Cold Veggie Pizza Appetizer Recipe

This recipe comes from one of my best friends and I've been enjoying it at events and celebrations since our high school days.  Veggie pizza has celebrated many a baby shower, birthday, wedding shower, etc with me and my best girl friends.  I actually can't believe I haven't shared this recipe before, its always a hit!

Photo Credit

What You Need:

2 pkgs. Pillsbury Crescent Rolls
2 pkgs. softened cream cheese ( light or regular works)
2/3 cup mayonaise (light or low fat)
1 tsp. dill weed
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. chopped red onion
1 1/2 cups each, chopped: broccoli, cauliflower, radish, carrots

What You Do:

Roll out crescent rolls and bake at 375 for about 10 minutes, until golden brown (be careful, they burn quickly!). Cream together cream cheese, mayo, dill weed, garlic powder and chopped onion. Spread over cooled crust. Top with chopped vegetables.

It's best when refrigerated for at least 2 hours before serving. This recipe can easily be halved.

momstown Oakville's Belly Basics Prenatal Event Connects Moms To Be With Community Resources

Having a baby, especially a first baby, can be a very exciting but also an overwhelming experience. momstown Oakville's Belly Basics program is designed to connect moms to be to resources in their community and with other moms to help ensure that they feel supported and connected as they welcome their new little one into the world.

We welcomed all of our pregnant mamas to the event held at ellephysio with a swag bag and some yummy treats provided by BrightPath Learning & Child Care Centre.  Thanks to Melinda from Arbonne for including some samples from the Arbonne baby line.  Did you know that many of the "tear free" baby wash available for new little ones actually contains a numbing agent used to numb her little eyes to keep the soap from stinging!  ABC Arbonne Baby Care is a line of products designed for babies, children and even adults with extremely sensitive skin.  From Hair and Body Wash to Herbal Diaper Rash Cream and Sunscreen SPF 30, Arbonne has every inch of sensitive skin covered in botanically based, pediatrician-tested formulas that support and protect babies sensitive skin.  Contact Melinda at melindatarantino@gmail.com for more information!

We kicked off the evening with a quick presentation from Karen, the owner of ellephysio.  Ellephysio has so many resources available for women including physiotherapy, registered massage therapy and personal training.  Did you know that physiotherapy can help heal your body after giving birth? The ladies from The Halton Doula Group also spoke about the difference between a birth doula and a post birth doula and then we split our guests up into small groups so they had a chance to talk with each one of our community experts on the following topics:

Breastfeeding - Breat4Success
Doula Services - The Halton Doula Group
Physiotherapy pre and postnatal options - Ellephysio
Community Resources - Halton Parents
Babies & Sleep - Happy Little Sleepers
How Pregnancy Can Affect Your Spine - North Ridge Chiropractic

It was so great to see such animated chatter among the groups and seeing that the moms to be were really getting some very helpful information.  After the 'speed networking' was completed, we ended the evening giving away some great prizes like a cord blood kit from CReATe Cord Blood, one year memberships to momstown Oakville, and a baby gate from Bullseye Child Safety.

We wish all the moms to be who joined us all the best with their deliveries and look forward to meeting their little ones as they join us for our weekly mom and baby program!

momstown Oakville's Rhyme, Rhythm & Read with Scholastic Canada

Oakville moms and babies got to read a wondeful book called 'Never Let You Go' by Patricia Storms at the momstown Oakville Rhyme, Rhythm & read program in October.  This book just launched and is getting rave reviews!  Lucky James and his mom were the winner of our book raffle and get to take the book home to read again and again.

A big thanks to Scholastic Canada for providing fabulous books to give away each month and to Little Sprouts Cuts for Kids for having us in to use their space.  Rhyme, Rhythm & Read is just one of the many programs included in a momstown Oakville membership for just $45 a year.  Some of our other programs you and your little one can enjoy are:

-Baby Basics (mom & baby program)
-Tales for Tots
-Art & Play
-Toddler Time

Our 24/7 message board is also a great source of support and information on every topic from teething to naps to the name of a good local plumber!  Click here to check out our website and join us.

No Bake Pumpkin Cookie Recipe

momstown Oakville's monthly Junior Chef program aspires to get kids as young as 18 months in the kitchen and involved in food preparation.  This month, Oakville moms and kids tried out a no bake pumpkin cookie recipe.

To make this quick and easy recipe at home with your Junior Chefs, here is what you need:

1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup oats
1/4 cup raisins or dried cranberries
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

Topping (optional):
1/2 cup cream cheese
1/8 cup powdered sugar
1 Tsbp whipping cream

Toddlers and preschoolers enjoyed measuring, pouring and mixing the ingredients.

