Homegrown

Is it just me or is your facebook page filled with Farmville updates and requests? This may be unpopular of me to say, but I don't do farmville. I can barely remember to water my REAL plants. There's no way I can take care of virtual ones. Almost everything I have ever planted has died a long, painful, thirsty death. I've really been quite ashamed of myself...until I started my backyard vegetable garden a few years ago.

It started with a few plants in 4ft by 4ft space in the sunniest part of the yard, and spread to a few pots of herbs. I now grow everything from seed, and my garden has produced beans, different types of tomatoes, gourmet lettuce, squash, cucumbers, peppers, rosemary, onions, cilantro, and basil. It has been awe inspriring to see a tiny seed grow into a waist-high plant in the span of just a few months. It has also been a learning experience for my girls, and they enjoy picking the fruits of my labor so much that I plant a few tomato plants specifically for them to pick and eat from.

Every spring, I have a few friends and family members join with me in backyard farming, and sometimes we even trade produce. Here are a few of our gardens this year in the early stages:

They are all different sizes and shapes, but backyard gardens are so worth it. I find myself in the summer, planning my meals around the produce I have picked that day, and trust me- my homegrown produce tastes so much brighter and fresher than the stuff I buy at the market anyday! If you love to cook healthy food for your family like I do, maybe backyard gardening is for you. And, if someone who lacks a green thumb as much as I do can do it, anyone can!

Dr. Oats is in...

I'm the oatmeal Doctor. I just might hang a sign on my front door and start charging a hundred bucks a pop for an office visit. I love doctoring up my oatmeal, which sometimes makes it slightly (only slightly!) less healthy. But, it is still much healthier than the typical eggs and bacon American breakfast (Big Daddy!!).

So, I was craving carrot cake. Not just any carrot cake. My mother-in-laws homemade-from-scratch-weighs-at least-2-pounds carrot cake. It is the best carrot cake to ever grace my lips, and I could totally eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. But, I think it would make a great breakfast, coupled with some hot java.

I got a great idea to "doctor" my oatmeal to mimic the flavor of this delicious cake. It could only mimic it, since nothing could really come very close to the wonderful taste and texture, and I just don't think it's acceptable to put a half cup of cream cheese icing atop my morning oatmeal... but I can at least give it a shot.

So, this morning, I made my bowl of oatmeal and added to it:

One shredded carrot (added to the boiling water with the oatmeal)

A few tbsp coconut

a few tbsp walnuts

a dab of smart balance buttery spread

a tbsp or 2 of brown sugar

2 tsp of blackstrap molasses

It was divine! It tasted similar to carrot cake, but it was really great oatmeal. As I ate it, I came up with some other add-ins I may use next time, including pineapple and raisins.

P.S. I have become acutely aware of my lack of skill in the food photography area. I will work on it!

Do you dress up your oatmeal? If so, tell me about it by posting here!

Hurry up and slow down

The message has been loud and clear to me recently- SLOW DOWN. I am a serial multi-tasker. I talk on the phone while doing dishes, laundry, checking email...I text multiple conversations at the same time. I cook dinner, while emptying the dishwasher, taking out the trash, and loading the dryer...at the same time. But, who doesn't?? There are only 24 hours in the day, and I need to get as much done in those hours as humanly possible. Right?

After hearing a sermon a few weeks ago about "single-tasking" and being more present in every moment, I have paid closer attention to what happens when I am multi-tasking. I have always been absent-minded, misplaced things, zoned out while people are talking to me, and I am notoriously distractable. Could this all be a result of my multi-tasking ways? Likely...

I can't say that I am yet a recovering multi-tasker. But, I am working on it. Baby steps.

I am aiming to stop forcing my family to join in my multi-tasking by being over-booked and not allowing down time. I mean, what kid wants to rush from school to home, to hurry up and rest up before a rigorous gymnastics class, after which we rush home and eat dinner (hurriedly), and then rush upstairs for bath and bedtime, before which we hurry through a book? "Stop the madness!", I am telling myself. I am trying to relax, because life is NOT a race.

So, ironically, I am bringing you the world's fastest healthy dinner recipe. I love this one because I can step away from the stove and have some down time with my family after dinner. Time for a game of Chutes and Ladders, a bike ride, playing at the park, swinging on the rope swing in the backyard...and I guess we will let the kids tag along too.

The world's quickest Chicken (or vegetarian) tortilla soup

(As always, my measurements are not exact. Adjust to your liking. You know, just eyeball it)

1 box chicken or veggie broth

1 serving cooked brown rice (I use instant)

1 can rotelle diced tomatoes and green chiles

1/2 can corn

1 cooked chicken breast, cut into small cubes (or omit this, if making the vegetarian option)

4 oz. shredded cheddar, colby jack, or monterrey jack cheese

1 avocado, cut into small cubes (to garnish)

a palm full of cilantro, chopped (to garnish)

a few handfuls of tortilla chips

In a soup pot, combine all ingredients (except avocado and cilantro), and heat until cheese is melty. Before serving in soup bowls, crunch a handful of tortilla chips and fill bottom of bowls. Ladle soup over chips, garnish and serve.

