MMMMmmmmmm Muffins - I need your help!

Calling all bakers!

I need help!

I have a very limited list of muffin recipes that I like. I have some that are great but seem like a ton of work. Some that are easy, but not really that good for you. Some that taste more like cupcakes than muffins. I hate to buy them and I'm pretty much the only one in my house that will eat them.

image from mylusciouslife.com

I'm trying to force myself into a better breakfast routine. I know that I feel best when I have breakfast. Lately, I have been making smoothies for Art and I in the morning. But you can only have so many smoothies before you want something different. Well, that and the fact that Art has decided on only ONE kind that he likes. Not my favorite, but it's much better for him than anything else. He's still my boy, can't wake up easily and isn't very hungry in the morning. I've made many breakfasts that didn't get eaten, so a smoothie is a decent compromise. I know it's healthy and he thinks it's a treat.

Back to the subject at hand...

I'm looking for new varieties, quick and easy recipes that are tasty and can either make a small batch or keep well in the fridge or freezer.  I can google, I can search up recipes, but I'm checking with those of you who still read this blog... I trust your reviews more! I already know you have good taste. (haha)

So, you can comment below with your favorite recipe, email me at iamabusymama(at)gmail(dot)com, post on my facebook page or even message me through facebook.

I'll try them out and let you know how they go.

Taco Stuffed Buns - And The Pizza Buns Variation

I had promised some step by step pictures but was not able to get them this time. I will update the post in the future with them. I promise!

 

Soft Buns Recipe:

You can use any regular bun recipe you prefer. Additionally, I have seen these made with store bought dough or with biscuits (think Pilsbury). Whatever you prefer is great, this just happens to be my favorite recipe.

Large Eggs     2
White Sugar   1/4 cup
Salt                1 tsp (I actually didn't use any salt)
Cooking oil    1/2 cup
Warm water   1 cup
Warm Milk    1 cup

White Sugar 1 tsp
Warm water 1 cup
Active Dry yeast - 1 x 1/4 oz or 8 g package

All purpose flour approximately 8 1/4 cups

Put second amount of sugar in warm water in a small bowl. Sprinkle yeast over top. Let stand 10 minutes. Stire to dissolve yeast.

Beat eggs in large bowl. Beat in first amount of sugar and salt. Add cooking oil, first amount of water and milk. Mix. Add Yeast to egg mixture. Mix.

Work in enough flour until dough pulls away from sides of bowl. Turn out onto floured surface. Knead 8-10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Place in greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover with tea towel and let stand in oven with light on and door closed for about 1.5 hours until doubled in bulk.

Taco filling used:

Ground beef - fried, drained and cooled.
Grated Cheddar - I used a lot since we love cheese, about 1-2 cups grated
Taco seasoning
Salsa - about 1 cup, enough to hold everything together but not runny or soupy.

Mix filling well to spread out seasoning. You could probably cook the taco seasoning into the beef as you normally would for tacos but it might be a bit runnier unless you simmer it all down.

After 1.5 hours, punch the bread dough down.

Take a ball of dough and roll it out fairly thin. I stretched them length-wise to make them more like mini loafs. Place filling in the center and roll in from one side - pinch the ends and edges sealed as you roll it up. I placed on a cookie sheet, seam side down and baked at 375 for about 15 minutes until the tops just started to turn golden. (same cooking time as the regular buns.) I brushed the tops lightly with Margarine to keep them soft once I took them out of the oven.

This recipe makes approximately 36 regular buns. I made 2 dozen cloverleaf buns (three small pieces each in a muffin tin cup) and 1 dozen of the taco buns from this recipe. Art had a great time helping roll them out and fill them. It's not complicated!

A few were not sealed well and there was a little mess on the cookie sheet but not much. They are very hot on the inside, so let them cool a bit after you take them out of the oven.

Pizza Fillings
Really, there is no rule here. My boys prefer plain cheese pizzas so I only used mozza and tomato sauce with pizza seasonings. You can add whatever other toppings you'd like to the mix. Only use enough of the tomato sauce to wet the filling ingredients. Too much and you end up with pizza filling soup on the pans, not enough and the buns are kind of bland.
Rolling these was much more difficult for me than the taco buns as the tomato sauce made it harder to seal them. But regardless of the mess or time spent, they were an absolute hit with the kids.

Enjoy!  And let me know how yours turn out!

Two Birds With One Stone? No.

Wrong.  Lately here it's two stones for one bird.  Stones being dinner and Birds being my family. What can I say... my family is comfortable with the food they eat. And ultimately, I know that they eat pretty well. There's room for improvement, but I'm not about to make drastic changes to their diet just to accommodate what I want. Interestingly enough, the less I bug them to try the things I'm eating the more they want to try it.

I guess I trained them well when I didn't want to share my chocolate stash. Now they think if I don't offer, it must be really good.  It's kind of a pain, I've been working on learning how to cook the meals we love all this time, and know that I can comfortably cook just about everything they all like, I'm changing it again.  

I've always enjoyed whole grain bread.  I don't know why I didn't choose to buy it before. It lasts longer because I'm pretty much the only one who eats it. I also don't know why I didn't really think about the fact that the cream cheese I love could possibly be sold in a low fat version. DUH.  

