This is one of my favourite times of the year.Everybody is starting to come outside and breathe in the fresh spring air.Thinking about the upcoming warm and sunny days brings with it feelings of optimism and delight.As we put away our hats, coats and gloves for next year… we bring out the sunscreen, swimsuits and towels! Going to the park, water play, playing hockey on the driveway, frequenting one of the neighbourhood’s ice cream (or frozen yogurt) parlours, these are some of my family’s favourite activities.
Below you will find a super fun spring-inspired craft that you can make with your kids and their friends.You will also uncover the recipe for my daughter Sabrina’s “Summer is here” breakfast parfait.
Paper Plate Flower Craft
The directions to make this paper plate flower are easy to follow and the result is a colourful flower representing the joys of both spring and summer.This creative project comes from one of my favourite arts and crafts websites http://www.enchantedlearning.com
You will need:
A pencil
Colorful construction paper
Scissors (depending on the young artist’s age, an adult’s help may be needed for the cutting steps)
A stapler
Glue
A paper plate
Pipe cleaner (one per flower)
Directions:
1.Using your pencil, trace a child’s hand on colorful construction paper, at least 18-20 times.
2.Cut out the hand tracings.
3.Staple a circle of handprint tracings (fingers pointing outwards) around the outside of the plate - the fingers are the flower’s petals.
4.Staple a second circle of handprint tracings (fingers pointing outwards) just inside the first circle.
5.Staple a third circle of handprint tracings at the center of the plate.
6.Cut out a small paper circle from the leftover construction paper (2” in diameter) and glue in the center of the flower.
7.Take a pipe cleaner and staple to the bottom of the flower – now you have a stem!
“Summer Is Here” breakfast parfait
Along with the beautiful weather comes the bountiful supply of fresh and exotic fruits that are often not available in the colder months.My daughter Sabrina loves her breakfast and this is the recipe for her favourite summer breakfast.She loves to mix up a variety of colourful fruits, with a few dollops of yogurt (sometimes more than one flavour) and then she tops it off with the crunchiest cereals she can find.
Ingredients:
1-2 cups fruit - blueberries, bananas, strawberries, pineapple, mango , kiwi, raspberries and blackberries
¼ - ½ cup yoghurt - vanilla, strawberry and/or blueberry.
3-4 Tbsp. cereal - any of your families favourite cereals will do…granola is a favourite of Sabrina’s
1-2 Tbsp. topping - dried apricots (cut in slivers with a pair of scissors), ground cinnamon, raisins and/or dried cranberries.
*Quantities vary, depending upon how hungry you are and which ingredients you favour.
How to make it:
1.Wash and dry the fruit you will be using. Cut the fruit up into bite-sized pieces.
2.Place the fruit at the bottom of a bowl and drizzle the yogurt of your choice over the fruit.
3.Cover the yoghurt with the cereal and toppings you are most partial to.
4.Grab a spoon and enjoy!
Sabrina enjoys taking her breakfast parfait out onto our deck and eating in the sunlight!
Take the time to head outdoors, breathe in the fresh spring-summer air
and spend some good old-fashioned quality time with your family
Shelley Sefton is a chef, recipe developer & creator of “Yummy in my Tummy” - classes for kids thatoffers them the opportunity toexperience exciting adventures in the kitchen – combining education, art,food and most important of all FUN! Contact: (905) 597-0672 or sdsefton@rogers.com.
The grass is always greener? Perhaps, but I think it’s time to do away with your grassy lawn and replace it with food! Although a trend is never a enough reason alone to do something, the urban farming bandwagon is definitely one to hop on…right now. That’s right, having your own vegetable garden has always been smart, but now, it’s also trendy. Let’s hear it for eco-progress!
So, besides peer pressure and popularity, here are 9 reasons that you should get planning your urban farm, or simple herb garden…today:
1. How could you possibly get fresher and more local, than food grown in your own front or backyard, your windowsills, fire escapes, patios, in pots, or even eavestroughs?
2. Save money on food - and during the height of the harvest skip a few shopping trips – who doesn’t want to do all of that?
3. Get healthier! Not only will you be eating the freshest and most local produce packed full of amazing nutrients, but I bet you eat a lot more of them all if they are within arms reach. Plus, gardening reduces stress, makes you excited to be outside and can burn as many calories in 45 minutes as you can in 30 minutes of aerobics.
4. Growing your own vegetables and fruit means that you know exactly where your food comes from. You know what they say, know thy farmer, know they food!
