Chocolate Caramel Pretzel Bites

I write the school newsletter for my daughter's preschool. It's a labour of love. Every issue I include a recipe from one of the families that go to the preschool. I put a call out a couple months ago for a newsletter recipe and my friend Laurie sent me this. As soon as I read it I ran out and got waffle pretzels, Rolos and pecans. Then they sat in my cupboard... until today. (Not sure why but perhaps the fact my kids have been trading the flu back and forth for 2 months might have something to do with it!)

I was looking for a little sweet snack to send into work with my husband on night shift, those poor guys need a little sugar around 3am to make it through, and that's when I came across the Rolos in the cupboard. I'm not even joking here, 5 minutes later they were done. No mess, no dishes to wash, and even though they went in the oven, I'd hardly call this baking. SO freakin' easy! And did I mention delicious? Yeah, they're good. Thanks Laurie!

Chocolate Caramel Pretzel Bites

Waffle Pretzels
Rolos or other Chocolate Caramel candies (Caramilk Secrets would be awesome)
Whole Pecans

1. Place as many waffle pretzels as you'd like on a parchment -lined baking sheet.
2. Top each pretzel with a chocolate caramel.
3. Put in a preheated 350˚F oven for 2-3 minutes or until the candies are just softened.
4. Remove from the oven and immediately press a pecan into the melty candy.
5. Pop in your mouth and fall in love.

Meatballs and Marinara

There is just something so comforting about a plate of spaghetti and meatballs isn't there? And man-o-man did I ever need some TLC this week! The flu hit our house pretty hard. My little germ magnet, Emily, brought the flu home with us from our trip to Great Wolf Lodge (a 2 year old getting sick at a water park... why didn't I see THAT coming?) and passed it on to me. I very rarely get sick so it hit me like a ton of bricks. After I had it it went to my 4 year old and then the baby. Needless to say it's been a rough week of laundry, carpet scrubbing and bathroom bleaching.

When I was finally feeling well enough to eat something other than toast I wanted my favourite dinner, spaghetti and meatballs. I know what you're thinking, meatballs are time consuming to make, what with the mixing, kneading, rolling, frying in small batches, etc... Pfft! Who needs all that, I've simplified the whole process to make it fast and less messy and greasy! (And less painful, I never fail to burn myself when splattering grease is involved.) You can make these as spicy or mild as you like and serve them with whatever kind of pasta your family likes.  Buono appetito!

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Meatballs and Marinara

for the meatballs:

1/4 c Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1 egg, lightly beaten
3 tbsp cream (I use half and half, but heavy or light would work)
1/4 c grated parmesan cheese
1 tbsp hot pepper flakes (optional)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
fresh ground black pepper
1 lb lean ground beef

for the marinara:

2 med carrots, diced small
1 onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced small
1/2 c chicken broth
1/2 c tomato paste
1 16oz can of diced plum tomatoes
2 tsp dried basil
salt & pepper to taste

1. In a large bowl mix the bread crumbs, egg, cream, parmesan, hot pepper flakes, garlic and salt and pepper until combined.
2. Add the ground beef and mix using your hands jut until everything is incorporated. (Over-mixing makes tough, dry meatballs)
3. Roll meatball mixture into 1" balls (or use a 1" scoop) and place balls on a cookie sheet. Bake in a preheated 350˚F oven for 20-30 minutes.
4. In the meantime, sautée the carrots, celery and onions in a light drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil for 5 minutes.
5. Add the chicken broth and simmer over medium heat for another 5 minutes or until the veggies are tender.
6. Add the tomato paste, diced tomatoes and seasonings. Simmer over low heat.
7. When the meatballs are done. remove from the cookie sheet and add to the tomato sauce.
8. Serve over cooked pasta of your liking and top with parmesan cheese.

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enjoy!

Easy-Peasy Stove Top Mac & Cheese

I am so depressed. It was looking like spring was just around the corner, then I woke up to a fresh foot of heavy, wet snow that shut down the highways and closed the schools the last day before March Break (are you kidding me?!). And then to top it off, my oven has broken. Something is wrong with the thermostat, it just keeps getting hotter and hotter and burns everything (wah!). The only cure for this: comfort food. Bring on the Mac & Cheese!

I am waaaay too impatient for the "in the oven with bread crumbs on top" kind (perfect considering my oven has gone on strike). When I want Mac & Cheese I want it fast, so I make a stove top version that's creamy, cheesy and makes my husband look at me with that "look", you know the one. The one that says "Go buy any pair of shoes you want... with my credit card.". (where did you think I was going with that? This is a FAMILY site! Geez!)

