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homemade chocolate ice cream

Easy Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream

EAT, family meals By August 24, 2013 Tags: , , , , , , No Comments

What’s the end of summer without trying a few old-fashioned kid activities?  Especially delicious ones.  To make an easy homemade chocolate ice cream is the stuff of memories.  Kids learn exactly how much sugar can fill their favourite treat and parents can control the quality of the ingredients.  It also teaches patience.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
3 egg yolk, lightly beaten
2 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
2 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 

Directions:
Combine sugar, milk, salt, and cocoa powder in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly. Bring to a simmer. Place the egg yolks into a small bowl. Gradually stir in about 1/2 cup of the hot liquid and return to the saucepan. This will assist in amalgamating the egg into the hot mixture.  Heat until thickened, but be careful not to boil. Remove from the heat, and stir in the chopped chocolate until melted. Pour into a chilled bowl, and refrigerate for about two hours until cold, stirring occasionally.

When chocolate mixture has completely cooled, stir in the cream and vanilla. Pour into an ice cream maker, and freeze according to manufacturer’s directions.  An ice cream maker to finish the treat is easiest, but if you don’t have one you can fill a big bowl with ice and put the cold liquid into another metal or plastic bowl nestled into the ice bath.  The family can take turns stirring.  If nothing else the kids will learn patience!

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Summer Zucchini Muffins

EAT, snacks By August 21, 2013 Tags: , , , No Comments

The garden is thriving and the kids have been eating poorly since school got out.  Well, mine have anyway.  Time to hide some veggies in their favourite foods.  When we made these summer zucchini muffins, we tripled the recipe, baked one pan of muffins and saved the other two batches in large ziplock bags in the freezer.  A perfect start to the school year. Simply defrost the dough the night before and fill 12 tins for fresh breakfast treats or lunchbox snacks.

3 cups grated fresh zucchini (no need to take the peel off. The green adds depth.. and saves you time.)
2/3 cup melted unsalted butter
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons baking soda
Pinch salt
3 cups all-purpose whole wheat flour (or replace 1 cup with wheat germ)
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup walnuts (optional)
1 cup raisins or dried cranberries (optional)

You don’t need a mixer for this recipe.

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). In a large bowl combine the sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Stir in the grated zucchini and then the melted butter. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Stir these dry ingredients into the zucchini mixture. Stir in walnuts, raisins or cranberries if using.

2. Coat each muffin cup in your muffin pan with a little butter or vegetable oil spray. Use a spoon to distribute the muffin dough equally among the cups, filling the cups up completely. Bake on the middle rack until muffins are golden brown, and the top of the muffins bounce back when you press on them, about 25 to 30 minutes.  Set on wire rack to cool for 5 minutes. Remove muffins from the tin let cool another 20 minutes.

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A Back to School Goal: Exciting Family Dinners

EAT, family meals By August 21, 2013 Tags: , , , , , , , , , No Comments

Summer is so great.  Salad from the garden.  Beach dinners prepackaged at the grocery store.  The 2 for 1 Tuesday Whole Foods pizza deal.  Thankfully there are berries in the garden because I’ve been pretty lax on feeding my family interesting, well-balanced dinners.  A goal I always implement for September is to get life back on track after a summer of fun.  This year at the top of my list for back to school is exciting family dinners.

I wouldn’t say that I’m in a meal rut – I love to cook and develop recipes and experiment.  I’ve just been (gasp) lazy this summer.  Lazy and tired.  So the thought of a meal plan that forces me to experiment is quite exciting.  The plan should eliminate stress, save money at the store and get the kids excited for what is to come.  Mexican has always been a favourite of the family – making our own tacos to assert our personalities and experimenting with spices, meats and fresh ingredients to excite the tastebuds.  (Food fights optional).

So when I created this plan, I’ve slotted in two Mexican-inspired nights.

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Kid Friendly Crab Cakes

EAT, lunches, snacks By August 18, 2013 Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , No Comments

 

If you’re used to picky eaters or chicken finger lovers, kid friendly crab cakes make a great healthy snack.  And it’s not necessary to catch the crabs and shell them like we did (for authenticity).  You can grab the cans.  You also have the option of frying or baking.  The baked version is of course healthier, but you could do a flash fry at the end using olive or grapeseed oil (which has a higher temperature threshold to prevent burning).  Served with veggies or a robust salad they make a great dinner as well.

