We aren't quite settled into a new routine yet, but have been savouring this newborn phase as much as possible. I am loving all of Thomas' snuggles and new baby sounds; he's just so little! Besides recovering from delivery, the most challenging part of being a new Mom again is breastfeeding around the clock.  It certainly is easier the second time around, but it still surprises me how all-encompassing and worrisome it can be to make sure that everything is going well. That's why these lactation cookies are my favorite little treat.

When James Robert was born, my sister in law lovingly made me a tin of these cookies and I remember them fondly.  The best part about lactation cookies is not having to share-- having a little dessert all to myself is an indulgence that I look forward to each day!

These lactation cookies are made with brewers yeast and oats to help support your milk supply.  I supplemented the original recipe by adding dried cherries and chocolate chips (feel free to omit if you dare).  A week or so before my due date, I made a batch of this dough and portioned it out into balls and froze them.

Now I can just pull out a few and pop them in the oven in order to have fresh cookies everyday.  Lactation cookies are the perfect treat to gift yourself or a new mama!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Lactation Cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
4 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons of flax seed meal
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups old fashion oats
1 cup chocolate chips
2-4 tablespoons brewers yeast
1/2 cup- 1 cup of dried cherries, cranberries and/or nuts

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2) Mix the flax seed meal and water and let sit for 5 minutes.
3) Beat butter and both sugars until fluffy then add eggs and beat.
4) Add flaxseed and vanilla and mix well.
5) Sift the flour, baking soda, salt and brewers yeast together.
6) Add dry ingredients to butter mixture, once well mixed add in oats and chips + dried fruit or nuts.
7) Scoop onto baking sheet and bake for 12 minutes.

This chicken salad was a happy accident in experimentation.  Summer has revived my cooking enthusiasm which got me playing with one of our go-to meals this time of year.  I discovered the  combination of dill, shallot and tart dried cranberries are wonderful!
Ingredients: 
2-3 chicken breasts (or rotisserie chicken)
1 bay leaf
2-3 tablespoons of dill, chopped
1/4 cup of mayo
1 shallot diced
1/4 cup toasted pecans, chopped
1/4 cup dried cranberries or cherries
salt and pepper


Directions:
1) Boil the chicken breast for about 20 minutes with a bay leaf and a pinch of salt.  When cooled, shred into desired pieces.
2) Add in the remaining ingredients and mix well.

This past weekend kicked off summer in Canada with Victoria Day celebrations which got my wheels turning about some of my go-to recipes for the season.  Year after year, Ricotta and Lemon Bruschetta has been one of my favorite things to serve.  It's light flavors and easy preparation make it ideal for this time of year if you're entertaining or taking it along to a party.  

There has been a constant supply of watermelon in my refrigerator over the past couple weeks; I can't get enough!  I think it may be my biggest pregnancy craving of all. I've been adding it to my water to infuse the flavor, eating it by the bowl full and most recently making these watermelon and strawberry popsicles.

If watermelon doesn't scream summertime, I don't know what does. And with Memorial Day in the not-too distant future, these could be a great addition to a BBQ.

If you follow me on snapchat (meg_leanderson), you saw that I was experimenting with some homemade popsicle recipes.  James Robert has been begging to make them, so with all my watermelon in the fridge, I thought it would be the perfect time to try!

I've been pinning away homemade popsicle ideas, but ultimately went with the easiest and healthiest version I could find- this requires only 3 ingredients and they are lower in sugar than most which make them a treat I feel good about giving and enjoying myself.

We used watermelon, strawberries and a little bit of maple syrup for sweetening.  Mix that all up in a blender (I love our ninja) and then pour into your desired molds.

Recipe: 
I don't have precise measurements for this, but that was the beauty, you really don't need them; you can't really mess this up!  For the small popsicle molds, I used about 2 cups of chopped watermelon (seedless) and about 1 cup of strawberries, hulled and about 2 tablespoons of maple syrup.

My mother-in-law found these popsicle molds at Ikea, which I really like because they are the perfect size for toddlers (not too big).  But I also have my eyes on a set of these; we received one from a birthday party gift bag and they are also a good size plus really cute!


PS.  I have updated my recipe index with the most recent recipes here! 

Mat makes award winning guacamole; family begs him to make it at all of our get togethers.  The stuff of legend, or so we like to think.   There are few times that he teaches me things in the kitchen, but this is one of them.

This past weekend we couldn't wait for Cinco De Mayo to get our fill of Mexican. Since Mexican food is hard to come by in Canada, we have taken to making our own at home frequently (and importing our own enchilada sauce and fixings when we come back from the states). We took advantage of our one day of sunshine over the weekend to grill, make tacos and pretend we live somewhere warmer!

