Dry January and February Made Simple with Jordan's Skinny Mixes

After a long overdue holiday season, where most of us were having larger groups, parties and other special events, we all need a bit of a reset. Dry January was started in the UK in 2012 as part of a public health initiative, and now millions of people around the world make the choice to abstain from wine, beer and liquor for the month. Making that small change not only helped the pocketbooks of participants - let's face it, alcohol is an expensive hobby - but a study in BMJ Open found that those "who abstained from alcohol for 30 days slept better, had more energy, and lost weight" as well as lower blood pressure, cholesterol and cancer-related proteins in their blood.(link).

 Dry January not only impacts your health habits for the first 31 days of the year though - the above mentioned benefits were shown to continue due to the fact participants had changed their alcohol consumption patterns. Given that the rough estimate of the amount of time needed to break a habit is 28 days, this isn't surprising! In Canada, the Canadian Cancer Society keeps the momentum going with Dry February, which combines alcohol abstinence with fundraising for cancer research.

Sounds great, right? But what about the birthdays, get togethers, game nights.... all those social events that inevitably happen? Harvard Medical School has some pointers:

• Find a substitute non-alcoholic drink. For social situations, or when you crave a cocktail after a long day, reach for alcohol-free beverages like sparkling water, soda, or virgin beverages (non-alcoholic versions of alcoholic drinks.)
• Avoid temptations. Keep alcohol out of your house. When you are invited to someone’s home, bring your non-alcoholic drinks with you.
• Create a support group. Let friends and family know about your intentions and encourage them to keep you accountable. Better yet, enlist someone to do the challenge with you.
• Use the Try Dry app. This free app helps you track your drinking, set personal goals, and offers motivational information like calories and money saved from not drinking. It’s aimed at cutting back on or cutting out alcohol, depending on your choices.
• Don’t give up. If you slip up, don't feel guilty. Just begin again the next day.

 

Jordan's Skinny Mixes is making that first suggestion a little easier on everyone with their great lines of syrups and flavour infusions - from Cherry, to Meyer Lemon and Raspberry (my favourite!) and very unique Strawberry Rose, Mermaid and Unicorn flavours, mocktails take on a whole new life. I love using the Cherry Limeade Flavor Burst in my water when I need incentive to drink more - it's the perfect mix of sweet and tart.

Sugar free, with options for naturally sweetened and Keto syrups with added MCT, there is something for everyone. If sweet coffee your thing but trying to cut back on drinking your calories? Check out their vanilla, hazelnut or mocha syrups with zero calories and all the flavour!

 

Check out more: https://www.skinnymixes.com/

Need inspiration? Try these recipes from Jordan's:

Sober Mermaid:

• Soda Water

• Jordan's Skinny Mixes Sugar Free Mermaid Syrup - tablespoon, build up the flavor as desired 

• Fresh Lemon or Lime - add a squeeze to finish 

Not So Spiked Raspberry Lemonade:

• Still Water

• Jordan's Skinny Mixes Sugar Free Meyer Lemon Raspberry Syrup - tablespoon, build up the flavor as desired. 

• Fresh Lemon & Raspberries - add a squeeze to finish. 

Cherry Limeade:

• 1 cup of soda water or diet sprite

• 1 fresh lime wedge 

• Jordan's Skinny Mixes Sugar Free Cherry Limeade Flavor Burst - one squeeze. 

Shirley Temple:

• 8 ounces of diet ginger ale

• Sugar Free Cherry Syrup - tablespoon, build up the flavor as desired.

• Maraschino cherries - garnish 

Mom's Cabbage Soup

Now that Fall has arrived, it's officially soup season! My mom is known for her cabbage soup, a simple, hearty meal we traditionally serve with a side of bread and cheese. Not only is it fairly quick to whip up, it is one of the cheapest meals out there - perfect for today's economic climate.

Jump to Recipe 

Happy Fall everyone! My mom hearkened the new season this year by making a huge batch of her famous cabbage rolls to share with family and friends. We always have the inner part of the (very large) cabbage left over from the process, and being the frugal person she is, it never goes to waste! Mom's been making this soup for as long as I can remember, and while incredibly simple, it is also the perfect addition to a lunch spread when coupled with good cheese (she likes aged Cheddar) and whatever hearty, artisan-style bread I happen to have made lately. As it is rather bare-bones, it is also the perfect jumping off point for additions (like chopped carrots, chunks of ham or chicken, cooked beans or potatoes) if you want something more well rounded and "full meal" like. 