Mix together all the dry ingredients and then add in the vanilla and the pumpkin.  Take a spoonful of dough and roll it into a small ball.  Mix together the three topping ingredients using a hand or stand mixer.  Put a dollop of the topping onto each ball (you can put the topping into a ziploc bag and cut off a corner as a make shift pipping bag if you'd like).

These cookies are ready to eat as soon as the work is done but you can also pop them into the fridge to get them to firm up a bit.  This recipe makes for a great after school snack not just during pumpkin season but any time of year!

momstown Oakville Moms & Kids Had A Blast With These Popular Board Games For Ages 3 And Up

The colder weather is upon us and more inside playtime becomes a reality.  This week momstown Oakville held a Mommy & Me games event sponsored by Mattel to try out some great board games for kids 3 and up.  These games are perfect for a holiday wish list or to purchase now and add to the playroom for those cold, blustery days. Since we held the event a few days ago, my kids have wanted to play Uno Moo over and over and over again!

Top: Chipmunk Chompers, Bottom:  Go Piggy Go!

This event really brought back some childhood memories as I think we all remembered playing games as a kid.  I was also pleasantly surprised by how into the games my kids were.  We don't really have a ton of board games for kids in the house yet and this event made me realize its definitely time!

Here are the five games we tried and my thoughts on each:

UNO MOO!™ (Ages 3+, 2-4 Players)
This game was all about practising matching using the animals or colours and getting all of the animals safely back into the barn.  Even kids about 2.5 years old were into this game and could follow along.  The pieces are perfect for little hands.  I love the carrying case that all the animals and game pieces can fit into, perfect for packing up to take to the cottage, a grandparent's house or to a playdate.

Parrot Pile-Up™ (Ages 5+, 2-4 Players)

Balance and a steady hand are required in this tropical-themed game of skill. Players carefully stack fruit and crates on the clumsy parrot's raft using a steady hand and give it a patient push to the next player.  We had kids as young as 4 enjoying this game and I loved watching their brains think strategy when determining where they could fit a piece and what piece would be the best fit.  

Chipmunk Chompers Game™ (Ages 3+, 2 Players)

Each player gets a hungry Chipmunk Chomper and has to spell words or complete a pattern by grabbing the correct acorns from the tree.  You can either have the letters on the acorns facing out for an easier game or facing in to make things a bit trickier.  Kids about 2.5 years old and up loved this game at our event.  In fact, once the picnic pot luck dinner was over at the event, this game grabbed the kids attention and they started to play again.

Go Piggy Go!™ (Ages 5+, 2-4 Players)

Hands down, the hit with this game was being able to blast hay bails out of the tractor and knock your opponent off the board!  Each player gets piggies that they need to move from the mud pit to the food trough with some obstacles along the way.  This is a great game to get kids counting as they need to move their playing pieces across the board after rolling the dice.

Angry Birds™ Knock on Wood Game (Ages 5+, 2-4 Players)

Knock On Wood features three Angry Birds™, green pigs, one slingshot-style launcher, structure pieces and mission cards. Players draw a card and build the structure shown before their opponents launch an Angry Bird in an attempt to knock it - and the pigs - down to win points.  Launching the sling shot is really fun! Adults would have a blast with this game too.  The kids got very creative with the structures and were learning a lot about distance and force as they had to figure out how much energy to use to knock down the structure.

Left to Right:  Angry Birds Knock on Wood, Uno Moo, Parrot Pile Up

Speaking as a parent, getting to try out five different games was awesome!  Playing board games with kids is a really fun way to pass an afternoon and it doesn't hurt that board games teach important social skills like taking turns, having patience and how to be a good winner (or loser).  The Mattel games we tried out also had great educational components to them such as letter and number recognition, learning colours and patterning and improving reasoning and strategy skills.  If you couldn't join us, enter here to win your own Mattel Mommy & Me Game Pack (contest closes October 31)!

Oakville Small Business Spotlight - Kula Yoga Studio

As we celebrate Small Business Week , I’m please to share the contribution of Kula Yoga Studio, which is celebrating their 10th anniversary this December of offering Yoga instruction to Oakville.  Kula opened its doors in 2003 with the first Hot Yoga Studio west of Toronto.  Founded by Studio Director, Colin Matthews, Kula has become a celebrated Yoga studio recognized for outstanding teachers, innovative programs and workshops, and an inviting community that fosters health and well-being.

In celebration of their 10th anniversary, here are 10 exceptional ways Kula has supported Yoga practice in Oakville:

Community:  Kula is clearly a safe and caring space for students of all ages and walks of life to roll out a mat and practice.  Kula, means ‘community’ in Sanskrit, and this studio is evidently a welcoming and thriving community of Yoga practice.

