PEACH & OATS SMOOTHIE

This has been a breakfast staple in my house over the last couple of months since I've discovered it.  My man who HATES peaches can't even get enough of it (once he finally tasted a sip of mine)!  Every morning......are you making that peach smoothie?

Peach & Oat Smoothie

Ingredients:

• 1 peach chopped up (I buy and freeze them with their skins on and everything!)
• 3/4 cup plain yogurt
• 3/4 cup almond milk (plain milk would be fine, but almond or cashew milk add an awesome flavour!)
• 1/4 cup oats 
• 1 heaping tbsp full of flax seed - optional
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 4 ice cubes (for froth)

Directions:

• Put all the ingredients in the blender and blend well.
• Enjoy!

Serves 1

Bon Appetit!

xo, Alysha

Take a Sip: CAN - TUCKY SMASH

I am Scottish, therefore I have a Scotch family.......until one of my cousins went to university in Kentucky, now I have a Scotch and Bourbon family (Hallelujah!)

She came up with this drink that combines 2 of my favourite things (Bourbon and maple syrup), and coined it the Can - Tucky Smash (Can for Canada, Tucky for Kentucky, Smash ,obviously cause your mixing them up) and it is fantastic!

Ingredients:

• 1.5 ounces bourbon
• 1 ounce good quality maple syrup
• 1 ounce lemon juice (just use the squeeze stuff here)
• sprig of rosemary

What to do:

• Shake the ingredients over ice in a shaker.
• Pour over a couple of ice cubes in a nice glass.
• Adorn with a sprig of rosemary (it adds a little savoury flavour to the kinda sweet drink, and a whole other sense to it when you are smelling it's loveliness when taking a sip)
• Enjoy!  ...and then enjoy some more!

Note:  When you buy the package of rosemary, and you are not going to use it all, simply freeze the rest in an airtight bag, and use when you need it!  Throughout the winter, my rosemary from this drink usually comes from the freezer.  If you haven't noticed yet, I FREEZE EVERYTHING!

xo, Alysha

EDAMAME AT HOME!

My cousin made me homemade edamame (soy beans) earlier this year and it was fantastic!  Why had I never thought I could make one of my favourite treats from the Japanese restaurants at home, I don't know.

Here is a bit of a gourmet recipe, but following it is a staple (my cousin's Ian's recipe) that lives in my fridge, and is a frequent late night snack (who wouldn't rather this healthy -ish snack at night instead of chips or junk food).

Blistered Bacon and Garlic Edamame:

What you are going to need:

• package of frozen edamame in shell
• 10ish whole cloves of garlic, smashed with the back of a knife
• 4ish tsp sesame oil
• 1/2 cup crumbled cooked bacon pieces (I bake it in large quantities on baking pans covered in aluminum foil in the oven, then freeze it for when you need little bits)
• 3 tsp Japanese 7 spice blend - Shichimi Togarashi (It's at Zehr's and it's President's Choice black label)
• 1/2 tsp sea salt (you really need it to kill the heat in the spice blend)
• juice of 1 lime

How to make it:

• Steam your edamame in the microwave according to package directions on the back of the edamame bag.  
• In a large frying pan, heat the sesame oil over medium heat, and add the smashed garlic and the steamed edamame and cook until blistered, about 20 minutes.
• Toss in crumbled bacon.
• Remove from heat and toss with the Japanese 7 spice, sea salt, and the lime juice.
• Enjoy!     (This microwaves well to reheat!)

Everyday Edamame:

What you are going to need:

• package of frozen edamame in shell
• 4 tsp sesame oil
• 3 tsp Japanese 7 spice blend - Shichimi Togarashi (It's at Zehr's at it's President's Choice black label)
• 1/2 tsp sea salt (you really need it to kill the heat in the spice blend)

How to make it:

• Steam your edamame in the microwave according to package directions on the back of the edamame bag.
• Toss with the sesame oil, Japanese 7 spice and salt.
• Enjoy!
• I reheat it for 1 minute in the microwave when I want to have some more!

