Lemons and Skeletons

Great rice recipe, cooked in microwave oven.

2011-09-19T20:32:00.000-07:00

Roman, this post is for you.

My two favorite types of rice are Basmati or Jasmine.

Both can be cooked using this microwave method (that was kindly taught to me by a friend eleven years ago when I was at Baylor).

Take 1/2 cup of dry rice. Rinse it.

1/2 cup of dry rice should generate about a cup of cooked rice.

Add a pinch of salt and a table spoon of oil. I use olive oil. Cover it with water, about 1.5 inches over the rice.

Microwave for 14-15 minutes total. I like to stop after 7-8 minutes to check on how much water rice has absorbed. You may need to add a little water if it looks too dry. Don't worry, if you put a little too much water, rice may cook slightly softer but still delicious. Every grain always separates.

That is IT! Ready to eat.

So you asked to suggest something super simple to go with it. :)

You may want to invest into a little pot like this. I love it because I can multitask by cooking two things in the same pot. I am boiling Russian sausages and steaming green peas.

And if you thinking to impress a girl, of course a medical student , that is how you do it :)

She just may study muscles with you that evening.

Make sure you get rice eye lashes right, thats the key.

Hope it helps!

Sauteed potatoes

2011-09-04T13:24:00.000-07:00

Ingredients: 2 pounds baking potatoes

4-6 tbsp of oil; (bacon drippings or butter can be used)

3 tbs of chopped parsley

3 cloves of minced garlic

salt, freshly ground black pepper

I used organic golden potatoes.

Peel potatoes and cut into 3/4 inch pieces.

Heat 4 tbsp of oil in the pan over medium heat.

Heat oil until very hot, but not smoking hot.

Dry potatoes on the towel. Place potatoes in the pan. Keep your kids away when placing the potatoes in the pan. Be careful, as hot oil tends to shoot right at you if moisture remains on the potatoes.

Cook potatoes for about 2 minutes on one side, it should brown lightly.

(I have overcooked one side, was playing my kiddo)

Shake the pan and toss the potatoes so they brown evenly on all sides.

Add salt and pepper to your liking.

Add a little more oil. Cook potatoes on low heat for 20 more minutes. They should be tender. Add garlic and parsley, cook for 5 more minutes.

CousCous Vegetable Salad

2011-08-31T20:00:00.000-07:00

This is a good vegan recipe that I have enjoyed.
I was inspired by Budget Bytes.

Ingredients: 1 avocado, 1 green bell pepper, 1 orange bell pepper, 1 onion, 1 yellow squash, 1 zucchini, 4 tomatoes (Roma tomatoes are best), 4 cloves of garlic, 1 cup dry couscous, salt, pepper, juice of half lemon or large lime, parsley, 2 table spoon of olive oil.

Preheat oven to 425. Cut up all of the vegetable (but avocado and one tomato) into large pieces. Do not peel garlic. Place zucchini, squash, tomato, onion, bell pepper on the tray. Sprinkle with olive oil, salt and pepper. You could alternatively toss the vegetables with oil, salt and pepper and then transfer them to a tray.

Bake for 30-45 minutes (it depends on how large the chunks are and how crunchy you prefer your grilled veggies).

Meanwhile cook couscous as directed on the package. I cooked one cup of dry couscous. Chop grilled veggies into smaller pieces. Chop couple of table spoons of parsley. Peel garlic and crush into tiny pieces, it may be paste-like. Cut one fresh tomato and one avocado into small chunks. Add all ingredients together and mix. Add another spoon of olive oil if you like your salad to be more flavorful. Squeeze the lemon into the salad. Toss.

Creating relationships

2011-08-31T12:53:00.000-07:00

Here is S. creating relationships in his new school. Interconnecting. Reaching out. I walked into the soccer field to find S. laughing with another boy he met a week ago or so. Happiness. The desire of every human being, be it western or eastern culture. How do we reach it? How do we stay there? What do we teach to our kids?

Everyone can understand from natural experience and common sense that affection is crucial from the day of birth; it is the basis of life. The very survival of our body requires the affection of others, to whom we also respond with affection. Though mixed with attachment, this affection is not based on physical or sexual attraction, so it can be extended to all living beings without bias.

