we hang out, do cool stuff and then we shop some more.  Since her husband was out of town during my last visit, I got to be her date for my

Leave-Room-for-Desserthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312971848745685265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350745698882054765.post-40288980503073768642010-01-31T13:06:00.000-07:002010-02-03T23:15:24.984-07:00

Well the wait is over, and tonight is the Artists' Gala at the new Alberta Art Gallery.  Tomorrow morning VIPs and government officials will cut the ribbon and Edmontonians collective culture level will go up a couple of notches.  For my friend, she will finally be able to catch up on some badly needed sleep.  I've volunteered to help out tonight, so I've decided to bake her another little treat

Leave-Room-for-Desserthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312971848745685265noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350745698882054765.post-23441495502180995502010-01-29T20:31:00.000-07:002010-02-03T23:18:12.720-07:00

Today I made a stop at the bakery supply store to stock up on the chocolate chips I use for nearly every chocolate recipe I make. Callebaut Dark Chocolate Callets are silky smooth when they melt, have a wonderful taste of real dark chocolate with a beautiful, almost floral hint of real bourbon vanilla. mmmmmm... delicious! I arrived, however, to find that they have changed the packaging of

Leave-Room-for-Desserthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312971848745685265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350745698882054765.post-57369441336090586062010-01-27T21:52:00.000-07:002010-01-31T13:10:36.487-07:00

My sister recently sent me a cookie recipe that she thought I might like. She doesn't cook or bake very often since she moved to Southern California, a bad week of storms and heavy rain have caused her Canadian hibernating genes to kick into high gear and dust off the measuring cups. This was one of the many things she made last week, and I thought today was the perfect day to give them a try.

Leave-Room-for-Desserthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312971848745685265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350745698882054765.post-62096790150375168612010-01-25T09:32:00.001-07:002010-01-25T10:11:22.244-07:00

The other night, hubby and I decided to go out for dinner - a little "date night" to break our usual week-night routine. Well, a new pizzeria opened up in our neighbourhood, so we thought we should give it a try. Famoso Neapolitan Pizzeria offers a very different dining experience than we are used to on this side of the Atlantic, and in that way, it conjures up wonderful memories of meals

Leave-Room-for-Desserthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312971848745685265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350745698882054765.post-47769158413991699992010-01-25T08:51:00.001-07:002010-01-25T09:27:59.757-07:00

Well, the unseasonably "warm" January weather has passed and winter has returned. Sure, the trees look pretty, all covered in hoar frost, but we're back to layering no fewer than 9 different articles of clothing (yes, I counted) just to get the dogs out for a walk so they don't drive us insane for the rest of the day. Well, on a frosty Sunday morning like this, French Toast is the perfect way

Leave-Room-for-Desserthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312971848745685265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350745698882054765.post-77865656125071909602010-01-21T18:06:00.001-07:002010-02-03T23:13:13.989-07:00

A dear friend of mine has a fantastic new job at the brand-spanking new Art Gallery of Alberta - one of the most spectacular buildings to be erected in Edmonton in years. I envy her. She gets to go to work every day in this amazing place, which is art itself, and look at art, and be around art and on her coffee break she can just go wander around and look at the Degas bronze, or theKarsch

Leave-Room-for-Desserthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312971848745685265noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350745698882054765.post-9068819647588115262010-01-20T15:16:00.000-07:002010-01-21T10:01:22.735-07:00

While it has been unseasonably warm for January in Edmonton, winter is far from over and the urge to curl up on the sofa with a good book and a warm gooey treat is still strong. If I'm short on time or energy, the gooey treat of choice has to be my brownies. They are ridiculously quick and easy to make - you don't even need a mixer! Just a few simple ingredients, a bowl and a stirring implement

Leave-Room-for-Desserthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312971848745685265noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-350745698882054765.post-28233080429358771742010-01-19T16:20:00.000-07:002010-01-19T22:22:42.134-07:00

Welcome! I hope you will join me on my journey for the sweetest things in life....

Leave-Room-for-Desserthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00312971848745685265noreply@blogger.com1