They sell edamame in their shell in the freezer section of most high end grocery stores.  They also sell it already shelled which is great tossed in salad or as a roasted snack (I will highlight that recipe some other time).

P.S.  You are only supposed to eat the beans on the inside, and suck the good stuff off the outside.  Put the whole pod in your mouth while holding on to one end, bite down to pop it open so you can eat the beans, and suck the good stuff off the outside.

Bon Appetit!

xo, Alysha

BUTTERSCOTCH PEAR BREAD

It's the perfect time of to make this!  Pear's are at their peak right now and it's getting cooler, which is a great time to bake.

I have made a lot of these recently, and banana bread, and have been giving them out as gifts to everyone.

They taste sooo good, it's almost like dessert.

How to make it:

Butterscotch Sauce Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup butter
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 3 tbsp whipping cream 

Directions:

• Cook butter and brown sugar over medium heat in a saucepan, stirring, until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved.
• Remove from heat and stir in the cream.
• Let cool at room temperature for about 45 minutes.

Loaf Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs, whisked
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 3/4 cups flour (I used whole wheat, but feel free to use white!)
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 cups diced pears

Directions:

• In a large bowl, beat butter with both sugars until fluffy.
• Beat in eggs and vanilla until just combined.
• Beat in milk until just combined.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients, then stir it into the wet bowl mixture.
• Stir in the pears and half the butterscotch sauce.
• Pour into greased loaf pan.
• Pour the remainder of the butterscotch sauce over the top and swirl gently.
• Bake about 1 hour in a 350 degree oven until a toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean.
• Let cool completely in pan on a rack.  

Bon Appetit!

xo, Alysha

Must eat here and things to do during grape and wine

You MUST eat here:  Frijoles in Niagara Falls located at 3465 Portage Road.  They hands down have the best fish tacos in Niagara.  The rest of their food is pretty great too.  Take a look at their menu. 

And it's Grape and Wine time of years again!!!

There are some great activities to take part of during this time.  

My favourite thing to do is partaking the Discovery Pass experience.  You get to pick 8 wineries from their list that you get to sample a wine paired with great food for just $40!  Niagara wineries do things like this lots throughout the year (I will share them!) and we make sure we do all of them!  A couple sample pairings are fresh ricotta fritters with bacon thyme jam paired with 2014 Private Reserve Baco Noir from Peller Estates in Niagara on the Lake and Twisted Kitchen Food Truck is serving sweet and savoury Moroccan braised beef stew paired with 2012 Red Twisted at Flat Rock Cellers in Jordan.

This is happening on Saturdays and Sundays of the next two weekends (September 19, 20, 26 and 27).

Find out more about the discovery pass experience and to view all the pairings click here, and enter code WC015 for $5 OFF at checkout.

The hub of Grape and Wine activities is at Montebello Park.  

There are lots of local chefs and restaurants providing food for sale and obviously wine samples too.  There is also live music there throughout the weekend:

Friday September 18th - Hotel California (Eagles cover band) at 7:20pm

Saturday, September 19th - All Ontario bands with the first starting at 1pm and the last at 7:45pm

Sunday, September 20th - Country Day with the first band starting at 12:30 and the last at 6:15pm

Friday, September 25th - Vinyl Flux at 6:30pm

and The Caverners Beattles Tribute at 8pm

Saturday, September 26th - first band starting at 1pm and the headliners Jonesy going on at 7:45pm

Sunday, September 27th - Country Day with the first band starting at 12:30 and the last at 6:40

Click here to find out more information about the band lineup.

And of course there is the parade which takes place on Saturday, September 26th between 9:30 am and 10:30am in downtown St. Catharines.

Most of the the wineries in Niagara also have events of their own going on during this time.  Check out your favourite wineries facebook page, as that usually holds the most information or check out wineries of Niagara on the Lake's website or wineries of Twenty Valley's website.

xo, Alysha

EASY PEASY GUACAMOLE

I LOVE guacamole.  I often eat it for lunch.  You can eat it with chips, spread it on a nice piece of toast, with tomatoes on top, poach or fry and egg to put on it or do whatever you like with it!

