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...

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...

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...

Leeks!

Yesterday, was incredibly productive! The hubby had yesterday as a holiday (Happy Memorial Day), and so he spent it working on building that sand box for the kids. In Louisiana it is already HOT! We had temps just over ninety degrees yesterday. I went out for a few minutes and I was pretty sure I was going to die. I'm a wilting Daisy. I used to be able to take the heat, but now, I think all my extra insulation traps it and I get overheated very quickly. That's my scientific assessment. I helped to spread the sand while my poor hubby played pack mule. He loaded up the sand into the garden cart and rolled it to the back yard. One load at a time we got the sand box done. (Mostly him.) The kids love it!

Look at how much fun they're having!

From a culinary standpoint, we had a very healthy day. Everyone got up and had their usual oatmeal or cereal. I had a breakfast shake made with banana, egg white and chocolate almond milk. It was delicious! I also had a half bagel and some cream cheese. Then, everyone set to work. My hubby started building the sand box, the kids started "helping" and I sat down at the computer to figure out what in the world I was going to do with all the leeks I've been getting! I have leeks coming out of my ears people. I froze some, that I have been using to put into everything: from stews and soups to stir fry. "Oh, we're gonna eat? Let me put leeks in that." Then, I got MORE leeks this Saturday. I had several people tell me "Leek and Potato Soup!!" So, I set out on a quest to find a good leek soup recipe. After searching for about 30 minutes and realizing I had ingredients from bits and pieces of several different recipes and a basic concept of what leek soup is, I simply said, "I reject your recipes and substitute my own." I'll post the measurements in the recipe on the recipe page. I used bunches and bunches of leeks, celery, onion, broccoli, cauliflower, butter, flour, chicken broth and white wine. I put it all together and let it simmer all day to get the flavors to marry.

Meanwhile, I needed something to feed people for lunch. My poor hubby was working in the heat so I thought I'd get together a light cool lunch, but it needed to be nutrient rich to replenish what he was losing. (He sweats gallons.) We got some spring mix lettuce in our CSA box this week (with the leeks...). What's cold and refreshing on a hot day? Salad! I had the spring mix and tomatoes from my CSA box. I also had sweet baby bell peppers. I boiled some eggs for protein, and cut up some fruit. Then, I blended up a frozen fruit smoothie. What a feast! And we ate it outside on our new patio; sitting under our new patio umbrella. It hit just the right spot.

After handling the clean up from lunch, I got outside and helped my hubby finish the sand box. He hauled  sand and I spread it. We got it done and it was time for supper, but first....baths! The kids were caked with sand. My house may never be clean again. We all managed to degrit ourselves and sit down to supper. I buzzed the soup with a stick blender to give it a creamier smooth consistency. I ate it as is and it was pretty good. The kids and hubby had the bright idea to put some leftover rice in theirs. The kids thought it was really good. Andrew (my tiny gourmet) said it was the best veggie soup I have ever made! The hubby said that he wasn't sure at first, but the more he ate it the more he liked it. By the end he was saying, "that stuff is good!" So I guess now I know what to do with leeks. It's a good thing they liked it because I have a huge bucket of it in the fridge. Leftovers for a week! Maybe I'll freeze some. Hmm..

Lo Mein....and Sore Muscles

The past few days have been awfully eventful! The hubby and I have been wanting to extend our outdoor patio area, and this weekend we managed to rope a few family members into helping accomplish it. We're so happy with the results, and thankful for family who will help us just so we can save a few bucks! Well, to pour concrete, a lot goes into preparing the area. Including stripping sod and putting down a layer of fill sand. I had nothing to do with this. BUT, after the men were done I was left with a huge pile of fill sand in my front yard spilling onto the walkway. This fill sand will eventually be used to make a sandbox for the kids. Until then, its sole purpose is to get tracked into my house. Yesterday I decided I'd clean up and contain the sand so that not so much of it would make its way in. People, I kid you not when I tell you that typing right now even hurts! I swept all the sand off the driveway, then I shoveled the sand off the walkway and back onto the pile where it belongs. My corn husk broom is now nothing but a nub. I sweated (is that a word?) like a pig and burned a zillion calories. And now....I am SO incredibly sore! This, however, is the kind of exercise I like. Where something actually gets accomplished. I felt so good at the end of the day. Maybe I'd lose all my weight if I went to work in the construction industry.

For dinner (and Meatless Monday) I prepared Veggie Lo Mein. I followed a recipe in my IBS cookbook and tweaked it to include veggies I had in the fridge. Did you know that if it's a veggie you can stir fry it successfully? We all liked this one. I'll post it on the recipe tab in short order. I used onions, summer squash and green beans all from my CSA box this week. I also used sweet baby bell peppers and leeks. Man, I still got a lotta leeks. All stir fried up with ginger and garlic and some soy sauce...yummy! My kids ate everything, not just the noodles like they usually do. They might have left some onions behind when all was said and done, but who cares! They ate it and didn't go "I don't like that". Here's a quick tip for you: if you're going to attempt this recipe, for the love of all things holy, use a non stick pan of some sort! I do not own a non stick pan. My noodles held fast and would not let go. It was carnage. I'm asking for a wok for my birthday...

CSA and Balance

Wow! It's been a long time. My world has been a little upside down and a lot busy. I feel like I've finally regained some of my balance. I don't think I even realized I was out of whack until everything fell back into place again. Does that even make sense?

Since I last wrote, We have started the spring/summer season of a CSA(Community Supported Agriculture)  share at our local "natural" farm. We are enjoying trying all sorts of new veggies, although I have no idea what to do with the fennel we just got. Fennel. It smells like licorice. That just makes me cringe. We have discovered that we love oven roasted beets though. Well, Mom and Dad do. The kids aren't so fond. I wonder if they'd eat it if I put it on pizza.

We finally got back to Meatless Monday here this Monday. Dad and I planned a little surprise to take the kids on a picnic dinner. I made Minestrone Pasta Salad. I got the recipe from Ready Set Eat. It has all the flavors of minestrone soup in a pasta salad. Noodles, beans, squash, carrots, tomatoes. I liked it. Dad liked it. The kids just wanted to play. They picked all the noodles and beans out and ran off. Good enough? I'm not sure, but it's a start back in the right direction for healthy eating.

I've learned that eating healthy on a budget is all about choosing your battles. It's a lot easier to do when I just go and grab a pre-prapared box of veggies every week. It also forces a little diversity into our dinner routines. I mean, fennel....

Andrew....The Tiny Gourmet

This week's Meatless Monday consisted of Spinach Artichoke Pasta Bake. I felt the meal could have used something else. I kind of had the feeling I was missing something and just eating a side dish. It WAS good though. Both kids ate it like it was going out of style. Of course, give them something with a noodle and they usually do. My husband liked it as well. I've just got to figure out how to make it feel like a more cohesive meal. This would make me happier.

This dish was loaded with veggies though. And veggies that kids usually wrinkle their little noses at! I bumped up the nutritional value of the dish by replacing the plain pasta the recipe originally called for with a whole grain "garden" variety. So it was made with whole grains PLUS the little bit of vegetable juice that they use to make the pasta all the pretty colors.

Yesterday (Tuesday) I was scrambling for something to cook for supper. What I ended up with was "cheesy rice and sausage". Certainly not good for you, but pretty tasty! My six year old, Andrew, who LOVED spinach artichoke pasta bake did NOT love cheesy rice. Every kid's dream: rice and tons of cheese. No go for Andrew. I'm turning my kids into health food lovers. And I'm okay with that. Now if only I could follow suit.