Carrot and Celery Pan-Flute

Scramble marketing Queen, Jeanne Rossomme, suggests we get this guy to compose and preform a new Scramble theme song. What do you think? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHV5ukFL0NU

I hope he turns them into a delicious stir-fry when he's done playing!

Reindeer Faces--adorable snack or lunch

Here's a really cute idea from Connie Evers at nutritionforkids.com: http://www.nutritionforkids.com/emlnews/FK-December01.htm#sal

Cooking and Parenting Milestone for Me

It brings to mind the horrifying opening scene from the book The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls, but then I have to remember that Jeannette was 3 when she caught on fire making her own hotdogs unsupervised, while Celia is already 9. And Celia did managed to take the chicken out of the oven without burning herself or setting the kitchen on fire.

Our kids are now old enough to stay home alone for short periods, and they are eager to do so. Earlier this week, I got home from taking Solomon to his guitar lesson at 5:45, and I had to go to an evening event at 6:30. Andrew couldn't get home from work until 7, so I decided to leave Solomon and Celia home for half an hour, which is no big deal. But, I didn't manage to get their dinner into the oven until 6:15, and it had to come out at 6:45. Celia eagerly volunteered for the job of head chef while I was gone. I was nervous--this was a first, but I decided that she was ready for the responsibility. Though she's the younger of our children, she cooks with me a lot and has taken a professional cooking class.

I set the kitchen timer, set out the oven mitts, and went over her duties with her: she'd need to turn off the alarm, put on the mitts, take the chicken out of the oven and put it on top of the stove, and turn off the oven. I was only mildly terrified, but when I called to check in at 6:50, all was well. Celia was so proud of her accomplishment, and the three of them polished off the apricot chicken.

More Thanksgiving Advice

My friend, Jackie Kelley, Personal and Professional Organizer Extraordinaire (http://clearinghousenow.com) , adds these suggestions for preparing to host Thanksgiving dinner. If you have your own tips, questions, or suggestions, please add them here as a comment.

I’ve done my share and grew up watching my mother and aunt put on amazing meals for 30+ people every year (my immediate family growing up was 11 people!)

1. Delegate, delegate, delegate as much as possible – easiest if you are planning the menu and can farm out dessert, side dishes, table arrangements and extra chair duties.

2. Plan menu and shop for staples the week before. This prepares you to make dishes ahead of time that you can freeze or store for a few days in the fridge (pies, cheesecakes, soups). Also helps if you are hosting out of town guests and need meals for days after the holiday. Keep a separate list for perishables and fresh vegetables to shop for a day or two before.

3. Review items in your refrigerator and pantry before you food shop to inventory what you have and to clear space of old items. Food in your fridge and pantry should always be food with a plan; make use of them or move them out.

4. Keep flat surfaces and counter tops in your kitchen cleared. A clear countertop makes the kitchen more organized and feel more welcoming. Especially important if others will be working at your side during the holiday.

5. Before Thanksgiving, quickly inventory your food container collection to assess storage needs for leftovers, to aid in a quick cleanup and doggie-bag delivery for parting guests (there’s always someone who wants that leftover stuffing!) Make sure you have enough lids that fit or at least an extra box of foil!

6. Set out empty serving dishes (and flag with post-it) for each menu item to prepare for the last minute get-on-the-table rush, and to make it easier for others to help dish out.

7. Involve the kids by assigning jobs for each. Prepare list of guests to aid them in setting table, making place cards and setting out nibbler snacks.

Thanksgiving Recipe: Cornbread Stuffing with Pomegranate Seeds

Cornbread Stuffing with Pomegranate Seeds

Prep (25 minutes) + Cook (40 minutes)
10 side dish servings

I spotted this recipe on the POM Wonderful web site a few years ago, and tinkered with it a bit to make it healthier—it’s heavenly on the Thanksgiving table. You can make the stuffing up to a day ahead and heat it in the oven before dinner.

1 pomegranate
2 Tbsp. canola oil
1 cup chopped dried apricots
1 cup dried cranberries
2 – 3 stalks celery, chopped (about 1 cup)
3 – 4 scallions, sliced (about 1/2 cup)
12 oz. cornbread stuffing mix
4 Tbsp. butter, melted
1 egg, lightly beaten
20 oz. reduced-sodium chicken or vegetable broth

To remove the pomegranate seeds from the fruit, deeply score the pomegranate and place it in a bowl of water. Break it open underwater to free the seeds (also called arils). Keep breaking and freeing seeds until they’re released from the pomegranate’s skin. Remove the white membranes that are floating in the water and drain the seeds. Reserve 1 cup of seeds and refrigerate the remainder for another use (or, if you’re like me, eat them immediately).

