Food – Staffordable Blog

Decor, DIY, Food, Halloween, Recipes, Uncategorized

Pastel Pink Candy Apples & Halloween Bar Cart

October 27, 2017by Sara StaffordLeave a Comment

What’s better than candy apples you ask? Pastel pink candy apples of course! You won’t feel as guilty indulging in these treats after all, they’re made of fruit so they’re partially good for you, right?! You will definitely want to add these to your Halloween desserts when you find out just how easy these are to make!

Traditional candy apples are made up of a mixture of corn syrup, water and sugar that are boiled until they’re the perfect and sticky consistency for dipping. MAJOR TIME SAVING HACK: use candy melts (available at Michaels and Bulk Barn), melt them in the microwave or double- boiler on the stove, dip your apples, and VOILA! Just like that, in a few minutes you will have beautiful “candy” apples!

What you’ll need:

*Green Apples, plastic twigs (I got mine from Michaels), you could use real ones, or candy apple sticks

Candy Melts (in the colour of your choice) + any other sprinkles or toppings you want to put on your apples

Wax Paper (once your apples are dipped place them on wax paper for easy removal)

Cake stand or platter to display your beautiful apples!

Every holiday or special occasion I style my bartcart, it is so much fun to do and you can really get as creative as you want with it! This year I used the apples as the centerpiece and went from there with decorating the rest. I opted for a black and white theme which really made the pink apples pop!

Here’s a look at my final styled bar-cart, how cute do the pop of pink apples look on here?!

These 3- ingredient pumpkin bites were a huge hit! All you need is peanut butter, softened butter, icing sugar, and a little bit of food colouring! Top with a chocolate chip and use a toothpick to make the indents and you’re all set!

Here’s my second styling- I kept with the black and white theme and made a simple vanilla cake with Oreo (eyes) and a surprise purple colour inside!

Desserts, Food, Recipes, Thanksgiving, Uncategorized

Mini Pumpkin Pie Sugar Cookies

October 6, 2017October 10, 2017by Sara StaffordLeave a Comment

Nothing says Fall or Thanksgiving quite like pumpkin pie! These little sugar cookies pack a huge bite of the pumpkin pie you know and love. The added hint of cream cheese is the icing on top of a perfect pie!

Prep- 40 minutes Total-1 hr 25 Serves-36

Ingredients
Cookie Base
• 1 package of Betty Crocker™ sugar cookie mix
• Butter and egg as directed on cookie mix package

Pumpkin Filling

1 brick of cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup canned pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie mix)
1/4 cup of granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice

Topping

Betty Crocker™ cream cheese frosting

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray muffin tins with non-stick spray (I used mini ones).
Make the dough as directed on the package.
Press approximately 1 1/4 inch balls evenly into the bottom of the pan going slightly up the sides. Make a deep enough well so you the pie filling fits inside.
Mix Pumpkin Filling ingredients in s medium sized bowl with a whisk until smooth.
Spoon a small amount into the each cookie filled muffin tin and spread evenly.
Bake 8 to 12 minutes or until edges are a light golden brown and the filling has set.
Both the cookies and the filling will be soft, let cool for 10 minutes in the tin.
Very carefully remove and place on a wire rack to cool and harden.
Using a small plastic bag, add cream cheese frosting and cut a small piece from the tip of the bag. Pipe a small amount onto each pie and sprinkle lightly with pumpkin spice.

*Refrigerate the cookies in a container or wrapped in plastic wrap.

Enjoy your minis, these are the perfect bite size treat to bring to the table for Thanksgiving!

xoxo,

Sara

Food, FoodBlogger, Foodie, Lifestyle, Uncategorized

Motel Hamilton- Restaurant Review

August 3, 2017August 3, 2017by Sara StaffordLeave a Comment

The new (and adorable) little Sister to School Toronto is Motel Hamilton. After some major construction, transformation, and face-lifting, Motel Hamilton officially opened its doors on June 9, 2017. It is slated to be, if not already is, one of the hottest brunch spots in Hamilton. With its Palm Spring’s decor, delicious food and drink menu, you will forget you’re only about an hour outside of Toronto.

If you’re looking for a new place for brunch/lunch in the Hamilton area, go check-in to Motel, you’re sure to enjoy your stay, I know I did!

When you pull up to the restaurant, you will see the adorable little pastel pink MOTEL sign, and until you walk in (or peak in the window) you wouldn’t really look twice at it. The second you walk in you are instantly hit with Palm Springs motel chic, the smell of delicious food, and the enthusiasm and smiles of the staff!

