Week 13 - Russian food

This week our husbands went out of town together to Toronto on a guys trip to go see a soccer game.  They also got to eat poutine (yum!) and lots of other great foods, drink local Canadian beers that they can't get around here and enjoy a child free weekend.  While the boys were out having fun we ladies took the kids to the circus together and we found that Bannon's kids loved it and Kerry's son thought it was OK.

We also decided to work together to do our recipe for the reddit challenge this week.  The topic is Russian food, which neither of us have any knowledge of other than Russian dressing or vodka, so this was going to be a bit of an education for both of us.

After looking around on the internet a bit the recipe we finally settled on was this potato knedliky (or dumpling) recipe.  It was very simple to make and the kids enjoyed getting to help roll the dumplings.  Taste wise, bacon grease makes everything taste better of course!  I think they would be a bit bland without the bacon and onions.

Ingredients

• 4-5 baker’s potatoes
• 1-1.5 cups all purpose flour
• 2 eggs
• 4-5 pieces of bacon (or enough salo to render about 0.25 cups fat)
• 1 large sweet onion (finely chopped)
• Salt pepper to taste

Peel potatoes and then boil until soft. 

Drain the potatoes well and return to the pot. Mash them until uniform consistency. You may want to let the potatoes stand for a little while to cool down after this step if you plan on rolling the dumplings by hand. Otherwise, thoroughly mix in the 2 eggs, 1 cup of flour, salt and pepper.

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Roll one dumpling for testing. Drop it into boiling water, it should drop to the bottom, and float to the top when it’s done. If it starts falling apart add another half cup of flour to the dough. Make the rest of the knedliky and drop them into the boiling water. Again, cook until they float to the top and remove using a strainer.

At this point, the knedliky are done and ready for serving whichever way you like. For the way my family served them. Fry some bacon in a skillet until crispy, let dry, and cut up into bacon bits. Drain and set aside some of the bacon fat.  Finely chop a sweet onion and fry in the bacon grease until caramelized, set aside.

Then using a spatula, fry the knedliky in the bacon grease (or butter  if you don’t want to use bacon) until lightly browned on all sides.

Serve with a side of the caramelized onions and the bacon bits.


Kerry and Bannon

A Low Day

Kerry here.  I'm not sure why I'm posting this here, other than that I need an outlet.  So, if you don't want to hear a bunch of confused meebling, you might just want to wait for the post after this.  :-)

I've been struggling with the concept that our Little Dude is a "special needs" child.  I was very baffled, and honestly kind of shocked, when I was told this during the enrollment meeting for his current school.  I understand it, logically-he has a clear need for speech therapy, as well as some physical therapy.  We were warned waaaaay back when he was a baby and diagnosed with hydrocephaly that he would need therapy.  So it shouldn't have been a surprise.  But, when I think of "special needs", I tend to think of children who have more obvious needs.  I look at my son, and I feel like calling him a special needs child somehow takes away from other children who are considered to be the same.  I don't know why I feel this way, and I wouldn't be surprised in the slightest to find out that this offends other parents of special needs children.  So, if you're one of those parents, please accept my apologies.  I look at my child, who seems mainstream on the outside, and it just feels wrong to me.

But today, my niece looked at me and asked why LD isn't doing the same thing I just asked her to do.  I tried to explain that he doesn't always understand or follow instructions, and that we sometimes have to actually physically lead him.  And I realized it, then-he does have special needs.  If he were to run out into the street, and I were to yell at him to stop, I have no idea if he would actually do it.  He's in a near-constant state of frustration because of the disconnect in communication.  He won't go up or down stairs by himself.  While he seems to enjoy preschool, and gets his therapy there, there's no notable improvement yet in their opinion.  Getting the report this past week with nothing but "minimal improvement" was so disheartening for me, even though I know he has only been there a few weeks.

I know I shouldn't feel this way, and that I should give it more time.  But I can't help myself, so I worry.  And then I toss and turn at night, so I'm tired.  I struggle to keep up with 5 kids that aren't mine, as well as the one that is.  I try to do housework, laundry, cooking-all these things that other parents totally kick ass at doing, but feels like such a struggle to me lately.  I don't feel like this every day, but I do today.  I think I need a vacation, but I don't see that happening anytime soon.

But I do have some bright things on the horizon.  It's the weekend!  The first Crew game is tomorrow-not sure if I'll be there, but I'm happy the season is starting.  I'll get some time with just the three of us, and next Thursday and Friday will be just me and my Little Dude.  If the weather holds, I'd like to take him to the zoo.  I'll tell him about the animals, and maybe he'll be able to tell me a little something about them, too.  And I'll slow down, and be patient, and remember that this will all take time.  And as a parent, that's the best thing I can give to my child.

February's Slightly Late DIY!

Hello, Kerry here!  I'm still trying to make good on my promise to post one household DIY and one craft idea per month.  Maybe I'll be back on track by the end of the month?  I wouldn't recommend holding your breath.  This month, rather than one homemade household item, I'm going to post some different things most homes would have, and some unique uses for them.  I love these life hacks.  ;-)

Toothpaste (non-gel):  remove crayon marks from walls, remove garlic or onion odors from your hands,  buff a DVD, defog swim goggles.

Nail Polish:  secure a loose screw, stop costume jewelry from tarnishing, repair a small hole in a screen, stop a runner in your pantyhose/tights.

Dryer Sheets:  deodorize shoes, soak in a pot/pan with baked on food to help loosen it, remove soap scum and mineral deposits from the shower, tame flyaway hair.

Hand Lotion:  polish shoes, remove static cling from clothing, tame frizzy hair, use it as shaving cream.

Petroleum Jelly:  remove water marks from furniture, soothe dry and cracked paws on your kitty or puppy, treat the threads on your outdoor light bulbs to keep them from sticking, put around your nails before polishing them to help clean up mistakes.

Salt:  wash green leafy veggies by swirling them in a bowl of salt water, rub salt water on the inside of your windows to keep them frost free, clean a greasy pan easily, clean up a sticky iron.

