This is going to be a family favourite, easy lemon bundt cake. It tastes like it’s entirely from scratch! It also reminded me of the Starbucks lemon loaf. If you tried it you’ll know what I mean.Minus the poppy seeds. Whenever I try something out for the first time there is always some hesitance on what the results will be. I’d like to add, this is my first time making a lemon cake, and I am impressed with how it turned out.
*Total time to prep, including baking time is 1 hour and 45 minutes. Serves 12 medium slices.
2 tbsp melted organic butter (tastes so much better than regular butter)
1 cup powdered sugar
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 325°F and grease then bundt pan thoroughly. Use 1 tbsp of organic butter, the cake comes out easily once baked.
The cake mix, instant pudding mix, sour cream, eggs, olive oil and water go altogether into your mixing bowl
Beat everything until mixed well. No clumps.
Spread out batter into the bundt pan evenly and bake at 350 degrees for 45 mins. Use a toothpick or butter knife to check if baked well. If the knife/toothpick comes out clean then it’s ready! Cook the cake before icing.
Prepare the glaze
Melt the butter, add powdered sugar and use a small whisk to mix.
Add in lemon juice and you’ll see over time the icing will thicken. Before pouring on to the cake you can manage the consistency by adding more icing sugar for thickness or lemon juice for more drip.
Note: You will not be using any of the ingredients listed on the cake mix. Only what is listed here.
No Bake Protein Cookies are making their feature on my blog for the very first time! Truth is I always wondered whether protein cookies were actually healthy. And then I made some. The very first thing I noticed was replacing flour with protein. And even though that is an obvious one… (I had my duh! moment.) it still made me go, Oh!! What I loved about this recipe is that I could really add more of whatever I wanted. Pistachios, almonds, nuts or even shredded coconut. Whatever you fancy.
You can control the carbs and sugars that go into your cookies. Just choose the ingredients wisely. Experiment if you have the time. But be prepared for some failures. If you’re short for time, try this already tried and tested recipe for protein cookies. So good.😋
Please share your own versions of this recipe with the hashtag #GNCRecipes. I and the folks at GNC Canada would love to see what you come up with! Hey, maybe they’ll even feature it on their social media accounts!
No-Bake Oat Protein Cookies with GNC Whey Iso Burst
Prep time: 10 mins
Total time: 25 mins
Servings: 6-8 cookies
Calories: 110 per cookie
Ingredients:
1/2 Scoop Whey Iso Burst Chocolate
1 Cup Natural, Unsalted creamy Peanut Butter
1/2 cup Maple Syrup
1 Cup Gluten Free rolled oats
3 Tablespoons Unsweetened Cocoa powder
Instructions:
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.
Add peanut butter and maple syrup in a microwave-safe bowl. Whisk together until well mixed.
Heat in 20-second increments in the microwave, until the mixture begins to dry and become dough like. (4-7 rounds). Stir after each round.
Add oats, cocoa powder and the protein scoop to the peanut butter mixture. Mix well until they are thoroughly combined.
With a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop the cookie dough onto the baking sheet. Use a fork to flatten the cookies.
Put the cookies in the freezer for 15-20 mins. The cookies will become softer when left at room temperature.
Store leftovers in the fridge up to 3-5 days is recommended!
This summer I had lots of fun catering to my sweet tooth in Toronto. So many new ice-cream shops popped up in the last few years. With so many to choose from, I’ve narrowed them down to this summers favourites. Here are my 5 Toronto Ice-Cream shops you won’t regret trying. Call me crazy, but I’ll be going back to these places this Fall/Winter:
1. BANG BANG Ice-Cream
Location: 93A Ossington Ave
I remember the first time I came here with our dear friends, it was a cold Saturday afternoon some time in the Winter/Fall. There was a line up out the store, down the street. That should say a lot on its own of how good this place is.
