Culture Immersion
There are some things you can’t learn about in books.
There are just some things you have to experience firsthand.
A high school friend of mine got caught drinking and her parents took the unheard of approach of letting her get as sloshed as possible…only to cook her plenty of runny eggs and sausages for breakfast the next morning. That friend was “Becky Connor” and it was an episode of Roseanne. I never looked at breakfast sausage the same way again.
I didn’t set out for the birthday party this afternoon with such a lesson in mind. Far be it from me to take parenting advice from television housewives that aren’t from New York, Orange County or Washington D.C. But once I saw the party spread this afternoon, I thought, why not? And some valuable wisdom was gained.
For example, Capri Suns, along with being devoid of any nutritional value, remain a complete b*&$% Roseanne Barr to open. Why is it so impossible to punch a flimsy, angled straw through that tiny hole above the “I?” I wasn’t helping the girls out with this one either. If they want their HFCS water, they are going to work for it or die trying.
I myself learned that Cheetos pose the Sophie’s Choice-caliber dilemma to Lulu, who is obsessed with both clean hands and all things cheesy. Choose the salty, cheesy, crunchy goodness or choose the clean, orange powder-free fingers. I tried not to visibly cringe as child after child licked their coated fingers and then dipped their hands back into the communal bowl. After a brief experience with a few Cheetos and their accompanying residue, Lulu announced, “I’ll just eat grapes.”
Unfortunately, grapes can’t compete with cake and ice cream. And you certainly can’t put grapes in a pinata.
While I made sure the girls steered clear of making “Tornados” out of “Roseanne” and “Dan’s” liquor cabinet, I gave them a little more freedom than usual in making their own choices. The post-party result?
Bleh.
I took advantage of the girls’ requests for Saltines and ginger ale for dinner and fixed something a little more culturally adventurous for Pea Daddy and I.
Green Tofu Curry
- 1 pkg. extra firm tofu, drained and pressed
- 2 T. soy sauce
- 1 T. lime juice
- 1 packet of stevia or sugar equivalent
- 1 1/2 c. cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped
- 1 1/2 c. fresh mint leaves, coarsely chopped
- 1/2 c. onion, chopped
- 3 t. minced garlic
- 1 1/2-inch piece ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 c. water
- 1 t. lime juice
- 2 t. ground cumin
- 1 t. ground coriander
- 1/2 t. garam masala
- 1/2 t. ground turmeric
- 1/4 c. coconut milk
- Cooked brown rice, for serving
Slice tofu into 1 -1/2 inch. cubes and marinate in soy sauce, 1 T. lime juice and stevia for at least 20 minutes.
Meanwhile add the cilantro, mint, onion, garlic, ginger, lime juice, 1/4 c. of water and salt and pepper, to taste, to a food processor or blender. Puree on high until smooth. Set aside.
Coat a large skillet with cooking spray and place over medium heat. Add the spices and cook for 30 seconds.
Pour the green puree into skillet and heat until the sauce thickens and comes together.
Remove from pan and set aside.
Recoat the skillet with cooking spray and add tofu, allowing it to sear on one side and carefully flipping after 4-5 minutes.
When tofu is thoroughly cooked, return green curry to the pan.
Add approximately 1/4 c. of coconut milk to finish the sauce.
Serve over brown rice.
While Pea Daddy and sopped up the rest of our delicious sauce, there was a stirring in the living room. Maybe the girls weren’t aimlessly eating this afternoon, maybe I had it all wrong. Two words: CARBO LOAD.
GOAAAAAAL!!!!
Capri Suns and Cheetos for everyone!
This post made me simultaneously sad for children’s birthday parties, hungry for veggies, and angry at American adverting/culturing. All in all a good thing! And for that I thank you!
Capri Suns are a B**** I stuck to water after the first one I tried spilled all over my white shirt. Blah just blah!
