Many nights, I make quick and easy dinners that I know everyone will like. Sure, I mix it up a bit, maybe modifying the seasoning on my roast chicken, or serving chili with rice instead of corn bread, or making mashed potatoes instead of baked with steak. And I have to admit that for the most part, my family greatly appreciates and enjoys what I cook. Then there are nights that I spend an hour or more chopping, braising, and sauteeing, and someone complains, and I feel so under valued.
When Noah was younger, we ate a lot of salmon with pasta and steamed vegetables. Besides chicken, it was his favorite protein, and Greg and I like it too, so I'd try it one night with dijon mustard, another with a pineapple mango salsa, and other nights just with basic seasonings and herbs. Then for a while, he stopped liking it and we fell out of the habit. I'd try trout or tilapia and he and/or his siblings would protest, and so we fell into a rut of chicken, ground beef, pork (usually pulled or ribs), and occasionally a steak.
Fairly recently I started thinking about how nice it is to have a fresh piece of fish in the summer with herbs from the garden, and a light and easy side dish like a bean salad or cole slaw, and resolved to start eating fish more often. Last week when I was at Whole Foods, I picked up a package of tilapia (I think farm raised is what they sell, if that's the "safest" in terms of mercury contamination).
As I started to think about dinner this evening, I contemplated how I could make the fish so that everyone would like it. I knew I wanted it to stay very moist, and to be able to make the vegetables in the same pan. So, I raided the crisper and came up with mushrooms, a green onion and grape tomatoes (so happy that Publix was selling organic tomatoes for only fifty cents more than regular--Ava loves to eat these all day long). In the fridge I found a half eaten jar of artichokes, and green olives. I chopped all of those and placed them on top of the tilapia, then drizzled everything with a little olive oil and sea salt. The meal was delicious and everyone pretty much cleaned their plates. Greg and I are mostly following a low/no carb diet now, so we had the fish alone, but the kids had pasta.
Next up on the menu will be salmon, and I'll probably prepare it the way Noah always used to love it, with a paste of dijon mustard, mayo (I'll use Veganaise), salt, pepper, and some type of herb--maybe parsley. The health benefits for wild Alaskan salmon are so plentiful, that I'd love to get this back into the rotation weekly. Wish me luck!
Monday, April 25, 2011
Monday, April 11, 2011
Spring
Luke's birthday is on the first day of spring, and ever since he was born, I've had such a love of all things spring. I remember coming home from the hospital with newborn Luke, and seeing that all of the tulips in my garden had bloomed while he and I were in the hospital.
The past few years I lost my enthusiasm for planting bulbs in the fall, but without fail, every March those gorgeous tulips grow and bloom and make me happy.
Last week I decided that since the tulips were almost on their way out, I needed to add more color to our front yard. So far I've been to http://www.pikenursery.com twice, a small local nursery once, and Home Depot twice in search of the perfect plants, flowers, seeds, and vegetables.
Yesterday the family and I headed out after breakfast and started weeding, laying mulch, planting flowers, and at times, riding bikes. There is so much still to do, but my petunias and marigolds have been planted by our mailbox, as well as a few special surprises (ok, I'll tell you...I planted dill, cilantro, and lavender seeds there too; I was thinking it would be nice to smell them each time I pull into the driveway) that I hope do well in that partially shady spot. I also planted cucumbers and red and yellow peppers in one of our garden boxes, and put basil and dill in pots. My mint (three types, what was I thinking?), oregano, and parsley survived the harsh winter, so those are ready to be used.
Today Ava and I made another pit stop and I picked up salvia and beautiful purple blue hydrangeas. Still on my list are organic tomatoes, either plants or seeds, and more cucumbers.
Next weekend we have our last big job, moving our bigger/deeper garden box to a sunnier spot. Because the bottom is made of weed cloth, we have to remove the dirt before moving it, which involves lots of shoveling and wheelbarrowing. The goal is to plant carrots, sweet potatoes, beets, onions, and white potatoes in that box.
I can't wait for all the new additions to our garden to start blooming, and to harvest vegetables this summer!
The past few years I lost my enthusiasm for planting bulbs in the fall, but without fail, every March those gorgeous tulips grow and bloom and make me happy.
Last week I decided that since the tulips were almost on their way out, I needed to add more color to our front yard. So far I've been to http://www.pikenursery.com twice, a small local nursery once, and Home Depot twice in search of the perfect plants, flowers, seeds, and vegetables.