It’s not big inside, very minimal space to sit or stand. It didn’t matter, we ate ours just outside the shop.
cookies to choose from
We went with the ice-cream sandwiches. You choose the cookie and ice-cream combo and
I was on a mission to try their cookie monster ice-cream! One of the things I remembered about the cookie monster ice-cream was that it wasn’t overly sweet and the cone was my absolute favourite part!
Inside the shop you’ll find about 5 – 10 seats and a huge chalkboard menu/graffiti. Feel free to write your name on the wall or whatever.
The wackiest ice-cream shop I ever saw. With Aladdin on his magic carpet, vintage decor and overall known to be a children’s fantasy land. You pick your ice-cream flavour, pick a cone and then pick your toppings.
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There was a long line-up for this place and very little space inside the shop, but there’s a bench right outside if you have someone to wait for. I love that this place has so many creative flavours that actually taste good! Plus, when’s the last time you saw a lit candle on an ice-cream cone?
It’s becoming increasingly difficult to come up with unique birthday theme ideas. During baby D’s birthday planning, I would say what helped the most to come up with a theme was asking the golden question, “What is he absolutely in love with right now?” and the answer was easy, animals. He loves nature, animals and everything beautiful about our planet Earth. Our back and forth chatter is a lot of “Oh look! Trees!” and his reply is a mumble-y, “Where’s the nest? Eggs!”. Looking forward to the warmer weather so we can build a few bird feeders together and put them up in the backyard. So what better theme to choose for his 2nd birthday but party animal!
For his party animal themed birthday there were a few things that I made sure had that animal touch, I say a few things because I don’t like to go nuts with themes and make everything animal etc. Learnt my lesson with my bridal shower when everything was Alice In Wonderland theme and it was just way too much work. (Details here.) This time, I’m a massive preggo and don’t have as much energy as I normally do, so keeping it sweet and simple was going to be it.
We had Pawsitively Pets join us for the birthday to present about 12 different animals to the children who were at the party. It was an extremely interactive event and he really could not retain his excitement. I had to actually sit with him and hold him back a few times because he was so excited about the animals. We learnt facts about the animals being presented and everyone got a chance to hold them as well. I highly recommend them for parties! Also, we had a super fun bouncy castle and an automatic train that moved on tracks. The kids were crazy about it! You can book them both here.
For the dessert table we had spread out little animal figurines, my favourite ones are by Schleich. They make toys that look extremely realistic and the quality is just excellent. Indigo online sells them or you can find them on Amazon.ca like I did. Colour theme was blue, white and yellow, hence the yellow flowers and the balloon colours.
Baking a buttercream cake isn’t as easy as it looks. Lots of steps, tools and patience needed! Maybe I’ll share some tips in a future post! Let me know 😉
For the little party hats I got the inspo from this blog post. So here’s how I made the little hats and banner:
Supplies needed Glue gun 2 sticks (to hold the banner) Scissors Template Fun paper – not too thin so it stays straight for the banner and holds well as a cone for the hat. Thin yarn like string
STEP ONE
Cut out the shape of the birthday hats. Use the above template link! Super helpful.
STEP TWO
Use your glue gun to glue the hat once the length and size of the hat is achieved. I played around with mine for a bit. Kept turning out too long so cut the bottom little bits at a time, until I got to the length I liked. That only happened because I didn’t use the template at first, so there shouldn’t be a problem if you do use the template. 😉
STEP THREE
Take the thin yarn in a small amount, roll it into a tiny ball and glue it on top of the hat. You can also use little pom poms that you can find at an arts and crafts store, but I used this thin yarn so that I could use it also for the banner. Double use saves you a few bucks I guess.
LAST
Put some glue around the bottom trim of the little hat and place it on to the head of the animal. When the event is over you can easily pop them off and the glue comes off effortlessly.
BANNER
Wrap the string on both sticks and cut out small triangles with your child’s name spelled out, each triangle being a letter. When you’re done just glue each triangle onto the hanging string. This party animal birthday theme was perfect! Even the adults had a lot of fun!
