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Lifestyle Vibes
Fresh-picked summer flavor!
Market haul success! Shopping at the Granville Island Public Market is pure joy, and the vibrant displays make every trip feel special. Nothing beats bringing home fresh local produce like this, and half the fun is discovering those unique ingredients you’d never spot at your everyday grocery store. Looking forward to creating something delicious!
It’s All About Soup!
Lately, my kitchen has been filled with simmering pots, delicious aromas, and a lot of excitement—because I’m officially working on a soup cookbook dedicated entirely to my favorite comfort food. Soup has always been one of my absolute favorites to cook and eat, especially during the colder months when a warm bowl of homemade soup just hits differently. Over the past while, I’ve been developing and testing dozens of easy soup recipes, from hearty vegetable soups and classic chicken soup to rich, creamy bowls perfect for cozy nights. So far I’ve created around 50 homemade soup recipes, and I’m pretty sure a few more will sneak in before the book is finished.
What makes this project even more special is that I’m working on it together with my mom. It’s truly a collaboration—she’s helping bring the cookbook to life and does many of the beautiful food photography shots that capture each bowl of soup at its best (although I do some of them!). Together we’re organizing recipes, planning the layout, and turning all these cozy creations into a soup recipe cookbook we’re really proud of. From healthy homemade soups to comforting winter soup recipes, this book is becoming a collection of the kinds of soups we love to make and share. If you love cozy soup recipes, simple ingredients, and big comforting flavors as much as I do, this project has been an incredibly fun (and delicious) adventure.
June is all About Edible Flowers
Summer Vibes at Ellen Cooks!
Here at Ellen Cooks, I’m always cooking up new ideas—and sometimes revisiting old favorites with a fresh twist! Now that summer is just around the corner (hello, sunshine! ☀️), I’m diving into crisp, refreshing salads and delicious frozen desserts to beat the heat and stay cool in the kitchen.
I’ve also been getting my hands a little dirty—garden dirty, that is! A couple of weeks ago, I stopped by our local garden store, a lovely family-run gem just down the road. They had the most beautiful selection of herbs, flowers, and leafy green goodness. Of course, I couldn’t resist bringing a few home! I picked out some vibrant herbs for containers on our kitchen balcony and added a few more to liven up the patio in our garden.
Stay tuned for fresh summer recipes featuring homegrown herbs and cooling treats perfect for those hot days ahead.
This is my happy place—our backyard, where the garden seems to grow with a mind of its own. A salmonberry bush has taken root naturally, now stretching up and getting ready to gift us with its bright, tangy berries. Just behind the hedge, wild blackberries are coming along too—and I’m already dreaming about the pie they’ll become.
Tucked in among the mugos, pines, and Japanese maple is a plant with a personality all its own: Houttuynia. Yes, it’s edible—the leaves have a bold, citrusy-herbal flavor that’s great in salads or stir-fries. But be warned! This plant doesn’t know how to stay in its lane. It’s beautiful, unusual, and just a little too eager to take over the garden. We’ve got it weaving into places it was definitely not invited. If you’re tempted, keep it in a pot!
It’s a wild little patch of edible chaos—and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
