MamaTired

Garlic for a cold...

2012-02-10T19:25:00.000-08:00

A cold finally took hold of me. This year I've tried to have raw garlic when I feel one coming on and it's been like a miracle cure. I've been taking it the past few days and think it works best if you have two cloves when you begin to feel run down but before the full cold sets in. I grate the cloves and mix with a little olive oil to make a spread for bread and I warm it in the toaster oven briefly so it's not "cooked".

I think my husband thinks I'm a goon...spending the day having spoonfuls of honey and cinnamon, eating garlic, taking vitamin C, drinking herbal teas, turning on the humidifier, using the netti pot and gargling with salt water. I think it's safe to say I never have a "control" in my experiments because I always try everything at once. He's happy to simply suffer in silence until it passes. He was sweet to work from home today so he took care of the toddler and that freed me up to try all of my remedies.

Feel free to share any cold remedies that have worked for you.

I started trying "natural" remedies when I was pregnant and when they said you shouldn't take any kind of medication. I'm nuts, I know!

Homemade Sweetened Condensed Milk

2012-02-10T19:17:00.000-08:00

I thought I would try this because I had some powdered milk that I needed to use up, although if you don't keep it on had, and I don't, not sure this recipe is cheaper than buying a can or not. I thought I would post in case you try some of the cookies or granola bars that use sweetened condensed milk. I would like to try it with less sugar but not sure how that would work out

1 cup dry milk
2⁄3 cup sugar
1⁄3 cup boiling water
3 tablespoons melted butter

Mix ingredients in blender until well combined. This makes about one cup of liquid.

Magical Cookies

2012-02-06T12:30:00.000-08:00

***Woops, I just noticed I forgot to list coconut as an ingredient. It's added now.

This is a "spin off" of the mini cranberry granola bars I made the other day. I wanted to see if I could make a grain-free version with no oats. I also wanted to mimic the "magic cookie bars" I loved as a kid. Those had graham cracker crust but other than that, this recipe gives a similar result. I also needed a way to use up the rest of the can of sweetened condensed milk. Seeing something that magical not get used up would be a tragedy, don't ya think? And I didn't want to end up eating it all with a spoon, not that that would ever happen:)

1 cup of coconut
1/3 cup or 3 oz. of sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup of finely chopped walnuts
1/4 cup of finely chopped salted cashews
1/4 cup of semi sweet chocolate chips chopped into small pieces, or mini chips

Warm condensed milk and add to other ingredients in a bowl. I sprayed a 12 muffin, regular sized tin. I used a small cookie scooper to put one scoop in each compartment. I sprayed my hands with pam and pressed them into flat disks.

Bake at 250 for 30 minutes and let cool.

This makes twelve servings and each one is 105 calories.

Easy Tomato Soup

2012-02-04T09:05:00.000-08:00

One can of stewed tomatoes
1/3 cup of diced onion
A little butter
1/2 can chicken stock

Saute onions in butter. Put canned tomatoes and onions in food processor and puree. Add mixture to a saucepan and heat with chicken stock. Season to taste.

Mini Granola Bar Bites

2012-02-03T14:53:00.000-08:00

These are an adaptation of granola bars I made when I first met my husband. I felt sad that he was eating store bought breakfast "cookies" and decided to make him some granola bars that he could eat in the car on his way to work. I was probably trying to "woo" him with my culinary skills. Shortly after making a few batches, I got lazy and he started eating oatmeal at home. I just revived these the other day to reflect what Henry likes to eat in his oatmeal.

I press these into a 24 cup mini muffin tin, smoosh in enough for about a quarter of an inch thickness. A little of these goes along way because they are dense. Each mini granola bar is 75 calories.

Miniature Cranberry Walnut Granola Bars

1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. cinnamon
1 1/2 c old fashioned oatmeal
3/4 c of coconut (I used sweetened, but I think unsweetened might be better)
1/2 c finely chopped walnuts
1/3 c dried cranberries
6 oz. of sweetened condensed milk
2 T almond butter

Heat condensed milk and almond butter in a saucepan. Stir into pre-mixed dry ingredients until well assimilated. Press into mini muffin pans.

Bake at 250 for approx. 45 minutes

*You could sub for whatever you have on hand. You could use any nut butter, dried fruit, nuts, or even mini chocolate chips, you could even omit nut butter and add two T more of condensed milk instead.

Henry's favorite phrases

2012-02-03T13:55:00.000-08:00

I wake up, I wake up (said after spending ten seconds in his room at nap-time)Ice Age, Toy Story, Garbage Truck, Trash, Happy, I break it, I fix it, oatmeal, cereal, peach (when he means orange), apple juice (when he means V-8), I did it, I did it! Step-stool (when he wants to help me cook EVERY meal), play-area, outside...finally he speaks!