Party favours, we got some animal plush toys and teddy bears and attached cotton candy packs to them for a sweet touch. Check out C’est La Puf that does numerous amount of flavours of organic cotton candy. You can also follow them on Instagram or Facebook.
Whatever theme you decide on for your little one’s special day, just remember to keep in mind the fine details. I’m a crafty person so I truly enjoyed putting this together. How about you? Do you have a great idea for children’s birthdays?
The weather has been incredible this Family Day long weekend! As soon as it gets warm outside, I want to be out in the sun, catching some rays and having ice cream! I was cruising the web when I accidentally saw an image of Eva’s original chimneys cones. I’m not sure if it’s because I’m pregnant or just my usual ice-cream crazy self, but I just HAD to have it.
Drove from Mississauga to downtown, so we could try Eva’s original chimneys. I actually remember trying a chimney from their food truck at a festival in Scarborough, and it was the perfect combination of sweet and salty. The best way to describe it is a doughnut ice-cream cone.
I went for the peanut butter pretzel parfait; the inside of the cone was lined with peanut butter and the outside had graham cracker crumbs. The soft-serve ice cream is honestly the best I’ve ever had. It’s thick and almost tastes like mousse or I guess even a milkshake. Daanish got the Berrylicious cone and when he got to the end of it there was a pleasant surprise, a Lindor ball! Our friend went for the dream cone and I’m totally getting it next time! These cones are dessert meals so bring your appetite.
There are so many Eva’s original chimneys options to choose from, but I love that the menu isn’t overwhelming either. the menu offers you a reason to go back and try other combinations.
Also, if you get thirsty after the ice-cream they have complimentary water to quench your thirst. If you want to sit indoors there is a fair amount of seating area in the back. Some booths and a large size table for a group sitting.
Catching up over good food is my favourite thing to do with my girlfriends. We usually opt for places we’ve tried before but this time I suggested something new and it worked out! We all met up at Yorkdale, did some shopping and window shopping and then headed on over to Holt Renfrew.
The Holts Cafe is on the main floor of Holt Renfrew and if you haven’t been there before ask for directions.
I could see it being missed easily. One of the sales associates there walked us all the way to the entrance of the cafe. So kind of him. The entrance is decorated simply but very nice.
We loved the seating area. You have the choice of sitting on chairs or booth and chairs. We always go for booths, as you get a lot more space for jackets/purses and we love to talk for hours, so coziness factor is important.
Keep in mind their brunch hours are SATURDAY, 9:30AM TO 4PM and SUNDAY, 11AM TO 4PM. Also, try to make reservations for an earlier time to ensure they’re not our of their more popular dishes like the apple crumble french toast. Alll portions are perfect and all the ingredients are super fresh! Compliments to the chef.
Here’s what we had from the brunch menu:
Apple Crumble French Toast – This actually felt like you’re having dessert but very filling. Tastes amazing! I had this and another dish. Finished I would say at least half of it and shared the rest.
SHAKSHUKA – Two eggs baked in Moroccan tomato sauce, sautéed kale, grilled bread.This was perfection.
Cafe Menu:
INDIAN SPICED CHICKEN: Grilled scallion yogurt, sautéed kale, currants, marcona almond, fingerling potato. Chicken was cooked to perfection, kale was fresh, delicious due to the awesome sauce it was sauteed in. Probably had something to do with the yogurt mix.
Sweet Potato Fries: I’d totally order them again. Also give you two sides of sauces to dip in.
LOBSTER SANDWICH: It was superb, but I can’t find it on the menu anymore.
It’s Christmas Day and you’re with your families thinking of activities to do together. Maybe? Well if you are, this is a lot of fun to do and not as much mess because the gingerbread houses are a lot smaller. Once you’re all done decorating and voting for the best one, you can all sit down by the fireplace with hot chocolate and your little gingerbread houses. Sounds good? Let’s get started!
