Author: casacresottawa

Half Baked Harvest Every Day

If you’re like me, you have probably heard of Jillian Harris and her cousin Tori Wesszer on social media. I, personally, am a fan of both of their Instagram pages. So a few years ago, when they started sharing the journey of the making of this cookbook on their Instagram stories, I became invested. I knew long before the book was actually released that I would no doubt be getting it. I was a little disappointed when they announced that a lot of their focus was going to be on vegan options, seeing as we are not vegan, but am pleasantly surprised at how they’ve been able to incorporate a vegan alternative for every recipe but not make each recipe vegan per se.

Most of the recipes that I documented below catered to my baking and sweetness cravings but the book is also full of hearty meal options, many of which remain on my to-try list!

Paul’s Bircher Muesli (p. 78)

Super easy to make, delicious and surprisingly filling! I suppose most people have muesli as a breakfast but I’ve actually made this one for myself for lunch quite a few times. I followed the recipe exactly (no substitutions) and wouldn’t change a thing!

Vanilla Cherry Scones (p. 83)

Making scones has been on my baking bucket list for quite some time. Something about them has always sounded intimidating to me but I am here to tell you that there is nothing complicated about these scones! My entire family loves them and for a while these were a staple in our house.

The only substitution that I made was that I used strawberries instead of cherries and that’s just because I tend to have the former more readily on hand.

Sunshine Muffins (p. 86)

The sunshine muffins were another hit at our place. The ones pictured here have walnuts but I’ve made several batches without nuts so that Theo can bring them to school. Everyone loves them (and not once has anyone commented about the zucchini or the carrots – so mom win there!).

These freeze and thaw really well and are so convenient to have on the go.

Garden Bolognese (p. 158)

The Bolognese was probably the one recipe that I was most looking forward to and it was a total bust for us.

The recipe itself seems fine – the problem was very much a user error on my part. This recipe calls for a lot of mushrooms which no one in my household likes (Paolo will eat them but he can take them or leave them whereas the kids and I won’t touch them). In retrospect, I probably should have found a substitute for the mushrooms but I didn’t. Instead, I just didn’t use them. This meant that there was nothing in the recipe to soak up the acidity and sweetness of the tomatoes. Fast forward to us sitting at the table and there were a lot of sour faces as we tried to eat this.

However, since it was my mistake, I can’t actually review this recipe. So use my experience as a lesson but don’t take my word on this recipe.

FINAL REVIEW:

I guess the one good thing about my procrastination in completing this review is that I actually did make some of these recipes more than once! I also made others (like their fluffy pancakes) that I didn’t photograph and I still have quite a few pages earmarked for the future. So, needless, I give this book a full five stars! The book itself with its neutral linen binding and vibrant photos is beautiful (which is a must if it wants to remain as a permanent fixture in my kitchen). Each chapters offers a full menu for different occasions (Christmas, Valentine’s Day, etc.). The recipes are clearly laid out and I like that the recipes are for the everyday diet (each recipe contains substitutes to make it vegan but this is not a vegan cookbook, which I appreciate). Tori and Jillian have already announced the release of their second cookbook (likely not until 2024) and I will definitely be getting that one once it’s out.

UP NEXT…

Honestly, after some reflection, I am retiring the L2C Challenge for now. When I started this challenge, we were in the midst of building our home and I was on maternity leave and living in a rental. At the time, I wanted a “project” that would push me out of my comfort zone but still serve a purpose for our family – this was it and it was great.

Now, however, I am back at work, we are living in our new home and I have a ton of DIY projects (current and future) to fulfill the creative side in me. Over time, the need to make a different recipe every week became more about fulfilling my commitment to a Blog post and less about the actual purpose of this Challenge. And that’s how I knew that it was time to move on.

That’s not to say that I may not share a cookbook or a recipe every once in a while (especially over on my Instagram stories) but for now the Challenge has ended.

HOME TOUR SERIES: Theo’s Room

Published on June 15, 2022 by casacresottawa1 Comment

To date, I’ve designed three kid spaces of my own and helped friends design spaces for their little ones as well. I only have a few rules when planning out these rooms…

1. Be cohesive

I once read that most people spend an average of 87% of their lives inside a building. How those spaces are designed affect how we feel and behave. I adopt that way of thinking to all of the spaces in my home, including the boys’ rooms. It is important that there be good flow in the room so that they’re free to move around and, most importantly, I want the room to still feel as though it is a part of the rest of the house. One way to ensure that Theo’s space is an extension of our home and of who we are is to use the same muted and natural color palettes in there as we have elsewhere.

