If you haven't check out the recipe here, or watch our simple how-to video here. This soup is so easy, but a classic comfort food and really shouldn't be missed.

Well, here's a very short history of my twist on the classic:

When I was little, my mother used to take me to a soup and sandwich shop at least once a week – it was called Broadway Gourmet – and I would nearly always order the same thing: split pea soup.

The thing about this soup was that it didn't feature just plain old ham. It was chock full of cubed kielbasa. I still think of pea soup as something that should have sausage in it, even though that isn't traditional in the slightest.

There's nothing like a hot bowl of comforting sausage and pea soup for dinner.

I regularly make my split pea soup with kielbasa or smoked sausage, rather than ham. I made some last night by taking our classic recipe above, omitting the ham hock, replacing the water with chicken stock and stirring in 1 cup of diced kielbasa about 15 minutes before serving.

Delicious!

Do you love pea soup, too?

• Reveal your closet food addiction, for a chance to WIN!
• Cherry Love
• Guest post: Top 5 reasons to bake cookies right now, plus 7 fall cookie recipes
• Beat your holiday “blas” for only $1.49
• Best candy apple recipe contest entry: The Blushing Porcupine

-----

Single, dating, or married, as Valentine’s Day looms before us our thoughts are turned to one thing -- chocolate, of course! Make this the year to break away from the regular old store-bought chocolates, and try making them yourself. Not only do homemade truffles taste better than most store bought Valentine’s Day offerings, it’s just plain cool to be able to say that you made them yourself.

These truffle recipes require no fancy ingredients or equipment, and take very little time to make. Truffles are quick and easy to make – much easier than their retail cachet would have you think! Even a novice cook can turn these babies out, with very little effort, stress, or cost.

While chocolate chips are an unusual medium for truffle making, they are easy to find, and lack the sticker shock that comes with the more traditional chocolate options. Anyone can make these truffles at home, with common ingredients, for only about $5.00/~ 30 truffles!

White Chocolate Almond Amaretto Truffles. Recipe & photo copyright Celebration Generation

White Chocolate Almond Amaretto Truffles

10 oz white chips
1/4 cup cream
3 tbsp Amaretto
2 tbsp butter
Finely chopped almonds

Place white chocolate chips into a glass mixing bowl, and put aside.

On stove top, bring heavy whipping cream, and butter to a boil. Stir well, remove from heat, and stir in Amaretto.

Pour hot cream mixture into bowl of chocolate chips. Let sit for 3-5 minutes. Starting in the middle of the bowl, slowly start stirring the chocolate and cream until all of the chocolate is melted, and the has disappeared into it – it should be smooth.

Cover with plastic wrap, preferably resting right on top of the surface – this prevents a skin from forming while it cools. Chill in the fridge for at least an hour or two, until it’s pretty solid.

Once solid, scoop out small balls (a teaspoon or so), and roll them into balls. Try to handle the chocolate as quickly / gently as possible, or it will melt.

Once all of the ganache is rolled into balls: wash and dry hands, then roll ganache centers in the chopped almonds. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Milk Chocolate "Bananas Foster" Truffles. Recipe and photo copyright Celebration Generation.

Milk Chocolate "Bananas Foster" Truffles

10-11 oz bag good quality milk chocolate chips
½ cup heavy whipping cream
3/4 tsp banana extract
3/4 tsp rum extract
1/4-1/2 tsp cinnamon
Finely chopped pecans

Place milk chocolate chips into a glass mixing bowl, and put aside.

In a small saucepan, combine heavy whipping cream, extracts, and cinnamon. Heat to a boil, remove from heat.

Pour hot cream mixture into bowl of chocolate chips. Let sit for 3-5 minutes. Starting in the middle of the bowl, slowly start stirring the chocolate and cream until all of the chocolate is melted and the cream has disappeared into it – it should be smooth.

Cover with plastic wrap, preferably resting right on top of the surface – this prevents a skin from forming while it cools. Chill in the fridge for at least an hour or two, until it’s pretty solid. Once solid, scoop out small amounts (a teaspoon or two), and roll them into balls. Try to handle the chocolate as quickly as possible, or it will melt.

Once all of the ganache is rolled into balls: wash and dry hands, then roll ganache centers in pecan chips. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Marie has a ton more easy truffle recipes in her cookbook, The Spirited Baker (Celebration Generation, 2010)! Photo copyright Celebration Generation.

---

Marie shares more super-easy truffle recipes, and more fun boozy desserts, in her cookbook The Spirited Baker. Thanks for another great guest post, Marie!

• A farewell giveaway, filled with love
• Two tasty places to visit in Orlando, Florida
• Eating chocolate is as healthy as exercising?
• Strawberries and Chocolate
• Roundup: This week’s best food posts

With a heavy heart, I am leaving Canadian Living to join the team as senior editor of our brand new sister publication -- Juice -- launching in print and online in April. This is my last week as web food editor at Canadian Living.

I can barely describe the pleasure it has been to work for such a genuine magazine and a caring group of people. They took me on as a fledgling, ambitious intern 6 years ago and grew me into the editor I am today. This team has celebrated in all my life's joys, and supported me whenever the chips were down. I will always consider Canadian Living as my home base, and the Canadian Living team my family.

(I hope they'll still let me snack from the Test Kitchen..)

And a Valentine's thank-you giveaway to my readers!
I have also thoroughly enjoyed getting to know you, the readers of Canadian Living. It's through interaction with you that I understand how food and recipes online serve you best. As a thank-you, I have 2 wonderful, Valentine's-themed Metro gift baskets to give away!

Included in each basket is one of:

• Irresistibles Swiss Milk Chocolate
• Irresistibles Mocktails
• Irresistibles French Roast Cafe
• Irresistibles Maple Syrup
• Irresistibles Chocolate Pecan Clusters
• Irresistibles Scottish Shortbread
• Irresistibles Cheese Crackers

Start date: January 31, 2012
End date: Feb 3, 2012 at 9:00 am
Winners notified by email: Feb 3, 2012
What to do: Leave a comment in the Comments section below, and I'll pick 2 random winners on Friday morning.

Thank you again, staff and readers of Canadian Living, for sharing in the best 6 years of my life. Come find me on Juice in April.

xoxo,
Colleen

February 3 update: Two randomized winners have been notified via email. Check your inboxes!

• Guest post: Easiest-ever chocolate truffles recipes
• WIN a giant box filled with PC holiday goodies!
• Top 5 reasons why I can’t wait to cook with Chef Michael Smith
• Do you love Chef Michael Smith? Read this!
• Updated: Tweet for your chance to win tickets to the Shellfish Festival with celeb chef Curtis Stone

----

By Alexandra Ward

If there’s a more natural Canadian pairing than hockey and alcohol, I haven’t found it. Traditionally, the first drink that comes to mind when you think of hockey is -- beer. But as I learned last nigh at the Hockey Hall of Fame, the times are a-changing! Not to mention the palates of former NHL players.

Canadian hockey legend and former Toronto Maple Leaf, Johnny Bower, was on hand last night to help launch the new, exclusive Hockey Hall of Fame wines developed by Diamond Estates.

“At my age wine is terrific, more so than hockey,” he shared.

Wine lover and former Maple Leaf goalie, Johnny Bower

For those of you not raised as Leaf fans, Bower was the goalie in net the last time the Leafs won the Stanley Cup in 1967.

New! Hat Trick wines, made exclusively for the Hockey Hall of Fame

The NHL Alumni Association has paired with Diamond Estates to launch Hat Trick wines (seen in image above). Hat Trick Red is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Shiraz. Hat Trick White is a blend of Gewurztraminer, Riesling and Chardonnay-Muscat. Proceeds from the sale of each bottle go to the NHL Alumni Association to support various charitable causes and promote the game of hockey in Canada. Both are available now at the LCBO for just $12.95 per bottle, and will roll out across Canada in coming months.

Winemaker Tom Green from Diamond Estates

Winemakers Tom Green and Scott McGregor recommend pairing the white with salads and light chicken meals -- avoiding heavy cream-based sauces. When enjoying the red, they suggest sticking with barbecue and burgers.

-----

Thanks Alex! Are you more inclined to buy a bottle of wine if proceeds go to charity, or do you buy for value?

• Where to eat in Puerto Vallarta
• See Chef Curtis Stone live at the International Shellfish Festival in PEI!

Well, last night, it was yours truly who was in that very situation! I was starving and knew I only had about T-minus 15 minutes before I started getting, as a friend of mine calls it, hangry.*

Here's what I whipped together in under 15 minutes (and no one got hurt!):

Whole Wheat Pasta Salad With Salmon

1. Cook 1 pkg (375 g) whole wheat penne according to package directions; drain and rinse under cold water until completely cooled.

2. Meanwhile, open and drain 2 cans (170 g each) salmon.

3. Flake salmon and mix with:

• about 1/2 cup of light mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup each finely chopped green onions and celery
• a finely chopped baby dill pickle
• the juice of a small-ish lemon
• a hefty sprinkling each of paprika (sweet, hot or smoked), dried dillweed (fresh dill is even better) and freshly ground pepper
• a pinch of salt

4. Mix the salmon mixture with the pasta and serve with a little something green on top, if you have it. I nearly always have some sort of fresh herb on hand, even if it's just parsley or a little bit of extra green onion.

Easy pasta and salmon salad, straight from the pantry

I've always adored tuna or salmon pasta salads. My Mum and I would go to the local sandwich shop all the time when I was little and they always had one just like this on the menu.

Variations and tips:

• Instead of dill and chopped pickles, you could add a spoonful of pesto and a few sliced olives, capers or chopped roasted red peppers.
• Use whatever short chubby pasta shape you have on hand. Whole wheat, spelt, kamut, or even white pasta are all ideal candidates.
• Don't have salmon? Use tuna or 2/3 cup of shredded cooked chicken. Even little salad shrimp will work.
• Want to add in some leftover vegetables? Try grated carrot, finely chopped cucumber or diced red pepper.
• Taking it for lunch the next day? You may want to make a little extra dressing. The pasta absorbs the dressing and the flavours can become a bit dilute after sitting in the fridge.

Do you get hangry, too, or is it just me?

*Hangry: (adjective) A portmanteau mixing the words "hungry" and "angry".

Example: "I was so hangry by the time Larry got home, I ended up making him eat dinner in the garage."

• Instant dinner fixes from the Canadian Living team
• 10 New Year’s food resolutions that don’t punish you
• Interview & recipes with Anna Silk, star of Lost Girl on Showcase
• Healthy weekend breakfast recipe: tender, fluffy whole wheat pancakes
• A healthy breakfast: homemade, crunchy, low-fat granola recipe

Mexico is dear to my heart as I was married near Cancun, and Puerto Vallarta is no exception. It's a magical place filled with friendly people, exceptional food, beautiful art and breathtaking scenery.

If you find yourself in Puerto Vallarta, or just need to dream a little, here are some places I recommend:

The Villa Premiere Hotel & Spa
This lovely spa hotel is on the northern part of town. Nothing says dinner like a fantastic serenade from a local mariachi band:

A serenade at the Villa Premiere Hotel

Enjoy a bowl of tri-colour squash soup. Mexicans know a thing or two about turning the humble squash into a work of art:

Tricolour squash soup at the Villa Premiere

The El Dorado Restaurant & Bar, Los Muertos Beach
Soak in the ocean air as you dine on dishes by acclaimed local food advocate and owner Chef Guillermo Wulff:

Pulled pork meets local shrimp meets fresh avocado on mini baked tostadas. Everything is possible in Puerto Vallarta:

Beachside tastes better: Pulled pork, shrimp, avocado & tomato tostadas

Las Caletas
Take a day trip out to Las Caletas, a small island full of unbelievable creatures:

See the symbiotic wee fish on the left living in the folds of this jellyfish

And lunch on Mexican fare, including traditional Mexican hot chocolate served in a giant warm clay vessel after swimming around the ocean with the fishes.

Sip Mexican hot chocolate done the traditional way in a clay pot after a day of snorkling at Las Caletas

Le Kliff
It's worth the short drive south to Le Kliff, a restaurant built into the side of a cliff that overlooks the rainforest and the ocean. Fun fact: Across the road is where they filmed the movie, Predator. (awesome!)

Peer into the lush rainforest from the edge of a cliff, at Le Kliff

Watch the sunset from your perch at Le Kliff.

Ceviche caught that morning served in a coconut is my kind of appetizer:

Enjoy tropical ceviche from locally-caught seafood at Le Kliff

Tequila Corner
Go for a tequila tasting at Tequila Corner, a small tequila shop in the heart of Puerto Vallarta's Art district. Here you'll find high-end tequilas not available anywhere else in the world, and great staff willing to teach you all you ever wanted to know.

We discovered the difference between silver, gold and "white" tequilas.

El Arrayon
You can't leave Puerto Vallarta without going to El Arrayan, a small restaurant working hard to retain and reintroduce traditional Mexican foods. Check out the menu here. Expand your horizons with a cricket taco, or 'Chapulines'! Crickets are closely related to shrimp. It was crunchy with smokey, almost shrimpy flavour. Tequila helped, I have to admit.

Expand your horizons with a traditional cricket taco at El Arrayan, post-tequila is recommended

And for dessert, baked squash so caramelized and gooey one would swear it was packed with dairy:

Polish it all off with a gooey traditional dessert: baked squash.

My hosts told me you would have to stay in Puerto Vallarta for over a month before you started repeating restaurants. It was a culinary dream and a delight to visit.

What are some of your favourite Mexican foods? Would you eat a cricket taco?

• Guest post: The NHL Alumni Association launches a hockey-friendly wine!
• See Chef Curtis Stone live at the International Shellfish Festival in PEI!

One part crispy crackling, one part juicy, tender meat? Heck yes.

