Corn Chicken Chowder

Yesterday for my Black Friday Holiday Hoopla John was hanging with the boys for the whole day. He even sat for our little friend Nathan so his mom could scrap with me upstairs. He did a great job with the boys for the whole day, even getting them to play a silly bowling game the boys love where they pretend to be bowling pins and get "knocked" down by a soft soccer ball bowling ball. Strike!

For the girls I did a gluten free Chicken Corn Chowder.  I did a couple a funky things to get the chowder to thicken up as much as I like it without adding flour, like adding creamed corn and also the mashed potatoes leftover from Thanksgiving. Thick and mildly spicy -It was so yummy!

Chicken Corn Chowder

• 6 slices bacon, chopped
• 1 white onion, finely chopped
• 3 medium potatoes, small diced  
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 cup half and half 
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 2-15 ounce cans of white corn and 1-15 ounce can cream corn
• 2 cups mashed potatoes
• 1 small can chopped green chiles
• 2 cups roasted chicken, shredded 
• handful of grated cheddar, for garnish

Instructions

1. In a large stock pot, fry the bacon pieces until crisp. Remove from the pan, leaving the drippings, and set aside. I usually start the bacon in a spoonful of melted coconut oil so it won't stick in the bottom of the pan as it gets going.
2. Place the potatoes and onion pieces into the stock pot and cook over medium heat until the onions have softened, 2 or 3 minutes.
3. Sprinkle in the cornstarch and cook, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute.
4. Pour in the dairy, chicken stock, and seasonings, stirring well. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
5. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 12-15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Add corn, mashed potatoes, chicken, and green chiles. Cook over low heat until heated through, about 5 minutes. Garnish with reserved bacon, and cheddar cheese.

Banana Pudding "Pie"



Little blast from the past: Gabe & Ben in November 2009

 In our first ever gluten free Thanksgiving, I am testing and saving recipes to use for years to come. It's a little bittersweet, giving up the old traditions (good bye pie crust and rolls), but it feels good to know that I'm giving the boys treats that are better for them. Plus since we all tend to have intestinal issues when exposed to gluten now, it's a big plus to know we aren't going to spend the hours after our feast feeling terrible and dealing with clean-up-on-aisle-twelve!

One thing my hubby loves at the holidays is Banana Cream Pie. That was an easy enough fix - just ditch the crust. But since we are avoiding processed foods too (gluten contamination, too many chemicals), we wanted to make the "pie" from scratch. I pulled together a couple of recipes, and came up with this. Thank you to Paula Deen for the addition of the butter...yum-o! Now if we can quit "testing" the pie, maybe there will still be some left after dinner!

Ingredients:

3/4 cup coconut sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch or arrowroot

3 cups whole milk or half n half

4 egg yolks

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 ounces (1/2 stick) pastured, cultured butter

4 medium bananas, squashed (or pureed)

2 medium bananas, sliced

Mix together sugar and starch then slowly blend in the milk. This probably should be cooked in the top of a double boiler, but I cooked it over very low heat, stirring constantly until it thickens a lot--do not leave it unattended (especially at the end). Slightly beat egg yolks and temper with a small amount of the hot custard; stir well. Blend egg mixture into custard pot and cook 2 more minutes. Remove from heat and add vanilla and butter plus 2 of the squished bananas.  I always let the boys squish bananas in baggies so they are "helping". Let cool. Lay sliced bananas in the bottom of a 9 inch pie plate or baking dish. Top with the squished bananas - like a banana crust! Pour in custard and let set in the fridge. Add whipped topping for serving, if desired.

A Visit with Santa 2011

I know it's super early, but we went to visit Santa today. It works for us that Santa arrives at the Mall waaaay before Christmas since that tends to reduce the crowds for Santa, which stresses out the boys a bit less, making for a nicer experience (for Mommy at least). It's a little weird seeing Santa before Thanksgiving, but the boys were all excited. At least, on the way there they were excited.

It was all smiles and giggles in the van on the way to the mall. Max was cracking Knock Knock jokes. Gabe was reading the new Thomas catalog. Ben was singing to himself. Everyone was calm and happy.

Then we got to the mall. The parking wasn't too busy. We got our favorite parking space right next to the elevator where there's room to dance around in front of the van without too much chance of any little boys being run over by errant and inattentive drivers while Mommy spends forever loading all possible supplies into the stroller.  All is good...

