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11 Great Salads to Take to a Potluck or Feed a Big Group

April 1, 2019 by danawyyc 2 Comments

1. Southwestern Bean Salad

Bean salads can often be quite bland but this one is definitely not. Using canned beans makes it easy to prepare and helps the salad stretch a long way.

2. Rice Salad with Roasted Red Pepper and Herbs

Using brown basmati rice will keep the nutrient content of this salad but keep the soft texture that you get from white rice. You can easily feed a big crowd with this fresh salad without a lot of work.

3. Fresh and Easy Pasta Salad

This is not your typical pasta salad but it is just as easy to make. This salad uses salsa as a dressing, pumping up the flavor and reducing the calories too.

4. Orzo Salad

Another fresh take on pasta salad, this salad uses tiny orzo pasta and mint to make a nice light side dish.

5. Mexican Street Corn Inspired Quinoa and Corn Salad

Looking for something a little different? This salad has just the right amount of heat.

6. Kale, Quinoa and Black Bean Salad

Want a salad just bursting with nutrition? It’s hard to beat this one. It makes a ton so you can easily feed a large group.

7. Retro Cauliflower Salad with Easy Homemade Thousand Island Dressing

Cauliflower has never tasted so good as in this creamy salad with cheese and tortilla chips.

8. Rainbow Fruit Salad

This fruit salad is easy to put together and makes a large bowl full without a lot of work. Substitute the fruit for what’s in season and you can’t go wrong.

9. Asian Lentil and Mango Salad

A little bit sweet and a little bit crunchy, this salad is a definite break from your everyday salad. It keeps really well so you can make it ahead of time or enjoy the leftovers the next day.

10. Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad

Quinoa makes a perfect base for a little bit of a twist on the traditional Tabbouleh salad.

11. Salad on a Stick

Want a salad that you can eat without utensils? Try one of these options for a salad on a stick.

12 Easy Meals That are Great for One or Two (or more!)

December 15, 2014 by danawyyc 1 Comment

I love cooking but when I’m sleep deprived it’s the last thing I feel like doing. With two small kids and another one on the way, that hasn’t been an inconsequential amount of time over the last 6 years. A couple of months ago when I was feeling particularly exhausted, I reached out to my network of friends and bloggers to ask for recipe suggestions. Not for amazing jaw dropping but time consuming recipes but for recipes that are barely a recipe at all. The kind of thing you throw together for your family when you’re almost too tired too cook.

I’ve been working through their suggestions and along with a few of my own, here is the first installment. These recipes (and the ones still to come) have saved my family from many days of subsisting on only ichiban and macaroni and cheese. The recipes below are easily scalable so whether you need to make yourself a quick lunch or feed the whole family dinner you’ll be done making dinner in snap.

1. Sriracha Tomato Soup

This is one of my personal favorites. Heat up a can of condensed tomato soup with an equal amount of water. Pour into two oven safe mugs and add a squeeze of lime juice, a drizzle of sriracha and crushed saltines. Top with shredded cheese and broil until the cheese is melted.

2. Pita sandwiches

Although it isn’t much to look at, I could eat this over and over again for lunch. Although you could do endless variations, my favorite is whole wheat pita with hummus, ham and feta cheese.

3. Quesadillas

Kim from Truth and Tonic recommends Quesadillas. They are great for lazy meals because you can use whatever you happen to have in the fridge. I made a pizza inspired one with salsa, pepperoni, red peppers and mozzarella cheese. You don’t need anything special to make them, you can just heat up a non-stick pan (dry is fine) and place the quesadilla on top until the cheese starts melting and the tortilla gets crispy.

4. Baked Sweet Potato with Salsa and Chicken

This takes a little extra time but very little effort. Make a few holes with a fork and bake a whole sweet potato in the oven at 350F for something between 30-60 minutes depending on the size of your sweet potato. You’ll really want it soft in the middle so it’s better to over cook it a bit than under cook it. You should be seeing sugar start to bubble through the fork holes. When it’s cooked, cut it in half and top with green (tomatillo) salsa followed by shredded chicken and then red salsa. You can put greek yogurt, sour cream or cheese on top of that if you want.

5. Cheesy Baked Chicken

This works best with partially thawed chicken. Split a chicken breast open layer with cream cheese, a slice of ham and cheese. Sprinkle with seasoning – cajun or ranch are both nice. Bake at 350F for about 30 minutes. Use a meat thermometer to make sure your chicken is cooked thoroughly to 165F.

