Almost there...

Monday: Leftover Pasta
Tuesday: The Fridge in a Pita
Wednesday: Grilled Salmon, Rice and Fennel and Orange Salad
Thursday: Salmon Salad and Egg Salad in Pitas
Friday: Calzones
Saturday: Out to a BBQ
Sunday: Mexican Rice Casserole, Salad, Corn Bread and Ice Cream

Hannah's counting the apples!

Leftover Pasta

" I love rock and roll, put another house in the cemetary, I love rock and roll, put another house in the cemetary!"

This is what Hannah has been singing all day. It's amazing I really feel like the words to that song, or at least that line, are pretty easy to get. She is very much my child!

Recipe

We had lots of leftover pasta from last night, no mussels of course Hannah finished those today. So I threw in the roasted veggies and a little of the pesto from the other night - it was delicious!

The Fridge in a Pita

Wow. Hannah's had a little bit of trouble sleeping lately and she is very sensitive to her clothing, especially when she's tired. So today, five minutes before we need to leave for school, she can't find any pants that don't bug her. I'm trying to be sensitive, but to be honest it can be really hard to believe that none of her clothes (all of which have been fine for so long) feel good. She had herself so wound up that any comment such as, "Did you try some tights and a dress?" was met with tears. This went on for half an hour with no end in sight, so I called it, "I think maybe you need a break today." I called the school to let them know we weren't coming, Hannah put on some pj's and we sat in front of the TV watching Tree House and eating popcorn for a good part of the afternoon. It's been so cloudy lately and I think that it's not just me that it affects, but tomorrow I'll be sure to have her get dressed for school very early.

 

 

Recipe

I was going to run out to the store this afternoon, but that didn't happen so I had to scrounge around the kitchen. I peeled and cut an eggplant and sweet potato in rounds, layed them out on a cookie sheet, sprayed them with olive oil, sprinkled them with salt and then roasted them in the oven at 450F.

I put a can of drained and rinsed chickpeas in a pan with some olive oil and sauteed them until they were nice and crispy adding some garlic powder to them.

I mixed some leftover pesto with a little mayonnaise and spread it thinly on half a pita, then added the eggplant, sweet potate, chickpeas, some sundried tomatoes and a little feta. It was quite good, the crunch of the chickpeas with the smooth insides of the sweet potato and the little bit of oil from the sundried tomato went really nicely together.

Salmon, Rice and Fennel Orange Salad
Tonight as I'm putting Hannah to bed she says to me, "I saw Soleil (a little girl from her preschool class last year) in the hall at school today with her big sister, when I was going to the bathroom from music."  I said, "Oh, did you say Hi?" Her eyes got big and round, "No, Mama. We're not allowed to talk in the halls...but, I did wave to her, but just a little one." She's so funny.

Recipe
It was cloudy and rainy again and so I had planned on a clear soup with salmon and rice but, then the sun came out and it was warm and soup just didn't seem right. So I grilled the salmon on the BBQ, just brushing it with a little sesame oil. We had basmati rice with peas and green onions and then I just seasoned it with a little rice vinegar. The salad comes from Moosewood at Home. Slice the bulb of fennel, after removing the tough outer layer, into thin strips, add two sectioned oranges (cut into sections so the juice can run), toss together with a Tbsp of olive oil and a little salt and pepper and chill in the fridge, covered, for at least half an hour.

Salmon Salad and Egg Salad in Pitas
Looking over the blog this week, I realized I hadn't written anything for Thursday. So, I decided I would think about Thursday and add a little blurb...yeah, right - like I can remembe Thursday. I barely remember today....

Recipe

I do remember that we had salmon salad and egg salad pitas (mostly because it's written down and there's a picture). I mixed the leftover salmon with pickle and a little mayonnaise and did the same with some hard boiled eggs stuffing it into pitas with lettuce and red onion.

Calzones
Dave came home early from work today and as I'm heading out the door to go work out I can hear him and Harper conspiring in the kitchen. Harper' s negociating some order of activity and says, "Play a game, go get Hannah, then make the cookies." to which I respond, "Cookies? Who's making cookies?" Harper looks at me and says, "I can't tell you."

They did make cookies, six delicious imperial cookies which we took with us to Assiniboine Park where we played in the Children's Garden and went over and listened to the Winnipeg Orchestra Symphony that was playing in the park. It was lovely, the best part being that the kids were all invited to come up and dance at the front of the stage. Harper was back and forth from us to the front. Hannah on the other hand spent the entire time up front dancing, sometimes she was the only one, spinning and jumping and dancing and free!

Recipe
Even though these are a little different there's no new recipe. I divided the dough that we usually use for pizza (which we buy) into four, sauced one half and added onions, sundried tomatoes, olives, mushrooms and a little cheese and then folded them together pinching the edges (I'm sure you could make them look a lot neater and prettier than I did, but that's not really my thing).

Out for a BBQ
I took the girls up to one of the parks in our neighborhood this morning. There's one that has four or five different kinds of monkey bars (who knew there could be four or five different kinds?), my monkey was in heaven!

For the record we biked there and she ran to the bars, I don't make her wear a helmet when she does the monkey bars...although secretly I would like to - but I squash that down!

