The Joy of Working Heartily at Home

Success and Failure

2010-07-24T19:11:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I cooked up a batch of chickpeas, pureed them, and tried feeding them to my sweet baby. To say she didn't care for the texture would be an understatement. There was lots of gagging, followed by a hand in the mouth to physically remove the offensive mush. There was a lot leftover, however, and I wasn't about to waste it, so I stuck it in the freezer. Yesterday I pulled some of it out and decided to try taking it in a different direction. Lola loves pancakes, so I made a sort of chickpea pancake.
To about a cup of pureed chickpeas I added half a beaten egg, a dash of cumin, and some crumbled bread (I wanted to use bread crumbs but I was out and too lazy to toast the bread). I shaped the mixture into three patties and fried them in a pan with a little olive oil spray for a few minutes per side. They did come out resembling pancakes, and she liked it considerably better than before, although it still doesn't seem to be her favorite. It occurred to me later that it might be a good idea to add a little grated or pureed vegetable to the mix.

For the failure part of this post I will point to my garden. I would post a picture of it, but its really too embarrassing. Things were going pretty well for a while, but my fence isn't high enough and the repellent I've been spraying around the garden isn't working, so the deer have been feasting away. Every day I go out there and find little green tomatoes sprouting, but by morning they're gone. Strong winds from storms have also blown over a few plants and weeds are overtaking the whole plot. To be fair my basil and peppers seem to be doing alright. Hopefully I will find time in the next few days to make about six batches of basil and freeze them for the coming months. I'm not sure I'll garden next year. If I didn't have time for the upkeep this year, what makes me think next year will be any different? Maybe I'll just go with herbs, since those aren't being eaten by the deer.

Generation Cedar

2010-07-23T19:58:00.000-07:00

I found this blog a few weeks ago but just recently had time to really dive in. Some of her views could be considered controversial, but I think they're worth getting fired up over and forming an opinion. I wish my own blogging was so insightful. Maybe some day.

Home Safety Tour

2010-06-18T14:02:00.000-07:00

I know it's been a really long time since I last blogged. Its hard for me to find time to get down to the computer and do this, but today I had something that was really worth blogging about. Today I had a free home safety inspection done on my house by someone who works for La Crosse County. I learned about it at a mom and baby group I've attended at Franciscan Skemp. A very friendly woman showed up at my house bursting with free safety gear for me (a smoke detector, cabinet locks, thermometer, and more!) and went around my house letting me know how I could make things safer for my child. I would really recommend this for anyone with kids. While it kind of makes you feel like a bad parent (there are a lot of "normal" things that turned out to be "problems") it is very informative, plus you get all the free stuff! The woman also spent half an hour of very hard labor making sure Lola's carseat was properly installed and fit perfectly to her size. For anyone interested the phone number to make an appointment is 785-9872.

In other news, we finally got new living room furniture and painted the living room and kitchen (no more wallpaper!) We're still waiting to get a tv, but once everything's in place I'll post some before and after pictures that will blow your mind. My apologies to Parker and KB who inherited our old couch with the sinkhole. Hopefully it is a blessing and not a curse.

New Experiments

2010-04-07T21:19:00.000-07:00

I mentioned a post or two ago how much I enjoyed broccoli roasted in the oven with olive oil. Turns out asparagus and brussel sprouts also benefit from this method. I tried both this week and they were delicious. I also tried a few other recipes from various cookbooks. The first was oatmeal pancakes. Not as tasty as they sounded. I was expecting something resembling an oatmeal cookie, what I got resembled, well, oatmeal. It was a mushy patty that I put brown sugar and syrup on.

I also tried chicken breast filets with lemon. While the recipe didn't seem to turn out quite like it was intended this recipe was really good. I've always been a little shy about frying chicken breasts on the stove top, but with the help of my trusty meat thermometer these turned out perfectly. For what its worth, the customer service at the meat counter at Festival Foods in Onalaska is wonderful. I asked them if they would slice my chicken breasts in half horizontally for me and they were happy to do so. A couple weeks ago I asked them to pound them flat and they did that as well. Remember, all you have to do is ask!

