BOO!

We had two of the friendliest... and CUTEST ghosts that you've ever seen this evening! This year Halloween was FUN... for all of us. The girls were into it 100%, they got to trick-or-trick with their besties, and the candy... oh, the candy. The beautiful thing about not over-indulging your child 24/7 is that it makes nights like tonight so incredibly exciting. We don't keep candy in the house and the awe of being handed piece after piece tonight was sweet and sincere.

I love before-and-after pictures... so here's the change from last Halloween to this one, with these four girls:

Abby and Elise had decided upon ghosts within the last week so after all was quiet last night, I went to work with two pillowcases, some black felt, and my sewing machine. Then today I made some little hair bows and hot-glued them to barrettes. I love all things handmade, and Halloween costumes are at the top of my must-make-by-hand list. These little ghost outfits were so simple and, need I repeat myself, so CUTE!

The night ended with a stop at Gran and Grandpa's, and a final raiding of the sugary treasures. Despite a fall (Elise), a good time was had by all tonight - great friends, great girlies, and great fun. My little friendly ghosts are sacked out and will awaken, without a doubt, full of stories to tell of their Halloween night.

Roasted "Peachicks"

Ahhhh... it is that time of year when, if so desired, I can mess around in the kitchen with the oven on all afternoon and not think twice about it. That gives post-nap snacks a million more options, which recently included oven-roasted garbanzo beans. When the girls woke up, I told them that I'd made them some chickpeas for their snack and the following 15 minutes consisted of a snarfing-down of the "crunchy little peachicks" (Elise). Chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans, are high in fiber, contain some worthwhile vitamins, and are the main ingredient in hummus (yum!).

Oven-roasted Chickpeas
adapted from here

• 1 can organic garbanzo beans/chickpeas
• 1 1/2 T organic olive oil
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp chili powder
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• pinch of cumin
• Preheat oven to 350°
• Rinse and pat dry beans
• Roast plain for 20 minutes
• Remove from oven and toss with olive oil, salt, and spices
• Return to oven for 20 minutes, or until desired crunchiness is achieved (they do crisp a bit more once cooled)
• Before offering to others, save some for yourself because these crunchy little peachicks are irresistible to the little ones. Case in point:

Sugar-High Friday: Monkey Bread Muffins

I try to limit my use of sugar in this house for multiple reasons: 1) it's not good for you; 2) there are healthier and tastier alternatives; 3) I want the girls to see non-sugar treats as tasty and worthwhile; 4) I can't keep my fingers out of the batter/dough/frosting/ before, during, or after the baking. I am frequently at my computer drooling over the sugary goodness that people are creating. Many of the blogs I read are only food, with little to no pictures of the people. I want to see the people because, if they surround themselves with that much sugar yet maintain a slim and trim physique, I want some schooling from those people in self-restraint!

We had some very special friends for a visit this morning and, to make the snack extra special AND to celebrate a birthday with them, I gave in to the temptation and turned the morning into "sugar-high Friday". I saw this recipe for Monkey Bread earlier in the week and bookmarked it. We were up and about early today, so there was time for some dough to get a-rising. The original recipe makes the Monkey Bread in a bundt pan; I did individual muffins instead. The dough had a great texture, it was easy to work with, and the bread was springy and delicious. I changed the ratio of white flour to whole wheat flour but kept everything else basically the same. The dough requires two rise times - mine was about an hour the first and 35 minutes the second. It was easy and will remain bookmarked!

Monkey Bread Muffins

• 2 C organic whole wheat flour
• 1 C organic whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 C organic white flour
• 1 tsp kosher salt (I was just out of table salt, otherwise would've used table)
• 1 package rapid rise yeast
• 1 C warm organic milk
• 1/4 C orange juice
• 1/4 C local honey
• 2 T organic unsalted butter, melted
• In the bowl of stand mixer, and using the dough hook attachment, combine flours, salt, yeast
• Slowly add milk, orange juice, honey, melted butter
• I heated the milk in the microwave and got it fairly hot; slowly stirred the orange juice into the milk to cool it a bit and to avoid having to heat the OJ as well
• Let mixer run for 5-8 minutes, until the dough is well mixed and holds its shape
• I added 1-2 T flour while it was mixing as the dough was sticking to the bowl; after about 7-8 minutes, a very nice dough ball had formed
• Transfer dough to an oil-coated bowl and leave to rise for 1 hour
• I heated my oven to 100°, turned it off, covered the bowl with plastic wrap, and let it sit
• Once dough has doubled in size, punch down
• For the cinnamon-sugar coating:
• In one bowl, combine 2 T melted butter and 3 T milk
• In another bowl, combine 1/4 C brown sugar, 1/4 C white sugar, 2 tsp cinnamon
• To make muffins:
• Form 1-inch balls of dough
• Roll each ball in milk/butter mixture and then in cinnamon-sugar mixture
• Place 3 balls in each muffin liner
• Cover entire muffin pan with plastic wrap and return to warm (but off) oven for 30-40 minutes
• Once dough has risen a second time, bake at 350° for 18-20 minutes
• For a glaze, I just mixed some powdered sugar and milk (approx 3 T sugar and 1 T milk) 

