Being Prepared: Less Girl Scout, more MacGuyver

So I've generally learned from the fable of the grasshopper and the ant. I pack lunches the night before. I make lists AND check them twice. I have contingency plans coming out of my wazoo, plus plans for what to do in case of catastrophic wazoo failure, cuz you never know!

But this weekend has seen me unprepared and floundering not once, not twice, but three glorious bouts of "Why did I get myself into this situation!?"

The first was a common scenario in my kitchen. I am halfway through a recipe before I realize I don't have enough of a key ingredient. Well, lets just say I now know that my healthy chocolate muffins can be delicious even without full quantities of flax seed (oops), cocoa powder (doh!), and orange juice (for pete's sake!). I scrounged up substitutes and by the end was just flinging stuff in since they were so far from the recipe, why not? Thank G-d, it's apparently a forgiving recipe!

Next was this morning while dressing my children in their Purim costumes for the local carnival. Yes it's a week before Purim, but I was PREPARED! My mother had bought the kids costumes from the after-Halloween sales. See where I learn my preparedness? I didn't have to worry about looking for costumes, scrounging up bits and bobs. Until this morning when I realized RE had grown in the past 4mos and couldn't squeeze into his costume no matter how much squishing, praying, or cajoling I tried. Great. A well stocked dress up chest came to the rescue and he was more than happy with the results. The small costume will be donated to a smaller friend.

Then I grab my "costume." I don't really dress up for modesty reasons. I could go on a tangent about this, but I'm posting about my incompetence, something even modesty can't save me from. I had been saving a vintage jacket my mom handed down for just such an occasion. It's flashy enough for Purim without screaming "look at me I'm dressed up as a character." I tried it on, and it fit. Phew! Except . . . . that it was missing 2 buttons, in high profile places. So while my children were waiting in their coats & shoes (no small accomplishment as other mothers know), removed the remaining buttons and sewed all new buttons down the blasted beautiful thing.

Obviously my wailing "How did I get myself into this?" is easily answered with "By not preparing, duh!" but how much more prepared can I afford to be? Considering it's a week before Purim, a little unpreparedness now means we're already set for next week barring any unforseen accidents, emergencies, or mixups. Of course being the mother of preschoolers is all about the accidents, emergencies and mixups, so being able to tuck and roll or MacGuyver my way out is the answer. And I do love me some MacGuyver!

So I've generally learned from the fable of the grasshopper and the ant. I pack lunches the night before. I make lists AND check them twice. I have contingency plans coming out of my wazoo, plus plans for what to do in case of catastrophic wazoo failure, cuz you never know!

But this weekend has seen me unprepared and floundering not once, not twice, but three glorious bouts of "Why did I get myself into this situation!?"

The first was a common scenario in my kitchen. I am halfway through a recipe before I realize I don't have enough of a key ingredient. Well, lets just say I now know that my healthy chocolate muffins can be delicious even without full quantities of flax seed (oops), cocoa powder (doh!), and orange juice (for pete's sake!). I scrounged up substitutes and by the end was just flinging stuff in since they were so far from the recipe, why not? Thank G-d, it's apparently a forgiving recipe!

Next was this morning while dressing my children in their Purim costumes for the local carnival. Yes it's a week before Purim, but I was PREPARED! My mother had bought the kids costumes from the after-Halloween sales. See where I learn my preparedness? I didn't have to worry about looking for costumes, scrounging up bits and bobs. Until this morning when I realized RE had grown in the past 4mos and couldn't squeeze into his costume no matter how much squishing, praying, or cajoling I tried. Great. A well stocked dress up chest came to the rescue and he was more than happy with the results. The small costume will be donated to a smaller friend.

Then I grab my "costume." I don't really dress up for modesty reasons. I could go on a tangent about this, but I'm posting about my incompetence, something even modesty can't save me from. I had been saving a vintage jacket my mom handed down for just such an occasion. It's flashy enough for Purim without screaming "look at me I'm dressed up as a character." I tried it on, and it fit. Phew! Except . . . . that it was missing 2 buttons, in high profile places. So while my children were waiting in their coats & shoes (no small accomplishment as other mothers know), removed the remaining buttons and sewed all new buttons down the blasted beautiful thing.

Obviously my wailing "How did I get myself into this?" is easily answered with "By not preparing, duh!" but how much more prepared can I afford to be? Considering it's a week before Purim, a little unpreparedness now means we're already set for next week barring any unforseen accidents, emergencies, or mixups. Of course being the mother of preschoolers is all about the accidents, emergencies and mixups, so being able to tuck and roll or MacGuyver my way out is the answer. And I do love me some MacGuyver!

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Job hunting for Moms, Facing the Illegal Question

I just finished reading Answering the Illegal Question - Manage Your Career in The Chronicle of Higher Education and it made me think of the time I was interviewing and was asked the looming question every mother fears: "How can you handle working when you have kids to raise?"

