Laela's Biscuits

My child makes the best biscuits ever.  Seriously.  One day, I had all the ingredients out (but not measured), and she just started scooping and "smooshing" the ingredients together.  Let me tell you, my little 3 year old is a superstar, because baby, her biscuits are delicious.

And yes, she wears a Sleeping Beauty dress while she bakes.  Don't you?

Laela's Biscuits:

You'll need:

• 2 cups flour
• 1Tb baking powder
• 1Tb sugar
• About 1/3 cup butter
• 1 cup milk

Instructions:

• Smoosh together with your hands. 
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Farenheit. 
• Play.  Have fun.  Make goofy shapes. 
• Bake for 10 minutes.
• **Laela also stuffed some with proscuitto and cheese. (You make a pancake, fold the meat and cheese, and then wrap the dough around it.)  YUM.

Here's the snowman biscuit Laela made:

 

 

I cannot emphasize how excited and proud Laela is when she makes something all by herself.  The fact that she made this biscuit recipe up all on her own while we were cooking dinner one night, and that it came out delicious, was fantastic for her self-esteem.  I know it can be messy, and for some it can be difficult to allow anyone into the kitchen, but try it.  Invite your children into the kitchen and allow them to create.  They really might surprise you!

Sugar Cookielicious!

 

It's cookie time!  Ky came home from work the other day seeming a bit "American treat" homesick, so I surprised him with some nummy yummy sugar cookies.  It also made my little girl who was pleading to make Santa some cookies pretty darn happy.  (Not sure how Santa's going to get any cookies since my little love and big love keep asking me to bake more of the dough that I froze for the big guy!)

 

Now I've got to give it to you straight, these cookies are AWESOME.  Full disclosure though, the recipe with the Crisco is just a bit better.  The cookies puff up nice and pretty with the Crisco, and if you're not a butter enthusiast, these are just a touch more buttery than they would be with Crisco.

 

This nice thing about these cookies, is that they make about 50 per batch (awesome, right?), and whenever I've been in a "baking pinch", these have saved me from having to devote hours that I don't have to making tons of cookies for that party/event/school lunch that my exhausted, semi-brain dead self may have forgotten about.  Whew.  Also, since I usually do these as 2 inch balls, if you shrink the balls down to 1 inch, you'll have twice as many cookies, and barely any extra work.

 

First, here is the recipe as I would make it in the States:

 

Sugar Cookies

 

You'll need:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 3 egg yolks
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350-degrees Farenheit.
• Whip the butter and shortening for 20 seconds.
• Add the sugar and vanilla.  Whip until creamy.
• Whip in the egg yolks.
• Beat in the baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt.  Scraping the sides occasionally.
• Gradually beat in the flour. 
• When the dough is well mixed, shape it into 1 or 2 inch balls.
• Place 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet, and pop them in the oven!
• Bake for 6 minutes.
• Allow to cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes. 
• Transfer to an air tight container.
• Make sure your container is air tight so that your cookies stay chewy!

Enjoy!!

American Sugar Cookies Italian Style

 

You'll need

• 250 grams butter, softened (I could only find salted)
• 2 Cups Sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 3 egg yolks
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour

Instructions:

• Preheat your oven to 125 degrees Celsius.  (I tried it at a higher temperature and it made the cookies spread too much).
• If you're kickin' it old school like me and don't have a mixer in your beautiful new abode, here's what you do: 
• Put your softened butter, sugar, vanilla, and eggs into a nice big bowl.  Wash your hands thoroughly.  Dry them thoroughly.  Dive those hands in and cream that sugar baby!  Squish until it's mixed!  You'll know it's ready when everything is feeling very thoroughly mixed.
• Next, work the cream of tartar and baking soda into the creamed sugar.
• Add the flour, and work that in until it's a nice, sticky-smooth dough.
• Create 1-2 inch balls.
• Place the dough balls 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet.
• Bake for 5-7 minutes.
• Allow to cool for 2 minutes on the cookie sheet.
• Place the cookies in an air tight container.

Enjoy!!

 

 

 

Laela wouldn't share!

 

Real Simple Chicken, Spinach, and Noodle Casserole

I don't make casserole's very often.  It's not that I don't love food that's cooked all together in a lovely mismash of flavor (I've been known to gross out my family a time or two by stirring my mashed potatoes, corn, chicken, gravy and whatever else might be floating around on my plate into a yummy mix), it's just that I really don't think to make them.  That, and maybe I have some horrid repressed memory of a tuna casserole floating somewhere in the recesses of my brain- because for some reason, that's what often comes to mind when I think casserole.

This month, in Real Simple magazine, they listed a few tasty casserole recipes.  I decided to test out the chicken, spincach and noodle casserole on my family.  I made a few little changes (like the addition of basil, as well as fresh thyme rather than dried, and frozen spincach rather than fresh), and it came out really well.

Real Simple Chicken, Spinach, and Noodle Casserole

*make ahead tip:

The casserole can be assembled and refrigerated up to 1 day in advance (but don't top with the bread crumbs.)  Sprinkle with the bread crumbs just before baking.  Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.  Uncover and bake for 8-10 minutes more.