I just adore how your girls play soccer in dress
so cute! i think it’s better to let them experience than to forbid them, as well. my mom definitely used that approach with me. for years after, i couldn’t eat pop tarts.
not that i would now, anyway. =)
I remember very specifically reading that exact book when I was younger, plus all the other ones in the series.
They’ve been around for a while! Thanks for the quick trip down memory lane.
I read your blog every day and absolutely love watching you raise your kids in a manner that I’d like to emulate when that time comes for me. You’re my mom role model (besides my own, of course!).
Haha…this post is adorable. I can relate to that post-party crashing feeling.
The tofu looks amazing! I’m always on the look-out for new tofu recipes that the entire family will love.
I adored the Berenstain Bears growing up!
That Berenstain Bears book was one of my favorites as a kid!
Haha, well there are definitely times when we all have to learn the hard way. For example, I know that drinking an entire bottle of wine, followed by a slew of Bahama Mama’s is not the best idea on a stomach full of tiramisu!
LoL, I won’t make that mistake again, at least not until someone offers me free wine again. 
That Berenstain Bears book about junk food was my FAVORITE as a kid. I loved all the scenes of them gorging on candy… and then you get to learn a moral lesson at the end.
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh capri suns and cheetos!!! lol! love it!
I need to get a tofu press, that thing would be so much better when Im making anything with my tofu!
Love the recipe, Is it spicy?!!!
Have a great day!
I am so impressed! It says a lot about your mothering and your family that the girls would choose to largely forgo the Cheetos in favor of fruit.
(And also, the girls’ hair looked adorable at the party!)
This looks delicious! My fiancee is obsessed with all things curry, so it’s fun to put a little green spin on it. Yum !
laura
I LOVE that LuLu chose grapes over cheetos because of the mess on her fingers! bless her! so cute!
I grew up on the Bernstein Bears. Good memories.
I love the Jan and stan berenstain! Thats why i want to be a kids book illustrator cause they taught good morals and attitudes with fun books, but there is nothing like having the real life experience to back up the message! I kids i use to nanny for had capri sun and cheetos in the cabinet but they also had a fridge stocked with fruits and veggies and 99% of the time they would have one bite of the junk and then they would eat some carrot sticks:):)
Awesome approach you took!
Where on earth did you get that tofu presser?!?! That looks like a god-send! lol
It’s from TofuXpress…and I love it! http://www.tofuxpress.com/
Okay, my oldest would totally go for the cheetos and my youngest would go for the grapes. It it ironic that my oldest is prone to break downs and tantrums and my youngest is so even tempered? I’m starting to think this is all connected……
I’m scared to invite you to Ryan’s next birthday party, I’d get the smack down on your blog! LOL!
That tofu curry dish looks fantastic! I love anything with cilantro in it, so I will have to try this one. Your girls look like they are having a blast in these photos!
WHY are Caprisuns sooo darned hard to open?! It’s crazy. Sounds like you dealt well with the party:)
I don’t think I’ve ever commented on your blog and just figured it’s about time: Mama Pea, you crack me up every time I read your blog posts
– thank you!!!
(should really do this more often!)
Makes my day every morning I read it – and since I am from Germany, I can comment at weird times when everyone over there in the US is asleep
Hi! Or is it guten tag? I haven’t the slightest idea. Thank you for commenting! I’m so happy I brighten your mornings!
Lulu looks like me after a night of drinking – cuddling with my blankie and yelling for my Mom to take care of me.
this happened once with my sister, she got caught sneaking candy when my parents told her no, and they let her eat as much candy as she wanted. she threw up and didn’t eat candy for a month or so. Maybe roseanne is on to something
seriously capri suns are the hardest things in the world to open. it’s fairly ridiculous, but i like how you said you gotta work for it if you want it! amen mama pea!
Cheese in my house is an understatement! If she could have cheese for breakfast she would.
And oh how i’m not looking forward to all the preschool birthday parties this year. There should be limits!