Harper was in love with this slide!

Recipe
Dave and I had a lovely evening out at my cousin's for a BBQ. We had veggie burgers that were actually cooked on the BBQ! I'm going to get the recipe and try them, although she's not sure she'll be able to remember exactly what she added. They were delicious, on beautifully grilled bread with lettuce and thick slices of pickles. She also made two yummy salads!

Mexican Rice Casserole, Salad, Corn Bread and Ice Cream
It's really hard to believe that we are heading into the last week of school. This end of school excitement seems a little odd for me as the past few years it really hasn't affected me. I'm so looking forward to having Hannah home all day, the freedom and carefreeness! I'm not sure what life is going to be like next year and I kind of feel like we've somehow made this climb, where we are now perched on the top of this hill. We'll stay at the top of this hill, perched and carefree enjoying our little bubble for the summer. Once September comes I feel like the bubble is going to pop and we are going to topple down that hill, a little head over heels, into a new stage for us. This, school age (full days) child stage. It's not that I feel like our "bubble is going to burst" in the negative way, I think the decent down the hill is going to be fun and it may take some time to find our footing and get comfortable with the pace of the slope but we will and then we'll start to slowly make the climb again...

We had a delicious dinner at my mom and dad's tonight. The girls were really tired from a day in the sun, not to mention Dave, and we came home a little early.

We are heading out in a few days to spend two weeks with Dave's parents in Nova Scotia. We are all so looking forward to seeing them and reconnecting. We'll be at their cottage for the most part and I won't have my computer with me so I will be not be posting for the next couple of weeks.

I hope the sun shines down on you!

Happy Father's Day!

Monday: Cheese and Bread Soup with Edamame Beans
Tuesday: Tofu Curry over Rice
Wednesday: Fried Egg with Sizzling Vinegar on Toast with Watermelon
Thursday: Blackbean Burgers with Salad
Friday: Walnut Pesto Pasta with Sundried Tomatoes and Peas
Saturday: Pizza
Sunday: Linguine and Mussels with Roasted Veggies and Salad Followed by Apple Pie and Ice Cream

 

Cheese and Bread Soup with Edamame Beans
I failed an MRI. Did you know you could fail? I've had this knee issue for, well I guess since I was a kid but it has recently gotten worse so I've been going to physio, wearing a knee brace and waiting to get an MRI. Tonight I had the appointment and she had to do it three times and then still it was blurry and she had to try to take some stills which she apparently was able to get a couple. She (being the nurse or technician) came in the first time and says to me (very firm and matter of factly), "Well, it's blurry so you must have moved - what's the problem?" For those of you that don't know me very well, I like to follow the rules and instructions and get things right in these types of situations, so I felt bad that I had failed, apologized and we tried again. She was really very...I want to say mean, but I don't think she was mean, I think she was just very abrupt and it kind of made me feel like I was ten and being scolded. So she went back for a second time and I realized that my legs were moving all over the place, twitching, but I couldn't stop them so I was dreading her return again, and sure enough, "Is there a problem?" to which I responded in my quiet, intimidated ten year old girl voice, "No? But I can feel them twitching and I can't seem to stop it?" to which she responded, "Well, if it's involuntary muscle spasms there's nothing we can do. I'll try one more time" Now, this response was not softer or nicer but it made me feel like at least it wasn't really my fault, but in a way like I was just damaged or something, not in a way like sometimes this happens to people and we'll try one more time before trying something else. So back she went and I could tell right off that this one would be no better, I could feel all the muscles in my legs twitching and spasming. Sure enough, she was back and I felt I should be hanging my head in shame. In the end she was able to get some stills, who knows how with a damaged, twitching mess like me, and in the light of day I feel a little less damaged.

Recipe
It was cold and dark and rainy today. So we had soup, well I made soup for the rest of them I wasn't allowed to eat before my MRI, which is odd to me because it was of my leg. This recipe or the idea is from Moosewood Simple Suppers. It really is an idea, a very simple yummy idea, perfect for cold rainy days.

Vegetable Stock

Garlic
Salt and Pepper
Herbs
Cheese, grated
Toast or dry bread
Olive oil

The amounts you use are going to depend on how much you want to make. We often have this for lunch on cold days because it's so quick, warm and gooey. Heat a glugg of olive oil in a pot and saute some garlic (as much or little as you like) for 30 seconds to a minutes, add the stock, season with a little salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and then simmer for a couple of minutes. Meanwhile grate some cheese (whatever you have on hand), I use about 1/3 cup per bowl but use as much as you like. If the bread is stale, perfect (we had leftover baguette that was rock hard), if not you may want to toast it, break it up and put it in a bowl topping it with cheese. Ladle the hot broth over the bread and cheese and top with fresh herbs, I used a mixture from my garden of basil, oregano, sage and thyme, and season with salt and pepper. I also cooked up some edamame beans on the side to bulk up the meal.

