Over the Shoulder Baby Holder

GEAR, style By January 4, 2013 Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , No Comments

The over the shoulder baby holder is otherwise known as a sling or carrier (not a bra – ha ha).  Both mom and dad need to be comfortable and structurally supported without hunching, tilting or bruised shoulders.  When our kids were tiny, they refused the stroller (aaagh) and my diaper bag essentials always included two different types of carriers to give my body some variety.  Ranging from wraps to heavy-duty sophisticated contraptions with buckles and gizmos, here are a few of the most popular.

1.  Baby Bjorn – a fabulous brand made famous when Angelina Jolie carried her little ones, they now come in active and comfort models and the optional covers keep baby snug and warm without adding bulk and weight to the carrier.  Available at Baby’s World.

2.  The Beco Butterfly 2 is a gorgeous eco-friendly carrier that can hold baby in the front or back.  It’s a great option for both mom and dad.  Available (and on sale!) at Hip Baby $119.00.

3.  The Moby Wrap comes in hip designs, UV protective cloth, jacquard and modern designs.

4.  The Maya Wrap is a beautiful and cozy alternative that many of our readers swear by.  Aiding in breastfeeding, it is an incredibly secure option for the little one.  It just takes a bit of figuring out before you feel fully comfortable with how to wrap.  Available at Parenting By Nature.
5.  Ergo Baby Petunia Pickle Bottom Designer Collection – also produces organic, sport and travel options.  Available at Jack and Lola (Outback model $124.99) or Petunia Pickle Bottom (model shown).

6.  Phil and Ted’s Metro Carrier has a streamlined design that has ‘UrbanMommy’ written all over it.  It’s also lightweight and comfortable.  $169.99 at Lusso Baby.

7.  Balboa Baby slings are fabulous for breastfeeding and recommended by Dr. Sears.  Available at Baby’s Corner.

8.  The Little Life Explorer S2 Child Carrier

Occupying up to 30% less space than their full-sized carriers, the design of the Explorer S2 is deliberately minimalist. This ensures that it packs away neatly, taking up the least space possible, and makes it ideal for travel. Despite this it has some clever little features and boasts a 17 litre storage capacity. It also features a highly adjustable back system.  Available at MEC.

9. Sasha Ediger Tigers Tale Collection from Rose and Rebellion in the UK are handmade with generously padded straps and fully reversible to make them a great unisex product.  £79.99  Rose and Rebellion

10.  Sakura Bloom offers dupioni silk, 2-colour slings. Cool to wear, and perfect for all climates, these slings are handcrafted of two layers of silk, each sling is lightweight, breathable, and adjustable.  All Sakura Bloom slings are machine washable in cold water.  $198.00 from Sakura Bloom.

 

 

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Go-Go Green Juice

Go-Go Green Juice

EAT, snacks By January 4, 2013 2 Comments

The new year is a perfect time to start each day with a shot of health.  We give this Go-Go Green Juice to our kids too, and if yours don’t like the colour, calling it ‘Monster Juice’ can help.  If all else fails, add frozen blueberries and call it a milkshake!

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Apple Cosmopolitan

EAT, entertain By December 29, 2012 Tags: , , , , , 1 Comment

Spiced apple cocktail makes a great cold-weather apple cosmopolitan. Serve ice cold. Thread a dried apple chip onto the cinnamon stick garnish if you’d like.  We also have a ton of mocktail recipes if you’d prefer!

Serves: 1 Prep time: 5 minutes
Difficulty Level: Easy

Ingredients:
½ cup President’s Choice Spiced Apple Cocktail
2 tbsp (25 ml) Vodka
2 tbsp (25 ml) Calvados or Applejack or other apple brandy
1 cinamon stick Ice cubes 1.

Method:
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add apple cocktail, vodka and Calvados. Shake. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with cinnamon stick. Makes 1 serving

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Mint Chocolate Cake Pops

EAT, entertain By December 29, 2012 Tags: , , , No Comments

Cake pops are all the rage. Bet you didn’t know the secret is frosting! For an added touch, drizzle cake pops with melted white chocolate and coloured sprinkles. Try our Mint Chocolate Cake Pops recipe.

