Saturday, July 31, 2010
Turkey and Red Pepper Rotini
3 cups whole wheat rotini noodles
2 tsp olive oil
1 lb lean ground turkey
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 red pepper, chopped
1 jar pasta sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup sour cream
Cook noodles in boiling water according to package directions. Heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Add turkey, onion, and garlic. Cook until turkey has browned and onions have softened. Add red pepper and cook for another few minutes. Add pasta sauce and heat through. Then add cheese, sour cream and cooked noodles, then heat until cheese has melted.
This was really quick and easy, so you can throw it together in a hurry and serve a great healthy meal. Bennett, Tony and I enjoyed it, and even Cole took a few bites. I used red romano peppers from the local market, and they were really nice in this. Red bell peppers would do nicely too though. I loved the touch of sour cream in this, it added a wonderful creaminess to this dish without making it too heavy. This recipe made great leftovers as well. It tasted even better when we had it for lunch the next day.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Bread-Machine Banana Loaf
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup (minus 1 tbsp) milk
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter or margarine
2 medium ripe bananas, mashed
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tbsp flaxseed meal
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
Combine lemon juice and milk in a measuring cup to 1/4 cup mark, set aside for 5 minutes. In a large bowl, beat together sugar, butter, and bananas. Add dry ingredients and milk mixture and beat again until fully combined. Pour batter into your bread machine baking pan. Insert baking pan into the bread machine and close lid. Select BAKE setting, then enter 300F for the temperature and 1 hour for the time. When the bread is finished baking, remove pan from the unit and let cool in the pan for 30 minutes. The carefully turn the loaf out of the pan and let cool before slicing.
Cole's favourite thing to do on a weekend morning is go to Starbucks and have a slice of their banana loaf, while Mommy enjoys a good cup of coffee. He absolutely loves banana loaf and asks me to make it all the time. I've been in search of a good banana loaf recipe that is a bit healthier than the Starbucks version, but still tastes as good. I think this one is the best one I've found so far! I love the idea of baking it in the bread machine, because the loaf bakes so evenly. There's no tough overcooked crust with an undercooked centre, which is a problem I frequently encounter with banana loaves baked in a conventional oven. This version is also a little lower in sugar and butter than some other recipes I've found, and it's part whole wheat with flax seed, so I don't feel too bad about giving this to the kids as a snack. It won't stop us from going to Starbucks for their banana loaf on the weekends (mommy needs her coffee!), but it does provide a healthier alternative during the week.
-Recipe adapted from Black & Decker All-in-One Deluxe Horizontal Breadmaker Operating Instructions and Cookbook (phew, there's a mouthful!).
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Ree's Cinnamon Rolls
Here is the link to the recipe and blog post: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/06/cinammon_rolls_/
Just warning you, it may leave you drooling by the end! If you're not familiar with Pioneer Woman, you must check out her blog. Her writing style is very witty and her photography is amazing. The recipes aren't usually low-fat or particularly healthy, but they always look so tasty and I love the way she presents them. This recipe is definitely not 'non-caloric' as she puts it, but mmmm boy, I think it's worth the extra calories.
I made these for a staff picnic bake-off, because I figured that way I am prevented from eating all of them myself. I made half a batch, which made 3 pans of rolls. It's a really big recipe, because the idea is to make them to give to people at christmas. I think that's a great idea! This time, we kept one pan for ourselves, and I froze the other two for the bake-off. I pulled them out the night before and thawed them so they were ready for the picnic the following day. Tony was a littled miffed that I only made one pan for us. He really wanted more, and has been hinting that I should make cinnamon rolls again. Cole and Bennett couldn't get enough of them either, so they were clearly a big success with my family.
It was surprising that they turned out at all, because I hit a few snags along the way. First I accidentally boiled the milk instead of scalding it, but luckily it didn't curdle. Then I forgot to add the baking soda and had to knead it into the dough. Amazingly they tasted pretty good in the end, but I think I need to add more cinnamon next time. It's a good first attempt considering I don't even remember the last time I made cinnamon rolls.
They weren't good enough to win the bake-off, but that's okay, I still had a wonderful time at the picnic. Tony had to work and Bennett was napping at daycare, so I got to spend an afternoon with my eldest son Cole, just me and him. We were busy getting his face painted as spiderman when they were choosing the winner of the bake-off, so I don't even know who won!
