Birthday Cake Inspiration

In my head, I'm already planning Gretchen's 4th birthday shindig. Something small and mellow, with friends and yummy food. I also want to make her a carrot cake... a favourite at the House of Fawn. Recently I came across another beautiful recipe which I have to share with you guys, if only for the fabulous doily pattern. We all know I LOVE doilies, right? Well take a peek below...

Swooning along with me? Yum.

I'm absolutely in love with A Tale Of Two, a new-to-me blog that I've been just pouring over. Beautiful images, recipes, treats & more. You're going to love it.

PS. Gretchen will turn four on the 29th. Just wow. 
PPS. Did I ever tell you guys about the awesome numbers associated with Gretchen's birth? Born January 29th, 2009... at 9.29pm... after 19 minutes of pushing... weighing 9lbs 6oz. Neat.

Day 10: A Favourite Recipe

For today's recipe post, I'm going back in time to my favourite, easy peasy, chili recipe. I first posted it back in March of 2011 and just reading it again now is making my tummy all rumbly.

Easy, tasty, excellent. And here's how you make it happen...

The Fawn's Quick & Easy Chili
2-3 cans of beans (kidney, chickpea, whatever you'd like... just be sure to rinse them really well)
1-2 peppers, chopped (green, yellow, something colourful)
Big handful of mushrooms, quartered
1 onion, chopped
1 tsp (or more) chili powder
1/2 tsp (or more) cumin
1/2 tsp onion powder, garlic powder (or not, I just use what I like)
salt/pepper, a dash, a sprinkle
1 big can of diced tomatoes
1 big can of tomato sauce
1-2 packs of ground round (ie. soy ground beef, totally optional)

Click here to keep reading...

Whole30: Days 1 & 2

I'm two days in to my Whole30 adventure with ZERO slip-ups or cave-ins! I'm optimistic about my remaining 28 days and SO grateful for all of your support! Thank you to everyone who commented yesterday, sent tweets & Facebook messages! I'm surrounded by supportive friends and you're all making me smile. Merci, merci!

Day One
Breakfast: Watermelon, cranberry tea, steak, green & red peppers, broccoli, lemon water, cashews & almonds, scrambled eggs w/ black olives & sundried tomatoes, ground chicken, coffee w/ coconut milk.

Notes
Feeling pretty good, enjoyed a trip to the grocery store with my daughter. Can already feel those sugar cravings & urges for silly things like a diet soda or the popsicles in the back of my freezer. Time to rid my house of temptation. Peace out, Nutella.

Egg Scramble (chicken, salsa), Tomatoes w/ a dash of sea salt

Day Two
Raspberries, avocado, black coffee, grape tomatoes, almonds, strawberries & raspberries w/ cinnamon, egg scramble (above), pitted dates w/ almond butter

Notes
Morning: It took EVERYTHING I had to drag my exhausted butt out of bed this morning. Miss Gretchen was VERY grumpy with a mama who didn't want to get out of bed til 8am. Thank you Magic School Bus for granting me some time to be sluggish. The Whole30 timeline tells me I'm in hangover mode, and they're not joking: "Many Whole30ers report headaches, fatigue, and general malaise during this part of the program. This, my friends, is completely normal." Well, alrighty then. Thankfully, this should only last a few days & I'm stubborn enough to tell my SWEET cravings to piss off. 
Evening: Now that it's nearly bedtime, I can say I'm feeling pretty darn good & already less bloated than I've been feeling for weeks. Well THAT's kinda nice, eh? Dinner was fantastic & I'm feeling pretty happy!

For anyone else following the Whole30 (or thinking about it), here are a few posts I've found ultra-inspiring and mouthwatering!

• My Whole30 Journey via Today's Letters
• Grocery Shopping For Your First Whole30 via The Paleo Project
• Seriously Tasty Paleo Meatloaf via Health-Bent

Peace!

The Whole30: Let's Make A Change

Alright. I know that if I don't say it here, and commit myself in some way, it won't happen. So here it goes: Starting tomorrow, August 19th, I will be doing the Whole30. If you've never heard of it, take a peek over here to see what the heck I'm talking about.