Serves: 20
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 1 minute
Chill time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Difficulty Level: Intermediate

Ingredients:
4 cups (1 L) prepared chocolate cake chunks
1 cup (250 mL) vanilla frosting
1-1/2 cups (375 mL) PC Decadent Mint Chocolate Chips
20 paper lollipop sticks
2 tbsp (25 mL) canola oil

Method:
Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. 1. In large bowl, add cake chunks and frosting; mix together using spatula until fully combined. Spoon 2 tbsp (25 mL) mixture at a time and form into rough-shaped balls; arrange on prepared baking sheet. Refrigerate 1 hour. 2. Once chilled, roll each rough-shaped ball into a smooth round ball; refrigerate until ready to use. 3. Place chocolate chips in small glass microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH in 15 to 20 second intervals, stirring in between, for about 1 minute or until chocolate is completely melted. Dip one end of a lollipop stick ¾ -inch (2 cm) into melted chocolate; insert most of the way into a cake ball. Repeat with remaining sticks and cake balls. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes or until ready to use. 4. Meanwhile, reheat chocolate if necessary to maintain pourable consistency; gently stir in oil. Dip a cake ball into chocolate to coat completely, letting excess chocolate drip back into bowl; insert stick into a Styrofoam block or drinking glass stuffed with foil. Repeat with remaining cake balls. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving. Makes 20 cake pops. TIP: You can use home-made or store-bought chocolate cake and vanilla frosting.

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Dried Cranberry and White Chocolate Chip Cookies

EAT, holidays By December 28, 2012 Tags: , , , 1 Comment

Are you looking for something new to brighten up your holiday cookie plate? The Old Farmer’s Almanac Everyday Baking cookbook is bursting with recipes that will satisfy a sweet tooth, cookie exchange or dessert for a holiday gathering.
Everyday Baking features 118 original recipes by celebrated baker and longtime Almanac collaborator Ken Haedrich. A winner of the Julia Child Cookbook Award, Haedrich may be best known as the author of Pie: 300 Tried-and-True Recipes for Delicious Homemade Pie, which was recently named one of the best baking books of the past 25 years by Cooking Light magazine.

Everyday Baking, with its handy reference section and time-tested advice sprinkled throughout, demystifies the art of baking and will inspire home bakers of all skill levels to make delicious breakfast treats, after-school snacks, and impressive desserts. The easy-to-follow recipes in Everyday Baking don’t demand unusual ingredients or abstract cooking techniques, but rather just a desire to make delicious home-baked goods completely from scratch.

Everyday Baking is available online at Almanac.com or wherever books and magazines are sold.

From The Old Farmer’s Almanac Everyday Baking cookbook (page 48)

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sweetened dried cranberries
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans
Optional: Fleur de sel or sea salt, just a few pinches

Using an electric mixer, cream the butter in a large mixing bowl. Beat in the sugars and eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add in the vanilla. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl. Stir the dry mixture into the creamed ingredients, half at a time, until evenly mixed. Stir in the cranberries, white chocolate chips, and nuts. Cover and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours (or overnight).

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly butter two large baking sheets or line them with parchment paper. With lightly floured hands, shape the dough into 1-1/2-inch-diameter balls. Place the balls on the baking sheets, leaving about 2-1/2 inches in between. Optional: sprinkle a tiny pinch of fleur de sel over each ball, literally just about 5 granules on each cookie. Bake one sheet at a time on the center oven rack for about 17 minutes (this sounded like a long time to me, but because the dough was cold, it was perfect!). When done, the edges of the cookies should be golden brown and the centers much less so. Cool the cookies for 5 minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer them to a rack to cool completely. Makes about 30 cookies.

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Champagne Shrimp and Angel Hair

EAT, family meals By December 28, 2012 Tags: , No Comments

Shrimp, the number one consumed seafood in North America, lends a most elegant flair to holiday meals.  The traditional holiday favourites of turkey and beef tenderloin are being joined by delicate and delicious, elegant shrimp.  It’s not the holidays without cakes and cookies, Menorahs and mistletoe, parades and parties, Santa and… SHRIMP!

