How cute are these little gems? Muffins are a favourite snack at our house, but lots of recipes I come across are serving up glorified cupcakes. Not that cupcakes aren't delicious, I just don't want to be feeding them to my toddler on the regular. I found this recipe from Cupcakes & Kale Chips on Pinterest. I liked these little darlings because they are full of veggies and call for just a smidge of maple syrup to sweeten. But the best part? My daughter loves them!
I grated up my zucchini to see how many muffins to make and I ended up having enough to make a double batch. What I was short in zucchini I made up for in carrots. I hate having leftover vegetables to try and use up, or worse, throw away because I put them in the crisper to die. I forget my wallet when I leave the house to shop, so random produce hidden in the drawer doesn't stand a chance. Plus, I like making big batches and freezing so I can cook less often. This makes my life so much easier, especially when my husband is away.
My daughter loves to "watch you make" anytime I'm working in the kitchen. I love her enthusiasm about food. She demands to smell every ingredient and loves to have her own vessel for mixing. I put tiny amounts of each in her bowl for her to stir and she usually ends up sneaking a taste. This also helps us avoid a blizzard of flour from her vigorous mixing. She is definitely a little foodie.
After mixing the dry and wet ingredients separately and then combining the two, these breezy muffins are ready for the oven. This handy little scoop is a baking must-have. I have one for mini-muffins and one for regular. It is just a cookie or ice cream scoop with a trigger handle but it makes portioning any small baked goods a breeze. This little one is also great for cake pops or meatballs or any other balls you might be making. It helps keep your goods consistent because, let's face it, nobody likes misshapen balls.
This is Rowyn's favourite part. She asks to taste test the whole time we're baking: the flour, the salt, the raw batter. So when she finally gets to enjoy the fruits of her labour, she's a happy gal. Side note, we picked up this adorable t-shirt at our local Folk Fest last summer from Salgado Fenwick. You should pop by and check them out at the Art Market this year!
Give these muffins a try and let me know if your kids love them as much as mine does!
Get the recipe: Healthy Carrot Zucchini Mini Muffins at Cupcakes & Kale Chips
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Here's a throwback to my own mother on this day of moms. I'm asleep in her lap, probably about the same age my own daughter is now. I can still remember the way her hands felt when she would play with my hair. It was one of my most favourite things. And just look at her face. She is practically shooting hearts out of her eyes at me. See what I mean?
This is the incredible thing about being a mother: the beautiful connection you have with your children. I look at this picture and can feel the same love I have for Rowyn. The love that hurts your heart, that fills your eyes spontaneously with tears, that makes you wonder if it could possibly be any more. And then it suddenly is more. My daughter is such a special little person. And I got to spend the whole day loving on her and appreciating the little human who calls me mama. Yes, this is what I do everyday as a stay-at-home mom, and yes, I joke about wanting a day to myself, but I honestly wouldn't trade these moments for anything else. Well, maybe just one lazy day to myself.
Eating good food is near the top of my list of loves, so I wrapped up my day with a delicious salad, full of my favourite things: ripe strawberries, grilled chicken, and tangy goat cheese. The recipe called for golden balsamic vinegar for the dressing which I could not find at either grocery store I stopped at. So, we popped into the Oliv Tasting Room and grabbed a bottle of their white balsamic for the dressing and a roasted garlic olive oil to replenish our stock. The wonderful lady working offered me a taste of the vinegar (yes, they're that good) so I had a sip and so did Rowyn. Now my toddler just wants to drink vinegar. If you've never tried their oils and vinegars, you need to go. And once you do, make yourself this salad.
Happy Mother's Day to all you beautiful ladies! Remember how amazing you are today and everyday.
Get the recipe: Grilled Chicken Salad with Strawberries and Spinach at Skinnytaste
Peep this delicious meal I made the other night from Skinnytaste. You would never know by looking at it, but I almost blew up the barbecue (and my house) mere moments before grilling this masterpiece. I am normally not the Grill Master; that title goes to my husband. But I love me some B.B.Q. so I figured out how to work our gas grill last summer so I could prepare my own delicious feasts while hubby is away working. The extent of my knowledge ends at preheating and cleaning the grates, so imagine my surprise when I go to put my chicken on and find flames shooting out the bottom! I called my husband in a panic while I turned off the gas to ask, what the eff?!? In hindsight, I'm not sure what I was hoping he could do to help me from 1,000+ km away. Long story short, there is a tray that catches debris and grease that should be emptied regularly. I'm not pointing any fingers but I've never seen the Grill Master touch the thing.