Here's a photo of Spidey and me at the picnic:
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Roasted Red Pepper Dip
1/2 cup roasted red peppers
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp ground oregano
pinch of sugar
pinch of salt
In a food processor or blender, combine red peppers, sour cream, mayonnaise and lemon juice; puree until smooth. Stir in oregano, sugar and salt. Spoon in to a container with a tight-fitting lid. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
*Tip: To roast your own peppers, simply cut them in half and remove the seeds and stem, then place them under a broiler or on a grill until the skins start to bubble and blacken slightly. Cover them until they cool, then slide off the skins. They freeze really well too!
One Sunday afternoon I had the pleasure of visiting our town's outdoor market all by myself. With no kids or husband to distract me, I was able to browse through the various stands and actually buy some things! I came across some red peppers that were somewhat like a bell pepper but much longer. I found out they were called Romano peppers, and while similar to a bell pepper, they were a little sweeter. They were perfect for roasting and using in this dip. If you can't find them then regular red bell peppers or bottled roasted red peppers will do fine too.
I served this dip to my family with pita chips and baby carrots. They all seemed to like it. I think the boys were most intrigued by the colour. It was a really bright orange hue that made it a fun dip for kids. This was my first attempt at roasting red peppers and it really wasn't hard at all. The jarred stuff is great if you're in a real hurry but if you have a little time it's well worth it to roast them yourself.
-Recipe from Better Baby Food (I'm using this one a lot lately, it's a great recipe book and not just for babies!)
Friday, July 23, 2010
Pita Chips
4 pita breads
1/8 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp garlic or onion powder
1/2 tsp herb blend (I like Mrs Dash original blend)
Lightly brush pitas with oil. Sprinkle with garlic powder and herbs. Cut each pita with scissors into 8 wedges. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 425F for 6-8 minutes or until crisp and golden brown. Allow to cool before serving. They can be stored in a tightly sealed container.
These were delicious, especially when dipped in hummus or roasted red pepper dip (recipe to follow). Tony was impressed and said they tasted better than the store-bought pita chips we buy sometimes. The kids liked them too, mostly because they like to dip things. These are great if you have pita bread that you need to use up, and they're so fast and easy to make! You can use tortillas too if you don't have pita bread handy.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Pulled Pork Sandwiches
1-2 lb boneless pork (can be frozen)
1 bottle of barbeque sauce, divided
1/4 cup water
Place pork in a crockpot with half of the BBQ sauce and 1/4 cup of water. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Add more water if it starts to dry out. Remove pork from crockpot and place in a large bowl or plate, then pull it apart with two forks until it is shredded. (At this point, if the sauce is too thin and you want to thicken it, combine 1 tbsp of cornstarch and 2 tbsp water, then add it to the crockpot with the sauce and stir to combine. Turn on high until sauce thickens.) Return pork to the crockpot and add the remaining 1/2 bottle of BBQ sauce, then stir to combine. Serve on buns.
Can you believe I've never had pulled pork sandwiches before? I didn't really know it was a popular summer meal until I entered the food blogging world and saw numerous posts on this subject. I'm so glad I finally tried these. They're incredibly easy and perfect in the summer when you don't want to turn on your oven. Best of all, my whole family liked them, even Cole!
Monday, July 19, 2010
Mish-Mash Pancakes
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 tbsp flaxseed meal
1/2 tbsp baking powder
1 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1/4 cup applesauce
1/4 cup cottage cheese
1/2 of a banana, mashed
1/2 tsp tsp vanilla
Combine flour, flax, baking powder, sugar and cinnamon in a large bowl. In another bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Add to dry ingredients, stirring until combined. Pour onto a hot griddle and cook each side until golden brown.
Cole asked me to spell his name with the pancake batter, so I did, not realizing that I was creating a monster. Now every Saturday morning I must make pancakes that spell 'Cole'. Luckily Bennett hasn't caught onto this yet. Anyway, these were very yummy pancakes, and I liked that they were quite filling and had lots of nutritious ingredients in them. I especially liked the cottage cheese; it complimented the sweetness of the applesauce and banana very nicely. You don't even really need syrup on these pancakes because they have a lot of flavour already. Well ok, maybe a little syrup. What's a pancake without syrup, right?
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Pita Pockets with Greek Salad and Hummus
1 english cucumber, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
1/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tbsp lemon juice
Whole wheat pita pockets
Hummus (store-bought or homemade recipe below)
Combine cucumber, tomatoes, feta, oregano and lemon juice. Cut pitas in half and spread with hummus, then fill with the greek salad mixture.
