We have just received our Wellnessmats order in and we have a great selection!
These are absolutely the best anti-fatigue mat around. They boast a 7 year warranty plus the following:
Unmatched comfort
Premium 3/4″ thick
Edges will never curl
No-trip 20° beveled edge
Anti-microbial (by design)
Puncture & heat resistant
Stain & dirt resistant
Easy to clean
Safe & non-toxic (PVC-Free)
They feel heavenly on your legs after a long day of standing around. We can all attest to their fabulous performance as we have one behind the counter at each store.
They are available in 5 colours: black, grey, burgundy, brown and tan.
They are available in 3 motifs: Bella (as pictured above), Trellis (below left) and in just solid (bottom centre).
In the store – we carry the 3′x2′ size, but they can be ordered in a variety of shapes and sizes.
The 3′x2′ are $140 and are available in-store.
The 6′x2′ are $280 (approximately – depending on US exchange rates) and can be special ordered in.
Wellnessmats have just launched a new innovative product – mat covers that come in a multitude of designs and colours that fit snuggly over your mats – so you can dress ‘em up or dress ‘em down – depending on the season.
For the first 6 customers – we will be giving away a new mat cover – a gift with purchase to try out!
If you’ve been thinking about getting a new mat and are ready to splurge out on the best one out there – this is the best time to do it! Cbreeze
The RSVP Onion Goggles are one of my favourite gadgets and recommendations for Christmas Stocking Stuffers! Formerly, I used my ski goggles, (because I needed something thick enough to fit over my glasses), but since having my eyes lazered, I needed a new option that was streamlined and functional – and these were it!
Lampe Berger is the most amazing line in the store right now. If you are looking for a unique and exquisite gift for someone who has everything – this is it.
Kills 67% of Air-born bacteria – which means these are positively fantastic for destroying the bacteria that is passed around during cold/flu season. They are also useful to get rid of cooking, smoking and pet odours!
Made by renowned designers
Looks beautiful on a mantel piece as a piece of art/decor when not in use.
Simple to use
Starter Sets are available from $40 which include a small bottle of neutral.
Once upon a time, there was this cute little tea towel who met and married a tall man named “snaps” and together they made these cute little baby “snappy towels” that who, when they were bigger, went out into the world and became wonderful members of kitchen households everywhere. Going by their adult name of “hanging tea towels”, cause they liked to just “hang-out” and stay put on oven railings they would make fun of the other tea towels for being so uncoordinated and falling off. They would challenge other tea towels to last longer on the railing than them… they would kick butt at the Tea Towel Olympics every year… they would do anything to become the best tea towel that ever lived.
And so they won the hearts of kitchen gadget lovers everywhere and lived happily ever after, wash after wash.
The Mastrad Apple Cooker is a great new gadgety thing that we have in-store… I tried it out over the weekend and love it!
Simply core and cut your apples in half, sprinkle some lemon juice and a little bit of brown sugar on top, microwave for 2 minutes – and VOILA! you have a delicious cooked apple dessert… serve with vanilla ice cream and it is simply delicious:) Not a fan of the microwave? The two cookers are silicone and heat resistant up to 480 degrees F, it takes a bit longer, but warm up your oven and cook your apples in there.
Thanks to its ideal size, you can bake all types of fruits: apples, pears, peaches, berries. Whole or sliced, garnished or lightly sugared, fruits or vegetables – with the lid on – the food cooks in the steam issued from its own juice. As a result, it does not dry out and retains its flavour.
Each set includes: 2 Apple Cookers and 1 Corer. Dishwasher safe.
Although it comes with an apple corer, I don’t love it… I prefer to use the stronger, more practical apple corer from OXO Good Grips.
Although a little late for the start of school, the Klip It Sistema line is a great line for both kids and adults alike! Made in New Zealand and featuring a number of sizes and colours, the line has everything from a sandwich container to a soup and salad container. All BPA Free plastic and made from lead free virgin materials. If you are still trying to find something for school that works well for your kids, or if you are looking for something for yourself to take to work for lunch… these are a great product!
We have been absolutely in love with this recipe and wanted to share how to make it. If you are looking for a great appetizer for a party… and you want something that is a little more home-made and special.. this is it! Goes really well with Tostitos Round chips!
Recipe:
5 Roma Tomatoes
1/3 of an Onion
3-4 Cloves of Garlic
1 Bunch of Cilantro (If you are like me and don’t like Cilantro… don’t worry, it is really good)
1 Tbsp of Lime Juice
1/5 Cup of White Vinegar
2/5 Cup of Olive Oil
1/2 Tbsp of Salt
1/2 Tbsp of Pepper
1/4 Cup Jalapenos (Optional – makes it SPICY)
Bag of Tostitos Round Chips
1. Roughly blend tomatoes in your Cuisinart hand blender attachment… so that they are chunks, not pureed. Set the tomatoes aside in a sieve to drain.
2. Puree the onion and garlic together in your Cuisinart hand blender attachment.
3. Puree the cilantro in your Cuisinart hand blender attachment.
So many to choose from let us help you find the perfect one!
From Left to Right: Endurance silicone tipped tweezers: $18.00- Ideal for preparing stir-fry or saute. Kuhn Rikon silicone tongs: $21.00 – Heat resistant silicone flex tongs for your non-stick cookware. Zyliss cook n’ serve tongs: $28.00 - Ideal for cooking stirring, serving. Safe for non-stick cookware. Joesph elevate tongs: $26.00 – Unique design raises the head off of work surface. Heat resistant. Danesco mini tongs stainless steel: $4.00 - Perfect for appitizers Good Grips stainless steel tongs: $21.00 – Ideal for grilling Good Grips tongs: $18.00 – Everyday essential for anything and everything. Chef’n barbecue tongs: $21.00 – For outdoor grilling. Tong edge securely lift, turn and serve food. Silvermark grater tongs: $23.00 – Built in grater for garnishing salads pasta and more. Good Grips silicone tongs: $23.00 – Great for flipping, turning and flexible for stirring. Good Grips precision tongs: $13.00 – Perfect for pasta, green beans, and thinly sliced veg.
Chef ‘n has developed this super cute Stem Gem – Strawberry Stem remover which works really well getting those super annoying stems out of strawberries.
Although it came out last year, this is the first time we have featured them in the store because of their overwhelming popularity across Canada.
A great new little gadget which, if you love strawberries as much as me… is a super tool to add to your collection!
This handy Pig Tail Food Flipper is going to be a must for all Father’s Day gifts this year!
It is the handy-est cooking tool you’ll ever own… as I have done for the last year since I picked one up at the Calgary Stampede and just LOVED it.
It is great for turning, flipping and carrying food easily in the kitchen or on the grill. We love using ours and have found that it saves always getting out your tongs, forks or spatulas and works more efficiently because of the dexterty it offers you when handling food.
Buy it for Dad, Hubby or brother – t’will not disappoint.
Working at Kitchen Boutique the past few years I have had a number of customers come into the shop asking about how to get rid of the rust colour or stains on their flatware. I have a couple of solutions for you but first would like to tell you why your flatware is probably getting stained in the first place.
Stains can be caused by prolonged contact with acidic foods or in geographic areas with a high chlorine or iron content tap water. They can also be caused if you have a dish washer that doesn’t dry the flatware completely. You will see a brownish stain appear over time.
Solution: Baking Soda. Very simple. Just rub the baking soda on the flatware and rinse off. Should be like new again.
Solution number two: Clean with “Swiss Cleaner”. A product that you can buy in-store at our kitchen shop.
Remember that all flatware is “Stain-less” Steel and not “Stain-proof” Steel. The higher the grade of stainless steel, the less likely it will be to stain.
We’ve just received new COLOURFUL Bodum Electricals in-store and they look great! New coffee grinders, toasters, kettles, hand mixers, juicers and travel mugs and presses in red, orange and lime green.
A bright, cheerful pressie for mom… or a splash of colour for your own kitchen!
Madeline Butter, Chardonnay Chocolate, and Rosehip Paisley Ecru
Come in soon for the best selection of our Spring Table Linens. From April Cornell to Danica Now Designs, Mera and Texstyles Deco we have everything from cotton to polyester and from napkins, tablecloths and placemats to table runners.
