Nothing taken for granted...

My regularly scheduled, fun-filled dinnertime with the kids was interrupted by my toddler coming to my side, pointing to her nose and saying “Momma, Nose”. At which point, I realized she’d shoved a pony bead up her nostril. A pony bead isn’t something I normally have just laying around my house, but the library had their craft night last night and we made necklaces and the knot let go while I was making dinner.  So, 9-1-1 was dispatched, arrived, announced they didn't have the right tool for the job so off we went to the ER instead.  Popsicles for both kids, in the car to keep my littlest from shoving it any further up.  She's fine now.  My heart rate is back to normal.  And to think I nearly made it to my oldest's 4th birthday without a trip to the ER for a foreign body removal!

It’s just a reminder (as if we don't get them every single day) that we just can’t take anything for granted. It’s been in the news with the hot summer the 18th child has passed away as a result of being left in a car. And child fatalities like this usually peak in July. (Source) There was also an article I read this month in a parenting magazine that profiled a family that lost a child from being forgotten in the car. I think it’s far too easy to remove yourself from the situation with the words “I could never forget my child”. I’ve heard it from many parents. In listening to the story when it was covered on the local news station, they said 10-15 minutes can be enough to overtake a child’s body. And scientific testing has proven that cracking a window does basically nothing to alter the temperature of a car on a hot day. I’m not saying I ever leave my children alone in the car. But, I’ve started making sure I turn the car on with air before I run in to grab that sippy cup that was left on the washing machine once everyone’s been buckled in. 10 minutes isn’t long…

 A change in route is often cited as a contributing cause when a child is forgotten. For instance, a different parent/family member takes the child to school than normal and the child falls asleep on the way. I worried about this a lot when my husband came home from deployment and our son was 14 months old. He was still rear-facing at the time.  We used the teddy bear trick.  Or right now, my preschooler is at VBS this week & I'm toting around only 1 child in the morning.  Definitely not my norm & something I'm being very cautious about this week.
Suggestions of how to protect your child include:
 -Keep a stuffed animal or doll in the car seat and move it to the passenger side in the front seat when you buckle your child in.

-Ask your child’s daycare or sitter to call if your child is 5-10 minutes late for their normal drop off without prior notice.

-Leave your purse, employee badge, cell phone, lunch bag, whatever in the back seat with the child so you can’t leave the car without seeing them.

- Keep your key fobs in a place where children cannot touch them, ever. 

There are also more technical (read expensive) reminders out there if you want to go that route.
Car Seat Monitor
The ChildMinder System
Baby Safety Line
Baby Bee Safe

Also noted in the article I read was a call to the public at large.  If you see a child in a car, it's not the time to wonder where the parent is, think about calling 911 or assuming someone else already has.  Get the child out of the car immediately, by any way possible.  Not just at the part, but in your work parking lot- you know, where Mr. Smith drove instead of dropping Jane off at daycare because his wife's car was in the shop.  It can happen anywhere, to anyone.  And YOU could save lives...  Cars and their parts can always be replaced.  Children simply cannot.

My heart goes out to the families that have lost a child or children (one noted death was of 2 year old twins in the grandma’s car- they locked themselves in with a key fob...). I never want to be able to relate to that pain.  And I pray that those babies have found a peace that surrounds them with healing comfort now & that no more need follow.
For more information, including other vehicle safety information try: KidsandCars.org

MTM- Breakfast for Lunch!

a- bacon & eggs b- frozen mini waffles c- Krispy Kreme mini donut

d- mini bagel with cream cheese e- YoBaby yogurt with granola (& sprinkles) f- red seedless grapes

Getting my preschooler to eat breakfast has now become annoying.  He used to, without fail, down a bowl of oatmeal faithfully every morning.  Not anymore.  I'd have appreciated it if he'd have explained why the sudden shift in pattern to me, but alas, no news was forthcoming.  So, today I gave him a MTM that were options for a good breakfast (I called the donut dessert and surprisingly, he waited till last to eat it).  His favorite was the waffles (which he eats cold... he says they taste better) and spit out the bagel sandwich upon detecting the cream cheese.  He ate almost a whole plain one though.  Oh well, I tried.  I let him put sprinkles on the yogurt, hoping it would make it more fun, but he gagged when I made him try a bite.  Again, something he used to love and now won't touch. 

