Author Archive: My Kitchen Wand

Fall has arrived and that usually means a little more scheduling and less spur of the moment dinners. It is still possible to whip up something nutritious on cooler days. This is on my go to list when things get busy. Simple ingredients, packed with goodness. I pop it on the stove in the afternoon, […]

A kitchen witch is a poppet, traditional to northern European countries, usually made from left over bits of material, in the form of a hag riding her broomstick. They hung in kitchen windows and were said to bring blessings and good food. Corn dollys or corn mothers are a form of straw work with a […]

In a few days it will be September and then very quickly Labour Day. School will start again and schedules will fall back into place. Strawberries and and watermelon will give way to apples and pears. In that place inbetween we find peaches, juicy and sweet, bridging the transition from summer to autumn. Apple fritters […]

It seems to be birthday season around you me right now and my offer of bringing pavlova to the latest celebration was met with immediate agreement. Pavlova is not as well known in North America as it is in New Zealand and Australia where it might almost be considered a national dessert. It is most […]

I often share truffle recipes over other styles of chocolates because they are an easy way to have great quality chocolates without the need to get out the marble and temper chocolate. The soft and creamy aspects of the filling can be controlled by how much scalded whipping cream, butter, alcohol or fruit puree is […]

In the middle of July I taught an introduction to preserving/canning class with nary a gerkin in site. Watermelon skins were an option but we needed to be complete in three hours, including a batch of raspberry jam. Carrot pickles it is. A year round sweet and sour option that you probably have all the […]

Last summer I posted a Raspberry Tarragon Shrub made with white wine vinegar. Apple cider and balsamic vinegars add an entirely different complexity to this one with backberries, ginger and basil. This is also a cold processed recipe meaning the fruit is not heated to extract its goodness. I find the finished product is brighter […]

One more way to keep herbs available all year round. They may not look as pretty as fresh soup wreaths but they keep the taste of your garden or shopping easily available. The herbs that I freeze in water or stock go into soups, sauces and stews. When herbs are preserved in oil, they can […]

Red currants are another of those tart berries that carry within enough pectin to gel on their own. They are most often turned into jelly as the seeds inside are bigger than raspberry seeds and for some, that can take away from the enjoyment of the finished preserve. I had plans but time and web […]

This is a post about temperature in candlemaking. In the past I have shared candlemaking options as it related to rolled beeswax and melt and pour type waxes. The next few minutes were put together to show you why sometimes, the finished candle does not come out of the mould as anticipated. You can skip […]