Best Easter Weekend- Part 1

This year was the best Easter weekend ever... just ask Melanie. On Friday, Melanie and I got up early to go see a cheap matinee of Mirror Mirror. Really a great movie! Girl Power all the way! We even came up with new Spice Girl Names for ourselves, you know, since Girl Power was started by the Spice Girls. I am Glimmer Spice and Melanie is Dreamy Spice- because she has big dreams of Stardom.

So we went home and made some delicious twist on some Chocolate Peanut Butter, a healthy alternative recipe made with Fibre 1 Cereal, here's the link: http://simmerandglimmer.blogspot.ca/2012/02/delicious-and-nutritious-fibre-one.html. 

This time we made them with a little Easter twist... we added little chocolate eggs on them!

Here's my little Chef mixing away.

So simple, melt dark chocolate and peanut butter in the microwave, add to Fibre 1 cereal and mix it all around.  

This time we made large mounds because they were becoming birds nest. I was looking for some chocolate/candy coated almonds- for more nutritional value but couldn't find them, so I used the little Cadbury eggs. 

Here you see them all ready to get placed in the freezer. These taste better right from the freezer to me.

Here's a final closeup, they are sooooo good and with the little eggs it makes them about 100 a treat. Not bad at all!

After our hard day of movies, baking and lunch we decided to go to our favourite park- Lakeside Park. We walked along the lake. 

It was so bright and sunny, we had to wear baseball hats... P.S. I have to get a 'cool' hat. Next on my list for sure.

What a view!

This time we walked into the leash-free dog park and Melanie and I had a blast petting nice doggies! It gave her a 'fix' for doggie love.

We really didn't want to go back in the house when we got back at the end of the day, it was way too nice out. So we peeled off a few layers and Melanie got her bubbles out. Look at the little cats enjoying the bubbles from inside the house. They were mesmarized, at one point, all 3 cats were following the bubbles.

Do you know how hard it is to capture bubbles being blown??? Well, here is a good one for you!

... and another. Good Friday really was Good!

Organizing your Stuff- Kitchen Style

Some people call this, 'Porn for Girls'.... I know I get so inspired when I see photos like this, and when I saw my friend Nancy's reaction when I showed her, she immediately said... 'oohhh, I am going to go home and do this, you've inspired me!'  I swear she really said that.

BEFORE:

So what inspired me was these containers that were giving to my colleague Joan who was moving away (as well as all the posts on Pinterest). They are the white lid containers on the left. Look at the rest of the shelf, little baskets with rolled up bags of random ingredients and baking stuff.

AFTER:

Here is the new and improved shelf. I just can't believe what a simple little change can make. I bought these little blue-lidded containers at Dollarama- 3 for $1.00 - big spender eh???? But seriously, my ingredients don't care if they are in a $0.33 container or a $10.00 container. I put my nuts, dried fruits, seeds etc. in these and I just love being able to see what ingredients I have... it inspires me to create.

Oatmeal Raisin Chocolate Chip Cookies- most successful cookie recipe

Seriously, this is the best recipe of a baked good that I have made that has won accolades around my circle of family and friends. I actually posted this recipe months ago, but I altered it by adding some healthy dark organic chocolate chips. So I thought I would share a recipe that has been 'zinged' up by chocolate on Easter- instead of chocolate bunnies, I share with you a healthy way of enjoying chocolate.

Oatmeal Raisin Chocolate Chip Cookies (these are adapted from sunmaid.com)

These are low fat, low salt and low cholesterol. And as my sister concurred with me, they taste like our Oakville Trafalgar High School cafeteria oatmeal chocolate chip muffins- which we used to LOVE!!! It's the mix of oatmeal, brown sugar, cinnamon and chocolate chip, they are just so good when they come out of the oven all warm and gooey!

Ingredients:

    1 cup whole wheat flour 

    1 teaspoon baking powder

    1 teaspoon cinnamon

    1/2 teaspoon baking soda

    1/2 teaspoon salt

    1 cup packed brown sugar

    1/4 cup fat-free vanilla or plain yogurt

    2 tablespoons canola oil 

    1 large egg

    1 teaspoon vanilla extract

    1-1/3 cups uncooked old-fashioned oats or quick-cooking rolled oats

    1/2 cup Sun-Maid Natural Raisins

    1/2 cup semi-sweet organic chocolate chips

    Directions:

    HEAT oven to 350º F. Cover 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.

    COMBINE flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda and salt together in a small bowl.

    COMBINE brown sugar, yogurt, oil, egg and vanilla in a large bowl. Add flour mixture to make a             blended dough.

    STIR in oats and raisins and chocolate chips.

    DROP mixture by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheets.

    BAKE for 10-12 minutes until very lightly browned. Do not over bake.

    SLIDE cookies from parchment paper onto countertop to cool.

