The family who cycles together...stays together

Best pep talk ever given.  Say "I CAN DO THIS!"

Too bad he didn't have to confidence to do this earlier in the Summer.  However, told him we were taking off the training wheels, with much resistence.  Literally, 30-seconds later he was riding all on his own.

P.S. Pop Pop, Little Brother wants to make sure you see this video.  Told him you wouldn't check until you return from Africa, but would send you the video to look at then.

Sweetest Place on Earth

Who knew that being able to leave for a weekend trip at 3:30 AND not driving South on I-95 made weekend trip enjoyable!  That AND getting to go to a place with wonderful, gracious hosts in an area where fields and pastures and rolling hills haven't been overrun with advertisements and neon signs alerting customers they are Open in flashing neon lights.  

Hershey turned out to be much more about the people that our original destination: HersheyPark.  The kids rode on one rollercoaster, the Comet, and Big Sister started crying stating, "Maybe coming to HersheyPark wasn't such a good idea after all!"

We had a blast with two kids who enjoyed being their age riding rides that suited their personal tastes.  The best part was that almost every ride that Big Sister rode that Little Brother wasn't tall enough to ride, had a junior sibling ride that Little Brother loved riding!  Little Brother did join Big Sister on The Pirate as their last ride.

No child of this Mama will ever have to leave this chocolate lover's paradise without a Giant Hershey's bar:-)

Who are the parents?

I am usually happy to follow the general rules, but they need to be clear.  In the gray area, we shouldn't have to worry that our parenting choices might end with the police questioning the child and arresting us in front of our children.

I realize that laws and rules are made for a reason and unfortunately as a result of a poor choice or decision.  However, if no one is hurt or negatively impacted, let's get CPS involved rather than arresting parents as a form of educating people to be better parents.

http://www.examiner.com/article/nicole-gainey-arrested-felony-charge-for-mom-who-let-her-son-go-to-park-alone

Garden sitting: the tale of too much zucchini and too many tomatoes

We have been garden sitting a neighbor's community garden this week.  The kids love the idea and have actually started to eat some of the tomatoes like cherries.  

Tonight we harvested another round of fresh zucchini and tomatoes of all sizes and shapes.  We gave one bag of tomatoes to a man asking for help at an intersection.  However, there are still plenty of tomatoes and zucchini.  So, what to do with these garden delights?  And, how can we use these goodies to fulfill our requirement to bring an appetizer/side dish AND a dessert to tomorrow's swimming group finale potluck?

My mind always goes to dessert first.  Yesterday, I saw a post on Super Healthy Kids for Chocolate Zucchini Cake, http://www.superhealthykids.com/healthy-kids-recipes/treat-of-the-week-chocolate-zucchini-cake.php.  (This is a great site I you haven't seen it before.)  So, let's get to pumping it up and removing the gluten with my working recipe for tomorrow.

In a bowl combine:

• 1 cup Wheat Flour  (2/3cup brown rice flour and 2/3cup ground flax seed)
• 1 cup white flour (2/3cup ground quinoa)
• 1/4 cup 100% cocoa powder, unsweetened
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt

In a separate bowl:

• 3 Large eggs (4Tbsp ground chia seeds in ~3/4cup water for vegan cake)
• 1/2 sugar (3/8cup maple syrup or honey)
• 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/4 cup canola oil (1/8cup flax seed oil and 1/8cup canola oil)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3 cups shredded zucchini.

With the wet ingredients mixed, and the dry mixed in a separate bowl, combined them just till moistened.  The key to quick breads is to NOT over mix!!  This step can not be stressed enough. The only way to ensure the ingredients are properly combined, is to mix dry and wet ingredients separately, so they can be folded into each other with minimal mixing.

Then, pour batter into two well greased loaf pans, or one large bundt pan.  Bake at 325 for 45-60 minutes, depending on how small your pans are.  Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick or knife and if it comes out clean, it is done.

