The Mama Dramalogues

"Sorry We're Full" Happy Thanksgiving!!

2011-11-23T07:23:00.001-08:00

Since most of us will be spending time with family and turkey tomorrow, I thought I would post a fun Thanksgiving sketch today to help set the mood. Hope you all have a wonderful holiday weekend and don't forget to save room for pie!

PS- I'm "salad" in case you didn't catch it. ;o)

Free-me Music

2011-11-07T07:00:00.000-08:00

Since I've discovered a TON of great free music on Amazon, I have been addicted to finding and snagging some new tunes to add to my iPod. I literally spend hours scouring the latest new artists to find that diamond in the rough. I realize that musical taste is completely subjective, but you might find something you like in this list of songs or peruse online to find someone else who inspires you. All I know is, these artists are worth a listen and what a great way to be ahead of the musical curve. Just think, when your friends say, "Omigosh, you have to listen to this great new artist!!" you can say, "Oh yeah, I've had them on my iPod for months. They're pretty good." :o)

Happy Monday!!

Ludicrous by Frankmusik (download if you like Enrique Iglesias)
Halfway by The Silent Game (if you like Garbage and/or Radiohead)
Vessel by Zola Jesus (if you like Florence and the Machine and/or Massive Attack)
Long Walk Back by The Rifles (if you like an updated Beatles)
Tangled Up In Love by The Rifles (if you like Jimmy Eat World ala Lucky Denver Mint)
Keep You by Class Actress (if you like synth-pop)
Fascinated by Ivy (if you like 80's new wave, alt-pop)
Still Alive by Three Mile Pilot (if you like moody with a beat)
Old Black by Earth (if you like Pink Floyd)
Why Even Try (Feat. Sara Quin) by Theophilus London (80's hip hop, easy groove)
Amor Fati by Washed Out (if you like Erasure or Thompson Twins, 80's synth pop)
Little War by K Serå (if you like a ballad style Fall Out Boy)
Cassie (Won't You Be My Doll) by Part Time (if you like 80's pop, Bananarama)
Next To Me by Civil Twilight (if you like Coldplay or U2)
God's Not Dead (Like A Lion) by Newsboys (if you like Jars of Clay)

Enjoy!!

Oh Make Me Over, Mama

2011-10-21T16:50:00.000-07:00

My friend Kendra is a make-up artist, and a darn good one at that. She's worked on numerous photo shoots and has even worked on some Nike shoots. She was kind enough to create a tutorial on creating a super easy smoky eye look. So, for you mamas looking for some tips, here's a how-to just for you.

Have a great weekend!

And the Worst Book Award Goes To...

2011-10-10T06:00:00.000-07:00

Have you seen this?!

A new rhyming picture book geared towards young children is due out in October entitled Maggie Goes on a Diet by Paul Kramer. 'It's the story of a 14-year-old girl who's "not only clumsy... [but] also quite fat" and who, after going on a diet to "reduce her stomach, as well as her big behind," becomes more popular and a soccer star.' (Excerpt from People Magazine)

The author said he wrote the book to help educate children on the benefits of a healthy lifestyle after his own struggles as a child. He said, "I'm not suggesting children go on a diet; I'm advocating for them that they know the positive implications of eating healthier and living a healthy lifestyle. I'm trying to boost their self-image.... It's an adorable book."

Can I just say, "Wow!" The cover art alone is offensive to me and just knowing that it's about a "clumsy fat girl" who loses weight and becomes a "popular soccer star" is even more offensive. Really? This is how you choose to educate my child on being healthy? By feeding into the media hype that thin is what makes us happy and fulfilled? That to be good at something and more popular, you need to be skinny? I don't think "adorable" is the best description for your book. Also, this book's reading level is aimed at four to eight year-olds, according to Amazon.

While I think that childhood obesity is a growing problem and should be addressed, this is not a healthy positive way of doing that. Kramer would have been better off writing a book about how eating an apple instead of a cookie gives little Suzie more energy to play longer outside. Or that by going to bed on time, Tommy doesn't feel sleepy in science class. Methinks Kramer needs to tune into Sesame Street who tends to be very good at showing the positive influence of a healthy lifestyle.

I'm not sure which is worse, the fact that this book even exists or that a middle-aged man is preaching to young children about living a healthy/skinny lifestyle; when he might as well call himself "pot" because all those little kettles might notice the hypocrisy.

So disappointed in Aloha Publishers for even publishing this and shame on you Paul Kramer for not finding a more constructive way to relay your message. Which, while a valid one, you've completely missed the mark. With all the kids, especially girls, being inundated with the media's ideal of beauty, a book on acceptance and loving who you are, while working towards personal goals, would have been more appropriate.

If You Give a Mom a Task

2011-10-05T06:00:00.000-07:00

Inspired by Marisa's comment to a previous post, I felt the need to write this in the form of If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.

If you give a mom a task, like doing the laundry,
She'll start to sort the colors into lights and darks,
Then she'll find a lost toy hiding in the bottom of the hamper.
She will then take the toy to put it in its proper place.

On the way, she'll trip over a wayward shoe.
She'll pick up the shoe and proceed to the closet,
Where all of the clothes have mysteriously leapt off their hangers.
She'll hang up each shirt one by one, smelling them to make sure they're clean.

Then she'll take the dirty ones and sort them with the other "to do" laundry.
After which, she'll head to the laundry room and find last weeks' laundry still in the washer and dryer.
She'll sigh and restart the washer load while emptying the dryer load into a basket.
The basket will make it halfway up to the rooms when the phone will ring.

"What are our weekend plans?" her dear husband will ask.
"Let me check the calendar" she'll say, at which time she'll note the bake sale tomorrow.
She'll hang up the phone and pull out the ingredients for cookies;
Noting that all of the cooking utensils are in the sink from last night's dinner.

She'll then do the dishes and start the dish washer before hearing the bus outside.
She'll quickly throw on a pair of snow boots (though it's July) and dash outside in her lounge pant ensemble.
She'll find out how her child's day was and prepare a snack for them.
They'll chat about the school day activities before settling in to do homework together.

She'll then note the basket of laundry that needs to be folded and take it upstairs.
Before it can get folded and sorted, she'll realize that it's time to get dinner ready and head back downstairs.
While dinner is cooking, she'll empty the dishwasher.

As she sets the table, her dear husband will walk in the front door.
He'll give her a kiss and ask her, "How was your day? What did you do?"
She'll ponder this for a moment before responding with, "Um, laundry?"
Yes, it is a question, due to the fact that since having a family, her memory has gone the way of the dodo.

Once the dishes are cleared, the kitchen cleaned and the kids bathed and put to bed, the lonely basket of laundry will sit on her pillow top mattress, at which time she will get it done just so she can go to bed.

So, if you give a mom a task, it may not get done in a timely manner, but damn it, it will get done.

Being One with the Trees

2011-01-09T18:33:00.000-08:00

That's my theory. My son has decided to be one with the trees. At least that would explain his...odd...behavior.

It all started with his pockets. About a month ago Lil Buddy picked up a fascination with stuffing things in his pocket. Most days, his pockets were filled with toys...his favorite race car of the day, his little plastic frogs, my old cellphone. And then he came home from school one day and pulled something out..."Look, Mommy, STICK!" Why, yes, it was a stick. To be accurate, it was a large piece of wood chip from the playground that sort of qualified as a mini stick. I congratulated him on his find and thought nothing of it until bath time when I reached in to clean out his pockets and, what ho...there was a whole pocket of wood chips. Turns out he's been hoarding wood chips in his pockets and stowing them in his cubby at school...bringing some home...and even having some of them even end up in the laundry (I guess I haven't been checking all the pockets.) One night, he insisted on bringing one of his "sticks" to bed. In case you wondered, I snuck in his room after he was asleep and threw it out.

It doesn't end with wood chips. Oh no. This past weekend we went to the Houston Zoo (for the second weekend in a row, might I add) and somewhere around the zebras, he stoped dead in his tracks..."Mommy, a LEAF". Yep, it sure was. "I throw in the trash?" Well, sure OK, why not. Another three feet "Mommy, LEAF. I throw away." The thing about the Houston Zoo...it's very well kept and there are trash cans about every 15-20 feet, so I just pointed him to the next trash can along the way and so it went...until we stopped at a place where there was a pretty big collection of fallen leaves. We...were looking at the animals...he...was doing this...

over and over and over. Seriously...it's winter and all of the trees are leafless...he literally could have spent the entire day in that spot picking up leaves and tossing them in the trash. It took the promise of seeing the monkeys and going on the carousel to get him to give up throwing away leaves.

I was sure we were past the leaf fascination by the time we got around to the giraffes and we were...but then..."Mommy....a STICK!" A brand new African Forest exhibit was apparently no match for the cool new stick he found...and carried for the rest of the trip through the zoo..

What do you do when you have a cool new stick and you're standing next to a brand new exhibit that looks like a cave?

You stick it in every fake rock crevice you can try to shove it into.

His birthday is coming up and I think maybe, instead of a few new cars to shove in his pocket, maybe I'll buy a nice big ficus for his room and he can sit around and commune with it all day long...and maybe throw away the leaves when they fall off.

Planning for the Big Five

2010-12-28T06:49:00.000-08:00

Christmas done? CHECK. Oh but, wait, that means birthdays are next on the "to do" list. Sigh. No rest for the weary.

As much as I like to pat myself on the back for my efficiency of having both kids in the same month, two years apart (because you know, I planned that...yeeeaaaaahhh), it so happens their birthdays are on the heels of Christmas. Sure, it's two more months before it's February, but January is practically here and we all know how time flies. This year, SweetPea turns five. The Big Five. Half a decade. No longer an infant, no longer a toddler, not even a preschooler anymore. Nope, she's a full blown kindergartener now who has a classroom full of friends. Add to that the fact that she just recently went to her first "school friend" birthday party, where a good half of her class was there to celebrate. Don't think it was lost on her either. As we drove away from the party, she asked "Momma, can I have a Princess birthday party like Hannah?" followed by "Can all of my friends come too?" Dun, dun, DUNNNNNNNNNN.

Here's the deal...counting SweetPea, there are 12 kids in her kindergarten class. The unwritten school rule is if you invite one kid, you are expected to invite them all, so no one feels left out. They are a nice enough bunch, but together they can be, well, a little unruly. Having attended Hannah's party, which her parents were brave enough to do at their house, I saw the mayhem...and the mess. Thought #1: the birthday party must be somewhere other than my house, which leads to Question #1: where should we have the party? The options are somewhat limited. I don't want anything too expensive, but I also want a place where our party will have room of it's own (translation: we don't want to get stuck at Chuck E Cheese next to 3 other birthday parties. Who needs to add to the mayhem?) At this point, we are probably looking at Pump It Up, where we'd get a private room filled with bouncy houses. The kids can burn off their energy and they will be in a place where it's next to impossible to break anything. Bonus: I don't have to clean up. The only downside...it ain't cheap. Sigh again.

The party site aside, SweetPea had another request...

"Momma, can we put up the Christmas tree for my birthday? That way we can put my presents under the tree."

Hmm...pull out the tree all over again in two months and put it back up? Think, Mom...think fast...

"How about I make you a Birthday Tree? It will be smaller, but then you can have a special tree for your day."

Like how I pulled that one out of my a...out of thin air? I'd gotten the idea from a Michael's craft tutorial sent to my e-mail during Christmas. It'a small tabletop ribbon Christmas tree that looks like this..

I figure I can use festive ribbon, maybe with cupcakes on them, to make it more Birthday-y. Go ahead...say it...I'm a genius. Alright, well, I can think on my toes anyway. The nice thing is, I can stow it away pretty easily and we can use the Birthday Tree over and over. Yay!

So it's T-minus two months (give or take) to SweetPea's big day. Anyone have any other fun party ideas? Any ideas on how to survive a birthday chock full of 4 1/2-5 year olds?

'Twas the Night Before Christmas.... Yet Again

2010-12-20T12:13:00.000-08:00

I wrote this post for Christmas last year, but some things just bear repeating. Besides, it's plain fun. :o) I hope you all have a very merry Christmas and a fabulous New Year!!

Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house
Every creature was stirring, except for my spouse
Who'd fallen asleep by the warm cozy fire
Leaving me with the kids who never seemed to tire.

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care
With repeats of "Don't touch that, just leave them there"
The kids run this way and that, trying to flee
And nearly knock over the festooned Christmas tree.

Exhausted from chasing, I flop down in a chair
And remind the children that Santa soon will be there;
That they shouldn't be up, he might be sad or perhaps miffed
And that coal was a perfectly acceptable gift.

They stop in their tracks, eyes open wide
Then hightail it upstairs, trying not to collide
They leap into bed with their covers pulled tight
And I give them a hug and a quick kiss goodnight.

Finally the children are nestled all snug in their beds
While visions of Barbie dolls dance in their heads
With me in my lounge pants and hubby with his tea
We revel in this quiet holiday moment, kid free.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter
We draw straws to see who will check on the matter
I giggle softly, hubby drew the short stick,
And jest he'd better check to see if it's St. Nick.

As he bundles up, dons his boots and his jacket
I gather up gifts while he checks on the racket
I place each one beneath the big Christmas tree
And notice a gift I didn't put there, just for me.

The wrapping is perfect and topped with a bow
Suddenly hubby bursts in, all covered with snow
He's speechless as he shakes the ice from his boots
We reach for each other when we hear sounds on the roof.

"What was that?" I ask, almost afraid to hear,
"Don't tell me you saw a sleigh and eight reindeer?"
He's not sure what he saw but knew it would be tragic
If this one Christmas night we didn't believe in the magic.

No longer afraid, we snuggle close to overhear
And each of us a feel a bit more Christmas cheer
The sounds overhead become softer and more faint
Perhaps tonight we were visited by a certain saint.

Now giddy as children, I feel obliged to recite
"A Happy Christmas to all and to all a good-night!"

Make it: Snowflake Princess Tiara

2010-12-15T05:36:00.000-08:00

For us, this was a 15 minute craft project that my three year old and I worked on while we were waiting for lunch to finish cooking... but it would easily be turned into a fancier project for older kids with careful cutting and a little more time invested.

Materials:

card stock (ours is blue and white)
glue
stapler (or tape)
glitter!

Step One: Cut out paper snowflake

Now I assume that everyone knows how to make one of these - fold paper, cut out patterns, open, and VOILA! Snowflake.

But have you SEEN the snowflakes over on Cathe Holden's amazing blog Just Something I Made? Seriously, I would love to see a snowflake tiara made with one of these!

If you need a simple snowflake-making tutorial, just click here!

I like how my snowflake reminded me of Batman. Does anyone else see that, or am I just delusional?

Step Two: Glue Snowflake to Colored Card stock

I had to do this step to reinforce the snowflake because my kiddo is only three and I knew that the snowflake would be ripped to shreds in seconds if I didn't reinforce it.

First, cut your snowflake in half. You'll only need one half per tiara.

This is also when I cut two strips of card stock and stapled them together, sizing them into a loop that fit my daughter's head.

Step Three: GLITTER!

Glitter is magic, as far as I'm concerned. My 3 year old agrees, so of course this project needed glitter.

Because we were working quickly, trying to get this project done before lunch was finished, I did the glue painting and Annelie did the glittering. If you have more time and a lot of patience, just let your kiddo do it all! 'Tis the season for mass quantities of glitter, so go nuts!

Step Four: Put it all Together

If you don't have a stapler, you can tape or glue it all together.

Step Five: SMILE FOR THE CAMERA!

This was the easiest step - Annelie was quite happy to be a smiling Snowflake Princess!

Enjoy!

xoxo,

Move Your Clip - a Discipline Plan that Works!

2010-12-08T05:53:00.000-08:00

I've done a few posts here at The Mama Dramalogues, in which I've shared my frustration when it comes to disciplining my two girls. Gracie and Annelie are 5 and 3, and are very good little girls... but are also very high energy little trouble makers who spend quite a fair amount of time fighting with each other and all around driving me to morph from a calm, rational woman to a maniacal screaming lunatic.

Obviously that wasn't working for me, but despite reading self-help books and trying all sorts of things from the naughty corner time-out to taking privileges away (already I watch the red food dye intake and monitor sugars and items with high-fructose corn syrup and such) I just wasn't finding a solution that worked for us.

Until now. I actually got this idea from Gracie's kindergarten teacher. I'm not sure how her teacher's system works completely, but when Gracie steps off the school bus crying that she "moved her clip" I know that she got in trouble in class, and that she is very unhappy about that.

Using the idea of moving a clip to show punishment, I made up a little chart out of index cards (the picture above - 1 pink index card, 1 yellow, and 1 blue - the above picture is missing one blue rectangle. Our chart has 8 rectangles) and though my illustrations aren't amazing, they are a good reminder for my non-reading 3-year-old of what she can lose by being naughty.

How it works -

Each kid has a large paper clip in which I strung on one colored bead to represent them.

Every day starts fresh, and when they do things that they know they are not supposed to be doing (ie fighting, hitting, biting, wrecking each others stuff, wrecking my stuff, not listening, torturing the pets, et cetera, et cetera...) they physically move their clip from one box to the next.

There are two warning spots (blue rectangles) but when it is daytime and they move out of the blue, they begin to lose their pink privileges - their three most favorite things: TV time, dress up and art.

Once the evening hits, we move into the yellow, so even if they haven't lost TV or dress up, they could still lose their after-dinner dessert or bed time story. Or the worst for them - automatic early bedtime.

THEY CAN EARN THEIR PRIVILEGES BACK - this is probably the best part, because I find that when they are given the ability to redeem themselves, they WANT to do it. My girls are young, and sometimes when they are upset or angry, their behavior can spiral out of control and they might end up losing more than one of their privileges in a short amount of time.

If they lose a privilege they want to earn back I give them a job that I feel is worth it (ie washing the floor, folding laundry - usually a job to help me around the house) and for each job, they get to move their clip back one space. They usually like to do enough to keep them in the blue.

If it is still daytime, and they are at the end of the pink, it is an automatic "nap time." This one is actually for my benefit, because if they've done 5 naughty things before 4:30 pm, I usually need a mental break as my kids don't generally nap (haven't napped for at least 2-3 years). After that, they can either sit in their rooms all day, or do jobs to earn their privileges back.

We've been doing this for about 3 weeks now, and honestly, it is amazing. The index cards are small, and fold easily into the size of one card, which I can stick in my purse and take with me. Other than that, it goes on the fridge, where they can easily reach it.

I have Gracie and Annelie move their own clips so they can be 100% aware of where their clip is, and what they have lost/what they will lose if their behavior doesn't change.

Honestly, I think it is having something concrete to see and remind them of their behavior that works the most. My kids need visuals - time-outs and losing privileges did not mean much when they were just listening to my exasperated threats. And having the ability to redeem themselves makes the idea of being in trouble less scary because they can have more control over what they lose and when they can get it back.

As always, I'm a curious mama... what works for you in your home? And if nothing does... try giving this a try!

xoxo,

Momma, is it Christmas yet?

2010-12-06T19:22:00.000-08:00

Go ahead, ask me. Ask me how many times since the Christmas tree went up that I've heard that question. So many times, that I went out this weekend and bought this...

Here's how we play this game. See the snowman? SweetPea gets to move him forward every day.

The end game, of course, is for Mr Foam Snowman to land here...

