Love Is A Vat Of Vanilla Pudding : Snack Mom Has Returned

I am back.  Alive and well enough to resume snack mom duties, something I haven't been able to do since last October.  The snack menus for the past week were a mix of old and new.

Monday

Red and Green Grapes,
Cheddar Cheese, Yogurt Cheese
and Trader Joe's Organic Cracker Assortment

Tuesday

Raita (Cucumber/Yogurt Dip)
Carrots
Celery
Jicama
Blue Xochitl Chips

Wednesday

Oatmeal/Prune Scones
Assorted Apples

Thursday

Kale Chips
Popcorn

Friday

Vanilla Pudding topped with wild strawberries
Granola with olive oil, prunes and honey (recipe coming soon)

After dinner last night, I thought I would have enough energy to make the pudding and the granola but by the time Izzy was ready for bed I wasn't sure I could make it back downstairs.  I was ready to collapse.  Then Izzy offered to help me make the pudding and I couldn't resist.  So we made our way back downstairs together and stirred up a big vat of vanilla pudding.  It seemed to take a bit longer than usual, perhaps because of the greater volume of liquid.

Izzy served as my stirring assistant and as he stood over the pot, he remarked, "Being snack mom is a lot of work, isn't it?"  Indeed it can be.  Which is fine for me since I know Izzy appreciates having good things to eat and I take pleasure in preparing them.

There are times, though, like this morning when I have to wonder what it might be like if I just took the easy way out.

The rain poured while Izzy got ready for school and I began to bake the granola.  The kitchen was in a particularly chaotic state and Izzy's lunch was as yet unmade.  I opted to drop Izzy off with pudding and go back to make his lunch and to get the granola when it emerged from the oven.  Meanwhile Izzy packed up several books that he wanted to bring to school and added a large container of tea to his bag.  I couldn't help him carry his bag, as I was to busy carrying pudding in glass containers.   As we trudged over to his school in the rain, I watched him maneuvering his heavy bag and I had the distinct feeling that something was about to go awry.  As I handed the pudding over to the teacher and Izzy took off his raincoat he began to cry.  His tea had spilled all over the books.  There he stood, teary-eyed before a puddle of tea and it was all my fault ( I had not screwed the top on properly).  To make matters worse, I had to hurry home to keep the granola from burning.   Another kitchen fire was certainly not part of my agenda.

I delivered the granola and returned home to clean up the mess. When all was tidy,  I had a moment to bask in the lingering scent of just-baked granola and envision Izzy and his classmates tucking into spoonfuls of luscious pudding goodness. 

Keeping It Simple: On Unexpected Guests, Singed Hair, and Truffled Popcorn

Wednesday Evening...

Clothed in ratty pajamas, sitting amidst a mess of papers, books and other paraphernalia, I settled in for a cozy evening of writing at home. My solitude was interrupted by a thumping on my stoop door. I was slightly worried since my friends never knock at the stoop door and wondered who could possibly be knocking. I assumed it was someone who had found themselves at the wrong house. I immediately went to the window to see and I saw a woman with an unfamiliar face leaning over the railing. I shook my head at her and said, "Wrong house." She glanced at me quizzically and then a man appeared in front of my window. Again I looked at him and repeated, "Wrong house." He looked baffled and then asked, "Isn't this the house of A. ( my husband)?

At once I realized who these strangers were, A.'s foreign colleagues in town for a visit. But A. was working and had given no notification of their arrival. I had no idea why they were at our doorstep. Despite my shabby dress, I had no choice but to open the door. They explained that A. had told them to come by to meet him at 8:30. I told them there must be some terrible mistake because there was no way he would be home at 8:30 and he hadn't mentioned a word about it. Still, I asked them in , apologizing for my pajamas and the attendant mess that greeted them.

It turned out that S. and S., had spoken with A., who in his overworked confusion, had somehow led them to believe that he would meet them. After about an our of laughing over the absurdity of it all we agreed to meet again when A. was available, my house was in better order and I was appropriately dressed, which turned out to be Friday night.