I start with a basic béchamel sauce (don't be scared) and melt a few different cheeses into it to make a rich, velvety soft cheese sauce. My kids prefer macaroni for this but any short pasta like penne, rotini or "scoobi-doo" noodles will do.

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Easy-Peasy Stove Top Mac & Cheese

3 c uncooked macaroni (or other short pasta)
1/4 c butter
1/3 c flour
1 c milk
1/2 c Cheez Whiz
1 c Velveeta
1 c shredded cheddar (I use marble)
pinch of paprika
salt & pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Cook pasta to package directions.
2. In a large pot or saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.
3. Add flour and stir to combine. Cook flour/butter mixture, stirring frequently with a whisk, for 3-5 minutes or until flour has developed a light golden colour.
4. Reduce heat to low and slowly add milk, whisking constantly until everything is incorporated and the sauce is smooth.
5. When the béchamel has thickened to the consistency of cake batter, add the Cheez Whiz and Velveeta. Stir with a spoon until cheese has melted.
6. Add the shredded cheddar and stir until melted.
7. Season with paprika, salt and pepper to taste.
8. Add cooked pasta to the cheese sauce and heat through. Serve with a side salad or fresh, crusty bread.

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enjoy!

"Soup-er" Easy Chicken à La King

Some nights I like to get all retro, thrown on my bell bottoms and fringe jacket* and make a retro dinner that reminds me of my youth. One of my faves: Chicken à la King. The name alone conjures up images of tupperware parties in my head!

This super simple recipe came from my mom. Anytime we had a roast chicken (always on a Sunday), on the following Tuesday we'd have this made with the leftovers. If I have leftover chicken I use it, if not, I grab a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store. They're the same price as buying an uncooked chicken without all the hassle! Just rip it up, and if you have too much make some chicken salad sandwiches for lunch, it's the meal that just keeps on giving!

My mom always served Chicken à la King two ways: over white rice (more retro deliciousness, who needs whole grain?) and over puff pastry cups (mmmm Pepperidge Farm!), both ways are totally yummy.


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"Soup-er" Easy Chicken à La King
serves 4

2 c. cooked, chopped chicken
1 can cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 can cream of celery soup, undiluted
1 small can of peas and carrots (or 1 c. frozen)
1 can of milk (use empty soup can and fill with milk)
salt & pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Add all ingredients to a pot.
2. Simmer over med-low heat until hot and bubbly.
3. Serve over cooked rice, or puff pastry.

How easy was that!?

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* Okay, I don't have a fringe jacket, but if I did I could totally rock it!


enjoy,

Cinnamon Buns (Clone of a Cinnabon)

Well it just figures my first post of 2011 would be something like a Cinnamon Bun, especially since my New Year's Resolution was to lose my baby weight! But look at that thing, who could resist it? Cinnamon Buns are one of the only "dessert" type food (aka anything sweet) that my hubs will eat, so I like to indulge him now and then.

I never attempted to make Cinnamon Buns before hubs got me a bread maker for my birthday, not that I thought I couldn't do it, I'm just lazy that way (I've got 3 kids eh!). With a bread maker this recipe is crazy-easy. It does all the kneading and rising and all I have to do is watch!

I found this recipe on allrecipes.com and it claims to be a clone of the Cinnabon Chain Cinnamon Buns, and it totally is. I made a couple of modifications to make it easier and I found the original cream cheese frosting way too cream cheesy tasting. What I got is AH-MAZE-ING.

On a Sunday morning there's nothing better than a warm from the oven Cinnamon Bun to go with my skinny latte (I'm watching my weight yo), but this recipe is so easy you could have them any day of the week!

I made big ones for me and hubs and little ones for the kids
picture taken with my iPhone, excuse the quality!

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Cinnamon Buns (Clone of a Cinnabon) adapted from allrecipes.com

Dough
1 cup warm milk (110˚F/45˚C)
2 eggs, room temperature
1/3 c margarine, melted
4 1/2 c bread flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 c white sugar
2 1/2 tsp bread machine yeast

Cinnamon Spread
1 c brown sugar, packed
2 1/2 tbsp ground cinnamon
1/3 c butter, softened

Frosting
1/2 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 c butter, softened
1 1/2 c confectioners' sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt

1. Place ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select dough cycle; press Start.

2. After the dough has doubled in size (when the cycle is done) turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, cover with a tea towel and let rest for 10 minutes.

