Chocolate Applesauce Cake

For no apparent reason (as my son would say), yesterday was a cooking day.  And not just a cooking day....  a new recipe day!  Three new recipes in one day!

Breakfast was a baked oatmeal dish.  A cross between traditional oatmeal and a large oatmeal cookie, it was enjoyed by all.  Will blog about that another day when I remember to take photos.  Not that they'll be good photos- my cooking skills far exceed my photography skills.  But still, I'd like to give it a try.

Today's feature is the title- Chocolate Applesauce Cake.  The 'cake' part got the kids attention, as did the presence of Chocolate.  All good.

Bonus crumbs... the downside of slicing when warm.  The price I have to pay for impatience.

This one came from a gluten free recipe on araisinandaporpoise.com - the original flour was buckwheat.  I replaced the 1/2 cup of buckwheat flour with 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour.  The consistency of the batter and the finished product were exactly as expected.  I think the sugar can be reduced- I'll also make it next time as muffins.


Chocolate Applesauce Cake

• 1 cup nut butter (I used creamy peanut butter)
• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce (I used homemade applebutter)
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/3 cup cocoa
• pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350 and lightly oil a 10″ cake pan. A tube pan might be a nice alternative.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine the nut butter, sugar, applesauce, eggs and vanilla and blend well together; I used an electric hand mixer.  
3. Mix the dry ingredients together in a small bowl, then add to wet ingredients.  Mix together by hand until just combined.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 30-35 minutes, or until the center springs back and the sides have just begun to come away from the pan.
5. This cake slices best when cool.  Excellent when served with a cold glass of milk.

After the cake cooled, I sliced the rest and wrapped each piece in wax paper and put them in my baking box.  This way, the kids (and husband) can take portions instead of ALL the remaining cake.

Yum.  I give the remaining 8 portions about a day.

Best Parenting Moment Ever

At bedtime, one of my boys asked me to read to him.  He's been doing this for about a week now.  And although he's almost ten, he wants to hear the Laura Ingalls Wilder books.  We read them together when he was younger (five?  six?).  Like me, he's a fan.  We started this time with The Long Winter, because it's cold here now.  We have no risk of being cut off from civilization and starved like the folks in that story, but it's cold enough to relate, and we can certainly take a moment to be grateful for the warm beds and good movies.

Anyway, we finish the chapter and talk for a minute.  At some point, he puts his finger in gun position and points them at me, asking 'what would you do if someone did this?'

Mom:  Wow, I hope that never happens to me.  But if they wanted my phone or watch, I would give it to them.
Boy:  Because they're expensive?
Mom:  Because I can get another phone or watch.  If they wanted to hurt you, I'd have to fight back, because I can't get another you.
Boy:  (puts his gun down and launches into me with a huge hug)

Best
Parenting
Moment
Ever.

I love you too, Boy.

Remind me of this when he's a miserable, smelly teenager.

Funny story about how kids torture their parents

A funny story from last week.  Funny in a twisted kinda way.

A few nights ago, I had the kids solo.  Mr. Unwired was out at a gig; I made dinner, and the kids and I had a lovely meal.  Afterwords, we balanced clean-up and a few random chores, then it was time for my son to take his nightly medicine.  He takes it crushed in ice cream (yum), a flavor of his choosing.

I let him know it's time.  He agrees, I crush the pills, swirl in the Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge (double-yum), and he reacts:

Boy:  I'm not taking this.

I reply:
Mom:  Not sure what the deal is... you agreed earlier, please take the meds and then we can go upstairs and read before bed.

Boy:  I don't like taking this.
Mom:  I'm sorry you don't like it... would another flavor of ice cream be better?  I can buy it tomorrow, for tomorrow night's dose.
Boy:  I don't like taking medicine.
then..... Boy:  It's not fair that my brother doesn't have to take medicine.
then....  Boy:  I don't want to.
then....  Boy:  You're no fun.

At some point, he agreed to take the dose mixed into milk.  Which I did.  The response was as expected at this point in the story:
Boy:  This is gross.  I'm not taking it.

After 20 minutes of handwringing and pouting and stress, we agreed that I would mix him a new dose in new ice cream.
2 minutes later, he took it.
About 5 seconds later, he cracks a joke.

Now put yourself in my shoes.  You are relieved that the medicine is down.  You are proud of yourself for remaining calm for 20 minutes of head-crushing stress that came out of nowhere.  And now the kid is cracking jokes?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?  I say:

Mom:  Hey kid, I'm glad you're cracking jokes.  Now would you kindly explaining to me what the HECK has been going on the last 20 minutes?  What was the deal with not taking your meds?  Were you just messing with me?
Boy:  Yes.  I was just messing with you.

Mom:  <head explodes>

The end.

PS:  All true.  I told Mr. Unwired the next day- he was dumbfounded.  The happy ending is that when the kid put up a fuss about something inconsequential later that week, I looked him square in the eye and said 'Stop messing with me'.  And he did.
PPS:  I recounted the story to my mom later in the week.  She replied that while the kid looks like my in-laws, he's definitely related to her side of my family.  Good story tellers, athletes and eaters.  And comedians, if sometimes a little twisted.  Ugg.

