Raspberry Basil Limoncello Cocktail

This week-end, there has been a lot of Italian food eaten at my place!  My mom was in town, and the one thing that always happens when my mom is in town is a trip to the Italian deli.  I am now stocked up on Italian ingredients, and have some Italian-themed posts up my sleeve.  Keeping with the Italian theme of the week-end, I thought an Italian cocktail was in order.

Thai Curry Shrimp Pizza

We eat homemade pizza probably around once a week.  Usually it fits the same formula: pesto, veggies, some meat if we have it, cheese, into the oven bip bam boom, done.  Not that there's anything wrong with that, but when I stumbled across this recipe, I had to try it!

Pumpkin Ginger Loaf with a Chai Sugar Glaze

Fall is most definitely in the air.  The leaves here have mostly turned, and started falling, and the mornings are crisp and clear.  I was feeling inspired by fall, and all of the pumpkin recipes I have seen on Pinterest, and decided to try a Pumpkin Ginger Loaf.

Pupusas: El Salvadorian Corn Cakes Filled with Chili-Cheese and Beans

It is week two of my attempt to cook all the dishes from the Around the World in 80 Dishes blog.  Last week, I randomly chose Korea, and cooked Beef Bulgogi, aka: Korean Barbecue in a lettuce wrap.  It was really amazing, and a great way to start this adventure off!  This week, I randomly chose El Salvador from the list.  The dish?  Pupusas!

What are pupusas?  A type of corn 'cakes' filled with anything you want, most typically cheese and beans.  Sounds good to me!

Since the recipe on Epicurious had some pretty scathing reviews questioning its El Salvadorian authenticity, I decided to use a recipe from Food.com, which is called 'Authentic Salvadorean Pupusas'.  I'm not sure I knew what I was getting myself into work-wise, but I certainly had an educational and pretty tasty El Salvadorian adventure.

Pear and Ginger Margaritas

Fall is officially upon us.  I have a love/hate relationship with fall...I love the beautiful colors on full display, and I love that it is still warm enough to wear shorts outside in the middle of the day (26 degrees here today!), but I hate that impending feeling of doom.  Maybe it's not felt the same way in other places as it is here in Calgary, but the feeling here is that winter could actually hit us any day.  A few years ago we were hit with a foot (!!) of snow in late September, before the leaves had even dropped. 

This all probably sounds very pessimistic and dramatic, but the end of this story is that I decided that I should try to embrace fall, and the fall produce that is around.  In case you haven't noticed, pears are pretty abundant these days!

Blueberry Oatmeal Smoothies

I love a good smoothie for breakfast, but often I feel like I am hungry an hour later.  I have recently realized that you can add uncooked oatmeal to your smoothies to give them some staying power.  Check out my recipe after the jump!

Cappuccino Quinoa Muffins

Lately, I've been slightly obsessed with quinoa.  It is sort of like couscous, except I much prefer the texture of quinoa.  It is spongy and light and fluffy, and it is really good for you (It is a great source of protein, and has many beneficial nutrients).  Quinoa is good for more than your average salad, too.  This week I decided to experiment with quinoa in some baking, with excellent results!

Korea: Beef Bulgogi Lettuce Wraps

Since I started this blog, I have really challenged myself and my cooking, and as a result I have learned so much!  I really love trying new recipes, and still have a lot to learn.  I thought as a challenge for myself this year, I would try to cook my way through the Around the World in 80 Dishes blog on Epicurious.  This blog features recipes and instructional videos for recipes from countries around the world. 

First up was Beef Bulgogi.  This name isn't particularly appetizing, but as it turns out, it is a VERY appetizing dish!  Really, it is Korean Barbecued beef on a lettuce leaf wrap.  It was soooo good!

Lemon Balm and Poppy Seed Loaf

Since I discovered Lemon Balm growing in my garden, I have fallen in love with this herb!  So far, my lemon balm experiments have been limited to drinks.  It was wonderful both in lemonade and raspberry iced tea, so I thought it was time to bring it to the next level...why not try it in a cake?

Cioppino

Does anyone else watch Food Network while they work out?  It is kind of counter-productive; by the time I am done, I am HUNGRY!  A few weeks ago I was watching Throwdown with Bobby Flay, and it was a battle of the Cioppinos.  Both Cioppinos looked amazing, and Bobby actually beat the competitor!  I couldn't get that episode out of my head, and absolutely had to try Bobby's recipe for Cioppino.

Bacon and Butterscotch Cookies

Bacon.  In a cookie.  Enough said.

Candy Apple Martinis

Surprise!  I originally started trying out cocktail recipes as a fun summery thing to do, and had planned last week's post to be my last.  However looking at my bursting liquor cabinet I decided the fun didn't have to end just because summer ended.  I have researched a number of fall and winter themed cocktails and look forward to trying them out.

Southwestern Barbecue: Chipotle and Lime Grilled Pork Tenderloin and Roasted Potatoes

Labor Day has come and gone...everyone is back to school...summer officially feels like it's over.  But that doesn't mean that barbecue season is over!  I'm not actually sure that barbecue season has an end date, even in the Canadian winter we (well, OK, not me but my boyfriend) will still be standing in the snow, barbecuing dinner.  Now that's commitment!

This meal was one I cooked up on Labor Day, and it was really delicious.  Everything was full of flavor, and despite using chipotle peppers (which I have had problems with making my dinner too spicy for me to eat!), this time they added just a touch of spice and smokiness. 

Kahlua spiked s'more bars

This week-end we went camping, and for the first time in his life, the BF had a s'more!  He is Australian, and Australians just don't do the whole s'more thing.  I know, they are missing out.  After we returned home from camping, I wanted to keep the s'more party going, and thought what could possibly go better with a s'more than Kahlua?

Cherry Apple Whiskey Sour Slushies

I think I went through the five stages of grief prior to Labor Day this year.  First off was denial, which involved drinking raspberry daiquiris in protest of the end of summer.  Next was anger, bargaining, and depression.  Finally, this week-end, I reached acceptance, acknowledging that summer really was coming to an end.  I wasn't about to let it end without a fuss, though!  I wanted to make a special drink for my final summer cocktail.  This recipe had been on my mind (and pinterest account) for weeks.