Oatmeal

When I first started reading health food blogs I noticed everyone ate oatmeal and I didn't really love oatmeal but decided to try it again. I followed the recipe from Kath Eats Real Food, if you go to her Tribute To Oatmeal Link at the top of her website it has the recipe, a video, and many fun ways to decorate your oatmeal. It is the best oatmeal I have ever eaten, it is quick to make(5 minutes on the stove top), it is filling but not too heavy. This oatmeal is her exact recipe on the top of the oatmeal page, it has oats, chia seeds, banana, water, sea salt, vanilla, and I used almond milk but you can use whatever milk you have(regular, rice, almond, soy, etc) If you are gluten free you will need to buy oats at the health food store that are gluten free, oats that have not come in contact with any wheat making them. The topping ideas are endless, you could make a different kind of oatmeal everyday. You could do a topping bar for your kids with fun toppings like coconut, maple syrup, healthy muffins, chocolate chips, nut butters, different kinds of fruit, etc. You can make them themed for special days or holidays. Putting them in fun bowls makes everything taste better as well. This bowl of oats has a bit of pure maple syrup and fresh sliced organic cherries, yum! One of my favourite toppings is organic peanut butter and organic chocolate chips mixed in after cooking the oatmeal. A bowl of oatmeal makes a great start to your day. Let me know if you try it and what you put on your oatmeal. Enjoy :)

French Food at Home, Gluten Free Breakfast and Fresh Juice

My sweet boy received the best surprise in the mail yesterday. He got a letter from the host of French Food at Home on the Food Network. Laura Calder sent him a beautiful handwritten note. Connor was so excited and could not believe she sent him a letter, he loves her show. He said he would keep it forever and he wants to make a cookbook now. We had to watch French Food at Home today and he still couldn't believe he got a letter. Thank you again to my sister in law Andrea, she arranged this and we had no idea. Connor called all his Grandparents and Dad to share the exciting news.

I must admit it was a special moment for me as well. When Connor was so sick in the fall the first time he got sick we sat and watched the Food Network all day. He was miserable from his swollen lips, rash all over his body including his tongue, breathing problems, etc. He could not eat or drink and felt terrible. All he wanted to do was sit with me on the couch with pillows and blankets and watch the Food Network. We watched his favourite shows including his favourite host Laura Calder on French Food at Home. Many days he came home from school very discouraged that he struggles in school and was in tears. He has said many times he wants to quit school so he can go to chef school. Cooking is his passion and it is so amazing that someone who he loves watching so much would take the time to write a handwritten card to inspire him.

I made this yummy breakfast on the weekend. I got some brown rice bread from the health food store and it has earth balance on it, organic scrambled eggs, and slices of watermelon.

Connor was craving some fresh juice so we made peach and raspberry juice. The peaches were needing to be used so it was a great way to use them up. I put them and the rest of the raspberries in the juicer and served them over ice.

Green Smoothies and Vegetables

I have been trying to make a green smoothie everyday. It is an easy way to get lots of nutrients in and is quick to make. Once you get past the colour of it the taste is great. It had in it spinach, ice, frozen cherries, almond milk, and a powder, Vanilla Almondilla made by Vega. Smoothies are easy to adapt to your diet needs. They can be made gluten free, dairy free, vegan, and free of other allergens like eggs, chocolate, nuts,etc. You can add whatever you have in your kitchen and try different kinds.

We got a new vegetable delivery, we have been enjoying getting a variety of vegetables each week. I need to figure out how to cook the vegetable that looks like bigger carrots with the greens. I am not sure what it even is or what to do with it. Any ideas???

Clean out your fridge pasta dinner

Tonight we had an easy dinner to clean out some of the vegetables since we will be getting a new vegetable delivery tomorrow morning. I bought brown rice spaghetti noodles and a pasta sauce from the organic section at the grocery store. We added some meat, garlic scapes and summer squash to the sauce. We also had a salad with the rest of the carrots, lettuce and cucumbers.

A few days ago we made a good stir fry to use some of the organic vegetables. We used carrots, garlic scape, summer squash, mushrooms, peas, and thinly sliced beef. We served it over rice.

Making pasta or a stir fry is a great way to get extra vegetables into your meal. They can be made into easy dairy and gluten free meals and can be adapted to your favourite vegetables and to use up what your already have in your fridge. Enjoy :)

Kristi's Greek Pasta Salad Recipe

Kelsey and Kristi at her wedding in October, they share a birthday and have a lot in common. :)Kelsey waited in the line with her cousin to see the princess, it was very sweet :)

My cousin Kristi gave me her famous Greek pasta salad recipe so I could make it for Kelsey's first communion lunch. I adapted it to make it gluten free with rice noodles, you can find them in your grocery store or health food store. The pasta salad was very yummy and was eaten up quickly at Kelsey's communion lunch. It was very easy to make and would be great for lunches, dinners, bbqs, camping trips, etc.

Mix together in a big bowl;

• penne pasta, I used brown rice but you could use whatever you prefer
• olive oil or grape seed oil
• club house Greek seasoning(in the shaker bottle at your grocery store), epicure also makes a Greek seasoning I think
• diced peppers(red, orange, green, yellow) whatever you would like or a combo of them
• diced red onion
• can of sliced black olives
• feta cheese, the chunk in liquid and crumble it into the salad

Cook the penne pasta and rinse, add to a big bowl, coat with oil, sprinkle in Greek seasoning to taste, add the diced peppers and onions, add your sliced black olives, crumble feta cheese in. I made this the night before her lunch and it let the flavours set in but you could eat it right away. This would be good with bbq chicken as an easy summer meal. Enjoy :{)

Upper Canada Village

We went to Upper Canada Village for the day and had a great time. We enjoyed exploring the village and spending time together as a family. I packed a picnic lunch since I was not sure what options there would be to eat. I was glad I packed food and drinks because there would of been very limited choices and not enough for a healthy lunch and snack. Packing a lunch, snacks and drinks makes the day go so much smoother. Looking for gluten and dairy free options are not easy and when everyone is hungry it is no fun for anyone.

Some tips for packing a gluten and dairy free lunch for an outing.

• Get a cooler backpack, we picked one up at Canadian Tire and we have used it for Disney, soccer, camping, beach, car trips,etc.



• Pack drinks; water with ice, frozen juice, enough drinks for the day. Drinks can get expensive and it is important to stay hydrated in the heat.



• Keep the cooler bag cold so everything stays fresh, little ice packs and frozen water or juice work great



• Some ideas of what to pack; cut up veggies, fruit, rice crackers, rice chips or rice cakes, gluten free muffins or breads, hummus, salsa, pickles, gluten free treats, fruit to go, organic peanut butter and jam on thin square brown rice cakes, nuts and seeds, pasta salads with gluten free noodles, bean salads, etc.



• Don't forget napkins, plates and utensils if needed



• Have fun with it; pick up your child's favourite drink, lunch or snack to make the picnic fun

Burrito bowls

We had a yummy easy dinner tonight that we all enjoyed. We had burrito bowls and they had rice, salsa, guacamole, sour cream, organic cheese, organic beans, chicken and orange peppers with epicure taco seasoning. You can adapt these to whatever you have in your kitchen. They were quick to make and and it makes an easy gluten free meal.