Two Recipes: Pecan Pancakes and Brown Sugar Sweet Potato Cake

I've mentioned before that I love to save recipes.  They are saved in folders and files and binders, and many never see the light of the kitchen.

Some, on the other hand, demand to be made.... immediately.

This post is about two of those recipes.

I'm glad they were so insistent.  I have been well rewarded for having made them (queue the applause).

First up, Pecan Pancakes.  I stumbled across this one by clicking from one blog to the next. I will be forever grateful for the time to wander, as it landed me in the midst of such yumminess at 'Blogging Over Thyme' (here).

My son prepared this recipe, doubling it as I asked him to.  We're hungry around here.  I prepped the ground pecans the night before, so that he didn't need to use the blender and wake up the rest of the household-- he's the early bird!  I think he followed the recipe as written, except omitting the ground cloves.  He put in two whole cloves; I fished them out later :-).  He did split the flour-- half all-purpose, half white whole wheat flour as the blog (but not the recipe) suggests.  The pancakes were very light thanks to the buttermilk, but hearty and delicious.

The second recipe was made just four days after I found it:  Brown Sugar-Sweet Potato Cake from the Washington Post.  I had been telling the kids I was planning to make dessert over the weekend, then lost track of time and generally backed out of my commitment to them.

This went on for several days... until I found this recipe in the Wednesday Food section.

I made the recipe the following Sunday.  I was planning to halve it (who needs cake for 16 laying around the house?!) until I realized that I had a friend coming for coffee on Monday.  That would be the perfect excuse to serve cake in the morning, right?

My friend loves Bundt cakes, and as it turns out, had not had time to eat breakfast before coming over.  She had two portions of cake, and I am thrilled she enjoyed it.

The only change I made to this recipe was to use canned pumpkin, instead of sweet potatoes.  I am also unsure of the exact amount of molasses I used.... it's really sticky, and I was at the bottom of the bottle.  I measured one tablespoon, then dribbled the rest into the bowl, straight from the bottle.

I'm just crazy that way.

You may (or may not) want to know that the molasses was older than the child I was cooking with.  I don't use a lot of it, and am not certain if I'll buy another bottle to make this cake again, or just substitute something else.  Let me know if you decide to make a substitution.

Until next time.... Bon Appetit!

Sweet Potato and Apple Casserole

I'm not sure what took me so long to make this.

It's a simple recipe, one my mom made for holidays and such.  A few minutes of prep and then it cooks in the oven.  It bakes for 45 minutes or so (depending on the thickness of your slices and the number of layers), but overcooking will do it no harm.

Finished product... as pretty as I can make it.

My kinda recipe... one that appreciates neglect.

My kids, who prefer their sweet potatoes mashed or in the form of fries, love this recipe.  It might be the visible cinnamon.  There is a little sweetener, but not much,  I like tart apples, but with sweeter ones, the brown sugar might not be needed at all.  Also, I prefer to leave the skin on both the apples and sweet potatoes for bonus vitamins and fiber.  Peeling them would make the finished recipe prettier.

Measurements here are by weight, since both apples and sweet potatoes vary widely in size.  The recipe scales up and down nicely to feed four or forty.  As you can see from my photos, I've used a round, 2QT Corningware pan with a lid, as well as a shallow au gratin pan (covered with foil for baking).  The pan needs to be oven safe; after that, it's all about size and aesthetics.

Sweet Potato and Apple Casserole
1lb sweet potato
1lb apples (I prefer Nittany, Fuji and Granny Smith for this, but anything will work)
2 Tbsp butter, separated
2 Tbsp brown sugar (can use maple syrup, or omit if apples are sweet)
1 Tbsp cinnamon, separated

1.  Heat the over to 350 degrees.  Grease the plan with 1/2 Tbsp of butter; set aside.

2.  Wash the sweet potatoes and apples.  Scrub well if you will be keeping the skin on; otherwise, peel them now.

3.  Cut the sweet potatoes and apples into 1/2 inch thick slices.  Shape and exact measurement are unimportant unless you want a pretty final dish.

4.  Place a layer of sweet potatoes in the dish, covered with a layer of apples and half the cinnamon.  Cover with another layer of sweet potatoes and another layer of apples.

Not my neatest attempt, but it was still delicious.

5.  Sprinkle remaining cinnamon on top of the final layer of apples.  Dot with butter and brown sugar, cover, and place in the oven for 45 minutes.

Ready to go in the oven- cover, bake, then eat.

6.  When done, both apples and sweet potatoes will be soft and easily pierced with a fork, and the kitchen will smell like fall.

Spy Gear

Last week, I scored an invitation to a Spy Gear event for me and the kids at the International Spy Museum in Washington DC.  The invitation came from my friend Elaine (blogger and parent extraordinaire!) who was unable to attend.  She knows my kids well, and was certain that this event would be right up their alley.... boy was it!

The event was sponsored by Spy Gear, a kids toy maker.   With the kids wrapping up third grade, I don't find myself buying a lot of toys anymore-- mostly the kids want books, apps or games/accessories for the Wii.   I was curious as to what Spy Gear offered and what the kids would think.  And the Spy Museum is always a hit!

