peek a blog

A peek Into My Kitchen: Baked Broccoli and Cauliflower with Cheese Sauce

This is a reworked version of a great recipe that I saw on the Monsters and Munchkins blog.  Totally irresistible--I served it with baked potatoes for a sinfully rich, filling yet veggie-filled dinner!

Baked Broccoli and Cauliflower with Cheese Sauce

I medium/large head of cauliflower

I medium/large head of broccoli

1 c milk (skim or low fat work just fine)

a couple of handfuls of grated cheddar cheese (about 1-1 1/2 c)

3 Tbsp flour

2 Tbsp butter

~1/2 cup corn flake crumbs or panko

1/2 tsp mustard powder

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Cut broccoli and cauliflower into florets and chop stems into bite size pieces.  Steam until just tender.

Dump cooked vegetables into a large baking dish (Pyrex is good) coated with non-stick cooking spray.

Melt butter in a medium saucepan. 

Add flour and whisk until smooth. 

Slowly add milk, continuing to whisk until sauce is smooth and thick. 

Add about a cup of the grated cheese.  Cook for about a minute, until fully incorporated (do not stop whisking or you will have a burnt and gooey mess!)

Pour sauce over vegetables.

Sprinkle mustard powder and cheese over the top.

Sprinkle crumbs over cheese.

Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes until bubbly and browned.

A peek Into My Kitchen: Sweet Potato Soup with Orange Juice and Ginger

This soup is so super simple and yummy that it has become a staple in my house--it is also very filling-- enough for a meal if you serve with a salad, a light sandwich or some cut up vegetables.  To convert the recipe from a soup to a vegetable side dish or baby food, simply add less liquid so that the puree is a thicker consistency.  Use more or less ginger, and add optional red pepper flakes according to your personal taste.

You can serve the soup hot or cold, though if you serve it cold you may want to thin it down further with a little bit of milk or cream.

 

 

Sweet Potato Soup with Orange Juice and Ginger

~ 6 medium sweet potatoes/yams (+-3lbs), baked

2 cups orange juice (freshly squeezed is better, but a carton will do just fine)

1-3  Tbsp grated fresh ginger

optional: dried red pepper flakes, to taste

1 1/2 c heavy cream or milk

 

To bake sweet potatoes: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Wash sweet potatoes, pierce in several places with a fork or a sharp knife, wrap in tin foil and bake for about 1 hr (more or less depending on size.)

 

When sweet potatoes are done and cool enough to touch, peel them and puree them in a Cuisinart or blender.

Stir the orange juice, ginger, optional red pepper and cream into the puree. Add the ginger and pepper flakes. Simmer over low heat for 15-20 minutes. If you don't like ginger fibers in your soup, you can strain them out using a sieve.

 

 

Strange Birthday Fellows--50th B-day for Fisher-Price's Little People and Mattel's Barbie!

I have actually never been a fan of Barbie, but I did feel a twinge of guilt when I opened a post about Little People after having let Barbie's actual birthday go by with nary a shout out.

I was never a fan of Barbie, much preferring to play with my stuffed animals than to bond with any particular plastic figurine or doll.  Though I clearly didn't have a formulated feminist objection to Barbie as a kid, something about her never quite sat right with me.  One can't, however, ignore her effect (both positive and negative) on female images in pop culture and in the way that our children see the world.  For an interesting read, check out the original 1959 story from Playthings magazine detailing Barbie's introduction to the world (to those who do read the article, let me know what you think about Mattel's choice to launch so many different kinds of toy shooters at the same ToyFair!)

Fisher-Price's Little People, on the other hand, have always been a presence in my life--starting with my beloved Sesame Street play family set and Farm that my son loves to play with at Grandma's house.  Though I definitely have a strong preference for the old fashioned, noise-free Little People toys (a couple of which are being relaunched for the 50th birthday), most of these toys are foolproof ways to put a smile on any toddler's face and keep them entertained for a while. Check out Fisher-Price's 50th birthday page for events, limited special promotions and a pretty cool historical timeline of the Little People toy line.

Diaper Bag Essentials Made Easy with Me4Kids--Giveaway!

Since I got my first purse in elementary school, I have always been one of those people who likes to carry around 'a little bit of this and a little bit of that'...that being everything that I have an inkling that I might possibly need throughout the course of the day.  Needless to say, this skill/neuroses with packing a purse has translated nicely into a generally overstuffed diaper bag.