Like the author I was taken aback and my answer was a blur. I also wish I had called the interviewer on the illegality of such a question as well as the ridiculousness of the assumption.

In college I worked 3 jobs, took 21 credits a semester, competed nationally on the ballroom dance team, maintained the 3.0 necessary for my scholarship, helped run the campus Hillel, was an officer in the residence hall government, had an active social life and was a member of various student organizations. No one during that time questioned my abilities to balance my workload besides my advisor who had to sign off on the 21 credits since the limit was technically 18. No one asked how I'd juggle, how I'd find time for me, if my relationships would suffer.

Am I more busy now? I doubt it. Busy keeps me busy. Idle hands and all that. I'm my most competent with a looming deadline, get all my peripheral tasks done during the prerequisite procrastination time. Whether that's homework, powerpoint presentations,memos to the boss, school lunches, laundry, grocery shopping, or bill paying shouldn't matter.

Motherhood has slowed me down in some ways. My purse is enormous and huge and I can't do as much long division in my head. Does this make me less valuable as an employee? Thankfully not in most of the fields I'm qualified for!

Perhaps this is where the supermom syndrome stems from. We feel like we have to prove we can do it all because, by golly, they are asking.

Have you ever been questioned as a mother in the workplace? How did you handle it?

I just finished reading Answering the Illegal Question - Manage Your Career in The Chronicle of Higher Education and it made me think of the time I was interviewing and was asked the looming question every mother fears: "How can you handle working when you have kids to raise?"

Like the author I was taken aback and my answer was a blur. I also wish I had called the interviewer on the illegality of such a question as well as the ridiculousness of the assumption.

In college I worked 3 jobs, took 21 credits a semester, competed nationally on the ballroom dance team, maintained the 3.0 necessary for my scholarship, helped run the campus Hillel, was an officer in the residence hall government, had an active social life and was a member of various student organizations. No one during that time questioned my abilities to balance my workload besides my advisor who had to sign off on the 21 credits since the limit was technically 18. No one asked how I'd juggle, how I'd find time for me, if my relationships would suffer.

Am I more busy now? I doubt it. Busy keeps me busy. Idle hands and all that. I'm my most competent with a looming deadline, get all my peripheral tasks done during the prerequisite procrastination time. Whether that's homework, powerpoint presentations,memos to the boss, school lunches, laundry, grocery shopping, or bill paying shouldn't matter.

Motherhood has slowed me down in some ways. My purse is enormous and huge and I can't do as much long division in my head. Does this make me less valuable as an employee? Thankfully not in most of the fields I'm qualified for!

Perhaps this is where the supermom syndrome stems from. We feel like we have to prove we can do it all because, by golly, they are asking.

Have you ever been questioned as a mother in the workplace? How did you handle it?

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Great-tasting Healthy Chocolate Muffins

My kids love muffins. It doesn't really matter what they are made of, I think it's the portable size and makes them think of cupcakes.

If you thought my veggie muffins weren't dessert-y enough, have no fear. Take 2 of the sneaky baking genius! (cue evil laughter). I'd like to present: Irresistible Double Chocolate Muffins Recipe - Allrecipes.com

Here is the recipe with the modifications I made & notes

I doubled the original.

2 cups white flour

1.5 cups ground flax seed

1 cup quick oats

2 tsp baking soda

3 tsp baking powder

1 cup cocoa powder

chocolate chips (don't skimp, it makes sweetness & chocolaty-ness)

2 cups orange juice (to keep it dairy free, didn't really taste)

1 can (1.5 cups) pumpkin puree

2 cups brown sugar

2 eggs

2 tsps vanilla extract.

We did the dump and stir, I can see how it would have been easier to follow the directions and mix the dry and wet separately and then combine, but I was cooking with little helpers, and couldn't be bothered to use more than one bowl. :)

Fill the cupcake pans, liners, at least 3/4 full as they don't rise so much, but will get a nice little dome on top.

Bake 350 degrees F for 25mins.

Made 42 muffins. (small-medium sized)

They will definitely be made again!! Now I'll be serving these to guests tonight and will not mention their healthy alter egos.

UPDATE: These should have been refrigerated or frozen right away as I found the remaining half dozen with spots of mold this afternoon. They've been wrapped in foil for 4 days. Next time I'll plan ahead better.

My kids love muffins. It doesn't really matter what they are made of, I think it's the portable size and makes them think of cupcakes.

If you thought my veggie muffins weren't dessert-y enough, have no fear. Take 2 of the sneaky baking genius! (cue evil laughter). I'd like to present: Irresistible Double Chocolate Muffins Recipe - Allrecipes.com

Here is the recipe with the modifications I made & notes

I doubled the original.