If anyone's got a spare copy of their instruction guide for toddlers, let me know.  I've apparently misplaced mine.

Sizzling Hot Sales Today :)

Since I'm not cooking much this week, it's just happy coincidence that I'm able to post about some great sales this week!
First, Elemental Scraps has put 400 kits at $1 because they are retiring.  Get these kits now before they are gone! (Though, the site appears to be having some issues at the moment, check back later today.)
Second, Design House Digital has several great kits either on sale or free today, and all of Meredith Fenwick's store is marked down 40% as she's leaving the site.
Third, the Manic Monday sales at Scrap Matters.
Happy Scrapping!

Sort of Menu Planning Sunday

As a military wife, you get used to having a lot of meals alone... Our family's been extremely blessed that my husband has been home consistently over the past 18 months while he got his degree. But this week, I return to the joy of the TDY. I say that honestly. Not all TDYs are fun ones, but when it’s a week, knowing my husband’s in a “relatively” safe place, I can look forward to having less laundry, less clutter on my counters, etc. And he'd better be enjoying a week in a hotel because I know I would be! 
It doesn’t mean I don’t love and miss the man… my kids wanted to rush off to show Daddy their after bath dress up game of make believe in their hooded animal towels. It just means I’m still my own person who can function on my own and when it’s not 6-12 months at a stretch knowing my husband’s in the way of true harm for the protection of our country, well… it’s a good week.


So, my “menu” is more of a list of ideas. I'll make whichever of them sounds good that night to me...
Monday: Leftovers
Tuesday: Marinated Salmon (frozen from Costco) and Sweet Potato Fries
Wednesday: Chipotle Black Bean Burgers (frozen from Costco) with mac & cheese
Thursday: Cheese Ravioli (prepared) cooked in chicken broth & served like a soup
Friday: Tortilla Encrusted Tilapia with couscous
Saturday: Bratwurst on the grill & corn on the cob
Sunday: *TBD* Am truly hoping to find a sitter for a very special free admission for military to a certain theme park in my area! Our last date night was in February!
Monday: Stuffed Shells (as I have a spare pan ready in my freezer.)

Chicken Lasagna

Yummy dinner, though I would recommend cutting back to 1/2 cup of milk for the list.  Upon closer examination, my original 3/4 cup of milk always turns out soupy and my original recipe says "Let me check that this is right..."  and due to the soupiness of my result tonight, I'll also spare you the picture until a time that I get one where the result is publishable :)

Chicken Lasagna

Servings: 8
 4 c cooked chicken
2 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 c milk
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 t salt (optional)
16 oz cottage cheese
3 oz cream cheese softened
6 uncooked lasagna noodles
1/2 c butter
6 oz package stuffing mix

1. Mix in large bowl chicken, soup, milk, onion powder, salt .
2. Mix in a smaller bowl, cottage cheese & cream cheese.
3. Spray 9x13" baking dish with Pam.
4. Layer: 1/2 chicken mixture, 3 lasagna noodles, 1/2 cheese mixture and repeat.
5. Toss melted butter with stuffing and put over top.
6. Bake at 350 for 30-40 mins. Let cool slightly before serving to firm.

NI: 422 cals, 17 g fat, 82 mg chol, 883 mg sodium, 32 g carbs, 1 g fiber, 26 g protein

Color Mixing Layout

We finally got around to the color mixing activity from Confessions of a Homeschooler's blog. :)  My son loved it.  We had a lot of fun and I was super impressed that he could read the instructions I printed off from her site as well as wanted to make a recipe of his own.  I was so, so excited to see him "getting it" and enjoying the fun.  I had as much fun as he did, I think.  I used kits from Britt Ish Designs because every week, if you submit to her a layout made with her kits, she'll send you a free gift!  Can't beat that, can you?

Credits: Ohana & Messy Masks by Britt-ish Designs, Sunshine Poppy Font by HeatherT Designs (Free on her blog) and Whirly Birdie font (journaling) from Audacious Designs.

