What's For Dinner?

This week, since we were all feeling a bit under the weather, what better to make for dinner but homemade chicken soup. I made it for dinner on Monday and by Tuesday's lunch it was all gone. If you have a crock pot there is nothing and I mean NOTHING easier to make. Plus it's so so so good for you (about 150-200 calories a bowl depending on what you add).

Here's all you have to do: Get some frozen or refrigerated raw chicken. Cut it into cubes and put it in the crock pot (that was the hard part). Empty a can each of carrots, potatoes, peas, corn, and beans into the crock pot. Add more if you want more, go crazy. If you don't have those vegis use other ones, it really doesn't matter. If you only have fresh or frozen vegis use those too, or a mix of all of them, it's all the same really. Add enough liquid (either broth or bullion dissolved in water) to cover the vegis & meat plus another inch or so. I add a few bay leafs to my soup and some italian seasoning sometimes or red pepper flakes but none of them are really necessary. Turn the crock pot on either high for 4-6 hours or low for 8-10 hours depending on how much shopping you plan on doing :) Then come home to a house that smells awesome and eat the best yummy soup ever feeling good about finding a way for your kids to eat their vegis.

There's really no way to mess this up. You can't overcook the soup really, at least I never have and trust me, if you could - I would have. If you're a neurotic freak and have to have noodles in your soup, add them in the last 1/2 hour of cooking or cook them separate and add at the end when serving. Trust me on this one, you don't want to crock pot cook those noodles the whole time, you'll get an icky thick goopy mess when the noodles dissolve in the broth. Don't ask me how I know.

How long does it take to make a dress?

It seems like an easy question, right? I mean, I buy only the "simple" patterns and use regular fabrics like cotton so maybe it should take a day, maybe two or three if I'm cramming it in between other activities. This apparently is NOT the case for my otherwise wonderful, loving, marvelous mother. Leaving jobs partially finished seems to have be somewhat of a trademark for her to which I have, in this case, stepped in to assist.

Here's the scene: I am staying for a week at my parents' house. My mother and sister are gone for the day to school (both being superstars and going for their degrees). I am at the house alone for the day with my kids. By some freak twist of fate or dousing of good fortune upon me, both of my kids have decided to nap simultaneously. So what's a girl to do? Watch one of the 1000s of movies in their library? Bake chocolate chip cookies? Ah, you are one step ahead of me...of COURSE I went through my mothers' sewing room. The place is a treasure trove of interesting tid bits of crafts and projects either never begun or never finished. Because, of course, had they been finished they would no longer be in the room, right?

I had previously (and by this I mean last Christmas)eyed a dress in the closet that looked a little big for my size 24 month baby girl (I'm guessing the dress was size 3-4) and passed over it at the time. This time, however, I knew she might fit into it, or at least might by the next time we came up, so I went looking for it. I believe the artifact was initially created with the intention of one of my nieces wearing it. They are now, however, ages 12, 11 and almost 8, so they would be better suited to use it for doll clothes by this time. I found the article of clothing in the exact same place it was last Christmas, hanging in the closet. Upon further inspection, the dress was not only mostly complete, it only required the addition of three buttons! Imagine, all the hard work and planning to get this adorable dress made only to never be worn because nobody put on the buttons. It's a shame really.

So what's a mom to do? Of COURSE I did. My daughter fits in it perfectly and we have added it to her collection. She has a new fascination with watching long skirts twirl while you dance in them so this dress is not only the the perfect size for her, but the long skirt makes it perfect timing as well.

As a side note, on the way out of the sewing room I also found a bag that contained a finished bodice, hemmed skirt and some other fabric remnants all decorated with candy canes, also approximately a size 4 that I snagged and finished as well. Once I finished making it today I asked my daughter to try it on and despite the obvious holiday insinuations on the dress, she insisted on wearing it for the remainder of the day. Her first request was that I turn on some music for her. In fact, she loved it so much that I even made her a matching purse from the remnants.

So the answer is simple, how long does it take to make a dress? About 5 minutes of button sewing for one and about an hour of sewing for the other... Start to finish, altogether, about 6-10 years.