Food Fanaticism, A First World Problem

2012-02-03T09:09:00.000-08:00

We're all gonna die. Living in the current culture of fear around how to eat the right way, tries to distract us from this inevitability. I'm the first to admit that I have fallen prey to all of the hype. It began when I was pregnant. Will a deli sandwich really kill my baby, will the nitrates give me cancer? Will sulfate-ridden shampoo cause hormone disruption and damage to my growing child? But I still ate some Fiddle Faddle and a few Hostess Donettes, but without turkey and ham, I was safe from Lysteria, right?

Then Henry arrived and I worried because breast feeding ended up being a short-lived debacle. He was ravenous and my body refused to provide what he needed to satiate his hunger. But Target brand formula began to fill him up and he grew. Of coarse I beat myself up because he was having this formula, that we're told is like baby junk food and now I'd single handedly ruined his chances for good long term health. So when he began eating solid foods, I worked diligently to provide him with myriad healthy choices and varieties and flavors. I had the power to prepare healthy foods with my own two hands. His love for eating almost anything had made this pretty easy.

I started to feel proud, that I'd come a long way from my natural preference for a diet that consists mainly of bread, cheese and chocolate. I read so much about nutrition and what felt like every different ideology on the subject. It started to seem that everyone was saying something different and they all believed with great conviction that they were right. There is the vegan camp that espouses the way to good health is by eating no animal products. There is the low-carb camp that throws low-fat out the window in favor of high fat, high protein and an animal inclusive diet that is sure to satiate the largest of appetites. There are the raw foodists, that contend that cooking steals most vital nutrients from food. There is the organic only crowd that implores that fruits and vegetables laden with pesticides, are toxic for our health. There are the grain-free, paleo people that believe we aren't meant to digest grains of any kind. The whole-foods only group is big as well as the farm to table local food movement. There is macrobiotic, ayervedic, no-sugar, no white flour gang, eskimos that live on whale blubber, those who simply eat what tastes good, those who contend you cannot escape your genetic destiny..so my head began to spin. Who is right? It began to feel like religion. Each one has a set of strong convictions and believe they know the best, right way, but how can they all be right?

Like most Americans, I wanted someone to tell me how to eat and I wanted to feel confident that it would be right and they could be trusted. And if I chose the right path, I would be promised a life of vibrant health, free of disease and with a possibility of living to be 1000. And then I remembered the truth. Most people that live on this planet don't have the luxury of worrying about the following:
Should I take a fish oil supplement? Will eating a chocolate chip cookie make me fat? Should I check to see if this milk has growth hormones before I drink it? They are starving and would likely eat a cookie with white flour and sugar if it will keep them alive for another day.

Here's another truth: Eating the right way won't prevent me from being hit by a bus and as I head toward the white light of the after-life, thinking, I wish I'd eaten a little more cake. All of this didactic food stuff takes us away from what may be the larger contribution to our wellness, giving and getting love and enjoying the time we're blessed with. Our bodies won't last forever. Well, there are some researchers that theorize, I am wrong about this supposition. There are as many ideas out there, as there are people. Time will tell who is right.

In the meantime, how do I eat and feed my family now that I've analyzed the data? My resolution is to try to eat nutritious and tasty food that makes me feel good when I eat it, that could be a carrot or a piece of chocolate. I'll also try to move, love, sleep when I can and keep my fingers crossed for another day where I feel pretty good.

It's official, I'm a 1950's housewife

2012-01-27T12:26:00.000-08:00

I just made my first roast! My mom helped give me instructions. I put it in the crockpot and roasted yukon gold potatoes, carrots and onions in the oven. It was pretty good, a husband pleaser for sure. And I made him a pumpkin pie for dessert. I don't have pictures, never remember to take pics while wielding a knife while toddler is up on a step stool "helping" to prepare dinner.

We had burrito bowls with it the next day and Alex had a roast beef sandwich. I also had enough to freeze for another quick dinner in the near future. I'm finally the meat preparing wife of his dreams:) I admit that I ate a mostly vegetarian diet before Alex came along. I occasionally ate meat if I was having fast food but it was infrequent and not my favorite thing. Even as a kid my mom said I hated meat. But now that I know I tend to be a tad low on iron, it's an easy way to get some into my diet...I know I could get some from spinach too, but I can only eat so much green stuff. So I'm kind of a meat snob, I only want to eat it if it's amazing (by that, I mean it tastes good, not talking about healthfulness)...i.e. digging meat made by my mom or a Helvetia Tavern burger or something.

Hey, I've had an influence on Alex too, he eats salad and takes vitamins and fish oil supplements. Isn't marriage about each person bending a little in the other one's direction now and then?

Awesome, well-written mommy blog I stumbled upon

2012-01-27T10:31:00.000-08:00

V-day ideas

2012-01-27T08:11:00.001-08:00

Shop Amazon Toys - Valentine's Day Gifts for Kids

Veggie Tales

2012-01-19T15:22:00.000-08:00

Henry eats almost anything, but I still have to be creative to work vegetables in. Let's face it, they were never my favorite so I focus on what I like and try to cover up the flavor of the ones I don't. A few things I've tried:

*Broccoli mashed potatoes, half broccoli, half potatoes prepared like mashed potatoes with less milk

*Pureed spinach stirred into jarred spaghetti sauce with rice pasta

*Broccoli/walnut pesto served with rice pasta

*(This is fruit, but a tasty grain free breakfast) 1/2 cup of fuji diced apple, smidge of cinnamon, brown sugar, butter, ground walnuts and coconut, microwaved for 45 seconds and drizzled with 1/2 & 1/2

*Roasted carrots, onions and potatoes, with salt and olive oil, still starchy but I still believe in the potato, after all, during the great potato famine, lots of people died so they must have some nutritional value, especially when french fried:)

*Spinach salad with olives and artichokes, because Henry loves olives.

