Updates

The change process has been slow, but good.  I’ve lost some weight and I have incorporatedsome routines that I hope to become habits that are definitely beneficial to myhealth.  Overall, I’m feeling good aboutmy progress, confident that it will continue, and I’m happy with the changesthat I’ve made.

I have done the unthinkable. I have actually made baby food for son #2.  I honestly had written myself off as a lostcause.  Those little jars and packets of organicbaby food are so accessible and so darn easy. And then one day I tasted it. Ugh.  I should have known.  I’ve never seen bananas that color, so ofcourse they wouldn’t taste like bananas. You call that squash?  C’mon.  Squash actually is a bit sweet, nothing likethat mush in that jar.  That’s when theguilt really started to set in.  Yes, Ihave a happy, healthy little boy, but I know that his food could be some muchbetter and just as importantly taste so much better.  It was time to start making baby food.  I’ll admit, I haven’t gone all out like I didthe first time around.  I supplement withjars, but mostly for protein.  Themajority of fruits, starches, and veggies are all being made by me.  And what a difference!  It tastes like food from the earth, not blandmush.  Wouldn’t you know it, my littleguy now loves bananas.

His first birthday is approaching.  I always feel like that first year goes somuch quicker than any of the others. Just like the first son, I want to make a cake that won’t put him insugar shock and create a cranky mess of a boy for the rest of the day.  I decided to go with the same recipe that Iused the first time around with the exception of the icing.  I’ll definitely make cream cheese icing thistime.  The cake and icing were a hit atthe last party, but my preference is the cream cheese icing.  This party will be a bit different.  The timing is unfortunate since we have ahuge amount of events happening all within hours of each other.  My dad is getting remarried, so we decided todo a brunch the next morning to celebrate my soon to be one year old’sbirthday.  This cake will incorporateperfectly into a brunch menu.  Here isthe recipe again:

Pumpkin Apple Harvest Cake
By Cait Johnson, author of Witch in the Kitchen

1 cup cooked or canned pumpkin puree
2 large eggs, beaten
3/4 cup organic sugar
3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped apple
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
Whipped cream or confectioners’ sugar for topping (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 325F. Prepare an 8-inch round cake pan bygreasing and flouring it.
2. Combine pumpkin, eggs, and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add flour,cinnamon, baking powder, ginger, and salt, stirring to combine. Add apples andnuts, stirring again. Pour mixture into prepared pan (smooth it out as thepumpkin makes it bake in whatever shape it goes in there with).
3. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until a cake tester inserted in the middle comes outclean.
4. Cool the cake, still in the pan, on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then invertthe cake onto the rack, remove pan, and cool cake completely.
5. When ready to serve, turn cake on to a pretty plate and top with whippedcream or confectioners’ sugar, if desired, or serve plain.

I am so excited for another autumn birthday and a chance toreuse this recipe.

The last update is that I am anticipating a pretty majorsurgery in January.  One of my goals isto make and freeze a variety of 30 meals beforehand.  It will be a challenge, but I have been menuplanning and I’m actually looking forward to getting started.  If you want to follow me and my organizing,planning craziness, I am posting my progress on my other blog.

Has it been a year already?

As September approaches, so does the little man’s first birthday. Since so many people want to see the new house and, of course, love the little guy, we decided to have a party. And a bigger party than we would usually have for such an occasion. How does a newly organic mommy manage to feed so many guests and (most importantly) her son organically on a budget? Well, I don’t know the answer to that yet, but I will let you know once it’s all over.

What I do have the answer to is CAKE! I have spent more hours than I care to admit researching this issue. I want a healthier cake, but I also want it to taste really, really good. I want this to be a happy occasion for all involved – birthday boy, guests, and later into the evening, parents. The later into the evening is referring to not having to take care of a sick, vomiting little boy after preparing for and hosting a birthday party all day. I also have to consider his lactose intolerance and a slight reaction to bananas, plus his likes and dislikes.

Here is the recipe that I have decided to use:

Pumpkin Apple Harvest Cake
By Cait Johnson, author of Witch in the Kitchen

1 cup cooked or canned pumpkin puree
 2 large eggs, beaten
3/4 cup organic sugar
3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped apple
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
Whipped cream or confectioners’ sugar for topping (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 325F. Prepare an 8-inch round cake pan by greasing and flouring it.

2. Combine pumpkin, eggs, and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add flour, cinnamon, baking powder, ginger, and salt, stirring to combine. Add apples and nuts, stirring again. Pour mixture into prepared pan (smooth it out as the pumpkin makes it bake in whatever shape it goes in there with).

3. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until a cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean.

4. Cool the cake, still in the pan, on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then invert the cake onto the rack, remove pan, and cool cake completely.

5. When ready to serve, turn cake on to a pretty plate and top with whipped cream or confectioners’ sugar, if desired, or serve plain.

Any ingredient that can be organic will be. I am going to omit the nuts. I am not sure if my son will have a reaction and I don’t love them, so adios! I am also going to purchase a cake pan in the shape of the number “1” to make it cuter and less obvious that it’s not a traditional birthday cake.

Now, the next question – frosting? Once again, I have spent hours upon hours trying to find a recipe. I feel that this cake just screams for a cream cheese frosting, but immediately threw that idea out. Then, I thought that I would do a simple powdered sugar and water glaze and just give up the idea of the frosting covered baby pictures. But I don’t want to have to compromise. Just because the little guy isn’t tolerant of milk doesn’t mean that he should have to give up the experience of fun with frosting. So, I began my research again. I found that a lot of people recommend prepared store bought frosting that doesn’t contain any milk. I would prefer to skip the preservatives and make my own. I have it narrowed down to two recipes, and I probably won’t make up my mind until I have to go shopping for the ingredients. Here they are:

Frosting #1

This icing is lighter than a frosting, but a bit richer than a simple glaze. Perfect for denser cakes or muffins, this is an easy recipe that only takes minutes to make.
Makes about 2 1/2 cups
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes

4 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/3 cup plain unsweetened soy yogurt
1 T. hot water
1 t. vanilla extract

In a large mixing bowl, using an electric hand mixer, combine the confectioners’ sugar, soy yogurt, hot water and vanilla extract, beating until smooth and creamy, about 3-4 minutes. Icing can be used chilled slightly or immediately.

Frosting #2

This frosting is, quite literally, the icing on the cake! It is really important to make sure that your soy margarine is cold when you start mixing and that you do not add the vinegar and vanilla until the powdered sugar and margarine are well combined. If the soy margarine is too warm or the vinegar is added at the beginning of mixing, the margarine will "separate," and you'll have less a frosting and more a soupy sloppy sweet sauce. This recipe is really simple to make; you just have to follow it!
Makes about 2 cups frosting
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
1 ¾ cups confectioners sugar
6 T. dairy-free soy margarine, such as Willow Run
2 t. apple cider vinegar
1 t. vanilla extract

In a large mixing bowl, using an electric hand mixer on low speed, cream the powdered sugar with the soy margarine, adjusting the speed up to high once the powdered sugar is incorporated into the margarine. Add the cider vinegar and vanilla extract, and continue to mix on high speed until frosting holds stiff peaks. Store in a covered dish or container in the refrigerator until ready to use.