It's gingerbread time again.

These are still my favorite cookies at Christmas.  Everyone loves decorating their own individual cookie. Also, these make an excellent hostess gift...perfect for kids young and old! For my complete gingerbread cookie recipe please click here.  Hope you enjoy!

These cookies are so much fun for kids old & young

start of the gingerbread cookie dough 

Delicious Fruit Pies for Christmas

These pies are a perfect addition to a family dinner.  The beauty is I freeze them at this stage and then they transport so easily. Bake when you arrive at your destination.  For my pastry recipe please click here and the blueberry lemon (with my nephew James) is such an easy pie and so very delicious.  For a crumble variation of this recipe please click here to see my niece Sophia in her baking debut...she is now 15 years old....wow how time flies.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Blueberry Lemon Pie

Add caption

Strawberry Peach Pie

Deviled Eggs for an easy appetizer

This is very simple and you don't have to pipe the yolk mixture into the eggs but it sure looks good.

7-8 eggs
1/4 cup mayo of choice (I am using ' Earth Island Vegenaise.  The label claims that Vegenaise is 'better than mayo')
1/4 tsp. dijon mustard
salt & pepper to taste

Hard cook your eggs first. Allow to cool in cold water.  Peel the eggs when you can handle them easily. Refrigerate to allow the eggs to get cold on the inside.
When cold, split each egg carefully down the center, remove the yolk from each egg and put the yolks into a bowl.
With a fork, break up the egg yolk.  Add the mayo, mustard and spices. Continue to mix so that the mixture is smooth.
Spoon or pipe the yolk mixture into each half of the egg whites.
Chill until service time.

Please click on the link below to go directly to my Youtube video of these delicious  eggs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aAJ8U9g7B0&feature=youtu.be

Broccoli & Red Grape Salad...thanks to cousin Susan Fedor.

This recipe is the favorite at our family dinners thanks to cousin,  Susan Fedor.  I have adapted it slightly to replicate it and it's really really close...but Susan's is always delicious and the best. This is a quicker version of hers that I put together for our Greenlake ladies week...and everyone loved it.  Thanks again Susan.

2 heads of broccoli - (5 cups of diced broccoli)-  only use the florets and save the stems for soup if desired. Dice up the broccoli florets very small...large chunks aren't as appealing in this recipe.
2 cups of halved red grapes - wash well under cold water first and cut each grape in half
1/4 - 1/2  cup small diced red onion (if you are not an onion fan you can cut it back to 1/4 cup).

our cousin Susan

Dressing:
Mix together in a small bowl.
1/2 cup 'Vegenaise' (alternate to mayo)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
cont...below

2-3 Tbsp. honey
juice of 1/2 lemon - small
1/2 tsp. dijon mustard
dash worchestershire sauce
salt & pepper
Mix well in a bowl

Chop the broccoli, onions and grapes and mix together in a large bowl.
Add dressing and stir well to combine.
Now add another 1/4 cup of 'Vegenaise' (Earth Island brand) to the salad and stir again.
This salad is better if made at least one day ahead so it can marinate in the dressing.
Store in a container with a lid so you can toss it periodically the day ahead.

This recipe can be doubled or more for a bigger crowd.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies for kids

Halle mixing up the dough

 This recipe is so easy especially for children.  You don't need
special equipment as the cookie dough can be mixed by hand
using soft butter. I hope you enjoy!

 Yield 38-40 cookies

Jaida and Halle ....our little chefs today

Recipe

¼ lb. soft butter (½ cup)
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup white sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 large egg
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 1/4 cup  large oat flakes
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2  tsp. Salt
1 cup of chocolate chips or more (when baking with kids use more chocolate chips...they love it)

Cream butter and sugars together. 

Add the egg and vanilla and continue to mix well.

Add all the dry ingredients and mix until it forms into cookie dough

Add chocolate chips and mix in.

Portion out cookies onto a parchment lined baking sheet. 

The kids used a teaspoon to portion out the cookie dough.

