Cooking With Care
I’ve had so many requests for information about growing garlic, so I put together this little guide. It’s just 9 simple steps and when you’re done you’ll have the most delicious homegrown garlic.
If you don’t have a garden, check it out and then share with a friend who does. You might just be lucky enough to receive some of their homegrown garlic harvest. It’s that good!
It's hard to believe that this summer marks 5 years of running my business. Throughout the last 5 years I have been honoured to educate and support over a thousand local families. In addition to teaching classes and workshops, my goal for the next phase of my business is to bring my educational and inspirational content online to a wider audience. I made this video with Anchor Studio to give everyone an idea of what they can expect from my YouTube Channel and Blog. I would love if you would watch and subscribe to my channel.
Meatballs are a great option for a healthy family dinner and a perfect way to start incorporating iron rich meats into your baby's diet. They can be paired with a whole grain pasta, tomato sauce and veggies, or some roasted or steamed veggies for a quick dinner. I usually make a double batch with fresh ground beef, and freeze a bunch for future evenings when we need a fast healthy meal.
I always love pre-made options for feeding my family, so over the holidays I set out to search for an overnight french toast casserole recipe. I was so excited to try out something new, but was shocked when I saw just how much sugar was included in most recipes. No judgement here, I love sugary homemade treats, but I don't want to make every breakfast a dessert. Plus, french toast is a breakfast that already typically gets doused in syrup by my kids, so I wanted it to be a tad healthier.
As a long time avid DIY'er I absolutely love making our friends and family some homemade goodies for the holidays. This year I thought I would share a few of my simple DIY recipes with my readers in case you're in need of some last minute gifts or stocking stuffers. These all make great gifts for party hosts, teachers, neighbours, family and friends, and most can be made in a few minutes.
Summer is here and local tomatoes are hitting the farmers markets, so I wanted to share one of my favourite seasonal recipes. I was forced to recreate this recipe at home, because the local restaurant I usually get it at sadly closed this spring. I'm so happy with how it turned out. I always think it's a good sign when you need to make a new recipe twice in one weekend. That's exactly what I did with this one.
Every month when I teach Starting Solids I get asked about my favourite products for feeding baby. So I thought it would be fun to host a little GIVEAWAY for a few of my favourite feeding products. These are products that I use every day in my home with Penny, and some that have been favourites since I started solids with Ben over 5 years ago!
Spring is here and that means it's baby show season! With so many shows and so little time, it can be tough to decide which ones make the cut. If you want to skip the huge crowds, long line ups and over zealous vendors, you need to check out The Bump to Baby Show.
Baby sign language is a great way to increase communication with your baby before oral language skills are developed. I love using sign language with our babies and have found it hugely helpful in reducing frustration in their non-verbal days.
I often yearn for fresh baked bread as the fall weather settles in and we start making more soups, stews and warm hearty meals. My mom introduced me to Artisan bread baking years ago when I was in university, but at the time I didn't truly appreciate how amazing and easy the method was.
With winter weather making its appearance this week, it seems like the perfect time for some cozy and hearty meals. Here is one of our all time favourites, a delicious Parmesan Asparagus Barley Risotto. A great alternative to rice risottos and a little more forgiving when cooking. Hope you enjoy it as much as we do.
My hubby and I both grew up loving camping, and have been camping together since we started dating 10 years ago. We have now successfully completed canoe trips while 34 weeks pregnant with a toddler in tow, and recently this July with our 2 little ones, ages 4 years and 21 months.
It's Garlic Scape season, so I thought I would share a yummy scape recipe with all of you. It's our first year with homegrown scapes, so after harvesting them, I busily researched all of the great things you can make with these delicious garlic greens. I decided to make pesto, so that the scapes could be preserved and savoured later in the year when they're long gone.
Today is feeling like a perfect day for baking. This gloomy grey weather calls for the oven to be on and the sweet smell of cinnamon to be wafting through the house, so I decided to whip up some banana bread while the kids were content colouring and playing.
Happy Earth Day! On this very special day I want to introduce you to one of my favourite Canadian made, environmentally friendly products. Abeego! *Special Perk Included! If you're anything like me you feel guilty about the amount of waste your family produces...
When I tried this recipe for Raw Vegan Energy Balls by Rachel Schwartzman ND a few weeks ago I immediately knew I needed to share it. They're such a simple, healthy & tasty little treat that the whole family will love.
Mornings are hard. Period. At least for most of us parents they are. So much to do to get ready for the day and so many demands from our little people. Keeping breakfast as simple as possible helps me survive, but recently I was feeling bad about offering up the same old greek yogurt with fruit...
When I find a recipe I love, that's also super simple and healthy, I tend to make it over and over and over again. Well that's exactly what happened with these AMAZING Banana Bread Muffin Tops from Oh She Glows that I was introduced to last week by my good friend Kate (Thanks Kate!). I'm not embarrassed to admit that I have made 5 batches of these in the last week and a half.
At this time of year when delicious local apples are in abundance the Groaning cake is the perfect dessert. This spiced apple cake is a traditional "birth" cake, hence the name.
The customs surrounding the history of the Groaning cake are different around the world...
As the days become shorter and cooler, and sweaters and boots begin to appear, I make the transition over into fall cooking. After a summer of non-stop BBQ'ing I'm usually ready to return to my stove and my cozy kitchen to make some warm delights. Risottos, stews, roasts, casseroles, soups and biscuits are exactly what fall weather calls for.
Dinner prep can be a tough time of day for many families, ours included! Everyone is tired by the end of the day, and the task of planning, prepping & cooking a meal with kids at your heals can feel overwhelming. Our Ben (3 y-o) has taken to asking "Is dinner ready yet?" "Yes Dinner's Ready!" "It IS Ready!" ...
Rhubarb! It's everywhere these days. Filling local farmer's market tables & in full bloom in many neighbourhood gardens. If you're lucky enough to have Rhubarb in your yard, you better use it! Or at least give it away to the Grandma on your block...
These banana blueberry bran muffins are a perfect healthy treat anytime, but especially in pregnancy & postpartum. They are a great source of iron, fibre, healthy fats & energy, all things new mamas need. They freeze really well, so they are a perfect recipe to stock your freezer with before baby arrives. Plus they taste great!
So you have looked at the Division of Responsibility and you are even trying it with your kiddies... You are feeding your children predictably (every 2-3 hours), at the table with all electronics off/toys and homework away; you are choosing what they should eat; and you are allowing them to decide if they will eat and how much they will eat.
There are some crazy emotions that come with being a parent. I have experienced many of them first hand this past year with my little 11 month old daughter. A major one I would like to discuss is WORRY. Parents worry that their child is not warm enough, dressed well enough, sleeping properly, eating or drinking enough, eating or drinking too much... and on and on the list goes!
Every year on Christmas Eve my mom would spend the day baking the most delicious cinnamon bread, buns, and chelsea to enjoy on Christmas day. It was always such a wonderful treat and a tradition I looked forward to every year, and I am so happy I get to continue it with my kiddos.