If you’re anything like me, you have those days where you’re late coming home, the kids are cranky and hungry, and you have NO idea what you’re going to make for dinner. It happens to the best of us! So what to do on these crazy days? Head to your pantry! Here’s a list of 10 staples to keep in your pantry, so when those days happen, you can whip something up in record time:

1. Rice. White, brown, basmati, jasmine, the list if endless. With some rice on hand, you have a side dish, a main dish, and even dessert!

2. Dried pasta. Need I say more?

3. Jarred pasta sauce. Whether it’s yours that you’ve canned, or it’s straight from the shelf, keep a few of these handy.

4. Beans. Kidney, white, black, lentils, chick peas. Hearty, quick and ready to serve.

5. Garlic & onions. Don’t know about you, but I can’t get enough of either! They’re always a good choice! And, they keep for a long, long time.

6. Spices. Keep your spice drawer full, and you’ll never be out of a way to spice things up!

7. Olive oil. Food of the gods, this one. We buy a case whenever they’re on sale, and keep them in the coldroom.

8. Vinegar. Keep a range of different vinegars for dressings, sauces and more. And of course, white vinegar is a great all-purpose cleaner!

9. Stock. Grab some boxes of stock at the store, or make your own. Use stock instead of water to cook rice or veggies, add depth and flavour to sauces, or throw whatever veggies you have in the fridge into a pot, add some beans or meat, and voila! A hearty dinner soup.

10. Bread crumbs. Add texture to casseroles, use them as coating before frying or baking, or use them to bind meatloaf or burgers. Keep a container in the freezer so it’s handy.

The great thing about pantry staples is that they have a long shelf life. So keep on eye on grocery store flyers, and when they go on sale, stock up!

So, it’s January. And I’m now regretting some of the free-for-all eating I did over the holidays. And I’m not alone! A lot of us tend to overdo it over the holidays, with the eggnog, the baking and the gigantic meals. But the new year has started, and it’s time to get back on track. Here are some quick suggestions to help you get back on the health bandwagon:

1. Stop beating yourself up! If you ate too much and gained a few over the holidays, fine. It’s done. You can’t go back and change it. All you can do is make changes moving forward, so give up the guilt.

2. Get moving! I know, we’re all busy, and we don’t have the time to exercise. But who says you have to go to a gym or run a marathon? Any movement is good for you. Just 15 minutes a day (we can all do that!), can help you lose weight, strengthen your heart and drop the pounds. Take the stairs instead of the elevator, park further away from the door, get off the bus one stop early. Or do what I do – crank up the music and dance around the living room for a while!

3. Plan your eating. It can take a bit of time, but it’s well worth it. Take a few minutes on Sunday to plan your meals for the week. Or on Friday night, before you do your grocery shopping on Saturday. When you know what you’re making, you’re less likely to make poor choices and less likely to get fat and salt filled take-out.

4. Snack. Yep, you heard me right, snack. But snack healthy. Put a container of pre-cut veggies in the fridge. Stick some almonds in your purse or the car. Keep your fridge filled with fruit and low-fat yogurt. The trick here is to not let yourself get SO hungry that your willpower runs away, and you end up eating an entire bag of cookies. If you’re hungry – eat! Just make the right choices.

Bottom line? Getting healthy is simple. Not always easy, but is simple. Eat better. Exercise. Expend more calories than you take in.

Got any other ideas? Or some inspiring weight-loss stories to share? Let us know on our Facebook page! We’d love to hear from you!

I have a lot of really great memories of Christmas as a kid. We had some traditions in our house that I really looked forward to each year, and it’s mostly those traditions that I think of when I get into reminisce-mode. Of course, most of these traditions revolved around food – what kind of cookies my Mom made, what we ate on Christmas Eve and Christmas morning. Traditions are a great way to create memories with your family.

So, with all of that in mind, I talked with my 5-year old a few days ago, explaining to her what “traditions” are, and to suggest that maybe we start a tradition of eating something special on Christmas Eve. I explained that it didn’t need to be anything fancy, but rather, something we could eat each year on Christmas Eve, and become a tradition. She thought for a minute or two, her little 5-year-old face screwed up in intense concentration. Then she said, “I know, Mommy. Chicken noodle soup.”. Yep, just grab an envelope of Lipton’s salty soup mix, and throw it in a pot of boiling water.

Um, I don’t think that’s going to be our dinner Christmas Eve. I think maybe I’ll think of something else instead.

One week until Christmas. Which means things are getting pretty crazy around here – making sure all the gifts are bought and wrapped, cards are sent, decorations are up, food is prepared. I love Christmas. It is, by far, my favourite time of year. And having small kids makes it just so exciting.

But in the midst of the hectic holiday shopping, I think it’s important to really remember how fortunate we are. I’m sorry if this sounds like a sermon or something to make you feel bad (it isn’t!), but we are so lucky in this country. We won the birth lottery by being born here (if that’s the case), and we get to live somewhere where food, water, housing, is in full supply. So please, please, remember that not everyone in this world is so fortunate. That there are children who lack the basic necessities of life, people who live in fear of persecution, places where something as innocent as a mosquito bite can kill you. If you are at all able, please try to give this year – whether its a large charity (I’m a big fan of Free the Children – www.freethechildren.com), or a local foodbank or toy drive. Giving truly is better than receiving, and at this time of year, of all times, it’s so important to count our own blessings, and to do what we can to help others.

End of sermon. Thank you.

This awesome recipe, courtesy of Canadian Living, is now one of my favourite go-to meals. Why? Because it covers my main criteria for dinner: quick, easy, healthy, delicious. Although the recipe below calls for ground beef, I actually use veggie ground round. Yeah, yeah, I can hear all the screams “my husband will never eat tofu! who eats that crap? ewww! tofu!”. Seriously, I made this with tofu and didn’t tell my husband it wasn’t real meat. He LOVED it. It’s awesome – trust me.

BURRITO STACK:

12 oz (375 g) lean ground beef (or veggie ground round)
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 tsp (20 mL) chili powder
1/2 tsp (2 mL) dried oregano
1/4 tsp (1 mL) each salt and cayenne
1 can (19 oz/540 mL) red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
3/4 cup (175 mL) salsa
4 large flour tortillas
1 cup (250 mL) shredded Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup (125 mL) light sour cream
1 cup (250 mL) shredded lettuce

Preparation

In nonstick skillet, cook beef, onion and garlic over medium-high heat, breaking up meat with wooden spoon, until meat is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add chili powder, oregano, salt and cayenne; cook for 2 minutes.

In large bowl, mash kidney beans; stir in 1/4 cup (50 mL) of the salsa. Add beef mixture; stir to blend.

Place 1 tortilla on rimmed baking sheet; spread one-third of the beef mixture right to edge of tortilla then sprinkle with one-quarter of the cheese. Repeat layers twice. Top with remaining tortilla and cheese.

Bake in 450°F (230°C) oven until cheese is melted, 10 minutes. Slice into wedges; top with sour cream, lettuce and remaining salsa.

Try it out! And let me know how it works for you. Enjoy!

This article doesn’t really have to do with help around the house, but as a parent, and knowing how many of our users are also parents, I thought it would be of interest.

I read an article a little while back in The Toronto Star, and it really struck a chord with me. I’m going to paraphrase a bit, but here goes:

The author was talking about how her son had just turned 20, and was getting $3000 for not smoking. Basically, when her son was 8, she told him that if he made it to age 20 without smoking, he would get $1000. And then someone else (an aunt maybe?), also added some money, and it became $3000. So basically don’t smoke, and you’ll get some money. Great incentive, no? I mean, you can tell when someone has been smoking, so even though the deal was based on the honour system, you can tell if your child has been smoking. But the big thing for me? It gave her son a real incentive to not smoke. So when he got to an age when he would start getting peer pressure to smoke (and it will happen), she had given him a really good reason not to. And a really good response to those pushing him to smoke – “are you kidding? No way, man. I’m getting $3000 if I don’t smoke”. Pretty hard to argue with that. Teens start smoking because of peer pressure, and by giving kids a solid argument to fight that pressure, you’ve gotten rid of the main reason kids start smoking in the first place. And really, do any of us want our kids to smoke?

My kids are small, but I’ll tell you right now – this is what I’ll be doing when they each turn 8.

