Mom, the Lunch Lady

These healthy, richly chocolate muffins are made with all natural ingredients. Super moist and studded with dark chocolate, enjoy these muffins for breakfast, or as a healthy snack. I have always had a sweet tooth. Part of me blames my Dad, since he was sharing his ice cream with me when I was 5 months old. Whatever the reason, I've always been drawn to desserts and sweet foods. I've tried to limit my sweets and for the longest time I have been successful. I've kicked my soda addiction, I never drink any juices (I prefer tea and water) and have even enjoyed the new flavoured sparkling waters that are now all the rage. But try as I may, that sugar monster comes back.  With the pandemic and being home since last March, I've spent most of my time in the kitchen. Being a baker by nature, I am drawn to creating new desserts and snacks. So as a way to justify all the baking going on in my kitchen, I've started using healthier, all natural ingredients. Ingredients such who...

 Tender crisp veggies and cheese are wrapped in homemade pizza dough, for a simple and delicious meatless meal! I am a total carb lover. It seems like everything I should try to limit to get healthier and more fit, is everything I've been craving lately. Carbs like bread, pasta, bagels, ooey gooey cheese, sweets..... these are things I've been craving since the cold weather hit. Trying to be more mindful of what I am eating, I've been trying to limit carbs to one meal per day. But when I do have carbs, I want them to be worth it! Pizza has always been a hit in our house. My SO and my son would have pizza everyday if they could. While I also enjoy a good pizza pie, sometimes I want something different. So I decided to make Stromboli. Stromboli is a type of turnover, usually filled with Italian cheeses and cold cuts/vegetables. It is made by either using Italian bread dough, or pizza dough. It was invented in U.S, and is typically rolled into a cylindrical shape. I decided to...

  This linky party is the perfect place to show off your creativity! Share your blog posts, for a chance to be featured next month!    WELCOME to the January 2021  " You're the Star " Blog Hop! Before we continue onto the Linky party I wanted to share from my blog:   Chocolate Cherry Blossoms are a homemade version of a popular Hershey chocolate candy. They are a simple and delicious treat to make for Valentine's Day for your special someone.  ________________________________________ WELCOME to  HOME feature week of the January 2021  " You're the STAR " blog hop! Meet your HOME week Hosts   This week is HOME feature week Swing by the Home Hosts' Blogs: Bev @ Eclectic Red Barn Liberty @ B4 and Afters Cindy @ Mom, the Lunch Lady This is a month long Linky party featuring YOU! There will be 4 different features each week and 4 different feature categories.  Just to be clear - this i...

 This homemade version of a popular Hershey chocolate candy, is a simple and delicious treat to make for Valentine's Day for your special someone.  Cherry Blossoms, have always been one of my Mom's favourite chocolates. They are a chocolate candy, that was part of Hershey Canada's products. I'm not sure if they are still made today, but growing up I remember my Mom loving them. If I ever went to the store, with the intent of buying my Mom a treat, I always came home with a Cherry Blossom. Since this month is all about love, I thought I'd try to recreate these goodies from my childhood. When I think love, I think of many people in my life, one being my Mom. I thought these would be the perfect homage to her. Every Christmas, my Mom would make a type of no-bake cookie, for their neighbour. She calls them birds nests, because they are a nest of chocolate, graham crumbs, condensed milk and coconut, in which is nestled a maraschino cherry. They are super YUMMY and they a...

 This is a healthy, easy and impressive way to prepare salmon. The glaze is simple, yet flavourful, and this will quickly become your favourite salmon recipe. Salmon is a reddish fish, that is tender yet firm and it is a favourite amongst many, due to it's buttery flavour. It is low in saturated fat and high in protein and is also a great source of vitamin B12 and Potassium. These are only some of the reasons salmon has been deemed a super food. When I worked at the natural food market, I cooked quite a bit of salmon over those 3 years. It was a staple on our hot buffet and one of our most popular items. Our patrons preferred it prepared simply with dill, lemon, salt and pepper. While this is one of my favourite ways to prepare salmon, sometimes you need a little variety. The balsamic vinegar becomes wonderfully sweet as it bakes in the oven. The Dijon adds a slight tartness, to balance out the sweetness. With only a few healthy ingredients, this recipe is deliciously simple and wo...

