play dough

This is Hill-Billy Bob.

He thinks you need to know how to make play dough. It’s fun! It takes all of 5 minutes and your kids will be quiet play with it for hours. Why wouldn’t you want to try it?

This is what you need:

3 cups flour
1/3 cup table salt
2 TBSP vegetable oil
food colouring
1 cup water

This is what you’ll need to do:

In a stand mixer (or a regular old bowl), whisk the flour and salt together. Add the oil and mix it in. Add about 15 drops of food colouring to the water and then slowly add the water to the flour mixture (use the dough hook if you are using a stand mixer). Mix it up really well and then dump it out on the table and let your kids at it.

Tell them they need to “work” it for a while to finish mixing it.

Kneed it.

Roll it.

Throw it up in the air (Hill-Billy Bob says this is an important step).

Punch it. Go on, get your aggressions out! Hill-Billy Bob says it’s therapeutic (he’s an eldest child so he knows these things).

After all that, it should be well mixed and ready to play with.

And then they will be so busy playing they might stay still long enough to get a decent picture of them!

baking

Here’s the deal, I’m a pretty darn good cook. My oldest will tell you that I’m the greatest cooker in the universe so it must be true, right? RIGHT! While I’m good with a knife and a saucepan, my specialty is baking. I love to bake. Cookies, muffins, cinnamon buns, fancy desserts, bread… really anything you can put flour or chocolate in works for me!

Today I have a step by step guide to perfect baking for you. I realize most of the pictures are crappy but hey, that’s the way they worked out this time around!

1. Pull out a favourite recipe.

2. Grab a helper.

3. Gather your ingredients.

4. Put that kid to work!

5. Start mixing your ingredients and then change things up as you go along (today I replaced half the butter with applesauce to please my sister and then did one third all purpose flour, one third whole wheat flour and one third oatmeal).

6. Stop to figure out why your helper is dragging the crockpot base around (not to mention where he got it from).

7. Resume mixing, taking care not to overwork your batter.

8. Pause to change an offensive diaper.

9. Taste test chocolate before adding.

10. Sing some songs and do funny dance moves when your helper taps out early.

11. Pour into pans and bake until JUST done.

12. Let cool and then devour!

Really, it’s quite easy once you get the hang of it! If you want to keep it interesting, try employing the help of three little people.

and now for a recipe

Much less cranky post ahead!

Since I’ve been off dairy and eggs, I’ve had to get a little more creative about some of our meals. I didn’t realize how often we ate dairy until I couldn’t. Breakfast was particularly hard for me. Lately, I’ve been rotating between rice pudding and fruit or cream of wheat with dried fruit for breakfast. I just replace the cow’s milk with rice milk (and make sure not to add any additional sugar since it’s pretty sweet) or almond milk. Pretty tasty, really. Why I hated cream of wheat as a kid is beyond me. I love the stuff now!

Removing yogurt (eaten right out of the container because I’m lazy and my kids don’t like my favourite kind), cheese and crackers or pasta with egg and parmasean from my standards has meant that I’ve been reaching for fruits and veggies as snacks more frequently. I’ve also been eating more whole grains since I’ve been thinking more carefully about what I put in my mouth. I feel a lot better. I’ve finally starting to loose weight again. Hurray!

The other night my darling husband made supper. His stir fry’s are hands down WAAAAAY better than mine any day. Even our “culinarily challenged” daughter loved it!

T’s FAMOUS stir-fry*

1/2 large onion cut into strips
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
1-2 TBSP fresh ginger, minced (or used 2-3 of those frozen cubes)
Various veggies (broccoli, carrot ribbons-cut them with a potato peeler, snow peas, bean sprouts, mixed peppers- thinly sliced, baby bok choy etc)
A protein such as chicken, beef or tofu- cut into thin strips (marinade with a few TBSP’s each of soy sauce and oyster sauce, a tsp each of fish sauce and 5-spice and a bit of demerara sugar to balance)
1/2 package thick rice noodles- cooked to package directions
1 TBSP oil

