Vacation starts tomorrow

Yeeeeeeee Haaaaaaaaaa!! Tomorrow marks the start of an extra long weekend for Construction Man, which means we will be heading back to CB to have some vacation time. This year, we passed on heading back to NYC to save some money and opted to just spend some time with family and have a splurge night somewhere nice with just the two of us.

After lots of online research and comparing prices, we are choosing to spend our one night at The Birches at Ben Eoin (https://www.thebirchescountryinn.ca/new/index.php?cid=3&pid=144&lang=e). I could not be more excited!! Since it is only one night and our splurge as I previously mentioned, we picked the biggest and best they have to offer. We will be staying in the Suite, which looks absolutely gorgeous, and we will be enjoying the Romance Package, which will give us a four course dinner in the on-site restaurant. This package also includes a Buffet breakfast in the morning and some wine and truffles that evening. Oh, and did I mention the hot-tub?!

Yes, excited, mostly for sleeping in the next morning and having some one-on-one time with Construction Man. It. Will. Be. Nice. Though I adore Superkid with every ounce of my being, these 9pm summer bedtimes are killing me! I miss my time to just relax and unwind, so hopefully, this one nighter will do the body good. The count-down is on---one more sleep until we hit the road and enjoy some time as a family, and, as a couple xoxo

Photo Credit- Scott McIntyre*

**For more of Scott's photography visit scottmcintyre.ca, he did our wedding photos and he is fabulous!

Greek Yogurt-- an expensive habbit!

About six months ago, my family made the switch from a regular stirred yogurt to Greek Yogurt. Our top reason for switching was taste, followed by the extra protein found in the Greek option (almost double the protein in Greek compared to regular).

Personally, I prefer the thick and rich taste of Greek compared to other yogurts that just seem runny now. The brand we buy is Oikos and the package consists of four small cups for $3.99.  So the price is not great, but they do offer lots of different flavors. Our favorites are honey, raspberry pomegranate and key lime, but they also have strawberry, blueberry and vanilla.

Since there are three of us eating yogurt each day in my house, we go through a lot of individual containers of yogurt. I would say about 5 plus packages a week, or about $80 or so a month! Wow! That is a lot of money to spend on yogurt alone so it pays to do your math and shop according to your budget. For us, we are just not willing to sacrifice the taste and switch back to a cheaper alternative. Maybe buying in bulk could be an option though? I would love to hear from anybody who goes Greek and saves money doing it :)

Fun Food for Toddlers

If you have a fussy eater like I do, you will do anything and everything to make a meal look fun, just so they will look at it. With Superkid, the cooler it looks, the more she will consider eating it, which is a bonus for me considering I spend most days chasing her around in a circle, popping food in her mouth while she plays, no joke.

Since Pinterest has come about, I have started a board for Superkid where I keep lots of cool food ideas, so far I have tried three that I will share with you today but I have lots more so keep checking back. Of the three I chose, two are super easy and one is more of a treat for a special occasion. Here they are:

This little caterpillar friend was the first fun-food I ever made (not this pic exactly). Superkid giggled away as she picked apart her snack which is stuck together by peanut-butter!

Next up is this super cute Teddy Bear! This takes only a minute or so to prepare but it will make for a very happy toddler at breakfast time. Use whole wheat toast and some organic peanut-butter and this is a very healthy teddy :)












Last up is a cute meal for a special occasion, we chose Easter and made lunch an egg hunt. Inside each egg were mini sandwhiches, goldfish cracker, fruit and rasions. Superkid thought this was great and finding the eggs was the best part. You could try this for other occasions too, like a Birthday. Have fun with it, be creative and try your own fun-food creations. Keep a look out later this summer for some more Toddler food fun posts.

A reason to wake up in the morning, or middle of the night for that matter.

One thing I have never tried my hand at was scones, so last week, with the help of Construction Man, I put myself to the test with a recipe for Skinny Buttermilk Chocolate Chip Scones. It was around 10pm and I had just sat down to relax after my aquacise class, when it occured to me I was ready for a snack, but not something I had laying around, something new and chocolaty, naturally.....

Not as hard as I thought they would be to make, I was surprised at how quickly we got them into the oven. I was so excited to taste the final product that I actually sat on the kitchen floor, in front of the oven until they were ready, I kid you not. Let me tell you, they were worth every bit of time I waited, so fluffy, so warm, and so dripping with butter....which is totally a contradiction to the idea that these are meant to be a low cal breakfast or snack, ah well!

