May 30, 2012

Bare Indulgence Bath Boutique, Mississauga ~ Spring Skin Clinic Saturday June 2!



Last month, I introduced you all to my favourite Canadian-made natural baby bath products, Bubbles & Squeak by SoapStones.  I also introduced you to the fabulous shop that sells SoapStones products exclusively in the GTA - Bare Indulgence Bath Boutique in Mississauga.  We are still using many different SoapStones products at home, and I love visiting the shop to re-stock!

I have some exciting news for you and your skin!  Bare Indulgence Bath Boutique is hosting a Spring Skin Care Clinic this Saturday June 2 from 1:00pm-3:30pm.  You will have the opportunity to meet Darla, the creator of the incredible SoapStones product line, along with participating in Q&A, giveaways, product demos, and refreshments.  I attended the first Bare Indulgence Skin Care Clinic in February and it was great!  I loved seeing owners Lisa & Tony, and meeting Darla.  I am a huge fan of SoapStones and loved having the opportunity to ask Darla questions about my favourite products.


If you live in the GTA, I encourage you to visit Bare Indulgence Bath Boutique.  I can ensure that you will be hooked on your first visit!  The SoapStones products that they sell are ideal for people of all ages, with all skin types.  Lil-J and I have horribly dry skin, and SoapStones helped us to get through the winter comfortably.  From the baby line Bubbles & Squeak, to the milk baths and shaving butter, I promise you will find something you love.  And this shop is the perfect place to pick up a gift for someone special!

Bare Indulgence Bath Boutique is located in Sherwood Forrest Village, at 1900 Dundas St. West, Mississauga.  Ph# (905) 403-0007.


May 29, 2012

It's Not Easy Being Green...Asparagus




In a family of veggie lovers, Lil-J is the odd boy out.  He loves protein, and would prefer a steak or pork chops over any side veg.  It's a constant battle to get him to try new veggies and continue to eat the veggies that he once liked.  But we don't let his stubbornness discourage us, and our patience has paid off.  This month, we had a major veggie breakthrough!  An asparagus milestone!

We consume A LOT of asparagus! It's a weekly purchase at the grocery store, and we eat it up to twice per week. "We" being hubby, Big-A and I. We have been trying to get Lil-J to try it for about a year now. As with any other new food, every night that we served asparagus, a single spear would be placed on Lil-J's plate. Night after night, he would balk at it, give it the stink eye or throw it across the room. Over time, he also learned that he could easily sneak it to his big brother who would happily gobble it up.

Earlier this month, I tried again for the entire meal to get Lil-J to try a spear of asparagus.  At the end of the meal, he surprised us all by eating a piece!  I honestly think that he did this just to shut us all up and get us off his back, but I'm ok with that!  We all broke out in applause, gave tons of high-fives and told him how proud we were of him.  Big-A was especially excited!  The following night we served asparagus and again, Lil-J ate it - this time 4 spears!


Lil-J eating asparagus!  Success!!
A thumbs-up from Lil-J - he likes it!



Feeding your children healthy foods can be very frustrating.  They will fight back and test your patience.  They'll throw the food they don't want to eat and make you regret ever putting it on their plate.  But every second of this battle is worth it!  When starting these battles, I remind myself of the old saying "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again".  It may have taken a year of placing that single piece of asparagus on Lil-J's plate for him to actually try it, but now he likes it!  This method works for us, and we will continue to use it!

Now, for some information on delicious asparagus...
  • it is a member of the Lily family
  • it can grow up to 10" in 24 hours
  • it grows in sandy soil
  • contains no fat or cholesterol, low in sodium
  • contains less than 4 calories per spear
  • a very high source of Folic Acid; a single serving (approx 6 spears) provides 60% of your recommended daily allowance of Folic Acid making this vegetable ideal for pregnant women
  • great source of Folic Acid, potassium, fibre, Vitamins B6, A & C, and thiamin

There are many different ways to cook asparagus.  My favourite cooking method is to steam asparagus in an aluminum foil packet, either in the oven or bbq.


