Pancakes for dinner?

Ever notice how kids love breakfast foods but usually make a fuss at dinner time? Instead of taking on that battle every night why not let them have something they love for dinner. Tonight I experimented with a variation of the basic store bought pancake mix and it turned out to be a win win for all so I thought I'd share it with you.
As some of my friends and family know I'm really into adding puréed fruits and veggies into our everyday meals to try and pack as many nutritional benefits into the meager food items my son will eat. Tonight I added sweet potato purée into the store bought pancake mix. My favorite is Bisquick Heart Healthy. I modified the directions on the box by only using 1 cup of mix, 1 egg white, and 1/4 cup of milk. To make it a bit more dinner like I then added 4 tbsp of the purée, 1 tsp of crushed garlic, 1 tsp of grated Ginger, and then I grated about a 1/4 of a yellow onion into the mix. After whisking it all up I cooked them just like regular pancakes. When spreading the batter onto your griddle it's best to make them a bit thin and as they will take a bit longer to firm up due to the purée. If your or your kids have a sensitive pallet you might want to add less of the stronger ingredients: garlic, Ginger, and onion or just omit what you think you or your kids won't eat. Top the pancakes with a good maple syrup, honey, chopped mango, or any of your favorite preserves for a sweet and savory taste. To keep with the dinner feel you could just top them with sour cream and chives.

Hot, hot, hot

Well after putting off the inevitable last week I finally got around to cleaning up the garage. However, one thing got in the way of my progress, the HEAT! Usually I can suck it up and sometimes even convince myself that the heat is aiding with my weight loss but this time I couldn't even talk myself into believing that one. Each day I've tried to complete the task and each day the heat kicked my butt. Yesterday I decided that I would just keep my projects for the next two days indoors, so after the regular cleaning duties I started working on the infamous swag bags for my son's upcoming birthday party. Everything was going smoothly until I began to feel the air get warmer and warmer and then.....oh no! Please don't tell me?! That's right, the heat beat me again. The AC went out. By this time it was late afternoon. It was too late to call the repairman but at least the hottest time of the day had passed and I could only pray that there would be a cool breeze to blow through the windows while we slept. Alas there was no breeze at all and the hot air just stood stagnant like a line at Disneyland. After turning on all of the fans and a restless night (the temp was a steady 83 degrees all night) I quickly tracked down the number to our local AC repairman and thankfully was told that he could be out to fix our problem by the afternoon. Today was going to be the hottest day of the week at a sweltering 103 degrees. All I could at this point was put "Operation: Stay Cool" into effect. That meant no usage of anything that would add to the already climbing temperature in our home. No TV and no cooking. After catching up on our reading and eating a cold breakfast the repairman arrived earlier than anticipated and quickly got "Operation: Cool Down" underway. It was at that moment that I swore I would never take refrigerated air for granted again. The heat may have won the garage cleaning battle, but as I sit with the wonderful cold air blowing around me I know that ultimately I won the war.

What I've been up to this week.

Monday, thought about cleaning out the garage to prep for a garage sale, instead just hung out with lil man most of the day.....we were tired. Tuesday, thought about cleaning out the garage, instead did the same thing as Monday. Wednesday, woke up and found out that my mom went to the ER the night before due to shortness of breathe. Made an appointment to take her to her regular Dr. for a follow up and took her in that morning. Thank God she is fine. We went to lunch and I picked up a Bento box for lil man. Picked up my friend's daughters on the way home and we all had ice cream. Didn't really think about cleaning out the garage. Thursday, lil man woke up and remembered that I had bought the Bento box for him, now that's what he wants ALL of his meals served to him in. Made his breakfast and lunch "Bento" style and went to Costco, Post Office, and bank....fun. Oh and I did think about cleaning out the garage. Friday, woke and got into "clean out the garage" mode but then realized I had run out of allergy meds. Went to the grocery store bought some meds came home and by that time I was more into making a fantastic sandwich than cleaning out the garage. It was a really good sandwich. Had a really good discussion in Small Group Friday night (I love, love, love my small group such a great group of friends) and came home and crashed out. Saturday, woke up and thought about cleaning out the garage, instead took my son to Santa Monica beach and enjoyed playing in the sand and walking the pier. It was a much better idea than cleaning out the garage.

