To learn about the national child care funding in Canada, please click here.
Kids & Company Blog
Herbs Fully Loaded
Herbs are basically in everything that we cook with, drink from, and wash ourselves with…. infused soaps. The challenge therefore is not about finding what you can put them in, but rather what you can put them with. With so many different herbs it can seem like a lot of drama trying to get flavours to play nice and work as a team. Luckily the Kidco Kitchen team has a few tips to end the eternal herb guessing game!
Basil is a very rich flavoured spice, composed of a minty melody and sharp cinnamon aroma. Basil’s oil has stress-relieving abilities and has also been used to combat insomnia. A cooking tip is to add it at the end to maximize the flavour! It is also commonly used with fish, tomato, meat dishes, and eggs, but there is so much more to explore with fresh vibrant basil beyond these basic uses! Try a spin-off of classic bruschetta and make a bold summer cherry-basil one instead. The main ingredients include crisp cherries, satisfying strawberries, balsamic, and of course, basil! The sweetness of the strawberries and cherries paired with the minty-fresh flavor of the basil will be your new favourite summer snack!

Thyme doesn’t pack quite as much of a punch as basil as it is a bit sweeter, but don’t underestimate its impact on a dish! It goes well with chicken, soups, potatoes, cherries, and peaches, but why not try something more edgy and see how much thyme can do! A roasted beet, thyme, extra virgin olive oil, and balsamic salad will leave your taste-buds asking for more of this unique pairing!
Mint is one of the most well-known and versatile herbs due to its sharp, fresh taste that compliments meats and fruits alike. This very social herb can be put in before or after cooking, and is paired mainly with meats, cocktails, figs, oranges, and the list goes on. A fun new summery way to use mint though, is by trying a daring pea, mint, and broccoli mash on top of seeded bread! All you need is broccoli, mint, garlic, frozen peas, extra virgin olive oil, lemon, and chives, and it is so easy to create this bright, flavourful veggie topping! First, steam the garlic and broccoli together, then add them to a blender replete with peas, mint, and garlic. Once blended add more mint, chives, and lemon to the top and you have a perfect summer spread for toast or crackers!

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @kidcokitchen and on Instagram @cheflisaruscica!
Cheers,
Chef Lisa Ruscica
Chief Food Ambassador
Posted on: Wednesday August 5th, 2015
Posted by: Lisa Ruscica
Calgary
Calgary
Calgary
Calgary
Calgary
Calgary
Calgary
Edmonton
Cochrane
Red Deer
Calgary
Calgary
Okotoks
Calgary
Calgary
Calgary
Calgary
Edmonton
St. Albert
Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton
St. Albert
Edmonton
Edmonton
Sylvan Lake
Edmonton
Sherwood Park
Edmonton
Calgary
Kamloops
Langley
Langley
New Westminster
North Vancouver
Richmond
Vancouver
Victoria
Victoria
Port Moody
Surrey
Surrey
Surrey
North Vancouver
Nanaimo
Chicago
Chicago
Chicago
Chicago
Chicago
Schaumburg
Chicago
Winnipeg
Abington
Canton
Quincy
West Quincy
Braintree
Braintree
Walpole
Walpole
Brighton
Brookline
Jamaica Plain
Jamaica Plain
Cambridge
Needham
Newton Highlands
Newton
Cambridge
Boston
St. Peters
Lake St. Louis
Troy
Bedford
Dartmouth
Halifax
Bedford
Hammonds Plains
Lower Sackville
Eastern Passage
Aurora
Burlington
Burlington
Etobicoke
Etobicoke
Hamilton
London
Milton
Mississauga
Niagara Falls
Oakville
Ottawa
Richmond Hill - Corporate office (No child care services)
Toronto
