African Sweet Potato Soup

Serves 8

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons ginger, minced
1 onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
2 pounds sweet potato
5 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup tahini or peanut butter
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon crushed chillies
1 can coconut milk, optional

Directions

In a large saucepan over medium heat, saute the onion, garlic and ginger in the olive oil until softened. Add the celery, sweet potato, turmeric, cumin, paprika and chillies and saute for 3 to 5 minutes.

Add the broth, salt and nut butter. Stir to combine. Simmer over medium heat until the sweet potatoes are soft, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Puree the soup using a blender or hand blender.

For a creamier soup, return the pureed soup to the pot and add coconut milk. Stir to combine and simmer until heated through.

♥  Amy

Ultimate Hardwood & Stainless Cleaner

I have definitely tried my fair share of miracle cleaners over the years... especially since the advent of Pinterest. However I have finally found one I LOVE and am happy to share.

Our hardwood floors and stainless steel appliances are the bane of my existence. No matter how hard I scrubbed or how many different products as I tried, I could never keep them as shiny as my OCD nature demanded. In one cleaning with this cleaner, both were sparkly clean.

The best part - no harsh chemicals or odours! I even use Dr Bronner's Soap instead of dish soap to give it a yummy peppermint smell.

Ingredients

1 cup vinegar
1 cup rubbing alcohol
1 cup water
2 to 3 drops dish soap

Directions

Using a funnel, combine the ingredients in a spray bottle.

For wood floors, simply lightly mist the floors with cleaner and wipe with a micro fibre mop.

For stainless steel, lightly mist and wipe with a dry rag.

♥  Amy

Cranberry Mostarda

This is one of the first recipes I ever pinned on Pinterest. The original recipe called for cherries but pitting cherries is just so much work so I never got around to making the recipe.

Then when looking for ideas for our Christmas gift baskets, I had the bright idea to make it with cranberries instead!

The result is a savoury, rich cranberry sauce that would be fantastic over pork or duck. It would probably also be pretty yummy over melted brie.

Adapted from Family Style Food, makes approximately 3 cups

Ingredients

1 pound cranberries, fresh or frozen
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup red wine
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 tablespoon dijon mustard

Directions

Combine the cranberries, sugar, vinegar, wine and spices in a large saucepan. Simmer over low heat for approximately one hour until thickened.

Stir in the mustard and remove from the heat.

To can, ladle into the prepared jars, leaving 1/4 inch of headspace. Gently tap to remove bubbles, wipe the rim clean and place the lid on the jar. Tighten just until finger tip tight. Process in the boiling water for 10 minutes. Remove the jars without tilting and allow to cool upright for 24 hours. Any jars that have not sealed should be refrigerated. Sealed jars can be stored in a cool, dark place for up to one year.

If you don't want to jar, the sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

♥  Amy

Dear Santa

 

Via Pam Wares

Via Wilton

Via Pottery Barn

Via Wilton

Via William Sonoma

Via William Sonoma

Via William Sonoma

♥  Amy

Candy Cane Marshmallows

A colourful treat I made for our Christmas gift baskets. I dusted mine with red sugar for an extra festive effect.

These are heavenly in hot cocoa.

Adapted from Martha Stewart, makes 48 1" marshmallows

Ingredients

2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
3/4 cup water
4 packages gelatin
3/4 cup water
3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
2 egg whites
Red or pink food colouring
Icing sugar, for dusting

Directions

Coat an 8" square pan with oil or cooking spray. Dust the pan with icing sugar.

Beat the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment until stiff peaks form. Set aside.

In a small saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup and water. Heat over medium heat until sugar is dissolved.

Stop stirring and allow the mixture to come to a boil. Continue to heat over medium-high heat until the mixture reaches 260 F on a candy thermometer.

In the meantime, in a small bowl, dissolve the gelatin in the second 3/4 cup of water. Stir in the extract. Gently, whisk the gelatin into the hot sugar mixture.

With the stand mixer running on low speed, slowly add the sugar mixture to the egg whites. Increase the speed to high and whisk until the mixture thickens, about 12 to 15 minutes.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Add drops of food colouring, if desired. Swirl with a toothpick to create a marble effect. Allow the marshmallows to cool at room temperature for at least three hours.

Gentle remove from the pan and cut into 1" squares. Dust lightly with icing sugar.

♥  Amy

Recipe Rewind: Sugar Cookies with Egg Nog Frosting

Adapted from Authentic Suburban Gourmet, makes three dozen cookies

Ingredients

6 cups flour, plus extra for dusting
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup butter, softened
2 cup sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups sour cream

1 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups icing sugar
6 tablespoons eggnog
1 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until incorporated. Add the vanilla and sour cream. Beat at low speed until combined.

Add the dry ingredients and beat on low speed until just combined, scraping down the bowl as needed. The dough will be very sticky. Divide the dough in half and flatten each half into rectangles. Wrap each rectangle with plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator overnight or until firm.

Preheat the oven to 425 F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat liners.

Dust the dough and counter top with flour. Roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thickness. Using a large round cookie cutter cut the dough into circles and transfer the circles to the baking sheet.

Bake for 7 minutes or until starting to turn golden.

To make the frosting, cream together the butter and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Slowly beat in the powdered sugar until incorporated. Add in the eggnog 1 tablespoon at a time until the desired consistency is achieved. Add the nutmeg and beat to combine.

Frost the cookies using a knife or spatula. Refrigerate overnight to allow the frosting to set and the flavours to develop.

♥  Amy

Paleo Dairy-Free Eggnog

David loves eggnog. It took me several trips to the grocery store to make the eggnog ice cream because the eggnog kept disappearing before I could get it into the ice cream.

Unfortunately store bought eggnog contains a long list of undesirable ingredients including modified milk ingredients, processed sugars and preservatives - a long cry from the traditional recipe of milk, eggs, spices and rum!

Needless to say I was quite happy to find a paleo eggnog recipe on Pinterest. It is not quite as creamy as traditional milk-based eggnog but still delicious.

Adapted from Allergy Free Alaska, makes 1 litre 

Ingredients

4 cups almond milk
3 whole cloves
1 vanilla bean, or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cinnamon sticks
6 egg yolks
1 tablespoon honey or sweetener of your choice, optional
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, or more to taste, freshly grated if possible
3/4 cup rum, optional

Directions

Slice the vanilla bean down the middle lengthwise. Scrap out the seeds. Add both the pod and seeds to a medium saucepan. Add the the almond milk, cloves and cinnamon. Over low heat, slowly bring to a boil. Remove from heat and allow to steep.

In a large bowl, combine the egg yolks and honey. Whisk until light and fluffy.

Slowly add the hot milk to the eggs, 1/2 cup at a time, whisking constantly. Return the egg and milk mixture to the saucepan. Add the nutmeg. Heat over low temperature, stirring constantly for two minutes until heated through.

Chill overnight before serving. Add rum immediately before serving if desired.

♥  Amy