Unexpected Raspberries

I'm not saying I wished the raspberries into being. But, it sure felt like I did. 



A couple of weeks ago on Facebook, a friend posted an adorable photo of her daughter holding some freshly-picked raspberries from their backyard. 
 "Wow, those look delicious," I thought. "I wish we had a patch of raspberries in our backyard." 
The thing is, we do have a raspberry patch. However, for the past four years, whenever we looked at the raspberry patch, the raspberries were in various stages of not being ready to be eaten or just eaten by various wildlife. I think I have eaten a total of three raspberries from this bush in the past four years. 

Last week, I ventured out to the raspberries with tentative optimism, and I was amazed to see hundreds of ripe raspberries ready for the picking. I motioned Clara to come over with wild hand motions and a whispering voice as though if I talked too loudly the raspberries might disappear. It almost felt like they were a figment of my imagination. We spent half an hour eagerly filling up a colander with our discovery and the bounty was sufficient that we even left some ready raspberries on the bush for another day.

 

 
After washing our raspberries, my mind began to dance with raspberry recipes. I never had enough raspberries to actually make something with them in the past so this was a daunting but exciting thought. I went to my computer to research raspberry recipes, and about ten minutes later, Clara came into the room and asked sheepishly, "Is it OK if I ate them all?" I actually could not believe that she could eat that many raspberries in one short sitting, but sure enough, there were just six or seven lone raspberries hanging out at the bottom of the bowl.

Alas, my visions of making raspberry tarts, cobblers, and parfaits are on hold until the next berry picking adventure. However, I do have a favorite raspberry recipe that my dear cousin shared with me. It's better for the cooler months because you do have to turn on the oven, but it is amazingly easy and equally delicious.

Pear-Raspberry Tart

Source: Everyday Food, November 2012

• prep 15 mins
• total time 1 hour 15 mins
• servings 6

INGREDIENTS

*1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed

(I recommend Dufour brand available at Whole Foods- decadent and unbelievably flaky. I heard that Trader Joe’s also makes a decent Puff Pastry.)

*2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus more for parchment

·  3/4 cup fresh or frozen raspberries (4 ounces)

·  1/4 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling

·  2 teaspoons lemon juice

·  1/4 teaspoon fine salt

·  2 small firm, ripe pears, such as Bartlett or Anjou (3/4 pound total), peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch slices

·  1 large egg white, lightly beaten

The first pear-raspberry tart I made a few months ago. The Dufour puff pastry crust was otherworldly.

 

Directions

1.     Step 1

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place puff pastry on a lightly floured parchment-lined baking sheet and gently stretch into a 9 1/2-inch square. With a paring knife, score pastry 3/4 inch from edges, creating a border. Freeze 10 minutes.

2.    Step 2

Stir together raspberries, sugar, lemon juice, flour, and salt. Lightly mash some berries to release juices and let stand 5 minutes. Very gently stir in pears. Spread evenly within border of pastry. Brush border with egg white and sprinkle with sugar.

3.    Step 3

Bake 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 375 degrees and bake until juices are bubbling and crust is deep golden brown, about 30 minutes more (tent crust with foil if overbrowning). Dip a pastry brush in juices and glaze fruit. Let cool 15 minutes before serving (or let sit at room temperature, up to 8 hours).

May you find unexpected berries or other happy surprises wherever you roam this summer.

-Ellyn

National Donut Day!

For the most part, Lila and I are healthy eaters. We eat lots of fruit and veggies and avoid processed junk food. Our fridge is full of healthy, whole foods. Most cringe as we down green smoothies made with kale and spinach. Delish! 

But, we have a weakness... 

On occasion our morning commute includes a secret stop at D & D. Mommy orders a much-needed coffee and Lila orders a small selection of munchkins which are for her except for one that I always sneak for a taste. Fried flour and sugar-- why is it so perfectly good? So good, indeed, that there is a holiday to honor our donut delights! Today, June 7th, is National Donut Day. Yippee! 