Tofu Curry over Rice
Why do our children think that we want to see, hear or taste their gross things? I can remember this as a child, if the milk was sour, we'd say, "Oh, gross mom taste this." and she'd always say no, and I would think, "doesn't she want to know what I've been through?" seriously, that self entered. Hannah stands beside me this morning, takes a tissue and blows her nose really hard and then says, opening her tissue and putting it up to face, "Look at all the snot that I blew out of my nose." and when I responded with, "Ewww, no I don't actually want to see all the snot you blew out of your nose." she was dumb founded and couldn't actually believe me, "No, mom but look."

Recipe
We had the insides to the samosa wraps from here over basmati rice. We used tofu but it would also be good with chickpeas if you don't want the tofu.

Fried Eggs with Sizzling Vinegar on Toast with Watermelon

Harper has decided that she is going to be a ghost for Halloween and has been running around the house with her arms in the air going, "Ooooooo, OooooooOooooOoooo!" she is extremely proud of this, it's quite funny (and such an easy costume - yay! Let's hope it lasts).

Recipe
This meal was super simple, easy and yummy. It is from the lovely Catherine Newman's blog Ben & Birdy. It may sound odd but, it is definitely worth a try - yum!

2 pieces of bread

2 tablespoons butter, divided use
2 very fresh eggs
1-2 tablespoons sherry vinegar

Kosher salt and pepper

Put the bread in the toaster and heat a nonstick pan over medium-low heat. Add half the butter, then break in the eggs and fry them however you like your eggs. When they’re done, slide each onto a piece of toast.

Add the rest of the butter to the pan, along with the vinegar and a generous pinch of salt and grinding of black pepper. Swirl the pan until the sauce is foamy and reduced some (it should like shiny but not like heavy syrup—not that it really matters that much), then turn off the heat and divide the sauce over the eggs over the toast. Eat hot.

Black Bean Burgers with Salad

It's been a long time since we've taken Harper anywhere besides the bus stop and my Mom and Dad's, poor kid. Today I ventured to swimming lessons with her. We were almost ten minutes late, because there was this crazy construction traffic, and Hannah got out of her lesson five minutes early because it was the last one (so we were there for about 15 to 20 minutes) but, Harper and I still managed to be in the bathroom seven (SEVEN!!!!!) times, but she didn't have an accident - really when could she have? This was the conversation (and of course it's always loud with Harper).

H: I'm peeing, I'm peeing through my ureda (urethra)!

H: What comes out of my bum?
M: Poo.
H: What comes out of my Bagina?
M: That's where the babies come out.
H: Why can't babies come out your uriea?
M: Because they won't fit and it's not connected to where the babies grow.
H: Why can't...poo come out your bagina?

and so on and so on, all different combinations and questions, not just in the bathroom, but also walking back to the seating area, during the 5 seconds that we were sitting in between and on the walk back to the bathroom...I think the other parents are going to miss us!

Recipe

Sometimes you can make all kinds of complicated veggie burgers or in a pinch you can mash up a can of black beans, add a small handful of panko crumbs, garlic powder, liquid smoke, salt and pepper and cook them up on the griddle until they are brown on both sides. We put ours in a bun with sauteed onions, pickles, tomato slices, grainy mustard and a little mayonnaise. We had it with a simple green salad.

Walnut Pesto Pasta with Sundried Tomatoes and Peas
Ahhh, Hannah didn't have school today, it was so nice. We headed up to the park to take pictures for Dave's Father's Day gift and get a little playtime in. Hannah is such a cooperative model, Harper...not so much. Either way, it was wonderful to have Hannah with us all day, not rushing around for lunch and the bus.

Recipe
We had this pasta from geez Louise!, I slightly altered it by using a different pasta, leaving out the bacon and I only used about 1/4 cup of the pesto when it calls for all of it and I think it was very tasty with a little less fat. It was gobbled up by all.

2 Tbsp salt
8 oz rigatoni pasta
1 cup frozen peas, rinsed and thawed
1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped
2 Tbsp red onion, chopped fine
2 Tbsp toasted pine nuts
1/4 cup walnut pesto

Bring a pot of water to boil, add salt and cook pasta. Once pasta is cooked and drained, add the pesto and mix until coated then mix in the peas, pine nuts, tomatoes and onion.

Pesto:
1 cup walnuts, toasted
4 cloves garlic
Zest of 1 lemon
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp pepper
1 1/2 cup packed flat leaf pasley
1 1/2 cup packed basil
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
3/4 cup olive oil

Process all ingredients, except olive oil, in a food processor until well blended like coarse sand and then stream in olive oil while processor is running until blended.

Pizza
The potty fairy came this morning. Yes, that's right I said potty fairy. She leaves a magic wand for kids to hold when they need to poo on the potty (yes, I said poo - all the books refer to pooing on the potty as going potty - this drives me crazy! It's poo, just say it! Poo, poo, poo!) and the magic in the wand makes it not scary, and helps the child go poo. So I spent Friday night decorating a stick with sparkly silver ribbon and gluing on a pink felt star covered in sparkles (sorry, I hope I didn't ruin it for you, I'm the potty fairy), and Saturday morning while the girls were off playing I put the wand outside the door, rang the doorbell and quietly closed the door again and went back upstairs (this is from a book by the way, I'm not this crazy...I mean creative, I am actually this crazy because I have considered offering her hundreds of dollars - if only she understood the concept of money). Both girls came running, opened the door and Harper found the wand outside with a note on it addressed to her. We brought it in, she was excited to find out it was addressed to her and we sat down together to read the note. When I finished, she was smiling and kind of excited, Hannah was wide eyed and gape mouthed, "I didn't know there was a potty fairy!" I began to wonder if I was causing her some social damage, will she go to school and tell all her friends about the potty fairy? Will this be a bad thing? I was snapped out of my thoughts when Harper took the wand and ran to the potty, she sat down and squeezed and squeezed the wand and then declared, "Mmmmm? Nothing is happening, I tink it doesn't work." When I explained again, that it didn't make your body have to poo it only helped you poo when your body already needed to poo, she looked at me and said, "No, I tink it's a potty wand for peeing."

