Butter!

I'm trying to minimize our role in spreading pink eye and other nasties around Eastern Massachusetts, so the girls and I are housebound today. By 8:30 a.m., Abby is already bouncing off the walls in boredom. So to expel some energy, have fun, and maybe learn something - we made butter this morning!

I'd heard of this project, so I grabbed some heavy cream and loosely followed instructions from PBS Kids. And Abby got a-shaking:


And it worked! We ended up with some buttermilk and some butter. We'll make pancakes or bread with the buttermilk later today:


You'll need:

heavy cream
container with a screw-on lid
cup to pour off buttermilk
kid with excess energy

Pour the heavy cream into your container. Shake. Shake a lot. When you don't hear sloshing anymore, check it out - whipped cream! Keep shaking. When it begins to thud, you'll see butter solids and liquid forming. I found it helpful to pour off the liquid after every few shakes to help the butter solidify quickly.

Serve it up on some bread for your little butter-maker!

(and wow, check out the comments on the PBS Kids instructions - some kids are harsh! "went very rong I hated it". Ouch! For the record, our butter doesn't stink at all. And we didn't hate it.)

Month of Veggies - Short Hiatus

I haven't given up on my Month of Veggies project. But right now, between two daughters, I am dealing with:

2 ear infections
2 colds
1 mysterious fever-causing virus
and 2 pink eyes (surely soon to be 4 pink eyes)

So until girls are feeling better and I can get to the store for the ingredients for the next veggie dishes on the menu, we're spending some time with some good friends:

The Heavy-Hitters

The Preventers

Mommy's Best Friend

I hope to resume our project within the next few days! The next dish on the menu is Crinkly Carrot Fries, which absolutely beg the question: who owns a crinkle cutter? I consider my kitchen pretty darned well-stocked, and I don't even know what a crinkle cutter is!

MoV Day 4, Roasted Red Pepper Soup

Last night was day 4 of the Month of Veggies project, and on the menu? Roasted Red Pepper Soup. And let me just say mmmmmmmmmmmmm! This was so good, and I will be making it again and again.

Abby was too busy throwing a tantrum to sit down and eat dinner, but I loved this. Even Lizzy, who has an inborn hatred for being spoon-fed, took a few bites and smacked her lips repeatedly. This was a breeze to put together and made an excellent accompaniment to grilled cheese!

Roasted Red Pepper Soup

(adapted from Parents Magazine)

2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 24-oz jar roasted red peppers, drained (or, 3 roasted red peppers)
1 tsp honey
1 clove garlic
basil, salt, and pepper to season (optional... my jarred roasted red peppers were quite seasoned, so I just stirred in a bit of chopped fresh basil at the end)

Blend together stock, red peppers, honey, and garlic (either in a blender, or with an immersion blender in the pot. I love my immersion blender. If you don't have one, you should!). Heat the soup for 5-10 minutes over medium heat, until hot.

MoV, Day 3: Minty Peas

Last night was day 3 of our Month of Veggies, and up on the menu was Minty Peas.


But I wouldn't recommend them. I can't tell if Parents Magazine has some sort of deal with the cooking oil industry, but we (once again) found the recipe too oily. But beyond that, the texture of the wilted mint leaves with the peas was not our thing. Abby tried some (she LOVES peas), but gagged and spit them out. I didn't really care for them either.

I have much higher hopes for the Roasted Red Pepper soup we're trying tonight!

MoV, Day 2: Sunny Broccoli

Last night was Day 2 of the "Month of Veggies" plan. Up on the menu: Sunny Broccoli. I love broccoli and oranges - Abby has never deigned to try either (I know! I think she's the only kid in the country who turns up her nose at oranges!), so I had low hopes for the attempt.

But I was wrong! Abby tried both the broccoli and the orange slice! She ate all of her orange slice and took two bites of broccoli before saying "No thank you" to it. Lizzy ate all of the broccoli that I gave her. And most importantly, I thought this was delicious!! We will definitely be having this dish again.