Here is my simple recipe to make it:

Ingredients:

• 1 avocado
• juice of 1/2 a large lime
• 1/8 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp or more finely chopped red onion
• salt and pepper to taste

How to make it happen:

• Mush an avocado with a fork until desired consistency is reached with lime juice squeezed overtop.
• Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.
• Note:  If you intend on making a big batch, place the avocadoes and lime juice in a food processor and blend until desired consistency is reached.  Place in bowl and add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.

If you buy the 5 pack of avocadoes and don't get to them all before they are too ripe, simply squish 1 avocado with the juice of about 1/2 a lime and put in an airtight baggie and freeze for later.  It's not super great on its own, but is fantastic for nachos or fresh tacos.

Bon Appetit!

xo, Alysha

Take a Sip: WATERMELON MARGUERITA

Mmmmmmmmmmm.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 tsp salt - plus more for rimmer
• 2 ounces lime juice - plus more for rimmer
• 3 cups chopped seedless watermelon - plus more for rimmer
• 4 sprigs of mint
• 3 ounces white tequila or vodka - it also tastes great virgin!
• 1 1/2 ounces simple syrup  (Recipe to follow)

What to do:

• Blend salt, lime juice, and watermelon in a blender.
• Muddle the mint sprigs.
• Add the muddles mint, tequila or vodka, and simple syrup to the blender and quickly whiz again.
• Rub a lime wedge around the edge of a glass, and rub in a flat plate full of salt.
• Garnish with a lime wedge or a watermelon slice (if your remembered to keep some!)
• Enjoy!

Serves 2

Note:  You can freeze chopped watermelon chunks in an airtight baggie for future use!

Simple Syrup:

Boil equal parts sugar and water until the sugar dissolves.  Let cool and store in a jar in your fridge.

Some of this lives in my fridge in all the warmer months!  P.S.  I use about 1/4 cup sugar (I also use raw cane, not plain old white) to 1 cup of water, I don't need it anywhere that sweet, so adjust to your taste.

xo, Alysha

Freezing Your Herbs and Some Pesto Recipes

Well, it looks like our scorching days and nights are coming to an end.  So it's time to start taking a look at all your herbs before they die.

Rosemary, thyme, and oregano freeze great by simply putting in an airtight ziploc baggie in your freezer, and using it whenever you need it.

Sage freezes alright rolled in wax paper, but does not crisp up afterwards if that is what you are after.

Chives also freeze alright, but wilt a little.  It works well in sauces or dips, but not so well as a stand alone.

Your mint is very hardy and will last well into the fall.  Have a cup of tea with it by simply adding a handful of leaves to some boiling water in a mug, and scoop out the leaves when desired strength is reached.  You can sweeten it as well if you like, but I enjoy it as is.

Make sure you use up all that dill if you still have some, or make some tzatziki with it.

You can place your cut basil in a cup with water on your windowsill.  It will sprout        and continue to grow and thrive, so you can use it at will. 

Use your parsley up!

OR.....

Make some pesto with either your basil or parsley and use it within a week, or freeze it in ice cube trays and transfer to airtight baggie for future use.

Classic Pesto:

• 2 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves
• 1/3 cup pine nuts
• 2 cloves peeled garlic
• 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• Chop in a food processor until it resembles a paste.
• With the machine running, slowly pour 1/2 cup olive oil through the top hole.
• Add sea salt and pepper to taste.

Arugula, Parsley and Almond or Walnut Pesto:     

• 1 1/2 cups fresh arugula
• 1/2 cup packed parsley
• 1/4 cup almonds or walnuts
• 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 1 clove peeled garlic
• Chop in a food processor until it resembles a paste.
• With the machine running, add 1/4 cup lemon juice, followed by slowly pouring 1/4 cup olive oil through the top hole.
• Add sea salt and pepper to taste.

I hands down prefer the arugula / parsley version, plus the greens and the nuts are a much cheaper version!

