shannonleger - The Butcher's Daughter

Cooking, Food, From-Scratch Food, Spring, Winter

Shrove Day Pancakes

March 1, 2022February 17, 2026by shannonleger

It’s Shrove Tuesday! Do you eat pancakes on Shrove Tuesday? I have for years and especially now that I have two little boys, it’s a favourite meal in our home. Do you know the history behind why we celebrate Shrove Tuesday or Pancake Tuesday? Well, it goes back a long way to Anglo – Saxon times when Christians would confess their sins to a priest and be ”shriven” or absolved by the priest for said sins. Shrove Tuesday is the feast celebrated prior to Lent which is the 40 days leading up to Easter. The 40 days reminds us of the sacrifice of Jesus when he spent 40 days in the desert. To mark this time, Christians give up something important to them or enjoyed by them for 40 days. Often, this is a sweet indulgence like chocolate or a fatty favourite treat like baked goods or fried foods. To use up the fatty, sweet ingredients around the house that may tempt, pancakes were traditionally made. They generally require eggs, butter, milk and sugar so they really are the perfect meal for this time.

Also known as Fat Tuesday in New Orleans, it marks the beginning of Mardi Gras which is a time of festivity and indulgence again celebrated prior to Lent and the last time meat and other fatty foods are eaten until after Lent is over.

I’m not a huge fan of fluffy pancakes. I know that’s probably not the popular opinion on pancakes, haha! I also don’t love a paper thin pancake and I don’t enjoy pancakes made with a mix. This recipe for homemade pancakes is perfect as it makes a tender pancake that puffs up a bit but is not too thick and cakey.

Shrove Tuesday Pancakes

shannonleger

Homemade pancakes, a perfect meal for Shrove Tuesday.

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Prep Time 5

Cook Time 20

Course Breakfast, Brunch, Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 10 Large Pancakes

Equipment

1 non-stick frying pan or griddle
1 Whisk
1 large bowl

Ingredients

2 Cups all-purpose flour
1 Tsp salt
1/4 Cup Granulated sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
2 eggs
1 1/2 Cups milk
1/4 Cup vegetable oil
1 Cup water (or less)

Instructions

In a large bowl or in a blender whisk together flour, salt, sugar, baking powder. Beat eggs and add to dry mixture along with milk, oil and enough water to make a thick batter that can be easily poured.
Pour approximately a 1/2 cup of batter into a hot greased pan or griddle and cook until the batter bubbles, then flip over and cook another 2 minutes or so until both sides are nicely browned.
Put oven on warming option if you have it or around 140 degrees F. Place cooked pancakes on a plate or tray covered with foil in the oven to keep warm until served.

Keyword Breakfast, Pancakes, Shrove Tuesday Pancakes

Drinks, Food, From-Scratch Food

Homemade Iced Coffee

February 28, 2022February 17, 2026by shannonleger

If you’re a coffee lover like I am, you will appreciate a good iced coffee anytime of the year……even on a cold day in February! I adore my iced coffee and can drink it anytime whether it’s 30 below or 30 above zero. I find myself going out for this treat too often though and once in awhile I have to reign myself in. The cost adds up after awhile although I do take advantage of the $1 deal at our local Mcdonald’s when it’s being promoted. It has so much sugar and I do hate that and like the option of being able to control how much I’m adding. So, I started making them at home where I can control the amount of sugar (and cream) and save money too!

I use the Starbucks Iced Coffee as a base and add 2% milk, cream, and simple syrup and serve over ice. It’s my favourite! You could also make your own cold brew and use that as a base for your drink. I use 2% milk as that’s what we usually have here in the house for the family to drink. You could totally use oat, soy or almond milk instead and it would be delicious. Or maybe you prefer it black with a little simple syrup over ice. As with hot coffee, there are a million variations; of course, make it to your liking. My recipe is how I enjoy mine and a good starting place but definitely make it your own. Sometimes if I happen to have flavoured creamer on hand, I’ll add a splash in place of the coffee cream. Pumpkin Spice is my favourite but Peppermint Mocha is also an amazing addition to iced coffee.

