No Rest For The Weary

I'm on no sleep!! (hollered in a crazy, Kramer- from- Seinfeld way!) I wish I were kidding. The truth is, I haven't slept through the night in ummm....over four years. Am I alone?? First, I was pregnant and uncomfortable, awakening to pee every five minutes. Then, I had the little bugger and was up nursing, changing diapers and consoling a fussy, teething baby for the next couple years then decided to do it all over again. Now, as I struggle with my son awakening every single night, I wonder...will I ever get a good nights sleep??

Sure, I coddled my kids a bit and co-slept much longer than I "should" have. But regardless of the quality of your nighttime slumber, do us moms ever actually feel rested? Between work, keeping up with household chores, cooking, staying on top of your kid's activities, and maintaining a relationship with your hubby, I dare say, there are very few opportunities to just rest. I'm going to admit, I take complete advantage of life's little loopholes to recharge my ever fading, always low batteries. A kid getting sick and lying on the couch all day or your hubby working late mean mommy gets a break. I take those quiet times and just...sit. Or read a magazine. Or take a freakin' shower! 

You should too. If not, you will experience a nasty little condition I like to call "mommy burnout", you know, the one where you feel like you can't get out of bed, can't make it through the day without large amounts of caffeine and in general feel like you can't go on, like you are wearing cement blocks? Oh, wait. That's me. Every day. Ok, I guess something has got to give. You may not be able to actually sleep, but resting does a lot for the weary. My life usually feels like the movie "Groundhog Day", where I awaken to the same day over and over and over...Make a meal, read a book, take someone pee, give a bath, put to bed...repeat. That's it. And you can never push pause. Sigh.

But when given the chance to take a little break, don't fill it with catching up on laundry or cleaning the bathroom. Catch up on that TV show, read a chapter of that book you've been meaning to finish or just...rest. Lay on your bed with your eyes closed, in case you've been wondering what that foreign word meant! Here's to taking it easy and taking a breather- you deserve it!



Mac 'N Cheese, Please!!

I'm all about doing things the easy way so of course, that includes one of our family favorites, macaroni and cheese. It's a delicious, quick meal that can be made simply or gourmet, depending on how much time and energy you have. Oh, and did I mention the best part? It's really cheap. A large, I'm talking LARGE batch of this cheesy champion costs around six dollars to make. It yields so much, in fact, that I usually split it and stick half in the freezer for a rainy day. Sure, you could just whip up a box of Kraft, but this is truly just as easy. Now, I'm not hating on Kraft. My kids are Kraft snobs. Half the time, they even prefer it over mine. "It tastes homemade-y" has actually been uttered at the dinner table with disgust. However, if you want to cut down on salt, preservatives, and the amount of red dye 40 your child ingests, then read on.
With just a handful of ingredients, you can bring a hot, healthy meal to the table in no time. With a few swaps like whole-grain pasta instead of macaroni and the addition of veggies or chicken, this meal can actually become a healthy one. If you just don't want to mess with the tried-and-true traditional style, more power to you! Throw some fruit on the side and you'll be good to go. Here's my oh-so-simple recipe for a palate pleaser!

1 12 oz. box macaroni
1 8 oz. carton half and half or heavy whipping cream
1 8 oz. bag shredded sharp cheddar
salt

Cook macaroni and set aside. In saucepan, bring half and half or heavy whipping cream to low boil. Stir in cheese, reserving about 1/4 cup for top, until incorporated and add salt to taste. Place in baking dish and top with remaining cheese. Place under broil until cheese is melted. Enjoy!

Chili Diaries

When I think of a meal fit for a crowd, for a cold day or for a Crock-Pot, I think chili. It's versatile, easy and delicious, not to mention inexpensive to make. Although we've had a wicked heat wave here in so-cal, I recently made a big batch this week on a karate night. For some reason, it feels like we are always running late and the last place I want to be is in the kitchen cooking a big meal when we are rushing. So I turn to my friend, the Crock-Pot. I usually go for a homemade chili with a combination of chili beans, kidney beans and black beans with lean ground turkey. This is an easy go-to and when served with corn bread, hot dogs, or chips and cheese, makes a hearty meal. There are so many different recipes to play with and although I rarely take the time to make it, my favorite is white chicken chili with navy or cannelini beans. It's a little more time consuming as you have to roast or boil and shred chicken. But in my opinion, it's the best. So when I saw a canned version by Hormel, I had to try it.
Normally, I'm not a big fan of canned chili with meat as you never know how fresh or how high the quality of meat will be. This was made with chicken breast so I gave it a whirl and it did not disappoint. Flavorful, meaty, and with just enough kick, it was a great meal with the addition of tortilla chips and shredded cheddar.
So go on, give chili a chance. Whether homemade or canned, just double-check your ingredients and if you can, buy an organic or all-natural canned version to cut down on fat, preservatives and additives. And if it's homemade, even better. Play with your proteins and flavors and have fun with it. What's your favorite chili recipe?

