A taste of summer

Meep talked me into buying some blueberries at Sam's Club last week. They were really good, but we couldn't eat them all. So I decided to make a blueberry crisp. Hubby said I should throw some raspberries in there, too. Genius. Especially since our raspberry bushes are currently still covered with more than 3ft of snow. I can't wait until summer. Raspberries, rhubarb, mmm.
But I digress. I have yet to find a crisp recipe that fulfills my (admittedly) picky nature. I want the fruit bubbly and gooey, and the crisp, well, CRISP! Crisp, but buttery and melty.
This time, I used a recipe that I found on a blog called Our Family Attic.
Here are the lovely fresh blueberries, and thawed raspberries (which were picked out back and frozen last summer).

Aren't they pretty?










And with the topping.








Andddddd, the finished product!!!

I really like the topping in this recipe. It gave me the consistency that I was looking for! Yum! The only thing missing, sadly, was vanilla ice cream. We didn't have any. :(

Lost and found.

The Great Disappearing Necklace has been found!

Ch-ch-chango Bars!

In school, my twins just finished reading "Jalapeno Bagels" by Nastasha Wing. The book is about a boy with Mexican and Jewish heritage, whose parents own a bakery. The story is based on a real bakery in Arcata, CA, called Los Bagels. You can order off their website. Check it out!
The book contains two recipes, one of which is for Chango Bars. What is a Chango Bar?
Basically, it's a blonde brownie with chocolate chips and tons of nuts.
My boys brought home their class newsletter, which had the recipe. They begged to make them, especially since the recipe called for one of their favorite ingredients: chocolate chips! My boys don't like nuts, though, so we left them out.
They are super yummy. Everyone likes them except Meep, who isn't big on the chocolate chip cookie-like thing anyway (though choco. chips themselves are another story).
Since the recipe is readily available on the internet, and is printed in the book, I feel comfortable sharing it:

1/2 Cup butter
1/2 Cup margarine (though I used all butter, see my post about butter,)
2 Cups brown sugar
3 eggs
2 1/3 Cups flour
1 TBSP baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 Cup chocolate chips
1 cup mixed nuts

Melt butter and marg. While this is melting, cream brown sugar and eggs, then add melted butter and marg. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt, and stir into sugar mixture. Fold in chocolate chips and nuts. Pour mixture into greased 9x13 pan, and bake 45-50 minutes at 350 degrees.
*This recipe is from the story Jalapeno Bagels: Houghton Mifflin Reading

Like I said, we left out the nuts because the kids don't like them. But I think they would be even more awesome with the nuts.

My food philosophy.

I've mentioned that I have 4 children. 4 rather small children: 9, 8, 8, and 4. With that number of children, cooking a meal that ALL of them like is a challenge. I'm not alone. I hear other mother's talk about the lengths they go to get their children to eat vegetables/fruit/meat/ whatever. They plead, they bribe, they make bargains, they threaten, they put their foot down.
I refuse to make an issue out of food. I did in the past. When my oldest was a toddler, he went on a fruit/vegetable fast. Refused to eat any type of fruit or veggie. As a first time mother, I was frantic. I tried everything. After ending up in my in-laws bedroom, trying to force a hysterical 2 y/o to eat carrots (which he then gagged up), I thought, What am I doing? What is the purpose of this? Why am I putting him (and myself) through this?
So I stopped. I kept offering him fruits and veggies, putting them on his plate at every meal. I made sure he took a multivitamin. This went on for a year. Yes, a year. Then one day, he ate the broccoli I put on his plate. And he wanted more. And more. And more.

We have rules, though. I will NOT make 2 different dinners. I make a main protein, a side (rice, noodles, potatoes), and at least one hot veggie. Then I put out salad, and raw veggies - broccoli, carrots, celery, and sometimes fruit. They have to have at least one. This makes no extra work for me, and gives them a choice. Voila! Veggie problem solved. We do ask them to try a different veggie now and again. And I'll often make an additional veggie if I know they don't like the one I'm making (all 4 hate green beans in any shape, form, or container - always have).
My oldest and youngest don't like red meat. In fact, my youngest doesn't care for meat much at all. That's ok. I don't make red meat often.
We eat fish quite often, since we usually catch and freeze a lot in the summer. Eldest likes fish. Youngest not so much.
Another rule is that they are not FORCED to eat anything. But if they don't, there are consequences. If they don't eat some protein, no seconds on anything else. Same with veggies. If they choose not to eat at all, no dessert, and no snack. If they are hungry later, they can heat up some dinner, or have fruits or veggies (always allowed).
There are times when I will make an alternative protein available, if I'm making something I KNOW they all don't like. Usually, though, it's a twist on the same protein. I made curry one night, but served the chicken (unsauced), rice, and sauce separately. Then we could all have it how we wanted. No extra work for me, and I think at least 2 of them tried it.

This philosophy has worked well. Though there is some pickiness inherent in a couple of them, they are usually willing to try things. Eldest found that he can tolerate brussel sprouts. Older twin discovered that while he doesn't like cooked broccoli, he does like it raw. Youngest won't drink milk, but loves cheese and yogurt. And younger twin...well...he'll eat just about anything. :)

Hail Mary

This is my 4th year teaching 5th grade CCD at our church. I love it. I love that one hour a week I have with those kids. They are so incredibly awesome, and I try to make lessons as much fun as possible.
One of the highlights of the year is making rosaries. The first time I taught this lesson, I used instructions for making a keychain rosary with plastic cord and pony beads. It was ok.
The next time, I had a wonderful co-teacher who was also a fellow beader/jewelry maker. She put together a wonderful kit that the kids really enjoyed making. Sadly, she moved away, and I'm on my own.
I was determined to find my kids a great project that would be easy enough for the kids who may have trouble, and could be done in an hour with only me to assist all 10-15 kids.
I ended up with plastic/glass bead rosary strung on beading wire, with lovely centers and crucifixes.
This is one that one of my boys made at home. The Hail Mary beads are actually 6mm glow-in-the-dark beads! I thought that was pretty cool, and so did the kids. I had many colors available for the Our Father beads: 8mm plastic beads. The centers are St. Benedict medals. I was pleased to find them, since our church is St. Benedict's. I ordered 2 different types of crosses. My boys thought these fancier ones were better. Also, the other type had jump rings with HUGE splits. When I made a sample, the wire kept slipping through the split.
I ordered the glow beads, centers and crosses from Catholic Parts. They had really nice pieces, and great prices. I will definitely be using them again. The wire and colored beads I picked up at Michael's.