We've been battling the weather recently.  Cool temps and lots of rain this spring have been such a bummer, but this little guy helps to keep me smiling.  He has taken to his toy camera and I can't imagine where he gets that from?

If you're looking to make your own Cinco De Mayo feast at home, these are some of our favorite easy and healthy recipes, including Mat's guac secrets!!

Mat's Guacamole:
2 ripe avocados
2-3 tablespoons of finely diced onion
2-3 tablespoons of finely diced cilantro
1/2 of a tomato diced (without seeds)
salt and lime juice to taste

Preparation tips: if you have a molcajete, use that to macerate the onion and cilantro into a paste then add the rest of the ingredients.  If not, use the back of a spoon to do the same in a regular bowl.

Cilantro Lime Grilled Chicken tacos with grilled peppers and onions.  We like to top ours with greek yogurt spiked with lime zest and juice along with some lettuce and guac.  A side of grilled pineapple is another favorite!

Top this all off with a few margarita's (even if they are sans alcohol) and you've got a party!  

Within the past few weeks,  we have been dealing with strep throat, hand foot and mouth and then there was a breakout of fifths disease at James Robert's school (I had never heard of this before)!  It's so hard to be pregnant and care for a sick family;  I fought wanting to help, but wanting to protect myself (apparently fifths disease can be dangerous for pregnant women).

So needless to say, I've in de-germ mode around here.  Thankfully, everyone is feeling better, but this cleaner is still something I use daily to swipe our most-touched surfaces.  I shared this "recipe" on snapchat recently (meg_leanderson) and got a few questions, so I thought I'd answer them here.

I never thought I would be the type to make my own cleaner, but after making this once I was hooked.  The smell is so much better than anything I've ever bought from the store.

I'm also totally in love with the fact that it is safe and effective (the essential oils help kill germs).  It's a peace of mind to know you're spraying something that is safe with little one's around. There is something about knowing exactly goes in it that makes me feel great!

• You'll want to use a glass bottle for mixing this cleaner because essential oils can leach into plastic.  I got mine from here. 
• I love Dr. Bronners Castile Soap for so many things; you won't regret getting a bottle.
• You can order Young Living Essential Oils here; I also recommend Lesley's site and resources.  

This past weekend, we had our first sunshine and warm weather that felt like spring and it wasn't a moment too soon.  While the winter may have been mild by Canadian standards, it felt like it had been dragging on forever.  

Every year, I relish Mat's Birthday request to make carrot cake.  It's his most favorite dessert and a requisite treat to celebrate his Birthday.  There is something about homemade birthday cakes and cards that feel so special to me.  Especially when little hands add to the charm!
This year, James Robert even got into the festivities and helped me mix the cake.  He could barely wait until after dinner to light the candles and try a slice.  And since every year I find myself scratching my head about the precise ingredients, I decided that I needed to write it down here to remember for the years to follow!

Carrot cake from scratch can be daunting. But with trial and error, I've created a cheater's version that uses box mix + fresh ingredients that has become a treasured favorite recipe.  Not only is it much easier, but it could easily pass as being from scratch, especially when you top it with homemade cream cheese icing.

It was fun to watch James Robert get so excited to help Mat celebrate his Birthday and share in the carrot cake festivities.  We hope that Daddy has the best year yet!

Easiest and Best Carrot Cake + Cream Cheese Frosting
Cake Ingredients:
2 large eggs lightly beaten
1 (8oz) crushed pineapple, undrained
1 package of yellow cake mix (I used Duncan Hines)
1/3 cup of miracle whip
1 teaspoon cinnamon
dash of nutmeg
1 cup shredded carrots
approximately 1/2 cup of chopped pecans or walnuts

Directions:
lightly beat eggs then add the remaining ingredients in a large bowl.  Stir together until well mixed.  Pour into greased and floured 9" cake pans.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients:
8 oz of cream cheese
1 stick of butter (8 tablespoons)
1 cup of powdered sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Directions:
Beat cream cheese and butter in a mixing bowl until smooth.  Add in powdered sugar and vanilla and continue beating until smooth.

I was recently talking with some girlfriends about the increasing distain our toddler's have for trying new foods.  Mealtime can be fraught with stress for many parents, especially when our little ones are asserting strong opinions about what they like and don't.

