Sweet Fluffy Clouds

Hello Sweets,


I hope y'all are having a lovely weekend :)  I started today off with a migraine, not a good thing lol, which obviously threw my whole day out of whack again.  Luckily the person I was supposed to meet up with is very understanding so we will try again tomorrow, but I've got a good feeling about it :)  We've been trying to connect for literally a week now lol, it's so hilarious to us.  So I've just been lounging around thinking and doing my crossword, and now I feel much better :)  I spent a few hours with my sister and nephew yesterday and I enjoyed it very much, but my shoulders are sore today so it was mostly resting and only a little creating today ;)

I've got a lot on my mind right now so focus is a little hard for me, but baking and creating in the kitchen always grabs my attention.  Since I have an upcoming party to get ready for I am in full planning mode, half the planning was done based on reputation (Pumpkin cupcakes sell themselves).  My main focus is on the birthday boy's cupcakes, he is going to be 8 and is a HUGE Star Wars fan so that is the theme!  Specifically he is a fan of Darth Vader and Darth Maul, yes he is a fan of the dark side lol.  So I am looking at  a couple different options for the decorations, and if I want to create a little character or symbol that is more crisp than just piping icing there are only a few different options.  I tried one of them today, it was my first time ever working with this type of product and making it myself.  I am proud and excited to announce that it was a success!

Marshmallow Fondant

Ingredients

marshmallows, small or big doesn't matter

icing sugar

water

food coloring, optional

flavoring oil, optional

  

Directions:

1)  Take a couple of handfuls of marshmallows and place them in a microwavable bowl.  Add a couple drops of water and toss until they're damp.  *if making more than one color use the whole bag*

 

2)  If using flavor oil, add in now and use less water.  Place the marshmallows in the microwave for 10 seconds at a time until they're puffed up and easily stir into goo with a wooden spoon.  *I sprayed my spoon with cooking spray to help the marshmallows from sticking*

 

 

3)  Add the food coloring to the melted marshmallows until you get the color you want.  Remember you're going to be adding icing sugar which will lighten the color, so make sure it's a bit brighter than needed. *I opted out for this batch as it was a test, and I may also need white ;)*

4)  Start folding icing sugar into the marshmallows until it becomes a soft and fluffy dough *I added heaping spoonfuls at a time*.  Dust hands and counter top with icing sugar, turn mixture out on the counter and sprinkle with icing sugar.

 

5)  Continue to kneed until stiff enough to roll out.  Dust rolling pin with icing sugar and roll the dough until you reach your desired thickness.  Cut is a sharp knife into desired shapes.

 

 

Sorry but I can't show you what shape I created today as it is a surprise, but any Star Wars fanatic will probably know based on the scored markings ;)  This is very sticky to work with until you reach the perfect consistency and then it is just like regular dough.  It's very tasty, like a sweet dense marshmallow and I look forward to seeing the kids at the party devour them :)

I'm thinking tomorrow about making something less on the dessert side, maybe muffins??  I bought some lovely apples and pears which has been filling my head with all sorts of ideas, I might even whip up a batch of my spicy pear muffins as they're oh so good!  Oh before I forget :p, yesterday I told you that I bought some new bakers treats and I would share them with y'all today, and I am true to my word;

 

 

isn't it pretty :)

I got it for half price (score!!), and it's compact and durable which will help with taking it to and from clients locations.  The shelves are also slightly tilted outward so displaying beautiful treats is even easier, eek I can't wait to use it!!  I know I'm a baking nerd who loves kitchen stuff, but I love getting new gear to make my passion even more of a breeze.  Until next time..........

Stay sweet,

Jennifer xoxoxoxo

 

Now Socially Acceptable!

Hello Sweets,

Spring is finally here!!!!!!!! Yes us Canadians have to wait longer than the rest of you to enjoy the nicer weather, but it has been fabulous and warm out so I couldn't be happier :)  Well actually I can, but until Nathan and I are reunited I will have to settle for sunshine only.  I took a walk the other night (no more treadmill for this girl) and I caught myself smiling because the weather was perfect and the smell of fresh cut grass assures me it's here to stay *happy dance*.