Daddy-O decided on something simple,  Daddy-O cut up all the tomatoes into bite sized pieces, added salt, pepper, and basil to taste with some olive oil.  Voila!

Meme makes a tomato pie that Daddy-O loves, but the recipe will be one that needs some substitutions.

1 Deep Dish Pie Shell (Pet Ritz is what I use)
4-5 Medium Tomatoes Sliced
1 Cup Mayonnaise (I use Hellmans)
1/2 Cup Fresh Chopped Basil (1 tsp. dried basil may be substituted)
1 1/2 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1 egg
Salt & Pepper 

Thaw and Prick with fork Pie Shell. Pre-bake 7 minutes at 350.  Let cool. Mix Mayo, cheese, egg, basil, salt & pepper.  Placed sliced tomatoes in cooled pie shell.  Top with cheese-mayo mixture and spread to edges to seal.  Bake 35-45 minutes at 350 or until golden brown.  Let cool before slicing.  This makes a great side dish or as a meal with a salad.

Big Sister made us so proud

Summer school started last week.  Little Brother is going to "big kid" school this Fall too so they are riding the bus together to Summer School.  Big Sister is being just that, the Big Sister.  I have been receiving self reports from Big Sister as well as from other parents about how she has taken him under her wing and is watching over him.  

One day last week, the bus arrived at the stop (parents and students still not sure where the real stop is) at least 15 minutes before the published drop off time.  The driver announced the stop.  Big Sister's friend went to get off the bus and realized no one followed.  She got back on the bus and the driver again announced the stop.  Big Sister and her friend didn't know what to do as there were no grown ups waiting at the bus stop.  Feeling pressured to get off the bus, the Big girls shepparded Little Brother and a classmate off the bus before it pulled away.

There were so many things wrong with this scenario to set up the kids for failure:

1. Confusion over bus stop location.  Since last week was the first week of a new bus route and routine, I expected there to be some mild confusion with the bus pick up and drop off.  (I haven't actually taken them to the bus stop as I need to be a work before the bus arrives at the stop.)  The last two Summers there has been confusion the first week about where the stop should be since it varies from the regular school year stop.

2. Drop off time exceeded the maximum 10 minutes prior to the published time.  there is always confusion about what time the bus will come to the stop (much like any other form of public transportation).

3.  There were NO adults at the stop to collect the younger children like Little Brother and his classmate as per County policy.

The two Big girls worked together, formed and executed a plan, had to reevaluate after the original idea didn't pan out as they thought, and continued to persevere until the found a solution that got the results they desired.

Colony of Ants

Clearly Summer is here.  We had a major infestation of ants this weekend.  A few ants here or there don't bother me, but an entire colony is a MAJOR problem.  I had no idea one crust of PB&J could start such craziness.  How do they even know its there?

After spending much of Saturday cleaning, laundering and recleaning our kitchen I think I am currently the controlling power.  After it was all cleared up, I was able to research environmentally friend ant repellants.  We have always used cinnamon as our first line of defense, but will try some of these alternatives in the future http://www.peta.org/living/humane-home/tips-humane-nontoxic-ant-control/

They worked so hard!!!

Yesterday, Big Sister and Little Brother participated in their first FINS races of the summer.  Big Sister has been doing this for 2 summers already.  However, this is the first Summer that Little Brother participated too.  I don't know if I could be any prouder of both of them.

Little Brother swam the whole length of the pool without a noodle.  The first time he'd ever done that.  (There was a little bit of a pride challenge by Mom to get him to do it.). However, he then went and repeated the act.  (There was a little bit of crowd excitement and peer pressure involved in the second swim.). Most importantly, he worked hard and swam hard and made it to the end of the pool by himself both times.

Big Sister had excitement and experience fueling her.  She had to swim twice to the end if the pool.  The last race was her true challenge, down the pool and back. She rocked it and finished on her own too (with the help of a few pushes from the bottom of the pool).