For us it seems to go in phases.  Sometimes James Robert is very picky and seems to only eat noodles and to be honest, some nights that's OK.   Usually, we'll try again the next day with something new; experimentation and variety have served us well.  And now that he is a little older, including him in the meal prep has been a HUGE win.  When his little hands get to help shred the cheese, mix or pour the ingredients or we call things by a fun name, he is much more enthusiastic about giving it a try.

With that in mind, I wanted to share some quick, easy dinner ideas that we have made in the past couple of weeks that had us all eating our veggies.  Follow along on Instagram where I will be sharing more in the future.
 3) Zucchini boats were a recent win! JR helped to mix the ingredients and absolutely loved that they are called boats.  I cut his up into little pieces at the end and added extra cheese and he gobbled them up. I loosely used this recipe. 

P.S. When all else fails, we make green smoothies.  They are still a huge favorite and a delicious, easy way to get JR to get his greens.

I have a very eager sous chef and budding baker.  Mixing, measuring and pouring are some of James Robert's favorite activities; about once a week, he begs to put on his apron and help me bake something.

This past weekend's excessively cold weather (-20 without windchill!) was the perfect excuse to cozy up inside and bake coconut Anzac biscuits (cookies for my American, friends)!  I became enamoured with Anzac biscuits while living in New Zealand. They are ubiquitous in their cafes and pair perfectly with tea or coffee.

Originally, they were sent to the Anzac soldiers in WWI because they could be made without eggs and keep well in care packages.  Today, I appreciate the egg-free recipe for it lends it's self well to little hands who want to steal a lick of batter. Also, James Robert is allergic to eggs (that aren't baked) and peanuts, so this recipe is especially wonderful for us.

I turn away for one second and he's eating straight out of the bowl!

Coconut Anzac Biscuits: 
adapted from Averie Cooks

Ingredients: 
1/2 cup of butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons syrup
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup old-fashioned oats (don't use quick oats)
3/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut, heaping
pinch of salt if using unsalted butter
2 tablespoons of boiling water
1 teaspoon baking soda

Directions:
1) Melt butter, then add the brown sugar, honey and maple syrup and stir to combine
2) Add flour, oats and coconut (and salt if using) then stir and set aside
3) In a small bowl, carefully add boiling water to baking soda and stir until baking soda is dissolved.  Use care as the mixture will bubble
4) Pour water mixture over the rest of batter and stir to combine.  The mixture will come together when pinched
5) Scoop about 2 tablespoons and shape into a ball and place on a cookie sheet.  Flatten slightly with palm (toddlers love this part) then cover with parchment or plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours but up to a few days before baking
6) Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line baking sheets with a silpat or spray or parchment paper.  Place cookies on sheet about 2 inches apart and bake for 9 minutes for perfectly chewy cookies.  They will not look "done" in the middle, but will have a slight golden brown to the sides- that's when they are done

This recipe makes a limited number of cookies, I think ours batch was about 12, so you may want to double.  Also, I found that letting the dough chill 3 hours vs overnight didn't make much of a difference.  The cookies are best after coming out of the oven and setting for about 10 minutes (if you can wait that long!)

Despite the chill of the weekend, it was just what I needed to hit the reset button.  February may be the shortest month, but it often feels longest to me.  Spending time together, eating cookies and laughing remains one of the surest ways to ban winter blahs. Hope you're staying warm too! 

Is anyone else excited that it's February?!  We've been enjoying some Valentine's Day toddler activities around here lately that I hope you'll like too. I find it fun to incorporate seasonal and holiday themed activities into our play routine.  It helps keeps things new and interesting for both James Robert and myself plus it feels festive.  I love that the toddler stage provides more understanding around what we're doing-- but we're definitely still in the stage that activities need to be quick and easy!

Here are 5 activities for you and your toddler to enjoy that are perfect for Valentines' Day (plus don't miss our play dough recipe at the end of the post):


1) Banner from felt cutouts.  We went to the dollar store and bought felt heart cutouts and then strung them on ribbon we have at home.  It helped him practice his fine motor skills and he was tickled with the result that he were able to display. This could easily be made from felt you have at home already if you do have some.

Sometimes I'll choose a recipe based purely on how French it will make me feel while cooking it.  And last week with the cold weather I wanted to make something hearty, warm and satisfying.  So I went in search of a beef stew recipe that would accomplish both my francophile tendencies and palate.  I found the perfect recipe in this French cookbook.

My sister was visiting us last weekend and we used the opportunity to take her to one of our favorite spots in Toronto, St. Lawrence Market.  The markets are indoors at this time of year and are bustling with vendors, musicians and families on a Saturday.  James Robert loves to explore the food as much as we do.

We picked up some local goodies for this recipe and took in the sites.  What's more French than that?