5. Choose from so many more varieties of each veggie or fruit - and you can grow the things you like the best, and the things that cost a lot at the market. (very important: make sure when you are choosing seeds that they are NOT ones from this list)
6. Teach your children well. When you teach your kids where their food comes from (NOT the supermarket, but from the earth) and how much time it takes (tons of fun to watch), they will appreciate all they eat much more.
7. Have fun together! It’s a great activity to bring friends and family together, and connect with neighbours too. Who wouldn’t love juicy tomatoes right off the vine as a gift?
8. Preserve. It may sound like even more work, but freezing and/or canning your harvest means you’ll be enjoying the seeds you sow through the entire year. I’m still enjoying my garlic from last summer – I planted it October 2010, harvested it in Summer 2011 and I’m still enjoying it in 2012!
Lisa Borden , owner of marketing firm, Borden Communications, offers a holistic approach to consciously marketing responsible brands and services. She encourages everyone to be their own expert by offering new perspectives, and helping them find the clarity to uncover simple solutions to daily challenges. She claims that she is not a coach, a consultant, or a concierge, but rather a strategic blend of all of these roles - working to increase efficiencies, revenue, health and happiness. As a consultant to small businesses, corporations, non-profit organizations, school groups and individuals as well as a dynamic campaign and brand ambassador and motivational speaker, her message is always clear. Every action and every dollar matters and has an impact - so we’d better take each step wisely. Together. Follow Lisa on twitter @LisaBorden.
Spring means getting outdoors more with your children; or sending them outside to play while you enjoy the peace and quiet inside. Whatever your preference, you don’t want meal preparation to interrupt play time after school or mommy’s quiet time! Here is a quick afternoon snack for the kids that you can have ready for when they come home from school. Ask them to take it outside while you put the water on to boil for a spring Pasta Primavera. While you’re waiting, flip through a magazine, put your feet up and wave happily at them through the window! Enjoy!
Fresh Fruit Sundae Cones
Makes 4 cones
Ingredients 3/4 cup cut-up strawberries
2 cups cut-up fruit, such as apples, bananas, cherries, seedless red grapes, kiwifruit, plums, and/or peaches
4 large waffle cones
1/4 cup toasted coconut (optional)
Directions 1. Place strawberries in a blender and puree until smooth.
2. Spoon cut-up fruit equally into cones. Drizzle with the strawberry puree. If desired, top with coconut.
PASTA PRIMAVERA
Serves 6-8
Preparation Time 15 minutes
Cooking Time 10 minutes
Notes: Pasta Primavera literally translates to “Spring Pasta”.
Ingredients • 500g dried Fettuccine
• 2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 cup button mushrooms, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 4 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 cups fresh (or frozen and thawed) green peas
• Salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup roughly chopped basil (optional)
1. Bring a large pot of well salted water to a boil. Add the fettuccine, stir and bring back to a boil. Boil for 7 minutes for al dente. Drain but reserve 185ml of the water.
2. While the fettuccine is cooking, heat oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and cook until just golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add garlic and onions and cook 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in peas, salt and pepper. Immediately cover and cook until just tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside.
3. In the same skillet over medium heat, toss the hot, drained pasta with reserved pasta water, cheese and lemon juice.
4. Gently toss mushroom mixture and tomatoes into the pasta. Season to taste, transfer to serving bowl(s), top with basil and serve.
Nadine Hughes is the creator and owner of, The Cook’s Companion and The Menu Companion, through which she offers kitchen consultations, menu planning services as well as private cooking classes for adults and teens throughout Southern Ontario. She is also an award winning author. Pick up a copy of her latest cookbook “The Groove Mamma Goes Gourmet – Easy Ways To Put The Fun Back Into Entertaining” (awarded Best Canadian Entertaining Cookbook at the 2009 Gourmand Cookbook Awards) for $7.98 at www.groovemamma.com
Now that it’s March and the malls are showcasing their Spring lines, its hard not to wait impatiently for the snow to melt and the flowers to bloom. Hard not to think about longer days and talking leisurely walks outside. Another sign of Spring is March Break since the first day of Spring occurs during the time that most Canadian children are enjoying their week off school.
