tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11573177065802404362024-03-13T09:04:01.925-04:00mama makes from scratchdairy and sesame free cooking, dairy free baking, fun arts and crafts for kids..Marla Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10416284296412855613noreply@blogger.comBlogger58125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1157317706580240436.post-364394739760344752014-11-26T15:16:00.004-05:002014-11-26T15:16:44.461-05:00so this happened....A school board member in a school district near my house recently said, in a videotaped meeting, that the more than 20 kids with food allergies in her school should be shot. She meant it as a joke, because obviously, kids who can die from eating a food they are allergic to is funny. So is shooting a bunch of disabled kids, I guess. The whole thing is mind blowing. I honestly have no words.<div>
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Fortunately for us, Caroline over at <a href="http://gratefulfoodie.com/" target="_blank">gratefulfoodie.com</a> is way more eloquent. Please give <a href="http://www.gratefulfoodie.com/clawson-resignation-needed/" target="_blank">this</a> a read. <div>
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Marla Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10416284296412855613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1157317706580240436.post-24249008091593365032014-11-06T13:16:00.001-05:002014-11-06T13:16:27.554-05:00Child dies after trick or treating<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This is just devastating. When I read <a href="http://www.gratefulfoodie.com/child-dies-halloween-trick-treating/#comment-346911" target="_blank">this article</a> this morning, I burst into tears and cried so hard I couldn't stop shaking. This is our nightmare, all of us living with food allergies, every single day. The more I read about this boy, the more grief stricken I become, not only for the loss of this little boy and the absolute horror his family is going through, but grief stricken because it so easily could have been mine. </div>
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This is yet another tragic reminder that no matter how vigilant we are, we can't control everything. And that is terrifying.</div>
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Marla Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10416284296412855613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1157317706580240436.post-76720579730312571732014-08-29T10:15:00.000-04:002014-08-29T10:15:39.569-04:00Open Sesame!<br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The top 8 list of allergens is outdated. Sesame is internationally increasing, reaching #3 in Israel, and being recognized on labeling lists throughout Europe, Canada, and Australia. The US needs to follow suit. Sesame is one of the trickiest and most dangerous allergens because it only takes one seed to trigger a life threatening reaction. Because sesame is not labeled in the US, errant seeds can accidentally make their way into hamburger buns, crackers, and bagels that do not normally have seeds. The quality of life for the sesame allergic would increase DRAMATICALLY if sesame was included on the allergen list. Please take a moment to sign. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">THANK YOU!!<span class="_3ptf fcg"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="_3ptf fcg"><a href="https://www.change.org/p/fda-add-sesame-seeds-as-an-allergen-to-us-product-labeling-laws?recruiter=false&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=share_facebook_responsive" target="_blank">https://www.change.org/p/fda-add-sesame-seeds-as-an-allergen-to-us-product-labeling-laws?recruiter=false&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=share_facebook_responsive</a></span></span></div>
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Marla Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10416284296412855613noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1157317706580240436.post-40951486893803754712014-06-06T08:56:00.002-04:002014-06-06T08:58:08.890-04:00Social Studies 101<br />
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Thank you, Chairman and members of the committee. It is such an overwhelming honor to be able to sit here, as a private citizen, in front of you to present this bill. Senate Bill 730 is an education bill that would simply educate restaurant staff about food allergies and how to accommodate a very loyal customer base. In my experience with eating out, the servers and chefs want to know what to do and how to serve us correctly and safely, but without the training, they just don’t know how. The education this bill would bring would help tremendously. A little educaion really does go a long way. </div>
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There is a website called allergyeats that I consult every time we <b>have</b> to eat out. It is a national list of restaurants that are reviewed by families and individuals with food allergies. My family has been traveling up north quite a bit over these last several months and because of this list, we only eat at restaurants with high reviews. But, we have eaten at the same two restaurants every time we go up. Individuals and families with food allergies are extraordinarily loyal. We have to be. For us, eating out is a matter of life and death. There is a real need for us to eat in a restaurant where there is training so that we can feel safe. And if we feel safe, we will frequent that restaurant over and over. And there are a <b>lot </b>of us out there.</div>
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It sounds kind of strange to say “every time we HAVE to eat out.” I would love to be able to say, “every time we WANT to eat out.” This bill would make that possible.</div>
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This was the little mini speech I gave yesterday afternoon in front of the Senate Regulatory Reform Committee in the state capitol. In March I had given a longer speech, MUCH longer actually, about how helpful this bill would be for everyone living with food allergies. The bill requires training for restaurant staff, a poster in the kitchen, and a notice asking customers to notify their server if they have food allergies. </div>
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The first step in this process of making the bill into a law is getting it out of committee, where so many other bills are lost. Once it passes through the committee, it moves onto the Senate floor. If it passes off the floor, then it goes to the House of Representatives. I know that there is still a journey ahead of us, but this first hurdle, I think, may be the most difficult.</div>
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And it passed. Unanimously.</div>
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I did not expect that. At all. I knew there were at least two members of the committee who objected to the bill. </div>
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Unanimous. Unbelievable.</div>
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I cried. </div>
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And then I snorted.</div>
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Really loud.</div>
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But it passed!</div>
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Marla Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10416284296412855613noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1157317706580240436.post-30502891598396558302014-01-30T11:45:00.001-05:002014-01-30T11:46:14.686-05:00chicken n biscuits<br />
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Wow have I been a bad blogger. I have just been completely blog lazy. <br />
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I've been blazy.<br />
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It's a real word. Look it up. <br />
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Well it should be a real word....<br />
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I have had several people ask if I had a good recipe for leftover chicken. This is my absolute favorite recipe for leftover chicken. And now I will share it with you. How lucky you are.<br />
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I usually will make a chicken soup and reserve half of the cooked chicken, tear it to bits with my hands which is really very therapeutic, and make this. I love it because you can use whatever veg you have on hand. If you have leftover chicken, the whole thing comes together so quickly it always surprises me. But even if you don't have leftover chicken, it doesn't change the timing. You can sauté the chicken while the gravy thickens. Sauté the chicken while the gravy thickens. Say that ten times fast and you've got yourself a song! Or does that only happen in my head?</div>
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Chicken and biscuits</div>
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4 tbs butter</div>
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1/4 c. flour</div>
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4 c. chicken stock, plus more if it looks too thick</div>
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3 c. chopped, cubed, or torn to bits chicken </div>
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2 carrots, chopped</div>
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2 celery sticks, chopped</div>
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peas, corn, and parsnip also are wonderful in here</div>
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1 leek (white part only) or onion or 2 shallots or a few green onions... chopped</div>
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biscuits:</div>
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2 c. flour</div>
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2 1/2 tsp baking powder</div>
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1/4-1/2 tsp salt</div>
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2 tbs herbs- flat leaf parsley, chives, dill chopped</div>
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6 tbs chilled, cubed earth balance butter</div>
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3/4 c. soy milk, almond milk.... whatever milk you like</div>
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The first thing I do when I make this is cube the butter for the biscuits and pop them into the freezer. You want them to be cold cold cold.</div>
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Preheat oven to 450ºF.</div>
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If you do not have leftover chicken, just use about a pound of chicken, boneless and skinless, cut into chunks, and sauté with some olive oil in a heavy pan over medium heat until cooked through, about 5-10 minutes.</div>
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In a dutch oven or other large saucepan, melt the butter over medium high heat. Add the flour, and whisk until smooth. Pour in the stock, raise the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Cook, whisking every couple of minutes, until the mixture smooths out and thickens a bit, about 5 minutes. Add chicken and vegetables. Reduce heat to medium, and keep at an active simmer.</div>
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In a medium bowl, add the first biscuit ingredients: the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix well, and then add the herbs if using and then the butter. Using a pastry blender or your hands, mix to combine, leaving it crumbly. If you use your hands, don't handle it too much- you don't want the butter to soften. Pour the milk in all at once and stir it together with a fork. </div>
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Knead the dough against the bowl several times until the bowl is clean. On a floured surface, dump the dough out, pat it down to about 1/2" thick, and using a biscuit cutter (if you're well stocked or organized or fancy or all of the above) or a plain ol' drinking glass (if you're not well stocked or organized or fancy or all of the above, i.e. me), cut out circles and gently place them on top of the stew. Pop the whole thing into the oven and bake for about 10-12 minutes, or until the biscuits are all puffed up and nicely browned on top. I will sometimes put it on broil to get the tops really toasty. </div>
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Voila! C'est tout! Bon appétit!</div>
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Marla Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10416284296412855613noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1157317706580240436.post-1541581367423078362013-10-22T21:52:00.000-04:002013-10-22T21:53:32.149-04:00there are liars out there....This makes me sick. Grow some balls and stand up for your child. What is that child going to think when he finds out that his parents lied about his having allergies? That lying is ok? She doesn't think that a 6 year old knows the difference? My child, AT THREE, knew how to ask about what was in the food he was going to eat. ANY parent of a child with food allergies would give ANYTHING to have a choice of what their child eats. This person right here is the reason why food allergies AREN'T taken seriously. I know plenty of people who choose not to give their kids processed foods. Sure it's difficult. But they are good parents with a healthy moral compass, who *gasp* actually voice their opinions to achieve their goal. What a concept.<br />