How to roast a pork belly:

• Take a slab of pork belly with the rind still attached (available in Chinatowns, everywhere). Often, you'll find they're about 1.5 kg, but any size will work.
• Score the skin in a 1-cm-wide cross-hatch pattern with a very sharp knife. A serrated knife works well, as the skin can be a bit tough to get through, especially if you don't have good knives. Don't cut too deeply – you basically want to just score through the rind and not too deeply into the fat.
• Rub all over with a bit of oil, a handful of Chinese five-spice, a couple of cloves of minced garlic, and some coarse sea salt. The five-spice is purely optional and this dish is actually absolutely out of this world, even with no seasonings at all.
• Place on a rack in a large roasting pan. Pour about 1 cup of water in the bottom of the roasting pan — just enough to cover the pan, but not enough to touch the roast. This is to prevent the stuff that drips off from burning to the bottom of the pan and smoking you out.
• Roast in a slow oven (about 275° to 300°F/130 to 150°C) for about 2 to 2-1/2 hours, adding more water to pan if it gets dry.

You know it's ready when the rind is translucent and brittle and the fat is golden, crispy and completely puffed up. If your belly meets this description, then you'll have the most tender, succulent meat, with a nice crisp crackling, topped with a shiny-as-glass, crunchy skin.

**Oven temperatures vary, so if the pork doesn't look like that yet, don't freak out – just turn up the temperature to 400°F (200°C) and flash-roast for an additional 1/2 hour, or until it's done.

Let it stand for 15 to 20 minutes before slicing— if you can keep your hands off it, that is.

If you want a dipping sauce, mix equal parts Chinese red or black rice vinegar and soy sauce and a few slices of green onion.

This dip also works great with pot-stickers or steamed dumplings.

Or, really, you can eat it just on its own, because it's that good. Then call me and thank me. Then go slap your mama. Unless your mama makes stuff like this already. In which case, give her a foot massage.

Have you made pork belly at home?

• Easy instant turkey pot pie made from leftovers
• How to make cheese at the cottage
• Fave fair foods: Perch Rolls
• How to become a pie samurai: Lattice-top raspberry peach pie
• Give Peas a Chance!

It's always fun to see the year in review, so I've compiled the Canadian Craving of the Month over the past 11 months, to give you the Top 11 Food Trends of 2011:

January 2011
Canadian Craving of the Month: Soup recipes - 760% increase over 2010
Jan 2011 analysis: "Diet-friendly and budget-friendly soup is the choice du jour for Canadians on this belt-tightening new year"
Image above: Hearty Tomato, Sausage and Bean Soup

February 2011
Canadian Craving of the Month: Quinoa - increased by 153% over 2010
Feb 2011 analysis: "This jump in quinoa requests shows home cooks are comfortable with this good-for-you grain this year and experimenting with new recipes. Quinoa and Chickpea Salad was also Canadian Living's March 2011 cover recipe, which may have fuelled the fire this month."
Image above: Quinoa and Chickpea Salad with Tomato Vinaigrette

March 2011
Canadian Craving of the Month: Quinoa - increased by 311% over 2010
March 2011 analysis: "Another quantum leap for quinoa this month. The only grain that doubles as a complete protein, the quinoa bump might also be related to a sharp rise in veganism in 2011, thanks in part to mega celebrity Oprah Winfrey and her 1-week vegan challenge earlier this year."
Image above: Tricolour Quinoa


April 2011
Canadian Craving of the Month: Cheesecake -increased 123% over 2010
April 2011 analysis: "While cheesecake is a popular year-round dessert, it makes a sunny end to spring dinners and especially Easter-themed feasts."
Image above: Wildflower Honey Cheesecake with Blueberry Compote

May 2011
Canadian Craving of the Month: Hamburger - up 20% over 2010
May 2011 analysis: "Apart from the die-hards who barbecue year-round, the month of May signals it's time to tune up the barbecues for another season. And the most popular thing on the grill? Hamburgers"
Image above: Blue Cheese-Stuffed Bacon Burgers

June 2011
Canadian Craving of the Month: Cheesecake - up 56% over 2010
June 2011 analysis: "Also the Canadian Craving back in April, rich, satisfying cheesecake is enjoying a delicious surge in popularity this year. Can you guess who's eating the most? The highest search volume comes out of Prince Edward Island!"
Image above: Cheesecake Pie with Rhubarb Sauce

July 2011
Canadian Craving of the Month: Chicken breasts - up 135% over 2010
July 2011 anlaysis: "While the top 10 this July remained fairly level with last year - burgers, salmon, salsa, etc. - chicken breasts leaped 135% to the 12th position, illustrating a huge revival in this lean, barbecue-friendly and flavour-neutral cut of meat. This trend suggests we'll see chicken breasts easily reach top 10 in August."
Image above: Italian-Style Chicken Breasts

August 2011
Canadian Craving of the Month: Salsa -  up 76% over 2010
August 2011 analysis: "Aside from all things salsa being local and in-season right now - tomatoes, peppers, onions and herbs - salsa is one of the easiest and most versatile home canning projects to take on. Whether you're a novice cook or professional chef, making salsa appeals to everyone."
Image above: Tomatillo Salsa

September 2011
Canadian Craving of the Month: Chicken breasts - up 336% over 2010
Analysis Sept 2011: "Wow! There’s the power of a sale. Major grocery chains across Canada had deals on boneless chicken breasts in September, translating into thousands of home cooks searching CanadianLiving.com for our Tested-Till-Perfect chicken breast recipes."
Image above: Chicken, Peach and Spinach Salad

October 2011
Canadian Craving of the Month: Slow cooker - up 855% over 2010
October 2011 analysis: "Slow cookers are becoming as essential as toasters in Canadian kitchens, and CanadianLiving.com has hundreds of Tested-Till-Perfect slow cooker recipes to choose from. We’re not surprised to see this as Canada’s craving of the month, and expect to see the numbers grow steadily as snowy weather creeps upon us."
Image above: Slow Cooker Spinach Ravioli Soup

November 2011
Canadian Craving of the Month: Chicken breasts - up 186% over 2010
Nov 2011 analysis: "Further analysis reveals we’re craving stuffed chicken breasts: pounded and baked chicken wrapped around cheeses, veggies and meats like prosciutto and ham. Tasty, elegant, and so easy to do!"
Image above: Leek and Cheese Chicken Breasts

2011 was the year of quinoa, chicken and cheesecake. Sounds like a meal to me. What was your biggest craving of 2011?

Stay tuned for December 2011's Food Trends press release on January 4, 2012!

• Summer quinoa salad recipe with three dressing options

Many of you are already planning to never eat delicious cookies like this again!

The sad part is that I can’t think of one resolution that isn't a) some kind of "I'm so fat" punishment, b) completely unrealistic or c) all of the above.

Eat less!

No more carbs!

No more alcohol!

Never eat chocolate again!

Lose xx pounds by Valentine's Day!

Fit into that dress I wore in 2002... by March!

Work out every day for 14 zillion hours!

How many times have we all made resolutions just like these? I know I have. And how effective have they been?

Oh yes, that's right — they haven't been effective AT ALL.

Now how refreshing would it be to choose to make resolutions that are a little kinder to YOU? That are achievable? Resolutions that celebrate life, rather than set us up for failure?

Here are my 10 food-friendly resolutions for 2012. And guess what? You won’t find one among them that involves giving up chocolate.

1. Eat extremely deliciously — every day. I hereby vow to only eat food that I find absolutely delicious. If it's not ridiculously tasty, it doesn't make it into my belly. I will also make a special point to eat something that really thrills me every once in a while. I shall eat it mindfully, savouring every bite. Doesn't have to be unhealthy. Just has to be scrumptious.

