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I realized something today.  I like muffins more than cookies.  A lot more.  I do like cookies.  I do.  Well, homemade cookies.  But I like muffins more.  There is something so satisfying about a muffin.  When I eat one, I’m not as hungry as I was before I ate it.  The same isn’t true about cookies.  A muffin can be eaten for breakfast; it works as a mid-morning snack or for that last something to eat before bed.  A fresh out of the oven muffin is my favorite.  But as I can’t eat the whole dozen in one sitting, I microwave them for 20 seconds which is almost as good.  And a muffin that has chocolate chips is best warmed up, because then the chocolate is all warm and melty.  Mmmm…

This orange zucchini muffin with chocolate chips recipe is my current favorite muffin.  This is ironic, because even up to a few months ago, when my mother kept telling me how great her zucchini loaf was, and that I should try it, she was sure that I would enjoy it, I kept declining, telling her I don’t like zucchini.  It’s true; zucchini isn’t really a vegetable that I like.  However, the zucchini doesn’t really provide any flavour to these muffins; instead it just keeps them moist.  So if you’ve never tried zucchini muffins before, have been a bit afraid to try a muffin with a vegetable in it, trust me, it’s okay to try this.  By taste you would never guess it has zucchini.

The orange really makes these muffins.  It perks up the whole flavour profile of these, and combined with the chocolate and spices, it really works.  I adapted this recipe from one I found in the 2013 Milk calendar.  My family prefers mine to the original.  I brought some to work this week, and they were a hit with my co-workers too.  One person even said they were the best muffin he has ever tasted, and asked for the recipe.  I thought to myself that he must not have tasted many homemade muffins, but then pushed the thought aside and decided to accept and enjoy the compliment.  I hope you like these too.

Orange Zucchini Muffins with Chocolate Chips

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups (375 mL) whole wheat flour
• 1 cup (250 mL) spelt flour *
• 2 tsp (10 mL) baking powder
• 2 tsp (10 mL) cinnamon
• ½ tsp (2 mL) ground cloves
• ½ tsp (2 mL) baking soda
• ½ tsp (2 mL) salt
• 1 egg
• 1 cup (250 mL) milk
• 2/3 cup (150 mL) pure maple syrup**
• ¼ cup (60 mL) canola oil
• Zest of one orange
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) orange juice (I use juice squeezed from orange used for zest)
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) fresh ginger, minced
• 1 cup (250 mL) shredded zucchini (about 1 small)
• 3/4 cup (190 mL) milk chocolate chips
• 2/3 cup (150 mL) chopped pecans (optional)

Directions:             

Preheat over to 375 F (190 C).  Grease muffin pans or line with paper liners.

In large bowl, mix together whole wheat and spelt flour, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, baking soda and salt. 

In another bowl, whisk together egg, milk, maple syrup, canola oil, orange zest, orange juice and ginger until blended. 

Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients and sprinkle with zucchini, chocolate chips and pecans (if using).  Stir just until moistened. 

Spoon batter into muffin tins.  Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until tops spring back when pressed with finger. 

Let cool in muffin tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

Makes 15-16 muffins.

Recipe Notes:

* spelt flour can be replaced with whole wheat flour

** if do not have (or do not like) maple syrup, can replace with honey or molasses (same quantity)

Tips:

I choose organic oranges for zest as the peel is the part being used in the recipe.

If you have empty spots in the muffin tin (as you will with this recipe) fill them halfway with water.  The water will help the entire muffin pan to heat more evenly, which will help your muffins to bake more evenly too.

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Last weekend, my local food bank held its annual “Fill the Yellow Bus” event. There were school buses parked in front of four of our local grocery stores, and volunteers were soliciting for donations. The goal: fill the yellow bus with food.

I volunteered for the event and it was rewarding to see so many people giving generously.

During this 7 hour event, over 8,000 lbs of food were collected.

Like many, my local food bank has been seeing an increase in need. It helped 50% more people in 2012 compared to 2011.