Toronto
Toronto
Toronto
Toronto
Toronto
Waterloo
Kanata
Oakville
Oakville
Toronto
Whitby
Toronto
Mississauga
Ottawa
Toronto
Toronto
Toronto
Brampton
Stoney Creek
Toronto
Nepean
Burlington
Burlington
Oakville
Waterdown
Oakville
Pittston
Wilkes-Barre
Exeter
Old Forge
Wilkes-Barre
Dover
Harrisburg
Harrisburg
Harrisburg
Hummelstown
Palmyra
York
York
Abington
Aurora
Bedford (Dellridge Lane)
Larry Uteck (Southgate Dr)
Pine Village South End, Part of the Kids & Company Family
Braintree 1
Braintree 2
Brampton
Pine Village Brighton, Part of the Kids & Company Family
Pine Village Brookline, Part of the Kids & Company Family
Burlington Children’s Centre
Burloak
Appleby
Beacon Hill
Bow Trail
Eau Claire
Livingston
Midlake
Millrise
Royal Oak
Smart Tech
Britannia Crossing
Marda Loop
Evanston
Beltline
Aviation Crossing
Gulf Canada Square
Royal Oak Out of School Care
Pine Village Kendall Square, Part of the Kids & Company Family
Pine Village Porter Square, Part of the Kids & Company Family
Canton
Jackson
Lincoln Park
Harrison
West Loop
South Loop
Fulton
Cochrane
Dartmouth
Dover
Eastern Passage
Ellerslie (103A St. SW)
Edmonton Ice District (104 Ave)
Baturyn
Diamond
Friendly Frog
Meadowlark Park
St. Charles
St. Dominic
Sunshine Factory
Tender Heart
Tamarack
Jagare Ridge
Horse Hill
Fraser
Islington
Etobicoke (Bloor & Islington)
ABC Kiddie Kampus Exeter, Part of the Kids & Company Family
Halifax
Hamilton
Hammonds Plains
Route 39
Schaffner
Swatara
Hummelstown
Pine Village JP Revere, Part of the Kids & Company Family
Pine Village JP South Street, Part of the Kids & Company Family
Kamloops
Eagleson (South Kanata)
Tyke Town Lake St. Louis, Part of the Kids & Company Family
Kids World
Langley (200th St.)
London Richmond
Sackville
Milton
Robert Speck Parkway
Mississauga Gateway Centre
Nanaimo
Pine Village Needham, Part of the Kids & Company Family
Ottawa Barrhaven
New Westminster
Pine Village West Newton, Part of the Kids & Company Family
Pine Village Newton Highlands, Part of the Kids & Company Family
Niagara Queen
North Vancouver
North Van Esplanade
Oakville Ford
Oakville Cornwall
Oakville Dundas
Joshua Creek
Oakville West (3471 Wyecroft Rd)
Okotoks
ABC Kiddie Kampus Old Forge, Part of the Kids & Company Family
Ottawa Albert
Ottawa Westboro
Palmyra
ABC Kiddie Kampus Pittston, Part of the Kids & Company Family
Port Moody
Marina Bay
Red Deer
Richmond
Head Office
Schaumburg
Sherwood Park
St. Albert North
St. Albert Grandin
Tyke Town St. Peters, Part of the Kids & Company Family
Stoney Creek
Morgan Crossing
Surrey Professional Centre
King George
Sylvan Lake
Bloor Christie
Bloor (Bloor St. East)
Consumers
Finch
Front
Wellington
Scotia Plaza
Stock Yards
St. Andrew’s Church
Liberty Village
Rosedale
Queen West
Tyke Town Troy, Part of the Kids & Company Family
Vancouver West
Langford
Victoria
Sunshine South, Part of the Kids & Company Family
Sunshine Country Day, Part of the Kids & Company Family
Waterdown
Tech Town
West Quincy
Whitby
ABC Kiddie Kampus East Mountain, Part of the Kids & Company Family
ABC Kiddie Kampus King’s College, Part of the Kids & Company Family
Winnipeg
West York
Queen Street
Calgary
Calgary
Calgary
Calgary
Calgary
Calgary
Calgary
Edmonton
Cochrane
Red Deer
Calgary
Calgary
Okotoks
Calgary
Calgary
Calgary
Calgary
Edmonton
St. Albert
Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton
St. Albert
Edmonton
Edmonton
Sylvan Lake
Edmonton
Sherwood Park
Edmonton
Calgary
Kamloops
Langley
Langley
New Westminster
North Vancouver
Richmond
Vancouver
Victoria
Victoria
Port Moody
Surrey
Surrey
Surrey
North Vancouver
Nanaimo
Chicago
Chicago
Chicago
Chicago
Chicago
