The Comfort of Soup

This soup is as simple as it gets.  A little chopping, a little seasoning, a little blending and you are good to go.  You can substitute buttercup squash for butternut squash or use more squash and less sweet potato.  You can add chipotle hot sauce for some kick if you like.  Remember to keep it simple.  You don't want to mask the yummy flavours!

To make Squash & Sweet Potato Soup you will need:

1 onion roughly chopped
1 buttercup squash cut into pieces (you can leave the skin on, we'll skin it later.  If you are using butternut squash, don't skin it.  You can blend it with the skin for vitamins!)
1 sweet potato, sliced (you can keep the skin-on here too)
dash cinnamon
dash salt
drizzle olive oil (regular, not extra virgin)
Hot stock (vegetable or chicken work best)

The Method:

Preheat oven at 375F.
Spread the onion pieces, squash, & sweet potato slices evenly over a baking sheet.
Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and season with cinnamon and salt.
Bake for 1 hr.
Once the vegetables are out of the oven, bring your stock to a simmer.
Skin your squash, it should be able to be scooped out very easily now.
Put the vegetables in the blender with a few ladles of stock and blend.  You may have to do this in increments depending on how many vegetables you used or if you doubled the recipe.
Pour the blended soup into a pot. 
You can turn the heat on low, and ladle in as much broth as you need in the soup to make it less thick.  If you like a thick soup you can eat as it is.
Check for seasoning, and you can serve this as is or with a splash of double cream.

I hope you enjoy.

Until next time, 

Jacqueline

My Wedding Day

This post is finally here!

On August 25, 2012, I married my best friend.  I never truly realized the stress of planning a  wedding.  We had an awful start - venues cancelling or not responding at all, and then we had to figure out where to have the wedding to begin with.  There are so many things that you learn while planning a wedding.  I never realized how much you really learn about your family and friends.  You really realize who is there for you during this time, and usually it's the people you expect to be there that will let you down the most.

After about six months of planning and endless decisions, we decided to have the wedding where we have made our lives and are the happiest.  Halifax is a beautiful place to have a wedding and had all the amenities around and I didn`t have to worry about planning our big day with caterers three hours away.  The idea of running around Nova Scotia to plan a wedding was not my idea of fun while being in school, that's for sure!

In the end, thanks to my friend Bridgit and a patient Mark, we found a wedding location that suited us best.  We got married at the Radisson Hotel in downtown Halifax.  It was full of light and was an intimate space.  For only having thirty guests, I was hard-pressed to find a space that wasn't too big or that wasn't breaking the bank.  And thankfully for us, Ryan Duffy's steakhouse agreed to let us use their restaurant to cater to our wedding guests.  We didn't have to worry about extra decorating costs or other things attached to an ordinary wedding set-up.

The one thing I wanted to make sure was better than anything else was the food, and Ryan Duffy's Steakhouse delivered.  Our menu was a starter of their house salad with dijon dressing.  It was very lovely & light.  Our main course was chicken stuffed with feta cheese, roasted red pepper & a few other things I can't remember.  It was served with roasted potatoes & seasonal veggies. The chicken was so juicy!  I couldn't believe how good it was. (I had also not eaten since breakfast - but everyone said it was good!) For dessert was a lovely apple strudel with the most delicious vanilla ice cream I have ever had.  Everyone raved about the dessert. And of course, Mark and I never brought our cellphones or camera to take photos, so we have no photos of the food. 

I know I usually don't do post like these on my blog, but I hope you all enjoyed it.  I hope that if you are planning a wedding or have been there recently you didn't have to go through so much trouble as I did with different venues and I hope you all enjoy your day.

 In the end, all I could think about was that I had the best, most patient husband in the world.  Who else would put up with crying fits at 4 am? 

And now for the best part - the photos!  I also had the best photographer in the world!  Kristyn Smith - check her work out at www.kristynsmithphotography.com!

Until next time, (and I hope next blog will have a recipe - I've been ill!)

Jacqueline

I'm backkkk!

I’m sure everyone has wondered where I’ve gone all these months.  The truth is that I have been wanting to blog for a while now, but I truly couldn’t think of anything good enough to blog about.  A lot of things have happened since May, and I’m now finally picking myself up again and starting over with my blogging.

For anyone who knows me, you know that this summer was extremely busy for me.  I finally got married to the love of my life after over one year of stress, tears, and a lot of growing.  During the process of getting my last wedding plans together, I graduated from college with a paralegal diploma with honors and started a new job.  It was a pretty crazy time and I can tell you that you probably should be happy that I wasn’t blogging then.  My blog would have turned into a stress-fest for all the readers.

So now I am back, unemployed, and ready to start over again.  I always felt like I would rather blog than do anything else, so I will be taking more time out of every day to give you guys something to see.  

Last night, my poor husband started with a sore throat so today is turkey soup day for us.  But while I am collecting myself and finding things for you to see, I will leave you with some recent food pictures Mark & I have taken.  I’m glad to be back and you should have some recipes to see soon!

 My birthday dinner at Piatto

foccacia flatbread appetizer

my pizza marinara - super simple & delicious

Marks lovely hand-cut pepperoni pizza.  He loved the mozzarella on this!

