Bouncy Ball Painting

We did a quick art project the other day with some paint, a few bouncy balls, and a box that we picked up at Costco.  First, I taped the paper in the box.  Then, Amelia dunked each ball in a different color of paint and dropped it in the box (using a melon baller because she didn't like getting her hands messy).  And finally, she tilted and shook the box around to make line paintings. 

She loved to watch the balls as they were rolling across the paper, and I think she tried to make them go specific places.

Here's her finished piece - isn't it pretty? 

She painted two pieces of paper, and then got bored.  Which was fine because Megan had just about had enough of sitting in her high chair eating cheerios and watching.  It's much harder to do art projects when Megan is awake.  I'll have to try to find some things that Megan can do, too, without making a huge mess.

Modeling Underwear

Peach Pancakes

I ran out of time tonight to make my planned peach entree for our weekly challenge, so I whipped up these peach pancakes instead.  Instead of using our family pancake recipe, I tried a new one, taken mostly from Two Peas and Their Pod, to see if the texture would be fluffier (it wasn't) and whether the addition of whole wheat flour would be noticeable (it wasn't).

We tried eating these several ways:
1) plain - too bland, peach flavor didn't come through very well
2) with real maple syrup - good
3) with ginger butter - good
4) with ginger butter and toasted pecans - surprisingly good, considering texture issues
5) with ginger butter and real maple syrup - very good
6) with diced peaches on top - delicious (but then you might as well just make plain pancakes and top them with diced peaches)

Peach Pancakes

(serves 4)

Pancakes:
¾ cup flour
¾ cup whole wheat flour
1½ tbsp sugar
1½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½  tsp salt
¼ tsp cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
pinch of cloves

1 ½ cup buttermilk (used sour milk, next time use slightly less)
1 tbsp canola oil
1 ½ eggs (I know, very strange - I whisked 2 eggs and dumped out a bit)
½ tsp vanilla extract

2 peaches, peeled and diced

Ginger Butter:
2 tbsp butter, melted
1 tbsp sugar
½ ground ginger

To make the pancakes, mix together the dry ingredients.  In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, then stir in the oil, milk, and vanilla extract.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stirring just until mixed.  Gently fold in the diced peaches.  Fry on a hot griddle.

While frying, make the ginger butter.  Add the sugar and ginger to the hot butter.  Stir until mixed and sugar is dissolved.  Stir just before serving as the mixture will separate.  (You could make a sauce, but I was too lazy.)

Daddy Adventure Day - Middleton Sprinkler Park

We spent Ben's Wednesday morning off at the Middleton sprinkler park.  It wasn't the best place for little kids because all the sprinklers were pretty high and forceful (and the water was freezing!), but Megan loved to crawl across the puddles and walk through the water.

Amelia still doesn't like to get her face wet, but she had fun collecting water in buckets and pouring it on Mommy and Daddy.  She did run through a sprinkler with Daddy a few times.

But out of everyone, I think Ben had the best time.

Future Career for Amelia?

Hair Stylist

When she helped me take them all out, I had 31 bows or clippies in my hair.

Weekly Food Challenge - Sweet Corn

I posted a recipe for Sweet Corn Risotto on our Weekly Food Challenge blog, but as I was browsing for ideas, I came across another sweet corn recipe that I wanted to try.  Ben loved it, Megan and I liked it, and Amelia tried it and said "I'm not sure what I think about this" and then ate snow peas for lunch.  This is a great different use for leftover chicken or turkey.

Thai Chicken and Corn Cakes

serves 2

2 ears fresh corn,cut from the cobs (1 cup) 
1 cooked chicken breast, ground or pureed
1 tbsp finely minced shallots
1 tbsp finely minced garlic 
1 tbsp finely minced cilantro 
1 tbsp Red Curry Paste 
1 tsp sugar (try leaving out next time) 
1/4 tsp ground pepper 
1/4 cup flour 
1/4 tsp salt 
1 egg

vegetable oil for frying
dipping sauce (I used Thai sweet chili sauce)

Combine all ingredients except oil in large mixing bowl and mix well.  Add more flour or eggs if needed until the mixture holds together well.  Heat oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, fry 4 cakes at a time by dropping large spoonfuls of batter into the pan an patting down a bit to form cake. Fry for 2-3 minutes until browned and flip patty. Cook other side for about 2 minutes. Remove to paper towel lined plate to drain. Repeat procedure for remaining batter, makes 10 patties depending on size. Serve with dipping sauc.

More fun with food coloring

We had a bit of milk that was starting to go off, and instead of dumping it down the drain, I thought Amelia and I could play with it.  I poured a shallow layer of milk into a large plate, and gave her the food coloring.  I told her to put just a few individual drops of food coloring scattered around the plate, but she went a little crazy.  That girl really loves food coloring... 

Then I gave her a toothpick with the end dipped in dish soap, and she poked it into a drop of color.  The color immediately shoots out all over the plate!

It was so cool that I got another plate for me so that I could try to make pretty pictures myself. 

We found that the color only scatters well with the first poke of the toothpick, but after that it's fun to swirl the toothpick around and watch the colors mix.

Idea from Our Best Bites which, by the way, has delicious recipes!