Cook with Local Food this Summer

With Local Food Week coming up from June 6-12th, Longo's is on a mission to help us understand exactly which fruits and vegetables are in season during the summer months - so we can enjoy delicious seasonal food. For the past 60 years the Longo's family has maintained a commitment to provide customers with the best fresh and local food possible. I like that local food has gained momentum because of sustainability concerns and consideration for local farmers. See the above infographic they have created to help us cook with local food this summer.

Enjoy Veggies and Fruits with Opadipity Greek Yogurt Dips

Eating our fruits and vegetables are very important. With little ones serving up the fruits and vegetables in different ways encourage them to try it, and enjoy it. We tried a variety of Opadipity Greek Yogurt Dips by Litehouse Foods, which are the perfect snacks with low-calorie dips made with natural ingredients using zero preservatives, MSG or gluten. These dips are wonderful with a variety of vegetables. 

Our Summer Ice Cream Bar

This Ice Cream Bar my family and I enjoyed is a sponsored post for #CollectiveBias using ingredients I purchased at Walmart. In my family ice cream is associated with warm sunny days! Although, we enjoy licking our ice cream on a cone we always lean more towards having ice cream with other desserts. Every time I make our favourite pineapple upside down cake, apple pie, fruit salad, or a milk drink with rose syrup known as Falooda, a tub of ice cream disappears in no time at all.

Learning How to Care For Our Body with Natural Ingredients

It is important to take time to love ourselves and feel good. I enjoyed reading and going through DK's Natural Beauty book written by Susan Curtis, Fran Johnson, Pat Thomas, and Justine Jenkins. The book has lots of tips and techniques that we can use, and it encourages using easy to find, gentle products such as herbs, plants, and other kitchen ingredients to care for our skin and body.

Coconut Coated Chocolate Truffles

These delicious truffles are fun and easy to make. My children enjoyed making coconut coated chocolate truffles to give family and friends during our Eid celebration. 

To make the chocolate truffles you will need...

Giveaway to celebrate the upcoming Strawberry Shortcake Musical Tour

As big fans of Strawberry Shortcake, we are excited that she and her friends will be coming to the Sony Centre, Toronto on Sunday February 17th at 1:00pm.  This would be wonderful show to watch during the Family Day long weekend.

Before the girls hit the stage there will be a special show by Doodlebops, whom my children enjoy watching on TV.  Doodlebops siblings Rooney, Moe and Dee Dee Doodle will take the stage in a live concert performance that will get the audience movin’ and grooving’.

Strawberry Shortcake: Follow Your Berry Own Beat is touring in many cities in Canada and US.  In the musical Strawberry Shortcake, and her best friends Orange Blossom, Lemon Meringue, Blueberry Muffin, Raspberry Torte, Plum Pudding and Cherry Jam, prove that little girls can do berry big things as they prepare for the Glitzy Glaze Talent Show in Berry Bitty City.  

Here is a recipe to make Strawberry Shortcakes in your home :)

2 cups strawberries, hulled, halved or quartered

3 tbsp icing sugar

Mash 1/4 of the strawberries with a fork and toss all the strawberries with icing sugar and leave for 1 hour at room temperature.

shortcake

1 cup flour

3 oz caster sugar

1 tbsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt 

1 cup whipping cream

Sift flour with 2 oz sugar, baking powder, salt and add cream slowly using a fork to toss lightly until the mixture forms a clump.

Gather the clumps, do not knead the dough.  Shape into a 6" log and cut 6 slices and place in a lightly greased baking tray. Sprinkle 1 oz sugar and bake until light golden brown at 400F for 15 minutes. Cool in a wire rack.

to serve

1 cup whipping cream whip till soft peaks form

Once cooled cut the 

shortcake in half horizontally using a serrated knife.

Top each bottom half of the shortcake with whipped cream then layer some strawberries and place the tops. Can add some whipped cream on the tops as well.

Giveaway:

One person in Canada can win this Strawberry Shortcake DVD and book by entering the giveaway through the rafflecopter below before February 10th.
Please make sure to follow all my social media networks, leave a comment and share about this giveaway.  Winner must respond within 24 hours from the time of contact to claim the prize.

Strawberry Shortcake DVD and book giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway
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Banana cupcakes

1 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
3/4 cup vanilla infused sugar *
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs
1 cup mashed ripe banana

* If you are not using vanilla infused sugar use 1 tsp vanilla instead.
In a bowl whisk flour, baking soda and salt.  Whisk the sugar, oil, eggs until smooth then add banana and vanilla if using.  Beat well then add the flour mixture until smooth.
Scoop the batter into prepared muffin pan with paper liners.  Bake in a preheated 350F oven for 24 to 28 minutes until the tops of the cupcakes spring back when lightly touched.  Cool in the pan over a rack for 10 minutes then remove from the pan and cool completely.
Can add 1/2 cup chocolate chips to the batter.

