Lunch & Dinner - Easy Eggy Pasta

Total Prep Time: Approximately 30 minutes

Canada's Food Guide Servings:

1 Grain Products (1/2 cup cooked pasta)

If there is one meal that I can feed my boys without hearing any complaints, it's pasta.  They both love my homemade tomato sauce but are also happy with a simple olive oil and parmesan cheese pasta dish.

Many years ago, I learned how to make "eggy pasta" from my mother.  She had been running an at-home daycare since I was a young child, and was always creating easy, healthy lunches.  I quickly learned that eggy pasta was Aidan's favourite.  To this day, he reminds me that he likes Nana's eggy pasta the best.

This delicious meal is perfect for a quick lunch or weeknight dinner.  You can also pack this pasta into an insulated lunch container for a healthy school lunch for your child.

Eggy Pasta

Ingredients:

8 oz farfalle (bowties) or rotini (corkscrews), approximately 1/2 box of pasta

2 whole eggs or egg yolks (I use only yolks)

1/4 cup grated parmesan, grana padano or romano cheese

1/4 cup whole milk or half & half cream

1 tbsp dried parsley

1/4 tsp black pepper

Directions:

1. In a bowl, whisk together eggs, cheese, milk, parsley and pepper.
2. Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water for 8 to 10 minutes.  Drain and return to pot over medium heat.
3. Add egg mixture to cooked pasta, tossing for about 30 seconds or until pasta is coated.
4. Serve immediately, topped with freshly grated cheese.  This recipe serves 4.

*TIPS*

1. Make lunch fun for your little ones.  Cook both farfalle and rotini and name your dish "butterflies and caterpillars".
2. If your children are old enough to safely eat bacon (or if you're making this for a family dinner), add 4 slices of cooked bacon, cut into small pieces.  Add to the coated pasta before serving.

3. Add cooked peas or asparagus cut into 1/2 inch pieces to the coated pasta for a healthy boost of vitamins and fibre.


Click here for a printable version of this recipe!

Fun & Delicious Christmas Treat - Gingerbread Cookies!

Nothing quite says 'Tis The Season like gingerbread cookies!  Sweet and spicy, crispy and soft, they are the ultimate festive treat.  My mother, sister and I split up the Christmas baking each year.  We all have our favourites and happily share them amongst each other.  I'm always more than happy to take a tin of gingerbread cookies from my mom's house, for a fun afternoon of decorating with Aidan.  This year I decided to take over and make it myself, using mom's recipe of course!

Gingerbread Cookies

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1/2 margarine

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup fancy molasses

1 egg

1 tbsp white vinegar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and all spices in a small bowl.
3. Using a mixer, cream margarine and sugar in a large bowl.  Add egg, molasses and vinegar to the creamed mixture and mix well.
4. Add dry ingredients to wet mixture, stir until pieces of dough appear.
5. Gently knead the dough , ensuring that all dry ingredients are absorbed.  Form dough into a ball and place back in the bowl.
6. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
7. Once the dough has been chilled, remove from the fridge and place on a floured surface.  Using a rolling pin, roll the dough to a 1/4 inch thickness.
8. Cut out festive shapes using plastic or metal cookie cutters, or have fun with some free-hand cutting.  Place the cookies on a non-greased baking sheet, at least a 1/2 inch apart.
9. Bake for 7-9 minutes.  Remove from baking sheet and allow to cool completely on a baking rack.
10. Once cooled, decorate using candy decorations and Royal Icing (recipe below), or serve plain.
11. This recipe makes approximately 24 large cookies.
12. Store baked cookies (undecorated) in an airtight container for 1 week in the refrigerator or for 1 month in the freezer.

Royal Icing

Ingredients:

2 large egg whites (or more to thin icing)

4 cups sifted icing sugar (or more to thicken icing)

1 lemon, juiced

Directions:

1. Beat the egg whites until stiff.  Add sugar and lemon juice, beat for 1 minute.
2. If the icing is too thick, add more egg whites.  If the icing is too thin, add more icing sugar.
3. Fill a pastry bag with icing and decorate gingerbread cookies.
4. Store icing in a zip lock bag or air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

*TIPS*

1. 1/4 inch thick cookies will be crispy on the outside but soft and chewy on the inside (perfect for dipping in a cup of tea).  Roll the dough to 1/8 inch thickness for a crispier cookie.

2. Instead of using Royal Icing to decorate your cookies, try brushing on a sugar glaze instead.  You will find a recipe on my Pumpkin Spice Scone post.  Brush the glaze on a cookie using a pastry brush and decorate with candy sprinkles.