3. In a stand mixer, beat the softened butter, brown sugar and cinnamon until combined.

4. Roll dough into a 16" x 21" rectangle. Spread dough with the butter/sugar/cinnamon mixture leaving a 1" strip along the edge furthest from you bare.

5. Roll up the dough and cut into 12 rolls.

6. Place rolls in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking pan. Cover with a tea towel and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes.

7. Preheat your oven to 400˚F (200˚C).

8. Bake rolls in preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes.

9. While rolls are baking, beat together the cream cheese, butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract and salt. Spread frosting on warm rolls before serving.

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enjoy,

Toffee Shortbread Meltaways

Christmas to me means shortbread. My grandma always had rolled shortbread cookies around the holidays. My favourites were the stars (yes they taste different!). I love the buttery richness of shortbread. I love it plain and I love it with add ins like fruit and chocolate.

A good friend of mine brought me some of these cookies in a care package when I had my second daughter 2 years ago. After trying 1 cookie I emailed her begging for the recipe. They are incredibly delicate, soft cookies with a hint of toffee flavour. I have a hard time eating only 1 or 2 of these at a time, if I'm having coffee I can make 6 of them disappear!

Give them a try this Christmas, your family and friends will love them!



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Toffee Shortbread Meltaways adapted from the 2006 Robin Hood Baking is Back booklet
1 c. butter, softened
1/2 c. icing sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 c. all purpose flour
1/2 c. corn starch
3/4 tsp baking powder
1 c. Skor toffee bits

Instructions:

1. Beat together the butter, icing sugar and vanilla.
2. In separate bowl combine flour, corn starch, and baking powder.
3. Add the butter mixture to the flour mixture and combine, stir in toffee bits.
4. Roll tablespoonfuls of dough into balls and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, about 2 inches apart.
5. Bake at 350˚F for approx 12 - 15 min, until lightly golden. Let cool on pan for 5 min.

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enjoy,

Smartie Bars

I'm on a candy (bar) theme this week it seems (have you seen my Toblerone Shortbread and Snicker Squares?) and I'm okay with that. I have a pantry full of those little boxes of Smarties left over from Halloween (my weirdo kids have decided they don't like Smarties anymore) and they were driving me nuts. So I googled "Smarties" and came across this recipe from Chelsea Sugar.

The recipe is like a chocolate macaroon cookie topped with more chocolate and smarties. Uh... yum! The bottom is soft and coconutty (oh yeah, I'm trademarking that one) and the top is chocolatey and crunchy. The perfect balance.

It's festive looking and appeals to kids and adults alike... I'll bet even Santa would love them!

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Smartie Bars adapted from Chelsea Sugar

1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. light brown sugar, firmly packed
1 egg, beaten
1 c. shredded coconut
3/4 c. flour
2 tbsp cocoa
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 c. chocolate chips
2 packs Smarties (50g each)

1. Preheat oven to 350˚F. Line an 8" x 8" pan with waxed paper.
2. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over a low heat. Add the brown sugar and mix until smooth. Take off the heat and cool for 5 min.
3. Stir in egg and coconut.
4. Sift the flour, cocoa and baking powder together and stir into the mixture. Mix thoroughly. Pour into the pan and spread evenly.
5. Bake for 15-17 min or until just firm when touched in the centre. Remove from the oven.
6. Sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly over the top. Return to the oven for 2 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle the Smarties over the chocolate, then press down lightly with the back of a spoon*. Return to the oven for 5 min. Place the pan on a rack to cool. When cold, cut into squares.

* Make sure you press down all the smarties into the melted chocolate otherwise they'll fall off when you cut the squares.

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enjoy!

Granny's Banana Bread (with a twist)

I don't like cooked bananas, but one of my favourite things to make is banana bread. The smell is heavenly and it's a great way to use up bananas that are about to go bad cause my kids have gone on a sudden banana strike after I bought 6 of them. (Infuriating!)

Luckily the kiddos and most of my extended family loves banana bread and are only to happy to take it off my hands once it comes out of the oven. Banana bread is one of the smells I always associate with my grandma's house. She always had some on hand. So naturally I use her recipe when I make a loaf. I used to make it exactly as she had it written but over the years I added my own spin on it: a few extra spices, a cinnamon-brown sugar topping and occasionally, chocolate chips if my 4 year old happens to be helping (she wants to put chocolate chips in everything... I taught her well).

