My kids are sitting down to plates of leftovers right now. Steaming, huge plates of reheated lasagna, risotto, leftover veggies sauteed with garlic.
And they are HOUSING them. MissAngelLittleGirl is not really putting down her fork, except to pick up her wine glass, at the tiny bistro table I've set up for them.
Yes. Her wine glass. Because we are not having 'leftovers', we are EXPERIENCING a tour of Italy.
Yes, the popular Olive Garden dish. I've got grape juice in wine glasses, a fab assortment of dishes to sample, and three happy little girls.
Happy little angels= happy Mommy. Oh, and Garfield is showing- you can't have a fancy dinner without a show! And what better show, than a cat that loves lasagna!
I am a parenting genius (and a modest one!) Or, I have far too much time on my hands. But it brings me to another point.
You can do things one of two ways. You can stretch your grocery dollars by eating every bit of leftovers in the fridge....(Awwwww, Mooooooommmmmm, can't we have something else?) Or you can have a little fun with it... You can make a fabulous Vegas Buffet by layering objects under a tablecloth (like boxes or bowls turned upside down to create steps). Place the dishes of food on the steps...and honey, that's art.
You can have scrambled eggs for dinner because you're broke-or you can make a fabulous cheese souffle. The choice is up to you. But the attitude you do it with...that's what the kids reflect.
Oh, and by the way, leftovers usually suck because they get dry. You need to moisten them prior to heating. A bit of milk for lasagna, a bit of broth for risotto, a bit of gravy or broth or even water goes a long way.
Make sure they get heated to 165, and serve it with panache. Your kids won't know what hit them. It's all about the packaging, right?
What are your leftover tips?
Showing posts with label kid friendly. Show all posts
Showing posts with label kid friendly. Show all posts
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Oh. My. Gosh. King Aurthur's Flour sells STUFF
Not just STUFF.
Baking STUFF.
Powdered cheese. Really. The kind to sprinkle on top of freshly baked cheddar crackers to give you the I've-just-eaten-a-snack-food coating on your fingers and here's the very best part, the most utterly fabulous news in the whole world: You can actually read and understand the ingredients.
Pain au chocolate sticks. Perfectly shaped little sticks of chocolate to wrap homemade croissant dough around. Baker's special dry milk...to make your loaves rise higher... The English muffin rings I've been looking EVERYWHERE for. I knew they sold FLOUR...I didn't know they sold STUFF. I should probably block the site right now and for at least two months after Christmas since my husband actually threatened to wrap flour up and give it to me as a gift...but it's a testament to my self control that I haven't loaded up a hundred dollar cart..or any cart at all.
I stumbled across this site looking for a decent recipe for goldfish...as in, to make them, not make something out of them, and well, I'm still looking. I've seen several...some call for baker's ammonia (eh?) some look kind of long, and some call for a food processor, which I don't have. So I'm still looking for a decent recipe, and marveling at the fact that I now find cooking tools as exciting as shoes.
Ok, maybe a little more exciting than shoes.
Baking STUFF.
Powdered cheese. Really. The kind to sprinkle on top of freshly baked cheddar crackers to give you the I've-just-eaten-a-snack-food coating on your fingers and here's the very best part, the most utterly fabulous news in the whole world: You can actually read and understand the ingredients.
Pain au chocolate sticks. Perfectly shaped little sticks of chocolate to wrap homemade croissant dough around. Baker's special dry milk...to make your loaves rise higher... The English muffin rings I've been looking EVERYWHERE for. I knew they sold FLOUR...I didn't know they sold STUFF. I should probably block the site right now and for at least two months after Christmas since my husband actually threatened to wrap flour up and give it to me as a gift...but it's a testament to my self control that I haven't loaded up a hundred dollar cart..or any cart at all.
I stumbled across this site looking for a decent recipe for goldfish...as in, to make them, not make something out of them, and well, I'm still looking. I've seen several...some call for baker's ammonia (eh?) some look kind of long, and some call for a food processor, which I don't have. So I'm still looking for a decent recipe, and marveling at the fact that I now find cooking tools as exciting as shoes.
Ok, maybe a little more exciting than shoes.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Cream Soup Substitutes... a homemade, chemical free (and totally frugal!) substitute.
Everyone has fifty recipes that call for a can of cream-of-whatever-soup.
