cooking with a toddler: cookies

i love cookies and i love to bake.  what better way to spend time with my son than to bake and eat cookies together?  i found this recipe through pinterest (my other love and newest recipe resource) and made these cookies over the weekend. they were definitely a hit in our house and are already gone!

peanut butter oatmeal chocolate chip cookies

(recipe: kristineskitchenblog.com - which i doubled)

ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1 cup granulated sugar

2/3 cup light brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 eggs

1 cup rolled oats

2 cups chocolate chips (i used semi-sweet)

method:

          whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.  on medium speed, cream together the butter, peanut butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract, about 3 minutes.  add the eggs and beat to combine. on low speed, gradually add the flour until just combined.  stir in the oats, and then the chocolate chips.  if desired, you may refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours, but no more than 36 hours.  a few minutes before you are ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  line baking sheet with parchment paper.  use a large cookie scoop (3 tablespoons) and drop dough onto prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. bake for 10 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly golden and just set in the center. cool completely on the baking sheet and then store in an airtight container at room temperature.

kai is super excited to bake!

"put the butter in the bowl."  he takes instruction quite literally, wrapper and all.

pouring the flour into a separate bowl.

mixing together the dry ingredients.

adding the sugars to the butter to be creamed.

add peanut butter to creamed butter and sugar.

add eggs.  this is where kai started to lose interest.  he really wanted to just EAT the cookies.

added the oats after i already combined the flour mixture.

mix in the chocolate chips.

drop cookies on prepared parchment lined baking sheet.  bake for about 10 minutes.  i like my cookies a little underdone, so they are chewy.  you can choose to bake them a little longer if you want them to be crispy.

although kai didnt help me through the entire baking process, he had a really good time helping me in the beginning.  he still loves to pull a chair up the stove every evening when im cooking.  this is becoming a fun tradition in our house and i hope you can make it one in yours too.

happy baking!

- the mrs.

pinterest obsessed!

pinterest seems to be the buzz word/trending topic lately.  ive been pinning with pinterest for about 4 months now and the novelty still hasnt worn off.  i am an addict.  i find that i like to do most of my pinning late at night when both my husband and son are asleep, haha!

find me on pinterest: cehlsey

travel//food//decor//photography//events//fashion//kids//products//design

these are few of the photos i will pin at my "heart of the home" board:

photo: hgtv.com

photo: airoom.com

photo: jkandsons.com

photo: airoom.com

photo: elledecor.com

photo: hgtv.com

photo: jkandsons.com

photo:  elledecor.com

photo: wmohs.com

photo: wmohs.com

photo: airoom.com

happy pinning!

- the mrs.

cooking with a toddler: PB and Js!

ever since i started letting my son help me cook his eggs in the morning, he wants to help me cook EVERYTHING!  its so fun to see him run over to the dining room table and attempt to drag a chair back into the kitchen.  i have considered purchasing a learning tower, but we dont exactly have the space to store it while not in use and i dont really want it hanging around my kitchen.  if i had the extra space in the kitchen, i would definitely buy one.  they come in a bunch of colors, so you can find one to match your decor or choose your child's favorite color.  for now, a dining room chair will be just fine.  

kai wanted a peanut butter and jelly sandwich the other day for a snack, so we made one together.  

all the ingredients on a paper towel on the kitchen counter, including one knife for each spread.

kai spreading the peanut butter.  initially i spread the peanut butter on the bread to help him and he finished.  someone was too hungry to wait until we finished...

sneaky!

spreading the jelly...

closing the sandwich.

sneaking ANOTHER bite before we sit down...

finally seated and enjoying his sandwich!

doing even the little things, like making a PB and J sandwich, is a big task for a toddler.  i know my son really enjoys it and feels a great sense of accomplishment.  the next time your toddler wants a sandwich, let them help you make it!

happy snacking!

- the mrs.

dinner in a pinch!

got home on the later side last night, traffic was a bear.  thankfully all i had to do for dinner was grill up some steaks and steam some broccoli - easy.  but not so fast, we ran out of propane as we started up the grill! grrr.  now what?  it would be unacceptable in my house to cook the steaks any other way and my husband gets especially irritable and cranky we he is hungry (but i guess we all do).  he just takes it to another level, whining and complaining that hes going to STARVE because now there is NOTHING to eat.  heaven forbid we dont eat the steaks we were planning to eat for dinner tonight.  so i check the fridge and the pantry only to discover that i have all the ingredients to make my super delicious go-to pasta dish.  great flavor and spice and can be made in under 20 minutes (which was still an eternity to my husband, but hey).  i have listed both the recipe for last night's pasta dish and the traditional recipe.  i did have to make a few improvisations, but not many and both versions are SO good.  

last night's italian sausage, tomato, & cream bowtie pasta

ingredients:

