so now i know...

You Should Spend Your Summer at the Beach

You're a free spirit who is always thinking of new ways to have fun. And you don't just love summer... you live for it. So, you really should blow off your responsibilities and head to the beach!

Where Should You Spend Your Summer?

homemade mac 'n cheese

This is a great recipe for a more gourmet twist on Mac 'n Cheese. My boys love it and so do most adults... I usually serve it with my recipe of Chicken Fingers with Honey Mustard Sauce and I do it on a day when I'm not too concerned with the future health/weight of my family...

Rich 'n Cheesy Macaroni

2 1/2 cups uncooked macaroni
6 Tbsp. butter, divided
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
2 cups milk
8 oz. Velveeta cheese
1 1/3 cups cottage cheese
2/3 cup sour cream
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups soft bread crumbs

Cook and drain macaroni. Place in a greased 2 1/2 qt. baking dish. In saucepan, melt 4 Tbsp. butter. Stir in flour, salt and sugar until smooth. Gradually stir in milk. Bring to boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Reduce heat, stir in Velveeta until melted. Stir in cottage cheese and sour cream. Pour over macaroni. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Melt remaining 2 Tbsp. butter and toss with bread crumbs; sprinkle over top. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 30 minutes ore until golden brown. 6-8 servings.

Warning: excessive amounts of dairy and fat - please exercise caution... or maybe just plain exercise after eating!!

chicken fingers with dipping sauce

(Note: I copied this recipe over from my previous blog so my recipes are all in one place.)

This is a great hit with the boys and dh too... Good with homemade Mac 'n Cheese!

Chicken Fingers

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 pkg. dry Italian dressing mix
2 pkgs. Ritz crackers
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
Crush crackers. Add butter and dressing mix. Cut chicken into strips and coat with mayonnaise. Roll in crackers crumb mixture. Bake 20 minutes at 400F or until done.


Honey Mustard Sauce for Chicken Fingers
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup Miracle Whip
1/3 cup mustard
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup honey
1-2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard, optional
Mix well and serve with hot chicken fingers.

choices

I've been wondering lately how far we will go to make sacrifices for our children's sake. I tend to be an extremely selfish person and I shock myself sometimes how shallow I am, how I'm more concerned about appearances than doing the very best thing for my family. I've also spent a lot of time thinking about the choices we make daily and the effect they have on our children. Parenting is arguably the most important job we do, as we're preparing the world of tomorrow... We've come up against some issues lately that confound me a little - do we choose the best way for our children, or do we choose the way that keeps us more financially secure? What are we willing to sacrifice for the spiritual safety of our children? I don't have everything sorted out yet, but I've been busy thinking...

I'd love to hear some input!

gourmet chicken pizza

Tonight was one of those nights (ever get one?) when menu inspiration will not come... It seems like all we've eaten lately is pizza or Mexican & I'm pretty sick of both. But I had a pizza crust thawed and cooked chicken at the ready so I used trusty Allrecipes and found this incredible recipe for Gourmet Chicken Pizza. It was different enough from the regular tomato-sauce-based pizzas and yet not too out there as far as flavor goes... so yeah, big hit with the guys!

Gourmet Chicken Pizza

• 1 (10 ounce) can refrigerated pizza crust
• 2 skinless boneless chicken breast halves
  
• 1/2 cup Ranch-style salad dressing
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1 cup chopped tomatoes
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Lightly grease a pizza pan or medium baking sheet.
2. Place chicken in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook until no longer pink, and juices run clear. Cool, then either shred or chop into small pieces.
3. Unroll dough, and press into the prepared pizza pan or baking sheet. Bake crust for 7 minutes in the preheated oven, or until it begins to turn golden brown. Remove from oven.
4. Spread ranch dressing over partially baked crust. Sprinkle on mozzarella cheese. Place tomatoes, green onion, and chicken on top of mozzarella cheese, then top with Cheddar cheese. Return to the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly.

a day with buster

Yesterday I took Buster to a couple of appointments... it's been 2 weeks since he had his cast off and he's still really favoring that foot, so we got another x-ray and then I took him to this awesome chiropractor. I've taken the boys to Dr. Judy before - she specializes in maternity & kids - and she is just incredible! First, she loves kids so that's a big plus - she'll tell stories and make funny sounds to distract them while she's adjusting them. Second, she really knows what she's doing and she explains it well to both mom and kid. I'm really hoping this adjustment will help with Buster's bedwetting as well.