 Perfectly seared tofu, is the star in this stir fry dish bursting with veggies. Served on top of rice vermicelli this is a fantastic and easy Vegan meal.  One of my goals for 2021 is to continue with self care and healthy weight loss. Since I am not a very big red meat eater, I have been looking for protein options other than our regular chicken/turkey, pork and fish dinners. When I started working at a Natural Food Market 4 yrs ago, I had the opportunity to finally try tofu. I had always been curious as to how it tasted, but was not brave enough to buy some, just in case I didn't care for it. Once I tasted it at work, I loved creating new recipes using it, for our Vegan customers.  What is tofu? Tofu is a food, originating in China, that is made using condensed soy milk, that has been pressed into blocks, in a way similar to cheese making. It is very high in protein and contains a variety of vitamins and minerals. It is a low calorie, nutrient dense food. However you ma...

  This linky party is the perfect place to show off your creativity! Share your blog posts, for a chance to be featured next month!     Welcome to week#3 of the January 2021 " You're the Star " Blog Hop! Before we continue onto the Linky party I wanted to share this post from my blog: My Chocolate Covered Cherries are made with Maraschino cherries, covered in a creamy center and dipped in dark chocolate. Perfect for Valentine's Day! ________________________________________ Please join me in welcoming our newest Cohost: Lisa from " Lisa's Everyday Life " (click  HERE  to view her wonderful blog) ________________________________________ WELCOME to  FAMILY feature week of the January 2021 " You're the STAR " blog hop! Meet your FAMILY week Cohosts   This week is FAMILY feature week Swing by the Family hosting team's blogs: Michelle @ Moms Are Frugal Kris @ Kris and Larry . com Lisa ...

 These chocolate covered cherries are made with Maraschino cherries, covered in a creamy center and dipped in dark chocolate. The result is a beautiful and indulgent treat, perfect for Valentine's Day, or special occasion. My Mom made these for us, at Christmas. She hasn't in years though, because only a few of us would eat them and we can't always make it at Christmas. I'm not sure where she got the recipe from. It's just one of those recipes she got from a friend of a friend. Though they seem time intensive, they are super impressive. The first few cherries are always the biggest, since you're getting the feel of how much cherry paste to put around the actual cherry. Chocolate covered Cherries are one of my son's favourite treats. We always make a point to buy him a box for Christmas. So I knew he would enjoy these tremendously. With so much time on my hands, I had no reason to not take the time to make these.  This time I decided to make them using cockta...

 This mouthwatering crock pot chicken recipe features sweet, salty and earthy flavours of Tuscany. Slow cooked all day the chicken is fall off the bone tender and the sauce is simple yet full of flavour.  Before the pandemic, when I used to work, the crock pot was my best friend. It was so easy to prepare everything the night before, throw it all in, turn it on and forget it; only to return home to the house smelling like heaven. Now that I can not work, I don't bring the crock pot out that often. I do use it for ribs and pulled pork, but since I have tons of time on my hands I usually just whip dinner up in the evening.  I recently purchased chicken thighs with the intention of making Crock Pot Lemon Chicken. Then I remembered that my SO is not crazy about lemon, so I decided to make something he would be more inclined to like. I love that he is Italian, because Italian food has always been something I've loved cooking and eating. I didn't want this recipe to be too time...

 Amish White Bread is the perfect beginner bread making recipe. A soft and tender loaf, that slices beautifully without crumbling or tearing. I have always LOVED home baked bread. My mom would always treat us to fresh bread during the colder months and it was always one of our most anticipated meal times. From the smell of the bread baking when we got home from school, to slathering it with butter and watching it melt before taking that first mouthwatering bite; fresh bread has always been one of my weaknesses. It wasn't until years after moving out on my own and getting a bread machine for Christmas, that I started baking bread myself. Having a bread machine gave me the confidence I needed to ensure that my loaves turned out perfectly.  It wasn't until I found this recipe for Amish white bread, that I started feeling more confident with my skills and eventually my bread machine started collecting dust in my cupboard. This recipe is so simple to make and the bread always turns...