Today's lunch was brought to you by the letters A & B

Today's lunch for baby was avocado and banana. She ate it up!

Guess the secret for now is raw food so mama doesn't have to cook :)

 The happy camper! (She's learned to pose for the camera)

And then Mom made lunch with the leftovers! Fresh spring rolls with avocado, cabbage, carrot and lettuce (from the garden). Just roll it all up in rice paper rolls and dip in some soy sauce. Like a salad all rolled up. Dessert was banana!

Welcome baby brunch

Today we had a little get-together brunch to welcome our little girlie. We invited mostly family and a few friends who haven't met her yet. Our house is cozy (read: small) so I tried to have a buffet-style mix of offerings which accommodated as many palates as possible. I had veggie items, some meat (ham), and a few gluten-free foods. I finally got to break in a 3-part buffet warmer my mother gifted me for Christmas plus I put beans on the stove and a few cold salads (fruit, mixed greens & a pasta). I paired these items with coffee, tea and lemonade. For dessert, I offered mini lemon pies and a pumpkin rum raisin cake I made while pregnant and froze for just such an occasion. Finally, I put out some fresh flowers, a bright tablecloth and all-white serving dishes and plates which added to the Springtime and "new" feel. Thankfully we had a beautiful day to boot so we opened up the curtains and windows to let the sun shine in and fresh air fill the house.

Of course, I couldn't forget the main ingredient & star of the show: out little girl!

Best laid plans...

Last week I wrote about trying to stay on track with my meal plan and eat well during a particularly hectic week. I did OK, but my healthy eating plans didn't pan out nearly as well as I'd hoped. I have gained a pound or so back from my original loss due to not going to the gym once this week, and consuming some on-the-go fast food, delish pizza, and lots of coffee. I did manage to have a good amount of fruit and vegetables each day and not snack too much during my exam study period. I had forgotten how much snacking used to get me through the studying! The most important lesson I've learned is to accept bumps in the road, don't beat myself up about them, and move on from them.

The week capped off with Saturday's FEASt Fest where I helped the volunteer kitchen crew prep, prepare and feed just over 100 people for lunch. I even did dishes! It was a great experience and a very appropriate reminder of my love of simple food (plus a gentle nudge to get get back at it). Monday morning brought a renewed desire to watch what I eat, pack my lunch (a salad made with locally-grown lettuce), curb cravings and limit portions with Spark. I have gym plans for later and relaxation to center myself again before gearing up for the next rush. One day at a time!

 Our FEASt signature salad: millet (last year we used quinoa), chickpeas, beet, carrot, onion, raisins, lots of garlic, lime juice, coriander, and olive oil. All in my mother's huge bread-baking bowl!

See, I do dishes. Especially when there's an awesome industrial washer and sink!

Simple salmon supper

It seems life has been increasingly hectic lately. And when you're in a rush or swamped it's easy to forget your diet and health...and trust me that's the last thing you need! So here is a simple and easy meal idea you can whip up on a weeknight in between work, the gym, more work, volunteering, friends, the Internet and feeding the cat. Oh yea, and sleep. It's a basic salad and pan-seared salmon. Good food need not be intimidating!

Salmon is packed with good-for-you stuff and it's one of the fastest meats to prepare. What I tend to do the most is take a salmon fillet (I like tail pieces but you can use a steak), season it, and put it in a hot pan for a couple minutes a side. this time around I used my fail safe salt, pepper, and chicken spice rub. You can also use fresh herbs like dill or coriander, lemon pepper, or some maple syrup for some sweetness. For a 1 1/2 inch piece, cook the fish for about 6-8 minutes a side.

While the salmon is cooking, throw together a side salad with whatever you have on hand. Literally. Use anything! Lettuce, tomato and carrot are pretty common but feel free to throw in corn, raisins, spinach, almonds or fruit. It's all good for you and will probably marry pretty well on your plate.

Another thing I really love to do is make my own salad dressing. My basic recipe is two parts oil (usually olive) to one part vinegar (usually balsamic). Add in salt, pepper, whatever herbs you want and a little mustard to help it bind together. It's a tangy dressing that can be customized depending on what herbs, spices or type of mustard you have on hand.

The whole meal takes just over 15 minutes to put together and you have the peace of mind that it's good for you. So even if you're still stressed out from work, kids, or life you can rest assured you're body is well fueled. Of course a healthy glass of vino may help the situation too!

In food and in life, remember Plato's words: Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.

Pasta salad for lunch

I've been a littlle lax lately with preparing lunches. If I don't get lunches together either the night before or in the morning, we end up eating crap and spending too much for said crap food. But what do you do when you're sick of leftovers and sandwiches? The other night I decided to improvise with what was in my fridge and cupboard and make a nice pasta salad. You could use whatever you had but here's what I used:

Bowtie pasta (about 2 cups)

Cherry tomatoes (1 pint and cut in half)

Black beans (1/2 can, rinsed)

Green pepper (1/2 pepper, sliced thinly)

1/4 cup light mayo

2 tbs mustard

1/3 cup mozza cheese (cubed, could also use feta or shredded cheddar)

dash of salt & pepper, paprika and chili powder.

Cook the pasta as per directions on the package. Drain and put aside to cool. Then chop/prepare the rest of the ingredients. Put into large bowl and add the dressing ingredients. Mix and combine with the cooled pasta. Then divide the salad up into small covered bowls or reusable lunch containers. Presto - lunch for at least two days. It was easy and it'll be there waiting in the fridge!

Watermelon salad

Photo: Watermelon, feta and black olive salad. nigella.com

I made this take on a Greek salad last week for a dinner with friends. It's a great summer recipe and quite refreshing. Here are the details:

You'll need:

1 small red onion
2–4 limes, depending on juiciness
1.5 kg sweet, ripe watermelon
1/2 cup feta cheese
bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley
bunch fresh mint, chopped
3–4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup pitted black olives
black pepper

Slice the onion into thin half-moons and put them in a bowl with the limes' juice. Let soak for a good hour or more. The limes will mellow and become lovely pink.

Then cut the watermelon up into triangles/wedges about 1/2 inch thick. Combine in a large bowl with the parsley (torn) and the mint. The herbs are more like salad greens here than just flavourings. Then pour over the onions and juice, add the feta (crumbled into chunks) and olives. Add some freshly-ground pepper and a liberal splash of olive oil to combine everything together. Give a pice of salad a taste to make sure the seasonings are OK and adjust with more lime juice or oil as needed. Enjoy!

Salad improv

Last night we were zonked from work all day so we popped something in the oven from the freezer and picked up a ready-made salad at the supermarket. But just because you're too tired to cook a sensible meal does not mean you cannot eat sensibly. That pre-packaged salad can be something great if you just spruce it up a little.

The salad had mixed greens, strawberries, tomatoes and onions. It cost about $4 and had enough for four side-dish servings. With a little imagination and some help from a well-stocked pantry I added walnuts, dried cranberries and some boxed croutons for crunch. I dumped everything into a big bowl then dressed the salad with a packet of poppy seed dressing, which came with it, and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and honey for some zip.

Voila! A custom meal in no time and it was good for us to boot. Good doesn't have to be difficult.

Brown bag note: If you weren't terribly hungry you could easily save un-dressed portions of salad for the next day's lunch.