Edmonton Eats: Care-It Deli

Hello All-

For those who know me, you are aware that I like to eat.  Thankfully, my husband also shares this "interest" and Hannah is great at trying new things.  We've been told that we go out a fair amount, and that we find places that locals haven't ever been to before, so I thought I'd share some of our adventures with all of you.

First up is a local hangout of ours, Care-It Deli.  This place is special to us, since we signed the papers for our new house while having lunch there!!  We opt for the Hamptons location since it is right around the corner, but they also have a location in Crestwood.

Feeding folks since 2008, Care-It is the perfect balance of old favorites with local ingredients.  Not only can you pop in for a soup and sandwich, but they also offer meals to go, and various deli selections.  When Hannah and I go together, we like to get a soup and sandwich combo with two drinks.  We have found that 1/2 of a Ham and Cheddar sandwich is just enough for Hannah, and the other half, plus a cup of soup is just enough to fill my belly!! 

I have often told my husband that I love to try new things if I know that the restaurant I'm at will "do it right."  Thanks to Care-It, I have found a love for various soups, including Cream of Tomato and Squash and Ham, all because they know how to "do it right."  In all honesty, I now crave their soups on cold days, and have been inspired to try my hand at soup making at home. 

Though we haven't explored their deli selections too much, we have purchased their bacon (yum!) and we recently gave their Butter Chicken and Turkey Meatball Carbonara & Fettucinne take out meals a try.  All were beyond delicious!!

If you're in the neighborhood and looking for a place that will offer you generous portions, great prices and local specials, give Care-It a try.  You won't regret it!

Happy Eating!
Sharon

Fresh from the Oven: Thanksgiving!

Hello All-

I'm in the process of writing some new food posts (since I have been cooking/baking up a storm lately).  In the meantime, I thought I would share the menu we used at Canadian Thanksgiving this past weekend.  All in all, I think the food was quite successful.  Since many of my readers will be celebrating US Thanksgiving next month, I thought I'd throw out some food ideas.  Stay tuned in the next week or so for more elaborate posts regarding some of the items we made.

The guests we had for Thanksgiving stayed with us two nights, so on top of dinner, I also had to think of breakfasts.  We went out for lunch both days, so that helped. 

Thanksgiving Dinner

Appetizers

Wild Mushroom Pate on Pita Chip Crackers

Baked Crab Rangoons

Manila Clams steamed in beer

Homemade Cheese Crackers

Dinner

Lobsters (for the boys and Hannah)

Steaks (for the ladies)

Grilled Asparagus

Corn

Crispy Baked Onions

Homemade Bread

Dessert

Baked Apples and Vanilla Ice Cream

Sunday

Breakfast

Blueberry Breakfast Cake

Lunch

Dim Sum at Cha for Tea Palace

Dinner

Lobster Rolls (for the boys)

Steak Subs with leftover steak, onions, and garlic mayo (for the girls)

Dessert

S'mores Croissant Rolls

Monday

Breakfast

Cinnamon Buns

Lunch

Famoso Pizza

So there you have it.  A bit unusual for a holiday weekend menu, but since none of us are big fans of turkey, we decided to go with something different.  The biggest hits of the weekend were probably the blueberry cake, the onions, and of course those who had the seafood were quite please with it too.

Have a great rest of the week!!!

Happy Cooking!!

Sharon

Fresh from the Oven: Cream of Tomato Soup

Hello All-

With the changing of the leaves and a chill in the air, it is officially soup making time!!  I wanted to make something that would go nicely with the 5-Minute bread I made, so I started searching online.  I had recently had Cream of Tomato soup at our local sandwich shop, and it was heavenly, so that's the direction I decided to head in.

I stumbled across this recipe and it looked too easy not to try.  I used 2 pounds of on-the-vine tomatoes for my soup.  I used 7 or so small/medium ones, and that did the trick.  I probably could have gotten away with fewer beefsteak or another large tomato, but I wanted the sweetness of the smaller ones.  I also didn't want so much meaty-ness from the larger tomatoes.  Other than that, I stuck to the recipe.

I think the next time I will put the tomatoes through a sieve to remove the seeds (or cut them out before cooking).  Aside from some little pops from the seeds, it was super smooth, and so tasty with our Havarti and homemade bread grilled cheese sandwiches.  All in all, the perfect fall dinner!!

