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I often think back to when my boys were toddlers, and wonder in amazement how we made it through some of those years. It isn’t that the tween years are easier (oh, I promise you they certainly aren’t), but feeding toddlers was probably the most difficult when they were between the ages of two and four.
Picky palates reign supreme during those tumultuous years, and finding a nourishing meal that pleased everyone was virtually impossible. Like most kids, mine loved pasta, and the more kid-friendly the meal looked, the more they were likely to devour it without inspection or difficulty.
Enter Baby Bolognese. This meal made an appearance more times that I’d like to count back when dinners were challenging, and to this day it’s still a popular comfort dish, although I occasionally fancy-it-up with the addition of linguine, spinach and baby bocconcini.
Do you have a favourite toddler dinner? Which meals are a favourite for your little ones?
To see the full printable recipe, click here: Baby Bolognese
I’m not one for making resolutions, unlike Minnow, but I do set aside some time to plan a few goals for myself for the coming year. Here are a few of the food-inspired ones I’m hoping to accomplish in the coming months:
Now it’s your turn. Tell me, what are some of your food-related goals for 2012?
Wonton wrappers are one of the easiest ways for little hands to make impressive foods. Filled with a variety of sweet and savoury fillings, wontons keep the mess to a minimum, as there is nothing to roll and cut out. This means your little sous chefs can make a variety of items using these squares in place of traditional dough.
One of my favourite ways to use a wonton wrapper is to make a pretty serving ‘cup’ and fill it up with an assortment of seasonal fruits, savoury meats and even chocolate pudding. I also love the idea of these Baked Apple Frittata Cups from the Ontario Apple Growers website.
To make the cups, press the wonton wrappers into a mini-muffin pan, and lightly mist the dough with cooking spray. Bake at 350°F for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown.
Here are some other ways to fill up your wonton cups:
Have you tried cooking with wonton wrappers? How do you like to use them?
I use these for appetizers often! I bake the wonton shells ahead then I will fill them with taco meat (ground beef) mixed with salsa and refried beans and topped with shredded cheddar cheese and bake them - serving them with sour cream. For a vegetarian option I used only refried beans leaving out the ground beef. I also will fill them with pulled pork, heat, then serve them topped with coleslaw. I have also used shredded bbq beef topped with cheddar cheese. My kids love the Mexican ones best!
I’ve been in a bit of a breakfast rut.
I don’t know if it’s the dark days of winter, or the hectic pace that comes with the early mornings, but I find that I’ve really been lacking inspiration for my morning meal these days. Or I was, until I came across a few inspired recipes for baked oatmeal.
I love hot cereal, in all of its many forms, but I don’t always have the minutes it takes to stand stove-side stirring a pot of grains. That’s why this method of cooking them works perfectly for me, and hopefully it will for you as well.
My method for preparing this breakfast is easy. In the evening, I put together the short list of dry ingredients from the recipe. In the morning I whisk the wet ingredients, combine it all together, and let it bake while I wrestle the kids from their rooms. The wafting scent of something warm and sweet emerging from the oven often helps in getting them down the stairs.
The recipe I use makes enough for two mornings, which is even more reason to make it this way. I cook once and eat twice, which is my favourite way to make anything. On the second day, gently warm the cereal in the microwave, or toaster oven, and it will taste just as good as the first day you ate it.
Good to Know: Baked oatmeal has the consistency of a moist cake rather than what you’d expect from regular oatmeal. To moisten it more, add some milk or cream to the warm oatmeal in each bowl before serving.
What are you making for breakfast these days? Have you tried baking your oatmeal?
To see the full printable recipe, click here: Easy Baked Oatmeal
Thank you for sharing this recipe. It was a big hit Everyone enjoyed stirring in some warm milk and sprinkling a little extra cinnamon. Mmmm.
I was happy to read in the Globe and Mail recently that food costs, originally predicted to be on the rise for 2012, fell 4.8% in the month of December. I’m no financial expert by any means, but I understand this is due to the inflation rate dropping, which seems to be a good thing for the price of food.
Lately, I’ve been really curious about my family’s actual food costs over the course of a month, so I’ve started tracking exactly what I spend each week. I try to keep within a budget, but must admit that I’m not too stringent about it. I also purchase a lot of food for my work, and I know that skews my numbers a little.
Financial experts state that we should be spending approximately $50 a week per eating adult in the home, and half of that for each child. For me, this would equate to $200 a week, because although I live with two children, they definitely eat the equivalent of adult portions for most of their weekly meals.
