Week 2 -- Sunday , August 23, 2009

I am a little late in actually posting this (it's actually aug 29), but I am happy to report that week two was a success!

Having extra taste buds among us this weekend (our friend's 3 boys stayed with us while she and her husband went away for their anniversary), I was hesitant in finding a dinner recipe that would appeal to the masses. Coordinating my own kids culinary preferences presents it's own challenge and six seemed a Herculean feat. ( I don't know how moms of large families do it). Someone was bound to be disappointed. Dessert I knew would be a piece of cake-- no pun intended. Past experience has shown me that any food where "sugar" is the number one ingredient gets a unanimous vote in the affirmative. What's not to like? Since Isabel has been wanting to try her skills on cake, I decided it was time our family owned a bundt pan. I am embarrassed to admit I have never had one. Cake has never been my favorite. My personal policy with sweets is to choose to consume what maximizes the level of satisfaction per caloric intake, in other words-- if I'm going to be bad it better be worth it! That doesn't mean I haven't sold out at social events, but in my personal kitchen, cake is reserved for birthdays. In general, homemade cookies and brownies tend to be my biggest weakness and the chocolate chip cookie the standard default since it scores the highest on my sweet-o-meter. However, no use in passing my personal preferences on to my children and even worse, depriving them of a variety of skills simply because I prefer chewy over spongy. So cake it was, and we made a very yummy recipe from our old ward cook book. Easy Chocolate Chip Pound Cake-- A definite success! (eventually I will post the recipes) We are still working on Isabel's abusiveness to her crew. As you will read about below, but I have a feeling she will get better soon. All in all everything went smoothly except for when I noticed her spooning the batter into our shiny, new, but ungreased, bundt pan-- a mistake as a result of her cookie training. But that was easily fixed being intercepted prior to the oven and we all, myself included, made ourselves sick having second helpings of their masterpiece.

As for dinner-- That proposed other complications as mentioned above. After polling the consumers for their opinions and hearing things such as:

" I like chicken and rice"

"I don't like rice"

"I Like pasta"

"I don't like pasta."

"I like carrots... I don't like carrots.... etc etc.

I scratched my head and came upon Chicken Tetrazzini which sounded really good to me. A hopeful choice considering all seemed to like "noodles" -terminology is everything with children-- and "chicken." While a couple balked at mushrooms, I figured they could pick them out.

I needed to double the recipe because it is a waste of valued effort to make a dish for only 8 oz of pasta in our house?( I forgot JJ was out of town. It 's interesting so see the change in our food consumption. Let me sum it up with -- "lots of leftovers!")So.. it wasn't until the kids were chopping the whole pound of mushrooms on the cutting board that I realized just how much 4 cups actually were. With each mushroom, I increasingly began to fear I was alienating some taste buds in the group. In the past I have successfully snuck mushrooms into the mouths of little skeptics. However, it's a little more difficult when they personally chop and witness a mountain of mushrooms being dumped into the pot with nothing to obscure them but the often mutually despised green onion. Inside I was telling myself "what on earth were you thinking?" As I braced myself for shouts of "eeew" and "gross" as they watched the mushrooms swirling in the pot with the butter and onions, I was instead met with "mmmm.... it smells good.." There were more "mmms..." all around (even the self proclaimed mushroom haters). If that wasn't enough someone went as far as to say... "mmm.. it smells too good" to which Isabel replied " No, it's smells just right." I couldn't believe it, they were arguing about just how good it smelled. Dinner might be a success after all. As it turned out. They all loved it, even the mushroom haters who did 'just pick them out'. Quite a change from past experience in which the meal was avoided altogether as if the pasta was tainted by the mere proximity of the despised vegetable.

As I sat there listening to the sounds of happy chewing . I asked myself what made the difference? Was it the chance to dangle the spaghetti noodles over their mouth and then slurp them back up that more than compensated for the mushroom flavor? Was this meal so tasty it slightly altered the preferences of their picky pallets? Or is it simply that they valued the meal more because they had so much ownership in it? I guess I'll never know for sure but I imagine the experiences of the coming weeks and months will enlighten me a little more.

This week's photo ops Isabel's Motley Cooking Crew for dessert.

.....I don't know, they look like a bunch of misfits to me :)

Jordan had to sleep this one out. Clearly church took it's toll. It certainly couldn't have been the late night partying with his friends. No, definitely not!

Great Helpers !

Even better tasters.!

I am afraid Isabel is still a bit of a Natzi in the kitchen. I even overheard Laney asking her. "Why do you have to be so mean sometimes?" to which Isabel replied unapologetically,

"Because you eat too much!"

We will be working on this throughout the coming weeks...

Patiently waiting his turn-- what a cutie!

I'm not sure what this look means but I'm going to go with

"ARRRR, when's it to be me turn, matey?"

Oops -- forgot to grease and flour the pan. Good thing mom is around to keep you in line!

Now it's ready for the oven. Lookin' good!

Licking up the remains. uhh.... Yum! No need for rags with this crew!




As for the Chicken Tetrazzini....

Everyone got a turn at cutting mushrooms

I know it looks as though he is about to cut off his wrist but I promise he's not. Bad angle. As for his twin brother using the doctor's kit scissors-- good luck with that my friend!

"We can both put them in."

I was so proud of our little chefs and their friends-- nice team work!

The Mushrooms cooking in my favorite kitchen appliance ever

--The SELF STIRRING pot!

One cannot appreciate this pot by a mere photographic still. It must be seen stirring in action to fully comprehend how deserving it is of prime real estate on one's counter.

Lovingly nestled next to prominent long term neighbors such as ... the blender, toaster, microwave, and turning the once respected crock pot and rice cooker into common squatters.

Incidentally, the reason I am profoundly lacking in video graphic evidence to support this shameful, however truthful, plug, is because my dear husband JJ took the camera with video capability to Germany with him. Sooooo... JJ-- if you are reading this blog, you better be taking beautiful photos and film of your excursions to compensate for denying me many a golden video clips this weekend, and most importantly, credibility for my gush over this pot!

Capiche? or should I say "Verstehen?"

The Cake was Done and the pasta cooking. Things were shaping up quite nicely.

Well, well, well, what have we here? Can it be Isabel? Oh the hypocrisy!

The great "hand slapping" dessert chef is committing the greatest party foul of all. And do you know what this little hypocrite had to say for herself?

"But I'm really, really hungry and it smells so good."

Hmmm ... A plan is forming on how to tame the wild beast. I have a feeling Isabel will be much more congenial to her sous chefs next week!

The Finished Products. "Mmm Mmm"

It seems Isabel isn't the only one finding it difficult to wait, Jordan looks ready to pounce!

Noodle Time!!!

I had too much fun seizing the photo ops to remind the kids about table manners.

Isabel-- Enjoying the fruits of her labor

Jordan-- Enjoying the fruits of his good connections!


I look forward our next venture in the kitchen which I am embarrased to admit is tomorrow ( I am pretty behind in finishing this entry) . Which reminds me to pick a recipe and go to the store otherwise it might end up being mac and cheese. And although loved by my children, it doesn't pose much of a culinary challenge.

Until next week...