Urban Suburban Mommy

Monthly Archives: October 2017

Outrageous Pumpkin Spice Bar + Butterscotch + Salted Pretzel

Posted on by Posted in Urban Suburban Mommy .

With pumpkin season in full swing, this treat is the perfect way to put those pumpkins on a plate. Executive Chef Adrianne Calvo has created the perfect dessert for the season – all treat and no trick! Once you take a look, you’ll be shocked at how easy this one is! 

What you need:

Crust:

– 2 cups graham cracker, ground
– 1/2 cup sugar
– 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
– 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
– 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

Filling:

– 2 cups canned pumpkin
– 1 cup cream cheese, softened
– 1/2 cup cool whip topping
– 1/2 cup condensed milk
– 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
– 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice

Topping:

– 1/2 cup cream cheese, softened
– 2 cups cool whip topping
– 1/2 cup powder sugar
– 1 cup butterscotch chips
– 1/2 cup salted pretzels, chopped

What you do:

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Crust:

Mix all the ingredients for the crust in a bowl to combine well.

Grease an 8×8 baking dish and press the crust ingredients onto the bottom of the baking dish. Bake for 5 minutes and then allow to cool.

Filling:

In a blender, whip all the filling ingredients together and pour onto crust. Freeze for 2 hours to set.

Topping:

In another blender, whip cream cheese, cool whip, and powdered sugar.

Finishing up:

Spread topping onto the top of set pumpkin. Sprinkle with butterscotch chips and pretzel. Refrigerate for 2 hours. Enjoy!

Adrianne Calvo is the Executive Chef and owner of Chef Adrianne’s Vineyard Restaurant and Wine Bar, Host of Maximum Flavor Live on NBC’s 6 in the Mix, author of four cookbooks: Maximum Flavor (2005); Chef Adrianne: Driven by Flavor Fueled by Fire (2008); #MaximumFlavorSocial (2014); and Play with Fire (2015), and founder of the Make it Count Foundation. Chef Adrianne’s Vineyard Restaurant and Wine Bar opened in 2007 and offers a varied and rotating menu with something for everyone. Monthly, the restaurant holds its signature event, Dark Dining, where guests are blindfolded for a sensual experience eliminating one sense in order to enhance another, providing maximum flavor.

www.chefadriannes.com 

Chef Adrianne

 

Chef Adrianne Calvo

What’s the perfect age for making babies?

Posted on by Posted in The Struggle is Real, Urban Suburban Mommy .

Is there really a perfect age to have a baby? If you have your babies in your teens, you’re too young. Early 20s? You’ve still got so much to see and do – people will tell you to finish school, travel, establish your career, get some life experience. All of a sudden you cross that threshold. You’re living your life, enjoying your career – there are promotions on the horizon and you’ve developed a lifestyle.

Once 30, those that have coupled up and condo’d up are being asked when the wedding will be – how they’re going to fit a baby into their one-bedroom hip city condo. Those that are single at 30 are now feeling the pressure from friends, family and society to just find that perfect partner. Mr. Right, Mrs. Right, just couple up – you don’t want to miss out.

Those that make it childless to their late 30s are now pitied. “There’s still time” people will offer, trying to be nice, working out the timeline: Find a partner, 18 months you’ll get married, another year and you’ll have a baby, you might actually be able to fit in a second if you find one right away!” And then you hit 40 and people start telling you there’s still time. You can do this on your own. Fertility clinics, IVF, IUI, frozen embryos.

It’s too bad society can’t stop challenging people to become parents at the perfect age.

I finally figured out the perfect age – there isn’t one.

I went through it myself and I hated when people would give me their opinion. I didn’t want kids young – I wasn’t ready to settle down. I was 29 and recall a friend offering to set me up with a guy who “Wasn’t that bad.” It felt like, at 29, I’d already missed out on top tier potential partners but could still pick one out in the scratch-n-dent partner section.

At 32, I started dating my hubby. The first time my father met him, he asked him when we were getting married. Before hubby could stop choking on his tongue, my father said “Don’t worry about getting married, just have babies.” Although we joke about that one to this day, it was clear that I was falling behind on the schedule of life.

When I got my BFP at 36, my doctor responded with the term “Late Maternal Age.” Like that’s the new “congratulations” of the late 30’s crowd.

Fergoodnessakes.

My friend had her first a few weeks before she turned 40. Her Facebook announcement of her pregnancy was “We’re so excited to let everyone know we’re getting #1 in before 40! Due in April!” Like 40 is a deadline. Like 39 is somehow magically much younger than 40 – but a few months more will change EVERYTHING.

Late maternal age worked out well for me. It’s true, there are concerns that come along with age – egg health, physical health. But it comes with benefits – life experience, stability and that wisdom they say comes with age. Maybe.

Is parenting at 40 the perfect age? It’s not for everyone, but it’s worked out well for me.

This year’s best Halloween costumes

Posted on by Posted in The Struggle is Real .

So you’re the mom who waited to get costumes for the kiddos?

Yah, me too. We’ve been talking so exhaustively about what they want to be, but actually braving the stores… that’s a whole other thing. I was planning to get them to decide early this year and then just order them! Cheap and cheerful without having to hit the stores.