In Theo’s nursery (in our last home), for example, I had done a two-tone striped design on all four walls. The lighter color in the pattern was the same greyish/white paint that we had used throughout the entire home and the darker grey stripe was still neutral enough that it matched our whole color scheme at the time.

2. Remember your audience

Theo was too young to ask for much in his first room but, in this room, his list of must-haves seemed to grow by the day. While my initial instinct was to flat-out say no when he asked me to paint the walls rainbow; I also tried to listen to what he was really asking for – a little bit of color instead of mom’s usual white, black and neutrals. I was careful to not dismiss any of his requests because this was his room – I kept reminding myself that he was the intended audience.

So while I did not give him rainbow colored walls (they are still very much the beautiful crisp white that I have throughout the home), I did ensure to add color through the accessories with green drapes, blue bed, books, art and toys.

3. Good time but maybe not long time…

This one can be a good thing or a bad thing depending on how much you love your kid’s space when it’s done.

Essentially, if you like it but don’t love it, then rest assured, you won’t be stuck with the design of that room forever. Kids grow, their personalities develop and, if we remember #1 and #2 above, their space also needs to evolve with the times. So while there are certain aspects of Theo’s room that I don’t intend on changing (such as the very detailed wall moldings that we did), I am fully prepared to revamp his furniture and the layout sometime down the road.

The fact that a kid’s space will evolve with time is also something to keep in mind when deciding on furniture and accessories. I remember seeing the most beautiful (and really expensive!) cribs when I was designing Theo’s nursery and it was hard not to fall in love with those pieces but I opted for a simpler and more economical crib since I knew it would have a very short life span in his room.

Now for the actual Home Tour Series part… here’s the latest rendition of Theo’s big boy room. I’ve linked as many of the sources as possible but feel free to leave a comment below if there is anything that I missed.

Sources

Curtains

Light pendant

Wall sconces

Desk and chair (Facebook Marketplace)

Bed

Mattress

Duvet cover

Bed sheets

Decorative pillows (Pehr; discontinued)

Alphabet pillow (LD Shoppe; discontinued)

Bean Bag

Book shelves

Shark head (Home Sense)

Toy basket (Home Sense)

L2C Challenge – Salad Samurai

Published on May 31, 2022 by casacresottawaLeave a comment

Epic Fail… That’s the only way I can describe this month’s Learn to Cook Challenge. It is by no means a reflection of the Salad Samurai cookbook; rather, a series of events, including my own misunderstanding, meant that I was only able to make one recipe from this book…

If you’re new here, I started the L2C Challenge in 2021 as a way to get me in to the habit of cooking different meals and, if I’m being totally honest, as a way to justify my cookbook obsession. You see, I’ve always loved cookbooks. Each time I get one, I go through it from cover to cover and mark up all of the recipes that I want to try but that I likely will never make. So with this challenge, I pick one cookbook per month and make at least one recipe from that book per week. At the end of the month, I give my honest review of the recipes I tried and of the cookbook in general.

In case you’re interested, here are the cookbooks I’ve tried thus far…

Eat With Us

First off, this is the perfect example of why you should never buy a book for its cover… The full title of this book is – Salad Samurai 100 cutting-edge, ultra-hearty, easy-to-make salads you don’t have to be vegan to love… I didn’t realize when I chose this book that it is actually a vegan cookbook (had I taken a moment to read through the recipes, I would have noticed that very quickly…). While I have no issues with vegan cuisine, I have no interest in cooking with ingredients such as Tofu and Tempeh (it’s just a personal preference, please don’t hate…). So, right off the bat, I struggled to find recipes that I wanted to make.

Alas, because I am committed to this challenge, I did manage to find 4 recipes that I thought we would enjoy (although I planned to substitute the protein alternatives with actual meat). Since these are all salad dishes, I planned to make all 4 recipes the same week to make use of the fresh produce that was repeated in each of the salads. I bought all of my ingredients, cleaned and stored them in the fridge with the intention of cooking up a storm during the Victoria Day long weekend. Then… out of nowhere… the Ontario storm hit. We lost power and had no running water for 4 days. All my fresh meat and produce were no longer fresh. After that, if I’m being totally honest, I didn’t have it in me to go out and repurchase ingredients for recipes that I was not really excited to make in the first place…

So here is the one recipe I did make before our city shut down, as well as the recipes that I had planned to make…

The BKT (Bacon, Kale, Tomato) Bowl (p. 75)

While this is called the BKT, I omitted the cherry tomatoes because no one ever eats them in our house. So, really, its the BK bowl… The recipe calls for Tempeh Bacon but I used the good ol’ regular stuff. You can’t tell from the photo but there is actually avocado and red onions included in here. The star of the dish is the tangy vinaigrette – a mix of Dijon, maple syrup, vinegar and a few other complementary ingredients. It was more creamy than watery, so I doubled the recipe to make sure every inch of kale was covered in dressing. D.E.L.I.C.I.O.U.S!