Simple Syrup for Iced Coffee

shannonleger

Simple Syrup for Iced Coffee

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Prep Time 10

Course Drinks

Cuisine American

Ingredients

1 Cup water
1 Cup granulated sugar

Instructions

Whisk together water and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil. Boil until sugar is completely dissolved, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool completely. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to two months.

Keyword Iced Coffee, Simple syrup

The Butcher’s Daughter Homemade Iced Coffee

shannonleger

Homemade Iced Coffee

Print Recipe

Prep Time 2

Course Drinks

Cuisine American

Servings 1 Serving

Equipment

1 large glass or reusable coffee cup with straw

Ingredients

1 Cup ice cubes
1 Cup Iced coffee or cold brew of choice (my fave is Starbucks Iced Coffee)
1 Cup 2% milk or milk of choice
1 Tbsp simple syrup
1 Tbsp coffee cream

Instructions

Fill cup approximately halfway full with ice cubes. Add coffee and milk leaving at least 1/2 inch of space at the top for simple syrup and cream. Splash in the syrup and cream, add a straw and enjoy!
Note: For a pretty drink, do not stir but let ingredients slowly mix on their own as you sip. I love seeing all the layers of colour in the cup going from dark brown to white at the top.

Cooking, Food, From-Scratch Food

Big Bad Boy Calzones

February 23, 2022February 17, 2026by shannonleger

Isn’t the weather absolutely glorious today? I’ve begun thinking about spring cleaning (gasp)! One day of nice weather is all it takes. I cleaned out under my kitchen sink, reorganized, moved my garbage can out from under there and purchased a new garbage can and a couple new plastic baskets to hold our paper and plastic recycling. That should do me for a couple weeks until I really go all out and clean house from top to bottom. Some more purging may happen this year as well. I got rid of a couple trunk loads the spring before last and another trunkload a couple weeks ago. Can you believe that about a day after I donated my trunk load of stuff, our local Value Village where I’d donated, caught on fire and closed for an undetermined period of time. So terrible. Many folks laid off with no idea when they will be able to return. So much waste too as I’m sure all of what was in the building would have to be disposed of due to water and smoke damage. I truly loved shopping that store for thrift buys. Mostly things for the home, dishes and books. Do you enjoy thrifting? I honestly think I’d continue to thrift no matter how much money I made. It’s not so much about the cost as the adventure of the hunt and the excited, elated feeling of finally finding that item you’ve been searching for, for so long! But I digress!

When you’re busy spring cleaning (or thrifting) you’re going to need some sustenance and it’s gotta be pretty easy to put together, right? Well, I have the thing for you! Last week I made these jumbo calzones and they were SO good! I love anything that starts with homemade bread so this was right up my alley! I think it would be up your alley too, haha, you gotta try them! Every time I make these I marvel at their beauty and I say to my boys (and husband) “Hey, look boys! Look at these big bad boys!” That’s how I ended up creating this recipe for Big Bad Boy Calzones. The calzones start with a double recipe of my Quick Mixing Pizza Dough.

Big Bad Boy Calzones

shannonleger

Golden jumbo calzones that are filled with pizza toppings and baked to perfection with a chewy interior and crusty exterior.

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Prep Time 25

Cook Time 20

Rising Time 1

Total Time 1 45

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Servings 8

Equipment

1 Large mixing bowl
2 baking sheets
1 Rolling Pin

Ingredients

2 batches of Quick Mixing Pizza Dough See link to recipe in above post
1 Cup pizza sauce
1 Cup pepperoni
4 Italian sausages cooked and sliced or removed from casing and crumbled
1 medium onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1/2 Cup fresh mushrooms, sliced You can also use 1/2 of an 8 oz can of mushrooms
3-4 Cups mozzarella cheese, divided
2 Tbsp kosher salt
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 Tbsp Dried parsley
1/2 Cup parmesan cheese

