Not a cheap night

Tonight was 31 cent scoop night at Baskin Robbins. It was supposed to be a cheap, fun event to do as a family after dinner. But the lines outside Baskin Robbins were ridiculous, so we went to Dairy Queen instead, along with dozens of other families - it was packed, too. But the line was short, so we didn't care.

$7.50 later (and I didn't even get any ice cream - I'm going for my 30 days without sugar goal) Mike and the kids got their fix. The kids had never had dipped cones before, so that was fun for them. But seriously, a 93 cent night turned into a $7.50 ice cream purchase...

Kaylin got a nasty-looking cherry-dipped cone...

Ryan devoured his chocolate dipped cone...

Oddly enough, as we were sitting there at 7-something at night, the hamburgers started calling my name. I'm not sure what it is about fast food burgers, but I have to admit that this pregnancy, I've craved (and eaten) not one, but TWO drive thru burgers. By 9:30am. What's ironic is that MIKE was actually the one to bring it up. This is after we've already eaten dinner, people. And men wonder why they gain "sympathy weight" with their pregnant wives?!?

Yes, we spent another $3 and each got a burger. Mike was mad that it wasn't "worth it," but I am still licking my chops because it was exactly what I wanted. A pickle sandwich with a little bit of burger in there somewhere. So I guess this was a pickles and ice cream kinda night, huh? How cliche.

This and That

I've spent the better part of the last hour flipping through Rachael Ray's Family Cookbook and it is now laden with sticky notes. Lots of new recipes to try once I've worked through my freezer-clean-out plan. (our menu is currently scheduled through mid-May)

In the meantime, I posted some of these recipes before trying them, and will add pictures, variations (you know I'll mess with them somehow) and comments once I make them myself. If they're bad, they'll be deleted. So if you see a bunch of new recipes posted, know that I'm not personally recommending them...yet.

Also, I've decided to start answering your comment questions back into the comments. So many people don't have email addresses that I can respond to - so if you ask a question, click on the option to "email follow up comments" to yourself. (you have to be signed in with your Blogger account to do this)

Veggie-Packed Pasta

1 lb whole-wheat penne
4 small or 2 medium zucchini, diced
1 medium yellow squash or 1 small eggplant, diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1/2 red onion, diced
1/4 cup plus 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
dash pepper
1/4 cup sliced almonds or pine nuts, toasted
1 cup fresh basil, about 20 leaves
3/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, 3 handfuls of leaves
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup grated parmigiana cheese
1 cup ricotta cheese

Cook pasta, per package instructions, to al dente (still a little chewy). With 5 minutes left of cooking time for the pasta, throw the zucchini, squash, pepper and red onion into the pot to soften.

*Reserve a cup of the pasta water before draining the pasta.

While the pasta and vegetables are cooking, place the almonds/pine nuts, herbs and garlic in the food processor. Pulse while drizzling in 1/4 cup oil. Transfer the herb mixture to a large mixing bowl and stir in grated cheese.

In a small bowl, combine the ricotta cheese and a little pepper. Set aside.

Stir the reserved cup of pasta water into the herb paste. Toss the pasta with the roasted veggies and sauce. Serve the pasta with a dollop of ricotta cheese and stir in.

(Adapted from Rachael Ray's recipe)

Pretzel-Crusted Chicken Fingers & Zucchini Sticks

1 bag whole wheat pretzels
1 tsp dried thyme
3 eggs
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 zucchini, halved and cut into sticks
salt and pepper
extra virgin olive oil, for frying

Preheat oven to 250. Place pretzels in a plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin, until finely ground. Transfer to a shallow dish and season with thyme. Beat the eggs wtih 1/2 cup water in a second shallow dish. Slice each chicken breast into 3 long strips, cutting into the breast on an angle. Season the chicken and zucchini sticks with salt and pepper.

Coat the chicken and zucchini pieces in the ground pretzels, then in eggs, then in the pretzels again.

Heat just enough oil to coat the bottom of a large nonstick skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Cook the chicken in a single layer, in 2 batches, for 3 minutes per side or until the breading is evenly browned. Drain teh chicken on paper towels, the place in the oven on a baking sheet to keep warm. Add a little more oil to the skillet, as necessary, continuing to cook the remaining chicken and zucchini sticks.