My decision to do this comes from my recent feeling about my health & body. After taking over the shop, my diet and my thoughts around eating were pushed aside. I've been drinking too much coffee, eating out more than I should, and generally just not taking care of myself in the way that I know I can. My weight has gone up, and despite never stepping on a scale in recent months, I know that my clothing is more snug and my energy levels are dropping.

It's time to change some things up.

I know I can eat well. I know I feed my daughter better than I feed myself, and I need to make the time to reconcile these differences. When my daughter is in daycare, she eats lunch/dinner away from home, and I eat poorly while at the shop. I'll just admit that. I shouldn't be living off coffee & restaurants during the week, and eating well on the weekend. It's not good for my body, my mind, or my finances. Since I'm at the shop about 50 hours a week, I haven't been cooking the way I used to. Due to our current schedule, Gretchen and I have breakfast together at home, but I often eat nothing as I get ready, or just sip coffee. I'm not always hungry in the morning, but I know I won't have that mid-morning crash if I eat something fantastically nutritious when I wake up. Gretchen likes fruit & toast, or cereal w/ soymilk, or smoothies, or eggs in the morning. At this time she lunches/dinners at daycare, which means that I either eat nothing for dinner, or I snack sometime after she's in bed, usually around 9pm, which also doesn't make for a happy belly. Starting in September, I've made the decision to start Gretchen at a new daycare (for one last year), a daycare which meshes better with my parenting philosophy. It's been a difficult choice, but I wasn't feeling completely at ease with the current situation and so I've made a change.

Just as I'll make a change with how I eat.

This will also mean that after September begins, my little one and I will be having dinner together more ofte. This makes me a VERY happy mama. It'll be great to be cooking again. I've missed it. The slow cooker is coming back out & meal-planning will once again be a part of my life. Thankfully, the little miss LOVES coming grocery shopping with me. She's such a helper.

Now, thinking about the Whole30 brings a few things to mind: What I anticipate will be easy and what I believe will be a challenge. So here we go:

The Easy Bits:

• I am NOT a picky eater. Veggies, fruits, meats, whatever you give me, I'll at least try it and probably I'll like it. Gretchen is this way too. I just don't believe in being a picky eater. Healthy food always tastes good to me, so there's no excuse not to eat that way.
• I WANT to do this. No one is making me. And it's the sort of thing you have to want to want. 

The Tricky Bits:

• I like my coffee with cream & sugar. Yup. And that's a big no-no. So if I really want it, it'll be black. Just like when I was vegan.
• I like my stout. I enjoy a bottle of stout at the end of a long day, but for the next 30 days, I won't be touching it.
• I'm a carb junkie. It's a fact. I adore bread and pasta and all of their glutentastic friends.

However. If you've ever met me, you know how stubborn I can be. Which means I'm going to kick this program's ass and I hope you'll ALL hold me accountable. Send me tweets to check in, pester me on Facebook, email me, shout it from a rooftop. Because I'm doing this. And I'm not going to let myself down.

Have any of you made a big change in your eating habits lately? Have you ever done the Whole30? Adivce, tips, stories, ideas? I'd love to hear about your experiences. Feel free to link blog posts if you've chatted about this on your own sites. I'm eager to get started and to jump right in!

August 19th. Day one. A big change. 

I can do this.

PS. Thank you to bloggers like Nicole who have really given me that push I need to do this. Reading your stories has filled me up with motivation and a craving for change. Thank you.

Green Machine

I'm trying to get back into the green smoothie swing of things and I'm hoping you'll share some of your favourite recipes! What do you like best? What do your kids like best? Tips, tricks?

Thanks!

PS. Remember when I didn't drink coffee for seven whole months? I might give that a shot again. Something tells me I'll feel better with that out of my system for the summer. Tea it is!

Source.

Breakfast Love

One of my favourite simple pleasures is cooking and eating a warm & hearty breakfast with my daughter, especially on a Sunday morning. Breakfast time at our house usually consists of cereal or toast with a side of fruit for the little miss, maybe yogurt, maybe smoothies. Something whole-grainy + something fruity is the general combo. Mama usually has tea & toast. But when we have a chance to really slow things down, I love to cook a big breakfast, like my mom would make. Simple enough... eggs, bacon, toast, hashbrowns. Sometimes it's omelettes with salsa & cheese.

