April Fool's Cake

When I saw a Spaghetti and Meatball Cake featured in Food Network TV magazine last month, I knew I had to try it out. And what better time than April Fool's day to whip up such a fun dessert?

This 'cake' features one boxed cake mix (chocolate), two tubs of vanilla icing, some frozen strawberries and white chocolate. You make two 8 inch round cakes from your mix, then cool. Crumble up one cake and form the crumbs into 'meatballs', which you artistically position on your 'plate', which is the other layer cake iced in plain white icing. Add a drop or two of yellow food colouring to one tub of your icing and mix. I put my tinted icing into a Ziploc bag and then piped the 'noodle' part of the dish. Puree your (thawed) berries in a blender and spoon the sauce around the meatballs. Grate some white cheese (er, chocolate) over top and there you have it - the perfect April Fool's dessert.

Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup

I can't believe that despite being to Disney World a bajillion times I haven't got the picture I want to illustrate this post! Good thing we're going back this year. (Twice)

On Sunday I made Canadian Cheddar Cheese soup - a recipe featured at Le Cellier, the restaurant located at the Canada Pavilion at Epcot, in Walt Disney World. Once upon a time, before we had the boys, David and I went to Disney a few times on our own. One of the best trips we had was on our one year anniversary. It was October 1999, but Disney was already celebrating the Millennium. They had this terrific parade and fireworks show at Epcot that was amazing. It was called Illuminations, Reflections of Earth. I'm listening to the music as I type this because in a happy coincidence, tonight I found a box of old CDs I set aside to import into iTunes like, a year ago. One of the CDs is the soundtrack to the parade/show, which featured these amazing larger than life puppets that danced through the streets of Epcot...I can't begin to do it justice.

Loaf City

So here we are. It's still March. It's still minus something or other outside. There is still snow on the ground (and in the weather forecast). Personally I won't miss March. It's been more lion than lamb this year and it's felt twice as long as February. At our house we've decided March is the Ohio of months. We drive to Florida once or twice a year and every year we marvel at how big Ohio is....Michigan zips by but Ohio lingers. Kentucky is a wink and a smile, Tennessee a quick wave and Georgia, obviously, is a peach. But Ohio. Ohio is a trial. Kind of like March.

Lamb Loin Chops

If a picture is worth a thousand words what does this one say?


Let me tell you. Hopefully in less than a thousand words.

The Orangeman (Smoothie)

A couple of weeks ago I mentioned that I had picked up The Abs Diet cookbook from Men's Health when we were at the Library. This cookbook has a whole section dedicated to smoothies that I couldn't wait to try. My kids love smoothies. I can't remember when I first introduced smoothies into their food routine but my most requested 'recipe' these days involves a cup of yogurt, a banana, a splash of orange juice and a generous helping of (frozen) blueberries.

Saturday Sandwich

I took another look at my New Year's (Food) Resolutions and see that I am progressing quite nicely through my original list. To date I can cross 3 out of 10 dishes off of my list:

1. I made Yukon Potato Stack, a Walt Disney World recipe, with my new mandoline.
2. I made Chinese Orange Beef as part of a Chinese New Year menu.
5. I made Pudding Chomeur for our recent Quebecois potluck.

And now, thanks to today's sandwich effort, I can also cross off 'make something with a fresh avocado' (3).

Vive La France (Cuisine)!

One of my favourite Family Ties episodes features an exhausted Elise falling asleep at the breakfast table after being up all night trying to 'do it all' - juggling both work and motherhood. "French toast, Elise?" her husband Steven asks. She sleeps. "French toast, Elise?" a bit louder this time. She jerks awake and says "Vive la France!". Gets me every time.

Nemesis Chicken & Rice

A few years ago I asked David what he wanted me to make him for his birthday dinner. Any dish he wanted, just name it and I'll make it. He thought about it for a while before he finally made his request. I figured he was reliving all of the wonderful things I'd made him over the years, struggling to pick just the right dish from the embarrassment of riches I'd brought to the table. He asked me to make him chicken and rice. I have to admit I was a bit offended.

Bunting

No, bunting isn't some trendy new food dish. It's decor-related so pardon my digression from food talk.

I love the website Etsy. I've discovered some really great things on Etsy - handbags, wall art and bunting to name but a few. The bunting purchases have gotten a bit out of hand. I bought my first bunting in November when I was trying to think of how I would jazz up my mantel for Christmas. I came across a posting for bunting made out of some kitschy vintage fabric and had to have it. So I did. And I loved it while it graced my mantle during the holidays:

Pulled Pork with Ginger-Bourbon Sauce

Sounds good doesn't it? I've made various versions of pulled pork, usually in the Summer. In a bid to transition from Winter to Spring meals I thought Pulled Pork with Ginger-Bourbon Sauce, from the March 2011 issue of Chatelaine, would make for a nice Sunday dinner. It's made in a slow cooker and is relatively fuss-free, which is nice when you are juggling a bajillion other things on the weekend. The pork smelled wonderful through the day, simmering on low with only some sliced onions and a can of ginger-ale to keep it company. I really liked this method of cooking pork for pulled pork sandwiches. The meat was falling apart by the time we took it out and combined it with the promised Ginger-Bourbon Sauce.

Chicken Normande

While the cold weather is allowing me to enjoy some of my favourite Winter dishes like Chicken Normande with Mashed Apples and Potatoes, I must say I am very tired of this: