Turkey Soup Broth

Every time I make a turkey, I get excited about the thought of delicious broth to make soup with, why would I waste all that delicious flavour still in that mangled pile of meat and bones.

So I make broth.

It's pretty simple.

Turkey Soup Broth

In a large slow cooker

1 Turkey carcass (I had to squish mine in there)

2 carrots, whole

2 stalks of celery, whole

1 onion, quartered with skin on

2 bay leaves

4 peeled cloves of garlic

Cover with water and let cook on low for up to 8 hours.

This is actually the second round for these bones, earlier in the morning I boiled this same mixture on the stove in my huge dutch oven for an hour and got the first batch of delicious broth to make Turkey Soup with.

Strain the broth to get rid of bits of bones and meat and store in your favourite containers, I love old canning jars.

Now to make Turkey Soup!

~Adel~

Cheesy Hashbrown Potatoes

This deliciously easy side is a staple for family gatherings! 

I can't tell you how many casserole dishes of these I've made in the past couple years, but I know I bring one to every Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas gathering, plus the many times I bring it to other family gatherings or other communal meals with friends. I've started making mine in the slow cooker so I can have them without heating the kitchen in the summer or a great way to make more room in the oven for busy holiday meals, but it works great in the oven too! 

Cheesy Hashbrown Potatoes (Slow Cooker or Oven)

1/2 cup Butter (melted)

1 Onion, diced

2 cloves Garlic, minced or your favourite garlicky seasoning (like Johnny's from Costco...yum)

1 can cCondensed Mushroom Soup

1 cup Sour Cream (substitute Greek Yogurt for some or all)

250ml container of Herb & Garlic Cream Cheese

7 cups Frozen Hashbrowns (one of the smaller sized bags)

2 cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese

1/2 cup Corn Flakes

Slow Cooker: I like to brown my onions before tossing them in the slow cooker, but it's not necessary, just adds more flavour to the dish. Combine the melted butter, diced onion, garlic, soup, sour cream, cream cheese together in a saucepan and heat until all the cheese melts and everything mixes together in a gooey sauce. Add Hashbrowns to the slow coker and pour cheesy sauce over. Mix well and cook until potatoes are heated through, about 2-3 hours on high. Top with corn flakes before serving (you can put them under the broiler for a few minutes if you want the top to be golden brown.

Oven: Melt butter in a saucepan, add onions and cook until slightly browned. Add garlic, soup, sour cream, cream cheese together in a sauce pan and heat until all the cheese melts and everything mixes together in a gooey sauce. Mix with hashbrowns and pour into an oven safe dish. Top with corn flakes. Bake at 350 F for 30-40 minutes until sauce starts bubbling and the top is golden brown.

This recipe freezes really well, perfect for a big cook/freezer meal and makes a great alternative to Mashed Potatoes!

~Adel~

Peppermint Cookies

Peppermint cookies are a Christmas classic in our house, the first of the holiday baking and usually several batches later January 1st rolls around and we finally stop stuffing our faces!

My first introduction to these wonderful cookies was the special mommy care-package that would arrive frequently to one of my college roommates - a bucket of beautiful pink, soft, pepperminty cookies that I'm sure were a significant contributing factor to my "freshman 40". They were so good that it was one of the first recipes I sought out when I had my own kitchen and they've stuck with me since. They're a traditional Mennonite cookie, made by many an Oma - usually made with baking ammonia, but I've tried to update the recipe to use baking powder & baking soda instead.

Peppermint Cookies

Makes about 48 cookies

1/2 cup Butter

2 cups Sugar

2 Eggs

2 cups Heavy Cream (Whipping Cream)

2 tsp. Peppermint Extract or 2 drops Pure Peppermint Essential Oil

5 & 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour

2 Tbsp. Baking Powder

1 tsp. Baking Soda

2 Tbsp. Cornstarch

Peppermint Butter Icing

Long Shredded Sweetened Coconut

Cream the butter. Add sugar and eggs, beat well. Add remaining wet ingredients. Mix dry ingredients and add to wet. Refrigerate in plastic wrap for 2 hours - overnight. Roll dough about 1 cm -1/2 inch thick for a soft fluffy cookie, thinner if you like a crisper one. Cut in circles and bake at 375 for 6-7 minutes or until the bottoms start to brown.

Cool on a wire rack then ice with Peppermint Butter Icing. Sprinkle tops with coconut and serve.

These cookies can be adapted to any holiday, just change the colour of the icing or the shape of the cookie. I make mine round, but shapes work well too. These cookies freeze really well (I actually prefer them frozen).

Happy Baking!

~Adel~

Bunny Snack

Bunny Snack

12 oz (about 2 cups) White Melting Chocolate

8 cup Air-Popped Popcorn

1bag (357g) Spring M&Ms or mini eggs

2 cups pretzel sticks (broken in half)

Melt chocolate in microwaveable container for 30 seconds at a time until melted. Combine popcorn, pretzel sticks and m&m's in a large bowl. Pour melted chocolate over other ingredients slowly, stopping to mix in occasionally until all the popcorn, pretzels & candy are coated.

