tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90759753884077326322024-11-01T00:13:04.427-07:00One Family's Quest for Real Food in a Processed WorldScatteredmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07605640876979580340noreply@blogger.comBlogger546125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9075975388407732632.post-77016849882245960292018-03-24T08:08:00.001-07:002018-03-24T08:08:21.712-07:00

When you last left me, I was standing outside a bakery. The lights were off and inside, I could see a girl wiping the counters. It was all I could do not to grab the door, shake it, and wail... "But I WANT A BIRTHDAY CAKE!" I went home and dejectedly ate a cookie instead. Stupid universe. How long does the whole birthday thing last? If you finally get your cake 2 days AFTER your birthday

Scatteredmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07605640876979580340noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9075975388407732632.post-29922722097986028862018-03-24T07:59:00.002-07:002018-03-24T08:09:49.664-07:00

My birthday is tomorrow. It will be the first birthday I've ever spent without my husband since I turned 21, and the sixth without Anne. This story always makes me smile because sometimes, no matter how hard you try, you just can't seem to get yourself a birthday cake. My 39th birthday proved to be one of those. I'm not sure what it is about birthday cake. Whether it's the candles, the

Scatteredmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07605640876979580340noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9075975388407732632.post-87349407591067730762018-02-04T09:11:00.002-08:002018-02-04T09:11:30.173-08:00

On January 25, 2018 our beloved John passed away from complications caused by a virus. It was absolutely unexpected, sudden, and left our family reeling. I have gone from learning how to be an empty nester to now, being a widow. It's a very strange place to be. I was with John my entire adult life and married to him for 24 years (our 25th wedding anniversary was this summer). Learning how to cook

Scatteredmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07605640876979580340noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9075975388407732632.post-48744380916730009092017-09-09T23:39:00.000-07:002017-09-09T23:39:25.209-07:00

Over the past week, my family has been struggling with some news and it is with a heavy heart that I'm going to close down Chasing Tomatoes indefinitely. I thought that maybe I could maintain this space but I realized today that I can't be tied to writing when my family needs me now more than ever. You will still find me on Instagram, Twitter, and my personal Facebook pages. Thank you so much for

Scatteredmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07605640876979580340noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9075975388407732632.post-20296256363506811052017-09-01T09:17:00.001-07:002017-09-01T09:17:29.711-07:00

Fruit crumbles are probably one of the easiest desserts you'll ever make, and a fantastic way to use up leftover fruit. What drew me to them initially was that I've never been a fan of pastry, so a traditional pie has never been my thing-not to mention that pastry making was kind of my nemesis for awhile as I learned and practiced how to make it. Years ago we used to go to a little restaurant

Scatteredmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07605640876979580340noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9075975388407732632.post-78595723450726832017-08-30T07:16:00.001-07:002017-08-30T07:16:36.043-07:00

I love easy chicken recipes, especially ones that can be made ahead and set aside for later. These chicken breasts are fantastic re-warmed on a hot late summer night, sliced and tossed into a salad, or tucked into a bun for a sandwich. The best part is the topping uses only 3 ingredients, so you can make it when you don't have much else in the house.  I love to have a little extra honey

Scatteredmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07605640876979580340noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9075975388407732632.post-92220668983449614542017-08-28T09:10:00.001-07:002017-08-28T09:10:38.905-07:00

Last week I was missing in action, mostly the result of some nasty allergy experiences. When I have a bad one it usually sets me back for a few days or up to a week, and instead of playing catch up I decided to let things go. You were fine, right? Of course you were. Anyway, moving on! Being diagnosed as allergic to wheat, corn, soy, and rice really limited the snacks I could eat, and

Scatteredmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07605640876979580340noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9075975388407732632.post-38920886590103401332017-08-23T10:04:00.001-07:002017-08-23T10:04:34.095-07:00

I love to cook ahead. This summer when it was ridiculously hot outside, I tried as much as possible to make things far ahead and then stick them in the fridge to re-heat or eat cold later. These vegetables are not only really good for you, but they are delicious and versatile. You can eat them as a side but one of my favourite things is to toss them in a salad with quinoa or millet and then

Scatteredmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07605640876979580340noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9075975388407732632.post-24622299085855874452017-08-18T07:38:00.000-07:002017-08-18T07:38:18.984-07:00