I recently came across this recipe and think I can taste it just by looking at this image. This might be one of those meals that comes across as complicated, but taking a looking at ingredients and such... it looks pretty simple. Can't wait to give it a shot. (And I'd totally make this for dinner too... breakfast for dinner is a BIG hit 'round the House of Fawn.)

I'd also like to give this a try. How cute are those little breakfast cups? I'm pretty much a sucker for anything that can be made in a muffin tin. And I bet Gretchen think they're fun.

If you have a fantastic breakfast recipe you'd like to share, please share in the comments. I'm getting hungry just typing this. Yum!

Happy Sunday, mes amis! Time for breakfast with my girl!

PS. You've got to know I first spotted both those fabulous recipes via Pinterest. If you're not already following me over there, you're just a click away. Peace!

{What We Ate} Brunch With A Side Of Smoothie

I've been wanting to post about food a lot more on the blog, so I'm starting a new feature (inspired by the lovely Miss James and her Bird Food posts) to show what we've been munching on. As the weeks go on I'll be sharing more toddler meal ideas, quick family friendly recipes and all sorts of foodie inspirations that work for us!

Here are some lunchtime snapshots from a few days ago:

blueberries // grapes // red peppers (a fav!) // cucumbers // eggs scrambled with peppers and salsa

PB&B Smoothie: One banana, 1tbsp peanut butter, 1/2 cup (or so) vanilla yogurt, top with milk of choice and blend. This time I also tossed in a few blueberries since they were on hand. Spinach also hides nicely in here.

Yum!

Do your kiddos have a favourite food right now? Anything they can't stand?

PS. Our stainless steel bus plate is by Innobaby. LOVE this thing.

Guest Post: Marvelous Zucchini Muffins With Cubit's Organic Living (Plus A Giveaway!)

Tonight I bring you a tasty guest post & a yummy giveaway to boot! Say hello to Laura, of Cubit's Organic Living fame. She's a rad Toronto blogger, a purveyor of seeds and an all around awesome mama. Enjoy her zucchini muffin recipe, and enter to win below!

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These muffins are one of our favourites. A nice combination of seasonal vegetable and whole ingredients that everyone will happily eat.

INGREDIENTS
3 eggs
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon honey
3/4 cup sunflower oil (or another light cooking oil like grapeseed or canola)
1 small zucchini grated
2 large carrot grated
1 cup raisins
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cut steal cut oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Preheat your oven to 350. Line or grease 24 muffin cups.
Whisk eggs, sugar and honey together.
Add the oil, then vanilla, and then the grated zucchini and carrots along with the raisins.

Combine your dry ingredients in another bowl.
Whisk the flours, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and oats together.

Combine the dry ingredients and wet ingredients together slowly.
Divide the mixture evenly into your greased or lined muffin tins.
Bake 18-20 minutes at 350.
Remove from tins and cool on wire racks.

These are so good. Sometimes I throw half a cup of finely chopped walnuts for extra goodness. Enjoy!

GIVEAWAY
Laura has generously offered one of you a lovely prize, including:
A copy of An Illustrated Guide to Growing Food on your Balcony -- a great container gardening resource
5 packs of Cubit's Organic seeds -- for growing some yummy muffin ingredients!

HOW TO ENTER
Please comment with your favourite breakfast ideas, especially for finicky toddlers, along with your email.

For additional entries (leave one comment per entry):

• Follow @sofawned on Twitter
• Follow @Cubits on Twitter
• Like So Fawned on Facebook
• Like Cubit's Organic Living on Facebook

Open to Canada & US. Giveaway ends January 18th @ noon! A winner will be chosen at random & announced here. Merci & best wishes!

Update: The winner is Steph Diaz! Congrats!

