Blogging for Mississauga Kids…

Dear Mississauga,

This post is my Thanksgiving gift to each and everyone of you.

Love,

Anne

Last year my father (known for his AMAZING Rum Cake) and his very close friend Lucy came into town for Thanksgiving.  Lucy and I cooked dinner together. We decided to make a recipe she had found but never tried.  The recipe was from a famous TV show chef, Ina Garten, and involved truffle butter. Do you know what truffle butter is? I didn’t.  We contemplated leaving it out… but then I got on the internet.  If you are reading this you are obviously familiar with the internet as well!

I googled around and found out that I could get truffle butter at the Cheese Boutique in Etobicoke.  So Dad, Lucy, and I piled in the car and off we went to this fancy cheese place.  Well… we got in the door and just about thought we’d all died and gone to gourmand heaven!    If you have never been there I suggest you cancel all you activities for tomorrow afternoon and GO! (You may need more time if you don’t live in the GTA.) Leave me a comment below once you’ve gone.  I can not wait to read about your experience there!

Anyway… here’s the recipe.  Do something special this year, splurge on some truffle butter. You won’t regret it!

Photo reprinted from the book Barefoot Contessa: How Easy is That? By Ina Garten, © 2010 by Ina Garten

Ingredients
1 (12 to 14 lbs) fresh kosher turkey, giblets removed
3 oz white truffle butter, room temperature*
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
1 large yellow onion, unpeeled and cut into 8 wedges
1 head garlic, unpeeled and cut in half crosswise
1 bunch thyme
Extra virgin olive oil

Directions
1. Heat oven to 325 degrees F. Drain any juices from the turkey cavity and place on a rack in a large roasting pan, breast side up. Pat dry with paper towels. Working from the large cavity end, gently run your fingers between the skin and the meat to loosen the skin, taking care not to tear it. (Don’t do this with rings on your fingers!) Place the softened truffle butter under the skin and gently spread the butter evenly over the whole breast. (Be generous with the butter!)
2. Sprinkle the cavity generously with salt and pepper. Place the onion, garlic, and half of the thyme in the cavity. Tie legs together with kitchen string and tie one length of string around the bird and the wings to keep wings close to the body. Brush the turkey all over with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Remove 1 tbsp of leaves from remaining thyme, chop them, and sprinkle on turkey.
3. Roast the turkey until a meat thermometer placed in the center of the breast registers 160 degrees F, 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Don’t baste the turkey. About halfway through, when the breast is golden brown, cover the breast loosely with foil to prevent the skin from burning. Remove the turkey from the oven, cover tightly with foil, and allow to rest in the pan for 15 to 20 minutes. Garnish with thyme sprigs and serve with the pan juices. Serves 8.

By the way… The Cheese Boutique is on facebook and you can fine them as @Cheese_Boutique on twitter!

This Canada Day in Mississauga you’ll find lots of flag raising, parades and of course fireworks!  (For more information on everything to do in Mississauga for Canada Day visit our home page at MississaugaKids.com!)  There are even several large Mississauga Canada Day Celebrations that have cake!  But if you get there too late for the cake fear not!  Our friends at Kraft Canada have a great easy, super-fast way for you to make your own right at home.

May 20 to 23, 2011  Victoria Day Weekend in Mississauga and Beyond

Finding things to do in and around Mississauga on this Victoria Day weekend has been a bit of a challenge!  We considered the weather forecast as well… which unfortunately is wet… and have come up with this list.

On Friday May 20th Why not grab a couple of umbrellas and take the kids to the  Sherway Farmers’ Market, it is is held each Friday through October 28 from 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. in the north parking lot of Sherway Gardens Shopping Centre (Etobicoke) near Hwy 427 & The Queensway.  Sherway Farmers’ Market, in it’s 21st year of operation, features Ontario grown produce and other Ontario food products including honey and honey products, cheese, fresh baked goods.  Read More…

PLAYDIUM is opening their Outdoor Attractions for the season on Friday May 20. They will operate Fri (4-9pm) Sat & Sun (12-9pm) until school is out and then it will be full time. Opening on the Long Victoria Day Weekend is 18 hole Mini Golf / Water Wars (Head to Head Water Balloon Catapult Attraction), Bungee Trampoline & Rock Climbing Wall. Of course if it’s raining there are indoor activities as well.   Read More…

