Moms' Idea Factory

Craft Supply Box

Get a large clear plastic bin with a lid - Ikea has awesome ones (the name of the line is Samla) and start gathering craft supplies for rainy days! Supplies can be very cheap or even free. In my craft bin are:

• construction paper (dollar store)

• toilet roll tubes

• stickers (dollar store, ebay - I got a lot of 1000 stickers for $3)

• old magazine pages with interesting, colourful pictures

• sequins (dollar store)

• yarn

• ribbon

• small pieces of gift wrapping paper too small to use for gifts, or recycled pieces

• bits of cardboard saved from cereal boxes

• tissue paper

• scraps of fabric

• glue sticks (dollar store)

• safety scissors (dollar store)

• buttons (all those spare buttons you get when you buy a new article of clothing)

Anybody else got any ideas for cheap or free stuff to add to the craft box?

Ham in Coke

This family main dish is one of our favourites. It's super easy and has 3 ingredients. Oh yeah - it's amazingly cheap too! I usually serve it with a side of mashed or roasted potatoes and cabbage with peas in a mustard white sauce. The whole meal, including those sides, costs somewhere around $2 per person! A. 3.5 Kilo piece will serve 8-10 people.

• 1 x 3.5 kilo Smoked, bone-in pork shoulder (sometimes called picnic shoulder)

• 2 x 2 litre regular (not diet) cola

• 2 x medium onions, peeled, quartered

Place all ingredients into the smallest stock pot they will fit in (probably the biggest one you have!). Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat. Boil gently for 3 to 3.5 hours. Remove ham from liquid, remove excess fat and carve. Leftovers are fantastic in sandwiches.

Sewing Cards

Help your toddler get a handle on manual dexterity by making sewing cards for playtime. You will need:

• medium weight cardboard (the sides cut from an old cereal box or other packaging will do just fine)

• scissors

• hole punch

• colourful yarn or ribbon

• crayons, markers, paint

• tape (transparent, masking, whatever...)

Cut a fun shape or two out of the cardboard (circles, triangles, star, teddy bear, bunny....). Let your child decorate the cardboard shape with crayons, markers or paint (if you use paint be sure to allow drying time). Use the hole punch to punch holes about 1 cm apart arpound the edge of the shape. Cut a long pice of yarn - measure a piece three times around the edge of the card. Tie a large knot at one end of the yarn and wrap a small piece of tape around the other end so it looks like a shoelace end. Show your child how to thread all the way around the edge of the card shape.

Family Budget

Seeing as I don't have my fancy lawyer job (or income) right now, and Cakes recently started in a largely commission-based job, I've had to face a hard reality that I haven't had to face for a while: I need to budget our money. I've made a startling discovery in this regard. As I have had the priviledge of holding a well-paid job, I really never had to look at prices when I shopped, nor did I...so guess what, this budgeting thing does not come easy for me. Here's an excel template that I made, which might help some other moms keep their family finances under control. The key for me is to give myself envelopes of cash for grocery, clothing and spending money (out of which comes everything not listed - movies, DVD rental, new toys, etc.). When the cash in the envelope is finished, so is the buying for the month!

Check out my excel template here.

Pureed Veggie Soup

 This is a great way to get extra veggies into your toddler, especially if yours is anythign like mine - the only veggies he will eat are peas and cucumber. Everything else gets rejected... unless I hide them. I've made this soup with: broccoli, asparagus, carrot, acorn squash, sweet potato, zucchini, cauliflower...the list goes on. I also puree a little soft tofu for a bit of extra protien for my meat-hater. I have also used blends of veggies: cauliflower & carrot or squash and sweet potato. I add garlic because my kids like it, but if yours doesn't, leave it out. Cumin goes nicely with carrot. Cinnamon is nice with sweet potato.

• 1/2 small onion, diced

• 1 clove garlic, minced (optional)

• 1 Tbsp butter

• 2 cups cubed or sliced veggies (i.e carrot)

• 1/4 cup uncooked white rice

• 4 cups chicken or veggie stock

• 1/2 block soft tofu (optional)

In a large stock pot over medium high heat saute onion (and garlic) in butter until soft and golden, about 3 minutes. Add chopped veggies and rice, cook and stir for one more minute. Add stock, cover and simmer for 30 minutes, or until veggies are very soft. Remove pot from heat, add tofu, if using, and puree with an immersion blender.

When I make this, even baby Cooper gets some!

Planet Organic's Cosmic Power Cookie

Okay, so I don't always make these when I make cookies, but I should. They are not the low-fat, sugar-free kind of healthy. They are more of a "lower" fat, "natural sugars", organic with lots of nuts and seeds kind of healthy. Which is just fine by me because, have you tasted a low fat cookie? Blech. Why bother? So if you're going to feed your kids a treat, you can feel better about these ones. Make a small (1/2) batch though, because they are pretty tasty to adults too....They taste just like the ones from the bakery counter at PO so everyone in our family loves them. Plus, Silas likes to help mix.

• 2 1/4 cups quick cooking oats

• 2 cups spelt flour  (you can substitute whole wheat or mix it 50%)

• 1 cup sunflower seeds

• 3/4 cup pumpkin seeds

• 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut 

• 1/4 cup flax seeds 

• 3/4 cup sugar (PO uses cane sugar, I just use brown sugar)

• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon

• 2 1/4 tsp salt 

• 1 3/4 cups dark chocolate chips 

• 1 1/4 cups craisins, raisins or other dried fruit

• 1/4 cup water

• 1/4 cup molasses 

• 1/2 cup canola oil

• 1 cup milk (PO uses soy, I use cows)

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Line baking trays with parchment paper.