And then we just hung out, Buster and me... we did a lot of shopping and I was impressed with how patient he was while I tried on clothes and dragged him into store after store... but you see, when you live an hour from the nearest decent shopping, you shop when you can! And I think he decided he'll never get married because he'll be broke within months... :) But overall it was a great day, I think Buster and I needed that bonding time... I get so impatient with that almost-5 attitude - honestly I think I'd take the "terrible twos" over the "frustrating fives" any day... So just shopping, hanging out, having lunch - it was just what the doctor ordered.

pork chops and rice

Tonight we used the grill again... I marinated pork chops for 24 hours in Diana Teriyaki Marinade and dh grilled them to tender perfection! But to me, the crowning glory of the meal was the side of Primavera Rice & Cheese. I've gotten into the habit of keeping these on hand, and if you'll notice they have the recipe right on their website for the side dish that had me licking my plate clean. I'll include the recipe here as well:

Primavera Rice & Cheese

170 g Uncle Ben's Long Grain & Wild Rice w/ Mushrooms
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced red pepper
1/2 cup diced zucchini
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
3/4 cup Mozzarella cheese

Prepare rice according to package directions. Just before rice is almost done, saute vegetables in oil. Stir into cooked rice along with Mozzarella. Cover and let stand for 2 minutes to melt cheese before serving.

gender roles

As I tucked Buster into his bed the other night, he said to me, "Mom, I would just like to be a girl." This came out of left field, I didn't see it coming and I had no idea where he was going with this. I mean, I didn't realize he had actually noticed that their was a difference in genders at his age.

"Why?" I asked.
"Because I would like to be in the kitchen and cook things," he said.
Oh dear, and here I had been hoping to teach my kids less rigid lines between "women's work" and "men's work".
"You can cook if you're a boy," I said.
"No, Mommy, I only see mommies and girls in kitchens," he replied.

This brought to mind another incident a month back when the boys were playing "house" (yes, boys do that too!) and I overheard Buster say to Noodle, "No, you can't have the hammer, you're the Mommy - go make supper!"

Alrighty then! It's obvious what the gender roles are in this household...

rice and shrimp

Wild Rice Shrimp Bake
1 6-oz package long grain & wild rice mix
1 lb. uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 4-0z. can mushroom pieces, drained
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 10-oz can cream of mushroom soup

Prepare rice according to package directions. Saute shrimp, green pepper, onion and mushrooms in butter until shrimp turn pink. Add soup to rice; stir into shrimp mixture. Bake in 2 quart baking dish at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until heated through.

(Note: I copied this recipe over from my previous blog so my recipes are all in one place.)

human nature

I knelt, listening to Buster as he prayed his simple bedtime prayer... "and let my body listen to my face, and let me go to my dear Father's house..." And somehow that stuck with me, isn't that the prayer of each of us? Even Paul, in Romans 7:19 (HCSB) says, "For I do not do the good that I want to do, but I practice the evil that I do not want to do." We all struggle with that one, even almost 5-year-olds feel that their body doesn't listen to their "face". It is always so comforting to me when I read the obvious flaws of the people God chose to do His work. It is true, I am nothing without him... He chooses His servants by their willingness... Willingness to be out there, to get out of our comfort zone, willing to be a scandal for Christ, willing to be different than our peers... willing to stand firm...

grilling experiments

(Note: I copied this recipe over from my previous blog so my recipes are all in one place.)

I put a roast in the slow cooker for supper, just dumped a little water and a package of onion soup mix on top, then turned it on High for 4 hours. Then we experimented a bit with the rest of the meal...

