Desserts and Treats

Reese Peanut Butter Chocolate Lava Cookies Recipe

September 21, 2015 by Kathryn 28 Comments

If there’s one thing even better than peanut butter, it’s peanut butter with chocolate! And that’s why new Reese Spreads Peanut Butter Chocolate is a new favourite in our household. From having it on a piece of toast in the morning to using the spread for all kinds of tasty recipes, any time I use Reese, I’m guaranteed delicious results.

Recently Reese Canada challenged me to come up with a recipe using the new spread, and I couldn’t wait to let my creativity shine. After a lot of deliberation, I decided to take a classic and give it a new twist. Peanut butter cookies are always a favourite, but filled with Reese Peanut Butter Chocolate Spread, I knew they’d be even better. And so my Reese Peanut Butter Chocolate Lava Cookies were born!

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The End of Summer is Extra Sweet with No-Churn S’mores Ice Cream

August 26, 2015 by Kathryn 16 Comments

The first day of school is less than a week away here in Saskatchewan, but I’m holding onto summer as hard as I can! And with highs of around plus 30 degrees all week, that’s not hard to do right now. To make the most of the last few days of our vacation, I really wanted to whip up a treat that just screamed summer. And after being inspired by Kraft Canada’s S’mores recipes, I knew just what flavour of treat I wanted!

Of course, S’mores are generally a treat served hot and gooey straight from a campfire. And since we’re still enjoying luxuriously warm weather, I was in the mood for something cold instead. That’s how this absurdly easy no-churn S’mores Ice Cream was born!

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Celebrate Special Birthdays with the Best Ever Cookie Icing Recipe

August 12, 2015 by Kathryn 27 Comments

When I was a child, my mom was known for throwing the best birthday parties. Some parents rented rooms at a hotel with a waterslide so that kids could swim. Others would take a group of kids to McDonald’s for one of their special birthday celebrations. I have to admit that I had a blast at those parties, but none could compare to the parties my mom planned and threw for us each year. Every party was at home and featured food and games my mom had made and planned herself, but the originality is exactly what made them so much fun.

Now that I have kids of my own, I’ve taken a page from my mother’s book…and maybe even gone a step further! Planning that perfect party is a chance to test my creativity and create something special for my boys, and seeing their smiles after all the fun has come together makes the effort worthwhile. I also enjoy the fact that by creating my own themed parties, I generally save money too! [Read more…]

Trying Three Delicious French Recipes Perfect for a Classic Dinner Party

July 24, 2015 by Kathryn 44 Comments

I love to cook and I especially love mastering new cooking styles and techniques from around the world. But, until recently, I’d never really delved into French cooking. Broil, braise, sauté, flambé…the techniques seemed a little too intimidating for me! Luckily, that all changed when I took part in Motrin’s #MakeitHappenMonday challenge! I set myself a goal of mastering a dinner-party-worthy menu of 3 classic French recipes and then spent the next two weeks turning my dream into a reality!

Now my menu has come to fruition and, thanks to a lot of preparation and some great advice from chef friends and others, it was absolutely spectacular. The three-course meal was everything I hoped it would be, and I loved learning so many new things along the way. [Read more…]

Delicious Basic Crepes Recipe for Crepes Suzette

July 17, 2015 by Kathryn 64 Comments

On Monday, I shared the news about my exciting new partnership with Motrin and my upcoming Make it Happen Monday challenge. I decided that I wanted to master some new cooking skills by creating a classic French menu. With Coquilles St. Jacques as the appetizer, Coq au Vin for a main dish and Crepes Suzette for dessert, I’m looking forward to tasting the results!

I’ve already been busy working towards reaching my goal by reading about some of the classic techniques I’ll need to employ, shopping for ingredients and talking to friends that have made the dishes before. And since there will be plenty of cooking to do on the big day, I also decided to make part of the food in advance.

The basic crepes I’ll be using for the Crepes Suzette can be prepared in advance and frozen. And while I’m sure they’ll be delicious in this recipe, they’re actually great to have on hand to fill with all kinds of tasty delicacies! [Read more…]

Maple Leaf Cupcakes Make an Easy and Delicious Canada Day Treat

June 29, 2015 by Kathryn 41 Comments

I love cooking up special treats for special occasions, and with Canada Day coming up so quickly, I couldn’t resist making something tasty to celebrate our country! The Kraft Canada website is always a go-to resource for me when I want delicious Canada Day recipes and its Jell-O based Flag Cake is a treat I’ve made many years in the past. But this year I decided to switch things up a bit and make cupcakes instead! To keep with the theme, I used Red Velvet cake mix and a tasty cream cheese frosting.

Maple Leaf Cupcakes

Simple red and white cupcakes perfect for Canada Day

Course Dessert

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 24

Author Kathryn

Ingredients

1 box Red Velvet cake mix
3 eggs
1 cup milk
1/3 cup oil
4 oz. Philadelphia Cream Cheese softened
1/2 cup butter softened
3 cups icing sugar
1/2 cup sliced strawberries

Instructions

Prepare cake mix using eggs, milk and oil. Pour into paper-lined muffin tin and bake according to package directions.
Meanwhile, beat cream cheese and butter together until fluffy. Gradually beat in icing sugar.
Cool cupcakes completely and frost with cream cheese icing.
Arrange strawberry slices on top to resemble maple leaf.

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Make Tropical Mango Yonanas and Other Healthy Real Fruit Recipes with the Yonanas Machine-Giveaway

June 25, 2015 by Kathryn 174 Comments

School is ending, Canada day is quickly approaching and here in Saskatchewan, the weather is hot, hot, hot! I’m feeling that summertime spirit already and that means free time is spent outside in the sunshine as much as possible. But this heat has also been giving me a craving for cold, creamy treats and as much as I love ice cream, it has too much fat and sugar for me to want to feed it to my family too often!

That’s why I was so excited to test out the Yonanas Frozen Dessert Maker. This fun device turns frozen bananas and other fruit into a creamy, dreamy soft-serve style treat. Since our weather’s been so tropical lately, I decided to whip up a Tropical Mango Yonanas recipe using banana and mango!

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Tropical Peanut Butter Snack Bites Make a Tasty Spring Snack

April 21, 2015 by Kathryn 52 Comments

Looking for a family snack that’s quick, made from wholesome ingredients and easy to customize? Look no further because Kraft Peanut Butter Snack Bites have it all! These no-bake snack bites combine oats, honey, peanut butter and any other fun additions your heart desires for a snack that’s as healthy or as decadent as you want it to be.

There are so many amazing recipes for these tasty morsels on the Kraft What’s Cooking website, but I decided I wanted to create my own, and after seeing the recipe for Fruit And Nut Peanut Butter Snack Bites, I had a pretty good idea of what I wanted to use for these fun morsels. And so my Tropical Peanut Butter Snack Bites were created!

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