This is a great back-to-school lunch box addition. Give it a try and tell me if it's not totally yummy... I dare you!

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Granny's Banana Bread

2 eggs
1/2 c vegetable oil
1 c sugar
2 c flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
3 ripe bananas, mashed
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla

brown sugar topping

1 tsp cinnamon
1/3 c brown sugar
2 tbsp butter, melted

Instructions:

1. Mix together the eggs, oil, sugar and vanilla.
2. In a separate bowl mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg.
3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix just until incorporated.
4. Add the mashed banana and mix to combine.
5. Pour into a greased loaf pan.
6. Melt the butter in the microwave and add to the sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle over the top of the batter.
7. Bake at 350˚F for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.

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you have to eat it with a little schmeer of buttah!

enjoy!

Chocolate Cavity Maker Cake

I have no idea know what to write here. I seriously contemplated just letting the name of this cake speak for itself. Chocolate. Cavity. Maker. Cake. 'Nuff said? No? Okay.

I was puttering around online looking for a dessert to make to take my mind off my husband painting the nursery. I'm the painter in the family but my husband has banned me from paint fumes and any sort of physical activity greater than making dinner (thinks with his stomach!) so as not to go into premature labour. I hate not being in charge of this project, especially considering he's never really painted anything and I keep hearing things like "I suck at this." and "Oh crap!" coming from upstairs. I was going insane. So I thought baking was the way to distract myself. I was considering a recipe when I started reading the reviews and the name of another recipe jumped off the screen like it was on fire. Chocolate Cavity Maker Cake. I couldn't Google fast enough. I swear, the 2.3 seconds it took to do the search felt like 35 years. And there it was, in all it's perfectly simple, fudgey, delicious glory. I got excited and hit the print button about 7 times and ran to the store (okay, I drove, it's far) and was making this cake about 17 minutes later.

I have never had such a moist and fudgey cake. It is rich without being TOO sweet and has just the right amount of chocolate to make you weep. It doesn't need icing, a light dusting of powdered sugar, some whipped cream or some ice cream compliment this cake wonderfully.

Give it a try. You'll thank me later when you come out of your chocolate coma!

Look at how moist that is!

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Chocolate Cavity Maker Cake from allrecipes.com

1 (18.25 ounce) package dark chocolate cake mix
1 (3.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix
1 (16 ounce) container sour cream
3 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup coffee flavored liqueur
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350˚F . Grease and flour a 10" Bundt pan.
2. In a large bowl, combine cake mix, pudding mix, sour cream, eggs, oil and coffee liqueur. Beat until ingredients are well blended.
3. Fold in chocolate chips. Batter will be thick. Spoon into prepared pan.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour, or until cake springs back when lightly tapped.
5. Cool 10 minutes in pan, then turn out and cool completely on wire rack.

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enjoy!

Double Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Cheesecake Frosting

This has been one crazy summer. We've traveled, done some home renos, had visitors and are trying to get ready for our little man's arrival. The heat has been killer too. Figures I'd be pregnant during the hottest summer we've had in a few years. All this has led me to be neglectful of my beloved blog! (and my sweet tooth) But being pregnant has it's advantages, like cravings stronger than the 30+˚C weather. Last night my hormones said "Heat wave be damned, we want cupcakes!" So cupcakes were made. I had a strong desire for chocolate and peanut butter so I went looking for a peanut butter frosting.

I found a cream cheese frosting recipe at allrecipes.com and threw some peanut butter and extra icing sugar in and it was yummy. The reason I call it cheesecake frosting is because of the strong cream cheese taste to the frosting, it's more like cheesecake than cream cheese icing. The heat made it a bit soft, but it was silky and smooth and made my boxed mix cupcakes taste like the I-spent-30-minutes-baking-from-scratch-even-though-I'm-sweating-like-a-pig-cause-I-love-my-family kind. Pair these up with some ICE cold milk and you've got one tasty little chocolate peanut butter treat!
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Double Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Cheesecake Frosting adapted from allrecipes.com

cupcake:

1 box Devil's Food cake mix (I used Betty Crocker, I love Betty)
eggs, oil and water as per your brand's instructions
1/2 c. chocolate chips

frosting:

1 8 oz. pkg cream cheese, softened
1/4 c. butter, softened
1/2 c. peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 c. icing sugar

Instructions:

1. Prepare your cake mix as per your brand's instructions adding chocolate chips into the batter and bake cupcakes until cooked through.
2. Remove from oven and cool completely.
3. Beat cream cheese, butter, vanilla and peanut butter until smooth.
4. Slowly mix is icing sugar until thoroughly combined.
5. Pipe or spread onto cupcakes and enjoy!

