A Shameless Plug - 37 Catholic Classroom Crafts. . .in 20 minutes or less!

Did I ever tell you I wrote a BOOK?  It's called 37 Catholic Classroom Crafts. . . in 20 minutes or less!

You can buy it here (Amazon), or here (Barnes and Noble), or here (Twenty-Third Publications), or from fine booksellers anywhere.

EASY Weeknight Whole Wheat Sweet Potato Pizza Dough (Don't be scared!)

Sadly (or happily) I'm addicted to BBC America. 

My absolute favorite show on BBC America is You Are What You Eat.  The host of the show, Gillian Mckeith goes to the houses of overweight British people and tells them what horrible, horrible eating habits they have.  Then she throws a weeks load of "rubbish" that they eat on a table, and calls them pigs.  They go on some mad crazy diet for like 6 weeks, eating only lettuce, lentils, and weird green smoothies, to find that they have lost a certain about of stones (pounds), they scrub them up real good (the people not the stones), put make-up on them (usually too much), some new clothes (generally too trendy), and then they all do a happy dance (literally) around in their living room saying they'll never go back to eating biscuits (cookies), chocolate crumpets (no idea), and crisps (chips) ever again.  By the end of the show, and the end of the diet,  the people still look relatively unattractive, and you're thinking I doubt they stick to this horrid diet, but the show was good fun.

Anyway, one day Gillian visited a family with kids, and she made a pizza for them.  I don't think my kiddos would have cared for the toppings, and the dough was a little too sticky for my liking, but the idea was right on track.

This is my adaption to her pizza.  It is by far my FAVORITE Whole Wheat Pizza Crust Ever In The ENTIRE World Universe. So yummy, that my kids don't even care that it has sweet potatoes in it (which some of them hate seriously dislike).

Oh, and the best part - no rising needed.  This pizza can be prepared in the amount of time it takes you to order a pizza and have it delivered.  Slightly more work though, but anything worth having always is.

Easy Whole Wheat Sweet Potato Pizza Dough

Ingredients:

For the Dough:
*1 large sweet potato (equal to 1 1/2 cups mashed), peeled, cut into pieces and boiled until soft
2 1/3 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp Baking Powder
2 oz. cold water
2 TB olive or canola oil

* I wouldn't hate you if you used canned sweet potatoes so that you could skip this step. I'm sure it would work fine.  It might not taste quite as good, but, I'm just sayin'.

Toppings:
1 jar/can Marinara Sauce
2 cups (more if you like really cheesy pizza) shredded mozzarella cheese
Turkey Pepperoni, Ham slices, Mushrooms or whatever you like
Cooking spray

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a pot with a lid, boil sweet potatoes until soft. Drain, and mash with the back of a fork or potato masher until smooth. Set aside to cool.
3. In a small bowl combine water and oil, set aside.
4. In a mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and potatoes.  Add water mixture, and stir until well combined.  Knead the dough to form a ball.  If the dough is too sticky add more flour.
5. Divide dough into two equal parts, and roll out onto a floured surface ( I roll my dough on a counter lined with wax paper to facilitate clean up). As you're working with the dough be sure the surface remains covered with flour so that it doesn't stick. Roll the dough out to 10-11 inches in diameter.
6. Spray your pizza pan/baking sheet with cooking spray.  Lift dough carefully, and place on pan.  Brush or spray the top and edges of the dough with oil.
7. Spread marinara sauce on top of the pizza.
8. Top with cheese and other toppings.
9. Cook for 20-25 minutes and browned. Cool 5 minutes, and serve.

•Makes 2 - 11 inch pizzas

Creole Jambalaya (and my hair which have some surprising similarities)

I’m a low maintenance chic.


No, really. I am, and it shows. Generally speaking, my clothes are too tight (not in a good way) or too big. I only buy make-up from the drug store, and not very often, and I can’t remember the last time I went to the beauty parlor to get my hair cut. But since we’re speaking generally, I’m pretty sure another president was in office.

