Food Love: June 2014

Wednesday, 25 June 2014

Open Faced California Breakfast Sandwich

This past weekend Jon and I celebrated 6 wonderful years of marriage. As we sat leisurely enjoying an all-you-can eat sushi meal on a patio, in the sun I was reminded of our trip to California a few years ago (see more about our trip here).

It was one of the first times we had gone to a real sushi restaurant and ordered "real sushi". I put "real sushi" in quotation marks as we are still not the biggest fans of raw fish and enjoy a large amount of tempura with our sushi meals. But this didn't come from a grocery store counter, it didn't contain imitation crab and we basically had no idea what we were eating, but it was yummy.

So what does this have to do with a breakfast sandwich you ask? Well you see a relaxed sushi dinner in the beautiful sun reminded me of the lackadaisical spirit of California which got me thinking, rooting through my fridge and creating this for breakfast the next morning.

This sandwich reminded me of the relaxation, the simplicity and the yumminess of our trip to Cali, thus earning its name.

It's just a few simple to prepare ingredients and tastes amazing. Might I add avocado, bacon and tomato is one of my all time favourite taste combos.

I think this sandwich is pretty fancy as is, but if you wanted to take it up a notch you could whip up some of my homemade Hollandaise Sauce and pour it on top.

This sandwich is for sure going to become a regular on our breakfast table.

Monday, 23 June 2014

Menu Plan Monday - Why We Menu Plan

In this post I touched very briefly on the reasons we menu plan in our home and they really are quite simple.

There are two main reasons we menu plan; to save time and money. That's it, that's all there is to it.

By menu planning we take the guessing out of "what's for dinner?". No longer are we playing the end of the day game, standing in front of the fridge wondering "what should I make?". We know what we will be making in the morning, so if something needs to come out of the freezer or go in the slow cooker it is done before we even leave the house. There are no more stops at the grocery store on the way home, wandering the aisles tired and hungry. The best part, whoever gets home first starts the cooking because the menu and the recipe is right there!

I know what you are thinking; doesn't menu planning take extra time? I am not going to lie to you, initially yes. Menu planning can be a time consuming process, especially if you need to plan every.single.meal like I do, but if you are only looking at dinners your workload is quite light. Initially there is the collection of recipes and deciding how exactly to approach menu planning to suit your family, but once you get the hang of it it becomes quite easy. In a future post I am going to share the specifics around my menu planning process, but trust me, you will save time.

And how exactly do we save money you ask. How many times have you been wandering the grocery store and see a "good deal" so you buy it "just in case" and a week later forget it is in your fridge, freezer or pantry? In essence that is wasted money because it didn't need to be bought. With menu planning you know exactly what you need and how much and by the end of the week your fridge is empty and you are throwing nothing out except a few leftovers (which I will show you how to even use those).

If you are interested in saving time and money stick with me as I share my menu plans and the ways in which I achieve those two goals.

Here is my menu plan for this week, it is quite similar to last as we are still trying to eat clean. Breakfast we choose to just wing this week as we have quite a stock of cereal, toast, fruit, eggs and oatmeal.

Family Menu

June 21st - 27th, 2014

DAY	BREAKFAST	SNACK	LUNCH	SNACK	DINNER
SATURDAY	Turkey & Spinach Egg White Scramble		Buffalo Wing Shrimp Lettuce Wraps		Eat Out (Spring Rolls Anniversary Dinner)
SUNDAY	Avocado Tomato and Bacon Toasters with Poached Eggs (Recipe Coming Soon)				Picnic In The Park
MONDAY		Oranges (Chicken & Celery)	Grilled Cheese with Apples	Raisins & Cheerios (applesauce w/flax, pear & Protein Shake)	Salmon Rice Broccoli
TUESDAY		Fruit Cup (Protein Shake & Apple)	Hummus Pasta With Peas	Yogurt (applesauce w/ flax, tuna & tomatoes)	Pork Chops Sweet Potatoes Green Beans
WEDNESDAY		Apples ( protein Shake)	Sweet Potato and Black Bean Quesadilla	Cheese Strings And Grapes (applesauce w/ flax, chicken w/ cucumbers and radishes)	Spicy Sausage Pasta With Vegetable Ragu
THURSDAY		Bananas (protein shake)	Chicken Taziki Tomatoes Cucumbers	Bear Paws (applesauce & flax, Radishes & Pork Chops)	Steak Mashed Potatoes Asparagus
FRIDAY		Pears (chicken)	Mini Hamburgers With Veggies	Smoothie Pops (applesauce w/ flax)	Free Night

Thursday, 19 June 2014

Kids In The Kitchen - Kale Chips

This is a great recipe to make with children of all ages as tasks involved are pretty "safe".