Then, relax, since that whole process took only 10 minutes!

We did...

Doctor's orders

Last week, someone had a five year old check up. So, prepared for the worst (vaccinations), we went to our pediatrician. Turns out, someone did not have to get any vaccinations, but did get orders to eat more fruits and veggies.

The doctor instructed my little someone to eat her fruit or veggies FIRST, before even her meat or protein. I was so happy to hear this advice, that I jumped on the bandwagon immediately, and instituted a new household rule. Now, we all have to eat our fruit or veggies first, and it seems to be an easy rule to follow.

On the way out the pediatricians door, I was reminded by two little someones that I had bribed, ahem, promised to reward them with a trip to the ice cream shop if they were quiet and well behaved while mommy talked with the doctor. And, they had certainly earned it. They had been perfect little angels...

So, after a stop by the house to eat lunch (veggies first, of course), we went to the ice cream shop down the street.
Someone ordered strawberry ice cream, commenting to the girl serving the cone, "the doctor said I need to eat more fruit."

We sat out by the lake, enjoying the beautiful sunny day. I enjoyed the entertainment as Addie sang on her "microphone" to the construction workers behind us. Apparently she thought it was their birthday...or that's one of the only songs she can remember all the words to, besides Silent Night. All the while her ice cream melted in the sun.

That's $4.50 down the drain. I guess I was paying for the entertainment.

All in all, it was a wonderful afternoon, and a great way to spend one of our spring break days.

"Look, mom. I ate all my fruit!"

I will let the doctor know right away.

Mac and Balls

Kaley: "Mom, can we go out to eat for lunch today?"

Me: "Where would you like to go?"

Kaley: "The buffet"

Me: "Daddy doesn't like the buffet"

Kaley: "Why not? They have cookies AND candy!"

David: "Because the quality of food there is.......junk" (Good save.)



I had to think fast, so I offered an old favorite, mommy's "famous" mac-n-cheese. Famous? Well, at least to my family. And, it's not made from a boxed mix of orange powder, laced with fake food ingredients.


"Yeah!" (Yells from the backseat.)

"Can we have a dessert too?"

"Sure, why not"




Mommy's "Famous" super simple, but wholesome Mac-n-cheese:

• Elbow macaroni pasta of your choice (prepared according to box instructions)

• Two tablespoons of Earth Balance Vegan Margarine or Smart Balance Buttery spread

(both are made with much healthier plant oils instead of butter, but taste buttery.)

• A few tablespoons flour (you'll have to eyeball this)

• Milk (added to desired thickness)

• 8 oz. pkg of shredded cheddar cheese (I've used sharp cheddar and regular)

• Salt and pepper to taste

Prepare pasta according to package instructions. For cheese sauce, melt the butter over medium heat in a sauce pan. When completely melted, add a few tablespoons of flour and stir, stir, stir. It will be lumpy, but that's ok. Add milk. I usually start with about a cup and this is when you'll really need to keep stirring, or it will burn on the bottom. (I use a stainless steel saucepan, so that I can use a metal whip.) Keep stirring until the mixture starts to thicken. Add milk to give you the desired amount of sauce, and take it off the heat as soon as the sauce begins to thicken. Add desired amount of cheese (I usually use almost the entire package), and salt and pepper to taste (It will need to be a bit salitier than you like because the pasta will even out the salty flavor). The cheese will melt into the sauce and the whole mixture will get creamy. Pour the sauce over cooked and drained pasta and stir. And, that's it!




>

The whole process takes maybe 15 minutes. Super simple, but super yummy! I chop uncooked broccoli and carrots and add it to mine, in order to mix in some fiber and vitamins. I keep the chopped veggies on the side for the kids, since they don't like the crunchy texture in their pasta. Big Daddy would prefer a side of bacon, but he gets veggies or a salad anyway. Then, we enjoy.


Our lunches are always peppered with questions and comments like, "Do I look like a ballerina in this swimsuit?", and "Our dogs poop A LOT", and " Can we live in Hawaii someday? PLEASE?", and "I have a toot. Never mind, I don't anymore." I wish it could stay this way forever. Food, family, flatulence.


Well, I could totally live without that last part. But, the rest is priceless! And so are my balls. Cookie dough balls, people. Geeeeez!






You can find this recipe for these PB Chocolate chip cookie dough balls on www.Peasandthankyou.com, filed under the "recipeas" tab. Then, you too can have wonderful balls. ;)

Love for Chocolate and Firemen

This morning, I used oatmeal as a peanut butter and chocolate delivery system for the kids. Whatever I have to do to make my kids eat something new and "healthy" (the oatmeal, not the chocolate and PB). I know it doesn't exactly sound healthy, but it was better for us than it sounds. I apologize for the lack of a photo. My camera was upstairs, and I really didn't want the girls to know I was experimenting for the purpose of putting it on my blog. They have caught on to me and know that when I am taking a picture of food, it may be a new recipe, and they proceed with caution. Clever little devils!