The Ones that Didn’t Make It….

Seitan Bacon Wedge (p. 101)
Tempeh Taco Bowl (p. 147)
Overnight Oats (p. 167)

FINAL REVIEW:

In the circumstances, it wouldn’t be fair to give this book a review. No cookbook should be judged based on one altered recipe. I will say that the one dressing that I did make was fresh and delicious and the steps were easy to follow. I think if you are vegan or interested in cooking with vegan substitutes, definitely look in to this book. I, however, will be giving this book to a friend who could likely put it to better use than I ever will…

UP NEXT…

Full disclosure – I’ve had the Fraiche Food Full Hearts cookbook since the moment Jillian and Tori released it back in 2019 but, like all my other cookbooks, there are still plenty of recipes in there that I have earmarked to try and never gotten around to…

That’s about to change and I can’t wait to dive more into this book next month!!!

Easy Wall Hanging Dupe

Published on May 2, 2022 by casacresottawaLeave a comment

I’d been searching for a while for a way to bring texture to our great room walls. I knew I didn’t want wall moldings in here because I have lots of plans for different wall finishes throughout the house and want to leave the main areas simple. So I started looking in to getting an oversized wall hanging and, guest what? The really nice kind are also really expensive! Since I want to keep the option to change things up in our main living spaces throughout the seasons/years, I couldn’t justify spending close to $1,000.00 CAD on a wall piece, so I improvised…

Inspiration – $600 USD (plus tax and shipping):

If it’s within your budget, I say always go for the real thing. Here’s the Blacksaw hanging that got my wheels turning:

Dupe – $30-$60 CAD:

Materials Needed:

Throw – Must be the width and length that you want for your hanging. Ideally it doesn’t have any tassels or fringe but, if it does, you can simply cut those off as I did (just remember that the overall length of the throw will change when you cut off the tassels).
Wood for mount – You can use maple if you’re wanting to stain it or MDF wall trim will work if you’re looking to paint it instead. It will need to be the width (horizontally) of your throw PLUS 2 inches (one inch overhang on either side) and should be around 2-3″ high. Depending how much you want it to protrude from the wall, anywhere from 1-2″ thick is good.
Double sided tape
Nail gun
Level
Knitting yarn and needle (only if you are cutting off tassels and need to add a border to the throw)
Iron and ironing board
A second person to help hold up the hanging when mounting

Tutorial:

1. Before hanging anything on the wall, map out where you want your art to be (I used a pencil and level to draw it out on the wall and then just cleaned it off with a magic eraser). Be sure to look at your design from different angles in the room to gauge if the hanging is the right size/height/location/etc.

2. Once you’re happy with the approximate lay out, measure it and that will give you an estimate of the size of throw you need (plus or minus a few inches). I purchased a 50″ x 70″ decorative throw from Home Sense; the height after I cut off the tassels was 64″.

If you don’t have any tassels or fringe, you can skip to Step 5.

3. Lay out your throw flat on the ground. Using sharp scissors, cut off the tassels on both ends of the throw. Since one end will be covered by the mount, you only need to worry about stitching the bottom side.

4. I used knitting yarn from Michael’s that I had on hand from a previous project and a yarn needle to stitch the edge. I chose to do a blanket stitch since it is the kind of stitch that looks good when done with thick yarn and gives the fabric a finished look. If you’ve never done a blanket stitch before, Holiday Crafts and Creation has a great tutorial here.

5. Once your edge is nicely stitched up, you’ll need to iron the throw to get rid of all of the creases. I thought I had been thorough with this step but the fold lines are still very visible on our hanging, so be sure to really iron and, if possible, steam every inch of the throw (also, if your throw is machine washable, consider washing it to get rid of the new-blanket folds). If you still see creases after you hang it up, like we do, all you’ll need is a good steamer, something plastic to place behind the throw while steaming (to avoid damaging the wall) and a lot of patience.

7. I happened to have a long piece of trim that my millwork company had left behind when they installed our kitchen. It was already stained the same brown that I’ve used throughout the house, so all I had to do was cut it to size.

