tiffany’s holiday luncheon

Posted by kait / November 26, 2012

Details are everything.

I was so elated to attend the holiday-themed Tiffany & Co. luncheon last Thursday. Bloggers and members of the media were invited to attend a lovely afternoon lunch at the award-winning Model Milk (recently named top 10 new restaurants in Canada in enRoute magazine) with Elizabeth Hellebrand of Tiffany & Co.! It was so lovely to sit down for a stunning menu with some new and old faces. Of course, details are everything to Tiffany’s as well – the dining room was dotted with perfect white roses, beautifully wrapped Tiffany’s coffee table books, right down to the selection of wines and the hand-typed menus.

While this Tiffany’s get-together didn’t have multi-thousand dollar rings sitting at our place settings like the Breakfast I recently attended – Elizabeth shared an exciting tidbit that Tiffany’s had created the jewelery for the upcoming holiday release of Baz Lurhman’s (of Moulin Rouge fame) adaptation of The Great Gatsby! Scroll down to watch the fabulous trailor that is absolutely stunning with the costuming, decor and music – per usual for Lurhman!

saskatoon berry preserves!

Posted by kait / October 23, 2012

Remember back in the summer when I went and picked as many Saskatoon berries as I could? Well, I made them into delicious preserves just for you! Mixed up with some yummy BC blueberries, I have made a sweet and tangy Saskatoon Berry & Blueberry Preserves. Served up in a 250ml jar, this delicious spread is amazing on toast with butter or slightly heated up for dripping over vanilla ice cream.

I am selling these yummy little jars for $6 each.

If you are local in Calgary, I can do pick up/drop off or if you are based elsewhere in Canada, drop me a line at {} and we can chat about shipping costs.

Gonna go eat some toast now….. xo

Only A Local Would Know…

Posted by kait / October 5, 2012

There is just some things that only a local would know. Having lived in Calgary for most of my life, I am proud to say I can show you the best of the city, no matter what the subject. I wrote a quick guide for Cheap Flights Canada to showcase all of the fun stuff there is to do an experience in Calgary. Here is a snippet of some of the great food places I haunt frequently.

Five great restaurants in Calgary only locals would know:

Clive Burger: If you’ve got a hankering for a delicious juicy burger, Clive is the locale you’ll want to hit up. Order up with a side of fries and one of their tasty Cherry Custard Shakes – you’ll be feeling fine and full in no time. Completely community and eco-conscious, Clive Burger also carries many gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan options not to mention that all of their packaging is compostable. Eating fast food has never felt so guilt-free.

Without Papers Pizza: If you love pizza, Without Papers will knock your socks off. Tucked up and away off 9th Avenue and only marked by their signature shiny red door, this gem of a pizzeria serves up some of the best in the city. Projecting kitschy cartoons and music documentaries on regular rotation on two walls, ‘pizza lovers can alternate watching the films and the open kitchen.

Mango Shiva: Looking for an amazing and authentic Indian dishes? Look no further than Mango Shiva on Stephen Avenue. Their gorgeous interior will immediately embrace you along with the warm aromas of Indian homecooking. Their $5 Happy Hour will keep you coming back for cocktails and appetizers while their weekend brunch is chockfull of Anglo-inspired dishes like Butter Chicken Poutine and Garam Masala Eggs Benedict.

Hana Sushi: A local favourite, Hana Sushi is one of the best spots in the city to pick up incredibly fresh and delicious sushi. Dine in or dine out, this great little joint is located right in the heart of Mission on Fourth Street. Must-have rolls include The Lovers Roll and the Double Happiness Roll.

Café Gravity: Nestled on the corner of the Inglewood Art Block, a delightful café has graced us with its fine cappuccinos, relaxing atmosphere and incredible prosecco happy hour prices. Every Friday they host local musicians and songwriters for their Open Mic Night, making this the perfect spot for a chill evening out.

So you see, Calgary is quite wonderful place based on only a handful of the amazing good places to visit. Quick hop on a flight and come visit!

Make My Lunch: Lunchbox DIYs

Posted by kait / September 10, 2012

Even though I don’t have children yet, I do like to pack my husband’s lunch every so often and I am an expert picnic basket packer – I thought I would share a bit of my expertise for back-to-school lunchbags! Check out the story over at Swerve. How do you make your kids’ lunches special?

good eats: gluten-free cinnamon sugar doughnuts

Posted by kait / September 4, 2012

Oh, doughnuts. The iconic hole’d dessert treat that somehow is making one hell of a comeback. While browsing through Crate & Barrel recently, I picked up an adorable little book written by Lara Ferroni called Doughnuts. Along with a couple of necessities like a baking pan specifically for doughnuts and this adorable screenprinted tea towel, I grabbed all of my gluten-free baking supplies to make these delicious gluten-free doughnuts. My first test was the baked recipe. I made regular cake doughnut topped with chocolate and maple icing. Sprinkled with some crushed walnuts – let’s just say Sunday night family dinner attendees were pleased.

While I don’t have a deepfryer I really wanted to try making the gluten-free raised dough version using active yeast and guar gum. Let me just say how exciting it was to see a gluten-free flour product rise! I have never used yeast before besides when I made bread with a mix in the breadmaker. Very cool. And dropping the doughnuts into the hot oil was entirely satisfying. In fact, I was shocked at how quickly they cool. Really only a couple of seconds does the trick. The result is chewy and moist. Sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar – it is an absolute dream come true for someone avoiding gluten in their diet. I thought I would never have a good doughnut ever again let alone make them myself.

I definitely recommend checking this book out – it has 2 great gluten-free dough recipes along with plenty of regular doughnuts and a never-ending list of toppings and fillings. Next up Boston Cream and Lemon Curd!

good eats // fried cornmeal okra

Posted by kait / August 21, 2012

Got a hankerin’ for some southern-fried eats? Inspired by the likes of Paula Dean, I recently picked up some fresh okra from the T&T Asian Supermarket and thought I’d do up a little fried snack. Sliced thinly, these crispy cornmeal snacks are soft inside and have a mild taste. I paired them with some zingy avocado mayo for dipping and enjoyed with some unsweetened lemonade. Now if only I had a porch…

what you’ll need:

fresh okra (sliced into 1/2 inch pieces)
cornmeal
1 egg
2 tbsp milk
fresh cracked pepper
dash of salt
oil

throw it together:

Fill heavy bottomed pot with 2 inches of vegetable oil. Whisk together egg and milk until smooth. In a separate bowl, mix together cornmeal, black pepper and salt. Dip okra slices into egg mixture and then roll in cornmeal mixture. Drop into oil and cook until golden. Remove with metal slotted spoon and place on paper towel lined plate. Pat dry to remove excess oil. Serve up with a squirt of avocado mayo or even ketchup if you are feeling adventurous! Enjoy!

hungry // mushroom sage gnochhi

Posted by kait / July 17, 2012

I am a total sucker for pasta. Homemade pasta is even better and since I am the cook ’round these parts it is usually me rolling out the dough. I started making gnocchi a couple of years ago but I have recently started experimenting a bit more and trying out some delicious new combinations.

First of all, I must say that if you are going to make gnocchi, you have got to use potatoes. They have just the most amazing pillow-y texture compared to flour gnocchi. Believe me, you won’t regret it.

what you’ll need for the gnocchi:

six potatoes – my faves are the white almond fingerling
one 1/2 cup chopped spinach
1/4 cup parmesan
one egg yolk
one tbsp salt
two cups gluten-free all purpose flour

what you’ll need for the mushroom sage butter sauce:

two cups chopped mushrooms
fresh sage
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon

how-to:

Bring a large pot of water to boil, add potatoes and cook until each potato is tender. Drain and let cool. Once cool, peel each potato (alternately – you can leave the skins on for a different texture to your gnocchi) and place in fridge until cold.