Before all the hype began and bloggers and foodies from allover began flooding into Motel Hamilton I was lucky enough to visit shortly after it first opened. Lucky for me, this meant it was less busy, making for optimal photo-shooting time.

The pastel pink walls, palm leaves, and little motel details really transform this restaurant into a work of art!

An old pastel pink rotary phone sits at the “front-desk” otherwise known as the “lobby bar”.

Neon lights are popping up all over the place lately, I love the quirky little detail and homage to a real motel of this one!

We were seated instantly and started off with drinks. The speciality drink menu (The 5 O’cocktails) isn’t extensive, but the regular drink menu has everything you would need and more. The cocktail menu drinks run at $12.00 a glass or “Motel-sized” for an extra $2.50. Of course, seeing the Flamingo Sangria I knew immediately I would be ordering that. My boyfriend went with a twist on a classic Caesar and got the Bacon Bourbon Caesar. Once we received our drinks I began taking some pictures, because who could resist photographing cocktails like these?

Since it wasn’t too busy, one of the staff asked if we’d like to move over to the white table as it was “better for pictures”. I couldn’t have agreed more, and immediately jumped at the opportunity. I was glad he did because my plated food pictures turned out 100% better because of it. There’s something about food on a sleek white table that really grabs the attention to your followers and is proven to be visually more effective.

THE DRINKS

I’m not a fan of super sweet/sugary cocktails but this sangria had just the right amount for me, with a good mix of bubbly!

I seriously could have stayed and ate (and drank) here all day, the decor was serious goals!

Taking a sneak peak at the decor before hand on Instagram, I knew exactly what I was going to wear! I’m a huge fan of themes, so when I saw the pastel perfection and Palm Spring’s decor at Motel Hamilton ,there’s no way I wasn’t going to incorporate palm leaves and flamingos (always) into my outfit! One of the staff members even complimented my outfit and said it was matched perfectly with the decor (success!)

THE FOOD

In keeping with traditional brunch, I went for the Charred & Smashed Avocado Croissant (because, avocado, always!) It came with a side of tasty kale salad! The croissant was very fresh, and the eggs were perfectly cooked. They even stayed good after all the pictures I had to take of my food first!

My boyfriend, being the boy that he is, went for the ultimate match made it brunch heaven, chicken and waffles. The waffle was topped with vanilla honey butter, a sweet and salty sauce, and buttermilk fried chicken. While I’m not a fan of waffles, fried chicken has a large part of my heart, so I tried some of his. It was perfectly spiced and battered with undoubtedly moist chicken!

The food was so yummy and so visually appealing that they basically photographed themselves!

HELLOOOOOO PINK WALLS!

I would without a doubt recommend this restaurant and can’t wait to go back and visit again! There were lots of items on the menu I had my eye on, saving them for the next time knowing I would be back.

Thanks for stopping in!

Head over to my Instagram to follow along my tasty and fashionable journey!

xoxo,
Sara

Food, Lifestyle, Recipes, Uncategorized

Maple Bacon Cupcakes

July 4, 2017July 4, 2017by Sara Stafford3 Comments

Don’t go bacon my heart!

These sweet and salty cupcakes are sure to please any crowd! I whipped up a batch of these for Canada Day, since they included two Canadian classics (maple and bacon!) The moist maple cupcake, topped with vanilla icing with a drizzle of maple syrup and bits of crispy bacon will have you wanting more and more!

You eat bacon for breakfast, so these are basically a breakfast item right?

The bacon dessert trend hit the food scene a few years ago and continues to be added to a number of sweet treats, so I decided to take a run at it! Maple and bacon have always been a match made in heaven, so there were high hopes for these cupcakes!

Making these cupcakes was my very first encounter using bacon in dessert. I was excited to hear and see what everyone thought of them. The reviews were good and everyone loved them!

PREP TIME

20 mins

COOK TIME

18 mins

TOTAL TIME

38 mins

Ingredients:

Cupcakes:

1 box of white cake mix (I cheated because hey, these recipes are perfected so why mess with a good thing?)
eggs
vegetable oil- use half, half bacon grease
bacon grease (grease from cooking bacon in a pan)
2 Tbsp maple syrup
Optional: 1 tsp of maple extract

Frosting:

2 containers of white frosting (also cheated on making this from scratch)
2 Tbsp of maple syrup

Topping:

maple syrup, to drizzle over cupcakes
6-8 crispy bacon strips cut into small pieces

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 and line a muffin pan with cupcake liners. (I used Canada Day themed ones on this occasion)
Combine ingredients as stated on the box + the bacon grease, and maple syrup (and maple extract if you’re included that.)
Start pouring mixture into cupcake liners filing just over halfway.
Bake for 18-20 minutes.Take out of the oven and let them rest for 5-10 minutes.
Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting! (important step or you’ll get runny icing– speaking from experience.

