Keeping up with life

At an event last week, I got to speak with several other moms of young kids and the conversation turned to food. The other ladies all agreed that keeping up with the family meals is difficult in the best of times. Where are the sales this week? Where is the best produce? Can I fit a grocery run in on my lunch break? Does cereal for dinner more than one day a week mean I'm a bad mother? It's so interesting to learn about other families' situations and how other moms deal with challenges. And it's comforting to know I'm not the only one who freaks out a little at meal times.

I like to think I have my life together most of the time. But this week has been a doosey. And what has suffered the most (aside from my mental fortitude)? Our family lunches. I usually do the job of planning, preparing and packing lunches. Which I love to do and have a natural inclination for...plus my partner in parenting does almost ALL the cleaning. I know, I've got it good!

Anyway, the food planning has been an increasingly important job as we budget our time and money. The morning rush is tough on us and our almost-fifteen-month-old tike. Thankfully, she stays with my mother for the day so even when I'm not on my food game, Nanny has it covered. She loves our little gremlin like her own (or perhaps even more) and she has duplicates of everything: diapers, cereal, treats, sippy cups, etc. It means I can be lazy about packing a bag for the day if I want or need to. Be that as it may, I still like to have things planned and assert some initiative in the healthy diet of our family.

I make at least one big-batch recipe a week which is used for several meals. I roast or steam vegetables and have those on hand in the fridge. And I often have fruit and some snacks packaged up on stand-by (like already-cut-up strawberries, Nutrios or other cereal, or yogurt). Processed foods are limited and we offer drinks like water, milk and only real fruit/veg juice like this one. I make smoothies with yogurt, fruit and vegetables. It can take up to an hour each night to get things in order for the following day for the baby...not to mention the two adults in the house.

All that prep really helps with the mornings and the short half hour evening window between getting home and getting baby to bed before she explodes in screaming tantrums of tiredness. It's a challenge every day. We do splurge with a treat out but usually on the weekends for time's sake.

Sometimes, though, even the best intentions fail and this mama slips up. This week, vegetables have been overcooked and even burnt, chickpeas have been used as a protein several times despite baby not really liking them, and I even sent a frozen salmon fillet in the lunch bag with cooking instructions. One night, I was very thankful for pierogies I had pre-made and frozen the other week...and even more thankful that the kiddo ate it up like it was the best food she'd ever eaten.

So I try to remember my Girl Guide days and the motto Be Prepared. But sometimes, you just gotta go with the flow. Even if that means cereal for dinner.

Pumpkin pancakes

Fall is in the air as we near October and I picked up some pumpkin to celebrate. There was a lot of puree so I was hoping our baby would love it. She ate it, but it didn't seem to thrill her. There were no reactions to the pumpkin, though, so I was determined to make good use of it on the whole family.

I've also just discovered Pinterest...and although I know I'm late to the game, it has consumed my before-bed Internet browsing and given me a lot of inspiration for some DIY home projects, as well as cooking and baking ideas. There is a flood of fall pins lately and the Food and Drink board is full of pumpkin recipes. I saw pumpkin pancakes and was smitten. Though I wanted to try a lower calorie and lower fat version which preferably didn't have eggs, since we haven't yet tried eggs with our daughter. I found this recipe through SparkPeople and tried it this morning. It was a hit! We ate it up and so did Charlotte. She has been loving feeding herself, putting bite-sized pieces of food in her mouth and chewing them. This is the first "recipe" food she's had and I'm thrilled to say she ate it (and it was something I made!).

Here's the recipe in case you'd like to try this seasonal breakfast:

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup soy (or regular cow's) milk
 2 tbsp baking powder
1/2 cup mashed, cooked pumpkin
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp apple cider vinegar (or white if that's what you have on hand)


In a small bowl, combine the milk and vinegar. Wait about 5 mins until it curdles which is "like" buttermilk.

In a medium mixing bowl, mix together the water, pumpkin, spices and extract with the milk mixture mixture. Add in the other ingredients and mix until it is just combined (don't over-mix). Let rest about 5 mins, which is about the amount of time it will take to warm up your pan or skillet. Then stir the mixture again and you can start ladling out your pancakes. Wait until their bubbly on top (like regular pancakes) and then flip.

These tasted pretty good for vegan pancakes, though next time I think I will add more pumpkin, more spices and some brown sugar for sweetness. Some reviewers on the original post suggested the same and also to add agave nectar, walnuts or banana for different flavours and textures.

The recipe also yields quite a few pancakes so there were enough left over to freeze for baby's (and Daddy's) breakfasts later this week.

