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Dino Party: Dino Egg Chandelier

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Dino Party: Dino Egg Chandelier

This post is part of a series for a Dino themed birthday party.  To view the rest of the series head on over to the Dino Birthday Party post.

I know this post isn”t about food but it does contain a recipe so I hope that counts! ;) I couldn”t help but share this Dino Egg Chandelier with you because it”s so much fun to make and the results are so adorable, yet chic. They were a big hit at the party and I love that you can customize the colours to suit the colour theme of your party.

All you need to make these dino eggs is some yarn, petroleum jelly (vaseline), cornstarch, school glue and balloons. Let”s get started!

Blow up the balloons until they form an egg shape. I tried to make mine differing sizes to add some dimension. Hang the balloons in a dry area using a piece of yarn (we started outside on our deck and moved them to the curtain rod on our shower for night). Coat the balloons in petroleum jelly, making sure to cover every inch.

Mix together glue ingredients (recipe below). Cut a long piece of yarn and coat it thoroughly in the glue mixture. Squeeze out the excess, while still keeping them nicely coated. Tie one end of the coated yarn to the yarn that the balloon is hanging from; wrap it around the balloon in all directions until you get look you want. Tie the loose end of the yarn to another piece at the top of the balloon. Let dry for 24 hours.

Once dry, pop the balloons. This was the part where I thought for sure they weren”t going to turn out. I was expecting the yarn to go all floppy once the balloon popped, but to my excitement they held their shape! Remove the balloons; and the dino eggs are ready to hang. Group them together to form a chandelier or spread them out, as I did, along the edge of a patio or porch. And, enjoy!

Dino Egg Glue

  • 1 cup cornstarch

  • 1/2 cup cool water

  • 1 bottle of school glue

Mix together ingredients until smooth.

Makes enough for approximately 6 balloons (depending on size and how much yarn is used to cover).

Inspired by Hostess with the Mostess and Turtle Crafty Girl.

Toasted Almond Muesli

By in Breakfast No Comments Tags: , , , , , , , ,

I”m surprised every time my kids get excited over oatmeal. I don”t remember ever being excited about eating oatmeal. In fact, I”m pretty sure I groaned the moment I walked down the stairs and saw that”s what we were having for breakfast. But, I do love it now and am more than happy that my kids like it too.

Consider this muesli a make-ahead oatmeal, that”s served cold. Ok, that kind of sound gross, but I promise you it”s not! I think this is a great alternative to traditional oatmeal for the summer, because it doesn”t heat up the kitchen at all and it”s nice to start a hot day with a cool and nutritious breakfast once in a while.

This recipe is for the muesli base. We top ours with whatever fruit we have on hand at the time. That could be fresh berries, chopped apple, sliced peaches or banana; basically any fruit, even raisins. I also substitute the almonds for whatever nut I”m feeling at the moment. Whatever you have lying around is great mixed in or served on top. It”s so versatile and is a great quick breakfast to keep in your fridge.

To a healthy, refreshing and filling breakfast!

Toasted Almond Muesli

  • 1.5 cup rolled oats (not instant)

  • 1/2 cup sliced or slivered almonds

  • 1 cup greek yogurt

  • 1 cup milk

  • 1/4 cup maple syrup

  • 2 tablespoon coconut

  • serve with fresh or dried fruit and a drizzle of honey (optional)

Preheat a skillet over medium heat. Add oats and almonds; allow to cook just until fragrant, stirring often. Allow to cool. In a bowl, mix the oats and almonds with yogurt, milk, maple syrup and coconut. Cover and refrigerate overnight. To serve, top with fruit and drizzle with honey.

Serves:4

Marinara-Style Tomato Soup

By in GF Mains, Gluten Free, Lunch, Main Dish, Meatless, Soup 2 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , ,

I”ve been looking for a good tomato soup recipe for FOREVER. Nothing beats tomato soup and grilled cheese for lunch on a rainy day (and we”ve been having plenty of those lately). But, most of the homemade tomato soups I”ve made in the past were extremely flavourless and left much to be desired.

I wanted something quick, that I would actually make for lunch spur of the moment, but I also wanted it to be so flavourful that I wasn”t wishing for something different. This recipe knocked it out of the park for me. I”ve made it so many times since I first found the recipe – more than any recipe for a long time. It”s made with all pantry staples that I keep on hand, so it can be made at any time.

