Makin' Memories

Pinning creative ways to capture memories seems to be one of the mom things to do these days. I have a board with over 30 (I just checked my pin count and it is precisely 38) such ideas. I just went through one of the "ask your kid 20 questions about themselves each birthday" pins in prep for my bug's 4th birthday and it was a RIOT. The craft I am posting today is the first handprint craft we did as a family of four (cue sappy awwww! sound effects) back in December. I'm just getting to posting it now because it took me this long to finish the project...I'm good, but I'm not THAT good. Anyway, I present to you...

Family Footprints - Winter Version

Upside-down footprints make cute and cuddly penguins!

My inspiration came from this blogger's post. Instead of doing both feet, we each did one footprint and lined them up side by side. This was a fun, silly craft to do together as we took turns painting each other's feet with one of those foam brushes and then had to limp/be carried to the bathroom to clean up. 

After the initial footprints were done, I set the paper (poster board) aside to dry and didn't actually get to painting on the faces for awhile. After 4-6 weeks of procrastination, I got out the paints and let the bug pick out which colors she wanted me to use for each penguin's hat and scarf. Another month (or more) passed before I picked up a simple, inexpensive frame from the craft store to keep our memory safe. 

I hope to make something similar for each season so we can display them in the girls' playroom someday.

One Recipe Two Ways

Last week I was churning out sweets and treats like you wouldn't believe. Overall, I was very happy with how things came out, but have been obsessing over the process I went through with my cake pops. I've done them before and although they always take forever, I've never been quite as ready to pull my hair out as I was with those Hello Kitty pops. The craziest part is that the decorating wasn't the hard part, it was getting the cake to stay on the stick! In line with my OCD personality, I've been obsessing about having a redo to prove to myself that it was the stupid box mix that created the issues and not my lack of skills.

As I had also promised my co-worker I would make another batch of red velvet cupcakes for her family, I came up with the following plan: double the batch of red velvet cupcake batter, use half for her cupcakes and half for a 9 x 13 sheet cake, make a single batch of marshmallow fluff frosting, and use the sheet cake to make cake pops. I did make one of the cake balls into a pop (and it worked perfectly!), but just made the rest into truffles. Have I mentioned that I hate how calling them "cake balls" sounds? I glam it up by calling them truffles. I present to you...

Red Velvet Cupcakes and Red Velvet Cake Truffles

All you have to do to make the truffles is:

1. Crush the sheet cake by hand. 
2. Set aside about a cup of crumbs. 
3. Mash in all the remaining frosting left after you frost the 12 cupcakes. If the mashed up dough seems too wet, add more of the crumbs that you reserved. If not, chuck them in the garbage bin, use them as garnish, or eat them right then and there with your fingers. 
4. Roll the dough into small 1-1/2 inch balls and freeze for 1 hour. 
5. Melt 1/2 bag of dark chocolate morsels in a double boiler.
6. Dip the balls and put on a baking sheet lined with wax paper.
7. Refrigerate (or just set aside) until chocolate is set.
8. Try not to eat them all in one setting...

Mommy Tips: Dealing with Picky Eaters

You might be one of those lucky moms like I was (in the beginning) who has an infant who seems to love trying and eating anything. I would brag all the time about how much she loved her fruits and veggies above all else, how she preferred seafood to boring "kid friendly meats" like hamburger, and that her favorite food was shrimp in coconut curry sauce. I felt like a rock star of motherhood getting my kid to eat such a wide variety of healthy foods. 

Then, in a matter of days, she changed. Some days she refused EVERYTHING and I was convinced she was going to starve. One day she would love bananas and eat three, the next she would wail at the sight of one. And the requests for junk food instead of real food started coming more and more frequently. It is from this daily (and ongoing) struggle that I present these tips to help you maintain your sanity and get that monster sweetie of yours to eat!