Tonight I tried spaghetti with olives and capers Vesuvius style. This was also pretty good. It was a little briny, but something different and hearty. I was feeling lazy and ate it as is, but I think it would have benefited from a side salad or some bread.

Tomorrow I might try tackle my gardening project. I'm not sure the best route to go for my first year of vegetable gardening. I want to do a plot, but its risky with how many deer we have around our house. Pots on the deck might be a better way to go. Would deer climb up on the deck to eat my vegetables? I feel like they might, but maybe I'm giving them too much credit.

Lots of Cooking

2010-03-23T14:51:00.000-07:00

Jeron and I watched Julie & Julia the other day, so of course I have been experimenting with cooking more than usual. My first adventure was with broccoli. We both enjoy eating broccoli as much as anyone could be expected to, but I usually just boil or microwave it. I saw a picture in a cookbook of roasted broccoli and thought it looked pretty, so this time I tossed it with some olive oil and salt and threw it in a hot oven for about half an hour. What came out was, simply, heavenly. Crispy and savory, this is the way I will most likely make broccoli from now on. We ate an entire bunch between the two of us.

The next morning also met with success when I tried my hand at cornmeal pancakes for breakfast. They looked just like regular pancakes but tasted like cornbread (imagine that). Instead of the usual butter and syrup I tried them with raspberry preserves and it was delicious. I also tried them just with honey. That was ok, but not exactly what was desired on a hungry Saturday morning.

Rarely do I make something that turns out absolutely inedible, but that is what happened last night. I tried making falafels (fried chickpea patties). I had made some in the oven before and they were pretty good, so I figured frying them in oil would be the next step up. I don't know where I went wrong, but as soon as the patties hit the oil they disintegrated into a million tiny particles. I tried scooping some out once they were browned and even ate a spoonful, but they were extremely greasy and not at all what I was going for. We ended up eating pita pockets stuffed with vegetables for dinner, when there were supposed to be fat, tasty falafels tucked in there as well. Oh well, we didn't starve. Tonight I'll whip up some hummus to add to the sad little sandwiches and try out something else tomorrow.

Also on a cooking note, I've found the most delightful cookbook. Veganomicon is a vegan cookbook, but looks to be the most delicious, approachable cookbook I've come across in a while. Jeron and I love a good helping of meat, but also find times when we enjoy eating vegetarian or vegan meals because, well, good food is good food. I had seen a recipe from it here or there on other blogs and found it at the library yesterday. I may just have to buy this one, there looks to be so much good information. It may even convince me to try tofu (but don't tell Jeron!). One thing I'm wondering is if regular milk is interchangeable with soy milk? I have no desire to buy soy milk (which many of these recipes call for) because I know I won't drink the rest. Despite my love of food, I have a very bizarre relationship with beverages. Water, juice, milk, and the occasional (carefully chosen) cocktail are the extent of my beverage choices. Milk is a somewhat new addition to the repertoire. When I got pregnant they recommended that I drink two glasses of it a day and I felt I owed it to the little bean to do so. Prior to that it was relegated to meat and potato dinners and, of course, chocolate chip cookies. Post pregnancy I've kept my consumption up mostly due to fear of osteoporosis later in life from babies drinking all the calcium straight from my bones. I also don't drink more than the occasional sip of soda borrowed from my husband. Soda is a vice I gave up in high school for health reasons. Any other beverage I find just plain gross. Milkshakes are out of the question. Even chocolate milk has never seen my fridge. No coffee, and rarely a tea. Don't even get me started on eggnog. So, back to the point, I will not be drinking soy milk, or almond milk, or anything else I know to be suspended in water. Can I substitute cow's milk for soy milk in these recipes? Only failure will tell...