Kid Friendly Crab Cakes Ingredients:

4 T. finely crushed whole grains (kamut, wheatgerm, wholewheat flour – whatever you have)
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon seafood seasoning/cocktail sauce
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 egg, beaten
salt to taste
1 pinch cayenne pepper (optional)
1 pound fresh crabmeat, well drained
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs (try to use whole grains seasoned with just salt and pepper)
2 tablespoons butter
3T cut chives
6 T finely diced apple (optional) 

Method:

  1. Mix grains, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, seafood seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, egg, salt, and cayenne pepper in a large bowl.
  2. Stir in crabmeat until mixture is combined but still chunky. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
  3. Sprinkle breadcrumbs on a plate.
  4. Shape chilled crab mixture into 4 small thick patties; coat completely with bread crumbs.
  5. Grease a cookie sheet and place in the oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.  Flip crabcakes at 10 minutes.
  6. Optional: flash fry for 30 seconds/side in a skillet before serving.

This kid friendly crab cakes recipe is also great for making shapes – the letters in the kids’ names, hearts, stars and geometric shapes.  Have fun! 

 

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Summer BBQ tips

A Chef’s Summer BBQ Tips

EAT, entertain By August 2, 2013 Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , No Comments

Just in time for a long weekend, we have a special treat for you: a chef’s summer BBQ tips!  Chef Tom Filippou, Executive Chef President’s Choice Cooking Schools has given us an exclusive interview about the current trends and tips in BBQ.  Here he talks overcooking, smoking, menus and marinades.  Enjoy, and feel free to extend a dinner invitation to our team…  Have a great long weekend!

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Girly Lemonade Stands

EAT, entertain, LIVE, nourish By July 3, 2013 Tags: , , , , , , , , No Comments

What kid doesn’t want to set up on the front lawn with ice-cold lemonade and a cash box?  Not only to pass the time and teach them some math skills, you can up the ante a bit by encouraging them to donate the proceeds to a charitable organization.  Make a day of it with girly lemonade stands that help fellow women attain their basic rights in third world countries.

Small actions can drive big change.  Plan Canada’s ‘Because I am a Girl’ initiative is helping to inspire youth to turn lemons into Pink LemonAid by hosting LemonAid fundraisers in their communities. 

The girl issue is real, and it’s affecting girls and women around the world – but what is it? Girls in the poorest regions of the world are among the most disadvantaged people on the planet. They are more likely to live in poverty, more likely to be denied access to education, and more likely to be malnourished, simply because they are young and female.

And yet, studies show that when you invest in girls, the whole world benefits. If a girl has enough to eat, a safe environment, and an education, she’ll work to raise the standard of living for herself, her family and her community. And in time, she can even strengthen the economy of her entire country.

Did you know?

  • 70% of the one billion people living in extreme poverty are women and girls.
  • Girls are 3x more likely to be malnourished than boys.
  • Globally, 66 million girls do not attend primary or secondary school.

There is an urgent need to stand up for the rights of millions of girls. In the poorest regions of the world, girls face double discrimination and unique barriers to survival and development, simply because they are young and female.

But when girls attain their basic human rights, they will:

  • Be 6x less likely to be married as children
  • Have 2.2 fewer yet healthier children
  • Increase their contributions to household income by 18%

Pink LemonAid Kits full of helpful tips, educational materials and instructions on hosting can be downloaded online here. Moms can review the materials with their children and educate them on the importance of helping out girls from around the world who are less fortunate.

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Palm to Coconut Popsicle at One&Only Palmilla

EAT, International, ROAM, snacks By June 24, 2013 Tags: , , , , , , No Comments

With the explosion of farmers markets and the locavore movement, everyone is interested in knowing where their food comes from. One&Only Palmilla in Los Cabos, Mexico, is taking the concept a step further. The new “Palm to Popsicle” program lets kids at the resort see the journey of a coconut from a palm tree, to the kitchen, and into a freshly made popsicle.