Chock full of beans, spicy peppers and tender chicken, this chili is something spicy to brighten up your day. I have brought it to work often year round, and every time I heat it up in the microwave, people are inevitably drawn to the staff room by the smell. “Oh my goodness,” they peer into the bowl and inhale deeply, “What ARE YOU EATING? It smells amazing!” Honestly it really does. I’d

Scatteredmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07605640876979580340noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9075975388407732632.post-56149919746599523902017-08-16T09:44:00.002-07:002017-08-16T09:44:58.006-07:00

Date and cranberry granola When I originally wrote about granola here, I claimed that I didn't eat it much because it can be high in fat and sugar. That was true until I learned how to make my own-and wow, was it delicious! I used to eat it often, but when allergies reared their ugly heads, granola was put on the back burner for awhile. In the last few months, I have figured out how to

Scatteredmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07605640876979580340noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9075975388407732632.post-7744339562109761242017-08-14T06:42:00.002-07:002017-08-14T06:42:44.808-07:00

This recipe is totally inspired by Chef Michael Smith's Homemade Breakfast Sausage in Real Food, Real Good. When I first discovered I had allergies, I was really discouraged by the fact that almost every brand of sausage has corn syrup, corn flour, or soy flour as fillers. Making your own patties from scratch definitely is the way to go. Why bother shaping them into actual sausage? Patties are

Scatteredmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07605640876979580340noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9075975388407732632.post-57762046129050366662016-08-23T20:39:00.002-07:002016-08-23T20:39:55.787-07:00

The weather has been scorching here, and the last thing I want to do is turn on the oven. That's where this salad comes in-you simply open a few cans, chop some things, and pour the works into a bowl. It's really simple, and was so tasty we were shoveling spoonfuls into our mouths. If you have a sulphite allergy you have to be very careful with fish; generally most seafood and fish are dusted

Scatteredmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07605640876979580340noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9075975388407732632.post-65317611501837025162016-05-20T09:03:00.001-07:002017-08-11T18:52:40.628-07:00

This weekend, greenhouses in the Fraser Valley are giving you a peek into how they produce the very vegetables we love at BC Veggie Day! Last year I visited some greenhouses in Abbotsford and it was fascinating to see just how all those sweet peppers, eggplant, cucumbers, and tomatoes are grown right here in the Lower Mainland. Head out to a farm on Saturday between 10 am and 2pm to meet your

Scatteredmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07605640876979580340noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9075975388407732632.post-31449526139524625412015-04-29T19:32:00.001-07:002017-08-11T18:51:48.895-07:00

 I love pasta. Smothered in cheese, a good meat sauce, whether it's baked or tossed, with garlic bread or not, who doesn't? Well, if you're like some people I know who have celiac disease, pasta is just a giant plate of "oh my goodness that's going to make me so sick." Fortunately, Catelli has a great gluten free pasta out there so that all my friends who can't eat gluten can join in on

Scatteredmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07605640876979580340noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9075975388407732632.post-19196762183829901702015-04-03T07:31:00.003-07:002015-04-19T16:00:37.552-07:00

Of all the fruit and vegetables that we eat, I'd say that we go through tomatoes the most. John eats grape tomatoes like they are candy, popping a few in his mouth every time he passes a container. They go into salads, pasta sauces, thin slices go on pizzas, in sandwiches, you name it; we've put tomatoes on it. The market often has grape tomatoes on sale, and this week I was fortunate to find

Scatteredmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07605640876979580340noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9075975388407732632.post-33081140720189524102015-04-03T07:01:00.001-07:002015-04-03T07:01:24.536-07:00

At Christmas time, I was gifted my grandmother's old recipe book-a ledger filled with newspaper and magazine clippings, some going as far back as the 1950s. It was fascinating to leaf through the pages, seeing what was popular at the time in my grandma's kitchen. Soon I'll get some photos and show you all. I'm not sure where Grandma would've found some of the ingredients in those recipes

Scatteredmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07605640876979580340noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9075975388407732632.post-13462316978934408552015-03-07T10:53:00.002-08:002017-08-11T19:25:38.666-07:00