Happy Cooking!
Sharon

Fresh from the Oven: 5-Minute Bread

Hello All-

This week has been misty and cold here in Edmonton, so what better to make than a loaf of bread?  Normally, I would have busted out my bread machine to make some perfectly shaped, perfectly baked loaf, but this time I wanted to try something new.  Despite all of my baking, I had never jumped into the world of making bread from scratch...and now was the time to do it!

Of course I put aside my numerous cookbooks and turned to my trusty buddy, Pinterest, to help me find the perfect recipe to try.  I wanted something relatively simple with not a lot of ingredients.  Much to my surprise, I found a recipe that fit both criteria!! 

The recipe for this magical bread can be found on the Heart, Hands, Home blog.  One of the best things about this dough is that it only uses four ingredients, flour, salt, yeast and water!!!!  I had everything on hand already, and when I saw how much flour it used, I ran over to Save-On Foods to grab some more (they had their unbleached flour on special this week...score!!!)  Another wonderful thing about the dough is that it keeps for up to 2 weeks in the fridge!  I was able to make a small loaf the other night as a trial run, and save the rest of the dough for Thanksgiving!! 

Once you get the dough all mixed, there is a separate post on the blog for the actual baking.  (Click here)  I was so excited that despite all of the unpacked boxes in the basement, I was able to find my pizza stone.  After making this bread, I can assure you that it won't end up on a basement shelf like it did at the old house.  It has been promoted to the baking cabinet!!  I need it handy for when I start craving bread!

The final product came out awesome!!  It was great straight out of the oven with some butter, and later in the week, we also used some of it to make grilled cheese sandwiches.  I can see using this same recipe for small dinner rolls, bread bowls, baguettes, you name it!!  I have a feeling that there will be a batch of dough waiting in the fridge from now on!!

Happy Baking!!
Sharon

Fresh from the Oven: Pink Lemonade Confetti Cupcakes

Hello All-

The Diva and I have been baking again!!  This time we decided to make Pink Lemonade Confetti Cupcakes!!  Hannah and I were in the mood to bake, and after scouring Pinterest for something that looked yummy, she pointed out these pink treats.  How could I say no?

This recipe is super easy and I love that I can keep all of the ingredients in the pantry.  Hannah loved mixing the lemonade crystals and the water, as well as adding a layer of sprinkles to the top of each cupcake before they baked.  I loved that the recipe called for unsweetened applesauce and there was no super sugary frosting on top!!

These cupcakes lived up to their tangy description.  It really tastes like you're having a tall glass of lemonade when you bite into one.  I wasn't sure if Hannah would be upset that they were frosting free, but with the layer of sprinkles on top, she was satisfied.

I can definitely see us making these again in the future.  I think they would be a great addition to a birthday party or princess tea party as well.  I mean, what little princesses don't like eating pink food??  Mine was a fan!!

Happy Baking!
Sharon

Fresh from the Oven: Homemade Cheese Crackers

This post was supposed to have run back in September and for some reason it bounced back as a draft and isn't on my blog anymore...I'm reposting for those who didn't see it the first time.


Hello All-
I've finally gotten settled in enough at the new house to start baking again.  First up, a recipe that I spotted on Pinterest.  It is for homemade cheese crackers, similar to Cheeze-its. 

These little crackers are super easy to make and so delicious!!  I did make a few changes to the original recipe, one on purpose and one accidentally.  The intentional change was that I backed off on the red pepper flakes that the recipe calls for.  I halved the amount, but in all honesty, I think I'll skip them all together next time.  If I were making these crackers for an adult party or as twists, I would keep the flakes in, but for snacking, I prefer them plain.  The mistake that I made on the recipe was so silly.  I had my butter softening and I forgot to put it in!  I wondered why my dough wasn't forming a ball, so I added a touch more milk.  That's when it hit me that my butter was sitting on the counter...d'oh!  I added the butter and sure enough, a dough ball formed.  The extra milk made the dough a bit sticky, but nothing that a few sprinkles of flour couldn't fix.

I do encourage you to use parchment paper when you make these crackers.  I was still frazzled by my butter mistake, so I forgot.  They didn't stick, but started to brown up a bit sooner than I would have liked.

