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Jul 05 2015

Candied Lemon Slices with Iced Tea Granita

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #SipYourSummer #CollectiveBias

It’s been a long time since I have graced my kitchen, folks. While I have been feeding lots of mouths all day, every day, I haven’t been INSPIRED. Our family has survived on frozen pizzas, dinners that come from a box, and plates with piles of things: cheese cubes, meat, fruit slices, a piece of bread. It has been pretty lame around here. Until I got inspired by the idea of a summer classic with a twist: Iced Tea Granitas with Candied Lemon Slices. YUM!!!

I really stopped making great food in January, right after we lost Rob’s mom to cancer and my kids’ preschool closed. Those two things completely changed the course of my year, leaving me grieving and also super busy, respectively. I think I’ve been on a weird sort of stressed-out autopilot ever since.

But this weekend, I got my groove back. I found my happy place, my stress-free place, my ME place— unwinding through the art of making GOOD FOOD.

You see, I love the kitchen, but not when I have little people underfoot. Not when people are calling Mommy-Mommy-Mommy or making dramatic statements about how if they don’t eat right now they will DIE. So I took the kitchen back during nap-time.

Summer is all about cool, so I created some cool chicken lettuce wraps (recipe coming soon!) and a Snapple Iced Tea Granita with Candied Lemon Slices. Does anything sound more summer than that??

A granita is a fancy word for a slush. Okay, a granita is fancier than that and comes from Italy, so Italians probably hate me for saying that. But it IS a drink made from ice, sugar, and various flavorings. So: fancy slush. I don’t even need to give you a recipe for this part. I blended the Sorta Sweet Snapple Iced Tea with ice and a bit of honey. I didn’t want it to get too watered down so I added less ice, but you can go all out for a real frozen summery drink!

Iced tea doesn’t seem complete without lemon, does it? This drink made me think of candied lemon, not unlike the candied ginger and orange peels on my Champagne Cupcakes. The lemons turned out soft and sticky-sweet—the perfect adornment for a mason jar full of Snapple Iced Tea Granita! Doesn’t that look so refreshing?

Candied lemons are also super easy. Three ingredients and a little drying time. BOOM! They are sweet, tart, and wonderfully sticky. You’ll be licking your fingers after garnishing the glasses, I can assure you. Two might NOT be enough.

Candied Lemons

2015-07-04 22:08:56

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Ingredients

3 small lemons, sliced
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water

Instructions

Slice your lemons to about 1/8 of an inch. (I don't use a ruler. Not too thin and not too thick, okay?) Remove seeds, but try to keep the slices from getting mangled.
Stir the sugar into the water in a saucepan over medium low heat. Add the lemon slices. Let the liquid begin to simmer and bubble, turning the heat down a bit if it starts to caramelize and brown. Turn the lemon slices and stir occasionally for 12 minutes.
Remove the lemons and let dry on wax or parchment paper for at least an hour. Store in the fridge.

Notes

You've got a kind of lemon simple syrup left over in the saucepan. You should probably make something with that!!

Kirsten Oliphant http://kirstenoliphant.com/

If you’re at Walmart picking up your Snapple, I found easy access up front near the checkout lanes. Get in and get out so you can enjoy your me-moment. I was hoping to find the Lady LiberTEA in the aisle (a blend of delicious black tea with RED raspberry, WHITE peach and BLUEberry flavors, available in stores between May 1st through July 4th in 16oz singles and 6 packs—get it while it lasts!). But alas, no LiterTEA for me! (You should check your store for sales now that the 4th is over. You might get lucky!) Speaking of sales, 18.5 oz Straight-Up Tea and Premium Glass items will be on rollback for $1 as of July 3rd. Even more reason to try a granita! I picked up some Fruit Punch for a fruit infused cocktail. (Don’t worry, I’ll share that too!)

I had forgotten what a relaxing place the kitchen is for me, but I’m so happy that I got this kickstart to what I hope will be a return to feeling peaceful and rested in the kitchen. That means more recipes for you! Yay!!! As long as I can find someone else to do the dishes, that is…. Anyone? Bueller?

Snapple helped get me back in the kitchen to unwind through the culinary arts. What’s helping YOU cool down and unwind this summer? Share your secrets in the comments.

May 30 2015

Protecting New Baby Skin

I participated in an Influencer Activation on behalf of Influence Central for WaterWipes. I received product samples to facilitate my review as well as a promotional item to thank me for my participation.

This week my parents and I got into our home movies. I watched my brother play soccer and watched my sixth-grade-self awkwardly dance the Kid n’ Play. (If you don’t know what that is, here is a great video to get you up to speed. You’re welcome.) It brought back great memories of my childhood home and the memories forged there, but it also highlighted my age.