Friday Evening...

I invited S. and S. for drinks, that evening on our way out to dinner. I intended to put out a few snacks for us and I thought truffled popcorn would be just the thing. As the hour drew near, I began to think that popcorn was not enough and contemplated a bowl of roasted chickpeas. I turned up the oven to 450 F. to reheat and went about my business for a few minutes before realizing that I hadn't heard the gas ignite. Instead of turning off the oven and starting over, I opened the door, only to hear the burst of gas and see the giant blue flame leap out at me, as Izzy looked on.

I shut the door in horror, only then smelling the odor of burnt hair. I assumed I had just gotten a strand or two until the smell lingered and I went to the mirror where I found a substantial clump of hairs were singed and frizzled. Considering I had just had my hair cut that day I was rather distraught. I combed out the frizzle and tried to calm down enough to at least make some popcorn. Before I could, the guests arrived.

I ushered them in and then set to work on my popcorn, fearing that more bad luck would come my way. S. and S. are from Germany and although they said they eat popcorn, they had never seen anyone do it my way. They watched in the kitchen while I heated olive oil with a few test kernels, allowed them to pop and then added the rest. When all of the kernels had popped I dumped the popcorn into a bowl and melted a couple of tablespoons of
D'Artagnan Black Truffle Butter (thanks D.) in the hot pot. I drizzled the butter over the warm popcorn and then sprinkled with salt.

This popcorn, which is horribly addictive, was quite a success. We drank red wine while S. and S. munched happily away, awaiting A.'s arrival. And I of frizzled hair, wondered why I thought that I needed anything more. Truffled popcorn was all the excitement we needed.

So once more I am reminded of the importance of keeping things simple, so as to avoid singed hair and other unpleasantness.


P.S. A. arrived on time that evening and we all went out into to the stormy windy night, for dinner. In the interest of keeping it simple, we went to a nearby restaurant and the food was mediocre at best. Would our evening have been that much better, had we traipsed further from home and endured the storm? Probably not.

Banana- Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake: The Definitive Recipe

This heavenly cake is apparently old news on the internet but for me is brand-new yet slightly familiar. The recipe is remarkably similar to my favorite Chocolate-Banana Cake; However in this version, the smooth banana flavor is highlighted with a light sprinkling of chocolate chips rather than vice versa.

I adapted Dorie Greenspan's recipe, by way of The Food Librarian.


Classic Banana Bundt Cake
Page 190, Baking: From My Home to Yours.

Ingredients: Makes 1 Bundt Cake (24 small servings, perfect for school snack!)

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs, preferably at room temperature
About 4 very ripe bananas, mashed (you should have 1 1/2 - 1 3/4 cups)
1 cup sour cream
1 cup mini-chocolate chips
confectioner's sugar for dusting

1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Generously butter a 9- to 10-inch (12 cup) Bundt pan. (If you use a silicone Bundt pan there’s no need to butter it.) Don’t place the pan on a baking sheet - you want the oven’s heat to circulate through the Bundt’s inner tube.

2. Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt together.

3. Mash bananas with one cup sour cream.

4. Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter until creamy. Add the sugar and beat at medium speed until pale and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla, then add the eggs one at a time, beating for about 1 minute after each egg goes in. Reduce the mixer speed to low and mix in the 1/3 of the banana mixture. Alternate with dry ingredients, then wet, until both incorporated into batter. Scrape the batter into the pan, rap the pan on the counter to debubble the batter and smooth the top.

5. Stir in chocolate chips.

6. Bake for 65 to 75 minutes (depending upon oven, you may need an additional 10 minutes) or until a thin chopstick, inserted deep into the center of the cake comes out clean. Check the cake after about 30 minutes - if it is browning too quickly, cover it loosely with a foil tent. Transfer the cake to a rack and cool for 10 minutes before unmolding onto the rack to cool to room temperature. Dust with confectioner's sugar.

This cake is good cooled and will also keep well for a few days.

You can wrap individual slices in plastic and freeze. Perfect to take along as a snack!

Turning Snack And My Kitchen Upside Down: Kale and Seaweed Chips, Popcorn On The Side

Early this morning, my husband poked his head into the kitchen and a look of horror washed over his face as he surveyed the scene... Cabinets flung open, cats on the table, dirty dishes strewn about and the loud sound of popcorn popping. He turned on his heels and fled...

"Snack Mom" had taken over the kitchen. Yes, I even set my alarm for 7:15 a.m. which is early for me, so that I could make sure the Kale and Seaweed Chips would be ready, along with two enormous vats of popcorn. I was inspired by The Yummy Mummy, who prepared kale chips as a snack for her daughter's preschool class. She outdid me by awakening at 5:30 a.m., an hour too ungodly for me to even consider, to prepare her snacks. I compromised by getting up slightly early, figuring I would somehow manage to get the three snacks ready, shower, make Izzy's breakfast and lunch and still get him to school on time.

Well with little time to spare, all notions of organization immediately flew out the window and chaos reigned. Olive oil was spilling, sesame seeds were flying and the cats were underfoot but somehow I did manage to get it all done.



The kale chips are a must try. This preparation turns a chewy, weedy vegetable into a feather-light delight (just make sure not to under cook them. I can attest to the fact that the undercooked version is a tad too chewy).

The recipe is super simple: Break kale into bite-sized pieces, rinse and dry. Place in a bowl and massage with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt. Spread on a cookie sheet so that the pieces do not overlap, and bake at 350 F. for 10-15 minutes or until darkened and crisp, at which point they practically dissolve in your mouth.

As if those weren't enough (actually they weren't, children cannot live on weeds alone, can they?) I also prepared seaweed chips which had been calling me from the pages of The New York Times. Definitely a fun project to do with kids but this morning there wasn't much time for that.
All you need are sheets of Nori, water, salt and sesame seeds. Watch the video link for more precise instructions.

But the morning prep was not over yet...

While those were baking I started on the popcorn and Izzy's morning pancakes. As the kernels flew, his pancake bubbled. All was going according to plan. Izzy assisted as I dumped the steaming vat of popcorn into a brown paper bag and began a second batch. When all was said and done, we carted it all over to school and set it out. Would the Kindergartners and First-Graders even touch the odd vegetable chips? Only Pick-Up time would tell.

At 3 p.m., I popped into Izzy's classroom and found an empty tin of Seaweed Chips ( I hadn't made that many) and a few fistfuls of Kale Chips left. There was still popcorn in the bag but I had made vast amounts of it so that didn't surprise me. What did surprise me was the snack tally on the blackboard. Izzy's teacher, Miss C., had inspired some of the children to try the snack by finding out which snack each child preferred. Kale was the winner, although that doesn't mean they actually liked it. Still and all, they tried it which is progress, right?

It thrills me when Izzy's teachers are proactive in getting the children involved with what they are eating. Teachers can certainly have an influence on eating habits so I look forward to bringing in other healthful foods for his class to try.


p.s. The following morning, when I arrived at school bearing another snack, a little girl looked over at me, not knowing what I had brought in and announced, "I am allergic to all of that." I looked at her and asked, "What are you allergic to exactly?" and she replied, "What's in there. I don't like it." I assume that she thought there were more Kale Chips within and she had decided that she was "allergic" to vegetables!

Stranded At The Beach: In The Land of Fritos and Pita Chips

Spending prolonged periods of time away from my usual array of eats is not always easy. Unlike Alice Waters, I don't always have the wherewithal to schlep along my own small cache of foodstuffs. It is especially difficult when staying with friends or relatives, for then I must rely on other people's food...which is what we are doing this week. You never know what people keep in their drawers...Junk food may be verboten in our house but elsewhere, it rules the roost.

When I complained to my friend T. about the snacks on hand during our beach vacation she was not exactly sympathetic. I detected her bemusement as she imagined me being force fed pita chips. It is not quite as dire as that, for I am guilty of even wanting to eat those pita chips. Ordinarily I have no inclination to buy food like that, let alone eat it, but if it is placed before me I find my hand wandering into the bag.

Worse yet is that Izzy is falling prey to the allure of the evil snack drawer. Each time I turn around he is stuffing some sort of unhealthy tidbit into his mouth and I am powerless to stop him. Bowls of crunchy tidbits magically appear on the table and in the beach bags and everyone is having trouble resisting the call of the pita chip. At least the Fritos have escaped Izzy's notice and I have an easier time keeping away from them myself.

I try my best to tell myself that one week of junk food consumption will not a junk food fiend make. What's a bit of junk food between relatives, especially when Grandma L. is preparing her famous family waffle recipe for breakfast, served with a bounty of fresh fruits...


and when we are dining out at incredible places like Pinziminio, a wonderful trattoria that serves up copious portions of lusty Italian fare. Go for the Sunday Gravy Dinner...(Izzy and I both ordered it and have leftovers for lunch tomorrow). A huge Caesar salad, Pasta with sausage, meatballs and Braciole and a cannolo for dessert. Their eggplant appetizer, a meal in and of itself, is especially terrific, light and minimally cheesy it was one of the best versions of eggplant parmigiana I have ever eaten.


Yes. Izzy and I have been eating up a storm here on Long Beach Island, if only we could just steer clear of that snack drawer...

Icicle Season is Upon Us...

At least that's what Izzy told me this morning. August has crept up on us and I had yet to fill our popsicle molds. How terribly remiss.

Izzy helped me remedy the situation and use up some extra watermelon. The two of us have a hard time finishing up even a smallish watermelon so these Watermelon-Chip popsicles saved us from an excess of melon. We used up nearly half of the melon to make 3 cups which is actually too much for 6 pops. If you have leftover puree you can use it for Watermelon-Lemonade..

Snacks in the Park and a B. Day...(Chatting With The British)

So there we were, sitting in the icky little water park, not far from our house. Izzy and friends were munching on chunks of cheese, blueberries and cherries. The kids were running in the animals squirting water. Izzy's friend I. was standing on top of a seal or some other animal, as it spouted water up her derriere.

Her mom glanced in her direction and said, "I. is having a B. day. Not sure if B. days are for cleaning your feet or your bum. But long ago people had B. days for washing. I guess the B. day is for bums." Meanwhile I am wondering how B. days differ from A. days or C. days and wondering if a different part got washed depending on the letter. As I sat reflecting upon what this all meant, H. finally said something to clue me in, not sure what it was but all of a sudden a bell rang and I burst out laughing.

"Do you mean a bidet?" I asked. She looked perplexed. "A what?" "A bidet. Something people have in their bathrooms to keep their bottoms clean." "Yes," she replied. "But I never heard it pronounced that way. I only know that old people seem to have them and never use them."


"Those Brits are an odd bunch, aren't they?" I thought.
I then explained to her that I grew up with a bidet in my house and that I don't remember anyone using it either. However when I went to Paris I came to rely on my trusty bidet, especially when staying in small hotels that didn't have showers in the room. It is a surprisingly useful bathroom fixture. I managed to somehow bathe in it, while washing my hair in the sink. Eventually I moved into an apartment with a bidet and I miss it still.

Cherry Man

Cherry Man, Cherry Man,
eating cherries whenever he can.
on his face and on his pants
cherry man does a cherry dance..
(to the tune of Particle Man)

Muddy Boys Are Ravenous

Izzy and his friend J. soaked up today's late afternoon sun in Liberty State Park, where they became far to familiar with one especially enormous mud puddle. Izzy was mud-spattered in the front and soaked in back, covered in brown, slimy muck. He biked and his friend scooted, over and over again through brown icky waters. I tried not to cringe at the thought of putting their mud-covered bodies into my friend's car and let them have fun. Boys do love a muddy time after all. Besides, as my friend G. put so well, "Better mud than videos." The reaction of various on-lookers ranged from bemusement to disgust. One young woman announced loudly, "Imagine if my child (future I am guessing) ever did that. I would have a heart attack!" Comments like those only spurred Izzy on to further muddy fun.

