kisila

With Valentines Day right around the corner, I thought it would be fun to make a few popcorn balls decorated with hearts!

First, I made some  homemade popcorn with 2 Tbsp. of coconut oil and about 1 cup of popcorn kernels. Combine coconut oil and three kernels in a pot. Cover and cook on medium-high heat until the kernels pop. When they pop, remove your pot from from the heat and take out the 3 popped kernels. Then add 1 cup of fresh kernels to the oil and cover. Let it sit for 30 seconds off the heat. Then add your pot back to the heat and cook on medium-high for about 2 minutes for the kernels to pop. Remove from heat after 2 minutes to insure they don't burn. They will keep popping.

Then separate 7 cups of your popcorn into a fresh bowl. Add sunflower kernels and your marshmallow mixture. Combine and let cool. Once it is cooled you can roll it into balls and place in muffin liners. Festive hearts seemed like the perfect touch to sprinkle on top! Store in an airtight container lined with wax or parchment paper to prevent them from sticking together.

I am not a fan of processed foods and have a hard time letting myself buy Rice Krispies treats- even though they are delicious. These popcorn balls have tons of fiber and protein from nuts, a treat you can feel good about feeding the family. Happy Valentine's Day Month from our family to yours!

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Ingredients:

7 cups of plain popcorn
3 Tbsp. butter
4 cups of mini marshmallows
1/2 cup of sunflower kernels
Sprinkles (optional for decorating)

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, combine popcorn and sunflower kernels. Set aside.
2. In a large saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until melted. Remove from heat.
3. Pour melted marshmallows over popcorn mixture and stir until completely blended. Let cool. Once cooled, form into round balls.
4. Using a muffin pan, line with baking cups. Place each popcorn ball in a baking cup. Sprinkle with hearts or extra nuts.

I was salivating just looking at these ingredients but after I toasted the chiles, mangos and raisins I knew we were in for a special treat.  Toasting (and roasting) ingredients is the stuff that creates cooking magic!  It matures an ingredient and coaxes out all its subtleties, bringing the flavors to the next level.  Whatever you do, don't skip this step! 

In another original twist, I chose some tart dried mangos as the fruit component.  They certainly added some complexity and some zing and they elevated the pairing with Stone Brewery's Old Guardian from good to nearly perfect! 

I must say, unconventional as it may be, if you haven't had ribs glazed in molé, you're missing out.  It takes some work - molé done correctly is an investment for sure - but it's well worth it!   

You know that moment, when you’re doing something completely routine and everydayish, when suddenly the light bulb goes off?

Maybe you suddenly remembered where you hid your spare set of keys for “safe-keeping” or in a moment of total spontaneity, decided which pizza place to pick up dinner from.

Or maybe you’re on the subway, stuck in the midst of another interminable delay (I’m looking at you, TTC), and you’re hit with a moment of inspiration so great you want to jump for joy except for the fact you are wedged in so tightly it would take a shoe horn to get you out.

Maybe, in that moment of clarity, you realize that yes … yes … you should make that Twinkie Bundt Cake and you should add in some freshly picked strawberries because that would be amazeballs.

Yeah.

I had Twinkie Bundt Cake on the bake for quite some time, ever since I purchased Shauna Sever‘s Pure Vanilla: Irresistible Recipes and Essential Techniques. A lovely book dedicated the joys of vanilla (there are many), the book got a bit lost in the pile of cookbooks that I’d been hoping to try out.

But hark! I happened to come across the recipe for Sever’s Twinkie Bundt Cake (from her book) on Leite’s Culinaria.

So there I was, not too long after, languishing during a particularly torturous subway ride when I found myself longing for the end of winter and the first thing my frozen brain latched on to was freshly picked strawberries.

And the next thing you know I’m thinking of this sweet little cake that’s a riff on those popular little snack cakes (that we were never allowed to have as children) and I thought, “Hey. I’m an adult. I can eat Twinkies if I want to. I can bake a Twinkie Bundt Cake if I want to. I can add strawberries to the filling if I want to.”

And thus was born the slightly adapted Twinkie Bundt Cake (with a strawberry marshmallow cream filling).

So why is it called the “Three Times a Charm Cake”? Because it took me three times before I got the strawberry filling just right.

Also. It’s delicious. And I wanted to make it three times. Maybe I ate it all myself one-and-a-half of those times.

Don’t judge me.

In a moment of serendipity, perhaps, I got it just right this past Canada Day weekend. So in honour of the great occasion of Canada’s birthday, I salute my country with this most charmed of cakes!

I am fully convinced that I am going to turn into a watermelon. Really, it’s going to happen .
The last few weeks I’ve gleefully bought a watermelon each week at the food store and then immediately proceeded to cut it up as soon as I get home. And because I am impatient I start stuffing my face right away before the container can even be put in the fridge to chill for a bit. Even though cold watermelon is better than room temperature watermelon, I can’t help myself. It’s just so good .
So by the end of the summer it is very likely that I am going to be one giant walking watermelon. Now there’s a visual for you.

I decided that I should maybe get at least a little creative with all my watermelon consumption and so this salad was born. The idea came from something I ate at a local restaurant, although once again I don’t even remember which restaurant I had it at. All I know is that it was last summer and that it has been sitting on my list of things to make for the blog since then (with a little note that said “MUST MAKE SOON” – clearly I ignore my own notes to myself). Major fail because you need this in your life asap .
I know there are plenty of other watermelon salad recipes out there, but gosh is this one awesome. Cold, sweet watermelon, sprinkled with feta, peanuts and arugula, and then drizzled with a sriracha vinaigrette.
Sweet, salty and just a hint spicy all in one. Pure perfection.

Although who are we kidding, watermelon is perfection all by itself too.

I’m really excited about this Paleo Chinese Chicken Salad recipe. It’s very easy to make, super healthy, and tastes AMAZING. I’m totally in love with the dressing and can’t wait to use it again as a marinade, dip for spring rolls, and salad dressing! It’s definitely going to be one of my new go-to recipes !

I have been getting a lot of inquires lately about summer weight loss and the best ways to tone up for summer. My #1 piece of advice is to cut out inflammatory foods. Carbohydrates are one of the most inflammatory foods so eliminating them will help to immediately shed water weight, improve skin and digestion, and allow your natural muscle tone to show through! I know most people feel like cutting carbs will be too restrictive but the key is having delicious low carb foods like this salad!! It’s is absolutely bursting with flavor, I promise you won’t miss your carbs at all !!

I also love that this recipe tastes as good (or better!!) as any Chinese Chicken Salad you could get at a restaurant but it’s actually good for you!

That means almost anyone can enjoy it, no matter their dietary restrictions !