You can either use two boards to “sandwich” your throw in between or mount the fabric to one piece of trim and apply directly to the wall like we did.

Here is how the “real” (expensive) hanging is mounted – with one maple piece on either side and the throw sandwiched in the middle.

Here’s how we mounted it with one piece only. I debated adding a simple MDF flat stock piece to the back but I prefer the thinner profile of just the front mount.

8. Once you’ve figured out the width/length/stain of your trim piece, use double sided tape to attach the fabric to the mount. This method won’t “stand the test of time” in terms of staying power but it should keep the throw in place long enough for you to either sandwich it with the second piece or hang it directly to the wall (depending on which mounting option you choose).

9. Enter Person #2 (i.e.: your helper). With each person holding one end of the mount (and holding the fabric as well so it doesn’t unstick), place the hanging against the wall, at the desired height. Use a level to make sure it is straight and then use a nail gun to secure the hanging to the wall.

10. I intended to drill three black screws with washers to the trim once it was hung to give it the finished look that the inspiration piece has; however, once it was up, I liked that the finishing nails were not visible and it just looked like one solid piece of wood. It’s a matter of personal preference at this stage; just be sure that if you do want to add decorative screws, you are careful not to split the trim piece (this is especially important if your wall mount is only a couple of inches high).

11. Step back and take in your new (seriously less expensive) work of art!

That’s it! Since I had everything except for the throw on hand, this project cost me $35 and took about 1.5 hours to do. It may not be a designer piece but it’s definitely a unique one!

Hope this tutorial inspires you to make a hanging of your own. Feel free to ask any questions below and be sure to tag me (@casa_cres) on Instagram if you do make one – would love to see what you create!

L2C Challenge – HBH Every Day

Published on April 29, 2022 by casacresottawa1 Comment

My very first book in this challenge was by Tieghan Gerard and it fueled my desire to keep going; so, it is only normal that I would purchase her latest cookbook Half Baked Harvest Every Day as soon as it was released!

If you’re new here, I started the L2C Challenge in 2021 as a way to get me in to the habit of cooking different meals and, if I’m being totally honest, as a way to justify my cookbook obsession. You see, I’ve always loved cookbooks. Each time I get one, I go through it from cover to cover and mark up all of the recipes that I want to try but that I likely will never make. So with this challenge, I pick one cookbook per month and make at least one recipe from that book per week. At the end of the month, I give my honest review of the recipes I tried and of the cookbook in general.

In case you’re interested, here are the cookbooks I’ve tried thus far…

Eat With Us

I feel like I don’t need to praise this book the way I do others – you know by now that, in my eyes, Half Baked Harvest can do no wrong. Her latest book did not disappoint! We were out of town for the Easter holiday, so I didn’t get to try as many recipes as I would have hoped but the ones I did were all delicious (I’ll be making minor adjustments to them in the future but that’s due to personal preference, nothing wrong with the recipes as they are)… So here’s what we ate this month:

Salmon Cobb Salad (p. 84)

I’ve been wanting to cook more with fish and figured a salad that had both salmon and bacon might be a good place to start! This salad was hearty and the dressing was absolutely delicious. The directions said to cook the bacon and the salmon on the same tray, which I didn’t even know was allowed… Both cooked perfectly – bacon was crisp and salmon wasn’t dry – in under 20 minutes.

My only alteration is with the cayenne pepper. I don’t like spicy food but I figured a 1/4 teaspoon would give it a nice kick without making my mouth burn. I was wrong; I’ll either omit the pepper altogether next time or just add a dash.

Mongolian Beef (p. 210)

This recipe has the potential to be delicious! I had made a beef recipe from the previous HBH book, so I know that anything beef from her is usually tasty and mouth watering.

The reason I say “potential” is because the recipe calls for 1 Tbsp. of crushed red pepper flakes – I basically had a clear nasal cavity and a burning mouth after eating this dish. Even Paolo, who loves spice, said it was very hot. Not sure if the quantity is a typo or if it’s intended to be that spicy but, either way, this is definitely good enough to make again without the pepper.

Sheet Pan Meatball Pitas (p. 218)

As far as actual meals go, this one is my favorite so far! I got two thumbs up from everyone – including the kids!

I never realized how easy it was to make pickled onions – I’ve made it twice since making this recipe. Paolo even said it needs to be a staple in our fridge.

The meatballs were delicious when fresh out of the oven and just as good reheated the next day.

Salty Chocolate Pretzel Rye Cookies (p. 254)

Ok, so cookies are probably not part of my “Learn 2 Cook” challenge but I HAD to try these – and so glad that I did!

