“Summer vacation” may just be the death of my schedule–and it’s just gotten started!
Here’s what I’ve been writing this past week:
Eat, Drink and Evangelize: A Review of the Catholic Drinkie’s New Book
Sunday Brunch Specials for June 21
Spent-Grain Bread: a companion recipe for the Catholic Drinkie’s book
At Cook and Count:
It wasn’t too hot to bake, so I made some Double Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cookies!
And a simple errand–buying a new measuring cup–turned into an opportunity to inform a company about what it takes to cook for diabetics. Here’s my Open Letter to Pyrex.
I curate the Sunday Brunch feature. Check out some of last week’s best articles from our contributors!
It’s #Top10Tuesday, and I’d like to share the top 10 pieces of kitchen equipment that get me through life with a diabetic child.
Why yes, I *do* have 3 sets of measuring cups, plus one slider measuring cup, and a whole big bunch of Pyrex.
No, I’m not a professional baker. But I do like to cook and bake, and I’m always looking for the equipment that works best for me.
In the kitchen, I measure. A lot. That’s how I find out how many carbs are in the things I feed my family. Not because I think carbs are evil, but because my son needs to count them up with each meal, then take enough insulin to compensate.
So my little measuring-device problem has turned into an asset around here. Here are the ones I like the best!
I have two sets of regular dry measuring cups. One set is mine to use for baking. The other one, with cups in different colors, stays out on the table and is used daily to measure portions at meals.
A set of collapsible measuring cups is great when you’re serving something like ice cream; you just turn the cup over and push the bottom to dump the ice cream into the dish. Sometimes, though, my son will just eat straight out of the measuring cup instead of grabbing another dish. He’s been known to have a couple of measuring cups sitting on his dinner plate, one filled with broccoli, another with rice. Whatever works…
Measuring spoons are another item you can’t have enough of. We have 3 sets. I love the look and feel of my metal measuring spoons, but I usually grab the plastic ones that aren’t all attached; this way I only have to wash the ones I use.
The Emsa Perfect Beaker is fun to use. It makes you feel like a scientist in the kitchen. It’s great when you are mixing several liquids with several different types of measures (say, 1/4 cup of this and 1/3 cup of that) because you can just use this one cup, adding each one in–it’s easy to see how much of everything you have. Turn the cup around to see the different types of measures. UNfortunately, it’s plastic, so don’t use it for hot stuff.
Pyrex measuring cups. I have 3 of them, in 1, 2, and 4-cup sizes. These are my workhorses, and they’re dishwasher-friendly. Barely a day goes by that I don’t use at least one of these. Since they’re glass, you can measure hot liquids in Pyrex cups, as well as melting butter in the microwave.
For even more scientific-measuring fun, I like these Oxo Mini Beakers. It’s much easier to measure a teaspoon of liquid, such as vanilla extract, into a beaker rather than a measuring spoon. And when kids are helping to cook or bake, these are just a lot of fun to use. I also get mileage of these when I’m setting up a mise-en-place.
Now let’s go to the other extreme: my 8-cup Big Batter Bowl. I got this from Pampered Chef. It’s a great bowl, comes with a lid, and is nice and heavy. It’s great for measuring or just for mixing. I’ve been known to pour an entire pot of soup, stew or sauce into this bowl to see exactly how much I get–then subtract the amount from a single serving and figure out how many servings will be in the whole batch.
I use this Eat Smart Precision Pro food scale multiple times a day. It’s small enough (about the size of a paperback book) that we can even pack it in a small padded envelope and take it with us if we’re going somewhere. It is very simple to place a dish on this scale, automatically subtract the weight of the dish, then weigh the food. From the chips that go in the Kid’s lunchbox to the bowl of cantaloupe he’s having for snack, we can measure anything with this.
A little trickier to use, but still handy, is the Taylor Digital Measuring Cup and Scale. You can’t get the whole thing wet or it will kill the digital scale, so it’s hard to wash. Don’t delegate that job to the kids!
I have 3 sizes of Wonder Cup measuring cups. When I need to measure solid or sticky ingredients like peanut butter, vegetable shortening, honey or molasses, these are my go-to cups! If you’re only going to get one, I recommend the 2-cup size.
Note: Amazon links in this post are affiliate links, which means that if you purchase something through one of my links, it doesn’t cost YOU any extra, and it gives ME a little something I can put toward my next purchase of measuring devices.
Thursdays at CatholicMom.com begin with a look at the past week’s Small Successes!
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I’ve been inspired by my friend Lisa Lawmaster Hess and working on getting things a LITTLE more organized around here. It’s a slow process. I did figure out that the set of small rocking chairs behind my desk, while cute, were too much of a temptation for me. They’re toddler rockers–one for each of my kids–and 2 are so small that no one but a small child can sit in them. So…they became tables for my Desk Overflow.
I took All The Stuff out of those chairs (and out from behind those chairs) and it pretty much covered the whole sofa.
So I moved an upholstered chair into the space where the rockers had been, because I know I won’t pile stuff onto that chair. Then I put away All The Stuff.
And my living room looks a lot nicer now.