- Dalai Lama

This Moment

2011-06-10T09:33:00.000-07:00

A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

Wishing you a lovely weekend!

By SouleMama.

Cherry Cake

2011-06-08T17:55:00.000-07:00

Cherry season is here. I have decided to try something new. This recipe is very easy to make.
I have borrowed the idea from Russian cooking site "say7" (I am not going to link to it, feel free to ask), however I have changed the recipe to accommodate for differences in the local market and my personal taste choices.

Ingredients:
- 2 cups pitted cherries
-1 cup of flour
-1 cup of sugar
-1 stick of butter
- 4 eggs
- grated milk chocolate 1/4 cup
- vanilla extract
- powdered sugar 3 table spoons

Separate egg whites from yolk.

Beat the egg whites, without sugar!

I use electric mixer to whip the egg whites.

Grate the chocolate

Pit the cherries, add vanilla and mix well.

Mix together butter, sugar, egg yolk, chocolate. You will get a very firm mix (photo above)

Fold in egg whites.

It will make your batter runny.

Butter and flour 9 or 10 inch baking pan.

I used baking silicone mold.

Pour the batter into it.

Press the cherries lightly into the batter.

Let the cake cool, sprinkle powdered sugar on top.

I used a pinch or two.

Enjoy!

!!!!!!!!!!

Let me share delicious looking Cherry Muffin Recipe on This Little Kitchen Blog. I have not tried it yet, but have made a mental note.

Garlic mashed potatoes. Softening Flavors.

2011-06-08T15:53:00.000-07:00

In my household we like spicy and sharp foods. With fast-oh-so-changing lifestyle, new friends entering our lives, I have thought it is time to start working on softening sharp flavors.

GARLIC AND PARSLEY MASHED POTATOES.

Ingridients:

3 large baking potatoes

6 garlic cloves

1/3 cup unsalted butter

1/2 cup of milk

salt

2 table spoons of parsley, finely chopped

Peel the potatoes.
Place potatoes in a saucepan with cold water, add salt and bring to a boil over high heat until soft and tender. While potatoes are boiling:

Bring the water to a boil. Pour over unpeeled garlic. Let it stand for 2 minuted. Peel the garlic.
(It's so much easier to peel the garlic this way).
I would drain the water first, of course, but I was cooking with my child, so we played a little too.

If you get distracted for an hour the garlic will turn blue :). Not a big deal, but I will be careful next time.

Melt butter (half of the portion) in a frying pan. Cook garlic for 10 minutes for very low heat until very tender and golden. Stir occasionally. Let it cool for few minutes.

Blend garlic and parsley.

Beat remaining butter into cooked potatoes. Add milk, (I prefer using hot milk). Crash the potatoes.
Add garlic and parsley mixture.

Puree the potatoes (I use hand mixer).

Voila!
It turned out nicely. Flavorful, yet not sharp.
Next time I will try baking garlic in the oven.

Here is my kid tasting ratatouille and mashed potatoes to critique the cooking.

Korean melon

2011-06-08T14:43:00.000-07:00

This is a korean melon.
It is not very big in size, oval shaped and has yellow rind.
Other names: dua gan, yellow melon
I found it at Asian Market this morning.

It made a good morning snack for my child.
Korean melon was not as sweet and flavorful as I would have liked.
Even though it was worth the experience I may not buy this fruit again.

Ratatouille

2011-06-08T12:24:00.000-07:00

Ratatouille.

Ingredients:
1 large fresh shiny eggplant
3 zucchinis
2 bell peppers
1/3 cup of olive oil
bottled herb blend, best dried herbs de Provence, or Italian blend
3 large garlic cloves, pureed or finely chopped
3 - 4 large fresh tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1-2 cups of canned peeled chopped tomatoes or crushed
1/2 cup of chopped parsley

Ratatouille is a vegetable stew.

I have watched in being made chez Morel in Beaujolais region of France, read Julia Child's recipe and French Cooking cook by Carole Clements.

This is my version that is influenced mostly by Morel family cooking.

Cut eggplants into 3/4 inch slices. Salt. Italian herbs mix or dried herbs de Provence if you have it.

