Jama Oliver

Our 2011 Christmas Card!

Jama — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 00:46:09 +0000

5×7 Folded Card

View the entire collection of cards.

Our 2011 Photo Book!

Jama — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 19:55:26 +0000

http://images-community.shutterfly.com/flashapps/slideshow/slideshow-ui.swf

Click here to view this photo book larger

The new way to make a photo album: photo books by Shutterfly.

Pulled Barbecue Chicken and Cheesey Hush Puppy Bake

Jama — Thu, 20 May 2010 13:30:47 +0000

It’s been a while since I’ve tried a new recipe that everyone liked, but this one’s a winner!

Ingredients:
Pulled Barbecue Chicken
(I put a pound of chicken breast in the crock pot around 8am, cover with barbecue sauce, and cook on low until 5pm. Every few hours, I “pull” the chicken with a fork. The meat is so tender, it just falls apart, making the pulling process super easy!)
1 cup cornmeal
1 large egg
2Tbsp canola oil
1/2 cup skim milk
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup shredded cheddar

Preheat oven to 400. Coat a deep dish (glass, iron, or stone…a deep pie dish works nicely) with nonstick cooking spray. Place pulled barbecue chicken in the bottom of dish. Combine cornmeal, egg, oil, milk, onion, and cheese and spoon over chicken. Cook in preheated oven for 30 minutes.

I served this with a side of corn, but I’m thinking of cooking the corn in with the dish next time. I’m all about hiding vegetables so my kids (and husband!!) will eat them. As always, this recipe makes enough to serve two adults and two children dinner and lunch the next day.

Weaning. Or Not.

Jama — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 17:55:19 +0000

Just like everything else with parenting, weaning is a hot topic. I’ve heard everything from “forced-weaning is cruel” to “if you don’t get that kid off the breast, he’ll NEVER grow up!”

I’m a rare breed – a scheduler who has opted for extended nursing. Which means that folks on both sides of the fence think I’m either weird or doing irreparable harm to my child. You can’t please everyone, eh?

If you read my earlier post about Jonathan refusing milk from a cup, you know that I was starting to try to wean. Jonathan didn’t approve. So, in desperation, I offered everything from soy milk to Carnation Instant Breakfast to Nestle Quik. Seriously. If you know anything about me, you know that I’m a bit of a health nut and I don’t do things like give my kids Nestle Quik (except on very rare, special occasions!)

Then a friend reminded me that Jonathan IS still a baby and maybe, just MAYBE, he was trying to tell me something. Like, “hey mom…I was a month early and I’ve always been a little needier than my big brother and I’m just not quite ready to stop nursing yet.” Since he can’t actually say all that, maybe that’s what he was trying to tell me when he was hurling cups of milk in my general direction.

Even after two children, I’m still trying to figure out who I am as a mom, and I am for sure trying to figure out who my children are. As I try to figure out those two things, I’m also trying to figure out how to mesh who I am as a parent with who they are as children…and…sigh. It’s a tough job.

Here’s what I know:

While I generally favor teaching children those things that they need to know as adults as quickly as possible (I’m a fan of early potty-training, learning to pick up after themselves, getting dressed, etc.), there are certain things that can’t be forced. Just as you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink, you can give a child a cup of milk but, well, you see my point. And because nursing is both a source of nutrition and comfort to a child, it makes sense to me that those other important life skills may be easier taught if he’s feeling nice and close to me (and isn’t all hopped up on chocolate milk).

And, what is it about weaning before baby is ready that is beneficial? Wouldn’t it be better for me to continue to giving Jonathan his mommy milk than to try to force him to drink Nestle Quik?

James was ready to wean at a year. Jonathan is 18 months old and STILL not ready. And I’m ok with that. Rather than fighting the milk battle I’ve decided to add back the feeding we dropped, continue offering milk in a cup, and let Jonathan give me a hint (like taking sips from his milk cup!) when he’s ready to start weaning.

What I am going to do is be thankful that I have my mommy milk to give him. I am going to ignore those that say I’m babying him or that he’s NEVER going to wean if I don’t do it now. I am going to give my kiddo what he needs because I can. And I’m going to avoid nursing in front of those folks who think it’s gross to nurse a toddler.

My Kid Who Refuses Milk

Jama — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 17:59:49 +0000

So, my intention for this blog has been to share my motherly/housewiferly wisdom with the world. Like everyone else, however, I’m learning as I go. And I’ve hit a roadblock.

Jonathan, my 19-month-old is still breastfeeding, which is fine. I’m to the point when I want to begin weaning (I’ve actually dropped his lunchtime feeding already), but the child WILL NOT drink anything but water from a cup. I am hesitant to continue trying to wean when I can’t get him to drink milk from a cup, but I know we’re going to have to face this eventually, so…

Here’s what we’ve tried: cow’s milk, breast milk, vanilla soy milk, chocolate milk, warmed, cold, straw cups, sippy cups, Nuby cups, big-boy cups, not allowing him to leave the table unless he drinks his milk, getting big brother to “share” his milk, not allowing him any other beverage but his usual nursing and milk from a cup (which, by the way, leads to a thirsty child screaming, taking one sip of milk, and then throwing the cup at me while continuing to cry). I am at a loss.

