I was tired of making tuna burgers and salmon burgers and was searching the internet (for a change) for a corn cake recipe. I’ve made corn fritters before but I can’t say they were much of a hit. The corn cake recipe, I found on the Betty Crocker website uses Bisquick, and I think this makes a huge difference. I’m thrilled with the results. Bye bye corn fritters – hello corn cakes!!

The recipe suggested serving the corn cakes with a sour cream chive dressing but I was in the mood for something spicy so I grabbed the Sriracha bottle I had in the fridge and it was perfect.

Also I noticed that perhaps I didn’t chop up my vegetables fine enough…which is SO typical of my “rush rush rush” style of cooking. Nevertheless – I was thrilled with the results.

MINI CORN CAKES 

INGREDIENTS

 1 tablespoon butter or margarine

1/3 cup chopped green onions (really really fine)

1/3 cup chopped celery (really really fine)

1/3 cup chopped red bell pepper (really really fine)

1 cup soft white bread crumbs (I used panko bread crumbs- I figured “why not”)

1/2 cup Original Bisquick® mix

1 tteaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)

2 eggs, slightly beaten 

1 can (11 oz) whole kernel corn, drained 

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

TOPPING

1/2 cup chive-and-onion sour cream

 METHOD

1. In 12-inch nonstick skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add onions, celery and bell pepper; cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.

will chop the veggies a little smaller next time

2. In medium bowl, stir vegetable mixture and remaining ingredients except oil and sour cream until well blended.

This recipe couldnt be easier

3.  In same skillet, heat 2 teaspoons of the oil over medium heat. Cooking 8 corn cakes at a time, drop corn mixture into oil by tablespoonfuls, spreading each into 1 1/2-inch round. Cook 1 minute to 1 minute 30 seconds on each side, carefully turning once, until golden brown. Cook remaining corn cakes, using 2 teaspoons oil for each batch of 8 corn cakes. Serve with sour cream.

FINAL PRODUCT

Will be making these again.

Hope you like this recipe as much as I did. I think it would be a great side dish along with a piece of salmon and roasted root vegetables. What do you think?

Happy Cooking.

Disclosure: I am part of the Life Made Delicious Blogger program and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.

 

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It’s Spring(well at least sometimes it feels like Spring) and I’m in the mood to cook with bright green vegetables!! This recipe is based on a standard pesto recipe but instead of JUST using basil, the recipe includes a cup of green peas. I was intrigued so I tried it. You will notice that it’s  slightly sweeter and has a different texture. I think it’s a keeper. (not all recipes are keepers by the way).

GREEN PEA PESTO (from AllRecipes.com)

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I’ve blogged before about “Desserts with Two Ingredients”  but I challenged myself to think of more desserts that had only two (or 3) ingredients and I did it!!

My busy brain thought of  these two recipes that are  super easy, and tasty desserts. Well to be honest, one recipe I thought of myself and the other recipe I found on the Life Made Delicious website.  The first recipe I have been enjoying since I was a kid. (thanks Mom!!)

Here’s the recipes. (I won’t keep you in suspense much further).

Chocolate Covered Bananas

Ingredients:

Two ingredients! Could life get any better?

1 cup of melted chocolate chips

3-4 bananas

Method

1. melt the chocolate chips

2. dip bananas into the melted chocolate

3. place on a plate that has been lined with wax paper.

4. insert a wooden stick or steal a plastic stick from those molds!!

5. freeze

FINAL PRODUCT

Cheerio Covered Bananas

Ingredients:

Oops..this recipe has 3 ingredients!!

plain yoghurt

bananas

Cheerios

Method:

1. dip banana into yogurt (I used Liberte yogurt because I’m a huge fan these days of this product)

2. place the banana on a plate lined with waxed paper

3. sprinkle Cheerios on top (do not roll into a plate of Cheerios – sprinkle!!)

4. insert a wooden stick

5. freeze

FINAL RESULT:

I bet know these desserts will be a hit. Who said desserts had to be cakes or pies or tarts or cookies?

