Egg Replacer

I have been meaning to do a post on egg replacer and when my friend Leslie asked about it...I figured it was time! My mother-in-law bought a box of this "ENER G Egg Replacer" over a year ago before the boys and I came to visit so she could make pancakes, waffles, etc. It works great. I had to just get past the fact that the box looks like it is straight out of the 70's. Doesn't it?
Really.

It is a cornstarch-like texture and is gluten free, wheat free, nut free, cholesterol-free, no preservatives, artificial flavorings or sugar added. So you ask--what is in it? The ingredients say "potato starch, tapioca flour, leavening, sodium carboxymethylcellulose (what?), and methylcellulose." I mix 1 and 1/2 tsp with 2 Tbs warm water to replace one egg. It mainly serves as a binding agent in baking.


So it might be something to try if you watch your cholesterol but you could also just use egg beaters. Only 15 calories for one egg. I try to just stick with recipes with one egg to replace for best results...which is why I was very happy that the zucchini bread turned out when I replaced three eggs.


We have found that 1/4 cup of applesauce works well in many recipes too. Mostly for pancakes and waffles. Geoff has made muffins using applesauce vs. eggs and they taste fine...but fall apart easily. So I try to stick with this "ENER G" egg replacer for baking quick breads, muffins and cakes. Just a lot of trial and error.

Oh Sleep Fairy

Dear Sleep Fairy,

Where are you? It has been almost four years and you have been elusive in our lives. Please please return soon.

We are only asking for six (maybe seven eight) hours of solid sleep a night...for us. Please?

Us

Blueberry Zucchini Bread

Don't you love it when you try a new recipe and it turns out fabulous and you put it in your "keeper" file? I made this bread yesterday with lots of healthy modifications and it turned out yummy and moist...I put the original recipe below with my modifications in parenthesis. I was going to put a cinnamon/sugar crumble on top but forgot...will try that next time. I was really surprised that the egg replacer did not effect the recipe since it had three eggs...and really surprised how much sugar I could cut out without effecting flavor. Love that it has 2 full cups of shredded zucchini too. Couldn't even see it or taste it in the baked loaves. Found it on allrecipes.com

Blueberry Zucchini Bread

Submitted By: LAUJRA
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 50 Minutes
Ready In: 1 Hour 45 Minutes

Servings: 12

Ingredients:
3 eggs, lightly beaten (I used egg replacer for all)
1 cup vegetable oil (I used 1/2 cup oil and 1/2 cup applesauce)
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups white sugar (whoa...used 1 and 3/4 cup and it was sweet enough)
2 cups shredded zucchini (yes!)
3 cups all-purpose flour (used 1 and 1/2 cups all purpose and 1 and 1/2 cups whole wheat)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 pint fresh blueberries (used 1 and 1/2 cups...may use frozen next time)
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease 4 mini-loaf pans.

2. In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar. Fold in the zucchini. Beat in the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. Gently fold in the blueberries. Transfer to the prepared mini-loaf pans.

3. Bake 50 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a knife inserted in the center of a loaf comes out clean. Cool 20 minutes in pans, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely. Enjoy!

Crafty Time

Our library here is fantastic. The only time I have seen "traffic" in our town is on the way to the library on Wednesday morning!

They have a full-up summer reading program for kids that is quite impressive. Especially because most libraries I have seen tend to shut down all programs over the summer. The program here includes "Stories in the Park" on Tues and Thurs at different outdoor parks....complete with lunch for kids 12 and under...the boys each grabbed a lunch bag last week and it had a roast beef/cheese sandwich, carrots, fruit and choice of white or chocolate milk. Wow. I was expecting smooshed peanut butter and jelly and juice or something.

On Wednesday the library features a presenter or a craft day. Separate presenters for kids seven and another presenter for the kiddos over seven. We saw Eric Herman the musician and Albert Alter a juggling clown so far.

This past Wednesday they had a big craft day titled "Living in the Water" and there were at least ten different stations broken out by age group. All kids completing two crafts submit their cards for a door prize drawing...during lunch. I am so surprised they provide lunches Tues, Wed and Thurs...especially if you could see the turn-out on Wednesdays. The library is able to block off a side street for traffic for the lunch and they block the entire library off for just kids and the adults accompanying the kids.

