DRIED CITRUS FRUIT GARLAND

Decorating for Christmas is something I absolutely love to do every year (even though it can take days and essentially makes your house look worse before it gets better!). I have a good collection of decor but always like to add something new each year and this year I decided to make something homemade ( I may have also purchased items too – who can resist the Christmas aisle in Homesense!).

I wanted to make something that could last for many seasons and after seeing variations of the dried fruit garland on Pinterest for years, I decided to tackle the project head on. Surprisingly it was quite easy – the most difficult part was trying to figure out how I wanted to organize the fruits. There are so many variations you could go with – check out my creation and tips and tricks below!

Continue reading “DRIED CITRUS FRUIT GARLAND”

TRADITIONAL POLISH WIGILIA COMPOTE

Polish traditions run strong on holidays (have you seen my post about Easter baskets?) and Christmas Eve is no exception! Our family sits down to a large dinner consisting of 12 separate dishes (yes 12!) and they are all served one by one so you can properly taste and enjoy each item. The 12 dishes originally stem from the 12 disciples but as kids we were more excited for all the food than the reason behind the meal.

One item that always ended up on the table (above and beyond the 12 dishes) was a fruit compote that was so delicious we would drink it before the third dish even came around. My mom varies this compote drink up every year to keep things interesting – some times its made from dried fruit but other times from fresh/frozen fruit. There are so many variations and it always turns out beyond Delicious! Check out the recipe below for all the details!

Continue reading “TRADITIONAL POLISH WIGILIA COMPOTE”

ROASTED GARLIC SQUASH SOUP

Ahhh Fall…..how I love thee, let me count the ways! Looking at my Instagram the last few weeks I know I am not alone in this feeling. Fall just brings on such a cozy feeling and makes me want to fill my days with blankets, candles and steamy warm soups. Every since the temperature dropped in the slightest my fall vibes have been strong!

I have been craving soups daily and any time I enter a restaurant my eyes scan to the soup of the day selection. After eating a few sub par soups I knew I needed to correct situation. Enter this roasted garlic squash soup! It involves a mix of delicious roasted vegetables simmering together to make one amazing soup that I could eat for days.

Continue reading “ROASTED GARLIC SQUASH SOUP”

HIBISCUS LAVENDER LEMON TEA

Mother’s Day is coming up this weekend and if you still don’t have a gift idea then I have you covered! Mom’s do so much for us on the daily and they truly deserve to relax and enjoy the day….and MANY days throughout the year! One of my favourite ways to relax is to have a nice warm cup of tea and thankfully my husband is a tea brewing connoisseur. Whenever I dive into a hot steaming cup of tea my stress melts away and all I can think of is how relaxed I am in the moment. Add on a slice of chocolate cake and heaven!

Continue reading “HIBISCUS LAVENDER LEMON TEA”

CRAB SALAD

Easter is right around the corner and if you are still looking for food ideas I have the perfect fresh salad for you to serve at the dinner table! Holidays can be a stressful time especially when you are cooking for a whole group. I like to make my meal plan with a few dishes that be be prepared ahead of time and this is definitely one of them.

This time of year is also when I start to crave more lighter refreshing items after a long winter of warm roasted food. The fresh dill in this meal really brings out the flavour and pairs well with the crunch of the celery. So easy to put together I can guarantee this will be the least of your worries on Easter Weekend!

Continue reading “CRAB SALAD”