Nutrition boost (or rather, I am riddled with Mommy guilt and have found a small way to reduce said guilt)

Left to my own devices I would probably never have tried to make my meals more nutrient dense but since I have kids and therefore Mommy guilt, I have been known to find ways to sneak in a little extra nutrition to food my kids will actually eat. 

Before your eyes start to glaze over in a haze of "Oh here we go, another diet lecture" let me say this:

I promise I will NEVER lecture anyone on how they "should" eat.  I am still battling with my life long weight struggle and have been told by many people what I "should" do and having suffered this myself, I would never, ever dream of telling others what they should do.  I have days where the kids eat carbs, cheese, yogurt and sugar without a vegetable in sight, but on the days I have a little extra time or fore sight, I try to do what I can.

My 4 year old son will eat just about anything or at least try things.  Our issue with him is that he will eat waaaay beyond the point of being full, a physiological trait he has no doubt been unlucky enough to inherit from me.  My 2 year old son can survive on goldfish and yogurt for days.  He is the reason I started having to be sneaky.  One of his very favorite breakfast meals is a Smoothie.  Everyone has their own smoothie recipes I'm sure, but this is how I make Ian's and I smugly admit I feel like I've pulled one over on him every time he gulps it down. 

Sneaky Smoothie (or: The Green one!)

In a blender: (this seemed glaringly obvious to mention but never the less...)
1 banana
5-6 strawberries
2 cubes of spinach puree **
1/2 cup frozen mango or peaches

1/2 cup 0% M.F Greek Yogurt (I like Liberte brand, less bitter than other's I've tried and the 0% also has NO sugar and HIGH protein)

I use a bit of liquid Stevia to sweeten this but you could use honey or sugar.

1 tbsp. ground flax seed (I have a little coffee grinder on the counter I use for grinding flax seed, this is an easy boost to sneak into pancakes, muffins, smoothies etc.)

appox 1 cup of milk, pour some milk in, get blender going and if it needs more, add more until it's a consistency you like. 

A tip-blueberry's are good too BUT, purple smoothie is a lot harder to clean up and get out of clothes and if your kids are like mine, it's not if they spill, it's when.

** A note on Purees:  I have cooked up and pureed several veggies and I freeze them in icecube trays and then dump in a ziploc bag.  This allows me to sneak in a nutrient boost to other things too.  For example, sweet potato or Butternut squash in a grilled chees or in Kraft dinner. HOWEVER, please don't get the idea I'm always boosting their food.  I do it when I can, I try to make the effort but all parents know some days we just get by never mind the sweet potato!

Happy Cooking!

A Confession...

A sledding day

As a Canadian, it is assumed that I love winter and all the lovely outdoor activities associated with winter.  This is not the case. I like winter, but what I like about winter is the hibernation aspect.  A cozy evening with a nice fire, pyjamas and comfort food, staying warm inside while the elements batter away outside.  To be fair, there are aspects of the outdoors I do like.  I like taking the kids sledding but not actually doing any sledding myself.  I like walking in the cold with crunchy snow under foot, but only by choice and if I'm dressed for it.  I like how quiet it is outside on a winter's night when the snow is falling and muffling all other sounds.  I also like the magic of a white Christmas and therefore I wouldn't trade snow and winter for a second.  But here's my confession: I hate skating. 
This may seem like a small thing but in my particular geographical circumstance it is frowned upon.  I live in Canada and should therefore like skating.  Not only that, I live in Ottawa, home of "the world's longest outdoor skating rink"-the Canal.
http://www.canadascapital.gc.ca/places-to-visit/rideau-canal-skateway
Worse still, I live in a neighbourhood that the Canal runs through!  I just had to get this albatross off my neck and confess to the world that I hate skating!!  It hurts my feet! It hurts my back! It's cold out and you fall! And unless you carry your boots with you, your stuck miles away from your damn boots and have to endure the torturous journey back to the hut where your boots are being held hostage.  My idea of a trip to the Canal involves no skates for me!  For my kids, sure.  They don't do anything but fall in a 5 foot radius anyway so we don't have to chase them.
Despite my avarice for skating we will most likely hit the Canal this weekend where lovely husband will put on skates even though it's cold out and his feet hurt and his back hurts and he may fall because that's what we do for the littles.

The perfect scone (if I do say so myself)

There are a few things I decided I wanted to be able to make that were THE best.  Scones are among that list, so after a few hits and misses over the years I think I've come up with a damn good scone recipe.  These are based on an Irish recipe with a few changes along the way.  It's an easy recipe to whip up on a Sunday morning and you can use the base recipe to make an infinite amount of flavour combinations.
I had a request from a good friend for this recipe to be featured so, Mike and Kathryn, here you go!