*Smashed avacado and garlic salt with salsa served over vegetarian refried beans and Tillamook cheddar.

*And I like me some canned corn and green beans, because I'm lazy and sometimes fresh or frozen aren't gonna make it to the table.

What are your good veggie inclusions?

Chocolate Chip Cookies (almond flour instead of white flour)

2012-01-19T14:59:00.000-08:00

My crazy foray into baking with alternative flours continues. Although, let's face it, nothing beats white flour for a tasty end result. I guess I like the challenge of adding a little nutritional value to sweet treats. Faced with many rainy days and a toddler to entertain, I stand at my Kitchen-Aid too frequently, waiting to be wowed. I make now promises. I may be back to brownie mix and break and bake chocolate chip cookies one day, but for now, the experiment continues.

I tried an almond flour bread that turned out terribly. These cookies were pretty good. Let me know what you think. They are gluten free and higher protein, lower carb than your average cookie. These were a hit with Henry, he requested a glass of spicy V-8 after having one, but you may prefer milk.

*Adapted from elanaspantry.com

Chocolate Chip Cookies

* 1 1/4 cups blanched almond flour
* 1/8 teaspoon salt
* 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
* 5 tablespoons butter, melted
* 1 egg
* 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
* 1/4 cup agave nectar
* 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

1. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl
2. Stir together wet ingredients in a smaller bowl
3. Mix wet ingredients into dry
4. Form 1-inch balls and press onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet
5. Bake at 350° for 7-10 minutes
6. Cool and serve

Makes 12-18 small cookies

UPDATE: Good, hot out of the oven, but a little clammy by end of day...not an almond flour convert yet...

Holidaze

2012-01-19T14:36:00.000-08:00

2012-01-19T14:32:00.000-08:00

2012-01-19T14:29:00.000-08:00

Merriment

2011-12-30T08:32:00.000-08:00

Gift from Grammy & Pop

2011-12-30T08:27:00.000-08:00

Henry's Portrait drawn by Jamie

2011-12-30T08:14:00.000-08:00

Henry & Ethan at Christmas

2011-12-30T08:13:00.000-08:00

Henry, Cousins & Cartoons

2011-12-28T08:27:00.001-08:00

Christmas Comes Early

2011-12-20T09:36:00.000-08:00

Grandma Kathy unleashed Henry's Christmas present early and he skipped his nap to play, "cars, cars, cars, cars, cars" all day long.

Angry Birds Obsession

2011-12-16T14:16:00.000-08:00

Early Christmas Gift from Nanny

2011-12-16T14:12:00.000-08:00

Box removal on aisle 7, STAT

2011-12-16T14:09:00.000-08:00

In a moment of creative genius, the boy shoved this on his head and called it a hat. He started crying when he couldn't get it off. Don't worry, I came to the rescue with a pair of scissors.

Holiday Gratitude

2011-12-14T08:49:00.000-08:00

A friend posted a link for an article that recommended focusing on gratitude instead of the stress instigated by the holidays. It made me think of the long list of things I am grateful for. Some include:

My handsome boys (husband & Henry)
Our health
A good night's sleep
Cookies that turn out right
My parents and all of our amazing family and friends
A good cup of coffee
A good piece of chocolate (uh oh, a theme is emerging)
A nice place to live
A car to take us places and shield us from the rain
Our Charlie Brown Christmas tree and my childhood ornaments
Getting to visit my family at Christmas
A kid that likes housework and cooking
A husband who makes better pancakes than I do
Everyone who has supported me as a mom by giving me breaks or entertaining Henry...Hillary had it right, it takes a village
People with more than one child and help me realize I have nothing to complain about
Food From the farm
Alex's family's big,festive holiday events that allow me to celebrate without the work of hosting
Henry sleeps well and is entertained by coloring books
My pants still fit
Stickers, oh that should go on Henry's list
Hot baths
Hot tea
Warm house
Quiet neighborhood
Book club
Good coats and purses
Good t.v. shows
Good books, esp. free ones from the library
Not being in my 20's in L.A.
Being in my 30's in a town I like
Giving and getting lots of love
Realizing boredom is a beautiful luxury
Finally feeling like I'm a character in a Hallmark Christmas Movie

This was a fun list to make, I hope I can remind myself to do it more often, especially on days that don't feel like such a blessing:) What does your list look like?

