CrumbBums – Page 104

Adzuki Beans with Squash

Food, by lauren, January 13, 2015, 2 Replies

Over the weekend, I wasn’t feeling so hot. Maybe it was leftover from the colonoscopy ordeal (which went great, everything is fine — early screening a necessary thing because my father died so young of colon cancer, but good to know I’m healthy in those parts!). But it got me craving good clean food that is also easy on the stomach. Enter adzuki beans. Have you heard of them?

Adzuki beans originated in China and are still revered for their healing qualities; they are said to strengthen kidney function, among other things. Also, they are high in potassium and iron, and combined in this recipe with kombu (nutrient-dense seaweed), they are even more nutricious.

This is a recipe I adapted from The Kind Diet. I use kabocha squash if it’s available, but most of the time I can’t find it, so I substitute with acorn squash. I know it’s simple, but sometimes simple just hits the spot!

Adzuki Beans with Squash

1 cup dried adzuki beans
1 − 2 strips of kombu (find in the Asian section of the supermarket), about 4 − 6 inches long
2 cups vegetable broth
2 cups kabocha (or acorn) squash, peeled & cubed
2 Tbsp shoyu (or soy sauce)
1 cup frozen baby corn
sea salt to taste (be careful! You might not need any with the shoyu and veg. broth)

Rinse dried beans under cold water, then place in a medium bowl with kombu. Cover with water by two inches and allow to soak overnight.

The next day, drain beans and kombu, slice kombu into thin pieces and place in large pot (preferably heavy cast iron). Cover beans and kombu with veggie broth and just enough water to cover beans. Bring to a boil.

As the beans boil, strain off any foam that rises to the top. Allow beans to boil uncovered for about 5 minutes. Cover pot and reduce to low heat. Simmer for about 40 minutes. Check the beans ever 10 minutes, adding water when the water level dips below the beans. After 40 minutes, add the squash and corn and cover pot again. Allow to cook for another 20 minutes, or until beans are tender. Add shoyu to the beans, mix, and cook another 10 minutes. Add salt to taste.

Serve piping hot just as it is, or add cilantro. We also like to slice some ciabatta alongside and let some sharp cheddar cheese melt on top. Enjoy!

Weekend Shenanigans

Family, by lauren, January 12, 2015, 3 Replies

I was beginning to think that this weekend was a bust. That the rain and grey weather, the general quietness of it all was somewhat of a disappointment. But really, when I looked just a bit closer, or maybe from a different angle, I saw the beauty of it.

Milo and Oliver are pretty close, but this weekend they took it to the next level. The level of inside jokes, of giggles and whispers early in the morning; they now rise early and instead of coming to find and wake us, they carefully plod downstairs to the dining room table to start a fresh game of Monopoly. Every morning, the same. Milo lets our dog out (and sometimes, if we’re lucky, back in) while Oliver sets up the game. They play intently for hours, if left to their own devices, breaking only to grab a glass of apple juice or slice themselves a piece of banana bread when hunger strikes.

It is a closeness that sometimes leaves me in awe. This weekend they were glued to the hip, upstairs together to get dressed while joking about Captain Underpants books and an awesome Greek mythology book (that I will share here soon). Later, building forts with Emil and building with their circuit set, then Milo reading out loud to Oliver and Emil in the car on our way to the Magic House, letting Oliver choose every single outcome in the “choose your own adventure” books, letting him choose even when he had a strong opinion about the possible outcome. In (yet another) game of Monopoly, Milo tried to bail Oliver out of jail while Andrew and I exchanged worried glances about the possibility of strange and unfortunate foreshadowing.

At the Magic House, they flew through the air on the kids’ slides, laughing and encouraging each other. At home, they sat side-by-side to sip hot chocolate while discussing Icarus flying too closely to the sun and plunging down down down, despite the warnings. Oliver looks on in clear admiration as Milo explains one thing or another.

At bath time, Milo lingers in the bathroom even though his bath is over and he is clearly growing cold in his damp nakedness. He dilly dallies because Oliver is still in the tub, and makes excuses, “I’m just going to stay in the bathroom to make sure Oliver doesn’t fall asleep and slide under…” even though I know the truth — that right now, they can’t bear to be apart. It is touching beyond words. Because I know that tomorrow or a week from now they will be bickering and saying hurtful things to each other, bruising egos and pushing buttons, because that is the way the pendulum swings. But oh, how I revel in these days. The support, the camaraderie, the brotherhood.