This isn”t a runny soup, it”s thick and dip-able, almost like a marinara. We like to make grilled cheese and cut it into sticks for dipping. It”s so flavourful it”s actually kind of hard to eat on its own. But that”s not something to complain about. Give me some grilled cheese sticks to use like spoon and I”m set!

Marinara-Style Tomato Soup

The baking soda in this recipe helps to cut the acidity of the tomatoes.

  • 2 tablespoons butter

  • 1 onion, diced finely

  • 3 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 (32 oz.) can pureed (or crushed) tomatoes

  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1 tablespoon dried parsley

  • 1 bay leaf

  • 1/4 teapsoon salt

  • pepper, to taste

  • 1 tablespoon fresh basil (or 1 teaspoon dried)

  • 1 tablespoon honey

  • milk or water, to desired thickness

  • sour cream, to serve (optional)

Melt butter in a medium-sized saucepan. Add onion; cook until tender. Add garlic; cook for 1 minute, until fragrant. Stir in tomatoes, baking soda, parsley, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and let cook for 10 minutes. Stir in basil and honey. Add milk (or water) to desired thickness. Season with additional salt and pepper, to taste. Remove bay leaf before serving.

Makes: 4 small servings

Adapted from Food Doodles.

Quick and Flavourful Chicken Stock

By in Gluten Free, Main Dish, Poultry 9 Comments Tags: , , , ,

Last week was a little crazy. My mom had just left, I wasn”t feeling well, my baby girl got a fever, my son got a cold. It was a long week.

I knew in the middle of it all that I needed to find a good chicken stock recipe. I”ve tried many, but none of them ever seemed flavourful enough. I wanted something simple, that I could make easily even when the house felt like it was collapsing in on itself, and something that didn”t involve an entire chicken carcass (ick!). I had a bunch of chicken drumsticks that I was never able to barbecue like I had hoped, so I went on a search and finally found the homemade chicken stock I”ve been waiting for. It”s quick (it took me 1.5 hours to make from start to finish, chopping and all), it”s flavourful (with minimal ingredients that I almost always have on hand) and it contains bones (important when making a stock with the most health benefits), with none of the messiness of dealing with an entire slimy bird. Yay!

This is the type of recipe I love making on a Sunday afternoon. Like jam, it quietly simmers in the background, perfuming your house – minimal work but satisfying and comforting results. This will definitely become a regular in our kitchen. And, if you”re looking for a feel good soup to pair it with, this Chicken Barley Soup does the trick.

I”ll be taking a break from blogging over the next couple weeks as some unexpected things have come up. I promise to be back as soon as I can. I appreciate the time you take out of your day to visit this little blog of mine and I”ll try my best to keep you updated on Facebook so you don”t feel like you”ve been left hanging.

See you soon!

Quick and Flavourful Chicken Stock

The stock should stay good for 1 week in the fridge or several months in the freezer.

  • 1 large onion, chopped

  • 4 pounds chicken backs, wings or legs, cut into 2 inch pieces

  • 2 quarts hot (or boiling) water

  • 2 teaspoons salt

  • 2 bay leaves

Saute onion in a large stockpot, over medium heat, with a small amount of olive oil until onions are softened. Transfer to a bowl. Add half the chicken and cook, flipping halfway through, until no longer pink. Remove to the same bowl as the onions and repeat with the remaining chicken. Once all chicken is cooked, place the chicken and onions back into the stockpot, cover and cook over low for 20 minutes, until the chicken releases its juices. Raise heat to high, pour in hot water, salt and bay leaves. Bring to a simmer (using boiling water brings it to a simmer faster), scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Lower heat, cover and let cook at a gentle simmer for 20 minutes.

Remove bones from pot with a slotted spoon (you can remove the meat from the bones and reserve it for chicken soup if desired). Drain stock through a fine mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth or paper towel. Let cool before refrigerating. Once refrigerated you can remove the layer of fat on top.

Makes: 2 quarts

Adapted from Simply Recipes. Originally from In Pursuit of Flavor.

Cajun Grilled Pork Chops with Creamy Mushroom Pan Sauce

By in Main Dish, Pork 1 Comment Tags: , , , , , , ,

cajun grilled pork chops

My mom is visiting this week. Wee Hoo! I haven’t seen her since the beginning of last summer so I was beyond excited for her to come. And, now she’s here and I’m enjoying every single moment. The kids are eating up their Grandma time and soaking up every bit of attention. As I’m sure you can imagine, I want to take advantage of these precious moments I have with her, so I thought I’d share an oldie but goodie with you today.

