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I was taken down by the Elf-on-the-Shelf

Posted on by Posted in The Struggle is Real .

I want my kids to believe in Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny – and all of the magic surrounding holidays.

They’re getting older. They’re seeing things. It’s starting to be a lot of lies – and yesterday just made it So. Much. Worse.

When my boys were babes, it was never a question. I didn’t mind lying to them about the magic of these childhood beliefs. I figure they’ll get jaded as they get older, develop the healthy cynicism of adulthood soon enough – but they’re just fresh little kids who can have fun enjoying the magic – plus they get money, chocolate, gifts – seriously?

This being said, we don’t do Elf-on-a-Shelf. It’s too much pressure – I discussed it last year in this blog post. But now that my eldest is 9-and-a-half, he’s catching on. Yesterday we were out doing some Chrismakah shopping (we do both Christmas and Hanukkah) at Chapters, he saw a sale table piled high with Elf-on-a-Shelf kits.

IN THE CHILDREN’S DEPARTMENT.

Now it’s not that he’s a wee one. He’s starting to catch on that the big guy in the red suit just may be more symbolic than real. But when started hinting at it, trying to ask-without-asking whether Santa is real, I gave him my pat response.

“You only get presents from Santa if you believe in him.”

Nobody argues with this. It makes sense on many levels.

But yesterday… Yesterday it went bad.

He saw the pile of Elf-on-a-Shelf kits, and he had questions.

“Mom, why are the Elves in boxes?”

“Mom, I thought Santa sent Elves to spy on the kids he wasn’t sure about, right?”

“Mom, does Santa sell his Elves?!?!?!?!”

I was struck speechless – which never happens to me. But what would you do? Do you tell the kid this is just a commercialized gimmick? That will just landslide into what else isn’t real.

Do you make up another lie? “Honey, they come out at night and play in the store – with all of these toys!”

Do you get much more dastardly? “Sweetheart, Santa sends Elves to the store so that parents who want Santa to spy on them can have one, even if Santa isn’t worried about those kids.”

I spent the night trying to justify the response I gave him, which was, in reality, no response at all. I tried to hurry him away from the Elf-on-a-Shelf mountain by waving some Bendi Brick in his face. He’s been dying for that brick tape that you can stick anywhere and build LEGO onto it. But even that wasn’t distracting him.

He circled the table, scratching his head. He looked at me for insight and, in my desperation, I said, “Okay, let me Google it.”

Let me Google it? That’s all I had.

Then my son has asked if we need to free the Elves. If they’re being sold like slaves. If they need our help. I thought I may have to buy every single Elf kit and liberate all the little guys in front of him to keep up the charade. I handed him the phone and told him to Google it.

iPhone in hand, he forgot his question and launched Bowmasters. My iPhone had saved the day. But for how long.

Now we’ve never had a perfect answer for how Santa is in every mall. I always tell my kids that Santa doesn’t have time for pictures, so he allows people to represent him and take pictures, but that these guys are actors. I may have mentioned that Santa’s magic helps them grow white beards and big bellies. Another lie.

But nobody ever put a big $%#@ing sign that said “Have your picture taken with imposter Santa, ON SALE NOW!

To protect the magic of Christmas, and avoid the questions I did, I’m asking for all Elf-on-the-shelf kits to be kept out of sight. You may even need a code word to ask for one so that it can be put into a dark bag and never seen by the eyes of children at the mall or toy store. Like cigarettes and dirty mags. Elf-on-the-Shelf needs to be sold on the sly! For the sake of the children!

Wishing you a wonderful season free of questions you can’t answer!

 

10 Questions with Voula Halliday on getting kids to eat well

Posted on by Posted in 10 Questions With .

The struggle is real. You pack what you think is a healthy lunch and when you clean out their lunch box after school you see the apple untouched, one bite out of the sandwich and the half-eaten yogurt is covering everything with a thin, disgusting layer of congealing goo. I know – sometimes I just want to throw the whole lunch box out. But those containers are expensive! And then on to dinner, which is a negotiation situation that rivals any Wall Street lawyer’s skill for arguing a case.

