The Breville Quick Touch Crisp Lets You Microwave, Grill and More with One Handy Appliance-Giveaway

January 10, 2017 by Kathryn 361 Comments

When it comes to convenient cooking, the microwave is still the king of the kitchen for most families. Being able to heat up leftovers, cook frozen convenience meals and even sometimes create whole meals in minutes is a lifesaver for a busy family. And now, Breville is making the kitchen’s handiest appliance even more useful with the new Breville Quick Touch Crisp! This ingenious microwave not only features settings for heating beverages, softening butter and more, it even features a clever integrated grill and crisping feature that allows you to grill pizza, sandwiches and more to perfection right in the microwave!

Recently I was given the chance to review the Breville Quick Touch Crisp for myself and I’m sure it goes without saying that I was thrilled. My previous microwave was as basic as basic could be, so upgrading to this stylish stainless steel beauty was a delight. At first glance, it seemed fairly similar to any other modern microwave, but as soon as I opened the door, I saw the difference. The variety of settings was more extensive than any microwave I’ve ever owned. And of course, the special grilling feature and crisping pan added way more versatility. [Read more…]

This Easy Peanut Butter Chocolate Cracker Brittle Recipe Will Be Your New Favourite Holiday Treat

November 25, 2016 by Kathryn 24 Comments

I absolutely love holiday baking, and I’ve mentioned before that I often go overboard making sweet treats for family and friends during the holidays. But because I’m a busy mom, I do tend to favour quick and easy recipes over fussy and finicky ones. In fact, one of my favourites has always been a simple cracker brittle made with nothing more than crackers, butter and brown sugar.

So, when Kraft Canada challenged me to come up with a delicious holiday recipe featuring everyone’s favourite couple, Kraft Peanut Butter and Baker’s Chocolate, I decided to put a new twist on my old favourite by turning it into a peanutty, chocolatey treat. And the resulting Peanut Butter Chocolate Cracker Brittle was absolutely addictive! With just a few ingredients and less than fifteen minutes, you’ll have a full pan of decadence for your next holiday gathering! [Read more…]

Easy Spicy Baked Chicken Parmesan Recipe Makes a Quick Hearty Dinner on a Busy Day

September 21, 2016 by Kathryn 22 Comments

September is always a busy month for our family, but that’s never been more true than it is this year! Putting the boys in a new school in a new city, preparing for a work transfer and a house purchase and, to top it all off, we’re all flying to Ontario in less than a week as Jeremy and I get married and take our honeymoon! Needless to say, there’s lots to do and limited time to do it. And that means easy, hearty and delicious dinners are a priority for me more than ever before.

Luckily, Kraft Canada came to my rescue this fall with two new Classico pasta sauces that combine gourmet flavour with heat-and-eat convenience. New Classico di Bologna Bolognese Pasta Sauce boasts tender pork and beef in a flavourful tomato sauce. And Classico Di Molise Spicy Tomato & Parmesan Cream Pasta Sauce combines spicy red pepper, tomato and real parmesan cheese for a rich and creamy sauce choice.

I decided to use one of the sauces to whip up a delicious dinner and since we all love chicken, I put my own kid-friendly twist on Spicy Tomato-Chicken Parmesan. With just four ingredients and thirty minutes, I created an oven-baked dinner the whole family loved: Spicy Baked Chicken Parmesan! [Read more…]

Enjoy Great Meals for the Whole Family with Trudeau Fuel Lunch Containers-Giveaway

September 7, 2016 by Kathryn 110 Comments

If there’s one thing that can make the tedious job of packing lunches easier and more enjoyable, it’s great containers. A bento-style box for snack lovers, a salad bowl with a built-in dressing tub, leak-proof containers that actually live up to their name…no matter what type of lunch a family loves best, the right products make packing those lunches so much easier!

That’s why I was so excited to discover Trudeau Fuel lunch gear this year. These innovative products offer handy lunch solutions for kids and adults alike. I received a variety of Trudeau Fuel portable meal containers to check out and I couldn’t wait to put them to the test.

My personal favourite product was the Trudeau Fuel Salad To Go Container. Not only did this clever salad bowl have a built-in dressing tub, it also featured a unique cooler lid to ensure that vegetables stayed crisp all day long. My fiancé often takes salads for his supper when he’s away on a train, so having a way to keep that salad tasting fresh for hours was ideal. I simply popped the lid in the freezer so that it was ready when needed. Then, after making a salad in the bowl, I snapped the frozen lid on top! [Read more…]

Get the Best Rate on Your Mortgage, Insurance, Credit Cards and More with RateSupermarket.ca

September 1, 2016 by Kathryn Leave a Comment

So far, 2016 has been a year of change, adventure and fun at every turn. And those are all themes that are going to be continuing for the rest of the year too. With my upcoming wedding on October 1, a honeymoon in Ireland, a move to a new city later in October and the purchase of a new house, we’ll be busy every minute for quite a few months…and loving every minute of it!