Mmm Fire

2011-12-06T15:28:00.000-08:00

Donuts rock

2011-12-06T15:27:00.000-08:00

2011-12-06T15:26:00.000-08:00

Fall Leaf Cleanup with Dada

2011-12-06T15:25:00.000-08:00

Grammy & Hen

2011-12-06T15:23:00.000-08:00

Henry's new favorite cookie

2011-12-06T14:59:00.000-08:00

Walnut Oat Shortbread Cookies

1 stick of salted butter
1/3 c. sugar
1 t. vanilla
½ cup of unbleached white flour
½ cup of oat flour
¼ cup ground walnuts

Preheat oven to 325.

In a mixer combine room temp. butter, sugar, vanilla until smooth.

Slowly add flours until just combined.

Roll into a log and freeze for 10 min.

Slice into 1 by 1 inch pieces.

Put on baking sheet about 1 inch apart on slipmat or parchment paper. Pierce each one with a fork.

Bake for 17 minutes, don't let them brown too much.

Let cookie sheet rest on cooking rack for 10 minutes.

Shoop, Please (a.k.a. soup)

2011-12-06T14:53:00.000-08:00

Henry is on a serious cooking jag. He shout "step-stool" from the moment he gets up and today was saying "shoop, shoop" because soup is in new favorite food. We made this together today, it's a hearty hot soup for a cold day. It's adapted from my mom's recipe that we had growing up. After his first bowl, he was begging for more shoop please.

Potato/Carrot Soup

4 servings

4 small potatoes, diced
½ a small onion, diced
2T butter
1 carrot or 10 baby carrots, chopped
Salt & pepper to taste
1 & ½ cans of chicken stock
4 T of half & half

Saute onions in butter until soft. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add vegetables and salt and pepper. Simmer for 20-30 minutes until vegetables are soft. Take off heat and mash with a potato masher until soup is slightly pureed. Finish by stirring in half & half.

Serve hot with Saltines

Pizza Dough Recipe

2011-11-25T21:58:00.000-08:00

If you're like me and you've watched people like Alton Brown make pizza dough with a two day rise using only bread flour and kneading until the stretch of the dough creates a perfect window, it may have driven you to dial Domino's and call it a night. With a toddler running around, I just find this sort of scratch pizza dough commitment to be a bit much.

I found this quick recipe and it works pretty well. Snarky comments aside, I would like to try bread flour sometime, it's just not what I have on hand. Winco has it in the bulk section, so maybe I'll give that a go sometime. If you have a great pizza dough recipe to share, I'd love to hear about it.

My notes: I've made this with half whole wheat flour and with all unbleached white flour. The all white version, seems to have an easier, faster rise and is easier to stretch. It's pretty good for a fast dough. I always want a super thin crust but don't have the patience to stretch or roll it for that long. It's more of a "traditional" style crust.

I use oil instead of cornmeal to prevent sticking and don't use a pizza stone or screen because I'm to lazy to fiddle with that stuff. I just press into a very large cookie sheet.

Sometimes I make and stretch the dough during nap time and stick it in the fridge until dinner but it did rise a smidge that way and gave the crust a little more puff.

Quick Whole Wheat or (White) Pizza Dough

Ingredients
1 cup whole-wheat flour (Reg,not pastry)
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2-1/4 teaspoons instant yeast or 1 package quick-rising yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon sugar
¾ cup warm water (approximately 115°F)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil or canola plus extra for greasing pan/foil/hands

Preparation

preheat oven to 475°F

1.In the bowl of the stand mixer, combine whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, yeast, salt, and sugar and whisk together.

2.Combine hot water and oil in a measuring cup. With the mixer running on low speed, gradually pour in enough of the hot liquid until the mixture forms a sticky ball. The dough should be quite soft. If it seems dry, add 1 to 2 tablespoons warm water; if too sticky, add 1 to 2 tablespoons flour.

3.Mix on low until the dough forms a ball, then increased speed to 2 for just 1 minute to knead.

4.Let the dough rest for 20-60 minutes before rolling.

5. Oil your hands. Flatten the dough with your palms onto greased cookie sheet or pizza pan.

6..bake without toppings, 4 min.

7. Add Ragu pizza sauce, mozz/parm. cheese and the toppings of your
choice and place pizza pan in the oven for another 8-9 minutes, until golden

I adapted this from a recipe I found online and can't recall the exact source.

Henry's Picture Book

2011-11-22T14:40:00.000-08:00

I can write about Henry's surprise Christmas gift here because he can't read yet:) I wrote him a story all about how he's a helper around the house. And then we did a photo shoot. Here is one of the "action shots" of him dusting. I put it all together and printed a very "hand-made" book for unveiling at Christmas. I hope he digs it as much as I dig him. Here is an excerpt:

...There were many tasks to complete before Grammy and Pop arrived.

“Henry, would you please dust the tables in the living room?” asked Mama.

He picked up the feather duster and went straight to work.

Note: I'm well aware of child labor laws, that's why I call it "play-time" not doing chores time.

Summer Family photo by Wendy

2011-11-22T14:31:00.000-08:00

Fall Family photo

2011-11-22T14:30:00.000-08:00

Baked Pumpkin Donut Holes

2011-11-22T14:28:00.000-08:00

If you want your husband to fall in love with you all over again, make him these!

