Welcome!

Hi! Welcome to my website!Cup of Tea
Help yourself to some cookies and tea. Pull up a chair and make yourself at home!
Take a look through the pages and you will be able to find information on great kitchen tools, easy and tasty recipes, tips and handy resources to help your kitchen life! I'll also post about Tupperware - my business.
If you would like to know more about me, please read my story in the "About Me" section.
Thanks for stopping by.
Just leave your cup on the counter when you're done. I'll wash it later.Smile

Discontinued Items

These items are NOT in the new Spring 2010 catalogue. Some are leaving permenantly. Some were limited or seasonal releases. Some are getting new colours. And some are being reconfigured into new sets. Either way, until March 12th, this is the last that you can order these the way they are right now. Contact me if you want anything!

Holiday Stacking Canister Set 
Holiday Snack Canister 
Fall/Winter Fruit of the Season Tumblers 
Holiday Microfiber Kitchen Towel Set (G) 
Pies to Go Set 
Simple Perfect™ Pastry Sheet 
Chef Series™ Pro 9-Pc. Steak Knife Set 
Tupperware® Impressions 32-Cup/7.6 L Bowl 
Cupcake Keepers Set 
Prep Essentials® Cold Cut Keeper 
Tupperware® Impressions 16-oz./500 mL Tumblers 
Serving Center® Set 
Sipper Seal® Domed Set 
Bell Tumbler Set 
Freezer Mates® Complete Set 
Freezer Mates® Herb Saver Set 
FridgeSmart® Large 
FridgeSmart® 3-Pc. Set 
Corkscrew 
Tea Combo Set with Madagascar Spice Green Tea (G) 
Tea Combo Set with Darjeeling Black Tea (G) 
Tea Combo Set with Lemongrass Green Tea (G) 
Vent ’N Serve™ 9-Pc. Large Set 
Micro Pitcher Set 
FridgeSmart® Small 
CrystalWave® Soup Mug 
CrystalWave® Lunch’n Dish with Cold Cup 
Sandwich Keeper Set 
Insulated Tumbler with Drip-Less™ Straw Seal 
Commuter Mug (Q) 
Large Sports Bottle 
Microwave Luncheon Plates 
FridgeSmart® Medium Long 
FridgeSmart® Large Round 
Tea Infusers 
Chef Series™ 8-Pc. Cookware Collection 
Heat ’N Serve® 6¼ Cup/1.5 L 
Heat ’N Serve® 8¼ Cup/2 L 
Ice Prisms™ Small Bowl Set 
Oval Microwave Cooker Sales 
Oval Microwave Cooking Rack 
Vent ’N Serve™ Divided Dish 
CrystalWave® Divided Dish
Dora the Explorer™ Meal & Snack Set 
Pick-A-Deli® Round Container 
Cereal Storer 
Dessert Blend Gift Set (G) 
Taste Sensations Set (G) 
Tupperware® Teacup, Saucer & Spoon Set 
Tupperware® Sugar & Creamer Set 
Large & Small Spice Shakers Set 
Freezer Mates® Large 2 Container Set 
Complete Salad Set 
Spring Cooking Set 
Fashion Lunch Set (fundraiser item) 
Personal Salt & Pepper Shaker Set (fundraiser item)

Muffin Tin Mom

Last night as I was surfing around the mommy blogosphere, I came across a link for something called Muffin Tin Mom. I admit, it caught my interest and I had to check it out. I was pleasantly impressed. 

I mean, what could be wrong with a meal in a muffin tin!? Isn't this cute?

The basic premise is that once a week (on Muffin Tin Monday!), you make a meal in a muffin tin for your kids. Usually the meals have themes - colours, a book, the alphabet and so on.

 Of course, I happened to stumble onto the game the night before, and don't have near as cute a muffin tin as the one shown here, AND they have a "no theme" week this week, leaving me wondering what to do!

But I decided to give it a try. I went with the previous week's meal idea - Colour: Orange. Here's what I did:

I dug through the pantry and found some orange Jell-o and whipped it up using the "quick set" method (because it was 10am when I finally decided to go orange!) The boys LOVE Jell-o, so it was the perfect excuse.

I have several unused mini-loaf pan and muffin wrappers, so I used them in a bigger empty container to seperate all the foods. I will go on the hunt for a cuter, more kid-friendly-sized set of tins this week. 