Spaghetti squash is not only good for you, and a good pasta replacement... but it's actually pretty fun to cook.  Like Halloween pumpkins, but without the sticky part. Just plain fun.  The kids didn't want to try eating it, but they definitely got into shredding it up.

I've also learned that there is an unexplainable trend in my food tracking.  The more I write down what I eat, the better I want to eat. Admitting to myself that I just scarfed down two donuts in the Timmies parking lot is not a big deal, but writing down (or logging on sparkpeople) means facing the food. Owning my choices. Sometimes, it is easier to just avoid the junk food or take out than it is to admit to myself that I stuffed that crap in my mouth.

I'm trying to eat better. Eating only the vegetables and not the great desserts can get a bit monotonous. I can't eat the same things over and over. Because I really didn't care much before, I didn't try to push the envelope too far. I would make a new dish and it would instantly get the pass or fail from the family. Many of the meals I LOVED were not a big hit with the kids and the trucker.  It really is easier for me to make two dinners right now.  I'm a different person. I know that forcing the kids to eat different things is really just a crap-shoot anyway.  Most of the things I hated growing up are things I cook for myself now. And it's really not about what mom did right, it's simply that my tastes have changed. Many of the things I loved growing up, I just can't tolerate anymore.  

If the family was living on fast food, I'd put my foot down. But they aren't. They just have a smaller selection of things they like. I would rather they eat their whole healthy dinner than have them pick at something they don't enjoy and not eat enough of the right foods.  Right?

What about you?  Do you think I'm crazy?  Would you make two meals? Have you ever been in this position?

Try Something New - Lunch Time

This year (pleeeeease let me stick with it this time), I have sat down with the boys at the beginning of the week and made a lunch list for the week. Art stays at school because he likes to have more time to play with his friends but Macboy thoroughly enjoys any break from the day that he can get, so he comes home. 

History has taught us that if we don't discuss it much, my kids will eat the same bologna sandwich every day for months without complaining, then one day it will just stop. You know that moment where it's like "if I ever see another piece of bologna again...." It's not that I force feed them the same thing every day. I don't. I ask them every morning what they want, and they tell me. I'm not awake enough in the morning to even think that it's the same thing they've eaten for the last 476 days straight.  They are not allowed peanut butter, and are picky eaters, so I'm kind of screwed for ideas.

Oh, wait.... I should have said grilled cheese. Or anything else. My kids still willingly eat bologna everyday even if it's not in a sandwich. I've gone through at least a package every week for the last .... oh.... 6 years. haha
(wish I was kidding)

I talked to them about the importance of variety, getting a good assortment of foods in and absorbing different nutrients and blah, blah, blah....

We started with a general list of 'acceptable' ideas, which I have kept and will add to as we find more variety, then we listed the days of the week and chose their lunch picks for the week.  When we got to Friday, I added a 'Surprise Lunch'  The big surprise is that I don't have a clue what the surprise is either.... I haven't decided yet. It depends on the amount left in the paycheck after the bills clear!

Art has asked to come home for lunch on Fridays, I agreed on the basis of Surprise Lunch days, but not necessarily every Friday. We would discuss in advance as the year goes on.  I know he likes to come home, but it all depends on the day. If he had a super morning recess he wants to continue it at lunch, if it wasn't so great, he wants to come home.  For a few weeks last year, he figured I could come into the school to check with him.  Ummmm..... No. I don't go there to pick up Macboy, so I would have to go out of my way to see IF he was having fun or not.  I finally put my foot down and made him come home everyday.  And of course, because Art will argue with everything just for the sake of practicing his english, both of those months, he wanted to stay almost every day.

I don't want to get into a rut for food, and I need to expand Macboys cooking skills a bit. Lunch is a great time for this. Most of the time it is just him and I and the Angel Baby, so I've been teaching him how to make more of his own food.  There will be a time not too far from now that he will need to make his own lunches everyday. 

I couldn't eat the same thing every single day.... I'd go nuts! So, I'm working on making sure they don't repeat their meals too much either. Plus it saves me time every day, I don't have to guess, I know I have what I need. They get more time with mom because I'm ready. Win, Win, Win.

Kitchen Helpers - I May Regret This Later

On the weekend, we had some guests over for a backyard wiener roast. The weather was cooperative for the most part, the clouds started moving in just as we were ready to cook, so we were indoors before the rain fell.  It was a busy day, but a relaxing day. I tackled laundry and made my potato salad to go with dinner. 

I didn't overcook my potatoes this time.  I had plenty of time and this salad turned out quite well. Through the preparation process, Angel Baby was very curious. She has the uncanny ability to find and grab just about anything that I don't want her to have, when my hands are the most full and I can't get it away from her. It's like the same magnetism that draws the truck to the Tim Hortons Drive Thru.  She can sniff out an untended knife, or cup of coffee, or a market left low... from the opposite end of the house. 

She stole the lid for the pickle jar. While I was finding that, she put the Mayo in the livingroom. When I was getting that back, she was using a butter knife to eat pieces of the potato out of the bowl. Just one thing after another. 

