Off Road Cooking: asian turkey balls

Before leaving the house, I remembered that I bought ground turkey a few days ago, so I made sure to thaw them for dinner tonight. I am trying to diversify my proteins and add something different in my meal repertoire. I try to eat lots of protein because I like to keep my iron levels up. Protein also fills me up. I know it's good for post-workouts, but that's not my area of expertise, so I won't even go there! 

I see people making these turkey/chicken meat balls all the time in different ways, but I like to prepare them with a fresh asian twist.

I made 2 packs of ground turkey because I find it less filling than beef. I am still learning to use ground poultry and noticed that it's a lot runnier and needs a lot less seasoning (like salt) than beef.

Ingredients:

Asian Poultry Balls (we call them "chicken bo-bo balls" at our house!):

• 2 packs of ground turkey
• 2 eggs (for binding and extra protein)
• 4 scallions chopped
• bunch of chopped cilantro
• 1 inch grated fresh ginger
• 2 tablespoons of garlic chilly sauce
• 1 tablespoon of soya sauce
• 1 tablespoon of honey
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• sprinkle of sesame seeds
• 2 squirts of Worcestershire
• 1/3 cup of wheat germ mixed with bran instead of breadcrumbs
• Salt, pepper

Mango salsa:

• 1 cubed mango
• 1 diced tomato
• half a jalapeño chopped up in small cubes
• half an onion chopped finely
• a splash of red wine vinegar
• chopped cilantro (I didn't have any left)

Place all the ingredients in a bowl, and get your hands dirty! (or use a spoon)

Added the honey and sesame after I mixed it… got creative on the way :)

Placed little balled on a baking sheet. Baked for 20 minutes at 375C

Made a fresh mango salsa to serve with the meat balls.

Steamed broccoli to finish it off!

Victor really liked his dinner tonight. He particularly liked holding the broccoli and eating the stem. The salsa was really nice with the turkey balls, it added a nice fresh component to the meal.

What did you have for dinner tonight? Please leave your comments below, I'd love to hear from you.

Makeup for Momma

As you know, I was a makeup artist in my past life, sans-bébé!

I've been looking for that perfect pink lipstick, not too Barbie, not too red, not too brown, not too coral... Like a dark berry lip. Anyhow, I'm still on the quest. 

I hate to deviate from MAC products, I'm hooked. I like their recycling program and price point for the quality. Sadly, they don't carry the colour I'm looking for, but I'm using "girl about town" for now, until I find the right tone.

The thing I love about lipstick is that paired with a simple blush and mascara, it can really look dressy and only takes a few minutes.

You're probably thinking... "Ya, I'd love to wear lipstick, but I don't have time to reapply and fuss about it getting on my teeth or bleed away". 

Well, lucky for you I'm sharing my secrets with you today! I use MAC lip primer wich is a must! It holds the lip colour in place and avoids smudging. I can't wear colour without it!

Second, I discovered a clear lip liner (no bleeding liner, Shoppers Drugmart, $17) that helps with the bleeding and you basically never have to buy colour liner again! It's always the perfect match :)

1- start with the lip primer

2- trace lips with clear liner

3- put on lip colour of choice

4- go back with the clear liner and trace lips out until your edges are perfect!

5- Optional is to blot with Kleenex or dust with a light powder to lock it in. But this technique removes the shine.

Have fun galmming it up mommas!

CONTEST:

Ok, if you leave a comment on my blog and share this post on Facebook, you will be entered to win a mini momma makeover with Me2Morph! When you leave your comment make sure you write down where you hear about the contest.

Warning- you will be featured on the blog as a "before and after"!

The winner will be selected at random on February 6th (V's first birthday!) at 12:00 p.m. I will announce the winner on the blog.

Baking Momma: Chocolate Zucchini and Carrot Cake

Tomorrow I am getting ready for Victor's Cake Smash Photoshoot for his first birthday!

