Welcome Fall... I've missed you

This is our favourite soup during Fall. To bring in the crisp crunchy sound of leaves beneath your feet, the chilly wind and oh so wonderful rain.......

Lentil, Barley and Sweet Potato Soup

(Today's Parent Oct. 2010)

1 tbsp oil

2 stalks celery, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 sweet potato, peeled and diced (or 2 small)

1/2 cup pearl barley

2 tsp dried oregano

2 tsp dried basil

3 tbsp tomato paste (or a few spoonfuls of leftover home made tomato sauce)

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

6 cups of vegetable stock (divided)

540 ml can lentils, drained and rinsed

2 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley or cilantro

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium.  Add celery, onion and garlic, and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until softened. 

2.  Add sweet potato, barley, oregano and basil, and stir to coat well. 

3. Add tomato paste and vinegar, stir to combine. 

4.  Add 5 cups of the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for about 35 minutes, or until sweet potato and barley are tender.

5. Stir in remaining broth, plus lentils and parsley; book 5 minutes more, or until the soup is heated through. 

We always have this soup with Cheddar Cornbread Tops

(adapted from Today's Parent Oct. 2010)

1 cup flour

1/2 cup cornmeal

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup soy milk (or any milk you use)

1 egg (or egg replacer to make it vegan)

2 tbsp oil

2/3 cup cheddar, shredded

(you can add diced hot peppers or a tbsp of paprika)

1. Preheat oven to 400F

2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt.

3. In another bowl, whisk together milk, egg and butter. Pour over flour mixture and stir to combine. Stir in cheese until evenly combined. 

4. Drop dough in 8 mounds onto a parchment-lined baking sheet

5. Bake for about 12 minutes or until firm to the touch. 

Butterfly Love wedding cake

I made this cake for a dear friends little sister. My favourite cake to date.  The top tier was a Victoria sponge cake with cotton candy buttercream. The bottom was a chocolate cake with chocolate orange buttercream, decorated with buttercream fondant and gumpaste butterflies.

Salad Love

A Salad doesn't have to be just a bunch of lettuce with tomatoes cucumbers and shredded carrots. There is a whole world of salads out there, and it is the perfect summertime companion for potluck barbecues/playdates.  Here are my two most requested.

Corn-Quinoa Salad

(July/August 2010 Vegetarian Times)

• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 11/2 cups fresh corn kernels (2 ears)
• 11/2 cups halved cherry or grape tomatoes
• 1 cup finely chopped red cabbage
• 1 cup diced cucumber

Dressing

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 3 Tbs. maple syrup
• 1 Tbs. Dijon mustard (or any spicy mustard)
• 1 tsp. salt

1. To make Salad: Bring quino, salt, and 11/2 cups water to a boil in a saucepan.  Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 20 minutes, or until water is absorbed. Set aside, covered, 10 minutes.

2. Stir together corn, tomatoes, cabbage, cucumber, and quinoa in a bowl. 

3. To make Dressing: Whisk all ingredients. Stir into Salad. 

Jamie Oliver's Rice Salad
(From Sesame Street: C is for Cooking)

•  11/4 cups mixed long grain and wild rice (most of the time we use whatever rice we have on hand)
• Sea salt 
• Few sprigs of fresh basil, mint, and Italian parsley
• 6 Tbs of extra virgin olive oil
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 lemon (zest and juice)
• 8 ounces roasted red bell peppers from a jar, finely chopped (we roast our own if we don't have a jar hand, slice in half, brush with olive oil and broil in oven or bbq until partially charred, peel off skin when cool enough)
• 1/2 fresh red chile, seeded and finely chopped (skip out if you don't want the extra bit of heat)
• Additional salt and pepper, if desired

1. In a medium saucepan cook the rice, with a few pinches of salt. When done spread it out on a tray to help it cool down quickly (left over rice is perfect for this Salad).
2.  Mean while, pick all the leaves off the basil, mint, and parsley stalks. Finely chop.
3.  Prepare the lemon dressing by whisking the oil with a pinch of sea salt, and freshly ground pepper. Squeeze in the lemon juice (i like to add a bit of balsamic vinegar).
4. Spoon the cooled rice into a large serving bowl.
5. Add the basil, mint, and parsley leaves and stir in the bell peppers, chile, and lemon zest. Drizzle the dressing over salad (you don't have to add all of it) and mix well. Taste, add another pinch of salt and pepper if needed, and serve.

