Basic Math
1 cup of rocks + 1 empty paint can = 1 “Thunder Can”
1 Lulu + 1 “Thunder Can” = 2 Extra-Strength Tylenol
10 am clean-up time + 1 four year-old “Why should I?!” = 4 minutes in the Naughty Corner
1 Lulu + 1 borrowed headband = 2 going on 12 (sniff, sniff)
1 sunny day + 70 degrees = 1 fun trip to the park + 12 great photos
1 1/2 c. frozen berries + 1 banana + 1 c. coconut milk yogurt + 4 popsicle molds = 4 Fro Yo Pops
2 pink Fro Yo Pops + 2 girly girls = 2 pink “pretend lipstick” puckers
1 Mama Pea + 8 homemade bread attempts = 8 disappointing bricks
1 Mama Pea + dozens of batches of foccacia bread = dozens of slightly less disappointing loaves
1 T. cinnamon + 1/2 c. raisins + 1 foccacia recipe = 1 killer recipe
Cinnamon Raisin Foccacia Bread
- 1 c. non-dairy milk
- 1 pkg. active dry yeast
- 1 T. vegan margarine (i.e. Earth Balance)
- 1 T. organic sugar
- 1 1/2 t. salt
- 1 1/2 t. cinnamon
- 2 t. molasses
- 2 c. whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 c. organic, unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/2 c. raisins
Topping:
- 1 scant T. vegan margarine (i.e. Earth Balance), softened
- 1 T. packed brown sugar
- 1 1/2 t. ground cinnamon
Heat milk and 1 tablespoon of vegan margarine until margarine has melted and milk is warm (between 80-95 degrees F). Stir in sugar and scatter yeast atop liquid’s surface. Allow yeast to bloom for approximately ten minutes, until mixture is foamy.
Add salt, molasses and cinnamon. Add raisins and knead in flour one-half cup at a time until dough is no longer sticky (if using a stand mix, run with your dough hook for about five minutes).
Place dough in a greased bowl and allow to rise for an hour or until dough has doubled in size.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured board. Roll or mold dough into a round, pizza-like shape. Using your thumb or the end of a wooden spoon, make indentations in the surface of your dough.
Spread dough with one 1 tablespoon of vegan margarine and sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon on top.
Transfer dough to a pregreased cookie sheet. Cover and allow to rise for an additional 20-25 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake bread for 25-30 minutes. Cut and serve warm.
1 slice of homemade bread + 1 secret salad = 1 amazing dinner
1 Friday + 1 Mama Pea + 1 root canal + 1 round of pain killers + 1 VitaMix purchase = 1 freaky future post (see you then!)
Wow – You make it look so easy to make bread, well the focaccia at least, lol.
Yummy – I’m going to have to try that. That looks incredible.
mama if you ever want some bread bakin’ help let me know!
i’ll also help eat.
Oh no on the root canal!! I know I need another one and I am avoiding it for as long as possible because I don’t have dental insurance right now.
I can’t wait to see what you cook up with Vita-mix.
I don’t have dental insurance either. It hurts. I’ll be cooking up smoothies with the Vitamix tomorrow, I’m afraid. Vicodin smoothies. Yum.
I love mom math!
Hunni and I are going to buy those Popsicle molds for the summer so that I can enjoy them.
Yay on the Vitamix–finally
PS–100 points for Pea Daddy on the purchase
I had some sad bread attempts today myself. Only mine were round and could be used for shotputs. Sad for my family that I didn’t redeem myself with yummy foccacia bread! Maybe tomorrow…
I’m glad you got to go an enjoy the sun with your girls today! The weekend should be beautiful for sure. I love the popsicles too! I have popscicle molds at my house that we’ve never used. Guess who is getting their first use this summer?
Those pops look great! I’ve been thinking about investing in a set of popsicle molds – do you like yours?
I love the lipstick puckers!! Your blog is quickly becoming a favorite
MP, what a week you’ve had! I can’t believe the Friday you are going to have tomorrow. I’m sending you some big virtual hugs to help with the pain!
Congrats on the Vita Mix purchase! That’s so exciting. Just promise me you won’t start creating recipes I can’t make with my sucky blender, ok? Or I’ll be really sad. And it will be like that Swiffer “Drop Your Mop” commercial where the mop keeps running back? Do you know what I’m talking about? Oh here, allow me to provide you with a link.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRPeYhW_qG4
I sort of feel bad for the old blender now. There I go, personifying inanimate objects again.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go console my toothbrush, as it needs to be replaced and is currently having a meltdown because of it.