1 12 oz pkg of bowtie pasta

2-3 tablespoons olive oil

2 bristol farms sweet italian sausages, casings removed and crumbled (if you dont have a bristol near you, im sorry :) you can use any italian sausage of your choosing)

1 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes (i tend to add more during the cooking process, i like it spicy.  this can be omitted if you desire)

half red onion, roughly chopped

4 garlic cloves, pressed (or finely chopped/minced)

salt and pepper to taste (i used more salt than pepper)

1-2 cups prego traditional heart smart pasta sauce (this is what i had on hand; i eyeballed the measurement)

1 cup heavy cream

shredded parmesan cheese, just to top the pasta

method:

heat the oil in a large deep skillet over medium heat (you want a deep skillet because ultimately you will add the cooked pasta to the sauce).  cook sausage until evenly browned.  while the sausage was cooking i prepared my pasta pot with water and salt.  once the water is boiling, drop in the pasta and cook for about 10 minutes; drain.  to the sausage, add the red chili flakes, onion, garlic, and salt and pepper.  cook until the onion is tender.  once the onion was tender i added about 2 cups of prego pasta sauce.  again, i eyeballed this measurement.  you need just enough to cover the sausage and onions and get a sauce base going.  stir in the cream (this is also a good time to add more red chili flakes or salt and pepper if you wish).  simmer until the mixture thickens, about 8-10 minutes.  i just simmered the sauce until my pasta was ready - my husband was waiting ever so patiently for dinner :)  add the drained pasta to the sauce and mix until all the little bowties are covered.  plate the pasta and top with shredded parmesan.  i REALLY love adding chopped fresh flat leaf parsley as well, but our garden is currently dormant and i didnt have any on hand.  

traditional italian sausage, tomato, & cream bowtie pasta

(changes noted in red - recipe adapted from allrecipes.com)

ingredients:

1 12 oz pkg of bowtie pasta

2-3 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound bristol farms sweet italian sausages, casings removed and crumbled (if you dont have a bristol near you, im sorry :) you can use any italian sausage of your choosing)

1 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes (i tend to add more during the cooking process, i like it spicy.  this can be omitted if you desire)

half cup diced onion

4 garlic cloves, pressed (or finely chopped/minced)

salt and pepper to taste (i used more salt than pepper)

2 15 oz cans diced italian style tomatoes

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

shredded parmesan cheese, just to top the pasta

4 tablespoons freshly minced flat leaf parsley

method:

heat the oil in a large deep skillet over medium heat (you want a deep skillet because ultimately you will add the cooked pasta to the sauce).  cook sausage until evenly browned.  while the sausage is cooking, prepare your pasta pot with water and salt.  once the water is boiling, drop in the pasta and cook for about 10 minutes; drain.  to the sausage, add the red chili flakes, onion, garlic, and salt and pepper.  cook until the onion is tender.  once the onion stir in tomatoes and cream (this is also a good time to add more red chili flakes or salt and pepper if you wish).  simmer until the mixture thickens, about 8-10 minutes.   add the drained pasta to the sauce and mix until all the little bowties are covered.  plate the pasta and top with shredded parmesan and parsley.

this dish is SO delicious and quite simple!  my 19 month old son loves it too - even the spicy version.  in the photo, my husbands plate is on the top and my plate is on the bottom.  i thought i would share the difference in our portions.  men usually have less body fat and more muscle than women and ultimately burn more calories than we do. we definitely cannot eat the same portion with similar results.  as much as i LOVE this dish and would like to eat an entire plate of it like my husband, i dont.  that being said, i very much enjoyed my portion of pasta!

buongusto!

- the mrs.

mirror painting

yesterday was bit cloudy, rainy, and pretty darn cold.  kai still really wanted to go outside so i set up a painting invitation for him.  when i say "invitation,"  i mean something that i have set up in advance for him to discover/explore on his own.  a lot of my ideas to keep kai engaged in play-based learning activities come from the play at home mom blog i follow.  they have been a great inspiration to me and have a blog packed full of fun ideas to do with kids of all ages.  i usually tailor their ideas into something that will work for kai, myself, and with our environment at home.  

in our backyard i set out a beach towel with four mirrors, two plates with two colors of paint each, and four paintbrushes (one for each color).  i lead kai outside to the "invitation" and he attacked, haha!  he LOVES paint and would paint all day everyday if i let him.  the only thing stopping him is me and sometimes i feel guilty about saying no, but there are just some days when i just DO NOT want to deal with the mess.  yesterday wasn't one of those days and kai was THRILLED.  

the "invitation."  i tried to snap a picture before kai started to paint, but you get the idea.

he went straight for the orange and brown paint, using one brush to mix them together and began painting the mirrors.

it wasnt long before he ditched the brushes and started painting with his hands and fingers.

he occasionally picked up the paintbrush, but had way for fun painting with his hands and checking himself out in the mirrors.  when he was done painting, i hosed down his hands and we ended up spending another half an hour playing with the hose.  we had a great cloudy, rainy, and cold day!

happy painting!