What to do about Finicky Eaters

More and more I've seen sights that advertise Japanese style Bento lunches for kids. I've been intrigued about these types of lunches ever since I heard about them on one of the podcasts I frequently listen to. Being a mother of picky eater I often will resort to many different tactics to get him to eat more healthily. I think most moms out there struggle with the frustration of trying to get our kids to eat something that's nutritious. Toddlers tend to be grazers, a phase that will pass once they get a bit older....or so I'm told. My son is no exception to that rule and so I try little creative "tricks" in the hope that I will get more food into his tiny tummy. He loves protein and dairy so getting him to eat meat, eggs, and his all time favorite, milk is no problem. He likes some fruit but veggies, not so much. I'm a big believer in the ever controversial hiding of purees into his meals but sometimes that's not always a practical option. It was after listening to a podcast where Bento style lunches for kids were talked about that I decided that I might give that a try. Although I haven't yet invested in the actual authentic Bento lunch kits, food separators, or condiment holders I try to do something similar when serving my finicky little munchkin.

Using cookie cutters I'll make cute little shapes out of his sandwiches or burgers. I don't have to resort to doing this with his meats since he likes proteins but if you happen to have a kid who doesn't like them as much you could do the same for their chicken or steak. I recommend cutting around the cookie cutter shape with a sharp paring knife after the meat has been cooked. I try to cube his meats and fruits whenever possible and have started putting them on kabob skewers to make them look a bit more fun. Obviously you need to be cautious when giving your kid a pointy object that could be used as a lethal weapon, so you could cut the sharp tips off once you've skewered the food. There are several plastic skewers that you can find on-line for purchase. You might also want to direct your child to eat the food sideways so that both hands are holding the ends of the skewer. The skewers make eating the normal everyday foods a bit more fun and you could also add a few newer foods in between the ones they already like. I try to use smaller plastic dishes to put his sides or fruit in to help keep everything separate and to make it look a bit different than just stuff sitting on it's own little space on his plate. For lunches and snacks I try to give him the "big" boy school experience and put his foods in a lunch box. It's a nice little surprise for him to open it up and see what goodies are in there. I also find that he eats more food overall and I can control how much of each item I want him to eat based on the size of the bag that I put his foods in. For example, my son loves the "Pirates Booty" popcorn so I will put that in one of the smaller snack size baggies so it looks like there's more of it than there really is. All he cares about is finishing the bag so in his mind he's eaten a lot of popcorn. I'll put the "good" stuff that I really want him to eat in a larger bag so in his mind there's not that much of it. I want my son to eat fruits but I don't like him to fill up on them so that he won't try the other new foods I've given him. One way to avoid this is that I will try to slice his grapes in half or cube his watermelon much smaller than normal. I think you get the picture. Although I'm resorting to a bit of eye trickery it allows me to have better control over his intake of foods I prefer him to have vs. those that I want to limit. Since veggies are the troubled spot in his diet I have found that he will drink his veggies without any issues. They sell many fruit/veggie blended juices at the stores but I find it just as easy to make your own. You can buy the juice in bigger sizes and also control the juice-water ratio this way. I always put veggies on his plate and try to load them up in as many things that I can. As I previously mentioned I'm a big fan of hiding pureed veggies in his foods. My son loves spaghetti so I will add a puree of whatever veggie I have on hand but I always add peas and carrots to the sauce. Even if he doesn't always eat the veggies he sees on his plate at least I know he's eaten a decent portion from what's been hidden in the food. Overall I try to provide at least one food item I know he will eat and one new item I hope he will at least try. I also try to take advantage of the moments when he's most hungry to give him something new. He's most likely to try it at that time and since he's hungry he'll take more bites of it before deciding if he likes it or not. Lastly, my son doesn't have much of a sweet tooth but when he does I don't try to make a big deal out of it. If it's close to a mealtime and he wants something sweet, I will give him one "adult sized" bite of whatever it is he wants at the same time that I serve him his meal. I have found that he will usually only take a bite or two out of the "sweet" stuff and then eat mostly all of his regular meal.

These are just some examples of what I have personally tried. Here are some links to some of the Bento style lunch ideas that I came across: http://www.anotherlunch.com/ and http://wendolonia.com/blog/ and lastly my favorite goto moms when it comes to making nutritious meals/choices for our families: http://mealmakeovermoms.com/kitchen/ .

