Christmas Eve Musings

It's Christmas Eve.

How strange that notion seems to me. I've had such a difficult time getting into the spirit of the season this year and I can't believe it will all be over tomorrow. Where has the time gone?

The kids and I spent today baking cookies for Santa, as we do every Christmas Eve. We made chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter cookies, and thumbprint cookies. I was going to make a chocolate candy cane cake as well, but I am honestly just tuckered!

I sit watching  The Sound of Music, waiting for Justin to get home from work, knowing when he does I will have to turn on something else because this simply isn't his cup of tea. That's ok, though. I have set the DVR to record it later tomorrow afternoon so I can watch at my own leisure.

For now I think I will sit here and enjoy the quiet and the lights on the tree the children have so enthusiastically decorated and patiently wait for morning's arrival.

Recipes for the Thumbprint cookies and Chocolate chip cookies can be found here.

Grampy's Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup shortening
c tsp baking soda
2 tbsps hot water
2-1/2 cups flour
2 eggs

Combine sugars, peanut butter, and shortening. Add baking soda to hot water and stir until dissolved. Add to cream mixture. Stir well. Stir in eggs. Add flour, mixing until well combined. Roll into 1 inch balls and flatten with a fork. Bake at 350 degrees F for 8-10 minutes.f

***I used butter-flavored margarine rather than the shortening, as I didn't have any. I also used crunchy peanut butter.

Merry Christmas to you and yours.

Week 2 Grocery Shopping

We went shopping Saturday morning this week rather than Friday because of Justin's schedule, which frustrated me. It's actually funny because I'm not the most organized person on the planet *insert fake shocked here* but when I set a plan out I expect it to go as planned. But life loves to throw curve balls, doesn't it?

Like last week, there were a few changes, deletions, and additions made to my grocery list as we shopped.

Deletions & Changes:

1 pkg 24 count Activia yogurt - As we shopped I noticed that we were getting close to our budget mark and still had a few important things to pick up so I decided to forego the yogurt. I figured I would go back and get it if I had enough left over afterwards.

1 bunch of broccoli, 1 bag of potatoes, & a couple stalks of celery - To be honest, the quality of these products left much to be desired so I decided to pass on them.

1 container of strawberries & 1 container of blueberries - I looked at the fresh berries and considered them at length before deciding on frozen berries instead. Frozen berries will go further and I won't end up throwing them out at the end of the week because they've rotted in the fridge if I happen to forget about them being there.

1 envelope taco seasoning - I simply forgot it. :(

Additions:

1 box 8 count no name chocolate chip granola bars & 2 single servings of Yop yogurt drink - Both were picked up at the children's behest.

100g deli-sliced piri piri chicken - This I picked up for Justin.

We spent a total of $148.98.

Week 2 Meal Plan & Grocery List

This Week's Budget:

$150.00

This week's meal plan:

Friday - Pizza Takeout

Saturday - Justin and I are going to see Breaking Dawn and will be eating out. The kids will be eating with our neighbors downstairs.

Sunday - Deli Sandwiches

Monday - Vegetable Barley Soup

Tuesday - Pork Chops w/Apple Gravy

Wednesday - Rosemary Chicken w/Orange-Maple Glaze

Thursday - Lemon-Butter Baked Salmon

Planned baking (maybe if I pre-plan it, I'll actually do it...):

Blueberry Muffins

Strawberry Jelly Roll

Peanut Butter Cookies

Grocery List:

1 box medium freezer bags

1 box 24 count Activia yogurt

1 bunch broccoli

1 dozen eggs

4L milk

1 bag apples

1 bag oranges

1 pomegranate

1 container strawberries

1 container orange juice

1 box granola bars

1 box chicken stock

1 bottle pancake syrup

1 pkg boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1 pkg boneless pork chops

1 large pkg lean ground beef (enough for 3 or 4 meals)

1 bag short pasta

2 cans diced tomatoes

1 envelope taco seasoning

1 bag shredded cheese

1 box cereal (Gavin's choice)

