Author Archive: My Kitchen Wand

I have graduated! Not from school but in my options for frozen treat making. A friend called the other day to say she had found a new Cuisinart Ice Cream maker at a local second hand store….for $7.00! Needless to say it was worth the expense to drive it around the block a couple of […]

Lotion bars are usually made from equal parts beeswax, liquid oil and a harder oil like mango, coconut or shea butter. The addition of an essential oil is optional and depends on what you are looking for as an end result. The reason that you might chose to make a lotion bar over a salve […]

I hope you have a few moments for the retelling of an ancient Celtic story and the wonders of imagination. You see there were two brothers who shared the same job; to care for the earth. One was responsible for the part of the year where dark turned to light and the other brother, the […]

I was invited to a South African Bring and Braai last week. To braai is to BBQ and this was a birthday party to boot! Along with the BBQ were a selection of salads and one stood out as a wonderful option for Lughnasadh. I have posted recently about the tradition of picking the first bilberries […]

In the Anne of Green Gable stories of Prince Edward Island, there is a reference to raspberry cordial. A non alcoholic version gets mixed up with a currant wine, with consequences. This is the “vodka added” version, definitely not for little girls. It is a sweet, brightly flavoured liqueur for after dinner sipping and other […]

The berry season has arrived in full force! It will not be the best of seasons here. The weather this spring was not ideal for strawberries and raspberries and low yields made for an increase in pricing. So when a “offer” came along, it did not matter that the berries were a little small as […]

We all need sun to be healthy. For one, it helps our bodies manufacture vitamin D. Sunshine also boosts the body’s serotonin level, our happy hormone with its appetite suppressing bonus. It is also connected to preventing or reducing the effects of SAD, diabetes, heart disease, IBD and MS. It boosts your immune system and […]

Darina Allen tells the story of a student in one of her Balleymaloe cooking classes that had managed to overwhip some whipping cream. Darina was able to catch her just before the spoiled cream ended up in the garbage and explained that there was no need to throw out the butter she had just made. […]

Red and white are the colours of the Canadian flag, making strawberries and whipped cream a perfect fit to celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday, July 1st. But truthfully this is a lovely summertime treat for any occasion as long as fresh local berries are available. Changing out the fruit for blackberries or raspberries works and mixing […]

Three more ideas for making use of those lovely garlic scapes before moving on. If scapes are new to you, here is an introduction. The tried and true go to is a scapes pesto. This version is made with Asiago cheese and pine nuts. It is absolutely possible to make substitutions if walnuts and Parmesan […]