Giving to food banks, either in food or by cash donation, is something that has been important to me for a long time. I can remember in elementary school every December we would be asked to bring in non-perishable food donations for the food baskets that were made up for families in need. In those early years, around age 6 or 7, I had no idea of how close my family was to being a family in need. At that time I would proudly bring in my one or two cans of something. With time my family’s financial stability increased, and so did my donations. I always felt compelled to bring in as much as I could. The idea of people not having enough to eat seemed so wrong and I just wanted to help.

Today, I still donate to food banks. The thought of people not having enough to eat is profoundly disturbing to me. If someone doesn’t have enough to eat, it will affect every aspect of his/her life and that person has very little opportunity to change his/her situation. Food is a basic need without which we cannot survive. Yet many Canadians do not have enough to eat.

Each month, over 880,000 Canadians receive food from a food bank. In addition to that, close to 4 million meals are prepared and served by soup kitchens, shelters, school breakfast initiatives and other programs. That adds up to almost 50 million meals per year. That is a lot of Canadians that are unable to get enough food without help.

Of those helped by food banks, 38% are children and youth.

The thought of not having enough to eat each day is painful. I cannot truly imagine what that is like. Not having enough to eat is bad enough. Not being able to provide enough food for one’s children must feel like torture.

Food banks are often run by volunteers and they depend on the generosity of members of their local community to provide help for others who are in need. In recent years, many food banks in Canada have had to deal with an increase in demand, while at the same time facing a decrease in donations as so many more have been in need.

The typical help that a food bank provides is 3 to 7 days worth of food, once per month. That is all. Three to seven days worth of food… In 2012, 55% of food banks had to cut back the amount of food they provided to each household.

If you and your family have enough to eat, I urge you; please give to your local food bank today and help feed families in your community.

*statistics used were taken from HungerCount 2012

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Around here we’ve been teased with previews of spring, and then walloped again with winter. But today, there were several signs for me that spring really is here.

First sign

A crocus, growing in my backyard!  While this might not seem worthy of exclamation marks to you, thanks to a wily squirrel, it is to me.

I planted lots of bulbs in the fall, including about 40 crocuses in the lawn.  I covered all my spots with chili flakes to keep the squirrels away.  Apparently crocus and tulip bulbs are like crack to squirrels, but they are reputed to not like chili.  It seems the squirrels in my neighbourhood don’t know that, because within 24 hours of planting, a squirrel had already found the bulbs and dug them up! 

All winter I was left wondering if there would be any flowers in my yard, but  the squirrel missed a couple in the backyard and a few more in the front. 

another crocus, this time just the bud — but soon, a full flower

 

And Mr. Squirrel left me a few tulips too. 

a tulip sprouting

 

Second sign

Click to listen, then click play button 

That is the sound of a spring peeper, which is a tiny little frog that calls early in spring.  Spring peepers are hard to see because they are tiny, but they are easy to hear as they have a very loud call. 

the little cross on the back is the distinctive mark of the spring peeper

and so is its tiny size - this one is full grown!

I’ve been hearing the spring peepers calling from the small, temporary pond behind the house since Monday.  They are one of my favorite signs of spring.

What signs of spring have you seen or heard?

 

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I just watched an episode of Our America with Lisa Ling, on the topic of obesity in the US.  What I saw was shocking.  The shocking part wasn’t that there is an obesity epidemic in the US (and in Canada too), or that so many of today’s children are obese, or even that they may be the first generation that has a shorter lifespan than their parents.  I knew all those facts.

No, the shocking part to me was how little so many people seem to know about nutrition and healthy food choices.  Many of the people profiled in the episode were not simply choosing to eat unhealthy, non-nutritious foods, but seemed to have no concept about what is a healthy food choice.  One woman had never entered the fresh fruit and vegetable section of her grocery store except at times to buy cabbage, which she usually deep fries.  No fresh fruit or vegetables in her family’s diet at all!  None!

I never imagined that some people might quite simply have no base knowledge about food nutrition.  About how good food nourishes your body, not just your soul.