Sunday Sweet Scones

In a food processor: (use a large bowl and a pastry cutter if you don't have a food processor but for god's sake, get out and buy a damn food processor!)
2 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1/3 cup sugar
approx. 1/2 tsp. fresh ground nutmeg (you can use pre-ground if that's what you have but try the fresh nutmeg, it's heavenly!)
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons veg shortening.
Whiz around in the food processor a couple times until butter and shortening are blended (or work yourself into a sweat with the bowl and pastry cutter)
In a 1 cup or larger glass measuring cup:
3/4 cup of cream (I use 10%)
1 egg
Mix the two together with a fork, turn food processor on and add liquid through spout.  The mixture will come together quickly and form a ball.  Stop processor and dump out onto a floured surface.

At this point you have many flavour options.  You can leave them plain, you can add raisins as I've done here because that's husband's favorite, you could do lemon zest with dried cranberry, you could add fresh blueberries or strawberries.  Really, the sky's the limit here.  Flour your hands up well and add raisins ( or whatever flavour you choose)  to your liking.   Then I pick up dough and make a ball, put in on a cookie sheet and flatten out with palm of my hand until about 1/2 inch (2 cm) thick.  I bake it as one big, round scone and slice afterwards.  You could also roll out on floured surface and use a glass to cut out round shapes if you are so inclined, too much work for me.
Bake 350 for 25 minutes or so but check after 20 minutes.  Once it starts turning a light golden brown it should be done.  If you overcook it will be too dry.
These are good plain, or with butter or butter and jam.

Happy Cooking!

Himself did the cooking part, I did the pyjamas part.

Another busy weekend has flown by and it's back to the races for our little family.  This past weekend John made dinner on Saturday and Sunday nights and I just supervised...from a distance, in my pyjamas, with a glass of wine.  He did most of the dishes too, he must want something..or be up to something...or both!  Actually it's just because he's awesome, but for god's sake don't tell him I said that! 

However, I did do some baking with the lads whilst in our jammies and have a delicious banana bread recipe to share.  This recipe is my Mom's but I've made a few changes.  My Mom was, and is still currently, not a lover of cooking or baking but she had a few tried and true treasures we all enjoyed and this banana bread was something we always looked forward too.  So if you've got some sad looking, over ripe banana's at home give this recipe a go.

Banana Bread and/or Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

In a large bowl:
1 cup white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

In a meduim bowl:

1 lightly beaten egg

3/4 cups milk

1/4 cup oil

3 mashed bananas

Add liquid to dry ingredients until mixed, batter will be lumpy.  Put in greased loaf pan, bake 350 C for 45-55 minutes.

If you choose to go the muffin route, add chocolate chips last and pour into greased or lined muffin tin (makes 12) but reduce cooking time to about 25 minutes.

Happy cooking!

Easy Guacamole

Now, I do not for a second think I make the best Guacamole, I had to look up how to spell it correctly so that pretty much takes me out of the running, but I do make a yummy and easy guacamole.  This is usually just a treat for me because John won't even consider tasting it, Owen has tasted but declined eating it and Ian just likes to dip carrots in and lick off some guacamole. However, ignoring their reviews, it is darn good.
Anyway, here's the recipe:


Guacamole

In a medium bowl:
2 ripe avocados
squeeze of lemon juice from 1/2 a lemon
2 tbsp of your favorite salsa
a good handful of fresh cilantro roughly chopped up
a pinch or 2 of salt (to your taste)
some fresh ground pepper
a dash of cumin
a dash of chilli powder
** I actually have measuring spoons that are "a smidge, a dash and a pinch ", when 1/4 teaspoon is too much these are the amounts I'm referrring too.  Truthfully I don't usually measure but I did in this instance to be able to provide a recipe.

You can use a fork and mash it all together which is what I do when making it just for myself, but if you're making a bigger batch feel free to use a food processor.
To keep in refirgerator, make sure you place the avocado seed on top of the guacamole just pushed down a bit and cover with plastic wrap.  I learned this trick from my husband's co-worker who's husband is from Mexico and is an expert on such things as guacamole.

You can eat it up with some tortilla chips or I like to spread it on a fresh tortilla, slice some tomatoes and cheese or if you have it, chicken breast and have a yummy lunch.

Happy Cooking! 

A Mommy Guilt Moment

I know this Blog is about my love of cooking for my family, but it's also going to have to encompass just loving my family because they're kinda what I do (besides the working and the blogging and the whining).  So, I wanted to just say a word or 2 on Mommy Guilt because it seems that from the moment I got pregnant with boy #1 I was thrown into a world of "You should!" and the ensuing guilt that immediately follows failing at the "You should!"'s.  Not a day goes by where I don't think "Oh my God, I am going to screw these kids up".  Sometimes it's a big issue (How do you explain Christmas and Jesus to a child when you're not sure you believe it yourself?) and sometimes it's a small thing (I should have made him wear a sweater today, it's colder than I thought, he'll probably freeze getting off the bus and walking 10 feet to the caregivers and it'll be all my fault because I didn't make him wear a sweater!)

