cvegnad, Author at Working Mommy Journal

May 15, 2013

Top Five (free!) Summer Activities

Our family loves to get out in the summer – hikes, splash pads, soccer fields just to name a few! Trying to keep the kids entertained throughout the entire summer can get expensive so while I was off on my last maternity leave I did a lot of research into activities I could do with my kids that would be free. I was shocked at the amount of fantastic places there were in my community and surrounding areas!

Here is our top five list of favourite places to go to that have no additional costs.

1. Local library : Local libraries usually hosts a huge variety of events through out the summer. We went to movie days, bingo, colouring contests and live animal shows. My kids had so much fun! Some of the events you have to pre-register for but they are well worth it. More information on the program usually comes out later in June but keep your eyes peeled! They also run a great reading program in conjunction with TD Canada Trust. He would read a book over the week and then go in and tell an older child all about the book.

2. Local splash pads: These provide hours, upon hours of fun! We pack up lunches, extra clothes, sunscreen and spend several hours there. There is a huge list of splash pads that you should really check out. Children love to get out and play, throw in fun splash pads and it is a win-win!

3. Local Beaches: Beach front trails are perfect to walk down during the summer months with their great view of the water and the city. We also love heading down to the beach to throw rocks into the water.

4. Parls: Head out to your local park and get moving. Make up mini Olympic events, play matches but just get active.

5. Hiking: Pack snacks and maybe the wagon for tired kids and get out there and walk!

What are your favourite summer activities in your community?

May 15, 2013

Mom! No Pictures! #WW

May 14, 2013

Banana Cinnamon Raisin Bites

I was so excited to be able to participate in the Sun-Maid Canadian Family recipe contest this year!

My husband loves his raisin bread but we tend to eat it plain and just toasted. So we were all really excited to be able to shake things up a bit and make something unique for our family.

We began to brainstorm ideas and some important criteria for us were: quick, simple, fruits and fun! My boys love their bananas and strawberries so we definitely wanted to include them in our recipe. In the end we ended up with two different versions of the same recipe. One is simpler and perfect for after school and the second takes an extra ten minutes in the oven but still easy to make.

The ingredients for both are exactly the same. You will need:

– three bananas

– 1/4 cup of Maple syrup

– 1/2 cup of strawberries

– 6 slices of Sun-Maid Raisin Cinnamon Swirl Bread

Directions:

1. Cut the bananas into thin slices.

2. Cover the bananas with Maple Syrup and mix until evenly covered (this is my favourite part and tastes so yummy!).

3. At this point, you can either go one of two ways. The first way is to lightly toast the Sun-Maid Raisin Cinnamon Swirl bread. Cover with banana and syrup mix. Top with strawberries. We cut our strawberries in half and put the bananas in the middle and covered the whole thing with more syrup.

4. The other way we completed the recipe was by arranging the bread in cupcake pans (this was quite tricky and required some patience!). Then we poured the banana and syrup mix on top. We then baked them at 350F for just under ten minutes (oven times may vary – you only want to lightly toast the bread otherwise the bananas will soak through and stick to the pan). Remove the bread from the pan and place into individual bowls (we used our ice cream bowls!). They had such a unique shape to them – our son said they looked like little flowers! Add some extra syrup and bananas on top, sprinkle with strawberries – enjoy!

I wish we had almond slivers to sprinkle on top of the strawberries as well but they tasted delicious as is. The total prep time for this was under five minutes and total cook time between 5-15 minutes depending on which version you use.

What is your favourite way to enjoy raisin bread?

May 13, 2013

Happy Mother’s Day!

Wishing all you Mothers and Mothers-To-Be a fantastic Mother’s Day!

How did you spend today?

May 13, 2013

Banana and Pear Smoothie

I have been loving starting my day with a smoothie! It keeps me full, so simple to make and to take with me on my way to work. You can pretty much put anything in to a smoothie and it tastes great! Well almost anything!

Ingredients:

-1 pear (sliced – your choice skin on or off)

-1 banana

-1 cup of Almond Fresh Vanilla milk

– 2 tsp of ground Flaxseed

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Enjoy!

The perfect drink on the go!