These scones are great to eat fresh out of the oven, but even after they sit, I just pop them in the microwave for a quick zap and they are as good as new. They also freeze very well if you plan on not eating the whole batch in one sitting, your choice.

Like all good recipes, this beauty comes from Skinnytaste and is just under the 200 calorie mark for each scone (without the abundance of melted butter I spoke of), not bad at all! Have a look at my pics and then get in the kitchen to whip up a batch for yourself, they are divine!

http://www.skinnytaste.com/2012/01/skinny-chocolate-chip-buttermilk-scones.html

Quinoa- have you tried it?

Sometimes I wonder if I live under a rock because I always feel like I am the last to know about new products/foods. I'm fairly certain that Quinoa has been around for ages, but yet, I am just learning now about what a great source of protein it is, among other things.

If you want to read some quick facts about Quinoa, check out this article http://www.mnn.com/food/healthy-eating/stories/quinoa-nutrition-facts . What I love best about it, is that you can use it in lots of different ways, as a side or main dish. So far, I have tried two recipes, one which was on the back of the box I bought (I buy PC Oragnic Quinoa). The recipe is basically Quinoa with cumin and mixed veggies (I used red pepper, carrot and fresh chives) and it was great as a side dish! But, for me, I think the second recipe I tried was my favorite.

As a main dish I checked out a Quinoa Mac N Cheese Recipe and the whole family loved it. It makes a big 9x13 pan, so we had lots of leftovers for the week. This recipe can be found on my Healthy Living Pinterest Page or through this link http://aroundthetableri.blogspot.ca/2012/02/cheesy-quinoa-mac-cheese.html. For veggies I added some onion and broccoli and I topped it with some Franks hot sauce just as I was plating it. Oh, and don't skip on the Panko Italian Bread Crumbs before putting it in the oven, this gave it a really nice crunch and flavor. I'm sure if you compare nutrition facts between your regular mac n cheese and this healthy alternative, you will be surprised at how much better the Quinoa option is for you.

Quinoa Mac N Cheese

Summer Sunshine= Blog Neglect

Since July hit and summer showed its face around here, my posts have been on a steady decline. When we are lucky enough to have steady sunshine in the forecast like we do this week, you will find me outside with Superkid, watering the garden, general water play of all kinds, long walks and play-dates will consume our time, lucky me right?!

However, just because summer is here does not mean I am not still spending lots of time in the kitchen! I am forever trying new recipes and have lots of yummy dinners and desert pics and recipes to share with you guys :) Just today I made the BEST chocolate chip cookies that a great friend of mine, Kelly, recommended. Before today, I never really had a go-to chocolate chip recipe but now, I certainly do.

Tell me these don't like heavenly? And to boot, they are giant cookies, there is no other way, is there?

Please excuse my camera phone pics, they really are terrible quality, but you get the idea. This chewy chocolate recipe can be found here on the All Recipes web page http://allrecipes.com/recipe/best-big-fat-chewy-chocolate-chip-cookie/

Jalapeno Cream Cheese Cresent Poppers

Over the long weekend we thought it would be nice to invite some friends of ours over for dinner. This is not something we have time to do very often, so with a long weekend on our calendar, the timing was perfect. I planned on making dinner and picking up something for dessert since I would just be arriving back from vacation the day before. Lucky for me, my lovely friend also offered to bring an appitizer......which was amazing!

These delsih little pinwheels are called Japapeno Cream Cheese Cresent Poppers and they were spicy and fresh out of the oven yum! From what I can see from the recipe, they are super easy and you only need a few ingredients, so they will be a keeper in my recipe box for sure. I love things that are quick to whip up but have flavor that make people think you worked all day on them :P

Head over to Tasty Kitchen http://tastykitchen.com/recipes/appetizers-and-snacks/the-gangs-all-here-jalapeno-cream-cheese-crescent-poppers/ for the recipe and bring these to the next function your invited too.

Happy Canada Day!