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The reason why the web page is not linked in here is because the enormity of the negative comments caused the blogger to pull the post. At least that's why I assume it was pulled. What was so troubling, though, was how many aggressively supportive comments there were. The absolute douchebaggery of that mom is just mind boggling. I understand that I probably could have voiced my opinion in a more..... dignified manner. I can't help it. This just pisses me off.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><img alt="Anonymous" src="http://static-01.cafemomstatic.com/images/library/avatar/avatar_20_md.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; float: left; margin-right: 10px; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" /></span><br />
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*ETA* *ETA again* I lie about my kid's "food allergy"</div>
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<span class="label" style="color: #cccccc; font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Arial, sans-serif;">by</span> Anonymous</div>
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Today at 8:11 AM</div>
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My confession today: my son doesn't have any food allergies but I don't like him eating processed foods when he's at school or a friend's house, etc. so I tell people he has a food allergy to eggs and gluten. That eliminates a lot of the processed junk that people will allow their kids to eat and keeps him eating fresh foods. Plus, I don't have to worry that he is getting food from people's homes that might be unsanitary. You can't know what someone's house is like.</div>
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That's my confession. I don't feel bad at all and my son doesn't know the difference. He is 6.</div>
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<span style="color: #ff6600;">ETA: At the school he attends you do not need a doctor's note to document allergies or to be dosed with OTC medication. If we were asking for him to have a larger than recommended dose if he had an allergic reaction, that is when the school needs a doctor's note. There are so many kids at the school with allergies and intolerances that they take them at face value unless they are considered so severe that they would require an epipen. He has never been picked on for having an allergy.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #ff6600;">When I refer to people being unsanitary, I don't mean the homes that he may visit. I know the parents of the children he spends time with outside of school and have been in their homes. I am mostly referring to parents sending snacks in to school for birthdays, etc. Our school allows homemade treats and I have no idea how clean of a home they may have come from.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #ff6600;">I do *NOT* expect other parents to provide food for him. I am happy to send in alternate snacks to school, to soccer practice, friends' houses, and anywhere else he might be getting food. I just don't want people to give him food. I have never expected anyone to accomodate him other than *NOT FEEDING* him.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #ff6600;">I know that what I am doing is not the best moral decision, but I am doing what I think is best for my child. There are plenty of women on here that make decisions about child-rearing that I find horrifying, but those aren't my kids so I don't honestly care.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #ff6600;"></span> <span style="color: green;">ETA again: So, many people have been saying "he should get treats". He does get treats....treats I make and that are not processed. So he isn't totally deprived.</span></div>
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<span style="color: green;">Also, for those that are saying "One little treat isn't going to hurt him". I am well aware of that. However, you are literally making my point for me. That is the exact attitude that forced me into lying about it in the first place.</span></div>
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Marla Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10416284296412855613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1157317706580240436.post-85383486579770914362013-09-08T22:56:00.000-04:002013-09-08T22:56:59.992-04:00an emerging epidemic...<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">If anyone has been wondering what this legislation is that I've been working for the last year, PLEASE watch this. The Discovery Channel and FARE (Food Allergy Research and Education) made a documentary called An Emerging Epidemic: Food Allergies in America. It is on the Discovery Channel on Saturday, September 21 at 8am ET/PT. You can also watch it on the link I have provided.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">When Ian was 2, he had a reaction in a restaurant and we stopped eating out. Three months later at a family wedding, however, we found that sometimes we couldn't avoid eating out. After a series of dealings with a caterer who had no idea how to handle allergies, I realized that something had to be done. I learned about the Massachusetts legislation, and I had heard that the Rhode Island legislation had been introduced, but it hadn't yet passed. I drafted a letter and my quest for legislation had begun.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;">One year later, I have a bill and a sponsor. We plan to introduce our bill in the next couple of weeks. To me, this bill is common sense and simply a means of education. Hopefully Michigan will feel</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;"><span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;">that way too, and it will pass.<br /><br />Again, please watch this. I guarantee that you have or will have someone important in your life with food allergies. A little education really does go a long way.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;"><span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;"><a href="http://www.discoverychannelcme.com/patient-education/food-allergies">http://www.discoverychannelcme.com/patient-education/food-allergies</a></span></span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YVDs2ur8wF0/Ui04ooLi8bI/AAAAAAAABXA/vggOdbfJTFk/s1600/Food-Allergies-image-large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YVDs2ur8wF0/Ui04ooLi8bI/AAAAAAAABXA/vggOdbfJTFk/s400/Food-Allergies-image-large.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17px;"><br /></span>Marla Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10416284296412855613noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1157317706580240436.post-56033818842877541172013-05-28T10:08:00.000-04:002013-05-28T10:10:37.961-04:00Some things...Here are a few of the things that we did yesterday.<br />
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I gave the kids some egg containers and sent them on a scavenger hunt. Well, sort of. I tried to engage the kids to help me make a list of things to find, but my daughter does not like following rules. She prefers to do things her own way.........<br />
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So they picked out whatever they wanted. Which was just fine with me.<br />
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Then we sat in the tall grass as I explained to them what a veteran is. <br />
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Suddenly, footsteps in the woods.</div>
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Udo checked it out..... </div>
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...but not really.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BWQ_patJtCs/UaOibTM6LlI/AAAAAAAABTU/yf6VeoOZcdA/s1600/13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BWQ_patJtCs/UaOibTM6LlI/AAAAAAAABTU/yf6VeoOZcdA/s400/13.jpg" width="298" /></a></div>
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We ate lunch, but that wasn't very picture worthy.</div>
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The kids drew some masterpieces. </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--4hPhqUiqog/UaOif-D06qI/AAAAAAAABUA/XhQ-kWl7Vtw/s1600/7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--4hPhqUiqog/UaOif-D06qI/AAAAAAAABUA/XhQ-kWl7Vtw/s400/7.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="400" /></a></div>
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At the exact moment when this picture was taken, the striped one said, "I love you so much." To which the one in white replied, "I love you so much too." </div>
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Awww, it just warms the heart.</div>
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Just in case you don't quite know what's going on here, the kids offered their interpretations:</div>
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(Top) The mommy and baby went to the fair but they accidentally passed all the fun. And there was a horse.</div>
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(Bottom) I was there and I found a wave and I jumped in the water and I was sleeping.</div>
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I find that the interpretations sometimes help. </div>
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Let's just move on to the cookies, shall we...</div>
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A day wouldn't be complete without cookies. But not just ANY cookies. Chocolate chip cookies. But not just ANY chocolate chip cookies. </div>
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Chocolate chip cookies with coconut sugar. All of the cookie you love, but with a whole lot less processed sugar.....</div>
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And I'm just going to put the recipe right here, before the pictures, so you can get started right away without having to navigate through all of that nonsense....</div>
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<b>Chocolate chip cookies with coconut sugar</b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">1 1/4 c. all purpose flour</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">1/2 tsp baking soda</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">1/4 tsp salt<br />1/4 tsp cinnamon (wonderful for an added warmth, but the cookies are just as good without it)<br />1 stick Earth Balance butter, softened<br />1/2 c. coconut sugar<br />1/2 c. packed light brown sugar<br />1 egg<br />1 1/2 tsp vanilla<br />1 c. dairy free chocolate chips or chocolate cut into chunks (I use Enjoy Life)<br /><br />Preheat oven to 350<br />Combine flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon (if using) in bowl. Mix well.<br />On medium speed, beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and continue to beat until well mixed.<br />On low speed, stir in the flour mixture until blended. Add the chocolate chips and stir to integrate them into the batter.<br />Grease one or two cookie sheets and drop dough by heaping teaspoonfuls, spaced about 2 inches apart.<br />Bake for 8-10 minutes.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">But here are the pictures anyway, just for fun. And you can pretty much figure out what I did here. Other than reacquainting myself with my camera.... I know, I know. It's been too long, baby.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Ahhh, sugars....</span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4yTrNsFht0o/UaQejeVS4pI/AAAAAAAABVM/u3p2ac8Bxe4/s1600/DSC_7337.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4yTrNsFht0o/UaQejeVS4pI/AAAAAAAABVM/u3p2ac8Bxe4/s400/DSC_7337.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">And along with the butter picture, I think this next one is my favorite of the set...</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-e_lxtSXp3oU/UaQekp6FGjI/AAAAAAAABVc/-mjT_zzwoOc/s1600/DSC_7339.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-e_lxtSXp3oU/UaQekp6FGjI/AAAAAAAABVc/-mjT_zzwoOc/s400/DSC_7339.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">Just delicious, isn't it.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">OOH! And the mini scooper! I received that as a gift, and it is the single most useful item in my kitchen.</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E6f4uzxkwKY/UaQek8W2kgI/AAAAAAAABVg/edvk0_GYUUU/s1600/DSC_7342.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E6f4uzxkwKY/UaQek8W2kgI/AAAAAAAABVg/edvk0_GYUUU/s400/DSC_7342.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-piYLk1sNs0U/UaQelS_DaHI/AAAAAAAABVs/YEIp_ZNFcZI/s1600/DSC_7346.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-piYLk1sNs0U/UaQelS_DaHI/AAAAAAAABVs/YEIp_ZNFcZI/s400/DSC_7346.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">See?? Perfect little scoops....</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-A_wQMgR_iMY/UaQenPfXmZI/AAAAAAAABWE/RUZW-Q-y7QU/s1600/DSC_7355.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-A_wQMgR_iMY/UaQenPfXmZI/AAAAAAAABWE/RUZW-Q-y7QU/s400/DSC_7355.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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....make perfect little cookies!</div>