2. If I want something decadent, I get to have it! Gone are the days of “no more (fill in the blank)." If I want a butter tart, I’m eating the damn thing. Not 10 of them. It's not about that. But I'll eat it and I'll love it. Especially if it’s made using real ingredients... with love.

3. Take time to enjoy food. How many meals have I crammed into my maw without even thinking about it? Savour it!

4. Enjoy ingredients at their peak. Sure, those local, in-season strawberries sometimes cost more than the imported ones. But they are sooooo much better — and not all giant and weird. Plus, in eating locally, you’re supporting your local farmers and food producers, which is extremely valiant, if you ask me. Bring on the Niagara wine!!

5. Let friends help. I promise to invite my friends and family over more often and celebrate delicious food with them. And in the process, I will not get all control freaky. I will actually let them do something to help. I hereby relinquish control!

6. Cook from scratch, just for kicks. I will make something time-consuming every once in a while just for the fun of it! I enjoy making bread more than just about anything in this world. So why not do it?

7. Eat more! And by that, I mean I will not go 7 hours without eating, only to become a ravenous beast who will hoover up anything in her path. I will eat breakfast, lunch, dinner. And snacks in between, if I'm hungry!

8. Throw out the bloody scale. I’ve never understood scales. Seriously? Do we really need to know how much we weigh in order to be healthy? I don’t know about you, but my weight can fluctuate up to 5 lbs from one day to the next, depending on the time of month, how much water I’ve had, etc. And that is perfectly normal. Why be a slave to those fluctuations? A tape measure is much better for your mental health. Torch the scale!

9. Regret nothing. Who wants to waste time feeling bad about food choices? Not this lady. Last time I checked, a shame spiral didn’t fix anything. And frankly, I am exactly who I’m meant to be. Lumps and all.

10. Have fun. I will dance around like a fool, every day. Possibly while making dinner. Possibly without pants on. Unless I'm making something that spatters, in which case, the pants stay on.

Me, really enjoying a deeelicious smoked meat sandwich (from Schwartz's Deli in Montreal) — without regret.

What resolutions do you resolve to give up, this year?

• The easiest pantry-friendly weeknight pasta salad
• Instant dinner fixes from the Canadian Living team
• Interview & recipes with Anna Silk, star of Lost Girl on Showcase
• 2 easy & sustainable fish recipes, just for the halibut…
• Little Chefs Make Culinary Magic

Iron Chef Cat Cora, and me

Back in October, I met the inspiring Cat Cora for her launch of Cat Cora cookware by Starfrit, available exculsively at Walmart stores across Canada. Cora is a stickler for eco-friendliness, and ensures a charitable element is a part of each product. If you need last-minute gifts for the picky foodie on your list, here are two I think are great:

Maple Wood Butcher Block, $69.94
This block is made from 100% Canadian maple recycled flooring pieces, and assembled in a small Quebec factory that employs 200 developmentally delayed adults who wouldn't otherwise have means. This board sits above the counter and can breathe, so it won't get moldy underneath.

Hard Anodized Fry Pan, $25
Her frying pans are hard anodized, meaning they are stick-resistant without the toxic spray coating that eventually wears off into your food. And notice the long handle - it keeps hands away from the heat and also slim enough for people with smaller hands. "I'm smaller, y'know," Cora explains in her Southern accent. "But I can pick this long handle up with two hands. I usually need to do that with a stir-fry."

And, of course I took this opportunity to bend Cat Cora's ear on how the rest of us can develop cooking skills like hers.

Q. How do you develop a palate like a chef?
Cat Cora: Pick one thing you're really good at, and experiment with it. The best thing to use is a roasted chicken - that's what they make young chefs do in culinary school because it's easy and forgiving. Experiment with seasonings like curry, fennel, citrus - mix it up! Then you'll build up your senses, your brain, your nose and your palate. You figure out what you like, what you react to, and what you absolutely love.

And the younger you start developing your palate, the better. Get your kids eating herbs and spices so they'll have great palates when they're adults, but it's never too late to start. Like I said, practice on the chicken.

Q. What are some Iron Chef tips you can give to amateur home cooks hoping to enter a competition?
Cat Cora: Just tune everything else out. If you don't know what to do, put your head down into your food and just start prepping something. And taste as you go along! The bottom line is it doesn't matter how pretty your dish looks if the taste is off. -- young chefs always make that big mistake. Don't worry about making it pretty and then trying to find the taste later, if you do that you'll fail miserably!

Q. What's happening now in your charity, Chefs for Humanity?
Cat Cora: We just donated $150,000 to the United Nations World Food Program for their SAFE stoves initiative that benefits women. Most developing nations have open fires in their places of residence with no ventilation -- a major health hazard for women. Also, women and girls are the foragers of the world. They are the ones to collect firewood, but unfortunately that's when a lot of sexual assault happens. We try to avoid this with SAFE stoves, they work independently of firewood. My charity started SAFE stoves in Haiti and we'll move on to other places.

Q. Our Facebook fans wanted to know -- what's in Cat Cora's turkey stuffing?
Cat Cora: [laughs] We do caramelized mushrooms, lots of fresh rosemary and oregano, garlic, and good bread that we dice up into big bite-sized pieces. I don't like my stuffing mushy, I like pieces I can bite into. I make homemade cranberry sauce that I like putting on top of my turkey stuffing, too.

I also like to take the stuffing out of the turkey and brown it a little so it gets crispy on top. Just a few minutes on 400˚F to 450˚F.

What's in your turkey stuffing? Is it like Cat Cora's, or different?

• Merry Masala - Cookies with an Indian Twist
• Canada Food Day
• Watermelon carving fun: Scary Angler Fish
• How-to: Roasted Spiced Pumpkin Seeds
• Easy as Pad Thai

Image by net_efekt's via Flickr

This January, I'm putting myself on a diet: A food waste diet.

If I stacked up all the convenience and takeaway food packages I used, meal ends that were thrown out, and unused produce that went bad in my fridge over the last year, I would be filled with shame at my thoughtlessness.

Between withrawing from the Kyoto Protocol and international criticism about our oil sands, the world is starting to think Canadians just don't care about the environment any more.

Well I still do, and the best way to make a huge reduction in your carbon footprint is to reduce household waste created by food. According to a 2009 Statistics Canada report:

In 2007, an estimated 38% of solid food available for retail sale was wasted, the equivalent of 183 kilograms per person.

That's 403 pounds of food wasted, per person, per year, in Canada.

Things that weigh 400 pounds: a female grizzly bear; a Welsh pony; an Orca whale. Put 35 million of these animals into a pile, and there's our waste for the year.

My easy food waste diet plan:
1. Bring leftovers for lunch
Not only will I avoid eating a second helping at night and risk throwing the rest of that dinner out, I will also avoid takeaway container waste the next day. Portion control meets food waste conscientiousness. This one is the silver bullet.

2. Turn vegetable bits into stock
Carrot peelings, leek ends, mushroom stems and cabbage cores can all have a second life in my slow cooker, transformed into vegetable stock.  And thanks to fellow blogger and our food director Annabelle Waugh, I know how to freeze stock into ice cube trays for easy use, any time.