He will drink water from a cup, no problem. He actually bypassed the sippy cup and just went straight to a straw cup. He will, especially at the end of a long fighting-over-the-milk-day, literally CHUG an entire cup of water. But after one sip of milk, he turns up his nose and throws the cup. Sigh…

I need help. Please tell me that someone else has been here! Really the only non-option is not giving him milk at all. I’ve read that milk isn’t “necessary,” and that you can supplement a child’s diet with other foods to make up for the lack of milk, but Jonathan is also a very picky eater. I am a big fan of milk (chocolate milk is actually my post-running recovery beverage – milk really DOES do a body good!!), so just not giving him milk is not something I’m willing to try. But anything else…ANYTHING!

At this point I’m putting weaning on hold until we get him accepting milk from a cup, so the quicker we come up with something, the better.

The lesson I have taken from all this, by the way, is that our next little Oliver will be getting cow’s milk at 12 months even though I still plan to breastfeed past the first year. Little did I know that it’s important for kiddos to get used to the taste of milk long before they really need to drink it!

Barbecue Chicken and Twice-Baked Potatoes

Jama — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 20:34:38 +0000

Barbecue Chicken and Twice-Baked Potatoes (remember, this serves 2 adults and 2 children dinner AND lunch the next day!)

1lb boneless, skinless chicken breast ($1.88)
1 small bottle barbecue sauce ($0.39)
6 baking potatoes ($1.60)
1/2 cup shredded cheddar ($0.62)
1/2 cup sour cream ($0.25)
1/4 cup margarine ($0.05)
Canola or Olive oil
Salt

Place chicken in slow cooker, pour barbecue sauce over chicken, and cook on low for 8 hours. You can pull it apart with a fork after several hours, just to make sure the sauce cooks into all the chicken, but this isn’t necessary…the chicken will be falling apart after 8 hours anyway!

Preheat oven to 450. Coat baking potatoes in oil and sprinkle with salt; use a small knife to poke several holes in each potato to allow steam to release during baking. Place on a large broiler pan and bake for an hour to an hour-and-a-half, depending on size of potatoes. You want the skin to be crispy, and the inside cooked through. Remove potatoes from oven, slice open and allow to cool for 30 minutes. Scoop out the inside of the potatoes and place in a large mixer bowl. Add cheese, sour cream, and margarine; mix with mixer as if you’re making mashed potatoes – HIGH speed for fluffy potatoes!! Take mashed potato mixture and place in a gallon-sized zipper bag. Snip off one corner of the bag, and pipe into potato skins. Place in oven at 350 degrees for around 20 minutes. Because twice-baked potatoes are so labor intensive, I usually do a HUGE batch and freeze them…they can be baked from frozen at 350 in about 45 minutes.

Serve with salad or frozen broccoli for a little green. Tonight we’re having bagged salad – they were on sale at Kroger for $1.50 per bag!

Total cost, before green veggies:
$4.79

Sloppy Joes, Roasted Potatoes, and Green Beans

Jama — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 22:31:37 +0000

Sloppy Joes, Roasted Potatoes, and Green Beans ($5.10)

1lb ground beef ($1.50)
1 can Hunt’s Manwich sauce ($1)
5 Kroger Whole Wheat Hamburger Buns ($0.50)
5 medium potatoes ($0.50)
1 large can Del Monte Cut Green Beans (I use fresh during the summer, canned during the winter) ($1.50)
2T Olive or Canola Oil (olive oil is healthier, but canola is cheaper) ($0.10)
salt and pepper
1t sugar
Magic Seasoning Salt

Preheat oven to 425. Coat a 9×13 inch glass baking dish with cooking spray. Cut potatoes into cubes (don’t peel them! This is the only time I can get my kids to eat potatoes with the peel on…) and place in baking dish. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of oil over the potatoes; add pepper and seasoning salt (as much as you like…my hubby likes a lot of pepper, so I go heavy on the pepper and do a light covering of seasoning salt). Place in the oven and bake for 45 minutes.

While potatoes are baking, place green beans (do not drain) in medium sauce pan. Add 1 tablespoon of oil, 1 teaspoon of sugar, and a dash of salt and pepper. Simmer over medium heat until liquid is gone.

While potatoes are baking and green beans are simmering, brown ground beef. Lean ground beef is more expensive than the fattier beef, so here’s a trick to reduce the fat content: after browning your beef, place in a strainer over a large pot. Heat several cups of water in the microwave until almost boiling. Pour water slowly over the beef, and watch the fat drain into the pot! Discard water and fat and return meat to skillet. Add Manwich mix, reduce heat, and simmer.