Chalk:  clean up ring around the collar, stop tarnish on your silverware, hide a crack in the paint on your walls, keep ants out of your house.

Source material (and more ideas) here:  http://i.imgur.com/2HA3e.jpg

My boy...

My little dude seems so much bigger now that he's three.  Maybe it's because he's in preschool now.  Maybe it's because the words are coming faster and clearer.  It could be his sudden burst of imaginative play, or the fact that his shoes are already outgrown, or that he's a little more independent every day.  Maybe it's really just my awareness of how time is moving so fast, and that my best efforts to slow things down don't seem to be working.  But my boy had his birthday, and his first day of school, and I had to take pictures to make sure I can remember how small he used to be, once upon a time...

The birthday party!  My boy loves balloons, and pizza, and carrot sticks.  He also loves Murray Wiggle, as evidenced by his shirt.

Me, showing off Bannon's gift to Jeffrey.  I wondered briefly if this shirt (which says, "Arrrgh!  Hands off me booty") would come in my size, then thought better of it.

My sweet little man, ready for his first day of school.  It felt so strange and wrong to put him in a room full of strangers and expect him to just get on with it.  I thought, having taught preschool for many years, that I'd be okay with it, but I was finally on the other side, approaching it as a parent instead of a teacher.  We both cried (I at least managed to pull away from the school before I did), and then Bannon and I went to lunch, where I drowned my sorrows in fish and chips and iced tea.

Looking much happier on his way to his second day of school, wearing the headband he had made the day before in class.  He calls it his hat, is quite proud of it, and still wears it around almost a full week after he made it.  That's got to be some kind of record for a preschool craft!  

Tomorrow will mark his fifth day of school, and every day seems a bit easier-just some whimpering (but no tears) at drop off today, and he clearly loves riding the bus home.  He seems to have picked up some new songs and dances at school, which he loves to do at home.  He's starting to learn the names of his classmates.  He's so big.  And I'm so proud.

Our First Review and Giveaway!!

Welcome to our first blog giveaway!  Revolution Tea was so nice to give us some boxes of tea to try and some sample packs to give out to all of you, our faithful readers.

But first, before we get to how you can win some tea let me share with you some of my thoughts about the Revolution Tea that Kerry and I sampled on Friday night.  Here is my disclosure I have to make before I go any further.  I, Bannon, am not a tea drinker.  I don't care for hot tea at all and very rarely will drink iced tea unless it is a sweet tea.  Kerry is the huge tea drinker out of the two of us and when she told me that Revolution Tea was sending us teas to try I told her I would put on my game face and try all of them for the sake of the blog.

With that being said I did try all six varieties that they sent us.  The types of tea we got were:

Earl Grey Lavender

Sweet Ginger Peach 

White Pear

Tropical Green

Dragon Eye Oolong

Golden Chamomile

After trying all six I would drink again the Earl Grey Lavender and the Golden Chamomile.  Both tasted good with some sugar added.  I feel the Ginger Peach has some promise and Kerry tells me she drinks it as an iced tea instead of a hot tea.  I would like to try it that way as well.  As for the other three they were not my favorites at all, but my husband raved over the Dragon Eye Oolong and the Tropical Green.

Kerry here!  As Bannon said, I am the tea drinker out of the two of us, so I was probably way more excited that she was.  However, she was a total trooper and tried them all.  We made a bit of a party of the tasting-nothing says "tea party" like hot wings, am I right??

I have had some experience with Revolution Teas, primarily the Ginger Peach.  I do drink it iced, and I will go into withdrawal if I don't have it regularly.  It is also quite good hot!  Having tried the rest of the flavors, I can't say enough good things about the Earl Grey Lavender and Golden Chamomile.  I added a bit of sugar, no cream.  The Earl Grey would make a lovely evening drink, maybe something to relax with while reading a good book.  The Chamomile is something I would definitely want if I were sick-it's so soothing, and has some mint to it.  I also liked the pineapple notes of the Tropical Green, and while the White Pear is a bit more delicate of a flavor than I generally prefer, I think it would also make for a nice iced tea.  I'm afraid that I didn't care much for the Oolong, but that's a personal preference-Bannon's husband raved about how good it was plain, but also held it's own with sugar.

That being said, I think we all became converts to Revolution Tea!  I also really loved the teabags-not paper with a tag on string, but a fine mesh fabric bag.  You could also see into it, and could actually tell what the tea was made of.  It really seemed to be high quality, and the blends were well balanced.  There wasn't one overwhelming flavor in any of the blends.

So, how would you like to try some tea?  The rules are simple-between now and midnight on Thursday, March 2 (EST),  simply leave a post on our blog letting us know what your favorite relaxation drink is.  Tea?  Coffee?  Margaritas?  We want to know!  Winners will be chosen at random and will be announced on Friday, March 3.  Five winners will be selected to receive 4 sampler packs from Revolution Tea, giving you a total of twenty bags in five different flavors!  To post on our blog, go to http://valiumvodkaandvegetables.blogspot.com/ and tell us your drink of choice.  Feel free to follow us as well, since we'll be giving away more goodies in the weeks to come!

Disclosure:  We are not being compensated for our opinions by Revolution Tea or any other agency.  Our opinions are purely our own.  We did receive products for review and giveaway free of charge by Revolution Tea.

 

52 Weeks of Cooking, Week 8-Slow Cooker

Hello, everybody!  Kerry here, with this week's recipe.  Since Bannon was kind enough to cover last week's love-themed recipe, I'm handling the crock pot this week!

I tried out two recipes for this week-one from Once A Month Mom, for slow-cooker refried beans, and the other from Allrecipes.com, for carnitas.  They were so easy, took minimal prep work, and (when combined with Mexican rice) made for one hell of a dinner!

To make the beans, you'll need 1 lb. of black beans, rinsed and picked over; 1 1/4 c. chopped onion, 2 T garlic, 5 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. black pepper, and 9 c. water.  Simply combine all the ingredients in the crock pot, and cook it on high for 8 hours.  Periodically give it a stir, adding more water if necessary.  Once it is done cooking, drain the beans, reserving the water.  Mash the beans with a potato masher, or in a food processor if you like a smoother texture.  Add the reserved water as needed to achieve the desired texture.