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enjoy!

Giveaway! Muffin Tin Lunch Tools

3 year old's lunch today

Wow, I was overwhelmed at how well the Muffin Tin Lunch post went over yesterday. I certainly can't take credit for the idea, but I was happy to pass it on. I know how frustrating meals can be!

By far the most common question I got asked was "Where did you get your cutters?". Well, I got 1 set from Pampered Chef (seasonal cutters, a leaf, pumpkin, heart, shamrock, apple, jalapeno pepper). They were part of their Entertaining line a while back, cutters for fancy cheeses, but I don't think they make them anymore, ask your local Pampered Chef rep though, I might be crazy.

The other set (farm animals) I got at ThinkKitchen at Ottawa's Trainyards. But I'm sure any kitchen or baking supply store (Like Michaels) would have a set.

But as luck would have it, I took a run to the Bulk Barn (they have a great selection, and you can buy individual cutters) today and picked up a set for my lucky readers! I've also thrown in a few other helpful Muffin Tin Lunch accessories to help making lunch fun and easy!

The Giveaway!

What you get:
2 red silicone muffin tins, 1 apple shaped cutting board, an apple corer, a melon baller and 6 micro cutters in various shapes!

The Cutters
1. Piggy, 2. Heart, 3. Teddy Bear, 4. Airplane, 5. Hippo, 6. Triceratops

How you win:

1. Leave a comment on this post about what you would put in the 6 muffin compartments for your kids... or yourself.

Additional entries

2. If you RT'd yesterday's blog post on Twitter you're already entered!
3. If you haven't, RT the Muffin Tin Lunch post on Twitter or this Giveaway and you get an entry.

The Rules
1.) Open to Canadian and continental USA residents only.
2.) One winner will be chosen on 05/02/10 by using random.org.
3.) Make sure that I have a way to contact you when you leave a comment; either through your blog or an email.
4.) I will contact the winner via email or commenting on the winner's site.
6.) You have until 05/04/10 to claim the giveaway, or I will have to choose another winner.

This giveaway is brought to you by me. All items were purchased from The Bargain Shop, Canadian Tire & the Bulk Barn.

Muffin Tin Lunch!

When I first got on Twitter I followed lots of different kinds of people, 1. cause I had no idea what I was doing, and 2. cause I loved seeing all the different points of views and the variety of tweets. (I still follow lots of different kinds of people by the way!) One fine day, someone posted a picture of their Bento lunch and I fell in love with Bento! The artistry and creativity that people had with food just blew my mind.

I started researching designs and looking for Bento items on eBay (there are thousands!). I had visions of creating these elaborate designs for my oldest's school lunches, you know, when she was old enough to go to school, and her lunch being the envy of the class. Then I woke up.

I haven't the time nor the energy to spend an hour sculpting rice into bunny shapes, and tomatoes into roses, especially with another little on on the way (I gets no sleep yo). But the idea of the variety, fun shapes and all the colours stuck with me.

As I was clicking around in my Bento haze I happened upon a blog post about using muffin tins to make kids lunches. It was genius! I loved all the little compartments, most kids don't like their food to touch anyways so it was a perfect vehicle for kids' meals.

A Typical Muffin Tin Lunch for My 3 Year Old

1. Peanut Butter Star Sandwiches, 2. Grape halves, 3. Pretzels, 4. Celery Smiles, 5. Peach Animals, 6. Cucumber Flowers

The muffin tin forced me to come up with a variety of different foods to fill all the compartments. I had fallen into a rut lunch-wise and I was excited to try to come up with fun things to include in her tin. I raided the fridge and pantry looking for colour and lots of different textures. I pulled out cookie cutters and got to work.

Kids will eat almost anything if you cut it into fun shapes.

I couldn't get my big girl to eat sandwiches until I started turning them into stars...

... and fruit? She wouldn't move past bananas until little peach bunnies started showing up in her tin!

And who doesn't love flowery cucumbers? Now she gets excited to see what's in all her little tin circles when she sits down to lunch.

Another satisfied customer!

Muffin Tins: Not just for kids?