Place hamburger buns on baking sheet and heat on the lower rack of oven for the last five minutes as potatoes are cooking.

A yummy way to eat the leftover potatoes is to add a layer of cheese and heat at 350. Add a little more seasoning salt and they taste like those delicious yet terribly unhealthy cheese fries from Charley’s Steakery!



Apple Chicken and Brown Rice
Jama — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 20:05:06 +0000
My family loves this chicken so much, I usually make 1.5-2lbs of chicken rather than my usual pound!
Apple Chicken and Brown Rice ($4.48 for two meals, not counting veggies)
1.5lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast ($2.82)

2 medium apples ($0.50)

1 medium onion, sliced ($0.10)

1.5 cups apple juice ($0.31)

1T lemon juice ($0.13)

1t cinnamon ($0.09)

1 cup brown rice ($0.53)
Slice chicken into smaller pieces – my family generally likes smaller, “tender-size” strips – and place in crock pot. Slice onion and place in crock pot with chicken. Slice apples and coat with lemon juice and cinnamon; layer over chicken and onions. Pour apple juice in crock pot and cook on low for 8 hours. (I actually forgot to coat my apples with lemon juice and cinnamon this morning…I’ll let you know how it turns out!)
Cook brown rice according to package directions. If you’re not used to brown rice, keep in mind that it takes longer to cook than white rice. I prefer rice that isn’t overly done, but it still takes around 30 minutes for brown rice to cook to my liking. 
Tonight I think we’ll have either green beans or sweet potatoes as our veggie, but we’ve also done broccoli, carrots, and corn. 
Enjoy! 

         


Pinto Beans and Cornbread
Jama — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 16:19:56 +0000
An easy and inexpensive dinner!
Jama’s Soup Beans (or Pinto Beans, for those not familiar with the Southern term)
Total cost for meal: $2.34 for dinner and lunch for a family of four. Not kidding!!
16oz of dried pinto beans (I buy the 4lb bag and divide it into 4 portions – it’s cheaper!) ($0.87)

1 med. onion, chopped ($0.10)

4 slices turkey bacon, chopped ($0.62)

salt and pepper
The night before, put dried beans in a large bowl and cover with water. Let soak overnight. Recover with water in the morning. We have dinner at 6pm, so I pour off the excess water at around 2:45pm, put the beans in a large pot, add chopped onion and bacon, and fill about 3/4 full with water (you want a lot of water in the pot, because they’re going to be cooking for several hours!), and place on the stove over medium heat at around 3pm. Simmer for approximately 2.5 hours, and add a pinch of salt once beans are tender. Continue cooking until soup is thick.
I couldn’t find my favorite cornmeal at the grocery store this time around, so I bought White Lily ($0.75 to make enough cornbread for 2 meals for a family of 4). Follow the package directions. I swear by cornbread baked in the oven in an iron skillet – it just doesn’t get any better! If you have an iron skillet, pour a bit of oil in the pan, and place in the oven to heat. Once the oil is thin and hot, pour your batter into the pan, and cook according to package directions. If you don’t have an iron skillet, you can always do corn muffins in a regular muffin pan!

         


Jama’s Healthy Spaghetti
Jama — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 21:27:08 +0000
This is the first of my “What’s For Dinner” posts. I’ve had several people ask for recipes that I use frequently – especially the healthy ones! – and I thought this would be a great place to direct folks when they want to know what the Olivers are eating for dinner. A lot of the recipes I’ll be posting are just things I’ve come up with on my own, and most will have the price I paid for the ingredients listed. All of my recipes make enough for dinner AND lunch the next day for two adults, a three-year-old, and a one-year old. We always have last night’s leftovers for lunch!
Jama’s Healthy Spaghetti

The only real downfall for this recipe is that I use canned sauce, which means that there’s more sodium than if I made my own sauce. I’ve found, though, that it’s not only easier to use the canned sauce, but it’s also a lot cheaper. I’m hoping to have enough tomatoes from my garden this summer to can and make my own sauce for practically nothing, but until then, Hunts it is!
1 lb. ground turkey ($1.50)

1 can Hunt’s Spaghetti Sauce ($1.00)

1 medium onion ($0.10)

1 bag Kroger crinkle cut carrots ($1.00)

Great Value Whole Wheat Rotini ($1.00)
Brown ground turkey and chopped onion. Add carrots and spaghetti sauce. Cover and simmer until sauce is thick and carrots are soft (they’re easier to smoosh and hide from the kids if they’re really soft!). Cook pasta according to package directions and mix into sauce mixture (I’ve found that mixing the pasta in with the sauce makes the sauce stretch farther. If I don’t mix it in, I end up with not enough sauce and lots of leftover pasta!)