Play Dough Shake Down

Homemade play dough. 
The crafty mom's right of passage. 
But which recipe? Cooked? No-cook? Microwave? Keyword search "play dough recipe" on Pintrest and be prepared for a tidal wave of pins. If you take the time to start looking through them all, though, there really are only a few variations. For traditional play dough, the ingredients are the same. Flour, salt, water, cream of tartar, and oil. I took a stab at a few of the most popular variations and found one that is hands down the best. 
Of course it isn't the "no-cook" recipe. Of course it wouldn't be the 2 ingredient 5 minute recipe. Not to worry, even with the added step of cooking, I was able to make it easily in 15 minutes ( during nap time, of course)

The best part is: I could barely get my kid to touch it! Once he figured out that with cookie cutters you don't have to touch it, he was happily cutting out trucks and drawing shapes in it. Whatever. So much for sensory play. 



#1) 2 ingredients. No cooking.

1 cup hair conditioner
2 1/2 cups corn starch.

Mix e'm. It's that easy. I used a spoon at first, but then found it easier to just get my hands in there and knead it.

While the result is very silky and smooth, it's not play dough. It's fun and can roll and be cut like play dough, but it isn't very elastic and it crumbles.

Also
Corn starch is insidious. I'd put it right up there with glitter when it comes to mess potential. I've only ever used it in table spoon amounts for food but handling cups of the stuff at a time opens the door for powdery explosions of dramatic and hilarious proportions (if you find that kind of thing funny.) It mushroom clouds up with the slightest jostle or hurried measuring cup dump. 

Also
I don't know how to say this with a straight face, but conditioner burns when you get it in your eyes. Yea, I didn't really think that one through. I just recently chopped all my hair off and now have a surplus of the lovely coconut scented conditioner I use and thought- perfect! It's a pretty blue color and smells great! 
If you use this recipe, it's really not bad, just consider using something tear-less. While I was kneading the dough, I rubbed my eyes and ended up having to wash my face to get rid of the sting. I can imagine little kiddos having a tough time with that. This also means it isn't edible. Of course, we aren't looking for a snack recipe here, but it's in their hands, it's gonna get eaten.

#2a.) No cook, with olive oil

2 cups flour
2 Tbsp oil
1/2 cup salt
2 Tbsp cream of tartar
1.5 cups of boiling water
food coloring.

This went fairly easily. I had my wingman with me this time and he was very excited to dump the dry ingredients into the bowl. 
I combined the dry ingredients, whisked them together, and added the oil while my water boiled. Not sure how this means it's a "no cook" recipe, though. I got a pot hot on the stove. So...I cooked! I added the food coloring to the water and then poured it over the dry ingredients and stirred till it all was combined. But it was too wet! It's completely possible that I mismeasured somewhere along the way with all the "help" I was receiving from my sweet angel baby. I ended up adding 1/4cup more flour by sprinkling it lightly over the dough and kneading it in. I kneaded and kneaded and it just never really felt right. I finally got it to stiffen up enough but decided I needed a re-do unassisted. 

#2b.) No Cook, with coconut oil

2 cups flour
2 Tbsp oil
1/2 cup salt
2 Tbsp cream of tartar
1 1/4 cup boiling water
food coloring.

I made this just the way I made the other with the exceptions of substituting the olive oil with coconut oil and I added 1/4 tsp of coconut extract. It worked much better and had a much firmer consistency. 
This play dough is nice and firm, not sticky or crumbly. Perfectly serviceable. 

#3) The Winner

1 cup flour
1 cup water
1/4 cup salt
1 Tbsp vegetable oil (I used olive)
2 tsp cream of tartar
food coloring.

Directions:
Whisk dry ingredients together. (I just dumped it all in the pot at once and got some cream of tartar clumps in my finished product so giving it a good once over with a wire whisk is a good idea.) 

Next add it to a pot with the wet ingredients and stir continuously over medium heat and I do mean continuously. I left it a few times to "multi-task" and came back to lumps sticking to my pot. I was able to scrape them off but low, slow, and constant seems like it would be best. It takes just a few minutes for the liquid to disappear.

Then I dumped it out onto my counter, dripped some food coloring on it and began to knead it. From what I've read, giving it a good thorough knead helps give it the best consistency possible. To me, that meant I just folded it and smushed it over and over till the food coloring was mixed in and called it good. 

Cream of tartar lumps. Sad face.

It makes a wonderful dough. Firm and elastic. Not sticky. Doesn't crumble. It holds any shape and still re-forms nicely. I like it even better than the name brand stuff. This one is a clear winner and, even with the cooking, was so easy an novice with a stove can do it!

