Happy Hour: Strawberry Vodka

Happy Hour: Strawberry Vodka, Kiku Corner

Several years ago during one of our summers in Germany, our family made the trip to Amsterdam. We drove to a nearby village and toured a delicious cheese factory. After sampling all the different flavours of havarti and gouda (I remember the nettle gouda was divine), Karlos and I found a table packed with free […]

Strawberry Yogurt Bundt Cake

Strawberry Yogurt Bundt Cake, Kiku Corner

   Ryan and I recently went strawberry-picking at Whittamore’s Farm. We picked enough for ourselves, and then some! I’m finding many ways of incorporating the sweet, perfumed strawberries into my day, using them up before they’re past their prime: strawberry-infused vodka, raspberry shrub, and this lovely Strawberry Yogurt Bundt Cake! This is a more casual kind of […]

Summertime is…Visiting a Pick-Your-Own Farm!

Summer Is...Pick Your Own at Whittamore's Farm, Kiku Corner

When we were kids and still living in Canada, our mom would take us to pick-your-own farms. I loved gorging on fresh berries still warm from the sun. Then during summers in Germany, we would pick cherries from our uncle’s tree, wild boysenberries in the hedgerows, and wild yellow plums in the fields. On a […]

How to Freeze Berries

How to freeze berries, Kiku Corner

Now it’s the height of summer when beautiful fruit is in copious supply and available for just a few dollars. Of course I want to take full advantage of the seasonal fruit, so I freeze them. Once frozen, you can store them for up to 6 months. I like to use them in baking, in […]

Ruby Red Rhubarb and Strawberry Crumble

Ruby Red Rhubarb and Strawberry Crumble, Kiku Corner 4

Rhubarb is a sour, pinkish green spring vegetable that cooks down into a delicious pink or red compote. It used to grow in our mother’s garden when we were kids, and we couldn’t resist taking a bite of the puckeringly sour stalks (just stay away from the leaves, which are poisonous). Once June rolls around, we […]