A few of the moms at Savvy Mom HQ have decided to start tracking their costs to see how much they’re spending each week. I’m curious; do you know what you spend? Do you set a budget and force yourself to stick to it? What are your secrets for keeping your food costs down? Let’s discuss!
I’ve done tracked my food costs for a few years now and was shocked that my grocery bill is between $1200-$1400 a month for my family of five. I do buy mostly organic, so that might help explain things. As for cost-cutting strategies, we’re trying more vegetarian meals and soups. Thanks for the thought-provoking post!
I honestly don’t even think $50 per adult is enough for a week these days. We are a family of 4, our youngest is only 9 months so he is just starting out with foods, but our toddler loves food. we usually spend $100-$150 per visit to the grocery store.. and that is normally twice a week.. which maybe a few run ins for milk and fresh produce. however that also includes household items like papertowel, garbage bags etc. I really want to try and cut down but we just love good food lol
With Super Bowl fast approaching, many families are trying to plan their football-menu for this Sunday. Here are a few tasty treats I came up with—munchies that will be sure to score you a touchdown with your pigskin lovin’ clan.
Half-Time Rice Krispies – Make cocoa Rice Krispies into a football shape. Create laces with icing and enjoy during the half-time show.
Mini-Football Meatloaf – Mold meatloaf into football shapes and draw on the laces with ketchup or BBQ sauce.
Fourth-Quarter Mac ‘n’ Cheese – Fill ramekins with your favourite mac and cheese recipe, top with breadcrumbs and bake. These individual servings will allow your family members to eat in front of the game without making too much of a mess.
Hail-Mary Chili – When your team is in the lead, head to the kitchen for a bowl of chili served with a side of grilled cheese football-shaped sandwiches.
Chips and Dips – So many options here…hummus, black bean dip, tzatziki, Mexican six-layer dip, roasted onion, ranch-style and salsa served with an assortment of chips, crisps and crackers.
Pigskin Potatoes – These twice-baked potatoes can be made in advance and only need to be tossed in the oven before the game begins. Make them with baby red potatoes for an easy pop-in-your-mouth appetizer.
Are you watching the big game this weekend? What are you planning to serve?
I’ve been sending Valentine’s Day snacks to school for almost eight years now. If I’ve learned anything in that time, it’s that teachers aren’t always interested in seeing a parade of sweets in their classroom every time there is a special occasion to be celebrated.
Can you really blame them? Imagine watching five or six parents arrive with platters of sugar-laden goodies, only to take off and leave you alone with 25 kids eager to succumb to a sweet-induced mania as the result of the treats left behind.
As someone who often sends edible Valentines in with the kids for their card exchange, I feel I should counteract the sweetness with non-sugary party foods. So I make these. They’re simple crackers made from whole grain pitas and wraps, cut into heart shapes, brushed with olive oil, topped with a spice or two (oregano, sage, etc.) and baked until crispy. Served with a paprika-topped tzatziki or hummus for a little seasonal colour, and the kids are almost always as excited about eating these as they are a plate of heart-shaped cookies.
What is your favourite Valentine’s Day treat for the classroom?
In the spirit of this past Valentine’s Day, and motherly love, I thought it would be fun to share the results of a small study I read about last month. Science has recently uncovered the reason we often think of Mom’s food as tasting best; it turns out you can really taste the love that goes into it.
A Canadian researcher discovered that when you put feelings and good intentions into an action, it could completely change the experience of it. In the small journal Social Psychological and Personality Science, a published study states that across a broad range of experiments, kindness was found to not only enhance the flavour of food, but also to reduce pain and increase pleasure.
I’m sure if we all think back to some of our most memorable, or best tasting meals, they were made by the hands of a loving mother, or someone who cares for us almost as much as she does. How often have you heard someone say that their mom makes the best cookies, pie or spaghetti?
My kids think that I’m the world’s greatest cook, and my husband (who eats the same meals as they do) often reminisces about his own mother’s best dishes, which include something known as Cauliflower Surprise. It’s an interesting combination of vegetables, soup and mushrooms, but to him it’s the epitome of delicious.
Tell us, can you really taste the love that goes into your own mom’s cooking?
While reading the new SavvyStories feature on our website last week, I was introduced to Kristine Fretwell, a food blogging mama from beautiful British Colombia. Kristine’s blog, Busy But Healthy, is a collection of family-friendly recipes peppered with a touch of personal anecdotes about her life as a mom.
