Emilia McG

The bread trick

A simple trick to keep foods fresh and ~~beautiful~~ edible.

Just a quick little sum-sum for all you out there dealing this 2015 blast of snow: here's a little trick to revive stale foods. You know, just in case you're snowed in and all you have to eat are stale cookies and crackers...not that I've ever offered that to Atticus for breakfast or anything.

I know I've posted about being on the Paleo diet and how I am avoiding wheat and other grains. But there is still a use for bread in my house--for one, Atticus is a little French soul who almost always has a croissant for breakfast. He’s very cultured.

Bread also has a place in my sugar canisters. Let me explain.

The other day made my mom’s amazing sloppy joes (cheat meal!). Maybe I can convince her to allow me to share the recipe--but they are kind of a secret recipe, so no promises. Anyway, as I was cooking, I discovered my brown sugar hadn’t been sealed properly the last time I used it. It was one huge rock that was impossible to break.

Those white flecks on brown sugar rock? Stab marks.

I honest-to-betsy tried to stab it a few times and only nicked the surface. I chucked it at my countertop and it didn’t even crack. The sugar block, I mean.

In the end, I got a sharp knife and a hammer, chipped off a few small chunks, melted them in water, an used sugar water in my sloppy joes. Desperate times, my friends.

But what to do after that? Throw out a bag of perfectly sweet, if rather dense, bag of brown sugar? No, no, no. Time for the bread trick.

I placed a single piece of fresh bread in the canister and sealed it tight. The next day....

Like new again!

Voila! Moist, measurable, usable brown sugar again. It’s incredible!

The bread trick works with anything that gets stale when it loses moisture, like cookies, cereal, chips, popcorn, so toss a few bread slices in with these perishables and they’ll stay fresh so much longer.

Did I just blow your mind, or did you already know this trick? Any other food hacks you’d like to share? I’d love to hear!

11:42 PM
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Six things to relish about newborns

2015

Newborns in bow ties? Cuteness overload.

In the thick of sleeplessness, colic, nursing strikes, and poop explosions, sometimes it can be hard to enjoy those first few months of babyhood. Let’s be blunt for a second here: that baby was either just ripped from your womb via surgery or expelled from your ‘gina by the sheer force of your pooping muscles--and now you have to tend to it at all hours of the day and night? Raw deal, man.

But take heart. Babies have a few tricks up their onesies to keep you from leaving them with grandma for three months so you can catch up on your sleep (and sanity.)

Here are six things to relish about newborn babes:

Short hair, don't care.

#1. Newborns don’t give a damn

Babies aren’t embarrassed when they fart in an elevator. They smile and coo after they spit up on you. If they want something, they don’t wait politely for you to pick up on their social cues--they demand you care for them. They don’t apologize for being who they are. Maybe we could learn a lesson from them. Except maybe not the elevator farts, please.

#2. Newborns stay put

You can put a baby in a car seat, stroller, swing, rock and play, bassinet, play mat, or blanket on the floor and the best they can do is wave and kick like upended turtles on speed. Yes, that means you have to cart them around if you want to move. But it also means they can’t climb out of cribs, jump off of couches, or escape dressing rooms while you’re trying on an ill-fitting bathing suit. Savor the immobility.

Callum entertained by mom making fart noises.

#3. Newborns are fascinated

Want to entertain a baby? Run water. Turn on your hair dryer. Play peek-a-boo. Sing a song. Stick out your tongue. Clap you hands. Clap their hands. Rip paper. Vacuum. Stand up. Bounce. Everything is new to babies, and it all demands their full attention. In a few years they’re going to demand asinine preschool cartoons, or to hear “Little Blue Truck” for the sixty-first time today, and that peek-a-boo crap just won’t cut it.

#4. Newborns smell like...baby smell

Oh, that scent. I’m pretty sure its what angels smell like. If I could bottle it up like a perfume I’d...well, I wouldn’t wear it because, weird. But I’d keep a vial at my bedside and in my purse to waft if I needed to remember what bliss smells like. If my toddler still smelled like a baby, I’d chuckle and kiss his nose while I swooped him up from the ketchup he was using to finger painting my kitchen walls. Actually, it’s probably good that babies lose that sweet scent, because my kids would never be disciplined, only snuggled.