This is also the soup I think of when I think of recovery or recuperation, not only from the persistent Fall colds that seem to run through the neighbourhood but from the exhaustion that comes with the changing pace and routine. Kids (even big kids, like my sister) are back to school, the garden is wrapping up, birthdays and Thanksgiving are on the horizon and there seems to be a never-ending ping pong game of back and forth to appointments, the store, and people's houses. Coming home for a few moments to savour a home cooked meal re-centres the soul and gives it just that little bit of fortification to keep going, like a little hug in the chaos. Whatever this soup does for you, I wish you nothing but the best for this season!

Better-for-You Deep Chocolate Brownies

You never need an excuse for brownies, and these ones are no exception! Dense, fudgy and perfectly sweet, they are also packed with protein, calcium and whole grains - all for under 150 calories a piece!

One of the many casualties of the pandemic - at least near me - was a low fat brownie mix that was an absolute lifesaver when I was losing weight in my teens and later as a poor college student. It was great - just add water and bake - and was rich enough to kill off a craving without resorting to added frosting or ice cream. Now that my sister (who is a chocoholic like me) is back at work and looking for healthier snack options that would also keep her going, I started looking around to see if there was a way to make brownies that were a bit better nutritionally than the usual bakery kind. After a bit of research and modifications, including adding Naked Collagen and a vegan chocolate protein powder to the dry mixture, I had a working formula.

Needless to say, these were an absolute hit for the fudgy / chewy crowd here. The use of honey keeps these moist and dense for days (and not to negate their health but they make excellent "sandwich cookies" for ice cream) while the Greek yogurt adds just a touch of tang. To top it off, just enough chocolate chips stud the batter and crust of these beauties to accent the rich cocoa flavour and the tiniest hint of coffee. The brownies also happen to be gluten free thanks to the oat flour, but since sis doesn't need to keep GF I'd easily swap in whole wheat pastry flour in the future. The worst part is waiting for them to cool and chill - but I promise the payoff is worth it! 

Two Bite Gingersnaps

These Two Bite Gingersnaps are gluten free, vegan and surprisingly healthy - using homemade applesauce, @nakednutrition Naked Rice protein powder and just a bit of sugar! Made for teatime or as an after school treat, they're sure to be a hit!

 

There is nothing that sums up "Fall" quite like the warming spices and smells of the season. Think about it - the pies, coffees and cakes you find from September right through to Christmas often come laced with the intoxicating aromatics of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, cloves or a combination of all of them! As a kid, I was never one for spice cookies like gingersnaps, but as I've grown my tastes have really started leaning towards that zingy ginger flavour (for instance, I just made chicken broth with a chunk of ginger in with the carrots and celery this afternoon!). Not only does ginger (and it's usual spice accompaniments) warm you up when it's blustery outside, but they are also great for helping to settle the tummy when you're stressed out or sick with a cold. 

These gingersnaps are crisp, spicy and lightly sweet, and their two-bite size makes them a perfect "cheat" snack any time of the day (especially on the drive home if you commute!). Made with applesauce and only a little bit of oil, they also lean towards the healthier side of the spectrum and by adding a bit of protein from Naked Rice protein powder they help keep you full a bit more than your standard box cookie. The baked cookies keep well in a container for a week or two, but the dough is also great to make ahead and freeze (either pre-portioned or as a block) for later baking. I made a double batch and froze half for the holiday season!

These cookies are a perfect option for the schoolroom or sharing platters, because they are free of gluten, dairy, eggs and nuts! No matter who you bake for, these cookies are a safe, delicious option and a comforting way to embrace the unknown months ahead.

Exotic Blackberry Jam - Toast Topper #88

This blackberry jam is flavoured with orange flower water and wildflower honey with a hint of cloves. Its a super special and not too sweet spread for your morning toast!