Oh sure, I could sit here, stroke my ego and pretend I'm one of those awesome parents who helps her kid learn the days of the week and the months of the year, not to mention counting, but really, it's more like payback for being asked the same question over and over...

SweetPea: "Momma, is it Christmas yet?"

Me: "Look at your calendar. Where is the snowman today?"

SweetPea: (pondering) "December... 6"

Me: "And where is Christmas?"

SweetPea: (points to the Christmas tree) "Here"

Me: "How many boxes does the snowman have to land on before he gets to the tree?"

SweetPea: (counting out loud): "Nineteen?"

Me: "That means there are 19 more days until Christmas"

SweetPea: "................................Aw"

Hey, if you want to know, you're going to have to work for it, baby!

The Queen of Everything

2010-12-06T08:57:00.000-08:00

'Tis the season... for family road trips, and the very thought of being cooped up in a car with my kids for any stint longer than 2 hours, makes me cringe. At three and six, they aren't quite the ideal travelers yet. But, like I said, 'tis the season, and it was time to buck up, pack the car and head to my in-laws for Thanksgiving. A twelve hour drive, by the way.

We woke the kids at 5 am, paired rain boots with their jammies, brought their blankets and hoped that they might go right back to sleep once we were on the road. Alas, it wasn't meant to be. A mere half hour into the trip, Peri started whining, "Mommmeeeeeee, My bum hurts, I need candy to make it feel better. I want to go to Grandma's house, why aren't we there yet? I can only sleep at Grandma's house, not the car." And so began the loooooooong ride ahead of us.

Being the super together mom that I am, I prepared the kids' backpacks with fun things for the trip (a first for me, I'm not normally thoughtful like that). I packed each bag with coloring books, crayons, books to read, a couple of small stuffed animals and a small goodie bag. When the kids got tired of watching dvds, and to ward off any continual whining, I pulled out the backpacks. This only led to, "Mommmeeeee, She won't share her books! I want the Alice coloring book! Mommmeeeeeee, my care bear fell on the floor, get it!!"

Halfway into the trip, I was so fed up with the constant whining of "Mommmmeeeeee" that I decided right then and there to change my name. I whipped around in my seat, stared the girls down and said, "Mommy is no longer my name. You cannot call me Mommy anymore. From now on, you can call me Queen of Everything. I won't answer you if you call me anything else."

They both sat there, stunned, until Ryah started:
"Mommy-"
"Nope, that's not my name."
"But Mommmeeeee-"
"Ryah, you can't call me that."
"Hmph, uh, queen, um, hmph... Daddy..."
Hey, whatever works right? ;o)

Peri got the hang of it and called me Queen of Everything for the rest of the trip. Somtimes, she'll still call me that and it just makes me smile.

So after becoming the Queen of Everything and spending a full day in the car with my kids, I've decided that the next car I buy will be a limo. Yup and I'm going to keep the soundproof barrier up 90% of the time. A mom can dream right?

How We Made Holiday Pretzel Candies

2010-11-30T20:36:00.000-08:00

Never, never will you find a holiday baking project easier than this. So easy, in fact, that a preschooler and a kindergartner (for the most part) did them all by themselves. Of course, I was the one to work the oven (I'm not that insane), but the rest was all them. Oh sure, I hung around to make sure no one pirated too many M&M's.

I got the idea to make these from my next door neighbor. For two Christmases in a row, she's given us some of these along with a plate full of other yummy baked goodies. This year, I begged her to send me the recipe and VOILA, there it was in my e-mail yesterday. So...what do you need to get started?

1 bag of lattice square pretzels (Snyders are my favorite)

1 bag of plain Christmas colored M&Ms

1 bag of Hershey's Kisses (the original recipe calls for Hershey's Hugs, but I decided to go with the Candy Cane Kisses. They are minty good and look so festive)

That's it. Period. Next, pre-heat your over to 175 degrees. Line a couple of cookie sheets with foil, then lay out your pretzels...

Once the pretzels are all lined up, unwrap your Kisses (you'll end up with a small mountain of foil wrappers!) and put them on top of the pretzels....

All that's left after that is to pop them in the oven for about 4-5 minutes. The type of Kiss you use will determine how long you'll have to leave them in. The milk chocolate ones melt slower than the white chocolate ones. It's best go on the low end of the time and then test one of the chocolates out by pressing an M&M into it when you think it's done. If it's melted enough, it will press flat. Once soft enough, press M&Ms into your candy covered pretzels, then put them in the refrigerator to cool for 30-45 minutes.

Then...they are ready to enjoy! Have some fun with your little ones and try this out.

Gobble Gobble

2010-11-24T06:21:00.000-08:00

My husband, girls and I are packing our bags and heading over the river and through the woods - to Grandmother's house we go! We haven't seen my family since summer, so being able to visit with them for a couple of days is definitely something to be thankful for!

For all of you who celebrate Thanksgiving with your families, have a wonderful one!

xoxo,

An In on the Naughty or Nice List

2010-11-22T19:26:00.000-08:00

Ever wonder how Santa comes up with his Naughty or Nice list? Turns out he's enlisted SweetPea's help. Who knew? The other day she whipped out a piece of paper, drew a line down the middle and started writing names. When she was finished, I asked her what she was doing and she told me she was helping Santa out. She pointed to the left side of the paper and said "this is the nice list". Hmm. I was, of course, was happy to see that I topped the nice list, but...well...it seems the only one to hit the naughty list was her baby brother.

"Sweetie", I asked, "isn't your brother nice?"

She shook her head. "He's naughty sometimes."

"Yes, but he's nice more than he's naughty, don't you think?"

What can I say, I pleaded his case...and lost. Sorry, Bud, I put in a good word for you.

That wasn't the end of it though. This past Friday when I emptied her locker, there, on a piece of red construction paper was another list. This one was a little longer and had the names of a handful of her kindergarten classmates. This list was pretty much 50/50 naughty to nice. Some of the names on the "naughty" side were kids I knew were her friends.

"SweetPea, isn't Catherine your friend?"

"Yes", she answered "but today she was being bossy at me so she's on the naughty list."

Turns out the "nice" list is really the "people who are nice to SweetPea" list. And now you know. If you have any hopes of being on the "nice" side once Christmas rolls around, you better be sure you've been nice to SweetPea. FYI, she can be bribed with pink milk and Madeline cookies from Starbucks. You still have time!

The Spanish Inquisition

2010-11-15T09:09:00.000-08:00

"No one expects the
Spanish Inquisition!"

Tee hee, just had to throw that one in there. :o)
"How do you say 'thank you' in French? What is 'you're welcome' in German? How do you say 'happy' in Spanish?" My 6-year-old is very curious about other languages and loves to learn new words. "Wow, mom, 'hellifino' means three different things. Amazing!" Let's just say, it's a good thing I'm not teaching her.

Learning a new language was never my forte'. I took a class in 9th grade and then French in 10th, but I ended up dropping the French class after two weeks. Mostly because half the class was repeating it from flunking the previous term and frankly, the teacher scared me.

I love that Peri wants to learn new languages, and being so young, it'll be easier for her to pick them up. Spanish seems to be the most interesting to her. She has a couple of friends in her class, that wait at the bus stop with her, who come from a bilingual household. Every morning, the two girls wait at the bus stop with their mom/aunt, grandfather and their dog, Cosita. As soon as Peri learned the dogs' name, she couldn't stop saying it. She loves the way it sounds. Whenever she sees the girls she always exclaims, "Hola! Hola, girls! Hola means hello in Spanish."

The other day, we were all waiting at the bus stop and Peri was petting Cosita and repeating her name over and over. Then she stopped, looked at Jasmine's mom and said, "Does Cosita bark in Spanish?" We all laughed and I just thought it was so cute. I guess you never know. After all, Cosita understands Spanish, so I guess she could bark in Spanish.

In any case, as soon as a class is offered, I think I'll enroll Peri. Perhaps she can teach me a new language. I mean, if a dog can understand Spanish, there's hope for me yet.

A Trip to the Library

2010-11-12T15:52:00.001-08:00

After a week of being sick, the boys and I were anxious to get out of the house and back to our regular life. Being sick stinks ... but I suppose I don't have to tell any of you that, do I?

Mike is working a lot lately. He's picked up a second seasonal job to help out with Christmas and then has a third job plowing snow. He's a busy man and we love him for how hard he works to support his family. But without him sometimes I'm lost as a parent. There's no one there to back me up or to lend a hand. And being cooped up inside the house makes the boys stir crazy so that they act out more than usual, especially since daddy isn't here to discipline them (because we all know that this mommy is a pushover). So in an effort to make the days a bit brighter around these parts I've been wracking my creative brain for small activities and adventures for the boys and I to go on.

With a school library, Scholastic book order forms coming home in Brayden's book bag every month, and an outpouring of older hand me down books for the boys from my little brothers, we are not often without a book at our fingertips in this house. I suppose that's probably why it never crossed my mind until Saturday to take the boys to our public library.

At the end of the day Gage decided on checking out a big fat book full of Thomas the Tank Engine stories (after he thoroughly looked and each and every Thomas book the library had) and Brayden choose, one of my favorites, Where the Sidewalk Ends. All and all it was a good day at the library.

The Very Best Medicine

2010-11-10T15:02:00.000-08:00

Today has been one of those days - a tired, cranky, bogged down with allergies kind of no good, very, bad day. It's hard to enjoy life when you just want to dope yourself up with Benedryl, pull the covers over your head, and sleep for days, isn't it?

But then my three year old came over to me and said, "Here, Mom. I made you a bookmark. It's a picture of me."

Naturally, I ooohed and ahhhhed over how awesome it is and immediately stuck it in my book...

And she gave me the biggest, proud-of-her-self-ist smile and said, "If you don't remember who I am, you can just look at this picture."

The saying is oh-so-very true: Laughter is the best medicine.

But only second the the world's cutest kids, and their world-class self portraits.

Happy Wednesday, folks!

xoxo,

The Day I've Been Waiting For All My Life...

2010-11-03T06:38:00.000-07:00

Due to my crazy-busy life this week, I'm cross-posting from my personal blog!

The day I've been waiting for all my life has finally arrived! I have a live-in maid!

Usually 3-year-old Annelie enjoys helping me with the vacuuming by ripping up garbage and dropping it in front of the vacuum for me to suck up, while pointing and announcing, "There's one. Don't forget to vacuum that one."

But today, my life got a little bit sweeter...

Look! My maid even cleans the [cringe] really dusty under cabinet places!

Though she does sometimes get distracted...

By sucking up her shirt.

And colorful bits of junk mail.

But she vacuumed three rooms today, and had the biggest smile the entire time!

[lounges on couch eating bon-bons]

Hurray for live-in maids!

xoxo,

A Kindergartener's take on skeletons, ghosts and getting dead

2010-11-02T09:40:00.000-07:00

Maybe it was because of Halloween. Maybe it's because I let the kids watch too many episodes of Scooby Doo. Whatever it was, something has gotten SweetPea to think about dead things. I'm sure I've mentioned more than once that I've been dancing around the subject, which is really hard, especially since there's no way to talk about my Dad without talking about the fact that he's gone. I don't know why, but I feel like at four and a half, there are better things for her to be worrying about than dying. And then I learned, whether or not we're talking about it, she's still thinking about it...but not in the way I imagined...

SweetPea: "Mommy, I'm getting bigger, you know"

Me: "You are getting so big!"

SweetPea: "I'm going to keep getting bigger until I'm as big as you. Then I'll get bigger until I'm old. Then I'll get dead and then I can be a skeleton."

Me: "You want to be a skeleton?"

SweetPea: "YES and you can get old and get dead and you can be a ghost."

OK, well I'm glad we cleared that up...and that she has a master plan for both of us. She was very matter of fact, if not, a little excited about the prospect of being a skeleton.

But it gets better. Yesterday, on the way home from school, the kids were (suprise, surprise) watching "What's New Scooby Doo" on the portable DVD player and we had this fun conversation...

SweetPea: "Why do they lock those bad guys up?"

Me: "Because they were naughty and fibbed about being monsters to scare people away. They're locked up so they can't get away."

SweetPea: "Will they bring them to jail?"

Me: "Yes, sweetie, that's where they bring people who do bad things."

SweetPea: "Then they will lock them up in jail and they will have to stay there until they get dead, right?"

Me: "Sweetie, no, not everyone stays in jail until they die."

SweetPea (concerned): "But I'm good, right?"

Me: "Yes, sweetie, you're very good. No one will put you in jail."

Who knows where that one came from. I can only guess I have one of her classmates to thank for planting that idea. For the most part, she doesn't seem overly afraid of the idea of things "getting dead", which I guess is a good thing. Of course, I'd rather that she wasn't thinking about it at all, but hey, what are you going to do? At least she hasn't started asking me sex related questions!

Now that Halloween is over, maybe she'll stop thinking about ghosts, skeletons and getting dead. Then again, the other day we were talking about Thanksgiving and she said to me "Mommy, the turkey we eat at Thanksgiving isn't really a turkey animal, right?" Oh boy...

Remembering Me and You Too

2010-11-01T10:27:00.000-07:00

As the smoke machine fog begins to dissipate and the jack-o-lantern smiles start to wane as they slowly turn into pies, there is a collective sigh of relief and a somewhat anti-climatic feeling. It's over, we survived... and we'll do it all again next year.

When I think of all the preparation that goes into holidays in general, it's a little overwhelming. And during this time of year, as soon as you've finished one, it's immediately on to the next. Which is why I think it's especially important to celebrate... YOU! Remember you? I say it's high time for some me time because it's going to be in short supply for the next couple of months.

In attempting to plan my weekly girls night out, I've heard a lot of reasons why some of my girlfriends couldn't make it. I'm guessing that a lot of you have the same reasons and while they may be completely legit, I'm telling you, YOU are more important than that last batch of laundry and the cleaning can wait until tomorrow. And really, how will little Timmy ever learn to manage his time if you're finishing his science project? Don't deprive him of a valuable life lesson. He earned that C, let him own it.

Perhaps you're just downright tired, and I hear ya there! I also know that when I have a night out to look forward to, it doesn't matter what else is going on, I can't wait to go have some me time! It's like dessert, there's always room.

So, now that you know you are more important and deserve some time with your friends, I thought I'd give some tips for some of the other common reasons you might be missing out.

"Sorry, I'm broke!"
Broke schmoke, who said you even had to leave the house? Put the kiddos to bed and invite the ladies over. Keep in mind that the idea isn't to throw some rockin' party, but to enjoy the company of friends.

Potluck and a movie - pizza, snacks, drinks, popcorn and even the movie. Make a list and let your friends pick what they'd like to bring. Or theme the food around the movie. Watch Avatar and eat nothing but blue food or Fried Green Tomatoes with well, fried green tomatoes and baby back ribs ("secret's in the sauce.") Get creative.
Soup Kitchen - I read about this a couple of weeks ago in our local paper. Now that the weather has gotten colder and we'll all be a little busier, how about hosting a soup exchange. Everyone brings 6 containers of soup (make sure they're labeled) and trades with everyone else. The best part? With the exception of cream soups, soup freezes beautifully and you have ready made meals for you and the family.
Game on ladies! - throw some chips and dips on the table and break out the Monopoly. Invite your friends to bring their favorite games, choose a couple and have fun. I've personally done this one at someone else's house and it was a blast. The sillier the game, the more fun.
Come on and get crafty - put on a movie or some music and everyone can bring a project their working on or someone can teach their craft to the group. Either way, crafting with friends is way more fun that crafting solo.

"I don't know, what do you want to do?"
We could play this game for a few rounds, but let's save ourselves the time and assign a date. If you have a few friends interested in a ladies night, rotate the planning duties every week (or however often you'd like to get together). In addition to the ideas above, and the traditional dinner and a movie out, don't miss out on these gems:

The classic mani/pedi - seriously, what's more fun that being pampered and spending time with your friends? Plus, newly painted toes are just cute.
Mini Golf - an oldie but a goodie.
Museums - Yeah, sometimes these are just more fun without the kids. You don't have to scream at anyone to stop running or don't touch that $2,500 painting.
Happy Hour - whether you drink or not, it's not called Happy Hour for nothing. Cheap eats and good times.
Shopping - this is definitely way more fun without the kids.
Karaoke! - what's an off-key note among friends; they'll still love ya.
Community Service - You don't even have to wear the orange jumpsuits. Find a cause you and your friends support then sign up as a group to volunteer.
Take a Class - If you have a parks and recreation, they're bound to offer classes for adults. And if you and your friends sign up for one, the weekly night out is already planned for you.

"I'd love to go, but I don't have a ride."
With friends scattered all over, there's bound to be one of us along your route. We'll pick you up and we might even take you home afterward. :o)

And there you have it. No excuses ladies, Me Time is now! You'll thank me later.

PS, I posted a pic of the girls' costumes on the Facebook Fan page, in case you wanted to check out my cute little Veruca Salt and Oompa Loompa. :o)

This Tea Party is NOT for the Faint of Heart

2010-10-29T06:33:00.000-07:00

The other day on my personal blog I asked the question "What was the worst thing that you've ever done as a child?" I then proceeded to share a pretty gross story (feel free to read it if you like) that led me to believe that I was in fact a demented child.

This topic has got me thinking hard. Why? Because my boys really haven't done anything super duper noteworthy yet in terms of bad things. I'm left to wonder, is it luck, or are they just biding their time. Chances are, knowing what sort of mother they have, it's the latter of the two.

I thought of another story the other day, one that is almost equal in the gross-ness factor as the first, if not more so.

When I was little, probably around 4 or 5 years old, I wanted to play tea party and use real water instead of pretending. And so I snuck into the bathroom and filled my tea pot up. A little while later when my mom came into to check on me and asked where I go the water from I told her that my Dad had given it to me. She left with an, "Oh, ok." and that was the end of that. A few more minutes went by and this time my dad came in to check on me. Of course I gave him the same story, only swapping out him for my mom as the one who allowed to me to have the water. He bought it (I was pretty mischievous, huh?) and left me to my own devices. After I drank all of the water all gone I returned to the bathroom to get some more.

This is where I got caught. My mom walked in on me scooping water out of the toilet with my little pink plastic tea pot. Yes that's right, I was indeed drinking toilet water. When my mom went into my bedroom to make sure there was no more "tea" in their she discovered that I had also broken my piggy bank apart and was using pennies as pretend cupcakes and topping them with a tube of glitter glue that I was pretending was frosting. Yes. I ate the cupcakes ... and I pooped glittery pennies for a week.

Hey, I told you at the beginning of this post that I was a demented child!

But all of this leaves me to wonder just how far my boys will go when their time comes. I sure do hope that my disgusting childhood adventures are not hereditary!

How to Torture Fruit

2010-10-28T01:15:00.000-07:00

I have a confession: I have only lukewarm feelings for Halloween. I don't mind the playful aspects of Halloween and good-natured parties, but I hate being scared, candy doesn't do much for me, and food that looks like dismembered body parts grosses me out. The only recipe I have on my blog that would be strictly for Halloween are these Vampire Cookies, but even those could double as a Twilight party treat.

Even the recipe I'm posting right now could (and seasonally speaking, should) be done in the summer or spring -- if you decide that strawberries need to be tortured. You could also torture apple or pear slices this time of year.

How does one go about torturing innocent fruit? Well, let me show you. . .

First you take some unsuspecting fruit, like strawberries.

And a bowl of freshly marshmallow crème. It's a little known fact that fruit is deathly afraid of marshmallow crème. It's true.

