The Best Scalloped Potatoes I Ever Had

The best Scalloped Potatoes I ever had were at a fancy restaurant a couple of years ago. I went home and the next day tried to duplicate what I had tasted. Alot of it had to do with the combination of textures which I think makes recipes successful, besides flavor. Here is what I came up with:

Potatoes
- chop potatoes very thinly, lay flat across a pan pre-drizzled with Olive Oil, then drizzle over the potatoes Olive Oil, Lemon Juice, and salt

- put potatoes in the oven at 375 degrees, watch them and when they start to get dried out sprinkle grated Parmesan Cheese over them liberally, let cook more so Parmesan is starting to brown, then pull out of the oven

Sauce
- while the potatoes are cooking, cook onions cut into medium sized strips and 2-3 cloves of chopped garlic in butter and Olive Oil, let them get real soft
- add to you pan 1 Tbsp of lemon juice, 1 cup of cream, 2 cups of Cheddar Cheese, stir and let get saucy, you may need to add more cream or more cheese to get the right consistency.
- add the potatoes and sauce into a casserole dish and cook in the already heated oven at 375 degrees for 10-15 minutes. You may want to add shredded Parmesan Cheese on the top to crisp up for the last 2 minutes.

All the things I do with Roasted Ham

1. Of course you have your Ham and Scalloped Potatoes (recipe to follow) Dinner, I have found just cooking the ham per the instructions turns out great, but the general rule is 20 minutes per pound at 350 degrees uncovered.

2. Ham and pineapple pizza!

3. Fried Rice with Ham cut up very small:
This is so easy to do, you don't even need a Wak. Just put some oil in the bottom of a pan, fry your pre-cooked rice, make a little hole in the rice to drop an egg in, mix it all together with a fork, after the egg gets yellow in your rice, add your meat and veggies and fry, cook until you get stuff stuck to the bottom of your pan, scrape those for flavors and it's done. Season with salt, garlic powder, and Soy sauce, mix together after veggies have started frying.

4. Ham, Potato, and Cheese Soup. I have a recipe that I use out of a cookbook that I am sure is copyrighted, "Treasury of Holiday Recipes" by Publications International, Ltd. copyrighted 1996. I add more cheese and ham and add parsley and garlic salt or garlic to the recipe. Here is a quick crock pot version I came up with:
- Boil some chopped potatoes and throw them in the crock pot
- 1 can cream of chicken soup in the crock pot
- 2-4 cups of cheddar cheese in the crock pot
- 1 cup of milk or cream in the crock pot
- cook onions and garlic in Olive Oil or butter - throw in the crock pot
- throw some parsley in the crock pot
- chop up ham cubes and put in crock pot
- stir it all together every once in a while, when it's all melted together it's ready, you may need to add some flour to thicken

How you know your child's self image has not been scarred yet..

1. Paris was in the bathroom in front of the mirror with me and she kissed herself on the arm and said "Mama I just kissed myself." I aksed her why she did that, and she answered very happily "because I love myself so much!"

2. Paris and I were in a bathroom in a resturaunt, filled with strangers mind you, and she says very loudly, "Mama I wish I was you". The sky's opened, glorious light shined on me, music was playing in the back of my head. Finally, I had done something right with one of my children, one wanted to be just like me! So I asked proudly, "why?" She replied, again very loudly and pausing between each word, "Because I want to be a Great, {Great that's good}, Big {big? where is this going?}, HUGE Mama just like you!"

Child's New Diagnosis - How will I pay for it?

I was reminded today of this question as I was being told that my fourth child has asthma for sure and that she has to be medicated, and of the pit you feel in your stomach or I should say your wallet. The following are some suggestions as to how you may be able to stomach the costs that follow a chronic health problem in your child. The pain of watching your child is enough, you feel guilty about worrying about the money, but that doesn't make the costs go away:

1. Go to your state's Department of Health website and see if they offer some form of "Children's Special Health Care" insurance, call the number provided and they will be able to tell you if your child's condition is covered. Most state's have this for chronic conditions and will pay balances left after your insurance for expenses related to your child's specific condition.

2. Now that you know you will have extra health care expenses, it is a good idea to set aside money each year for your bills. Find out if your employer offers a program where they will hold it for you until you need it, then you know you will not spend it.

3. Plan on using your tax return to pay off medical bills, don't "spend" it before you get it back on other things

4. If your child is hospitalized, and if the hospital will allow you, bring your child's medication with you and let them know you will be administrating, they may not admit it, but I have been charged "an arm and a leg for my kid's meds" by the hospital. Also, be aware you will receive a bill for every doctor that sees your child.

5. Stay on top of what you have paid and when, billing departments make mistakes too.

6. Make sure you know your rights before siging up to pay off bills with the hospital provided loan which is usually accompanied by a high interest rate. Making small regular payments may be a better option whether they say they agree or not.

I welcome any other advice from veteran parents that could help enhance this topic and bring encouragement in this scary time.

Mistake Turned Great - new recipe

Sometimes mistakes are just that, mistakes, like when earlier this week I accidentally spilled all my graham cracker crust into my pumpkin pudding. I thought, "hey, that might taste good", so I mixed it together, underestimating how much it looked and felt like cat vomit.

But Saturday, my mistake turned into something I will use in the future. I was making my "Easy Cinnamon Rolls" (see November 2008 for the recipe), and I thought to myself that the cinnamon I was sprinkling looked strange - maybe it had sugar already in it - I kept sprinkling. I finally looked at the "cinnamon" container and realized it was chicken seasoning! I thought about throwing all my buttered and chickened crescents away, but it seemed like such a waist. Here's what I came up with:

Easy Chicken/Bacon Rolls
~ Butter crescents

~ Lightly sprinkle chicken seasoning, garlic powder, parsley (fresh chopped is best or dried), grated Parmesan cheese

~ Wrap pre-cooked bacon around rolled up crescent

~ Cook according to crescent package instructions but watch closely so don't burn

*You could substitute spinach for the parsley and maybe even scramble some eggs and put a spoonful in the crescent

My kids liked them and Katie, who is 6, told me she likes them better than cinnamon rolls!

Christmas Cookie/Treat Contest

Last year when my girls and I were making our Christmas Cookies, my husband walked in the kitchen, stopped, put his hand in the freshly rolled out dough and gave me that look every little boy has when they couldn't help themselves from doing something destructive, but think it was really funny and are anticipating your response. I can't remember what my exact response was, but after that, a new tradition was born. Soon each member of the family was making hand prints, cutting them out and decorating them.

I'd like to know your family's unique ideas for Christmas Cookies or treats. If you want to share, please post a reply with your idea or email me at becca_leclaire@sbcglobal.net with your best one. The winning idea will be tested by me Saturday, Dec. 14, 2008 and featured on MotherCupboard with a photo of the treat and your name.

*You must be 18 years old or older or have your parent submit for you:)

Upcoming Topics: All the things you can make with Roasted Turkey & Ham, Ways to Recycle and Save, Child's New Diagnosis - How Can I Afford This?

Parisism of the week

Today there was so much snow I couldn't get my vehicle up our hill to pick-up Elise. Lucky for me her school is very close. Unlucky for Paris we have to walk down a hill and through a field to get there. We were already running late and her little legs were doing their happy best to get through the high drifting snow. The inevitable happened and down she went, as her little red-cheeked face appeared out of the snow she said, "Mama, I'm tied up at the moment!"

Nobody's Perfect

Children are the variable in the scientific experiment of being a parent that you really can not predict the outcome. You may know if you add an element of values, an element of love and an element of discipline you have a pretty good shot at success. But, we really do not know until they grow up and sometimes after they grow up. Sometimes something happens that makes you realize the lesson really hasn't been learned yet and it scares you for that child's future. Maybe that is because when you become a parent everything becomes important down to bowel movements, or maybe because we are well aware how important the formative years are. I had such an experience this week:

Oh Little Child

Oh little child with eyes so black,
I refuse to give you back,
To ways so cold and not so nice,
I’m going to love away your ice,

We’ve come so far, and back a little.

Oh little child with hair so black,
I will not let your wrongs to stack,
I’m going to love you anyway,
And greet you with a smile this day.

It’s not too late, you’re still little.

Oh little child with heart so black,
The light is shining the dark back,
I see you want to do what’s right,
Take my hand, together we’ll fight.

Your soul has never been little.

*(I am sure that the hair and eye color can be changed to fit each of my children from time to time)

Not Another Green Bean Casserole

I came up with this little twist on the Green Bean Casserole when I was cooking at my mother's and had forgotten an ingredient. I think what makes a really good casserole is the perfect balance between smooth and crunchy, lots of flavor and just enough salt. I try to remember that when you add cheese to a recipe you are usually adding salt.

Becca's Green Bean Casserole

Crunchy: Crispy Bacon and Roasted Almonds (to roast almonds, melt butter in small pan, salt lightly, take out of pan as soon as they start to turn color)

Smooth: 2 to 3 cans of Beans, 1 can of Cream of Chicken Soup, 2 cups of Cheddar Cheese or Colby Jack Cheese, 2 serving spoon dollops of Sour Cream, and 1 tablespoon of Hoisen Sauce (this is the ingredient I added that gives it an interesting taste or you can use Worcestershire Sauce)

To speed up cooking time, melt all the smooth ingredients except for the beans together in a sauce pan. Pour the mixture, beans, and the toasted almonds in a casserole dish, mix together. Place in a 375 degree oven for about 10-15 minutes, when the cheese starts to bubble or cook on the sides, crumble up the bacon and put on top, cook for a few more minutes.

New Diagnosis - Where you can go for help

When my 6 year old daughter Elise started having seizures at 7 months old, you can imagine I was scared. At the time, the doctors we had were not that great. Because of insurance plan restraints we were stuck with a system that cared by prevention, but once you actually had a problem, there was not much expertise. They were not even acknowledging she was having seizures. I started searching the Internet for answers, and have found some reliable ways to get help. Providentially our insurance changed the day she had to be hospitalized. We have experienced many times since, that mother's or father's intuition told us something more serious was happening or a different course of action should be taken, despite what the specialists were telling us. It was this intuition that helped us find the treatment for our daughter's seizures was metabolic instead of chemical after trying many drugs with no success. It also led us to search for a Medical Center outside of our state specializing in our children's disease after seeing specialists and bringing our then baby Paris to the finest hospitals our state had to offer. We found these things on the Internet.

1. For reliable information search for the specific disease or condition's foundation website. Foundations are organizations that raise money for research. Their websites list symptoms, often have Newsletters, resources, and parent chats, you may even be able to find a local support group

2. Yahoo Groups has many "Parents of specific disease chat groups", I have found this to be extremely helpful because you are connected to the people of all stages and experiences of the condition. You can find out about doctors from others that see them. you can encourage and mourn with each other. I often inquire if anyone has experienced a new symptom and what seems to work best.

3. Search for specialized Medical Centers - we go the Cleveland Clinic 1-2 times a year where they have specialists in every region of the body that have actually treated our children's specific disease. I found out they are a "hub" for Mitochondrial disease, it has been worth the trip!

The Misadventures of Parisgirl and Jackboy – Episode II, Operation Mortal Wound

The Characters:
Our Heroes ~
-Parisgirl - superhuman 3 year old able to climb on top of counters in a single bound, master strategist for The Evil Mama's demise, likes to throw fits at the most inconvenient times
-Jackboy - superhero in training, has mastered level one of acrobatics

Our Villain ~
-The Evil Germ/Injury Hating Mama - does not let the poor children in her realm waddle in germs and life-threatening Injuries

Yesterday a well timed and calculated plan was put into action for Evil Mama’s undoing. Parisgirl started acting up and had escaped Evil Mama’s imprisonment on the stairwell. Refusing to return on her own recognizance, Paris threw herself backwards on the floor and suffered a mortal wound on the back of her head, falling on an antique adding machine before Evil Mama could reach her. Evil Mama turned white, rushed Parisgirl up the stairs, cleaned her wound, stopped her bleeding, and applied ice. Parisgirl lay on the couch, her part had been done, Evil Mama was duely distracted, both her hands busy with forehead caressing and ice pack holding. It was up to Jackboy to carry out the second phase of the operation. Just out of Evil Mama’s reach Jackboy perched himself atop his rocking cow (yes I do mean cow), standing up, rocking, with arms in the air, screeching with delight. What Parisgirl and Jackboy failed to account for was Evil Mama’s elastic arms, able to hold an ice pack and reach across a room at the same time. But, Evil Mama did fail to tell them that her heart has not beaten that fast twice in the stretch of 10 minutes in a long time.

But, this is not the end for our chaos-making friends, right now Parisgirl is cheering Jackboy on as he has mastered a new skill of spitting out exactly half of his food while making a razzy noise at the same time.

the Misadventures of Parisgirl and Jackboy - Episode I

written September 20, 2008

The Characters:
Our Heros ~
-Parisgirl - superhuman 3 year old able to climb on top of counters in a single bound, master strategist for The Evil Mama's demise, llikes to leave calling cards
-Jackboy - superhero in training, has mastered level one of toilet clogging

Our Villain ~
-The Evil Germ/Allergen Hating Mama - does not let the poor children in her realm waddle in germs and life-threatening allergens

Two days ago Parisgirl's plan was put in to action after the The Evil Mama "said" she did not have enough time to brush her hair and fingered through it instead. Parisgirl knew her hair was tangled and something must be done about it. On the way to bringing the other children of the realm to school Paris told Evil Mama she needed a haircut. Evil Mama let out cackle and said "You just had one!", when Parisgirl got home she knew what had to be done. She had Jackboy act hungry and tired so Evil Mama would be distracted. She very stealthily pretended to go to the bathroom, while climbing up the drawers to get on top of the counter, where she could open the top drawer with the scissors. Parisgirl cut out the tangles, put the scissors back in the drawer, climbed back down, got a hair clip out, and went to ask Evil Mama to put it in her fixed hair........Later, Evil Mama found Parisgirl's calling card, a pile of golden curls on the bathroom counter.

Today, Evil Mama walked into the bathroom in her bare feet and found the floor to be flooded. When she came to the toilet she found Parisgirl's calling card on top of the closed toiletbowl lid, a pair of very wet pink Hello Kitty socks, and an overturned plunger next to the toilet. After Evil Mama did her bidding of cleaning up the puddle of germs, the very next thing she found was a mountain of allergen filled crumbs all over the floor where Parisgirl was having a snack, as Evil Mama started cleaning that up, the last of the master plan was enacted. Jackboy took off his diaper (for the first time) and peed all over his toys, the mantle and the wood floor, then did a very proud naked victory lap. This was very close to Evil Mama's undoing, but much to Parisgirl and Jackboy's surprise, Evil Mama cleaned up again with a "ha ha ha ha."

But, this is not the end for our germ and chaos-making friends, right now Parisgirl has retreated to her basement playroom while Jackboy does some much needed reconnaissance in Evil Mama's arms, while sleeping and drinking a bottle. Tune in next time for more Misadventures of The Parisgirl and Jackboy!

Little Boys Are The Most Inefficient Creatures

% efficiency = useful energy / total energy used

My biggest pet-peeves are repetition and inefficiency, each creates the other and they equally bug me. Seven years ago when my career was in the work force I would read up on how to work efficiently and learned you should never touch a paper or email more than once. When I became a housewife I tried to apply this theory to my home. If I am going down the hall to do laundry, I take whatever needs to be put away in that direction of the house and put it away as I make my way to the wash room. This has always worked for me and I have been able to keep a neat home with little effort. That is, until I had a boy 15 months ago. My four daughters are all fairly neat themselves and never found much joy in pulling everything in their wake out of cupboards, off of shelves, or out of toilets. None of them seemed strong enough to remove obstacles in front of the game cabinet where small dice hide and minions of game cards abide. I was lulled into the belief that you don’t baby-proof your home, you home-proof your baby by consistency and an open eye. I realized yesterday as I had made my trip down the hall to the washroom putting things away and then cycling a load of laundry, that in that short time my son had removed everything I had just put away and decorated my home with it. I pondered for a moment if now was the time to finally buy all the baby-proofing gadgets for my cabinets and drawers. I calculated in my head the equation for efficiency. “I am going to probably spend around $100.00 on all the locks I would need, is that less than the energy I am spending picking all of this up 50 times a day? And what of the efficiency, as far as heating costs, having to close most of the doors on our main floor?” I then and there decided not to buy the gear, as I realized my son is now 15 months and I have about 3 more months until he is old enough to figure out how to undo the latches on the baby-proofing gadgets with the same extreme efficiency that he now figures out how to with brute, boyish force remove the obstacles I have placed around my home. Plus, he just has so much fun doing it.