In honor of National Donut Day, Dunkin' Donuts is giving out free donuts all day with the purchase of any drink. Feeling guilty about indulging? Entenmann's will donate a dollar to the Salvation Army for every "like" on their Facebook page. You see, celebrating National Donut Day is for a good cause.

Lila's favorite is jelly. Mine is glazed. Whatever is your favorite, enjoy! It's National Donut Day! We'll go back to eating healthy tomorrow. ;)

-Tara

Not all girls want to be princesses

It happened again last night during her 5 year old check up. While prepping her vaccines, the nurse attempted to engage Lila in a conversation about princesses. It seems that whenever adults (men or women) make small talk with Lila, the princess topic comes up. Either she is called "Princess" or is asked "Who's your favorite princess?" or the one I like the least "What do you want to be when you grow up... a princess?" If offered a sticker (or another type of prize), the well-meaning adult will often assume that Lila would want the one with the princess.

When the princess topic comes up, there is usually a lot of awkward silence. Lila will glance at me or her father. We have an unspoken understanding that "they just don't get it." So, not wanting to be rude, Lila will just smile and say nothing. "Do you like princesses?" Lila will nod mechanically because she is supposed to. But, in all honesty, Lila prefers pirates to princesses; climbing trees to playing tea; basketball and baseball to Barbies.

Don't get me wrong, Lila isn't totally against princesses. She likes them. She'll watch a Disney princess movie and enjoy it. But she doesn't define herself as a princess. She is interested in so much more. In fact, she recently decided that she "no longer wants to read fairytales" and that she would rather read books about "things that are real... like facts." She has recently become fascinated with the inside of the human body. So, while the nurse was concerned that she would break down and cry when getting her shots last night (therefore trying to distract her with idle chit chat about princesses), Lila was more interested in observing the process with pure scientific curiousity. Not a tear was shed, but lots of inquistive questions were asked.

I came across photographer, Jamie C. Moore's blog post "not just a girl" and could immediately relate. Moore, who photographed her 5 year old, Emma, dressed as five famous real-life heroines, suggests to "set aside the Barbie Dolls and the Disney Princesses for just a moment, and let’s show our girls the REAL women they can be."

Yes! I am so looking forward to witnessing what Lila, her friends, and her generation of strong little girls will become. Princesses or not, no doubt they will rule.

-Tara

Welcome to the Wild West! Cowgirl & Cowboy 5th Birthday Party

For her 5th birthday, Lila requested a cowgirl and cowboy party. From the moment she saw Toy Story 3 in the movie theater, Lila has been fascinated with cowgirls and cowboys. She would often be seen with red cowgirl boots and taking on her alter ego, "Woody." She insisted on being called Woody so much that in notes home from daycare she was sometimes referred to as Woody instead of Lila. This alternative identity worked to my benefit during potty training as one day she declared "Woody doesn't wear diapers!" And she never wore diapers again.

Lila as her alter ego "Woody."
(Note- this was not taken at Halloween.)

While she no longer calls herself "Woody" and her infactuation with Toy Story has settled down, she is still a cowgirl at heart. This year, she can be seen in her full cowgirl getup complete with pink boots!

Yee haw! This city girl is pure country at heart.

We had a lot of fun with her birthday party theme, starting with the invitation.

We held the party in a real "saloon." We totally took over the place with a posse of twenty-two little bandits. I honestly don't think that the guys at the bar have ever seen such a rowdy bunch! We might have even scared a few out. In the midst of a spirited line dance to "Cotton-Eyed Joe," being the mild-mannered, law-abiding mom that I am, I had to check with the manager "are you sure we aren't being too loud?" She just laughed.

For the party food, we served yummy appetizers for the adults-- spicy buffalo wings, nachos, chili, veggies with ranch dressing, and mini corn on the cob; iced tea and lemonade for the drinks. The kids were given a special menu with a choice of hotdog, hamburger, or grilled cheese.