When the boys took a brief break from their mud-induced euphoria, I became the filling station as they stuffed themselves with popcorn, bananas, crackers, raisins and dried apricots. J. prepared raisin sandwiches, stuffing them between crackers. Every time I turned around, a little muddied hand was finding its way into my snack bag. Eventually I shooed them away and back to their muddy games.

When it was time to leave, we had to strip them down to their undies and place them on plastic bags in the car. As we drove home they began plotting their next muddy adventure and we began figuring out a strategy to deal with it better ( towels, crocs and a change of clothing).

Orange Confusion: What is a slice?

Today was "Field Day" at Izzy's school. The class walked over to a nearby baseball field and the children hopped and bounced from one activity to the next. Bubble blowing, faux egg toss, and real water balloons were the highlights.

Parents were asked to contribute watermelon or "orange slices" as a snack. When I read the email I thought it funny that they wanted orange slices but liked the idea and do love serving oranges in that manner. Sliced orange rounds are a fun way for kids to eat oranges. So I sliced a bunch of oranges as seen above and brought them to the field.

There I discovered other interpretations of sliced oranges. Some moms brought in orange segments.



Still others brought in oranges cut into quarters or eighths.




And so I ask, what did the email writer imagine when she requested orange slices and what image comes to your mind when you imagine an orange slice?

Sugar Smack...Doughnuts For Snack

A similar issue came up at a neighborhood school, earlier this school year. My friend L. was appalled to find that her three year old was being fed doughnuts for breakfast and the staff defended this choice. Reason enough to switch schools, which she eventually did, for that and other reasons.

Never did I imagine that I would encounter a similar problem yet just the other day, Izzy informed me that his snack consisted of "these round doughnut things, kind of like bagel buttons but softer". Now I can forgive doughnuts for one snack during the week but when the next day came and he told me that doughnuts were on offer again, I became a tad less forgiving.

Of course switching schools is entirely out of the question, as we love Izzy's school. What makes this situation particularly sticky is that at Izzy's school, parents provide the snack. To what extent can the school monitor the snacks brought in? Parents are encouraged to provide "healthy" snacks but apparently healthy is interpreted quite loosely.

Thinking ahead to next year I ask, what is a health-conscious mama to do?



p.s. I am not opposed to all doughnuts. Say if you wanted to bring an occasional doughnut from here, you would find no opposition on my part!

Snack Wires Crossed: Unraveling the snack mysteries

The problem with email is it cannot convey tone or nuance, so when I received a message from T., the mom of one of Izzy's friends, I got the impression that when Izzy had a playdate at their house, chips would be on the menu.

The message said,

"Isadore can have his snack here if you like but it will definitely not be as healthy as yours."

Visions of chips, Rainbow Goldfish and other junk foods danced in my head so I replied to the message saying that Izzy would probably stop home first and have a small snack before heading on over to their house. And that is exactly what we did.

When we arrived at their lovely apartment I was more than pleasantly surprised to see the table set with slices of homemade banana bread. T. told me she had also prepared an apple crisp which was cooling on the stove. What a Mama! And she has another job too!

I told T. of how I completely misread her message. Next time we are invited back, we will most certainly go with an appetite!

Rethinking The After School Snack: Grapefruit

Milk and cookies are a classic after school snack and certainly good on occasion but better to make them a treat rather than a daily habit. Instead look to fruits, yogurt and nuts to provide afternoon sustenance.

Of late, Izzy's snack of choice has been red grapefruit, cut in half and spooned out of its skin. His favorite part of eating the grapefruit is what happens immediately after he has finished eating it. He asks for a glass in which to squeeze the remaining juice.

His friend J. came over today after school and I offered him a half a grapefruit as well. He claimed he had never eaten one before but was more than willingly to give it a try. He seemed delighted with the fruit, spooning it up rather quickly, eager to squeeze the fresh juice into a glass.