Once my bonfire burned out and cooled down, I emptied the tray and started over. I was almost ready to throw in the towel after what we will now refer to as "the incident" but I'm so glad I didn't. This chicken is ah-mazing. You start by taking out all your frustrations on the meat until it's nice and thin. I chose a rolling pin as my weapon of choice. I prepped it the morning of so it could marinate in those delicious middle-eastern spices all day. The flavours reminded me of the amazing chicken shawarma wraps I get at ZamZams here in Regina.
While I was waiting for my blaze to perish, I whipped up the garlic yogurt sauce. This stuff is the bomb. It's reminiscent of tzatziki and I would put that shit on everything. Seriously. It is made from just a few simple ingredients but packs some serious punch. If nothing else, make the sauce.
To serve, I used the pictures in the recipe for inspiration because they looked so scrumptious. I made whole wheat couscous and grilled some red onions on the barbecue with my chicken. Here's a little tip: leave the end of the onion intact when you cut it so the chunks stay together for easy grilling! I sliced some cucumber and topped the works with a sprinkle of parsley. It is so fresh and the flavours are bold. After trying it, I would also add those tasty pickled turnips I love so much with my shawarma. Enjoy!
Get the recipe: Shawarma-Spiced Grilled Chicken with Garlic Yogurt at Skinnytaste
It was a balmy 29°C in Regina today. It also happened to be the 5th of May. So, when friends of ours invited me over for a Mexican-inspired potluck I naturally responded, "heck yeah!" Actually, in the spirit of honesty, I hemmed and hawed about going. Not because I didn't want to, but because I wasn't sure I would know many more people than the hosts. Anyone else a little socially awkward around new people? I suck at small talk. But I know I suck so I choose to continue putting myself in those situations with the hopes that one day I'll be less shitty at it. It's also hard when your partner is away so you either don't go or you go alone. But I think it's so important for moms, particularly the stay-at-home variety, to get out of the house and be social. I knew it would be good for me to indulge in some much-needed adult conversation. Plus, I love nachos and margaritas.
Not only was it a great opportunity to see some friends and their amazing backyard transformation, it was also an easy and delicious dinner out. I opted to bring a Mexican Street Corn Salad to the fiesta. It's sweet, salty, and has a tiny bit of kick - the perfect addition to any summer menu. I've made a similar variation of corn-on-the-cob, so when I came across the recipe from 4 Sons 'R' Us, I knew it would be a hit! It was also super easy, so I had time to throw it together and catch a nap while my toddler was snoozing. Win!
I started by toasting the corn. I had a giant bag from Costco so I had to use my kitchen scale to get the amount I needed. The instructions say to stir occasionally and they mean it. Let it do it's thang so it can brown up and get some flavour. Just mix it around every once and a while so it doesn't burn. Seriously. Leave it alone.
While the corn was busy tanning, I whipped up the dressing. The recipe calls for cotija cheese but I cannot for the life of me find it in this city. If anyone has a lead on where I can grab some, please let me know. So instead, I substituted parmigiano-reggiano. The recipe called for 8oz of the stuff, but that seemed like a crazy amount so I just finely grated about 3oz instead. I think next time I would also add some feta to get that delicious salty, briny flavour.
Please note my mini-mesh strainer I'm using to juice my lime. This is another kitchen gadget I love. I use it whenever I'm juicing citrus to avoid getting any pulp or seeds in my bowl. You can also use it to dust cakes and cookies or your pancakes with icing sugar. I think I picked mine up at Superstore. Or maybe Home Outfitters. Possibly even Wal-Mart. I can't remember, but you should definitely get one.
At some point while I was putting together the dressing, my corn finished cooking so I just set it aside to wait its turn to join the party. My dishwasher also finished around this time so my serving bowl was now clean and ready to hold my salad. I mixed everything together and topped with the recommended spices. The recipe suggests to season each serving individually but I went ahead and just sprinkled the whole top of the bowl. Isn't it pretty?
For the record, Rowyn and I had a great time. We laughed, blew bubbles, ate cupcakes, and whacked a piñata. Sometimes it's just nice to be around other mamas who get it when your daughter screams at you while you try to wipe the icing off her face. Sigh.
Get the recipe: Mexican Street Corn Salad at 4 Sons 'R' Us
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