Frosting:

Transfer your maple frosting into a piping bag using the piping tip of choice.
Crumble crispy bacon on top and drizzle with maple syrup!
Add festive little touches like Canadian flags, etc.

VOILA!

I will definitely be making these again, they were super simple and stayed really moist from the bacon grease added to the mix!

Food, FoodBlogger, Foodie, Lifestyle, Review

Abigail’s Teahouse

April 5, 2017April 6, 2017by Sara Stafford4 Comments

Last weekend I visited Abigail’s Teahouse located in the historic friendly village of St. George, Ontario (about an hour from downtown Toronto towards Hamilton.) I made reservations for 4 people ahead of time knowing that space is limited and that it can fill up on weekends. I made the reservation online late the night before and by 7:00 am the next morning I had already received a confirmation back with my booking.

Abigail’s is open Tuesday-Saturday 11:00 am- 4:00 p.m. Now that Spring is in full bloom, Abigail’s Tea House will be open on Sundays from 11 am until 4 pm You can make reservations on the online reservation system or by calling (519)448-3999.

The Teahouse itself has some pretty cool history behind it, and is bursting with a ton of small-town charm! It had originally been the old Bank of Montreal building before its transformation. It’s situated right at the middle of Main Street, you can’t miss it, there is only one traffic light in town and you’ll see Abigail’s bright green door.

Inside the Teahouse:

When you first step into the teahouse you automatically fall in love with the décor. Pink cushions and beautiful green and yellow walls adorned with some pretty fantastic peacock wallpaper! There were beautiful flowers on all of the tables and tons of different tea cups, saucers and pots; I’m such a sucker when it comes to adorable antiques. There are very few tables which is why making a reservation is always recommended. The look and feel of this quaint teahouse made this an even better experience with my friends. A quick look up and you’ll see a magnificent ceiling with beautiful bird cage light fixtures (one of my other favourite touches inside Abigail’s). The atmosphere is lovely and makes a great location for a bridal/baby shower, birthday, girl’s day. Why not treat Mom to tea for Mother’s Day at Abigail’s? On May 13th and 14th celebrate Mom with Abigail’s Annual Mother’s Day High Tea ($40 per person plus hst and gratuity).

Just a few steps down the street, and I mean a few, lies Abigail’s Bakery where our desserts from the teahouse came fresh from. Much like the green door on the teahouse Abigail’s Bakery has a coveted and not to be missed bright pink door!

The good stuff…

Each of us ordered our own pot of tea and dessert so we could share and try a variety of tea, it was a really good way to do it. There were around 90 different types of tea. We asked about some of the popular ones and our server listed off ones that matched our tastes. I’m more of a plain tea type of girl, nothing too strong or fruity flavoured so I landed on the black tea with hint of vanilla, it was delightful! It paired nicely with my delectable scone that came with a side of Devonshire cream and preserve.

All the staff at Abigail’s were incredibly kind, now I think that partially comes with it being situated in a small town (where I find almost everyone to be so friendly.) They were so passionate and informative about tea and you could really see their passion and appreciate it. After our tea-time we walked over to Abigail’s bakery to check out the desserts they had for sale. They were so many adorable ones to choose from, Mickey Mouse or Peeps cupcakes, lots of spring-themed treats and other classic favourites like Nanaimo bars. The desserts change almost daily so you just have to ask your server what they have that day. If you visit Abigail’s you will see them all out on display to choose from 🙂

Take a peak at Abigail’s online menu and be prepared to fall in love!

Tea-time style:

Of course I couldn’t go to a teahouse without looking the part! Although the inside of the teahouse stole the show, my bight pink bag and lace top were the perfect compliment to my surroundings.

I went for a delicate lace top and kept my accessories simple. The owner of the teahouse actually complimented my top and said she just loves Swiss dot. While we typically have seen Swiss dot on wedding dresses, baby clothes and even curtains, we’re seeing this sheer cotton fabric appear on clothing being sold in stores like Zara, H&M, etc. We are going to see a lot of delicate lace fabrics for Spring, I love how feminine they look!

I added a pop of pink (my favourite colour pop) by adding this Kate Spade bag which matched the plaid pattern on my Mink Pink wool coat from Winners. Since my top half was quite simple I went for a fun shoe. These pearl embellished flats are from Asos and just scream Miu Miu without the high price point! I thought the small floral details were perfect for welcoming Spring. I couldn’t help but photograph them on the black and white tiled floors!

Upon cashing out my eye caught these adorable pins. If I didn’t already love the teahouse, these validated my love once and for all!

