The Poopsie Collective

RECIPE: Eat Your Greens

Written by ERICA 

I’ve always been a healthy eater. Well, maybe healthy isn’t the right word, and maybe always isn’t appropriate either. When I was younger I’m pretty sure I ate about 2 bagels with cream cheese a day and saw nothing wrong with downing a massive bag of gummy candy before dinner. (And yes, I still do the latter.) So I guess a more accurate statement would be that in my adult life I’ve become a very aware eater. I am extremely aware of what I put in my body. I’m not a crazy obsessive health nut—I would live on nothing but ice cream sundaes, cookies, pick n’ mix candy and wine if I could—but I do enjoy fresh, balanced meals. I feel better after I eat them and I feel way better serving them to my family.

And this poses a slight problem. Because typically healthy foods have zero flavor, and naturally kids are smart enough to know what tastes good. Even when Owen first tried semi-solid food at 5-months-old he knew that plain rice cereal tasted like cement and banana puree was a slurp of sweet heaven. And now, at almost 18 months, he’s got opinions. Not only does he know what flavorful, delicious food tastes like (damn you grilled cheese!), he also has enough sense to reject everything else.

So what’s a mom to do? You want to serve balanced meals to your child (and your entire family for that matter), but you also don’t want to cook up something they are going to toss back in your face, literally.

Anyway, I think I’ve found a way to solve this dining dilemma. It’s a little thing I like to call trickery. Kids can be sneaky…hiding their veggies under their legs, behind their back, even in their shirt during dinnertime. Well guess what? Moms can be sneakier.

Here’s a recipe I made recently that I can vouch is delicious, healthy, easy to make and sneaky enough that even your kids will like it. I originally found it on epicurious.com but amended it a bit to suit my needs…

Pasta with Broccoli Pesto

Ingredients:

- 1 Box of Whole Wheat Pasta (I like Barilla Plus Rotini or Penne, it’s easy for little fingers and it traps just the right amount of sauce in all the nooks)

- Broccoli (about 1 pound, cut into small florets with the stems removed)

- ½ Cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

- 1-2 Cloves of Garlic, minced (fresh is best, pre-minced is OK too)

- 1 Tsp of Onion powder (or about ½ a finely chopped onion, if you’re not lazy like me)

- 1 Tbsp Pine Nuts (optional, but highly recommended)

- ½ Cup Parmesan Cheese (ditto)

- Sprinkle of Chili Flakes to taste (optional, I add this after removing a portion for Owen)

- Salt & Pepper to taste

Preparation:

1) Bring water, seasoned with salt, to a boil and add the pasta. Cook the pasta according to the box’s directions.

2) About halfway through the pasta cooking process (so for Rotini, after about 5 minutes), add the broccoli florets to the boiling water and cover for the remaining time.

3) While that is cooking, in a separate pan heat up the olive oil, garlic, onion (powder or minced) and pine nuts over medium-low heat until the garlic & pine nuts start to brown.

4) Once the pasta is done cooking, pour the pasta and broccoli into a colander, but be sure to use a wire mesh or fine strainer so the broccoli bits don’t fall through. Then return to the pot.

5) Add the oil mixture to the pasta and broccoli and stir vigorously until the broccoli florets fall apart and begin to mix in with the sauce. Add more olive oil as needed and season with salt and pepper. After a few minutes of mixing, the broccoli will be completely incorporated into the sauce and will look like a pesto sauce. Add the Parmesan cheese (and chili flakes if you choose), stir, serve and enjoy!

The broccoli is so mashed up in the sauce that your kids won’t be able to pick it apart, and they won’t want to because the pasta tastes so good they’ll be too busy inhaling it to care they’re eating their greens.

I told you… sneaky!

Recipe: Roasted Lemon Garlic Herb Shrimp

Written by GWEN 

Today I received an email from one of my FAVE fellow yummy mummies - a mother of twin girls. She is an AMAZING chef and I trust her on everything to do with food, babies and most things really! 

ENJOY… a la Natalia.