We also have a number of really cute Easter table runners that are perfect for that special Sunday meal!
And who doesn’t want to kick winter in the pants by freshing up all of your old tea towels and dish cloths? Check out our new spring selections!
Skiing on main street in Canmore on Saturday March 12, 2011. Kitchen Boutique was on the tracks outside the store on main street treating all the children to a skiing cake walk. $2 donations were made towards the food bank for a ticket to enter the cake walk and then the children had a chance to win a cake to decorate. All participants received a delicious cupcake from our amazing bakeries Cake Creations and JK Bakery. Five hundred cupcakes in total were donated from the two bakeries and we made $980.00 in donations for the local food bank.
Thanks to all the participants donations (some made a lot more than the two dollars) and thank-you to our two wonderful bakeries for donating all the cupcakes.
We had many people say they had a great time playing the game and they loved the cupcakes!
A new tool from Chef ‘n is their Bananza Banana Slicer which we just recently got into the store. I got to try it out at the CGTA gift show in Toronto and it works so well that I’m going to take one home for my kids.
My daughter is in grade one now and has become quite independent in the kitchen with making her own breakfast and helping to make and pack her lunch. To ensure that this habit continues… I’m going to take the bananza home to her and get her to try it out. I think adding banana onto her cereal in the morning, or for putting in her lunch sliced up, will empower her to eat more bananas… the one thing that seems to come back at the end of the day:)
I won’t mention at this point how hilarious and slightly guillotine-esque this appears when you see it work from the side, but dispite looks, functions very well. So other than function, it will make a great gag gift for any bachelorette party this summer!
The Wild Hibiscus Flowers in syrup are a new product that just came into the store this week… just a little too late for Valentines Day, but I had to feature it as it is so cool!
You can use the Hibiscus flowers to garnish any appetizer or feature it with goat cheese as I did and it is so tasty! It also goes really well in salads, desserts and most especially… in cocktails. The recipe below features champagne and would make a nice Anniversary toast, a Honeymoon toast or a Wedding toast!
Available in a jar of 11 flowers for $12.00Cdn or 50 flowers for $48.00Cdn.
Cheers!
Wild Hibiscus Royale
This drink was first served at the legendary Dorchestor Hotel, London in 2006; a Swanky hang out for the rich & famous where it remains the most popular Champagne cocktail on the menu.
Wild Hibiscus Flower Garnish
¼ oz natural rose water
2/3 oz Wild Hibiscus Syrup
Mint
Champagne
Muddle mint in the champagne flute & discard (squash some leaves around inside the glass)
Place Wild Hibiscus Flower in bottom of glass & stand upright
Add rose water & some bruised torn mint pieces
Top with Champagne
Lastly, pour in the Hibiscus syrup which will graduate from crimson at the bottom to light pink at the top
Tip:pour syrup in first for a layered effect
The flower will sit in the bottom of the champagne flute and slowly open up over 3-4 minutes.
Decadent, divine & oh so classy, a new classic is born!
Kitchen Boutique’s Bunnette Astro Forecast 2011: Good taste and refinement will shine on all table tops and people will acknowledge that persuasion in eating is better than force. Diplomacy at dinner time will rein and conversation will be given a front seat again. We will cook with discretion and make reasonable substitutions without too much difficulty.
A time to watch out that we do not become overly indulgent (Dessert lovers pay attention). The influence of the Rabbit tends to spoil those who like too many comfort foods and thus impair their effectiveness on staying slim.
Recipes and rules of instructions will be lax and will not be rigidly enforced. Chefs this year don’t seem very inclined to bother with these unpleasant realities. They are busy enjoying themselves, entertaining others or simply taking it easy. The scene is quiet and calm, even deteriorating to the point of falling asleep on your cookbooks. We will all have a tendency to put off the washing up and clean-up tasks as long as possible.
Food can be made without too much labor. Our life style will be languid and leisurely as we allow ourselves the luxury kitchen equipment and essential gadgets we have always craved. A temperate year with an unhurried pace. For once, it may seem possible for us to be carefree in the kitchen and happy without too many hiccups on our cook tops.
Wow as I’m writing this blog post there is only two more sleeps until Christmas! This would be about the time my kids would want to go to bed and sleep early so it would be Christmas morning faster.
As all the staff here know Christmas is my favorite time of the year and I have been accused of maybe going just a tad bit overboard (Three Christmas trees etc)… really I don’t see whats wrong with that at all? Well it’s good for the rest of you closet Mrs Claus’s out there because it all goes on SALE for the BOXING WEEK SALE!!!!! Yes, all Christmas things (*with just a couple of exceptions) go on half price starting on Dec 27, 2010. It’s never to early to start shopping for next year… you know Christmas is coming .
Christmas napkins will be buy one get one 50% off or buy 2 and get one free. We are also putting all our regular 50% clearance items on sale at 75% off.
Everyone here at Kitchen Boutique would truly like to wish you all a very Merry, warm and safe Christmas. But if by chance you didn’t get everything you needed or wanted for Christmas come on down, Because as much as I love Christmas, inventory in January it’s NOT my favorite time.
Cookie Decorating Drop-In: exchange confidences; firm up friendships
Last night I learned that you are never too old for gingerbread. That spicy, sweet confection, in the form of cookies, houses and imaginary concoctions, evokes memories of Christmas to me as sure as a child’s -endearing, tinsel-trimmed, pre-school ornament dangling on a Charlie Brown tree … or the innocence of a six-year-old singing her heart out at her first school concert. Little did I know, though, that the magic of gingerbread goes beyond childhood’s visions of sugar plums.
Wanting to party and re-connect with my women friends, I hosted gingerbread cookie decorating at my house and was truly amazed at how much fun it was for all who attended. I had the joy of baking a batch of edible goodie-gifts (see below for the easy Wilton fail-safe recipe which can be pre-made in do-able stages) and hosting my fun-minded, female friends with some favorite appies and beverages.
For the women who came, packaged sprinkles , glitzy icing gels in shiny red and green , white butter-cream in a disposable icing bag with a #3 outlining tip, and a double page spread in Wilton’s “Cookie Exchange” book were more than enough inspiration. The spectacular results (see photos) and the fact that guests were reluctant to give up their spots at the decorating table, speak to its success.
And this is what I most enjoy about my women friends: they so appreciate the gift of your time. Who knew that cookie decorating could be so bonding? It’s like going to the beauty salon was for women in the 1950s, or what a spa visit is for busy moms and new young career women today: sitting around the cookie table and working en groupe to personalize your own gingerbread boy or girl brings out hidden talent and promotes sharing and confidences. When you’re concentrating on something entirely removed from the everyday whirl of our busy lives to be creative, conversation and sharing flows easily across the generations. It made me realize how important time with girlfriends is to me. The bonus was getting my Christmas décor unboxed and up early, so I can enjoy it longer and really engage with family and friends. Forget your perfect housekeeping, go for cookie decorating zen with your friends at home!
Grandma’s Gingerbread Recipe from Wilton
5 cups all-purpose flour 1 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. salt 2 tsp. ginger 2 tsp. cinnamon 1 tsp. nutmeg 1 tsp. cloves 1 cup solid white shortening 1 cup sugar 1 ¼ cups unsulphured molasses 2 eggs, beaten
1. Thoroughly blend flour, soda, salt and spices. Melt shortening in large saucepan. Add sugar, molasses and eggs to melted, but not bubbling-hot, shortening. Mix well. Cool, then add four (4) cups of the blended dry ingredients and mix well. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Turn mixture onto lightly floured surface. Knead in remaining dry ingredients by hand. Add a little more flour, if necessary, to make a firm dough. Divide dough in half and form into two discs. Wrap well in plastic wrap and refrigerate to keep for weeks. Bring to room temperature and knead briefly to resume baking at a later time or day.
