Where's the Beef???

Apparently it's in my home. Yup, you read this right, this almost lifelong vegetarian, sometimes vegan is now an omnivore. It was an evolutionary decision and one I of course have the right to change at any time.  I know some of you are cheering, some are booing and others are thinking, who cares.

I became a vegetarian originally for mostly health reasons. And it was easy. I didn't really like 'red' meat (except ground or smoked) so there wasn't much there I was giving up. I loved exploring all the new  options being a vegetarian offered over the meat, starch and veggie meal I grew up with. Plus I found a wealth of information touting how great and healthy a vegetarian diet is. I think I read every book the library and book store had on the subject.

The books still exist, they are still worth reading. But there are many other books out there that promote the opposite  that a meat based diet (low or now grain) is actually the best. Both 'sides' support their positions with studies, statistics and anecdotal information. The web is also full of reviews that praise and slam each.

So what do you believe? You believe what makes the most sense for you that you can work/fit into your life. I think there are benefits and drawbacks to both ways of eating. I will continue to read and explore and adapt based on how my body and that of the kids respond to the changes.

The kids. Whole other subject. I'm in my late 40s now. And while I may want more kids, it's incredibly unlikely that they would come from my body. So while getting extra hormones in my food supply might cause mood swings or a more difficult menopause, it won't affect my growth and development, but it will theirs. To that end, meat sources that come into the home won't have them. Poultry in Canada can't have hormones, but the red meat supply can. Antibiotics in meat are another concern. Nathan has had antibiotics once, Corwyn never. If they ever need them, I want them to work. Too many infections are becoming antibiotic resistant and having it in our food chain is part of the problem. No meat with antibiotics at home.

That means very limited choices for meat that enters the home. And what does is expensive. So there will not be meat at every meal, or even every day. But it will be an option some days. When eating out, unless its Oceanwise or organic, they will be eating vegetarian.

So far, for me, it's been a couple of weeks. I'm fuller longer. I'm not sure if that is because of the meat in general, or because my body has not had to digest it in almost 2 decades and doesn't know how. I still don't like steak or similar cuts of beef. Chicken is wonderful. I roasted one last week and all but devoured it. And bacon, ah bacon. I've found some great no added nitrate bacon and am loving it. While all the official problems I had with my digestive track were official over a couple of months ago, some things never returned to normal. This seems to be helping (so far).

Corwyn is my little protein fan and loves eggs, yogurt and tofu. He's tried fish and thinks some of it is good (not all, so need some mild ones). He's had some chicken 'nuggets' (not from the place with the big yellow arch) and thinks they are okay. Nathan ate half a nugget, but he doesn't like eggs, yogurt or tofu either (at least not at the moment).

My friend Monika over at www.aias.ca is another recovering vegetarian for a few years longer than I am. She is also a mom to a selective eater. I'm looking to her for food ideas and sources of the protein without hormones or antibiotics.

Anyway, for those who follow along with us, that's what's new in our life. I'm not saying a vegetarian diet is bad or unhealthy. My kids are 4 now and at the top of their physical growth and developmentally normal so clearly, they are fine. I'm just saying read everything, then decide what works for you. Feel free to change your mind later.

Baking with Preschoolers - Bean Brownies

Bean Brownies? Yup, they are real, they are good and they are (mostly) preschooler approved.

I found this recipe over at Mealtime Hostage. I found her blog during the race to the Top 25 Canadian Mom blogs (I didn't make it). I was hooked. She is another Canadian mom with twins. Her twins are older and she has a selective eater. This is not a picky eater, this is more, but I will let you read her blog for more info on that. I worry sometimes that my kids may be headed this way as the food list they are willing to eat gets smaller and smaller, but that is a different story for another time.

So Bean Brownies. I liked the recipe enough to want to try it. It was naturally gluten free plus with 3 eggs and a can of black beans they are full of protein. But being me, I couldn't leave well enough alone. I try to avoid excess sugar for the kids, not none, but control it. So the first thing I did was cut the sugar by half a cup. This being new, I didn't want to vary that much so I decided to break out the Krisda. This stevia blend is one that you can substitute measure for measure for sugar, so added half a cup of it. And I love coconut oil making that was my oil of choice, which meant a bit of an extra step to melt it a bit. And I like raw cacao over your everyday processed cocoa.

Our friends Monika and Aias were coming over to help. In advance of 3 preschoolers in my kitchen trying to cook at the same time with no patience, I poured the ingredients into measuring cups in advance.  So they would cook a bit faster and cool a bit faster, I also went with the mini-muffin format over the cake pan. This made 24 of these two-bite brownies.

The kids were all quite good at taking turns cracking eggs, running the food processor and stirring.

Although both my kids like to push buttons Corwyn usually gets upset quickly at the volume of the food processor. He takes a small turn then puts his hands over his ears telling me Too loud mommy, too loud! and demanding it be shut off. So to keep him happy (distracted) while Nathan and Aias had a turn at the machine I let him pour all the dry ingredients into the bowl.

Then all three crowded around the bowl to stir. Nathan insisted on helping me pour the wet mixture in, then gave up quickly on the stirring so  he could lick the dirt off of each spoon (yes, he called it dirt).

Nathan was very happy to put parchment paper liners in all the mini-muffin tins. He considered it his job and didn't really let anyone help. I've said before  how much I love parchment paper liners. It keeps everything from sticking with no oil.

