Tag Archives: Chateleine

How can the best white paint colours for 2023 not include cloud white?? :)

Chatelaine has a recent piece out, The Best White Paint Colours, According To Decor Experts, and the best white paint colours are mostly Benjamin Moore paint. Despite that, Cloud White, 967, OC-130, is not on the list! How can this be?

I mean really?

At first I thought that maybe the paint company no longer makes it. But nope,it still exists. Still looks great too. (See image above.)

Sure, White Dove (OC-17) is fine (see below):

But to my mind Cloud White is still the best White.

Who knows, though?  Maybe cloud white has become passe. It was a big thing with designers a decade ago.  Maybe the new ones want new whites.

That all said, I do know that if you want white, you can’t go wrong with white from Benjamin Moore. So check out that Chatelaine piece or the other pieces on my blog and see what I mean.

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In praise of French Press coffee


For the last month I’ve been drinking coffee prepared in a French press and I’m enjoying it immensely. Based on this, I am not the only one: The Best Ways To Make Coffee, According To Our Editors in Chatelaine. While there are a few ways they like to make their coffee, the French press came up a number of times. I’m not surprised.  While I love drip coffee makers, the press makes a satisfyingly strong brew and may convince me to make it my main way to intake caffeine in the morning.

If you want to get one but not sure how to go about using it, Illy has good advice here.

(Photo by Ivan Calderon on Unsplash )

It’s Canadian thanksgiving. If you have no idea what to cook, Chatelaine has your back

First off, Happy Thanksgiving to all my Canadian readers celebrating. If you are wondering what to make, not only does Chatelaine have a ton of recipes for you, but they have some great menus for you too. All here ==> 8 Easy Thanksgiving Menus, Including An Under-4-Hour Feast | Chatelaine.

They have a menu for everyone:

  1. A Thanksgiving dinner in under 4 hours
  2. Their All-Time Favourite Thanksgiving Recipes
  3. a Vegetarian Thanksgiving
  4. a Rustic Thanksgiving
  5. a Modern Thanksgiving
  6. a 1-hour Thanksgiving for 4
  7. a Roast chicken Thanksgiving
  8. and a Classic Thanksgiving

So if you have always wanted to do a full on proper Thanksgiving meal, now you have lots of options to choose from.

This year I’m going to do their turkey recipe with gravy (with a dry brine), their brown butter green beans, their yukon gold mashed potatoes, the fig and radicchio salad, chestnut and sausage stuffing, and the chocolate-bourbon pecan pie. (I’m also sliding Alison Roman’s Harissa and maple roast carrots in there too because why not. And canned cranberries because I just love them! 🙂 Eat what you love.)

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

(Photo is not my meal but close! I took this from Chatelaine).

No time to mediate or do other relaxing things? Why not try making risotto?


Yes, making risotto is a highly relaxing thing. It’s a dish I love to make just for the way it calms me down (not to mention it is delicious). You have to be mindful when making risotto. You don’t have to be constantly stirring it, but you do need to be attentive to it. Steam rises off it as you cook it, and that is relaxing. Once you get the hang of it, being mindful of the transformation of the dish is also relaxing.

Need more persuasion? Here’s the chef and owner of the River Cafe who thinks the way I do: A Chef’s Advice for Relaxation: Stir Some Risotto – The New York Times.

If the idea appeals to you, here are 20 Easy Risotto Recipes To Make All Season Long from Chatelaine.

Start off with a classic parmesan risotto and go from there! It’s really not that hard. Plus, as I argue here, it’s a great way to use up veg. Enjoy!

(Image by Roberto Caruso: linked to in the Chatelaine recipe.)

 

 

Friday night cocktails: G&T++

Sure, I have written about gin and tonic before. It’s a simple cocktail, you say…what else can you write about it? Well, bear with me and check out this article: 4 Ways To Make A Perfect Gin And Tonic in Chatelaine

You may have a great way to make gin and tonics and that’s great. But if you want to shake things up a bit (pun intended), check out that article. You’ll be glad you did.

Cincin!

(Image: a link to picture in the article above)

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You are tired of being inside. And baking bread. Here’s how to start running outdoors even if you never have

Chances are your exercise routine has declined or even stopped with being inside for the pandemic. If you are thinking about running, but have never run before, then I highly recognize this: How to Start Running Outside If You’ve Never Run Before | Chatelaine

The audience for that article is women, but it can apply to men too (well, other than the sports bra part). I like that piece because it really makes running something low key that anyone can do. Which is good, because almost anyone can! (There are exceptions, but I am willing to guess you aren’t exceptional here.)

The weather is getting more conducive to running outdoors. Read the article, strap on your shoes, and go. Good luck!

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The case against the Keto Diet

There are a million or so cookbooks for the Keto Diet. If you’ve been tempted to buy one and try it, read this first: What is the Keto Diet—And Does It Work? (Spoiler: Nope) | Chatelaine. 

Sounds like a poor idea. Judge for yourself.

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11 Easy Pesto And Salad Dressing Recipes | Chatelaine


If you find yourself in a cooking rut, steaming or sauteing the same basic meals, then here’s a suggestion. Make some of the pestos and dressing here (11 Easy Pesto And Salad Dressing Recipes | Chatelaine) and add them to whatever it is you are about to eat. A bowl of steamed vegetables or a plain pork chop transforms into a better meal. Later, you can mix some with mayo or yogurt and add it to a sandwich of your preference. Even a plain green salad is elevated.

(Image: Eric Putz, from a link to their web site)

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10 Spectacular Roast Recipes That Aren’t Turkey

Many people

  1. want to make a roast turkey for Christmas
  2. do not want roast turkey

If that’s you, Chatelaine has your back with this:  10 Spectacular Roast Recipes That Aren’t Turkey | Chatelaine.

They truly are spectacular recipes, perfect not just for Christmas but any time of the year (ahem, winter) when a good roast is just what you need.

Do you like Korean BBQ ribs? If so, you need this


This recipe for a Slow-cooked Asian Roast (from Chatelaine) is something easily adaptable to other dishes. Meat, onion and garlic aside, you can mix up the other ingredients use it for an overnight marinade for beef or pork or chicken that you quickly cook. You can also use it for things you want to simmer on the stove for awhile. And of course you can use it for roasts. It goes without saying you could use it for ribs. Whenever you need to impart those flavours you associate with Korean BBQ ribs, then you want this recipe.

A few tips: if you want to add some spice to it, try sriracha. Don’t worry if it doesn’t seem sweet enough at first: when I was braising some pork chops, I found it seemed sweeter the longer I cooked it, so best to leave it cook and then adjust for sweetness at the end. (That also goes for spiciness.)

BTW, if you want a straight up recipe for Korean BBQ ribs, I recommend this one (which is where the image comes from). Now you have options. 🙂

4 p.m. recipe(s): some good meals to make this autumn and winter (soups, salads, and rice)

I was going through my list of recipes I have been collecting, and rather than trickle them out, here are four worth trying this autumn and winter (all via Chatelaine.com):

P.S. I am a fan of recipes from Chatelaine: they are well tested, nutritious and healthy. The recipes aren’t boring, but they are easy to make and it is easy to find ingredients, even if you don’t live in a big city.