I made the beans the day before, froze half, and kept the other half in the refrigerator overnight.  I then simply fried them in the skillet the next day, and melted some cheese over them because I don't have enough calories in my life.

For the carnitas, the recipe called for 4 lbs. of pork shoulder, but I just used half of a pork loin that I had in the freezer.  I only cook for three normally, so I can get away with that!  I also had enough left over for another meal, so I made it into BBQ pulled pork sandwiches.  Anyhoo, make a rub for the pork using 1 tsp. each of salt, garlic powder, and cumin; 1/2 tsp. each of oregano and coriander; and 1/4 tsp. of cinnamon.  I was out of coriander, so I added an extra 1/2 tsp of cumin, and used crushed garlic (4 cloves worth) instead of garlic powder.  Rub this all over the meat.  Before putting the meat in the crock pot, lay two bay leave in the bottom of the pot, then place the meat on top.  Then pour 2 c. of chicken broth along the sides of the meat, being careful not to rinse the rub off of the meat.  Cook it on low for 5 hours, turn it over, then cook for another 5 hours, or until the meat will shred easily with a fork.  I shredded it in the crock pot so the broth would keep the meat moist.

I served this up with the refried beans, and made some Vigo brand (insert Ghostbusters joke here) rice to go with it.  I had originally planned to make homemade tortillas to go with it, but ran out of time.  The recipe is also on OAMM's website.

Weeks 9-12 are as follows: coffee, movie/book inspired, breakfast, and cheese.  Bannon isn't a coffee fan (so uncivilized!), so I suspect I'll be doing next week's challenge.  I'm really excited for the movie/book inspired week-Harry Potter or LotR?  My life is full of difficult choices.

Speaking of choices, we want to choose you--to win some tea from Revolution Teas!!  Bannon and I did our first review this weekend, and tried 6 different teas.  We also have tea to give away!  Our review will post on Monday, and we'll be announcing winners on Friday.  Don't let this one pass you by-this stuff is amazing!

Oxy Clean and a craft, at last!

Here's the last of what I owe from January!  Now, I do have a confession regarding the craft.  I had said I was going to show you a cheap way to dress up your throw pillows.  Well...I didn't do it.  The idea of hauling out the sewing machine, going to the craft store to get bobbins and whatnot for it, and actually making the time to it seemed too overwhelming.  So I'm tabling it until a later date, preferably one in which I'm home alone in a sparkling house for an entire weekend, where the only people I see will either be one of the cast members of Downton Abbey, or will be the delivery guy from the local Chinese restaurant.  So I did something else instead, which was not nearly as exciting, but it at least was practical.

Here's the Oxy Clean recipe.  You can either make it as needed to use as a soak, or you can use it in a spray bottle.  The mixture is 2 parts water, 1 part hydrogen peroxide, and 1 part of either baking soda OR washing soda.  I had great results from either, but found the baking soda to not play well with a spray bottle.  If you want to use a spray bottle for it, make sure it's a dark colored bottle.  I just recycled an actual Oxy Clean spray bottle, which is a lovely dark blue.  If you make it as needed for a soak, just repurpose a jar with a tight fitting lid, so you can shake it together.  I used it as a treatment on a blanket that Jeffrey had spilled chocolate milk on, and it got it out with no problems at all.  Yes, I give my child the occasional dose of chocolate milk.  He also eats green beans like they're french fries, thinks salmon with dill is tasty, and wants his own salad at dinner.  :-)

My craft made me feel like I was back in Girl Scouts, but I wanted some pretty hot pads to coordinate with my springtime table linens.  So I founds some coordinating fabric pieces in my craft stash, and cut them into 1" wide strips.  I then braided them into a rope that was maybe 3 feet long.  Then I simply wrapped it around itself so it formed a flat, circular mat, stitching it into place as I went.  My final step was to stitch a piece of felt onto the bottom, and voila!  A craft the mother of any 8 year old girl would love.  I know it sounds small and silly, but the braiding was kind of therapeutic.  I intend to hand wash or spot treat it as necessary, but that's because the material I used isn't machine washable.

Next post will have this week's "love" themed recipe, and look for birthday party pic spam, wibbles about my baby's first day of preschool, DIY laundry supplies, and (my favorite) our first review and giveaway!

A day late!! Week 3 - Soup!

Kerry here, with my surprisingly successful soup recipe!  This is an adaption of one I found on food.com.

Use Up That Hambone Soup

1 ham bone with visible meat (if you're worried there's not enough, add some more slices from the ham to the pot)

1 medium onion, diced

1-2 stalks celery, diced (1 if a smaller bone, 2 if larger)

1 tsp. pepper

4 potatoes, cut into bite sized pieces

1 stick butter

1/2 c. flour

2 c. half and half

2 cloves crushed garlic

2 bay leaves

2 tsp. chopped cilantro

Salt to taste

In a large stockpot, combine the first four ingredients.  Add enough water to just cover the hambone.  Bring to a boil over medium heat, then lower heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes, or until the meat can be easily shredded from the bone with a fork.  Remove bone and any extra pieces of meat from the pot.  Shred ham, discarding any fat and the bone.  Return the meat to the pot.  Add the potatoes, bring back up to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender.

While the potatoes are cooking, in a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.  Be careful to not let the butter brown.  Add flour, whisking constantly until fully combined.  Increase heat to medium high, then gradually add half and half.  Be sure to continually whisk while you are adding the half and half, being careful not to scorch the mixture.  Once you have a creamy, bubbly, thick mixture that clings to your whisk, remove the pot from heat.  

Once the potatoes are fork-tender, gradually stir in the cream mixture, stirring constantly until thoroughly mixed.  At this point, stir in the garlic, bay leaves, cilantro, and salt.  Simmer for another 15 minutes.  If the soup is thicker than you prefer, you can thin it with milk.  Remove bay leaves before serving.  We had the soup with a loaf of fresh baked bread and a simple salad.  It was great on a snowy evening!

