satisfying a sweet tooth

This blog post is designed specifically to make you salivate. These Rice Krispie treats (pictured left) from The Crispery are available for order only in the U.S. (boo!) but they look so yummy, I had to share! They come in a variety of individual flavours like: Caramel and Marshmallow, Peanut Butter, Coconut and Chocolate Dipped Crispy to name a few. Mmmm! It’s not like my hometown of Toronto doesn’t have its own fair share of bakeries that make mouthwatering treats. This blogto.com blog post lists the best cupcakes in Toronto, for example. And Rice Krispie squares are easy enough to make at home (though The Crispery certainly adds an original twist to an old favourite!) If you’re interested in making your own squares at home, here are a few recipes from Canadian Living: Cocoa frosted Rice Krispies peanut squares, Rice Krispies fruit and nut granola bars.

Anyway, I’m just feeling mighty hungry now. If you’ve got an insatiable sweet tooth and are looking for more ideas, check out our Food & Entertaining section, full of easy recipes for delicious desserts! The weekend is the perfect time to try your hand at a new recipe.

Here are a few of my faves (pictured above):

Chocolate dream scone with mascarpone spread
Cranberry pistachio biscotti
Baby butter and jam sandwiches

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simple human sensor soap pump

Every now and then, you find a product that you never knew you needed. And then suddenly, there it is, in all its glory and you wonder how you ever lived without it. That’s sort of how I feel about Simple Human’s sensor soap pump. We’ve all used sensor pumps in public washrooms but it never occurred to me how brilliant it would be to have one at home. Well, now that I’ve used this, I realize just how great it is. Particularly in the kitchen, this soap pump makes a lot of sense. Let’s say you’re working with raw meat and you need to wash up frequently. With this pump, you don’t need to touch a soap dispenser with your contaminated hands. Just place your hand underneath the sensor and voila! Just enough soap comes out for you to wash up. So simple, so smart.

Available at: Home Outfitters or visit simplehuman.com for more information
Price: $49.99

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easy and delicious eggnog

I spent this weekend enjoying holiday cheer with my family. We put on some Christmas music (some of my favourites are Elvis Christmas Duets, Sarah McLachlan’s Wintersong,  and Celine Dion’s These are Special Times) and set to the task of decorating the tree. It was a lovely festive afternoon of family and fun.

We also enjoyed a glass each of fresh and frothy homemade eggnog. I recently spent a weekend at Cavallo Point Lodge in Sausalito, just outside of San Francisco (you can read a bit more about it here) and I visited the cooking school, where Kelsie Kerr, Cooking School Director, was whipping up delicious, delectable holiday eggnog.

I was inspired. While I didn’t get my hands on Kelsie’s recipe, I did find a few online and I whipped up a batch of this sweet treat for my family. Mmm! Here are a few for you to try, courtesy of eggnogrecipe.net.

Easy Eggnog
Diamond Eggnog Recipe
Traditional Eggnog Recipe
Coconut Eggnog Recipe
Chocolate Eggnog Recipe
Low Fat Eggnog

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bring your table to life

Delight your guests with a table that looks perfectly pulled together. It’s really not that hard. Pretty placemats, tablecloths and table runners instantly dress up a table and at trendexhome.com, you’ll find a huge assortment of styles, colours and patterns to choose from. The simple gesture of dressing your table will let your guests know that you care enough to go to a bit of trouble for them (though it’s really no trouble at all!).  Or if you’re dining solo, it’s nice to do something special for yourself and set a pretty table before you sit down to eat. Boldly patterned pieces, like the ones pictured here, are a whimsical way to liven up stark white dishware. If your crockery is bold enough on its own, choose from simple but elegant solid colours – trendexhome.com has a wide assortment; you’re sure to find something that’ll suit your table just right!

These products also make a great Christmas present. Order by December 1 for delivery by December 22 in Canada and the United States.

For more information, visit trendexhome.com. For inspiring ideas for dressing your table in style, check out Style at Home’s tabletop section.