So, why not attempt to make a healthy version of a cupcake, while he is innocent and can't tell when something tastes "too healthy". Typically, Chocolate Zucchini and Carrot Cake taste really good, but when you put less sugar, less butter, add more veggies and use whole wheat flour… well… it doesn't exactly taste the same ;) haha

I also pretty much dumped an entire bottle of red die to make "red velvet"… but it didn't really work. I must be doing something wrong. Maybe I should use a gel dye?

Cake batter is always delicious!

Jumbo cupcake for Victor's Cake smash! I used a pyrex Tupperware.

Cake decorating is so much fun! I used store bought frosting because I can't get myself
to make such rich frosting without changing the ingredients.

Practicing the "Nautical" theme decor for V's baptism and birthday party.

The finished product! We have life saver, a whale, an anchor, a boat,
#1, heart, polkadots, lobster, waves, stripes, star and much more!

 I won't spoil the surprise of the cake smash today. I will reveal it all when the pictures are ready!

Have a great Saturday! 

Off Road Cooking: Butter Chicken

Yum! Tonight I made butter chicken for dinner, from scratch. I'm so impressed with myself. Not only did I make it in a jiffy, I made it as lean as possible, without compromising flavour.

Ingredients:

- 2 onions (instead of 1)

- 5 cloves of garlic (instead of 1)

- 5 small chicken breast cubed (instead of chicken thighs)

- cooking oil

- 1 can of stewed tomatoes

- 1 1/2 cups of homo milk (instead of 3 cups of cream)

- 1/4 cup of butter (instead of a cup!!!!)

- tandoori masala

- curry powder (I didn't have garam masala)

- salt, pepper and hot pepper

- added peas and fresh spinach

I cooked up all the chicken with frying oil, once cooked threw in the onions and garlic.

I then added the tomato sauce, milk, butter. salt pepper, hot pepper and spices.

Let it stew down and evaporate the extra liquid.

Add frozen peas and baby spinach if you need your veggie fix!

Serve with steamed basmati rice!

Victor loved his Butter chicken on a bed of steamed Basmati rice. He slurped his water like crazy because it was spicy! Kinda cute to watch :) I'm so glad we are over the solid food hump. 

 

For a long time I didn't know what to feed him that wouldn't make him choke, but soft enough to chew with his gums. Let's just say he ate a lot of avocado, eggs, cheese, tomato, cream of wheat and banana. Now he absolutely loves rice, pita bread, cucumber, dates and peanut butter! Loooves peanut butter!

He's also getting good at eating with his hands too, something I thought he could never accomplish. In fact, he's eating with a fork and now learning to use a spoon. How sweet. I just love watching him learning by himself, pushing the food into his mouth with the palm of him hand. He really amazes me. 

He has very dexterous and long fingers that he used as chopsticks to pick up things like peas... It's just so funny to watch. He'll sometime cross his fingers too when they get goopy, like he's making a wish or something.

Have you noticed any quarks from your kids? What's your kids favorite easy food? Any tips or tricks? Please leave your comment below!

Back to work- Day 2

Well, today was Day 2. Michael was working late tonight, so getting dinner ready and closing Victor's day was a bit hectic. I also didn't plan ahead with my sitter to go to the gym, so that sucks. But all in all it was a good day.

I went to bed early last night, had lunch ready and my outfit was selected. I woke up an hour late and just couldn't get out of bed. That's when the maternity leave dreamland swooped it's way into my head. "Remember when there was a time that you use to wake up, when the baby did?" "Remember not having to get dressed until 1 pm?" Wow, mat leave is really great. Don't get me wrong, it's a lot of work, but it's a very cozy time. Blankets, PJs, sweaters, yoga pants, slippers… Mmmmm.

So I woke up, got dressed, did my hair and makeup. Sadly in the process I ripped my favourite nylons. Sad. Day. I was ready just in time to help Victor get out of his wet clothes, give him lots of kisses and take a nibble at his thighs. I packed my breakfast to-go with my lunch and off I went!

No time to warm the car this morning. Poor Black Betty. It was so cold, my door wouldn't close properly. Good thing my husband had both cars plugged in, or else she probably wouldn't have started.