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I normally only bake one cookie sheet at a time, and then freeze the other half for later use. I am partial to the "log and slice" method....</div>
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Mmmm mmmmm</div>
Marla Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10416284296412855613noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1157317706580240436.post-91957899223446458082013-04-14T21:49:00.002-04:002013-04-14T21:51:02.378-04:00Detroit Artist's Market Well, I have some very exciting not parenting not cooking not allergy related news..... I was asked to be the featured artist at the Detroit Artist's Market. Which sounds like it's a solo show, but it's not. By the back door, there is a lovely display area. So the DAM has decided to pair up a "featured artist" alongside their main show; the featured artist changing with each show. I am so honored to have been chosen as the first featured artist!! Here is a peek at my wall:<br />
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If you can't see any of these paintings, here are a few:<br />
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I'm excited for the show. </div>
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It's been a long time....)</div>
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<br />Marla Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10416284296412855613noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1157317706580240436.post-65670930681992667342013-03-28T17:18:00.000-04:002013-10-22T22:15:19.450-04:00heart cupcakes<br />
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This is a wonderful way to make cupcakes. I first saw it <a href="http://www.facebook.com/parenting.coach.alison.astair" target="_blank">here</a>, on Alison Astair's facebook page. If you are not familiar with this facebook page, I strongly suggest checking it out. Especially if you are a parent or caregiver. Alison has so many incredible ideas for so many different things. I have consulted her page many times....</div>
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The thing with this post though, is that it is more for the idea and not so much for the recipe. I have yet to come up with a fabulous yellow cake, and I am just now realizing that in my advancing age I am really becoming too picky. Or too lazy. I can't quite tell yet.</div>
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So to keep things simple, use whichever cupcake recipe you want here. And if you have a really great yellow cake recipe that you are just dying to share, I would love to try it out!!</div>
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All you need to make these great cupcakes is aluminum foil. Make small balls to put in the top (I used small foil cylinders for the flower shape), and take small folded squares to stick in the sides at the bottom. I tried it with balls at the bottom, but it was too much and made the shape all wonky. The end! That's it. So super easy. And the kids loved them. </div>
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You could probably decorate the cupcakes prettier than my boring sample here, but you know, when I'm hankering for cupcakes, I just can't be bothered with decorating. Slathering is much more my style.Marla Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10416284296412855613noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1157317706580240436.post-78592701150695235762013-03-05T18:57:00.000-05:002013-03-05T18:58:28.060-05:00hot chocolate and homemade marshmallows<br />
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I am so happy to announce my first guest blogger post! Without giving too much away, I have 3 words for you: <br />
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delicious<br />
healthy<br />
marshmallows<br />
no corn syrup<br />
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Ok fine. Six words. <br />
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But let's not forget thick, rich, creamy, chocolatey, dairy free hot chocolate.......<br />
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You can find the post <a href="http://getrealforkids.com/blog/hot-chocolate-homemade-marshmallows-yum/#" target="_blank">here</a>. Enjoy!<br />
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<br />Marla Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10416284296412855613noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1157317706580240436.post-75189544958735701622013-02-19T17:59:00.000-05:002013-02-19T17:59:55.183-05:00better than duncan's crockerWhat? Did I say that? Why, yes. Yes I did. These brownies are better than Duncan's and Crocker's put together.<br />
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I absolutely love Duncan Hines brownies. And I love them even more than ever, because some varieties are dairy free. I never thought I would appreciate a boxed, pre-fabricated food but then allergies entered the equation, and I found first hand how difficult it can be to take the easy route...</div>
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So we always have a box in the pantry, just in case we need brownies in a hurry. But the last few times I have made them, there was just something not quite right. They weren't like I remembered them. They tasted a little too eggy and a bit chemically.</div>
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I, like many others before me, have toiled away trying to find the secret that makes these brownies so dense, chewy, and chocolatey, but with that impossibly flaky top. So many of us, it seems, are on a quest for that perfect brownie. And who has set that standard that so many of us strive to duplicate? That's right. Duncan Hines.</div>
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BUT.</div>
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These brownies are about to give them a run for their money. I have tried so many of the "best brownies ever" only to find that they were not, in fact, the best brownies ever. So I am not about to claim that I have come up with the best brownies ever, because obviously that's all subjective anyway. </div>
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Oh who am I kidding. These are the best brownies ever!! I have solved my very own Duncan Hines challenge!! </div>
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I really love this recipe because it is just so easy. And the amounts are not accidental. I worked the proportions so that they are straight up. A stick of this, a cup of that. Straight. Up.<br />
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Since I am not one who particularly likes to follow rules, recipes, or knitting patterns, I fight the "baking has to be exact" idea. If you want these brownies to be more gooey, add less flour. If you want them to be less gooey, add more flour or less butter. If you don't want them to be too sweet, add less sugar. No sweat.<br />
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And the best part is that they take less time to prepare than it takes for the oven to preheat. </div>
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<b>the best brownies ever</b></div>
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<b><br /></b>8 oz enjoy life chocolate chips or chunks (I use a slightly rounded to overflowing cup of chips)</div>
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8 tbs earth balance butter or unsalted (dairy free) margarine</div>
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2 eggs</div>
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1 c. sugar</div>
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1 tsp vanilla</div>
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very scant 1 c. all purpose flour</div>
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pinch of salt</div>
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Preheat the oven to 350˚F.</div>
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Line an 8x8" baking dish with two strips of foil or parchment paper. To do this, take one strip that is the width of the dish, and line the dish with it, letting the overhang.. well.. overhang. These overhanging parts will be very useful handles later, when it's time to cut. Repeat in the other direction. Spray the foil or parchment with cooking spray.</div>
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Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Once melted, add the chocolate, give it a good stir, and take it off the heat. Set aside.</div>
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In a small bowl, combine the flour and salt and set aside.</div>
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In a bowl, mix the eggs and sugar until light and slightly fluffy. Once the chocolate mixture has cooled a little, add to the egg mixture, very slowly at first, to avoid cooking the eggs. Once you have thoroughly whisked in about a tablespoon, you can add the chocolate with a little more abandon. Once all of the chocolate is incorporated, add the vanilla, and then mix in the flour.</div>
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Pour into the prepared baking dish and bake for about 30 minutes. Wait until the brownies have cooled (this is definitely the hardest, yet most important step), and pull out of the pan using the foil or parchment liner. Once you have the whole thing out of the dish, it is much easier to cut. I like to cut using a rolling pizza cutter. </div>
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Now you may eat one. Or four. Go ahead, no one's watching...</div>
Marla Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10416284296412855613noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1157317706580240436.post-43547103077289301682013-02-16T10:13:00.000-05:002013-02-16T10:14:48.520-05:00my lovely little valentinesBoth of my kids have been sick, alternating turns, for about three weeks now. My daughter was the originator of disease, passing it on to my son, and then in grand splendor, picking it up again as a re-manifestation from her chest to her ears, considerately keeping the fever at just below panic levels for way too long now. Because she has had to miss so much school right before Valentine's Day, I wanted to do something really special. <br />
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And what's more special than a heart filled hallway? The hallway of love.....<br />
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Very fun to make. I painted large sheets of paper, and then cut out a lot of hearts!</div>
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First I painted....... </div>
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......then I cut!!!</div>
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And then I took out some twine and taped it all together. This was kind of a last minute project, and after I had it all taped up, I wished I had done something to the backside of the hearts, but no matter. The kids didn't even notice. They loved it!</div>
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And then there was the something special #2.... </div>
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My first thought was to make a heart shaped cake with a lovely fondant encasement, all pink and velvety smooth, with the rolling landscape of a baby's bottom, sprinkled with an array of fondant babies and hearts and anything else you can imagine, none of which I would ever have the time to make.</div>
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So instead I decided to make a giant cookie. With the kids' help, of course.<br />
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I used my basic chocolate chip cookie recipe, but since it was a larger cookie, I baked it at a lower temp for a longer period of time. It turned out perfectly. Crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside.... And of course, anything slathered in frosting can't be too bad, right?</div>
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<b>Chocolate Chip Cookies </b></div>
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*I adapted this recipe to make a giant cookie</div>
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1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour</div>
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1 stick Earth Balance butter, softened</div>
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1 c. dairy free chocolate chips or chocolate cut into chunks (I use Enjoy Life)</div>
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Combine flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon (if using) in bowl. Mix well.</div>
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On medium speed, beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and continue to beat until well mixed.</div>
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On low speed, stir in the flour mixture until blended. Add the chocolate chips and stir to integrate them into the batter.</div>