Enjoy!!

Disclosure: I am part of the Life Made Delicious Blogger program and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.

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This type of snack totally appeals to me!!

What do you crave…sweet or savoury snacks?

I think about this question a lot. I also think about these questions:

• have you ever met someone who doesn’t like chocolate?
• have you ever met someone who doesn’t like potato chips?
• have you ever met someone who doesn’t like ice cream?
• have you ever met a child who doesnt like pizza?

I absolutely know that I crave more savoury foods than sweet foods.

My top savoury foods:

• potato chips (jalapeno, black pepper….)
• popcorn with parmesan cheese
• nachos with fresh salsa (not the jarred stuff))

My top sweet foods:

• butter tarts
• rum ball (strange, I know but I love this treat)
• Greg’s roasted marshmallow ice cream with hot fudge sauce

But if you ask me “When was the last time I had a butter tart, or a rum ball or Gregs Roasted Marshmallow ice cream…the answer would be MONTHS AGO.

See what I mean? I really do prefer savoury snacks. It’s even better when there is a combination of both. For example, take Nature Valley Sweet & Salty Granola Bars.

That type of item is perfect for me!! Perfect. Congratulations to General Mills for understanding my needs!!

What do you prefer to snack on? Sweet or Savoury? Tell me.

Disclosure: I am part of the Life Made Delicious Blogger program and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.

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I’ve posted a recipe before that was less than 140 characters, but I think that this recipe takes the cake. HA HA.

You know when you want just a “little something” but you don’t want to make an entire cake? Here’s the solution to your problem. Naturally I found this recipe on Pinterest..which is my latest addiction.

Here’s what you need:

Two boxes of Betty Crocker cake mix. Please note, that one of those boxes MUST be Angel Cake.

Here’s the recipe:

1. Mix the two boxes of cake mix into a zip loc bag.

2. Put 3 tablespoons of cake mix into a mug. Add 2 tablespoons of water. Stir.

3. Put the mug into a microwave and cook for 1 minute.

Voila – a perfect size portion of cake. Of course, I added the perfect size scoop of ice cream to make it even better!!

P.S. Store the mixture in an airtight container or just keep it in the zip loc bag for future “treats”.

Seriously…how awesome is this recipe? How awesome is Pinterest?

Disclosure: I am part of the Life Made Delicious Blogger program and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.

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It’s winter (well kind of)  and generally that means that I like to curl up in a movie theatre and watch movies. You certainly won’t find me watching movies in the summer, unless it’s raining outside. Now, I’m not a movie critic but I wanted to share with you some of the movies I have seen over the last few months.

Here’s a list of 8 Movies and 8 Reviews:

1. War Horse: I wanted to see this Steven Speilberg movie only because Steven Speilberg directed it….not because of the story or the horses!! I’m glad I saw it as it really did capture my attention. It was a perfect Sunday afternoon escape.

2. The Artist: I saw this movie, immediately after reviewing all the rave reviews. It was indeed a “different” type of movie and well acted.  Would I rave about it? No.. but I wasn’t sorry that I saw it.

3. The Descendants: Watching George Clooney for an hour and 50 minutes – is never a bad thing. Oops Im suppose to be reviewing the movie and not rating how gorgeous the actors are!! I can’t say I loved this film as much as everyone else did.

4. The Iron Lady: If Meryll Street doesn’t win best actress for her role in Iron Lady..I will scream. She is just brilliant in this role. As for the movie – I found it totally entertaining and loved it.

5. Mission Impossible: I like Tom Cruise and I like action movies, therefore I liked this movie. It’s not  a brilliant movie but it’s exactly the type of movie I enjoy.

6. Tinker Tailor Solidier Spy:  I cant review this movie as I didn’t understand any of it even though I was awake for the entire film. Please don’t judge me.!!

7. Hugo: Again this movie was getting great reviews so I felt I had to see it. Guess what? I had the BEST nap during this movie. I really should see it again.