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Goat Cheese and Fig Crostini

EAT, snacks By December 28, 2012 Tags: , , , No Comments

This fig and prosciutto hors d’oeuvre uses dried figs- cheaper than fresh and available year-round. You can make the baguette toasts earlier in the day and store them in an airtight container at room temperature.

Serves: 14 (2 per person)
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 6 minutes
Difficulty Level: Easy Wow

1 Baguette, cut in 28 slices each ½-inch (1 cm) thick
6 tbsp (90 mL) extra virgin olive oil
1 pkg (300 g) Soft Unripened Goat’s Milk Cheese
3 tbsp (45 mL) 35% whipping cream or milk
½ tsp (2 mL) freshly ground black pepper
¼ tsp (1 mL) salt
¾ cup (175 mL) finely chopped dried figs (about 7)
1 pkg (125 g) Prosciutto

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Place baguette slices on baking sheet. Brush both sides with 3 tbs (45 mL) of the olive oil. Bake in centre of oven for 6 minutes, turning once, or until slightly crisp. Cool on baking sheet.

2. Meanwhile, in large bowl, stir together goat cheese, cream, pepper and salt until softened. Stir in figs.
3. Spread goat cheese mixture evenly over baguette slices, using about 1 tbsp (15 mL) per slice. Drizzle crostini with remaining 3 tbsp (45 mL) olive oil. Tear each slice of prosciutto into four pieces; arrange one piece decoratively onto each crostini.

Makes 14 servings

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Mint Chip Semifreddo

EAT, family meals By December 26, 2012 Tags: , , No Comments

Semifreddo is an Italian frozen dessert that is served frozen hard on the inside but softened on the outside. Freeze the whole bowl and scoop it out as you would ice cream, portion it before freezing, or pack into a loaf pan lined with plastic wrap and cut into slices after it’s frozen. Any way you serve it, let it temper (stand at room temperature for a few minutes) to soften a bit before serving.

Serves: 10
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 5 minutes
Chill time: 6 hours
Difficulty level: Easy Wow

1-1/2 cups (375 mL) PC Mint Chocolate Chips, roughly chopped
1 can (300 mL) PC Sweetened Condensed Milk
2 cups (500 mL) 35% whipping cream
½ cup (125 mL) toasted hazelnuts, coarsely chopped

1.Place half of chocolate chips in medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH for 20 seconds; stir. Repeat until chocolate has completely melted. Stir in sweetened condensed milk. Set aside.

2. In bowl and using electric mixer, whip cream until stiff peaks form. Fold into chocolate mixture. Add hazelnuts and remaining chocolate chips; gently fold just until combined. Cover and freeze for 6 hours. (You can portion into individual serving dishes before freezing.)

Makes 10 servings

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Creamy BC Spot Prawn Chowder With poached egg and Smokey Chicharon

EAT, family meals By December 26, 2012 Tags: , , , , , , , , No Comments
On 22nd Nov, the Vancouver Aquarium was transformed into a culinary battleground as 12 of Vancouver’s top chefs competed to create the best sustainable chowder before a crowd of hungry seafood lovers. After the last bowls of chowder were sampled, a panel of esteemed judges crowned Chef Chris Whittaker of Forage Restaurant the 2012 Vancouver Aquarium Ocean Wise Chowder Chowdown Champion. In a surprising sweep, Chef Whittaker’s chowder was also chosen as the winner of the People’s Choice Award.
Chef Whittaker won over the celebrity judges and the crowd with his irresistible recipe for Creamy Spot Prawn Chowder with Poached Egg and Smokey Chicharon, featuring white wine, leeks and bacon.

And here is the recipe Creamy BC Spot Prawn Chowder With poached egg and Smokey Chicharon:

1/3 cup Salted Butter
¾ cup bacon (cut into batons)
2 cups Diced Celeriac
2 cups Diced Tomato
2 cups Diced Onion
1 cup Diced Carrots
1 cup Diced Leeks
¼ cup Flour
½ cup White Wine
3 cups Spot Prawn Stock
1 ½ cups Cream
1 ¼ cups Diced German Butter Potato
1 tsp Finely Chopped Italian Parsley
1 tsp Finely Chopped Thyme
½ tsp Riesling Vinegar
20 piece Wild BC Spot Prawns (split in half)
Salt and White Pepper to taste

