I had my first boyfriend in kindergarten. I would get to school early just so I could strategically arrange that day’s seating chart in my favor. We would sneak kisses underneath the playground slide when his best friend wasn’t around, and we were in love.

I never went through the “boys have cooties” phase, and to this day still adore men and Valentines Day. My boyfriend has the insurmountable task of dealing with a February 13th anniversary and Valentine’s Day on the 14th. I foolishly gave away my first creative idea to help out a friend this year and made a bouquet of edible roses for him to give to his girlfriend. Who doesn’t enjoy flowers and chocolate combined into one! And to top it all off, it tastes really good, like really good. The chocolate seductively melts in your mouth as you eat it.

These are a great do-it-yourself gift, and I’m sure any significant other would appreciate it. It’s really not difficult either, so don’t be worried. Here’s what you’ll need…

1 Box of Bakers chocolate (225g) (pick your desired darkness/sweetness; I used semi-sweet)
60 g of Corn syrup
6 Floral wires- I used 16 gauge (found at Micheal’s)
Floral tape (also found at Micheal’s)
Pliers
2 round cutters (mine were about 1.5 in and 2 in)
Disposable gloves
Any small V-day candies
Fake greenery (found at dollar store)
Vase (any will do)

First let’s make some modeling chocolate. I should note that chocolate chips will not work, they have something weird added to help them keep their shape. Chop your chocolate into small pieces. Measure out your corn syrup. Place the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and melt slowly, in 30 second intervals, then stir! Once the chocolate is fully melted, quickly add in corn syrup while stirring constantly to ensure even distribution. It will firm up quickly. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in fridge for one hour, or until you’re ready to use it. I let mine come back to room temperature before I started using it.

Cut off a piece and start kneading it until it becomes soft enough to roll out. I rolled it out onto a silpat and then cut it into as many circles as possible. If your chocolate is sticking use some sifted cocoa powder to help. For each rose you will need 3 smaller circles and 8 larger ones. You will also need 6 rose “buds” so roll 6 circles and taper one of the edges.

While your chocolate is setting, get your wires ready. Using your pliers, make a little ‘u’ or hook at top of each wire. Now slide each bud from the bottom up so that it hooks into the chocolate. Use your hands to mold the chocolate and hide the visible wire. Place your buds in the fridge for a few minutes to harden up. Now put on your gloves (technically this step is optional but it ensures that you wont get fingerprints on your chocolate). Pinch the edges of your circle to thin them out and help them appear more natural. Wrap your first small circle around your bud. Next wrap the remaining 2 small petals around.

Continuing to thin out the edges as you use the petals, attach the next 3 petals. Then add the last layer of 5 petals. I liked these when they were a bit fanned out.

Finally, squeeze the bottom and pinch of the excess to make a pretty bottom of your rose, then place it in the fridge to harden. A block of foam would have been helpful here to make sure they hardened upright, but I didn’t have that so I improvised and sacrificed a banana, it worked perfectly. Now if you’d like, you can wrap the wire in floral tape.

To finish off, just add some cute candies to the bottom of your vase and arrange to your liking. Now go and impress your Valentine!

If Popeye (the sailor man) was to endorse a bread, it would be this one. This bread is jam packed with healthy goodness. It’s filled with fiber, protein, and complex carbs. I’d even go as far as calling it SUPER BREAD ( must be read to the super man tune!)

As I was perusing the isles of Bulk Barn, I came across a ridiculous selection of trail mixes… VOILA I had an idea, why not incorporate trail mix in bread, who’s says I can’t do that? That sounds weird to you? Too much crunch? It’s not, it’s perfect. I finally decided on a mix, that didn’t include chocolate. I was initially worried the melted chocolate might be weird but after trying the bread, I think it might have been fun. The mix I chose, Garden of Eating, had raisins, peanuts, cashews, almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and papaya. All things delicious. In order to cut down on the “crunch” factor just a bit, I boiled the nuts for a few minutes. While doing so I read a few articles about how nuts are more easily digested once they’ve been boiled! 1 point Super Bread. The nut’s didnt get soggy, just a little softer, similar results to roasted nuts. For good measure I threw in some ground flax seeds, which are high in fiber. I used a combination of whole grain, whole wheat and bread flour. (17%, 41%, 41%, respectively) The use of white bread flour is the reason the bread was so airy and with such an open crumb structure, and of course the high hydration. The extra gluten in the bread flour made up for the lack of gluten in the whole wheat/whole grain flours. The loaf was wonderfully soft even with addition of flax seeds.