2 cups white flour

1.5 cups ground flax seed

1 cup quick oats

2 tsp baking soda

3 tsp baking powder

1 cup cocoa powder

chocolate chips (don't skimp, it makes sweetness & chocolaty-ness)

2 cups orange juice (to keep it dairy free, didn't really taste)

1 can (1.5 cups) pumpkin puree

2 cups brown sugar

2 eggs

2 tsps vanilla extract.

We did the dump and stir, I can see how it would have been easier to follow the directions and mix the dry and wet separately and then combine, but I was cooking with little helpers, and couldn't be bothered to use more than one bowl. :)

Fill the cupcake pans, liners, at least 3/4 full as they don't rise so much, but will get a nice little dome on top.

Bake 350 degrees F for 25mins.

Made 42 muffins. (small-medium sized)

They will definitely be made again!! Now I'll be serving these to guests tonight and will not mention their healthy alter egos.

UPDATE: These should have been refrigerated or frozen right away as I found the remaining half dozen with spots of mold this afternoon. They've been wrapped in foil for 4 days. Next time I'll plan ahead better.

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More Wheat less white: Oatmeal bread

I've fallen in love with the Oatmeal Bread from the More with less cookbook. It's a delight to knead once you get over the pale pasty color. It tastes delicious!

Here is how I make it:

In a large bowl combine:

1 cup quick oats (regular work fine in a pinch)

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 Tbsp salt

2 T Smart Balance margarine

Stir in:

2 cups boiling water

Dissolve:

3 T yeast into

1/2 cup warm water

When the batter has cooled and is just warm, add the yeast/water mix and stir.

Add

4 cups whole wheat flour

1-2 cups white flour until dough is no longer sticky

Knead 10 mins.

Set to rise in covered, oiled bowl.

Punch down and shape into 4-5 loaves, braids, twists, what have you. Brush with egg & top with oatmeal & flaxseed. Bake at 350F for 25-30 mins.

I've fallen in love with the Oatmeal Bread from the More with less cookbook. It's a delight to knead once you get over the pale pasty color. It tastes delicious!

Here is how I make it:

In a large bowl combine:

1 cup quick oats (regular work fine in a pinch)

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 Tbsp salt

2 T Smart Balance margarine

Stir in:

2 cups boiling water

Dissolve:

3 T yeast into

1/2 cup warm water

When the batter has cooled and is just warm, add the yeast/water mix and stir.

Add

4 cups whole wheat flour

1-2 cups white flour until dough is no longer sticky

Knead 10 mins.

Set to rise in covered, oiled bowl.

Punch down and shape into 4-5 loaves, braids, twists, what have you. Brush with egg & top with oatmeal & flaxseed. Bake at 350F for 25-30 mins.

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Foodie Flops: When things go wrong

I just finished reading this article over at The Kitchn:

Unexpected Results: 5 Reasons Why A Recipe Might Fail | Apartment Therapy The Kitchn

I can definitely think of many mismeasured, half doubled, forgotten burnt, substitution errors, missing ingredients, and faulty equipment errors in all my years of cooking. But something I can't figure out is my homemade bread.

As long as I've been married I've been baking bread. When we lived over seas and I had to content with foreign ingredients, measurements and equipment in a rented apartment, I found a recipe that worked and stuck to it. Bubbie Irma's challah recipe came out wonderful every time. Occasionally I'd by from the delicious, cheap bakery in the local market, but more often I'd bake.

We had three and a half years of wedded, doughy bliss. Then we moved back to America. We lived with my parents while hubsters did the job hunt and I got to make use of my mother's superior kitchen and American grocery stores to show off my culinary prowess. Except not. Each batch was a flop. Didn't rise, didn't taste good, didn't cook through, or burnt. I gave up and switched back to store bought, blaming the water, the inferiority of American ingredients, whatever. Rhodes Dough was cheap, tasty, and easy, It tasted good even if it didn't rise.

I tried again when we moved to the East coast with similar results. Back to the Rhodes frozen Dough. Then we learned about high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and made a point to cut it out wherever we could. I spoke about both the ease of Rhodes dough and our healthy diet to anyone with a modicum of interest until one day a friend sheepishly told me that Rhodes dough had HFCS in it! I was flabbergasted, why the heck would frozen dough need it?? I went cold turkey, leaving the last few frozen loaves to languish in prime freezer real estate and went back to baking.

And the loaves were good.

What had changed? Only my determination to bake from scratch! Here we are two years after surrendering to fresh bread-less America, I have triumphed! I've even branched out to a new favorite recipe, the Oatmeal bread from the cookbook More with Less. It's delicious and I've even been brave enough to tinker with it successfully, increasing the ratio of white to whole wheat.

Why does a recipe flop? Sometimes for the same reason a recipe works, regardless of our best (or worst) efforts!