(Adapted from a Rachael Ray cookbook)

Supper-Size Egg Rolls

2 Tbsp. canola oil
1/2 lb ground pork
2 small celery ribs, finely chopped
handful of shiitake mushroom caps, chopped
1/2 head of napa cabbage, shredded
1 cup bean sprouts
1/4 cup drained water chestnuts, chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1 egg
2 Tbsp. tamari or soy sauce
16 (13x17 inch) sheets frozen phyllo dough, defrosted
3 Tbsp. melted butter, for brushing the dough

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add the pork and brown for 2-3 minutes, breaking it up with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Add the celery and mushrooms and stir-fry for 1 minute, then add the cabbage, bean sprouts, water chestnuts, garlic and ginger. Stir-fry for 2-3 minutes more. Stir in the tamari/soy sauce, trannfer to a bowl, and cool. Once the mixture is cool enough to handel, pour the egg over the mixture and combine. This will help the filling keep its shape when you bake the rolls.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees with rack in the center of the oven.

Roll out one sheet of phyllo dough on a large work surface. Brush the entire sheet with a little melted butter, paying extra attention to the perimeter. Place another whole sheet of phyllo on top of the buttered surface and fold both sheets in half widthwise. Pile 1/8 of the pork mixture onto the dough 2 inches from the bottom and from each side. Tuck the bottom up and fold both sides in, then roll and wrap upward to the top edge of the dough. Brush the seam and the ends of the roll with butter and set the roll seam side down on a baking sheet. Make 7 more egg rolls.

Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly golden all over.

(Adapted from a Rachael Ray cookbook)

Spanish Potato Tortillas

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 potatoes, thinly sliced
1 onion, finely chopped
1/4 salt
6 eggs + 4 egg whites
1/4 cup milk or cream

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the potatoes and onions and salt them. Cook the potatoes for about 15 minutes, turning them every 2-3 minutes. You want them to be tender, but not brown.

Preheat the broiler.

Whisk eggs and milk and season with salt. Pour eggs over the potatoes. Let the omelet settle and get firm at the edges, then place the skillet under the broiler and brown the top until the tortilla is firm and golden.

(Adapted from Rachael Ray's recipe)

**Note: skillets with plastic handles or other plastic parts CANNOT go into the oven! I don't think the non-stick variety can, either. Can anyone verify that for me?

Overheard in our house today...

Me: Kaylin, don't head-butt your brother.

Ryan: (giggling) Mommy, we don't say, "butt," we say, "bottom."

-------------------

Mike: I was just outside and Morgan (our Kindergarten neighbor girl) told me that she has a crush on Ryan.

Me: I wouldn't think too much of it. Last week she had a crush on Jake. (yes Julie, your Jake)
*I'm a little worried that this might end in heartache because Ryan has no idea what a "crush" is and thinks their friendship is completely platonic. Poor girl...

-------------------

Me: (coming out of the bathroom) Ryan, where's Kaylin?
Ryan: She's downstairs picking up all of the toy cars by herself.

Me: The bucket that YOU dumped out?

Ryan: (smiling) Yeah.

Me: Why aren't you helping her?
Ryan: Because I wanted to come upstairs and get in the box. (the chest at the end of our bed has become the new hot play spot in our house)

Me: Seriously? Go help your sister, Ryan.

-------------------

Me: Who grabbed handfuls of brownies out of the hot pan?
Ryan: (smiling) "Um, me."

Me: Kaylin didn't help you?

Ryan: Nope, it was me.

Me: It looks like you've already had your dessert, buddy. No brownies after dinner.

Ryan: OKAY! (bouncing, excited that his only punishment is no brownies...I'm not sure what kind of torture he was expecting, but he seemed thrilled that he got off so easy...)

* The picture is a little hard to see, but there are huge finger-chunks taken out of the pan of brownies that were intended to serve to our Bible study tonight.

-------------------

Kaylin: (running into my bathroom while I was in the shower) Mommy, Ryan fell. Can I get in the shower, too?!?!
Me: Is he hurt?

Kaylin: Yeah. He's crying. Can I take a shower with you?

Me: He's HURT?!?! What happened???

Kaylin: I dunno. He fell. I wanna take a shower, too!

Me: Go downstairs and tell Ryan I'm on my way.

*FYI: He tripped over a toy in the kitchen and fell smack on his forehead on the tile, causing a purple, golf-ball sized bump. He was SOBBING and Kaylin wanted to jump in the shower with me...love the empathy.

#40 - Make bread starting the dough in the bread machine and finishing it in the oven

Isn't it hilarious how some of the easiest tricks can seem so intimidating if you don't know what you're doing?



I made these Whole Wheat French Bread Rolls today and pulled out my dusty bread-maker that I haven't used in YEARS. Sure enough, it has a "dough" setting, so after tossing in all of the ingredients for the rolls, I hit "dough" and it did the rest of the work. Well, except separating the dough and rolling it into rolls. The kids helped with that, which was fun.