It's hard to keep track of everything

Since the kids are older and Daddy-O is home with us, I have been trying to use some of this "new found time" trying to learn more about the products we use to clean laundry, do dishes, shampoo hair, and just be more environmentally conscious.  However, I have found it hard to remember why I decided on some of these products.  Better to chronical them rather than do the same research twice (in the order we tried them with current favorite at the top).

Laundry Detergent:

1.  Dr. Bronner's Sal Suds Liquid Cleaner

http://www.ewg.org/guides/cleaners/496-DrBronnersSalSudsLiquidCleaner

This product was chosen based upon all of the Dr. Bronner's product ratings and that the Sal Suds is very versatile.  Pros: product is very versatile and can be used to replace more than one household cleaning product.  http://lisa.drbronner.com/?p=815. Cons: Haven't found one.

2.  Method Laundry Detergent, Free + Clear

http://www.ewg.org/guides/cleaners/5676-methodLaundryDetergentFreeClear

The reason I chose this was because it was the "unscented" version of the prior product.  Didn't know about the EGW's cleaning product database yet.

3.  Method Laundry Detergent, Fresh Air

http://www.ewg.org/guides/cleaners/643-methodLaundryDetergentFreshAir

The reason I chose this was because it is made by Method and assumed it was environmentally safer.  Pros: This works pretty well.  Has a pump to help reduce thinking when measuring soap.  Cons: the "scent" made all of the food in our snack bags taste like the "scent".

Laundry Stain Remover:

1.  Oxiclean Laundry Baby Stain Remover

http://www.ewg.org/guides/cleaners/190-OxiCleanLaundryBabyStainSoaker

Chose this stain releaser because it was the top product on the EWG's laundry list.  Pros: Oxiclean generally rocks.  Cons:  Haven't found it to work any different than its sister product.  Must go to the store to buy rather than ordering on Amazon and not available at the Commissary.

2.  Oxiclean Versatile Stain Remover, Free

http://www.ewg.org/guides/cleaners/195-OxiCleanVersatileStainRemoverFree

Chose this because the Baby version was tops of the EWG's laundry list and couldn't find the baby version at the store I was at.  Pros: It works.  Big Sister is the queen of always spilling something on her clothes, every single time she eats.  It gets almost everything out without requiring a soak.  Cons: It's not as environmentally friendly as it's sister product, Baby.

Dryer Sheets:

1.  Woolzies Dryer Balls

http://woolzies.com/product/woolzies-wool-dryer-ball-set-of-6-natural-fabric-softener/

This is one of the first products we changed in our household.  Someone had mentioned this that people used to do that take about 10% more time and effort maximum that are done by a disposable, overpriced, advanced version of its predacessor.  Pros: We love them.  We never forget to use them because they are already in the dryer because that's where we leave them.  Our clothes are no longer overwhelmingly smelly, but could easily add essential oils to the balls to add any fragrance.  Cons: This item is very costly up front as compared to many of the other items listed here.   Often get lost in the dry laundry and balls need to be returned to the dryer after folding laundry and thus occasionally get lost.

Toothpaste:

1. Jack 'n Jill natural toothpaste

http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/product/473390/Jack_%27n_Jill_Natural_Toothpaste%2C_Blackcurrant/

The kids hate all the minty toothpastes.  I'm hoping they will come around, but for now, we are no longer fighting about brushing teeth.  These were the lowest rated (0) toothpastes on the EWG skin deep dental health that seemed that the flacks would appeal to the kids.  Pros: We DO NOT fight about tooth brushing any longer.  The toothpaste is clear so we no longer have to endure the nasty appearance wherever the toothpaste is dropped.  Who knew you could get organic toothpaste?!  Cons: Cost prohibitive and difficult to get out of the end of the tube (more so than unusual).