Urban Suburban Mommy caught up with one of this country’s national treasures, Voula Halliday. She’s prized for being able to overcome the irrational demands of any child’s appetite. A Le Cordon Bleu-trained Chef, she was the featured chef on the Steve and Chris show and has written for many publications on the subject. She has also written the must-have cookbook Eat at Home. We had the chance to ask her the 10 questions you know you want to know about just getting your kid to eat!

1. What does the ideal school lunch look like? Hot or cold?

[Laughing] I say ask your kid this question! The ideal school lunch is one that is nourishing and one that they will eat. Conversation is the key to establishing this. Ask your child to share with you what she or he enjoys to eat at lunch. Sometimes food that they love eating at home isn’t as appealing after it’s been sitting in a lunch box for a few hours so it gets set aside and left uneaten, even if they are hungry. Here’s an article I wrote on this subject for Today’s Parent.

2. What do you recommend for picky eaters?

I’m not a big fan of defining kids as “picky” because I think that kids are still learning what they like and don’t like, and that’s okay. I suggest encouraging children to try new things all the time. And don’t give up after the first time they taste something and say “yuk”. New flavours and textures sometimes need to be experienced a few times before they are embraced.

3. Some parents think there should be a main, a fruit and a snack in the school lunch; others throw in 5 or 6 small graze-able items. What’s the best route?

I think it’s perfectly fine to go with either option. It’s more about packing a lunch that your child will enjoy and that will give them the fuel they need to get through the day. If you know your child is better with fewer choices at mealtime, go with a square meal. If they are someone who likes to move around a plate that is a mix of things, then offer small portions of a variety of items. Something important to watch out for is that you don’t put too much food in their lunch because that can be a turnoff for kids.

4. Does having a special lunch box – a bento or timpani – help for kids? Does the visual presentation impact their appetites?

I am very much a visual person and I appreciate a special lunch box, but I don’t think that you have to use fancy lunchboxes to make lunch more appetizing.

For kids one of the biggest barriers to eating lunch is access to their food. Some containers are so difficult for little hands to open so look for easy-to-open lids. If you are buying a bento style box, look for ones with partitions so that the food inside doesn’t get tossed about or mixed up. No one wants their blueberries tasting like tuna. It’s a good to go shopping with your child so you can ask if they can open a container easily before you purchase it.

5. What super-foods should always be in lunches – meals in general?

There are so many wonderful whole foods that can go into creating a balanced meal for lunch. Visualize half the meal made up of vegetables – peppers, peas, tomatoes, zucchini, cucumber, chopped lettuce or cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, and pickles too. I could go on! A combo of their favourite vegetables, either raw or blanched (to keep them bright and flavourful it’s better not to over-cook veggies) and cut into bite-size pieces is great on its own or as part of something like a salad or a pasta dish.

Make the rest of the meal up from a balance between a protein such as chicken, fish, eggs, beans, cheese, yogurt, tofu – whatever your child enjoys – and a super-healthy starchy carbs. Quinoa, rice, fruit, beans or sweet potatoes are all great choices.

Sometimes I combine quinoa or rice or rice pasta with black beans, chicken, and a variety of my daughter’s favourite veggies that I have finely chopped. I add a bit of lemon and olive oil and some seasonings and create something tasty and super nourishing. She loves it.

6. Some parents say, “It’s just a treat” while others feel sugar is a total no-no in school lunches. Some teachers send home shaming notes for bad food choices. Is sugar a hard “no” in your books?

I’m always so surprised at how much refined sugar is showing up as an ingredient in processed food. It offers no nutrient value so it’s one of those ingredients that we all should be careful to note how much we are consuming.