Yes, I know I still owe posts for a throw pillow craft and for homemade Oxy Clean.  It'll get done before the end of the month, I promise!  

Land O Lakes product review!

Hello, all!  Bannon and I were given the opportunity to try and review Land O Lakes All Natural Eggs, through Vocalpoint.  We haven't received any compensation for the review, and the opinions are strictly our own.

Land O Lakes offers all-natural eggs, from hens that are fed, according to their website, a "premium, all-vegetable, whole-grain diet".  The feed does not have any animal fat or byproducts.  Besides the All-Natural eggs, there are also Organic, Cage-Free, and Omega-3 varieties.  As of right now, Giant Eagle stores carry the line in the Columbus area.  I was able to only find the All-Natural eggs, so those are the ones I tested.

Now, people that know me know that I'm kinda "crunchy".  I pay attention to packaging, ingredients, sustainability, blah, blah...What I'm saying here is that I prefer to get eggs from a farm.  However, the only source I have that I consider to be reliable is through the North Market, which is a bit of a drive for me.  I would love to find a good source at the grocery store.  I really think that there is a distinct taste difference between farm-fresh eggs and the ones in styrofoam at the grocery store.  So when I read on the Land O Lakes page that the eggs have darker, more flavorful yolks, I got interested.

I gave the eggs a test run this morning, along with the pancakes that my Big Dude very thoughtfully made for me to freeze last weekend.  First thing I notice about the eggs is that the packaging is plastic, with some odd piece that folds in to cover the eggs.  It's a kind of trifold packaging.  I'm not a fan of plastic, but at least it should be recyclable.

The eggs are brown and very uniform in size.  The yolk did seem to be a bit darker, but not so much so as to really be notable.  I simply fried them with a bit of salt and pepper.  I really didn't get a lot of flavor difference from them.  They were good, but I think I'd still rather get my farmer's market eggs.  Little Dude did eat them, which is a good sign, since he's really picky about when/how he'll eat eggs.  Just for the sake of comparison, we also tried Simple Truth brand eggs from Kroger earlier this week, and I'd say they're about the same, quality-wise, but I prefer Simple Truth's cardboard cartons.

At 3.29/dozen, these aren't cheap eggs.  They are less expensive than other brands of organic/all-natural eggs, but Vocalpoint does have a way to make them a bit more reasonable.  There is a trivia game on the Vocalpoint/Land O Lakes page that allows you to win a coupon for $0.75 off of one dozen.  My store doubled the coupon, which made the final price $1.79.  You can hit the back button to reload the coupon after the first printing, so you can get a second one.  I believe you do have to be a Vocalpoint member to get the coupon, but Vocalpoint is a decent page to be a member of.  I've gotten free Fresh Express bagged salad, free Mott's apple juice, and free Downy Unstoppables from them, as well as lots of high-value coupons.

So, my final review is, get your eggs from the farm if you can, but if not, these aren't such a bad way to go.

A quickie bookshelf makeover

Sorry for the crappy pics, but we did a 30 minute makeover on the little dude's bookshelf tonight. Supplies were 7 sheets of coordinating 12x12 paper, measuring tape, paper cutter, scissors, trim/rickrack, and adhesive. We just wanted to make it pop a bit. It may not be the best job, but everyone here likes it! Here's the before and after...

Week 2-Chinese

This may be a shorter/more abrupt post than usual, since I (Kerry) am an involuntary lefty for the evening.  Don't grab the handle of a cast-iron skillet that had just come out of a 350 degree oven, kids.

For our Chinese cooking challenge, my twin nieces who don't want to be named came over to help cook/eat with us.  We started out with egg drop soup.

It was pretty easy, and really tasty!  I was told to be prepared to make it again.  Here's your ingredients:

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• 4 cups of chicken broth
• 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 eggs
• 1 egg yolk
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• Pour 3 1/4 c. of the broth into a saucepan.  Add the ginger, chives, and salt, and bring it to a rolling boil.  In a small bowl, stir together the remaining broth and the cornstarch until smooth, and hold on to for later.  In another bowl, whisk together the eggs and egg yolk with a fork.  Use the fork to drizzle a small amount of egg at a time into the boiling broth.  The eggs will cook immediately (and it's kinda cool to watch!).  Once all of the egg has been added, slowly stir in the cornstarch mixture until the soup is the desired thickness.
• 
  
• Our main course was a beef and broccoli stir fry with jasmine rice.  We actually prepared the meat marinade before we started the soup, so it had plenty of time to sit while we ate.  My nieces were really helpful during this part-they handled all the chopping, measuring, and mixing for me, so all I had to do was take pictures.  
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• For the stir fry, you'll need a 1lb. flank steak.  Cut it into thin strips (hint-this is easier to do if the meat is partially frozen).  For the marinade, you'll need 2 T. of red wine or dry sherry, 2 T. of soy sauce, 1 t. of minced ginger, and one green onion.  Chop the green onion into small pieces.  Mix all of these ingredients together and marinate the steak slices in it for at least 20 minutes.
• 
  
• While it's marinating, you could assemble the remaining ingredients.  Slice 2 red bell peppers into thin strips, and chop up about a half pound (or 2 decent size heads) of broccoli.  You'll also need 1 clove of garlic, 1/2 c. of beef broth, 1 T. of cornstarch mixed with 2 T. of water, 1 tsp. of sugar, and 4 T. of oil for stir frying.  
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• When you're ready to begin, heat the oil in a wok or large skillet over medium heat.  Once the oil is hot, add the garlic and briefly stir-fry it until it is fragrant, which will happen quickly.  Then add the meat (I dumped in the marinade with it), browning it quickly, then stir fry it until almost cooked through.  Push the meat to the side and add the broccoli, as well as more oil if needed.  Stir fry it for a couple of minutes, then add the peppers.  Stir fry a bit more, until the peppers are starting to become tender, then add the broth and the cornstarch/water mixture.  Turn up the heat and stir until the sauce has thickened.  Serve hot over rice or noodles.  The rice I used was Mahatma brand Jasmine rice.  I just followed the instructions on the bag, and it was that awesome combination of fluffy and sticky.
• 
  
• I know I also mentioned earlier that I was going to do a test run on an Oxy Clean recipe-I currently have a couple of items soaking for the test, so I'll post about it in a day or so, once I can get it washed.  So be on the lookout for that, a wild rice chowder recipe for the upcoming week's challenge, and a quick and cheap way to update your throw pillows! 
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• PS-I'm having issues uploading the rest of the pictures I had wanted to use, so until I can get it fixed, imagine shots of blond girls slicing meat and cutting up green onions, and a final shot of a tasty bowl of stir fry.     
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A little something to tide you over...

