Food Blog!

[Cynthia G]

I have a 12 year old son who is with me in the summer, so I can identify with lots of this!

And I think the food looks great, Marlene.

[Tydel]

I suppose I'm still in the "eat a full dinner, plus dessert" and still be hungry. Well, not so much hungry, as able to eat more.

I also gather that's why I started exercising more frequently. Huzzah for logical trains of thought.

Food looks delicious.

[Marlene]

It's been a fairly packed day. After my run, I did the laundry, cleaned up the kitchen, worked on the eCGI, practiced my piano, sliced the sirloins for dinner tonight and made monkey bread. Lunch was a fairly haphazard affair of leftover roast beef, and some cheddar cheese.

I'm waiting for the monkey bread to come out of the oven, and then I'll go get the lad from school. Thus will begin the after school, "get your homework done, cook dinner" routine. Of course he'll need a snack first

Edited to add: How special. I opened the oven door to take out the bread, and immediately the room filled with smoke, setting off the smoke detectors Some of the topping juice had spilled onto the oven floor, creating a ton of smoke inside the oven. The bread however, is lovely

I guess cleaning my oven is on the list for tomorrow

Edited March 1, 2004 by Marlene (log)

[mags]

The food does look great, particularly those yummy-looking taters. And I am amazed at the amount of food a Growing Boy can consume. A few years ago I was in Chicago on business, and took my nephew, then a college freshman, to dinner. He had:

Two large Cokes

A spinach-and-bacon-and egg salad in a bowl the size of a hubcap

The entire contents of a basket of rolls

A dozen grilled scallops

A 24-oz steak

A 16-oz baked potato "with all the fixins"

An entire head of broccoli with hollandaise

Most of a bottle of wine

Most of my grilled mushrooms

An enormous slice of apple pie with an equally enormous scoop of ice cream

Irish coffee

I just stared in awe. I mean, I'm no slouch in the fressing department, but this was...a revelation. And then the bill came and I started crying.

[helenjp]

Interesting to hear about school meal breaks.

Here in Japan...Boy Who Eats #1 starts middle school in April, so I don't know the schedule yet, but they can have a hot school lunch or bring a packed lunch, to allow more time for sports practice (school sports clubs are sort of cadet military here...)

Boys Who Eat #1 and #2 are currently at elementary school. They get two 25 minute play breaks, separate from eating -- lunch is collected in class sets from the kitchen by the children, served by them, eaten in the classroom (teachers eat the same menu), and tidied away by them. After lunchtime play, the kids also do 20 minutes of school cleaning before afternoon classes. They sometimes get a 5 minute play break on days when classes continue until 3:30pm. (Classes start at 8:20, they are supposed to be in their classrooms preparing for the day by around 8am).

When they are at school in New Zealand, the boys' preferred packed lunch is a roll-up with hummus and smoked fish or chicken, or cold fish fingers with sweetcorn. NZ lunchboxes have become huge, to accommodate packs of crisps and bottles of softdrink. No more canned spaghetti sandwiches or marmite/potato crisps/lettuce sandwiches!

I guess we are moving to a bigger breakfast and a smaller dinner pattern, partly because I am now out teaching more days than I'm at home translating.

Most of my northern american friends serve pretty much what each family member requests for breakfast -- a novel concept for me,, but I bet it gives kids a reason to get up!! At first I couldn't figure out how there would be enough time to make several different breakfasts in the morning, but then my kids are out the door 1 to 1 1/2 hours earlier in the morning in Japan than in NZ.

Breakfast (and husband's packed lunch, which includes cooked rice) is over here, and my term doesn't start till April! Another cup of coffee and a slow start on my work for me!

[Marlene]

A brief respite after dinner. Not only does the lad have an Indian Village in a shoe box, he's expected to make a presentation on it tomorrow. Most of this evening was spent (painfully), listening to him memorize and do his presentation.

Home from school, Ryan had a couple of quick snacks. I made

Monkey bread today. Monkey bread can be made in any pan type. Today I made some in muffin tins and some in a small bread pan. The muffin like ones are easier to pack in his lunch. This particular bread was made with spelt flour, so that Ryan can share it with his other best friend at school who is allergic to wheat. When I use spelt flour, I use 1 ounce less water than the recipe calls for.

Dinner consisted of

Beef stroganoff

I make my beef stroganoff without mushrooms due to my mushroom allergy and my family tends to prefer it over rice instead of the traditional egg noodles.

Served with a

Simple salad and I made a basic Balsamic Vinigrette and garlic dressing to go with it.

I also had some crusty bread on hand to go with the

Onion Confit that finally was ready this morning. The confit is much darker in colour than I anticipated, I think because of the beef demi glace that I added to

it.

