Book Lovers Take Note: Penguin Canada Daily December Delights is on!

If you love to read as much as I do, then you don't want to miss Penguin Canada's fabulous holiday program that launched at the beginning of the month called Daily December Delights. Think Advent Calendar but with BOOKS.  Does it get any better than that?

Each day in December, Penguin will feature a different book on their website and through their social media channels (Facebook and Twitter). Visit each day this month for exclusive content, recipes, quizzes and... PRIZES.  And lots of them!  As a Star Blogger I've been sworn to secrecy, but I can tell you that there are some amazing titles this month, many of which are on my Christmas list, that you'll have the chance to win!  

There is also a contest to win an entire library of books worth $750 and you can enter each and every day.  Dream. Come. True.  You can get started by visiting Penguin Canada right now! 

Good luck and Happy Holidays! 

Make-Ahead Meals and Miracles

Several times a year my job takes me away from home for a few days at a time and I like to prepare meals for my family while I’m gone.  This week I’m heading to Orlando, Florida for the annual Children’s Miracle Network Celebration, an incredibly moving conference celebrating children who are battling or have overcome serious illness or injury.

The most rewarding part of my job at Dairy Queen Canada (and my favourite part) is the work I do to support Children’s Miracle Network – a non-profit agency that raises funds for children’s hospitals across North America.  DQ has a number of initiatives throughout the year to raise funds for these hospitals in Canada (the biggest being Miracle Treat Day) and I’m thrilled to be a part of the team that makes these programs happen. 

I also have a personal connection to Children’s Miracle Network as I’ve had to draw on the expertise of my local hospital, McMaster in Hamilton, many times.  From B’s specialized care by an orthopaedic surgeon after a bad break in his arm to O’s first days in the neo-natal intensive care unit and several trips to emergency, McMaster has provided us with incredible care and service. 

Now, back to the meals!  Today I spent a couple of hours preparing dinners for my boys to enjoy while I’m gone.  Don’t get me wrong, Jason is more than capable and willing to cook meals in my absence, but I like to make things at least a little bit easier for him while he’s single parenting for a few days (note I did NOT say babysitting!!).  Not to mention, cooking is really my “thing” in this family and it makes me feel like at least they’ll still have a little bit of my love when I can’t be there with them.

So, while I’m applauding and wiping tears as I watch the Champion children tell their stories and receive their medals, here’s what the boys will be eating:

Tuesday:  Lasagna and steamed broccoli

Wednesday:  Mexican Pasta and green beans

Thursday:  Crockpot Chicken Stew
Friday:  Take out!

These are really easy meals that are no-brainers.  Truly. They simply take a bit of time, that’s all.  No expertise required.

First up, lasagna.  Do I really need to write about it?  I mean, who hasn’t made a lasagna before?  Take the easy way out and buy oven-ready pasta and a jar of sauce if you want to.  I usually have some home made tomato sauce in the freezer for just such occasions, so that’s what I used today.  Cooked some ground chicken, mixed in the sauce, some cottage cheese (shhhhh don’t tell the teen!) and then layered it all with some mozzarella.  Seriously easy. And lasagna freezes well. When Jason puts it in the oven to finish cooking, he'll grate some more cheese on top and cook it uncovered for about 30 minutes. 

I don’t really like to have pasta more than once a week, but it’s fast and easy and it’s not going to hurt anyone once in awhile to have it twice one week.   So, next up is Mexican Pasta.  We had this for dinner one night last week and knowing that I was going away this week, I made a double batch.  Again, super simple.  Ground chicken (or turkey), cumin, chili powder and garlic powder; just cook it all together (I wing it with quantities for spices but if you really want specifics go for say a tbsp, a tbsp and a tsp respectively).  Add some black beans and frozen corn then about a cup of salsa (I much prefer the fresh salsas you can find in the deli section of the grocery store).  Add in some already cooked elbow macaroni (approx 2 cups cooked) and then grate a bunch of Monterey Jack cheese into the mixture and stir.  Cheddar would work too, but the Monterey Jack we buy from the market is so good and worth every penny.  Top it with some avocado slices, some more grated cheese and some sour cream if you like.  Cook a green veg on the side or have a salad and call it dinner.  