- the mrs.

cooking with a toddler: scrambled eggs

over the last few days i have been trying to get my 19 month old more involved with our family cooking.  my husband and i cook dinner just about every night of the week.  we probably go out to dinner on average once a week, but some months we dont go out at all, or we make quick lazy dinner that doesnt require much time in the kitchen.  ultimately, if you want to live a healthier lifestyle, cooking for yourself is the best bet.  you have control over the portion size and obviously the ingredients.  restaurant food is delicious, but they spare no calorie.  full fat cream, butter, salt, oil, sugar... you name it.  its yummy, but not entirely healthy.  

i want my son to grow up knowing how to cook and i believe teaching him at a very young age with help foster independence and confidence.  cooking for himself at a young age also instills a sense of capability: i can!  it also shows my son the confidence i have in him and that i trust his ability in the kitchen..  if you start showing your children the right way to things at a young age, you dont have to be worried about them hurting themselves or doing the "wrong" thing as they get older.  teach them WHY they cannot touch a hot stove, dont just tell them NO.  TEACH and SHOW them how to use the kitchen tools.  you cannot expect them to know... we all need guidance and experience to learn.  :)

my son loves eggs, so this morning he made his own scrambled egg!  

i pulled a dining chair up to the counter for him to stand on.

after he cracked the egg into the bowl, he used a fork to scramble it.

i showed him how to spray the pan with cooking spray.  his attempt to spray the pan resulted in a stove covered with canola oil.  haha, better luck next time.  he quickly poured the egg into the pan on the stove and grabbed the spatula and started stirring.

he LOVED using the spatula and stirring the egg in the pan.

i set out a bowl for him to scoop the egg into.  he didnt get a single part of the egg in the bowl, but it was fun to watch him try.  next time...

enjoying his egg.  job well done!

happy cooking!

- the mrs.

clean. lean. green. shake!

most of the time when i make my shakes i do not follow a recipe.  i know what i like, i eyeball the measurements and blend!  i have previously posted the recipe for my normal breakfast blend, so i thought i would compile my green shake recipe for you too.

clean. lean. green. shake

6-8 oz fresh squeeze orange juice

2 tablespoons chia seeds

half cucumber

two celery stalks

1 inch fresh ginger

2-3 handfuls of spinach (baby or regular)

put all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. 

 if youre like me and prefer a cold shake, you can put the OJ into some ice cube trays and freeze them before blending.  or you can place the veggies in the freezer for an hour or so to chill before blending.  sometimes i will also add kale to this or half a green apple.  i also LOVE flat leaf parsley in my shakes - adds such a clean and refreshing taste.   

enjoy!

-the mrs.

cleanse: day nine.

hello day nine. 

i am in week two of my three week cleanse.  things are going well but i am really sick of eating fruits and vegetables all day.  i don't know if i will make it the entire 21 days strictly following the rules.  i think i might have to change things up a bit, add a cup of coffee here or there.  maybe some bread.  i have been doing awesome, but i am really wanting a change of pace and VARIETY.  however, i did have a small quesadilla for dinner the other day because i was so starved for bread and cheese.  horrible.  fail.  but i didn't feel a bit guilty.  other than that blunder, i have been sticking to the rules.  the main thing for me is to curb my craving for sweets and this cleanse really has done it.  also, being more aware of what i am consuming throughout the day helps to understand that i really dont NEED that cupcake or piece of chocolate.  annndd the booze.  if i dont drink that glass or two of wine every night i am saving myself 200-400 calories.  easy.  and that doesnt include the days when i drink more than that or mix myself a mimosa on sunday morning.  i really dont drink that much or that often, so cutting alcohol out isnt too difficult.

as the rules state:

What You're Eating During Week 1: 

fruits, vegetables, and plant-based fats: including nuts, seeds, and oils

What You're Adding Back in Week 2:

seafood, beans and lentils, and organic soy

i am now allowed to eat seafood and beans!  last night we grilled up some ono steaks and served it with broccoli and homemade manila mango salsa.  it was fantastic.  my salsa is very easy to make.

manila mango salsa

  

two manila mangos - peeled, pitted, and diced

1/4 red onion - diced

juice of half a lime

fresh cilantro - 2 tablespoons, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

(for heat dice up a serrano or jalapeno.  all ingredient ratios can be changed to suit your taste)

combine all ingredients in a bowl.  you can serve immediately or put it in the fridge for couple hours or overnight to allow all the flavors to come together. yum!

happy cleansing!

