Kasie Savage: (almost) Mother of the Year

Recently, we headed up north to the in-laws' cottage on beautiful Kahshe Lake for one last dip in the rapidly cooling waters and some general rest and relaxation surrounded by a nature's splendour.  Because we are cottage-less freeloaders ourselves, and because we invade the property as a rowdy family of five, we like to sweeten the pot with the offer to make supper for our generous hosts.  The in-laws pretend this is a great idea- although knowing them well, and knowing my propensity for freakishly low-fat experimental cooking, I can tell that this offer is no treat for them.  The menu I had planned was grilled trout in a sesame and poppy seed crust, seasoned cauliflower mash and to top it off, watermelon, feta & pea sprout salad with lemon rind and EVOO.  This sounds delish, no?  The only problem was a major problem.  In my never-ending quest to create a healthy, low-fat, nutrient-high meal...

Anyone who knows me and/or eats my cooking knows that I can just never leave a good recipe alone.  Call it unresolved control issues, call it the quest for perfection, but I always feel like we can do a little better in the health department.  This recipe is no exception.  It is relatively healthy to begin with.  But I take it to the next level by adding ground chia for the ultimate in a good-for-ya fibre and kick it up a level with some delicious, nourishing oats to make each slice a long-lasting, long-digesting, meal!  This recipe isn't almost good- it is great!!  Before we begin, what in the name of digestion is Chia you ask? Chia contains the highest plant source of Omega-3 on the planet! Great for Diabetics Effective for Treating Hypoglycemia. Chia Seeds contain more Antioxidants than blueberries. Chia Seeds are a complete protein with all 9 amino-acids. Chia Seeds are an excellent source of Calcium, Magnesium & Iron. C...

Well, as usual, my visit to the grocery store involved experimentation.  You see, I'm not one of those "stick-to-the-list" types.  In fact, I have no list.  This poses many a problem for the family and the refrigerator inventory control system (what, you don't have one?).  For example, we are pretty much always missing a basic staple- like eggs, milk, butter, meals...  In lieu of such basic boredom, I prefer to stock the fridge chock full of good intentions!  That has to count for something.  Oh, and today, I added a $5.99 package of zucchini flowers to that empty shelf in the middle...where the basics are supposed to go.  They just looked so pretty and exotic and I couldn't help but wonder, "what the hell are these things"?  Most customers see zucchini flowers and run, but not I.  I see opportunity and hassle and kids hating me and more hassle and bad moods on the horizon...so I threw them in the cart.  I of course asked the heavil...