Children – Page 3 – Singing about Cooking

The Princess Sleepover List

Posted on January 11, 2011 by singingaboutcooking

My darling friend Caroline…who turned four years old this past November…invited me to her sleepover party this coming weekend. You know, the sleepover her mother doesn’t know about and hasn’t sent out invitations for. But for Caroline, the invitation to sleepover is her reward for me coming over and cooking dinner and playing with her and most especially for sneaking her strawberries while we were waiting for dinner to be ready.

But really, why am I telling you this? Because the list of things that I need to bring to this sleepover proves that we adults seriously underestimate our 4-year-olds.

You see, Caroline is very accurately termed “a drama queen,” which naturally means…she is a princess. With champion military general command, she demands…and gets…the attention she wants. Why? Because she is so darn cute…and I get to give her back when I’m done.

So I indulged Caroline when she brought me a piece of notebook paper and a pen, and started writing down our list of things to bring to her sleepover. The list started off simply, classically, innocently enough:

sleeping bag–I can borrow her purple and black one, but she gets to sleep in the princess one
bear
blanket
movies
majamas
toothbrush and toothpaste
Viking (my dog) to play with Snickers (her dog)
pillowpet (hers is a ladybug, but mine can be a hippo)
dress up clothes
panties
jewelry–specifically earrings, necklace, and glasses
makeup kit
nail polish

All things that moms remember from their own childhood sleepovers (at least I hope they do), and we all can reasonably expect to be requested as part of any girls’ sleepover. I know my other little girl BFFs expect the same things!

But then Caroline’s list took…well…an interesting twist. Her mother Heather and I have determined I will require a UHaul rental in order to arrive at the sleepover properly equipped. The list continued

food–cheese, lettuce, carrots and hummus, donuts
drinks–soda
my mommy (Marsha)
computer and charger
camera
DS–or I can borrow her brother Brian’s since he has TWO!!!
picture books
paper and pencils and scissors
books
tissue (yeah, like kleenex)
a little lamp
light bulbs
pictures
ornaments–we can hang them from the ceiling since the Christmas tree has been put away
flowers
artwork
calendar
my daddy (Ed)
a fan
shirts and pants
socks and shoes
morning time clothes
brooms
“all my stuff”
singing books
water bottles
candles
jackets in case it is cold
trash bags in case we run out
stools
medicine in case I get hungry for medicine
spoons for eating
camera bag and batteries
plates
curtains
carpet

And I am expressly forbidden to bring the following: my refrigerator and my couch.

I never got around to asking Caroline what we would do during our sleepover, or what the other girls are bringing. I figure it will take the entire night to unload my UHaul and then the day to load it back up and bring it all home.

But, Lord, this little lady is a champion list maker, a girl after her mother’s (and my) type A personality heart. Nothing like making a list, checking it twice, and crossing it all off as done!

Children, Cooking

Making a Meal out of Nothing

Posted on January 5, 2011December 29, 2016 by singingaboutcooking

Danielle: So, what do you want to make for dinner?

CeCe: Whatcha got?

Danielle: Chicken and feta, a veritable smorgasbord of choices there for ya <laughter>.

Um, but, yes, I am one of those annoyingly imaginative and versatile people who can take someone’s leftovers or still-frozen food and have dinner on the table and super yummy in just 45 minutes.So, what did I do with these insane options? Make a fabulous dinner in three easy steps.

Summer in Her Apron — Summer in her apron, ready to help me cook dinner!

Step 1: Entreé…I had my choice actually of frozen chicken breasts, frozen pork chops, or frozen stew beef. Since I already had a chicken idea in mind, that’s what I picked out. Simple. Tossed the equivalent of two chicken breasts into a baking dish…yes, still completely frozen…poured about 1/4 cup of lemon juice in the bottom, and sprinkled the top with salt and pepper. Actually, one of Danielle’s daughters helped with the salt and pepper. Into a 350 degree over with the timer set for 45 minutes.

Step 2: Veggie Side…here, my choices were very limited. As Danielle had no fresh veggies in the crisper, a salad was out as was any kind of sauteéd, carmelized, fried, etc. veggie. But, as any mom does, she had several bags of frozen veggies. We chose a steam-in-bag medley of green beans, wax beans, and carrots, mainly since her girls would eat them.