I’m against shaming because it doesn’t provide parents or children with what they really need – to know what is in their food so they can make informed choices. My approach isn’t a “total no-no”, instead I use my skills to help guide people with ease and I offer solutions that are accessible for all sorts of meal requirements in my cookbook – even for sweet treats – often using honey or maple syrup instead of refined sugar.

When balanced by a diet that is overall healthy – based on whole foods, not processed – and an active lifestyle, having a portion of brownie or cake is okay.

[Brownies in my cookbook are made with black beans!] (Urban Suburban Mommy says: And they’re delicious! Your child will never know. We taste tested two batches “on the kids” lol. So good!)

7. With the peanut butter ban in most schools, is there a good way to get protein into their diet in another easy go-to sandwich?

Yes, besides the usual sandwich fillings of meat or fish you could instead go add sliced boiled egg, or slices of cheese.

I like making a sandwich spread in the food processor combining one can of drained chickpeas or black beans, a clove of fresh garlic, extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice and some seasoning. It’s very handy to have this in the fridge as a handy source of protein. You can make a spread like this out of edamame too.

8. Making lunch is time consuming, any tips on short cuts?

So many tips! At home my mantra is “Cook once, eat thrice!” We’ll cook with a plan to have leftovers so that meal prep during the week is easier. Eat at Home is full of what I call Loveable Leftovers – ideas for how to turn what’s left from one dish, into another meal. One of our favourite lunch box items is a savoury muffin I make from leftover chicken or ham, cheddar and little chunks of green apple. It’s so good! I’m the kind of person that would take leftover blanched broccoli and chopped leftover roast potatoes and turn it into a salad with the addition of whatever else I could pull from the fridge.

Other tips: We pre-cut veggies so that we can whip up a salad easily. We cook extra rice, pasta or quinoa at dinner to add to lunch and we regularly roast skinless chicken thighs or breasts to have in the fridge to add to mix in with our grains and veggies.

Another thing I find that comes in handy for lunch is finely sliced cabbage or Napa cabbage –it holds up so well and provides great crunch and nourishment to any salad or grain bowl.

9. What is the hardest part about feeding kids?

I think the hardest part for all of us, is time.

It’s hard to come home at the end of a long day, deal with homework and then have time to prepare a tasty and nourishing meal. So what to do? First, start having conversations as a family about foods you like – and involve children when you can in mealtime prep. You can learn a lot when you are all hands-on in the kitchen.

10. What is the best advice to parents on how to approach feeding kids healthy meals? Sometimes it’s chicken nuggets or pizza slices just to avoid a fight, how can parents move past that?

Involve them! Go to the grocery store as a family activity one day – when you aren’t stressed and racing against time. List favourite foods and talk about how to incorporate them into meals you will all enjoy. And during the week, keep it simple – it’s okay to cook the same things, or variations of the same, more than twice or three times in a month. If you can, create habits that help you – like making extra portions of favourite things to freeze and freeze leftovers in single servings that can go from the freezer to the lunch bag.

And yes, sometimes it’s going to be pizza or chicken nuggets – not necessarily to avoid a fight, but because you feel confident and good that you have established overall healthy balanced eating at mealtime so occasional convenience foods are perfectly A-OK!

EAT AT HOME contains over 150 recipes that show how easy it is to cook fresh, healthy, tasty meals every day of the week, including how to buy only what you will use, use everything you have on hand, swap ingredients without sweating it, and transform extras into Loveable Leftovers so you waste nothing.

About Voula:

Voula Halliday is a chef, writer, and artist with diverse and extensive experience in the food industry. A proud graduate of Le Cordon Bleu, she has presented her work on morning television and radio shows, and was one of the chef experts on CBC Television’s award-winning daytime show Steven and Chris. Most recently, she appeared on CTV’s Your Morning to whip up her yummy Apple Cheddar Chicken Muffins (see recipe on UrbanSuburbanMommy.com) and Bacon and Cheddar Quinoa Fritters. You can view the segment here:

Voula’s first appearance on Steven and Chris came about after she was discovered by one of the producers who was volunteering at a Public School where Voula served as the executive chef and program coordinator. She brought Voula onto the show after being taken by her warm personality and the way in which she transformed the usually mundane and unhealthy school lunches into fresh, nutritious and delicious meals for the students and faculty. Voula’s work has appeared in print and digital formats in a variety of publications, including Chatelaine, National Post, Reader’s Digest, and Bon Appétit.