3. Roll out dough on the backs of lightly oiled cookie sheets to 1/8 inch thickness. Position and cut out shapes so that they are at least one inch apart. Remove excess dough, re-form into ball and re-roll surrounding dough on back of another cookie sheet. Cut shapes again and repeat process until all dough has been used. For large pieces, 1/8 inch thick, bake as long as 14 minutes; for smaller pieces, rolled thinly, six or seven minutes may be enough. Check frequently to avoid over-browning. Using flat spatula, remove from cookie sheets to wire racks and cool for 30 minutes. Then cover a flat surface with paper toweling and place baked pieces on it to dry overnight. Yield: about 40-45 regular size (six inch) gingerbread boys or girls.
Our Gingerbread House Competition that took place last Saturday was fantastic! I could not believe the quality and the detail that so many of our competitors put into their houses! Well done everyone!!! We had 13 entries and we gave out prizes for the first($500 Gift Certificate), second ($250 Gift Certificate) and the third ($100 Gift Certificate) place winners…
First Place Winner: Carey Thomson – “Cat in the Gingerbread Hat”
Second Place Winner: Amy Gaudet – “Mansion with the Green Roof”
Third Place Winner: Paige Korstrom – “Chateau de Paige”
Today I would like to take a moment and break down the various knife lines WUSTHOF produces and the differences. Well, there are actually none, sort of. Let me explain. WUSTHOF makes seven precision forged knife lines. Precision forged, in short, means each knife is made from one solid piece of steel and is crafted using precise engineering standards with the aid of state-of-the-art robotics. Of the 7 knife lines, Classic, Classic Ikon, Grand Prix II, Culinar, Classic Ikon in Crème White, IKON and Le Cordon Blue, the only difference is in the handle; shape, material and weight. The steel used to create the blade bolster and tang, are the same on every one of the 150+ knives.
By offering such choice albeit with such consistency, the only decision one needs to make is “which knife feels best in my hand”. The only “good better best “is in the feel for each individual. As I mentioned in last week’s blog, the best way to truly experience a knife is by trying it out. If that is not an option, at least pick it up, hold it, handle it and get the “feel” of it, for each series will offer a multitude of subtle differences from texture, angles, weight and balance. “Just Feel!”
Once you find the knife series that best suites your hand, pick up the two most used knives, see last week’s blog, and get your collection started.
On a parting note, here is a useful knife tip. All high-end knives can stain given the right circumstances, caustic foods, water minerals etc. Stains or marred finishes are not uncommon with stainless steel tools. If you have good cookware or quality cutlery, a staple in your house should be a stainless steel polishing cream. For knives, ensure it’s smooth, without grit, which can scratch the surface. Put a little dab on a soft cloth and rub onto the face of the blade. Keep the knife down on a flat surface and be mindful of the cutting edge. This should get rid of any unsightly spots. Enjoy your weekend
My name is Derek. Claire has spent the better part of the year coaxing me into contributing to the Kitchen Boutique blog as a knife expert. For any of you that know Claire, even a little, you can only put her off for so long. So here I am.
This being my first public forum contribution I want to let you know what you can expect from me. I’ll discuss knives (of course), cutting techniques, styles of blades, sharpening vs honing, how to choose the right knife and length and tons more. Plus, I will endeavour to end each blog with a tip that may put a smile on your face or introduce you to something new.
There are two knives that every household, no matter the size of family, should own, a great paring knife and cook’s knife. The later of which also goes by the name chef’s knife or French knife (cause the French first designed the shape).
Paring knives come in a variety of shapes and sizes. A unique shape will for the most part dictate a specific use or technique. Today I would like to cover the standard 3 ½” straight blade, the most versatile of all. This knife can do so many small jobs: peel fruits and veg, trim fat off meat, score meat to insert garlic or cloves. Its small, straight-forward shape is well suited when it comes time to making the kid’s lunches or just quartering apples for snack. I would stay away from more sturdy foods like carrots or potatoes, as the blade is not long enough or rigid enough. That’s what the cook’s knife is for.
The cook’s knife comes in 14 sizes and styles (WÜSTHOF is the only knife maker that I am aware of with this kind of selection) with sufficient handle sizes to accommodate most hand sizes – even the baseball mitt guys. You know who you are. Why so many sizes? Easy! We all are built differently; from hand and finger size to wrist and arm strength to proportions of arm length to torso size. This allows anyone to find a length that is just right and comfortable. The cook’s knife is your manual food processor. It will chop, slice and julienne all fruits and vegetables. Mincing fresh herbs is too easy. Prepare steaks from your favorite tenderloin. Although cook’s knives feel heavier and quite robust, they are not meant for bones. The edges are ground steep so they cannot handle the hardness.
Knives look impressive on the wall of a store. You cannot find one that works for you by staring at it. Ask for help, put one in your hand and start the selection process by feeling your way through the assortment.
That’s it for knives today. If you’re a music fan, you’ll know how personal music is to each of us. I am not a musician but I live with it almost every waking minute. I always try to keep an open mind cause you never know what little gem you’ll discover. On that note, take a listen to Florence and the Machine, fabulous new artist out of the UK. Unique lyrics tied into a very different sound. Try the song “dog days are over”. Enjoy.
We recently got in boxes and boxes of Brie Bakers… and I have to tell you… these are the hottest gift!
Place brie wheel inside the baker… put into oven at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes and voila! Baked Brie.
Add chutney or, as I did over Thanksgiving… add Brie Brulee topping and ohmygoodness! Yummy!
The Brie Brulee topping we tried out was the Honey Orange… you sprinkle it on top the brie, before you put it in the oven and it carmalizes while the brie is cooking… when the brie is finished… you can nip it under the grill for a few minutes or use a torch and just “finish-off” the carmalizing brie brulee.
I couldn’t believe how delicious this tasted… I’m never going to get into my skinny pants now!
Available in red, cream, cassis (eggplant), rosemary (green).
Available in two sizes: Single Brie Wheel $19 or Party Wheel $30
The Cuisinart Slow Cooker is one of my favorite electrical appliances that Cuisinart makes.
My husband creates a variation of the Butternut Squash Soup that is in the Cuisinart Recipe book that you get with the Slow Cooker, that is to die for.
Just email me at pots04@telus.net if you would like his trade secrets.
As we’ve had a crummy weather day today, I thought I’d share this with you as I’m feeling like it is Slow Cooker Cooking Time Season!!!
It is available in three sizes: 3.5Qt, 4Qt and 6.5Qt – I recommend the largest size because you can always freeze the left-overs!
The Goodbyn is a better lunchbox reinvented for kids, parents, and our planet!
Eliminates the need for wasteful plastic bags and drink boxes
Features: Easy to open ears, built-in handle to carry box, top, bottom, and side containers, 8.5 ounce re-usable drink bottle, and sticker set to customize your lunchbox.
Lunchbox is 100% recyclable
Dishwasher safe
Free of BPA, phthalates, and lead
Made in USA
Original Goodbyn available in Blue, Pink, Red, and Green. For ages 5-9 years. Includes fun ears on the lunchbox.
NEW!Too Cool for Ears Goodbyn available in ghost, slate, charcoal, and plum. For ages 10+ years.
Send your kids back to school with an eco-friendly sandwich guard; think of the all the plastic sandwich bags you can save, and your child can choose from an assortment of cool colours.
Additionally, the s’wich guard is easy to open, and is dishwasher safe. Need I say more?!?!?!
You can even go a step further and cut their sandwich into cool shapes – like giant puzzle pieces, butterflies, elephants, dolphins, or puppies. Or better yet, your child can cut out their own sandwich, since the lunch punch sets are child friendly.
Conveniently, the lunch punch sets can be used on a number of other items; such as, playdough, cheese, cookies, etc.
Okay, so we had a fabulous staff party the other night… and we decided to figure out… once and for all, what our favorite garlic press was…
Ranked #1 by: Jesse, Tracey and Claire was the Zyliss Garlic Press… reason we loved this one so much? Easy to squeeze and clean.
I’ve had my Zyliss garlic press for years and love how well it works… what I have noticed though from other customers who have purchased it, is that if put in the dishwasher, instead of hand washing… eventually the finish will wear away.
Ranked #1 by: Lianna was the OXO Garlic Press because there are NO parts to loose… it’s all one piece… it is easy to just flip and go!!!
