Good Ol' Peanut Butter Balls

Kids' sports are kind of insane these days. Don't get me wrong, I do think that kids should be active, and also that they should do well in school, and that they should get enough down time, and twelve hours of sleep a night, and 3 solid healthy meals a day, and plenty of one-on-one time with a loving parent...   Look, if you can tell me how to make all of this happen in just 24 hours and then keep it going day after day after day, PLEASE fill me in!

Afternoons and evenings have been crazy for us with football season. The kids get home from school and there's about 2 hours before we have to start getting ready and off to practice, which is two hours long, and then we're eating dinner at about 8:15 at night. Those two hours after school are packed with completing homework, chores, whatever social/electronics time the kids get for the day, prepping to make dinner smoother, and getting a good snack in them before they go to get 2 hours on the field in.

I've mentioned before that my little man is super picky. He still doesn't eat meat, except in bacon or chicken tender form. But he's a tackle, a big guy on the team, and he's got to have that protein to build up those muscles. So I'm scrambling to get every ounce of good stuff into him. Yogurt, cheese, milk, and the constant favorite: peanut butter.

Magical Granola Dust

I think that every parent walks the line between feeding their kids healthy food and feeding their kids food that they don't have to fight with them over. With my kids being more active lately, they need more energy, and they always seem to be "staaaaaaarving". So, when I can find recipes that they enjoy that are easy and nutritious, I feel like I've hit the jackpot.

Granola dust is one of those recipes. I came across the idea from a Jamie Oliver recipe, and adapted it to better suit my kids' tastes. It's packed full of nutritional powerhouses like oats, nuts, seeds, and antioxidants, and I tried to keep the sugar down while still making it sweet enough that my kids don't feel tempted to add their own. 

Party Time - A Brainy Party!

So, if you follow me on Facebook, you might have noticed that I pretty much went off radar for the weekend, because we had a big framily (close friends and family) party for my little two...who I guess are getting to be not so little anymore.  Sigh.

My youngest two have birthdays a week apart, so we just have the party for both of them, but sometimes, deciding on a party theme is rough.  This year, my son wanted Thomas the Tank Engine, and my daughter wanted zombies.  They discussed amongst themselves and told me that they had decided that we should have a Thomas the Zombie Tank Engine Party.  Ummmm...

Yeah, I was not up to that creative challenge this time of year.  So I started showing them ideas of cool projects we could do, things that I thought they might like, and we decided on this "Use your Brain" party.  A little art, a little science, a lot of fun.

And I mean a LOT of fun!  We had so much fun, that I decided to share the activities with you here.

These Eggs are for the Birds!

Easter is nearly here, and I know that you guys are desperate for some egg-citing ideas!

Ugh.  Okay, that's the only pun I am going to throw out today...it actually made me physically gag to type it.  I am so, so sorry.

Seriously though, Easter and eggs go hand in hand.  And, for my first time, I'm joining in on a Tinkerlab Creative Challenge!  Every other month, Tinkerlab extends an open invitation for kids to create with a common inspiration, and this month, it's eggs!

Sham-Shamrock Shake

I used to live for that time of year when a certain fast food green shake would make it's appearance.  My birthday happens to be exactly a week after St. Patrick's Day, and spring is my favorite time of year, so getting one of those sweet treats became a tradition of celebrating the season.  A sign of good things to come.

But then, once we started eating more "real food", those shakes just didn't taste as good.  I know a lot of people say that about things and mean it as some kind of metaphor, like their guilt over having it didn't outweigh the enjoyment of drinking it, but I mean it the straightforward way: the shake just tastes artificial to me.  I can taste the food coloring in particular, and it just doesn't match up to the idealized version of it that I have in my head.

So then, last year, I stumbled across this recipe for Drunk Shamrock Shake.  I'm a convert, full on in my new-found affection for this reincarnation of that minty green shake.  If the original shake left me feeling empty and cheated, this one fills my soul and makes me feel...well...happy.

