Um, no.
Not so much.
In fact, it can be downright mellow.
ZZZzzzzzzzz...
Monday, May 31, 2010
Ship of Dreams...
Um, no.
Not so much.
In fact, it can be downright mellow.
ZZZzzzzzzzz...
Menu Monday
Monday: Grilled cheese sandwiches, bananas
A hit. Of course.
Tuesday: Pasta with oven-roasted tomato sauce, green beans
They liked the pasta better than the beans, no surprises there. Dominic refused the beans altogether, but they all (including him) wolfed down enough pasta to ingest a decent amount of roasted tomatoes, onions, and garlic.
Wednesday: Roast chicken, potatoes, cooked carrots
As you know by my update, we had pasta with ratatouille puree. They all loved it.
Thursday: Bean burritos, cucumber salad
Friday: Basil coconut chicken, rice, corn
A hit. Of course.
Tuesday: Pasta with oven-roasted tomato sauce, green beans
They liked the pasta better than the beans, no surprises there. Dominic refused the beans altogether, but they all (including him) wolfed down enough pasta to ingest a decent amount of roasted tomatoes, onions, and garlic.
Wednesday: Roast chicken, potatoes, cooked carrots
As you know by my update, we had pasta with ratatouille puree. They all loved it.
Thursday: Bean burritos, cucumber salad
Friday: Basil coconut chicken, rice, corn
Recipe: Moroccan Couscous and Chickpeas
This was popular with all of them. The littlest ones enjoyed eating the small assortment of chickpeas, apricot bits and chopped raisins I put in front of them, which enabled me to pop in mouthfuls of couscous between. The others ate everything, all by themselves. Owen declared that he loved it.
This dish is so naturally sweet, I could see eating it for dessert, or bringing it to a brunch instead of a fruit salad. Oh, and it's from Chef at Home, my new cookbook!
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons of oil
1 onion, minced
a few cloves of garlic, minced (I used 4)
1/2 teaspoon each of ground cinnamon, ground cumin, ground coriander, powdered ginger
one 19-oz can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed well
1 cup couscous
1/2 cup each of raisins and apricots
(The recipe has you use whole raisins, and apricots cut in strips. I cut them finer for the little ones' safety.)
2 cups orange juice
zest and juice of one lemon (I didn't use zest, because I don't like it.)
1/2 cup slivered almonds (I skipped this.)
Handful of chopped cilantro. (We were out, so I didn't.)
Method:
Saute onion, garlic and spices in large saucepan over medium-high heat until everything is heated through.
Add chickpeas, couscous, raisins, apricots, orange juice, lemon zest and juice. Bring everything to a simmer, then reduce heat to low, just enough to maintain the simmer. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and continue cooking until the couscous is tender and the liquid has been absorbed, about 15 minutes.
Turn off the heat and let sit for another 5 minutes or so before serving. Fluff with a fork, put into serving bowl, garnish with almonds and cilantro.
Can be eaten hot or cold.
This dish is so naturally sweet, I could see eating it for dessert, or bringing it to a brunch instead of a fruit salad. Oh, and it's from Chef at Home, my new cookbook!
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons of oil
1 onion, minced
a few cloves of garlic, minced (I used 4)
1/2 teaspoon each of ground cinnamon, ground cumin, ground coriander, powdered ginger
one 19-oz can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed well
1 cup couscous
1/2 cup each of raisins and apricots
(The recipe has you use whole raisins, and apricots cut in strips. I cut them finer for the little ones' safety.)
2 cups orange juice
zest and juice of one lemon (I didn't use zest, because I don't like it.)
1/2 cup slivered almonds (I skipped this.)
Handful of chopped cilantro. (We were out, so I didn't.)
Method:
Saute onion, garlic and spices in large saucepan over medium-high heat until everything is heated through.
Add chickpeas, couscous, raisins, apricots, orange juice, lemon zest and juice. Bring everything to a simmer, then reduce heat to low, just enough to maintain the simmer. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and continue cooking until the couscous is tender and the liquid has been absorbed, about 15 minutes.
Turn off the heat and let sit for another 5 minutes or so before serving. Fluff with a fork, put into serving bowl, garnish with almonds and cilantro.
Can be eaten hot or cold.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Mud Puppies
Inspired by another local caregiver, Brenda, we decided that, in keeping with our theme of "SPRING!", we would bring water to the park and make mud. Yes, there is lots of mud down by the river, but a) it's by the river and b) it's very... muddy. THIS is nice, clean mud. Sandbox sand turned damp.