#40 on my list of 101 Goals in 1001 Days was easily crossed off. I'll be using that trick again for sure!

Meal Plan - 4/27/09

Breakfast
Crepes with strawberries and bananas
Oatmeal
Homemade granola

Lunch
PB&J or tuna sandwiches
Fruit, carrots, cheese and crackers
Black Bean & Couscous Salad

Dinner
Monday - Bowties with Sausage and Broccoli with Whole Wheat French Bread Rolls
Tuesday - Chili with cornbread
Wednesday - Lasagna Roll Ups then Baskin Robbins for 31 cent scoop night!
Thursday - Leftovers
Friday - Southwestern Chicken and Bean Pasta
Saturday - friends over for dinner and games
Sunday - Refrigerator Pie with spinach and ham

Kids in a Box

For some reason, I woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. Full of energy, got dressed right into my workout clothes, but in a foul mood. I decided to try to dust and clean a bathroom or two before we headed to the gym, since I needed to distract myself and I figured I'll be wiped out and need a nap after the gym.

I've kept the t.v. off the last few days for the TV Turnoff Week challenge. The kids have done fine (Ryan took some time to adjust to not flipping on a show at the first sign of boredom), but I was curious how they'd do while I was cleaning. A quick cartoon or a short movie usually gets me quite far with my chores.

While cleaning the kids' bathroom, I heard giggling. After a little searching, this is what I found: both kids in costume (Spiderman and a Ballerina with a lovely purple hat) inside the "blanket chest" at the foot of my bed, protecting my bedroom from bad guys with Styrofoam swords....

A few minutes later, I moved on to cleaning my own bathroom and the kids were no where to be found, but I heard whispering...

Then I saw little eyes peeking out of the lid...

I will be the first to admit that I've let my kids watch WAY too much t.v. since my pregnancy exhaustion has taken over my life. This week has reminded me why the t.v. needs to stay off during the day. Which would YOU have more fun doing as a child? Staring blankly at a television screen or fending off evil, pretend bad guys with your sibling? Yeah, me too. The t.v.'s staying off.

#11 - Read a fiction book - THE SHACK

When I set out to read The Shack, I had no idea there was any controversy about it. But my friend who loaned me the book also gave me some commentary on the controversy, so I could get an idea of what all the fuss was about. I decided to read the book first for an impartial opinion.

Personally, I thought it was great. An interesting perspective on the types of questions that many Christians and non-Christians have regarding God, His relationship with us and specifically, the Trinity.

I'm curious about the people who have convinced themselves that this FICTIONAL story might have happened. I guess anything's possible, but these are likely the same people who forget that The Da Vinci Code was a work of fiction, not a conspiracy theory. It's wonderful that people can get so swept up in the characters in novels, but really. If it says, "fiction," let's just call it "fiction."

After reading the arguments against the book and it's scriptural accuracy, well, let's just say I wasn't planning on referring to The Shack as my new source of truth. Let me repeat: the book was fiction. The story was made up. The theology was as close to Biblically accurate as the author could interpret for himself. But he's just a man and this book was not God-breathed. It had some great thoughts, ideas and word pictures, but I'll leave those within the story. It didn't dramatically alter my perceptions of God or my relationship with Christ in a way that would draw me away from Biblical truth. But that's just me; apparently skeptics are concerned about readers who aren't as grounded in their faith as I am.

My amateur review of this book is all positive. The beginning was a bit slow, but that may be because I'm no longer as interested in the descriptive details fictional books have to offer. I'm used to reading for the "meat" of it. But I'd recommend the book...it was a great read.

I should explain that I haven't read a fiction book in years. At least since before my pregnancy with Ryan. I used to be into Nicholas Sparks, John Grisham, the Left Behind series, even Dean Koontz. Once pregnant, the stack next to my bed contained Baby Wise, Secrets of The Baby Whisperer, What to Expect When You're Expecting and The Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy. Nowadays, the stack contains The Strong Willed Child, Grace-Based Parenting, The Power of a Praying Wife and The Love Dare. See a pattern? I still read, but it's for knowledge, not necessarily for pleasure.

Watching friends trade books at Bunco and reading book reviews on other blogs had me missing my fiction reading a little, hence, adding it as #11 to my 101 Goals in 1001 Days list. Who knows, maybe I'll even pick up another fictional book in the remaining 886 days left to complete my list???

By the way, is this post link-tastic or WHAT? :)

8 Things

I was tagged by my sweet blogging friend, Katy Lin, to write about the following "8 things list," and since I haven't bored you with interesting facts about myself in a while, well...here goes...