You can practically hear the poor thing screaming.

That looks mighty tasty, don't you think?

Oh, we're not done. Not even close.

Enter (once again): kitchen torch. This thing has been earning its keep lately.

Due to the fact that I was not blessed with an extra set of arms (like I believe all mothers should have during the first 2 years of their child's life), you'll have to use your imagination to understand how the crème turned golden brown. I think you'll manage.

I think this strawberry is ready to talk.

What's that? You aren't. I think we can up the torture a few notches then.

Chocolate.

Chocolate + coconut oil = some mighty tasty fruit dip/homemade magic shell topping/a strawberry's worst nightmare.

A dunk in that ought to do the trick.

Let them sit together in "ze coolah!" (bonus points for who can tell me what old show that came from) to commiserate their fates.

Next, a dip in the crème.

Re-enter: kitchen torch and an extra set of hands (thanks honey!)

I'm very serious about my methods of torture.

Is it torturing you as well? :)

Tortured Strawberries
aka Chocolate Covered (or not) Strawberries in Bruleed Marshmallow Crème
adapted from Furey and the Feast

2 egg whites 
1/2 cup sugar
Pinch cream of tartar 
1/2 teaspoon vanilla 
Pinch salt 
1 pound strawberries, rinsed and dried
1/2 recipe Homemade Magic Shell Topping (or a small bowl of melted chocolate chips)

Combine egg whites and sugar in a medium-sized bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until soft peaks form, about 3 to 4 minutes.  Add in cream of tartar, vanilla and salt. Continue to beat on high speed for about a minute or so. Crème is done when it’s glossy and holding stiff peaks. 

Dip strawberries into chocolate and place on a plate or tray covered in wax paper. Place in the freezer for about 5 minutes to set chocolate.

Dip and swirl each strawberry into crème. Using a blowtorch (or gas burner, if you are using skewers), brown crème as desired. Place on serving plate (or in mouth!) and serve immediately.

Nat's Notes:
1. These only keep for a short time. I made them once a couple of hours before I took them to a party and the crème had deflated somewhat.
2. This would also be good with apple or pear slices.

Print Recipe Text Only

Little Pumpkin Muffins

2010-10-27T16:15:00.001-07:00

I wanted to make something pumpkin-y for the Fall season, and these little muffins were just the thing to make our kitchen festive. I had photos for a whole tutorial, but alas, I deleted them by mistake. Never mind... these little pumpkins are super easy to make!

Ingredients:

Muffin mix (mine comes from a box because I'm the world's worst baker and thought this would be easier - it was) I tried to find pumpkin muffin mix, but was unsuccessful. So I used orange cranberry instead and they were mighty fine.
White chocolate - for the candy shell
Frosting - any flavor that tickles your fancy!
Green candy for the stem (I used a Twizzler, but sour strings and fruit roll-ups also work)
Food coloring - orange (or red and yellow, which is what I used)
Optional black gel frosting tube if you want to make a jack-o-lantern

1. Bake muffins in mini muffin tins, according to recipe. You will need TWO mini muffins per pumpkin. Also, make sure NOT to fill the tin all the way - you will be cutting the muffin top off, so try to keep it from overflowing as it rises in the oven.

2. When muffins are done, and cooled, and the muffin tops have been shaved down, have kids spread frosting on the top of the muffins, then place two muffin's together with the frosting in between.

3. Melt white chocolate in a microwave safe dish and add food coloring to turn it orange.

4. Spread melted chocolate over muffins, then add the stem and pop it into the fridge for about 10 minutes to harden the white chocolate.

5. Eat!

And of course, ENJOY!

xoxo,

My Little Pony, Reborn (Again)

2010-10-25T20:11:00.000-07:00

(Image compliments of The Hub)

Someone (that would be my husband) once said, one of the reasons I had kids was to give me a legitimate reason to watch cartoons without being embarrassed. He was wrong. #1, I never needed a reason to watch cartoons (or to have kids for that matter) and more importantly, #2 I've never been embarrassed about being an adult who likes to watch cartoons. Having kids simply gave me more opportunities to watch cartoons. Sure, as much as possible, I tried to have an influence over which cartoons they watch, not because I needed a way to covertly watch along with them. No, if I could get them to watch the shows I liked, then I wouldn't have to fight over the TV. "But Mommy wants to watch Scooby Doo, not Dora!" You get the picture.

Hmm, maybe I need to take that back. Once upon a time, I was a little worried about my "cool factor" and how watching cartoons might hurt my "cred". When I hit high school, I had to keep my cartoon obsession on the down low. By the time My Little Pony, the animated series, came to TV, I was way "to cool" to watch it (though, it seems, not too cool to secretly watch Jem and the Holograms when no one was around). As I mentioned once before, having SweetPea gave me the "in" I needed to rediscover all the old My Little Pony cartoons...and the newer ones too. As much as she's into My Little Pony, you'd think I would have heard that a new incarnation was about to hit TV. I had no idea.

As I was in a half coma trying to find something for us to watch early (like, 6:00 am early) this past Sunday morning, imagine my surprise when I discovered that a new cable station had been created where Discovery Kids used to be and that a new My Little Pony series was on. WOO HOO...or...wait a minute...what's this? Kind of a little "Japanimated" for my taste. OK, and wait, isn't that Rainbow Dash? Why is she a Pegasus pony now? And they're calling that Pony Rarity, but she's not even pink like the pretty unicorn pony that SweetPea has sitting in her room. What's with Pinkie Pie and why does she act like she needs a heavy dose of Ritalin? Within about five minutes I'd begun to question whether I was going to like this latest incarnation, but I wasn't about to turn it. Not that they kids would have let me (Lil Buddy digs the Ponies too, in case you wondered). A funny thing happened though. Once I got over my hangups over the changes they made (which, by the way, led to question after question from SweetPea about why they made the Ponies she knows different), I actually found myself getting into it...and eventually having the new show grow on me. OK, so it does feel something like Powerpuff Girls meets MLP, but it's...well...entertaining. It's quirky but still cute without being as sweet as syrup as it used to be. Time will tell if we keep watching. HAHAHAHAHAHA...yeah right...like we're going to stop! Or make that, like I'm going to stop.

Anyway, if you dig the Ponies, check out My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic on The Hub. Let me know what you think. Oh and classic MLP cartoon fans...Spike makes his return. Check it out!

Sew Frustrating

2010-10-25T09:11:00.001-07:00

It was decided. Back in April or May, I can't remember which. Peri knew what she was going to be for Halloween. I thought for sure she'd want to revert to her Alice in Wonderland costume for the second year in a row, but to my surprise (and likely due to the movie being watched daily) she announced, "I'm going to be Veruca for Halloween!" We're talking about the original Veruca Salt from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory from the 70's. (Pssst, she's the bratty, I want it now, child, in case it's been a while).

Ever since we started watching the movie, Peri has been acting out all of Verucas' lines and even singing and dancing to her song, then pretending to fall down the garbage chute. Yup, Veruca's her favorite and she just had to be her for Halloween. I wasn't worried about her changing her mind, that is one thing I can always count on with Peri. Stubborn girl. :oP Knowing this much in advance, I took to Ebay to see what I could find. While I could have spent $60 on a custom made costume, that was a bit out of my price range, and instead, I made an offer on a red velour Christmas dress for $5 and called it good. I knew some modifications would need to be made, but hey, there's a first time for everything.

Anyone that knows me, knows that my sewing machine and I are not on a first name basis. We have a mutual respect for each other, but we don't tend to work well together. So I was resigned to the fact that any modifications would need to be done by hand. I'm happy to say, that after a few hours, I finished Peri's costume and it turned out pretty cute.

Since I try to have my kids sorta match, I originally thought of making Ryah into a giant blueberry so she could go as Violet but thought it would be a little awkward for a 3 year old to walk around in. Now if you ask her what she's going to be for Halloween, she says," I'm gonna be a Oompa Loompa." You should hear her say it, it's so cute. It was such a great idea, in theory, until I realized that costume would need to be made from scratch. :oP

After many many many hours of sewing by hand (and a little help from my friend Mandi and her sewing machine - seriously, she cut about 5 hours of my time in just 15 minutes) the Oompa Loompa costume is done. Woo hoo!

I love Halloween, and all the traditions; pumpkin carving, decorations, candy corn cookies... but I won't be adding "making costumes" to the list. I can say I've done it, conquered it, but won't be going there again. Well, not unless my sewing machine and I can come to some sort of agreement, like, sew for me and I won't melt you down into scrap metal to be used in some hideous yard art project. Now there's a thought...

PS. I'll post pics of the girls on the Mama Drama Facebook Fan Page next week.

Happy Halloween!!!!

Being Good When My Kids Are Bad

2010-10-22T06:16:00.000-07:00

When my kids are bad I try to be good. I may be gritting my teeth the entire time I'm doing so, but I'd like to think that we are a positive reinforcement household, or at least that's what I'd have you believe. But the truth is that most of the time we're just two exhausted parents who are doing the best that they can. I do try to make an effort to try and teach my boys how to right their wrongs in a positive way though.

Now, being positive with my children isn't to say that I allow them to get away with whatever they want with no repercussions. And it's also not to say that I'm one of those moms who gushes over every single little thing that their child does on a daily basis. I try to reserve that level or praise for when it's deserved and needed.

Some things though, need to be put out there in the open, for my children to learn and for my sanity as well.

"This is not a restaurant. You don't get to order any dinner you want. If you don't eat what I've made for you then you'll be hungry later on tonight and I'm not cooking you another meal at 8PM."

"Please use the bathroom now please so that you're not whining that you have to go while we're in the checkout line with a cart overflowing with groceries."

You're all moms, I'm sure you get my drift. Those are the kindly mom suggestions that would make life a whole lot easier on everyone. Unfortunately, in my house the 7 year old and the 3 year old and I don't exactly see eye to eye on that.

On top of that there's what is simply expected of them because they are in fact people living in a house as opposed to horses living in a barn.

"Please do not blow your nose into your bed sheet. Get a tissue!"

"I know that mommy is the only girl in the house, but please, for the love of all that is holy, flush the toilet when you're done and put the seat down!"

As great as my intentions are to be positive, there is still plenty of yelling, time outs, and "keep your hands to yourselves" in our household.

But there are good times too, and as a mom it's important that we nurture that and make sure our children know just how proud we are of them.

When Brayden comes home from school with a new piece of artwork or a paper with a good grade on it, we tell him how absolutely great he's doing.

When Gage plays nicely at MOPS with the other boys and girls and shares the toys we reinforce how well he did and how happy we are that he had a good time.

Those small but positive encouragements are the ones that stick, the ones that will build their little characters. And they are the ones that will trickle down to everything that they do in life. In turn I'm hoping that it will make my boys not so cynical in a world where negatives are so easily found.

It's starting to show in our household. When Brayden draws something nice, Gage will compliment him on a job well done. When Gage sings a song, Brayden will tell him what a good job he did.

When I actually fold the laundry and put it away, rather than live out of baskets for a week, I'm congratulated...

When I make something yummy for dinner, I'm told how great it is that I didn't burn it...

Well ... at least they haven't learned the fine art of sarcasm yet, so I know that they are being honest. When my husband joins in with them though, well that's another matter entirely.

Grilled Malibu Chicken

2010-10-21T07:51:00.000-07:00

We had a couple of 20-year-old guys over for dinner the other night. (Dark suits, black name tags, riding bikes, seen them around?) I like having them over because they're sweet. And easy to please. While we were eating, I asked them if they'd ever had Malibu Chicken.

"Yes, but not like THIS," one replied.

That was exactly my thought the first time I made this.

Grilling this kind of chicken is unique, I think, but what makes it really special is the smoky-sweet sauce that gets spread all over it and between every layer (chicken, ham, cheese, and pineapple). The sauce is mostly butter and pineapple juice with some other things thrown in to make it pop. (Mine looks speckled because I accidentally put the grill seasoning in the sauce as well as the chicken. I didn't even realize that until just now. It tasted really peppery and a tad saltier than I remembered from the first time, but it was still really good. Oops.)

I found this recipe on Patio Daddio BBQ, one of the few manly food bloggers on Tasty Kitchen. This guy is a competitive BBQ'er. I, with my stove-top grill pan and fear of charcoal, am most definitely not. But I made it work. And I'm sure you can too.

Grilled Malibu Chicken
from Patio Daddio BBQ via Tasty Kitchen

6 boneless/skinless chicken breasts
2 T BBQ seasoning (I used Montreal Steak Seasoning)
12 slices deli ham (thin)
6 slices canned pineapple
6 slices Swiss cheese
1/2 cup pineapple juice (from the can)
4 T butter, melted
1 T plain yellow mustard
1 T honey
1 T molasses
2 tsp worcestershire sauce
1 tsp chili powder

(The original recipe suggested pounding the thicker parts of the breasts to make them more uniform in thickness, but I simply sliced through them horizontally to form two thin breasts out of each one. They cook faster this way, the meat goes farther, and it's more flavorful when you're using sauces or marinades.)

Season both sides of each breast with the BBQ seasoning, cover and refrigerate at least an hour.

Combine the butter, pineapple juice, mustard, honey, molasses, Worcestershire sauce and chili powder a medium mixing bowl and whisk until smooth, then set aside.

Prepare your grill for two-zone cooking (direct and indirect) at medium-high heat (about 400º). Or if that last sentence makes you panic, turn on your grill-pan to medium-high heat.

Quickly grill one side of each breast and each pineapple ring over direct heat until they are seared and have nice grill marks, about two minutes. Flip each breast and ring, brush with the sauce, and cook another two minutes.

Move the chicken to the indirect part of the grill (or a not-so-hot part of your pan) and brush the top of each with the sauce. Top each breast with two slices of ham and drizzle the ham with the sauce. Put a slice of cheese then a pineapple ring on each breast and drizzle yet again with the sauce. Continue cooking with the grill lid down (or in my case, a piece of aluminum foil. . . grill masters are rolling their eyes, I'm sure) until the internal temperature reaches 160º, about 10 minutes.

Serve with . . . another drizzle of sauce. Makes 6 servings.

Side Dish Suggestions: We ate this with a green salad, a lazy version of this roasted broccoli, and garlic bread. D-LISH.

Nat's Notes:
1. The first time I made this I used fresh pineapple. Instead of buying pineapple juice separately, I just pureed enough pineapple to make 1/2 cup for the sauce. It made it thicker, but still tasted great.

Print Recipe Text Only

Originally posted on Perrys' Plate

When the Bleep Hits the Fan...

2010-10-20T16:12:00.000-07:00

Throughout the week, I often think of the post I'll contribute to The Mama Dramalogues. Something heartwarming and adorable, with a sweet photo of my darling dear daughters to accompany it. A post to make you smile, perhaps even laugh. A post to make you say "aaaaah, bless those precious children..."

If you're thinking along the lines of Chicken Soup for the Mama's Soul, you're absolutely right.

BUT THEN my kids remind me just why this blog was started in the first place, and whoooosh, out the window the sweet, happy post goes, replaced by

DOOM

and

DESTRUCTION

brought on by the

KICKING

HITTING

BITING

SCREAMING

(me, not the kids)

and

MORE SCREAMING

(the kids this time - more specifically, my three-year-old)

resulting in

MELTDOWN OF EPIC PROPORTIONS

(by pretty much everyone at this point)

My three year old, Annelie, is driving me to INSANITY. It was rough going when she was a one year old and I dreaded the terrible twos like nobody's business. Then the twos came and went (not uneventfully, of course) and were replaced by what we have now: The terrible, horrible, no good, very bad threes.

Take yesterday, for example, when the happy Hopkins family skipped to the library for story time and puzzle time and computer play time and book pick-out time. Life was good, life was great, smiles circled the sun and butterflies burst from our hearts.

And then (dun-dun-dun) it was movie pick-out time. Here's something to know about me. I'm a little bit (read: a lot) controlling. BUT when it comes to movie pick-out, I'm fairly reasonable. However, when all the movies my three year old handed me to check out just happened to be the very same movies we already have at home, I kindly asked her to put them back and pick out movies we didn't own and therefore wouldn't mix up with ours.

Naturally, this was when the bleep hit the fan. Enter the kicking and screaming and doom and destruction and all that jazz that had my face bright red as I checked out my books while my husband grabbed our kiddo under his arm and fled before the librarians could snip my card in half and barricade us from ever coming back.

I tried to keep a cheerful face as the librarian checked out my books:

The Time-Out Prescription: A Parent's Guide to Positive and Loving Discipline by Donna G. Corwin
Taming the Spirited Child: Strategies for Parenting Challenging Children Without Breaking Their Spirits by Michael Popkin, Ph.D
How to Keep Your Kids from Driving You Crazy: A Proven Program for Improving Your Child's Behavior and Regaining Control of Your Family by Paula Stone Bender, Ph. D
ScreamFree Parenting: The Revolutionary Approach to Raising Your Kids by Keeping Your Cool by Hal Edward Runkel

Yes, I did feel like an incompetent fool, in case you are wondering. And I guess I kind of am because I'm frequently at my wit's end. We monitor sugar intake, red food dye intake, make sure she is well-rested and fed before she flips out. We dole out time-outs when needed (frequently, obviously) ... yet the insanity continues daily!

But I know I'm not the only person out there with a high-energy, temperamental preschooler who happens to think she/he knows more than anyone over the height of 3 inches.

So, moms out there, who wants to vent their own frustrations? You do? Perfect. Share your stories in the comments.

And moms out there, who wants to share pearls of motherly wisdom? You do? Perfect. Dispense those pearls of wisdom in the comments.

Now that the screaming has stopped and the house is temporarily silent, I'm all ears!! And when I'm done reading your comments, I'll certainly be cracking those books open for help!

xoxo,

What is THIS?

2010-10-19T08:15:00.000-07:00

Pocket Flash Cards on Amazon.com

Beware, parents! Someday the tables will be turned on you. Maybe sooner than you expect.

I'm sure most of you have seen...maybe even have...a stack or two of flash cards that look something like this laying around. I mean, that's what good parents do right? We fill our kid's heads chock full of the reams of knowledge they'll need to be productive members of society...or at least so they'll know the difference between a sock and a mitten (though, heck, if I were cold, either would do to keep my hands warm...just sayin). Then, we arm ourselves with a stack of these babies so we can quiz our offspring to see what factoid morsels are sticking.

For the record, we have at least four stacks of flash cards in our house. What can I say...we're ambitious. OK, so maybe I bought two starter sets then later stumbled on cards I thought had prettier pictures...but that's neither here nor there. Ours get a lot of use, if you consider playing 100 card pick up with the alphabet flash cards "use". I take that back...on occasion, both SweetPea and Lil Buddy have pulled out a deck of cards and asked to play actual learning games with them. It's one of those occasions that I wanted to share...

Late last week, in the evening, after dinner, I found Lil Buddy sitting in the living room in a sea of flash cards. Great, I thought, another game of flash card pick up. Then I noticed he was actually looking at the pictures, telling himself what the picture was, then picking up another...and another...and another. Perfect learning opportunity, I figured. I sat next to him and he held up a card for me. It was a green oval.

"That's green, Bud", I said.

"No! OVAL, Momma", he corrected me.

Oops. My bad. He picked up card after card and quizzed me on them. When I got it right, it went something like this...

"Five stars", I said.

"Yes, five stars, good job!", he praised.