Then she went for the eggs. 

I finally decided that this was the activity least likely to destroy my kitchen or hurt my baby, as these were hard boiled already, so I showed her how to crack them and peel them. 

She was so happy to help! She cracked the eggs and tried to peel the shell away. It was working well until the first bits of shell started sticking to her fingers. She chose not to peel any more but was happy to keep cracking them for me to peel. She enjoyed squishing the yolks up and dumping them in the bowl. 

After the eggs were done, she helped scooping all my other ingredients into the bowl after they were cut up. She had a great time, I had fun too, and the salad was great. It took probably twice as long as normal, because she was getting close to my knife while I was chopping so I had to slow down and watch closely, then let her clear the cutting board before continuing.

Later in the evening I had the sudden realization that this may have been a bad idea.  It's great to let her help, but my little monkey likes to HELP. Often without me knowing. (Like soaking the couch with windex because she didn't understand that I use that on the coffee table, or washing the floor with her juice and a sock).

I have now officially warned everyone in the house who cooks with eggs that she may want to help. She may not understand that the eggs are not cooked.  She just might try to help crack them.  I am just waiting for the first smashed egg on the counter.... I know it's coming!

If I'm lucky, it won't be me trying to cook eggs and I will get to just sit back and laugh.

Insert Vegetables Here

I need a sign, point it at my mouth. And the kids too.  I don't eat enough of those greens and I know it.  I'm trying to be more commited to my food choices and perhaps - No... definitely - exercise more. I've had it with this extra weight.  I found a like minded community of mommies and friends who all have the same goals in mind. I am hopeful that this extra support will help me stay accountable and get back into the nice clothes I own!

I've been pretty much lost all summer. I dread school days and structure just as much as my kids do. It's partly a control issue as the school days and hours are beyond my control. But it's largely a lack of will power to stick to any real routines during the summer. I'm up til three am one day, then in bed at 9 the next. I have been working on shifting the kids bedtimes back to normal so the first days of school won't be so hard. But man, it's summer. And where I live, Summer doesn't last very long at all.  

I can make some really awesome plans. I had great dreams of how my summer would go. The kids sleep late, so I could get myself up at the regular time and get most of my work done before they woke up.  But because I am constantly running behind, I stay up too late. Then when I do go to bed early it's because the kids have actually gone to sleep earlier. Which means they wake up earlier. UGH... Just can't win.

To be honest, I am not a morning person. There is just no way around it.  I can think about whatever I want before bed, but there is just nothing that will get me moving. My half brain in the morning convinces me quite well that I have just 5 more minutes.

On the bright side, I may be swimming in a sea of laundry, but I have kept the main floor of the house clean all week. I've had my dishes done every night. I've been cracking the kids up with my crazy "mom" dancing while I'm cleaning up. I need to get the extra exercise into my days somehow!  Angel Baby rocks out with me, but the boys think I've lost my marbles.

I've made some new connections with some other INFJ personalities lately. It's funny how we think the SAME things, the SAME ways. Almost creepy! Anything I've read that these people have written could have come from my own mouth.  I've always known I was kind of unique, I didn't know that I really was that different!  INFJ's are the most rare of all personality types. It's a blessing and a curse sometimes, so I can't say if I'm happy about this or not.  Reading a report from a personality quiz was one thing, starting to find like-minded individuals really drives it home. And the best part is that I wasn't looking for these people. I just had the opportunities open up, because I am opening up.  I love this, and I'm happy they found me!

Hmmm... guess there really wasn't much of a topic today. No one thing consuming my thoughts that I had to just spill. But that will come. Life will settle sooner or later.  Whoever convinced me to work on potty training, while working at home, with all kids out of school, and mom on a super clean house rampage... among many other things, needs a swift kick. NOW. Oh, wait, this was all my own doing wasn't it?

Good Healthy Breakfasts... Or Not.

I am all for giving your kids a great start to the day. Having a healthy breakfast can do so much for a person. Yes, I know.  My kids are in better moods when they have a big breakfast full of variety, sure.  But in all honesty, that just doesn't happen here as often as the experts think it should.

The family is full of late sleepers. Eating right away after we roll out of bed is not something any of us do well. I've spent my whole life fighting this same issue myself, so encouraging the kids is not my best skill.  I do try to avoid the cereals that are all high sugar or just plain junk. But this isn't a sign of me trying to feed better, eat better or anything better for THEM. It's simply because I eat the crap too.

Fruit Loops, Corn Pops, Honeycombs... Sugar Crisp (have I told you I can't get enough?)  There was a time my brother was hooked on Pop Tarts. I felt his pain. What fixed it? He got a monstrous box of them as a gift for Christmas once.  But I bet he ate the whole thing. And I bet he still has them now and then, just not like it was before.  And now there's Chocolate Cheerios. Seriously. I wonder how much the nutritional values vary on this compared to other cereals. I heard this woman at the store one day talking about them...

"Oh My God. Really?  Look at this? Yeah, sure, let me buy THAT for my kid. Like he's not crazy enough already."  I'm thinking "Lady?  You look like you might almost be 18. You have four colors in your hair. Peircings and tattoos all over. YES. Cereal IS your child's only issue."  Let's just not mention the cartfull of chips and pepsi and pre-packaged dinners you have there.  It's all about the cereal.

