Lucky Koi...Not so lucky us

We had my dad and his wife over for Easter and ordered from Lucky Koi Express.

All the food looked pretty good but to be honest all the main dishes tasted the same. They didn't have a lot of flavor to make them distinctly anything in anyway. The ginger beef didn't even really have much of a flavor of ginger. I think if I didn't know it was ginger beef I wouldn't have guested it.

The spring rolls and the wanton soup was good but other then that I didn't like any of the rest of it and I will not be ordering from there again.

On a scale of 1-10 I give it a 2- I would have been better of eating at home.

For Next Easter: Homemade Cadbury Eggs

Don't these look wonderful! I've put them on my list of things to try next Easter! 

Check out the recipe at Not Without Salt

Sucre a crème (Caramel Sauce)

My good friends Roxy and Jazzy make this sauce when we do crêpes and it is by far one of my favorite things ever! They are French and have introduced me to this and many other wonderful French things, but this is still one of my favs.

1 cup 35% Whipping Cream
2 cups Brown Sugar (gently packed)


Mix together in a pot and bring to a bowl; stir constantly. Continue to boil for 10-20 minutes (the longer your sauce boils the thicker it will be once it sets).

Remove from heat and keep stir for a little while so it doesn`t burn. Let it cool and use it for crepes, waffles, with fruit and yogurt, over ice cream or a cake OR as part of a fruit dip which I will be post the recipe for soon!

Enjoy!

Have any good ideas, suggestions or experiences....share them, leave a comment, I’d love to hear from you!!

I've shared this recipe at: 

Sweet Tooth Friday, Friday Link Party, Frugal Friday, Simply Link Party, 
Feasting in Fellowship Friday, Joy of Desserts, Mangia Mondays, Made by you Mondays

Make a Food-e-Friend Mondays, A Marvelous Mess Monday

And just a side note my last recipe entered on Feasting in Fellowship was featured! Check it out here!

Baking My Way: Pillsbury Chocolate Chip Yogurt Cookies

I LOVE these cookies! If you don't oven cook them they are the softest sweetest, melt in your mouth goodness! You might think you'd taste the yogurt and that would turn you off from these cookies but you don't notice it at all. It just adds to the softness of the cookie which is alright by me! I think these are a must try! I think they would also be good with chocolate covered raisins.

I give these a 5! They are some of the best chocolate chip cookies I have ever made! (1 being "I'll never bake them again" and 5 being "They are now one of my favorites")

Ingredients
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 3/4 cup flour
1/4 cup butter
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup shortening (I used butter)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt (I used vanilla)
1/2 c mini choc chips (I just large ones, I like them better!)

Directions
Heat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, combine sugar, brown sugar, butter, and shortening; beat until light and fluffy.

Add yogurt and vanilla; blend well. Stir in chocolate chips.

Drop by teaspoonfuls 2" apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake for 8-12 min or until light golden brown.

I've shared this recipe at:

Easter Hunt

 I decided it would be fun to do a little scavenger hunt in our new house. I love to do fun little things like this and who says you have to have kids to do them? I got some bunny ears, hid all the candy and waited for Marshall to get home. He was surprised (and being a candy/chocolate lover) and excited.

I did the usual "Hot....Cold....Warmer..." and it was a lot of fun. I thought he found everything then I remembered about the mini eggs. I saw where he had all checked and I was certain I had hidden it behind a pillow. We searched for another 10 minutes and finally I checked a place I had seen him check and they were there. I guess he just didn't look hard enough? Just glad to know there's no chocolate hiding somewhere waiting for Ollie to find it, that would be bad.

And the score in the end.

Chocolate Indulge: Sweet Impressions & Chocolate Zen

We had a double date on Tuesday and I had some time so I decided to bike with Ollie get some desserts. I had a couple more places on my list that I wanted to try so I went there. If you don't know Winnipeg to make it simple for you in total it was around a 10km bike ride. Ollie is a year old and full of energy. He pulled the whole way there (which helped, it was pretty windy!) and he only started to get tiered on the way back (his tiered is not dragging behind but rather simply just not pulling anymore).

The first stop was Sweet Impressions (on Tache). I was impressed but there cute little store front and the fact that they are a nut free bakery. That's not a problem for me but I'm sure the people our there with allergies really appreciate it.

The second stop was Chocolate Zen (on Osborne). It was also a pretty cute place, but I can't say I'm that impressed in comparison to the other bakeries in the city. It's a cute shop, don't get me wrong, but not my style I guess. They did have a couple things in their display I wouldn't mind trying, but that's sort of the case everywhere I go!

I picked up the chocolate option from each place so we (each couple) got a plate to share. The cupcakes didn't really make it (they smoshed on the way home) but wow, where they good! I could have eaten a lot more of them so it was a good thing there was only one! The chocolate macaroon was also really good but I didn't love the chocolate zen (moose).

Mini Cheese Scones

We were having fish and mash the other night and I just had the urge to make it even more English so I made scones!(I’m not sure if it’s more an English thing or Scottish, but either way, really good!) I learn this recipe in high school, and I don’t think I had used it again since, but wow, I forgot how good they really were! (they are sort of like the ones the Red Lobster used to serve but I’m sure less fattening!)

3 ½ Cups Sifted Flour
2 Tbsp Baking Powder
1 Tbsp Sugar
1 Tsp Salt
¾ Cup Butter
2 Cups Shredded cheese
2 Tbsp Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 Egg
1 Cup Milk

In a large bowl mix together flour, baking powder, sugar, salt. Cut in butter, mix until dough in fine clumps. Stir in cheese. In another bowl whisk together milk and the egg. Add egg mixture to flour mixture, holding back one tablespoon to spread on top of scones before putting in the oven. Mix until dough forms a ball. Kneed for 3 minutes. Roll out on floured surface (one inch thick). Cut in to 2’’ x 2’’ squares. Brush remaining milk and egg mix on top. Put on greased or flowered baking sheet. Cook for 12-15 minutes.

Enjoy!

I shared this recipe at:

Breakfast

Crepe with eggs, cheddar cheese and pesto. Thank you Marshall!