On Saturday or Sunday you could take some time inside out of the rain enjoying the beauty of the Art Gallery Of Ontario.  The AGO currently has a special exhibit on featuring the work of two remarkable story tellers – Aesop and Walter Trier. Most people are familiar with the fables of Aesop that taught us simple true lessons for success in life as children. But you may be less familiar with Walter Trier. Walter Trier was an avid collector of traditional German folk toys. The simple expressive forms and whimsical qualities of the toys provided a constant source of inspiration for his art, and in 1922 he illustrated the picture book Spielzeug (Toys).  Read more…

If you’re feeling a little wet this Victoria Day Weekend why not dive right in?!  The ROM is pleased to present Water: The Exhibition – a ground-breaking exploration of life’s most precious resource.  Developed by the American Museum of Natural History in New York with enhanced Canadian content from the ROM, this exhibition takes visitors on a journey around the world to examine both the scientific and cultural importance of water.  Read More…

Celebrate Queen Victoria’s Birthday! Spend the holiday at the home of one of Willow Dale’s founding families. Sweet treats to taste in the historic kitchen, old-fashioned toys to try in the parlour and lots of hands-on activities in the Discovery Gallery. Admission cost is Pay What You Can.  Read more…

If your looking for information on fireworks displays click: Victoria Day Fireworks in the Mississauga Area

It has come to our attention that today is “National Chocolate Chip Day”.  We’re not sure if that’s an official Canadian holiday or not.  Actually, to be frank, we don’t really care.  As a general rule Mississauga Kids likes to celebrate ANY holiday that has to do with chocolate.

My mother use to make a pretty good chocolate cookie.  She used the recipe off the back of the Nestle Chocolate Chip Bag, but substituted Crisco for butter.  Later I found Hillary Clinton’s Recipe for Chocolate Chip cookies, which I liked better.  This is not a reflection of my mother’s baking skills or any particular political leaning… I just liked the addition of oatmeal I think.

So today I will post both recipes for you to enjoy!  Please do post any of your chocolate chip recipes below!   ~ Anne

Original Nestle® Toll House® Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup butter or margarine, softened (Anne’s Mom used Crisco)
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1 12 ounce package of  Nestle® Toll House® semi-sweet Chocolate Chip Morsels
• 1 cup chopped nuts

Directions:

1. PREHEAT oven to 375 degrees F.

2. COMBINE flour, baking soda, and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulared sugar. brown sugar, and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

2. BAKE for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Hillary Clinton’s Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 1 1/2 cup unsifted all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup solid vegetable shortening
• 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 (12 ounce) package semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease baking sheets. Combine flour, salt, and baking soda. Beat together shortening, sugars, and vanilla in a large bowl until creamy. Add eggs, beating until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in flour mixture and rolled oats. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop batter by well-rounded teaspoons on to a greased baking sheets. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until golden. Cool cookies on sheets on wire rack for 2 minutes. Remove cookies to wire rack to cool completely

Every family has their traditions for the holidays.  One of my favorites is cajoling my father into making his famous rum cake.   He started making this over 25 years ago and it is always a family favorite.  When he visits he brings his favorite pots and pans with him to make this.  Once served be sure to get your piece quick as there are rarely any left overs.  If there are left overs don’t count on them for lunch as chances are someone snatched them for breakfast!  While the recipe calls for rum… rest assured that it is safe for kids.  All of the rum is cooked which does burn off the alcohol.  So if you’re feeling tipsy after a piece it is either your imagination or you’ve been nipping from the bottle while you cook!

So Merry Merry Everything!

(Now you can never say I’ve never given you something! )

The Best Rum Cake recipe in the world!

Grandpa Jack’s Famous Rum Cake

(Also Known as Bacardi Rum Cake… to give credit where credit is due.)

Ingredients

For the cake
1 cup chopped walnuts
Jell-o instant vanilla pudding – 4 serving pack
1 18.5 ounce box yellow cake mix (make sure the ingredients does not contain ‘pudding’ in it)
4 eggs
1/2 cup cold water
1/2 cup oil – vegetable or corn (Olive oil works in a pinch.)
1/2 cup dark Bacardi rum (Any amber rum will due)

For the glaze
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup dark Bacardi rum (Any amber rum will due.)

Directions

To Prepare the Cake:

Preheat Oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

Set walnut aside.

Mix all the other ingredients of the cake in mixer for couple of minutes.

Grease a bundt pan.

Spread the walnuts at the bottom of pan.

Pour the blended cake mixture over this.

Put cake in oven preheated to  325 degrees Fahrenheit.

Bake the cake for 1 hour.

Just before cake is ready take prepare the glaze.

To Prepare the Glaze:

Take a pan and place on medium heat. Put in and melt the butter.

Put in the water and sugar.

Allow to boil till sugar melts.

