Category: General Interest

Lockdown 2022 – Fun Food Recipes Revisited

To help us thru the first COVID-19 months of 2020, famous recipes for fun comfort foods were shared by Disney & Shake Shack & Ikea & Chipotle & DoubleTree to help us not feel cut off. While our COVID World is radically different now than early Spring 2020, we didn’t know then how long lockdown would last and this is currently the case with the Omicron variant.

Hope these 5 Fun Food recipes will add some ideas for your time near your kitchen –

  1. Gooey Grilled Cheese from Disney so both comfort food and fun memories!
  2. Cheese Sauce from Shake Shack makes already fun French fries even “funner”!
  3. Swedish Meatballs from Ikea need no introduction nor explanation!
  4. Guacamole from Chipotle is a dip but so much more!
  5. THE Welcome Chocolate Chip Cookie from Double Tree Hotel is legendary!

Right now, any comfort food IS a Fun Food.

New Year, Same Me – a Capricorn Cocktail for 2022

Let’s start off 2022 by promoting & reminding everyone of the key fact that Fun Food can be a liquid! 

Please give this great article from Thrillist a read and discover how to celebrate the start of 2022 with a healthy & tasty cocktail – New Year, Same Me!  And it uses celery, citrus & tequila – maybe use your new bottle of Reposado tequila bought for Cadillac Margaritas (previous post).

Fun twist is how Winter Solstice ( December 21st ) is the Start of Capricorn Season which brings energy, insight & perspective – this Fun Food cocktail is the perfect drink for right now, the start of 2022.  

And if you would like to add lucky foods to your start to 2022, this Thrillist article lays out what you can eat to bring on 2022 Luck! Some of your choices are Fun Food – cake & noodles – and many seem to be good for you – fruit & proteins…!

Enjoy 2022!

Appis are for NY’s Eve PLUS everyday Fun Food

New Year’s Eve is a special occasion for appis – at a party OR at home – and this comprehensive Purewow article outlines 75 ideas & recipes, yes 75 Appis (appetizers) that are good for New Year’s Eve but also EVERYDAY! Perhaps make one or two of these recipes per week to prepare for HNY 2023…

There are 2 recipe ideas that have a similar & excellent concept and feature one of my fave Fun Foods, potato chips.  Cheesy Bacon Holiday Crack & Loaded Baked Potato Chips!

And if you thought waffle makers only come out in the morning, think again.   Waffle-Iron quesadillas! Or how about Bacon Apple Cheddar Waffles!!

Happy 2022 Everyone!!

PS – Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Dip anyone?!?


Jack-O’-Lantern to Fun Food Muffin!

Are you thinking about what else you can do with your Jack-O’-Lantern and unused pumpkins?? How about donating the unused pumpkins to a Zoo or Animal Sanctuary (list of Canadian Sanctuaries here)! 

OR, how about Pumpkin Muffins!  This creative Brit+Co article has 19 wide ranging muffin recipes which all feature pumpkin as the key ingredient – vegan – gluten free – streusel – Power – mini.   I’m going to try the Pumpkin French Toast Muffins with cinnamon streusel topping!  

Halloween – a Fun Food Fiesta

Trick-or-Treating is good exercise and a great source of sweet Fun Food. And Halloween Parties present an opportunity for Halloween Snacks and Fun finger Foods – thank you PureWow for this Frycuterie Board idea. Plus Scary Cocktails – bring on the Witch’s Brew!

There are quite a few helpful lists of successful Halloween candy – this one from PureWow will help ensure long lines at your door! And taste testing is not optional, you have to ensure your Treats are good.

Have you ever tried Candy Corn, a perennial Halloween “treat”? All is explained in this informative Thrillist article which describes Candy Corn as the “Fall Peeps”? If you haven’t eaten any, please read this article first and then try it. If you have, then this article may help… Candy Corn is adored by many but it is not on my Fun Food list.

To add to what may not make it on your Fun Food list, here is another fun Thrillist article of what they don’t want to get in their Trick or Treat bags!

PS – Otis is the CHAMPION of Fat Bear Week 2021!!

The 25 year old dude is once again the Fat Bear Champion making 2021 his 4th win! This informative CNN article gives a great action photo & details on 480 Otis and Explore’s link outlines this year’s competition details.

And I confess I was one of the over 51,000 people who voted for him – I think it is his ears.

Now his final match up was against 151 Walker who really does have a VERY impressive “bear bod” but Otis was a fan favourite plus he came from behind starting his annual salmon eating late this year. And it is reported he is still busy fishing & eating – salmon MUST be Fun Food!!

Salmon – A Fun Food for Bears!

I haven’t polled any bears but I think most would consider salmon a Fun Food. Berries may be more fun but I think salmon ranks high on their Fun Food List. And lots of salmon makes for a very Fat Bear!

Fat Bear Week is NOW – Wednesday Sept 29 until Tuesday Oct 5!!   The 2021 Fat Bear Champion is crowned on Fat Bear Tuesday October 5th.  Explore.com is the home of All Things Bear Week. Plus ongoing competitive & fun comments as everyone has their favourite Chunky Hunky!

Last year’s champion Bear 747 is back and is considered the “bear to beat”! However it is hard to predict who will be the 2021 Fan Favourite with the 2021 twist – a “Chubby Cubbie” has been included that introduces a cute dynamic. 2019’s Champion Holly is back in 2021 and this Hall of Champions link outlines the impressive winners!

This great article from Mentalfloss gives you background on Fat Bear Week at Alaska’s Katmai National Park & Preserve. It all started in 2014 with Fat Bear Tuesday and has expanded to Fat Bear Week!  

The Explore site gives you the “Bear Bracket” plus voting details (March Madness take a seat) and here is Explore.org’s Bear Cam link!    

A Fun Food Scientist!

Ice cream is a Fun Food that many would rank very high on their favourites list.  One person has made it their life’s work, Dr. Maya the Ice Cream Scientist – this Thrillist article introduces the world of Food Science.  

July is National Ice Cream Month and July 18 is National Ice Cream Day so today is the day for your favourite ice cream.  It can be on a cone or in a bowl, it can be vanilla or chocolate or KD Mac&cheese flavoured – this fun Eater articles gives the low down on the KD flavour!

For me, Dairy Queen a.k.a. DQ is my choice.  I love their Blizzards, sundaes (Peanut Buster Parfait!), cakes, milkshakes and pizzas.  Hot fudge on a Blizzard with extra add-ins is a decadent sundae and one of my fave Fun Foods.  

More Dog Fun Food!

Barkcuterie OR Dogcuterie Boards – all your doggie’s dream Fun Foods!

PureWow has laid out the how-tos in this handy article that covers all the angles for your four legged family members. And they point out the key starting point is a non-destructible serving dish!

Or they have suggestions for where to get them if you are hesitant to try making a treat board yourself.

AND the drink pairing is obvious – Dog Brew by Busch! Definitely Dog Fun Food.

Oat M*lk Update

Back in April I made the case for Oat Milk’s status as a Fun Food.  Well lots of people agree and there is currently a shortage of the best selling brand Oatly.  

So far my fave So Fresh Earth’s Own is still everywhere BUT I’m worried as it seems to have been voted best tasting Oat M*lk in Canada since I last looked at their website…  And milk is now spelled m*lk!

This fact filled article from LiveKindly not only shares the details on the Oatly shortage but also provides a doable oat m*lk recipe if all your grocery store sources dry up.  If I get desperate, I WILL be trying it and I actually already have a nut milk bag!