Belbows and Lellow

Days gone by.

And nearly forgotten.

Therefore worth retelling.

Kids say the darndest things.  One of mine called pizza "pee-pee" early on.  She also had "pig's feet" whenever we went out to eat.  Yup, she'd look the waiter in the eye and proclaim "I'd like the pig's feet please." And we would discreetly translate it for him. . .chicken tenders.  She ate "chicken butter" too.  I know.  How gross, right?  But no, chicken butter was her name for chicken salad. 

Fast forward a few years and another little one with funny names entered our world.  She had a thing for "belbows."  That's what she called elbows.  Not because they were fat.  Just because she was a little girl.  For years I had to wear shirts/sweaters that she could slip her little hands up my sleeves to feel my elbows.  She preferred mine to daddy's but she love love loved my mom's.  We never were able to get a real explanation of why it made her feel better but it clearly comforted her.  We didn't have to do anything but make sure she would be able to feel our elbows.  When she couldn't, she'd ask for them--"Belbows???!!!"

Lellow.  Certainly not unique to my kids.  But one of those kidspeak classics that always makes me smile.  This morning we were reminiscing about belbows and pigs feet when I remembered "lellow." The girls all told me that they learned to stop saying "lellow" when they went to preschool.  They had the same preschool teacher and she was the one who taught them to say "yellow" instead of "lellow."

These days they don't have nearly the kidspeak that they used to have.  One of them rarely even calls me Mommy; now I'm "Moommm."  Even the youngest has all but abandoned "mama" to call me "Mommy."

Sometimes I miss the old days when I was Mama and the biggest problem the day held was making sure that my sweater sleeves were loose enough for for her to reach my elbows.

Pizza!

It’s been a regular part of our lives for as long as I can remember.  And I’m not talking about restaurant or even frozen pizza.  I’m talking about homemade crust and sauce pizza.

When I was really little we made it from the Chef Boyardee pizza kits.  By the time I was in 7^th grade though my mom had discovered a crust recipe that was easy enough to make and that was the only kind of pizza we had with any regularity at our house.  The recipe was printed on thin cardboard, cut out from the label on a pizza pan I think.  We kept it on the bulletin board inside the cabinet door on the far left side of the kitchen.  Over the years it got stained from mishaps and had many holes punched into it as we took it down and put it back every time we made pizza.   It’s still my basic pizza crust recipe although curiosity has led me to make changes here and there.

Over the years we perfected the pizza sauce recipe too.  My mom tried a myriad of seasonings including oregano, crushed red pepper, basil, parsley and fennel.  

It used to seem like a big deal to make pizza for supper.  Not because my mom made like it was.  It was just clearly something that took more effort than frying up a hamburger in a skillet on top of the stove.  But then one day it just wasn’t any big deal anymore.  And I came to love the fact that by the time the pizza went into the oven, you could clean up all the prep mess leaving just plates, glasses and a couple of easy to clean pans.

Basic pizza crust:

3 c all purpose flour

1 tsp salt

2 packet Rapid Rise yeast (4 ½  tsp if measuring from a jar)

1 c water

3 Tbsp olive oil

Mix dry ingredients then add water and oil.  Mix into dough.  Knead until smooth then let rise in a warm spot.  (We used to put ours in the dishwasher—clean, no dirty dishes—for the dry cycle).

I now pull out my bread machine to make it even easier.  I put the water and oil in first then salt, flour and yeast.

Tweaked pizza crust:

2 ½ c all purpose flour

1 c tortilla mix (I get it at Walmart)

2 packets Rapid Rise yeast

1 c water

3 Tsp olive oil

2 Tbsp sugar

Whichever recipe you use, after it has had 20 minutes to rise you need to divide the dough into 2 balls.  Lightly flour your counter and roll the dough out using a rolling pin.  Peel it off the counter and put on the pizza pan.  Then top with sauce, cheese and your preferred toppings.

Pizza sauce

This one is tricky to write out because I never measure anything.  But here goes:

1 small can tomato sauce

1 small can tomato paste

Red pepper

Oregano

1 Tbsp sugar

Mix tomato sauce and paste in a small bowl.  Fill the tomato sauce can with water and add to the mix.  Stir in 1 tsp crushed red pepper, 1 Tbsp oregano and 1 Tbsp sugar.

This makes enough sauce for 2 12-16” pizzas.

Pizzas get topped with 1½-2 cups of cheese.  We usually use shredded mozzarella but have been known to use Colby Jack or a pizza blend.

