Being Suzy Homemaker

02/06/2013 08:48 AM

21 views

Spanish Omelette

We discovered this omelette dish about a year ago and make it once every few weeks. It's quick to pull together and I always work to have the ingredients on hand for an easy meal. We often eat it for dinner on an especially chaotic night because by the time we're ready to sit down to eat, it's cooled to the perfect temperature. Nigella suggests this as a great item for a picnic lunch tho

Being Suzy Homemaker

02/01/2013 08:47 AM

9 views

Rigatoni with Sausage, Peppers and Onions

I wrote down this recipe from Giada de Laurentis' Everyday Italian at least two years ago and I'm so glad I've reconnected with it and finally made it. This is a wonderful pasta dish, unlike anything I have ever made, I think. It's rich and flavourful and the addition of the red wine makes it a truly special dish. It was a little time consuming to make, but worth every minute. To help m

Being Suzy Homemaker

01/30/2013 08:43 AM

10 views

Chicken Pot Pie

I laughed just now as I looked at the name of the recipe I'm about to type out. The author, Laura Calder, calls it "Chicken Pot Pie for the Perfectionists." Well, that's an understatement. This recipe is the longest recipe I have ever made for something that T tells me I could buy for $9.99 at Costco. I will argue up and down now though, having made it, that you cannot even begin to compar

Being Suzy Homemaker

01/28/2013 08:45 AM

7 views

Lard Pastry

It's easy to tell the difference between a homemade crust and a store bought one. The homemade one, to me, is always so much flakier and it always just tastes a million times better. I made this recipe for the top of my chicken pot pie and it was delicious. The crust became a deep golden colour, was perfectly flakey and didn't take any flavour away from the pie itself. Just what you want

Being Suzy Homemaker

01/25/2013 05:09 AM

5 views

Spaghetti with Quick Meat Sauce

As a wedding gift, I got the pasta maker attachment for my KitchenAid stand mixer. It could easily be one of those gadgets that languishes in the cupboard collecting dust, but surprisingly, I use it quite regularly. It's usually pulled out when I'm making something for company, but since that hasn't happened in awhile, I thought it would be a treat for T and I to enjoy some fresh pasta. S

Being Suzy Homemaker

01/18/2013 09:37 AM

14 views

Stuffed Shells with Ground Beef

Another wonderful make-ahead dinner is stuffed shells with ground beef. I have made a similar dish with ricotta and spinach and the premise is the same -- make ahead and bake what you need. Perfect for a healthy weeknight meal. These are hearty shells, full of ground beef and loads of cheese. Serving them with sour cream is decadent and it's almost like eating a plate of nachos. In f

Being Suzy Homemaker

01/16/2013 07:23 AM

10 views

Chunky Banana Bran Muffins

My mom always has a batch of muffins ready to go at a moment's notice. Since I have been home on maternity leave, I have had people come over for lunch often and it's always nice to have something homemade for lunch. Since my meal planning resolution was exclusively for dinners however, sometimes lunch ingredients don't always make it into the mix so I'm going to try my mom's trick: free

Being Suzy Homemaker

01/14/2013 11:41 AM

10 views

Chicken Piccata

As I learn more about cooking, I'm also realizing that I gravitate towards certain kinds of flavours. I'm not one for spice, but I realize that spice-less does not have to mean taste-less. Lemon is one of my favourite flavours to cook with (as shown here and here). It's a bright flavour that can take a regular dish to the next level. Too much lemon though can easily overpower a d

Being Suzy Homemaker

01/11/2013 09:54 AM

8 views

Lasagna Rolls

I have made these a few times now and I always love them. They're a little fiddley (try not to be put off by the number of ingredients and steps!) but perfect for one of those days that you just like being in the kitchen. They are also chock full of spinach, which I like to think balances out the quantity of cheese. Once I'm back at work, I think these will be a staple that I can make on a l

Being Suzy Homemaker

01/09/2013 02:38 PM

9 views

Marinara Sauce

I always try to have tomato sauce in the house because it's one of those staple pantry items I find myself turning to constantly. But I've never found a great sauce, they're always just "ok," leaving my dish something to be desired. But then a stroke of fate happened. As I was making my lasagna rolls, I realized I didn't have any sauce and wasn't eager to pack up The Bean and go out