Recipe
I went out tonight and Dave and the girls made pizza.

Linguine and Mussels with Roasted Veggies and Salad Followed by Apple Pie and Ice Cream
Happy Father's Day! Father's Day with littles is always a little busier. The girls and I were up this morning and the energy that was radiating off of them, waiting for Dave to wake up, could have lit up a large city at Christmas, they were bouncing off the walls.When Dave emerged they served him breakfast and gave him gifts and wished him a happy father's day over and over and over again. Dave, spent the whole morning with the girls, playing in the yard, they all cleaned the lawn mower together (well, they played around Dave and offered words of encouragment while he cleaned it), he took them to the park and to play tennis. The girls fell over each other trying to be the one to carry his sandwich to the table or clear his glass, it was all very cute. By 4:00 Dave sat down with two little girls glued to his side to watch some golf on T.V. and he kind of looked like he may fall asleep.



This is Dave's traditonal Father's Day and Birthday Sandwich.



Dave had this sandwich twice a year, the idea came from a Jaime Oliver Cook Book.

You take three slices of bread and butter them lightly, put on sliced old white cheddar, sauteed onions (saute them in a little oilve oil and white vinegar, the original calls for pickeled onions), a good kettle cooked chip (this one was jalepeno cheddar) and then repeat. It is not healthy, which is why he only has it twice a year, but it makes him so happy.

We had my parents and my aunt for dinner and Hannah and Harper set the whole table, table cloth and all. When I sent Hannah up to get the napkins she asked how many and I named the people coming. She then counted them up on her fingers, "Us is four (puts up her four fingers) then Willow makes five (puts up her thumb on same hand), Grandma and Pepere are two (raises her two fingers on her other hand) and that makes seven. I used one hand for us and Willow because Grandma and Pepere go together and so-o, I didn't want to separate them on two different hands because they live together and love each other and should stay together on one hand and then they can join the other hand, like they're going to join us for dinner." seriously, how does her head not explode?

Recipe
The recipe for the linguine was from Epicurious and was simple, easy and yummy. I altered it slightly, omitting some butter. We had it with a tossed salad my mom made with a vinaigrette and some roasted veggies. The veggies; peppers, eggplant, onions and mushrooms, I just tossed with two tablespoons of the leftover pesto from the other night and then cooked them in the basket on the BBQ.

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

4 large garlic cloves, sliced

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes

1 cup dry white wine

2 pounds cultivated mussels, scrubbed

1 pound thin linguine

1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

1 1/2 cups chopped herbs such as basil, dill, flat-leaf parsley, and oregano

Heat oil in a 5-to 6-quart heavy pot over medium heat. Cook garlic, fennel seeds, and red pepper flakes with 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper, stirring, until garlic is softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add wine and boil until reduced by half, 4 to 5 minutes. Add mussels and cook, covered, shaking pot occasionally, just until mussels open wide, 5 to 8 minutes. (Discard any that remain unopened after 8 minutes.) Remove from heat and keep warm.

          

Meanwhile, cook linguine in a pasta pot of well-salted boiling water until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water, then drain linguine.

          

Toss linguine with mussels and any liquid from pot, cheese, and herbs. Thin with reserved cooking water if desired.

To end the meal my mom made an apple pie, but instead of a traditional crust it was made with filo, brushed with a honey water mixture. It was delicious!

I hope you are all as blessed as I. There are a million and one things about my Dad that makes him great, a great Dad and a great man. Most importantly my whole life, I have always felt loved and supported unconditionally from him and for that I am blessed and ever so grateful.

 

I hope the sun shines down on you this week!

  

The Good and the...

Monday: Roasted Veggies Wraps
Tuesday: Omelets, Fruit and Toast
Wednesday: Hearty Lentil and Kale Pasta
Thursday: Chickpea Salad
Friday: Grilled Shrimp, Bruchetta with Grilled Eggplant and Baby Bok Choy
Saturday: Taco Salad
Sunday: Peanut Noodle Salad with Shrimp, Greek Salad, Bread with Rhubarb/Apple Crisp and Ice Cream

Roasted Veggie Wraps
We have a little lilac tree out front, which I love. We have had to chop a large chunk of it off because it's dead and we are hoping that it fills in. The main reason I love this tree is because the butterflies love it. We usually have two fluttering around it and often up to five or six. Today we were standing on the front step watching them and Hannah looks at me and says, "Why do they call them butterflies, they don't look like butter or eat butter?" I love how their minds work sometimes, so literal.