When I got it wrong, he let me know. Of course part of the game was for me to figure out what exactly the right answer was. If he held up a card with a red square on it and I said it was a "square" when the answer he was looking for was "red", then I got a resounding "No!" If I tried to cover with "Yes, it's a red square", he'd shoot me down "No, Momma, red!" at which I'd have to concede, "No, you're right, it's red."

That night I got a little payback for all of the times that I'd tried to cram a lesson down their throats. I also learned "the agony of defeat" when I didn't get the answer right. I'll be honest...I had fun doing it. Little did he know, but I had a little bit of reverse psychology going on and I still got him to learn as he was "teaching" me. Muahahahaha!

A New Look

2010-10-15T06:15:00.000-07:00

Hooray! The Mama Dramalogues has a new look! We hope that you like the new format and can still find all of your favorite info, posts, and links.

Spiced Sweet Potato and Pecan Pancakes

2010-10-14T03:43:00.000-07:00

I rarely repeat recipes several times, so the fact that I've made these multiple times says a lot about how much we've enjoyed these. Up until recently I had only used this recipe for waffles. I decided to try them as pancakes because we had company coming for breakfast -- I doubled the recipe and wanted them to be done quicker.

These pancakes (as well as the waffles) are slightly denser than regular pancakes, but not as much as you'd think. Whipping and then folding in the egg whites separately definitely lightens the texture, despite the use of whole wheat flour. (No one even noticed they were whole wheat! That's why I love whole wheat pastry flour.) The batter is also laced with cardamom, which is a spice commonly used in Indian cooking and comparable to the cinnamon/clove/nutmeg flavor profile. But much more exotic tasting. If you don't have (or like) cardamom, simply substitute cinnamon.

These would be great as pumpkin pancakes, too. Just swap the sweet potato for pumpkin puree.

Why yes, I like my pancakes to float in maple syrup. Actually, I don't have a tripod and kept getting blurry photos, so I kept pouring syrup over these trying to get a more focused shot. I got my shot and my pancakes were soaked. Both missions accomplished.

Spiced Sweet Potato and Pecan Pancakes (or Waffles)
adapted from Taste of Home

1 cup whole wheat pastry or all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1-½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cardamom or cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
3 eggs, separated
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
1 cup cold mashed sweet potatoes
½ cup milk
¼ cup butter, melted
¾ cup chopped pecans, optional
Maple syrup, optional

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, cardamom and salt. In another bowl, whisk the egg yolks, sour cream, sweet potatoes, milk and butter; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in pecans, if using. In a small bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form; fold gently into batter.

For pancakes, drop 1/4 cup-fulls of batter onto a greased skillet preheated to medium heat. Cook until bubbles begin to break the surface and the edges of the pancakes appear dry. Flip and cook until the other side is golden brown as well. Serve with syrup. Yields about 14 pancakes.

For waffles, bake in a preheated waffle iron according to manufacturer's directions until golden brown. Serve with syrup. Yields 10 waffles or about 5 Belgian-style waffles.

Nat's Notes:
1. If you don't have (or like) cardamom, simply substitute cinnamon.
2. Pumpkin puree would also work well in place of the sweet potato.

Print Recipe Text Only

Originally posted on Perrys' Plate

Toasty Ghosties!

2010-10-13T14:15:00.000-07:00

I always forget to make holiday-inspired crafts and cooking projects with my kids until waaaay after the holiday... but not this year! Halloween is just around the corner and, with the help of a ghost-shaped cookie cutter, what could have been a boring old lunch of toast pizzas ended up much more festive!

Ingredients:

Toasted bread
Cookie cutters (ours were a set of cutters from the dollar section of Target)
Pizza sauce
Mozzarella cheese - grated
Herbs - we used oregano and basil
Whatever else you want to sprinkle on a tiny pizza

After making the toast, let your preschool-aged (or above) kid cut it into cookie cutter shapes. Then give them a spoon and some sauce, grated cheese, herbs and whatever else you want your preschooler to sprinkle on a tiny pizza.

Broil for a couple minutes until all the cheese is melted.

Then eat!

Making spooky ghostie sounds while eating is allowed. As is flying pizza ghosts around the table.

But even though they are fun to play with, they quickly disappear.

I'm not sure what my preschooler enjoyed more, making them, playing with them, or eating them! And any cooking project easy enough for a three year old is just my kind of thing. I'm trying to teach my kids to love cooking so that they can take over in the kitchen and make me really delicious food some day.

(I'm also trying to get them crazy-excited about cleaning, so they can clean my house for fun, but alas... that one isn't working quite as well as the cooking thing)

Happy eating, folks!

xoxo,

Falling For You Giveaway!

2010-10-11T08:29:00.000-07:00

Fall officially started back in September, and to help celebrate the changing of the leaves, crisp cool air and cinnamon apple cider warming in the kettle, The Mama Dramalogues is hosting a giveaway! Yay!

Embrace the fall foliage and caramel apples with a set of Falling For You korker hair bows from Winklepots. Premium grosgrain ribbons in chocolate brown, orange with white polka dots and white with leaves and apple print. Attached to metal French hair clips. So cute!

HOW TO WIN:

Leave a comment with one of the following (multiple entries welcome):

-Visit Winklepots and tell us what your favorite item is here.

-Follow our blog. Already a follower? Great (and thank you!), let us know!

-Tweet about us! Simply post "RT @mamadramalogues, win Fall Hair Bows" followed by the link to this post.

-Be a fan on Facebook! Click here to become a fan. Already a fan? Great (and thank you!!), let us know!

-Suggest that your friends become a fan on Facebook (obviously this one has to be done after you've become a fan first)!

-Re-blog about this giveaway. You can use the above images for your blog, if you like.

Be sure to leave a separate comment for each entry. Good luck!

Giveaway ends 10/25/10

Glasses for Brayden

2010-10-08T08:11:00.000-07:00

Jarvis - LARGE 8 x 10 Print by Pop Pop Portraits

Somethings we all take the simplest things for granted. We just assume that they'll always be there, right where we left them. But circumstances change as time moves on, and often times those small things that we have get shifted in the shuffle of life.

That is very much the case right now.

On Monday, Brayden brought home a note from school saying that he failed his eye test and will need to see an optometrist. We immediately scheduled him an appointment and he was able to be seen yesterday.

Brayden needs glasses. In addition to that his eye muscle that allows him to focus on things is weak and he'll need to do optical exercises in an attempt to strengthen it.

I suppose it was inevitable, seeing as both Brayden's father and I both are blind as bats without our glasses, but all the same when something as simple as your child's eyesight is concerned it makes you mourn, as a parent, for all of the things he'll no longer be able to see clearly without corrective lenses in front of his beautiful brown eyes.

Luckily, my kid looks pretty stinking cute in glasses, and next week when they come in the world will be able to see just that.

No more squinting for you little boy. Now you'll be able to see the world with eyes open wide.

Screwing around sometime last year. Those are so NOT his actual glasses.

Fish Sticks, Re-Vamped

2010-10-07T03:34:00.000-07:00

I've never been a fan of traditional "fish sticks" -- you know, the ones you pull out of the freezer and throw in the oven? Even as a kid I ate them reluctantly, and slathered in ketchup.

I wanted to make fish one night and tried to think of a way to prepare it so my picky 3-year-old would eat it. (My younger one has no problem with fish, or any kind of meat for that matter.) Sophie tends to like things in stick-form, so fish sticks were the answer.

I had to make sure they had a lot of flavor because tilapia, if not properly seasoned, can be very bland. On the up side, it absorbs whatever flavors you put on it and it's a versatile, clean slate to work with. I minced up a bunch of fresh garlic and added it to a beaten egg and a splash of buttermilk. Then I grated some fresh Parmesan cheese and added it to some flaky panko bread crumbs. After breading the sticks and baking them in the oven for a few minutes, we dipped them in warm marinara sauce.

There wasn't a single stick left. I've made these multiple times and get the same result -- happily eating children with no table-side negotiating. I love those nights!

P.S. Mom & Dad liked them, too. :)

Parmesan-Garlic Tilapia Sticks
by Natalie

1 lb tilapia or any other firm, white fish such as cod
1 egg
1/4 cup buttermilk
3 cloves garlic, pressed
1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs
1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
A couple big pinches of salt and pepper
Marinara sauce for dipping

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Cut fish into 1/2-inch strips and sprinkle a little salt on both sides.

In a small shallow bowl whisk together the egg, buttermilk and pressed garlic. In another shallow bowl combine the bread crumbs, cheese, and a big pinch of salt and pepper.

Dip the fish sticks into the wet mixture, letting excess liquid drip off, then coat in bread crumb mixture. Lay on a baking sheet and repeat with remaining fish sticks. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. If you want them golden brown, broil them for the last minute of baking time.

Serve with warm marinara sauce.

Makes 3-4 servings.

Print Recipe Text Only

Santa Baby...

2010-10-06T15:16:00.000-07:00

Christmas Gift Art Print
by Jolinne

There is a possibility I have made a serious mistake. You see, my three year old pointed at the TV the other day, which was playing a caffeinated, sugar-highed commercial for something neon and perky and most likely expensive and said, "Mommy, I want that toy."

Well, I'm not going to buy that toy, so I said, "Christmas is coming someday so why don't you remember it and then you can put it on your list for Santa."

Yeahhh, I'm now thinking that might have been a BIG mistake. Sometimes my three year old is brighter than I am and she wasn't going to fall for that... Remember it and then write it just before Christmas?? Oh no-ho-ho.

The seed for the list was planted and Annelie wanted her list started IMMEDIATELY so she could get a head start on Christmas-wishes-come-true and fill that list with every amazing thing advertised between last month and several months from now. Half a week later, her list for Santa is about three pages long.

I tried putting it up super high so that maybe she'd forget all about it. "Let's just stick it on top of the fridge," I said to my husband, thinking I was being clever.

Nope. That didn't work. Annelie just maneuvered the kitchen chairs wherever the list was, so she could pull it down, grab a crayon, and have me write down everything but the play-kitchen sink.

Sometimes she doesn't remember what her list item is called, so she just has me write "Glittery thing" or "Doll that has a Mommy and wears pink" or "That thing that stretches." But even when she doesn't remember what that toy is called, she never forgets that it was the BEST thing EVER and that she HAS to HAVE it!

At the rate we're going, this list is going to need it's own post code before December even starts.

Mamas, please tell me... what do YOU do when your kids decide that they need EVERYTHING? I am open for your awesome suggestions!

xoxo,

Where Is Baby Rosa?

2010-10-05T12:00:00.000-07:00

Meet Baby Rosa. A few days before SweetPea was born, Maw Maw bought her. You can't see it in this picture, but "My First Bear" is embroidered on her tummy. I think Maw Maw thought SweetPea would take an instant liking to the soft, squishy pink bear, but I'll be honest, it wasn't love at first sight. For the first few years, Baby Rosa wasn't even Baby Rosa...she was just another in a long line of stuffed animals that sat in SweetPea's room. Out of the blue, SweetPea started playing with the pink bear. Then, she started carrying her around the house and bringing her to bed every night. Then, she decided the bear was going to be called Baby Rosa, since, of course, she was pink and she'd learned from Dora the Explorer that "rosa" was Spanish for pink (her most favorite color, by the way). Next thing I know, Baby Rosa is going with us just about everywhere...to the grocery store, in the car and...to school. Here's where our story really starts.

The first time Baby Rosa went to school with SweetPea, she was in Jr Pre-K and only going to school two half days per week. I made sure to either put Baby Rosa in SweetPea's cubby as soon as we got to her classroom or insist that she give the bear to the teacher to put in the cubby once I left. Our system worked and I always made sure when I picked her up after lunch time that we didn't leave Baby Rosa behind. When I went back to work and SweetPea entered private kindergarten at the same school, I assumed it would be safe for Baby Rosa. What I didn't take into account was the fact that SweetPea would be there all day and that it gave her more opportunity to misplace Baby Rosa...which is exactly what happened. Daddy arrived to pick SweetPea up and Baby Rosa was nowhere to be found. The two of them searched and still...no Baby Rosa. Eventually we had to leave empty handed. I wasn't prepared for how hard she'd take it.

On the ride home, SweetPea whined a little about finding Baby Rosa, but wasn't all out upset because none of us could remember whether she'd actually even brought Baby Rosa to school (she doesn't always). That left open the possibility that we still might find her at home. We didn't. In the frenzy that goes on when we get home from school/work at night, the idea that Baby Rosa might be gone for good didn't really sink in for SweetPea. That didn't happen until bedtime. I was tucking her in, like I always do, when SweetPea started crying "I lost Baby Rosa". I was prepared for the tears...but I wasn't prepared for the absolutely heart wrenching tears of true loss. I'm talking the cries of sorrow that come from the realization that you've lost someone near and dear...like a loved pet or family member. Yes, I'm talking about that kind of heartbreak. It broke my heart to hear it. All I could do was tell her that she and her Daddy could search the second floor at school the next day and hope that someone had found Baby Rosa and put her somewhere safe. That night, I got to hear my poor little girl cry herself to sleep.

Luckily...the story has a happy ending. The next morning, Baby Rosa was found sitting on the edge of the lunch room table. These days, Baby Rosa spends less time at school. Most days, she gets to sit in the car and keep Daddy company on his ride to work and guards the car until it's time to pick the kids up from school in the evenings. If she does go to school, then Baby Rosa almost immediately gets put in SweetPea's locker in the kindergarten room. It was a hard lesson, but one I doubt will be forgotten anytime soon.

Ooooo Scary... Read it Again!

2010-10-04T07:00:00.000-07:00

Since the first hint of pumpkins, goulies and witches hit the stores weeks ago, my girls have been begging me to break out the Halloween goodness. I have a hard time doing anything before October 1st, so now that we're officially past that, I could no longer procrastinate and Jim and I were forced to venture under the house and dust off the Halloween bin.

After a fun filled evening of spooky inspirational music and candy corn treats, we've put everything out and the girls are super excited. I dug out all the Halloween/scary movies (Nightmare Before Christmas, Coraline, Corpse Bride, It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown) and pulled all the Halloween books from the shelf so we have a month of spooky reads. Yup, we're all set!

Alyssa's book post got me thinking about all the Halloween books we like to read around here. They've become even more special since we only read them this time of year. So I thought I'd share our faves and hopefully, you'll share yours because we're always looking for more! Plus, it's early enough in the month, that there's still time to check them out!

Big Pumpkin by Erica Silverman

This is probably my favorite one. The girls and I just read it tonight. It's about a witch who grows a pumpkin so large, she can't manage to pull it off the vine and she's got quite the hankering for pumpkin pie!
Lots of fun to read and cute repetition for the kiddos.

I give it 5 out of 5 pumpkins

Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson

The story of a witch out for a nice leisurely flight. She meets some friends along the way, each one hoping that there's "room on the broom" so they can come too. Super fun rhyming tale (I love cute rhyming stories) and there's definitely room on the broom so don't miss out!

I give it 4.5 out of 5 pumpkins

In the Haunted House by Eve Bunting

Not a whole lot of story to this one, but the girls love it, so I have to include it in the list. Cute story about a little girl and her dad who venture into a haunted house, but who's the one who's really scared? Like I said, not the most fun to read, but the kids enjoy it.

I give it 3 out of 5 pumpkins

Spooky Hour by Tony Mitton

Another fun rhyming tale as the "midnight spooks" countdown to their Halloween party. Cute story with lots of different ghoulies and fun to say sound words like "clickety clack."

I give it 4 out of 5 pumpkins

Pirates Don't Change Diapers by Melinda Long

Technically not a Halloween book, but with the pirates, I'm sneaking it in here. I was reluctant to read this originally, but found out that it's a really cute story and it's made even better if you use your best piratey voice when you read it. Argh, matey, don't pass this one up!

I give it 5 out of 5 pumpkins

Happy spooktacular reading! :o)

A Note to My Boys

2010-10-01T07:14:00.000-07:00

Good manners matter.

Laugh at yourself.

Learn what makes you happy and do it whenever as possible.

All the kids at school who are in the cool group will only be the cool kids for now.

Long term, the nerds are a much better bet.

Don’t tailgate.

Talent is good, but discipline and drive are better.

If you are not true to your self you can’t expect anyone else to be true to you.

Nothing you can do will change how I feel about you.

Apologize when you’re wrong.

Bring baked goods to new neighbors.

Watch the sun rise occasionally.

Ask as many questions as you have.

Obey traffic signs.

Don’t label yourself (or anyone else).

Traditions matter.

I don’t care who you love as long as they are good to you.

Asking for help is a sign of strength—not weakness.

If you smile it’s actually very hard to feel grumpy.

Your body is sacred.

Never re-freeze thawed food-items.

Everyone is weird.

One cigarette is too many.

Older is (almost always) wiser.

People can change.

Always ask a girl before you kiss her.

Cooking, letter-writing and toilet-plunging are all essential skills.

The cliche: ‘everything in moderation’ does not apply to drugs or cigarettes.

If you put positive energy into the universe it will come back to you. I promise.

Different is interesting.

Forgiveness is redeeming for both the forgiver and the forgiven.

You are both so amazing.

Easy Homemade Chicken Stock + Other Pantry Staples

2010-09-30T01:48:00.000-07:00

I like to make things from scratch. A lot. There are benefits and drawbacks to doing this, though. The good thing is that you know exactly what goes into what you're making, it (usually) tastes better and costs less than its store-bought counterpart, and (for me at least), it's fun to see ingredients come together in something that you wouldn't think of making at home.

The drawbacks? Once you fall in love with something that you make from scratch it's awfully hard to go back to the store-bought version. Yes, it obviously takes more time, and it's especially aggravating when you run out of multiple things at the same time. That happens to me a lot.

Recently I've been making chicken stock from scratch and have loved the results! It's a great way to get more out of leftover chicken bones (especially whole chickens which I've fallen in love with this past year). And the "recipe" I added below is simply a set of guidelines to get you started. As long as you've got an onion, a couple of carrots, and some celery you're set. Fresh herbs are a nice addition, too, but if you're buying fresh herbs for the sole purpose of making stock, then homemade stock may not be a cheaper option. It'll definitely taste better and have considerably less sodium, though. If you've got an herb garden or know friends who have herbs, it'll save you a lot of money.

I've added a few other recipes for pantry staples that I've tried so far and most of them I keep on hand all the time.

Because I love ya.

PANCAKE MIXES
Buckwheat Pancake Mix
Regular Pancake Mix - This one helped wean me off of Bisquick. You can sub whole wheat flour to suit your tastes.

SPICE BLENDS
Pumpkin Pie Spice
Curry Powder
Paula Deen's House Seasoning
Taco Seasoning
Middle Eastern Spice Blend
Sweet Potato Fry Sprinkle

SWEET STUFF
Homemade Magic Shell Topping - Yes, you heard me.
Semi-Sweet Hot Fudge
Strawberry Sauce

OTHER STUFF
Squash/Pumpkin Puree
Croutons/Breadcrumbs - There aren't instructions for bread crumbs on this post, but if you make the croutons, then throw them in the food processor you'll probably end up with dried, seasoned bread crumbs.
Sun-Dried Tomatoes without the Sun
Roasted Garlic Pasta Sauce - I always have 2-cup portions of these in the freezer. It's great for both pasta and pizza.