Heat sauce pan over medium heat and add bacon and butter. Once melted and bacon has begun to render, add celeriac, onion, leeks and carrots. Saute until vegetables become translucent and add flour and mix until incorporated. Cook for about five minutes on low hear and then deglaze with white wine. Once alcohol is cooked off (about 1 minute) add prawn stock and turn heat back up to medium. Add heavy cream and diced tomatoes and potatoes. Cook for an additional 30 minutes on a gentle simmer and then add riesling vinegar, parsley and thyme. Stir in the raw prawns and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Season with salt and white pepper.

Serves 4 – 6

For the Chicharon

1 pound pork skin (fat removed and diced)
3 cups water
1 tsp salt

Place all ingredients in pot and bring to boil. Cook for at least 30 minutes. Strain and dry in 180f oven for 6 hours or until completely dry. Place in 350f frying oil until they puff nicely. Remove and season with salt. At this point we lightly smoke with applewood chips for 10-15 minutes.(optional)

Place chowder in bowl of your choice and garnish with soft poached egg and chicharon.

Try these salmon chowder bread bowls next.

Vancouver Aquarium’s Ocean Wise™ Program

The Ocean Wise symbol next to a seafood item is the Vancouver Aquarium’s assurance of an ocean-friendly seafood choice. With over 3,100 Ocean Wise partner locations across Canada, Ocean Wise makes it easy for consumers to make sustainable seafood choices that ensure the health of our oceans for generations to come. www.oceanwise.ca
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10 Ways to Save Money During the Holidays

FAM, self By December 20, 2012 Tags: , , , , , , , , No Comments

January is all about new beginnings – thinning out, simplifying and looking forward to longer daylight hours.  So why do we continually sabotage ourselves in December?  According to new research released by Mobilicity, Canada’s smart mobile phone carrier, 58 per cent of Canadians say they spend more than they should during the holidays and a further 59 per cent find themselves making impulse purchases. This overindulgence may lead to feelings of guilt, remorse or the ‘holiday shopping hangover’.

Unfortunately, it’s often parents of young children who are at greatest risk for this holiday overspending phenomenon.  We’ve put together a few tips so that you can start your new year early (and not hide under the covers when your bills come in).

1.  Buy e-books as gifts on Kindle, iBooks or Kobo. They are much less expensive (and environmentally-friendly) than the paper versions.

2.  Utilize the apps on your smartphone to save money.  Some of our favs include: Shopcatch, Groupon, Living Social, Hotels.com, Kayak, AirBNB, and Hipmunk.  In today’s economy, it is perfectly acceptable to gift a daily deal voucher provided you have put careful thought into the desires of the recipient.

3.  Set limits for gifting to family.  Drawing names and setting a $50 limit can be fun and won’t break the bank.

4.  Dropbox is a free service that saves you printing costs and allows you to access your documents and photos from any computer or smartphone.

5.  Flipboard is a fabulous alternative to buying paper magazines.  Big Oven or Food Network Canada house thousands of recipes and can help save money on Hard copy recipe books.

6.  Amazon has a great app that allows you to scan bar codes in stores in order to compare prices to what the item sells for on Amazon.

7.  Shop all year.  Seriously.  When you see a great sale, keep the December holidays in mind and consider buying gifts for friends and family early.  Black Friday sales have also come to Canada and stores like the Bay, Future Shop and Apple are offering deep discounts.

8.  Make sure you research your big purchases.  Tripadvisor, Yelp and Auto Trader are great apps with which to research big ticket items.

9.  We have lots of Homemade Holiday Gift ideas.  Especially when received from children, they are filled with love and sentiment for special people in the kids’ lives.

10.  Give experiences instead of ‘things’.  Offer to babysit for close friends and supply movie tickets.  Take a friend’s children to the zoo.  Make coupons for the kids for extra screen time or a date with Mommy.

There is no need for guilt or remorse due to overspending if you consider the needs of others and plan ahead. (Goodness knows – parents are hard enough on themselves!)  Using technology to make life easier (and cheaper) will help you to embrace your January goals and limit the January holiday shopping ‘hangover’.

 

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