bark loudly

A little while back, my son had a few friends over to play video games, throw the ball around at the park and just hang out.  Unfortunately with a last minute cancellation, our daughter's original plan to spend the day with a friend didn't materialize.  She was very disappointed.

It is no secret in our house that our little girl loves anything sweet. As if she's not sweet enough! So while the boys played, I promised her that we'd make some kind of candy to pass the time.  Just the two of us. As I was saying this, I wished I stopped myself from making this promise as I didn't want her to be disappointed (again). How am I going to make candy? I don't have any ingredients unless we made caramel sauce (but no ice cream to top it with) or fudge ("not interested" she said).

All of a sudden, our dog started barking loudly (and for no reason...bird? squirrel?).  The continuous yelping at small critters usually bothers me, but for some reason it felt like our pup was trying to tell us something, giving me a great idea. Throughout the continuous barking, I told our daughter that our pup was suggesting that we make "bark", and with her eyes widening with enthusiasm, she gave an astounding "yes" and hugged our dog in appreciation for the good idea. Our dog finally stopped barking.

Since I usually don't make bark unless it's Christmas, I had forgotten how quickly and easily one can have such sweet goodness in a few hours.  I just used what I had on hand...a half a package of semi-sweet baker's chocolate, half a bag of white chocolate chips and half a bag of toffee bits.

Our little girl had the greatest time watching the different coloured chocolate mix together, creating a beautiful marbled look.  Her sadness with the cancelled playdate quickly dissolved as she licked the bowls clean. She had the biggest, stickiest smile on her face.

I guess we had a sweet day after all and maybe I should thank our pup...

...for barking loudly.

Marble Chocolate Toffee Bark

(Makes enough to serve about 4-6 people).

This is the easiest and quickest chocolate bark. Ever.  Not sure if this really constitutes as a recipe, but here we go.

Ingredients

• 4 squares of Baker's Semi-Sweet Baker's Chocolate
• 1 cup of white chocolate chips
• ½ cup of toffee bits, plus more to top (I used the "Skor" brand, but you can use any kind of candy you have on hand).

Directions

• In two separate small bowl, place the baker's chocolate in one bowl and the white chocolate chips in the other.
• Set your microwave at 50% (medium) and melt the chocolate for about 2 minutes.
• Remove and stir quickly.  If it's not melted, then put the bowls in the microwave and melt again at 50% for another minute.
• Remove.  In the bowl with the baker's chocolate, stir in the toffee bits.
• On a baking sheet, place parchment paper.
• Spread the white melted chocolate on the parchment paper.
• Spread the baker's chocolate on top.  Using the spoon, swirl the two chocolate together.
• Top with a few more toffee bits (optional), to taste.
• Place the cookie sheet in the fridge for at least 3 hours.
• When the chocolate has hardened, break into pieces (you don't have to be precise...it looks better when you just cut it any way you wish).
• Keep in a sealed container, in a fridge for up to 5 days.

Enjoy!

just a spoonful

There are very few foods that I can say, trumps my love for chocolate.  Potatoes, oddly enough, is one of those foods.  I can eat it in almost any form, shape, method of cooking...be it garlic mashed potatoes on a cold winter day, or roasted mini potatoes with parmesan green beans (like these ones, here) with grilled BBQ meat.  Sometimes just a bag of good ole' potato chips will do the trick.

On one of those evenings when all things were seemingly prepared...kids were settled, the aroma of maple honey dijon ham in the oven, and the table already set for dinner, I realized I forgot to make one of my favourite side dishes to go with the ham:  Scalloped Potatoes.  In a panic, I began expediting the cooking process and cooked all the ingredients together before throwing them in the oven to bake.

When I made this potato dish, it reminded me of a funny moment during one of my pregnancies when I had cravings for soft chocolate chip cookies.  Extremely soft, just slightly under-baked, spoonable cookies to be exact.  I used to make a quick batch (sometimes resorting to those pre-made cookies in the tubes...yes, insanity!), and I'd actually pull up a chair and sit in front of the glass toaster oven, peering over my baby-filled belly to watch those sweet heavenly morsels slowly bake.  I would barely wait for the timer to go off before the door would be flung open, spooning those soft cookies into my mouth.  The instant gratification, the melted warm chocolate chips and sweetness of it all...during my pregnancy there were rarely any cookies to offer, even after an afternoon of baking!

When I took these potatoes out of the oven, the same feeling overcame me.  I couldn't resist...I did sneak a small spoonful before putting these on the table.  The cheese melted in my mouth and my family barely sat down at the table before I almost started to dig in.  Maybe I was hungry so I thought it tasted better than making it the traditional way.  Or maybe I just love anything and everything that is made of potatoes.

Or, like the little joys in life, maybe I had a small taste of what was to come...and couldn't wait to savour the rest until it was all gone.

Quick and Easy Skillet Baked Scalloped Potatoes

(Makes 4-6 servings)

I love scalloped potatoes, but would normally need to plan ahead of time to make this dish.  Browning the potatoes in the skillet prior to baking it in the oven shortens the time it takes to make this dish.  Works great with ham (especially for this Easter).

Ingredients

• 6 potatoes, thinly sliced
• 1 onion, sliced
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 1 cup of whipping cream (cream or milk works too)
• 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese (or any strong cheese you prefer)
• ½ cup of parmesan cheese

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• In a cast iron skillet or oven proof skillet, saute the onion, garlic in the butter over medium/hight heat.
• Add the potatoes and cook until the garlic and onion are soft and the potato edges are brown.
• Add whipping cream and toss with the potatoes until coated.
• Add the shredded cheese and toss until cheese is melted into the cream.
• Top with parmesan cheese.
• Place in the whole skillet with the potatoes into the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Serve and enjoy!

end of the day

This January has been a particularly long, snowy and cold month.  As the temperatures continue to dive down to arctic equivalents, the motivation to get up and get moving in the morning has been challenging for both adults and children in the household.  Often I'd barely open my eyes, peeking out at the morning frost on the window, staying cuddled under the oh-so-warm comforter, hoping to hear the phone ring with an early morning call from the school to inform us that it's a snow day.

A brief but timely article in 'Inc. Magazine' had some interesting tips on how to end your day to become more productive.  Although this article was geared towards having a productive business day, I think many of the points would work for parents.  Here are 5 of the points that I think not only work well with adults, but are good habits to start teaching children when they are young.

1.  "Finish one (organizing) project".  Every semester, there is at least one long term project that is  due at the end of the term (or during "report card season").   Book reports, science projects, or other assignments that require various work phases to complete (like research, rough drafts etc.).  I always find these assignments are generally due during a frantic time...right before Christmas holidays or March Break, and there is nothing worse than trying to cram all your work into the last week before a holiday.  So on our school calendar, we mark due dates, and every single night, the kids are required to work on at least one hour worth of work towards completing their assignment.  By doing this, often they feel accomplished that they did something, and usually finish their projects way before it's due date.  There's never a better feeling than a worry free holiday instead of cramming last minute for school work.

2.  "Address all communication".  After school in our house, it is required that the kids empty their backpacks and present all notes that come from the school.  Notes from teachers, other parents, newsletters, birthday invitations, playdate arrangements etc. are determined, discussed, arranged and questions are answered.  This way we all know what is expected of us, and the next steps we need to take (like buying a birthday gift early, not on the way to the party!)

3.  "Review your calendar and to-do list".  After school, the kids are required to go over their agendas and check off all the homework, tests and assignments they must complete for the next day.  I usually take this opportunity to also probe what's happening (socially) in the class, and help them prepare for future assignments. Making sure an agenda is reviewed EVERY NIGHT is key. Luckily our school provides these agendas, but keeping an inexpensive one in the backpack sets a good habit for the kids to keep on top of things.

4.  "Set out your clothes".  Every night, we review the weather forecast and set out all the clothes for the next day.  We consider their school schedule (gym, outdoor recess), and make sure that that all the necessary items are ready to go.  This shaves at least 15 minutes off the morning routine, as the kids have already coordinated their outfits the night before, items are checked to ensure they're clean and don't have holes, and there are no arguments on what to wear.  This also teaches them to understand how to read the weather reports, and prepare for the next day.

5.  "Set out your shut-down time".  This one is the most challenging for me, especially since technology plays a large role in our family life.  Our rule of thumb is: no video games during the school week, so we can concentrate on school work/extracurricular activities.  No technology allowed at the table during meals....only real conversations allowed.  And we try to shut down all media at least one hour prior to bedtime, so we can unwind and avoid media driven stimulation.  This last hour, prior to bedtime is spent either reading, writing in journals, drawing, playing with legos or (my favourite), a quiet conversation about our day.   As much as I love everything that comes with our digital devices, it's the quiet time that truly allows us to connect.  It's a cathartic time to release any negativity that hinder us, and provide clarity or perspective of the day to help us realize how grateful we should be.

I guess it's true that how you end your day can be just as important as how you begin it.  As I shudder at the thought of driving through one more snowy cold morning, with end of day planning, organizing and then settling down (maybe with some warm homemade soup), we'll be well prepared for tomorrow.  Whatever the weather.

Quick and Easy Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup

(Makes approx. 4 servings)

This recipe is very adaptable.  You can add all kinds of spices to give this more depth, like rosemary, parsley or thyme.  It's not a lot different than making a mushroom roux (or gravy), but adding other spice elements along with cream makes this a simple and easy soup.  Side note: If you're making a recipe that requires condensed cream of mushroom soup, I discovered that this can be used in lieu of the "canned" version (bonus: no preservatives).  Just follow the instructions but omit the cream.

Ingredients

• 8 ounces fresh mushrooms
• 2 tablespoons onions, chopped (I used red onions...shallots would work well too)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons flour (separated)
• 2 cups chicken broth (I used low sodium organic broth).
• 1 cup light cream
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon thyme or parsley

Directions:

• Cut the mushrooms into slices.
• Melt butter in large frying pan. Add in onions, garlic, and mushrooms. 
• Cook until onions are soft.
• Blend in 2 tbsp. flour and stir.
• Slowly add the chicken broth until slightly thickened while stirring frequently.
• Add one more tbsp. of flour and seasonings, continuing the stirring.
• Slowly add the cream to the soup until desired thickness and consistency.
• Top with croutons or parsley.

Enjoy!