This recipe isn’t completely new, if you’ve been following me for a couple of years you may recognize it. I created the recipe about two years ago when I was writing for Smithfield, but I’ve never actually posted the recipe on this blog. We make it so often I thought it deserved a proper post here. It’s my absolute favourite way to eat pork chops and it comes together so quickly but looks so special. The chops are covered in a homemade cajun spice mix, grilled until smoky, succulent and spicy. Then they get draped with a quick and flavourful creamy mushroom pan sauce. Every time I think of them my mouth just starts to water. My hubby isn’t a fan of mushrooms but he loves this pairing just as much as I do.

I prefer the bone-in pork chops because they have more flavour but feel free to use boneless if that’s what you prefer. Also, when I don’t have access to a grill I have done them on the stove top. They are still absolutely delicious this way so if you don’t have a grill don’t let that stop you from making them.

Now if you’ll excuse me I have to go give my Mom another hug. :)

Cajun Grilled Pork Chops with Creamy Mushroom Pan Sauce

Cajun Grilled Pork Chops
  • 4 bone-in pork chops

Rub pork chops liberally with Cajun seasoning and grill over medium heat for 5 minutes on each side or until cooked through.

Creamy Mushroom Pan Sauce
  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 2 cups sliced mushrooms
  • 1/2 onion, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 teaspoon cajun seasoning
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup cream cheese spread

Saute mushrooms, onions, garlic and Cajun seasoning in oil over medium heat until softened. Add chicken broth and cream cheese. Stir until smooth. Serve immediately spooned over pork chops.

Serves: 4

Quick Ham & Cheddar Quiche

By in Breakfast, Easter, Main Dish, Pork 1 Comment Tags: , , , , , ,

quick quiche

I don’t know what’s with me lately but I feel totally uninspired in the kitchen. I’ve been making a few delicious things here and there that I’ve been excited about (and have shared with you) but to be honest, our dinner-times have been seriously lacking in the exciting department. Whether I’m meal planning or trying to decide what to make last-minute, my brain is just not co-operating and I’m in a dinner-time funk.

I think part of my problem is that I’ve been feeling this self-imposed pressure to make more complicated dishes. I see all of these inspiring people, with kids, making fabulous involved meals day in and day out and I felt like I needed to step up to the plate. But, after a few attempts at more complicated recipes that ended in failure I was brought down a bit and feeling a little like a farce.

Then I was reminded of something I’ve known for a long time – I just need to be myself and not try to live up to other people’s expectations. I’m not a multi-tasker. Making a complicated and involved meal while my kids run around my feet, means that either the kids will destroy the house, that dinner will be a flop or that I’ll be so stressed out by the end of it all that I’m sitting on the edge of insanity. Or, all of the above. That’s why I like to keep dinner-time simple. Why did I forget this?! Simple = delicious in this house.

Now that I’m embracing this fact once again, I’m hoping the mojo finds it way back soon. Hello, Quick Ham and Cheddar Quiche, I’ve missed your simplicity.

P.S. It probably goes without saying but I’m going to say it anyways, this is the perfect way to use up that Easter ham!

Quick Ham and Cheddar Quiche

This can also be made in a 9-inch pie plate but you will need to increase the baking time.

Filling
  • 1 cup chopped ham
  • 4 green onions, chopped
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1.5 cups milk (I like to use whole milk for this)
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Add the ham and green onions to a small pre-heated skillet with a bit of oil. Cook until the ham crisps up a bit and the onions are softened. Sprinkle evenly over prepared crust.

Whisk together eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Pour over ham and green onions. Top with cheese.

Bake at 400ºF for 30 minutes or until set in the centre. Let cool 15 minutes before cutting and serving.

No-Roll Pie Crust
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup canola oil
  • 2 tablespoons milk

Combine flour, sugar and salt in a 9×13 baking pan. Stir in oil and milk until evenly combined. Crumble over the bottom of the pan and press down to cover the entire bottom of the pan. Fill and bake as directed above.

Serves: 6

No Roll Pie Crust adapted from all recipes. Filling adapted from Tartelette.

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