Today will be a big day, blog-wise!  I'll be testing a homemade Oxy-Clean recipe on chocolate milk, and preparing our Chinese recipes for the 52 Week challenge.  I'll have pictures!  And nieces as assistants!

However, in the meantime, I have a small recipe for basil crostini.  I made it because I had a third of a loaf of bread leftover from dinner earlier in the week, and also because I wanted a lighter, less bready version of garlic bread to go with our spaghetti that we had yesterday.  Sorry, no pics this time-they were gone by the time it occurred to me to get them.

Bread, sliced thinly (ideal would be a baguette or smaller loaf)
4T butter
2t crushed garlic
2t fresh minced basil
Salt and pepper to taste
Up to 1/2 c mozzarella or parmesan cheese

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Line up slices on a baking sheet.  In microwave safe bowl, melt butter.  Add garlic and basil, mix thoroughly.  Brush mixture onto slices of bread.  Top with cheese-I used approximately 1T per slice, but it's a matter of personal taste.  Bake until bread is toasted and cheese is melted-I think it took 7 or 8 minutes for me.  Very flavorful!  My Dudes made them disappear, and so did I.

New Year, New Challenges!

Hello, all!  Kerry here, reporting on some goals that Bannon and I have set for ourselves for the blog.  We even discussed it at a quiet, sane point in our days, so you know this is legit.

We are going to follow along with reddit.com's 52 Weeks of Cooking Challenge!  Each week, a challenge will be given out, following a rotating format.  Week one is a specific ingredient, week 2 is a theme or cultural idea, week 3 is a dish type (examples being casseroles, breakfast foods, etc.), and week 4 is a particular cooking method.  We're a little late getting started-would you expect anything else of us?-but we're not too late to follow along!

Week one (Jan 2-8) was eggs.  I don't have a specific recipe to share, but I did make some killer breakfast sandwiches.  I fried some amazing pepper bacon from Bluescreek, then fried some eggs in the bacon grease, gently breaking up the yolk but not scrambling it.  Also, if you haven't done this yet, try eating some free-range, farm fresh as possible eggs.  Maybe it's just me, but I can't go back to eating the eggs from the grocery store.  I was surprised by how different the taste was to me.

Anyhoo, after you've fried up your protein spread, put some cheese on it and let it melt in the skillet while you toast up a soft egg bagel.  I used cheddar and Lender's bagels, but that's because it was what we had on hand.  Put your eggs/bacon/cheese tower on the bagel, and enjoy some total comfort food.  I don't recommend it for everyday consumption, but it was a nice treat!

Week 2, which we're in now (Jan 9-15) is Chinese food.  I'm not sure what we'll be making, but I'm thinking at least some fried rice, and maybe some sort of appetizer.  We're encouraged to shop from a local Asian foods store if possible, or the international section of our grocery store.  I'm not sure what Bannon will be posting (we didn't get that far in the convo, the Little Dude became very insistent on watching Blue's Clues around that time), but the goal is for each of us to try a recipe a week.  We may cover for each other if needed, but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it.

To give you an idea of what you (and we) have to look forward two, the next 4 weeks will feature soups, pan frying, beer/wine/liquor, and Brazilian.  I'm not sure what to make for Brazilian week, I'll need to do some homework!

I've also decided to try to feature a monthly craft (with pictures!) and a monthly "green" activity.  The craft will be something for around the house, hopefully using or repurposing something you may already have around the house.  Think holidays, DIY decor, etc.   The green activity will be guiding you, and giving reviews, on things you can make for yourself-detergent, hand soap, play doh for the kids.  Save yourself some money, and feel better about avoiding dodgy ingredients.

Keep an eye out this week for a Chinese recipe or two, as well as a little experimenting with making your own spray-on Oxy Clean!

Dinner and Donations

Welcome to 2012!  I’m sure Bannon will agree with me when I say that we both wish you all a new year filled with health, happiness, and positivity!  I know I’m aiming for that for myself this year.  Eating better, cutting down on soda (my weakness is a can of Dr. Pepper!), and being more proactive!  That means finishing those lingering craft projects, cleaning and minimizing clutter, and blogging more!  I’m also hoping to read a new book a month-I love to read, but I tend to go back to my old favorites, so this is more about stepping out of my comfort zone.

Anyway, I got started to day on my goals by cleaning out my toiletry and cleaning stockpiles, and donating as much as possible to a local homeless shelter.  I’m taking a bundle this week to the Homeless Families Foundation.  Along with soap, shampoo, toothpaste, etc., I’ll be delivering crib sheets and blankets, as well as some kids books and games.  I like that they focus on providing stability to homeless families, but they place a very strong emphasis on giving children stability through educational programs, tutoring, and summer programs.  My little family of three may not be rich, but we are lucky that we can live a comfortable life, and we like to pay that forward.  If you live in the area, please take the time to look at their site, and see if it’s an organization you’d like to help.

I’ve also been spending my free time lately in the kitchen!  I did a guest blog post for my friend Bonnie at The Not So Modern Housewife, discussing the myriad mysteries of fudge-okay, mysterious to me, because that just seems to be how I work.  Please check out Bonnie's blog, and not just for the fudge.  She is an amazing wife, mother, chef, and homemaker, and I seriously want to be like her someday.  I also made birthday cakes from scratch (more on that another day), and I made a New Year’s Day dinner that, to be honest, surprised me by how good it was.  Pork and sauerkraut for people who don’t like sauerkraut, with garlic mashed potatoes and dill green beans.  I think it’s too good not to share, so here it is!

