Weed or Feed? A Dandelion Adventure

Dandelions can evoke some very different emotions.  Some people hate them and here in Canada with the new pesticide rules, many people are even more annoyed.  There are on the other side many people who love these bright sunny blossoms and will even venture to eat them.

Dandelions are in fact very rich in vitamins and they are eatable.  Since our back yard is a carpet of yellow, we (I) decided to see what they might taste like as part of our May Day celebration.

First we made dandelion fritters from LearningHerbs. com We simply made some pancake batter and dipped the heads of the dandelions in and fried them.  We also used the same batter and mixed in some of the petals.

We also made some delicious cookies from Heartfelt Homemaking. We didn't have all the same ingredients but they did turn out quite tasty.  I do believe the lavender would be a delicious addition next time.

The Results: 
TJ and MJ didn't really like the fritters.  I didn't mind them but felt they tasted better with mustard as they had a bit of a bitter taste.

The boys loved the pancakes, of course they were really after the maple syrup.  I do believe I'd make the pancakes again to get some healthy food into them.

The cookies were pretty good.  I'd like to try them again following the recipe more closely once we get some more ingredients.  We also offered them to some friends at the park and they loved them.  The boys aunt and uncle tried the cookie too without me telling them what was inside.  They both thought that there was some veggies inside.  Overall a very successful experiment with our weeds!

Notes to the reader (ones who are daring enough to eat dandelions)
Please consider where you are getting your dandelions from.  If you live in a subdivision chances are high that they may be covered in pesticide from your neighbours.  We live sort of in the country so I figured our lawn was safe.  You may wish to purchase some dandelions or find a nice field somewhere.

Also if you wish to try the leaves they apparently taste less bitter if they are picked before the flowers bloom.


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I will be linking this post up to some different website throughout the week...

Arrowroot cookies and a coconut

Arrowroot Cookies - from Company's Coming

1/4cup Butter

1/2 Sugar

1 Egg

1/2tsp Vanilla

1cup flour

1/2cup Arrowroot Flour

1/2 tsp Baking powder

1/4tsp Salt

Cream together butter and sugar.  Beat in egg and vanilla. Stir remaining ingredients together and add. Mix well. Roll 1/8 inch thick on a floured surface. Cut into shapes and place on greased sheet. Bake 350degrees until golden, about 8-10min.  These do not spread. Makes about 3 1/2 dozen.

MJ measuring while TJ licks up the extras

MJ measuring

TJ mixing

 We also bought a coconut from the store to try out a new food for fun.  TJ was so excited that we were going to hammer it open.  He was all excited to use the coconut in muffins, which we did today.

Trying to get into the coconut

MJ checking us out

TJ hammering with his play hammer

Fresh coconut

Coconut bowl and cookies

What will we be baking next?

Healthier Chocolate Chip Cookies

This morning was a grumpy morning at our house.  MJ woke up very early just before 5am.  Mommy stayed up to late sewing and watching TV so she wasn't too happy about being up.  TJ also woke up early for him at 6:30am.  After putting on the TV for the kids and doing some computer work I suddenly realized that way too much time had passed.  The kids were wanting to play and I hadn't tidied the kitchen from last night... let's just say it was a very grumpy morning here.  After a quick time-out for mommy we started the day over again and made some yummy cookies for our snack.


Meaghan's slightly healthier chocolate chip cookies
Adapted from Taste of Home Cookie book (Oatmeal Chip Cookies)
1 cup Butter or Coconut Oil softened (I used organic unsalted because I had it on hand)
1 cup Brown sugar packed (could also use other natural sweeteners)
2Tbsp big scoops of Raw Honey
2 Eggs
1tsp Vanilla

2 cups flour (I used 1cup Whole wheat flour, 3/4 cup brown rice flour, 1/4 ground flax)
1tsp Baking powder
1/2 tsp Baking soda
2 cups rolled oats
1 to 2 cup Chocolate chips (could also use dried fruit or carob chips)
3/4 Medium coconut

In one bowl cream the butter and sugar, honey together.  Beat in eggs and add Vanilla.  In another bowl combine the dry ingredients.  Mix everything together.  Drop by the spoonful onto cookie sheets.  Bake in 350degree oven for 8-10 min.  Makes 5 dozen

I have also been learning about the benefits of soaking my grains from Passionate Homemaking.  While I didn't plan ahead for this particular recipe it could easily be adapted for soaking Adapting your recipe for soaking.

What is your favourite way to change up the mood in your house?