(no offense intended to those friends of mine who have multi-color hair, piercings or tattoos... It was the whole picture of this girl that was JUST WRONG.)

I miss the days of pregnancy when I didn't have to explain my crappy breakfasts to anyone. Not that I have to explain myself anyway, but I didn't get that quick shot of guilt when I read some random article about kids test scores and the relation to breakfast.  There was about a month during my second pregnancy where I lived on Rice Krispies. Several times a day. Every day.  Truthfully, there was more sugar dumped on the bowl than there was cereal. I NEEDED the milky sugar goo taste. Ahhhh... pregnancy.. how I miss you. (well, except for the labour part. And the kids after part... I've got enough now.)

Bah, I have smart kids. Lucky Charms or not. You know what has an equal effect on my kids moods? 

MY moods. MY choice of menu. MY commitment to their bedtime. 

Seriously, my kids are just as crabby on Monday if they have junk cereal or homemade low fat ... anything... with a side of serious fruit and a big old glass of milk.  Mornings suck. Having kids that are late risers is a blessing and a curse. Three days to go and I get to shut the stupid alarm clock off for most of the summer. 

My breakfast? Coffee. There's milk in it so it counts. That's two food groups right there. Beans and dairy.

Macboy mentioned this the other day, and it's had my head spinning since, that he loves weekends cuz there's only really 2 meals a day. "Something like lunch or breakfast or both, and supper."  He's right. I don't have a structured game plan. My kids eat when they are hungry. And if left to graze through out the day they do make healthy choices. They will eat broccoli over chocolate, they will pick the candy of the candy apple and eat the apple. (Seriously, it almost hurt the first time I saw that. We PAID for that candy crap!  I could have bought a bag of plain apples for the same price.)

Back to spinning heads. I do have a habit of beating myself up over silly things like this.  I was pounded with bad mommy guilt when he said that. Really? I only feed you twice a day? But look at my kids. They are perfectly FINE. I am letting myself off the hook on this one too.  My kids eat well. And I know that they are not junkfood junkies, because I see them make good choices.

I can try to force them to learn good eating habits but they likely won't follow those same rules when they leave home. I didn't. Most of us say "I can't wait til I live on my own and can eat what I want when I want." Right?

So my confession here is pretty simple. My kids eat junk breakfast cereals. But only in moderation. Because I eat the rest before they get back to it!

I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For

Darn... why'd I do that?  Now I'm gonna have that song in my head all day. Oh well.  Maybe you will too.

I am making my twisted version of my mother in law's Rigatoni.  I use all the same ingredients as her, just don't have

"The Touch"

I am not bitter about that, though, when she comes to visit, the Trucker ALWAYS asks her to make it. And I get a night off cooking dinner.

But I have one problem today.... 

I just can't seem to find any Basil.

Sausage and Eggs, Please

Seriously, the Sunday Morning breakfast should not be so darn complicated!!  We are all picky eaters here in one way or another.  Every one of us.

Today was Sausages and Eggs.  Simple, right?  No.  I'm not a meat eater... and not crazy about eggs all the time either.  But I'm cooking today, so I'm gonna eat it.  Dear Trucker, well, he likes eggs but only one way.  Sunny side up.  Art agrees, he won't eat an egg you can't "dip toast in". Macboy wouldn't touch an egg even if you paid him.  He says it's only okay to have eggs if they end up in something where you can't even see there ARE eggs.  Like Cake.
So, in a house with sausages, eggs and toast,  none of us had the same breakfast.

Trucker ate his sausages while he was waiting for toast, then he had his toast and eggs.  Like a two course meal.
I ate the meal altogether as intended (though I have to admit, I soak sausages with pancake syrup first or I can't eat them).
Art had eggs and toast, no sausage.
Macboy had toast with peanut butter.  No eggs, no sausage.

And then, of course, there's Angel Baby ... her taste just depends on the day.  And today it was the baby's breakfast not hers.  She did eat some of everything, but only because it was 'someone else's' breakfast.  You know how that is, it always tastes better from someone else's plate!

Yes, she even had her own chair.  Macboy tried to sit there and Angel Baby FREAKED OUT.

You just have to love my family of picky eaters!

Wendy Can't Cook Easter Dinner

Another family tradition underway in our house.  Turkey slowly roasting in the oven, kids overloaded with chocolate for breakfast. Perfect.

Tradition tells us that Wendy doesn't cook Easter dinner, everyone prefers when my mom cooks.  I don't think I, personally, have EVER actually cooked a turkey.  I do get left with dish duty, but I think it's a fair trade off.  With mom cooking we actually get food we WANT to eat.  And it's only half the work of a normal day.

The Easter bunny went easy on us this year.  I guess he's catching on that our kids aren't really Chocolate eaters.  So instead of a houseful of candies or chocolates, we have just a small number of chocolate eggs (the kids found them all in record time this year) and a few gifts instead.  Miss Angel Baby got a new tricycle, I guess the bunny saw the broken one in the back yard.  Macboy and Art got new video games.  And Trucker Dad and I get the remaining chocolate to eat at our leisure.  Which I am going to try NOT to do, I need my weight going the other way now.