Schaumburg
Chicago
Winnipeg
Abington
Canton
Quincy
West Quincy
Braintree
Braintree
Walpole
Walpole
Brighton
Brookline
Jamaica Plain
Jamaica Plain
Cambridge
Needham
Newton Highlands
Newton
Cambridge
Boston
St. Peters
Lake St. Louis
Troy
Bedford
Dartmouth
Halifax
Bedford
Hammonds Plains
Lower Sackville
Eastern Passage
Aurora
Burlington
Burlington
Etobicoke
Etobicoke
Hamilton
London
Milton
Mississauga
Niagara Falls
Oakville
Ottawa
Richmond Hill - Corporate office (No child care services)
Toronto
Toronto
Toronto
Toronto
Toronto
Toronto
Waterloo
Kanata
Oakville
Oakville
Toronto
Whitby
Toronto
Mississauga
Ottawa
Toronto
Toronto
Toronto
Brampton
Stoney Creek
Toronto
Nepean
Burlington
Burlington
Oakville
Waterdown
Oakville
Pittston
Wilkes-Barre
Exeter
Old Forge
Wilkes-Barre
Dover
Harrisburg
Harrisburg
Harrisburg
Hummelstown
Palmyra
York
York
Abington
Aurora
Bedford (Dellridge Lane)
Larry Uteck (Southgate Dr)
Pine Village South End, Part of the Kids & Company Family
Braintree 1
Braintree 2
Brampton
Pine Village Brighton, Part of the Kids & Company Family
Pine Village Brookline, Part of the Kids & Company Family
Burlington Children’s Centre
Burloak
Appleby
Beacon Hill
Bow Trail
Eau Claire
Livingston
Midlake
Millrise
Royal Oak
Smart Tech
Britannia Crossing
Marda Loop
Evanston
Beltline
Aviation Crossing
Gulf Canada Square
Royal Oak Out of School Care
Pine Village Kendall Square, Part of the Kids & Company Family
Pine Village Porter Square, Part of the Kids & Company Family
Canton
Jackson
Lincoln Park
Harrison
West Loop
South Loop
Fulton
Cochrane
Dartmouth
Dover
Eastern Passage
Ellerslie (103A St. SW)
Edmonton Ice District (104 Ave)
Baturyn
Diamond
Friendly Frog
Meadowlark Park
St. Charles
St. Dominic
Sunshine Factory
Tender Heart
Tamarack
Jagare Ridge
Horse Hill
Fraser
Islington
Etobicoke (Bloor & Islington)
ABC Kiddie Kampus Exeter, Part of the Kids & Company Family
Halifax
Hamilton
Hammonds Plains
Route 39
Schaffner
Swatara
Hummelstown
Pine Village JP Revere, Part of the Kids & Company Family
Pine Village JP South Street, Part of the Kids & Company Family
Kamloops
Eagleson (South Kanata)
Tyke Town Lake St. Louis, Part of the Kids & Company Family
Kids World
Langley (200th St.)
London Richmond
Sackville
Milton
Robert Speck Parkway
Mississauga Gateway Centre
Nanaimo
Pine Village Needham, Part of the Kids & Company Family
Ottawa Barrhaven
New Westminster
Pine Village West Newton, Part of the Kids & Company Family
Pine Village Newton Highlands, Part of the Kids & Company Family
Niagara Queen
North Vancouver
North Van Esplanade
Oakville Ford
Oakville Cornwall
Oakville Dundas
Joshua Creek
Oakville West (3471 Wyecroft Rd)
Okotoks
ABC Kiddie Kampus Old Forge, Part of the Kids & Company Family
Ottawa Albert
Ottawa Westboro
Palmyra
ABC Kiddie Kampus Pittston, Part of the Kids & Company Family
Port Moody
Marina Bay
Red Deer
Richmond
Head Office
Schaumburg
Sherwood Park
St. Albert North
St. Albert Grandin
Tyke Town St. Peters, Part of the Kids & Company Family
Stoney Creek
Morgan Crossing
Surrey Professional Centre
King George
Sylvan Lake
Bloor Christie
Bloor (Bloor St. East)
Consumers
Finch
Front
Wellington
Scotia Plaza
Stock Yards
St. Andrew’s Church
Liberty Village
Rosedale
Queen West
Tyke Town Troy, Part of the Kids & Company Family
Vancouver West
Langford
Victoria
Sunshine South, Part of the Kids & Company Family
Sunshine Country Day, Part of the Kids & Company Family
Waterdown
Tech Town
West Quincy
Whitby
ABC Kiddie Kampus East Mountain, Part of the Kids & Company Family
ABC Kiddie Kampus King’s College, Part of the Kids & Company Family
Winnipeg
West York
Queen Street