That time of year

It's that time of year again. Both kids and I have a case of the sniffles. We all sound like veteran smokers and have ichy eyes, runny noses, sore throats and congestion. So we've been spending all week at home, which isn't such a bad thing. Hope you all are avoiding this ickiness.

Homecoming

We spent all day Saturday (and by that I mean the 23 hours after 8 hours of driving and 3 hours of recovery) in Thousand Oaks for the Cal Lutheran University football game and homecoming activities. It was nice to be back from Oregon and soaking in some sunshine. My precious 2-year-old loved the bounce house for alumni & family after the game and my 1-year-old was enamored by the bunnies, pigs, goats, and ducks in the petting zoo area. Of course, my hunny didn't mind the free beer and buffet either.
We had a great time visiting with our "old" friends (you know who you are) and catching up on all of our classmates' news for the last 10 years (has it really been that long?). To cap off the night, my sister and I went with hubby and some friends to the local cowboy bar for some line dancing and a little 2-step action. After getting back at 2 am and then getting up and driving to the airport at 6 am though, I am relieved to be home and trying to recover from the last few days' lack of sleep.

What's for Dinner?

Okay, so we're not really making this one tonight. We made it last Monday. But it is so yummy I had to tell you about it. It's Alfredo pizza and it's SO easy.

Take a 12" Boboli breadshell (I use the whole wheat ones) and brush it with olive oil. Then add enough sun dried tomato alfredo sauce to cover the top. On top of that sprinkle some chopped green onion, shredded chicken and crushed red chilis. Top it all with some Jack cheese and bake it until the cheese melts. It's so good that my hubby thought it was made with Que Bueno cheese! There's only 353 calories in a third of the pizza so it's practically guilt free to boot.

This Park is for the Birds

Yesterday we spent the morning feeding the ducks at a local park. Both kids were excited to see a group of our friends who met us there. Unfortunately these particular ducks are on the snobby side and have never wanted to eat any of the times we've been there. I think they're overfed because it's the only lake with ducks for many miles. Luckily for the kids, there's a big playground at the park too so even though it got rather hot toward the end and we couldn't get the ducks to eat (not for lack of trying), we all still had a nice time in the sun.

Our day at the Zoo

Yesterday we got up early and drove down to San Diego to visit the zoo. Since it was such a good deal, we upgraded our tickets to a membership so if any of you want to go this year, we'd love to join you if we're around. We were there for four hours and saw many animals but there's still lots we have left to go back and do and see.

Mobility

Both kids are becoming more mobile. I am keeping slim just trying to catch up!

Miss Cleo

Ever seen those advertisements where some lady claims to know the future and tells you to call this 1-900 number and find out your fortune? Her name, if I recall correctly, was Miss Cleo. Well, my hubby must have made that call because if you refer back to a post (less than a week ago) called "threes" you'll see he forecast the downfall of WAMU. I tell you what, the guy's a keeper.

My favorite songs

I have been a fan of country music for many years now. Favorites such as Tim, Trace & Reba top my playlists. Recently however, I have become a fan of a new genre - Nursery Rhymes, specifically ones sung my my 2-year-old. The best part of her renditions is the lyrical liberties she takes when singing acapella. Some of my newest favorites are verses such as:

"The BISSY BISSY spider"
"Wing around the mosies, pocket full of mosies...."
"ABCDEFGHIKKNOOOPQRSTUVWXY and Z"
"BOP! goes da weees-oh"
and most recently
"Tinker Bells, tinker bells, tinker all the way!"

What's for dinner?

Okay, don't make these for dinner unless you want to gain 1000 lbs. Make them and eat one then give the rest away as a gift. I made them and will be taking them to a friend because I can't keep things like this in my house or I'd be as big as the house.

Mix some vanilla, pumpkin pie spice and whipping cream then boil it and pour the mix on top of semi-sweet chocolate chips. Let that sit for 5 minutes to get happy then stir until completely mixed. Stir in some chopped up ginger snaps and refrigerate the mixture for 2 hours. Roll into little balls then roll the balls in finely ground ginger snaps. Refrigerate another hour and then give them away or you'll eat them all. You can make these ahead of time and keep them in the fridge for 3 days if they last that long.