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray a large round casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Sauté the apricots, cranberries, celery, and scallions for about 5 minutes until softened. Remove them from the heat.

Place the stuffing mix in a large bowl; add the apricot mixture, pomegranate seeds, melted butter, egg, and broth, and mix well. Smooth the stuffing mixture into the casserole and cover it with foil. Bake it for 25 minutes, remove the foil, and return it to the oven for 15 more minutes or until the stuffing is golden brown.


Nutritional Information per serving(% based upon daily values):
190 calories, 6 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 32 g carbohydrate, 62 mg cholesterol, 332 mg sodium, 2 g fiber, 4 g protein

Thanksgiving Recipe: Sweet Potato Pie

Thanksgiving Delight: Sweet Potato Pie

Prep (20 minutes +) + Cook (2 hours)
8 servings

This wonderful side dish has graced my family’s Thanksgiving table for as long as I can remember, and everybody seems to want the recipe—so here it is! The sweet potatoes don’t need to be tended to while boiling, so you can cook them any time during the day, and you can make the filling up to a day in advance. This pie can be part of a weeknight meal with cornbread and a rotisserie chicken.

3 Tbsp. butter
3 medium sweet potatoes
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 egg, beaten
1/2 tsp. nutmeg or cinnamon
3/4 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/4 cup nonfat or low fat milk
1 prepared pie crust, or make your own (see directions below)

Remove the butter from the refrigerator to soften it. In a stockpot, immerse the sweet potatoes in water and bring the water to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer it until the potatoes are soft when pierced with a fork, about 50 minutes. (New directions 12/07) Peel and cut potatoes into large cubes. Add to heating water and boil for 20 – 25 min. until fork tender). When they are done cooking, immerse the potatoes in cold water and pull their skins off. Put the flesh of the potatoes in a large bowl, and discard the skins.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mash the sweet potatoes with the butter and all the remaining ingredients except the crust. Whip the mixture by hand until it is mostly smooth. (At this point, you can refrigerate the filling for up to 48 hours). Spoon the sweet potatoes into the crust and bake it for an hour (or up to 1 1/2 hours if you like a browner top). Let it cool for 10 minutes before serving it.

To make your own 20 minute pie crust: Combine 1 cup of flour and 1/2 tsp. salt in a bowl. With two forks, cut 1/3 cup plus 1 Tbsp. butter or Crisco into the flour mixture until it looks like coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle 2 Tbsp. ice water, 1 Tbsp. at a time, over the pastry mixture, tossing lightly with the fork after each addition and sprinkling only the dry portion. Pastry should be just moist enough to hold together, but not sticky. With a large piece of waxed paper underneath and on top of the dough so it doesn’t stick to the rolling pin, roll the dough into a circular shape. Lift off the top piece of wax paper, and flip the dough into a pie plate, gently pressing it into the plate and removing the waxed paper. With your fingers, flute the crust to the rim of the pie plate to adhere it. Trim the edges with a paring knife and patch the crust if needed. Refrigerate the crust until you are ready to fill it.

Nutritional Information per serving (% based upon daily values):
Calories 210, Total Fat 10g, 15%, Saturated Fat 3.5g, 18%, Cholesterol 40mg, 13%, Sodium 270mg, 11%, Total Carbohydrate 28g, 9%, Dietary Fiber 1g, 5%, Protein 3g, Sugar 10g

Nutritional Information per serving (with 1/6 rotisserie chicken and 1 piece of cornbread) (% based upon daily values):
Calories 596, Total Fat 19g, 38% Saturated Fat 8g, 40%, Cholesterol 184mg, 61%, Sodium 1215mg, 50%, Total Carbohydrate 58g, 19%, Dietary Fiber 2g, 11%, Sugar 6g, Protein 41g

Thanksgiving Recipe: Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Prep (20 minutes) + Cook (1 hour +)
6 servings, about 2 cups each

The soup is easy to make, but it takes some time for the squash to bake. (I don’t think the squash is quite as good when cooked in the microwave as it gets sweet and caramelized in the oven.) The soup can also be made a day or two in advance or frozen for up to 3 months. Serve it with whole grain bread and potato pancakes (we love Dr. Praeger’s vegetable pancakes, sold frozen) topped with nonfat sour cream and naturally sweetened applesauce.

