Canada Day Coconut Rhubarb Cake

Every Canada Day our family goes to the cottage.  This year will be our seventh annual Canada Day party with a bunch of our good friends, 16 to be exact.  People are littered throughout the cottage, the yard, the river and the lake. There is a croquet tournament each year (which I have not won since the first annual Canada Day up there) and new games are constantly created while we BBQ and enjoy the (hopefully) good weather.

It truly is something to look forward to each and every year. I'm about as giddy as the kids!

We try to keep things simple when it comes to food. Instead of one person in charge of everything, we split up the meals between all of us. Generally each carload of people that comes to the cottage takes a meal.  It has worked really well in the past-so we continue.

My husband and I are usually the first ones up since we are generally the only ones up there with kids. So breakfast is an obvious choice for our meal.  But one thing I also do every year is the Canada Day cake for dessert.  In the past, it has been a pretty unhealthy white cake covered in icing and strawberries in the shape of our flag.  Cute, but totally unhealthy. This year I'm going to change things up.

Not many people think of rhubarb when they think of Canada (or maybe they do, I don't know), but it's always RAMPANT in our area around this time of year.  The stalks grow so HUGE and I'm happy to pick them and make compotes, muffins, jams, tarts, pies and now...this coconut rhubarb cake. YUM!

NOTE: With the trend right now to eat every part of your food, including roots, leaves, stems and such, I feel I should mention that rhubarb leaves are POISONOUS. Just saying. Don't eat them. Probably a bad idea.

The main reason I like this recipe is it makes a large amount and will feed a crowd. That's important when you have 16 mouths to feed...oh plus my three kids. Dessert has to be plentiful!

Here's the recipe-I hope you like it.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup coconut oil, room temperature + 1 tbsp
2 cups spelt or whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp himalayan pink sea salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup organic cane sugar
1/2 cup honey + 2 tbsp
1 large egg
2 cups chopped fresh rhubarb
1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 350.
Grease a 9 x 13 pan with coconut oil. Set aside.

Whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
Mix together buttermilk and vanilla. Set aside.

Blend together 1/2 cup coconut oil, sugar and 1/2 cup honey. Add egg and blend again.

Add the flour mixture and buttermilk, alternating dry with wet.  Start and end with flour mixture.
Fold in rhubarb. Spread batter into pan.

Mix together the 1 tbsp coconut oil, 1/4 cup coconut and 2 tbsp honey.  Sprinkle mixture over top of batter.

Place in oven for approximately 30 minutes.  Until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Let it cool about 30 minutes before serving. Voila!

A wonderful dessert for a crowd!  Top with rhubarb compote, fresh strawberries and whipped cream or a delicious frozen yogurt.  Probably pretty good with a cup of coffee too.

 Ok...maybe this will be included in our breakfast buffet instead...there's fruit in there...right?

Happy Canada Day everyone!  

I hope you get to enjoy some sunshine and eat some delicious food with family and good friends. 

Pizza Night!

A lot of people think because I am a Nutritionist that I don't eat certain foods.  Well, that's partly true. But when it comes to foods like pizza, how can I resist? I do have three kids after all. And pizza is awesome.

The difference is we don't order pizza from a restaurant (often). We make our own crust and toppings at home-and it couldn't be easier!  A little preparation and you're good to go.  It's healthier, you know what's in it-and you can have whatever you want on it.  The kids pound out their own dough and make their own cheese or pepperoni pizzas, and my husband and I make what we want! You can get really creative! Or not...either way, pizza is delicious.


I found the most amazing whole wheat dough recipe from Jo Lusted's new cookbook, "Dish Do-Over" (You can check her out on facebook here).  She is a clean eating chef that really speaks to me, her recipes are realistic and delicious!





If you're nervous about using yeast and rising dough, this is a great recipe for a first timer.  Easy peasy, not a lot of kneading, and it's SO good and versatile. You can even freeze half of it.

This recipe makes enough for two good sized thin crust pizzas or three little ones and two big personal ones. Enough for our family of five (One little one that doesn't eat much) plus leftovers for lunch the next day!

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough (From Jo Lusted's "Dish Do-Over"):

1 tbsp honey

1 cup less 2 tbsp lukewarm water

1 package regular active dry yeast

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

4 tsp vital wheat gluten

1 tsp sea salt

3 tbsp olive oil

2 tsp apple cider vinegar

In a large bowl, mix together honey and 1/3 cup water. Sprinkle in yeast and allow to proof, undisturbed (do not stir, or move the bowl), for 10 minutes or until foamy. (If yeast does not foam, it is dead and the dough will not rise. Discard and start again with fresh ingredients.)

While yeast is proofing, in another large bowl, whisk together 2 cups flour, wheat gluten and salt.
Once yeast is foamy, add remaining water, 2 tbsp oil and vinegar to yeast mixture. Pour in flour mixture and gently fold in with a bowl scraper or spatula until just combined. (Mixture will form a very wet ball.) Coat the bottom of another large bowl with remaining oil (ensure that bowl is large enough so that, when doubled in size, the dough will not reach the top). Transfer dough to bowl, rolling ball a bit to coat with oil. Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap, set aside at room temperature and let dough rise for 1 hour. Dough will be very soft and sticky.

Lightly dust work surface with about 1/4 cup flour. Transfer dough to floured surface and roll lightly in flour. Gently knead dough for about 1 minute, dusting work surface with more flour as needed to prevent dough from sticking. Form dough into a ball and return to bowl. Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap, set aside at room temperature and let dough rise for 30 minutes.

Transfer dough back to floured work surface and cut dough in half to form two balls. Dusting work surface with more flour as needed to prevent dough from sticking, lightly knead each ball for about 30 seconds. Reform into balls.

Dough is now ready to be formed into a crust or wrapped and saved for future use. To store, wrap each dough ball individually in plastic wrap. Dough can be kept refrigerated for 24 hours or frozen for up to 1 month.

Toppings!

My kids just like cheese (Or as they call it-Ninja Turtle pizza), and my husband likes his with mushrooms, onions, turkey pepperoni and cheese.  Mine was a veggie pizza smothered in onions, spinach and tomato. I think I threw some goat cheese on there too. YES PLEASE.

Another obvious plus for homemade pizza: Everyone gets exactly what they want! No compromises or picking things off. You don't have to hear "I don't like it..." or "What is THAT!?" or crying.  Crying while eating is the worst.

You can get so creative!  Like bruscetta?  Make it on a pizza! Spanikopita? Sure! Bacon cheeseburgers? Why not? Meat, veggie...doesn't matter!  Make a pizza bar and have some fun.

Experiment with different kinds of pizza or stick with traditional. Either way, it's fun and easy to make your own.  You'll never dial out for pizza again!

Twelve ways to go INSANE

Having children, in my opinion, is the most awesome thing ever. Days are filled with laughter and amazing memories and general terrificness...if that were a word.

There are also mornings that start when the world will never have enough coffee and end with me multitasking. And of course by multitasking I mean opening a bottle of wine, making a straw big enough to drink from the bottle of wine and pulling my hair out.

I have grouped together a few ways to go insane.  Just in case you were lacking in the department, which if you have young children, or older children, or CHILDREN, I'm sure you've got your own list.  I made this one in record time.  It was easy. Want another one?  I could rattle one off pretty easily.

Twelve ways to go INSANE:

1. Mop the floors and let your children eat crackers and pour their own milk.

2. Give them bubble wrap.

3. Teach them how to use the remote, but not totally, so they constantly turn the TV off, try and order porn or turn the volume to the highest level while you're on the phone with the bank.

4. Tell them not to do something and watch them do it a million times. While they watch you back.

5. Tell them you're putting sunblock on them when it's already on your hands and watch them run away.

6. Teach them how to turn on, and subsequently off, the garden hose. Watch your garden die.

7. Have three children. In three years.

8. Tell them you're having pizza for dinner and then change your mind.

9. Put a barrette in your little girl's hair. Correction: TRY to put a barrette in a little girl's hair.

10. Teach them how to put toothpaste on their toothbrushes by themselves. Try NOT to say "Just a little!".

11. Ask them to measure flour for you.

12. Push your grocery cart (with child in seat) directly along the edge of the aisle with all the glass jars.


How to have an hysterically awesome day:
Do #1 through #12 but with a better attitude. Watch your day get insanely better.