She's been on the tricycle since she woke up!

It seems that the Easter bunny has a little more $$ backing him up this year than ever before.. Neat, huh?  WE quit smoking and EVERYONE has more money to play with.

We have had a nice quiet morning.  Every one is occupied in some sort of quiet activity.  This is incredibly unusual around here, 6 people in a house is almost always NOISY.  But Grandma is reading, Art is watching Bugs Bunny, Macboy and Angel Baby are playing downstairs.  Trucker Dad is out "playing" in the garage.

So, before anyone figures out that I am sitting peacefully and comes to interrupt this moment, I am going to go fill my coffee cup, put my feet up and do NOTHING for awhile.

I don't want flowers or chocolate, THIS is my best Easter gift of all.

I hope you all have a

HAPPY EASTER

and that you have a great dinner with your family too.

Busy Week. Let's Make A Plan!

I have a lot of stuff going on this week.  Partly from work, partly from home and hugely because there is no school Friday, so I have less time to get MORE done.

On the bright side, I have already done (or had help with) the majority of my regular weekly cleaning.  The kids rooms are taken care of too.  I just have to complete the office space set up now.

So, first step -  freezer inventory.  What do I have that I can cook for the rest of the week.

Step 2  - master list for errands.  When I go out, I want to get everything I need in one trip. I do not want to have to run out again.

3. Get some laundry going!  Keep up to that, one load a day and I won't go crazy. And I won't lose my Sunday to Mount Washmore again this week.

I had a relatively productive day, especially considering I had almost no sleep last night.  I did get all my errands done, I also bought some items that will be good for Macboy's lunches.  Things he can make himself or we can make fast, so I can keep my momentum going longer in the morning.  Instead of stopping at 11:30 I can work until 12.

I am going to put Angel Baby in her room again for naptime the rest of this week.  She is back to waking up at her earlier, more normal, time in the morning, so I am hopeful that we can reinstate the afternoon naps.  Even if she doesn't sleep, we were both benefiting from the quiet time.

Today I also got most of the furniture place for my 'office'.  At some point in this process I hope I stop feeling the need to add quotes to 'office!'  I have a need for some shelving.  I asked the Trucker if he could do it in a simple way.  If it can't be done by him in less than 5 minutes, I don't want his help.  It would mean he has already complicated what I asked for.  I need a couple peices of wood, a certain length. (I think I'll just do it while he's at work tomorrow)  I don't want permanent, or even pretty.  I just need functional.  And I don't want 'ideas' involved. Just do what I asked you for.
He said he'll try to make something work for me on the weekend.

Since I have a list in place, I know what laundry to start in the morning.  I know what to take out of the freezer too, while I'm in there.  I have no cleaning that I need to worry about. Art is a fan of the vacuum so I plan to give him that job on Friday.

I hope to be ready and able to WORK all of Wednesday and Thursday.  No, scratch that...

I WILL be ready

Some Days You Shouldn't Ask

More specifically, TODAY.  

When I am running down the list of the furniture I moved, the organizing I've done, the million things I've accomplished, it is not advisable to interrupt and ask 

"What's for dinner?"

I did have dinner options ready, I just hadn't started yet. teeheehee. (sounds good, right?)  It was a quick prep day, taco pie.

And there you have it, the details of my day as the trucker would prefer to hear it.  I'm smart enough to admit that it is probably ALL he heard out of everything I said today anyway.

The problem with asking about dinner today is that it came out during our discussion about reclaiming/creating my home office.  You see, I've never really had an 'office' here.  I have a portable workstation, a binder that keeps me together and a laptop. Most of the time, my office is in my dining room or living room.  But there are supplies that I need, paper and pens, I have a bulletin board and whiteboard, the big calendar, the printer... and so on... that were residing in our guest room/office space.  

My oldest son, Macboy, is 11 now.  He doesn't want to share his space with his younger brother.  I lost the argument with the trucker a few months back about the boys sharing their space.  I had even tried a 'private' space for each boy. One had a large closet, the other had a play area under the stairs.  But, my attempts to keep them sharing were all in vain.  My dearest trucker has 6 sisters. No brothers.  I bet all of the sisters would agree with me, but he is the only boy and always had his own room so he just doesn't get it.  I always had to share with my sister... why can't the boys?

We finally agreed that he could SLEEP in the guest room. Not every single night, but some nights when the younger one was being difficult.  It didn't take long before it was every night, except if we actually needed the guest bed for guests. 

A few weeks go by and he has taken over the surface of the dresser and the bedside table is buried under lego and books.  

Trucker, always the helpful sort, decides to swap the contents of the guest room dresser with Macboys clothes.  Just three days before, I cleaned out the top drawer for my growing stock of office items.  Now, my office supplies (well, half of them) just got relocated to the CLOSET of my youngest boys bedroom!  A week or two later, when I was complaining about the placement of my things... it was suggested I quit my job.  Seriously!! Ummm.... okay?