As I was preparing my daughter's favourite muffin tin lunch one day, I thought to myself, this could work for me! I had been trying to lose my baby weight and as I looked at the 6 muffin compartments I saw an opportunity for variety and portion control! I lost 10 lbs in a month once I started using the muffin tin to control my lunch time feast.

A typical muffin tin for Mommy: 1. Dessert! Fat Free Jell-O with light Cool Whip, 2. Celery with light Cheez Whiz, 3. Raspberries, 4. Fat Free Ham & Light Cheese skewers, 5. Salsa, 6. Multigrain Tostitos

You're only limited by your imagination. Include fruits, vegetables, crackers, sandwiches, nuts, mini muffins, deli meats, cooked chicken, jell-o, pudding, yogurt, dips, cheese, mini bagel pizas, popcorn... anything your child likes, and maybe a few they don't like cleverly disguised as dinosaurs or piggies and see if they're gobbled up by a happy kid.

I'm about to start trying the muffin tin with my youngest, but she's still in the "turning her plate upside down and throwing everything on the floor" stage so I might give it a month or two, those fruit animals take time, I'd hate to see them fly across the kitchen!

The Benefits of Meal Planning

A week or so ago on twitter some of us were having a discussion about how much we spend on groceries in a month. This conversation somehow morphed into meal planning and @somekindofmom gave me the idea to do a blog post on meal planning. (thank you by the way!)

I am an avid meal planner. If I didn't plan out our weekly meals I would never have the complete ingredients for anything and every night at 5pm I'd be standing in the kitchen like a deer caught in the headlights wondering what to make. And I'm a stay-at-home mom, I can't even imagine what it's like for working moms to get home exhausted from a long day's work, with kids that are hungry and cranky. Not having a plan must make that time very stressful.

I thought I'd share with you all some tricks and tips I've come up with on meal planning and how it can help you become more organized and less stressed out about what to for dinner every night!

The Benefits
Having your week's meals planned out makes shopping a lot easier, and cheaper. If you have a list you're less tempted to buy stuff you don't need. It also keeps you from forgetting items and buying duplicates of things you might already have in your pantry. I display our meal plan on the fridge, which also cuts out the usual "what's for dinner?" question I would otherwise hear 50 times in a week.


Pick a shopping day
I plan my week on Friday mornings cause that's the day the weekly sales start at my grocery store. It's also one of the mornings my 3 year old is in preschool so I only have one kid to drag through the store. I try to get 90% of the items I'll need for the week, but I usually have to make one pit stop at the store later in the week to get items we've run out of, like bananas as I don't like to buy 20 at a time cause they'll be brown before they'd all be eaten (but our family does eat about 20/week!). I'll also pick up items I want to be as fresh as possible when we eat it, like kaisers for our Wednesday night burgers.

Get organized
First, I made a list of all the meals we enjoy, including breakfast foods (more on that to come), that I refer to when making my weekly meal plan. I have them organized by categories like Poultry, Beef, Pasta, Pork, Fish and Miscellaneous. I also roughly assigned food categories to the days of the week, like every Tuesday I plan a pasta dish, and every Friday is "fun meal" (pizza, tacos, etc...) night. Doing this helps me make sure we don't have too much overlap from the different categories. It also helps me ensure that we make a rotation through all our favourites and we're not eating the same 10 dishes over and over.

The next thing I do is take a quick inventory of the pantry, fridge and freezer to see what I have on hand that I can use for that week's meals.

Plan your week
A lot of people just plan their dinners, and if that's all that you need help with, then by all means do that. I plan breakfast, lunch and dinner. Why? I can't tell you how many times we've woken up on the weekend with a hankering for pancakes, or bacon and eggs only to discover we're out of maple syrup or bread. Planning out breakfast also helps to keep my kids from having toast with Nutella 7 days a week (which they would have NO problem with, but I do!). When I wake up I'm already in gear with my plan and get right to work, even if it's just toast and cereal there's no standing around trying to guess what they want. I just make it and they eat it and everyone is happy... usually (more on THAT later too).

I plan lunches for the same reason. Being prepared cuts down on the repetition. My husband takes leftovers in his lunch so I like to make sure I make a dish or two a week that reheats well and is easy for him to eat at work (ie doesn't involve a steak knife or he won't make too big a mess with).

Do your shopping, but be flexible
This week's meal plan included Pulled Pork on Sunday night. However, when I got to the store they were out of the cut of pork I use. BUT, they did have pork back ribs on sale so I did a quick switch in my head from Pulled Pork to Slow Roasted Ribs for Sunday night. Being flexible like that will help you with your shopping.