-the mrs.

tea kettle: electric or stove top?

referring back to an earlier post about tea and tea kettles: sooo which one, electric or stove top?, i finally made a decision:  stove top.  i have been wanting a tea kettle and needing to make the decision sooner rather than later.  my 21 day cleanse has me off caffeine so i have been leaning towards green and herbal teas rather than decaf coffee for my hot beverage fix.  tea could never replace my love for coffee, but i have been loving getting know tea and immersing myself in all the wonderful flavors and varieties.  what made me choose stove top kettle over the electric kettle is a great deal on the perfect color green chantal tea pot.  i was using my sisters stove top tea kettle the other day and when i went to pour the water into my cup i nearly burned my hand on the handle.  it was boiling lava hot.  that makes no sense.  why would the handle be impossible to hold and pour?  good thing my green lady has an easy grip stay-cool handle :)  down the road i will probably invest in an electric kettle mainly because it takes at least 10 minutes before i hear the whistle and sometimes that is just too long to wait.

here is a picture of my beautiful green lady:

happy tea drinking!

- the mrs.

cleanse: day seven.

today is the final day of my first week (eating only fruits and veggies). I am SO looking forward to monday and adding back seafood and beans. this morning I decided to have a small plate of fruit for breakfast.

half a grapefruit, a handful of blueberries, one kiwi, and a manila mango (which, in my opinion are SO much better than a traditional mango)...all on my classy target paper plate :)

manila mangoes are smaller and have a yellow skin when ripe. the perfect portion for a snack or part of breakfast. but what I like about manila mangos the most is their tangy, almost sour taste.  however, if you dont like a tangy/tart taste, you can let them further ripen and the are incredibly sweet.  my son tried them for the first time this morning and practically finished a whole one himself. he didn't care for the ruby red grapefruit and spit it out immediately. 

the thing I find most difficult about this cleanse is the lack of hot food (and coffee, i just want a dang latte for goodness' sake!).  I have been really craving a warm breakfast (eggs benedict, haha) or a nice hot dinner (steak and mashed potatoes). that's not to say that I cant have a hot meal of steamed/sautéed/grilled veggies, it just doesn't feel the same without a protein, and I'm getting pretty sick of soup for dinner! a few nights ago I tried making sautéed shiitake mushrooms to go along with my soup for a "meaty" alternative and bleck. I am just NOT a mushroom fan. meh, oh well.

on the menu for dinner tomorrow night: 

grilled ono with fresh mango salsa and grilled veggies! yes.

happy cleansing!

PS I wrote this entry on my iPhone using the blogger app. not too bad, although there are a few things I will change when I am at a computer (links, alignment, photo, etc). you are limited in your manipulations, but overall its a good app that's easy to use.

cleanse: day five.

day five and going strong.  although all i can think about is french baguettes and butter croissants.  i am normally a sweets person, but haven't had a single craving for anything sweet or sugary.  the only thing i have been craving is meat, something more hearty and substantial, and BREEEEAADDDDD!  i could seriously mow down a whole baguette right now, but thats beside the point.  my energy level is up, aside from the fact that i am suffering through a cold and my son has bronchitis (yuck!).  i dont feel hungry, but i am sick of eating salad and soup.  i am definitely looking forward to adding back seafood and beans on monday.  YES!  for the past few days i have been blending my breakfast.  

my normal breakfast blend:

frozen blueberries (my drink MUST be cold)

orange juice (for taste and easy veggie blend-ability)

chia seeds (yes i said CHIA - i buy these in bulk at sprouts or whole foods)

2 stems kale

handful or two spinach

half an apple

small beet

 if i had fresh flat leaf parsley, i would add that too, but my garden has gone dormant for the winter 

and i haven't picked up any from the store.  flat leaf parsley adds a real "fresh" taste.  

hard to explain, but so so GOOD!  (today i added some strawberries and tomatoes that i needed to use before they went bad)

it really looks awful, but its delicious.  i would say its an acquired taste and at first i thought it tasted like rabbit food.  i know its really good for me, so that also makes it easier to drink.  my blender is a health master (haha, super cheesy name).  but its been great.  blends practically anything, makes soups, baby food, homemade flour, puree/food process... i thought about throwing it out the window the other day, but it was operator error.  i would LOVE to have a vitamix, but don't really have the $500-600 dollars to spend.  maybe for my birthday?

lunches have been a freshly made salad.  spring mix, fresh berries, half an apple, avocado and some sesame garlic dressing.  salt and pepper to taste.  i love this salad, but am really tired of eating it.  i guess i should change it up a bit.  snacks have been fresh fruit/veggies and almonds.  i have also been drinking herbal and green tea throughout the day and plenty of water.

ready for the weekend!! well, actually i am looking forward to monday for once!

happy cleansing!