The event was fun- upon arrival, we were each given a pair of Night Goggles.  These glasses have battery powered lights, which helped when we snuck back into the house after the event, hoping the scare the cat or Mr. Unwired.  I can confirm that a child wearing these while climbing into your bed  in  the morning will certainly cause you to wake up... and fast!  The kids had a chance to check out the table of Spy Gear stuff, while I chatted with a spy (actor) or two.  After a presentation by EvanTubeHD, dinner and instructions, we were off on a scavenger hunt through the museum. 

After the scavenger hunt, we came back into the event space and collected our swag.  From the presentations earlier, the kids were very interested in the door alarm and Video Glasses. I was pleased that instead, of those toys, they received a pair of Walkie-Talkies, which they tested all over the house and through the neighborhood the next day.  I can confirm that they reach 1/4 miles- we look forward to testing them further soon. The packaging says 2 miles!

Each kid also received a Spy Recording Pen.  One of my boys immediately started recording everything said in or around him.  The other had trouble with the buttons, so we'll keep working on that.  I was impressed with the heft and build of the Spy Gear toys; they are not flimsy!  With that in mind, I expect that the toys will last through multiple adventures!

Kids wearing Spy Gear Night Goggles, en route to the moon in their cardboard spaceship.

Disclaimer: I attended an event hosted by Spy Gear at the International Spy Museum. My children received Spy Gear toys during the event. I was not asked to write about either the event or the toys. All opinions are my own.

Raspberry Jam Oat Bars

A quick post to share an excellent healthy treat.  I found this recipe Raspberry Jam Oat Bars at Weekly Bite, one of the blogs I follow.  With an RSS reader on my phone (I use Feedly to aggregate the posts, and GReader to display them on my handset), I can catch up on blogs at stop lights, in line at Starbucks, and during boring meetings (yes, that means you, "Mr. Seven-Point-Font" on the slides!).

This one is very simple-- all the ingredients (except the jam) go into a blender or food processor.  Mix for 30 seconds or so until the ingredient look crumbly and well integrated, then pour into a prepared pan.

The things I did different from the posted recipe (because there's always something):

•  I used an 8-inch round silicone pan so that I did not need to oil or line it.  The bars ended up thicker than in the original recipe, with a solid layer of bar on top of the jam. 
• I used strawberry jam, as that's what I had.
• Not having whole wheat pastry flour, I used white whole wheat flour in equal proportions.  And I swapped out 3 Tbsp or so of the flour for wheat germ (more fiber and protein, and a nice nutty flavor).
• Thinking chia seeds could be added next time, for more fiber, protein and Omega-3 goodness.  Maybe a few Tbsp in place of some of the oatmeal? 

Let me know what you substitute to make the recipe yours.  I'm committed to making jam this summer, and think that this recipe will be a great way to use it!

Best Snack Ever! Crunchy Chickpeas!

I know, I know.... best ever?  A wee bit of hyperbole for a snowy day?

I think not.

These are awesome.  Sweet or spicy, and definitely crunchy.  And unlike many of the recipes I've seen on the interwebs, these STAY crunchy for days... not that they last that long.

Crunchy yummy goodness.

As a bonus, these are healthy, full of fiber and vegetarian.... and gluten free depending on your seasonings. No guilt, all goodness.  And did I mention delicious?!

I've made multiple batches, and the best came when I started with dried chickpeas*, not canned.  It might be a coincidence that these were the best batches, but it's not much harder to start with dried, and you get the chance to make so many more.... so I'll always start there.

Crunchy Chickpeas
1lb dried chickpeas
10-12 cups water

1.  Rinse dried chickpeas and pick through them, discarding any discolored ones or stones that found their way into the bag.  Place chickpeas in slow cooker, cover with water, then cook on high for five hours until tender.

2.  Drain, and spread in a single layer on a cookie sheet(s) lined with paper towels/cloth.  Rub chickpeas gently to remove liquid, and pick out any skins that come off-- no need to skin them if the skins hold on.
*Suggestion 1:  1lb chickpeas = 2 full cookie sheets.  These need some elbow room.
*Suggestion 2:  Leave the chickpeas in a colander or on a cloth for a few hours/overnight... let evaporation do some of the drying for you

3.  Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Use the convection setting if you have one.  Line cookie sheet(s) with parchment paper and spread chickpeas on top in a single layer.  No need for oil or flavors yet... just chickpeas!  Place the cookie sheet in the over and set the timer for ten minutes.

4.  When the timer goes off, shake the pan, then put it back in the oven and set the time for another ten minutes.  Repeat two more times (a total of 40 minutes)

5.  After 40 minutes, the chickpeas should be nicely browned, and if you eat one, it should be crunchy all the way through, and not at all soggy.  If it's still not crunchy, try another five minutes before proceeding.

6.  And now... seasonings!  During one of the ten minute baking rounds, mix up seasonings in a bowl large enough to hold your chickpeas.  Here are some suggestions:

Spicy:  1/2 Tbsp (or more) Sriracha, 1 Tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp line juice 1/2 tsp sweet paprika, 1/2 tsp salt
Flavorful: 1 Tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp each smoked paprika and cumin, 1/2 tsp salt
Sweet: 2 Tbsp honey, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, 1/2 tsp salt
Sweet II: 1 Tbsp maple syrup, 1 tsp cinnamon sugar, 1 pinch cayenne pepper, 1 pinch salt
Tons of seasoning suggestions on the web... just make sure you dry roast them first following the instructions here to make them crunchy crunchy crunchy!

