The Lesson of the Stinky Cat House

Our first morning in our current town was met with my husband stating emphatically that we were going home to Utah. I tried to put on a brave face, told him to go to school, and that it would be better by the time he came home. These statements were brought on by our first view of our new home- now  known as the "Stinky Cat House".

Food and feces on the walls and an unbelievable stench were among the charming qualities of our new abode. We found out that there were cats living in the crawl space (hence much of the stench) and when we asked our landlord about removing them, she said she liked them there to control the mice. Ugh. Well, 15 hours later- thanks to some wonderful women from our church and my mom and dad- our apartment was... umm, clean enough to consider living there =)! The whole time we lived there I was still concerned that it was a health hazard.

We moved to this little town in Colorado so that my husband could go back to teaching. This made for a tight budget, as his annual salary was going to be about half of what it had been. We also have a Great Dane- so the stinky cat house was our only option at that time.

Now I sit writing this in a comfortable, charming home in a pretty neighborhood and wonder. Do I still remember? Do I remember how happy we were in that nasty place? Do I remember that it is not things that are important but people? Do I spend my time focusing on those around me or on making my home just so?  Do I remember how much I have?

Because what I learned in that place was that we were probably the happiest we have ever been. Our home was full of people we loved. We had many kind friends and loads more time to spend with each other. And most importantly, in our humble circumstances, we could feel the Lord's presence as we became people that were grateful for very small things. We also became so grateful for and accepting of service from others.

So stinky cat house, I am grateful for you. But I'm so thankful to live somewhere else =)!

Fun memories of our Stinky Cat House days!

When Mac n' Cheese is a Food Group

For my Isaac, mac n' cheese is a food group. I just couldn't handle feeding him that very frequently though- no fiber or vitamins to speak of and processed. So here is what we frequently have for lunch...

 (borrowed pic- will put in my own when my computer is fixed =))

Quick Homemade Mac n' Cheese

2. cups high fiber pasta (like Barilla Piccolini)

1 Tbs. Butter

1 Tbs. flour (I use all purpose unbleached)

1 C. milk

1 C. grated Extra Sharp cheese

1/4 tsp. salt ( I use kosher.)

4-6 oz. pureed carrot or sweet potato

Pepper to taste

Cook your pasta according to package directions- usually 7-8 minutes. While your pasta is cooking start your butter melting over medium heat in a sauce pan.  When butter is melted add your flour and stir over medium high heat. This will make a thick paste called a roux. Add your milk to your roux and wisk together. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring continously, for about a minute. Take off heat and add cheese- wisk until cheese is melted. Add salt and pureed veggies. Add sauce to pasta- mix well and serve.

Tips:
~ I have found that the extra sharp cheese makes a big difference. If you do not have extra sharp you could try adding more cheese to increase the cheese flavor.
~ The pureed vegetable gives the sauce a nice orange color and if you use the extra sharp you can't really taste it.
~ You can add some peas or broccoli by simply throwing it in with your pasta the last three minutes of cooking, but sometimes my kids balk at this. Some days it's OK with them =).
~I usually roast a sweet potato in my oven and then puree it with a little water. It's pretty easy just to toss one in the oven for an hour and they peel so easy after they are roasted. You can also use a pack of baby food.

Mmmmm, Pasta...the only way my kids (and my husband) will really eat spinach

My husband served a mission for our church in Rome, Italy. After two years there he was in love with the people and the food. Needless to say, when we got married he was a much better cook than I was! Well, after almost thirteen years of practice, I think I can finally make some good pasta sauces. Ones that, hopefully, even an Italian would eat!

I love to make this sauce for my kids because it is so great for you! Real pics are coming when I get my computer back.

Very Veggie Red Sauce

1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil

2-3 cloves garlic

1 14 oz can diced or whole tomatoes (pureed)

1 c. finely shredded carrots

1 c. very finely chopped spinach

1/4-1/2 tsp. red pepper flake

3/4 tsp. kosher salt

Warm oil in pan on high, add garlic and 1/4 tsp of the salt. Sweat the garlic until soft and then add pureed tomatoes, shredded carrot, the red pepper flakes, and the last half tsp. of salt. Let simmer. After about 10 minutes, blend with an stick blender. (If you don't have a stick blender you could cool slightly and then use your blender or food processor.) A minute or two before your pasta is done add your spinach and continue to simmer. Toss with hot pasta and top with shredded parmesan.

Tips:

~ Don't skimp on the oil. I really mean a half a cup. When red sauces don't taste right it's usually because there isn't enough oil. Besides think of all those healthy fats!