SAUCE

4 TBSP soy sauce
4 TBSP oyster sauce
2 tsp fish sauce
1/4 tsp cayenne (or to taste)

To start, marinade your meat for an hour (if you have time) in a zip lock bag. Next, mix the sauce ingredients. Taste, adjust and set aside (you might need to double the sauce depending on how much stir fry you are making). Now you are ready to cook! Heat the oil in a wok. Add half of the garlic and stir fry briefly. Add your marinated protein and stir fry until just cooked. Place in a dish and keep warm. Next add the rest of the garlic, onion and ginger to your wok. Stir fry for a couple of minutes being careful not to burn. Add your veggies, starting with the densest ones first. Once your veggies are almost cooked, add the protein back into the stir fry and combine. Move the stir fry to the sides of the wok to create a centre hole. Add about one cup of water (depending on the amount of veggies etc. you have) and then your pre-mixed sauce. Let it come to a boil and then add 1 TBSP cornstarch that has been dissolved in a bit of cold water (you might need a bit more, depending on how much water you added). Once the sauce is thick and bubbling add your cooked rice noodles right in the middle of it and then mix everything really well.

This was so good we all went back for seconds and then I ate lunch early the next day so I could eat the leftovers!

*The title is for my MIL

chocolate dessert

Last week we discovered a brilliant, ridiculously easy dessert recipe. Our kids flipped for it. It’s so yummy and good looking that you could serve it for company but it only takes about 10 minutes to whip up! Your last minute guests will think you are super chef but only you will know how lazy you really are!

4 oz semi or bittersweet chocolate (chips work fine but Bernard or Ghirardelli would be better)
1/4 cup butter
3.5 TBSP sugar
2 large eggs, separated
1/2 TSP vanilla extract
1/4 TSP salt

Melt chocolate and butter slowly over a double boiler. While chocolate is melting whip the egg whites and salt until soft peaks form. Slowly add 2 TBSP sugar and continue to beat until stiff but not dry. Once chocolate is melted, remove from heat. Add remaining sugar, egg yolk and vanilla. Mix 1/3 of egg whites into the chocolate to lighten the mixture and then gently fold in the rest. Divide mixture between four, six ounce ramekins and arrange on a baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. The outside will be cracked and puffy and the inside gooey goodness. Serve warm with a scoop of good quality vanilla ice cream.

cheesy corn chowder

This is one of our kids favourite soup recipes. Even little Miss Picky eats it (except, of course for the potatoes).

4 strips bacon, chopped
1 small onion, finely minced
3-4 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
2.5 cups water
1/2 tsp salt
bay leaf
540 ml can of creamed corn
1 cup frozen kernel corn
3/4 cup milk
1/2-1 cup sharp cheddar, grated

In a large, high sided frying pan (or dutch oven) fry the bacon until semi-crisp. If you want to remove the excess fat, push the bacon to one side of the pan, tip it so the fat runs to one side and then soak it up with a paper towel. Add onion and saute until it’s transparent and the bacon is crisp. Add the cubed potatoes and stir to coat. Add the water, salt and bay leaf. Bring to a boil and then simmer until the potatoes are soft (but not mushy)- about 20 minutes. Add the creamed corn, kernel corn and milk and heat through. Add desired amount of cheese in 3 separate additions, allowing cheese to melt thoroughly between additions. Season with more salt and pepper to taste.

I like to serve this soup with a big salad (or cut up veggies) and biscuits.

Biscuits

2 cups flour
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt (less if you prefer)
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sharp cheddar, grated (optional)
1 cup (or more) water

Mix dry ingredients in a medium size bowl. Cut in butter. Add cheese, if using and water and mix well. The mixture should be soft and sticky but not runny. Drop by tablespoonful onto a cookie sheet. Bake at 425 for 13-15 minutes until golden brown.

Variation: Use one cup of Monterey Jack cheese and 1 TBSP chopped jalapeno peppers for a little kick!

comfort food

Since the weather has turned colder recently we’ve been enjoying our favourite comfort foods again. One of my kids most requested is homemade mac and cheese. Here’s the recipe I’ve made up for them.