Mmm, pumpkin, my favorite fall friend, how many ways can I use you?

Yield: 40 donut holes (mini muffins)
Cook Time: 10-12 minutes

Ingredients:
For the Donuts:
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup canola oil
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup canned plain pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1/2 cup milk

For the Coating:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons cinnamon

Directions:
1. Preheat oven 350°F. Spray a 24-cup mini muffin tin with baking spray and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon. In a separate, large bowl whisk together oil, brown sugar, egg, vanilla, pumpkin and milk until smooth. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
3. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
4. While the muffins bake, melt butter in one bowl and combine granulated sugar and cinnamon in another bowl. Remove muffins from oven and cool for 2 minutes. Dip the top of each muffin in melted butter, tin cinnamon sugar. Serve muffins warm or at room temperature.

Recipe from The Craving Chronicles

Pumpkin Bread

2011-11-22T14:22:00.000-08:00

If you are hankering for pumpkin everything, here is an easy recipe.
This rain has set off my baking addiction once again. I gave this a go...It was moist and awesome and good with a pat of butter.

Pumpkin OR Banana bread

Adapted from Bethany Frankel's recipe

mix sugar and wet ingredients

3/4 cup white & brown sugar combined
    1 tablespoon butter melted
    1 cup pumpkin puree (OR Bananas if you are doing banana bread)
    1 egg
    1 teaspoon real vanilla extract

mix dry ingredients and add to wet:

    1 cup oat flour
½ t of cinnamon if making pumpkin bread
    ¾ teaspoon baking powder
    ½ teaspoon baking soda
    ¼ teaspoon salt
    ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips or walnuts

Preparation
1.Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2.Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
3.spray loaf pan with cooking spray.
4.Pour in the batter and cover it loosely with foil.
5.Bake for 30 minutes.
6.Remove foil, then bake for another 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out almost clean (moist crumbs are fine).
7.Cool completely, then slice and serve.

Blondies with Oat Flour

2011-11-08T20:59:00.000-08:00

I just took a standard blondie recipe and adapted it to use oat flour instead of
regular white flour. I've been experimenting with baking with alternative grains. I've tried rice/bean gluten free flours but didn't love the results. This substitution works well and makes the end result 100% whole grain. I wouldn't call it a "health" food but it bumps up the nutrition a little with oats and walnuts. You could use dried fruit instead of chocolate chips if you want. You'll get a chewier result but it was a hit at our house as anything with chocolate chips, is.

Oat Chocolate Chip Walnut Blondies

8 tablespoons salted butter, melted
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup OAT flour (old fashioned oats ground in blender)
1/3 cup ground walnuts
2/3 cup dark chocolate chips

1.Spray an 8×8 pan

2.Mix melted butter with brown sugar – beat until smooth. Beat in egg and then vanilla.

3.Stir in oat flour.

4.Pour into prepared pan. Bake at 350°F 20-25 minutes, or until set in the middle. Cool on rack before cutting them.

Sorry I don't have pictures...

A case of the Mondays

2011-11-07T19:56:00.000-08:00

Henry learning code and collecting candy at Dada's work

2011-11-07T19:54:00.000-08:00

Post hair-cut pose

2011-11-07T19:49:00.000-08:00

Latest News

2011-11-06T11:33:00.000-08:00

My mom was here for a week and we already miss her. She cooked, bought lunch, helped me throw a party, colored with Henry and watched Bubble Guppies with him, like 400 times and saturated him with love. This was despite the fact that at the airport he kept saying "Pop" wondering why my dad wasn't there. The "work" explanation didn't penetrate. We told him that we'd see him at Christmas time after we fly on an airplane to see him. I think he's pretty excited.

Henry is in his big boy bed now. Naps leave hurricanes in their wake. Books, blocks, blankets are scattered with enthusiasm, cover all the surface area in his room. At night he sleeps with his singing seahorse buddy in his race car bed...and now I feel like a cliche when I say, "he's growing up so fast". He is unstoppable inertia. He has dance time in the living room at 4:00, crafting time at 10:00, cartoons at 7:00, he likes routine. I don't. But it's growing on me and so is he, love that kid like mad. That's what drives me to continue with the drudgery of unpleasant tasks because the payoff is be pretty miraculous.

P.S. My mom gave me a haircut and after seeing the pic below of me as an M&M having a bad hair day, I'm grateful. My mom is a retired hairdresser who always notices when I've cut my own hair and just can't leave until she's taken a pair of sheers to my shaggy locks. "After" pictures to follow. Now I feel more confident looking in the mirror if I accidentally catch a glance of myself in a mirror.

