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easy meal ideas

Back to Routine: Eggcellent Kid-Friendly Meal Ideas

October 1, 2020 By Lena 7 Comments

Whether your kids have returned to the classroom or are distance learning from home, one thing hasn’t changed: the need for simple, delicious meal ideas that your littles will love.

This season, I’ve once again teamed up with Burnbrae Farms – a family favourite! – to showcase easy recipes you can make with the kids (or, if you have tweens like me, that they can make on their own!). Burnbrae Farms’ prepared egg products are made with the same delicious shell eggs you love, they just require less time and effort so you can easily incorporate them into your daily routine.

With the tasty egg innovation products available from Burnbrae Farms, there’s simply never been a better time to “Break Out of Your Shell”!

CHEESY BREAKFAST BARS
Cheese, ham and egg goodness in a handheld breakfast bar – yes please! My husband, our resident breakfast chef, adapted the Western Bars recipe featured on Burnbrae Farms’ website. Using two types of cheddar, diced ham, veggies, EGG Creations! Whole Eggs Original and a croissant base, he whipped up an easy and most delicious way to start the day! …

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Filed Under: Family, Food Tagged With: burnbrae farms, Canadian Eggs, easy meal ideas, EGG Bakes!, egg creations, kids meals

Quick & Easy Reunion Recipes featuring USA Rice!

July 28, 2020 By Lena 6 Comments

The best part of summer 2020? That’s an easy one: reuniting with loved ones.

As certain restrictions have lifted in many cities across Canada, families and friends are able to get together in a smart and safe way – limiting their numbers, staying within the same bubble, and most importantly, continuing to social distance from others. For me, it’s a chance to reunite with my extended family and closest friends, and do the one thing we love about summer: enjoying a meal, drink or coffee together in our backyard.

Of course, having a repertoire of quick and easy recipes is just part of my charm!

For those impromptu drop ins, late afternoon coffee chats and lazy summer nights where you’d rather spend time with your loved ones than cooking in the kitchen, read on for simple meal ideas, perfect to put together with a few favourite ingredients you may already have on hand. The star of the show? USA Rice!
USA Rice is a key pantry staple and can be used in so many delicious ways. This gluten-free, low allergen, original ancient grain is virtually fat free and serves up the complex carbohydrates your mind and muscles need to function. Rice has always been an integral part of my diet, and now it’s a staple ingredient in so many of the meals and snacks that my family loves, too. We tend to cook a big batch on the weekend and then refrigerate to use in soups, fried rice, side dishes and even desserts. One pot of cooked USA Rice can last us over five days and be used in five different ways! …

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Filed Under: Lifestyle Tagged With: easy meal ideas, leftover rice, recipes, rice, Think Rice, USA Rice, USA Rice Canada

Perfect Party Appetizers and #BretonForEveryone

November 21, 2016 By Lena

Getting the girls together is no easy task.

There are schedules to juggle and babysitters to hire (Or, husbands to bribe). There are missed calls, apologetic texts and my personal favourite: “Was that THIS Friday?”

However, when the stars align and we can find some time to reconnect, I’m always left deeply fulfilled – both emotionally and literally, because we eat a lot of good food and drink a lot of great wine. Of course, the hostess is always tasked with putting together a spread that everyone will love… which may sound simple, but it’s not. Our little tribe is made up of vegetarians, calorie-counters and health-conscious girlfriends, so creating a quick menu that suits everyone’s needs is always top of mind.

Lately, I’ve been obsessing over these Greek Salad Bites, featuring Breton Sprouted Grains Sea Salt Crackers.
_dsc0557aThey couldn’t be simpler to make and are chock-full of wholesome ingredients you likely already have in your refrigerator and pantry. Plus, Breton Sprouted Grains crackers contain 5g of sprouted whole grains per serving (sprouted grains include whole wheat flour, cracked rye, cracked wheat, buckwheat and quinoa). The crackers have no artificial colours or flavours, and both the Sea Salt and Caramelized Onion varieties are only 80-90 calories per serving. …

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Filed Under: Food Tagged With: #bretonforeveryone, breton sprouted grains, easy meal ideas

Kids in the Kitchen? Oh Yes! Look What We Made (This Time!)

October 14, 2016 By Lena

Last week, I invited y’all into my home as I shared a very special cooking session with my favourite little 6-year old. Reid and I made a flavourful Chicken, Broccoli & Rice Casserole that the whole family loved! And, the most important thing is that we made it together – from reading the recipe to preparing the ingredients, Reid was a fixture in the kitchen.

Teaching children to cook is an essential life skill, and if you’re looking for inspiration, Ben’s Beginners activities and recipes are a great place to get started. You’ll find interactive activities that teach basic cooking skills like peeling and stirring, as well as easy and delicious recipes for kids and parents to cook together.

