I am on a crusade to cook up as many soups that look good ( great photos) and sound good from,The Cook’s Encyclopedia of Soup. I began this crusade for many reasons….
most important reason: they are simple to cook
they are nutritious
they are yummy
everyone loves them in my family ( although Pearl is slightly picky)
The first soup I tried was the Tomato and Blue Cheese Soup. Ok, it sounded good to me because I enjoy the occasional nibble of blue cheese on my salads. But when I started cooking it up I started to think about the others in my family. At the last minute I almost threw in goat cheese instead of the blue cheese but I thought about the movie, Julie and Julia, and decided to stick with the recipe.
I should have gone with my instincts.
It was ok but the kids really truly disliked it ( I would write their comments but hmmm…they were not pretty).
My second soup attempt was, Pasta and Chick-Pea Soup. And it was a family pleaser!
Heat the oil in a large pot and add the chopped vegetables. Cook over low heat ( don’t forget to stir) for 5 to 7 minutes.
Add the chickpeas, cannellini beans, stir well, and cook for 5 minutes Stir in the purred tomatoes and water. Stir and cook for 2 to 3 more minutes
Add 2 cups of stock, the rosemary and salt an pepper. Bring to a boil and then smiimer for 1 hour.
Pour in the remaining stock, add the pasta and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, and simmer for 7 to 8 minutes ( pasta is al dente!)
Remove the rosemary and serve with the Parmesan cheese.
I was telling a friend of mine this recipe and she thought some swiss chard, kale or spinach would be a great “colorful” addition. Brilliant, I thought. Next time I will definitely add it.
I like these types of articles. Lists with foods we could be eating more of or ones not to be eating so much of. It encourages me to cook more of the super nutrient packed foods….like swiss chard which I love and so does most ( not so much Pearl) of my family.
Looking down the list, I see beets on the very top. Uggggg. I think my mom tainted me from beets for the rest of my life. I have tried them in many different ways ( and if you have a recipe that you think I couldn’t resist, please send it!) but nope, I have never been able to eat them.
Next time I head to the market, I am going to get some cabbage and dried plums. Cabbage, I know will get eated and if I wrap up the dried plums in some prosciutto and baked them, I think my family would love it.
Bring on the new year with some new ( or more of) these great foods!
Last year, I spoke to a class of 4th and 5th grades at a local school. We talked about the digestive system, foods and nutrients, and acute and chronic disease. They were all over it asking a million questions. It was a brilliant hour I spent with these inquisitive kids.
The next day the teacher called me and said that the talk had made a huge impact on the kids and she had some happy parents calling her. But there were a handful of kids who said their parents were too busy to purchase the whole foods we talked about and that they were still eating at fast food restaurants.
These poor kids want to eat whole colourful foods and I think we as parents need to make a big effort to provide them these foods. I realize parents are busy and tired….I really get it but we, as parents, need to make a conscious effort to break the bad food cycles we may be in.
Here is a quick meal I whipped together last night. I was in no mood to cook but I had some polenta, tomatoes, cheese, peas and lettuce. I quickly sliced the polenta, put some tomato sauce and cheese on it and put it in the oven. While waiting for the polenta to heat up, I cooked the peas and washed the lettuce. In 15 minutes, I had a great satisfying and tasty meal for everyone.
Let’s really try to give our kids a chance to feel and be healthy. They really deserve it!
Be well,
PS Save those nights where you really really cannot bare to cook for going out!
This time Pearl is in Lucy’s kitchen learning how to make a frittata! Absolutely adorable these girls are!
I recently had a glance at the new Healthy Kids recipe page and it is amazing. I beleive it will go live sometime in January but I will keep you all in the loop.
Hapy Holidays and Be Well,
PS We will be up in BC this holiday season and cooking in the cousins house!
Ok, I was browsing through some blogs and came across a blogger who posted this article. I love to spread good word, so here it is again. Also for a quick idea of the culprits, below is the list of foods that should never cross your lips.
canned tomatoes
corn fed beef
microwave popcorn ( I very rarely eat this as there is no microwave in our kitchen and really stove top popcorn is so much better and easy and fun to do)
non-organic potatoes
farmed salmon
milk produced with artificial hormones
conventional apples ( we only eat organic but I was surprised by this one)
What I truly love abut this article is that it gives you a great explanations with what the problem is, the solution and some budgeting tips.