There is no shortage of desserts in the house at the moment. There is still some chocolate babycake left, and a chocolate cake I made a few days ago. Don also decided to bring home half a dozen Krispy Kreme donoughts . Fotunately, I don't eat dessert. Guess which one Ryan chose?

Ryan had milk, (he's still a milk monster) and I had the last glass of Amarone with mine.

During the week, we almost never sit down together as a family to eat. Especially during this time of year, Don is just never going to make it home in time. I normally serve mine and Ryan's up, and sometimes (read most of the time), he can eat watching TV, provided his homework is done. The rule of the house is homework is done as soon as he gets home. Otherwise, I get grief after dinner if I try to get him to do it then .

I usually put Don's in the oven to keep warm and he eats when he gets home.

I have yet to finish my own "homework" of piano theory. For some reason, I decided a few months ago, that 44 was a good age to learn the piano .

Things will be quiet now. Ryan goes to bed a nine and Don and I will read quietly for a while. Perhaps a port and a little stilton cheese will be in order a bit later.

[Shiewie]

The monkey bread sounds really good. Just had a look at the recipe. The recipe calls for 3 pkg of bread flour. Marlene, how much (cups or weight) is a package of bread flour?

[Pan]

Marlene, I wonder if I could be permitted a non-food question about what you're working on on the piano lately?

I'm enjoying reading this blog!

[FireWire]

Wow, thank you for this, Im new to the egullet community, granted, not new to forums as I moderate my companies forums.

A fellow Canadian I see :) I have really enjoyed your blog thus far, and look forward to the rest of it.

-FireWire

(Already thinking about what to have for breakfast)

[Marlene]

The monkey bread sounds really good. Just had a look at the recipe. The recipe calls for 3 pkg of bread flour. Marlene, how much (cups or weight) is a package of bread flour?

Oops. I fixed it. 3 cups not 3 pkgs

[Marlene]

Marlene, I wonder if I could be permitted a non-food question about what you're working on on the piano lately?

I'm enjoying reading this blog!

Thanks Pan. I'm afraid I'm right at the beginning. This week, I'm studying the C major , D major, and F major scales, chords and inversions. Lesson is tonight and I believe I start using both hands to play at the same time. I'll be able to show my teacher just how uncoordinated I really am . Ryan has Saxophone lessons at the same time. Sometimes we are even learning the same song, so we can practice together. At such times, even the cats go and hide

I'll be back in a bit to update everyone on this morning's breakfast routine, but first, I have to get the lad to school.

[Marlene]

Wow, thank you for this, Im new to the egullet community, granted, not new to forums as I moderate my companies forums.

A fellow Canadian I see :) I have really enjoyed your blog thus far, and look forward to the rest of it.

-FireWire

(Already thinking about what to have for breakfast)

Welcome Firewire! Where in Canada are you from?

[Marlene]

I hate mornings. Ok, well I don't really hate mornings, I just hate the mornings when I have to get the lad up. Ryan was unusually hard to get up this morning, and of course he had to have his shower (at least I have the cleanest kid on the block). Don also had a later meeting here in town this morning, which meant he got going later than usual as well, managing to throw my entire morning routine off .

When Ryan finally became coherent, he declared his preference for a Krispy Kreme doughnut for breakfast.

That's it? How about a banana with that? And a glass of milk. While Ryan had his shower, I got his lunch together. - Ever notice how hard it is to get kids into the shower, but once they're in there, impossible to get them out?

No lunchables today. For lunch he's taking a ham, mustard and cheddar cheese sandwich, 2 Monkey Bread muffins, (one to share with his friend), a cheese stick, fruit cup, Mrs. Field's cookie an apple juice box, a Koolaid jammer and he'll get his milk as well.

Ryan also goes to a program before and after school. The daycare is located inside the school and he's been going there since he was two. This will be his last year in the program, and for the last year, he's been fulfilling a Jr. Leader role, in which he helps with the programing and the younger kids. They also provide snack in the morning and after school, although their idea of a "snack" is usually a full meal. More opportunity for Ryan to graze.

Once he's done the program, he enters that twilight world. Too old for a babysitter, to young to stay home for any length of time by himself, and too young to get a job . I could have sworn he was just a baby yesterday

Back to breakfast. Don ate the last of the blueberry muffins this morning, and since I still have blueberries in the fridge to use up, I'll make another batch today sometime.

Today is a gym day. 40 minutes of running, 60 minutes of weight training. I had a piece of cinammon toast this morning, with many cups of coffee. I'll take a high protein, low carb shake with me to the gym.

See you later in the day!

[helenjp]

I've been wondering for the longest time what Monkey Bread was! Thanks for the pix and recipe!

Now please tell me what a Koolaid jammer is?!

Glad to hear that other kids go to bed at 9pm. That's incredibly early in Japan. Hope Ryan's presentation went well. My DS#1 was up at 5:30 this morning, fretting over homework. He said he couldn't sleep because he was worried about 1) homework, 2) the end of the world, as evidenced by Bush in Iraq and chicken flu in Japan, and 3) whether he was going to trip and make a fool of himself on the stage at graduation.