Crock Pot Oatmeal

Wonderful recipe!  Just be SURE to use STEEL CUT oats to make this work.  Otherwise, you'll end up with oatmeal soup. I found them at my local farmer's market for $2 for 2 pounds.  It looks like there's about 8 cups of oats in the bag, so truly, and affordable, healthy, get-you-through-the-day breakfast.  I sprayed my crock with Pam before adding everything ni and clean up was quite easy.  I used to be a fan of the Crock Pot Liners made by Reynolds but have tried to use them sparingly these days.  Original recipe found here.

Crock Pot Oatmeal
Servings: 6

Ingredients:
1 cup steel cut oats
3.5 cups water
1/2 cups fat free milk
1/4 cups brown sugar
1 Tbsp butter
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon

Combine all ingredients in crock pot and cook on low overnight (8 hours). May need to add milk, sugar and either cinnamon or I prefer brown sugar, to taste.
NI: 153 cals, 4 g fat, 6 mg chol, 17 g sodium, 31 g carbs, 3 g fiber, 5 g protein

Summertime Reading... old habits die hard

I've rediscovered the joy of the summertime reading clubs since my children are old enough to participate in not 1, but 2 different reading clubs locally as well as my library running one for adults!  I've already won a door prize. 

My kids, as I've mentioned before, participate weekly in the Half Priced Books club.  Bring in your weekly reading sheet, having read at least 15 minutes for 5 days or more, and you get a $3 coupon towards your next purchase.  My kids enjoy picking out clearance books to bring home or a special little goody...  so far, the favorite has been the Disney wrist warmers (think old school 80's style sweat bands for the wrists).  They're perfect for our upcoming cruise & personally, I love that my daughter, not quite 2, picked out the "Drama Queen" all on her own.

They are also tracking their reading for our local library.  After 8 hours of reading (tracked by 15 minute increments), they get a prize and after 16, they get another plus entered in a drawing for a "grand prize".  I give kudos to the library- the little book they have to track has little pictures to color, 8 per page, so the kids can actually color in their own reading records as opposed to me writing their times every day.  The adults are required to read 10 books in the summer.  After reading 5, you receive a prize, then another after 10.  And you're entered to win a really fabulous looking gift basket.

But, aside from free things, frequenting the library is a favorite pasttime of our family.  And it's one I spent many, many hours of my youth doing as well.  We lived within walking distance of the local community center which housed several all-purpose rooms (where I had Girl Scout meetings and for a brief time, Earth Club meetings) and the small library.  Books were too expensive to buy, especially new.  So, the library was my favorite place.  I've been an avid King fan for as long as I've had my own library card!

Last year, when circumstances required we cut back significantly on living expenses to save cash, I gave up buying all literature, books and movies in lieu of the library.  But, as library funding was cut more and more, I felt the need to show some monetary appreciation.  I tracked what the library saved me on my own personal reading (so, not counting the kids movies and books) and checked current values using amazon.com.  I gave a small percentage of my personal savings back to our library.  And it was even a tax write-off.

Libraries offer so, so much to our communities.  Free programming, a safe place for kids to hang out after-school, many offer free internet access and even WiFi in some areas, in addition to the actual media material you can borrow either for free or for a nominal fee.  The expertise of the librarians themselves shouldn't be discounted!  Ours recommended this very cute book to us when I asked about dinosaurs: When Dinosaurs Came with Everything  The director of our new library also sings beautiful Celtic music with his wife and treated us to a concert last Monday night.  For free.  My kids loved it.

I also found this total classic from my youth: There's An Alligator Under my Bed. How on Earth did I become a mother 4 years ago without remembering to buy my son this book? 

And for my personal list, no updates this week.  I ran in to issues with the "Play Away" version of American Gods & I'm almost finished with Obsessed by Ted Dekker.

So, share something about your reading habits- do you have to eat or drink while reading? prefer to read long periods at a stretch or short? alternate quick reads with more heavy stuff?