You'll need:

• 6 Tb unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 cups milk (they recommend whole milk, I used 2%)
• 1 cup sour cream (I used low fat)
• Kosher salt and black pepper
• 12 oz egg noodles
• 4 slices sandwich bread (or breadcrumbs if you don't feel inclined to use the food processor.  *TIP: Use the heels of the bread that you more than likely throw away to make bread crumbs.)
• 2 cups shredded cooked chicken, or rotisserie chicken (I used 1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast cooked broth on medium low heat for 4 minutes per side, with salt and pepper to taste)
• 5 oz baby spinach, chopped (I used 5 oz chopped, frozen spinach, drained of water)
• 2 tsp dried thyme (I used three sprigs of fresh thyme.  Remove the leaves by running your thumb and pointer finger down the stalk.  Discard the stalk, add the leaves to the mixture.)
• I used 6 chopped fresh basil leaves.  Even if you have an herb mincer, I find that rolling the basil and using scissors to cut it works best.

Instructions:

• Heat oven to 400-degrees F.  Melt 4 Tb butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add the flour an cook, stirring, until foamy, 1-2 minutes (do not let the mixture darken.)
• Slowly whisk in the milk.  Bring to a simmer and cook, whisking often, until thickened, 3-5 minutes.  Remove from heat and whisk in the sour cream, 1 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper).
• Meanwhile, cook the noodles according to the package directions.  Drain and return them to the pot.  Pulse the bread in a food processor until coarse crumbs form. (Or just use 1 cup breadcrumbs)  Melt the remaining 2Tb butter in a microwave safe bowl.
• Add the milk mixture, chicken, spinach, thyme, and basil to the noodles.  Toss to combine.  Transfer to a 9x13 inch or some other 3 quart baking dish, sprinkle with the bread crumbs, and drizzle with the melted butter.
• Bake until the bread crumbs are golden and the filling is bubbling, 8-10 minutes.  Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

I Lub You Breakfast

Laela loves to help me make breakfast.  One of our favorite things to do is break out the cookie cutters, and make fun shapes out of eggs, pancakes, and french toast.  Last Tuesday was Kyle's first morning back in America from his business trip, and since it was Valentine's Day and he wanted American food, I decided to make eggs in a basket with heart cookie cutters.  I used the heart cut-outs to make vanilla french toast. 

This is much easier than it looks.  The trick is toasting the bread before you use the cookie cutter!

I Lub You Eggs in a Basket

Serves 4, or 1 very hungry Daddy, and two moderately hungry gals.

You'll need:

• 4 large eggs
• 4 pieces of toasted whole wheat or multigrain bread (we are a white bread free home.)
• Butter or margarine
• Salt and pepper
• 1 cookie cutter of the shape of your choice.

Instructions:

• Toast the bread.
• Heat a large skillet to medium heat. 
• Spray it well with cooking spray.
• Use the cookie cutter to cut out a shape out of the center of the bread.
• Set the cutout aside.
• Spread butter on both sides of the bread that has the cut-out in it.
• Place it in the heated skillet.
• Crack your egg as closely to the pan as possible.
• Drop the egg (stay close to the pan so that you stay within the cut-out shape!) into the cut-out.
• Cook for about 1 1/2 minutes to 2 minutes per side.
• Serve!

Vanilla French Toast Cut-Outs

You'll need:

• The leftover cut-outs from the eggs in a basket
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup milk

Instructions:

• Whisk the egg, vanilla, sugar, cinnamon, and milk together in a medium bowl.
• Heat a medium sized skillet to medium heat.
• Spray well with cooking spray.
• Dip the cutouts in the mixture (Unless your bread is stale, don't soak the bread in it, or the cut-outs will fall apart.)
• Place the cut-outs in the skillet.  Cook for 2-3 minutes per side, depending on how crispy you want your toasts to be (I like mine really crispy, so I leave mine on longer, whereas Kyle likes his a bit soppy, so I only cook his for about 2 minutes per side.  Sometimes less if the pan got extra hot.)
• Serve with powdered sugar or maple syrup.

Enjoy!!

**This recipe can also be made with regular toast.  Just use 1 cup of milk and 4 slices of toast instead of 4 cutouts.

Fry It Up!

I don't know about you, but every once in a while, someone in my house (ahem, Kyle) begs for fried deliciousness.  I usually give in with one fried item (Anniversary Chicken), but this time I gave in with some home made chicken nuggets, some fried frozen French green beans, and some manly corn (yes, I said manly, because my Mom self calls this a grain, not a vegetable.  No matter what anyone tells me.  And I sort of feel like it's always guys trying to convince me it's a veggie.)

Anyway, this meal is painfully easy. 