Lightly oil the aluminum foil and the eggplant.

Sprinkle with salt and hears.

Set aside for 20 minutes.

Cut zucchini lengthwise. Into 4 strips. Then cut 3/4 inch pieces. You can slice them if you prefer. Salt, set aside.

Cut bell peppers, onions.

Chop garlic, parsley.

To peel tomatoes I like to put them in hot boiling water. The skin of the tomatoes will crack as on the photo below. Take them out on the plate. Let cool. Then peel the tomatoes, the skin usually comes off in 3-4 large peels.

Chop the tomatoes.

-Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cover the eggplants with foil. Bake for 15-20 minutes. They should be tender, do not overcook.

- In the casserole : heat the oil, cook the onion for 5 minutes to lightly golden, add zucchini and bell pepper, cook for 10 more minutes.

- Cube the eggplants (let them cool a little after baking). Fold in eggplants into the veggie mix in the casserole.

- Add parsley and garlic

- Add chopped tomatoes and canned peeled seeded tomatoes.

- Salt and pepper to taste

- Simmer gently for 20 minutes, covered. Over low heat. Stir occasionally.

- Uncover, cook for 20 more minutes, boil off most of the remaining liquid.

Serve at hot or room temperature.

This moment

2010-12-10T06:23:00.000-08:00

Wishing you a lovely weekend!

Brought to you by Soulemama.

Love

2010-12-09T21:11:00.000-08:00

I have been thinking a lot about love. What should love be like? Soft and cuddly? Pink and cute? Curvy? Hippy? Skinny? Pure? Tough? Kissy? Beautiful?

Should love be about acceptance? Should it be about letting go? Can love be ugly?

I figured one thing. Love should be unconditional. Not "I love you if...". Just simple "I love you always no matter what just the way you are".

I have also understood that one can't love another if he doesn't love himself. Loving yourself and respecting yourself reflects on the ability to love others. Forgiving yourself for everything is important.

Forgive yourself for everything. Forgive yourself for whatever it maybe, don't hate yourself. Let it go... Tell yourself you are beautiful. Tell yourself that you deserve to be forgiven. People that matter to you the most love you, in fact, everyone loves you.

You are worth it. That is why people love you and so you should love yourself. Say it every morning to yourself.

Stop blaming yourself and others for everything in the past. Reach out and give your hand to the ones who need it. Start where you are comfortable. Go to the hospital and give a gift of love to someone who is lonely. Then keep moving, keep progressing, and find the strength to call the persons you may have hurt and tell them that you love them . Call you parents, hug your kids, call your friend you abandoned because he didn't see it your way.

Love is beautiful even when it is ugly.

PS My thoughts inspired by Louise Hay.

This moment.

2010-09-15T06:02:00.000-07:00

Wishing you a lovely weekend!

By SouleMama

I am smiling, today is Wednesday. I lost track of days. I am going to leave this post anyway.

This moment

2010-09-02T21:57:00.000-07:00

Wishing you a lovely weekend!

By SouleMama

This moment

2010-08-27T18:14:00.000-07:00

this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

Wishing you a lovely weekend!

I am late to post today, but here it is.

Laundry Powder

2010-08-27T18:11:00.000-07:00

Here I decided to try my own laundry powder. I bought Castile Soap Peppermint flavor.

Cut into small chunks before grinding it. I think that next time I will use manual grater instead of this nice electric grinder. (It didn't grind the soap as fine as I hoped for)

I used

1 bar of castile soap

0.5 cup of washing soda

0.5 cup of baking soda

0.5 cup of Borax

Mixed them together and transferred to a glass jar.

Dancing before my window because my laundry smells amazing.

My laundry drying.

Tips: 1. Use vinegar as softener. Your clothes will not smell like vinegar. 2. When your clothes dry outside fluff them for 5 minutes in your drier to make them softer. 3. Remove stain with plain baking soda before doing your laundry. This detergent is not tough on stains.

Inspired by Soule Mama.

Raspberry Lemon Thumbprint Cookies

2010-08-21T19:54:00.000-07:00

From Food Network.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup raspberry jam

1 table spoon Chambord or kirsh

2 1/4 cups of flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 sticks of butter at room temperature

2/3 cups of sugar

2 large egg yolks

1 tablespoon lemon zest

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degree. Butter your large baking sheet.