Chicken & Sausage Kabobs

We loved this!  I took everything off the skewers, cut to bite-size and put it on toothpicks for the kids and they actually ate it without dying, aside from the potatoes.  I also made a side of brown rice for them, stirred in butter and they ate it well.   You can easily do the marinade the night before or in the morning, then it'll be easier to put together for a week night or for a party platter. Originally from Simple & Delicious June/July 2010. My only change was substituting the sausage with turkey sausage.
Chicken & Sausage Kabobs
Servings: 8*  (technically, but I'd say 4 servings of 2 skewers each)

Ingredients:
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast cut in to 1.5" chunks
1 lb turkey smoked sausage cut in to 3/4" chunks
1 cup pineapple (either canned chunks or fresh chunks)
4 medium red potatoes (about 1 lb) cut in to quarters as chunks
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1 Tbsp Worchestershire sauce (preferrably low sodium)
1/4 tsp fresh cracked pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp seasoned salt (kosher if you don't have seasoned)
8-9 wooden or metal skewers (soak wood ones at least an hour prior to grilling)

Directions:
1. Combine soy sauce, Worchestershire sauce, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a large zip top bag.  Add meats to bag, smoosh and let sit for at least one hour and up to 24 hours in the fridge.
2. Place potatoes in a microwave safe dish & cover with a towel.  Microwave for 6-8 minutes, stirring twice or until fork tender.
3. Alternate chicken, potato, sausage and pineapple on skewers- about room for 8 "pieces" per wooden skewer.  Discard leftover marinade.
4. Grill for 10-15 minutes or until juices of chicken run clear.
5. Serve hot.

NI*: 218 cals, 6 g fat, 68 mg cholesterol, 900 mg sodium, 17 g carbs, 1 g fiber, 23 g protein
*Sodium estimate high as this assume all the marinade is consumed.  It won't be.

Muffin Tin Monday

I came across some wonderful activities that inspired me for both Muffin Tin Monday as well as our activities for the day itself.  What I planned, though a moody preschooler has caused these to be postponed until tomorrow, I believe... :0/

Painted with Chalk
Color Mixing




And for the Muffin Tins:
Red: Hot Dog Octopi (a)
Orange: Goldfish (f)
Yellow: Grilled Cheese (c)
Green: Broccoli (d)
Blue/Purple: Blueberries (e)
White: Snowballs (b)
*I replaced peanut butter with almond butter & increased the graham crackers to about 1/2 cup.  I like them alright, but they're very sweet & sticky.  Next time, I'll cut the honey back to 1/4 cup as well.

Meal Planning Sunday... Father's Day edition!

Whoops! Forgot to hit post, so it's a menu plan for Monday!
What better way to celebrate my husband than to announce our meals for the week?  After all, isn't the way to a man's heart through his stomach?  I'm sort of kidding.  My husband is an amazing man, father, partner, supporter, everything I dreamed of.  And I am thrilled to be able to spend the day with him.  When you're military, you know that any holiday/event spent at home shouldn't be taken for granted.  As a side note, we watched The Hurt Locker last night.  I should also mention that my husband is EOD.  Watching this movie with him was interesting...  I can see why so many real EOD dislike this movie (and to some, dislike is not strong enough a word).  Though, my hubby did say there were parts that were dead on.  Some of them, I "knew" though, as the one at home, you chose willingly to not think about while it's your loved one over there...

Anyway, on to the food!  We didn't finish everything that I'd planned from last week, so this week will run something like this:
Breakfast this morning: Crock Pot Oatmeal
*I reduced the water to 3.5 cups and it was a bit sticky- the trick is really using STEEL CUT Oats
Monday: Chicken & Sausage Kabobs
Tuesday: Pork Roast (a la Pioneer Woman)
Wednesday:  Baked "Fried" Chicken and Zucchini Parmesan Crisps
Thursday: Chicken Lasagna
Friday: Spaghetti & Meatballs
Saturday:  Marinated Salmon Steaks (from Costco) and Couscous

Blog Train & Sales at Elemental Scraps!

Like free stuff?  Check out the Blog Train with the design team at Elemental Scraps

Here's a sneak peek at Lucky's part of the train, available for download on her blog.