Rosemary Baby Potatoes
Boil 5 minutes, then coat with a mixture of:
Olive oil
Rosemary
Salt and pepper
Garlic powder (I would use fresh cloves but dh doesn't really dig the strong *authentic* garlic smell/flavor...)
Grill for 20 minutes over medium heat

Grilled Asparagus
Coat with melted butter, salt & pepper
Grill over medium heat about 10 minutes

Both turned out excellent! We will be doing this a lot more, and the best part is, dh loves to run the grill, so I have a lot less to do!

italian stew

If you know me, you know how I looove anything Italian. The more authentic the better, and my dream is to one day visit that gorgeous country... but for now I content myself with cooking and browsing magazines with the slightest hint of anything Italian. I found this recipe on Kalyn's site and it definitely appealed to that side of me, not to mention it's deliciously low carb and I had leftover roast beef to use up.

Leftover Roast Beef Italian Stew
(Makes about 2-3 servings, recipe can easily be doubled.)

1/2 onion chopped
1/2 green pepper chopped (or more)
1 T olive oil
8-10 oz. leftover roast beef or steak (about 1 1/2 cups diced beef cubes)
2 cups beef stock (or 1 can beef broth plus a little water)
1 cup slow roasted tomatoes (or 1 can diced tomatoes)
1/2 T dried oregano
1/2 T dried basil
1 cup mushrooms, cut in large chunks
1-3 T chopped fresh or frozen chopped basil

Cut onion and green pepper into 3/4inch pieces, and roast beef and mushrooms into 1 1/2 inch pieces. In heavy dutch oven type pot, saute onions in olive oil for 3 minutes, add green pepper and saute 3 minutes more. Add beef, stock, tomatoes, oregano, basil, and mushrooms, reduce heat to very low, and simmer 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste for seasoning, add salt and pepper if desired. Add fresh basil when stew has cook to desired consistency and cook 5-10 minutes more. Serve hot.

Note: I used Primo Chunky Tomatoes with Roasted Garlic and Basil, which I lightly chopped because we don't like it real chunky. And I didn't have fresh or frozen basil, which I imagine would add an incredible dimension... it's just not available in this remote part of the country. :)

side note

Oh, and by the way, did you notice anything different about this site? Anything at all?!? Thanks to Julie at LeeLou Blogs... I think she did a great job!

discovery time

Today I took the boys to Discovery Time at the park. It's a kids program sponsered by the government for kids 0-6 and is, in their words: "a time to explore, touch, feel, observe and to discover many things around you. This is a six weeks play-based program that would encourage parents and children to do science experiments and fun outdoor activities together". What they don't mention is the fun your kids have, the sun and fresh air they get... and more importantly, the friends both you and your kids make! Today they played with bubbles, looked for bugs, made little volcanoes (baking soda and vinegar), played games and had snacks. It's a great outing for the moms since we can bring our coffees (very important!) and hang out with other moms in a relaxed setting because our kids are happy and busy. I will definitely be going to as many as I can... every Wednesday, all summer!

training 1.1

I'm getting tired of changing diapers... and I'm tired of smelly pull-ups every morning! So yesterday morning as Buster took off his pull-up I told him that it was his last one and we were going to find out what "wet" actually felt like! Last night I made up a bed for him on his closet floor (he's been begging to sleep there... don't ask!) with a waterproof crib mattress and lots of absorbent materials. I explained to him carefully what was happening and then told him that once he learned how to stay dry every night he would get a Game Boy (his dream!). It seemed to sink in but I half expected to be up 3 times in the night. Fortunately the first and only time was at 7:30 this morning - he was wet as expected but at least he's catching on that there's no pull-ups to back him up.

I've also been dreaming of getting Noodle diaper-free, so I've been reading this book and today while I was in the city I bought all the required supplies: training underwear, doll that "wets" and lots of treats. Several of my friends used this method and they say it truly does work in a day! Although there may be a few accidents in the first week... Week?! Buster took 7 months!!!

