Valentine’s Brownies with Buttercream Frosting & Heart Sprinkles

February 11, 2013 Leave a Comment
IMG_7690

I am not a big baker.  I love to eat baked treats, but I prefer if someone else makes them for me :). I like to cook and try new recipes, but it feels like there is more 'flexibility' when it comes to cooking.  When I decide to bake something, I worry that I am not going to measure out an ingredient properly and make a mess of the whole thing. That is why this brownie recipe has become my go-to.  I made a Christmas version based on the original recipe I found online, and more recently tweaked the topings to make a Valentine's version with little heart sprinkles.  Here it is... (PS.  It's kind of cheating...slightly....just a little wee bit)! Valentine's Brownies with Buttercream Frosting Ingredients: 1 box Betty Crocker Fudge Brownie Mix (see, just a little wee … [Continue reading...]

Filed Under: Recipes Tagged With: , , , ,

3 dinners-in-bags & a meal plan for the next 5 days

January 28, 2013
IMG_7752

Lately, I have found that there has been more conversation than usual amongst friends and on the www about meal planning, crock pot recipes, and healthy eating! Personally, I have been starting to think of what life with 2 kidlets will be like, seeing as we are now just 4 weeks from meeting baby #2!  Life with a toddler is plenty busy as it is and the thought of giving Portia as much attention as possible and nursing a baby all day, only to have to make (a healthy!) dinner for the family at the end of it all feels a little overwhelming to me right now.  I also just recently had to stop work and go on a medical leave due to sacroiliac joints acting up and pains in my pelvis.  I'm now limited to very small amounts of time that I can even be standing, let alone be walking around. So, … [Continue reading...]

Filed Under: Recipes, This & That

Toddler (and husband) approved Enchiladas

January 10, 2013 Leave a Comment
enchiladas

Last night I made Enchiladas for the first time ever.  They were delicious and took just over 30 minutes to prepare! Try them out this weekend and I guarantee they'll be a family favourite! The 'filling' for the tortillas. Ingredients: ~8 whole wheat tortillas ~ 3 COOKED chicken breasts (or you could easily grab a roasted chicken and use that if you're extra strapped for time!) ~1 & 1/4 cup frozen corn, defrosted (I rinsed them under warm water for 5 seconds and then just left the bowl on the counter until I neede the corn) ~1 can (organic) black beans, drained and rinsed ~ 1 red pepper, diced ~ 1 lime ~ 1/2 a medium onion, chopped ~ 1 can red (or green) enchilada sauce ~ 1 cup of mozzarella cheese, grated ~ 2 cloves minced garlic ~ extra virgin olive oil ~ salt … [Continue reading...]

Filed Under: Recipes Tagged With: , , ,

Super easy homemade pizzas

December 7, 2012 1 Comment
IMG_9470

I love pizza, but I'm lately I'm finding that delivery and take-out are getting more and more expensive.  Is it just me?  There is also nothing quite like homemade pizzas where you get to put all of your favourite toppings on (without the risk of being told "ok, but that item is one of our premium toppings and will cost ____ extra). My favourite crust is from Whole Foods, but it needs to rise and be rolled out and I never seem to get the thickness and shape quite right (and it's also from Whole Foods, which costs more and is not as convenient location-wise either).  So, I was really excited when I found a flatbread at Save on Foods (cheap and close-by) that can serve at the crust of a pizza! Added bonus... they are whole grain! I laid them out on baking sheets lined with … [Continue reading...]

Filed Under: Recipes Tagged With: , , ,

Dinner Inspiration: Cheesy Spinach Bowtie Pasta

November 21, 2012 Leave a Comment
IMG_7220

These days, my world revolves around easy weeknight dinner ideas.  Finding that balance between working full-time and being a mama is not coming as easily to me as I hoped it might when I returned to work in September.  I find myself scrambling on the best of days, no matter how 'prepared' I think I am.  There is something that happens in those moments from daycare pick-up to dinner preparation that throws me for a loop most evenings.  Toddler needs take over and I am often left with an increasingly smaller window of time to get something healthy into the belly of my sweet little 2 year old. So, whenever I find a recipe that I can pull off while repeatedly putting on and taking off a baby doll's hat (or all hell breaks loose!), I add that meal to my repertoire of 'KEEPERS'. Last … [Continue reading...]