 

 

We are jam fiends around here - probably due to the amount of bread I bake! This year, as with every year, I wind up debating whether or not to properly can my batches of jam, because while they last longer (and are easier to gift), the water-bathing is often time and space consuming in our small, shared kitchen! That said, I do try to suck it up at least one day and process all the jams for the coming year - including this one that I first tried last year. It turned out to be a sleeper hit with everyone, so I was requested to make it again! This time, I simply refrigerated the jars because any I give away can be refrigerated within a few hours and the rest will be eaten in a few months (this jam will keep at least 4 months in the fridge if near the back and tightly lidded).

Unlike many "berry" jams, this one keeps the seeds in (our personal preference of course). You can certainly puree and strain the berries if you want / need this seedless though! The secret was the combination of honey, lime juice and orange flower water, which elevated the berries without overpowering their flavour. With less sugar than a "usual" jam, the fruit flavour was more prominent as well, which is what I, at least, look for in a Toast Topper. If there is any left over (if), I plan to make cookies with it in the middle or mix it into buttercream to top cupcakes!

Orchard Harvest Jam - Toast Topper #87

Orchard Harvest Jam is a medley of peaches, blackberries, strawberries and raspberries cooked simply. No adornments needed (or a whole lot of sugar either!)

I get so excited every year when the first Ontario peaches and berries make it to market. Too often, the window where the peaches and nectarines are just right is only a week or two long, and during that time I'm at the farmer's market as much as possible, buying up the local harvest. This year, of course, farmer's markets have been hard to find and a much different experience to attend, and honestly I've been shying away from them because the joy of interaction is gone (for now!). That said, it has been a perfect time to use up my frozen stash of various fruit from over the year, and when I came upon a bag marked "Orchard Harvest Jam" I suddenly remembered I never posted this beauty from last year! So, to make up for it (and while a loaf of zucchini bread baked away in the oven) I made another batch.

This jam is really easy to make, given the already soft nature of thawed fruit. If you only have fresh, absolutely use it - I bet it would make this even more spectacular. Just remember to peel and put the peaches, 'cause those things have no place in a Toast Topper! I used a big ol' potato masher to break down my mix, leaving a bit of texture, but if you want silky smooth run it through a blender or use a stick blender to do the job. I love to use Pomona's Pectin when I do jams, mostly because I hate super-sweet preserves but also to cater to the various health concerns of those I gift jars to. This pectin is calcium-activated and comes with directions on the packet (though I buy mine in bulk these days, so i often Google when I can't remember), but the key is that you can't use too much sugar or it won't set! I have also used this pectin in jams using honey, and it works well there as long as you can dissolve it well enough.

Technical stuff aside, though, the beauty of this jam shines through in it's simplicity. There are no spices, liqueurs, extracts or chocolate to overshadow the ripe fruit, and the tartness of the berries counteracts the sweetness of the peaches. I like to bottle this jam in 4 oz (1/2 cup) jars so that I can stash a few and give the rest away, but if you do can this I would suggest no larger than a 1/2 pint (1 cup) jar so that you can get through it before it goes off (it'll last about 2 weeks in the fridge). You can also freeze this but it won't be as thick upon thawing, then again depending on what you're doing with it that might be perfect (she says as she eats applesauce with slightly runny jam stirred into it).

"Christmas" Thai Curry Paste

Christmas Thai Curry Paste is a flavour (not just heat) packed blend of herbs, fresh chiles, toasted spices and a hint of fish sauce for umami. Perfect for any and all curries you care to whip up!

We make curry at least once a month here, a habit which stemmed from my mom's travels to Thailand when she was working. That said, a lot of the time the actual curry making is done by her, since coconut and I don't mix - but I am always glad to provide the recipes, and making this curry paste is our secret weapon!

While there is absolutely nothing wrong with storebought curry paste - we use it a lot too - when the Summer garden is in full swing it would be a crime not to use what I'm growing! Last year (when I finally refined this recipe) we had a glut of Thai chilies along with Thai basil and lemon balm. My friend happened to be growing cilantro (which similarly took off) and gave me a bunch to cook with. A quick search and about 15 minutes later, and I had a batch of curry paste primed for the next recipe! At the end of the season I made a quadruple batch (yes, a quadruple batch) and froze it, which was great for the cold of winter!

