Andrea Mulder-Slater

by Andrea Mulder-Slater I grew up in the 1990s. Ok, I also grew up in the 1980s. The thing is — when I was a kid in the 1970s, money was tight and we didn't have a ton of extra cash available for buying store-bought treats. Cakes were reserved for birthdays (and were always homemade), ice cream was a once or twice a year delicacy and the closest I came to Popsicles were the delicious frozen chunks of apple juice nestled in our ice cube trays.

by Andrea Mulder-Slater I’m an oatmeal girl. I start my days filling up on a bowl full of hot steel cut oats, flavoured with a touch of salt and butter. Sometimes I get wild and crazy and throw on a drizzle of honey, a handful of raisins and a few almonds. My daughter – on the other hand – is not an oatmeal girl. At least, she isn’t one anymore. As a baby she gobbled up the stuff, but that was before she discovered she had options. And while her breakfasts today are nutritious (fruit, vegetables, yogurt, cheese), I’ve always hoped that her love of oatmeal would return. Here’s why…

by Andrea Mulder-Slater I've been eating (mostly) gluten-free for about four years now. It all started after I had my daughter. During pregnancy, I had three basic cravings: vanilla (steamers, milkshakes, pudding), french fries (McDonald's) and saltine crackers (Premium Plus). In fact, during my first trimester, I gorged myself on anything and everything wheat-based. By the time my baby was born, I was back to eating in a healthy, balanced way. But, I had developed a penchant for breads, cookies and crackers.

by Andrea Mulder-Slater Allow me to preface this post with the following words: If you have a weak stomach, you probably shouldn't read this. ----------------- Having an animal-lover for a child means I'm learning far more about animal behavior than I care to know. For example, just recently, my daughter informed me that naked mole rats like to roll around in their own urine; grasshoppers spit brown goo when they are nervous and owls - after eating small mammals whole - regurgitate the indigestible parts in the form of pellets. Like so. Yeah. Raising children is disgusting. Almost as disgusting as owls. Especially when they come to you, with their little voices and sweet faces - wooden spoon in hand - asking, "Mom, can you help me make Owl Puke Balls?" You say yes to the owl barf because frankly, you are far too intrigued (and exhausted) to say no. To make your own, you will need a small rodent. And, an owl. Or, you can substitute the following i...

by Andrea Mulder-Slater My daughter loves ice cream. Unfortunately, ice cream does not feel the same way about her. When she was a baby, we were told (based on some recurring symptoms) my girl likely had a milk protein allergy. This is different from being lactose intolerant. Folks who have a lactose issue can still eat  lactose-free milk products (including some aged hard cheese, yogurt that's been fermented for 24hrs, etc.) but those with a protein issue have an allergic reaction when they ingest milk products (lactose-free or not). This is something that she may outgrow. This is likely, considering she can now eat small amounts of cheese, yogurt and even gulps of milk, with no trouble. However, there is a threshold - and when she crosses it - whammo... hives. Back to the ice cream. Her first big taste was this summer, in the form of a scoop of vanilla on a cone. I had grown complacent and really I should have known better than to give her such a bi...

by Andrea Mulder-Slater At our house, we empty the freezer once a year – right around the Christmas holidays -- partly because, as the months wear on, it becomes increasingly difficult to pick through the ice formations but mostly because we have to make room for turkeys. Now, when I say freezer, I’m not referring to one of those puny, attached-to-your-fridge jobs. Our freezer is a monster – lose-your-best-friend-Larry-if-you’re-not-careful freezers. I estimate it is around 10,000 cubic feet (or something close to it). Our freezer, despite its size, does little else but store turkeys – free-range, caged-up, young, old, stuffed, grease-injected... you name it – we’ve got it. Why so many? It’s simple. My family is cursed. We receive turkeys as gifts. We win turkeys at the gas station. Turkeys follow us home. We answer the door to find please-take-care-of-this-turkey turkeys. So, every year, around this time, the turkey storage unit (freezer) needs to be stripped, chipped and hos...

By Andrea Mulder-Slater Anyone who knows me knows that beyond the coffee maker, I’m not real handy with the tools that can be found in a kitchen. Sure, I can load and empty a dishwasher and yeah, I have been known to fry an egg or two. Once, I even made a roast beef dinner, complete with potatoes, onions and – gasp – gravy. It’s not so much that I can’t cook – it’s that I hate doing it. However, kids (it would appear) have a way of changing our attitudes. So it was when the littlest one and I decided to bake banana bread this week. She LOVES the stuff and I’m rather fond of it as well. But baking from scratch is just so much work! Instead, I was spurred on by a fun find at the grocery store.  Simply Organic Banana Bread Mix , according to the company’s marketing department, is, “ A Gluten-free Simply Organic Banana Bread Mix that combines cinnamon with the intriguing warmth of allspice and wholesome brown rice flour to create flavor that never loses its appeal. ...