    Makes 40 cookies.

Nutrients per serving (1 cookie): Calories 63; Protein 1g; Fat 1g (Sat. Fat 0.1g); Carbohydrate 13g; Dietary Fiber 1g; Cholesterol 5mg; Sodium 63mg

P.S.With the added chocolate chips, the calories would be a little more, and when I make them, I make about 30 cookies, so I would say each cookie would be about 100- Chantal Style... it's a great snack, and with the whole wheat flour, it really fills you up.



Happy Easter...decorations

You know I love to decorate for the Holidays, so I thought I would share with you some of Easter decorations around my house... and on my husband.

Pretty Easter Egg Wreath on our front door.

Cute bunny wall hanging... Happy Easter everyone!

My little bowl with empty colourful plastic eggs and bunnies all around. They won't be empty tomorrow, stay tunned!

And my wonderful husband showing off his sweet Easter Bonnet and his 'sexy and he knows it' glasses.

Scrapping and Guacamole

It was my turn to host Scrapbooking Night. So this time, I went Mexican. I made- for the very first time in my life- Guacamole, using Szos' recipe I posted a few weeks ago. It turned out delicious, like sooooooooo good.... I was so greatful for this recipe and to be inspired to finally make it myself after seeing him prepare it for us last time! I served it with some President's Choice fresh cut salsa and organic tortilla chips and some homemade raspberry oatmeal almond bars (recipe to follow).

Nancy wanted to try the coffe from my Tassimo, she was thinking of getting one. So after I made her my favourite 'Cafe Crema', she just loved it... she decided to go out and by one that same week.

There was leftover Guacamole so Brent had some and he just loved it. He said it was delicious and that he could eat this Guacamole 24 hours a day!

So like always, we have to share the pretty pages we created. This was little 5 year old Melanie playing in the snow with her boys... friend Nico and Daddy... and then coming inside to enjoy a sweet treat.

Camera-shy girl Nancy hiding behind her page, funny enough she created a page about her Mexican trip, matched our food selection!

Nice Nails- Colour Blocking

This is my ode to the newest trend. 'Colour Blocking'. You see a lot of orange and hot pink together. I just love them together!

I used an old 'Cover Girl' pearly orange and a new 'Savyy' very hot pink. Oh, and I took the picture by the beach... you like?

Girl Power day... and scones

A few days ago, Melanie and I had the privilege of spending the day with Julie and Stephanie. We had such a nice time letting Julie rest and fighting over who would hold the baby. And like you might have noticed, I never arrive there empty handed. I like to bring fresh home-baked healthy goodies for my little sister and her family. This time it was Healthy Lemom Blueberry Scones.

Healthy Lemon-Blueberry Scones Recipe

(http://gimmesomeoven.com/healthy-glazed-lemon-blueberry-scones/)

Ingredients:

•             1 cup all-purpose flour

•             1 cup whole wheat flour

•             1 Tbsp.  sugar (optional)

•             1 Tbsp. baking powder

•             1/4 tsp.  baking soda

•             1/4 tsp. salt

•             1 Tbsp. lemon zest

•             1/4 cup  butter, chilled and cut into pieces

•             1/4 cup olive or canola oil

•             3/4 cup milk or buttermilk

•             1 cup fresh or frozen berries (don’t thaw them)

•             2 Tbsp. lemon juice

•             1 cup powdered sugar

Method:

Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray.

Put the flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and lemon zest in the bowl of a food processor or into a medium mixing bowl and pulse or stir until well blended. Add the butter and oil and pulse or stir with a wire whisk or fork until crumbly. If you’re using a food processor, transfer the mixture to a medium bowl.

Add the milk and berries and stir gently just until the dough is combined.

Pat the dough into a circle that is about 1” thick and 8”-9” in diameter on the cookie sheet. (If they are sweet and you want a brown, crunchy top, brush them with a little milk and sprinkle with sugar.) Cut the circle into 8 wedges with a knife or pastry cutter and separate them on the sheet so that they are at least an inch apart.

Bake for about 20 minutes, until golden.  Remove from oven.

If you would like to add glaze, stir together lemon juice and powdered sugar in a small bowl until well-blended.  (Feel free to add more/less powdered sugar to make the glaze your desired consistency.)  Brush or drizzle glaze on top of cooled scones (or if you’re impatient like me, brush while they’re warm), and serve.

If you end up opting to pass on the glaze, feel free to add in an extra teaspoon or two of lemon peel to the scones to give them an extra kick of lemon.  You could also sprinkle a bit of raw (turbinado) sugar on top of the scones before baking to give them a little extra flavor if you’re going glaze-less.  :)

I did not add the glaze, who needs the extra sugar, right?  My scones are always mishaped and uneven, but let me tell you.... they tasted really good and lemony and blueberry-y. Nice made up words, eh?