Salmon

1 pkg stew meat

1 container spring greens

1 bag baby blend veggies

1 bottle teriyaki sauce

200g deli-sliced turkey

200g deli-sliced honey maple ham

1 bag potatoes

1 box veggie stock

1 tomato

1 cucumber

1 bottle mustard

4 loaves bread

1 jar strawberry jam

1 container blueberries

1 bag barley

2lbs carrots

A couple stalks of celery

1 bottle salad dressing (if on sale)

1 pkg cheese slices

1 jar coffee

1 box sugar twin

1 box wax paper

Week 1: Lessons Learned

We made it through the first week of our grocery/meal planning experiment relatively unscathed. Some things I learned this week:

1. There's not much point in planning breakfast except on the weekends, because the kids just want to eat cereal and toast most school days anyway. I think I will reserve things like monster eyes, pancakes, scrambled eggs, etc. for Saturdays, Sundays, and other days when there is no school. Once in awhile I may surprise them with something a little special on a school morning,  but for the most part simpler is better when you're crunched for time.
2. Lunch is much too hectic to try and keep a pre-plan in place. Quick and easy and spur of the moment is the way to go. The goal: feed the kids with minimal fighting and fooling around and get them back to school on time.
3. Snack planning is also turning out to be a little redundant. As long as the children get something healthy as an after school snack to hold them over until dinner, I honestly don't care what it is.

Not too shabby for our first run out of the gate, don't you think?

I was pretty hard on myself on Friday, however. I had planned to have sliders for dinner but there were no sliders to be found at the grocery store due to a massive sale that we missed by a hair. Instead, we picked up some hot dog buns and some cheese-filled grilling sausages and had those for dinner. I guess if I'm going to continue this experiment, I have to be willing to change things depending on product availability, etc.

Life is what you turn it into...

I've heard it said that "life is what you make of it." But I don't agree. I don't think that finding happiness means that you have to accept what is and be happy with it. I believe that if you aren't getting out of your life what you truly want, that you have it within your means to go after it and turn the life your living into the life you wish you had. I honestly believe this is true of ANYONE. If you don't like your job, get a new one or go back to school and find the job you want. If you're not happy in the relationship you're in, leave and live YOUR life for awhile - the right person will eventually find you. Everything happens for a reason, whether good or bad, and helps to push you in the different directions. YOU have to choose whether or not those directions are the right or wrong ones for you. But once you know which direction you want to take, believe that you can get there and you will. Ok. I'm done rambling.

Thwarted by Product Disappearance

We went shopping this afternoon with our shopping list in hand and $70 budget in mind. We ended up changing things around a bit due to availability and/or sales:

Grocery List w/Changes

4L milk
1 dozen eggs
1 carton (12 boxes) Kraft Dinner
1 flat Mr. Noodles --> There must have been a sale of some sort on noodles because there were none to be found!
1 bag apples
1 bag oranges
2 4 loaves whole wheat bread --> We ended up buying 4 loaves because it was on sale for $1.24/loaf.
1 jar peanut butter
2 boxes granola bars
1 can diced tomatoes
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
10 white button mushrooms --> Instead of counting out 10 mushrooms we bought a small container, likely containing more, which was on sale for $1.27.
2 bags frozen veggies
1 box sliders --> There was a sign on the fridge door stating sliders were on sale for $1.49 -- cue excited squee! -- but when we opened the door we found they had all been sold out. We, in fact, went to two different stores looking for them with no luck. :(
1 bag slider buns --> We didn't buy these because we didn't need them sans sliders.


Grocery List Additions


2 pkgs cheese and cracker-type snacks (the ones with 5 attached in a string)
5 plastic shopping bags
1 large pkg breakfast sausage


We spent a total of $68.02. Not too bad for our first trip!