Squash Muffins

Finding ways to get food to be the right texture for my almost 3 year old to eat has become a challenge. It's a balance between trying to help him eat healthfully and trying not to cater to his every whim and complaint. Some days I'm an alternative food cooking rock star. Some days, he eats chicken nuggets.

I was looking for ways to get veggies, protein, and whole grains into my child. I've found and adapted a recipe for muffins which, even though I think they're bland and boring, he will gobble up like candy.

The original recipe is from the SkinnyMom website http://www.skinnymom.com/skinny-butternut-squash-muffins/?_szp=347056

Since my kid is skinny enough, I've added a few tweaks which I find makes a better muffin texture.

Ingredients: makes 12 muffins

DRY-
2 cups old fashioned style oats
1/2 cup whole wheat flour (substitute with extra oats for a gluten free option)
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon

WET-
8 oz yogurt (I used vanilla)
1 1/2 cups butternut squash puree
1 tbs honey
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup milk

2 large eggs

To begin, you'll need to process your butternut squash. One squash will make about 3-4 batches.
It's easiest to start by peeling it. Use a veggie peeler and peel it like a potato. This will make cutting it much easier. If you only plan on making one batch at a time, hack off as much as you think you'll need and leave the skin on the rest. It will last in the fridge for at least a week.
Cut it into 1 inch cubes and put them in a bowl with enough water to fill the bowl halfway. Microwave on high for 3 minutes, then stir and microwave again for 5 more minutes. Don't throw the water out!
Then puree in your blender or food processor adding water from the bowl to help it get soft enough to blend. Now let it cool down while you mix your other ingredients.

Next turn your oats into flour. I buy old fashioned style and grind it in my food processor till it resembles coarse flour.
Then combine all the dry ingredients.

Wet stuff comes next. Mix it all up in a separate bowl. I try to add the squash puree last to be sure it's cooled enough to keep from scrambling the eggs.
Mix the wet with the dry and then let it sit for about 10 minutes. I find that the longer you give the oats to absorb the liquid, the better the texture of the end result. It will get very think and gloopy. Think oatmeal, not cake batter.

Heat your oven to 350, grease a muffin pan, fill the cups right up to the top, and bake for 20-25 minutes. Poke the middles with a toothpick. If it comes out mostly clean, they're done. I usually just make sure the sides are beginning to brown, not burn, to know when to take them out.

The end result is very moist and chewy. To me, it feels like more solid oatmeal. This is not a cupcake, people. It's too healthy for that. But my kid eats 'em and yours might too! These muffins take some rigmarole but they freeze and reheat very well. One minute from frozen in the microwave for one muffin does the trick. I serve them for breakfast, lunch, snack and, depending on how my day went, he sometimes gets them for dinner.

For an extra delectable version, add 1/2 cup of brown sugar or give them a sweet topping.

Baked Taquitos

Finding things my kid will reliably eat on a regular basis ranges from a torturous chore to an exciting challenge and excuse to experiment in the kitchen. My latest experiment is the baked taquito.

My kid loves taquitos but I wanted to find an unfried alternative I could feed to him on a regular basis. 

The basic ingredients are simple and healthful but, when you deep fry them in whatever they use in the restaurants, you make a big mess and you've just got lots of extra fat. 

Here's my alternative:

Ingredients: 

makes 3 taquitos

3 tortillas (so far I've only tried flour)

1/2 cup cooked shredded or chopped chicken 

1/4 cup zucchini grated

1/2 tsp seasoning salt or taco seasoning

1 egg (for an egg wash)- it's super easy, I promise!

After you've chopped, shredded, and grated your meat (it's a great use of leftovers or grocery store rotisserie chickens) and zucchini, mix them in a bowl with the seasoning. If your kid isn't the King of all Picky Eaters, this would be a great place to add some shredded cheese or even beans! King Picky doesn't eat cheese nor does he abide the sight of it so, no cheese in our taquitos. Thankfully he didn't notice the zucchini. (I know, I know, green stuff but not cheese? Teeeelllll me about it!)

Then comes the fancy part. I kept having trouble with the round shape of the tortilla. It just wouldn't stick together enough to hold so I cut off the curves (use scissors or a pizza cutter) and made it a rectangle. Much easier for rolling! The extra bits can go in the oven right along with the taquitos, no egg wash needed and you get tasty chips!

Next, whisk your egg with a teaspoon of water for an egg wash. This will help get your tortilla extra crispy, and will stick the layers together. Brush the egg around the edges of the tortilla. 

