Warming Quinoa Chili!

My good friend Ashley recently posted pictures of some Quinoa Chili that she had thrown together in her crock pot. Her picture looked so yummy, and with Autumn coming in like a lion this year, our house was in need of something hearty and warm to eat - So I asked her how she made it :) Here is her recipe, with a few additions of my own.

Quinoa Chili...mmmmm

2 tbsp EVOO
2 cups dried mixed beans (or two cans drained and rinsed kidney beans or whatever kind you fancy)
1 cup dry quinoa
2 sweet potatoes peeled and cut into chunks
1 large onion chopped
1 large zucchini cut into cubes
2 celery stalks chopped
3 cloves fresh garlic minced
1 cup chopped mushrooms
1/2 cup frozen corn
4 cups veggie stock
4 cups tomato sauce, or 2 cans diced tomatoes
1 13oz can of tomato paste
Chili seasoning to taste (I used 3 tablespoons)
Salt and pepper to taste

If using dried beans, soak them for 12-24 hours in advance (until soft or sprouted)

In a large pot, on med-high heat, add your EVOO, diced onions, minced garlic and chili seasoning - sweat your aromatics for 5 min or until they become fragrant. Do not over cook them.
Add your veggie stock, tomato sauce, tomato paste, beans, quinoa, and all of your veggies. Simmer covered on med-low heat for 4-5 hours, stirring occasionally. Simmer on low heat for an additional hour, stirring occasionally. Add salt and pepper to taste.

This can also be made in a slow cooker - cooked on high for 3 hours; then low for 12 hours.

Garnish with some grated sharp cheddar, and serve with buttered crusty French bread.
Even meat-lovers will love this Chili!

I finished this meal off with an amazing apple pie for dessert - recipe taken from The Pioneer Woman blog.. it's like an apple-crisp tart.. it's delicious! Check it out :)

Another Great Fabric Sale!

For those of you in Toronto area - or those who will be passing through sometime soon - There is a killer sale going on at "King Textiles" @ Richmond & Spadina, downtown.
They're moving, so prices are awesome - and if you can find Jonathan, tell him that Julia from The Retro Nest sent you; maybe he'll be able to help you with an even better deal on your loot ;)

It's only on until July 31st, so get you butts down there before they run out of the good stuff!

Homemade Baby Wipes!

So I'm about to pop with our first baby, and have jumped into the world of homemade baby wipes :) I decided to go down this path for a number of reasons. #1) there is a long history of very sensitive skin in both hubby and my families - the number one offender being eczema on my side. #2) Cost effective. #3) Environmentally friendly. #4) Super cute fabric options make it fun.

Here's how I did it.

The Wipes

- 1 metre of your favourite flannel, washed in baby friendly detergent and ironed
- Any colour of thread your heart desires - I chose a colour that stood out b/c I used a zig-zag stitch  
  on my sewing machine
- A sewing machine

Cut your fabric into 6"x6" squares

Put two pieces, wrong sides together; stitch all the way around your square with a zig-zag stitch.

Clean up any uneven edges with your scissors - and that's it! Easy peasy!

The Solution

Many of my mom friends use reusable wipes - and most of them use only a flannel with water. But of course I feel the need to be fancy, ha ha - so I did some research into different homemade solutions other people use. I didn't want to use anything too harsh (like tea tree oil or witch hazel) b/c it is afterall going to be used on a sweet little baby bottom, and the idea is to keep it gentle. So from what I've read, a good combo for a gentle solution is simply water, soap and oil. This is mine:

- 3 cups distilled water
- 1 tbsp apricot oil (I chose this one b/c it has natural vitamin E in it - it has no scent)
- 1 tbsp unscented baby wash (I went with Burt's Bees' Baby Bee Shampoo & Wash)
- 2-3 drops rose essential oil (b/c I can't resist a good smelling baby bum)

I have a wipes warmer that I will store the wipes and solution in - and any excess solution I will just keep in a jar until I need to refill!

Toronto Woofstock 2012 - the place to be for dog lovers!

If you live in Toronto, or are visiting Toronto this weekend, and you have a dog (even if you don't have a dog), you've got to make your way down to the St. Lawrence Market neighbourhood for Toronto's annual WOOFSTOCK!

We take our Watson every year, and even went before we had her because we love to see all of the different dogs - it's simply awesome :)

Here are the deets:

Saturday June 9th & Sunday June 10th
10am - 6pm daily
Admission: FREE
Where: St. Lawrence Market Neighbourhood




Be sure to visit some of our favourite vendors:

Buddy Belts - The best of the best in harnesses for dogs and cats. Our Watson LOVES hers (so do we)! The best part is that the belts are offered at a huge discount at the Woofstock booth. So if you're in the market for a new harness for your pet, be sure to stop by the booth nice and early because they always sell out fast! This is the belt we snagged for Watson last year and it's been fantastic - check out the video below.

The Hydrant - My favourite place for doggie leashes! Fantastic craftsmanship, handmade, machine washable - and the best part? AWESOME one of a kind prints! Some retro inspired, some contemporary graphics, these leashes are the bees knees. Whenever we're walking with Watson's "Space Babies" leash we are always stopped and asked where we got it. Go visit Lindsay, she's cute as a button too, and she'll love that you stopped by :)

"Best Loved Food of the '50's"

I stumbled across this cookbook years ago in the bargain section of the book store. I was captivated by the look of that chicken on the cover, and snatched it up for $5! The book itself is cute to say the least in it's style, the pages are full of retro styling, and the recipes are authentic to the time with it's inclusions of "Spam" and "Jello", to name a few of the '50's kitchen staples used in the recipes.