King Cake

Mardi Gras is awesome.

Let's face it, even the name rhymes with "party claw".  Forget that it's just "Fat Tuesday" in French...you have no choice but to celebrate on a day named Mardi Gras.

My father-in-law's family is from Louisiana, so our ties to this celebration run to the core.  Ask any of my kids.  The family's favorite dinner?  Gumbo, hands down.  Party beads have been a regular part of the dress-up bins since before the girls were walking.  We may even bleed green, purple, and gold.  But, the Mardi Gras culinary tradition that has our heart in it's sweet, sweet grip is that of the king cake.

King cake has many different forms, and is found in many different countries.  When I was younger, I loved reading a book about a French orphan girl, and was enthralled with her description of finding the bean in her "galette des rois", and getting to wear a paper crown and call the shots all day.  In Mardi Gras terms, it's the last indulgence before Lent comes and spoils the fun by reminding us of sacrifice and restraint.

Cinnamix and Cinnaminis - Reinventing "Sweet Cinnamon Sprinkle"

If you've been reading my blog for a while, you know that I'm not big on processed food.  But you also probably realize that I take everything in a balance.  Sometimes, there are the rare processed foods that I use because either there are no good natural substitutes for and I can't live without them, or there are better options but they are amazingly time-consuming and high-effort.

Then, sometimes, that food gets discontinued, and my hand is forced.

What this all about?  Cinnamon rolls.  You see, Pampered Chef had this wonderful little "spice mix" called Sweet Cinnamon Sprinkle.  And on the label of this spice mix was a recipe for Easy Cinnamon Rolls.  And that recipe delivered what it promised in its name.  They were easy, they were cinnamony, and they were great for a breakfast treat.  I'd whip some up maybe a couple of times a month, easy enough to do on school mornings, and they were always a big hit.

Quick and Easy Dilly Beans

My middle child has many strengths, and many talents.  Somehow, over the last year, she has established herself as the dilly bean queen.  Her sour, garlicky, delicious specialty has quickly become legendary among our friends and family.  She's pretty proud of it, and she has been scoping out my garden waiting for the arrival of these:

And this:

Lilacs Lilacs Lilacs

I love lilacs.  A lot of people that I know love lilacs.  I think it's hard not to.  They are purple, which is one of my 8 favorite colors.  They smell divine.  And when they appear on their bushes, you know that summer is on its' way.

My personal love of lilacs may slightly have been influenced by the town that I grew up in: Lombard, Illinois. Otherwise known as the Lilac Village.  And let me tell you, they are very VERY serious about lilacs.  Hardcore.  I'm talking a Lilac Ball, a Lilac Queen crowned, and even a Lilac Parade.  It sounds like something you'd find in a quaint country town...and it feels like it too...but it's smack dab in the middle of the suburbs of Chicago.

Shroom For More

Would you believe me if I told you I had a hot veggie side that you can throw together in 5 minutes?  with only 3 ingredients?  Because I do.

Even better than that, if you know someone who's not a big fan of mushrooms, this could possibly convert them.  It did for me.  I still wouldn't consider myself big on mushrooms, but I do enjoy them this way.

I got this method from a vendor at Green City Market in downtown Chicago.  He had a bunch of mushrooms cooked up this way and managed to charm my friend and me into trying them.  It was eye-opening.  They almost tasted like little bites of steak!  No kidding, that was my mushroom epiphany right there.

Blueberry Breakfast Cake

So, all of you had a little notebook of clipped and scribbled recipes when they were in high school, right?  I mean, I'm sure I can't be the only one.  There's got to be at least a couple other people out there...

Okay, I can face it.  I'm a cooking junkie, and have been for a while.  I would steam artichokes in my dorm room in college.  I would bake muffins to bring to high school for my friends and/or teachers.  And I would buy cooking magazines since before I could drive.  And some of the recipes that I have clipped or written out from back then are still in constant rotation at my house.  Which is a good thing.

