Happy Easter!

Happy Easter everyone!  I know, I know, this post is super late.  I totally lost track of time this morning and forgot to post.

The boys had sooo much sugar today.  They were totally bouncing and vibrating everywhere.  Luckily the Easter Bunny set an alarm and woke up really early to set out the eggs because the kids woke up early too.  They had already finished their egg hunt (and half their candy) by 8am.  Yikes.

I color coded the toys that the Easter Bunny left out so the boys would know what got what.  Lima was so cute.  He helped Jack find some of his things and made sure to share some eggs with Jack.

They still needed help reaching the odd egg.

My favorite part about the photo above is that it is not posed in any way.  Aren't they so cute?!

I couldn't really get any pictures today of both kiddos looking at the camera or smiling.  They were too distracted with all the sugar.

Blueberry coffee cake

This is one of the easiest baking recipes ever.  Okay, I totally cheat here and use Bisquick.  Normally I am a "completely from scratch" type of baker, but I like to keep a bit of Bisquick on hand in case I want something baked very quickly, or run out of too many essential ingredients.

Liam was my baking assistant today.  He was so excited to get stirring and egg cracking duty (his favorite), but he was mostly excited to eat them... :)

The picture above was Liam instructing me to take a picture that looked like he was trying to eat the uncooked coffee cakes.   Silly boy.

As you noticed, I used mini fluted pans for this recipe.  Totally unnecessary, but SO pretty!  Plus portion controlled.  Always a plus!  If you don't have a mini fluted cake pan, just use a 9" cake pan.

I love this recipe because it's so simple, and sometimes in the mornings I completely forget about breakfast... but it's okay because this recipe only takes about half an hour to make!

Blueberry Coffee Cake
serves 6

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 Cups Bisquick
• 3/4 Cup skim milk
• 1/4 Cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons old-fashioned oats, uncooked
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2/3 Cup blueberries
• 1/4 Cup brown sugar, unpacked

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Spray a mini fluted cake pan (or one 9" cake pan) with baking spray and set aside.
2. Stir all ingredients except the blueberries until there are no lumps.  Gently stir in the blueberries.  Pour the mixture evenly into the prepared pan.  Sprinkle brown sugar over the tops.  Bake until inserted toothpick comes out clean.  Remove from oven to cool for 5 minutes before eating.

Bake times:

mini fluted pan: 16-18 minutes

9" cake pan: 18-23 minutes

Happy New Year's Eve!

Forgot to go to the store to get a few bottles of sparkling cider? Not want to buy a huge bottle when you just want a single glass?  Not a problem.  All you need is apple juice and seltzer. You can taste the difference with better quality juice, but whatever you have handy is fine.

This is such a simple drink (thanks for thinking of it Tova!)

Sparkling Apple Cider
Ingredients:

• apple juice
• seltzer (from a soda stream or bottle)

Directions:

1. Pour equal parts juice and seltzer into a glass or pitcher.  Serve immediately.  Enjoy!

I hope everyone had a great 2015.  I know I did.  This was one of the first years I had New Year's resolutions and stuck to them.  I don't know if it's because I picked more than one resolution, or if it's because I didn't pick an open-ended, generic one (like" lose some weight").  My resolutions this year were to sew an Amy Butler Weekender bag, the most behemoth of bags , and to finish this reading list.



I haven't quite finished this list yet, but I'm on the last book I need and it's an audio book, so it takes FOREVER.  This list is so long, I'm just going to count it as finished.  As someone who had never done it before, completing New Year's resolutions feels great.

Here's the finished Weekender bag by the way:

I have my New Year's resolutions all figured out for 2016 too.  I liked this book list so much I'm planning on following the next one.  Here's a copy:




A whole new set of books.  Yay!  I also plan on figuring out how to do a headstand.  Maybe I'll even post a ridiculous looking selfie of my headstand this coming year.

DIY "The Incredibles" family costumes

Okay, this photo is a little fuzzy (camera phone), and we aren't all wearing our cool masks, but this is probably the best full shot of all of us.  Gotta love family costumes.  Plus, come on, it's cute when the 3 year old is the one picking out our costume theme.

This was an easy ensemble to make.  I bought Liam's full costume and Jeff's shirt because they were easy to find and super cheap on sale (whoop whoop!).  I bought a red shirt for me and a red onesie for Jack and made the two necessary logos in felt, then hand stitched them on.

Not bad for eyeballing a logo and cutting it out in felt.  I found all the colors of felt I needed easily at Joann fabric.

Find a picture of the logo and eyeball it, cut out all your pieces, then stitch together.  It didn't take very long.

Step one: the large orange oval.

Step two: add the black over top and center.

Step three: add the yellow portion of the "I".

Step four: add the white portion of the "I".