3 – 4 lb. butternut squash
2 Tbsp. butter
1 tsp. chopped garlic (about 2 cloves)
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground ginger or 3/4 tsp. minced fresh ginger
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 tsp. salt (or to taste)
1 Tbsp. honey or pure maple syrup

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed cookie sheet with aluminum foil and spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray.

Slice the ends off the squash, stand it on one end, and slice the squash in half, lengthwise. Scrape out the seeds and place the two halves, cut side down, on the baking sheet. Bake until it is very tender when pierced with a fork, 50-60 minutes.

After the squash has baked for 50 minutes, melt the butter over medium heat in a heavy duty saucepan. Add the garlic and cook it for about 1 minute. Add the onions, celery, cinnamon and ginger and sauté it, stirring occasionally, until the onions and celery are softened, 5-8 minutes.

When the squash is tender, remove it from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes. (Meanwhile, prepare the potato pancakes, if you are serving them.) Peel off the squash’s skin or scrape out the flesh (whichever is easier), chop it coarsely, and add the squash to the pot with the onions. Add the broth and bring it to a boil. Stir it thoroughly and simmer it gently for about 10 minutes.

Puree the soup in a blender (or with a hand blender) and return it to the pot. Stir in the salt (optional) and honey. Serve it immediately, or refrigerate it for up to 2 days, or freeze it for up to 3 months.

Nutritional Information per serving (% based upon daily values):
Calories 160, Total Fat 4g, 7%, Saturated Fat 2.5g, 12%, Cholesterol 10 mg, 3%, Sodium 240 mg, 10%, Total Carbohydrate 30g, 10%, Dietary Fiber 7g, 27%, Protein 3g, Sugar 11g

Nutritional Information per serving (with 1 slice whole grain bread and 2 pancakes with sour cream and applesauce:
Calories 433, Total Fat 16g, 25% Saturated Fat 3g, 17%, Cholesterol 31mg, 10%, Sodium 663mg, 29% Total Carbohydrate 67g, 23%, Dietary Fiber 16g, 63%, Sugar 15g, Protein 9g

Italian Pancakes

I received this funny note today from subscriber, Katie E. of New Hampshire:

Hi Aviva,

I thought you'd enjoy this little anecdote. We prepared the eggplant parmesan a week or two ago. I was serving them up from the pan, using a spatula, as the kids walked by on the way to the table. When they asked "What's for supper?", my husband jumped in with "Italian pancakes." My 8 yr old daughter was very intrigued and her eyes lit up. They dove in to trying it and decided it was pretty good. Later the 8yr old asked if it was maybe really eggplant (which she generally likes), so we owned up and she happily finished it up. The 5 yr old isn't as thrilled with eggplant, but she managed to finish hers too. I think we'll continue to call this recipe "Italian pancakes", to differentiate it from our other (easier) eggplant parmesan recipe.

Katie

One good reason to take your young children grocery shopping with you

Sure, they can be a pain at the supermarket, but this Reuters article gives us a good reason to take our kids shopping with us, especially if we're buying healthy foods. The article reports on a study of children "shopping" in a pretend grocery store. The kids whose parents tended to buy healthier foods at the store also put more healthy foods in their own carts (in addition to some sugary and salty treats). The conclusion is that kids are influenced by what their parents purchase and eat:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20081104/hl_nm/us_kids_mimic_parents_diets_an_early_age_2

Brussels Sprouts Recipes that Your Family May Actually Eat

In my column in the newsletter this week I describe how my kids finally ate Brussels sprouts last week. Here are two preparations your family may enjoy. The first recipe is the one that my kids didn't reject last week:

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

To make roasted Brussels sprouts, toss 1 lb. Brussels sprouts with 1-2 Tbsp. olive oil and 1/4 - 1/2 tsp. kosher salt and roast them in the oven for 25 - 30 minutes at 400 degrees, tossing them occasionally, until they are browned and tender.

Delectable Brussels Sprouts (Really!)

To make Delectable Brussels Sprouts (Really!), heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add 1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped, 16 oz. chopped Brussels sprouts, and 1/2 tsp. minced garlic (about 1 clove), and sauté it for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the Brussels sprouts are lightly browned and very tender. Add 2 tsp. balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper to taste, and continue cooking it for about 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally, and reducing the heat if it is getting too deeply browned. Serve it hot.