Hummus
1 (19 oz) can of chickpeas, rinsed
1 clove garlic
2 tbsp plain yogurt or sour cream
1 tsp cumin
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
Place ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. You can add more salt to taste afterwards if desired.
This was a super easy dinner, and really tasty too. For Bennett I just served him the salad by itself and cut the pita into wedges with a little hummus on the side for dipping. He really liked the hummus! Cole, again, was not very interested. He usually likes Greek salad but this time he informed me he didn't like salad. Tony enjoyed this meal but I forgot to tell him that the pitas opened up into pockets so he just put everything on top of the pita and wrapped it up. Hey, that works too! If you don't have pita pockets handy you could use tortillas and make these into wraps.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Black Bean and Pepper Quesadillas
1 19 oz can of black beans, rinsed
1 chopped bell pepper (red, orange or yellow- or a combination)
1 cup grated chedder cheese
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp garlic or onion powder
1/4 tsp salt
6 large whole wheat tortillas
In a large bowl, mash up the black beans. Stir in peppers, cheese, salsa and spices until fully combined. Spread onto one half of a tortilla, then fold in half. Repeat with remaining tortillas until all the filling has been used. Cook the quesadillas on a large non-stick skillet or electric frying pan on medium heat, until golden brown, then flip and repeat on the other side. Cut tortillas into quarters with a pair of kitchen scissors. Serve with sour cream, salsa and/or guacamole.
I made these during our brief heat wave. I usually bake my quesadillas, but this time it was just too hot to turn on the oven, so I decided to cook them on the stove top. This worked really nicely. I also came across the idea of cutting them with scissors to make nice clean lines, instead of using a knife or pizza cutter that can tear them and make a mess. I wish I had learned of this sooner! I'm definitely using scissors from now on for my quesadillas.
Tony and Bennett thought these were very tasty. Bennett especially liked dipping them in guacamole. Cole wasn't very fond of them. I tried giving them to him again in his lunch the next day but when he got home he told me 'I didn't eat the quesadilla Mommy, it was yucky.' Oh well, I tried.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Brownie Pudding
Cake
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup brown sugar, unpacked
1 1/2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup skim milk
2 tbsp vegetable oil
Sauce
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 3/4 cups boiling water
To prepare cake batter, combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together milk and oil. Add to dry ingredients. Stir with a wooden spoon until well blended. Pour batter over bottom of an ungreased 8x8" baking pan and spread evenly.
To prepare sauce, mix sugar and cocoa together in a small bowl. Add boiling water and stir until sugar has dissolved. Pour sauce over the batter in the baking pan. Don't stir it! Bake at 350F for 40-45 minutes. The cake will rise to the top and the sauce will form on the bottom. Let stand until warm. Serve with vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt if desired.
When I was a kid, my mom taught it to me how to make brownie pudding, and I thought it was so neat that the cake ended up on the top and the sauce on the bottom after you bake it. We would often make this for dessert after a nice Sunday meal. So when I came across ths reduced-fat version, I had to try it. I really couldn't tell the difference from my usual version, so I was very impressed with this. The rest of the family loved it too, especially with ice cream on top. It's super easy to make and I tend to have the ingredients on hand, so it's a great' spur of the moment' treat.
-Recipe adapted from Looney Spoons ('Hot Fudge Monday')
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Spaghetti Squash Casserole
1 medium spaghetti squash
2 tsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 green or red pepper, chopped
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
2 tbsp sundried tomato pesto
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Cut squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out seeds. Place one half at a time cut-side down in a microwavable dish and add 1/4 cup of water to the bottom. Microwave on high for 7 minutes. Repeat with other half. Scoop out cooked squash and place in a 9x13" baking dish.
Heat oil on medium-high heat and saute onions, garlic and peppers until soft. Mix in diced tomatoes and pesto. Pour on top of squash in casserole dish. Stir in the parmesan cheese. Top with cheddar.
Bake at 400F for 30 minutes.
I made this one evening when Tony was working, so it was just the boys and me. I served up dinner and called the boys in. Cole came rushing in first, took one look at dinner, and left. Then Bennett entered, looked at his plate, and left. Epic dinner FAIL! I thought it looked nice and colourful and appetizing but apparently not to the children. So I ate my dinner by myself and I enjoyed it.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Oatmeal Carrot Muffins
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup grated carrots
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup virgin coconut oil, melted
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tbsp flaxseed meal
1/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup chopped dried dates
1/4 cups chopped walnuts
In a large bowl, mix together buttermilk and oats. Cover and let stand for at least 20 minutes.