This past weekend, look what we made! Turkey Meatballs & Rice!
_dsc0405
While Reid is an enthusiastic sous chef, his older brother, Ryder, is more reluctant to help out. He’s at that “awesome” age where things just aren’t cool enough for him. Plus, he has very specific, healthy preferences that aren’t a bad thing – not by any means – but we normally have to alter recipes to suit his tastes. Thankfully, the Ben’s Beginners recipes allow for simple customization, and in our case, we used ground turkey in place of ground beef, and opted for Uncle Ben’s 100% Natural Whole Grain Brown Rice. …

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Filed Under: Food Tagged With: #lookwhatwemade, easy meal ideas, uncle ben's

Look What We Made!

October 5, 2016 By Lena

NOTE: The following giveaway is open to Canadians only.

When kids learn to cook, they build healthier eating habits for life.

There’s no doubt about this. Developing a respect and appreciation, for both the ingredients and process of seeing a meal through to completion, is paramount for making wise food choices. As a young girl, I loved being “invited” into my mom’s kitchen to learn about foods, discover cultural traditions and of course, sample the ingredients along the way. (Though “licking the bowl” is now considered taboo! Boo hoo!)

Today, I have a young, enthusiastic sous chef who shadows me in the kitchen. Together, we tackle meal planning, work together to prep the meal and often, he’ll help me serve. (He’s great at garnish.)
_dsc0307However, I know that this isn’t the norm; many parents aren’t teaching cooking skills because they lack the confidence to do so. In fact, less than half of Canadian parents feel highly skilled at creating a balanced meal, and even have trouble with the most common kitchen tasks, like seasoning, chopping and pan frying. At the same time, 98% of Canadian parents think it is important to cook with their children.

So, we’ve got a situation where we know it’s important to teach our kids these essential life skills, but we simply don’t have the confidence to carry out the instruction. Here’s where Ben’s Beginners comes in. …

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Filed Under: Food Tagged With: #lookwhatwemade, easy meal ideas, uncle ben's

Back to School with Pulses: “Anytime” Turkey and Bean Chili

September 5, 2016 By Lena

It’s time! It’s a go. The kids are officially returning to school! Wee!

(Do I sound a little too excited? I’ll tone it down. Maybe.)

Now, I’ve spent a fair amount of time talking about back to school fashion, tackling the morning rush and how to pack school lunches with ease. But I realized this weekend that I have one more hurdle to overcome: the weeknight dinner dilemma.

It’s pretty crazy at our house on weeknights. In addition to homework, we also have to juggle speech therapy and tutoring, plus swimming lessons and indoor soccer league for both boys. Therefore, I’m always looking for healthy, hearty and quick-and-easy meals that I can make ahead on weekends.

I think I’ve found the perfect solution to the weeknight dinner dilemma with my “Anytime” Turkey and Bean Chili.
DSC_1480bThis savoury chili is one of my go-to meals throughout the school year for the following reasons:

1. The chili can be made in the slow cooker with minimal prep. Seriously, the most arduous part of the entire recipe is browning ground turkey and diced shallots in a large pan over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Big deal, right? …

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Filed Under: Food Tagged With: #FamiliesLovePulses, easy meal ideas, pulse canada

Here’s a “Tip”: Try this Recipe for Bourbon Street Chicken!

February 27, 2016 By Lena

Tell me. Tell me you’re guilty of spending too much time on Facebook watching 60-second “Buzzfeed Food”, “Tasty” and “Tip Hero” videos.

Tell me that your tummy rumbles as you witness the ooey gooey delicious snack foods, main courses and desserts be created with astonishing clarity before your very eyes. Tell me that you gaze at the calorie-laden, mostly-overloaded-with-cheese dishes and think, OMG that looks soo good.

Me too, friends… me too.

However, I wasn’t necessarily inspired to try to recreate one of the dishes until recently. It was Family Day, dinner was up in the air, and I really didn’t want to spend hours in the kitchen. So, like a sign from heaven, I happened to scroll across Maple Leaf Prime’s Facebook post:

“At home with the family today? FYI there’s still time to make this Slow Cooker Bourbon Street Chicken from Tip Hero for dinner tonight. ‪#‎delish”

I couldn’t believe it. I actually had all the ingredients on hand! And since it was 2:00PM, I had just enough time to pop them into the slow cooker for four hours. I rushed downstairs, followed the ridiculously simple recipe, and that night, we had the most delicious Family Day meal!
DSC_0132a(Confession: I don’t know how to make this meal photograph well. But I promise, it was scrumptious. That was just one of three Bourbon Street Chicken sliders that I had. And I want another right now!)

This easy chicken recipe is sweet, saucy and packed with flavor. Plus – it’s a slow cooker dish! So, you can spend your precious minutes with your family, not slaving over the stove. Here’s how. …

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Filed Under: Food Tagged With: Bourbon Street Chicken, easy meal ideas, Maple Leaf Prime Naturally

Make Thanksgiving EASY with Butterball!