Easy Homemade Chicken Stock
by Natalie

1 meaty carcass from a 2-4 pound chicken (probably doesn't weigh that much anymore)
1 onion, quartered
2-3 stalks of celery, cut into large pieces
2-3 carrots, cut into large pieces
a large handful of fresh herbs (I like thyme, sage, parsley, and rosemary)
about 10 whole black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
2 peeled garlic cloves (optional)
1 leek, white parts only (optional)

Place all ingredients into a very large stockpot and fill with water up to an inch or two from the top of the pot. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer on low for 4-6 hours.

Remove from heat and strain. I usually fish the big pieces out with a ladel, discard them, then pour the rest of the liquid through a fine-mesh strainer into a 4 qt bowl. Let it cool to room temperature, then cover and chill thoroughly (like overnight). Skim fat from the top of the bowl, then transfer broth to containers for storage. It'll keep in the fridge for about a week. You can use mason jars, large empty yogurt containers or freezer-safe zipper bags for storage in the freezer.

Makes around 4 quarts, depending on the size of your pot. I always use a 7 qt pot and come out with 4 quarts of stock.

Nat's Notes:
1. One variation I've seen is roasting all of the vegetables (and the chicken neck) before they go into the pot. I've never tried this, but I imagine it gives the stock a richer flavor. You wouldn't have to simmer the stock as long, either, probably only an hour or two.

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Muddy Puddle Weekend

2010-09-29T14:37:00.000-07:00

*this is X-posted from my personal blog*

It rained on Saturday and by Sunday morning, the mud puddles in our backyard were the perfect consistency for dinosaurs, pumpkin carriages and fairy godmothers.

Not to mention perfect for mud cakes and pies, mixed from the top of the backyard fort.

I am all for backyard mud puddles (aka Mother Nature's Play Doh), so when the girls asked if they could get their fingers muddy, I said SURE!

And when they asked if they could get their clothes dirty, I said OKAY!

(because what are play clothes for if not for messy mud puddle play?)

Messy fingers quickly turned into messy, muddy arms and toes.

VERY messy toes...

And eventually turned into messy EVERYTHING, straight through to the underpants.

Time spent playing in the mud: 4 HOURS

Time it took to hose them off and stick them in a warm bubbly tub: 4 minutes.

Nothing beats messy Mother Nature! Or happy, tired kids when playtime is done.

Mamas who fear the messiness of mud - go on and stick your little kiddos in it! Mine had a blast, and hosing them off before toweling them down and bringing them inside kept our carpet clean as they went to the bath!

Enjoy!

xoxo,

Making it Count

2010-09-28T11:48:00.000-07:00

I've only been back in the working world for a week and already, I've figured out one thing...I don't get to see the kids as much as I'd like to. I can't even describe to you how weird it is to go from spending nearly 24/7 with them over the past 2 1/2 years to seeing them for about 30 minutes every morning and a couple of hours every night with them on the weekdays. Sure, SweetPea absolutely loves kindergarten...being with her best friend and learning a ton of new things and Lil Buddy...well, he's at least enjoying playtime outside. I suspect he's enjoying more than that, but he is still adjusting...but I digress. No matter how you cut it, we're spending a lot less time together. It's for this very reason that I'm learning that we need to make the most of our time together, especially on the weekends.

This past weekend, we made an effort to get out of the house and spend some quality time together. On Saturday, we grabbed the kids' bikes and took them out to "the big park" where Lil Buddy got to swing to his heart's content and SweetPea got to ride her bike. We fed the geese...and the leigons of pidgeons...and the nutria. When we were all worn out and sweaty, we cruised into McDonalds so the kids could have their favorite meal...chicken, apples and apple juice...and the cool Strawberry Shortcake toy of the week. On Sunday, we hung out at the indoor play area at the Mall and then browsed around Barnes and Noble when we were done playing. Oh sure, we didn't do anything exciting. In fact, we didn't really do anything we wouldn't have done any other weekend before I went back to work, but this time...this time it felt different. I felt like I needed to grab a hold of every little simple moment and relish it.

A day into week two and I'm trying really hard each night to make the most out of my interactions with both kids. Sure, there are things going undone (and uncleaned, might I add) so that we can find those extra minutes here and there to spend with them. Hopefully in the end it all pays off.

Mama Drama Mondays: The Kindergarten 15

2010-09-27T07:00:00.000-07:00

It's hard to say "no" to a face like that.

This is the year I finally have a kindergartner. She's almost as excited about it as I am. Almost. I'm pretty darned exited about it. Especially since her younger sister started preschool and I have 4 whole hours to myself each week! I know the mind boggles with what to do with all that "free time."

There have been a few hiccups with the new routines; the bus drops Peri off at 11:25 and Ryah's preschool is over at 11:30, so I've had to find work arounds for being in two places at once. Fortunately, I have great friends that help me out. But for the most part, things have been running smoothly and we've all adjusted. Imagine my surprise when I got a phone message the other day, from Peri's kindergarten teacher...

"Hi Holly, this is Amber X, Peri's teacher, and I just wanted you to know that Peri has been eating breakfast in the cafeteria in the mornings. I only just found out today and when I talked to her about it, she said it was her second breakfast and she was able to tell me what she'd already eaten at home. I thought "Oh no" and I'd better check with you about that. Sorry I didn't catch it sooner, but she's been charging her breakfasts. I'll send her account balance home with her next week."

I didn't know whether to laugh or groan. I mean, it's pretty funny that a 5-year-old can just walk in there, get breakfast and have it added to her non existent account. But I was also a little annoyed that I was footing the bill for such an obvious oversight on the school's part. After I called her teacher back, to let her know that Peri should not be eating at school and that I would pay the balance next week, I was baffled as to how that could even happen. I remember as a kid that you either had to pay cash for your school food or have a prepaid card from your parents, there was no "tab."

So, for the last two weeks, Peri has been running up a cafeteria bill, unbeknownst to me and her teachers. I know she did it because it was there and she saw other kids eating and thought it was okay. But I wonder how long it would have gone on? Maybe until her next well check up visit, when the nurse would inform me that Peri had managed to gain 15 lbs since her last visit and that it's a little excessive. Or those brand new school clothes start fitting a lot snugger than they should.

In any case, there is now such a thing as the Kindergarten 15 and you heard it here first. This will be one of those things I tease her about in the future and we'll just laugh it off, but for now, I have to go pay the bill. Then again, today is her birthday (Happy 6th Birthday Periwinkle!); perhaps we'll just write it off as a gift and not add it to her tab. :oP

Leaps and Bounds

2010-09-23T23:13:00.001-07:00

I remember when Brayden was only two years old and inquisitive. "What's that?" was literally every other phrase he spoke when he was little and learning all about the things that make our day to day life work. He uttered the phrase so much that when we were shopping one day and stumbled across a little t-shirt that said just that on it we knew we had to buy it for him because that's who Brayden was, our little "What's that?" baby.

Now when Brayden has questions about the world and the things around him I'm not always the first person he turns to for questions. From 8am until 3:45pm he is off learning new things that will help guide him in life, and sometimes it still catches me off guard, the realization that I don't have much to do with that portion of his life anymore. I've watched my child grow by leaps and bounds and although I'm his biggest supporter and source of encouragement the real hero's are Brayden's teacher to being his guide and Brayden himself for applying his thoughts and seeing the things in the world as miraculous and something that he can gain knowledge from.

Last Wednesday was Brayden's meet the teacher night. His school likes to hold them about three weeks into the school year so that their is some school work on display for the parents to see. We all piled in the Jeep and drove the mile down to the school for the evening, much to Gage's delight who cries every single morning when Brayden heads off to school on the bus because he wants to go to school too.

I'm always unsure when I walk into Brayden's school. This is the place that has replaced me in so many aspects of his little life. And this is the place that will continue to replace me as he grows and gains Independence, and that's a hefty thing for any mother to overcome. But this is also where my child thrives. It's a bittersweet thing.

We checked out his classroom and met with the teacher, who only had wonderful things to say about Brayden (aside from his knack for running to the bus at the end of the day ... have to get the best seat you know). Gage got a chance to sit at his big brother's desk and pretend that he was a real student himself. And Brayden's dad and I got to witness the very source of our child's mental development. Luckily, he's in good hands. But sometimes I wish that those hands were still mine.

27 Quick, Easy Meals for Busy Moms

2010-09-23T01:29:00.000-07:00

I've been working hard on this big-mama post because I think it's something that will benefit a lot of tired, overworked moms (or dads, or anyone who is exhausted around 5PM and has no desire to cook dinner.) Actually it was Alyssa's last post/plea that finally pushed me over the edge.

I started digging around in the depths of my blog and pulled out 27 recipes that could reasonably be prepared in 30 minutes or less and don't require any complicated techniques or a lot of chopping. A little chopping, yes, but that's the trade off we make when we choose to eat real food instead of pulling some pre-packaged thing out of the freezer and into the microwave/oven. Like with most things, the more you chop, the faster you get. (And please use a sharp knife!) Your body will thank you.

So yes, these meals take longer than the 12 minutes it may take to cook a frozen pizza. A little prep work ahead of time or even better, menu planning (!), will make these even easier than they already are. I promise. I plan on doing a post in the near future focusing on slow cooker and freezer-friendly meals, but these are ones you don't have to think about (if you've planned ahead and have everything you need) until about 5PM.

Enjoy!

Pasta

1. Swiss Chard and Sun-Dried Tomato Skillet Mac - Comes together quickly if you have the sun-dried tomato pesto already made. A great way to incorporate greens if you have picky eaters!

2. Balsamic Chicken Pasta with Fresh Cheese - Dressed with a balsamic dressing instead of sauce to make it extra light and fresh.

3. Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Fettucine - Another great one that uses the sun-dried tomato pesto!

4. Sausage and Zucchini Pasta Toss - A great one that gets much of its flavor from cooked sausage (like Aidell's).

5. Penne with Chicken and Sun-Dried Tomatoes - Heh. I didn't realize most of these recipes had sun-dried tomatoes! Feel free to substitute regular tomatoes in this one. I love the artichoke hearts in this.

Rice

1. Foil-Packet Salmon and Nutty Lemon-Herb Brown Rice with Avocado - This is a delicious Omega-3 packed meal that my toddlers even enjoyed!

2. Pineapple Chicken - A delicious stir-fry dish with chunks of juicy pineapple and a coconut milk sauce.

3. Eight Treasure Fried Rice - This is probably the most interesting (in a good way) and delicious fried rice I've had. It's hearty enough to stand on its own, too.

4. Coconut Curry with Cauliflower, Carrots, and Chickpeas - A great vegetarian week-night meal with an optional lesson on the letter "C".

Gluten-Free/Alternative Grains

1. Hidden Veggie Chipotle Taco Meat - You can use this as a taco or burrito filling or over a bed of salad greens. A food processor makes this come together in a snap.

2. Grilled Garlic Shrimp and Quinoa with Garlic, Nuts, and Raisins - Quinoa is a great protein-rich grain that cooks up like rice. This one is for the garlic lovers!

3. Spicy Turkey Chile Verde with Hominy and Squash - Having the squash pre-chopped really saves a lot of time here. We loved this with a side of cornbread or muffins.

4. Smoky Greens over Polenta - Polenta (or grits) can be whipped up in no time. I love the combination of bacon and greens here.

(P.S. All of the gluten-free recipes on my site are indicated by a "*" in the recipe index!)

Burgers and the Like

1. Grilled Zucchini and Ham Pita Panini with Basil Hummus - Hummus keeps in the fridge for about a week, so it's a good thing to do ahead of time.

2. Chimichurri Burgers - These burgers may look ordinary, but they're filled with a spicy cilantro/parsley chimichurri (kind of like pesto). One of our favorite burgers ever.

3. Thai Peanut Turkey Burgers - A different twist on a burger that's surprisingly delicious! Ground turkey is mixed with a blend of spices, shredded carrot and dab of peanut butter.

4. Itty Bitty Burgers - These may seem fussy, but they come together quickly, and it's something the kids would love to help with!

Soup

1. Hearty Cheeseburger Soup - A warming soup that tastes like a burger and fries! Nobody that's tried this hasn't liked it. (Or at least admitted it to me!)

2. Chipotle Steak and Potato Soup - Most likely my favorite beef soup ever. Make a batch of shredded chipotle beef in your slow cooker and save some leftovers to make this soup!

3. Zuppa Toscana - This is my version of the creamy Olive Garden soup, filled with sausage, potatoes, and kale.

4. Cheesy Tomato-Vegetable Soup - This is a common lunch-time soup that my kids love, but it would be wonderful on a weeknight for the whole family. It's done in about 15 minutes. Seriously.

Main Dish Salads

1. Creole Salmon Patties over Greens - Great use for leftover salmon or any other type of fish!

2. BLT Salad with Dijon Vinaigrette - One of my favorite salads - which may or may not be due to the fact that it's got bacon.

3. Chicken Parmesan Salad - The famous Chicken Parmesan turned into a light, flavorful salad. You won't miss the puddle of grease.

4. Black Bean Cake Salad with Cilantro-Lime Cream - The cilantro-lime cream in this is really what makes the whole thing shine. It's a great vegetarian option as well!

5. Green Bean and Egg Salad with Goat Cheese Dressing - Green salad meets potato salad meets egg salad. Kind of strange-sounding combination, but the dressing pulls it all together.

More posts that might make your culinary life a bit easier:

Non-digital Recipe Organization
Using Microsoft OneNote to Organize Recipes
Flexible Menu Planning in 15 Minutes Per Week

Tips on Getting Kids to Eat
Making "Fancy" Things with Kids Around

Mini-Mean Girls

2010-09-22T15:01:00.000-07:00

5-year-old Gracie has been in kindergarten for about a month now and every day she comes home bursting with stories of the fun she's had playing with her friends - two names mentioned in particular. One girl is her very, very, very best friend, and the other girl is another very, very good friend.

I've been so thrilled that my big brave girl is off in the world making friends and having fun...

Until last night.

Last night was roller skate night to celebrate the first month of school, and though there were only a tiny handful of kindergartners present at the roller rink (about 6 of them, including Gracie, which was surprising as there are 7 kinder classes with 24 kids each) wouldn't you know it, her two 5-year-old BFFs were there.

When Gracie excitedly called out, "LOOK! My friends are here!" I was so excited. After a month of hearing all about these recess and lunch time besties, I couldn't wait to watch her go off and play, and then introduce myself to their moms and pass over phone numbers for play dates and sleep overs and all that fun stuff that Gracie has been looking forward to FOREVER.

What I wasn't expecting was for the two little girls to hold only each others hands, refuse to say hi to Gracie other than the tiniest of waves, and then proceed to ignore my kiddo whilst whispering and giggling to each other for the entire two hours.

(and I wasn't expecting their moms to act the same way when I introduced myself!)

Okay, I have to admit something here - Gracie didn't go to play groups, day care or preschool, and as a result, hasn't had experience with whispering, cliquey "mean girls." And let me just say, my heart broke into a million, billion pieces when I saw her face fall and her teeny little shoulders slump when she realized her friends wanted nothing to do with her.

But then she looked up at me, smiled, took my hand and said, "You're the best mama ever. Let's skate again," and off we went, just me and my kiddo. Eventually Gracie found a boy in her class who had fallen so many times he didn't want to skate anymore, and she encouraged him to put his skates back on and try again, held his hand so he wouldn't fall, and they skated for a little bit. But when Gracie's girl friends left, they didn't even bother saying goodbye to her. And though she pretended that everything was a-okay, Gracie was so obviously crushed.

It just boggles my mind that the whole cliquey mean-girl thing starts so young. And I certainly never expected my sweet-as-pie, huge-hearted child to be the one excluded. Moms out there, if you've had similar situations happen with your kids, what did you do?

xoxo,

Date Night

2010-09-20T07:00:00.000-07:00

Ah, the perfect setting, sometimes you wait weeks for this night, but in the end, it's all worth it to spend some quality one on one time with your sweetheart. No, not that sweetheart. I'm talking about date night with your kids. Wait, what? Isn't the point to spend time with your hubby without the kids? Well, yes, you should go on dates with the hubs, he kinda likes spending time with you too, but if you have kids (especially more than one), it's nice to go out on dates with them individually as well.

We've started a new tradition in our house and every other Friday, Jim and I each go out on a date with one of our girls. Then the next time, we switch. Now that the girls are old enough, we thought it would be a fun way for them to get to spend some one on one time with us.

Our first night out, Jim took Peri and I had Ryah. We went to different restaurants for dinner then different stores so that each of the girls could pick out a gift for her sister. Peri chose some new jammies for Ryah and Ryah picked out a princess frog shirt for Peri. The girls had a blast and it was nice getting to spend some alone time together.

This past weekend was round two. I had Peri this time around. We had a lovely dinner at Panera Bread then off to Barnes and Noble where she picked out a new book about the Tooth Fairy. Food and books, two of Peri's favorite things. I could have spent more time at the bookstore, but when your child starts complaining to wandering sales people that it's time to go, it's time to go. She had fun though and loves her new book.

The kids are so different in what interests them, so it's going to be fun coming up with different things to do. Peris' dates will likely be creative with crafts, books, movies and going to the theatre while Ryah is more active and will enjoy things like skating, parks and sports. It'll be nice to change things up for myself too and I know Jim's having fun as well. Having it regularly scheduled is great too because we all know it's coming and we look forward to it.

We're redefining date night in our house and having fun with the possibilities. Not to mention, we don't even need to find a sitter. :o)

Can't Be Tamed

2010-09-17T07:31:00.000-07:00

As I was re-tagging some my old posts I came across the humbling evidence that my Brayden is not so little anymore. Most of my recent posts and pictures involve Gage, mostly because Brayden is at an age where he doesn't hang around for mom to take pictures of anymore. He's not exploring the world in quite the same way anymore. He's growing and he is an adventurous little boy, who I'm begging to think can't be tamed. But that's ok, I wouldn't want to tame that part of him anyways.

But sometimes I do wish that he would eat his ice cream a bit more like this, so that maybe I could snap a photo or two before he runs off to play.

Originally posted on 07/19/10 on my personal blog Oh Mandie

Chicken Parmesan Masquerading as Salad

2010-09-16T08:42:00.000-07:00

In the July/August issue of Food Network magazine, they had a section where they took popular dishes and turned them into salads. What a great way to get the flavor of an indulgent dish without the guilt and heartburn. Brilliant!

The one that caught my eye first was the Chicken-Parmesan-turned-salad -- pieces of juicy grilled chicken & chunks of mozzarella on a bed of salad greens with a drizzle of tomato-ey vinaigrette (similar to this sun-dried tomato vinaigrette) and a sprinkle of flaky Parmesan bread crumbs.

Yep, I think that includes all the components of Chicken Parm.

Except the puddle of grease left on the plate. But I think we'll live.

Chicken Parmesan Salad
from Food Network Magazine, July/August 2010

1 plum tomato, halved
4 sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, plus 2 tablespoons oil from the jar
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 bunch fresh basil, torn
1/3 cup grated Parmesan
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 1 pound)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
8 cups Italian-blend salad greens or baby arugula
8 ounces bocconcini (small mozzarella balls), quartered

Preheat a grill to high. Puree the plum tomato, sun-dried tomatoes, vinegar, garlic, oregano, a few basil leaves and 2 tablespoons parmesan in a blender, drizzling in the sun-dried tomato oil until smooth. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons water, if needed; season with salt and pepper.