1. Serve your kid's food on a plate with well defined sections. For some mysterious reason one food touching another food (even if they like each food separately) can set a toddler off on a rage like you would not believe. Having sections will also prompt you to make sure you are offering a variety of foods (including a fruit and veggie) at each meal.
2. Pastas are great for making a meal "fun" because they come in so many different shapes (stars, wagon wheels, twists, shells, bow ties, etc). Your kid might refuse spaghetti and meatballs, but he/she will probably love bows from Minnie's Bowtique or Lightening McQueen's wheels from Cars - you need to be creative if you want to win this battle!
3. Become a food sculptor. This might sound crazy, but if I give my kid half a banana she will almost always refuse to eat it. If I stick a few mini chocolate chips in it for eyes and a mouth and call it a ghost or attach mini pretzel twists to either side for wings and call it a butterfly she actually eats it. Give your mind a workout and see what kind of masterpieces you can come up with.
4. Never let your kid see you cut food. For completely reasonable reasons kids want their food to be entirely intact and will FREAK OUT if you break a cereal bar in half or chop up a cheese stick in front of them. Decide before serving your kid if things need to be cut and do it out of their line of vision. If they ask, adamantly insist that it came that way.
5. When all else fails, serve it on a stick. Yup, that's right. Kids love to eat things on a stick. Either buy some lollipop sticks from a craft store or use pretzel sticks to spear items your kid might normally refuse and you will be amazed how much more they eat.
6. For the older kids, let them help you cook. My kid loves the ownership of saying she made something and will eat more of it that way. This is easy to do with crockpot meals or baked goods because you can let your kid help with the pouring and mixing.
7. As infuriating as my kid can be when it comes to meal time, she has never not yet refused vegetables. For the kids that do, get creative with hiding those veggies in unexpected ways. Interestingly, I've found a lot of great ways to do this by following Weight Watcher's recipes for myself because the veggies bulk up meals in a points free way. Two of my kid's favorite WW meals that are packed with veggies are this Turkey Veggie Meatloaf and these Sloppy Joe's.
8. Don't fall into the trap of letting your kid eat snacks whenever he/she wants because you are afraid they aren't eating enough overall. This will just backfire on you because they won't be as hungry for meals and be more apt to refuse the healthier, more substantial meals you want them to eat. Offering organic yogurt (drinkable or "tube" varieties go over especially well), low fat cheese sticks, or pre-portioned baggies of pretzels/graham crackers/cheese crackers are good for snacks. If you are super ambitious, try the homemade recipes linked above to cut out the amount of processed food your kid eats.
9. No matter how insane your kid goes on you for offering something different, try your hardest to make them stick to the one bite rule. No matter how weird something looks, they have to try just one little, teeny, tiny bite. You would not believe how often this leads to a completely shocked declaration of, "Hey! I like it!"

I probably have more tips and this might require a follow-up post some day, but I think this is a start. Good luck and happy meal planning for your own picky critics.

Addendum: Minutes after finishing this post my bug asked me to make her, "breakfast that is all different shapes." My husband started to tell her no, but I decided to follow my own advice and accepted the challenge...

Star cantaloupe and strawberries, whole wheat heart toast bites with a dab of strawberry jelly, ham and cheese omelet squares with bacon sprinkles, and turkey bacon hearts

Her response, pure glee!
And, yes she is wearing skeleton jammies in February. She's also eating off of a Thanksgiving plate. Is that a problem?

Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

I woke up on Saturday morning craving something sweet and delicious. I've been following Weight Watchers (and doing a pretty good job!), but it was one of those times when I knew I would keep picking and snacking all morning if I didn't just have something I really wanted. I knew I'd end up eating just as many points in the end. So, this million point breakfast was born...

Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

  

These pancakes are best when they are piping hot, so you need to do all of the prep work for the toppings ahead of time.