Trying Something New

Up until now we have gone grocery shopping twice a month around the 5th and 20th of the month, depending on what day of the week Justin gets paid and also what his work schedule is. We average about $250 a trip, and usually run out of some things in between, like milk and bread. It never seems to be enough, and because we shop for such a long period of time we end up throwing out a lot of produce, which I hate. I think it's time to try something different. I want to try creating a meal plan and shopping weekly. I'm wondering if we'll spend less in the long run and also if we will waste less overall. This is week 1. We will be shopping twice this week, however. Once to pick up a few things that we need to get us through until payday and then again on payday for the following week. I will post my menu plan and grocery list here each week, and then I will post how much we spend on our grocery trips as well as how closely we stick to our menu plan. Here is the short term grocery list and menu plan to get us through until Friday morning.

Budget: $70.00


Menu Plan

Monday

Breakfast (kids) Toast w/butter and strawberry jam (Mom) 1 boiled egg, 2 pieces of toast w/butter and strawberry jam, 1 piece of fruit
Lunch White cheddar Kraft Dinner
Snack Apple
Dinner Sliders w/spring greens and pomegranate

Tuesday

Breakfast Pancakes
Lunch Sandwiches
Snack Granola Bar
Dinner Creamy mushroom pasta w/beef

Wednesday

Breakfast (kids) Oatmeal (Mom) 1 boiled egg, 2 pieces of toast w/butter and strawberry jam, 1 piece of fruit
Lunch Kraft Dinner
Snack Peanut butter and jam crescents
Dinner Bruschetta chicken w/rice and veggies

Thursday

Breakfast Monster Eyes
Lunch Mr. Noodles
Snack Orange
Dinner Pork tenderloin w/potatoes and veggies

Friday

Breakfast Pancakes

Grocery List

4L milk
1 dozen eggs
1 carton (12 boxes) Kraft Dinner
1 flat Mr. Noodles
1 bag apples
1 bag oranges
2 loaves whole wheat bread
1 jar peanut butter
2 boxes granola bars
1 can diced tomatoes
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
10 white button mushrooms
2 bags frozen veggies
1 box sliders
1 bag slider buns

So there you have it. My first fully planned grocery list and menu plan.You may notice that it doesn't seem overly healthy, and that is something I am hoping to change in the coming weeks. My problem this trip, though, is that we only have so much money and we have to make it go as far as we possibly can. Justin asked me what I'm hoping to gain out of this new approach and I guess I can answer that with two things. 1. I am hoping to waste less food and to add some healthy variety to our eating habits. 2. I am hoping that by planning things out we will be able to save a little bit of money and maybe always have just a little bit in the bank.

And...we're off to go shopping. I'll come back later and let you know how it turns out!

Services Paid for but NOT Satisfactorily Received

I have been struggling with my internet service almost since moving here a year and a half ago. I will lose my service at least a half dozen times a day. That is until a few days ago. Three or four days ago my service started dropping almost every 10 minutes - I'm offline more than I'm on! Talk about frustrating! Tomorrow MTS is FINALLY sending someone out to take a look AGAIN rather than just offering failing advice over the phone. I REALLY hope they fix the problem once and for all!

**P.S. The pic does not belong to me - I found it via Google online.

It's been pretty hectic for me for quite awhile, now.


My grandfather is showing improvements. He was taken off life support a few days ago but apparently had a bit of an episode where he thought he was being held against his will and another where he thought he was behind enemy lines. He is back to his normal self, my aunt tells me, and should be home by Friday! 

As I've mentioned before, I volunteer for my local community centre. I started back in March and joined the executive board as the Secretary. I loved it! I had been stuck at home (a social anxiety thing brought on by being a stay at home mom in places where I didn't know anyone) that I completely embraced leaving the house for something other than grocery shopping again. 

At the beginning of June, the woman who we paid to run the day to day operations at the centre quit. No warning; nothing. I, being the only volunteer on the board without a full-time job, offered to take her place until we could find someone to replace her. 

Unless you are involved in your local community centre, you really can't imagine how much work goes into to keeping one up and running! I definitely didn't have any idea, until I started going daily. So when I say I have been running around like a chicken with my head cut off all Summer, I'm NOT exaggerating! 

But I digress... 

In July we ran an ad to hire a new manager, and I applied as well. In the end, we chose someone else we hold dear because we believed that he was the best person for the job. The decision was bittersweet for me. 

Our new manager started officially at the beginning of August. Gradually, I have been able to let some things go and allow him to take them over. But gradually is speeding up every day. As he settles in, I am becoming more focused on programming for the Fall. Both daily programming, as well as special events. 

Now that we have a new manager, however, I am finding that I finally have some time to myself again. 

I'm hoping this will allow me to concentrate on my health again. 

So starting tomorrow I will begin logging my food/exercise (regardless of how good/bad it is). Hopefully I will be able to focus more on my goals once the kids return to school in the Fall, too!

It's been a busy week for me, so far!

My grandfather is still in the hospital but as of yesterday was showing improvement. Today the doctors are going to judge his strength before they consider taking him off the machines. I'm just waiting to hear, at this point.

I volunteer at my local community centre and hold two positions on the executive board. I've been managing the centre's daily operations for about 2 months now, but our new General Manager started yesterday - beginning his first day with 3 consecutive meetings! Today there are 2 more. With the new GM coming aboard, my role will be changing, and my main focus will be programming. I'm really excited about the future of both myself and the centre!

I'm off to do a couple of things around my house, now, before heading in for my first meeting.

My grandfather is in the hospital. He has pneumonia and they have him on life support to help him breathe so that the pressure on his heart doesn't cause a heart attack. It's hard to be so far away waiting for updates. I'm praying that he comes home well and soon!

I love homemade mac'n'cheese - it is my absolute favorite comfort food. Last night I attempted it myself for the first time, and it turned out GREAT! Now that I have a good base, I'll likely start experimenting with it a little adding this and that, from time to time. Here is the recipe I used after looking online at several different recipes and piecing one together myself.

Mac'n'Cheese

4 cups elbow noodles
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
2-1/2 cups milk
2 tsps mustard (you can use dried or prepared)
1 lb cheese, grated
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp seasoned salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Cook pasta for about 5 until very firm. Drain. In a small bowl beat egg. In a large pot, melt butter and sprinkle in flour. Whisk together over medium-low heat. Cook mixture for 5 minutes, whisking constantly. Don't let it burn. Pour in milk, add mustard, and whisk until smooth. Cook for 5 minutes until very thick. Reduce heat to low. Take 1/4 cup of the sauce and slowly pour into beaten egg to temper it, whisking constantly to avoid cooking the egg. Whisk until smooth. Pour egg mixture into sauce, whisking constantly. Stir until smooth. Add in cheese and stir to melt. Add salt and pepper. Pour into a baking dish and top with extra cheese. Bake 20 to 25 minutes on 350 degrees farenheit until the top is golden and bubbly. Serves 6.

I am absolutely loving Rolling in the Deep by Adele. Her voice is just so stunning and I seem to have the song stuck in my head day in and day out. I also love the version of the song that was performed on Glee last season. The addition of a rich male voice adds so much to the song, in my opinion.

I came across this at The Mouthy Housewives and had to share!

How To Stop a Child From Eating Boogers

Dear Mouthy Housewives

Please, please, please tell me how to stop my kids from picking their noses and then eating the boogers. It’s so disgusting! I’ve told them a million times to stop. Nothing works. Help.

Signed,

Disgusted in Denver

_________________________________________________________________

Dear Disgusted in Denver,

I feel your pain. And nausea. I have a nose-picker/booger eating child too, and if I had a glass of wine for every time I told him to stop, I would be too drunk to write this.

Obviously, our current tactic to stop this repulsive habit isn’t working. So what can we do differently?

We can lie.

