I have long been a fan of Middle Eastern food, and I'm always on the lookout for a hummus recipe that is easy but still tastes authentic. I know: a tall order, right? Well, I've found it. This recipe for 5-Minute Hummus is adapted from the book Israeli Soul, by Michael Solomonov and Steven Cook. 5-Minute Hummus The first thing you'll do is make tehina sauce, which will then form the basis of your hummus. In a food processor (necessary to make this smooth and silky) combine th

I don't know about you, but cheesecake is by far my favourite dessert. I've been known to pre-order a certain cheesecake from Zehnder's Bakery in Frankenmuth, Michigan, drive there from Ontario (yes, in Canada) to pick up the cheesecake en route to Green Bay for my husband's and my semi-annual anniversary trip, then proceed to eat what has come to be known as my birthday cheesecake in the hotel, in my jammies, on a little plastic plate with a flimsy plastic fork. Not gonna li

When you think of tater tots, you probably think of that classic diner side dish, those little toasty nuggets of potato goodness that spend so much of their time cozying up to burgers, patty melts, hot dogs, and chicken nuggets, right? That's all about to change. The new book, Tots! will change how you look at tater tots forever, int he best possible way. This little book packs a tot-tastic punch! With more than 50 recipes for everything from breakfast to snacks perfect for

THE FOOD! OK, if you're a foodie like me, no occasion is complete without good food. But toting along delicious, easy-to-prepare food isn't always easy when you're camping. You don't want to have to lug around a whole kitchen's worth of cooking supplies in your backpack! The Campout Cookbook by Marnie Hanel and Jen Stevenson, award-winning authors of The PIcnic is a game-changer. Here, you'll find recipes for: Trail Snacks like Gorgeous Gorp, Cinnamon Sunbutter, Beerloo Nut C

I don't know about you, but I am not made for hot weather. We don't have air conditioning at home, and humidity makes me feel soooooo sluggish. However, I'm still a mom and I also work from home, so I have to find ways to get through the hot weather in spectacular fashion, usually through the consumption of summertime treats like ice pops and root beer floats. And when I can have those two things together, well, now we're talkin'!! (My daughter, who loves root beer floats, wa

I have a confession: I love chickpeas. I love them on salads, in the form of hummus, and rolled into that street-food favourite, falafel. Now, I know that chickpeas are admittedly not something that a lot of people really get excited about as I do, but a new cookbook by Heather Lawless and Jen Mulqueen aims to change that by providing a host of recipes for celebrating the often-maligned chickpea. The Chickpea Revolution Cookbook features 85 entirely plant-based recipes where

Does the sight of a Bundt pan bring you back to memories of your grandmother? There's no doubt that a Bundt pan has a certain retro appeal, but this old-school pan is enjoying a resurgence these days, and this book, Beautiful Bundts: 100 Recipes for Delicious Cakes and More is a beautiful example of all of the ways you can utilize this pan, both in classic recipes and those that are decidedly more modern. On the sweet side, there are lots of great offerings for indulging your

This year, Santa is likely going to receive many requests for Instant Pots (or other multifunction electric pressure cookers). These machines are awesome for busy families, as they do the work of several machines in one, saving time, space, and hassle in the kitchen. And who doesn't need more of those things? But what good is an amazing machine if you don't know what to do with it? Sure there's the almighty Google, but I'm old-fashioned, I guess. Despite the seemingly endless

School is back in full swing now, and that means time is at a premium. Whatever you family dynamic, the dinner hour is almost always a busy one. Decisions about what to make that will please the entire family can be daunting, am I right? And what about the all-important budget? Anything you can do to stretch your meal-planning dollars is a good idea in my book. This book has the answers. Betty Crocker's The Smart Dinner answers not only the question "What's for dinner?" but a

Whether you're already a fan of Indian food or whether you are just foraying into the world of this exotic cuisine, I have the perfect recipe for you. Fusing pasta with the flavours of India, this is comfort food in a bowl -- with a twist. And it's completely vegetarian, too, so whether you're a veg-head yourself or whether you are feeding a crowd that includes vegetarians, this is a great option. Note: I can't reprint the whole recipe here, but I will give you gist. for the