Hair Shampoo:

1.  Hugo Naturals balancing shampoo tea tree and lavender

http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/product/462438/Hugo_Naturals_Balancing_Shampoo_Tea_Tree_%26_Lavender/

The took the most work to find- a shampoo for Momma's thick hard that usually requires dandruff shampoo and Big Sister's fine locks to possibly help prevent the regular occurrences of lice at school.  Pros: Works well and thus far no flakes and Big Sister has skirted all exposures to lice!!!  Scent accepted by Big Sister makes it a double WIN!  Cons:  Requires more shampoo than traditional shampoos (expected by Momma).  

Hair Conditioner:

1.  Hugo Naturals balancing conditioner tea tree and lavender

http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/product/471877/Hugo_Naturals_Balancing_Conditioner%2C_Tea_Tree_%26_Lavender/

Chosen solely to match scent of aforementioned shampoo.  Pros: works and needs less than traditional conditioner products.  For the first time, we will probably run out of shampoo twice as fast as conditioner (based partly on increased need for shampoo).  Easy assist with conditioning.  Cons:  Too much conditioner can make Momma's hair greasy and blah quickly requiring more frequent washing.

2.  California Baby super sensitive hair conditioner

http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/product/462152/California_Baby_Super_Sensitive_Hair_Conditioner/

Chose this product based on ewg rating.  Pros:  Good ewg rating.  Cons:  Barely touched our hair for softness.  Aware that this is not a de tangled, but most conditioners do aid at least mildly to this end, but NOTHING.  Had to change product prior to finishing the bottle.  That's almost unheard of.  Cost prohibitive for amount used and suggested for use.

Deodorant:

Dry Idea Advanced Dry Invisible Solid, Unscented.

Pros: Only item on EWG site titled as an antiperspirant and received a 0 rating.

Cons: not yet tried.

Sunscreen:

1.  Badger Baby Sunscreen Cream, Chamomile & Calendula, SPF 30

http://www.ewg.org/2014sunscreen/about-the-sunscreens/566245/Badger_Baby_Sunscreen_Cream%2C_Chamomile_%26_Calendula%2C_SPF_30/

The reasoning behind choosing this product was I tried to find several of the "better" ranked items from 2013, but found they were either difficult to find or cost prohibitive.  Although used in this link, the 2014 guide wasn't available yet when making the purchase.  Pros: This seems to work well. Cons: kids find it frustrating to have us apply it (as with any sunscreen that doesn't spray out of a can), makes the skin a little white even after rubbed in, requires reapplication every 60-80minutes.

Feminine Product-Tampons:

1. The Diva Cup

http://divacup.com/products/the-divacup/

This is one of the first household items replaced.  I knew there had to be a predacessor to the tampon that wasn't disponsible since women have used rags probably since cloth was invented.  Pros: Once I understood exactly how to use it, I will never buy a disponsible tampon again.  I hardly notice that I'm using it and don't have to worry about leaks mid day.  I have even been swimming with this without a problem.  Cons: it is definitely not for everyone.  You have to remove the cup and empty the blood into the toilet or sink yourself.  You definitely need to stay close to home or the bathroom when you first try this out, just to keep checking.

Bug Repellent (Personal):

http://www.michigan.gov/documents/emergingdiseases/2013_EWGs_Guide_to_Bug_Repellents1_428337_7.pdf

Bug Repellent (Environmental):

Journey to a vegan (and gluten-free) cookie

At my office, we have a proselytizing vegan.  She likes to share about how gelatin is made out of pig bones, we are robbing baby cows of their mother's milk, not all baby chicks are treated equally, etc.  So, I took this as a challenge to turn a traditional cookie recipe into a vegan cookie.  This wasn't as easy as I thought, but also turned into a self challenge to turn this cookie into a "real food" cookie.

First, the eggs need to go.  What can replace an egg, right?  I certainly never would have previously thought about such a thing, replacing an egg.  What is this item that could replace an egg?  Our vegan informed me that there is such a thing as a real food vegan egg substitute: chia seeds.  Turns out that chia seeds from the chia pet are food and good for you.

