Everything Tasty and Nice For The Holidays...

This is the time of renewal during Winter Solstice 🌬❄. Enjoying Korean cinnamon punch sujeonggwa, traditionally served cold brewed with cinnamon sticks, ginger and sweetened with sugar and persimmon. This is my go-to drink in the fridge. Soothing, wards off the cold and eases congestion 🥃.

"I prefer Winter and Fall, when you feel the bone structure of the landscape - the loneliness of it, the dead feeling of winter. Something waits beneath it, the whole story doesn't show." -- Andrew Wyeth.

"In a way Winter is the real Spring - the time when the inner things happen, the resurgence of nature"-- Edna O'Brien

I've been disengaged, giving social media a break, keeping busy with family and friends. I hope you are too.

May your festive holiday be a pinch of patience,

a dash of kindness,

a spoonful of laughter

and a heap of love! 💗

Sharing scenes of wrapping up my fall cooking programs to prepare for the holidays!

Here is the term-end potluck with the moms over at Thorncliffe's Community Kitchen.

Fraser Mustard- Parent Engagement Culinary Program

Everyone brought their favourites to entertain with families and friends.

Savoury and Sweet- and we are complete!

With facilitator Sofie and some of the best mom crew eva' 💕. See you in 2020!

Over at TDSB Learn4Life Seniors Asian Cooking Program, we wrapped up the year with Creative Ways With Sushi Rice... 🥢🍚.

Everyone knows sushi rolls but did you know there are a myriad of ways to serve Japanese sushi rice -- each distinctive and mouth-watering in its own presentation? Our last cooking session with Seniors and I delivered four different ideas all inspired by the humble seasoned vinegared rice-- a little sweet, a little salty, a little tangy and a whole lotta deelish with a whole lotta fixin's! The main feature was the construction of taco-style DIY sushi wraps and from there we made vegetarian maki rolls, poke bowl, and onigiri rice balls 🍙.

For more on the Creative Ways with Sushi Rice.

Sushi Taco Wrap

As part of our year end party, students brought in whole teriyaki salmon fillet, Japanese chow mein, durian cakes, fresh fruit red bean paste sticky rice mochi balls and chocolate. It was a grand feast indeed for all our senses! I appreciate their kind and thoughtful gifts 🎁🙏.

Eat to your hearts' content my friends...

I look foward to seeing many of you in the new year! Thank you all for another great term 💕👩‍🍳👨‍🍳!

My kids' school Spectacle de Noel kicked started the holidays to come.

One of my favourite things to entertain with- a DIY Trio Seafood Platter. Impress and save $$$ by making your own DIY cold seafood platter trio with shrimps, mussels on the half shell and imitation crab pieces served with homemade cocktail sauce without the extravagant price.

Popular but pricey frozen shrimp rings don't cut it-- defrosted overnight the shrimps are waterlogged and their natural flavours diluted. NO need to buy cocktail sauce, I repeat, just don't do it! You likely have the four ingredients on-hand to make a wicked one, namely ketchup, horseradish sauce, Worcestershire and lemon (hot sauce optional). Why add another condiment in the fridge? And the bill on this gourmet delight of a seafood platter? A mere $25 (for a combined 4 lbs).. A gourmet offering without the extravagant cost.

For the bells and whistles on presentation, add green garnishes such as parsley sprigs and seaweed tucked in and around different points of the platter. I made mine super simple-- still gorgeous no?

Stunning for any gathering, for this holiday, entertain with this sophisticated platter of juicy seafood succulence and watch your guests swoon 🦐🐚🦀!

This is going to be my hosting new year's eve attraction plus oysters!

Rosemary sprigs make awesome evergreen pine-like twirlers in pomegranate juice cocktails with champagne or mocktailed with sparkling lime water. Pom seeds adds that festive touch!

How about guacamole 🥑 in tortilla cups topped with sweet crunchy pomegranate seeds! Such a pretty pop against green!

Not only are pom seeds juicy, crunchy pops of tart flavour, they're nutritious-- a great source of fibre, vitamins C and K. Instead of picking kernels out one by one, de-seed a beautiful pom with no more stained fingertips, but just make sure you're not wearing white!

Wash the pomegranate well. Cut in half. Hold a half, cut side down in the palm of your hand spreading your fingers a bit over a medium size bowl. Take a wooden spoon and tap firmly on the top surface and then give it some good whacks to release the red kernels. Tumbling out through your fingers into the bowl, continue to firmly tap until all seeds have been removed. Repeat with other half. Remove any bits of white pith that may have fallen in. To juice, scoop the seeds back into the empty pom shell and squeeeeeeze. Bottoms up!

Savoury nuts is a favourite over the holidays as a crunchy snack for pre- and post dinner munchies. What better than to make your own. Mine is concocted with all the elements I love in such a cocktail nut mix-- the warm exotic flavours of ground coriander and cumin, jazzed with hints of garlic, onion and cayenne for kick bound together with egg white and Dijon mustard-- deliciously flavourful and crunchy that falls in the betcha'-can't-eat-one category! Use your fave combo of nuts as long as you get 4 cups. I happened to have lots of different kinds in my cupboards, and I was meeting up with my besties for dinner... so a little homemade lovin' from my oven was in order 🌰💓.

Mixed Spiced Nuts
Makes 4 cups

2-1/2 cups natural almonds
1 cup walnut halves, cashew nuts, brazil nuts etc.
1/2 cup pepitas
2 egg whites, save yolks for another use
2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp. packed brown sugar
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
2 tsp. ground coriander
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 300 F. In a large bowl, whisk the egg whites and Dijon mustard until frothy; toss together nuts until coated. Combine spices in a small bowl and add to toss with nuts to coat.

Arrange the nuts in a single layer on parchment paper–lined baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes until golden and fragrant. Cool for one hour. Break the nuts into bite- sized pieces and place in serving bowls or store sealed in container for five days for freshness.

Check out post to see step-by-step recipe!

Toasted nuts- homemade lovin' from my oven!

My besties and their families 💕 get-together at AYCE new sushi joint Ai Sushi in Markham.

Thank goodness these were dessert shooters... Give it some years and these will be the real deal! 

Hangin' out with this special girl Leia. She recently got her first dan for her black belt in TKD 👊!

At Dave and Buster's

Making up some chocolate candy cane bark.

One of my favourite all-time Kraft holiday sweet treat recipes.

Check out my Memories of Holidays with Kraft Kitchens!

The festive potluck spread at my aunt's place for the entire family at Christmas!

Much more cooking to come 💕... I got a cool Indian cook-off with some cool peeps at my sons' tkd school and I am hosting NYE this year with the fam bam... stay tuned for morrrrre deliciousness! Yasssss!!!