~ You can use iodized salt instead of Kosher if neccesary. Kosher salt is uniodized and coarser ground. You can find it by the regular salt in most grocery stores.We find that we prefer the Kosher salt- tastes less bitter.

~Chop the spinach very fine if you have children. Very, very fine. Many less complaints. I haven't had any complaints about "the green stuff" at all.

~I use my food processor to puree my tomatoes and then grate the carrots. It works great. The carrots make the sauce nice and sweet.

~ Pasta choice is important. When I really want the kids to eat alot I make the Barilla piccolini pasta. Tastes like a high quality white pasta, but is high in fiber. So great. They particularly love the shell shapes. Most of the time we use DeCecco whole wheat pasta. The kids still eat this well, but I have to cut the penne in half for Isaac. Hands down the DeCecco is the best  100% whole wheat pasta I have ever had. We buy it from Amazon. You can also purchase it from Walmart, but it's usually cheaper from Amazon. If you want a pasta that is made from a mixture of whole grains and some refined, Barilla Whole Grain and Barilla Plus both taste great.

~ Do not over cook your pasta! Follow the box directions and cook until "al dente". "Al Dente" means to the teeth in italian.

~ Don't forget to salt your pasta water!
~For our family of 4, I make 6 oz. of pasta. Keep in mind that our children are 5 and 1!

Enjoy!



Happier Sunday Mornings

For some reason our 4 year old hated "church day". It may have been that she was the only girl in her class or that we had to get her up earlier than normal for church. But whatever the reason, this recipe and a new pretty dress solved the problem. My kids call this oatmeal cake and Lizzy looks forward to it each Sunday.

Oatmeal Cake (really called Baked Blueberry and Peach Oatmeal)

3 cups Old Fashioned Oats
1 c. milk
1/2 c. pure maple syrup*
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 c. canola oil
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon (optional)
1 1/2 c. chopped peaches (I have used canned or frozen)
3/4 c. blueberries (fresh or frozen)

Wisk together milk, maple syrup, eggs, vanilla, and canola oil. In a seperate bowl combine oats, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Combine oat and milk mixtures and let sit for five minutes. Stir in peaches and blueberries. Pour into a buttered baking dish. ( I use a 8 by 11, 9 by 13 would be fine.) Bake at 375 for 40-45 minutes. Makes 6 servings.

*If you do not have pure maple syrup, increase your milk to 1 1/4 c. and add a half cup of brown sugar to your wet ingredients. Will still be completely delicious.

The orginal recipe was found in Taste of Home and was introduced to me through BethAnne Bytheway Dinerstien.

Tips and info:
~ Peaches: Did you know that you can stick whole peaches in the freezer in a freezer bag? They work great for this recipe. Just pull 2-3 peaches out of the freezer, run under warm tap water and with a little rubbing the skins will come right off in your hand. Then I pop them in the microwave for a minute and chop them up. I also use canned peaches. I try and buy the kind packed in juice as opposed to the kind with the heavy syrup.
~ If using frozen blueberries rinse them off before using.
~ There is a debate on how much pure maple syrup is better for you than white sugar. Here a couple of quotes I found while researching.

 "Another great thing about maple syrup is that it's better for you than sugar. Sugar doesn't digest, it goes directly into the blood stream causing a rise in blood sugar. Usually the swift rises are then followed by a sharp decline. Maple syrup, however, is one of the few sweet treats that does digest in the system helping to keep the blood sugar more even. So it not only tastes good, but is also good for you. We use maple syrup all the time as a sugar alternative. " Maple Springs Farm  

"The sugar in maple syrup is sucrose with small amounts of glucose and fructose sugar. White sugar is sucrose. There is no direct scientific evidence that maple syrup is healthier than white sugar. Diabetics need to treat maple syrup and sugar as they do other sugar products. Because its a less refined sugar, maple products contain minerals, antioxidants, and other compounds that have been shown to have health advantages in other foods." Cornell Sugar Maple Research and Extension Program

I try and go for the less refined. I know that pure maple syrup is expensive. I frequently buy mine from Sam's Club and Amazon.com. At both places you can get 32 oz. jugs for 13- 15 dollars. If you don't have the syrup and are unable to get any, go for the brown sugar. It's still a pretty healthy breakfast and tastes great.

Hurray for happier Sundays!

Sweet on....Delicious (and good for you!)