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Grease a cookie sheet and dump the whole load of dough in the middle. Spread the mound into whatever shape you like, making sure that it is no more than 1/2" thick. Bake for about 25-30 minutes. I started checking on mine at 20 minutes, and pulled it out after 30. Let sit for a couple of minutes, and move to a cool surface or rack to cool completely before you add the frosting.</div>
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<b><b>vanilla frosting</b></b></div>
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5 tbs softened earth balance butter or unsalted margarine</div>
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2 c. powdered sugar</div>
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2-3 tbs soy milk</div>
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few drops of vanilla</div>
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Combine the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer on medium low speed. I usually drape a dish towel over top to keep the sugar from blizzarding all over the counter and on my person.. Once a ball is formed (this should take a few minutes), turn the mixer to low, and add the soy milk/vanilla a little bit at a time. Mix until thoroughly combined, turn the mixer to high, and whip it up for about 10 minutes, stopping to scrape the bowl if needed. Then add coloring, a drop at a time, until the desired color is reached. Wait until desired food item is fully cooled and slather, slather, slather... mmmm...</div>
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Marla Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10416284296412855613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1157317706580240436.post-66502328083765575802013-02-07T09:04:00.000-05:002013-02-07T09:04:22.962-05:00chocolate chip banana pancakesI'm on a breakfast kick these days. Breakfast for lunch, breakfast for dinner, breakfast for... well.. breakfast.. <br />
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And I have been really into pancakes. Flap jacks. Hot cakes. Hot flips... Vegan pancakes, eggy pancakes, wheat-y pancakes, crepey pancakes, apple pie pancakes, pancakes, pancakes, pancakes. There was a point where my kids actually almost started to get sick of pancakes. </div>
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Then I pulled out these babies.</div>
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And that's really all I have to say about that. I mean, come on! Bananas, chocolate, and cinnamon! In a pancake!! With syrup!!!!! Oh, and did I mention that they are dairy free? Magical....</div>
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Yeah, ok, I'll see you later, I'm off to make some more of these....</div>
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<b>chocolate chip banana pancakes</b><br />
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1 1/4 c. flour, whichever kind you like</div>
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2 tbs granulated sugar or coconut palm sugar (if you like, you can also substitute honey or maple syrup for the sugar, but if you do so, add it to the wet ingredients)</div>
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1 1/4 tsp. baking powder</div>
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big pinch of cinnamon</div>
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pinch of salt</div>
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1 1/4 c. oat milk</div>
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1 egg (if you want to make this vegan, substitute the egg with 1 tbs flax seed and 2 tbs water, or 1 tbs or so of vegetable oil)</div>
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1 banana, smashed</div>
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1/2 tsp vanilla extract</div>
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3-4 tbs melted earth balance butter</div>
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1/4 c. enjoy life chocolate chips</div>
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1 tbs flour</div>
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Heat your skillet over low heat. </div>
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Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl, and mix well. In another bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, smashed banana, and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and mix until just combined. Let the melted butter sit for a minute or so and then very slowly, while whisking the batter, drizzle in the butter. To avoid cooking the egg, don't add the butter in all at once.</div>
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Turn the heat up to medium low.</div>
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Meanwhile, combine the chocolate chips with 1 tbs flour. Make sure the chips are all nicely dusted. I never really realized how effective this technique is in preventing the chips from sinking to the bottom of the batter. Adding a bit of flour keeps those chips afloat in the sea of my soul.... </div>
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Hm, what? Oh yeah, the pancakes.</div>
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Yeah, so add the chips to the batter and gently fold them in. When the skillet is nice and hot, pour about 1/4 cup size circles. Let them cook for about 4 minutes, or until little bubbles start to form and pop on the surface. Flip the flips and cook for another 2-3 minutes, and you are that much closer to yummmm.....</div>
Marla Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10416284296412855613noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1157317706580240436.post-68004253434376138682013-02-03T18:53:00.001-05:002013-02-03T21:10:10.099-05:00skillet baked french toastWow, I haven't posted in quite a while. I wish I had some exciting reason for being so absent, but, alas, I do not. I have been tired and, quite frankly, lazy. For some reason, the kids have decided to wake up anywhere between 2 and 4 almost every morning, alternating between the two. It's almost as if they have coordinated their schedules.. Bad dreams, puke, wind, no clothes, twisted clothes, too many clothes, and my personal favorite "I just love you so much I need to be closer to you". At 3 in the morning....<br />
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It has been cold, and then warm, and then cold, and then VERY cold. I have been cold weather nesting (which is code for sitting in front of the fireplace and playing games with the fam), and if that's not enough to keep me from posting, get this: my tripod has been ALL the way in the other part of the house. A whole THREE rooms away, if you can imagine.. <br />
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So I'm sure that you understand my not being able to post. I am happy to say though, that I have indeed made some stellar meals: sushi, beef barley stew, chicken noodle soup, asparagus and mushroom risotto, chicken and waffles, roasted chicken and veg... The list goes on and on. And last night, all of this culinary deliciousness culminated in my grandest, most adventurous masterpiece of all time: buttered egg noodles, with sides of bacon and peas.<br />
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Too bad I didn't take pictures of that one, huh.<br />
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But fret not, this is well worth the wait. Skillet baked french toast.<br />
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I wanted to use up the last of an almost stale challah loaf and an almost stale whole wheat loaf and baked french toast seemed like a great answer. The problem though, is that almost every recipe I found asked that the bread be soaked overnight. I am not an overnight soaker kind of person.</div>
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Let me rephrase that. I am not that organized, to have breakfast planned the night before.</div>
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My other concern was that I didn't want to spend 45 minutes making breakfast, since many of those recipes took that long to cook. My answer? Pull out the skillet.</div>
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I absolutely love my skillet. And I mean L O V E. My skillet is a permanent fixture on the stovetop. I use it almost every day, making everything from pancakes to filets to chicken tenders to lamb to fried eggs to fish to croutons to anything that needs a beautiful sear. I use it on the stove, I use it in the oven. I use it on the stove and THEN in the oven. I love my skillet.</div>
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So back to the french toast.... </div>
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I decided to put that skillet to good use, and what good use it was!!! It gave the bottom a delicate, delicious, golden crust which was exactly what I was looking for. And the best part? It only took 15 minutes in the oven. Perfect.</div>
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<b>skillet baked french toast</b></div>
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<b><br /></b>4-6 pieces of bread, cut or torn into bite size pieces</div>
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4-6 eggs (I usually use one egg per piece of bread, if that wasn't obvious...)</div>
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1/2 c. vanilla almond milk</div>
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1/2 tsp vanilla extract</div>
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1 tbs Earth balance dairy free butter</div>
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topping:</div>
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1/4 c. oats (not quick cooking or steel cut)</div>
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1/4 c. flour, whichever kind you like</div>
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1/4 c. brown sugar</div>
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1/2 tsp cinnamon</div>
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4 tbs Earth balance dairy free butter</div>
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Preheat the oven to 400˚F.</div>
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In a bowl or large plate, combine the eggs, milk, and vanilla extract. Dump in the bread, and stir to coat. Leave the bread in the bowl, stirring every once in a while, so the bread really soaks up the liquid.</div>
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Heat the skillet over medium to medium high heat. While the skillet is heating, combine the topping ingredients in another bowl until crumbly, and set aside.</div>
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When the skillet is hot, melt 1 tbs of butter. Once the butter is melted and has stopped sizzling, swirl it around the pan to coat. Pour the bread into the skillet, and spread it around so that the bottom of the skillet is covered. Sprinkle the topping on the bread, and at this point, the oven should be preheated, so stick the skillet in. If the oven is not yet to temp, turn off the skillet heat after you sprinkle on the topping. The skillet will still be hot, but it won't have that added heat which may burn the bottom of the bread.</div>
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Bake, uncovered, for about 15 minutes, or until the top is bubbling and golden.</div>
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Bon appetit!</div>
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<br />Marla Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10416284296412855613noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1157317706580240436.post-80700356936061679402012-12-18T14:12:00.001-05:002012-12-18T18:45:57.454-05:00tis the season to bedazzle<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Here is a fun easy way to bedazzle snowflakes. Take three pipe cleaners (or however many you want) and cut them in half. Take one of the pieces and wrap one end around the center of the bunch. Then bend out the rest of the arms into a snowflake shape. Next. Take beads and bead them onto the snowflake arms to your hearts content! I took my handy dandy leatherman tool and bent the ends to keep the beads on. Tie up some string or fishing wire and hang it from your tree. Or doorknob. Or door hinge. Or rear view mirror. Or ear, if you have one. You get the idea. You can also get some suction cup hooks and hang them on the window. Endless bedazzlement, and great fun for the kids!</div>
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<br />Marla Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10416284296412855613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1157317706580240436.post-10325738060475762232012-11-23T15:23:00.000-05:002013-02-05T09:14:52.423-05:00any time is a good time for pie<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13px;">It's true. Any time IS a good time for pie. At least that's what I'm telling myself, as my post for this traditional Thanksgiving fare is a little late.... </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 13px;">Pumpkin pie is relatively new to me. The first time I had it was almost 20 years ago, so "relatively new to me" simply means that it was introduced in my adulthood. It's the same with grilled cheese. I didn't have my first grilled cheese until I was in my 20s, if you can even imagine..</span></div>