 

Apple Cheddar Chicken Muffins

Posted on by Posted in Delicious Dishes .

You need to read 10 Questions With Voula Halliday to really understand how much this recipe will help with healthy school lunches, but these savoury and oh-so-yummy muffins will become a favourite. Soooo good!

What you need:

– 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
– 2 1⁄2 tsp baking powder
– 1 tsp dried thyme
– 1 tsp salt
– 1⁄2 tsp ground black pepper
– 1 1⁄2–2 cups finely chopped cooked 
chicken
– 1 cup shredded 
cheddar cheese
– 2 green onions, 
thinly sliced
– 1 cup peeled and finely 
diced green apple
– 1 cup finely chopped baby spinach
– 2 large eggs
– 1 cup milk or unsweetened non-dairy milk
– 1⁄4 cup extra virgin olive oil

What you do:

1 Heat oven to 350°F (180°C). Spray or coat a 12-cup muffin pan with oil.

2 In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, thyme, salt, and pepper. Using a wooden spoon, stir in chicken, 3/4 cup cheddar, green onions, apple, and spinach.

3 In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, and oil. Add to flour mixture and stir until evenly combined.

4 Divide batter evenly between the prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle each muffin with remaining cheese. Bake until golden and a cake tester inserted in the centre of a muffin comes out clean, 25 to
35 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and
let cool for 5 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

MAKES 12 MUFFINS

You can swap out the chicken for ham or smoked salmon, or you can omit the chicken and make these vegetarian muffins instead.

Just one of the amazing recipes from Voula Halliday’s must-have cook-book EAT AT HOME contains over 150 recipes that show how easy it is to cook fresh, healthy, tasty meals every day of the week, including how to buy only what you will use, use everything you have on hand, swap ingredients without sweating it, and transform extras into Loveable Leftovers so you waste nothing.

About Voula:

Voula Halliday is a chef, writer, and artist with diverse and extensive experience in the food industry. A proud graduate of Le Cordon Bleu, she has presented her work on morning television and radio shows, and was one of the chef experts on CBC Television’s award-winning daytime show Steven and Chris. Most recently, she appeared on CTV’s Your Morning to whip up her yummy Apple Cheddar Chicken Muffins and Bacon and Cheddar Quinoa Fritters. You can view the segment here:

Voula’s first appearance on Steven and Chris came about after she was discovered by one of the producers who was volunteering at a Public School where Voula served as the executive chef and program coordinator. She brought Voula onto the show after being taken by her warm personality and the way in which she transformed the usually mundane and unhealthy school lunches into fresh, nutritious and delicious meals for the students and faculty. Voula’s work has appeared in print and digital formats in a variety of publications, including Chatelaine, National Post, Reader’s Digest, and Bon Appétit.

 

 

Holiday Gift Guide – Urban Suburban Mommy Style

Posted on by Posted in The Best You, Urban Suburban Mommy .

Everyone needs some shopping inspiration. Gift guide after gift guide explains what to get the children, or the hubby, or the boss, or the teacher.

Well, what about mom? What do we want? You know what we want – we all want the same thing. So don’t read this gift guide for yourself, share this gift guide with the Urban Suburban Daddies, the Urban Suburban Uncles, The Urban Suburban Girlfriends, Boyfriends, Fiancés and Friends.

This is what just about any mom wants for the holidays:

A retreat.

