roasted butternut squash soup

squash is such a fabulous vegetable. it's filling and healthy and hearty, and makes cold weather almost bearable!

this is one of my favourite soup recipes. it's simple and tasty, and it can be made ahead and reheated.

roasting the squash in the oven first is key - it has a totally different flavour than boiled squash. take the extra time, it's worth it!!

basic bread

who doesn't love freshly baked bread?

matt and i spent a year living in far northern ontario, where "fresh" bread from the store was at least a week old. as a consequence, i made all of the bread we ate the whole time we lived there. this recipe was my go-to. it is pretty failsafe as far as making bread goes, and you can add anything to it and it will turn out well.

matt's favourite addition is huge chunks of cheese, so that it makes cheesy pockets in the bread. i like adding fresh garlic and herbs.

this time, i made it with just white flour. i was making it to accompany soup, and i thought it would go better. normally i use at least a cup or two of whole wheat or whole spelt flour.

i did everything by hand (instead of with my kitchen aid) to prove to you that it's EASY. i did my best to take pictures while i was kneading, but it's hard to take pictures and knead at the same time...

double layer crispy mint chocolates

of all of the treats i made around christmas time, the chocolates were the most popular. i kept them in the freezer and just brought them out when people were over...

i don't generally make dessert, since it's not really something i eat, but i know most people like it, and thought it would be nice to have something around to offer people.

so, i made a batch of chocolates, and i can just pull a few out of the freezer after dinner to share. bam, dessert, DONE.

red mango curry

i love curry so much. mango curry is so unique, with it's blend of sweet and spicy flavours.

this recipe is surprisingly simple, and really quite easy to make. the key is finding good, ripe mangoes.

pretty new dress!!

i made myself this lovely new dress the other day... it's made out of jersey-knit (t-shirt material) so it's super soft and comfortable. i highly believe in making clothes that look nice AND are comfortable.

i also made one out of the bright pink material (from my harem pants post) for the same friend.

sooooo pink!

gluten free pitas

so a while ago when we had our falafel feast, i made pitas for the gluten eaters (ie everyone but suzanne) and they were fabulous. BUT poor suzanne, she needed some pitas too.

so, i made her some gluten free pitas. they are a bit crisper than wheat pitas, but you kind of have to take what you can get, my celiac friends. ;)

pitas

a while back me and my suzanne made a feast of hummus, falafel, tzatziki, veggies and pitas. i made these pitas for myself and matt and alistair (and made gluten free ones for suzanne! recipe coming soon to a blog near you!)

it was an amazing dinner, and these pitas were perfect - chewy and a little crispy and ever so pockety. the three of us ate all 10!!

harem pants

these pants are a great project for someone who is new to sewing. they are quick and easy to make, and really hard to screw up!

a good friend brought back some pants like this from india, and everyone i know fell in love with them. at first i just liked them because they are comfortable, but they have become some of my favourite pants.

there are SO many ways you can wear them!!

this pair i made for a friend of mine (they are pink - clearly not for me!), and she is a couple of inches taller than me and about the same around the waist, so i made them a little on the long side.

alright, shall we?