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I will never forget the first time I had pumpkin pie. Never quite being a squash person, I was a little hesitant. But once I caught that lovely warm cinnamon infused aroma, I was instantly sold. And that was before I even took one smooth, creamy bite.</div>
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Having a child with a dairy allergy, we are constantly making recipe alterations, and it was last year that I discovered the splendor that is coconut milk. It is a marvelously effective and delicious baking tool. It can substitute buttermilk directly, needing no acid like vinegar or lemon juice to procure that requisite tanginess. I always keep a can of regular coconut milk in my fridge because when it cools, the solids move to the top, and once scooped out and mixed with some confectioners' sugar and a little vanilla, it makes a seriously excellent whipped cream. It also makes for a great pumpkin pie, with it's creamy consistency.</div>
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The real test for my dairy free pumpkin pie came last year, when I made it for my husband's family. His mother is an expert pumpkin pie baker, but she was so bogged down with family and the rest of the meal, that she didn't have time to make dessert. I made this recipe, and no one in the entire family thought it was anything other than grandma's famous pumpkin pie. She is a fabulous cook, my mother in law. This was a HUGE compliment….</div>
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<b>dairy free pumpkin pie</b></div>
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1/2 c. brown sugar (light and dark both work, but dark adds a little more depth to the flavor)</div>
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1/4 c. granulated sugar</div>
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1 tsp ground cinnamon</div>
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1/2 tsp ground ginger</div>
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1/4 tsp ground allspice</div>
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1/4 tsp ground cardamom</div>
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1/2 tsp salt</div>
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2 eggs</div>
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1 15-ounce can organic pumpkin</div>
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1 c. regular coconut milk (be sure to stir it very well before measuring, if using a can)</div>
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1 tsp pure vanilla extract</div>
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Preheat oven to 425˚F.</div>
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Combine the sugars, spices, and salt in a small bowl. In a larger bowl, combine the eggs, pumpkin and vanilla. Add the sugar mixture, and stir until smooth. Whisk in the coconut milk.</div>
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Roll out the crust, and place in a 9" pie dish. I don't usually cut off the crust hang-over anyway, and this pie is a really good reason to use that extra crust. Build up the sides of the crust by folding the overhang onto itself, creating a crusty lip. I can't imagine that anyone in their right mind would want a crusty lip coming anywhere near their pie….. but in this case it keeps the pie filling where it should be- inside the pie.</div>
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Pour the pie filling into the pie shell and bake for 15 minutes. Lower the heat to 350˚F and continue to bake for about 40-50 minutes, give or take, or until a toothpick comes out relatively clean. The filling will firm up as it cools, so don't worry if the pie still looks a little wobbly. </div>
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And here comes the difficult part. Let the pie cool for at least an hour, preferably two.</div>
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<b>pie dough for double crust pie</b></div>
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2 cups all purpose flour, plus more for dusting</div>
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2 sticks Earth Balance dairy free butter, cubed and very cold (I will cube my butter first and put it in a bowl and into the freezer while I get my other ingredients together)</div>
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1 tbs sugar</div>
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1/2 tsp salt (the Earth Balance is salted, so I usually omit the salt here, or at most I'll add a pinch. If you use unsalted butter however, add the salt)</div>
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8 tbs ice cold water, give or take</div>
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I have done this by hand for years, but just recently I started using the food processor. I have found that since having kids, I am usually in a hurry. Food processor pie dough is perfect. But you have to be careful not to over process. You want to be able to see chunks of butter throughout the pie dough because when the butter melts, it forms pockets of buttery steam which is what makes the dough light and flaky. If you don't want to use a processor, than by all means, just mix it with your hands or a pastry blender until the butter is about the size of small peas.</div>
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Put flour, sugar, and salt into food processor. Pulse a couple of times to blend dry ingredients together. Add butter all at once and give it about 5 pulses. I don't like to pulse it too much here, because there is more pulsing to come and at the end, I want my butter in bigger chunks. Add the water, a couple of tablespoons at a time. Pulse 2 or 3 times after each addition, just to mix it in. The pulses should be very quick. The butter chunks should be the size of large breadcrumbs or small peas. </div>
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Once the dough has come together, turn it out and gather it into a flat ball. Cut it into two pieces, one slightly larger than the other. Wrap each patty in plastic wrap and put them in the fridge for at least an hour to let the dough rest. If you are only using a bottom crust, simply put the other patty in the freezer, where it will keep for 2-3 months.</div>
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Marla Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10416284296412855613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1157317706580240436.post-65249168779926596122012-11-05T11:57:00.000-05:002012-11-09T08:49:48.696-05:00hanging artworkDo you have a bunch of photos or paintings that you want to put on the wall, but become totally overwhelmed thinking about arranging them? Well, look no further, I have an answer. <br />
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I must state, first and foremost, that you probably should NOT hang artwork while intoxicated or really REALLY tired. You tend to make mistakes that way.... Fortunately in my case (tired, not intoxicated- the latter may have been more fun), my mistakes weren't so bad. I would also like to add, that the photos here were taken with my phone, so the quality isn't that good. I default back to my being tired.... </div>
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With all of these excuses, why on earth am I posting this, you might ask yourself. Well, I have had these 5 beautiful farm animal paintings by <a href="http://www.brendaferguson.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Brenda Ferguson</a> for quite a while now, and I have been avoiding hanging them. Every time I looked at these paintings, I just couldn't figure out how to arrange them on the wall. And then it came to me. It was an epiphany. Not to be confused with all the other epiphanies that have flashed before my brain today. Or would those be hallucinations?<br />
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First, you haphazardly hang a clock with a tack. Then you design your artwork around that. Look on the floor, and while you pick up your kids' crumpled paper, look for the pieces that have the least amount of scribbles on it. You may want to try to straighten them out a bit, but as you can see, I couldn't be bothered with that part...<br />
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I then put the paintings on the paper, and traced the outermost edges. I cut out the paper, and voila! You now have a template. Because the paintings are all the same size, I drew little two second gesture sketches on the paper so I knew which was which.<br />
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I then did a quick measure. I flipped the painting over and measured where the hook is. I measured the uppermost part of the inner hole of the hook, if that makes sense. In other words, I visualized where the nail would sit in the hook, and how the hook would be sitting on the nail. That makes perfect sense, right? So, on these square 6" paintings, the hook was 1 1/4" down from the top, and it was right in the middle, at 3". I put a mark on the paper where the nail should go. The other two paintings have a wire, so I flipped the painting over, and pulled the wire in the direction of the top of the painting, to make it taut. I then measured down from the top of the painting, to the wire, and then the center of the painting as well. And I taped my arrangement to the wall.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6kmyCAersFE/UJcT4oQoS8I/AAAAAAAAA_0/ZTW_-yIomh0/s1600/2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6kmyCAersFE/UJcT4oQoS8I/AAAAAAAAA_0/ZTW_-yIomh0/s400/2.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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I then put nails straight into the paper. This is where my tiredness came into play. I would recommend that you get out your level and make sure that all of the rows are straight. Or you could even get out a ruler, and make the spaces in between the paintings even, or whatever you like. I, myself, like it all a little bit off, because, well, I am a little bit off...<br />
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So I eyeballed the arrangement, and didn't measure, and nailed it to the wall.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TxPlBV__CAU/UJcT7A2DabI/AAAAAAAAA_8/CBp9kXnibvE/s1600/3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TxPlBV__CAU/UJcT7A2DabI/AAAAAAAAA_8/CBp9kXnibvE/s400/3.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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I then hung the paintings right over the paper, to see if everything was ok.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4uubjA-8Id4/UJcUBIyw9JI/AAAAAAAABAY/5x5yHJGz0bk/s1600/7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4uubjA-8Id4/UJcUBIyw9JI/AAAAAAAABAY/5x5yHJGz0bk/s400/7.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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I had to re-nail two nails into the wall, because that's when I realized I hadn't leveled or measured anything. But I don't think it looks too bad! The one thing I am impressed with is that the top pink painting on the left is perfectly lined up with the rooster. And the top of the silver frame on the left is exactly at the midpoint of the silver frame on the right (5" on the dot), which is also at the exact middle of the space between the pink goats and the two beneath. Talk about eyeballing!!<br />
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In any case, now that you have your arrangement nailed to the wall, carefully tear off the paper, and you, my friends, are all done!<br />
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Happy hanging!<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Usx2QfpDXcs/UJcUGfMBNLI/AAAAAAAABAo/fT2xGhNNyL0/s1600/9.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Usx2QfpDXcs/UJcUGfMBNLI/AAAAAAAABAo/fT2xGhNNyL0/s400/9.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Marla Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10416284296412855613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1157317706580240436.post-88378765583558727152012-11-01T23:00:00.000-04:002012-11-02T08:00:02.571-04:00easy prints, great projectSo a while ago, I saw a picture somewhere of a toddler painting on a cookie sheet and then transferring it to paper. I thought it was genius, and filed it away in my head for a rainy day. <br />
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The only problem is that my brain doesn't work like it used to. If I don't write it down or set an alarm in my phone, it is widely assumed that I won't remember it. And I'm not even kidding. I can't write things on paper anymore, because I won't remember where I put the paper. So if I have a pen and need to write something down, it goes on my hand. Which then spreads to my arm, if any sort of details are involved. It's pathetic, really.<br />
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But every now and again, I will have a moment of clarity, and remember something fantastic. Today was one of those days. <br />
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My son was playing the chef who puts out fires set by the mean machine who was considerate enough to call him on the phone to alert him of his intentions, and it came to me. I asked him if he wanted to do a fun painting project, and he was instantly on board.</div>
