Whipped Lemon Dill Cream Cheese

The other day, Renee and I bought some amazing bagels and whipped up a batch of this amazing cream cheese to go with.

I was thinking dill and she was thinking lemon, so we did both.

It was so good.

We toasted the bagels, loaded them with the lemon dill cream cheese and topped that with slices of smoked salmon and cucumber.

Whipped Lemon Dill Cream Cheese

1 8oz package of Cream Cheese (We used Philly)
2 tsp dried dill (or 2 Tbsp fresh dill)
1 lemon, zested and juiced (2Tbsp juice)

Whip all ingredients in a food processor or stand mixer or use and hand held mixer.

Best Vegetable Beef Barley Soup

I go through seasons of making certain things.

This soup is going to be my go-to soup for this winter.

Since I failed to make food for the company I had coming for Sunday lunch in advance, I ended up making this soup in the morning before church.

It came together so quickly.

A filling lunch, full of vegetables, thats tasty, and enough for a crowd equals a keeper for me.


Vegetable Beef Barley Soup 
(based on a recipe I saw on epicurious.com)

1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 lb ground meat (I used beef)
1 C finely chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
salt and pepper
1 14 1/2 oz can chopped tomatoes
1 can tomato paste
4 white potatoes, small dice
1 C chopped celery
1 C chopped carrot
1 chopped bell pepper
1/2 C barley
2 bay leaves
1 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano
6 C beef broth
1 1/2 C frozen peas
1/4 C chopped parsley

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over med-high heat. Add beef, season with salt and pepper and cook until brown, stirring a few times.
Add onion and garlic, saute until tender.
Stir in tomatoes and all other ingredients except peas and parsley.
Simmer covered 20 minutes. Add peas and parsley.
Serve.

Honey Butter Carrots

My friend, Rebecca, took this picture a few years back of the mantle at our beloved old cottage up north.

So many lovely evenings have been spent in that old place.

We just returned from our yearly Thanksgiving weekend when we close it up and say farewell for another season.

Fall is here and I always start to make these carrots again in the fall.

Carrots are a perfect fall food and this is the best way to eat them, in my opinion.

These carrots are simmered until sweet and soft in honey and butter.

A perfect side to our dinner, Chicken with Braised Cabbage and Fennel.

Honey Butter Carrots

5 C carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch slices
2 Tbsp Honey
2 Tbsp Butter
1/2 C water
pinch salt

Place honey, butter, water and salt in a medium sauce pan and bring to a boil.  Add carrots.
Simmer 5 mins covered at medium heat.  Remove lid and simmer until liquid is almost all gone.
Done.
Perfect.

Spicy Shrimp with Rice and Peas

One of the few dinners I make over and over, this shrimp is so easy.

My mum and I found this recipe over the summer and loved it.

I have tried serving it with several sides but this brown rice pilaf is my favourite.

Spicy Shrimp with Lime and Parsley

(Adapted from Dinner, A love story Blog)

• 3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika (or 1 teaspoon paprika)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 1/4 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 lime

Combine salt, paprika, cumin, curry, cayenne, and cinnamon in a small bowl.

Toss with shrimp.

Heat a large pan over med-high heat. Melt butter and add shrimp.

Cook until pink, 3-5 mins.

Squeeze  lime over shrimp and serve over rice.

Brown Rice Pilaf with Peas

(adapted from Everyday Food)

1 Tbsp olive oil
1tsp fennel seeds (I used Herbs de Provence)
1small yellow onion, finely chopped
1 C brown rice
1 3/4 C stock or water
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 C frozen peas, thawed
1/3 C chopped parsley

Heat olive oil in a large sauce pan.
Add fennel seeds and cook 1 minute.  Add onion and cook until soft, 5 mins.
Stir in rice.
Pour in stock and soy.
Cook until rice is softened.   (30 mins or so.)
Remove from heat, add peas and parsley.
Stir and let stand 5 mins.

Our Favourite Taco Seasoning

Even though tacos are totally a staple here, they still seem like party food.

A few years ago, I started mixing my own taco seasoning.

I add it to lots of things like guacamole and Mexican-esque casseroles.

I've tried several different ones and this seems to be the favourite.

This recipe fills my small sized mason jar and lasts me several months.

Taco Seasoning

*I add around 2 Tbsp to about a pound of ground meat.

3 Tbsp chili powder

3/4 tsp garlic powder

3/4 tsp onion powder

3/4 tsp chili flakes

3/4 tsp dried oregano 

1 1/2 tsp paprika (I use smoked paprika)

1 heaping Tbsp cumin

1 Tbsp Kosher salt

1 Tbsp black pepper

1/2 Tbsp sugar (optional- We don't like it with sugar but feel free to add it if you do.)

Mix together all ingredients in a mason jar and shake until combined.

Key Lime Yogurt

I've been noticing tons of Greek Yogurt in the grocery stores lately.

When I was first married, I used to buy regular, plain yogurt, strain it through cheese cloth for a day to get the liquid out and then add a bit of sugar and some lime juice and zest. (Serve that on some grilled peach halves, it's amazing.)

I stopped doing that pretty soon after I started because it took up precious space in my fridge and took way too long for me.

Greek Yogurt is thick on its own and that's what I love about it.

I've started making my Key Lime Yogurt again since discovering Greek Yogurt.

It is so good as a dip for fruit, sprinkled with granola or on its own.

Here's how I do it.

Key Lime Yogurt
*I tell you to use sugar here but I've also done it sugar free and drizzled individual servings with a bit of honey. I love it that way too.

1 tub Greek Style, Plain yogurt (500g)
2-3 Tbsp sugar (*optional)
zest of a lime (about 1 Tbsp)
1-2 Tbsp lime juice

Open the yogurt container and mix all ingredients together in the tub.

Roast Beef

We had the privilege of spending the last week with our family in Michigan.

It was wonderful for many reasons and I loved every bit of it.

One of the things I most look forward to though, is working in the kitchen with my Mother-in-law.


As part of a luncheon after my brother-in-law's graduation, we made roast beef sandwiches with horseradish sauce.

They were delicious.

This is how to make the beef that we layered on those sandwiches.

I'm making up quite a bit of it and slicing it really thin to put in Jimmy's lunches next week.

Roast Beef

(Allrecipes.com)

**Instead of just seasoning with salt and pepper, my Mother-in-law suggested I use 2 Tbsp of Paula Dean Seasoning.
Here is how to make it.  In a small bowl, combine 1/2 C salt, 2 Tbsp pepper and 2 Tbsp garlic powder.  Stir and store in a jar.


3 lb eye of round roast
Generously salt and pepper** (I used 2 Tbsp Paula Dean Seasoning which is 1/2 C salt

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
Place roast in a baking dish or small roasting pan.
Put roast in the oven and close the door.
Reduce heat to 475 degrees and cook 21 mins or if your roast is a different size cook for 7 minutes per pound.
After your timer goes turn off the heat but don't open the oven door.
Leave the roast in for 2 1/2 hours. Don't peak.
Remove roast and slice thinly.