11 Tips for Vacation with Children (Days 173-174)

So we leave for vacation tomorrow (Saturday) and boy, could it not have come at a worse time!  Don't get me wrong, I'm thankful for the get-away and the time with family (my mom's whole family plus some friends come with us), but with the move coming up, it's been hard enough to pack the house up with 2 little kids, never mind get ready for vacation.

Yes, I do feed my kids cookies for breakfast on occasion.  Someone needs to test out my new recipes!

Most mothers know that taking a vacation with little children can be far from an actual vacation.  You have to deal with kids being out of their element and routine, different sleep patterns and locations, lots of preparation and readiness for anything and everything, and... oh yeah, zero time for mommy to relax!  I'm fortunate for the fact that lots of family comes on vacation with us, so we have lots of eyes on our children and Randy and I actually do get some time alone and to relax.  But let's face it, vacation with little ones is a whole different ballpark than vacation before children--they're still fun, but way more work.  So here I've included some tips and recipes for having an organized therefore relaxing vacation, even with little kids...

Double chocolate cookies.  (Recipe follows.)

1) Make a digital list.  I have an on-going list on my computer of things I need for the same vacation year-after-year.  It helps me feel organized and minimize that last-minute "Wait, did I remember....?!" feeling.  I like keeping the list on the computer because it's always there and can easily be updated not only year-to-year, but also right when you get back from vacation.  This way, you can instantly add anything you wish you had brought so you'll be even more prepared next year!  My list is organized by what we need for the a) house b) beach and then each person individually.

2) Plan meals ahead.  You may not be the type of person to plan a weekly or biweekly menu on a regular basis (though we all know I am that type of person!), but trust me, on vacation, it's essential.  Plan your menu.  Plan what nights you'll eat out and which nights you'll eat in your house or cottage and what you will have.  If you can make the meal ahead and bring it with you, do it!  The last thing you want to be doing on vacation is sitting around saying "What's for supper."  And you may not be able to afford eating out every night, depending on how long your vacation is.  A great meal to bring is lasagna.  I have a few recipes for lasagna and you can search for them in my search bar.  One is the turkey sausage lasagna, which is a great alternative to a regular lasagna recipe.  Another good make-ahead meal is stuffed shells--it's perfect to bring on vacation with you!  I like to bring some baked goods and breakfast items, also.

PB & J bars ready to be packed.  (Recipe follows.)

3) Hit the grocery store at your destination right away and load up your kitchen early.  Don't worry about grocery shopping in the middle of your vacation.

4) Set a budget and stick to it--this should include a budget for food: eating out, ice cream, candy, snacks.  This is why the grocery store can be helpful and bringing food along.

Crustless quiche--ready to be frozen and brought up for a breakfast!

5) Clean your house as you pack.  I empty out my refrigerator and get rid of any food I know won't be good when we return.  Anything like fruit, yogurt, cheese that's still good now but may not be later, I pack in a cooler.  Now I have healthy and free snacks for the kids on the ride up!  Since the fridge is practically empty now, perfect time to clean it!  While I'm packing our toiletries, I clean the bathroom.  This way, we come home to a nice and clean house.  I usually sweep and wash the floors, too.  I get some kind of satisfaction knowing that what I clean will actually stay that way for a whole week since no one will be home to dirty it up! :)

Clean fridge and cooler.  Salsa and lime juice on the bottom shelf for our pre-vaca chips & margaritas the night before we leave!

6) Plan to eat out the night before you leave and the night you get back.  The night before you leave you'll be busy packing and cleaning and who wants to think about cooking?  And when you get back, you have something to look forward to--a little extension of your vacation.  Don't worry about getting back to cooking until the next day!  Don't forget to budget for these restaurant excursions, also!

7) Pick up some new toys for the kids and don't let them see or open them until you're at your vacation house.  The weather may not be beach perfect your whole week away, so there may be some down time.  And the time you're in the vacation home anyway, you don't want the kids bugging you while making dinner or cleaning up.  Having new toys to play with can be a good distraction from the fact that they're in a different house that they may not feel comfortable in.  Don't forget to bring a toy or two from home, also--a little something familiar is helpful!  And psst, don't tell Abby but I like to bring some "old" toys, too, that I plan to "forget" to bring back home. ;) (Don't forget the games for the "big" kids, too!) ;)

8) Don't pack light!  (Just kidding--kind of.)  Some people are really good at packing light.  I'm not one of those people, though I'd like to get better.  But I do believe there are some bigger items that are worth packing if you have little kids.  Like, the highchair/booster seat.  Our highchair straps onto any chair.  It's worth it for us to pack it because is it really vacation if we don't get to enjoy a single meal?  We would end up taking turns holding our son and trying to feed him that way while he squirms and fusses to get down.  Eating like that for a whole week is no vacation!  Bring the highchair.  Bring the pack 'n play, bring the jogging stroller.  If you have the room, these are all big items that may seem a pain to bring at first, but you'll be thankful you have them.