Exterminator, M & M and Frankenstein

2011-10-31T13:26:00.000-07:00

2011-10-31T13:16:00.000-07:00

Pumpkin Bowling with his cousins

2011-10-31T10:08:00.000-07:00

Minnie & Lil Monster

2011-10-31T10:07:00.000-07:00

Witch Doctor & Frankenstein

2011-10-31T10:06:00.000-07:00

Jack O' Lantern Creation

2011-10-31T10:04:00.000-07:00

Halloween Cookie Baking with Gram Gram

2011-10-31T10:03:00.000-07:00

Help me get rich by using the AMAZON search box on my blog:)

2011-10-21T13:35:00.000-07:00

I use Amazon.com for most of my gift shopping as most of my family lives out of town. I find they always have the best deal on books.

If you use the AMAZON search box on my blog to purchase anything, Amazon will give me a very small "incentive". If you're on my Christmas list, that could mean I have a bit more to spend on you this year:)

For those of you who have already thoughtfully used this method for your online shopping, thank you! I'm already up to $3.54 (that's right, three dollars and fifty four cents). I need to accrue a total of $10 before they send me any money.

Thanks a mil!!

Brown Rice Breakfast

2011-10-21T12:43:00.000-07:00

This is an adapted version of a recipe I tried from Bethanny Frankel's website, a slightly more healthy rice pudding. It's a nice changeup from our oatmeal routine.

1 cup of instant brown rice
1 cup of milk
1 T of walnuts
2 T of dried cranberries
1 T sugar
1/4 t of cinnamon

Cook all ingredients together according to rice cooking directions, using the milk instead of water. It's like 5 minutes of simmering covered and 5 minutes sitting up without heat. Serves 2.

This was a big hit with the kid, forgot to take a pic and snapped one before his last bite.

P.S. Henry's Oatmeal Concotion is 1/4 cup of old fashioned oats cooked, with 1/4 cup of applesauce, ground walnuts and flaxseed oil stirred in after cooking. Poor guy hasn't realized I just put a little brown sugar and nuts in mine. Flaxseed has good omega 3's that help his eczema stay under control, or so I've convinced myself.

What boys do

2011-10-21T12:27:00.001-07:00

Build raceways with matchbox cars and trucks with cookie cooling racks, serving platters and slip mats.

Henry's future jack o' lantern popped up in our yard

2011-10-16T20:43:00.000-07:00

Many uses for fall fruit

2011-10-16T20:41:00.000-07:00

Pumpkins Rock!

2011-10-16T20:38:00.000-07:00

Tee-Pees and Pumpkins, oh my!

2011-10-16T20:37:00.000-07:00

Pumpkin Patch Fun

2011-10-16T20:36:00.000-07:00

Cream Cheese Brownies

2011-10-11T15:23:00.000-07:00

My husband was over the moon about these. This was my second attempt, I had tried another from scratch recipe that was too cakey for my taste. I like a dense, rich, chewy brownie, this one delivers. I'd still like to cultivate a "from scratch" version, but for now, this was easy and husband/kid approved. I forgot to take a picture, too busy taste testing!

Cream Cheese Brownies

Filling
8 oz cream cheese, softened (from 8 oz package)
1 egg
4 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Brownies
1 box (1 lb 2.4 oz) brownie mix
mix as directed BUT use 1 egg and butter instead of oil.
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to (325ºF for dark or nonstick pan). Grease bottom only of 9 x13-inch square pan with cooking spray. In small bowl, beat filling ingredients with electric mixer on low speed until smooth. Set aside.

Make brownie batter as directed on box but use butter instead of oil and only 1 egg and stir in chocolate chips. Spread brownie batter in pan. Spread filling onto brownie batter. Cut through mixture with knife several times for marbled design.

Bake 40 to 44 minutes or until toothpick inserted in brownie 1 inch from side of pan comes out almost clean. Cool completely, about 1 1/2 hours. For 16 brownies, cut into 4 rows by 4 rows. Store covered in refrigerator.

Where's the squirrel??

2011-10-05T20:24:00.000-07:00

Childhood Favorite: Rice Krispy Chicken

2011-10-05T20:19:00.000-07:00

2 cups of Rice Krispies that have been pulsed in the blender
6-8 chicken tenderloins
1 stick of melted butter
Salt & peper to taste

Dip chicken in melted butter and roll in cereal, place on greased pan.

Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes

I serve this with broccoli mashed potatoes, sounds weird, but good.

Fall snack

2011-10-05T20:14:00.000-07:00

Simmer apples, cinnamon, walnuts, butter, brown sugar 'till saucy and tender. Eat plain, with ice cream or stirred into oatmeal.

Pizza and the old pelican bib

2011-10-02T20:13:00.000-07:00

This is the awesome bib that my mom sent. Unfortunately I incinerated it on the heating unit in our dishwasher. I had a hard time finding a replacement, so my mom is sending a new one, how cool is that? You're never too old to need your Mom's help:) And Dad, he did the research to find it online.

Penny for a Potty?

2011-09-28T13:34:00.000-07:00

He gets a penny for a potty to put straight into his piggy bank (to avoid being a choking hazzard). Or to be more accurate, an attempt at using the potty.

This idea came one day when Henry, Laura and I were going to to the beach for the day. So I took cash out of my personal piggy bank (It's a Mickey Mouse one I had growing up) that I put on our bedside table to catch our "loose change" so that Henry wouldn't choke on it. Now that he's seen me put money in and take it out, he's fascinated by this money concept.