Usually my family and I don't do too much to celebrate Canada Day, but now that Superkid is at a good age to enjoy some of the festivities we plan on partaking in some fun! Construction Man will take her to a free Pancake Breakfast for part of "Bedford Days," while I enjoy my Sunday morning sleep in (my favorite morning of the week). Later in the afternoon, we will all head down to watch the big parade. Luckily for us, its just a hop, skip and jump away, so we don't even need to get in our car, which is a bonus since it is a million degrees here today and we don't have AC :(

I hope you and yours have a great day celebrating if you are Canadian! I feel truly blessed to live in such a wonderful country. Happy Birthday Canada!

If you love movies, you will appreciate.....

That Liam Neeson is coming back in "Taken" part 2!!!!! This is so exciting, I can't wait. Here is the Trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFZ2eQ0PpW4&feature=player_embedded

Happy Birthday to Me!

Yesterday was my Birthday, the big 27! I chose to bake my own cake because that is what I love to do and went for taste over decoration this time. Originally, I planned to make a rose covered cake, but quickly decided I wanted cream cheese frosting for my Red Velvet cake and that is not stiff enough for decorating. So, it was plain, but amazingly delicious, if I do say so myself. Here is a slice for you to see and here are to many more Birthdays in the future!

Red Velvet cake with Chocolate Cream Cheese filling and Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting

10 things about Birthdays I look forward to

Today being my 27th Birthday, I thought I would take a second to think about what I enjoy about my special day, so here goes, in no particular order.

10.) Reading all my Facebook greetings from people near and far, thanks for those!

9.) Phone calls, so much more personal to hear someones voice saying Happy Birthday!

8.) Friends/family taking time out to do something to celebrate with me

7.) Taking time for myself- this year, getting my hair/nails done and a massage with a friend

6.) Surprises---both homemade and bought

5.) Checking the mail for cards from Cape Breton

4.) CAKE, this year I am making my own Red-Velvet cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

3.) Having some one-on-one time with Construction Man (usually out somewhere for dinner)

2.) Spending time with the people most important to me

1.) Having a day all about ME :)

Happy Father's Day

On Sunday we celebrated Construction Man's 3rd year as a Daddy. I am very lucky to not only have an amazing husband and father for Superkid, but also, one who is very low maintenance. When asked what he would like to do for Father's Day, he said something along the lines of "its just a regular day, nothing special". But I like special, so Superkid and I had a few little surprises up our sleeve for Daddy.

We made a little map for Daddy which he followed throughout the day to find out what we would be doing next, which was fun. We started with a nice breakfast of Pumpkin pancakes, bacon, ham and eggs, and Superkid gave Daddy her little craft she made for him (a construction paper tool box filled with little tools she colored). Later that day we went to Harvey's for lunch, Construction Man's favorite and we don't get there very often so it was a nice treat. Next, it was present time and Superkid and I surprised Daddy with 2 Sunday Field Passes to go Paintballing with a friend for the outdoor course. We finished the day with some treats and a family movie all snuggled up in the living room.

I feel lucky every day to be home with Superkid, but my favorite moments are the ones when Construction Man comes home from work at the end of the day and Superkid runs for him. She loves and misses Daddy so much when he is not here, but Constrcution Man is really hands on, always dancing around and playing when he is home. So here's to you my love, for always finding a way to make Superkid smile, scream with joy, and giggle. I love our time together and cherish the special moments we create together as a family, everyday.

xoxo MegaMommy

Birthday Weekend Success

With my big 27th Birthday coming up this week, I decided it would be fun to do some early celebrating on the weekend. I started out with an appointment to get my hair done on Friday, something I only do about twice a year, so it was nice to relax and let someone else pamper me.

Saturday afternoon I continued the fun with a great friend of mine who took me out to lunch at a nice pub we had never been too. Added bonus, just as the bill came from lunch, I thanked my friend, who then replied with a "Happy Birthday," and our waitress brought us out a nice warm, Chocolate Brownie with vanilla ice-cream and whip on top, on the house, sweet!!!!! Following lunch, some shopping and a one hour massage at a near-by spa completed a lovely day, or so I thought.

At this point, I thought my day was over, my friend was bringing me back home and said she would come in for a little bit, which was not out of the ordinary. What I did not know was that lovely friend J and Construction Man were pulling off a master plan. I was instructed to head to the kitchen for a surprise, or mathematical equation as it turned out.

Can you do the Math?