We've actually been fortunate enough to has some amazing summer like weather, weather just like Texas, which makes me miss my love but the warmer the weather the happier I get :D  Oddly enough our weather in good old Canadia has been warmer then Texas O_o but hey I'll take it!  So since it's been so warm I decided to make some more...............Canucksicles!!!!!!!  Yes that's right I made more but in a new flavor, which means a short but sweet post for a sleepy Sunday :)  But don't worry I've got some wonderfully delicious treats for you this week, I actually had a day where I was feeling especially creative and made a few different treats (this is where the cancuksicles were revamped), and I even spiced up one of my favorite dinner meals which is also the first full meal I had ever made at the rip old age of 12!  So as you can see my love of food started young and just kept growing into the passion I have today, let's get to the sweet stuff shall we?

Canucksicles #2

Ingredients

1 1/4C strawberries, quartered

1 banana, sliced

1/2C orange juice

1/3C yogurt (orange juice)

Directions:

1)  Chop up all your fruit into small manageable pieces for your bullet or blender.

2)  Place into the blender with the orange juice, blend just slightly before adding the yogurt.

3)  Add the yogurt and blend until completely liquefied, pour into your popsicle molds and put into the freezer to set.

 

So as you can see you can make popsicles with what ever you choose, I am actually toying with a green popsicle lol yup but I can't tell you what my secret ingredients are until it's complete :)  Be inventive and creative and most importantly don't be afraid to try something new and unusual.

So I know it's a short post today but it's Sunday and I have a day full of family, friends, and laughter so I think you guys will be okay with a short one :)  I hope everyone enjoys their Sunday whether you're relaxing with your feet up, or outside getting active with your loved ones!  Until next time..........................

Stay sweet,

Jennifer xoxoxo

Generation Recipes

Hello Sweets,

I hope you all made it through the week unscathed, and hopefully you're now sitting with your feet up with a glass of vino and maybe even a good blog to read lol ;)  Okay okay I want to be honest and candid for a moment, I'm having a hard time trying to write this post, I've got some personal stuff going on (something I could have prevented) and it's really affecting my ability to write :(  But I know enough about being sad to realize I need to at least try to do things that make me happy, not to mention I am UBER behind in my posts and I feel I owe it to my readers to give them something yummy since it's been a while :)  So bare with me through the next few posts (there may even be multiples on some days), I am sure I'll get back to my old self soon!

I cannot think of a better type of recipe than one that's been passed down through the family, they're like little treasures right in your kitchen, gems of yummy goodness if  you will.  A girlfriend of mine sent me a copy of her "cookbook", and it has a lot of generational "hand me downs", which reminds me I need to take a gander and try some of them out (side tracked :/).  Sometimes you'll keep everything as is because the recipe is just that good, but sometimes you'll want to put a little of your own flavor in it (I tend to do this a lot lol).  The recipe I have to share with you guys today is at least a third generation recipe now if not four, and I can remember eating this when I was an itty bitty.  My grandmother makes the moistest banana bread I have ever had, even my friends that have tried it say the same thing, it's really that good so don't pass on this recipe ;)  My grandfather used to have a small garden at their house that was filled with tomatoes, peppers, cucumber, raspberries, strawberries, and zucchini.  So when there was an abundance of zucchini's, which happened every year, the banana bread became zucchini bread which was equally as good and moist.  This is a great recipe for a couple of reasons; it's versatile whether you want loaves or muffins, and you can add anything your heart desires to it (I LOVE peanut butter so that's my twist).

Grandma's Moist Banana Bread

Ingredients

1/2C butter, room temp

1C sugar

2 bananas, mashed

1 1/2C all-purpose flour

1 egg

1 Tsp nutmeg or cinnamon (I used both, split fairly evenly)

1 Tsp baking soda, dissolved in 1 Tbs of warm water

1 Tsp vanilla or almond flavor

1/2C peanut butter (estimated)

 

I decided to add the peanut butter last minute (as per usual)

Directions:

1)  Preheat oven to 350F.  Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl.

2)  Bake for 22 minutes (approx) until golden brown, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Allow to cool in the pan.