Mix together carrots, maple syrup, coconut oil, egg and vanilla. In another bowl, mix flour, flax, sugar, baking powder, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, walnuts and dates. Stir into wet ingredients just until moistened.
Spoon into greased muffin tins and bake at 400F for 20-25 minutes or until firm to touch. Let stand for a few minutes before removing from tins. Makes 12 muffins.
Oh my, these were really good! I had to freeze them so I wouldn't eat the whole batch myself. They freeze really well, and were perfect for popping in lunches. The kids liked them, although they mostly just liked to pick out the dates and eat them while leaving most of the muffin behind.
This was my first time using coconut oil in my baking. I've heard wonderful things about the health benefits of this oil that I used to think was pretty bad for you because of its high percentage of saturated fat. Apparently though, this kind of saturated fat is actually vital in maintaining the immune system and it can even help boost your metabolism. It's also helpful for controlling blood sugar levels and preventing diabetes, which is something I find interesting since having had gestational diabetes. So give it a try, just make sure to look for virgin olive oil, not the hydrogenated kind.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Creamy Vegetable and Pesto Risotto
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 cup long grain rice
2 cups water
1 vegetable boullion cube
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 cup frozen peas
1/4 cup frozen corn
3 tbsp sundried tomato pesto
Heat oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Saute onion, garlic, celery and carrot for 3 minutes until softened. Add rice and saute for another few minutes. Add water and turn heat on high until boiling. Add boullion cube and stir until dissolved. Reduce heat to low and simmer covered for 20 minutes or until all the liquid has been absorbed and rice is cooked. Add mushroom soup, parmesan cheese, peas, corn and pesto. Stir until fully combined and cook covered for 5-10 minutes until vegetables are heated through.
I made this one night when Tony was barbequing. Since he was taking care of the meat part of dinner, it gave me more time to create a really nice side dish. It turned out really well and we liked it a lot. I'm trying to remember if Cole liked it or not. I'm gonna go out on a limb here and guess...um, let's see...not.
That boy is seriously determined to live on nothing but hot dogs and french toast. Anyway, this is great as a side dish but could also be a meal in itself, especially if you added some chicken or shrimp to it. The following day I cut up some of the left-over barbequed chicken and added it into the risotto and it made a very nice lunch.
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Walnut and Parmesan Chicken Fingers
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 tbsp dijon mustard
4 chicken cutlets, cut into strips
2/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/3 cup crushed walnuts
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp rosemary
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Cooking spray
Combine buttermilk and mustard in a shallow dish. Add chicken, turning to coat. Let sit for 20 minutes.
Combine breadcrums, walnuts, cheese, rosemary, salt and pepper. Remove chiken from buttermilk mixture. Dredge chicken in breadcrumb mixture. Place chicken strips on baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400 for 6-8 minutes each side (depending on the thickness of your strips), until chicken is fully cooked through.
I really thought Cole would go for these since he was such a big fan of Buttermilk Chicken Fingers and he loves to dip things, but he wouldn't even try these. I even offered him a choice of dips like sweet and sour, honey mustard, or ketchup. He just wasn't interested. The rest of us loved them. I like that they have a sophisticated taste to them that adults will appreciate, but still in fun finger shapes so kids enjoy them too. Well, most kids.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Rice and Cheese Treasures
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Baked Zucchini Sticks
2 zucchini
2 eggs
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp garlic powder
dash of salt and pepper
Cooking spray
Cut zucchini into sticks, careful not to make them too thin or they will get mushy when baked. Lightly beat eggs in one bowl, then combine remaining ingredients in another bowl. Dip zucchini into eggs first, then coat with breadcrumb mixture. Place zucchini on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Bake at 400F for 10-15 minutes, turning once.
We dipped these in ranch dressing and they were really tasty. You could also use marinara sauce, or any dip you want really, or no dip at all. I don't even like zucchini (just ask my mom) but these were pretty good. Cole loved helping me make these. He took over the 'egg station' and even cracked the eggs himself without getting any shells in them! I'm sculpting him into a fine future cook. Too bad I don't have as much success actually getting him to eat the food. He had a few zucchini sticks but wasn't as excited about eating them as he was about making them. Tony and Bennett enjoyed them a lot. Those sticks got eaten up pretty quickly. I've also seen these made as medallions, where you slice the zucchini instead of cutting them into sticks, and that sounds interesting too. I might try them that way next time.