Quick Tip: using pureed veggies

Like most parents, I am always trying to encourage my boys to eat more vegetables.  TJ is often willing to at least try new food and enjoys cucumber, carrots, corn and bell peppers. I know that isn't to varied but he's expanding his variety as we go.  MJ on the other hand won't touch a vegetable even when he is hungry.  I have never been able to spoon feed him and he has refused veggies since he first started eating.

My solution is to include purees into as much as possible.  There are many great cookbooks about sneaking vegetables into food.  The most common veggies I use are carrots, sweet potato, spinach, zucchini, bell peppers, cauliflower.  I also sneak ground flax into everything too.

Some uses for purees:
Smoothies - I've used spinach, sweet potato, or carrots depending on what I have on hand.
Popsicles - Whenever we make a smoothie I make extra to freeze for popsicles.
Muffins - again use what you have, we often freeze left over smoothies and use that too.
Cookies - same as muffins just add to the mix or replace some of the liquid ingredients.
Pizza sauce - my boys always pick off the toppings so I pureed everything into the sauce.
Pasta sauce - my sauce is packed with veggies, some finely chopped and some pureed.
Potatoes - I sometimes add cauliflower to mashed potato.
Loaves - we like zucchini or carrot.  I also add some in my bread machine loaves too.

To make my purees I most often steam my vegetables in a large steamer (a wedding gift from years ago).  I then use either my food processor or blender for large batches or my hand blender for smaller amounts. I try to store my purees in Baby Cubes for quick access and smaller amounts.  If I am planing a soup or loaf I'll use 1 cup servings in freezer bags.

These are the most common places I sneak in some extra veggies.
I'd love to hear your suggestions and recipes!!

Chocolaty Treats

This past week the boys and I made some delicious chocolaty treats as gifts.  First we made some tree bark and then we made some chocolate covered pretzels.  While the end result is a surprise for the recipients I can say that it was a lot of fun to make.  Links to the original recipes are below.

TJ loved to hammer the candy canes

MJ's job was to eat!

TJ enjoying some of his hard work

MJ trying to help unwrap the candy canes

MJ got at the pretzels.  Don't worry I threw those ones out!

MJ has a go at hammering

TJ working on the candy canes

 My job was to melt the chocolate while also unwrapping candy canes and keeping MJ from making a mess!  I think next time I'll use some peppermint candies instead of mini candy canes, or I'll do some better prep work.

I got my inspiration and recipes for the tree bark from  Chocolate Muffin Tree and Soule Mama
We also made some Christmas Crunch from Made

What types of goodies are you working on?

Ginger bread cookies

The other day the weather was cold and rainy, and both boys had a cold.  We watched a lot of TV that day, but... I really wanted to do something fun and out of the ordinary (we've been rather stressed and busy).  So we made gingerbread cookies!

I used a recipe from Company's Coming that worked out perfectly.  We got out some fun shapes like pumpkins, ice cream cones, trains, and people.  MJ had a great time with all the cookie cutters.  TJ and I baked while MJ was playing.  He came over to visit a few times which made baking tricky.  Once we got to the dough I gave each boy a lump to pay with.  MJ promptly thanked me and ate his!  TJ and I used a small rolling pin (my big one is packed somewhere) and had fund with the dough.

I left TJ decorate the cookies with icing and smarties all by himself and he did a great job.  MJ was so excited about what we were doing he kept climbing on the table for more.

MJ is a fun little guy.  He signs thank you every time anyone hands him something.  He is relentless about climbing chairs and getting onto the kitchen table.  He loves to wrestle TJ and has just started to copy TJ's screaming (it's getting loud over here).  MJ's favourite game is peek-a-boo it is so cute to hear him try to say that.

TJ is becoming so independent now.  I am surprised everyday at how much he can do alone, yet he always wants his bunny and sucky (soother).  The other day he came and shoed me the glass of water he got for himself.  He described to me how he'd pushed the chair over to the counter, climbed up to get a glass out of the self and then filled it with water from the cooler!  He's working on self-control and his temper but I'm sure that is an age thing.

What do you do when everyone has a cold or is sick??

Simple Pizzas

Kids love pizza and so do I.  One of our favourite things to do is sing the "Silly Pizza Song" from Signing Time.  We make up our own toppings all the time.  The other day we had a stroller, tree, leaf, lawnmower pizza.  Can you tell we were outside at the time?!

I've been noticing a big difference in the boys behaviour with the different foods they eat.  A little bit of research and the obvious answer is that processed foods aren't healthy, even though some advertise that they are.  I'm not a great cook and I learning to make healthy choices for my family.  So I thought I'd try some very simple pizzas for dinner.