Sweet Pecans

1.5 oz raw pecans

1 tsp white sugar

1. Put the pecans into a small frying pan and sprinkle the sugar over them.
2. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the sugar melts and coats the nuts.
3. Set aside to cool.
4. Roughly chop just before you start making the pancakes

Cream Cheese Icing

2 oz low-fat cream cheese

1 tbsp unsalted butter at room temperature

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 oz confectioner's sugar (approximately 1 cup)

1-2 tbsp fat free half and half or milk

1. Beat together the cream cheese and butter in a small mixing bowl.
2. Add confectioner's sugar, vanilla, and 1 tbsp of milk mixing until well combined.
3. Add milk in 1 tsp increments and beat until the icing has a thin (but NOT runny) consistency.

Cinnamon Swirl Filling

1/4 cup unpacked brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp white sugar

pinch of nutmeg

pinch of salt

1. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.

Now you are ready to make the pancakes!

Buttermilk Pancakes

1 1/2 cups of unbleached all purpose flour

3 1/2 tsp baking powder

pinch of salt

1 tbsp white sugar

1 1/4 cups buttermilk

1 egg

2 tbsp melted butter

1-2 tsp milk

1. In a glass measuring cup whisk the buttermilk, egg, and melted butter.
2. Combine all dry ingredients in a mixing bowl creating a well in the center.
3. Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until smooth. If your batter is too thick at this point, add the extra 1-2 tsp of milk to thin it out a bit.
4. Spoon the batter onto a greased griddle or frying pan (make any size you chose!)
5. Sprinkle 1-2 tsp of the cinnamon filling all over the top of the pancake
6. Use a spoonful of the batter and create the "swirl" appearance of a cinnamon roll
7. Flip the pancakes over when the first side is browned.
8. Plate each pancake with a drizzle of the cream cheese icing and as many of the sweet pecans as you'd like

Friday Five: Valentine's Day Stuff

I was trying out the idea of posting five of something every Friday, but didn't commit to it before. Here's my second attempt. If I fall flat this time, I'll graciously accept defeat and stop trying to force myself into a mold I'm unable to fit. 

Here are my five fun "projects" I completed this year for Valentine's Day

Red Velvet Cupcakes

These are my nurse's absolute favorite cupcakes in the whole wide world. Last year after I made them for Valentine's Day she paid me to make them for her daughter's birthday and hasn't stopped talking about them. I adapted the recipe for the cupcakes from Brown Eyed Baker's blog (follow her recipe, except decrease the red food coloring to 1 tbsp and replace the other 2 tbsp with water). I think cream cheese frosting is too overpowering for these yummy cakes, so I top it with my favorite marshmallow buttercream from Baked Bree's blog.

Hello Kitty Pops

These aren't Valentine's Day specific, but I made them as treats for my older daughter's preschool class to match the Hello Kitty valentines she picked out. They came out really well in the end, but I STRUGGLED with these. As a rule, I do not use cake mixes or canned frosting because they are so highly processed and icky, but I was just too swamped to make the cake and frosting from scratch and then put the pops together. As payment for cheating I had to deal with the pops falling apart on me from being too soft. I usually make a ganache as the frosting to bind the cake better - without it they were so much less stable! I started out with 20 balls of cake, 6 balls completey fell off the sticks during the dipping process, and another 4 were a bit crooked (but held together well enough that I deemed them passable for 4 year-old kiddos). Here's Bakerella's tutorial.

Homemade Crayon Valentines

I saw the idea for these all over Pinterest in the past month, but somehow failed to ever re-pin one of them. When I came around and decided I wanted to make them, I came up with my own directions. I used ice cube trays I purchased in the Target dollar bins, a few dozen chopped up crayons (including some metallic and glitter ones to give our crayons sparkle!), the Cricut to cut out the hearts, and penned the saying "Color me excited to have a friend like you!" on each one. 