Pork and Sauerkraut for non-kraut lovers

32 oz. undrained sauerkraut

1.5 T sugar

1 12oz beer (something with body, you can go as stout as you like!)

2-3 lb. boneless pork roast

1-2 t. crushed garlic

Kosher salt, pepper, paprika to taste

Place the sauerkraut in a crock pot.  Sprinkle the sugar over it, then add the beer.  Lay the roast on top of the sauerkraut, fatty side up.  Rub the garlic over the surface of the roast, then sprinkle with salt, pepper, and paprika.  Cook on high heat for 6 hours.  This will give you meat so tender it falls apart.  And, as a non-kraut lover...I surprised myself and ate it.  I rewarded myself with chocolate.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

1 5 lb bag potatoes

1 stick butter, softened

½ block of cream cheese, softened

Milk/half and half, as needed

2t. minced or crushed garlic

½ c. shredded cheddar cheese (fresh grates works best)

Salt and pepper to taste

Note:  peeling potatoes for this recipe is optional.  I usually just cut off the necessary bits and leave the rest.

Wash, peel if desired, and cut potatoes into quarters.  Boil until fork tender, about 20 minutes.  Turn the burner to low, drain the potatoes, then put them back into the pot.  Place the pot onto the low burner, then mash the potatoes with a hand masher.  After mashing, add butter, garlic, and cream cheese.  Mash a bit more, until ingredients are blended.  At this point, if you feel the potatoes need more moisture, add your milk or half and half.  Mix it in gradually until you feel it is the right consistency.  Once your potatoes are to your liking, stir in the cheese, salt, and pepper.  Seriously creamy and flavorful goodness!

For the green beans, I simply steamed them with 1 t. dill (dried, because I forgot to get fresh), salt, and pepper to taste.  Steam them for 8-10 minutes, or until fork-tender, then transfer them to a bowl and add butter.

I suspect this will be made again well before January 1, 2013!

...5 days left??

Ah, the Christmas/holiday rush.  It's caused me to lose sight of a lot of things this month (like blogging), but it's also helped me prioritize and determine what's really important to me this year.  After my traumatic Thanksgiving, which involved crying in bed during dinner, I've decided to focus on three things to help me enjoy my Christmas day.  This list may sound selfish, but I see it as an attempt to be honest with myself about my wants and needs this year.  It only has 3 items on it:

1.  To make sure Big Dude, Little Dude, and my momma have a great Christmas
2.  To make sure that other family and friends are given meaningful gifts they will enjoy, and to make sure they all know I love them
3.  To make sure I can get away with doing as little as possible on Christmas day.

This list, particularly #3, wouldn't be possible without my youngest sister and her husband stepping up and agreeing to host Christmas dinner this year.  BD and I have hosted the last couple of years, and while I generally love doing it, I'm rather burned out and would enjoy a break.

To make sure I can enforce #3, and thereby devoting more time to #1 and #2, I have created a master list of what needs to be done before the big day.  It is scheduled, with certain tasks falling on certain days.  It involves cleaning, last minute cards, baking cookies, getting laundry caught up, grocery shopping, last minute gifts, and anything else I can think of.  I'm scheduled to clean one room a day, and to touch it all up on Saturday morning.  It factors in taking the LD to COSI, and going to Dayton to visit BD's family.  My list started yesterday, and I am already behind on it.  :-)  So today will likely be a fun-filled day of errands and cleaning, but that's okay, because it will all be worth it on Sunday.

I have this fantasy that I'll wake up on Christmas morning after having gone to bed at a reasonable hour, happy in the knowledge that we're all snuggled up under clean sheets, in our dust-free rooms.  Upon awaking, the pre-set coffeepot will have coffee waiting for me, and I'll be able to quickly heat a nutritious, tasty breakfast I prepped the night before.  We'll all troop into the living room (sparkling clean, of course) in our matching Christmas jammies, and watch with delight as our revered LD opens his gifts.  We'll then watch "A Christmas Story" on repeat all day until it's time to go to my sister's.  We may take a nap and a shower somewhere in there.  We'll warm up the Duchess potatoes at my sister's place (again, made in advance), stuff ourselves silly on ham, rolls, and fudge, and watch more gift opening.  Then we'll all troop home to our still-clean house and curl up in bed for a well-deserved sleep.  I guess I'm going to have to count on elves or fairies to clean up the gift wrap and breakfast dishes.

Will all this happen?  No, probably not.  I'm going to consider myself ahead of the game if I get the bathroom mirror clean.  But, if I can stick to my schedule, I might actually get to watch that Christmas Story marathon.

Regardless of how unrealistic your expectations are, I cannot emphasize enough how helpful lists are at this time of year!  Don't have all your gifts yet?  Get that list together and hit the mall!  Still need to wrap? List all the packages you have to wrap, and feel a little more accomplished with every thing you cross off.    No clue what to serve for Christmas dinner?  List your menu, break it down further to list all the ingredients you need, and make a late-night run to your local grocery store.  Less crowded that way.  Whatever you celebrate, however you celebrate, just take a deep breath, start writing, and then start doing the things on your list.  It'll bring order to chaos.

Short but sweet...

...we suck at writing!  Well, we do lately.  Between Bannon and myself, we have had family illness/personal illness (ouch, staph infection!)/helping a parent move/working like a boss/taking kids to therapyschoolcubscouts/crazy holiday activities/I'm sure I forgot something else.  So, yes, we've totally dropped the ball on our Christmas organizing and pantry challenge posts.  But we're going out tomorrow to Costco and then for margaritas, so at least we've got our priorities in order.  I hope you all have your shopping done, and that you're getting things wrapped!  I'm focusing on getting things really, really clean for the holidays.  Have you heard the radio commercial where you're told that Santa judges you based on how clean your baseboards are?  I totally believe it.

