Monday, January 31, 2011

Easy as Pie...er, Stew

Whoever came up with the phrase, "easy as pie", must have been living in another century, or just bought one they popped in the oven just to heat up. I have made a pie completely from scratch twice- the first one was not so good. Then again, it was at the start of our allergy baking, and I found a disgusting recipe involving buckwheat. Not that I have anything against the grain, but Blech! The second attempt came out great, it just felt too involved having to refrigerate the dough and then roll it out. I will make it again, but not in any particular rush.

The easiest thing for me to make (at least at the top of my head) is stew. Granted I have varying results because its a little of this, a little of that. However, I think I have the base of something decent. The key is to cook it long enough and low to soften the meat, and try to balance the flavors. Tonight's meal will be stew plus rolls made from Chebe brand mix. Here's my basic recipe, which is currently stewing away on the stovetop. You can add peeled, cut up potatoes if you want a complete one pot meal.

Beef Stew
1 to 1 1/2 lbs cut up stew meat
1/2 medium onion, cut into slices or diced
2-4 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
1 Cup Imagine No-Chicken Broth
1-2 Tbsp Gluten Free Tamari (or for those who can tolerate wheat and/or gluten- soy sauce)
Salt
Canola Oil

1. Saute the onion until slightly tender.
2. Add the meat, brown the meat. Remove whatever excess fat you can from the pan before step 3, although a little will add flavor.
3. Add the carrots, entire can of tomatoes (including liquid), tomato sauce, broth, Tamari or soy sauce. Depending on how tomatoe-y you want it, increase the amount of the broth.
4. Let simmer on low heat for about 1 1/2 hours. Salt to taste.

If you want an even easier version, dump all the ingredients (minus the oil) into your crockpot, and set on high for 4 1/2-5 hours.

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Crafty Morning

As I previously posted, I am activity challenged. Not that I can't come up with some activities to keep my toddler busy, other than the t.v., but somehow don't do as much as I should. So today I decided to remedy that...well, at least for today. We'll see what tomorrow brings. With that said, this morning we did crafts. Not one, not two, but three little projects. And somehow that only lasted an hour and a half. Again, its a start.

Its snowing out, and we have a lovely room surrounded by windows from which we could enjoy the snow. We started out sitting there beading. We used an elastic beading cord and pony beads. This is great to encourage hand-eye coordination, and manipulating small objects. OK, I didn't do it for the learning experience, but there is that benefit. Afterwards, we moved on to the kitchen table where I cut out shapes and she glued. Our initial project was to make an animal out of construction paper shapes. It turned into a colorful cat (purple and red features), and then we went on to red and purple snowflakes. Can you guess what color construction paper I grabbed today?

I really do love the snow, but today's final project gives a hint of spring. With felt glue, a plastic spoon, and three different colored felt squares, we made a flower. I glued a piece of green felt around the spoon. Then I cut out three different sized shaped for flower petals and a circle for the center. Together, we glued the pieces together, and lastly glued it onto the green spoon. Below, you can see our finished project.



Monday, January 24, 2011

Wintertime fun

Its the middle of winter, and I have not been very good at keeping my child entertained. Or rather, entertained in ways that do not involve the television.

Its a bit of do as I say, not as I do around here. I remember when my sister's oldest child was a toddler, and I was an all-knowing sociology major, telling her the hazards of television on development. Considering she was an education major, I think she already knew this. And now I find my daughter is a t.v. junky, crying or begging for it when its off, talking in her sleep about Caillou, staring with glazed eyes while Barney sings or Elmo giggles. I have lists of things we can do, but most of the time we don't.

For those with little ones, going to the mall, a museum, or other play activities may be simple trips, but may not be as easy for us. I have to be aware of the locale and what happens there with regards to food. Mall play areas are not for us- they are usually near food courts and not every child washes post-meal. I also usually see food eaten in those areas too, so they are off limit to my Allergy Babe for fear she might touch and then ingest an allergen.

Part of our failure to do some things now has more to do with my stubborn toddler who is in the throes of the terrible twos. It is not fun trying to leave a library with a child who is stiff as a board and crying because we have to leave. However, I'm not going to give up on trying new adventures. A little patience, some allergy safe snacks, and wipes, and away we go.

Here is a list of some winter allergy-safe activities:
1. Local children's museum, because they don't allow food in their exhibits.
2. Library story-time
3. Building a fort using a sheet and chairs
4. Beading a necklace or bracelet
5. Coloring, coloring, and more coloring
6. Putting on some music and dancing around the house
7. Bundling up and going to a local zoo, park, or waterfront
8. Indoor gardens if in your area (e.g. Milwaukee Domes, Chicago Botanical Gardens).

There's plenty more to do. Any suggestions? I'm interested.

Monday, January 10, 2011

Faux Peanut Butter Cookies

I know I only just posted about getting healthier, and here I am talking about cookies. Well, I've been meaning to post this recipe for a few weeks now, and finally have the chance. And secondly, its all about portion control. I've been pretty good this past week watching what I've been eating and getting in some exercise too. Despite that, I was able to squeeze in a few of these Faux Peanut Butter Cookies and still lose weight.

Baking vegan and gluten free isn't super difficult once you figure out substitutions and any additions (e.g. xanthan gum). However, it does become exhausting to have to bake and clean up every time you want something sweet. I now have a simple, super easy cookie that takes about 30 minutes to make, start to finish. The reason it is a "faux" peanut butter cookie is that sunflower seed butter is substituted for peanut butter. Believe me, it tastes just as good as the real thing. This cookie is great for kids allergic to peanuts (and several other items). While its not a diet food, one or two shouldn't hurt your diet.

Faux Peanut Butter Cookies
1 Cup Sunflower Seed Butter
1 Cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbsp ground flax seed meal + 3 Tbsp water

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2 cookie sheets.
2. Mix the flax seed and the water, let sit 3-5 minutes.
3. Stir together the sunflower seed butter and the sugar. After fully combined, add the baking powder, vanilla, and flax seed mixture. Combine.
4. Using a tablespoon scooper (or just a tablespoon), scoop out cookies onto cookie sheets. It should make approximately 24 balls. Take a fork, and gently push mounds down, making a hatch mark pattern on the dough.
5. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Let cool for a minimum of 5 minutes before removing from cookie sheets (you need this time for the cookies to finish firming up). Enjoy!

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Trying to get Healthy

We made it through the holidays. While my husband and I enjoyed a certain amount of gluttony, the Babe continued with her typical toddler eating ways. While we want to fatten her up, we need to slim down. Her diet keeps her weight just right (although a little chubbier would be great), but frequent potato chips, hummus (more than one serving at a time for the adults), baked goods, frozen french fries, and full-fat hot dogs, were not meant for regular adult consumption.

Its a new year, but that does not mean resolutions. Resolutions are meant to be made and then broken within weeks, if not days. No, its time for getting healthier. Its a matter of timing- birthday celebrations, holidays, and travel are now done with, so no more excuses to over-indulge. Day two of my keeping track and portion controlling is going well, although not sure how long it will last. I have not eaten off her plate or finished her left-overs. That alone is an accomplishment- I just hate to waste it since our grocery bills are just so high. Our other goal is to start moving more. It doesn't take much since I know I don't move around enough. We've played the Wii a few times already this week, so that's a start. Tomorrow's goal is to get to the gym. Small steps might eventually get us somewhere.