Introducing Colors to a Toddler

Yesterday, Baby Bear had her 24-month doctor visit. She is 25% for height, 50% for weight and 75% for head circumference. Her communication skills are right on track, and she is only a little behind in gross and fine motor skills. They can barely tell she was a six week early premie.

Mommy's Big Girl

And since she is communicating so well and currently in the "What's that?" phase, I have decided it's a good time to start teaching her colors. I'm sure we will be putting her markers to good use very soon, but for right now, we are starting with a book. 

Red Car, Green Car

Years ago, my first grade teacher told me that books were the gateway to learning, and  I plan to pass that knowledge onto Baby Bear. We have read Red Car, Green Car 4 times today. Hannah loves pulling the tab to make each car change to the color featured on the next page. I like that there is a little story to go along with the colors and not just a list of random objects. 

For the next couple of weeks, we will be primarily focusing on the color red. I will be sharing our favorite books and activities, so that you and your toddler can follow along if you wish. For now I am off to work, and she is off to bed. 

Have a great night,
Kristie 

Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies: National Oatmeal Month

I love to cook and experiment in the kitchen. I love to wander a farmer's market or a new grocery store. I love trying new restaurants. Basically, what I am trying to say is, "I LOVE FOOD."

And, each month of the year has been dedicated to celebrating multiple different types of food. There are also individual food holidays for almost every day of the year. January is National Soup Month, National Tea Month and National Oatmeal Month. (There may be a few others in there that I don't know about. I don't claim this list is all inclusive.)

Since January is the beginning of the year, I thought I would focus on foods for the beginning of the day. Oatmeal seems to be a tried and true staple of many American breakfast tables. After all Quaker Oats have been around since 1901. You either start from the drum of rolled oats or just grab a packet of instant oatmeal to start your day off right. 

Here's where I am going to lose a lot of you. I can't eat a bowl of oatmeal. It's a texture thing. I have no urge to slurp down warm, mushy cereal. I have tried to do it in order to be heart healthy, but then my gag reflex kicks in and I end up feeding it to the dog. 

Strangely, I love oatmeal cookies though. They are my absolute favorite. I love the chewiness and the flaky texture. It's so weird. And a few years ago, Quaker made breakfast cookies that you could buy in the store. They were advertised as a healthy breakfast for when you are on the go. Unfortunately, I can't find them in my grocery store anymore. Instead I have started making my own breakfast cookies. 

I use a wide range of ingredients in these cookies to try and maximize the health benefits. I use cage free eggs from chickens who receive no added hormones or antibiotics to increase egg production. I use Jif Natural Peanut Butter, because it has a creamy texture and only 5 ingredients. I use whole wheat flour and sweeten the cookies mostly just with honey and applesauce. 

In a large bowl, mix your dry ingredients. This was a good task for the toddler. She could "help" while making minimal mess. 

In a medium bowl, mix your wet ingredients. The monster toddler had to taste test the batter. The temptation of apple sauce and peanut butter was just too much for her little self. 

Carefully add the wet ingredients to the dry. Big sis was supervising my littlest helper tonight. They are incredibly sweet together. 

Voila! Breakfast cookie dough ready for the baking sheets. 

Make sure to flatten out your cookie dough balls when you put them on the pan. They do not expand and puff up as they bake. As you can see, they look pretty much the same as before they went into the oven, just a tad bit of a darker brown. 

Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 old-fashioned oats
• 1 c whole wheat flour
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 c semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 c creamy peanut butter
• 1/3 c unsweetened apple sauce
• 1/4 c honey
• 3 TBSP light brown sugar
• 1 large egg

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350-degrees F. Line your baking sheets with parchment paper. 
2. In a large bowl, combine the first 5 ingredients. 
3. Combine the rest of the ingredients in a separate bowl. 
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Stir until combined into a dough and there id no more powder at the bottom of the bowl. 
5. Scoop rounded tablespoons of the dough onto your pre-lined cookie sheets. Flatten each scoop into your desired cookie shape. 
6. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Cookies should be slightly browned and firm. 
7. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and allow to cool. 