When I heard about the great little recycled plastic kits made in the USA by Me4Kidz, I knew that they could be the solution to both my need to always be prepared as well as a fix for my too-heavy diaper bag.  I received samples of both the Medibuddy and the Diaper Bag Buddy and was impressed with both of them--a bunch of essentials packed into a hard plastic case about the size of the one that I use for my eyeglasses.

The Medibuddy contains a bunch of cool latex free crayon bandages and smiley face stickers,in addition to gauze,  a sting relief pad, antiseptic towelette, burn gel and antibiotic ointment. The Diaper Bag Buddy contains sample sized pouches of organic and all-natural moisturizer, diaper rash cream, aloe vera gel, shampoo and conditioner and wipes, in addition to a single-use thermometer and latex-free mini bandages.  Though the sizes of each essential are pretty tiny, refill kits are available for both kits, and you could most definitely refill them with your own stuff.  My biggest problem with the kits was that the cases were pretty tough to open.

Do I think that either one of these kits will totally solve my diaper bag dilemma? Nope, certainly not.  However, for those days when I just can't get all of my essentials together, as a really airtight backup plan to have in my bag at all times or for those times when I am forced to carry a smaller bag--I think these are really great.  They would also make a great gift for a frazzled new parent who hasn't yet figured out what s/he needs to pack.

You can feel good about spending your hard earned cash on these because, in addition to being assembled by the disabled, 10% of the about $20 cost goes to rehabilitate disabled people in need.

To get more specific pricing info and to find out where you can buy these great little kits, go to www.me4kidz.com .

Leave a comment with your best diaper bag related story to be entered into a drawing for a free Diaper Bag Buddy kit courtesy of Me4Kidz (US only)!

A peek Into My Kitchen: Super Easy Wilted 'Chinese' Vegetables

Except for the chopping involved (which you can easily do the night before and store in the fridge), there is so little work involved in making this that it's ridiculous.  Serve with brown or white rice for a fast dinner that's cheaper and healthier than takeout!

Super Easy Wilted Chinese Vegetables

4 cups shredded napa cabbage (about one cabbage)

~5 cups mixed cut up vegetables (I like carrots, shitake mushrooms,bok choy, and scallions--but you can also add broccoli,other mushrooms, celery etc) cut into 1/4 pieces. (No need to measure your vegetables--should be a pile slightly larger than the shredded cabbage.)

1 14.5 oz can baby corn, drained and cut in quarters lengthwise

I 8 oz can bamboo shoots in water, drained

Optional protein: seitan, frozen shelled edamame

1/4 cup dry sherry

1/4 cup soy sauce

 

Toss vegetables in a wok or frying pan with sherry and soy sauce. Cover and steam for about 15 minutes--until cabbage is wilted and harder vegetables (such as carrots) are tender but still crunchy.

 

 

Dapper Snappers is giving away 38 FREE samples!

I love love love this product--do not miss your opportunity to get a free sample with coupon code 38freesamp! Check out my review from November here. For your sample (all you pay are the shipping and handling charges) go to:

http://toddlertechusa.com/product.sc?categoryId=5&productId=45

 

Working Up the Courage to Tell a Toddler about the Death of a Pet. RIP Aristophanes.

As I write this, I am still somewhat in a state of shock.  My beloved pet dwarf rabbit, Aristophanes, whom I bought as a present for myself about 11 years ago right after I took my GRE exams, died late this morning.   He has been such an ever-present part of my daily life for so long, that I can't quite wrap my head around not having to feed him and change his cage tomorrow morning.  Though he has had a variety of health problems over the past few years, he always seemed to bounce back until this morning, when he just got too sick to recover.  He was a generous bunny until the very end, dying on his own about ten minutes before my husband arrived at the Vet so that he could hold my hand while I had him euthanized.  Not forcing me to have him euthanized was truly a tremendous gift.

