Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Paranoid Mom?!?

I think I'm becoming a paranoid mom.  And if you asked my family, they would most likely say that the "I think" and the "becoming" parts of that last statement are unnecessary.  Okay, okay, I'll admit: I'll be the first to snatch up the Reader's Digest if there's a title in giant red capital letters like "DEADLY CHEMICALS IN YOUR HOME!"  And I'll probably be the first to suggest that we move to Alaska and live in a hut made of sticks, dirt, and grass to escape the "Deadly Chemicals."  
Then I keep a little list in the back of my head of all the potential hazards.  I'm like a police dog:I  can walk into a room and sniff out every possibly dangerous item that can cause cancer, choking, or just be shoved up a kid's nose.  Let's call it my own little private insanity.  Well, not exactly private.  I drive my husband nuts, especially when he's, say, fixing lunch for the kids.  The conversation might go something like this -- Wes: "I think I'll fix some scrambled eggs for lunch." Me: "Are those eggs expired?  Have they been kept at or below 40 degrees since we bought them?  Did you wash your hands after cracking them?  TEFLON?  You're not using the teflon pan, are you?  Look, there's a flake!  It's flaking!  Don't you know teflon flakes in your food can cause cancer?  Oh, no no no -- not in the plastic bowl -- don't microwave stuff in a plastic bowl.  Chemicals can leach out into the food.  Aaagh!  No, the glass bowl's fine, just don't cover it with plastic wrap!"  
I take over fixing the eggs.  Wes takes a Tylenol and a nap in a dark room.
It's worse when I'm around my mom and sisters -- although they usually just roll their eyes when I recite my litany of hazards: listeriosis from bologna, lead paint from wooden toys, cancer from pesticides, ADD from artificial colors and flavors ... it goes on and on.  But here's the real problem:  I'm just a little inconsistent in my paranoia.  For example, one day I'll pull out a box of cereal with a single ingredient that looks like it has little hay bales inside and serve it with organic bananas and non-rbST treated cow milk.  The next I'm letting them eat from the butter dish and chow through their entire stash of Easter candy in a record 2.5 minutes (which, um, happens to be going on even as I write this ...) causing an artificial color, flavor, and sugar-induced whirlwind to tear through my house.  Which makes that stick and mud hut in Alaska start to sound really appealing.


Pumpkin Soup

An easy soup that my kids love to help me make.  They can help with everything except heating it on the stove.

1 tsp. onion powder
3 T. butter (melted)
1 can unsweetened pumpkin
1 can chicken broth
1 C. half-and-half
1 t. salt
1/4 t. cinnamon
1 T. brown sugar or honey
1/4 t. yellow curry (if you like curry)

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan.  Warm over medium heat, stirring frequently, until hot but not boiling.

Cottage Cheese Pancakes

This is a Russian recipe that usually uses "Tvorog" or farmer's cheese.  I can't find any in my area so I just use cottage cheese, and it works fine (though it doesn't taste exactly authentic).  My kids help me mix them up, and I fry them up.

1 C. cottage cheese
2 eggs
3 T. sugar (Jack's favorite part!)
3/4 cup flour
dash of salt

Combine ingredients and drop by spoonfuls into a frying pan coated with oil or cooking spray.  Brown on both sides and serve with butter, jam, or even sour cream on top.

Easy Peach Dessert

Another fun recipe to make with kids -- just toss in ingredients, mix, and stick it in the oven.  

1 C. flour
1 C. sugar
1 egg
1 t. baking soda
1 t. vanilla
1 t. salt
1 can peach slices
1/4 C. brown sugar

In a baking dish, combine flour, sugar, egg, soda, vanilla, and salt.  Mix in peaches.  Sprinkle with brown sugar and bake at 325 for 35-40 minutes.  Top with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.