shanna's eats: fresh tzatziki pizza

One of my cravings this pregnancy has been tzatziki - I absolutely can not get enough of it. I could eat it first thing in the morning as I was getting out of bed if I thought it was socially acceptable! One of my go-to snacks or a light lunch is a fresh tzatziki pizza. Not only do I love love love this pizza but so do the kids. It is quick and easy and tastes even better when you can use the veggies growing in your garden. This is a great opportunity to teach your children about harvesting their on veggies and then making a scrumptious meal to fill their bellies.

This pizza is simply naan bread toasted with tzatziki and topped with Lebanese cucumbers, red peppers, cherry tomatoes and a little fresh ground pepper and sea salt. I like to add crumbled feta cheese on top but did not have any on hand the day I made this bad boy. I especially love this meal as it does not require any cooking time, the veggies are uncooked providing us with as many nutrients as possible and it's just pretty to look at.

Give this one a try and I know you will not be disappointed!

Happy Eating!!!

shanna's eats: jazzed up spinach salad

I have received a lot of requests from friends, family and some of my awesome followers who are expecting asking what I like to fill my belly with when I am pregnant. I have to start off by saying this pregnancy did not allow me to eat a whole lot during the first three months, but now that I am slowly getting my appetite back which makes me one happy girl who loves me some good ol' food. One goal our family and I always try our best to stick to is trying to eat healthy and clean but that's not to say we don't enjoy our occasional take-out.

So, without further ado, here is one of my favourite go-to dishes these days - jazzed up spinach salad. This salad is perfect for lunch and if I am planning on serving it for dinner I add a grilled chicken breast and voila!  I have made several of these babies and these toppings seem to fit together just right.

Shanna's Jazzed Up Spinach Salad- Serves 2 portions
- 1 bunch of fresh spinach ( make sure you clean well)
- 2 Lebanese cucumbers
- 1 apple (I like Macintosh or Golden Delicious)
- Handful of strawberries
- Handful of sunflower seeds
- Handful of walnuts
- 1/2 cup of Feta cheese, crumbled
- Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil
- Top with 1-2 grilled chicken breasts (Optional)

chocolate chip cookie dough recipe

Sorry, the pic is a little blurry but I was just so excited to dig in, I couldn't get a good pic.

You may remember a few weeks back when I had a girls' night to watch the Bachelorette and told you all about filling our bellies with some goodies. One of those goodies was a chocolate chip cookie dough dip with cookies. I have had several requests for me to share the recipe with all of you. I love me some sweet stuff and this recipe did not disappoint. I went on the hunt for the perfect recipe and good ol' Pinterest pulled through as I found this recipe over at thewaytohisheart . I didn't seem to be the only one who thought it was quite yummy as there were plenty of times in the days following after our girls night I walked into the kitchen to see someone dipping into it. Animal crackers were a great choice to use to scoop up all that creamy goodness. Next time you are having a girls' night in, give this recipe a try. This is definitely a sweet treat and probably not the best choice if you are trying to eat healthy but hey, every now and then it's okay to spoil yourself.

Ingredients 

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 8-ounce block of cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips, plus extra for sprinkling (I used the normal sized chips)

Directions

• In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.
• Whisk in the brown sugar until it dissolves and the mixture starts to bubble. Stir in vanilla and set aside to cool.
• In a separate bowl, cream the cream cheese and powdered sugar together for 60 seconds.
• With the mixer on low speed, add in brown sugar and butter mixture, then the salt. Mix until combined. Stir in the mini chocolate chips.
• Garnish with additional mini chocolate chips. Serve with animal crackers, Nilla wafers, or graham crackers. I found that this tasted better the colder it got.

radish chips recipe

Are you looking for a new salad topper or are you trying to find a new way to sneak some veggies into that picky eater you may have? Radishes are the perfect choice! One of Little Miss L.'s favourite treats to make are radish chips. She loves eating them on their own as a snack but we both love topping our salads with them as well. At times, it can be hard to get the little one to eat her radishes fresh, but baking these beauties takes away that harsh, peppery taste. Give them a try the next time you want to explore an alternative option to eating them fresh.