Bake cookies at 350° for 8-10  minutes.

Simple Pork Fried Rice compliments of Will & Dave

This is an authentic fried rice recipe compliments of Will's Mom, Mrs. Chong. Watching Will create this for dinner was a real treat and believe me it is delicious.

Will whipped up a batch of 'Old Fashioned' cocktails for the chefs

Sauce:
2 tbsp. Soy sauce (or Tamari)
1 tbsp. Honey
White pepper - dash
1 tsp. Sesame oil
2 tbsp. water

4 cups cooked jasmine rice
3 green onions - diced
2 eggs
1 cup Chinese bbq honey pork* (Char Sui) optional but delicious
1/2 Chinese style sausage* (substitute thick cut bacon)
Bean Sprouts
2 shallots
3 cloves garlic

1) Use leftover rice or cook rice as per instructions and allow to cool to room temperature.  Will suggest that you cook the rice in advance in the morning and cool for dinner that night.

2) Combine ingredients for sauce

3) Heat oil and brown aromatics (shallots/garlic)

3) Add rice and combine with aromatics

4) Once rice is hot and steaming, add sauce and meat

5) Create a hole in the middle of the wok by pushing rice to the outside of the pan. Crack eggs and allow yolks to cook whole for a minute

6) Mix eggs into rice and add green onion and sprouts

7) Remove from heat shortly thereafter and serve

* Will says that the pork can be bought at 'T&T Supermarket' or anywhere in China Town

Meat Loaf Spaghetti Sauce for Linda

Linda is working late tonight and I have the perfect, easy sauce to make when she comes over for a late dinner.  Tonight I have picked a 3 meat loaf mix from Queensdale Market in upper Lonsdale        that combines the best of the beef, pork & veal.  This combination is not necessary but it sure is delicious.

Linda and Hudson

400 gr ground meat....your choice... but the best blend is the meat loaf mix from Queensdale market 3030 Lonsdale Ave in North Vancovuer.  They make this special blend in store and it is perfect for meatloaf and spaghetti sauce.
3 tbsp. avocado oil
1/2 large onion
4 garlic cloves
1 large carrot - diced small
1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes
1 large ripe field tomato - chopped
1 can tomato paste ( 5.5 oz)
3 cups chicken or beef stock + more if you want a thinner sauce
salt & papper to taste
1 tbsp. white sugar

Saute onions and garlic in oil first and then add the ground meat.  Continue to saute until the meat is semi cooked and in smallish chunks.
Add the carrot, tomato, sundried tomato, tomato paste, salt & pepper. Continue to cook.
Add the white sugar and dilute the sauce as much as you want with the stock. Continue to cook to reduce.  Just before serving add more stock to thin down the sauce if desired, then bring it up to the boil again.  Turn off the heat and serve over your choice of pasta.  Yummy and enjoy!

West Coast Strength & Movement with Phil Wittmer

It's not all about building muscle bulk and daily training to look better....with Phil Wittmer, co owner West Coast Strength & Movement. It's more about your health and fitness for life...no fads, no gadgets...just lets start with the basics of movement, core and strength.  No judgement, no 'i told you so's', just an honest, basic routine designed to help me regain mobility and strength with my injured knee. 

In March I was walking across the street after a hockey game and my knee gave out. Yes a tad bit of wine was involved, but regardless I tore my ACL & meniscus in the left knee and I was in a brace and had a crutch even while travelling Australia and Bali....not fun. When returning I met with a young Orthopedic surgeon who said my knee was already compromised with arthritis and now with the injury I had to throw away the crutch and get on with strengthening my knees and work on my gait.  Enters Phil Wittmer, a professional trainer and movement expert and one of the kindest, gentlest souls.  He designed a program for me that will be easy for me to do at home that starts with basic core  & balance work and then the routine focuses on my knees to slowly and carefully build up my strength & mobility again.  Thank you Phil and here we go. 
Thanks for joining me and I will keep you posted.