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beautiful bodum

I love the simplicity of Bodum’s designs. The YOHKI storage jar with chrome lid (featured left), is perfect for storing flour, sugar and pasta and is perfect for blending into any countertop. The CHAMBORD French press coffee maker with metal lid (pictured right) is so elegant. I can just smell the aroma in the air and it makes me think of sipping coffee at a patisserie in Paris. Except that I don’t drink coffee.

Bodum products can be found at Home Outfitters and select The Bay stores across Canada. Or at Bodum stores in Belgium, Denmark, France, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom, China, Japan, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, United Arab Emirates and Australia … you know … if you’re going.

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frostines edibles: delicious cookies

You just can’t go wrong with the gift of food. Well … okay, maybe that’s not true. I mean, I wouldn’t exactly be thrilled if someone showed up at my house with a cabbage casserole. They say it’s the thought that counts but I’d just be thinking, Wow. This person really doesn’t like me. So let me rephrase. You just can’t go wrong with the gift of baked goodies. And if you don’t have time to whip up some tasty treats yourself, then just leave it to the professionals. Frostineedibles.com is an online Canadian bakery that makes a vast assortment of cookies and other baked treats and offers overnight shipping to anywhere in Canada and the United States. So next time you’re looking for a hostess gift or housewarming present, a birthday gift or just something to satisfy your own sweet tooth, then consider Frostines Edibles. My favourite part is how they’re packaged – beautiful, re-useable boxes that come in a variety of colours and truly look like something special. Here at my office, we sampled the cookies and here’s what my colleagues had to say:

“Soft and crumbly. It dissolves in your mouth – delicious!”
Alaina Chapman

“These yummy cookies were truly delightful, melting away in my mouth. The butterscotch ripple was my fave — a simply sweet treat to cap off my lunch. If this is the way the cookie crumbles, I want more!”
Lauren McPhillips

“I had the chocolate brownie cookie … very chocolate brownie like! It was really rich and quite tasty, but somewhat dry. Would be perfect with a cold glass of milk. I imagine a serious chocolate lover would be very grateful to receive some of these to feed their craving.”
Daniela Payne

“This cookie makes a valiant effort to be all things to all people – it’s got shortbread, it has a modest filling, it has cranberries and who knows what else. That said, the holiday hubris pays off: In several sweetly satisfying bites, you get an essential taste of Christmases past, updated for the present. The verdict:  A-. The minus is for leaving out the chocolate. Now, can I have another one?”
John Kuipers

Good to know: All flavours of Frostines Edibles cookies are nut- and peanut-free.

For more information, visit: frostinesedibles.com

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striped bowls

Love these striped cereal bowls and matching milk pitcher! This is certainly one way to start your day off in style. Available in ink or khaki, these oversized bowls are perfect for a hearty breakfast. They’ll also look great on display on your kitchen table or counter – why hide pretty things behind closed cupboard doors? Leave them out to be admired.

Available at: Chefs
Price: bowls, $9.99; pitcher, $9.99

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mighty leaf teas

Nothing says rest and relaxation more to me than cozying up with a hot cup of tea and as the weekend approaches, I welcome the chance to sit down and unwind. Wrapping my hands around a hot cuppa and inhaling the fresh aroma of a perfectly brewed cup of tea seems to melt my stress away. This tea set from Mighty Leaf is a sweet treat for the tea lover and comes with an assortment of tasty teas to try: Breakfast Americana, Organic Earl Grey, Bombay Chai, Orange Dulce and Vanilla Bean. Mmm! I can just feel myself starting relax! Once you’ve got your mug in hand, start a new tradition with styleathome.com’s guide to teatime etiquette, plus find tips for brewing the perfect cup of tea.

Available online at: mightyleaf.ca

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enter to win!

I love the sleek design of this fab Hamilton Beach Liquid Blu blender. Not only will it whip up amazing treats (smoothies are my favourite!), it’ll look stunning perched on your kitchen counter.

Click here for your chance to win one of two of these great blenders!