The decor was red and blue. Each of the children got a cowboy / cowgirl hat, bandana, and balloon.

The goody bags were simple brown paper bags with red and white ribbon. Inside were Fort Knox Gold Coins or Gold Nugget Bubble Gum, a Wooly Willy Wanted Game, Cowtail Candy, and Cow and Horse Stickers. As an added treat, my husband found rock candy sticks, which were a hit!

As a party game, we played "pin the tail" on the horse (specifically "bullseye" the horse).

One of the best parts of the party was the surprise celebrity guest--

Jessie the Cowgirl!!!

It's Jessie!!!

Let's have a hoedown! Yeeeeee haaawwww!!!

For dessert, we had a chocolate cake (which I decorated with a picture of Jessie) and red velvet and vanilla cupcakes. YUM!



Make a wish, Lila!

Planning Lila's parties each year really allows me to satisfy my desire to be creative. Once there's a theme in place, there are so many cute things to be done to make the party unique and fun. Lila and her friends had a great time and I believe the parents did too!

Members of the notorious party posse-- Elisa, Lila, Clara, and Sarah.

Now it's time for Lila to mosey on yonder to see what sort of adventures her 5th year brings!

I tip my hat off to Lila-- she's an awesome 5 year old with a whole lot of spunk.

Happy Birthday, Cowgirl!











Protein-Packed Chocolate Peanut Butter Muffins

Summer is coming which means I am hitting the gym a little harder. We all know that protein intake is an important part of a strength training and fitness routine. As a vegetarian and busy mom, I usually have to supplement my protein with whey or casien powder. At my last visit to the Vitamin Shoppe, I decided to try a different protein powder from my norm that was on sale- Cytosport Complete Casien in chocolate.

When I opened the tub and took out a scoop it instantly reminded me of chocolate cake mix. (Maybe because I'm dieting I have chocolate cake on the brain??) When I mixed it with water it was too thick and sweet for my taste. The baker in me decided it was time to experiment. The result is the recipe below. Chocolate Peanut Butter Muffins that are delicious and nutritious!

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour
• 3 scoops of chocolate casien or whey
• 4 tablespoons of cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup of gound flax seed
• 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup of plain yogurt
• 1/2 cup of unsweetened apple sauce
• 1/2 cup of creamy all natural peanut butter
• Approximately 1 cup of skim milk (add until the cake mix is fully moistened)
• A couple handfuls of mini dark chocolate chips

Directions:

Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. Mix wet ingredients in a separate bowl (except the milk). Combine wet ingredients with the dry ingredients. Stir and add milk until the mix is fully moistened. Add chocolate chips. Grease muffin tins with cooking spray and spoon in batter. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes. Makes about 20 muffins.

-Tara

Supporting my Budding Artist

Clara comes home from school, proudly pulling out her artwork out of her school bag. There are pages full of her designs: smiley faces, dragons, girls with long hair, boys wearing dresses, stars, suns, flowers, and swirls tumbling off the page as they literally tumble out of her bag. There are also nearly microscopic, cut-out cirlces and shapes which sprinkle the floor like confetti. Her fine motor skills seem to be right on track, since on the back of each of these teeny, tiny shapes she has managed to write in the smallest of letters the following: TO MAMA LOVE CLARA or TO PAPA LOVE CLARA or sometimes even TO CLARA LOVE CLARA.

It has taken me several years to create a workflow that supports my little artist while managing, displaying, and preserving the prolific amount of work she produces. Here are some of my top suggestions if you have a child who loves art at home.

1. Set up an Art station

I borrowed this idea from my sister. She spends a lot of time cooking in the kitchen and she was looking for an activity to keep her daughter occupied while in the kitchen. She set up a small table with a watercolor station for her daughter who was then two years old. I loved the idea when I visited, and so when I got home I created a similar setup.

