Friday 11 January 2013

Yummy Thai Chicken and Coconut Milk Soup

Both Meg and I receive "Canadian Living" magazine each month.  I've been receiving it as a gift from my mother for the last 10 years and I always look forward to seeing what new, yummy recipes the cooks in the Canadian Living kitchen come up with.  I was super excited when my February issue arrived and it included a recipe for Thai Coconut and Coconut Milk Soup....mmm!  I LOVE Thai food and this soup is often part of our take-out order from our local Thai restaurant.  I tried out the recipe tonight and it did not disappoint.  SO yummy!!!




Here are the basic ingredients:

Rice
Chicken Broth
Lemongrass
Ginger
Chicken Breast
Mushrooms
Peas
Fish Sauce
Brown Sugar
Red Curry Paste
Coconut Milk
Cilantro
Lime Juice

Click here to see the full recipe from Canadian Living....I wish I could take credit for this recipe but I can't : (

This recipe is very simple and QUICK to make. Most of the ingredients I always have in my pantry so all I had to go out and get was the lemon grass. As an added bonus, BOTH my kids really liked it! I used mild curry paste to make it more palatable for them but if I was just making it for myself I would definitely use a hotter version of curry paste, or add red chilis.

I find that fresh ginger and cilantro deteriorate really quickly so I buy the pre-chopped stuff in tubes...so great!

Some things that I might add to this recipe next time:

Water Chestnuts
Red Chilis
Snow Peas (instead of frozen peas).

Try it out and let us know what you think.

Thursday 6 December 2012

Surprise for mom! Low FODMAP and gluten-free snacks and cake

It's my mom's milestone birthday coming up and we are having a surprise party for her at a local bar/restaurant. My mom (like most mothers) is a pretty awesome lady. She is smart, kind, caring, motivated and capable of doing countless things at once - including a Masters of Nursing while working two careers and having a farm. However for most of her life she has been plagued with uncomfortable digestive issues. Over the years, she has tried many things and has finally found a solution. For the last year, she has been on a low FODMAPs and gluten-free diet.

FODMAPs stands for Fermentable Oligo-, Di- and Mono-saccharides, and Polyols, which are mostly carbohydrates found in certain fruits, vegetables, wheats, lactose and pretty much all processed foods. FODMAPs are theorized to be the main cause of digestive issues in the small and large intestines. (This website is great for information!)

Since she cut out FODMAPs and gluten, she has lost a ton of weight, looks great and probably most importantly, feels great. I don't know how she did it. It must have taken buckets of will power and patience. I mean, no breads or pastas? Not even apples! And having to be vigilant about reading labels on foods. Even something as simple as vegetable broth has onions, garlic and wheat products.

However, due to her complex diet she can't eat most restaurant foods and yet her party is at a restaurant. Thankfully the manager is allowing me to bring special foods just for her.

So here's the mom food plan:
  • rice crackers
  • almonds
  • plain ol' popcorn
  • vegetables like carrots, celery, red pepper and cucumber
  • "special" salmon dip (see recipe)
  • flourless chocolate and almond cake (see recipe link)

 "Special" Salmon Dip
 I got the recipe for a salmon dip from my good South African friend. I made it for Thanksgiving and it was a great success. However, the onions, cream, chicken broth, and mayonnaise make it unsuitable for a low FODMAPs diet. So I changed it. And since I can't even follow my own recipe, the following measurements are all approximate.

Ingredients:
  • 1/2 cup of vegetable broth (homemade - I used a tsp of tomato paste, water, parsley, oregano, cucumber, carrot and celery **no onions or garlic!!)
  • 1 tbsp gelatin (some people may not be able to have gelatin)
  • 1/4 cup olive oil mayonnaise
  • 1/4 soy cream
  • 1 can of salmon (or tuna), brine included 
  • fresh dill, about 2 tbsp (or more? I guessed)
  • 1 stalk of celery
  • squeeze of lemon
  • Salt, parsley, oregano
 Method:
  1. Warm up the vegetable broth. Stir the gelatin into it so it dissolves.
  2. Add everything into a blender.
  3. Blend.
  4. Transfer to a container. Cover and let sit in the refrigerator for a few hours to let the gelatin set.
  5. Enjoy with crackers and vegetables.
Super difficult, I know!

Finished dip (before it set)


Flourless Almond and Chocolate Cake

I also made a special cake for her. I scoured the internet for gluten-free cake recipes and while there are MANY! I didn't really feel like buying all those special ingredients like sorghum flour or xanthan gum. I wanted to make some simple, yummy and easy. I found this recipe for Flourless Almond and Chocolate Cake on another blog.

Click here for the recipe.

Ingredients needed: dark chocolate, coffee, rum, caster sugar, butter, ground almonds, eggs

What I liked about the recipe is that it didn't require many special ingredients beyond ground almonds and caster sugar, which I found at the local baking supply store downtown. You can also find it at bulk food stores. Caster sugar is finely granulated sugar. The lady at the store gave me fruit sugar powder when I asked for caster sugar, so I guess it's the same thing. And the recipe has dark chocolate in it, which is something mom can eat in moderation.

Since it doesn't have regular flour or baking powder in it, you have to whip and fold in the egg whites as if you were making a mousse or meringue.

I opted to top the cake with more melted dark chocolate, raspberries and almonds.

Out of the springform pan

Decorated Flourless Chocolate Cake

 The verdict:

The original dip I made didn't work out - not enough gelatin. But I tried again and updated the recipe on this post.
But the cake! Oh the cake!! IT'S SOOOO GOOD! Even if you aren't leading a gluten-free life, you must try it! I'm making it again for my family's Christmas potluck.