This year, we used the same paste to make a rendition of this curry (using half coconut milk half vegetable broth and doubling the recipe, adding cauliflower and chickpeas) and while spicy it was the perfect mix of flavour and heat. I would wager this would work well with chicken, shrimp or pork as well!

For those of you who are vegan - the fish sauce can be replaced with a tablespoon of red miso which gives it a fermented, salty flavour. Likewise, I have provided an alternative for the lemon balm (which grows rampant here but I know it isn't easy to find in stores) but the Thai basil is best omitted rather than substituted. Regular basil has a totally different flavour to it! Toasting the spices "wakes them up" and really boosts the flavour they lend as well.

If you love Thai curry in any respect, or are simply looking for a way to jazz up your cooking, this paste is a dead-simple, fresh way to do it. Give it a try and let me know how it goes, and what you used it in, below!

3 Day Sourdough Bread

Three day sourdough bread takes ages but is really very light work, and yields deliciously tangy loaves perfect for sandwiches or toast with jam!

There is no doubt about it - April has been one bizarre month. We have gone from eagerly awaiting special meals out and vacations and planning for Summer break (not to mention my upcoming  university courses and Masters program) to being caught in limbo - things across the board have been put on hold or cancelled outright, I'm becoming better and better at navigating Zoom for teaching and now that I've finished my degree (the Summer courses were a prerequisite for my graduate studies) I'm kind of... lost. Don't get me wrong, the break is needed - the overwhelming stress of this last month was pushing me into burnout territory - but I now need to "re-learn" how to relax and not be working under pressure.

Two things that have really helped me with the stress of these ever-changing times have been virtual teaching and baking. I truly didn't realize how revitalized being around the students made me, so getting the chance to interact with them - even for an hour a week - is fantastic. Not to mention that a lot of them need that structure too. One of these days, I will get around to doing a few cooking videos for them (as "Home Ec" lessons), as soon as I can figure out how to edit.

The other major thing that has always helped with my stress levels is baking. Specifically, baking bread. There is something truly cathartic about something becoming alive in the kitchen, whether it is a quick-shot, two hour loaf or something that takes a little longer, like these loaves of whole-grain sourdough. Did I say a little longer? Sorry, I meant a lot longer. See, this sourdough recipe takes three days to complete. Why? Well, the longer you let sourdough ferment, the more complex and sour the flavour is, the more hydrated the flour is and the better the gluten structure. Not all sourdoughs take three days, but since this one uses cold retardation, the yeast is slowed down. Coupled with my 13 year old starter, by the time these loaves were cool enough to slice (more agonizing than the three days of waiting) they were perfect, almost akin to the sourdough I used to buy at the market in Ottawa.

Whether you just tear into a slice unadorned (I have been guilty of that), slather it with peanut butter or toast it and spread it with butter (cultured if you love tang like I do), you can't go wrong with these loaves. No starter? Check out the guide I found here to get going!

Maghmour

Maghmour is known as Lebanese moussaka, and is a thick, smoky eggplant and bean stew packed with peppers, onions, tomatoes, smoked paprika and mint. I added a hefty pinch of pepper flakes to my version and served it over a rice and quinoa base for a hearty meal in a bowl that is the perfect comfort food in these troubled times.

While it may be Spring according to the calendar, it sure doesn't feel like it! Just yesterday while I was teaching (e-learning is going surprisingly well on my end any way) the kids and I all stopped for a moment to appreciate the blizzard that appeared out of nowhere and disappeared just as fast! The chill in the air also remained, although we are hearing that it will warm up eventually. Until then (and definitely until life gets back some semblance of normal), comfort food is on the menu. Mom is a huge eggplant fan and when I saw a recipe featuring it (and lots of other favourite Mediterranean things) I knew she'd adore it. Luckily, we have enough grocery stores near us that the wait is never too too long, but I still tried to keep the list to what was in our fridge and pantry (namely onions, peppers, tomatoes, chickpeas and grains) and throw as much flavour as I could at it. In this case, I am very lucky to have a well-stocked spice cupboard so things like dried mint and Aleppo pepper just are, but if you want to make this and don't have those things on hand either leave them out or throw thyme or basil or parsley at it - it will all taste good and you'll have a healthy meal on hand for when you can't be bothered to cook (or shop) again.