Owen's strategy is to put some water in the bucket, then to pour sand on top, until water becomes ooze becomes mud becomes ... sand. Which leaves one wondering what the point of the endeavor was. But he was having fun! And engrossed! Look at the intensity:
Milan had a slightly different technique, stopping when it was sufficiently mold-able to be decanted into a variety of other containers. Here, we are making egg-cup mud-balls.
Willa and Dominic were interested, sorta...
Dominic certainly enjoyed the feel of the goopy wet stuff in the buckets.
And the way the globules flew through the air when he waved his hands? THAT was definitely interesting!!
Though I suspect Milan preferred Dominic's preferred activity: gnawing on the sand toys.
And where is Willa? Well, after an exploratory feel of the mud, she really wasn't all that interested. This pole, however, offers a certain scope for play. First, you can get yourself UPRIGHT with a pole, and upright is a Good Thing...
And secondly, you can play PEEK-a-boo with Ilona (and that wonderful camera).
We called it a Successful Outing.
Owen's strategy is to put some water in the bucket, then to pour sand on top, until water becomes ooze becomes mud becomes ... sand. Which leaves one wondering what the point of the endeavor was. But he was having fun! And engrossed! Look at the intensity:
Milan had a slightly different technique, stopping when it was sufficiently mold-able to be decanted into a variety of other containers. Here, we are making egg-cup mud-balls.
Dominic certainly enjoyed the feel of the goopy wet stuff in the buckets.
And the way the globules flew through the air when he waved his hands? THAT was definitely interesting!!
Though I suspect Milan preferred Dominic's preferred activity: gnawing on the sand toys.
And where is Willa? Well, after an exploratory feel of the mud, she really wasn't all that interested. This pole, however, offers a certain scope for play. First, you can get yourself UPRIGHT with a pole, and upright is a Good Thing...
And secondly, you can play PEEK-a-boo with Ilona (and that wonderful camera).
We called it a Successful Outing.Thursday, May 27, 2010
Recipe: Maraq
Maraq (pronounced MUH-rak) is a dish from Somalia. Most of the group had three and even four helpings of this. Even the ones who never go past one helping (of anything but KD, ahem), finished it with a decent amount of enthusiasm. The recipe comes from the cookbook "Extending the Table". I may have tweaked it a bit to suit my family, I can't remember. This is what's on my recipe card, at any rate.
Ingredients:
1 onion
1 lb stewing beef
2 large tomatoes
1 cup cubed squash
1 small zucchini
3 carrots
1/2 cup tomato paste (I don't always add this; I didn't this week)
1 cup water
1 green pepper
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon cumin
3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro
another cup of water
Method:
1. Sautee onions in large pot. Add beef and brown. (Don't hurry this. The browned beef really adds richness to the flavour of the stew, particularly if you're going to finish the dish in a slow-cooker!)
2. Add chopped tomatoes, cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
At this point, you can dump this and all other ingredients into a slow-cooker and cook on low for 6 - 8 hours, making sure to scrape up and include any crusty bits from the bottom of the pot. If using a slow-cooker, you may not need the second cup of water.
If using the stove-top:
3. Add squash, zucchini, carrots, tomato paste and a cup of water. Turn to high and boil for two minutes.
4. Add remainder of ingredients and simmer till meat and vegetables tender, about 1 hour. (It can be cooked much longer, if you don't mind very soft vegetables, but it can't really be cooked less than an hour.)
It freezes very well, too!
Ingredients:
1 onion
1 lb stewing beef
2 large tomatoes
1 cup cubed squash
1 small zucchini
3 carrots
1/2 cup tomato paste (I don't always add this; I didn't this week)
1 cup water
1 green pepper
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon cumin
3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro
another cup of water
Method:
1. Sautee onions in large pot. Add beef and brown. (Don't hurry this. The browned beef really adds richness to the flavour of the stew, particularly if you're going to finish the dish in a slow-cooker!)
2. Add chopped tomatoes, cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
At this point, you can dump this and all other ingredients into a slow-cooker and cook on low for 6 - 8 hours, making sure to scrape up and include any crusty bits from the bottom of the pot. If using a slow-cooker, you may not need the second cup of water.
