Ack, Ack, Cough, Gag, It Got Me

It got me. The girls' germtastic circus is bringing me down. Just one more thing I must post, then no more posting until the circus leaves town . . .

Ear Infection Number Five

Dear Daddy,

As we are not feeling all glittery and sparkling in our sore-throated-runny-nosed-croupy-coughing-over-tired existence today, we, The Wonder Twins (as we shall herein be referred to), have determined it is appropriate to issue the following demands:

Someone must bring us the following before midnight, or there will be no sleep tonight:

1) The biggest jug of Martinelli’s apple juice in the county. Don’t screw with us. We’ll know. You know how we like it. Straight up. No chaser.
2) Johnson’s Head-to-Toe Baby Wash, unscented, the good stuff, man. The doc says this will help our oozing eyes. We intend to use it to make a slip-n-slide in the kitchen.
3) Dry erase markers and an eraser. Mommy thinks it’s so she can keep track of when she has given us which medicine, but we’re going to use them to decorate her with tribal tattoos once she’s asleep. The eraser is for her headdress.
4) More organic whole milk. We’re not going to drink it. We just want to watch you and mommy squirm every time you pour a warm cup of that $7 per gallon creamy goodness down the drain.

Babies Rule!

Sincerely,
The Wonder Twins

I Can Bring Home The Tofu, Fry It Up In A Pan

My new friend Lori recently spent six months living in China. Her stories are fascinating, especially the ones about taking cooking classes while there.

Today she generously shared her skills with us in a class she hosted in her home. The food was delicious and learning to cook it in person, rather than from a book, was even better. Thank you, Lori.


For a better view click here.

P.S. The company and conversation was great too!

Tostones Recipe

Or go here for a better view.

For New Year's Eve, A Special Treat -- Tostones

Sliced and twice fried, this delicious plantain treat is well-worth the effort. A recipe I learned from my ex-fiance's mother, it's one of my favorites and something I'm very picky about. The plantains should not be too ripe. They shouldn't be sliced too thick or too thin and they should be fried to golden-crisp perfection. These are unlike potato chips, thicker, meatier and with more flavor. Tune in tomorrow evening for this tasty Puerto Rican Tostone recipe complete with photo review.

Dear Santa,

Might you be able to drop by and help assemble some toddler toys, say around 12ish? And maybe bring me a gift certificate for some classes in mechanics with a focus on Big Wheel assembly?

Many thanks,
S

Carnation Famous Fudge Kit, A One Mom Review

Or, to get a better view click here.

Peppermint Roses

All dressed up with some place to go, these peppermint roses accompanied me to my first party of the holiday season. Tenderly crisp outside and melt-in-your mouth yummy on the inside, these easy-to-make meringues are likely to become a yuletide standard in our home. Prep time is short, and the resulting treats are like pretty little puffs of minty heaven.

The recipe is adapted from the Meringue Candy Canes recipe in this year's "Pillsbury Holiday Cookies" booklet. While whipping up the meringue was simple, piping out delicate candy canes from a decorating bag, as directed, proved to be exceedingly delicate work. Roses seemed a refreshing idea, and they were much easier to create.

To make these roses, simply dip the tip of the decorating bag in red food color rather than painting stripes on the inside of the bag. Then, beginning at the center of the rose, spiral outward, allowing meringue to overlap here and there, to imitate the natural imperfections of the flower.

Just When You Think It's Safe To Go Back In The Water, There's Another Rainbow

Following last night's Dora and Diego marathon, bath time with my two two-year-olds was inspirational. There was much singing and dancing and imitating.

Baby Z chanted, "Sube! Sube!" (Spanish for climb) as she climbed out of the tub and up to the top of Mommy Mountain.

Swaddling her in a big yellow duck towel, I coached, "Amarillo. Yellow. Amarillo is yellow in Spanish."

"Yellow!" said Baby Z.

Her sister, Baby K, stood still in the tub and smiled, enthralled.

"Amarillo, yellow," I repeated.

Still, she stood and smiled.

I thought I must be doing such a good job to hold a toddler's attention so well.

Then, proudly she turned and pointed near the drain, "Rainbow!"

There it floated, curved like a rainbow, a little brown stinky rainbow. Ah yes, the world looks so different through a child's eyes.

Online Story Time, Fun for the Kiddies

"Snowpeople," by Rick & Ryan Zeeb, is a colorful illustrated tale praising the beauty of individual appearance. It reminds children, "Different is brilliant. It's what makes you you." Hear it read by Marlo Thomas and see every richly colored page at the Saks Fifth Avenue site. Two dollars from the sale of each book will go to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, one of my favorite charities.

p.s. -- You don't have to buy the book to see it read. Just click above. It's a lot of fun visually, and a nice break from cartoon reruns.

Overheard on the Block

As the fire truck drove by and stopped in front of the house with the giant Christmas display.

Boy 1: What the heck? What are they doing here?

Boy 2: (Matter-of-factly) Oh, must be something your dad set on fire.

French Toast Casserole with Easy Cranberry Sauce

Lazy me. I like French Toast, but who has time for all the endless dipping, frying and flipping on holiday mornings? This easy recipe provides a simple alternative. It can be adjusted to feed few or many. It even works well refrigerated, reheated and served the next day.

The simplicity with which it is prepared belies the complexity of texture and taste it delivers. There's no need to mix to perfection before putting it in the oven. The varied textures help deliver its rustic charm.

Ingredients:

4 slices thick-cut raisin bread
4 large eggs
4 Tablespoons sour cream
3 Tablespoons sugar
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
Dash ground cloves
Real butter

Grease 8 inch x 8 inch glass pan with real butter. Toast raisin bread under oven broiler until golden brown, and set aside. Mix eggs, sour cream, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and ground cloves in large mixing bowl. Tear toast into small pieces, varying in size from about 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches, adding to egg mixture as you go. (This allows different levels of saturation, adding to the complexity of the dish.) Pour into pan, and cook at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes. Less time for a more pudding-like consistency. More time for consistency nearer French Toast.