Recipe
We still have left over baba ganoush and roasted red pepper dip from last week so I tossed some mushrooms, eggplant, slabs of onion and tomato with some olive oil, salt and pepper and grilled them on the BBQ. I stuffed it in a wrap with the two dips and some avocado!

Omelets, Fruit and Toast
I have to be honest I am kind of loosing my mind with potty training. Everyone always says, you just need a couple full days at home, it's been five. My cousin is the potty whisperer. She has two out of three of her children trained (at a much younger age than Harper and her third is only a few months old) and so I messaged her yesterday to find out what book she read/method she uses. Last night I read the book and today we started with this 3 day potty training method. Basically, you never ever let your child leave your site so you can catch them and put them on the potty, you're positive and encouraging about everything and you don't have them "try", or ask them if they need to go only remind them to let you know if they need to go. It's a little intense, but so is cleaning up mess after mess, and it is very positive. I think Harper and I both felt better about the whole thing at the end of the day and she did have some successes today! Although, nothing else got done, nothing. Reading this book last night I thought, we're together most of the day anyway, but actually being in the same room and focusing all my attention on her while in the same room all the time is really quite exhausting.

Among a million other things we were tigers today, this is Harper's best roar!

Recipe
It's difficult to get a proper dinner ready and constantly watch your child for sings of peeing and pooping (can you say that on a food blog?) so we just had eggs tonight.

Hearty Lentil and Kale Pasta
So I volunteered to go on the farm trip with Hannah's school. When I started potty training Harper last week I honestly thought that six days later she would pretty much have the hang of it and it wouldn't be a big deal to leave her for a day. Lucky for me, I have the most understanding, generous mom in the world and she watched Harper for me today, diaper free and all, while Hannah and I went to the farm. I took a million pictures of her today, but she was so busy with her friends that it was really hard to get her face in the photo. Last year I went on her preschool farm trip where her and I hung out all day long, what a difference a year makes. I was just background today. Every once and a while she would come over and see me, or "check" on me to make sure I was there and having a good time.

Recipe

We had one of our favorite pasta's from here.



Chickpea Salad
Back on potty watch today, all day. There seems to be very little progress, but progress none the less so I'm trying to focus on the fact that this will all be a faint memory in a couple of days. Hannah is in the I'm going to copy everything you say all the time phase...it's annoying, but so much easier to tolerate as an adult - I can remember being copied and it being so maddening as a child. She often does it with Dave and I and we try and get her to say things like, "I'm going to clean my whole room and do the laundry." which normally puts an end to it. Today she was trying to bug Harper by copying everything she said, Harper didn't get it and it backfired on Hannah. Every time she would copy what Harper said, Harper would correct her, "No, you're not doing that, I am!" Hannah would repeat again, Harper would repeat what Hannah said with great emphasis and so on and so on until Hannah would get really frustrated, "Because you're not copying me, I'm copying you!" She was quite frustrated, I don't think my giggling helped.

Recipe
We were suppose to have curry tonight, but it was just so hot. I made up the chickpeas and salad from this post and served it with slabs of fresh bread.

Grilled Shrimp, Bruchetta with Grilled Eggplant and Baby Bok Choy
I sent the kids out to play in the backyard when Hannah got home from school today. (I am still on vigilant potty watch, but Harper needed to run and I needed to get dinner ready so we took a risk). They both came running back in a couple minutes later and Hannah looks at me wide eyed, "There's something really scary next to the playhouse, for real mom I'm not even joking." So I go out to the playhouse (I'm not going to lie, a little apprehensively) and there on the ground is an injured bird, it looked like a cat had gotten to it's wing or something. I tried to move it with a shovel, gently, but it could hop really well, and every time I went near it another bird on the fence would squawk and swoop at me. Finally I got it moved to a far corner of the yard and the protector bird perched itself on the fence above it, chirping and then would take off and come back with some food for the injured bird. The girls stayed inside for awhile and when we went out to have dinner we couldn't find the injured bird anywhere and the protector bird was flying around the yard like crazy and squawking, I think maybe the cat came back...

Recipe
I made this BBQ sauce from epicurious. I cut the eggplant in rounds and sliced the bok choy in halves, tossed them with a little olive oil and salt and grilled them brushing them and the shrimp skewers with the BBQ sauce.

4 Tbsp olive oil, divided

2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 ½ tsp minced chili
1/3 cup soy sauce
¼ cup (packed) dark brown sugar
3 Tbsp seasoned rice wine vinegar
3 Tbsp water
1 Tbsp sesame oil
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and chili; sauté until fragrant and light golden. Add soy sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, and 3 tablespoons water and bring to boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until mixture is reduced to 3/4 cup, about 5 minutes (sauce will be thin). Remove barbecue sauce from heat; whisk in sesame oil.

Preheat the oven to 350F, wrap as much garlic as you like in foil with a little drizzle of olive oil and roast in the oven for 30 minutes or until tender. For the bruchetta I cut a baguette in rounds, brushed them with olive oil and grilled them on the BBQ. I mixed some chopped tomato with lots of basil from the garden and the roasted garlic together and stacked it on the toasts.