Like I said, this recipe is forgiving - don't have or want chickpeas? Use another legume (lentils, kidney beans) or swap them out for 3 cooked, diced chicken breasts folded in at the end. Or leave out the protein completely and serve it alongside - I've heard that it pairs well with pork tenderloin too.

Here's to better (and warmer) days ahead - we can only go up from here!

Sugar Free Cherry Ginger Jam - Toast Topper #86

This sugar free cherry jam is spiked with ginger and a hint of gold leaf for an elegant Toast Topper perfect for company...or just yourself!

One of the things I knew I wanted to make my future mother in law for Christmas was a sugar free jam. While she loves to put jam on her toast, the no-sugar-added jams currently available on the market can be prohibitively expensive and limited in the range of flavours. Since I make Toast Topper for most of my giftees at holiday time, I decided to put up a small batch for her.

As for the flavours, I had a stash of local cherries in my freezer and knew that would be my base. Not wanting to leave it at just that (although it is delicious), I added a dose of ginger for a seasonal zing. Finally, just to be fancy, I sprinkled in a touch of edible gold flakes - everyone needs a bit of sparkle every day!

I know that a lot of people are leery about artificial sweeteners like Splenda, and I say to each their own (I use it in my cooking if I'm looking to cut the sugar or if I'm cooking for diabetics). You can certainly use sugar or another sweetener of your choice in place of it here, just make sure it is heat stable since it has to go through the cooking and canning process. Stevia blends like Truvia will likely work but I have not tested with those. Happy jamming!

Peppermint Meringue Christmas Trees

Meringue trees - the perfect use for all the leftover egg whites from shortbread baking!

If there was ever a feel-good holiday cookie for the dieter, the meringue is it. The egg white foam cookies are lighter than air, come in all sorts of colours and whatever flavour you can basically dream of - making them versatile and the perfect sweet treat.

Now that January has rolled around and the gym is packed (as is the natural foods aisle of the grocery store), these cookies are in their element. We're still not ready to swear off sweets entirely, but one or two meringues never hurt anyone, and the minty flavour of these also staves you off from polishing off the whole tray. While these are obviously in the shape of Christmas trees, you could also just make swirls or even "snowy" trees dusted with a touch of icing sugar. The possibilities are endless, and I look forward to making more meringues since the shortbreads aren't quite done yet!

Curried Two-Potato Lentil Soup

Curried Two-Potato Lentil Soup (adapted from Minimalist Baker) is canned up in quarts for big pots of comfort over the winter. Homegrown carrots and kale make it extra nutritious and special!

Ah, Boxing Day. It's quite possibly my favourite day of the whole Christmas holiday week, since (for the most part) the hubbub is done, the gifts are opened, the gluttony has ensued and we can just take the day to get back into routine and relax. It is specifically for days like this that I love having soup jarred up in reserve on my shelf - all I have to do is crack one open, dump it into a pot with a little water or broth (or tomato juice, which actually worked so well in this!) and let it heat up. Can we say almost instant comfort food?

What I also love about this soup is how versatile it is. Don't want to can it (or don't have a pressure canner)? Simmer away on the stovetop until everything is cooked and store in the freezer. Not vegetarian? Toss in some cooked meat (say...Christmas turkey?) and use chicken broth. In fact, my mom even added the last of a can of coconut milk (about 1/3 cup) to hers to make it more creamy and tossed in extra pepper for kick. This version is relatively mild in heat, but still flavourful and hearty enough that you won't be tempted to go back to the cookies (or ever present panettone at my house) or need a food coma-style nap!

How was your holiday break (whether or not you celebrate Christmas)? Let me know in the comments below!

Pumpkin Spice Biscotti

Pumpkin Spice Biscotti are a spicy, crunchy snack whenever the fall feeling strikes!

Between (Canadian) Thanksgiving and Christmas, it seems that pumpkin spice everything is ubiquitous. As much as I detest eating (or smelling) pumpkin pie, I cannot deny that the spices which infuse everything of the season are some of my favourites. One of the families I teach even gave me a pumpkin spice candle which I adore!