This cupcake freezes well if wrapped individually in a plastic wrap for up to 2 weeks.  The recipe is excerpted from 150 Best Cupcake Recipes by Julie Hasson © 2012 Robert Rose Inc.www.robertrose.ca Reprinted with permission. 
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Watermelon helicopter and salad

This is our first time carving a watermelon into a "3D like" shape and we really enjoyed. We are excited to be part of the kid-tastic Watermelon challenge from the National Watermelon Promotion Board.  

It was fun getting ideas from my children to make a helicopter with a watermelon. We brainstormed different ideas we could try and thought of how to carve it with ease. My children helped to scoop out and my seven year old with lots of supervision :) helped cut rind pieces to put for decor.

This activity is to be done by an adult because of knives and sharp tools.

Tools...

carving knife

small pairing knife

cutting boards

towel to catch the juice

toothpicks

spoon

paper

pen

1.  Draw the design on paper.  Then try to break down the steps.

2.  Wash the watermelon well and keep the long side of the watermelon horizontally on a cutting board.  Cut 1/3rd of the watermelon out, do this slowly so it will be a straight cut; it helps to go around the watermelon by rotating it. (At this point we have the option of scooping out the inside of the 2/3rd piece of the watermelon before carving) Set the 2/3rd or the large part of the watermelon on the board, this will be main part of the helicopter.

3.  We will use the 1/3rd piece of the watermelon to cut out the other shapes needed for the helicopter.  With a carving knife cut a piece out for the tail of the helicopter. Then we cut out 4 pieces of 3/4" wide and about 3" long rectangle pieces for the rotor.

4.  Place a toothpick in the place where the rotor will be going. Carefully make a mark with the tip of the small pairing knife on how you would like to draw the windows and cock pit of the helicopter, we wanted to make it cartoon like.

5.  Using the pairing knife slowly and carefully carve out the window shape, go in just enough to see the white part of the watermelon. We placed a small sticker for decoration :)

6.  Now insert 3 to 4 toothpicks 1/2 way into the 2/3rd piece of the watermelon where the tail goes.  Carefully put 3 to 4 toothpicks on the tail piece of the helicopter that was cut on step 3 and slowly push the pieces together.  

Keep the tail close to the bottom part of the watermelon for stability because of the weight.  This is important if the watermelon is going to be kept decorated as a table placement.

7.   Then for the rotor put a toothpick going 1/2 way on the width side of the 3" rectangle pieces we cut on step 3 and attach two pieces of the rectangle.  Do the same for the other two pieces. Place this on the toothpick that was placed on the top of the helicopter (which was done on step 4).

8.  For decoration we used small pieces of watermelon rind and brown sugar to represent sand. The watermelon is ready to be presented.

This watermelon didn't go to waste... we made juice, ate some and made a watermelon salad.

For the salad you will need...

about 1 1/2 cups of watermelon cubed

1 tbsp onion chopped finely

1 tbsp of mint chopped finely

1/4 cup cucumber chopped

1/8 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper or 1/2 tbsp finely chopped jalapeño *

1/2 tsp lemon juice

1/2 tbsp honey or brown sugar

1 tbsp parmesan (optional) sprinkle before serving

*If you are serving this salad to children, use pepper instead of jalapeño.

Toss everything except for the parmesan together. Just before serving sprinkle parmesan on top.

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Lemon preserve and jam jar kit

Lemons are cheaper in the summer, so it is a good time to take advantage of this and make lemon preserve to use off-season.

This lemon preserve will come handy in cooking i.e. chicken or to add into other pickles.  For this basic lemon preserve recipe you will  need...

unbruised clean Meyer lemons

coarse sea salt or kosher salt (not table salt)

Trim the top and bottom of the lemon to keep it flat.  Then cut the lemons into quarters vertically up to 3/4 way (the lemon should not split so don't slice it all the way).

Stuff the lemon with salt and pack it into a clean jar.  Cover the lemons with its own juice, when you press the lemons into the jar it will produce its own juice.  You might have to add fresh juice of 1/2 lemon if need be.

Let it sit for 3 weeks or more in a cool dark place.  I usually keep them for longer before opening the container.  Over time the lemons will reduce and become soft. 

As soon as the lemons are soft it is ready to be used.  Once you open the container store in the fridge for up to 6 months or more.  

If the lemons are not fully submerged in its own juice then a white film will appear.  If this happens just remove it with a spoon or lightly wash it off and use.

If you wish when packing the lemons to preserve you can add whole spices like bay leaf, cinnamon stick, peppercorns or cloves.

Disclosure:  I am part of the Life Made Delicious Blogger program and receive special perks as part of this.  All rights reserved on opinion, written content and photographs Createwithmom © 2012. Please Ask First

I used the creative Jam Jar kit from Cath Kidston Ltd to decorate preserve containers.  
This kit has 20 jar toppers in 5 different patterns, 8 sticker sheets, elastic strings and 6 easy delicious recipes.  
The kit is useful in decorating our homemade preserves, before giving it as gifts to family and friends.
The Cath Kidston Jam Jar kit is available online, bookstores and amazon.

3rd Annual Wild Blueberry Festival

Celebrate the 3rd Annual Wild Blueberry Festival at Evergreen Brick Works on August 11th from 8a.m. to 3p.m.  Everyone is welcome to attend this free event.    


There will be...
hands-on workshops for children and adults, 
wild blueberry pie bake-off, 
wild blueberry tie-dye, 
listen to stories, 
face painting, 
meet growers and local chefs making savoury and sweet dishes 
and many more things.  


Happy Wild blueberry month :)

Evergreen Brick Works is located at 

550 Bayview Avenue, Toronto

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Mango milkshake

2 mangoes

1 cup milk

1 cup water, more if needed

1/4 cup vanilla ice cream*

sugar if needed

Peel the mango and remove the seed. Put all the ingredients in a blender and blend till it is smooth. Add ice cream on top and serve chilled.

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Strawberry banana milk shake and plasma car giveaway

I had a wonderful opportunity to review this plasma car. It is an awesome ride. The only thing needed to ride this car is, energy and a mood to have fun.

Didn't ride on this flooring, just for the purpose of pictures

Everything on the car is controlled by the steering wheels. There are NO batteries, gears or pedals. It is easy to assemble, as the instructions are straight forward. The car will hold upto 120lbs on uneven surfaces and 220lbs on smooth surfaces. I love the sleek design and the attractive choice of bright colours that are available.

It is recommended by the designers to ride the car on smooth floors. We used them on hardwood floors because it is freezing outside and there is snow :) So far, nothing happened to the floor and there were no scrapes.

Children and adults will have to learn to share ;) and patiently wait for their turn to ride the car. It is easy spend hours of fun moving around in this car.
We are eagerly waiting to try it outdoors in the Summer.

Plasma car is generously sponsoring 2 cars to giveaway.

Giveaways are open to USA and Canada and ends on January 31st.

To enter the random draws to win the plasma car:
Please like Plasma car on facebook and twitter.

Leave ONE comment. (Please make sure there is a contact email on the comment, if it is not linked to your profile or site. So I can reach you if you win.)

I will be drawing one person from Torviewtoronto and one from Createwithmom).
You can also like Me on Facebook and Twitter, this is not a requirement for the giveaway but I will appreciate :)

Updated: The giveaway winners are Heather and Laura

Here is a delicious Strawberry banana milk shake to drink after the ride...

1 to 2 ripe bananas chopped

1/2 cup strawberries hulled

1 cup milk

1 cup cold water

2 tbsp sugar optional

Blend all together and serve.

All rights reserved on opinion, photographs and written content Torviewtoronto and Createwithmom © 2012. Please Ask First

Sweet potato snack

2 to 3 sweet potatoes

2 tbsp fresh coconut grated

1 to 2 tbsp brown sugar

Boil the sweet potatoes till it is tender. When it is cool, remove the peel. Mix the coconut with the brown sugar and add it to the sweet potatoes.

Make into balls, then garnish with the coconut sugar mixture and serve. This is served as a snack.

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Vanilla infused sugar

I don't use vanilla essence because of the alcohol in it. Instead I infuse the sugar with vanilla beans.

All you need...

sugar

vanilla bean

tight jar

If the vanilla bean is slit a little with a pairing knife, it is faster to get the beautiful aroma into the sugar.  Keep the sugar in a tightly covered jar. 

Keep refilling sugar to the same vanilla bean.

Vanilla pod can be scraped and used in other desserts.

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Cinnamon flavoured apples

3 to 4 apples

1/2 to 1 tbsp ground cinnamon

2 to 3 tbsp brown sugar *

1/8 tsp salt optional

1/2 tbsp butter

Peel the apples and remove the core, then chop into small pieces.