If using the stove-top:
3. Add squash, zucchini, carrots, tomato paste and a cup of water. Turn to high and boil for two minutes.
4. Add remainder of ingredients and simmer till meat and vegetables tender, about 1 hour. (It can be cooked much longer, if you don't mind very soft vegetables, but it can't really be cooked less than an hour.)
It freezes very well, too!
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
It's a Fluid Term at Two
Sharing.
They're pretty good at the receptive aspect of sharing, but the giving side is ... more of a challenge.
"He's not sharing with me!" (Or often, to my amusement, "at" me.) What it usually means is that Child A is not forking over any and all toys demanded by Child B. Immediately. And forthwith.
So we learn nuances of sharing. How sharing involves take AND give, how you can ask for something, and then have to wait a bit. We learn various techniques of sharing: the art of suggesting a trade, or taking turns or (oh, happy day!) playing TOGETHER with the item.
"He's not sharing with me!" Milan is indignant. "Ilona, Owen is not sharing with me." With Milan, I suspect it's a matter of Owen not complying with hisdemand request immediately and forthwith. Though, it is just possible that Owen has snitched one of Milan's toys and is refusing to give it back. This has been known to happen.
I look up from my task of "helping" Dominic return the forty gazillion toys he has dumped from the bins onto the dining room floor. It only took him 3.8 seconds. The boy gets more efficient by the day!(You may note, when you come in this evening, that the toy shelves are no longer in the dining room. It's a temporary measure, but, I assure you, essential.)
I look up, and I am confronted with this:
Milan is mildly offended by my shout of laughter. (I often offend the boy in this way. I just DO NOT take things seriously enough. It's most exasperating.)
"Milan, you nutbar, (This does not cause offense. He smiles, hopefully.) "You can't even hold the toys you've got. I don't think you need any more." (He scowls, reprovingly, then scrambles to pick up a dropped toy.)
"If Owen (now it's Owen scrambling to pick up escaping toys) wants to trade with you, he might do that, but I really don't think you need any more toys."
They look at each other. You know, sometimes Ilona is singularly unhelpful.
"Go play, silly boys." I ruffle their hair, one hand on each blond head... and cause a cascade of toys to the floor.
The boys look at the heap of toys at their feet, then plonk their butts down on the floor and play. With all the toys. Together. Sharing, even!
I wish I could say I had anything to do with that...
They're pretty good at the receptive aspect of sharing, but the giving side is ... more of a challenge.
"He's not sharing with me!" (Or often, to my amusement, "at" me.) What it usually means is that Child A is not forking over any and all toys demanded by Child B. Immediately. And forthwith.
So we learn nuances of sharing. How sharing involves take AND give, how you can ask for something, and then have to wait a bit. We learn various techniques of sharing: the art of suggesting a trade, or taking turns or (oh, happy day!) playing TOGETHER with the item.
"He's not sharing with me!" Milan is indignant. "Ilona, Owen is not sharing with me." With Milan, I suspect it's a matter of Owen not complying with his
I look up from my task of "helping" Dominic return the forty gazillion toys he has dumped from the bins onto the dining room floor. It only took him 3.8 seconds. The boy gets more efficient by the day!(You may note, when you come in this evening, that the toy shelves are no longer in the dining room. It's a temporary measure, but, I assure you, essential.)
I look up, and I am confronted with this:
Milan is mildly offended by my shout of laughter. (I often offend the boy in this way. I just DO NOT take things seriously enough. It's most exasperating.)
"Milan, you nutbar, (This does not cause offense. He smiles, hopefully.) "You can't even hold the toys you've got. I don't think you need any more." (He scowls, reprovingly, then scrambles to pick up a dropped toy.)
"If Owen (now it's Owen scrambling to pick up escaping toys) wants to trade with you, he might do that, but I really don't think you need any more toys."
They look at each other. You know, sometimes Ilona is singularly unhelpful.
"Go play, silly boys." I ruffle their hair, one hand on each blond head... and cause a cascade of toys to the floor.
The boys look at the heap of toys at their feet, then plonk their butts down on the floor and play. With all the toys. Together. Sharing, even!
I wish I could say I had anything to do with that...
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Menu Monday, Tuesday Edition
Tuesday:
MACARONI AND CHEESE!!!!
(Do I need to tell you it was greeted with great -- one might even say excessive -- enthusiasm? Four bowls all round.)
Wednesday:
Maraq -- a beef vegetable stew from Somalia, seasoned with ground cumin and fresh coriander.