I let them put in some dairy free mini chips for some extra chocolate taste (less than a quarter cup). Then it was time for sprinkles. Sigh. Yes, they are chemical toxins but 3 year olds and sprinkles seem made for each other. They did a fabulous job taking sprinkle turns and you could still see the cupcake brownies. They put sprinkles only one half of them.

Overall, the kids were great waiting for them to cook. Nathan kept running to check but didn't try to take them out of the oven. I tossed one pan into the fridge to cool faster. From making many gluten-free foods over this year, I knew that any baked goods without flour should be totally cool or they will fall apart. But they were no longer hot enough to burn and it was nearing bedtime so I gave in.

They were good. Very good. Nathan ate as many as he could sneak. Aias had one and took some  home for later. Corwyn liked the first bite but on the second gave up. I suspect for him it was more about the texture and taste. He will probably eat more tomorrow now that they are totally cooled and set more.

To me, while still a bit warm, I really noticed the stevia after taste, not enough to ruin them at all, they were still good, but I could taste it. But now that they are totally cool, the stevia taste isn't there anymore at all. Yeah!!!

I wish I had more pictures of the kids baking and eating, but it was more fun being in there than watching and taking pictures.

Check out Mealtime Hostage for the recipe in its original form and for a great new blog. Try the brownies for a wonderful snack for the kids chalk full of protein and no gluten.

We will be making these again in the future. Now that I did them once, I will play with them even more, maybe instead of the half cup of stevia blend, I'll try a fruit puree or something.

What's eating you?

Or rather, what do you eat?

Based on the doctors recommendations for Nathan after his emergency room visit, he's gone dairy and gluten free. This means that the home is dairy and gluten free {gf}(although my caregiver brings her own food and there is often gluten but rarely dairy). So by default, Corwyn is also gluten and dairy free (although I don't freak out as much if we're out and he gets a hold of something). I admit that because I eat lunch at the office, I was not kept to the same restrictions.

This has opened up a whole new adventure in cooking for me. Before, their favorite go-to meals if I didn't have something ready was pb sandwiches, plain bread or mac n cheese (really healthy I know). Mac n cheese is totally out. I've tried the gf and dairy free kinds and neither will even go near them. Happily, they've stopped asking for it. Bread is a different story. I'm trying to find a good (easy) gf bread recipe but no luck so far. The local grocery and health food stores carry them, but they are almost 7 a loaf (and its a small loaf). They eat much less bread now. Luckily their breakfast stayed mostly the same, oatmeal with fruit. It changed in that I buy the slow cook gf oatmeal now instead of the inexpensive instant, but I don't mind the extra time in the morning.

I cook lots and lots and lots of soups. They like most of them, but some I end up eating all of. They also like rice with the veggie-they-currently-approve-of and chickpeas so again, they get lots of that. And sushi rolls. Every night, when I walk in the door from work, Corwyn greets me with 'buy sushi? buy sushi?'. Sushi is a Friday thing but he wants it daily. On days when I have no idea what to make for dinner or little time, I'll make an exception and get some. There is a combo at the local place with 8 rolls of yam and avocado and 8 rolls of tofu and avocado for 6.50. And happily Corwyn eats all the first and Nathan all the second. Why happily? Because the yam is breaded and Nathan can't have the breading. So it works out perfectly.

I have now discovered 'flours' that I had no idea existed. Some are obvious like oat or rice flour but then there is coconut and sorghum (what the heck is a sorghum anyway). I've borrowed some cookbooks from the library  and any I found overly useful I've since bought. I make muffins 2-3 times a week now.

I've also been 'forced' to do lots of reading on the subject and everywhere I turn I'm reading more and more about the problems associated with eating the wheat that we have around in this generation (I already know all dairy ones, but I have a cheese addiction). As of last week, I've gone gf myself. Actually for the short term, I'm going totally grain free (no rice, oats etc) just to zap my body into a healthy zone. I'm also sugar free too (including things like honey, agave etc) and hope this is a more permanent thing. In a week, the pain in my knees has decreased by about half (I'm holding out for the other half) and I have more energy and generally feel better (that I lost 6 pounds doesn't hurt either).

I'm not sure where this will go, but I am committed to doing what is necessary to keep Nathan healthier and if giving up certain foods will do that, then so be it.

Here are some pictures to prove that I'm not starving them or giving them only boring, bland food (although coming up with a gf, dairy free Easter was a challenge).

Wordless Wednesday - Food

Wordless Wednesday - Now we've got ears, say cheers

Wordless Wednesday - Peanut Butter Fan

Where's the Beef?

Not here for sure. I usually make a healthy entree type of thing for the boys playtime potlucks. Not this time. I found these and made my own variation cute burger cookies

I couldn't find the chocolate grasshopper things  (mint cookies) they mention, so I took what I found at the grocery store that was small, round and chocolate. I used Thinsations double fudge. They worked fine, although for the next time I make them (and I will make them again) I'm going to take more lead up time and find a chewier center like a chocolate mint or or marshmallow for some texture difference.  I don't think it hurt the taste at all though to use the thinsations.

I let Nathan and Corwyn mix the coconut and food coloring for the lettuce. Nathan got into it and his was quite even. Corwyn almost immediately punctured the bag and spread coconut all over. Needless to say, we used the stuff Nathan mixed.

I heard that they were a big hit at the playtime drop in (I work then, so I don't get to go). Everyone wanted to know how I did them.

I will probably make them for their birthday party next weekend (really? They're almost 2, really, when did that happen?) They are very fast to assemble but look like you spent tons of time.