Author Archive: My Kitchen Wand

Folding paper shapes is an ancient craft. In Japan it is called Origami and there are hundreds of figures that can be made from a single piece of Kami paper. A popular shape is the crane and the accompanying legend is that if someone folds 1,000 orizuru (cranes) they will be granted a wish. In […]

I was pleased to find a creative outlet for container soy wax while making the Butterbeer candles last month and thought I might take it a step further for some fun fall and winter candles that would make cute gifts for the appropriate person. The glass cups were happened upon in a dollar store last […]

Mincemeat has an interesting history, a bit of which we will get to in a moment. I thought though that I would start with the pears as this mincemeat has no meat in the recipe. I first came across a pear mincemeat recipe in a Ball recipe book at least two decades ago. It was […]

Time for some Harry Potter candle making fun? Let’s begin by saying that it may take some tweaking on your part because the supplies I use are not necessarily the ones you will be able to get near your location. If you would like to connect directly with Wicks and Wax in Burnaby, British Columbia, […]

I am back for round two. I still have no idea what button I pushed that deleted the entire post and left me with one lonely “t”. My hope is that in the end what gets created now will be a better post. Sour cherries have a very limited season. They are generally ripe mid […]

A quick no bake favourite with a full bodied twist, perfect for a java lover. Rice Krispies Treats were created by Malitta Jensen and Mildred Day in 1939 at the Kellogg Company home economics department as a fund raiser for Camp Fire Girls. They are a simple project for kids to put together, with a […]

Beltane is about honouring life. All around you there are signs of abundant fertility. Beltane is the place between the fullnesses of spring and summer, where possibilities are sparked and conception happens. Heiros Gamos, the sacred union of Earth and Sky is celebrated.  Bees pollinate flowers so fruit can be harvested throughout the remaining agricultural […]

Yes!, this is a post about Mushroom Linguini but more than that it is about making the most of what you have and getting through life’s challenges together. Over the last weeks, I have had various phone calls from people going shopping, fresh mushrooms and wildcrafted plants turning up on my door step, homemade masks […]

There is some debate as to where exactly this dish originated. Hungry, Poland, Slovakia and the Ukraine all claim ownership and if Pittsburgh had a chance they would try too. Haluski is one of those simple, cost effective, tasty dishes that also qualifies as comfort food. With so many people looking for ways to keep […]

We eat a fair amount of cauliflower in this house and its pricing in this part of the world is volatile. Keeping your eyes open for a good deal is always helpful and getting more than one meal out of a head is a bonus. This, once again, comes through the German side of my […]