He has his own piggy bank that I let him put all of his money he gets as gifts into. I let him put some change in and he was hooked. When I discovered I was living with Alex P. Keaton, and after reading Freakonomics, I thought money might be the perfect incentive to get him to get on the potty train. It's also a good way to start teaching him about counting, math and money, I suppose. So I took him to the bank and we asked the teller for a few rolls of pennies and I showed him the change machine that he can use later to turn his coins into cash.

I know incentives are controversial and most things he will be required to do but we all work for insentives, let's face it.

Pear Smoothie

2011-09-28T13:19:00.000-07:00

My in-laws brought us some pears from their farm and I thought I'd make Henry a smoothie because he was shying away from eating it in "fruit form". I used 1 pear, 1/2 c. frozen blueberries, 1/2 cup of frozen peaches from our tree and 1/2 cup of water and 1/2 cup of Simply Orange Juice. He dug it. So I froze some of the pears so I can make him another one in the dead of winter.

Sourdough Bread Pizza

2011-09-28T13:15:00.000-07:00

I sauteed some onion, garlic, tomato, spinach, olives and mushrooms in olive oil and butter with garlic salt. I used jarred sauce on sourdough and baked until bubbly. I had been making dough from scratch but wanted to come up with something a little faster for when I don't have time to wait for the rise!

Vegetables sauteeing

2011-09-28T13:12:00.000-07:00

Corn's Secondary Purpose: The Corn Phone

2011-09-28T13:11:00.000-07:00

Corn's Intended Purpose

2011-09-28T13:10:00.000-07:00

International Traffic

2011-09-20T14:11:00.000-07:00

Blogger now allows you to see how much traffic your blog receives and how many people from each country read it on any given day/week/month, etc. I just noticed I had a few views from around the world including Germany, Italy, Russia and other places where I don't know anyone. I'm wondering how that happens. I did register my blog with Stumble Upon, maybe that's how. Anyone with a blog have any interesting stats to share?

Ode to my sister-in-law

2011-09-18T14:38:00.000-07:00

She's always willing to see a mediocre romantic comedy with me in the theatres. And she accompanies me and my constant three foot companion to the library, Target and other exciting locations. She's also great at listening to me complain. I hope she doesn't get mad at me for posting this picture.

Backpack

2011-09-18T14:31:00.000-07:00

This is one of Henry's new favorite words. I love the lilt in his voice when he says it and tries to break into the trunk of the car to retrieve it. He isn't bothered by the "harness" component which is why I bought it. He's bolted on a few occassions and I thought it would be a good investment for travel. It's helping with neighborhood walks and with the transition away from the stroller. I love the illustration on the box. I only feel a smidge guilty about buying a leash for my toddler and I hope no one at the airport takes cell phone pics of us and tries to get us on the Dr. Phil show.

Unsettling Discovery behind our T.V. Console

2011-09-17T10:02:00.000-07:00

Three Easy Toy-clean-up ideas

2011-09-17T10:01:00.000-07:00

1. Purchase snow shovel and scoop toys and deposit them into toybox. Repeat in each room as needed.

2. Invent special central vacuum system that might consist of a ball placed in the middle of the toy tornado that sucks every toy to it and releases them into the toybox.

3. Take a random 50% of the toys and put them in the garage, re-wrap them at Christmas time.

Henry & Deb-Deb, fast friends!

2011-09-13T22:01:00.000-07:00

American Idol Auditions

2011-09-13T22:00:00.000-07:00

2011-09-13T21:59:00.000-07:00

He walked right into it, it was a hot day!

2011-09-13T21:58:00.000-07:00

The Tango

2011-09-13T21:57:00.000-07:00

Debbie & Henry

2011-09-13T21:51:00.000-07:00

Cheesehead

2011-09-09T20:55:00.000-07:00

This is the block of Tillamook Cheddar that Henry took out of the fridge while I was in the living room. He was biting
into it like a hungry mouse as evidenced by the teeth marks. My friend Wendy recently asked me what his favorite food was and I was embarrased to say, cheese. She had teased me in the past for my tendancy to only order food that incorporated cheese in some way. When I saw what Henry had done, I thought about the awesome power of genetics. And also the awesome power of good cheese.

Easy Cake Mix Blackberry/Peach Cobbler

2011-09-06T14:07:00.000-07:00

My best friend is coming in from L.A. for a visit. She just missed having our fresh peaches and blackberries.
I used some of the fruit that was frozen to make this super easy treat. Here is the recipe:

Peach/Berry Cobbler

Grease 8X8 pan

3-4 cups of fresh or frozen peaches and berries
1 1/4 cups of yellow cake mix
1/4 cup of melted butter

Put the fruit in the pan and sprinkle the cake mix over the top.
Drizzle the butter over the top of the cake mix.

Bake for 45 minutes at 375.