There is something I firmly believe and it is this: The only thing you can change is your attitude.

Bad days happen.  When I am tired and grumpy, you will know.  Or at the very least, my husband will tell you. It's the same with my kids and pretty much everyone.

It could always be worse.  Always. My daughter's big toe was literally underneath my eyelid at one point today.  That HAPPENED. I could have gotten really mad (although I was in a lot of pain so I had to wait for it to subside) but after it was all over and I could see again-it was funny! I laugh a lot with my kids and at my kids.  Why? Because it makes for a great day. Five years from now I will remember how funny they were and not how frustrated I was.  I like that.

Change your attitude and change your day.

Here's to hoping you have an amazing day!  Cheer up and your world will be cheery!

But I swear if something else spills on the floor after I mop, I might lose my mind. Seriously. How can they spill so much?

Chocolate Chip Cookies (with NO refined sugar!)

I'm on a quest.

To make a chocolate chip cookie that isn't as bad for you.

Now, I know as well as anyone else, that a treat is simply that-a treat. Indulging is a part of life and we're all allowed to have something "bad" every once in a while. But if you can have a healthier version? Maybe we can indulge a little more often...? And feel less bad about it!

Today was one of those grey cloudy days that makes me want to sit on the couch, eat mashed potatoes and have a nap.  You know the ones...it's sort of raining and a little cool.  The sun never actually peeks out of the clouds. The bugs are biting and the kids are tired.  So in my house, we bake!

I decided today was the day.  This is the first recipe of many you will see.  I'll probably poke and prod at this one and try something new. You're all my collective guinea pigs...although I have some friends a little closer that get all my Frankenstein creations...lucky ducks (sometimes!).

Here's one I think they'll like...

I am happy with how these cookies turned out!  A little bit cakey, I like a denser cookie, but I'm pretty sure I can make that happen on the next batch...the flavour though-AWESOME.  Sweet, but not overly sugary so your teeth don't start to hurt. Besides...cake is pretty good too.

I took out all the refined sugar and cut way back on the fat. I don't have white sugar in my house but I do occasionally use organic cane sugar in my baking.  I wanted to try this without...and it worked!  I replaced the sugar with dates and maple syrup and half of the butter with greek yogurt.  All you taste is a delicious sweet cookie.

P.S. Kids are brutally honest taste testers and mine gobbled these up. There's nothing too sneaky in here. No spinach or anything.  But they're loaded with health. Oatmeal, almonds, greek yogurt...what can I say? A good first try...this makes about 40 cookies. Plenty to share or hoard.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup greek yogurt
just under 1 cup dates
1/2 cup real maple syrup
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup oat flour (oats ground up)
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup ground almonds
1 tbsp ground flax seeds
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat your oven to 350.

In a bowl, blend the flours, ground almonds, flax, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Put aside.

Blend together dates and maple syrup until smooth. I used my magic bullet, you could use a blender or food processor. Whip them together with the butter and greek yogurt until light.

Add the eggs, one at a time. Mix in vanilla.

Add the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Add chocolate chips.

I scooped these onto an ungreased cookie sheet using a small disher.  I don't know, about a tablespoon each? I made sure there was a few chocolate chips in each one. The batter is good, but when you're promised a chocolate chip cookie and you get one with none in it...it's a bit of a letdown...although an excuse for another.

Bake these for 8-10 minutes, JUST UNTIL they start to brown at the bottom, if you overbake them, they will be dry. They'll still be a little squishy when they come out but they will firm up.

Why am I doing this?  Because cookies are the best!  And I can't leave well enough alone.  Especially when well enough is filled with refined white sugar.  And for those of you that think brown sugar is better than white sugar, I have a soul crushing fact for you...brown sugar is WHITE SUGAR with a little molasses mixed in. Just because things are brown doesn't mean they are better for you. Now you know...and I'm sorry...but you had to find out sometime.