7.  Pour chickpeas into seasonings and mix until coated, then return the chickpeas to the oven (on the parchment covered cookie sheet) for another five minutes.  With wetter seasonings like the sweet combo above, you may need to make it ten minutes to bake the seasoning onto the chickpeas.  Keep an eye on them to ensure your creation does not burn!

8.  Important last step.... when done, turn off the heat and crack the oven door.  Leave the chickpeas in the oven until cold.  I don't know if this is necessary, but my chickpeas are awesome and I will continue to do it until someone tests it another way and tells me it definitely works :-)

When cool, store in a tightly covered container-- jar, glass bowl, plastic or whatever.  I understand these can be frozen also, but mine never make it that long.

Enjoy the deliciousness!


*chickpeas = garbanzo beans.  Same thing... main ingredient in hummus and falafel.  Sold canned or dried, in the grocery section with beans.  You'll need a larger and/or healthier store to find dried garbanzos.
** Post updated 3/30/14 to reflect that fact that drying these like crazy using tons of paper towels is not necessary is you follow the rest of the directions.  I did my last batch by defrosting cooked chickpeas for a few hours on the counter, then roasting them with nary a paper towel involved.  They came out great!

Credit to www.thehairpin.com for introducing me to the idea of dry roasting the chickpeas, and for the bones of the Sriracha Lime seasoning combo.

Food stuff and Marshmallow Treats

Like all families, we here at the Unwired Home have our food issues.  For the kids, food is truly fuel.    One of my kids requires a vast amount of protein to keep his mind and body in gear.  Huge amounts- he's a small kid and can out-eat me.  The other kid has a much slower metabolism and is less athletic.  While he wants to eat chocolate at every snack, a piece of fruit with meet his needs; for the high-metabolism child, protein is required in addition to the fruit.  As a family, we are big into 'five-a-day' fruits and veggies, as well as high fiber to deal with a gastrointestinal issue.

In our community, like in yours, there are folks with all kinds of food issues.  Some look like ours-- just preferences and lessons learned.  But some issues may be more critical, and even deadly.   Allergies to nuts, wheat and eggs.  Texture/food color issues.  Picky eaters.

Knowing that one of my kid needs protein, and both need fiber and healthy choices, I adapted the classic Marshmallow Rice Krispie treats recipe to fill a need (and a stomach).  This recipe has a good amount of fiber, is crunchy and gives them a reason to eat cereal, which they both love.

Nutty O's Treats
4 Tbsp butter
1 cup peanut butter
3 cups mini marshmallows
4 cups Os cereal
2 cups puffed rice cereal
3/4 cup peanuts
1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Over medium heat in a large pot (10+ quart size, which helps to contain the mess), melt the butter.  Add the peanut butter and stir until melted.  Add the marshmallows and reduce the heat, stirring until well combined.

Turn off the heat, and stir in the cereal, nuts and chocolate (this is where it gets messy).  Combine as best you can, then pour the whole blob into a 9x12 pan.  Press the blob into the corners to make the bars dense and to fill the whole pan.

Let sit for 30-60 minutes to cool, then turn onto a cutting board and slice into bars.

Substitutions:  Virtually everything in this recipe can be swapped out.  Try sunflower seed butter in place of peanut butter to eliminate an allergen.  Take out the chocolate chips to reduce calories.  Use a GF cereal if you are celiac or wheat-sensitive.  Use high-fiber cereal to amp up the fiber content.

Brown Sugar Maple Muffins

Wow, are these good?

How do I know?  Well, I bake muffins all the time.  Usually, I set them out to cool, pack them in containers or in the freezer, and never have any myself.  These though.....

Yum.  The kids now have one fewer muffin to eat.

The recipe is great as is (here)- I added 1 cup chopped walnuts for protein, but left the rest alone.  It makes for a lovely, neutral light muffin.  For more body, earthiness and oomph, I would suggest adding 1 tsp of cinnamon to the batter, along with the dry ingredients.  Maybe a little nutmeg too.

One other change... Every muffin recipe baked in my home prior to this one was put into the oven in standard metal muffin tins, lined with decorative cupcake papers.  Cute, but the cheap liners allow oil to seep through, so the design is never as adorable after you bake as before.  And I once had individual silicone muffin cups, but the fluting did not allow the baked goods to release cleanly.

Enter silicone muffin pans.

*Cue angels singing*

Fantastic.  No need to grease the pans, the the muffins nearly jumped out of their little muffin holes when cooked.

I highly recommend them-- I have a set similar to the link above, although I bought them at a garage sale for $5.  :-)

Classic Movies for every modern child

Mr. Unwired and I have been hosting movie night for our kids for over a year now.  For background, our kids are media deprived-- they don't have their own electronics beside e-readers, and they rarely are allowed to borrow ours.  No TV or Wii on school days, and little computer time unless for school.

Sad, isn't it?

So deprived.

Instead, they read, do puzzles, shoot each other (and us) with nerf guns, play card games, and fight, just like my brother and I did.  We lived.  And so will they.

