Whole Wheat and Quinoa Waffles

There's not much in life quite as welcoming as a giant stack of waffles.

I made these on auto-pilot yesterday, groggy from the first hint of summer weather. It switches so fast here -- one day rainy, dark and grey, the next sunny, bright, and sweltering -- that it can kind of through you for a loop. But breakfast is one of those things that has to happen anyway, or else the day just isn't right.

A batch of these is just enough to feed my family of three (with very, very big appetites). The quinoa flour blended nicely with the whole wheat, and made for a hearty start to the day. The wee one is already requesting them for tomorrow, so I'd say they're definitely a hit!

Quinoa Flour and Oat Baked Apples with Caramel Sauce (gluten free)

One of my favourite places is the Vancouver Christmas Market. It's only on for a few weeks during winter, but it's absolutely magical. It has food, Christmas/German themed everything, and more food. Oh, and there's even Santa.

Our first year there we were set on trying every food and drink that was available. Cheese with more cheese? Check. Feuerzangenbowle? Check. Meats in every shape and form? Ohhhhh yeah. Check. And weird baked apple with unfamiliar drippy vanilla sauce? Um, yeah check, I guess.

I hadn't eaten many baked apples before then, so I wasn't really sure what to expect. But I knew that I was close to experiencing something incredible, and just needed to experiment with it on my own before it was what I wanted.

I think it's pretty safe to say I've found it.

These quinoa flour and oat baked apples with caramel sauce are seriously to die for. They're a perfect way to kiss the cold weather goodbye, and gear up for fruit-filled summer dessert.  The filling is reduced fat and sugar, and the sauce isn't made with heavy cream. So it's a bit lighter than some of the other recipes out there -- but it doesn't compromise on taste, at all. 

Want to see what else I'm baking up as it happens? Follow me on Instagram!

Balsamic-Glazed Steak Kebabs

Happy birthday to me!

Can you hear that? That's the sound of me turning 28, but still drumming my fingers on my desk counting down the minutes until I get my birthday cake tonight. Because let's be honest, that's the whole point of celebrating, and it always has been.

28, though! I feel like I can't really complain about getting older because WHOOO! another year, and also my man just turned 30, so... you know... I don't want to rub my (fleeting) youth in his face.

But don't think today is all about me. I made you guys some awesome balsamic-glazed steak kebabs. They're as good as they sound and look, and my whole family gobbled them up with a side of rice and corn on the cob.

I got the recipe from Chatelaine, which is one of my favourite magazines to pour over for its great recipes and all the other stuff, like fashion, that I try really hard to be interested in while I flip quickly to the food.

This recipe is perfect, so I won't be saying much other than a) they're incredible, and b) I switched it up only a little based on our own tastes and what was hanging out in the fridge. I omitted the onion, opted for just red pepper, and added chipotle chili powder and cayenne pepper to the marinade.

You can check out the recipe over at Chatelaine!

Homemade Tequila Lollipops

Is there anything better than booze on a stick?

Booze in a cup maybe, but no one is saying you can't have both.

Today I found out that alcohol lollipops were totally a thing about a year ago, but naturally, I was completely oblivious to this. Because I suck at trends.

Those who know me well know that watching me try to adopt a trend (generally when it comes to fashion, but most categories apply here) is about as uncomfortable as watching Tom Cruise and Demi Moore get into a dance off. You just… no.

But this one? This one I'm bringing back. (And by "bringing back", I really just mean making it way after everyone else, but let's go with it).

These homemade tequila lollipops have the perfect hint of tequila blended with the caramel sweetness of the candy. They aren't too overwhelming, but not too subtle either. It's just enough to get stoked on the boozy taste without the boozy side effects (which, depending on your goal here, might be a good or a bad thing). I can't wait to share these with friends on our next girls night or during a backyard barbecue.

Now, let's get boozy.

Whole Wheat Blueberry Bars

You know those blueberry bars from Starbucks?

Yeah, well you can forget about those because these are at least one million times better. (Totally accurate and scientific measuring performed by my family's tastebuds).

I used to work at Starbucks (and Blenz -- still one of my fondest job experiences) and would occasionally totally genuinely *ahem* accidentally drop a bar or two on the counter. Because their quality was compromised by the potential counter germs we had to throw them out... into my mouth. It was always such a shame.

While my morality in the workplace might be questionable, my dedication to eating is not.

Through these accidental taste tests I discovered blueberry bars. My heart will always belong to oat fudge bars, but I found a little room to develop a full-on crush on this refreshing treat, too. And while my days as a barista are long over, the crush is certainly not.

So what's a girl to do? Make them herself, of course.

These blueberry bars use whole wheat, large rolled oats, and a hint of orange for a tart yet sweet summer treat. They're easy as pie to whip up, and are just the right amount of messy to be satisfying. And they're a lot easier to make than it is to get a job at Starbucks to compromise and consume their bar selections.

Want to see more desserts as they come fresh out of the oven? Join me on Instagram! Want more tales of how I'm the worst employee ever, and other kitchen musings? Twitter and Facebook are where you need to be.