#5. Newborns are the perfect excuse

Wish we could stay longer, but it’s the baby’s bed time. We can’t go to your party because we don’t want to bring germs home to the baby. Sorry, I’m trying to nap when the baby’s napping, so I didn’t answer my phone. Can I be first in line at the buffet? I have a baby. Babies are the best excuse for doing things you way without anyone giving you grief, and someone has the audacity to complain, invite them to hold your screaming newborn for an hour.

Kisses for my baby.

#6. Newborns love with absolute purity

If a baby looks up at you and smiles, it’s the most wholesome love you’ll ever receive. That’s because babies are ignorant. They don’t know that someday you’ll be the one making them do their dishes, finish their homework, and pee in the toilet. Right now, you are the cuddle giver, the song singer, the diaper changer, and food provider. Every good and perfect thing in the world comes from you, and babies know it. Soak it in.

8:46 PM
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Baked omelet peppers

baked

Baked Perfection.

There’s probably a more creative name for this meal, but I can’t think of one (can you?), and besides, as I write this description my stomach has started growling. An omelet baked into a pepper is one of my favorite Paleo breakfasts, and it’s heavenly.

Like most foods I make, this is easy to whip up and there are several ways to customize it to your liking, but if you want to be like me and eat what I’m eating for breakfast this week, you’ll need:

4 large orange sweet pepper

2 cups of spinach

6 white mushrooms

6 eggs

muffin tin (helpful but optional)

Preheat oven to 400. Scramble the eggs in a large bowl; set aside. Cut off the tops of the pepper and scoop out seeds. Place peppers in the muffin to to steady. Add spinach and sliced mushrooms into each pepper, being careful to leave room for the eggs. Pour in eggs mixture slowly to allow the eggs to reach the bottom of the pepper (too fast and you'll overflow your pepper). Fill peppers approximately 3/4 to the top. Bake 30 minutes. Enjoy!

The muffin tin is really helpful in keeping the peppers from tipping over in the oven.

Note that the size of your peppers may call for you to use less eggs or bake longer, depending on how small or big they are, so check for doneness at about 20 minutes by using a fork to see if the eggs are runny. If they are, pop those babies back in the oven a 5 minute intervals until done.

Guys, these were so good that I actually ate one before I took pictures for you. Whoops.

There are so, so many ways to vary this recipe. You can add cheese (like Sean did in the picture above), swap the peppers for tomatoes, change up the omelet ingredients, cut the peppers in half instead of cutting the tops off (for a different shape bowl), crack a whole egg in the pepper instead of scrambling them...so many choices!

Go forth, my beloved foodies, and try these out! Also, let me know what other special egg recipes you're willing to share--I love me some eggs!

8:36 AM
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Paleo pumpkin muffins: Toddler approved!

Atticus

Here's a muffin top I'm not ashamed to call my own.

Sometimes you just want something fresh-baked and warm from the oven, but when you’re avoiding wheat and flour, that can be tough to do. This week I was really craving something a teensy bit sweet and a whole lotta good, with the added bonus of being easy to grab and go in the morning. On hand I had almond flour, honey, a few eggs, and canned pumpkin (not to be confused with pumpkin pie filling, which has a ton of sugar), and some pumpkin pie spice mix. I looked around the internet for a recipe, then decided to just mix up my own and see how it all worked out.

I may have licked the knife after this picture was taken.

It all worked out beautifully. Here’s how I made these delicious pumpkin muffins:

1 1/2 cups almond flour (also called almond meal)

3/4 cup canned pumpkin puree

2 tablespoons of honey (I’m estimating here--really, I just squirted some in until I was satisfied)

3 eggs

2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted

2 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice (again, that’s an estimate)

(optional) 2 squares of Ghirardelli 90% Cocoa Dark Chocolate (not strictly on the Paleo diet, but you could sub in unsweetened coconut flakes, cocoa nubs, pepitas, etc)

paper cupcake liners

Preheat oven to 350. Combine all ingredients and blend with hand mixer. Spoon into paper liners in muffin tin. Bake for 20 minutes or until edges appear golden brown. Makes 12 muffins.

