No place like home... when your sick.

Despite a few thoughts that I may actually be crazy, I packed up a few suitcases, hopped on a few planes & came back to my roots in Newfoundland for a few weeks - yes a few weeks with my 2 kids! Minus a few mishaps (like remembering my double stroller was in the garage as I pulled up to the airport) the traveling went relatively easy - as easy as it can be traveling with an almost 3 year-old & a teething 9 month old!

Then I think my body actually realized I was back on familiar soil & could relax, because the day after arriving I got struck with the most gruesome flu bug! I was so thankful to have family around to take care of my kids - mostly because I was in & outta consciousness! It felt ok to be sick cause I knew I had help. Just like it was great today when I dropped my baby off at my aunt's so I could take my toddler swimming.

It is so nice to have my family around, I can understand why many people my age are moving back here - if my family was closer I'd never have to watch my kids! I'm also inspired, although it's a pain to get everyone together for a dinner, when I get back home I'm going to re-start weekly family dinner with my in-laws, who knows perhaps my mother-in-law will cook too!

A Night out!

Every now & then my man does something good. Recently he got his mom to watch the kids to take me out for a suprise dinner ... although I had already made supper & was planning on an early evening I got gussied up & to my suprise had a great time. Not being out in adult company often a few things were a bit errie, like how quiet & quick the dinner was; and how the waiters asked where our kids were (guess we eat there a bit). But we managed through & at the end of the evening I cuoldn't believe how relaxed I was. Perhaps it was the excpetional food that was presented so nicely, or not having to keep reminding a kid to either keep his pants on or stop singing to other tables (he's in his 2's), either way it was a great night! It's WAY too easy to get caught up in life, whether it's kids, work or whatever... I hope I remember this night & take more time to just be.
p.s. for those of you in Laval/Montreal wondering where this place is... it's Sushi Palace (25 Cure-Labelle in Ste-Rose) & it's an all you can eat sushi place (when I first heard all you can eat sushi I too thought it's suck, but it's great!). Not only do they have sushi, but thai, chinese & a whole buncha stuff!

EASTER

Growing up for me Easter meant LOTS of chocolate, new clothes for school, cool pj's and some girlie accessories like new hair clips! However, as I speak with friends I find out for them Easter was just another day off except they get to gorge on chocolate & food!

For the past few years we've been hopping in our car & driving 5-6 hours to spend the holiday with my childhood friends and now that we have kids we've started an Easter Egg Hunt on Sunday morning... even after having celebrated & gorged on food ourselves the night before. Nothing was funnier to me this Easter morning when I see my kid taking cues from his older friend to look in places for plastic easter eggs... then when he dropped one & candy spilled out that was it for him. He no longer cared about finding eggs & got down to business at emptying the 2-3 eggs in his basket! Once he realized the other boy was still finding eggs he got back in the game, but only to get a few more theen went back to eating them! I know Easter will be more fun as he grows older & we have to get more creative in hiding eggs, but for now I couldn't have asked for a better Easter - and not just cause the sun was shinning!

We all can be a little Martha!

I've written about my Sister-in-law before as someone I wish I could be a bit more like. A great hostess, AMAZING cook & a fashionista she continues to amaze me!

Not only does she work a full-time job, have a house that never has things out of place (or fluff balls of animal hair rolling along the floors), makes healthy meals, spends time with her daughter, finds time to go to the gym & does the extra little touches like Martha! When I went to visit the week before Easter (for a FABULOUS fish dinner) I saw she had this sesaonal floral piece on her table!! In awe she passed it off as such a small thing, but I couldn't figure out how she does it - her place always looks like it came out of a magazine.

Perhaps I should see if she can write a post telling us how she does it because she truly is like all of us trying to make it work.... just a woman!

Empathy & Understanding

My daughter is a teacher!!! So young but already affecting a change.

When commenting to a friend of mine about how I think kids need to be able to give back and learn responsibility she told me about the Roots of Empathy Program. Basically in a nutshell the program brings Erin into a classroom (of kids at risk for aggression, bullying & other social problems) and the children get to watch her grow and they can relate their feelings and thoughts to their observations of her. Studies have shown that the children's experience have a lasting effect in increased pro-social behaviour and decreased aggression.

So we're almost at the end of our school year & I have to say that as much as the children have learned we learned too. Not just because these kids taught her to clap her hands or that she rolled over for the first time in the class, but I've been lucky to see how something so small (1 hour every few weeks) has changed lives of others. I smile when I think of 2 kids in particular who at the beginning of the classes sat at the back of the class, never spoke and were generally withdrawn. The last class we had the coordinator (Sarah!!) had trouble keeping the kids away from her & stop talking - they were so excited to share!