The down side to this press is that it is the garlic press that I get returns on the MOST. What happens? People use too much force on the press and end up “snapping” the joint… so I would advise against this press if you are Hercules!
Ranked #1 by: Kendra was the Garlic Pro EZEE-Dice who liked how it chopped all of the garlic into nice little bits, was easy to “knock” them out and fairly easy to clean.
As a group… we all did like how well this little guy worked and personally I would have this one and another garlic press because I would use this garlic pro for when I wanted minced garlic bits and my press when I wanted mashed garlic (garlic juice drips into dish).
Ranked #1 by: Amanda and the Consumer Report was the Chef ‘n Garlic Press because it was the easiest to press… Amanda thought that seniors with joint pain would find this garlic press the easiest to use. Personally we have not had this product very long so I’m unsure of it’s performance long term, but it does seem to be well made.
… so as you can see… we all have very unique tastes. So our plan of attack in the future? To keep stocking these fabulous four and keep our eyes open for even better ones!
With the end of the lazy, carefree days of summer coming up it is time to start getting into real life mode. With back to school, club meetings, dance lessons, sports, ect ect ect….I recommend running out and buying this book! It really works! It gives you everything you need to have your busy life and eat good food too. On Sunday you print off a copy of the shopping list, check it off, go to the store once and ta da you are ready for the next weeks dinners.
The recipes are simple , older kids would have no problem taking a turn and helping out.The meals are tasty even for the fussy ones in your house.
Local author Sandy Richards knows what she is doing, she has 7 children!
I have made every thing in this book and I don’t think there is one I would not try again, some recipes have become family favorites.
Try it , you will like it! Keep smiling, from Lianna
Finally it is starting to look like summer… and finally, we are bringing out our favorite BBQ items!
This is a popular in-store item every season, as you can control the preservatives or fat content, how big your burger patties are and you can store them all in the freezer, when you are waiting for the next, nice summer day!
The next party you go to… say you’ll bring the patties!
1.BUY AN APRON THAT APPEALS TO YOU.
Whether its one colour, floral, covered in chilli peppers and squash or has one of those quirky messages on the front – it doesn’t matter. If it gets you in the mood for cooking – Great – plus it protects your clothes from spills and messes!
2. INVEST IN A GOOD PAIR OF OVEN GLOVES.
Protecting your hands and lower arms, especially when sliding pans into, and retrieving them from the oven is vitally important. If your oven gloves are showing any kind of wear get rid of them and buy a new pair.
3. KEEP AN ORGANISED WORK STATION.
Even if you have limited counter space, try to keep your work station as organised as possible – it really helps.
4. WHEN MAKING BREAD.
Warm your bowl before hand and make sure your yeast is at room temperature before you begin.
5. WHEN MAKING PASTRY.
Put your bowl, rolling pin and water into the fridge so they are nice and cold. Also, your hands are warm, so avoid handling the butter too much. A pastry blender is a handy tool, then you can use your fingertips to finish by quickly and lightly achieving the fine breadcrumb effect that many pastry recipes call for.
6. WHEN BAKING CAKES.
Tip your weighed sugar into your mixing bowl and gently warm both in a low oven. This will make creaming the butter and sugar together much easier and the result will be a creamier consistency which you’ll achieve much faster.
FINALLY – Remember the enjoyment factor.
a) Make the kitchen yours for a couple of hours.
b) Gather up all your ingredients.
c) Put on your favourite music.
d) Enjoy
This stainless steel odor remover is a great little item.
When you’ve just spent the last hour cooking up a storm, you have garlic, onion and some other smells absorbed into your hands… this handy little gadget is great to rub under running water and VOILA!, all the odors are gone.
Useful kitchen tip: you can also rub up against your stainless steel kitchen sink to get rid of the smell, but personally, I find it easier to do with the odor remover.
For the ladies out there looking for a great brother, friend or dad gift, or for the men out there who are cool… this peppermill is a great idea… and it is on SPECIAL!
Regularly $40 - Sale $20-
What man wouldn’t want a beer-bottle shaped peppermill called “The Peppermeister”?
We have these great little Eco Bags with Canada Flags on them… if you come by the store in Canmore on Canada Day from 1-6pm (after the parade) and mention that you checked out our blog… you can have one for FREE! WOOT! WOOT!
Store Hours Today: 1pm-6pm in Canmore and 12pm-5pm in Cochrane.
As Canada Day approaches and festivities get into full swing, thoughts everywhere will be turning to food for the Big Day. Whether you are planning a big family get-together at home, a BBQ on the deck, a picnic in the park or a day at the beach, why not tempt those sweet taste buds with these quick and easy Canada Day cupcakes and cookies.
If you can bake your own cupcakes and cookies that’s always good but if time is an issue, then buy them and forgo the guilt…no-one will mind.
For the Cookies – Smooth creamy white buttercream icing on to the top of your cupcakes.
With a maple leaf cookie cutter, make an indentation on the top of the buttercreamed cupcakes.
Fill an icing bag with red medium buttercream icing and, with a star tip number 16 fill in the maple leaf shape with tiny red stars.
If your cupcakes are big enough, pipe a pretty star border around the edge, with the same tip.
For the Cookies – Fill 2 icing bags, one with white medium icing and one with red.
Place a maple leaf cookie cutter on your cookies and pipe and outline with a number 2 tip. Then change the tip to number 16 and fill in with stars, just like the cupcakes.
Red maple leaves look great on light and oaty cookies but chocolate based cookies make perfect bases for white maple leaves.
If you love watching Dragon’s Den on tv, you will love this item…
It was featured in one of the earlier seasons and has become a big hit - Canada wide!!! And, seeing as we’re coming up to Canada Day and the fun that enfolds… I thought I would feature this product – from Canadian entrepreneurs!
It will keep your banana from getting bruised or mushy when you take lunch to work or a picnic in your backpack… and makes a great talking piece for those of you with a good sense of humor:)
When I see business owners who do not invest in the exterior of their shop… I want to cry. Please, please, please, don’t be deceived by it’s out-dated appearance, this little cook shop in Beckenham, Kent is a great find.
Although tiny, this like-minded shop owner has also managed to “cram” the space full of wonderful kitchen trinkets. It is cute, staff were friendly and Beckenham has a number of other great stores to offer.
Not my favourite, but a good place on a rainy day and/or if you prefer a slower pace in greater London.
England has some great specialty kitchen stores… quaintly referred to as “cook shops!” This is the first one I stopped at in Westerham, a small village in the southern part of Kent. If you love quaint English villages… you will love this one… .it has just one main street with a number of boutique shops including the cook shop. There is a small green area with a large statue of Winston Churchill on it… apparently Winston used to live nearby in Chartwell. We visited here and then went on to check out Hever Castle… which is a fantastic place for a picnic and a day spent roaming the Castle gardens.
My big find in the store: cleaning brushes that have flower and animal themed tops that are made in Spain.
What do you do if your car breaks down and is going to cost a small fortune to fix, or you miss out on the job you set your heart on to someone you know will be rubbish at it, or, like me, you walk into the hairdressers on a sunny morning hoping to emerge as a Catherine Zeta Jones lookalike, and not only do you not, but the cut you asked for is nothing like the one you actually ended up with, and cut very badly at that?!
Well, if you are like me you go home, way past disappointed, pop the cork on a bottle of wine, pour yourself a glass and rip the wrapper off the biggest chocolate bar in the cupboard so you can wallow for a while in dark self-pity until the wine begins to take effect and you notice the sun is still actually shining.
My next step was to spend the rest of the day in my kitchen baking up a storm until I reached my comfort zone again. It is almost therapeutic, like a healing process and one I would heartily recommend if you love cooking and are having a bad day.
So I spent my afternoon measuring, beating, whisking and smoothing until the air smelt of sweet satisfaction and sponge cake. Once it was cooled I mixed up some creamy buttercream and spread it on one half of my cake then covered the other half with my favourite strawberry jam. After sandwiching them together I slid my cake on to the prettiest plate I had and dusted it with icing sugar. Wow – what a cake!
So next time you are having a bad day, especially a bad hair day, get yourself into the kitchen for a few self-healing hours……and perhaps, buy yourself a hat!!