At least fifty recipes. That stuff kind of freaks me out. It manages to be both creamy and gelatinous, while having enough sodium to stop a beating heart in its tracks.
Tasty, though. And versatile.
The good news is, there are a bunch of alternatives. You can google around and find one that works for you...I start with half milk and half chicken broth (or water with bullion powder, as a last resort), slightly more than a half cup of each, in a Tupperware container with a tight fitting lid. Add two heaping table spoons of cornstarch, and shake it till it's smooth. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly, until it's nice and thick.
Flavor appropriately for whatever you need. If it's mushroom, dice up some mushrooms and saute them in a bit of butter. I would use mushroom or beef stock for this one if you have it. You can hit the mushrooms with a little Marsala wine or a bit of dry sherry if you happen to have it about.
About a cup of broccoli florets, steamed and pulse in a food processor, or chopped finely, will take it to cream of broccoli. You can do cauliflower as well. (Although I never would, dear, if you're reading.) For cheese, simply stir in some shredded cheddar, asiago, Parmesan, or another hard cheese.
Make sure to taste and adjust seasonings, both in the base and in your final dish. Since this recipe has SO much less sodium than the original, you will need to add a little more flavor to your final dish. It doesn't have to be salt, though, experiment with some herbs before you hit it with the salt shaker.
Good luck, and happy, healthy, eating!
At least fifty recipes. That stuff kind of freaks me out. It manages to be both creamy and gelatinous, while having enough sodium to stop a beating heart in its tracks.
Tasty, though. And versatile.
The good news is, there are a bunch of alternatives. You can google around and find one that works for you...I start with half milk and half chicken broth (or water with bullion powder, as a last resort), slightly more than a half cup of each, in a Tupperware container with a tight fitting lid. Add two heaping table spoons of cornstarch, and shake it till it's smooth. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly, until it's nice and thick.
Flavor appropriately for whatever you need. If it's mushroom, dice up some mushrooms and saute them in a bit of butter. I would use mushroom or beef stock for this one if you have it. You can hit the mushrooms with a little Marsala wine or a bit of dry sherry if you happen to have it about.
About a cup of broccoli florets, steamed and pulse in a food processor, or chopped finely, will take it to cream of broccoli. You can do cauliflower as well. (Although I never would, dear, if you're reading.) For cheese, simply stir in some shredded cheddar, asiago, Parmesan, or another hard cheese.
Make sure to taste and adjust seasonings, both in the base and in your final dish. Since this recipe has SO much less sodium than the original, you will need to add a little more flavor to your final dish. It doesn't have to be salt, though, experiment with some herbs before you hit it with the salt shaker.
Good luck, and happy, healthy, eating!
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Not your average Turkey Leftovers
In an effort to maximize my turkey consumption, I roasted a turkey the day after Thanksgiving. At $1.29 a pound for a fresh, all natural bird, it was a steal. It came out really great, too. I used Alton Brown's recipe for brining and roasting the bird, cut up the leftovers and tucked them away promptly.
Tonight we will be having the really totally expected and boring, but still yummy and comforting, turkey pot pie.
For lunch today, though, I got inventive. I've been craving Mexican for a couple of days, and I figured turkey had to be as good as chicken in taquito form.
It was BETTER.
What I did...
I took about six ounces of turkey breast, chopped it, along with a red pepper and a green pepper, and sauteed it in about a tablespoon of olive oil. I then steamed ten taco size corn tortillas in the microwave, and hit the turkey mixture with a shot of tequila and a squeeze of fresh lime, and sprinkled on cumin, cayenne, paprika, and dried chipotles. Hindsight being 20/20, I would have stirred in some leftover corn and cilantro, but hey, this is my first shot at this one. Also, a bit of salt. (I kind of figured the turkey would carry the dish, but I simply salted the finished product and it was fine).
Then, I sprayed a baking dish with olive oil and rolled a couple of tablespoons of the turkey mixture into each tortilla, placing them seam side down, packed tightly up against each other. Then lightly sprayed the rolls with olive oil again.
I baked them for about twenty minutes, until crisp and golden, at 400 degrees, and served them with shredded cheese, sour cream, and salsa.
The oldest child ate three. Let's just say, they were GOOD. And at 120 calories a piece, they are pretty guilt free.