Serve with alone, topped with whipped cream or topped with Easy Cranberry Sauce as seen above.

Is It Too Late to Return the Turkey?

Best Thanksgiving Help Sites:

Visit CooksIllustrated.com for the full Thanksgiving survival guide.

Better Homes and Gardens offers a step-by-step guide from buying and thawing to roasting and carving.

Hot lines and online help links abound at About.com, links for everything from Butterball to OceanSpray.

"Last Minute Turkey Day Salvation," from Wired.com, features tips for the seemingly unsavable turkey.

Kids table conundrums are solved at MarthaStewart.com, where you'll find creative ideas, complete with instructions and patterns.

Seriously short on time? For easy last-minute options, visit the Boar's Head DigiCatessen. Click on the turkey, and do a little last minute turkey salvation dance as their many options for pre-cooked turkey pop up.

December Feature: Home for the Holidays

Blog posts here in December will feature recipes, decorating tips and a little dollop of holiday madness. After all, I'm still a mom of two toddlers.

Thanksgiving Dinner

I won't be cooking a big bird. In fact, eating out is my idea of a festive Thanksgiving. How about you?

Welcome to Retroville: Holiday Shopping with Thrift Shop Style

Vintage cards, wrapping papers, and ephemera from the 1920's through the 1970's are some of my favorite inexpenisve treats for holiday decorating.

This box, which I purchased for $1 from a Salvation Army store, came filled with cards in excellent condition, including the one featuring Santa with Raggedy Ann as seen on the front of the box and here below.

The Best Saddlebag a Gal Could Ever Have

The Skip*Hop Saddlebag, seen above in pink camo, is perfectly sized to fit diapers, wipes, cell phone, drivers license, and debit card for a quick jaunt out with two toddlers. Velcro straps on back fasten securely onto grocery carts and strollers, and an array of pockets allows easy access to essentials.

In the spirit of full disclosure, I won this one and liked it so much I purchased two Skip*Hop Dash diaper bags which double as very hip messenger bags.

Call Me the Queen of Easy

Frozen brownies in a box. Really. Seriously. Really.

And I love this, instruction number two on the back begins with "Remove brownies from cardboard box . . ." Target markets?

1) Those high enough to actually eat the box along with the brownies;

2) Incredibly inexperienced bakers unaware that cardboard boxes do not fare well inside ovens; and

3) Sleep-deprived mommies like me likely to toss the entire thing in the oven before reading the directions.

Step five troubles me though, "Allow to cool for about 5 minutes." Are you kidding me? Five whole minutes? By then I will have already filled up on Pop Tarts and Twinkies.

Shopping with Style, While Wearing Pajamas

Ah, the luxury of shopping online, pajamas, a bottomless cup of cappuccino, no disgruntled sales clerks, and now Etsy. Featuring hand-made, hippest of the hip goods, Etsy.com offers shoppers an alternative to stale products mass-produced in China. From cork mats to superhero capes, there is an abundance of creative goods to keep the debit card warm.

Among the many currently calling to my card:

Holiday Cards from MagnoliaMoonlight. Retro Christmas trees and Asian inspired snowflake vines top cards edgy, but not over the top.

Hand-stitched vintage textiles and papers from Cotton Bird Designs. Little birds stitched from vintage fabrics, old maps, and ticket paper give recycled items new life.

Retro-fab car litter bags from Allyson Hill. Remember that lame plastic trash bag Grandma insisted on taking in the car in 1975? Now that I have kids, I so understand. Car litter bags are back and with ever so much more style.

Kids' custom superhero capes from Panjo. What all the cool superheros will be wearing this spring.

Cork mats from Shandke. Aesthetically pleasing in color, shape, and texture, subtly varied shades of cork arranged in a staggered pattern tempt bare toes.

These and more are available at Etsy, where independent designers and crafters share their goods.

Simplifying Sending Christmas Cards

Writing furiously to address and mail fifty cards in one day, the thought creeps in, "Maybe, they could be Happy New Year cards, or maybe Valentine's," and a promise is made to start earlier on those Christmas cards next year. They provide an excellent opportunity to reaffirm connections with family and friends, an opportunity that is easily lost in the season's busy schedule.

Conquer the Christmas card crunch by using an organized approach and addressing cards early. Organization is key. Keep a running Christmas card list and add new friends and business acquaintances throughout the year. Using your email program's contacts manager makes it quick and easy. Street addresses looked up online may even be added automatically, if using Microsoft Outlook, and by categorizing entries as "family," "friend," or "business acquaintance" they can be sorted into separate lists in a snap.

The number and type of cards needed can quickly be determined by reviewing the categorized lists. Sending secular cards to business and casual acquaintances is often advisable. Messages such as "Peace" and "Happy Holidays" are preferable when the person's tradition or ethnic background is unknown.

Christmas cards of all sorts are often available as early as the beginning of October. While they are usually not mailed until the week of Thanksgiving, addressing them can begin much earlier. It is the bulk of the work and can even be outsourced to a professional calligrapher or card sellers such as Hallmark.com and USPS.com. Though setting aside a couple of hours on Saturdays, with the family, to address cards over hot cider can get them done quickly and be lots of fun.

Cards should be addressed, signed, stamped, and mailed no later than December 5th to allow time for recipients to send return cards if they wish. Additional cards kept in a container with stamps and a pen near where mail is read can make sending response cards quick and easy.

Once established, an organized Christmas card system can be updated throughout the year, simplifying keeping in touch with family, friends, and business acquaintances.