Oatmeal Squash Muffins

Every time I opened the fridge, I stared, uninspired by the yellow squash (and might I add organic)- yes, sort of getting on the organic bandwagon.  I personally don’t like yellow squash, the kids don’t like any vegetables lately.  Ari throws them on the floor saying, “Disgusting” and Gia just moves them all over her plate- typical kids, hating their veggies- actually squash is a fruit- Did you know that? I just learned that from the Internet.

But hubs bought the annoying squash- he sometimes does the grocery shopping, which he should really stop – I just got back from the second trip to the grocery store to get all the stuff he didn’t get…he goes on Sunday, when I am not in “work mode.” Too lazy to write a list, head a bit foggy from a slight hangover from usual Saturday night fun- oh yea- this mom still parties…granted the party scene is a bit different these days, my wingmen, are actually girls and they’re not super helpful with helping me score…they are more like the blocker types…with their late night crying and refusal to go to sleep.

So, sick of looking at squash, I decided to make these muffins.  I found the recipe on modernbeet.com.

Gia saw me cutting the scorned fruit and said, “Ew, squash, I hate squash!”  She really does.  I tried pureeing it and mixing it in with macaroni and cheese (one of her faves) but to no avail, she detected it. I have scattered, smothered, covered, and chunked this fruit among other miscellaneous produce (I knew my college days would come in handy- thank you Waffle House!) mmm – Waffle house, remember those late nights my southern friends…

Here’s a pic of Gia and what she thinks of the muffins.

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“Yuck! Where are my oatmeal cookies?”

But I did get her to eat one and she said she “loved them,” but only with a bit of jelly, of course.  She is my sweet tooth. It’s funny because Gia doesn’t like chocolate and Ari does, but Ari rather have a salty snack and Gia prefers a sweet snack… Just goes to show you we are all so different.

Anyway, I feel proud of my healthy muffins and use of yellow squash- See, I told you we were moving on from cookies and donuts!

Here’s the recipe

1 c. all-purpose flour*
1/2 c. whole wheat flour*
1 c. rolled oats
1 T. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1 t. cinnamon

1 egg

1 c. milk
1/4 c. oil
1/4 c. honey
1 1/2 c. grated summer squash or zucchini

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Combine flours, oats, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and mace in a medium-large bowl.

In a medium bowl, combine egg, milk, oil, and honey. Mix well. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until just moistened. Gently fold in squash.

Fill lined or well-greased muffin tins 2/3 full. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.

*Note: feel free to use whatever flour combination you want — all whole wheat, all AP, whole wheat pastry, white whole wheat — just make sure it adds up to 1 1/2 cups in total

The phrase Super Mom needs to die

I was sitting in a doctor’s office yesterday, waiting to be called in (the doctor was running 30 minutes late.  NOT A PROBLEM when you are kid free and dear old Mom is watching your child!)

Thumbing through a magazine, I notice this article about Jessica Alba and how “even she isn’t a supermom,” and how having children changed her.  She even goes as far as to admitting eating her kid’s leftovers. Gasp…

UM!!! FOR REAL..BIG DEAL!…I cannot stop thinking about how this fact was even mentioned, let alone made a highlight of the article but that’s beside the point.

There are thousands of articles written about the supermom, and we hear this term a lot in parenting circles…visions of lip sticked, hair freshly highlighted, gym bodied women, shopping in Whole Foods while their cell phones beep reminders about play dates, volunteering commitments, and appointments.  All the while planning to go home and bake a five tiered cake and put together dazzling, homemade invitations for yet another party she’s hosting next month. Ok, so this woman is “super.” Good for her.  Note I say, this woman is super. Minus the mom part.

I googled “Super Mom.”

There were thousands of articles relating to this topic.

There was an article entitled Best and Worst Celebrity Moms. 

This was the description from the site.

Celebrity moms are the media’s newest big thing – some are idolized and emulated, others criticized and ridiculed – but as a culture, we’re clearly obsessed. We track every stage of their baby bumps, scoff at their post-baby bodies, drool over their kids’ outfits and desperately search for any traces of normalcy that show us, Hey, they’re just like me! Love them or loathe them, here are 50 we couldn’t ignore.

This kind of thing really irks me.  These women are moms; they are doing the hardest job in the world.  Some dress great, some don’t.  Who cares? I like seeing what celebrities are wearing as well but again, but I don’t like the mixing of the mom in there.

I saw a link to YouTube, featuring a reality show with ten celebrity mothers, who along with their kids compete with other celebrity mothers on various compatibility levels and win the title of ‘Super Mom.’

I hate the concept of the “super mom,” or “the got it together mom.”  This term is way over used and the line is getting blurry.   Fantastic woman verses a fantastic super mom.

Some of us are more organized, more put together, more driven than others.  We knew girls like that in high school, women like that in college, and the ladies we socialize with today.

This is the way it is.  We are all wired differently.  This is a fact from the beginning of time. What I can’t fathom is the mix of the super and the mom part.  How are you not automatically super if you’re a Mom?

You carried a child around in your belly for nine months, gave birth (enough said) or went through the exhausting process of adoption or a different method to have a child.  You gave a piece of yourself, and you became more self less.  You began to live a completely different existence, taking care of someone else or elses…always thinking about your child or children.  Sacrificing so much…your free time, your alone time, your sleep, your money, your sanity (but that might just be me), and basically your…everything.

Johnson&Johnson coined the term, “Having a baby changes everything.”

All moms are super. Enough said.

super
NOTICE THE COMMA!