When my Quarantine Cooking adventures began in mid-March, we wanted to try to make as much as possible from scratch. This was in part because things like bread were cleared from shelves in those early days when supply wasn’t meeting demand as well as it is now, but also because it meant fewer hands in…
Lemon buttermilk cake with lemon whipped cream
Here’s what I’m not going to do here: weave some magical story about how this lemon buttermilk cake is a piece of my soul and why its lemon whipped cream topping will transform your life, taking 17 swipes to get to the recipe. No. The only part of this recipe that has any personal significance…
Fun things to do at home for kids
Here we are in our new normal. And it’s no less weird than it was three weeks ago. Hopefully, self-isolation is temporary and we only have to endure 24/7 family time for a couple more months. Like my cousin recently said to me during a Messenger chat: “Families are not meant to spend this much…
Quarantine cooking: easy family meals
(This Easy Family Meals post was last updated on January 5, 2021) I feel like it’s important to preface this post with the following: I get that spending extra time cooking and baking right now may not be possible for your quarantine situation. You might be working full-time from home while trying to watch your…
How to layer a lasagna: an easy, no-nonsense, step-by-step guide & recipe
It didn’t take a pandemic to turn us into pasta lovers — we’ve almost always had Pasta Mondays in our house. But I have played with new ingredients while we’ve been living the quarantine life, and as part of my commitment to provide you with easy-to-make recipes while we’re in this new normal, I wanted…
How to make brown sugar
Are you doing some “quarantine cooking” too? And realize you need to figure out how to make brown sugar? You’ve come to the right place. This brown sugar recipe will take you no time at all. Promise. ********** Look, I know I’m not really known for sharing recipes here — though I have shared a…
Free homeschooling resources & a kid-friendly schedule during COVID-19
I don’t know about you, but I never signed up for homeschooling. In fact, I proactively explored a teaching career by test-driving it for a year in South Korea as an ESL teacher. A year was enough and I went home knowing it wasn’t for me. But here we are. Like many of you, I’m…
An Antigua all-inclusive family resort: Verandah Antigua
Some guests call it Verandah Antigua. Others simply call it their second home. What I need you to know is that The Verandah Resort & Spa is an Antigua all-inclusive resort that’s worth a closer look for your next family vacation. The Verandah is part of both Air Canada Vacations’ Spotlight Collection and Family Collection,…
The No-B.S. Guide to Bio-Oil usage & Bio-Oil benefits
First, I need you to know that I devoured a 60-page document about Bio-Oil usage, the product’s history, ingredients and clinical trial excerpts before writing this post. When I told you in the headline that this would be a No-B.S. Guide to Bio-Oil benefits, I wasn’t kidding — because I dug deep. For hours. There’s…
7 tips for booking last-minute sun holidays
There’s little I like more than a great vacation with family or friends. Or both. But what tops it is getting those vacations for a steal of a deal. There are so many different strategies for saving money on travel and you’ll probably hear contradicting advice depending on who you’re talking to or what you’re…