Thursday:
Ratatouille; southwestern black bean chili
Friday:
Couscous salad. (Made with chick peas, raisins and dried apricots)
MACARONI AND CHEESE!!!!
(Do I need to tell you it was greeted with great -- one might even say excessive -- enthusiasm? Four bowls all round.)
Wednesday:
Maraq -- a beef vegetable stew from Somalia, seasoned with ground cumin and fresh coriander.
Thursday:
Ratatouille; southwestern black bean chili
Friday:
Couscous salad. (Made with chick peas, raisins and dried apricots)
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Definition of Unselfconscious
Willa decided to take her airy self to visit the wilting one.
(Love the slippers! Leaving them on proved to be a strategic error, though, one I really should have predicted.)Eliana seems to be enjoying her visitor au natural. (Even though, the moment before I snapped this picture, Willa had just bopped her in the forehead with that plastic toy in her right hand...)
They're so cute!
To Eat or Not to Eat
"I refuse to fill him up on nothing but snacks, even though he is a skinny-minny*!"
Now THAT's a smart woman.
Toddlers are exceedingly skilled at setting up -- and winning -- power struggles. The power struggle over food is so common as to be close to universal... and yet it is one that you absolutely don't have to lose. You can win it, and you can win it without pleading, coaxing ("Just one more bite, sweetie"), or tantrums. (Child or adult!)
The key is neatly summed up by Ellyn Satter, in her Division of Responsibility for Feeding:
Parents decide what, when, and where to eat.
The child decides how much, and (this is the tough part for many parents) even whether to eat.
You provide a variety of healthy food, in the setting of your choice, at times of your choosing. Your child eats it. Or not.
As Ellyn suggests, I put very small portions of a new food on a child's plate. A tablespoon, a teaspoon... a single pea. (Really. I have done that.) Ellyn suggests offering the suspect food often enough (15 - 20 times) that it becomes familiar and will eventually get eaten, to offer it along with other foods you know the child likes, and leave it up to the child when they brave that first bite. This is precisely what I do with children up to the age of two-ish.
After that? When the refusal to eat is nothing about food and everything about Power Struggles? Well, I'm sure Ellyn's method would work if all parties were applying it consistently, but when it becomes a power struggle, I confess my own impatience. I want this fixed, and I want it fixed quickly, and so my preference at this point is for a more streamlined approach.
When I present a new food to a two in the throes of the power struggle stage, though I do it (as Ellyn suggests) in a low-key, cheerful and matter-of-fact way, that new food will be all that is on the plate. The expectation is that the child will ingest that small portion of the new food before anything else is offered.
If they refuse, that's fine. They get to decide whether to eat, after all. "Okay, I guess you're not hungry," I chirp, and lift them down from the table. "Away you go and play."
Should they meander round when the next, potentially more appealing course appears, they will be welcomed back to the table. And be given that damned pea again. Yes, everyone else has macaroni and cheese now, and Mr/Ms "I'm Not Hungry" has the same tiny portion of That Suspect Food Which is Probably POISON.
It isn't very long before they realize that it's simpler just to try whatever it is, so they can move on to the Good Stuff. It probably won't happen the first time, and maybe not the second or third, but get there they will. And very often, once the Suspect Food makes it into the mouth, they discover it's NOT poison after all! (In fact, I'd go so far as to say they make this discovery EVERY time!!!)
That's how I do it, anyway. There are variations, all effective, but at the core of all successful parents, parents who end up with two- and three-year-olds who'll try just about anything... is the willingness to let their child choose NOT to eat.
Because hunger, it's a huge motivator. It won't hurt your child to choose to be hungry once in a while, but it will hurt them to learn that they can ward off hunger with a steady diet of white bread, raisins, and pasta.
And in letting your child choose not to eat, you are giving them control. (Ironic, isn't it, that in letting go of that particular power struggle, you are handing the reins of control over to the child!)
*Oh, and he's not skinny. He's just healthy. And maybe small-boned. :)
Now THAT's a smart woman.
Toddlers are exceedingly skilled at setting up -- and winning -- power struggles. The power struggle over food is so common as to be close to universal... and yet it is one that you absolutely don't have to lose. You can win it, and you can win it without pleading, coaxing ("Just one more bite, sweetie"), or tantrums. (Child or adult!)