2. Combine raspberry jam and Chambord.

3. Combine flour, baking powder and salt.

4.Using an electric mixer beat the butter and sugar until light and creamy. Beat in the yolks, lemon zest, lemon juice and vanilla. Add the flours mixture in two additions and neat until moist clumps form. Gather the dough together into a ball.

5. Pinch off the dough to form 1-inch balls. Place them on the baking sheets 1 inch apart. Use your index finger to create depressions in the center of each ball. Fill each well with 1/2 teaspoon of jam mixture. Bake till golden brown for 20 minutes.

6. Lets cookies cool completely.

This moment

2010-08-20T05:08:00.000-07:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

By Soulemama.

Peach Tart

2010-08-15T17:05:00.000-07:00

This was my first attempt to cook something from Paula Dean collection.

Here are the original steps to Paula Dean Peach Tart recipe.

Ingredients

Crust:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
2 tablespoons sour cream

Filling:

About 6 medium peaches, peeled, pitted, and sliced
3 large egg yolks
3/4 cup sour cream
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Glaze:

1/2 cup peach preserves or jelly
1 tablespoon frozen orange juice concentrate
Mint, forgarnish

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

To make the crust:

Place the flour, butter, and sour cream in a food processor and pulse to combine. When the dough has formed a ball, pat with lightly floured hands into the bottom and sides of an ungreased 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom and 1/2-inch sides, or a round au gratin dish. Bake for about 15 minutes, until the crust is set but not browned. Let cool while preparing the filling.

Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.

To make the filling:

If using fresh peaches, peel and thickly slice the peaches. Arrange the fresh peach slices in overlapping circles on top of the crust, until it's completely covered. Overfill the crust, as peaches will shrink during cooking.

Combine the egg yolks, sour cream, sugar, and flour and beat until smooth. Pour the mixture over the peaches. Place the tart pan on a baking sheet and bake for about 1 hour, until the custard sets and is pale golden in color. Cover with an aluminum foil tent if the crust gets too dark. Transfer the tart pan to a wire rack to cool. When cool, remove the side wall of the pan.

To make the glaze:

Combine the preserves or jelly and orange juice. Spread with a pastry brush over the top of the warm tart. Serve the tart warm, at room temperature, or chilled. Garnish with fresh mint.

After glazing it. I did not have frozen orange juice. I used a little bit of cold orange juice I had in my fridge. No mint for garnish.

One little thing: I wish the crust was just a but softer.

This moment

2010-08-13T08:09:00.001-07:00

By Soulemama.

Mango smoothie

2010-08-07T13:44:00.000-07:00

We have been trying to find or create mango smoothie that rocks.

Starbucks makes a very good smoothie but we do not have the recipe. With few hints, suggestions, lots of reading and our experimenting here is our favorite smoothie. Step-by-step Mango Smoothie:

Wake up, make your way to the kitchen and get blender out.

Set all of your ingredients out:

1. Frozen mango 1 cup

2. Organic full fat milk 1/2 cup

3. Orange juice 1/2 cup

4. Mango juice 1 cup

5. Bananas - 1 banana

6. Protein powder (optional)

It makes 3-4 servings, so increase or decrease as needed.

Pour milk, orange juice and mango juice in your blender

Stretch

Add frozen mangoes (or ice)

Add banana

Add protein powder

Blend till light and smooth

This is how much it makes after blending all ingredients together

Drink it! Yam! What a breakfast!

This moment

2010-08-06T05:55:00.000-07:00

By Soulemama.

Clafoutis (Cherry)

2010-07-30T13:10:00.000-07:00

My lovely grandma is not feeling well today. I wish I could make it better for her. I wish I could.
To cheer her up I baked clafoutis. The batter is flan-like and the dessert tastes of custard because of eggs.
If black CHERRIES are used it's called clafoutis (clafouti). Baked with any other fruit (plums are great) it's called FLAUGNARDE.

3 to 3 1/2 cups Bing Cherries, pitted
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup lukewarm milk
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract, optional
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds, to garnish the top, optional

I used buttered 9 inch dish that was 2 inch tall.