There are watercolors, markers, crayons, stickers, and paper always available at the table. Clara doesn't need to ask me to get anything for her. She is able to use the art station at any time- no need to ask for permission. She likes being able to create art independently. Clara uses the art station probably every day. I would show you a photo, but one side effect of the child-centered activity is that it is perpetually in a state of disarray- papers and all of the above items I mentioned scattered everywhere. Although it is a mess, it is also a place that is meant just for Clara, and it is one of her favorite places to be in the house.

2. Portable Art Case.

One of our very favorite tools that has helped to support Clara's artistic interest is a portable art carry case that she got from a friend for her birthday last year. It is a simple concept: a plastic carrying case with a clipboard front and inside there is room for many pieces of paper as well as pens, crayons, or markers. For most of last summer, she carried this everywhere. She still likes to bring it in the car so that she can draw on the way to school.

  

Something that made it even more special was that Clara's case was personalized with her own name. You can find the case at Mrs. Monogram for $21 with personalization. If you don't care about getting your child's name on it, you can find the Dexas Clipcase on Amazon for $10.99. This is the most well used item in Clara's life out of all of her toys and art supplies... if you have a budding artist in your family, I highly recommend it!

3. Managing the paperflow of a prolific artist

It is a joy to see the passion that Clara has for expressing herself visually. It is also one of the biggest housekeeping challenges I have to keep up with the volume of artwork she produces. At the very minimum, I would estimate, she produces at least five pages of artwork per day. That's 35 pages a week, and 1,820 pages a year... and I think she actually makes even more that!

I come from a family of savers. I think my mom probably still has nearly every piece of artwork that I ever made. I have a colleague who said that her kitchen is decorated with the childhood artwork of her now teen children, and that she would never ever throw out anything they produced. I think it sounds nice in theory to keep every piece of art that is produced, but I don't know how I could physically contain everything that Clara produces without renting out a storage unit.

So, we have come to some compromises at our house. When Clara opens her bag, we go through it together and pick the most special pieces to keep. We recycle the rest. When Clara was younger, I initially did this step by myself, but I always thought about the story of my niece who found some of her artwork in the recycling bin that my sister had secretly put there. My niece came to my sister with tears in her eyes, holding up her drawing, and asking, "How did my beautiful art end up in the recycling bin?" With that story in my mind, I tried to involve Clara from an early age about making decisions about what art to keep so that there she would find no surprises in the recycling bin.

4. Taking photos of the artist with her work

This is one of my favorite methods to preserve Clara's work because it helps me to remember just how old she was when she created each piece. I love seeing proud Clara holding up her various artistic creations. I created a folder in iPhoto for "Clara's Art." I peruse my iPhoto folders much more frequently than I look at any hard copy folders, and so it is an easy way for me to quickly scan her work. I wish I remembered to do this more of the time.

Two-year-old Clara and her Halloween creations.

Clara designed a picture of the doll she wanted to create and then sewed it in art class last summer.

5. Displaying the artwork

One of the best ways I found to display Clara's artwork is in a kid's L'il DaVinci frame. I bought a standard 81/2 x 11 frame from Amazon. I like the frames because they are easy to open and they have room for about 50 pieces of paper, so you can easily add and rotate through your child's favorite images.

There are a few additional ideas I would like to try for displaying and preserving Clara's art. I like this idea of a clothespin wall for easily rotating favorite artwork. I think a binder with plastic sleeves would be a good way to preserve and review art over time.

I hope these tips help you to support any young artists in your house. Do you have any other tips to share?

-Ellyn

PAJAMA DAY

About once a month or so, I can’t think of anything better than having a pajama day. A day where I stay home all day and enjoy the life of leisure... in my pajamas. It seems that I passed  along this desire to Clara, and she has internalized the joys of a pajama day at an exponential level. If she had her choice, I think it’s possible that ten days out of a given month might be pajama days.