Squashed mac & cheese

I was looking for recipes on Spark People and was inspired by this one for butternut squash macaroni and cheese. It seemed like a great way to get an extra veggie into a dish and also lighten up a traditionally high-fat - but very comforting - meal. I decided to make the recipe for Mother's Day dinner with the family but couldn't find butternut squash anywhere. Not even frozen. But I did find a spaghetti squash so I bought that and figured I'd try adapting the recipe to suit. The end result turned out better than I expected and everyone loved the dish. Here's what I did:

First to cook the squash, I cut it in a half, pierced the skin and baked it in a shallow amount of water in the oven until it is soft and browned. You can find lots of ways to cook a squash online including video tutorials.

Then I scooped out the flesh of the squash with a spoon. It does look a bit like spaghetti but more like thin rice noodles. I put the squash in a strainer to drain the liquid off while I prepared the rest of the dish.

I cooked macaroni (gluten-free for my mom & sister) and some frozen peas for colour and put that aside, too. Then in a big pot, I combined some milk, nutmeg, cayenne pepper, crushed garlic and some shredded cheddar cheese. You could use more or less of any ingredient as you wish. More cheese is always yummy but also not as healthy so I tried to strike a balance and used about a cup. I wish I had used sharp or old cheddar cheese because I think the flavour would have been better. So I'll make sure to do that next time!

The macaroni and squash was stirred around with the mixture in the pot until it was all combined and gooey. I put the mixture into a casserole dish and topped with some shredded parmesan cheese. You could top with breadcrumbs, too, if you'd like that crunch.

Then I baked the whole thing for about 30 mins until it was bubbly and browned. When served, you couldn't tell the melted cheese from the squash strands and the squash's taste wasn't detectable. Next time, maybe I will try to up the healthy (and protein) factor by combining some soft tofu in with the cheese mixture. This would also be a great dish for a pot luck & would freeze well. There will definitely be a next time for this dish!

Mega Muffins

I'm trying a healthy kick and part of that is figuring out a good way to start my day with a healthy breakfast. There's only so much cereal, fruit and yogurt a girl can eat. Plus I want something that I can eat on the run. Something I can eat on the run without resorting to fast food or pre-packaged treats. There is one snack that is the answer to all these conundrums: muffins! I found this recipe from Canadian Living which I love because their recipes are 'tested until perfect.' The recipe seemed to have all the major items I need to start my day (aside from coffee). These muffins have hearty oats, fruit, protein, and fiber.
The recipe starts like those for many baked goods: combining wet and dry ingredients separately. Then you combine them gently into the same bowl. Though these muffins have lots of grains and oats, they stay moist with the help of grated apples and milk. Without a lot of butter or margarine, they are pretty heart-healthy and I've added some ground flax for an extra healthy kick.
The recipe makes just about 12 muffins, if you fill each muffin tin up to the very top to allow for a yummy outter crust.
Bake the muffins in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out with just a few crumbs. Let them cool in the pan 5 minutes then transfer them to a rack to cool. Your kitchen will smell fabulous and you'll benefit from having tons of goodness baked into a tiny package. They also freeze well; wrap the muffins individually in plastic wrap before sealing in an airtight container or freezer bag. To thaw, microwave for 20 seconds, or let thaw overnight in the fridge.

You could substitute other items such as grated carrot or banana for the fruit for a different tasting muffin. And feel free to experiment with substitutions for the currents such as raisins, chocolate chips, or other nuts or dried fruit. All yummy!

Mulligatawny Heaven

I've started a new hobby with a friend of mine who wants to start leaning how to cook better, healthier food for himself. We've begun getting together every so often and, while we catch up with each other, we try a new recipe together. It's socializing and cooking and eating...all of my favorite things! This time we tried mulligatawny soup which is a curry-flavoured soup with a lentil base. You can add chicken or shrimp if you'd like but we left it plain 'ol vegetarian. Here's what we used:

1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup chopped onions
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons garam masala
1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 bay leaf
2 cups (or one can) lentils
4 cups low-salt vegetable broth
1 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

First, take your onions and start them frying in the oil until translucent. Then add the garlic and start that going too. Then take each spice and add it one at a time to your onion/garlic mixture. Just wait a few minutes in between each addition. This will allow the spices to "bloom" and you'll layer the flavours while letting them build and intermingle with each other.

Then add your lentils and mix them into the mixture. Let them heat up with the spices and onions and garlic. Your kitchen will smell amazing! Then add in the stock and let the whole thing simmer 20 minutes. Then add the coconut milk and lemon juice. Here comes the fun part...then you blitz the whole thing with an hand-held blender or in batches in a regular blender.

And now you have soup! It's a hearty soup, even though it's blended smooth, and all those spices make it extremely aromatic and yummy. This should make enough for a couple meals and it can be frozen for lunches and future meals.