6. Throw Together Wraps

My friend Danielle likes making wraps. She says “ The kids love it. We buy tortillas and then use any veggies & left over meat in it with a bit of creamy dressing. I made some with leftover pulled pork, lettuce, red peppers, avocado and creamy cucumber dressing.

7. Egg Scramble

Merry from Merry About Town recommends a messy egg scramble. She has a recipe up on her blog that looks delicious, but you can also just throw together whatever you have in the fridge. I used green onions, tomatoes, red pepper and a little bit of cheese.

8. Omelettes

Raj from the Primal Desire and Melissa from Food Bloggers of Canada both recommend scrambled eggs or omelettes. They both like using whatever leftovers and veggies are in the fridge. Melissa likes adding some sweet thai chili or hoisin sauce. I made my omlette with red and yellow peppers, ham, cheese and shredded leafy greens.

9. BBQ Chicken Melts

Anna from Hidden Ponies‘ favorite quick meal is BBQ Chicken Melts. I made a variation on her recipe on toasted English muffins. I just tossed the leftover chicken with barbecue sauce, topped with cheese and put it in the toaster oven to melt the cheese.

Chicken BBQ melts - easy meals- talkinginallcaps.com

10. Eggs in Sauce

Another great egg option is to cook eggs in tomato sauce or salsa. You can either bake them in individual ramekins or in small casserole dish in the oven or poach them in a skillet on the stove.

Eggs in Sauce - easy meal ideas - talkinginallcaps.com

11. Huevos Rancheros

The thing I love about Huevos Rancheros is that it feels like you’ve put in a lot of effort but really you haven’t. There are a million different ways to make it so don’t be afraid to modify it for your tastes and what you have on hand. I took a toasted tortilla and topped it with a fried egg with salsa, black beans and avocado on the side. You can also add refried beans, tomatoes, cheese or whatever else you’d like.

Huevos Rancheros - easy meals - talkinginallcaps.com

12. Hot Tuna Melt

Elizabeth at Rolling Spoon made a delicious looking Hot Tuna Melt. I simplified the recipe a little, mixing the tuna with a tiny bit of mayo a squeeze of sriracha and chopped celery topped with cheddar cheese on toast.

Tuna Melts - easy meals - talkinginallcaps.com

What do you like to make when you barely feel like cooking?

Salad #49 – Asian Lentil and Mango Salad

June 4, 2014 by danawyyc 1 Comment

I was looking over the salads I had written so far and I could hardly believe that that after 48 salads, none of them contain lentils! Lentils are great in salads so I couldn’t let that stand. This salad is fresh, delicious and unexpected. I love it and and I bet you will too.

Salad #49 - Asian Lentil and Mango Salad

Author: Dana

Recipe type: Salad

Ingredients

1 can of lentils rinsed and drained
2 ripe mangos
2 bell peppers (I used yellow and green)
2 large carrots
3 green onions (1 reserved for topping)
cashews chopped or whole
Spicy Citrus Vinaigrette:
Juice of 1 small orange
Juice of 1 lime
2 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 tsp chili sauce (sambel oelek)
1 garlic clove minced fine
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Dice mangos, carrots, bell peppers and green onions.
Mix together with the lentils in a large bowl (reserve some of the green onion for garnish).
Whisk the dressing ingredients together in a bowl or shake in a small container with a lid. If you want a smoother dressing you could blend it together instead.
Toss the vegetables with the dressing.
Top each bowl with cashews and green onions.

Did They Eat it?

Anne: Oh, that’s good. Stephen: Good. Gordie (5 years old): uh, no thanks. Dana: Early to make, full of nutrition, fresh and delicious. This would be a great salad for lunches or to bring to a potluck.

Salad #42 – Kale, Quinoa and Black Bean Salad

March 21, 2014 by danawyyc 4 Comments

This salad is packed so full of nutrition that you just can’t help but feel good about eating it. It will keeps well in the fridge for a couple days which is good because this makes a ton. If you like your food on the spicy side you’ll probably want to increase the amount of chili powder – the recipe is pretty mild as it’s written. You could easily turn this into a great lunch by having some chicken or a hard boiled egg on the side – or even throwing a fried egg right on top.