October 6, 2015 By Lena

Confessions of a suburban housewife: I’ve never cooked a turkey.

Don’t be so surprised. Frankly, I have an aversion to cooking anything that needs to be thawed, prepped, cooked, carved and packed for leftovers. And the dishes… oh, the dishes! Before marrying into my husband’s family, I was in turkey-less bliss.

Then, I met my future mother-in-law. And I tasted her Thanksgiving turkey… and I became a forever fan. Yep, I joined the gobble gang. More turkey please!

Juicy, moist and flavourful – with herbed stuffing and thick, rich gravy – just the thought of a Butterball turkey always makes me drool with anticipation. It’s been a holiday tradition for me for 10 years now, and for millions of Canadians, much, much longer than that.
DSC_1374So, what if I told you that the above turkey, stuffing and all, was cooked from frozen?

The Promise: pre-stuffed with delicious homestyle stuffing, this Butterball Stuffed Whole Turkey is tender and juicy every time. Simply remove the frozen turkey from the plastic bag, place it on a rack in a shallow roasting pan, brush the skin with vegetable oil and roast according to the time listed on the roasting chart. (Click here for full instructions.) …

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Filed Under: Food Tagged With: Butterball, easy meal ideas, stuffed whole turkey, Thanksgiving

Pizza on the Barbecue? Now that’s FRESH.

June 30, 2015 By Lena

If there’s one thing Canadians need to collectively do, it’s seize the summer. Especially *this* summer.

Okay, so we’ve had a slow start. But before we know it (fingers crossed), we’ll be well into the hot weather, the patio parties, and of course, the barbecues! Ah, barbecue.

(Spoiler Alert: Why yes, this IS a photo of me with celebrity Chef Corbin in front of a barbecue. What are we up to? Read on to find out!)
IMG_2730So, what’s on your menu this summer? I’ve planned for the usual suspects – burgers, ‘dogs and kabobs – and I’ll be grabbing all my mains and fixin’s at Walmart Canada. Hand on heart, it’s my preferred destination for fresh meat and produce!

Everyone knows Walmart as the place to get everyday supplies. But I’d love for you to discover another side of Walmart: great fresh food. Walmart offers a terrific selection of fresh produce, baked goods and meats. In fact, Walmart feels so strongly about their fresh food that they have a 100% satisfaction guarantee. Yep, you read that correctly – if you don’t absolutely love their triple 100% Canadian Angus beef, or their high-quality, locally sourced Maple Leaf Chicken, Canadian pork and salmon, simply present your receipt at the store for a full refund.

But how can we spread the word about Walmart’s delicious, high-quality ingredients and help families find easier, healthier and budget-friendly ways to feed their children? Tailgate parties of course! Hello! …

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Filed Under: Food Tagged With: #WalmartFRESH, #WalmartMomCA, easy meal ideas

We’re Ready for Fright Night with Cardinal Ready

June 19, 2015 By Lena

NOTE: The following sampling opportunity is open to residents of Ontario, Canada only.

Spoiler Alert: The recipe for my Hawaiian Pork Tacos follows. You may want to stick around.
DSC_0966aFright Night. Think I’m taking about that b-rated film? Think again. I’m talking about those weekday nights when my husband works late, the kids have sports or swimming, I’ve got a Twitter Party and there’s NOTHING TO EAT.

Apparently, there’s more than one Fright Night chez Lena.

Our family’s dynamic has changed through the years. Whereas we used to enjoy casual, unhurried dinners (actually eaten at the dinner table), today our demanding jobs and activities pull us in different directions. My husband is in sales, so he’s often on the road or working late. My job has no set hours; I could be working at 5:30AM or 11:00PM, depending on the day. And often, I’m on Twitter at night (I know you know what I’m up to then). Ryder has soccer on Mondays and Reid has soccer on Wednesdays and they both have swimming on Thursdays. And yet somehow, the expectation is that I’ll produce a delicious, healthy meal that the entire family will love.

*Checking to make sure I signed up for this. Sigh, apparently it’s indeed part of being a mom.*

I try my hardest to avoid the lure of the “dial-a-dinner”. Take-out is easy! One phone call, a few bucks for a tip, et voila! The whole family is fed. The trouble is, the only takeout the whole family can agree on is pizza, and families cannot live on pizza alone. …

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Filed Under: Food Tagged With: Cardinal Ready, easy meal ideas, quick meals, sampling opportunity

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Lena Almeida

Toronto Blogger, Social Media Strategist for Listen to Lena Inc. Television & Radio Personality, Columnist and Speaker. Family Travel Expert. Star Wars Fanatic. Perfecting the Art of Conversuasion. Read More…

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