What's Cracking?

Good morning!

Guess what? I made a gif!!! Thanks Britt for the lovely photos.

FYI I like eggs.

xox

Chili-Fest Party Idea

Hi folks,

This past weekend my roommates and I hosted a chili fest! It was Sara's idea, and she got it from her annual chili-fest back home. We invited around 40 people but with midterms and other middle of the semester shenanigans, only about 20 could make it. Every team/household had to bring a pot of chili and a prize for the winning chili.

Our theme for the event was the stages of Leo. As in Leonardo DiCaprio… All I can say is our guests weren't just saying "yum" about the chili!! Every team got to pick a different Leo for their pot of chili and then after we ate copious amounts chili topped with cheese, sour cream, and green onions, we cast our votes at our secret voting station a.k.a. the shrine in our staircase. It was the perfect way to spend a snowy afternoon in February.

The prize for the winning chili went to Tim, or should I say The Wolf of Wall Street Leo!! His chili had the perfect hint of hot sauce and the right amount of tomatoes. Congrats Tim, we knew you had it in the bag :)

Yay for homemade valentines garland 

It's a great party idea if you're thinking of having some friends over! At all our parties we have a pretty central theme of good food. I've always said food brings people together!!!

Have a beauty of a day friends :)

xox

Gaby

Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies

Hello lovelies,

It's valentines day, and as a single gal I should be posting passive aggressive gifs about how life sucks and all I want to do is eat chocolate and watch Netflix. BUT Valentine's day is one of my favourite day's of the year! I love how I get to dress up and bake and make cards… a.k.a. my three favourite activities. What's not to love? Last year I went home for Valentine's day and it was super adorable to see everyone reuniting in the Montreal train station with roses in hand.

I also threw a cute party last year with red drinks (I made a drink called Kiss in Heaven, 1 part grenadine, 3 parts pure love) and desserts with my girlfriends. It was so fun! This year, I'm going to a ladies only v-day party and I'm super pumped! I'm planning on making a chocolate fudge pie with raspberry sauce and coconut whipped cream (recipe to come!). Seriously, this is becoming a "let's celebrate ladies'' holiday and I'm loving it!

If you're heading somewhere special today here's a fabulous recipe you can make for your loved ones!

Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies

Ingredients:

Red Velvet Layer:
- 3 1/4 cups flour
- 2 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 4 tablespoons milk, divided 
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon red food colouring
- 2 teaspoons white vinegar

Cheesecake Layer:
- 2 8oz packages cream cheese, softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla

Directions:

✿ Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13 x 18  pan with butter or spray.

✿ In large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, vegetable oil, 2 tablespoons milk, vanilla extract, red food coloring, and white vinegar.

✿ Combine the dry and wet ingredients, until completely combined. The batter will be a really thick, almost moldable texture...but don't worry, that's what you want. Remove 3/4 cup of the batter and place it in a medium bowl. Whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons of milk (into the 3/4 cup of batter you just took out). Set aside the 3/4 cup batter.

✿ Pour the remaining batter into the prepared jelly roll pan. Using a spatula, smooth out the batter to reach all the edges.

✿ Now, in your stand mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla, beating until combined and there are no lumps. Pour the cream cheese mixture on top of the red velvet layer and smooth mixture till it reaches all the edges.

✿ Drop spoonfuls of the remaining red velvet batter (that you mixed with milk) onto the top of the cheesecake layer. Drag the tip of a knife through the red velvet and the cheesecake layers to create swirls.

✿ Bake for 30 minutes, rotating half way through, or just until the center is set and it no longer jiggles. Let cool completely on a wire rack before cutting. Use a medium sized heart cookie cutter to create the perfect Valentine's Day treat!

Enjoy!

xox

Lemon Shrimp Linguini

Hello mates!

You may be wondering why I just referred to you as mate?? Well… after waking up in a cold sweat one night (slight exaggeration) I realized that I need to start living more spontaneously. I decided that even though the deadline for exchange program applications were due a week ago, I would look into studying abroad for a semester. I emailed the international exchange coordinator and in less than 24 hours I was sitting in her office bright eyed and bushy tailed. She told me that the deadline didn't matter but that I should get to it with my research! What was initially holding me back was that I couldn't study in a big city but once I brought that up, she informed me that Bishop's just recently signed an agreement with a business school in the heart of LONDON's FINANCIAL DISTRICT!!!! Say what?!?!