I just finished reading this article over at The Kitchn:

Unexpected Results: 5 Reasons Why A Recipe Might Fail | Apartment Therapy The Kitchn

I can definitely think of many mismeasured, half doubled, forgotten burnt, substitution errors, missing ingredients, and faulty equipment errors in all my years of cooking. But something I can't figure out is my homemade bread.

As long as I've been married I've been baking bread. When we lived over seas and I had to content with foreign ingredients, measurements and equipment in a rented apartment, I found a recipe that worked and stuck to it. Bubbie Irma's challah recipe came out wonderful every time. Occasionally I'd by from the delicious, cheap bakery in the local market, but more often I'd bake.

We had three and a half years of wedded, doughy bliss. Then we moved back to America. We lived with my parents while hubsters did the job hunt and I got to make use of my mother's superior kitchen and American grocery stores to show off my culinary prowess. Except not. Each batch was a flop. Didn't rise, didn't taste good, didn't cook through, or burnt. I gave up and switched back to store bought, blaming the water, the inferiority of American ingredients, whatever. Rhodes Dough was cheap, tasty, and easy, It tasted good even if it didn't rise.

I tried again when we moved to the East coast with similar results. Back to the Rhodes frozen Dough. Then we learned about high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and made a point to cut it out wherever we could. I spoke about both the ease of Rhodes dough and our healthy diet to anyone with a modicum of interest until one day a friend sheepishly told me that Rhodes dough had HFCS in it! I was flabbergasted, why the heck would frozen dough need it?? I went cold turkey, leaving the last few frozen loaves to languish in prime freezer real estate and went back to baking.

And the loaves were good.

What had changed? Only my determination to bake from scratch! Here we are two years after surrendering to fresh bread-less America, I have triumphed! I've even branched out to a new favorite recipe, the Oatmeal bread from the cookbook More with Less. It's delicious and I've even been brave enough to tinker with it successfully, increasing the ratio of white to whole wheat.

Why does a recipe flop? Sometimes for the same reason a recipe works, regardless of our best (or worst) efforts!

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Mad for Matbucha: A dip recipe

Other possible titles included: I dip, you dip, we dip.

Also called Turkish salad, Moroccan salsa (I made that one up), or tomato chutney, this stewed dish is great for topping fish, bread, pita, and spoons. Yum! It's also a great way to use up wilty, pathetic looking tomatoes and peppers!

As with all my cooking, I started by searching Google "matbucha recipe," looked at a few for ideas, then winged it (wung it?). I have tried to estimate measurements where possible, but live dangerously and ignore them!

MATBUCHA

dash of oil

1/2 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic

1 pint grape tomatoes

1 red pepper diced

1/4 cup Sofrito

1 cup tomato sauce, optional (I used Trader Joes Marinara)

Heat oil in a non-copper pot. Sauté onions until soft, add garlic. When both are translucent add the remaining ingredients. Simmer, stirring occasionally until tomatoes burst from skins, probably close to 30mins. Serve warm or cold.

I now double the recipe because it's so delicious it disappears!

Other possible titles included: I dip, you dip, we dip.

Also called Turkish salad, Moroccan salsa (I made that one up), or tomato chutney, this stewed dish is great for topping fish, bread, pita, and spoons. Yum! It's also a great way to use up wilty, pathetic looking tomatoes and peppers!

As with all my cooking, I started by searching Google "matbucha recipe," looked at a few for ideas, then winged it (wung it?). I have tried to estimate measurements where possible, but live dangerously and ignore them!

MATBUCHA

dash of oil

1/2 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic

1 pint grape tomatoes

1 red pepper diced

1/4 cup Sofrito

1 cup tomato sauce, optional (I used Trader Joes Marinara)

Heat oil in a non-copper pot. Sauté onions until soft, add garlic. When both are translucent add the remaining ingredients. Simmer, stirring occasionally until tomatoes burst from skins, probably close to 30mins. Serve warm or cold.

I now double the recipe because it's so delicious it disappears!

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Ima, Tell me all about . . . the recipe for water

My 4yo is a Chatty Cathy to the extreme. Her recent "Tell me all about" was for the recipe for water.

I explained briefly, then as any good listener does, she repeated the highlights back to me:

"Hashem (G-d) takes two hydrans, one oxidigen, mixes it up. Makes water, puts it into a bottle, puts on the lid so, so tight so you need a mommy or a daddy to open it. Unless you are big enough and can open it yourself."

Yep, that's basically how it goes!

My 4yo is a Chatty Cathy to the extreme. Her recent "Tell me all about" was for the recipe for water.

I explained briefly, then as any good listener does, she repeated the highlights back to me:

"Hashem (G-d) takes two hydrans, one oxidigen, mixes it up. Makes water, puts it into a bottle, puts on the lid so, so tight so you need a mommy or a daddy to open it. Unless you are big enough and can open it yourself."

Yep, that's basically how it goes!

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