Pour on a cookie sheet lined with waxed paper to cool and harden before serving.

Great sweet & salty snack - we call it Bunny Crack in our house so beware!

Happy Easter.

~Adel~

Strawberry Paska & Strawberry Glaze

It's Easter time again and that means Paska!

After a conversation with my sister-in-law last night, I was inspired to experiment with Paska and come up with something fun instead of my usual citrus version. It's so yummy, but I was up for some fun! Try this sweet bread for your Easter breakfast.

If you want to see the Paska making process from last year's Paska fun, check out my Easter Bread post!

Strawberry Paska

1 Tbsp Traditional Yeast

1/2 cup Warm Water

1 tsp Sugar

1 cup Strawberry Puree

2/3 cup Warm Milk

1/4 Melted Butter

1 egg

1/3 cup Sugar

1/2 tsp Salt

4 cups Flour

Combine yeast, warm water and 1 tsp sugar into a bowl and let sit until frothy (about 5 minutes).

Combine strawberry puree, warm milk, melted butter, egg, sugar, and salt together in a mixer. Mix well. Add in yeast mixture. Mix in flour slowly; 1 cup at a time, switching to a dough hook at about 3 cups. You may have to add more or less flour to make a soft dough that pulls away from the sides of the bowl when it is mixing. Knead for about 8 minutes. 

Let rise in a warm place for 1-1 &1/2 hour until doubled. Punch down and let rise another 10 minutes. Grease pans. Make 2 loaves or buns and let rise for 1 more hour.

Preheat oven to 350F.

Bake for 20 minutes or until golden on top. Cool before serving or icing.

Strawberry Glaze
1/4 cup Butter
1/2 cup Cream Cheese
1 & 3/4 cup Icing Sugar
1/4 cup Mashed Strawberries

Combine all ingredients in a mixer until all ingredients are smooth. Dip strawberry paska to glaze.

Delicious and sweet. Perfect for spring.

~Adel~

Coconut Paska

Trying something new - a coconutty twist on the traditional Paska recipe! Makes a great dessert after your Easter meal. 

If you want to see the Paska making process from last year's Paska fun, check out my Easter Bread post!

Coconut Paska

1 Tbsp Traditional Yeast

1/2 cup Warm Water

1 tsp Sugar

1/2 cup Shredded Coconut

1 Tbsp Coconut Extract

1 cup Warm Milk

1/4 Melted Butter

1 egg

1/3 cup Sugar

1/2 tsp Salt

4 cups Flour

Icing:
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup Cream Cheese
1 3/4 cup Icing Sugar
1 tsp coconut extract
1/4 cup shredded coconut

Combine yeast, warm water and 1 tsp sugar into a bowl and let sit until frothy (about 5 minutes).

Combine coconut, coconut extract, warm milk, melted butter, egg, sugar, and salt together in a mixer. Mix well. Add in yeast mixture. Mix in flour slowly - 1 cup at a time, switching to a dough hook at about 3 cups. You may have to add a little more or less flour to make a soft dough that pulls away from the sides of the bowl when it is mixing. Knead for about 8 minutes. 

Let rise in a warm place for 1 to 1&1/2 hours until doubled. Punch down and let rise another 10 minutes. Grease pans. Make 2 loaves or buns and let rise for 1 more hour.

Preheat oven to 350F.

Bake for 20 minutes or until golden on top. Cool before icing or serving.

Icing:
Combine butter, cream cheese, icing sugar and cocount extract until smooth. Spread on top of coconut paska and top with shredded coconut. Use remaining icing to spread on individual slices as desired.

Enjoy something new!

~Adel~

Leftover Lamb Pie

We had Roasted Lamb and I made WAY too much so here's a fabulous recipe for using up the leftovers.

4 Potatoes (I use yellow potatoes), cut into 1" chunks

3 Carrots, cut into 1" chunks

1 Yam (the orange one), cut into 1 " chunks

1 Sweet Potato (the white one), cut into 1 " chunks

4 cups Lamb, cooked & diced (use left over from Roasted Lamb)

1 Tbsp Butter

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

1/2 cup Flour

1 Onions, diced

4 Cloves Garlic, minced

1/2 bottle (about 1 & 1/2 cups) Red Wine

2 Tbsp Tomato Paste

 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice

1 tsp. Onion Powder

1/2 Tbsp Rosemary (dried or fresh)

1/2 tsp Thyme (dried or fresh)

 1 package pie pastry (with two shells, defrosted) or make your own or 1/2 pkg puff pastry

Preheat oven to 350 F. Boil cut potatoes and carrots for 10 minutes, strain. Toss potatoes, carrots, yams & sweet potatoes together with 2 Tbsp Olive Oil and 1/2 tsp salt and spread on a baking sheet. Bake uncovered for 20-30 minutes until everything is tender.