8. The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo:  I liked the book and I liked the movie. This movie certainly captured my attention.

Movies still on my list: My Week with Marilyn. I hear the acting is outstanding and want to be able to compare it to Meryll Streep in The Iron Lady.

Thankfully, companies like General Mills understands movie-lovers, so they partnered with Cineplex Odeon to make it easier for people like me to continue to head to the cinema!! Click here to read more about this fabulous offer:

https://lifemadedelicious.ca/Home/OffersandPerks/Cineplex.aspx

What movies have you seen? What movies are on your list to see? As always – would love to hear from you.

One more thing: Check out this awesome website  Bind Movie Critic. I stumbled upon Tommy Edisons’ website on twitter and I am really enjoying his reviews.

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I was having company over and wanted to make something different for dessert. Something I have never tried before. Within no time at all, I was googling recipes for Lemon Meringue Pie.

I looked at several recipes/blogs before deciding that I was going to use the recipe from the blog: Sweet as Sugar Cookies, which she found from Cookie Madness.

It seemed easy:

1. Make a pie crust
2. Make the lemon filling
3. Make the egg whites

Lemon Meringue Pie

Pie Crust:

Most of the recipes said “prepared pie crust”. Naturally I wanted to make my own.

I used a recipe from  Suite 101 written by Donna Diegel.  Click for the recipe and her useful tips.

Egg Whites: ( recipe taken from Betty Crocker)

3 egg whites

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

6 tablespoons of sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

METHOD:

Beat egg whites on high with an electric mixer till foamy. Beat in sugar , 1 tablespoon at a time. Continue beating till eggs are stiff and glossy. Beat in the vanilla.

LEMON FILING:

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cup sugar

1/8 tsp sgar

1/2 cup cold water

1 tablespoon lemon zest

1/2 cup lemon juice

4 egg yolks

1 tablespoon butter (at room temperature)

1 1/2 cup boiling water

METHOD

Combine sugar, cornstarch, salt in a saucepan.

Whisk in 1/2 cup cold water, lemon zest and lemon juice. Blend thoroughly. Add the butter and whisk in 1 1/2 cups boiling water.

Set pan over medium heat and stir until mixture boils (about 7 minutes). Reduce heat and stir one more minute. Pour hot filling into pie crust, and top with meringue. Spread to the edges of the pie crust to create a seal and prevent shrinkage.

Bake in a preheated oven that at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes and cool for two hours.

DO NOT (repeat – DO NOT) cover or it will WEEP. (I learned my lesson).

Making Lemon Meringue Pie,  was easy and not so easy! (does that make sense?). Did I make the pie crust too tough? did the lemon filling thicken enough? did the egg whites get stiff? I was a wreck.

However as each step was accomplished I was PROUD.

WOW – I just made the pie crust!

Wow – I just made the filling

WOW – I just made eggwhites!

Best part – wow – I DID IT. I DID IT.

I have to admit, that my stomach was in a knot for the full hour that I was preparing this recipe. I’m just not use to making crust, filling, and meringues. But it was worth it and I know that the next time I make this recipe it will get easier.

I finally served the pie and everyone enjoyed it but received some feedback that the pie crust was too tough. Good to know.

I would love to go to a pie crust 101 class!! Anyone else want to join me?

Disclosure: I am part of the Life Made Delicious Connector Program and I receive special perks as part of the affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.

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The stores must see me coming. “Hey… Here Comes Vicky”.

Especially in stores like the Real Canadian SuperStore I think the Kitchen Department is BRILLIANT – so many fabulous products and with it – matching fabulous prices. I really should avoid this store but I love Joe Fresh and wanted to see what was coming out for Spring. While I was in there, I just HAD to check out the kitchen aisles, right? RIGHT!!

This is what caught my eye on a recent visit to my neighborhood SuperStore:

I could not resist buying this. After all – it was ONLY $5.