You can finish it with powered sugar and use whipped cream to top it (my note).

The recipe was taken from King Arthur Flour Page. I followed it precisely. Link to Chery Clafouti.

Directions

1) Preheat the oven to 450°F. Lightly grease a 9" round cake pan that's at least 2" deep. If your 9" round pan isn't at least 2" deep, use an 8" square pan (at least 2" deep).

2) Pit the cherries, and put them into the pan; they should form a single layer that pretty much covers the bottom of the pan.

3) In a blender or food processor, blend the remaining ingredients till smooth and frothy. If you're using a mixer, beat the liquid ingredients, then add the sugar and flour, quickly whisking to combine.

4) Pour the batter over the cherries in the pan.

5) Bake the clafouti on a lower-middle rack of your oven for 20 minutes.

6) Reduce the oven heat to 350°F, and bake for an additional 20 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out mostly clean.

7) Remove from the oven, and wait 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

8) Garnish with toasted almonds, if desired.

This moment

2010-07-30T06:58:00.000-07:00

By Soulemama.

This moment

2010-07-24T10:20:00.000-07:00

How to talk so kids will listen...

2010-07-24T07:26:00.000-07:00

"How to talk so kids will listen and listen so kids will talk" by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish.
I have started to ask myself the very same question long time ago, ever since my toddler began to express himself. This book teaches good techniques and they work. Not every time for me, but I just started. I think that I have long ways to go, and patience is what I need. Anyone has extra to share?

Art Break

2010-07-23T21:24:00.000-07:00

It was rainy today when we got home. After starting our bread machine we went outside to paint the rain.

Shamelessly good lemon chicken

2010-07-23T18:21:00.000-07:00

Ok, guys, it is so simple and so delicious!
You need
1. Chicken
2. Salt, pepper, olive oil, italian herb mix, 1 clove of garlic
3. one lemon
4. 2-3 potatoes and 1 onion, carrots, celery if you want, all omit all veggies listed under #4. (this line)

Preheat oven to 425-450.
Mix 3-4 spoons of olive oil with garlic, sea salt, italian herb mix and pepper
Rub the mix into and on the chicken
Cut lemon in 2 halves. Squeeze the juice over the chicken and stuff the lemon in to the cavity.
Cut potatoes, onions , carrots in very large chunks, lay them in the tray. You can pre-boil potatoes for 3 minutes or so.
Do not cover your chicken.
Place in the oven for about 45 minutes to an hour.
Oh it is so good!!!

The kid: he can help washing the veggies, mixing the herb-oil mix, rubbing it on the chicken. Make sure he washes his hands with soap very well, as they get so oily!!!

My toddler sprayed kitchen cleaner in his eyes

2010-07-20T10:54:00.000-07:00

I stumbled upon Mama-Om blog one day when my kid sprayed kitchen cleaner in his eyes (he cleans the table after dinner and has been trusted with the cleaner for awhile now) while I was not looking. It was all natural no ammonia or chlorine surface cleaner by Williams-Sonoma. My 3 y.o. kid cried out as his eyes stung and he was scared. I started washing his face/ eyes out with water and then placed him in the bath tub to splash more water in his eyes. The pain subsided, I got my son out of the bath. He was now less hurt, but still rubbing his eyes.
My 82 year-old grandma began to worry as well and started to beg me to take the boy to the ER. Not a stranger to medical world, I still had no plan, I have never thought this scenario through. I did not know what to do next with my own kid.

I googled the topic. Mama-Om's blog came up with an article on the subject. I read it twice and called Poison Control Center. 1-800-222-1222.

