Hey there! It's that time of year, again. Superbowl time! The truth is, I'm not the biggest sports fan. In fact, I get a bit tired just watching them run around, but I can appreciate it, and my husband is a real sports and meat kinda guy. The Superbowl is just a bit different, though. You get the huge spectacle, the halftime show, the hilarious commercials, and, of course, the food!!!

My husband and I both work a lot, so it's usually just us for Superbowl. We don't let that stop us from celebrating and having a great time together with burgers, wings, beers and lots of snacks (so long, diet!)

Here are 10 last-minute ideas for your Superbowl Sunday. All of these ideas were found using Pinterest and Google, and I'll link all the pictures directly to their respective sites. Whether you're rooting for the Patriots or the Falcons (or are just in it for the burgers and beer like I am) here are ten great ideas for your Superbowl celebration!

How adorable is the snack stadium? Fill the center with your favourite dip, then set your dip-able snacks around the edge like spectators...whose heads you bite off. You can either make a simpler version with a baking sheet and disposable aluminum tray as shown above, or go all out with the mega ultra deluxe version as seen below by reusing pepsi/coke boxes or any other similar container. You can make goal posts with drinking straws and tape. I've found a free site of free football printables here.

I love this idea, and may even do this myself, even though there will only be my husband and myself watching together. Get yourself some bright yellow napkins, any holding container, and print out a nifty sign, and BAM, your very own penalty flags. The picture from the right is from Kara's Party Ideas, and you have to pay for the printout, but I've found a free version on the HGTV website here. If you're handy with photoshop or adobe illustrator, then you could easily make this yourself

Ok, so this may not have the catchiest-sounding name, but how tasty does this look? Cheese balls are awesome, and this recipe contains the yumminess of jalapeno poppers in cheese ball form for all your dipping needs. It also contains lots of cheese and bacon, and that's always a bonus. You can find the recipe on the blog Peas and Crayons here. 

Superbowl, for me anyway, is usually about wings, burgers and tons of salty snacks and beer, but I can certainly appreciate offering a healthy alternative, especially when it comes in this badass watermelon helmet! You can garnish this with mint or balm leaves and serve with a little bowl of sour cream with vanilla sugar or yoghurt dip. This is also a fantastic alternative to a heavy, overly sweet dessert. You can find the Youtube tutorial below.

There's nothing like nachos on gameday, but it can be hard to choose toppings when everyone likes different things. The nacho bar is a great alternative so that everyone can have exactly what they want. Find recipes for nacho cheese here.

Mini hot dogs on a stick? Count me in! This recipe is great for both adults and kids. All you need is your favourite hot dogs, wooden skewers, frying oil, and your favourite corndog batter. You can find the original post here and if you don't have bisquick in your area (which I don't) then you can find a great corndog batter recipe here.

Spicy chicken wings are a staple of any game day and these bite-sized buffalo chicken meatballs are a  great alternative when you want tons of flavour without all the bones. For an extra tasty crunch, you can take this meatball recipe and bread them by rolling in flour, then egg, then panko breadcrumbs and frying. Coat them in buffalo sauce after frying and serve with ranch or blue cheese sauce for dipping. Find the original recipe from Tidy Mom here. 

Serve your drinks icy-cold in this DIY ice bucket. Take a metal tub, bucket, or other useable waterproof container and wrap in indoor/outdoor carpeting or cloth and use white duct tape for decoration. Fill with ice and your favourite drinks. Click on the pictures above for steb-by-step guides for making these awesome drink tubs.

Popcorn is a fantastic snack for any occasion and superbowl is just another excuse to pop even more. Serve popcorn in these creative football cups (found at Simple as that Blog), or roll some brown construction paper into cones and use white tape for the same effect. Want something more exciting than plain buttered popcorn? Food Network has a great list of 50 different popcorn flavours you can make for your next occasion, such as: three-cheese, ranch, bacon-jalapeno and peanut butter. 

Nothing says good ol' American football like a great burger. Whether you like the classic burger, or something a little more exotic, Delish.com has 60+ burger ideas for your big game day. Personally, I prefer a burger with lots of cheese, bacon and dill pickles! Yummy! Click here for Delish's list of burger recipes.