Taco Salad
It's a soccer extravaganza! Which is Hannah's little soccer tournament this weekend. The forecast is for rain with thundershowers, it didn't disappoint today. Her first game was early and so we made it out and back before the rain, even managing to fit in a little bike ride. Dave and Hannah went up for the afternoon game, dark sky and rain, Hannah did not care she wanted to play. There were seven players in total (including both teams) and Hannah had a blast!

Recipe
We have taco salad a lot during the summer, either planned or as a way to use up some leftovers and whatever is close to going bad in the fridge. Today we used, lettuce, tomato, avocado, corn off the cob, red and orange pepper, cilantro, fresh lime juice, tortilla chips, black beans, green onion, cheddar cheese, sour cream and green salsa.

Peanut Noodle Salad with Shrimp, Greek Salad, Bread with Rhubarb/Apple Crisp and Ice Cream
I may go completely insane potty training Harper. It is getting really hard to be positive and upbeat, especially after the fourth accident this morning. I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror while I was with her after the fourth and I had a total scary joker smile going on. I immediately found Dave and told him that I needed to escape for a few hours. I think it's not the actual moment for me but the prospect of another week stuck at home monitoring her bathroom habitss Plus I set myself up for three or four days instead of weeks! I went out for a couple hours, avoiding any and all pottiness, this did help and I was able to return calm and collected - hopefully it lasts all week.

We ran down to my parents in the rain to enjoy a really yummy dinner and some great company.

I hope you have a great week and the sun shines down on you!

Monday: Quinoa Patties with Salad and Dill Sauce
Tuesday: Hummus Soup, Roasted Cauliflower and Bread
Wednesday: Tilapia Burgers with Watermelon Salsa and Beet Slaw
Thursday: Tabouli, Baba Ganouj, Roasted Red Pepper Dip (Muhammara),Toasted Tortillas and Raw Veggies
Friday: Smoked Salmon on Naan Bread with Raw Veggies
Saturday: Wild Mushroom Pasta and Ice Cream
Sunday: Salmon, Salad, Grilled Eggplant, Sauteed Veggies and Bread with Ice Cream

Quinoa Patties with Salad and Dill Sauce
The other day driving home from the lake Hannah was asking about school and if big kid school would be her last school. We explained that she would then go on to university or college to learn how to do a job and then asked her if she new what kind of job that might be. She replied, "Maybe a chef." (Harper answered that she wanted to make T.V. tickets as a job).

Today as I'm getting dinner ready Hannah and Harper are playing outside. Hannah comes in with a handful of dandelion leaves that she's collected to add to the salad. She then made her own dressing for her salad tonight. She mixed together a little mayonnaise, soya sauce, hoisin sauce and vinegar - not exactly what I would have chosen but she has no fear in the kitchen and she ate every bite of her salad with pride!

Recipe
I've made quinoa patties before, but have never been completely satisfied with them. I still may tinker with these ones but for the most part was quite happy. The lemon and cilantro really gave them a fresh taste. We had them with a salad and dill sauce, but they would also be good popped inside a bun or pita or with a poached egg over top (maybe with a sliver of Parmesan as well).

1 cup quinoa (uncooked)
2 carrots, peeled and then grated
1/2 red onion, chopped fine
1/4 each yellow and red pepper, chopped fine
2/3 cup cilantro, chopped
1 lemon, juice and rind
olive oil
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 Tbsp grainy mustard
pinch of salt
2 eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 450F.

Cook quinoa according to package directions. While it is cooking heat a glugg of olive oil in a pan and saute the onions, carrots and peppers until soft, adding the garlic and salt at the end and cooking for another minute or two.

Once the quinoa and veggies are cooked, mix in a bowl with the cilantro, lemon rind and juice, mustard and eggs. Line a baking sheet with parchment and spray with a little olive oil. Form mixture into eight patties, this is messy and they seem like they are going to completely fall apart, it's alright once they cook they'll hold. Bake in the middle of the oven for ten minutes a side.

Dill Sauce:
2 Tbsp light sour cream
2 Tbsp yogurt
2 Tbsp light mayonnaise
2 tsp grainy Dijon
a pinch of salt
lots, and lots of dill

Mix together, add a little milk if you like it runnier.

Hummus Soup, Roasted Cauliflower and Bread
Harper and I spent a couple hours playing games and drinking tea this afternoon before having some visitors. She beat me bad at Skip-Bo, Go Fish and Membory, at least she was a very gracious winner yelling, "Yay!!!! I winned, I winned, I winned!"

I took Hannah to soccer tonight. It was very cold and I had wished that I'd worn my winter jacket, but she ran around with no real worries. She looks so long running around that field. She scored tonight and did a double arm raise to celebrate. She can sometimes be very timid and cautious, so I loved seeing it just burst out of her!

Recipe
The sun finally came out late afternoon today but it was still quite chilly out. I was craving soup and hummus so I threw a few things in and made hummus soup. It turned out really tasty and was quite popular.

Olive oil
1/2 red onion, chopped
3 carrots, peeled, quartered and chopped
3 cloves garlic, pressed
2 19 oz cans of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 tsp cumin
salt
water
lemon wedges for serving

Heat a good glugg of olive oil over low heat and saute onions, carrots, garlic, cumin and a pinch of salt until veggies are soft.