But there came a point when we realized that their cultural education was lacking.  The media (mostly movies) they saw at camp or at their friends was G-rated dreck.  When the kids watched TV at home, they mostly saw science programming.  The kids weren't seeing any of the good stuff we watched as kids.

There are a ton of classics that are tame by modern standards, and a lot of fun to watch.  This way, we like movie night too!

Listed below are the movies through which we selected to warp our childrens brains educate our children, sharing the good stuff we watched as kids, and then some.  Most of these we streamed from Amazon or Netflix, and many are available free from the local library.

For a decent content review, check IMDB's parental reviews.  Many movies have a catalog of each bad word, sexual innuendo and aggressive moment.  If one isn't there, I can tell you that the movies we've watched might have some bad words (my kids know not to repeat them), mild violence (no spurting blood or gunfights) and a few sexual situations that are over the boys heads.

Classic Movies for every modern child:
Dr. Doolittle
Three Amigos
Young Frankenstein (pacing is slow, but funny)
Spaceballs (more bad words than I recalled, but really funny)
Superman
Batman (the original 1966 version.  Very campy!)
Harvey
Big (loved this one!)
Sandlot
Rookie of the Year
James and the Giant Peach
Bugs Life
Monsters Inc
Muppet Movie (I sang the entire movie, much to my kids chagrin)
Muppets Take Manhattan
Despicable Me
Hugo (beautiful!)
Back to the Future (kids loved this one!)
Ghostbusters (couldn't find streaming- we bought the DVD for $3 and have watched it many times)
Addams Family (a little too dark)
Puss In Boots
Ratatouille
Up
Wizard of Oz
Toy Story (and sequels)
Iron Giant
Finding Nemo
Shrek
Night at the Opera (Marx Brothers- humor was not inappropriate, but mature.  Kids still enjoyed it)
Night at the Museum 1 and 2 (excellent)
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
The Incredibles
Home Alone
Antz
Fantastic Mr. Fox
Tarzan
Megamind
Mrs. Doubtfire
A Bugs Life
Robots (one of the best we've seen!)

On our list to see:
Lion King
Spellbound
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
How to Train Your Dragon
Chicken Run
Babe
Hook
Aladdin


Add your own to the comments below!  We're always looking for more great movies to share.
Post updated 1/25/14

Mexican Pizza

My goals, of late, have not included blogging.  But when I go to the office, a certain co-worker notes that he's looking for more recipes.  He's gluten-free, so here's one for Tim!

Mexican Pizza.  We eat a lot of mexican food in our house.  What's not to like.... easy to prepare, easy to adjust for various tastes and dietary issues, and always delicious. 

I make a rolled taco dish that's delicious (here).  If you put them in a dish and covered them with salsa and cheese, you'd have enchiladas.  And in this variation, I make them open-face, and call them pizza.

I'm ready for my cheese!

Mexican Pizza
serves 4

4 flour tortillas (12" size or so)-- substitute 8 corn tortillas for a GF variation

8 oz refried beans (1/2 can)

8 oz canelli beans (1/2 can- can substitute another variety you like)

8 oz cooked meat-- left-over rotisserie chicken, ground beef, chorizo, vegetarian or skip all together

8 oz shredded cheese (mexican blend or your favorite)

Heat over to 425 degrees.  Lay tortillas onto baking sheets.  Divide the refried beans and spread over the tortillas.  Top with whole beans, then meat, then cheese.  Bake 10 minutes or until the tortillas get crunchy and the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Serve with guacamole, salsa, sour cream and any other mexican sides.

Note:  The extra 1/2 can refried beans will keep in your freezer.  Simply put it in freezer-safe container, and don't forget about it!

Thirsty Thursdays- Smoothies!

While I love to give my kids a choice of what to eat for breakfast (and have even developed a written menu of appropriate items), it's sometimes hard to make a decision first thing in the morning.   Once again, credit goes to my red-headed friend for the idea of themed breakfasts.

This blog's title ruins the surprise, so you already know that we have christened the day 'Thirsty Thursday'.  Here's how we make smoothies in my house:

Basic Smoothie Recipe
1 cup yogurt
1/3 cup milk
1 Tbsp cocoa powder
1 Tbsp chia seeds (undetectable, and good for protein, fiber and Omega 3s)

Then, choose from at least one:
7 frozen strawberries
1 frozen banana
1/2 cup frozen raspberries
or.... another frozen fruit?  Maybe mango or blueberries?

My $50, ten year old blender does not handle ice well, but works fine blending frozen fruit.  This recipe contains a serving of fruit, which is more than my kids get most mornings- yogurt and milk supply calcium and protein, the cocoa adds anti-oxidents... and it's yummy. 

Use whatever brand/flavor yogurt your family likes.  My kids prefer it with bananas; I've been told that if you use a dark colored fruit, like blueberries, you can also add powdered spinach in order to up your intake of leafy greens.  Like the flax seeds, the powdered greens don't add to the taste of the smoothie, but they do add to the nutritional content.

Drink up!

Dinner Man, two-week update

As outlined in this post, I've put an effort into letting one kid cook with me per night.  He is Dinner Man, and is responsible for measuring, cutting, mixing, cooking, setting the table, pouring drinks, etc.... including asking for help when needed.  The goal is for the child to do as much as he can solo.  I sometimes have to keep my hands in my pockets to keep from helping, but restraint is work it in the end when the kid is proud of his accomplishment.