Enough is enough.

As I looked into the mirror with my scraggly head of hair, I wanted to shoot myself to relieve any onlookers of their misery. It was really bad. Hair flying in all kinda directions, puffy here, straight as a board there, bangs crazily running amuck, long in some places, short in others. I was a straight mess.

So, I grabbed a book, my purse and headed straight to the salon.

I was so brave, as I boldly instructed the stylist to cut my hair, just so. Not the way my sister told me to. Not the way the hairdresser convinced me to. The way I wanted. This is the picture I showed the stylist.

Okay, so maybe it’s not the best picture. Yes, I do realize that Drew Barrymore has some sort of chocolate or jell-a-fied substance on her face. And maybe it’s not the fanciest hair cut. But I think it’s cute. I’m low maintenance, remember? It isn’t in my nature to pick something fancy with wisps, and razor cuts, and a curly doo dah thingy on the side. Today, there will be NO LAYERS.

I showed Warwick the picture. He looked at it, scrunched up his face and said, “You do realize she’s white.” My husband I tell ya. He’s brilliant.

Yes, my sweet, I do realize she’s white, and by your inference that I am not. However, I think this extremely plain hair cut will translate on my head too. Sheeesh.

So I did it. 4 inches came off the length (that’s a lot for me), and when I left, I was on a happy high. So delighted with the outcome. So proud that it was completely different and so sure my family would think the same.

I beamed as I drove down the highway home, thinking that every commuter that looked my way was admiring my hair. A smile here. A stare there. Yup, they know my hair looks guuuuud.

I pulled up into my driveway, as the front door was opening. Preparing myself for the onslaught of praises, adulations, and compliments. They are gong to love it! I thought. I should write down the hairdressers name and number, they’ll want to be next in line to get their hair done.

My sister in law walked out the door first, and I braced myself for a barrage of questions all centered around the beauty of my new hair do. She looked at me, and stared for about 5 minutes before saying, “Oh, I thought it would be different.”

“What?” I countered, laughing dryly. “It is soooo different. I got like 4 inches cut off. And. . .no layers. . . . and I told her to cut it straight across the shoulders. If that’s not different, I don’t kow what is.”

“Hmmm,” she said uninterested and turned and went back into the house.

As she walked back into the house, my mother in law passed, curious to see my new hair. “Oh, it is very pretty, and it smells nice too. Still doing that same flip, huh?”

“Well, uh, thanks, I guess. Well, it’s not really the same flip. It’s a little less flipped, more straight. But thanks.” I said as I tried to get a whiff of my hair wondering if it generally smelled bad.

Out next, was good old Warwick full of a whole bunch of nothing. He tilted his head, and looked at it a bit, but clearly he thought it looked the same. “You look pretty.” He grinned. No need to say anymore.

But, my girls, my lovely girls, bounded out the door, trompsing, and singing, and screaming with hoots of surprise. “Oh, mommy,” they giggled. “You got your hair cut! It’s so short! It’s so beautiful! Can I get my hair cut too? You’re sooooo pretty mommy!”

And that was all I needed to hear, 'cause children never lie. Those other people are just blind.

Me and Drew, lookin' just alike.

Drew

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So, are you wondering what the heck does Jambalaya have to do with my hair?

Jambalaya is the same old, same old, wrapped up in a new package. It’s just made with whatever you have in your fridge, good sound stuff, but rearranged a presented in a lovely one pot, very attractive dish. You don’t need fancy herbs, or expensive meat, or anything unusual or hard to find. Whatever you need, you’ve got, and it’ll work perfectly.

Every time I make this, my kids say “Have we had this before?” Quickly followed by “Ooooh, yum” gobble gobble “this is good!”

It always looks a little different, but it’s always just as good, and they always love it. I’m sure you will too.


