A fabulously stylish woman I follow on social media recently posted a photo from a “German baking book that most German people know who were born in the 80s:” a crescent shaped shortbread cookie called “Wiener Vanillekipferl.” I was so bowled over by its beautiful lunar shape and the promise of vanilla-nutty deliciousness, I decided…
Perhaps it’s my interest in weather, or the seasons. I mean, I wrote an entire doctoral thesis on natural phenomena [read: WEATHER] in Pope’s Epistles to Several Persons and Thomson’s Seasons! In any case, going back to at least 2018, I’ve had this habit of organizing my instagram posts around a monthly hashtag of my…
One of the goals I set for my epic 2020 to-do list? Make more preserves and pickles than last year! Along with my killer marmalade [Fait accompli!] the makings of a good Manhattan have been top of mind. Last weekend, after procuring three small bags of organic sweet cherries, I bought myself a good cherry…
One of my goals for 2021 was to do something with fresh, local, Ontario Sour Cherries. Of course, my first impulse [And wasn't it the best of impulses? I think so!] was to make a batch of cocktail ...
Last year, in my quest to make spicy dill pickle spears out of all of the cucumbers in sight, I completely flaked on a family staple, Bread and Butter Pickle Slices. What was I thinking? Our ...
While SSJ isn't a decade old, our family's New Year's Eve Film Festival turns ten this year. Back in 2011, cancelled New Year's plans spurred an amazing, last-minute Sherlock Holmes NYE Film ...
Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas! Below you'll find a list of all of our doings during Advent 2020. SSJ’S Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies Have Yourself a Merry Local Christmas: ...
Christmas Eve Checklist 2020 □ Take the dog for a long walk □ Hot chocolate and morning hot toddies□ Make place cards for the dinner table□ Top up the Christmas cookies □ Sing holiday ...
This is a grain-free, white-sugar-free version of my own original Cannoli Bûche de Noel recipe from a few years back. I didn't change much aside from the type of sweeteners I use [Swerve products for ...
This year, we're going back to the basics and making one of our favourite Bûche de Noël recipes. Will it be the old school Classic Chocolate Bûche de Noël with Coffee Cream from the 1970s or one of ...
Today, we're giving the gift of a beehive via Plan Canada Gifts of Hope. Business is buzzing for youth-driven family farms in El Salvador, where Canadians’ gifts of buzzing bees have helped more ...
Today, we're going to make two-colour linocuts [in holiday colours]. I'm leaving this one to my spouse to organize, because print-making is his specialité! For this project, we will use linoleum ...
Yesterday, I grabbed a copy of the Globe & Mail for its Giant Holiday Crossword. And, today, we'll get started. It's also our Christmas Cookie Baking Marathon. So, we'll have lots of treats to eat ...
Our annual holiday cookie baking marathon wouldn't be complete without one very "retro" recipe to add to our cookie collection. Here's my updated take a childhood favourite: Classic Thumbprint ...
Today's a special day for me! At 7:30 pm, give or take a few minutes, I will have been married as long as unmarried to the best partner in the world! [He's a few years older than me, so I've reached ...
Last year....Was it just last year? It feels like ages past!...I received the secret eggnog recipe from a restaurant I [used to] frequent and whose cocktails are outstanding. I've since made changes ...
Here's a revised recipe for Panettone French Toast (whose original first appeared on my retired website, The Lunchbox Season), with an option for Eggnog Panettone French Toast! Enjoy! ...
For the past several years, we've managed to nab opening-night tickets for whichever Star Wars franchise movie releases in December. We've gone for dinner at a new restaurant. Then, we've caught the ...
It's An At-Home Ladies Holiday Luncheon! Bea and I are usually having our annual trip to the Toronto Christmas Market about now. We browse the stalls, pick up last minute gifts, ride the Ferris ...
Tonight, we sketch our house, with or without a giant inflatable Santa! Usually, on this Wednesday in Advent, we'd be attending our daughter's high school holiday concert [this year would be her ...
Today, we're going out for a winter walk and making a donation to Cystic Fibrosis Canada. How will you make a difference? ...
Today, we'll create labels for the Chunky Caramel Apple Jam we made in November AND for the quadruple batch of Whiskey Fig Cranberry Sauce we'll whip up today. Below, you'll find reprints of both ...
Today, we will design, bake, and build a gingerbread structure. Will it be an enormous Victorian? The Al Purdy A-Frame? An Airstream? The Guggenheim? A Replica of our Home? Can't wait to find ...
Every year, we either write our own original Christmas tunes or "Winterize" the Song of the Summer. This year, it's a little bit harder to identify a clear winner for the role of "Song of the Summer ...
Tonight, we're watching Film Noir set over the Christmas Holidays, and we're making Black and White Cookies. Which films? We're still trying to choose one film from the 1940s: Christmas ...
Welcome to Smelling Salts! I'm Roseanne, and this is where I record my best recipes, take notes on arts, culture, and style, and write essays about what keeps me going.
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