This is a wonderful bread that has a ton of character and makes a great sandwich. If you like crunchy peanut butter, you’ll love this bread. And because of all its nutrition, it will keep you full for longer.

Ingredients ( 2 loaves)
3/4 cup Trail Mix
100 g 5 Grain Flour
75 g Ground Flax Seeds
20 g Soy Milk Powder
240 g Whole Wheat Flour
240 g Bread Flour
20 g Sugar
13 g Active Dry Yeast
15 g Salt
25 g Olive Oil
2 1/2 cups Warm Water

               
First, prepare your trail mix. Bring a small pot of water to boil, and add trail mix and cook for 5 minutes. Drain nuts and remove skins of almonds. In a large mixing bowl combine all ingredients except the trail mix. Use your kitchen aid dough hook to knead the bread. It will take a long time for the dough to come together fully, but I promise it will- grab a book. Knead on low for 2-4 minutes, and then on medium speed for about 10 minutes. The dough will become very elastic as the gluten strands form within the dough. With wet hands transfer to a greased bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place for 1 1/2 hours. Grease your counter top and dump contents of the bowl. Divide dough into 2. Divide the trail mix into 4 piles. Flatten dough, and add a layer of trail mix. Fold into 3′s. Then flip the dough (the seam should now be facing you) and flatten the other way. Add another line of trail mix. Fold onto itself 3 times again. Now, shape the dough either in a boule or a long loaf. I preferred the long loaf once baked. Transfer onto a baking sheet with parchment paper. Shape the next loaf. Sprinkle loaves with flour and cover loosely. Preheat the oven 450 F . Place the loaves in the oven and immediately spray some water into the oven. Cook for 10 minutes, and then flip the loaves. Let cool and enjoy with some nutella or peanut butter!

Unlike a lot of other bloggers, I do not fear a wet dough. I aim for one. One of the first things that I discovered was the wetter the dough the better the crumb consistency- at least in my opinion. I was experimenting in my kitchen the other day, hoping to maximize hydration in the dough while still producing a loaf that can maintain its shape. This dough took a long time to double in bulk during the first rise, even in a warm room (about 4 hours). My sourdough starter has been temperamental lately and I decided to give my recipe a boost with a scant 1/2 tsp yeast. Overall it produced a beautiful loaf, with a super soft slightly chewy crumb. The brown sugar really enhanced the flavor and helped produce a lovely caramelized crust. I baked it in my ceramic “dutch oven” to help with its structure and crumb, but I accidentally used too much dough, and I don’t think it had enough room to properly rise. I think it had potential to be even “hole-ier”. I say this because I also made a few rolls on a baking sheet that had a very open crumb and also held their shape. Unfortunately they were eaten before I had a chance to get any photos!

Ingredients (Yields 2 loaves)
200 g White Starter
500 g Bread Flour
440 g Water
1/2 tsp Active Dry Yeast
20 g Salt
20 g Brown Sugar

In a large mixing bowl combine starter, flour, 300 g water, yeast, salt and sugar. Start kneading with a dough hook. Once the dough has formed a rough ball, slowly start to add the remaining water, the dough may seem like it wont incorporate all of the water, but give it time- it will. Keep kneading until the dough has cleaned the edges of the bowl and the gluten strands have formed (the dough is very elastic) About 10 minutes. Prepare a bowl by spraying it with oil. Wet your hands before dealing with the dough, and transfer the dough to the bowl. Cover and let rise until it has doubled in bulk. It took 4 hours for me. Once it has doubled, flour a counter top, and dump contents out. Fold onto itself 3-4 times. If you plan on baking your dough free form, cover a baking sheet with parchment paper and shape dough. If you want to use a “dutch oven” or any ceramic/glass or cast iron pot with a lid, fold dough onto itself 3-4 times, divide in 2 and return to two very oiled or floured bowls. Let rise for 1 hour. Meanwhile preheat your oven to 450F. If using a “dutch oven” place it in the oven while it heats. Once heated bake with lid for 10 minutes, and 5-8 minutes without until crust is crackly and golden brown. Otherwise place a heat proof dish with a cup of ice water on the bottom of your oven while you bake your bread on a cookie sheet for 8 minutes. After 8 minutes remove your dish, rotate your sheet and continue baking for another 6-8 minutes.

Summer is coming, and what better way to enjoy a hot summer day than with a refreshing cold tomato soup. Gazpacho has many variations; green or red, smooth or chunky, spicy or mild. I prefer mine red, chunky, and with a big kick. To spice things up, and to make the recipe my own I added in 2 tomatillos! If you’ve never had a tomatillo, it looks like a green tomato but tastes like a green apple or sour pear. It added a very distinct citrus flavor to the gazpacho. It was a wonderful tangy addition.