Instructions

Make pizza dough using the recipe for Quick Mixing Pizza Dough (x2). Cover and set aside in a warm place for 1 hour.
After dough has risen for 1 hour, punch down and divide into 8 equal parts. Form each into a ball and roll to 1/4 inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Spread pizza sauce on half of each circle. FIll with onions, mushrooms, peppers, meats and top with approximately 1/4 cup of shredded cheese. Fold over dough to create a pocket, brush a bit of water along bottom edge of dough to seal and pinch or roll edges together. Repeat for remaining calzones.
Place calzones on parchment lined baking sheets (4 to a sheet) and cut vent holes in tops. Brush with vegetable oil and sprinkle with kosher salt, parsley, and approximately 1/4 cup of shredded cheese. Sprinkle parmesan over shredded cheese.
Bake at 450 degrees F for 20 minutes.

Keyword Adult Pizza Pocket, Calzone, Jumbo Calzone

Baking, Desserts, Food, From-Scratch Food

Chocolate Valentine’s Day Terrine

February 12, 2022February 17, 2026by shannonleger

I’m a romantic at heart. One of my favourite days of the year is Valentine’s Day. I adore anything chocolate! This year I wanted to make something sweet and chocolatey for my Valentine but I didn’t want to make the usual cupcakes, cookies or cake. So I took out a few cookbooks and started looking through for the perfect treat. I came across this terrine in a Canadian Living cookbook and didn’t change too much about it when I recreated it. Because I didn’t want to go out to get the bar of chocolate it called for, I used semi sweet chocolate chips. I really don’t think it made any difference in the end result.

Honestly what could be better than chocolate, butter and coffee? This terrine has it all! It’s simple to make but tastes sinfully luxurious. It needs to fully cool before chilling and then chill for 12 hours in the fridge so make sure to give yourself enough time. Berries are a nice way to decorate it, they look pretty against the deep brown chocolate but they also taste amazing with the mocha flavour of the terrine. I think a little whipped cream would work too if you were so inclined.

Chocolate Valentine’s Day Terrine

shannonleger

A rich, mocha flavoured chocolate terrine with berries and chopped pistachios

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Prep Time 25

Cook Time 45

Cooling & Chilling Time 13

Total Time 14 10

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 12 Servings

Equipment

1 8×4 inch loaf pan
Parchment paper
1 Double Boiler

Ingredients

1/2 Cup granulated sugar
1/2 Cup strong brewed coffee
1 Cup butter
1 Cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
4 eggs
1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 Cup chopped pistachios
strawberries and raspberries for decorating and serving

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8×4 inch loaf pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a double boiler, whisk sugar and coffee until sugar is dissolved. Add butter and chocolate and melt, whisking until smooth. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, whisk eggs until pale, sift flour over top and whisk in. Fold in chocolate mixture until no streaks remain. Pour into the parchment lined pan. Place pan in a larger pan and pour in water until it reaches halfway up loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes until edges puff up and centre is still jiggly, 45 minutes.
Remove pan from water and place on a wire rack to cool for about 1 hour. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate about 12 hours until firm.
Invert a serving platter over pan and turn over. Remove pan and parchment paper carefully as the terrine will still be a fairly soft texture. Sprinkle over chopped pistachios and decorate with berries, whipped cream, etc as desired.

Baking, Desserts, Food, From-Scratch Food

Pistachio Squares

February 9, 2022February 17, 2026by shannonleger

I’ve been seeing pistachios everywhere lately and thought maybe it was pistachio season in the USA. After a quick Google search I learned that pistachio season is nowhere near February. It’s actually more like from late August to October. Seeing them at our local grocery stores, in magazine ads and on TV, I felt inspired to whip up a pan of pistachio squares. They’d be perfect for a St Patrick’s Day treat! Yup, I realize we need to celebrate Valentines Day first but don’t worry, I’ll have some recipes to share for that occasion too!

I put these in an 8×8 pan (or you could definitely go with a 9×9). In an 8×8 pan, these squares have a really thick crust. I love them that way because I adore shortbread and that’s what it reminds me of. If you like a thinner crust, you could halve the crust recipe and they’d be perfect for you. You could also use the same ingredient measurements and simply make the squares in a 9×13 pan. The cream cheese, pudding and whipped cream layers will obviously be thinner as well but it will definitely work and turn out beautifully. It’s just my personal preference to have thick crust and thick layers of cream cheese and puddding.