Sunny Broccoli

(adapted from Parents Magazine)

1 head broccoli, chopped
2 Tbsp orange juice
1 tsp canola oil
1 clove garlic, minced
salt & pepper
1 orange, sliced

In a large pot, steam broccoli until bright green and tender, about 3-5 minutes. Whisk together orange juice, oil, and garlic. Salt and pepper to taste. Toss broccoli with orange juice mixture. Arrange orange slices on plate and top with broccoli.

Abby, giving me the classic look of "seriously, woman? Oranges and broccoli?" But at least she tried them!

Lizzy is my good eater. If only I can keep her that way!

Month of Veggies, Day 1: Cucumber Salad

Last night kicked off my attempt to follow Parents Magazine's "20 Kid-Friendly Veggies" plan: "Get your picky kid to start trying (and yes, loving) vegetables in just one month."

Hm. That's a lofty promise.

So last night was day 1: Cucumber Ribbon Salad. As it turns out, this is the recipe I had the least interest in. And honestly, it was fine, but I doubt I'll make it again. It was way too oily for my taste, so if we try it again, I'm leaving the canola oil out. It looked pretty, though.

Cucumber Ribbon Salad

(adapted from Parents Magazine)

2 cucumbers
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
1/2 tsp honey
1/2 tsp sesame oil
salt & pepper

In a large bowl, whisk together the rice vinegar, honey, and sesame oil. Season with salt and pepper. Trim the ends of the cucumber and cut it in half. Using a vegetable peeler, peel ribbons off of one side of the cucumber, until you hit the seeds. Then peel from the other side, until you hit seeds. (I chopped up the seedy center that was left over to put on salads). Toss the ribbons in the dressing and serve.


Here is pictorial proof that Abby actually tried these cucumbers - that alone is progress! She really did not like them. I can't blame her, as they came out kind of slimy. Again, I think done without the canola oil, they would be a lot better.

(and yeah... she's eating dinner in her Christmas pajamas. Anyone else have a kid who is obsessed with wearing pajamas at all hours of the day?)

Morning Glory Muffins

I don't remember how we stumbled across Tiny Morsels (probably by following various blog links), but it's a great read. I've bookmarked quite a few of her recipes to try, and when I needed a snack for playgroup, I went right for the Morning Glory Muffins.

Morning Glory Muffins by Tiny Morsels

These were a huge hit with both of my daughters, and went over very well with the playgroup mommies (they taste great with coffee!). I was hesitant to tell people what was in them, since once I said "parsnip", I got some funny looks. But the proof is in the pudding (or... muffin) on these, and they were fantastic.

I substituted a mix of whole wheat and all-purpose flours, as suggested in the notes, and I took the sugar down to 3/4 cup - and they were still quite sweet. But then, I was using canned pineapple, because... well, I had it on hand! So that may have helped sweeten them up even more.

Roasted Vegetable Lasagna (Freezer to Skillet)

Roasted Vegetable Lasagna (Freezer to Skillet)

(makes 4 servings)

Ingredients:
4 whole wheat lasagna noodles
8 Tbsp. marinara sauce
4 tsp. heavy cream
1 summer squash, sliced lengthwise
5-6 stalks of asparagus
olive oil spray
1 c. frozen broccoli
1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions. Cut into bite sized pieces and arrange in a single layer on a freezer safe dish. Freeze for at least 1 hour.
2. Prepare creamy marinara for freezing: In a small bowl stir together marinara and heavy cream until combined. Divide into 8 compartments of an ice cube tray. Freeze for at least an hour or until frozen enough to pop out of tray.
3. Turn on the broiler setting of your oven. Arrange squash and asparagus on a baking sheet. Spray with olive oil spray. Broil until both sides have a slight char (turn about once every 3 minutes). Cut veggies into bite sized pieces and arrange on a freezer safe dish. Freeze for at least an hour.
4. Divide the cheese between 4 snack sized Ziploc bags.
5. Divide remaining ingredients between 4 quart sized freezer bags. (2 sauce cubes, noodles, roasted veggies and frozen broccoli). Add the cheese packets. Seal, label and freeze until ready to eat.
6. To prepare from frozen: In a small saute pan over medium heat add contents of bag (but not the cheese). Cook until sauce cubes are fully melted and veggies are cooked through. Add the cheese and cook until just melted. Serve!