Cinnamon blueberry bread with streusel topping.

9) Make beds and lay out clothes right away.  We bring up sheets for the beds and our own towels (including hand towels and bath mats) for cleanliness and comfort.  I make our bed and the kids' beds right away.  For organization, I take out all the clothes I packed for them and place them in outfit piles so they're ready to go.  Then, when the outfit is dirty or done with, it goes back in the suitcase. I have a trash bag for dirty laundry.  This helps keep the place organized and the suitcases ready to go at the end of the trip!

10) Bring plenty of wipes and diapers, if you need them.  I keep an extra sleeve in the car--if they don't get used on vacation, they will when we get home, so it's not a waste of money!  3 containers of wipes is necessary for me--one for the diaper bag, one for the bedroom, and one for the beach bag.  If you're taking a beach vacation, baby powder will be essential!  It magically erases any trace of extra sand in those baby creases and helps prevent rashes.  And if you don't have access to a washer/dryer, bring extra towels!

Ready to relax after packing and cleaning the night before we leave. For a classic margarita recipe, click here.

11) Let go of the little things.  This is my daily reminder on vacation.  I don't want to let go of the basic structure or rules or respect we have around the house--it would be too hard to try to get back into those routines upon returning home.  But not everything is going to go exactly as planned on vacation, especially with little ones.  So learn to let go.  And if you're lucky enough as we are to have extra family and helping hands with you--use them!  Plan a date night while on vacation.  It will be your vacation from vacation!

Double Chocolate Cookies

3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 sticks of butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup cocoa powder
1 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
12 oz white chocolate chips

Cream the butter and sugars.  Add the eggs and vanilla and blend.  Sift in the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt into the mixture and stir until well combined.  Add the white chocolate chips.  Place tablespoon-sized dollops on ungreased baking sheets and bake at 350* for 10 minutes.

PB & J Bars
2 sticks softened butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups creamy peanut butter
3 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups jam (your choice)
salted peanuts for topping (optional)

Cream the butter and sugar together.  Mix in the vanilla, eggs, and peanut butter.  Add the flour, baking powder, and salt.  Mix well.  In a grease 13 x 9 pan, spread 2/3 of the mixture.  Layer the jam on top and finish with the rest of the peanut butter mixture.  Bake at 350* for 45 minutes.  Cut into bars.

Greetings from Ocean Park, ME!  Backlin family trip 2012.

Ocean Park, ME 2014 -- notice my 2 darling, smiling children?!  Clearly, I'm an expert at vacationing with kids. ;)

Day 163: Burgers, Corn on the Cob, Chocolate Frappes

Today was a beach day for the kids and I.  I was hoping to have the burger meat mixed up and ready to go this morning so I wouldn't have to worry about it when I got home all sweaty, sandy, and tired from the beach.  No such luck.  You know how things (like getting ready to go to the beach) take 5x longer when you have little kids?  Even when you think you planned well the night before?  Anyway...

For dinner tonight we had my classic burger recipe with bacon, cheese, and barbeque sauce.  Just click the link for burgers on my recipe finder on the side of the homepage and it should give you a few ideas for your next burger cookout.  We also had corn on the cob, like last night.  It's pretty good, even though we're still early in the season.  Here's a fun twist for the next time you have corn on the cob... add cayenne pepper, paprika, or chipotle chili powder to your butter and spread it on the corn instead of plain butter.  Delish!  

For dessert I made chocolate frappes.  I could say I got this idea from when I worked at an ice cream parlor through high school and college, but that would be a lie.  I did learn a lot of great recipes there, but this idea came straight from my childhood.  My father would occasionally make chocolate frappes for us after dinner and I remember those nights as some of the best!  Start with vanilla ice cream in the blender.  If you want good size frappes, use the whole half gallon for a family of four.  Then drizzle in chocolate syrup, to taste.  (Of course, if you want a real chocolatey frappe, you can use chocolate ice cream.  But I think the balance of vanilla/chocolate in this recipe is perfect!)  Next, pour in a good amount of milk, depending on how good your blender is and how thick or thin you want your frappe.  Blend until smooth.  Voila!  A fun dessert for the whole family!