Ingredients: (Yields 6-8 servings)
7 Ripe Tomatoes
2 Tomatillos
1 Red Onion
1 Cucumber
1/2 Can of V8
Black Pepper
2 Tbs Sugar
1 Tbs Salt
2 Chilli Peppers, Seeded
1/4 cup Red Wine Vinegar
Cilantro to Garnish

Roughly slice up 5 tomatoes, 1 1/2 tomatillos, 1/2 a red onion and 3/4 cucumber. Set aside the rest. In a bowl combine chopped vegetables, V8, vinegar, sugar and salt. Use a hand blender to puree. I like to keep mine a little chunky, but its your preference. Carefully dice up the remaining vegetables and set aside for garnishing. Refrigerate for a few hours or overnight. Serve in cute little bread bowls!

I have a weakness for potato chips. I try really hard not to buy them, and I generally only succumb to my addiction a couple of times a year, but unfortunately I’ve now found a loop hole. A very dangerous loop hole. On the bright side, these chips really aren’t that bad for you and are just as delicious as their evil, extra fattening twin! The other day I visited a fresh market, and I was elated to find yellow beets, instantly knowing I was destined to make colorful vegetable chips. I gathered my vegetables; yellow and red beets, sweet potatoes, zucchinis, yellow potatoes and most importantly my boyfriends mandolin (Shh, don’t tell!) My favorite chip is of the “salt and vinegar” variety. I’m not picky- regular or fancy balsamic vinegars will do for me. I’ve noticed people either LOVE or HATE S&V chips. You’re either passionate or loathsome towards these extra tasty chips. I’d say my opinion is quite obvious. I decided to go with original white vinegar for my chips, purely out of cost efficiency and simplicity, but I’m sure it would be fun to play around with other tastes.

Ingredients:
Whichever root vegetable you desire, I used sweet potato, yellow potato, red beets, yellow beets and zucchini.
Distilled White Vinegar
Cooking Oil Spray
Kosher Salt for sprinkling

Slice vegetables as thin as possible, to ensure even baking. In order to get the desired vinegary taste, you have to boil your sliced veggies in vinegar. Toss all veggies into a pot and add enough vinegar so that all veggies are submerged. Bring to boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let soak for 20 minutes. Lay out flat to dry on paper towel for another 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 400F. In order to prevent burning, I suggest baking all same vegetable at once. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper, and lay out one type of vegetable flat, spray with oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 10-14 minutes, checking and turning periodically. Bake until they are brown around the edges and crispy, lay out on paper towel to dry. Enjoy hot or once cool.

DISCLAIMER: While delicious, these chips are a bit of a time commitment, 1-3 servings can be made in an hour, but more will take a few hours. There’s only so many chips that can fit into the oven at once!

Ingredients (Yields 1 loaf)
105 g White Starter (100% hydration)
480 g White Flour
320 g Water
15 g Sugar
10 g Salt

First off, you need a fairly active sourdough starter for this bread to be successful. My next post will give instructions on how to create your own starter. I fed my starter about 6 hours before I used it in my dough and it was just starting to bubble. The manual labor involved in this bread is very minimal. I combined all ingredients in my stand mixer, and kneaded on low for 3 minutes. You should now check that your dough is the right consistency. It should not be shaggy, if you touch it it should not feel dry at all. This is a very wet and sticky dough. Add as much water as the dough will possibly take while still maintaining shape (a ball in your mixer). I accidently added just a little too much, and my dough became way too sticky, and reminded me of glue. I had to add about a tablespoon of flour to return it to the right consistency. It should form a ball around your dough hook. Continue kneading on medium (speed 4) for about 5-7 minutes. The dough should be elastic, if you pull a piece away from the ball, it should not rip off immediately. The dough ball should be smooth but tacky when touched. Prepare a greased bowl. Flour your hands before transferring the dough. Let dough rise for 2-3 hours, it should come close to doubling in bulk. Knock back dough, by dumping it onto the counter, and folding it on to itself 3 times. Return the dough to the bowl and place it in fridge for 24 hours. After 24 hours move the bowl to the counter so it can return to room temperature. The next day preheat the oven to 450F. Very carefully mold the dough into a ball and place on a baking sheet. Once the oven is very hot, bake for 25 minutes. Turning after 15. The tease of waiting 48 hours must be killing you. Let cool, and share with some special to you.