In the two weeks we have followed this program, my kids have made:

Maple Corn Bread
Chicken Fried Rice
Totally Tubular Tortillas
Ham and Spinach Quiche, using this recipe and subbing 4 oz of rosemary ham for the bacon. 
Maple Glazed Chicken (Six O'Clock Scramble)
Bacon-Wrapped Chicken (Six O'Clock Scramble)
Pork Tenderloin

We even tried Breakfast Man, who made French Toast Casserole and Pumpkin Pancakes.

We're eating as well as ever, and the sanity level is (mostly) increasing.  I love spending one-on-one time with my kids.  They are learning valuable skills in prepping, cooking, and decision-making plus knife skills, how to turn on the stove, how to open a wine or beer bottle, and more.  Yes, my kids are seven- even I wouldn't teach a two year old how to turn on the stove- your mileage may vary and you must adapt to your situation/family.  But it really is more fun when you do the repetitive tasks with the kids, and they learn skills that are guaranteed to last a lifetime.

It can be hard to make this happen day in and day out.  My work schedule has been busier than usual this summer.  Sometimes the kid just didn't want to cooperate... he's too hungry/crabby/tired/argumentative from his day at camp.  We're also not sure how this will transisition to the school year, when I still have a busy work life, Mr. Unwired is also working full-time, the kids have homework and afterschool activities, etc.  Breakfast Man will be a way to catch up when we can't make dinner together, so we have a fall back plan already in place.    Stay tuned to see how I feel about this in another month!

Dinner Man!

Twins can be tricky.  They are all the fun of siblings, complicated by the fact that they are the same age, often the same size, might share the same friends, etc.  Then again, they could be easier than siblings... how would I know?  I've only done this once.

Mr. Unwired and I often talk about the ying and yang of twins.  When one eats a lot, the other one skips dinner. When one has a good day at school, we find that the other one spent time with the principal.  Stuff like that.

We found that to be the case at camp recently- one was a happy camper (!) while the other... well, not so much.  In reviewing the evidence from the administrators of the camp (as usual, the guilty party could not remember any of his transgressions), Mr. Unwired and I decided that the issue was a lack of empowerment.  Both kids needed more responsibility, not less.  And the kids needed a little space from each other so that they could act on that responsibility without friction. 

So we instituted the "Dinner Man" plan!  The boys trade off cooking dinner with me, while the other spends time with their father (playing, doing chores around the house, running errands, etc).  Yesterday, the Dinner Man helped me make Tubular Tortillas (featured here).  He'd helped with them before, but I gave him extra responsibility.  He also set the table, poured drinks for everyone and then led the rest of the family (eyes covered!)  to reveal the table. 

It was a huge hit- Mr. Unwired and I were truly impressed with all he could do, he was proud of himself, and we had a lovely meal.  Tonight, I cooked with the other child, and he did virtually everything for the main course except take the pan in and out of the oven!  It freed me to make the side dishes and relax; and like the previous night, Dinner Man got a much needed shot of self-confidence. 

We frequently don't know what our kids are capable of- its too hard to change our habits to incorporate the kids, too messy, or we're too tired to try, (fill in your excuse here _____________).  This exercise, and my reason for documenting it here, is to serve as a reminder that less isn't more.... More Is More, and letting our kids try new things is good for everyone.

Kid Cooler!

This is going to be so great!

Too many blog posts by too many total strangers said that this was an easy project.  So the Unwired Family went to Home Depot on a Friday afternoon, and spent $17 on PVC.  $10 for the long pipes, and $7 for joints, caps and a hose inlet.

Several blogs touted a need for a PVC cutter.  Mr. Unwired found that a hacksaw worked just as well.  If we didn't own the workbench, he would have cut the PVC in the miter box on the ground.  But this eliminated kneeling on the cement... and hey, it's not like the workbench gets out of the garage much these days.

So this is what we built.  It took 75 minutes, which included all the re-sketching (due to a lack of imagination on my part), plus a trip to the local hardware store for the 4 elbows we forgot to buy at Home Depot (adding $3 to our total, bringing it to $20 for the whole thing).  If we'd bought all the parts the first time, we could have had this done in an hour.

The design is simple- two arches with three braces to stand them up; The legs are capped with PVC caps (to hold the water in).  Each of the legs and the top is made of two 2 1/2 foot sections joined with a T-shaped joint; the braces are five feet long (uncut).  We used 3/4 inch PVC, although other blogs used 1/2 inch.  For inspiration, a more decorative version is here, while a simpler version is here.

We opted not to glue the joints.  I agreed with the ideas in this blog, where she says that the pieces hold together well without glue, and no glue makes it easier to (purposefully) take the thing apart to store it.

The magic of this is that Mr. Unwired used a 1/16th inch drill bit to put holes (11 in total) into the PVC structure, so that when the hose is connected and turned on just a teeny tiny bit, it sprays water...  like this:

The number of holes is important.... we started with just 3 and when the water pressure built up, the joints popped and the thing exploded!  It was fun to watch... the water simply needed more places to escape.  Physics, you know?  Eleven was our magic number- if you build your own design, drill carefully and slowly, because if you make too many holes you'll have to blast the water in order to keep enough pressure in the system, or add more PVC, or swap out the holey PVC for less perforated pieces... and that would slow down the fun!