Until next time
Happy Baking
Jane
Mmmmmmm! Okay, so if you have been hunting for some yummy treats because you’ve just found out that you are either celiac or have a gluten intolerance… hunt no more.
These crunches, available in either hazelnut, dark chocolate or maple flavor are TO DIE FOR!
My sister, who is a celiac and I, who has a gluten intolerance, are always on the hunt for tasty gluten-free food products…when we were introduced to these awhile back, our only problem with the product was keeping the “tasting samples” away from my desk and off our hips! But, ohhhh, they are good!
There are a lot of great new gluten-free options that we’ll be adding to our stock and to our blog so keep a look out in the future. Our g-f radars are tuned in!
If you live in the Cochrane area… check out GF (Gluten-Free) Patisserie… located on 3rd Avenue in a cute little white ‘n blue house… open Wed-Saturday from 10-5pm… please don’t buy up all of her callebaut brownies… those are my favorites!
If you have never decorated a cake with fondant you are missing out on a terrific experience.
As I start my Course 3 Decorating class my eager students are just beginning to discover the delights of spreading butter cream on to a cake followed by a delicious covering of fondant, which they will expertly smooth with their hands to produce a perfect finish – its as easy as that. BUT we aren’t stopping there, of course. We’ll be learning how to make a cake look like a well wrapped gift as we envelop it with an eye-catching fondant bow. Then, still part of the course, we’ll be making exquisite fondant roses and leaves which will be arranged delicately on the 2-tier wedding cake that will be their Grand Finale. Personally, I can’t wait to see the finished results, which I know will be amazing!
Anyone can work with fondant. Readily available in packs, not just in white but in pastels, primary colours – the list goes on. Its as easy to work with as the modeling clay you probably used as a child.
My advice would be, dust your work surface with icing sugar, knead your fondant until soft then just have a go, and if you are making figures you might consider edible markers for the faces – they work great. Remember to store any unused fondant in an airtight container so it doesn’t dry out. Have fun!
We got these fabulous dancing flowers in new last week and everyone is CRAZY about them! Due to their instant popularity, we’ve decided to feature them here for our blog readers… in case you’ve missed them in-store!
What a great gift idea for mom, grandma or a close friend! What is really super about them is that they won’t die out on you if you have a black thumb (like me). They can travel easily and lightly if you are looking for a nice gift to take overseas… which is in fact what I’ll be doing next week - taking one of these for my fabulous mother-in-law who lives in England!
Chocolate – in my opinion – should be in a food group all of its own!. Not only does it taste fabulous but it makes you feel good – and that is a scientific fact! Why else do we ‘treat’ ourselves to a chocolate bar when we feel a little down or in need of a boost? But who needs an excuse – really?
Chocolate can be grated or crumbled or melted and drizzled in abundance on the most simplest of desserts – a bowl of ice-cream served in a colourful dish to adorning the most decadent of desserts but perhaps the best way is to smother a chocolate cake with a coat of melted chocolate.
If you don’t like a cake covered with buttercream, especially a character cake, try chocolate instead. Give it one coat all over then pop it in the fridge until set, then coat it a second time – this is not an occasion where ‘less is more’ applies!! Then use buttercream or white icing to highlight the special features on your character cake, like facial expressions, paws, bows etc.
BUT remember, chocolate is like wine, use only the best stuff in your cooking. Quality over quantity – No, we are talking about chocolate here, quantity is important too!
I had to quickly bake up some cupcakes for a baby shower I went to this weekend. I chose these super cute silicone bear baking cups which were a hit at the party. I decided on icing the blue feet myself as it was a little boys baby shower. Having limited time and in a hurry to get something that looked good and was easy to create. They were definitely convenient and easy to release out of the flexible silicone.
Of course you can find them at Kitchen Boutique ;0)
Happy Earth Day! I’m very excited that we got these new Preserve products – just in time to celebrate Earth Day in the store.
Preserve products are:
*Made from 100% recycled materials
*Made in the USA
*Can be recycled at any #5 plastic recycle facility or returned to Preserve for recycling.
*BPA free
*Dishwasher friendly.
* Available in three colours: green, red and blue.
*Available as outdoor patio dinnerware (plates, bowls, cups, cutlery), storage containers, colanders, mixing bowl sets and measuring cup sets.
I’m a huge fan of leaving a better world to my three kids and believe that bringing in products of this nature will help ensure that. I hope you like ‘em and I hope you buy ‘em so I can bring in more!!!
Happy Recycling!
Earth note: Kitchen Boutique is a FIERCE recycler (we have one of the best recycling facilities here in Cochrane, Alberta – WOOT! WOOT! and we make ridiculous use of it) and we promote products that are going to last you a long time (less crap that falls apart that’s going into the landfills), so please don’t bulk at some of our prices, just know that we are on Earth’s side and doing everything possible in our business to ensure that our presence is a very small impact on the environment. Cbreeze.
Butter or vegetable shortening? Which do you use in your buttercream? Or rather which should you use in your buttercream? The answer quite simply is – whatever you like the taste of. If you use butter your icing will take on a ‘sunny glow’ but it will colour up just fine with icing colours. If you use vegetable shortening, especially the white, then your icing will be white so if you are going for a snowy white look, white vegetable shortening is the way to go. BUT ultimately, the choice is yours. There are no hard and fast rules for buttercream. Taste and personal choice are the most important things to consider.
Some buttercream icings can also be made with the addition of real cream, but be aware this should be applied to the cake and then the cake eaten as soon as possible – no hardship for most of us.
“Grey skies are going to clear up ,
Put on a Happy Face,
Brush of the clouds and cheer up,
Put on a Happy Face.
Wipe off that ‘full of doubt look,’
slap on a Happy grin,
and spread sunshine all over the place,
and put on a Happy Face!!
Doesn’t this cute little teapot just make you want to smile and sing! What a great way to start your day.
Have a good one everyone, Lianna
This was my first Easter Bunny cake that I made just before Easter weekend. I really enjoy icing the cakes that I make it’s almost therapeutic for me. This cake is gluten free because I’m celiac.
The cake tasted wonderful and was a real hit at the birthday party I went to. I think the most important thing to have when it comes to eating cakes is a really good cake to icing ratio. It’s never good when there’s too much icing or too little. Find that happy medium and your cake eaters will be pleased I promise!
Kitchen Boutique has loads of wonderful cake pans to choose from. They’re very inspirational to decorate.
Here’s a butterfly cake pan that’s perfect for any spring birthday $17.00:
The cutest Easter Bunny came to visit our Cochrane store location. She was a real hit with all the customers coming into the shop. She hid eggs for the kids in the flower boxes at the front of the store and posed for pictures with all the tourists. She even took over the front desk to help with some customers.
DO YOU like chocolate? What’s your favorite MILK , DARK or WHITE? Let us know leave a comment…
Well now you can get one for your home! These funky and very modern automatic soap pumps are a welcomed addition to any bathroom. Features of this handy pump include:
1. Touch-free operation Dispenses soap automatically through a touch-free sensor.
2. Built-in light timer Optional light timer blinks for 20 seconds for germ-free hands
3. Continuous dispensing button Hold down the continuous dispensing button to manually dispense soap directly on items.
4. Easy to refill Large, easy to refill opening
5. Four volume settings Allows you to dispense larger or smaller amounts of soap.
6.Battery-operatedOperates on 4 “AA” batteries
I myself love to be squeaky clean and always look at my bar of soap and think it’s a bit dirty. I think this will encourage everyone in my house to wash their hands more. I can see this really benefiting us and our guests around flu season. I can’t wait to try it out! I’m so happy a company has come out with such a great product. (Retails for $52.00 Cdn)
Do YoU think there’s any other products out there that should be automated like the soap dispenser? Let us know in the comments below and we will see if we can get it into our shop.
Check out the video here for a look at the Sensor Soap Pump in action.
We just got our Cadbury shipment in and it is making me hungry for Easter! These cool fondues are a great treat for that special Cadbury lover in your family… we also carry the fondue fillers in both the Caramilk and Creme Egg to add to this perfect gift! Click on the pics to link to our online store where you can buy these!!!