For the chicken nuggets:

Ingredients:

• 2 large chicken breasts
• 1 cup flour
• Montreal Chicken Seasoning
• Sea Salt
• Pepper
• 1 egg
• Olive oil

Directions:

• Cut your chicken into 3 strips, and then cut those strips into squares.
• Heat your skillet to medium heat, with a few good glugs of olive oil.
• Whisk your egg with a good amount of water.  Make sure they are completely whisked together.
• Sprinkle some seasoning, salt and pepper into the egg wash.
• In another bowl, toss in the flour with some seasoning, salt and pepper.
• Using one hand, put the chicken in the egg wash.
• Put the chicken squares in the flour.  Use your dry hand to toss the chicken in the flour.  Ensure that it has a good coat of flour.  Do this with all of the chicken.
• Put the floured chicken in the hot skillet.  After 2 minutes, turn the nuggets over.  Cook for 1/2 to 2 more minutes.
• When the nuggets are done, put them on a paper toweled plate to soak up the oil.

For the green beans:

I didn't have any fresh beans, so I used frozen ones.  They will not be as pretty as you get in a restaurant, or if you were making this with fresh ones, but they will taste just as good.

You'll need:

• 3 cups green beans
• 1/2 cup flour
• Montreal Seasoning
• 1 Egg
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

• Whisk the egg, some Montreal Seasoning, some water, salt and pepper in a bowl.
• Mix Flour and seasonings in another bowl.
• Put the greeen beans in the egg wash.
• Toss the green beans in the flour.
• In a skillet that has been heated to medium heat with olive oil, add the dredged green beans.
• Keep them moving around in the skillet.  They'll cook pretty quickly. (2- 3 minutes)
• Put them on a paper toweled plate to soak up the oil.

I served this with homemade barbecue sauce, but my husband would shoot me for sharing that recipe, so serve it with your favorite barbecue sauce or honey mustard.  I cooked the corn with a bit of butter, salt and pepper.

Here's what a Mommy and baby portion looked like:

And just for the record, I don't get the whole buying premade chicken nuggets thing.  You can make these yourself, you know what's in them, and they freeze for 6 months to a year.  If your kid won't eat anything but nuggets, make a whole bunch, put them in freezer baggies, and reheat as needed.

Oatmeal Crumble with a Side of Missing Dada

It's been a difficult week.  Kyle's in London for two weeks, and while it's hard for me because I miss him, it's particularly hard for the tiny human running around the house.  She looked at me earlier in the week, grabbed me by the cheeks and said "Mama?"  "Where Dada?"  It was like she has been trying to figure out how to ask this all week, and finally found her words.  What's worse, is that instead of being consumed with the normal pride I feel when she learns a new word or phrase, I wanted to cry.

Instead, I made her an ice cream sundae.  I know.  Shoot me.  I fed my kid one scoop of vanilla ice cream topped with homemade oatmeal crumble and cinnamon sprinkled on top.  But what else was I supposed to do?

I think people that don't have kids really don't understand how difficult it is to parent alone.  They don't realize that it's exhausting to always be emotionally and physically "on"- which would be why so many people that Ky and I know that don't have kids or never had a traveling parent, think it's so cool that he's traveling so much lately.  They also don't think about the fact that there's a little person who loves their Dad and depends on his being there.  They just think about the glamour, which in reality isn't so glamourous.

I'm starting to realize that there are some dividing lines among friends that are single and married.  Single people get sick of being asked when they're going to get married and have children and "grow up".  Maybe they don't want to get married.  Maybe they already feel like they're grown up.  Or maybe they do want to get married, but the idea of children seems like the black plague to them.

Married people get sick of being asked when they're going to have kids, or if they already have one, when they're going to have one more, two more, five more.  Maybe they don't want children, or they only want one.  Maybe they need to wait to have another baby.  Maybe all of these decisions, wait for it, are private decisions that people need to stop asking about. 

At the end of the day, a lot of these issues are no one's business.  You never know what it's like to walk in someone else's head, or marriage, or life- sometimes even when you try.  Learning this through my friendships and relationships has really helped me with parenting...it's given me the ability to admit that sometimes I just don't know what to do.  When Laela misses her Daddy, I just don't know what to do.  So I keep her on schedule, I take her on toddler adventures to museums and playgrounds, and we paint, sing, laugh and play.  I do my best to make her realize that Momma's not going anywhere, and that when Dada's gone it means fun, not just missing Dada.

Dada is not going to stop traveling anytime soon, so if it means my kid has a few sundaes here and there, well, I guess that's how it's going to be.

So make yourself a sundae.  And if you're feeling crunchy, try this yummo oatmeal crunch to top your yogurt, ice cream, or fruit.

Oatmeal Crumble

For this recipe you're just going to eye it up. 
Put some brown sugar (a tablespoon or two), a few good shakes of cinnamon, a big handful of oatmeal, and a tablespoon or two of butter and mix together.  when it all sticks together well, put it in the oven at 350-degrees, cook it for ten minutes, or until golden brown. 
You can store any leftover in an air tight container for about a week and a half.
*If you're a nut lover, feel free to add some chopped/crushed/or halved nuts to the crumble before you bake!