Sodor, Bubbles, & Drunkards...Good Times

"Welcome everybody to the Island of Sodor". Each morning these words and that cheerful little song play in my head. If you have a son or know a little boy who is as addicted to Thomas the Tank as much as my son is then you know exactly what I'm talking about. For the rest of you, be somewhat thankful that you have no idea to what it is I'm speaking of. Ever since my son turned one he's be fascinated with the little blue steam engine from the make believe island of Sodor. I have to say my husband and I have been enablers with his obsession by investing a small fortune in all things Thomas. Therefore, it is no surprise to everyone we know that his birthday theme this year is "Thomas". I wasn't planning on having a party for him but he is at the age where he is well aware of what a birthday party is and so at his request (rather me asking and him nodding "yes") I'm having a small and very lo-key party for him. I chose a park in our area to host his party which has a wonderful water playground. I figured it would be perfect since it will be hot enough for water fun and I wouldn't need any other type of entertainment for the kids. As for the adults, a party where the kids are off and playing by themselves with very minimal supervision is like finding a fabulous pair of shoes in your size at 60% off. If this park had completed it's construction when he turned one I would have had his party there. Instead we had a Jack Sparrow impersonator come and entertain the kids. He was great except he looked like William H. Macy instead of Johnny Depp, which is why I was so pleased to know that the water park would be available for this year's party. The only things I needed to worry about was all the other things one has to worry about when planning a party: food, invites, decorations, and goody bags. Now, I don't know who thought of swag bags or when they became such a big hit, but I will tell you that putting together a decent swag bag takes more planning and prep time than everything else involved with a party. The items, unless they are completely personalized which takes even more planning, must be gender neutral and age appropriate for all of your young guests. This year I decided I wasn't going to get some silly little tchotchkes that end up in a junk drawer, so I felt like I scored when I found a big bag of mini Playdough from Costco. I decided I would make little outdoor fun/craft type goody bags with lots of candy so I didn't have to have a pinata as well. This is where my first ever trip to Dollar Tree comes into play. After searching on-line for a good price on side walk chalk I came across the $ Tree website. It was then that I remembered seeing that one was put in a few miles up the road so I loaded up my kid and mom and headed on down to see if they had what I had seen on-line. Overall I didn't get what I was initially looking for but I did find a bargain on bubbles and candy rings. What made this experience most memorable though was the drunk couple the next aisle over from my mom, my sleeping (thank goodness) child, and myself. I guess they were trying to shop too except that everyone could hear them bickering back and forth and then a "slap" sound followed by "I can't be with you!". This all coming from the woman who looked pretty worn and that she probably had a hard life (the guy  looked exactly the same way). I didn't know if I should quickly pay and get out of there or find out what they were going to do next?! Ultimately they found what they were looking for and made their way out the door without further incident. Sadly when I got to my car I noticed they had parked right next to me and were still arguing while stuffing their faces with the quart of ice cream they had just bought. I never would have thought that: public intoxication + bargain ice cream = Dollar Tree. I think it goes without saying that I've had my fill of that store for a good long while. I hope my tiny guests enjoy the bubbles, I know I will.

Kindle or iPad which is better?

I've seen some people question whether or not it's better to buy a Kindle or an iPad so I thought I'd share my personal review of each. I've owned a Kindle for about 8mos and an iPad for about 2mos. I've used the Kindle several times since receiving it and there are many things that I love about it. Like most eReaders out there you can easily adjust the font size, sync page placement, and store several books at a time. What sold me on the Kindle is the Whispersync technology and the ability to readily purchase and download new books from anywhere without a WiFi connection. The downside to the Kindle is that I have become spoiled to the "touch" interface of the iPhone so having to move the navigational "mouse" is a bit annoying. I also wish the screen was back lit, a feature that some other eReaders have jumped on. Like the iPhone the iPad also has the Kindle App available. This app syncs books and page placement directly to your iPhone or iPad accessing your Amazon account. The iPad comes with iBooks (Apple's version of an eReader). I found the book selection to be somewhat limited and you have to either use a WiFi connection or pay for a data plan in order to sync new content (there are no monthly fees associated with the Kindle). The screen is back lit and font size can also be adjusted on the iPad. Overall both make reading your favorite selections an enjoyable experience. So, now the big question, if I had to do it over would I have bought both? The answer is NO. If I had to do it over I would have waited for the iPad and gone without the Whispersync. To me it's by far the best feature of the Kindle but ultimately I wouldn't have had to absolutely have it. Most of the time that I'm getting new books I'm at home. I don't have the iPad with the 3G Data Connection so I would have to rely on a WiFi connection. However, with more and more places offering free WiFi I don't feel as though I would have been in a situation where I couldn't access another book if I needed to. With the Kindle app on the iPad I can access all the books that Amazon has available, plus I get the touch screen and back lit screen features.  So for now I will still continue to use my Kindle for reading. It is lighter and less bulky which is perfect for reading in bed or fitting into a purse. Plus I don't think my 2yr old will pry his hands off of the iPad long enough for me to actually read a full chapter let alone a whole book.

