My Longest Year

pizza night

Not long ago we started Family Pizza Night.  It's not an original concept, but I tend to subscribe to the do-it-myself-it's-just-easier method of cooking (and cleaning, and check-writing, and phone-calling, etc).   But I'm enjoying this stage of family life and the better part is how involved Evyn wants to be in pretty much everything I do, and how involved Ashlyn wants to be in anything Evyn does.  I appreciate it won't be that way forever.  So I let the girls go to town making the dough.

Well, Evyn helped make the dough.  Ashlyn helped eat it.  Why this child likes paper and dog food and flour but not a prepared meal is still a mystery. 

So the dough they made was more Mess than Dough.  But it was better that way.  You know...with a pinch of Love.

my proud little homeowner

 

A couple of weeks ago, Evyn was flipping through her National Geographic for Kids magazine and came upon a "gingerbread" house she just had to make.  Fond of the magazine-inspired creative process myself, I was anxious to help her vision come true.  The magazine featured fancy gumdrops and smarties and pretty coconut flakes, and as I wandered the baking aisle I realized this fun little project was going to get expensive.  So we improvised.  The marshmallows were 98 cents, and I needed to buy frosting for Ashlyn's cake anyway.

Basically, I scoured the pantry for stuff we already had and set it out for her to go to town with.  Her favorite-est were these duck and rabbit sprinkles from an easter package we still had.  I mean, surely this isn't the first time you've seen rabbits on a roof, right?

I was the messy contractor who slapped the walls and roof together rather precariously with joints of globby icing.  The prettiest parts of this house are all Evyn's handiwork. 

Links of Interest: Easy Alternatives to Gingerbread Houses;  Gingerbread House Lesson Plan (Gr. 3-5)

 

dress up a can of tomato soup

Sick as a dog today and barely managing.  But managing, nonetheless.  Wanted to pop in and say hi with a cheater recipe.

If you know me at all you know that I am totally into cheating, or at least doing things the easy way if possible.  Over the years I've found some ways to check the "made dinner for family" box without having to actually cook too much.  I happen to love tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches, but I always feel like the soup is missing something (hard to imagine that plopping a can of condensed soup into a warm pot isn't "homemade enough," isn't it?).

So here's what you do:

1. using a little olive oil, saute a couple of tablespoons of onion.

2. add the soup and MILK (don't use water, ick).

3. add minced baby carrots to taste (about 4 or 5). The trick here is to add a little flavor and chunk without cluttering the soup too much.

4. Simmer on low to allow the carrots to cook, careful to stir so milk doesn't burn. 

5. Top with parmesan cheese and basil. 

Add a stack of golden-delicious grilled cheese sandwiches and enjoy!  James, who is notoriously difficult to please, even enjoys this comfort meal.

SuperMom Lite: homemade baby food

So here's the scoop:  Between Evyn and Ashlyn, I have experienced several disappointing attempts at being SuperMom.  Take breastfeeding - with Evyn, oh the pain!  It was an awful mess that lasted five weeks until the nurse practicioner finally gave me permission to quit (she was gracious enough to see that I needed someone to actually give me permission).  I cried for several days about it, as I had bought into the idea that I was somehow less of a mom if I resorted to bottle-feeding.  But I eventually made peace with it, telling myself there was always baby number two.  Then she came along.  And I suffered the same exact setbacks as the first.  This time I was more mature about the decision to quit, but I didn't do so without first beating myself up a bit (what self-described perfectionist doesn't flog herself regularly?).  Then there was the cloth diaper experiment.  I wanted to cloth diaper Ashlyn.  I bought all of the gear for it, was even given some of the cutest little handmade diapers from my cousins.  I was ready, willing and able.  And doing pretty well with it.  Until my postpartum meltdown, at which point the whole process went out the window.

Since the meltdown, I try very hard to stick to realistic goals and projects for myself.  I haven't quit wanting to challenge myself as a mom.  But I know when to quit while I'm ahead, and not let a failed attempt at something mean more than it really is.  Let's call it SuperMom Lite.

One thing I've found very satisfying and easy to do with both my girls is make their baby food - something my mom did for me as a baby, and she was happy to introduce me to when Evyn turned six months old.  A perfect SuperMom Lite project. 

Four weeks' worth of food takes about as much work as making dinner for company one night.  It's cheaper than the jars, and it's not complicated. In fact, here is the most difficult part of the entire process for me: figuring out how to get the food processor back into the box (um, yeah, I actually put it back in the box. Every time).

There are a few ways to go about homemade baby food.  But I find making a bunch in advance and freezing it is the easiest for our family.  Here's how:

Needed:

• Ice cube trays (the dollar trays or these nifty ones from Fresh Baby - I use both)

• Steamer basket (only certain foods will need to be steamed)

• Food Processor

• Veggies and fruits of choice (here are some guidelines for food by age)

How To: 

1. Prep veggies and fruits as necessary (i.e. peel and cube sweet potatoes, dice pears, chop carrots)

2. Steam if needed (fresh fruit generally doesn't need it and frozen vegetables can be microwaved). While one food group is steaming, start prepping the next group.  This is also a good time to rinse out the food processor if you've already made a batch of something.