We already lie about Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, leprechauns, whether or not we inhaled…the list is endless! What’s one more lie? I’m convinced we should come up with fake reasons why our kids must not eat their boogers. I suggest the following:

#1 Eating boogers leads to blindness and insanity. (Just like masturbation!)

#2 Every time you eat your boogers, a child in Africa goes hungry. (This is partly true and shouldn’t count against us as a full lie.)

#3 Santa Claus breaks a toy every time you eat your boogers. (Two lies in one, score!)

#4 Eating boogers depletes the vitamins in your body. You now must eat an extra helping of broccoli to make up for it. (Punishment through food is always a wise parental choice.)

#5 When you eat your boogers, Satan eats a puppy. (Using the religion/fear combo to make people do what you want is an ancient tactic…because it works.)

Hopefully our readers will offer even more booger-eating lies and I’m sure our children will be on a booger-free diet in no time.

Signed,

Heather, TMH

***Note on #5***

For those of us with different religious beliefs, one could insert some type of monster here.

I had a heartbreaking conversation with a 13 year old girl today. 

I don't know how we came upon the subject of religion, but come upon it we did. I told her that I was Pagan and she scrunched up her face and physically backed away from me; visibly uncomfortable. I further told her I was a Witch and I'd swear she was trying to resist the urge to walk out the door to get away from me. 

When asked to explain her reaction, the young lady told me that it would be very easy for her to start a fight about religion because of what I had told her. I asked her, why a fight? Why not simply a discussion? It ends up being a fight because people just don't understand, she said. Understand what, I asked? She basically (I don't remember her exact wording) stated people don't understand that what she has been taught by her church is right and that everyone else is wrong. I nodded sadly, because it was pretty much what I expected to hear.

I asked her to tell me the first thing she thought of when I told her I was a Witch. Devil worship, she said. Again I nodded sadly. I explained, in layman's terms, a little bit about both Paganism and Witchcraft. I said for me, Paganism is how I explain that I believe in many different things stemming from many different belief systems; a snippet here, a tidbit there. I also explained that, for me, Witchcraft is about reverence, respect, and worship of the Earth in all her splendor.

She accepted it, warily, when I compared spellcasting to praying, but was still very reluctant to believe that I don't practice "black magic" and perform hexes and curses.

The girl informed me that she had just recently been baptised. She said that she believes very strongly in her beliefs and knows that to be the truth over all else.

But she sometimes wonders about other beliefs.

I asked if she had ever researched other belief systems and she said she was not allowed to. She said that she hasn't even been allowed to talk about other beliefs because she is told that is wrong and not allowed. Her friends and family have told her this.

I was floored when she told me she's been told that meditation and yoga are not allowed because these allow one to clear their mind and let Satan in!

I know I must sound a little like I'm rambling, but I am just so very sad for this girl. In my opinion she has been brainwashed and doesn't really even have the sense of self to go against the grain if she doesn't agree with something that others in her religion say is the way it should be.

I told her that beliefs/religion are very personal and that NO ONE should dictate what she should believe or what is right for her. She is the ONLY one who can know that, and there is nothing wrong with figuring out what works for oneself, even if it is different from others.

I suggested that she do some research if she is curious. Even if she keeps it to herself. At least maybe she can find some answers to her questions.

Finally, before leaving, I asked her to do me a personal favor and look up both Paganism and Witchcraft on the computer. I see this young lady on a regular basis and I want to put her mind at ease so that she knows I am not inherently evil and that I intend her no harm.

Somehow I feel as though I am failing her, though I know it is not my place to feel thus.

And my family wonders why I don't believe in organized religion...

*smh*

What a shame...

Yesterday was a good day. It was super hot again, so we decided to go somewhere nice and cool. The pools would have been packed and unruly. The beach is too far away to travel in our van that has no A/C and windows that can't be rolled down. So we chose to go see a movie. We went and saw Transformers 3 in 3D. It was AWESOME! The third movie has so much more heart than the other 2 put together; I cried AT LEAST twice. Rose Huntington-Whiteley was 10X better than Megan Fox ever was. She and Shia LaBeouf had so much more chemistry. And the visual effects were wicked! It was a fantastic way to spend a humid Summer afternoon.