Poison Control Center specialist (super patient and very professional) told me to wrap my toddler in the towel or blanket from shoulders down (so he could not kick me) and put him under a running stream of water for 15 minutes. Yes 15!!! Oh, that was not easy.
First of all, my three year old was scared. I could not explain the process well enough to him. I let him take breaks every so often, and he would tell me "Mommy, that's just not right", "Mommy, stop it please, I don't want water on my eyes".
Secondly, I have a kitchen faucet with removable hose and I can control the shape and size of the streaming water. I ran it over the bridge of his nose. If your faucet is not like mine, please use a measuring cup or something else to pour water over the BRIDGE OF THE NOSE. Comfort your child. I kept thinking if he felt I was drowning him.
Thirdly, I does take two people. My grandma helped me. I could not do by myself. Please phone someone near by to help you. Towel or not, they want to wiggle out.
When we were finished, my toddler was tired. I kept kissing him and telling him how much I love him. I had to watch him for an hour. Poison Control Center called me back and asked if my son kept touching his eyes or showed any signs of discomfort. Luckily for us he did not. We went to bed.
I hope and I pray this never happens again.
My boy is doing well. I am learning new ways of parenting. I want to be a relaxed trusting mom. I want to enjoy everything we do together. I have to learn not to panic. It was good for me learn that many moms would have panicked as well, so I can forgive myself, take the experience with me and move on being a good mom.

Fruits and veggies

2010-07-18T19:52:00.000-07:00

I think that one of the ways to make a kid want to eat more fruits and veggies is having him (her) prepare it. It keeps a child busy for few (always so needed) minutes and makes him be aware that fruit is available for a quick snack.
Try it. I just let the water run, give my boy a bench and let him have little fun.

25 Things I know now as a parent

2010-07-15T19:07:00.000-07:00

I am learning as I go. I make mistakes along the way. Some of the things I just learned last weekend during my trip to Houston, and I am so glad I did. Now I know.

I happened to visit Mama-Om blog page (story will follow) where she posted her "25 things" list. Stacy (Mama-Om) invited parents to make their list.

She read the idea on Supersisters.

Here are 25 things that I thought of first:

1. Love comes first, love is everything

2. Listen to my kid more, talk less, he is about to tell me what is going on

3. Toddlers can think , it is OK to use "big words"

4. It feels good and it is OK to say YES!

5. Listen to my kid in FULL attention

6. My intuition is the right answer.

7. He always need me, no matter what, especially at bed time.

8. Kiss. Kiss. Kiss. It's never enough.

9. Be present, be there, any time, every time. When I am tired that's when he needs me the most.

10. When life is sad, and an adult burden lays on the shoulders of my toddler, do what it takes to lift it. I can "take it for two".

11. Sometimes my kid can go to bed without brushing his teeth and taking a bath. We will brush teeth in the morning (unless he ate too much candy). Exceptions to the rules are nice breaks and special moments.

12. I have to forgive myself for making mistakes.

13. When my son questions why his dad is not with us, I give him love and reassurance. Teach my boy to love his dad no matter what. My kid deserves to have a dad he loves.

14. It's OK for my boy to be shy. It's OK for my boy not to want meat.

15. Always forgive.

16. Set a good example. It is more important than words.

17. My son is not me. He is not here to fulfill my dreams and live the life I want him to. He is his own person, and all he needs is my guidance and love.

18. Watching TV is OK. Playing puzzles is OK. Picnic on the towel on the floor is OK. Ice cream is tasty. We both love outdoors, museums, road trips and more.

19. Read, read and read. Read books. Book stores are amazing.

20. Teach my kid how to keep friends early.

21. Structured schedule is not my cup of tea. We both don't like it.

22. Cooking is what we both do best, especially if things are hard.

23. Laugh, laugh a lot and be happy.

24. Grandparents are priceless.

25. I have to commit to my own personal growth and well-being. It reassures my son and creates a safe space for him to tackle his own challenges, without being worried about me. I have to be happy to make him happy. (in parts are not my words, but I could not say it better). (Supersisters).

How to make LEMONADE

2010-07-01T08:46:00.000-07:00

First, we are going to make freshly squeezed lemon juice. Roll the lemons first. 3 lemons are used.

Play a little.

While my kid is playing I make SIMPLE sugar syrup. 1/2 cup of sugar boiled slowly with 1 cup of water. Stir a little to make sure all sugar dissolves. Let it cool.

Squeeze the juice using a juice maker or by hand.

Combine ingredients together.

We use a small pitcher. I top it with ice and cold water. About 2 more cups of water.

So we have about 1/2 cup of lemon juice, 1/2 cup of sugar and 3 cups of water.

Yam-my!