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It’s time to get ready for Lent, and I’ve been working hard over at Cook and Count to load up all the meatless recipes I can find. You can find all of them right here: Meatless Recipes at Cook and Count.
There are more to come, and as I post them, you can access them through this same link.
(AND I learned how to add a copyright line to my photos!)
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If you’re reading this through a link at CatholicMom.com, that’s because I successfully installed the link tool in the CatholicMom post. I’m in training right now to be the Substitute Blogmother during Sarah Reinhard’s upcoming maternity leave. (And she is super patient while she gets me up to speed on All The Things.) This was my very first linky-thing, and it worked! It worked!
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In other CatholicMom.com related news (AKA more shameless self-promotion), I have two posts about Lent that you might want to visit. Click on over!
Book review of 40 Days, 40 Ways
Tech Talk: Lenten Inspiration from CRS Rice Bowl
Share your Small Successes at CatholicMom.com by joining the linkup in the bottom of today’s post. No blog? List yours in the comments box!
© 2015 Barb Szyszkiewicz
Linking up with Mary Ellen Barrett’s weekly feature!
A few changeups of note from last week:
On Monday I took the night off and got Chick-Fil-A for myself and the Kid. Hubs called just before I started cooking to say he’d be so late that he and his team at work had ordered pizza.
Friday, Big Brother was supposed to come home for dinner and we were supposed to have fish. But his car (Hubs’ old 2002 Hyundai, with over 170,000 miles on it) broke down JUST before he got onto a terrifyingly busy Philadelphia highway during the afternoon rush (thank you, Guardian Angel!) I had to feed the Kid at a reasonable hour, so while Hubs rescued Big Brother, I revamped that fish plan. I needed some comfort food, plain and simple, and something that I could keep warm until the guys were home. So I cut up half a pound of swai fillets and mixed it into Barbara Mahany’s mac n cheese recipe and served that with a salad. Big Brother suggests that next time I season it with Old Bay. It was GOOD STUFF.
Saturday, BOTH the Big Kids were home for dinner, and I was a happy mom, even though the Notre Dame football game didn’t go the way I wanted it. We had steak fajitas based on Father Leo Patalinghug’s recipe. I guess I’ve changed it up enough that I can write up how I do them. I highly recommend this cookbook!
I’m not assigning days to this week’s meals. Here’s what we’re having. I have all the ingredients for all of these meals, and I’m going to pick and choose as the mood strikes.
Here’s what’s in the plan:
Miss Jill Chicken, French fries, vegetable. The Kid would eat this 5 times a week if I’d let him!
Asian turkey wraps, fried rice
Sarah Reinhard’s beef & noodles, carrots. This one needs a write-up too!
Chicken tacos, fiesta potatoes, salad
Spaghetti and meatballs, salad
Not-So-Spicy Peanut Pork, rice. I’m subbing in strips of boneless pork chops for the chicken in this recipe.
Friday is a night off: the Kid has a dinner for the youth theater company he belongs to. I have a rehearsal. Hubs will be on his own.
A new week, a new menu plan and a new schedule around here! I’m linking up with Mary Ellen’s Menu Mondays feature.
On Friday I was asked to take a long-term substitute assignment for one of the second-grade teachers at Little Brother’s school. I’ll probably be working full time through Thanksgiving. This is the first time I’ve worked full time since I’ve had kids, and it is going to mess with the household schedule for sure!
SUNDAY: I made a big batch of spaghetti sauce with meatballs for the freezer, and served Chicken Parmesan made from some of the sauce.
MONDAY: Leftover pot roast, noodles, mixed vegetables.
TUESDAY: Chicken piccata bites, asparagus, mashed potatoes.
WEDNESDAY: Spaghetti and meatballs, salad.
THURSDAY: Chicken enchiladas, rice (doubled so we’ll have enough to make Friday’s dinner) and salad. Here’s the recipe I use for enchilada sauce. Little Brother will probably just have chicken tacos. That’s the beauty of dishes like this–it’s easy to adjust for people who don’t like delicious things like enchilada sauce.
FRIDAY: Last-Minute Shrimp Fried Rice with steamed snow peas.
SATURDAY: the folk group is assigned the 5:00 Mass this weekend instead of our usual noon on Sunday. I invited everyone back here after Mass (I live closest to the church) for a potluck dinner. I’ll be serving Vodka Pasta.
I’m linking my menu plan over at Mary Ellen Barrett’s Menu Monday feature.
Here’s some good stuff that someone linked to on Facebook yesterday: 8 dinnertime tips from Mario Batalli. This is not serious-chef stuff–it’s simple strategies that make home cooking easier.
SUNDAY: We visited friends and had Chinese takeout. I brought dessert: Make-and-Take Coffee Cake with apples. This cake is so easy to make, which was great, because with Mass at noon followed by rehearsals for both me and Little Brother, there wasn’t time to fool around.