We always use pepperoni.  Usually we dice up onions and green peppers.  Sometimes we brown up some ground beef for a meatier pizza.  Or slice tomatoes to put on top.  My husband’s favorite is pepperoni, onion and banana peppers.  

Pizzas bake at 425° for 15-20 minutes, depending on how “done” you like your pizza.

Memories of Summers at the Monastery

Last week the girls and I took an impromptu trip to a monastery.  It was a special place for me growing up.  I was named after the Mother Superior of this monastery (she was also my mom's first grade teacher). 

It was a magical place when I was little.  The church was incredibly beautiful; I always imagined when I got married it would be in that church, just like Maria in The Sound of Music. 

My parents would sit on park benches and visit with the nuns while we ran around the grounds playing tag and racing each other up and down the spiral steps of the towers.  We got to ride horses with the high school girls who were students at the academy.  We got to play tennis with them.  We sat on the bridge in the garden and chatted with them.  I thought the girls were amazingly beautiful teenagers.  Many were international students, fluent in multiple languages.  Sister always told us that those high school students were as enchanted with us as we were with them, that they came from far away and missed their little sisters.

Sadly the academy closed some ten years ago due to a lack of funding.  And most of the nuns that my family visited have died.  We were able to visit with one of the three that my family still knows; she was one of the music teachers so of course she asked if I still play.   We talked about the importance of music in the schools.  She gave us a tour of the completed renovated church.  It is still beautiful but a different kind of beauty--partly due to the changes they made in the church and partly due to me being grown up I suppose.  As we sat and visited in the very grown up cream colored visiting room I was so happy that we made the drive and thrilled that sister was able to see us..  We were dressed for hiking around on the grounds and I felt uncomfortable being so casual.  But the kids were well behaved and genuinely enchanted by the monastery and our visit with Sister.

After spending an hour or so with Sister we went out on the grounds.  First stop was the cemetery to see the gravesite of the nun I was named after.  Then we found her best friend.  After that it was a trip down my memory lane.  We went through the grotto.  We sat on the bridge.  We walked across the tennis courts.  We went out to the old horse barn. They listened politely as I told them once again about my first ride on a very tall horse named Toby.  Toby.  The horse that took off running when we got to the clearing and the students apologized profusely to me for it.  Turned out that tall old gentle Toby was losing his eyesight but the girls always let him run when he got to the clearing.  Later we walked over to the lake and had a massive giggle fit trying to take a picture of the 4 of us by holding the camera out and squeezing together. 

In time we headed back up the hill to the car.  Along the way we stopped to peek in the windows of the hall that the students have lived in and had their meals and classes in.  So many meals in that dining hall with Sister.  . .so many hours sitting in the lounge with her and my parents.  She used to dig out her change so we could get sodas and snacks from the vending machines.  I don't remember the drinks so well but I remember that we would get a bag of Bugles to share.

We decided to run up the steps to the monastery again and use their bathroom (renovated from back when I was a little girl but the hallway door is the same pink wooden door as I remember) before taking one last run through the tower. 

We got back to the car and they asked me when we could go back.  One of them wants to see where the nuns really live.  We used to get to eat in the nuns dining room too.  The last time I was there for a funeral I was able to eat in that hall.  I don't imagine I can get that for my girls.  But their genuine interest and immediate love for the simple beauty of the monastery made me smile.  If nothing else, this summer I gave them a little piece of my memories.

Dog Days of Summer (aka, the end is near)

We're nearly to the end of our summer vacation.  Sad.  Every year we start the 10 weeks full of hopes and dreams of what we'll accomplish.  Afternoons at the pool.  Movies.  Sleepovers.  And as it winds down I always wonder "are the girls happy with how the summer turned out?"

Today one of the girls desperately wanted to go swimming.  But it's so hot and humid that even a trip to a pool with plenty of shade isn't appealing.  Hubby suggested we go to the movies tonight.  I wasn't a fan of that simply because of the cost.

My alternative?  Family movie night at home with popcorn and fudge.  When I was a kid I loved it when my parents would make popcorn and fudge for us.  Mom's fudge was really sweet. . .melt in your mouth granulated deliciousness.  I've never tasted fudge from anywhere else like hers.  When we were little we were allowed 2 pieces of fudge in an evening.  This of course meant that you had to choose the 2 biggest available pieces or try to claim that your pieces were small enough that they didn't count as 2 actual pieces.  And it had to be eaten with popcorn--even as a kid I knew sweet and salty was the best combo for a snack! 

We make it using a Magnalite pan (hard to find those these days) on a gas stove.  Every time my mom has tried to make it at someone else's house with a different brand of pan or an electric stove, it just wasn't the same. Good thing I have a set of Magnalite pans! 

