About

Hello!

Welcome to My Favourite Pastime.

My name is Liz. I am a Mum of four.

I love everything about food: cooking, baking, eating out and travelling, but most of all I love plants. Everything about plants!

I specialized in Plant Systematics. What exactly is plant systematics? In short, it’s the branch of botany that deals with identification, naming, classification and evolution of plants. Cool isn’t it?

Did you realize that most of the ingredients we use in cooking come from plants? Oh yes they do: the root and stem veggies, the cereals and pulses, the spices and condiments, the horticultural crops (all the cool vegetables we grow), the fruits and nuts, and the grapes that make all the lovely red, white and rosé wines and the champagnes!  The list is endless mes amis.

I also enjoy photography and nature (heck that’s where all the cool plants are). I live in Canada.

I love networking with other food-blogs. I also love browsing photography and nature blogs (plants again, ha!) .

The Goal of  this blog is to inspire you and me to bake and cook.

Thank you for visiting my blog! Please come back again!!!

Liz

Would you like to contribute a recipe?  would like to know more about a certain plant? Please contact me at: myfavouritepastime(at)yahoo(dot)com

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COPYRIGHT NOTICE 

© My Favourite Pastime 2013, unauthorized use and / or duplication of this material without written permission from the author / owner of this blog is strictly prohibited. Links are allowed when clear credit is given to myfavourite pastime.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

639 thoughts

  1. Hi Liz, what gorgeous photos (i’m hungry now), i’ll be happily following your blog from now on! Hopefully mine will reach your standard one day xx

    Reply

  2. Liz,
    My apologies if it looks like I’ve stopped following you, I haven’t! I think I may have clumsy fingers when I use my cellphone. :/ Twice now, I’ve noticed that the “follow” button is by your side, and I’ve had to re-click. Hope you are doing well! Have a good weekend!

    Reply

    1. Hi Davegon,
      LOL, I never try to answer or like posts using my mobile. I’m way too clumsy. I dread what would happen. I’m fine, weather is good, not too cold and I have nothing to complain about. Thanks for your concern and wish you a fab week!
      Liz

      Reply

    1. Hi Marie,
      Thanks so much for nominating my blog for the Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award I shall follow the link for more information. Have a fabulous weekend.
      Best wishes,
      Liz

      Reply

    1. Hi Dan,
      Thanks so much for nominating me for the versatile blogger award. I am so glad you find my blog awesome. I wish you wonderful week!
      Liz

      Reply

    1. Hi Jhuis,
      Thanks for loving my blog. I love yours too. I am sorry I took so long to respond..life has been a bit busy. Wish you a lovely day…when you wake up. I’m sure it’s now 3.30 am for you. Sweet dreams!
      Liz

      Reply

      1. Thank you, Liz. I am having great day and the weather is good. I guess winter is coming at your country? It must have been very cold. I missed you, Liz. Have a blessed day. 😉

        Reply

        1. I missed you too….we are currently having lows of -5C (23F). Today temperatures are high at 6C (43F). I think this year we shall definitely have a white Christmas. Enjoy the rest of the evening,
          Liz

        1. Hi again, Shanna,
          It’s nice to know that I’ve inspired you to cook and photograph more. That’s what blogging is all about, Inspiring oneself and others to cook…thanks so much for being so kind. I look forward to cooking from your blog.I shall keep you posted, of course. Have a good night!
          Liz

        1. Hi Shanna,
          Thanks so much for the kind words. I truly appreciate that you find my blog fantastic. I love yours too. Have a lovely week!
          Liz

  12. Hi Liz. I’ve been thinking about you while I’ve been away. I hope all is well. I wanted to comment on your Arugula Walnut Pesto and I couldn’t find a place to comment.