You’ll need
3 1/3 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoon of cinnamon
2/4 teaspoon of nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon of ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon of Himalayan Salt
1/2 cup and 2 tablespoons of brown sugar
3/4 cup of corn syrup
1/2 cup of butter
So just in case this happens to you, my brown sugar was a little dry (due to me not soaking that clay thingy terracotta clay disks into my brown sugar canister to keep it moist) and I think because of that my gingerbread dough became crumbly and dry. I just added water and it was all good! So if that happens to you don’t worry. Also the gingerbread result after they are baked and cooled down was not too hard. I know some gingerbread recipes turn out really hard, but this was hard enough to make a house, but soft enough to bite into and enjoy.
What to do
Stir all of the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Then combine the corn syrup, brown sugar and butter in a saucepan and keep stirring constantly over medium heat until butter is melted. Pour this liquid into the flour mixture and stir.
Mix it all together to make the dough and don’t be afraid to use your hands to mix it together. The dough will get stiff and a spoon won’t do. I let the dough sit out on the counter for half an hour but you can refrigerate it as well.
As you can see my dough here was a little dry so I added water. If you have any suggestions please share below!
I used this template for cutting the pieces out. Use parchment paper under the dough to roll and work on.
Bake the pieces for 15 minutes or until they’re golden brown at 350 degrees. Make sure they are completely cooled before icing/decorating.
Also, some of my pieces were uneven so I couldn’t use them. It is really important that the pieces are precise because when it comes building time they will not stick. P.S This was my first time baking gingerbread houses from scratch!
With any left over dough you can either re-roll it and make more mini houses or do what I did and make some side cookies for your friends. :”)
If you’ve ever lived in a smaller place, be it an apartment, condo or just a one bedroom shared home, you’ll know the value of space. Sometimes you don’t have room for a full oven, dishwasher or microwave. So getting products that have multiple functions and that benefit your standard of living becomes high on your priority list.
Which brings me to the Panasonic Cyclonic. This microwave isn’t like your traditional one. It use’s Panasonic’s Inverter® Technology, which delivers spinning waves of power in a circular pattern. Like a cyclone. Other microwaves usually deliver energy in a straight line. This new cyclonic energy is a game changer! It ensures food is cooked evenly, no matter what size or shape!
I had the pleasure of being invited to the Panasonic Cyclonic Launch hosted by Abbey’s Kitchen.
Abbeys Kitchen Blogger
At the launch Abbey demonstrated how to make 5 healthy easy recipes in the cyclonic microwave. Recipes that you would’ve never guessed were made in a matter of minutes! You can view the special recipes here.
I imagine this microwave will make dinner preparation a whole lot easier for the working class who don’t have enough time. Goodbye last minute fast food stops!
My favourite was the Tropical Fruit Crisp. Delicious, healthy and made in 4 minutes!
Some other pretty awesome features are you’re able to keep your food warm as you finish doing whatever it is that you need to do before you set the table. No more cold food or the hassle of rewarming! There is also a button called the Genius Sensor that has up to 20 meal presets.
Technology has come a long way! The Panasonic Cyclonic has changed the definition of a “microwave dinner” forever.
Craving something SOUR? Try this DIY sour candy popsicle recipe:
You’ll need:
Simply Lemonade (Pink) Popsicle moulds Sour candy
Pour in Simply Lemonade into popsicle moulds and add your favourite sour candy. Freeze and enjoy!
This is a great easy recipe to do with children or when you’re in a rush looking for a yummy frozen dessert. I love sour popsicles, but if you’re looking for a healthy alternative try switching up the juice with Simply Berry (no preservatives or added colours) and add some berries.
On a hot summer day you want to make a quick dessert to enjoy outside. Here it is:
You need:
Berries Whipped Cream Cake (Preferably Vanilla or Sponge) Simply Berry juice
Add cake, berries and then as much juice as you like. I added around 4-5 tablespoons of juice. The cake soaks up the flavour, making this a cool dessert. Top with whipped cream and a rolled wafer cookie!
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