Kale, Quinoa and Black Bean Salad

Author: Dana

Recipe type: Salad

Ingredients

1 cup cooked and cooled quinoa
2 fresh squeezed limes
1 teaspoon chili powder
4 TBSP olive oil
2 TBSP white wine vinegar
½ tsp salt and pepper to taste
2-3 handfuls of fresh kale or other greens
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained (about 1½ cups)
2 large chopped carrots
1-2 red or yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 avocado, sliced or cubed (optional)

Instructions

Mix up the dressing by whisking the lime juice, chili powder, olive oil, white vinegar and salt and pepper together in a small bowl.
Separate the leaves of the kale from the stems and cut them into tiny pieces. I ran mine through my food processor which worked really well.
Chop the carrots (also great in the food processor) and the bell peppers (less awesome) into small pieces.
Add all the ingredients together in a large bowl and mix well.

Notes

Adapted from http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2013/06/kale-and-quinoa-salad-with-black-beans.html

Did They Eat It?

Nicky (2 years old): “no.”

Stephen: Good.

Anne: Great. Tangy but not too spicy.

Dana: I liked it. It was easy to put together and it makes a ton.

Disneyland Photography Tips – 11 Tips for Getting Great Photos of Your Disneyland Vacation

February 17, 2014 by danawyyc 3 Comments

Disneyland is one of my favorite places to take pictures. The backgrounds are colorful, bright and varied making it easy to take beautiful photos. Disneyland really pay attention to the small details too – for instance if you look, you can find little hidden Mickey’s throughout the park. During your Disneyland vacation your family will be doing many fun and exciting things together that you will want to remember. One of the best ways to keep the Disney magic alive when you get home is with great photographs. Here’s a few simple tips to help you get photos your family will cherish.

1. Synchronize your Cameras and Phones

If you will be taking pictures with more than one camera synchronizing the date will make it easier to organize and sort through them once you get home. On a trip where you will be doing so many different thing, even a fairly small difference can be a nuisance.

2. Bring Extra Batteries and Memory Cards

You may be able to find batteries and memory cards at the park if you forget but you’ll be paying a premium. We also move our pictures over to our computer when we get back to the hotel and charge the camera batteries over night.

3. Take the Right Camera

Your ideal camera for Disneyland is one that you can comfortably carry with you for the whole day. I have a Nikon 1, which is a mirrorless SLR so it’s pretty compact (it’s the orange camera slung over my shoulder in the picture below). I wouldn’t want to be taking a camera much bigger than that around the park everyday. We don’t leave our DSLR at home though – Disneyland is so photogenic you can take some really beautiful pictures with an DSLR. But we don’t take it to the park every day. Take it along on days where you expect to walk less and aren’t planning on having your whole group go on the thrill rides. If you are only taking one camera pick a smaller camera over a bigger one.

4. Take Off Coats, Sunglasses and Bags

You don’t have to take them off for every photo but if you are spending time in line to get character photos you might as well show off cute outfits and beautiful eyes instead of hiding them so you can get the best photo possible.

5. Photograph Different Combinations of Your Group

Try to take individual photos, different pairs, family and group photos. It can be easy to forget to take a photo of your whole group or individual ones of the kids.

6. Take Lots of Candid Photos

You’ll get some of the best expressions when the photos aren’t posed.

7. Take Reaction Shots

Sometimes getting a shot of their face while they first see Cinderella can be even better than one with her in it.

8. Take Pictures of Some of the Simple Moments

Don’t feel like all of your photos need to be of big moments or be obvious that they are taken in Disneyland. Take photos while waiting for your food, hanging out at a bench or just walking around.

9. Get in the Picture

Especially if you are taking most of the pictures it can be easy to end up with photos that make it seem like you didn’t even go on your vacation. If you are going with other adults make sure to swap photographer duties for some of the trip. Most other guests will also happily take a photo for you so you can get in the shot so don’t be afraid to ask. Additionally, at many locations throughout the park you can find Disney photographers who will take photos that they load onto a Disney Photopass card that you can purchase later – they will also take a photo with your camera.

10. Let the Kids have a Turn

If you have an older pocket camera it’ll be perfect for the job. Otherwise let them take some photos while you supervise them closely. They may not all be winners (or maybe even any of them depending on their age) but they will probably be at least entertaining.

11. Know When to Put the Camera Away

Don’t let taking photos of your vacation get in the way of having fun on your vacation. You don’t need to take a picture of every moment, sometimes it’s best just to live it and enjoy it first hand. Additionally, not every aspect of Disneyland photographs well. If you enjoy the photography challenge and have a good camera feel free to try your hand at night photos and fireworks but otherwise don’t bother. Also put your camera away when you are on a dark ride. They don’t photograph well and the light from your camera is disruptive for everyone else. You can often get some nice photos of parades but think about whether you will actually appreciate that photo when you get home or if you will enjoy the parade more if you see it without a camera in the way.

