Granola Bar Recipe

This granola bar recipe is originally from one of my favorite cookbooks called Whitewater cooks by Shelley Adams. I adapted the recipe to use ingredients I had in my kitchen. This is a perfect morning meal to accompany Bulletproof coffee. It's a great snack to take along for a hike, ski, camping or fishing. Granola bars are an easy snack to stock cook. I always put half of the bars in the freezer for later. If I have granola bars, I'm less likely to grab a quick snack from the store containing ingredients I can't pronounce. These are very tasty and very easy to make! ...

Comforting Borscht recipe

Borscht is the perfect comfort food to warm both body and soul.   Borscht originated in Ukraine. The common Borscht recipe adapted as it crossed borders through Eastern and most of Central Europe. The following adaptation of a comforting Borscht recipe is a Russian Doukhobor Borscht recipe. This recipe differs as cream is added during the cooking process instead of a dalop of sour cream, placed in each bowl afterwards, as a garnish. This famous  soup has LOTS of delicious butter in it. It's best to cook with organic and grain fed (cow) butter. The ...

Alice & Kelly’s Wedding

Alice & Kelly's Wedding October 4th was a wild day for weather but a beautiful day for Alice & Kelly's wedding. This lovely couple got married and Mother Nature behaved during the most important parts of the day. The ceremony was beautiful and dinner went off without having to provide little umbrellas for all the food. Shortly after 12:30 the ceremony took place at the bride's parent's home in North Bay. A heartfelt and warm ceremony in the backyard the couple's closest family and friends in attendance. "Pick a seat, not a side" was the perfect ...

5 NYE Resolution Tips to Keep You on Track

NYE resolution tips
January is the busiest sales month of gym memberships for  the entire year. Gym staff see high volumes of people eager to fulfill resolutions and change their lives. However, when March comes around, the regular flow of clientele returns and the once eager lot go back to their routine, while locked into paying monthly fees. Don't get me wrong, I wholeheartedly encourage healthy lifestyle changes.  I agree that the one element necessary to change one's current paradigm, is the decision to do so. Deciding to make a lifestyle change, setting realistic, attainable goals ...

The only way to drink Coffee

Bullet proof coffee
Living in the snowy mountains, there is nothing better than waking up to the aroma of a fresh cup of  good quality coffee. Before I head out for a day of exploration, I'm sure to make myself a coffee that will give me sustained energy. The last thing I want is to have a caffein crash in the backcountry. A regular, run of the mill, cup of joe can cause a caffeine high, followed by a crash and sometimes even jitteriness and anxiety. The negative side effects associated with coffee are not caused by the bean itself but by the technique in which it is processed. Poor ...

Velvety Vegan Hot Chocolate

Dairy Free, Vegan and Paleo
Velvety Vegan Hot Chocolate for One! I love to get recipes from different sources. From time to time, I'll be asking others to guest write for my website. Today, Andrea Spencer has submitted a great recipe for a cold winter day such as today. With snow on the ground, rain in the near future, this recipe is perfect to snuggle in for what ever Mother Nature brings our way. I hope one day you'll share a recipe with me so that I can feature it. Food is to be shared, whether at the table or via a recipe.   Andrea Spencer..... Resides in Ymir, BC a small and beautiful ...

Venison Wellington Recipe, a deer hunting season favourite

Venison Wellington. Glam up your venison recipes. Fall has arrived and deer season for bow hunters has been open for a little while. I was given a beautiful venison loin the other day and decided to try making Venison Wellington, something a bit different than my usual venison stroganoff or loin steak & wild mushrooms. Whether you are an avid hunter or the fortunate recipient of venison, you'll love this twist on the traditional wellington made with beef. Harvested deer is one of the best organic meats you can find. What a better way to ensure hormone and antibiotic ...

Bacon Wrapped Figs & Dates

Bacon Wrapped Figs & Dates I had the pleasure of catering a wonderful outdoor wedding this past weekend. Northern Ontario has some of the most amazing scenery for a fall wedding. We're surrounded with so many species of trees that the colours are boundless and plentiful. From oranges to brilliant reds to the more subdued yellows we are blessed to live in a country where nature lends to the perfect back drop for a wedding. One of the inclusions to dinner was a mixture of Bacon Wrapped Dates & Figs. I chose to have a couple of different cheeses as well. Using ...

Coconut Curry Pumpkin Soup

Today, I made my test batch of this heart warming soup for a wedding that is coming up this weekend. Alice and Kelly chose this soup to go along with lamb and turkey as their proteins.  I'm so very excited to share this soup not only with the guests at the wedding but also with our followers. Pumpkins come in all shapes and sizes but by far the best to cook with are the smaller, vibrant orange ones called "Pie Pumpkins". The pie pumpkin is much smaller than the traditional Jack-O-Lantern and has a denser flesh which makes it perfect for roasting, stewing or ...

Spicy Italian Pickled Beans

A couple of years ago I had the opportunity to pick beautiful beans in a good friend's garden. I wanted to surprise her with some pickled beans as I know she loves the ones that many restaurants are now serving in Caesars. While picking the beans I helped myself to a little bit of basil and a couple of picante peppers. I had found a number of recipes for spicy beans but I wanted to come up with a recipe to honour her bountiful garden all the while trying to maintain a lower sodium recipe. If you like a little heat, garlic and basil - these beans are perfect for your ...