For some, March break is a time to get away to a much appreciated warmer climate. Others take shorter trips closer to home. For many, March Break allows your children – or your entire family – to take an extended break.Here are some things to consider:
Take a break. My advice to parents, and children, is to give themselves permission to take a well deserved break. Parents enjoy not having to get their children out of bed and making school lunches. Kids love sleeping in or staying in their pyjamas until noon. If you’re lucky enough to be enjoying time off with your children, remove some of the day to day pressures off your shoulders. As normal as it is to want to make sure that our children are always entertained and never bored, this is an opportunity to go from fast forward to pause. Practise saying “no” to being busy all the time.
Balance is key. If you must plan activities, remember that balance is key. Maybe reserve certain days for play dates, seeing a movie or going bowling and other days for doing nothing much. Children benefit from learning that they don’t always have to be busy to be happy.
Lazy pj day. Designate at least one day as a lazy pj day. This means that no one gets out of their pyjamas for an entire 24 hours. No one makes his or her bed and perhaps you’ll even be brave enough to let the dishes pile up in the sink.
Stage a one night black out. Prepare for this in advance with flashlights and board games and snacks. No electricity means no computers or anything electronic.
Deal with boredom. Acknowledge boredom but don’t feel responsible for it. As tempting as it is to say something like “how can you be bored with a whole cupboard of toys and games to play with?” instead say “ah, so you feel that you have nothing to do.” And then, depending on your child’s age, you can place the responsibility back on him or her by saying “I’m sure that you can come up with a creative project,” or “let’s brainstorm some ideas together.”
Fun at home. Along with spending some time outdoors or at indoor activities, fun at-home projects can include cooking, baking or engaging in a family project such as sorting through old family videos.
Stay cationing. If you’re not able to get away with your family for an extended trip, consider playing tourist in your own city and spending the night in a downtown hotel or taking a sightseeing bus to places you typically wouldn’t go.
No formal learning. Children need to take a break from formal learning during school breaks. So parents shouldn’t worry about anything too academic. However, there’s nothing wrong with a good game of scrabble or boggle, for example, to stimulate one’s brain anytime of year.
No screens period. Since the kids wont need to use the computer for “homework” assignments, try to designate a specific time of day (4-6pm) for example as a ‘no screens’ period. This means no ipad, ipod, computer, cell phone, ds or x box. Reading, writing or putting together a puzzle can be great alternate activities.This is really hard at first but gets easier over time.
Reduce stress. If you use this time as an opportunity to unwind, you may feel less stressed and since stress is contagious, everyone benefits when one or more family members are more relaxed.
Sara Dimerman is registered with the College of Psychologists of Ontario and provides counseling to individuals, couples and families. A parent herself, she is the author of two parenting books, ‘Am I A Normal Parent?’ and ‘Character Is the Key.’ Find out more at www.helpmesara.com.
Spring is considered a time for rejoicing! We say goodbye to the cold, snowy winter. After being inside for so long, the arrival of spring brings the opportunity to go outside and witness all of the “re-growth”. The leaves appearing on the trees, the flowers that are budding and the many little creatures that are coming out of hiding. Children bring out their chalk and dust off their bicycles. A time to celebrate! A time to enjoy…. Summer is just around the corner!
In this article I have included some spring cleaning tips, a treat to enjoy afterwards and then an art project that will be fun for one of those rainy spring days.
Spring cleaning CAN be fun!!
In our house, as in many, spring cleaning is not generally welcomed with open arms. More likely with groaning and complaining. I have come up with a plan that will make spring cleaning much more efficient and fun.
Try to pick a day and let everyone know in advance that date is going to be THE DAY. Put up a list of what tasks you expect to be completed.Ensure everyone knows that there will be a pizza (or your own family’s choice of a favourite dinner) as a reward at the end of the day!
Divide the day into four areas…
1.Cleaning bedrooms:
§Send everyone to their respective bedrooms and start the timer! By making it a game to see who can finish first, you appeal to their competitive side.My son dislikes doing chores, but when I make it a competition, he is always game!
§Give them some large garbage bags or cardboard boxes, labelled “toys” and “books”. Let them bag any books they no longer read or toys with which they no longer play.
2.Clothing Zone:
§Get everybody to try on all of their Spring and Summer clothes from the previous year. Anything that does not fit should be placed in garbage bags labelled ‘clothes”.
§Remind them to make a note of what needs to be replaced.My nine year old daughter loves this part of the cleaning process.She knows that this will ultimately result in a mommy-daughter shopping day!
3.For the love of sports:
§Take out all of your Summer sports equipment, including bikes, rollerblades, soccer balls and nets, pool equipment and games.
§Put on some fun dancing music, fill a bucket with some soapy water and use a sponge or cloth to wipe them all down.