    Reply

    1. Hi Vicki,
      I am glad to hear you thought about me the way I did about you. I was rather worried but am glad you are back and you are posting, again. The arugula pesto was nice. I make it once a week. Best wishes!
      Liz

      Reply

    1. Hi chef,
      Thanks so much for being a fan of my blog. I love having fans. I have just bookmarked a pancake recipe from your blog that I shall be making tomorrow morning for breakfast. Thanks for visiting and have a lovely weekend.
      Liz

      Reply

  14. Hi,
    I represent the Media/net Publisher Partnerships group and am interested in advertising on your website, myfavouritepastime.com.
    I have reviewed your site and have identified a few opportunities that we would be interested in.
    Please let me know if you are interested and I will send you more details.
    Look forward to hearing from you soon.
    Regards,
    Ittira

    Reply

    1. Hi Ittira J,
      I am terribly sorry I took some time off blogging and some more time wading through my messages.
      I am happy to hear you reviewed my site and identified a few opportunities for advertising. However, my website is currently under wordpress.com and therefore have to abide by their rules and regulations which don’t allow me to post adverts. Should my position change in the near future (I am sure they will), I shall be happy to discuss with you. Thank you so much for showing interest in myfavouritepastime.com. I wish you all the best and hope we shall have another opportunity.
      Best Regards,
      Liz

      Reply

    1. Hi Messy Cooker,
      Thanks for visiting my blog too. I have just been to yours just now. I wish you a happy blogging and a fabulous week. Best wishes!
      Liz

      Reply

    1. Hi Alexandra,
      I have just been admiring the fresh bakes on your blog. They are very appetizing. I was looking at the procedure for homemade puff pastry, great table setting! You have lovely photos too. Thanks for visiting me!
      Best wishes,
      Liz

      Reply

      1. Thank you, Liz. I have to admit, I loved the table setting, too. It was the first time I ever used my great-grandmother’s creamer and sugar bowl. They are just beautiful, and I feel very lucky to have them.

        Reply

        1. Hi again, Alexandra!
          I absolutely agree with you. The creamer and sugar bowl are absolutely gorgeous and unique. I loved them too. You are sure lucky to have them (handle them with care and love…). Have a wonderful day. I look forward to the chocolate cake…
          Liz

    1. Hi Deemarkova,
      Thank you for liking my page too. It’s so exciting to have a brand new blog. It reminds me of 29 Jan 2013, the date of my debut post. I wish you a happy blogging!
      Liz

      Reply

  18. So nice to find your like waiting for me in my inbox today. Thank you. Enjoyed exploring your site. So many lovely recipes. Enjoy the day. -Cheers

    Reply

    1. Hi Sue,
      I am glad you enjoyed the blog and enjoyed exploring Thanks so much for the kind words. I wish you a happy blogging and have a great week!
      Liz

      Reply

    1. Hi Ada,
      Thanks so much for nominating me. I really appreciate the kind gesture. Thanks for loving ALL the recipes I post.
      You are welcome, your blog is always a pleasure to visit. I look forward to more visits. Best wishes,
      Liz

      Reply

  20. Hello Liz! Though I’ve visited your blog before, I just realised today that I haven’t “followed” you yet so I was not getting any updates! Darn! Anyway, that is now rectified. Following you now! Thanks for your support on Sugarfree Sweetheart. Happy blogging! 🙂

    Reply

    1. Dear Priya,
      Thanks so much for following me. I really appreciate the kind gesture. Thanks for supporting me here, too. Happy blogging for many more years to come! Best wishes
      Liz

      Reply

    1. Hi Priya,
      I love your blog too. It has got simple and practical recipes that I would make any time. Thanks for visiting me. Hope to see you more often!
      LIz

      Reply

  22. Thanks for visiting my site and for your like. I believe I have just found a new blog site that I can really enjoy. I love your recipes- so unique. I too enjoy the art of cooking/baking and the moment of eating the fruits of my labor (and others).