I hope you enjoyed these ten last-minute ideas for Superbowl Sunday. Be sure to leave a comment below and let me know your plans for Superbowl Sunday and let me know what else you'd like to see. If you liked this post, please share with your family and friends. You can also find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram as QuiteChefy. 

My plans? B0neless wings, burgers, beers and lots of relaxation! Have a wonderful weekend, and stay chefy!

From my family to yours, I hope you all have a wonderful and safe holiday season.

Hello and Happy Father's day out there to all the proud papas, grandfathers and amazing guardians out there!

Unfortunately, my father lives on another continent, so I couldn't be there to spend time with him, but that didn't stop me from sending a little care package with decorated sugar cookies,

Father's day is a great day to strap on the apron and whip up some tasty treats to spoil the special Dad figure in your life with some delicious home cooking. Below is a great list of five delicious Quite Chefy recipes you can cook for Father's Day.

If your fathers are anything like mine, then combining meat, beer, and the grill is a match made in heaven. These delectable, tender ribs are doused in beer and braised in the oven low and slow until tender. Smother in your favourite barbecue sauce and finish on the grill for melt-in-your-mouth goodness. Find the recipe and instructions for Beer Braised Pork Ribs here or read the blog post here.

Why not surprise the special dad in your life by making some homemade rolls for breakfast. The great thing about this recipe is that you make the dough Saturday night, and leave it covered in the fridge overnight to raise. When you get up, form and bake to fill your home with the mouthwatering aroma of freshly baked fluffy rolls and maybe even surprise him with breakfast in bed if he's lucky! Find the recipe for Sunday Morning Rolls here or read the blog post here.

This is one dish my father has yet to try, but I hope to make it for him some day. It's certainly my husband's favourite. You can either use pre-ground pork or grind your own for these light and juicy meatballs in a creamy curry sauce. Serve with a side of fluffy rice for this delicious and beloved Danish classic that the whole family will enjoy. Find the recipe for Meatballs in Curry Sauce here or read the blog post here.

These pretty little cups of tastiness are so easy to make, and can be prepared in advance. Serve them as a snack, appetizer or main course with a side of your choosing. The cups are filled with a spicy and creamy sour cream sauce and filled with arugula, baked cherry tomatoes and topped with tender marinaded shrimp that you can either grill or broil to perfection. Find the recipe for Chili Lime Shrimp Cups here.

I couldn't choose just one sweet treat. If you have a dad out there with a sweet tooth, you've experienced that last piece of cake disappearing at 3 a.m. while everyone is asleep. You know, the ones who say "No thanks. I'm not really a sweets person." Yeah....suuure. I've picked out three great desserts you can make for your great dad (and hopefully yourself!).

Nothing says summer quite like strawberries, and this deliciously layered dessert combines fluffy sponge cake, light whipped cream and fresh strawberries into one delicious trifle. Find the recipe for Strawberry Shortcake Trifle here or read the blog post here.

This is one of my very first recipes posted to the Quite Chefy blog, and one that I got high praise for in culinary school. It's creamy, fresh and just fancy enough to make people think you're amazing. It's also absolutely delicious and a perfect dessert to spoil anyone, including dear old Dad. The bottom is a rich and creamy orange mousse topped with the fresh tanginess of orange jelly. You can serve with a dollop of whipped cream, candied nuts and a shard of caramel glass to take it over the top. Find the recipe for Fluffy Orange Mousse here or read the blog post here.

Of course, you could also do what I did and bake some tasty sugar cookies and cut them out in little hearts and to spell DAD. Decorate with your favourite icing or royal icing in an array of colours and patterns and serve them quick before eating them all yourself. Find the recipe for Perfect Rolled Sugar Cookies here.

And that's it! I hope you all have a wonderful Father's Day out there with your families. If you enjoyed these recipes, then leave a comment below and share with your friends. You can also find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram as QuiteChefy.

​And to my Dad. I love you :)

Wishing all your mothers, grandmothers and guardians out there a wonderful weekend filled with love, happiness and hopefully a bit of luxury and spoiling.

Happy Mother's Day from Quite Chefy

Especially to my own mom, Carol. Love you!

