We Know Stuff

Gluten-Free Fruity Pebble Treats

2013-05-21T08:03:00-05:00

My daughter has recently fallen in love with fruity pebble cereal bars. She loves taking them to school for snack and I am happy she is bringing something she will actually eat. The problem is, I can't find them any more. I have been searching high and low in my three local grocery stores - but no luck. So instead of completely stressing out, I figured that I could make them at home.

I'm fairly confident that unless I make them from scratch, she may actually starve without them. You see, I am one of those moms that are convinced that every single day that my child might actually starve at school. I know it sounds ridiculous, but there is a reason for it: I was that kid who would starve with a lunch box full of food in front of them.

As a child, I was a dreamer. With that said, I didn't always pay attention to things - especially if my mom happened to be saying something as I was walking out the door on my way to the school bus. For instance, one particular morning I half-heard my mom say, "Don't open the top."

It should have been so easy, but for me...it wasn't. As my mom packed my lunch that morning, she packed me a juice box - for the first time. As she did this, she pointed to the top of the juice box and said "Don't open the top, it will make a big mess."

Ok, check. Don't open the top. Unfortunately, I did not see her point to the top of the box itself, I saw her point to the straw. That translated to: Don't open the top of the plastic from the straw. When lunch time began, I opened my box and began decoding the meaning of: don't open the top.

I pulled the straw off the box, making sure not to rip the plastic and began poking my plastic covered straw into the hole. I tried and tried, but I simply could not get the straw in. Never did I get past the point of thinking how I would actually DRINK from a plastic covered straw, I just knew that things would work out as long as I didn't open the top.

Finally, a nice lunch aide noticed the bizarre scene I was creating and came over to help. As she took the straw from me, she said something to the effect of "Sweetie, you have to take the wrapper off the straw."

My brain screamed, "Nooooooooooooooooooooooooo!"

All I could squeak out was "My mom told me not to open the top."

She looked at me, nodded her head, and expertly popped the straw into the juice box.

I was waiting on the edge of my seat for something to explode and make a "big mess". But, nothing happened. I found myself inspecting the box and couldn't quite piece together where I went wrong.

When I got home that afternoon, I frantically told my mom that the lunch aide OPENED THE TOP.

"It wasn't me," I exclaimed, "I couldn't get the straw in, and she opened the top and put the straw in."

To which my mom replied, "Why didn't she just put the straw in the hole?"

"She DID!," I yelled, "But she opened the top!"

My mom sensed that she was missing something and had me tell her the story from beginning to end. By the time I was done, I could see her physically trying to prevent a smile from taking over her face.

She silently took out a new box and showed me the top of the juice box....and how you could pull up the wings on the side and open the whole top. There was even a little scissor and dots showing you exactly where to cut.

"I meant this top," she smiled.

Seriously, I have no idea how I survived Kindergarten.

With that, I bring you some super easy, gluten-free, fruity pebble treats that your children will have no trouble opening! This recipe for Marshmallow Crispy Treats was found over at PostFoods.com.

GLUTEN-FREE FRUITY PEBBLE TREATS:

Ingredients:
* 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
* 1 pkg. (10-1/2 oz.) miniature marshmallows (6 cups)
* 1 pkg. (13 oz.) Fruity Pebbles Cereal (about 8-1/2 cups)

Directions:

Step 1: Microwave butter in 4-qt. microwavable bowl on HIGH 45 seconds or until melted. Add marshmallows; toss to coat. Microwave 1-1/2 minutes or until marshmallows are completely melted and mixture is well blended, stirring after 45 seconds.

Step 2: Add cereal; mix well.

Step 3: Press firmly into greased foil-lined 13x9-inch pan. Cool. Cut into 24 squares.

* This is the original recipe, however, I halved the recipe for less squares.

Thanks for Reading!
Daniele

Mom Talk Radio & We Know Stuff Chat About Crafting With Kids

2013-05-15T07:30:00-05:00

Every so often, Daniele and I get asked to do a radio show and talk about our experiences as parents. Each time, we're very humbled and are surprised at the request because in our minds, we're just two ordinary moms trying to do the best we can, by our kids, and by our families.

So what does "doing the best we can" mean? Well, sometimes, it means that we craft all day long. But other times, it means that we just turn the tv on and tell the kids to give us five minutes of peace. Sometimes, it means that we're baking up fantabulous dishes in the kitchen with our kids. But more often than not, it means that we're simply trying to shove something semi-healthy into their bellies before we run out the door to baseball, dancing, swimming, or gymnastics practice.

Because in our world, good parenting is all about moderation -
and has nothing to do with perfection.

So this past April (04/28/13), when we were asked to be on The Mom’s Roundtable to discuss crafting with your kids with Michelle from Mom Talk Radio, we were honored. I mean, who would have thought that two "Irish twins" from Long Island would be on the same radio segment as such heavy weights as:

Dr. Robert Sears, member of the Colief Colic Council, a board-certified pediatrician and co-author of the Sears Parenting Library.
Jonelle Krier, Huggies MomInspired and creator of Assessables® – a new bodysuit meeting the needs of today’s newborn.
Kyle Richards, Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star, mom of four talks about Clorox’s Ick-tionary.
Renowned parenting expert, Dr. Michele Borba.