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He picked out his cookie sheet, we got out some paint and paper, and got to work. This project was so easy and so much fun. It only required a few items that I had lying around, but even if I didn't have q-tips, a finger would work just as well. Or crumpled up paper, or a cotton ball, or a paint brush, or a pencil, or a crayon, or a spoon, or Barbie's foot, or a fork, or a toy car, or a leaf, or a shoe... It's endless fun, really. <br />
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So you put some paint on the cookie sheet, let your kid smush it all around and make all sorts of designs in it, and put a piece of paper on top. At first, you barely have to touch the paper, since the paint will be thicker. But as the paint pares down, you can smooth out the paper with your hands to transfer the pattern onto the paper. That's all there is to it!</div>
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And if you don't want to have a stack of prints lying all over your house, you could fold them in half and make cards out of them!! Or maybe if you use a larger sheet of paper, you could use it as wrapping for a small present. Endless fun, I tell you!</div>
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The best part of this project? No mess. Maybe it's just my kid, but I didn't even have to put a smock on him. I just rolled up his sleeves and let him go. See that paint on the towel? </div>
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That was the only paint outside of the cookie sheet. </div>
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But...... I did use washable paint, just in case.</div>
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As great as these are, just take a look up close. </div>
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Some of the paint we used here was metallic, and up until now, I didn't quite realize how special is was. I just thought it would be fun for the kids. But WOW. </div>
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Just, wow.</div>
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<br />Marla Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10416284296412855613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1157317706580240436.post-19932237046573314332012-10-29T20:21:00.000-04:002013-09-11T12:10:06.613-04:00not your typical dinosaur cake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PpfrGNvVCeg/UI2hHS4ZNLI/AAAAAAAAA4Q/LEy2hpqQ798/s1600/68715_10151103108577883_459245874_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PpfrGNvVCeg/UI2hHS4ZNLI/AAAAAAAAA4Q/LEy2hpqQ798/s400/68715_10151103108577883_459245874_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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My son recently turned three. This is when the strangers really come out of the woodwork. They take one look at my son's hazel eyes and just swoon over his unbelievable lashes. Oh will you just look at those eyes, they say. He is really going to give those girls a run for their money, they continue. They ask how old he is and then follow it up with a clasping of the hands, a tilting of the head, and all of those falsely nostalgic memories swimming to the surface of their minds, erupting in huge sighs and a great big, "ohhh, don't you just LOVE this age?"</div>
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I say falsely nostalgic, because they obviously don't have very good recall.</div>
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Terrible two has nothing on three. At two, my son's language skills were just starting to develop, so his frustration would usually culminate in screaming or crying tantrums. I would give him a minute to release his angst, and he would come around.</div>
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But now he can talk. And he can talk well.</div>
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So these days, his frustration ends up with scathing, indignant, dastardly remarks that chip away at my heart, eyelashes or not. Yeah, lady, I really just LOVE this age.</div>
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But then suddenly, as quickly as it had started, he looks up at me with those beautiful hazel eyes like big sage green marbles flecked with gold, those feathery lashes directing his gaze toward mine, and he says in a quiet little voice, "I'm sorry mama." Then he falls into my arms, buries his face into my neck, gives me a long, satisfying squeeze, puts his hand on my face and asks, "are you happy, mama?" "Yes, lovey, I'm very happy." "I love you so much mama. Stay with me all day."</div>
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Ok fine. I really do love this age.</div>
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And I am really getting into this whole cake making thing. </div>
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Having a child with a life threatening dairy allergy, I bake a lot. I bake for birthdays, I bake for other kids' birthdays so that my son has something fun and safe to eat, I bake because it's a Tuesday, and I bake because it's sunny outside. Or cloudy. Or rainy. Or Wednesday....</div>
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For my daughter's birthday, I made 3 cakes because I couldn't decide which one to do. I also had three ideas of how to decorate. It was a very indecisive day... Fortunately, they all turned out pretty well, and we didn't have any leftovers. The yellow cake was a spur of the moment happy accident which was extremely fun to do. And to be honest, I really just love frosting (working with it as well as eating it!)</div>
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But for my son's cake, I knew exactly what I wanted to do. Dinosaurs!! I grabbed a sheet of paper and started to draw. I had a lovely scene with a couple of brontosauri wading in a compositionally placed pond, with other recognizable behemoths roaming the frosting-ed terrain. Oh, I'm sorry, apatosauri- the brontosaurus isn't actually a dinosaur anymore.</div>
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What was that, you say? You didn't know that the brontosaurus was a fraud? Well see, here is a little tidbit of information that really sets mama makes from scratch apart from the rest.</div>
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Way back in 1874, a remarkably complete skeleton of a brontosaurus was discovered. The only problem is that it had already been discovered and named apatosaurus. The previous more incomplete skeleton was from a juvenile apatosaurus, leading scientists to believe one was a smaller and completely different dinosaur. This discrepancy was unveiled in 1903. They kept the brontosaurus name though, as a synonym.</div>
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And then, the Flintstones. (This is my hypothesis, which will remain untested. By me, at least.)</div>
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It may have been their brontosaurus pet, Dino, and their constant consumption of brontosaurus burgers at the drive in (which I never really thought of as being completely disturbing, but they are, in essence, eating their beloved pet), that set the scientific community on its ear to officially remove the name brontosaurus from the books in 1974.</div>
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The big scandal came in 1989 when the post office released a set of dinosaur stamps: the t-rex, pteranodon, stegosaurus, and brontosaurus. The public was outraged!! Then they went on to (and here's my favorite part) accuse the post office of "fostering scientific illiteracy." Oh, the horror!</div>
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Well, as you can see, the apatosaurus does not make an appearance on this cake. My husband took one look at my drawing and put in his two cents. "How about you add construction trucks to the scene, like a dig?" Sheer genius. I took it one step further and actually dug into the cake. If I'm going to make an excavation, I really wanted it to be excavated. And how excited was I to make the skeletons.... I found a recipe for marshmallow fondant, grabbed some of Ian's trucks, and set to work. I can't wait for the next cake......</div>
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Ian, "digging" his cake......</div>
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<b>chocolate cake</b></div>
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This recipe makes enough for a double decker 9" cake. I think for this giant double decker sheet cake, I had to double the recipe for each layer. So I had to increase this recipe 4 times for my son's cake. His third birthday cake was a quadruple cake...</div>
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2 c. flour</div>
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2 c. sugar</div>
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1/2 c. cocoa powder</div>
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1 1/2 tsp baking soda</div>
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1/2 tsp salt</div>
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1/2 tsp cinnamon</div>
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1 c. buttermilk (for those dairy free eaters out there, mix 1 c. soy milk with 1 tbs white vinegar; or you could use 1 c. straight coconut milk)</div>
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1/2 c. vegetable oil</div>
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2 eggs</div>
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1 1/2 tsp vanilla</div>
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1/2 c. hot coffee</div>
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Preheat oven to 350˚F. Lightly grease and flour two 9" cake pans, and line the bottom with parchment paper.</div>
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Sift the dry ingredients into the bowl of an electric mixer and blend on low until combined. Combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Add wet ingredients to the dry, slowly on low speed. With the mixer on low, very slowly add the coffee and blend until just combined. </div>
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Pour the batter into the pans and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pans for about a half hour, and turn out to a cooling rack to cool completely.</div>
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<b>vanilla frosting</b></div>
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5 tbs softened earth balance butter or unsalted margarine</div>
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2 c. powdered sugar</div>
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2-3 tbs soy milk</div>
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few drops of vanilla</div>
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Combine the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer on medium low speed. I usually drape a dish towel over top to keep the sugar from blizzarding all over the counter and on my person.. Once a ball is formed (this should take a few minutes), turn the mixer to low, and add the soy milk/vanilla a little bit at a time. Mix until thoroughly combined, turn the mixer to high, and whip it up for about 10 minutes, stopping to scrape the bowl if needed. Then add coloring, a drop at a time, until the desired color is reached.</div>
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<b>chocolate frosting</b></div>
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6 tbs softened earth balance butter or unsalted margarine</div>
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2 c. powdered sugar</div>
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1/4 c. cocoa powder</div>
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1/4-1/2 tsp cinnamon</div>
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2-3 tbs soy milk</div>
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few drops vanilla</div>
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Sift the cocoa powder, sugar, and cinnamon together into the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the butter and follow same directions as above.</div>
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*This frosting is very forgiving. If you feel that it is too thin, just add more soy milk, but remember to add it slowly, mix thoroughly, and then crank it to high and whip like mad. If it seems too thin, add more sugar, again, starting slow, mixing thoroughly, and then cranked to high.</div>
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<b>marshmallow fondant</b></div>
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I only used a fraction of the recipe to make the dinosaurs (1 c. mini marshmallows, a touch of water, and a scant cup of powdered sugar), and truth be told, I only used a fraction of that. I ate the rest. That's right. I ate it. And I didn't share it with anyone...</div>
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1 bag mini marshmallows</div>
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2 tbs water, adding more if needed</div>
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2 lb bag confectioners' sugar</div>