 

 mmmmm they were very tasty

Yet another simple but fabulous recipe, you have to love a recipe that takes up all of seven dishes (that's counting all the measuring utensils too) because no one wants to be doing dishes all night right?  I have grabbed one of these muffins on a busy morning or even as a dessert instead of something overly sweet.  The nice part about adding the peanut butter was it gave a slightly subtle taste as you're finishing the muffin, not overpowering at all!

Well my lovely readers that's all I've got in me for right now :( , but hopefully I can keep busy with some light housework that needs to be finished.  Be sure to come back tomorrow as I have a "whimsical" (never get to use that word enough lol) recipe for everyone, this is a one of a kind original recipe that I literally threw together because I wanted to try something new from the produce section (you'll be seeing more of these types of posts as I am feeling adventurous).  Until next time.....................................

Stay sweet,

Jennifer xoxoxoxo

A New Chapter

Hello Sweets,

I hope you all are enjoying the weekend, and that you're being creative in the kitchen :)  I am relaxing since my sleep has been so off lately, dang I just reminded myself that I didn't pick up the "sleep aide" that the nurse told to me to try lol.  Funny thing was that when I went to the drugstore today I walked down the toothpaste isle (by chance) and saw that toothpaste was on sale, and that reminded me I was almost out.  But of course I couldn't remember what I really needed right now, I swear my brain can be my worst enemy at times lol.  Oh well, guess I'll be going for a little stroll tomorrow.

I have some exciting news that I wanted to share with all of you, which is going to be in place of my typical recipe type post.  Starting on Monday I will be stepping into the role of the personal chef, not for pay but for something much better, my grandparents!  I'm very excited because my grandparents have always been there for me no matter what, and I mean in more ways than most ever have to be.  I proudly say that I am who I am today because of them, not to mention they both taught me very different things in the kitchen.  So every couple of days they're going to pick a protein and I will then create a meal around that.  This is going to allow me really explore food, because anyone that cooks for one knows it's harder to scale down then up with measurements.  Not to mention give me an audience to comment on my foods quality and taste, and trust me my grandmother will let you know if she doesn't like something lol but I love that about her.

 My amazing grandparents with my cutie nephew <3

I hope that in light of this fantastic and exciting news that you won't be completely let down for the lack of a recipe post today, because I promise tomorrow I'll be right back at it!  Until next time...................


Stay sweet,



Jennifer xoxoxo

Leftovers, but not left out

Hello Sweets!

I hope you all are enjoying the fact that it's the middle of the week.  I am having a very bad health day, but have decided to at least write a small post about the "misfits" of the refrigerator; the leftovers.

I am the kind of person that doesn't like to waste food, and since being taken off of work for health reasons, it is all the more important that I don't waste food. Yesterday being my first day back to Canadia, meant I had a doctors appointment, and that I'd being seeing my grandfather and going to the pharmacy in my local grocery store. When I took my prescriptions in, I was told it would be about forty five minutes (yikes just a bit of a wait lol), and having just gotten multiple shots, there was no way I'd be going home and walking back. I am fortunate enough to be a granddaughter to my loving wonderful grandparents, who would do anything for me and when it comes to my health, they don't skimp even when I say it's okay. Since my grandparents had just gotten back from a cruise, we sat down in the waiting area and chatted about both of our trips. While sitting there, the delicious smell of slow roasted chicken was wafting over our way and making my stomach growl, lol in typical Jennifer fashion I hadn't located my bank card yet, which meant I had not gone grocery shopping. My grandfather saw I was hungry from being at the doctors, and the near hour that had passed, so he asked me if I wanted a chicken (it was also on special that day).  That was an offer my stomach was not going to pass up! Needless to say, being one girl I obviously could not finish the chicken at all lol.

too much chicken for one little girl!