She stays up too late sewing the costumes for class plays the night before. She runs around looking for shirts that don’t itch. She knows where every favourite toy and stuffie is at all times. She needs a break. A weekend with no responsibility. A morning with no alarm clocks. A night with no bedtime fights. A meal with no interruptions. With spouse? With friends? Let her pick.

A clean house.

We all know that housework should be shared. It’s not mom’s domain. But we all know who gets it done. Give her a few weeks off with housekeeping services. Seriously, the cost of making mom happy, giving her back some free time and putting a smile on her face is a fraction of what marriage counselling costs per month. Don’t argue about whose turn it is to vacuum, pay for the privilege and get it done.

Deep relaxation.

Mom’s got a busy life and she puts everyone else first. Everyone is served and eating before she finishes and sits down. She got the lunches made and the kids dressed for school, and threw her hair in a messy bun (thank goodness they’re in style!), forgoing a shower and blow-dry. She totally needs a day at the spa. Go for one of the good ones with water therapies and fancy tea stations, and book her a massage. A deep tissue massage. And DON’T request a female masseuse – unless you think that’s HER preference. Hold it together and let her have an afternoon off. She’s coming home to you all refreshed and relaxed up.

Some free time.

She talks about how much she misses yoga classes. She used to belong to a book club. She’s stopped going to the mall and orders all her clothing online. Face it, she loves her family, but families require endless amounts of mom’s time. Give her the gift of a few reliable hours a week that are hers and hers alone, to regain that favourite activity. Getting the kids to activities, feeding them dinner, doing the bedtime routine – it’s a big job, but you can do it without her a few hours a week!

Wine.

Mom needs wine. A spare bottle of something just a bit nicer than she’d usually buy herself. You know what? Make it 2.

Roasted Acorn Squash

Posted on by Posted in Delicious Dishes .

As fall really starts to set in and hearty comfort foods start becoming very important, you may be hitting a rut with side dishes and veggie meals. There are so many fresh fall flavors, but it can be hard to find the perfect new recipe to bring into your repertoire. Between fussy kids and a crunch on time, you need the easy people pleasers. Chef Adrianne Calvo, owner of the highly acclaimed Chef Adrianne’s Vineyard Restaurant and Wine Bar shares a vibrant recipe for a fall favorite: Acorn Squash. It’s a fall staple in our home, but we needed a new spin (and we ran out of maple butter) so Chef saved the day with her recipe: Roasted Acorn Squash + Burrata Mozzarella + Garlic Brown Butter Pecans + Salsa Verde.

This recipe has quite a few ingredients, but it’s one of those “throw it together and let it cook” dishes that isn’t difficult at all. Enjoy!

What you need:

– 1 acorn squash, cut into 4 pieces, remove seeds
– 1 tablespoon canola oil
– 1 tablespoon brown sugar
– ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
– 1 cup burrata mozzarella
– ¼ cup butter, unsalted
– ½ cup pecans, chopped
– 1 tablespoon garlic, slivers
– 1 teaspoon soy sauce
– 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
– ¼ cup parsley
– ¼ cup green onion
– ¼ cup cilantro
– ¼ cup lemon juice
– ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
– 1 teaspoon honey
– Pinch kosher salt
– Salsa verde

What you do:

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Squash prep: Place the cut squash onto a baking sheet and drizzle with canola oil, sprinkle with brown sugar, and salt. Throw it in the oven to bake for 20 to 30 minutes – or until fork tender.

Topping: In a small sauté pan over medium heat, cook pecans in butter for 2 minutes. Add in the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the soy sauce and crushed red pepper flakes. Set aside.

In a blender,  add the parsley, green onion, cilantro, lemon juice, olive oil, honey, and salt. Blend until smooth. To plate, add a spoonful of burrata on top of the squash and drizzle with salsa verde. Then, top with the pecan garlic butter. Yum!

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

Flu fighting – mom’s natural secret weapons!

Posted on by Posted in The Best You .

Nobody wants the flu. It sucks to get it and it sucks even more to watch the kids suffer through it.