Tonight we will be having the really totally expected and boring, but still yummy and comforting, turkey pot pie.
For lunch today, though, I got inventive. I've been craving Mexican for a couple of days, and I figured turkey had to be as good as chicken in taquito form.
It was BETTER.
What I did...
I took about six ounces of turkey breast, chopped it, along with a red pepper and a green pepper, and sauteed it in about a tablespoon of olive oil. I then steamed ten taco size corn tortillas in the microwave, and hit the turkey mixture with a shot of tequila and a squeeze of fresh lime, and sprinkled on cumin, cayenne, paprika, and dried chipotles. Hindsight being 20/20, I would have stirred in some leftover corn and cilantro, but hey, this is my first shot at this one. Also, a bit of salt. (I kind of figured the turkey would carry the dish, but I simply salted the finished product and it was fine).
Then, I sprayed a baking dish with olive oil and rolled a couple of tablespoons of the turkey mixture into each tortilla, placing them seam side down, packed tightly up against each other. Then lightly sprayed the rolls with olive oil again.
I baked them for about twenty minutes, until crisp and golden, at 400 degrees, and served them with shredded cheese, sour cream, and salsa.
The oldest child ate three. Let's just say, they were GOOD. And at 120 calories a piece, they are pretty guilt free.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Well, last night's surprise party was successful, I think...
I started with one batch of artisan bread in five Broa dough. This is by far my favorite dough from the book...the cornmeal just adds a lovely texture. I like to completely ignore the instructions for forming the loaves and make it just like the boule. For this batch of dough, I subbed out 1 C of all purpose flour with one C of whole wheat flour, and added about a tablespoon of fine herbs to the flour before mixing the dough. This I left sit for forty eight hours, to allow the sourdough flavor to develop.
This was divided in half, then one half divided again, and each piece of dough quickly stretched into a ball as indicated on the website. I let these rest for an hour, while I worked on other things for the party, and Mr. Lovinangels washed dishes! Yay!
I took the smallest ball of dough, rolled it out on parchment, and formed this pizza. I left the skin on the beautiful green apples, and used diced prosciutto in place of the ham. I also finished it with the leftover shredded cheese I had from the Gougeres, which I took to calling cheese puffs, because I have no idea how to say that word. We used a lovely New York state sharp cheddar instead of Gruyere. I just don't like that.
Finally, I assembled the salad, which was just a bag of arugula, two heads of fennel, split and julienned, two green apples, split and julienned, and the insides of two pomegranates, cleaned out in a bowl of water to save my kitchen. I tossed this with some fresh lemon juice and olive oil, and really hit it with a lot of fresh pepper.
And that was it. I have to say, remarkably easier than I normally go, but still good. Now off to run the bulldozer through the kitchen and get ready for tomorrow's trick or treat!
Monday, August 23, 2010
It takes a Village...
I'm making chicken curry tonight.
The kind of curry a dear, sweet staff member from good, old FV taught me to make. A lady that shall remain nameless, as I firmly believe it's quite rude to name people on the internet without getting some form of permission first. The kind you could smell walking up the hill to the cafeteria, on those special Friday nights that another sweet lady had taken the night off, and you just knew that dinner was going to be something GREAT. The best nights were the nights she let us help make homemade egg rolls... vast quantities filled, rolled, and stacked high, crispy, light, and heavenly. I wish I could remember how she made them. The only thing I remember was finishing the filling with a light sprinkle of ground peanuts before tightly rolling into a log.
I credit the ladies at the Village with my love of cooking, and restaurant work in general. I love to play the hostess, love to set up dinners, hate to clean it all up.
So tonight's curry, much like the curry at the village, features whatever veggies I can find in my fridge, which would be some potato, carrot, green pepper, and peas. Gotta clean that baby out- nine days left till the big move!
My giant crock pot reminds me of the huge electric pot that sat next to the convection oven by the back door. Oh, the experiments I pulled off in that thing, and fed to my unsuspecting classmates.
Oh, well. Nobody died.
So here's what I did for my no-stove, tribute-to-high-school curry:
in the crock pot on high:
four chicken breasts
Mixed in bowl:
1 Can coconut milk
3 T Yellow Curry Powder
2 T flour
1 T paprika
1 T ginger (out of fresh, so I'm slumming)
1 t garlic (see above note)
splash of soy sauce
Pour over chicken, cook one hour.