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Crisco shortening- you'll just want to keep the lid off so you can scoop it out. Or if you are more hygienic than I, you could put about 1/2 c. into a bowl</div>
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Place a heat proof bowl over a pot of simmering water. Melt the marshmallows and water in the bowl, stirring occasionally with a rubber spatula, until melted. Mix in about half of the confectioners' sugar, a little at a time, until you reach a stirring impasse. You want it to still be malleable, but stiff enough so that it is difficult to stir.</div>
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Grease your hands and the counter with the crisco until you have a nice coating. Turn out the marshmallow mixture onto the crisco, and knead the same way as bread or pasta dough. Knead the mixture for about 10 minutes, adding more sugar if the dough becomes sticky. Re-grease the counter or your hands as needed. If the dough starts tearing, just add some water, a few drops at a time, and knead it in. Just like pasta or bread dough, the ball will become smooth and elastic after minute 8 of kneading. </div>
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Once you are satisfied with your dough, form it into a ball and tightly wrap it in plastic wrap. I then put the wrapped ball into a ziplock bag and tried to get out as much air as I could. I then put it in a cool, dark place overnight.</div>
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When you take out your dough to make figures, you may have to knead it a bit to get it going again. If it seems too soft, sprinkle it with some sugar and knead it in.</div>
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For my cake, I used the fondant as is, but if you want to color it, you can knead in food coloring as you need it, or you could make the shapes first and then paint them with some food coloring mixed with water and a brush. That is my next project......</div>
Marla Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10416284296412855613noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1157317706580240436.post-23503416244681386562012-10-22T14:30:00.000-04:002012-10-22T19:28:55.645-04:00buffalo barley stewA few weeks ago, I subscribed to an organic delivery service called <a href="https://www.doortodoororganics.com/" target="_blank">door to door organics</a>. They take fresh produce from local farmers, put it in a box, and ship it right to your door. I used to get this a few years ago, but then when we moved I didn't set it back up. I am so glad that I subscribed again! <br />
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This time around they have a whole shop section, where you can buy farm fresh items other than produce. When I saw the buffalo stew meat, I just had to get some. If you've never had buffalo meat, it really isn't that much different than cow. It has a bit of a stronger flavor, and because it is much leaner, it tends to be a little tougher. I thought it would make for a great slow cooked, stewed deliciousness....<br />
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I've said it before, I'll say it again. I love soup. It is so easy, fulling, nourishing, and just downright satisfying. Of course, stew is the same; just chunkier, thicker broth, and a longer cook time. And sooo good....<br />
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<b>buffalo barley stew</b><br />
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Obviously, if you don't have access to buffalo meat, you can just substitute regular ol' cow. <br />
This recipe is actually just my beef barley stew, modified. I love to serve it with some good, crusty bread and a great big salad.<br />
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2 tbs olive oil<br />
1 - 1 1/2 lbs stewing meat, cut into cubes<br />
4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped<br />
4 c. water<br />
1 onion, chopped<br />
3 carrots, roughly chopped<br />
3 celery sticks, roughly chopped<br />
2 parsnips, peeled and roughly chopped<br />
large pinch of dried thyme<br />
large 1/4 c. pearl barley<br />
4 c. beef stock<br />
salt and pepper<br />
chopped fresh parsley<br />
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Heat oil in large heavy pot or dutch oven over medium high heat. Sear the meat until well browned on all sides. Add the garlic and water. Give it a good stir, scraping up all of the brown bits in the pot. Heat to boiling, reduce the heat to low, and simmer, partially covered, for about an hour. Skim off the foam as it rises to the top.<br />
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Add the vegetables, thyme, barley, and stock. Simmer, partially covered, until meat is very tender, about 1 1/2 hours. If the soup becomes too thick, add water. Cut off the heat and season with salt and pepper. Add the parsley and serve.Marla Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10416284296412855613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1157317706580240436.post-81879889305770579492012-10-07T21:19:00.001-04:002012-10-08T11:18:40.283-04:00roasted tomato bow ties with fresh pasta<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">In the beginning of the summer, my husband went to the plant store. He came home with probably 7 different types of tomatoes, and 7 pots for each type. At least. I thought he was nuts. Last year, we grew tomatoes, but we were not organized in the least. We had tomato plants and tomato carcasses all over the place. It was a mess. I was so convinced that we would have a repeat year, so I gave him a pretty hard time over it. Poor guy.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">So we planted the tomatoes in June (geez, was it July? We got a late start this year. And I am really enjoying the use of the word "we"- I didn't plant anything). Every time I went outside, I questioned the whole tomato plan. Where the #$%@ are the tomatoes?? I was so impatient to make fresh tomato sauce, and yet every time I went outside with my colander, I came up empty.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">But it's like they say: if you plant them, they will come....</span><br />
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All of a sudden, they all came in all at once. We couldn't eat the tomatoes fast enough! And the broccoli. Oh man, I don't think I will ever really be able to eat store-bought broccoli again. It is so tender and sweet and perfect when you grow it yourself. The zucchini, eggplant, cucumbers, radishes, spinach, swiss chard, kale, and all the herbs we would ever need. I love growing herbs. And so do the kids- they pick off the leaves and pop them into their mouths. The corn was ok- I had one stellar ear, but the rest were weird and thick skinned. I've heard that it takes a couple of years for the corn to establish itself. Who knows. I am not the gardener in the family.<br />
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I was allowed to have a garden once. It was a wildflower garden, where you just sprinkle a packet of seeds onto the ground and add water. Yeah, it all dried up and the only plants that grew were prickly weeds....<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">So with all of our beautiful, sweet, fresh, totally unsprayed produce, I could make tomato sauce whenever I wanted! Which was pretty often.... And what would really make the fresh tomato sauce? </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Fresh pasta, of course. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"> </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">I have been making it for a while now, mostly in the form of ravioli or spaghetti, but this time I decided to make little bow ties! They were so easy to make and a perfect little size for my kids' little hands. This was definitely a case where the extra "help" was actually helpful..</span></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">*Time management tip*</span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The thought of making fresh pasta may be a little daunting. But just know that from start to finish, it takes about an hour, give or take. But you can easily make the whole meal at the same time so that it gets to the table all at once. Start to make the pasta after you put the tomatoes into the oven for roasting. By the time the sauce is completely finished, after all the roasting and simmering, your pasta will be rolled, formed, and cooked and ready for the table! And if some unforeseen circumstances occur (which are commonplace in my house), don't worry. You can take the sauce off the heat and reheat it later if necessary. Also, after the pasta is bow tied, you can let it sit and dry for however long you need.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">To make the sauce, I didn't really measure anything. I just took enough small halved tomatoes to fill a baking sheet. I then drizzled it all with olive oil, some sea salt, a few sprigs of thyme, and put the whole thing into a preheated 400˚F oven. I roasted them for about a half hour, until their juices oozed and they started to get browned on the edges. I then heated some olive oil in a pan, sizzled in some chopped garlic, and put in the roasted tomatoes. Because they had lost much of their juice, I took about 1 to 2 cups more tomatoes, put them into the blender for just a few seconds, and then dumped their juicy sweetness into the pan as well. I set the heat to low, gave it all a good stir, and simmered for about 40 minutes. If it gets a bit dry, just add some water.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Oh. And I also added bacon, well.... because it's bacon! </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">When I buy bacon, I find that I will use about a half a pack at a time. I'll take the rest and put it into a freezer bag, squeeze out the air, and pop it into the freezer. It freezes beautifully, and whenever I need to use it (for a sauce, for example) I just take it out and chop it while still frozen. So that's exactly what I did here. I cut the frozen piece with scissors (this piece was actually half of a half, since I had already dipped into my bacon cache), it was about 1/4 cup uncooked bacon. I crisped it up in a pan and scooped it out and put it right into the sauce. The smokey flavor of the bacon (or prosciutto if you have it) pairs so wonderfully with the sweet and tangy tomato sauce.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">fresh pasta</span></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">2 cups all purpose flour, plus about 1/2 c. extra for dusting</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">I have made pasta all by hand before, but it really is just so easy to do in a food processor. Put the 2 c. flour and salt into the bowl of the processor and pulse a few times to mix. Then add the eggs and oil, and pulse until it comes together in a ball. Generously flour your work surface, and turn out the dough. Knead the dough for 10 minutes, and you really have to stick it out for the full 10 minutes. It doesn't really start to come together until minute 8. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">It will be sticky at first, so you have to keep adding flour, a sprinkling at a time, until it is tacky, but not sticky. In the end, the dough will be smooth and elastic, and a bit tacky. And keep in mind, that the more flour you add, the tougher it will be in the end, so add the flour sparingly.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Take the dough ball and cut it into quarters. Put the whole thing underneath an overturned bowl. You need to let the dough rest for 15 minutes to activate the gluten. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">I have a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/CucinaPro-177-Pasta-Fresh-Machine/dp/B00004SPDH"><span style="color: #1636ee; text-decoration: underline;">pasta machine</span></a>, which is really just a roller with a crank. It also cuts it into spaghetti if you like. If you do not have a pasta machine, you can roll it out with a rolling pin. The basic premise is this: take one quarter of dough, sprinkle it with flour, and put it through the largest setting on the machine (1), or roll it flat with the rolling pin. If it is still sticky, fold the flat dough into thirds, sprinkle with flour, and roll again. When the dough gets a nice elastic smooth consistency, then you can just keep rolling until you get it to the right thickness. If you use the machine, put it through the 1 size, then take it down to 2, then 3, then 4, and then to 5 for cut out pasta shapes or 6 for spaghetti. This all sounds like a lot to know, but once you make it, it's really easy to see how tacky and smooth it needs to be.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Maybe another?</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How about one more?</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bon appetit!!</span></div>
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Marla Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10416284296412855613noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1157317706580240436.post-78369983371804496302012-10-01T22:59:00.000-04:002012-10-01T23:33:18.793-04:00fried apple piesI have a confession to make. Up until my daughter was born, my husband and I had a tradition. Every time we went to Europe, we would find a McDonalds. I know, I know. What kind of jerk travels around the world to fabulous destinations like Amsterdam, Berlin, and Switzerland, to be surrounded by delicious, genuine, local fare that you would never really find in the States, only to go to a McDonalds? <br />