I love them! They are full of nutrients, a complete protein, there are many, many ways to prepare them and they are inexpensive!
I have to save I kinda cring when people tell me they only eat the white parts. In school, I remember learning the importance of eating the whole egg as they were made to go together - the white and yellow. The white may have the protein but the yoke has the majority of the nutrients.
My suggestion is to cook up some eggs in the morning for your kids - scramble them or whip up a quick omelet ( my girls like ham, cheese and Merrin likes it with tomatos) - it is fast, easy and will give the kids some sustained energy to get through the morning.
Tell me your favourite egg recipe. It will be great to get some more ideas for breakfast, lunch or dinner!
Pearl and Zoe ( not sure where Merrin was?) were in the kitchen again! This time they cooked up an Immunity Soup packed full of some powerful nutrients.
Take some time to check out their video and print up their recipe. It may come in handy this fall and winter!
I was going threw some old Halloween magazines…you know trying to get organized for Pearl’s favourite holiday! and came across this recipe in a Martha Stewart Halloween edition.
She says not use a can of pumpkin-pie filling but I did and it turned out fine. Since I did this though I did not add the pumpkin-pie spice mix. I also used organic ingredients.
Ingredients
2 cups of flour ( I used spelt)
1 TBSP pumpkin-pie spice
1 tsp of baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
2 sticks of room temperature butter
1 1/4 cup of sugar
1 large egg ( I used what I had and it didn’t look so large)
1 cup canned solid-packed pumpkin puree ( not pumpkin pie filling)
12 ozs of chocolate chips
Directions
Preheat oven to 350˚. Line bottom and sides of a 9 by 13 inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on 2 sides ( I always do this when baking cakes but when I baked these I just greased the pan.
Whisk the flour, pie spice, baking soda and salt.
Beat butter and sugar with a mixer until pale and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla, then the pumpkin puree ( mixture may appear curdled). Reduce to low speed and beat in flour mixture. Fold in chocolate chips.
Spread into pan. Bake rotating pan halfway through, until edges begin to pull away from sides and a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack.
Using parchment overhang, lift cake out from pan. Peel off parchment paper, and use a serrated knife to cut into 24 squares. ( I just kept mine in the pan)
These were so delicious the next day nice and chilly from the fridge!
I love how Michael Pollan is educating people about how our food ( at least in America) is grown, produced and consumed. His first book, The Omnivore’s Dilemma, was a heavy, tough but highly informative read and most likely missing a very important demographic - kids ( this is my department - teaching kids about health with my series, Human Body Detectives). Now he has written the same book but in a young reader edition. Brilliant!
In this edition, he has some real-food rules for kids ( but of course their parents too). I am not a fan of rules but these just make so much sense….away of living.
Here they are:
1. Don’t eat anything your great grandparents wouldn’t have recognized as food.
I love this! I sometimes talk to kids about acute and chronic disease and food, and how these things have affected us - changed us - in the last 100 yrs or so. Kids are amazed with learning and understanding the evolution of acute to chronic disease and the evolution of our diets.
2. Don’t eat anything with more than 5 ingredients, or with ingredients you don’t recognize or can’t pronounce.
This is wonderful! Kids love to look at the ingredients and try to pronounce some of the words. I love kids being proactive and aware.
My kids are at it again ~ creating some yummy meals that they would eat!
This time we went into the local restaurant, Fujimamas ( yes the same one that is in Tokyo), and the kids demonstrated how to create a really simple, fun and delicious kid-friendly meal.
Please take a minute to watch their show and print up the recipe.
With school just around the corner, I thought it would be a great time to introduce my new discovery, Jonesy’s Allergy Cards.
An allergy card is a custom card created for your child with their name, birth date, allergies, EpiPen directions and your contact information.
To me, they seem quite essential if your child has any type of allergies from food to bees.