I'm by no means certain that I will go because, if you haven't already clued in by my recipes, I'm really  frugal and living in London = me pouring out more money than I can imagine. I mean it would probably cost me four times more than living here and I don't want to feel bad the whole time I'm there about my strict budget (I'm serious. Think spreadsheets). BUT, it's an option and even looking into it makes me giddy and excited about doing something crazy! So I will keep you posted on my adventures.

Anywho, I've been having a great time in Lenny these days especially with a visit from Steffi and my mom last weekend for an event I helped coordinate that involved TED inspired talks and a debate tournament.

Here is a fabulous lemon shrimp pasta recipe to add a little zest to your drab winter.

Lemon Shrimp Linguini

From Barefoot Contessa Family Style

Ingredients:

- Vegetable Oil

- Kosher salt
- 1 1/2 pounds linguine
- 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
- 5 tablespoons good olive oil
- 3 tablespoons minced garlic (9 cloves)
- 2 pounds large shirmp, peeled and deveined (just buy them that way)

- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

- 3/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

- Grated zest of 1 lemon

- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (4 lemons)

- 1/2 lemon, thinly sliced in half-rounds
- 1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes

Instructions:

✿ Drizzle some oil in a large pot of boiling salted water, add 1 tablespoon of salt and the linguine, and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, or according to the directions on the package.

✿ Meanwhile, in another large pan melt the butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic. Saute for 1 minute. Be careful, the garlic burns easily! 

✿ Add the shrimp, 1 tablespoon of salt, and the pepper and saute until the shrimp have just turned pink, about 5 minutes, stirring often. 

✿ Remove from the heat, add the parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, lemon slices, and red pepper flakes. Toss to combine.

✿ When the pasta is done, drain the cooked linguine and then put it back in the pot. Immediately add the shrimp and sauce, toss well, and serve.

Enjoy!!

xox 

Gaby

Chili days and chili for supper

Hi readers,

I hope you have managed to stay warm and cozy this weekend. It’s been pretty nippy out there but my favourite saying has applied to the past few days. “Cold hands, warm heart” is something my Gammy used to say and Maggie even gave me a Kate Spade travel mug with that written on it.

Right now, I am on hour 10 of my bus ride back from StFX University in Nova Scotia. At the start of the semester, our Dean of Student Affairs, Jackie Bailey, invited me to join a delegation of eight students and four staff/faculty to travel to the east coast for a leadership summit. I was beyond thrilled to represent Bishop’s and absolutely flattered. The bus ride hasn’t even been that bad since I’ve been accompanied by inspiring people. I’ve been pretty stressed these past few weeks and this little weekend getaway to the coast was just what I needed. It was amazing to meet students from the U4 League schools, Acadia, Mount Allison, and St Francis Xavier. We are all tiny primarily undergraduate liberal arts schools that share similar values about what education should be. I even got to sit at the head table at the opening dinner with StFx’s President, Dr Sean Riley, as well as Olympic gold medalist, Mark Tewksbury, and Olympic coach Debbie Muir. The campus is so beautiful; it reminded us of a New England private school. I went for a run while there to look for the ocean but when I couldn’t find it a few of us recruited our bus driver to take us on an adventure to find the sea. Overall, I had a remarkable weekend that will definitely remain one of my favourite memories of being a Bishop’s student.

 Here are a few shots from the weekend:

They gave X cookies on our beds!!

What a beautiful business building

Ocean adventures with Serge, the bus driver

The brave souls who endured the chilly ocean breezes

This was the poster I put together with help from Diane and Chelsea

Showing off my Dri-fit BU Gaiters shirt #selfie

We <3 free wine

Jason made wonderful closing remarks

Again, beautiful centre

Flashback to a week and a bit ago, during a particularly cold day, I made this batch of Quinoa Chili for my friend Erin’s birthday. Everyone at the party asked for the recipe and so I will share it here! I guess that’s the point of having a food blog I guess!!

Quinoa Chili with Sweet Potatoes and Black Beans (vegan!!)

makes 6 hearty bowls of chili. From Milk Free Mom

- one 29 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained

- one 6 oz can tomato paste
- 32 oz vegetable stock
- 1 onion, chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into bite sized chunks
- 1 cup dry quinoa
avocado and green onions for garnish  (optional)

✿ Heat the oil in a large heavy soup pot (I used my new dutch oven) over medium low heat. 

✿ Add onions, and cook until soft and they start to turn brown (about 10 minutes). Add the garlic, and cook for about 2 minutes. 

✿ Add the tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, and oregano and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. 