Add long cooking veggies,
tonight we've got half a pound of baby cut carrots,
and three small red potatoes.
Cook one hour, add short cooking veggies,
tonight, it's a couple of bell peppers.
check chicken and veggies for doneness, stir in no cook veggies, if using,
tonight, it's a half a bag of thawed peas.
Serve over long grain rice...
Yes, it took a Village to teach me to cook. Although, I clearly remember this being made with bone-in thighs and drumsticks, and I'm sure I've changed the sauce over the years, the smell takes me back to the good dinners that sweet lady used to fix us.
Man, that was one great lady.
The kind of curry a dear, sweet staff member from good, old FV taught me to make. A lady that shall remain nameless, as I firmly believe it's quite rude to name people on the internet without getting some form of permission first. The kind you could smell walking up the hill to the cafeteria, on those special Friday nights that another sweet lady had taken the night off, and you just knew that dinner was going to be something GREAT. The best nights were the nights she let us help make homemade egg rolls... vast quantities filled, rolled, and stacked high, crispy, light, and heavenly. I wish I could remember how she made them. The only thing I remember was finishing the filling with a light sprinkle of ground peanuts before tightly rolling into a log.
I credit the ladies at the Village with my love of cooking, and restaurant work in general. I love to play the hostess, love to set up dinners, hate to clean it all up.
So tonight's curry, much like the curry at the village, features whatever veggies I can find in my fridge, which would be some potato, carrot, green pepper, and peas. Gotta clean that baby out- nine days left till the big move!
My giant crock pot reminds me of the huge electric pot that sat next to the convection oven by the back door. Oh, the experiments I pulled off in that thing, and fed to my unsuspecting classmates.
Oh, well. Nobody died.
So here's what I did for my no-stove, tribute-to-high-school curry:
in the crock pot on high:
four chicken breasts
Mixed in bowl:
1 Can coconut milk
3 T Yellow Curry Powder
2 T flour
1 T paprika
1 T ginger (out of fresh, so I'm slumming)
1 t garlic (see above note)
splash of soy sauce
Pour over chicken, cook one hour.
Add long cooking veggies,
tonight we've got half a pound of baby cut carrots,
and three small red potatoes.
Cook one hour, add short cooking veggies,
tonight, it's a couple of bell peppers.
check chicken and veggies for doneness, stir in no cook veggies, if using,
tonight, it's a half a bag of thawed peas.
Serve over long grain rice...
Yes, it took a Village to teach me to cook. Although, I clearly remember this being made with bone-in thighs and drumsticks, and I'm sure I've changed the sauce over the years, the smell takes me back to the good dinners that sweet lady used to fix us.
Man, that was one great lady.
Saturday, July 3, 2010
How to Get Your Man to Cook...Every Day of the Week.
My Husband and I spent the better part of the first five years of our relationship fighting.
About chores.
I love to cook, love it... but I hated that the entire burden of nourishing our two bodies was placed squarely on my shoulders.
Literally. He would eat "snack stuff" all day long.
Snack stuff. I still don't know what that actually means. In my head, it means my daughter perched on the chair next to him, while they both pig out on chips and soda.
*sigh....or flat out *curse depending on my mood.
Later on, much later on, it occured to me that he and I...we don't speak the same language. I say, "you need to have lunch before I come home."
He hears, "there are five drive thrus in between where we have to go and home. Sweet!"
The constant nudging made me feel like a control freak. In reality, though, I didn't tell him what was in the kitchen, I expected him to go out, poke around, find something he wanted to eat, and fix it.
The male brain hears "Drive thru! Much easier. Saves five steps."
So, we've compromised. I no longer leave him to plan a meal for himself or the kids, and we cut our drive thru budget by 7/8ths. Now, it's a fun treat, not a panicked stop to fill bellies for lack of better planning.
And, it turns out, he is perfectly willing to cook. I used to joke that meant spaghetti or tacos, but the man is really accomplished at man food.
As in, grilled food.
Therein, lies my rescue. I simply pick up large packages of simple meat, and let him have his way with them on the grill. Usually that just means salt and pepper, which is perfect, because the rest of the week, the leftovers are easy to work with. Yesterday, he fired up the grill and made sausages and corn, and I'll take the leftovers today and make spaghetti, along with a breakfast casserole for tomorrow. (We leave for the beach bright and early.) I make french dips out of leftover steak, and grilled chicken just has so many uses it isn't funny. It doesn't require a lot of supervision from me when I have a stack of grilled meat to work with, and (I think) he enjoys it.