So... wish me luck!

a better mom

I'm always trying to find ways to be a better mom. All through my childhood and into my teens, I dreamed of having my own babies... I loved kids!! And at the young and tender age of 18 when I got married, I still wanted babies, although I did want to wait awhile. Everything went according to plan and Buster was born almost on our 3rd anniversary. He was a dream baby - he ate well, slept well, gained weight & smiled on cue. He never cried unless he needed something basic: food, sleep or a dry diaper... And so we thought, this is easy, let's have another! And the original plan was to have 18 months between them (18 MONTHS!! What were we thinking!?!?!) but life intervened for which I am now very grateful and Noodle was born 26 months after Buster. It was then that we learned about Parenting... and more about Colic than we'd ever wanted! The colic lasted 7 months and I honestly remember very little about that time period... I know God carried me because it was definitely more than I could've handled on my own. Noodle outgrew the colic but he retained his strawberry blonde hair and the intense personality that seemed to go with it. Today I'm still glad (most of the time!) that we had them as close as we did, but the fighting I deal with on a daily basis can shake up my grand intentions as a mother. I'm far from the mother I imagined I would be at the age of 16, I'm impatient and I don't spend nearly enough time with my boys... I somehow have the idea that my house should stay clean which actually isn't possible and I know I lose it a little too often. But I'm trying and I'm sure that counts for something...

men vs. women

This is good... I found it over at Cheaper by the Half Dozen today and thought it was worth a chuckle.

WHY MEN ARE HAPPIER PEOPLE:

NICKNAMES
* If Laura, Kate and Sarah go out for lunch, they will call each other Laura, Kate and Sarah.
* If Mike, Dave and John go out, they will affectionately refer to each other as Fat Boy, Godzilla and Four-eyes.

EATING OUT
* When the bill arrives, Mike, Dave and John will each throw in $20, even though it's only for $32.50. None of them will have anything smaller and none will actually admit they want change back.
* When the girls get their bill, out come the pocket calculators.

MONEY
* A man will pay $2 for a $1 item he needs.
* A woman will pay $1 for a $2 item that she doesn't need but it's on sale.

BATHROOMS
* A man has six items in his bathroom: toothbrush and toothpaste, shaving cream, razor, a bar of soap, and a towel .
* The average number of items in the typical woman's bathroom is 337. A man would not be able to identify more than 20 of these items.

ARGUMENTS
* A woman has the last word in any argument.
* Anything a man says after that is the beginning of a new argument.

FUTURE
* A woman worries about the future until she gets a husband.
* A man never worries about the future until he gets a wife.

SUCCESS
* A successful man is one who makes more money than his wife can spend.
* A successful woman is one who can find such a man.

MARRIAGE
* A woman marries a man expecting he will change, but he doesn't.
* A man marries a woman expecting that she won't change, but she does.

DRESSING UP
* A woman will dress up to go shopping, water the plants, empty the trash, answer the phone, read a book, and get the mail.
* A man will dress up for weddings and funerals.

NATURAL
* Men wake up as good-looking as they went to bed.
* Women somehow deteriorate during the night.

OFFSPRING
* Ah, children. A woman knows all about her children. She knows about dentist appointments and romances, best friends, favorite foods, secret fears and hopes and dreams.
* A man is vaguely aware of some short people living in the house.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
A married man should forget his mistakes. There's no use in two people remembering the same thing!

brush with fame

Tonight was a little exciting for dh's family as his cousin was on Canadian Idol!! She did very well, we're all proud and amazed at this country girl's talent. Way to go, Amberly!

warm and comforting

We've had rain for weeks it feels like and yesterday I was just in the mood for a good old-fashioned comfort meal of soup. I used my favorite Ham & Cheddar Chowder recipe which is easy and a big hit with both dh and the little guys. The cookbook literally falls open to that page!

Ham & Cheddar Chowder

2 cups water
2 cups potatoes, diced
1 cup carrots, diced
1/2 cup celery, diced
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 chicken bouillon cube
1 cup cubed party ham
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk
2 cups cheddar cheese

Combine water, vegetables and seasonings in a large kettle. Bring to boil and boil for 10-12 minutes. Meanwhile in sauce pan (or microwave) make white sauce. Melt butter and add flour. Stir until smooth, about 1 minute. Slowly add milk; cook until thickened. Add cheese to white sauce; stir until melted. Add white sauce and cubed ham to vegetables that have NOT been drained. Heat through, but do not boil.

Yield: 5 servings