Train him Early

Since I've already shared some of our dorkiness, I thought I'd share my husband's second proudest moment in the last few weeks.

Bubba discovered the PS3 remotes. He's even figured out how to turn on the machine.

I think it's more the buttons than anything, but he is fascintaed with the controller. Only a few more years and I'll be limiting the time he spends in front of the tube playing some Star Wars games with his father (Lego Star Wars anyone?)....I am so not ready for this!

Alive

Just wanted to stop by and say that we're alive. I apologize for the lack of posts, we've been fighting a virus that has Bubba going through about 3 outfits a day, mixed with a trip to the ER and doctor's office. My first priority is as mommy, so we've been enjoying the cuddles and trying to keep down fluids this week. Hope everyone is doing well.

Resolution Foods, #2 Curry

I'll be honest, curry is something that's always scared me. I can't explain why. I think it's because when I heard curry I always thought it would be spicy. And yet this month I decided to conquer my fear. I tackled curry...and without a recipe...

Okay, so it's not a true curry. I am well aware of this, but I really have been wanted to try out this spice (especially since I saw Ina Garten use it here). And Hubs can be a human food disposal (seriously, you should see the eggs he makes), so if I screwed up he'd eat it anyhow (probably over eggs).


Let me start by saying "IT WAS GOOD!" It wasn't spicy the way I'd envisioned it. It had a warm smell about it. But not a heat. When I opened my container, I was shocked at how good it smelled!

So I sauteed up some peppers and onions in some EVOO with a little S&P (salt and pepper).

And cheated when I made my rice.

Then added the Curry to my Chicken which I sauteed cut into little strips.

The chicken turned out tender, so I shared it with Bubba. He seemed to enjoy it too! Now maybe I'll have the courage to try that soup!

Seperation Anxiety

We have been dealing with a lot of separation anxiety since Bubba was about 7-8 months old. It seems that every time I leave him he screams (he is quite a mommy's boy). He would cry on and off the entire time I would be gone (or so I am told by the nursery workers at church and the MOPPETs volunteers). This anxiety has caused us many problems, to the extent of changing churches (another story entirely).

I read that this is just something that needs to pass. To deal with it with a lot of patience (and prayer) and love.

But once he was almost 12 months old, it seems we have turned a corner. He still screams bloody murder when I leave (and clings to my shirt for all he's worth), but he then adapts. He is fine. At church this past week I didn't think we'd be able to leave him for 2 hours (Sunday School and the service). So after Sunday School, Hubs and I crept to the window of the nursery and peeked inside. What did we see?

Bubba playing with the other little boys, no tears, and no notice that we weren't there! What a relief that this phase might soon be over!

First Light Saber

Okay, I'll admit it. Hubs and I have a touch of dork-dom in our lives. We are (read him more than me) big Star Wars fans. Hubs is so excited for Bubba to grow up so that he can share this passion with him. Actually, I am convinced that Hubs will be crushed if Bubba decides to like anything else (and if he ends up a Trekkie my husband's world will crumble). While I was off on some mommy time, Hubs took Bubba to Target. Of course he couldn't leave without buying something...

You would have thought it was a national holiday in my house.

I had to properly document the occasion.

At least Bubba seems to enjoy it :)

Jewelry

I guess I'm going to have to give up my 'bling' for at least a few more months. Bubba has officially broke his 4th chain (at least I haven't lost any of the charms).

I don't wear much jewelry, but like to wear the occasional necklace, especially when leaving the house. The only problem with this is the fact that Bubba enjoys when I wear necklaces too. Maybe a little too much.

Oh well, guess I'll just wait a few more months before breaking out the necklaces again. If this is the worst thing he breaks then I am one lucky momma! I guess this is one of my welcome to motherhood moments.

Meal Planning Monday, Week 1

Here goes! My first Meal Planning Monday, I hope you all enjoy. Leave me feedback and tell me what would be helpful. I'm not including a grocery list because I don't know what you have in your pantry or refridgerater or what path you are going to take, feel free to "Sandra Lee" it (a saying in my house referring to her show on the Food Network)

Monday

Spaghetti with Meatballs

Tuesday

Pulled Pork, green beans (fresh or frozen), corn bread (mix or homemade, I follow the recipe on the package of cornmeal)

Pulled pork:

Place pork shoulder in slow cooker, cover with water, add salt and pepper, 1 onion cut into wedges and 2-3 cloves of garlic, place on low cook all day (6 + hours).

When ready to serve pull out pork and shred (throw away the rest, they've served their purpose). Serve with favorite BBQ sauce or as is.

This freezes well for a later dinner

Wednesday

Salmon, Rice (Make extra for later in the week, check your recipe to see how much), Steamed Broccoli

Salmon: I usually just add salt, pepper, and EVOO and saute. Can also add honey or Agave Nectar for a sweet surprise

Thursday

Chicken Breast marinaded in Italian dressing (make 1-2 extra cut into chunks), Corn, Side salad

Friday

Homemade Pizza

You'll need dough (store bought or homemade), cheese (Mozzarella or any Italian combos work great), pasta sauce (you used some on Monday), Toppers

Saturday

Rice Balls (recipe in Deceptively Delicious cookbook or here)

Sunday

Leftovers/fend for yourself

Growing up we always went out to eat after church. Because of this my mother didn't want to also make dinner for us because we would all be hungry at different times, so we would have a "fend for yourself night". I actually looked forward to these because I realized I could have Ice Cream and not get into trouble for it. Even your 5 year old can do this because Peanut Butter sandwiches aren't off limits here :) Enjoy and feel free to substitute at your wish!

The Sleep Diaries, Week 5

It's hard to believe how far we've come in the past 5 weeks! Little did I realize when we started this endeavor that we would not only be undertaking the adjustment from napping on me to also the adjustment to nap transitions. I am much more patient not than when I started, and we are having a lot less tears (both are definite positives).

Night time is much improved! Bubba actually has nights where he sleeps all the way until 7 AM! Success! Can you tell I'm a bit excited? Now if only the retraining of my body to not wake up was as easy. It seems that every time I get close, Bubba has a night where he wakes between 4 and 5. Oh well, still taking steps forward.

Nap time has made a few baby steps. We've cut 2 teeth this week. Additionally, we've both had snotty noses and I've needed naps as well, so I'll openly admit to having about 2 naps with Bubba this week, and both were delightful (until I woke up and he was still asleep, and mother nature called). We've fallen into a pattern on days we remain in the house, where Bubba falls asleep between 10 and 11 for 30-45 minutes, then takes a longer afternoon nap. Hopefully we continue to make progress and I can have a few more productive afternoons (one afternoon I baked a batch of cookies and made a pair of pants...talk about productive).

Menu Planning Mondays

A new series? Hmm...maybe.

I was having coffee with a few friends this past week and got inspired. We were talking about menu planning. They all stated that they liked the idea of menu planning, and that they had even subscribed to a few sites that planned for you, but that they didn't necessarily like the actual planning process.

I LOVE menu planning! I love trying out new recipes and keeping our dinners varied. Yes, I do repeat recipes (about once a month) but I try not to repeat my proteins during the week (except maybe chicken), and if I do I most definitely try to re purpose my protein later in the week, so you'd never know that the chicken was the same chicken I made earlier in the week :)

I'm thinking that I'll plan meals for a week and post them on Mondays and see how it goes. I won't necessarily include how to cook your chicken or pork so that you can spice it up any way you like, but will provide ideas for you to get your own culinary juices flowing.

Let me know if you'd be interested in this or if you have any ideas. This is meant to be fun, plus I'm already doing this for my household, why not share it with everyone else :)

Menu Planning

During our last PCS (that's military terms for moving), I came to a realization. I buy way too much food. Now it's nice to have a stocked pantry and refrigerator. However, I discovered that I was also throwing away a lot of food that would either expire or go bad. I was literally throwing money away (seriously, I would have furry oranges...disgusting).

When we settled, I decided I was going to start meal planning. Little did I realize that there were free services on the Internet that would do this for you, so I went out, bought a notebook and started making a list. I'd write down the days of the week, and underneath, what we'd be having for dinner that night.

Once I started this, I was able to cut my trips to the store down from weekly, to every other week. Yes, I do run out of milk or eggs every now and then, and yes I do have a few staples that I keep extras of in my pantry, but I started throwing away a lot less food! This meant I was tossing less money straight into the disposal.

Not only that, but I was also saving money by not going to the store as often and making less "extra" or "impulse" purchases. Before I was spending $100-120 a week on food, now I am spending about $200-$220 every 3 weeks. I was astounded at how much I was saving!

I highly encourage you to give it a try for a month, if you don't already plan. It not only saves me money, but also saves me some stress because I know that tonight I'll be making Salmon for dinner with a nice salad :)