Win, win!
So, I guess he's not technically cooking every day of the week, but it feels that way since I have such a head start on things. Plus fighting with that grill is not my thing, and I've been more than guilty of ordering takeout on hot days to avoid turning the stove on.
Of course, the other option is marry someone who likes to cook all the time
Do you have a strategy to get your man to cook?
About chores.
I love to cook, love it... but I hated that the entire burden of nourishing our two bodies was placed squarely on my shoulders.
Literally. He would eat "snack stuff" all day long.
Snack stuff. I still don't know what that actually means. In my head, it means my daughter perched on the chair next to him, while they both pig out on chips and soda.
*sigh....or flat out *curse depending on my mood.
Later on, much later on, it occured to me that he and I...we don't speak the same language. I say, "you need to have lunch before I come home."
He hears, "there are five drive thrus in between where we have to go and home. Sweet!"
The constant nudging made me feel like a control freak. In reality, though, I didn't tell him what was in the kitchen, I expected him to go out, poke around, find something he wanted to eat, and fix it.
The male brain hears "Drive thru! Much easier. Saves five steps."
So, we've compromised. I no longer leave him to plan a meal for himself or the kids, and we cut our drive thru budget by 7/8ths. Now, it's a fun treat, not a panicked stop to fill bellies for lack of better planning.
And, it turns out, he is perfectly willing to cook. I used to joke that meant spaghetti or tacos, but the man is really accomplished at man food.
As in, grilled food.
Therein, lies my rescue. I simply pick up large packages of simple meat, and let him have his way with them on the grill. Usually that just means salt and pepper, which is perfect, because the rest of the week, the leftovers are easy to work with. Yesterday, he fired up the grill and made sausages and corn, and I'll take the leftovers today and make spaghetti, along with a breakfast casserole for tomorrow. (We leave for the beach bright and early.) I make french dips out of leftover steak, and grilled chicken just has so many uses it isn't funny. It doesn't require a lot of supervision from me when I have a stack of grilled meat to work with, and (I think) he enjoys it.
Win, win!
So, I guess he's not technically cooking every day of the week, but it feels that way since I have such a head start on things. Plus fighting with that grill is not my thing, and I've been more than guilty of ordering takeout on hot days to avoid turning the stove on.
Of course, the other option is marry someone who likes to cook all the time
Do you have a strategy to get your man to cook?
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Swagbucks- my latest and greatest addiction.
If you're looking to save money and get free stuff, and you are skipping out on the swagbucks, you are truly missing out.
Look to the right of you- see the swidget? Click sign up. Complete the registration.
Begin the madness.
I've been "swaggering" for a little over a week, and have already earned enough for two father's day cards, a coupon book, and a five dollar amazon gift card.
An amazon gift card...hmmmmmm, that gives me an idea. A new and secondary challenge for your humble blogger. What if I could pay for Christmas with Swagbucks? Can it be done? My Christmas budget eeks over $700 every year. To be fair, I have purchased several gifts already...(does seven hundred dollars crawl out of YOUR budget in one month? I don't think so.)
I have to admit, the searches are a gateway drug. I've taken surveys, I've completed offers, and I've searched for codes. It's all found money.
Think I can do it? I do! 4 dollars down, 696 to go.
Look to the right of you- see the swidget? Click sign up. Complete the registration.
Begin the madness.
I've been "swaggering" for a little over a week, and have already earned enough for two father's day cards, a coupon book, and a five dollar amazon gift card.
An amazon gift card...hmmmmmm, that gives me an idea. A new and secondary challenge for your humble blogger. What if I could pay for Christmas with Swagbucks? Can it be done? My Christmas budget eeks over $700 every year. To be fair, I have purchased several gifts already...(does seven hundred dollars crawl out of YOUR budget in one month? I don't think so.)
I have to admit, the searches are a gateway drug. I've taken surveys, I've completed offers, and I've searched for codes. It's all found money.
Think I can do it? I do! 4 dollars down, 696 to go.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Coping with Picky Eaters and Food Jags.