You may also want to read the other Disneyland Travel posts I’ve written:

I’ve also written up an overviews of Disneyland Park and Disneyland’s California Adventure Park on my other blog, Calgary Playground Review.

11 Tips for Taking a Toddler and a Preschooler to Disneyland

January 27, 2014 by danawyyc 14 Comments

Is It Worth It?

After taking our two kids to Disneyland, the short answer is yes.

I think people have three main concerns about taking their kids to Disneyland when they are little:
1. There won’t be enough for their age level,
2. It will be a lot of work to take them and
3. They won’t remember going.

I can say without a doubt that there is a ton for even toddlers to do in Disneyland. Nicky loved meeting the characters and there were a lot of rides we could take her on that she loved. It is a lot of work to take little kids to Disneyland but that’s true of taking them pretty much anywhere. I found the hardest most exhausting part for me was the plane ride. Gordie is old enough so he will probably remember a little bit about going to Disneyland for the first time, but Nicky won’t. But that’s true of wherever you take them when they are small. If you are only planning on taking them once, it might make sense to wait but otherwise, there is no harm. I totally enjoyed the experience of taking little kids to Disneyland and they had an amazing time too. Everything is so magical when they are little and no one does magical better than Disneyland. I would do it again in a heartbeat.

11 Tips for Taking a Toddler and a Preschooler to Disneyland

1. Strollers and Carriers

Even if your preschooler doesn’t normally need a stroller anymore there is a good chance that you will find one helpful in Disneyland. Disneyland is big and you can end up doing a lot of walking in a day. Being able to put your preschooler in stroller can also make it quicker to get from one place to another and save more of their energy for doing fun things instead of walking from place to place. Unless you really need it, I wouldn’t recommend a double stroller though because it’ll make it hard to get through the crowds. Depending on the type of stroller you have a Stroller clip or carabiner can be useful.

What worked for us is taking a smaller stroller (we used the Baby Jogger City Mini) that in a pinch both kids can sit in with the seat reclined and a couple of baby carriers. Gordie was under the weather for part of our trip so he ended up using the stroller even more than we had expected. I was really grateful to have the baby carriers (I had an Ergo and a wrap) that I could use with Nicky. They also saved my arms from having to carry Nicky around the park when she was feeling a little overwhelmed.

2. Don’t Rush

There is so much to see and do in Disneyland you can easily find yourself hurrying through the park trying to do as much as you can. As tempting as that can be, your kids won’t thank you for it in the end. No matter how efficient you try to be, you are going to leave with things you’d like to do still on your list. You and your kids will have a better time if you leave some breathing room in your day. Stop and try on some silly hats, hang around on main street enjoying a treat or let your kids push all the buttons they can find in Toontown. Going a bit slower also opens you up to seeing musical performers or characters that pop up around the park that you would miss if you were rushing through.

3. Plan to Nap on the Go

Even if you are staying at one of the Disneyland hotels, going back to the hotel for an hour nap is going to take more than twice that amount of time out of your day. On top of that, your little one may not fall asleep as quickly as they do at home (or even at all). Plan to have your child nap on the go – a stroller that reclines with a large sunshade is helpful for this or a carrier that you can comfortably wear while they nap. Even if your child only naps at home, they will likely fall asleep at some point during the day – probably a bit later than usual. Nicky has only napped at home for months but still had a shortened nap every day we were in the park either in the stroller or the carrier.

At the same time, don’t be afraid to go back to the hotel for a rest if your kids really need it. Even the nearby non-disneyland hotels are close enough to take a mid-day break if necessary.

4. Say Yes Sometimes

You are inevitably going to spend a lot of time in Disneyland saying no – toys, treats, and more are everywhere. Saying no is necessary but don’t forget to yes sometimes too. Go the ride for a second time, change your plans and do something that caught your kid’s eye on the way, buy a silly hat or get them a ridiculous light up toy that you would never buy if you were at home. It’s okay to indulge them a little and it can be a lot of fun too.

5. Recognize When They Are Done Even If You Are Not

At some point during the day your kids are going to crash. Especially if you only have a day or two in Disneyland this my be long before you were hoping to leave the park. Try to recognize when they have had enough and leave wanting more instead of doing one more thing.

6. Let Them Walk in Line

Your first instinct may be to try to contain your kids while they are in the line, but letting them walk for as least some of the line can help make the wait go faster. Obviously you don’t want them to be disruptive, but you are not going to be the only parent dealing with restless kids. Disney recognizes this too – newer lines often have different things to look at and a lot of room to move around without having to worry about your kids getting lost. The Pixie Hollow line is a great example as you go through the line you can look for all the different fairy statues.