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 22
Amount per COOKIE
Calories	121
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 5g	6%
Saturated Fat 1.7g	8%
Cholesterol 8mg	3%
Sodium 88mg	4%
Total Carbohydrate 16.9g	6%
Dietary Fiber 1.1g	4%
Total Sugars 8.3g
Protein 3.3g
Vitamin D 1mcg	4%
Calcium 8mg	1%
Iron 1mg	7%
Potassium 69mg	1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet.2,000 calorie a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Recipe analyzed by

These cookies may not make the healthiest breakfast, but they definitely are some of the lowest calorie cookies I have ever made. Even my pickiest eater likes them. Hopefully I can fit in some more oatmeal recipes before the end of the month. In the mean time, I would love to see what your favorite oatmeal recipes are. 

Have a great night, 

Kristie

Seared Scallops with Turmeric Cream Sauce over Fettucine

I finished watching that first episode of Top Chef last week. I've been imagining myself as a contestant and wondering what I would make for the Signature Dish Elimination Challenge. I could go Southern and make fried chicken, which my kids love, but would it be elevated enough? I could go cultural and make perogi, but that isn't always pretty. So instead, I am going to cook with my heart and make scallops.

I say I am cooking from the heart, because today is my 4 month wedding anniversary and my husband loves scallops. They are not something we have very often though because they are pretty expensive. Pairing them with a turmeric cream sauce makes for a decadently celebratory meal for just the two of us, since the big kids are at their dad's and the baby is already in bed.

Besides the taste, the best part of this recipe is that it takes no where near 3 hours to prepare. Using pre-made pasta, you can have this elegant meal on the table in less than 30 minutes. So poor the wine, and let's start cooking.

Make sure to gather all of your ingredients and get your prep work done before you start cooking. Scallops are delicate and cook quickly.

Carefully dry your scallops and set on a paper towel. If they are too moist, they will shrivel up and not brown as well. 

Melt half your butter with the olive oil in a skillet until foamy. 

Add you scallops to the butter mixture and sear for 2 minutes on each side, until golden brown. 

After browning your scallops, remove them to a plate and set aside while you make the sauce. Add the rest of your butter, garlic, turmeric and cream. Whisk together until it begins to thicken. 

Serve scallops and sauce over fettuccine and garnish with Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley. 

Seared Scallops with Turmeric Cream Sauce over Fettucini 

Ingredients

• 12 large scallops
• 1/2 stick of butter
• 1 1/2 TBSP olive oil
• 2 tsp chopped garlic
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 pt heavy cream
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 3/4 lb dried spinach fettucine
• 6 TBSP grated Parmesan cheese
• Chopped fresh parsley
• Salt and ground pepper to taste

Directions

1. Remove your scallops from the packaging and set on a paper towel to ensure they are dry. 
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. 
3. Place 2 TBSP butter and the olive oil in a large frying pan. Melt the butter over medium high heat until the mixture begins to foam. 
4. Place your scallops into the pan one at a time in a clock wise direction from the top. 
5. Sear over medium high heat for 2 minutes or until golden brown. 
6. In the same order that they entered the pan, flip the scallops and sear for another minute and a half. 
7. Remove finished scallops from the pan and set aside in a warm space. 
8. Add the remaining butter, garlic and turmeric to the pan and sautee for 2 minutes. 
9. Add the cream and simmer for 2-3 minutes, until thickened. Then stir in the lemon juice. Turn the heat to low. 
10. Add your pasta to the boiling water and cook according to the directions. 
11. Remove 1/2 cup of cooking water and set aside. Drain the pasta. And divide into 3 portions.
12. Add the cooking water, Parmesan cheese and lemon zest to the sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste. 
13. Top each pasta portion with 4 scallops. Cover with 1/3 of the sauce. 
14. Garnish with chopped parsley and a little more Parmesan cheese if desired. 

