sandwiches

Chuck Hughes' Veggie Sandwich

Chuck Hughes Veggie SandwichBored with the same old sandwich? Try these deliciously yummy - and healthy - veggie sandwiches, created by Celebrity Chef, Chuck Hughes. Guaranteed to have you coming back for more!

 

Ingredients:

  • 2 slices of whole grain bread toasted
  • 1 slice of low-fat Swiss cheese or Havaarti
  • 2 slices of tomato
  • 2 leaves iceberg lettuce
  • 4 slices of avocado
  • 2 slices of roasted red pepper (optional)

 

Featured mayonnaise options:

Garlic Mayo…

  • 1 cup Hellmann’s® mayonnaise
  • 3 cloves of roasted garlic
  • 1 tbsp of Chopped parsley
  • 1 tsp chopped Dill (optional)
  • 2 tbsp of grated Cucumber (optional)
  • Salt & Pepper (optional)

 

Zesty Mayo…

  • 1 cup Hellmann’s® mayonnaise
  • Half a cup of caramelized onion
  • Half tsp smoked paprika
  • Zest of a half lemon
  • Salt & pepper (optional)

 

Hellmann's Logo

Recipe courtesy of Hellmann's

 

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10 Yummy Ways to Use up Leftover Cranberry Sauce

One of the best things about cooking a tranditional Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner is the leftovers. It's easy to know what to do with the big stuff like leftover turkey, but it can be harder to use up the bits of special ingredients that we may not always eat. Here are 10 great ways to use up your leftover cranberry sauce:


1. Bake cranberry thumbprint cookies

 

2. Make baked brie with cranberry sauce: Preheat oven to 350.  Top a small round of brie round with approximately 1/2 cup cranberry sauce and chopped nuts.  Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, or a small baking dish. Bake for approximately 10-15 minutes, until brie begins to soften.  Serve warm with crackers or baguette slices.  This makes a great appetizer.

 

3. Turn it into cranberry syrup. Add a splash of orange juice to thin it out, and then heat the mixture over low heat in saucepan, stirring frequently. Serve drizzled over with french toast or pancakes.

 

4. Make cranberry muffins.  Swirl a few tablespoons of cranberry sauce into the batter of your favourite apple or pumpkin muffin recipe (you may want to reduce the sugar in your recipe a bit) or make "jam in the centre" muffins by filling muffin cups half full with regular batter, adding a teaspoon or two of cranberry sauce, and then pouring remaining muffin batter on top. 

 

5. Stir left over cranberry sauce into softened cream cheese.  This cranberry cream cheese spread is a  delicious topping for toasted bagels at breakfast, or a yummy filling for tortilla roll-ups.  

 

6. Turn an ordinary grilled cheese sandwich into something fancy, and make a cranberry grilled cheese sandwich.  Spread cranberry sauce onto one side of a slice of bread.  Top with sliced, good quality cheddar, fontina, gouda, or other cheese of your choice.  Top with another slice of bread, butter the outsides of the sandwich, and heat in a fry pan over medium heat until both sides of the sandwich are golden brown.

 

7. Cranberry apple oatmeal: Top a bowl of cooked plain oatmeal with a spoonful or two of cranberry sauce, and some finely diced apple.  If desired, add a sprinkling of cinnamon, chopped nuts, or a drizzle of maple syrup too. 

 

8. Peanut butter and cranberry sandwiches: Make peanut butter (or almond butter, sunbutteretc.)and cranberry sandwiches.  This is a great twist on the typical peanut butter and jelly.  Think of it like a peanut butter sandwich on raisin bread, only better.

 

9. Stir cranberry sauce into plain yogurt. If you'd like, add granola and make it a cranberry yogurt parfait.  If you like things a bit sweeter, feel free to use vanilla yogurt as your base, or add a touch of honey or maple syrup.

 

10. Cranberry glazed chicken: Mix leftover cranberry sauce with a few tablespoons of maple syrup, and use as a glaze for baked chicken breasts or other meats. Baked tofu is great topped with a maple cranberry glaze too.

 

Happy Thanksgiving! What is your favourite leftover from the big meal?

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Lunchbox Carrot Cake Pinwheels

If your kids are fans of carrot cake, these lunchbox wraps are sure to be a hit.  Slicing the wrap into pinwheels makes then perfect for bite sized bento lunches, and ideal for kids who go to schools that have a balanced day nutrition schedule.  Carrot cake wraps are easy enough to make that kids in the kitchen can prepare them almost on their own. 

 

Healthy Carrot Cake Wraps

Ingredients:

1 whole grain tortilla
1-2 Tbsp (15mL-30mL) spreadable cream cheese
1 small carrot, grated
1 Tbsp (15mL) raisins (optional)
1 Tbsp (15mL) sunflower seeds (or walnuts if your school is not nut-free)
Cinnamon (optional)
maple syrup or honey (optional)

 

Method:

1. Spread cream cheese evenly over tortilla. If you prefer things a bit sweeter, stir in a little maple syrup or honey to the cream cheese before spreading.

2. Sprinkle grated carrot evenly over cream cheese, and top with raisins, sunflower seeds, and shake of cinnamon, if desired.

3. Roll wrap up tightly.  Use a sharp knife to cut into pinwheels, and serve.

4. Enjoy!

Note: If you prefer, fold the sides of the wrap in roll up burrito style to keep filling contained.

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How to make a Pirate's Lunch!