So in lieu of making another pumpkin pie for Christmas (and in spirit of all the biscotti I've been creating), I took the heady spices and fused them with the delicately sweet, golden-hued squash to make these cookies. Rather than feeling like you're eating a crunchy pumpkin cake, these are more in the vein of a "spice cookie" that just happens to look really nice on the platter whether you top them with melted chocolate (or vegan white chocolate for a "whipped cream" look) or not. I passed these out to friends of mine who love their PSLs this time of year and from what I heard a few dunks of these in a cappuccino add the perfect amount of zing to both cookie and coffee!

Tomato Chickpea Soup (Pressure Canned)

Tomato Chickpea Soup is flavoured with cumin, ginger, garlic, garam masala, basil and curry powder for a spicy - but not hot - dinner ready in the pantry! Jars of this will be welcome in the cold months to come!

After waking up to an ice storm and frigid temperatures, it's official - we are into soup season. Since I acquired a pressure canner a few years ago, I spent pieces of my summers making jars of homemade soup for when the school year started again and cooking more or less transitioned to "quick and easy". The other great thing about canning soup and stews is that they make awesome holiday gifts - my Habitant Pea Soup is a regular feature in my gift baskets because it seems to be everyone's favourite (plus it's gluten free and vegan) but I also like to add a hearty and spicy soup to the lineup - both for others and for me!

When I was in university, the days the cafeteria had Chana Masala on the menu were some of the best. Ottawa, in case you've never been, gets insanely cold and snowy come wintertime, and the spiced, tomatoey chickpeas never got the "weird" texture of some of the other steam table items. This soup carries many of the same flavours as my favourite Indian entree, but with extra broth perfect for soaking up rice or slurping with a spoon. I actually prefer to partially cook some brown rice and add it to the soup as it heats on the stove to cook it through and thicken the soup, and mom added chopped sweet potatoes to hers for a similar effect and a sweeter taste.

By the way, if you don't have a pressure canner, no worries! Use 4 cups fully cooked chickpeas (not just soaked and flash-cooked) and simmer the soup for 45 minutes, adding the chickpeas for the last 15. For a creamy soup, puree everything - beans and all. Hearty, healthy and delicious when it's too cold for words outside!

A New Treat for Fall with @CacaoTeaCo

With the cold weather coming in fast and furious, I am turning my attentions (grudgingly) from the garden fresh produce (beets and carrots excepted) into the warming flavours of soups, spices and tea. Luckily, I was approached by a fellow tea lover who had a rather ingenious idea when it came to both the world of brewed beverages as well as reducing environmental waste - "tea" made from the discarded husks of cacao beans. Jessica, one of the two creators of the Northwestern startup, spoke with me on the phone and let me know some of the tea's benefits - not only does it have the flavour and aroma of cacao, but it is free of sugar, gluten, dairy and caffeine, getting it's energy boosting properties from theobromine. Side note - theobromine is awesome for us humans (it lowers blood pressure and reduces the risk of heart disease, boosts brain function and even helps strengthen tooth enamel [source]), but it is toxic to our furry canine friends - I don't have dogs but the friend I shared some of the tea with did and she kept it tightly sealed and on a high shelf!

When I made my first cup of Cacao Tea, I didn't know what to expect! The smell of the husks from the bag is deeply cocoa-noted and slightly fruity-floral. While the instructions suggest 6-8 minutes of steeping, I poured the water into the tea and had a shower so I'm estimating the steep time for me was more like 20 minutes. With the longer steep (and cooling off period) I was able to taste the tea right away, and I was pleasantly surprised - the first sip tasted just like a 90% dark chocolate bar (which I love) but in an easy drinking "tea" texture. It was not at all like hot chocolate made with milk, which made it perfect for a mid afternoon treat that was indulgent but not "heavy". 

Next, I wanted to see how well I could marry the decadence of Cacao Tea with my usual morning brew - coffee! What can I say, this teacher / student's brain is 3/4 caffeine. I stuffed a little tea ball with a spoonful of the Cacao Tea and steeped it in the freshly brewed coffee while it cooled to drinkable temperature (about 10 minutes). I don't put milk or sugar in my coffee, but the Cacao Tea rounded out the flavours of the coffee and removed any and all acidity while adding a subtle hint of chocolate. While it may not be the conventional way to indulge in this tea, I am definitely adding it to my roster of things to enjoy!