Soon we got to Santa. And they are doing this new thing where they have you enter your cell phone into this terminal so they can text you when it's "your turn". So we put in the number and went around to the front to wait since they said it would only be a few minutes. The text came, and we booked it around to the back of the Santa area to get in line...and our name was erased from the line. Apparently we didn't get there fast enough. I guess the text didn't arrive to my phone right away - it had been a whole 10 minutes since we got there. Shame on us for being too slow I guess! Thank goodness we hadn't actually wandered away in the mall. The elf let us in line anyhow, though now there were quite a few people in line waiting.   Yea for technology!

We managed the wait without too much whining (and a GF pretzel snack), and soon it was our turn. Max had been happy as a clam all morning, through the waiting, right up until I placed him on Santa's lap. Then the tears came pouring out. Max was REALLY screaming.

Helpful Mommy couldn't stop laughing at Gabe (smiling his biggest cheesy grin to make a good impression on Santa), Ben (sort of smiling only because he was promised candy canes and a smoothie if he would just sit on Santa's lap), and Max (wailing like Santa's lap is made of razor sharp knives). So the first shots are Gabe smiling and Max screaming. Towards the end we got my favorite shot...Max is finally looking at the camera and only whimpering, Ben is squirming and asking after the promised candy cane, and Gabe...well, Gabe's got crazy eyes.

That Santa was amazing - smiling no matter how much Max screamed and keeping everyone on his lap. I can't even hardly get them all to sit still in their car seats lately and those have buckles! He must have really strong arms. I know Gabe is small, but dude is heavy! Look at him dangling there off the side...

Once the photos were taken, I almost forgot to grab Max as the photographer wanted me to view the goofy pics of the boys right away. I ran back to Santa, grabbed my still whimpering baby, and the older boys trotted off with the elf to get candy. Hmmm...maybe should have the stranger danger chat... Max started freaking out in my arms, and clearly communicated that he wanted Candy too. Soon everyone was eating sticky candy canes (are they GF? Who knows!?) and we were off to get a smoothie treat. Now I get to threaten to text Santa if the boys are having naughty behavior for the next month or so... ahhh, now that's the Christmas Spirit!

Gabe's first week of Kindergarten

Gabe's first day of kindergarten...so anticipated...so planned for...such a cryin' shame! We got up early that morning (OK, so we ALWAYS get up early around here), and I made name pancakes (gluten-free) for breakfast as a treat for the first day of school. Gabe was thrilled, as pancakes are not a frequent occurrence around here, gluten free or not.  Gabe was dressed, scrubbed, back-packed, and ready to leave right on time. Everything seemed like it was going fine...until John herded Ben and Max out the front door.

Gabe stopped short and refused to go to school. I sent John on ahead with the slow coaches as it doesn't take very long to walk to school and we didn't want to get there too early, so now we apparently hadn't left enough time to deal with the melt down. Eventually after a few minutes of coaxing, I got him out the front door and he posed for this LOVELY first day of Kindergarten picture that we'll cherish forever. Yea.

Then he proceeded to walk to school a few feet in front of me because he was too mad to hold my hand and walk with me. Plus it was ticking him off that Ben and Max were "winning". As we got closer to school though, he got less and less willing to walk, until at the front door of the school I had to pick him up and carry him inside. Luckily there are lovely big kids (5th graders) who open the doors for you every morning. Must have heard us coming...

At least someone is glad to be at school!

By the time we got to his classroom he was hitting and scratching at me to get me to put him down so he could run away and not go to school. I carried the screaming banshee into the classroom, and tried to put him down. Now he's changed his mind and is clinging to me like a baby monkey. I am no longer holding him, I can't shake him off me. So I walk to his cubby and get his papers, then to his backpack hook with my clingy baby monkey hanging from me, then over to the carpet where Ben is sitting reading a book with the rest of Gabe's classmates. I try to push him gently off me to sit with the class, but it's no go. Mrs. Miller has to pry him off me and I drop a quick kiss on his head and jam out of there.

I hang in the hallway for a few minutes in case he decides to make a break for it. About 5 minutes after I left the room, Mrs. Miller sticks her head out the door looking left and right. She says to me, "Did he come out here?" I assure her he has not...then enlist another parent to peek in the room and spy for me, as I don't want him to see me in the hallway even if I'm not actually leaving yet. Gabe is hiding under a table clutching his "lonely book" I'd made him....where he remained for most of the morning...until snack time when Mrs. Miller brought out Goldfish crackers. Since Gabe's been on this Gluten free thing since March, he hasn't seen a Goldfish cracker in FOREVER, so he came right out and joined the class for snack and recess and stayed out until parent pick up. Guess Kindergarten wasn't looking so bad anymore...