And don’t get me started on when dad gets the flu. Nobody wants that.

From shots to putting an onion in the corner, there area  lot of ideas floating around on how to combat the flu, but those aren’t for everyone. So what can you do to keep your family healthy? We caught up with Dr. Christopher Calapai for some answers. Dr. Calapai, based in New York, is an Osteopath Physician, board certified in family medicine and anti-aging medicine (yes, we love him for several reasons!).

Here are Dr. Calapai’s 15 suggestions for fighting the good fight against the flu. Some of these – like permission to eat fries – you’ll be happy to follow. And none of these will spark nasty feuds on your favourite mom board, so feel free to share the health:

1. Keep your surroundings clean. Wipe surfaces at work, keep your cell phone clean. According to the CDC viruses can survive on a surface for up to 8 hours.

2. Wash your hands frequently. It’s not enough to get wet, wash with soap to kill the germs. And use a hand sanitizer. Remember the workplace and public spaces are a hotbed for germs. This is where the hand washing comes into play.

3. Increase intake of vitamin D, C, E and A. Include foods such as red bell peppers (add to salads), sweet potatoes, chicken soup, salmon and garlic. Research shows that keeping vitamin D levels at 80 ng/ml or so decreases the risk of catching the flu and swine flu.

4. Bring your own lunch. Pack a luch for work. It allows you to control food prep and ensure surfaces are clean. No cross contamination from a sick cafeteria worker for you!

5. Get a full night’s sleep. When you feel run down you’re more susceptible to illness.
(I know… the impossible dream with my two boys playing musical beds all night, but maybe *they’ll* take the doctor’s advice.)

6. Work from home when feeling sick. These days it’s easier for people to work from home at the slightest signs of cold or flu, protect yourself and your colleagues.

7. Eat kimchi! It’s delicious and a great probiotic – which boosts immunity.

8. Add mushrooms to your meal. Packed with selenium, they’re an immunity booster too.

9. Sip green or black tea. Green and black tea are packed with polyphenols and flavonoids, which ward off illness. They also contain L-theanine, an immunity boosting amino acid.

10. Munch on sweet potato fries. Who can argue with a doctor that instructs eating fries? But sweet potatoes are high in the powerful anti-oxidant beta-carotene. They also have B complex and vitamin C as well as iron and phosphorus, helping you to fight off bacteria and viruses.

11. Don’t touch your face – especially eyes.The average person touches their face around 15 times per hour! It’s something we do unconsciously so if we can be more aware of face touching the more we can stop.

12. Soup it up! Chicken veggie noodle and ginger garlic soup help fight flu and sinus infection.

13. Exercise regularly! Doing 30 minutes of moderate cardio per day is optimal to enhance the performance of infection-fighting white blood cells.

14. Go hands free on the smartphone. When we put our phones down and then pick them up or touch them this is where viruses can spread. Using earbuds and cleaning the phone with a device friendly cleaner will help.

15. Lose the booze. You really want to cut back on alcohol consumption during flu season. It dehydrates us and lowers our immunity so our ability to fight off virus is impaired.
(You may not like this one, and we almost didn’t include it – especially with holidays coming up. We’re going to ask the doctor if wine counts!) 

About the Doctor:

Dr. Christopher Calapai, D.O. is an Osteopathic Physician board certified in family medicine, and anti-aging medicine. Proclaimed the “The Stem Cell Guru” by the New York Daily News, Dr. Calapai is a leader in the field of stem cell therapy in the U.S. His stem cell treatments have achieved remarkable results in clinical trials on patients with conditions as varied as Alzheimer’s, arthritis, erectile dysfunction, frailty syndrome, heart, kidney and liver failure, lupus, MS and Parkinson’s. He has worked with Mike Tyson, Mickey Rourke, Steven Seagal, and Gotham’s, Donal Logue; and as a medical consultant for the New York Rangers.

drcal.net

 @drcalapai

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!