fingerstuff

I remember as a kid we used to go to a taco restaurant called Fingerstuff. I really didn't care much about the tacos, but they had the best eclairs. For kids, you can't go wrong with fingerfoods, or an individual container of dip; raw veggies and dips are a great pairing.
Ryan's lunch: chik'n salad; baby carrots; cucumber slices; red bell pepper slices; lemon artichoke hummus; pieces of corn thins; round crackers.

I saved a few of the tiny sample spoons from when we went to the Boston Vegetarian Food Festival recently. They're quite handy! They also had some other nifty little spoons that were biodegradable (and not made of wood either).

Lemon Artichoke Hummus

1 can (15.5 oz.) chick peas, rinsed & drained
1 can cannellini beans, rinsed & drained
6 artichoke hearts (canned in water is fine)
2 T. tahini
1 tsp. salt
1/2-1 tsp. garlic powder
2-3 T. lemon juice (2 if fresh, 3 if bottled)
2 T. olive oil
1/3 cup water

Put everything in a food processor, adding water slowly as hummus mixes.

And for the day's school
food drive donations, AJ
brought a tub of oatmeal,
and Ryan brought a bag
of flour. His backpack was
just a bit heavy this
morning!


AJ is such a good big
brother, showing Maia
how to play with
playdough. She dumps
out all of the playdough
toys daily, but for some
reason fully understands
how to clean up the
actual playdough.

AJ always has a lot of
patience when it comes
to helping his little
sister. Now that Maia
is getting older, AJ
sometimes likes to
roleplay that he is the
baby. Just what I need!

He also likes to dance
and spin until he's
dizzy. He would very
much like to take
gymnastics lessons...
we'll see about that,
it's expensive!

not pink!

Anyone who knows me usually teases me about my dislike of all things pink. While I will make an exception for Hello Kitty, I still prefer the classic red and white. But beets turn everything they touch pink!
Ryan's lunch: Sweet & Sara toasted coconut marshmallow; piece of vanilla raspberry cake from Hippie Chick Bakery; blanched spinach w/toasted sesame seeds; mixed salt nuts; mini cucumber slices; beet stems fried rice.

Beet Stem Fried Rice

1 T. canola or peanut oil
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup thinly chopped
carrot
1 1/2 cups cooked rice
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 cup chopped beet
stems
1 T. finely chopped scallion
1 tsp. soy sauce

Heat oil over med-high heat in non-stick skillet or wok. Add onion & carrot. Cook for not more than 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add remaining ingredients. Cook another 2-3 minutes, stirring regularly.

So now you have another use for beet stems besides soups! I like to blanch the greens mixed with spinach. And I either roast or steam the beet root itself. But when I steam it, there's a cup or so of intense deep pink liquid leftover. It seems a shame to waste it...put it in a soup? But it's so good for dying! Don't feel like tie-dying your underwear or your favourite dishtowel today? I don't blame you.
If you have kids, or want to make a cool handmade gift for one, try using the leftover steaming water for playdough! Here's my recipe:

Magenta Playdough

1 cup flour
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 1/2 T. cream of tartar
1/2 cup salt
1 T. canola oil
1 cup water from
steaming beets

Combine all ingredients in
a pot. Stir constantly over
medium-high heat. When
it forms a ball, cook for
about 1 more minute until
dough begins to firm.

Allow to cool, kneading
every so often as it cools.
Store in an airtight con-
tainer.

Here is AJ making a playdough maze. Nate requested white playdough for his birthday in the beginning of August, and the playdough is still nice and soft.