Admittedly I haven't been through all of the recipes in the book yet - but this past weekend, with it's blazing sunshine made me crave some summer BBQ food, so I reached for this book for some inspiration. Immediately the "Hawaiian Burgers" and "Carmen Miranda Cake" called my name - so I gave them a whirl - they were great! Here are the recipes:

Hawaiian Burgers

1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1/3 cup chopped green onions
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/3 cup pineapple preserves (I bet an Asian style pineapple dipping sauce would work too)
1/3 cup BBQ sauce
6 Pineapple slices
6 hamburger buns split and toasted

1) Combine beef, onions, Worcestershire and pepper in a large bowl. Shape into six 1/2-inch-thick patties.

2) Combine preserves and BBQ sauce in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat.

3) Grill, covered 8-10 minutes (or uncovered 13-15 minutes) until cooked through (160*F), turning and brushing often with sauce. Grill pineapple 1 minute or until browned, turning once.

4) Serve burgers with pineapple on toasted buns.

Broiling Directions: arrange patties on a rack in broiler pan. Broil 4 inches from the heat until cooked through (160*F), turning and brushing often with sauce. Broil pineapple 1 minute, turning once.

*I also added blue cheese to this, mmmmm, And I think next time I will also add bacon as well.

Carmen Miranda Cake

1 1/3 cups cake flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs
1/2 cup vanilla yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup (6 ounces) frozen tropical fruit punch concentrate
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon dark rum
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 cups fruit chunks (pineapple, peach, star fruit, kiwi, watermelon, berries, grapes)

1) Preheat oven to 350*F. Grease and flour 8x4 loaf pan. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl (tip: if you hold your sifter higher above the bowl you will get more air in your flour mixture - makes for a better batter in my experience)

2) Beat butter and sugar iin a large bowl with electric mixer until fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Beat in yogurt and vanilla. Gradually add your flour mixture and beat until blended. scrape down side of bowl as necessary. Spread batter in prepared pan.

3) Bake 50 to 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted into centre come out clean; cool 20 minutes. Turn out onto wire rack to cool completely.

4) Meanwhile, prepare glaze. Combine fruit punch concentrate and honey in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve honey. Boil 5 minutes. Mix rum and cornstarch together in a small bowl; stir into hot fruit mixture and cook 1 minute or until thickened. Let glaze cool to room temperature.

5) Set cake on wire rack over baking sheet. Brush thick coat of glaze over cake top, allowing some to flow down sides. Arrange fruit chunks on top. Pour remaining glaze over fruit and cake top. Let stand at room temperature at least 1 hour before serving.

What a fitting name for a cake - it actually is reminiscent of the stunning Carmen Miranda! Love it! The cake itself is delicious and refreshing with all of the fresh fruit! Perfect for a summer BBQ. Enjoy!

Simple Summer Spaghetti

This month's issue of Better Homes and Gardens magazine lays out a variety of summer recipes that are sure to satisfy the palette and impress your BBQ guests.

Tonight for dinner Hubby and I tested out their "Simple Summer Spaghetti". The article suggests you ask your BBQ guests to bring over their fav farmer's market veggies to grill, and then add them to this super simple pasta. Alas we don't have a grill, but never fear, the recipe is straight forward and adaptable, and it's instructions are for your conventional stove - yay!

Simple Summer Spaghetti

-12 oz. packaged dry spaghetti (we used Tinkyada's organic brown rice spaghetti - love the stuff - gluten free, and doesn't go mushy at all)
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 5 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped (we smashed it first as well to bring out the oils)
- Pinch crushed red pepper, or more to taste
- 2 cups cut-up grilled zucchini and/or summer squash (we just used raw zucchini, but I can see how grilled would taste better)
- 2 cups red and/or yellow cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil or Italian parsley

1. Cook pasta according to package directions
2. Meanwhile, combine olive oil, garlic, and crushed red pepper (we added chicken to the recipe - so I cooked the chicken first in the oil, then added the garlic and pepper). Cook over medium heat for 3 minutes, until garlic begins to soften. Do not let the garlic brown. Stir in Zucchini, tomatoes, and torn basil. Season well with salt and pepper.
3. Reduce heat to low and add pasta to skillet with some of the pasta's cooking water. Heat through, and toss with cheese. Garnish with fresh basil.

I served this pasta with a crusty multi-grain baguette  - it was awesome! It took about 15 min to throw it together too, which is great when you're looking for a quick healthy dinner. YUM!

More Than Just A Yardage Sale

Torontonians, be sure to mark this on your calendars - Toronto Textiles Museum's annual "More Than Just A Yardage Sale" Coming up Saturday May 25th 11am - 6pm; Sunday May 26th 10am - 1pm

You are sure to find amazing fabric remnants here for dirt cheap (I'm talking $1.00 stuff)! Better by far than any fabric store around, and the quality is high end! I LOVE this sale and have picked up some stellar pieces to use for throw pillows, clothing, art projects... and the list goes on.

You don't want to miss this one!

Admission: FREE!

When:  Saturday May 25th 11am - 6pm; Sunday May 26th 10am - 1pm

Where: Toronto Textiles Museum
             55 Centre Avenue
             Toronto, Ontario

(416) 599-5321

* Take the University Subway to Dundas Station