The blog linked above referred to putting misters in the holes.  That would be awesome, but I haven't been able to find them.  The guys at my local hardware store said that I should look in the sprinkler supply section of a garden center.  Sounds like a worthy addition to the fun!

Without the misters, I looked high and low for something we already had on hand that could be added to the cooler.  Yes, you guessed it... those are paint rollers!  These rollers came our way when a friend moved to NJ seven years ago, so it seemed like a good bet to string these on one end of the cooler to bump and splash the kids.  Worked like a charm, for no extra $$$!

And here is the finished product, complete with kids playing in it! They had a blast, and we look forward to setting it up and soaking them again!

Oatmeal Coco-Nutters

A rare recipe that I made almost entirely following the directions, and only changing one or two ingredients.  I never do that! 

These fall squarely into the 'yummy little treats' category.  Not dense enough to be called fudge, not thick enough to be cookies.  Kind of candy-like.  And good, definitely good.   I clipped this recipe as a part of my effort to give the kids something sweet in their lunch.  Parents seem to fall to one side or another on the treats/sweets continuum.  My mother was definitely no sweets... it was a shock for me to learn later in life that she was once known for a fantastic cheesecake recipe!  I never imagined my mom could make something so indulgent?!  On the other side of the spectrum are the kids whose lunches had Twinkes, Ho-Hos and all other sorts of mass produced dreck.  Yes, I felt deprived that I had no dreck, and spent many an allowance on candy from the deli on Governor Drive. 

As a parent, I am trying to save my kids from the candy binges of my childhood.  I try to include some treat in their lunch each day.  Might be a Hershey kiss, or a few chocolate covered berries, or something.  I make a lot of healthy-ish cookies and muffins for this effort too.  Hey, I like to bake and it means I get to eat some too!

This recipe, clipped from the Washington Post is in that vein.  Its not healthy per se, but there are a lot of worse things out there.  Isn't that what parenting is about... steering your kids away from the worst stuff?  And one recipe makes a ton of these little treats.  The crumbs left behind are delicious served over vanilla ice cream.  Mr. Unwired made an emergency ice cream run last night so we could test that scientific theory.  'Anything for science,' we always say!

The original:  http://projects.washingtonpost.com/recipes/2010/12/08/oatmeal-coco-nutters/

Oatmeal Coco-Nutters
2 cups sugar
1 stick (8 Tbsp) butter
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup whole or low fat milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups rolled oats (not quick cooking)
Pinch salt (do not omit- the recipe needs this)
1 cup chopped toasted almonds (could substitute other nuts or dried fruit)

1.  In a saucepan, combine sugar and butter until the butter is melted, stirring occassionally.  Stir in cocoa powder and milk (warning-- hot sugar is extremely hot, so add liquid slowly or reduce heat first to keep it from spattering like crazy).  When combined, increase heat to medium high and bring to just under a boil, so it looks like bubbly brown lava.  Remove from heat after five minutes.

2. Stir in the vanilla, then let the mixture cool for five minutes.  Stir in salt, oats and nuts and mix until everything is coated in cocoa goodness.

3. Using two teaspoons or a small scooper like this, scoop small spoonfulls of the gooeyness onto wax/parchment lined cookie sheets.  Leave them as balls or lumps- flat pieces will crumble in the lunch box later.  They can be close together on the sheet, since they won't spread as they cool. 

4.  Place in the fridge to harden for an hour or so.  They can be stored at room temperature- I prefer to put them in a large Ziploc bag in the freezer- the extra chill time gives them a better chance to hold together before lunchtime.  Who am I kidding... they probably get eaten in the gym before school!

Choices

Chicken or fish? Paper or plastic? Life is full of choices, big and small, important and insignificant. Most of raising kids consists of making choice- their making choices on how to act, and my choices as to how to reacts. And so, as we transition into a summer that has less structure for the three school-year scheduled males in my family, I find myself reminding the kids that they are responsible for their choices. They, even at six years old, have choices to make and an abundance of free will. Speak in a normal volume in the house, or yell and scream? The first results in lots of family time and confirmation that you're on the right track. The latter... time alone in your room. Do your morning chores (get dressed, brush teeth, pick up your room, etc) or not? The first yields a sticker on the chart and money to use as you wish, while the latter gets no sticker, and thus, no money. Life has consequences, I've always said to the kids. Focus on what you want, and make choices that get you there.

Should be easy, right? Well, the gap here is that doing the right thing doesn't always get you the rewards, and breaking the rules doesn't always land you in hot water. Take speeding for instance... I drive over the speed limit a fair bit, but I don't get a ticket every time. Admit it, same with you, right? Speed cameras are increasing the number of times I get caught (bummer), but I still get away with it most of the time, accepting the occasional ticket-by-mail as they come.