Chocolate + Eclair =

Tickets to the "Choclair" show!!

Very clever of Construction Man, who managed to completely pull the wool over my eyes on this one. Big, big, thanks to friend J, who babysat that night for us, and helped to pull off the master plan. I could not have asked for more on a lovely Saturday afternoon/evening. Looking forward to Wednesday when I can blow out my candles with my family and cut into my Red Velvet Cake.

Friday Fruit Dip

I love dip! Veggie dip, chip dip, fruit dip, nacho dip, spinach dip, dip for my garlic fingers, you get the point, right? Put it this way, if there was a dip for every meal, I would be a happy camper!

The thing with dip is that most of the time its not entirely healthy, so not something I get to enjoy as much as I would like. When I was browsing through Pinterest the other day, however, I came accross this Peanut Butter Yogurt dip, which is not too bad for you but tastes like it is. Score!



With only 3 or 4 ingredients you will be dipping in no time. All you need is:

• 1/2 cup fruit-flavored yogurt*
• 1/2 cup natural runny peanut butter
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• Fruit/veggies for dipping

*To customize the flavor, use 6 tablespoons of yogurt and 2 tablespoons of any fruit jam.

Mix it all together and refrigerate, yum! We used strawberries and bananas for dipping, but I think it would be great with Apples too. Happy Dipping!

Dark Chocolate + Shortbread = Love

My love for chocolate has just reached an all time high after baking these cookies! They are defiantly in the category of "you can't eat just one" and they have that stick to the roof of your mouth goodness about them. I am not a milk drinker myself, but I think these are the type of cookies you would have with a tall glass.

The ingredients list on these shortbread's is short, just the way I like it. All you need is:

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup confectioner's sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup dark cocoa powder
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips


The best part of this recipe, besides the fact that you could eat half the bowl of dough before it hits the oven, is that everything is done in the food processor, so very little mess afterwards. One batch made us about 20 cookies or so and I packed over half of them into my freezer for later after they were baked. You can actually double the recipe and freeze half of your dough for future use too if you want to have something ready to pop in the oven last minute. You can find the details on how to bake these on my "Indulgence" Pinterest page or by visiting this blog:

http://theviewfromthegreatisland.blogspot.ca/2011/12/double-dark-chocolate-shortbread.html

What was left of our dough after Superkid and I dug in.

Rolled up after it rested in the fridge for a few hours.

Superkid, who laid all the cookies out on the sheet.

All done!

Pumpkin, Pumpkin and more Pumpkin

Recently, I posted about the Pumpkin Mac&Chesse I made for Superkid, and since then I have been using pumpkin a lot for cooking and baking (mainly because of  leftover pumpkin in that giant can you have to buy to make one thing). Nevertheless, I have loved experimenting with it in lots of different dishes.

Two of my new favorite breakfast dishes are Martha Stewart's Pumpkin Pancakes and the Maple Pumpkin Pie Yogurt Parfait. The pancakes are thick but fluffy and real maple syrup makes all the difference, so don't skip on that. The yogurt parfaits are basically pumpkin pie in a glass, without the guilt. They make a great breakfast, dessert or snack.

Maple Pumpkin Pie Yogurt Breakfast Parfait

Superkid making the delicious Sunday Morning Pumpkin Pancakes

Pumpkin Pancakes

I also tried out some Pumpkin muffins but substituted the cup of sugar in the recipe for a cup of artificial sweetener. The muffins turned out good, but I could not get past that aspartame aftertaste, so I would recommend sticking with the regular sugar if you are going to try this one out.

Pumpkin Muffins Pre-Oven

Pumpkin muffins ready to eat!

Recipes can be found with the following links:

 http://www.marthastewart.com/271839/pumpkin-pancakes

http://www.theyummylife.com/maple_pumpkin_parfait

The Very Hungry Caterpillar--Easy Craft

 If you have never read the popular children's book "The Very Hungry Caterpillar," you should put it on your list of things to do this summer. It is a super cute story that your kids will have you reading over and over again, a favorite in our house for sure.