I REALLY strongly dislike the heat. Today is 48 degrees Celsius with humidity! And the kids are being almost unbearable because of it. Ugh. I can't believe I'm going to say this, but I can't wait for Winter to come back again!

We've had a beautiful Summer, so far. At least up until about 2 days ago. Now it is ridiculously hot! It's 9:44am and it's already 34 degrees C! Ugh. And that's not the worst of it. Tuesday is supposed to be 47 degrees C! I think I'm going to spend a lot of this coming week in my living room in front of the A/C!

I haven't done too badly with my mini-goals, so far. I DID eat breakfast on Friday. And I DID eat breakfast yesterday - even if I did only have toast again.

Today's Mini-Goal:

• Be sure to drink lots of water to stay hydrated, and make sure the kids do the same.

It is hot as hell here today - 34 degrees C with the humidity! I think I will spend the day in the living room in front of the A/C. I'm going to take advantage of the time and work on organizing my computer. I might even work on my Book of Shadows a bit.

Today's Mini Goal:

• Eat something besides toast for breakfast.

I finally finished my Fractions unit tonight; got 95% on the exam! Now my overall average is 92%! Woohoo!

I have a hard time sticking to most things long-term, so I am thinking that I should start setting daily mini-goals for myself. Maybe that would help me accomplish them...

Today`s Mini-Goal:

• Eat breakfast.

Trying to find the balance...

"We need to maintain a proper balance in our life by allocating the time we have. There are occasions where saying no is the best time management practice there is." Catherine Pulsifer, from We Never Seem to Have Enough Time

"Most of us are trying to balance work, home, and a family life. We tend not to accept the early symptoms of burnout and carry on our daily lives."Yasmeen Abdur-Rahman, from Recognize the Early Signs of Burnout

It`s time to start over.

A Visit with the Doctor

I haven't been around for a few days because I am happy to report that things have been rather quiet with Gavin. We've had minor incidences, of course, but nothing major. We've been praising him multiple times a day in the hopes that this behavior continues.

After looking at the school calendar for the next couple of months, I realized that Gavin was going to have to miss a little bit of school in order for us to have this taken care of. So we took him this morning to meet the doctor. Things went as Dr. A. expected. We went over a checklist of things and hit almost all of them concerning Gavin's usual behavioral patterns. The next step is to take the same form to the school for his teachers to fill out (it's a 5 minute questionnaire) and then we are to return it to Dr. A. to show that we are experiencing the behavior in at least 2 places. Once this is done, we will be given a referral to a child psychiatrist for formal diagnosis.

I am SO GLAD to see that things are finally moving forward, but saddened to know that we have to do this at all.

A Ticking Time Bomb

It takes so little to set Gavin off these days, but a "no" to anything and he loses it in the blink of an eye!

This morning went well, I thought. We got out of the house to go to school on time, he walked beside me on the way there rather than running, and even had a good report from his teacher for the morning.

When we got home for lunch and Gavin was told what we were having to eat - leftover rice and pork chops from last night's dinner - he stated that he wanted Mr. Noodles instead. In our house I don't make multiple meals for each individual; you eat what is put in front of you, or you don't eat. He knows this and was reminded of it. And like someone flipping a switch, he started yelling, screaming, hitting/kicking me, and throwing things at me. All the while chanting that he wanted Mr. Noodles for lunch and wasn't having anything else. The altercation lasted for all of his lunch hour. At the end of the hour, I told him it was time to get ready to go back to school and he just kept saying "I'm hungry," over and over again. I told him simply that if he had eaten was put in front of him then he wouldn't be hungry anymore. We walked to school in stubborn silence.

I picked Gavin up at the end of the day and was greeted with a negative report. His teacher didn't say what he had done, but just that he lost most of his recess and part of his gym class due to his behavior.