Friday 30 November 2012

On My Leaf

A few weeks ago I received a copy of "On My Leaf" by Sara Gillingham and Lorena Siminovich.  It is a little board book with a puppet built in!  So cute!!!


I know this is not a great picture but you can get the idea.  The little lady bug is a little finger puppet.  My 8 month old LOVES this book.  Anyone who has every been around a child this age knows that EVERYTHING will go into her mouth!!!  Books are no exception.  What I like about this one is that the pages of the book don't go into her mouth....she goes after the ladybug.  It keeps her engaged and gives her something to "play" with while I'm reading to her.

Each page of the book is cute out, in this case, in the shape of a leaf and the ladybug sits in the middle.  The person reading the book places his/her finger in the puppet through the back of the book.  My 3 1/2 year old likes playing with it too....and "reads" to his little sister.  It's great!

There are many books in this series and they are available at any bookseller who deals with Raincoast Books.  After a brief search I discovered that most of the booksellers in my area carry the books in this series or can order them for you.  They are about $9.99 Canadian....very reasonable in my opinion.  

This is a great gift option for the little ones on your list....I, for one, am heading for more!

Details:  "On My Leaf" (and others) by Sara Gillingham and Lorena Siminovich, published by Chronicle Books, distributed in Canada by RainCoast Books.

Wednesday 21 November 2012

Alligator Pie, Alligator Pie.....

...if I don't get some, I think I'm going to die."  So starts Dennis Lee's famous poem called "Alligator Pie".  As a child the collection of poems in the book of the same name was one of my favourites.  Published in 1974 it quickly became part of the Canadian children's literature canon.  Featuring local, Canadian, places and themes it is a whimsical compilation that appeals to children of all ages.

So, when my brother called me up to let me know that Soulpepper Theatre in Toronto had staged "Alligator Pie", a play based on Dennis Lee's poetry we jumped at the chance to go and see it.  This past Saturday morning at 7:30 am we packed the kids into the car and headed to Toronto for the day.  After a quick stop to drop my daughter off with some family we headed down the the Distillery District to catch an 11:00 am show....a perfect time for young children!

WOW!!!!  What a FANTASTIC show!!!!  My son (3 1/2) LOVED it and so did we!  I'm still getting chocked up when I think about it.  Not only did his face light up in delight it transported me back to my childhood.  What a gift! 



A small group of 5 actors, led by Mike Ross, brought us into Lee's childlike world and treated us to music, dancing and the spoken word.  The use of "found" objects to create music was just delightful as was the use of "real" instruments.  Highlights for me included a rendition of "Psychapoo" and a great hip hop version of "Tricking".....and the bubble wrap too! (When a package from Chronicle Books arrived full of bubble wrap on Monday we were pretty excited!!!).



Go to Soulpepper's homepage to see a trailer of the play and get to reserve your tickets.  Go see it before December 9th if you can.  You won't regret it!!!



Monday 12 November 2012

It's a Jungle in There

A few weeks ago I was visiting Meghan and doing some shopping around the downtown of her city.  In one of the shops I found these FANTASTIC wall decals by Lorena Siminovich and put out by Chronicle Books.  I had been looking for something, anything, to decorate one of the wall of my daughter's bedroom.  Before she was born we had chosen to paint the room a pale yellow to match with a painting my husband had picked up in Uganda the summer before.  The painting is gorgeous and is a silhouette of two giraffes with yellows, oranges and reds create a "sunset" effect. 

Not knowing her gender at the time, we tried to keep it relatively neutral, but found a cool red shag carpet that had the same shades of orange and yellow in it.  After she was born it just didn't seem to work though.  So I was super excited when I found the decals.  They fit the colour scheme and the theme of the room which was African animals.

Needless to say, I was horribly disappointed when they didn't stay on the wall!  I contacted the Chronicle immediately.  They were aware of the problem and sent me a replacement package of decals AND some other goodies right away!  I was very impressed with the fantastic, personal service I received.  Stayed tuned for some of the other goodies I got from them!

Anyway, here's what I did....with Meg's help of course.

petitcollage wall decals....Chronicle Books
 Aren't they so cute!!!!  The hippo clock comes from another establishment but fits nicely I think.  My daughter, and son, have both enjoyed looking at the animals now that they are sticking properly.

A big "Thank You" goes out to Sandy Cooper at RainCoast books , the people who distribute for Chronicle in Canada, for helping me solve my problem.  Again, stayed tuned to see some of the other cool things Chronicle has to offer.

Cheers!

Welcome to our new blog....Magpie Sisters

Welcome to our brand new blog..."Magpie Sisters".  This blog is intended to be a venue for us to share some of our favourite things, new finds, and randomness in our lives...that's shiny!!

First, a little bit about us.  We are two sisters-in-law who share many similar interests but often express our creativity in different ways.  We both love to cook, read and geocache.  Meghan loves to knit and sew while Laura is very involved in papercrafting and is busy raising two young children. 

We are both teachers by profession but neither of us are in the classroom right now for various reasons.  We both enjoy travelling and have had many adventures all over the world....be sure to check out Meghan's blog,  Koiters' to Korea, to see what she was up to in South Korea.  Laura also runs a blog devoted to cardmaking and papercrafting.  Check out Idlewood Cards.

We hope that you enjoy our blog and will become faithful followers!

Cheers