Now we just need to agree on a movie and get the popcorn ready!

Favorite breakfasts at home. . .

I’m not really a fan of traditional breakfast foods, except maybe on the weekends.  I’d much rather have pizza for breakfast than have a bowl of cereal.  So when I come across something I like for breakfast, and it’s actual breakfast food, well, that’s nothing short of a miracle.  Today I want to share a couple of my favorites.

Steel Cut Oats

These generally need to cook longer than Quaker oats.  But the difference in flavor makes it worth the extra effort.  Plus these can be cooked overnight in a pan with a lid on it..  Simply boil 6 cups of water.  Add 1 ½ cups of steel cut oats.  Stir.  Turn off the stove and cover.  In the morning all you have to do is stir and reheat.  It’s that simple!  Love mine with a touch of honey.  Leftovers can be kept in the fridge for about a week.

Dutch Babies (I know. . .one of the kids questioned the name too!)

4 eggs

1 c flour

1 c milk

4 Tbsp butter

About ½ Fresh lemon

Powdered sugar

Preheat oven at 475° F.  Put the butter in a glass baking dish and put it in the oven.  Let the butter melt until it sizzles.  While the butter melts, whip the eggs until.  Add milk and whisk again.  Add flour and whisk until smooth.  Pour into the buttered baking dish.  Bake for about 12 minutes.  It will puff up nicely.  Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle with fresh squeezed lemon followed by powdered sugar.  In my household, this will feed 3 people.

Some people also put a little jam into the mix before baking (not more than ¼ cup).

Some people also like it with cinnamon or nutmeg in the mix before baking.

Today I'm hungry for Meatball Souvlaki. . . .

We seem to get into ruts with our eating.  One day I was determined to find some new meals but nothing so exotic that the pickier eaters would revolt.  Enter Meatball Souvlaki!  I found the recipe on the Woman's Day website but made a few modifications for our family.

Meatballs:
1/2 c plain bread crumbs
1 egg
1/3 c water
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp white pepper
1 1/2  lb ground beef

Mix the above and form into meatballs.  These can bake at 500 for about 15 minutes.

Cut 1 lb medium zucchini into 1/2 inch rounds and 1 medium red onion into 1/2 inch thick wedges.  Place these in a separate baking dish and drizzle with 2 tsp olive oil.  Roast for 15-20 minutes.  You may stir them in the middle of the roasting.

The original recipe called for mixing the meatballs and veggies for another 5-10 minutes of roasting.  We always keep them separate until we assemble the plates.

While these roast, you need to make the yogurt sauce:
1 c plain Greek yogurt
1/4 c water
1/3 c chopped fresh mint
1/4 tsp each:  salt, garlic powder, ground cumin

To assemble, place 1 pocketless pita on your plate and top with zucchini/onions then meatballs.  Drizzle with yogurt sauce.

This meal takes about 45 minutes to put together from start to finish.  If you already have meatballs in the freezer, it goes faster.

The funny thing about this recipe is that we liked it so much, it became a new "rut" for us.  So easy to pull together on a school night that it landed on the weekly menu a few too many weeks in a row!

Another one for the freezer. . . .

How did we do it?  We used to live without A/C. . .heck we even played outside in the middle of the summer!  My girls now act like they might melt outside, unless of course they are in the pool.

When it's so hot outside, I am not a fan of spending much time in the kitchen fixing a big meal.  So whenever I can make some extras to stick in the freezer, I do.  One of my favorite lifesavers from the freezer is meatballs.  I have 2 recipes that I really like. . .1 for Meatball Sub sandwiches and one for Meatball Souvlaki.   They can be used interchangeably. My kids are split on which ones they like best.

Beef Meatballs for meatball sub sandwiches
1 1/2 lbs ground round
1/4 c shredded parmesan cheese
1/2 c breadcrumbs
1/4 c tomato sauce

3/4 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1 tsp crushed garlic (from a jar--check the produce section of your grocery store)

Combine the above ingredients.  Mix well.  You should be able to get about 30 meatballs.  Place them in a shallow baking dish and bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes.  Let cool and put in Ziploc bags to freeze for later use.

To make meatball subs, get hoagie buns, mozzarella cheese and your favorite marinara sauce. Sprinkle cheese on the buns and place them in the broiler for a couple of minutes.  Warm meatballs in the microwave or on top of the stove.  Warm the marinara sauce separately.  Assemble sandwiches.

Tomorrow--Meatball Souvlaki!