Turn off the heat and stir in the rum.

The rum can release very hot vapor. Please be careful.

Once cake is ready, pierce the entire cake using a fork. Please do this gently. We do not want to shred the cake to pieces.

Keep the cake on a big plate and slowly drizzle the warm glaze slowly over it, allowing it to seep into the cake.

Let the cake stand for at least a couple of hours.

Enjoy!

According to Wikipedia:

In most of Canada, Family Day is a statutory holiday  occurring on the third Monday in February. This corresponds with Presidents Day in the United States. In the provinces of Manitoba and Prince Edward Island, the statutory holiday on this date is instead termed Louis Riel Day and Islander Day, respectively.

And…

After Dalton McGuinty’s appointment as premier was supported by the election, McGuinty advised the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario   David Onley  to establish Family Day on 11 October 2007, with the first being observed on 18 February 2008. Its creation raised Ontario’s number of public holidays to nine per year, Unionized workers whose collective agreements do not yet include this holiday will continue to work on Family Day.

My Husband, ever the cynic, loves to joke about this holiday.  “They should call it:  Please Oh Please Vote For Me and I’ll Give You a Day Off in February Just Like the American’s Have Day.” Which refers of course to the above paragraph.

My 16 year old son does not care how it came about.  He does not care why it came about.  He does not care what it is suppose to celebrate.  He is however delighted that he can sleep in and does not have to go to school.

I however find this newly generated holiday quite interesting. It is interesting to me that the holiday also arrives close to Valentine’s Day.  When I was young and in love Valentine’s Day was all about doing romantic stuff with your boyfriend and dinner out and roses and candy.  I’m older now, and still in love, but once you have kids past the age of 2 it becomes more about them.  You find yourself hanging heart shaped cling-ons on the big glass patio door.   You make heart shaped pancakes for breakfast.  You help them fill out the little Valentine’s Day Cards for their class.  Rolling Family Day and Valentine’s Day up into one long weekend Family Love Fest is certainly an appropriate way to go.

The first year it was held it seemed no one knew quite what to do with themselves.  That is slowly changing as families and businesses start to  form new traditions.  The City of Mississauga has really stepped up to fill a void.  Many of the usual fun places to go will be closed that day, but it is the perfect day to set aside to get out and get active with your kids.  If you check our website you will find an article with some great ideas on Family Day Activities in Mississauga.

As we explore this new holiday families will begin developing traditions of their own.  Our family went up to the cottage  for the last 2 Family Days.  It is more like luxury camping in the winter.  There is no running water.  We bucket water up from a hole my husband drills in the lake so we can flush the toilet.  We do have electric heat, the refrigerator, stove and the tiny TV that is not hooked up to cable all work.  We read books, play board games, and force our son to watch old black and white movies.  (Because of this he knows that:  “Badges?  We don’t need no stinking badges!” is not an original Cheech and Chong line, but actually comes from the 1948 movie “The Treasure of the Sierra Madre” with Humphry Bogart.)

This year however we will be staying in Mississauga.  My son is taking his WSI (Water Safety Instructors) course with the city and needs to be in town Sunday afternoon.  And that’s okay!  The Olympics are going to be starting that week and we are going to love watching those on our high def TV in the city.  So I think I’ll cook up something yummy for dinner (TBD) and I’ll take some time to make a home made chocolate cake with white icing in my heart shaped cake tins.  It’s going to be a cozy relaxed Olympic Family Valentine at our house!

What does Family Day mean to you?  What will you be doing?  If you leave us a comment about Family Day below AND fill out our contest form you’ll be entered to win a Playdium family prize pack of 4 X 160 credit Playcards valid anytime!  For rules and additional details check our Mississauga Kids Contest Page!

It is being reported in the Mississauga News that the Salvation Army has issued a warning to the residents of Mississauga regarding a door-to-door Santa Scam.

On Tuesday Nov. 17, 2009 complaints were received about a man dressed as Santa going door to door soliciting money donations for the church’s annual Christmas Holiday fund raising campaign. This man is NOT authorized to collect donations for the Salvation Army.

“It’s not good, is what it is,” said Capt. John Murray, who believes tough economic times are behind the scam.

“Desperate times, desperate measures … some (people) are trying to take advantage of people to put money into their own pockets,” he said.

It is important to remember that the Salvation Army does NOT go house to house. They do collect donations through a direct mail campaign, a Santa Schuffle Fun Run and the traditional Christmas Kettles located in Mississauga Malls and stores.