Here's what today's lunch included:

  • diced peaches
  • grated cheddar cheese
  • Jell-O
  • Ritz cheese sandwich crackers
  • carrots (except for the older son who is the pickiest ever… he had a processed cheese square)
  • and mango juice (not shown)

I'm pretty excited about this website find. I think it will make us think about food more and gives me some creativity around lunch time. Next Monday's theme is the colour yellow and I'm already deep in thought about how to make that happen.

Now, I just need to find some tins!

Muffin Tin Monday at Her Cup Overfloweth

Slash Food Waste

From the September edition of Chatelaine Magazine.

As I was sitting in the waiting room for an appointment, I abstractly picked up a magazine and flipped through the pages. Before I knew it, I found myself reading a great article about the amount of food our society wastes and how we can be better at saving the stuff we eat.

Along with the article, was a great list of 10 Ways To Slash Food Waste. I thought I'd share it with you because it was so full of amazing ideas that really CAN help reduce our food waste.

1. Know what’s in your fridge and cupboards before you shop so you don’t double up on ingredients you already have. Then write down the expiry dates of perishables and post them on the refrigerator so they’re in your face every time you open the door.

2. Use a thermometer to check the temperature of your refrigerator. Health Canada advises setting the thermostat at or below 4 C.

3. Don’t freeze supermarket meat, fish or poultry in its original packaging. “The plastic film used by most supermarkets allows oxygen to reach the product, which can cause freezer burn,” says Abe Van Melle, who trains future butchers at Calgary’s Southern Alberta Institute of Technology. Instead, unwrap the meat, rewrap in plastic wrap and then put it in a zip-lock bag and press down to get rid of extra air – this will keep fish and chicken fresh in your deep freeze for up to six months and beef and pork for up to a year.

4. Throw leftover parmesan-cheese rinds into a hearty tomato soup for loads of added flavour.

5.  Use stale bread for French toast or bread pudding, suggests Anneli Rufus, co-author of The Scavengers’ Manifesto. (You can also pulse it in a food processor for bread crumbs, or cube, toss in olive oil and toast in a medium-heat oven for croutons.)

6. Toss mushy tomatoes with olive oil and garlic, then roast and serve in pasta, in salads or as a side dish.

7. When Sandi Richard, host of Food Network’s Fixing Dinner, needs to clean out the fridge, she makes a strata: “Spray a casserole dish with oil. Toss in leftover meat, veggies, cheese, three cups of cubed bread and any herbs you like. Cover with four beaten eggs mixed with one cup of milk, then bake for 45 minutes.”

8. Have a basket of overripe peaches or nectarines on your hands? Rufus freezes halved, pitted stone fruit on cutting boards before transferring them to plastic containers. She also freezes lemon juice to use up later in salad dressings and desserts.

9. Jennifer McLagan drains and freezes liquefied animal fat from cooked meat for future use. “Sautéing chicken in poultry fat, for example, adds another level of flavour,” says McLagan, author of Fat: An Appreciation of a Misunderstood Ingredient, with Recipes. She also drizzles reheated bacon fat over steamed veggies.

10. Rethink your serving sizes. Nobody benefits from enormous portions, especially when they go straight into the waste bin.

You can read the full article by Bonny Reichert by clicking HERE.

Durham’s Food Budget Kit

I recently stumbled on a great FREE find here in Durham. It's called the Food Budget Kit. >

The Durham Region website says this:Inner Chef

"The Food Budget Kit was created to help you and your family eat healthy when on a budget. It includes information and tools to help you learn about menu planning, smart shopping, following Canada's Food Guide, cooking at home and using leftovers."  

I decided to order one - being a fan of random FREE things, learning ways of saving money and always collecting recipes - not really sure what I'd get. When it arrived in the mail, I was pleasantly surprised. It was chock full of resources and items: a package of thyme, a can strainer and a menu planner.

There were recipes based on eggs, white beans and budget meals as well as info on the Canada Food Guide which has sparked serious interest for my 5 year old - who I struggle to feed a balanced diet more regularly. Letting him see EXACTLY what he needs for his age has really made him start thinking of what he's eating and where it fits into the food guide.

I highly recommend ordering this free kit if you live in the Durham region. Can't beat FREE. :) Especially when it's a useful resource!