And the page I made with it:

And Lucky Smith is celebrating her vacation by putting her store on sale! Check it out:

Stuffed Shells

Based on the recipe found here.
This was amazing!!!  I doubled the recipe to have one in the freezer to take to a friend this week & ended up with 2, 9x13 casserole dishes plus 2 small pans.  So, perfect for nights when my husband's travelling or home late.  The kids weren't fans, but maybe they'll come around.  I served with this amazing Roasted Garlic bread from Costco and a Cabernet Sauvignon.  So yummy!!!

Stuffed Shells
Serves:

Ingredients:
1 box Jumbo Pasta Shells
1 lb lean ground turkey
1 tsp onion powder
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cups Weight Watcher's Mozzarella Cheese
1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 cup lowfat ricotta cheese
1 jar Prego Heart Healthy Ricotta Parmesan Spaghetti Sauce

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 30 degrees F.
2. Cook shells according to directions, until just tender.
3. Meanwhile, brown turkey, onion powder and garlic on the stovetop. Drain.
4. Mix 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, breadcrumbs, egg, parmsan and ricotta cheese in a bowl and add turkey mixture when done.
5. Spray 9x13 pan with non stick spray.
6. Line pan with spaghetti sauce.
7. Stuff shells carefully with turkey and cheese mixture and plae ce in 9x13 pan when done.
8. Cover finished shells with sauce. *Stop here and freeze for a freezer meal.
9.  Bake, covered with foil, at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes.
10. During last 10 minutes, cover with the remaining mozzarella cheese and bake until melted.

NI: 589 cals, 169 g Fat, 100 mg chol, 1,293 mg sodium, 67 g carbs, 7 g fiber, 41 g protein

Basil Corn on the Cob

Yummy!  Ours was slightly singed meaning it was a bit firey when pulled from the grill, but very good.  Next time, I'll use some parmesan cheese and garlic powder to mix with the butter to make it taste a little different. Also, we left one ear with just regular butter on it so the kids would eat it.  Should have left 2.  First sweet corn of the year, purchased at a local market and it was heavenly!!!





Basil Corn on the Cob
From Simple & Delicious June/July 2010
Serves: 6

Ingredients:
6 ears fresh sweet corn
8 Tbsp butter, softened
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic salt
Kitchen string
1 cup basil leaves (optional)
Lime wedges (optional)

Directions:
1- Carefully peel back corn husks to within 1" of bottom to remove sillk. Remove all silk.
2- In a small bowl, combine butter, dried basil, sugar, salt and garlic salt.  Spread over corn.
3- Place basil leaves over butter mixture on ears.
4- Rewrap corn husks and secure with kitchen string.
5- Place in a stock pot and cover with cold water.  Let sit 20 minutes.
6- Grill corn in husks over medium heat, covered, 25-30 minutes or until tender, turning often.  Serve with lime wedges.

Sweet & Spicy Pork Tenderloin

Notes- Very spicy, but in a secondary type of way.  Like you'll take a bite, think "Oh it's not bad" but then it hits you.  We served fish sticks for the kids but if you wanted to leave some meat not marinated with rub, the finishing glaze would be yummy alone.
From: Weight Watcher's Magazine August 2010 edition

Sweet and Spicy Pork Tenderloin
Serves: 6

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp Mexican-Style Chili Powder We used about 3/4 Tbsp Chili powder with 1/4 tsp Chipotle Chili Powder)
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2 (3/4 lb) pork tenderloins
3/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp onion powder
2 Tbsp Worchestershire sauce
2 tsp yellow mustard