    Reply

    1. Hi Bobbi,
      Thanks for visiting me too and for liking my recipes and finding them unique. I hope to see many more of you in the coming months. Wish you a happy blogging and enjoy the rest of the week!
      LIz

      Reply

  23. Hi Liz… thanks for visiting my blog. I like traveling and cooking too and just started with the blog. Will be posting more recipes soon… happy cooking and baking 🙂

    Reply

    1. Hi there,
      I am toggling between your blog and mine right now. Thanks so much for visiting me. I shall be browsing your blog to see what I can make, since we seem to have the same favourites! Thanks for the follow too. Wish you all the best and happy blogging!
      Liz

      Reply

    1. Hi Laura,
      Thank you so much for nominating me. I feel very honoured that you recognize my blog as inspiring and creative. I shall look at the details just now. Wish you a wonderful weekend.
      Liz

      Reply

    1. Hi,
      Thank you so much for nominating me for WordPress family award and for considering me as part of your WordPress family. I feel very honoured. Let me check out the post just now. Have a fantastic weekend!
      Liz

      Reply

    1. Hi,
      So sorry for taking long to respond. Sometimes life becomes very hectic. Thanks for nominating me for WordPress Family Award. I’m happy that you thought about me. Thanks too for the many chats we’ve shared in the wee hours of the night (for me…). Wish you a great weekend. Best wishes!

      Reply

  28. Hi Liz, thank you for visiting my blog and liking my post (Dan Lepard’s Peanut Chilli Bread)! Very yummy pictures you have there 🙂 I will visit again. Meanwhile, happy baking/cooking!

    Reply

    1. Hi Berenice,
      Thanks for visiting my blog too. I really appreciate. I enjoyed going through the recipe of the Chilli Bread. It’s vey unique. One of these fine days, I would love to try it. Have a lovely weekend!
      Liz

      Reply

    1. Hi,
      Thank you so much for visiting me too and for complimenting the desserts. I love baking and cooking, so I’ll certainly keep up. I hope to see you again. Have a wonderful week. Best Wishes,
      Liz

      Reply

        1. Hi again, Allie,
          I am glad you spent some time browsing my blog. Thats a good sign. I hope the gluten free version will work out for you. Please give me a feedback, if you can. I wish you a happy browsing. Best wishes and have a good night!
          Liz

    1. Thank you so much for visiting me. Sorry for the delay in replying..and thank you for your kind words. Hope to see yo more often. Wish you a fabulous weekend!

      Reply

  35. Hello Liz. Thanks for stopping by my new blog The Runaway Palate and liking my post. I love the recipes and photographs in your blog, and I plan to try out some of your cake and scone recipes. They look delicious!

    Reply

    1. Thank you for visiting me too. However, the link you leave here takes me to “cooking up the past” and that blog is empty. You might want to change that.
      I have searched Runaway Palate on google and found it. Please enjoy all the recipes you try from here, if possible give a feedback. Thanks for complimenting. Wish you a fabulous week! Best wishes.
      Liz

      Reply

      1. Thanks for your feedback, Liz. I am new to blogging, and still navigating through the maze. Yes, will definitely let you know once I’ve tried a recipe from your site. 🙂

        Reply

        1. Now this link leads me to ‘The Runaway Palate’ What an interesting name. Welcome to the WordPress family and wish you a happy and successful blogging. Hope you enjoy your weekend too? Best wishes!

    1. Thank you for giving me your new link. I would certainly want to keep in touch with you, in future. I have left a note on your blog. Have a lovely weekend!

      Reply

    1. Thank you for stopping here too and leaving me this note. I appreciate your visit and hope to see you many more times. I wish you a lovely Friday and a fantastic weekend, ahead. Best wishes!

      Reply

    1. Hi Prateeksha
      Thank you very much for nominating me for inspiring blogger award. I feel most honoured. I am happy to know that you love my creations and love to follow my blog. Thank you so much for your kind words. I shall follow the link to the nomination. I wish you a lovely week!
      Liz

      Reply

    1. Thank you so much for this award. I am very humbled and honoured. I am really glad to hear that I inspire you. I shall look at the post just now. I wish you a lovely week and happy blogging and baking!!