Parenthood

Before becoming a mother I had my own little weekend routine: wake up, take care of my dogs, take care of my errands, nap, and then figure out what to do with the rest of my day/night. Even on regular workdays it was pretty much the same sans nap but overall "I" was the Queen of my schedule. My husband and I talked about having kids and at that time we agreed that we'd have 2. We were both already into our 30's so we knew we really couldn't waste much time. He already had a son from his previous relationship so in total we'd end up being a family of 5. Not too big, not too small. After all most cars are a 5 seater and since my husband doesn't like roller coasters we'd still have an even number for most of the rides. So the planning began and we were lucky since it only took 4mos before we found out that in another 9mos. we'd get to know how our combined gene pools would look like. Overall my pregnancy was great. I didn't suffer from morning sickness and any back pain I had prior was completely MIA. My labor was 23 1/2 hrs. long but I had great nurses (I highly recommend Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach) and thanks to the epidural I didn't feel a thing! Our son was born a little earlier than anticipated but from the moment he looked up at me with his little ticked off expression I knew that we'd have a relationship like no other I would ever know in my lifetime. Well my son ended up looking almost exactly like me and I joke at times that I "cloned" him. My son is smart, funny, energetic, loving, curious, and at time very dramatic (I think he gets THAT from his father). Each day I notice something new about him and he's growing so quickly that I wish I could just freeze time and keep him my little Munchie Bunchie for just a bit longer. At times he does things that show just how much he's maturing, like when he cleans up after himself without being reminded to, or when tries to dress himself. Of course there are those "other" times too, but we won't get into dark side. My favorite time of the day is when he wakes up, crawls into my bed, and we just lay there and he tries to tell me stories. His speech isn't that clear yet so I like to think he's telling me about his dreams. I just know he talks a lot about Thomas the Train, horses, and Lightening McQueen!  My son will be 3 next month and in his short time in my life he's taught me what it is to love someone so much it hurts, what true joy really is, and that I know I would have been missing out on one of the greatest relationships of my life if he weren't in it. I know I couldn't have created him alone so THANK YOU husband for your contribution. Our child really is the gift that keeps on giving.

Facebook, Twitter, or Both

Well after having my Facebook(FB) account up and running for about a week I have come to realize that it's a bit of a daunting task getting it set up. Most friends warned "you'll be addicted in the beginning!", however, I feel the only reason I spent as much time as I did on it the first few days was due to the time it takes to post albums, find friends, and then actually view their profiles and albums too. I got a Twitter account right before I opened up FB and I find that much more habit forming. With FB I can receive emails to alert me on just about everything so there's really no need to log on to it unless I'm updating or posting something of my own. With the integration of FB and Twitter, my pertinent Tweets can automatically update to FB and there are many add-ons available for the everyday user and developers alike. What have I found to be the pros and cons of each? FB pros: easily find, connect, and share, with friends and family. The ease of accessing new posts or updates is also a plus. Cons: takes a few days to really set everything up and to find and explore your friends profiles. I suppose that is meant to be one of the fun parts of the whole Facebook experience however, unless you are trying to stalk everyone you know, I can't see FB keeping some one's interest for the long term. Twitter pros: quick and easy set up, immediate updates of anyone that you are "Following", and due to the text limitations there's not a whole lot you have to read to stay in the "know" or type to keep your "Followers" up-to-date. Cons: can be addictive especially if you follow multiple people or groups, and it's a little tricky finding people or posting if you don't know the exact usernames. Something to keep in mind when following popular celebrity figures is you want to make sure you are following a "Verified Account". It can be a bit confusing since many of their fan club sites use the same names as the celebrities they Tweet on so read their summaries beforehand.  Would I recommend one over the other? Simply stated, no. Both have their place and usefulness in today's connected world. I will say that I wish I would have opened my Twitter account much sooner. Overall my Facebook experience has been a pleasant one. It's been nice to see what old friends have been up to and with Facebook I can post it and people can read it or leave it (sorta like this blog).