Being Suzy Homemaker

01/07/2013 03:06 PM

12 views

Parmesan Salmon

We try to eat salmon at least once a week. I've made it with shallot vinaigrette, poached in white wine, and a regular staple, salmon cakes. As part of my 2013 goals to introduce some new foods to our table, I turned to my newest cookbook: Dinner Chez Moi, the Fine Art of Feeding Friends, by Laura Calder. Now that I've been cooking for awhile, I feel like I'm getting the hang of "reading"

Being Suzy Homemaker

01/06/2013 01:04 PM

15 views

New Year, New Kitchen, New Food

Happy New Year! It's been awhile since I posted -- 16 long months. I thought I could blog during a kitchen renovation, but that turned out to a horrible time in culinary adventures (thank goodness for the barbeque!). And then I got pregnant (yeah!), suffered serious morning sickness (boo), moved in with my parents to stay away from the dust and debris in our renovation and wasn't cooking at all

Being Suzy Homemaker

09/26/2011 02:26 PM

36 views

Classic Peach Pie

I hear you're getting tired of seeing the Herb Rubbed Pork from May, so I thought I would come back from my hiatus and refresh the site. Where have I been you ask? My absence started innocently enough -- I was just busy and didn't have time to cook, photograph and blog. But then I started to enjoy making repeat dishes (which I couldn't do when I was blogging and always looking for something n

Being Suzy Homemaker

05/19/2011 05:47 AM

52 views

Herb Rubbed Pork Sirloin

I have had this pork sirloin in my freezer for awhile. But the truth is, I had no idea how to prepare it. It looked like this giant slab of meat in the package, but once I opened it, I realized that it was actually two small pieces (totaling about three pounds) and that it was a very lean, boneless piece of meat. I was making this for a Sunday night dinner and wanted to do something fairly simpl

Being Suzy Homemaker

05/15/2011 09:28 PM

49 views

Simple Chocolate Ice Cream

Since spring has sprung here in Toronto (though it's currently being diluted with rain), I pulled out the ice cream maker I got for Christmas, from the depths of our storage locker. Admittedly, when I opened said Christmas present, I was a little disappointed since I'm not a huge ice cream eater. I like the odd cone once in a while, but had never considered making my own to satisfy those fleetin

Being Suzy Homemaker

04/21/2011 09:06 AM

64 views

Lime Chicken Soft Tacos

One of the biggest kitchen challengs I have is how to dress up chicken. I wanted to use the flour tortillas I made, but since they were sort of time consuming, I was looking for quick to make with them. Months ago when I realized how much I loved Mexican, I tagged a recipe for lime chicken from http://www.allrecipes.com/ that fit the bill perfectly. This chicken was easy, refres

Being Suzy Homemaker

04/16/2011 04:00 PM

66 views

Flour Tortillas

I have been busy. Two of my girlfriends have gotten married, we're down people at work so I've been swamped and T had knee surgery. So I've been out of the kitchen and eating a lot of cereal (hardly blog worthy!). But I've missed it like crazy. I've missed having down time and being alone in the kitchen, so as soon as I found some time, I made these tortillas. I knew they would take some time to

Being Suzy Homemaker

03/23/2011 07:44 PM

53 views

Sweet Potato Burritos

We have all been told to never judge a book by its cover. Well, I'm learning to not judge a recipe by its title. As a newish cook, I still find it difficult to read through a recipe and have a really good sense of what it's going to taste like. So when I saw the title, Addictive Sweet Potato Burritos, I wasn't sold. I couldn't get my mind to understand what the combination of s

Being Suzy Homemaker

03/17/2011 10:12 AM

49 views

Oven-Baked Bacon

Bacon is one of my weaknesses. For years, I was a vegetarian, but secretly, on Saturday mornings when T and I would go out for breakfast, I would indulge in a few strips of bacon. There's something about the saltiness of it that I crave and it just completes a Saturday morning breakfast. But no matter how much I loved bacon, I rarely made it myself. I found it super messy and I hated that hot o

Being Suzy Homemaker

03/14/2011 06:31 PM

82 views

Thank You!

