A RealFamilies RealFun Blog

May 22 2009

Caffeinated kiddos

Category: Come and Get It

Paul has come a long way from the trailer park he grew up in. Considering that his parents didn't finish high school, it's impressive that Paul has managed to not only graduate from high school, but leave college with two undergraduate and two graduate degrees.

Yet you can take the boy out of the trailer, but not the trailer out of the boy. There's something about Paul being white trash that comes out in our kitchen -- his love of cabbage fried up in bacon grease or cooking up big bowls of steamed beet leaves covered in vinegar. I've learned to like those dishes, too.

Then there's the white trash habit of letting kids drink coffee. Being true to their roots, Nathan and Lucie have developed an early love for the stuff. For most folks, coffee is an acquired taste. I didn't like it until I was in high school, but only drank coffee at the trendy cafes my friends and I hung out at way before Starbucks conquered the world. Still, I'm a diehard tea drinker. Herbal, chai, English or Asian blends...I love them all.

Paul's the family coffee drinker, having developed a strong habit in graduate school. (He's convinced that without it and beer, he wouldn't have survived college.) Weekend mornings, Paul will make himself a big mug of the stuff. But if he leaves it on the coffee table unguarded, it's a guarantee that the kids will sneak sips from it until it's gone.

There's nothing funnier than Paul picking up his mug, peering into it, and declaring, "Darn it, you kids! Who drank all my coffee?" Nathan and Lucie will then flee the scene of the crime, giggling all the way.

Just so Paul doesn't go into the coffee DTs, we've developed a recipe for kid's coffee so they can have their own mugs. You can probably find a version of this in your better white trash cookbooks.

Kid's Coffee
Take one kid sized mug and fill 1/2 to 3/4 of the way with milk. Add lots of granulated sugar, and then fill the rest of the way with coffee. Zap it in the microwave until warm but not hot. Stir and serve.

(You can also fill up a sippy cup 3/4 of the way with milk. Add some sugar and a little coffee. Then put on the lid and shake. Do not heat in microwave. Serve.)

Note:  After drinking, take the kids to school and let the teachers deal with your over-caffeinated, hyper offspring. If it's summer break, call grandma to come over and play toss in the yard so you can go back to bed.

 

May 7 2009

Five way chili

Category: Come and Get It

I love my slow cooker almost as much as I love my family. Maybe I exaggerate a little, but my slow cooker has made life much easier. I frequently make chili in several of its variations like picadillo (with raisins and apples), white (with chicken, corn and white beans) or chili con carne. One of our favorites is Cincinnati style chili because it combines foods Nathan and Lucie love -- chili, spaghetti, beans, and grated cheese.

John Kiradjieff, the founder of the Empress Chili Palor, created it in 1922. The dish is called "Five Way" because of its five layers. The first layer is a serving of spaghetti covered by a layer of chili. Next is a layer of kidney beans followed by chopped onions. The entire dish is then covered with grated cheddar cheese.

I use the recipe in Heartland Cooking Crockery Favorites by Frances Towner Giedt. While this seems like a weird combination of spices, Nathan and Lucie -- who love salsa and spicy foods -- really like it.

Cincinnati Chili Five Ways*

Servings: 6

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 7-9 hours on low or 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours on high

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds ground beef round
2 medium yellow onions, chopped (2 cups)
1 medium celery rib, chopped (1/2 cup)
4 large garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
salt, optional, and black pepper to taste
1 28-ounce can peeled tomatoes in puree undrained
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
1 pound dried spaghetti, broken in half

Toppings:
3/4 cup grated Cheddar cheese (3 cups)
1 medium yellow onion, chopped (1 cup)
1 15 1/2-ounce can dark red kidney beans, heated and drained
Oyster crackers (optional)

Preparation:
1. In a large skillet, brown ground beef, onions, celery, and garlic over medium-high heat until the beef is browned and the onions are limp, about 5 minutes. Drain off all the fat.

2. Transfer meat mixture to a 31/2-quart or larger crockery slow-cooker and combine with remaining ingredients except spaghetti and Toppings. Stir to mix well. Cover and cook on low for 7 to 9 hours or on high for 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours.

3. About 30 minutes before serving, cook spaghetti according to package directions. Drain and keep warm.

4. Stir the chili. Serve in wide, shallow soup bowls, ladled over a serving of hot spaghetti. Garnish with cheese, onions, and beans. Serve with oyster crackers on the side.

Kid friendly tips:
1. If you have very young little ones, you may want to break the spaghetti in thirds. If you forget to break up the spaghetti before cooking, you can always use clean scissors or kitchen shears to cut up the noodles.

2. Place the toppings in separate bowls and let the kids serve themselves buffet style. Your kids may want to skip some of the toppings and have "three way chili" (spaghetti, chili and cheese) instead.

3. If you have one of those kids (or are one of those adults) who don't like different kinds of food touching each other, have the chili by itself with a bowl of buttered spaghetti on the side.

4. This is great heated up in the microwave the next day. You can also take the chili and use it in burritos or tacos with a little salsa, shredded jack/cheddar cheese, sour cream, and avocado slices.

*From Heartland Cooking Crockery Favorites by Frances Towner Giedt

 

Apr 17 2009

Sandwich time

Category: Come and Get It

Lucie's new food thing is sandwiches. Maybe it's because I make Nathan peanut butter sandwiches every day for lunch. Or it could be because Paul makes grilled ham and cheese or tuna fish sandwiches for himself and the kids as a special "daddy treat."

The problem I have with this is that she wants to make the sandwiches herself. Her combinations are interesting, like the bologna and ketchup sandwich. Usually they're quite normal -- honey and butter, cream cheese or raspberry preserves.

So what's the problem? Besides getting raspberry preserves all over the couch, she doesn't eat the sandwiches she makes. Well, maybe she'll eat half on a good day. Then she'll throw the rest away.

O.K. typical kid stuff, you say. Well, yes, but she's using up all the good bread. The yummy, high fiber, $3+ a loaf bread. My low Weight Watchers points bread!

Well, at least she's got good taste.