Peg Bear

2010-03-14T11:24:00.000-07:00

Yesterday my mom and I threw a baby shower for my sister Casey, who is due to have a baby boy on April 20th. In preparation for the shower I spent the last few weeks working on sewing her baby a peg bear that I had a pattern for. I made one for Lola first, in an effort to work out the kinks (and many kinks there were). The first one took me about two weeks, working on it here and there during nap times and other moments of free time. I made quite a few mistakes on that one, but it still turned out alright. The second one only took me a couple of hours since by then I knew what I was doing. It also looks a lot better, with fewer cosmetic flaws. Hopefully Casey and Baby will like it. Here are some pictures of both bears.

Avocado Cookies

2010-03-07T13:54:00.000-08:00

I had heard previously about using avocado as a healthy replacement for butter in cookie recipes. It sounded a little far fetched, but I was curious. Jeron protested the idea, but I figured I could get him to eat it without knowing. I finally tried it the other night with fairly successful results. I used my regular, Nestle Tollhouse chocolate chip cookie recipe and replaced half the butter with mashed avocado. I think they turned out pretty good. A few differences included a slightly greenish tint, a lack of spreading in the oven, and a softer, chewier cookie. Jeron licked the beater and ate two cookies before I told him the difference. He felt a little misled, but seemed to like them alright. All this being said, I probably won't make them this way again.

Bread and Fish

2010-01-26T13:40:00.000-08:00

My first attempt at ciabatta bread last week yielded a hard, flat loaf. Not the best for sandwiches. I ended up making them openfaced, just putting the filling right on top. It tasted alright. I tried again the next day and came out with a much better result. I had a better idea of what I was doing this time and was able to alter the recipe to fit my kitchen better. I kneaded my dough longer and gave it a warmer place to rise. Tomorrow I will be trying pizza dough from scratch. I have made it once before with sucessful but bland results, and am trying a new recipe this time.

Last night I made beer battered fish. I generally do not cook fish, simply because I am not confident in any technique for making it safe and delicious to eat. I really do enjoy eating it though, so I may use this time at home to improve upon this. The batter recipe I found was excellent, I'd really like to try frying other things in it. I think in my attempt to cook the fish thoroughly I left them in the oil too long and they got a bit greasy. Jeron didn't care, he thought they were delicious. I also made "smashed chips" alongside. They are basically squashed crispy boiled potatoes, and a favorite of mine from Maggiano's.

Beer Batter:

Whisk together 1 and 2/3 cup all purpose flour with 1 Tablespoon baking powder. Make a well in the middle and slowly whisk in 2 cups good quality wheat beer. Mix until thing and smooth. Cover and refridgerate 1 - 12 hours.

We're All Learning Something

2010-01-19T17:14:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I've had time to post here. Since I'm not working now I hardly ever sit down at the computer, but I'm trying so many interesting things lately that I had to share. I've recently been reading through Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child by Dr. Weissbluth. I'm a little skeptical, but have been half way trying to implement his strategies. Lola reached a point where she wasn't napping during the day and would only sleep a total of 8 or 9 hours at night. That seemed unhealthy, so I thought maybe it was time to introduce some structure. The book basically says leave your kid alone whenever you want them to sleep and they will eventually go to sleep. I have been trying this mostly during the day for naps because that is when I am better able to handle the crying. So far it has worked pretty well and she's picked up several one hour+ naps per day with a few minutes of crying before falling asleep. I'm having a hard time setting a consistent bed time for her because she is always tired at a different time of night and has a hard time staying down for the night. I might try picking up a different book at the library next week to get a balanced perspective.

Today I started my adventure in bread baking. I won't know the result until tomorrow as I have to let my biga (dough starter) ferment overnight before making the final mix tomorrow. I decided to cut my teeth on ciabatta, as I was planning on making sandwiches this week but forgot to pick some up at the store. In other culinary adventures, I made chicken enchiladas completely from scratch for dinner tonight. It was a lot more work than just opening the can of enchilada sauce, but I'm positive that it was much healthier. We had our friends Travis and Melissa over for dinner, and everyone agreed that it was good but very spicy. I think it would be easy to make a milder version in the future. I love the spice, but my husband is as bland as they come.