The key is neatly summed up by Ellyn Satter, in her Division of Responsibility for Feeding:
Parents decide what, when, and where to eat.
The child decides how much, and (this is the tough part for many parents) even whether to eat.
You provide a variety of healthy food, in the setting of your choice, at times of your choosing. Your child eats it. Or not.
As Ellyn suggests, I put very small portions of a new food on a child's plate. A tablespoon, a teaspoon... a single pea. (Really. I have done that.) Ellyn suggests offering the suspect food often enough (15 - 20 times) that it becomes familiar and will eventually get eaten, to offer it along with other foods you know the child likes, and leave it up to the child when they brave that first bite. This is precisely what I do with children up to the age of two-ish.
After that? When the refusal to eat is nothing about food and everything about Power Struggles? Well, I'm sure Ellyn's method would work if all parties were applying it consistently, but when it becomes a power struggle, I confess my own impatience. I want this fixed, and I want it fixed quickly, and so my preference at this point is for a more streamlined approach.
When I present a new food to a two in the throes of the power struggle stage, though I do it (as Ellyn suggests) in a low-key, cheerful and matter-of-fact way, that new food will be all that is on the plate. The expectation is that the child will ingest that small portion of the new food before anything else is offered.
If they refuse, that's fine. They get to decide whether to eat, after all. "Okay, I guess you're not hungry," I chirp, and lift them down from the table. "Away you go and play."
Should they meander round when the next, potentially more appealing course appears, they will be welcomed back to the table. And be given that damned pea again. Yes, everyone else has macaroni and cheese now, and Mr/Ms "I'm Not Hungry" has the same tiny portion of That Suspect Food Which is Probably POISON.
It isn't very long before they realize that it's simpler just to try whatever it is, so they can move on to the Good Stuff. It probably won't happen the first time, and maybe not the second or third, but get there they will. And very often, once the Suspect Food makes it into the mouth, they discover it's NOT poison after all! (In fact, I'd go so far as to say they make this discovery EVERY time!!!)
That's how I do it, anyway. There are variations, all effective, but at the core of all successful parents, parents who end up with two- and three-year-olds who'll try just about anything... is the willingness to let their child choose NOT to eat.
Because hunger, it's a huge motivator. It won't hurt your child to choose to be hungry once in a while, but it will hurt them to learn that they can ward off hunger with a steady diet of white bread, raisins, and pasta.
And in letting your child choose not to eat, you are giving them control. (Ironic, isn't it, that in letting go of that particular power struggle, you are handing the reins of control over to the child!)
*Oh, and he's not skinny. He's just healthy. And maybe small-boned. :)
Monday, May 17, 2010
Mother's Day Gifts in Process
You've all received your gift, so now I can show you how they were created. Take a couple of cups of Epsom salts, and add four or five drops of essential oil. (Ours was rosemary. I went in intending to purchase something floral, but the rose oil was close to $50 for a tiny bottle!! Um, no.) And then you stir.
Add food colouring of your choice, another 4 or 5 drops. Owen wanted green, Eliana and Milan both chose red. We counted our drops very carefully. And then stir some more.
When the colour is mixed in sufficiently, you smooooooth the salt onto cookie sheets to dry overnight. This is supposed to prevent clumping. What it did do was have my entire kitchen REEKING of rosemary to such an eye-watering extent that I feared even five drops had been too much.
The next day, we decanted the bath salts into the jars. Happily, the scent appeared to have dissipated to an acceptable level of intensity.
We really liked using the funnel.
There you go! An easy craft for toddlers, and more useful than abunch of twisted pipecleaners bouquet of flowers or a glob of lop-sided clay trinket tray!
Add food colouring of your choice, another 4 or 5 drops. Owen wanted green, Eliana and Milan both chose red. We counted our drops very carefully. And then stir some more.
When the colour is mixed in sufficiently, you smooooooth the salt onto cookie sheets to dry overnight. This is supposed to prevent clumping. What it did do was have my entire kitchen REEKING of rosemary to such an eye-watering extent that I feared even five drops had been too much.
The next day, we decanted the bath salts into the jars. Happily, the scent appeared to have dissipated to an acceptable level of intensity.
We really liked using the funnel.
There you go! An easy craft for toddlers, and more useful than a
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Menu Monday
Monday:
Creole Rice. (Rice with beans and vegetables, and mild Cajun spice.)
A workaday food. They all ate their single helping with neither complaint nor comment.