✿ Add the beans, stock, and potatoes, and season with salt and pepper . Cook for about 5 minutes, then add the quinoa. Continue cooking for about 15 minutes – 30 minutes, stirring frequently, until quinoa and potatoes are cooked and the chili has thickened. 

✿ Add a bit of water if the chili becomes too thick for your liking. Top with avocado and chopped cilantro. 

Enjoy and have a fantastic week!

xox Gaby

p.s. The blue dutch oven I received for Christmas from my parents was accompanied by an immersion blender I will be using any day now to make nice warm soups!

Fish and Fresh Starts

Hi lovelies,

Happy middle of January!! I have been back to school for a week (that took me way too long to figure out), but man oh man it feels like longer. I have been so mixed up with my days, it's definitely going to take some time to get used to doing something other than eating and reading all day. Last weekend, I went to the Bishop's Business Bootcamp to spruce up my resume writing, interview, and networking skills, but in all honesty I was most excited about wearing a blazer and having the "professional photo shoot". Those quotations marks were definitely necessary because it ended up being a point and shoot on a tripod and a purple wall as our back drop. Lame… I know. Now that I'm back into the swing of things I figured that meant blog post time!!

I just spent way to much time making this year in review collage, I might as well share it:

It makes me so happy to see such a wonderful year! I am hoping this year will be filled with as many or more adventures and new friends. Here is a recipe for fish and chips! The best part of this recipe is the Lemon-Chili Mayo. It's sooooo delicious with fish, burgers, or fries. I made a side of sweet potato fries to accompany these easy fish cakes

Not Your Mother's Fish and Chips

Ingredients

- 1 rib celery, coarsely chopped

- 2 green onions, coarsely chopped

- 1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves

- 450g firm white-fleshed fish filets (such as halibut), coarsely chopped

- 3/4 fresh bread crumbs

- 1 egg

- 2 tsp Dijon mustard

- 1/4 tsp pepper

- 1 tsp chili powder

Lemon-Chili Mayo:

- 1/3 cup light mayonnaise

- 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice

- 1/4 tsp chili powder

Instructions

✿ In a food processor, pulse together celery, green onions, and parsley until finely chopped. Scrape into bowl.

✿ Add fish to food processor, pulse until fine but not puréed. Add to bowl; mix in bread crumbs, egg, mustard, and pepper. Divide into 8 portions, form into 1/2-inch thick patties.

✿ In a nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat; cook fish cakes, turning once, until golden and firm to touch, 8 to 10 minutes.

For the Lemon-Chili Mayo:

✿ Whisk together mayonnaise, lemon juice and chili powder. Serve with fish cakes.

Yum!!! Now excuse me, I have to scoot over to my friends' house for pizza and to watch Prisoners. A.K.A. excuse me while I go pee myself every too seconds out of fear.

Ciao!

Gaby

Merry Merry!

Merry Christmas babes!!!

I had a wonderful past week and I really hope everyone reading did as well. We did our classic Christmas Eve mass at Saint François D'Assise church + Levesque-Mumford party and then went to bed and waited for Santa to do his magic. Christmas morning, my mom, my dad, and I were up bright and early but I had to wait FOREVER for the two other sleepy heads to wake up to enjoy the festivities. Christmas dinner was pretty simple and casual as our guests were just my aunt Nini and Uncle Roger, and the student that's boarding with them. Before our guests arrived my family and our friend Liz went to deliver food to the less fortunate with the Carleton Tavern. We talked with a guy who told us it was his first Christmas out of jail in twenty years and it was wonderful to see him light up with our gifts.

On Friday, we headed to Peterborough to meet up with my mom's side of the family and it was soooo nice to see the Farlows!! It was fun to have a new baby in the mix (congrats Laura and Jeremiah) and to have the big boy/girl reveal for Robyn and Ian's baby. We also played a gambling type game and I won a whopping total of $63. Yay!!!! I love and miss all of my relatives already.

Here are a few shots of the fun:

On Sunday morning, my cousin Ali's boyfriend, Andrew, made a delicious breakfast that is totally worth sharing:

Prosciutto Egg Cups

Ingredients

- Prosciutto

- Eggs

- Cheddar cheese

- Spinach

Instructions

✿ Grease muffin tin and preheat the oven at 350℉ 

✿ Wrap a piece of prosciutto around the sides of the muffin tins and place a few leaves of spinach at the bottom.

✿ Crack an egg into the centre and top with grated cheese

✿ Cook in the oven for 10-12 minutes or until the egg has set.

The chefs!

Enjoy!

xox Gaby