8 Things I Look Forward To:
1. Feeling good during trimester #2 (here's hoping...)
2. The economy settling down so my husband can feel at peace again
3. Being completely blonde again
4. My children behaving because they WANT to and because they know it's the right thing to do
5. Baby #3 sleeping through the night...in 2010 (I already dread sleepless nights, is that weird?)
6. Our San Diego/Disneyland vacation in September!!!
7. Remodeling my craft room
8. Getting Lasik someday and not wearing contacts anymore

8 Things I Did Yesterday:
1. Got a pregnancy massage at my chiropractor (does anyone else hear angels singing???)
2. Re-installed my printer program on my computer
3. Called and argued with the Honda people about charging me an extra day with the rental car even though it was THEIR FAULT because they didn't call to tell me my van was done (it's not over...the drama continues as I call another supervisor today...)
4. Clipped coupons and wrote out the weekly grocery ads
5. Scheduled a company to come test our leaking window
6. Bought groceries
7. Called my grandma
8. Took pictures of dress up stuff in the playroom to label some buckets for the kids
(Okay, yesterday was seriously the most productive day I've had in weeks. Most days, my to-do list consists of 3 things that would normally take me under an hour, but take me ALL DAY because I have to rest, take naps and have no energy or motivation.)

8 Things I Wish I Could Do:
1. Get up earlier every day
2. Workout without needing a 2 hour nap afterward
3. Earn income from home to help with the finances
4. Walk up stairs without feeling winded (yes, already)
5. Take pictures like Jessica Leigh
6. Fix all of my own computer problems
7. Walk away from a delicious meal or a gooey dessert with no temptation to go back for more
8. Protect my kids from the things that will cause them unnecessary pain: illness, bullies, broken hearts, the kid who doesn't invite them to their birthday party...I don't care that some things make them stronger. I don't want to watch them suffer!

8 Shows I Watch:
1. The Office
2. American Idol
3. Jon & Kate plus 8
4. Healthy Appetite (Food Network)
5. Friday Night Lights
6. Southland
7. 24 (when Mike's watching it)
8. So You Think You Can Dance (I'm stretching here to find 8 shows...)

This list was NOT easy!! But I am challenging the following people to step up and create your own list on your blog:

4 real life friends...
Dutch Mac
Jess (quit rolling your eyes and just do it)
Lisa
Jenn

4 hope-to-meet-you-someday friends...
Heathalee @ Butterfly Genes
Emily @ Little Home
Raquel @ The Glamorous Life
Jen @ Balancing Beauty and Bedlam

Reducing Kitchen Waste

I guest posted today on Life As Mom. Head on over to read all of the amazing ideas I have regarding Reducing Waste in the Kitchen.

And if you're visiting from Life As Mom for the first time, WELCOME! Feel free to leave a comment and say, "Hi!" I hope you enjoy my blog.

Special 7-Up

After several days of feeling great, I'm back to feeling gross again. Plus, I've developed a lovely head cold today, the second so far this pregnancy.

This morning, before the head cold officially came on, all I could think about to settle my stomach was Sprite. Yes, me. Miss "Do you know how bad that stuff is for you, why don't you just drink water?" was dying for some Sprite. I went to a drive thru thinking, "I'll never drink a large size, but it's only $1." Yeah, it's gone.

Burping up Sprite all morning (which DID help my upset stomach, by the way) brought back a childhood memory. When I was 4 or 5, I was sick and my mom was trying to convince me to drink 7-Up. I remember saying, "I don't want any 7-Up, I don't feel good," so she said, "This is a special 7-Up that makes your tummy feel better." I actually thought there were two different kinds of 7-Up: the kind people drink with a burger and the kind they drink when they're sick.

Fast forward several years: I think I was about 14. I had another stomach ache and was at a friend's house, and asked if they had any of the 7-Up that settles your stomach? "Uh, yeah, we have 7-Up. There's only one kind." Me: (scoffing in disbelief) "Um, no there's not. There's the kind you drink and the kind you only drink when you're sick. I remember my mom telling me when I was younger." Friend: (laughing hysterically) "No, there's only one type of 7-Up. Your mom lied to you."

Now, we were very honest in our little family. I can't remember another time my mom told me an un-truth. This was not only shocking to me, but utterly humiliating! I got teased for that one for months. And when I confronted my mom, she didn't even remember saying it. (And why would she? But really, no guilt mom. I'm just scarred for life...)

The moral of the story? Be careful how you twist the truth to get your kids to do what you want. They just might BELIEVE you (gasp!) - holding on to that knowledge for years and making a fool out of themselves later.