Do you know how they get the Caramilk inside a Caramilk bar? Comment and let us know… because we don’t know and we would really like to know!
Have a wonderful Easter Holiday Weekend… and remember to join us in Cochrane from 1-3pm to see the Easter Bunny hiding chocolate eggs around the store! Cbreeze
An Easter favourite and one that cannot be missed are Chocolate Easter Nests.
So simple and quick they can be made quite easily by children, although adult supervision is advised because we are dealing with hot chocolate here!
Just follow these simple steps and you will be munching on this delicious treat in no time!
1. Buy some pretty Easter baking cups and pop them into a suitable sized muffin tray.
2. Break a large bar of good quality milk chocolate into a china bowl and place over a pan of gently simmering water.
Tip-don’t let the water boil or get into the chocolate in anyway or it will spoil.
3. Tip a sizable amount of Rice Krispies or Cornflakes, if you prefer, into a mixing bowl.
4. When the chocolate has melted, remove the china bowl from the pan.
5. Allow the chocolate to cool slightly before pouring over the Rice Krispies.
6. Stir thoroughly until you have a wonderful chocolatey mixture then drop good sized spoonfuls into each baking cup.
7. With a teaspoon make a small hollow in the centre of each one to make your nest.
8. Finally, fill your nests with tiny eggs – the small candy coated ones filled with chocolate are perfect.
9. Lastly, slide the whole tray into the fridge to allow the mixture to set – a few hours should do it.
10. I guarantee these will be a big hit with the chocolate lovers in your family!
Until next time.
Happy Baking and Happy Easter.
Jane
Last, but certainly not least in our saver family is the Garlic Saver.
With this handy little garlic saver you can help those heads of garlic you have stashed in your kitchen drawer last upto 45 days longer!
Who wouldn’t want a gadget that saves you from having those old bulbs of garlic that you have to cut out the stem before using because they have already started sprouting? Even for me… we eat a lot of garlic, but sometimes between eating out and trying new recipes the darn things start getting excited and sprout just too early. In fact, I think I’m going to go and grab one now so I can take it home to my hubby. No I don’t have one of everything in the store and yes, writing about some of the products makes me realize how dense I am in not using some of them myself!
Garlic Facts:
If your garlic has sprouted, it is still usable although it has lost some of its flavor and health benefits.
The smell of garlic can be removed by running your hands under cold water while rubbing a stainless steel object which we happen to sell.
Win a FREE Garlic Saver!
The first person who can discover the model number of the odor remover on our online site www.kitchenboutique.ca and comments about it here on our blog, will win!
And yet, another addition to our saver family… the Pepper Saver!
Perfect for saving all of your loose pepper parts, storing them for longer in the fridge and for remembering that they are there in the first place!
Pepper fact:
Bell peppers are a fantastic source of vitamin C. Although it is commonly thought that citrus fruits are the best source of vitamin C, peppers have them beat. Green peppers have double the amount of vitamin C by weight than citrus fruits… and red bell peppers have three times as much vitamin C as the green varieties and are a good source of beta carotene. So even though red peppers cost more… your health may be worth it!
Win a FREE pepper saver of your choice!
All you have to do is leave a interesting pepper fact comment below
Another addition to the saver family… the TOMATO saver.
As with our other additions these little tomato savers are perfect for keeping whole, half or quarter parts of a tomato fresh longer and from getting SQUISHED in the fridge.
For any tomato lover they are a perfect add-on gift and compliment a brand new tomato knife well.
Tomato fact:
Did you know that the tomato is the world’s most popular FRUIT?
WIN a FREE tomato saver!
Just name the 2nd most popular fruit after tomatoes
(First 3 people who comment below with the correct answer WIN)
So you have your perfect recipe for pavlova/meringues and you are all set to go BUT how do you present this amazing snowy mixture so that it is a dessert of legend?
First ensure your bowls and equipment are all grease free – this is very important! Next ensure that you crack your eggs into a bowl using an egg separator. You only want the white! Any little bit of yolk will ruin your meringue. One more tip, check your mixture periodically during whipping by rubbing a small amount between your thumb and forefinger. If you can still feel sugar crystals then you need to whip some more until they are gone.
OK, if you are a dolloper and you want your meringue to look like a nest – and it should be a beautiful delicate shell with a marshmallow centre that you pile full of whipped cream and fresh berries – then you need to use a No. 18 Wilton Featherweight bag with a large coupler and a large 6B tip. This will give your nest a lovely star effect – making you the star!
Too bad that time ran out on the give-a-way! If you had guessed that our next saver was an onion saver… you would have won a lemon/lime saver!
These fantastic little onion savers are perfect for prolonging the life of your onion, (if only I could have done that with my 21 year old body!) or for storing a half, or a quarter piece of onion and not forgetting about it.
Jesse loves these the most because the odors don’t leak into your fridge at home or your cooler when you are camping!
Hey just a short note about something Bryan and I have been talking about over dinner. We have been, in the last week traveling from San Fransisco to Hollywood. We have stopped, as you may have read, at more than a few winery’s and small shops. What we have noticed is each and everyone we have been in, carries something we have in our store. So, for the people lucky enough to have shopped at The Kitchen Boutique , rest assured we carry EVERYTHING!. From Be-Bop Biscottie to Vinturi, Picnic Time Baskets, Cheese ball mixes, wine napkins, glasses etc. We have all the best and more!
That is such a cool feeling , as someone who works there, to know that. Well that’s my thought for the day.
Keep Smiling. Lianna
Oh and if you like my blogs of my travels you should tell my boss and maybe I can just travel around and do this more often.
I love a restaurant that uses the right wine glasses!
I have been enjoying my trip through one of the best wine regions in the world. I have learned the difference between Aroma and Bouquet, Thanks again to Todd at Moonstones. I have tasted all the flavors that wines can have, the tones, the fruits, the buttery-ness, the pepper undertones, and on and on. It is an art, it takes thought. People spend a great deal of time, effort and a lot of money on their love of wine. When they go out , with this knowledge, to a fine restaurant and want to finally use what they know to pair their dinner with a fine wine,They want the right fricking glass! Riedel is of course the number one glass, if you get that for dinner you know you are in the right place, sit back and enjoy your night out!
Bon Appitette!
Have you ever found yourself flustered and perhaps a little overwhelmed when friends come over for dinner? Even if you’re looking forward to the event do you still feel your stress levels rising? If so, then I may just have the answer for you.
Have you ever considered a raclette party? Raclette party-givers everywhere will now be nodding their heads in agreement. A raclette is a small tabletop grill that you place in the middle of your table where everyone can cook their own food at their own pace and a relaxed and fun time can be had by all. How great is that!
After recently being invited to a friend’s home for just such a party I can wholeheartedly contest that these kind of dinners are a lot of fun and can be as elaborate or informal as you wish.
So, how does it work?
Well, as many as 8 people can sit round to a raclette. The perfect size for a dinner party! All the food can be pre-prepared – oh joy! Don’t you love this idea already? AND as the party-giver all you have to do is dress your table in your prettiest linens, top with some eye-catching china, add sparkling glassware, chill the wine and plug in your raclette grill. So easy!
Okay, what about the food I hear you say!
Prepare tiny potatoes and small pieces of stir fry vegetables then cook the potatoes just before you need them so you serve them warm, (microwaves are great for this). Blanch the vegetables – sugar snap peas, bright coloured peppers etc are just great for this.
Cut any kind of meats into small, thin pieces for ease of cooking and pair with slices of sausage and seafood – this kind of meal is only limited by your imagination!
All you have to do is arrange your edibles into attractive dishes and assign them to your guests, (couples are easier as they can share).
Don’t forget a dish of grated cheese for everyone which your guests will pile into their paddle that sits under the grill. As it melts to perfection they pour the cheese on to the potatoes and vegetables – absolutely delicious!!
You’ll find that giving a raclette party is such a breeze you’ll possibly have left more than enough time to conjure up a spectacular dessert! My clever friend had baked a chocolate cake, topped it with cherries and a fabulous glaze then popped it into the fridge where it sat until the appropriate moment when she produced it in fine style, only needing to add a flourish of whipped cream. Fabulous.