Just fair warning, this week may be a little oatmeal-centric.  I have bananas getting too ripe, and that's perfect for a banana oatmeal snack cake.  Plus, there's a great blueberry oatmeal muffin recipe that we love here, and I might pull that one together to share.  But today, it's blueberry breakfast cake.  I'm not sure where the original recipe is from, but right now, it's in my old little recipe book with a note about it being from a Blueberry Festival in Indiana.

St. Louis Adventures - City Museum

If you could live in my head, I imagine that it would look a lot like City Museum.  It's eclectic, it's creative, it surprises you, it has its' dark sides, it's filled with joy and excitement, it's always changing and evolving, and you never know what you're going to find.  Maybe that's why City Museum is one of my favorite places that I've ever visited.

These Kids Are Picky P-P-P-Picky Picky Piiiiiiiiiiiicky

Run DMC anyone?  Or else I may have already lost you.  It's tricky to rock a rhyme, to rock a rhyme that's right on time...

You know what else can be tricky?  Getting your kids to eat.  I'd say getting your kids to eat healthy food, but sometimes it's just getting them to eat ANYTHING.  Human nature tells us that everyone is unique,and therefore, I can't give you a straightforward answer on how to get picky eaters to eat better.  So what I'm going to do instead is suggest a few strategies that I've found helpful, and hopefully one or more of them can work for you and your picky eater.

A Pop of Spice

I like to think outside the box.  I also sometimes like to sit inside the box and pretend that it's a time machine, or an airplane, or a silent padded room, but that's another story.  So when Curry's sent me their meat spice rub, using it on meat was the last thing that came to my mind.

The Meat Spice Rub is a very interesting mix of spices.  When you open it, you are immediately hit with an aroma reminiscent of sweets, almost like licorice and gingerbread.  That makes sense, because it has many of what I generally think of as "sweet" spices in it, like cloves, star anise, and cinnamon.  But then you can smell a hint of the smokier spices, and spices with more of a snap in there as well, like the cumin and the black pepper.  It was totally intriguing to me.  I love a good divergent flavor blend, whether it's salty-sweet like chocolate-covered pretzels, or salty-sour like salt and vinegar chips, or spicy-sweet like the smell of this rub.  It reminded me slightly of Chinese 5 spice (probably the star anise), and that made me think of an amazing caramel sauce that I made with Chinese 5 spice a while back.  Not wanting to do the same thing again, but loving that salty-sweet-spice direction, I decided to go with a spiced kettle corn.

Full disclosure: I have never tried to make my own actual kettle corn before.  I have let the people at the market with the huge copper kettles do it.  I have made my own popcorn, buttered it, and then sprinkled it with blends of salt or sugar or other flavors like cinnamon or garlic.  But I've never actually made the real deal in my kitchen.  Until now.

Saffron Mini-Muffins

Despite yesterday being the first day of spring, it is crazy cold around here.  Like, "high of 34, feels like 17" kind of cold.  And that's not Celsius either.  Freezing.  But on the upside, the sun has been shining, and I'm starting to see signs of spring cropping up.  Robins singing, the sun staying out longer, and the green starts of crocuses popping up in my yard.  It's on it's way.

(So, I could insert a long story here to make a smooth transition, but honestly, it's Thursday, my crazy day, and I'm going to skirt it.  If you'd like to imagine a magical, transcendent, witty, wordy transition, please do so now.)  

You know what spice comes from crocuses?  Saffron!  

So, a funny thing happened on Facebook the other day...

The following is a true story.  I'm the suspicious blonde character.  My friend lives a zillion miles away, in Arizona.  She is amazing, and has 2 sets of twins and a baby and still manages to keep a fantastic sense of humor and be awesome in every way that matters.  I just love her.  This went down, and she told me I should blog it.  So I am.  I took out the names and the pictures of others to protect the innocent, but other than that, the best way I can explain this is to just copy the "conversation".  Enjoy!