Good nutrition is something that is very important to me.  I strive to eat good, wholesome foods and to feed that to my family.  It’s not that we never eat junk food, but rather that I strive for us to have balance in our diet.  I read nutrition labels on food while grocery shopping.  I pay particular attention to the amount of saturated fat, sodium and sugar in food, trying to keep our intake of those things low, while striving to increase how much fibre and vitamins and minerals we consume.  I find myself baking more and more often, modifying recipes to increase the amount of whole grains in them and decrease the amount of saturated fat and refined sugar.  I bake because Greg has a sweet tooth, and I prefer to provide him with homemade items that are healthier than the store bought options he would eat instead.  I want to keep him healthy so that he can be alive and well for a long time.

I never realized how lucky I am to be aware of the importance of nutrition and to be  knowledgeable about it. I guess that I thought everyone knows about food and nutrition.  But today I discovered that is not true.  I am grateful that somewhere along the way (I’m not even sure where, because I have known about this for so long) I learnt the principles of good nutrition.  I strive to learn more, so that we can live a healthier lifestyle.  And I am so grateful to have discovered how good real food, made with real ingredients, actually tastes.

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It’s Thanksgiving, and for my family, that always means a get-together, and those always mean food.  One of my sisters will usually host family events and although the hosting sister takes on the turkey, gravy, stuffing and other complicated bits, all of us usually contribute to the meal and/or appetizers. 

Every family has some favorites that a family get-together just can’t do without, and in our family, one of those things is taco dip.  Yesterday, I was the one responsible for it. 

The finished product

Yes, this taco dip recipe has been in the family for a couple of decades or longer, but it’s one of those recipes that has staying power.  Once the taco dip hits the table, my family members transform into vultures and the plate is usually picked clean in under 10 minutes. 

This taco dip doesn’t just grace family get-togethers.  It’s also my go-to dish for those pot luck occasions to which I don’t want to bring a dessert. 

Taco dip

• 8 oz cream cheese
• ½ cup sour cream
• ¼ cup mayo
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 3 green onions, diced
• 1 cup salsa
• 1 ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese

Mix the first 3 ingredients and spread on a plate.  Spread salsa and remaining ingredients.  Chill at least 2 hours before serving.

before the cheese – you can see all those good layers that hide under the cheese in the finished product

No, this isn’t a low-cal offering, but it can be made lighter by using light versions of all the ingredients.  And our family gatherings have so many people, that we each only get a small portion anyways, so I don’t mind indulging once in a while.

If you are using store bought salsa, it’s really worth reading the nutritional label.  Some brands of salsa are very high in sodium, while others are not.  By shopping carefully, you can avoid accidentally over-loading on sodium. 

 

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Back in late August, while looking through the Farm Boy flyer, I saw fresh figs advertised for sale.  Figs are not familiar to me, but I was intrigued.  I decided to buy some.  Sadly, by the time I got to the store, there were only 2 containers left and the figs were really soft.  Even with my lack of familiarity with this fruit, really soft figs didn’t seem desirable. 

The following week, I was luckier (I went to the store in the morning, rather than late afternoon) and I found lots of figs, and some of the baskets had fruit that were firm.  So I decided it was time to try them.  I thought they would be a good ingredient to include in salads.  We eat a lot of salads here.

There are several varieties of figs.  The ones I bought were Black Mission figs. 

A pint of Black Mission Figs

They have a dark exterior and light pink flesh with lots of little seeds.  But don’t worry; you won’t be aware of the seeds when you eat the fruit. 

Black Mission figs have a light pink interior

 Once I got them home, I decided that grilling them would be a good idea.  Greg is allergic to most fresh fruit, but he can eat cooked fruits so I thought by grilling them, it would ensure that Greg could eat them without problem. 

Wow, did grilling them ever turn out to be a great choice!  The heat caramelized the sugar that is naturally present in the fruit, giving it a really wonderful flavour.  I sliced the figs in half lengthwise, brushed a bit of olive oil on the cut side and put them flesh side down on the grill.  After about 4-5 minutes on low heat, I turned them over and continued to grill for another 2-3 minutes.  Then I topped them with goat cheese and splashed a bit of light balsamic vinegar on them.  They were divine!  The rich sweetness of the fruit is balanced out by the tang of the goat cheese and the mellow acidity of the balsamic vinegar.  Fabulous!