3. You can make the dough ahead.  Refrigerating in an air-tight container for up to 5 days or overwrap with foil and freeze for up to 2 weeks.

4. If you don't have a pastry bag, you can use a plastic sandwich bag instead.  Snip a small corner off the bag and decorate.  Plastic condiments containers are also a great tool, making it easy for little ones to squeeze out their own icing.

5. Increase the spices by 1/4-1/2 tsp each for a more flavourful cookie.

Have your kids mix the dough, help with measuring the ingredients, and decorate to their heart's content.  This is a great way to introduce your children to the world of giving.  Pack up a batch of cookies to give as a gift.  Start a new tradition in your home.  And don't forget to enjoy a few of these cookies yourself, over a hot cup of tea!


Click here for a printable version of this recipe!

Snack...or Brunch...or Teatime - Pumpkin Spice Scones

I. LOVE. STARBUCKS

I love their coffee (Christmas Blend, Pike Place Roast...yum!), their baked goods (lemon poppyseed loaf...need I say more?), and if I had more cash to spend on the things that I don't need, I'd have a cupboard full of the beautiful coffee mugs, french presses and teapots that you see on display at their stores.  I'm even hooked on their VIA coffee.  The Italian Roast always gives me that extra bold energy boost that I desperately need on a Monday morning at work.

I try to stay away from their delicious baked goods, as I certainly don't need the extra fat and calories in my diet.  But I did decide to treat myself to a scrumptious Pumpkin Scone one morning.  It was exactly what I would expect from a scone; light, airy and not dry.  And the spicy, savoury flavour was not overpowering, it was just perfect.  

After indulging in one too many pumpkin scones over the past three months (bad for the waistline and wallet), I decided to try baking my own.  One word to describe these homemade Pumpkin Spice Scones: DELISH!

Pumpkin Spice Scones

Ingredients:
SCONES

2 cups all-purpose flour
7 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground ginger
6 tbsp cold butter
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
3 tbsp half-and-half or 10% cream
1 large egg

PLAIN SUGAR GLAZE
1 cup + 1 tbsp powdered (icing) sugar
2 tbsp whole milk 

SPICED SUGAR GLAZE
1 cup + 4 tbsp powdered (icing) sugar
2 tbsp whole milk
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1 pinch ground ginger
1 pinch ground cloves

Directions:

SCONES

1.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.  Lightly oil a baking sheet or line with parchment paper.
2. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and spices in a large bowl.  Using a pastry knife, fork, or food processor, cut cold butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture is crumbly.  Set aside.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together pumpkin, cream and egg.  Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients.  Form the dough into a ball.
4. Pat the dough onto a lightly floured surface and form into a 1-inch thick rectangle.  Using a large knife or pastry scraper, slice the dough into even-sized triangles.  You can also use a scone cutter or a small glass to make round scones.
5. Bake for 14 minutes.  The underside of the scones should be a light brown and the tops will feel dry to the touch.  Place on a wire rack to cool.

 PLAIN SUGAR GLAZE

1. Mix the powdered sugar and milk together until smooth.
2. When the scones are completely cool, paint the glaze over the top of each using a pastry brush.  Allow the glaze to dry and repeat with a second coat.  Allow the second coat to dry.

SPICED SUGAR GLAZE

1. Combine the powdered sugar, spices and milk, mix until smooth.
2. Drizzle this thicker glaze over each scone.

** This recipe makes 6 large triangle scones or 10-12 round scones.

*TIPS*

1. For a healthier school snack, omit the glaze.  These scones are moist and flavourful enough that your little one won't miss the sugary topping.

2. Change up the recipe.  Replace the plain cream with egg nog or flavoured coffee cream.  Replace the individual spices with pumpkin pie spice.  Decrease or increase the amount of spice to suit your taste.

3. A fluted scone cutter makes a fancy looking scone, perfect when baking these treats for brunch at a friend's house.

4. Store at room temperature in a covered container for 3 days, if they last that long!


My boys are crazy about these scones and I will definitely be making them again.  The next batch will be for Christmas Day brunch at my sister-in-laws house.  This recipe has been placed in my vault with my other favourites.  I encourage you to give them a try, you'll love them too!


Click here for a printable version of this recipe!

Bananas For Your Little Monkeys!

Total Prep Time: Approximately 60 minutes

Canada's Food Guide Servings:

1 Vegetables & Fruit (1 banana)

Yellow; Sweet; Convenient ... BANANAS!