Summer Ice Tea

2010-06-26T06:17:00.000-07:00

My son loves to help in the kitchen when I cook.
I like to give him his own things to do so we don't bump into each other in the kitchen area.

1. Brew your favorite ice tea.
2. Give your kid frozen fruits and honey to stir.
3. Make your kid watch the fruit swirl in the glass/ plastic carafe and have fun!

Alien Insect Sandwich

2010-05-10T17:44:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it is easier let the kids create. I let our son make most of the choices and was simply guiding him. Result: spider-scorpion ham sandwich. Dinner served!
Got great grandma interested too :)

Rabbit Fricasseе

2010-05-04T18:22:00.000-07:00

This blog is about managing home cooking with kids at home. During the prep my son peeled the garlic with his great grandma.

I cooked the rabbit after work, 5 PM on Monday.

Rabbit Fricasseе.

I have never cooked rabbit before. This was my very 1st try.

1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 rabbits, rinsed and cut into 8 pieces each
1 tablespoon Essence of Emeril, recipe follows
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups chopped yellow onions
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped green bell peppers
1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes
2 green onions, chopped (green and white parts separated)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
4 cups chicken broth, plus more if necessary
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Cooked white rice for serving

Emeril Lagasse 2003

Essence (Emeril's Creole Seasoning):

2 1/2 tablespoons paprika

2 tablespoons salt

2 tablespoons garlic powder

1 tablespoon black pepper

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano

1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.

Yield: about 2/3 cup

Rabbit. I bought it pre-cut and frozen.

In a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven heat the oil over medium-high heat. Season the rabbit pieces with the Essence and, working in batches if necessary, cook until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer the rabbit to a plate lined with paper towels and reduce the heat to medium.

Add the flour to the oil in the pot and whisk to combine. Cook, stirring constantly, until the roux is a golden brown color, about 10 minutes. Add the onions, celery, bell pepper, tomatoes, white parts of the green onions and the garlic and cook until vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and chicken stock and bring to a boil.

Return the rabbit to the pot and return to a boil. Add the thyme and salt, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook, uncovered, until the rabbit is very tender, about 2 hours, adding more broth or water, if necessary, if the sauce gets too thick.

When the rabbit is tender and you are ready to serve the stew, add the green parts of the green onions and parsley and cook for 5 minutes. Serve the rabbit with the gravy over hot white rice.

Beurre Manie: Flour-Butter Paste

2010-05-03T16:17:00.000-07:00

Beurre Manie sauce: flour-butter paste: a quick sauce thickener.
It means literally butter and flour worked to a paste with fingers.

After you cooked your sauce, and it has been reduced and seasoned and it still needs thickening, you can make it thicker with Beurre Manie. Used for stews such as chicken in red wine, coq au vin, beef bourguignon.

For each cup of sauce, mash 1 tablespoon of butter to a smooth paste with 1 tablespoon of flour. Remove the sauce from heat, whisk in the butter-flour paste, when absorbed, bring to the boil and the sauce will thicken.

Julia Child. The way to cook. Page 143.

Zinfandel of Beef

2010-04-30T12:54:00.000-07:00

Julia Child. The way to cook. Page 236.

It is a chunky stew of beef in red wine.

1. Brown the meat (3-4 lbs of boneless beef stew meat cut into cubes). Turn often to brown all sides.
2. Transfer the pieces to the casserole.
3. Skim the fat, leave a spoonful and add 2 cups of slices onions, 2/3 cup of sliced carrots. Toss and stir to brown for 3-4 minutes.
4. Pour one cup of beef stock into the frying pan, swishing and scraping up any juices. Transfer the vegetables from the pan into the casserole with beef. Add 3 large unpeeled cloves of garlic (smashed). Add 4 cups of red wine (Zinfandel or other young red wine). Add 2 cups of tomatoes (1 cup of whole unpeeled tomato, cored and chopped, and 1 cup of Italian canned drained plum tomatoes). Add 1 bay leaf, 1 tsp thyme and salt to taste. The liquid should almost cover the beef.
5. Bring to simmer on the stove top.
6. Stew in the oven 325F for 2.5 - 3 hrs
7. Pour the contents of the casserole into a colander set over a saucepan. Wash out the casserole. Return beef in it.
8. Season the liquid in sauce pan if it needs any more seasoning. You should have about 3 cups. Boil rapidly. Remove from heat.
9. You can add Beurre-manie sauce in it the liquid. (Recipe to follow in the next post)
10. Serve over pasta, rice, or small boiled potatoes.