So my new equation is:

Happy little boy = a messy house / $0 spent

Thankful by Retrospect - poems about Ellie

As I am beginning to reflect on all that I am thankful for this Thanksgiving, there is much for me to show gratitude to The Creator for. One of the biggest blessings is the health of my 6 year old daughter Elise this year. She has come so far from a little girl who used to have frequent pneumonia, seizures, and a laundry list of other serious symptoms due to her Mitochondrial disease. This year we are still dealing with her daily headaches, muscle pain, changing vision and moments of confusion, but I have to be thankful for that in retrospect. She is the most delightful, sweet little girl, I'm not sure what the future holds for her, but I'm enjoying and trying to remember to treasure the "right now". I thought of the following writings I took down about her 3 years ago, once reflecting on her and once after taking her to the ER after another episode of seizure activity. She looked like such an angel that night as she was wearing a very pretty white nightgown and had fallen in a deep sleep in the back of the car. I am thankful that this year I haven't had to feel this way, although it will never leave me.

Ellie
Let me tell you a story of a little girl who when she was conceived, God gave her an unexplainable happiness that touches everyone who is placed in her path.
Those eyes, they beckon you, and once you gaze into them you cannot look away, and when the smile comes you are lost and belong to her forever.
In her presence, she makes you feel good about yourself because you can see well in yourself for loving one so special without any effort.
Let me tell you about my Ellie.

The Journey of a Sick Child
She’s sleeping now, rock-a-bye.
She can’t feel the pain, or see me cry.
The ride must have lulled her to sleep.
This course I wish not to keep.

Her body is still. Her eyes are blind.
I have this route etched out in my mind.
If I don’t continue on, the tremors will return.
Why, God, must you be so stern?

Her vision in my rear-view mirror is a blur.
I must be composed for her.
I’ll park the car and wipe my eyes,
Open her door, and convince myself I’m being wise.

She’s dreaming in her white night gown,
While strangers begin holding her down.
Why wake such an angel with needles and lights,
While I stand by and say it’s all right?

Why does she have to know evil so young?
Why can’t enough comfort come from my tongue?
Why can’t I be the one who has this challenge to fight?
Why does this always happen at night?

She’s exhausted now, rock-a-bye.
Tears are pasted to her face from the cry.
The nurses and doctors keep her from sleep.
This course I wish not to keep.

Don't Be Afraid of Your Holiday Turkey

First Christmas Dinner 1996

My first year married I decided to roast my first turkey, I consulted Martha Stewart and got some idea of how to do it. Over the years I have picked up different methods to make it tasty and juicy. If you want to tackle the turkey this year, you can do it, it's easy, but it's going to take some tender loving care. For the next 12 hours the turkey is your baby. I like to cook mine the old fashioned way - slow. Of course you can use a roasting bag and speed up the process and apply the seasoning techniques I am about to share. I just prefer the slow cooked method.

The Turkey

- 12 hours before you want to serve your turkey, preheat oven to 225, clean turkey off really well inside and out (I'm assuming your turkey is thawed and de-gizzarded).

- butter your roasting pan and lid

- combine salt, chopped fresh Sage, Thyme and Rosemary

- butter and salt the outside of the turkey

- get your hands under the skin on the top of the turkey and separate it from the meat, try not to rip it (time to take your rings off, roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty!)

-butter the turkey under the loosened skin

- put salt and chopped herbs under the skin

- wash your hands and arms like you're about to perform surgery!