Years ago, I had the opportunity to visit Dieppe, France. The beach at Dieppe is exactly how you’d picture it – rocky, windblown, desolate.
After visiting the beach, we went to the Canadian Cemetery. Row upon row upon row of white tombstones, all with maple leaves on them. And this scene is played out all over Europe. A reminder of the immense number of Canadians who have lost their lives fighting for our country.

So, today, when you wear a poppy, please think of all the men and women who have lost their lives for us. Who sacrificed themselves so
that we could live in this incredible country.  A country where we can not like the prime minister and SAY SO without being dragged out of our houses. Where we can worship whatever God we want, or none at all. Where we can think what we want, discuss what we want, and be friends with who we want. Where every person has a vote and a say on who our government is.

So for all of this, and so much more? THANK YOU.

Once upon a time, the time change in the fall meant an extra hour of sleep. Or tv watching. Or reading. Or all sorts of other things. But now, with little ones at home? That extra hour means that instead of getting up at 6am, I’m now up at 5am. Apparently 3 year olds don’t get the whole “extra hour of sleep” thing. They’re going to bed at the “new” time – 8pm which is 9pm old time. But my youngest is still waking up at 5am. Aaaaahhhh! On the upside, my mornings seem to last much longer, which is nice. But the downside? I’m exhausted by 9pm (which is really 10pm, which isn’t really so pathetic, is it?????).

So, you mothers out there, any insights? Suggestions? Anything????????

We just got
a new stove.  I’m very excited. Except
for the giant Energy Star sticker on the oven door. I tried to peel it off, and
now there’s a big, giant sticker mess. Isn’t there somewhere else they could
have put that? Sigh. So, figuring I’m not the only one who has to put up with
this problem, I did some digging, and found some ways to get sticker residue
off glass:

 

Vegetable/baby/olive
oil: Apply the oil to the sticker, and let it sit overnight. Scrape in the
morning with a Teflon scraper or small razor.

 

Rubbing alcohol/Acetone/Nail
polish remover: I’ve found this does the best job. Using a cotton ball or
washcloth, rub lightly into the sticker. Little by little, the sticker is gone!

 

Goo Gone: This
stuff is AWESOME! ‘nuff said.

 

Mr. Clean
magic eraser: Also awesome. I’ve used these for everything from crayon on the
wall to scuffs on hardwood to baked on messes on pans. Note: these can
dangerous for kids, so keep them out of reach!

 

Windex:
Gotta be honest. I’ve tried this, but it didn’t work that well for me.

 

Lighter fluid:
This just kind of scares me. And does anyone really have lighter fluid anymore?

 

Have any
other ideas? Let us know! Visit our Facebook page and share your tips https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/HelpAroundtheHouse-Canada/334015873866.

As the days get shorter and cooler, many are sad about the end of summer coming. But us? We’re excited about fall – especially because that means apple season! And since an apple a day keeps the doctor away, we figured what better way to usher in fall than to celebrate all things apple!

Pick ‘em. Looking for something to do this weekend? Why not head to a local apple orchard, and start picking? Sure, we can all buy apples at the grocery store, but there’s something about picking them fresh off the tree that just makes eating them way, way better. Google your local area and see what you can find.

Cook ‘em. Applesauce – babies love it, kids love it, adults love it. And why buy applesauce in a jar when you can make it yourself? Peel, core and chop about 4 apples, and throw them in a saucepan with about ¾ cup of water, ¼ cup of sugar (less if your apples are really sweet), and some cinnamon, cover and cook for about 15 to 20 minutes or until apples are soft. Cool and mash with a fork or potato masher. Voila! Homemade applesauce.

Bake ‘em. Nothing says home like homemade apple pie. Don’t bake? Don’t be frightened off by thought of baking your own pie. The pastry is the hardest part, so if you’re not channeling your inner Martha Stewart, than just grab a frozen pie shell at the grocery store, fill with apples, sugar, cinnamon, some lemon juice and some flour, and bake. The neighbourhood kids will be lined up outside your door.

Just eat ‘em. Of course, one of the best ways to enjoy a fresh apple is just to take a nice, huge bite. So get out there and enjoy!