Mom, the Lunch Lady

I love cheesecake! Now I prefer chocolate cheesecake, dulce de leche, oreo..... I like a little extra in my cheesecake. When I was asked to make a cheesecake for dessert one night I searched online for a recipe and it was a total fail!! The directions said to bake it for 40 minutes, which I did. The cheesecake was so jiggly, that I left it in the oven for 15 minutes longer. Not wanting to over bake it, I took it out and let it cool for a whole day, before we even sliced into it. It was no where near set, the center was custard like and it was unsafe to eat. As much as it broke my heart, I had to toss the whole cheesecake :( Well, I bought a ton of cream cheese the other day, since it was on sale. This time, I told myself, I'd ask someone I was sure knew what she was doing in the kitchen, LOL. I turned to my friend Amy, who writes the blog  Crumbs in my Mustachio . I first found Amy's blog on Facebook and quickly became a fan. She is an amazing baker, which is what I liked about

 I love cake mixes! I know that some people frown upon cake mixes, because they are full of preservatives and what not, but I like them. The main reason I like them, is because they are very versatile. You can use cake mixes to make cookies, cakes and even in this case, as a crusts. So, when I was asked if I'd be interested to review  Complete Cake Mix Magic- 300 Easy Desserts Good as Homemade, by Jill Snider ; I quickly accepted. I am IN LOVE with this book. I've dog eared almost every page to try and try them I will, LOL. This book has every dessert recipe imaginable and they all use a cake mix, in one way or another. There are cakes, coffee cakes, cookies, bars, cheesecakes; just about any dessert you can think of. With a section for Special Occasion Cakes, frostings, glazes and other toppings, you are certain to find a recipe to fit your mood and your occasion. I decided to try the Pumpkin Cheesecake on page 143, since Fall is in the air and I have some pumpkin puree still

These mini cheesecakes are delectable and oh so cute! I love spoiling people and I usually do that with food. Whether it's bringing goodies for the teachers/secretaries at school, or bringing in treats for staff and co workers, I love feeding people. I made these cheesecakes to treat my co workers during a particularly stressful time. Everyone enjoyed the much needed boost and reminder that they are awesome.  I am totally IN LOVE with my Pampered Chef Brownie Pan!!! I've been baking just about anything in them. I thought it would be cute and fun to make little mini cheesecakes in them; so that's what I did! I made up a simple cheesecake batter, used graham crackers as the crust (if using a muffin tin, feel free to use Oreo Cookies, or Nilla Wafers as the crust) and topped everything with a chocolate ganache. A-MA-ZING!!! All my co workers raved about the cheesecakes. Nothing like some decadent cheesecake, to ease a stressful work day! Mini Chocolate Chip Cheesecakes printab

A smooth and creamy strawberry cheesecake filling, is sandwiched between a shortbread cookie crust and sinful chocolate ganache. For me summer is all about no bake desserts. I usually go crazy with no bake desserts during the summer, but it seems like I just haven't had time to indulge this year. We've been going non stop since the middle of July, with no signs of stopping.  The reason I like no bake cheesecakes so much, is because they are so easy. This one was as easy as simmering frozen strawberries (which I still had in my freezer from LAST summer!), with some sugar, until nice and thick. Once my homemade strawberry jam was cooled, I mixed it in with some softened cream cheese and luscious freshly whipped cream. For the crust I used a combination of shortbread cookies, macadamia nuts (which I found in the freezer) and toasted coconut. A silky chocolate ganache tops it off, adding a wonderful sweet indulgent extra, to this fantastic cheesecake.  No-Bake Chocolate Covered Str

Tender Lasagna noodles are layered with sauce and cheese, in the crock pot for an easy twist on a delicious classic! Ever feel like you've put too much on your plate? That's totally how I'm feeling this week. It's only Wednesday and I'm exhausted. I am so thankful that the kids have a PA day at school this Friday and that this weekend is Thanksgiving weekend. That means the kids are off for 4 days!! With me being super busy, I've had to plan some easy meals, to make sure we were living off of fast food this week. I loved the idea of making lasagna in the crock pot, letting it cook all day, while I was busy doing everything else I put on my plate the past few days. My version includes some of our favourite pizza add ins. The kids wanted bacon, so I added bacon. I wanted onions and fresh basil, so I added those in too. The kids aren't big on spicy foods, so I tamed it down, by using our favourite pepperoni. The result was phenomenal! The noodles were tender, b

