Category: Food

Meal Plan Monday – March 4th Edition

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It’s that time of week again… the time when all of last week’s drooling over recipes I want to try culminates into a very practical list of not those foods to feed my family.

This one is a little up in the air because my boys are heading out of town Wednesday night for an early March break Florida adventure with their grandparents. I really want to take advantage of their absence by exploring some new eateries, but that requires clothing and I’m a fan of lounging around in my comfies after a day of work.

Here’s what we’re dishing up, in no particular order:

  • taco dip with tortilla chips and fresh veggies
  • DIY pizzas
  • burgers
  • maple glazed kielbasa with handcut, oven baked wedges and a salad
  • jerk-chicken, handcut sweet potato fries and salad
  • tomato soup and french bread

Next week could be interesting… I find cooking for two to be a challenge. .. because I’m lazy. Shoot me some ideas before I work on next week’s plan! Give a girl some pointers… please?

Monday Meal Plan: February 25 Edition

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This weekend felt like a whirlwind of activity and not a lot of productivity. I hate weekends like that. If I’m going to be busy, at least let’s get things done! It looks like the next two weeks may be following the same trend, but productivity is a key component of the busyness – breakfast meeting tomorrow, some client catch ups, clinic appointments, office hours, school commitments, etc.

Our week started off with a gong-show of a Monday morning. Ontario has been hit with some blustery (don’t-blow-away) winds and wintery whiteout conditions. Certain regions are closing ALL the roads, pulling their plough operators off the roads, and multiple-car pileups are being reported. We were lulled with winter’s ease so far and it decided to boldly remind us that yes, it is still actually snow season in Canada in February. Spring? What spring.

One of our local zones had buses cancelled and then fortuitously, I decided to check whether our bus route (not in the affected zone) had been cancelled as well. I (along with most other parents on this route) felt a little confused because we had just been sent a notification that our buses were running… but our route had been nixed for the morning. Eventually, the other routes in our zone were cancelled as well, and I say good call on this one. It’s miserable out there. It did, however, end up being a quietly accomplished day in the office (and there was no one home to tell J to turn off SpongeBob.) Win.

So keeping in mind the chaos and commitment that is our life this week, here is my anticipated meal plan.

  • Coconut Lentil Soup with veggies and toast on the side.
  • Sweet potato pork shepherd’s pie
  • Dinner Out (date night!)
  • Burgers in Toronto (weird, right? We have an appointment at SickKids, but we get a per diem to take the kid out to eat the night before and they put us up in a hotel so we’re not fighting traffic to make the early clinic time.)
  • Peanut Chicken Stir Fry or Chicken Satay – something like that
  • Salmon Burgers (because I still haven’t made them…)
  • Brocolli penne alfredo

Here’s a related question for you… what food bloggers or recipe sites do you recommend? Are you following them on Facebook? Instagram? Pinterest? Share your favourite places to find new inspiration!

Book Review: Hope Blooms

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I shared a link to this organization on my Facebook page a few weeks ago after briefly exploring the digital copy of the book I was provided. I actually requested the title on a whim – and I’m so glad I did! I enjoyed the preview of the digital Hope Blooms copy so much that I ordered a physical, actual book to hold in my hands the same day. (You may recognize some faces and names from their pitch on Dragon’s Den – just a small step in their story.)

While tackling many of the same issues of yesterday’s book review – social inequity, poverty, diversity, etc. – this non-fiction work chronicles the hope that’s been found in North End Halifax through gardening. The Hope Blooms organization’s history and impact are chronicled in a beautifully written portrayal of community, mentorship, and team-work providing ways to overcome food insecurity, health issues, and socio-economic imbalance.

This was a book that moved me to tears – it’s not a difficult read and it’s not a long read. It’s replete with photographs of the youth involved in the venture and filled to the brim with stories of hope, promise, and foundations laid for a better future. It is a tale of education, social enterprise, equipping, growth, victory, and success. It’s a story of a group of someones seeing the potential, the dream, and doing what is needed to not only better their own lives but the lives of those around them. It’s a success story of inclusion, equality, empowerment, and social enterprise. It is a reminder that from a small seed comes a big harvest. A definite must-read – especially for Canadians and those who want to impact their youth and their community. (Bonus, the recipes included look delightful. We’ll try the jerk fish tacos one day!)

Now to plan a visit Halifax to get my hands on some of those dressings… (that’s a long way to go for some salad dressing!)