                                                 Health Facts:

• One large (9 inch) banana contains 602 mg of potassium, 2 g of protein and 4 grams of fibre!
• It also contains 36 g of fibre and carries 140 calories
• Excellent source of A and B Vitamins, Thiamine, Riboflavin, Niacin and Folic Acid
• Although they have a creamy texture, they contain no fat
• A portable snack, perfect for day trips or break time at work

Fun Facts:

• The banana plant is not a tree, it's the world's largest herb!
• Bananas are nature's 'good mood' food - they contain tryptophan and Vitamin B6.  When combined, they help the body product seratonin
• Bananas got their name from the Arab word for finger, "banan".  A bunch of bananas is called a hand
• The waste (peel) is biodegradable, therefore bananas are waste-free! 

Bananas can always be found in our fruit bowl.  I often pack one into Big-A's backpack for his school snack, and they're a common dessert for both my boys.  I serve sliced bananas in yogurt for snack time at home, and sliced bananas over Rice Krispies for breakfast.  Not a day goes by that Lil-J doesn't walk by the counter pointing and yelling out "NANA!".  With the health benefits and convenience, they are a staple in our diet. 

Banana bread is not only an ideal school snack for your kiddos, but it's a simple snack for your preschoolers.  I cut a slice into small cubes for Lil-J.  It's also a great to have on hand for a quick breakfast.  If you don't already have an amazing recipe for banana bread, try this one out.  My mother shared it with me many years back and it's the only one that I make.

Banana Bread

Ingredients:

1/4 cup softened butter or margarine

2 large eggs

1 cup white sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

3-4 overripe bananas, mashed

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Blend flour and baking soda in a large bowl.
3. Add mashed bananas to dry mixture.  Using a fork, blend bananas into dry mixture just until combined (the mixture will look like small balls of dough).
4. Using a hand mixer, blend margarine/butter, eggs and sugar.  Add to dry banana mixture, stirring gently.  
5. Pour mixture into a lined or buttered loaf pan.
6. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the loaf comes out clean.
7. Let the loaf sit for 5 minutes, then remove from pan and allow it to cool completely before storing.

*TIPS*

1. Instead of greasing your loaf pan, line it with aluminum foil.  You won't be scrubbing pans, and it makes removing the loaf from the pan very easy.  You can store the loaf in the same foil.

2. Add 1 cup of chocolate chips for a special treat.


Click here for a printable version of this recipe!

Applesauce Cinnamon Christmas Ornaments

I'm officially in the Christmas spirit!  The decorating has (slowly) started and my shopping is almost complete!  Time for the Christmas crafts to begin.  I love making ornaments to give as gifts.  One of my favourites are Applesauce Cinnamon Ornaments.  They're easy to make, child-friendly and smell oh so good!  Big-A and I made our first batch 2 years ago and they still smell delicious enough to eat!

Here are Big-A and I in 2008 hard at work making our first batch of Applesauce Cinnamon Ornaments.  I was 6 months pregnant with Lil-J at the time.  We had a blast rolling and decorating, and these ornaments have made their way on our Christmas tree every year since.

The recipe is very basic - only three ingredients.  Your little ones can help you, every step of the way!

Applesauce Cinnamon Ornaments

Ingredients:

1 cup store-bought applesauce

1 cup ground cinnamon

1 tbsp white craft glue

Directions:

1. In a mixing bowl, combine the applesauce and the craft glue, mix well.  Add the cinnamon and mix until it forms a firm but moist dough ball. 
2. Using your hands, gently knead the dough ensuring that the cinnamon is thoroughly combined. 
3. Place the bowl of dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. 
4. Roll out the dough on a flat surface to at least a 1/4 inch thickness.  Any less will make the finished ornaments weak and breakable. 
5. Cut shapes with cookie cutters or free-hand.  Poke a hole in the top of each ornament using a toothpick. 
6. Place ornaments on a cookie sheet and allow to air-dry for at least 24 hours (larger ornaments may take up to 2 days to dry).  Do not touch the ornaments until they are completely dry.

*TIPS*

1. Add a tsp of ground cloves to the wet mixture for a more aromatic ornament.

2. Immediately after cutting out the shapes, decorate with shiny beads or whole cloves, pressing them into the soft dough.  They will dry into the ornaments.

3. Once dry, decorate with glitter glue or paint.  Using silver glitter glue is a perfect way to write a personal message on the back of the ornament if you're giving them as gifts.  Thread a shiny ribbon through the hole and you have beautiful keepsake ornaments that are a perfect gift for anyone on your Christmas list!

 2010 - Here is Big-A mixing the dough.

 Big-A with the completed ball of dough, ready for the refrigerator.

 Patting down the dough before rolling it out.

Showing off his decorating skills.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe!