Epic Post 2013

So I'm a baaaaad blogger......it's been a while....a sad long while! Especially since one of the last times I blogged I promised I would be back to it and well.... epic fail.... so I have a lot of time to make up for!

I will try to blog a bit more and I will try to get back into being more creative with my cooking and baking. I realise I let this go last year when I became busier with work, and although I did make some fab food, and cook some new recipes I failed to share the delightfulness with you lovely folk!

So to make up for it here is some of what happened between the last post and now...I'll post the recipes if I can find or remember them otherwise please enjoy the drool-worthy photos below! (also I wrote this blog mostly while watching Flight of the Navigator!!)

Justin's Chocolate Chunk Muffins (from scratch!)

So today I get to post about something someone else made in my kitchen! Justin!

For those of you who know Justin, he's not really famed for his love of cooking (hot dogs, tacos), but he has always had an interest in baking. Why you ask? Because it's almost always done all at the same time (not much multi-tasking required), but also because it's exact, an exact science.

He's been prompted by our friend Stephan's newly found joy in baking and I think this gave him the motivation he needed to try it himself!

Traditionally Canadian

Living in the UK and being a foodie means that conversation always lands on, What is traditional Canadian food?


The typical jokey answer is, "Anything smothered in maple syrup!" But the real answer is complicated. Do you mean indigenous traditional, or do you mean food that has become traditional due to socio-economic-political influences or due to our extremely multi-cultural traditions? 


In my home the answer leaned more towards French-Canadian tradition with the likes of tourtiere, and Pate Chinois (which has nothing to do with Chinese food at all! It's a version of shepherds pie that was created by Chinese railway workers in Quebec).

Put on that Bikini and eat some cookies

Back to baking!


Inspired by my recent travels back to Canada and an upcoming visit by friends I decided to bake today. A little rusty at it all, and forgot to take some pictures of the first recipe until I was almost done, but got the finished product which matters most!


I've also used a new photo editing technique, let me know if you like it!


I was inspired by a baking treat that Justin's dad always makes. Bikini Bars. I have NO idea why they are called as such since the certainly don't improve your bikini figure considering they're made with sweet condensed milk, coconut and chocolate, but they're darn tasty! So I found a recipe online and altered it a wee bitty. 

Cake Party 1

So I've been obsessively watching American tv show Ace of Cakes.  This has sparked a new challenge in me and I've decided to try to make fancy cakes. My first attempt was tiring and slightly stressful but I enjoyed the challenge. I have to admit that I didn't think it tasted that great (although Justin eats a slice every night), but I think that was partly due to the fact that I don't have a electric whipping machine. I was whipping everything by hand and so that cake came out a little dense and not as fluffy as it should have been.