I loved birthday parties as a kid! I was a tad OCD even then and had a hard time eating communal food. The worst: wet, soggy pretzels and chips at swimming parties. Great tofu recipe.
Ah! I had that same book as a child and it was hands down my favorite (well, all the Berenstein bear books were). I think I might have my mom ship them to me…anyways, wonderful post. Lulu asking for grapes? Mama Pea, I am taking mental parenting tips for one day (a day that’s far, far into the future). Oh crap. I’m 26.
Once my grandmother’s father caught her smoking, and he made her smoke the entire cigarette. The whole experience (smoking plus embarrassment) was SO awful that she NEVER smoked again. Just hearing her tell the story was enough for me to not ever try smoking.
My sister buys (for herself) something called, I think, Kid’s Honest Teas and you can punch the straw anywhere in the top of the pouch. It is far easier and more convenient than that tiny Capri Sun hole.
Hi! I absolutely love your blog!
Where did you get your tofu press? I have never seen one of those and had the thought in mind that there should be one. Especially since the tofu I buy, even though it is extra-firm, still has too much water in it. Therefore, trying to squeeze all of it out, ends up smashing my tofu. Ugh.
Hi Jessica! http://www.tofuxpress.com They are amazing and worth every penny!
i have been wondering how gigi would work playing soccer into her absolute refusal to wear anything but skirts and dresses… apparently i was a lot more worried than gigi… soccer in denim miniskirt? why not!?!?
I’ve actually never made green curry! Yet another thing I must add to my list
Oh, CapriSun; so wholesome- and refreshing-sounding, but not actually. This might interest you: I recently discovered Honest Tea’s “Honest Kids” line, which come in a similar pouch, except they’re organic, have only 40 calories each, are low(er)-sugar, and made with real fruit juice and no HFCS. Saw them at a regular chain supermarket the other day, so they shouldn’t be too hard to locate — perhaps a good alternative for when/if the girls beg for the same thing at their own birthday party?
While this isn’t too special for juices, at least they have 100% vitamin C, and, more importantly, are produced by a responsible company. (Link: http://www.honesttea.com/kids).
(Whoops, nix the last parenthesis that got attached to the hyperlink.)
Even though my juice box of choice was Hi-C Ecto Cooler, I still drank my fair share of Capri Suns. The worst thing ever was when you opened your lunch bag and pulled out your C-Sun, and the straw was missing! What a cruel joke.
Love the Berenstain Bears, too
This looks so good! I’m always looking for new and improved tofu recipes too, so I’m excited to make this one. I love your tofu press too! Wish I had one of those.
I absolutely loved that Bearenstein bear book when I was younger! I had a billion, but that one was probably my favorite.
Oh this looks like such a great recipe! I was JUST at Tj’s yesterday and they have gorgeous HUGE plants of herbs for 2.99 each. Like I dont know how they sell them that cheaply…anyway, I almost bought a mint plant but was like what am I going to do with ALL this mint?! I like mint but fresh mint is powerful and how much does anyone ever use? Well clearly I need to use it on this recipe!
Oh and I used to make pan seared tofu all the time before my tofu press as it was the only was I could get it firm enough…but I hate doing what i would call the “one by one” flip over. Literally flipping them individually so they are all seared evenly…otherwise some are still white and raw and others are charred. I either new a new spatula or some better skills cuz if I try to just flip them all at once, it doesnt work! Maybe you need to come over for a demonstration
I love curries and I have got to try this recipe!
We once went to a party where my daughter somehow managed to drink 3 juice boxes (she doesn’t drink juice at home) without me knowing. She had a huge tummy ache that afternoon and we talked a lot about how too much sugar can make you feel bad. Know she actually limits her own sugar, saying she doesn’t want a tummy ache. I loved that she learned it for herself.
I get annoyed at all the junk at kid’s parties. Cake and ice cream is fine – that is a huge part of birthday celebrations – but do you really need the extra chips/juice/goldfish/m&ms/etc? The only thing worse than a kid hyped up on sugar is a roomful of kids hyped up on sugar!
