For my boy, the day before Kindergarten:

This all felt like a lifetime away when you were teeny tiny and now, cliche as it sounds, it feels like it snuck up on me. Older folks will tell you ‘it goes by quickly,’ and when you are in those early years of parenting, it feels like no such pace. Yet, as we’re on the eve of the first day of kindergarten, and you’re trying on polo shirts and getting a larger lunchbox and reviewing how we handle conflict with friends that should maybe be a liiitttllleee less physical than how you bicker with your spicy little sister, and it truly does feel like a wildly quick, albeit full, five years.

It likely all went unnoticed by you, but deciding where to put you for school this year has caused me all sorts of worry and stress and back and forth. Knowing that we have a choice in this shows immense privilege and I do not take that for granted. I hope one day you see that going to school with daily support from your teachers and parents to learn and grow is a gift not everyone gets. I will remind you of that when it feels hard to hustle out the door or do homework when you just want to play. I wanted to choose what would be best for you but I also see now that I was protecting myself, as well.

Should we hold him back? He cries easily. He’ll be the youngest.

Should we drive further to the better school? I want him to have friends close to our house.

Do we do this or that Spanish immersion school? It will be frustrating for him, different, more difficult, he’ll be behind.

I could talk myself into and out of each option on any given day. In the eleventh hour, we grabbed the last spot at the dual immersion school you are heading to and buddy, I feel really good about it.

I am overly empathetic with you and your sister, and it is tough for me to rise above your emotions sometimes. As an adult, I hope that will read as an extension of my deep affection for you, but in these young years, I know that you look to me for stability. When you cry about getting a shot, I probably shouldn’t cry too ;) If you come home unhappy from school, I would blame myself for making the wrong choice, and I think I was trying to find some way to avoid that. But here is what a wise mentor reminded me: it is not my job as your parent to make everything easy and comfortable for you. A child who does not learn how to work through hard things themselves, how to rise to the occasion and figure things out, won’t have those necessary skills to handle difficult things as they grow up and out of our care.

My job is to support and love you and encourage you - to protect you, yes, but not from a challenge. I want to step in when I see someone take your sand toy at the beach or your sister rages at you, but I also want you to be confident that YOU know how (or can learn how) to handle those circumstances on your own. It may not soak in until I am gone or you are a parent yourself, but I hope that you look back on your experience of me and see that I truly did the best I could to parent you. That doesn’t mean it will all look right by you, and I’ll be the first to say I’ve messed up, and will continue to, but I truly do delight in you. You are loved so completely by your family.

I know that you are kind. I know that you are a good friend and will stick up for your people. I know that you want to be silly and make people laugh. I know that you are incredibly curious and so bright, Curran. From here on out, school will be a big part of your life and is just as much an education in people as it is in every other subject. Ask questions. Include people. Do your best. Choose grace. Speak up for yourself and others. “Cool” is temporary, “nice” leaves an actual impression - be nice.

Home is always here. You will forever have a cheerleader in me. I love you so much, my baby.

- Mommy

MIXED BERRY OVERNIGHT OATS

Makes 6 small servings

I admit I am not really a fan of cold oats, but my kids love these. I did not invent overnight oats, but these are the ratios we’ve been using for a creamy, pudding-like texture. It will looks thin at first, but that liquid is absorbed by the oats and chia to thicken the situation. My kids love carbs; but this adds some fiber and protein and healthy fats so they don’t have a blood sugar crash.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups nut or oat milk
1 cup plain yogurt (dairy-free varieties work too!)
2 Tbsp. ground flax
2 Tbsp. chia seeds
2-3 Tbsp. maple syrup
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups old fashioned oats
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
pinch of salt
1 lb. of mixed berries - blueberries, chopped strawberries, cherries etc.

for topping

yogurt
cocoa nibs
toasted coconut
toasted nuts
granola

instructions

In a large mixing bowl, combine the milk, yogurt, flax chia, maple and vanilla and stir well to combine. Add the oats, cinnamon, a big pinch of salt and mix. Stir in half of the berries. You could also just top with the berries, but I find my kids don’t try to pick at it if the berries are just non-negotiably in there.

Transfer the overnight oats into portioned containers and pop them in the fridge for two hours or overnight.