Creole Jambalaya

Ingredients:

2 TB Canola Oil
1 medium onion, chopped
¼ cup bell pepper, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, diced
8 oz. crushed canned tomatoes
2 bay leaves
*1 tsp Louisiana Hot Sauce
1 ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 1/3 cup rice
3 cups of chicken stock or 3 cups water and 1 large Bouillon cube
5 oz. smoked sausage, cut into bite size pieces.
10 oz. frozen shrimp, drained (you can use fresh I just use frozen cause I always have it in my freezer)
5 oz. chicken, cooked and diced
Salt and pepper to taste


*the addition of this brand of Hot Sauce will make it slightly spicy but not hot. It was still mild enough for my 13 month old to eat. If looking for more spice try adding ¼ tsp of cayenne pepper and a spicier sausage, and that will do the trick.


Directions:

1. In a large pot (with a lid), heat oil over medium high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, and celery. Cook until translucent, about 5-8 minutes. Add garlic, tomatoes, bay leaves, Hot and Worcestershire sauces, rice, and stock. Bring mixture to a simmer, and place lid on top. Cook on medium until the rice becomes tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Stir occasionally.

2. When rice is almost done, add shrimp, chicken, and sausage and cook until the liquid has been fully absorbed. Season with salt and pepper. Serve warm, or room temperature, it tastes good either way.

Pasta with Peas, Beans, and Bacon - Back to School Easy Weeknight Dinner

Yesterday was the first day of school in these parts.  We planned every. single. detail. out.

Shelbi informed us she would set her alarm for 5:45 a.m., get dressed, and then wake Bella up at 6:15 a.m. so they wouldn't be late.

Bella informed Shelbi that she was crazy.

Lunches of pudding, juice, and cheese and meat sandwiches were gathered and placed in their appropriate lunch boxes.

Fancy shoes were worn, and hair was curled and tied.

Warwick took the entire day off to chronicle the event.  We thought we would have a nice relaxing day, dreaming about how much fun the kiddos were having at school.

Until. . . . . .we remembered. . . . . . . OUR homework . . . . . . that was due in 4 hours. That took 4 hours and 1 minute to complete. All this chaos so that my kid could enter a contest with 1 million other little girls in hopes of winning a trip to see the Jonas Brothers. 

Have I ever made a music video? No.
Did I even know I had video editing software on my computer? No.
Is this how I wanted to spend my first day of 2 kiddos out of the house, and two kiddos napping? No.
But did I do it anyway? Yes, and with 59 minutes to spare.  Uh. My life.  It's never dull.

So, without further ado, I bring to you - Shelbi and her friend Christy Jammin' to the Jonas Brothers "LA Baby".  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lTkgIB5Mmk


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This is a great recipe for back to school.  Loaded with vegetables, good whole grains, and a cinch to make, you'll have plenty of time to spend catching up with your kids after a long day of work and school.

Fettuccine with Peas, Lima Beans, and Bacon

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups of lima beans, frozen
14 oz. whole wheat fettuccine or your favorite pasta
1 bouillon cube (vegetable or chicken)
1 cup peas, frozen
6 Slices Turkey Bacon
1 TB olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup Parmesan
salt and pepper


Directions:

1. Bring a large pot to boil.  Add lima beans and bouillon cube. Return to boil, add pasta, and cook according to package directions.  Add peas to the pasta during the last 2 minutes of cooking time. Drain.

2. Meanwhile, cook bacon in a large skillet until slightly crispy and cooked thoroughly. Remove from skillet and chop roughly.

3. Add olive oil to skillet, and add onions.  Cook until soft about 5 minutes. Add the cream, and cook until thickened, about 4 minutes. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

4. Add pasta to the skillet and toss to coat. Sprinkle with Parmesan, and serve.

Darn It! What the Heck Am I Crying For?

It's 4 a.m. and the clock is ticking. Every second the hand makes another tick. There it goes again. Tick. Tick. Tick.

Time is going by, the children are getting older, and I think I'm about to hyperventilate.

Breathe. Breathe. Breathe.

