In the Kitchen

Periodically I get major baking spells (they usually coincide with holidays). 

Here's what was baking today.

40 Minute Rolls

Easter Braided Bread similar to this

Chocolate Macaroon Pie

Gluten Free French Bread

Sugar Cookie Easter Nests

And I failed to get pictures of my Lemon Coconut Bars and Hot Cross Buns.   And this delicious Sweet Potato Hash which makes a lovely breakfast.

Now I'm off to do laundry, pack clothes.  And finish the girls' dresses before we leave tomorrow. O

In Which I Attempt to Crack a Coconut

I'm a made-from-scratch kind of girl.  I'm usually undaunted by trying to create dishes from real foods so after having passed coconuts many times and having told the kids, "One day we'll get a coconut" I decided to finally do it.

I googled directions, first draining the liquid then whacking it soundly with a hammer.  That was the easy part.  Actually prying out the flesh was difficult and then those morsels had to be shaved and toasted.

While I'm glad we tried it, I believe it was my last go at fooling with a real coconut.  I'll pay the extra to have my neatly shredded coconut made for me.

Snow Day 2015

Snow is a rare occurrence around here so you gotta grab it when you can. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The girls and I made playdough but the boys jumped right in once the snow was gone.

 

 

 

 

 Then we brought out the scissors for paper snowflakes.  Jonathan apparently didn't remember ever doing this and was quite obsessed with the concept.

 

 

 

 

And Andrew's favorite?  Edible snowflakes!

 

 

It's the same concept as paper snowflakes: fold and cut

(if using flour tortillas; corn tortillas are easier to just cut).

 

 

Then fry to crispy deliciousness.

 

 

And sprinkle with powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar.

 

 

Stephen contributed a LEGO snowflake, of course.

 

 

 

It was a perfect day of fun activities and a welcome break the usual routine.

International Pancake Day

 

It was a good excuse to eat pancakes for lunch.

Hunka, Hunka Burnin' Love

It may be too cold for outside for s'mores, but there's always Plan B.

 

 

Matthew won an indoor S'more Making Kit at the Scout Blue and Gold banquet earlier this week.

 

 

The kids have been itching to use it all week, and I put them off until tonight.

 

 



We had the traditional graham cracker/marshmallow/Hershey bar combo.

 

The gluten-free kid sandwiched his marshmallow and chocolate between a safe sandwich cookie.

 

 

And Matthew added dairy free chocolate chips to his gooey marshmallows and graham crackers.

 

They went to bed full of sweets (and plans for plenty more tomorrow).

In Which Matthew Turns Seven

I was going through some piles of stuff this evening and came across Matthew's birth announcement.

It's hard to believe that little bundle (he was the smallest baby in our family until Josie came along) is now a "big" boy (what he lacks in stature he more than makes up for in self-confidence).

 

Around here birthdays seem to rival Christmas in terms of excitement so I guess I shouldn't be surprised that I heard them stirring and scoping out the kitchen table around 5 am. 

 

 

It was beautiful to see everyone genuinely happy and excited for Matthew, and there was nary a word of complaint or grumbling from the smaller siblings who did not have birthdays (maybe a first?).

 

He requested an army tank cake and it was quite the group effort to construct, and there were plenty of willing mouths eager to make use of the leftover icing.

In his words, "I'm glad I'm seven but I really wish I were seventeen so that I could join the army." 

And as an addendum:

Maybe it was the extreme fatigue messing with her head, but as soon as Josie got her piece of cake she requested some more salad.  I asked again to make sure I wasn't hearing things, but indeed she did, and finished them both.

The Sun'll Come Out Tomorrow

Jonathan has taken quite a liking to Sunnysides recently, and we got a kick out of this "sun" that completely slipped out of the clouds to brighten our morning.

December Photo Project: Day 22

 

Ultimate hot chocolate: whipped cream + marshmallows + chocolate sprinkles.

December Photo Project: Day 14

5 dozen Coconut Macaroons in celebration of our pastor's installation.  It was a beautiful service with a full house and a lovely reception to follow.  Here's the recipe if you want to make your own (perfect for the gluten free/dairy free person in your life).

Coconut Macaroons

2 egg whites
1/8 t. salt
3/4 c. sugar
1 t. vanilla
1 1/2 c. unsweetened shredded coconut (more if using macaroon-style coconut)

Beat egg whites and salt until frothy.  Gradually add sugar until peaks form.  Add remaining ingredients.  Bake on 350 for 12-15 minutes.

December Photo Project: Day 4

Someone's been snacking.

Dinner Delivered

 

Maybe not the best meal ever, but homemade bread covers a multitude of sins.

A Mess of Beans

In addition to her watermelon craze, Katherine really loves green beans.

 

I planted a couple of short rows of 'Blue Lake' bush beans that are finally ready for picking.  Summer veggie plate tonight.

Cold Slop

Or so one of my parent's foster children called it.

 

My mother has once again been proved right: cole slaw is one of those detested foods of my childhood that I have come to love.  And love it I do.  It's a common side to burgers and dogs and bbq.  It's the perfect cool companion to spicy Caribbean jerk dishes.  And by simply adding lime zest and juice and some chopped cilantro, it accompanies anything Mexican, especially fish tacos.

You can buy bottled sauce, but why when you are already have the ingredients?  Here's what we use.

4 c. finely shredded cabbage (store bought or shred yourself)
1/2 c. diced bell pepper and/or celery
several shredded carrots

Combine with 3 T. sugar and 2 T. vinegar. Chill 1 hour (or not if you're in a hurry).  Add 1/2 c. mayo, salt & pepper and you are ready to enjoy.

I'm Feeling Blue

The girls in the family share an obsession:  blueberries!

 

The upside of losing 9 trees during the tornado three years ago was that our row of blueberries receives more sunlight, and the trees are finally starting to produce.  I picked a cup this morning, and if the birds don't beat me to them, we may get a couple more.

 

A cup, however, doesn't go far in this family.  Josie would eat a pint (2 cups) in a sitting and Katherine and I would do the same.  So we headed to a local berry patch to boost our supply.

I couldn't pick and pass behind me fast enough at first; Katherine was screaming for more.  When I was close enough to a branch, she simply helped herself.

 

The berries were plentiful.

 

 

 We even stumbled upon some wild blackberries and picked a few to make some jam.

Even with the lure of monetary gain, the boys wouldn't help pick.  All but Matthew chose to sit in the driveway; Matthew was a trooper staying very close and picking the low and plentiful spots that adults usually skip.

In all we picked about 2 gallons, not nearly as much as I'd like.  So there's another trip in our future.