Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Fostering...and Familiarity

For those who do not already know, my husband and I are certified foster/adoptive parents. We received a foster placement recently. The only details I'll give (to protect them) are that it was more than one child, and MAN are they finicky! These children are a mite undisciplined, and also not used to sitting down to actual meals. They looked at me like I was nuts when I said the only thing we have to drink is water. Oh what a time we have had...

Trying to give everyone something familiar as well as healthy, one of my first endeavors was spaghetti. Except it was the sneaky version where I grate squash, eggplant and zucchini and chop some spinach to add to the sauce. You should try this. I promise they do not even know it is there! I can always eat spaghetti without a problem, even with my IBS. This time was not always.

That sneaky spaghetti did not agree with me. It seems my stomach is suddenly more sensitive. I got so tired of being sick that I stopped eating everything except French bread and peppermint tea for a day. Once I was feeling human again, I started very closely adhering to the guidelines of an IBS diet set forth by expert IBS sufferer Heather Van Vorous. The lady is a genius. Anyway, I started eating things that are easier for my body to digest, and (surprise of surprises) meats and fats are not on that list!


I made myself a quick squash teriyaki stir fry and put it over white rice one night. Last night though, was the night of deliciousness. I can't wait to have an excuse to do it again! Pizza! The children really enjoyed making their own pizzas "all by myself". I actually got them to eat! The kids had tomato sauce, bell pepper, onion, chicken and mozzarella cheese. Because they chose the toppings themselves and put it on themselves there was no "I don't like that" or picking things off...heavenly! The grown up pizza was the best pizza in all the land. After making our crust we topped ours with a spicy barbecue sauce (homemade because that's how I roll), onions, bell peppers and chicken (but no cheese). It was soooo good! AND so tummy friendly that I still feel good today!

Now, for supper tonight...

Friday, June 15, 2012

Veggie pasta....barbecue style?

So yesterday was interesting. I was pinned to the recliner most of the day with a sick little one. She awoke looking tragic and pale and said "Momma. My belly hurts". It's hard to tell at that point what the child actually means. Her belly could actually hurt (although that is rare). She could be hungry (she either has trouble differentiating the two feelings or has trouble expressing what feeling it actually is). She also could simply be fishing for attention. So I took her temperature like a dutiful Mommy. She had no fever. She was asking to eat. So I assume it's just the hungry thing again. I give her a hand full of almonds and some water and shoo her out of my kitchen so that I can put some chicken to marinate in barbecue sauce. Then I start on breakfast. By this time my child is doubly tragic and asking to "sit on" me. So I put aside breakfast prep for a minute and sit in the chair to watch cartoons. She promptly shows me that, in fact, her belly did hurt. Yuck. So we wash up and spend most of the day in the chair.

I'm wracking my brain wondering if she ate something that didn't agree with her or if she has a virus. I FORGOT to wrack my brain about what I was going to fix with that chicken! By early afternoon The Tragic One is running circles around my living room and I STILL don't have the slightest notion as to what I'm going to make with the chicken! I put the chicken in to bake, all the while wondering what on earth is going to be eaten with it.

Now I go to the pantry and fridge and just start grabbing stuff. Fresh squash, onion, mushroom, garlic, olive oil, penne pasta, chicken bouillon. I start sautéing the veggies and boiling the pasta. Veggies are sautéed. Now what? What makes it have flavor AND tie it into the flavors of the chicken?! Just then I had a weird idea. Barbecue flavored sauce!

I uneasily went forward with my idea. This could be a huge mistake...or not. One way to find out? Try. I made a little roux in the pan with my veggies. Cooked it for a minute to get rid of the flour taste, then added a couple of cups of water. I threw in some bouillon cubes and some barbecue sauce, stirred it up and gave it a taste. Something is missing. I added my noodles and more barbecue sauce. Something is still missing. My hubby tasted. He agreed. Something isn't quite right. Then we both say "Meh." and start serving plates. The funny thing is, the more we eat it, the more we yum. At first it's like "What's missing?!" Then it turns into "Delicious!!" The kids even enjoyed it. I wonder what would make it awesome from the very first bite. It's most certainly different...

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Wery Weggie Wednesday.....Ah - Ah - Ah...

What?! It was the first title to come to my head...

I have had a birthday. I am now twenty - *cough*murmur*eight*cough*. I sit here, another year older, and think about what I have (and have not) accomplished. I am proud of my culinary accomplishments. My family and I are eating all sorts of vegetables. Some weeks we have two or three meatless meals instead of just one. Our meat consumption has drastically decreased. I'm not looking to cut out meat altogether; I believe there is a place for it in our diet. Just not nearly as much as we have been accustomed to eating. Of course, our diet change has come partly out of my determination to change it and partly out of necessity. In case you haven't noticed, groceries have gotten more expensive. Meat is no longer cheap! So, I look for ways to use less of it in my usual dishes, or to just cut it out altogether. My hand has had to pull more tightly on the purse strings this year, and while I now buy organic cow's milk (my children despise almond milk so I have given up that battle) and also participate in a CSA, my grocery costs have remained the same or less because of cutting back on meat. My digestion has improved drastically. Apparently, my belly does not particularly care for meat. So I feel better now than I did this time last year.

Some of the things I have not accomplished this past year?...

I was taken aback recently when a friend (albeit jokingly) said, "you guys only eat fast food like what...5 times a year? You're super mom". This was said as she was munching on fries I envied so much. I was also told earlier this year that someone was "intimidated" by me. ME! I do not see myself as intimidating for sure. This made me take a step back and try to look at myself like an outsider looking in. Yes, I make everything from scratch...mostly. Because I love to create in the kitchen, and I have developed a passion for feeding my family real food. It all started though, from necessity. It's just cheaper to buy ingredients to make something yourself than to pay for the prepackaged version. Not to mention, the ingredients can usually make something else. I didn't have a choice but to make everything from scratch and stop eating out so often. Supermom I am not. So do I like seeming to come across to some that way? I don't think so...

I still have not found a form of physical exercise that I am excited about. People make suggestions and I make excuses. I think, in my 29th year, it's time to stop making excuses and develop some enthusiasm for physical exertion. I have had multiple people suggest I might enjoy cycling. For now, though, I think I should just try and make use of that gym membership I paid for. I still have not planted a garden. I so wanted one this year. If I could actually get things to grow and produce I'd be so excited. I might would lose weight with all the work that comes with gardening too. But another spring has passed. I wonder what can be planted this late in the year?

My birthday was Monday. I got up all gung-ho and ready to make a veggie lasagna. Our CSA box had zucchini, squash and basil. I knew instantly this meant veggie lasagna. So, I got it all together, but was surprised with dinner out for my birthday. The lasagna went in the fridge until yesterday evening. I had just enough time to get it out of the oven before I had to leave for a Tupperware party. Yes. They still do those.. The family ate the lasagna last night, but I didn't get to taste it until today at lunch. (Hence the catchy title..)

So here I am. Sitting one year older, with heartburn thanks to my tomato sauce, pondering all the changes that have been made and still feeling they are not quite enough...