My days are looking more and more like this and it scares and saddens me.

I'm hoping tomorrow is a better day.

Disheartening Discussion

I talked to a doctor today about my concerns regarding Gavin. The doctor thinks that Gavin is most likely ADD/ADHD positive. He also said that I was being optimistic in thinking that I am going to be able to keep him off of meds. :( On his next day off from school, I will take Gavin to the doctor so that they may talk and we will move forward from there.

On a positive note, Gavin's teacher said he had a GREAT day at school today when I went to pick him up this afternoon.

Glad today is over!

Things have been getting worse. Gavin attacked me again today. He hit, kicked, & punched me. He threw anything he could get his hands on at me. I tried leaving the room and ignoring him, but he would follow me from room to room and throw things at me; making a game of it. He was just 100% on a path to physically hurt me. I'm not even sure what started it, anymore. I ended up having to call and get Justin to come home from work early to help me calm Gavin down and diffuse the situation. I should write more, but I'm drained. *sigh*

Sweet & Sour Pork Chops

This was last night's dinner.

**Source**Taste of Home Magazine

Ingredients

1 can (8 oz) crushed pineapple, undrained

1 cup honey barbecue sauce

1/3 cup finely chopped onion

2 tbsps chili sauce

4 bone-in pork loin chops (3/4 inch thick and 8 oz each)

Directions

In a small bowl, combine the pineapple, barbecue sauce, onion and chili sauce. Pour half into a greased 3 quart slow cooker. Top with the pork chops and remaining sauce. Cover and cook on low for 4-1/4 to 5-1/4 hours or until meat is tender.

Notes

We found the chops to be flavorful and tender, but a little on the spicy side. Next time I think I will use only 1 tbsp of chili sauce. We served this with whole grain brown rice and sauteed wild mushrooms, carrots, & spinach.

Revelation

We've been battling with Gavin's behavior for quite awhile now. The temper. The open defiance. The taking of anything that doesn't belong to him and isn't nailed down. The lying. I could go on, but I don't want you to think that he's a horrible child; because he's not. Gavin is sweet, funny, smart, and a joy to be around most of the time. But when he experiences one of his episodes, it's like someone has replaced my sweet boy with a demon-child!

From about the beginning of Spring Break we noticed subtle differences in Gavin's behavior. He responded better to requests/directions and had fewer outbursts. He was even "stealing" things less. Eureka!

Or so we thought.

A little while ago I cut almost all processed foods out of our family's diet. I didn't want it in the house anymore. No more hot dogs, Kraft Dinner, sugary cereals, etc. My reasoning actually had very little to do with Gavin's behavior and more to do with the fact that I wanted us to eat healthier as a family.

Thinking back now I believe that's when we began to notice Gavin's calmer demeanor.

Last week things were a little tight and we ended up having to pick up some Kraft Dinner and Fruit Loops because it was cheap and we were limited.

Let me tell you...

The last week and a half has been HELL with Gavin. We were back at square one - not listening to anything, "stealing" everything, lying, blaming everything on Chloe, tormenting Chloe, etc. This past weekend was the worst, and the situation definitely brought out some of my worst parenting qualities.

Yesterday Gavin went back to school and decided he didn't need to go inside when the bell rang to start the day. Instead he chose to hide under a bench outside, scaring the staff that was unable to locate him. When he finally came inside, rather than sitting down and getting to work, he chose to show his classmates the new rock he found outside. His reward for all of this was that he lost his recesses for the rest of the day. I talked to him about his behavior when he came home for lunch and he promised he would try and do better. In opposition of what he told me at home, once I took him back to school he stood in the middle of the hallway and yelled at me when I tried to take him to his classroom.

Back at home, perplexed as to the recent turnaround in Gavin's behavior, I started making a mental list of possible triggers. The only thing that really stuck out to me is that we bought Kraft Dinner and Fruit Loops last week.