Today, I just threw in the towel.  I finally gave up.  

I had a conference call on Skype.  I was sitting on a selection of Mario plush toys and using the top of my new filing cabinet (which has not yet been given a home) to support the laptop. I had to set my coffee between a couple of Sega cartridges and had a heck of a time trying to find a pen and a flat writing surface.

I need my office back 

I need my office supplies in ONE spot, in ONE room 

This is what I'd LOVE

I took Macboys dresser into the guestroom, switched the contents back where they should be.  I brought up the smaller dresser from the basement and swapped the larger one out of there. I donated the large dresser immediately.  After returning from Goodwill, I moved the lego landslide upstairs.  I moved my office items downstairs. I moved almost all of our play area from the basement and divided it between the two boys.  

I moved three dressers today, including hauling one up a set of stairs and one to my vehicle.  I moved a large rolling cart down stairs, and I took about 50 trips up and down those stinkin stairs moving the office down and the play area up.  

With a toddler underfoot all day and two boys after school too. 

This is what I get :)

 All I wanted to say was

I really DON'T CARE what 

YOU make for dinner!!!

But I didn't get a chance.

The only help I've asked for, is no more help.  And after a full day of moving everything all over my house...
My boys have clean rooms but I STILL don't have my office.

Another Successful Birthday On Record

As I mentioned before, I don't have a picture of the birthday cookies but they were great and you have to take my word for it.  If they weren't good, I'd have had leftovers to show.

 

So, in an effort to keep things streamlined throughout this birthday, I repeated the balloon decoration  on the cupcakes.  I am one to have a small family birthday party and a separate 'friends' birthday.  Anyone who knows us, knows that we do our best to have cake on the actual birthday with family.  This is often the day that my brother and his family will come by.  And normally it is a fairly quiet day.  

On the odd occasions where a birthday falls on a weekend, I tend to have the school kids for a party in the afternoon and then invite friends and family for later in the evening.

This birthday was a Thursday.  We had a great meal at home, even though the trucker got tied up out of town and missed most of it.  We had our cupcakes, our visit with my brother and his family, and our family gifts. It was a quiet evening and very relaxed.

I am also a huge advocate for planning and hosting a birthday party at HOME.  I am loathe to plan or pay for some business to plan a crazy, hectic, noisy party.  I have had theme parties for most of my kids parties so far.  A bit of time spent, and a great quality party was enjoyed by all.  For Macboy's last birthday, we had just 2 boys come over for a sleepover instead.  Dad and 'the guys' went mini golfing that night.  It was a great time.

For Art, this complicated things

He still wanted more friends, but he really wanted to go out like Macboy.  We settled on a compromise.  A shorter guest list, but still a trip out.  I was looking for a fun place, found an indoor jungle gym and play area but the party cost was outrageous. Just over an hour, 1 small pizza, 2 jugs of fountain pop, no real extra games or anything... For 

$250 or MORE!! Really?  

No, thank you.

I instead opted to offer transportation as needed to the kids we invited.  Go for a short play time, then come back and finish the party here.  Because of the 20 minutes of driving each way, this really stretched out our party.  I didn't want to be the type of parent to fill kids up with cake just before dinner, so our party lasted from 1 pm until 6. Quick hot dogs, veggie tray, some chips and pop and juice.... 

Total cost?  

Under $100.  6 kids, counting my own and 6 adults.  Super fun, super busy.

What did we get? 

45 minutes to play before we left, 2 full hours of play at the indoor play centre, 240 game tokens, juice boxes and water to drink while there.  We split the prize tickets between all the kids and each got a pretty good assortment of toys and treats.  We got back home shortly after 4, ate dinner, had cake, opened gifts and had time to play freely until parents arrived.

It was totally worth it to do it this way.  I was close enough to the party rooms to realize that it most definitely was NOT worth what they wanted. And the kids still had a great time.

But at the end of the day, discussion with the kids reveal that the best parties are the ones at home.  

For Art, with a spring birthday we usually have good weather and can be outside. This year, we had snow.  It was fun to have a place to play freely.  The kids didn't snack ridiculously through the party, they all ate a decent dinner, and I didn't have any sugar high children to contend with.

Next time around I go back to my way.  I still had to spend the same amount of time planning or shell out a huge wad of cash. 

I made the cake, I made the food, I planned out the timing, coordinated events, watched the clock.

If I'm putting in the work, I want it to be easier for ME. And since the kids say it was fun, but they like it 'about the same' I am confident that no one will be disappointed to have their parties here.

Fun and games? Live and Learn?  A bit of everything.  

The day was a success no matter what.

What Kind of Blogger Forgets To Take A Picture?

Spent most of my morning working hard on the decorated cookies for Art's birthday treats at school.  Angel Baby ate 2, Macboy had 2 at lunch, the rest went to school at lunchtime for Art's class.

First time ever, not ONE leftover.

And Not One Picture To Share!!!

Can't Post Today, I'm Waiting in the Drive Thru

Last week was too many days of driving the trucker to and from work.  I am NOT a morning person.  He works mainly from two locations and both are on opposite ends of the city.  Last week he started on the far end and ended Monday on our end.  So I picked him up. and dropped him off, and picked him up... until finally Thursday he ended on the far end again.