Vegas, Food, Love

We spent a few days in Vegas last week. A few days getting my balance back, head cleared, and enjoying some time with our besties with out little Miss A needing all our attention....It was great, I will full out say that, I came home feeling refreshed, a new person almost. BUT, I will also say this...I missed her dearly, I had to talk to her everyday, she on the other hand had her own vacation with Nana and Opa, she did not feel the need to talk to us, a quick hello, I love you, and off she went. Days on end with no one taking her pacifier away, endless cookies and all the cartoons and park play she wanted.....now you tell me who had the better time? 

Our favourite thing to do in Vegas is EAT! That's right, we skip the club line ups, and blackjack tables and head for the restaurants. This was our second time staying at the Wynn, and finding out that Steve Wynn is vegan was the best thing ever, as this means that every restaurant on the Wynn property also has the have a vegan menu =)  BLISS. 

My top 4 of the trip:

Vegan Flatbread - La Cave @ The Wynn

Moscato D'Asti - Lavo @ The Venetian 

The best way to have an Oreo!! - Lavo @ The Venetian

Berry Milkshake - BLT Burger @ The Mirage

Summer Play

Its that time of year, the kiddie pool is pumped and ready to go, sandbox filled,  water table overflowing with water. Add a few kidlets, and we are set for an afternoon of fun. Although our first try at this and the sun decided to play shy right until everyone left. So we will have a redo in  a week or so. Miss A didn't care, she was in that pool, nothing was stopping her.

Asha got to choose the kiddie menu, which was PB & J sandwiches, served with nectarines.  Asha's first attempt at cupcakes from her new sesame street cook book was great. We attempted to make the icing, twice! We are still working at it. 

This is from a great kids cook book from the Sesame Street peeps, 'C is for cooking- Recipes from the street'

Zoe's Vanilla cupcakes

• 1 1/2 c flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 c butter (1 stick), softened
• 1 c sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 c plain yogurt (or buttermilk)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla

1. preheat oven to 350. Line muffin tins with liners. set aside

2. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. (this is a great step for the kids to do)

3. In a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. beat in eggs, one at a time. with mixer on low, beat in flour mixture alternately with the yogurt, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. beat in vanilla.  use a muffin scoop to pour batter evenly into lined muffin cups.

4. bake until golden on top and a tooth-pick inserted in the center of each comes out clean, and 15-20 minutes. cool in rack for 10 minutes, then pop out onto a baking rack and cool completely before frosting with your favourite icing. 

Smoothie Love

Peanut Butter Smoothie

2 ice cubes
1 banana cut up (frozen if you remember to the night before)
3/4 c chocolate almond milk (or Soy)
2 Tbsp smooth peanut butter

Blend. Love

Random dinner of the week

The Munchkin and M both had quesadillas for dinner, and we were short on tortillas so I whipped up this random meal for me.

Sichuan style veggies with Quinoa

2 cups of cabbage,  shredded
2 cups of green beans, trimmed
1 orange pepper, cut into strips
1 tbl of grated ginger
1 scallion, chopped

for the sauce
2 tbl black bean or tamari
1 tbl rice wine vinegar
1 tsp sugar (i used brown)
1/2 tsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp red pepper
2 table spoon water


-whisk all sauce ingredients and set aside.

-heat a tbl of oil in a wok or pan and stir fry until green beans are bright green, but still tender-crisp.
-add ginger and stir fry about a minute (don't let ginger burn)
-add sauce and scallions at the end and toss.

Serve with quinoa

Smoothie Love

Some smoothie love to get your morning started (in our house no one says no to a smoothie...ever).


In most cases I don't make the same smoothie twice...I never have the same thing in my fridge, so I substitute with what I have.

1/2 c greek yogurt (for vegan option omit yogurt and add almond milk and a full banana)
1/2 c pineapple juice (or what ever kind you have on hand)
1 1/2 c strawberries
1/2 c  mango
1/2 banana

Blend....LOVE

Note: I like to chop up my fruit the night before and freeze so its ready to go, if you are not using frozen fruit. Its also a good way to use up that fruit that you know you are not going to use in the next day and is almost due to be chucked.

Game Day Ready

Pretty sure there is only one thing going on in Vancouver tonight........