That’s it, folks. So easy and so good!

A few notes about the muffins:

The batter is thick, so whatever shape the muffin is when it goes in the oven will be the shape it comes out. If you don’t like the rustic look, smooth the top of the muffins or smoosh them into the cupcake liner.

There are many, many variations to this recipe floating around online, calling for anything from a half dozen eggs (!) to vanilla to pureed squash to baking soda to maple syrup to...you get it. My point is, this was a basic recipe that turned out really well, but if something sounds good, experiment! Let me know if you do!

I was really impatient and started eating these pretty much as I pulled them from the oven, and I was disappointed that they were sticking just a tiny bit to the paper. The next morning, however, they peeled off easily, so let them cool for a few minutes before eating. Alternatively, you can add more coconut oil or grease the muffin tin and see if that helps.

Finally, these muffins are Atticus approved! You'll notice he put down his blue Dum-dum sucker (right on the couch cushion), so you know they were good:

Nom Nom.

What do you think--will you try them? I ate two three many of them the first day, as did Atticus, and have been eating them for breakfast since.

10:14 PM
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I’m late to 2015

2015

Atticus looking into 2015.

As usual, I’m late getting to the party, but I wanted to ask about your resolutions and goals for the new year. For those of you who made resolutions, how are they coming along?

I’m the type of person who goes through a “resolution” phase a few times a year. For me, it’s about reflecting on where my life seems to be headed, re-examining my hopes and dreams for imminent and distant future, and trying to make changes, big and small, to stay on a course that makes me happy. These phases usually come to me when I have some down time from school or work, when I have time to decompress and let my mind wander.

This year, I vaguely thought about my goals and next steps, but I was preoccupied with babies and toddlers and holidays, and I didn’t really get the chance to just sit and think until well after January first. But finally, I’ve been able to write down a list of my goals and dreams. Here are the things I’m trying to focus on in 2015:

De-clutter, organize, and “home up” the house, especially problem areas like mail and filing paperwork. The ever-present stack of papers in our dining area annoys me to no end. We are also woefully lacking in some areas as far as decor and household necessities. I plan to tackle specific areas as the year progresses, to make sure I’m implementing systems I’ll stick to and finding products I’ll love to keep for a long, long time. Keep an eye out for before and afters!

Decide on a Master’s program and start in the fall. Guys, I’m a huge nerd. I love school, which is probably an important reason why I became a teacher. I’ve actually missed going to classes, working on papers, discussions with other students...I need to get back to it, but I have two somewhat opposing career paths that I need to choose between before I enroll in any classes.

Keep transitioning from the “fourth trimester” to my postpartum health and lifestyle. Following the Paleo diet and exercise are the main focus here. I’m not worried about “getting my pre-baby body back” because, to me, that’s silly. I successfully birthed two beautiful babies and for that I’m pretty dang happy with my body even now, knowing full well it will never totally go back to being a pre-mom body. That is okay with me. I’m focusing more on being healthy and happy so that I can enjoy life with my kids and they can have me around, God willing, for many, many more decades.

Start more structured play with Atticus. I’m using the baby as a reason, but not an excuse, as to why there are days when Atticus has a Toy Story marathon--well, that and the fact he has recently become obsessed with “Buzz and beep-beeps (Cars).” Now that we are starting to settle down again, I’d like to make a very loose daytime structure for him. And on the note of structure...

Create a few schedules for cleaning and meal planning. I think actually creating a plan for both of these will ultimately lift the burden of domestic life a little bit.

Spend more time and energy on this blog and other creative pursuits. I really love working on the blog. I also love reading and writing. You know what gets pushed down the list when times get crazy? Yep, the things I love to do. I don’t think it’s unreasonable to carve a few hours per week out for me. Is it?

Finally, I want to go out alone with Sean once a month. This is the only thing I feel is more like a resolution than a goal because it’s so specific, and I’m going to feel very disappointed if it doesn’t work. I mean, I’m only asking for twelve dates in a year. I know Sean is on board--the trouble is just committing to it. We went out this month, so just 11 more to go to accomplish this resolution and hopefully stick to it.

Our January date: doin' it right.