Anxiety is taking over. But I tell myself, this feeling will pass. 

But it doesn't. It's gets worse. My eyes are beginning to sting. Salt trails are lining my cheeks.

I have a stabbing, churning pain in my stomach, and it's not gas.

The first day of school is in two days, and I thought I was prepared.  I bought all the supplies, new clothes, and snacks.  Organized everybody's closet, and set earlier bed times. We've been reading, working on math and writing. My kids are so ready for school.  But I'm not. 

I'm not ready for them to leave.  For them to grow. It's all going too fast. My soul is screaming to the heavens, please wait, slow down. Because I know.  At 4 a.m. I know that thing that I push to the back of my mind.  But at 4 a.m. it can't hide. The silence won't mask it.

That menacing, creeping knowledge, that these are the good old days.  That these are the days I'll be reminiscing about when I'm old. The days I'll miss. The days when my house was always abustle with craziness, food, and love, and when we giggled and yelled in the same breathe.

Please God, please, make the time go slower.  Put us on pause, for just awhile.  Or better yet, replay. I'm not ready for the summer to end.

Phoebe and Bella being sisters.

Soledad loving Nana.

Shelbi medals in Basketball.

Me and Pops, just sittin' back.

Spinach Frittata, Usher - There Goes My Baby & Yvonne's Comment

This is me grovelling.

This is me saying I'm sorry.  "Sorry, Mr. Woo."

Sometimes I'm not so good at being a wife.

Sometimes I'm tired and I just can't.  Sometimes I'm mean, and I just won't.

Sometimes all I want is a hug, but I won't give one.

I'm gonna try 200% today, Mr. Woo ~ because you deserve it.

Because you are the best there ever was, and because you think I'm beautiful even when I'm tore up and I've got crud in my eyes.

Because everytime I hear this song, I know it's how you feel about me . Or maybe it's how I feel about you, only the song is about a boy singing to a girl, and I'd have to change too many words, so that's why I imagine that's how you feel about me. (I could just be humoring myself. That's fine too).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6urbZyHgO4


And because our sweet and wonderful friend Yvonne sent me a comment that reminded me of what a phenomenal person you are.

and because I love you, and really, when you married me, you knew exactly what you were getting yourself into.

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In addition to being sorry, I really wanted to do something  nice for Mr. Woo, to let him know how much I love him.  Something that would delight his spirit, and give him a really good start to his day.

I decided I'd make hime a Spinach Frittata.  He really loves these.

Only I didn't wake up early enough, and now he's at work, and I think he had Honey-Nut Cheerios for breakfast.

Foiled again. Maybe I should try 300% harder.

Spinach Frittata
Serves 4-6.

Ingredients:

2 TB olive oil
1/2 onion , chopped
1/2 bell pepper, chopped
2 - 10 oz. packages of frozen spinach, thawed and drained (be sure to squeeze out all excess liquid)
6 eggs
1 1/2 cups reduced fat shredded cheese
1/3 milk
sour cream, optional
hot sauce, optional

Preheat oven to 350.

Directions:

1. In a 10" skillet that can be transferred to the oven, heat 1 TB of oil on medium high heat. Add onion and bell pepper and cook until soft, 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat.
2. In a large bowl, beat eggs. To the eggs, add spinach, milk, half the cheese and sauteed vegetables. Mix well.
3. Add the remaining oil to the skillet, and heat on medium/ medium low.
4. Pour egg mixture into skillet, and cook for 5 minutes or until the eggs are cooked on the bottom and almost set on top. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
5. Place the skillet under the broiler for 2-3 minutes or until the frittata is set.
6. Slice into wedges, and serve with sour cream and hot sauce if desired.

Katy Perry - California Gurls

Soledad (4) says this is her favorite lullaby.
Either I'm the best mom ever, or the worst.  I'm not sure which.

And for any haters out there, No she hasn't seen the video. I don't think.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRvptTk7IbU

Asian Garlic Noodles

I have this little girl, who is the bee's knees.