Another way you need to be flexible: "Aww, I don't want spaghetti tonight!". I sometimes find myself switching nights if we're busy and need a less complicated dish, someone is against that night's meal selection, or even on account of weather (who wants to BBQ in the pouring rain?).

When I shop I keep an eye out for deals on items that are not needed for the current week's meal plan and will pick them up to use the following week. But I try to avoid the pitfalls of the snack aisle and the cereal aisle whenever possible. I will blow my budget on cereal if I don't watch myself! Stick to your list for your core items though, no need to buy 4 bags of cookies just cause they're on sale.

If you're a working parent
Back in the days when I had a paying job, I used to prep some meals on the weekend. Things that could keep in the fridge for a few days like casseroles and lasagnas. I'd also marinate meats and wash and prep veggies. Doing this on the weekend saves time mid-week and makes it less likely you'll abandon your meal plan for fast food if you had a crazy day.

Here's this week's meal plan at our house, some of the recipes can be found on this blog, but as you can see, we keep it simple, we have a lot of little palates in our house, simple is best for now!

you can click on the image to see it larger

* "pb dinosaurs" are peanut butter sandwiches cut into dinosaur shapes with a cool sandwich cutter I have. "at party" refers to the fact we were going to be at a baby shower over lunch.

Recipes in this week's plan:

Pancakes
Taco Bake
Mediterranean Risotto

Chocolate Bran Muffins

I had babies. I got big with both of them. REALLY big. 'People would stop me and ask me if I was carrying twins' big. After I had them I turned to an internationally recognizable weight loss company to help me with my weight watchin' (wink wink).

I learned a lot about my body and what works and what doesn't. What didn't work: trying to cut chocolate out of my life. BIG mistake. I lasted about a day. One long, cranky, bitter, long day. After that I knew I needed to give myself what I craved, but to do it in a way that didn't involve eating a king size chocolate bar. Floating out there on the weight-loss message boards was a recipe for bran muffins, chocolate bran muffins. I've never been a fan of bran muffins but they sold me on the chocolate and low-cal part.

I have no idea who invented these tasty little fudgey muffins but thank you whoever you are! Not only are they great for those who are looking for a low-cal/low-fat snack, they're great for anyone! Loads of fibre and yummy chocolate, a great quick breakfast or a snack on the go. If your kids are a little turned off by the bran texture throw in a handful of chocolate chips and you won't hear any complaints! Also, these are great to make with your kids. When you add the baking powder to the moist cereal it's almost like a science experiment, the mixture begins to bubble and expand and... well, I don't want to ruin the fun, you'll see.

Give these super simple and very nutritious muffins a try, I guarantee you'll never buy a bran muffin from a coffee shop again!

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Chocolate Bran Muffins

3 c. All Bran cereal (the stick kind)
2 1/2 c. water
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 box Betty Crocker low fat Brownie Mix

Instructions:

1. Place cereal in a large bowl and add the water.
2. Allow the mixture to sit until the water has been absorbed by the cereal. Mix lightly to make sure all the cereal is moist.
3. Add the baking powder and stir to combine. Allow to rest for a minute or two.
4. Add the brownie mix and stir only until combined.
5. Bake at 350˚F for 20 minutes or until set.

Tip: to turn these yummy little treats into a dessert, top with a bit of icing!

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Hashbrown Bake

Sometimes you just need a big ol' bowl of comfort food. That time was this week for us. My kids were sick and my husband and I were on call 24/7 for days and days. We were tired, drained and needed some TLC for ourselves. I pulled out my trusty recipe cards (I know, so retro) and stopped flipping when I came to this recipe.


Originally called "Hashbrown Casserole"(a very popular recipe as I discovered upon googling it), I changed the name to Bake cause I've been told the mention of the word "casserole" can incite riots at the dinner table. This (shhh!) casserole is creamy and cheesy and fills you up with warm, gooey, yumminess. I usually serve it alongside Honey Baked Ham (a tradition in my Husband's family), but it would be great with steak or chicken, or as an addition to your brunch table as my sister is fond of doing.


It's quick and easy to assemble, and is always met with smiles at dinnertime. Give it a try and see what your family thinks!