Homemade mac and cheese

4 cups pasta (such as rotini, shells etc)
2 cups old cheddar
1 cup mozza
1/4 cup parmasean
2 TBSP butter
1/2 cup finely diced onion*
1/4 cup flour
3 cups hot milk
1/2 cup bread crumbs

Boil your choice of pasta until it is a firm el dente (trust me, you don’t want to start with overcooked pasta!). Drain and then rinse under hot water. In the meantime, grate all of the cheese into a mixing bowl. Toss it with 1 TBSP of flour to keep it from sticking together. Reserve 1/2 cup of cheese in seperate bowl. Melt butter over medium heat in a large sauce pan. Add onions and saute until transparent. Add the rest of flour and let cook for 2 minutes (don’t brown it). Add hot milk all at once and stir vigourously with a whisk. Let it come to a boil and then continue to stir until the mixture thickens. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add cheese a handful at a time, allowing it to completely melt between additions. Once cheese is completely combined, remove from heat and gently fold in cooked noodles. Coat well. Transfer to a buttered casserole dish. Add bread crumbs to reserved cheese and mix well. Sprinkle evenly over top of maccaroni. Bake in a 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes until hot and bubbly. Serve with a big garden salad or cut up veggies.

Feel free to experiment with different cheeses. Emmental would make a great substitution for the mozza. You could use blue cheese instead of parmasean, if you are into the stinky feet cheese.

* make sure it’s fine or your 3 year old will notice it and shriek, “onions, I hate onions!”.

november roast

Oh, November. What’s with you? Why are you permanently depressed with your heavy, grey clouds, freezing cold winds and sleety days? Do you need to be such an Eeyore? Such a grump?

Never mind you! It might be cold outside but it’s warm in here. We’ve got a pot roast simmering on the stove and all the fixings for fancy Sundae’s waiting to be devoured! Thought I’d share my recipe. It’s my version of my Mom’s pot roast. Definately worth a try some cold November day.

3lb boneless blade roast
salt and pepper
1/4 cup flour
2 TBSP olive oil
1/2 large onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, smashed
beef bouillion
1/2 cup boiling water
1 tps worcestershire sauce
dash of hot sauce
1/4 cup seafood sauce
bay leaf

Wash and pat beef dry. Season with salt and pepper on both sides. Coat with flour on all sides and shake off excess. Heat olive oil in large dutch oven on medium-high heat and then brown roast on all sides. About half way through browning add onions and garlic so they will saute at the same time (stir throughout so they don’t burn). While roast is browning combine boiling water, bouillon, worcestershire sauce, hot sauce and bay leaf in glass measuring cup. Once roast is browned, lift it and spread onions so the roast is resting on them. Slowly pour water mixture over the top. Pour seafood sauce (chilli sauce works too) over the top and spread to the edges. Simmer roast for about 2 hours until tender. Add cut up potatoes and carrots and then simmer for another 30-45 minutes until they are tender (I often just add carrots and then serve mashed potatoes on the side). When all is done, place veggies, onions and potatoes in a covered casserole dish and keep warm. Remove roast, cover and let rest for about 15 minutes before carving. Add a bit of water to the liquid, thicken with flour and then use it for gravy. Add a side of veggies and you’ve got an easy meal to ward off the November blah’s!

Yum

Know what’s really good on a hot night? My Mom’s homemade pudding (for the record, it’s also really good after you have 4 impacted wisdom teeth removed and can’t eat for say, 2 weeks). Tonight I had a major craving so I whipped up a bowl while T put the kids to bed. Instead of cooling it in the fridge I put it in a metal 9×13 pan and threw it in the deep freeze. I left it a little too long so the edges were frozen. So good! Judging from all the bouncing, the baby likes it too…

3 cups milk (whatever you like best works)
2 oz unsweetened chocolate
3/4 cup sugar
5 TBSP corn starch
1/2 tsp salt
3 egg yolks (freeze the whites in a ziplock bag for angel food cake)
1 TBSP butter
1 tsp vanilla