But nope. I waited. And hubby finally got them to the store and I don’t want to see the bill.

My older son is a really cool strip of bacon. He was a hot dog last year, but the bacon beats it all. He’s been working on his “It’s sizzling in here!” line and is über happy with himself. My younger son is a Star Wars guy. He doesn’t know which guy exactly, but his costume has a cool mask and a cool gun – neither of which is permitted at school – which I don’t think he understands quite yet…

Costumes aren’t easy. Masks and weapons aren’t permitted in schools, and I get why (though it really does ruin some of the fun!). Not all of us can paint a face – and not all costumes lend themselves to that. Some costumes are too sexy, while others are culturally inappropriate. It’s really a mine field out there.

My favourites for this year? Aside from super heroes, animals and everything Harry Potter, I’ve seen a few good ideas, though I’m dying to see if there are any parents out there willing to pull one of these off with the kiddos!

Easy and on trend: Georgie from IT

If you’ve seen a preview for the movie, you know the yellow raincoat and red balloon. It’s little Georgie and it’s the easiest and scariest costume out there. Just put the hood up and tie the balloon to your child’s wrist and voila! Just tell your kid to say “You’ll float too” if asked for a trick.

Food: Pizza, bacon, hot dog – food is in! I’ve even seen matchy matchy costumes of burger and fries or peanut butter and jam.

My son has the funniest sense of humour. Last year this hot dog costume made him so happy. Those mustard and ketchup bottles were filled with popcorn kernels. He shook ’em like maracas and pretended to spray people when he was asked for a trick. I should have filled them with glitter, it would have been an even better trick – but I couldn’t have the entire neighbourhood hating me.

A meme: The get-along shirt. Instagram celeb. Grumpy cat.

If you’ve got 2 kids you can do the ‘get-along’ shirt, just stuff them both in one extra-large Tshirt. Hey, you may be able to re-use this if they need help getting along over Christmas. Or get an eyeliner out and do the No Ragrets neck tattoo. That one always makes me laugh and laugh.

YouTube sensation: Pink Fluffy Unicorn Dancing on Rainbows. Karl and Jinger. Keyboard Cat.

Come on – it’s a cat in a shirt with a keyboard. You know that baby keyboard you’ve been tripping over for years now? Tie it on. Kitty costume is cute enough – but with the keyboard you’ve just taken your parenting game to a whole nother level.

Stranger Things

Forget the characters, go as the house. Wrap a string of Christmas lights around them for good measure.

I hope we won’t be seeing any Trump masks on kids – hoping we stay away from politics altogether. There is so much fun to be had on Halloween, and so many ways to get creative. Whether it’s store bought, home made, wonderfully weird, super popular or totally unique, I hope all children have a fun and safe Halloween and that all parents get enough candy to keep them happy til the next holidays hit!

Trick or Treat!

Pumpkin soup

Posted on by Posted in Delicious Dishes .

I’m just going to say it: I HATE pumpkin spice anything.

Hate it.

I don’t know what the attraction is. But I don’t hold it against you. I get it. From Canadian Thanksgiving to American Thanksgiving, pumpkin spice is bound to be an obsession for many of my favourite people.

Whether it’s pumpkin pie, pumpkin spice latte or pumpkin cheesecake, I just cringe while y’all indulge. I’ll even treat you to one at Starbucks – but just leave me to my decaf soy latte and we’ll all get along.

However I’ve got a lot of pumpkin decorations for Halloween that need to be used up and I’ve got my one pumpkin indulgence that I won’t give up. Pumpkin soup. I crave it on the same level and make it until my family begs me to stop. Honestly, you can use any squash to make this, but I do love pumpkin – plus I’m totally addicted to sea-salted roasted pumpkin seeds, so nothing goes to waste!

This soup is SO easy it’s ridiculous. It’s rich and hearty, and perfect as a starter or a meal. It’s the best warm-up on a cool day and makes me sad pumpkins aren’t available all year long.

What you need:

– 2 to 3 tablespoons of butter
– 1 apple, pealed and cored (Mac, Royal Gala or Empire – preferable something soft and sweet)
– 1 medium pumpkin, skinned, cleaned out and cubed/chunked
– 2 to 3 pinches sea salt
– pepper to taste
– 2 to 3 tablespoons brown sugar
– 1 heaping tbsp curry powder
– 1 bay leaf
– 4 cups water or broth (veggie or chicken)
– 1/2 cup heavy cream, optional

Garnish: Dollop of plain Greek yogurt or sour cream,
Serve with crusty bread or crispy crackers like Paris Toasts

What you do:

In a big soup pot, melt the butter. Toss in the pumpkin and let it sauté a bit. Add apples, pumpkin, salt, pepper, brown sugar, spices and stir together. Add water (or broth) enough to cover the whole mixture.