Replacing the butter would be even easier by using dairy free butter.  But that just seems unreal somehow.  So what else can be used to replace butter?  Many years ago I started replacing oil with applesauce.  But butter has a different taste and texture than applesauce, so I reduced the butter by half and replaced the other half with applesauce.  My research points to coconut oil.  But where the heck to you get that?  Turns out Trader Joe's brand makes Coconut oil, the least expensive found too.  Had to hit 2 different locations before I found it.

The most important ingredient in oatmeal chocolate chip cookies is the chocolate chip.  Is there such a thing as an easy to find vegan chocolate chip?  Apparently, Trader Joe's makes one.  But seeing as I work full time and am not the domestic goddess this one post makes me out to be, I haven't gotten to Trader Joe's to look for the chocolate chips or the coconut oil.  Turns out that Trader Joe's does NOT have a vegan chocolate chip.  Thankfully, there is a Whole Foods a couple of blocks away from Trader Joe's.  I found 2 different types of chips there: Equal Exchange 55% cacoa semi-sweet and ??? 70% cacoa.

Now that I potentially had my vegan substitutes, that lead me to think what else could I do to make this cookie healthier in addition to vegan.  Boost the flour to make it real and healthy, but how?  Using Missy Chase Lapine's and Jessica Seinfeld's cookbook ideas to enhance the all purpose flour with whole wheat flour and wheat germ.  But can it get better?  How about adding ground up flax seeds?  

Chia seeds, whole wheat flour, wheat germ, flax seeds?  This was like a whole new language to me.  I grew up on almost everything coming from a box or a bag.  My mom cooked those packaged ingredients together to make our meals.  Nothing crazy or all natural happening there.

Lisa Leake's "100 day of real food" does not consider sugar as "real food".  What?  What the heck do you replace that with? Is brown sugar out too although everyone always says that it's better for you?  1cup white sugar can be replaced with a simple 3/4cup real maple syrup.  Since brown sugar is molasses combined with white sugar, that will take more research and many more taste tests to find a way to replace.

(After mastering the vegan cookie, I was requested to make this cookie gluten free too.  Challenge accepted!  Addendum below:-))

My current working recipe is below with the substitutions used in parentheses.

Vanishing Oatmeal Cookies

Servings: 4 Dozen

Prep Time: 20 Minutes

Cooking Time: 10-12 Minutes

Cookie | Dessert

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 Cup(s) (1 stick) plus 6 tablespoons butter, softened (replace with 1/2 cup of coconut oil and 6 tablespoons natural applesauce) 
• 3/4 Cup(s) firmly packed brown sugar (usually use less, but whatever works for you)
• 1/2 Cup(s) granulated sugar (3/8 cup maple syrup)
• 2 Eggs (replace with 3 Tablespoons of ground Chia seeds in ~9 Tablespoons of water)
• 1 Teaspoon(s) vanilla
• 1-1/2 Cup(s) all-purpose flour (Usually use a flour mixture blend using equal parts of the following: white flour, whole wheat flour, wheat germ, and ground up flax seeds)
• 1 Teaspoon(s) Baking Soda
• 1 Teaspoon(s) ground cinnamon
• 1/2 Teaspoon(s) salt (optional)
• 3 Cup(s) Quaker^® Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
• 1 Cup(s) raisins (Replace with 1/2 cup 60% cocoa Ghiradelli chocolate chips and 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips)

PREPARATION:

Heat oven to 350°F.  In large bowl, beat butter and sugars on medium speed of electric mixer until creamy.  Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; mix well.  Add oats and raisins; mix well.  Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets.  Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown.  Cool 5 minutes on cookie sheets; remove to wire rack.  Cool completely.  Store tightly covered.

Serving Tips: Bar Cookies: Press dough onto bottom of ungreased 13 x 9-inch baking pan.  Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until light golden brown.  Cool completely in pan on wire rack.  Cut into bars.  Store tightly covered. 24 BARS. VARIATIONS: Stir in 1 cup chopped nuts. Substitute 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips or candy-coated chocolate pieces for raisins; omit cinnamon. Substitute 1 cup diced dried mixed fruit. HIGH ALTITUDE ADJUSTMENT: Increase flour to 1-3/4 cups and bake as directed.