I love her till the end of forever.  But, this little girl, has a bit of an old soul.  She's so responsible, so incredibly reliable, and completely steadfast about following rules.  Sometimes it's a little scary.  I just want to tell that chick, "Calm down.  It'll be alright."  But I know it won't work, because somehow she wears the weight of the world on her shoulders, almost like she's some reincarnated world leader.

Anyway, this little piece of heaven wanted a real-live Beauty Parlor Visit (sorry for the use of the term 'Beauty Parlor' I'm old school) in anticipation of the first day of school.  A visit complete with straightening and cutting (eek!) her hair.  I was dead set against it. And I don't use the term 'dead' lightly.  I mean - over my dead body- and seriously someone was going to have to kill me.

But like most things, I'm a reasonable person and I thought and thought about why I didn't want this to happen.  And all I came up with was,  I'M A BIG SELFISH MOMMY. Big shocker.  I just wasn't ready for this sweet angel of mine to grow up.  I didn't want to believe that she was growing up in a way that made her concerned about her looks or what other people thought.  I wanted her to run and play in the mud, eat candy and smear it all over her face, and run around with no shoes on till her feet were black.  But this has never been my girl.  Nope.  My girl, wants a sensible hair cut, with sensible shoes, and a sensible lunch with a bit of protein, dairy, and fruit (I'm not kidding).  So I agreed, then I closed my eyes, plunged myself into the abyss and waited to see the outcome.

And what do you know, she's still my little girl, just with her hair shorter, and straighter, and quite sensible I might add.  She loves it because it's super easy for her to do in the morning, and I love it because I think it makes her look younger. So shoot me! 

So here's to cute little girls, short hair cuts and sensibility.. . . . . and to staying little just a lot bit longer.

* oh, and one more thing. thanks to my sister for taking the pictures, because I was too chicken to actually go look and see what was going on.

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I'm so grateful that the hair cut thing turned out well that I made Shelbi's favorite Asian Noodles two nights in a row.  I even let her friend spend the night last night, because I'm so happy I have not yet been pummeled into the pre-teen years.

All my girls fantasize over these noodles, even Shelbi's friend had seconds.  When dinner was over Shelbi said, "Thanks for making a dinner that was good, Mommy."  No problem kiddo. And you're also welcome for the not so good dinners. That's what I'm here for.

You can eat them alone (as is) but I served them with chicken breast and stir fried broccoli, because I couldn't have them enjoying their dinner that much.

Asian Garlic Noodles


Ingredients:

12 oz Chow Mein Noodles ( I used Annie Chun’s but if you can’t find them, you can use spaghetti noodles)
2 TB canola oil
5 tsp garlic, minced
7 tsp sugar
6 tsp vinegar (I use seasoned rice vinegar but you can also use white vinegar)
1 ¼ cup chicken stock or vegetable stock
1 tsp Hoisin Sauce (you can substitute oyster or soy sauce)
1 TB cornstarch
Cilantro, chopped for garnish

Directions:

1.) Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, and set aside.

2.) Heat oil in skillet on medium. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly so that garlic does not burn. Turn off heat.

3.) Add sugar and vinegar to the skillet, and stir until dissolved.

4.) Add cornstarch to chicken stock and stir until dissolved. Pour stock mixture into skillet and add Hoisin sauce. Bring to boil until thickened. Remove from heat.

5.) Add noodles to skillet, tossing to coat evenly. Garnish with cilantro or green onion.

Old Fashioned Popsicle Pop-Ups

"You know little Woo's, this 'I'm bored' bit, is getting old."  I say to a crowd of children who are blatantly ignoring me.

"How in the world can you be bored?  You have DS's, Wii's, computers, dolls, crafts, toys, books, and. . . . .IMAGINATION.  Ever heard of that one girls?  Ever use your little noggin to figure out something CREATIVE to do?"  "No", they say.  I didn't think so.