A few weeks ago, Ann from Apples and Twinkies awarded me with a Stylish Blog award and I have also been honoured by Stephanie at The Starving Artist with a Lovely Blog award. What a treat and an honour for my little blog! Ann has been one of my most regular followers and her constant comments have been a huge boost for me. She has a wonderful blog with lots of great r

Being Suzy Homemaker

03/07/2011 06:58 AM

46 views

Peanut Butter Brownies

Some things just go together. Frauline Maria and Captain Von Trapp. Crossword puzzles and pencils. Puggles and vacuums. Chocolate and peanut butter. Last night I was craving something sweet, but being in a minor food rut, I didn't have too much in my cupboards to draw from. So I turned to Martha Stewart and her many brownie options and found just one where I had everything. And this, is how

Being Suzy Homemaker

03/03/2011 06:58 AM

55 views

Lentil and Spinach Soup

This year, I have made my way through almost every kind of creamy soup: leek and potato, broccoli, tomato, squash, roasted eggplant, carrot, spinach, cauliflower and asparagus, just to name a few. I love to stay in on a cold day and enjoy a big bowl of cream soup with crusty bread and butter. But on a recent warm day, when T and I were both bou

Being Suzy Homemaker

02/26/2011 09:08 AM

33 views

Decadent Chocolate Pudding

Two years ago, before I started really cooking, I would have been completely satisfied ripping open a package of Jello powdered pudding, adding some milk and calling it dessert. Now, I'm much more interested in what I'm eating. I'm finding the more I cook, the less interested I am in pre-packaged foods. Without even thinking, I've stopped eating Kraft Dinner (which I honestly used to love

Being Suzy Homemaker

02/21/2011 05:27 AM

97 views

Chicken Enchiladas

I don't eat a lot of ethnic food and have a real aversion to spice (though I am working on it!), but I do love Mexican. I discovered it when we were on our honeymoon and have always been keen to make things on my own so I can moderate the spice to my palate. This recipe was the perfect one to fill a Sunday afternoon, and it is a lengthy one, but well worth it. I used a whole roast ch

Being Suzy Homemaker

02/17/2011 09:29 PM

38 views

Carrot Cupcakes

It has been one busy couple of weeks! I feel like I have had absolutely no time to sit down, let alone cook and blog. I got into a bit of a food rut too -- I have been eating a lot of cereal and scrambled eggs. Yikes. I think I had a bit of February blues, but these carrot cupcakes were just what the doctor ordered. I needed something that would get me back in the kitchen, that was sweet and sa

Being Suzy Homemaker

02/08/2011 07:07 AM

36 views

Roasted Carrot Soup

I have been roasting a lot of vegetables lately -- beets, brussels sprouts, peppers, garlic, Roasting makes it taste like a completely different vegetable, which was essential when I decided to make this carrot soup. Carrots are one of my least favourite vegetables. They just taste... healthy. But roasting! Oh, friends, roasting this little guys made all the difference. The soup was yummy (cream

Being Suzy Homemaker

02/04/2011 06:59 AM

37 views

Mozzarella-Stuffed Meatballs

One of the things T is constantly asking for is meatballs. As I am always looking for new recipes, I'm reluctant to do repeats, but then I found this recipe for stuffed meatballs. What could be better than a surprise of cheesy goodness inside a meatball? I made these extra large and served them over a bed of fresh pasta and they were devoured. If there were any left, I know that they would rehea

Being Suzy Homemaker

02/02/2011 09:54 AM

39 views

Salmon with Shallot Vinaigrette

I am always looking for easy weeknight meals to make. So, this past weekend, I culled the "weeknight meals" section of all my old Real Simple magazines and ripped out this goody. We had lots of salmon in the freezer from a large piece we got at Costco and the cut into fillets, and I had basically every other ingredient in the house with the exception of the rice vinegar. I love when things com

Being Suzy Homemaker

01/31/2011 05:14 AM

34 views

Spaghetti Squash Spaghetti

I buy strange vegetables all the time, and mostly, they just languish in the back of our fridge. But sometimes, they make it out and I wonder why I didn't think to make it sooner. Spaghetti squash was just one such example. When I tried to explain to T what was supposed to happen with this large yellow squash, he had no confidence in me at all. But I swear, when you bake this veggie,

Being Suzy Homemaker

01/27/2011 05:37 PM

61 views

Crunchy Baked Apple Stacks

I have been craving sweets a lot lately. But I have been resisting the urge to make things because for two people, it's just so much quantity to make a cake or a batch of cookies. But now that I have found these lovelies, I am really in trouble. This was a marriage of two recipes: one from Martha and one from Donna Hay, two kitchen geniuses so it was bound to be delicious. (Does that make me a