7. Bring Snacks and Refillable Drinking Cups

The food at the Disneyland Resort isn’t cheap but the items with the highest mark up is the snacks and drinks. There are lots of fountains throughout the park where you can refill water bottles. Having snacks and drinks on hand can help prevent hangry (hungry angry) children, save time and save you money too. If you do need to buy snacks in addition to the treat carts they have carts with healthier options, like fruit and hummus and crackers. They have also recently improved their menu to include healthier options and less fried food.

8. A Ride’s Height Requirement Does Not Indicate Age Appropriateness

The height requirement of the rides in Disneyland are there for safety reasons. The rides may still be more thrilling or spooky than is appropriate for your child. For instance the Pirates of the Caribbean Ride and the Haunted Mansion both have no height restriction. Babies and toddlers may not have a problem on these rides but they may scare preschoolers. We took Nicky (21 months) and Gordie (4.5) on Pirates of the Caribbean and he declared that he did not want to go on that ride again ever. Not ever.

9. Pay Attention to the Expected Wait Times

Each ride and attraction with have a sign out front telling you the expected wait time. In general they are pretty accurate although sometimes they seem to over state a ride’s wait time. Expect the character greet wait times to be accurate even if the line seems short. The lines go slowly – they let you take your time with the characters and don’t rush you.

Wait times can range from 5 minutes to over an hour. If you see a ride or attraction that your family wants to go on with a less than 20 minute wait go on it right away. If you come back later the line may be longer. I found that my kids could handle a line with a maximum wait time of about 40 minutes. If the line was longer than that we just moved on and I chose carefully for which rides or attractions we were willing to wait that long for.

10. Talk to Cast Members

Finally, don’t forget to talk to the cast members. They can help you find the closest washroom, nearest place to buy a new shirt and help you decide whether a particular ride is right for your child. Even if you don’t need something specific, you might stumble on a great experience that you would have otherwise missed just by striking up a conversation.

11. Dress for the Weather

Disneyland can be quite warm and sunny even in December so don’t forget your hat, sunglasses and sunscreen. However, it cools down a lot when the sun goes down. This was around 5pm when we were there in late December/Early January. Think about bringing along light jackets and a blanket even if you won’t need them for most of the day. You can also buy all of these things at the park if you forget something.

You may also want to read the other Disneyland Travel posts I have written:

I have also written up an overviews of Disneyland Park and Disneyland’s California Adventure Park on my other blog, Calgary Playground Review.

Popular Posts

1. Southwestern Bean Salad

2. Rice Salad with Roasted Red Pepper and Herbs

3. Fresh and Easy Pasta Salad

4. Orzo Salad

5. Mexican Street Corn Inspired Quinoa and Corn Salad

6. Kale, Quinoa and Black Bean Salad

7. Retro Cauliflower Salad with Easy Homemade Thousand Island Dressing

8. Rainbow Fruit Salad

9. Asian Lentil and Mango Salad

10. Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad

11. Salad on a Stick

1. Sriracha Tomato Soup

2. Pita sandwiches

3. Quesadillas

4. Baked Sweet Potato with Salsa and Chicken

5. Cheesy Baked Chicken

6. Throw Together Wraps

7. Egg Scramble

8. Omelettes

9. BBQ Chicken Melts

10. Eggs in Sauce

11. Huevos Rancheros

12. Hot Tuna Melt

Did They Eat it?

Did They Eat It?

1. Synchronize your Cameras and Phones

2. Bring Extra Batteries and Memory Cards

3. Take the Right Camera

4. Take Off Coats, Sunglasses and Bags

5. Photograph Different Combinations of Your Group

6. Take Lots of Candid Photos

7. Take Reaction Shots

8. Take Pictures of Some of the Simple Moments

9. Get in the Picture

10. Let the Kids have a Turn

11. Know When to Put the Camera Away

Is It Worth It?

11 Tips for Taking a Toddler and a Preschooler to Disneyland

1. Strollers and Carriers

2. Don’t Rush

3. Plan to Nap on the Go

4. Say Yes Sometimes

5. Recognize When They Are Done Even If You Are Not

6. Let Them Walk in Line

7. Bring Snacks and Refillable Drinking Cups

8. A Ride’s Height Requirement Does Not Indicate Age Appropriateness

9. Pay Attention to the Expected Wait Times

10. Talk to Cast Members

11. Dress for the Weather

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