3. Grocery shop with a plan
Having a menu plan in mind when hitting the grocery store means buying what you'll actually use, and not buying what you think you'll use. I can' t count how many times I've purchased a knobbly celeriac root with full intention to use it, and never have. I'll use our weekly Dinner Club recipes, which are also available on mobile so I can access them at the store.

Now this is a diet I feel really good about, finally!

Do you transport your lunches in Tupperware, Corningware, glass jars, metal containers or something else? I could use some advice on the best way to bring my dinners.

In researching for this blog post, I came across UK-based Love Food Hate Waste, whose interactive website has tons more tips for keeping food waste to a minimum.

• Canadian food news potluck: Maple madness
• Crunchy kale chips recipe (i.e. how to eat a bucket of kale per day)
• Summer quinoa salad recipe with three dressing options
• Does Canada Have a National Dish?
• Outtake from our August issue: blueberry scones with wild blueberry butter

So when I was assigned the task of making latkes for our family Hanukkah party this year, I knew exactly which recipe to turn to. My favourite traditional latke recipe is pretty darned simple. You just need to bear the, mess, oil-splattered kitchen, grease-scented home and oil-slicked skin–especially when making latkes for a crowd. But it's all worth it!

5-Ingredient Latkes

5-Ingredient Latkes

Ingredients:

1.Potatoes - I like Yukon gold.

2.Onions - Cooking onions do fine.

3.Flour - All-purpose please

4.Salt - Kosher (of course)

5.Eggs - Large

And canola or vegetable oil for frying (not counting this as an ingredient!)

Preparation
STEP 1:
Grate 4 potatoes and 1 onion with coarse grater blade on your processor. (Many purists swear to grating by hand, but I've had too many bloody knuckles)

Grate 4 potatoes and 1 onion

STEP 2:
In colander, squeeze as much moisture out of the potatoes as possible, but don't rinse. (Some people swear by rinsing the grated potatoes to keep them white, but then you rinse away all the potato starch that helps the shredded potato stick together.)

STEP 3.
Transfer potato and onion mixture to a large bowl. Using a fork, mix in 1 egg, 2 tbsp of all- purpose flour and 1/2 tsp kosher salt.

Mix ingredients with a fork

STEP 4:
On medium heat, heat oil about 1 cm deep in a large frying pan (we use an electric frying pan to get more latkes in the pan at once). Drop mixture by spoonfuls into the hot oil. (Make sure the oil is hot enough, it should bubble around the latke).

Drop by spoonfuls into hot oil

Use a fork to spread out the mixture for lacy, crispy latkes.

Spread mixture with fork

STEP 5:
Fry latkes 3 to 4 minutes per side. Turn using a lifter and a spoon, or an offset spatula to avoid splattering.

Frying latkes in hot oil

Golden and lacy

STEP 6:
Transfer to rack over towel-lined baking sheet. Serve immediately with sour cream or apple sauce. (We always ate sour cream at home in Edmonton, only when I moved to Toronto did I ever see applesauce served with potato latkes!)

Latkes for a crowd

To make ahead: Line baking trays with foil. Place cooled latkes on trays. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

To reheat: Place latkes on cooling rack over foil lined baking sheet. Bake in 400°F oven until hot and crispy, about 10 minutes.

What are your favourite type of latkes? Thin and crispy, thick and puffy (like at the deli), or multi-vegetable?

Applesauce or Sour Cream?

Wishing you all a Happy and healthy Hanukkah full of light, dreidels, and loads of latkes!

• How to make cheese at the cottage
• Canadian food news potluck: Good things come in pears
• 2 easy & sustainable fish recipes, just for the halibut…
• Alone in Sasquatch country, and too full to defend myself
• Fall mushroom hunt in Norfolk County

The 2012 festival (this coming year is the 10th!) will take place over 17 days from Monday, January 20 to Sunday, February 5. Reservations open January 9.

If you're anywhere near the Vancouver area (or plan to be), get yourself to this festival. Last year's highlights — for me — were about the street food. For example, trying several different interesting hotdogs from Japadog, (made famous during the Vancouver 2010 winter Olympics):

From front to back: the terimayo, the yakisoba and the okinomi - all fantastic!

... and eating The Re-Up Addictive BBQ's giant pulled pork sandwich, laden with tangy, creamy coleslaw:

I know what "re-up" means from watching HBO's, The Wire. So, basically, what I'm saying is that I'm very hip.

What's even more exciting for street food lovers like me is that this year, the festival will include something called Street Food City – a 3-day-long lunchtime event featuring the city’s top food carts.

But even if street food isn't your thing, this is the country's largest restaurant festival, people! It has over 225 participating restaurants. So you're bound to find something that tickles your fancy.

For more info, check out Tourism Vancouver's website.

It's hard to beat the food in Vancouver, but this country has so much to offer. Where is YOUR favourite place in Canada to dine out?

• Fun, festive champagne cocktail recipe
• Two tasty places to visit in Orlando, Florida
• Lunch with Ted Reader, the King of the Q, in Honey Harbour
• The best summer beverage: perfect cold-brewed iced tea
• Test Kitchen Outtakes! What you DIDN’T see in the July 2011 issue of Canadian Living

"My favorite holiday treat was all the homemade goodies my mother worked for weeks to prepare for our large family.  My mother made it well in advance and we were forbidden to touch it until Christas Eve.  One year mom and dad went out to some last minute shopping and we all decided to take all of the baking move it into different containers and put the empty storage tins back in their hiding place.  On Christmas Eve, we had all but forgotten what we had done until we heard my mother yell all six of our names to come to the living room.  She was sitting on the floor surrounded by empty containers in shock.  We quickly retrieved the baked goods and still tease her about the year we pulled the best practical joke ever."

A huge thanks to all 1,125 of you who shared your stories. Reading them made me tear up several times - how deeply we miss our mothers and grandmothers at this time of year. Happy holidays, everyone.

----------

When I received the following enormous box of President's Choice holiday treats in the mail last week, all I could think of was how excited I would have been as a kid to receive this:

What could possibly be in here? . . .

**delighted gasp!**

Chips! Pretzels! Crackers! Chocolates! Cookie mix! This package also includes a $50 Loblaw gift card for you, Mom or Dad. With all the entertaining and food shopping I know our readers are doing this time of year, I thought one of you would be thrilled to receive this as a fun prize to share with your family.

How to WIN this giant box of PC holiday goodies and a $50 Loblaw gift card:
In the Comments section below tell me what your most cherished holiday food is, and why. Is it the dinner rolls you used to make with your grandmother? Is it your mom's shortbread cookies you and your brother used to steal out of the freezer? Is it the popcorn you and your dad used to eat and string with cranberries for the tree? (all of these are my personal true stories!)

Start date: December 8, 2011
End date: December 15, 2011
Winner notified by email: December 15, 2011

Dig out those holiday food magic memories, and tell me below for your chance to win!

Dec 15th Update: The comments are now closed. I am now reading your stories to find a winner.
2nd update: I've chosen a winner. Check your inboxes, I'll have to choose another winner at 9am tomorrow to ship the prize in time for Christmas.