As an official “Coconut Hunter,” when a child spots a ripe coconut in a tree, a gardener will cut down the coconut. They will then head into the resort’s kitchen where the children will work with a chef to break open the shell and then help to make a fresh popsicle from a straight-from-the-tree, hyper-local coconut.  Children can take home the recipe for their coconut treats.

 

One&Only Palmilla Coconut Popsicle

Servings: 12

2 cups of fresh coconut water
2 cups of chopped coconut “meat”
1 1/2 cups of unsweetened coconut milk
2/3 cups of pure agave syrup
2 ounces of fresh lime juice
Grated zest of one lime 

Step 1: Place all of the ingredients in a blender and blend at medium to fast speed for one minute.

Step 2: Fill a popsicle mold and place in freezer; when half frozen, remove from freezer and insert popsicle stick.

Step 3: When completely frozen, loosen the popsicle by running warm water over the outside of the mold. Enjoy!

 

 

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20 Picnic Basket Essentials Inspired by Anne Parks

EAT, lunches, snacks By June 19, 2013 Tags: , , , , , , , No Comments

When you meet Anne Parks the first thing you notice is the sparkle in her eyes.  Easy-going and in love with life, she infects you with curiosity.  And then she talks about her vegetable gardens and beekeeping, her gourmet cooking and passion for finding new food trends when she travels.  You would never guess that this vibrant, youthful woman with a phenomenal mane of blond hair has worked with McDonald’s Restaurants for 34 years and is now the Director of Menu Management for McDonald’s Canada.  But then again, every executive I’ve met with at the company has been there for at least 30 years.  Listening to Anne talk at the Vancouver picnic-style launch of the newly developed Signature McWrap® gave us all a window into her passion and the reasons why McDonald’s Canada retains the great people who work there.

UrbanMommies ran a contest inviting readers to share their favourite must-have picnic items, and ten lucky parents attended the special lunch.  We learned so much from Anne about what goes into the process for choosing menu items and we were intrigued to hear about the Canadian palate.  In coming up with flavours for the new grilled or crispy chicken McWrap, she took into account  Canadians’ penchant for  spicier foods, and also our love of different textures within each bite.  (Think: crunch with a bit of bite and smoothness in the same mouthful). The sandwiches also come with a whole wheat wrap – a first for McDonald’s globally and only the second whole wheat item apart from the bun of the Premium Chicken Sandwich.

Anne Parks and her team travel to different parts of the world to explore fresh street markets, flavours and trends, and then bring their findings back to the McDonald’s test kitchen.  Working with dietitians and specialists in areas of pastry and baking, the team comes up with items that are tested for taste, quality, nutrition and consistency.  With the Signature McWrap, I loved the diversity that made me feel as if I were travelling.  I get in different ‘food moods’ so being able to pick Asian, Mexican or North American-themed flavours is a bonus.  The Signature McWrap comes in three flavours Fiesta, Sweet Chili, and Chicken and Bacon.

The luncheon was special in that guests got to ask very specific questions, and Anne was incredibly receptive to suggestions.  Comments about lower-sodium ketchup and options for healthy Happy Meal side dishes started to flow, and the lunch whizzed by.  We drank frozen Chai Iced Frappés and Iced Frappes that were also developed by Parks.

In an interview about her job and life, Parks clearly shows her love of food, people, and bees!

So for our picnic-loving readers, the contest was an incredible opportunity to gather and curate a ton of ideas about summer lunches.  We have compiled the ideas to help you plan your own picnic basket and make beautiful memories with your kids.  As much as I love making sandwiches, though, I’m personally counting on picking up a bagful of the grilled chicken Sweet Chili Signature McWraps, as they are certainly better than anything I can produce at home.  Thanks Anne!