Link Love

* TGI Fridays $1 entree coupons (plus kids eat free Mondays and Tuesdays, so this could make for a REALLY cheap family meal!)

* Don't forget about Ben & Jerry's for Free Cone Day tomorrow! (Personally, we're doing Friday's first, feeding the whole family for $1 + the price of a meal, then heading over for free ice cream. YUM!)

* Self Esteem for Toddlers and Pre-schoolers

* 50 Ways to Streamline Your Life
- Part 1
- Part 2
- Part 3
(Parts 4 and 5 coming soon...)

* Simple Mom's Spring Cleaning Challenge (with a schedule for which room to clean over a 2 week period)

* 40 Ways to go Greener at Home (most of these result in saving $$$)

There's some reading for the week for ya. Enjoy!

Note Taken

Do you ever learn lessons in odd places? Like the checkout line at Super Wal Mart?

This gal in line behind me today had a 5 year old boy who stood with her, silent. The checkout lady was verrrrry slooooow, so I let my kids play with the toy phone display next to the candy section to keep them occupied. Her son just stood there patiently with her. It actually caught my attention, he was that well behaved.

After a few long minutes, he asked, "Where are we going after this?"

Mom: "I told you before...the nail salon."

Boy: "Why are you getting your finger nails painted?"
Mom: (sigh) "I'm NOT getting my nails painted. I never go there to get my nails painted. I'm getting a pedicure."
Boy: "Why do you get your toenails painted?"
Mom: "We've already had this discussion. I'm not answering your questions anymore. Just please stand here and be quiet."

I looked back at her and said (under my breath, so Ryan wouldn't be embarrassed), "I feel like I'm constantly telling my son, 'Please don't ask the same questions over and over.' I think they just get bored and need to talk sometimes. Or they're already typical men and just don't listen to our answers the first time!" She rolled her eyes and said (in a full voice with her poor son at her feet), "I just picked him up from his dad's and I'm already wishing I could bring him back. All he does is talk all day. His older brother is the quiet one...the GOOD one. This one just talks, talks, talks. Drives me nuts."

Now I know I've complained about my kids being talkers. Because THEY ARE. And it can be maddening, believe me. But this boy was not a talker. Sure, he did speak: 3 questions in the course of 10 minutes of standing in line. But does she expect her kid to be a mute? Not to mention that she was also dragging him to a nail salon, probably expecting him to sit still and be quiet, while she got herself a pedicure.

The more I think about it, it makes me so sad that this other mom was trashing her child within his earshot. AND even comparing him to his brother! Two big no-no's in my book. I can understand that getting her kids back after living alone while they're at their dads would take some adjustment, but her attitude (and the fact that she voiced it in front of the poor boy) just made me cringe.

The whole situation made me feel bad about the times I've complained about listening to my kids jabber on and on all day. It gave me some perspective and a bit more patience with them today. And reminded me to never, EVER speak about my kids that way, let alone in front of them!

#71 - Figure out Twitter

So I'm on Twitter. What does that mean? I don't know. But I'm sure I'll soon be addicted enough to updating it regularly. For now, I have no followers, so why bother, right?

If you want to follow me and the intriguing, profound, mind-blowing things that go on inside my head,

click here.

#71 on the 101 Goals in 1001 Days list - CHECK!

Meal Plan - 4/20/09

Breakfast
Pancakes with pureed beets (makes them hot pink)
Oatmeal
Cereal

Lunch
Turkey sandwiches
Salad with apple cider vinegar dressing
Chinese Chicken Salad

Dinner

Monday - Beef Stir Fry with brown rice
Tuesday - Corn Soup with rolls then Ben & Jerry's for Free Cone Day!
Wednesday - Healthy Macaroni and Cheese with leftover Easter ham
Thursday - no cooking - meal swap with neighbor
Friday - Crock Pot Salsa Chicken Burritos
Saturday - Eat out
Sunday - Ranchero Mexi-Chicken Crostada

Lots to say...

...but not right now. I've had a busy week; not much time to write. I usually blog during naps or after the kids go to bed, but this week, there's been no time.

On Tuesday, the transmition went out on our 14 day old 2002 Honda Odyssey and we were 100 miles away from having to pay for it out of pocket. THAT was a complete God thing. I get to drive across town today to return the rental car and get our refurbished van back, once and for all. I'm thrilled that the repairs were all free...as they should have been!

That night, we had friends over for dinner. (Thank goodness for the crock pot!!! After spending the day inside a dealership, walking in the door at 4:45 to a house that smelled like taco stew was SUCH a blessing.)

Then yesterday, I got my hair highlighted for the first time in ages. YIPPEE! Not as blonde as it will be in a few months, but for now, I look cute and stylin' with the streaky color look. I think I'm over the brown hair for good. That took up all of naptime, plus some.