Inspired Yoga Teachers:  Kula teachers come from different lineages of Yoga study, offering specialization in various forms of Yoga practice.  However, they all unanimously share a commitment to life-long personal study and a desire to support students experience a healthy, empowered and evolving practice.

Diversity of Yoga Classes:  Kula offers over 60 classes per week in both a heated and non-heated studio space.  There’s a class for everyone from beginners to advance practitioners!

Family Practice: One look at the class schedule, and you can see family needs are taken into account! Kula offers weekly pre-natal classes, as well as mom and baby class series. There are Yoga classes scheduled for mom and dad while Little Yogis (ages 5-9) and Young Yogis (ages 10+) practice as well. Starting Monday November 19th at 1:30pm we will be adding a new class to the Kula schedule, Mom and Baby Yoga. Enjoy all the benefits of yoga in a class designed to connect you with your baby.

Inclusive:  Kula makes a conscious effort to ensure Yoga is accessible.  They offer several $8 classes on their schedule, as well as $5 community classes taught by a recent graduate from Kula’s Teacher Training Program, and a weekly Karma class in which proceeds are donated to charity.

Green Studio Space: The creation of a healthy practice space and an intention to minimize the operating foot print is evident in the following ways at Kula: cork studio floors, radiant heating, non-toxic cleaning products, VOC-free paint, mason jars instead of plastic water bottles, alkaline water filtration system, low-flow toilets, Solar Water heater, and LED lighting. Learn more by clicking here.

Sunday Nights at Kula:  A vibrant community conversation led by Colin Matthews about life and how to live a purpose-filled life.  Think, taking your Yoga practice off the mat and into the world!

Yoga Teacher Training: Kula has an impressive faculty of teachers working together to support budding Yoga teachers, and dedicated students through their Advanced Study and Yoga Teacher Training Curriculum. Kula offers a 200-Hour and 500-Hour certification, as well as a specialized certification in Pre and Post Natal teaching.

Energy Exchange Program (EE): Kula’s EE program invites yoga students to work at the studio in exchange for unlimited classes. The inspiration for this program was to foster community involvement and to offer alternative forms of currency.

Students:  Kula Director, Colin Matthews says the tremendous sincerity from students to study and apply their practice of Yoga in their life both on and off the mat is the greatest celebration of all after 10-years!

Kula has convinced me to try my first hot yoga class!  Check out their class schedule by clicking here. 

Oakville Small Business Spotlight - Dr. Michelle Peris, Naturopath

Dr. Michelle Peris chose to become a naturopathic doctor (ND) when she experienced how much better she felt after making changes for a healthier lifestyle.  She wanted to inspire others to do and feel the same. Becoming a mom further strengthened her passion to help families searching for a natural approach to raising their family and provide prevention-focused health care.  Dr. Peris really believes we were meant to live very happy and healthy lives and her passion is helping others achieve that.  Did you know that most benefit plans cover naturopathic appointments?

Dr. Michell Peris, ND

It is very easy to see Michelle's passion when chatting with her about her business or about helping a patient trying to solve a health issue.  We asked her a few questions about what she loves about her work; take a minute to read and learn more about Dr. Peris.

What do you love about running a small business?

I am very grateful to have a career that doesn’t feel like work. I truly enjoy working with my patients.  I often feel inspired by others’ successes. It fuels me to strive to work harder and be better both professionally and personally.  I am also appreciative of my ability to schedule my work hours around what works best for my family. Being able to practice what I preach with an aim for work life balance while not compromising my health or wellness is an integral part of my vision for a happy and purposeful life. 

What to do you love about running your business in Oakville?

I have been practicing in Oakville for five years and I see residents of Oakville as very receptive to integrative health care and eager to incorporate a naturopathic doctor into their health care team.  My goal is to inspire patients to live healthfully and empower them to be active participants in their health care. The people of Oakville have been very receptive to this.  

What do you want Oakville families to know about your business?

I am an ND with a clinical focus in woman’s health and pediatrics.  I want to support moms by helping them take care of themselves. As moms, often our priorities shift  from self care to care for our children thus our health tends to suffer.  I want to help moms find that balance.  I very much enjoy working with children and families finding creative ways for the family to function more healthfully. 

Children respond so well to natural interventions and there is no better time to incorporate a preventative health care approach then in childhood.  I want to empower families to thrive and not merely survive with simple nutrition and lifestyle changes.  I feel inspired to share a message of healthy living and I want to empower as many families as possible.  I can help you take the next step in living more healthfully.

momstown Oakville is fortunate to have Dr. Peris come and speak at our mom & baby group, our members always have a great things to say about her visits!  Please contact Dr. Michelle Peris, ND at the Oakville Massage & Wellness Clinic to make an appointment and make sure you visit her blog for lots of healthy living tips for parents with young families!