Directions:
1. Mix chili powder, garlic powder, oregano and cinnamon in a cup.
2. Place 1 tenderloin on a cutting board. Holding a sharp knife, cut tenderloin lengthwise three quarters of the way through and open up like a book. Place pork, cut side down between 2 pieces of wax paper and pound to 1/2 inch thickness.  Repeat with remaining tenderloin.
3. Transfer to a large bowl & rub all sides with spice mixture. Cover and refridgerate at least 2 hours or up to 24.
4. Meanwhile, make glaze.  Whisk orange juice, brown sugar onion powder, Worchestershire and mustard in a small sauce pan until blended over medium heat.  Bring to a boil,  Reduce  heat and simmer, stirring occassionally until mixture reduces to about 2/3 cup.  Let cool completely.
**All prep above could be done the night before & kept in fridge**
5. Preheat grill to high.
6. Spray both sides of tenderloin with non stick spray. Place on grill and grill until well browned (3-4 minutes).  Turn and brush ith glaze.  Grill until well browned (another 3-4 minutes).  Turn again and brush with glaze, repeating until thermometers inserted on either side read 155 degrees F.  Transfer to cutting board.  Cover loosely with foil and let sit 5 minutes before cutting. 
7. Cut each tenderloin in to 9 slices each.

NI (per 3 slice serving): 202 cals, 2 g fat, 48 mg chol, 145 mg sodium,16 g carbs, 1 g fiber, 23 g protein, 34 mg calcium

I'm serving this with grilled basil corn!

Geneology Project: Wedding Day

My great grandparents on their wedding day in 1934.  They are reunited in heaven, though we miss them down here very much.  Credits: All in the Family Grunge Masks by Kerry'd Away Designs, Echoes of Asia {free} from Jessica Sprague, Boheme Sophistique {free} by HeatherT Designs, & Photo Masks by Carina Gardner.

Layouts for the week!

Oh, I've been having so much fun!  Between joiningthe new Creative Team, participating in the June challenge on ScrapOrchard & my regular scrapping for Kerry, it's been a very busy week!

U-turn!

Kit: Licensed to Drive by Lucky Smith Designs   Font: Round Birdie by Audacious Designs

Our Little Monster

Monstrosity Kit by Britt Ish Designs submitted for her weekly Show Off

Staycation:

Part of the ScrapOrchard June Challenge- A free kit piece every day with challenges daily.  Kit- It's a Good Life by Ettes Design  Also find the free template to play along here  Font is Tall Drink (Freebie) From Heather T's blog

Scrap Lift! Mindy Hanson

So, Mindy is the 4th Pea to be spotlighted at Two Peas on the digital scrapping board.  She's incredibly talented and I love reading her blog.  One of her layouts definitely caught my eye to lift.  It's called "Walls Around Us". I love this and have definitely, at some point, been able to relate to the sentiment the layout captured.  But, not really at this moment, at this time in my life.  Instead, a quote from a friend's Facebook page drew me in as I thought of lifting her page.  So, I created!  Tutorial for the bracket here.  Credits: Boho Sheek by Brandy Buffington, Round Birdie Font by Audrey Neal, Glittery Edge Effects by Betsy Tuma and masks by Jennifer Barrette.

Game On

Love this kit from Jen Markatis at Two Peas: Robots  Alpha from Growth Spurt by Connie Prince  Overlay from the Play All Day Kit  Inspired by the Sketch from Liz Qualman

Sweet Sweet Boy

I love this kit from Page Frocks: Little Boys Dream  (Another example of bargain shopping- I got this on a 50% sale for $2.50.  Traditional scrappers, could you make this page for $2.50?)  Anyway, I also used a new kit from Kerry'd Away Designs at Two Peas- another edition of Curvalicious Masks!  Gorgeous stuff!  Grungy photo masks: 365 MasksVer 4 by Carina Gardner at Design House Digital. Journaling reads: Son-

Mommy, I want to stay under this big roof every day with you and be happy and laugh...
Mommy:
Me too, son.

The dust settles from my preschooler's busy feet

Whether it's the "Wow, you've got your hands full" or "Gee, I wish I had that much energy" to the "Boys are just different" comments I get daily, it's a no brainer that my son isn't a kid who will sit nicely, listen to a story or lesson and go along with your instruction if that's all that there is to do in his day.  So, after a morning of hard-core playgrounding (including a beautiful, free kids park with water features and wonderful learning spots), I decided to try the Clothes Pin Matching Game with him while my toddler napped.

Total success.  He loved it and we went through both sets of letters.  I need to finish another box of cereal to free up some cardboard for the pictures & letter matching though I have it printed, cut and ready to go.  I printed the circles on cardstock and then used basic cardboard from a cereal box to make them a bit more sturdy.  He loved the chance to talk about the big and little letters but also the motor skills practice of using a clothes pin.

