Recipe Shout-Out: Amazing Grilled Cheese

This Grilled Cheese with White Cheddar, Carmelized Onions and Sage recipe from Gaby over at Broke-ass Gourmet is super easy and insanely delicious.  Luc and I both inhaled them. It's just not the same without  white sourdough bread so don't be tempted to sub in something healthier -- sometimes it's just not worth the compromise. Next time you have a craving for some goey cheesy goodness make this super flavorful sandwich, you will not be dissapointed!

Honey-Curry Dip

It's no secret that kids (and most adults!) like food better that they are able to dip into a tasty sauce. This is a super quick, tangy and slightly sweet dip that works beautifullly with veggies or homemade chicken nuggets for anyone over the age of one. Practically guaranteed to singlehandedly increase vegetable consumption!

Honey-Curry Dip

1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt (you can use regular but it'll be thin)
1/4 cup mayonnaise (or Veganaise)
1/4 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp white vinegar
1/2 tbsp honey

Gently whisk all ingredients in a small bowl. Enjoy!


* makes 1/2 cup
* will keep covered tightly in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.

Seeds Banned!

It's been so long since I've posted, anyone reading might have thought something horrible had happened to my hands that I couldn't cook or type. So...that isn't what happened. What has happened is a combination of lack of inspiration, busy schedules, failed cooking experiments, and one small boy with an enormous amount of energy!

My son's daycare has just informed us that we can no longer pack any seeds or seed butters in his lunches and snacks! While on the one hand I want to be respectful of children with allergies, on the other hand it's a huge pain in the ass! Nuts and seeds are so healthy and I do try to encorporate them regularly in Luc's diet. Since he started daycare, as I've posted previously on here, I've subbed Sunbutter for nut butters so that I can continue making some of his favorite snacks. Well...I guess I need work on developing a bigger repertoire of seed and nut free/ easily packed/easily eaten independently by toddlers snacks....sigh...

Strawberries in Ginger Cream

I work Saturdays, a fact that would be a major downer except that where I work just happens to also be the site of one of the best farmer's markets in the city that day. 


Last Saturday, I didn't mean to buy anything, we had our CSA box coming and we didn't really need anything, but I just couldn't help myself when I was walking through and caught the strongest whiff of strawberries imaginable that stopped me dead in my tracks. Most supermarket frankenberries shipped from California look beautiful but have almost no smell, even with your nose pressed right up on them. These fresh local strawberries by contrast smelled of sweet fields still kissed by the sun. They were irresistible and I bought two pints.

After eating them straight up, this recipe is my second favorite way to enjoy strawberries. Due to the strawberries and honey, this tasty little number is suitable for babies over age 1. 

Strawberries in Ginger Cream

- 1 cup sliced strawberries
- 2/3 cup plain yogurt
- 1 tbsp good quality honey
- 1-2 tbsp very finely chopped crystallized ginger


Mix all of the above ingredients in a medium bowl. Divide into individual serving bowls and enjoy!


Serves 4.

Where Food Comes From: Visiting the Urban Farm

If you've been following this blog, you have probably already noticed from this post's book round-up that I feel strongly about importance of kids making the connection between farm and fork. This is knowledge that has become increasingly lost as we become more urbanized. In 2008, humanity passed an important milestone that for the first time ever, globally more people now live in cities than not.

Although we should make the effort to get our kids outside of the city once in a while, many cities have urban farms of various types, from historic showcases to real working farms (even our family's CSA produce comes from within our city's limits!), to help give children a sense of where food comes from. The photos below are from our weekend visit to Riverdale Farm, a 7.5 acre slice of downtown Toronto that is a representation of a historic Ontario farm complete with cows, goats, horses, a donkey, chickens, turkeys, pigs, geese, ducks, and rabbits -- but it was the tractor that was Luc's favorite part!
Below are a few samples of other urban farms that you can visit with your family, and with a little reseach I'm sure you could find near you!

Riverdale Farm  Toronto, Canada
Maplewood Farm Vancouver, Canada
Vauxhall City Farm London, UK
Phillipsburg Manor New York, USA

The Girls





 

It is Luc's opinion that nothing runs like a Deere








Pastoral perfect in downtown Toronto

Cows Producing Human Breast Milk-- WHAT!?

I just HAD to share this super creepy news article. This just sounds like science fiction to me. I don't know that if you were one a woman that couldn't produce enough milk, if this would be a better alternative to formula?

If you get a chance, it's worth a read and the comments are also really interesting to read through.

Peachy Keen Creamsicles

It's been a really cool and insanely rainy Spring around here and I couldn't be looking foward more to the arrival of Summer. Because we don't really have the funds to go on a proper vacation this year, we're going to spend the Summer making an effort to explore our own city and surrounding area. While it's natural to be curious about new places, I think its easy to fall into ruts and routines about what's familiar. I'm actually really looking forward to pretending to be a tourist in our own town.

Now that Summer is officially just around the corner (YAY!), it's time to whip up some nice cool treats. Commercial popsicles, creamsicles, and ice pops are full of artificial colors and flavors and since its just so darned easy to make your own, why bother going to the store? This is really a great treat or dessert for the whole family.

These can also be made appropriate for munchkin's under age one and vegans by substituting agave syrup for the honey and using unsweetened rice milk instead of cow's milk.

Peachy Keen Creamsicles

- 1 cup peach slices, fresh or frozen
- 1/4 orange juice
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/4 cup yogurt
- 1/4 cup milk

Blend all of the ingredients in a blender until very smooth. Divide mixture into 6 ice pop molds (depending on the size of your mold, you may have a little left over -- that's just a little smoothie for the person doing the blending). Freeze overnight.

To unmold, just dip into a cup of warm water for a few seconds to loosen and enjoy!

* makes 6 creamsicles