The BBQ season is upon us; however, I’m sure some would argue that this is a bold face lie. The weather was frigid this weekend – to prove my point, my husband was barbecuing while wearing his winter coat, mitts and toque this weekend on Saturday. Regardless, many people have begun having BBQ get togethers.

What exactly does one make for a BBQ when there is no sun or warm temperatures to enjoy? I wanted something that festive, a dessert that would brighten the mood. I stumbled upon a couple of upside down pineapple cake, an loved the vibrant yellow colour. I knew this would be the dessert. In the end, I combined a couple of recipes resulting in my very first barbecue dessert of summer 2010.

I love baking cheesecakes, but most of all I really enjoy watching the reactions from people as they take that first bite of a cheesecake baked by me. Yes, I’m a little vain. During a recent team meeting at work, a conversation was had regarding the fact that I really enjoyed baking and a bake off was devised! This was my first entry.

This is a really simple recipe that you can pair with a variety of desserts. Andre and I enjoyed this blueberry coulis on the lemon tarts, which balanced the tarty falvour out just perfectly. What have you used a blueberry coulis for?

I was hankering for some Caribbean inspired eats last weekend, so I decided to whip this up. This is another of my completely random and 100% unique creations, and I must say it turned out fabulously! Marinating the fish for 24 hours allowed the simple and refreshing flavours to thoroughly burrow themselves into the fish. Add to that some lovely Mango salsa and you’ve got just the thing for a healthy meal.

What is better than waking up on Sunday morning and having your partner cook you some light and fluffy pancakes that are filled with blueberries?? Exactly, nothing! Now, these blueberries aren’t any type of blueberries either…these wild blueberries come from Sudbury and are packed with blueberry goodness flavours.

My partner and I received the most amazing gift ever for our Commitment Ceremony – a Kitchen Aid Mixer! Since then, all I’ve wanted to do is bake, and I’ve been looking for every possible excuse. This weekend was no exception. My partner and I were invited to a Brisket and Beans BBQ, which was delicious, and I thought a nice compliment to the meat would be a light fruit dish.

I stumbled upon this recipe while surfing online (credit goes to Natalie’s Killer Cuisine) and their health factor was through the roof, literally forcing me to make them. What’s best about these is that you aren’t limited to the ingredients I used, you can use your own choice of dried fruit, nuts and seeds.

Full details after the jump!

I was super duper excited when my mother in law brought us fresh wild blueberries from the arctic north (Sudbury) and combined with the new Kitchenaid mixer we received from our awesome friends, I simply couldn’t wait to try something out. This was the result. Enjoy!