I suppose you could make these with oreos or nilla wafers or nutter butters or candy canes too.

Fit for a Princess

Our little princess got a tent for her 1st birthday from coach and his family that she plays with often when visiting Nana & Grandpa. She and her brother like to crawl in and hide. There's a little wand and crown that came with it along with an inflatable bed/couch converting unit. It's all pink and sparkly and fun. The only thing you have to watch out for when playing in the tent however is invasion by the "big yellow bear" (ala our golden retriever/lab mix).

Teething pains

We are still waiting on those darn teeth to come in for our little guy. He's had six teeth since he was 6 months old. Well, now he's pushing 15 months old (as old as his sister was when he was born, amazing) and still has only six teeth residing in his mouth. Now he's getting an additional two that are trying to make their way into his lower gums. They initially broke through the gums about 2 weeks ago but still have yet to reach their full height. By this age his sister had almost a full mouth of teeth, including her 1 year old molars, which he doesn't have yet either.

This poses a couple challenges. First, we are reluctant to give him any sizeable piece of food or anything particularly hard (carrots, etc) since he cannot grind well in the back without teeth. Everything must be able to be swallowed whole or gummed into oblivion. Second, I sincerely believe it's making him a bit irritable. Of course, it may just be a developmental stage, but if you had something piercing your gums 24 hours a day, wouldn't you be fussy? He is overall a happy boy, but I think things bother him easier because of it.

For example, recently he was in the kitchen holding on to Daddy's leg and Daddy had to move to the other side of the kitchen and little buddy didn't take it in stride as he normally would. Daddy sighed and said "Buddy, you are a real piece of work." This was ironic in that a family-friend made the same comment to Daddy while they were playing tennis together only a couple days ago. I couldn't help but laugh at the irony and wonder whether it really was teething or merely hereditary :)

A day with Grandmas

The kids got to go with Nana to visit their great-grandparents last Friday. The left early Friday morning and came back Saturday afternoon. Mommy & Daddy got the full details of family they got to visit with and toys they played with but best of all was the kitty that Great-Grandma is raising. Daddy has sworn never to have a cat for a pet so it's a special treat for our kids to get to play with a kitten. The other highlight of the visit was a trip to Chuck-e-cheese to play the games. It seems both kids had a stellar time because both were exhausted when they got home and it took about 2 days to come down off of their adrenaline rush :) Mom and Dad were happy to have an evening to themselves on Friday too so it was a win/win situation all around.

What's for Dinner?

Last night, as a special treat, Daddy decided to make us dinner. He cooked up some Wahoo (it's fish, yeah, I hadn't heard of it before either). You could also use swordfish, halibut or shark. To make this recipe you'll have to convince some of your close family to brew up some amazing pomegranate jelly so good luck trying with that. Maybe you could try plum jam instead. Here's what he did:

Use about a pound of fish, cut it into 4 servings. Mix together pomegranate jelly, lemon juice, ginger, red pepper and garlic powder for a yummy sauce. Take about 3T of the mix and add some margerine for a glaze. Glaze the fish then broil 5 minutes. Turn over the fish then glaze again and broil about 5 more minutes until it flakes easily. Serve the fish with the sauce and maybe some garlic bread and mashed potatoes like we did. At 260 calories a serving for the fish you can't go wrong. Easy cheesy and yummy in your tummy. Thanks Daddy, good job!

Dodgers play to mixed reviews

We were able to buy some last minute, half-price tickets on ebay for the Sunday Dodgers/Giants game. There was no scoring until the 11th inning so play went pretty fast. Our seats turned out to be in a good location. We were at the top of the stairs which meant that the kids didn't have to climb them to get in or out of our seats and we got to sit in the shade. Plus we were close to the 3rd baseline so our view was pretty good. Our baby girl had a great time and was soaking in the Dodger experience, including having a Dodger dog, crackerjacks and the works.