Wine: Zinfandel, Beaujolais, Macon.

Hot Picante Sauce

2010-02-06T07:53:00.000-08:00

Picante Sauce

Ingredients:

Tomatoes -20
Bell Peppers - 2
Jalapeno peppers - 2
Salt, pepper
Olive oil - 3 table spoons
Cilantro - 1 cup
Lime - 2
Onions (red onion) - 1
Peaches - 2
Garlic 5-7 cloves

1. Place tomatoes in hot water until the skin breaks. Remove, cool. Peel the skin.

2. Use hand mixer to chop into small pieces 1/2 cup of cilantro and garlic

3. Chop 1/2 cup cilantro, onions, 10 tomatoes, bell peppers, jalapeno peppers, peaches into 1/2 -1/3 inch pieces.

4. Blend 10 tomatoes in blender (I like my sauce not too thin not too thick, you may blend or chop all tomatoes)

5. Mix all ingredients together. Bring to boil over slow to medium heat and remove from heat right away.
Let cool.
Add lime juice, salt and pepper to taste.

KIDS: Pushing buttons is always fun, especially for the little ones. I let my son blend, chop and mix. Be careful to stop them on time or you may have blended food instead of chopped.

Toddler cooking pizza

2010-02-03T18:05:00.000-08:00

My son watched Calliou. After an episode about cooking pizza he decided that he wants to make one.

We followed pretty much the same steps as in the cartoon.

1. Prepare all of the ingredients.
- pizza dough
- cooking oil spray to oil the pan
- cheese, shredded
- tomato sauce
- flour (a little to top the working surface)
- toppings (we have mushrooms, olives and tomatoes)

2. Roll out the pizza dough and preheat the oven to a temperature specified on the package

3. Apply pizza sauce, cheese and toppings

4. Bake it and eat it!

Meyer Lemon

2010-01-30T15:35:00.000-08:00

I discovered a variety of lemon. Meyer lemon. It is a cross between a lemon and a mandarin orange. It has a beautiful color, yellow with orange tint.

It leaves slightly bitter aftertaste (just like orange ) in hot tea.

Meyer lemon has a very thin rind and it is very juicy!

This blog is named after one beautiful California Meyer Lemon!

You would have cooked dinner ... but your kid

2010-01-30T14:35:00.000-08:00

We parents know the feeling. Nothing ever goes as planned. Try involving your kid. I let my son remove the green leaves from the mandarines ( true mandarines!) while I cooked the Vietnamese Noodle Soup.

Kids and Juice

2010-01-30T14:24:00.000-08:00

Want your kid to be healthy? Every little effort counts. I let my two year-old make his own juice and drink it too!

Vietnamese Noodle Soup

2010-01-30T13:24:00.000-08:00

Source: Food Network Magazine, Feb 2010

Ingridients:

8oz Rice Noodles

12 oz Beef Sirloin

Sea Salt and Pepper

1 large onion

1 4-inch piece of ginger, unpeeled, halved

3 cups beef broth

3 star anise pods

1 cinnamon stick

4 scallions

2 jalapeno peppers

1/2 cup fresh cilantro

2-4 tablespoon fish sause

1 cup fresh been sprouts

1.Season beef with salt and pepper. Sear beef 2-3 minutes on each side (high heat). It should still be rare.

Transfer beef to a plate. Add 1/2 the onion and ginger to the same pot and cook for 3-4 minutes.

Add beef broth and 3 cups of water, anise, cinnamon stick, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

2.Slice scallions, jalapenos and cilantro. Slice the meat thinly. Slice 1/2 the onion.

3.Cook rice noodles and drain.

4. Add fish sauce to the broth and boil for 5 minutes. Discard ginger, anise, cinnamon stick and cooked onion.

Divide noodles among 4 bowls. Add beef, broth, scallions, uncooked onion, cilantro, been sprouts. Jalapenos as needed.

334 calories per serving