MONDAY: I’m putting together a Ham and Cheese Bake for dinner and leaving Little Brother directions for putting it in the oven to bake; I’ve got a doctor’s appointment in the late afternoon and Little Brother has a rehearsal in the early evening. Cutting it CLOSE! I think the only thing I dread more than a gynecologist appointment is the dermatologist, which is the one I’m seeing today. With my family history, it’s always a stressful experience (we’re Irish. Need I say more?)
TUESDAY: Pot roast in the slow cooker, noodles and gravy. And a vegetable of some sort. Shame on me: my gravy comes out of a can. Maybe someday I’ll learn to make the Real Thing.
WEDNESDAY: Spaghetti and meatballs, our Wednesday-night tradition! I might change it up and serve cheese tortellini instead of regular pasta.
THURSDAY: Tandoori chicken, roasted asparagus, and roasted potatoes. All in the oven at the same temperature, and it’s all easy to clean up if you line the pans with foil. Since Little Brother has an early-evening rehearsal, I’m all about making it easy.
FRIDAY: Singapore Noodles with Shrimp. I can’t figure out if Little Brother likes this because he gets to squeeze lime juice all over everything or what, but he’s a big fan of this dish. And it’s not too hard to make!
SATURDAY: Leftovers.
I’m linking up with Mary Ellen Barrett’s weekly menu feature.
Here’s our menu for the week, including one carryover item since our Friday dinner became Last-Minute Shrimp Fried Rice. (You won’t believe the secret ingredient!)
MONDAY: Slow-cooker Chicken Adobo with rice.
TUESDAY: Tacos and a salad.
WEDNESDAY: Spaghetti and meatballs (our Wednesday tradition!)
THURSDAY: Beef and noodles–a new recipe from Sarah Reinhard, who keeps telling me she can’t cook, but knows how to make gravy. I haven’t mastered that skill! If I manage not to ruin this, I’ll include the link in next week’s menu post. On the side: green beans.
MEATLESS FRIDAY: Vodka pasta and a salad.
SATURDAY: We’ll be eating at the Polish Kitchen at our parish’s Fall Festival. I’m looking forward to some homemade kluski and golabki.
SUNDAY: Chicken and noodles. Maybe. I just realized just how many times we’re having noodles or pasta, all in a row. (Not that I mind, because I could eat noodles every day of the week.) So this one might change.
As always, I write my menus in pencil because who knows what the week will bring? On Friday, for example, I spent the morning as I usually do: volunteering in the school library. I left at 11:35 and said goodbye to the secretary, who called my cell phone 10 minutes later as I parked the van in my driveway. They needed an emergency sub for the afternoon in second grade. I didn’t remember to take out the pasta sauce to defrost when I ran inside to grab my Substitute Teacher’s Bag of Tricks, so we had to go to Plan B, which was magically delicious.
On Tuesday, Little Brother is going on a field trip. That’s the kind of thing that happens in May. Since we live very near Philadelphia, his school often schedules field trips that take advantage of the many historical and educational resources of that city. This year they’re visiting a seaport museum and wrapping up the day at City Tavern, where they will be served a Colonial-style meal. 
The students will dine on Tavern Country Salad with raspberry shrub dressing, lightly-breaded chicken breast, mashed potato, vegetables, Thomas Jefferson biscuits, Sally Lunn bread, and fruit cobbler.
That’s a far cry from the brown-bagged PBJ, juice box and granola bar he usually gets on a field trip.
I got in touch with City Tavern to ask for nutrition information about their food. After playing phone tag with their events coordinator for several days, she finally called me back this morning and very sweetly assured me that she’d speak to the chef and find out what I needed to know.
Two hours later she called me back and informed me that I was out of luck. While she could list all the foods they’d be eating, she couldn’t get me any nutrition information. Since they’re not a chain, they don’t have to provide that, and clearly they aren’t interested in doing so.
It’s really not fun to play Guess the Carbs in a restaurant, and I was hoping that since we’d inquired ahead of time (and I made the first call more than a week in advance of the trip) that the restaurant could help us figure things out.
The restaurant’s website urges visitors: “In order to help us maintain a historic atmosphere, please refrain from the use of cell phones.” Well, that’s NOT going to happen, since Hubs will need to consult the Calorie King website to try to figure out what the restaurant refuses to tell him, despite the other thing they mention on their site: “Should you have any culinary requests, please do not hesitate to ask any member of our staff.”
I guess nutrition information isn’t considered a “culinary request.”
We can guess on things like mashed potatoes and vegetables and even the chicken. But Little Brother has eaten there before on a field trip (before diabetes) and he was all about the bread. I did a simple google search on “Thomas Jefferson biscuits” and the third result is that restaurant’s own recipe.
It took me less than three minutes to plug that recipe into the analysis tool at Calorie Count and generate a nutrition label. I’ll be printing it out, along with the recipe, and packing it with Little Brother’s diabetes supplies that Hubs will be carrying on the trip.
I hope Hubs hands them that piece of paper on his way out.
If he doesn’t, I’m mailing it in.
All I requested was information. Not trade secrets. Not recipes. Just nutrition information because my child has a medical need that requires me to know what’s in the food he eats. And as I just proved, this information is not difficult to acquire.
You’re next, Sally Lunn.
