Marie Cookpad

  One thing I have always loved when travelling on the Continent are the breakfasts we have been offered at  most of the places we have stayed overnight.   Europeans really know how to do breakfast right . . .  with freshly  baked rolls, breads or croissants . . .  granola or muesli . . . fresh fruits, cheeses and sliced meats . . .  yogurts . . .  fresh fruit compotes.   When we were staying in Austria we had these beautiful stewed plums on offer each morning.  I loved them and had them along with some yogurt and granola every morning while we were there. You might think I would get bored with that option, but I just didn't.    I actually enjoy a breakfast like that much more than any other kind.  While I am hungry in the mornings, I am not fond of much that is heavy or that will lay on my stomach uncomfortably.  I am a person who enjoys a light breakfast for the most part, unless it is much later in the morning or a...

  I am a huge fan of hummus.  I often make it to enjoy with crisp crackers or raw vegetables.  It has been my snack of choice for many years.      It is one of the few ways I can tolerate chick peas due to my diverticulitis.  I used to love to make a vegetarian chili which used tinned chick peas when my children were growing up.  It was really delicious. Sadly those days  of enjoying those types of things in abundance are over for me!    So far I have been able to enjoy hummus however.  Probably because the chick peas are pureed, which makes them easier to digest.   I love all kinds of hummus. Perfect Hummus is the recipe I normally use.  But my Roasted Beetroot Hummus is also very good, and a very pretty pink colour.   This All Dressed Hummus is also a real favourite around here.  I call it all dressed because it is topped with lots of lovely bits to dress it up.    Its like the Cinderella of Hum...

  I need to be better at labeling what I put in the freezer.  When I go to Costco, I buy big packs of chicken breasts and thighs, and then I divide them up and freeze them in smaller packs when I get them home, thinking that I am going to remember what is what, but guess what!  I don't.   Sometimes I thaw out what I think is chicken breasts only to discover once it is thawed that they are thighs and vice versa.  Not a problem really . . .  unless I had something in mind to cook that called for the other.  Not to self - buy a permanent marker.   So I had planned on making a curry with chicken breasts, but it ended up being thighs, and so I did something else entirely.   Balsamic Chicken & Mushrooms  . . .  a skillet entree that is quick and easy and so very tasty!    The Balsamic Vinegar adds a very subtle piquancy . . . its not in your face.  Make sure you use a good quality one. Not the best, because that would b...

  I've had a pretty busy day today.  I went to the grocery store this morning and picked up a bunch of things to make my granola and a few other bits.  It amazing how much a few bits can add up to these days, especially if you are trying to eat healthier.      It shouldn't be that way really.  They should make junk food more expensive and healthy food cheaper, but that makes sense, and most things the shops do hardly ever make sense.  I think my main beef about fresh fruit and vegetables is that it only lasts a couple of days once you get it home, depending on where you buy it.    I find if you shop in the more expensive shops it tends to be of a better quality and fresher, but my days of shopping in expensive shops are long gone now I am not working full-time.  So I tend to have to pick up less and go more frequently, rather than do a weekly shop, only getting in what we can eat within a couple of days so that nothing gets wasted. ...