This is a recipe I make at home. All I have to do is use a portion of the mixture (no measuring each time), add the wet ingredients and then bake. I love them and when I feel I want to change it up I add a different dried fruit, or I will make the mixture without fruit and when I am making the muffins up I add fresh fruit to the mix such as blueberries, grated apple, or a fruit and nut mixture. It has served me well so I hope it will do the same for your family.

I love a challenge and Maria, the host of Breakfast Television here in Atlantic Canada, called me up with a great one! She asked if I could prepare a 3 course “gourmet” style meal for 4 people, under $40? I was pretty confident that it was certainly possible, especially since I was allowed the basics such as salt, pepper, oil, and vinegar - everyday ingredients that would already be in a home kitchen pantry.

In the Winter issue of Inspired by Compliments Magazine that are in stores now, I mention a recipe for a White Chocolate and Whisky Croissant Bread Pudding that I absolutely love! I was taught this gorgeous recipe by my friend, colleague and Chef mentor Olaf Mertens, many years ago while I was working as a Pastry Chef in Mississauga, Ontario. The recipe has changed slightly but my cravings for this winter dessert haven’t!

We know that The Salad has become one of the most important parts of any meal at home. It's refreshing and healthy and can give a wider variety to the meals we prepare at home. One thing that is important to know is the correct method to making the perfect dressing.

This time of year it is hard to remember summer, with fall wrapping up and winter having shown its self already with a couple of good "Nor Easters." Our friends, Heidi and Anders, were passing through town on their way home so Jana and I had them in for dinner. Trying to remember summer to help shake off the chills of winter, I decided to slowly BBQ some of the wild Pacific Chinook Salmon; I caught off the shores of the Queen Charlotte Islands last summer on the fishing trip of a lifetime!