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 3
Amount per serving
Calories	942
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 84.7g	109%
Saturated Fat 49g	245%
Cholesterol 306mg	102%
Sodium 455mg	20%
Total Carbohydrate 19.7g	7%
Dietary Fiber 1g	4%
Total Sugars 0.6g
Protein 28.6g
Vitamin D 94mcg	469%
Calcium 241mg	19%
Iron 1mg	7%
Potassium 588mg	13%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet.2,000 calorie a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Recipe analyzed by

This recipe has large amounts of vitamin D but is not what I would consider diet friendly. It is a wonderful meal to celebrate with though, and I encourage you to try it. Let me know what you think. 

Thanks for stopping by, 

Kristie

Sensory Play with Goop

Baby Bear has been fighting a cold for the better part of a week. I blame this horrible cold front that forced us all to remain indoors. By the end of the week, we should be experiencing warmer than normal temperatures again, and able to get back outside, but until then, we will be playing in the house.

Actually, we are going to be playing in the kitchen today, because it is a great place to make a mess. Our mess is going to be called Goop. If you have never experienced Goop before let me enlighten you. It is very similar to slime, but does not contain glue. At 19 months, Baby Bear still puts everything in her mouth, and I want her to be able to play without worrying about poisoning my child. So here is the recipe.

Goop
Ingredients

• 1 container of corn starch
• 2 cups of water
• food coloring

Directions

1. Pour the corn starch into your play container. 
2. Add the water and stir with a wooden spoon until all of the corn starch has combined with the water. 
3. Food coloring is optional. Adding it with the water will give you a base color, while adding it after gives a more marblized look. 

As you can see, Baby Bear was quite curious about the new textures in her tub. She had fun mixing in the food coloring and feeling the Goop change from a solid in the container to a liquid in her hands. For easy clean up, I just picked her up and put her, clothes and all, into the tub. After she was clean, I popped a lid on the container so we have it for nest time and mopped the floor. Not too difficult at all. 

I hope this inspires you to get messy with your toddler. Let me know how it goes. I would love to see the pictures. 

Thanks, for playing with us. 

Kristie

Bad Weather and Crazy Kids

The weather here has been crazy in the last week. We went from 10 degrees, up to 60 and then back down to 10. This means we have had frozen roads and cancelled school. Add in my evening shift work schedule and I have had no time to write. Hopefully the kids will have school for the rest of the week and I can get back on track. Until then, know that I am focusing on my family and savoring the moments.

Too pooped to party. 

Thanks for understanding, 

Kristie

21 Day Fix Blueberry Muffins

I stink at dieting. I don't want to weigh my food or eat super healthy for 6 days and then splurge on my cheat day. I just want to try and eat a balanced diet, take my prenatal vitamins and workout on the treadmill when the monster toddler isn't making me chase her.

So please don't think I am jumping onto the diet band wagon by trying this recipe. I pinned it from Potentially Lovely and read that people were having mixed results. I am guessing the dryness is coming from unripened bananas, so I want to try something a little different. Don't be weirded out, but when I need mashed bananas quickly, I use banana baby food. It's essentially just a mashed banana and adds just the right amount of moist sweetness when I bake.

This is my first experience with almond flour. I noticed a slight change in the texture, but nothing to complain about. For me the added protein is worth it. While the muffins browned more than I had expected, they were still very moist and make a great breakfast for on the go.

21 Day Fix Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups almond flour
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 TBSP coconut oil, melted
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup banana puree (organic baby food, stage 1)
• 1/2 cup blueberries

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350-degrees F. Line 9 muffin slots with paper liners. 
2. In a large bowl, mix flour, salt and baking soda. 
3. In a small bowl, mix the eggs and coconut oil. 
4. Fold the egg mixture into the dry ingredients in the large bowl until well combined. 
5. Stir in the bananas and blueberries. 
6. Divide the batter into the 9 pre-lined muffin cups. 
7. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. 

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 9
Amount per serving
Calories	156
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 11.9g	15%
Saturated Fat 2.3g	11%
Cholesterol 36mg	12%
Sodium 149mg	6%
Total Carbohydrate 9.9g	4%
Dietary Fiber 2.2g	8%
Total Sugars 6.2g
Protein 5.3g
Vitamin D 3mcg	17%
Calcium 45mg	3%
Iron 1mg	6%
Potassium 19mg	0%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet.2,000 calorie a day is used for general nutrition advice.