The Hardest Part

The most difficult part about being laid off is trying to figure out what to do next. I mean, it's one thing to have an idea of what you want to do but committing to it and making it happen is another thing. Before I was laid off I was doing web development for the company I worked for. I didn't plan on doing that it just fell into my lap. Like other companies in the finance arena everyone had to cut back and we were not immune to the economic domino affect. I was working in the Originations Department of a well known sub-prime auto finance company. I was comfortable, maybe too comfortable so when things started going South and I had to be relocated in order to keep my job I was introduced to the world of Risk Management. I was never one for math but Risk Management encompassed much more than just crunching numbers. It included the IT/Telecom and Systems portions of the company. It was in the Systems area that I seemed to like and learned the most. I liked the challenges and being able to work on new projects that actually had an "END" to them. In my previous position I felt at times I was Bill Murray in "Groundhogs Day".
Sure I thought about about leaving and trying something new at those times. I think most people fantasize about what they would do if "real life" worries weren't a factor, but the truth is overall I really liked where I worked. I had many friends there, at least a month off each year, a NICE annual X-Mas bonus, and I had established myself enough that if I had to leave early on occasion to take care of my son I could without being hassled. That may not be much to most but to me it was enough to keep me there for the past 13-years. All of that being said I'm exited to venture into something new and be forced out of that comfortable shell.  Is it scary? YES! Could I fail? YES! Will it be difficult at times? YES! Do I have everything to lose? YES! but I also have everything to gain including my ultimate happiness.
So, these are my requirements for my next job/career: I have to be challenged at least once/day, I have to learn something new at least once/day, my schedule has to be flexible so that I can be there for my son when he needs me, I have to earn a decent and fair wage, and lastly I have to feel joy and absolutely love what I am doing. I know that these requirements will be met when it's the right time and when HE is ready for me to take it on. I don't write much about my faith but believe me without Christ Jesus in my life I wouldn't be in the emotional state that I'm in right now. It's only because of HIM that I'm able to function each day and not have a complete anxiety attack. I'm not rich. I'm not poor.  Like most everyone else I can't just retire. I do have my moments of depression and worry about what the future holds and at what moment will it all fall apart and be taken away, but then I remember HIS promises to prosper and provide for me and I feel at peace with everything. I believe in miracles and I know HE will complete a miracle in my life. I just keep it all in prayer,  try to be still, and listen for his wisdom and guidance.
 

Facebook Here I Come

So after much protest of yet another site/account/thing I'd have to maintain and update I finally created a Facebook account. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be and it appears to be much "cleaner" than the old MySpace sites. I'm still trying to navigate my way around the settings. I don't want to share too much or prevent myself and my friends from being able to share anything. It took a little adjusting here and there but I think I finally got it to where it's just right. So far it feels as if I've spent the better part of this weekend attached to some sort of technical gadget or another, but if I had to count the actual hours it probably wasn't all that much. I'm still unsettled on the title of this blog site because it changes as my moods and metal state change. Good thing it doesn't affect the link! Before I go for today I want to share two podcasts that I religiously listen to and the links to their sites. Both are entertaining and informative so I hope you'll give them a try.
Manic Mommies: http://manicmommies.com/ and Meal Makeover Moms: http://mealmakeovermoms.com/.

I finally did it

Well I finally started my own blog. I guess I'm jumping on the bandwagon but that's OK by me. The initial set up took a bit more time than I thought and now my brief opportunity to actual put some thoughts down is over. To re-cap the events of today thus far; I took my mom to the retinal specialist for partial vision loss she obtained from a "minor" stroke, went grocery shopping, and took a much needed 2-hour nap (had crazy ass dreams I'll have to tell you about later). Now I must make dinner, feed the animals (4 dogs and 2 turtles), and get my child bathed and off to bed at a decent hour. I hope something good is on TV tonight.