Complete Whole-Wheat Goodness: Maple Syrup Sweetened Scones

One look was all it took. These scones screamed for me to to bake them. Just a glimpse at those pictures, that recipe and I was done for. MAPLE SYRUP in a scone? Ingenious, innovative, opening up an entirely new realm of baking to me.

I normally let recipes sit and fester for years before I get to them but Heidi from 101 Cookbooks comes up with such consistently wonderful, quasi-healthy baked goods I find them irresistible. These were no exception. I almost always adjust recipes that are baked with pure whole-wheat flour but this one used whole-wheat pastry flour which I imagined was lighter so I kept it as is.

I baked my first batch this morning for an appreciative crew of toddlers and moms. It seems they were a hit. (I touted them as a "healthy" scone although some might dispute that label, given they were made with 11 tablespoons of butter. I did get 12 scones instead of 9 from the recipe, which is less than a tablespoon per serving so perhaps the label can remain.)



Later on, Izzy sampled the goods. He instantly deemed them "too floury". I will have to admit that he wasn't wrong in his assessment since they are definitely denser than scones baked with regular, unbleached flour. Yet despite his damaging critique, he happily polished off two, slathered with raspberry jam.

A Beautiful Beastly Play and Ghastly Pizza: A High School Production and A Missed Train

Today's adventure almost wasn't because Izzy kept insisting that he didn't want to see his cousin Jessica in Beauty and The Beast at Hunterdon Central High School, because he had already seen Beauty and The Beast in NYC and Lord knows he would never want to see or listen to the same thing twice... The thought of dragging him along unwillingly held little appeal so I tried to explain that although he had seen one version of Beauty and The Beast, it was the original version and not the Disney one, which would be something entirely different. He wasn't entirely sold but I told him I really wanted to go and he agreed to come along.

And so it was that we boarded the 12:38 train to Raritan, N.J., the closest station to Flemington, where the play would take place. As always, I packed more than enough food as we needed lunch, snacks and possibly dinner since we weren't sure if we would have time to eat after the show. We had avocado/cheese/spinach sandwiches, bananas, mango chunks, yogurt, apples hard-boiled eggs, a croissant and pain au chocolat from Balthazar, prunes and plenty of water. We lunched and snacked along the way, arriving in time for a whirl at a local playground and off to the show.

The play was an unbridled success. Izzy sat, riveted at the edge of my lap, for the entire two and a half hour performance. The students were truly incredible, from the lovely voice of Belle, to the superb acting by Lumiere and everything and everyone else in between. I was in awe of the entire production, which made for quite an afternoon of entertainment.

Of course seeing my lovely niece J., performing so joyously and animatedly, was the icing on the cake.




After the show, which ended around 5:30 I made the misguided decision to try to rush and catch the 6:18 train. We missed it by one minute and were stuck in Raritan, with no idea as to where to eat. We happened upon a nearby pizzeria and decided to chance it. I should have known better. It was just my brother G., Izzy and me. My brother is a veganish vegetarian and so we ordered a pizza that was half plain, half sauce and vegetables (sans cheese). Maybe the combination stumped them but our pizza was long in coming and arrived 15 minutes before our next train so we had to have it wrapped to go. This did not bode well.

Pizza picnic on the train for Izzy and me. Well the pizza looked oddly watery and the crust rather misshapen. It was exceptionally salty, with little flavor to the sauce and less in the crust. But we were hungry and for lack of much else, we ate it. My brother, having taken his half home, called to say it ranked as one of the worst pizzas he had ever eaten (and he is not a fussy one, to be sure). Oh well, we would certainly know better next time.

We did make it home in record time and I had Izzy snug in bed not much later than 9 p.m., dozing off as he recalled the exciting day, wondering when he was going to perform himself.
All in all, despite the ghastly pizza, a fine time was had by all. Looking forward to J.'s future high school performances.