Cooking with kids, especially ones who aren't your own, is always a bit of a challenge. You never know what their previous experience with food is; do they have issues with textures? Are they used to only eating white food? Will they have a meltdown if you cut out sugar? I feel like everything is always a gamble-and that's totally okay, I'm up for the challenge. Back in 2013 I sat in a hotel

Scatteredmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07605640876979580340noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9075975388407732632.post-11439983388417050292015-02-25T03:00:00.000-08:002015-02-25T03:00:03.350-08:00

Alright, alright. I realizethat most normal people post about cereal snack mixes around Christmas time, and this may seem a little bit weird to you but believe me; cereal mixes are not just for Christmas. They are for every day. Every day that you have to pack lunches for your kids, or want something a bit salty and crunch to nosh on, these mixes are the perfect thing. I ADORE this snack mix.

Scatteredmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07605640876979580340noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9075975388407732632.post-75360822888097301022015-02-24T06:52:00.000-08:002015-02-24T06:52:00.372-08:00

This meal hits all the right points-loads of flavour, fast, filling, and so easy to make, it's sure to fit into the regular rotation at your dinner table. Similar to jambalaya, it's one of those things that you can put together and then leave on the stove to simmer away while you toss a salad or tend to something else. I used mild Italian sausage that I found on sale for only $3 a pound, but

Scatteredmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07605640876979580340noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9075975388407732632.post-77391704303516261432015-02-22T22:10:00.000-08:002015-02-22T22:10:15.712-08:00

If I could marry a cookie and have little cookie babies with it, this recipe would be it. Back in October I received the Butter baked goods cookbook at the Food Bloggers of Canada conference, and over the past few months I've had a lot of fun baking out of it as much as possible. This is hands down the best baking cookbook I've ever owned. Everything turns out not just good, but AMAZING,

Scatteredmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07605640876979580340noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9075975388407732632.post-62838684260230968922015-01-02T21:10:00.000-08:002015-01-02T21:10:17.513-08:00

Inspired by a salad recipe from Chef Michael Smith's Family Meals cookbook, this take was brought about by my family's tastes. The original doesn't have romaine or dried cranberries, and uses pumpkin seeds instead of the candied walnuts. John isn't fond of too many carrots, and Kevin doesn't like raisins in salad so I thought the changes would make them more inclined to eat it. With a little

Scatteredmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07605640876979580340noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9075975388407732632.post-85706000795634238972014-10-10T21:00:00.000-07:002014-10-11T04:39:31.819-07:00

 I've never really liked peanut butter cookies. Their dry, crumbly texture has never been appealing to me and I hardly ever bake them-that is, until I discovered this recipe. Moist, chewy, and with a crunchy sugar coating, these cookies are absolutely delicious. You could skip rolling them in sugar and try drizzling or dipping them in chocolate, but whatever you do I'm sure you'll love these

Scatteredmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07605640876979580340noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9075975388407732632.post-24943984740088121202014-09-10T09:54:00.000-07:002017-08-11T18:20:25.810-07:00

For years, summer was the same routine; I'd be off work and home with Kevin, where we'd spend lazy days doing everything from picking berries to picnicking at the beach, eating ice cream, and taking off for road trips. Those days feel like a lifetime ago. Well-they are. We no longer live by the ocean. Kevin, once a small child, is now practically an adult and obviously has his own life, which

Scatteredmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07605640876979580340noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9075975388407732632.post-85798131924835030982014-07-28T18:46:00.003-07:002014-07-28T18:46:55.589-07:00

Out in Chilliwack, the fields are full of corn all in various stages of growth. Some are short, some look ready to harvest, but regardless-as a local, you get used to watching the fields being sown and later on, the little corn shacks popping up all over town as the farms sell off bags and bags of the sweet stuff. Even before we lived here, we knew the corn grown in the Fraser Valley was the

Scatteredmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07605640876979580340noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9075975388407732632.post-5043962289048045722014-07-26T21:10:00.001-07:002017-08-11T19:22:27.901-07:00

The very first piece I ever wrote and sent to in to a national magazine was after Kevin and I spent a day on the beach near Campbell River, BC. Walking along the sea wall, we found a huge blackberry bush and picked the juicy, sweet fruit until our fingers were purple-his more because he ate the berries instead of placing them in the bucket. It was a bittersweet moment that day, mostly because we

Scatteredmomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07605640876979580340noreply@blogger.com