4.Charity begins at home:
§Take all of the bags and boxes that your family had filled with books, toys and clothes and load them in your car. Take them to a donation centre or donation box located at your local shopping centre or grocery store.Those in need who will be very grateful!
Upon returning home, make a batch of these adorable cupcakes, a well-deserved treat after a busy and productive day.
Butterfly Cupcakes
There is no creature which represents the brightness and happiness of spring more than a butterfly.
These colourful cupcakes are fun to make anytime, even for a springtime birthday party!
You will need:
·1 package cake mix, plus the ingredients to prepare the mix
·1-2 containers (store bought) vanilla icing
·Red food colouring
·12 brown chocolate button candies per cupcake for decorating
·Decorative icing tube (store-bought), in black.
·Two white mini marshmallows per cupcake
Method
1.Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly spray 2 standard size muffin pans with non-stick spray
2.Prepare cake mix according to the directions on the package. Spoon batter in the prepared muffin cups, filling all 24 cups
3.Bake the “cupcakes” for 20-22 minutes. Remove cupcakes from the muffin pan and allow to cool completely on a wire rack
4.Place the white icing into a bowl, add a few drops of the red food colouring and mix well. You may wish to add a few more drops, one at a time, until you reach the desired shade of red. Stir the icing well.
5.Cover the top of each cupcake with the red icing. Using the black icing tube, draw a line down the centre of the cupcake to create two wings. Place two mini marshmallows at one end for eyes. Place a dot of black icing in the centre of each “eye”.
6.Decorate each cupcake with 6 brown chocolate button candies on each “wing” (12 per cupcake)
7.Eat and enjoy!
Makes 24 cupcakes. (Can be frozen for up to two months)
Spring Art:
Create your very own Spring-inspired outdoor scene using felt. You can cut the felt into many different Spring related shapes and then create scenes on yourboard.
You will need:
·A piece of cardboard cut down to your desired size
·A piece of felt just larger than the cardboard
·Glue
·Scissors
·Pencil or pen
·Felt pieces in a variety of colours
What to do:
1.Take your piece of cardboard and lay the large piece of felt over the board.
2.Fold the extra felt over; and glue it to the back. This will create a nice, smooth finish.
3.Using a pen or pencil, draw your designs on the different coloured felt and then simply cut them out . If you have trouble deciding what to draw, think about what kind of scenes you would like to create. (Here are some ideas for Spring: birds, butterflies, the sun, clouds, umbrellas, people, hats, trees, flowers, chairs, tables, cars and animals.)
An idea!! In the Spring, we see the weather change from snow, to rain, to thunder, to lightening to sunshine. You can create all of these items, place them on your felt board and play “weather reporter”.
Let’s all Spring forwards towards all of the joys Spring has to offer
and leave all the cold, wet, dull and depressing Winter behind us!
Shelley Sefton is a chef, recipe developer & creator of “Yummy in my Tummy” - classes for kids thatoffers them the opportunity toexperience exciting adventures in the kitchen – combining education, art,food and most important of all FUN! Contact: (905) 597-0672 or sdsefton@rogers.com.
Earth Day may have passed for 2010, but everyday presents the opportunity to admire the ‘natural’ miracles around us with our families. The photos below were taken at a park in Toronto this weekend.
We are excited to be participating in the Spring Babytime Show at the International Centre in Mississauga from April 30 to May 2. If you are attending, please come visit us and say hi at Booth #355.
The show provides a great place to learn out about new products, shop and listen to seminars about pregnancy, babies, pre-school aged children, and you! There will also be entertainment for tots.
Show tips: a) If you like to enter contests, print out labels in advance with your name, address, phone number and e-mail address to save a lot of writing, and 2) If available, bring a baby stroller even if you aren’t bringing a child to collect brochures and freebies.
Spring officially arrived on March 20th and I couldn’t be happier. After months of snow, sleet and cold winds it’s invigorating to get that first whiff of spring air. There’s something delicious about that clean outdoorsy fragrance that has me throwing back the curtains, cracking the windows open and letting me sniff to my hearts content; that is until my nose feels numb from the still chilly air and I quickly withdraw back into the warmth of the kitchen. I only wish I could bottle that scent and spritz it around my home. A chemist, I’m not so I will have to make do with trying to bring spring into my kitchen in different ways. We force bulbs and seedlings inside so why can’t I force Spring as well?