Honestly this is one of my favourite desserts! It really does remind me of my childhood. My Mom made these often. Sometimes for an occasion like Easter but often just for a random treat. They are a yummy dessert in the warmer weather too. Only the crust has to be baked so there’s minimal work and minimal heat generated in the kitchen. They’re really refreshing too since they are kept in the refrigerator and served cold. I hope you’ll make some for St. Patty’s Day or today, or both!

Pistachio Squares

shannonleger

Cool, creamy Pistachio Squares with a cream cheese and pudding filling topped with whipped cream

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 20

Total Time 35

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 9 Servings

Equipment

1 Stand Mixer
1 Whisk
1 8×8 pan
1 Mixing bowl
1 Spatula

Ingredients

Crust:

1/2 Cup Icing sugar
2 Cups All-purpose flour
1 Cup Unsalted butter

Filling:

8 Oz Package of cream cheese
1 Cup Icing sugar
3 Cups Cold milk
2 Packages of pistachio pudding
1 Large tub of Cool Whip

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter & sugar. Add flour and mix until combined and crumbly. Press into an 8×8 pan (or pan of choice depending on thickness desired). Bake for 20 minutes.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together cream cheese and icing sugar. Fold in 1 cup of Cool Whip with a spatula. Spread over cooled crust.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk pudding mix into the cold milk. Spread over cream cheese layer. Top with remaining Cool Whip.

Keyword Cream Cheese filling, Layered Squares, Pudding filling, Squares, St. Patrick’s Day treat

Baking, Food, From-Scratch Food

Savoury Egg Bread

February 6, 2022February 17, 2026by shannonlegerLeave a Comment

Have you ever had the Newfoundland bread or rolls from Sobeys? For those of you not living in Atlantic Canada, Sobeys might not be as familiar to you but they do have locations across the country as the second largest retailer in Canada. Well, this bread which I’ve only ever found at Sobeys is SO soft and flavourful, it’s become a favourite at our house. I’ve been wanting to recreate it here at home and this weekend feeling bored during a storm, I did just that!

Most of the egg breads I’ve found online have an egg wash to create that gorgeous deep brown crust and some have the addition of sesame seeds. I knew I’d be serving it with my Sweet French Onion Soup so I wanted some more flavour on that beautiful crust. I added everything bagel seasoning and sea salt. Interesting side note, we make our own sea salt using water from Cocagne Bay where we cottage in the summers. Makes dishes extra special year round, I only add it to dishes as a finishing touch and use my trusty kosher salt everywhere else.

This recipe makes 2 large loaves, around 16 slices each depending on how thick you like to slice your bread. You can use more or less everything bagel seasoning and salt than what I recommend in the recipe, depending on your taste.

Savoury Egg Bread

shannonleger

A very soft flavourful braided egg bread with a savoury crust

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Prep Time 20

Cook Time 35

Rising Time 3

Total Time 3 55

Course Bread

Cuisine American

Servings 2 Loaves

Ingredients

2 Packages active dry yeast
1/2 Cup warm water
1 1/2 Cups warm 2% milk
3 Large eggs, room temp
1/4 Cup butter, softened
1/4 Cup sugar
1 Tbsp salt
7-7 1/2 Cups all purpose flour
1 Large egg yolk, room temp
2 Tbsp water
4 Tsp sesame seeds, divided (2 tsp per loaf)
2 Tsp sea salt, divided (1 tsp per loaf)
2 Tbsp Everything Bagel Seasoning, divided (1 tbsp per loaf)

Instructions

Dissolve both packages of yeast in warm water in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment. Add the eggs, butter, sugar, salt and half the flour and beat until smooth. Stir in remaining flour to form a soft dough that can be handled.
Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead for 5-8 minutes until smooth and elastic. Place ball of dough into a greased bowl and cover with greased wax paper and a clean tea towel and let rise until doubled, around 2 hours.
Punch dough down, turn out onto a floured surface and divide into six equal portions. Gently roll each portion into a 14 inch rope. Place 3 ropes onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Braid the 3 ropes together and tuck ends under. Repeat with remaining 3 ropes. Cover with greased wax paper and tea towels and let rise in a warm place for one hour.
Preheat over to 375 degrees F. Beat egg yolk and water together and brush over loaves. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, everything bagel seasoning and sea salt. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Remove bread from pans and cool on wire racks.