Hello , and welcome to my little California holiday. Bryan and I have traveled from San Fransico to Carmel and down to San Luis Opiso. Little bit of rain, little bit of sun, quaint little towns and some fabulous wineries!
To me the best, okay, the second best part of the winery is the little shops they all have . Each shop has trinkets and fun things. Some have more than others… some have lotions, some have gourmet food items, bread dippers, dips, crackers, ect. but there is one thing that everyone that we have been to has that surprised me; The Vinturi Wine Aerator!
This, if you don’t know, and haven’t already got one from our store , was one of our biggest sellers over Christmas.
So I started asking the person behind the desk, pouring our wine if they had tried it and what did they think? Each and everyone said they LOVED it. It is the Best product of it ‘s kind out there!Really the wine people use it and like it.
I do have to tell you they are not so convinced the white wine Vinturi is necessary…so we may have to drop that one from our inventory, ‘cus we don’t need to sell you stuff that doesn’t work, but the red one is a must have !
Today we were at a great little wine tasting place in Cambria called Moonstone Cellers, and I asked owner Todd, what he thought. He said he loved it, but he went futher to expain…that he and his wife like different things from wine: he likes the heavy full flavor and his wife likes it a little smoother. He will use the Vinturi for his wife and not for him, because he can get two differnent tastes from one bottle of wine. Each to his own, right? We all have diffrent tastes and pallets, and the Vinturi will help you find yours.
Ok I have rambled about this too long and I do have a bottle of wine that is waiting for me now. Try the Vinturi, Trust Me!
Keep smiling and remember, life is too short to drink bad wine!
My husband came up to me with a challenge the other day, that at first sounds really exciting, but is actually harder than it sounds. The Challenge: empty my closet of clothes and start over with new. Ahhh you mean get rid of stuff??? not so easy for me.
BUT it has started me thinking about other things around the house that I could do that for, things that really should be thrown out and bought new, Like DISH CLOTHS. I did that last year and can easily do that again. I mean think about it, who doesn’t have some dish cloths in the drawer that really should be thrown out?
It really doesn’t take much to freshen up the kitchen with some new cloths and maybe some matching tea towels or a pretty new apron. I know we’re just talking tea towels here, but having something new, even if it’s small, is a good way to perk up your day! After that you can take on the clothes closet! Good luck and keep smiling, Lianna
I have finally got these fantastic lemon/lime savers on our online store so I thought I’d tell you about them on our blog too!
They are fantastic for keeping your lemons/limes from going off or for storing cut wedges where a. you’ll remember they are there and b. they won’t drip all over the rest of the stuff in your fridge.
We have more savers coming… can you guess which ones are next? I will send a FREE lemon or lime saver to the first five people who comment. Cbreeze
Hi from The Mountain Kitchen Store in Canmore, Alberta.
For those of you who aren’t familiar with us, we are a unique little kitchen store nestled in the foothills of the amazingly beautiful, and at this moment, snow covered Rocky Mountains…..so you can see why, in Canmore, we are known as The “Mountain Kitchen”. But, even so, we work closely with our larger sister store in Cochrane and, between the two of us, we are known as Kitchen Boutique.
As Co-Manager of this delightful Aladdin’s Cave bursting with kitchen appliances, beautiful china and gadgets and gizmos to amaze and please the most fastidious of customers, it also falls to me to teach the Cake Decorating classes here in Canmore, a rewarding and most enjoyable experience for students and teacher alike as I am constantly amazed and delighted at the creative expertise my students display and the obvious pleasure they get out of the classes.
Now, as I brush the rose petals out of the window from my Valentine’s display I can reveal my Baking window, not only for adults but also for the blossoming cook in every family. There are cute aprons and chef’s hats and a great little baking set complete with cookie cutters and a rolling pin……perfect for little hands. And then there are our fabulous character cake pans….Care Bears, Dora, Tinkerbell, to name but a few…and even a cheeky monkey…perfect for the cheeky monkey in your family.
Until next time.
Happy Baking
Jane.
These Smart Sponges are both hilarious to me… and actually a really good idea. How many times have you cleaned your toilet and then a few days later forgot which sponge you used? Well I have! Even though cleaning is my husband’s department… the odd time will arise where I’ll feel the need to clean what has become of the loo and will look for the sponge/cleaning articles under the sink. But how do I know which sponge is for the toilet and which for the sink? Quite frankly I don’t… and for 95% of you out there… you know you are just like me and guess! But hey, we don’t need to scare our guests away any longer… the smart sponge… our solution to the unknown!
We were super excited when we came across these Tchill Ice buckets that are in the shape of a bag!
They are so easy to use… just throw in your ice and bottle and away you go! No dripping, convenient to carry and they can be used again and again. I like them because they fold away flat for easy storage.
They are also stitched so they will remain upright if put down on a flat surface, even with water/ice in them.
Available in three colours: clear, red and purple.
Let me know if you have seen anything better when it comes to summer fun entertaining ideas… and we’ll bring it in. Cbreeze
We just got these new and very cool candy flower bouquets which will make a great add-on to any gift! At $6 each, it is amazing that they look so real and what is even better is that you can eat them! They have a hard shell outer coating in colour and a dark chocolate flavour on the inside. Lianna and I discovered these at the gift show in January and thought “How yummy and cool is that?” Hope you like them! Cbreeze
Ok some people, not naming any names, but that’s what they get for letting me order stuff, might think that I have gone a little overboard with the napkins we have in the store. We do have a lot I will admit it, but there are just soooo many good ones to chose from. My favorites, and the hardest to pick just a few, are the funny cocktail napkins.
Part of it is me, but the biggest part is watching the customers come up to the rack and just stand and laugh. It is contagious!… and who doesn’t like a good laugh! I mean you can be just having a boring day, working away and a little group of friends walks in, then you hear one person giggling. Then it’s” come and see this”, then it’s, “no look at this one” ,”this is sooo Susan, I have to get this” “No, what about this one, it’s too good!”
Do you see what I am saying, people are laughing , having fun, now the staff are laughing, and the next people that walk in want to know what’s so funny, and on and on it goes. All because I may have gotten a Little carried away with the napkins.
Keep smiling everyone, or just laugh out loud if you like, it’s fun!
I know it’s close because we have started receiving summery things in the store. It’s so nice to have some flowers and bright colors around.
One of the new items that’s on the way are these great summer mats, made out of everyone’s favorite footwear, FLIP FLOPS. These mats are made from scrap flip flop foam. They are handcrafted in the Philippines and very unique. How fun is that??
Bring on those lazy summertime days!
Lianna
I know the world is hoping for snow and cold out in Vancouver this week, but I would really like summer to hurry up and show up. The cold weather has been keeping people in the house and so the store has been a little quiet the last couple of days. The only thing about that is that we get some much needed paperwork and ordering done.
Yesterday I pulled out all the catalogs for the gourmet food we carry. This includes Wildly Delicious, Garlic Box, Perth and Pestle, and Orange Crate, to name a few. Ok I have to tell you after a couple of hours of that I WAS HUNGRY! We are going to have some tasty things coming in to the shop soon, Get Ready! Oh and let’s not forget all the beverages, but we will save that for another day.
Keep smiling! Lianna
Awhile ago Claire and I took the wilton cake decorating classes so we could better help customers with thier cake decorating questions. Now my friends think I should make more cakes. Well this is the one I made for yesterdays Super Bowl game.
The store in Cochrane has a lot of different shaped pans and we rent quite a few too, so if you need to empress you friends come on down and pick one up. The sandwiches were made using a football shaped cookie cutter. It really doesn’t take much to make food fun!
Keep smiling, Lianna
The Cochrane store is changing around again! For all our regular customers you will know we do that often. Nothing too major, just making space for the new and cleaning out the old.
Yesterday, Sandy and I, moved the cleaning section to the thermometer/fish section and the thermometer/fish section over to the ever changing, ever evolving, gadget wall. I do have to tell you that our gadget wall is packed. Customers just stand there and stare at it, trying to take it all in.