Day 32: Mini Corn Dog Muffins for Lunch, Spaghetti & Meatballs for Dinner

I realized that I forgot to include my recipe for homemade croutons in yesterday's post.  Luckily, I made them again tonight!  Along with spaghetti and meatballs tonight, we had salad with homemade croutons and my garlic/basil bread.  But first, let's talk about lunch...

Another playdate today--we've been busy this week in the best way possible!  For a fun lunch, I made my batter for "skillet" cornbread.  I then placed mini hot dogs in my mini muffin tray and poured the batter in.   I had some extra hot dogs, so I used my regular muffin tin for that and made "double dog" corn muffins in those trays.  (Thanks, Erica, for the "double dog" phrase!)  I baked the muffins at 375* for 10-12 minutes.  (*Make sure you grease the muffin trays.  Because there's a whole stick of melted butter in the corn bread batter, I thought I could do without greasing the trays--I paid the price for that one.  I'll definitely spray them good next time!)

These were a huge success with the kids AND adults!  What a great lunch for all!

Dinner recipe "extras":

Homemade Croutons
5-6 slices day-old bread, cubed (you may remove the crusts if you want)
2 TB dried basil leaves

1 TB dried oregano leaves
1 TB dried parsley
2 tsp garlic powder
1-2 TB grated parmesan
salt, pepper
1/2 cup olive oil + more if necessary

Start with the olive oil and add the herbs and spices plus the parmesan cheese.  Mix together.  Add the cubed bread and mix by hand to ensure that all the bread is coated but it doesn't break.  Place a cooling rack on a baking sheet so the cubes will be elevated.  Place the bread cubes on the cooling rack.  Bake at 350* for 15-10 minutes or until golden brown.
These are best made the day-of.  They will keep for a few days in a airtight container, but start losing their crisp after the first day.  

Garlic Basil butter

Use 1 stick of butter at room temperature or softened.
I start with 2 gloves of garlic, finely minced.  I then add a pinch of kosher salt and use my wooden pestle (or the back of a spoon) to smash the garlic and salt, bringing out the juices.  Add the softened butter, and about 2-3 tsp chopped, fresh basil.  Mix together.  Spread a thick layer of the butter over bread, and place under the broiler until melted and the sides of the bread start to brown.  Roll the remaining butter into a log with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator or freezer for a later date.

Day 30: Mom's Chicken Casserole

In continuation with the February vacation celebration, here is both lunch and dinner for today!  We had a playdate for lunch, today, which is always a fun way to spend time off from work. :)  And what better way for kids to be cozy inside, with the snow outside, than to have grilled cheese?  My special grilled cheese "recipe" or idea comes from Giada De Laurentis.  I saw her do a kid-special episode of "Giada at Home" and got this idea...

I started with our homemade bread.  (It makes any ordinary sandwich so much better!)  In the food processor, I combine 2 cups of shredded mild cheddar cheese (or Monterey Jack cheese), 1 stick of softened butter, and about 1-2 cups of fresh spinach leaves.  Pulse until a thick "paste" forms.  Spread this between the 2 slices of bread and grill as usual.  I roll the remaining cheese mixture into cling wrap and refrigerate until the next grilled cheese lunch!  Add fruit (grapes, today), chips or pretzels, yogurt, and a special dessert brought to us by Abby's friend, Elena, and you've got quite a hearty lunch!

Abby has another playdate scheduled for tomorrow, and for that, we prepared some rice krispie treats with M&Ms on top!  It's fun having a kitchen helper!

Tonight's dinner was supposed to be an easy make-ahead meal so I could go to group ride at 5:30.  But with the snow, I was unable to escape.  We still had our planned meal, though.  It's a very easy recipe, with mild (but good!) flavor.  It's perfect comfort food and well-liked by even the pickiest eaters.  Believe it or not, I consider my childhood self to have been a picky eater.  But I remember always being pleased when Mom piled chicken casserole on our plates.  I'm pretty sure I serve the same sides as she did--it just brings back memories.  My mother's recipe calls for 1 lb of chicken breast, boiled with salt, pepper, and parsley.  Instead, I just use 2-3 breasts with the skin on and bake them at 400* with oil, salt, and pepper.  And rather than make one big casserole, I tend to divide it into two--one for the freezer.  Our family is small enough still that we really only need half a casserole for dinner.  Here's the recipe:

Chicken Casserole
2 chicken breasts, bone-in, skin-on (baked at 400* with salt and pepper for 25-30 minutes)
2 TB butter

2 TB flour
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 pkg Pepperidge Farm Herb Stuffing
1/2 stick melted butter

Shred the chicken and set aside.  Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.  Add the flour and cook 1 minute.  Add the stock, milk, and soup and mix.  Add the chicken and turn off the heat.  Season with salt and pepper, and pour into a casserole dish.  Top with dry stuffing, and then the melted butter.  Bake at 350* for 1 hour.  (I bake mine for 30 minutes when I only do a half of casserole.)  Tonight it was served with rice pilaf and corn.  

"Mm, another comfort food meal!" ~ Randy

Day 29: Spinach & Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken, Rice, Balsamic Broccolini

It's February vacation!!!

As a way to "ring it in", today's post will include recipes for breakfast, lunch, AND dinner! With the homemade bread I made too, I basically didn't leave the kitchen all day.  My kind of vacation... :)

This week is partially dedicated to my daughter, Abigail.  I love being home with her and making fun breakfasts and lunches when we're home together.  We also do some baking together, too.  She's a

Couch cuddle time!

great helper in the kitchen!  She's used to it, too, because last night when my parents were over, we told her that she could go with Grampy to pick up the pizza.  But she misunderstood and asked for her stool because she thought she and Grampy were going to make the pizza. :)

I say it's only partially dedicated to Abby because making kid-friendly and fun lunches isn't the only thing I do in the kitchen when on vacation.  This is also my chance to try some new recipes, or some old ones that just take a little longer to prepare.  By starting this blog, I've also set some culinary goals for myself.  A week off from work is the perfect time to start trying to reach some of them.

Tonight's dinner recipe is not a new one, nor does it take that long to prepare.  However, today I did spend some time practicing de-boning chicken breasts in the kitchen.  Chicken breasts are used so often in many recipes but can be pretty expensive.  Buying them with bones-in and skins-on can be a way to save money--you're doing the work yourself.  Plus, if you have a recipe that would allow you to cook the chicken before you use it, cook it in the oven with skin still on and on the bone--the chicken will be much more flavorful that way.

I wanted to make stuffed chicken tonight, and there are a couple different ways I could do it.  As with the chicken cordon bleu I made for Valentine's Day, I could use a boneless, skinless breast pounded out, sprinkle the stuffing on top, and then roll it up.  I've done this several times before.  The second option is to use a boneless breast with the skin on, and stuff the stuffing between the skin and meat.  This is the option I wanted to use tonight.  That meant buying breasts with the skin and bones, and de-boning them myself.  I'd say I didn't do too bad a job for a first-timer, with no de-boning knife (which Randy says he wants to get me soon--he's so supportive of all the things I do in the kitchen!).  I used 2 breasts for tonight's dinner, froze the rest, made stock with the bones, and used the tenderloins for chicken tenders for Abby's lunch today.

My starting point...

My first one!  Looks pretty good, I think!

Here are today's recipes:

Breakfast: Ricotta Pancakes (Tyler Florence)

 2 cups ricotta

4 large eggs, separated

1 cup buttermilk

1 TBSP lemon juice

1 tsp lemon zest

1 cup all-purpose flour

3 TBSP sugar

1 tsp baking powder

Pinch salt

Butter, for cooking

Confectioners' sugar, for dusting, optional

1 cup maple syrup, warmed on stove-top

Combine the ricotta, egg yolks, buttermilk, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a large mixing bowl. Sift the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together into the ricotta mixture and stir until fully combined. In a separate bowl whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form and then gently fold into the batter.

Heat a large nonstick pan over medium heat and add a little butter. Cook 2 to 3 pancakes at a time using a 6-ounce ladle or measuring cup to pour the batter into the pan. The trick to perfect round pancakes to carefully pour all the batter in the same spot and let it roll out to a complete circle. Cook the pancakes on 1 side until they set. When small bubbles appear on the uncooked surface, flip the pancakes and cook until golden on both sides, about 6 minutes. Keep the pancakes on a plate set at the back of the stove under a dry towel to keep warm while you make the rest.

To serve, lay the pancakes on a plate and dust with confectioners' sugar. Serve with roasted apples, crispy prosciutto strips and warm maple syrup on top (if desired).

