The Crumble Pie (aka Two For One Pie!)

I’m one of those weird people that actually likes the pie crust more than the filling.  Especially when it’s this all-butter version.  When I’m eating a slice, I usually get rid of that annoying fruit first and then enjoy my crust and ice cream.

Most people don’t share my crust love, but they love crumble.  Enter the crumble pie.  Part pie, part fruit crumble, it’s the best of both worlds.  Another bonus: you get two pies out of one crust recipe because you don’t have to worry about top crusts! 

Strawberry Rhubarb Cream Pie (With Candied Pistachios)

We were getting strawberries and rhubarb in our veggie bag again this week.  Last time I had made a strawberry rhubarb crumble pie for our camping trip.  Everyone loved it!  I was going to make another one of the same, but if you’ve learned anything through this blog, I don’t usually like doing that.  And then Alex found this blog post from Bellwoods brewery.  They had a new dessert on their menu to pair with their Omerta beer: a strawberry rhubarb shortcake with cardamom-scented pastry cream and candied pistachios.  

That sounded so so good.  

Caramel Apple Tart

The hectic weeks are done (for now) and I can breathe a little again!  Breathe and smell the apples and cinnamon.  

We are being inundated with apples!  There are always apples at the grocery store, so it’s easy to take them for granted most of the time, but we shouldn’t.  I mean, it’s not every day you can get these adorable, small, local apples.  Shiny and bright; red jewels decorating the trees, waiting to be picked.  Just look at them.

Peach Blueberry Crisp

Apple crisp is one of the desserts my sister Verulam used to make often at my parents’ house, way back when we all lived on the same continent.  Apple desserts were my brother’s favourite. I loved it for the crispy oat and brown sugar topping, the vanilla ice cream melting in little pools around it.  

Orange Cornmeal Cake With Coronation Grape Sauce

I am taking it one day at a time.  I trudge to work in the dim morning light and return in the dark.  I cannot think too far ahead otherwise the amount of work that is yet to be done will overwhelm me.  I wish there were more hours in the day, more days in the weekend.  

Nectarine Butter

Can I admit something?  I totally forgot about this nectarine butter.  The pictures in this post feature my brown butter bourbon banana bread from June… 

Yeah, June.
  

Mangoconut Shortcakes

I’ve been doing some mathematical modeling at work over the past couple of months. Sometimes math is a nice break from wet lab work.  The logic is relaxing.  Things are predictable.  At the same time, I’ve had to remember things that I learned in calculus in undergrad.  Partial differential equations, asymptotic analysis, limits.  I made my brain reach.
  

The Perfect Pie Crust And A Cold Berry Pie

I came home early on a Friday.  It had been a tough week with lots of setbacks, but with the prospect of a relaxing weekend ahead, I tried to put all other thoughts out of my mind. As I wandered through our little grocery store, a plan starting forming in my head for a nice Friday night dinner.  

Candied Cranberry Pavlova

When I imagined this dessert, it was the first snow of the season.  It wasn’t fluffy or pretty.  It was blowing hard and it didn’t stay on the ground, but it made me think of a winter wonderland.  What dessert speaks of mountains of fluffy white snow better than the fluffy peaks of a pavlova with its mounds of whipped cream? 

That’s a rhetorical question. 

Personal Sangria (Red or Pink)

I was originally going to call this post “Sangria for One”, but people told me that sounded really sad.  Doesn’t that say a lot about the way we think?  It seems that being alone is synonymous with being lonely, but that’s just not true.

Plum Clafoutis

Time seems to go by so fast.  One minute we’re grabbing at the first strawberries of the season, the next we’re knee deep in stone fruit.  Too soon apples and pumpkins will make their way into our recipes.  We have to make the most of everything while we can.  Fruit is a good metaphor for life.  

Pineapple Sorbet

My brain is sea of thoughts that never stops.  A jumble of emotions and ideas.  A mishmash of memories and inklings.  Organized thoughts are impossible, that’s what lists are for.  I write and erase and rewrite so that these posts are at least coherent, if not eloquent.  Some days it takes longer than others. 

Super Streusel Roasted Pineapple Pound Cake

I bought a pineapple the other day.  A whole pineapple.  This is something I rarely do because disassembling a whole pineapple is a daunting task that leaves me sticky all over with a puddle of pineapple juice on the counter.  And I always feel like I’m wasting half of it trying to get rid of those little sharp bits.  But I bought one because they look so cool, with their yellow-green colour and tuft of leaves on top. 

Roasted Strawberry Toasted Coconut Almond Cookies

Anyone who knows me will tell you that I am stubborn.  When I get it into my head to do something, I will keep going until I do it.  Sometimes this is good; we call it perseverance.  Sometimes this is bad; we call it pig-headedness.
 
When it comes to this week at work, I am definitely feeling piggy.  I cannot solve this problem.  Breathe with me. 

Vanilla Bourbon Cherries

Can I get Manhattan please?  I’ll have one made with bourbon.  And can I get an extra cherry in there?  Thanks. 

Making fancy cocktails at home is totally possible.  There are a couple of things that will take your drinks at home over the top.  Keep your glasses chilled, and make some liquor soaked cherries.
 

Fresh Strawberry Tarts

Just like the heat here, strawberry season has been slow to begin.  The baskets of fruit at the farmer’s market are still fairly expensive.  But when faced with a divine smelling pint of beautiful, intensely red berries, I had to have them. 

Cherry Vanilla Scones (for Easter breakfast)

It’s Easter weekend!  It’s totally beautiful out, and I really have to force myself not to do any work.  Do you ever have to force yourself to relax?  

Sleeping in always helps.  A nice walk outside in the almost-springy weather.  And a nice, fresh baked breakfast pastry.  I’m not talking pop tarts here.  

Kale, Cucumber, and Kiwi Salad

My darling hubby Alex (see, trying to wean you off “hubby”) is gone for a whole week on business.  And without him here I feel like I revert back to all my “bachelor” habits.  Mostly, I have overwhelming urges to have a bag of chips for dinner.  It’s so easy, there’s no one here to see, no one will know... are some of my best excuses.  


It’s so good while it lasts, but almost invariably results in feelings of guilt.  Being someone who works hard to maintain her weight, I want to share with you some of the best advice I’ve read in a while about this type of situation.  So you ate chips... that’s FINE.  It’s one bag of chips.  Get out of the mindset that you’ve now ruined your day, week, diet, and get right back on the horse.  Don’t let one slip be your excuse to eat terrible things all day/week/life.   Therein lies the real problem. 

So let’s make salad!

Bourbon Caramel Banana Tart

So who else is obsessed with the show Homeland?  I think we are a little late to the party, but we are just blowing through season 1.  Amazing.
  

This post has nothing to do with that.  It has more to do with my current love of bourbon.  Manhattan? yes please!  Bourbon in my caramel?  Sounds great!  

St. Germain and Elderflower Rhubarb Bubbles

Fridays are for wearing sweatpants to work.  Fridays are for feeling justified for spending half the day browsing the internet for non-work related items.  Fridays are for planning all the awesome things you will do on the weekend.  Fridays are for that unmatched feeling of looking forward to two whole days where you don’t have to wake up early.

Fridays are for opening the bottle of wine while cooking.  Fridays are for cocktails.