Repeat as needed for multiple logos.  Stitch individual logo sections on in matching colored thread.

Sew the logo onto the top (onesie).

If sewing onto a women's top, keep in mind any stretch needed.  You might want to pin the logo onto the shirt while on a dress form (large pillow, etc.) to keep the correct stretch before sewing.

Grab the rest of your costume.  I used my newly logo-ed shirt, red leggings, black bike shorts, an orange spandex belt (I made this quickly with some fabric I bought), and a black mask.

Jack's hair had started going crazy by this picture (obviously), but we just had to be the Incredibles while our Jack Jack was still a baby.

This is the miracle photo, Liam actually posing!  This NEVER happens. He was just so happy to be The Incredibles, probably because he's the human embodiment of Dash.

This was a fun family costume to do, quick, easy, and cheap to make, and made it very easy to keep track of each other trick or treating (RED!).  Hopefully this can be of help to you.

Happy Halloween and costuming making!

chocolate covered cherry smoothie

Sorry my blog posts have been a bit few and far between lately.  At least it feels that way.  From a few weeks ago through almost Thanksgiving is crazy for me.  My day planner seriously looks ridiculous.  I keep not having time to cook and/or post.  And its driving me crazy.

Since I haven't had much free time lately I've been creating new smoothie recipes.  I love a quick breakfast I can take on the go that's also healthy and delicious.  This smoothie is all of the above, plus only contains 4 ingredients!  It's a yummy no-brainer.

My frozen cherries are nice and sweet (without added sugar).  This smoothie is perfectly sweet even though the only sweetness comes from the cherries.  Make sure your cherries aren't too tart or you might want to add a bit of vanilla yogurt for the sweetness.  Can I say sweetness a bit more?  Yeah, I guess I can.  :)

I like to toss a frozen cherry or two on top.  They sink down and I eat them last.  I love cherries, these are better than normal because they're nice and cold and have a layer of chocolate smoothie covering them.  Yum...

Jack is going through a phase where he INSISTS on using a spoon for every meal.  Yes, even smoothies.  He's very civilized (read: nerd).  Although, I gotta say, watching a kid eat things like crackers and cheese with a spoon is pretty entertaining.

This smoothie is Jack approved.

Chocolate Covered Cherry Smoothie
serves 2

ingredients:

• 1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder
• 1 cup frozen cherries
• 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup almond milk
• ice cubes (optional)

directions:

1. Dump all ingredients in the blender and puree.  Optional ice cubes will make the smoothie thicker and icier.  Drink immediately.  Enjoy!

chocolate protein smoothie

I NEVER remember to eat breakfast.  I make it for everyone else, but mornings are when I wander around the house getting everything done.  It's gotten to the point where I had to put a sticky note on top of the coffee maker reminding me to eat breakfast.  Because of course I would never forget my morning coffee.

My best bet for breakfast is a grab and go option.  I love things like cinnamon rolls (obviously), but I'm either busy or I don't want anything too filling.  This drink is perfect.  Filling, easy to grab, and delicious.

To make this drink even easier and quicker in the morning I dump all the ingredients into tupperware in the fridge the night before.  That way the chia is easier to blend (having had all night to plump up), and all I have to do in the morning is dump one container's contents in the blender.  Simple.

I normally end up making a double batch though.  Everyone always asks for "just a few sips", and that adds up quickly!

I love having a super thick smoothie that fills me up and gives me hours of energy, especially when it feels and tastes like I'm drinking a chocolate shake (for breakfast.  Yay!)

This is the average meal for Jack and me on days when Liam is at preschool and Jeff is at work.  They almost always end up with bits of sandwich, plus a train (or two) and a cat on the table with us.  Plus Jack always decides that whatever I'm eating is what he wants.  We'll be eating THE SAME THING, but mine is in a different container than his, so...

If I'm using a cup, plate, bowl, etc. that looks like he could easily break it then Jack wants it even more.  And heaven forbid I try to help him hold it.  Nope.

He stills makes me a little nervous, but he hasn't broken any dinnerware yet *sigh of relief*.  I'm happy to share.  :)




Chocolate Protein Smoothie
makes 1 large or 2 small servings

Ingredients:

• 2 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 3 tbsp chia seeds
• 1 heaping tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 scoop protein powder (I prefer vanilla flavored whey)
• sugar to taste
• 1 banana, frozen
• ice (optional)

Directions:

1. For best results combine all ingredients overnight in the fridge.  In the morning pour out into a blender.  Blend thoroughly.  Enjoy immediately.

note: Ice is only needed if you do not use a frozen banana, or if you want an extra cold and icy smoothie.