Yesterday the family and I headed out after breakfast and started weeding, laying mulch, planting flowers, and at times, riding bikes. There is so much still to do, but my petunias and marigolds have been planted by our mailbox, as well as a few special surprises (ok, I'll tell you...I planted dill, cilantro, and lavender seeds there too; I was thinking it would be nice to smell them each time I pull into the driveway) that I hope do well in that partially shady spot. I also planted cucumbers and red and yellow peppers in one of our garden boxes, and put basil and dill in pots. My mint (three types, what was I thinking?), oregano, and parsley survived the harsh winter, so those are ready to be used.
Today Ava and I made another pit stop and I picked up salvia and beautiful purple blue hydrangeas. Still on my list are organic tomatoes, either plants or seeds, and more cucumbers.
Next weekend we have our last big job, moving our bigger/deeper garden box to a sunnier spot. Because the bottom is made of weed cloth, we have to remove the dirt before moving it, which involves lots of shoveling and wheelbarrowing. The goal is to plant carrots, sweet potatoes, beets, onions, and white potatoes in that box.
I can't wait for all the new additions to our garden to start blooming, and to harvest vegetables this summer!
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Baked ziti
The other day I was feeling industrious, and decided to make a dish that I don't make often, due to Ava's food allergies. After popping into Whole Foods for the ingredients needed, I set to work making fresh ricotta cheese (recipe below)and tomato sauce. Both are so easy and they elevate any recipe. Each time I make tomato sauce it's slightly different, but that day I added fresh parsley and basil from my garden, lots of kosher salt and cracked black pepper, a few red pepper flakes, and some minced garlic and onions that I sauteed in olive oil.
Normally ziti is a meatless recipe, but my crew loves fresh sausage in just about anything, and I've been trying hard to protein load, so I got a few links of mild Italian sausage and sliced them thinly, then sauteed them with fresh spinach and some of the minced garlic and onions that I made for my sauce.
While I'd love to say that I made the pasta from scratch, I definitely did not! I did get fresh mozzarella, which is honestly one of my favorite foods in life, and cubed most of it and grated some too, trying hard not to eat the majority of it before putting it into the pan.
When each component was made, I layered all the ingredients like this: sauce, pasta, spinach, sausage, ricotta cheese, sauce, and mozzarella, both the cubed and the shredded. I baked it for about fifteen minutes and watched the boys and Greg go nuts for it.
Ava had Tinkyada brown rice spirals with sauce, spinach, and sausage, and she really enjoyed hers too.
My recipe made quite a bit of ricotta, more than I needed for the ziti dish, so for a few days after I'd eat it off the spoon plain or with a slice of pear. So delicious! It's also really great on a toast point with a basil leaf or even plain. Try it, you'll be glad you did.
Creamy Ricotta
Active: 20 Minutes
Total: 3 Hours
Makes about 3 1/2 cups
2 quarts whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
3T white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt.
In a medium pot, warm the milk and cream over moderately high heat until the surface becomes foamy and steamy; don't let the milk boil. Remove the pot from heat. Add the vinegar and gently stir for 30 seconds; the mixture will curdle almost immediately. Add the salt and stir for 30 seconds longer. Cover the pot with a clean towel and let stand at room temperature for 2 hours.
Line a large colander with several layers of cheesecloth, allowing several inches of overhang. Set the colander in a large bowl. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the curds to the colander. Carefully gather the corners of the cheesecloth and close with a rubber band. Let the ricotta stand for 30 minutes, gently pressing and squeezing the cheesecloth occasionally to drain off the whey. Transfer the ricotta to a bowl and use at once, or cover and refrigerate.
Fresh ricotta can be refrigerated up to 3 days.
Normally ziti is a meatless recipe, but my crew loves fresh sausage in just about anything, and I've been trying hard to protein load, so I got a few links of mild Italian sausage and sliced them thinly, then sauteed them with fresh spinach and some of the minced garlic and onions that I made for my sauce.
While I'd love to say that I made the pasta from scratch, I definitely did not! I did get fresh mozzarella, which is honestly one of my favorite foods in life, and cubed most of it and grated some too, trying hard not to eat the majority of it before putting it into the pan.
When each component was made, I layered all the ingredients like this: sauce, pasta, spinach, sausage, ricotta cheese, sauce, and mozzarella, both the cubed and the shredded. I baked it for about fifteen minutes and watched the boys and Greg go nuts for it.