      Reply

    1. Thank you so much for nominating me for the Inner Peace Award. And thank you for your kind words too…I feel very honoured. I wish you a fantastic week. Best wishes!

      Reply

    1. Thank you so much for nominating me. You are so very kind. I read your speech and I loved it. I certainly would also be inspired by your mum. Have a fabulous week!

      Reply

    1. Thank you so much for nominating my blog for a versatile blogger award. I truly appreciate the kind gesture. I have followed the link and I see we do have a lot in common-LOL. I wish you a fantastic week.
      Liz

      Reply
  43. Pingback: The WordPress Family Award | Hari's Got Tales!

    1. Thank you Hari, for mentioning my blog on your post and most of all I’m delighted myfavouritepastime.com is an inspiration to you. Wish you a fantastic weekend. Best wishes!

      Reply

  44. With such stunning photographs and gorgeous food I guess you make reading your blog the favorite past time of many a people across the globe. I certainly now look forward to more posts.

    Reply

    1. Thank you so much for complimenting the photos. I read and cook from here too. Just to make sure the recipes work so I have tried most of them at least three times. Thanks so much for visiting and I look forward to seeing you many more times. Wish you a lovely weekend!

      Reply

    1. I am glad you found my blog and thank you for reading and enjoying my posts and even sharing my projects.
      Thank you for nominating me for an award. I truly appreciate your kindness and will definitely claim my nomination as suggested. Wish you a wonderful end of week! Hope to see you more often.

      Reply

    1. Thank you for thinking I deserve this very inspiring blogger award. I feel very honoured, that you thought of my blog. I have just woken up and I’ll make sure I have a most pleasant day. Have a wonderful evening. I am just getting ready for a good strong Cuppa! Best wishes!

      Reply

        1. Ha ha, I’ve just drained the cup. Now am ready to start my day. It’s rather gloomy outside. I think we are going to have some rain or worse, a storm. Have a lovely evening. I see the IPod/Ipad are close by… Best Wishes!

        2. Haha! You are not mistaken!! It’s on my side now – I meant both of them!! 😊I would love to hear about the weather on your next post. Take care and thanks a lot for being here.

    1. Thank you so much Fae for always thinking about me and passing on this inspiring Bog Award. I am truly honoured. I am certainly enjoying the award. Wish you a fabulous day!

      Reply

  48. Hi Liz,

    Thanks for stopping by my blog and also liking my post. Just browsed through your blog – it is wonderful with awesome pics. Keep the good work going.

    Reply

    1. Hi Sangaaa
      Thank you for stopping here, for browsing through the blog and for your kind words.I look forward to seeing you again. Have a wonderful week!
      Liz

      Reply

    1. Thank you for visiting and complimenting my blog. I feel very honoured. It’s good to know we have a lot in common. That’s a good sign. Enjoy all the recipes you manage to try and please give a feedback whenever possible. I wish you a wonderful and fulfilling week!

      Reply

  50. Thankyou so much for stopping by and liking my post, I love your poppy seed cake, and will definately try it (with a few substitutions to make it vegan) 🙂 Tracy

    Reply

    1. Hi Tracy,
      Thanks for stopping by and liking my poppy seed cake. You are welcome to try it and make the substitutions that you’d like. Have a lovely week!
      Liz

      Reply

    1. Thank you so much for nominating me for versatile blogger award. I am really glad that I’ve inspired you in one way or another. That’s the goal of my blog: to inspire you and me! I shall look at it just now. Thanks and have a wonderful week!

      Reply

    1. Not at all, Sada. I love photography blogs. I spend some time browsing through photos and your blog has some great photos. The swans looked great and your other photos are great too. Thanks so much for visiting my blog. Maybe, one day, I’ll start a photography blog like you. Best wishes and wish you a pleasant week, ahead!

