Category: General Interest

January 2026’s FFF Fave Fun Food – Cranberries

Okay technically dried cranberries! Summer 2025 was the first time I added dried cranberries to muffins and it was a very pleasant surprise. Last Saturday I added dried cranberries (& walnuts) to my current fave brownie which I also reinforce with a chocolate pudding mix for extra fun. My brownies will now only be made with dried cranberries and pudding!

Cranberry juice has always been a killer mix with soda water or ginger ale or orange juice – the list goes on. And it has medicinal properties that give it an added boost.

And I intend to add whole dried cranberries to my next batch of Breakfast Cookies. Cookies may feature in future as a Fave Fun Food (“FFF”) as many of my 2025 FFFs were cookies – the killer Cereal Cookie at Mello (their Cereal Milk Donut is almost as good) or the crazy expensive but wunderbar White Chocolate, Hojicha & Walnut Cookie at cowdog or the Christmas Leclerc Celebration chocolate covered Gingerbread.

I’m going to try a new idea for 2026, a monthly post of the Fun Food that made the top of my fave eats. This month is an ingredient that can make any Fun Food even better. Stay tuned for what future months unveil.

For the record, still not a fan of cranberry sauce, even if repurposed as a sundae topping…

Happy Pi & Pie Days!

Okay technically Happy Pie Day was January 23rd AND yesterday was March 14th Happy Pi 3.14 Day. But, any day is a great time to celebrate PIE !

Pi is a VERY specific although unending number 3.14159265…! Pie can be a VERY wide ranging (perhaps unending) food! This is a comprehensive CNN article which outlines both the geographical histories and also the huge variety of ingredients possible. There could be 365 days of PIE.

Fun Food for the 2025 Super Bowl

Nachos are a very flexible Fun Food or combination of Fun Foods! Depending upon when you start your Super Bowl Celebrations, you can serve nachos for breakfast, lunch and dinner. 

This comprehensive PureWow article sets out 30 nacho recipes that covers the range of ideas that can work for guests of all ages – vegans, vegetarians, gluten or lactose intolerant and plain picky.

And this equally comprehensive Purewow article identifies 25 dips that include a Skillet Nacho Dip so that you can avoid Naked Nacho Chips! PLUS 10 of the 25 recipes are for DESSERT dips…!

Easter pt.2 – Iconic Egg!

As a quick follow up, another Eater article outlines the history & evolution of the Cadbury Easter Egg. And perhaps it is not only Iconic but also deserves Cult status!

From a horizontal eating perspective, it will be important to get “non Hersey made” Cadbury Easter Creme Eggs to double check the slight flavour variation(s) and it may require travel… This deep dive by the BBC gives additional background on this important taste test topic.

Easter Eggs!

Easter is quickly approaching – it is the final weekend of March in 2024.

Easter means Easter Candy and more specifically Easter Eggs! This past Christmas, Cadbury put out Candy Cane Mini Easter Eggs which were the PERFECT “Combination” Holiday treat. In fact, a bag has been stockpiled to taste test against the usual Cadbury Eggs in all their sizes – Mini vs Macro.

Now, this Eater article gives an impressive line up of Easter Eggs available this year – plus a ranking – Cadbury Mini Eggs rank #1! I’ve only tried 4 of the 12 listed Candy Eggs so time for an Easter Egg Hunt to double check the ranking… I personally do like Cadbury Easter Creme Eggs (unfairly ranked at #11) and learned that they were first produced in 1923!

And Krispy Kreme is decorating their special Easter Donuts with Cadbury Mini Eggs – a true Fun Food Combo!

Halftime Fun Food

Super Bowl means Super Fun Foods! 

Dips are an opportunity for multiple Fun Foods – the dips PLUS the dippers! This Simply Recipes article sets out 22 different dips (plus appropriate dippers) for consideration and as they suggest, do multiple dips for an “all-dip” Super Bowl Celebration.

You can have main course dips ( Lasagna dip!) plus dessert dips ( S’Mores dip!) for your Game Day menu. Savoury & sweet – both dips & dippers – which presents an opportunity to “cross pollinate” BUT remember, never double dip!

This fun article by Eater suggests that Queso is The Best Lazy Fondue. Their recipe also makes a tasty dip that can be quickly put together if needed because good luck having any dips left by the time halftime starts…!

Poutine & Fish

Poutine is a well established Fun Food (one of my faves) and is celebrated during La Poutine Week each year!! For 2024, the week starts today, February 1. 

This Vancouver is Awesome article outlines where to experience the 2024 special poutines for the next 7 days. One location is at the Vancouver Aquarium so you can visit your favourite fish and eat your favourite Fun Food! 

Happy 3.14… Day!

Today is National Pi Day, not PIE as in fruit pie but the number. Pi Day is a celebration of the mathematical constant, π (pi), or 3.14159265359! This fun article from Thrillist goes into great detail on the difference between this day and January 23rd National Pie Day.

Since it is not a traditional dessert pie day, why not consider a non-traditional pie to celebrate. Many pies may not fit the predictable “pastry & filling” model but all are Fun Foods! I had two types of Pizza Pie today and I added pickles as toppings to both.

One may also consider Shepard’s Pie (lamb + mashed potato!) or Cottage Pie (beef + mashed potato!) or Pasta Pie. I found this fun sounding/looking recipe by Gail Simmon on Once Upon a Chef for Pasta Pie – pasta, cheese, sauce and more cheese, ALL Fun Foods.