Now we have space near the back where the cleaning section was, to expand the sale section. So, if you are in the store looking for something, don’t worry if you can’t find it, someone will help you,(as soon as they remember where we put it themselves).
What will today bring??
Keep Smiling, Lianna
Ps. Sorry folks there will be no blog tomorrow as it is Super Bowl Sunday and I have create a football cake and little football sandwiches for the party. Go Gold Team, Go!
Hello, I have been told to have a successful blog you have to add to it everyday. So what does one write about everyday?
Well today I am going to tell you about our biggest selling item in the store. If you have been in the store you already know what it is. People come from miles around just to buy one or more, they mail it to family and friends, and then get told to send more. We have people bring their visitors in and tell them they have to have them, and heaven forbid we ever run out of them!
I am of course talking about the world’s finest Potscrubber! For those of you who have not tried it ,(don’t know who that would be) it really, really is the best scrubber thing you could have. It can be used on anything: nonstick pans, countertops, glass stove tops and much more. It is awesome in the bathroom, on tubs, sinks and showers.
I have used it on my car to get bugs off… it is great for cleaning fruit,(not the same one of course, you have to have a few)… we even had one lady say she used them on her feet!
Anyway, they are sitting right on the front counter, they cost $3 and I suggest getting a couple, cus you will want them.
Keep Smiling! Lianna
Ps, this is a picture of mine at home, a little used but very loved.
I am going to attempt to inform, amuse, and keep you up to date on all the fantastic things that go on at the greatest Kitchen Store around, Kitchen Boutique! ( Formaly known as Pot’s n’ Peppers and The Colourful Cook - and how I still keep answering the phone, cus I can’t remember to say the new name).
Anyway, my name is Lianna and I have worked here for just over 5 years. I am one of the managers here at the Cochrane location and I also get to help with a lot of the buying, which means I get to shop at work, fun huh.
That being said, Claire and I just got back from a whirlwind trip to Toronto for the CGTA show (huge kitchen and gift show.) Great success, I think we picked up about 13 new companys… soooo that means tons’o good stuff coming in to the store for your buying pleasure. I will be giving you some sneek peeks as soon as I remember what they all are. I do know we have something for everyone and some really tasty things too.
So I don’t want to rattle on too much in the first day but i will leave you all with this tip: Shape up shoes from Sketchers! For power-walking through a convention or for just standing on your feet all day, THE BEST SHOES EVER!
Kitchen Boutique Wilton Cake Decorating Classes have begun!
Our favorite cake decorating company Wilton, has been our top choice and the industry leader in cake decorating. We hosted our 2010 classes in both the Canmore and Cochrane locations at Kitchen Boutique this week.
The first class is always just like the first day of school … tense, quirky, and a little bit nervous. After introductions were made, things settled down to an interesting education on torting, leveling, and icing a cake. The students seemed to be eager to learn and share in the fun.
Next week the students will be able to share their delicious results with family and friends as they learn how to do a rainbow pattern transfer, star border and printing with piping gel!
Pierre A Lamielle the author and illustrator of the humorous cookbook “Kitchen Scraps” was welcomed by our staff from both stores to host our annual Christmas party. We enjoyed a three course meal starting with the “Julius Caesar Salad”. The salad was crisp and refreshing with a nice light taste. Everyone gobbled it up including our single Celiac at the table.
Our main course was entitled “Vampire slayer’s garlic-laced chicken. This marvelously moist chicken pumped up full of garlic was a sure fire way to keep all our vampires (aka husbands) away.
Last, but not least we were please to taste the “half-baked pot brownies”. Cooked in a medium sized pot the biggest challenge about making these brownies was to eat them. Overall a gooey, fudgy experience was had by all.
Not only did we get to eat Pierre’s food, he also autographed all our cookbooks. True to his nature this wasn’t just any autograph though. A unique one of kind illustration for all of us. We could really see his passion and many different talents of this extraordinary young man.
Congratulations on a wonderful evening and great tasting food!
Looking for a great staff Christmas party idea? Look no further than here.
Do you have any great staff party ideas? Leave a comment and let us know your favorites.
Here we are in our sesame street costumes ready to start the race.
And the race has started! We were a little bit slow…..
We won for most humorous team. Yaaaahhhh!
Elmo had a go at conducting.
Overall a very successful morning. All the volunteers had a great time and the town really does love to come out and watch/support this unique event. We are already very much looking forward to next years race.
OXO good grips tongs have a nylon head which makes them ok to use on all your cookware. They have locking and unlocking positions for easy storage and are made from very sturdy stainless steel. This is my number one gadget as I use it so often for flipping bacon in the morning to chicken at night.
#2. Zyliss Garlic Press
Everyone loves a good garlic press and this one doesn’t disappoint. No peeling necessary, easy to clean, and can handle more than one clove at a time.
The name says it all. The blade on this gadget peels my butternut squash so easily and doesn’t slip. the handle is perfect with it’s rubber non-slip ergonomic handle. I love this peeler because it is so very effortless.
#4. Microplane
These graters are extremely sharp, having the best surgical-grade stainless steel blades out there. Easy to store as they are flat and dishwasher safe. I love using my microplane for anything from lemon zest, to chocolate, to cheese.
Just place the egg timer into your pot with your real eggs and watch as the egg cooks. The colour of the egg timer will change to soft, medium, or hard. This makes it incredibly easy to boil the perfect egg every morning.
The Outhouse races are one of Cochrane’s most unique family entertainment events. Hosted by the Heavenly Outhouse, the outhouse races are a fund-raising opportunity for the local Cochrane businesses to support the Cochrane Activettes and to have some real fun! Business teams of four pull their “outhouse” and a fifth person who has to sit on the thrown, down the street in a timed heat. Racing against one another for the fastest leg and sporting their best costumes, the teams compete for the two coveted prizes: the fastest team trophy and the best costume trophy.
This year we had a Candyland themed potty with all of the Candyland characters giving out lots of candy to local supporters. Our outhouse was named “Best Costume” for the second year running.
Yes, it’s fantastic and I’ve got a great recipe for you. This is a creamy dressing with bold flavors ideally eaten as an appetizer. Make sure to find a crispy lettuce that isn’t too soft. I like to use romain lettuce.
Ingredients
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup mayo
1 tsp anchovy paste (gotta have anchovy paste)
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
1TBLS lemon juice
1TBLS red wine vinegar
2-3 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup (tons of grated parmesan cheese. If you think you have grated enough? Think again and keep on grating.
Mix all the above ingredients together and you will create a delicious caesar salad dressing. I like to serve the dressing in a bowl separately to allow my guests to pour as much as they like onto the romain lettuce.
I love making cupcakes. To make a delicious cupcake one must balance a perfect cake to icing ratio. There can’t be too much icing because then it will over power the cake and the cake must be a good mix of chocolate and moistness. If the cake is dry it won’t leave a good taste in the mouth. Here’s a fantastic cake recipe that I’ve used over the last 5 years. Wilton’s “Cupcake Fun” book (above) is great for teaching and creating exciting icing techniques. Enjoy!
3 squares unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup margarine
11/2 granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1tsp vanilla
2 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup sour cream
Place 3 squares (1oz. or 28 grams each) unsweetened chocolate in small glass bowl. Pour 1 cup boiled water over them to soften, stir until melted and set aside. In large mixing bowl, cream half cup (125 ml) of hard margarine and 1 and a half cups of granulated sugar. Beat in 3 large eggs, one at a time. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla and mix well. In a separate, medium-size bowl: stir together 2 and 1/4 cups of all purpose flour, 1 and a half teaspoons of baking soda and half a teaspoon salt. Add this flour mixture of dry ingredients in three parts, alternately with 1 cup of sour cream in two parts… to the margarine and eggs in the large bowl. Add the chocolate mixture and stir well. Pour into two, buttered layer cake pans or lined muffin tins- makes about 22 cupcakes. Bake at 350 f in the oven on middle shelf for 25-30 mins. Test for doneness with wooden toothpick in the center- should come out clean (not coated with uncooked batter).
We have just received our Wellnessmats order in and we have a great selection!
Posted by Kitchen Boutique 