The start of our day.... mother and child love!

Melanie read her first book to little Stephanie, an epic milestone!

She never wakes up, even when she is a 'nudy', she loves her rest- well when we come over, according to her mommy, she likes to fuss and fight at nigth!

Julie and her little bundle of love.

I made us some 'Croque Monsieurs', grilled cheese with ham tucked inside.

Nap time for the girls.

Now, it was my turn holding my niece.

Our first walk with Stephanie, a gorgeous day in March, it was real hot too.

We weren't sure how to dress Stephanie, so we just got her all dressed up... she was too hot I am sure.

There's 'new mom' Julie on her first visit to the park. One of many I'm sure.

Healthier Chicken Cordon Bleu

Like I promised a few days ago, here is the recipe I prepared for my mother-in-law's birthday. It was really delicious. I made a side of mashed potatoes and a light ceasar salad and we all enjoyed it. It looked and tasted quite 'gourmet'. Just watch for the toothpicks!

Chicken Cordon Bleu Light

(http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/chicken-cordon-bleu-10000001134074/)

YIELD: 4 servings (serving size: 1 rolled chicken breast half)

Ingredients

    1/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

    5 teaspoons butter, melted

    1 large garlic clove, minced

    1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs

    1 tablespoon grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

    1 teaspoon paprika

    4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

    1/4 teaspoon salt

    1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

    1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

    4 thin slices prosciutto (about 2 ounces) (or ham)

    1/4 cup (1 ounce) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

    Cooking spray

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.

Place broth in a small microwave-safe bowl; microwave at high 15 seconds or until warm. Stir in butter and garlic. Combine breadcrumbs, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and paprika in a medium shallow bowl; set aside.

Place each chicken breast half between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap, and pound each to 1/4-inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Sprinkle both sides of chicken with salt, oregano, and pepper. Top each breast half with 1 slice of prosciutto and 1 tablespoon mozzarella. Roll up each breast half jelly-roll fashion. Dip each roll in chicken broth mixture; dredge in breadcrumb mixture. Place rolls, seam side down, in an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Pour remaining broth mixture over chicken. Bake at 350° for 28 minutes or until juices run clear and tops are golden.

Nutritional Information Amount per serving    

Calories: 297, Fat: 9.9g, Protein: 45.5g, Carbohydrate: 3.8g; Fiber: 0.5g

Healthy Lifestyle Update- I'm going down!

That's right people! I'm going down. I just came back from another appointment at the Wharton Clinic and got weiged and measured. Well.... drum roll please............ I lost another 7.8 lbs since about 1 month ago. I have now lost a total of 49.2 lbs!

I am freaking out with excitment, I feel like running all night long with my new black and pink shoes... except, right now, I couldn't run past my driveway... but one day, with the help of knee and quad massages I will be a jogger.

I am trying not to focus on the number and just know that I am successful on my journey by the way my clothes feel... but c'mon, could it not have been 50 lbs? Here's my mountain.

See this mountain... see how there are 4 peaks? Well losing 50 lbs would mean climbing to the top of one of those 4 peaks. So that is exciting for sure, and I can't wait to start climbing those other 3 peaks. It's such an awesome visual!

Amazing Adventure- Coronation Park in Oakville

How can it be 17 degrees one day and then -4 degrees the next???? Welcome to our Southern Ontario March 2012 Weather!
Melanie and I enjoyed a beautiful adventure at one of our favourite parks in Oakville- Coronation Park on one of these hot days. The sun was blazing and Melanie was so excited to go she packed up all her summer favourites.

Look Ma, no coats! And check out Melanie's new chapeau!

Beautiful sky and this giant tree.

Melanie and the beach...oh this is gonna be so nice in the summer!

See the sunshine hitting my face? Colour me bright, shinny and happy!

Melanie walking the big flat rock beach.

Looking for fishes.

Melanie just loves to climp the rocks.

Ah, such peaceful beauty and calm.

Those Oakvillians are serious! Do not feed the gooses! Or you may have to pay a $5000 fine, what???

Look at the view from this new bench, the sky was really that blue!

Come closer and look at this awesome, artistic display of rock sculpture, how cool eh?

And look at this one too?

I can't get enough of posing with my beautiful daughter, it's so funny, Melanie gets tired of me always taking pictures... but I tell her, 'I am gonna make you a star one day'!

Melanie's Swan, we called it!

Cute daughter moment: Melanie was so excited for this adventure, she wrote a list on her hand and then packed an Easter basket with an apple each, a homemade oatmeal raisin cookie each and a bottle of water each.  In her beach bag was a giant beach ball, sunscreen and a skipping rope. Such a cutie!

The Canada Geese were having a great day too! They were slowly crossing the road...

Making their way to the Fire Station to say hi to the cute fire fighters, no doubt!