With my group of 1 - 5 year olds they were able to assist me by ripping up the kale and rubbing the olive oil into the leaves.

One of the older children took great pride in laying the raw kale on the baking sheet just so.

The results were delicious.

And as a bonus 4 out of 5 kids gobbled up this good for you snack. One of the kids wouldn't even try it as it "looked weird", I guess you cannot please all 3 year old's senses.

Why don't you make Kale Chips with your Little Ones today.

Wednesday, 18 June 2014

Barrie's Asparagus Nachos with Chorizo and Feta ( Barrie's Asparagus Part 4)

This is the end of my posts about our visit to Barrie's Asparagus Farm, you can go back and read my other posts here, here, and here.

I saved this one for last because it was my absolute favourite. I drew inspiration from Barrie's own Asparagus Tortilla Chips.

As well as their salsa and of course Asparagus to create this:

I simply cooked some chorizo sausage, sliced the asparagus super thin with my mandolin (please watch your fingers with this one) and layered chips, salsa, feta, chorizo and asparagus.

These nachos make an amazing afternoon snack.

Monday, 16 June 2014

Menu Planning Monday - Fueling the Tank

The reality is I HAVE TO menu plan. In addition to writing this blog, running a photography business (here), being a full time Mom and Wife, I also operate a daycare out of my home. It is imperative that I know what we are eating daily and that there is food in the house. I cannot run out in the middle of the day to get something for lunch, it's just not possible.

As a busy Mom I also know a lot of other busy Moms and the one thing I always find coming up in conversations is what to have for dinner. Sometimes I wish I could just worry about dinner, I NEED to also know what we are having for snacks (two a day, plus extras) and lunch (no eating out in this house).

Having to super duper menu plan I figured I probably have a lot of offer other mothers (and fathers) when it come to figuring out what to eat.

I have been menu planning for years, even when Jon and I were just on our own we still menu planned. I find knowing what's for dinner has many benefits including saving you money at the grocery store (no "just in case" buys), less fast food stops on the way home and overall less food waste because everything in your fridge has a purpose.

Menu planning is not easy and I find I still struggle with it despite my years of practice. I am not one to devise a months worth of menus and then hit repeat, that's just not my style. I also try to minimize the amount of money I am spending by making smart purchases and ensuring I will use all the food I buy. Nothing sucks more then buying a bag of spinach to top a sandwich and then the rest goes wilty in the fridge. Recently with opening the home daycare, menu planning has become much more complex. I am now taking into consideration snacks and lunches for five little mouths plus having enough left over for me (something I fail at on a weekly basis). When shopping we also need to take into consideration Jon's lunches for work (because we just don't have the money for him to eat out everyday). It seems like a never ending battle and I know I am not the only one struggling with this every weekend.

I've decided to share my menu plans, not every week, just when I happen to hit the jack pot or have something important to share. I will try to link up or provide (should it be my own creation) recipes to meals. Shopping lists I will leave to you as everyone's family is different and you will need different portions (that is if you chose to follow my menu).

A few notes about my menu plans; they run Saturday to Friday, that's just what works for our family, do what works for yours. We plan at least one "eat out" meal a week because everyone needs a treat. Weekend meals, breakfasts and dinners are for my family of two adults and one toddler. Snacks and lunches are for myself and 3-5 toddlers.

This specific week I have been struggling with eating enough during the day. This issue has been highlighted as I start running again and find that I just don't have enough "fuel in the tank" at the end of the day. The issue is not only am I eating toddler friendly meals, I am also eating toddler sized portions. This week you will notice meals in red, these are add ons I am making for myself to the meal the daycare will be eating and I will be making a conscious effort to actually eat because as anyone who is a parent out there knows it is quite easy to forget about yourself. I have also not planned breakfast as I will be eating Oatmeal and Egg Whites every morning in an effort to "clean up" my diet and Jon and Anna will be eating a more varied breakfast of their choice. This menu was inspired by Tosca Reno's The Eat Clean Diet Recharged (available here). I have been following the eat clean diet for years and use her books when I need to get back on track.

Enjoy this menu plan, I hope it provides you with inspiration to get in the kitchen and cook for your family, even if it is just one meal this week.