September Project Day 30

It's the final September Project post. Here are my girls 

on September 30, 2010 and today. 

Clarissa 9.30.10

Clarissa 9.30.11

Veronica 9.30.10

Veronica 9.30.11

Chick Pea Burgers and Potato Pancakes

On Wednesday night, we had chick pea burgers, potato pancakes, fresh green beans, and roasted broccoli for supper. Clarissa and Veronica loved everything, except the green beans. Here are the recipes for the burgers and potato pancakes:

Chick Pea Burgers
1/4 cup leek, halved, thinly sliced, and thoroughly rinsed
2 shallots, minced
4-6 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup onion, finely diced
olive oil for sauteing
7 oz firm tofu (1/2 block)
1 can chick peas, divided
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup plain soy yogurt
1 tbsp white flour
6 small or 4 medium/large mushrooms, finely diced
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
2 tbsp Braggs liquid aminos
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tsp dill
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Saute leeks, garlic, shallots, and onion, until softened. While the veggies are cooking, blend the tofu in a food processor until it is smooth. Put the tofu into a large bowl. Process the chick peas until broken up, but still chunky. Remove half and put them into the bowl. Add water to the processor with the remaining chick peas and blend until smooth. Add the blended chick peas to the bowl, along with the remaining ingredients, including the sauteed veggies. Stir with a fork until well combined. Form into patties using about 1/2-2/3 cup of the mixture for each one. Cook on a non-stick griddle until brown on either side, or bake in the oven on parchment at 350 degrees until brown on one side, flip and bake until the other side is brown, too. I assembled the burgers on Sunday and kept them in the fridge until Wednesday, and they turned out well. I served the burgers with a mixture of sauteed onions, peppers, and mushrooms. Yummy!

Potato Pancakes
3/4 cup white flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp pepper
1 cup plain soymilk, or other non-dairy milk
3-4 medium sized potatoes, grated
1 medium sized apple, grated
1 shallot or 1/2 small onion, minced

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease two cookie sheets. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and seasonings. Add the milk and whisk until well combined. Toss the potatoes, apple, and shallot in the flour/milk mixture until coated well. Using a 1/3 cup measuring cup,  divide the mixture onto the cookie sheets. Bake for about 15 minutes, until the pancakes are firm. Flip and continue to bake until they are browned and crisp.

September Project Day 29

Veronica (left) and Clarissa (right)
9.29.10

Veronica 9.29.11

Clarissa 9.29.11

On Being a Stay-at-Home Mom

On Tuesday, I read this article on parenting.com, which discusses the perception of stay-at-home moms (SAHM) as jam-making domestic goddesses and that it is easy to be a mom (stay-at-home or otherwise), in response to a line by the character Meredith Grey in the season opener of Grey's Anatomy. The article was rumbling around in my brain and yesterday morning, while I was making homemade walnut butter (which is super easy btw), I started to get frustrated with the attitude portrayed by the author. While I empathize with her, because she is a single mom and is very busy with work, her household and taking care of her son, I think that she is really hard on the idea of being a crafty mom who likes to take on projects like making jam. It seems to me that taking on extra projects, like canning, sewing, or gardening are ways for SAHMs to feel like they have an identity outside of just taking care of the kids. For me, cooking, baking, and writing this blog keep me motivated to be creative while still always focusing on what's best for my family. I can create a new recipe, save money by making that meal from scratch, and at the end I have a healthful and satisfying meal to serve to my family. Cooking, gardening, crafting, canning, writing, making art, or any other such endeavor is not about motherhood being easy. It's about making life satisfying and gratifying. It's about finding fun ways to take care of your family and feeling like an entity that is somehow separate from your family, too.

My husband and I decided that I should quit my job to stay home with Clarissa and Veronica for a whole slew of reasons. Among them were the chance to take the girls on play dates, take them places like the park, zoo, and museum, and to spend more time reading and playing with them. We both also wanted me to spend more time cooking, baking, cleaning, doing laundry and taking walks with the girls. I never thought that staying home with twin toddlers would be easy and six weeks in, I still don't think easy is an appropriate way to describe my days. However, in the last month and a half, I have done more of all the above mentioned activities than I had done in the past year and a half. I sweep and vacuum the house and do laundry everyday, but if you asked me the things that stand out most in my mind from the last few weeks, I would tell you about wrestling with Clarissa, making two dozen jars of pickles, my sad attempt at taking the girls to the library, Veronica climbing on the coffee table, prepping and freezing about 30 pounds of beets, and taking walks with my babies in the heat, the cold, the sun, and the rain. This is not an easy job, but it is hard to see anything but the highlights. So does that make me shallow and ignorant, as the author sees Meredith Grey? Or, does it maybe make Meredith a little less ignorant in her understanding of what it can mean to be a SAHM?

