Posts Tagged ‘toddler’
Posted on: April 28, 2012
- In: Eat It | The Niko Files
- 1 Comment
9 weeks in and my little guy’s interest in baking may be waning… (but my enthusiasm is still full tilt!). After only a few short moments in the kitchen, Niko spotted the Play-Doh containers and it was off to the table for a different kind of fun. Ah well, I can always count on the beaters, and mixing spoon to reel him back in.
Today I gave Niko a choice of two recipes. The debate was between Lemon-Poppy Seed Tea Bread and Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies. After showing him both pics I asked him which he preferred and his response was an enthusiastic “Cookies Mama!”. Like, duh! As if there could be any other option…
Lately we’ve been on a peanut butter kick, solely for the reason that my hubbie proclaimed his love for peanut butter cookies (who knew?). So good wifey that I am, I’ve been experimenting for him! (And truth be told, me…)
After last week’s peanut butter cookie debacle, I was ever so closely monitoring those “golden brown edges” that the recipe called for. And voila, peanut butter cookies to perfection!
My mods for my too hot oven: heat to 325 and bake for 10 minutes! Golden edges! Golden bottoms! Sweet delicousness! We even piped on the PB frosting as suggested in the recipe.
Note:
52 WEEKS IN THE KITCHEN
Week 2: Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
Week 3: Carrot Applesauce Cookies
Week 4: Lemon Yogurt Anything Cake
Week 5: Chocolate Chickpea Cookies
Week 6: Protein Packed Smoothies
Week 7: Berry-Almond Quick Bread
Week 8: Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies
Week 9: Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
- In: Eat It | The Niko Files
- 7 Comments
Remember the days when you used to take a whole spoonful of peanut butter and just eat it? Maybe not. But when I was a kid this was a treat for me and my cousin and one that lasted quite some time with all that ooey gooey sticky goodness. Niko got a little taste of such delicacies when he got the leftovers on a spoon we used to scoop the peanut butter with, into this recipe. Not quite a full spoon for him, but still, took him quite a while to polish it off!
This week we tried these Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies. Unfortunately my oven runs a little hot and I burned them. Ah well, one burned batch and already into my 8th week of 52 in the Kitchen. I would say that’s not that bad. Borys (my hubbie) had the idea of scraping the burned bottoms off on a cheese grater, using the lemon zester side. Getting rid of the carcinogens and all. He said it worked (and that’s after Niko and I had already had three a piece) and I saw the little black crumbly remnants in the sink this morning, so maybe he’s on to something.
Note to self: Would I make this recipe again? Not sure.
I modified the cooking temp from 350 to 340 and only baked them for 10 minutes, so if I do do it again, I’d have to really monitor those golden edges. Ah baking… At times it’s a fine line between sweet deliciousness and crumbly black bits…
Note 2:
52 WEEKS IN THE KITCHEN
Week 2: Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
Week 3: Carrot Applesauce Cookies
Week 4: Lemon Yogurt Anything Cake
Week 5: Chocolate Chickpea Cookies
Fun in the March Sun
Posted on: April 18, 2012
Unseasonably warm weather for WINTER!
Yes, when these pics were taken it was technically still winter. The tail-end mind you, but still winter!!! WOW!
Week 7: Berry-Almond Quick Bread
Posted on: April 12, 2012
- In: Eat It | Parenting | The Niko Files | The Stella Files
- 4 Comments
So many delectables to be had when experimenting in the kitchen. While perusing the Food Network site this week I read that,
“A recipe is merely words on paper; a guideline, a starting point from which to improvise. It cannot pretend to replace the practiced hand and telling glance of a watchful cook. When you cook it once, it becomes yours, so personalize it a bit. Remember words have no flavour, you have to add your own!”
Anyway, not sure how practiced my hand is (at least when it comes to cooking), or how telling my glance is (unless you’re talking about the teacher “stink-eye” because I like to think I have that honed to perfection…), but nonetheless all this kitchen experimentation is proving to be a good way to try lots of new flavours, as well as a good strategy for stocking my freezer (and my family’s tummies!). If it was up to Niko I think he would have liked to add half a cup of Cars to the recipe (see third pic below), but again, I’m not quite sure this is what it means to personalize a recipe.
This week on the menu: Berry-Almond Quick Bread (So good!) Niko, Stella and I doubled the recipe and cooked it at 360 for an hour – my oven runs a little hot!
Note:
52 WEEKS IN THE KITCHEN
Week 2: Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
Week 3: Carrot Applesauce Cookies
Week 4: Lemon Yogurt Anything Cake
Easter Eggs and Rubber Bands
Posted on: April 10, 2012
- In: Parenting | The Niko Files
- 1 Comment
I saw this idea on the Style at Home website and thought we’d give it a go.