Gluten-free addendum:

The gluten-free request was made by one of our many Gasterointestinal office staff that personally suffers from major GI issues requiring her to eat a gluten-free diet.  Her husband is a vegan.  So, the perfect couple for which to try to use real foods and bake gluten-free.  She had to buy the brown rice flour since I wasn't sure when I would next be getting to a store that sold yet another alternative ingredient.  But how to enhance the rice flour and remain gluten free while only working with the ingredients already in my kitchen?  Well, the obvious first choice was to stick with the ground up flax seeds.  There must be something else to add too, no?  Quinoa was on the counter next to the coffee grinder that was used to grind the flax seeds.  So, I tried that.  it turns out that Quinoa flour, despite having the dry texture of maze or fine grits is not gritty when incorporated into these baked cookies.

Who is this person making these cookies with ingredients I had never heard of 10 years ago when Daddy-O and I got engaged?  I'm not sure I would recognize myself then, but wouldn't have expected a different outcome if I had seen potential future mes (like the plural of me, me-s).

Being in charge is NO fun!

Tonight, I was exhausted!  And done by 5:30pm.  So, I took a nap.  I woke up and went downstairs to find I didn't feel well and was shivering.  Big Sister confirmed they could make themselves PB & J sandwiches.  When I woke up again an hour later, I called the kids to come upstairs to get dressed for bed and brush teeth.

"I do NOT like being in charge!" Big Sister informed.

There was no real reason given or explained when we inquired.  Rather a repeat of, "I don't like being in charge."

Daddy-O informed her, "1-hour seems like an amount of time you should be OK being in charge."  (Little did she know, she was in charge for the whole hour preceding too.)  Thanks for the backup and perspective, Daddy-O

I scream, You scream, We all scream for ICE CREAM

Last month, we tried out a scientific experiment using rock salt and milk.  Turns out you can make ice cream in ziplock bags without any fancy machinery, http://scienceofeverydaylife.discoveryeducation.com/families/pdfs/activities/Kitchen-Chemistry.pdf.  We even came up with an idea to ease this rudimentary work load: roll the bags in an oatmeal canister to help churn.

Now the "little people" are eager to make more ice cream.  What a coincidence that we found a hand crank ice cream maker (requiring no rock salt, to my dismay) at the yard sale yesterday, for only $2.  Our only problem is we are not really vanilla people.  All the basic ice cream recipes with simple ingredients are for vanilla.  I had no idea that most ice creams contain eggs too.  That was never an ingredient in the ice cream I made as a kid at camp.

So, what to do?  I googled this conundrum without any success.  Then it occurred to me that if you can melt chocolate and add it to the cooked ice cream recipes, why not use chocolate milk?  (Duh?!)  Honestly, I had to google how to make chocolate milk since I only know how to make it with Hershey's syrup, http://fullthymestudent.com/homemade-chocolate-milk/.  Using a pre-manufactured bottle sort of defeats the purpose of making ice cream from simple ingredients.  

Now we will have to report back on (see below):

1. How the hand crank ice cream maker compares to the rudimentary system of ziplock bags and rock salt

2. How the chocolate milk ice cream turned out

3. When we will be holding our first ice cream stand

Follow up:

1. The "little people" preferred the rudimentary ice cream to the fancy ice cream.

2. The vanilla was preferred by all the "little people", but I still prefer chocolate to vanilla (even if I know the taste needs some work).

3. The first ice cream stand will probably be in "June".

Have I mentioned that I HATE winter

It's not enough that I passed on my chance to go to Hawaii with Daddy-O.  But now, MORE WINTER in March???



Seriously such a tease Mother Nature

And then tomorrow

I have HAD ENOUGH!!!