Every SAHM is in a different situation. I read the blogs of a couple SAHMs who make big financial sacrifices to stay home with their children. I also read blogs written by SAHMs who are in great financial shape. I see money struggles and the related stress that it causes and I see moms who take their kids on trips to Europe and who meet their girlfriends for coffee and breakfast at a cafe every morning. Should we fault the moms who have such luxuries for writing about them? Should we fault the moms who are broke, for choosing to stay home with their kids, instead of working? Just because a woman goes out for breakfast with her baby and her friends, doesn't mean she thinks motherhood is easy, it's just an opportunity she has and she takes it. Meanwhile, a mom who doesn't have much money, but still stays home, doesn't necessarily find motherhood difficult. Why would we pick one little aspect of a situation and make a grand assumption about their attitude toward being a mom? Isn't that the same thing as being upset that the fictional character, Meredith Grey, thinks staying home with her son will be a chance to make jam?

Looking at it from another perspective, I know moms who are super crafty. My friend Rebecca is a working mom who in fact makes jam. She also is the leader of her son's boy scout troop, is in a book club, goes to school, is all kinds of crafty and DIY, and she is great at  keeping her social life alive (or so it seems to me). Meanwhile, I read the blog of a SAHM who couldn't do a craft project to save her life and is a terrible cook. Most of her family's meals are made by her husband or come out of a package from the freezer. Both of these women take great care of their family and seem to be happy, healthy people. Their approach to cooking, housekeeping, etc says nothing about how they feel about being a mother, what they expect out of other mothers, or what the world expects out of mothers. It is just how they choose to spend their time. 

I don't understand how it is a benefit for the author of the article to criticize the Grey's Anatomy character for seeing the opportunity to stay home with her child as also being an opportunity to take on DIY projects. I also don't quite get why you would focus on the difficulty of being a single mom as a way to get others to stop expecting all SAHMs to be mini Martha Stewarts. She equates the concept of the jam-making mom with the belief that motherhood is easy, but I don't see where she is pulling that from. 

On a side note, making walnut butter didn't make my morning easier. In fact, I followed up the walnut butter success with an entirely failed attempt at almond butter, which may or may not have killed my food processor (and I don't have cash to get a new one). The almond butter debacle lead to a minor fight with my husband. It also lead to some smashed up almonds that are now in my freezer and I have no clue what I will do with them. However, I learned that making walnut butter, to go with the jam that Rebecca made and gave to me, is easy and makes for a delicious breakfast.

Did you read the article? What did you take from it? Am I missing her point? What is your thought about the DIY mom, stay-at-home or otherwise? I would love to know what you think!

Show Off Your Shot

Here's the shot I'm showing off this week:

Veronica (left) and Clarissa (right)

The story behind the photo: For some reason, Clarissa couldn't get herself up on the couch yesterday. She was trying again and again. While she was trying, Veronica was standing by the rocking chair laughing hysterically at her. At one point, Veronica's laughter got the best of her and she had to run over to the giant stuffed shark and burrow into it. The above photo is the moment when Veronica was just beginning to regain her composure and Clarissa was still determined to get herself up on that couch.

September Project Day 28

Here are the photos for September 28th. The jammies that Clarissa and Veronica are wearing in the pictures from last year are thirty-ish years old.

Clarissa 9.28.10

Clarissa 9.28.11

Veronica 9.28.10

Veronica 9.28.11

Scrambled Tofu Bake

The Ingredients
olive oil for sauteing
1 leek, halved, thinly sliced, and washed thoroughly
4-6 shallots, minced
1 small or 1/2 medium/large head garlic, minced
1/2 cup corn
2 lb mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1 1/2 blocks tofu, cubed (about 1/2 inch)
4-6 sun dried tomatoes (oil packed), finely chopped
1/2 cup plain soy yogurt or vegan sour cream
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
2 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp dill
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 tsp salt

What You Need To Do
In a skillet, saute leek, shallots and garlic, in a small amount of olive oil, until they are softened. Add the corn to the skillet and continue to cook the ingredients are starting to brown. Transfer to a large casserole dish. Saute the mushrooms in the same pan, until the water cooks out and they begin to brown. You may need to cook the mushrooms in two batches. Add the mushrooms to the casserole dish. Add tofu, tomatoes, yogurt, nutritional yeast, mustard, dill, salt and pepper to the casserole dish and mix everything to combine.

In a small dish mix the panko, nutritional yeast and salt. Sprinkle on top of the tofu.

Bake the tofu at 350 degrees until heated through and the topping is browned. This can be refrigerated for 2-3 days prior to baking.

I served the tofu with a side of brown rice and orange, yellow, and purple carrots that were lightly glazed.