Teacher Valentines

Awhile ago I pinned an "end of the year" teacher gift that was a small fabric basket with an apple print that was filled with Hershey's Hugs with the saying, "Teachers can't get by on APPLES alone, they need HUGS too!" I thought this would make a cute Valentine, so I saved a half dozen of the red velvet cupcakes to make my "apples." Instead of piping a swirl of frosting on top, I used a spatula to spread it flat and then dipped the tops into red sanding sugar. I used half of a pretzel stick to make the "stem" and a green jelly bean to make a "leaf." I added a layer of Hugs to the clear plastic cup, placed the cupcake on top, then wrapped it up in a clear bag and attached the tag (made with the Cricut) with ribbon.

Curly Ribbon Bows

I found a tutorial (I can't remember the tutorial I used, but I'll put my own up soon) on curling grosgrain ribbon in the oven and have been obsessed ever since. Using a package of hair clips and heart shaped buttons from Hobby Lobby, a roll of Valentine ribbon from the Target dollar bin, and my hot glue gun I made a pair of these for my bug to wear for Valentine's Day. 

That's it! I hope someone is inspired to do some baking/crafting/creating of their own!

Recipe Makeover - Panera Mediterranean Veggie

My favorite lunch from Panera Bread is easily the Mediterranean Veggie Sandwich. You can read all about it by following the link, but in short it's a tomato basil bread topped with hummus, feta, red peppers and other assorted fresh veggies. At 15 WW points, I won't be indulging anytime soon. Instead, I created this low point mock-up at home. Although a bit messy to eat, it was super tasty and totally satisfied my craving.

Mediterranean Veggie Sandwich Makeover (6 points plus)

To make it you need:

• 1 Thomas bagel thin (Sundried Tomato and Basil flavor)
• 2 tbsp hummus (I used Trader Joe's Three Layer Hummus)
• 1 oz roasted red peppers packed in water
• lettuce, any variety
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 zucchini sliced into strips
• 3 oz mushrooms sliced
• 1/2 onion sliced thick
• 1 oz fat free feta cheese

Directions:

1. Warm oil in a frying pan over medium heat. 
2. Add all fresh veggies and cook for 5 minutes until slightly softened.
3. Add balsamic vinegar, reduce heat to low, and cook until veggies are done (how "done" is a personal preference) and then cool.
4. Spread 1 tbsp of hummus on each half of the bagel thin.
5. Layer lettuce, cooled vegetables, red peppers, and feta.
6. Enjoy!

Brown Butter Banana Bread Cookies

I almost always have bananas in various stages of ripening on my counter because I only like to eat them once they are yellow and just starting to turn a few brown spots - but if they get too many spots the deal is off and the idea of eating one literally makes me gag. Once they reach the perfect ripeness, I need to eat them within 48 hours or they become baking material. This insanity is why I am always on the lookout for good recipes to use up bananas. I pinned this recipe from Tracey's Culinary Adventures and tried it out as soon as I had a few overripe bananas.

The cookies themselves are completely yummy and stand alone nicely without the frosting...BUT, I couldn't help trying it out. Although I followed Tracey's cookie recipe quite closely, I changed the frosting significantly to cut down the WW points (with frosting 4 points plus, without frosting 3 points plus).

For the cookie recipe, see Tracey's site. I only altered the spices - 1 full tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, 1/4 tsp allspice, and 1/4 tsp ginger to make them stronger. I made 36 cookies by measuring level tablespoons.

For the frosting:
2 cups confectioner's sugar
1/4 cup butter
2-4 tbsp fat free half and half
1 tsp vanilla extract

Melt the butter in a small pan over medium heat. Swirl the pan frequently allowing the butter to cook until you start to see small brown flecks in it - be careful not to let the butter burn! Add the melted butter (make sure to scrape the yummy browned bits out too!) to a heat-proof bowl with you confectioner's sugar. Add vanilla and 2 tbsp of the half and half. Beat until well blended. If the frosting is too thick, add more half and half by the tsp until it is the consistency you want.

Mommy of 2!

Today I'm previewing a new "segment"  called "Mommy Tips" to try and stop myself from only posting recipes...we'll see how it goes!

