Saturday, March 3, 2012
My Oven Broke Part 3
Ok. Apparently I forgot to conclude my oven story. The repair guy asked me if I bake alot, and I think for you all the answer is obvious. It turns out I use my oven way more than they are designed to be used, so I wore out the electric control panel. It can be replaced and it is cheaper than a new oven, so life is good. Except the part didn't come in by Friday like he had hoped, so I have no oven over the weekend... Good thing I planned for that when I did groceries! Rice krispie cake here we come!
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
My Oven Broke Part 2
So the repair guy couldn't come until this afternoon. Which is actually pretty quick, since I called him yesterday afternoon. Daniel was napping, and Jacob and I were just hanging out. Jacob says suddenly "Mommy, can we make happy cookies?" To which I answer "Yes. Absolutely." You may be wondering what a "happy cookie" is... My answer to that is "I have no idea." Jacob was so excited and I was left wondering if I had momentarily gone insane. I just promised to make cookies with my kid, without an oven, having no clue what a happy cookie is. So what do I do... Google No Bake Cookies. I then asked Jacob what a happy cookie is and he said "It has eyes." I asked him if it was okay if these cookies didn't have eyes, and he was okay with that plan. Partway through making these I was reminded of my mom's mud pies... Only I am sure that those were coconut and not oatmeal, so I added a bunch of coconut for fun. And seriously, I am officially naming these "Jacob's Happy Cookies" because they are so tasty, they definitely made me, and the kids, happy.
JACOB'S HAPPY COOKIES
3 tbsp cocoa powder
2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup margarine
1/2 cup milk
Bring to a boil really really slow, and boil only 90 seconds.
Meanwhile... Mix together
3 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 tbsp vanilla
Random amount coconut (maybe 1/4 cup)
Pour hot mix into oat mix. Stir and let sit for just a couple minutes. Drop onto wax paper whatever size cookies you want and let sit until firm, or put in freezer for a couple minutes if you want to eat them right away.
JACOB'S HAPPY COOKIES
3 tbsp cocoa powder
2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup margarine
1/2 cup milk
Bring to a boil really really slow, and boil only 90 seconds.
Meanwhile... Mix together
3 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 tbsp vanilla
Random amount coconut (maybe 1/4 cup)
Pour hot mix into oat mix. Stir and let sit for just a couple minutes. Drop onto wax paper whatever size cookies you want and let sit until firm, or put in freezer for a couple minutes if you want to eat them right away.
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| Hmmm... these look different (plus they were a little frozen) |
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| Now if Jacob's face doesn't say "yummy!" I don't know what does. |
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| Delicious! |
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| Watching a movie after, so Mama could clean up |
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
My Oven Broke Part 1
So my oven broke... And this is how I found out:
Yesterday morning I got the boys all excited about helping me make cookies. They were a very random recipe that was a basic whole grain/oatmeal recipe which I really like because it has orange juice in it. But I added some honey and peanut butter and the crumbs left at the end of a box of shreddies and a box of mini-wheats. I remembered to pre-heat the oven, which was a bonus. I put the dough in a 9x13 pan to make cookie bars and save myself some hassle. Realized at this point that I forgot the orange juice, but the boys had already licked all the spoons so I figured it wasn't worth it. I opened the oven and... NO HEAT. At all. Well I called the oven repair guy and he had me take off the back to look for a reset switch. My oven doesn't have one of course, and both Jeff and I got minor flesh wounds taking the thing apart.
Yesterday morning I got the boys all excited about helping me make cookies. They were a very random recipe that was a basic whole grain/oatmeal recipe which I really like because it has orange juice in it. But I added some honey and peanut butter and the crumbs left at the end of a box of shreddies and a box of mini-wheats. I remembered to pre-heat the oven, which was a bonus. I put the dough in a 9x13 pan to make cookie bars and save myself some hassle. Realized at this point that I forgot the orange juice, but the boys had already licked all the spoons so I figured it wasn't worth it. I opened the oven and... NO HEAT. At all. Well I called the oven repair guy and he had me take off the back to look for a reset switch. My oven doesn't have one of course, and both Jeff and I got minor flesh wounds taking the thing apart.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
How to Get Kids to Eat Myths
Myth #1: Kids will eat anything with dip (eg: ketchup, ranch dressing, tomato sauce)
Reality: If I give my kids dip, they dip their FINGERS in it and that is all they eat. Tonight we had perogies, sausages, and corn for supper. Jacob ate a pile of mustard that he squirted on the table instead.
Myth #2: Kids will eat anything if they are involved in the cooking process.
Reality: First of all, it is way more work to cook or bake with the kids involved. But I truly wouldn't mind that if this trick worked. When I bake my boys like to help take everything I need out of the cupboard, lick it and poke it, then they lose interest in the making part unless there is something else to lick. Of course, they always eat cookies or cupcakes, so this is a fun exercise. But for real healthy meal food it doesn't work the same. They don't usually ever eat soup, so last week I tested this theory. Jacob helped me get all the spices and seasonings into the crockpot, he dumped the frozen veggies in, and picked what shape of noodle he wanted. It was fun. But would he eat it. Nope. Not a chance.
Myth #3: Kids will eat anything "fun."
Reality: I posted THIS before but here is a true story: One of the big cheese companies make little snack cheese shaped like fish and dinosaurs. Seriously it is the worst tasting cheese on the planet, and the kids won't eat them just because they are fun.
Reality: If I give my kids dip, they dip their FINGERS in it and that is all they eat. Tonight we had perogies, sausages, and corn for supper. Jacob ate a pile of mustard that he squirted on the table instead.
Myth #2: Kids will eat anything if they are involved in the cooking process.
Reality: First of all, it is way more work to cook or bake with the kids involved. But I truly wouldn't mind that if this trick worked. When I bake my boys like to help take everything I need out of the cupboard, lick it and poke it, then they lose interest in the making part unless there is something else to lick. Of course, they always eat cookies or cupcakes, so this is a fun exercise. But for real healthy meal food it doesn't work the same. They don't usually ever eat soup, so last week I tested this theory. Jacob helped me get all the spices and seasonings into the crockpot, he dumped the frozen veggies in, and picked what shape of noodle he wanted. It was fun. But would he eat it. Nope. Not a chance.
Myth #3: Kids will eat anything "fun."
Reality: I posted THIS before but here is a true story: One of the big cheese companies make little snack cheese shaped like fish and dinosaurs. Seriously it is the worst tasting cheese on the planet, and the kids won't eat them just because they are fun.