One-Month Vegetable Plan!

Parents Magazine had an article in January (um... yeah, I'm a little behind on my magazine reading) called Veg Out! The subtitle is: "Get your picky kid to start trying (and yes, loving!) vegetables in just one month." It's a 4-week plan, with 5 vegetable preparations to try each week.

Well, I'm always up for a challenge, and I have a picky kid who doesn't love veggies. I'm game. So starting next Monday, I'm going to follow their "plan" and report here with what the family thought of each dish.

Interested in trying some new vegetable dishes on your family? Why not follow along with me? You can find it at 20 Kid-Friendly Veggies at Parents.com. I'll be going in order, making a new veggie each week day.

Now, go read about our springtime dinner date!

Springtime Dinner Date!

Spring is in the air... well, almost. It's still quite chilly in Massachusetts most days lately, but Friday is the first day of spring, and last night happened to be deliciously warm (i.e., 60 degrees. That's warm for us). Celeste and I took the kiddos to the playground and then came to my house for a dinner date that paid tribute to spring!

Baked Veggie Sandwiches
(a.k.a. Miracle Sandwiches*)

1 recipe Super Easy Pizza Dough, prepared through the first rise
2-3 cups shredded cheddar
1 cup finely chopped asparagus
1 cup finely chopped broccoli
1 cup chopped spinach, stems removed
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp olive oil
Marinara sauce for dipping, optional

Divide the pizza dough into two portions. Set aside until puffy, about 30 minutes.

Heat the 1 Tbsp olive oil in a medium-size skillet. Add the asparagus, broccoli, spinach, and garlic. Saute over medium heat for 5-8 minutes, until spinach is wilted and the vegetables are softened. Set aside to cool.

Preheat oven to 400F. Coat an 8x8" baking dish with non-stick spray. Gently stretch one half of the pizza dough to fit the bottom of the pan. Top with 1 - 1 1/2 cups of the shredded cheddar. Layer on all of the cooked vegetables. Top the vegetables with remaining cheddar. Gently stretch the other half of the pizza dough to fit over the top.

Bake for about 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the crust is slightly golden. Slice into bars to serve, with marinara sauce as desired.

(* why are these Miracle Sandwiches? Because Abby actually ate spinach, broccoli, and asparagus. That is a miracle!)

Oatmeal Flower Cookies

3 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
colored sugar for decorating (can be made easily by adding 1-2 drops of food coloring to a tablespoon of sugar, mix well)

Grind the oats in a food processor until finely ground. In a large bowl, stir together the ground oats, whole wheat flour, baking soda, and salt.

In a stand mixer, cream together butter and sugar. Add in vanilla and eggs; beat until creamy. Stir in the oat-flour mixture until well-combined. Chill dough for 10 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Gather half-teaspoons of dough and roll into balls. Dip the top of the balls in colored sugar. Arrange 6 balls together to form a flower. The flowers will spread, so keep them about 2 inches apart on the baking sheets. (Getting tired of forming all these flowers? Round out the batch by taking a tablespoon of dough, shaping it into a disk, and dipping the top in colored sugar.)

Bake for about 9 minutes, until the cookies are golden. Let cool completely before eating.

* * * * *

This dinner went over well with both big girls - and with baby Lizzy, too, who was very happy to chomp away on bits of the sandwiches! The cookies are low-sugar, but the girls didn't mind one bit. So I say, if you can "treat" your kid with a low-sugar option, why not? They didn't miss a thing, but still felt like they got dessert.