Also, somewhere in all the holiday rush, please take some time to enjoy the season with your family, however you choose to celebrate it.  And please consider taking the time/money to help make someone else's season a little happier.  Times are tight for everyone, but a little giving can go a long way.  Drop some money in a collection bucket, donate a toy or some food, send something to a soldier who can't be home for Christmas (hi, Rob!  Your box goes out this weekend!), bake cookies for a neighbor...there are so many ways to share.  No matter what your spiritual beliefs are, showing kindness to others is a universal good.

Also, this is the picture the Big Dude and I are putting on our Christmas cards this year.  It's pretty damn cute, even if it is my own kid.  :-)

Slipping Through My Fingers

Kerry here...I'm not even going to try to apologize for the delay in posting.  Life is hectic, it seems pretty non-stop, and there are days where I have to choose between time to shave my legs, or time for breakfast. However, I have a few minutes of blessed quiet time.  There's a great breeze coming in, the sun is shining, and my lunch of Cup-o-Soup and Dr. Pepper seems to be doing the trick.  So here I am!

Some of you know that my Little Dude is receiving speech therapy.  Tuesday was his third session, and so far he is running through with flying colors.  It's nice to go once a month-it gives me a touchstone of sorts to see his progress.  We live with it every day, and so we're used to his quirks and progress.  But when they see him, it's a celebration.  He asked for juice instead of just hauling me into the kitchen?  Hugs from the speech therapist!  He jumped with both feet together?  Applause from the physical therapist!  Look, he's using pretend play!  The OT gives everyone high fives!  I love that LD gets the extra cheers from them-The Dude and I celebrate any new achievement, but I think we forget to keep cheering after a while.  But we never stop being proud.

We also seem to work with him non-stop at home.  Parents in this program always have "homework", to keep the momentum up between monthly sessions.  It can be challenging to hold LD's attention, and it can definitely be time-consuming, but it has really paid off.  His therapy team know I blog, and they actually encouraged me to discuss what we do.  There are exercises to help him gain a greater, deeper awareness of his body.  Those exercises are what has led to learning to jump, labeling his own body parts without needing a mirror, and his sudden ability to tell us when he has to go potty.  We coach him to say "no" and "mine", which amuses me because it seems that those are viewed as bad words in toddler land.  It's hard to teach a child to share while simultaneously telling him it's okay to say "mine"!  We've taught him sign language, and we're now working on imitative play.  We repeat the same words endlessly.  And there's the "sensory diet", which is a series of five activities meant to stimulate nerves, work muscles, encourage movement of the mouth, measure fine motor skills, and to encourage a mess.  For example, we'll start by bouncing on an exercise ball while singing a song about bouncing on the ball.  Then we'll do some deep nerve stimulation by doing joint compressions.  After that, we'll blow bubbles, then stack some blocks, then end with finger painting.  And our reward is watching our son open up a little more every day.  I'm not complaining about what we have to do-we are so very lucky to have a wonderful team to teach us and help us, and we're grateful that our little guy is otherwise happy and healthy.

At this last session, as LD was playing with his therapy team, I was pulled into a meeting with Jeffrey's coordinator, his rep from the county, and a rep from our local school district.  Once LD turns three, he'll be receiving treatment from the school, assuming he still needs it by then.  He has the option to receive home therapy, or to be sent to a preschool.  This preschool is located close to home, is staffed by what sounds like a wonderful team of educators and therapists, and is in a new, modern building.  The classes have 16 children-8 with varying special needs, and 8 "peer model" children.  It would be 4 days a week, in sessions of 2.5 hours a day.  I was okay with all of this, until the school rep said that we could choose to have LD bussed.  As she was telling me about these cute little buses with special car seats and an assistant to help buckle him in, and a very patient and friendly bus driver, all I could see in my mind was my baby (who suddenly seemed very tiny) being whisked away by a bunch of strangers, potentially crying every day for Mommy, and all I could do would be to stand on the sidewalk and wave.

My internal hysteria must have shown on my face, because the rep quickly backed off the talk of buses.  She reassured me that I could drive LD if I preferred, I'd always be welcome to observe and visit, and I don't even have to do school yet.  And I know-I KNOW-that school would probably be the best bet.  LD would get some much-needed interaction with other kids.  It would be such a boost for his self-esteem.  But...all I could feel was the sensation that time was slipping away, my baby was slipping through my fingers, and that one day very soon, I'll wake up to see a kid who doesn't need Mommy as much as Mommy may want him to.  Does every mother feel this??  I know he'll grow up, that it's my job to help him grow up to be the very best person he can be, but I am not ready for this at all!

I suppose all I can do is try to work through my own hesitation and fears, and be as ready as I can be when the day comes-maybe sooner, maybe later-that I have to let my baby go.  Bannon, in true best friend style, listened to me wail, insisted that it's totally normal to wail, and promised to be with me whenever it's time to send LD off to school.  I know it's dumb, but going to school seems so...final.  Like he'll get on to the bus a toddler, and get off of the bus as some older, alien child, and my baby will be gone forever.  I know that can't be true.  My mother refers to me (still!!) as her baby, and I'm sure she'll see me that way for the rest of her life.  And it suits the two of us just fine.  So, in the meantime, I'll stop worrying about what I'm losing, and focus on the times when it's just our little family, seeing life through the eyes of our boy.

By the way, no matter how much I whine about losing my baby, I won't miss diapers at all.

I'm still here!

Kerry here-wow, has it really been a month since I blogged?  It's amazing how life gets away with you, and from you.  I'm sorry we haven't written!  This past month for me has been hectic, enough to prompt a friend of mine to order me to have a night out.  I haven't gotten that far yet, but I'm trying to find little ways to treat myself, and keep myself somewhat sane (sanity is relative, here).  And one of my little time-outs turned into one of my favorite moments as a parent.

Have you ever had one of those moments?  The type that, while it would ordinarily get lost in the bustle of your day, managed to burrow its way into your heart?  I had one of those this week. 