A simple cheesecake filling is baked in a graham crust, resulting in a delicious cream cheese pie. We LOVE cheesecake! I saw this Mexican pie and since it looked similar to cheesecakeI decided to make this pie. As I started making this pie, I realized that I did not have evaporated  milk,  only sweetened condensed milk. So I decided to continue with the recipe, without the added liquid, since the filling looked like a great consistency. I poured it into my graham crust and baked it with my fingers crossed. I must say that it turned out wonderfully even without the evaporated milk. The cream cheese filling is slightly sweet and deliciously creamy. I decided to make a blueberry sauce to serve along with the pie, to add a little something special. The combination is fantastic and the presentation is stunning. Pay de Queso~ Cream Cheese Pie adapted from La Cocina de Leslie 1 8oz package cream cheese, softened 1 14 oz (300ml) can sweetened condensed milk 3 eggs 1 1/2 tsp vanilla Crust 2 C g

Creamy, tender Creamer potatoes are the star in this lusciously hearty soup, perfect for the cold weather. Now that the cold weather has made it's way to Ontario Canada, I am ready for comfort food. When the mercury drops, I get into soup mode. Once Fall and Winter hit, I make soup at least once a week. It's a great way to warm up and most soups come together in a snap.  I can not tell you how much I love little baby potatoes. My kids don't mind their thin skins, which add so much nutrition to any dish I make. I loved that I didn't have to peel potatoes to make this potato soup. Even the potatoes I pureed to thicken the soup, were un peeled; and my kiddos didn't even complain. I felt good that they were getting potassium, vitamin C and vitamin B6. All much needed, especially with cold and flu season. This soup looks creamy and luxurious, but let me tell you, there isn't one drop of cream in it. I used low fat milk and chicken broth, and thickened it with a roux

A deliciously tender, slightly sweet banana coffee cake is drizzled with an amazing maple flavour glaze. Am I the only one who has a constant battle with a million bananas in my freezer? Well last month a stumbled onto this fantastic looking  Banana Coffee Cake recipe , and I knew I had to make it. It is amazingly spongy, and the glaze on top just adds another lever of decadence. Banana Coffee Cake 1/2 C unsalted butter, softened 1 C sugar 2 eggs, room temperature 1 tsp vanilla 3 medium ripe bananas, mashed 2 C flour 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 C milk Streusel: 1/4 C flour 1/2 C brown sugar 1 Tbs cinnamon 3 Tbs cold unsalted butter Glaze: 1 C powdered sugar 1/3 C maple syrup 2-3 Tbs milk Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2 9-inch round cake pans. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla, and beat until combined. Mix in the bananas and milk. In a separate mixing bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and s

Tender wild moose, is slow cooked all day with potatoes, peas, carrots and herbs, resulting in a hearty and delicious cold weather dish. I can say that I've missed blogging. I've missed creating recipes, taking photographs and sharing them with you. Sometimes life gets in the way, which is the case here. Five years ago my life took a turn I never thought it would. I suddenly found myself as a single mom, who suddenly had to find a job and be both mom and dad to my children. That transition, along with trying to heal a hurt and broken heart, was too much to focus on and things like my blog fell to the wayside. They say things in your life happen for a reason and that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Well let me tell you, I was able to build myself back up and show my children that their mom is a strong and determined woman that will always be there for them, even when she feels defeated. Five years later, I can proudly say that I am doing better then I have in a lon

Dark chocolate, cream and coconut rum, fill this decadently silky tart, which is topped with cherries and fresh whipped cream. This recipe was originally planned for a BIG blogging event which happening this week. While I had every good intention of participating, life slapped me in the face and woke me up to my reality. I still don't have time to create several recipes in a short period of time and do everything that is necessary to get to recipes up on the blog. So I decided to just share this beautiful tart with you guys today. My kids and I are suckers for dark chocolate. Surprisingly the kids prefer dark chocolate to milk chocolate, which is ok with me because it is a bit healthier than milk chocolate. When I mentioned my plan for this torte to the kids, both of them were pretty much salivating at the thought, LOL. So when they saw me trying to get photographs of the tart for the blog, I was met with cheers and inquiries as to whether they could have a slice when I was done. 