Tuesday:
Beef Stew with biscuits; cooked carrot sticks
They loved it. Three helpings for Eliana and Milan, two for Dominic and Willa, and one good-sized helping for Owen.
Wednesday:
Rice and Dahl; salad
Thursday:
Veggie Burgers; salad
Friday: Tabouli; grilled cheese sandwiches
Rebekah bought me a new cookbook for Mother's Day! So many new recipes to try! Monday's and Friday's meals come from other sources, but all others are from my new book.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Mischief
No, that's not toilet paper he's playing with. Willa's parents will recognize it. The stuff holds unbound fascination for both she and Dominic. (Though I think Dominic's parents can tell by the look on his face that he knows he's not supposed to be playing with it...)
The answer was 'no', of course, but I made sure to get a couple of pictures first! (Parenting Tip #28463, if you didn't know it already: Make sure you take pictures of mischief at least half as often as you take pictures of sweet. They're the ones that will get the laughs down through the years.)
"Diaper liners? Who, me?"
But isn't it FUN? I mean, just look at the way it drapes! May I please keep playing with it?
The answer was 'no', of course, but I made sure to get a couple of pictures first! (Parenting Tip #28463, if you didn't know it already: Make sure you take pictures of mischief at least half as often as you take pictures of sweet. They're the ones that will get the laughs down through the years.)
Monday, May 10, 2010
Menu Monday
Monday: Turkey stew
They all liked it.
Tuesday: Couscous and veggies in a savoury chicken broth. (Really? It's a do-over of the turkey stew, only with no turkey, and with the addition of couscous and more vegetables.)
No one disliked it. No one seemed enamoured, either. A workaday, unexceptional meal.
Wednesday: Banana-black bean salad (more sweet than hot)
I lied. It was quite a bit hotter than I expected it to be. I gave them each a mouthful and let them tell me if they wanted more. None of them did. So we had tri-colour fusilli cooked in home-made chicken stock, with a pureed vegetable and Parmesan cheese sauce. They LOVED it. (Pasta is so easy!) Though Owen was a teeny bit disappointed it wasn't macaroni and cheese, he still managed to devour two helpings.
Thursday: Stuffed peppers, corn saute
Friday: Spaghetti and meatballs. (The meal my family's eating on Thursday, which I am not serving to your children, is mushroom ragu. Mushrooms are pretty universally loathed in this group of tots. I just don't think I'll do that to them... :) )
They all liked it.
Tuesday: Couscous and veggies in a savoury chicken broth. (Really? It's a do-over of the turkey stew, only with no turkey, and with the addition of couscous and more vegetables.)
No one disliked it. No one seemed enamoured, either. A workaday, unexceptional meal.
Wednesday: Banana-black bean salad (more sweet than hot)
I lied. It was quite a bit hotter than I expected it to be. I gave them each a mouthful and let them tell me if they wanted more. None of them did. So we had tri-colour fusilli cooked in home-made chicken stock, with a pureed vegetable and Parmesan cheese sauce. They LOVED it. (Pasta is so easy!) Though Owen was a teeny bit disappointed it wasn't macaroni and cheese, he still managed to devour two helpings.
Thursday: Stuffed peppers, corn saute
Friday: Spaghetti and meatballs. (The meal my family's eating on Thursday, which I am not serving to your children, is mushroom ragu. Mushrooms are pretty universally loathed in this group of tots. I just don't think I'll do that to them... :) )
Friday, May 7, 2010
Teeeeamwork!
The bin of blocks is just a little too heavy and cumbersome for one, but it's easy with two! Milan appears to be thoroughly enjoying the experience.
Owen was, too. Too bad about that blink...
Owen was, too. Too bad about that blink...
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Sharing, Sharing, Sharing
"I am playing with it!"
"He won't share the pillow!"
"I neeeed it!"
"He's not sharing at me!"
Our favoured method of sharing is the Two Minute Technique: "You can have it in Two Minutes!", which means "A short period of time." Sometimes I actually set a timer, but not often. Today, however, I decided the better strategy was not taking turns, but playing together. At the same time.
Because, really, this pillow is in fact large enough for TWO heads.
Oh. Well, then. This is much more relaxing.
This isn't so bad now, is it?
Hardly. In fact, it's probably MORE fun with two!
Exactly! Hold that thought, boys.
