The holidays always find my children and I in the kitchen whipping up sweet treats. Easter is no different.
One of our favourite Easter treats to make is Bunny Bait Trail Mix. Being that we are huge snackers this trail mix is always a hit, as it includes many of our tried and true favourites.
Each stage of motherhood brings its own unique set of joys and challenges. In the early years, we encounter milestones like sleeping through the night, teething, first steps, and potty training - to name a few.
I've had my share of potty training highs and lows. Potty training shouldn't have to be a stress-filled journey but I have to admit that potty training my eldest daughter, Cadence, was just that...stressful. Thankfully, I've learned a lot that can make the potty training experience less stressful - for all involved.
With the Thanksgiving weekend now behind us and Halloween quickly approaching, it's time to really shift our focus to drinks that ones people can enjoy at holiday parties that aren't infused with alcohol.
The leaves are starting to turn colour and the temperatures are starting to fall. It's time to break out cozy sweaters and embrace reading a good book while snuggled up by the fire, sipping a hot cup of coffee.
An excellent way to celebrate the arrival of fall is by infusing all of our favourite delights with pumpkin spice. Is anyone else riding high on the pumpkin spice bandwagon with me?
Autumn is upon us!! There is something about the cooler temperatures that always makes me craving comfort food. More specifically, casseroles. There is just something about enjoying a heartwarming casserole, bowl of chili or soup on a chilly evening.
Six years ago when I was pregnant with my second child, I was introduced to a group of women online who were due around the same timeframe that I was. To this day, these women and I often still communicate and bond over the joys, frustrations and heartaches that can come with parenting. We often will share quick and easy dinner ideas with one another, as well.
We all know how busy Mom's can be. Whether you work out of the home, work at home or stay at home... Mom's sure do have their hands full! At least I know I do.
You may have noticed over the last little while that Handwritten Kitchen has been a bit quieter than normal. It all comes with good reason... I have been busy baking up something that isn't in my kitchen, but rather in the womb.
Apples slathered in peanut butter is a common healthy afternoon snack many find themselves flocking to day-after-day. I love the convenience, however, this is one snack that is easy to cause you to pack on the calories while you are enjoying slice after slice of apple slathered in creamy peanut butter.
Barbecue season is in full swing, and it's one of my favourite seasons. It isn't the barbecued meals I look forward to, but rather the desserts that follow the main course.
I like to trick myself into thinking that desserts served up in the summer are actually healthy.
There is something about fajitas that my family loves. Whether we prepare them in the wok, slow cooker, oven or on the BBQ... There is really no right or wrong way to making them. All that varies is the amount of time you spend slaving over a hot stove or grill cooking.
This summer skip the store bought popsicles, and make your own healthier version at home.
A go-to in our house is Strawberry Parfait Popsicles. A popsicle laced with strawberry preserves, granola, and creamy vanilla yogurt. A fun summer treat you can make with the kids and enjoy guilt-free on a hot day.
Ingredients
Homemade Strawberry Preserves (recipe below) 650g container of vanilla yogurt Package of your store-bought favourite garnola or homemade granola
Strawberry season is about to begin and with most u-pick strawberry farms in Ontario set to open within the next week or two, my mind is shifting focus and I'm seeing red. Sweet, scrumptious red.
"Mom, this dinner is the best!" ... "One of my absolute favourites!"
Those are lines you don't hear my children speak often around the dinner hour at my house. It's like music to the ears! A moment when you feel like rejoicing and dancing a jig because for once you have won the dinner war against the picky eaters. Many parents will understand this exhausting battle that I speak of.
With summer just around the corner, my mind is set on not being confined to the kitchen and rather being able to to get outdoors more and enjoying endless hours of playtime with my youngsters. The summer tends to be a time when I seldom cook an elaborate meal and instead a time I further acquaint myself with the barbecue and slow cooker. Who really wants to cook a meal indoors on a hot summer day anyway? Not me!
Cooking dinner with the kids should never feel like a hassle. It should be fun. Sure, the kitchen may end up a little messier than it might have been had you not had little hands assisting you, but let's face it - the mess is worth seeing those proud, happy faces.
When I was a child, I thought people became pregnant because they took "magical vitamins." You know, those vitamins that only moms could take, aka prenatal vitamins. Little did I know, my mother had suffered countless years of trying to conceive while also enduring the pain from numerous miscarriages. Trying to conceive a child never came easy to her, and her pregnancy certainly was never a result of so-called magical vitamins.