Of course, as with all things in the last almost-three years, a very important piece of dealing with this loss is how it will impact my son.  Being a particularly sensitive child, he was very worried when he saw what Aristophanes looked like this morning saying to him "Rabbie, run and jump with Ian!"  I asked my mother to come pick Ian up from our apartment and take him to music class, so that I could take the rabbit to the vet to see if anything could be done for him to either heal him or make him more comfortable.  As we rode down in the elevator, Ian pet the rabbit's fur through the carrier and asked me twice to open it so he could see him again.  I told him that the rabbit might be so sick that I wouldn't be bringing him home from the vet.Though I know that I shouldn't, I feel a little bit guilty for my response when Ian asked me to open the carrier so that he could see him again in the lobby--I unthinkingly said, "I can't open it in the lobby, the rabbit might jump out." When we parted ways on the street, I told my son to wave to the rabbit and say goodbye.  He smiled his most winning toddler smile and said "By Rabbie! Rabbie go to vet!"

Later in the day, when Ian didn't venture into the part of the apartment where the rabbit lived, I chickened out and completely avoided the issue.  I am now sitting at my computer dreading the conversation that I know must take place first thing tomorrow morning.  Part of our morning routine has been feeding and medicating the rabbit together, and, if the cage has needed cleaning, having my son watch the rabbit jump around to make sure that he didn't get into any trouble.  The routine being shifted will not go unnoticed.

So, though my own common sense and philosophies of child rearing have given me a pretty good idea of what I'm planning to say, I did a quick internet search to see what some of the child development experts out there have to offer on this subject.  Much too much, it seems. 

The most succinct suggestions that i found were a list of Six Do's and Don'ts for explaining pet loss to children on petplace.com:

1. Be open and honest

2. Make sure your child understands what "dying means" (i.e. pet is not coming back)

3. Let your child discuss their feelings about the loss

4. Show your own feelings

5. Tell your child's teachers about the loss

6. In the case of euthanasia, don't put the blame on the veterinarian

Other interesting articles that I have read tonight include one on babyzone.com, which suggests that you celebrate the pet's life with your child and not rush to remove all traces of the pet from the household right away.  Amusingly enough, the article to which I turned first, at the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry,  offered very little in terms of suggestions--only listing the various emotions that a child might feel.

As I sit here quietly grieving, I am pretty much as sad about the fact that my happy-go-lucky toddler has to share this loss as I am about the loss of Aristophanes himself.  I am not looking forward to our necessary conversation tomorrow, not am I truly comfortable about having to explain death to my child.  Clearly, though, this is a case of 'it is what it is" and we'll see how I muddle through.

A peek Into My Kitchen: Mommy's Hamantaschen

Hamantaschen are a traditional triangular cookie eaten on the Jewish holiday of Purim--and are said to recall either the three-cornered hat (or ears) of Haman, the villain in the Purim story.  Though many people refer to them as Hamentaschen both in singular and in plural, Hamentash is the correct word for one of these delectable cookies.  They can be filled with everything from various fruit preserves, to chocolate chips  or, the more traditional poppy seed (which, for ease, comes in a can.)  I have never been a great fan of poppy seed. My favorite filling has always been apricot--so I have included that one along with a prune version--but the sky's the limit to your creativity! (Just stay away from fillings that are too thin or runny, as they will leak out of the corners of your cookies.)

These are the lightest and flakiest Hamantashen you will every taste!

This recipe can be doubled (or tripled) to make as many as you need, and freezes very well so you can make them in advance.

The only special equipment you will need is a 3-inch round cookie cutter (or glass) and a rolling pin.  My moms's directions call for a food processor, but you can definitely make it by hand with a little bit more elbow grease--you will not, however, get the satisfaction of seeing all of the ingredients magically turn into a ball of dough.

Your child will love to play with this smooth and squishy dough and help with cutting circles and pinching the corners of the triangles even if you have no connection to the holiday of Purim.

Mommy's Hamantaschen

makes about 36 smallish cookies

Ingredients:

3 c flour

1/2 c sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 c frozen margarine

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 Tbsp water

Directions for making dough:

 Combine dry ingredients in bowl of processor. Pulse processor three or four times. Cut margarine

into tablespoons and add to flour mixture. Pulse several times until mixture resembles small crumbs.

Beat egg with vanilla and two tablespoons water.

Turn on processor and pour liquid through feeding tube. Dough will form in less than a minute. Add one tablespoon more water if mixture seems too dry.

Scrape dough onto a sheet of waxed paper. Wrap well and chill several hours or up to two weeks.

