Author: Gail

December 2016: Share and Inspire Others! Entries

For Holiday Baking at its best, check in with Esmé, The Recipe Hunter. 🍓 She just simplified your life! 🍓

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First and foremost, I wish to extend a hearty and very big thank you to one and all for your partcipation in this new monthly recipe exchange!!  I am overwhelmed with the great response on our very first monthly Share and Inspire Others! Themed Recipe Exchange.

I am so excited with all the fantastic entries, that I have decided to release this post earlier that originally planned.  Without further ado, herewith the December 2016 Share and Inspire Others! entries.

dec-2016-share-and-inspire-others

Posted in order of emails received:

Eggnog Cinnamon Rolls courtesy of thehappiestpixel
I hope you like it. It’s a sweet Christmas treat. But it’s so nice I want to eat it every day…  They are so nice. trh-eggnog-cinnamon-rollsAlmond Snowball Cookies courtesy of Betsy’s Bakehouse trh-almond-snowball-cookiesBanana Cake  courtesy of Aayushi Manish
Ripe Banana flavor & Walnut Crunch made a Delicious cake
trh-banana-cakeSpritzgeback cookies courtesy of Pumpkin Pie and Me {est. 2014}
This recipe…

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Eating My Way Through the Holidays! Special Edition: Figgy Honey-Baked Cheese 

Eating My Way Through the Holidays! Special Edition: Figgy Honey-Baked Cheese! Looking for an appetizer that brings in the cheer? It’s easy to create your own version of elegance when you use quality ingredients that begin with cheese. To awaken the taste buds, sprinkle in a few red pepper flakes which compliment the natural sweetness of honey. The crunch of walnuts satisfies those earthy snack-seekers. Bake it all together for the most captivating sweet holiday aroma. Deck the Halls with boughs of Holly. Fa-la-la-la-la…la-la-la-lah!
FIGGY HONEY-BAKED CHEESE
Ingredients: 

8-ounce wheel Normandy Style Camembert cheese, double crème 

2 tablespoons butter, melted

2 tablespoons natural honey

2 tablespoons fig jam

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 tablespoon walnuts, chopped
Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Place cheese wheel in an oven-proof dish. Score the cheese in a criss-cross pattern. Pour melted butter over cheese. Drizzle natural honey over cheese. Spread fig jam over cheese. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes. Top with chopped walnuts. Bake 20-25 minutes until cheese is soft and bubbly. Serve warm with sliced apples, assorted crackers, and baguette slices.  

Canadian Central Memorial Park is Calgary’s Oldest Park

Canadian Central Memorial Park is Calgary’s Oldest Park! Geometric pathways cross-cross skillfully manicured gardens surrounding the equestrian statue as the main focal point showcased in downtown Calgary, Canada. “The Horseman of the Plains” is a tribute to all Albertan soldiers who fought in the Second Boer War from 1899-1902. Inscriptions on two granite benches showcase the statue at each end immortalizing their bravery. Artistic fountains illuminate the water with colorful hues, adding to the ambience. Central Memorial Park engulfs one entire block in the heart of the city. Beltline residents as well as visitors, tourists, and downtowners appreciate the numerous benches and café tables available when longing for a brief interlude from daily responsibilities. Pack a lunch, toss a coin into the fountain, make a wish, and breathe easy for awhile. 

Eating My Way Through the Holidays! Special Edition: Criss-Cross Party Loaf

Eating My Way Through the Holidays! Special Edition: Cross-Cross Party Loaf! Every buffet table should offer this yummy garlic cheese bread as a grande centerpiece. It commands attention by its savory aroma, golden crust, and strings of ooey-gooey cheese. Oh. My. Gosh. Choose any artisan bread: sesame, sourdough, rye, baguette, or round. No matter how many times you make it, you’ll be the hit of every gathering. Bread-lovers unite!
CRISS-CROSS PARTY LOAF
Ingredients:

1 loaf artisan bread

6 ounces Havarti cheese, sliced

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder 

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon oregano 

1/8 teaspoon marjoram 

1/8 teaspoon basil

1-2 tablespoons butter, melted

1/2 teaspoon dill weed
Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Line a baking sheet with foil. Place the artisan bread on the baking sheet. Cut the bread diagonally in a crisscross design, stopping near the base without cutting through. Combine olive oil, garlic powder, sea salt, oregano, marjoram, and basil. Mix well. Cut each slice of Harvarti cheese into strips. Separate each segment and brush with olive oil mixture. Place a strip of cheese in each crack. Repeat until the bread is saturated. Wrap bread in foil. Bake for 15 minutes until cheese is melted. Unwrap foil. Drizzle with melted butter; sprinkle with dill weed. Bake 5 minutes longer. Serve warm. Guests may pull apart crusty segments as needed. 

Dining Outside the Home: The Fireweed Grill in Kananaskis Village, Canada 

Dining Outside the Home: The Fireweed Grill in Kananaskis Village, Canada! With an stunning view of Canada’s Rocky Mountains, it’s not too difficult to appreciate a traditional breakfast of Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict. Outside the temperature may be around freezing, but the warm sunlight casting shadows over the natural beauty intensifies every adventure, especially dining. An impressive menu features personalized service at the International Breakfast Buffet or from the a-la-carte menu instead. Not an early riser? No worries. The Fireweed Grill offers unforgettable dinner options as well. Think about adding a wilderness back-country retreat to your already lengthy delicious Bucket List. 

The Voices of a Generation 

“You can take Elvis. 

You can take Marilyn Monroe. 

Success and fame will not be the answer 

if something inside of you 

is bothering you, 

if things in your mind 

aren’t going right.”

~ Linda Evans

Fairmont Banff Springs is Real-Life Castle

Fairmont Banff Springs is Real-Life Castle! In childhood fairytales and adolescent dreams there’s always a knight in shining armor who lives in a castle in the mountains. Ladies, I’m here to tell you such a place exists. I know because I have been there. In fact, the Fairmont Banff Springs is known as the “Castle in the Rockies” located at the edge of the quaint alpine village of Banff, Alberta, Canada. With its attention to detail, sophisticated respectability, luxurious furnishings, and majestic views, is it any wonder it continues to attract celebrities and royalty from all over the world? Feel free to wander aimlessly throughout its tapestried halls and winding staircases. At the end of the day, you may find yourself in the romantic alcove of Rundle Lounge sipping hand-crafted cocktails overlooking a manicured garden or spacious terrace. Just remember to bring your own Prince Charming. 

Soar to the Summit of Sulphur Mountain in Banff, Canada 

Soar to the Summit of Sulphur Mountain in Banff, Canada! Are you afraid of heights? Well, I am, which is why I continue to challenge those fears by meeting them head on. Perhaps, I have a spirit that soars…..as long as I keep my mind on the destination. Climbing into an enclosed gondola surrounded by glass and being suspended over the Bow Valley with a 360° view can be mind boggling. Did I mention the gondola has a glass bottom as well? There’s no escaping the multitude of emotion at the sight of jaw-dropping unbridled beauty. From the Banff Gondola observation deck at 7,486 feet above sea level, this is what it feels like to be on top of the world. In the distance, the picturesque town of Banff, with its château-style hotels and quaint shops, carries on as though this is how everyone else on the planet already lives.