Halve the chicken breasts horizontally to make four 1/4-inch-thick cutlets. Brush with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the chicken until marked on the bottom, about 4 minutes, then turn and grill until cooked through, about 3 more minutes. Transfer to a cutting board.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the breadcrumbs, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 2 minutes. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon parmesan and the parsley and cook until toasted, about 1 more minute.

Toss the salad greens and remaining basil in a large bowl. Cut the chicken into pieces and add to the greens along with the mozzarella. Toss with the dressing, then sprinkle with the breadcrumb mixture.

Nat's Notes:
1. Panko bread crumbs are flakier than normal bread crumbs and are usually found in the Asian section of the grocery store.

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Originally posted on Perrys' Plate

Managing Mealtime

2010-09-14T07:51:00.000-07:00

The days are dwindling. In less than a week, I'll be back to work. Just about everything here at home is in order. Just about. Now is the time where I have to start planning ahead for dinners during the work week. With our schedules, by the time we have the kids rounded up from school and get home, it will be smack in the middle of their normal dinner time. There won't be a lot of time for cooking a full meal, which means things will have to be cooked ahead of time (most likely the weekend before) and ready to heat and eat during the week. I'll be honest...I need help.

More often than not, I'm not a big fan of food reheated in the microwave because it rarely tastes the same as it would fresh off the stove. I just don't see how we can get around it with the limited time we'll have every night. I'm hoping some of you brilliant Mommies can share quick fix dinner ideas with me...things that are tasty, easy to prep ahead of time and reheat later, and that are healthy...or at least reasonably healthy! We are pretty big poultry eaters. We love beef and pork but none of us are big seafood fans. Post your favorite recipes or drop some links to recipes that I can try out. I'm hoping for a nice arsenal of meals that I can rotate from week to week so that we don't get too bored eating the same meals. I'll keep you posted on how my dinner planning works out!

Itty Bitty Burgers

2010-09-09T11:51:00.000-07:00

Aren't these little burgers darling? They almost look like they're chatting with each other.

They look really fussy, but they're actually quite easy. Start to finish, they only took about 30 minutes to prepare. Make sure you make the patties really small, about 1.5 inches across. After a little shrinkage from being cooked, they should be about the perfect size.

Having the fixings prepped before the patties come out of the oven is really helpful. One concern I had about these was keeping them warm, and that's one reason why I opted for fresh spinach instead of lettuce. If you pop them back in the oven for a minute or two to heat up, the spinach won't turn to slime like lettuce would.

If I were to do this again, I would smear some mustard on the buns, too. The chipotle mustard I used has a bit of a kick, and I thought having it in the meat would be enough. It was perfect for my little girls, but the hubs and I would have liked a little more heat. Besides that, we loved them alongside some Sweet Potato Fries for dinner!

As I was making these, the wheels in my head started turning. An Italian version would be awesome, using some basil or sun-dried tomato pesto in the meat and topping them with mozzarella or provolone cheese, and a piece of roasted red pepper. Wouldn't it be fun to have a "Burger Tasting" party where everyone brought a different kind to share? The possibilities make my head spin...

Chipotle Mustard Itty Bitty Burgers
by Natalie

1/2 lb lean ground beef
2 T chipotle mustard + extra to spread (any kind of mustard will do)
a generous pinch of salt
2 hamburger buns
2 slices pepper jack cheese, cut into 1-inch pieces
a handful of cherry or grape tomatoes, sliced thinly
a handful of fresh baby spinach (or lettuce) cut into 1-inch pieces
16 toothpicks

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a medium bowl add 2 T of chipotle mustard and a generous pinch of salt to the ground beef. Using your hands, mix gently until everything is thoroughly combined. Roll meat into very small balls, roughly 1 1/2 inches across and set on a rimmed cookie sheet. (I got 16 out of my batch.) Press each ball down gently to slightly flatten . Bake for 10 minutes, remove and lay a small piece of cheese over each burger. Return to oven for 1-2 more minutes until cheese is melted and burgers are cooked through.

While the burgers are cooking, spread mustard on buns (if you like), and cut into 1-inch pieces. Prepare remaining ingredients and have everything ready when the burgers come out of the oven. Assemble burgers on toothpicks by stabbing some bread (mustard side down), then lettuce, then tomato, then a burger, then the other piece of bread (mustard side up). When you put them on a serving dish, press everything down a bit -- that will help them stand up.

Makes 16 appetizers (serving about 8), or dinner for 4 people.

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Originally posted on Perrys' Plate

Wait... What Day Is It Today?

2010-09-08T17:49:00.000-07:00

"Nanny nanny boo boo. I'm making you cra-zy"

I think I need to get myself some days-of-the-week underpants, because until about 3 minutes ago, I thought today was Tuesday.

It's not. It's Wednesday. Surprise!

The sad thing is, I can't even blame the holiday weekend, because in my life, there is no holiday weekend. Days are pretty much all the same. Only some days my new little kindergartner needs to wear all blue or have her library book in her backpack when she leaves for school.

Who do I blame for not knowing what day it is?

My kids, that's who.

No, not myself for not having a calendar hanging up where I can see it. I blame my kids. Before kids, I knew what day of the week it was. Actually, before kids I was mostly aware of whatever day was or wasn't Friday.

But now, my days are all pretty much the same. Wake up, hook up my coffee drip, read, draw, write, fetch all ten billion things my kids ask me to fetch, clean all ten billion things my kids have made messy, wash all ten billion articles of clothing that constantly need washing, wonder where all ten billion kid-sized socks have disappeared to, then go to bed.

So, Happy Wednesday to you! And if you are like me, and you thought it was Tuesday, then Happy Tuesday to you!

And go on, blame your kids when you lose track of the days. Heck, blame your kids for whatever you want. You KNOW they'll be blaming you for whatever they want later in life.

xoxo,

Times They Are a Changin'

2010-09-07T09:39:00.000-07:00

In case anyone missed reading about it on my personal blog, in two weeks, I'll be going back to work full time. There are so many things to get in order, the biggest one being...where they kids are going to be while we are at work all day. I take that back, where they are going to be was pretty easy. Sending them to preschool part time for a year was the best thing I could have ever done, because it made choosing a daycare center that much easier. No, these are the real dilemmas we've been tackling lately...

SweetPea: So here's the thing. When SweetPea was in part time Jr pre-K, I'd discussed the issue of her going to kindergarten this Fall with the center director. Since she won't turn five until February, she's past the cut off age for public kindergarten. As far as the director and her teachers were concerned, they gave a big thumbs up to SweetPea skipping pre-K and going straight on to private K. When I mentioned the issue to friends and family, everyone had an opinion. No...everyone had a strong opinion about whether I should send her or not. You'd think we were discussing whether or not I should take my four and a half year old out for a belly ring and a tattoo...that was the kind of reaction I got! Some thought she was too young and we were pushing her too hard. Others didn't see any reason why I should hold her back. In the end, the decision not to send her came down to money...we couldn't afford to send her to full time private kindergarten. Now that she's going to have to be at the center full time, we had to decide which room to put her in. Come to find out, a handful of her Jr pre-K friends who are her age got moved up to private K. I talked to her best buddy's (who got moved up to private K) Mom and found out what kind of material was being covered, only to find out that SweetPea is ahead of what they are learning right now. So...we took the plunge and she will be starting private K in two weeks. For her part, she's excited to be back in class with kids she knows and she's psyched about being in kindergarten. To be honest, I think we've made the right decision.

Lil Buddy: His situation is a little different. Lil Buddy will be transitioning into the early preschool class that's appropriate for his age. It's the "potty training" room (woo hoo!) and I'm hopeful that being in a room full of other kids in the same boat that he'll go from being "mostly potty trained" to "completely potty trained". The biggest issue we had to grapple with is how he would be able to continue with his speech therapy. You see, about two months ago we had him evaluated by a private speech therapist and he was diagnosed with an articulation disorder. In a nutshell, he has perfect language comprehension for his age, but only 10% of what he says is understood by anyone other than, well, me and SweetPea, who spend all day with him. His private speech therapist doesn't have late or weekend appointment hours, which potentially meant he wouldn't have help with his speech issues. Thankfully, I had the sense to call the daycare center to ask whether anyone would be available to help him. While the center doesn't have anyone trained in speech therapy, they were able to refer me to Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) services. The company contracted to provide these services in our area will be evaluating him at home this week to see if he qualifies for help through them. If he does, they will send a therapist out to the daycare center to help him until he reaches age three. At three, he will be evaluated again and if he still needs therapy, he will fall under the "jurisdiction" of the school district, but will have to travel to their facilities for therapy. Hopefully by then, his issues (which are considered fairly minor) will be resolved.

For the most part, we've pretty much got all our ducks in row for the kids to be in full time care. Their paperwork...filled out (OK, mostly filled out), naptime stuff, extra clothes and potty training britches for Lil Buddy...packed up, and kindergarten school supplies for SweetPea...ready to go. Of course, I still have to complete the last of my pre-employment things this coming Monday (a TB test and a drug screen...good times), but come Monday the 20th, we should all be ready for the next chapter...the working Momma years!

Mama Drama Mondays: When You Want to Care-a-lot, But Can't

2010-09-06T07:00:00.000-07:00

You know what I love? All those 80's cartoons, toys and games I enjoyed as a child. What do I love even more? Watching my kids fall in love with those same things. In our house, we're enjoying She-ra, Jem, Alvin & the Chipmunks and Care Bears, and thank goodness that these former VHS classics have been upgraded to DVD. The only problem with going vintage is now it's almost impossible to buy dolls, playsets and action figures without taking a second mortgage out on your house. The fact that my childhood is considered "vintage" is kind of depressing too.

We've been on a huge Care Bear kick lately; watching the original cartoons and movies, playing with the two stuffed bears we have and acting out the girls' favorite scenes. With all of the lame new toys and cartoons out now, it's nice that we can rely somewhat on the cooler classics. Since the girls are having so much fun, I've taken to surfing Ebay (trying to outbid, Alyssa *wink*) and scouring thrift stores looking for some characters and playsets for them to enjoy. Ohmygoodness, reclaiming your childhood is spendy! Makes me wish I'd kept something other than my old Barbie dolls.

The whole thing is a bummer because I'm not a collector and will end up getting rid of them once the girls have found a new favorite, but I can't imagine any parent investing in their kids' toys, knowing how quickly those fickle little minds move on. There should be a discarded toy co-op for vintage toy "emergencies" such as these. I'd buy into that. :o) We'll call it "What's Mine is Yours....Again!" I've got some Barbies to add.

******

Me Time Follow-up: I think I've decided on a headshot and will be printing and submitting to local agencies this week. Wish me luck!

What will you do this week?

Mama Guilt: Get Over It

2010-09-03T05:38:00.000-07:00

I have a serious problem with guilt. Not just any guilt, but possibly the worst kind of guilt. Mama Guilt.

I'm sure you know the kind, where you feel inadequate as a mom and you compare yourself and your children's behaviour to the other families that surround you.

The other day I was talking to a mama friend of mine who commented that she only allows her children 30 minutes of television per day. 30 minutes!?! In the back of my mind all I could think of was a few weeks ago when I was laid up on the couch with cramps and it was all I could do to get a few moments of peace to sit Gage down in front of the television for awhile to watch enough television to make those other supermoms shake their heads in disgust. Or better yet all of the times when I had to trek down to the basement to do a load of laundry or out to the mailbox, tasks that are much easier without a child hanging on my leg, where I stuck my boys in front of the television in order to get things done.

Brayden, my oldest child, casually mentioned to me that one of his new friends at school only packs his lunch because he is an organic vegan.... at age 7. The last time Brayden asked if he could pack his lunch it was thrown together last minute and consisted of a pb&j, an applesauce cup, some fruit snacks, and a boxed kids drink that I'm sure had enough sugar in it to make any mom scoff in disapproval.

When Gage goes into the nursery at our church he's often lined up with other kids his age who are all wearing their Sunday best clothes complete with creased dockers and sweater vests. The last time I dropped him off there, Gage was wearing torn jean shorts that showed off his poor scrapped knees paired with an old tee shirt with juice stains on the collar.

All of these factors add up to Mama Guilt, and those who have it carry it around with them everywhere they go, always sizing up the competition and feeling inadequate in their role as a mother.

Now there is nothing wrong with taking a few tips here and there on how to better improve things in your household, but on what scale are you using to deam yourself as an unfit mom? The fact is, there is no scale and every mom and every household is different as they do what works for their family dynamic.

Sometimes I feed my kids cereal for dinner because I'm too exhausted to cook a nutritious meal that night.
Sometimes I let my kids skip their nightly bath/shower and be smelly the next day just to get them into bed that much sooner because this mama needs to rest.
Sometimes I only read every other page of the bedtime story books because after a long day wrangling two rambunctious boys I'm exhausted.

And really, a little high fructose corn syrup never hurt anyone.

Chevy's Fresh Salsa + 7 Ways to Use Up Tomatoes

2010-09-02T01:57:00.000-07:00

By far, the most popular recipe on my site (via Google searches) is for Chevy's Fresh Salsa. Followed by Cafe Rio Chicken, Chevy's Sweet Corn Tomalito, and Applebee's Fiesta Lime Chicken (speaking of bad photos. Yikes.) All excellent recipes, if you're looking for restaurant copycats.

I hadn't made this salsa since I originally posted it over a year ago, and since I have a giant tub of (not so) freshly picked ripe tomatoes, I thought I'd give it another go and update the photos.

Man, I forgot how much I loved this salsa.

Instead of simply updating the old post (found here), I decided to revise the recipe a bit. A while ago I noticed that someone had re-posted the recipe and said something to the effect of the salsa being created from Satan himself. (It was hot. But he liked it.) I didn't remember it burning my face off. I don't have a high threshold for heat, either.

Anyway, I doubled the recipe while reducing the number of jalapenos and the amount of liquid smoke. This recipe should fit nicely in a quart-sized mason jar. Unless you add all of the extra liquid from the tomatoes.

See exhibit A:

This go-round I grilled the vegetables at night, then stuck them in the fridge and finished the salsa the next morning. When I pulled the bowl out of the fridge, there was a considerable amount of liquid in the bottom. I decided to leave it out for a thicker salsa (which thickened even more after sitting in the fridge). If you want a looser salsa, then reserve it and add it to achieve the consistency you want.

Oh yeah. If you're swimming in tomatoes (like me), here are a few more ways to get rid of a lot of tomatoes:

Sun-Dried Tomatoes Without the Sun
Fresh Pico de Gallo
Vegetarian Tortilla Soup
Roasted Garlic Pasta Sauce
Tyler Florence's Roasted Tomato Soup
Rigatoni with Eggplant (and Tomato) Puree
BLT Salad with Dijon Vinaigrette

Chevy's Fresh Salsa, Revised
adapted from Top Secret Restaurant Recipes 2 by Todd Wilbur

2 1/2 pounds tomatoes
3 large jalapenos (use more if small, fewer if large)
1/4 med Spanish onion (or yellow)
3 cloves garlic
1/4 c chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 c white vinegar
2 tsp salt
1 tsp liquid mesquite smoke

Preheat BBQ (or stovetop grill pan like I used) on high. Remove stems from tomatoes, then rub some oil over each. Leave stems on jalapenos and rub oil on them, too.

Place tomatoes on grill when it's hot. After about 10 minutes, add all jalapenos. In about 10 minutes, turn the tomatoes and peppers. When almost all of the surface of the peppers are black, remove them from the grill. The tomatoes will turn partially black, but when the skin begins to come off they are done. Remove from grill and allow veggies to cool.

Remove skin from tomatoes and place in a food processor. Pinch the stem end from each pepper, remove any skin that has burned, and place into food processor with tomatoes.

Add remaining ingredients and puree on high for 5-10 seconds. Chill for several hours or overnight before serving. Makes about 2 cups.

Nat's Notes:
1. After scraping all of the seeds and some of the whitish veins from the peppers, it was still quite spicy -- about like "medium" salsa you'd buy at the store.
2. After the tomatoes have cooled, you'll notice quite a bit of liquid left in the bowl (especially if you let them sit overnight). Adding it all back into the salsa makes it sort of watery (see picture on original post). I didn't add any back into it this time around and I liked the thicker texture. It also thickens as it sits in the fridge, so hold on to that liquid in case you want to thin it out later.

Print Recipe Text Only

Re-posted from Perrys' Plate

Advice for Young Girls From the Disney Princesses

2010-09-01T20:09:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I'm just going to go out there and say it: I like Disney fairy tale musicals. No. I love them. Particularly the ones that came out when/before I was in elementary school (3rd grade The Little Mermaid - 5th grade Beauty and the Beast)

I'm a humongous fairy tale junkie, and enjoy seeing Disney's take on the classic tales (I am ALL for fairy tale retellings), but being a mom with daughters, I couldn't help cracking up over the Advice for Young girls videos from The Second City Network on YouTube.

Advice for Young Girls from The Little Mermaid:

Advice for Young Girls from Belle:

Hope you laughed as much as I did!

And then, because I love to know about all things fairy tale-related - what is your favorite fairy tale, Disney, or otherwise?

(Mine is Rapunzel. Yes, I am flipping out over the Tangled trailer.)

xoxo,

What We've Been Reading

2010-08-31T05:58:00.000-07:00

We've been reading a lot lately. Not that we didn't before, but ever since I got the inspiration to start writing children's picture books, I've been on a mission to get my hands on all different kinds of picture books. Call it my "research". Considering our already sizable picture book collection and the fact that they aren't exactly cheap, I've resorted to checking out piles of books from our public library or speed reading bunches of books in the Kid Lit section at Barnes and Noble. On our trips to the library, I allow the kids to pick out a couple of books each to take home and I, of course, end up checking out a few of my own. I'll come clean, while I've been good about "browsing, not buying" at B&N, I have bought a couple new picture books in the last month.

Either way, we've read oodles of new stories, some good, some really good and some...meh...and I wanted to share with you some of our recent favorites:

SweetPea's Favs:

Winnie the Witch: If you hadn't figured it out by now, SweetPea loves witches, so she naturally gravitated to this book. Winnie the Witch loves black...everything in her house is black, including her cat, Wilbur. Here's where the mayhem ensues. Winnie can't help tripping over and sitting on Wilbur since, well, he blends. How does she solve the problem? That's the fun of this story. Of course you'll have to read to find out. By the way, don't be fooled into thinking this just a Halloween story because there's a witch in it. Really, this is a fun "anytime" story.

The Day My Runny Nose Ran Away: I'm pretty sure that I chose this one for SweetPea but as soon as we read it, she wanted to read it again and again. In short, it's a story about what happened when one little boy didn't show his nose respect. It's funny. It's clever...and be warned, it's a little long. It's meant for grades 1-3, so it's pretty wordy, but SweetPea is starting to get into longer stories, so at 4 1/2, she still enjoyed it every time we read it. The humor in the book is fantastic because it is layered in a way that both kids and adults will enjoy it.

Lil Buddy's Favs:

Little Quack's Hide and Seek: Our little guy loves ducks and he especially loves Little Quack. We have the original Little Quack board book in our collection, so when I saw this one on the shelf at the library, borrowing it was really a no-brainer. It's a simple story about how Little Quack and his brothers and sisters play hide and seek with Mama Duck and like the first book, helps little ones with their numbers. Where the first book shows them how to add, this book shows them how to subtract. Bottom line, it's an adorable story.