Perfect Steamed Asparagus

Ingredients:
1 bunch fresh asparagus
1 tbsp melted butter or olive oil
1/2 tsp lemon juice
salt and pepper
2 sheets of aluminum foil, cut approximately 18" long

Directions:
1. Snap the end off of each asparagus spear.  Rinse well under cold running water.
2. Place asparagus on a large piece of aluminum foil.
3. Drizzle butter or olive oil and lemon juice over the asparagus.
4. Sprinkle asparagus with a pinch of salt and pepper.
5. Place the second piece of aluminum foil on top of the asparagus and seal by folding the two pieces over one another on the four sides.  Fold until you create a tight seal.
6. If using a bbq, place the asparagus on the top rack for 15 minutes.
7. If using the oven, place in oven set at 375 degrees F and steam in the aluminum packet for 18 minutes.
8. When the asparagus is cooked, carefully tear open the packet (steam will be released and can burn your hands), place in a dish and serve.

You may have to adjust the cooking time depending on the heat of your oven or bbq.  Perfectly cooked asparagus should have a slight bite to it, and should not be mushy.



Perfectly cooked asparagus - spears are not soft and mushy,
but they are cooked through.


Ontario asparagus is in-season May and June.  Take advantage of Ontario asparagus and serve it as much as possible during these months, steamed or grilled on the bbq, pureed into a delicious asparagus soup or sauteed and served with pasta.  And if you can't get your kids to eat it, keep trying and don't give up!

May 18, 2012

Almost Famous Roasted Potato Salad

With the start of the Victoria Day long-weekend just hours away, I thought I'd share my absolute favourite spring/summer recipe with you all.  It is a recipe for my Roasted Potato Salad that I posted last summer, the most popular and viewed post on my blog!  Anyone who eats this Roasted Potato Salad loves it, and it immediately becomes part of their seasonal menu.

This recipe will be perfect for family BBQ's this weekend, and I can assure you will wow your guests!



I'm not a fan of creamy potato salads.  Boiled potatoes, raw onions and mayo?  Not for me!  But a couple of years ago at a BBQ at my parents house, my mom served roasted potato salad.  It looked good so I decided to give it a try and it was delish!  I've been making it since, for guests at dinner or on a lazy Sunday.  It's the only potato dish that receives comments like "Mama, this is soooooo good!" (from Big-A) and "Moooore tatoes pease!" (from Lil-J).  I've also been told by friends that they are the best potatoes that they have ever eaten...seriously!

Along with being delicious, it's super easy to make.  Try it out for a long weekend BBQ, or for any occasion this summer!

Roasted Potato Salad

2 lbs (6-8 medium sized yellow or white potatoes – not russet or baking potatoes!)
Salt & pepper
2 tbsp canola oil
1/3 cup of your favourite creamy dressing (see below for my faves!)

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Scrub and dry potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces (leave the skin on).
3. Coat potatoes with oil and sprinkle with salt & pepper.
4. Roast potatoes on a non-stick baking sheet (or in a cast iron skillet) for approx 30 minutes, turning over about ½ way through.
5. Once potatoes are roasted, remove from oven and let sit for 5-10 minutes.
6. Add dressing to a large bowl.  Pour roasted potatoes into bowl and mix gently, coating all potatoes.  Add more dressing if needed.

Serve warm.  Serves 6-8 people.

Potatoes roasted to perfection, ready to be dressed!
** You can make these ahead.  Roast the potatoes, store in a covered bowl.  Heat the potatoes in the oven or microwave and toss with the dressing right before serving.

*TIPS*

3. Add other ingredients.  Roast the potatoes with slices of vidalia or red onion and bell peppers.  Add chopped bacon, blanched green beans or asparagus, or cooked peas before mixing with the dressing.  If you think it will taste good with the dressing that you're using, add it!

4. Don’t forget food safety!  Most creamy salad dressings contain dairy and/or other perishable ingredients.  If you’re serving the salad at home, serve immediately while it’s still warm.  Don’t keep any leftovers that have been sitting out for more than 2 hours.  If you’re taking the salad to a park or picnic, store on ice in a Ziplock bag or container and keep out of the hot sun while you're eating.  Nothing ruins summer fun more than food-borne illness.

Have a wonderful Victoria Day long-weekend!