Cheddar and Ale Pub Spread

Can you believe I’m still catching up on posts dating back to as far as St. Patrick’s Day? Lazy me! I’ve been busy, and I’ll find a different recipe I get excited about, and I’d rather write about it. But I suppose it’s good I have all these recipes sitting on the back burner with photos ready!

I made this spread for the St. Patrick’s dinner with our friends. It was the normal fare: good food, good drinks, good company. And as usual, there was a dip of some sorts.

pub spread

I was given the recipe from a coworker (the lovely dolly who fattened us all up with these decadent and boozy cupcakes), who had tried it and loved it, and was making it for Irish celebration as well!

Boy, oh, boy. Was she right. This was yummy! I’m not much of a beer connoisseur (don’t like it at all, really) and this was good! The taste of beer without the… well, taste of too much beer!

Click through for the recipe! →

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Simple Strawberry Shortcake

Shame on me. A day late! Again.

Forgive me! We were out of town for a family wedding this weekend (congrats M and L!) and with a toddler in tow it was a bit more chaotic than usual. I needed all of Monday to do the grocery shopping, get the finances in order and tackle the laundry that comes along with a weekend away!

As a reward after everything, I needed dessert, and those strawberries I froze away last week were calling my name! So I bought a small box of whipping cream, pulled the berries out to thaw, and went to town!

shortcake

I never, ever have shortening in the house. Ever. So, this is a margarine friendly recipe, and margarine is something I always have on hand. This stuff is delicious with just butter melted onto it! But it’s ever better when…

strawberry shortcake

Bam. Covered in whipped cream and melty berries! So get your strawberries ready, and your whipping cream whipped, because I’m gonna teach you how to make an easy shortcake!

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Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries

A few changes! First, I’m dropping Friday post. I’ve missed it the past two weeks, and I take that as a sign of too many bloody posts, Kendra! Second: the new layout! It’s not nearly finished, but I was so excited to get it up (something I’m actually happy with – yay)! It’ll be changing bit by bit over the next couple of weeks.

Now back to your regularly scheduled food porn…

Pinterest is proving to be a dangerous thing. I see something I pin it. I cook it. Thighs expand. Oh lawdy, I’m in trouble.

This weekend I made three things I pinned. Two desserts, and a dangerously buttery appetizer. You’ll be seeing them over the next week or so.

stuffed strawberriesMy favourite of all three I made this weekend are the Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries. They are amazing! Whoever it was that came up with the brilliant idea of putting the cake  inside the usually topping the cake topping, is well… brilliant!

So good, so easy. Hmm, actually… mostly easy. The hollowing of the strawberries was a pain in the arse. I’d squish them, or I’d stab right through them. Let’s just say I was thankful for buying 4 pounds of strawberries instead of the measly one pound I needed. All the extra (and squished) berries were chopped, mixed with sugar and vacuum sealed for the freezer for future strawberry shortcake! Yum!

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Apple Crumble

Apples + dessert = foodgasm. Yeah, I went there.

apple crumble

Desserts with apples are probably my favourites. Apple crumble is my top favourite. I’d probably pick it over any chocolate dessert if you were to give me the chance. It’s one of those sinfully good desserts that trick you into thinking they are relatively healthy because look Ma, there’s apples in that dessert! (All hidden under a magnificent pile of melty French vanilla ice cream, though!)

Somewhere along the way, my Mom’s recipe for apple crumble vanished. I’m sure it’s tucked away in her cookbook that my brother has, but I’m pretty happy with the way my version of it turned out.

apple crumble

Most recipes call for apples that are less tart, but I prefer to use Granny Smith apples (although this last time around I used a sweet red apple instead). I love the little sour kick they give! You can always add a wee bit more lemon juice to tart it up if you’d like!

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Macaroni and Cheese

You can’t go wrong with Macaroni and Cheese. Ever. It’s another one of those mmm, cheese good! situations.Once in a while, I get a killer hankering for macaroni and cheese. And when I do, I go back for seconds, and sometimes, thirds. Guilty.

macaroni and cheese

This is similar to the recipe my Mom used, I’m sure. There was never any written recipe of hers, but you can’t get too fancy with mac’n cheese. This is what I’d like to think she did when she cooked it for us!

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