Wishing you and yours a Merry Christmas, Happy New Years and any other holiday you may celebrate at this time of year. 2015 may be coming to an end, but a new year is just around the corner, and that means new experiences and opportunities.

So stay safe out there, and I'll see you in the new year!

Lots of love

Lea

Hey there! So...I haven't really been able to post a lot of content lately, and there's a good reason for that. On Monday, November 16th, I underwent a 6 hour double jaw operation to correct an overbite and an improperly aligned jaw, which is kinda a huge, face-cracking deal.

Everything went according to plan, and I was home again after 24 hours to lay like a moaning zombie on the couch with a head three times its natural size. It's been a rough week, but things are starting to look up! I have much more energy and am moving around more and making my own meals. Luckilly, my wonderful husband slapped on his apron and has been taking care of absolutely everything from laundry to scrubbing chinchilla pee. He's been great, and I appreciate every little bit of it.

Understandably, the posts have been a bit on the sparse side, but even though I have a couple months off work, it doesn't mean I'm not allowed to cook at home when I'm feeling up to it.

Until I get into fighting shape again, you can check out my recipes page, especially with Thanksgiving around the corner for you Americans out there (my mom's bread stuffing I can highly recommend). Feel free to leave a comment below, or check out Facebook, where I'll post links to tasty recipes I find online (but can'tchew for months). You can also find me on Twitter and Instagram as QuiteChefy.

For Canadians, Thanksgiving has come and gone for yet another year, along with turkey, potatoes and pie....so much pie. 

When I moved to Denmark, I decided to bring Thanksgiving with me. We roast a turkey and all the trimmings for my husband's family every year, and they kind of love it. We have to order our turkey from a farm, and spend a couple days making food for around 20 people. It's tons of work, but SO much fun and well worth it in the end. The best part is all the leftovers we have for the next day we can just toss in the microwave. This year, I even had a "pie day" where a friend of mine came over for brunch and dessert. 

This year's bird was a 10.5 kg monster turkey (23 lbs), served with glazed carrots, brussel sprouts with pecans and bacon, my mom's dressing (we don't stuff our bird), mashed potatoes, caramel apple pie, vanilla ice cream, and two pumpkin pies! Whew! You can see a few pictures of all that hard work below:

I'll start by talking about the star of the meal: the turkey. Tasty bird, but so easy to dry out due to the low fat content. This year's bird was perfect and dripping with moisture after we cooked it. Our secret? Just butter and foil. We didn't brine it or flip it over halfway through cooking. Butter, tin foil and a cooking thermometer (which I recommend everyone have in their kitchen to be on the safe side). We mixed up a pack of butter (250 g or 2 sticks) with loads of fresh herbs (rosemary, tarragon, parsley, thyme, and sage). We gently separated the skin from the meat and rubbed the butter all over the breast and leg meat. We roasted the bird for 15 minutes at around 215° C(419° F) to tighten the skin around that butter, then reduced the heat to 175° C(347° F). The bird was covered with foil, the tray was filled with veggies, herbs and stock, and it was roasted for about 2.5 hours until the thermometer read 75°C (167° F) on the breast. Ta-da! We let the bird rest in foil and under a clean towel until ready to serve! The flavour that comes from all the butter (which is spooned off) and herbs is always amazing. The gravy turns out so well that we try to make a bit more every year, and every year we scrape the bottom of the pot looking for more. If you'd like recipes for any of the dishes I made, check out the list below!

Other recipes can be found by clicking the links below:

