Bunchland

Cookie mogul Eden Hertzog shares recipes she enjoys with her family

Lately I just really, really wish that everything was working like a well-oiled machine. The everything being home life, parenting, work, housekeeping, and I guess little old me. Most of the time I feel as though I’m slicing the day into these weird-shaped portions of time/energy which make me feel kinda loopy. I won’t lie – I’m feeling loopy right now. This very second, in fact.

As much as I have been the Poster Child for having-it-all and doing-everything, I’m starting to question my own cause. It would be really, really nice to just have one thing to do each day, and to not be running backwards and upside down cramming in so many different things.  I would like that one thing to be Cedar.  Read more...

Cookie mogul Eden Hertzog shares recipes she enjoys with her family

We go out for coffee every morning. We’ve tried every kind of home coffee contraption there is: bodum, espresso machine, stovetop espresso maker, regular old drip coffee maker – but none of them ever cut it. Why? Because I need to get my ass out of the house. This is especially true with the kid; as soon as he is in his stroller and I am exhaling after a flurry of finding-every-little-thing and getting him and myself dressed, I feel almost like a normal person in the world.  We go to two places: Balluchon during the week and The Common on the weekends. I can’t even tell you the joy it brings me to have these two neighbourhood, family-friendly spots to go to at the start of each day.  Brian and I recently did a calculation of how much money we would save if we made coffee at home. It was slightly disturbing, BUT I don’t care.  Read more...

Cookie mogul Eden Hertzog shares recipes she enjoys with her family

I just got back from New York City. Two days, one night, six cupcakes, five cabs, two perfect coffees, seven cookies, two brownies, one donut, eight thousand blocks walked on foot, one bowl of incredible ramen at Momofuku and one perfect dinner at Freemans restaurant. In other words, I ate and walked.

Did I mention that I was without toddler? That is probably a valuable component to the ambiance of this piece. Cedar was here in Toronto with his dad while I was in New York City. Pretty cool.

Although it sounds like I stuffed my face with sweets, please understand that I only took a few bites of some of those things I listed. I tried to save up for the meal at Freemans, which was everything my friend Shayne said it would be. When we arrived there we were so hungry that we over-ordered. It happened at the last minute, just as the server was peeling herself away from us.  Read more...

Cookie mogul Eden Hertzog shares recipes she enjoys with her family

Within two days of being on vacation, we developed a daily routine. It must be hardwired into our systems now that we are parents of a little one. I’m sure most of you parents out there know what I’m talking about…

We woke up, had breakfast at the hotel, took a dip in the pool, and then went down the road to have macchiatos at this little coffee/food spot next to the liquoreria (liquor and basic groceries). I noticed  something on their whiteboard menu: patacones. These are rounds of fried plantain I’d had once before but haven’t been able to find or recreate since.

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Cookie mogul Eden Hertzog shares recipes she enjoys with her family

We got back from Costa Rica last night. One week of concentrated sun, blue sky, horses grazing around, fresh pineapple juice, ocean waves and lots of fun. It was our first real vacation with Cedar. I would say the experiment went well, other than his teething, which is now entering its tenth week of torture. But hey, teething in Costa Rica is better than teething in Toronto.

We didn’t take a highchair with us figuring that most places would have one for us to use. They didn’t. Let’s just say that mealtimes were a comedy of errors, ending with two disgruntled parents covered in food and still hungry. Eight days gone, times three meals a day, is twenty-four meals without a highchair.  Read more...

Cookie mogul Eden Hertzog shares recipes she enjoys with her family

My dad was from Edmonton, Alberta. Instead of saying “pair of jeans” he said, “pair of jean”. He kind of knew how to line dance and he also walked two miles to school and back everyday in the freezing cold. He also really, really loved steak.

Me? I’m not too keen on line dancing (just yet) and I do like to say “jeans” and I didn’t walk two miles to school everyday when I was a kid. I have, however, inherited his love of steak. In fact, my mother tells me that meat was my first word.

I know this all may sound weird coming from a woman who makes vegan cookies, but people, we have to be honest and we have to be ourselves. Otherwise, we’re screwed.  Read more...

Cookie mogul Eden Hertzog shares recipes she enjoys with her family

I’m sure I’ve mentioned this before, but just in case I haven’t – I find lunch difficult. Yes, of all challenges I face on a day-to-day basis, lunch is the one that keeps me up at night. I find breakfast a breeze: always a smoothie, and then either yogurt & granola or toast with almond butter. Oh, and coffee. Coffee, I love you so much.

Then there’s dinner. Again, pretty straightforward: protein, starch, vegetable etc… But lunch, lunch is this overlooked, forgotten meal because it’s right smack in the middle of the day and often I am out and about or have my head in some work. Lunch becomes a sandwich or a handful of this or that, but nothing quite substantial or healthy enough. And for someone like me, who works in a cookie factory, this means that I eat cookies. Lots of cookies. A lunch-sized amount of cookies. Bad news.  Read more...