Knowing we’ll need to purchase a house soon, I’m already starting to look into the many details involved in the process. From finding a good lawyer to draw up the paperwork to investigating the current prices in the markets we’re looking at, being prepared gives me the confidence that we’re making the best choice for our family’s future. And a big part of that process is making sure that we have the best mortgage available.

Luckily, finding a great mortgage is something I can do in seconds thanks to RateSupermarket.ca! This online insurance comparison website lets us quickly and easily check current available mortgage rates anywhere in Canada so that we can find the best one for us in just seconds. [Read more…]

A Creamy Greek Pita Sandwich with Summer Fresh Tzatziki Dip Makes a Delicious School Lunch

August 24, 2016 by Kathryn 17 Comments

Preparing for a new school year means preparing ideas for school lunches that are quick to pack, healthy and tasty enough that my boys will actually eat them! I have a few tried-and-true favourites, but I’m always trying out fun new recipes too. And when I want to add extra flavour to any of my creations, I turn to Summer Fresh!

Summer Fresh hummus, dips and salads are delicious, nutritious and made with fresh, wholesome ingredients that my whole family loves. To be honest, my favourite way to use Summer Fresh products is to just cut up a big plate of fresh vegetables, open up a container of my favourite Avocado Hummus or Three Cheese Dip and dig in! But I do like using the products in other ways too. And this tasty Creamy Greek Chicken Pita is the perfect example of how Summer Fresh can make fall lunches easy and delicious! With only six ingredients and minimal time, I was able to whip up a sandwich the whole family loved!

[Read more…]

Streamline School Mornings with Kid-Friendly Breakfasts Ready in 5 Minutes or Less!

August 4, 2016 by Kathryn 18 Comments

While the start of a new school year is always exciting, it’s also pretty hectic. That’s especially true in the mornings! Between packing lunches, checking homework, signing agendas and making breakfast, I sometimes feel like I’ve worked a full day just getting the boys off to class! All that hustle and bustle means that breakfast is sometimes pretty unimaginative. That’s why this year I’ve come up with four unique breakfast ideas that are healthy, kid-friendly and ready in five minutes or less! When breakfast is this simple, there may just be time to spare on school mornings.

Savoury – Breakfast Bagel Bites with Chipotle Salsa

Name: Breakfast Bagel Bites with Chipotle Salsa
Prep time: 3 min
Total time: 3 min
Yield: 1
Ingredients: 4 Breakfast Bagel Bites (desired flavour); ½ cup salsa; ½ tsp. chipotle chili powder; ½ tsp. liquid smoke

5 from 1 vote

Breakfast Bagel Bites with Chipotle Salsa

Quick and delicious savoury bagel bites with smoky salsa.

Course Breakfast

Prep Time 3 minutes

Total Time 3 minutes

Servings 1

Author Kathryn

Ingredients

4 Breakfast Bagel Bites desired flavour
½ cup salsa
½ tsp. chipotle chili powder
½ tsp. liquid smoke

Instructions

Place Breakfast Bagel Bites on included crisping tray and microwave until heated throughout, according to package directions.
Meanwhile, mix salsa, chili powder and liquid smoke together until well combined. Serve Bagel Bites hot with salsa for dipping/topping.

New Breakfast Bagel Bites are one of the easiest and most delicious choices for a busy morning, but they’re even better when served with this simple salsa! My spice-loving oldest son loves the hint of heat and Mexican flair that this meal offers. I love that the Bagel Bites can be heated in the microwave, so that they’re ready in less than three minutes. The smoky salsa blends so well with the bacon and sausage in these bites, but regular salsa or even ketchup is tasty with Breakfast Bagel Bites too! [Read more…]

Host a Gourmet Holiday Lunch with Open-Faced Apple and Gruyere Sandwiches and Happy Planet Soup

December 10, 2015 by Kathryn 18 Comments

Holiday entertaining often means evening parties with plates of appetizers, huge turkey dinners with all the fixings and a large variety of sweets and treats. But what if you want to do something a little more low key for your holiday event, yet still just as classy? A gourmet luncheon may be just the holiday event you’ve been looking for!

I decided to throw a little lunch party recently for a few friends, and I knew just where to start when it came to planning the menu. Happy Planet Fresh Soups are the perfect gourmet addition to any meal, and I decided that a simple menu of the new West African Squash and Cashew Soup with Open-Faced Apple and Gruyere Sandwiches would be the perfect way to impress guests without too much effort!

[Read more…]