I've also been trying to get into sewing, but have so far been too scared to attempt a project. I picked out two projects to try from a book Jeron's sister got me for Christmas and visited two fabric stores but left both times with nothing. I would look through all the prints and fabrics and ribbons and tools and could never be sure that I would pick out the right one. I'm headed to the Fischer's on Friday for a sewing lesson, so maybe that will get my confidence up to actually jump into something.

A Very Busy Week

2009-12-31T13:03:00.000-08:00

The past week has been very hectic. I hosted Christmas Eve dinner for the first time. I made a roast with vegetables in the crock pot, and I think it turned out pretty well. There was plenty of food and we made it on time for church, so I was pretty happy. Afterward we had Jeron's family back over to our house to open presents. That was a good time, thanks everyone for the gifts.

Lola's first Christmas morning wasn't too extravagant, but was fun. We bought her a little bell piano and a tiny copy of The Velveteen Rabbit at Goodwill and a new pair of warm and fuzzy pajamas. The other present she had to open was from my aunt and uncle in Minneapolis. It was this really fun cuddly book, which she loved to feel and put in her mouth.

We spent half of Christmas day at Jeron's grandma's house and the other half at my parent's house. They provide a nice contrast to each other. Jeron's family always gets everybody together and has a loud and rowdy time. My parents like to keep things quiet, so its nice to get a little bit of both. A couple of Jeron's cousins stayed with us over the weekend, which is always a really good time. They enjoy playing music, so on Saturday we hosted a jam night. I have to say, it may have gotten a little bit out of control. Quite a few people showed up, which made it kind of difficult to play the music. It was fun while it lasted though.

On Sunday we hosted another party, this time for the members (and close fans) of Jeron's old band Allette (formerly known as The Homeschoolers). We looked at pictures and old video footage of performances and antics around town. It was fun to reminisce and enjoy each others company.

On less of an upbeat note, we've been dealing with a couple of deaths in the family. On Sunday my mother's father passed away after complications with a stroke, and on Tuesday my father's brother who lived in Alaska passed away as well. We had a lovely service for my grandpa yesterday and it was great to be able to spend some time with a side of the family that we rarely see. My uncle wanted his body cremated and his ashes scattered from a plane over a lake near where he lived, so I'm not sure about any sort of service here for him yet.

A quick update on my last post: I have been having several problems with my new phone. When I call a number the dialpad disappears and is replaced by a rather scrambled looking one. This makes it impossible for me to check my voicemail. I found a fix online that seems to be working for now. I was also having trouble using speed dial - the screen would freeze every time. Jeron suggested I shut the phone down and take the battery out and that seems to have worked as well. He is having his own problems with his phone. Things don't seem to sync up quite right in his computer as far as contacts are concerned. He thinks he may have lost some contacts, but can retrieve them through a voice prompt. Its quite complicated and frustrating. No winner has emerged in the phone debate just yet.

I'm trying to finish up for good with work. I've hit a few snags along the way, and am just ready to be done with it all. Maybe next week. For now I'll enjoy the new year. We had a little money left that we had budgeted for Christmas, so we will be enjoying beer, soda, and chips at our little party tonight. Sounds good to me! One last picture of Lola, just because its so darn cute. Oh yeah, and she learned to sit up on her own!

Droid vs. BlackBerry Storm 2

2009-12-22T12:07:00.000-08:00

Jeron and I gave ourselves early Christmas presents last night and bought new cell phones. It was a very difficult decision in what to get. Considering what Jeron and I do for a living every day we are surprisingly un-tech-savvy. They were having a buy one get one free sale, and ultimately we decided that Jeron would get the Droid and I would get the BlackBerry Storm 2. I think we're both currently happy with our decisions. It will be interesting to see over time which phone shows superior.