Owen: I'll admit it right now...I'm a huge fan of Kevin Henkes. The kids became interested in his books thanks to the Scholastic Storybook DVD collection that Santa sent our way a couple of Christmases ago. We've had his book Chrysanthemum in our book collection for about a year, so I wasn't surprised when Lil Buddy wanted to bring Owen home from the library. After all, it's about a little mouse who is completely attached to his favorite blankey, Fuzzy, not all too unlike a certain little boy in our house. Owen is about to start school and his parents are trying to figure out how to convince him to leave Fuzzy behind. How they solve this problem is what is most charming about this book. The illustrations are wonderful and his story telling style is fantastic. This is a must read!

Alyssa's Favs:

Jessica: Um...did I mention that I love Kevin Henkes? This is one of the few of his popular stories that isn't about a mouse. Ruthie has an imaginary friend named Jessica, who goes everywhere with her and does everything she does. Her parents tell her that Jessica doesn't exist. Who is right? Hmm...you'll see! As most of his stories do, this book tackles the subject of starting school, which is actually perfect timing for those of you who might have little ones about to start kindergarten. Check it out. You won't be sorry!

Ivy and Bean and the Ghost that Had to Go: I discovered this book, in, of all places, the book and magazine section at WalMart. I'd heard about early chapter books in my research on Kid Lit, but hadn't really read any of them myself. If you aren't familiar with this sort of book, it's aimed at grade 1-3 readers and is a mix of story and black and white illustrations. The chapters are pretty short, but the overall story is definitely longer than your traditional picture books. When I bought the book, I was mostly interested in it for myself to get a better handle on the style of writing, but as I read it, SweetPea asked me if I could read it to her and we ended up reading the whole book together in two separate sittings. It amazes me that she is able to tell me about the different characters (by name, no less) and the basic story plot even though we've only read it once. Ivy and Bean are very likable, quirky characters and the story...well what could be funnier than two second graders trying to exorcise a ghost from the girl's bathroom? I'm pretty sure I'll be picking up the rest of the books in the series.

There you have it! Hopefully you'll be inspired to pick at least one of these books up at your local library or bookstore. I don't think you'll be disappointed!

Me, Myself and Time AND Some Mama Drama

2010-08-30T07:00:00.000-07:00

It's a two-fer day! I had to follow up regarding last weeks' challenge (keeps me honest) but Peri had a first, so I have to share that with you too.

Jim was away fishing for the weekend, so it was just me and the girls. Friday night, Peri came out of her room around 11pm, bawling. "Peri, what's wrong?" "My tooth! Look!"
She opened her mouth and showed me her first loose tooth. "It's okay, Peri, it's supposed to do that. Remember the Tooth Fairy show we watched? Your baby teeth fall out and new ones come in. It won't hurt, I promise." She continued to bawl and didn't believe me that it was normal and wouldn't hurt. I eventually got her calmed down and back to bed.

About a half hour later, she came out again, "Look, Mommy, my tooth!" She proudly held it out for me to see. "Did you pull it out yourself?" "Yup, I did." "Did it hurt?" "No, it didn't hurt." Then she couldn't stop smiling; she was so proud of herself. "And the Tooth Fairy will come and she'll leave me presents, like a new toothbrush!"

Not able to shop without the kids, I told her she would have to wait until Daddy came home so she could show him the tooth, because the Tooth Fairy keeps the teeth. So, tonight Peri will have her first Tooth Fairy visit and I'm betting she brings a shiny gold dollar coin, a spiffy new toothbrush and some fairy stickers. At least, that's what I would bring if I were her, which, I'm not.

******

So, last weeks' Me Time was about getting some new headshots taken so that I can look for an agent, and hopefully get back into acting. Being a bit pressed for time, I ended up having to do them myself, but I think they'll do for the initial submissions. I'm leaning towards #1, but thought I'd see what you all thought. Most of my friends seem to think either #1 or 4 (which by the way, isn't that close up, it just fit weird in the box). What do you think?

And, for those of you who haven't seen the movie Eat, Pray, Love, you must go go go! I admit, I never read the book, and probably never will, but the movie is fabulous and is great in terms of valuable life lessons (I've seen it twice). I love the part when Liz's character is asked to use a word that describes herself and she says, "Writer," to which her friend responds, "That's what you do, it's not who you are." Which sums up my whole personal goal of self improvement; to find myself and not be labeled only as Mom. It's what I do, not who I am.

What will you do this week?

The What If's

2010-08-27T05:52:00.000-07:00

If I had never became a mother...
I wouldn't have to wonder "Is that chocolate or is that poop?"

If I had never became a mother...
I would never have to use the bathroom or shower with the door open

If I had never became a mother...
I wouldn't step on legos with every step, causing me to scream out in pain

If I had never became a mother...
I wouldn't have gained this spare tire that I carry around the space where my tummy used to be.

If I had never became a mother...
I wouldn't have to buy Handi Snacks and Goldfish crackers by the grouse

If I had never became a mother...
I wouldn't have had the pleasure of pulling the back on someones pants open to see if they pooped.

If I had never became a mother...
I wouldn't have to buy an entire new wardrobe for them while I, myself, make do with one good pair of jeans and one cardigan.

If I had never became a mother...
I wouldn't have sat up until the wee hours of the morning lulling a crying baby to sleep when all I wanted to do was cry myself.

If I had never became a mother...
I would never have eaten so many cold meals in my life.

***************

If I had never became a mother...
I wouldn't get to see young minds grow and discover the beauty of the earth

If I had never became a mother...
I wouldn't have two sweet little warm bodies who find no greater joy than crawling into bed with their Mama for a good morning snuggle.

If I had never became a mother...
I would never had had the chance to nourish another human being with my own

If I had never became a mother...
I would never know how proud I could feel when someone does something that seems so small.

If I had never became a mother...
I never would have had another beating heart lay so close to my very own, literally.

Grilled Zucchini and Ham Pita Panini with Basil Hummus + 10 More Zucchini Recipes!

2010-08-26T01:15:00.000-07:00

I think I was a bit spoiled as a child -- at least when it came to meals. Not only did my mom make us whatever we wanted (within reason) for breakfast and lunch, we got to pick how it was cooked. She must have loved me a lot to make me hot dogs for breakfast, per my request, and even cut up the meat before it went into the bun. (Also per my request. I was a strange child.) And her sandwiches were the best. I don't think I ever ate a tuna sandwich unless it was grilled. I believe it was because of those that I have a slight aversion to cold sandwiches. If I have access to a stove, or at the very least, a microwave, there will be no cold sandwiches for this girl.

I find it ironic my love for hot sandwiches has not caused me to buy a panini maker. In fact, even if I had the space for one, I don't think I'd get one. I think a heavy cast-iron skillet placed on top of the sandwich while it cooks basically does the same thing. Except make those cool lines on the bread.

I whipped up these pita paninis and some hummus for dinner one night last week. Steve has been putting in a lot of late nights at the clinic, trying to finish school, so dinner has been a bit lax. I even quit planning a menu! Ack! I've decided that I need to use more of what I have on hand, so I've been cooking more on the fly lately. Fun sometimes, but a little stressful at others when I'm at a loss for what to make and my kids are poking each other in the eyes.

We LOVED these sandwiches. I liked grilling (aka in a skillet with butter, not an actual grill, but that would be good, too) pita bread because they crisped up really well. Especially the whole wheat ones I got at Trader Joe's. They're extra thin and sometimes a little too fragile, but I love them anyway.

Luckily I had one lone zucchini left in my fridge to save the day. I decided to do another zucchini recipe round up in case they're spilling out of your garden. Or appearing on your doorstep. Or are ridiculously cheap at the store.

It wasn't until I compiled this list that I realized just how much I love grilled zucchini. Seriously. I think I only prepare zucchini two ways -- grilled or grated up.

Grilled Zucchini Salad with Tomatoes and Purslane
Grilled Vegetable Pizza
Marinated Zucchini
Festive Grilled Zucchini and Sweet Potato Salad
Grilled Veggie Quesadillas
Roasted Vegetable and White Bean Dip
Grilled Zucchini Lasagna
Zucchini Cakes
Stuffed Zucchini with Ground Turkey
Zucchini Cupcakes with Caramel Frosting

Grilled Zucchini and Ham Pita Panini with Basil Hummus
by Natalie

1 small zucchini, sliced diagonally into 1/4-inch slices
oil, for brushing
2 whole pitas sliced in half
4 slices thin-sliced deli ham
2 round slices of provolone cheese, cut in half
1 medium tomato, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
6-10 fresh basil leaves
about 1/2 cup Basil Hummus (recipe below)

Heat BBQ grill or stove-top grill pan to medium-high heat. Toss zucchini slices in a bowl with a glug of oil. Place slices on pre-heated grill and cook for 8-10 minutes, flipping once, until nice grill marks have formed on both sides and zucchini is tender. Remove and set aside.

Coat a medium skillet with butter or nonstick spray and place over medium heat.

To assemble pitas, spread a couple spoonfuls of hummus inside each pita half and fill with one slice of ham, a few pieces of grilled zucchini, a slice of tomato, a few basil leaves, and a slice of cheese. Place pita half in the preheated skillet, then cook in a panini press.

If you don't have a panini press (like me), place a heavy, cast-iron skillet on top of the pita. Cook for 3-5 minutes or so, flip pita over, and place the heavy skillet on top again and cook for another 3-5 minutes until everything is heated through and outsides of the pita are golden brown and crisp. If you don't have a cast-iron skillet, simply use a small skillet and put a couple of cans of beans (or whatever else you have on hand) in the skillet to weigh it down.

Serve with Basil Hummus and sliced carrots, cucumbers, or other crudites.

Makes 4 pita halves.

Basil Hummus
adapted from this recipe by David Lawrence

2 cans of chickpeas (garbanzo beans) drained and well-rinsed
2 T tahini (ground sesame paste, found in ethnic or health food aisles)
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped coarsely
juice from 1 lemon (about 1/4 cup)
1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves (about 1/2 bunch)
big pinch of salt and ground black pepper
dash of cayenne pepper (optional)
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Combine chickpeas, tahini, garlic, lemon juice, basil, salt, cayenne and about 1/4 cup water in the bowl of a food processor. While the food processor is running, drizzle in the olive oil. Process until smooth, adding more oil if necessary. Check seasoning and add more salt if necessary.

Will keep refrigerated in an airtight container for two weeks.

Makes about 2 1/2 cups (seriously an estimate out of my head . . . my food processor only holds 3 cups and it almost fills it)

Print Recipe Text Only

Originally posted on Perrys' Plate

Make it: Personalized Towel

2010-08-25T07:49:00.000-07:00

My five year old started kindergarten this week (woo hoo!). But to Gracie's dismay, all kindergartners in her school are required to have nap-time in the afternoon.

Sounds good to me - I'd love a required nap - but that little kiddo of mine hasn't napped since she was two and the idea of laying down and resting upset her very much.

To make the transition to her new school-days life sweeter, I made Gracie an extra-special napping towel. We bought the pink towel from the store, and then dug through my fabric scraps to find a fun combination of patterns to go with the pink.

The project itself was quick and easy and required minimal materials. To make one yourself, you'll need:

1 towel
enough fabric to cut out letters of child's name
thread
pins or iron-on fusing web
scissors

I free-hand drew the letters, measuring them against each other so they were all the same size.

If you don't feel confident drawing the letters yourself, I suggest opening a Word doc, and sizing letters in whatever font you like, then printing them out to use as a pattern.

To attach the letters to the towel, you can use pins (as I did) or iron-on fusing web, which will keep them from slipping.

Then just zig-zag stitch the edges of the letters.

Yup, it's just that easy.

And look at that smile - Gracie doesn't mind her mandatory nap-time one bit, now that she has a special towel!

A cute and easy project that makes an excellent gift... can't beat that, eh?

xoxo,

Goodbye Grammy, Hello Three More Weeks of Crutches

2010-08-24T08:34:00.000-07:00

Our Good-bye Lunch at Pappadeaux's

My Mom went back to Boston yesterday...and we miss her already. The kids miss waking up each morning and crawling into bed with her to read books. I miss having an adult to interact with during the day. Most of all (sorry Mom) I miss having an extra set of hands and two good legs to help with the kids. I know that sounds horrible...like it's the only reason I was happy to have her here, but the truth is the help was really, really nice. Alas, she has a life and a job back in Massachusetts and taking off 12 days to help me out stretched her to her limit. And now, it's all me.

I saw the Sports Med doc yesterday who put me in a walking boot, then promptly told me that I'm not allowed to walk on it for another 3 weeks. yay. The nice thing is I can take my foot out whenever I want to and give it some air...and take showers without a bag over my leg...and actually shave my leg (I know, TMI, but it is what it is). The bad thing is...the crutches. Those damn crutches. The friction burns on my torso. The bruised and blistered spots on my hands. Most of all, trying to be helpful to the kids during the day all while balancing on crutches. This morning it took five times longer to do everything. By the time I had everyone fed, cleaned up and ready for the day, beds made, laundry rounded up and washing, it was 10:00 am and I still hadn't had breakfast. At this rate I better start dinner NOW. Ugh! OK, maybe I'm just being whiny and a big baby. I'm sure there are people out there who have it worse than me. Not to mention surgery to fix my ankle was my choice...and the ankle itself is feeling better than it has in over a year. Sure, it looks like something out of a zombie movie...but it doesn't hurt and I only have to take an occasional dose of Motrin and that's to help with the pain in my hands and wrists.

So, I guess I'm going to be "gimpy" for a few more weeks. When all is said and done, I'll be so happy to be able to stand on my own two feet again. I better have some awesome arm and ab muscles too!

Me, Myself and Time

2010-08-23T10:28:00.000-07:00

"Do you see pink elephants too?"

To briefly follow up on Ryah's surgery, all went well. Peri got to have her first sleepover at her friend Ella's house (she had a blast; clearly, since they didn't get to bed until 11pm). The rest of us got up bright and early at 5:45 in the morning to get to the hospital since Ryah was the first scheduled surgery.

She was quite amusing after they gave her her loopy cocktail, Ryah looked completely stoned and kept laughing (she kept saying, "Mommy, I falling down" then she'd giggle), then they took her back to assess the anesthesia they would use. Fortunately, after they gassed her they were able to determine that it would be quick and gas would be enough. *Phew* I was worried about the IV, so I'm really glad they were able to avoid that. She was a bit cranky coming out of it and had a few meltdowns, but who could blame her, really. I was looking forward to the Tylenol with Codeine because I thought for sure it would knock her out, but alas, it had the opposite effect and she wouldn't quit jumping off the furniture. It was like Speed for toddlers.

By the end of the day, she was back to her normal self and it was determined that she had had a Mucocele, so no matter what, it would have needed to be removed. They got it all and it shouldn't come back. Just glad that it's all over and done with.

*******

The last time I wrote about my Me Time project, I was getting ready to revamp a friend's website. And while I'm no html expert, I can usually sift through the code to find what I'm looking for and Google how-to's, fairly effectively. I'm always proud of myself when I don't have to bring in my husband for help. In fact, I only had to do it once. Yay me!

So here is the old website...

And here's the new one...

Nice huh? She's in real estate, so I think the new one is a little warmer and friendlier and just plain prettier. :o) I learned a little more about dimensions, pages, opening urls in new windows (so cool and easy) and lots of fun new widgets. There's always the aesthetic part of design that I love too, because even if a website is fully functional, it doesn't matter if it's not pretty.

So this week, I'm going to try to get back into acting. I've done community theatre since I was 9 and I did one industrial film back when I was 16. I really miss it. It's not something I see as a career, but something I really enjoy and if I can get the odd job here and there, why not? Especially since it seems like more movies and tv are coming to the Northwest. Maybe you'll see me on Leaverage. :o) Or not. First things first; I need a new headshot. So, that's my challenge this week, get a new headshot taken and start scouting for an agent. Wish me luck! (I think I can hear Marisa saying, "FINALLY!", she's been after me for a while)

You up to the challenge? Is there something you've always wanted to try; a class, an experience, a hobby? I challenge you to do something just for you.

What will you do this week?

In 20 Years

2010-08-20T07:02:00.000-07:00

Originally posted on my personal blog Oh Mandie on 07/21/10, but the concept is something that I've been thinking pretty heavily about for awhile and bares repeating.

Dear Oh Mandie 20 Years From Now,

I know that the sentimental part of you will still be filling in pages of your scrapbooks and reminiscing over the stacks of photo albums you have and remembering when your babies were actual babies. I know that you're thinking of cuddling those small boys and reading bedtime stories and making s'mores over backyard fires. But please, for the sake of future new mother, remember the other times too.

Don't forget what life was like with two little boys running a muck around the house and leaving a trail in their wake. I know that the memories that tend to stick are the sweet ones, but I want you to remember the skinned knees, the fights, and the sleepless nights of not one but two babes with colic. Remember why the laundry didn't done and why the floor wasn't always swept, because every time you went to do your daily tasks one of those boys needed you.

So when a young mother tells you that she hasn't had the chance to shower for three days, believe her, because you once were her. And when you're at the grocery store and you see a mother struggling to hold on to her children, bags, keys, and sanity, offer her a smile rather than a grimace in annoyance, because she's doing the best that she can.

And those young moms that are in your family, circle of friends, church, or whatever? Don't wait for them to ask you for help, because us mom's, we're a proud bunch. Call her up and offer to come over for a few hours one day. And for heavens sake, bring her coffee.

Much Love,
Your Younger, Less Together Self

Hidden Veggie Chipotle Taco Meat

2010-08-19T01:26:00.000-07:00

You're probably thinking, "Taco meat? Whoop-dee-do, Nat. I make taco meat every Tuesday."

I love taco meat, but it isn't anything new. It isn't glamorous. Or photogenic for that matter. So why did I bother posting this? (Not that everything I post is glamorous and photogenic. Oh, heavens no.)

Because taco meat is where I hide vegetables most successfully from my picky little girls.

Right now is the perfect time of year to do it, too, with all of the fresh produce practically spilling out into the streets. A food processor comes in handy at times like these. I zipped up a whole zucchini and a red bell pepper in about 20 seconds before I tossed it in the pan. Grated carrots would also work really well. I threw in some frozen corn and beans (because my girls like them and it makes the meat stretch a bit further) that really stand out, in hopes it would distract them from the little green and red specks. Works every time.

I do love using traditional taco seasoning, but sometimes I feel like changing things up. The use of tomato sauce, chipotle powder, and diced green chiles was a nice change, I think. The chipotle powder adds a subtle kick (just a bit of tongue tingle) that my toddlers were OK with.

Hidden Veggie Chipotle Taco Meat
by Natalie

1 pound ground beef (grass-fed and organic, if possible)
1 red bell pepper, minced
1 small zucchini, minced
2 T dried minced onion (or 1/2 cup fresh chopped onion)
8 oz tomato sauce
1/4-1/2 tsp. chipotle chile powder or 1-2 chopped (seeds removed) chipotles in adobo sauce (to taste)
1 4-oz can diced green chiles
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
1 15-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Brown ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, prepare vegetables (food processor is really nice for this). When the beef is almost cooked through, add the minced pepper and zucchini. Cook for 3-4 more minutes until some of the liquid cooks out and the beef is cooked through.

Add diced onion, tomato sauce, chipotle powder, diced green chiles, salt, pepper, beans, corn, and 1/2 cup water. Cook another 4-5 minutes until about half of the liquid has cooked out and mixture is nice and saucy. Stir in cilantro and keep warm until ready to serve.

