winter

Slow Cooker Turkey Chilli

Claudia's Cookbook - Slow Cooker Turkey Chilli 3 (1) copy I am in desperate need of some summer weather. We had the worst winter in over 100 years here in Winnipeg. I wish that was an exaggeration. It’s actual fact. Now that we finally have some above freezing temperatures, we have yet to be anywhere close to average for this time of year. The trees are still bare and gardens remain empty. We have seen more rain than sunshine in the last couple weeks and I am starting to think I should move to the West Coast and at least have the ocean if I have to put up with all this rain.

Because of the cooler weather, I am still in the comfort food zone. I am still trying to eat relatively healthy, which is proving to be challenging with the lack of spare time I seem to have between my ice hockey and ball hockey schedules. That is why I really love this recipe. It makes a ton of delicious, healthy chilli, and I can easily bring it to work for lunch or have it a few nights in a row as leftovers when I’m shuttling between work and hockey.

The flavours are very complex and rich. There is a hint of sweetness from the cinnamon and cocoa powder. It also has a bit of heat with the jalapeños and cayenne spice.  I love adding beer to my chilli recipes, but you don’t have to if you aren’t a fan of the flavour. I used a nice Pumpkin Ale in this recipe, but you can use any light or amber ale. To be honest, you can’t really taste it that much in this recipe since there are so many spices. However, feel free to substitute chicken or vegetable stock if you choose. Also, because you can do this recipe in a slow cooker, it’s insanely simple. If you don’t have 6 hours, you can easily make this on the stove in a large pot. You just need to brown the turkey with the onions and garlic, then simmer with the rest of the ingredients on medium low for about an hour. Super versatile and delicious.

(more…)

Cousin Linda’s Poppycock

Claudia's Cookbook - Poppycock cover

Soooo….it’s -43 celsius here in Winnipeg. How are you?! Yeah, it’s cold. I know I talk about the weather a lot, but how can’t you with these temperatures? And…it’s not even officially winter yet. To chase away the winter blues, I decided to book a flight to Arizona again this year to visit Claudia and my Dad in February. I figured with this snow and cold, I will be needing warmth and sunshine by then. Here’s hoping I don’t get the flu this time around!

I also cannot believe that Christmas is 2 weeks away. I am really enjoying all the holiday recipes that are floating around out there. A couple weeks ago when I asked what everyone was baking for the holidays on our Facebook Page, I had a request (I love requests!) from a loyal follower (Hi Bon!) for a recipe for Poppycock. I had never made it before, but soon learned that my Cousin Linda had one that she was famous for. She was kind enough to share the recipe with me and I tried it immediately. I can see why it’s so popular in her house – her granddaughter actually sneaks some into her room at night to munch on. This recipe is delicious!

(more…)

Slow Cooker Lasagne

Claudia's Cookbook - Slow Cooker Lasagne 11

Ah, November. It’s a time where I find myself “getting real”. Summer is long gone, Thanksgiving is over (at least here in Canada), and the excitement of Halloween and candy everywhere is slowly fading like my sugar coma. I now start to pay attention to all those Christmas displays that have been slowly popping up since September. Now they are in full force – the holiday season is only a mere 52 days away you know. (more…)

Cranberry Bliss Cookies


It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas here in Canada. The image below is what I woke up to this morning. Our first big snowfall of the year:

It seriously made me want to watch one of my favourite holiday movies, Elf, and put up my Christmas tree. I decided it was a little too early for that, given it was only mid-November. I did however get a jumpstart on my holiday baking with these amazing Cranberry Bliss Cookies! I love Starbucks and their classic holiday pastry – the Cranberry Bliss Bar. I thought these cookies were a perfect modification. These cookies are decadent, with a yummy layer of cream creese, dried cranberry and white chocolate icing. They really do taste like the holidays!

Recipe adapted from: Gimme some oven

(more…)

Lazy Cabbage Roll Casserole (aka: Mush)

We had our first official sign of winter today – snow. The dip in temperatures and the cold, wet morning reminded me of my favourite things in life: family, warmth, and comfort foods! This recipe encompasses all three and is a childhood favourite of mine. I don’t know why my brother and I started calling this dish “Mush”, but we did. And it stuck. To this day, with both of us in our 30’s, we continue to call it “Mush”. Actually, so does everybody in my family! This dish is traditionally called Lazy Cabbage Roll Casserole by others because it incorporates pretty much everything in a traditional cabbage roll, without the pain of rolling it into a nice, neat package. This dish is hearty and warm – perfect for the season’s first snowfall. It’s also super easy to make.

(more…)