Well, truth be told, we didn't expect it, but we're thrilled that we had the opportunity to share our real selves with a wider audience. And, we're happy to report that we didn't sound overly dorky - even though we are really dorky together - and that the show went really well.

And I must say that Michelle was also very cool and receptive to the fact that I was hiding in Daniele's basement stairwell, while Daniele was sitting on the kitchen counter answering questions. If you get a few minutes, and want to hear what we had to say about crafting with kids, our show can be heard here.

Thanks for always supporting us,

Denine & Daniele

Strawberry Freezer Jam

2013-05-13T07:30:00-05:00

Many years ago, I was at a New England Mail Order Association Conference and had the good fortune to tour the Stonewall Kitchen headquarters and meet-and-greet their talented chefs and owners. The site visit was so incredibly cool for a jam-lover like myself and I dreamed about their test kitchen for days on end.

I was much younger back then and didn't have any kids to spend my money on, so I spent my money on jam - and plants. Yep, not shoes. Not fancy cars. Just Jam. And plants. I was in my glory. Slightly dorky? Perhaps, but I loved every minute of it.

So, as life turned out, I married my husband, rescued two dogs and a slew of cats, and had two kids along the way. Needless to say, our hearts were full, but the way we spent our money changed. I learned to invest in perennials that I could divide, share and replant, instead of annuals that bloom and are soon forgotten...and, I learned how to make my own jam.

The biggest misconception about making jam is that it's too difficult to do, but that's just not true. I am not a gourmet chef by any means and if the canning process scares the beejesus out of you, you can still make jam. Just make freezer jam.

The wonderful thing about freezer jam is that it doesn't require any fancy equipment or special ingredients. It can be as easy or as complex as you want it to be. The most important thing to remember about freezer jam is that the cans are not processed, so they must be stored in the freezer, until they are ready to be eaten.

Freezer jam works best for sturdier fruits like peaches, plums and pears, but berries work just fine too! I rarely use powdered or liquid pectin in my homemade jams because I just don't see the need to use it. Plus, commercial pectin requires that you use large amounts of sugar - and homemade jam just doesn't need cups and cups of sugar! If my jam is a little runnier than store-bought jam, I'm okay with that - because I made it fresh, in my own kitchen, with my own ingredients. (FYI - Some fruit already contains pectin in it. I often use minced green apples and the skin in my jam - see our Strawberry Peach Jam recipe or our Apple Pie Jam recipe for details.)

It's also important to mention that your jam will only be as good as the fruit that you put into it, so be sure to choose ripe fruit. I also use regular sugar in my jams because it not only sweetens the jam, but it helps it set up and prevents bacteria growth. (If you would prefer to make a low-sugar or no-sugar-added jam, you will probably need to use a special pectin to help it set. Check out Pick Your Own's web site for more information. When I first started making jam, I relied heavily on this site; it's a great resource.)

In theory, freezer jam will keep for up to 1 year in the freezer and 3 weeks in the fridge. But in our house, freezer jam only lasts a few days with all of us fighting to see who gets the last bite. My sister received a jar of this jam the other day and texted me as soon as she got home to say that she was eating it -- right out of the jar...with a spoon!

STRAWBERRY FREEZER JAM

Ingredients:

* 2, 16 ounce containers of strawberries (2 lbs), washed, hulled and chopped
* 1 cup sugar
* 1 cup water
* 1/4 teaspoon aged balsamic vinegar (trust me!)

Directions:

Step 1: Toss berries, sugar and water into a large saucepan and cook over medium high heat. Stirring often, cook for approximately 10 minutes, then smash berries with a potato smasher.

Step 2: Cook for another 5 minutes and then add in the balsamic vinegar. At this point, place a small plate in the freezer while you're cooking the jam. Cook for approximately 5 more minutes.

Step 3: At the 17 minute mark, place a small dollop of jam onto the frozen plate and return it back to the freezer for 3 minutes. Remove the plate and run your finger through the jam. If the line "holds", your jam is good to go. If not, you can cook it for a bit longer, but remember, without pectin, it won't really "set", so as long as it holds a little bit, it's done. It will also thicken up some more in the fridge.

Step 4: You can store the jam in any kind of clean, sterilized, freezer-safe container: plastic bags, glass jam jars, plastic containers (like Tupperware) or glass containers (like Pyrex). It’s best to use jars (or containers) with wide mouths and straight neck. When filling, make sure to leave ½-inch of room at the top for expansion upon freezing. Leave jam sitting out at room temperature for 1-2 hours to let it cool down before putting it in the freezer - or refrigerator if you plan on eating it asap.

Happy eating,

Denine