There are all kinds of variations that could be made to this dish. In place of leeks and/or shallots, you could use white, yellow, red or green onions. You could add fresh tomatoes or canned diced tomatoes in addition to the sun dried tomatoes or in place of them. You could use a variety of mushrooms or leave the mushrooms out, although you'd have to be crazy to do that. You could add other veggies like grated carrots, peas, spinach, or broccoli. You could really use any herbs you like, in place of or in addition to the dill. Also, if you don't have time to bake the dish, you could make the entire recipe in a large skillet on the stove top and just leave off the panko topping. I often use the basic concept of this recipe, but just add whatever is in my fridge at the time. It's a great way to use up tidbits of leftover ingredients (that's how I ended up adding in the tomatoes).

Wordless Wednesday #8 The Many Outfits of Veronica and Clarissa

My daughters wore all of these outfits in one day:

Link up you Wordless Wednesday post with Vegan Mother Hubbard below and grab my button.
I'm linking up with these lovely ladies today:

Cupcakes and Caramel

Pumpkin Spice Latte Cupcakes with Homemade Caramel

Yesterday afternoon I made these pumpkin spice latte cupcakes, which I mentioned in my last Weekend Eats post. I used soy yogurt in place of the eggs in the recipe and they turned out lovely. I had never had a pumpkin spice latte, or any treat combining coffee and pumpkin before, so I was a little unsure about brushing the cupcakes with coffee when they came out of the oven. The recipe calls for brushing them three times. I just brushed them lightly twice. It turns out that pumpkin and coffee are amazing together and next time I will definitely brush them three times, or maybe four. 
I didn't have the ingredients to make any sort of vegan whipped cream or frosting, so I substituted some Pillsbury vanilla frosting. It was kind of a fluke that I had it on hand and while I always prefer homemade icing, it was pretty tasty on the cupcakes. I used just a little bit on each one, so it added the sweetness and creaminess that make the cupcakes more latte-like, without being overwhelming.  
There is nowhere in Green Bay where I can buy vegan caramel, so if I wanted some for this dessert, I would have to make my own. I was terrified of making caramel. I tried once, many years ago (before I was veg), and it turned out awful. Plus, just today I listened to a podcast that discussed homemade caramel disasters. I could not have listened at a worse time. I scoured the internet and found this recipe. I had all the ingredients and it didn't seem too complicated, so I took the plunge. The only change I made was to use Earth Balance Buttery Sticks rather than olive oil butter. 
It turns out that the recipe was quick and easy to make, with no special equipment needed. It had the perfect sweet and salty balance, which made it ultra delish. The texture falls on the fine line between caramel sauce and a caramel candy, so once it cooled a little, it was a bit difficult to drizzle. Heating it in the microwave for just a few seconds helped that. Now I have a jar of caramel hanging out in the fridge, just begging to be poured over apples and ice cream. Mmm.

Caramel just starting to simmer.

Stirring in the baking soda;
it didn't bubble up as much as I expected.

Finished jar of caramel.

***Don't forget to check the sidebar of the blog to follow VMH on Facebook*** ***and/or using Google Friend Connect.***

The Paper Mama Photo Challenge and September Project Days 25 and 26

This post is going to be the Vegan Mother Hubbard version of Cute Overload. First up, my entry for The Paper Mama photo challenge for the subject Friends:

Clarissa, Emma, and Veronica at the Neville Public Museum

The girls had a fun play date with their BFF Emma at our local museum today. We had lots of fun and the girls were totally worn out by the end of our visit.



Now for a look back in time:

Clarissa 9.25.10
She just finished eating avocado for the first time.

Clarissa 9.25.11
She's eating Auntie Karen's cinnamon bread.

Clarissa 9.26.10
The shirt she is wearing is on that I wore as a baby, too.

Clarissa and Papa 9.26.11

Veronica 9.25.10
She is wearing a sweater that my older
sister wore when she was a baby.

Veronica and Papa taking a nap.
9.25.11

Veronica 9.26.10

Veronica and Papa 9.26.11

Thank You

I try to thank Steve everyday for working hard so I can be a stay-at-home mom. It is a gift that I know I am lucky to have. This morning I had the realization that I look forward to Mondays. Sunday nights bring the promise of another week of watching Veronica and Clarissa grow and learn. I didn't hate my job when I resigned, but I was never eager to get back to work after the weekend. Last night I went to sleep thinking about going to the local museum with the girls today. I thought about what I would bake on a rainy Monday. I thought about doing laundry and cleaning the bathroom, which I love doing (I know that's not normal). 

Do you know the Donna Fargo song The Happiest Girl in the Whole USA? That's how I feel this morning, because my happiness is so directly tied to what Steve brings to my life. I know that some people would cringe to hear a college educated woman in 2011 say that her happiness depends upon her husband, but right now it's true for me. 

