The Dude is becoming so talkative. He really does take after his mother! So imagine just how hard I laughed at a conversation we were having about Skunks, in the middle of Longhorn Steak House!
The Dude had his kiddies menu and some crayons, and was happily coloring away and naming the animals as he turned the pages. Here's what followed:
The Dude: What this? (he's not worked out how to put the 's' at the end of What)
Mommy: That's a Skunk
Daddy: Skunks are stinky
The Dude: Skunk stinky. Bleugh, yuck, smelly (Visualize the facial expression and hand waving in front of his nose) . . . Bath?
I love it! Absolutely hysterical. He's amazing and it absolutely made my day.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Sunday, June 13, 2010
What's new in baking?
What's new in baking these days? How about the fact that I think I've finally mastered it.
Yep, that's right. I learned how to bake this weekend. I made some blondies and some apricot oat bars for a bake sale, and people actually bought them; they even tasted good! I can't believe it. Usually, I produce paper weights. I'm very excited.
The proceeds of the bake sale went to 'Share our strength', a very worthy cause working to end childhood hunger in America. And given my disdain for baking, I am happy to report that I would bake my heart out for this charity any day of the week.
I feel it might be necessary to do a ceremonial 'I can bake' dance right now this very second.
Yep, that's right. I learned how to bake this weekend. I made some blondies and some apricot oat bars for a bake sale, and people actually bought them; they even tasted good! I can't believe it. Usually, I produce paper weights. I'm very excited.
The proceeds of the bake sale went to 'Share our strength', a very worthy cause working to end childhood hunger in America. And given my disdain for baking, I am happy to report that I would bake my heart out for this charity any day of the week.
I feel it might be necessary to do a ceremonial 'I can bake' dance right now this very second.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Baby days
I love having an infant in the house. She's now smiling, laughing and babbling away to anybody who will listen. She's trying desperately to roll over and has started playing with toys that are handed to her.
I never realized how much fun these milestones are. When my son was going through the same steps, it blew my mind. But I was so much more focused on making sure he was hitting the target, rather than enjoying the ride.
But it made me think hard about the milestones that I've still yet to hit. My parents still worry about me on a daily basis, almost as much as I worry about my own kids. I never thought to ask them how they felt about me having children and them becoming grandparents. How did it make them feel? Or rather, how do they feel? What were their first thoughts when I decided to relocate to the US? How do they feel about my writing career? What crossed their minds when I bought my very own house?
Parenting is way more than just first steps, teething, pre-school, graduation and driving. It's a life-times worth of work. Even now, my parents are guiding me through the decisions I make as an adult - as a mother. Kids may grow-up so fast, but the love we have for them just grows. Period.
I never realized how much fun these milestones are. When my son was going through the same steps, it blew my mind. But I was so much more focused on making sure he was hitting the target, rather than enjoying the ride.
But it made me think hard about the milestones that I've still yet to hit. My parents still worry about me on a daily basis, almost as much as I worry about my own kids. I never thought to ask them how they felt about me having children and them becoming grandparents. How did it make them feel? Or rather, how do they feel? What were their first thoughts when I decided to relocate to the US? How do they feel about my writing career? What crossed their minds when I bought my very own house?
Parenting is way more than just first steps, teething, pre-school, graduation and driving. It's a life-times worth of work. Even now, my parents are guiding me through the decisions I make as an adult - as a mother. Kids may grow-up so fast, but the love we have for them just grows. Period.
Friday, April 9, 2010
Make-ahead meat sauce
As you can probably guess, I've been a little busy recently and to be honest, house work has not been at the top of my priority list. (Although to be fair, it hasn't ranked very high before now!) So yesterday, in an attempt to bring some control over my crazed schedule, I made tonight and tomorrow night's dinner, last night.
That's right folks. I made a massive batch of turkey bolognaise so tonight we'll have that with pasta and tomorrow night I'll turn it into a chili by throwing some black beans, some frozen corn and some cayenne pepper into the mix and topping it with disgusting amounts of cheese, because lets face it, life tastes better with cheese. And butter. Ooh, and milk. Mmm. And chocolate. I seem to be getting off track here. . .
So, here is the recipe for my turkey bolognaise:
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
3lbs of ground turkey
2 carrots, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, finely chopped (can you tell I'm trying to get the dude to eat veggies?)
1 jar pasta sauce
1 red onion, finely chopped
salt and pepper
Italian Seasoning
Saute the onions until transparent. Add garlic and cook until starting to turn golden. Brown off meat, then add carrots, pepper and pasta sauce. Cook for roughly
15 minutes then add seasoning. Cook for another 8-10 minutes. Either serve over pasta or store until you're ready to eat it.
Top tip: I saw this on the Rachael Ray show - use a potato masher to break up the meat. It makes it good and fine!