Food, Cooking, From-Scratch Food

Air Fryer Crab Rangoon

January 29, 2022February 17, 2026by shannonleger

Happy snowy Saturday! We are in the early stages of a nor’easter here in Eastern Canada. The snow is coming down at a good clip and the flakes are so small, I just know we are in for a lot of snow. We are cozied in, have all our storm snacks ready and the hubby is out getting more gas for our generator. We have a BBQ planned for dinner this evening, just going to keep it really simple with hotdogs and hamburgers. I think I’ll whip up a garlic aioli for the burgers…..with my handy dandy Epicure mix. It’s so good!

Speaking of so, so good, I had been wanting to make Crab Rangoon for years and I finally took the plunge and made a big batch of them a few days ago! They were superb! I was honestly surprised at how easy they were to make, albeit a little time-consuming to put together. I really enjoyed the process of folding the little wonton wrappers around the rich, creamy filling. I cooked the rangoons in batches in my air fryer which made the whole cooking process quick and clean, and the end result a little less guilt inducing. They do get a coat of vegetable oil but they aren’t immersed and fried in the oil so definitely a little less calorie and fat laden.

This is a recipe that would be fun to make with your family. Kids would love to help form the rangoons, its the type of recipe where an assembly line set-up works well. One person to set out the wrappers (not all at once, or they tend to dry out making them difficult to work with), one to place the filling, one to wet the edges, one to fold the rangoons, one to brush with oil, you get the idea.

To make the Crab Rangoons start with a softened block of cream cheese and an 8oz package of chopped imitation crab (or you can use the real thing of course!). Add in chopped baby spinach, finely chopped onion and worcestershire sauce. Traditionally, rangoon recipes have chopped green onion but I instead added a couple tablespoons of finely chopped onion and a couple tablespoons of baby spinach for colour as I didn’t have green onions on hand. I loved the mix and knowing the extra vitamins and nutrients were in there from the spinach. I placed a teaspoon of filling in the center of each wonton wrapper and gathered the four corners together in the middle, pinched and smoothed the seams. I then coated the rangoons with vegetable oil and placed in the air fryer in batches (my air fryer held 7 without them touching) for 5 minutes. Remove and enjoy with your choice of dipping sauce alone or as part of a meal.

Jump to Recipe

Crab Rangoon filling. Chopped imitation crab, cream cheese, garlic, onions, spinach (or you can skip onions and spinach and use green onion)

Wonton wrappers are filled with the crab mixture and edges brushed with water.

Fold wrapper around filling but folding up diagonal corners first, while holding together, fold up other two corners pinching all corners together in the middle. Seal the seams created when you gathered the corners by pinching together gently to seal.

Preheat the air fryer to 350 degrees F. Air fry for 5 -6 minutes until golden.

Crispy Air Fryer Crab Rangoon

A crispy air fried version of crab rangoon filled with rich, creamy cream cheese and crab

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Prep Time 20

Cook Time 5

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Servings 30 Rangoons

Equipment

1 Air fryer
1 Mixing bowl
1 Measuring spoons

Ingredients

1 8oz package of cream cheese, softened
1 8oz package imitation crab meat, chopped
1 Clove garlic
2 Tbsp. baby spinach, chopped fine
2 Tbsp onion, chopped fine
1 Tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tsp soy sauce
1 Tsp salt
1/4 Cup vegetable oil
1 Package wonton wrappers

Instructions

Preheat air fryer to 350 degrees F. Spray with cooking spray.
Drain crabmeat and chop into small pieces.
Combine softened cream cheese, spinach, onions, garlic and salt.
Fill a glass of small bowl with water and keep close at hand. On a flat surface such a counter top or cutting board lay out a few wonton wrappers. Place 1 tsp of the filling in the center of each.
Using a pastry brush, brush the water onto the outer edges of the wonton wrapper. Bring two opposite corners and bring towards the middle and pinch together. While holding these two corners, bring up the other two corners and pinch those with the first two. Smooth the seams together.
Brush the rangoons with oil and place in the bottom of air fryer in a single layer. My air fryer holds about 7. Cook in batches for 5 minutes or so until the rangoons are golden brown.

