The Search for Miss Direction: A Traitor for 'Shrooms

Today is National Eggs Benedict Day. It is also "Day of the Mushroom" Being no lover of eggs, Canadian bacon or mushrooms I've been giving the day a bit of the stink eye while trying to figure out how to 'celebrate' it. Especially the mushrooms. They gross me out. The smell, the texture, the idea of fungus, totally not for me. I figured my kiddos would feel the same way and thought I'd give in to Grant's idea of celebrating by playing Mario Bros. (Lots of mushrooms there!) and skipping a food celebration.

Then I stumbled across a recipe for Mushroom Cookies, also known as Mantar Kurabiye. They are a traditional Turkish cookie that don't actually contain any mushrooms but look an awful lot like them. I figured they'd be a huge hit in Kid Kitchen and it'd give me a pass on the whole mushroom issue. So yesterday, when we were at the grocery store, I was explaining this to Noah and Mikayla.

Noah went postal on me. "But I like mushrooms, Mom!" he insisted. "I had them at school on pizza day. If it is mushroom day we have to have mushrooms!" Seriously? I wasn't buying the fact that he actually liked mushrooms. I mean, what kid likes mushrooms? (Says the mom of the four year old that eats pastrami and clam chowder) But I gave in and bought a container of mushrooms, trying to figure out a way to use them today.

And we were still making those mushroom cookies in Kid Kitchen, they were too cute. No protests there. And I found an overnight Eggs Benedict casserole that I could use my homemade English muffins with, perfect. The thought of a poached egg was just too much for me. I don't think I could have actually stomached watching anybody eat it, so while it wasn't the traditional way to serve Eggs Benedict, it had all the necessary components so I'm counting it.

The mushroom cookies were great fun to make. First off, the dough for the cookies was one of the strangest I have ever made; butter, an egg, powdered sugar, cornstarch, flour, baking powder and vanilla. Oddly enough, the largest component was the cornstarch! The dough came together nicely, we rolled them into balls (because lately no Kid Kitchen experience is complete without this) and then we turned them into mushrooms. By taking the cap of a 2 liter bottle, then dipping it in water and then in cocoa powder, then pressing it into the cookie ball we made a cookie that really does look strangely like a mushroom! You'll have to judge for yourself :)

Believe it or not, both my kids really do like actual mushrooms it turns out. Not only did they both each the stuffed mushrooms, they relished watching me squirm while they did so.

After dinner we all took Bella for a quick walk around the neighborhood and checked out some of the sure signs of spring in the area. We saw some crocus budding and the daffodils in my front yard are starting to bloom. While the day was cloudy and overcast this morning and is a bit again now, we had 4-5 hours of beautiful sunshine again this afternoon. I love being able to send the kiddos out on the back porch to play while I'm getting dinner ready. Aunt Sarah, your bug catching equipment is being used on a very regular basis lately. I think he said he caught a worm this afternoon...

They are playing Mario right now in case you were wondering ;-) Cheeseball tomorrow. Until then...