Looking through this, I see the common theme is time, and how to carve each day to fit all of my needs. Not surprising, but interesting to see it jump out when I actually write it all down.

So how about you? Any resolutions, or goals? What’s on your plate for 2015?

9:45 PM
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Ch-ch-ch chocolate chia pudding!

chia seeds

Nom nom nom nom nom.

After having Atticus and before having Callum I did the Paleo diet. If you’re unfamiliar, the basic idea is that you “eat like a caveman,” choosing foods as close to their natural state as possible and avoiding dairy products (except eggs), processed sugars, and most grains, especially wheat. It was great for me! I lost the baby weight and then some, I didn’t count calories, and I ate whenever I felt hungry. I stopped doing it when I was pregnant because my nausea was so out of control that I wasn’t going to cut out any food that sounded palatable. But now, the holidays are over and I’m tired of wearing my fat pants. Paleo time.

One easy to make snack is chia seed pudding. Yep, the chia seeds that you can rub onto clay statues, water and “watch them grow!” as the commercials exclaim. They are rich in fiber, protein omega-3s, calcium, and antioxidants, if you’re into that sort of thing. They’ve been trending as a “superfood” for a year or two now, and while I don’t believe they (or any one food) are a cure-all for whatever ails you, they do get my totally unofficial seal of approval.

Although this is a recipe for a “pudding,” I cannot deceive you, dear readers, into thinking this is smooth and creamy like you’d expect from a pudding. The seeds absorb water and liquid and swell up and develop a kind of gel around them, but not like gelatin, especially if you are adding a milk or milk subsitute. The texture is somewhere between rice budding and tapioca. This might throw some people off, so consider yourself warned.

There are tons of ways to vary this recipe--use a different liquid, add more or less (or no) coca powder, sweeten it with honey, stevia, agave, maple syrup, add different mix-ins like cocoa nubs, sunflower seeds, pretty much any fruit you can imagine...experiment! The recipe is best when it can be refrigerated over night, but needs at least a two hours to the specific recipe for my favorite combination is as follows:

The humble beginnings.

Chocolate chia pudding

A sealable containter (a trendy mason jar, perhaps?)

1/3 cup of chia seeds

1 1/3 cup almond/coconut milk blend

1 tablespoons chocolate baking powder (unsweetened)

1/4 cup pistachios

2 apricots, thinly sliced

Combine chia seeds, milk, and cocoa powder in sealable container. Shake well to thoroughly mix ingredients. Allow mixture to chill in the refriderator for at least two hours, preferably overnight. In the morning add pistachios and apricots and enjoy!

Makes 2-3 servings which can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for several days (if you can keep yourself from eating it all in one day).

Approved for consumption.

Have you tried chia seeds yet? Any other recipes you can share? I also like to sprinkle them on a salad or on eggs, but I want to try a “milkshake” next. Any suggestions?

8:54 AM
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Going from one to two kids

Atticus

Double the trouble takes a cuddle break.

In case you are wondering, babies are a huge time suck. I mean that in the most loving, awestruck way, but come on, I’ve been sitting on various rough drafts of this post for three weeks. One thousand words took me three weeks to create, yet in my glory days of college, I’d write a research paper six hours before it was due.

How the mighty have fallen.

But we are slowly, finally moving from the surreal chaos of infancy to the fat, happy baby stage. I’m no longer keeping track of Callum’s age in weeks, his colic is almost under control, and I can successfully put him down for about thirty minutes without him crying (it’s the small victories). Now that I’ve had some time to reflect, here is a glimpse of life with two kids:

1. You already know how to do this...

Mamas and papas, remember when you held your first baby and you had moments (maybe hours or days) where it hit you that you are fully responsible for the life of human being and you were like, “What, me? I’m for real the one in charge now?”

By the time the second baby comes around, you have gotten used to being the one in charge. You have survived your trial by fire. Eventually you realized that babies are more resilient than you thought. Somehow you figured out how to change a diaper without them peeing and pooping on you (well, most of the time). Their frail little arms and legs bent in strange ways and ultimately made it safely into their onesies and sleepers. Against all odds, you safely gave them a real bath even though wet babies about as slippery as a stiletto on ice. You figured out the hungry cry from the tired cry from the bored cry from the pained cry. You’ve got your arsenal of knowledge and tricks fully loaded, so when this new addition tries to throw you for a loop, you say, “Bring it, baby.”