#waterwipes #ad #ic

If the Kid n’ Play reference didn’t clue you in, I’m now 37. This is not so old, except in relation to life. The moments we watched in the video were 25 years ago. Yet I remember them so clearly, still. I realized while watching my mom in the video that I am now the age she is in that captured moment. It is in these moments I feel old, when I look at my children and remember being their age. It is when I see my skin, dark and mottled and growing leathery, next to theirs, so fresh and smooth and clean, that I feel ANCIENT.

I try not to have regrets, but I got too much sun. Used too little moisturizer. Ate too much. Ate too little. Put too many chemicals on my skin and in my mouth. And I want to preserve my children a little better.

We already keep things fairly natural here with essential oils, homemade diaper cream, and as much whole food as we can afford (which isn’t always very much). But there are so many hidden chemicals in simple things like diaper wipes! Have you tried the new WaterWipes? Made from only two ingredients (99.9% water and 0.1% grapefruit seed extract) and chemical free, they are perfect if you’re looking to cut down on as many chemicals as you can in your home. ESPECIALLY in that sweet baby skin.

Sawyer and Lincoln didn’t have particularly sensitive skin or diaper rash, but both Cooper and Quin definitely do. I hate changing a diaper and using a hard wipe laden with chemicals on that irritated, sensitive skin. WaterWipes don’t have that scratchy wipe feel, but are more like fabric. My kids also use wipes on their hands and faces, so I definitely like the softness and the lack of icky chemicals.

And as a bonus? They won’t cost you an arm and a leg. Right now at participating Babies “R” Us stores, you can find WaterWipes making their debut at 2 for $6. Sweet! They are new, so you might want to call ahead and make sure they are in stock! Enter to win a $100 Babies “R” Us gift card when you become part of the WaterWipes community: WaterWipes Babies “R” Us.

I can’t take back any of my years or my choices, but I can certainly move forward with good choices for myself and for my little ones.

May 25 2015

Give Your Dog Special TREATment

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone.
#NudgeThemBack #CollectiveBias

Groan. What a pun, right? But seriously, today I’m talking dog treatment and dog TREATS.

With four kids, it can be easy to neglect our first child, Tex! But we have found ways to incorporate the kids into puppy care. The boys feed Tex and are in charge of letting him out into the backyard and bringing him back inside. Cooper has taken on the task of being chief Tex trainer, making sure that Tex doesn’t forget the tricks we taught him when he was just a puppy.

You can’t teach tricks without treats! We are using the new Nudges® Grillers & Sizzlers (available at Walmart) in the training. Check out this video as Cooper shows her training expertise. I think she will only get better…as her speech improves. She definitely has the barking down.

We kept training pretty basic with Tex, but I think when it comes to dog training, there are a few basics you need to cover:

Sit.

Stay.

Lie down.

Heel. (Or don’t pull on the leash)

Don’t Jump. (On furniture or people.)

In a house that has kids and pets, these rules are more important! Dogs aren’t the only ones who need training. Kids need training too! I’ve talked about this before, but here are important rules for kids and dogs:

Don’t grab ears, feet, or tails.

Don’t bother dogs while they are eating.

Don’t run toward a dog.

Don’t sit on the dog.

Always ask the owner before approaching another dog.

Don’t feed the dog people food.

We have achieved a pretty good balance in our house. Tex generally does what he is supposed to do and our kids generally do what they know is right. Setting up and following these kinds of rules leaves freedom for more love and fun. You can’t have that when you are dealing with pet or kid bad behaviors!

Tex is so patient with our kids, putting up with their form of “love.” Which looks like: the kids climbing on him, putting their hands in his mouth, and generally being pests. We love rewarding that unconditional puppy love with treats we can trust. You can find Nudges® in four flavors: Chicken or Steak Grillers and Chicken Bacon or Beef & Cheese Sizzlers. Tex also loved the new Jerky Cuts so we snagged the value size bag at Walmart. Tex doesn’t seem to have a preference—he loved them all!

Check out the site for reader ideas to care for your dog! How do YOU share the love with your pup?

May 15 2015

Real Food for Babies

I participated in an Influencer Activation on behalf of Influence Central for Beech–Nut. I received a free coupon to facilitate my review as well as a promotional item to thank me for my participation. As always, all opinions are my own!

Quin has become a monster. A crawling, cruising, drooling, EATING monster. We love our little chunky-legged monster, but I can’t seem to keep her satisfied with food! And as much as I loved making baby food for my other kids, that is simply one thing I don’t fit into my schedule most of the time. But since she is new to the world and new to food, I want to feed her the BEST. The best that we can afford, that is. So no $5 baby food for us!!

Quin isn’t picky. She loves to eat shoes, paper, dog food, and anything that might drop under the table. (When we don’t stop her. And oh, do we try to stop her.) But because she isn’t picky, I need to be picky FOR her. Ideally, I would like for her to eat something like I would make at home. No added stuff I can’t pronounce and no weird fillers. Just real FOOD.