The Sweet Side of Snow

I'm sure there are a million reasons that our neighbors think we are weird.  And most of those reasons are completely valid too.  Somewhere in that list is "they have this bowl out on their deck all winter".  We do.  I have a big bowl that I put out every winter in anticipation of snow.

Let me tell you why.  My kids love sweets.  I love sweets too.  I think it's a Dutch or a Swedish thing.  Or a human thing.  And somehow, treats that you can't get anytime you want are even sweeter.  So what does this have to do a a bowl of snow?  I use that bowl of snow to make some of our most appreciated winter goodies.

At the first sign of a snowflake in the air, my kids start getting giddy.  "Mama, do we have enough snow in the bowl yet?  Is it snow caramel time?"  Their eyes gleam.  Their little mouths start to salivate.  Their minds become a single track, leading to delicious sugary confections that only come on snowy days.

Ice Fest

This weekend, my family and I went to the Downers Grove Ice Fest.  It takes place the second weekend of February in downtown Downers Grove, and usually has a loving theme, since it falls close to Valentine's Day.  This year, it was "Love is in the Air!".  They have over 30 ice sculptures all around downtown, live demonstrations, a special movie showing at the Tivoli Theatre, and a lot of the shops run in-store promotions for the weekend.  We've been to it in years past, but the last couple of years, it just hasn't timed out with other obligations, so I was excited at getting to check it out again.

Weather around the Chicagoland area has been, well, unpredictable to say the least.  Outdoor festivals always have their challenges.  You would think that ice in February would not be a big problem, but this year, it was about 40 degrees out, and raining on and off.  We still braved a quick walk-about to check out some of the cool (pardon the pun) creations.  The sculptures were intricate and creative.  Some had other objects encased in the ice to add effects and color.  We stopped and watched the carvers works, using chainsaws and irons and chisels.  One of the demonstrators handed out baggies that contained a chunk of ice with a coin sealed in the middle of it to each of the kids.  Talk about a lesson in patience!

I think the pictures tell the story pretty well on their own.  If you're interested in this event, or others in Downers Grove, check out www.downtowndg.org.

Beet Haters Got to Hate

Confession time:  I hate beets.

You see, because I'm big on veggies, people assume that I love all of them.  And that's just not true.  I do like most of them, but some, especially the sweeter root veggies and squashes, take a lot of convincing for me.  I'm not big on earthy sweetness, I guess.  Beets have never been near the top of my list.  Honestly, they don't even make the list.

I always tell my kids not to say that they hate a vegetable.  I tell them that they may not like it in the way it was served, but they just have to find the way that they WILL like it.  And I use my arsenal of cooking techniques to convince them that it's true.  So far, it's worked pretty well for me.  None of them are big fans of steamed zucchini, but they love it shredded up and crisped in olive oil with a little salt and pepper, and they adore it in muffins.  So now, if you ask them, they will tell you that they like zucchini.  And if you give them something and tell them that it is zucchini, they will not have an adverse reaction to it.  As any parent of young children knows, that's the biggest part of the battle.

Chocolate on the Brain

So, today we went to the arboretum for a wonderfully delicious event: the annual Chocolate Expo and Market.  To me, it might as well be that scene from Willy Wonka where they run into the room where everything's edible and gorge until the greedy chubby kid falls in the chocolate river and spoils it for everyone, only before the river fiasco.  Bunches of local chocolatiers and vendors, with very high-quality artisan goods, and almost all of them have samples of all the products.  Sugar rush like none other.

This is, I believe, at least the third year that my family has made it there to this choco-rific event, and it did not disappoint!  Sample after sample of chocolates and caramels and other sweets, twisted and developed in ways that I usually only get to drool about while watching Food Network.  Get out your wiping cloths, and try not to lick the computer screen.