Lemon Raspberry Bars with Shortbread Crust

Lemon Raspberry Bars with Shortbread Crust

The last few days have been filled with cold medicine, kleenex, and binge-watching Netflix. I don’t know how they do it, but our favourite shows seem to always know when we’re feeling run down and they all come back at once to make us feel better. Lately, Trevor and I have been enjoying the last season of Girls (sob), the mid-season return of Last Man on Earth and the newest season of Love. Cooking has been pretty minimal due to lack of energy, so I’ve been making a point to clean out the freezer and eat all the leftovers. It’s times like these that I’m grateful for batch cooking.

Carrot and Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookies

Carrot and Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookies

I’ve been cautiously enjoying the warm weather we’ve been experiencing as of late. Cautious because I know it won’t last. Concerned because it’s a little unnatural to have double digit weather in the middle of February. I think this Sarah Scribbles comic I recently saw on Facebook properly sums up my feelings best.

Despite my conflicted feelings, I took advantage of this nice weather a couple weeks ago and shot these cookie photos outside. I normally don’t do any photography on our little south-facing balcony, but I really wanted to make use of this old table I snagged a couple years ago from the furniture recycle drop-off room in our building. The last few wet winters have not been kind to this table, but this makes for an excellent surface for food photography. I’ll take what I can get, especially since our limited condo space makes hoarding multiple photography surfaces pretty difficult. In fact, at this point, I’m pretty sure my days of dragging this musty table inside for photos are now over.

Baked Crispy Lentil Croquettes

Baked Crispy Lentil Croquettes

Disclaimer: I was asked to participate in the #LentilsLoveVeggies campaign, sponsored by Canadian Lentils & Half Your Plate. Although I have been compensated, all opinions in this post are my own. Thank you for supporting the sponsors that help keep She Bakes Here up and running and creating delicious recipes!

If you’ve scrolled through some of my latest posts from December and January, you would probably think that I survive on a lot of chocolate, bread, and cookies. But while I do indulge on desserts on special occasions (holidays…weekends…), my day to day eating habits are actually quite healthy. We have a small kitchen, but my husband and I make it a priority to keep a well-stocked pantry filled with canned goods, dried oats, rice, beans and pulses for easy and healthy meals. Making supper at home is a reward in itself because it usually means we have leftovers for lunch the next day or future last-minute meals that can go in the freezer. And let me tell you, those freezer meals are a lifesaver on busy weeknights.

Two Hour Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

Two Hour Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

Whenever I think of my greatest food weakness, I always narrow it down to freshly baked bread. The delirious, glorious smell of fresh bread has always sent me into a complete tailspin. During my early twenties, I spent a summer during university working the storefront of a family-run bakery in Regina and it was pretty much a dream come true for me and my deep love of carbs. A good portion of my summer paycheck went back to that bakery and I would stock up on their homemade bread, dinner rolls, poppy seed loaf, and their daily cinnamon buns.

Dark Chocolate Crepes

Dark Chocolate Crepes

I’m living, breathing and eating ALL the chocolate things right now. I know January is supposed to be all about getting back on track, eating healthy and getting off my couch, but right now I don’t think I could handle seeing another salad. Or another weight loss ad.

I don’t know if it’s the time of year or the lack of sunshine, but I’m currently going through the January blahs. I’ll be having a perfectly normal day, but then I’ll come home and want nothing to do with anything. No TV, no internet, I just want to hold up under a blanket in my bedroom, preferably with one of the chocolate bars I brought back from Mexico. I know this is just one of those weird seasonal things that will pass, but I just hope my current chocolate supply holds out until then.