- cut 4 or more X's in the meat of the turkey (2 on each side, evenly spread out)

- place garlic cloves in the cut slits and push them down in the hole

- put onion cut in half, 1-2 stalks of celery and 2 cloves of garlic in the turkey cavity

- cook at 225-250 for first 6 hours, then 325 last 6 hours with roasting pan lid on

- take lid off last half hour and turn up a little

- during cooking time baste frequently, every hour after the juices start running and every half hour to 15 minutes the last couple hours (pour juice coming out of turkey on turkey skin all over)

- especially baste the legs as they can cook quicker

- once cooked, let the turkey rest for a little while outside the oven with the cover on before you start carving, it helps the juices get back in, it will stay warm for a while

- I usually pour some turkey juice over the plated turkey also, you never know if the blessing-giver will be long winded and dry up the turkey

- the now pre-seasoned turkey juice is great to use instead of water for your boxed stuffing mix too

How to know it's done:

- if you were smart enough to get one with a pop up indicator that's a good way to know:)

- if you have a food thermometer, the packaging should tell you what temperature is cooked

- I look for clear running juice if I poke the poor turkey in the side, a nice brown color on the skin, and the legs falling off

Cold Hot Dogs by Paris (3 yrs old)

After being sent to bed, and a storm was starting up.....
Paris - Mom, I think you need to give me something to make me not be scared of the storm.
Me - What do you think I should give you?
Paris - Greem juice
Me - We don't have any green juice
Paris - Then you need to give me a cold hot dog
Me - Why a cold hot dog?
Paris - Because I have never been scared eating a cold hot dog.

The Little Things - In honor of my father's birthday

The Little Things

If you wonder what you’ve done, on this your 65th year,
It’s the little things, when added up, that do not seem so mere.
The little things that you have done like laughing away a tear,
Or “don’t worry I’m holding your bike back here”,
Then, “Oh, no, you’re not!", joy gives way from fear.
Little things like bumpy rides up, up, up the stair,
Then bedtime stories told, with a maiden fair.
Or “No you can not join us, your nightgown you must wear”,
Then “I’ve come to check on you, I have some steak to spare”.
Little things like listening doughnuts that made you well aware,
That where you were to leave me was a daily scare,
And a drop-off-kiss to remind I was loved while there.
So now my name has changed from Berg to LeClaire,
And the little things you gave, with my children we share.

By Rebecca Berg-LeClaire

Easy Cinnamon Rolls

Every Saturday morning the kids and I have cinnamon rolls. Having a little one I have very small windows of opportunity to cook, and most packaged cinnamon rolls take about an half an hour to cook after thawing. Here's what I do:

Crescent Cinnamon Rolls
- Take all the crescents out of a roll and lay them on a pan
- Butter all the crescents
- Sprinkle all the buttered crescents with cinnamon and sugar
- Roll the crescents up
- You will notice there is cinnamon and sugar on your pan, I like to pat the outside of the rolled up crescents in that, it makes the finished product extra yum!
- Cook cinnamon crescents at suggested temperature and time on package of crescents but watch them closely as the sugar may make them cook faster.
- Frost with either prepared frosting from the store or follow below, the easy recipe for frosting

Frosting
-8 oz of cream cheese softened
-3/4 to 1 cup of whip cream
- However much powdered sugar makes the right consistency to your liking:)
- Just whip it all together until it tastes right

The recipes I share are just things I have whipped up from an idea in my head, if I know of an original author of a recipe I will surely give that person credit.

Tis' the Season for Coughs

With all the allergies and asthma going around in our house, we seem to always go through a couple rounds of persistent coughing in all the kids. The only thing I have found that helps them get through the night is Vapor Rub and cups of water. I don't think cough medicine really works, at least not for my kids. If you're concerned about the medication in Vapor Rub absorbing in the skin, I put it on their pajamas at the neckline, just smelling the stuff seems to clear them up enough to breath. Then, we have them drink water every time they cough. You may be changing wet sheets for a week, but it's better than no sleep for them, because sleep will help them get better.

For a really bad cough we have found the following helps. Take the child in the bathroom and close the door, run a very hot shower for about 10 minutes to fill the room with steam, then take the child to your freezer and let them breathe in the cold air for a few minutes or as long as they can stand (going outside for a few minutes if it's not too cold works too). My daughter Elise used to get croop (or what we thought was croop until she had it over and over again). Her doctor suggested this method to help clear her airways and calm the cough. We have found this helps with not only the croup but stubborn coughs too. If your child is coughing so bad you need to do something drastic like this, they should definately see a doctor.

Of course follow your doctor's advise over mine, and follow your instincts when they tell you to take your child to see him or her.