• Sowing Delicious Oats
• Fort York - For Baking, Not Battles!
• Easter Treat Roundup
• A visual tour of Israel’s fine falafels
• Popeye Power from Prince Edward County

OK, really... I just love drinking sparkling wine — in any format.

I recently had the immense pleasure of staying at the beautiful Graycliff Hotel in Nassau, Bahamas and they served the most delicious little champagne cocktail. At the time, surrounded by palms and blue skies, I wasn't particularly focused on the holiday season. But upon reflection, it would make a deliciously festive bubbly drink for any holiday occasion.

The Graycliff Champagne Cocktail — photo courtesy of Graycliff Hotel

Here is their recipe:

GRAYCLIFF CHAMPAGNE COCKTAIL
Makes 8

2 ounces apple brandy, such as Calvados
½ ounce orange liqueur, such as Grand Marnier
½ ounce black raspberry liqueur, such as Chambord
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons Simple Syrup
3 tablespoons chopped apple
2 dashes Angostura bitters
2 (750 ml) bottles dry Champagne
8 maraschino cherries, for garnish
8 orange wedges, for garnish
8 lime twists, for garnish

1. In a glass measuring cup, combine brandy, orange liqueur, black raspberry liqueur, simple syrup, apple, and bitters. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
2. Strain brandy mixture, discarding solids. Pour 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon strained liquid into each of 8 champagne flutes. Top with champagne. Garnish each glass with a cherry, orange wedge, and a lime twist. Serve immediately.

Simple syrup is easy enough to make and is a great thing to have on hand for mixing cocktails. Just combine equal parts granulated sugar and water in a saucepan, then bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Turn off the heat and let it cool.

Are you a purist or do you enjoy sparkling wine in a mixed drink, too?

• A real treat: Dine Out Vancouver Restaurant Festival!
• 3-ingredient Smoothies
• Two tasty places to visit in Orlando, Florida
• Easy instant turkey pot pie made from leftovers
• Lunch with Ted Reader, the King of the Q, in Honey Harbour

This time 9 boys, most of whom are about 9 years old, divided and conquered the tasks to create Canadian Living's Pad Thai, in the Science Lab during their after school cooking program. The kids each have a cutting board (secured with a wet dishtowel) a knife and bowl. They divide up the tasks, so each concentrates on one or two tasks, then adds their ingredient to the others to complete a meal. What a simple yet brilliant approach to teamwork!

By sharing the work, the culinary whiz kids, chopped,

Make your eyes water shallots

Meticulously sliced peppers

Cutting shrimp in half

measured,

Trying to get the fish sauce out of the bottle

and sauteed ,

Frying garlic and shallots

Shrimp turning pink as they cook

their way to piping hot dinner (to take home in containers) in under 1 hour.

Ready to take dinner home

Pad Thai ready for home

What is so special about cooking with burgeoning chefs is both their enthusiasm and their honesty. When I passed around fish sauce for a sniff, I chuckled at the responses: Fish sauce, they told me, smells like, "stinky feet" "ear wax" and "Parmesan cheese."

I love cooking with young chefs, exposing them to new and sometimes unfamiliar tastes and aromas on a voyage of discovery.

It reminds me how valuable it is to have time in the kitchen (or Science Lab) with kids.

What is your most memorable kitchen moment?

• 5 Fantastic Food Ideas
• Roundup: This week’s best food posts
• Top 5 reasons why I can’t wait to cook with Chef Michael Smith
• Easy Halloween candy recipe: Harry Potter Sugar Mice
• Share your best kitchen shortcut to WIN!

I'm happy to report they were a raging success. My husband ate 4 of them.

Gluten-Free California Walnut Crepes with Raspberries, Candied Walnuts & Maple Creme Fraiche

Gluten-Free California Walnut Crepes with Raspberries, Candied Walnuts and Maple Creme Fraiche

Walnut flour:
The night before, toast your California walnuts lightly. Once cooled, place nuts into a freezer-safe bag and freeze overnight. Freezing helps the nuts retain structure so you don't end up with walnut butter.

The next morning, pulse walnuts in food processor a handful at a time, adding granulated sugar as necessary to get rid of excess moisture, I added about 2 tsp per handful of walnuts. Pulse until you get about 1/2 cup of  coarse walnut meal, like this:

Walnut meal - any further pulsing than this and you'll end up with walnut butter.

Maple Creme Fraiche
Also the night before, combine 1/2 cup sour cream (I used 5% fat), 1/2 cup whipping cream (the real deal - 35%), and 1/4 cup maple syrup in a glass jar. Shake, and leave on the counter overnight to thicken.

Candied Walnuts
I knew the crepes could use some crunch, so in the morning made this easy Canadian Living Candied Walnuts recipe, which uses a hints of cinnamon and cayenne for an earthy kick.

Gluten-Free Walnut Crepes
5 eggs
3/4 cups Walnut Flour
2 tbsp water
2 tsp raw honey
pinch of salt
unsalted butter, for frying
Filling:
Fresh raspberries
Candied Walnuts
Maple Creme Fraiche
Maple syrup, optional

In bowl, whisk together first 5 ingredients. Set in fridge for 15 minutes to thicken.

Heat 1 tsp of butter in crepe pan on medium-low. Whisk walnut crepe batter again, then pour 3 to 4 tbsp of batter into the pan and swirl around so batter spreads evenly to the edges. When the edges are cooked and you smell toasty walnuts (about 2 minutes), flip. I found it easiest to lift a corner with my fingers and slide the spatula underneath. Cook for another 30 seconds on the other side, and set aside on a plate.

Fliparoo!

Repeat, adding a little butter to the pan and whisking batter before every new crepe to ensure walnut flour is evenly distributed. Separate crepes with parchment paper, until your batter is gone.

Filling:
Set one walnut crepe on a plate. On one-third of the crepe, add fresh raspberries:

Crunchy candied California walnuts:

Thick, delicious Maple Creme Fraiche:

Fold the long end of the crepe over the filling, and roll the crepe so it's seam-side down. Repeat.

Drizzle with a little maple syrup if you want, but I found this step unecessary in the end. The maple creme fraiche and candied walnuts made the dish sweet enough for me.

Serve with delight to family & friends. These are SO GOOD!

Have you ever used a nut flour in place of wheat flour?

• Outtake from our August issue: blueberry scones with wild blueberry butter
• Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy
• Hey Oprah, Canadians have the best vegan recipes
• Roundup: all about eggs
• How to make cheese at the cottage

Especially when it comes to getting teenagers to eat before school.

If you have a teenager, you know what I am talking about- teenagers can barely get out of bed, and sometimes expecting them to eat breakfast, is well, just fantasy.

And although they can fend for themselves, in my experience,  teens still LOVE to be taken care of. So when they aren't hungry but still want a little something, a smoothie is an excellent solution.

Pour into a thermos for a quick run-to-catch-the-bus breakfast!

3 Ingredient Smoothies

1. Real fruit juice-About 3/4 cup

I like prefer the exotic fruit blends you can find in the refrigerator section of the grocery store,  but orange juice will work just fine.

STEP 1

2. Frozen Fruit- About 1 cup (slightly more fruit will give a thicker consistency)

My favourites are mangoes, peaches, strawberries, bananas (fresh or frozen) and blueberries. Freeze your own in the summer and store in ziptop bags in the freezer.