20 Picnic Basket Essentials

1.  Baby Wipes (almost everyone included this!)
2.  A game like ‘Spot it!’
3.  Celery sticks in a lidded jar with peanut butter or cream cheese at the bottom
4.  Cloth napkins in fun colours cut with pinking shears – fun and great for the planet
5.  Extra bags and ziplocks for treasures the kids find during the picnic
6.  A blow-up ball.  It’s lightweight and great for encouraging activity
7.  Afterbite, bug spray and a first aid kit
8.  Old quilts and soft sheets
9.  A small vase for found flowers
10.  A jambox to connect to your smartphone for music
11.  Microwave popcorn cooked still in the sealed bag
12.  A blank book and pen for the family to write memories and share ideas
13.  Lemons and limes already cut up with ice water (we use frozen water bottles that you can drink as they melt)
14.  A scavenger hunt printable (we found one HERE).
15.  Tin dishes.  You can often find them at yard sales or camping supply stores
16.  Old-fashioned games (think: etch-a-sketch, cards, cat’s cradle)
17.  A trash bag
18.  Loveys for the kids in case the picnic sneaks into nap time
19.  Vintage mismatched silver plate cutlery
20.  Candles in tall jars

We’re looking forward to hearing picnic tales throughout the summer and having photos sent to us too!  Enjoy the memories and make sure that your meals have some crunch and some spice!

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The All-Star Sports Birthday Party

EAT, entertain, FAM, kids By June 13, 2013 Tags: , , , , , , , , , No Comments

Asked by Walmart to create a birthday party for six children with under $100, UrbanMommies hit the aisles and embarked on the Walmart Frugal Heroes Challenge.  Scouring the store and channeling our creativity, we decided upon the All-Star Sports Birthday Party.  I was shocked when we got to the cash with an entire basket-full of goods.  I will admit (sheepishly) that the total came to $101.50, but we’re still proud.

Items:

1.  Skipping Rope
2.  6 Red soccer jerseys
3.  1 set of 2 lb weights
4.  1 set of 5 lb weights
5. 4 orange pylons
6. 1 soccer ball
7.  1 basket ball
8.  Box of microwave popcorn
9.  8 frozen tenderloin beef skewers for the BBQ
10.  2 boxes brownie mix
11.  1 tin chocolate icing
12.  dotted cocktail napkins
13.  striped luncheon napkins
14.  red paper plates
15.  Blue plastic tablecloth
16.  1 Case of Blue Kool-Aid Jammers

Total: $101.50

Surely we can create a party with this!  With stations for the leaders to guide the 6 kids in sporty challenges, we jumped rope, did bicep curls, kicked the ball around pylons, did a pushup race and shot hoops.  The kids gorged on popcorn and ‘Brownie Cake’ for dessert and beef kebabs and salad (from my garden and not included in prices).  The ‘goody bag’ was the red jersey that each child got to take home (and could easily be personalized with masking tape).

Therefore, UrbanMommies, the least ‘frugal’ magazine ever, was able to create a memorable and fun party with minimal cost – oh, and it covers the one-hour of activity quotient that so few of our children are getting.

Must go.  We’ve got some drills to recreate!

Disclosure: UrbanMommies was given a $100 gift card for Walmart for the purposes of creating a birthday party.  We were not compensated for this article and all ideas and opinion are our own.

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The Art of Coffee at Milano

EAT, family meals By June 5, 2013 Tags: , , , No Comments

Words like ‘fusion’ and the ‘psychology of the palette’ were tossed around when I experienced the art of coffee at Milano in Gastown.  Coffee culture is taken to a new level by Brian Turko whose eyes sparkle as he talks of his history with Milano’s founder and his apprenticeship in coffee roasting.  I sit across from Erin Ireland as I scarf down her famous lemon loaf (sold at Milano) and listen to Turko talk counter culture and the delight of blending beans as he serves coffee.  I had no idea how complex true Italian roasting was! Real espresso is a blend of fats and flavours – somewhat like a wine.  He makes me chuckle at the notion that coffee shouldn’t be a flavour agent for milk-based drinks.  I am SO busted. I also had no clue that true espresso loses it’s perfect taste within 40 seconds, which is why the European and Argentine coffe shops have jam-packed counters in the morning.

According to Milano’s website, “From rich to mellow, and from bold to sweet and lively, all our blends are exquisitely balanced for flavour, body, acidity, aroma. We know that our dedication to sourcing, hand roasting and blending 9 espresso blends that contain anywhere from 6 – 12 different origin coffees “.  I am no Brian Turko, but I am a tired Mom and I love coffee.  I can attest that Milano will be my new special place for experiencing true coffee culture, as I have never tasted anything so good.

www.milanocoffee.ca

 

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