It's Not Easy Being Green...Baby Bok Choy

On our quest to a healthier, 'greener' diet, we've been a bit stuck on edamame and swiss chard.  It was too easy to just keep buying the greens we've already tried rather than buy new ones.  Then one day, while browsing the massive produce department at Longo's, I came across Baby Bok Choy.  Like with Swiss Chard, I had seen it being cooked on numerous cooking shows, but had never attempted to cook (or eat) it myself.  From what I had seen on television, the most common way of cooking this leafy veggie was in a stir fry.

My craving for stir fry convinced me to buy it, and I am so glad that I did.  We were ready for something new and I couldn't wait to give it a try!

Here are some nutritional facts about bok choy:

• Bok choy is a member of the cabbage family, and is sometimes referred to as Chinese Cabbage.
• contain a high level of Vitamin C and significant amounts of indoles, a phytonutrient known to prevent cancer.
• Excellent sources of fibre, folate, beta-carotene and calcium.
• Can be cooked many different ways, including grilled, boiled, steamed and stir fried.

Baby bok choy cleaned, trimmed and ready to steam.

Steamed baby bok choy, ready to stir fry.

Not only did my husband love it (he's a fan of ALL veggies), but Big-A devoured it!  He has always enjoyed eating stir fry, favouring the chicken and vegetables over the rice.  But I was surprised to see that the bok choy was the first thing geone in his bowl.  Baby bok choy will now have a permanent spot in every stir fry that I make!  I also look forward to grilling it this summer!

Stir fry!

Big-A LOVED the baby bok choy - it was the first thing gone from his bowl!

To stir fry the baby bok choy, we started by trimming the stems, cutting each piece in half lengthwise, washing well and steaming for 5 minutes.  Once all of the other vegetables were cooked, we added the steamed baby bok choy to the pan, added a splash of soy sauce and combined with the other veggies.  You can also prepare it as a side dish to any meal, by sauteing with butter, garlic, salt and pepper.

Introducing unfamiliar vegetables to your family may surprise you - your children may end up loving them!  Give baby bok choy a try and you may just find a regular addition to your weekly meal plan.

Snack & Craft - Valentine's Gingerbread Cookies

Aidan decorating Gingerbread 'kisses' for his class

My family loves gingerbread cookies.  The batch we made at Christmas didn't last long!  While thinking about Valentine's crafts to plan for the boys, and what to bring to work for our Valentine's potluck, I came to a delicious compromise.  Valentine's Gingerbread Cookies!  Aidan had a great time helping with the prep work.  A visit to Bulk Barn for cookie cutters and decorations was a fun afternoon trip.

I baked and decorated cookies for work and family, while Aidan decorated his own small cookies for school.  If your child's school allows home baked goods, these are a great chocolate-free treat for Valentine's day!

Gingerbread Cookies

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1/2 margarine

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup fancy molasses

1 egg

1 tbsp white vinegar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and all spices in a small bowl.
3. Using a mixer, cream margarine and sugar in a large bowl.  Add egg, molasses and vinegar to the creamed mixture and mix well.
4. Add dry ingredients to wet mixture, stir until pieces of dough appear.
5. Gently knead the dough , ensuring that all dry ingredients are absorbed.  Form dough into a ball and place back in the bowl.
6. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
7. Once the dough has been chilled, remove from the fridge and place on a floured surface.  Using a rolling pin, roll the dough to a 1/4 inch thickness.
8. Cut out festive shapes using plastic or metal cookie cutters, or have fun with some free-hand cutting.  Place the cookies on a non-greased baking sheet, at least a 1/2 inch apart.
9. Bake for 7-9 minutes.  Remove from baking sheet and allow to cool completely on a baking rack.
10. Once cooled, decorate using candy decorations and Royal Icing (recipe below), or serve plain.
11. This recipe makes approximately 24 large cookies.
12. Store baked cookies (undecorated) in an airtight container for 1 week in the refrigerator or for 1 month in the freezer.