Lately I've been chatting with a friend of mine who is also a Mommy of 2 little boys, and we are dead honest with each other about how hard being a Mommy truly is and how we think we're failing everyday and how much guilt we carry because loving these babies so much makes us hate that we can't be perfect for them.  We talk about how carzy it is that women compete and judge each other instead of supporting each other and being honest.

While dropping #1 off in the kindergarten yard I saw yet another example of this Mommy guilt perpetuated by other Mommies.  One woman came to drop off her older daughter and brought her 3 week old baby along.  The previous day she wore baby in a sling under a massive winter coat.  Yesterday she had baby in a stroller all bundled and adorable.  This Mommy is the real deal.  The one we wish we could all be.  She stays at home, she is kind, she is patient, she has those little tissue packages in her pockets.  On a good day I carry used, dirty, snot filled tissue remnants. Anyway, I was admiring baby in her stroller and she comments on how she knows she "should" have baby in a sling but it was much warmer today and she prefers the stroller.  It was sad too see her doubt her parenting because she is so amazing!  And then another Mommy comments "Oh, she's in a stroller" and poor, lovely Mommy was stumbling over herself again saying she knows wearing baby is what she "should" do.  She was quivering under that judgmental look from another Mommy.  You know the one, we've all seen it and immediately felt that inadequate Mother feeling.  But why should lovely Mommy even have to consider explaining how she chooses to get her 4 year old to school while taking along a 3 week old baby? 
Mommies of the world unite!  Be kind to yourself, be kind to each other and when you are having a good day, offer support and if you are having a bad day, ask for support.

On that note, if the best we come up with for dinner is Cheerios or grilled cheese on some nights then celebrate the fact that you managed to feed your family and don't feel guitly that you didn't get them to eat their vegetables.  Cooking fun, healthy meals in my pyjamas is something I wish I could do everyday but somedays it's just Cheerios in our house too.
J.

Sunday Roast Dinner

Growing up, we usually had a nice roast dinner on Sunday nights.  My Grandpa would come over and there was almost always dessert too.  John and I have enjoyed making Sunday Roast a tradition in our home as well.  Before we get into recipes and pictures, I have to admit I did not do the cooking this past Sunday.  John and I have developed a cooking labour division that is unspoken, yet works well for us.  I do roast chicken, he does roast beef,  I do baking, he does barbecuing, I do lasagna, he does spaghetti sauce, I do dessert, he does gravy, I do the whining, he does the "yes dear"-ing.  A well oiled marital machine to say the least.
In any case, John made a fantastic Roast Beef Sunday dinner with all the trimmings.  I did not do dessert (for shame!), I went sledding with the boys instead.  And by sledding I mean standing at the top of the hill cringing in fear and shouting "Be Careful!" everytime they shot down the hill.  When we got back home the smell of the roast cooking was pure heaven, I highly reccomend you do this dinner, this Sunday.

From John:

Roast Beef

1 Good Quality Roast (Top Sirloin, Prime Rib, Tenderloin)
Make a paste with 1/3 cup of lard (tenderflake, crisco etc.), 1 tablespoon each of dried mustard powder and Montreal steak spice and spread it on top of the roast.  Peel two or three onions and cut in a cross about 1 cm deep on each end. 

 Bake at 350 for approximately 30 minutes per pound of meat.  A meat thermometer will allow you to get the exact wellness you prefer (of course proper roast beef is cooked rare).When the roast is done to your liking, remove from the pan and set aside on a platter covered in foil to rest.  Remove the onions (you can serve them with dinner) and heat the drippings on the stove top.  If there is a lot of non-fat liquid, you can cook it down for a while. 

When the remaining fat is hot, make a roux using white flower (don't make it too dry) then begin adding beef stock in small increments whisking as you go.  Eventually you will have wonderful gravy.

Yorkshire Puddings

A roast beef dinner is not complete without them.

1 cup white flour
1 1/4 cups milk
3 eggs
pinch of salt
Several grinds of black pepper.
Vegetable oil

Whisk all the ingredients together to create a thin batter. Use either a muffin pan or a cake pan. Pour vegetable oil to cover the bottom of the cake pan or each of the muffin spaces.  55 minutes before eating place the tin in the oven to heat the oil.  45 minutes before eating, take the tin out of the oven and pour batter into it (all into a cake pan or about a third of a cup into each muffin space). Do this quickly.  Put it back into the oven and bake 45 minutes.  Protip:  Put the muffin or cake tin on a cookie sheet to keep oil from spilling onto the bottom of your oven.

Mashed Potatoes

You can mak 'em how you like 'em, but I reccomend yellow potatoes (Yukon gold).  When cooked add butter (the more the better) and a drop or two of milk.  Beat with a hand mixer until smooth.  I like to add pepper too.

Well folks, now you have the master's tricks, hope you all have a go at Sunday Roast Dinner!  And yes, it was damn good.
Happy Cooking!