Ice Cream Night

So we did have ice cream night last night!  After we had eggs and bagels for dinner.  Naomi had peppermint stick ice cream and mint chocolate chip ice cream.  Mark had mint chocolate chip ice cream and drum stick ice cream.  We had the following toppings:  caramel sauce, coffee syrup, walnuts, mini marshmallows, chocolate sprinkles and colored sprinkles.

What is for dinner tonight?

Ice Cream for Dinner Tonight!

Why ice cream sundaes make a good dinner

 

10.          Don’t have to heat up the kitchen by turning on the oven on a 90 degree day.

9.            Make sure I have enough dairy and calcium for me and the kids!

8.            If I use fruit as a topping, I also can use that in my weight watchers history.

7.            If I use nuts as a topping, I also can get protein in my diet.

6.            If I use wheat germ as a topping, I also get fiber in my diet.

5.            Reduce the amount of clean up – no pots or pans!

4.            Because I want to and I say so!

3.            We all had a healthy breakfast and lunch.

2.            Mommy doesn’t want to cook tonight.

1.            I would be the coolest mom around!

 

 

Waffle Night

Waffle Night.  I can’t wait for waffle night.  During the renovation we had a lot of waffles, but I have not had a full-fledged waffle night in a long time, and tonight would be the perfect night to have waffles.  A while back, I posted the Alton Brown Waffle recipe that I use.  And because my family loves waffles, I double the recipe.  If there are any leftovers, I freeze them, and then use them on a night when time is tight.

Waffle Recipe

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons salt

6 T white sugar

6 large eggs

4 oz., unsalted butter, melted

32 oz. of milk (I use nonfat)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pam for the waffle iron

In large bowl, mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and sugar.  In another bowl beat eggs and melted butter.  Add milk and vanilla to the egg mixture.  Add the milk and egg mixture to the dry ingredients.  Stir.  Have the mixture rest for five minutes while the waffle iron is heating up.

Preheat oven to 200 degrees.  Spray the waffle iron with Pam.  Spoon the waffle batter onto the waffle maker.  Close the top and wait for the bell to ring.  Once the bell rings, take out waffle, flip it over onto a baking sheet, and put in the oven.  Spray the waffle iron with Pam (or do it every two to three waffles depending on the iron).  Put the baking sheet into the oven until the bell rings.  Once all waffles are made call people to the table!

In our house we serve with PURE MAPLE SYRUP from Vermont – either grade A or B.  We never use pancake syrup.  We don’t use butter.  We don’t use confectionary sugar.  We don’t top with whipped cream. 

Chickpea Bake - easy recipe

People are amazed when I say that I cook vegetarian for my vegetarian husband.  I don't think of it as a big deal.  I can handle cooking tofu and vegetables!  One of the simplest and easiest dishes I know is Chickpea Bake, and here is the recipe.

2 cans of chickpeas - open them, drain them, and rinse them off.  Drain off excess water;
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup maple syrup - the real stuff - NOT the pancake syrup.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Get out a loaf pan, and spray PAM on the loaf pan.

In a large bowl, put the rinsed and drained chickpeas and cinnamon.  When you measure the maple syrup, spray PAM on the measuring cup and then measure the maple syrup.  Pour the measured syrup into the bowl.  Stir.

Pour into loaf pan.

Put into oven for 45 minutes.  Stir every 15 minutes.  PUT ON THE TIMER!!!!!  Yes, you can pick up a book and read, but if you don't put on a timer you won't remember to save the dish before it burns.

Serve

NOTE - goes well with a side of couscous and asparagus.

Family Dinner

Over the last month I have had several people comment to me that it is impressive that we have a family dinner together most nights.  Not only that, but I cook the family meal.  I wanted to break down both of those statements.

First, family dinner is important to me and Adam.  Both of us grew up having family dinner most every night.  In my family, my dad worked full time and my mom worked part time.  But we had family dinner, except on Thursday nights when my dad worked late.  In Adam’s family both of his parents worked full time, and family dinner was served a bit later, but the whole family ate together.

