Musings on Life, Food, and Stuff.

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Musings on Life, Food, and Stuff. turned 10 today!

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25 Lunch ideas for when you "just can't even..."

25 Lunch ideas for when you “just can’t even…”

It’s almost back to school time again for the kids, and you may be lightly panicking with all of the prep that the new school year brings (especially in these uncertain times). Or maybe you have transitioned to a permanent WFH situation, and you’re tired of your old lunch routine. Below, I’ve assembled a quick list of un-recipe ideas for that dreaded workday (or lazy weekend!) you can’t be arsed…

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Recipe Post: DIY Trail Mix

Recipe Post: DIY Trail Mix

Trail mix is ridiculously simple to make; and incredibly versatile, in that there are almost an infinity of mixtures you can make with what you have on hand. I was going camping recently and committed to bringing trail mix for everyone to share; I must have lost consciousness for a moment because my brain interpreted this as EVERYONE IN THE WORLD and now I have two large Ziploc bags of trail mix…

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Recipe Post: Dairy-Free Pink Grapefruit "Yogurt" Cake

Recipe Post: Dairy-Free Pink Grapefruit “Yogurt” Cake

This lovely and distinctive cake is delicious and tart but not sour; for one, there are plenty of other flavours in the sugar and vanilla that help balance out the sourness, and for another, pink grapefruits are not nearly as sour as their white counterparts. This particular recipe is dairy-free, but there’s no reason you couldn’t use a dairy-based plain or Greek yogurt instead; it’s delicious…

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Recipe Review: Delish's Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Penne

Recipe Review: Delish’s Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Penne

I’ve been meaning to try this recipe for some time; l even went out and bought a jar of roasted red peppers some months ago (long before I made my own roasted red peppers: see THIS post for the steps). Then life happened and I completely forgot that I had this recipe sitting in my “to make” folder. At least, until now! I usually have a personal rule that if I’m writing a recipe review, I stick…

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Recipe Post: Zucchini-Potato Casserole

Recipe Post: Zucchini-Potato Casserole

This French recipe is known as a tian, which is simply a baked dish of layered vegetables. This is a showstopper of a dish that looks far more complicated to make than it actually is. The flavour is delicate and herbal, but can be changed up to any herbs you prefer or have on hand. This tian pairs very well with virtually any meat or fish. This recipe is easily made dairy-free and even vegan, by…

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Recipe Review: Banana Bread from Frugal Fit Mom

Recipe Review: Banana Bread from Frugal Fit Mom

I am a big fan of lifestyle vlogger Christine from the YouTube channel Frugal Fit Mom; I enjoy her charisma and quirky behaviour while creating various recipes and doing things for and with her family. Christine has made this Banana Bread many times over the years on her channel, and I finally decided to try it for myself. It’s a super-basic recipe, and not dissimilar to my previous attempts to…

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Recipe and Tutorial: Banana Pumpkin Bread of AWESOMESAUCE!

Recipe and Tutorial: Banana Pumpkin Bread of AWESOMESAUCE!

Wow, two banana posts in a row. I must be on some kind of banana kick. Don’t worry, I have plenty of other yummy fewdz to talk about; it was just the roll of the dice this week. In any case, earlier this month, my friend, Erynith, decided to stay at our place for a few days and “take care of our cat” while I was away visiting family….uh huh… I think the visit had more to do with a combination of…

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Recipe Post: Potato, Leek and Shallot Gratin

Recipe Post: Potato, Leek and Shallot Gratin

This creamy, indulgent potato, leek and shallot gratin is inspired by an old Epicurious recipe from 2009, which in itself I believe was inspired by a much older recipe; I didn’t have enough leeks for the original recipe, so I subbed in some shallots I had kicking around. I also reduced the yield, as my spouse and I really didn’t want to be eating gratin at every meal for the next week. This…

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Recipe Post: Beef Casserole in about an hour

Recipe Post: Beef Casserole in about an hour

I’m very happy that things are opening up in my region, as I can visit with fam and friends again, after more than a year apart, My excitement for these events usually leads to inspiration in the kitchen; for one, I’ve become used to making my own more than buying pre-made over these last several months, and for two, I show my love by making food. This weekend has been no exception. (c) Global…

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Recipe Post: Dairy Free Lemon Meringue Cake

Recipe Post: Dairy Free Lemon Meringue Cake

I made this cake for a good friend who cannot have dairy in any form. As it was her birthday, I felt it was important to make her a special celebration cake she would really enjoy, without having to worry about being inadvertently exposed to her allergen. The texture of this cake is tender and super-moist, and the lemon flavouring used both lemon juice and zest, with no need for lemon extract.…

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Recipe Post: Boursin, Scape and Burst Tomato Pasta

Recipe Post: Boursin, Scape and Burst Tomato Pasta

It’s hot. I mean, around here the temperature is hovering in the low to mid thirties (that’s Celsius, for all you Imperial folk out there), and I am LIVING FOR my AC right now. So the last thing I want to do is turn on my oven, and heat up the house. But the other side of me, the adultier side, is argumentative, and likes to point out that I can’t live on peanut butter sandwiches forever, and…

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Recipe Post: Creamy Classic Coleslaw

Recipe Post: Creamy Classic Coleslaw

This ubiquitous summertime BBQ recipe is ridiculously simple, with no special equipment required. While it’s handy to have a food processor in order to effectively shred the cabbage, it’s not strictly necessary; I tend to hand-chop my cabbage anyway. However, if you’re not confident about your knife skills, yet don’t possess or want to use a food processor, you can use the wide shred side of a…

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Recipe Post: Sorrow Bread

Recipe Post: Sorrow Bread

From the Archives: When I was in my mid-twenties, *cough cough* years ago, I discovered a previously unknown passion for living on my own. I had initially gone from the family home to a few different cohabitation situations, and I had been quite happy doing this for several years. Eventually, however, my restlessness and dissatisfaction in living in another person’s home started to build, until…

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Spotlight on Summer Produce: Strawberries

Spotlight on Summer Produce: Strawberries

With late spring/early summer comes my region’s first strawberry harvest, and I’m so excited to have received my first flat (6 quarts) of organic, local strawberries. So I think it’s high time to discuss these little delicious jewels of happiness and some of the many recipes that can be made from them. (c) BirdHouse Diaries The garden strawberry is a widely grown hybrid species of the…

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Recipe Post: Shepherd's/Cottage Pie, Two Ways

Recipe Post: Shepherd’s/Cottage Pie, Two Ways

I’ve written before about one of my favourite meals to both make and eat, Shepherd’s Pie (which yes, I know is a cottage pie as it uses ground beef not lamb, but let’s not argue, kids). However, I’ve made a few changes to my tried-and-true recipe and so please see my updated recipe below. In addition, anyone who has read my blog lately knows I’ve been experimenting with more plant-based…

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Recipe Post: Cherry Yogurt Muffins

Recipe Post: Cherry Yogurt Muffins

These muffins are quick to make, incredibly moist, and a delicious change from the standard blueberry muffin. The yogurt is a fantastic addition and not to be omitted (though I don’t see a problem with substituting it for dairy-free coconut or soy yogurt if you prefer). The same goes with substituting the melted butter with a non-dairy solid fat like coconut oil or baking margarine. I’d imagine…

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