These grilled figs with goat cheese may not be the prettiest thing I’ve ever grilled but they are incredibly tasty!

The figs were such a home run with me that I went looking for them again this morning.  I was successful and enjoyed some with my salad at lunch.  And I’m planning to roast some in a homemade caramel sauce for dessert tomorrow, thanks to a recipe I found in a magazine this morning.  Or maybe with some maple syrup and topped with whipped cream…  Yum!  I think roasted figs will make for a great dessert. 

Figs are a fruit that was completely unfamiliar to me, other than the concept of a Fig Newton (which I don’t like).  But something told me it would be worth trying out this fruit, and I’m so glad that I did. 

Fresh Black Mission figs

Fresh figs are really wonderful.  They are a sweet fruit that lend themselves to sweet or savory dishes.  The season for fresh figs is short (and right now), so if you want to try them, now is the time.  Choose figs that are somewhat firm to the touch and try to avoid the really soft ones.  Store them in the refrigerator.  Eat them quickly after purchasing as they are very perishable and won’t last long.

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I’ve loved hot air balloons since I was young.  I always wondered what it would be like to float away in one.

One morning, shortly after moving to Ottawa for university, I looked out the window and saw a beautiful hot air balloon.  And then I noticed there was a second one.  Eventually, I realized there were a few dozen hot air balloons flying around.  It was the Gatineau Hot Air Balloon Festival.

Since that first discovery of the festival, there have been many mornings on Labour Day weekend when I have watched the balloons.  It’s always in the early morning, a little after sunrise.  There is something incredibly peaceful and contemplative about being up early and watching their quiet flight, admiring the beautiful colours and interesting shapes. 

But watching the balloons just isn’t enough.  I’ve always wanted to go up in one.  This year, Greg and I decided it was time.  Last week, he made reservations for us, and so weather permitting, we would go up in a hot air balloon on Sunday evening. 

Greg and I arrived at the festival early and enjoyed many of the other things the festival has to offer.  As the time for the flight approached, I wondered if we would be able to go up.  While we were in the waiting area, we discovered the balloons had not been able to go up at on Saturday evening or on Sunday morning.  There wasn’t enough wind.  It didn’t look good. 

While we were waiting, one of the volunteers told me there was a light wind, but it was in the wrong direction.  The balloons are not allowed to go over Gatineau Park because they can’t land safely there.  And the wind was in that direction.  So we waited.  And waited… 

Our pilot, Chantale, came to get us and walked us over to her area.  She laid out her balloon as it needed to dry following her landing in a wet field the previous morning.  And we waited to get official word about if the balloons would be allowed to launch.  Finally the word came.  It was a go.  The hot air balloons were given permission to fly!

The frenzy of getting the balloon up started.  All around us on the field, we saw balloons start to inflate.  Then it was suddenly time to get into the basket and go.  We were the third hot air balloon to go up.  It was so exciting!  The view of the city opened up before us.  It was difficult to know in which direction to look, there was so much to see.  And then looking back at the field, we watched the other balloons start to take flight. 

Time seemed to fly as we were floating by.  It felt like we had been up in the air for only about 5 minutes when the pilot started looking for a landing site.  In reality, we had been up for about a half hour by then. 

Our pilot spotted a small field that seemed as though it would be a suitable landing site, but there was a light post at the outside edge of it that could be problematic.  She brought us down in a open area just past the field, the balloon touched down, tipped on its side (at that point, it felt like everyone was going to land on top of me) and then lifted up again.  But not very high, just high enough to get us trapped in some low trees. 

Landing in trees is not what any hot air balloon pilot wants.  The basket gets trapped, the balloon is at risk of getting punctured and there is a significant fire hazard because of the open flame from the burners.  This is not where we wanted to be.  With much effort from her ground crew who were there very quickly, the balloon was eventually freed and they pulled us out of the woods. 

The balloon ride was fabulous!  Our crash landing just added more drama and adventure.  And Greg and I decided that it is definitely something we would like to do again.

At this point, we didn’t think permission would be granted to launch, so we thought this might be as close as we would get to the balloon.