I must say, these crackers are addicting!  All three of us were munching on them last night, and I have already had a few handfuls this morning.  I am waiting for the weather to cool down a touch so I can make some homemade soup and throw a few handfuls of crackers in!  I think they'll be super yummy served that way.  Hubby couldn't believe how similar they tasted in comparison to the store-brand crackers. 

All in all, this was a wonderful recipe and a hit in our house!  I think there will be many more batches being whipped up in the future!

Happy Baking!
Sharon

Fresh from the Oven: Sopapilla Cheesecake

Hey Everyone!!

Man, I have been awful about blogging this summer!!  Between selling the house, having hubby 3 hours away and therefor being on "Mommy Duty" 24/7, I have been pretty drained!!  I'd love to say that free time is opening up in my schedule, but now that the house is sold, we are flooded with moving "stuff" and house hunting.  I can't wait until we are all settled in one city, as a family, in a new home.

Anyways, now that the house is officially sold, I can start trashing my kitchen again!!!  No more quick clean up projects in case of last minute showings.

The first creation Hannah and I made to celebrate being able to fully use the kitchen was Sopapilla Cheesecake.  I saw a photo of this on Pinterest, big surprise, and I had to try it.  I had never heard of it, though in the last week a friend of mine in Texas was making the same thing.  Man, have I been missing out!!

The recipe is quite simple, Pillsbury crescent rolls, cream cheese, sugar, butter, and cinnamon.  That's it!!  And I must say, this dessert is not only addicting, I put it in the dangerous category!!!  I ate so much one night that I actually felt ill!!  (Good ill, as in, I ate more the next day!!)

After making it, I do have a few tips...

First, keep your crescent dough cold right up until you are ready to use it.  Once it starts heating up, it gets gummy and hard to work with.

Next. you could cut back a bit on the cream cheese.  I used 2 full bricks, but it would be just as good with a touch less.  Just be sure that you scale back on the sugar.

I used my food processor to mix the cream cheese vanilla and sugar.  It did a great job whipping it all up so it was super easy to spread.

I used a 9x12 pan.  It worked nicely...I would use this one again for sure!!

The amount of butter that it calls for is way too much!!  You could easily cut the amount in half and still have plenty. 

I baked mine for 20 minutes even and it came out perfect!!

A reader of the blog I saw this recipe posted on suggested making a banana/rum mixture for the top.  As I was eating it, I thought that some apples would go really well with it.  Maybe next time...

This is great hot or cold!!  I put it in the fridge after we ate half sampled it out of the oven.  Hannah liked it warm, so 10 seconds in the microwave did the trick. 

Be sure to invite lots of friends over to help you eat this!!  Hannah and I ended up eating all of it and my waistline will never forgive me!!

I plan on making this many more times.  It was easy and so delicious!!!  A perfect combination in my mind!

Happy Baking!!
Sharon

Party Food

 Hello All-

As promised, I wanted to give you all some DIY tips on party food.  I wish I had better photos, but I was too busy chatting with guests...sorry!!

My first suggestion is to decide right up front what your goal is regarding food.  Full meal?  Munchies?  Hot or cold?  Sweets only?  For us, we decided that we didn't want to do a full meal since we had 20+ people attending Hannah's party.  We planned a 1 PM party time so that people had a chance to have lunch first.  We did want more than just Hannah's requested cupcakes, so we went with appetizers, and included one hot dish. 

Our first appetizer was hummus on sliced English cucumbers.  I saw this idea on Pinterest and thought I'd give it a try.  Though I had all of the ingredients to make my own hummus, I went with store bought to save some time.  We had garlic and chive hummus on the cucumber (about 3/4-inch slices) and it was AWESOME!!!  I peeled part of the cucumber skins off, creating dark green stripes, and the crunch from the remaining skin was a nice addition.  I will surely do this again, as it took next to no time to make and was very tasty.

Next, we did mini-caprese salads on skewers.  Essentially, this is made up of three components, cherry tomatoes, basil leaves and mini bocconcini cheese balls.  These were another hit, though I think the next time I make them, I will use smaller basic leaves.  The ones I bought were quite strong in flavor.  For an adult party, you could drizzle olive oil or balsamic vinegar over them, but since I knew there would be some kids, I left them plain. 