Looking for something different to do with the kids at lunch time? Try to set a Pirate’s lunch up – but be prepared for some mess!

pirate lunchbox
How to do a Pirate’s Lunch:
1.    Have your little pirates pretend to be on their ship.  Sail around for a little while looking for land.


2.    While they are busy on their ship, make a big batch of spaghetti and sauce.  Have it ready to go.  Set aside to keep it warm.


3.    In a box, set aside some odd kitchen utensils that are child safe – a whisk, measuring cups, spatula, wooden spoon etc.  Put in a box.


4.    Wait! While the pirates are sailing, a storm rolls in causing the boat to rock and OH NO! Shipwreck!


5.    Once all your pirates have recovered from the ship wreck and realize they are stranded on the island, it’s probably a good idea to eat.


6.    Realizing that the shipwreck has lost most of your cooking supplies and utensils, your pirates will have to eat with what can be found.  Discover the box of kitchen utensils.


7.    Without looking inside the box, each pirate has to pick their utensil to eat with.  


8.    Have your pirates sit down to their spaghetti and see the fun as they try to eat with the odd utensils.  Be creative with their drink cups too!


After a full lunch, your pirates should clean up and try to get off that island!!
Have fun, matey!

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What to pack for Lunch???

lunch for schoolSchool is here and now many of us are packing lunches - ah, the dreaded lunch prep on REPEAT - every day. Thank goodness momstown meals has some recipes and ideas for us all to use and refer to, time and again.

 

Need some general ideas about how to pack a proper lunch with all the goodness to keep them full and happy for the day?

Easy, Healthy brown bag School Lunches  

Back to School breakfast and lunch meal ideas from our resident Lianne from Sprout Right.

 

Sandwich Rut?

Fancy up her lunch with pretty Tea Party Sandwiches and she'll be the belle at the lunch table! Buy different breads like pitas, wraps and rolls to spruce up the daily lunch grind and get creative.

 

Variety! Does it have to be a sandwich??

Cool School Lunch ideas from our momstown mamas - ideas like a hard boiled eggs, cheese and crackers or fruit and veggie kabobs can inspire even the most boring and picky eater. Try a hearty salad like Mixed Bean Salad for a change too.

 

Thermos Hot Lunch ideas?

How about Breakfast for lunch with Popcorn French Toast , Pumpkin French Toast or Banana Oatmeal Pancakes?

Pop a few Party Meatballs in for a fun and easy lunch all kids will love!

Leftovers from a favourite dinner for lunch are always a hit like Homemade Alphaghetti! Don't forget the spoon!

 

Snack time - pack the nutrients in before recess!

Snacks can bring out the big protein and fibre with containers of chickpeas, fruit and veggies and then you can relax about a half eaten sandwich. Homemade snacks like Healthy Oatmeal Cookies or  Banana Bran Muffins are great to make ahead and freeze to pull out individually when packing lunches.

 

lunch steeltainersOf course you need to pack the lunch into something! See our back to school ideas for:

Top 5 Drink Containers for Back to School

Top 5 Lunch Bags for School

Eight great Green Lunch Containers

Easy to open containers for kindergarten lunchtime

 

Happy Lunch packing!!!

 

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Tea Party Sandwiches

What’s more perfect than a Mother’s Day Tea? Get out your fancy china, frilly doilies and fussy napkins for a good old fashioned tea pinwheel sandwichparty.


What’s a tea party without tea sandwiches? Perfect for your fancy dishes or even a picnic on the floor with your child’s plastic dishes. Tea sandwiches are easy, fun and dainty. Cut all the crusts off and feed them to birds later in the week!

square tea sandwichIn fact, before you even make anything you have to decide if they will be Pinwheels, Rectangles, Squares or Finger Sandwiches. Ask your preschooler what shape they'd like to eat!


Here are some of our favourite recipes for Tea Sandwich Fillings:

The basic party sandwich included staples like Tuna Salad, Egg Salad and Cucumber with Cream Cheese. But you can bump these up a notch with Tuna Olive Salad, Curried Egg Salad, or  Pimiento Cheese Spread.

 

chicken goat cheese

Goat Cheese and Chive Tea Sandwiches are easy to prep and look divine with chopped chives along the edge.

 

Of course Martha Stewart is going to have a say here. Try these prettysalmon Smoked Salmon Tea Sandwiches

 

Many of our chapters are hosting Mother’s Day Tea event this week, momstown Edmonton South is holding a family tea, momstown Edmonton North is planning a mama only spa tea, momstown Guelph is working with David’s Tea for a ‘fancy’ pinky-up tea party and momstown Burlington is gathering for a mother-child tea party and momstown Milton a princess / Mother's day Tea. Enjoy your Mother's Day fun!!

 

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Cool School Lunch Ideas

lunchboxThese quick and easy ideas were submitted by our momstown mamas while brainstorming planning for school lunches. Here are there tips, and please feel free to add your own tips in the comment section!

Lunch Ideas:
- sandwiches (tuna, egg salad, meat & cheese)
- bagel and cream cheese
- wraps (with chicken, veggie and cheese, cream cheese and pickle)
- soup and crackers
- mini hamburgers (sliders)


Snacks:
- yogurt
- cheese & crackers
- graham-type crackers/cookies
- veggies and dip
- cut up/whole fruit
- pita with hummus
- granola bar
- muffin/banana bread
- pretzels

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