I originally had plans to use some of my stash to make some goodies, but I really can't imagine parting with something so tasty that I can actually enjoy! As someone with multiple food allergies and a fat intolerance, my days of chowing down on a chocolate bar are long gone. This tea satisfies my dark chocolate love while leaving me energized and not feeling weighed down. I know I'll be savouring this as much as I can this winter, and since they have an easy online ordering system on their website getting more is as easy as a few clicks!

Thank you so much Jessica and the team at Cacao Tea Co. for this opportunity, I always appreciate having the chance to test and review new and innovative products, especially when they come from small businesses. For my readers, do check them out and give them a try - your inner chocoholic will thank you!

Info:
Cacao Tea Co. website
Instagram:@cacaoteaco
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cacaoteaco/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.ca/cacaoteaco/

Spiced Superfruit Jam - Toast Topper #85

This Spiced Superfruit Jam is a decadent mix of blackberries, raspberries, cherries and blueberries softly spiced with a hint of cinnamon and cloves. With less sugar than standard jams, its a Toast Topper you can feel great about enjoying!

It feels good to be back in the canning kitchen again! I took a bit of a break last Summer (life and school got in the way) and now that the new year is almost upon us I'll be wrapping up my slew of canned goodies (that you can see on IG) as well. This year was a shockingly good one for Ontario produce, and I'd be a fool not to preserve it for a long winter's worth of pancakes, waffles and toast!

Like with most things, I prefer my jams not to be cloyingly sweet and want the fruity taste to come through full force. I have found two low-sugar pectins (the stuff that makes jam gel, if you don't make jam usually) that I love and buy them en masse when they're on sale. The first (and cheapest outright) is Bernardin (which may only be available in Canada, I can't find it on Amazon, but I have used Ball as well), which churns out about 6 cups of jam per packet. The second is Pomona's, which allows the batch size of various jams to be customized based on the amount of fruit you have. I've made as little as one jar of jam with it and as much as 12!

I also really enjoy playing with the flavours of my jams. Even though the fruit is always first and foremost, adding complementary flavours is a great way to add interest and an aspect not available from storebought preserves. I pulled out my copy of The Flavor Bible to help me this year, resulting in the addition of cinnamon and cloves to accent the tart-sweet berry notes. A spoonful of this jam tastes like a less tannic mulled wine, and I have it on good authority that a dab of it on sharp Cheddar topping a cracker is pretty darn good!

Mediterranean Salad for One

Dinner tonight is this incredible Mediterranean Salad for one, packed with all the garden's produce (including dried oregano from last year, Egyptian onions and garlic scapes from N) and dressed simply with Alaea salt, black pepper and fresh lemon juice. Light yet filling for those Summer nights!

As much as I love living in Canada, one of the things I don't love is that our growing season starts late and ends early. Summer break being what it is (July / August), we don't really see much of the garden bringing forth their glory until at least halfway through, if not later. That said, late is better than never, and since the cukes and tomatoes arrived at the same time this year I figured what better way to enjoy them than in a simple, chunky salad?

I love Mediterranean flavours, and this salad is not lacking in them! In addition to the garden cucumbers and tomatoes, I tossed in dried oregano and dill (from last year), Egyptian onion bulbs (from the Sputnik-like plant out back) and garlic scapes from my fiance's garden that I roasted using this recipe (cutting the time to 15 minutes). For protein, I tossed in a handful of chickpeas (my favourite bean) and sprinkled on lemon juice, coarse pepper and a Hawaiian Alaea salt. If you had told me 15 years ago that I would be eating salads for dinner (and enjoying them!) I'd have called you crazy. But now, I don't want summer to ever end!

Kasundi Braised Vegetables

Root veggies, mushrooms and chickpeas get braised in homemade Tomato Kasundi for a spicy, hearty meal perfect for serving over rice!

Ever go pantry diving? I try to go into our double-deep cupboards at least twice a year, pulling out things and sorting what needs to be used and in what order. This time, however, was a bit different. I actually discovered a jar of homemade Tomato Kasundi - from 2013! - in our cold cellar, and while the contents were still okay I didn't really want it to sit around any longer. Luckily, I also had a wide array of our kitchen staples on hand having also gone grocery shopping - carrots, onions, mushrooms, and a can of chickpeas. Having seen braised chickpeas floating around the web before, I wondered if I could do the same thing with this richly flavoured, slightly spicy sauce.