The more people, the more fun. Sharing often works that way. A good life lesson.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Menu Monday, May 3 - 7
Monday: Spinach pie and broccoli
NOT a hit. The babies uniformly hated it. They opened their little birdie mouths... and the return trip was direct, quick, and very efficient. Phbhbhbt... We will wait a couple of months before we try it again.
Tuesday: Jambalaya (made with chicken, not shrimp), oatmeal bread
Enjoyed by all.
Wednesday: Toad-in-the-hole, cooked carrots
Some of them liked it all. Milan eats the pudding but not the sausage; Eliana eats the sausage but not the pudding.
Thursday: Macaroni and cheese, cucumber salad with yogurt-cilantro dressing
Everyone likes mac and cheese! That was the easy part. The cucumber salad was eaten, but not with the same gusto. That's okay.
Friday: Quiche, lentil-beet salad
Here's a surprise for you: They liked the lentil-beet salad better than the quiche! (You know what? So do I!)
NOT a hit. The babies uniformly hated it. They opened their little birdie mouths... and the return trip was direct, quick, and very efficient. Phbhbhbt... We will wait a couple of months before we try it again.
Tuesday: Jambalaya (made with chicken, not shrimp), oatmeal bread
Enjoyed by all.
Wednesday: Toad-in-the-hole, cooked carrots
Some of them liked it all. Milan eats the pudding but not the sausage; Eliana eats the sausage but not the pudding.
Thursday: Macaroni and cheese, cucumber salad with yogurt-cilantro dressing
Everyone likes mac and cheese! That was the easy part. The cucumber salad was eaten, but not with the same gusto. That's okay.
Friday: Quiche, lentil-beet salad
Here's a surprise for you: They liked the lentil-beet salad better than the quiche! (You know what? So do I!)
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Lentil Curry
Ingredients:
oil
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp minced ginger
1 - 2 teaspoons curry paste
1 pepper (red or green, doesn't matter)
2 chopped tomatoes (or 1 cup canned diced)
1 - 2 cups chopped vegetables (cauliflower, zucchini, eggplant, etc)
1 cup cooked lentils
1 cup light coconut milk
1 small tart apple
2 cups spinach, coarsely chopped (I forgot to add this to the curry that Eliana enjoyed so much.)
(chopped peanuts to garnish. I didn't put these on, obviously.)
Method:
Sautee onion in oil for 2 - 3 minutes, then add ginger and garlic for another minute.
Add slower-cooking vegetables and curry paste. Cook a few minutes.
Add faster-cooking vegetables and lentils. Cook a bit more.
Add tomatoes and cook till most of the moisture is gone, then add coconut milk and the apple. Simmer five minutes, then add the spinach, cooking until it wilts.
I also added a half-cup of currants this time (which were a big hit), and, as noted above, omitted the spinach. Because I used uber-hot Thai chili sauce (rather than the milder curry paste), I muted the heat for the kids with pretty close to a half-and-half mix of plain rice and curry. The curry wasn't really that hot, but I thought I'd err on the side of caution when feeding it to them the first time. Eliana, original spice girl that she is, opted to skip the rice. In all three bowls. :)
oil
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp minced ginger
1 - 2 teaspoons curry paste
1 pepper (red or green, doesn't matter)
2 chopped tomatoes (or 1 cup canned diced)
1 - 2 cups chopped vegetables (cauliflower, zucchini, eggplant, etc)
1 cup cooked lentils
1 cup light coconut milk
1 small tart apple
2 cups spinach, coarsely chopped (I forgot to add this to the curry that Eliana enjoyed so much.)
(chopped peanuts to garnish. I didn't put these on, obviously.)
Method:
Sautee onion in oil for 2 - 3 minutes, then add ginger and garlic for another minute.
Add slower-cooking vegetables and curry paste. Cook a few minutes.
Add faster-cooking vegetables and lentils. Cook a bit more.
Add tomatoes and cook till most of the moisture is gone, then add coconut milk and the apple. Simmer five minutes, then add the spinach, cooking until it wilts.
I also added a half-cup of currants this time (which were a big hit), and, as noted above, omitted the spinach. Because I used uber-hot Thai chili sauce (rather than the milder curry paste), I muted the heat for the kids with pretty close to a half-and-half mix of plain rice and curry. The curry wasn't really that hot, but I thought I'd err on the side of caution when feeding it to them the first time. Eliana, original spice girl that she is, opted to skip the rice. In all three bowls. :)
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