Corn Checks

When I was ten, I flew to Oregon all by myself to visit my grandparents for two weeks.  It was the best - onion sandwiches and cream soda for lunch, Grandma's chocolate chip cookies whenever I wanted.  Grandma taught me to embroider and Grandpa taught me gardening.  He had a little cherry tree in the back yard that we pruned and nurtured lovingly together.  And a couple of rows of corn in the empty lot just behind them.

I learned that corn grows fast - it seemed to grow from about knee-high to past my head in the time I was there!  I had to leave before harvest time, but after that trip, and for years to come, Grandpa would call or write to give me updates on our cherry tree and corn "field."  Corn was always my favorite vegetable as a kid.

I still like corn.  Sometimes I even love it.  I have to say this, and write it, because I've been ridiculously called into question on this point.  A long time ago, at Dessert Club, I happened to mention that I don't like corn in sweet settings.  It was an off-hand comment!  But what everyone seemed to hear was, "I don't like corn EVER."  And from that point I've been known as the girl who doesn't like corn.  Even got accused of it by a DC husband.  Not cool. 

It came up again, to my eternal torment, at our last meeting, and I again had to defend myself, "I like corn, I like it!"  Had some really good corn on the cob from a West Virginia farmstand just last weekend, mmm.  But corn, as a sweet-savory vegetable-grain, is as versatile as ingredients come, and, in fact, I don't always like it. 

Today's Washington Post Food Section's feature article is all about this golden treasure of summer.  And reading it through made both my mouth water, and my stomach turn.  What is the deal, I wondered?  Why do I like some corn things and not others?  Is it texture?  Flavor combos?  I feel defensive; I don't want to be known as the girl that doesn't like what is one of my favorite veggies, er, grains.

So I listed things out, from YUM to BLECH, to see what I could see.

YUM!

Corn on the cob 
Frozen/fresh corn - cooked, on salads, whatever
Tortillas, tortilla chips, Fritos
Cereals: corn flakes, corn pops, Cap'n Crunch, corn chex, etc.
Cornmeal as a dusting, like on pizza crust, English muffins, bread
Pancakes that contain some cornmeal
Popcorn
Corn salsa

It Depends

Canned corn - fine in things, but not alone
Corn bread, corn muffins
Cornmeal crust on pastries
Corn chowder
Corn relish

Borderline

Corn fritters
Corn cakes

No Thank You

Polenta
Creamed corn
Mashed corn

BLECH!

Tamales
Corn ice cream
Corn pudding
Corn caramel custard (like flan)
Corn milk

I guess it's a texture thing - crunch is good, mush is bad.  Savory is better than sweet.  I also guess it's a palate thing - when it comes to corn, I am as complicated as the kernel itself.

Vegging Out

Hazel has decided to be vegetarian. She announced it last night as we were sitting down to a vegetarian meal from the Dinner Swap - roasted veggie panini sandwiches, spinach salad, grapes & raspberries. But she had obviously been thinking about it.

We have a handful of vegetarians in our life, so here and there Hazel has asked questions, which I have answered. How do people become vegetarian? Either they choose it (for a variety of reasons), or their parents are, so their whole family just eats that way. Why don't they eat meat? Some don't like how it tastes, some don't like the thought of killing or eating animals, some think it's healthier. Can vegetarians eat fruit? Yes, they eat everything except meat, and some still eat fish. But they eat everything else, like rice, grapes, cereal, yogurt. Et cetera.

Yesterday at school Hazel bought lunch. When faced with cheese or pepperoni pizza, had chosen cheese, not her usual choice. When she told me this at dinner, and said she was now vegetarian, I decided to take her seriously, not like the amused reaction my parents gave me when I made the same announcement at age 11. True, I said was going to be vegetarian "except for ham", and it obviously didn't stick, but people, even children, like to be shown some respect.

We talked about how this would affect our family. We can work with it, making sure there are enough meatless choices for her. Breakfast and lunch are no big deal, so dinner is the only meal to consider, and with the Dinner Swap there will always be at least two side dishes that are usually meatless. And there is always PBJ. Actually Hazel overdosed on PBJ last year and doesn't like it anymore. Or cheese. But I have encouraged her to try to like them again because they will go a long way in expanding her vegetarian meal options. We talked about protein sources - nuts, beans, dairy - and I even told her about tofu, which I have eaten only a few times and never bought or cooked with - Ed says NO to tofu, but I think we could try it out. In fact, Ed feels overall more amused and less supportive, or maybe less believing, than I do. But when he asked her how she came to the decision, she simply told him, "I just feel done with meat." Then tonight the next Dinner Swap meal came. Really fabulous fixings for southwest chicken/taco salad - chips, lettuce, homemade bean & corn salsa, dressing, cheese and slow cooked chicken. Hazel looked around the table and said, "Mom, being vegetarian and picky is hard work." I said, "Yes it is. I think you should drop being picky." I knew she was hungry. She sat down and filled her plate with chips and lettuce and some bean salsa. Then she got out the ketchup and used it to dip her lettuce in. My girls love ketchup. Then she asked if she could have a hard-boiled egg from the fridge. And that was dinner. I didn't say anything; she seems quietly convicted.

It's interesting. I wasn't going to write about this until I knew if it would "stick", but then I changed my mind. Even if she is vegetarian for only a week, or a month, and then wants some chicken fingers, it's part of her story. It's something she has thought about, a personal decision she has made. And can change whenever she wants, like a favorite color. A chance for us to show her our respect and support, and encourage her taking responsibility and consideration for her own health.

But please oh please don't let her go vegan. Or worse (for us) - gluten-free! Vegetarian we can live with. But stop eating butter and flour...and we have a problem.

Dinner Swap

This is definitely the coolest, most functional, positively life-saving idea I have heard in a long time. Some friends and I are doing a Dinner Swap.

Have you heard of this idea? You make dinner, lots of it, one day and deliver it to the others. Then on the other days someone brings you dinner. Genius.

First I will tell you why I need this so badly. Then I will tell you how we put it together. In my next post, I will tell you how it's going so far.

This is perfect for people like me - lots of kids (lots means more than one), late-working husband, and I think this is the kicker - at least one kid in school. Something about that 4pm hour when all the kids have come back together and there is mayhem and homework and dinner prep and usually some kind of crying makes me slightly suicidal. Case in point - a few weeks ago when Hazel had her first night of homework. It was 4:30. Poppy was screaming hungry so I put her in her high chair and filled her tray with kinda-sorta healthy stuff to keep her happy and quiet. I was trying to work with Hazel on her homework - first, to understand what she was to do, then to help her understand, then to help/supervise her doing it. Ginger was climbing all over Hazel because she was both bored and jealous of the homework. So I gave Ginger a new coloring book to keep her busy. Then Hazel was distracted by the coloring book. Then Poppy ran out of snacks and started screaming again. And who was making dinner? That's right, no one. I think we had popcorn and cereal that night. I need someone to bring us dinner. As often as possible.

So a few friends cooked up The Swap. One has a sister in another state that does it so we got her details, and put our own group together. We did two trial runs in the summer with whoever was in town. It was a good experience because I realized cooking for multiple families is a different way of cooking, one I'm not used to, and my efforts were way too ambitious, leaving me exhausted and depleted each time. But having the others bring me dinner was like heaven, so I resolved to stick it out and adjust, pacing myself differently.

Here's how we're doing our group:

• It works best if there are four families. We have eight so we are doing two groups of four, and rotating each month. The plan is to do this just during the school year, or at least through December and then reevaluate.
• Dinner consists of a main course and two sides. Each family receives four adult portions. We each have 2-4 kids so this works out just right, maybe with occasional leftovers. Also makes it easy to multiply recipes since so many serve 4. So each time you are making 16 servings. There does not have to be meat. Use the suggested budget as your guideline. Dessert is not required (but you know me...)
• We pitched in to buy enough 8x8 square pans for each group. Other than that we will bring the food in disposable or otherwise non-returnable packaging (Ziploc bags, Gladware, etc.) Eventually they will all get recycled back into the group and you don't have to worry about getting anyone's Tupperware back to them.
• Suggested budget is $45 for each person's four meals. So far I have gone over budget each time. Not sure if it is set too low or I need to change. I am not making gourmet stuff here. For now I am just focusing on being able to plan, make, and deliver the food; once I get that down I will work on reigning in my budget.
• You do not need to provide condiments (butter, ketchup, salad dressing, etc.) unless they are specific to your dish. When providing salad dressing, give it separately so it doesn't wilt the veggies plus some kids don't like dressing.
• Besides the dressing thing, we do not cater to any pickiness. There are no food allergies in our group so anything goes. It's a great chance to broaden our kids' palates and teach them you eat what you get. You can't ever say, "Please don't give us ____." And you can't ever say "We didn't like ____."
• Dinner delivery is between 5-6 pm. Text everyone when you're on your way. If they're not home, leave it on the doorstep. No need to chat at the door - everyone will have a van full of kids waiting. Some things you can bring uncooked, if they are better freshly done, like noodles for example. Or if a dish is best hot from the oven, text everyone to preheat, and deliver it a little early so they can cook it at home.
• We have a loose policy about letting everyone know what you're bringing, just so there aren't blatant duplicates like three nights of lasagna. I planned out my first 3-4 weeks and just emailed them to everyone. Some did the same, others just a quick email the week of. Everyone plans differently. I do not even care as long as we're getting dinner and I am not cooking it! Heaven!

We are starting for real this week. I will let you know how it goes.

Berries

Frosting for the Cause: Pistachio-Cardamom Cupcakes with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

Look at me, I'm a guest blogger. Several months ago I signed up with "Frosting for the Cause" to write a post, donate my cupcakes, and donate $25 to cancer research. June 3 was my day, and now it's here. I'm super impressed with this project, and mastermind Paula's management of it. I hope you'll go over and check it all out. If for nothing else, my Pistachio-Cardamom Cupcakes with the BEST EVER Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting.

Also, I am fascinated by these Chocolate Cherry Coke Float Cupcakes. Can't wait to try them.

To Have the Fug

I just passed through the kitchen and found this note on the counter:I figured it's just another of the thousand papers laying around the house that Hazel has written or drawn on, and picked it up to throw it away.

But I couldn't. Because it was taped down. Taped to a goody plate some friends had brought us earlier today. Ed looked over and laughed at my confusion. "Hazel have the fug? Ginger to have the fug? What does that mean?" I asked him.

Earlier tonight, just after dinner, the girls asked if they could have something from the plate for dessert. We opened it up and I told them all their options. Ginger chose a peppermint taffy. Hazel had a chocolate cookie. And then they both said they wanted the only piece of fudge tomorrow. "Yeah, well, that's only if I don't eat it," I told them.

Hazel took it to heart. Later , she was clearing the table under Ed's direction and told him she had to go do something quickly. A few minutes later she came down from the office with this sign she had made, and asked Ed to tape it to the plate for her. Because she knows her Mom well. And because there is no messing around when it comes to "the fug."

Fall Goody Plates

(This is one of those rare posts that is like, which blog do I put this on? But in the end it is more about what we did than what we made, and besides, it is all recipes I've posted before. Except one.)

One of the things we did to keep busy while Hazel was on fall break, and Ed was gone hunting, was to make some fall goody plates for our neighbors. Although we have been in the house over a year we are still very slowly meeting the neighbors. Not the ones right next door and across the street, but the ones around the corner, the ones down the street, the ones down the street and around the corner. We have met some through walking to school, and some through Hazel's classmates. Some through other neighbors and some through conversations in passing. It is a new experience for us, to meet our neighbors and build relationships with them, in a we-are-all-going-to-be-here-awhile way. We've never had a neighborly community. It's kinda nice. And we wanted to show that with, what else, goodies.

Over two days the girls and I made:
Gingersnaps
Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread
Shanna's Ooey Gooey Caramel Popcorn (with almonds)
Apple Bread (this was the new recipe; it is a variation at the bottom of this muffin recipe)
Then we packaged them up and delivered them in the stroller, I think six or seven plates in all. We got nice-looking paper plates at the grocery store, and autumnal ribbon and stickers from the craft store. New fine-point Sharpies and white tags from Staples topped things off.
Making goody plates is fun. What would you put on yours?

Thai-Style Steak Salad

I used to post recipes on here more often. But with the launch of a separate baking blog, there has not been much need. However, I do actually cook real food sometimes. And sometimes it's even good. Sometimes it is so amazingly outstanding, granted, rarely, but sometimes, that I make it over and over, take a picture, and post it.

If you're wondering what a new hungry nursing mom craves, it's fresh vegetables, red meat and lots of flavor. Which makes this salad my totally ideal meal. It's also nice that it's cool for the summer, quick to make (30-40 minutes), can be adapted for picky kids*, and does not even slightly resemble anything else in my usual rotation. And believe me, you do not need to be a fan of Thai food. I like Thai OK, but it's not my favorite; this salad has some Asian flavors for sure, but in my opinion it is in a category all its own. Love it!

And in case my endorsement isn't enough, this comes from America's Test Kitchen, so you know it is going to be fabulous. If you are making it, and taste the sauce in step 2 and think you don't like it, hold on. It is not until the final moment, when the onion, steak, vegetables, cilantro, mint, dressing and peanuts all come together that you have the masterpiece. I could eat the whole thing myself.Thai-Style Steak Salad
1 1/4 lbs flank steak, trimmed of excess fat
Salt and ground black pepper
1 tsp peanut or vegetable oil
1/4 cup fish sauce
1/4 cup lime juice from 3 limes
4 tsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 medium cucumber, peeled and seeded (cut in half lengthwise and scrape out seeds with a spoon) and sliced thin - I just use the whole cucumber
1/2 small red onion, sliced thin
2 T packed fresh cilantro leaves, torn
2 T packed fresh mint leaves, torn
1 head Bibb or Boston lettuce, washed, dried and torn into pieces (4 cups lightly packed)
1/4 cup unsalted dry-roasted peanuts, chopped coarse (I use salted)

1. Pat the steak dry with paper towels, then season generously with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add the steak and cook until well browned on both sides, about 10 minutes, reducing the heat to medium if the pan begins to scorch or smoke. Transfer the steak to a plate and let rest for 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, whisk the fish sauce, lime juice, brown sugar and pepper flakes together in a small bowl until the sugar is dissolved. Pour half of the dressing into a large bowl and set aside.

3. Slice the steak crosswise on the bias into 1/8-inch-thick slices. Cut the longer slices in half, into roughly 3-inch lengths. Add the steak to the small bowl of dressing, toss to coat, and let marinate for 5 minutes.

4. Remove the steak from the dressing and discard the marinade. Toss the steak, cucumber, onion, cilantro and mint with the reserved dressing in the large bowl. Arrange the lettuce on a large serving platter or individual plates. Spoon the steak and vegetables over the lettuce. Drizzle the salad with any dressing left in the bowl and sprinkle with peanuts before serving.

*For picky kids who are anti-sauce or don't like their foods touching each other, I just leave some steak out of the marinade, and leave some lettuce and cucumbers without dressing. Plain steak and salad for them.

Recipe from The Best Light Recipe by America's Test Kitchen

When Life Gives You Snow...

Make snowcones.

And a snowman.

See's Dream Box

Today's my birthday. I am off on a fun adventure with my mom and girls - it does involve cupcakes - so I can't take all your calls and well-wishes personally, but they are important to me. Feel free to leave them here.

About a week ago, as I was polishing off the box of See's dark chocolate assortment I got from the preschool Christmas fundraiser, I realized that what I really need is a custom box. I like almost all chocolates in a box (except cordials and fruity nougat and the occasional unidentifiable filling), but definitely some more than others. Unfortunately See's does not make the Disco Mom Assortment for general distribution. Luckily, they do make custom boxes, available in stores and online.

So with my birthday today, and Valentine's Day fast approaching, I created my dream box - for your reference, for my reference, for ED'S REFERENCE. If you ever want to get me something, but just not sure what, this is a good place to start.

You can only pick 10 kinds, and I would like them in pretty even amounts (maybe 1 or 2 more of the Bordeaux's and Orange Creams than others.) After drooling on the keyboard as you scroll down, click the link to see all the options.