That's right folks. I made a massive batch of turkey bolognaise so tonight we'll have that with pasta and tomorrow night I'll turn it into a chili by throwing some black beans, some frozen corn and some cayenne pepper into the mix and topping it with disgusting amounts of cheese, because lets face it, life tastes better with cheese. And butter. Ooh, and milk. Mmm. And chocolate. I seem to be getting off track here. . .
So, here is the recipe for my turkey bolognaise:
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
3lbs of ground turkey
2 carrots, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, finely chopped (can you tell I'm trying to get the dude to eat veggies?)
1 jar pasta sauce
1 red onion, finely chopped
salt and pepper
Italian Seasoning
Saute the onions until transparent. Add garlic and cook until starting to turn golden. Brown off meat, then add carrots, pepper and pasta sauce. Cook for roughly
15 minutes then add seasoning. Cook for another 8-10 minutes. Either serve over pasta or store until you're ready to eat it.
Top tip: I saw this on the Rachael Ray show - use a potato masher to break up the meat. It makes it good and fine!
Monday, March 29, 2010
Baby Scott
I would like to introduce you to the latest addition to our family - Baby Girl Scott. She was born on January 21st and weighed in at 6lbs 10oz. She's absolutely gorgeous and I'm completely smitten.
Life has been totally chaotic to say the least, but I wouldn't want it any other way. The Dude (aka Big Brother Scott) is awesome with her, even when she is screaming her little lungs out.
The house looks like a complete disaster, but as long as there is a path around the clutter, we're good to go. (Anyone out there who has more than two kids, a clean home and some resemblance of organization - PLEASE, you have to teach me how to do it!)
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
The worst cookies ever
It's official, I cannot bake. I really can't. I borrowed this awesome recipe book from the library (which now I cannot wait to return) and saw a recipe for chewy chocolate chip cookies. I already had all of the ingredients in the house - which is so unlike me, so I thought I'd give it a go and make them for when my hubby and little dude wanted a snack. BIG mistake.
They came out less like chewy chocolate chip cookies and more like salty cakes that weren't cooked in the middle. The question is, how on earth did I manage to screw it up so badly? It seemed like a fool-proof recipe. Obviously the writer never accounted for this idiot.
So, I think it's safe to say that I shall be sticking with my Betty Crocker packets where you just add an egg and some water for now until my baking ego has sufficiently recovered from this disaster.
They came out less like chewy chocolate chip cookies and more like salty cakes that weren't cooked in the middle. The question is, how on earth did I manage to screw it up so badly? It seemed like a fool-proof recipe. Obviously the writer never accounted for this idiot.
So, I think it's safe to say that I shall be sticking with my Betty Crocker packets where you just add an egg and some water for now until my baking ego has sufficiently recovered from this disaster.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Etsy
I have recently discovered a fabulous website: Etsy.com. The only problem is, I want to purchase everything I see!
I am a huge fan of homemade items, for several reasons. Mainly because the items are one of a kind, but also because I feel like I'm supporting those out there trying to make a living making their products with love and feeling.
So, I bought the little chick (for when she eventually decides to put in an appearance) some onesies that have been decorated especially, some birthday and valentines gifts for friends and family and a necklace. My best purchase is a bag of handmade fish shapes with numbers on them to help the Dude learn to count. It's his favorite toy when he's not playing with Thomas! But more than purchasing the products, I love browsing and adding shops to my favorites. I love looking at items and thinking 'Wouldn't that be an awesome birthday gift for ...'
So if you get a chance, have a little look on Etsy.
I am a huge fan of homemade items, for several reasons. Mainly because the items are one of a kind, but also because I feel like I'm supporting those out there trying to make a living making their products with love and feeling.
So, I bought the little chick (for when she eventually decides to put in an appearance) some onesies that have been decorated especially, some birthday and valentines gifts for friends and family and a necklace. My best purchase is a bag of handmade fish shapes with numbers on them to help the Dude learn to count. It's his favorite toy when he's not playing with Thomas! But more than purchasing the products, I love browsing and adding shops to my favorites. I love looking at items and thinking 'Wouldn't that be an awesome birthday gift for ...'
So if you get a chance, have a little look on Etsy.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Philadelphia cream cheese
I love cream cheese. It doesn't last more than 5 minutes in this house. The Dude loves it too, especially on bagels.
He doesn't eat meat though. Well actually that's not true - he mostly doesn't eat meat. Occasionally he'll eat a chicken nugget or two. So imagine my surprise when he ate the meat sauce on his pasta at dinner! The solution - I mixed in cream cheese as I was cooking the sauce.
It was a recipe I found on Rachael Ray's website. Brown off the ground beef, stir in tomato sauce such as Ragu (I made my own) and melt in half a block of cream cheese before stirring in pasta. Top with Parmesan if desired. It was yummy and the best part of it is that it took 15 minutes to make!