I can’t wait to come visit again soon! 🙂

Blogger, DIY, Food, Lifestyle, Recipes

Rainbow Grilled Cheese

March 17, 2017by Sara Stafford1 Comment

Last summer rainbow grilled cheese took the social media world by storm! I first tried one at the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto and decided one day I would make my own!

That day has finally come, I was not disappointed, and neither was my wallet when I saved $8 a pop by making one of these bad boys myself.

With St. Patrick’s Day just a day away, why not wow your friends with one of these!

Find the recipe below for your very own goo-ey, “taste the rainbow” experience.

What you will need:

1 cup of your favourite cheese (shredded). I used mozzarella.

3-4 different food colouring shades of your choice

4 slices of bread

2 tablespoons of butter

1 tablespoon of sprinkles for garnish. I omitted it this time around but DEFINITELY including it the next time!

DIRECTIONS

Divide your cup of cheese into separate bowls and mix in food colouring.
Heat up your pan to medium-high. While you wait, spread butter on one side of each of the 4 pieces of bread.
Place the butter side down, align cheese (I went horizontal, next time I will go vertical so the colours come out better when pulled apart). Top with the other slice of bread (butter side up!) Grill until golden brown and cheese is starting to melt. Flip, and grill for 2 more minutes.
Remove your grilled cheese from the pan, spread with a little more butter and top with a little, or a lot of sprinkles!
Enjoy the magic!

The highly Instagram-able cheese pull…

baking, Cake, Food, Recipes, Uncategorized

Banana Pecan Cake

November 13, 2016November 14, 2016by Sara Stafford1 Comment

I always seem to have extra bananas lying around that are just waiting to be added to a recipe.

Instead of my usual use of bananas in banana bread I decided to add them to a cake using cake mix from the box (secret’s out!)

This recipe is so simple and you can even use it to whip up a quick bananna bread. It came out so moist and the pecans added a nice crunch.

What you’ll need:

* 1 white cake mix box (follow recipe on box to make a regular cake)

* 2-3 ripe banannas

* 1/2 cup of butter

* half a teaspoon of baking soda

*2 containers of store bough cream cheese frosting. You can make it yourself, but I find this way easier and I’m all about easy baking!

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour your cake pans.
Follow the instructions on the cake mix box. Using an electric mixer, mix in the baking soda and butter.
Mash banannas
Chop pecans
Stir in mashed bananas and chopped pecans
Top with cream cheese frosting and chopped pecans.

This cake was a huge hit. It was so easy to take a simple boxed cake mix and turn it into another delicious banana recipe!

Enjoy!

baking, Desserts, DIY, Donuts, Fashionblogger, Food, Uncategorized, Wilton

Mini Donuts!

February 10, 2016February 10, 2016by Sara Stafford1 Comment

Who doesn’t love donuts? And who doesn’t love anything mini?

These sweet combination will be an absolute treat whether it’s for a party or just because!

I used the Wilton non-stick 12 cavity donut pan. I picked mine up from Michaels Canada and used a 40% off coupon! I’m always keeping my eye open for really good coupons, and typically every week Michaels has a 40% off one regular-priced item or sometimes even 50%. I wait to buy items such as these until a coupon becomes available!

The batter was really easy to make (I just went on Google and got a simple recipe and did the same for the icing.) I opted for a basic vanilla donut with vanilla icing that I died pink to get the desired effect and used large sprinkles. You can really get creative here and use any sort of flavours or colourings your little heart desires!

I was really pleased with how these turned out and how easy the pan was to use!

These were a huge hit and I keep getting requests to make more! I found that these were more popular compared to if I were to have made full-size donuts, these ones flew off the platter in minutes!

Here are some pictures of the adorable little yummies!

Blogger, Breakfast, Food

Good Friday Breakfast!

April 4, 2015September 16, 2015by Sara Stafford3 Comments

Everybunny loves bacon, eggs, and pancakes! What better way to spend the day off work!

Both of these dishes were super easy to make!

For the bunny pancakes I just made 6 pancakes in all different sizes! I used chocolate chips and slices of bananas for the bunny paws and some whipped cream for the tail (you could add some coconut to make it look more like fur.) I finished the dish off with some strawberries cut into hearts! One little thing I realized I mixed up after the fact was that I made the feet upside down (woops). If you make a mistake it will most likely only be you that notices so don’t worry too much!

The bunny egg was even simpler! I used a small frying pan to cook a perfect egg. Then, I cut up some cheese into small strips for the whiskers, bacon for the bunny ears and chocolate chips for the eyes (it was all I could think to use for eyes that I had!) You can take them out before you eat your egg!

Category: Food