La cuisine d'Hélène: December 2010

CSN Stores review coming soon

If you are not done your Christmas and New Year shopping yet grab a stool, get comfortable and start shopping online at CSN Stores.

These cookies are a winner in the house this year. I made them for a bake sale that my son Maxime had at university, a cookie exchange. My daughter Geneviève brought them at the office where she was working last summer. Even my younger son's friends said that they were really good. That's why I am sharing the recipe with you.

Are you ready for Christmas? We are not yet. We still have to buy and decorate the Christmas tree. We are waiting for my son Maxime to finish his exams to do so. This year we will be spending Christmas Eve, at home, with our children. The next day we are driving to Montréal and we are spending Christmas day with my sister's family. We moved to Ottawa during the summer and we can now spend the Holidays with them. During the past 22 years we lived all across Canada and we did not get the chance to spend much time with our families.

And the Tetley Tea Colour Therapy Kit Winner is...

I asked my son Maxime to draw the name for the winner of the Tetley Colour Therapy basket.

And the winner is Valerie from A Canadian Foodie. Congratulations!

During the Holiday season sip a cup of Tetley Tea with family and friends.

It was December 23rd. My son and I were volunteers at the local Food Bank in Kingston, Nova Scotia. The night was cold, -20C, around -30C with the wind. At around 8 p.m. we were almost ready to close the Food Bank and go home. A young lady showed up pushing a stroller. She had a baby and a four year old son. They were freezing. They had walked more than 40 minutes in that weather. She was not dressed for that kind of weather. She was as white as the snow. All she wanted is something to put on the table for her two children on Christmas Eve. We prepared big bags of food and gifts for the children. One volunteer lady, from the food bank, drove her home. She left us speechless. There was not much to say. Just to talk about it brings tears to my eyes. It was a dark cold night that I will remember for the rest of my life. That night I did not sleep much.

Giveaway: Tetley Tea Colour Therapy Gift Basket

It has been snowing since Sunday in Ottawa. After shoveling and spending time outside I like to drink something hot.

Last week I received a beautiful package from Kraft. This week I will prepare recipes using Kraft products. All of these dishes can be shared with your friends and family during the holiday season. The first dish is a Citrus Salad with Bacon and Onion. Simply mix salad greens with oranges, red onion, dried cranberries and bacon. Drizzle Kraft Extra Virgin Olive Oil Aged Balsamic Vinaigrette on top. Et voilà, you have a beautiful salad to serve to your guests.

President's Choice Chocolate Fondue

I want to start this post by saying thanks to Hill and Knowlton for sending me gift cards to try President's Choice products.

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For December our Virtual Cooking Light Club is doing a Holiday Dinner Party. I prepared a Creamy Artichoke Dip for appetizer. It's delicious served warm with pita crackers.

The Holidays are coming fast. This week I have to prepare baked goods for a bake sale that my son is doing, with other Ambassadors, at the University of Ottawa. They are raising funds for the Starlight Children's Foundation. So the next two days I will be in the kitchen baking.

Next week my friend Suzanne is hosting our December Book Club and the theme this month is Cookie Exchange. I still don't know what cookies I will be baking but can't wait to see what everyone will share with the group.