I was provided with a complimentary copy of this title via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

Published by: Nimbus Publishing
Publication date: October 31, 2018


Book Review: The Sugar Smart Cookbook for Kids

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I have to curb my impulse to purchase cookbooks and magazines featuring delicious looking recipes. I don’t have the space in our small home to properly store the hordes of food-related gadgets and books that I could easily adopt. Gratefully, I didn’t feel guilty about this one as it was complimentary via NetGalley… and I was provided with a digital copy.

The quick and straightforward dishes from The Sugar Smart Cookbook for Kids by Georgia Varozza will have you plating familiar food in no time – with no strange ingredients and less added sugar. Our big win? Pear and Cheddar Crisp.

Written in a neighbourly way with well-categorized listings, this cookbook is not overwhelming, but it also may not wow you. I’m a very visual person when it comes to cooking – some photos may have jazzed things up. It’s a good basic resource for standard kid-friendly meals with a healthier twist and a strong encouragement to switch out highly processed foods for whole grains and made from scratch meals.

The one disqualifier that I will post here that was not included in my Goodreads review is that I find healthy and nutritious very subjective. Overall, these are fairly healthy recipes… if you’re okay with higher fat, you’re not vegetarian, you aren’t avoiding gluten or dairy, etc. You may have to make some swaps to make it work for your family, but it’s a start and if you don’t know where to start and rely heavily on convenience foods, this may be a good one for you. I didn’t find it overwhelmingly different than many of the recipes we’re already using.

I received a copy of this title via NetGalley courtesy of the publisher and/or author. All opinions expressed are my own.

Publisher: Harvest House Publishers
Publication Date: March 5, 2019

Meal Plan Monday: February 18 Edition

Published on by Lindsey B.2 Comments

Ignore the fact that it’s Tuesday… I scheduled this post wrong.  No excuses…

We’re not doing anything too exciting this week as far as meals. I am going through one of the spurts where I don’t want to be creative in the kitchen. I want quick and easy and as few complaints as usual. Some of the recipes are new-to-us but still fairly basic.

  • Meatless: rice noodles with veggie stirfry and veggie spring rolls (I’ll shortcut these with a box of frozen PC spring rolls)
  • Green chicken & rice (from The Sugar Smart Cookbook for Kids – I was given a digital copy to review via NetGalley in exchange for my reviews – hard to review without testing out some recipes!) We’ll serve with steamed mixed veggies
  • Kaleb’s pick – soft tacos or burritos or something similar
  • Justin’s pick – salmon burgers (from the Yum & Yummer cookbook) with cucumber mango salad (these are a holdover from last week that we didn’t get to!)
  • Teriyaki boneless chicken bites, hand cut fries, veggie sticks
  • leftover ingredient day – mashed potatoes or twice baked potatoes with whatever meat and veggies we still have hanging out in the freezer and/or fridge – a pretty basic variation of meat & potatoes

At some point in the week, I’ll also make a pear & cheddar crisp (recipe also from The Sugar Smart Cookbook for Kids.) We don’t often do dessert, but it’s a nice treat once in a while.

What are your go-to classics or shortcut (but still healthy-ish) meals when you’re just not wanting to put in extra effort?

Sweet Potato Muffin Experiment

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I had two organic sweet potatoes sitting on my counter just waiting to be used. My family is not a huge fan of sweet potatoes for a multitude of reasons – it’s annoying. I didn’t want these to go to waste. It’s another snow day here as well and I thought muffins with a blend of spices and sweet rich undertones might be delicious. Cue the experiment.

Sweet Potato Muffin Experiment

Ingredients:

  • 2 medium sweet potatoes, cubed, steamed and mashed
  • 3 tablespoons water
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup oil (I used olive because it’s what I had – canola or vegetable would work)
  • 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cups liquid honey
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice blend
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Prepare jumbo muffin trays (lightly oil or line with parchment or muffin cups.)
  2. Peel your sweet potatoes and cut into 1″ cubes. Steam or boil until soft.
  3. While your sweet potatoes are cooking, measure and whisk together your wet ingredients. Set aside.
  4. Measure and sift your dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
  5. When your sweet potatoes are soft, remove them from heat and mash. Allow them to cool slightly.
  6. Slowly add your wet ingredients to your dry ingredients, mixing with a wooden spoon or spatula. Mix well.
  7. Add your sweet potato mash to your mix. Mix well.
  8. Spoon evenly into prepared muffin top trays.
  9. Bake at 350°F for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the top of a muffin comes out clean.
Fresh from the oven…

After preparing, I taste tested. The recipe that inspired these called for almost 2 cups of sugar… no, thank you! I think you could increase the honey to 1 cup if desired. I was personally okay with the level of sweetness and fresh out of the oven they were delicious with a pat of butter. They could, however, definitely use a bit more spice – so flavour away to your heart’s content. The additional spice is not included in the recipe. Next time I’ll add extra cinnamon with the spice blend. Overall, these muffins are a satisfactory, subtly flavoured cold-weather treat. Delicious for breakfast or lunch when winter is blasting away, served with an almond milk chai latte. Your house will smell amazing!