Jonesy offers 2 types of cards, one for a restaurant and one for play dates, that will escort your child wherever they are going. Jonesy will help design a perfect card that fits your child’s own specific needs.
Please pass this information on to anyone you may know who has a child with allergies. It is really an inexpensive way to inform people about your child’s needs.
Be well,
PS Jonesy designs an array of beautiful cards (they do custom work as well), so take a minute and check out her site
The HBDs are at it again! At it in the kitchen that is! This month Merrin ( with the help of Pearl) are making one of their favourite snacks ~ Mochi. It is an easy snack, can be healthy ( depending on what you decide to stuff it with) and is gluten free ( I love that!)
So please go check them out on my site on the Healthy Kids page. Just click on the recipe card!
And watch for them next month as they ventured int a local restaurant to create something really fun and creative!
A few months ago, I began to ponder the idea of taping the kids cooking favourite yet simple , healthy ( well sometimes!) snacks and meals. I asked Merrin and Pearl about it and luckily they are always up for something new. At first we thought Merrin would film but now with a few videos done, we can see that being in front of the camera is where the action is!
You will find their creations by going to www.drheathernd.com and clicking on Healthy Kids. You will then see the recipe card ( above). You can watch their silliness and print up the recipe. We have some good friendly kid recipes coming up and we are even going into a local restaurant to create an adult entree into a kid entree!
Have fun!
PS while you are on the Healthy Kids page, listen to the HBD theme song!
I am very lucky to be involved with LAVAMAN. The owner and coordinator is truly a gift to the Big Hawaii by putting her time and effort into this triathlon.
My connection with Lavaman will be to help out with their LavaKids Youth Triathlon camp. I have yet to see it in action but just the thought of helping to promote children to get out and have fun swimming, biking and running is a sure sell to me.
Their site is very informative, and you can sign up for the triathlon ( coming up fast - September 13th! but do not worry because they have another one in March - Waikoloa!), and/or sign up your kids for the camp.
It is all exciting and I will keep you up to date with it all!
Be well,
PS there are many YouTube videos, especially about Chris McCormack, but this one stood out to me.
I actually suggest fish oils (especially the DHA) for children who have been told they are too active (I kinda think this is a good thing…tough for the parents but great for the kid if directed the right way) and acting up at school. The fish oils nourish the nervous system and I have seen amazing results in children who take the oils – they relax enough to remember to think before they act (might be good for adults too!)
I also remember reading an article when Merrin was newly born about infants who took fish oils their first 5 years had higher IQs. That sold me and then realized that the not only was the higher IQ in the works but my kids were not getting sick. Fish oils are full of Vitamin A, which is fantastic for many things, including the immune system.
One important thing to remember is the quality of the fish oils and the species of fish. I use Nordic Naturals because of their high standards of quality control and heavy metal testing and we tend to primarily eat wild salmon, halibut and some local fish.
I may not have said that during the birthing journey but the next day I did. I feel the need to write something about childbirth because of this Los Angeles Times article which gives many reasons why our country needs to make a change in the way we think and act upon giving birth.
My husband and I decided to have a home birth with a naturopathic physician who is also a licensed mid wife and acupuncturist. I went into giving birth with no expectations. I simply just trusted my body and my doctor. My husband though, made sure we had some back up plans…so we were a pretty good balance.
This is why I loved giving birth:
1) I was in my own home. This was fantastic for labouring but more importantly I did not have to move, at all, after the birth.
2) There were no pharmaceutical medicines around that I would have been tempted to have for the pain. This let me focus on what I needed to do…I felt so primal and alive!
3) I have never felt so empowered as a woman. I felt such strength and respect for my body.
I could go on and on because it really was a very positive experience. A few important things to consider though if you are planning a home birth – you need to be healthy, have a back up plan if things take a turn and you need to absolutely LOVE your doctor. That is really key.
A friend recently passed on this article to me about baby carrots. I have been avoiding purchasing these carrots because of the slimy substance that sometimes is covering them in their packaging. It seemed bad so I pretty much buy all my carrots from a local farmer now.