Unfortunately, we were in seats 5&6. This wouldn't mean much except to know that seats 7&8 were between us and the aisle. Also, not a big deal, until two 300+ lb guys came to sit in those seats. The guy in seat #7 was so big that he rested his elbow on the back of seat #6 (ours) for most of the game. This made Daddy VERY claustrophobic and he wound up taking our little princess for a walk for most of the game. Mommy & Mr. Fussypants were left to fend for themselves. Around the 7th inning, the two big guys moved down to some open seats (where they shared 5 seats between the two of them) so our family got to share the last few innings together at least. There was no score and by the 10th inning, Mr. Fussypants had had enough and was voicing his displeasure so we all decided to call it a day. Overall, not a great experience. We need to wait for our little guy to get a bit older before going back and we'll make sure to get four aisle seats next time.

Threes

Three things I've been contemplating lately:

1) All bad things happen in threes. This is definitely true for me. Yesterday was moving along rather painlessly when we got an urgent call from hubby that we had to get to the bank and do a money wire by the time the bank closed. This turned out to be rather inconvenient at the time because we had just arrived at a play-date with some friends and had to make an unexpected exit. This threw both kids into a tizzy over the unscheduled interruption. Both decided they were too tired to sleep and so hungry they must scream. On the way to the bank, the stereo in the car went out and by that I mean would turn on but not play at all. This further frustrated the kids who are accustomed to repeated verses of "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and listening to "Pop Goes the Weasel" till any sane person would want to puke. Upon arriving at the bank I had to do some phone call research to determine where best to transfer the funds (long story, don't ask). To keep the stinkers at bay I passed out some goldfish crackers and a firm reminder to the oldest on how to share. About 5 minutes into what would turn out to be half an hour of phone call conversation the air conditioner went out (it was about 94 degrees outside). And by went out I mean began to blow hot air on all of us. By the time we entered the bank I was severely frazzled, hot and quite frankly, fed up. I was taking no crap from any trainee-teller and got referred to a senior associate who served me quickly and efficiently. The best part about bad things happening in threes? Once the third one hit (ala, the AC issue) then the rest of the afternoon was long but moderately uneventful.

2) How often are your taste buds supposed to change? I think I heard once it was every seven years. I must be off schedule because I am well past 28 and not yet 35 but recently have developed an appreciation for all things hot. Specifically, I rather enjoy horseradish and wasabi, which, up until about a month ago, would have been on my short list of foods to avoid at all costs. In high school I had a thing for chicken bullion (as found in top ramen), in college it was mustard, and just out of college I made it my mission to find the best salsa recipe due to an overwhelming love of cilantro and tomatoes (which all through school I hated). As a kid I remember looking at "old" people and thinking they ate such gross stuff and as it turns out, I must be "old" now because I find myself making choices any self-respecting 7-year-old would never touch.

3) I miss my sister. Visiting with friends who don't live close enough sometimes makes it even worse. Don't get me wrong, I rather enjoy any time I get to spend with friends, but it reminds me of how I wish she lived close enough so that I could share those kind of meaningless moments with her too. There's just something that you can't replace about a person you used to beat up (and get beat up by), who wouldn't let you on her side of the car, and who had to sit through all the same bus rides and summer days and parent conferences and other meaningless events of your youth.

Onward and Upward

Now that our little guy has finally begun to walk on his own (not mastered yet, but working on it), he has decided to take on more difficult challenges. He sees his sister doing things and just feels compelled to try to keep up. It's alright little buddy, spoons are pretty tricky...keep working on it...


PS, this post is overdue. I've been trying to get this uploaded since Sunday but after about 10 hours of attempting to upload, I realized that the size was too big so I had to go back and convert it.

Breakfast with Jay

We have our buddy, Jay, over for breakfast in the mornings these days. He comes over a lot lately. He's a big peanut lover so we keep some on hand for him. No, he's not an elephant...

What's for Dinner?

I absolutely love my Marlboro cookbook. Don't get me wrong, I abhore smoking and do not condone it even in the slightest. However, I DO appreciate a good meal on the barbeque and this cookbook is FULL of good ideas. My favorite is the Steel-Toed Sirloin. You take some top sirloin and put it in a plastic bag. Add to the bag a mixture of OJ, soy sauce, garlic & ginger. Marinade and let it get happy overnight (or at least an hour) then grill about 8 minutes, serve with mashed potatoes and corn and OOh La La!