I have always loved oatmeal, and find it incredibly filling. It's the perfect comfort food, especially when you doctor it up with a little soy milk and blackstrap molasses (Go easy on this though. It is high in calcium, but also can leave your food tasting of cough syrup if you use too much, so experiment with your tastes). I have to admit too that I often add a bit of brown sugar as well. Brown sugar was made for oatmeal. The two should book a weddingmoon to Jamaica or go before the JP and make it official in my expert opinion!

Anywhoo, I was thinking of making peanut butter chocolate chip oatmeal cookies, and thought that I may try adding both of those yummy ingredients to my morning oatmeal and seeing if the girls would like it. They have never taken to oatmeal because they find it "mushy and squishy", but I thought these additions might change the popular opinion. A spoonful of peanut butter adds a bit of healthy fat and protein, and a few semi-sweet chocolate chips aren't too bad either. So, I went for it.

Since my last "luring" went so well, I decided to try this approach again. So, I mixed it all up, gave it a taste and said, "whoa, I think I made that waaaay too sugary and chocolatey. That tastes like a dessert, so you probably don't need to eat dessert for breakfast!". Then....wait for it...wait for it...Score! They immediately picked up their spoons. Wacky said, "Yummy! This is good, mom!" That was totally expected. We all know that K-Picky is the household food critic. So, I waited for her response. She picked out a chocolate chip with an oat or two on her spoon, and said, "well, I like the chocolate part." So I told her that if she really wanted the chocolate part, she would have to take a whole spoonful, since much of the chocolate had already melted in. She did take a few more spoonfuls and said, "I think you need to fix this for breakfast tomorrow too." Man, I'm good!

So, with our full tummies, we ventured on to our Mommy group field trip to our local fire station, which I knew Addie would really dig. A few months ago, we saw the typical fire safety presentation at the library and on the way home, Addie commented, "Mommy, I LIKE big strong firemen, with their big suits and cool gear." Um, be honest, ladies. Is there a girl on the planet who doesn't? (I DO love you, honey. It doesn't take a big strong fire fighter to make me happy.) But, apparantly Firemen are the bombdiggity to my little blonde haired preschooler. And today just sealed that deal, since we were there when they received an actual call, which meant that she got to see them climb into the truck in a hurry and ride off, lights and sirens and all. Ok, I was secretly a little impressed too...ahem, with the lights and sirens, I mean.

Letting the girls climb on their monstrously powerful trucks helped too.

If there are any 3 to 5 year old aspiring firemen out there who know how to make chocolate peanut butter oatmeal, Addie is accepting applications for the position of "Future Husband".

If only this fire cadet were 18 years younger...

Greenalicious juice

My kids are more likely to try something new if it has a super cool name. Hence, the need to name our juice and smoothies. In an effort to get more fruit and veggies into our diets, I often serve these fruity puppies or fresh squeezed juice concoctions with our breakfast or lunch. It all began with strawberry smoothies (frozen strawberries, soy milk, and a banana, blended well), because (hello!) what kid doesn't like strawberries? Though K-picky isn't fond of bananas, I added one in the blender when she wasn't looking, to sweeten it without adding sugar. Due to it's pink color, that smoothie earned the name Pinkalicious, after K's favorite book series.

A few days later, I tried my hand at a Purplicious one, using the same ingredients, but substituting the frozen strawberries for frozen mixed berries. When I saw the dark color, I realized that this was a great opportunity for some of my kitchen trickery, and added a hand full of fresh spinach. Because the berries and banana were so sweet, the kids had no idea I blended those beautiful green vitamin packed leaves into their smoothies. Mission Accomplished. Team Kids:0, Team Mom:1.

So, with that newfound boldness, a few days later, I took out the juicer and juiced a few oranges, a few apples, and a heaping handful of kale. This dark green leafy veggie is even more packed with vitamins and nutrients than it's cousin, Mr. Spinach. It contains calcium, Iron, and Vitamins A, C, and B.

As soon as the dark green juice poured into the pitcher, I knew I was really taking a chance here. There was no getting around it- this juice would definitely be green. So, after a quick stir, I gave it a taste. The girls looked on, horrified that I was drinking the dark green concoction. But, it actually tasted great, so I said, "Wow, that is amazing, but I don't think you two can try it. There's no way I am letting you have any. I am gonna want to drink it all!" Wondering if I had them hook, line, and sinker, I poured the drink into my glass, and then I heard it...."wait, I want to try!" Ha! Team Kids: 0, Team Mom: 2!

Wacky was brave enough to step up to the plate first, but big sister couldn't be put to shame, so K decided she would try some too. K-picky was completely turned off by the color and took a few drinks, commenting, "it really doesn't taste green, but it sure looks really green.". Wacky loved it and drank it all. I asked what we should name this new recipe, and got the expected response, "greenalicious". I've since added kale or spinach to almost every smoothie I can sneak it into.

K asks, "mom, do you think this juice will make my hair grow long like Rapunzel's?", to which I reply something like, "Oh yes, absolutely". More trickery...Don't judge, though. A mom's gotta do what a mom's gotta do.