One of my favourite things about this blog is that every single recipe Kristine shares is geared towards being as healthy as possible. Which makes her doughnut muffins a must-try for me, seeing as they’re totally good for you, not to mention gluten-free.
I asked Kristine if she would take some time to answer a few questions I had for her. Thanks for participating, Kristine!
Q: Which ingredient do you love these days?
Kristine: Oat flour. If you’ve seen any of my baking recipes, it’s definitely a staple. It’s so easy to make at home for cheap (just grind regular oats in your blender). I love that it’s a whole-grain flour, but doesn’t taste ‘bran-like’ unlike with other flours. The texture comes out great, and it still surprises me how versatile it is.
Q: What is the last meal you cooked for your family?
Kristine: One of the last things I cooked was my foolproof recipe for Peanut Butter Chicken. So easy and quick to throw together, the sauce is amazingly good, and the chicken comes out so tender. I served it with squash. I had some kabocha squash that night (sort of like Butternut squash), and the combo was great!
Q: What is your ideal cooking soundtrack?
Kristine: My ideal cooking music would be something calming like Adele, or spa music or some relaxing jazz-type music. The reality is the Treehouse channel is the typical soundtrack in my house, since I have a 3 year-old.
Q: Which do you prefer: chocolate or cheese?
Kristine: That’s a tough one. I could not live without goat cheese and feta, but on the other hand, I couldn’t imagine baking without chocolate chips or using cocoa powder. I think I’ll have to go with chocolate.
Q: Name the one cooking utensil you can’t live without?
Kristine: It’s got to be a spatula. How else would you get every last bit out of the bowl? I hate wasting even a little bit of a great batter. I’ve got four, so I would be quite panicked if they were all gone all of a sudden!
Hi AS - Gah! Thank you so much for catching my typo. Indeed, the muffins are not vegan, but rather gluten-free, which is what I meant to write. The wording has been changed in the post.
As for the oats not being gluten-free, I am not an expert in GF cooking, but I have written to the author of the recipe to see if she can clarify for me. I will let you know what she says. Thanks again!
They have eggs and oat flower, neither vegan or gluten free.
With all of our talk lately about the high price of food, it seemed like a good time to share some tips about budget-friendly ingredients, and what I’ve been stocking in my pantry/fridge to help stretch the food dollars a little further these days.
Tell us, what are your favourite budget-friendly ingredients? Is there anything you must buy because it’s too good of a deal to pass up?
The idea of making no-knead bread has been circulating around the Internet for a few years now, but for good reason. Ridiculously easy to make, baking up a daily batch of rustic crusty bread seems almost too good to be true—but it isn’t.
I’ve been using this method to make our bread for at least two years now. Sometimes I fall off the bread-making wagon, but I’m on it more often than not, simply because there are few things I enjoy more than a slice of crusty bread, especially when topped with a hunk of aged cheddar and a dollop of jam.
Two of the most popular methods are Jim Lahey’s No-Knead Bread and the technique used in the book Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. My way of doing it takes the best of both recipes and combines them to make something slightly easier, if that’s even possible.
Have you tried no-knead bread? Would you make bread for your family on a regular basis?
To see the full printable recipe, click here: No-Knead Bread
I have an affinity for all things French. Fortunately, I was able to live in the South of France for a while, and I’ve travelled back there with my husband since. It’s my favourite place to visit, and I would fully admit that I’m obsessed with the food (and the whole culture of food) there.
When I first arrived in Monaco (that’s where I lived—seriously), I was fascinated by the differences in how the native French people ate when compared to my family here. Most notably:
I’m not exactly sure why there is such a difference between the North American way of eating and the French, but I’m certainly fascinated by it. Thankfully, Karen Le Billion, a Canadian who divides her time between Vancouver and France, has written a book called French Kids Eat Everything. It publishes in April, but I pre-ordered my copy a few weeks ago, simply because I can’t wait to get my hands on it.
Here is a quick synopsis:
“French children happily eat everything—and most of what they eat is healthy. That’s not all: child obesity rates in France are significantly lower than in North America, where poor nutrition is so widespread that it threatens the health and well-being of our children. So how do French parents teach their children how to eat so well? And how do the French government and school systems support families, teachers, and farmers to provide food education? French Kids Eat Everything answers these questions, and more.”