J and W made a crab and a man-of-war (pic above). All of the library's planned craft projects were really creative. They had frogs, box turtles, colorful fish, alligators, and an amazing looking dolphin for older kids. I thought the boys' crafts were cute and we didn't even do the tie-dyed painting on top of the man-of-war.

Water Balloons!

Kiddos shouting "water balloons" just before the water balloon fight breaks out....

Water Survival

We started the weekend early back at the lake because Geoff's squadron had water survival training. The squadron and families were invited to a post-training BBQ and to camp out before and after the training. I have never seen Geoff do water survival so it was fun to watch. Especially since they had two helicopters from CA to assist in the training and the guys were actually hoisted into the helicopter from the water...it was a gorgeous day - albeit the water was a little on the cold side. We could see really well too because the helicopters were able to go fairly low...much lower than they can in the ocean.

Everyone getting set-up for the day...the local sheriff team was invited to participate...as was a dive team for safety...

and some additional able-bodied assistants:

In fact, the first rescue of the day was none other Jack...not our Jack...but Jack the fox terrier in the picture below:

He belongs to our friends Rocky and Pappy and is very protective of Pappy. Rocky said that he leapt out of their camper and sprinted down to the water bc he sensed Pappy was "in danger". Jack the dog stood shaking on a big log before deciding it was time to leap on a raft then into the water. A big life support guy "rescued" him.

Testing some signaling devices:

Geoff's turn:

Going up:

Pulling himself in the chopper (I must admit...it looked fun...not the part where the water is slapping you in the face...just the hoisting up part):

Heading out:

Geoff and the boys camped the night before and did great (once they fell asleep) but their skin flared up after being out overnight and they were really itchy the next day. We stayed the full day and even went on an extra-long trail bike ride with daddy. Geoff took the boys home for a bath and dinner and I returned to the lake for awhile after doing a Target-run. I was looking forward to camping that night but the boys were too miserable to stay.

So the next day Geoff and the boys returned to the lake to get our stuff and they had another full day of playing in the water, going out a boat (with none other than Jack the dog--who somehow ended up in the water again and was missing until Pappy spotted him just swimming back and forth behind the boat)...and grilling quesadillas before returning home where they literally all walked in the house, laid down on the carpet and went to sleep.

Totally out:

For at least two hours.

Happy 4th!

I realized today that if I don't finally finish our 4th of July post then it will just be way overdue so here goes! A belated Happy 4th of July to everyone. We did some house projects - I know, boring but we have to get serious about unpacking someday...we have been here almost 7 months already and still have lots of painting, organizing, furniture-arranging, and hanging pictures to do!

Geoff let me sleep in which he tries to do as much as he can (love you honey!) while he and the boys tried to use every Thomas track piece we own to constuct a colossal train village.

We returned to the lake with some friends and did a mini hike while Geoff tried out a 7-8 mile bike trail. Lots of fun but surprisingly cold and windy...we took another trip on the paddle boat:

We went to church on the 4th and walked just down the street to watch the downtown parade . It was a cute parade which kicked off with an F-15 fly-by...so neat--I was shocked how low and loud they were. It was also fun hearing the boys' belly laughs when they saw the Shriners ride by on their little cars...I forgot about the Shriners.

Later that day we went to a BBQ--the boys were in heaven because there were SIX older boys there, little chicks (animal variety not the female variety), good food, LOTS of trucks and of course...craziness with fireworks.

And we were able to finish out the 4th watching the city fireworks from our house. Our neighbor up the hill behind us put on quite the firework show himself--seriously BIG fireworks right above us. We'll have to invite people over next year for a little shin-dig or something! Just hope it isn't so windy next time...we all welcomed our heavy coats by the time the big fireworks started because we were freezing! I think that is a first for me!

Overall, a very fun long weekend...just wish I had some better pictures of the boys in their red,white and blue and of any fireworks!

W holding a "tank" firework: