Tuesday 24 January 2012

Baby It's Cold Out There!

After a week of being trapped inside due to cold temperatures, viruses and a bit of the winter time blues we have made an enormous mess inside.  The trouble with messes and little monsters is that they are not so great at cleaning them, and when they "help" me clean I end up tripping over them.  So this was our sunny day activity to keep little hands and minds busy.  It's a great way to stir up some creativity and build fine and gross motor skills!

All that is required for this project is snow, a spray bottle or two, and some food colouring.  The kids spent hours outside on the weekend spraying to their hearts content while I managed to get some much needed cleaning done!

Backyard Graffiti 

What do you do when it is cold and snowy out there?  I would love to hear about it!

Saturday 7 January 2012

The Sandwich Generation

I have an idea for a post based completely on great sandwiches.  Not the soggy, "smushed", boring sandwiches that I dragged to school each day when I was younger.  I'm talking about gourmet-the-best-thing-I-ever-ate-can't-stop-thinking-about sandwiches.  I'm not going to post to much more than a picture and a description, and I will keep updating this page as we add to our growing list of favourites.

 French Dip meets Philly Cheesesteak

The French Dip meets Philly Cheesesteak.  Possibly the best use for leftover prime rib ever!  Shaved roast beef, mushrooms sauteed in butter and wine, topped with cheese, placed under the broiler and served "au jus".  No complaints from the kids on this one, although I left the mushrooms off of theirs.

Prosciutto, Pear and Brie on Batard
The name says it all.  Thinly sliced prosciutto on a bed of tender lettuce, pear slices and brie, drizzled with balsamic and olive oil.  Did you know that "Batard" is the French word for the English term "Bastard"?  In both languages the word refers to something lacking legitimacy.  But let's face it, while it may not appear as refined as the traditional baguette, it makes a way better sandwich!

Everything's Better with Bacon

This fresh "sandwich" idea came from a lovely little Italian Bistro in downtown Toronto.  They served tomato and bocconcini on a grilled flatbread.  It was very good, but I thought it lacked a bit of flavour.  When I recreated a version at home I decided to add some bacon, fresh basil and a splash of balsamic.  Serve with a knife and fork, this is exactly what fresh tomatoes were meant for!

Meatball Madness
This one is very near and dear to my heart. You can find the recipe for the this sandwich here @MOMables Blog.  Believe me, you won't be sorry!


Have you made your own Hummus yet?  Super simple, and it's good for you!  Hummus, cucumber soaked in lemon juice, tomato and spinach in a pita.  Jon would add feta cheese to this, but I can't say that I am a big fan.  This was what I survived on while pregnant with Daisy!