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This jerk, that's who. Why? <br />
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Three words: fried apple pie.<br />
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That delightfully greasy, flaky, molten lava hot deliciousness is not available in the States anymore. And until 2007, I could only find it overseas. In 2007, however, McDonalds put that awful baked apple pie on the menu everywhere. My beloved fried apple pie was gone.<br />
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Why I had never thought to make it before is beyond me. Maybe I was in denial. Maybe I was trying to forget the apple pie of my eye, so that it couldn't hurt me anymore. Whatever the reason, the time for grief and woe is past. This is the dawning of a new era. A new era that includes fried apple pies. <br />
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Whenever I want.<br />
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<b>fried apple pie</b></div>
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1 half of a double crust pie dough (recipe to follow)</div>
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4 apples, peeled and chopped</div>
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3 tbs Earth Balance butter</div>
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1/4 c. sugar</div>
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1 tbs brown sugar</div>
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1/4 tsp cinnamon</div>
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1/8 tsp ginger</div>
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scant 1/8 tsp allspice</div>
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Heat about 1 inch of oil in a large, heavy pot over medium heat. If you put in a thermometer, it should reach about 350˚F.</div>
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Meanwhile, melt the butter and sugar together in a skillet over high heat. Add the apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and allspice, and cook, stirring often, until tender with crisped edges, about 10 minutes. </div>
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Take 1 dough patty and roll it out into a rectangle, about 1/4-inch thick. Cut the large rectangle into 4 smaller rectangles, or rectangle-like shapes (which is what mine turned out to be). Put a couple tablespoons of the apple mixture on one side of the shape. Be sure to leave about a half inch dough border. Smear a watery finger along the dough border, and fold the other side of the shape to seal. Crimp the edges with a fork or your fingers. Or both, as in my case. </div>
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I probably could have made them look neater, or I could have taken better pictures, but with the constant chorus of "Fried apple pie. Fried apple pie! Fried apple pie, mama!! Fried apple pie!!!" I had to move quickly. The natives definitely won that war....</div>
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<b>pie dough for double crust pie</b></div>
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2 cups all purpose flour, plus more for dusting</div>
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2 sticks Earth Balance dairy free butter, cubed and very cold (I will cube my butter first and put it in a bowl and into the freezer while I get my other ingredients together)</div>
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1 tbs sugar</div>
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1/2 tsp salt (the Earth Balance is salted, so I usually omit the salt here, or at most I'll add a pinch. If you use unsalted butter however, add the salt)</div>
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8 tbs ice cold water, give or take</div>
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This dough is fantastic. I usually freeze half to ensure I can throw together a pie at any given moment. Because you never really know when you'll need a pie. Which happens over here. A lot. </div>
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I have done this by hand for years, but just recently I started using the food processor. I have found that since having kids, I am usually in a hurry. Food processor pie dough is perfect. But you have to be careful not to over process. You want to be able to see chunks of butter throughout the pie dough because when the butter melts, it forms pockets of buttery steam which is what makes the dough light and flaky. If you don't want to use a processor, than by all means, just mix it with your hands or a pastry blender until the butter is about the size of small peas.</div>
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Put flour, sugar, and salt into food processor. Pulse a couple of times to blend dry ingredients together. Add butter all at once and give it about 5 pulses. I don't like to pulse it too much here, because there is more pulsing to come and at the end, I want my butter in bigger chunks. Add the water, a couple of tablespoons at a time. Pulse 2 or 3 times after each addition, just to mix it in. The pulses should be very quick. The butter chunks should be the size of large breadcrumbs or small peas. </div>
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Once the dough has come together, turn it out and gather it into a flat ball. Cut it into two pieces, one slightly larger than the other. Wrap each patty in plastic wrap and put them in the fridge for at least an hour to let the dough rest.</div>
Marla Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10416284296412855613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1157317706580240436.post-19437868808768358922012-09-30T19:43:00.000-04:002012-09-30T19:45:43.721-04:00oatmeal and bananas<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V8sRlcFWFJs/UGjWvFZEDJI/AAAAAAAAAwo/SpFYhkH2OHk/s1600/DSC_6404.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="275" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V8sRlcFWFJs/UGjWvFZEDJI/AAAAAAAAAwo/SpFYhkH2OHk/s400/DSC_6404.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
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This morning, like so many others, I found my sleep deprived pre-coffee self struggling with what to feed my monkeys. Normally, well I should say on school mornings, my daughter sleeps in. This leaves me plenty of time to quietly and peacefully make french toast, scrambled eggs, pancakes, or other nourishing healthy breakfasts with enough time before school.<br />
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On the weekends, however, my daughter wakes up at the crack of dawn. Forget for a moment that last night, my husband and I went out to see an old friend's band have their first show together in 15 years. Forget that we didn't pick up the kids from grandma's until midnight. The kids had fallen asleep at 930, but they both woke up after midnight. If that had happened on a school day, she would have been impossible to wake up. But it being Sunday, she woke up at 630. <br />
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When the kids wake up before I do, making a good breakfast is a bit more difficult. They are hungry. And trying to make a good breakfast while both kids are wide awake and hyper and whining and jumping on the couch and pointing scissors at each other just doesn't work for me. Those are the days when they get cereal or toast, or even a spoon of peanut butter and peach cup, but I do try to get in as many healthy breakfasts as I can.<br />
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This morning, as I had mentioned before, was a crack of dawn morning. But fortunately, my son was still asleep. Those days aren't so bad. My daughter usually is more reliable when she is running around solo. Unfortunately, I had only gotten 5 hours of sleep, my head was thick from the previous night's whiskey (that's right- the ONE whiskey gave me a hangover), it was pre-coffee, and my eyes were struggling to stay open. That's when I found the oats.<br />
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In my <a href="http://www.mamamakesfromscratch.blogspot.com/2012/09/september-savorfull.html" target="_blank">September Savorfull box</a>, I received a bag of Bob's Red Mill Steel Cut Oats, and that made for the perfect Sunday morning breakfast. Oatmeal is so easy to make. For three servings, put three cups of water to boil, add one cup of the steel cut oats, give it a stir, set the heat to low, and simmer away for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Voila! Easy peasy. While it was cooking, and instead of taking a nap which would have been just way too irresponsible...... I found a banana. <br />
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I used to sauté bananas almost every day. Mm mmm. Just heat up some butter on medium high to high heat (or dairy free butter over here), slice up a banana into the sizzling butter, sprinkle on some cinnamon, and with a flick of the wrist, flip the pan to coat and stir the bananas. We have these great eco-friendly nonstick pans that are very lightweight- I bought them from Target a few years ago and I L O V E them. I always feel like such a pro when I flip the food around in those pans.... <br />
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Anyway, I like to let the bananas sit for a spell in the hot butter so that the edges get nice and crispy. You want to take them out before they get mushy- it only takes about 3 to 5 minutes. The bananas pictured here were cooked in a pan that wasn't quite hot enough, and I didn't take them off soon enough. So they got a bit mushy. But they were so beautifully carmelized and delicious, it really didn't matter at all!Marla Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10416284296412855613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1157317706580240436.post-61611043917456804722012-09-26T09:25:00.000-04:002012-09-26T09:25:25.266-04:00food allergy conferenceOk. So what most of you may know, is that my son has life threatening food allergies. What most of you probably don't know, is that I have been working on (hopefully!) passing legislation that will ensure restaurants be more allergy aware. It's called the Food Allergy Awareness Act, and it was a groundbreaking law that passed in Massachusetts, but not in Illinois. When I heard about this Act, I immediately went to work to try to get it passed in Michigan. And to find out why it didn't pass in Illinois!<br />
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In short, it requires restaurants to hang posters in the kitchen that provide allergy information, it would require restaurant workers to watch a 30 minute training video, and put labels on menus asking the customer to notify the server if they have food allergies. To me, this is a real no brainer. <br />
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It might not seem like a big deal to eat in a restaurant if you have food allergies. Just don't order anything with cheese on it, right? Not quite. <br />
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Several of you have eaten with me in a restaurant. You know that it takes me 10 minutes to order a bowl of oatmeal. And you will also note that I really haven't eaten in a restaurant in months. After experiencing your two year old go into full blown anaphylactic shock after eating a piece of bread that was toasted on a pan that had once had butter on it, might scare many of you into trusting your child's life to restaurant workers. Most of whom, I might add, are accommodating. But many of whom are high school kids who think "just a little butter won't hurt," or people who are apathetic and snarky, or people who just don't know. It's not their fault if they don't know. And that is exactly what we need legislative help to change.<br />
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There is a great website called <a href="http://www.allergyeats.com/" target="_blank">Allergy Eats</a>, and this is where you can find restaurants that are allergy friendly. Or not! It is a list of restaurant reviews from all over, compiled by customers with allergies. The people who give the best recommendations are those who have the same concerns. I love this site. I have added some reviews of my own... <br />
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Anyway, Allergy Eats is sponsoring a Food Allergy Conference for Restaurants in Boston, Massachusetts, on Tuesday, October 16. You can find the information <a href="http://www.allergyeats.com/conference.php" target="_blank">here</a>. I am hoping for the day that we can have these in Michigan, with the Michigan Restaurant Association president as a keynote speaker... <br />
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Wish me luck on my venture, and I will keep you posted with my progress! Because there WILL be progress. My current state of idealism and optimism simply does not allow for anyone to say no.<br />
<br />Marla Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10416284296412855613noreply@blogger.com4