To make the cookies themselves:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Bring dough to room temperature.

 Sprinkle flour on a flat surface (a clean counter or marble slab works perfectly!)

 Divide dough in thirds.

Take one portion and roll out until it is about 1/8^th inch thick. Cut into circles with cookie cutter.

Place about 1 teaspoon desired filling towards the top of the circle. Fold over the top and two sides to form a triangle. Pinch corners together and place carefully on a greased cookie sheet (or one covered with parchment paper.)

Repeat process until all the dough has been used. Combine scraps and roll again to produce a few more hamantaschen.

Before baking, seal corners by pinching them together with water. Bake 10-12 minutes or until hamantaschen are very lightly browned.

Cool completely before eating or freezing.

Apricot Filling:

1 lb dried apricots

1/2 cup sugar

Soak dried apricots in water for 15 minutes before pureeing them in a food processor with  sugar.

Prune Filling:

1 lb pitted dried prunes

1/4 cup orange juice

grated zest from 1 orange

Soak  prunes in water for 15 minutes before pureeing them in processor with orange juice and rind.

A Low Key Exercise Video for New Moms...Minimal Coordination Required

I have never been particularly interested in watching exercise videos...and definitely not the least bit interested in actually working out to one.  I much prefer the sweat-free zen of doing laps in a swimming pool to doing any sort of activity that involves sweat.

When I heard about the Lullaby Exercises DVD createdby Darcy Novo Albrecht 'Chief chick of chicks-n-chickens, a former gymnast, choreographer, cheerleader and advertising executive turned stay at home mom, I was immediately drawn in by her concept.  The segments on the DVD are each designed to work on a specific area of a new mom's body while supporting her baby in a sling...giving her the chance to bond with her baby and even lull him or her to sleep.

Since baby #2 is not arriving for a couple of months, my toddler and I sat down and watched the DVD together.  We both liked listening to Darcy's directions (she not only designed the program, but leads a cross-section of normal looking women and their babies in all her exercises on the DVD) and agreed that she was chatty without being too annoying (in my son's words, "Nice mommy with babies!") The exercises also were generally moves that I could actually picture myself doing without falling over or turning myself into a pretzel--basically all ritualized versions of all of the dance moves that many parents instinctively do with their babies in their arms or in a sling to calm them down.  Even though I wasn't particularly in love with the country-esque soundtrack by Lisa Phenix, I would definitely try this DVD again with our new baby because all of the positives outweigh my feelings about the music.

The CD/DVD combo pack is available for about $15 on their website at www.chicks-n-chickens.com and I've also seen it available at Amazon.com.

Are Forward Facing Strollers Affecting Language Development?

When I had to choose a stroller before my son was born, I immediately gravitated toward a stroller (our eventual choice was the Bugaboo) which would let me look at his face as we strolled around...and when most of my friends had already switched their children's stroller seats to the forward facing position, my son and I both resisted for quite some time despite being mocked mercilessly and harangued by others that I was impeding his social development by not facing him out into the world.  I still can't imagine why, given a choice, any parent would prefer not to be able to directly engage with their baby instead of staring at an inexpressive back of a head. 

Once my son was old enough to swivel his head from side to side, he was able to interact with both me and with the world at large even though the bulk of his body was still facing me.  I absolutely loved seeing his every reaction to the world around him as well as listening and taking part in his constant baby babble...and I only switched him to the forward facing position once I was pretty sure that that's what he wanted (or when my husband insisted, I can't remember which happened first)    Even now that he is 32 months old, and  he's been forward facing for quite a while, I still often miss having him face me...particularly when I have to stop in the middle of the street to try to figure out what sort of muffled missive he is telling me.  I still keep trying to come up with some kind of rear-view mirror (like the ones for car seats) that might make conversation with my forward-facing child somewhat easier.

According to the preliminary research done by a team commissioned by the British National Literacy Trust (as described in an article in the New York Times), when given the opportunity to try out strollers which faced both in and out, Mothers talked and laughed withtheir 9-24 month olds twice as much during a 15-minute walk in a stroller in which their child was facing them as they did when their baby was in a forward facing stroller.  Is it any great surprise that a caregiver interacts more with a baby whose reactions s/he can see?! As to whether or not this type of on-the-go interaction has anything to do with actual language development, the jury's still out.