Ava had Tinkyada brown rice spirals with sauce, spinach, and sausage, and she really enjoyed hers too.
My recipe made quite a bit of ricotta, more than I needed for the ziti dish, so for a few days after I'd eat it off the spoon plain or with a slice of pear. So delicious! It's also really great on a toast point with a basil leaf or even plain. Try it, you'll be glad you did.
Creamy Ricotta
Active: 20 Minutes
Total: 3 Hours
Makes about 3 1/2 cups
2 quarts whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
3T white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt.
In a medium pot, warm the milk and cream over moderately high heat until the surface becomes foamy and steamy; don't let the milk boil. Remove the pot from heat. Add the vinegar and gently stir for 30 seconds; the mixture will curdle almost immediately. Add the salt and stir for 30 seconds longer. Cover the pot with a clean towel and let stand at room temperature for 2 hours.
Line a large colander with several layers of cheesecloth, allowing several inches of overhang. Set the colander in a large bowl. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the curds to the colander. Carefully gather the corners of the cheesecloth and close with a rubber band. Let the ricotta stand for 30 minutes, gently pressing and squeezing the cheesecloth occasionally to drain off the whey. Transfer the ricotta to a bowl and use at once, or cover and refrigerate.
Fresh ricotta can be refrigerated up to 3 days.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Back where it belongs
The five of us accumulate a lot of stuff. Paper, plastic toys, coins, rocks, and so much more find their way into our house and onto every empty surface. Every time I turn around I am organizing a closet, or picking toys up off the floor and then in what seems like minutes later, I am repeating once again.
What I try to work on with my kids is that everything should go back where it belongs. I find that putting something in a temporary place doesn't save any time.
And yet, even I am guilty of dropping the mail on the kitchen counter, or taking off my jewelry in the dining room and leaving it there for days (inevitably it will stay there until I am frantically looking for that specific piece). So, my goal this week is to get myself back into the habit of putting each and every item I touch back where it belongs.
Once I'm back in habit, I will try and convince the kids to practice what I preach. And then maybe, just maybe, when Noah is looking for a charger for his phone, or Luke is searching for a special rock he found at school, they will know just where to find it.
What I try to work on with my kids is that everything should go back where it belongs. I find that putting something in a temporary place doesn't save any time.
And yet, even I am guilty of dropping the mail on the kitchen counter, or taking off my jewelry in the dining room and leaving it there for days (inevitably it will stay there until I am frantically looking for that specific piece). So, my goal this week is to get myself back into the habit of putting each and every item I touch back where it belongs.
Once I'm back in habit, I will try and convince the kids to practice what I preach. And then maybe, just maybe, when Noah is looking for a charger for his phone, or Luke is searching for a special rock he found at school, they will know just where to find it.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
What a difference a day makes
My girl is potty trained. Last I wrote, she was withholding for the second day, and in case you couldn't tell, I was a teeny bit stressed. Actually, frantic is probably more accurate than stressed, because I was absolutely frantic wondering what our next step would be.
My cousin Cathleen (whose blog I'd love to link to but I can't figure out how to right now) gave me some pointers, and I planned to try one of them, to give Ava special items to use while on the potty. While I went to pick the boys up from school, Ava stayed home with my husband, and when I returned I found her sitting on the potty in our powder room. I decided to join her and within a few minutes she was peeing! She went again a few more times yesterday, and today not only did she go a number of times, three times were in public places and most of the time she told me when she had to go. She even asked to go to the bathroom one more time before bed, to avoid wetting her PullUp.
Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!! is an understatement. I'm so relieved.
And yet...this evening as I moved a load of laundry to the dryer, I saw one of her Fuzzibunz(cloth diapers), and felt this weird pang of sadness. We are not having any more children, and so I will never change one of my children's diapers again. My little girl is a baby no more. I'm sure, just like with other milestones, such as nursing each one for the last time, moving them out of their crib into a bed, or putting away the baby clothes, I will not feel sad for long. However, the thought did cross my mind that I was willing to let her stay in diapers this long because it was one more baby/mama connection to hold on to.
For now though, I will focus on all of the great moments with my big girl, like when she tells a joke and it not only makes sense but is funny too. Or our impromptu marching band this afternoon, with her on drums and me on triangle. Most of all, what I enjoyed today was seeing the sense of pride and accomplishment each time she sat her little bum on the potty!