Monday, July 5, 2010
Date Sauce
2 cups pitted dried dates
2 cups water or unsweetened apple-juice
1 tbsp lemon juice
Combine ingredients in a saucepan and heat over medium-high heat until boiling. Turn heat to low and simmer covered for 15 minutes. Blend with an immersion blender until smooth, adding more water if necessary to reach desired consistency. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
I love this stuff on cinnamon raisin bread (as pictured), and also on plain toast, yogurt, oatmeal, smoothies, combined with a little cocoa powder to make chocolate sauce, and as a substitute for sugar in baking, the same way you would use honey or maple syrup. It's very versatile and easy to make, so give it a try!
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Vegetable Lentil Soup
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp cumin
6 cups water
2 vegetable boullion cubes
2 cups kale or spinach, chopped
1/2 cup pasta stars
1/2 cup brown lentils
Heat oil in a dutch oven on medium heat. Add onion and garlic and saute for 3 minutes until soft. Add carrots, celery and green pepper; cook for another 3 minutes until soft. Add salt, pepper and cumin, cook for 1 minute. Add water and turn heat to high, bring to boil. Add boullion cubes and stir. Add kale, pasta and brown lentils. Reduce heat to low and simmer covered for 30-45 minutes, until lentils are soft. Add more water before serving if soup is too thick.
I'm glad I added those pasta stars because the boys were very excited to search for stars in their soup. You could also use alphabet pasta or any other neat kids' pasta that you can find. It's a really healthy soup, so it's nice that the boys actually ate it. Tony and I liked it too. I served it with homemade whole-wheat bread and that went over very well. It was excellent the next day for lunch too. I also froze some so I can have an easy meal for the boys and I on a night when Tony is working.
Friday, July 2, 2010
Crockpot Strawberry Cobbler
Recipe adapted from Canadian Living: Slow Cooker Collection
4 cups frozen strawberries
1/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp flour
1 tbsp lemon juice
Biscuit topping:
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup cold butter, cubed
1/2 cup buttermilk
Grease bottom and side of crockpot. Add strawberries, sugar, flour and lemon juice. Stir to combine.
Biscuit Topping: In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Cut in butter with a pastry cutter until crumbly. Add buttermilk and stir with fork to make slightly sticky dough. With floured hands, gather into a ball. On a lightly flour surfacem knead dough about 10 times until smooth. Pat into 8" circle to fit the shape of the crockpot. Cut into 8 wedges and arrange over fruit in crockpot.
Cover and cook on high untl biscuit topping is no longer doughy underneath, about 3 hours. Remove insert and let cool, uncovered for about an hour before serving.
You can also make this with mixed berries, but I only had strawberries so that's what I used. This was really delicious, especially with a scoop of ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream. It was a great dessert to have after a Sunday dinner. We all enjoyed this one. Funny how the kids never have trouble eating dessert. Hmmm.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
BBQ Stuffed Peppers
1/2 cup wild rice
1/2 cup brown rice
2 1/2 cups boiling water
1 vegetable boullion cube
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 tbsp walnuts, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small tomato, seeded and diced
salt and pepper to taste
3 small red, orange or yellow peppers
Add boullion cube and wild rice to boiling water. SImmer, covered for 10 minutes. Stir in brown rice and simmer covered for 40 minutes until rice is cooked and water absorbed.
Saute onion, garlic and walnuts in olive oil in a large non-stick skillet for 5 minutes until onion is soft. Stir in tomato, cooked rice, salt and pepper.
Cut peppers in half lengthwise through stem. Remove seeds and membrane. Fill each half with rice mixture. Wrap in foil and place on preheated barbeque for 15-20 minutes, until rice is heated through and pepper halves are tender-crisp.
Tony was planning to cook chicken on the barbeque one evening, so I made these peppers and he grilled them. Tony loves barbequing, and I like to take advantage of that whenever I can because it's a great way to get him to help with dinner. I love when dinner is a team effort! He was impressed by these peppers, because they looked really pretty and they tasted good too. The kids seemed to like them too. I used some of the leftover rice for my lunch the next day topped with avocado slices and wow, was that ever good! I might just make the rice by itself sometime because it was really delicious and healthy. Sorry the photo is not the greatest, I totally forgot to take a photo and all that was left was a quarter of a pepper and the sun was already starting to go down so the lighting was bad. They really did look lovely though, take my word for it!
Oh and I almost forgot- Happy Canada Day !!
My kids like to whine, especially when it comes to the food they eat, but that doesn’t stop me from trying to make tasty and healthy meals for them. Follow along as I share family-friendly recipes and reviews from my picky family members, who I lovingly call “The Whine Critics.” 