So earlier this afternoon I started thinking to myself; how was I going to eat the rest of the chicken?  As is? Shredded on a sandwich or salad?  I could even make it into a whole new dish :).  I love to have turkey sandwiches during Thanksgiving or Christmas, so I decided I would shred the rest of the chicken and have it on hand to create anything my heart desired with the scraps.

looks like I'll be eating chicken for a while

After breaking the chicken down and disposing of the bones, I had worked up quite the appetite, so I decided to have a simple yet delicious chicken sandwich. All I needed was some bread, whipped dressing, salt, pepper, and some sharp cheese to accompany the already delectable seasoned chicken.

nothing fancy, just simply flavor

Now there are plenty of ways to make chicken salad, but I chose to make more of a traditional sandwich.  Normally, I would add all sorts of different veggies, but since I still haven't made it to the grocery store I settled with what I had on hand. Now not everyone likes a warm or toasted sandwich, but when it comes to left over chicken or turkey, I do! So I start by toasting the bread, not very dark at all, and add a thin layer of whipped dressing.

boring lol

After warming the chicken up, I place a hearty layer of chicken and sprinkle a small amount of salt, and some pepper, then topped with some of the sharp cheddar cheese (maybe 2Tbs).

I'm starting to get hungry

I then place a very, very small amount of whipped dressing on the top slice of bread (just to help hold it in place), then close the sandwich, cut, and enjoy with veggies, chips, or salad.

yum!!

Now you can do this with any type of left over, maybe not a sandwich, but wraps, salads, soups, and so much more. Don't let generic options limit you(although mine sort of is lol), think outside the box and get creative, experiment with your pallet and enjoy what you eat. Try not to waste anything, but don't do the boring, have fun with your food (even if your mom told you not too ;)). I promise to have a longer post tomorrow, until next time........

Stay sweet,


Jennifer xoxoxo

What is Canuckette Creations?

Me!

Hey Sweets!! 

My name is Jennifer and I have a passion for baking and cooking, well maybe it's better to describe it as an obsession :p.  My goal one day is to do this as a career, working for myself either with a cute little shop or a catering business with the same title.  Now this will really be pursued once I am living in the great state of Texas with my love Nathan.  Until then I'll keep spoiling my family, friends, and co-workers, oh I should probably add I work for Canada's largest fitness company GoodLife fitness and yes I bring goodies both healthy and traditional to the office and you'll never hear a complaint!

My goal for this blog is to share my adventures as I explore my love of food and the prep that goes into it.  For as long as I can remember I have always been in the kitchen, whether helping my grandma with baking cookies, cakes, and everything in between to helping my mom prepare dinners.  I was fortunate enough to be gifted in both baking and cooking, my mom and grandma were not so fortunate lol it was only one for each.

Growing up in a single parent home and with a little sister, gave me that extra push to really step up my "kitchen game" early on.  Being mom's little helper went a long way back then, and now when it's Christmas baking season I'm the first she'll call.  Since my grandparents are getting older I will go over a few times a week to have a meal with them, and maybe even spice things up a bit with new seasonings.

Living with my friend and her son gives me the ultimate test kitchen, with two great taste pallets; 1) the picky eater and 2) the kid test.  I feel that these are the two hardest hurdles to pass when in the kitchen, and if you can get the green light from them you know you have an instant success.

So why did I decide to start a foodie blog you ask, well my good friend Sarah inspired me with her http://www.mymostlyhealthylife.com/.   She writes about healthy food choices (great paleo ideas), her love of fitness, and even a little fashion and fun now and then.  Definitely check it out she has a fun way of blogging and informing, plus she is awesome lol.  Why is my blog called Canuckette Creations? Well I was born and raised in Canada but most of my family is from the USA. Four years ago I met the love of my life, and ever since his family met me I was to be forever known as Canuckette (thanks to his dad). So in a homage to his father I thought of the clever name, plus I secretly love it haha but shhhh don't let him know.

Since it's Thanksgiving here in Canadia, I baked some yummy desserts for my grandparents dinner, but that was the same night I decided to start my foodie blog so sadly there is only one picture and no step by step pictures :(  But don't worry I will be baking my now newly famous Pumpkin Spice cupcakes with Brown Sugar Cinnamon Icing with graham crumble very soon, as in within weeks for my boyfriends family :) (they have seen and heard about them so there is no getting out of this haha).

Here's my homemade Eggnog and a delicious Pumpkin cupcake

For now I will wish my Canadian's a happy Thanksgiving and everyone else happy baking!  I promise my next post will include step by step pictures and a recipe of my next endeavour :)

Stay sweet!

Jennifer xoxoxo