Let me say that it isn’t hard to make baby food at home. Really! It isn’t. Most of the time, you heat up something, mix in a little water, and blend. Totally simple. But right now I am packing something like 15 lunches every week for schools/preschool/Bible study. In addition to trying to get meals on the table for dinner and feeding boys who like no fewer than three different things for breakfast. Even something simple like cooking up a batch of apples and storing them becomes an ordeal.

Enter Beech-Nut Organic line. It’s inspired by recipes from regular moms in a kitchen like me and made with a gentle cooking process more like what I use at home. Made with simple ingredients, it is real food for babies, not BABY FOOD. Packaged in BPA-free glass jars with the USDA certified organic seal, it is GMO-free! And it doesn’t break the bank.

I feel good about giving Q Beech-Nut because it DEFINITELY balances out the stray piece of dog food she might consume before I can stop her. She truly is a wily thing and finds things to eat all over the house. In many ways, she is not unlike those little vacuum cleaners that are always sucking things up around the house. It’s gross.

Want to try it? You can find Beech Nut Organic in the following stores OR use the store locator online: Kroger, Babies “R” Us, Wegmans, Price Chopper, Wakefern, Walmart.com, Winn-Dixie, BI-LO, Stop & Shop, Giant Carlisle, A&P, Pathmark, Albertsons, Hannaford, Raley’s, Meijer, Nugget Market, Diapers.com, Harris Teeter, Shaw’s, ACME, Shoppers Food and Cub Foods. Leave a comment below telling me something non-food you have found your baby eating for a chance to win a free Beech-Nut product! Contest entrants are only eligible to win once per sweepstake, per household as part of a campaign sponsored by Influence Central and must reside in the United States. I will use random.org to choose a winner from the commenters on May 21. Duplicate comments will be deleted. Make sure to leave an email or leave a profile that has an email attached. If I cannot reach the winner, another one will be chosen by May 22.

Apr 30 2015

Super Acts of Service with MARVEL’S The Avengers: Age of Ultron

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #AvengersUnite #CollectiveBias

I have noticed a sort of trickle-down effect that happens in superhero-loving families: even kids who are not old enough to see the movies pick up on the story. My boys at 5 and 7 know as much about MARVEL’S The Avengers: Age of Ultron as I do! My kids will NOT be seeing the movie this summer with us, but that doesn’t mean they can’t learn how to be super!

Let’s break down superheroes, shall we? They are the Good in the fight between Good and Evil. But on an even more basic level, they are serving people. And SERVING is totally something my kids can do! When we first asked the kids what they wanted to do in their costumes, they said they wanted to help people. They may not have thought of scrubbing toilets when they said this, but we tried to help them think of some of their regular chores as Super Acts of Service.

How to Turn Your Kids into Super Service Heroes!

Fuel Up. Kids work better with something in their system. We hit up Walmart for some Avengers-themed snacks. Doritos (which my kids LOVE), Cheez-It crackers (my favorite), and Diet Dr. Pepper for Rob and me. Not the kind of snacks we have daily, but that makes them a special treat for our kids!
Dress Up. We found some GREAT costume additions to our already-deep costume closet. It’s not Halloween, but Walmart has costumes to celebrate MARVEL’S The Avengers: Age of Ultron in the toy area. There may have been a small tussle over the Hulk suit, but we worked it out.
Pump It Up. We always blast loud music when we clean. This gets everyone moving and really sets the tone. Doing chores and serving does not have to be BORING. Super heroes need theme songs!

***There is a cool app you can download that scans the displays at Walmart! Starting today you can scan 12-packs of Dr. Pepper Avengers (or display signage) for a free digital comic book! Scan other Avengers displays in the store for more fun content.***

Chores are a part of daily life. We have our kids help with dishes and clearing the table every night after dinner. This sometimes takes longer than if Rob and I did it ourselves, but is teaching them responsibility. Once a week I have the boys clean their bathroom (more if they pee on the floor/walls/anywhere else) and they also clean their room at least twice a week. We like to emphasize that these are not just chores, but they are character-building. Adding in the element of the costumes and reminding the kids that superheroes serve really helped get them excited! I think often our kids think of super heroes as doing big things and fighting good and evil. (I think of it that way, too.) But talking to our kids about how super heroes are ultimately helping people gave our kids new perspective on heroism and service.

Want to see how we get our kids excited about toilet cleaning with safe products? Or see my list of eco- and kid-friendly cleaning products? We don’t keep a spotless home, but we DO get our kids involved and keep cleaning as safe as possible!

Speaking of safety: Don’t let your baby gnaw on the Thor hammer! It’s meant for ages 3 and up and could be a choking hazard. Quin may have found a way to chew off a piece! She is quite determined to consume as many non-food products as possible. But she sure looked cute being Thor!

Hulk had super strength to move the chairs out and really clean under the table. Captain America had a patriotic (AKA non-whiny) attitude about doing all the dishes. Thor…well, Thor just hit things with the hammer. And maybe put away a few toys. Maybe.

What Super Acts of Service do you have your kids take part in around the house?