It’s a Wonderful Life

Posted by kait / December 29, 2010

We had a truly beautiful Christmas this year. It was Byron and I’s first Christmas as a married couple and it was so special. We got incredibly spoiled by my parents and brother! They gave us the most special and amazing gifts….we couldn’t believe our eyes. My brother-in-law Blair joined us for Christmas Dinner on Christmas Eve which was really special. It was so great having him over! My Mom’s holiday design is impeccable and so was her amazing cooking. Check out the photos below for all of the wonderful things she did over the 2.5 days we were there! xoxo

My Mom makes the most incredible table settings. I love her magical sparkly centrepiece.

I love the little chocolate dollars she incorporated into the centrepiece. And the adorable little poodle figurine.

The amazing bourbon-soaked English Trifle. We have this every year and get sillydrunk off it at the table. So amazing.

Nice face, Tom! Photo bomber!

Coco licking her lips…probably thinking about turkey!

My Dad’s holiday music corner!

My amazing Crockpot which I won from Dinner with Julie.

Second day trifle. Epic breakfast.

The Christmas Carnage.

Nothing like Mimosas & vine wraps on Christmas.

Swerve: DIY New Year’s Eve Photobooth

Posted by kait / December 29, 2010

As you know, I have been contributing to Swerve Calgary Dot Com, the Calgary Herald’s magazine online twin. Check out my most recent post, a collaboration with Nicoleirene Dyck, the Queen of Photobooths, a DIY tutorial on how to create your own New Year’s Eve Photobooth in any small space. It was so much fun building the photobooth in our little apartment with Nicoleirene! Also, a big thanks to my husband for being our model. Byron, I hope this means the start of your modelling career. xo

Swerve: DIY Cupcake Ornament

Posted by kait / December 28, 2010

I recently started contributing to Calgary’s authority on life, Swerve Magazine Online. Click here to check out my DIY Tutorial to make Cupcake Ornaments for your Christmas Tree.

Bears. BEETS. Battlestar. Pickled Beets Recipe!

Posted by kait / December 28, 2010

I was never a picky child. I always ate weird and interesting foods and hardly ever turned anything down. Sushi was a favourite immediately. I started to try more experimental things like oysters and escargot. It worked out well because my Mom also loved these delicacies. We even delved into pickled herring. And I loved it and still do. Yum. Slimy things are my specialty. But then there are also vegetables. I have always loved the veggies that everyone else seems to hate. I love steamed spinach and lots of it. I love onion and brussel sprouts. I love root veggies and squashes. And I absolutely LOVE beets. Pickled beets, boiled beets, roasted beets, any way you can make them.

When I started canning I knew I had to try pickled beets. I picked up a couple and made a mini batch of this recipe. They were amazing. Better than store bought and so fresh and tangy. I gave some jars to my Mom for approval (she is a pickle queen) and sold a whole bunch at the Market Collective.

If you like beets you too should try out this recipe from :
Pickled Beets with Dill

Ingredients
2 pounds beets
1 cup distilled white vinegar
½ cup water
½ cup sugar
½ tablespoon salt
¼ cup of fresh dill weed

Prepare
1.    Prep the beets by boiling or roasting them until nearly tender. Cut them in half and then into ¼ inch slices.
2.    Combine the vinegar, water, sugar, and salt in a medium nonreactive saucepan, and bring to a boil. Stir to dissolve the sugar and salt, and then remove from the heat.
3.    Pack the beets into three clean hot pint jars, arranging them snugly but with enough room for brine to circulate. Divide the fresh dill among the jars. Pour the hot brine over the beets to cover by ½ inch. Leave ½ inch of headspace between the top of the liquid and the lid.
Preserve
Can: Use the boiling-water method. Release trapped ar. Wipe the rims clean; centre lids on the jars and screw on jar bands. Process for 30 minutes. Turn off heat, remove canner lid, and let jars rest in the water for 5 minutes. Remove jars and set aside for 24 hours. Check seals, then store in a cool dark place for up to one year.

sweet market times

Posted by kait / December 28, 2010

As you know, a couple of weeks ago I had a booth at the Market Collective here in Calgary with my Mom and my friend Amanda Meador. It was a really great weekend and I ended up just about selling out of everything I brought which is the goal of any vendor. Our booth had all sorts of beautiful things like jams, jellies, pickles, aprons, pillows, teacup paintings, and more! We re-merchandised our table a couple of times which really helped sell things that were not as prominent at first. Here are some photos of our wares.

Yuppie Love: Honey pots, Martini Sugar Rimmers, Hot Chocolates, Jams & Pickles.

Yuppie Love signs for the booth!

A full shot of our booth. I love the aprons my Mom made.

So many adorable aprons! The little girl aprons are my favourite! I wish I was that small!

Amanda’s beautiful little teacup pieces. I also love the Vintage Fan Series above.

My “GingerFriends” and the adorable gingerbread man apron!

The Vegas Martini Sugar Rimmers were a big hit! So yummy too!

Adorable Photo of our table by Nicoleirene Dyck! Love that girl!

I can’t wait until the next Market Collective which I am guessing is in February. I will create lots of delicious things for Valentines Day. Perhaps, a perfect sweet cherry pie-in-a-jar? And gluten-free heart cookies. We are moving in 2 days and my new kitchen is so perfect for creating amazing things. Photos to come as soon as we get organized. xo.

Merry Christmas From the Hive!

Posted by kait / December 25, 2010

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday and a very Merry Christmas! We truly look forward to 2011! It will be even more wonderful than this year. Happy New Year! xoxo The Honeys

GingerFriends: Gluten-free Gingerbread

Posted by kait / December 20, 2010

I have been searching for the perfect gluten-free gingerbread for so long and somewhere along someone had passed this recipe to me. It is absolutely amazing. Makes the most perfect gingerfriends and great walls for a gingerbread house. Try it out next time you have the hankering for something gingery.

Wonderful Gluten-Free Gingerbread
5 to 5.5 cups of rice flour
5 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp ginger
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cloves
1 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups unsulphered molasses
2 eggs, beaten (egg substitute works great too!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix flour, xanthan gum soda, salt, and spices. Melt shortening in a pan. Cool slightly and add sugar, molasses, and eggs, and mix well. Add 4 cups of the dry ingredients. Mix well. Turn mixture onto a floured surface (rice flour, of course!) and knead in the rest of the dry ingredients. Roll out to 1/4 inch thick, cut into pieces, and place on a cookie sheet. Bake 6-10 minutes for small pieces, 10-15 minutes for large pieces, 15-20 minutes for harder pieces needed for houses. Loosen from cookie sheet and cool for 10 minutes. Remove from cookie sheet and cool completely.

Icing for Gingerbread Houses
9 cups powdered sugar
3/4 cups water
3 Tbs light corn syrup
1 1/2 tsp almond extract (vanilla works as well)

Place sugar in saucepan. Combine water and corn syrup. Add this to sugar and mix well. Place over low heat (but don’t heat over 100*) Remove from heat and stir in extract.

Here it a photo of our darling little Christmas tree! My parents gave us this little tree this year because they didn’t need it anymore. I absolutely love it and I wish I could leave it up all year round. I have so many bird and deer ornaments. So pretty!

Swerve: A Mall for the Rest of Us

Posted by kait / December 16, 2010

Swerve Calgary Dot Com is launched now and I recently started contributing to their website. Here is my first post in the Going Out section: A Mall for the Rest of Us. All about the Market Collective this weekend!