Chicken Stew is next on the list.  I just wing this one too – no real recipe, but here’s what I do.  Peel and chop two carrots, two parsnips, one small rutabaga, two potatoes and put it all in a large bowl. Add some salt and pepper and some frozen peas.  Cut up a couple of chicken breasts into small bite-size pieces and add to the vegetables.  Crush up a chicken bouillon cube into the bowl.  Add a few sprigs of fresh thyme.  Stir it all up and put it in large freezer bags.  When it’s time to cook it, dump it in the crockpot (frozen is OK) with a cup to a cup and a half of water, stir it and let it cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.  About a half hour before you’re going to eat it, turn the crockpot to high.  Mix a tablespoon of flour with 2 tablespoons of cold water and add to the crockpot, give it a stir and let it bubble for about a half hour.  This will thicken it a bit, but this step is totally optional.  Done like dinner.  For real.

Making meals with real ingredients isn’t that difficult, it just takes a little bit of time.  To me, it’s super important to meal plan, eat dinner as a family and make fresh meals.  You can do it too.  It’s really pretty easy as I hope these meals have shown you! 

If it Swims... I Don't Eat it!

Dear Fish,

I'll cut right to the chase.  I'm just not that into you.  I've tried to like you, I really have, but the bottom line is, you're fish, you taste fishy and you smell fishy.  There's this mental block in my brain that just can NOT get over the thought of how you look all scaly and slimy and ugly swimming around when I'm about to put you in my mouth.  Yuck.

And then there's seafood.  All you lobster and crab lovers out there, I apologize, but I just don't get it.  It seems like an awful lot of work for a little bit of reward.  Not to mention it's messy and it isn't cheap.  

I recall going to Red Lobster once with a friend and her then boyfriend (you know who you are, SD) and watching the two of them devour the all-you-can-eat crab legs like a couple of savages.  While being subjected to the overwhelming aroma of the sea, I tried to choke down my pathetic and tasteless chicken counting the minutes till I could get the hell out of there.  

The hubs, on the other hand, loves fish.  He eats it every chance he gets (outside of our home, obvi) and doesn't understand how fish can taste "fishy". "It's fish!" is his response.  The teen isn't into fish at all but the toddler will gobble it up. I know it's good for you, blah, blah, blah, and I want said toddler to be open-minded when it comes to food.  So, over the years I've tried to like it and have attempted to cook it a handful of times. 

But... it doesn't matter what I do to it, I just don't like it.  I am pretty sure it's mostly a mind-over-matter thing, but the mind wins every time.  

Take tonight for example.  I made Fish Taco Bowls with a recipe I pinned from the blog, Pinch of Yum. Doesn't this LOOK good?

Black beans, corn, brown rice, onions, garlic, chili powder, cumin, red peppers, tomatoes, Monterrey Jack cheese, avocado (my fave thing ever) - all delicious. Topped with some salsa and sour cream.  Even better, right?  But underneath all that goodness, there was the FISH.  The fish was a RUINER!  A ruiner, I say!  I should have stuck to a Meatless Monday and left out the fish.  Dinner FAIL.  For me, not for the hubs and the toddler, they both liked it.  The teen and me - not so much. 

Fish recipe ideas (that don't taste AT ALL LIKE FISH) for me or suggestions for types of fish I should try would be greatly appreciated - leave me a comment!

I should note that the recipe is fab and I actually might try it with chicken (surprise, surprise...).  No disrespect meant at all to Pinch of Yum.  It's not you... it's the FISH.  

What in the World Has Penne Been Up To?

Wow, it’s been a few months since I last wrote a blog post – shame on me!  I am going to plead extreme busyness (wow, that IS a word…) over the summer both professionally and personally.  Obviously, summer is the craziest time of year for us at DQ Canada and with our annual Miracle Treat Day fundraiser and a Guinness World Records event in Calgary for world’s largestfruit sculpture, I barely had time to catch my breath and do the regular stuff.   

In my home life, we kept super busy this summer with day trips to places like Port Dover on Lake Erie and African Lion Safari for O's 2nd birthday. We mostly stayed local and enjoyed lounging in our back yard on warm summer days.   Jason and I also went on a one-night getaway to Fergus and Elora where we hiked, ate, drank and rode our bikes.  If you've never been to this little gem in Ontario, you must check it out! 