The most natural cause of pajama days at our house is a snow day. We have had many weather-related cancellations this year and thus many opportunities for Clara’s favorite kind of day. Seven days off of school just for Hurricane Sandy, and several snow days since. Yesterday, we had a snow day that turned out to be a rather mild day. The roads were clear enough to have easily driven somewhere starting at around 10am.




I already had my quota of pajama days this month, and so I was eager to get out of the house and do something with this unexpected open time. Instead, our day went like this:

8am: Clara watches two episodes of “Curious George” on Netflix. She predictably asks, “please, please, please, can I watch one more, just one one one ONE more episode, pleeaaaassseeee?” Netflix is only allowed occasionally in our house as it is, and two episodes is the limit, so I say no (and then I cringe just a little bit inside because if we are in the house for the rest of the day it means that I am the sole entertainment!)

9am: Clara puts on a theatrical show for me and her stuffed dog. This is a multi-media performance involving many “levels” and the show is “paused” regularly for her to set up a new scene. I am fascinated at how the video game lingo has morphed its way into the performance. She gives me a piece of paper with many circles, x’s and different colors on it. When I press something on the paper, she changes the actions in the performance. It feels very meta and modern.


10am: We play tic-tac-toe and connect the dots. I’m still trying to teach her how to win at tic-tac-toe. She doesn’t quite get it. I win every game. She gets pouty. Should I let her win? I ask her if she wants me to ler her win. She says no, but she's sad that she didn't win all by herself. We stop playing. 



10:30am: I suggest that we go to the Aquarium. She loves the Aquarium. I figure this will surely convince her. “No,” she says, “I want to stay in my pajamas ALL day.”

10:45am: The next game we play is something we have never done before... a role play/acting out of “Dora the Explorer.” Clara is Dora, and her dolls are the other characters. I’m Swiper, and since I have only seen the show once or twice I’m not up-to-date with all of Swiper’s actions. I’m supposed to hide, then appear from behind an object, bounce up and down while making a snorting noise... and then steal one of Dora’s toys, and then hide it, and then get caught and then say, “oh man!”

Writing the steps down, it doesn’t seem so hard, but somehow, I messed up the order of the steps nearly every time, much to Clara’s exasperation. Somehow we ended up wearing silly sunglasses, hats, necklaces, and tutus, even though I don’t think that’s part of official Dora uniform. We laughed our way through it all.

Yes, Clara wears a sweater as her pajamas in the winter.

noon: We eat lunch, and Clara promises that after lunch, she will go to the Aquarium.

After lunch, Clara says she doesn’t want to go out after all. I ask why. She says she really doesn’t like getting dressed. I try to determine if she doesn’t like the process of getting dressed or the feeling of being in her clothes. There is never a clear answer to this question, but even when I offer to help her get dressed, she asserts cheerfully and clearly, “no, I don’t want your help getting dressed. I like being in my pajamas ALL day.” At least she's consistent.

1pm: I checked my email, and coincidentally, I get an email from a close friend who lives halfway across the country who happened to comment on the frustrated feeling of a day at home with no mission or purpose. She said for her to feel happy, there has to be a purpose to the day, even if just to "go to Target and organize the sock drawer." While I relish in a pajama day once in a while, this email reminded me that I, too, start to feel antsy after too much unstructured time.

2pm: I try one more time... tempting Clara with one of her favorite treats: chocolate!

“Would you like to go out and get a hot chocolate?,” I ask with a tone of anticipation and excitement.

She is too smart for me. “Hot chocolate sounds good, but we can have that at home. Let’s make some here,” she quickly responds.

It was clear I was not going to win this debate if even chocolate would not lure Clara out of the house. 

At this point, I stopped trying- my daughter was loving this day too much to nudge her out of the house. I filled two mugs with hot chocolate- marshmallows and whipped cream for her, whipped cream for mine. We spent the rest of the day baking, doing arts and crafts, and accepting the pleasures of a pajama day.
 

-Ellyn