If you've spent any time at all around a group of mommies, you've heard of a picky eater. The child who will eat NOTHING but grilled cheese. You see the smiles pass through the group, as each mom recalls at least two seemingly unending months when each child consecutively would eat nothing, nothing at all, but one or two things. The battles, the endless frustration, the fear that said son or daughter would stop growing completely if not fed meal after meal of the same. exact. dish. Prepared the same. exact. way. (No switching out elbow noodles for penne, Mom!)
Personally, I don't buy into it. My little monsters, ahem, ANGELS go through, and get over, their food issues in a relatively short amount of time. I put what I make in front of them, and move on with my life. I like my food hot, and I'm not going to waste time with someone who's not even hungry when I am.
That's right, I said, NOT HUNGRY.
But, it's dinner time!!! (or lunch, or breakfast!)
Children don't have a disfunctional relationship with food. They are born with a clean slate. We teach them to be crazy about food. It's the one surefire way a twenty eight pound toddler can best a two hundred pound daddy. We beg, we plead, we cajole, we make giant asses out of ourselves trying to get the little monsters (ahem, angels) to eat whatever we've prepared for them. And they love it. They love the attention, the show, the way the world stops for them.
Enough, already.
The next time your child refuses a meal, remember a couple of things.
His or her stomach is the size of his or her little fist. Chances are that stomach has crackers, juice, milk, banana, grapes or cookies in it. If you are that concerned that he/she isn't eating at meals, cut off the all day buffet table.
He or she will be LESS HUNGRY as the day goes on. Grown ups have a strange relationship with food. For some reason, we eat our biggest meal at dinner, when we are winding down for the day. Kids, who haven't been psycologically reset yet, eat when they need to eat.
They only need about 40 calories per inch of height per day. Ok, so lets say that's 1000 calories, which is a good average. So in the morning, the little one eats a half of a bagel, (100 calories) a glass of juice (100 calories) and maybe some cream cheese (50 calories). Then at snack she has a banana and a glass of milk (230 calories). At lunch she eats the better part of a grilled cheese, milk, and some apple slices (approx 400 calories). Then, after nap, you offer her some whole grain cookies, and a glass of water. (100) cals.
By dinner, you're having a panic attack because she won't eat. Guess what? She doesn't need to!
At this point, you can enter a power struggle, and reteach her to keep eating when she's not hungry (obesity epidemic, anyone??) or you can smile, and give her veggies with her breakfast from now on so she'll eat them.
At the risk of sounding Grandma, no kid ever starved themselves to death. They are learning their cues from you, so teach them well!
Personally, I don't buy into it. My little monsters, ahem, ANGELS go through, and get over, their food issues in a relatively short amount of time. I put what I make in front of them, and move on with my life. I like my food hot, and I'm not going to waste time with someone who's not even hungry when I am.
That's right, I said, NOT HUNGRY.
But, it's dinner time!!! (or lunch, or breakfast!)
Children don't have a disfunctional relationship with food. They are born with a clean slate. We teach them to be crazy about food. It's the one surefire way a twenty eight pound toddler can best a two hundred pound daddy. We beg, we plead, we cajole, we make giant asses out of ourselves trying to get the little monsters (ahem, angels) to eat whatever we've prepared for them. And they love it. They love the attention, the show, the way the world stops for them.
Enough, already.
The next time your child refuses a meal, remember a couple of things.
His or her stomach is the size of his or her little fist. Chances are that stomach has crackers, juice, milk, banana, grapes or cookies in it. If you are that concerned that he/she isn't eating at meals, cut off the all day buffet table.
He or she will be LESS HUNGRY as the day goes on. Grown ups have a strange relationship with food. For some reason, we eat our biggest meal at dinner, when we are winding down for the day. Kids, who haven't been psycologically reset yet, eat when they need to eat.
They only need about 40 calories per inch of height per day. Ok, so lets say that's 1000 calories, which is a good average. So in the morning, the little one eats a half of a bagel, (100 calories) a glass of juice (100 calories) and maybe some cream cheese (50 calories). Then at snack she has a banana and a glass of milk (230 calories). At lunch she eats the better part of a grilled cheese, milk, and some apple slices (approx 400 calories). Then, after nap, you offer her some whole grain cookies, and a glass of water. (100) cals.
By dinner, you're having a panic attack because she won't eat. Guess what? She doesn't need to!
At this point, you can enter a power struggle, and reteach her to keep eating when she's not hungry (obesity epidemic, anyone??) or you can smile, and give her veggies with her breakfast from now on so she'll eat them.
At the risk of sounding Grandma, no kid ever starved themselves to death. They are learning their cues from you, so teach them well!
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Busy, Busy, Busy!
This week I've decided to take my decision to make money off this move seriously. I've posted on ebay, and craigslist, and have more to put up. The yard sale is tentatively scheduled for the end of July, and I can say, I just can't wait. I'm seriously considering having a pre- Yard sale, so we can cart less across town to a better location.
Mail call this week was phenominal, I got two father's day cards just in time with my swagbucks, samples of pantene for curly hair, dove, and aveeno shampoo and conditioner, a Shrek poster evidently Mr. Lovinangels won in my name, a sample of crackerfuls, my free collage from snapfish, along with my 50 free prints and free 8X10, and have finished testing about half of my free sunscreen.(Which is a really great product by the way)
Today I'm ordering a free snikkekidy kids pack, here. I find most of my freebies, here.
Well, wish me high ebay auctions, I'm off to sell more stuff! Moving balance is currently -140 dollars!
Mail call this week was phenominal, I got two father's day cards just in time with my swagbucks, samples of pantene for curly hair, dove, and aveeno shampoo and conditioner, a Shrek poster evidently Mr. Lovinangels won in my name, a sample of crackerfuls, my free collage from snapfish, along with my 50 free prints and free 8X10, and have finished testing about half of my free sunscreen.(Which is a really great product by the way)
Today I'm ordering a free snikkekidy kids pack, here. I find most of my freebies, here.
Well, wish me high ebay auctions, I'm off to sell more stuff! Moving balance is currently -140 dollars!
Thursday, June 10, 2010
ah, the perils (and perks!!!) of blogging!
So...my email account got hacked this week. I'm sure it was the result of my forages into the world of "free stuff". Think about it, FREEEE STUFFFFF! Every shampoo sample saves me real money. Each little tube of lotion is one more dose I don't have to buy. I faithfully fill out the surveys they send me, of course, because I want them to continue to send me that FREEEEE STUFFFFF. Love it.
So, this week I learned about posting negativity online, without back up or proof. I had signed up for a four week review of neutragena sunscreen here and authorized use of my email to share. The next day, my dear father asks me what he should do with the five dozen viagra he ordered from the site I sent him. His wasn't the worst. Throughout the day, many of my male friends assured me that they didn't have a problem that required said drug, and a couple insuated that they'd prove it. It's all in good fun.
Ugh. No more email sharing.
Well, Matt from Tidal Labs was nice enough to email me and let me know the spammage wasn't them. *hangs head. That's what I get for ASS-uming. I still can't wait to review my sunscreen sample!
I also learned NOT to give my email address out to perfect strangers promising coupons. I did this on the site www.retailmenot.com. Someone posted that they would send you a link to a site that would give you two free boxes of a certain coffee for a certain maker I received for a certain holiday. After I read the offer he sent me, I realized it wouldn't work for me, so I just responded "thankyou" and moved on with my life. Evidently he didn't.
I received four emails from this individual. FOUR. The last one after he called the company AND RECEIVED INFORMATION ABOUT MY ACCOUNT from them. This is creeping me out beyond belief. I will post more information gladly, once the company responds to my email. WAAAAAYYYYYY TOO CREEPY.
So, my lessons learned this week may not be monetary in value, but they are treasured nonetheless.
Tomorrow we resume packing after box pick-up. For now, free stuff a-hunting and off to work I go!
So, this week I learned about posting negativity online, without back up or proof. I had signed up for a four week review of neutragena sunscreen here and authorized use of my email to share. The next day, my dear father asks me what he should do with the five dozen viagra he ordered from the site I sent him. His wasn't the worst. Throughout the day, many of my male friends assured me that they didn't have a problem that required said drug, and a couple insuated that they'd prove it. It's all in good fun.
Ugh. No more email sharing.
Well, Matt from Tidal Labs was nice enough to email me and let me know the spammage wasn't them. *hangs head. That's what I get for ASS-uming. I still can't wait to review my sunscreen sample!
I also learned NOT to give my email address out to perfect strangers promising coupons. I did this on the site www.retailmenot.com. Someone posted that they would send you a link to a site that would give you two free boxes of a certain coffee for a certain maker I received for a certain holiday. After I read the offer he sent me, I realized it wouldn't work for me, so I just responded "thankyou" and moved on with my life. Evidently he didn't.
I received four emails from this individual. FOUR. The last one after he called the company AND RECEIVED INFORMATION ABOUT MY ACCOUNT from them. This is creeping me out beyond belief. I will post more information gladly, once the company responds to my email. WAAAAAYYYYYY TOO CREEPY.
So, my lessons learned this week may not be monetary in value, but they are treasured nonetheless.
Tomorrow we resume packing after box pick-up. For now, free stuff a-hunting and off to work I go!
Saturday, June 5, 2010
And I digress...What's for dinner?
One day, many years ago, when Mr. Lovinangels and I were young, and broke, and hungry, I went into the kitchen to see about some food. I had exactly five things in my refrigerator- italian sausage, cheddar cheese, milk, potatoes, and beer.
Did someone say soup?
The recipe has morphed, time and time again, as we quickly learned never to be THAT broke, and that planning meals is a positive thing. This is the final product, the one I send to potlucks, etc.
I have to say, this is the one thing my family has asked for over and over. It's not a fussy recipe, either, as long as you follow the basic theory. Of course, you could do it without the sausage, or even the beer, but why would you want to?
4 tbsp butter or oil
1/2 C flour
1 capful of cajun seasoning.
1 lb bulk sausage, or remove sausage from casings.
half a bag of hash browns o' brian
1 quart of chicken broth
1 quart of water
1 bottle good quality dark beer (if you are insisting upon using light, please find a different recipe)
1 good couple of glugs of milk.
half a pound of nice, white, sharp cheddar, shredded.
Melt the butter or heat the oil in the soup pot, add sausage, breaking up with wooden spoon, until cooked. Add flour and continue stirring, until a blonde roux has formed around the sausage.
Shut off the heat if you have a gas stove, and pour in the beer, stirring constantly. Turn heat back on and stir, stir, stir, until the beer begins to thicken.
add the hash browns, seasoning, stock, and as much of the water as you need to just cover the hashbrowns, then pour in the milk, just enough to color it creamy. Continue stirring until it's nice and thick, and taste. Season with salt and pepper and lower heat, to a nice simmer. Now, begin adding the cheese, slowly, one handful at a time, allowing each handful to melt almost completely before adding the next. Taste after the third handful, and adjust seasonings. You can add all the cheese or a portion, and then let it set for a couple of minutes so you don't burn the roof of your mouth off.
Serve with more shredded cheese to pass.
Did someone say soup?
The recipe has morphed, time and time again, as we quickly learned never to be THAT broke, and that planning meals is a positive thing. This is the final product, the one I send to potlucks, etc.
I have to say, this is the one thing my family has asked for over and over. It's not a fussy recipe, either, as long as you follow the basic theory. Of course, you could do it without the sausage, or even the beer, but why would you want to?
4 tbsp butter or oil
1/2 C flour
1 capful of cajun seasoning.
1 lb bulk sausage, or remove sausage from casings.
half a bag of hash browns o' brian
1 quart of chicken broth
1 quart of water
1 bottle good quality dark beer (if you are insisting upon using light, please find a different recipe)
1 good couple of glugs of milk.
half a pound of nice, white, sharp cheddar, shredded.
Melt the butter or heat the oil in the soup pot, add sausage, breaking up with wooden spoon, until cooked. Add flour and continue stirring, until a blonde roux has formed around the sausage.
Shut off the heat if you have a gas stove, and pour in the beer, stirring constantly. Turn heat back on and stir, stir, stir, until the beer begins to thicken.
add the hash browns, seasoning, stock, and as much of the water as you need to just cover the hashbrowns, then pour in the milk, just enough to color it creamy. Continue stirring until it's nice and thick, and taste. Season with salt and pepper and lower heat, to a nice simmer. Now, begin adding the cheese, slowly, one handful at a time, allowing each handful to melt almost completely before adding the next. Taste after the third handful, and adjust seasonings. You can add all the cheese or a portion, and then let it set for a couple of minutes so you don't burn the roof of your mouth off.
Serve with more shredded cheese to pass.
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