I know having a small child (and a big boy) is a lot of work - especially when I'm trying to get out of the house in the morning & make it to the class on time. I hope I always remember how important it is to give back, and how easy it is. Doing a small thing for someone else not only makes you feel better & helps someone else, but having good karma in your life will help you for sure!

If you are pregnant, check out the site http://www.rootsofempathy.org/Research.html to see if there is a class near you!

Can Vegan be Tasty?

I am SOO lucky my kids have no allergies (not yet anyway) and my heart goes out there to the parents of kids who have allergies. No only do you have to worry about them in school, but if you like to cook you have to be able to find tasty recipes they will eat.

Thanks to a kid in my baby girls Empathy & Understanding class - put on by the Roots of Empathy program - I brought in cookies one day to find out a few vegan kids couldn't eat them. Not to shy away from a challenge I decided to find a good vegan recipe. A good friend sent me a vegan brownie recipe so I made vegan & non-vegan brownies. I have to say.... although I only had apple-pomegranate sauce, the vegan ones were not my favorite & I didn't blame a few of the kids who came up & asked to change theirs for the other brownie (they weren't vegan but had taken a vegan one to try). I know some adults said they vegan ones were good, but I think they were only being polite!

I am planning on trying another vegan recipe soon!!

Here is the brownie recipe:

1/3 cup melted unsalted butter (make sure you get the butter with no milk!!)
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
3/4 cup cocoa
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup unrefined sugar (suggested to half the sugar)
1 small ripe banana mashed
1 1/3 cup spelt flower
1/2 cup sunflower seeds, coconut, carob chips or walnut pieces (I used carob chips - quite good)

Preheat oven to 350F, lightly grease 8 inch square pan.

In a large bowl, beat all ingredients with fork until smooth and pour into prepared pan. Bake 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean.

Something a Little Different

Many of you out there are probably like me, raised on meat & potatoes -with a few carrots, turnip & frozen peas/carrots for a change. Where I grew up there weren't a lot of options for different vegetables, or perhaps it was just my house... either way I had never ate eggplant until recently and had no idea what moussakka was; only that the girl in 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding' had to eat 'moose kaka'.

In an attempt to force myself to try new things I usually buy whatever veggies are onsale at my local grocery & then look for a recipe to cook them. For this one I went to my fave chef Ricardo and found this recipe (see below for full recipe). As with all his episodes he provides you with an entire meal, so I also made the Red Lentil Soup & the Firm Yogurt with Honey - we were out of honey so I used strawberries (it woulda been better with honey).

I have to say I LOVED IT!! Not only is the funky yogurt bechemel sauce good for covering food for picky eaters, the soup & leftover moussaka was great pureed for my baby girl!

If your going to try something new I suggest this!

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

Moussaka
1 large eggplant, cut into 1-cm (1/2-inch slices)
2/3 cup olive oil
1 pound extra lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 pinch ground cinnamon
1 pinch ground cloves
1 pinch ground ginger
1/2 cup white wine
1 can diced tomatoes (14oz)
1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
Salt and pepper

Yogurt Béchamel
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup plain yogurt (4% MF or lighter)
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 egg yolk
1 pinch ground nutmeg

Directions
Moussaka
1.In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the eggplant, several slices at a time, using 125 ml (1/2 cup) of the oil. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside on a plate.
2.In the same skillet in the remaining oil, brown the meat and onion with the garlic and spices, breaking the meat up with a fork or wooden spoon. Season with salt and pepper. Add the wine. Bring to a boil and reduce until nearly all the wine has evaporated. Add the tomatoes and parsley. Bring to a boil. Remove from the heat. Add 60 ml (1/4 cup) of breadcrumbs, stirring well to combine. Adjust the seasoning. Set aside.
Yogurt Béchamel
1.In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Dust with the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the yogurt and bring to a boil while stirring. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and stir in the cheese, egg and nutmeg. Adjust the seasoning. Set aside.
2.With the rack in the middle position, preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F).
Assembly
1.With the rack in the middle position, preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F).
2.Butter a baking dish about 18 x 28-cm (7 x 11-inch) in size or able to hold about 2 litres (8 cups). Sprinkle 30 ml (2 tablespoons) breadcrumbs on the bottom. Lay half of the eggplant slices on the bottom. Top with the meat mixture. Cover with the remaining eggplant slices. Spread the béchamel over the eggplant. Sprinkle with the remaining breadcrumbs. Bake until the béchamel turns gold-coloured, about 30 minutes.