You really think you can handle this guy?

2. ...But, not really.

Come on, you didn’t think it could be that easy. While it may be true that you now know you can do this, how to do this is a whole other game. Your second baby is not the same person as your first. Example: Atticus slept through the night around six weeks, slept mostly in his bassinet, liked being held in my arms instead of a wrap, and had a hard time latching. Callum still isn’t sleeping more than 5 hours, has never slept in the bassinet, loves the ring sling, and latched like a pro from day one. Yes, I have a few tricks for when Callum’s hungry or cranky, but I’ve had to learn more. It’s okay though, because just like with the first, you’ll figure it out...probably.

3. Eventually you have to let someone cry.

It’s not always possible to adequately comfort two kids at once. Someone will eventually have to wait. You might think that it’ll be the oldest who waits all the time, but surprise surprise, that’s not true in this house. If I’m the only one home at bedtime, Callum chills alone while I put Atticus to bed. And by chills, I mean he usually screams because he doesn’t like to be put down. Sometimes I can hear him crying from Atticus’s room and I reeeally want to leave and get him, but if I did that no one would ever sleep in this house. When Atticus is settled, then I get Callum. Not that Atticus hasn’t heard his fair share of “Hold on, I’m feeding/changing/tickling/helping/holding the baby!” I chalk it all up as a continuing lesson on patience.

4. Kids surprise you

Before I stayed at the hospital, Atticus had never stayed away from me, and I was worried he would be a mess without me. Please. He was totally fine. Even when he came to the hospital to see us he was so mature about leaving. When it was time to go he turned around, said, “Bye ma!” and walked away blowing a kiss. It was like he was an 18-year-old skipping along to college and I was the weepy mom missing him before he even left.

I was afraid Atticus would have a hard time adjusting to the baby (I’ll post about how we prepared Atticus for Callum later), but he has been downright remarkable. Knock on wood, he hasn’t shown anything but love and concern for Callum. Atticus asks to hold Callum at least once a day. He rocks him, pats his face, tickles him, covers him with blankets, shares George (Atticus’s loyal stuffed monkey sidekick), and--cutest thing ever--cups Callum’s face in both hands and kisses him. I didn’t know it was possible for a kid to be so sweet to a sibling. I sure as hell wasn’t with my little brother (sorry, Tommy).

5. Grocery shopping is crazy pants

I must look like the most pitiful hot mess when I go grocery shopping. Before me, I push a cart with Atticus in the seat, as he plucks tomatoes, apples, and other produce off of the shelves and eats them like its no biggie. Callum is in his car seat, in the same cart as Atticus, tucked down where the groceries should be, because balancing the car seat in the front is too wobbly. Behind me I am pulling another cart for the groceries, which I throw in with no sense of organization. I usually buy enough so that I don’t have to go out for another two or three weeks (seriously). It might appear that I’m preparing for the apocalypse by stocking up on croissants and applesauce because those are Atticus’s current staples. I alway walk in with a long list and walk out with even more than I intended to purchase, yet I forget to buy something from the list right in front of my face. Even now in the winter, I have yet to go shopping with the both of them and not have someone offer to load my groceries, so I guess thats a plus.

Ready to roll.

6. It takes at least a half an hour to leave the house

And I don’t mean to get ready to leave, I mean actually walk out of the house. Where are my shoes? Who’s got the diaper bag? Are there wipes? Diapers? Snacks? Burp rags? Toys? Do I smell poop? Have the dogs been out? You want a yogurt now? Where’s the car seat? Is your hat on? Do you have George? What am I forgetting? The answer to all of these questions is, “I should have left twenty minutes ago.”

There you have it folks, a glimpse of my life with double the trouble. Parents of singletons, did I scare you? Those with 2 or more, what would you add?

9:52 PM
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Pages

The bread trick

Six things to relish about newborns

Baked omelet peppers

Paleo pumpkin muffins: Toddler approved!

I’m late to 2015

Ch-ch-ch chocolate chia pudding!

Going from one to two kids

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