The next morning, garnish with remaining berries, more desired toppings and enjoy!
Oat cups will keep in the fridge for 3-5 days.

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Breakfast, Entrée, Gluten Free, Spring

A STUDY ON FRITTATAS

Sara Forte · September 27, 2018

Brunch for a group. Inexpensive dinner. Cook once, reheat through the week breakfast. Put a slice in a tortilla or between toast and you’re off. Frittatas are just the best. Especially for some who always have leftover bits and hate waste.

*raises hand*

Too much zucchini? Trying to set yourself up to start your day with protein? Frittata! I saved a few videos in my story highlights if a visual helps. I believe a frittata is one of those meals that can go so many directions, that once you understand how they work, you can make them out of all sorts of things.

I am going to add some bullets here, because honestly, it’s just easier to shoot off opinions that way than try to craft sentences that go together. Once you have the basics down, you can make up your own creation. I would love you to chime in with your favorite combos or your tips below! If you’re one for a crust, I’m a big fan of this recipe.

Things I know about frittatas:

I like the vegetables inside to be cooked. The key to not having a water logged frittata, is cooking some of the water off of the vegetables first. You can roast or saute, and then cool. This includes greens, though they literally need about 30 seconds. Any meats need to be cooked in advance before adding too.
I’m going with a ratio of 2 eggs per person for one serving. You can do a 4 egg frittata for 2 in an 8” pan, 4-6 people in a 10” pan and upwards. The thicker you make the frittata, you’ll need to increase the baking time. Just keep giving the middle a little tap and pull it when it’s no longer liquidy. I keep a lower heat to try to keep the bottom from burning.
I strongly suggest using a nonstick or well-seasoned cast iron pan (I LOVE this pan - crisps, frittatas, casseroles, the best)…or the whole thing can be baked in a well greased, oven-proof dish. I suppose that would be called an “egg bake” but whatever, does it matter?
Cheese. I tend towards sheep or goats cheeses, and those both work well in frittatas. They are lower in fat, so can dry out, but with a short, low oven time, they do fine. You just don’t want a super dry cheese, in my opinion. Parmesan is ok, but it is so dry, you will not get any pockets of creaminess, it will mostly just taste like delicious salt, which is not a terrible thing by any means. If you choose a meltier cheese like cheddar, I def like most mixed in and a little on top.

Prep ahead

Let’s say you’re hosting the following morning or trying to get a leg up on Christmas morning (or just a Monday :)

Whisk all your eggs, dairy, seasoning in one bowl you can keep covered in the fridge. Have all your add-ins cooked and ready (zucchini sauteed, sausage cooked, tomatoes roasted, whatever). Pull them all out while preheating the oven, and then proceed with the recipe from there. Gently warm the pan with the fillings in it, add the egg mixture, pop it in the oven.

Favorites

sauteed mushroom, greens and goat cheese
roasted tomatoes, greens, pesto, goat cheese
roasted zucchini, peppers, tomatoes, little bit of minced red onion, feta
just steamed asparagus, tons of herbs, goat cheese
crowd pleaser: potatoes, bacon, greens, white cheddar

GREEN VEGETABLE FRITTATA

Serves 4

I am listing the vegetables I used here, inspired by what I had in the fridge. You really can put anything in a frittata…ok, most thing. Be sure that the vegetables have a similar cooking time, if you’re sauteing everything together. For example, potatoes take longer to become tender than zucchini, so while you can mix these two, you need to start the potatoes off first, and then add the zucchini after the potatoes have been going for 10 minutes, so you don’t burn the zucchini or turn it to moosh. Things like peppers and tomatoes cook the same, assorted greens are typically quick, etc.

Ingredients

1 small leek
1 small zucchini
1 small bundle of broccolini

extra virgin olive oil
sea salt

8 eggs
1/3 cup heavy cream (canned coconut milk works as a non-dairy option)
dollop of pesto or sour cream (or non-dairy alternative), optional
fresh ground pepper
3-4 ounces soft goat cheese
fresh green herbs, for garnish

Instructions

Clean the leek and trim the zucchini. Chop the vegetables small. Heat a drizzle of oil in a medium nonstick or seasoned cast iron pan. Add the vegetables, pinch of salt and saute until tender, and cooked down, about 6 minutes. Turn off the heat and let them cool down. Move them around occasionally to release any steam pockets.

