Kasie Savage: (almost) Mother of the Year

'Tis the reason to be tired of the season...falalalala, lalala, hack. If you've got little kids you know that Christmastime is as much about throwing parties as it is about throwing up, and as much about gifts as it is about greed. In our humble home it's an annual xmas tradition that anywhere between one and three boys will toss their gingerbread cookies, develop Croup or break out in some other rarely experienced and unpleasantly named childhood infection. "I'll take my hot cocoa with a side of Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease, Mum!" It's also the time of year when my little angels utter the words "me", "mine" and "gimme" once every 6-seconds...even as we're dropping off a bunch of blankets to the SPCA in an attempt to teach the holiday virtues of giving and charity.  As they frantically shred the bag I've packed the canine delivery in at the back of the van, I can hear 30 little fingers grabbing at the donation, &q

There's a great and well known parenting adage I subscribe to:  "Never do for your kids what they can do for themselves ".  Not only does it help kids to be more responsible, confident and independent, but having them do more, means I get to do less! Now I have so much time on my hands I can even complain more!! My little fellas are now aged 8, almost 6 and 4.  Wyatt, the eldest (aka Bossy), frequently does his own laundry, cleans bathrooms, vacuums, mops, dusts and even has crabs!  (Hermit crabs...the pet variety).  He's even started making breakfast for the family and his own school lunches.  He gets paid for none of this.  Noah and Spencer, the younger brothers (aka Needy and Demanding) also clean bathrooms, vacuum, dust, polish, help with laundry washing/folding, sweep floors, wipe tables, garden, etc...  No money there either.  This is all on top of their daily expectations- to wake independently, pick their own clothes (now you know why they always look so g

Halloween.  A night of little goblins and ghosts running amok, neighbourhoods shroud in orange and black, the sound of giggles, the thud of cheap candy filling up pillow-cases and the pitter-patter of hyperactive feet racing about, one house to the next.  Oh it all sounds so magical doesn't it?  I guess everything does- in a perfect world! But in my world on Halloween night it's different- much different.  Let me tell you, why I rank Halloween #1 (that's right, top spot) in the category of "Stupid Occasions I Wish Had Been Phased Out The Day My Kids Were Born". Here's what my world looks like on a typical Halloween: 5pm :  A trio of boys comprised of Bossy (#1), Needy (#2) and Demanding (#3) form an alliance and suddenly decide that the costumes I spent two weeks making (in order to prove my advanced skills in Housewifery) are either: a) not cool enough b) itchy c) flammable d) all of the above (especially once they realise I won't budge on givin

Recently, we headed up north to the in-laws' cottage on beautiful Kahshe Lake for one last dip in the rapidly cooling waters and some general rest and relaxation surrounded by a nature's splendour.  Because we are cottage-less freeloaders ourselves, and because we invade the property as a rowdy family of five, we like to sweeten the pot with the offer to make supper for our generous hosts.  The in-laws pretend this is a great idea- although knowing them well, and knowing my propensity for freakishly low-fat experimental cooking, I can tell that this offer is no treat for them.  The menu I had planned was grilled trout in a sesame and poppy seed crust, seasoned cauliflower mash and to top it off, watermelon, feta & pea sprout salad with lemon rind and EVOO.  This sounds delish, no?  The only problem was a major problem.  In my never-ending quest to create a healthy, low-fat, nutrient-high meal, I omit important things like, satisfaction, flavour and fullness.  Fast-forward

Anyone who knows me and/or eats my cooking knows that I can just never leave a good recipe alone.  Call it unresolved control issues, call it the quest for perfection, but I always feel like we can do a little better in the health department.  This recipe is no exception.  It is relatively healthy to begin with.  But I take it to the next level by adding ground chia for the ultimate in a good-for-ya fibre and kick it up a level with some delicious, nourishing oats to make each slice a long-lasting, long-digesting, meal!  This recipe isn't almost good- it is great!!  Before we begin, what in the name of digestion is Chia you ask? Chia contains the highest plant source of Omega-3 on the planet! Great for Diabetics Effective for Treating Hypoglycemia. Chia Seeds contain more Antioxidants than blueberries. Chia Seeds are a complete protein with all 9 amino-acids. Chia Seeds are an excellent source of Calcium, Magnesium & Iron. Chia Seeds are an effective aid to healthy wei

Well, as usual, my visit to the grocery store involved experimentation.  You see, I'm not one of those "stick-to-the-list" types.  In fact, I have no list.  This poses many a problem for the family and the refrigerator inventory control system (what, you don't have one?).  For example, we are pretty much always missing a basic staple- like eggs, milk, butter, meals...  In lieu of such basic boredom, I prefer to stock the fridge chock full of good intentions!  That has to count for something.  Oh, and today, I added a $5.99 package of zucchini flowers to that empty shelf in the middle...where the basics are supposed to go.  They just looked so pretty and exotic and I couldn't help but wonder, "what the hell are these things"?  Most customers see zucchini flowers and run, but not I.  I see opportunity and hassle and kids hating me and more hassle and bad moods on the horizon...so I threw them in the cart.  I of course asked the heavily mustachioed produce