Take about 1/4 cup of the filling and lay it in a longish mound. Try to smush it together with your fingers. The more tightly packed the filling is, the better the tortilla will roll up,

Now roll 'er on over. Get it as tight as you can without the tortilla tearing and lay down a little extra egg was at the end to stick it all together. You can brush the outside with a light layer of egg for an even crispier finish.

I stuck it under the broiler, not too close, on a low setting and watched it carefully. I turned it with tongs every 2 minutes or less until it was nice and golden. Took about 5 minutes. 

During the 5 minutes in which you are tied to the open oven, your kid(s) will probably have found your lipstick, a sharpie, and the molasses and are probably about to figure out how to let themselves out of the front door. Thank goodness this time mine only found some water to play with. 

Once you've gotten them back and made sure the house isn't burning down, you'll have a great meal that everyone can feel good about! 

Tip: once they've been toasted, crimp the ends once with your fingers to keep the filling from spilling out.

Egg "pancake"

My son is a picky eater. No, wait. That doesn't quite cover it.
My son is afraid of food. If it's unfamiliar and looks like it might not be crunchy, he can't even bring himself to touch it with one finger. It's terror plain as day on his face when he's confronted with something new or mildly wet. The torture this poor kid has gone through at birthday parties trying desperately to get at the cake while avoiding getting the frosting on his skin is hilarious, but also very very sad.

Approaching my wit's end to find ways to feed him healthful satisfying foods, I've tried to get to the basics of the things he will eat:

fruit- it's sweet.
crackers- they're crunchy
freeze dried anything- crunchy and dry
nuts-crunchy
seeds-crunchy
steak- it's relatively dry and salty.
hamburger patty- dry and easily held
plain whole wheat toast- dry and crunchy
yogurt-sweet


Obviously it's the tactile part of the eating experience that trips him up.  I got my first real clue when I made a chicken burger patty for him the first time. He would eat a plain burger patty so I tried to make a healthier version that we might use in our regular menue rotation. http://wgrainofsalt.blogspot.com/2014/07/chicken-burgers.html He didn't eat it that time, but I tried again a few weeks later and he ate them up!

It was round, easily held, not sticky or wet. So I started looking for ways to turn things into a patty. I tried veggies. Had some success with latkes but could only make them taste good by using more oil than I wanted him to have on a regular basis. Also, I was looking for something that took less prep time. And then I saw a Mc Donalds breakfast commercial. The smiling fast food worker deftly cracks a whole egg into an egg ring on a pan and the result is a perfectly round disc of egg. Eureka!

I found my egg ring at Marshal's for less than $2. I crack an egg in a bowl, whisk it, and pour it into the ring on a buttered pan and he eats it! (Almost) Every.Single.Time.

It's quick, it's easy, it's a healthful whole food. I still get a little teary every time it works.

Single Serving Egg waffles

As I've mentioned before, my son is a very particular eater. He cannot bring himself to touch, much less try to eat, new foods, especially if they're wet or sticky. Forget sauces and gravy, dips and condiments. He likes his food bare and plain.

A friend shared an article with me about all the different things you can make in a waffle iron and I immediately knew I'd struck gold. First I started out just putting a scrambled egg in the waffle iron. It makes for a nice crispy egg but quickly looses it's agreeable texture. So I started experimenting and came up with something that looks like a waffle, smells like a waffle, and, well, it's a waffle. BUT. It's mostly egg. No added sugar or fat and, since my child approaches syrup with horror and disgust (because it's wet so he's never tasted it,) they're fairly healthy. Try it with peanut butter or nutella! My kid wouldn't eat it, but yours just might and if you make more than you need, freeze them and they re-toast very well in your toaster.

Here's another quick trick for breakfast, lunch or dinner:

Ingredients:
1 egg
1 tsp milk /water
2 tbs whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
juice of 1 lemon wedge
1/2 tsp vanilla
cinnamon.

Instructions:

First, whisk up your egg in a bowl.

Next add the flour, vanilla, and cinnamon and stir it all together.

Then, add the baking powder. Before you mix it in, squeeze the lemon wedge over the baking powder. It will foam and fizz which will help add height and fluff to your waffle. Just add enough to get all the powder fizzing. Your waffle won't taste like lemon. 

Spray your waffle iron with cooking spray.

This is enough batter for one side of the waffle iron which is usually about one meals worth of food for my son. I've gotten pretty quick at throwing it all together quickly in about 5 minutes or less for a fast sure-thing at lunch time.

It's made with simple whole foods and he eats it almost every time!

Voila! It's a whole egg plus a whole grain. Nutritious and homogeneous. Just the way my buddy likes it.

Sometimes it gets a little messy...

They start to droop after a while so eat 'em or freeze 'em quick!