summer of squash. July 30, 2009

It’s that time of year! Everyone has an overabundance of summer squash.  We love zucchini and squash, but what can you do when you receive A LOT of it all at once from a very generous family member? Of course it is the very best freshly grilled with olive oil and a little salt and pepper, but after a few days of that- you may want to look for a few other options. I have made a heavenly chocolate zucchini cake, then I made a healthier zucchini bread (recipe below)

ZUCCHINI BREAD

2 c. flour

1 c. whole wheat flour

1 t. cinnamon

1 t. baking soda

1/2 t. baking powder

1 t. salt

3 eggs

1 1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. oil

1/2 c. applesauce

2 t. vanilla

2 1/2 c. zucchini, grated

STREUSEL:

1/2 c. flour

1/2 c. brown sugar

1 T. butter

Combine dry ingredients set aside. Beat eggs and add oil, applesauce, and vanilla.  Add dry ingredients and stir. Fold in zucchini.  Pour into 2 greased bread pans.  For streusel- combine ingredients and blend with a fork until there are no large clumps. Top with streusel and bake at 325 for approximately 60 minutes.

After all of that baking, I still had a TON of squash left. So, I decided to freeze it for later. The best way to do this is to cut the squash into 1/2″ slices and blanch in boiling water (cook for only about 3 minutes). Remove the squash from the water and place immediately in a bowl of ice water. Cool about 5 minutes and drain. Seal in ziplock bags and viola! If you want to freeze your zucchini so that you can use it to bake in the future- grate the zucchini and steam it for about 2 minutes before sealing in ziplock bags.

Greta enjoying some zucchini bread.

1 month post-op. July 30, 2009

The big surgery was one month ago today. Miles is doing great! I think it is safe to say he is completely back to himself. He is sleeping well at night and sweet as ever during the day.  He has been working hard at his weekly speech therapy appointments and surprised us today by saying “pop” 3 times during his session while we  were “popping” bubbles.  He is getting better at mimicking sounds, but still won’t respond if someone says, “say Mommy”, etc. Still as cute as ever

Stefanie’s Cheesecake wonton cups. July 30, 2009

I love short cuts. Especially when you can NOT tell that a short cut has been made! This is a recipe from my friend Stefanie. I have had these on several occasions and each time, everyone RAVES about them! This is one of the recipes that I made for my sister’s bridal shower last weekend. Enjoy!

Cheesecake Won ton Cups

1 pkg. won ton wrappers

1 container Philadelphia cheesecake filling (premade, and at your grocery store by the cream cheese)

1 jar lemon curd (fancy jam or pie filling would even work)

whipped cream (the kind in a can works best)

fresh raspberries (blackberries would be terrific, too)

Using a mini-cupcake pan, press wonton wrappers into pan.  Spray lightly with PAM (I  used olive oil spray). Sprinkle lightly with granulated sugar.

Bake at 350 for approximately 5 minutes, or until golden. Cool.

Fill cooled shells with about 1 t. of cheesecake filling, 1 t. lemon curd. Top with whipped cream and place one single raspberry on top. Garnish by sifting confectioner’s sugar over just before serving.

somebody’s getting married. July 27, 2009

“Somebody’s getting maaaaa-weeeeeed!” Muppets reference anyone???

My little sister Jill is getting married!!! I am so excited for her. I have never seen her as happy as she is with her fiance, Christian. I really do mean never… not even when she got her Barbie Corvette! We are all just thrilled to have Christian join our family. He and Jill are a perfect fit. This does mean that my sister will be permanently living in Switzerland, but that just means we will have to visit!

Today we had a bridal shower for Jill. I think it went well. We played dorky games and ate and ate and ate some more.

Congratulations, Jillybean!  I love you

crunchy, part 2. July 16, 2009

OK, so I had quite a few people ask why Joe teases me for being crunchy. I don’t really consider myself crunchy and I personally think global warming is a bunch of hooey- but I do strive to be a good steward of all that God has given us on this beautiful earth.

-I do not use paper products with the exception of toilet paper, baby wipes and diapers. (I would have loved to do cloth diapers, but never had enough money at one time to invest in them and -God willing- we are done having children.

-I make pretty much everything from scratch and cook using whole ingredients as much as possible.

