start with a bowl

Rise Up! A journey to bread

How was bread invented? I’ve often wondered this. It has to have been an accident. I can fathom that someone mixed pounded grains with water, and added salt for flavour, but how did the yeast get in there? How did they know how long to wait and how long to knead it? Did some genius…

A dinner party called “Turducken”

Turducken. To begin, if you’re not sure what a Turducken is, click here. 6 years ago Thom and I decided we should cook a turducken. Thom had heard about it on the internet. Honestly, I thought the whole thing sounded pretty gross – especially since neither of us really likes turkey. We invited 12 friends…

How To – Amy’s Cherry Mango Smoothie

Whenever need a quick on-the-go breakfast I think of smoothies. Wait, that is a total lie, I think of breakfast sandwiches. But I can’t have one every day, because that would be…bad? Yes. That would be bad. So, for an everyday, healthy, on-the-go breakfast, a smoothie is the best choice. For years I brought smoothies…

Amy’s Kitchen Year – Thank you Ruth Reichl

The other day I found myself telling a friend she needed to read Ruth Reichl’s book My Kitchen Year. While my friend loves to cook and eat, that wasn’t why I suggested she read it. One fall morning last year I was lying in bed listening to the radio. I love to do that in…

A bottle of olive oil

The perfect olive oil. A few years ago Thom and I had the wonderful pleasure of traveling through the south of France, the Italian Riviera, and Tuscany for 3 weeks. It was an amazing holiday. We were there in September and the markets were bursting with the most beautiful fruits and vegetables I have…

The Battle of the Birthday Cake

In my life I have made a lot of cakes. A heck of a lot of cakes If you ask me to choose between pie and cake, I choose pie every time. Every single time. For my birthday my mom would make me a lattice top cherry pie. As a result there was only ever…

Vegan?! Gluten free?! Egg allergy?! What can I make????

Cooking for allergies, intolerances, and preferences. ( I can hear you sigh already). I have one friend who is a vegan, a few vegetarians, one who is allergic to eggs, some who are lactose intolerant, and a couple who are gluten free. I often have these people over to dinner, or bring baking to places…

How To – Chickpea and Spinach Curry

This recipe is based on Ross Dobson’s recipe from the book Wholesome Kitchen. This is a great book with lots of great recipes and ideas for adding more beans, pulses, and grains to your diet. When I make this recipe I usually double it so I have lots leftovers.

Making Doughnuts at Home!

I really enjoy doughnuts. When I was a kid and I went ice skating with my dad, we would stop at Tim Hortons on the way home and sit at the counter (back then there was a counter, kinda like a diner) and we would have hot chocolate and doughnuts. It was just the two of…