Royal Icing

Ingredients:

2 large egg whites (or more to thin icing)

4 cups sifted icing sugar (or more to thicken icing)

1 lemon, juiced

Directions:

1. Beat the egg whites until stiff.  Add sugar and lemon juice, beat for 1 minute.
2. If the icing is too thick, add more egg whites.  If the icing is too thin, add more icing sugar.
3. Fill a pastry bag with icing and decorate gingerbread cookies.
4. Store icing in a zip lock bag or air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

*TIPS*

1. 1/4 inch thick cookies will be crispy on the outside but soft and chewy on the inside (perfect for dipping in a cup of tea).  Roll the dough to 1/8 inch thickness for a crispier cookie.

2. Instead of using Royal Icing to decorate your cookies, try brushing on a sugar glaze instead.  You will find a recipe on my Pumpkin Spice Scone post.  Brush the glaze on a cookie using a pastry brush and decorate with candy sprinkles.

3. You can make the dough ahead.  Refrigerating in an air-tight container for up to 5 days or overwrap with foil and freeze for up to 2 weeks.

4. If you don't have a pastry bag, you can use a plastic sandwich bag instead.  Snip a small corner off the bag and decorate.  Plastic condiments containers are also a great tool, making it easy for little ones to squeeze out their own icing.

5. Increase the spices by 1/4-1/2 tsp each for a more flavourful cookie.

Have your kids mix the dough, help with measuring the ingredients, and decorate to their heart's content.  This is a great way to introduce your children to the world of giving.  Pack up a batch of cookies to give as a gift.  Start a new tradition in your home.  And don't forget to enjoy a few of these cookies yourself, over a hot cup of tea!


Click here for a printable version of this recipe!

Listen To Lena!

I have a serious addiction.  It’s not to food or cigarettes or shoes.  It’s to a blog that I’ve been following for over 2 years.  If you haven’t checked out Listen To Lena! yet, you’re missing out!  Charlene Almeida, the brains and beauty behind this incredible blog, is a busy stay at home mom of two gorgeous boys.  

 

The following Bio perfectly describes Lena:

I'm a Canadian stay-at-home-mom who would rather shop Ferragamo than Fisher Price. But, I do love my diaper bag. And my stroller. And I really, really love my sons. So I traded Prada for Pampers, and do my best to find the very best quality at the best price. If it's on sale, I've already bought it. 

Listen To Lena! was the proud recipient of two Canadian Blog Awards in 2010 - BEST FAMILY BLOG & BEST BLOG OVERALL!  This was based on fan votes.  Needless to say, this blog is pretty darn popular!

Not only is Lena a fashion-forward, deal-seeking mom, she also has a heart of gold.  Two weeks ago, I had the pleasure of attending The 1st Listen To Lena! Charity Raffle.  15 ladies arrived at her house for an afternoon of girly fun.  There were yummy treats, plenty of chatting, and a huge list of prizes to be won.  Everyone left a winner!  The best part of the day?  The whopping $550 that she raised!  With 100% of the proceeds being donated to a very special charity, the day was a huge success!

Being the bake-a-holic that I am, I just had to provide some goodies for the party.  So I got busy and arrived with a tray of Mini Cheesecakes and a Sour Cream Coffee Cake.  The cheesecakes were fun to make, and the coffee cake was super easy, taking about 5 minutes to prepare.  Both are perfect desserts to bring to any party!  After receiving numerous requests for my recipes, I have posted them below. 

Baking delicious treats for a special occasion doesn't have to be stressful or complicated.  Bake what you are comfortable with, don't overdo it.  If your specialty is chocolate chip cookies, I can assure you no one will turn you away!  Have fun and enjoy :)

Thank you again to Lena for your incredible generosity, and for the daily dose of entertainment that I receive from your blog.

Mini Cheesecakes

These mini cheesecakes are light and creamy, perfect for a special occasion!


Mini Cheesecakes
To make mini cheesecakes, you can use ceramic ramekins or you can invest in a mini cheesecake pan.  You can find them at specialty kitchen stores such as Golda's Kitchen or Williams Sonoma.  I used the recipe from the box that my pan came in, but I did make some minor changes. 