Fun for Niko + fun for me = Success! (And it was super easy, which is always a bonus in my books!)
Week 6: Protein Packed Smoothies!
Posted on: April 9, 2012
- In: Eat It | Parenting | The Niko Files
- 5 Comments
This week’s kitchen adventures with my trusty toddler in tow, involved making smoothies! We’ve been doing this for the past few weeks and Niko loves to press the buttons on the blender. (Too bad I broke it yesterday as I was putting it away. Yes, smashed the glass and everything. I guess smoothies will be on hold for a while until we get a replacement. But this brings me to wonder: blender vs food processor? What’s the best way to go? Thoughts? But I digress.)
Yesterday our ingredients included:
- a banana
- frozen berries
- some grapefruit juice
- and Greek yogurt (as per my friend Traci’s suggestion, Greek yogurt is packed with protein: 11 or 12 grams per serving!)
The end results?
YUM-MEEEEEEEEEEEE! 🙂
Note 1: What would smoothie making be without the watchful eyes of some Thomas trains…
Note 2:
52 WEEKS IN THE KITCHEN
Week 2: Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
Week 3: Carrot Applesauce Cookies
Week 5: Chocolate Chickpea Cookies
Posted on: March 27, 2012
- In: Eat It | The Niko Files
- 3 Comments
You know those ninja moments in life, where you catch the falling water bottle before it hits the floor? We’ve all had them. It feels great. Today Niko had his first. As my trusty sous chef he can be counted on to bring the ingredients from the cupboard to the counter. But today as he attempted to lift the chick peas he lost his balance, but saved the day by catching them on his shoulder before they hit the floor, or even worse his toes. Or even worse again, his sister, who was literally sleeping underfoot!
The look on his face was priceless. Shock. Pride. Terror. Happiness.
It all happened so quickly.
This week’s installment of 52 Weeks in the Kitchen boasts a “healthy” treat: Chocolate Chickpea Cookies. But they’re not really that healthy. There’s still lots of sugar, butter and flour in them. But I guess the health kick comes in as the recipe contains a whole can of chickpeas. And guess what? They’re tasty! Another hit for our tiny kitchen.
Stella was a bit zonked this morning as we went about our cheffing. But Niko was ready to bake! He likes to help dump the ingredients into the bowl, at times onto the counter, and sometimes into his mouth. And let’s face it, once it’s beater-licking time, his work is pretty much done. Nonetheless we had a great time and have added a new tasty treat to our repertoire – and our freezer collection.
Note: A recipe for “healthy” cookies does not mean we are on a health kick. I just came across the recipe, thought it looked interesting and presto, we’ve got them in our house.
Note 2: Thank you to Very Culinary (via Pinterest) for the recipe!
CHICKPEAS
NIKO SAVES THE DAY
BREAK TIME
OUR RECIPE
CHICKPEAS ON THE SIDE
INGREDIENTS IN THE BOWL
AND ELSEWHERE…
BEATERS!
…THE BEST PART!
Note 3:
Week 2: Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
Week 4: 52 Weeks in the Kitchen
Posted on: March 22, 2012
- In: Eat It | Mommy Time | Parenting | The Niko Files | The Stella Files
- 5 Comments
As of today, my tiny entourage and I have a month of recipes under our belt. Just 11 more to go!
Today’s treat?
Thanks to Smitten Kitchen (via Pinterest) for the recipe.
YUM!
Note 1: We doubled the recipe and added a tbsp of poppy seeds. But like the title says…anything goes! Dee-lish!
Note 2: I was actually envisioning/hoping for a lemon loaf of sorts, but I now realize that baking in a loaf pan, does not necessarily a loaf make. Ha well. Still dee-lish (for a cake…)
Note 3: Weeks 1, 2 and 3
Note 4: See bottom pic – Niko is eating outside in a t-shirt and it’s March! We are having some record breaking temps this month!
Three Generations of Friends
Posted on: March 19, 2012
Their grandparents are friends.
Their parents are friends.
And yes, this third generation are also friends.
Cool!
Pic: Kenzie, Lena, Stella and Niko.
Niko Gets a Haircut
Posted on: March 16, 2012
After 10 months, Niko finally made a trip to the barber. He’d been growing his hair since last May with only a few bang-touch-ups courtesy of Mama and Daddy throughout the year – lucky li’l guy!
He seems happy with the result, but I sorta miss the style shout out to the Gallagher brothers of brit pop group Oasis…