Sweet spiced apples are baked under a crisp almond crust, in this delicious apple crisp. In grade 3 my daughter ended up bringing home an assignment from school, which asked students to bring a recipe to school. As I set out my ingredients, she asked if she could help make the apple crisp, then write the recipe for school. I thought it was a fabulous idea. We quickly got to work and I took the opportunity to teach her about fractions, while measuring ingredients. As we sprinkled the apples with the topping, Queenie could not contain her excitement. She asked me several times how long it would take, to cook the crisp. Once it was out of the oven, we let it cool, while I took my photos. Since it was lunch time, we ended up having apple crisp with vanilla ice cream for lunch and it was magnificent. The almonds added a delicious nutty crunch to the topping. Almond-Apple Crisp adapted from My Hobbie Lobbie 6-8 Granny Smith apples 2 red delicious apples 1 Tb

Sweet, slightly tart filling is baked over a buttery shortbread crust. This is another recipe Mom would whip up for Christmas. I don't know how many times my siblings and I snuck down stairs, to eat them right out of the freezer, LOL. They are better thawed, but when you love something so much, who can wait until Christmas Eve?? These are really delicious. Slightly sweet, with a nice tart filling. The crust is flaky, the filling gooey. What's not to love??? Lemon Bars Crust: 2 C flour 1/2 C powdered sugar 1 C margarine Filling: 4 eggs 2 C sugar 1/3 C lemon juice 1 tsp lemon zest 1/4 C flour 1/2 tsp baking powder For Crust:  Combine 2 C flour, with powdered sugar. Cut in margarine, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press into an 8x13 inch baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, until edges begin to brown slightly. For Filling:  Beat eggs with sugar, lemon zest and juice, flour and baking powder, until thoroughly combined. Once crust has baked for 20-25 minute

Brown sugar brings a deep rich sweetness to these fluffy scones. These scones are fabulous and easy to make! They are super fluffy and the smell of them baking was intoxicating. The kids rushed down the stairs and into the kitchen, asking what I was baking and claiming that it didn't smell delicious, it smelled AMAZING! I decided to drizzle the scones with some Maple Butter, after they had cooled slightly and we ate them with raspberry jam, maple butter and just plain butter. So yummy! I loved the deep richness the brown sugar added to the scones. Brown Sugar Scones Adapted from Famished Fish, Finicky Shark 2 C flour 2 1/2 tsp baking powder 3/4 tsp salt 1/3 C brown sugar 3/4 C vanilla Greek yogurt 3/4 C plus 1 Tbs milk, divided maple butter (optional) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and brown sugar. Make a well in the center and add the Greek yogurt and 3/4 C

Gluten Free Oats are baked with a peanut butter glaze, to become a crisp and delicious granola. Last week, rolled oats were on sale, so I bought myself a couple bags. I never really grew up eating oatmeal, I think I tried it once, but it just wasn't sweet enough. But lately, I've been enjoying oatmeal more often. I love to add fruit to my oatmeal, it helps with the sweetness and adds delicious bursts of freshness. One of my favourite things to make with oats is granola. The kids really love granola and I love that it's a great healthy snack. The kids often have granola as an after school snack. It's a great way to refuel after a long day. When I was getting ready to make granola the other day, I noticed I had a jar of honey roasted peanuts leftover from Christmas. With all the other treats we had, we just didn't open this jar. I knew I wanted to incorporate them into the granola somehow. When thinking of what goes well with honey, I immediately thought- peanut butte

Spicy pepperoni and a creamy cheese blend is rolled into soft pretzel dough. This is a recipe that I entered into a Real Woman of Philadelphia Canada contest a few years back. It won a place in the Season 1 cookbook and I would like to share it with you today. It is a wonderful appetizer, perfect for game night, boys night in, or even for a small get together. Everyone seems to love pizza and soft pretzels, so why not put them together into one heck of an awesome appetizer? The kids love these. Think of these as kick up pizza rolls. Your guest will be digging in and begging for more! Pizza Stuffed Pretzel Bites printable version 3/4 C warm water 1 1/4 tsp fast acting yeast 2 tsp sugar 1/2 tsp salt 2 C flour 1 pkg cream cheese, softened 1/4 tsp garlic powder 1/2 tsp each dried basil and oregano 1 C mozzarella cheese, finely shredded 3/4 C Cheddar, finely shredded, divided pepperoni slices Parmesan cheese 1 egg water 2 C favourite marinara sauce, of leftover meat sauce In a medium bowl,