I am not writing all this to brag about being able to stay home with my daughters or to brag about having a happy marriage. I don't want anyone to feel that way. I just want to bring attention to how grateful I am for all that Steve does for my family. He is a wonderful father and a supportive husband. From what I hear from my family, he's a pretty good brother-in-law and son-in-law, too. I am blessed and lucky to be married to him and to have the life I do. 

Thanks Steve Kohlmann! You make me happy every.single.day!

Apple Squash Muffins

This is the squash muffin recipe that I mentioned yesterday.

Apple Squash Muffins
2 cups cooked, mashed squash (I used roasted acorn squash)
1/4 cup applesauce
1 cup sour soy milk (1 cup soy milk + 1 tsp vinegar)
6 tbsp soy yogurt
1 cup white flour
1 cup wheat flour
1/3 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 medium apples, diced

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tin with papers. These are very dense muffins and are best if made on the small side, so I suggest making 18 smallish muffins.
In a large bowl, whisk together squash, applesauce, sour soy milk, and yogurt. In a medium sized bowl, combine remaining ingredients, except apples. When dry ingredients are incorporated, toss in apples and gently mix to coat. Add the flour and apple mixture to the wet ingredients. Mix gently with a fork until just mixed. Don't over mix! Spoon batter into muffin tin and bake for about 35-40 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

I really wanted the flavor of the squash to come through in these muffins, so I used small amounts of the spices. If you like a really intense flavor, or if you don't really want squash, but want to make the recipe anyway, you can certainly use more, although I wouldn't do more than 1/4 tsp on the nutmeg.

Weekend Eats V.7

With all the food blogs that I read, I would think that assembling a weekly menu would be pretty easy. Somehow that isn't the case. Steve and I struggled to come up with ideas over supper last night. Here is the plan for next week:

• veggie burgers with sauteed onions, peppers and mushrooms, baked potatoes and a green veggie
• curried cauliflower, peas and potatoes
• potato pancakes with homemade applesauce and a green veggie
• tofu saute over rice with a green veggie
• veggie dumpling soup

We're having veggie dumpling soup, for the second week in a row, at Steve's request. He loves any kind of soup, but he's been talking about dumplings since I made the soup last Sunday! I don't have any specific recipes planned for the above meals, so I'll create and share the recipes as I make the dishes. 

I'm also going to make these pumpkin spice latte cupcakes which I found via Schilling Times. They look DELISH! As you may have noticed from my recent posts, I am all about baking right now and I love the idea of pumpkin treats for this time of year. I am going to get canned pumpkin at the store tonight, but I'll probably also pick up a pie pumpkin from the farmers market tomorrow, and try using that in baked goods, too.

What are your meal plans for the week? Do you make a menu, or just wing it? 

Embrace the Camera

I'm embracing the camera with the Anderson Crew again today. I'm trying to be more comfortable having my picture taken. Also, Steve and I had a long talk about how important it is for him to pick up the camera and take pictures that I am in. He's on board, so I am hopeful that by next week I'll have more than 4 or 5 pictures to choose from. For now, here's my photo for this week:

Clarissa and Me

A Week in Review and Weekend Plans

I've had a lovely week, despite the whole family being sick. The girls got to see their Bubba and aunties on Monday, Wednesday, and again today.

Clarissa and Bubba

We went to the farmers market on Wednesday afternoon. 

Heirloom Tomatoes from the Farmers Market

I baked some yummy treats (two kinds of muffins, a cake, a fruit crumble and cookie bars). 

Fruit Crumble with Apples, Pears, Blueberries and Blackberries

We took Clarissa and Veronica to their first sports ball game. They got to see their awesome cousin Hannah play in her volleyball game.

Cousin Hannah's Volleyball Game
(She's in the White Jersey on the Left)

 We ate delicious meals, like enchiladas, faux beef stew, and veggie dumpling soup.

Seitan "Beef" Stew

The Packers won last Sunday.

Tiny Packer Fans

Steve helped me do a little more fine tuning on the blog and taught me about HTML coding, which I'm super excited about. There is plenty to be grateful for and happy about, and it doesn't end with the week. We have big plans for the weekend:

Tomorrow we'll be heading to Milwaukee for some time with the Matz and Kohlmann Families. We're going to a pumpkin patch with Steve's parents and possibly his brother and nieces. We'll be visiting Steve's grandma and grandpa, who just moved back to Wisconsin from Washington (Steve's only seen them a handful of times in the last decade). After family time in Milwaukee, we're making our way to the Madison area for some birthday fun with my dear friend Brigitte. I've only seen her once since my baby shower, so I am uber-excited to go to her party.

On Sunday we'll be watching the Packer game and eating good food and maybe spending some time with my family. I can't wait for the third straight Packer win!

Next week I'll share photos and stories from our weekend. I hope you all have had a wonderful week and that you enjoy your weekend.