Switch it up: cookie edition

So remember the thrill I got when I discovered Skor toffee bits? I had a similar feeling when I re-discovered white chocolate chips in the supermarket this weekend. I just had to have them...and make something with them. I decided on a fail safe recipe: reverse chocolate chip cookies. They're chocolate cookies (thanks to cocoa powder) with white chips. There isn't much butter and only one egg so it makes a stiff batter that's easy to handle. Bonus? They're also easy to freeze. I have a feeling my co-workers are starting to get wary of all the baked goods I'm bringing them. Hey, I like baking...but I also don't like gaining weight, hence why I offer goodies to other people. So I baked half this recipe and then froze the rest in a log for easy baking in a pinch.

Here's the easy peasy recipe:

1/2 cup butter (softened)
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 pk (226 g) white chocolate chips

Cream together the butter and sugar until blended and smooth. Whisk the egg and vanilla in a small bowl and then add to the butter mixture and blend in. Gently incorporate the four and baking soda. Then mix in the cocoa powder and finally the chips. The batter will be tight and easy to mold. To bake, drop onto a ungreased cookie sheet (about 1tbs cookies) and bake at 350 degrees for 9-11 minutes. I found 9 minutes fine but ovens differ. Just be sure to watch the cookies because it's difficult to tell if they're too dark or burning! Once they're done, let them cool on the cookie sheet about 2 minutes before removing. The cookies will be cracked but if you don't over-bake them they'll still be chewy. These will store well baked, or free unused dough sealed tight in plastic wrap. Wouldn't your co-workers love some of these?

Cookie Sheet

Shepherd's Pie

Given a copious amount of ground beef and some cold weather, a girl needs to think quick to make use of the situation. There are only has so many options for a filling, cozy, easy, tasty dinner. Shepherd's Pie is one of my go-to recipes for such an occasion. It even gets bonus points because it tastes awesome as leftovers and freezes well. It's not so much a recipe as it is a process. You can adjust amounts to your hearts desire, to fit your serving dish, or to fit your appetite or palate. Here's what to do:

Chop up an onion, two carrots and throw in some frozen peas and corn. Sweat all that in a frying pan until the onions are translucent. Then take add some salt and pepper, some chili flakes and whatever other seasonings you want really. This time around I added turmeric and some parsley.

Take your ground beef (or a mix of beef and/or pork and/or turkey works well too) and cook it with the veggies until the meat is browned.

You will also need boiled potatoes, either leftover or newly made. Mash up the potatoes with some butter and milk until they're creamy. Then it's time to assemble. Take a pan like a casserole dish or a lasagna pan and spread the meat mixture on the bottom.

Then spread the potatoes on top. You cover all that with a bit of shredded cheese.

Bake in the oven about 15 mins (everything is cooked already) and then broil for about 10 more until the top of the pie is golden.Voila! You have a hearty and delsih meal that will feed many and keep for a while. The above technique is my way of doing it but please experiment with your own variations. A layer of corn is a great thing - as is more cheese. More cheese is always good!

Man your breading stations!

So I'm a food lover and a geek...

We had some great cod the other night and I decided to pan fry it with some homemade breading. There are many ways to bread fish (or chicken, pork chops, veggies, etc.) such as with flour, beer batter, or panko but I do it with seasoned breadcrumbs. Here's my tried and true technique:

My "breading stations" includes an egg mixture (two eggs slightly beaten, with a dash of salt and pepper) and a breadcrumb mixture (stale bread blitzed into crumbs, with some herbs and Parmesan).

First flour your fish (or whatever you're having). Seriously this makes a difference so don't skip this step!


Then dunk it into the egg mixture.


Then dunk it into the breadcrumbs and press the crumbs into the fish so they stick.


Then fry (in a bit of oil) until the fish is golden brown on both sides.


Tip: you'll know the food is ready to turn in the frying pan because it won't stick anymore. Food will tell you when it's ready. Fish may fall apart because it gets flakey when it's cooked. This breading works really well for chicken and pork cutlets which keep their composure and cook quickly as to not burn the breading.

For the breadcrumbs:
I have lots of little bags of leftover goodies in my freezer. When there's a heel of bread left or bread starts going stale, I freeze it. To make the breadcrumbs I use my food processor and blitz the heck out of some frozen bread (this time it was sourdough).


If you have leftover crumbs (not used and not touched by raw meat) you can store them for next time...guess where? In the freezer!


Additional tip: label whatever you're storing so you're not stuck with a million little baggies of white stuff (is it egg yolks? cream? stock?) and date them so you know when you should probably chuck old stuff. I speak from experience: I recently found a large chunk of what I think is (was) Sheppard's pie but neglected to label it so your guess is as good as mine!