Nat's notes:
1. You can substitute 1 T chili powder for chipotle powder if you don't have it or worry about it being too spicy.
2. You can substitute any number of vegetables for the bell pepper and zucchini, as long as they're minced very small. I used what I had on hand. Cauliflower, yellow squash, fresh spinach, grated carrots, cabbage, or even broccoli would work nicely. You would need about 2 cups of minced vegetables, total.
3. Frozen peas would sub well for the frozen corn.

Serving suggestions (basically what you would do with regular taco meat)

Taco Salads: Place a handful of lettuce in a bowl, top with taco meat, chopped tomatoes, a few corn chips, sour cream, and cotija (or feta) crumbles.

Nachos: Put a few handfuls of corn chips on a rimmed baking sheet and top with about half of the taco meat. Top with shredded cheese (ohh, pepper jack would be good) and bake at 400 degrees F for 10-12 minutes. Serve with sour cream, guacamole, and other nacho toppings.

Quesadillas: Put a few spoonfuls of taco meat on one side of a tortilla. Top with a few sprinkles of shredded cheese, then fold in half. Cook in a skillet over medium heat until cheese is melted and tortilla is browned and crisp.

Burritos/Tacos: Place some taco meat, cheese, and whatever else you like in a large (or small) tortilla. Roll and serve

Southwest Baked Potatoes: Spoon some taco meat into a baked potato that's been cut open. Top with cheese and/or sour cream.

You could also serve the taco meat over rice or over a warm piece of cornbread.

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Originally posted from Perrys' Plate.

Sometimes A Mama Needs Help

2010-08-17T04:45:00.000-07:00

A lot of you probably already know (since I've been whining about it since last week), I've been a little sidelined. I had ankle surgery on Thursday and have been on crutches ever since. My Mom flew in from Boston last Wednesday to help us around the house. I have to admit, it's been really, really hard for me to ask for help.

Maybe it's because we rarely ever have anyone to help us. Maybe it's because I'm too proud to ask for it, but I don't like asking for help. When each of the kids were born, I had someone around to help me day to day, but more often than not, I was running around the house still doing what needed to be done because I wanted to prove to...well who knows who I was trying to prove it to...that I didn't really need help. This time, it's different. Being short one leg to stand on, I need help. I need help to drive, I need help with the kids, I need help around the house. It's been a lesson hard learned. Of course, I'm still hobbling around trying to "prove" I can still do things on my own, but the truth is, it takes me twice as long or eventually I have to give in and ask for help anyway. What can I say, I'm hard headed. I'm having to live with seeing things put where they normally don't belong or having things done in a way I wouldn't have done myself. You have to know that's killing me. But at the end of the day, the world's not going to end because underwear isn't being folded the way I would do it or because the bath towels aren't in the exact spots where I normally put them. I have to keep telling myself "it's...O...K."

Seriously, I should be soaking in all of the help while I have it. Come next Monday, my Mom goes home and I'll have to deal with it all on my own. At least by then I hope to have ditched the crutches and have a walking cast on. In the meantime, I just have to live with the fact that I...need...help.

C is for Cookies!

2010-08-14T12:00:00.000-07:00

If you've got milk, we've got cookies! The jar has been revamped a bit, new items added and the price, well, too good to pass up!

Come check it out and support handmade and a good cause. Don't forget to vote on the charity of your choice!

The Mama Dramalogue's Cookie Jar
Handmade goodness for the whole family!

Ooey-gooey Cinnamon Rolls

2010-08-12T09:35:00.000-07:00

I've tried a lot of cinnamon roll recipes in my years of baking and occasionally find a new "favorite". Well, people, this one just rose to the top and clobbered the rest with its gooey, sticky goodness. According to Pioneer Woman (and I completely agree), the problem with most cinnamon rolls is that there's too much bread and not enough goo. People fight over the center of the roll, but with these, there' no need for that because . . .

THE WHOLE THING TASTES LIKE THE MIDDLE.

If you don't like gooey, sticky cinnamon rolls, then you would absolutely hate these. For the rest of you, . . . at least try them once in your life. Life-changing? Absolutely.

By the way, this recipe makes about 50. I did the whole thing back in January and filled two rimmed cookie sheets. This last time I halved the recipe and made them in those little disposable foil baking pans and froze them. Pre-frozen or fresh, they turn out amazing. And I love that you can just make the dough and stick it in the fridge for a couple of days until you find a few minutes to finish them.

Pioneer Woman's Cinnamon Rolls
from The Pioneer Woman's Cookbook (and blog)

1 quart whole milk
1 cup vegetable oil (I used canola)
1 cup sugar
2 packages active dry yeast (I used instant yeast that I store in the freezer)
9 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon (heaping) baking powder
1 teaspoon (scant) baking soda
1 tablespoon (heaping) salt
plenty of melted butter
2 cups sugar
Generous sprinkling of cinnamon

for the maple frosting:
1 bag powdered sugar
2 teaspoons maple flavoring
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup brewed coffee
1/8 teaspoon salt

Mix the milk, vegetable oil and sugar in a pan. “Scald” the mixture (heat until just before the boiling point). Turn off heat and leave to cool 45 minutes to 1 hour. When the mixture is lukewarm to warm, but NOT hot, sprinkle in both packages of Active Dry Yeast. Let this sit for a minute. Then add 8 cups of all-purpose flour. Stir mixture together. Cover and let rise for at least an hour.

After rising for at least an hour, add 1 more cup of flour, the baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir mixture together. (At this point, you could cover the dough and put it in the fridge until you need it – overnight or even a day or two, if necessary. Just keep your eye on it and if it starts to overflow out of the pan, just punch it down).

When ready to prepare rolls: Sprinkle rolling surface generously with flour. Take half the dough and form a rough rectangle. Then roll the dough thin, maintaining a general rectangular shape. Drizzle 1/2 to 1 cup melted butter over the dough. Now sprinkle 1 cup of sugar over the butter followed by a generous sprinkling of cinnamon.

Now, starting at the opposite end, begin rolling the dough in a neat line toward you. Keep the roll relatively tight as you go. Next, pinch the seam of the roll to seal it.

Spread 1 tablespoon of melted butter in a seven inch round foil cake or pie pan. Then begin cutting the rolls approximately ¾ to 1 inch thick and laying them in the buttered pans. (At this point you can cover them and put them in the freezer. When you're ready to make them, just pull them out and stick them on the counter for a few hours until they thaw and rise, which happened quicker than I though.)

Repeat this process with the other half of the dough. Let the rolls rise for 20 to 30 minutes, then bake at 375 until light golden brown, about 15 to 18 minutes.

For the frosting, mix together all ingredients listed and stir well until smooth. It should be thick but pourable. Taste and adjust as needed. Generously drizzle over the warm rolls. Go crazy and don’t skimp on the frosting.

Makes about 50 rolls.

Nat's Notes:
1. I don't drink coffee, so I substituted 4 oz of cream cheese for the coffee, then added a couple more tablespoons of milk to thin it out. I kid you not, this frosting taste just like the maple frosting on the doughnuts at the grocery store.

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Adapted from this Perrys' Plate post.

Outta the Mouths of Babes

2010-08-11T16:00:00.000-07:00

This picture has nothing to do with my post,
but it makes me laugh, so I'm sharing it anyway.

I love recording the things my kids say - something I do often on my personal blog. This little conversation is one I caught between my three year old daughter, Annelie, and my husband Will this afternoon.

Annelie [playing with her talking toy and exclaiming joyfully]: Daddy! My toy said BONJOUR!

Will: It did! What language is that?

Annelie [after thinking]: Spanish!

Will: No, not Spanish. Think of a different language.

Annelie [after thinking some more]: I don't know.

Will: I'll give you a hint... it starts with sound, "fffffff"

Annelie [eyes lighting up]: FANISH!

-----------

What amusing thing has a kiddo in your life said lately? Share with us in the comments!

xoxo,

Mama Drama Mondays: Wake Me When It's Over

2010-08-09T11:17:00.001-07:00

This week, I was all prepared to do another Me Time post, but who am I kidding? This week, me time will be hard to come by. I am planning to go out tonight with the ladies, so at least that's something.

I just got back from the grocery store to stock up on soft/liquid foods because this Wednesday, my 3-year-old Ryah, will have a minor surgery. We don't know exactly what it is, but she has something similar to a cyst on the underside of her tongue and according to the doctor, it won't go away on its own and may cause other problems down the road. So, it must come out. This wouldn't be such a big deal except how many 3-year-olds do you know who will sit still while a doctor works in their mouth? Yup, she's going under.

This freaks me out!! I realize it's a simple procedure but the idea of anesthesia on a child worries me. You always read/hear about people who have had complications due to anesthesia so of course, I keep imagining the worst case scenario. When I spoke to the doctor, he said that normally, they try to gas children instead of using IVs but because she's having surgery on her mouth, he doesn't know if they'll be able to do that. The fact that he's willing to try is comforting and we're hoping that they can alternate gassing with doing the surgery. It may take longer to do the procedure, but it would be safer for her.

So, hoping for the best. I'm sure she'll be fine, but heck, I'm a mom and moms worry. It's what we do; I'm pretty sure it's in our job description. That and the ability to kiss it all better. Good thing I stocked up on chapstick too!

The End of Naps

2010-08-06T06:59:00.000-07:00

There is a certain time of the day that is my absolute favorite. A time when the cartoons go off, the house goes relatively silent and this mama can grab a book or her computer and just relax.

Nap time. That oh so magical time when my youngest, Gage, lays down for his much needed recharge and my oldest, Brayden, is sent off to our family room to do something quietly while his brother sleeps. Nap time is most certainly my favorite time of the day.

Recently though Gage has been fighting his naps tooth and nail. Before he would whine for a few minutes but then ultimately roll over and sleep for a few hours. Now nap time has been something like this: Whine, Cry, Whine some more, roll this way and that way, adjust his pillow, pee, adjust his pillow again, make random noises, play with his hands, fidget, ask for a drink, roll around some more, whine.... you get the idea. He'll lay there and ultimately not sleep a wink.

Brayden took naps clear until he was 4 and a bit after, so I suppose to just naturally expected Gage to be the same way. Not. So. Much.

This mama is not ready at all to give up her 2 glorious hours of relaxation every afternoon, but I have to ask, at 3 and 1/2, is this the end of Gage's naps?

Grilled Corn Salad with Cucumber, Avocado, & Feta

2010-08-05T04:20:00.000-07:00

I'm a sucker for fresh corn in the summer. My all-time favorite way of making fresh corn is turning it into Elote, or Mexican corn on the cob. But when I don't feel like getting my face covered in cheese and sauce, this flavorful, fresh bowl of happiness hits the spot.

I have two other recipes for similar corn salad/salsa type dishes on my blog. (This one and this one.) I think the one below has an edge on the other two with the addition of cucumber and avocado and could stand alone much better as a salad. (But would also be fantastic over grilled chicken or fish.) I used what I had on hand (one of those clean-out-the-produce-drawer situations), but you could substitute just about anything. In fact, I almost named this one, "Grilled Corn and Whatever Salad," but that sounded a little apathetic. I really do love this combination.

Grilled Corn Salad with Cucumber, Avocado, & Feta

by Natalie

4 ears of corn, grilled

1/2 of an English cucumber, diced

1/2 of an avocado, diced

3 jarred roasted red peppers, diced (about 1/3 cup)

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

2 green onions, sliced thinly

1/2 cup feta cheese crumbles

3 T extra-virgin olive oil

juice from 1 lime

1 clove garlic, minced

couple pinches of cumin

salt and pepper to taste

Remove kernels from corn cobs and place in a medium bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. That's it.

Nat's Notes:

1. You can certainly boil the cobs or warm up some frozen corn in a skillet with a bit of oil.

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Love and Brownies

2010-08-04T17:01:00.000-07:00

Today has been one of those crazy kind of days where I find I'm running around my house like a chicken with it's head cut off (Ew, such a gross visual. Sorry). So, instead of sitting down and writing mama drama brilliance, I am instead going to re-post from my personal blog. Enjoy!
Mom makes brownies. Kids help. Each kid eats one brownie for dessert, declares it the most delicious thing she has ever eaten in her entire life, and then goes to bed. Dad comes home from work. Sees plate of brownies. Eats ALL of them.

There's a little story that happens all too often in our house.

But last night, five-year-old Gracie decided enough was enough. So, just before brushing her teeth and hopping into bed, she wrote a letter.

Dear Dad, it read.

Please do not eat all the brownies.

Love Gracie and Annelie

She made sure it was covered in hearts, so he still knows she loves him.
The fact that there wasn't a letter stopping ME from eating all the brownies did not go unnoticed.

Nom nom nom.

Happy Wednesday, mamas!

xoxo,

What She Wants to Be

2010-08-03T05:14:00.000-07:00

At 4 1/2, SweetPea already has her future all planned out. She likes to tell me, "Momma, when I'm bigger, I want to be a ballerina. When I'm done being a ballerina, I'm going to be a doctor. When I'm done being a doctor, I want to be a chef...

And when I'm done being a chef, I want to be an artist...

And when I'm done being an artist, I want to write notes and do a performance..."

She also wants to be a firefighter, a builder, an astronaut, a speech therapist, a nurse, a real princess (she stresses the real part), an archaeologist, a zookeeper, and a cowgirl. Then she tells me, "When I'm done being those things, I'm just going to be me." I like a girl with a plan. Of course, it sounds like Then Man and I need to start saving every last penny we can to pay for it all!

Mama Drama Mondays: A Moment of Panic

2010-08-02T08:32:00.000-07:00

The County Fair was this past weekend and this was the first year we decided to take both girls. The last time we took Peri, she was about 18 months old, and she ended up being terrified and screaming bloody murder when one of the livestock pigs sniffed her foot. We thought we'd wait until she was a little older. When we announced where we were going, she got excited and asked if she could wear her cowboy hat. But of course!

We met up with some friends and the eight of us wandered through the exhibits and barns all morning long and then sat down for some of that "fabulous" fair food. Afterward, Peri said she needed to go potty, so she and I headed towards the restrooms. I heard Jim calling me and when I turned around, Ryah was falling over herself to come too. Okay, I guess we're all going.

Naturally, there was a line for the ladies room, so we waited; some less patient than others. The stalls were only big enough for one person, so I got Peri situated in one and I took Ryah with me into the handicapped stall, so she wouldn't wander off. After washing up, Ryah announced she had to go too, so she rushed into a stall that had just opened up. I could feel the glares from the line of women behind me. I apologized and wrestled her onto the seat (she's now terrified of falling in after attempting to use a porta-potty). Peri was wandering around behind me, or so I thought.

After taking care of Ryah, I looked around and didn't see Peri. I hurried outside and started calling her name. She wasn't there. We rushed back inside and I called her again. I thought she might have wandered into the changing area. One of the ladies in line, who didn't speak English very well, pointed at her head, indicating a cowboy hat, and said she'd gone outside. So we hurried back out and I scanned and called for Peri. Finally, I saw her slowly wandering towards us from about 20 yards away. I rushed to her and saw that she was about to cry. She said some little girl screamed at her and then hit her and it made her sad. I told her that maybe it was an accident (since she misinterprets all the time) but that it was no reason to wander off. Did she want a stranger to take her away from us forever? No. Then, please please please, don't wander off.

Peri was "missing" for about a minute, but it seemed like forever and definitely long enough for someone to snatch her if they wanted to. She is the type of child to get into the van with the puppy or take candy from strangers, so it's been hard teaching her about stranger danger. Thank goodness nothing bad happened, but now's as good a time as any to drill into our kids how important it is to stay close in crowded areas and to learn about stranger danger. Few things are scarier than that moment when you can't find your child and that's a moment I don't ever want to re-live. No mother should. Scary stuff and definitely an eye opener. Yikes!

The Fortune Teller Hath Spoken

2010-07-30T07:58:00.000-07:00

This morning poor Brayden was bored. The kind of bored where sidewalk chalk was "lame" and watching a dvd was "ugh". So being the awesome mom that I am, I broke down and gave the kid a piece of my scrapbook paper and together we made a childhood staple.

The Fortune Teller.

You know, you fold a piece of paper like so and then fold it over again a few more times until viola, you have a paper piece of fun whose joys can entertain even the unlikeliest of subjects.

Yes, today was a fortune teller kind of day, with fortunes like:

When you grow up you're going to be a pirate. Argggh!
Ooops! You fell off of a cliff. Game over.
Yay! You get to clean your room today.
There's a spider on your shoulder. Made you look.

Ummm, can you tell that I wrote the fortunes inside?

Want to make a fortune teller of your very own and don't know how? Then click here.
You have to love cheap entertainment!

Southwest Cod Cakes

2010-07-29T04:26:00.000-07:00

I'm excited for this recipe because it comes from a newly-found bloggy friend of mine, Lauren from GoLo Kitchen! I met Lauren through Tasty Kitchen and found we had lots in common. (Including a friend who lives down the street from me, whom I'll talk about shortly.) Lauren and I thought it would be fun to do a recipe swap.

I chose Lauren's Southwest Cod Cakes, which turned out to be delicious! I've started to incorporate more fish into our diet. (Even though I'm not traditionally a fish person. If you can find good quality fish, i.e. wild-caught, it can be a great source of Omega-3's.) Cod is one fish that I think of as rather bland (unless battered, fried, and thrown into fish tacos), and I was curious about making "cakes" from it. Due to a few mistakes of my own doing (see recipe notes), half of my "cakes" fell apart during cooking, but they were still full of flavor -- especially paired with my favorite black beans and pico (with an avocado thrown in).

My husband thought the cod cakes would be great thrown into a taco, too. So I guess cod is destined to be a taco filling in our household. I'm cool with that.

Southwest Cod Cakes

from GoLo Kitchen

2 Tablespoons butter

1/2 cup onion, diced

1 clove garlic

1/2 cup red bell pepper, finely diced

2 1/2 lbs. cod filet, cooked and flaked

1/4 cups cilantro, chopped

1 Tablespoon cumin

1/2 Tablespoon chili powder

salt

pepper

2 eggs

1/4 cup breadcrumbs

Heat large skillet to medium heat. Melt butter and sauté onions, garlic, and red pepper until soft, 7-10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. In large bowl, combine remaining ingredients and cooked vegetables together. Form palm-sized patties by pressing mixture in between hands. Place on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Serve with rice, black beans and/or avocado tomato salsa.

Makes 12 cakes.

Nat's Notes:

1. I used half the amount of cod, one egg, the full amount of onion and peppers and adjusted the seasonings accordingly. I held back on the cumin and chili powder, not wanting to overpower the flavor of the fish (I used about 1 tsp cumin and 1/2 tsp chili powder).

2. I made the mistake of using fresh bread crumbs (I didn't have dried and I was too lazy to toast the ones I made from sticking bread into my food processor) and half of them fell apart during cooking . . .

3. Which brings me to my last note. I marinated the cod for about 15 minutes in a mixture of olive oil, lime juice, cilantro, cumin, salt and pepper, then put it in a foil packet and grilled it for 10-12 minutes. Then when I cooked the patties, I fried them in a little coconut oil instead of baking them. Lauren mentioned that they were a tad bit dry and I think changing the cooking methods helped a little, as well as serving them with salsa and beans.

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Originally Posted HERE