3. Throw in the food processor and puree.  If the blend is too thick, add a little of the steam-water until you reach the desired consistency.

4. Pour into the trays.  I use a silicon spatula to spread the mixture evenly.

5. Freeze.  Depending on the food itself, the cubes will be ready in about four hours.  Pop into freezer storage bags, label, and toss into the freezer.

Some notes:

One cube = approx. 1 ounce

I make 1-2 pounds of each food at a time and do about 4 different foods in a cooking session.  This takes about 2 hours.

I started with sweet potatoes, broccoli, green beans, baby carrots, and squash.  I have also done peaches, pears and applesauce.

On the road I have used jar food, and once at family's house I used their Magic Bullet to mash up whatever food was appropriate and available.

Start slowly.  I started Ashlyn on rice cereal and tried solids within a week.  She flat out refused.  She just wasn't ready.  I picked it up again three weeks later and it was smooth sailing.

Don't quit a food entirely just because your baby doesn't like it at first.  Everything takes getting used to.  Ashlyn loved the broccoli right away but it took four tries to get her used to the green beans.  And now she eats it all like a champ.

Nitrates: I have done a little research on this and have concluded that, more importantly than worrying about nitrates in specific foods is testing private wells and paying attention to the age you start your baby on solids (nationally recognized associations recommend delaying to six months).   

farmers' market soup

 

Okay, it's actually called gazpacho.  But whenever I make this summer soup, I think of produce stands and the farmers' market.  Can't you imagine a morning out at the veggie stands with your market tote picking fresh produce for a cool, refreshing soup?  If you like summer vegetables, you have to try it.

It's made up mostly of tomatoes, cucumber, celery, and green peppers.  The recipe I used calls for onion and garlic, but I'd actually leave that out if you don't want it to taste like salsa. You can find the recipe here - as well as several others.  Use low-sodium tomato juice and broth to make it a bit healthier.   And add a little more cucumber.  Yum. 

The kitchen cuttings are great for the compost bin - or they make the perfect ingredients for your little helper to make a "pretend soup" alongside you.

We serve it with an easy peasant bread recipe - easy enough for my little one to make, although everything she does in the kitchen she does with earnest:

  

the lazy mom's popsicle recipe

Did you have these popsicle molds in your freezer as a kid?  I don't know if we did or not, but there's something nostalgic about them, which is why I picked them up at a thrift store last summer.  Since then, I've seen them all over the place (and right now mini-versions are in the dollar aisle for 50 cents at Target!). 

I've been waiting for a perfect popsicle recipe.  But it turns out I don't have a blender (how is it I don't have a blender?), and every time I look up a recipe it includes an ingredient I don't have and am too lazy to remember on my next shopping trip. So the molds have just sat in a pile in my cupboard - until I discovered what I am calling the Lazy Mom's Popsicle Recipe: 

Yes, that is my whole recipe:  applesauce.  You need 1) popsicle molds and 2) applesauce.  You don't even need a spoon - just pour it from the jar into the molds and throw them in the freezer.  Within an hour or two you have a healthy snack for the kiddos (or yourself, if you're minding your fat roll, like I am).

You've probably discovered this genius tip forever ago, but in case you're like me and it practically takes someone pointing it out, I thought I would do so here - just in time for 4th of July picnics and such.

And while we're on the Target tip - these bandanas were also in the dollar aisle, on clearance for 50 cents.  How does a mommy to two girls resist strawberries and "pinkalicious" and 50 cents?

things we've handed down: hernandez family enchiladas

One of my wedding gifts from mom were two recipe boxes full of recipes from friends and family - everything from my sister's favorite pork chops to baby meals to bath salts.  A family favorite is a recipe that my Grandma on my dad's side handed down to my mom, who handed it down to me: the Hernandez family enchiladas.  You can see my copy is tattered and stained - a true sign of a great recipe.  I like that the recipe uses measurements like "some" and "a few" and "till it runs out."  I'm making them this Tres de Mayo for our monthly supper club and thought I'd share with you:

Hernandez Family Enchiladas

• 1 1/2 - 2 lbs ground beef, browned and drained
• Finely chopped onion (to taste)
• Chopped black olive
• Corn tortillas
• Oil for frying
• 2 19 oz cans enchilada sauce
• 2-3 c. shredded cheese
• 2 pair of tongs; one for oil and one for enchilada sauce

Mix first three ingredients together and set aside to cool.  Fry corn tortillas in hot oil a few seconds until just starting to cook (do not let get crispy). As you remove the tortilla, drip-drain excess oil over pan. Slip tortilla into pan of enchilada sauce, careful not to get sauce on your "oil tongs."  Repeat for several tortillas.