When I picked him up he was all excited about the fish and recess, where he'd played a game that had "a ball tied to a string, tied to a pole!" amazing what an impact a tether ball can have! He said Kindergarten was very fun! I passed Mrs. Miller, who told me about the morning spent hiding under the table. Her version of his morning wasn't quite as "fun". However, Gabe said he liked kindergarten and was willing to come back the next day...

Until we actually got to the next day. Once again it was all good until it was time to leave. John did not take a second morning off to take Gabe to school, so I was on my own. Once again he refused to come out the front door. I could just see myself, Max in the red stroller, Ben holding the handle on the side, Gabe flung over my shoulder like a sack of potatoes...not happening! So I totally bribed him instead.

I told him if he could go to school (which he liked yesterday, remember the tether ball?) every day that week without fighting, I'd take him to the Lego store to get a new Nijago Ninja. On went the backpack and off we went. No more troubles at drop-off, no more arguing about whether or not he should be allowed to take just one day off. Magic!

Of course, when I picked him up, he wanted to know where his prize was. I reminded him that it was a prize for going to school nicely all week, so he couldn't have it until Friday. He was a little miffed about that, so since we needed to grocery shop anyhow, I took them to Freddy's and he picked out a ninja to share with Ben. I put it on the Fridge so he could see it all week, and he seemed fine with that. On Friday after school he got to build it, and I don't think going to school is an issue any more!

His behavior at home in the afternoons has not been fabulous this week. I've been all over him, and I'm hoping it's just due to stress and not the handful of goldfish crackers he's been downing at snack time every day. If it continues past next week, I did tell him I'd cut him off from school snack. The mention of goldfish snack going away does seem to cut off most temper tantrums - but boy is he tired at the end of the day now. I'm hoping that with the new routine, it'll get better soon.

No more bribing now though - next up is Lose a Ninja consequence week if it comes to that. I don't think that it will though. Today he asked me (not until Bedtime, mind you) why he didn't get to go to school today.  Now to find a preschool for Ben, or a way to fold space/time so we can send him to Young Learners across town....

Gabe's School Open House Ice Cream Social

Time to catch up! John came home early the Thursday before school started so we could all walk over to Alberta Rider's Ice Cream Social Open House. Ben and Max were very excited! Gabe was at least willing to eat the ice cream before leaving...no sense leaving good ice cream to go to waste, you know... Plus he had his new red Ninjago shirt to wear, and what good is a new shirt if only Ben and Mommy get to see it?

We walked over to the school and timed the walk - should take us about 5 to 10 minutes in the morning, even allowing for the slow coaches (Ban and Max). When we got there at 4, it wasn't too busy yet. We found Gabe's Room and met his teacher, Mrs. Miller. She seems very nice. Gabe said a grouchily mumbled, "hi!" under his breath, but wouldn't make eye contact. Luckily she had prepared a scavenger hunt. So we happily tooled around the room, checking things off his list. Cubby? Check! Pencils? Check! Bathroom for boys only? Check! Awesome activity room with a play kitchen and a puppet theater? Check!

Finally Gabe settled in the back of the room, playing with Math manipulatives that stack together like legos. Another boy came to stand next to him and play with the bead box. I pointed out to Gabe that the boy, whose nametag identified him as Aiden, was also going to be in Gabe's class! Gabe gave Aiden the flat faced stinkeye. Aiden returned the favor. Aiden's dad tried, pointing out Gabe's Ninjago shirt to Aiden, who is reportedly also a big fan. Aiden said...nothing. Gabe responded in kind. Aiden was wearing an Oregon Beavers t-shirt. They played silently side by side for another 5 minutes, while Aiden's dad and I exchanged rolled eyes over shy kindergarten boys. Then Aiden's dad told him it was time to go. Aiden turns to Gabe and shouts, "Beavers!!" at the top of his lungs. Gabe cracks up like it's the best jokes he's ever heard. I guess that makes them friends?
When we got to the final item on the check list - say goodbye to the teacher. The list said Gabe had to either hug, high five, or give Mrs' Miller a handshake goodbye. I guess I should start making lists for Gabe, because, since it was on the list, he voluntarily went back up to her and gave her a high five. I was a little surprised, since he'd been pulling the shy and silent routine the whole time.

Finally, it was time for ice cream out in the covered area of the playground. That was the easy part. Each boy chose a fudge bar. and ate them with varying degrees of neatness. Ben could not be bothered to stop eating long enough for a picture to be taken, and Max was disgustingly messy by the time it was all over. We took a quick peek into the gym, where Gabe and Ben made the video shared below. Then we left school for a spontaneous celebratory dinner out, since as parents John and I were both so relieved to have made it through the gauntlet of Open House with out a single major meltdown or embarrassingly messy incident. When you go out with three little boys, that's always cause for celebration!