Since this book has been a favorite of Superkids, we decided to plan a little craft to go along with the book to stick on our fridge. You don't need very much for supplies, here is what we used:

• A piece of background paper- I used plain white
• PomPoms- you can get these at the Dollarstore or WalMart
• Pipe Cleaners- to make antenna for your caterpillar
• A hot glue gun to stick the PomPoms to the paper
• Some crayons/pencil crayons or markers to title your picture

To assemble, simply glue your PomPoms in a caterpillar like direction, add the antenna to the top of his head, and decorate as you please. I let my hot-glue dry slightly so Superkid could place the PomPoms herself. Voila! A quick and easy craft to do after you read this wonderful story.

Here is what ours looked like. You could spiffy it up by adding some little eyes on your Caterpillar too. Have fun with it and make it your own.

Summer Project for Superkid

I figure if I make a post about this project, I will be more apt to stick to my guns about it and get it done. So, my plan, with the help of Construction Man of course, is to make a Ladybug Tire-Swing for the backyard that looks something like this:

 

I already have the old tire laying around, so if I pick up some spray paint, chain and a few other little odds and ends, I am thinking this is doable. Isn't it adorable? I know Superkid will love it!

 

Inside Out Carrot Cake Muffins

My first attempt at Carrot cake was a success!

The recipe I used was moist and flavorful and filled with a cream cheese filling, so you can't go wrong. They were pretty easy to bake but a word of advice is to spray your muffin wrappers with cooking spray so they don't stick. You can find the recipe for these on my Pinterest "Indulgence" board. These will be sure to make your weekend that much better, I promise!

Oh, and these are by NO means healthy, in fact, I would say they are terrible for you, so be sure to share lol

Just about ready to get mixing.

Cream Cheese Filling

Ready to taste

YUM

Oh Mr. Sun

Dear Mr. Sun,

Please shine down on ME! I'm longing to sit outside with a cool drink and a great book.

Pinterest Crazed!

Anyone that knows me, know that a have a slight obsession with being organized and following through on something once I start it. I make lists upon lists and am obsessed with checking the completed tasks off one by one until I have accomplished everything. So, can you see how Pinterest could be kind of a problem for someone like me yet?

You see, once I pin it, I have to make it....which would be easy if I casually pinned here and there. But no, there is nothing casual about the way I pin, so I have been on a cooking/baking mission for quite a while now, which kind of inspired this blog to begin with. The other day, I actually sat down and counted how many of my "Pins" I actually cooked or baked so far and even I was a little shocked! I was thinking maybe 25-30ish. I don't know, who actually counts these things? ME?! Drumroll please........................................................................I am at FIFTY-SIX completed food based pins. I don't know if I am proud or embarrassed, but either way, I am checking things off my list and probably making my friends and family gain weight in the process.

Super Macoroni for Superkid

Superkid has always been a fussy eater, but as she got bigger it became more and more frustrating trying to find healthy alternatives to kid friendly foods. Lately, her taste-buds seem to be changing a bit so I have been offering her lots of different recipes and she seems to be enjoying them, one of which was last nights "Super Macaroni".

Any meal that you can hide veggies in is a bonus, and when dealing with fussy eaters, sometimes hiding veggies is your only option. The hidden veggie in this dish is pure pumpkin and it turned out quite tasty with a really creamy cheese sauce that Superkid loved. Plus, you can use whole wheat macaroni too which is great.

Since it was my first time making the recipe, I cut it in half and it still made a really big dish full. You can also freeze this in individual portions to heat up when you are in a hurry. You can find this recipe, along with some other great toddler meals at:  http://www.simplebites.net/one-pot-wonders-for-babies-toddlers/.

Here are the pics of the cheese sauce just about finished and the final product:

It Pays to Shop Around $$$

May was renewal month for our Car Insurance Policy we have not been happy with the price we have been paying for a while now. Though we did get the best price out of a few after shopping around last year, we were still spending over $200 a month to cover one vehicle----which is way to much when you are a saver!

So, this year I was pleasantly surprised when an Alumni e-mail popped into my inbox from my old University. The school I went to partnered up with an Insurance Company to offer a discount on insurance for all Alumni of the school, great right? I did a quick online quote and could not believe what the computer was telling me! Nothing had changed in our policy but I was going to go from paying over $200 a month to a nice $100 a month :)

Since I am a skeptical person, I grabbed the phone to call and see if this was actually possible because I was sure I made some kind of mistake, but lo and behold, the lady on the other end of the phone told me what I was quoted was correct. The name of this lovely company is TD Meloche Monnex and you can find there website here: http://www.melochemonnex.com/en/home .