Preheat the oven to 325’.

Whisk the eggs and cream (or non-dairy alternative) well. Lots of air in there, keep whisking. Whisk in a dollop of pesto or sour cream, if using, and a few grinds of fresh black pepper. If you like spice, a dash of red pepper flakes. Crumble half your cheese in here.

With the heat on low, distribute the vegetables around in your nonstick pan and pour the egg mixture on top. Let it sit for a couple minutes just to set the bottom. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top, and put the pan on the middle rack of the oven. Bake for 16-20 minutes until the center juuuuust stops jiggling. Better to pull it out on the side of underdone.

Let it cool down, garnish with tons of fresh herbs. Serve with toasty bread and fresh tomatoes if you have them.

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Bread, Breakfast, Gluten Free, Feeding Babies, Snack, Summer

GLUTEN FREE ZUCCHINI MUFFINS

Sara Forte · September 6, 2018

Loves! I posted about this zucchini loaf/muffins I've been working on over on Instagram and you were like hungry little wolves insisting that I post the recipe asap. So, here we are, a few weeks later, which is as asap as it'll get around here.

Because most of the cooking I do is simple assembly and layering basics rather than advanced skills and technique, the dishes I write for work *usually* turn out by the second time I test them. I can often run this success rate with baking by just tinkering with other recipes and changing the flavor profile. However, I have made about 8-10 rounds of zucchini carrot muffins, all edible, but certainly not eligible to post on the internet with my name on them. I tried to make them maple sweetened (too much moisture), all almond flour (too heavy, also wet), I squeezed the moisture out of the veg and still, resembling a frittata more so than a muffin, and so on. I mentioned in this peanut butter oatmeal entry a couple weeks ago that my kids are all about baked goods, so I will not rest until I can pack vegetables in them!

I'm not going to say what we have here is perfect but I am happy with where they are and I need the tweaking to just be done. I have a painter friend who says sometimes she just needs to call the piece finished. Lacquer it, take a picture, and move on, even when she knows she *could* keep working on it, because she can end up ruining it instead. I listen to podcasts of entrepreneurs who suggest to put things out there; let people see them and use them and respond, instead of keeping your project quiet, hoping you get closer to perfect. So, if you do make these, tell me what you did or what you would change. I love chatting about food in this space with ya'll, so if you have tips, share them with others in the comments.

GLUTEN FREE ZUCCHINI MUFFINS

Makes 10

I have used super fine brown rice flour in a baking before and many of you noted that it is a bit tricky to stock. I buy it here, but there are alternatives. If you do not need these gluten free, simply use unbleached all purpose flour in its place. I would still suggest using the almond flour or meal in combination, as it keeps the muffins more tender. These are on the low end of the sweet scale, if you want them more of a treat, add a few more tablespoons of sugar.

The timing is written for 10 muffins, and I find their delicate nature is best in that format. You can bake the batter in a greased loaf for closer to 45 minutes, sticking a toothpick in the center to make sure it isn't too wet.
This muffin tin is my favorite forever and ever.

Ingredients

2 eggs
1/3 cup avocado or coconut oil
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup buttermilk or plain yogurt

3/4 cup almond flour
3/4 cup superfine rice flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup cane sugar
1 cup grated zucchini, about 1 medium/large
1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chunks

turbinado sugar, to finish, optional

Instructions

Start by grating the zucchini (I do a blend of small holes and large holes on a box grater because I can't decide). Put them in a fine mesh sieve and press out excess water. Preheat the oven to 360' and grease a muffin tin.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, oil, vanilla, vinegar and buttermilk or yogurt, until well combined. Add the almond flour, rice flour, baking soda and powder, salt, cinnamon, sugar and stir until combined. Add the zucchini and chocolate and fold it in.

Fill the muffin tins about 2/3 full (they don't rise much) and sprinkle turbinado sugar on top, if using. Bake on the middle rack for 20 minutes, or until golden around the edge and a little tap on the center bounces back at you.

Remove to cool completely. Keep covered at room temperature for 2 days, or in the fridge any longer than that.

A split and toasted muffin is the best muffin, but straight out of the hand is delicious too.

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MIXED BERRY OVERNIGHT OATS

Ingredients

for topping

instructions