Heat the butter. Add apples, cinnamon, brown sugar and salt. Cook in low heat until the apples are soft.

Serve it as a dessert on its own, use as a pie filling or serve with ice cream.

* Add or reduce the sugar depending on the apples used and preference.

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Raspberry picking and jam

2 cups raspberry

1 to 2 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 cup sugar or more to taste

1" vanilla bean optional

Heat the raspberry, sugar and lemon juice together in medium low heat and simmer till the raspberry becomes syrupy and thick.

Remove from heat and leave the jam aside till it is cool. Once it is cool put it into a clean jar. The jam stays well in the fridge.

When using the jam use a clean dry spoon.

This jam can be used to make raspberry chocolate cake, smoothies, frozen yogurts and much more.

Our visit to pick raspberries this Summer. The tall bushes are loads of fun, however children should be supervised and taught how to easily remove the raspberries so they don't get hurt by any small thorns.

Some tips:

Pick only berries that are red.

Gently take the berries with fingers and thumb. If it is ripe the berry will come off easily into the hand.

Place the berries slowly into the container and don't over fill the buckets as the berries will get all squished.

Children will love the experience. They will eat the berries they pick more willingly, than when it is store bought.

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Fruit salad

1 to 2 apples

1 to 2 pears

1 to 2 bananas

1/2 cup mango

1/2 cup strawberries

1/2 cup grapes

any other fruit that is available

1 tbsp orange juice or lemon juice

1 tsp rose water

1 tbsp vanilla flavoured sugar can reduce if all the fruits used are sweet

Cut the fruits small for more taste. Grapes and strawberries can be kept as whole or cut into two. Toss the fruit with orange juice or lemon juice, rose water and vanilla flavoured sugar and serve chilled on its own or with ice cream.

If the sugar is not vanilla flavoured use vanilla essence. I flavour the sugar by keeping vanilla beans inside the sugar as I don't use vanilla essence.

It is important to use citric fruits to keep the colour of the apples, pears and bananas fresh and to prepare the fruit salad beforehand.

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Banana pancakes

1 cup flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

pinch salt

1 egg

1 1/4 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 tbsp butter melted

1/2 cup 2 ripe bananas cut slices or mashed

1/2 tsp vanilla or cinnamon powder

Sift all the dry ingredients. Melt butter and whisk with eggs, buttermilk and vanilla together. Mix the dry and wet ingredients together to make a thick batter. Don't over mix the batter as the pancakes will become tough.

Mash the bananas and put into the batter and mix a little this will make it easier to make than slicing the bananas and making the pancake.

An adult needs to help at this step.

Make the pancake in a heated griddle over medium heat, if needed grease with butter. Put a tablespoonful of batter onto the griddle and when the top of the pancake bubbles and it is easy to turn flip and cook through. Serve it warm with maple or chocolate syrup.

Here is a different version at Torviewtoronto. This goes to sweets for a saturday.

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Visiting the local animal farm with children

I would encourage everyone to take their children to visit farm animals. It would be a wonderful experience for children to pet and feed these friendly animals.

Children would love this experience of nature and become curious and interested in learning more about these animals and how we are connected to them.

You can talk to your children about how horses, cows, goats, sheep, chicken etc are important to us. Talk a little about how horses are used as carriages, cows that give us milk that in turn becomes cheese and yogurt, goats milk, sheep wool, chicken eggs, about manure and its importance for plants that make food for us. Understanding that things are part of a cycle and the need for respecting it should be taught at a young age.

Have fun with your children when visiting the local animal farms that will teach children many valuable lessons and inspire their creativity.

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Banana cereal muffins

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 tbsp cinnamon powder

1/2 cup butter or margarine at room temperature

1 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 cup ripe banana mashed

1 cup cereal corn flakes or other types

1/2 cup raisins

Beat butter and sugar till creamy with mixer or wooden spoon. Mix egg and bananas.

Mix the dry ingredients flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon together in a separate bowl then add it to the mixture with a wooden spoon. Add slightly crushed cereal and raisins into the batter, mix well till everything is blended.

Line a muffin tray with cupcake baking cup liners. Put the batter into a muffin tray which will make a dozen muffins or any other type of baking pan lined with wax paper.

Ask an adult to help when using the oven.

Bake in a preheated oven at 375F for 20 minutes, until it is golden brown and when pricked with a skewer or fork in the middle it will come out clean.

Don't over bake. Remove the muffins from the oven and keep it on the baking pan for 5 minutes then remove and cool in a wire rack.

Recipe adapted from banana cereal cookies.

All rights reserved on photographs and written content Createwithmom © 2011. Please Ask First