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Hashbrown Bake recipe from my lovely sister-in-law Cindy Friolet

1 bag frozen country style hashbrowns (I use McCain)
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 c. light sour cream (a small container)
1 med. onion, diced
1 c. shredded cheese (I use marble cause it's what I always have on hand)
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. crushed black pepper
1 stick (1/2 c. ) butter, melted
1 c. seasoned bread crumbs (You can also use cornflake crumbs)

Instructions:

1. Combine the soup, sour cream, onion, salt and pepper.
2. Mix in the hashbrowns and cheese and mix to thoroughly combine.
3. Pour mixture into a greased oven safe dish.
4. Mix the melted butter with the bread crumbs and crumble over top of the hashbrown mixture.
5. Cover and bake at 350˚F for 1 hour. Uncover and cook an additional 10 minutes to allow top to brown.

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Enjoy!

Amanda

Muffins That Taste Like Donuts

Every Christmas, for as long as I can remember, my grandparents have made huge batches of old-fashioned cake donuts. They wrap them up by the dozen and give them to everyone they know. They used to make random batches at other times of the year but now that they're getting older, and have about 500 grandchildren and great-grandchildren, this treat is strictly a Christmas tradition. I love those donuts. I crave those donuts.

I was flipping through a stack of church cookbooks my grandma gave me a few years ago and came across a recipe called Muffins That Taste Like Donuts and low and behold it had my grandma's name next to it! I called her up and she said that yes it was hers and the muffins tasted like the donuts she and my grandpa make every year. So I made them and sure enough, they tasted just like them. Now I have those donuts whenever I want!

The trick to keeping these muffins light and cakey is to not over-mix. What you get is a cinnamon and nutmeg spiced muffin that tastes just like an old-fashioned donut, perfect with your morning latte or a glass of milk before bed. Sprinkle on a little powdered sugar or cinnamon and sugar for an extra special treat.

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Muffins That Taste Like Donuts

1 3/4 c. flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 c. sugar
1/3 c. vegetable oil
1 egg, lightly beaten
3/4 c. milk
1 tsp vanilla

Instructions:

1. Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg until combined.
2. In a separate bowl, mix together the oil, egg, milk and vanilla.
3. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture, mixing only until incorporated.
4. Spoon into greased muffin tins and bake at 350˚F for 15-20 minutes.
5. Dip cooled muffins into melted butter then sugar and cinnamon, or sprinkle on powdered sugar.

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enjoy!
Amanda

Veggie Packed Pizza Sauce

Cooking for kids is never easy... or appreciated! I have a 13 month old and a 3 1/2 year old, so almost everything I make either ends up on the floor or is pushed away with declarations of "I don't like dat mommy!" Some days I want to cry, others I just shrug and say "well I guess you're gonna be hungry today then".

I'm sure every mom can agree that veggies, at one time or another, are the real battle. Whether it's the texture, the taste or merely the colour, kids seem to avoid veggies like I avoid 3-sided mirrors.

There are a few cookbooks out on the market about hiding fruits and veggies in sneaky ways to trick kids into eating them. I'm not cruel enough to hide spinach in a brownie (I love spinach but that particular combination gives me the dry heaves) but I am willing to sneak extra veggies into recipes where it seems fitting, like my homemade pizza sauce.

A variety of roasted veggies paired with garlic and tomato paste and then puréed until smooth makes a healthy, vitamin and nutrient rich sauce that your family will love, even if your pizza is a meat lovers!

Veggie Packed Pizza Sauce

1 carrot, peeled and diced
1 onion, chopped
1/2 green pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 red pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 yellow pepper, seeded and chopped
1 stalk celery, diced
1 c. mushrooms, cleaned and chopped
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp dried oregano
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. sea salt (optional, but I find it helps to balance the sweetness of the tomato paste)
1 can tomato paste
1 c. crushed tomatoes

Instructions:

1. Roughly chop your veggies (no need to be fussy as it will all be puréed) and place in a large bowl.
2. Add garlic, oregano, salt and olive oil and mix to coat.
3. Spread veggies out on a cookie sheet and roast in a 450˚F oven for 15-20 minutes.
4. Remove veggies from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
5. Add veggies to a food processor or blender and purée until smooth.
6. Add tomato paste and crushed tomatoes to veggie purée and blend until smooth.
7. Store in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.

Tip: I spread a generous amount of sauce onto a greek pita, top with a little bit of part skim mozzarella and pop it into a 350˚F oven for 10 minutes and my kids have a super fast and easy lunch that they gobble up with no food throwing or complaints!

enjoy!
Amanda