Even if you are not an Alumni of the University I went to, it is still worth the call if your renewal is coming up soon. For a few minutes of your time, you could save yourself over $1500 for the year like we did.

Quick and Easy Friday Night Dinner

Friday's can easily turn into a take-out dinner kind of evening; everyone is tired and wants someone else to do the cooking. Last Friday, that is exactly how I was feeling, but I sucked it up and worked with what I had in the kitchen that would be healthy & fast.

I through some little red potatoes into a baking dish with olive oil and montreal steak spice, lined my cookie sheet with foil and tossed some fresh green beans with olive oil and salt/pepper, and got to work on making a wrap. If you keep chicken/turkey meatballs in the freezer like we do, (I buy PC Blue Menu from Superstore) you always have something quick to heat up and pop into a wrap. Add some fresh greens and Swiss cheese and voila, a nutritious and quick meal with little prep work.

I like to add a little fresh Parmesan to my baked green beans as soon as they come out of the oven, but you can leave that out if your not a fan. Another way to do the potatoes is to omit the montreal steak spice and opt for some fresh garlic and Parmesan. Try different things and mix it up! Enjoy the weekend everyone.

Deep fried bliss

Ok, so I do not own a deep-fryer, for very good reason. If I did, I would be making things like I ate last weekend- deep fried pickles and deep-fried burgers! Yes...an artery clogging, deep fried burger, topped with sour cream and jack chesse. Let me back up a little here...

A good friend of mine was getting ready to leave for the summer, so a few of us got together to grab some drinks and a bite to eat last weekend. We went to a local place known for their burger menu, so naturally, most of us tried something new in that department. Myself of course, chose the ever popular deep-fryer burger. All it is really, is a hamburger and fix-ins covered in a tortilla wrap and flash-fried, then topped with sour-cream and cheese, and let me tell you, it was D-E-L-I-S-H. Mind you, I could only eat close to half of it, since I was also enjoying some french fries and my pickles.

Now, lets get to the pickles. If you like dill, you will love these. Imagine a large spear of pickle, deep fried in a crunchy Italian like batter, along with a ranch like dipping sauce and fresh dill. Sadly, we hoed into the pickles so quickly, I forgot to snap a pic to show you :( I did however, grab a pic of the burger for your viewing pleasure, so without further a due, the deep-fried burger.

Dreaming of Cake

Ok, so I think I have a cake problem?! Last night, right before bed, all I could think about was cake, and icing, mounds of mounds of buttercream icing! Right before I went to sleep I was talking cake with Construction Man, so maybe that's why it stayed in my head all night. Regardless, my thoughts are still consumed with cake this morning so I thought I would share some decorating ideas with you.

Since I love to bake, I plan on making my own Birthday cake next month. If you have not had a chance to check out the Blog "I am Baker" then you really should, that is where I picked my design for my soon to be Birthday cake.

 

The inside has vertical layers :)

So there it is, isn't it a beauty? I can't wait to try it out and take some pics to share with everyone. There is also a similar version of the Rose cake done Neapolitan style that I also want to try.

I guess we will just have to wait and see how much energy I have on my Birthday, but one of these ladies is going to be all mine, well, I guess I will share. Check out the "I Am Baker" blog for more decorating ideas and recipes http://iambaker.net/

A healthy Triple Chocolate Muffin? Yes please :)

If you are anything like me, than you LOVE chocolate. I'm talking about the can't get you out of my head, true heart's desire, kind of love. This can obviously be a problem....so when I pinned a recipe for healthy chocolate muffins, I was excited to get in the kitchen.

The only thing I did not enjoy about the recipe, was that it used a cup of sugar substitute, which I am not a fan of, but hey, you win some, you lose some. The rest of the recipe calls for simple, healthy ingredients like apple sauce instead of oil and cocoa powder instead of mounds of actual chocolate. But don't fret, there are a few chocolate chips in the recipe for good measure.

Overall, the taste was pretty great considering the lack of un-healthy ingredients. They were Superkid approved and judging by how fast they were consumed, I believe Construction Man was a fan too. They will definitely be something I make again because they are almost guilt-free for me, and I like that when it comes to my chocolate! Next time you have the urge to bake healthy, give this one a try. The recipe can be found here : http://healthyisalwaysbetter.tumblr.com/post/6583755120/lessthan300kcal-triple-chocolate-chunk-muffin

Toddler Times- what Superkid is up to now!