"Maybe you could build a fort out of cardboard boxes, play in the sprinkler, or hmmmm. . . .let's see draw or write on some paper?"

Nope.  They don't want to do any of that.  That's boring. 

"Well then," I stammer, "Did you know that I didn't have any of these toys when I was kid, yet I was never bored?"    I lie through my teeth as if it's second nature.  Maybe it is.

"I had an Atari" I boast, "a crazy pixelated video game, and we only had 3 games.  Frogger, Pitfall, and the one that came with it. And you know what?  I never even asked for new games.  Wanna know why? No. Well, I'll tell you why anyway.  BECAUSE, I mastered those games.  I became the Sensei of the Atari world.  If anyone wanted to know how to get past any level, they came and asked me.  Because I had tenacity, wherewithal, the strength to keep my nose to the grind.  You youngins' could use some of that.

And when I wasn't playing Atari, I drew beautiful works of art, out of crayons that were only nubs. No markers you say. Spat! I laughed at markers.  Who needs markers when you have crayon nubs.

If my mom needed decorations for the house, there was no going to the store and buying it.  I MADE IT.  When my mom said it was time to decorate the house for Christmas, I didn't say "When are we going shopping?", I pulled out my nubby crayons and went to work.  It didn't matter that baby Jesus looked like a puppy, or that Saint Nicholas was dressed in purple, because we had I-M-A-G-I-N-A-T-I-O-N. . . . . . 'imagination' for those of you who can't spell.

And you know what else? There was none of this business of eating to pass the time.  We ate at meal time, and had very limited snacks, which did not consist of cremes or fluff.  In fact, we made them ourselves, and waited for them to freeze for 6 hours while we salivated on the precious gift that was to come.  We didn't run outside everyday at noon, chasing the poor ice cream man down the street, completely prideless, clueless, and moneyless. No, we made our own frozen treats ourselves.  So listen up Little Woo's, roll up your sleeves, I'm gonna show you how 'we' used to do it."

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I had no idea how much my children would love this activity.  Such a simple thing that I used to do all the time as a kid, and took for granted.  I let the 4 year old make her own out of Grape and Apple Juice, and the older girls took turns using the blender to make the yogurt version.

My kids have been eating these pops everyday since we made them, and already they are begging for more.

Here's to you, me, and how we used to roll as kids.  We knew how to have a good time, didn't we?

Old Fashioned Popsicle Pop Ups
Ingredients:

Your favorite Juice

Or

12 oz. frozen or fresh fruit (strawberries, peaches, or blueberries)
1 cup of vanilla yogurt
Honey to taste
5 oz. Dixie Wax Cups

Directions:

1.) If using frozen fruit, thaw or microwave until it is no longer frozen.
2.) Using a blender, puree fruit. Mix in yogurt. If the fruit is not sweet enough, add honey to taste.
3.) Pour into wax cups.
4.) Place in freezer for 6 hours or overnight.
5.) Once frozen you can enjoy by gently pushing the bottom of the cup to release, and the popsicle will raise for eating.*

*Once the popsicle is raised, you can take it out, flip it over, and eat it that way. That was my preferred method as a kid, because then the pop doesn’t slip back into the cup.

Sleepin' Like a Log

I know it's rough, being the 4th born out of four. Nobody ever said it would be easy. Well, with fairy princesses running around, people screaming at the top of their lungs, and mommies who forget to put babies down for naps. . . . .

. . . . . . .you gotta just find a little shut eye wherever you can get it. For however long you can get it.

100% Whole Wheat and Flax Seed Tortillas

Has somebody ever told you something, that sprang from their lips, drifted through the air, and just smack dab slapped you in the face like a sack of potatoes?

I mean just knocked the mess out of you, making you lie prostate,  flat as a tortilla ( a whole wheat and flax seed one), rocking yourself, thinking. . .where in the world did that come from?

