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Hello! New Year New You is now upon us, and what better time to do some “research” in the form of testing out a new rosè, right? I thought my rose reviews would end at the end of my series, but you can’t keep me away. Sterling is a Californian winery that makes one of my most-loved cabernet sauvignon bottles, so when I saw the mini version of the rose on offer at Wine and Beyond, I knew I had to try it. And so, when my sister and I were decorating her house for the holidays, we decided to test it out together. When you pour the wine, you’ll note that the color is a really pretty, bright pink. In terms of tasting notes, it is nice and light and crisp- there’s a nice minerality to balance a slight fruitiness. My sister and I both dislike a sickly sweet…

Hey guys! Welcome to the first food post I’ve worked on since I got told I needed to eat differently- Salmon Cake Salad. I’d been struggling a bit with what to eat and how to eat after being told my diet could help control symptoms of inflammation (more about what’s been going on for me in an upcoming post), but these salmon cakes and the accompanying salad was the first time I sat down and ate and felt like “Ok, this is going to be ok.” For me, food is a major source of joy. There’s a food for every situation and you can celebrate with food, comfort with food, gift with food and receive love with food… It’s the best. So being told no butter, no refined wheat, cut the fat, etc etc was NOT something I wanted to hear. I love butter and pasta. And steak. This salmon…

Hey guys! So you’ve seen me talk about my love of tacos a few times on this blog- my fish tacos are a favorite to host dinner with friends and my pork tacos are the perfect slow-cooker treat. But I’ve never talked about my favorite taco spices or my favorite side dish to have when I’m having a taco night! Believe it or not… it’s probably not the healthiest to eat just tacos. It’s not the worst, but it’s good to make a salad. My sister made us this corn salad last time we had taco night together and it was perfect. Unlike a lot of corn salads which have raw onion and/or garlic, this recipe has fresh and cooked elements which makes it a little special by my mind. Corn Salad 1 Shallot 1 Jalapeno 2 Cups of Cooked Corn (thawed and drained if you’re using frozen) 1/2 Red Bell…

Hey Guys! I hope you all had the merriest of Christmases and are still spending oodles of time together with your families. This recipe is one that is great to make for a crowd, or to split amongst family members. It was included in my gift baking boxes this year, but I wanted to share it between Christmas and New Years because it offers something a little different than the often-sickly sweet treats of the season. Salty, crunchy and with a hit of heat, this snack mix is the perfect thing to set out when you’re enjoying a few drinks or bring to a holiday party. I think we’ve all seen the recipes for snack mixes that are basically knockoffs of popular box brands but actually not as delicious. This is not that. It’s a recipe that has been adapted and honed for years to get it where it is…

Hi guys! I know you are not surprised that since it’s now officially FALL, I am back on the comfort food train! As if my butt needs any more comfort food, but that’s a whole other issue lol. It got very chilly and rainy (?! this is not normal for where I live) last week and after being soaked to the skin twice in one day, I knew what I needed- a warm, hearty risotto and having just finished making corn stock, I figured corn and bacon risotto would be a perfect match for the kind of day I was having. Corn and bacon risotto isn’t exactly a “traditional” risotto, it’s kind of something I just figured would be good a year or so ago, and so I made it! Cooking is all about the fun anyhow, right? Corn and Bacon Risotto $8.82 for four or $2.21 per serving 1/2…

Hey Guys! I’m back with a healthy freezer-friendly meal today! This one is actually pretty simple, just a mushroom saute with kale and pancetta over a bed of mixed wild rice! The addition of loads of fresh thyme and a serious deglazing with white wine helps pack a flavorful punch. I have to admit I took a lazy kid shortcut and used pre-cubed pancetta (from my mom’s freezer, thanks @Alberta_Allie!) and pre-washed/sliced mushrooms. Sometimes, when I’m trying really hard to stock up a bunch of meals in a short amount of time, the pre-prepped ingredients really help! Mushroom and Kale Harvest Bowl $2.30 per serving, serves 8 for $18.43 1 Red Onion, chopped- ~1.20 1 package of cremini mushrooms- $3.98 1 package of white mushrooms- $3.98 1/2 package of cubed pancetta (~75 grams)- $3 10 large stems of kale (priced for frozen)- $3 3 Sprigs of Thyme – $0.39 1…

Hey guys! With my love of bacon, we all know I’m no vegan. With that being said, I’m a total “pantry” cook, eating a lot of canned/tinned tomato products, frozen veggies, and beans to keep costs down and food healthy. Sometimes that results in vegan meals. One day in early June, my friend Kirsten was coming over and I realized the meal I made was completely vegan, so she could eat with me! This Spanish inspired white bean stew used literally no fresh vegetables except garlic and onions- that was it! Everything else came from a tin or the freezer and it was amazing. If you wanted to add meat, I’d recommend poaching chicken thighs in the stew or slices of cured chorizo sausage. White Bean Stew with Saffron Rice Serves 6 for $10.87 or $1.81 per serving For the stew: One white onion – $1.61 2 tins cannellini bean – $1.76…

Hey Guys! This is a fun and fresh recipe for a summer gathering that is something a little different than grilling. The bright acidity of lemon and freshness of parsley make the shrimp extra delicious, and the fresh veggies in the risotto keeps it from being too rich. Even better, this recipe uses just a little butter and no cheese, so the creaminess is from the starch cooking out of the rice, not added fats. This is a meal my mum whipped up for our family, and I thought I’d share it with you! At around $3.75 per serving, it’s not a crazy affordable meal, but it was delicious and can be made more affordable if you use your veggie scraps to make your own stock in advance (brings the total cost down to $11.54 or $2.89 a serving). Lemon Shrimp with Risotto Milanese $15.48 for four, or $3.75 per serving For…