ROASTED LEMON GARLIC HERB SHRIMP

Source: Cinnamon Spice & Everything Nice

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Yields: 3-4 servings

Ingredients:

1/3 cup olive oil

1 lemon, zested then half cut into thin slices and other half into wedges

3-4 fresh thyme sprigs, leaves removed

sea or kosher salt and fresh black pepper

spaghetti/pasta, couscous or rice for serving

2 tablespoons butter

1 pound fresh shrimp, medium-sized, deveined with tails off

5 cloves garlic, minced

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In an 8x8 glass baking pan combine olive oil, lemon zest and thyme. Olive oil should liberally cover the bottom of the pan, if it doesn’t drizzle in a little more. Season with salt and pepper. Bake in oven for 10-12 minutes, checking every few minutes, if it looks like it is getting too brown remove and proceed to next step. Meanwhile cook pasta, drain and toss with a pat of butter or olive oil.

2. Remove pan from oven, add butter and move it around a little to melt, add shrimp, garlic and the thin sliced lemons (don’t squeeze them), toss to coat with oil mixture. Bake for 8-10 more minutes or until shrimp turn pink and just start to curl, check often. Serve over pasta, couscous or rice tossed with additional extra-virgin olive oil and fresh-squeezed lemon with additional lemon wedges for serving.

Note: Adapted from Fine Cooking

Recipe: Poached Salmon and Risoni Salad

Written by GWEN

As you may recall, while I enjoy cooking, I’m not a huge fan of making separate meals for Izzy. So, now that he eats most things, I try and find meals I can make that the whole family will enjoy. Yup, I just said that.

Below is a healthy summery salmon salad that the Mister and I love, and it turns out, if you throw it in the Cuisinart for a few seconds, so does Izzy. Obviously, it’s a Bill Granger recipe.

AND, as an extra bonus, here’s a link to a chocolate pear dessert loafy type cake from our fave food site food52.com. It has become a staple in our house. And yes, Izzy likes it too! Anything with pear.

Yogurt Cake with Pear and Dark Chocolate… a family favorite, Izzy included. 

Poached Salmon and Risoni Salad

Chef: Bill Granger 

Serves:4-6

Ingredients

1 tablespoon salt


½ teaspoon white peppercorns - I use black ones


1 bay leaf


400 g (14 oz) salmon fillets, skin removed


200 g (7 oz) risoni - use orzo if you want, always easier for me to find


85 g (3 oz/1/2 cup) peas (frozen are fine)


Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon


55 g (2 oz) baby spinach leaves


2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf (italian) parsley


2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill


1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil


A large pinch of caster (superfine) sugar


Freshly ground black pepper

Method

Put the salt, peppercorns and bay leaf in a large deep frying pan with 750 ml (26 fl oz/3 cups) of water and bring to the boil. Simmer for 5 minutes, then remove from the heat. Add the salmon, cover and leave for 15 minutes. 

Lift the fish carefully out of the stock. When cool enough to handle, flake the fish into pieces, picking out any bones. Cook the risoni in a large pan of boiling salted water until al dente, adding the peas and lemon zest for the last 2 minutes of cooking. Rinse under cold running water and drain well.

Put the risoni, peas, salmon, spinach, parsley and dill in a large bowl. Whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil and sugar to make a dressing. Add the dressing to the salad and toss gently. Season with sea salt and black pepper. 

When I put this in the cuisinart for Izzy, I add a little of the cooking stock. It freezes well too!

Does that look like the belly of an undernourished child?!

Recipe: Rigatoni with Eggplant & Pine Nut Crunch

Written by ERICA

Source: Bon Appétit | March 2011

Moms face approximately 8 gazillion dilemmas on a daily basis…how to get that pesky booger out of your squirmy child’s nose, how to help your dog lose 5 lbs while your toddler throws cheese into the dog’s mouth at every meal, how to get the Dora the Explorer theme song out of your head, how to clean poop off your child’s balls when he’s cold (there, I said it, they shrink, the poop gets stuck, it’s gross, and it’s really difficult)…anyway, we’ve got enough on our plates. So considering all the difficult tasks we deal with, preparing dinner shouldn’t be one of them.