Ingredients:
CRUST
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
2 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

FILLING
450g (1 + 3/4 pkgs) plain cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup full fat sour cream, room temperature
2 eggs, room temperature
1/4 cup heavy cream, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Lightly coat ramekins or mini cheesecake pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2. To make the crusts, stir together cookie crumbs, sugar and salt in a small bowl.  Add the melted butter and stir until combined.  Divide the mixture among the cups and press evenly into the bottom using your fingertips.  Bake for 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and let crusts cool.  Reduce the oven heat to 300 degrees F.
3. To make the filling, in a medium glass bowl, beat the cream cheese on low speed until smooth, about 2-3 minutes.  Increase the speed of the mixer to medium-low and add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add the heavy cream and sour cream and beat until incorporated, about 1 minute.  Add the sugar, vanilla and salt and beat until incorporated, about 2 minutes.  Make sure to stop occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
4. Pour the batter into the crusts, dividing evenly among the cups.  Bake until the cheesecakes are set, about 30 minutes.  Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool completely before removing them from the pan.  Refrigerate until you are ready to serve.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe! 

Sour Cream Coffee Cake à la Anna Olson

Light and moist, this coffee cake is the best one that I've tried so far.  Perfect for a party or an afternoon snack!


Sour Cream Coffee Cake - Anna Olson

I have a horrible habit of changing up recipes, even when baking.  But this recipe is perfect just the way it is!

Ingredients:

CAKE

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup sour cream (full fat)

2 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

TOPPING

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tbsp all purpose flour

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup walnut pieces (I did omit this from my own recipe)

1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Cream butter and sugar until smooth.  Add eggs one at a time, stirring well after each addition.  Add vanilla and stir in sour cream.
3. In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients and stir into wet ingredients until just incorporated.
4. In another bowl, combine all ingredients for topping.  Scrape half of the coffee cake batter into a greased bundt pan.  Sprinkle the topping over the cake evenly and cover with the remaining batter.
5. Bake for 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
6. Serve warm or at room temperature.
7. Store in an air tight container at room temperature for 3 days.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe!

Healthy Canadians

I am a frequent visitor of the Government of Canada website.  I love their Food Guide, as you can see from previous posts.  It's a helpful tool for families to use when meal planning, and is a great reminder of what foods your children need to feed their minds and bodies.

Recently, I've seen television commercials from the Government of Canada discussing expiry dates on car seats, as well as the link between sugary drinks and childhood obesity.  So I decided to check out their Healthy Canadians site, specifically the Kids' Health and Safety tab.  You can find it at http://healthycanadians.gc.ca/kids/.  I was impressed at the amount of quality information available.

Here is a small sample of topics listed on the Healthy Canadians site under the topic of Kids' Health and Safety:

• Bullying
• Childhood Obesity
• Recalls & Safety Alerts
• Immunization
• Online Safety Tips
• Toy Safety

With so many things to worry about as a new parent, finding information that you can trust can be overwhelming.  The internet makes finding information easy, but you really have to be careful with what sites you can trust.  Your doctor or pediatrician is an ideal person to consult with, but they are not always readily available anytime you call.

The Healthy Canadians website is a trustworthy Canadian source that is available 24-7.  The site may not answer all of your questions, but it does focus on many common family issues.  Aside from my Mom, my Dr Spock book has always been my go-to for information about my children's health and well being.  But I sometimes have questions that require answers with Canadian content.  I love that I can find that on Healthy Canadians.

If you know any expecting or new parents, or new Canadian families, do them a favour and refer them to this site.  Car seat, toy, and water safety are three important concerns for new parents, and views about them may differ between Canada and other countries.

We may not always like the things that our government does (ahem...taxman) but I must give kudos to the Government of Canada on their Healthy Canadians site.  I know that I will be reading more from the site and will be telling my family and friends to check it out.  And I suggest you do the same!