Keyword Crab, cream cheese, dumplings, wontons

Cooking, Food, From-Scratch Food, Spring, Winter

Veggie Quiche

January 17, 2022February 17, 2026by shannonlegerLeave a Comment

Hello! I hope you’re all staying warm today! Here where I live in Eastern Canada the temperature is around -22 Celsius…..a high today of -18 Celsius. Our eggs have been freezing in the coop so I have to be sure I get out there early each morning and collect before they freeze. At least until this cold snap is over. We’ve had an abundance of eggs lately, the colder weather and shorter days hasn’t seemed to affect the girls at all. So I decided to make a quiche to use some up and have something a little different for supper. I served it with steamed baby bokchoy. SO good! This is a recipe I have used for YEARS. I’m not even sure on the origin of it anymore but it’s a good one! I love how versatile quiches are! The original recipe calls for Swiss cheese but I always use marble or mozzarella and this time I used a bit of both.

You can use leftover cooked vegetables in this or you can throw frozen veggies in it. I used chopped up broccoli, onions and green pepper. I sometimes will use frozen mixed stir fry vegetables which gives it a little different flavour. If you are freezing for later use and are worried about over-baking the quiche upon reheating, you can partially bake it at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes or until partially set. Cool and wrap well and freeze. To thaw and serve, bake it in a 400 degree F oven for 45 minutes.

I serve this often as a meal with a steamed veggie on the side or a green salad. I hope you enjoy!

Vegetable Quiche

Rich and flavourful quiche loaded with cheese and veggies.

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 1

Course Breakfast, Brunch, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine American, French

Servings 8 Servings

Equipment

2 Pie Plates
1 Grater
1 Whisk
1 Measuring Cup
1 Measuring spoons

Ingredients

2 Premade frozen pie shells or make your own
6 eggs
2 Cups evaporated milk
1/2 Cup milk, scalded
1 Tsp salt
1 Dash pepper
1 Dash nutmeg, optional
2 Cups grated mozzarella cheese or cheese of your choice
2 Cups Vegetables or your choice, fresh cooked or frozen

Instructions

Place pie crust in 2 pie plates or remove frozen shells from packaging and prick crusts with a fork. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.
Beat all remaining ingredients except cheese until well blended. Add cheese and stir. Divide into 2 pastry shells.
Bake at 375 degrees F for 45-50 minutes. Cool before serving. *I cook both at the same time and cool and freeze one. Thaw and reheat in microwave or in the oven for a quick meal.

Keyword Quiche, Veggie Quiche, Light Lunch, Brunch

Crafting, DIY, Winter

Christmas Tree Flocking Hack!

January 5, 2022January 5, 2022by shannonleger

It’s the most wonderful time of the year again! Hard to believe it but it’’s December 1st and Santa will be here in a few short weeks. This year I decided to change things up a little with my Christmas decor. One thing I’ve been wanting to do for a year or more now is purchase a flocked tree or make my own. Seems it’s all the rage again this year.

I’ve looked around at trees but they’re pretty expensive and I already have a perfectly good little artificial tree that’s the perfect size for my entryway which is where I’d been wanting to put a tree now for a few years. I decided I didn’’t want to make the investment so on to Plan B! I decided I’d flock the tree myself with flocking powder or spray. Well, I ran into roadblocks right away even on Amazon. Seems there’s not much available that ships to Canada and the prices are crazy for what you get. So another idea down the tubes.