STEP 2

3. Yogurt- about 1/4 cup

Plain, vanilla, fruit flavoured, low fat, balkan, anything goes. Sometimes we even use frozen yogurt if we have it on hand.

STEP 3

Blend the three ingredients until smooth.

BLEND

You can add 1 tbsp of honey if you like it sweeter (but then it would be a 4 ingredient smoothie!).

Makes 1 large happy teenager (smoothie).

1 HAPPY TEENAGER

Click for more smoothie ideas

http://www.canadianliving.com/food/fruity_yogurt_smoothies.php

Do you eat breakfast before school? Work?

What's your favourite on the run breakfast?

• A healthy breakfast: homemade, crunchy, low-fat granola recipe
• Strawberries and Chocolate
• Fun, festive champagne cocktail recipe
• Healthy breakfast idea: baked sweet potato. What?? Yes!
• Healthy weekend breakfast recipe: tender, fluffy whole wheat pancakes

Celebrity baking and pastry expert and chef superstar, Anna Olson

We all had a wonderful time sipping wine, tasting delicious food and watching Anna demonstrate her recipes.

What did I not expect? To learn so many new things.

I mean, I know she's one of the most respected pastry chefs in this country, has hosted several TV extremely successful cooking shows and written 7 cookbooks and everything... but still. I'm always so pleasantly surprised when I get to learn — I mean really learn — something new, when it comes to cooking or baking.

And Anna did not disappoint. She was blowing me away with tip after amazing tip throughout the demo. I'm pretty sure my respect and fondness for her has now quadrupled. I think actually felt it happen during the event. I had a moment.

I caught up with Anna after the event for a little Q & A.

What is your philosophy on becoming a good baker?

Being a good baker is more than just precise measuring. Like anything worth a little effort, it takes practice — and with practice comes wisdom. I just ask that before you get stressed about baking, remind yourself that you are cooking to share with family and friends. If mistakes happen, it's OK. Your friends will forgive you because they are your friends and your family will forgive you because they have to! And also remember that STRESSED spelled backwards reads DESSERTS!

What are some of your best tips for fixing baking disasters?

Here are my top 3 disaster fixes:

Problem #1: I've overwhipped my egg whites and they look dry and craggy!

Solution: Make a cup of tea, sip it and then go back and visit your egg whites. Within that 10 minutes, the egg whites will have collapsed and can be re-whipped (even if sugar has already been added) on MEDIUM speed to the point that you missed the first time around.

Problem #2: I've overwhipped my cream and it's starting to separate!

Solution: Stir in a few tablespoons of fluid whipping cream — this will loosen the whipped cream so you can re-whip it on MEDIUM speed to the point that you missed.

Problem #3: I've overcooked (curdled) my custard!

Solution: While still hot, pour the custard into a blender or food processor (or use an immersion blender) and purée the custard until smooth. Immediately push it through a fine mesh strainer, then chill and use as instructed. No one will ever know!

What are some helpful tips that might help both new and experienced bakers?

To make perfect and long-lasting whipped cream, simply add 1 tbsp (15 mL) of instant skim milk powder to every 1 cup (250 mL) of whipping cream as you are whipping it. It does not impart a taste or change the texture, but it keeps every swirl and dollop of cream in place — even if you whip it a full day ahead or use it as frosting for a cake.

If you wish to increase the fibre content of some of your favourite conventional recipes, you can typically replace the measure of all-purpose flour with up to 50% whole wheat flour without impacting the taste or texture dramatically. If you try and replace all of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat, you may find that your goodies end up with a denser, heavier texture (the bran and germ in whole wheat flour interrupts the gluten, which is what holds in the gas formed by baking powder and other leavening agents).

Tell us a bit about your new book, Back to Baking.

Back to Baking has been a two-year project and has just been released. My aim was to provide a thorough all-purpose guide to baking — not just good recipes, but also tips to help you gain a better understanding of baking so that you can find the sheer pleasure in it.

Anna's latest cookbook, Back to Baking

Has a tip changed the way YOU bake or cook?

• Easter Treat Roundup
• Why you will love this Japanese Canadian cookbook, plus a tasty fiddlehead recipe
• Gordon Ramsay on travel and writing recipes for his new book, World Kitchen
• Trish Magwood’s baking with kids strategy, plus WIN a Rice Krispies prize!

First stop: Farris & Foster's Fine Chocolates

This cute little store is a regular chocolate shop in front. But look behind the counter and you'll discover Party Central. The store's chocolate-making parties – for every occasion from date night to corporate team building – are a bit like Disco Night at your local pub.

First, you get a quick lesson in chocolate making from the affable owner Foster and his lovely wife, Teri. They teach you how to dip, drizzle, mould and enrobe your favourite fillings in dark, milk or white chocolate.

Then they crank up the dance tunes – and dim the lights if it's date night – and you're off to the races, creating all the mouth-watering chocolates you can cram into a container to take home.

Foster showing us how to pipe chocolate into a candy cup

From pretzels and chips to candies and nuts, there's every kind of filling imaginable. The only limit is your imagination – or perhaps the capacity of your stomach.

Chocolate shells to fill

Mmmmmm, candy!

Nuts and dried fruit

The most fun is tossing items onto the belt of the enrobing machine. There's nothing better than watching a Nutter Butter or a giant salty pretzel take a bath in warm milk chocolate. Yum.

The enrobing machine in action

The scrumptious results of my chocolate-making adventure

...

Second Stop: The Wine Room

Just outside Orlando, on Park Avenue in Winter Park, you'll find a nice assortment of shops catering to all the needs of the carefree yuppie. Cute cafés, cigar stores, spice shops and boutiques line the street. Whether you want a drink, upscale makeup or a handmade recycled-newspaper basket, there's a store that carries what you're looking for.

The Wine Room is perched halfway down Park Ave., beckoning customers in with a great selection of wine and an interesting premise: try before you buy.

A large selection of wines greets you right inside the front door

Tucked in among the thousands of bottles for sale are wine-serving machines called Enomatics.

French reds, ready for sampling

To taste, you buy a smart card loaded with a certain amount of money and insert it into the machine. You can choose just a taste, a half-pour or a full pour of any variety in the dispenser. The open bottles stay fresh because they're surrounded by inert nitrogen gas, which prevents oxygen from ruining the flavour of the wine.

My verdict: Brilliant! With my $10 smart card, I sampled 6 different wines – and didn't have so much that I ended up singing karaoke. That's always a win.

If you're in the mood to spend a bundle, there's always the Rare Room. I ducked inside for a look and found myself surrounded by pricey bottles from around the world. The best one? A Screaming Eagle Cabernet from Napa Valley that was going for a cool $2,500. Not on a journalist's salary!

A 97 on the Parker scale still isn't enough for me to drop $2,500 on a single bottle of Cab.

...

Thanks to the folks at Visit Orlando for arranging my trip. For more info on visiting the area and planning a trip, click on the linkety-link.

Are you planning on escaping the winter blues in Florida this year?