And yesterday, we visited story & craft time at Barnes & Noble.  We read "Watch Out Little Wombat" which was very cute.  Then, made paper bag puppets.  The kids loved it!  You'd need brown paper bags, construction paper for ears, arms & tails (if you make the crocodile, both of my kids made wombats), foam pieces for eyes (or googly eyes, buttons, whatever), glue sticks & crayons for decorating. 

Ham Carbonara

I will 100% make this again.  It was my first "real" carbonara but it went quickly and we all loved it.  For the kids, that meant there was enough pasta that they could easily eat just that and didn't find it too offensive.

From Simple & Delicious Magazine June/July 2010

Ham Carbonara
Serves: 4
Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
8 oz Smart Taste spaghetti, uncooked
1 medium zucchini, chopped
1 medium summer squash, chopped
1 tsp onion powder
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 lb thick sliced deli style ham
1 cup frozen green peas
2 eggs
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp dried thyme (1 tsp fresh)
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper

Directions:
- Cook spaghettit according to directions.
- Meanwhie, saute in a large skillet the zucchini and summer squash with the onion powder and olive oil.
- Add ham and peas; heat through.  Remove from pan and keep warm.
- Reduce heat to low; add eggs to skillet.  Cook and stir until egg mixture coats the back of a spoon (mixture will look frothy). 
- Drain spaghetti and place in a bowl. Add eggs to spaghetti.  Toss to coat.
- Add vegetable mixture, 1/4 cup cheese, thyme, salt and pepper.  Toss gently to coat.
- Sprinkle top with remaining cheese.

NI: 464 cals, 15 g fat, 125 mg chol, 1,083 mg sodium, 53 g carbs, 9  fiber, 28  protein

Another round of "What are you reading?"

I finished up #29 "Say You're One of Them" by Ukem Akpan this week on audiobook.  I have to admit, I didn't love this series of stories.  I'm not sure what it was, whether it was the literal translations of the dialect or just my own personal distractions from the story.  But, it was hard to get through.  I can say for sure if I hadn't picked it up on audio, I wouldn't have finished it.  I love reading works from international authors via audiobook so that I can really "get" the wan names or cities are pronounced.  Reading in my own head words of another language is more difficult & I find it harder to engage myself with the work.

I did pick up & breeze through #30 "The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon" by Stephen King. If you haven't read this, you should.  Even if you aren't a huge King fan, you should read this.  Though I do have loads of respect for King as an author and human being.

Currently, I'm working on "Obsessed" by Ted Dekker as well as two audiobooks "The 19th wife" by David Ebershoff and "American Gods" by Neil Gaiman.  "The 19th Wife" has a very Jodi Picoult feel to it, though there's no one touting the benefits of the polygomy, but still, multiple voices on a complex social issue.  The theme is there.  I'm not in to "American Gods" enough to have a good feel for it, but I think I'll love it.  We'll see...  hope to address next week!

So, what's on your night stand?

Buffalo Chicken

From Taste of Home Simple & Delicious Magazine June/July 2010

I served with Crash Hot Potatoes from Pioneer Woman Cooks (My favorite "spice" for them is parmesan cheese, lol!)

Buffalo Chicken
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 5 oz each)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

2 eggs

1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
3 Tbsp canola oil
1/4 c buffalo wing sauce
1/4 cup shredded provolonecheese
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

(Or 1/2 cup combined shredded mozzarella/provolone mix if you find it)

Directions:
Prep: Start a skillet with about 1 Tbsp oil over medium heat to warm up.
1. Flatten chicken breasts to 1/2 inch thickness.
2. Sprinkle with salt & pepper.
3. In a shallow bowl, whisk eggs.  Place breadcrumbs in another bowl.
4.  Dip chicken in to eggs then coat with breadcrumbs.
5. Place in the skillet for 7-10 minutes on each side, adding wing sauce during the last 2 minutes.  Turn to coat chicken.
6.  Add cheese and turn down to low heat, covered until ready to serve.