While my muffins look smaller than the ones from the original blog, I am calling this a Pinterest win. I will share my failures with you also, when they happen. Let me know your favorite pins and recipes that you would like to see reviewed here. 

Thanks for stopping by. 

Kristie 

Outdoor Adventure Center

The kids winter break is almost over. They were only off for a week and a half this year, instead of the normal 2 weeks, so I am a bit sad to see them go already. I thought we would celebrate what's left of break with a family adventure. So we bundled up the kids and drove the hour and a half to Detroit to explore the Outdoor Adventure Center.

The Outdoor Adventure Center is located on the Detroit Riverfront and run by the Michigan DNR. It is advertised as a place where "Up North" comes to the city. They have displays for things like water current, animal trapping and the fur industry and even the conservation and laws regarding golden and bald eagles.

Upon entering, we were encouraged to take a selfie with the black bear. There is a sign telling you what to hashtag when you post to Instagram. My children are far too serious in this picture. I'm not sure if they are playing divas, or militant teens, but the smiles came later. 

This is part of their display on water currents and the Great Lakes. This map let you feel the difference in depth throughout the lakes and see where they joined with the Detroit River. The amount of shipping that is still done along the river and into the Great Lakes is astounding. The most interesting fact we learned is that the current of the Detroit River flows so fast, it could fill all of Comerica Park in 2.5 minutes. 

There are little photo ops like this through the entire building. You can take pictures dressed as a fisherman, a hunter or even a conservation officer. Aly is a shudder bug and had to pose at each one of these and get her picture taken for her scrapbook. I'm just happy she was having a good time. 

The aquarium is beautiful. It is stocked with fish native to our lakes and rivers. We were able to locate all of them except the walleye. I guess we will have to show that fish to the kids this spring when we catch one for dinner. 

There is a bear cave on the first floor that you can explore. Inside there is a bench to sit on and an educational video about bears that you can sit and watch. M felt the need to growl at me while I took her picture. 

In what is normally the archery room, we were able to participate in an indoor "snowball" fight. They were actually fluffy stuffed balls the kids could safely throw at one another. Baby Bear was a little unsure about the "snowballs" and far more interested in watching the people. You can check their Facebook page for other events. 

The kids got pretty comfortable in this yurt. I never camped like this as a kid. Maybe if we didn't just buy a camper, I would have looked into this for the summer. It is stable and very roomy. I'm sure I will be telling you about some of the campgrounds in our state this summer, and also about our misadventures as we figure out how to set up our new toy. 

Before now, I never quite realized how large rock salt actually is. Detroit has a huge salt mine below the city that supplies us with the salt for our roads. I'm definitely happy that they break it down before putting it down over the ice. 

This was my favorite part of Outdoor Adventures. I have a soft spot for waterfalls, which explains why I got married over one. I love the stuffed animals above the falls. there is a little stream below that you can cross by stepping on river stones. 

Getting a picture of all four kids in the forest area proved to be a difficult feat. I always end up with someone looking away or making a crazy face. Baby Bear was well past her nap time at this point, and I'm pretty sure if I kept taking pictures, she was going to cry. 

She was much happier playing on the tree side. the big kids climbed up the center of the tree to second floor, but we took the elevator with the baby to meet them up there. Maybe next time she will be big enough to go with her siblings. 

On the second floor, there is a small plane you can sit in and pretend to drive. There are also multiple animal hides to feel and signs telling you about the fur industry in our state. There is an area where you can test your aim with squirrel and deer hunting. You can also do some virtual snowmobiling if you are so inclined. 

The third floor had a beautiful eagle that had been hit by a car in the 1990s. Multiple signs tell you how conservation saved these majestic birds. You can even get a birds eye view of our state, but pretending to be an eagle and virtually fly along one of our rivers. 

I wish I had taken more pictures, but a sleepy baby is a clingy baby, and that makes it hard. If you are in the city, I encourage you to check this place out. It is fun to see how much our state has to offer and is a great way to get "outdoors" in this freezing weather. 

Tell me about your favorite place to visit in Detroit. 

Thanks for stopping by. 

Kristie