      Reply

    1. I am so happy that you enjoy my blog and even read my posts. I feel more than honoured to hear that.
      Thank you so much for nominating me for the WordPress Family reward. I have never heard of it but there’s always the first time! I shall follow the link and read more about it. Thank you so much for this award. I really appreciate!

      Reply

  54. Hi Liz. 😀
    I would love to thank you for all your likes. Greatly appreciated. But what I appreciate much more is the extraordinary lengths that you have made in producing such delightful and divine posts. I cannot comment on each post as all I want to do is taste your food. You have a new follower 😀
    So from a single bachelor in sunny Spain who is a danger to himself in the kitchen …. keep baking !! Ralph xox 😀

    Reply

    1. Hi there Ralph,
      Your blog is full of humour, thank you for making me laugh. Thank you so much for showering me with praise. I know it comes from the bottom of your heart, so I accept it. You can taste everything you want. Just make sure you don’t leave the plates empty. Thank you for following me. I shall also do the needful.
      I kept on wondering where that bachelor pad is based, now I know. I wish I could say hallo in Spanish, unfortunately I can’t speak any Spanish. I read that post on how to treat a lady but all I could do, was laugh long and hard. Thanks for visiting my kitchen and enjoy the rest of your week!
      P/S Did you find my coat? I am still looking for it!

      Reply

      1. I really think that you had better read my reply about your coat …… or perhaps not 😀 Thanks for visiting my blog and your kind remarks here.

        I am sure that your next post will be just as tasty as all the others that I have read. I am looking forward to it Liz 😀

        Reply

        1. Thank you Ralph for visiting me at 6.02 am, I am sorry I was still asleep. However, I hope you helped yourself to some muffins and or perhaps you preferred the Corn Bread and some soup?
          Thank you for all your kind words. I really appreciate and look forward to interacting with you. My Best Wishes to Sonic the cat, and the other cat! Wish you a lovely day!

        2. You looked so cute when you were asleep 😉 As I have a sweet tooth I went for the muffins. I couldn’t find the coffee though as I didn’t switch the light on. And may you have a lovely day as well Liz. 😀

  55. Hi Liz,
    Am thinking of hosting an international food fair on my blog with guest posts and reblogs for 2 weeks in September. Would you be interested in being part of it?
    Let me know:).
    Sonal

    Reply

    1. Hi Sonal
      That sounds wonderful. Please explain to me how it works. What entails a guest post? Have you done that before? When in September? Maybe I can participate if there’s ample notice. Thanks, Sonal.

      Reply

      1. I am still working on the details. I am looking more into 2nd and 3rd week of September. May be you can share a savory or sweet recipe from canada(right?) or your country of origin..a family recipe to share :). Guest post is generally, you will send me draft of your recipe with pictures under your name. I will post on my blog under your credit and introducing your blog to my audience. Or your can post it on your blog on the assigned days and I will reblog on my blog from that link.
        Sonal

        Reply

        1. That sounds good. Keep me posted of the details then I’ll see how I can fit in depending on how busy I will be. I shall try by all means to participate. Thanks and have a goodnight!

    1. Omg thank you so much for thinking about me and showering me with not just one but a couple of awards. I feel very honoured. I shall check out just now. Wish you a wonderful week!

      Reply

    1. Omg, what a barrage of Awards! All that, for me?
      Thank you so much for thinking of passing all these awards to me. I really appreciate your kindness and I am greatly honoured.
      Wish you a wonderful week!

      Reply

  58. Gotcha! 🙂 I am glad I found you ’cause of our same goal. Let’s cook along. Nice posts by the way.
    I’m gonna try them one of these days.
    kissesfromhome.wordpress.com

    Reply

    1. Thanks for visiting me too. I am so glad we have the same goals, too. Thanks for all the compliments.
      And by the way thanks for that post on PicMonkey I shall be trying to make my own header, thanks to you. If I get stuck, I shall give you a shout. Have a lovely day!!