While I anxiously wait for my copy of the book to arrive, I’m satisfying my cravings for more on this topic by reading Karen’s blog. It’s chock full of interesting tidbits about the French food culture, and I’m especially interested in the school-lunch series she’s been writing about.
Do we glorify the way the French eat? Do you think their way of eating is better?
I think this IS a bit glorified but I do have to admit that coming from Europe and living in North America myself, I do not eat cereals for breakfast but pastry, butter and jam or honey, eggs etc. My mom would not allow me to snack before lunch, not to spoil the lunch.
I am planning to read this book. Sounds interesting.
Pancakes are practically a religion for my family. In the winter months, we eat them several times a week, if only to have an excuse to lap up the pure maple syrup we adore.
With Pancake Tuesday taking place last week, and sugaring-off season fast approaching, I thought it might be fun to do a pancake primer in anticipation of the upcoming maple syrup season.
Eight Tips to Perfect Pancakes
Each week, I have a date with my best friend. Her name is Meal Planning, and we meet once a week, typically on a Sunday afternoon, over a cup of tea and stack of cookbooks. We discuss different recipes, assess the calendar for the week to come and talk about how we’re going to feed my family for the next five to seven days. For the last eight years, Meal Planning has helped me save time, fed my family healthier dinners, and reduced my food costs. We all need a friend like her in our corner, don’t you think?
In case you couldn’t tell, I am an avid meal planner. I love the act of putting together a week’s worth of meals. I often feel a little lost when I wake up on a Monday morning without a plan in place. Periodically, I fall off the meal planning wagon, and when I do, our grocery bills are higher, my fridge isn’t as full, and some days I find myself staring into space wondering what the heck I’m going to feed my family for dinner that night.
Here are a few of my favourite tips for effective meal planning:
Are you a meal planner? If so, how do you go about planning your weekly meals?
I would love to meal plan but find the process overwhelming. I am a career mom of three with we find myself scrambling or picking up take out. Surely meal planning would help us save time, money and eat healthier. Please send suggestions to help get me started!
I like to use the Well-fed Homestead’s meal planning. For $20, I get 3 months worth of healthy grain-free meal plans and grocery lists. Each week she sends the new meal plan to my email inbox and voila… all I have to do grocery shop!
Last week, I had the opportunity to chat with Canadian celebrity chef, Michael Smith. As a long-time fan of his television shows and cookbooks, it was a real treat to spend some time learning about his newest passion: lentils.
Chef Michael has partnered with the Saskatchewan Pulse Growers to launch a new series of 12 webisodes, each showcasing the versatility and simplicity of the homegrown lentil. The online videos (found at lentils.ca) are packed with cooking tips and easy, family-friendly recipes that show us how to add the humble lentil to our everyday meals.
Unbeknownst to many of us, Canada is a leading world producer of lentils, with over 60% of the world’s lentils being farmed here. We harvest four varieties, and 95% of the country’s crop is grown in Saskatchewan. Yet, many families aren’t incorporating lentils into their weekly meals. I asked Michael why he thought this is and he states “Lentils are a fairly new farming venture for Canada, having only been around since 1970. People are just learning how to cook and serve them, and it’s this generation of cooks who are going to be the ones to introduce lentils as a leading local ingredient.”
Why should we want to add these nutritionally dense nuggets to our plate? Lentils are packed with protein, loaded with fibre, and inexpensive—meaning they hit all the marks for a practically perfect food. Any when they’re pureed, they can even replace half the butter in our beloved chocolate chip cookies, without anyone being the wiser.
I love the lentil recipes that Chef Michael has created, and can’t wait to try the Lentil Lasagna, Sneaky Lentil Cookies, and Slow Chicken and Lentil Stew, which is at the top of my must-make list.
Do you cook with lentils? What are some of your favourite ways to serve them?
Find the full printable recipe here: Lentil Meatloaf
Comments
A few of my food goals are:
1. Learn to cook with quinoa. I have the recipes, am sure the flavour and texture is right for me. I just need to do it.
2. More meal options to include beans and legumes. My picky daughter seems to like these and they are healthier and more environmentally friendly.
3. Use my slow cooker more. I love it when I do use it and come home to dinner basically prepped!
4. I also want to learn how to incorporate natural sweetners into my cooking and baking.
5. Get my daughter involved with meal prep two times a week. How is that for a goal that is specific?
Thanks for your list. It helped to get mine down on paper.
Mic