Lunch: Chicken Tenders w/ Marinara, Mac & Cheese, Mixed Vegetables, Fruit/Yogurt

 When I make lunch for my daughter, I like her to always have vegetables and a fruit or yogurt or both.  The easiest way for me to do this is to keep a bag of frozen vegetables in the freezer.  Because she's still young, it's hard for her to eat carrot sticks or other raw vegetables.  (She's always asking to try a carrot, but always ends up spitting it out.)  So I pour some frozen veggies in a bowl, add water, and microwave for 1 minute.  Then I drain the water and add a little bit of butter.  She's always been good about eating her vegetables!  I always keep a variety of fresh fruit in the house, too.  She always has fruit with breakfast (strawberries or blueberries in cereal, or a banana or orange alongside).  Her snacks usually consist of fruit and cheese or graham crackers, and she has a piece of fruit with lunch, too.  (Or she can have a yogurt--or both if she's still hungry.)  For her lunch today, I breaded the tenderloins from the chicken breasts I cut up.  

My breading standard goes something like this:

1) dip in flour, seasoned with salt and pepper

2) dip in egg wash (egg/water combo, beaten)

3) dip in Italian breadcrumbs mixed with FRESHLY grated parmesan cheese

I then browned the chicken in a skillet with some oil, and finished them in a 300* oven.  (I kept the temperature low because they were small pieces, and I knew they'd be in there a while so I could prepare the macaroni and cheese.  For marinara, I used the leftover pizza sauce I bought for Saturday night's dinner and added some dried herbs and grated parmesan cheese to it.

I served the chicken with the sauce, some macaroni and cheese, and vegetables.  Today she didn't make it to the fruit/yogurt part--it was a big lunch for a little girl as it was! :)

Dinner: Spinach & Goat Cheese-Stuffed Chicken, Rice, Balsamic Broccolini 

When I first started making this dish, it was when Randy and I were engaged, and I heard someone (I can't remember who) was using goat cheese and chicken for dinner that night, so I started experimenting.  At first, I used plain goat cheese, and extra garlic.  Then I found the garlic and herb goat cheese in the store and used that instead.  No going back for us!  Next time, I may try the same recipe with some basil either instead of the spinach or in addition to.

2 boneless chicken breasts with the skin on

1 garlic clove, minced

10 spinach leaves, stems removed

2-3 oz garlic & herb goat cheese

extra virgin olive oil

salt, pepper

Preheat the oven to 400*.  Mince the garlic, crumble the goat cheese between your fingers, and remove the stems from the spinach.  (Have all of your stuffing ingredients ready and separated from the packages they came from--since you'll be handling raw chicken, make sure all the ingredients you touch will be either stuffed into the chicken or discarded.)

Slip your fingers between the skin and meat of the chicken and make a pocket to stuff into, being careful not to pull the skin totally off (keep it attached on the sides).  Stuff half the spinach and goat cheese into each chicken breast and most of the garlic.  The rest of the minced garlic and be rubbed onto the skin of the chicken.  Place on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper and bake for 20-25 minutes or until cooked through.   

Broccolini--different from broccoli, sweeter, and a bit more expensive

Day 15: Mommy-Daughter Dinner Date: Popcorn Chicken, Fries, Veggies

What a way to welcome Monday: found out that Randy would be working late and go right from his first job to his second, I had a meeting at school, and the roads were so horrible I almost go into 2 accidents (didn't, though!) and made it home an hour and a half later than usual.  Both kids needed baths, and Noah is still awake, fussing in his crib right now.  Welcome, Monday!

I was going to make carbonara for dinner, when I thought my husband would be home, but it didn't seem worth it for just Abby and me.  Not wanting to blog about serving cereal, I defrosted a chicken breast and used up the last of the frozen french fries in our freezer.  I love this meal for my toddler; it's fun, fast, and much more healthy than going out.

Here was the plan:
I started the fries in the oven on half a baking sheet. (400*)
I cubed the chicken breast and breaded it.  (To bread, I dip in a flour/salt/pepper mixture, then an egg wash, then in a bread crumb/parmesan cheese mixture.)
I took out the fries and added the "popcorn" chicken to the other half of the baking sheet.  They cooked for about 15 minutes.
I displayed 3 different dips: ketchup, barbeque sauce, and ranch dressing.  It makes it a little extra fun for her to pick her dip with each bite!
I'm lucky in that my daughter loves veggies, especially peas.  I keep a bag of frozen peas and corn in the freezer at all times.  I defrosted a little of both and served that with the chicken and fries.  We ate on the couch while watching her most recent video rental from the library. 

A fun date like that can really melt some stress away! :)