Amazing Blueberry Buckle

Last year I went looking for something else to do with blueberries.  I had a vague idea that I’d heard of a blueberry buckle so with the help of Google, this is the one that I found on the Not Quite Sure Blogspot.  Once the girls and I made this one, we didn’t bother to try any of the other recipes I’d found.  The cake is moist and delicate.  It isn’t a time consuming treat either.  It can be mixed up quickly.  Still, when I make it I usually double the recipe so I can have an extra one for the freezer. (8” round aluminum baking pans slide into a Ziploc bag very nicely.)  We also like to make it with diced peaches or strawberries.

Blueberry Buckle (Barely modified from the Not Quite Sure Blogspot)

3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter
1 egg
2 cups flour
3/4 teaspoons salt
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 cup milk
2 cups blueberries

Crumb Topping
1/2 cup sugar (can be brown, white or a combination)
1/3 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup soft butter

Preheat oven to 375. Spray an 8" round aluminum baking pan with nonstick spray like Pam. Cream sugar, butter, and egg. Mix flour, salt and baking powder. Add to butter mixture alternating with milk and blend thoroughly. Fold in blueberries. Pour into pan.

Mix topping ingredients with your fingers until it is the consistency of small crumbs. Spread topping on batter.

Bake 45-50 minutes.

This summer's obsession--Chai Green Tea Latte!

A co-worker who lives close to Starbucks used to bring me treats.  Everything she brought was good but no Starbucks nearby and no desire to drive across town meant I had to create my own.   What follows is my version to make a whole pitcher of Chai Green Tea Latte for less $$$ (and calories!) than Starbucks.

Chai Green Tea Latte

Use the following tea bag mix:

2 plain green tea

4 Stash Green Chai Tea

1 Tazo Calm Tea

Boil 5 cups of water.  Let tea steep for 6 minutes

While tea steeps put 1 cup of water in a pitcher with 1/3 c of sugar.

When the tea is ready, add it to the sugar water in the pitcher.

Put 2 cups of skim milk in pan and steam over low heat until small bubbles form at the edges of the pan.   Add milk to pitcher.  Stir.   It can be served warm or cold

As written an 8 oz serving has 56 calories, 32.5 mg sodium and 11.2 grams of sugar.  In time I’d like to cut the sugar back but for now this is pretty good!

***Starbucks Chai Tea Latte Soy Tall has 190 calories, 70mg sodium and 35 grams of sugar

***Starbucks Nonfat Chai Tea Latte Grande has 200 calories, 125 mg sodium and 42 grams of sugar

Nutrition information is from Sparkpeople :-)

Kuchen like Mom used to make

A few years ago I was digging through some cookbooks and found a 1970s era recipe booklet from Fleischmann's tucked inside another old cookbook.  As I read through the recipe it brought to mind the kuchens my mom made when I was a kid.  I decided to give it a whirl and discovered that wow, these tasted just like the ones Mom made.  I made some changes to the recipe like using Milnot and then doubling and tripling the recipe (and then learned how to fit 6 in my oven at a time).  I prefer to have a stash of these in the freezer all the time so we can have a treat from time to time.

Basic Coffee Cake Dough
1 cup milk
½ cup sugar
1 tp salt
½ cup margarine or butter
1/4 cup warm water (105-115°)
1 pkg Fleischmann’s Active Dry Yeast
1 egg
4 to 4 ½ cups Gold Medal or Gold Medal Wondra Flour

Scald milk; stir in sugar, salt and margarine. Cool to lukewarm. Measure water into large warm bowl. Sprinkle in yeast; stir until dissolved. Stir in milk mixture, egg and half the flour. Beat until Smooth. Add remaining flour to make a stiff batter. Cover loosely with aluminum foil; refrigerate at least 2 hours. (Dough may be kept in refrigerator up to 3 days) Finish as directed in individual recipes.

Each Basic Coffee Cake Dough will make 3 8 inch round kuchens

Mom's Kuchens
Divide dough into 3 equal portions. Pat dough into greased pans. Poke into dough with fingers or the end of a wooden spoon. Dribble 1-2 tablespoons of Milnot (or milk) on each dough. Then put 1/2 to 2/3 cup of light brown sugar on top of dough. Sprinkle each kuchen with cinnamon sugar. Let rise until doubled (45-60 minutes).

Bake at 375° for about 30 minutes. You may want to start checking them at 20 minutes if you like “pale” kuchens.

If you make these in 8" aluminum pans, they slip right into a Ziploc freezer bag.  When you take them out of the freezer, you can pop them out of the pan onto a plate and then put in the microwave for about a minute to thaw.  

Yuuuuuuum!