The method of throwing this dish together wasn't really a recipe at all in the grand scheme of things - what I used worked for us, but if you have other veggies or legumes you like by all means give them a shot too! I personally can't wait to make more kasundi so that I can try this braise with eggplant and lentils in addition to the other veggies, maybe with a handful of spinach or mustard greens stirred in for colour too. In the end, the long braise allows for the sharp tang and heat of the kasundi to mellow slightly, while the rich flavours soak into the veggies and make the whole pot beg for a bed of rice or grains to soak up every drop. I'd be lying if I said we didn't pick at this cold too - but then again what better way to graze?

Homemade Fermented Chili-Garlic Sauce

Homemade Fermented Chili-Garlic Sauce (aka homemade Sriracha). A little sweet, definitely spicy and with a little texture from the pureed peppers, this sauce has the perfect tang and "funk" from fermentation too.

It's no secret that I am a hot sauce queen (or is it freak?). At any given time I have at least 4 bottles of hot sauce (different types, obviously) in my fridge and tons of pickled peppers too. Wasabi may as well be ketchup for how much I use it! However, I have limited experience with making hot sauces myself, but with a garden full of various scorching hot peppers I figured it was time! Serious Eats had a fantastic recipe for making a version of Sriracha that intrigued me for a few reasons - one, it used up a whole load of the peppers (yay!) and two, it used fermentation, rather than cooking, to break down the peppers and create the most delicious and complex mixture of flavours.

Now, fermentation is easy - in the sense that you basically do none of the work. I chopped up the peppers in my food processor (for the fact that they didn't need to be uniform size and I also avoided touching them!) and scooped the whole mess into the jar, where it sat for just over a week. All I had to do was stir it once a day and watch the bubbles. Once fermentation was more or less complete, the vinegar and heat are applied and the works is pureed. The result was an absolutely perfect condiment, better than storebought and spicier too (which was definitely dependent on the peppers I used). I canned a few small jars and stuck what I would use immediately into a tiny glass bottle. As far as I can tell, the fermentation stopped after the heat and vinegar were applied, but then again the bottle disappeared in under a week!

Unfortunately, last year I did not have quite the stock (or heat) of peppers we usually do, and this year is likely going to be the same thanks to all the rain. Fingers crossed I'm back to spice world next year!

Chocolate Protein Brownies

These Chocolate Protein Brownies are decadent and moist with only 97 calories a piece! The secret? Whey powder and adzuki beans for protein, fibre and a fudgy texture.

When I was on Weight Watchers in my teens, chocolate was one of my biggest cravings. Since I was a "very busy" highschooler at the time, I got to indulge my craving with low fat brownies from a mix. They were good, I have to say - chewy and fudgy, with a crinkled top like "normal" brownies.It's been years since those brownies were in my fridge, but since I have a few friends on the weight loss journey (and doing darn well!) who are also chocoholics, I thought it might be worth a shot to try my hand at a healthy, yet still decadent option.

Bean brownies are nothing new, but they have longevity for good reason! Instead of chickpeas (like the recipe I used as my jumping-off point) or black beans (like this equally good recipe), I turned my attention to a bean that is more traditionally used in Japanese desserts - adzuki. These small, dark red beans have an awesome sweet starchiness about them, which worked incredibly well mixed with the bitter cocoa and coffee. To up the protein a bit more, I used a generous helping of chocolate flavoured Optimum Nutrition Protein Energy, a protein powder I keep on hand for baking and adding to oatmeal (I still prefer Nuzest for drinking straight). Without eggs (or sugar), getting the coveted crackly top would be tough. However, a sprinkling of fine sugar over the batter worked wonders! Once the bars were sliced, it was clear that they embodied the rich fudginess I remembered from my youth. They also freeze exceptionally well, and wrapped individually make exceptional lunchbox treats for camp, school or work! By the way, if you are making these for kids, use hot chocolate or even milk for the coffee and use a plain protein powder to minimize the caffeine.