And last night, we had an "economic stimulous" date night, taking advantage of all of the tax-day giveaways. (I know, how very unromantic cheap frugal of us) We went to TGI Fridays and earned a gift card toward our next meal, then got free Cinnabon minis at the mall and tried to hit the free ice cream at Maggiemoo's but apparently that only lasted until 5pm, so went to Chick Fil A and got Mike a shake to curb his intense ice cream craving.

I said I wasn't going to say much right now, didn't I? Well, that's what I get for typing as fast as I think. No time to proof-read, gotta go volunteer at Ryan's school. But there will soon be lots of updates to my 101 Goals in 1001 Days list and some other posts about random stuff.

"Yes Day"

We had such a great Easter! After our neighborhood Easter egg hunt on Saturday was cancelled due to the first rain Phoenix has seen in 2 months, Mike and I hid several dozen eggs all over our house after the kids went to bed that night. We asked Ryan not to gather the pink and purple eggs (to give Kaylin a chance to "find" some eggs, too) and the kids took it so literally, that any time Kaylin found an egg of any other color, she'd put it in Ryan's basket. When it was over, her basket was ONLY pink and purple. The kids had SO much fun finding the eggs...I love how excited they get at their ages!

Then during breakfast, Mike read through the story that came with our Resurrection Eggs. (the donkey has been missing for two years, but we make do - I guess we started the eggs with Ryan when he was too young.)

We had a smaller crowd for dinner - only 14 of us total - which ended up being very relaxing. After we ate, Mike and his brother re-hid all of the kids' eggs in the backyard for a second hunt.

So my point...the title of this post was "Yes Day" because yesterday was the first time I've had a no-holds-barred "yes" answer all day long. "Mommy, can I have this piece of candy?" "Yes." "Can I have another cupcake?" "Yes." "Can I have some more jelly beans?" "Yes." You get the idea.

Were they on a crazy sugar high all day? YES. But it wasn't unmanagable. (that was a double negative...) I want them to have the freedom to control themselves by themselves on special occasions, especially since I'm sort of a food Nazi all year long. I want them to feel a little sick to their stomachs to realize why I say no to their crazy requests sometimes. (okay, fine - most of the time) I was the type of kid who threw away my Easter candy at Halloween and my Halloween candy at Easter. I enjoyed it for a few days, then kept it to eat later, but never did. I guess I wasn't a candy person.

Yesterday was fun. It was freeing for me to say, "yes" all day and I laughed at the kids' reactions when they tried to push the envelope and I still didn't turn them down. Ryan asked this morning, "Do we get to eat candy all day again today?" Um, no. We're back to one treat before naps and one treat after naps. But we'll likely have dessert every night after dinner because we have Easter cake, cupcakes, sugar cookies and TWO leftover pies from yesterday. Bring on the bedtime meltdowns!

Meal Plan - 4/13/09

Breakfast
Crock Pot French Toast Bake
Hard boiled Easter eggs
Easy Cinnamon Roll Muffins
Leftover Waffles

Lunch
Egg salad sandwiches (with ALL of our colored Easter eggs!)
Turkey sandwiches
Fruit salad, carrots, cheese and crackers
Chipotle Chicken Salad

Dinner
Monday - Chicken Fried Rice
Tuesday - Meatloaf, mashed potatoes and veggies
Wednesday - Crock Pot Chicken Taco Stew then Maggiemoo's for Free Cone Day!
Thursday - Shepherd's Pie
Friday - Spaghetti Carbonara
Saturday - Eat out
Sunday - Leftovers

Partial Obedience = Disobedience

Ryan and I have been having a rough week. Wednesday, inparticular, was horrible. He argued with everything I said, wouldn't follow the simplest of instructions, I thought I was going to lose my mind.

Then yesterday when I volunteered in his class, I heard his teacher ask him to sit "right over here." He sat down as he was asked, but sat on another side of the circle. I know that she asked him to sit in a certain spot for a reason. Part of the reason may have been that there was so much empty space, but the main reason is that the only other room on the carpet for him to sit was next to a boy who had been causing trouble all morning and she wanted to keep distractions to a minimum. But Ryan sat next to this boy, leaving the wide open space (where he was instructed to sit) completely vacant.

That's when it occurred to me: partial obedience is disobedience in God's eyes. If Ryan isn't going to obey each part of a request from me or his teachers, he will most certainly try to find loopholes when it comes to obeying God. And who is responsible for making sure he understands that? ME. Light bulb moment.