• Quite Chefy's mom's savoury dressing/stuffing - This stuffing has a wonderful savoury flavour that goes well with mild poultry like turkey and chicken. We don't stuff our bird, since it takes longer to cook and the bird can get dry by the time the stuffing reaches the correct, safe temperature inside to serve. It can be a hygiene nightmare.
• Quite Chefy's poultry seasoning - An herb and spice blend that's great for stuffings, turkey or chicken. Use dry herbs and grind to a powder. Easy peasy. 
• Roasted brussel sprouts with bacon, pecans and white balsamic vinegar - Boiling sprouts can make them smell like feet - yuck. Skip that and roast your sprouts instead for a wonderful side dish with the smokiness of bacon, sweet pecan nuts and a hint of white balsamic vinegar.
• Pumpkin pie with cookie and pecan layer - Classic pumpkin pie with a punch of pecan and cinnamon/ginger flavour of crushed cookies. Once you taste butter roasted pecans, you'll hate me forever because they are absolutely addictive!
• Pie crust - If you're up for a challenge, this is a great flaky pie crust. The trick is to work with very cold ingredients. When you roll the dough out, let it sit and warm slightly so that when you press into it, it has some give, but doesn't crack to pieces. 
• Caramel apple pie - Tart Granny Smith apples paired with a rich caramel sauce and a hint of cinnamon make this pie a wonderful addition to the dessert repertoire. Serve with a scoop of creamy vanilla ice cream on the side and you'll be in heaven.
• Crusty dinner rolls - for those of you that like your bread with a nice chewy crust and fluffy interior, this is a wonderful bread recipe that also pairs great with soups and pasta.

These recipes all remind me of home and big family meals. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. If you like them, feel free to leave a comment or share with your friends. I can also be found on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Instagram as QuiteChefy.

​Stay Chefy everyone!

My report is done and handed in! That means less work on that and more work on other things, like my poor neglected blog. Just because we're finished one assignment at culinary school doesn't mean we don't have to suffer, though.

The Gastronomy 1 semester has two separate groups with their own main teacher. Usually we work in kitchens that sit beside each other where we can run back and forth to steal each other's ingredients. 

Today, the two groups got together to brave into the soggy Danish forest (where there are no dangerous creatures as long as you don't start poking badgers) and do some mushroom hunting. Now it rains quite a bit in Denmark, and I don't own rubber boots, so needless to say I came home a bit grumpy with cold, wet feet, (hence the suffering part plus I'm not a huge fan of spiders and I got my share of spiderwebs in the face today) but we were promised hot coffee and freshly-baked cinnamon buns for our troubles, which we munched on with glee.

The plan was simple enough: run around the forest, pick mushrooms, and don't get lost. You can see the pictures of our excursion and haul below.

As you can see from the pictures above, we had a huge haul of mushrooms. Very few deadly mushrooms were actually picked, which means that we all found more edible funghi in the forest than anything else. We also found lots of spiders and frogs and managed to spot a rather upset pheasant and startled a deer. Maybe they were eating the mushrooms.

Personally, it was the first time I really went mushroom hunting, as I'm a bit too nervous about killing people, but with a good book in hand, you can certainly tell the difference between the mushrooms and can sort them out. If you're uncertain about something, then just leave it be.

I hope you liked seeing out little mushroom adventure. 

Until next time, Stay Chefy!

Hey there! This is just a little update to let you all know what's been going on. First of all, there are definitely more recipes on the way even if they're a bit delayed. Until more get released, feel free to check out the recipes page and see what's been posted so far. Leave a comment or review, or send some pictures of your own food, because I'd love to see it, or Instagram or Facebook me! 

Things have been a bit busy lately with my Sales and Service report due next week. No worries, I'm just hammering out small details now and doing my accounting (that takes FOREVER!!). It's not the most exciting part of the job, but a necessary part.

Today we had free play in the kitchen using veal topside. It's a piece of meat that's between tough and tender. It's used for schnitzels, pounded flat for quick cooking, and for tartare. We had lots of mushrooms and herbs leftover from the week, so I decided to make a homemade pasta with a mushroom and white wine sauce with a grilled piece of veal topside. It turned out pretty well, except that all my garnishes burned black because the oven it was sitting in to keep warm was turned on when I came back...grr!

There are a few pictures of the day. If anyone is interested in the recipe for the pasta, then feel free to leave a comment and I will definitely toss it on my to-do list! 

Thanks for the continued support, and until next time, Stay Chefy!

Vacation just never seems to be long enough, but the day came where I had to get back to work. This time, I'm not in a pro kitchen, but back at culinary school for the next 10 weeks.

What does that mean?

Well, it means that I have a brand-spanking-new chef book full of new information, tips, tricks and recipes that I can pass on to you home cooks out there!

The theme this week: Bread and Soup.

So stick around and learn with me as I take one step closer to being a full-fledged chef!

Until next time, stay Chefy!