I am grateful beyond words to be a witness to this — to their growth and the influence they have on each other. To the kindness and closeness I hope lasts a lifetime and then some. So yeah, nothing really happened this weekend… and everything did too.

Going to Chicago!

Travel, by lauren, January 9, 2015, 17 Replies

Photo credit: National Geographic

At the end of the month, my friend Elisha and I are taking a little weekend trip to Chicago. I am so excited to see the city with my friend, but it’s kind of overwhelming, there’s so much great stuff to see and do! So… if you’ve ever been there (or even better, lived there), do you have any suggestions? Obviously it will be freezing, so I’m figuring we won’t spend much time outdoors! I’m excited to drink great coffee, eat great food, visit some trendy shopping areas, and maybe check out a museum or the sky deck. What do you think?

10 Indoor Kids’ Activities to get you through Winter

DIY Fun, by lauren, January 8, 2015, 5 Replies

Well, guys and gals, it’s freaking freezing here; yesterday our high was 9 degrees. I’m thinking this post is right on time! If you’re looking for some inspiration to keep your kids busy inside, head over to the Washington Post for a complete list of ideas.

P.s. — I’m currently… um… prepping… for a colonoscopy tomorrow. Fun. I’ll let you know how that goes, if you’re into that sort of thing.

Some of our Favorite Things (A Post About Kids’ Toys)

Motherhood, by lauren, January 8, 2015, 4 Replies

We get a lot of questions about products we like around here (books, toys, clothing, games, etc.), so I thought I would devote a post to it! Specifically, children’s toys and games that we have received as gifts (or that we have bought for our kids). The other day, Lilly inquired about how we keep the clutter to a minimum, which is very important when you have more than one child. The answer to that is tricky. It has taken a few conversations with close family members and quite a few toy purges over the years (check out this guest post about it from 2012). It’s all too easy to get carried away — we love our children and get excited to give them things, especially with access to some pretty amazing things that we never would have known about 10 years ago, let alone be tempted to buy. But years ago, we realized that the effect it had on our children was quite negative; they had too much stuff and as a result did not appreciate any of it, or take good care of it. Plus, the amount of clutter was raising everyone’s stress levels.

We participate in toy purges twice a year, encouraging the boys to go through their things and donate toys they have outgrown or are no longer interested in. Precious items that have sentimental meaning (a few baby clothes, shoes, and beautiful wooden teethers & handmade items) go into a memory box. The rest gets donated or passed on to friends with younger children. We meet very little resistance to these purges from our boys because we have never forced it on them and give them time to make decisions about things. I think it’s important to let them come to the conclusion themselves — so far so good! For younger kids, I might suggest putting away toys you notice your children have not played with in many months and if they don’t ask about them, go ahead and donate them.

Now for the fun part!

Here is a sampling of what we got our boys and what they received as gifts this Christmas. Not pictured are the stacks of amazing books they received from family and friends! That is an important piece too, that we give hints to our gift-givers about our kids’ (and our) love for books. They are always welcome in our home!

Clockwise from upper left: wooden construction dump truck (back flips up and back flap opens to dump); grizzly bears (here is the other one); wooden sling shot & felt ammo; knit knight helmet, sword, & shield; wooden skateboard (antique store); one of many awesome dinosaurs. Not pictured but noteworthy every single Christmas: Magnatiles. Though pricey, we have asked grandma for small sets every year for Christmas as the boys play with them more than any other toy in our home. Plus, stacked up on a shelf, they look really pretty!

And games, most of which we received from others this year:

Clockwise from upper left: Animal Upon Animal (from Haba — an eco-friendly toy company with mostly wooden toys); Blokus; Labyrinth Game & Boards (which comes with metal marbles from Swedish toy company Brio); Snap Circuits (really educational and a true winner with our boys this year). Not pictured: good old Monopoly, which we have, excluding Emil, been playing for endless hours lately.

There are so many amazing children’s products out there right now, but I think it’s important to be selective and thoughtful when purchasing them. Having a conversation with close family members about your preferences for your children can be a relief to all involved!