Let kids be scientist

I was cooking dinner yesterday when my 5 year old pulled up a step stool next to me and asked “ mom can I do that” and I said of course, I gave him a daikon radish to peel with the vegetable peeler. I know, I’m crazy but hey If he wants to do it, let him do it. If he messes up then all well, its just food. He peeled it a few times before he got bored and started pulling things out the kitchen drawer and ask me “ Mom can I play with water” and I thought…. “Sure”

                He pulled out a measuring teaspoon, medicine measuring caps, a small cup and a Tupperware container and helped himself to some water from the fridge. He’s mixing and making a mess so I grab a kitchen towel and tell him to keep his stuff on the towel so he doesn’t accidently slip and fall from it getting wet.

                He then ask me “ Mom, Can I get some food coloring” and I think, “ hmm… that sounds messy but what ever, sure. “ So he starts to add food coloring to his watery concoction and hes just having the time of his life, mixing, measuring, adding things too and fro.

                My husband comes out to the kitchen and he goes “ Your making a mess” and his face looks like this (  -_- ) my husband is a clean freak and doesn’t like mess. I just say to him “ Leave him alone, he’s being a scientist” LOL.

For the next hour or so, he just stood there on his little step stool, in my kitchen , on my counter, mixing water and food coloring. He wasn’t on the tv, he didn’t ask for his tablet or complain he was bored. He was simply “being a scientist”

I didn’t take a photo because this was something I thought was a Kodak moment, I’m sure their will be more moments  in the future for me to snap a photo to remember it by, but for today, I wanted to just enjoy my son being a scientist.

The point of my blog today, for all my busy momma’s is this “ Let kids be kids, let them be scientist, when they want to do something, let them. Encourage them and who cares if it’s a mess, let them make a mess. Slow down and enjoy your kids being kids. I don’t care if the house gets dirty, I’ll clean it later. What  I loved most about this experience was I told my son “ Your being a scientist! Good job” and he just flashes me his million dollar smile.

At the end of the day, the sink was full of dishes, some of them covered in food coloring and my husband just grunts “ what a mess, uh!” and I just said to him “ HE WAS BEING A SCIENTIST” LOL.

That is all.

Happy holidays from the Saehaos! (PS that random teenager in our family photos is my husbands youngest sister, we only have 2 kids lol)

Instant Pot: Taco Rice

I love Mexican food and when it came time to decide what to make for dinner, I looked at my instant pot that my mom had given me and had a light bulb moment.

I had no ingredients so Of course, I had to go to the grocery store.

Here is what you’ll need to buy:

Toppings

1.       Lettuce

2.       Onions

3.       Green onion

4.       Cilantro

5.       Sour cream

6.       Shredded cheese

7.       Tortilla chips

Meat:

Chicken Breast – I used 2 cubes or sliced

2 Taco seasoning in a packets – because lets be serious, I’m a lazy cook

1 can of chicken broth

1 can of black beans ( rinsed)

1 can of corn

3 cups of white rice

1 cup of Salsa

And of course, Don’t forget, YOUR INSTANT POT. For those of you who have never heard of one, or debating on getting it, I will tell you from firsthand experience that this thing is amazing! If you’re a super busy mom like me, this tool is a life saver for tasty, easy and fast family home cooked meals.  What is an instant pot you ask? We’ll let me tell you!

                Plain and simple – it’s a pressure cooker. It takes your cooking time and cuts in half, crazy I know! Its not a like a crock pot where you food is all mushy, there are an abundance of recipes you can do to make a variety of meals from soups, to boil eggs to ribs. YES, RIBS! That will be next on my to make list.

1.       Cut up your chicken and saute in your instant pot on with a drizzle of oil.

2.       Pour a little bit of chicken broth and taco seasoning and mix well.

3.       Rinse and drain black beans, corn and add to the instant pot ontop of your chicken. Add your Salsa and cover the top with 3 cups of white rice.

4.       Pour chicken broth over mixture – make sure there is enough broth to cover top of rice * do not over fill or you’ll have mushy rice.

5.       Manual cook for 8 minutes

6.       Do not vent right away after time is up, allow meal to sit for 12 minutes and then vent.

7.       Open lid, gently fluff rice –

8.       Serve with your favorite toppings

9.       ENJOY!

Crap-e-mom Cabbage Roll Recipe

For all you busy mommas out there, wither you’re a stay home mom, a full time working mom or just a regular person living life, this is a great recipe to keep on hand!

I’m not a big foodie person. Food is nothing that I get excited about and to be honest, I hate cooking. But… when I fall in love with a dish, I look up a recipe and I try to replicate it. For a busy mom who doesn’t cook, it has to be a reallllllly good and simple dish for me to write about.

                I was introduced to this cabbage roll dish by a Russian co-worker of mine. I love trying different kinds of food and when she brought it one day, she asked me to try it. AND OMG! Did I love it! This dish is called “ Golubtsy”  It’s cabbage wrapped around delicious mix of meat and veggies topped with sour cream.  What I really loved about this was it’s healthy. Easy to make and I can make a lot,  throw in the freezer and defrost as needed. Most of the time, I pack it for lunch for a whole week. I love this stuff, I can eat it everyday!

                I’m a very simple mom. I don’t like to make things too complicated so my recipe is super simple. It’s not your typical GOLUBTSY so if you are wanting the traditional dish, you can find many good recipes online!

Crap-e-mom Recipe:

1 pound of ground turkey

2 carrots chopped

1 zucchini chopped

Handful of mushrooms chopped  

Half and onion chopped

1 cup of white rice ( Optional)

1 large cabbage

2 eggs

1 tablespoon of CHICKEN BOUILLON POWDER

Garlic salt and pepper to taste 

½ cup of chicken broth

Sour Cream to top as needed

Lets get started:

Boil your CABBAAGE WHOLE for I don’t know… Maybe 10 minutes?

Remove and put in ice bowl. Gently peel leaves. Set aside.

In a pan, with a bit of oil, Sauté your chopped Carrots, Zucchini, mushrooms, onions. Allow to cool. In a large bowl, mix your ground turkey with seasonings and eggs. Toss in your sauté veggie mix and rice.

Lay out your cabbage leaf, add meat mixture and roll! I like to start at the core end ( the thicker end of the leaf). I like to line my rolls in a pan, pour in ½ cup of broth and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and done!

Top with sour cream! ENJOY!