Monthly Archives: March 2014

Mathew gets his computer

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Mathew and his new computerThe day finally came; we broke down and gave Mathew his very own computer.  This was not a sudden move, Mike and I have debated this issue for the last four years. Yes, four years! Prior to this moment, it never really seemed necessary for Mathew to have his own computer. If he needed to go on a computer, he could use the IPad or mine. Besides, it was easier to monitor his time, which was very limited for a good reason. It is extremely difficult for Mathew to self-regulating his time on the computer. Honestly, technology is a mind suck for most people, including me.

So why did we have the sudden change of heart? Actually, it was a no brainer, this year Mathew is doing a research paper for school. Sure, he could hand write the paper in cursive, but that would make the process unnecessarily painful and much longer. The timing seemed perfect, therefore, for Mathew’s 10th birthday he received his laptop that has been sitting in a box for the last four years. Yes, four years – hey, it still works.

Although, Mathew knows that he does not have free reign over his computer, he is now testing every boundary possible. Therefore, if Mike or I say no, it seems perfectly reasonable for Mathew to ask the other person, just in case they weren’t listening or forgot what was decided. All kidding aside, Mathew attempts to be reasonable with his computer and so far has not sneaked onto it, yet. I am sure that door won’t stay closed forever, but I hope it will for a little bit longer though.

It has been an interesting process watching Mathew customize his computer and explore its limits. It actually took three weeks for him to lock himself out of the computer, a bit longer than I would have guessed. Thank goodness, Mike is good with computers and was able to unlock it. It also taught us to have the master control over the computer, thus Mathew now has secondary control. It is and will be an incredible learning experience for all of us. Mathew has this wonderful ability to approach new situations with wild abandonment. He has a passion for figuring out how things work and flow. It is amazing to watch him explore his computer. He is investigating its abilities and inner workings.

The first project Mathew used his computer for was the outline for his research paper, which was very extensive and detailed. It ended up being five typed pages. It was fascinating to observe him create the outline. Now, if you have ever created an outline on the computer, I am sure you can imagine how frustrating the process was for Mathew. The computer kept trying to organize and format the information into the outline while he was inputting the information. Most of the time, it was wrong and very frustrating. It kept creating new tabs and trying to control where the next line would start. What I found amazing was that Mathew was able to figure out several ways to correct or approach the outline to reformat it. He was really exploring the functions. Even though, I suggested that once he gets the information typed, we could then help him format the entire outline all at once. Oh no, that was not the way he wanted to do it, so he kept trying and exploring. It was wonderful to see him work through his frustration and continue forward.

We are exploring this new territory with Mathew. Funny, but I actually feel good about it. The research paper was the perfect catalyst. At what age or situation do you think is an appropriate time for a child to have their own computer? Please share and I will continue to share.

 

 

What to eat when Mike is out of town

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Last May, the day after his 50th birthday, Mike decided to eat vegetarian. Perhaps I should say pescatarian, as he still eats seafood, at least for now.  As he circles the sun each year, he continues to incorporate more and more healthy lifestyle choices through exercise and nutrition. It seems to be working, as he looks great and younger each year. Eliminating animal protein was an interesting move. For the simple reason that when I met Mike, I ate a mostly vegetarian diet at home but indulged in whatever struck my fancy while dinning out. Over the past 14 years, Mike’s cravings for animal protein crept into our home until we were eating meat up to 3 times a week, well, at least until last May. When I think about this development, I realized that I am a very wishy-washy eater. I eat or at least try just about anything as long as the animal was raised in a healthy and ethical manner (I try my best to stay away from overly processed and factory farmed meats), especially if it is cooked by someone other than myself.  Nonetheless, I do enjoy trying new and interesting things.

Mike changed jobs recently and, as a result, is traveling quite a bit over the next couple of months. Since it will be just Mathew and myself sharing meals, I asked Mathew what he would like to eat for dinner and mentioned that we can have animal protein or whatever. Although Mathew is a very picky or shall I say limited eater, he does enjoy more vegetarian meals than ones made with animal protein. At least that was my perception until our recent conversation. Well, he started rattling off items that we haven’t had since last May. I was rather shocked, as I had no idea he missed all the chicken and meat we used to eat at dinnertime.

So for our first meal sans Mike, we had Crispy but Not Fried Chicken, this is one of Mathew’s favorite chicken dishes. I adapted it a little from a Rebecca Wood recipe. It has a very tasty and crispy coating besides being incredibly easy – so it’s one of my favorites too. During the meal, Mathew asked if I could use the coating to make chicken fingers. I bet it would work out great and plan to make it next time Mike is out of town.

YUM!

YUM!

Crispy But Not Fried Chicken

Assorted pastured organic chicken parts (we like thighs)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon minced fresh mint

2 teaspoon butter

1 cup oatmeal

1/2 cup whole wheat, barley, spelt or oat flour (I usually combine them all)

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Rinse and pat dry chicken. Remove skin, if desired. Place in a single layer in a shallow dish. Combine the cinnamon, nutmeg and cumin and set 2 teaspoons of this mixture aside. Combine the remaining spice mixture with the lemon juice and mint. Rub into the chicken and marinate, refrigerated, for at least 1 hour or up to 1 day.

Preheat oven to 375 °F. Butter a baking sheet.

Combine the oatmeal, flour, salt, pepper and reserved spices in a plastic bag. Shake to combine. Place chicken pieces, one at a time, into the oatmeal mixture. Shake to coat well (remember Shake ‘n Bake?).

Place the chicken on the baking sheet, leaving space between the pieces. When all the chicken has been coated, put a small pat of butter on top of each piece of chicken. Place chicken in preheated oven. Bake for about 50 minutes or until the chicken is cooked thoroughly and golden brown. Serve hot, at room temperature, or cold.

Enjoy!