Onwards with the birthday week! First, some healthy peppermint patties: my gift to you. And read on for instructions on how to enter my awesome cookbook giveaway!
I want to share with you a recipe that has been knocking my socks off for about two weeks now. I found this recipe for healthy – or almost healthy, anyways – peppermint patties on Pinterest and skeptically gave them a whirl. Undifferentiable from the sugar-laden, questionable-ingredient-containing kind, these little goodies are filled with a cashew-based peppermint centre, and coated in dark chocolate. They are….wait for it….vegan, gluten-free, and almost dairy and refined sugar-free.
I know, I was skeptical too.
They are MAGNIFICENT.
The recipe is available at the link above, and I’d suggest you check out some more recipes at her blog too. The woman is making me understand vegans. I, bacon-lover and butter-spreader/dolloper/melter, have suddenly become acutely aware that vegans might be on to something. That is, if they’re eating peppermint patties every day…
And now…THE GIVEAWAY.
Let’s cut to the chase: there have been some FANTASTIC new cookbooks published in the past year by a few local folks.
I talked about Tara MacDonald’s book, The TIBS Guide to Desserts. Remember? I showed you these cookies! The whole book is filled with Tara’s favourite dessert recipes, which are simple to follow and include detailed step-by-step photographs. This book, even though I just bought it a couple months ago, is already dog-eared and flour-dusted. (Oh, but by the way, I’m going to give away a new one. Goes without saying? Hope so).
Then there’s my friend Wendy, the savvy Holistic Nutritionist behind Simple Balance, who published her book, Real Food for Real Families, and shares my philosophy of steering away from pre-packaged, processed food, and focuses on making food from scratch. Her book is chock full of healthy recipes, including remakes of some classic comfort foods.
Finally, Chantal Coolen, baker of The Kind Cookie fame, for those of you who frequent the Halifax Seaport Farmer’s Market, has just released a cookbook featuring vegan and gluten-free recipes. I can’t wait to actually enjoy adhering to my New Year’s (non)-resolutions by cooking the delicious foods featured in Chantal’s whimsical and beautifully photographed book.
Now, the part you’ve been waiting for….
To enter the giveaway, tell me about your favourite Purple House Cafe recipe in the comments section below this post.
That’s all you have to do! Oh, and be from Canada or the US. Shipping is pricey, folks!
There will be three winners drawn – one to receive each book. I will draw for the winner in one week, on January 7, 2014.
Good luck!
Hey Jess,
I have tried a bunch of your recipes, but my favourites are the Bacon Strawberry, balsamic pizza (I have yet to try with flavoured balsamic vinegar but I just found my new favourite store with flavoured balsamic vinegars and olive oils a hop skip and a jump from my place) and butternut squash and prosciutto risotto. The risotto, i have already made Chris, he quickly asked for leftovers for lunch the next day. I have made the pizza many times but sadly always for myself so i don’t have to share.
Cheers,
B
Yaay!! I’m so glad you’ve found a few favourites here. Are you still grain-free? I’m hoping to have some goodies that I think you’ll like coming up in the new year!
I’ve fallen off the wheat free wagon in the fall but am planning on trying it again. I just feel better when I’m not eating wheat.
Yeah, I can understand that. But it’s a tough path to follow!
I’m a sucker for grain-free granola.
Me too! Glad you like it, Sarah!
I love the feta date dip. Broke it out over the holidays to rave reviews. Thanks
Awesome! Did you prefer the feta, the date or the feta date dip? Thanks for reading!
The combo of course.
Awesome!
Favourite?? How does one pick? So many on my ‘to try’ list as well. We do enjoy the seed cookies in our house! They are a standard. Power balls are also a standard.
Keep the recipes coming and congrats on a successful year!!
Thanks Tina! Coming up soon: “healthy” Ferrero Rocher power balls. Are you excited? You should be…there’s a batch in my fridge right now…
ummm…what?? oh dear…I am salivating at the thought! FRs are the consistent chocolate that I buy every Christmas…just polished the last one off last night in fact! Would love a version I can enjoy more than just Christmas!
Oh good! I am so glad – I think you will like these. Honestly, every time I nibble one I can’t get over how similar they are to Ferrero.
i like the blackberry salad. It’s a nice twist on blackberries.
Awesome! I love that salad too – it’s a summer favourite for us.
I have only tried the Power balls and they are awesome! I am excited to try more!!
Good to hear! They are a favourite in our house, for sure! I just finished developing a recipe for another type of power ball that tastes exactly like a Ferrero Rocher…but is healthy! stay tuned!
Hi Jessie,
So many wonderful recipes and stories…so little time….
My absolute favorite is your Chai Tea Latte…I have a lovely thermal tea pot at home and have made this warming treat to bring along to meetings to share with friends and colleagues….always popular.
Looking forward to 2014 posts!
Great to hear, Margo! Where did you get your thermal teapot? That sounds fantastic! I have a double-walled stainless steel one that keeps my tea pretty warm for a good chunk of time, but not all day!
Bought the pot at Winners. It’s double walled stainless with a temp gauge on top… It’s good for 5-6 hours if you preheat the pot and put in hot liquid.
Ah ha! I should definitely try pre-heating my pot. Bet that would work wonders!
Oh so many to choose from!!! My favourites to date are (in no particular order):
1) home-made granola
2) potluck mango curry chicken (without the cups – we use it as a dip with nacho chips!)
3) West African peanut soup
and oh so many more that I want to try: mango sticky rice pudding, super bowl salsa, pear and prosciutto pizza, vanilla bean sugar-coated chocolate cream-filled doughnuts, pavlova, fig cupcakes with vanilla mascarpone buttercream…and the list goes on! YUMMMMM
Whoeee! I’ve got a solid fan in you, Christine! Thanks for all your support over the year, and, let’s face it, for getting me starting on this whole blogging thing in the first place! You’re the best!
Quick, easy Artisan Bread! Super easy and so good! We hardly ever buy bread anymore 🙂
There are so many others I want to try though… especially squash and prosciutto risotto and butternut squash gnocchi!
Awesome to hear, Kim! Ooooh, you gotta try the risotto and the gnocchi. Admittedly, I don’t make the gnocchi often because it’s a bit of work, but we live off of that risotto and variations on it, especially in the winter!
The dark chocolate mint coffee syrup. Delicious! Better than Starbucks 😉
So happy you like it, Ashley! And it’s so easy to make, eh?
My favorites are your ‘from scatch’ recipes, im loving diy nutella because of you. I am most grateful for your crystalized ginger recipe though, game changer!
Thanks Beth! That nutella is pretty remarkable, eh? Those are actually both David Lebovitz recipes, coincidentally! He’s good at the DIY stuff, evidently.