To the LJ crew: thanks for trekking to Lawrence to spend the morning. We are so happy to have you close and have now celebrated, in person, 3 birthdays with you in the past 3 months! That is, without a doubt, worthy of a little sugar. Now I'd better go see about the whispering in the next room - sounds like "sugar-high Friday" might be synonymous with "no-nap Friday"! :)

Wordless Wednesday: Ready...Set...GO!

Let there be ART!

I am seriously slacking in the recipe department these days. I'm just not feeling the food. This week, we had some tasty chicken and rice soup with sweet potato fries, grilled cheese and avocado sandwiches with leftover chicken and rice soup, dinner at a friend's house, and dinner-on-the-deck that consisted of PB&Js, avocado, cherry tomatoes, and a tangy tangelo. We are by no means starving (or eating poorly). I just haven't done anything blog-able.

What I have been doing is spending numerous moments each day in awe of the girls. Most of you know that the majority of my college and all of my career focus on early childhood development, specifically the 3-5 year old range. Abby and Elise are smack dab in that range. I have counseled more parents than I can count on why their child isn't talking, how to stop a tantrum before it starts, what to do when their child bites another, how to stop their child from running away, how to teach counting, letters, and colors, ways to provide positive reinforcement with the hope of eliminating a negative behavior, how to get their child to play with other children... and on... and on... and on. And the longer I'm in public education, the more discouraged I become because all of these parents look to me and my colleagues for the answers. I value school and education. I think teachers play an invaluable role in society. But I think the experiences, interactions, opportunities, situations, reactions, and expectations in the home are the make-it or break-it factor for countless children. 

The girls and I were at the Merc last week and ran into a woman who I used to work with at KU. She said "Are the girls in preschool this year?", to which I replied "Yes. And today they learned about mulch." They had spent the morning in Gran and Grandpa's backyard, taking pretend trips in the truck to Kalamazoo or California or Minnesota, while Grandpa unloaded mulch out of the back. They practiced taking turns driving. They worked on their social skills, conversing about the pretend drive and the scenery. They refined their awareness of distance. They relied on former experiences to guide and shape their thoughts and ideas for that day. Math skills were embedded, as they saw wheelbarrows "full" and "empty" and watched as the mulch in the bed of the truck lessened. And when I got home and said "how was your morning?", rather than reply with "I don't know" - as many parents in the past have reported their child stating about a day at school - the girls talked... and talked... and talked.

I'm getting asked frequently these days about whether or not I'll send them to preschool next year. If I had to decide today, I'd say no. We have read-aloud time at home. We have free play at home. We have outdoor time at home. We do math and science and dramatic play. We do art. Lots and lots of art. That's actually what I initially intended to share... somehow I got sidetracked. 

I think a great number of the children I've encountered professionally have struggles due to a simple lack of exposure. That's where I was heading with this. Give them markers - just be present to teach them to color on paper instead of on clothes or walls. Give them scissors - just be present to teach them to cut paper instead of fingers or hair. I feel sad for the children who don't have a parent or grandparent or uncle there to just. be. present.

Wordless Wednesday: My girls and me

Super Simple Spinach Enchiladas

Let's get right to the point: Spinach Enchiladas. Can you go wrong with chicken, spinach, sauce, and cheese? There is nothing fancy about what I'm going to share with you; I don't even have a picture of the finished product. But I thought the sauce was worth noting, so here's what happened in the kitchen today...

Spinach Enchiladas

• Sauce:
• Organic cottage cheese
• Canned tomatillos
• Canned whole green chilies
• Toss all into blender and give it a WHIRRRRRRRR!
• Add more of whatever to make it tangier, spicier, or thicker
• Other ingredients:
• Local, free range chicken breasts: poached and shredded
• 1/2 organic white onion; diced
• 3 C fresh organic baby spinach; roughly chopped
• Shredded cheese
• Organic whole wheat tortillas
• Pour a bit of sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 pan
• Fill each tortilla with a bit of everything, including sauce
• Pour remaining sauce over the top and add some shredded cheese
• Bake for 30 minutes at 350° and serve with organic brown rice
• Easy-peasy

And just because some of you enjoy the girls far more than the food... yes, they are still adorable...