My cousin Cathleen (whose blog I'd love to link to but I can't figure out how to right now) gave me some pointers, and I planned to try one of them, to give Ava special items to use while on the potty. While I went to pick the boys up from school, Ava stayed home with my husband, and when I returned I found her sitting on the potty in our powder room. I decided to join her and within a few minutes she was peeing! She went again a few more times yesterday, and today not only did she go a number of times, three times were in public places and most of the time she told me when she had to go. She even asked to go to the bathroom one more time before bed, to avoid wetting her PullUp.
Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!! is an understatement. I'm so relieved.
And yet...this evening as I moved a load of laundry to the dryer, I saw one of her Fuzzibunz(cloth diapers), and felt this weird pang of sadness. We are not having any more children, and so I will never change one of my children's diapers again. My little girl is a baby no more. I'm sure, just like with other milestones, such as nursing each one for the last time, moving them out of their crib into a bed, or putting away the baby clothes, I will not feel sad for long. However, the thought did cross my mind that I was willing to let her stay in diapers this long because it was one more baby/mama connection to hold on to.
For now though, I will focus on all of the great moments with my big girl, like when she tells a joke and it not only makes sense but is funny too. Or our impromptu marching band this afternoon, with her on drums and me on triangle. Most of all, what I enjoyed today was seeing the sense of pride and accomplishment each time she sat her little bum on the potty!
Monday, March 7, 2011
Potty training hell
That's where I am right now, folks. My daughter Ava, who will be four at the end of June, refuses to use the potty.
There are many reasons why this is frustrating. One is that she is in complete control of her bladder and bowels. For at least the last six months she has informed me when she has to pee or poop. In the past few months she taught herself to put on her cloth diapers, and when they were wet, she would put them in the laundry room to be cleaned.
She uses this situation as a manipulation tool, waiting until nap or bedtime to poop, specifically to postpone the sleep time. I've tried everything I know, and nothing has worked.
Last week, after consulting a group of women that I'm involved in a positive discipline group with, I decided to bite the bullet and get rid of the diapers. I told Ava that she was big enough now, and that I have faith in her ability to use the potty instead of a diaper.
Saturday night I boxed all the diapers up and hid them in my closet, and moved her changing table out to the garage. I laid out all her cute little underwear and let her choose her favorite yesterday, Hanna Andersson cupcakes. We pushed liquids all day, and had her sit on her little potty and the regular toilet with a seat inserted. As each hour passed, I went from excited to annoyed to worried.
Finally I found myself staring at the clock at 6:55 and could not decide how we were going to handle her approaching bedtime. I didn't want her to think/know that if she held all day, there was a PullUp available at bedtime. Just like Prudence from Once Upon a Potty, she sat and sat and sat. A teeny bit trickled out and we were so encouraged, but then she cried and cried and said she didn't want to do anymore.
Wouldn't you know, the minute I stepped out of the room, she relaxed and practically filled the little potty! I was so excited, we all were, and we did the potty dance and cheered for her, and then we put a PullUp on her and she pooped in it and we didn't even care! I was completely relieved that she had peed, and excited to start today with a girl that uses the potty.
And then...she refused to sit on the potty this morning before we left to take her brothers to school. She refused at school, and she refused at Target. Even armed with the potty insert to put on a regular sized toilet, she was not having it.
We have been home for almost three hours and she has sat on the potty numerous times and continued refusing. She is taking small sips of her ChickFilA lemonade but apparently her will is strong enough to hold 8 ounces of lemonade plus four ounces of water.
It's 12:45 now and we're about to try again. Wish us luck, because I don't want to be in this particular hell for much longer.
There are many reasons why this is frustrating. One is that she is in complete control of her bladder and bowels. For at least the last six months she has informed me when she has to pee or poop. In the past few months she taught herself to put on her cloth diapers, and when they were wet, she would put them in the laundry room to be cleaned.
She uses this situation as a manipulation tool, waiting until nap or bedtime to poop, specifically to postpone the sleep time. I've tried everything I know, and nothing has worked.
Last week, after consulting a group of women that I'm involved in a positive discipline group with, I decided to bite the bullet and get rid of the diapers. I told Ava that she was big enough now, and that I have faith in her ability to use the potty instead of a diaper.