I also knew what I would be doing with it. I would be making pancakes with it and kicking it up a notch with funky creative designs. Therefore on Sunday morning I got up bright and early (like all good mothers – HA) and took out the Bisquick.

I made the batter, poured it into the dispenser and let my inner child out!

I was smiling as was my 12 year old daughter and it was one happy kitchen!!

I was having a blast. HA. Who knew that cooking would be so much fun. Now, my daughter is not a picky eater, but can you imagine what a picky 3 year old child would be like if their pancakes were served with funky shapes and designs!! I almost (Note: almost) wanted to borrow someones child to find out.

Bottom line: I love products like this. I made a fun quick breakfast in NO TIME at all that made everyone smile. Congratulations Tovolo for creating this product and to SuperStore for carrying it.

Cant wait to use this product more and create more fun breakfasts.

Disclosure: I am part of the Life Made Delicious Connector Program and I receive special perks as part of the affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.

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Everytime I have guests, I receive a lot of compliments about my salads. I use to think that the secret to a great salad is to make homemade dressing but lately I’ve been thinking that there is a lot more to it.

So I decided to ask my twitter friends (tweeps) “what’s your secret to making a great salad” and here’s what they wrote:

@MuskokaRx Broccoli @yyzsportsmedia fresh ingredients @mominc toasted nuts. Or goat cheese. Any cheese really, now that I think of it  @IraKates building flavours @Upaya_Naturals Our #raw sprouted croutons @SharonDV Bacon @ChickyMara crisp cold lettuce. Great dressing. Everything is better with croutons @TheBumpercrop local greens, grainy mustard @Winemakersboots vinegar and something cool like Montrefort cheese and Bizjak pears @Table17 Bacon @foodNURD I’m a big fan of adding candied walnuts/pecans to salads. Great texture/flavour contrast @elisecooks Dry Greens! Something crunchy. Something fruity. The right ratio of salad to dressing @Forkin_Healthy very clean, organic mixed greens. Fruit and cheese too. Maybe nuts or seeds. But clean spun is #1….and it rhymes!

I then took some of the above advice and  made a plate of goodies that I was going to add to a bowl of plain mixed greens. I prepared: chopped apple, pomegranate seeds, dried blueberries, pecans, herbed goat cheese, fresh thyme, blood oranges and roasted dried garlic (that I recently discovered).

Here’s the result:

I will be serving this for dinner Friday Nite and I have no doubt that it will be inhaled. In the event you are wondering what type of dressing I am going to use – please visit again – as I will be blogging about dressings in the near future. Please also take a minute to visit Life Made Delicious for more great salad recipes.

Disclosure: I am part of the Life Made Delicious Connector Program and I receive special perks as part of the affiliation with this group. The opinion on this blog are my own.

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too many to count!!

I’ve confessed to having an obsession with paper napkins/plates in a previous post. But I have another confession to make.

I have a Ziploc container obsession too.

It all started when I was pregnant (many many years ago). I knew that I wouldnt have time to cook once I had a baby, so I spent a lot of time FREEZING.

You name it – I froze it: Lasagna, Chili, Soups, Stuffed Pasta Shells, Kasha and Bowties, Crisps, apple sauce, rice, banana muffins, cookies and more.

Years later – I continue to freeze. It’s become almost a habit. I can’t seem to make a single batch of ANYTHING.

Ziploc containers have saved me!! I love them. I honestly dont know what I use to do before they existed. Oh yeah – I stored soup in Ziploc bags!!

My “Ziploc” drawer is a bit overboard – but hey – I never run out!! As you can see from the photo I’m a bit behind these days. However when I logged onto Life Made Delicious, I entered the word “freeze” and 128 recipe ideas came up with tips at the bottom of each recipe if I want to freeze the recipe. I love it!!

Must stop blogging now and start freezing!!

Disclosure: I am part of the Life Made Delicious Connector Program and I receive special perks as part of the affiliation with this group. The opinion on this blog are my own.

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