Idle Hands

We've all heard the expression "idle hands are the devil's workshop" and it rings especially true for kids. Ignoring them when you're on the phone, for example, can lead to some pretty nasty consequences. Half the time, I feel like kids act out for attention and half the time I think they are just...bored. I'm lucky my daughter is OCD when it comes to drawing. It is an outlet for her that allows her to expend some of her creative energy and keep her mind sharp. She will sit at the kitchen table for hours drawing and making books. I often joke that you take the girl's pen and paper and you take the air from her lungs. But nothing can keep a child from misbehaving for long. If they need attention they will get it somehow. Here's where the sensory tub comes in. I had been wanting to make these for a long time and found a few great ideas online.
There are so many different ways to construct a sensory tub. It's a basic concept: fill a box, let them play. You can use materials you already have around the house and supplement with inexpensive toys and favors from dollar stores. The priciest part of the box is the "filler", the rice, pasta, sand...etc. that fills most of your container.The beautiful thing about this project is, you can't go wrong. Little hands love and actually need to dig, measure, sort and sift. Their senses are still developing and the process of play stimulates different areas of their brains.
So let's get started! I began using large plastic containers I already had. I made identical boxes for each of my children, hoping they wouldn't fight over them....a girl can dream, right? I chose to use macaroni for my filler. I dyed mine but you can totally use it uncolored. It's just fun to have a variety of colors in the box...more on that in a minute. I perused Target and let my kids grab a few trinkets from the party favor section: beaded necklaces, plastic rings, and an assortment of plastic creepy crawlers. You can go to town with themes too although I just kinda let the kids grab whatever. Some fun themes would be: A beach box with sand, shells, rocks...etc. or an outdoor theme with plastic Easter grass as filler and plastic bugs. Like I said, the possibilities are endless!
So I started by dying the macaroni as it would take about an hour to dry. I bought four boxes of macaroni (12 oz. each) and dyed half to give the tub contrast. For two boxes of macaroni, you'll need a large zip-top bag, parchment paper or waxed paper, a cookie sheet, food coloring, and hand sanitizer (hand sanitizer?? yes, the alcohol is the magic ingredient here.) Pour your macaroni (you can also do this with pasta or rice) into the bag, squirt a few drops of food coloring and a few drops of hand sanitizer in the bag and "massage" the bag, mixing everything together. Pour out onto cookie sheet lined with the parchment or waxed paper and allow to dry about an hour. You can also do smaller batches of assorted colors. Once dry, fill container with macaroni and trinkets. Give your kids tweezers, shovels, spoons...whatever you have lying around that they can dig with. Using the smaller tools allows them to hone their tactical skills and work those fingers! Hopefully your children like this activity as much as mine did and I hope you get a little quiet time out of it too!!

Macaroni with food coloring

Drying...

                                                             Ahhh...peace and quiet!!

Here are a few more resources for sensory tubs:
http://www.notimeforflashcards.com/2012/07/messy-sensory-tubs-for-kids.html
http://pinterest.com/kiboomu/preschool-sensory-tubs/

Beans, the Luscious Legume

Looking for a sweet treat?? Look no further than...a can of beans? Yea, that's right. The humble cupboard staple is back in a big way. From chilis to dips and everything in-between, beans are an awesome source of protein, are inexpensive and super versatile. Need proof? Check out this yummy recipe from my in-house pastry chef, Ellen (oh, and she also happens to be my sister!) When she e-mailed me this recipe for a white bean cake, I'll admit, I was less than thrilled to try it. She's a vegetarian. I had my doubts. But let me tell you, it's amazing with a capital A!! I know, I roll my eyes too when I see recipes suggesting apple sauce or yogurt to cut calories in a dessert. Just give me the good stuff! But she's my sister, so I had to try it and boy, am I happy I did.
This cake is light, fluffy and oh-so-sweet. I promise, if I didn't tell you the beans were there, you'd never know. By blending them into a paste, they incorporate beautifully into the batter and allow for a soft, spongy texture. The beans do cut the calories by replacing extra butter or oil you would need to achieve the melt-in-your-mouth quality of this cake. I added poppyseeds cause that's how I roll, but you can play with this as it's a basic batter. Cinnamon, nuts, or chocolate chips would make great additions. It makes a generous bundt so don't make it unless you:
 a) are planning to have company over or
 b) are like me and have no shame finishing a cake on your own
Try it and let me know what you think!