Donations are also accepted online at www.SalvationArmy.ca or at 1-800-SAL-ARMY (1-800 725-2769)

We at Mississauga Kids find this crime to be especially despicable. Santa comes to your door and asks you for money for a good cause in front of the kids and you have to turn him away. We suggest you say something like: “Santa it is lovely to see you and we will be delighted to make a donation to the Salvation Army but we are going to do it online this year, or at the kettle at the Mall when we’re shopping for Aunt Betsy! Say good night to Santa kids you know he is very busy and has other people to visit.” Then call Peel Region Police to report the incident.

If you are looking for places to see the real Santa in Mississauga this year please check our website www.MississaugaKids.com.

Christmas Traditions in Mississauga and around the world.

Our family has always celebrated Christmas. When I was a little girl we would go to a Christmas tree farm and bring home a tree and decorate it. My father would, under my mothers careful direction, make sure the tree stood straight in the stand. He would string the lights on the tree and my mother would fuss over the bulbs unscrewing them and rearranging them to ensure that there were not to many flashing bulbs in one area and that the colored bulbs were distributed in an esthetically pleasing way.

We would go to see go to sit on Santa’s lap much like Mississauga Kids go to sit on Santa’s Lap now. We would bring our carefully written out notes for him. We would promise to leave milk and cookies for him and carrots for his eight beautiful reindeer. He would carefully promise to do his best to bring us something we would like.

Christmas Eve we hung our stockings by the chimney with care and went to bed and tried to sleep. Do you remember how hard it was to fall asleep on Christmas Eve when you were little? Do you remember wondering if that bump or creak on the roof was Santa’s sleigh? When we finally fell asleep Santa and his elves would work their Christmas Magic.

Christmas morning there were presents from Santa under the tree and the stocking were filled with fun little treats and funny little prizes. The cookie plate was empty and the milk was drunk. The carrots were missing as well. Sometimes we’d find a few bits of carrot left over in the snow.

Here’s hoping Santa can make sure every child gets a little something special this year.

If you think you’d like to help him please click here! – Peel Region Police Toy Drive

Do you have holiday memories to share? Christmas , Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or others we’d love to have you post them below!

The students of Montessori Works School will have a special treat on their annual “Trick or Treat” visit to the Village of Erin Meadows Long Term Care Centre on Saturday October 31, 2009. They will dress up in their favourite costumes and parade on the main street of this facility. The residents of this centre will cheer the children as they parade and give out treats.

It is a wonderful opportunity to create an intergenerational program that fosters a community spirit in Mississauga. Montessori Works is fortunate to be part of this program and supports the efforts of the centre in making its presence.

Halloween is a hoot for children and dressing up for a parade with an appreciative audience can only be FUN!

If you are looking for more information on Halloween Events for Mississauga visit our website! www.MississaugaKids.com

Mississauga Kids Canadian Thanksgiving

Next weekend will be the weekend Canadian’s celebrate Thanksgiving. Mississauga families will gather together and share good food and tell old family stories. Some will go out of town to be with families. Some will go north to the cottage to begin the task of closing up. Some will be going to Alpha’s Discovery Centre’s 3rd Annual Thanksgiving Celebration!

I recently found some great video footage on the New York Times website. The first video shows you how to roast a turkey in 45 minutes! Now that could really come in handy if you are working around the cottage all day! Maybe you’d rather be out enjoying one last ride around the lake? The second video shows you how to carve a turkey properly. I don’t know about you but this is an annual debate in my family! I do hope you find both those links useful!

Canadian Living Magazine has a very useful web page with a list of Thanksgiving Recipes. You can find everything there from Air-dried Bison with Roasted Beet and Pear Salad to Wine Poached Baby Apples with Cipollini. I dare say you’ll find a recipe for stuffing there that will be much better than Stove Top Stuffing!

There are lots of fun craft ideas to do with the kids for Canadian Thanksgiving. They can make a cute little turkey note holder magnet for Grandma’s refrigerator. They can trace their hands and feet and turn them into a great turkey door decoration to give to Uncle Mike. When I was little my siblings and I would always spend the morning making the place cards for the Thanksgiving table.

Whatever you do to celebrate Thanksgiving with your family remember to take time out to remember the reason for the day. Let’s all be thankful for the blessing we have, both large and small. Why not take a moment to leave me a comment about what you are grateful for this Thanksgiving!

Anne is thankful for all her friends and family and even her crazy airedale terrier. She has a degree in Elementary Education for the State University of New York at New Paltz. She lives with her husband and son in Ontario and publishes Mississauga Kids an online resource for families featuring Mississauga Private Schools, Tutors, After School Activities and great articles for parents from anywhere!