Note: I used jumbo muffin pans (similar to these) in my experiment and they yielded 11 good sized muffins (12 if I had divided my mix evenly.) That being said, it would be simple enough to bake in a bundt pan, loaf pan (or 2), or regular muffin tray. Just adjust your baking time accordingly. (More for bundt or loaves, probably less for smaller muffins.)

Meal Plan Monday: February 11 Edition

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Meal planning was soooo boring this week. I actually love trying to decide what to feed the family (in advance – not the actual day of. I hate trying to decide the day of.) This week, however, in an effort to stretch the paycheque a bit further (ahem, bathroom reno!) I took stock of everything left in the freezer. We didn’t need to buy any meat… so that’s good, but I don’t think I was as creative as I might usually be.

New cookbooks!

This disappointment may be spurred by the fact that 3 new cookbooks made it into our home over the last few days. I ordered Justin the Kid Chef book off of Amazon, I impulsively bought the Yum & Yummer one at Costco, and found a $2 copy of the Country Living Farmhouse Kitchen Cookbook on the clearance rack at HomeSense over the weekend. We have new recipes to explore for days and weeks and months!

Our meal plan this week is leaving an exception for food court food on Tuesday (dentist appointment at the mall right at the dinner hour) and a possible Valentine’s excursion with Justin & Kevin if Kaleb actually makes it to ski club this week. (Praying it won’t be cancelled again!)

Here’s our menu in no particular order:

  • grilled cheese & salad (possibly some broccoli cheddar quinoa bites with these. I had plans to make them yesterday, but plans went awry!)
  • eggs, toast, bacon, and fruit salad (Kaleb’s meal)
  • broccoli cheddar soup, salad, and fresh bread (Justin’s meal)
  • Ribs, hand-cut potato wedges, and veggie sticks (“Kevin’s” meal – I made him pick this one!)
  • Jerk pork quesadillas with salad (I have jerk pork left over from Saturday to use) – our meatless Monday meal will not actually be today
  • Asian salmon burgers (the recipe is the Asian Tuna Burger from the Yum & Yummer cookbook, but Justin read that you can substitute for salmon and decided he wanted to tackle two meals this week! I think we’re on to something!)

We still have some turkey strips and some bacon-wrapped medallions in the freezer if at any point we change our mind… plus, the remains of the 15lb bag of potatoes that doesn’t seem to be getting smaller! Options… so many options.

I ran out of time to do a full grocery shop… and again, am trying to stick to a food budget of sorts. I decided to use PC Express for our shopping. Our local grocery store has some amazing staff picking and packing and it just makes life so much easier in a hurry. Another bonus is that I strictly shopped from my list without the temptation of all the sales, end caps, and clearance racks. I loaded my cart online before bed one evening and picked up the next day at a set time in a designated parking spot with a quick phone call. I opted for no bags and just made sure I had laundry baskets in the trunk for easy unpacking of the cart. Bonus, they gave me a valentine and some chocolates as thanks! (Grocery shopping is always better with a Lindor at the end…)

Meal Plan Monday: February 3rd Edition

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How is it February already? Last week it was so cold and I didn’t want to leave the house. Today it’s plus 8°C and it feels absolutely spring like! It makes me want to garden… mmm, rhubarb, lettuce, and zucchini, oh my! (Pretty much the only things I grow with any success… plus the crazy walking onions that do their own thing!)

Yesterday after church we had some brocolli cheddar soup that I had picked up from a local restaurant that I love. (They freeze and sell their soups!) We paired with a fresh cheese loaf from a local bakery. So good! Comfort food…

One of my goals lately has been doing the whole meatless Monday thing… but only at breakfast and dinner. Lunch still tends to involve meat for both kids. Baby steps. My decision has more to do with hiding things like beans in food and getting more veg in without complaints than any real altruistic motives. Whatever works.

Our meal plan this week will look something like this.