Filed Under: Recipes Tagged With: , ,

Dinner Tonight: Salmon Tacos with Honey-Lime Slaw & Creamy Hot Sauce

November 10, 2012 6 Comments
salmon tacos

I made a really yummy dinner tonight that I thought I would share, because it was also super easy and I would go so far as to call it a "quick weekday meal".  Our 2 year old loved it as well, so I might even call it a "toddler favourite". ;) Ingredients 1 1/2  cups of finely sliced red cabbage 1 tbsp. honey juice from 1 lime 1 medium sized fresh salmon fillet Extra virgin olive oil Paprika Salt Pepper Fresh parsley 1 tbsp. Sriracha sauce (or your favourtie hot sauce, but the Sriracha has a special taste to it) 3 tbsp. light ranch dressing 8 flour soft-shelled tacos Slices of avocado Step 1: Preheat oven to 450°. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and set aside. Step 2: The Slaw 1 1/2  cups of finely sliced red cabbage 1 tbsp. honey juice from 1 … [Continue reading...]

Filed Under: Recipes Tagged With: , ,

Homemade (and whole wheat) Fig Newtons

October 21, 2012 1 Comment
IMG_6885

Growing up, we were rarely allowed 'treats'.  I'm pretty sure I did not know about all those delicious sugary cereals until I was in grade 1 and went for a sleepover at a friend's house.  Perhaps needless to say, I ate 4 bowls of lucky charms the first time I discovered them.  We never had cookies or chips in the house and the extent to our desserts was often strawberries dipped in sour cream and a little bit of brown sugar. (Super yummy by the way). On the rare occasion that we did have a treat in our lunch boxes, Fig Newtons were the treat of my mom's choice.  Those were some pretty exciting days, those Fig-Newton-in-our-lunch-box-days. So, when I found a recipe for homemade fig bars on my favourite recipe site foodgawker, I resolved I would attempt to make them. By the way, if … [Continue reading...]

Filed Under: Recipes Tagged With: , ,

Spinach Pesto: Healthy & Super Easy

August 13, 2012 4 Comments
IMG_6234

If you're strapped for time one night this week, I highly recommend trying this yummy and very healthy pesto.  Just stir it into some steaming hot noodles (I like to put it over the tri-colour vegetable pasta) and you have an instant meal. My toddler LOVES it! Last time she asked for 2 extra servings.  There's nothing quite as satisfying as a wee one asking for 'MORE!'. All you need is: Spinach, Basil, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Salt, Garlic and Chopped walnuts (optional).  Throw it all into a food processor and pulse away.  By the time your pasta has finished cooking, you will have the pesto made, ingredients put away and area all cleaned up.  Easiest dinner ever! The servings that I jarred are the perfect amount to mix in with a regular sized box of pasta.  Eat now or … [Continue reading...]

Filed Under: Recipes Tagged With: , ,

Dinner Tonight: Lemon Mustard Chicken

July 23, 2012 Leave a Comment
lemon mustard chicken

In case you are looking for some meal-time inspiration, I thought I'd share a very yummy recipe that we are having for dinner tonight. I found this recipe on All Recipes right here. I made some changes, as I usually do when following a recipe. I left out the bread crumbs and only used lemon, instead of lemon AND lime juices.  I think the lime would add really nice flavour though. Let me know if you try this recipe! Bon Appetit!       … [Continue reading...]

Filed Under: Recipes Tagged With: , ,

Rainy Days & Chicken Noodle Soup

May 21, 2012 Leave a Comment
Chicken soup

One of my fondest memories as a child/teenager was coming home after a long day of school and extra-curricular activities to the smell of my mom's homemade chicken and dumpling soup.  The aroma of the soup sitting hot in its pot used to instantly bring me to a place of calm and happiness.  In my adult life, and even more so now as a mother myself, I long for those peaceful moments of the younger days, when life was... simpler somehow.  Now, I am able to bring myself back to those feelings of calm and ease by throwing on my own pot of chicken soup. Why am I sharing this with you?  There is more to just the smell and taste of this yummy soup!  There's also the fact that all children seem to love the soup as much as I do, meaning, your kids are getting in a good hit of protein, … [Continue reading...]

Filed Under: Recipes Tagged With: , ,

To the Top