Simmer the mixture, stirring occasionally. When the pumpkin gets really soft, grab a stick blender (I love my Braun stick blender) and blend it all right in the pot. If you don’t have a stick blender you can use a hand blender, food process or or regular blender, but the beauty of this is that it can be done in one pot without getting other gadgets dirty – plus you need to be extra careful putting hot soup into a blender or food processor. (Yes, I’ve burned myself before.) You can always let the mixture cool and puree it before reheating for serving. But seriously, how do you live without a stick blender? I LOVE mine!

Anyways, get it all blended and let it simmer further. Adjust the seasoning to taste. I like it extra curried, so I add a bit more. I don’t usually add cream, simply because I don’t often have it on hand, but now’s the time to add it. It makes the whole thing extra rich and so yum!

To serve, pour in a bowl and serve with crusty bread or Paris Toast crackers for dipping plus a big scoop of sour cream or Greek yogurt in the middle. The hot/cold thing is sensational and it’s just such a burst of flavour.

See? Who needs a pumpkin spice latte when you’ve got soup!

The goobie

Posted on by Posted in Delicious Dishes .

The boys drive me nuts some mornings. One doesn’t eat eggs, the other doesn’t like butter. Heaven help us if my husband butters all of the toast. And you know those days where there’s only one bowl of cereal left but they both want it?

Yah, breakfast can be a battleground.

My answer is always The Goobie.

Goobie is one of those words that stuck. It’s the way they pronounced smoothie when they were really little, and they’ve never stopped calling it that. As a matter of fact, every time they hear the blender they come running, asking what flavour goobie I’m making.

And I have to say, having a magic bullet is the best – it was perfect for making baby food and it’s perfect for goobies. You can use a blender, food processor or braun blender stick – whatever you’ve got.

What you need:

– 1 cups of fruit
– 1 cup of milk (Can’t do dairy? Use soy, rice milk, almond milk etc.)
– 4-6 ice cubes

There are really so many variations of this recipe that it’s hard to give the basics.

  1. You can use any fruit you like. Use up fruits going bad or use specific berry combos. My kids like mango, strawberry, banana, strawberry banana, melon and orange. Apple doesn’t work well. The riper the fruit, the sweeter the flavour. You can also use peanut butter or cocoa, though we don’t let them eat nuts before school because there are a couple of extreme allergies in my sons’ classes.
  2. You can use frozen fruit. When fruit is going bad I remove the seeds and throw it in the freezer in a container so that they’re ready to blend. I also buy bags of frozen fruit. Berries are much cheaper this way. Omit ice with frozen fruit.
  3. Sweeten things up. Some fruits just aren’t naturally sweet and can be a bit bland. While I don’t like adding tons of refined sugar to their diet, a teaspoon of brown sugar, agave or maple syrup will give a bland drink a bit of a sweet spot.
  4. Beware of raspberries. They’re full of seeds and have a weird texture when made into a smoothie. Yummy but I actually strain raspberry smoothies to get out some of the seeds.
  5. Add nutrients. You can add a dash of protein powder, vitamins or even veggies. This is a great way to sneak in a bit of spinach, chia seeds, broccoli or carrot. THEY CAN’T TELL! lol

What you do:

Blend it all. The longer you blend the smoother and runnier it will be. For thick, add extra ice. For thinner, go light on the ice. You can adjust as you need. Just keep blending.

Goobie time!

Three things my children make fun of me for

Posted on by Posted in The Struggle is Real .

I don’t know about you, but my boys have gotten to the age where they’re starting to tease me. They’ve got wit, they’ve got a sense of humour and they’ve got some nerve…

I remember saying these types of things to my mom when I was a kid.

I also remember the look on her face. It was probably the same look I had on my face when my kids asked me about my experience growing up with dinosaurs. And my mom had me young – she was 23 and a mom, barely 25 with her second. Having kids at 37 and 39, I have some serious years on her! I’m not sure though, if my kids perceive me as old because I’m a 40-something mom, or if all kids are just brutes when it comes to comprehending their parents’ generation. Regardless, my kids love teasing me about being old (because they know they’ve hit a nerve/have some material to work with) and they’re merciless. My husband has a blast joining in.

1. Mom, your hair is so grey.

Just the other day, my younger son told us that when he grows up he’s going to be rich so that he can buy dad a solid gold mansion. “What’s he going to buy for mom?” you ask? HAIR DYE. Dad gets a solid gold mansion and I get hair dye so that I won’t have to look old.

2. Mom isn’t cool enough to speak the lingo.

Last week my son told me they were watching Yubes.

Yah, I asked.

Turns out that’s what kids are calling YouTube. I’m so old I don’t know the lingo. I keep catching myself saying I taped that – I tape nothing. I record. I’m having problems moving on from VHS in my own mind, apparently. My kids think it’s funny – not in that “laughing with you” funny. They’re definitely laughing at me.

3. Mom, did you ever have a pet dinosaur?

This one cuts deep, since I remember asking my mom questions along the same line – I also asked my mom if she wore ball gowns (you know, because she was old enough to grow up in the Victorian era); if they had suits of armour when she was small (because she must have been around in the middle ages); and if the world was in black and white when she was a kid (I didn’t quite understand that colour TV was because of technology developments, I thought actual colour was a recent invention in the early 70s.). My poor mom. I was a mean kid – however unintentionally.