Whole Grain pitas (one per person)
pizza sauce
cheese
toppings (we used orange bell pepper and pepperoni)
Toaster Oven (or regular stove)

TJ was so proud that he made dinner all by himself (only a little bit of guidance).  The boys both loved it too.  I think this will be a regular for us now.

Caught him by surprise

What other ideas can you share with me?

Popsicles- (How ours turned grey)

Summer and popsicles go hand in hand.  I prefer to make our own popsicles so that they are a much healthier snack.  Usually I make a smoothy, give some to the kids and freeze the rest for popsicles later.  I'm super crazy sometimes in my smoothies.  I add banana, any fruit in the house, and put some frozen puree veggies, ground flax, yogurt and milk (or juice).

I found some interesting recipes in the "Canadian Family" Summer 2011 magazine.  These make about 12 popsicles.  We have only 8 moulds so I used some baby cubes and other containers with spoons and sticks.  Some people use Dixi cups too.

Chocolate Fudge:
Combine 1 package of chocolate pudding with 2 cups of milk and whisk in 2 cups of yogurt (it says plain but I used vanilla).


Orange Cream:
Combine 1 package of Orange Jell-O powder with 1 cup boiling water.  Whisk in 1 cup of orange juice and 2 cups of plain yogurt.

Some variations they mention are to change up the juice and Jell-O combinations.  You can also add fruit too.

After trying a few out I made my own version of the orange one.  I used blue Jello and Acai Mixed Berry V8 V-Fusion juice.  This made a very dark purple and once the yogurt was added they turned a grey colour.  Now I thought I might add some frozen blueberries and put it all in the blender, but life happened... MJ pulled the cloth on our nature table and knocked everything off the table (the rocks landed on his head).  TJ was jumping on my bed, but did stop to see what had happened.  I was pleasantly surprised that he picked up all our nature things for me.  Well after I took care of MJ I just gave up on the popsicles and froze them.  TJ tried a bit of the un-frozen mixture and liked the taste so I think we'll be fine.

What type of popsicles do you make?

Cake Pops

We went to a birthday party for one of TJ's friends last week.  It was a polka dot party.  I took this idea from one of the desserts and tried it out myself.  WOW so simple, tasty and easy to do.

Sorry for the bad picture but we ate the rest!

Here is what I did (I'm sure there are other recipes out there).

Supplies:
Candy melts or chocolate chips
Lollipop sticks
Timbits (doughnut holes)

Put the Timbits onto the sticks
Melt the chocolate candy melts (you don't need that much)
Dip or spoon the chocolate onto the Timbit
Place on wax paper or a tray to cool
Add sprinkles before they dry
Eat and enjoy!

Think of all the fun variations you could do with this!!

Tuesday's Tips: The Sharing Snack

Here is a great way to use up those almost empty snacks, cereals and such in your cupboard.  TJ and I came up with the "Sharing Snack".  Originally I was wanting him to eat a snack on a day he was being particular about everything.  I offered to let him help make a yummy snack to share with me.  We had fun too.  Basically we got out all the possible snack foods in the cupboards.  Put them in a container with a lid (to shake) or a bowl.  Each time our snack is different.  We currently have: bear paw crackers, Cheerios, Baby puff cereal, Rice Crispie Chexs, raisins, chocolate chips, and cinnamon. Here are some possibilities:

cereal
gold fish or other small crackers
raisins
marshmallows
chocolate chips
baby snacks
cinnamon or coco powder

On a side note I am very excited that I made my first batch of granola and it worked out very well. I used this recipe using whatever I could find in the cupboard.

Homemade Bread

I have tried making my own bread all winter with no success.  One time I had the water too hot and ruined the yeast.  Another time I couldn't find a warm spot in the house so I put the oven on low but that baked the bread too soon.  The last time everything started off well but I ran out of flour so I couldn't make it.

I have been reading a few blogs about cooking from scratch.  I am trying to do more of this for a few reasons: to cut our costs, to eat healthier, and TJ likes to cook and bake with me.  I decided to give bread one last chance... it worked!!!!!

I used this Challah Bread recipe from cookingbread.com Instead of using only all-pourpose four, I used half whole wheat.  We also split the dough in two and put them in loaf pans instead or the braid.  I still had trouble finding a warm place so we made a snuggly bed of blankets in our room for the dough.

What is your favourite bread recipe?  Do you have any tips or ideas for me cooking from scratch?