• A real treat: Dine Out Vancouver Restaurant Festival!
• Fun, festive champagne cocktail recipe
• Eating chocolate is as healthy as exercising?
• Lunch with Ted Reader, the King of the Q, in Honey Harbour
• Bargain Canadian wines for Canada Day Weekend

Delivered to my door! An entire day's worth of raw juices, an elixir and tea for my cleanse from Belmonte Raw.

About once a year I like to do a detox, which started back in 2007. (I documented my maiden voyage here on ELLECanada.com). Don't get me wrong - I am neither rail-thin nor a nutritional saint. But what I find a detox does is neutralize cravings and reconnect me with the foods going into my mouth. "Pulling in the reigns of a runaway horse" is how I like to put it.

Detoxes take planning (recipes, groceries, packing lunches, etc.), but this year I was feeling lazy. So I took some birthday money (thanks, Mom!) and invested in a pre-packaged, delivered-to-your-door 1-day raw juice cleanse from Belmonte Raw in Toronto.

How does a raw juice cleanse work?
Belmonte Raw founder and raw food guru Carol Belmonte made it ridiculously easy. She had all the food I needed delivered to my door at 5:30 a.m. - 6 juices, tea, and a chlorophyll "elixir" -  plus instructions, encouraging words, post-detox information, and a handy schedule I put into my phone:

How did you feel? Were you STARVING?
It's amazing what happens when you eat a little bit every hour, as health experts are always telling us to do. I was never hungry. I felt light, focused, and very calm and it was a regular, long, hairy day at the office.

And a miracle happened:
I haven't had coffee since the cleanse. It's been over a month, and this was not on my list of intentions at all. I've been guzzling coffee and riding the caffeine buzz since I was 16 and waiting tables. For some reason after this 24-hour raw juice cleanse, I haven't even wanted a coffee. It's a phenomenon I can't explain, but I love it!

Calming Smoothie recipe from Carol Belmonte
I asked Carol to share a recipe with our busy readers in mind, and she sent me this great smoothie recipe below:

*Green Calm*
Here is a great recipe that I have used to help give me energy and to calm my nerves!!

Ingredients
1-1/2 cup fresh coconut water (boxed if you cannot find it fresh) {to balance electrolytes}
1 cup of filtered water
1 large handful of spinach {to keep you grounded}
1/4 bunch of cilantro {to remove heavy metals}
1/4 cup of soaked hemp seeds {for protein}
1 drop of stevia {to bring sweetness}
2 drops of valerian {to calm my nerves}
1/4 vanilla pod
1 tablespoon of ground flax

Preparation
Put all ingredients, except the flax, in a high speed blender and blend until smooth and creamy.  Pour your smoothie in a large glass and garnish with ground flax.  Sit down, put your feet up and enjoy your green smoothie.

Obviously, I loved this juice cleanse experience so much I'm sharing it here on The Food Blog, and fully intend to do it again.

Do you/would you do a detox, or do you think it's best to just eat well every day?

Related articles

• To Cleanse or Not to Cleanse What happens when you detox on juice, teas, potions and pills - and nothing else (theinsider.retailmenot.com)
• The Green Smoothie Recipe (linahansonblog.wordpress.com)
• Drink & Dash: Speedy smoothie recipes (canadianliving.com)

• Grownup Irish drinks for St. Patrick’s Day
• Canadian food news roundup
• Little Chefs Make Culinary Magic
• Eating chocolate is as healthy as exercising?
• 5 dinner wines under $15

--------------------------

The gloomy dark mornings and return of a nip in the air means fall's back and winter's on its way. It also means we're all in the mood for some comfort - who can resist a cosy night on the couch, wrapped up in a blanket catching up on a great book (or watching Cover Me, Canada - I won't judge).

For me, fall means baking and cookies are the obvious choice. I'll bring some to my fam, have one for breakfast and will probably take one or two to work. Spending a night in the kitchen - oven blazing with butter and sugar everywhere - is totally my idea of a good night.

So without further ado, I'll share my top 5 reasons to get in the kitchen and bake up something sweet:

1. You need something to dunk in your hot tea/coffee/whatever.
This fall I'll try my hand at making homemade biscotti, a cookie with substance and isn't too sweet to enjoy alongside a warming cup of tea.

Try: Almond Anisette Biscotti

2. Fall spices beg to be made into soft, chewy cookies.
What are fall spices? Nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and allspice.

Try: Double Ginger Drop Cookies

3. Practice your holiday baking
Who bakes during a long, hot summer? As the cold weather settles in, now's the time to get back in your kitchen and practice holiday baking. Test a showstopping new recipe and perfect it before multiplying it tenfold and gifting to everyone you know.

Try: Glazed Almond Spritz Rosettes Cookies (from our Cookies Cookies Cookies collection)

4. Make something spooky for Halloween.
Rather than add to the mountain of prepackaged candy, make homemade goodies for the neighbourhood kids. Wrap in Halloween-themed goodie bags or cellophane, available at bulk and baking stores.

Try: Creepy Witch Fingers

5. It's relaxing.
Pick a quiet night and shoo the kids and the dog outside to play. Put on your favourite tunes. Bake your all-time favourite cookie recipe (and lick the bowl yourself). Enjoy. Repeat.

Try: Best-Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chocolate Caramel Cookies
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

First on my list of recipes to bake will be Oatmeal Chocolate Chip - my fave. So tell me: What's your favourite cookie to bake?

• Wild Blueberries
• Lunch with Ted Reader, the King of the Q, in Honey Harbour
• No more Double Down! ?
• Beat your holiday “blas” for only $1.49
• Do you love Chef Michael Smith? Read this!

(Note: No, I'm not as ambitious as Tina is, unfortunately -- I'm more of a triangle eyes and gap-toothed grin type of girl.)

But don't waste the seeds. Roast them! Trust me, it's not a pain and you'll end up with a very tasty, salty, spicy, nutty and extremely addictive little snack. They're kale-chips-good. And I mean that as the greatest compliment.

Here's how you do it:

• after you carve your pumpkin, save all the goop and seeds and plunk them into a colander

Scoop the goop

• rinse the seeds until they're no longer sticky
• also, try to pick off as much of the pumpkin flesh as you can at this point and throw it in the compost
• note: you should have about anywhere between 3/4 cup to 2 cups of seeds, depending on the seediness of your pumpkin
• spread the seeds out over a paper-towel-lined baking sheet to dry (two sheets if you have lots of seeds), separating and stirring once or twice and removing any remaining pulp (this should take 2 or 3 hours)

Dry the seeds out

• transfer the dry seeds to a bowl and toss with a fine drizzle of olive oil, a pinch of salt and a pinch or two of whatever spices you like (I used a red curry powder I had in the cupboard)
• spread out on baking sheet again, in single layer, this time lined with parchment paper

Spice them up and spread them out on your baking sheet

• bake in 375°F oven, stirring once, for 15 to 20 minutes or until the seeds are golden brown
• let cool and store in airtight container

Tasty tasty pumpkin seeds

Do you roast your pumpkin seeds after carving your pumpkin?

• Crunchy kale chips recipe (i.e. how to eat a bucket of kale per day)
• Fresh celery juice recipes — delicious and good for your joints
• Easy Halloween candy recipe: Harry Potter Sugar Mice
• Healthy breakfast idea: baked sweet potato. What?? Yes!
• Recipe: how to make easy brown rice sushi