The Little Dude and I had just gotten home from running errands, and it was lunchtime.  I was trying to bribe him into going inside, but instead he made a beeline for a small pile of leaves by the sidewalk.  He immediately began to pick them up and throw them in the air, laughing and smiling like he had found the most amazing thing.  At first, I was frustrated-I like to run on a schedule, and playing outside was not on the agenda.  But I decided to give him a few minutes.  And a few more, then a few more after that.  Watching him run through the leaves simply made me happy.  He’s been hard at work on his therapy, our general schedule has been hectic, and if anyone needs some down time, it’s a two year old boy.

 

It was windy, and LD was fascinated by watching the leaves blow across the yard and into the parking lot.  He began to run headlong into the wind, arms out, face scrunched with delight as the wind blew his hair back.  The weather was perfect, sunny and just warm enough.  The sun made my baby’s hair glow with this golden light, but it couldn’t compete with the light coming from my boy.  He was happy, alive, and totally in the moment.  I couldn’t help but join him in the leaves.  We ran into the wind, threw leaves at each other, and were in the moment together. 

I know that, as time goes on, I may lose the details, but I’ll always remember the light shining on my boy’s hair, that beautiful smile of pure happiness, and how my heart swelled with joy and love.

A Homemade Christmas For Those Who Aren't Martha

Bannon has abandoned us!!  Miss B. is off on a cruise, and is probably tipsy as I type this.  I'll be holding down the fort until she gets back and recuperates from her 10 day hangover.  So, without further ado...part two of Kerry's Christmas Extravaganza!

I was told the other day that there's less than 100 days left until Christmas.  Even though I've been preparing in bits and pieces since August, because I'm slightly insane, I still feel like I have more to do than I have time for.  So I began to comb through all the websites that I've bookmarked that offer homemade gift ideas, and I found a few good ideas for myself.  I also found a lot of good ideas that were too good to not share!  So here is a rundown of some of my favorites.  I hope you enjoy!  And don't worry about a skill level here-my issues with advanced crafts have been well documented.  I wouldn't ask any of you to do something that intimidates the hell out of me!

I have fallen in love with Not Martha.  As one might assume from the name, this refers to the fact that it isn't necessary to be Martha Stewart to pull off one of the crafts on the website.  There are nifty food ideas that make great gifts, such as pies and cobblers in jars.  There's a handy car kit that would be a useful gift for the newest driver in the family, instructions for homemade spa gifts (think bath bombs or lip balm), and my personal favorite, this dahlia brooch.  I think it may find it's way into my mother's stocking!

Tip Junkie has some great suggestions for younger kids.  There are ideas as simple as a homemade coloring book, or as ambitious as a homemade play kitchen that you make out of a bookshelf.  Other ideas include memory games, felt play food, a race car tote, or this adorable superhero cape and mask set that I hope to whip up for the Little Dude to go with his new Batman and Superman jammies.  And, while I don't have specific links, there are plenty of recipes available online for homemade play dough, paint, chalk, crayons, and so many things kids like.  You can never go wrong with a gift that lets a child create something new.

For tweens and teens, you do have to get a little more personal.  Some gifts are pretty gender-neutral.  A homemade fleece scarf in your teen's school/favorite sports team/Hogwart's house colors is an easy, useful gift.  A case for an iPod or iPhone tailored to a teen's tastes would also be a great gift.  But if your teen is picky, fear not!  There are tutorials out there for homemade purses, hair accessories, jewelry, wall art, blankets, journals, tote bags, and so much more.  Make google your friend.  And don't forget that kits you assemble yourself are always a good bet.  Fill a bucket of microwave popcorn with a DVD or two, and some theater candy.  A music lover might like some iTunes cards, a new set of headphone, and a t-shirt from their favorite band.  My niece is getting a cosmetics bag filled with nail polish, files, toe separators, body spray, lotion, lip gloss, and whatever else I think will tickle her fancy.  Best part is, it's inexpensive!

Something the BD and I do every year for our close friends and the adults in our family is to make a cookie and candy tray.  The one thing that we know we can count on from year to year is BD's fudge.  I know bragging on him makes me sound biased, but he makes seriously good fudge.  Perfect consistency, marvelous flavor, and it stores really well.  He found a website a couple of years ago that, while rather wordy, gives instructions on how to not screw up your fudge.  BD swears by it, and after having eaten quite a bit of fudge, I swear by it, too.  Check out Skaarup Fudge, and wow your family and friends!  And when you're ready to make some other candies, or some tasty baked goods, check out Tasty Kitchen.  It was created by my beloved Pioneer Woman, and it has yet to let me down.  And don't forget that homemade cookie or cocoa mix in a jar is always appreciated!

And, last but not least, here's a roundup of websites with lots of ideas that don't fall into one category.  Yes, even Martha made the list-she's taken pity on people like me and has some great craft and decoration ideas!
Better Homes and Gardens-this is a great general list, featuring gifts that would work for grandparents using children's art, soft toys for baby, cool desk supplies for the executive in your life, and even a little something for Fido.
Family Crafts-a lot of these would be ideal for a child who wants to make gifts, but it also has some of the classics, like the fleece blanket.  There's gifts on here for just about anyone, and if your dog wants a snuggie of it's own, you're in luck!
BHG Ornaments-if you need a gift for the office exchange, your neighbors, or for that person who seems to have it all, why not make a homemade ornament?  Easy tutorials and creative designs make for some beautiful ornaments!  We usually do a small exchange with my aunts and uncle, and I plan to make some of these to give.
A Very Martha Christmas-even though I tend to hold Martha Stewart up as some sort of unattainable pinnacle of domestic perfection, her website really does seem to have it all.  Gifts for different levels of crafters, homemade cards, decoration ideas, gift tags, and so much more.  Her site also has non-holiday specific crafts that can please even the pickiest person on your list.

So, now you're armed with ideas galore-get crafting!  I hope to post photos if I actually get to make any of these ideas of mine.  And I want to see what you're making, too!