Well, I'm sure by now your guessing, I have.  And you know who did it, he did.  He's the only one who can affect me that way. The one who I actually care what he thinks.   The one, whose words when chosen unwisely, make me completely and utterly dazed. . . .and confused. . . .and generally pissed off.

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I know I've said this before, but Warwick is a really great dad.  If you know him, you're not shocked by this comment. He wakes up in the middle of the night for the kiddos, he serves them breakfast, tickles them, plays with them, and does all the things a good daddy does.

And he always, always, always, comes to their doctors visits if he can possibly make it.

And recently, you may recall, Feebs had a doctor's visit.

And he was there, holding Feebs, inserting little comments every now and then, as I filled the doctor in on my sweet little BABY'S first year.

Doctor: Okay, so she looks great.  What types of foods is she eating?  All table foods?

Me:   Duh. Huh. Ummm.. . .  Feverishly trying to think of the correct responce here. Thinking I'm not supposed to say still drinking mostly milk.  "Well, she's not totally on all table food yet.  We're still giving her baby food.  But. . . ."  I add hastily, "we do that 3 times a day."  It becomes quite obvious that the doctor is not impressed.

Doctor: Well really, Phoebe is over a year now, she can have all table foods and only milk in a sippy cup.

Me:  Oh.  Long pause. But I just thought that. . . she's a baby. . .and. . . .

Warwick:   Nicole!  She is 12 months now.  You are always trying to baby the kids!

Really, Warwick. Really? Where in the flip did that come from.  She's 12 MONTHS OLD!!!!!!!! By any normal standard she is A BABY!!!!!  I know technically, once you reach 12 months you'r a toddler. But honestly, that is the dumbest thing I've ever heard. Especially, since that baby just started crawling. She's no where near toddling!   Seriously, I'm not sure what little agreement you and the Docs have come up with, but 'yal have lost your damn minds!

And then, and then, and then, the nurse came in the room to poke my baby with a needle and of course the baby was wailing and crying, and needing to be consoled, and all I was trying to do was offer a binky or a bottle to help her feel better, and that crazy boy told me AGAIN, "STOP BABYING HER!"

Ooooohhhhhh, Well you mister. . . . .Stop. . . .Stop. . . Oh, just shut up!!!!! 

Really.  I mean really.

I think I said that already.

She is a baby, right?  What am I asking you for? Of course she is a baby.  Warwick sucks is not very nice.

And, you know who else are babies?  Shelbi, Bella, and Soledad. So there!  AND SO AM I!!!!!!!

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So, I'm trying.  I'm trying to treat her a little more, like a big girl.  Not up to Warwick's standards, but I am moving her more toward solids. 

I made these tortillas that my other girls LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, and she knawed the mess out of them. 

These tortillas are the best IN. THE. WORLD. Super easy to make, and not the least bit harsh or bitter like some whole wheat tortillas can be. They just melt in your mouth. And to top it off, they cost just pennies, which is really saying something because when you try and buy something similiar, you'll easily pay $4 for 10.

Serve em with a bit of ham and melted cheese, PB and J, fajita meat, or just plain.  You'll thank me for it, and so will your health!

100% Whole Wheat and Flax Seed Tortillas

Ingredients:
3 cups Whole Wheat Flour
3 TB ground flax seed (in your grocery store try looking in the natural/ organic section, with the Cereal, or with the other ground meals like corn meal, near the flour)
1/4 tsp Baking powder
1 tsp salt
3 TB canola or olive oil
1 cup warm water
Cooking spray or oil

Directions:

1.  In a medium sized bowl mix all dry ingredients. Next, add water and oil and knead until it is well combined, and the dough starts to form a ball. If it is too sticky, slowly add more flour until it is the consistency of pizza dough.

2. Wrap the dough in saran wrap, and let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes.

3. Divide the dough into 10 equal pieces. 

There were 10 pieces, they just didn't make at the pic!

4.Using a rolling pin, roll each piece out into an 6 inch round tortilla. Cover with a dish towel to prevent them from drying out.