Whether you have Mexican blood coursing through your veins or not, Cinco de Mayo (May 5 -- that's today!) is the perfect time to indulge in a little Mexican food with your family. Taqueria: New-Style Fun and Friendly Mexican Cooking, by Paul Wilson, is the perfect go-to resource for your family's next taco night. From the book cover: "A celebration of one of the world's richest and most diverse cuisines, Taqueria is also a tribute to the vibrancy of Mexican taco culture. Chef

Image credit: Neil Langan. Courtesy of Gravity Cakes! Create 45 Amazing Cakes by Jakki Friedman & Francesca Librae © 2017www.robertrose.ca Reprinted with publisher permission. Available where books are sold. Thanks to the new book Gravity Cakes even an amateur home baker can bake up gravity-defying cakes like this with confidence. The book offers step-by-step instructions (with awesome photos to help you at every stage!) for 45 amazing cakes on a wide variety of themes. There

If you've found yourself in a flavour rut in the kitchen, I have a subscription service that is for you. Raw Spice Bar sends unique, themed collections of spices right to your mailbox every month. This month's theme was Navajo spices. Here's what was included: If you aren't familiar with these spices, you may wonder what to do with them. Raw Spice Bar takes the guesswork out of that, too. They include several recipes using each of the spice packets included. You can also go t

Published by DK Canada, Eat Your Greens, Reds, Yellows, and Purples is aimed at getting young chefs excited about eating the rainbow. Studies have shown that the more different coloured fruits and vegetables we eat daily, the healthier and more nutrient-rich our diets are. Unfortunately, it's not always easy to get kids to eat vegetables. This book makes it fun by encouraging kids to take ownership of part of the family meal, which will almost certainly inspire them to want t

For about a year now, I've been seeing recipes for cold-brew coffee everywhere. I had never tried making it myself, but I am a sucker for iced coffee in hot weather, so when Coast to Coast Coffee sent me some lovely whole beans (a must for this project, by the way) I decided to give it a whirl. Here's what you'll need: A glass pitcher or large mason jar Good-quality, whole-bean coffee, coarsely ground (I used these) Filtered waterA measuring cup A wooden or plastic spoon (not

OK readers. Let's be honest. How many among us spend countless hours trolling Pinterest for recipes, only to pin them to a "Recipes to Try" board and never think of them again? I'm guilty as charged, but I do try to go through my "Recipes to Try" board and try out at least 1 new recipe every week. When I try a new recipe, each of the three of us gets a vote (and Izzy, too!) and if we vote as a family that it is a keeper, it gets added into the recipe rotation. Now, here's

I have a confession to make: I love Pinterest. (Follow me here if you want proof.) I especially love using Pinterest for recipe inspiration. This week, I decided to try these Slow Cooker Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes, for two reasons. One, because they looked yummy and two, because I had almost everything on hand to make them. The verdict: They were easy to make, as most slow cooker recipes are. No hard-to-find ingredients, just ground beef, onions, peppers, beef broth, flo

Does your family observe Taco Tuesday? We don't do it religiously on Tuesdays, but we do eat tacos quite often. They are one of our go-to meals. But because there are only three of us, we often have a small amount of leftover taco meat and fixings left over. That usually forms the basis of my lunch the next day, but I don't always want a simple reheated taco. Enter the taco salad. But not just any taco salad. I also use the leftover soft tortillas to make -- wait for -- a ch

One of the most comforting meals ever (in my most humble opinion) is a roast chicken dinner. I do not, however, love the idea of having to heat up my house (especially in the warmer weather) nor do I want to worry about over-cooking the chicken and drying it out. I have found the answer. Catherine McCord of Weelicious.com changed my world with her Herbed Chicken in the Crockpot. This is a deceptively easy recipe. It seems like it can't possibly work. All you do is this: Step

Menu Plan Mondays have taken the blogosphere by storm as of late, and it's with good reason. There are lots of great reasons why having a weekly menu plan for your family is a good idea. Here are a few of the best: It gives you a road map for the week If nothing else goes right during the week (and let's face it, we all have weeks like that) at least you can relax in the knowledge that at least supper is taken care of. It gives your day an anchor of certainty. So, if your k