Let them eat cake!

A few weeks ago it was my Husbands 30th birthday! I had grand plans in my head to combine all of his favorite things into the most decadent dessert ever. (or maybe I had been watching too much cupcake wars..who really knows) I wanted to surprise him by making chocolate stout cupcakes with a peanut butter frosting and bacon sprinkles. I was apparently so excited that i didn't really plan the party to serve them at. I know you are thinking EPIC wife fail but the real person to blame is him! Plus, it turned out to be a blessing and not a curse for many many reasons. Since you cant really make cupcakes for 2  the poor guy went cakeless for his birthday. Before you feel too bad for the guy we had plans to have a birthday dinner with the fam the next night. He was going to get those cupcakes if it was the last thing I did. That is until, I remembered that his entire family had gone gluten free...including myself. I was new (and still am) to GF and was not prepared to make it by scratch with all those crazy ingredients. I struggled with what to do for several hrs. I KNEW he DID NOT want GF cupcakes but I didn't see any other way. I drove to the store and did what I never do. I did what I tell people all the time to never do. I bought chocolate GF cake mix.. To some of you that sounds horrible and to others that sounds normal. I personally felt wrong buying it. Cake mix doesn't fit anywhere into my clean eating way of thinking but it happend. oh well. move on. I also had to leave out the stout part because well, thats not GF either. I topped the cakes with a basic buttercream that I added about a 1/2 cup of Peanut butter too and sprinkled some finely chopped organic bacon on top. I thought the frosting and bacon were delicious but both my husband and I were too stuffed from dinner to actually try a cupcake. 

Go figure.

a few days ago I got the the new issue of Food Network Magazine and in there were a couple GF cakes that dont require xanthum gum or other strange ingredients so I thought that I would share. Next time I am in need of a cake I think I will give one of these a try.

Hazelnut-Mocha Dacquoise

Flourless Chocolate Torte

Unfortunately these cakes do have refined sugar and I would not call them clean but they are Gluten Free. 

Currently, I have to pick my battles. You know what they say:

You cant have your cake and eat it too. 

Happy Weekend EVERYONE!

Picky Eaters?!?!?

“Other things in a child’s life take time — learning to read, tie a shoe, ride a bike — and to that, parents say OK. But when it comes to food? When a child refuses something new? When a drive-thru or children’s menu is the quickest path to appeasement? That’s when parents throw up their hands and cry picky. Or, worse yet, tell a child she won’t like something before she even tastes it.”

The above quote is from a post I read over at Spoonfed a few weeks ago that I haven’t really stopped thinking about it. The topic was on kids eating habits. No, I do not have kids yet but I am a cousin, auntie, and former nanny. I have been around kids a long time. I know toddlers that love pad tai and others that ASK for salad for dinner.  Just the other day I watched my nearly 1 yr old niece eat chicken tortilla soup like it was the best thing she ever tasted.  Yet thousands of parents around the country serve their kids the same plain pasta, grilled cheese, chicken fingers and mac & cheese out of the blue box???? Even worse, they do it EVERYDAY. I don’t really believe in “kid food”.  I believe in REAL FOOD served in kid sized portions. That isn’t to say that sometimes the above items may not be on the menu (except for that blue box. That is never an option) but a lot of other colorful, flavorful, healthy meals will be in the mix too. Variety is the key to life! I think that if you are new to real food than this might be easier on little kids than ones that already have the bad food habits but It is never too late to start. I think that it is important to remember that the only reason they are requesting the junk food over real food is because at some point YOU introduced it to them….

check out the article in its entirety:  http://spoonfedblog.net/2011/02/23/want-kids-to-eat-better-stop-calling-them-picky-eaters/

Green Eggs No Ham

I don't understand how today is Friday?!?! Apparently, this week really got away from me and I am still confused on where the time went! I guess it can be expected when your Sister-in-law, Stepdad, and Husband all have their birthdays in the same week....Holy Moly! Anyway to make a long story short this post was supposed to go up on Monday. It obviously didn't. See above. I guess you wouldn't have known that though if I didn't rat myself out?? Oh well.

Getting kids to eat more veggies can sometimes be tricky. Heck, getting adults to eat more veggies can sometimes be tricky. I find that if you make it fun or crazy it tends to go more smoothly. (for the younger set) I have the feeling that if I handed my husband a "super cool Hulk green smoothie" its not going to get the same reaction as say....a 3yr old. Who knows? Maybe your guy is different....

After reading Green Eggs and Ham several dozen times I thought it was time to make some green eggs! I don't do food coloring but it only took me 1.2 seconds to come up with the perfect solution...Spinach! its so mild its almost flavorless! I cracked 2 eggs into the blender and added a handful of spinach and a splash of water. Blend Blend Blend until it is a unified color. The key is to not see any green specks. keep blending until it is solid green. a toddler isn't afraid to tell you that those aren't green eggs, just eggs with weird green specks! The more spinach you add the darker the color. I let the little guy I was watching help but maybe you just want to tell your kids you added green food coloring??? Choice is yours. these are tasty and they cook up so light and fluffy!

The only problem was he asked where his ham was...I didn't think that far ahead. Canadian bacon would be a great addition and would be a nice way to celebrate Dr. Seuss's birthday tomorrow!

The only OTHER problem was he asked if we could make blue eggs the next day!?!? If you have any ideas for that one, let me know. :)