A Cannoli Detour on Staten Island - Alfonso's Pastry Shoppe

Vacation from school for Izzy this week has meant plenty of time to indulge in pajama days and outings. He and his pals were longing for a second visit to the Staten Island Children's Museum and I was dreaming up a food adventure.

Our visit did not coincide with mealtime but I figured we could at least manage a cannoli detour. My brief search turned up Alfonso's Pastry Shoppe which clocked in at a 3.5 mile drive from the museum. This bakery was touted by many as having the best cannoli on the island.

The children were definitely hungry after two solid hours of play so they were ready for a snack by the time we pulled up. Izzy's friends had never sampled cannoli before. J. was definitely intrigued and he and Izzy each had a large one in the back seat of the car. There was complete silence as they inhaled their food. Izzy barely came up for air.. I am not sure as to what J. thought of his but I am pretty sure it won't down easily. T. did not have the chance to try one as her mom bought her a custardy doughnut instead.

And my review? Alfonso's gets an immediate demerit for having their cannoli filled in advance. Cannoli should be filled to order, so as to keep the shell from getting soggy. That being said, the shell managed to remain crisp enough but the filling was sweeter and heavier than my very favorite cannoli which can be found at Carlo's in Hoboken.

But don't go on my review alone as I am biased toward the lighter, sweeter variety of cannoli. Overall, these are decent cannoli if you happen to be on Staten Island. Check them out on see for yourself.

What Did Izzy Eat Today?

Days go by and I don't post recipes or what we have eaten. So what did Izzy actually eat today?


Breakfast: Oatmeal with Berries, Cream and Maple Syrup

Lunch: Turkey Sausage, Potatoes and Lentilles de Puy

Snack: Bananas with Sour Cream; Oatmeal, Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies

Dinner: Omelet, Salad and Roasted Carnival Squash

Dessert: One piece of dark chocolate from a special box of chocolates his Papa brought back from Paris

When Will The U.S. Ban Dyes In Children's Foods??

Maybe Izzy's school could serve as a role model and ban them first...(psst. S. are you reading this??) Given that they have been banned in Europe and the current research, I would highly recommend it.

I haven't had a school snack rant in a while as Izzy seems to be eating less of it, or maybe I have been easing up on the interrogation or perhaps it just hasn't been that notable. Things changed this week when the news drifted my way that Rainbow Goldfish have been on offer. I know I have written about this before but I can't help but mention it again. Research has confirmed a link between the consumption of food dyes and hyperactivity in children.

Thankfully, Izzy is beginning to understand that it really is not a good idea for him to eat foods with dyes, especially in light of our recent red dye allergy scare. He claims that he didn't eat any of the goldfish and I believe him. I just wish he hadn't been tempted.

Celebrate With Victory Cake

Yesterday I was so happy I baked a cake. A victory cake.

I took one of my favorite cakes, a chocolate-banana cake and infused it with additional richness. I added 1 cup of dried coconut flakes and exchanged 3/4 cup of mini-chips for 1 cup of white chocolate chips! I gave half to Izzy's teachers and saved the rest for us. Izzy couldn't wait to get home and have some for his after school snack.

Day After The Election Exchange
Me: Did you speak with any of your friends about the election?

Izzy: Yes. I spoke to A.

Me: What did you say?

Izzy: It was a private discussion.

Me: Oh, did she vote for Obama?

Izzy: Yes, all of my friends voted for Obama. A. and J. and J. and I. etc..

Me: Did anyone vote for McCain?

Izzy: I don't know because they're not my friends. I am only friends with people who voted for Obama.

Indeed!

What Does Manchego Smell Like?

1. Nutty

2. Creamy.

3.Like vomit.

Could it be the answer is a matter of opinion?

My friend R. sent her daughter to school with a snack of aged Manchego and crackers yesterday.

Today at breakfast her daughter M. said, "Mama, the teacher told me my cheese smelled like vomit. She said it was expired." R. could not believe her ears but her daughter repeated the same words. R. immediately called the school. It seems like someone at that school may need lessons in grace and courtesy.