Backyard Chickens & Quiche

The ladies have been generous lately. They've been laying for less than a month and I'm getting at least 2-3 eggs per day. It's already more than I'm using, so every now and again I like to make up a couple "egg pies" since they use a good armload of eggies and whatever veggies need to be used up from the fridge. Those last few green peppers? Toss 'em in! Leftover corn from last night? Yes! A dollop of salsa? Mmm mmm. Usually I'd add cheese as well, but I was out, and so my latest batch was cheeseless, but still tasty. I also add milk, or sometimes cream to the recipe. And whatever spices I fancy at the time. As for the veggies, I generally do them up in the frying pan with a little oil just to get the flavours flowing.

Gretchen adores quiche, though sometimes I have to stop her from JUST munching on the crust. (Store bought... don't hate!) I feel pretty satisfied using only eggs from my own chickens -- it's incredibly fulfilling. And filling! Ha! If you've never tasted a fresh egg -- well, there's nothing like knowing you're enjoying an egg that's less than a day old, and was laid by a rather cheerful chicken.

Do you have a favourite eggy recipe?

Celebrating The Moon Festival With VH (Plus A $50 Grocery Card Giveaway!)

Way back when Gretchen was a wee babe, and we first starting introducing solids, I vowed not to go the standard BLAH route of bland, icky baby foods, in hopes that she's end up with a rather sophisticated palate. Now, at 2 1/2, she's happy to much on all things spicy, curried and exotic. She's thrilled when she knows we're going out for sushi (she prefers japchae, fish soup, rice & a few bites of maki). It makes me SO happy that I can bring her to just about any restaurant possible and find something she'll enjoy. I'll never have to be that mom with the no-sauce-on-my-white-pasta kid. Success.

I also enjoy cooking, which makes things easier. I love trying new recipes and finding new things that she loves. Recently, she's discovered a love of fish, and she's a monster for my signature breakfast burritos. However, like most moms (I hope) I sometimes find myself insanely tired and completely unmotivated to summon dinner (from a probably messy kitchen). Ever feel like that? Ever resort to the dreaded freezer meals? I'll admit I've been a bit of a snob about buying frozen meals in the past, especially since becoming a mother, but if it's the difference between me having quality time with my daughter while we eat together, or me cursing while trying to fix a meal with no clean pots and and empty fridge, then count me in!

Recently, Gretchen and I celebrated the Moon Festival -- one of the most important holidays on the Chinese calendar, also known as the Mid-Autumn Festival -- To celebrate, Gretchen and I tried out some VH Steamers. I was skeptical, let me tell you, but considering I only had to spend four minutes making dinner (on what ended up being a particularly stressful day) I could have kissed the colourful packaging it came in.

Actually, they're pretty darn tasty. And surprisingly filling. I remember eating frozen meals when I was in university, and I always wanted about four of them. Is that a terrible thing to confess?

Gretchen and I gobbled them up, and ended up having yogurt & homemade granola for desert, since I never ended up finding the mooncakes that are traditionally eaten on this holiday. Any of my local readers know where I can find some? They look so tasty!

Hmm, or perhaps I'll try to make my own? This recipe looks interesting... this one too.

It was really neat to learn about a holiday I wasn't previously familiar with, and I'm looking forward to teaching Gretchen about all kinds of traditional holidays over the years. I think it's a beautiful insight into another culture when you take part in their festivities. And knowing my adventurous little girl, she'll be happy to sample holiday treats from all over the world.

GIVEAWAY: To enter, all you have to do is leave a comment letting me know how you introduce culture into your meals and you'll be entered to win a $50 grocery gift card! Also be sure to visit vhsauces.ca for some tasty Moon Festival inspired recipes. This giveaway is open to my fellow Canucks. Quick turn around on this one, ladies & gents -- entries must be in by noon on September 21st!

Disclosure: I am participating in the VH Moon Festival program by Mom Central Canada on behalf of VH. I received compensation as a thank you for my participation. As always, the opinions on this blog are my own.

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Update: The lucky winner is... Iris! Congrats!

20SB Blog Swap: Summertime

Today I'm participating in the big blog swap hosted by some fine folks over at 20 Something Bloggers. Please enjoy this lovely snippet (and tasty recipe!) from my partner Alexandra, over at The Little Crumbs. Also be sure to visit her site today for my guest post as well. Happy Wednesday!