My first plan of action is to showcase what I call Living Art. Bringing flowers and plants indoors is a great way to cheer up a space. Big pitchers full of arrangements of different types of flowers put nature’s palette on display and in spring I especially love the look of baby blue with hydrangeas and cornflowers. If flowers aren’t your thing then pick up little pots of fresh herbs and place them on your windowsill. Mint is an excellent choice at this time of year as the scent and flavour is synonymous with spring. I find that if herbs are on display instead of hidden away in the refrigerator then I am more likely to use them on a regular basis. Doing double duty by freshening up your recipes and providing a welcoming view while doing the more mundane tasks like washing dishes or peeling potatoes makes potted herbs a wonderful addition to your spring kitchen.
Next on the list is my pantry. Each spring I haul everything out, give the shelves a good wipe down with plain old vinegar and water and breathe in the crisp clean smell of this natural cleaner. More wintry type spices such as cumin, paprika and curry powder get regulated a little farther back on the shelf and tarragon, dill and basil find themselves taking centre stage. It’s also a great time to check the freshness of all my spices by making sure they still have a strong aroma and replacing those that have lost their impact. Keeping your spices in well sealed glass jars and containers instead of plastic bags and out of direct light are beneficial in prolonging their life span.
Finally I stock my refrigerator with the best that spring has to offer. Foods like asparagus, radishes, peas, mint and spring lamb awaken my taste buds and have me thinking and craving light, breezy spring and summer recipes. Banishing the pot roasts and potatoes also give me a new sense of energy to get out and go for a walk after dinner to enjoy the extra hour of light at the end of the day.
So between fresh flowers, herbs, spices and tastes my kitchen awakens to the sights and aromas of spring. It’s like a brand new kitchen without the $100,000 price tag! So bring some freshness and sunshine into your home this season by doing more than just opening the windows.
Here’s a recipe that will help bring the flavours of spring to your palette.
BARBECUED SHRIMPS WITH SNOW PEAS AND MINT SALT
Serves 4
Preparation Time 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 2 minutes
Notes: Quick, bright and bursting with the fresh taste of mint, this recipe can be used as an appetizer or as a main meal when served with rice or a salad.
Ingredients:
• ½ cup fresh mint leaves
• 2 tablespoons sea salt flakes
• 1 kg medium green (raw) shrimps, peeled with tails intact
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 250g snow peas, trimmed
• Lemon wedges, to serve
1. To make the mint salt, place the mint and salt in the bowl of a small food processor and process until well combined. Set aside.
2. Heat a barbecue or heavy char-grill pan over high heat.
3. In two separate bowls, toss the shrimps with half of the oil and the snow peas with the remaining half of oil. Grill the shrimps and snow peas for 1-2 minutes per side or until cooked through and the snow peas are tender.
4. Serve the shrimps and snow peas together with the lemon wedges and mint salt as a condiment.
Nadine Hughes is a mother of two and a Home Entertainer with a vibrant personality and memorable cooking style. As the owner of The Cook’s Companion, Nadine offers lifestyle cooking and entertaining classes for adults, teens and private at home classes. She is also a food writer, guest speaker and television presenter. For more information on these services or The Menu Companion – dinner party menu planners, visit www.thecookscompanion.ca and www.themenucompanion.com.
As your child’s curiosity comes alive with the start of Spring, consider helping him/her appreciate their environment through a scavenger hunt.
Make a list of things for your child(ren) to find outside and look for them together, checking the items off as you find them.
You can choose to extend the scavenger hunt in the following ways:
a) Draw a map in advance of the area in which your child will look for the items. Then have your him/her mark off where each item was found directly on the map;
b) Bring along a notebook, and let your child draw their favourite items found;
c) Take photographs of your child with the items and/or have him/her take photographs, to remember this special activity; or
d) Let your child suggest items ’s/he observes’ for you to find after all the items you initially chose have been located.
Please feel free to share your favourite activites for kids to welcome in Spring.
We are excited to be participating in the Spring Babytime Show at the International Centre in Mississauga from April 3 to 5. If you are attending, please come visit us and say hi at Booth #211.
The show provides a great place to learn out about new products, shop and listen to seminars about pregnancy, babies, pre-school aged children, and you! Toopy and Binoo will also be entertaining tots with a stage show. Also collect free samples.
Show tips: a) If you like to enter contests, print out labels in advance with your name, address, phone number and e-mail address to save a lot of writing, and 2) If available, bring a shopping cart even if you aren’t brining a child to collect brochures and freebies.
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