Ingredients

• Large bunch of radishes
• 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons of fresh herbs ( I like to use rosemary or oregano) There have been several times when I did not have fresh herbs on hand, dried herbs work just as well.
• 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt and black pepper

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit or 160 celsius. 
• Thinly slice radishes. 
• In bowl, toss radishes with oil, herbs, salt and pepper.
• Line in a single layer on parchment paper, place on baking sheet.
• Place on middle rack of oven for 15 minutes. Turn radishes over and back in the oven for another 15-20 minutes until they are golden and crisp.
• Let cool, and enjoy!

Time to get cutting.

Time for the oven. Note: this time I omitted the herbs on Little Miss L.'s request.

Little Miss L. making the final inspection.

Look they are done!

Humm, which one will I chose?

Time for my snack (and it's healthy too!)

These sure are yummy!

The final product. 

no bake haystacks

Little Miss L. loves helping out in the kitchen. I love watching her face as her daddy walks in the door after work and she is all giddy as she tells him all about what she said made that day. As most of you know, it is hard to find a recipe that captures a two year old's interest, does not take too long to make (as we all know their attention span is quite short at this age), and does not require too many utensils and bowls etc. One recipe that I always turn to, is a no-bake haystack recipe. It is fast, easy, and Little Miss L. loves getting her hands all gooey. Give it a try, I promise you won't be disappointed.

Ingredients

• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup of cocoa powder (I love cocoa so I use lots but 1/3 cup is enough)
• 3 cups quick cooking oatmeal
• 1 1/2 cups shredded coconut
• 1/3 cup Flax seed
• 1/3 cup Hemp hearts
• 1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla extract

Preparations

• In a large saucepan, combine sugar, milk, butter, and cocoa powder; bring to a boil.
• Remove from heat and stir in remaining ingredients.
• Drop from a teaspoon or I like to use my hands to place onto waxed paper.
• Hint - work quickly as mixture hardens fast.
• Place in refrigerator. 

Someone loves to lick the spoon.

The finished product. In the preparation, I suggested to place on waxed paper, well if you are like me and ran out, just lightly spray on some non-stick cooking spray to your cookie sheet.

Yum, I love tasting my creations.

I will lick every last bit off of my hand.

My little helper.

Time to dig into the final product.

I asked Little Miss L. how they tasted and this was her reaction. She rubbed her belly and told me it was yummy in her tummy.

Little Miss L. loves haystacks as her afternoon snack.

They are finger-lickin' good

roasted pumpkin seeds recipe

Halloween is now over, but if you are anything like our family, we still have a few pumpkins left over that we didn't have a chance to carve - there was no way I was going to let them go to waste. I love love love roasted pumpkin seeds! I got out the knife and went to work extracting those slimy little seeds. I could not wait to roast my seeds the following day. After 40 minutes, the aroma of roasted pumpkin seeds filled our home.

Ingredients

• Pumpkin seeds
• Cooking spray or olive oil
• Salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning

Preparation

• Rinse pumpkin seeds. Remove all the pulp.
• Spread out on a cookie sheet to dry overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Celsius.
• Coat seeds in non-stick cooking spray or olive oil, if you prefer.
• Sprinkle with salt, pepper, garlic powder, Italian seasoning and/or any other spice you prefer. Toss to coat.
• Bake for 25-35 minutes, checking and tossing every 10 minutes until golden brown.
• Cool pumpkin seeds. Place in airtight container at room temperature.

Coat seeds with cooking spray and seasoning.

Spread on cookie sheet.

Pumpkin seeds are ready when they turn golden brown.

The finished product. Mason jars work great for storing seeds.

apple cider served in a hollowed apple - my favourite fall drink

I love love love the fall for many reasons but one of my favourite things to look forward to this time of year is fresh apple cider straight from the apple orchard. As you may remember from this post, our family went to the orchard a few weeks back. Before we left, my top priority was to purchase a jug of apple cider. I love love love warming apple cider on the stove and then sipping a mug of it on a crisp fall day. The aroma of apples and cinnamon running through our home can brighten any grey day. This fall, one of my favourite things to do with Little Miss L. is to warm up the good stuff and serve it in a hollowed apple. Little Miss L. thinks it is the coolest thing to drink something out of an apple instead of a cup and after all of the apple cider is gone, the fun part begins -eating the rest of the apple.

