• Apple Dessert Recipes
    family - Food

    8 Delicious Apple Dessert Recipes

    August 13, 2015 - By 

    Everyone knows apple pie is one of the most loved Apple Dessert Recipes. But what else can you do with your ripe apples? How many different ways are there to cook or bake something tasty with this beloved fruit? Today, I just wanted to share eight new ways of my favourite Apple Dessert Recipes. What’s better than fresh apple picking on the farm in the fall months? Well, maybe cooking with those fresh apples after you pick them. I love apples – all kinds of apples. Happily my kids love them too. One of my favourite places to go every…

  • gluten free diet
    family - Food - Health

    Why Did I Start a Gluten Free Diet? – Part 1 of an Ongoing Series

    August 11, 2015 - By 

    It’s not a news flash to anyone here that I have Crohn’s Disease. I talk about that periodically. Some days are brutally painful and some are not. I have been doing this dance since I was 14 so I have some strategies to manage my illness. My one daughter has had strange joint pain and a limp for six months now – that might be juvenile arthritis, or a bone problem or anything at this point. It’s clearly not anything broken though. We are still going through testing and appointments to determine what is going on with her. That same daughter also…

  • family - Food

    Kid Approved Cranberry Granola Squares

    August 2, 2015 - By 

    Earlier this year I was in the mood to experiment with granola recipes. Typically, the bulk food store near my house gets a lot of activity from my family. The range of foods there inspires me to bake and be creative in the kitchen. The kids love granola and they also love to help bake. Sometimes I take them with me to the bulk food store and I tell them they can pick one treat. Often one daughter picks a dry granola kind of mix with some Smarties or something chocolate thrown in for a pinch of sweet. I decided…

  • squash roundup
    family - Food - parenting

    5 Scrumptious Squash Recipes

    July 27, 2015 - By 

    I am a summer girl through and through. July is the month of my birthday and I am a true July baby. I could live on the beach somewhere sunny and eat Barbecue and enjoy fresh fruits and the occasional sip of wine and be happy for the rest of my life. Fall, interrupts my happiness and doesn’t have a tonne of redeeming factors about it. But there are some great foods that I enjoy that only come around in the Autumn months. [tweetthis]Cooking with squash is the only reason I am happy for Fall to come.[/tweetthis] Fall foods like apples…

  • low sodium sour cream nacho dip
    family - Food

    My Savoury Low Sodium Sour Cream Nacho Dip #GayLeaMom #Giveaway

    July 24, 2015 - By 

    In the summer months when the weather is hot and the days are gorgeous but limited, it’s important not to spend hours on end slaving at the stove. I love easy barbecue ideas every summer weekend, and if we are entertaining or having a pool party or even just having a lovely weekend together, I like fast tasty snacks like this savoury sour cream nacho dip. This dip would also go great with vegetables. I confess my husband and I have this dip that’s made a nearby grocery store that is our brutal weakness. It is heavenly. So I considered…

  • breville_hemisphere_twist
    family - Food - Giveaways - Health

    Make Your Own Creamsicles with a Breville Hemisphere Twist Blender #Giveaway ARV $180

    July 23, 2015 - By 

    How do you stay hydrated and refreshed this time of year? The Breville Hemisphere Twist can help. The Breville Hemisphere Twist blender can juice, blend and pulverize with a flourish. Just the right ticket for the summer months, a party at the pool, the bar, or the health nut you love. I’ve been wanting a juicer forever and the only blender we have here is a single serve that works for one small smoothie each at best. So this Breville Hemisphere Twist blender was a welcome addition to our kitchen. I have been striving to build some sort of bar…

  • watermelon_slushie
    family - Food

    Summery Watermelon Raspberry Slushie Recipe

    July 12, 2015 - By 

    What could be more summery and refreshing than a watermelon slushies recipe? Well, maybe a watermelon raspberry slushie, right? Everyone loves watermelon. But the thing about watermelon is that sometimes those massive melons ripen so fast there’s not enough time to eat them by the slice. Same can be said for raspberries. We always have some in the container that turn to jam before we can eat them. So what’s a smart shopper to do? Well, take the rest of the melon before it goes to waste and chop it up to use as a refreshing crowd-pleasing beverage, like watermelon…

  • inside_out_rice_krispies
    family - Food - parenting

    Inside Out Rice Krispies Treats

    July 8, 2015 - By 

    Inside Out is a smash hit at the theatres and reviews are rolling in fast. Not so surprisingly almost everyone I have heard from loved this adorable movie by Disney Pixar. Inside Out has given people of all ages a good chuckle this summer. It highlights the emotions battling inside a little girl, Riley’s head and body after she is forced to move with her family to San Francisco. Inside Out features some amazing voice actors such as Amy Poehler as Joy. Have you seen Inside Out Yet yet? It’s such a funny and well done movie about the complex…

  • fiesta_dishes
    family - Food

    Watch for my Fiesta Summer Entertaining Pinterest Takeover

    July 3, 2015 - By 

    I’m so excited and I just can’t hide it. Come on now. Cut me some slack, at least I didn’t sing it to you. Trust me nobody wants to hear that. Summer is my favourite season, and as you well know social media is one of my favourite things in the world. And social media that combines my happiness pinning awesome-ness for a brand that I love, on Pinterest, is such a treat I can hardly stand it. What a fun way to spend my summer! Starting today I am doing a Pinterest takeover for Fiesta Dinnerware. Remember that gorgeous…

  • star cupcakes
    family - Food

    July the 4th Red White and Blue Star Cupcakes

    July 1, 2015 - By 

    This little treat is for my American readers. I found this adorable recipe idea and couldn’t wait to see if I could make these Red, White, and Blue, Star Cupcakes. How fun are these for any summer picnic event? They’d be perfect, of course, for your July 4th celebration. But they’d be just as fun for a family reunion or a summer picnic. They look tricky, right? But with a bit of patience you can make these too. Just follow the instructions and your red, white and blue star cupcakes will be a crowd pleaser! [tweetthis]Nothing is more patriotic and…