Author Archive: Christa Herrling
Christa Herrling is a lover of all things vintage and baking. She loves to cook for her young family and create recipes to eat old faves in new ways. Christa lives with her husband and son in lovely Courtenay, B.C.
Wayback Kid-Friendly Eats – Salad People
Editor’s Note: Is Spring Break getting you down? Are you in serious need of some food fun around your house? We’ve jumped on the OBE wayback machine all the way back to March 2008 when Christa Herrling shared her fun version of salad people with us, making everyone smile and giving us a fun project [...]
Summer Foodie Redeux – Homemade Frozen Treats
If there is one thing that makes summertime sweet, it’s popsicle in hand, bathing suit on, kiddie pool in play. As a kid, I would have skipped all things sweet and sugary for a fudgesicle or a freezie pop. Since then, though, I’ve had a few years to feel badly for my parents who got [...]
Homemade Holiday Treats – Baklava
It was my childhood Winter wonderland – this magical place where all things flour and powdered sugar, pecan tart and almond brittle converged and I knew I had caught a glimpse of perfection. To the average person, that place looked like my grandmother’s basement. But, to me, with it packed – literally – from floor [...]
Summer Kanten
Editor’s note: Christa and I work tandem on the food column these days. She writes the stories and I take the photos. I love Christa’s yummy un-jello Jello recipe this week. But, my family is totally not down with melon – of any kind. So, you’ll see that the photo doesn’t really look like an [...]
Shaker Salad Dressing
I don’t have to tell you that I’m a big proponent of getting kids involved in the kitchen. Kneading dough, scrambling eggs, flipping pancakes- some of my best childhood memories are of learning basic kitchen skills from my parents. It’s with a love for nostalgia and good food that I find myself encouraging my little [...]
Freezer Muffins that Rock
Moving to the North Island has turned my family in to a trio of frequent road trippers. There are piles of friends and hot spots we’ve left behind in our former cities of Vancouver and Victoria, and we make a point of visiting often to soak up a bit of the good stuff we’ve left [...]
Simple Lunch Box Salad Rolls
When I was in elementary school, I found myself endlessly envious of the other kids packed lunches. I would go out of my way to trade anything from my box for something that someone else’s parents had gone to the trouble of preparing. Today, of course, as a parent of one (who is a couple [...]
The Babka Kitchen Adventure
Before I get started, here’s more farm fun from Day 2 at the Hands-On Farm. The place is hopping with tiny people (and tiny lambs, two that are just one-week old): Christa and I have teamed up today to offer up a Spring Break Adventure in the form of a family day in the kitchen. [...]
Homemade Pizza
In the realm of kid-friendly cuisine, homemade pizza is a traditional favourite. It’s delicious, inexpensive, and easy for the kiddos to help prepare. It is also the ultimate vegetable transportation device. Moving away from the greasy deli meats and cheeses, our family has long experimented with veggie pizzas, topped with any assortment of produce, or [...]
Family Recipe – Spelt Pancakes
Editor’s Note: Mmmmmm, pancakes. Years ago during a short stint in Seattle, my husband and I would wake up every Sunday morning and wander the few blocks down Capitol Hill streets to an amazing soul food restaurant where the most lip-smacking delicious buttermilk pancakes in the history of pancakes lived. Just the thought takes me [...]
Tahini Candy
I’m going to have to vote Christa most popular for this really amazing recipe. Besides being a smart candy alternative for your kiddos, it’s also a super healthy, energy-packed treat for pregnant moms or parents in need of a pick-me-up. This one is going to live around our house for a long, long time. Yum. [...]
Penne with Squash and Black Beans
Over the years, my husband and I have had our ups and downs with the level of time and energy we have put into our meals at home. There was a summer years ago when, while saving every penny for a new van, we subsisted on bulk hot dogs & Alphaghetti. This was followed by [...]
Homemade Granola
My husband and I are off enjoying some well-earned beach combing and snuggling by the fire in Tofino this week. So, while you won’t be hearing much from me in the next few days, several special guests will be dropping by to keep me from having to spend even one second on the computer while [...]
Bean Burritos with Sweet Potatoes
One of the big changes we’ll start off with this year is offering more regular features – in particular family-friendly recipes. I am not so creative in the kitchen. Relying on me to bring you tasty treats is like being forced to eat that one casserole from your Auntie Edna over and over again. So, [...]
Park the Car, Grab the Kids, Ride the Bus
CVK mom Christa Herrling is back here today talking about something she is most definitely an expert on – making excellent use of the Valley transit system. Avid bus riders, Christa and her tiny person clue us all in today on the nuances and benefits of leaving the car parked in the driveway and heading [...]