Saturday night I boxed all the diapers up and hid them in my closet, and moved her changing table out to the garage. I laid out all her cute little underwear and let her choose her favorite yesterday, Hanna Andersson cupcakes. We pushed liquids all day, and had her sit on her little potty and the regular toilet with a seat inserted. As each hour passed, I went from excited to annoyed to worried.
Finally I found myself staring at the clock at 6:55 and could not decide how we were going to handle her approaching bedtime. I didn't want her to think/know that if she held all day, there was a PullUp available at bedtime. Just like Prudence from Once Upon a Potty, she sat and sat and sat. A teeny bit trickled out and we were so encouraged, but then she cried and cried and said she didn't want to do anymore.
Wouldn't you know, the minute I stepped out of the room, she relaxed and practically filled the little potty! I was so excited, we all were, and we did the potty dance and cheered for her, and then we put a PullUp on her and she pooped in it and we didn't even care! I was completely relieved that she had peed, and excited to start today with a girl that uses the potty.
And then...she refused to sit on the potty this morning before we left to take her brothers to school. She refused at school, and she refused at Target. Even armed with the potty insert to put on a regular sized toilet, she was not having it.
We have been home for almost three hours and she has sat on the potty numerous times and continued refusing. She is taking small sips of her ChickFilA lemonade but apparently her will is strong enough to hold 8 ounces of lemonade plus four ounces of water.
It's 12:45 now and we're about to try again. Wish us luck, because I don't want to be in this particular hell for much longer.
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Vacation Day
As sad as it sounds, I'm experiencing a vacation day of sorts because of a hurt back. For years I had this back pack on an off, and most of the time it would take 3-4 days until I felt back to normal. Then about five years ago my family and I began getting chiropractic adjustments regularly, and things got better. It was gradual, though, so I can remember three years ago having pain at the same time as I had bronchitis which then turned into pneumonia. Good times, good times.
Over the years I've stopped thinking of myself as someone with a bad back. Yoga, stretching, and chiropractic have really helped eliminate the pain I used to expect a few times a year. And so yesterday afternoon when I felt that little twinge that told me something was wrong, I was caught off guard. The reason for the pain probably has to do with me moving heavy Christmas boxes in the garage yesterday, and now in addition to the pain I have this guilt that my decorations won't be up today and tomorrow as I planned.
What I decided is that a day of true rest might help my back heal more quickly, so I informed my husband at 8 that I'd be staying in bed all day, and so far I have. My oldest son has played waiter, coming in with an imaginary notepad and a great British accent, asking what I'd like. Minutes later he came into my room with a fried egg sandwich, glass of water, and a bowl of Panda Puffs.
I'm reading American Wife, by Curtis Sittenfeld and I'm thankful it's a big book, because I've been glued to it since last night and still have about 50 pages left to go. This computer break was taken not just to catch up on my Facebook friends,but to force me to slow down on the book and enjoy the rest of it.
So, while I'd prefer not to be dealing with this back pain, I'm happy to have my laptop, a book, a tall glass of water, and some solitude. And later when I'm bored out of my mind, I will ask my son to bring up my recipe books so I can weed through the recipes I no longer want to make, and then I'll address and stamp our Christmas cards.
Over the years I've stopped thinking of myself as someone with a bad back. Yoga, stretching, and chiropractic have really helped eliminate the pain I used to expect a few times a year. And so yesterday afternoon when I felt that little twinge that told me something was wrong, I was caught off guard. The reason for the pain probably has to do with me moving heavy Christmas boxes in the garage yesterday, and now in addition to the pain I have this guilt that my decorations won't be up today and tomorrow as I planned.
What I decided is that a day of true rest might help my back heal more quickly, so I informed my husband at 8 that I'd be staying in bed all day, and so far I have. My oldest son has played waiter, coming in with an imaginary notepad and a great British accent, asking what I'd like. Minutes later he came into my room with a fried egg sandwich, glass of water, and a bowl of Panda Puffs.
I'm reading American Wife, by Curtis Sittenfeld and I'm thankful it's a big book, because I've been glued to it since last night and still have about 50 pages left to go. This computer break was taken not just to catch up on my Facebook friends,but to force me to slow down on the book and enjoy the rest of it.
So, while I'd prefer not to be dealing with this back pain, I'm happy to have my laptop, a book, a tall glass of water, and some solitude. And later when I'm bored out of my mind, I will ask my son to bring up my recipe books so I can weed through the recipes I no longer want to make, and then I'll address and stamp our Christmas cards.
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