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hermes teacups

Bold, brilliant, beautiful. These Hermes teacups and saucers are gorgeous, featuring painted scroll patterns inspired by the intricate ironwork found on Spanish balconies …. who would have thought? I just love the boldness of the red on the delicate porcelain of these cups and saucers.

Available at: bluefly.com
Price: $198 for set of 2 teacups and saucers (left), $252 for set of 2 teacups and saucers (right)

Afternoon tea, anyone? Start a new tradition with our guide to teatime etiquette.

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pretty pottery

Worn and rustic-looking, these wheel thrown pottery bowls are just beautiful! I love the earthtone colours of this pottery. Use them for everyday food (rice seems right, but use them for everything from cereal to ice cream) or simply use them as pretty display pieces on the kitchen table.

Available at: etsy.com
Price: $15 each

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seafood recipes

I sometimes think I could live on a steady diet of seafood. Mmm! Just looking at the pictures of these delish dishes revs my taste buds into high gear. You don’t have to visit expensive seafood restaurants to enjoy your favourite surf fare. Easy recipes abound at styleathome.com. Check them out here.

Want more great recipes?

Soup recipes

Pasta recipes

Chicken recipes

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decorate your table with bamboo bowls

Decorate your table with candy-coloured crockery. These contemporary pieces are from Boston-based lekkerhome.com but can be shipped to Canada; don’t you just love the Internet? The bowls are handcrafted in Vietnam in fair-trade communities and are made from bamboo. Now this is eco-chic. And they’re affordable, too!

Available at: lekkerhome.com
Price: $16 each

Learn how to set a fun and colourful lunch table, perfect for chasing away those winter blahs!

Get more great decorating ideas at styleathome.com.

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Celebrity chef: Nigella Lawson

Who doesn’t have a little bit of a crush on Nigella Lawson? I mean, it’s kind of hard not to. That long, dark hair. That cute accent. Oh, and the way she’s made domestic tasks appealing, tempting almost. Yes, I guess you could say that Nigella’s brought sexy back … into the kitchen.

She’s a busy girl, that Nigella. She’s launched various television shows, her own cookware collection and a growing assortment of highly popular cookbooks, all the while being mother to her two children. Her most recent book, Nigella Express (Knopf Canada, 2007, $50) is about cooking good food fast. “I call it real food,” she explains. “Not fast food. It’s not a book about showing you fast ways to cook foods that actually should be slow cooked. It’s a book that shows you how to cook flavourful, interesting meals in a pinch – with step-by-step instructions to make it easier.”

Interested in learning a little bit more? Styleathome.com got the chance to catch up with the queen of quick cuisine, recently. Check out the full interview here:

Celebrity chef: Nigella Lawson
Nigella Lawson, the queen of quick cuisine, dishes on entertaining a crowd.

PLUS, click here for your chance to win a copy of Nigella Express from styleathome.com! We’ve got five copies to give away.

Or, click here to buy the book.

Want more great recipes? Check out styleathome.com’s collection of easy and elegant recipes for everything from everyday cooking to posh party food.

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invitations

Hi everyone! I’m back. Happy New Year! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and that 2008 has gotten off to a smashing start.

I don’t know about you, but I could really do without January. I hate when the holidays are over, when the Christmas tree has to come down and that festive feeling just seems to dissipate. I find January, February and March tough months to get through. So I think it’s important to find ways to make these three long winter months bearable. Focusing on house and home is one way. And spending time with friends, another. Just because the busiest entertaining season is behind us doesn’t mean that you can’t still throw open the doors of your home to friends and family and play host to your nearest and dearest. In fact, entertaining during these frosty months is a great way to stay in touch and pass long winter nights. On styleathome.com, we’ve got tons of recipes to help you plan an impromptu soiree. And to make your fete extra special, send out personalized invitations to your guests. We’ve got beautifully designed templates (like those pictured above) and you can print off invitations, menus and place cards. So instead of succumbing to the January (and February and March) blahs, keep your home buzzing with the gentle clinking of wine glasses and the soothing sound of laughter coming from your dining room.

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