While the veggies are roasting, toss cubed lamb with flour. Heat butter and olive oil in a skillet. Brown lamb until it has a nice golden crust on all the pieces. Set aside in a separate dish.

In the skillet (used for browning the meat), cook onions until slightly browned. Return lamb to skillet and add garlic, wine, tomato paste, onion powder, rosemary, and thyme. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add roasted veggies once they are done.

Prepare pie plate. If using pie pastry, line the bottom of the plate with one and save one for the top. If you are using puff pastry for the top, just grease the pan.

Add the lamb filling to the prepared pie shell or plate. Cover with 2nd pastry or puff pastry. Cut a few holes for steam to escape. 

Bake for 25-30 minutes until pastry is golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes then cut and serve.

This recipe easily doubles and freezes well.

mmmm....lamb pie! 

For more Freezer Friendly ideas for your Big Cook Day, check out my Freezer Meals page.

~Adel~

Easter Water Table

It was a beautiful day here on the "wet coast". It actually felt like summer if you were in the sun! Lady & Bug spent the day outside enjoying the sunshine and what could be better than a big bin full of water, plastic Easter eggs and glass stones. Nothing like finding an activity that will consume their every waking moment for an entire day! 

First I emptied a plastic bin I found in the garage. Makes a great water table...who needs to spend $100  on one of those fancy ones...just put it on a low table on the deck.

I added glass stones (5 bags) that I got from the dollar store (best $5 I've spent on them...can't wait to use these again and again!)

Tossed in the plastic eggs for the Easter egg hunt on Sunday...why not use them for more than just Easter!

Then filled the tub with warmish water (and kept refilling as the water got tossed overboard).

Added some spray bottles, spoons & small bowls to make it a little more fun (Lady is obsessed with her spray bottles as you can see).

They played and played and played and played...

The sun finally went down and it got too cold to play outside - 8 hours of fun from one little tub of water.

We are doing this again!

~Adel~

Paska (Easter Bread)

Yum. It's Paska day in the Ladybug house!

Paska has become an annual tradition since I was about 18 and moved to a city that is predominately of either Indian or Mennonite heritage. You can't escape the Butter Chicken & Daal and you can't escape the Vareniki & Paska. So rather than fight it, I've joined in and slowly learned to enjoy and cook these wonderful things.

It's almost Easter so that means it's time to make some Paska (Easter Bread). My favourite recipe is Lovella's Paska from Mennonite Girls Can Cook, it's sweet and citrusy. I've also tried to make some other interesting versions..strawberry paska and coconut paska, both good, but Lovella's is still my favourite!


I grated my orange & lemon with a fine grater, then cut off the white part so it was just the juicy fruit left.

Then I wizzed up the grated peels & the fruit in my magic bullet.

Combined all my ingredients in a mixing bowl and added the flour until I had a soft dough, then let it rise.

Put it in loaf tins & let rise again.

Add the Frosting (recipe below) and sprinkles...the most important part!

I don't use Lovella's icing recipe, here's the one I use.

Paska Icing

1/2 cup Butter, softened
250g (8oz) Cream Cheese, softened
3 & 1/2 cups Icing Sugar
1 Tbsp Vanilla
2 Tbsp Cream (or more to desired consistency)

So happy for the sunshine today.
Mmmm...Tastes like Spring!

~Adel~

Easter Monster Cookies

Easter Monster Cookies

1 & 1/4 cup Brown Sugar

1 cup White Sugar

3 Eggs

1/2 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Vanilla

1 & 1/2 cup Peanut Butter (I use crunchy)

1/2 cup Butter, softened

2 tsp Baking Soda

4 & 1/2 cup Quick Oats (not the instant kind)

1/2 cup Flour* (optional)

3/4 cup Spring M&M's

1/4 cup Chocolate Chips

Combine the eggs & sugars in a mixer until smooth. Add salt, vanilla, peanut butter & butter. Mix well. Add baking soda, oats & flour (optional). Add the candies & chocolate and mix carefully by hand so the M&M's don't break.

Using an ice cream scoop, drop large balls of dough on the cookie sheet. Ensure there is lots of space for cookies to spread out on the pan. Press a little dent in the dop of each with the back of the scoop and place an M&M in the centre.

Bake one pan at a time at 350F for 8-10 minutes on the middle rack. Careful not to over bake.

* these cookies will still be great without flour if you need this option, just a little less structure.

~Adel~

Dying Easter Eggs

First I boiled a dozen eggs, then I made the dyes. (40 drops food colouring, 2 tsp. white vinegar, 1 cup hot water)

I put everything out on the lawn in the back yard & put the kids in clothes that I didn't mind them getting dirty (Lady was not happy about this at all).

Then we dipped eggs in the dyes.

Beautiful eggs.

Then we ate them for lunch! 

~Adel~