These days I only cook meals that I can make a lot of, with the intention of a certain toddler reaping the benefits of my efforts the next day (and the day after that, and the day after that…). And if I can dirty 3 pots/pans/bowls or less, major bonus. Cue my favorite family-friendly pasta dish, originally from Bon Appétit, with some minor adjustments from this lazy mama. It’s not exactly a quick dish to prepare, but it’s one of those great “leave it in the oven and chase your kid around the house while it bakes” kind of recipes. And the end result is the gift that keeps on giving if you’re into leftovers, which let’s be honest, you are.

Ingredients:

Nonstick vegetable oil spray

1 unpeeled large eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

2 medium yellow bell peppers, cut into 1/2-inch squares

2 cups grape tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise

** I add other veggies for added nutritional benefits/flavor, such as: broccoli, onions, zucchini, yellow squash** 

Garlic

Olive oil

2/3 cup (firmly packed) fresh basil leaves

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided

1/4 cup pine nuts

1 pound rigatoni (**I prefer to use whole wheat penne, ideally Barilla Plus because it’s loaded with protein, omega 3s and fiber**)

1 pound whole-milk mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 jar of tomato sauce (whatever sauce is your favorite, or whatever you’ve got in the pantry; if you like a lot of sauce, go for 1 1/2 jars)

Preparation:

- Preheat oven to 425°F. 

- Spray large rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray; add the cubed eggplant, peppers, grape tomatoes (and any other vegetables you choose to use).  

- Using garlic press, squeeze 1 garlic clove onto vegetables. Or sprinkle with garlic powder, or use pre-minced garlic. 

- Drizzle vegetables with olive oil (enough to coat); toss. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast vegetables until tender, stirring often, 35 to 45 minutes.

- For Crunch Topping: Combine 2/3 cup basil, 1/2 cup Parmesan, pine nuts, and 1 garlic clove in mini processor. Blend until crumbly. Season topping with salt.

- Cook pasta in pot of boiling, salted water until just tender but still firm to bite; drain & return to pot. 

- Toss with roasted vegetables, tomato sauce, and 1/2 cup parmesan. 

- Transfer to 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with mozzarella & pine nut topping.

- Bake pasta until heated through, 25 to 35 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes and serve.

Drool-worthy and shockingly easy. Plus: a few extra meals baked in thanks to a busy mom’s savior, leftovers!

What’s For Dinner?

Written by BROOKE 

Stephanie’s “Simplify Series” this week inspired me to write a post about how I do dinners. I haven’t figured out everything in the world of homemaking but I would dare say that dinner time is something I have greatly improved on in the past few years. Gone are the three nights a week of takeout or frantically unthawing meat under hot water ten minutes before my husband gets home. 

Here are my secrets…

Plan a Menu

Usually on Saturdays, but always by Sunday we (meaning I involve the hubby for the most part) plan a menu. We look over the weekly grocery ads to check the sales, take inventory of our freezer and pantry and plan five meals. I’m a realist. We’ll eat out, go over to friends or eat leftovers at least twice. Sunday-Thursday usually does it for us. Having a menu plan makes everything easier; shopping, making sure whatever meat I need is out of the freezer, and it helps that I post it on the fridge so I don’t have a husband who comes home and says “Tacos? I had those for lunch.” It’s on the menu! My menu is flexible. Although some meals are slated for certain nights because of work schedules, I have no problem switching things around too. Nothing is set in stone at our house. 

My cute menu planner that I keep on the fridge. You can get one at Anthropologie.

Make Your List

I’ve learned this the hard way. Now, I painstakingly go through my meals and figure out what I need, even if it means getting out the recipe. Too many times I’ve gone to make something and been missing a key ingredient (ask my neighbors, they’re always the ones I call in a panic) and, well you’ve seen what happens when I try to drag my kids to the store for “just one thing.” I also make sure my list includes items for breakfasts and lunches (those are pretty simple around here, lots of sandwiches, fruits, veggies, yogurt). 

Shop

I usually have to hit up some combo of Trader Joe’s, grocery and Costco but if I can, I try to cut one of those out each week (Costco can usually be every other week or every three weeks and if I’m getting something at Trader Joe’s, I sometimes plan my whole week around items I can get there). 