World's Largest Fruit Sculpture.  3.06 meters tall!

Brew House on the Grand, Fergus, ON

In the kitchen, I’ve been up to my usual antics.  I continue to meal plan religiously and try a couple of new recipes every week.  Boy, I love to cook.  Like, really, really love it.  Had I known this 20 (OMG) years ago, perhaps I would have went to culinary school.  Although, given that I am the furthest thing from a night owl there is, I probably would have had to specialize in breakfast.   And, given that I am not a fan of breakfast (eggs – no thanks, waffles – yuck, pancakes – oh no) I just don’t see it working out for me as a chef.  But I digress….

Here’s something super cool that I’ve been doing in the kitchen though!  It’s no secret that I love Chatelaine magazine and its recipes, so when I saw that I could apply to be a home recipe tester I filled out those forms at lightning speed.  And, guess who was chosen to be a tester?  Yes, that’s right – ME!  I have now tested recipes for both the November and December issues of the magazine.   I’m sworn to secrecy on those recipes until they are in print, but I will tell you this – the ones I tested were delicious, fast and easy, true to Chatelaine form.  I could potentially be quoted in the mags when the recipes are printed, so I’ll let you know if I’m now a famous home-recipe-tester when they show up in my mailbox. 

I’ve cooked several super delicious meals lately and I don’t have time to elaborate on all, but I will tell you about one from last weekend.  This. Chicken. Is. Unbelievable.

.

Caprese Chicken with Balsamic Reduction

 

The original recipe is from this blog and I followed it pretty much to the letter.  I did buy one of those mozzarella balls which I think is much better than the brick mozzarella, although more expensive.  Fresh basil leaves are essential and I used Roma tomatoes as they tend to be less juicy and more firm.  One thing I did that the recipe did not call for was to marinate the chicken.  I threw it in a bowl with some olive oil, balsamic vinegar, S and P and garlic powder for a few hours before BBQ-ing it.  I think it was a nice touch and added more flavour. 

On the side we had grilled asparagus and a very rich and delicious (read: full of butter, cheese and calories) Parmesan and garlic farfalle pasta.   It was a great meal shared with wonderful friends that I will most definitely make again.  

September always feels like the time for new beginnings for me, so I am going to make a concerted effort to blog at least once a week.  Mark my words!  

 

Southwest Turkey Meatballs turned Enchiladas turned Tacos. What?

Every Saturday morning I sit down and plan out a dinner menu for the upcoming week in advance of our weekly trip to the farmer’s market and grocery store.  As much as it pains me sometimes to put thought and effort into the menu, I never regret having done so when I get home from work and need (and want!) to get a home-cooked, delicious and fairly quick dinner on the table during the week.

Sometimes I find so many yummy recipes that I want to try and I start to make my grocery list before I’ve 100% confirmed what I’ll cook that week.  Then once I decide on the menu, I forget to edit my list.  Oops.  This was one of those weeks.  I had found three Mexican recipes I wanted to try, but after more thought I decided that all of these in one week might be a little much.

So, I scaled back on the fiesta week theme and settled on these Southwest Turkey Meatballs which were on the menu tonight.  While gathering everything for the recipe, I discovered I had a few extra ingredients on hand that were meant for those other meals that didn’t make the cut.  No problem, I love to improvise and create and wouldn't want these items to go to waste!

I followed the recipe pretty much to the letter (except for: using bread crumbs instead of panko, adding more cumin than it called for and no lime zest, just lime juice) and it was looking good.  

But then... instead of adding chicken broth, I added – wait for it – enchilada sauce.  Oh yesssss.  I let that simmer and cook down till the meatballs were cooked through.

 

I know one wouldn't normally associate turkey meatballs with corn tortillas, but I thought, why not!?  I heated up a stack and we built our meatball-tortilla-enchilada-taco-thingies on our plates with shredded Monterey Jack cheese (another item that wasn’t meant to be on this week’s list), salsa, sour cream and avocado. 

The hubs and I ate ours with a knife and fork, the teen rolled his up taco style, and the toddler, well he just went at it with his hands.  It was definitely a winner and I will make it again. 

Do you like to improvise and create in the kitchen or are you a stick-to-the-recipe kinda cook?