Thanksgiving

Apple crisp with caramel

Mini mangled pumpkin pies

Sheila's carrot zucchini bread.

Food!

Laura's Cafe - Russian Cuisine

My borscht - had a side of sour cream

Loved these beaut little sat & pepper shakers.

Mark's klinkali - he forgot to take a photo, hence the cut one in the front.  This is my favorite thing at Laura's.

Pelemeni, delicious!

Until next time,

Jacqueline

Oh, Prince Edward Island..

Mark and I went on a sort of pre-honeymoon last weekend.  We just arrived home today, and we are already missing the quiet, clean air.  It seems like forever since I've slept in complete darkness, and woken to gorgeous sun peaking in the windows.  Our shades are super dark here at home..sun isn't as welcome.

I felt this trip would be a foodie adventure, even though much of the food is exactly like it is here.  Except, it is a bit cheaper.  Mark and I come from the land of the lobster and we knew that was what we would get there, but we enjoyed it.  I got seafood chowder twice!  It was even better than my own, something I really don't like to admit!  However, we did have a bit of an unpleasant eating experience, but we wont mention that one!

I'll give you guys a little sneak peak into our weekend of relaxation!  Also, if you ever go to PEI, eat seafood chowder until it comes out of your ears.  It really is that good. Enjoy the pictures..

First morning breakfast..every morning started with fruit! yum..

this was the best french toast..stuffed with apple pie filling!

pretty self-explanatory..ate lots of this!

best baked brie..it was smoked I believe with raspberry coulis & mandarins..very good.

overcooked pasta with yummy prawns..was quite disappointed about this..

Marks pasta with bison meatballs. his pasta was overcooked too..but bison was excellent.

Another yummy breakfast..eggs Cavendish.. instead of an english muffin, it's a hashbrown. loved this!

Mark's cheeseburger at the beach..

Delish seafood chowder at the beach..

and our last breakfast..light as air waffles. I think it was the best waffle I've ever had!

Most of the places we loved most, I didn't even take pictures of because I forgot my camera. But if you ever go to PEI, go to the Globe restaurant in Charlottetown, especially on a Sunday.  Very relaxing.

Until next time,

Jacqueline

My favorite foodie things - British Edition

I have been thinking about doing a blog segment on my favorite foodie things.  I've had a little bit of British inspiration lately, so this will be my British edition to my favorite foodie things! I hope you enjoy..

McVitie's HobNob biscuits

These biscuits are delicious with tea.  Kind of like crunchy oatmeal cookies, that have just the right amount of sweetness.  I get them from Pete's Frootique, but I'm not quite sure where else you can buy them in Nova Scotia.

Twinings Tea

My new favorite tea (other than chai!)  I`m a bit obsessed for it; I had two cups this morning.  I purchased the multipack, and have been sipping on this and the Irish breakfast tea the most.  Not quite sure why it`s breakfast tea, but it has a mild taste.  I love it with milk, if you`re a tea drinker, this would be worth the try.

HP Guinness sauce

This stuff is AMAZING.  I think it pretty much speaks for itself!  However, it is a bit pricy..around $7.50.  However, very very worth it in my opinion!

Colman`s mustard

I must say, I was a bit leery of this product, but Nigella said it was the best.  I always believe Nigella!  I`ve used this in sauces, or on sides for meat.  Very powerful mustard, its almost like yellow mustard wasabi to me, but very good all the same!

Walker`s crisps

These are always a little bit of a treat for Mark and I.  We dont regularly eat chips at all.  These are like special occasion chips. Prawn cocktail or cheese and onion are my favorites!

Harry Potter Cookbook!

My newest favorite thing in the world!  My Harry Potter cookbook is amazing.  Since I was ten, I was reading Harry Potter and wondering what it would taste like to eat some of the treats they have in the book, and now I can.  I am amazed in how many recipes there actually are.  Also, there are many traditional British recipes that I am dying to cook!

I hope you guys enjoyed this little post!

Have a great weekend!

Until Next Time,

Jacqueline

Coconut Pancakes

I forgot to share this recipe with you guys a few weeks ago.  I got the inspiration for this recipe from the books City of Bones by Cassandra Clare.  In one part, the main character ordered coconut pancakes drizzled in honey and I knew I had to have them!  I hope you enjoy as much as I did.

For coconut pancakes, you will need:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 1/4 cups milk
1 egg
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup sweetened coconut
1/2 tbsp oil for cooking
1/2 cup toasted coconut for topping, if you like.
Honey, for drizzling

Stir all dry ingredients together.
Whisk milk, egg, and butter together.
Stir wet into dry, until smooth.
Add sweetened coconut.

Heat large frying pan on medium high.
Drizzle the little splash of oil in the pan, and wipe it out with paper towels so you don't get oily pancakes, just a greased pan.
Add 1/4 cup scoops of batter.  I pressed some toasted coconut on the tops.
When the edges and most of the center has bubbles, flip over the pancakes.
Cook for an additional minute or so.
Serve with a bit of butter if you like, and honey.
You can also sprinkle liberally with the toasted coconut if you like.

Enjoy!

Until next time,
Jacqueline