This week, he started on the far end, finished close.  So I drove him Yesterday morning and picked him up last night. However, being so tired of my cranky mood in the morning, he got a ride to get his truck from the far end last night.  So I didn't have to drive this morning.

But, this morning he started on OUR side.  At 3:30, as I am picking up the kids at school, he calls to say "can you come and get me?  I can't get a ride back home for at least 2 hours!"

All because I didn't want to wake up two hours early... I have to drive a good 45 minutes to pick him up, then drive him back to his truck so we can bring both vehicles home. Again.  Not only that, but Macboy, got car sick and Art very nearly followed him up. I was able to pull over so they could both get some air.  Trucker doesn't do well with those situations, and even though he wasn't with us when it happened he was super paranoid the whole drive home. 

What's worse than all the extra driving?  

We ate fast food. He stopped at one place with Art, and I stopped at an entirely different drive thru for Macboy, Angel Baby and myself.

Good combination, don't you think?  Put a sick kid in a car for 2 hours then give him a selection of greasy food for dinner.  I'm feeling proud today.

We are officially nuts.

A Steak Is A Steak. Right?

I wouldn't go so far as to call myself a vegetarian, but I am most definitely NOT a meat eater.  If we buy steak around here, we buy two.  One for the trucker and one for everyone else to share.  Small portions all around and that's how we like it.

For the trucker's birthday, he wanted to barbeque.  We had a horribly long and yucky winter so BBQ season is a treat right now.  Where we are, this season will likely only last a few weeks and then we'll be headed back to winter!! (haha) Last weekend we sprung for T-Bones.  This weekend he wanted more of the same.

The trouble with not being the meat eater, 

is that I am also not the meat SHOPPER. 

Buying T-bones would be somewhat easy because I know what we had last week.  I will buy as close as I can to that, from the same store.  Cool and easy.  But it is very rare that things work out like that for me.  So of course I am standing in the meat department facing T-bones that are a fraction of the size of last week and no where near as 'nice' looking.  Thanks to the guy who works there and saw the 'lost' look on my face. He came out and asked what I was looking for. 

"I have NO idea."

I explained about the steak situation and the birthday and my absolute lack of meat purchasing skills.  He showed me a few different things.  Explained a bit about what you WANT and what you don't want.  

I should be nice, I should trust this guy. Meat is what he does. Every day.  Who knows steak better than a butcher? 

MY MOM!!

Yes, there I am in the middle of the meat department choosing to 'phone a friend'.  I call the Trucker too, to make sure he's not gonna freak when I get home with NOT T-Bones.  20 minutes later, I could have just trusted the advice of the guy in the store.  I bought exactly what he suggested.  And once I had made my decision, he also came back to help me find 4 of the nicest Rib Steaks on the shelf.

It was delicious.  It was ABSOLUTELY delicious.  A quick marinade, mainly for seasoning, and those steaks were perfect. I will have to buy my meat from that store from now on, and only when the same guy is working!

Please Excuse Him, He Hasn't Had Enough Vegetables.

It's a sure sign of a lazy Busy Mama when the kids start getting grumpy over nothing.  It can seem sometimes there is no rational reason for a bad mood. There are a small number of things I check for when my boys get grumpy.  

(Not including Angel Baby, she's in a class all her own.  I will probably never figure her out!)

First, I check for changes.  

Macboy especially is sensitive to change.  Even as a toddler if I switched the candles on my coffee table, he would switch them back.  Now as a preteen it shows more frequently in a disrupted schedule or routine.  Changes at school are powerful, even minor changes can have devastating effects.  Art  

(man, I HAVE to come up with a better nickname than that.)  

is less sensitive but still resistant.  He won't crash into a massive meltdown, but he'll sure make sure you know he's unhappy.  

For myself as well, if I have a good routine going and then get unexpected company, I'm happy to greet them but also happy when life gets back to normal afterwards.

The worst part of this situation, is that there is no quick fix.  We have to wait it out through an adjustment period.  I can step in when the number of changes at one time gets too heavy, at least minimizing the impact on all of us.

Next, I consider sleep.

If they have been fighting an awful lot at a specific time of day, it is usually sleep related.  For example, on school days, everyone is happy when we get home but by 4:30... It's a COMPLETELY different story!  Around 4:30 they are starting to get hungry and they are starting to get tired. They need food for energy to get through the rest of the evening.  

They want a snack but can't decide what to eat, so they try to carry on doing what they were doing... until the other brother gets in the way.  Fighting ensues.  Both end up arguing their case to me in the kitchen where I am trying to prepare dinner so they will stop COMPLAINING!!  It's not a fun circle. If I give them a snack, then I have to fight through dinner.  (see Picky eaters)

And one of the biggest factors I have noticed, especially since I have quit smoking, is that the amount of veggies we eat DIRECTLY impacts their moods.  Fish and Chips, Burgers and Fries, Pizza, convenience quick meals take their toll. The main reason this has increased since we stopped smoking is simple. 

We can afford to eat out more, and we do.  