 In our family, we eat family dinner most nights (Sundays, Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and most Saturdays).  Most of those nights I cook something, but even when I don’t cook, we eat a frozen pizza together or breakfast for dinner or vegetarian burgers, burgers and hot dogs, but we are at the same table at the same time.  We have made this a priority in our family, however Adam and I are lucky, that we can leave work and be home for dinner, and if need be, we can log back into the workplace from home and work if we need to work.  We have tried to pick activities that don’t have practice during the week day dinner hour (and during the years of Mark playing baseball we skipped family dinner).  It is getting harder and harder to do that as both kids get involved in different activities, however I hope that we continue to have family meals.

 The other part of this equation is that I cook.  I enjoy cooking and I am organized.  I go grocery shopping once a week with my master list broken down by categories (produce, grocery, dairy, deli and frozen).  On most Thursday nights, I sit on the sofa after dinner with my calendar, a piece of paper marked with the days of the week on the left.  I then write on the paper any activities that are happening.  I then sit with my cookbooks and create the menu on the paper with the days of the week.  I write what I am going to cook next to the day of the week (tofu, with a side of asparagus and rice).  Every time I add an item to the menu, I add the ingredients to the grocery list.  How do I decide what to make for dinner?  If it is a Sunday, I can make something that can take over an hour.  On Mondays, Mark must be done with dinner by 7 for his trombone lesson.  Many of my pasta recipes take 30 minutes or less to cook!  I determine what is for dinner by the evening activities. 

I also have many cookbooks, and every time I try a new recipe, I write next to the recipe comments, such as “Delicious” or “DO NOT MAKE AGAIN” or “Adults liked.”  I also have two three ring binders for every recipe that I print out, cut out or am given by someone.  One binder is the “Not Tried” and the other binder is the “Tried and good.”    My rule of thumb is you never need to make a bad dinner twice.  And, it might not be the cook’s fault.  The recipe might not be right for your family. 

 

The other key to family dinner is that the cook doesn't clean up. Adam cleans the dishes and the pots.  He also puts everything in Tupperware. 

Lean In

I just finished Lean In.  While I thought it was a good read, I have to admit that many things left me wondering.  I think the book makes people (both men and women) about work-family balance.  What I have a hard time with is that right now the author's children are young.  I have a pre-teen son, and I can tell you that things get more complicated as the kids get older.  Sure, you can pay someone to pick up your child at daycare, but can you pay them to watch your son's little league game?  Can you pay someone to watch the school play?  Can you pay someone to be present in your child's parent teacher conference?  Yes, you can outsource many things (cleaning, cooking and childcare) however as children get older, they have other needs.  Of course every parents wants to be there for their children.

Do I have guilt about not volunteering in my child's classroom?  Yes.

Do I know that my children have great teachers?  Yes.

Do I know that I am organized enough to send my kids with lunch, snacks and the book order on the correct days?  Yes.

I really enjoy working.  I really LOVE my family.  I am balancing both.

But I know not all workers have the ability to work at home when their child is sick.  I also know that some people live in fear of losing their jobs because they stayed home with a sick child.  A waitress can not work from home.  A nurse can not work from home.  I am lucky that I can work from home when needed.

But she also needs to define what is success.  Success to many people is to become CEO or President, with the corner office.  But not everyone has that same definition of success.  Success is different and unique to each person. 

I am interested to read what others thought about Lean In.

Next up: Prisoner B 3087 - a book for fifth graders about surviving the Holocaust.  I let Mark read it first, however I am nearly done with it. . . . . I wonder what he thought about the whole thing.  Some parts were graphic and very sad.

Spring is here

Spring time is here!  The good weather is here.  I can put away the winter boots.  However, with spring, comes the end of the school year and the start of camp.  It seems as though each classroom has a special spring thing. . . . along with the spring concert for All City Band (which was amazing), the spring concert for All City Chorus, the spring Angier concert, the Fifth Grade Special Stuff, more forms and of course birthday parties galore!

We hosted Mark's birthday party recently.  We had 8 boys total.  The boys played video games, ate pizza, cake and ice cream and then watched a movie.  A dream come true for an 11 year old boy!  He got lots of nice gifts.

The next part is for Naomi, but that is around Mother's Day so I have some time to prep.

I can't complete this post without telling you that Mark wanted the oreo cookie cake for his birthday party.  A hit amongst the children!

http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/goldtouch-nonstick-sandwich-cookie-cake-pan-and-mix-set/

Of course, I made the cake from scratch, and it was delicous.