Meanwhile puree two thirds of the chickpeas in a food processor until soft (you may need to add a splash of water). Add the pureed chickpeas and whole chickpeas to the veggies along with 1 of the cans filled with water. Stir, adjust seasoning and serve with a squirt of fresh lemon juice.

We also had this with thick slices of homemade bread and roasted broccoli.

Tilapia Burgers with Watermelon Salsa and Beet Slaw
Tonight was Hannah's dance recital! We solved all the makeup issues by buying some sparkles and putting a few on her cheeks and giving her some chapstick to wear, which made her perfectly happy. She was thirteenth out of twenty before the intermission - thank goodness. So I dropped her off backstage at the Concert Hall (to put it in perspective this is where we saw Wicked), and found our way to our seats. Our seats were way at the back, because I had no clue that you needed to buy them immediately as if you were getting tickets to see John Lennon live! It's alright, we were able to see and had Harper away from the die hards. Harper perched herself on the edge of her seat and rocked out side to side to almost every song.

Hannah's little group came out, she looked so tiny after seeing lots of big kid groups on stage. They marched out to the middle and continued to do their routine. Hannah was front and center and perfect, exactly what you would expect to see from a six year old, I was very proud. She was enthusiastic and a little stunned at the same time, about one step behind of the other kids (she's totally my kid) and absolutely adorable! I loved every minute and more importantly she did too!

Recipe
This is the recipe of the week so far. I highly recommend it. The only change that I would make is that I would add half the amount of smoked paprika, I found it a little overpowering. I found it on this blog, how Sweet it is. We cooked ours on the side griddle on the BBQ, just spraying it lightly instead of in a pan with oil.

1 1/2 pounds fresh (or frozen and thawed) tilapia
2/3 cup seasoned panko breadcrumbs
1 large egg + 1 egg white, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon smoked paprika (I would use 1/2 tsp next time)
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 avocado, sliced

1 cup cubed watermelon, chopped
1/4 red onion, chopped
1/2 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
the juice of 1 lime
whole wheat buns (we used whole wheat english muffins, toasted)

Add tilapia to a food processor and pulse until chopped. Transfer to a bowl and add egg, panko, garlic, mustard, salt, pepper, paprika, onion powder and basil. Mix until combined, then form tilapia into patties (form tightly with your hands, trying to prevent cracking). Heat a skillet oven medium heat and add half of the olive oil, then cook patties until golden on each side, about 3-4 minutes or on a sprayed griddle. Repeat with remaining burgers.

While burgers are cooking, combine watermelon, onion, jalapeno, cilantro and lime juice with a pinch of salt. Once burgers are ready, serve on toasted buns with avocado slices and salsa on top.

When my sister was here she mentioned she had been making a raw beet salad, it sounded very simple and fresh but of course I can't remember what she was puttiing in it, so I just googled it and found this one from OH she GLOWS, I altered it slightly to fit my fridge and pantry needs, and it was so fresh and delicious.

2 medium carrots, peeled and grated
3 smallish red beetroots, peeled and grated
1 apple (sweet variety), chopped (I would grate this too next time)
1 garlic clove, minced (or less if you are not a garlic fan)
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tbsp pure maple syrup, to taste
Salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2-3 tbsp Sesame seeds

In medium bowl mix together the grated carrots, beets and apple. Assemble the dressing by whisking together the minced garlic, oil, lemon juice, vinegar, maple syrup, salt, and pepper. Adjust dressing to taste. Pour the dressing onto the vegetables and mix well. Allow to sit for at least a half hour so the flavours can develop. Add in your desired seeds and serve chilled or at room temperature.

Tabouli, Baba Ganouj, Roasted Red Pepper Dip  (Muhammara), Toasted Tortillas and Raw Veggies
I completely forgot to mention the ride in the car to the dance recital last night. My mom came in the car with us (my dad wasn't feeling well) and she sat in the front, Dave drove and I squished in the back with the girls. We're driving along and Harper starts talking very quietly to herself, "Weally, buddy? Weally?" over and over again. These are the exact words Dave uses when he's frustrated in traffic...I suppose it could have been a lot worse!

Recipe
Now I don't know what to rave about more, yesterday's tilapia burgers or today's tabouli. It just tasted like summer - oh, how I have missed cooking new things!!!

The Tabouli and Baba Ganouj both come from Moosewood Cookbook.

Tabouli
1 cup dry bulgur wheat
1 1/2 cup boiling water
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 medium cloves of garlic, pressed
black pepper to taste
4 scallions, finely minced (whites and greens)
1 packed cup parsley, chopped
10 to 15 fresh mint leaves, chopped
2 medium sized ripe tomatoes, diced
1 medium bell pepper, diced (I used half red, half yellow)
1 small cucumber, seeded and diced

Combine the bulgur and boiling water in a medium large bowl or pot. Cover and let stand until the bulgur is tender (20 to 30 minutes minimum).

Add salt, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and black pepper, and mix thoroughly. Cover tightly and refrigerate until about 30 minutes before serving.

About 30 minutes before serving combine all ingredients with dressing, serve cold.

