Stroganoff is one of those dishes passed along for generations. A comforting, hearty winter meal, I envision my grandparents dining in front of a roaring fire while watching the snow fall. The only issue for me is that traditionally, it is meats (and leftovers) that are turned into stroganoff. My husband despises turkey, and I want to entertain over the holidays with elevated dishes that give a nod to the past without using the double creams favoured by generations past. In order to satisfy all of my goals, I decided to alter the original recipe to include a variety of mouth-watering mushrooms, replace the dairy with Silk Almond Beverage and present everything inside a delectable puff pastry cup that uses no dairy.
Passover is a Jewish festival that commemorates the liberation of the Israelites from slavery in ancient Egypt. It is celebrated for eight days, usually in late March or early April, according to the Jewish lunar calendar. Between crafts to preparation and rituals during the Seder, kids can play a huge part in the Passover celebration.
The central ritual of Passover is the Seder, a ceremonial meal that takes place on the first two nights of the festival. The Seder is a time for family and friends to come together to retell the story of the Exodus and to give thanks for the freedom that the Israelites gained.
There’s something about Easter egg waste and chemical dyes that makes me squirm. Of course there are store-bought, non-toxic natural Easter Egg dyes out there, but I set out to create my own from ingredients in the fridge. The result was muted and beautiful – almost what you would find if you happened upon a bird’s nest in nature. Natural easter egg dyes also make it healthier to consume the hard-boiled eggs after the fact. And after you master these, maybe cloth dying is in the cards!!
Wondering what to do with all that wonderful leftover turkey from your last holiday? Here’s a healthy and delicious idea for using that leftover turkey that your kids will love! I call it the gourmet turkey muffin. It’s great to have a full pantry and fn ingredients so that you can get creative.
My Halifax elementary school, Sir Charles Tupper, produced a cookbook and this recipe for Chocolate Amaretto Cheesecake was in it. We still serve it for holidays every year. I remember my mom entertaining, and eating this for breakfast the next day! I don’t think there’s anything more decadent than cheesecake for breakfast. The richness is delicious and satisfying. It’s amazing when you stop to think about how many memories we have that are tied to food! What food holds special memories for you?
With endless colour combinations and many different ways to decorate, making colourful eggs can be as easy or as intricate as you choose, making it a perfect activity for all ages and skill levels. From a simple egg dyed one colour, to ornate and delicate patterns, Easter eggs are as unique as the people that create them. Here are a few Easter egg decorating tips for you to explore – but I’m sure your kids have TONS of ideas of their own!
UrbanMommies popped by a stunning brunch event hosted by Kelly Deck, and were thrilled to see two iterations of a holiday table.
The past couple of years I have worked hard in my studio to create painted pumpkins for Halloween to feature on morning TV. And I never compiled them all into one post! There are so many ways to paint, and new products in art and dollar stores make the job pretty simple, albeit sometimes messy! (You can just be a painter as a costume). Whether you are going for stylish painted pumpkins or using the activity to help your toddler express their creativity, I like painting pumpkins much better than carving. (Though you don’t get to roast the seeds afterwards). Be careful, also, not to throw your painted pumpkins into the compost or recycling bin, depending on what products you use on them.
You remember when you were young. Ok, younger. Trick or treating was the highlight of your year and during all of the other seasons you walked by certain neighbourhood houses and smiled. The man in the tudor house made you tell a story before being given candy. And there was the dentist who handed out toothbrushes. You were certain the yellow house was haunted. Why your dad always wanted to linger at that place that gave him a hot drink is still a mystery… As a child you build relationships and memories with neighbours, and when you make your house memorable on Halloween it creates a perfect opportunity to reach out to your community.
I remember as a little girl – saving all of the ‘used-almost-to-the-bottom’ candles for the whole year to use for Hallowe’en. Our jack o’ lanterns would house a cornucopia of bright red and gold Christmas candles and a few yellow Easter ones. I would be a bit rattled that my beautiful pumpkin was getting red wax dripped all over, and then completely dejected that whenever I passed my own house (as I was doing the neighborhood candy marathon) the pumpkin would be dark. A gust of wind had just spoiled a child’s excitement at boasting artistic achievements to her friends. I’d quickly apologize and run up to grab a lighter or matches. And I can’t remember being anything other than a princess in chiffon so that + matches was clearly a bad idea…