Plan C! I went looking around in my basement to see what we might have hanging around that I could use to transform my little tree. First glance around, nada. But then I spotted an old can of white enamel spray paint. Aha! Just the thing I needed to faux flock my tree! I took the tree outside and sprayed it from the top down, on the tops of the boughs towards the ends of the branches, just like where you’d see real snow fall. I’m absolutely in love with the end result! I ended up going with a woodland theme which looks perfect in my Farmhouse style home. Best thing of all, I didn’t have to spend a cent!

A little paint really transformed my little artificial tree. I made the burlap garland by sewing a straight stitch down the middle of an unrolled roll of burlap and pulling it to create a ruffled look. I purchased the burlap roll at Dollarama. I added the branches throughout to give texture and really bring home that woodland feeling. Branches are from my backyard.

I’ve since added more red and white balls and it looks even more amazing! Whole tree decorated for under $100 using mostly Dollarama decorations. They’ve really upped their decor game inn the past couple years! I’ve seen very similar Christmas balls at Canadian Tire this year for three times the price.

Cooking

Happy New Year!

January 3, 2022April 23, 2024by shannonleger

Happy New Year! I hope you all enjoyed some time with loved ones over the holidays. It’s still a really difficult time to navigate I know. I have two small children, 5 and 8 and they aren’t yet fully vaccinated against COVID-19 so we have kept our circle very small including over the holidays. I really wanted to do something special for New Years Day this year, something the kids would really enjoy. So I decided to forego my usual ham dinner and have a fondue. I love the interactive aspect of a fondue. I thought I’d share what we serve along with our fondue and some dip recipes to give you a few, possibly new, ideas for your next one. If you’ve never had a fondue before, I’m sure you will find something in this post useful. I used to be so nervous to put on a fondue meal but now that I’ve done a few, they are really quick and easy to put together!

Our fondue trifecta! Chinese fondue beef, chicken and shrimp. We often have scallops as well.

I think a selection of yummy dips is a must. We’ve tried a few over the years including Canton brand (which was delicious) but my three favourite are the ones pictured above. There really isn’t a recipe as there are only two ingredients in each. The dips are: Garlic Mayo Dip, Mushroom Mayo Dip and Curry Mayo Dip. For the Mushroom Mayo Dip, to approximately 1 cup of mayonnaise add 1/4 cup chopped fresh mushrooms. For the Garlic Mayo Dip, to approximately 1 cup of mayonnaise add 1 tbsp minced garlic. For the Curry Mayonnaise Dip, to approximately 1 cup of mayonnaise add 1 -2 tsp curry powder. So simple but delicious with all the meats mentioned above!

The Canton brand bouillon is our favourite one. For extra flavour, a splash of wine in the pot is delicious. White or red, either one works!

Our favourite bouillon is the Canton brand. We use one carton for a meal. Whatever you do, don’t throw out the bouillon that’s leftover in your fondue pot at the end of the meal. Cool it, then refrigerate or freeze for the most delicious addition to rice or noodles. It will be concentrated in flavour since it will have reduced considerably while cooking the meats and it will also have all that yummy goodness from the meat and seafood. I added our leftovers to a chowmein dish the following day and it was amazing!

In addition to the meats and dips, I usually serve long grain white or brown rice. A salad is a nice way to round out the meal or you could do a fresh veggie platter with dip. I’ve never done the veggie platter with it but plan to in the future. I know my family would enjoy it. I usually have a baguette sliced and served at the table with butter. It’s tasty alongside the fondue and gives everyone something to munch on while their meat is in the pot. For the adults, I usually serve a nice chilled Pinot Grigio with this meal, it tends to go really well with the chicken and seafood served. If you’re a red wine fan, something light to medium bodied would be fantastic with this meal. Zinfandel or Pinot Noir in the light bodied range or a Merlot if you want something a little deeper in flavour.

I really hope you will enjoy some of these suggestions for your next fondue. It’s a great way to enjoy a meal together and have time for conversation and interaction. I think that’s why my kids enjoy it so much. They love being able to choose their meat and cook it themselves. It’s actually an easy meal to put together but make sure you have lots of time for sitting down and just savouring the food and those special family moments that will inevitably happen when you enjoy a fondue together.

Stay safe and well everyone! xo