Baba Ganouj

Olive oil
1 medium eggplant (about 7 inch)
2 medium cloves garlic, pressed
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup sesame tahini
1/2 tsp salt
black pepper
olive oil and minced parsley for the top (I forgot about the parsley, but I'm sure it would look pretty)

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly oil a baking sheet. Slice the eggplant in half lengthwise, and place face-down on the baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes or until very tender. Cool until it's comfortable to handle.

Scoop out the eggplant pulp and discard the skin. Place the pulp in a food processor or blender, and add the garlic, lemon juice, tahini, and salt. Puree until smooth (you could also mash by hand, for a little chunkier consistency).

Roasted Red Pepper Dip (Muhammara)
This recipe I got from my mom a few years ago and I make it often, it is so easy, quick and good. I thought she had gotten it from epicurious, but when I searched I didn't find it. So it's one of those ones that has kind of floated along, if I figure out where it does come from I will add it later.

1 jar of roasted red peppers
1 cup walnuts
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp cumin
Pressed garlic, number of cloves depending on how garlicky you like it. I used 1 large for this batch as we had a lot of garlicky things already.

Puree all ingredients together and serve.

To go with the dips we had carrots, peas, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, olives and baked tortillas. For the tortillas I preheated the oven to 400F lined a baking sheet with parchment, sprayed it lightly with olive oil. I cut whole wheat tortillas into triangles and laid them single layer on the sheet, baking for about 5 minutes a side, until golden and crispy.

Smoked Salmon on Naan Bread with Raw Veggies
Ahhh, we are potty training again. I know, again is maybe the first error since consistency is probably the number one key to potty training, or maybe it's praise? or bribes? shame? No, I know for sure it's not shame, but I would kind of like to know what it is. We're going with consistency and are all in, no going back this time, although I'm not gonna lie, by accident number two I kind of wanted to turn back. This too shall pass, right? No one ever has to potty train for years, do they? I think that the key to my sanity is going to be deep breaths, the fact that we have mostly hardwood floors and staying away from public bathrooms at all costs. I'm not sure if that last one is avoidable. It's like there's this programmed in need for littles to visit all public toilets, I'm going to try, but I don't think there's any hiding from it. At the end of the day Hannah and I went shopping together for a couple of birthday presents for parties she has this weekend and Harper and Dave stayed home, I'm pretty sure I ran to the car...

Recipe
We were at my aunt's for dinner last Sunday and she made this as an appetizer, we all enjoyed it so much that I made it tonight for dinner. Everyone loved it, the kids especially loved it because, after I made the naan bread they topped it themselves.

I made it with naan from this post, but you could do it with any kind of flat bread, or pizza crust. We then topped with with cream cheese, which I whipped in the mixer to make it easier to spread, and added fresh dill, smoked salmon, red onion, capers and a squeeze of lemon.

Wild Mushroom Pasta and Ice Cream

Could today have been any nicer? I gardened all day (for those of you that know me and my yard - that's a bit of a shock). This morning I found myself at a nursery wondering the rows and rows of plants, taking photos of things I want to eventually have and then carefully selecting my herbs and a couple plants for the front. When I got home the girls and I planted the front (I still need a couple things in there), they dug all the holes and lightly pinched the roots while singing, "wake up, wake up, wake up." and then planted them.

During the afternoon Dave turned the sprinkler on for the girls and the yard was filled with running, giggling girls.

And finished the evening with yummy ice cream.

Recipe

Dave made this pasta from the Flourishing Foodie, with a couple of changes, and it was delicious. We all gobbled it up!

1 package fresh fettuccine

3 tbsp oil
2 garlic cloves, pureed
2 small portobello mushroom, sliced
4 oyster mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 cup vegetable broth
1 tsp cornstarch
4 oz soft goat cheese
1 tbsp butter
salt and pepper to taste
2 oz fresh Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 lemon, juice and zest

In a large frying pan or wok, fry the garlic in oil until light brown, on medium heat. Add the sliced mushrooms and fry until the mushrooms have become soft. Remove the mushrooms from the pan and set to the side on a plate.

Immediately add the white wine to the same frying pan. When it has reduced by half add the vegetable broth.

Meanwhile boil water and cook pasta according to package directions.

In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with cold water to create a slurry. Add the mixture to the frying pan, while stirring with a wire whisk. Add the goat cheese, butter, and salt and pepper to taste. Continue to cook, whisking to prevent lumps, until the sauce thickens.

Once the sauce has thickened, drain the pasta and add it to the sauce, followed by the mushrooms. Mix all the ingredients together and then add grated cheese, lemon juice, and some lemon zest for flavor. Serve warm.

Salmon, Salad, Grilled Eggplant, Sauteed Veggies and Bread with Ice Cream

My children are so deprived. They are so deprived that they have to pretend to eat meat (for the record they are allowed to have real meat if they so choose), theyhave to pretend to have pets and today they were playing in the yard with their watering cans pretending to clean with chemicals (we use vinegar to clean). "These are my chemicals, we're pretending to clean with chemicals like it's a school or something..." (?)

We had a delicious dinner at my parents. I was especially addicted to the eggplant which was cut in rounds, brushed with olive oil, slated and grilled!

I hope the sun shines down on you this week!