  • veggie samosas and mango salad (tonight!)
  • double stuffed turkey taco sweet potaoes and salad
  • frozen pizza and veggie sticks (K’s meal)
  • roulades with garlic mashed potatoes and whatever vegetables are hiding in the crisper
  • chicken wings, bacon poutine, veggie sticks (J’s meal)
  • jerk pork, rice, salad
  • jerk pork quesadillas and veggie soup

Because we’ve been doing so well sticking to the grocery list and the plan lately, I am giving myself leeway to do convenience food if I need to. I have some evening meetings to get to right at the dinner hour and other extra commitments here and there in general. No guilt. A fed family is as high as I’m aiming some days!

Mealplan Monday: January 28th Edition

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Last week, I did really well sticking to our mealplan with just one big variation. Success! Our mystery meal last night was a thai chili glazed salmon plated with a colorful baby spinach and red pepper stirfry, and a savoury rice & quinoa mix. The youngest cleared his plate in a quick blink of the eye. The eldest chose to eat leftovers from the night before. {Boring!}

This week I’m experimenting a little and have also requested buy-in from the men. They each chose a meal and will be helping to prepare them. Not all the choices are healthful, so I’ll be trying to bring some veg and colour and balance to our plates or making healthier subs where possible.

Our flavour loaded plan this week includes:

  • Creamy White Bean and Tomato Soup (vegan!)
  • Turkey Taco Salad
  • Homemade Burgers
  • Justin’s Pick – Mac n Cheese Bites with Cucumber and Cauliflower Breadsticks
  • Kaleb’s Pick – Turkey Strips, Handcut Fries and Fresh Veggies
  • Kevin’s Pick: Homemade Pizza and Salad

What’s on your menu board this week? Anything new and exciting? Any standby family faves?

Happy eats!

Comfort Cooking: Potluck Favourites

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On occasion, our church will decide to host a potluck luncheon. While sometimes this makes my “ick” radar go off, for the most part, it’s never been a problem. My measure of success? No one’s gone home with food poisoning…

These events always leave me a little stressed, however. I’m usually scheduled for something else at the church and the timing issue leaves me in jitters. I don’t want to have to wake up at 5 a.m. to start cooking a casserole or preparing a slow-cooker dish. My go-to is usually a bunch of frozen meatballs & sauce (dump, toss, and heat!) or a salad.

Once in a while, I want something different, and I go to our family comfort foods (meals that 3 out of 4 agree are tasty) and prepare the day before. I’ll let the kitchen staff worry about heating! For some reason, these comfort foods are always rich and flavourful, and maybe not very healthy. For the potluck today, I made a shepherd’s pie yesterday. I’ve always wondered if it’s truly shepherd’s pie though, as I don’t use carrots & peas but opt for corn, and occasionally something else thrown in the mix.

My shepherd’s pies are never actually the same, which is one of the joys of the dish. Today’s casserole includes a mix of peaches & cream corn with leafy greens on the bottom. The next layer includes a flavourful mix of ground beef sauteed with onions, garlic, and steak spice, then tossed in a gravy of choice. (I cheated and used a packet of peppercorn gravy mix from the grocery store this time.) The final layer is a creamy topping of mashed potatoes – seasoned as you wish. I chose to leave them rustic (i.e. I didn’t bother peeling them) and used my beaters to “mash.” I toss it in the oven to bake when I’m ready to use it as a meal – whether it’s immediately after preparing or sometime in the future.

Other potluck favourites include layered nacho dip (super easy!), crockpot meatballs (as stated), Caesar salad (a classic), slow cooker pulled pork (it always disappears), jerk pork bites (not for the faint of heart), slow cooker scalloped or roasted potatoes, and Italian pasta salad (not a family favourite, but again, easy to make.) If it wasn’t a church potluck (the organizers ban soups and provide desserts themselves), I would consider adding my meatball soup or no-bake cherry cheesecake to the mix.

I know there will be extra bodies in the service today, so I’ve also prepared a second dish. It is a Thai Quinoa salad of sorts – peanutty dressing, lots of veg, and quinoa tossed together. I figure it’s {maybe} healthier than my shepherd’s pie and won’t take space in the church ovens.

I’m basing my efforts off these inspired recipes, but didn’t have cabbage on hand so it’s more of a kitchen sink project – brocolli, carrots, cucumber, pepper, and spinach: Ambitious Kitchen Famous Crunchy Cashew Thai Quinoa Salad and Cookie & Kate Crunchy Thai Peanut & Quinoa Salad. Great way to empty out the crisper!

What are your family’s comfort foods? What is your go-to potluck dish?