(Adapted from Everyday Food Jan/Feb 2012)

 3 cups all-purpose flour
 1 tablespoon baking powder
 1 teaspoon baking soda
 1/2 teaspoon salt
 1 can (15.5 ounces) cannellini (white) beans, rinsed and drained (you can also use garbanzo beans)
 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
 2 cups granulated sugar
 2 large eggs
2 large egg whites
 1 cup buttermilk (I used milk, didn't have buttermilk...was too lazy to go back out!)
 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
 1/2 teaspoon pure lemon extract (optional)
 1 lemon zested
***Additional add-ins of your choice...poppyseeds, for example!
 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a bundt pan and set aside.
 In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
 Add beans to the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade attachment. Whip until beans are almost to a smooth puree. It’s ok if there are some beans that are not completely pureed. They’ll be well incorporated once they are beaten with the butter and sugar. (I mashed with a fork!)
 In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add butter, sugar, lemon zest, and bean puree. Beat on medium until butter and beans are well incorporated, about 3-5 minutes. It might get watery at this point, but keep going. Add eggs, one at a time. Beat in vanilla and lemon (if using).
 Add the dry ingredients in two stages. First half, then all of the buttermilk, then the last half of the dry. Make sure it's all mixed in, using a rubber spatula if neccesary.
Spoon batter into prepared pan. Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the cake come out clean. This cake gets really dry if overbaked, so if in doubt, take it out.
 Remove the cake from the oven. Allow to rest in the pan for 20 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely.
 Top with an easy lemon powdered sugar glaze and you're set! (or just powdered sugar like I did!)

                                                                 Perfect with coffee!!

$2 to Heaven

It's hot again...surprise, surprise. Towards the end of last year, I was so happy that we Californians had experienced what felt like the first proper winter season in a while. It rained amply and stayed colder longer than it had the last few years. So now it's time to pay the piper. Summer came with a vengeance and I am OVER it. For a girl who longs for fall all year long, eager to carve pumpkins, pick apples and pull the sweaters out of mothballs, California mocks me long past Thanksgiving. It takes a while for it to cool down after the long, hot summer and then doesn't last long...which brings me to my point. Mommy needs a Diet Coke. And possibly a cookie.
So today, as we sit in our 82-degree house, I need a little break. The thought of dragging the kids to the car and sitting in what feels like unbearable heat almost makes me perish the thought but I press on. The $1 Diet Coke at Mickey-D's is too eniticing. Cold, refreshing carbonation and caffiene calls to me! And cookies are 3 for a $1, so how can I pass 'em up? There are THREE of us, after all. It only makes sense. I'm a mom on a mission (and a budget) so this fits the bill on all counts. What are your go-to's when a little break is calling?? Stay cool ;)

Cinnamon Rolls for the Soul

To start the school day right, I made cinnamon rolls with my kids yesterday. It was not only a sweet and satisfying breakfast, but it started the day fun and let's face it, was as much for me as them. I can't think of a better way to start the day than with sugar and caffiene. Donuts, pancakes, croissants, muffins...you name it, I want it. I have very few vices people, and those top the list! The kids, still in their jammies, got to sit up on the counter and help me mix, shake and roll. As they tasted along the way and got cinnamon and sugar all over, I realized that we were baking not only a delicious treat, but memories as well. These are the things I want my kids to remember when they are grown. Sure, I could make it a lot easier on myself and let them sit in front of the TV so I could cook in peace but what's the fun in that? I'm all about doing what's better for them, not easier for me...most of the time. So as the dough was resting, we got ready for the day and before I knew it, the time had come to pop those suckers in the oven. Yes, you could buy the dough already made or just use a canned cinnamon roll, but there is just something about the flavor of homemade dough that tastes...homemade!
I checked out different recipes but ultimately decided to adapt a recipe I use often for bread and adjust accordingly. It's tried and true so why mess with it?? This breakfast is definitely not healthy, but when made yourself, I guarantee has A LOT less sugar and fat than store bought versions. If you give your kids a small serving with some fruit, yogurt or a side of bacon or sausage, you've served up a yummy, guilt-free breakfast for all. I know I sure didn't feel bad scarfing three of these bad boys!
Our first day of pre-school at home was a little shaky. Logan whined for attention while Jovie struggled to focus on my spelling and math lessons. I'll admit, I attempted using Boggle as a means for learning spelling and it was a bit of a flop. Letters were thrown by Logan and the kids each hoarded a pile, thinking it was a challenge to see who could hide the most from Mommy. It wasn't perfect but I know it will continue to get easier and easier. If nothing else, at least our day started with a sweet breakfast and a little quality time as well. Keep making those memories and let your kids help as much as you can handle...I know, the messes drive me nuts too!
Cinnamon Rolls
Dough:
1 cup warm water
1 envelope active dry yeast
3 tbsp. oil
1 tbsp. sugar
2 1/2 cups flour, plus more for dusting
1 tspn. salt
Filling:
1 tbspn. cinnamon
4 tbspns. sugar
2 tbspn. butter
1/4 cups pecans (optional)
Icing:
1 cup powdered sugar
1-2 tbspns. milk
Mix water and yeast in a bowl and let stand a minute. Add remaining dough ingredients until combined then knead on counter until ball forms. Place in greased bowl and cover. Let sit about an hour, or until doubled in size. Roll out into a 1/4 in. square, covering surface with butter, cinnamon/sugar and nuts. Roll and slice into ten pieces then place in baking dish. Bake at 350 ° for about 25 minutes, until cooked through. Mix powdered sugar and milk to make thick icing and pour over hot rolls. Enjoy!