Inflating Yellow Jack

She’s up! And Greg was paying attention and is running toward the balloon to climb in. I was distracted and looking at everything going on around me.

Just before liftoff

And we have liftoff!

Isn’t the view fabulous?

Greg, taking it all in

everywhere you look, hot air balloons!

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Yesterday I had an unexpected find at the farmer’s market: local strawberries.  Yes, that’s right, local strawberries at the end of July!  I was so surprised to find these, and asked about them.  Apparently they are their “all season” variety. 

I love strawberries, and the local ones are the best kind in my opinion.  They are juicier and have so much more flavour than the imported berries.  I always look forward to berry season, and feel sad when it’s over.  So it was such a wonderful surprise to have a second go at strawberry season.  I didn’t hesitate and bought the biggest basket they had. 

Having the berries influenced my lunch plans.  I made a wonderful strawberry and goat cheese salad, using the spring mix that I bought from the same local producer.  I love that particular spring mix as it has some lettuces and herbs that I don’t find in the mixes available at the grocery store.  And of course, it’s much fresher.

It was a simple, but delicious and satisfying salad.  I usually include some protein in my salads, often in the form of cheese and seeds.  And I love adding fruit for sweetness, so this salad was right up my alley. 

Strawberry and Goat Cheese Salad

• Washed spring mix greens
• Sliced cucumbers
• Sliced strawberries
• Goat cheese
• Pine nuts

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Did you know that there is a link between eating red meat that has been grilled on high heat and cancer?  I don’t know what rock I have been hiding under, but I. did. not. know. that… 

I was watching an episode of The Nature of Things last week where they showed how free radicals are produced when red meat is grilled on high heat.  The free radicals are precursors to compounds that can damage DNA and cause cancer. 

This discovery was pretty disturbing for me, as it is barbecue season and we grill steaks fairly often.  But there is good news.  First off, this applies to high heat grilling only.  So red meat that is grilled on low or medium heat doesn’t produce those free radicals.  Whew!  We’ve been working on improving our barbecue technique and using low heat, which leads to tastier results, and will continue to do so.

The other really interesting bit of good news is related to rosemary.  In the television episode, the host demonstrated how red meat that has been marinated in rosemary before grilling, even on high heat, has a significantly lower level of those free radicals (around 80 to 90% less).  The reason?  Rosemary is a powerful antioxidant, and antioxidants absorb free radicals before they are able to form the cancer causing compounds. 

This is very good news.  And the timing was perfect for me, as a few days before I tried out this recipe for beef kebabs that I found in Clean Eating magazine. 

The beef is marinated before grilling and what is a key ingredient in the marinade?  Rosemary! (as well as garlic, olive oil, soy sauce and balsamic vinegar).  The beef kebabs were a hit with the family and I had already decided I would use the marinade recipe for regular steaks too.  Not only is this recipe incredibly tasty, but it provides important health benefits too.  What more could one ask for in a recipe? 

This rosemary beef kebab recipe is definitely a keeper.

 

 

 

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One of my favorite desserts on the Christmas cookie platter are Sweet Marie Bars.  I love these things.  They taste awesome and they are really quick and easy to make.

Last week I scoured the internet, trying to find the recipe.  But none of the recipes that I found seemed like my Mom’s.  I wasn’t sure what was missing, I just knew they weren’t right.  Well, Mom came through for me and unearthed her recipe.  And then I discovered what was missing.  Chocolate!  My mom’s recipe has some chocolate in the base, not just in the topping.

So here is my mom’s recipe, which I made this week. 

 

Sweet Marie Bars

Base:
1/2 cup corn syrup
1 tbsp butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup chocolate chips
3/4 cup peanuts
2 cups Rice Krispies cereal

Heat corn syrup, butter, brown sugar, peanut butter and chocolate chips.
Remove from heat.  Stir in nuts and cereal.
Press into a buttered 8″ square pan.

Topping:
2 tbsp smooth peanut butter
1 cup chocolate chips

Melt peanut butter and chocolate chips over low heat.
When melted, mix well and spread over base.
Refrigerate until firm.  Cut into squares or bars.