By that same token, one of my kids seems to accept the consequences of his actions consistently. He is the only one who can control his behavior, and I've taken to reminding him that its his choice to comply or not. Even his teacher commented that unlike every other child she had taught for 15+ years, he was uniquely stubborn, and seemingly immune to consequences. He comes by it honestly- my mother told me this morning that my brother and one of her brothers (my uncle) were the same, often never getting to play with a new toy because it was always taken away for some transgression. While the historic perspective is helpful, I do wonder how this plays out in our modern world. My brother broke the rules in 1980s San Diego, and my uncle in 1930s Brooklyn. We're a long ways away from that in 2011 Northern Virginia.

The choice I've made is to try and relax and allow my kid to control his own destiny. He will make some poor choices, and I will be forced to let him suffer the consequences. And Mr. Unwired and I will hope that he learns to make better choices along the way, not crossing the line into territory that could affect his life in the long run. In addition, I hope he learns independence, self-sufficiency and the art of the calculated risk. As adults, my brother and our uncle are wonderful men and fathers, excellent businessmen and truly good people. There's no other outcome would I want more for my son.

Spinach Bacon Quiche, as prepared by child #2

After the success of the kid-prepared Mexican Casserole, a Spinach Bacon quiche was deemed the next item to be prepared by the shorter members of the household.  Before you think that spinach and bacon is something the little darlings thought up on their own and that I have the best eaters on the planet, I will concede that I have not totally brainwashed my kids when it comes to food (only partially).  The kids agreed to having spinach in their quiche after being reminded that they love spinach ravioli. After all, when slathered in cheese, spinach can be made into a very acceptable food.

In any case, this recipe was awesome.

The bones of the recipe came from the Moosewood Cookbook.  I don't own a copy, but I was served a delicious variation of it at a brunch and asked the host for the recipe.  Once obtained, I found a few recipes for spinach bacon quiche and adapted them using Moosewood as a guide.  My six year old son did most of the mixing/layering/combining and it was wonderful as I've written it here, from the first time we had it.

Spinach Bacon Quiche
1 9 inch prepared 9-inch pastry pie crust
1 1/2 cup grated gruyere cheese
1/2 medium onion, cut into small dice
8 oz frozen chopped spinach
1 Tbsp butter or olive oil
5  strips bacon, crumbled
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cup whole milk
3 Tbsp flour
1 pinch salt
1/4 tsp mustard powder

1. Heat oven to 375F.  Place pie crust carefully into pie pan.  Maneuver raw crust so there are no tears or gaps, and trim edges from the dish so there's nothing hanging over.

2. Sprinkle grated cheese to cover the bottom of the crust, then cover that with the crumbled bacon.  Set aside.

3. In a saute pan, warm oil/butter over medium heat.  Add onion, and saute until onions are soft, five minutes or so.  Then add spinach, and cook until the pieces are separate and there's no water left in the pan.  Should take about five minutes.  Set aside.

4. In a 4 cup measuring cup or bowl with a pouring spout, measure milk.  Add eggs, salt, flour and mustard powder, and beat with a fork or a whisk until small bubbles appear.  Thirty seconds or so is fine, no need to get the hand mixer.

5. Add spinach to the egg mixture, mix to combine, then pour into the crust.  Bake for 45-50 minutes, until eggs are set and cooked through.  Allow to rest five minutes before serving.  The quiche may not look dry, but when you cut into it there should be no seepage.

I served the quiche with cantaloupe, and white wine for the adults. Would have been a great brunch dish, or a good 'congrats on the baby' casserole.  Sub in turkey bacon for non-pork consumers.

Update:  I have successfully substituted 4oz deli ham for the bacon; it saves a step in cooking the bacon.  And it's good!

Lost Child

I subscribe to a blog called 'Free Range Kids'.  The premise is that the world is not an evil place, all strangers are not molesters, and that maybe our parents were on to something when they sent us out to play unsupervised and told us to come home when it got dark.  As I read this blog, I try to find ways that my kids can be more independant.  Inside the house, that's a challenge as I am, admittedly, a bit controlling.  I have a hard enough time letting go so Mr. Unwired (a grown man with pretty good judgement and the ability to find my misplaced cell phone every single time I lose it), can do the laundry.   What exactly can I expect my six year old boys to do?

The answer is PLENTY.  One used the bathroom by himself at a major league baseball game.  He was so thrilled by his newfound freedom that he went 4 times in 3 innings :-).  I'm teaching the boys to cross the street by themselves so they can visit our favorite neighbor.  Little things.

Already, this new-found responsibility  and good judgement has paid off.  We went to a local farm to pick strawberries, about 30 miles away.  While at the general store, we used the bathrooms, and then one of my kids walked outside the building, parallel to our course inside the building.  At the next junction, he wasn't there.  Mr. Unwired and I calmly looked for the child for about 5 minutes, before alerting the staff that we couldn't find him. Logically speaking, we knew he hadn't been kidnapped or anything, but where could he be? The staff hadn't read the blog and they went immediately into panic mode,  which amped up our emotions. Realizing that this wouldn't help, I went towards the car to clear my head. And there was the missing child, standing next to the car, quietly waiting to be found.  I hugged him, then walked back to the store to call off the dogs.  I reminded Mr. Unwired to applaud the kids' thought process, and NOT to say that we were scared or worried for him.  This was a victory for the kid, and I wanted him to revel in his good judgement, and not to be burdened with an illogical adult sense of fear and trepidation.  I'm very proud of my boy... and I'm confident that he will always find his way home.