Romantic Ideas From the Kitchen - Breakfast in Bed - Blueberry French Toast Casserole

I got my new February Tupperware newsletter today and in it was a delicious looking recipe that I thought I would share - since it happens to co-ordinate with the romantic recipe theme I've been working on! Another easy, delicious morning-in-bed breakfast to enjoy with your loved one.

Blueberry French Toast Casserole

  • 8 slices of white bread
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1½ cups whole milk
  • ¼ cup maple syrup
  • 1 tbps Simple Indulgence™ Cinnamon-Vanilla Seasoning Blend
  • pinch salt
  • ½ cup blueberries 

Slice bread diagonally into large triangles. Set aside. Crack eggs into the TupperWave Stack Cooker 3L Casserole. Add milk, syrup, seasoning blend, and salk. Whisk together until combined. Fold in the blueberries. Add the slices of bread and press the bread down into the liquid with your fingers. Make sure all of the bread has been submerged in the custard before proceeding.

Place cover over casserole and microwave at 50% power for 12 minutes, or until the casserole has risen. Let rest for five minutes. Serve with additional maply syrup and sprinkled with powdered sugar.

Serves 4.

Romantic Ideas From the Kitchen - Breakfast In Bed - Ham & Potato Hash

Breakfast in Bed is a wonderful way to start a day of romance (although, admittedly more challenging when you have a family with children!)

Try this simple, but easy to please, breakfast meal to woo your sweetheart first thing in the morning.

Ham & Potato Hash

Chop up 4 cups of potatoes in small cubes, and 1 cup of cooked ham (great way to use up leftovers!). You can add extra things like bell peppers and onions chopped up if you like them.

Heat a little oil in your frying pan. Once it's warm, add the potatoes and ham (and any additional things you want). Over medium heat and stirring frequently, until the potatoes are cooked and browned. Remove from heat, sprinkle with shredded cheddar cheese and serve.

You can finish off the meal with a cup of freshly squeezed orange juice, some coffee or hot chocolate and, of course, a good morning kiss.

Romantic Ideas From the Kitchen - Fondue For Two

Fondue For Two

One of the most romantic treats a couple can enjoy is fondue for two. Let's face it - with the ability to combine well-known aphrodisiacs like chocolate and strawberries, pineapples and bananas, fondue is a powerful romance tool!

Here are some simple fondue recipes that you can enjoy with your sweetheart.

Toblerone Fondue:

Simply melt 2-3 mini Toblerone bars in a small ceramic fondue pot. If it starts getting too thick, add a splash of cream or milk and mix to thin. If you would like to "kick it up a notch", add some cognac or orange liquer.

Caramel Fondue:

Melt a dozen of caramel squares in your ceramic pot. As above, add a little bit of milk or cream to thin if it starts to thicken.

Mint Chocolate Fondue:

Melt some after dinner chocolate mints or some mint flavoured chocolate chips with some cream.

Classic Chocolate Fondue

  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • Heat the cream in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat until hot, about 2 to 3 minutes.  When hot, add the chocolate and stir until it is just melted and smooth. Stir in vanilla. Transfer to a warm ceramic fondue pot.

    Chocolate & Alcohol Fondue

    • 6 ounces semisweet chocolate
    • ½ cup whipping cream
    • 2 teaspoons Kirsch brandy, Grand Marnier or rum (or to taste)

    Melt the whipping cream and chocolate in a double doiler. Turn the heat down to low and melt the chocolate with the whipping cream, stirring constantly and making sure the chocolate doesn't burn. Pour the mixture into a ceramic pot and stir into the brandy/rum.

    Peanut Butter Chocolate Fondue

    • 2 (1oz) squares of unsweetened chocolate
    • ½ cup light cream
    • ½ cup sugar
    • 1/8 cup peanut butter
    • 3/4 tsp. vanilla

    In medium saucepan, combine chocolate and half and half. Cook over low heat until mixture is smooth and blended, stirring frequently. Add sugar and cook 2-3 minutes longer, until sugar is dissolved. Add peanut butter and vanilla and stir until blended. Remove from heat and pour into fondue pot.

    Some tasty dipper ideas:

    Cookies, cheesecake, banana chunks, strawberries, pineapple, pretzels, Jube-Jubes, wafers, graham crackers, pound cake, marshmallows, Rice Krispie Squares, dried apricots, brownies, banana bread, honeycomb, ladyfinger cookies, cherries, biscotti … anything you can envision covered in chocolate!