FEEL BETTER SOON!!!
XOXO!!!
I just bought some popsicle molds for my little one. I will have to try the yogurt pops for her. Thanks for another great idea Mama Pea!
FINALLY Vita-day has arrived! Feel better Mama!
(ps- this post, like all your posts, just made me smile)
I’ll say it again, you girls are too cute! I hope that tomorrow goes well. Umm, as good as a root canal can go. Just keep your eyes on the prize: VITAmix. I don’t have the mulah saved up for one yet, but my friend has one. Guess who visits her with bags of frozen veggies…a lot?
Great popsicle idea. I’ve been meaning to do something like that. It’s officially on the list. Looks deliciously refreshing (and simple)!
loved this post mama pea! had fun reading it and the girls are too cute
this reminds me of irish soda bread which is my absolute FAVORITE bread of all time!!! it lokos so good! is pastry flour that different than regulr flour when baking bread…if so I think that could be my problem in the past why breads and things havent turned out that great….
This post had me chuckling the whole way through… I love the “basic math” theme!
Looks like you and the girls enjoyed a gorgeous day – I’m hoping for some seasonally warm days here in Boston sometime soon.
The focaccia sounds great! I’ve never had a sweet version of the bread before, but I bet its delicious.
I hope I never have to deal with the thunder can. I cringe just thinking of it.
Great pictures of the girls!!! Looks like it was a gorgeous day to spend at the park.
And I am so impressed with the bread. It looks awesome girl!
Good math!
We finally got popsicle molds – I’ll try that recipe!
The “thunder can” sounds scary! Haha. Can’t wait to see the vitamix recipes you come up with
hahaha. I love how you take the kids out to run their energy out outdoors!
True story–the foccacia looks delicious. However, in my head I always call it “fo-cock-a” for some reason, so I avoid talking about it out loud (kind of like Worcestershire sauce.) Oy.
Good luck with your Friday. The Vita-Mix will help, but if not, the pain killers will do the trick.
That bread looks delicious
Baking bread (besides banana which I rock) scares me!
Gorgeous pictures of the girls! I love the naughty corner. My mom always sent us to the naughty chair…
Bread is my weakest link… I can cook or bake with the best of ‘em, but bread is so hard for me to make and it RARELY turns right the first time. Great job on your success!
I need to get popsicle molds. Frozen smoothies!
Congrats on getting your Vitamix today
You are getting a Vitamix???? CONGRATS!
I’m jealous.
Those fro yo pops look amazing.
I love the picture of Gigi in the Naughty Corner. LOL. And Lulu looks so cute with the headband!
How DO you pronounce it? I have no clue either!
Good luck today! Could you please tell me where you got Lulu’s yellow sandals? My 2 year old “needs” those! =)
amazing beautiful pics of your beautiful girls playing…i miss being a child!!!
good luck today…and congrats on your new vitamix (it most likely hasn’t happened yet, but it will)…
I loved this post, so creative. You always make me laugh and the pics of the girls are gorgeous.
i think my favorite part of this post is the photo of Lulu with her face smashed in the thing at the park! i burst out laughing at that one! can’t wait to see the great VitaMix recipe coming up
what beautiful pictures! and i love that you got two recipes in– wahoo! i wish you the best of luck with your root canal, though your new vitamix will probably take away the pain (is there anything it can’t do?!)
have a lovely day!
xox
Aw, Lulu…getting all grown up! Too sweet. The bread looks delicious! Have fun with your new friend..I am super jealous!
I LOVE this post – everything about it. Your kiddos are so cute and I can completely relate to the failed bread attempts…..I definitely think cinnamon makes everything better
Happy Friday!
You seriously have the cutest girls EVER! What a fun day in the park
Way to be persistent with that bread!!
These girls are so luky to have eachother! Have fun with your vita, I don’t know how I ever lived without mine !
three posts and one protein shake later.. i am a happy camper. thanks for the afternoon delight
Diana’s bank account – 1 Vitamix = 0
I might do it anyway.