This is how I like to spice up my cider. Give it a try, I know you won't be disappointed.

Hot apple cider with cinnamon and cloves

• 6 cups of fresh apple cider
• 2 cinnamon sticks (you can find at your local health food or bulk foods store)
• 6 whole cloves (also found at health or bulk foods store)
• Pour cider into a sauce pan.
• Place cinnamon sticks and cloves into a cheesecloth and tie with kitchen string
• Place spice bundle into cider on medium heat for 10 minutes or until cider is very hot but not boiling
• Remove spice bundle and serve cider. My favourite is to serve cider in a cored apple with a cinnamon stick

Little Miss L. couldn't wait to get her hands on it.

Let's be careful not to spill.

Look how proper she is.

Dig into that apple my girl.

apple crisp recipe

Yippee, it is Friday and I can't wait for the weekend to begin. If you are looking for a great fall recipe this weekend to keep you busy, then look no further... I have a scrumptious recipe for you. I love love love apple crisp, especially when I am able to use fresh apples from the orchard. This recipe I borrowed from my mother is fast and easy to do, and tastes great with vanilla ice cream. Have a fabulous weekend everyone and enjoy!

Ingredients

• 4 cups of apples peeled and sliced (add more if you like, I usually do)
• 1/2 cup of sugar
• 1/3 cup of flour
• 1/3 cup of butter
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1/2 cup of brown sugar
• 1 cup of oats ( I like to add more)

Preparation

• Take your apples and mix with sugar.
• Butter your dish. I like to use a 9x13 inch pan.
• Mix all remaining ingredients together.
• Place apples in pan. 
• Crumble oat mixture on top.
• Bake for 30 minutes at 375F or until you see your apples have cooked down.

homemade salsa

You may remember this post from a few weeks ago about how I love love love salsa, especially homemade salsa - it just seems to taste better than the store-bought brands. I love the taste of fresh tomatoes from the garden. I love the feeling I get when I open a jar of homemade salsa in the middle of winter, it brings me back to the summer months. I was lucky that my good friend Jenn decided to come over and help me out because, let's face it - trying to get anything done while tending to a toddler and a newborn can sometimes be task in itself. I have had a few people ask me what recipe we used to make our homemade salsa. I would like to say that we followed one, but that was not the case. We kind of threw in a little of this and a little of that and hoped for the best. I was pretty happy with the end result, but it was a little on the sweet side. Next year, I think I will add a little more spice. What is your favourite salsa recipe?

I tried to remember exactly what we did but my life is kind of a blur lately. It went something like this...
Ingredients:

• 60 Roma tomatoes, peeled 
• 2 large red peppers
• 2 large green peppers
• 5 large onions
• 3 heads of garlic
• 2 large cans of tomato paste
• 5 Jalapeno peppers
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 cups vinegar
• 8 teaspoons of sea salt

Directions:

• Blend - or if you like your salsa chunky, chop - tomatoes, peppers, garlic, jalapenos, and onions. 
• Place in large pot. Add sugar, vinegar, tomato paste, and salt. 
• Simmer for 2 hours, stirring often. 
• Jar and process... then enjoy!

Jenn working hard.

The finished product.

Little Miss L. couldn't wait to get her hands on a jar of salsa.

Mommy, can we please eat it now?!?!

quinoa taboule salad

I love love love salads! I am always on the lookout for a new recipe to try, especially in the summer months because I love to hit up the local farmer's market or family garden for fresh and yummy ingredients. I am a huge fan of couscous and love to use it in salads. I would tend to stick with couscous as my go-to when I was not sure what to make, until I came across quinoa. Both are small in apprearance and many people tend to think of them as a grain, but techincally they are not. Couscous falls into the pasta catergory, whereas quinoa is the seed of the Chenopodium or Goosefoot plant. They both are used as a grain and substituted for grains because of their cooking characteristics. The other day, I was trying to decide on a side dish for dinner and thought I would give quinoa a try - let me tell you, I was not disappointed! It is the perfect salad to make in the summer months because most of the fresh ingredients can be found locally.

Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked and cooled quinoa grain. I like to use Inari Organic Quinoa - you can buy it online with free shipping here
• 1 cup chopped parsley
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions
• 2 Roma tomatoes chopped (I usually take the flesh part out)
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh mint
• 1 garlic clove minced (or if you love love love garlic like I do, use 2)
• 1 tbsp minced fresh basil
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 tsp of salt
• 1/8 tsp of fresh black pepper
• 2 Lebanese cucumbers chopped (optional)

Preparation

• Rinse quinoa with cold water before cooking to remove any powdery residue that many remain on the seeds.
• Follow cooking directions on package.
• Prepare all of the ingredients above.
• Toss together all ingredients in large bowl.
• Chill for 1 hour or more to allow flavours to blend.
• Serve as a side dish with meat such as chicken or beef or alone with pita bread. 

The finished product.

love love love popsicles!

I love love love popsicles and so does Little Miss L. There is nothing better on a hot summer's day then a nice cold treat. With all the different products out there pumped full of the bad stuff, it's hard to find ones I would give to my daughter. I thought, why not make my own? It is cheaper and I know what is going into them. Little Miss L. loves sour things, so I opted to make her lemonade and strawberry popsicles. It only takes five minutes to prepare and you can make whatever your little heart desires.

Ingredients

• A handful of fresh strawberries.
• A carton of lemonade (or freshly squeezed) I like to use the juicer when I have time.

Preparation

• Pulled out my trusty popsicle mold. You can find them at your local grocery store or I was able to find some at our local dollar store. They are reusable, so great for the environment!
• Chopped up the strawberries into small pieces. Add them to the bottom of the popsicle mold.
• Then I poured the lemonade into the mold until it reached the top.

There you have it folks, it can't be much simpler than that! It is a great way to get the little ones to eat their fruit and the sky is the limit when making your own flavour. I also love adding my smoothies into the mold - they are a great snack for the summer. I will post my favourite smoothie recipes next week.

Enjoy this sunny weather, we can't get enough of it!

Oh, this popsicle is so good! Just relaxin' and soaking up the sun.

I could stare at those eyes all day long.

Nothing like watching the clouds roll by and enjoying a  yummy treat.

blueberry banana bread

I love love love a yummy loaf of banana bread. Last week they had blueberries on sale at the local grocery store so I grabbed several packs, threw them into the cart and was on my way. Once I got home, I realized I wasn't sure what I was going to do with all of them. Then the light bulb came on in my head and I decided why not add some blueberries to a loaf of banana bread?  Let me tell you, I was not disappointed. The two flavours compliment each other and the blueberries add a special kick for the summer. This is a great recipe to serve if you are having guests over for coffee/tea.

Ingredients

• 4 ripe bananas, mashed
• 1/3 cup of melted butter
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• Pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup fresh blueberries (you can use frozen if you don't have any fresh on hand)
• 1/4 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees (175 Celsius)
• In a large bowl, mash bananas.
• In separate bowl, beat your egg. Once egg is beaten, add vanilla and sugar to the bowl. Stir until they are mixed together.
• Sprinkle baking soda and salt over the egg mixture. Stir until they are well combined.
• Add liquid mixture to mashed bananas. Stir well. Then add flour to mixture, mix well.
• Pour mixture into a buttered 4x8 inch loaf pan.
• Optional - you can add chopped nuts on top.
• Bake for 1 hour (usually check at 45 minutes, it all depends on your oven)
• Allow loaf to cool, remove from pan.
• Serve with fresh fruit, coffee/tea, or it is great just by itself.

All you need are these yummy fruits and you are all set.

Mixture just before going into the oven. Remember to butter your loaf pan.

The final product. I love love love my blueberry banana bread!