I turned to the other volunteer mom and said, "Oh, we are SO working on that this weekend!" She said, "On Easter weekend?" Curses. Not good timing, but this needs to be re-guided very soon.

So this morning, I started the day a little differently. Before breakfast, I sat down with Ryan and we prayed. Actually, I prayed, he repeated what I said. We prayed that God would help him to listen and obey the first time and that he would remember to ASK not TELL when he wants to do something different than what's requested of him. (ie "Ryan, please sit back down at the dinner table," with a response of "May I please get myself a drink first?" instead of "No, I have to get my milk first.") Those are my two biggest issues: repeating my requests and being argued with. It feels like he never just DOES what's asked of him without a negotiation. It's exhausting.

I mentioned this to my mom today and she reminded me about "The Strong-Willed Child" by Dr. James Dobson. I just pulled it off my bookshelf and will be re-reading it this weekend. I vaguely remember skimming it when Ryan was two, but absolutely need a refresher course. And I find it hilarious that I thought he was strong willed THEN?! I need to get a handle on this problem before his teen years or I'm going to be in so much trouble...

Freezer Stockpile

The other day, I left my freezer open. Just an inch, but it was for about 3 hours. A new container of ice cream that had been crammed into the freezer on its side melted and dripped all over EVERYthing...it was a serious mess. Today was clean up day.

As I was rinsing everything off, I decided to meal plan off of the food we currently have on hand. Because we have plenty. I have a habit of grabbing random stuff like a package of stir fry beef on manager's special for $1.50 and forgetting about it for a few weeks. All fine and good, but why plan a dry pasta meal when I could use up that "fresh" food and free up some freezer space?

So today I took inventory of everything in my freezers. (we have two...both jam packed) In the meantime, I rinsed off the melted-then-refrozen ice cream drippings off all of the food in the one freezer and wiped down the shelves, putting everything back nice and OCD like neat. I even found a huge bag of dinner rolls and some mini-muffins I'd forgotten about, not to mention a questionable package of salmon from July '08.

My new system will include a running list of my freezer contents that I'll keep on the side of the fridge. I'll cross things off as I use them and add things as I buy them. No more searching fruitlessly for ground turkey or shredded cheese...it's all about the list.

Now I get the task of meal planning for the next 3-4 weeks using up the items we have in the house. I should probably wait to see what comes in the produce co-op this Saturday, since I'll have to use my fresh foods first, but I'm pretty motivated to get this over with. Maybe I'll just write out recipe ideas and finalize it this weekend. I'm hoping to only have to buy milk and eggs to fill in the gaps. (I buy all of my bread and produce from the co-op) I'll let you know how it goes and post my whole meal plan on Sunday, for those who care. :)

Feeling Pregnant

My doctor appointment went really well yesterday. There was only ONE little heartbeat in my belly, so I psyched myself up for the possibility of really having twins all for nothing. My new doctor seems great, everything looks good so far, I am quite relieved. And finally starting to feel a little better this week.

So today, I did it: I busted out the maternity clothes. I don't know what I was trying to prove by squeezing myself into my old clothes. Since they barely fit before I took the pregnancy test! (I put on several stress-pounds when Mike lost his job last fall, then the holidays didn't help...leave it to me to get knocked up the same week I get motivated to lose the extra weight.) They fit okay most of the day, but in the afternoon (and for sure after dinner) - I was pretty uncomfortable.

As far as pants, I have size 12 and 14 shorts and jeans (from the post-pregnancy weight loss process with the first two) that I could wear, but why? The maternity pants with the elastic bellies are SO much more comfortable. The problem was that my t-shirts weren't long enough to cover the belly bands and I looked a little silly flashing the two-tone material for the world to see.

I ran most of the short sleeved stuff through a quick wash and fluff cycle this morning and hung them all up, moving the smaller sizes aside for next year. As I was taking the clothes out of the dryer, I checked tags thinking, "THIS is a MEDIUM?" I tend to forget just HOW big I'm going to get. And as I put the non-maternity clothes away for "later," I got to thinking about how much later I'll be wearing them. I probably won't wear my favorite Buckle jeans next winter - if it takes 9 months to put on the weight, I certainly won't lose it in TWO months. This isn't Hollywood! So I won't get to walk around in those bad boys until winter 2010??? That seems so sad.

What also cracked me up was some of the little dribble stains on the maternity shirts. I am so clumsy when I'm pregnant. And nothing makes it to my lap, that's for sure.

So YEA for getting to be comfortable. Already, at 10 weeks! With my first, I tried staying in my regular clothes as long as possible. My, how things change after some experience.