Hope you enjoy these with a coffee or a nice big glass of milk.  Making another batch today...so keep your eyes peeled for more cookie recipes!

Remember: If you can bake with your kids, it's worth the mess.  Flour on the floor, eggs in your hair...but don't we all have a memory of baking with our Moms or Grandmas? I do. Standing on a chair, licking the spoon, reaching for the bowl when my Mom wasn't looking...the best! Teach your kids to bake-pass it on!

Teach your kids where food comes from. Please.

Can you do one thing for me?

Just one thing.

Teach your kids where food comes from. Please.

Pick one thing! Your kid drinks a ton of milk? Teach them where milk comes from, how it is made. Please don't let them think it comes from a  bag at the grocery store. Maybe you don't have access to a dairy farm, but I'm pretty sure you have access to the interweb machine and youtube. Get on there!  And if you don't know-learn with them! Find out! A great man once told me that kids are sponges and soak up so much information-they YEARN for knowledge, and it's true so give them what they want.

For the second year in a row, I am planting a vegetable garden with my kids. This year will be easier than last year. I learned a lot, what works, what doesn't. And my kids are a year older so they are slightly more helpful.  Slightly. But that's the fun in it.  It took all morning to go and get the plants, dig holes, place the seeds and water it. So worth it.



Ok, it wasn't the EASIEST thing to do with three children...aged 4, 3 and 2...and it WAS fun...for a bit. Then I gave them something else to play with and finished the gardening myself. But they still learned something and put seeds in the ground. They'll understand where carrots come from this year dammit.

I let them choose plants and seeds at the "Plant store" and we talked about what it takes for food to grow. They've been helping me weed and prepare the garden too.  I want them to know it's not as easy at it looks, or maybe it's easier than they thought. I want them to appreciate farmers and what they do for us.

My little redhead planted his tomato plant all by himself. In the plastic container it came in.  Lesson number one started early.

I want them to know the connection food has to the earth and that it takes TIME.  That food does not grow overnight.  The look on their faces when they see a cherry tomato starting to grow or a bud come out of the ground is amazing! Especially once it's out of the container it came in.

When we receive food from our CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) this summer covered in dirt-I want them to know WHY.  It comes from the earth! Not all food comes clean and prepped and cut and ready, and who else is going to teach them this stuff?

You don't have to plant a garden, visit a farm or start home schooling about farm culture. But if you pick one food and teach them about it, they'll probably start asking about other foods and where they comes from and the wheels start turning! I know what you're thinking-more questions? NO THANKS. But if you're in the mood, it can be fun.

I have unleashed a beast, however, and my oldest did ask me where people come from...I simply said: "People come from people." I'm leaving that one alone for now.

If you are a meat eater, like we are, maybe wait a little bit before introducing kids to a youtube video on where meat comes from...I'm not saying they shouldn't KNOW, I'm just saying you don't want to scar them at such an early age. It's still important to know where meat comes from-and I'm honest with my kids about beef coming from cows and chicken coming from chickens, but maybe start with cucumber or something. Not killing animals. Just saying.

Meat comes from animals. People come from people.  Avoidance? Possibly. Do I care? Mmmm...not really. We'll get there.

So pick a sunny day, maybe you're at the library. Grab a book about veggies, turn on the computer-whatever! Go to the grocery store and pick up some beans or berries and have a conversation. Cook with them. Please-just please-do this one thing for me this summer? Let's get our kids educated about FOOD. It's important. And we're the first people they look to for this stuff.  We may as well have some answers. Delicious answers. You don't want your kids growing up not knowing the difference between green beans and kidney beans...do you?

And then they can go play in the sprinkler and forget everything you just told them. But you can only hope some of it sticks! That's our job, isn't it? Trying to make things stick (and I suppose unstick) to our kids for the rest of our lives and hope they can fend for themselves one day. You can't deny it's importance and we shouldn't deny our children.

By the way, if you're wondering about my CSA, here is their website: Rainbow Heritage Garden. They are amazing and their vegetables are so fresh and incredible.  It really tastes different from what you can get at the store. Just awesome! I'm so excited to get our first basket!