#4 Dark Vanilla Cream

#7 Almond Square

#9 Dark Bordeaux (wow, yum)

#26 Scotchmallow

#36 Orange Cream

#37 Strawberry Cream

#34 Caramel with Almonds

#74 Peanut Butter Patties

#75 Dark California Brittle

And one of the following:
#10 Pecan Buds

#38 Raspberry Cream

Nice, right? Obviously everyone's perfect mix will be different. If you are so inclined, go to See's and tell us all which 10 are in your dream box?

Goodies

For your information, there is one holiday treat going up every single day in December over on The Virtual Goody Plate, just like last year. Go check it out once in awhile - you don't want to miss this!

Egg Carton Lunches

I went to a friend's house for a church planning meeting recently, and she had us stay for lunch. "We'll make the kids egg carton lunches!" she told me, as if everyone knew what this meant. I figured it out quickly but would never have thought of it on my own, and that's the kind of thing to post on the blog.

She'd been saving egg cartons for awhile for this event. Instead of the typical plate, each kid got an egg carton for lunch. In each egg holder was some different food item that was small enough to fit. Granted, we did not strive to fill them with the healthiest foods on earth - after all, it cancels the fun if the food inside is unappealing - but we did OK.

Top: peanut butter pretzels, cheese, Craisins, clementine, apple, goldfish

Middle: strawberry, mini muffin, fruit snacks, strawberry, clementine, chocolate raisins
Bottom: jelly beans, apple, Teddy Grahams, marshmallows, peanut butter pretzels, chocolate chips

They were a hit with the kids, with something for everyone and the marshmallows disappearing first. There was even some trading - jelly beans for goldfish, etc. I think it was most popular with Jayda, the 1-year-old. She would eat something, close it up, shake it happily, open it, eat something, repeat. Adorable, fairly contained, and smile-evoking. A keeper idea!

Arlington County Fair

So if you do something twice can you call it a tradition? I think the Arlington County Fair has become one of ours. It's a small fair - no animals besides pony rides and a small petting zoo - but Arlington is a small county. Doesn't mean we can't have a decent fair.

We went over two Saturday mornings ago. Hit the petting zoo, bought some tickets, did the obligatory kiddie rides. Both girls have really matured since last year and actually thought the rides were fun. Nice to not feel like we wasted our money (even though the whole thing is a rip-off, it's relative.)
Got some lunch - it's never as good as it looks or smells or costs, but again, all part of the experience. Got some ice cream for the girls and let them play on the playground while Ed went in the big hall to look at the booths and exhibits.
I had already been in the big hall earlier that week to check on my baked entries. Did I mention I entered some things in the fair? I have a friend who's won a few ribbons, and encouraged me to try it. She said some categories only get a few entries so it can be easy to win. CAN BE, not IS. But I did OK:

Chocolate Chip Cookies -
Honorable Mention, Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chocolate Chip Crunch Cake - 3rd Place, Exhibitor's Choice Cake
Curry Chocolate Chip Banana Bread - 2nd Place, Banana Bread

Not bad for my first try. My friend Rebecca won 1st place in Coffee Cakes with her Key Lime Bread with Coconut Pecan Glaze. (Don't worry, I got the recipe.) I'm already critically thinking about what to enter next year.

Ed came out of the Hall with an armful of brochures, and having entered us in several drawings (which have led to several sales calls.) We caught an impressive performance by a local clogging troupe before heading home for naps. Though it was warm and super humid, it was an awesome day at the fair.

Disco Mom Takes on Meal Planning

A couple months ago I posted my shopping list m.o. and my friend Kat made the key comment - she said, "What I want to know is the secret to actually planning out meals ahead of time!" MOST EXCELLENT point. Meal planning makes grocery shopping faster, more concise and often cheaper but it's confusing, time-consuming and a pain in the butt. I'm sorry, there's no way around it - this is going to be a long post.

My meal planning success varies from week to week but for the most part I've got a rhythm. I usually sit down Sunday or Monday night (I shop early Tuesday morning), write out 6 meals - main dish, any sides, etc. - plus one night is always left open for leftovers, eating out or mac & cheese from a box. I also write next to everything where the recipe is found, if necessary - magazine or cookbook and page number, so I can find everything again easily. Then I look at my calendar, especially what's going on in the afternoons and evenings, and assign days to each meal according to prep and cook time needed and what will work for each day. I go back through the meal plan and recipes and make my shopping list. Then I put the meal plan on the side of the fridge where I can see it easily that week. When the week is over I put the paper in a file folder I keep; sometimes I look back through to get meal ideas.But how the heck to come up with six good meals every week that aren't always the same thing and don't break the bank or hurt my brain? There are several ways I go about it, depending on what is the strongest motivator that week.

Circulars - When keeping the grocery bill minimal is priority (like the week before payday), I decide where I'm going shopping, look through the circular that comes in the paper (most are online, too), and base meals off what is on special that week. I also buy extra of things, especially meat and canned goods, that are on special so I can use them another time.

Cookbooks - I've got so many awesome cookbooks, most of which I have under-used. When I really want to delve into a cookbook I like, I go flipping through to find things that 1) look good; 2) sound good; 3) use in-season or on-special foods; 4) are easy; 5) I think my kids might like; 6) you get the idea. This is one of my favorite ways to meal plan but it takes the most time.

Clean Out the Kitchen - Like I mentioned, when things go on sale I sometimes stock up. But I don't have an extra fridge/freezer, and cupboard/storage space is limited too so at least once a month I need to clean out. I go through the fridge, freezer and cupboards and list things I have or want to use up, and base meals off that. This is another one that keeps the grocery bill smaller.

Old Standbys - At least once a week we have a meal that requires no recipe at all: spaghetti and salad, homemade pizza, casserole, Trader Joe's frozen orange chicken and rice, BBQ chicken and roasted potatoes, etc. Cuts out 1/6 of the work every meal planning session!

"Programs" - This refers to set plans that you repeat each week, like eating fish once a week. Or like I try to do one slow cooker meal each week (or I did before my slow cooker broke and it threw me off my game.) A few other "programs" I do or have done in the past:

1. Print off a Month of Menus from Woman's Day (they are awesome!) and highlight a few that look good. Make one a week.
   


2. Choose a great cookbook, like Rachael Ray's 365: No Repeats and make one meal a week out of that book. I have a new cookbook called 52 Weeks of Proven Recipes for Picky Eaters. I make one meal a week out of it, on Friday nights, so that's another night I don't have to think about, just look up what the next menu is. I'm going to do a separate post about this book once I've done it for awhile and know whether it's a success or flop. We're on week 4.


3. Robin Miller of Food Network has a program called Quick Fix Meals. It is ideal for people who can't stand meal planning because she usually gets two or three meals out of one major prep. For example, in her Thai One On episode, you make a peanut sauce and do some extra ingredient chopping on the first night that you also use later in the week for meals #2 and #3. You can find all the recipes online, along with the week's gameplan and shopping list for each menu. She's done half the work for you!


4. Choose a dish or appliance. I mentioned one slow cooker recipe a week - it's awesome. I keep a binder of slow cooker recipes to try and although over half of them are not worth repeating or recommending, I keep at it in the hopes of finding the needles in the haystack. Or plan to use your breadmaker once a week and have sandwiches with fresh bread. Or your rice cooker, and have fried rice or burritos or rice and beans once a week. Weekly waffles anyone? (Grilled cheese sandwiches in the waffle maker are popular with my girls, though a bit messy to clean up...)
   

I usually do a combination of the above, depending on the week. But right now I always have 1) an open/easy/whatever day, 2) Fridays come from 52 Weeks, and 3) Sundays are often slow cooker or leftover days because we have church from 1 to 4. So that only leaves four meals a week to plan. Robin Miller could take care of three of those.

Or I could do 1) one from a Month of Menus, 2) one standby night like grilled burgers, 3) something from the circular (like chicken thighs are on sale so I put garlic & rosemary under the skin, brush with lemon curd - no joke, it's DELICIOUS - and roast until they're so golden I want to cry), and 4) one from that cool vegetarian cookbook I don't open enough.

Or (ok, I promise this is the last example!) 1) a pasta bake to use up half a box of bowties in the cupboard and a jar of sauce in the fridge getting old, 2) a zucchini-rice frittata to use those three zucchinis from my friend's garden, 3) something from Rachael Ray's 365, and 4) BLT's because bacon is BOGO at Safeway.

Voila! Another week of dinners is done!

Have other suggestions or things that work for you? Please share!