Pour milk into a microwave safe bowl (preferably glass). Chop the chocolate and add to the milk. Heat on high until the milk is scalded (whisk every 2 minutes). In the mean time, mix sugar, corn starch and salt together in a heat proof bowl. Once milk is scalded, slowly whisk it into the sugar mixture. Next beat the egg yolks and then slowly whisk in the milk/egg mixture. Return the mixture to the microwave safe bowl and place in microwave. Heat on high power in one minute intervals (whisking after each minute) until the mixture reaches desired thickness (usually about 5-6 minutes). As the pudding cools, it will continue to thicken some. When the pudding is finished cooking, whisk in the butter and vanilla and then pour it into a serving dish. Press waxed paper onto the surface to prevent your pudding from forming a “skin” and then refrigerate until cool.

FYI: you could cook this on the stove too but I’m not sure how it would be easier!

Variations:

Chocolate: you can experiment with various kinds of chocolate but make sure to adjust the sugar accordingly.

Vanilla: leave out the chocolate all together… duh!

Mock custard: use whole milk, 4 egg yolks and reduce the sugar to 1/2 cup. This is super yummy when served cold with still warm, homemade applesauce.

Pies: pour your favourite pudding version into a baked pie crust and top with meringue or whipped cream. Every time I make chocolate pie, people go nuts! For coconut just add 1/2 cup shredded coconut with the butter and vanilla and top with toasted coconut. That’s one of our fav’s.

handmade gifts

This year we decided to make most of our Christmas gifts. There is a special feeling you get knowing that you put part of yourself into a gift for a loved one. I think the receiver also appreciates it more. An added bonus is that you don’t have to spend hours combing an overcrowded mall full of grupmy shoppers and surly staff. Add two kids to that mix and you have a recipe for Christmas disaster! Instead, I am enjoying spending hours making things for my friends and family. I get to chat with my family, think about the person the gift is going to, talk on the phone… Much nicer!

All of our friends, teachers, favourite shop owners etc. are getting a small gift basket of ginger-peach jam, cranberry relish and almond roca. I am so pleased with how everything has turned out. The golden hue of the jam, bright red flecked relish and bite-sized chunks of chocolate and nuts. Who could resist!

Shortcut Almond Roca

(from “The Best of the Best and More”)

1 tablespoon corn syrup
1 1/4 cups white sugar
1 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup water
1 1/4 cups toasted slivered almonds
3/4 cup good chocolate, chopped fine

In a large, heavy saucepan, gently boil syrup, sugar, butter and water until it reaches 150 degrees celcius (hard crack), about 25 minutes. DO NOT STIR. Remove from heat and add almonds. Spread on an ungreased cookie sheet and sprinkle with chocolate. Spread chocolate evenly as it melts. Sprinkle with crushed almonds. Cool in fridge and then break into bite sized pieces. Store in an air-tight container.

Cranberry Relish

(adapted from Simply Recipes)

2 cups washed, raw cranberries
2 medium peeled and cored granny smith apples
1 entire navel orange
1 1/2 cups sugar

Run cranberries, apples and orange through a food mill with coarse blade (can use grinder or top blade of cuisinart if careful not to over do it!). Add sugar and let stand at room temperature until sugar is disolved. Spoon into small jam jars and store in fridge or freezer.

best banana bread

This recipe was given to my Mom by one of her friend Linda a long time ago. It’s dead easy and makes a very moist loaf with a crispy outside.

3 banana’s mashed
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
3/4 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Cream the margarine and sugar together. Add eggs and beat until light and fluffy. Mix dry ingredients in a small bowl. Add dry ingredients alternately with banana to butter mixture (ie. add 1/3 of dry then 1/3 of banana etc) until well mixed. Mix in chocolate chips, if using. Pour into buttered loaf pan. Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes.

Alternatives:
Replace 1/2 cup of flour with 1/2 cup oats.