Do you feel the change in the air? I do! Though I always get into trouble in late February looking for spring to arrive so much faster then it does in Cape Breton. In fact, Spring is the one season I feel doesn't fully bloom here. Winter retreats and returns over and over from late February to May, and then licks of summer start to tease before BAM! Summer. It doesn't help that I once read poetry describing the first colour of spring to be red; the rouging of the brush, the buds of early trees, and I see red everywhere right now! This seasonal confusion finds it way into the kitchen and what I long to cook. As snow flies I might still feel drawn to the comforting touch of a stew, but all around me, especially online via England, bright green dishes full of spring flavour create cravings that are lighter and fresher. Peas! Asparagus! Lemon and lamb. Mmmmm. Somewhere in the in-between I settle very often on soup, and how soups can masquerade as many seasons at once. Todays soup is a perfect example. A Sweet Potato & Squash Soup that use the last of the winter store vegetables, warmed with cold weather spices; cinnamon and nutmeg, livened up for brighter days with a lemon cream. It will chase the damp coolness of a grey day away, but definitely cheers me up with the light, bright joy of fresh lemon. To make a simple lemon cream for topping soup: Whip 1/4 cup heavy cream with the zest of 1/2 lemon and a pinch of salt to a stiff peak. Top soup, swirl in and enjoy! What I know for sure: Roasting the squash and sweet potato removes excess water, concentrates the flavour (yum), and caramelizes the veggies, making for a super soup.

Do you have a favourite sheet pan (cookie sheet)? I sure do! I love love love these OXO Good Grip ones. They cook very evenly, the dimples release food, they don't warp, so when I am using them as a base for anything that is setting up I don't get lopsided puddings, and they aren't too expensive. (About $30) A friend's mother, of a generation that didn't believe in waste, swore by buying the best you could afford and taking care of what you bought. I am sure in the end this is the better way to balance my bank account and my planetary impact.

Team Sweet? or Team Salty? When it comes to the most iconic Super Bowl food I love love love at bit of both! Make it sweet and spicy and its a win for both teams. For me nothing can beat a double fried wing. Just like a double fried french fry , the double fried wing makes for an extra crispy wing with juicy meat. Lots of crags and hidden spots for sauce to hang out in on means bursts of flavour. Purely for practice (to make perfect? LOL) we fried up a batch Saturday night. Hahahahaha. (It's a hard knock life...) For me, nothings can beat a double fried wing. Just like a double fried french fry , the double fried wing makes for an extra crispy wing with juicy meat. For our sweet and spicy head to head we made a Buffalo sauce from TASTE, and Korean wings from Maangchi. Do you have a favourite wing sauce? A dip you want to share? Please do!

How am I keeping warm? How are YOU keeping warm? This chilly turn in the weather is a little disheartening, unless you're a blissed out snowmobiler! (And to you I say, Bravo! Enjoy!) Me? I am taking to the kitchen and the comforts of rosy classics, beginning with Roast Tomato Soup. The desire to practically drift away on a swell of warm tomato is almost overwhelming. Maybe it's my body asking for the punch of vitamin C that the tomato offers? Coupled with the remembered love a slightly creamy, slightly garlicky soup can offer, a salve for any ailment in the winter let alone that little cough that won't go away, or a sniffle that needs nudging out the door. Add some grilled cheese croutons or a little fresh buttered bread and this cold, snowy day sings with comfort, not mid winter chills. What I know for sure: Roasting winter tomatoes gives them more life, a more little caramel flavour, and much more tomato intensity; excellent tomato acidity plays well against the cream. The garlic here is always full of wee green germ (the new growth inside), but though it can be bitter I don't remove it when I am trying to make soup before night shift...maybe next time. What I don't know: Are the stems bitter? Or will they give the soup a bit MORE tomato flavour? They do give the reward of smelling lovely. Do you know? Tips: Homemade tomato soup is so joyous and satisfying it hardly needs messing with. For GF skip the croutons. For dairy-free skip the splash of cream. For vegan stick to olive oil when roasting.. This is one of my favourite recipes .

Hey, Friends! Welcome to Hey, Harper! A new spot to find recipes, access my website, gather information on favourite products and exciting finds. If there's something you want to know, a recipe you'd like me to share, or maybe a celebration we can revel in together, I hope you'll find what you're looking for here. “Live! Live the wonderful life that is in you! Let nothing be lost upon you. Be always searching for new sensations. Be afraid of nothing.” ― Oscar Wilde Dare we? Let's go!