-I am a pretty hardcore recycler.

-The  kids and I use all natural soaps, shampoos, toothpaste, etc.

-I do yoga.

-I was a CSA (community supported agriculture) member last year and would have LOVED to be one this year if we could have afforded it!

-In our old house, I actually had an indoor clothesline to air dry clothes year-round. No room in our current laundry room.

-I try not to eat much dairy or meat…not sure if this should count because, I am lactose intolerant and I have never really liked meat.

-I have more than one pair of shoes made from recycled tires, fibers, etc.

-I use earth friendly (which happen to be kid friendly) cleaners.

So,  you tell me…am I crunchy, too??

Breakfast bars. July 15, 2009

Looking for a quick, healthy breakfast? We have our freezer stocked with these at all times.  I found the recipe here. Joe takes one of these and a banana with him to work for breakfast every morning. The bars are filling and really stick with you! They also contain spirulina.  You can find spirulina in most health food stores.  A container should cost about $20, but I have always gotten it in the bulk spice section so I didn’t have to buy quite so much at once (and it is a fraction of the cost).

BREAKFAST BARS

2 1/2 c. oats

1/2 c. flax seed

1/4 c. cocoa powder

1/2 c. natural peanutbutter

1/2 c. honey

1/2 t. spirulina (I use closer to 1 t., but start here until you get used to the taste)

1/2- 1 c. hot water

Combine all ingredients in large bowl. Mix well and form into patties.  Wrap in saran wrap and store in refrigerator or freezer.  Makes 8-12 bars.

Fancy Nancy returns. July 15, 2009

Our local Barnes & Noble recently had a Fancy Nancy reading hour. Of course, we were there!!

cutest. July 15, 2009

Look at Miles’ new forks and spoons (couldn’t call them silverware:))

ADORABLE!!

2 weeks post-op. July 15, 2009

Wow! What a crazy week…but more about that later Monday marked 2 weeks since the operation. Miles is doing awesome! He is back to normal during the day- playing, eating, napping, but at bedtime he is still having a little trouble getting comfortable and sleeping all the way through the night. We will have appointments next week with his Neurosurgeon, Plastic surgeon and his Pediatrician.

Today he had his formal evaluation from his speech therapist. An average child scores 100 on the test. There is also a 15 point range in either direction that is considered normal.  Basically anywhere from 85-115 is appropriate for his age. He scored an 81. Just a little below average. I was actually pleasantly surprised! His therapist mentioned that anytime a young child has multiple hospitalizations- they will naturally be delayed in speech. She also said that if a child is delayed in their motor skills that they are also almost always delayed in speech.  I am pretty excited that we were able to get Miles into speech therapy as it is in high demand and waiting lists are long. I think he will do really well!

Here are some photos of how his head is shaping up–

I’m not crunchy. July 7, 2009

My husband often teases me for being “crunchy”. Very funny.  Not sure if I am officially crunchy, but whatever. The thing I find hilarious is that he himself is pretty darn crunchy—you tell me… does this sound like someone who is crunchy???

**edited to include definition after discovering some naughty things on the linked website (Crunchy=adjective. used to describe persons who have altered their lifestyle for environmental reasons, ie; tree huggers, hippies, vegans, environmentalists, natural food store shopping, granola, green)

-He is obsessed with buying organic produce and is completely freaked out that our children might be eating pesticides.

-He becomes very angry if he runs out of granola.

-He likes tofu.

-It is his dream to own a moped.

-He tried to get his office to start recycling.

-He is trying to grow his beard indefinitely.

Hmmmm? What’s the verdict?

In honor of my increasingly crunchy husband…here is the granola recipe that I make for him.

GRANOLA

3 c. oats

1 c. raw sunflower seeds (or nuts)

1 c. shredded, unsweetened coconut

1/4 c. brown sugar

1/4 c. pure maple syrup

1/4 c. vegetable oil

3/4 t. salt

1 c. dried fruit (I used blueberries this time)

Combine sugar, syrup, oil and salt. Combine oats, seeds and coconut, stir. Add oil mixture to oats. Spread over 2 cookie sheets and bake at 250 degrees, stirring every 15 minutes until done to your liking (I did 30 minutes). Cool and add dried fruit. Store in airtight container.  Makes approximately 6 cups.