I try to shop sans kids. Saturday night is my preferred time, but sometimes the hubs and I split it up on Saturday during naps. 

My goal is to only shop once a week. I find it saves tons of money when you are not running to the store three times a week and it saves sanity! 

Know Your Schedule

Be realistic. What is your week like? Is your husband working late every night? Don’t make a huge meal for just you and a toddler. What about work, lessons, etc.? I work out of the home on Mondays and Wednesdays in the afternoon. I don’t get home those days until 6:30, which is way after my kids normal time for dinner. On those days I try to plan something that I can totally make ahead that my husband can heat up for the kids when he gets home, or something in the crock pot that will require minimal effort. It’s not that my husband can’t cook (he’s a great cook) but by the time he gets home and I’m still gone the kids are starving and they need something quick. Plus I like to have something as soon as I walk in the door.  

Prep and Freeze if Possible

I actually don’t mind making somewhat elaborate meals. I try to keep it pretty simple but once or twice a week I make something more involved or try something new. The secret for me, in this stage, is that I have a napper. I can usually get my four year old to have quiet time while the little one naps and during that time, I prep dinner. Anything that can be done ahead of time, I do. I cut up veggies, cook chicken to shred, anything I can get done before that dinner rush. The ideal meal for me is something I can almost completely prep ahead of time. Also, when I can, I’ll cook double of a meal or part of a meal and freeze it. I haven’t really perfected this yet but taco filling, stuffed pepper filling and some soups freeze really well and it’s great to have a few meals stashed away in the freezer for a crazy week. 

Go Easy on Yourself

We have PLENTY of nights when it just doesn’t come together. A few weeks ago we had family in town, life was crazy and I realized on Friday I had fed my kids quesadillas three times that week. It happens. But it’s nice on those weeks when you have it all under control. And having a plan assures that happens more often than not. 

The response I hope to get from dinners…

The Simplify Series: Dream Dinners

written by STEPHANIE

Dinners have become challenging since the little one entered our lives. We were BIG cooks back in our pre-offspring lives. Both my husband and I loved trying new recipes, having dinner parties, and going over the top when cooking at home. But now that the munchkin is here, we’re drained come dinner time. All I want to do is turn on Hulu, catch up on my shows (has anyone else actually thanked the heavens that Liz Lemon is finally back? I know Tina Fey had a baby and all, but people are depending on her! Chop, chop, Lady!), and order take-out. 

My hubs, on the other hand, while not interested in cooking himself, still longs for home cooked meals. Enter another hair brained scheme by Stephanie Stuart! Dream Dinners.

My cousin, a stay-at-home mother of two (4 y.o. and 2 y.o.), introduced me to Dream Dinners. And boy oh boy, is it ever a DREAM! I was nervous when I committed, but I had to trust her. She is a foodie, after all. I mean, the tables at her wedding were named after their favorite restaurants from around the world. Seriously. This girl knows her food. 

So here’s how it works:

- Pre-select your menu for the month, minimum of 36 servings/ 9 meals. The average couple will eat 3 servings with a little leftover. It’s the perfect amount for sharing with kids, or putting away leftovers for lunch the next day.

- Select your session date and time.

- Arrive at the Dream Dinners location, bringing only a cooler or box to take home your meals. 

- Stations are set-up inside, one for each meal offered on that month’s menu. Recipes have simple instructions with color coded measurements, making assembling your meals really fast and foolproof. 

- After your meals are ready, the staff packs them into your cooler/box, loads them into your car, and you’re DONE!

- Average session should only take an hour and you’ll have dinners for the whole month!

Miscellaneous details:

- Meals are priced individually, so the cost of your monthly meals will vary based on what you order. Your total is broken down by serving, which is a nice way to see how it compares to a typical dinner at home. My family’s average was only $4.99 per serving for the month. For us, Dream Dinners is actually a savings.

- Most meals do not include side dishes. When you arrive at Dream Dinners, they have a freezer full of appetizers, soups, sides, desserts, etc. that you can add-on for an additional charge. I picked up a Sweet Potato Tater-Tot package that my daughter LOVES! Ok, me too… probably more than her. 