Next was our one hot dish.  I made Crab Rangoons and they were super yummy!!  Click here for the recipe.  I will be making these for my family many more times!!  They tasted great and didn't make me a slave to the kitchen!  My guests were begging for the recipe!!  Personally, I thought they were a bit strong on the crab flavor, but that could easily be fixed with a touch more cream cheese.  I also learned (after going to several grocery stores and walking in circles) that wonton wrappers can be found in the cooler next to the tofu and fresh pasta...who knew??

The big centerpiece was the fruit/cheese/veggie flower that Hannah and I made.  It was so simple and looked fantastic!!  I used a cheese block cut into triangles and layered them in a circle.  I added a celery stem, grapes for the flower center and some cherry tomatoes for some extra color.  It looked so pretty and was a unique way to do a traditional platter.  Everyone loved it, and once they got over the idea of eating our "art", there weren't too many leftovers!!

Along with all of these ideas, we also stood celery and beans upright in glass dishes, as well as colorful peppers.  We used rice as a base for the peppers so they stood up higher in the glass I had.

Tomorrow I'll give some recipes for the beverages we had...they were delicious!!!

Cheers!
Sharon

I’m freezing…inside and out!

Hey Hey!!

First of all, thank you to those who have been so supportive of my break from knitting. I have received several messages, by email, Ravelry and here on the blog. It makes me happy for two reasons…one, it means that people actually read what I type and two, I have some great friends!

 

While taking a fiber break, I have gotten a bit reacquainted with my kitchen. If you know me well, you’ll know that I wasn’t that distanced from my culinary workspace, but I needed to work on getting out of a food rut (as I explained a few posts ago). Like any other Mom, stay at home or not, there are some nights that I just don’t feel like cooking…or I am not feeling creative. So, I thought I’d fill my freezer with some delicious meals for those “on the fly” moments.

First up, vegetable stock. There are two things that always amaze me about stocks…one, no matter what kind you get, they are loaded with sodium, and two, we always manage to throw half of the container away. In an attempt to get a bit more healthy and cost effective, I decided to make my own. I cut up carrots, potatoes, a turnip, onions, fresh parsley, peppercorns, garlic, celery, leeks, dried thyme, and a bay leaf, and threw it all in a pot with 8 cups of water. As for the salt? I only added about a teaspoon! I simmered everything for a good two hours and let it cool right on the burner. After it was cooled, I put it in the fridge overnight and put it in glass canning jars the next day. It yielded about 4 cups of liquid, which gave me two canning jars for the freezer. I didn’t want a huge amount since I also plan to make some chicken stock, so this was the perfect amount. Because I only used one or two of each veggie, the cost was minimal too. All in all, a complete success!!!

Next, with the cold weather we’ve been having, I was craving chili. The problem was that I didn’t have any tomatoes on hand, and frankly, it was too cold to go out to get some at the store. I didn’t want to run into this same problem again, so when we did our weekly shopping trip, I stocked up on tomatoes, beans, corn, and other staples and came home to make a double batch of chili for the freezer. My chili recipe is a hit in our house, mainly because it isn’t really spicy. Hannah even loves it!! By doubling my recipe, I was able to get two large canning jars filled (each one is plenty for a meal for the three of us), and enough leftovers for last night’s dinner and some lunches this week. The best part about the chili is that it is chocked full of yumminess. I used white and red beans, corn, tomatoes, onion, and of course, lean ground beef. Added with a bunch of spices, and my secret ingredient (shhh…don’t tell anyone that it is cocoa powder!), it makes for a super yummy and filling meal. For dinner last night I also made a batch of cornbread and we all went to bed with full bellies!

Finally, I froze some banana muffins that I made last week, and some pound cakes that Hannah and I picked up at our local indoor farmer’s market. (I was told a neat trick by the ladies at the farmer’s market…put your baked goods in the fridge for a bit before you put them in the freezer…apparently it helps them keep better in the freezer) Adding all of these things to the parsley pesto and marinara sauce I made and froze this summer, we should be set for a while. (I say that, but I have plans for chicken stock and some chicken pot pies in the near future!!)

So, while most here in the city have been inspired by the cold to climb under their covers and wish the freezing temps away, I used it as inspiration and brought some of that frozen goodness inside!

Cheers!

Sharon