NI*: 373 cals, 18 g fat, 142 mg chol, 1,220 mg sodium, 11 g carbs, 1 g fiber, 40 g protein
*Assumes all breading is used and only 1 egg in total adheres to the chicken in the process.

And as much as I hate doing it, here's what the kids ate.  Despite both of the picking the hot dog octopus off their plates, they ate both of them.  I used 1 and cut it in half, then up long-ways to make the tentacles.  And finally, I kabob'd it.  Just because.  The skewers also worked to pick up their Ditalini pasta :)

So, you're a runner?

I saw my PCM (Primary Care Manager) at our new clinic today for the first time.  The nurse took all my stats and upon finishing that up, looked at me and said "Are you a runner?"  I was sort of stumped.  I knew my blood pressure (90/50) and resting heart rate (50) have lowered and those all indicate "runner" but to actually call myself that? So, I said, "Yes, I'm a runner."

And I am...  I've said I set out this year to run a 5K in under 30 minutes.  Well, once I started working towards that goal, apparently I just couldn't stop.  My list for the year (so far):

Races:
Feel the Love 5K 2/13/2010
Frostbite 5 miler 2/20/2010 51:05
Snowball 5 miler 3/7/2010 48:48
Flying Pig 10K 5/1/2010: 58:02
Mother’s Day 10K 5/8/2010 58:57
Susan G Komen 5K 5/13/2010 27:38
Trail Run- ORRRC 5/11/2010 10K 1:09
Strawberry 10K Troy OH 6/6/2010 57:21 (PR)
Sugarcreek Trail Run ORRRC 10K 6/9/2010- 1:09
Dash for Donors Half Marathon 7/10/10- 2:29:11
Cottage Hill Trail Run ORRRC 5K- 28:44 (PR)

For Mother's Day this year, my husband bought me this, the Garmin Forerunner & I was elated.  I was a real runner!  But, I'm not in maintenance mode for both running & my weight loss.  I'm happy with where I am on both fronts- I'm not ready to commit the time and energy required to train for a full marathon and I never dreamed I'd run a half.  But, I'll be happy to cross it off my "bucket list" of sorts.  And to keep off the total of 35 pounds I lost this year.

Here's what I looked towards the end of last year:

And after I finished at the Susan G Komen:

I'll have the perfect side by side in September after we get back from our journey on the Disney Magic!

Muffin Tin Monday & Preschool Eating Habits

1- Cookies (Kept separate until he ate the rest) 2- Blueberries 3- Corn

4- Skewered Naked Chicken Nuggets fried in butter 5- Pooh animal crackers 6- Apple slices

Today's theme was "Get my preschooler to eat something" and it worked.  We hit Costco this morning before lunch and they were passing out samples of the Naked Chicken Nuggets (which I have a bag of at home but he turns his nose up at when I make them).  Of course, at Costco, he ate two and was trying to steal a third.  The secret?  They served theirs on toothpicks.  Gotcha.  So, I broke a skewer and voila! He ate 3 at home, sat on my lap while he ate, telling me how much he loved me. 

You've probably noticed a trend- my preschooler doesn't really eat.  Usually, I could at least count on him eating peanut butter on a spoon or oatmeal for breakfast.  Both of those have fallen away as stand-by's and I've yet to find something equally inticing for him.  He loves the concept of the 100 calorie sandwich breads now- we call them "circle sandwiches" and at least it's carbs which he needs.  I'm trying all my normal ways to sneak calories in: whole fat dairy, cooking pastas and rice in chicken broth, adding butter when possible (he won't eat it if he can see it, so only possible on hot things), etc.  He's refusing the newer options I've had suggested: Pediasure, Carnation Instant Breakfast, dips, sauces, are some of the things I've tried. 

So instead, it's currently me sitting with him at each meal, coaxing every bite and every sip.  I'm thankful that when there are people either aching for a baby or living with the loss or illness of a child, this is my biggest "issue"... that my 3 year old is too busy and active to spend his time eating.  I'll take it with a thankful heart... and just keep my mind working at new things to try.  Do you think protein powder would work in oatmeal?!?