So this morning there were no Fruit Loops to be had.

I have to go pick Gavin up for lunch shortly, and I'm hoping that today is better than yesterday.

Mayonnaise Chicken

Ingredients:

1 c mayonnaise (use whatever brand/type you like)

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp honey

1 tsp dried basil

4 chicken thighs

Directions:

Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl and brush over chicken. Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes to an hour.

Notes:

The chicken was juicy, tender, and tasty. But I think it would taste even better if one were to use boneless, skinless chicken breasts that have marinated for at least an hour. I served this with whole grain brown rice and sauteed veggies.

Christina's Easy Pasta

I made this from scratch, and it was great…I’m not going to put ingredient amounts, because I only eye-balled it. Furthermore, use these ingredients only as a base…you can add anything else you may want to. As well, you may add a little cornstarch or tomato paste to thicken it to your liking as it was quite liquid-y.

garlic cloves

carrots

canned whole tomatoes with herbs

ground beef

pasta (I used elbow pasta, but just about anything would work)

seasonings

Procedure

Start browning beef. Peel carrots and cut into small pieces. Boil until cooked but not mushy. In a food processor or blender, process peeled garlic cloves with a little bit of oil until finely chopped. Add cooked carrots and process until they are finely chopped, but not pureed. Begin adding tomatoes from can one at a time, processing between each. At this time you can also add any additional seasonings. Pour tomato mixture into a small pot to warm. Add juice from can. Add sauce to beef once it has been browned and drained; heat until warmed through and all flavors have had a chance to meld. Serve over prepared pasta with fresh garlic bread and caesar salad.

*Sorry there's no picture - my camera battery died!

Hearty Lasagna Soup

I love to cook and of course have had both successes and failures in the kitchen throughout my lifetime. But nothing has caused me more culinary heartache than soups and stews. These are the bane of my cooking experiences. In fact, part of my goal in regards to trying out new recipes is to see if maybe I can finally make a delicious soup. The one we had tonight comes close, and it is super simple to boot. I honestly don't remember where the recipe came from.

Hearty Lasagna Soup

1 lb ground beef

1/4 chopped onion

1 tsp minced garlic

1/4 tsp dried parsley flakes

3-1/2 cups Swanson beef broth (regular, 50% less sodium, or certified organic)

1 can (about 14.5 oz) diced tomatoes

1/4 tsp dried Italian seasoning, crushed

1-1/2 cups uncooked mafalda or corkscrew-shaped pasta

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cook the beef, onion, garlic, and parsley in a 3-qt saucepan over medium-high heat for 10 minutes or until the bee is well browned, stirring often. Pour off any fat. Stir the broth, tomatoes, and Italian seasoning into the saucepan and heat to a boil. Stir the pasta in the saucepan. Reduce the heat to medium. Cook for 10 minutes or until the pasta is tender. Stir in the cheese. Serve with additional cheese, if desired.

Yield: 4 servings

Notes:

For the pasta, I used tricolor Rotini. I didn't have any Parmesan, so I used a little shredded marble.

Results:

This soup was flavorful and tasted very fresh and summery. The whole family devoured it and wanted more!

Conclusion:

This WILL be served again in my home. And again. And again.

Quote 3/22/2011

Vegetables are a must on a diet.  I suggest carrot cake, zucchini bread, and pumpkin pie. 

~Jim Davis~

Quote 3/18/2011

Part of the secret of success in life is to eat what you like and let the food fight it out inside.

~Mark Twain~

(1835-1910)

Quote 3/17/2011

"Some people like to paint pictures, or do gardening, or build a boat in the basement. Other people get a tremendous pleasure out of the kitchen, because cooking is just as creative and imaginative an activity as drawing, or wood carving, or music."

~Julia Child~

Quote 3/16/2011

I was 32 when I started cooking; up until then, I just ate.

~Julia Child~

Quote 3/15/2011

One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating.

~Luciano Pavarotti and William Wright, Pavarotti~