Being Suzy Homemaker

01/26/2011 05:11 AM

35 views

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

We've been roasting vegetables like crazy lately and roasted brussels sprouts are one of our new favourite side dishes. At the grocery store, T bought enough to feed an army, and they were gone within a week. Not a bad thing though because they're ridiculously healthy -- they have the same chemicals as broccoli which are believed to have potent anti-cancer properties. But you know what? We just

Being Suzy Homemaker

01/25/2011 06:40 AM

41 views

Turkey Chili Soup

Chili always reminds me of skating competitions. When I used to be a figure skater, I swear, chili followed me. It was in the judges' room, available for the competitors, and even what my mom considered to be an easy weeknight meal. I actually hated it; specifically the kidney beans. So I have to laugh at myself that not only did I make this chili, I really liked it. And the kidney beans? They w

Being Suzy Homemaker

01/23/2011 09:58 AM

56 views

Salted Caramel Bars and a Lesson About Making Caramel

Sometimes I just jump into a recipe without thinking. You'd think I'd learn by now, but apparently I haven't. Making caramel though was a bit of a wake up call. Now, I will say up front, I don't believe making caramel is hard. I think, with the right information (which clearly I didn't have), that even a novice can make this. That being said, I'm still not exactly sure why I though

Being Suzy Homemaker

01/21/2011 06:53 AM

68 views

Chicken Stuffed with Roasted Red Pepper and Basil

Oh my. This chicken was a winner. I made this for our guests on New Year's Eve and it was a hit. The chicken was tender (I may have pounded out my frustrations of 2010 on it), the red peppers, basil and asiago were a perfect combination and the sauce, oh, the sauce, was amazing and really, the icing on the cake. When we're having company over, I really love a make-ahead dish

Being Suzy Homemaker

01/19/2011 06:58 AM

66 views

Chocolate Cappuccino Cheesecake

There are two rules I have about cheesecake: You need to have at least 10 hungry adults to make making this worthwhile. You should always make a cheesecake that has a topping to hide any unsightly cracks and, more importantly, to help you not care about any unsightly cracks. For us, we were hosting Christmas Eve (11 adults, check). And this cheesecake was covered with a thick layer o

Being Suzy Homemaker

01/17/2011 06:57 AM

36 views

Italian Sausage Soup

My girlfriend Lindsey and I had plans to go skating recently so before we headed out into the deep freeze, I thought soup would be the perfect meal to keep us warm! I had been wanting to try this soup for awhile. I usually gravitate towards rich, creamy soups, but this one, even though was broth based, seemed full of so many delicious, healthy ingredients, that I thought would be a great

Being Suzy Homemaker

01/14/2011 07:36 AM

40 views

Kahlua Creme Brulee

I got ramekins for Christmas and was desperate to do something with them, when this recipe for Kahlua Creme Brulee crossed my path. (actually, it was irish cream, but I had Kahlua and it was yummy, too). Since we only had one other couple over for New Year's dinner, I thought it was nice to make individual desserts, which also kept me from making a full pie or cake, where more than half of it w

Being Suzy Homemaker

01/12/2011 07:51 AM

35 views

Roasted Squash, Sweet Potato, Onion and Garlic Soup

Toronto was hit with a snowstorm this weekend so I was thrilled to have nothing to do but cook in my pyjamas and watch marathons of reality TV. And this soup was definitely on my to-do list! I love roasted vegetable -- how you can easily change a crisp, fresh veggie into one with a deep, rich, caramelized flavour. This recipe involved roasted four kinds of vegetables: squash, sweet potato, shal

Being Suzy Homemaker

01/10/2011 06:49 AM

35 views

Beet and Goat Cheese Salad

Our New Year's Eve meal started with this salad, which pretty much guaranteed an awesome start to 2011. Roasted beets are such a treat because I rarely -- like almost never -- make them. But I think based on this salad, my resolution this year is clear: make more beets. Beets are practically perfect roasted on their own really. Or with a side of sour cream and chives. But this salad took th

Being Suzy Homemaker

01/08/2011 11:38 AM

44 views

Roasted Beets

Roasted beets are maybe one of my favourite vegetables. In part, I think, because they are a treat. Sure, not a treat like chocolate, but a treat because I rarely get to have them. I don't make them often because, well, they take time. But every time I have them, I vow to eat them more. Another resolution for 2011? Roasting beets brings out their natural sweetness. They are one delici