Chicken Chipotle Salad

(Note: I was not fond of the chipotle salsa - the only one I found was a store brand and it had a funny taste, ruining the whole flavor of the salad. I'd recommend using your favorite brand of salsa. In the meantime, I'm going on a search for the perfect dressing for this salad b/c the contents are delicious together!)

For Dressing, mix some ranch dressing with a 2-3 Tbsp chipotle salsa.

For Salad, combine:
1 15 oz. can of Black Beans (drained)
1 15 oz can corn (drained)
1 1/2 C jicama, diced
1 C cilantro, chopped
1/2 C chopped green onion
1-2 firm ripe avocados, diced
1 C red bell pepper, diced
1 C grated jack cheese
8 C romaine lettuce
tortilla chips (optional)
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts marinated in 2T chipotle salsa (grill chicken, cool, then cut into thin strips OR place chicken and 1/2 cup salsa in the crock pot for 6-8 hours on low and chop or shred)

Yields: 10 GENEROUS servings.

Tip: If you wait to add the lettuce, cheese and avocado, the other combined ingredients will last for days. (The avocado just starts to get brown, you can add it fresh right before you eat it, and the cheese just gets mushy.)

{Healthier} Homemade Mac 'n' Cheese

12 ounces large, whole wheat elbow macaroni
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 egg or 1/4 cup egg substitute
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 (12-ounce) can evaporated low-fat milk
1/2 cup pureed squash (any yellow variety) or pureed cauliflower

Cook macaroni per package instructions. Return drained pasta to the pot and add remaining ingredients. Cook for about 4-5 minutes over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the cheese is melted.

Meal Plan - 4/6/09

Monday - Artichoke Quiche
Tuesday - Tomato & Spinach Pasta Toss with eggplant
Wednesday - Sloppy Joes with Parmesan Garlic Fries
Thursday - leftovers
Friday - Rice, Bean & Cheese Casserole
Saturday - Ravioli with Parmesan and olive oil
Sunday - HAPPY EASTER! Ham, mashed potatoes, corn, salad and rolls.

Momma's Girl

(Sorry for all of the personal stories lately, but I gotta write this stuff down!)

Kaylin is suddenly changing...for the better. Her nasty 2-year old attitude is disappearing and a sweet, polite, helpful, loving little lady is emerging. She consistently says things like, "May I have more milk please?" (using her manners) and "Mommy, can I help you with that?" (she even asked to help iron yesterday - uh, no.)

I first noticed the changes a few weeks ago. She's pretty unaffectionate to most people; refusing hugs, wiping off kisses and turning the other way when it's time to bid someone "good bye." Then suddenly, I became the target of all of her pent-up affection. She hugs and kisses me constantly, loves to sit on my lap, randomly says, "Mommy, I love you always." I thought it was because I didn't buy into her over-controlling power-play regarding affection, but then it dawned on me...she has competition arriving in a few months.

I can't pinpoint it exactly, but I'm quite sure she turned into a Momma's girl right around the time we announced that I'm pregnant. Once I realized that, it all became so clear. She'll climb into my arms and ask if she can be a baby in my belly. She'll snuggle close to me at the most random moments throughout the day and tell me she's happy. She's suddenly regressed in going potty without assistance and getting dressed on her own. She says she "can't do it..."

In the car yesterday, when she announced again that she wanted to be a baby, I went through a list of things that babies can't do, but little girls can. Babies don't get to have sleepovers with their brothers. Babies can't go on the slides at the park. Babies don't get to help their mommies cook in the kitchen. Babies can't eat muffins and cookies. She got excited, even offering her own suggestions about things little girls can do that babies can't do. So maybe that will be the end of that "I want to be a baby" game - ? Time will tell.

She's already practicing having a baby brother or sister. She carries around her baby dolls with her everywhere. I even caught her bouncing her baby in the backyard while Mike and Ryan played catch. She was bending her knees and swaying rythmically, just like a new mom. When she wants to play with a new toy, she'll hand the baby to me gently and ask me to hold it. The maternal instinct she already has still shocks me sometimes. She's going to be SUCH a good big sister.

Then there's Ryan: he really wants there to be a baby brother AND a baby sister in my tummy. He recently asked what the baby looks like, so I showed him the picture on my sidebar. (did anyone else notice that my kid finally lost it's tail - or was that just me??) He now thinks there's a little camera in my belly and wonders how the baby got in the black bubble.

Last night he asked to see the picture on the computer and wanted to push on my stomach to watch the baby move on the screen. It almost made me want to bring him to my first ultrasound today, but when I pictured his impatience at a likely-two-hours because it's the first-time-to-this-doctor appointment, I decided to keep him home with grandma, as planned.