Maybe or maybe not did my intuition kick in. In the article (if you haven’t read it), it states that the baby carrots are washed in chlorine and since the carrots do not have their protective skin on, they are more susceptible to carrying a high dose of chlorine.
But then when I read a little more I found this:
“None of this is harmful to your health, says Dr. Joe Schwarcz, professor of chemistry at McGill University. The whole point of washing vegetables with chlorinated water is to protect consumers’ health by reducing bacteria that could cause food borne illnesses.”
So who knows? But again I will go back to what I always suggest….buy local when you can. It’s fresher, yummier and best for you and the earth!
I am tasty with bittersweet leaves and native to Peru (that is in South America!). Oh I forgot to mention, that I am quite stunning with bright orange flowers nestled amongst green shiny leaves!
While living in Peru, the Incas would throw me (gently of course) into their salads for a splash of colour but I was also used for medicinal purpose – maybe because I am full of vitamin c?
Thomas Jefferson soon discovered us (he was an avid gardener and farmer!) and planted our seeds in his vegetable garden at Monticello.
Since I have a peppery taste I tend to ward off many garden pests. I have only one request if you plant me in your garden, please do not over water me! I can not stand a soggy wet soil!
So put in me in your flower arrangements or in your dinner salad as I will add some colour and flavour to your table!
I believe I first heard about the concept of “meatless mondays” was from the Michael Pollan who wrote, The Omnivore’s Dilemma. I thought it was a clever idea so did a little more research and came across this video:
The video is inspiring and educational. It may seem a little heavy but I like how they give a simple and easy solution. By just having a “meatless monday” can make a profound, healthy impact on helping our planet.
So take some time and watch the video, go to their website to learn more and then teach your children what you have learned. It is really important.
One time, maybe during a restless summer day, I took the kids to the grocery store, gave them a cart, and told them to choose 10 of their favourite things. I asked them to keep in mind that some healthy growing foods would be great to put in their cart. Off they excitedly went as I patiently waited for them.
I have to say that I was quite surprised with their choices. They chose cheese sticks, granola bars, almonds, juice, apples, carrots, watermelon, and then a few treats like doughnuts. It was a fun adventure and a great learning lesson for us all.
The people of Greece used me to cure their toothaches. Sound crazy? Well maybe it is but they believed it worked….maybe you should try it! And the Romans surrounded our gardens with high walls as they prized us so dearly (and no wonder look how beautiful we are!). We finally made our way to North America in the 19th century after a quick stop in England.
Grow me properly with tender care and not much water and I will provide you with my tasty stalk for many years! Watch this video to learn more about cultivating my seeds!
Remember to only steam me for 4 to 7 minutes (I am horrible when overcooked). For the simple taste buds drizzle me with olive oil, a touch of black pepper and perhaps a few graded shavings of Parmesan cheese, but those who like the gourmet cook, I love to be baked in a tarte with leeks and gruyere cheese!
Enjoy my fully loaded nutritional pack of vitamins a and c, potassium and a good source of fibre!
I plan to start writing stories and tales of what I will call the SCRUMPTIOUSfoods! My plan is to weave geography, history and nutrition into short and lively stories about vegetables and fruits that will help us all entice our children into eating these foods and understanding why they are so important for health. But sometimes the creative juices may not be flowing so the bare fun facts will have to do!
I will add a recipe that will be easy and usually kid friendly. I will also try to keep in season but since we all live in different places it maybe hard. Just remember for greatest freshness, look for foods that are locally grown and are in season.
I have had a few requests to blog about what I cook, however, I have mentioned in the past that I am not much of a cook and I am not! But this recipe my WHOLE family loves which makes my kitchen life much more pleasant! I found the recipe in a magazine but I have tweaked it a little.
Wild Salmon with a Cilantro and Lime Butter Sauce
4 wild salmon fillets
¾ to 1 stick of butter
crushed garlic clove
salt and pepper
2 squeezed limes
½ cup of chopped cilantro
In a pan I melt the butter and then add the garlic, salt and pepper, lime juice. Once it is all mixed, I place the salmon in and cook thoroughly. Once it is done, I place on plates and sprinkle with the cilantro (I usually serve asparagus and brown rice with it).
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