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Hello, So Fawned readers! It is my great pleasure to have been selected as the guest writer on this blog! I thought I should start with a quick bio of myself:

I currently own my own catering business with my mom and sister. I am an opera singer, I play piano and also teach piano. I was raised in a Christian home and am very active in my church. My mother’s love for entertaining and cooking for our family and others, has rubbed off on me completely! I have been in the kitchen for as far back as I can remember, and loved every minute of it. I started my blog, The Little Crumbs, about three year ago. Writing was never something I thought I was very good at, but I wanted to share with people the foods I loved, and I have always wanted people to enjoy them with me!

The subject of this post is supposed to be about my summer. And I have been racking my brain with some witty stories to tell you, or just an amazing event that made my summer complete. Well, I don't have one! It's not that my summer was boring, or that it didn't contain memorable things. I was just looking back over the summer and realized it’s just been pure relaxation.

I swam almost every day (in 115 degree weather!!), spent time with family and friends, and just enjoyed myself. So even though it wasn't filled with a European cruise, it was great!

During this summer it seemed like my sister and I were always whipping something up in the kitchen. Whether it was for ourselves, a church event, or a party we were throwing, when one of us was in the kitchen baking away, the other was going through cookbooks to find our next creation.

This dessert was found by my sister and was made for my darling little cousin’s 6th birthday party. This dessert fit that occasion perfectly!

Rich chocolate cake, combined with a raspberry infused icing and some fresh raspberries on top! To me that is a perfect summer dessert!

Elegant Chocolate Cupcakes with Raspberry Icing

CHOCOLATE CAKE

*3 cups flour

*3 cups sugar

*1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

*1/4 teaspoon salt

*3 large eggs

*3/4 cup sour cream

*2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

*1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter

*3/4 cup cocoa powder

*1 1/2 cups hot water

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cupcake sheet pan. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. In a separate mixing bowl, beat the eggs and mix in the sour cream, and vanilla. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture, mixing until just combined.

In a saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the butter and stir in the cocoa powder, and hot water. Bring the mixture to a boil and then remove from the heat. Cool slightly, and incorporate the cocoa mixture with the dry ingredients, mixing just until blended.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely.

RASPBERRY SAUCE

*1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

*12 oz of raspberries fresh or frozen

*1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

*3 1/2 to 4 1/2 cups powdered sugar

*Pinch of salt

*1-2 tablespoons whole milk, room temperature

*Fresh raspberries for the top

Put raspberries in a small sauce pan and cook over medium heat, stirring with a spoon until they break down the sauce. Pour the sauce through a fine mesh strainer to take out seeds. And then put the seedless sauce back in the pot and simmer until it reduces to a 1/4 cup of a very concentrated raspberry sauce.

Set aside to cool. When raspberry sauce is at room temperature, cream the butter in the bowl of a standing mixer, using a paddle attachment. Then add about 2 cups of powdered sugar, then raspberry sauce 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Process until smooth. Add another 1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar and continue to mix until it is spreading consistency, adding the milk to make it less stiff.

Now taste the frosting, if you like it as is, then you’re done. If you would like it to be sweeter, add additional powdered sugar and milk to get to the flavor you want.

Top with fresh raspberries and Enjoy!

**I would like to thank Desiree for allowing me to share my little crumbs with you!
Please check out my blog for more recipes, that you and your family will thoroughly enjoy!

Guest Post: Feeding Your Toddler With Your Green Baby's Kim Corrigan-Oliver

I have a seriously exciting guest post to share with you lovelies today! I'm so lucky to have a holistic nutritionist friend in my circle and today, Kim (of Your Green Baby fame!) is here to share her tips for feedings toddlers -- something we all know can be a bit of a test. This rad post comes along with a delightful surprise as well, so keep reading. You'll be walking away with a whole range of ideas for helping your tot to develop a wonderful relationship with food!

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Toddlerhood comes with many challenges. One which often concerns parents is food. There are many different food challenges in the toddler years, here are a few:

• The toddler who can’t sit still long enough to eat.
• The toddler who suddenly decides not to eat anything, and I mean anything.
• The toddler who becomes picky, only eating foods that are red, not eating foods that are green, eating only cooked foods...you get the picture.
• The toddler who loves food and will jump in and try anything (I know, this one is hard to believe, but there are some of these toddlers out there).