I can not believe this, but my little bear is already three months old!  As much as we wanted to have another one, I have to be honest and say that reverting back to the newborn days was a little intimidating. I wasn't looking forward to getting back into a nursing schedule and being up every 3 hours or to changing diapers 24/7, but what I was really worried about was how the bug was going to adjust to the new baby. My bug is beautiful, wonderfully pleasant, and so smart you forget she's only three 75% of the time - the other 25% she is a stubborn, spoiled rotten tantrum machine. I feared the new baby would tip the scales and reverse the equation.

Three months later I'm pleased to report that the transition from a three to a four person household was MUCH easier than I expected. Thanks to a wonderfully mellow infant and some careful planning on our part, we slipped easily into a new routine. I can not understate how much the bear being a good baby helped this process, but here are the details my husband and I tweaked to keep things on track...

1. Celebrate the big brother/big sister - right away! Pack a special gift for your older child right into your hospital bag so you have something to give him/her when he/she comes to the hospital to visit the baby. For our bug we told her the gift was from her baby sister, but for an older child the gift could be from mommy and daddy. Our gift was a small backpack from Hobby Lobby personalized with a "Big Sister" iron-on and filled with a Disney princess baby doll, some craft activities, and a few edible treats (yogurt raisins, cheese crackers, and something chocolate).
2. Set aside alone time early on. When I say alone time, I really mean it - physically have the baby in a different room and devote all of your attention to the big brother/big sister to remind them that you are still there for them 100% too. We put the baby down for a nap in her swing in the living room and then made a fun dessert treat in the kitchen together while we listened to bug's favorite music. A few other times we did the same thing and had a "dance party" where daddy played music while the bug and I dressed up in her princess dress-up clothes and made up silly dances. *For the dessert I used a muffin tin and filled each hole with a different dip-able item (strawberries, pineapples, pretzel sticks, marshmallows, etc) and melted some chocolate chips for dipping.*
3. Involve the big sister/big brother in caring for the baby. Help the older siblings create a bond early on by giving out small tasks they can do to help you care for the baby. Asking the older sibling to bring you a diaper/wipes, pick out pajamas or clothes for the baby, sing the baby to sleep, or wash the baby's toes/tummy in the bathtub (avoid the eyes!) can help ease the transition.
4. Avoid saying you can't do something because of the baby. Let's be honest, there are going to be many times when your older child wants you to do something that you can't do because of the new baby. Even when it's something obvious like the baby is nursing so you can't make pancakes that second, it is going to sound much different to your child if you say, "Mommy would love to make you pancakes, but I need to be sitting down right now. Can you bring me the "If You Give a Pig a Pancake..." book? We can read that first, talk about what kind of pancakes you want, and then I'll be ready to make them!" instead of, "Mommy is feeding the baby, I can't right now," It takes a bit more effort, but is very worth it!
5. Give THEM alone time. Before you think I've lost it telling you to leave your baby alone with another child, hear me out. My kids are 3 1/2 years apart. They clearly need supervision, but I like to think of it as "indirect supervision." Not when the baby was a newborn, but now that she's a few months old I will put them in the crib together or let them lay on the carpet in their room together and pretend not to be paying attention while they play together. Sometimes I stay in the room and read a book, other times (like right now) I sit right outside the room so they can't see me, but all I have to do is move my head and I can see them. I try not to interrupt their play unless the bear starts to cry or the bug is about to do something potentially dangerous.
6. Arrange activities for the big brother/big sister. With all the visitors coming to see the baby, your older child may start to think they aren't important to everyone else anymore. Although you never want them to feel like you are trying to "get rid of them", it can be a great idea to set up little trips for the older siblings to remind them how special they are to other family members. A sleepover at grandma and grandpa's house, a trip to the mall with an older cousin, or a movie date with an aunt/uncle are all potential ideas.

I really hope these tips help someone out there!