Snack today was rice balls stuffed with grilled salt salmon. I was informed that two of these was a "nibble", and that I'd better produce the real snack pronto. No dice.

Good luck with the music. I try to keep practice my flute to be able to accompany DS#2 on his violin or guitar, but he lets me know that I'm holding things up...

[Marlene]

Ryan gets up early and for all his protestations that he's not tired when he goes to bed, none of his friends go to bed that early, etc, he's alseep within 2 minutes of his head hitting the pillow.

Koolaid jammers are drink pouches rather than boxes. They are his new favourite drink which will last right up until I go buy them in bulk, - then he won't like them anymore

It's funny how kid's fears express themselves. Not that you'd ever find Ryan worrying about homework! He tends to keep things to himself. I alway know though, because he generally has a pretty sunny disposition. When he gets surly, I can be pretty sure that something is bothering him. Usually to be divulged at bedtime over a mug of warm milk.

I just got home from the gym, and am finishing my protein drink, to be followed by some of the beef stroganoff leftovers from last night. Gotta clean that oven today too (fortunately, I have two ovens ).

[Jake]

Oh what I wouldn't give for two ovens!!! Lucky girl.

[bloviatrix]

My oven has to be cleaned today as well. I'm hoping Blovie will do it when he gets home.

[Marlene]

My oven has to be cleaned today as well. I'm hoping Blovie will do it when he gets home.

The joy of self cleaning ovens. I can clean my oven and still hang out on eGullet while I do it! Piano theory is done except for the D major scale inversion. I just can't figure that one out. So I'm consoling myself with some Miss Vickie's chips and contemplating making another pot of coffee. I live on coffee during the day. I haven't even thought about dinner tonight.

Ryan has tutoring after school, homework, and then we both have music lessons.

I see a pizza in our dinner future

[bloviatrix]

I'm not nearly as lucky as you - my oven can only be considered self-cleaning because I clean it by my self (where's the bad joke emoticon?)

Actually, Blovie is responsible since I pulled a muscle in back. Today I'm hobbling around like an old woman. It's pathetic.

I would offer to help with your music theory, but it's been over 20 years and I don't remember much.

[kimabima]

I am really enjoying reading a fellow Canucks blog!!!

(I live in incredibly beautiful Victoria- plug plug!!!)

I was wondering if you could share the name of the low carb protein drink you use? I have never had one of those but I am really getting into weight training (just for fun- nothing serious). I don't know where to start so I am sure whatever your drinking is great!

I raised two daughters but my sister has two growing teenage boys- they also live near their school. While my sister is at work the boys and their friends drop by and hoover the food out of the house. All the other parents have banned their kids from doing the same at lunch. This is a very affulent area but they still don't mind if their kids clean my sister out!

[Marlene]

I am really enjoying reading a fellow Canucks blog!!!

(I live in incredibly beautiful Victoria- plug plug!!!)

I was wondering if you could share the name of the low carb protein drink you use? I have never had one of those but I am really getting into weight training (just for fun- nothing serious). I don't know where to start so I am sure whatever your drinking is great!

I raised two daughters but my sister has two growing teenage boys- they also live near their school. While my sister is at work the boys and their friends drop by and hoover the food out of the house. All the other parents have banned their kids from doing the same at lunch. This is a very affulent area but they still don't mind if their kids clean my sister out!

I love Victoria! And by the way, welcome to eG! The name of the protein drink I use is called Lean Body. It comes in chocolate, vanilla or strawberry, but I prefer the strawberry.

I'm a firm believe in feeding kids, so I hve lots of Ryan's friends over here on the weekend to clean out my fridge usually too

[kimabima]

You should see our fair city right now. The cherry blossoms are in full bloom- a riot of pink and mauve down every street. It is lovely- unless my dear husband you suffer from hay fever...

My sister agrees- she wants her kids to be well fed and she wants to know where they are and what they are doing. I just don't get how other parents can foist their kids on others all the time. (and the parents know- they tell their kids to go to my sisters house!!!). Weird.

So would I find Lean Body at a HF store???? I definately would like to give it a try. Thanks for sharing the name with me.

[Marlene]

I found mine at a health food store, but that was in Ontario Should be able to though. And I'm with your sister. I'd rather have the kids at my house where I know I'm watching them.

[Pan]

Ryan has Saxophone lessons at the same time. Sometimes we are even learning the same song, so we can practice together. At such times, even the cats go and hide

Oh, they'll get used to it.

Everyone has to start at the beginning. But we can talk more about this next time you're in New York.

[Pan]

Today I'm hobbling around like an old woman. It's pathetic.

Take it easy, and feel better soon!

You deserve a break.