An Early Christmas

2009-12-21T14:17:00.000-08:00

On Saturday morning, Lola and I went over to my parent's house to do some Christmas baking. Jeron and I plan on having plenty of visitors over the weekend, so I wanted to make sure we had enough to eat. The result was extraordinary. I've never seen so many sweets in my life. I tried experimenting with some caramel and unfortunately that result was almost inedible. It just ended up too hard, so I'll leave some around incase someone wants to suck on it like a lollipop. Here is a photo of just a few of our goodies.

We had a good time on Sunday having an early Christmas with my family. My sister and her husband are spending the holiday with his family in Milwaukee, so we had a meal and exchanged gifts. Lola's big gift from my parents was a Baby Einstein standing activity center, which I just spent the last hour setting up. She fussed the whole time, and I can't say I blame her since it just looked like I was playing with all the toys without her. When I finished I put her in it and she didn't make a peep, just explored and smiled the whole time.

Tonight Jeron and I are going to pick out our own Christmas presents to ourselves, new cell phones. Jeron got a Blackberry a while back which he uses for work and would like to upgrade. The last time I got a new phone was probably four years ago. I'll let you know what we come back with.

REAL Italian Food

2009-12-20T18:43:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I went with Jeron, Lola, and our friends Travis and Melissa to pick up our friend Jamie from the airport in Minneapolis. She had spent the last 5 months at a Bible college in New Zealand. She left just a few days after Lola was born, so it was fun to see her again!

While we were waiting for the plane to arrive we ate dinner at one of our favorite restaurants, Maggiano's. Jeron and I spent about a year living in Minneapolis, and while we were there we discovered what real Italian food was. Our previous experience had been The Olive Garden, which we loved, but this was a whole other level. I was pleased to enjoy parmesan crusted chicken breast, crispy red potatoes, arugala and cherry tomatoes. I don't think we've ever taken Lola to a restaurant quite so fancy before. She did great though. The host put us in a semi-private banquet room away from the rest of the dining room. He played it off like it was a privilege, but I'm pretty sure it was to avoid other guests having to experience the baby. I didn't mind though, it was actually very nice.

La Crosse definitely needs to step up its eating game. Where are all the good Italian restaurants around here? DiSciascio's is the best I've found, but its pretty far out there in Coon Valley. If anybody else knows of any, definitely let me know!

Black Bean Cakes

2009-12-18T21:15:00.000-08:00

I borrowed this recipe from Two Crowded Kitchens, it was a surprising hit and I'm sure I'll make it again. I always appreciate a vegitarian recipe since Jeron's cousin is a vegitarian and we often have meatless visitors in our home.

1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained.

1 egg, beaten

1 cup shredded carrot

1/2 cup dry bread crumbs

1/4 cxup shredded Mexican cheese blend

2 TBSP chili powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tspt ground cumin

2 TBSP olive oil

In a small bowl, mash beans. Add the egg, carrots, bread crumbs, cheese, chili powder, salt, baking powder, and cumin. Mix well. Shape into six patties; brush both sides with oil. Place on a baking sheet.

Broil 3-4 in. from the heat for 3-4 minutes on each side. Serve with fresh salsa. Yum!

Looking ahead

2009-12-17T17:49:00.000-08:00

Two weeks from today I will be a free woman, so to speak. I will be done working for a big corporation and begin what I hope will be my profession for the rest of my life - a housewife. Here is a list of things I am looking forward to doing in the next 12 months that I may not have previously had time for:

Cleaning my house and keeping it that way
Helping my husband with his business
Cooking healthy, hearty meals
Baking my own bread
Sewing baby clothes
Attending various baby/mom groups throughout the community
Spending lots of time with my baby
Taking my baby outside
Getting organized
Planting a vegetable garden
Visiting with family on a regular basis