Being Suzy Homemaker

01/06/2011 08:27 AM

35 views

French Onion Soup

When my parents used to have company over, they often used to make French Onion soup. My dad made it in these old brown bowls with handles and he would drape puff pastry over it before putting it in the oven, creating this lovely crust on top where, once you punctured it, you would find a soup of rich broth, caramelized onions and melted swiss cheese. Without those beautiful oven safe bow

Being Suzy Homemaker

01/04/2011 01:38 PM

44 views

Ham and Potato Soup

I hosted Christmas Eve for my family this year and bought about twice as much ham as we needed so we had lots (and lots!) of leftovers. While I love a good ol' ham sandwich as much as the next guy, I wanted to make a soup with some of the meat. I understand that ham and split pea is the "traditional" but I found a recipe online that people raved about and seemed much more up my alley: ham and po

Being Suzy Homemaker

01/02/2011 05:08 PM

40 views

Happy New Year!

2011 is already off to a rockin' start with my blog making it as a finalist in the Canadian Food Blog Awards in the Best Recipe category! (this news momentarily numbed the pain of the deep cut in my pinky finger from my amazing new -- and clearly very sharp -- set of cooks' knives). I am honoured and humbled by this recognition and pleased that people come by to read and try these recip

Being Suzy Homemaker

01/02/2011 06:59 AM

39 views

Cream of Spinach Soup

Every week I make soup and T inevitably says, "this is the best soup you've ever made!" But this week when he said it, there was something a little different in his voice. One spoonful and I knew this was no regular soup. First of all, the colour is shocking. It's the most intense green, you can almost tell it's good for you (though I'm sure kids would never know!). Second, the flavour is li

Being Suzy Homemaker

12/30/2010 08:18 AM

41 views

Truffle Brownies

I am always quick to offer to make dessert for any occasion. So when my sister invited my husband and me over to celebrate the arrival of her new dining room chairs, I knew I had to make something special! One of the challenges I find with making desserts for small groups of four or five people, is that a whole cake is simply too much food. I was gravitating towards brownies for this dinn

Being Suzy Homemaker

12/28/2010 07:51 PM

37 views

Peppermint Chocolate Bark

Chocolate and mint are one of my favourite flavour combinations. After-eights. The new 3 Musketeers dark mint. Andes. And now, peppermint chocolate bark. The flavour in this festive treat was delicious, easy to make, attractive to wrap (I love my new twine!) and fun and festive to give. But next year, I'll know to start looking for white chocolate earlier in December as going to

Being Suzy Homemaker

12/20/2010 09:56 PM

38 views

Eggnog Pancakes

It's eggnog season! Every year, I buy one delicious litre of eggnog, to enjoy during the holiday season. This year, I wanted to find some creative ways to cook with it, so for Pancake Sunday, I subbed in eggnog in my standard buttermilk pancake recipe. The result was a pancake that tasted a lot like french toast. They were light and fluffy and a great new way to use up that extra nog! Eggnog Pa

Being Suzy Homemaker

12/16/2010 10:27 PM

30 views

Holiday Appetizers

When people walk through the door for a party, you're busy taking their coats, their gifts, and getting them a usually much-needed glass of wine. The last thing you want to be doing is hanging out in the kitchen fiddling with appetizers. Lots of consideration needs to go into those little bites: Hot or cold? Cheese or cheese-free? Can I make it ahead? Will I need to continually r

Being Suzy Homemaker

12/14/2010 10:58 AM

33 views

Blueberry Sour Cream Cake

I don't know what's taken me so long to blog about this one; I make it all the time. This is one of the easiest dessert recipes I make, and is one of most well received desserts. It's also very light so it's good to serve after a heavy meal. What more can I say? It's delicious and you must try it. Blueberry Sour Cream CakeServes 8-10Printable Recipe Ingredients1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup but

Being Suzy Homemaker

12/12/2010 07:42 AM

44 views

Chocolate Cream Pie

We never used to eat dessert. Until I started baking. Now, every night, T says, "What's for dessert?" And if we don't have something, he suggests that I whip something up. Truthfully, I don't know how other food bloggers -- especially baking ones -- stay thin. Especially when there are decadent recipes like this chocolate cream pie out there. I had never had one, but recently rewatching

	Being Suzy Homemaker
	A just-turned 30, newly-married girl and rookie cook, taking on all the challenges the kitchen has to offer.

Search Posts