Combine dry ingredients in one bowl. In another bowl, combine wet ingredients and add to dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Do not over mix.

 

Drop dough by large tablespoonfuls onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Gently flatten cookies. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until lightly browned. Makes 24 to 36 cookies.

Awesome easy lasagne - only 6 ingredients!

This recipe is super tasty and not at all sloppy like some. The first time I made this I worried that leaving out ricotta and other ingredients would be detrimental - but our family like this version much better. Silas (the 2 year-old) LOOOOVES it. He even eats the spinach! This doesn't freeze too well, but if you make it up the night before, you can just pop it in the oven an hour before you want to eat. But honestly, it doesn't take that much time to prepare..less than 1/2 a Sesame Street episode.

• 450 grams (1 lb) ground turkey*

• 1/2 cup diced onion**

• 12 oven ready lasagne noodles

• 800-900 ml tomato sauce (I use a brand that has garlic and onion in it)

• 1 pkg frozen cut spinach, thawed and drained

• 3-4 cups shredded low fat mozzarella***

Brown onion and turkey in a frying pan. Preheat oven to 190C/375F. Cover the bottom of a 9x9 cake pan with sauce. Lay 4 noodles over the sauce - you will probably need to break and inch or two off the ends of the noodles to get them to fit your pan. Top the noodles with all the meat and 1/2 of the sauce. Layer 4 more noodles on top. Top with all the spinach and 1/2 the cheese. Top with 4 more noodles, the rest of the sauce and the remaining cheese. Bake for 50 minutes. Remove from overn and allow to cool 15 minutes before cutting and serving. Slices beautifully and is not sloppy!

* I sometimes pre-brown larger batches of ground turkey (or beef) with onions and then package it and freeze it in 1/2 pound packages - then when I want to make tacos, or bolognaise sauce or lasagne - all I need to do is thaw a package of pre-browned meat.

** I keep packages of pre-diced onion in the freezer as almost everything I cook has onions in it. I just take what I need. It makes meal prep waaaaaay easier. You cannot use frozen diced onion where a recipe calls for raw onion, but in cooked recipes it works just fine.

*** another item for the freezer. I always have some on hand for pizzas or lasagne. I find the No Name stuff melts better from frozen than the brand name stuff.

Miss Louise's Playdough

 

During the schoolyear I take our boys to a free preschool program called StrongStart. Our local StrongStart is run by a lovely lady named Miss Louise. There are always lots of great crafts and activities to do at Miss Louise's. And there's always a playdough table with homemade dough made by Miss Louise. Here's her recipe. It takes less than 10 minutes to make so it's easy to fit it in during nap time or after bed. Older kids could probably help stir the flour and pour, but mommy will have to do the stove part.

• 2 cups flour

• 3.5 tsp cream of tartar

• 2 cups water

• 1 cup fine salt (if your is not fine, whiz it in your blender first)

• 2 Tbsp oil

• food colouring

• glitter (optional)

Sift flour and cream of tartar together. In a large, heavy pot mix together water, salt, food colouring and oil. Heat gently over medium heat. Stir in flour and keep stirring until it is well blended and a large soft ball forms. Remove from heat. Turn dough out on to counter and allow it to cool for a minute or two. knead by hand or with your stand mixer until you have a smooth dough. Store in an airtight container or ziplock when completely cool.

Alternate Instructions: If you have a fairly big stand mixer you can add all the dry ingredients to the mixer bowl and the pour the liquid ingredients in after heating them in the microwave or on thw stove (or using boiling water from the kettle). Use the paddle attachment if you're going to try this.

Cheesy Quesadillas

These make an awesome snack to take to the park or a great quick lunch for a toddler. They freeze well too.

• 4 small corn tortillas (or 2 large wheat ones)

• 4-ish Tbsp refried beans

• 2 tsp mild salsa

• 1/3 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

• spray on canola oil

Spread half the tortillas with the refried beans, smooth over a litte salsa, sprinkle over grated cheese and top with the other tortilla. Spray oil into a heated frying pan. Fry tortillas over medium heat until each side is softened and golden brown.

Remove from pan and cut into small wedges - I usually cut 8 small wedges from the corn tortillas.

Allow to cool slightly so that the cheese firms up. Serve with sour cream or plain yogurt to dip.

Moms' Idea Factory is open!

Some of you may remember me from Lex Culinaria.

At least I hope so.

For those of you that don't: I used to cook fancy-schmancy meals, work as a lawyer and moonlight as a restaurant reviewer for CBC Radio in Edmonton.

Two babies in 18 months changed all that. Nowadays we mostly eat at home and those meals we do eat at home darn well better be ready in less than 20 minutes. Goodbye souffles, hello quick-boil gnocchi in pesto! When we don't eat at home, we're all about the local Whitespot! Although when Gramma Grace comes to visit the progeny every 2 or 3 months, Cakes and I try to venture out somewhere with a dress code. Sigh. If Gramma Grace would agree to move in, we'd be all set.

Despite my considerable experience cooking and experimenting in the kitchen, I am amazed, as a mother, to find that some days, I just can't think of what to feed my family and I get tired of serving the same stuff time and time again. I hope this blog will help both you and me do the best we can at this mommy gig by finding and sharing meal, craft and activity ideas.

Lynette