So what can you do? Here are a few tips for feeding your toddler:

1. You can’t force them to eat. So, instead, relax. Prepare the meal and offer it. Let your toddler decide what to eat and how much to eat.
2. Don’t become a short order cook. Make one meal for everyone. If your toddler it not interested in eating it, no worries. Do not head into the kitchen to whip up something else.
3. Make food easy to eat. Cut food up into perfect size pieces for easy eating. This makes it easy for your toddler to use their hands to eat, or to try using a spoon or fork.
4. Offer small amounts of food. Too much food on your toddler’s plate can scare them. Instead offer small amounts of food and let them ask for more if they want it. It gives them control.
5. Keep offering the foods they reject. It can take up to 15 times before a food is accepted, you have to keep trying.
6. For picky eaters, serve new foods or foods they dislike with favourite foods to increase the chance they will give it a try.
7. Add a dip. I have yet to meet a toddler who didn’t like to dip. Use mashed avocados, hummus, apple sauce, salsa, tomato sauce, etc to get your toddler’s interest.
8. Make food fun. Serve meals up on a fun plate or use a muffin tin. Cut food into shapes. Make faces or spell their name with the food. Just have fun with it.
9. Offer foods in different ways. Cut up fruit on a plate may not be well received, but put it on a wooden skewer and all of sudden it is fun and exciting. Instead of steamed cauliflower, mash it and bake it. Try roasting vegetables to really bring out the flavour. Add herbs and spices to tickle their tiny taste buds.
10. Set a good example. I hate to say it, but if mom and dad don’t eat their veggies, you can’t expect your toddler to. What you do speaks so much louder than what you say. If your toddler sees you enjoying food and trying new things, they will be more likely to do the same.

Feeding a toddler can be a tough; I won’t lie to you about that. They are going through a stage where they want to assert some of the independence and decision making skills. I suggest not making food a battle. Serve it up, sit back and let them take control. They will eat, eventually...


In the meantime here is a toddler snack to tickle your toddler’s tiny taste buds! 

Brown Rice Crisp Squares
½ cup brown rice syrup
1tsp vanilla
¼ cup pumpkin seed butter
¼ cup tahini (sesame seed butter)
2tbsp chia seeds
2tbsp hemp seeds
2tbsp sunflower seeds
2tbsp pumpkin seeds
5 cups organic rice crisp cereal (I use Nature’s Path)

Mix all dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
Heat brown rice syrup, vanilla and seed butters in a saucepan over low to medium heat until the mixture is easy to stir. Remove from heat.
Add the dry ingredients and stir well to coat.
Put mixture in an 8×11 pan and press flat with a wooden spoon. Let cool and cut into squares.

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Thank you so much to Kim for this incredibly informative post! And let me tell you -- those brown rice crisp squares are beyond tasty! You'll be making them on a regular basis, I promise. Yum! And as an added treat, Kim is offering a brand spanking-new copy of her book, Raising Happy Healthy Babies, for one of my readers! This book includes a wealth of information about nutrition from preconception through babyhood, and includes 95 yummy recipes to try.

For your chance to win, simply comment below with your fav toddler treat, or family mealtime tip. If you wanted an extra entry or so, you can feel free to tweet/Facebook/blog about the giveaway -- just be sure to leave a comment for each. Merci, merci! (Winner will be announced June 1st.)

Best wishes, mes amis -- and if you just can't wait to get your hands on this book, you can purchase your own copy for just $25 via Your Green Baby. No mama should be without this one -- it's just that good!

The Fawn's Quick & Easy Chili

I'm a big fan of meals that can be put together without a terribly specific set of ingredients. Chili is totally one of these foods. I almost always have enough ingredients to at least fabricate some sort of chili like dish.

Fake it til you make it, baby.

Anyhow, the other day I made up a batch and actually remember to take a pic, so now I thought I'd share my basic recipe.

Looks good, right? I'm also convinced that stirring food with a wooden spoon makes it taste better.

I generally made this a vegetarian meal, mostly because it's easier that way and mighty tasty. Sometimes, though, I'll cook up some spicy sausage and toss it in near the end for an extra kick.