Mash potatoes thoroughly. Mix in the egg yolk and a pinch of salt. Slowly stir in the flour. Remove from bowl and start to knead on work surface. It should form soft somewhat sticky dough. Divide into eight chunks. Roll your dough out into one-inch thick strands and cut every 1/2 inch to create about 30 pieces of gnocchi. Gnocchi ain’t nothing without the signature ridges created by the back of a fork. Lightly roll each pieces down the back of the fork to create the ridges.

to cook:

Bring large pot of water to boil. I totally used the same water as the boiled potatoes.Using a slotted spoon, place half of the gnocchi into the boiling water. When the gnocchi floats to the top it is ready. Serve hot.

make some SAUCE:

In a sauce pan, heat butter over medium heat and stir in chopped sage leaves and pepper. Add mushrooms and cook until all is softened. Pour over gnocchi and sprinkle with parmesan.

Bon appetit!

hungry // gluten-free oatmeal brittle

Posted by kait / July 10, 2012

Halfway between an oatmeal cookie and peanut brittle you get something called Oatmeal Brittle. A very easy + quick snack, this gluten-free oatmeal brittle is a tasty addition to your mid-afternoon coffee break.

what you need:

3 cups gluten-free oats
3/4 cup white or brown sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 tsp of pure vanilla extract
1 cup peanut butter (room temperature)
2 eggs

pull it together:

Preheat your oven to 350* F. In a large bowl mix together butter + sugar until creamed. Stir in eggs and vanilla until smooth. Add in your peanut butter. Okay so it is pretty much a deliciously sweet peanut-y mess now, right? It is time to add the oats. Stir in one cup at a time to ensure cover. Pour over a parchment sheet lined cookie pan and spread with a spatula. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Let cool and break into delicious bite-sized sharing-sized pieces. Yum.

HUNGRY // the pristine kitchen

Posted by kait / July 3, 2012

I spent a good chunk of yesterday cleaning out my kitchen cabinets and getting rid of one-off plates and cups and really paring down to the stuff I really love. Luckily, my brother is moving out for the first time so I can totally pass along a ton of the stuff to him!

Totally inspired by Crate + Barrel’s beautiful white kitchen accessories right now. I have to say the Cookie Jar is so gorgeous. It looks like a porcelain cast of an old glass jar. You can’t beat the prices at C+B either.

I wish I could paint our whole kitchen white. Currently, it has black countertops and backsplash which always looks dirty and shows stains. The things you have to put up with when you rent….

What is your ideal kitchen? Are you like me and love fresh + light designs? Or are you more into a dramatic dark kitchen? Somewhere in between?

hungry // five-berry yogurt pops

Posted by kait / June 19, 2012

I don’t think there is anything better in the summertime than an icy cold popsicle or a delicious scoop of ice cream or fro-yo. Really – there is nothing else that can bring greater satisfaction than something as yummy on a stick or in a cone. Unfortunately, the desire to obtain a frozen treat is often deterred by summer-time laziness. This easy recipe for Five-Berry Yogurt Pops is super simple and your trips to the freezer will be frequent.

make it:

jars
blueberries
blackberries
strawberries
raspberries
cherries
Greek Yogurt 0%
Blueberry syrup (I made my own just by stewing blueberries on the stove with honey + refrigerating it)

pull it together:

This is honestly one of the simplest recipes to make – there is really only three steps to pull it together.

One – Blend all berries + 1/3 cup of water in food processor or blender. Pour equal amounts into your clean jars and place in freezer.

Two – Remove jars from freezer and top with Greek yogurt. Smooth tops and place popsicle sticks or paper straws in center. Place back into freezer for 2 hours.

Three – Drizzle your blueberry syrup (you can use juice too!) over the top of the Greek yogurt and freeze overnight.

There ya go – easy as pie – you’ve got delicious healthy fruit yogurt pops. Enjoy!

What is your favourite summertime treat? I used to love Freezies + Fudgsicles like nobody’s business but now I am more of a fro-yo gal.