Strawberries, strawberries, everywhere!

They're falling off the plants, and making their way onto our plates. I LOVE strawberry season. We try our very best not to purchase strawberries from the US, because it's just so lovely waiting for the delicious local strawberries to arrive in season. The flavour is so much better! Last night I scoured my recipe books for a quick strawberry cake I could make for dessert, and came across this one from Vegetarian Planet by Didi Emmons. If you're going for healthy, this is definitely not a good choice :) But, I did cut the sugar back to 3/4 cup, and it was definitely sweet enough!

Cornmeal Strawberry Cake

1 1/3 cups cornmeal 2/3 cup unbleached white flour 1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp baking powder 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened 1 1/4 cups sugar 4 large eggs, beaten 1 tsp vanilla extract 1/2 cup buttermilk (or yogurt) 1 cup sliced strawberries

Preheat oven to 350, and grease a 9 in cake pan. In a large bowl mix together cornmeal, flour, salt and baking powder.

In another bowl, mix butter and sugar (don't cream them). Stir in half the beaten eggs and mix. Stir in the rest of the eggs and mix well. Add the vanilla to the buttermilk. Add half the flour mixture to the egg mixture, and stir well (do not beat). Add the buttermilk and stir again. Then add the remaining flour mixture. Fold in the strawberries and pour the batter into the pan.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until a knife inserted comes out clean.

Serve with ice cream, whipped cream or greek yogurt!

PB & J Energy Bites

I found this recipe on Pinterest the other day. They are such a great idea! Lately our family has been needing more quick snacks that are easy to grab-and-go, take to work, delicious (of course) and pack a nutrition punch. A couple tweeks to suit our family and we're ready to go!

I made a couple modifications, like leaving out the flax seed. Instead I used 1/4 cup chia seeds and 1/4 cup hemp hearts. To make them a bit healthier (this time) I swapped the chocolate chips for organic fruit juice sweetened Dried Cranberries. And now we have the J in PB& J!

These are great for kids too! Using a food processor to break down the oats and dried cranberries make them a lot easier to eat for the wee ones (my son, who’s 1 was able to munch on them, no problem!). You can use Sunflower Seed butter instead of peanut butter and then they are suitable for lunches at school. Or keep them as is and they can be a great after school snack.

Pop all the ingredients in a food processor and these bites come together in minutes!

Per bite: 10g fat | 3g fiber | 2 g sugar | 3g protein

PB & J Energy Bites

1 cup Rolled Oats (gluten-free) 1/2 cup Natural Peanut Butter (smooth or crunchy...I used crunchy) 1/2 cup Dried Cranberries (Organic fruit juice sweetened) 1/2 cup Unsweetened shredded Coconut 1/2 cup Honey 1/4 cup Chia seed 1/4 cup Hemp Hearts 1 tsp Vanilla Extract Option 1: (how I made these) *Toss all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until combined. Roll into balls approximately 1.5".

Option 2: *Use a stand mixer, or bowl & spoon to mix all the ingredients together. Roll into balls approximately 1.5".

Note: This recipe makes about 25 1.5” bites. We devoured them today, so I will definitely be doubling this up from now on!

Eryn is a mom to a cheerful and energetic little 10 month old boy. She is a Registered Holisitic Nutritionist & accepting new clients . When she's not chasing around a baby or talking nutrition, she enjoys quilting, crafting, cooking & everything in between and blogs about those and other adventures at Bringing Back Handmade.

Mother's Day Brunch Ideas

There are SO many Mother's Day brunches taking place around the city - most are probably fantastic, but we know it can run a hefty bill for a family of four (or more!). Instead, I've compiled a number of brunch-worthy recipes you could try for Mom on Sunday (but let's be honest, we'll probably only have time to whip up one of these options!!) Throw in a plant or bouquet of flowers and I'm sure Mom will be swooning! Bacon, Egg and Toast Cups

Strawberry Cucumber Salad

Peach Breakfast Cobbler

Raspberry and Goat Cheese Breakfast Strata (YUM!!)

Seasonal Options

Raddish and Fennel Apple Salad Bites

Rhubarb and Strawberry Breakfast Crisp

Fiddlehead and Gruyere Tart

Crostini with Ricotta and Pea Shoots

Alright, now I'm hungry! Bon Appetit and Happy Mother's Day!

Homemade Ginger Ale

So I'm on an alcohol-free kick at the moment. Not because I think I drink too much, but just because it's commonplace for my husband and I to crack a cold one right before dinner - and lately, this has been a daily indulgence! Given our goal to get in shape this summer, we're trying to lay off the beer and wine. Which means I need to find a tasty alternative to my evening drink. Now that it's light out later, we enjoy our backyard much more, and it's so wonderful to sit in the sun with a cool beverage.

So last night I attempted to make my own homemade ginger ale. It was a success, and my 4.5 year old also enjoyed it! If you're looking for a great summer drink, give it a try.

"Ginger Ale"

1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 tsp freshly squeezed lime juice 1 tsp grated ginger (more or less, depending on "spicy-ness") Sparkling water sweetener to taste (I used a splash of agave nectar)

Mix all ingredients together, add ice and enjoy. I might try leaving it for 10 minutes, and then straining out the "floaties" as my daughter calls them :)

Cheers!

Cashew Sour Cream

Following my cashew yogurt post, we've still been experimenting at home with this yummy nut (but hey, did you know cashews aren't actually nuts? This article was so interesting to read!). My latest attempt has been to find a yummy vegan sour cream. After a few different attempts (there are SO many recipes out there!), I've found one that is incredibly tasty and kid-approved. Even my husband has given it "the nod" (you know, where they say "hey, not bad," but actually don't want to admit that you're right).

So give it a try, and let me know what you think!

1 cup raw cashews (soaked 4-6 hours, or overnight) juice from 1/2 lemon 2 tsps apple cider vinegar 1/4 cup filtered water 1/4 tsp sea salt

If you get raw cashew pieces, they soak really quickly. I put them in a bowl of water and use them several hours later. Rinse the cashews and throw them into your blender or food processor. Add all the other ingredients, and blend until very smooth and creamy. You might find there isn't enough liquid, so add 1 tbsp of water to see if that helps. This will store in the fridge for several days, and often gets thicker as it cools.

Enjoy!