By Marie Fagan Peart | marie@haldimandpress.com
Food, animals, and travelling! Those are the
three things that Shannon Barnett is passionate about. Shannon is the owner of the Luxe Café in Jarvis where her love of food is on display every day – in the salads, sandwiches, cookies, cheesecakes – and the list keeps growing.
Her passion for food started to grow while she was at home recovering from injuries. She had time to cook, bake and create new dishes. At this same time, Shannon was considering a move away from her social services career. As chance would have it, the opportunity to take over the café came up. It was the perfect time to make that career change.
Shannon’s second passion for animals is shared by her husband, Shane. He said, “Oh we have a zoo at home!” They have two dogs and a couple of parrots as well as fostering rescue dogs for a couple of organizations. There is a huge commitment when working with rescue dogs as they have a wide range of needs and require people to love and care for them intensely while they heal. The dogs could be with them anywhere from one to three months. I asked how their own dogs reacted to new additions to the family. They were originally rescued dogs themselves, and they seem to adapt quite well to new dogs in the home. However, the downside to fostering is the emotional attachment you develop for the animals. It’s hard to let them go, so after each fostering period is over, Shannon and Shane take a few months off from fostering, to recharge.
This also allows them time to enjoy their passion for travelling. They have journeyed to other countries but also have enjoyed local day trips just as much.
The cookie recipe Shannon shared is a good basic recipe. You make them yours by adding in the ingredients you prefer. The chicken casserole is perfect for busy days. You can pick up a cooked chicken on your way home from work and prepare this casserole in minutes. Again, it provides lots of flexibility to meet the needs of every family. Enjoy!
General Cookie Recipe
1½ cups butter
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 Tablespoons vanilla
4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 cups of ‘add-ons’
Suggested add-on items: Chocolate chips, nuts, M&Ms, Skor bits, raisins, cranberries, etc.
Cream butter with the sugars. Mix in eggs and vanilla. Mix in flour and baking soda. Stir in add-on items.
Place tablespoon size scoops of dough on a cookie sheet.
Bake at 350°F for 14-15 minutes.
Note: Cookies may be made large or small but baking time will vary.
Chicken, Rice and Cheese Recipe
1 rotisserie chicken
Rice – however much you need for your group
1 tin cream of chicken soup
Garlic salt
Pepper
½ cup milk
Chicken broth
Frozen mixed vegetables (start with 2 cups)
Cheese (start with 1 cup shredded cheese)
Breadcrumbs (optional)
Cook your favourite rice per instructions on the package. Amount will depend on how many people you are serving.
Pull apart the cooked chicken into small bite-sized pieces.
Mix rice, chicken pieces, and mixed vegetables in a casserole dish.
Mix milk and condensed soup together.
Pour soup over ingredients. Add spices to taste. If needed, add some chicken broth. Mix.
Mix in cheese, reserving some to sprinkle on the top.
Sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Add breadcrumbs if desired.
Bake in a 350°F oven for about 40 minutes or until heated thoroughly.
