Lunch and Snacks

Going Back to School is Better with Ozery’s Pita Break Mexican Mini Breakfast Pizzas

August 6, 2015 by Kathryn 169 Comments

The school year is fast approaching and I’m already starting to plan out some easy and delicious meals for the busy school season. While I tend to stick to fairly basic sandwiches and snacks for the most part, I like having some fun and creative meal ideas at the ready as well. And that’s especially true for breakfast! Even though my boys love their cereal, they also love heartier options in the morning and since breakfast is the most important meal of the day, I want to make sure that they head out the door feeling satisfied.

This year, Ozery’s Pita Break is helping with that thanks to its extensive variety of delicious and healthy Morning Rounds and Just Minis pita breads. I recently received a variety of products to create a tasty back-to-school recipe, so I decided to combine a few kid-friendly favourites into one quick and easy breakfast idea: Mexican Mini Breakfast Pizzas! [Read more…]

Layered Bean Salad with Tuna and Feta is Perfect Picnic Fare

July 26, 2015 by Kathryn 40 Comments

In less than a week, the closing date for my house sale will be here and I’ll be saying goodbye to my childhood home forever. Having lived in the same house almost my entire life, it’s an emotional time for me. But it’s also a busy one since the house has accumulated so much over the years. And between packing, throwing out garbage and giving away items I’m not putting into storage, I don’t really have the time or utensils to cook proper meals at the moment.

Luckily for me, Kraft Canada came to the rescue with some incredible portable picnic recipe ideas! The recipes are quick and easy to whip up, can be eaten quickly or taken on the road and, best of all, require hardly any cooking! I decided to put a twist on a popular recipe on the website: Layered Bean Salad with Feta. While it’s a hearty enough salad to be a meal already, I need all the energy I can get at the moment. Adding tuna was the perfect way to make this tasty salad even healthier and more filling!

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Try Campfire Ham and Cheese Bread for an Easy Camping Lunch

May 21, 2015 by Kathryn 26 Comments

My boys and I absolutely love going camping. From large excursions with the Scouts group to family getaways to nights in the backyard, if we’re under the stars cuddled up in a blanket around a crackling fire, we’re in our happy place.

And as with many other special things in life, one of our favourite things about camping is the food! Like most kids, my boys are never going to turn down classics like hot dogs and marshmallows.

But I love getting more creative with my campfire cooking and one of my all-time favourite ways to make easy camping meals is by using foil. I love the versatility of being able to cook up a foil packet containing all our favourite foods. And the minimal cleanup of the method is an added bonus!

There are some great recipe ideas for foil-wrapped easy camping meals on the Kraft What’s Cooking website; the Foil-Pack Taco Chicken Dinner looks sublime!

But I found that most of them were more dinner ideas and I wanted to make something more suitable for a camping lunch. And so my Campfire Ham and Cheese Bread was created! [Read more…]

Best Ever Classic Waffles Made with the Breville the No-Mess Waffle Maker

May 7, 2015 by Kathryn 275 Comments

Years ago I had a waffle iron that I used every few months, and to be honest, I pretty much hated it. It was awkward to store, hard to clean and invariably made a mess every time I used it.

I would either put in too much batter and end up with spills all over the counter or put in too little and get waffles that were misshapen and unattractive. When the waffle iron eventually broke, I certainly wasn’t heartbroken.

So when Breville came out with a revolutionary mess-free waffle iron, I was hesitant, but intrigued. Could it really be possible to enjoy delicious, crispy waffles without a big hassle and a mess to clean up?

When Breville gave me the chance to see for myself how well its new the No-Mess Waffle worked, I couldn’t wait to put it to the test.

Because the Breville the No-Mess Waffle is designed to be quick and easy to use, I wanted to make a Breville waffle recipe that was equally quick and easy.

And this recipe for the best ever Classic Waffles is exactly that. The batter can be whipped up in a blender or food processor in just minutes and keeps in the fridge for up to a week! Just whisk it up before use and you can have fresh waffles any time!

[Read more…]

Start Your Day Right with Nutrient-Packed Berry Blast Bran Muffins

October 31, 2014 by Kathryn 45 Comments

Thanksgiving is the official kick-off of the holiday season for most families and ours is no exception. But between the colder weather, the extra treats and the decrease in time spent outdoors, it’s also the season when colds and flues start to attack with a vengeance. And that’s certainly been the case this year! My oldest son coming home from school with a cough has gradually led to every single member of our family spending at least a day in bed with a fever and a hacking cough.

Now that we’re all pretty much recovered, I know I need to do more to ensure we’re getting proper nutrition during the holiday months. Since a good breakfast is always a great place to start, I decided to create a hearty, nutrient-rich muffin recipe that would help my boys start the day off with plenty of energy and plenty of nutrients too!

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Treat Your Little Goblins to 4 Easy and Healthy Halloween Snacks

October 28, 2014 by Kathryn 50 Comments

Halloween is just a few days away and since kids will soon be indulging in all kinds of sweet treats, I thought I’d create a few healthy Halloween snacks for my little monsters this year. Planning a Halloween party menu without overindulging on sweets doesn’t have to mean skimping on fun and these four simple recipes are proof of that!

Halloween Pumpkin Oranges

Such a fun and easy treat! Simply peel mandarin oranges and insert a small slice of celery into the top to create instant delicious mini pumpkins that kids will love to gobble up! [Read more…]

Fall Entertaining with Four Simple Recipes Using Jam

September 29, 2014 by Kathryn 43 Comments

As sad as it seems, summer has officially come to an end and while I know I’ll sure miss the warm and lazy days in the backyard, autumn does have its own appeal as well. And the hearty, comforting foods of the season are definitely a big part of autumn to me!

I love showing off the season’s delicious foods by inviting friends and family for a meal but, while I enjoy entertaining, I don’t want to spend all my time cooking either! Quick and easy recipes are a stand-by for me and so I recently set out to create some tasty fall recipes using jam that cook in less than 15 minutes and contain five ingredients or fewer.

Blueberry Brie Tarts

These simple appetizers have a gourmet taste and a rich flavour that guests will love. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and place one package of 18 frozen tart shells on a cookie sheet. Fill each tart shell with three ½-inch cubes of Brie cheese. Bake for ten minutes, until cheese is melted. Top each tart with ½ teaspoon of Blueberry Jam and bake 2-3 minutes more, until jam is bubbly. Serve immediately. [Read more…]

Easy Granola Bars for Back to School and Savings from Kraft Canada

August 21, 2014 by Kathryn 61 Comments

It’s almost time for a new school year and that means I once again have to start thinking about packing school lunches for my boys! They tend to both favour simple meat sandwiches in their lunch, which makes my life a little easier, but they also need a daily healthy snack and personally, I like to make that snack myself to ensure I know exactly what my boys are eating.

Of course, I also don’t want to spend all day in the kitchen baking, and that’s why these easy granola bars have been a hit in our household for years now. With just one bowl, a little mixing and 25 minutes in the oven, I get about two weeks’ worth of tasty granola bars perfect for snacking at school!

[Read more…]