What I'm really sweet on is making simple foods my kids will eat and I can feel good about feeding them. My goal is to share a recipe a few times a week. I hope the next time you are wondering what to feed your kids this blog will give a few healthy, delicious ideas! Let me know which ones you try and love! The recipe for today....

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

(please keep reading...I promise they are good for you!)

3 mashed bananas

1/3 c. applesauce (unsweetened)

1/3 c. sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 c. whole wheat flour

1/2 c. ground flax (optional)*

1/3 c. chocolate chips (we use dark)

Mash your bananas, stir in sugar, applesauce, and one egg. Mix dry ingredients and add to wet ingredients. Stir until just moistened. Add chocolate chips and stir gently. Bake in either paper liners or a greased (non stick spray will do) muffin tin at 375 for 20-25 min. Makes 12 muffins.

* If you do not have ground flax simply increase your whole wheat flour to 1 and 1/2 cups and enjoy.

Tips:

~ We also often switch out the chocolate chips for blueberries. My kids like both options. The blueberry ones need to bake longer.

~ I grind my whole wheat flour myself. It adds a wonderful texture. Store boughten wheat flour will also do fine.

~ I buy my ground flax from Sam's Club. It is easy to use and store and I love feeding it to my family. It is the best plant source for Omega 3 fatty acids. The flax costs nine to ten dollars for a forty ounce bag. I also love the texture it gives the muffins.

~ My children love dark chocolate chips. I figure they are better for them than milk chocolate because of the antioxidants. It's worth a try with your kids (that is if you like them =!).

~ Here in Colorado, in my new oven, I have to bake them for 25 min. Just bake until a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean.

 I love to feed my kids great foods because it helps them have the energy to....go skiing!!!

Here is our Lizzy with her ski instructor!

She had the greatest time. Jared and I both board, but she she is too young for that so she took a ski lesson and loved it. She informed her instructor that she didn't want to board anyway, she just wants to be a skier! After her lesson, she would cruise down the hill with her little skis almost parallel. When we told her to make a bigger pizza wedge she said "No! I want to go fast!".  Her instructor said she was the only student she has ever taught that never wanted to stop!

Here's to a happy, delicious, and healthy 2012!

Sweet On...

Today I am totally sweet on my Swiffer mop. It empowers me. For the first time in my life (pretty much) I can kill spiders. The Swiffer is the best spider smasher. I can stand four feet away and get into the most awkward corners. My husband should be totally in love with the mop too because now he doesn't have to kill all the spiders!

This fabulous discovery happened because we were away for two months this summer. Apparently all the spiders in town thought that we had moved out and felt free to move on in. June and July were spent in Cache Valley, Utah. We were there cleaning out my husbands' parents' home. This was a difficult time for us. Not only was there the pain of going through all of their things and selling the family home, but we were away from home for so long. My husband was a hero and shouldered much of the burden, spending many twelve hour days at his parents house.

As difficult as this was I know that Heavenly Father had a purpose. Our relationships with some of our family came away much stronger. What a blessing for us and our children! And let's not forget the discovery of the best use for a swiffer mop!

Pictures of our summer in Cache Valley:

Isaac at the park~

 Lizzy painting @ Summerfest~

 Lizzy @ the Fourth of July parade~

 Isaac drumming @ Summerfest~

 The kids with Grandma and Grandpa~

Todays Simple Treasure

Pandora is on my TV. They have a Frank Sinatra station, a Count Basie Station, a Charlie Parker station...I am washed up in the blaring brass and the amazing chord changes and remember ME. Once upon a time I got to relish sitting on the front row of a Jazz orchestra; feeling the brass pushing against my back. The tightness of the rythms and harmonies giving an indescribable high. I loved watching dancers float across the floor as we played and the applause wasn't bad either!

My saxophone now sits in its case- taken out once a week to play duets with an improving, but out-of-tune fifth grader. When I try and play my sweet Isaac either cries because it's loud or because he wants to push the buttons. It's a funny feeling to spend so many years, hours a day, enveloped in something and then suddenly (it feels) not have it at all. As I enjoy the music on my TV, I also feel longing- to be there again on that noisy front row.

I have made choices. My sweet little choices wake me up in the middle of the night and give me sweet, slobby, open mouthed baby kisses. They spill the milk, unroll the toilet paper, and leave small toys, that hurt your feet, strewn down the hall. Yet, as I snuggle my children to sleep, feeling their soft breath and warmth I get an indescribable feeling...of love. I would make the same choices again- in a heartbeat. Holding those tiny hands is the best simple treasure of all.

That being said- who wants to watch my kids an hour a week so I can practice =)?