If you make the smoothie entirely in the morning it might take a little more blender time to break up the chia seeds.

books to help kids become interested in cooking

Liam loves helping out in the kitchen.  He makes his own sandwiches, he helps me measure when we bake.  He helps me season chicken.  He's actually a pretty good culinary helper.

I think it helps him stay interested in cooking to read food themed books.  Here are some of Liam (and Jack's) favorite books about food.  Okay, some of these are just about food, not cooking, but they still get the boys interested in food, so I call it a win.  :)

• Pancakes, Pancakes! by Eric Carle.  

This book goes through the whole process of getting ingredients to make a pancake.  The only down side of reading this book is that Liam usually insists we make pancakes right after reading it.

• Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs by Ronald Barrett

This book mostly makes Liam create with food.  Either putting together new combinations, or making HUGE pancakes, there are no stopping the possibilities. 

• Strega Nona by Tomie dePaola

Liam is learning to make pasta sauce from scratch, because pasta is magical.

• Blueberries For Sal by Robert McClosekey

This book is perfect for us because blueberries are in both boy's top 5 foods, and Jack LOVES animals, including bears.

• Paddington by Michael Bond

Okay, Paddington isn't really about food, but every time we read it Liam really wants to make marmalade, which I think is just the cutest thing ever.

• If You Give A Mouse A Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff

What a shocker.  Liam thinks that this book is a sign we should make cookies.  I'm generally okay with that...


Anyway, I love teaching Liam to cook.  I refuse to let my kids be the ones in college who can barely boil water.  No way.  Teaching kids to cook is the best.  Its fun to do together, a fun hobby, a useful skill, and even educational.  Baking teaches Liam all about fractions and measurements.  It is a science people!  Cooking helps teach about experimentation.  I love when Liam figures out which seasonings go together all on his own.

I'm sure I own more food books than this, but this is a good start.  I love being able to teach my kids a skill while we have fun together.

If I manage to teach the boys enough in the kitchen so that they can make me breakfast in bed for Mother's Day in a few years, then bonus.  :)

pasta and garbanzo bean soup

I totally love this soup!  Not only is it really easy and healthy, but its super kid friendly (Liam's favorite soups all have pasta and beans), but you can make part of it ahead of time!

I made the first half of the recipe while the kids were napping and I had some free time.  Then the boys and I went swimming, and when we got home I only had about 15 minutes of cooking before it was all ready.  No fuss, little mess, healthy and filling.  Jeff and the boys loved this soup, and one bowl (plus a few pieces of obligatory "soup bread" to dip) was very filling.

If you're looking at the soup and wondering how it could be so healthy, look no further.  The soup is full of veggies!  I roasted and pureed them before stirring them into the chicken broth (low-sodium of course).  That made the broth thick, flavorful, and creamy.

I roasted a pan of carrots, red bell pepper, and cauliflower with a bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper until the tops were golden and fragrant, then I pureed the veggies with some of the chicken broth.  I did all this ahead of time and then stuck the liquid in the fridge until I was ready the finish the soup.  You could make the soup all in one go if you want to though.

I just love the bright orange color!  The cauliflower and bit of olive oil really help thicken the soup and make the broth creamy.  I swear, it tasted so luscious, like I was eating some super fatty, but HA-HA!  I was only eating veggies. Yay for taste bud deception.  :)

I wanted a mostly pureed soup because I was going for simplicity.  A lot of my soups are massively chunky and busy, and I wanted something simple.  Plus, Liam loves veggies, but he doesn't always enjoy them in large chunks in his soup.  He'd rather have the flavor of them, and actually be able to see the pasta in the soup.

I like my soup to be pretty thick, and this soup thickens more the next day (looking almost like a very cheddar-y mac and cheese), so feel free to adjust the amount of broth used accordingly.

pasta and garbanzo bean soup
serves 6

ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 head of cauliflower, cut into pieces
• 8 carrots, sliced
• 1 large red bell pepper, de-seeded and cut into large pieces
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth (add more if you prefer thinner soup)
• 2 15 oz. cans garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 1/2 cups small pasta
• 1/2 tsp basil
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp chili powder

directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Cut up cauliflower, carrots, and bell pepper and place as flat as possible on a parchment lined baking sheet with the garlic.  Drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper.  Bake for 40 minutes.  
2. Slide veggies off the parchment and into a blender.  Add chicken broth and puree.  At this point you can store the puree in the fridge for later use, or pour the puree start into a pot on the stove.
3. Bring liquid to a boil, reduce to a simmer and add the pasta, garbanzo beans, basil, oregano, and chili powder.  Stir occasionally.  As soon as the pasta is al dente the soup is ready.  Serve with french bread to dip.

note: feel free to add more chicken broth if you prefer a thinner soup.  You might want to have some extra broth on hand for leftover soup, as it will thicken the next day in the fridge.