I think Lulu really looks a lot like Gigi in that 3rd picture! They are both growing and gorgeous!! It’s been so fun to watch them grow for over a year since I’ve been following your blog!!
Thunder cans and drums, tambourines, etc, should be outlawed in school. It is crazy how the “noisemaker fairy” comes when we are all asleep to take the toys to children who don’t have any.
I can imagine the photo of Lulu in the bubble dome being used in a memories video some day. It captures childhood in one click.
I immediately wanted to Purell her face after that.
Ah man, I totally forgot about my popsicle molds until I read this post–Sweet, another excuse to eat a form of a smoothie:)
Aww, I remember popsicle lipsticks! Takes me back!
Cannot wait to make the cinnamon bread!
The recipe looks like a delicious scone. I’ve always wanted to make my own bread and scones but am too afraid because whenever I’ve tried in the past it’s been a MAJOR fail. Someday though. My goal is this summer
Have a good weekend. BTW, the girls look adorable in the park. Springtime park trips are some of my favorite childhood memories.
on a tangent unrelated to your post: one of my friends was taught in his college math class that 3/3 is not one.
math fundamentals are important!
It occurred to me while reading this that I can tell how much Lulu is growing — she looks different than she did a year ago! And just as lovely.
GREAT bread recipe!
My grandmother used to pronounce focaccia the way you mentioned above, with a strong emphasis on the “cock” part – post-stroke, she got a little randy:).She also had a huge thing for Sully on Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman. I don’t think there’s a connection. In any event, I’m looking forward to trying a sweet version.
Love the headbands – as you probably know, headbands are a curly haired girl’s best friend. Or at least lion (mane) tamer.
I am so in love with the cinny raisin action. However, I have not had a single piece of bread in 5 yrs since going GF. Not even GF bread. So I wont be making this recipe but I wish I was!
I had an interesting legal situation come up. Well, it’s not really a situation, but since you’re both a blogger and a lawyer, you probably know the answer. Basically I am assuming that everything on the internet is a free for all and if you put it out there, and it’s taken, tough luck? I blogged about Hers Magazine featuring my recipe as the recipe of the month, but it was submitted by someone else, almost as if it was “her” recipe. If you have 5 mins could you read my latest post and tell me your thoughts?
Have a super night, and I am always glad to know a lawyer/blogger. My dad’s a lawyer but he doesn’t even know how to use email LOL let alone the ‘sphere.
Oh you should have seen how my spelt- walnut bread last week turned out- like a flat, concrete pavement slab. I tried to palm it off by saying it was a highly original and Roman-esque style loaf, but luckily it saved us all by going incredibly moldy two days later! Is it just me, or are children’s clothes so much nicer than adults- or do I have Peter Pan syndrome?! Lulu is growing up so quickly! I hope your Vita creations are soothing your poor, molested (molar get it? oh dear, too much studying!), mouth
Wow, you are brave to make a thunder can!! What a cool mom.
Must make those popsicles ASAP!
Dear Mama Pea,
We are not blessed with children yet, but I must ask… where do you come up with all the cool ideas? I am constantly amazed by all your economical, creative arts and crafts projects, role playing games, etc.
Your girls are clearly imaginative, which helps…and very smart and able to come up with fun things to do. I know it can’t be easy keeping it “fresh”… do you go to parenting websites? Word of mouth?
Do tell! And thanks!
Your loyal fan,
)
Carrie
Hi Carrie! I wish I could take credit for a lot of our activities, but honestly, the girls come up with most of them! Gigi made the Thunder Can at school (oh, how I wish it would have stayed there…) and as for the “role playing,” that is all the girls. Yesterday they got out the toy stethoscope and a sit and ride car and were playing mechanic. I never would have come up with that one. I wish I had more wisdom for you, but I just follow their lead!!!
That rasin bread looks so yummy! Stopping by from SITS;o)
~Tanya
Thank you so much for the insights MP!!! And how sweet of the teachers to send home the thunder can.
I’m good at playing along… so once I get to that phase it will be great!!! And Gigi and Lulu’s imaginative natures and curiosity are sure signs of intelligence. And potential Broadway stardom. Thanks again!
I just made this bread… To borrow a phrase, Oh my Peas! This is absolutely delicious! I think the only thing that will keep me from eating half this loaf tonight, is the fact that I also have a batch of “Peanut Butter and Jelly Cereal Mix” in the oven right now… (;