Using second pair of tongs, remove soaked tortillas to a plate. Fill with handful of meat mixture and handful of shredded cheese.  Roll and place in glass dish, seam side down. Continue this process until dish is full or until meat mixture runs out.

Top enchiladas with generous spoonsful of leftover sauce (pay particular attention to corners), then top again with shredded cheese. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes.

*********************

These are fun to make with a friend in assembly-line fashion, and can actually go rather quickly.  I used to make them for military functions with my friend Lacey, who knows the recipe by heart herself now.  It's funny watching someone with a Southern drawl whip up some enchiladas.

ETA: I've corrected the amount of sauce needed for these (2 10 oz. cans would probably not be enough)   

a kindred spirit

Unfortunately for me, most women here work outside the home, but I am fortunate enough to have met a couple of women who do stay home and are also "transplants" (the term people here use to describe us outsiders). Transplants like us tend to stick out in the crowd for a lot of reasons - the main one being a wider range of opinions and experiences to draw from, and a general willingness to try new things. 

I've spent a lot of time with one transplant friend in particular, who loves coffee as much as I do, has a progressive attitude toward food and our environment, shares my faith, and is a great listener.  We're learning a lot from each other and I'm really glad I met her. 

Today we made biscotti from this recipe I found at allrecipes.com.  It was a fun way to spend the afternoon, and a yummy complement to our coffee.  It was actually a test run because I was considering introducing ourselves to our neighbors with a batch - and then remembered folks here might not appreciate them as much as an old standby like chocolate chip cookies.  Anyone have a good recipe for those?   

Speaking of recipes, you have to try this refreshing and addictive gazpacho recipe before summer is completely gone, and this pork chop recipe I made with great success last night (try pairing with brown rice).

inspired by pixie stix

(Or "Mini Swap, Continued")

**EDIT:  For some really cute pics of Claire in her mini apron (and play mitt), go here.

Doesn't it look like candy?  Sweet Tarts, or my favorite - Pixie Stix?  I remember making my own version of pixie stix as a kid - a kool-aid packet and cup of sugar in a sandwich bag. 

You might recognize some of the fabric from the oven mitt I made a while back, part of the mini apron swap package I sent to Claire.  This was the apron I made for Claire, Lauri's six-year-old who loves orange (and hates periwinkle; I love the fact that a six year old uses such a specific name for a color).  I used this tutorial, and made up my own dimensions, also adding interfacing to the waistband.  I packed a few goodies, fabric scraps and several fun recipes - Baked Apples, Milkshake, and Cinnamon Chips.

Cinnamon Chips:

4 Flour Tortillas

Spray Butter

1/2 c. Sugar

2 T. Cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix cinnamon and sugar and set aside.  Cut the flour tortillas like a pizza, into 8 pieces each.  Lay out on cookie sheet, alternating directions of each piece to fit as many as possible on the sheet (/\ \/ /\ \/).  Spray the tortillas, then sprinkle sugar mixture over top.  Bake in oven for 7-10 minutes.

a reader's choice day

In an effort to distract myself for a bit, I took your suggestions and made plans for the day.  I had been meaning to take E. to the Hands-On Children's Museum, so it was a perfect start.  We enjoyed the boat and water table, the lentil table, the mini-kitchen, and the garden, where E. harvested carrots and cucumbers:

Then off to Walmart to pick up grass seed to spot-repair the lawn and (per Nik) start E.'s own little grass garden. We got creative with the watering can sippy cup:

Charlotte's suggestion of pancakes sounded good, so I fixed breakfast for dinner.  Which leads me to a couple of suggestions and a quick recipe for you:

Pancakes:  I always use Bisquick; it's just easier.  I halved the box recipe, added vanilla extract, and made them entirely no-mess by layering all the ingredients in a single large measuring cup and mixing well - 1 c. Bisquick, then add 1 c. milk, and an egg.  They were easy to pour this way, too.

My mom's potatoes and eggs:  cut a medium-sized red potato into cubes (you can use any potato, but this has good flavor and browns well) and brown in a skillet with olive oil over medium high heat.  Once brown, add 4-6 eggs and scramble.

Serve with tortillas.  This is how I grew up eating eggs (just like my Grandpa Hernandez):  If you have a gas oven, heat your tortillas directly over a medium flame for a few seconds (toss the tortilla over the burner slightly off-center so you can pick it up and flip it easily).  Tortillas taste so much better heated up this way, but you can nuke them for 15 seconds instead.  Use pieces of your tortilla to pick up your eggs (crude, but yummy). E. demonstrates:

After dinner, we all cleaned up together (J. always helps with dishes and E. is learning to dry and put away silverware).  Then we rested on the couch with an episode of Little House on the Prairie.   It was a good day.  I hope to have more of them as we go through this process.  I hope you'll have patience with me if I get melancholy at times.  All change is difficult, but this is especially hard for me.