- There is no commitment. None. Zero. Do it this month and you can do it again anytime you want. Or not! If it doesn’t work for your family, you have no obligation to go back. There is nothing to even cancel. 

- The staff is so nice! They were patient and informative, and ready to help in anyway they could. When all of my stations were occupied, they offered me tea and a snack for the wait! I mean… LOVE!

Examples of dinners. None of mine have actually looked like these, but it’s good to have goals. 

The verdict:

- So far we have tried two of our dinners, both have been good. Not great. Just good.

- Side dishes are always a challenge for us, and our meals are typically just entrees. Dream Dinners hasn’t changed this much. Some of their pre-packaged side dishes work with the meals, but for the most part we still have to take care of the salad/veggie component of a meal on our own. 

- The monthly menu doesn’t offer many vegetarian options. We aren’t vegetarians, but we try to eat healthily.

- The Dream Dinners meals don’t have preservatives, but the meals aren’t exactly light or fresh either. Our dinner last night tasted like it came from Applebee’s. If you like Applebee’s, TGIFridays, Chili’s, and the like, you will probably be really happy with the meals. 

- Meals still take a good chunk of time before they are ready to eat. Granted, there isn’t any prep time needed, like chopping and measuring and cleaning. But depending on the meal, you may need a good hour of cooking time. 

- Will I do it again next month? Still not sure… 

To find a Dream Dinners near you, click here. There are companies out there using a similar structure but offering gluten-free, kosher, organic or vegetarian specific menus.

This is not a paid advertisement. Poopsie Collective was not compensated for this post in any way. 

I Didn’t Lie!

Written by GWEN

So this is a follow up to my baby foodie post from last week. I have a confession or two I must get off my totally even (if not slightly deflated) chest. I mean, Izzy is a great eater. I didn’t lie. But, I don’t want to brag too much. You have to know the TRUTH! 

See, I started Izzy on solids at five months, rather reluctantly. I felt like we were finally on a good breast feeding routine, and all of a sudden I was going to have to add in meal times, spoons and messiness. Didn’t sound tempting, but upon a doctor’s order, we jumped right in. None of this one meal a day. We started with all three. No weeks at a time with just one fruit to make sure there were no allergies. Izzy had apples, pears and banana within twenty four hours. And it all went well. 

Now, here’s confession number one: everything was store bought! I don’t know why, but I couldn’t bring myself to cook baby food. I cooked the mister and my dinners almost every night, but for some reason I couldn’t steam some chicken and potatoes and mash them up. 

Confession number two: this may have been mainly due to the fact that I didn’t want to have to continuously wash the Magimix. Or make large portions and divide it up into the freezer. That all just seemed like way too much effort. I mean I was already cooking one meal a day, why should I have to make something else, bland and boring for that matter? I know. I’m a horrible ridiculously lazy person. If it makes it any better, I felt totally guilty about it all the time. Every time I spoon fed Ellas Kitchen into Izzy’s mouth, I knew I was a terrible mother. TERRIBLE! I felt like I was ruining his palette for the rest of his life. 

All my other mommy friends just assumed I was making Izzy’s food because they knew I liked to cook. Everyone asked me for recipes all the time exclaiming, “OH I bet you make the best stuff for Izzy.” Half the time I’d just smile and nod. Ugh was that confession number three?

Anyway, it took me about six months to finally work up the courage and start making Izzy his own meals. Of course now it helps that he eats a lot of what we cook for ourselves anyway. 

This brings us full circle back to last week’s post and the fact that Izzy is a great eater. AND that my lazy store bought food didn’t ruin his palette or eating habits for the rest of his life. So I say, don’t beat yourself up if you don’t make all your baby’s food when he first starts eating. Or it’s not ALL organic, or completely by the book. It’s not the end of the world. And more importantly, you’re not a horrible mother. Right??

This was the first meal I ever made Izzy! It was very messy and a bit emotional, but he ate it!!

Wild Card Wednesday: Simplify

It’s the last week of January, which means most of you probably still have a little bit of self-improvement energy left to burn. Our very own Stephanie is beginning her personal Simply Series starting next week… but while we all wait patiently to learn from her misadventures in self-help, here are a few more of our favorite tips for simplifying your life.

