"Chocolate is cheaper than therapy, and you don't need an appointment." ~ author unknown.

How true is that? And it gets even cheaper and better when you get the satisfaction of making the most decadent and delicious chocolate creations yourself!   ​Thankfully, with the magic of my sous chef Rémy, making these amazing show stopper creations is a synch. ​

This weekend I had the pleasure of hosting a virtual cooking experience and I showed my guests how easy it is to make Chocolate Coconut Caramel Custard and Chocolate Syrup.  Would you believe me if I said that both desserts were made in under an hour?  That includes the clean up at the end.  I particularly enjoy eating both the custard and the syrup on top of goat's milk yogurt.  I also shared some tried and true tips for making these dishes low carb and some of my favourite ways to enjoy them as well. 

Check out some other mouth watering desserts made using my Thermomix TM6!

 I'd love to share the magic that is Thermomix and host a virtual cooking class for as many of you as possible. We can customize the menu to you and your party's needs and desires. With the holidays coming up, we need more reasons for social interactions. So, let's get together virtually and have some fun, laughs and share a glass of wine or two together.

Even if we're not in the same room, we can still make the most of it.  You can message me for more info! And feel free to share with all of your friends as well.

You can also click here for more information about Thermomix.

Happy Saturday, folks!  I'm excited to kick off my first blog post by sharing some yummy creations I've made with the help of Rémy, my sous chef!  Wait, what?!?  My very own personal sous chef?  Enter the amazing Thermomix!
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Rémy is still fairly new to my kitchen.  We have gotten to know each other quite well over the past 6 weeks and he just keeps getting better and better every single time.  Quite honestly, he's been an integral part of elevating my cooking. Don't get me wrong, I've loved cooking for as long as I can remember and have enjoyed experimenting and trying new things in the kitchen. But it was time for a change and that change was going to be bring my creations to the next level!

​I don't eat a lot of grains or wheat as I generally follow a lower carbohydrate, higher fat and moderate protein regimen.  As a matter of fact, grains contain a fair amount of lectins, which have been linked to digestive distress and gastrointestinal bloat. Having said that, I do enjoy a little bit of rye sourdough on a weekly basis.  The wild yeast and fermentation process of sourdough has actually proven to help my gut and digestion, as long as I don't overdo it.  Actually, grains are best consumed when sprouted or fermented, and definitely not refined or processed. 

Rémy has made making English muffins a breeze!  Just add your ingredients step by step and watch the magic unfold in front of your eyes.  He weighs out my ingredients as I add them and knows exactly how long to kneed the dough for.  After letting the dough rise with the help of some unfed sourdough discard, I just have to roll it out and use my pastry cutters to make those beautiful English Muffin shapes, then pan fry them in a hot cast iron pan and voila, we have restaurant-quality English Muffins!

But what about the hollandaise sauce, you ask?  I'm stoked to be able to make this delicious creamy sauce from scratch within minutes.  No more packaged and chalky, artificially yellow, powdered nonsense you find on the store shelf.  When I've tried making it from scratch in the past, it was either lumpy or the sauce broke - and trust me - I know my way around the kitchen.  Just add the egg yolks, lemon juice, butter, salt and pepper, push the start button and in less than 15 minutes, you have 5 star thick and silky hollandaise sauce that will make any restaurant chefs come knocking on your door.

And fat is not your enemy! I'm not going to tell you to go out and eat pounds and pounds of butter and bacon, but it doesn't mean you need to avoid these foods either. Did you know that when food manufacturers market their products as being "low fat", they often replace the fat with increased amounts of sugars and other horrible food preservatives?  Fat is what makes food taste good. So go ahead and eat those yummy avocados, put some grass-fed butter on your veggies, consume plenty of sustainably caught wild seafood, opt for the high quality meat like grass-fed beef, pasture-raised poultry and yes, even a bit of bacon from time to time.  If you can source your dairy and meat from a local farm, you're well on your way to nourishing your body with the best nutrients available to you.  I'm fortunate to be surrounded by some amazing family-run farms that pride themselves in providing ethical and sustainable food sources - it might cost me a little bit more than going to the conventional supermarket, but my health is worth the extra pennies!

I'd love to know what you love to indulge in for your weekend brunches?  Are you an eggs benny fan?