Step 3: Carby Side…since Danielle’s girls had already mandated mac and cheese (one of them eats ONLY mac and cheese), she always has a box mix or some Bob Evans mac and cheese.

As the timer goes off for the chicken, I turn off the oven but leave the chicken in. Meanwhile, into the microwave go the frozen steam-in-bag beans. Done. In goes the mac and cheese. Done.

Magic Sauce: While I make the kids plates (which consists of cutting up the chicken and the beans and cooling off the mac and cheese), I put one more bowl in the microwave. A special bowl…just for the grown-ups. Remember that feta Danielle laughingly mentioned? Time for a quick sauce. In the bowl is equal parts of regular cream cheese and feta cheese, liberally sprinkled with basil, oregano, and pepper (no salt because cheese is already loaded with salt). Microwave for one-and-a-half minutes, then stir it all together to blend.

Kids plates: simple baked chicken breast with a hint of lemon juice, green beans, and mac and cheese.

Grown-up plates: Baked Lemon Chicken with Feta Sauce and Kalamata Olives, Haricot Verts, and Pasta with Cheddar Sauce.

And, yes, you can do this too. Here’s what to remember:

Make three choices. That’s all it takes. Doesn’t matter what’s frozen or what’s raw.
Start cooking the thing that will take the longest. Here’s a quick priority list: frozen meat, raw root veggie or grain (like rice), box mix of something (like rice-a-roni). Well, that’s actually it. Fresh and frozen veggies take just a few minutes in the microwave.
For frozen meat, in the oven, add about 15 minutes per pound of frozen meat. In the skillet, remember that your fingers are your best judge, not a timer. Yes, I have just advocated poking your tender finger near a very hot skillet and testing the resiliency and elasticity of your meat–chicken, pork, beef, whatever.

Weight Watchers PointsPlus: for 3 oz of chicken (3 pts), 2T feta sauce (2 pts), 1t sliced olives (1 pt), 1/2 cup or 4 oz Bob Evans mac and cheese (6 pts), and as many green beans as you want = 12 points

Sorry, as happens with making a meal out of nothing, it’s done quickly and on the fly, with no thought to taking pictures at different stages.

Children

Welcome to Singing about Cooking

Posted on January 3, 2011 by singingaboutcooking

Happy New Year 2011!! Just a feeling, but it’s gonna be a fantabulous year.

My blog Singing about Cooking is my first attempt to introduce the world to my secret passions: singing and cooking. Only a small circle of friends and family know what these two things really mean to me, but I’m pretty sure it’s time to let my voice out and feed the world…so to speak.

Let’s see, I started 2011 out singing with my favorite soprano friend Loretta Haskell, owner and teacher of More Music Please voice studio. But my first official performance of 2011 will be on Sunday, February 20 at 3:00 pm at Christ Church, Mount Pleasant; I’ll be singing the second lead aria “The Trees on the Mountain” from Carlisle Floyd’s Suzannah, with a finale reprisal of “Duetto Buffo di Due Gatti” by Rossini, a duet with Loretta!

Hmmm, the first thing I cooked in 2011 was Greek lemon mahimahi, Greek roasted potatoes, and sauteed brussels sprouts for possibly the pickiest eater in the whole world, my friend Marty. Again, thank you, Jeanne (his momma), for letting me invade your kitchen!

The first thing I learned in 2011 is that being laid off from my job of 3.25 years is possibly the most liberating thing that has happened to me in years. Yes, I’m worried about when I’ll run out of money. Yes, I’m looking for a new job. Yes, I have plenty to keep me busy. But most of all, yes, I’m focusing on doing the things I LOVE!!

The first thing I organize in 2011 will be my grandmother’s Christmas decorations. Today I’m headed over to “undecorate” her house and put things where they belong, so next year I’ll be able to find everything again.

I’d love for you to just follow or even to join me on my journey to discover more about the things I do that prove I am truly living and not just marking time. And if you ever feel moved to share through more than just a comment, please ask to be a guest author on a topic! Living is not possible without meaningful interaction between people who share desires…even (sometimes especially) if they don’t agree.