1) We all know what happens when kids get their hands on crayons and crafts. Remove crayon masterpieces from your TV or computer screen with WD40.

2) And since no one likes a messy play area, store your crafts materials with items you already have in the house. A muffin pan becomes the perfect craft caddy and magnets hold the plastic cups down to make them tip-resistant.

3) As Erica (and most new moms) now know, hair loss is an unfortunate side effect of motherhood. Thank god for bobby pins. And now you’ll know where to find them! Use magnetic strips to store bobby pins, tweezers and clippers, behind a vanity door.

4) Ah yes, the old fruit-turning-brown-by-lunchtime dilemma. Stop cut apples browning in your child’s lunch box by securing with a rubber band.

5) Kid or big-kid in a parent’s body (guilty!), everyone craves a sweet treat sometimes. Turn your muffin pan upside down, bake cookie-dough over the top and voila, you have cookie bowls for fruit or ice-cream.

Have an idea of your own? Email us at poopsiecollective@gmail.com

Baby Foodie

Written by GWEN

A foodie in the making… Mommy I can’t get this open!

Yesterday I had just put Izzy down for a nap after a lunch of cous cous with minced veal and pork with carrots and some fruit for dessert. (That was Izzy’s lunch. Not mine.) And it dawned on me, when it comes to Izzy’s eating, I’m pretty lucky. He will really consume just about everything. And copious amounts of it.  Although at the same time he is quite particular. Discerning, one might say. He LOVES bananas. But try giving him one that’s slightly over ripe or mealy. Won’t have a lick of it. Likewise he adores grapes, but if they’re the the tiniest bit tart? Blech. Spits them out. I mean I’m just going to say it. The child has a sophisticated palette.

And thank god for that!! See, the Mister and I fancy ourselves somewhat of a foodie family and I fear we may have had to send a picky eater baby back. One of my nieces basically didn’t eat solids until she was two and my other niece only eats things that are white. Bagels, cream cheese, bananas. All good things, but how ‘bout some meat? Obviously I understand Izzy’s taste could change any day now. Especially now that this is recorded. And there will probably be phases where he’ll only eat frozen hamburgers for days at a time. With no bun, and ketchup on the side. (Yup. And look how I turned out!)

BUT, for the time being, I feel incredibly fortunate that Izzy wolfs down our andouille sausage polenta, goes gaga over my homemade cinnamon apple cake and couldn’t get enough of the crab terrine at a lunch out in Sydney. Fingers crossed, if we just keep shoving whatever we’re eating down his throat, the good taste will stick! Because, we do, of course, have good taste. Impeccable if you ask me!

Izzy’s fave apple cake!

Holiday Wish List: Home

Written by BROOKE

With two little kids, IKEA seems to have taken over my house. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but I’d love a few holiday splurges to spruce things up a little at our house… 

The Bedroom

I am in love with grays, yellows and turquoise right now. I’d love to have this simple duvet cover from West Elm and dress it up with some bright accessories. I might even be so inspired as to start making my bed every day. 

Any of these pillows from Orange Plush would look great on that gray duvet or on my oh-so-blah brown couch. I think we’d just have to institute a no drooling policy (for dogs and children).

The Kitchen

First, I might have to wish for a bigger kitchen. But then, I’d fill it up with things that would surely make me a fabulous cook and inspire me to cook gourmet meals every night (wait, do kitchen appliances not do that?)

I’m probably the last person on earth without a Kitchen Aid. I think a white one would go perfectly with my white cabinets. And I’m sure that with one, I’d become an expert baker (and not gain a pound!).

I love love love the blog Our Best Bites. These girls have a little bit of everything for everyone. I’d love their cook book for my kitchen. 

The Living Room

A Canvas On Demand gallery wrap would be great to update my living room walls with new family photos. I mean, what better home decor than photos of my adorable kids!? This would be a great grandparent gift as well. 

The boys and I are really in to having impromptu dance parties these days. But all we have in our living room is a CD player and, well, who has CD’s any more!? We need an ipod speaker dock so I can just plug my phone in when the mood strikes us. I love this white one because it would blend in with my other furniture and not take up a lot of room (we’re short on space around here).