I had always made my grandmother's peach pie recipe but it always came out runny because of the super juicy peaches we have here and the sugar, despite adding tapioca for thickening. So I stumbled across a variation of this recipe online.
Most recipes call for more cake mix, it depends on how you prefer the fruit/topping ratio. But I realized I could make this without adding any sugar to the fruit and the whole thing held together pretty well. If you have super tart fruit, you can add sugar to the fruit too but that's just up to your personal tastes.

I hope she likes it, I'm sure I'll at least get an A for effort. Despite my recent foray into making things from scratch, I've enjoyed this because it's super fast and can be done with the "help" of a toddler. And my husband liked it
better than the "from scratch crumble" I made.

Bon Appetite!

The Nurture Assumption

2011-09-04T19:52:00.000-07:00

I just started reading this book, "The Nurture Assumption" by Judith Rich Harris. It theorizes that parents have little to do with their children's development. What is more impact-ful are his/her genetics and the influence of his/her peers. It's an interesting read, although when in the depths of child-rearing, I don't really want to believe I have absolutely no impact on how my kid turns out.

This reads like an academic, scientific, well researched text from an ex-text book writer. It appears to point to the possibility that temperament, talent and personality aren't a result of how one is nurtured. I will need to read the whole book before commenting further but thought I would mention it in case any parent out there is looking for a thought provoking read and actually has time to read.

I'm always interested in reading about different ideologies regarding parenting and how ideas have changed over time. There does seem to be a cultural stigma that allows parents to be blamed for any mistep their child makes as they move into teenage years/adulthood. I think I believe that everyone has their own path in life and many people and experiences will shape someone, but ultimately it is his/her own journey and cannot be controlled by one's parents. I wish had more control and can see my inner control freak come out more than I'd like to admit.

There is a great quote at the start of the book that resonated with me:

On Children
by Kahlil Gibran

Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.

You may give them your love but not your thoughts,
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,
which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them,
but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

Here is the link to the book on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/NURTURE-ASSUMPTION-Children-Turn-They/dp/0684857073

Bucket List Addition

2011-09-03T12:25:00.000-07:00

Be in a band. Watching Kelly Clarkson rock out in her music video, "Since you've been gone"...and am inspired, to get layers, highlights, a fan and a low cut top and play out at open mic nights. Husband says I'll be singing these lyrics when Henry starts school, he changed them a little: "Since you've been gone, I can finally eat for the first time..."

Un Cafe?

2011-09-02T13:56:00.000-07:00

Branding will get its hooks in every kid, eventually. I usually assume McDonald's, Marlboro and Boone's Farm corner the market on getting kids "hooked early" but today I realized Henry's forbidden fruit is Starbucks! Am I to blame? Maybe. Before anyone thinks of calling child protective services, he gets apple juice or milk or we share one of those mini chocolate donuts and I get decaf maybe once a week.

This is usually via drive through as a reward for surviving a grocery shopping trip at Winco where I get good deals but have to bag my own groceries. And I get there at sun-up to avoid the crowds, sprint down the aisles throwing cheese, canned pumpkin, salsa, hummus, scratch and sniff banana stickers and toy motorboats in such a flurry that my head is spinning. So Starbucks is a "treat"

that I can get without strapping Henry in and out of his car seat for a second time. It doesn't really make sense, I've switched to decaf and I'm not even sure I like the coffee but the donuts and scones are pretty awesome. I admit, I'm addicted to the brand, the experience, the "idea" of it and now, so is my two year old.

My first inkling of where things were headed, should have been yesterday. I had a cup of decaf coffee with milk and a little sugar sitting on an end table, I ran into the kitchen really quick and when I walked back to the living room he was delicately holding the tea cup and sipping without any spilling, saying, "mmmm".

So today, we were headed to the Vitamin Shoppe to get flax-seed oil for his oatmeal (so bourgeois, new age-Portland, homeopathic, hippy of me, I know) he tugged my hand so hard to steer me AWAY from the vitamin store and TOWARD Starbucks and I caved and went in. He was giddy with excitement. We sat at a small round table, he with his organic apple-juice box and me with my short coffee and we looked out the window at the passers-by as he clinked his box with my cup over and over, proclaiming, "cheers"!

Snuck into his Dad's office

2011-08-28T20:32:00.000-07:00

Crafting Machine

2011-08-28T20:31:00.000-07:00

Chair Mover

2011-08-28T20:30:00.000-07:00

Aunt Laura & Henry

2011-08-28T20:23:00.000-07:00

Cooking Assistant

2011-08-28T20:20:00.000-07:00

Under his peach tree

2011-08-28T20:18:00.000-07:00

Ft. Stevens and Seaside with Aunt Laura

2011-08-28T20:17:00.000-07:00

2011-08-28T20:16:00.001-07:00

2011-08-28T20:16:00.000-07:00

2011-08-28T20:15:00.000-07:00

2011-08-28T20:13:00.001-07:00

2011-08-28T20:13:00.000-07:00

2011-08-28T20:12:00.000-07:00

2011-08-28T20:11:00.000-07:00

2011-07-30T16:28:00.001-07:00