5. Place a skillet on medium high heat, spray with cooking oil (optional), and place the tortilla dough on the hot skillet. Flip over when air pockets start to form. Cook until they are golden brown on each side.

The tortillas can be eaten immediately or stored in a ziploc bag in the refrigerator or freezer for future use.

Peach Mojito

The house is clean.  Did you hear me?

THE HOUSE IS CLEAN!!!!

Well . . . . .except for those papers that were crammed into the armoire. . . .and the bills shoved into the bread box. . . .and ummmmm all that crap under the bed.

Ooooh, look. Now there's the matter of a dead lizard at the front door. Good Lord.  Shelbi says it's not dead. It's tail is just severed and wiggling around crazily. Phew! That's a relief.

Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

What's that? The doorbell just rang. It's the neighbors kid. Here to play. Lovely.

I think I need a drink.  A stiff one.

- - - - - - - - - - -  - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  -

Yup, I'm gonna pour this bad boy down my throat, just as soon as the hubby gets home.  Peaches are in season, and I think this drink couldn't be more deserved. 

Cheers!

Peach Mojito

1 cup of peach puree ( you can place fresh peaches in a blender, then press through a sieve to discard the solids. . . . .or you could just use baby food peaches, I know it sounds crazy but. . . .I promise it's just as good.)

The juice of one lime
1/4 cup sugar
12 mint leaves
2/3 cup rum
1 1/3 cup Sparkling Water
Ice

1. In a large pitcher combine lime juice, sugar, and mint.  Using the back of a spoon, crush the mint leaves to release their oils.  Stir entire mixture to make sure that the sugar is dissolved.
2. Add peach puree and rum. Stir until combined.
3. Pour sparkling water into pitcher.  Serve over ice.

Mosquitoes Suck

Phoebe was bit by a mosquito.

Bella danced and sang.

Soledad was oblivious.

Shelbi cried.

I freaked.

Warwick called the doctor.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

I'm speechless. Utterly mute. Shocked, silent and completely dazed. My tongue has been tied, and my voice is less than it once was.  The words are not coming, because I am unable in my astounded state to communicate that I am mute.

But for you, I will try, because it means that much to me. And it quite possibly might change your life.  Well, probably not, but if your a little touched like me and totally have your priorities screwed, it probably will.

Okay, here goes.

I have found a bbbbb . . . .book that I love as much as. . . .Twilight.

I know, I know. But before you start throwing tomatoes, let me just tell you about it. 

The name of the book is The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.  It is the first book of a trilogy and is the straight up bizzy bomb.  It has the romance of Twilight, The futuristic aspect of the Terminator, Love the earth feel of Avatar, and a whole new element that makes it completey unique.

The book takes place in the future, during a very dismal time in humanity. The United States is gone, and now there exists only Panem, which is made up of 12 districts. The new order is run by The Capitol, a power hungry group of people determined to keep the districts from revolting.   A group of children are chosen annually to participate in the Hunger Games, where they have to fight to the death on TV.  These children, as well as most of the citizens, live in a world full of despair, working for pennies, and starving for food.

At the opening of the book, our heroine Katniss, volunteers to take the place of her younger sister after her name is pulled in the Hunger Games lottery.  It's a really gutsy decision, considering her district, District 12, hasn't had a winner in 30 years, and well if your 1 in 24, it ain't really looking like your odds are that good.  But lucky for Katniss, the other contestant from her district is Peeta Mellark, a baker's son with a golden heart.  Unlucky for Peeta, Katniss may or may not be in love with Gale, her hunting buddy and best friend.               

I won't lie, the book is definitely has it's chilling aspects.  It has plenty of blood and horrifying instances, but it also has really sweet and tender moments, and love, love, love, love, love.  Did I say love?  Not the erotic, I want to jump your bones type of love.  The chaste type, the gentle type, the kind that makes you want to hit your husband for not being sweet like that.  What more could you want in a book?