The Fawn's Quick & Easy Chili

2-3 cans of beans (kidney, chickpea, whatever you'd like... just be sure to rinse them really well)
1-2 peppers, chopped (green, yellow, something colourful)
Big handful of mushrooms, quartered
1 onion, chopped
1 tsp (or more) chili powder
1/2 tsp (or more) cumin
1/2 tsp onion powder, garlic powder (or not, I just use what I like)
salt/pepper, a dash, a sprinkle
1 big can of diced tomatoes
1 big can of tomato sauce
1-2 packs of ground round (ie. soy ground beef, totally optional)

If I have a lot of time (like all day) I'll put this in my crockpot. First sauté up the onion and ground round in a pan with some oil til the onions are all nice and cooked, then toss that into the crock, along with everything else and let cook on high for 5-8 hours. Really, I think about 6 hours is great, but the longer it cooks, the tastier it gets.

If I don't have a lot of time then I'll do this on the stove. Same process again, sauté onions and ground round, but in a big pot this time, with a little oil, then add everything else. Bring to almost a boil, then let simmer for a while, usually 1/2 hour or so, depending on the size of your concoction.

Also, sometimes if I feel like the chili is to watery when it's finished, I'll toss in a handful of rice and let it simmer another 20-30 minutes or until the rice is nice and cooked. It uses up some liquid and adds another yummy element!

All this chili talk is really reminding my tummy that I've just been snacking on Eggies and Arizona Green Tea tonight and little else. Oops. Apparently one shouldn't blog on an empty stomach...

Do you have a favourite chili recipe to share? Any tricks of the trade?

Oh, Honey

I'm having a love affair with honey.

I can't get enough of the sweet, sticky stuff & this morning was saddened to find that my cupboards are bare! There's not a drop in the house and my teacups are brokenhearted.

As am I.

Thankfully there'll be plenty at the market this week and so I'll stock up with happy new flavours for my tastebuds' delight.

Recently, I visited Etsy to scour the honey market, and was so happy to see that there are many sellers out there with yummy varieties to choose from. Perhaps I'll treat myself to a little order.

Mmm. I adore this little jar from River Farm, RI... and its contents look marvelous. 

Are you a honey lovah? Do you have a favourite kind? Do you buy local, online, or make (with the help of buzzy bees, of course) your own?

Source. 

On A Sunday Night In December

After a few days of feeling like my body was staging a mutiny, I'm beginning to feel much less miserable. It was a serious attack of the acronyms... PMS... UTI... so awful and especially painful when combined. However, now I'm feeling nearly-right-as-rain and TONIGHT I'm going to enjoy my Present Wrapping & Egg Nog Party. A perfect theme for a party, non? Never mind the fact that it is an impromptu party, consisting of only the boy, myself and our dear friend Karen -- I'm calling it a party!

I've already set out all of our wrapping essentials... tape, pretty papers, ribbons & freshly printed gift tags (created by the fabulous Chantilly of My Girl Thursday fame). Then there's the egg nog making, courtesy of Heather's tasty recipe! And yes, there will be bourbon.

I'm very excited to wrap up all of Gretchen's little gifts, some from Santa, some from us and some from the reindeer, becuase my mama always made me tags signed by Rudolph... and sometimes Mrs. Claus. And I always felt so special knowing the entire North Pole crew had teamed up to send me such lovely gifts.

The house feels especially cozy tonight. Despite the heat being set relatively low, there's a warmth that won't quit. The candles are glowing and filling the house with a delightful piney scent. Our tree is artificial this year, but with a little Christmas trickery, I can close my eyes and pretend it's real.

I hope you all have a wonderfully festive & relaxing Sunday evening planned as well. May your fires burn especially bright & may you suffer no paper cuts while wrapping up those gifts.

Have a lovely holiday-esque night, mes amis.

PS. For those desiring a little egg nog love tonight, this is Heather's quickie blender recipe: 2 cups milk, 2 eggs, 2 shots rum (or brandy, or whiskey, or nothing), 1/3 cup powdered sugar, 1/4 teaspoon vanilla & a little cinnamon to taste. Mix in blender, top with a dash o' nutmeg. Drink up & enjoy!