On a day-to-day basis, I find myself in awe of how much my little Superkid knows and learns. Construction Man and I have always thought she was the smartest most beautiful little girl in the whole wide world, but obviously, we are her parents and we are biased, of course.

At any given time, like most toddlers, she is surprising us, changing with every blink of an eye and it all happens so fast. From first steps, to big-girl beds and potty training, I am always wondering what will be our next big milestone, but she never makes me wait to long to show me something new she can accomplish.

Here are some of the things Superkid is up to now, at 27 months:

• Mommy Mocking- Saying things like "Bless you Heart" when someone sneezes or calling her little friends "Sweetie".
• Strong Decision Making- When asked which Blizzrd flavor she prefered a few weeks ago, Mom's Midnight Truffle or Dad's Strawberry Cheesequake, she didn't choose but replied "I like both".
• Book Memory- We get a slew of books each week from the library, which we burn through in no time, and Superkid after one read, can usually recall and help finish sentences from the pages.
• Puzzle Building- Over the past week, she managed to teach herself to put together her 10 ft, 28 piece Alphabet puzzle, on her own. This is a new favorite and she does it multiple times a day.
• Personal info- If Superkid is ever lost, we can rest assured if asked, she could provide the following information: Her full name, address (including street number), hair and eye color, and parents first and last names.
• Surroundings- We noticed she has a keen eye for her surroundings, always asking what so and so place is or what the name of this and that is. She can now easily rhyme off many landmarks around our area including the Library, Grocery store names, big-box stores like Wal-Mart and Canadian Tire, and resturants like Boston Pizza and Eastside Mario's, to name a few.
• Music-We listen to a lot of music via the radio and YouTube in our house, and Superkid listens to our music as much as her own kid stuff. She loves to sing and has been asking for specific songs and singers in particular which is really cool.

As a mom, I could go on and on for days with the list, but I will cap my Mommy bragging right there for now.  I have to admit, I could not be any prouder and I'm sure you can tell. I can't wait to see what Superkid will show me next; only time will tell.

Happy Friday

There is no better day of the week than Friday, its just special. For me, its the day I slack on cleaning because I hope to not be in the house much during the weekend anyways. It's also a day when I get to think about what I want for a little weekend treat, which is usually something I bake.

We spent our morning grocery shopping and hitting up the library for some quality mommy/superkid time, which is something I make a point to do every week. We have been going since Superkid was about 3 months old and she really has a love for books!

The rest of my weekend is shaping up nicely with a possible play-date this afternoon and a get together with friends tomorrow evening. I will also be hitting the local pool with Superkid this weekend for the 1st time in a while, which will be fun. Throw in a campfire in the backyard and life is complete.

With no real theme for this post I will leave you with what I think is a very fitting "Happy Friday" pic, enjoy :)

Beat the heat with easy ice-coffee

We have been getting some really warm temperatures the last  week or so and one can not complain about that. However, if there is one thing I know, its that the sunshine makes me crave cold, icy, drinks and at take-out prices, you can really rack up a bill. For instance, a Grande Cookie Crumble Frap from Starbucks will cost you just about $6, besides the zillion calories that come with it. I must admit, I did indulge in one while finishing off the Hunger Games Trilogy last weekend and it was worth every penny, but in moderation of course.

A healthier do-at-home ice coffee is as simple as two ingredients: Almond Milk and your fav Coffee :) Simply freeze you cooled down coffee in ice cube trays, and pop a few in a glass of almond milk for a delicious drink when your feeling the heat. These are quick and easy when you are entertaining during the summer months too and it won't break the bank.

Finger Painting Fun

If you are looking for something super fun to do on a rainy day, make your own finger paints! Ok, so maybe the process of making them is not super fun, but your little ones will have a great time playing with them and that will make it worth it. Besides, its pretty quick and easy and you probably have the supplies on hand.


My advice is not to let it thicken to long or that can end up making Vaseline like texture paints, which happened to me the first time I made it. Other than that, have fun with it and experiment  with different colors.




Here is what mine looked like!                                                           Here is Superkids lovely Artwork