I would forgo lunch or dinner and just eat these if I could! We shared with friends and family and they got rave reviews all around.

I froze a batch and would take 2-3 out at a time for snacks – they thawed perfectly and tasted just as fresh. Such a great twist on the traditional chocolate chip cookies.

FINAL REVIEW:

100% you need to get this cookbook and, if you don’t have the other two Half Baked Harvest books (Half Baked Harvest and HBH Super Simple), then you need to get those too!

I’m always mindful, especially when it comes to food, that different people have different tastes. So I wouldn’t emphatically say you must get a cookbook unless I truly meant it because you may not like what I like and I would hate to disappoint. But this book (and anything HBH) will not disappoint – the recipes are incredibly easy to follow (even for a novice cook like myself) and there is something in there for everyone.

UP NEXT…

I know there are those who do not accept that a salad can be a meal but, for us, it totally can!

I’ve actually had the Salad Samurai book by Terry Hope Romero for a couple of years but have never gotten around to making any of the recipes. I figure with summer around the corner, a hearty salad is always a good option (especially when you want to leave room for ice cream!), so I’m going to get a head start to the season and try out some different salads in May!

The Best Curtain Rod Hack

Published on April 6, 2022 by casacresottawaLeave a comment

Ever get your curtains stuck on the extender piece of your rod? For me, that was an Every-Day-Struggle. Each time I pulled on the curtains and they would snag on top, I’d brace myself for the whole thing to fall (luckily that never happened)…

Recently, I was researching buying custom made curtain rods – one long rod as opposed to using an extender piece. I can only assume it’s a pricey investment but I actually couldn’t find anywhere near me that advertised custom rods. So I had to be creative…

First, I wrapped the end pieces of our extender rod with black electrical tape to see if that would provide a smoother transition for the curtains to glide – it didn’t work. Next, I thought of going to Home Depot and getting a long 1.25″ thick pipe that I could spray paint and use as a rod – that might actually work but I was trying to use what I had before buying anything else… And, since I already had a rod with brackets in place, I started searching online for a solution that wouldn’t require me to take anything down and that’s when The Best Curtain Rod Hack came to light!

Here’s how it goes:

Tools:

A curtain rod the width of your window (plus extra for overhang on either side);
Brackets;
Curtain rings (if applicable);
Measuring tape (Dollar Store kind is fine because you will be cutting it);
Super glue;
Scissors; and
2 people (preferably)

Steps:

1) Install your rod, extender, curtain rings (if using them) and brackets at the proper width/height (Note: the reason I installed the rings at the onset is because it’s easier to slide them in now then after using the glue);

2) Cut the end of the tape measure and hold on to it (so it doesn’t wind back in to the case);

3) Hold the cut part of the tape measure at one end of the rod and extend to the other end – this is where having a second person comes in real handy! *It’s important that you measure from one tip to the other because the curtains will snag on the tape measure if it’s too short;

4) Cut the other end of the tape measure at the appropriate length;

5) Using super glue, run a generous (but not dripping) amount along the rod and press the tape measure down until it is stuck and dry;

6) Turn the rod so that the tape measure is facing the back wall (and not visible);

7) Hang your curtains and never get stuck again!

I can’t take credit for this hack since I’m not inventing the wheel here but, I will say, that all of the tips I found online suggested using this method before installing the rod. I tried it with the rod in place and I actually think it works better because I knew exactly how long I needed it to be.

Some may think I am being a bit dramatic but, honestly, this hack has made my morning routine so much easier. Some days I didn’t even open the curtains because I didn’t want to fight with them and now, with just a $3 tape measure and some glue, my curtains feel and work just like custom curtains do (at a fraction of the cost).

If you try this, let me know! Would love the hear how it’s working for you.

L2C Challenge – EAT WITH US

Published on March 31, 2022 by casacresottawa2 Comments

As promised, this month’s Learn to Cook (L2C) Challenge cookbook was Eat With Us by Toronto couple, Philip Lago and Mystique Mattai.

If you’re new here, I started the L2C Challenge in 2021 as a way to get me in to the habit of cooking different meals and, if I’m being totally honest, as a way to justify my cookbook obsession. You see, I’ve always loved cookbooks. Each time I get one, I go through it from cover to cover and mark up all of the recipes that I want to try but that I likely will never make. So with this challenge, I pick one cookbook per month and make at least one recipe from that book per week. At the end of the month, I give my honest review of the recipes I tried and of the cookbook in general.

In case you’re interested, here are the cookbooks I’ve tried thus far…