When I got to work, the best thing happened to me: I FINALLY GOT MY PARKING PASS BACK! It's almost been 4 years! No more parking on the street, no more broken side mirror, no more parking tickets and no more wasted time stalking for a spot every 3 hours!

When I came home after work, Victor's expression was uneventful. He hugged his grandma goodbye and played in the kitchen while I prepared a quick bite to eat. I fed him as he played and tried making a taboule salad at the same time for tomorrow's lunch. What a long process! Victor insisted to feed himself with the spoon, which was cute.. but messy :S He's so refined, eating with cutlery and all.

Exhausted and sleepy, we cuddled on our chair as he drank his milk (holding the bottle himself, may I add!). He fell asleep in my arms and when he started snoring I knew it was safe to kiss his chubby cheeks. I gave him a few tight squeezes and put him to bed. No fuss and no tears tonight.

Well, time to watch some TV and get some me time in before it gets too late. Tomorrow is a new day, let's hope it goes well!

What's your routine when you cook for one? Do you have any quick meal ideas for your kids? Are you structured when it's just you and baby? Please share your comments below!

Back to work, back to life...

... Back to reality! Preach it Soul II Soul! They were so wise for their time.

Well friends, today was my first official day back to work! So far, so good, but much planning and anticipation has gone through my head to make sure I start off on the right foot.

Keys to making this day a success:

1. Plan ahead- From your shower schedule (switching to nights!), to your lunch, your work outfit and dinner. Have as much ready as you can the night before. You will be so thankful the next morning.
2. Get your sleep. Or should I say, don't stay up late watching the Help until 12:00 a.m. (my bad! I love Emma)
3. Don't put too much pressure on yourself to get caught up with all your  work on the first day. Today was Inbox cleaning day and urgent request day. I am very happy with the amount of work I put in today.
4. Have a trustable person you can leave your children with. 

Instagram of my outfit that I chose last night.
Classic, comfortable and easy!

I woke up early this morning at 5:45 a.m. I got dressed, did my hair, had breakfast and made my lunch all in 1 hour. Then magically, Victor woke up as soon as Grandma came to look after him! He was happier to see her than me, and just fell into her arms. I thought to myself… THIS IS MY QUEUE! I better escape :) I wasn't insulted that he didn't want to see me, in fact, it reassured me that he was in great hands. I realize that I am extremely lucky to have my mother-in-law look after little V. But I am also not lucky to have been working during maternity leave. This is life's way of balancing itself out… a.k.a Karma.

When I got into work, I carefully sent an email to all staff to advise them that I was back! To my surprise, I had about 50 balloons dumped on me from the other side. It nearly scared the living death out of me. I rarely get surprised… well played Social Committee, well played.

It was really nice having lunch in the lunchroom today, a la yuj. A colleague asked me if I had made "the call" to check in… I was like "No?" hahaha. No news is good news! That's my motto and my way of staying relaxed. I am not the person that will check in every couple hours.

When I got home, Victor was so invigorated and happy to see me. So was I. I have to admit I got really tired when it was time to make dinner. I started prepping right away, in time for Michael to get the BBQ going (btw… the coldest day to BBQ was today!). I got a second wind after dinner, I must have been really hungry.

Me blushing after being surprised with a whole bunch of balloons dropped into my cubicle.

Me after a long day at work. So thrilled to have a parking space back
and to be going home after my long day!

Victor greeting me at the baby gate near the side door.
I was trying to capture his sweet welcome home reaction.

This is all I could get from him.

We just finished up with dinner; marinated flank steak with green beans and carrots. All planned ahead the night before and I even have some left overs for lunch tomorrow! Michael is giving Victor his bath, and I just finished cleaning up the kitchen. So far, it's 6:47 and all that's left are showers for mom and dad. I wish and pray that every day can go this smoothly!

Tomorrow, I'll be flying solo, because Michael has his night shift. It will look like a different day. No elaborate meals, more of a "fend for yourself/clean out the fridge" dinner. This is also my chance to head to the gym before work. Let's see how I do.