So there you have it folks, if in doubt add cream cheese.
He doesn't eat meat though. Well actually that's not true - he mostly doesn't eat meat. Occasionally he'll eat a chicken nugget or two. So imagine my surprise when he ate the meat sauce on his pasta at dinner! The solution - I mixed in cream cheese as I was cooking the sauce.
It was a recipe I found on Rachael Ray's website. Brown off the ground beef, stir in tomato sauce such as Ragu (I made my own) and melt in half a block of cream cheese before stirring in pasta. Top with Parmesan if desired. It was yummy and the best part of it is that it took 15 minutes to make!
So there you have it folks, if in doubt add cream cheese.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
BJs Wholesale Club
I really don't like grocery shopping. I love food, but buying it can be a nightmare. So when we finally ran out of food in the pantry yesterday, I had to really psyche myself up to go out to BJs and do a food shop.
However, what we bought really made my day. A 3lb pork tenderloin that will last us two dinners and my hubby's lunch on Monday only cost $14. I usually spend that on way less at my regular grocery store. The meat is in the slow cooker as we speak, marinading in root beer (I found an awesome recipe on-line yesterday for pulled pork) ready to be shredded, mixed with BBQ sauce and put in sandwiches, served with home made mashed potatoes and veggies. Mmmm. I'm so hungry!
Then we bought 2lbs of stewing steak. That went in the crock pot last night and made an awesome casserole, which is now living in the freezer ready for when the baby arrives. That little lot came to roughly $12 and again will get us through two meals. What a bargin!
Lastly, 2lbs of ground beef will make enough spaghetti bolognaise to sink a battleship.
Being frugal is definitely the way to go, especially in the current economic climate. But it doesn't mean that your family meals have to suffer. If you have enough space in your freezer, there are plenty of yummy recipes out there for make-ahead meals that you can freeze until you need them. (Which in my case is most of the time!)
If you have a wholesale club in your area such as BJs or Costco that you can join, it's definitely an investment worth making. And they sell more than just mammoth amounts of meat! We buy all of our diapers, wipes, cleaning products and toiletries in the large quantities, because in the long-run, it saves us money. (And we even get coupons in the mail!)
However, what we bought really made my day. A 3lb pork tenderloin that will last us two dinners and my hubby's lunch on Monday only cost $14. I usually spend that on way less at my regular grocery store. The meat is in the slow cooker as we speak, marinading in root beer (I found an awesome recipe on-line yesterday for pulled pork) ready to be shredded, mixed with BBQ sauce and put in sandwiches, served with home made mashed potatoes and veggies. Mmmm. I'm so hungry!
Then we bought 2lbs of stewing steak. That went in the crock pot last night and made an awesome casserole, which is now living in the freezer ready for when the baby arrives. That little lot came to roughly $12 and again will get us through two meals. What a bargin!
Lastly, 2lbs of ground beef will make enough spaghetti bolognaise to sink a battleship.
Being frugal is definitely the way to go, especially in the current economic climate. But it doesn't mean that your family meals have to suffer. If you have enough space in your freezer, there are plenty of yummy recipes out there for make-ahead meals that you can freeze until you need them. (Which in my case is most of the time!)
If you have a wholesale club in your area such as BJs or Costco that you can join, it's definitely an investment worth making. And they sell more than just mammoth amounts of meat! We buy all of our diapers, wipes, cleaning products and toiletries in the large quantities, because in the long-run, it saves us money. (And we even get coupons in the mail!)
Friday, January 1, 2010
Nesting and pregnancy
I feel as though I have neglected this blog over the last few weeks. The truth is I haven't been able to do anything worth blogging about! Not surprisingly, I went into preterm labor and have ended up on bed rest. Which to most people would probably sound like heaven, but I have a nesting instinct so powerful that I'm going out of my mind, and worse still, I can't satisfy it. My husband has been nesting for me.
The pantry has been re-arranged, the house scrubbed from top to bottom and the closets tidied. Dinners have been cooked and laundry has been done, but I am ashamed to say not by me. And he's done a better job of it.
Still, by the end I'll have a beautiful baby girl as well as my handsome little dude and my family will be subjected to my somewhat chaotic housekeeping methods once more. I just hope it's sooner rather than later, I'm going out of my mind.
The pantry has been re-arranged, the house scrubbed from top to bottom and the closets tidied. Dinners have been cooked and laundry has been done, but I am ashamed to say not by me. And he's done a better job of it.
Still, by the end I'll have a beautiful baby girl as well as my handsome little dude and my family will be subjected to my somewhat chaotic housekeeping methods once more. I just hope it's sooner rather than later, I'm going out of my mind.
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