Squeeze the last lemony zing out of summer with this simple, classic dessert. One of my childhood favorites, for sure, lemon squares bring together two of what I consider to be the best flavors, ever: lemon and butter. The dense, crumbly shortbread base is chock-full of butter, creating the perfect prop for the tangy citrus topping with its delicate, sugar-dusted flaky top.

Talk about a mouthful. This is a suped up version of my traditional (and somewhat famous) oatmeal raisin cookie recipe. In addition to the loveliest plump organic Thompson raisins, I’ve added  a handful of crushed cashews to boost the crunch factor, and malt-sweetened carob chips to amp up the melt-in-your-mouth quotient.

Yes, it can get expensive feeding your family organic, whole, healthful food, but you don’t have to break the bank in order to do so. Baking and cooking your own meals and snacks is s far more cost-effective way to eat well. And I don’t know about you, but I’ve had it with paying $7.99 for a 500g bag of organic granola.

This time of year, zucchini are in full bounty – we’ve had nearly half a dozen in our weekly CSA food boxes over the past two weeks. And there’s only so much ratatouille one can eat. With the end of summer looming, I wanted to bake something that would make use of the copious amounts of zucchini we’ve got, and could also make a healthy snack to send in lunches.

Apple crisp is a favorite across many households and generations within my family. And as the air cools off as we march along toward Autumn and the harvest,  this cozy dish seems like the perfect treat, with fresh, organic apples from Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley, and spices of cinnamon, allspice, and the tiniest dash of ginger for that warm, comforting feeling. I adapted this recipe from my mother’s by adding some spices and melting the butter for the crumble topping.