What makes you nervous about returning to work? Do you like work or prefer staying at home with baby. Do you have any tips to share? Please leave your comments below.

I Heart Lists: Packing for Down South

As you may know, we just got back from a 2 week trip to Mexico, near Cabo in the Baha. This was not an all inclusive. Just to give you an idea of the style of trip, we rented a beach house with our cousins and chose that location to visit some family who lived near by.

I wanted to share some packing lists with you, because coming up with them was the stressful part that made me the most nervous, not the actual packing. I always overpack, that's just my style. I would rather have more with me than be missing something. Also, depending on where you are going, if amenities are scarce, it's better to be prepared.

The advice I have is try to travel on the plane as light as you can. Don't invest and bring many toys, because there is nothing that can entertain an 11 month old for a long period of time.

Going there I had V in the stroller, with a small purse around my shoulder. My husband carried the duffle bag that we used as a diaper bag and he also carried the Cabana play pen (12 lbs). We sky checked the cabana and stroller.

Coming back, I had V in my carrier with the cabana in the stroller and I used my beach bag as a purse draped on the stroller. Michael had the duffle bag (diaper bag) and new collapsable bag filled with goodies we brought back from Mexico! For some reason, my luggage was heavier too, so I had to dump more stuff in our carry on. NOT COOL!

For Victor (11 months old, and just weaning off of formula):

• clothes (t-shirt, shorts, pants, sweater, pj, sox, undershirt)
• swimsuit
• blanket (2), sleep sack, pacifier, monitor
• diapers for travel, wipes, rash cream, sunscreen
• hat, lifejacket, beach towel
• soap, bath towel, laundry bag, tylenol, ora gel, nail clippers
• shoes, sandals
• diaper bag, carrier
• toys for the plane ride (small books, small rattle)
• cabana play yard/playpen
• umbrella stroller
• formula, bottles, brush, spoon, sippy cup, bib, formula divider container, lunch bag, freezer pack, 
• Food, snacks and water

Things I bought there for him:

• formula
• diapers and wipes
• beach toys 

For mom:

• cash, passport, credit card, flight info, travel wallet
• camera, charger, phone, charger
• books
• drink cup/ water bottle
• bathing suit
• underwear, sox, bra
• bathing suit, beach towel 
• flip-flops, water shoes, sandals
• t-shirts, shorts, dress, skirt, pj, workout clothes
• sunglasses, sarong
• makeup, tweezers, scissors, hair stuff, jewelry, hair dryer, brush, nail polish and remover
• shower kit (shampoo, conditioner, soap, hair product, toothpaste, toothbrush, makeup remover, shower gel, face cream, Qtip, hair brush, nail clippers, pads/ tampons)
• sunscreen, aftersun cream, bandaids, polysporin, tylenol
• pants, sweater, scarf (chose traveling outfit that is warmer)
• purse, backpack, collapsable bag or beach bag (to use a diaper bag) and duffle bag to use for carry on.

Is there anything missing on my list? Please leave your comments below. I'll be posting more about the trip as well and how travelling is with kiddies! Stay tuned :)

Living large… as a guest blogger

Some of my passed work

Wow, almost 1 month since my last post. Between Christmas and getting ready for my 2 week family vacation to Mexico, there was NO time to write. Not that I didn't want to, trust me, I have lots of catching up to do.

Oh, ya, before I forget HAPPY NEW YEAR!

This is a small post, to make me feel better about myself. Hahaha

I submitted an article about "how to choose a makeup artist" for your wedding for an engagement and lifestyle blog for Engaged Diamond Studio. Yep, I'm also a part time makeup artist, I've had my own small business for almost 6 years now. For those curious minds, here is the link to Me2Morph and my Facebook page.
I have also been asked to do some writing about being a new mom for the blog as well. Can't wait :)

These are life's small joys, and I'm soaking it all in!

Anything fun happen to you in 2014 yet? Please leave your comments below.