Oh, and we love the Bears! Right now we are reading the Too Much TV and the Bully books.
Lulu calls them “The Dancing Bears.”
“You mean ‘The Berenstain Bears,’ Lu?”
“No, Mommy…the DANCING Bears!”
That green curry is gorgeous Mama Pea!
A high school friend of mine got caught drinking and her parents took the unheard of approach of letting her get as sloshed as possible…only to cook her plenty of runny eggs and sausages for breakfast the next morning. That friend was “Becky Connor” and it was an episode of Roseanne.
LOVE IT
LOL I can’t even believe that I used to drink Capri Sun…
Hahaha opening Capri Sun is an art that I’ve learned to master at a young age. You kind of have to stabilize the pouch and then… BAM insert the straw
.
You made the curry! It looks GREAT.
Supposedly they make a real juice Capri Sun now? I’m still not buying it. Also, parents that buy Hawaiian Punch as their juice of choice make me twitch. Just sayin’.
I let Livi eat some cheetos the other day and the after effects – bathroom wise – were unstellar, to say the least.
I so remember that book! I really don’t see how your book could possibly be any wittier, intriguing or real than your blog posts! I am so anxious to see what you come up with
Big question though: What kind of shoes is P. Daddy wearing? I am looking for some relaxed Nikes to kick around in… Those look like the pair!
Ha ha! P. D just bought those. I’ll ask him what kind they are and let you know!
I’m a longtime reader but haven’t commented yet. I just started a blog and I hope you don’t mind but I listed your blog as one of my favorites. I love your blog and can’t wait for your cookbook! By the way, I’m from the Portland area too.
Tell your daughter in the pink crocs the toe of her kicking foot she be pointed and she should be leaning forward (over the ball), not back. Your daughter standing in the goal should have her feet together so if she misses the ball with her hands, her legs will block the ball. I bet that’s how the ball got through, huh?
heh, heh. Just kidding. But seriously though. =)
(the soccer photos are what I first noticed when I skimmed through – it’s awesome that you have your daughters involved in sports. And I personally think soccer is the greatest for young girls).
This tofu curry looks FANTASTIC! I’d love to try this recipe and some of your others….just found your blog, and skimmed through quickly – the lasagna from a few posts ago looks fantastic too!
Love your storytelling, btw – great blog and fantastic photography.
Let me know if you have any soccer questions, heh heh
Haha, oh the Cheetos fingers. While I do love some Cheetos every now and then, I also HATE that kids (ok, some grown ups, too) lick their fingers and go back for more! Yuck yuck…and I didn’t think I was a germophobe. Pshaw.
You are beautiful – you inspire someone each day!
#operationbeautiful
For me, Capri Sun juice packs come in second in annoying kid foods to GO-GURT. When I was a camp counselor I cannot tell you how many times I had 5 and 6 year olds with sticky yogurt all over their hands, shirts shorts, hair, neighbor etc etc. Was the children’s dexterity and innate temptation to squeeze the crap of of something not taken into consideration when they were designed?
That tofu curry looks lovely! I will have to try it!
Omigosh. That looks to die for! I’m hoping that I can make it this week
i think its so great that you give them some options. but enough education and attention that they choose to eat grapes!
Hi Sarah!
I’ve been following your blog for a little while now and just had to comment today. I LOVED the Berenstein Bear books when i was growing up.
Adore your blog and admire the way you live your life! You have two very beautiful little girls!
Thank you Stacy!
I love the first picture of Gigi reading the Berenstain Bears. They were my favorite series to read as a kid and I definitely remember loving the “Too Much Junk Food” story a lot. Good luck with soccer season!
My girls (5 & 7) and I have learned loads from the Bearenstain Bears! You curry looks delicious, but what was that box with the spring in one of your photos… was that a tofu press? If such a thing exists.
HILARIOUS!