      Reply

    1. Ha ha thank you so much for finding the postings yummy and for liking what you’ve seen so far. I hope to see you many more times in future. Have a fantastic week, ahead!

      Reply

    1. Best moment award? that sounds very interesting. I shall certainly check out the post to see it. Thanks so much for nominating me. I feel very honoured. Wish you a wonderful Sunday!

      Reply

    1. Thank you so much for stopping here. I have been to your Blogger website but couldn’t leave a message because it requires a google account.
      You are the right person to talk to regarding choosing Blogger over WordPress and vice versa. What made you migrate back to Blogger. This would be a great learning point for me. Please let me know if you can. I would really appreciate!

      Reply

      1. Yeah, sorry about the Blogger posting issue. Google wants everyone to jump on the Google+ bandwagon, hence the restriction.
        I chose Blogger over WordPress because of the unlimited amount of pictures I can upload to my Google account through my smartphone, which I use to take my food pictures with. The pictures upload directly to my Google account and I can just pull them up when creating new posts. There is a size restriction for the photos, but I’m fine with that. All the pictures you see on my website are from my Google account.
        So in short, because of the unlimited photos, I chose Blogger initially, since last year. However, the Blogger templates are for sure tricky to understand as they aren’t exactly intuitive, and have a lot of personalization issues that you will have to give up on, hence why I dabbled into WordPress briefly last month. I tried to import all my posts from Blogger into WordPress but I ran into a lot of problems.
        Thankfully, I did some more research on ‘prettying up’ my Blogger template and now I think it looks more along the lines of what I want. I learnt a few tricks along the way, so if you ever decide to jump onto the Google+ bandwagon, you can give me a shout, maybe I’ll know how to help you.
        I’m probably not going to use WordPress anymore after August, so please contact me through my website.

        Best,
        – J

        Reply

        1. Thank you so much for all this useful information. So does that mean that I cannot have a google and wordPress account at the same time? My intention was to have both although I got stuck with Blogger templates so never went beyond the homepage. You should tweak your account to give more options for logging in to leave a message. I like using open Id or name/URL option when I get out of wordPress and venture into blogger. I wasn’t able to comment using Name/URL on your site! thanks and wish you a wonderful weekend!

  64. Thank you for liking my ham hock photo. The company used it for the label in Australia. I was very happy with the shot as I was the food stylist and photographer, which I enjoy very much.

    Reply

    1. Omg I wish I could learn some food photography tips from you. I just bake and cook for leisure and have never figured what to do with a camera except point and shoot. I didn’t even know there is a title called “Food stylist”. I think that is what I should have studied before starting a food blog. Anyway thanks of much for leaving this note and wish you a wonderful weekend!

      Reply

    1. Wow Fae, what a pleasant surprise from a versatile blogger like you.
      I really appreciate that you thought of me and my action is just to accept, graciously, and to thank you so much for this kind act of honour.
      I also want to thank you for supporting my blog and for giving me many likes on Facebook. I wish you a wonderful weekend!

      Reply

  67. Thank you for liking soup recipe. This means a lot to me and totlly inspires me to want to share more recipes. 🙂 I totally love the way you photograph your food too.:)

    Reply

    1. Thank you too, for visiting my blog and for leaving this kind message behind. I really appreciate. Please keep on sharing recipes. I shall be there to look at them and encourage you.
      Thanks for loving my photos, too. I am so very grateful. I wish you all the best and will keep my fingers crossed for you. I’m sure November 13 is just around the corner. Keep us posted when you finally arrive. All the best and my best wishes to your wonderful family!

      Reply

  68. Hi Liz,
    Thanks for stopping by my blog, I really appreciate it. Yours is amazing and the photos makes me crave the photographed food! 🙂

    Reply

    1. Thank you so much for the kind words. I am glad you like the blog and the photos. Makes me have reason to continue blogging. Thank you too, for liking my posts. I wish you a fantastic week!

      Reply
  70. Pingback: Shine On Award | fotog foodie

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