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Beyond So Fawned: Check out my two latest post over at Mom Spark, here & here.

Cocoa Love

Last night was a hot chocolate kind of night. After our chilly trip downtown to watch the parade, I thought it might be nice to whip up a batch of homemade cocoa.


The Fawn's Post-Parade Hot Cocoa

2 cups milk
1 cup cream
3 tablespoons cocoa
4 to 5 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
dash of salt

Heat all ingredients together in a medium saucepan, stirring til cocoa has dissolved completely. Enjoy in your favourite mug, maybe with a candy cane swizzle.

Note: Last night I actually used more sugar, but it was almost TOO sweet, so I've reduced it a little in this version of the recipe. I also added in a bit of cardamom, but you could add chili powder for a touch of spice if you're into that sort of thing.

Day 10: My Favourite Place To Eat

I knew this was going to be a tough one. Peterborough may be a relatively tiny town, but my goodness, there are a TON of great places to eat. I honestly can't choose just ONE.

On our side of the river, my favourite would have to be Matsu Sushi -- the second of two locations in town, and the food is incredible. You're also greeted in the most enthusiastic manner upon entering, which makes everyone feel good! I LOVE their spicy bulgogi, the Tulip maki (crab, unagi, avocado... and some other tasty bits), and the tempura appetizer is phenomenal.

Venturing downtown, there are two fabulous restaurants (which are actually side by side & share a kitchen, but are otherwise very different) which both boast fantastic food and insanely good beer. The Olde Stone Brewing Company and Hot Belly Mama's are always our first choices when we want a bite downtown. (The photo from yesterday's post was actually taken at one of these restaurants.) The Olde Stone serves tasty brewpub type grub -- my favourites being the fish & chips, the calamari and the cheddar ale soup. (Oh, and they make one hell of a Reuben.) On the Hot Belly's side, you can't go wrong with the sweet potato frites. They are to die for. As is the veggie po'boy... oh lordy, and the Mondo burger.

Also, to make this post just a little more gushy, I have to point out that a few of my favourite spots to eat, are not at all restaurants, but the homes of friends. I somehow managed to gather a group of amis who are fabulous cooks & who like to offer up their talents every now & again. Thank goodness for generous friends! (And not to toot my own horn, but I'm a pretty decent cook when I'm prepared... grocery shopping is a serious downfall of mine.)

Would it be too obvious to point out that this post is making me HUNGRY? Which is nearly impossible because I already had pizza/soup/a muffin and a bite of G's apple for dinner.

Photo source: Will

Day 02: Something I Ate Today

Pictured: A slice of ever so tasty veggie pizza.

Not pictured: An obscene amount of leftover Halloween chocolate. (Why, oh why, did I bring so much into the house?)

From The Waldorf School Book of Soups

I recently purchased a fabulous new cookbook titled The Waldorf School Book of Soups and earlier this week I tried out one of the recipes for the first time. It turned out so well that I wanted to share it with you!

Isn't the cover just so sweet?

I had meant to type this all out, but sheer laziness took over tonight (my gosh, it's nearly midnight already!) and so I snapped a few quick pics instead:

I cooked our soup on high for about 6-7 hours in order for all of the yummy carrots to be tender enough. If you cut yours into smaller bits it might not take quite so long. I also added a few extras (leftovers) from the fridge, ie. some lentils and tomatoes, so I didn't have enough room for the entire 6 cups of water that the recipe calls for, however, I fit about 2 in and it was fine and dandy. For the chicken I used two whole thighs, skinned.

Mmm! Our house smelled so incredibly fantastic as this recipe simmered away. There's nothing more satisfying than a simple crock pot meal. Minimal effort, maximum results! That's my kind of meal!

I'm not entirely sure how much soup this makes, but I can tell you we ate it for three days and Gretchen absolutely loved it. She was happy to eat it over and over again, sip, sip, slurp.

Happy slow cooking! If you happen to give this recipe a try, let me know how you liked it!

Peace & goodnight.

Lambic Float Love

Oh my goodness. I can't believe that I've never thought of doing this, but now I can't stop thinking about it!

What a perfect summer treat!

Source.