Bon Appetit

xo, Alysha

THIN MINTS

They taste just like the Girl Guide cookies, they look just like the Girl Guide cookies, they feel just like the Girl Guide cookies, and you can make them fast, and have them year round (unless you have a heaping stash in your freezer.....and if so, please share!)

Ingredients:

• Ritz crackers
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chip cookies
• 1 tablespoon vegetable shortening
• 3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract

Directions:

• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminium foil and set aside.
• Set up a double boiler on your stove top over medium-low heat.  Combine chocolate chips and shortening (the shortening helps the chocolate stay smooth when using it for dipping, and prevents it from hardening too quickly), and stir occasionally until it is melted.  Add mint extract and stir to combine.
• Add 1 cracker at a time to the chocolate, and lift out with a fork to allow the excess chocolate to drain through.
• Place in fridge or refrigerator to harden.
• Enjoy!

Recipe yields about 24 cookies, or for a box of crackers, double the recipe.

Store in your fridge for up to a month, or keep them in your freezer until they run out, plus they taste best from there, just like the real ones!

Bon Appetit!

xo, Alysha

FROZEN DOGGIE TREATS

Help your dog chill out this weekend......

You all know how much your dog loves a good ice cube, and boy is it ever supposed to be hot this weekend......and I am sure you have everything to make this already in your house...

Simply put a banana, 1/2 cup of peanut butter and 1 cup of yogurt in the blender or mix by hand.

Pour into paper tear away dixie cups or ice cube trays and freeze!

I don't have a dog myself, but boy do my friends dogs enjoy them!

P.S.  I liked it as it defrosted a little with a spoon and a little drizzle of honey over it.  shhhh...

Dog approved!

xo, Alysha

WATERMELON PIZZA

It's a little bit sweet, a little bit savoury, and soooooo good!

How to make this happen:

Simply slice your watermelon in 1/2" - 1" thick rounds.  Lay flat then cut into four pizza slices.  Sprinkle with crumbled feta, chiffonaded mint, then top with a balsamic glaze and ENJOY!

Bon Appetit!

xo, Alysha

Going on in Niagara this week......Getting the last bit of summer in and Diner en Blanc

This was my Sunday evening, but more on that later....

Let's all get those last bits of outdoor summer activity in before it's all gone!

This Wednesday, and Wednesdays until September 16th go out for great food truck eats and local beer and wine at the Niagara on the Lake Supper Market from 4:30 until dusk.

This Thursday is the last Pelham Supper Market (starting at 4:30 and runs until dusk) and night at the Bandshell (7-9pm) with The Toronto All Star Big Band and The Mantini Sisters.  It also runs alongside the Pelham Farmers Market where you can pick up fresh fruits and veggies and lots of other goodies.

On Friday (4th) it's Elvis Presley night at the free Concerts on the Canal in Welland

On Friday (September 4th) as well, Chateau des Charmes is hosting Earth and Sky Film Night and will be playing Seymour: An Introduction and more info and tickets are available here.  They sell wine by the glass and gourmet snacks.

On Monday of this weekend (Labour Day - September 7th) they will also be hosting Earth and Sky Music Market with live music (Jane's Party), food trucks, local artisans craft market and wines by the glass and admission is free!

We also attend movies in the vineyard at Trius Winery usually throughout the month of June.  The best way to find out about all of these events is to follow them all on facebook.

What better way to end out your summer than outdoors in a beautiful vineyard!

This past Sunday we went to Diner en Blanc Niagara.  This is my fourth event of theirs that I have attended, and they all have been absolutely amazing.  Diner en Blanc is a pop up all white chic picnic party that started in Paris 27 years ago, and happens all over the world now.  You arrive at a predetermined destination with all your decorations and picnic stuff (or you can order it from them and it just shows up there!), and get on a bus and get delivered to the surprise location.  You set up your area, enjoy the views, have your dinner, play with sparklers, dance the night away to a live band and dj, and cap it off with a beautiful fireworks display.

This years was held at the absolutely beautiful Secret Garden in Niagara Falls with views of the falls.

Here are some more photo's of the beautiful event and of the scenery around us......

 

Make sure you get yourself on next year's wait list here.

xo, Alysha