The vegetable situation is tricky to determine sometimes. It can appear much like the sleep issues. Partly, I'm sure, because the kids sleep better when their diet is better.  But even when sleep appears to be in order, a lack of a proper diet can spiral out of control.  A good hearty chili or veggie soup will help straighten up attitudes in less than a day.  Maintaining a healthy balance and getting enough veggies into my kids is not always easy.  They are picky, things have to be prepared certain ways.  You can't mix too many things together (unless you lie about the ingredients).  One small piece of a mushroom can ruin a perfectly good balanced meal.

Who's to blame?

Well, ME.  I rush, I procrastinate, I cheat at dinners.  Failure to plan will always bite me in the, well, you know what.

If I don't plan, the meat is frozen, or the broccoli is rotten and I quickly choose something quick and convenient.  Which is never anywhere NEAR as healthy.

I'm sure even the kids teachers can tell when Wendy Doesn't Cook well, the boys are just generally unhappy.  Don't want to work on assignments, act tired, argue with other students.  Art is more likely to cry over silly things, while Macboy will rip things up or just be oppositional. Sure fire signs that veggies levels are low.

So How Do I Fix It?

hahaha.... it's a work in progress. 

• I'm trying to expand the menu around here and trying new recipes. 
• We shut everything off and eat together every day. 
• I use the 'try everything' rule.  You must have a bite of everything on your plate.
• I serve more than I expect them to eat.  This way, when they start bargaining, I look like I caved even though I didn't.
• I plan, or at least try to.  And when planning doesn't work, I at least record.   After all, a record of what we DID eat, makes a great foundation for future meal plans.

And, I apologize.... often..

People may think I'm crazy when my explanation is "I'm sorry, it's not enough vegetables" but it's no joke. So if you are feeling kind of low, or a bit grumpy, add some veggies.  My broccoli cheese soup is delicious, easy and effective. 

Profile Of A Picky Eater

There are at least 5 types of picky eaters.  I believe each of my children has test driven each  profile type and I strongly suspect that there is a definite progression of these types. I would expect to encounter each type in every child, just at different times.

Perhaps you can identify which stage your child is in. Perhaps you might even see some of these traits within yourself.

1. The Complainer
2. The Gagger
3. The Silent Protester
4. The Avoider
5. The Ketchup Addict

The Complainer

The Complainer is the most obvious of all picky eaters.  They are generally loud in their distaste and will always make sure that you KNOW they are unhappy.  Often starting their protests before the dinner table, these picky eaters can be a great strain on a well meaning parent.  A Complainer is always sure that they "didn't like this last time we had it." Even if it is a meal that you have never made before. In which case, they had it at a friends house, but can't remember now which one.

Dinner with a complainer is often filled with lively conversation.  They are full of things to chat about.  Too much pepper, too many spices, chicken is dry... they never run out of observations!  About half way through dinner, they tend to start bargaining. "If I eat all my potatoes, can I leave the carrots?"  If successful with the bargaining, you tend to find the complainer back in the kitchen searching for snacks within an hour of dinner.

The Gagger

Thankfully, this particular form of picky eater seems to disappear as quickly as it comes.  Though less frustrating than a complainer, a gagger can be much more insulting.  Hearing that your dinner is no good is one thing, having someone gag their way through it is rough. 

Almost theatrical, there is often a big show somewhere through dinner.  This show, if done well, can be the cause of multiple lost dinners. (particularly for other family members with weak stomachs.) It is definitely dramatic, and has led to boys and girls alike receiving the title of drama queen. 

In a household where family members do not all sit together, sit in front of the television or read at the table, the Gagger can often slip by unnoticed.  Even without an audience, the show will go on.  Fortunately, this show runs out quickly if ignored and also responds well to immediate time outs.

The Silent Protester

Frequently found in larger or busier families, time restraints often get this picky eater off the hook.  Toddlers seem to be almost professionals at this game.  And can wiggle through an entire meal without actually taking a single bite. 

Experts in the art of distraction, they can breeze through dinner by simply focusing your attention elsewhere. In the example of a toddler, they may point out that an older sibling has dropped something on the floor.  Many times, you won't realize that they didn't like your dinner until you are cleaning up the kitchen and see how much is still on their plates.

The Silent Protester never actually tells you that they don't like your meal, but it becomes clear when they devour a plateful of their favorite dinners.  With a less desirable meal you know they are capable of eating it, they are hungry enough, they just don't want to.

The Avoider

Another of the quiet types. This is the child who is most likely to attempt dinner bargaining.  They will try to get through dishing up without taking the unsavory offerings.  Once served on their dish, you will see a game of fork skating ensue as this child will draw invisible barriers between this particular undesired item and all other foods on the plate.  It is as though the avoider believes that if it touches any other food item, that item, too, will become unsavory.  A situation involving a premixed dish of vegetables can cause quite a stir.

Closer to the end of dinner, the Avoider starts counting.  Conversation slows down as they attempt to uncover the best "deal" possible.  They are slightly more practiced than the Complainers at bargaining and will often clear everything else off their plates before beginning the bargaining process.

The Ketchup Addict

A great many parents have fallen prey to this picky eater.  In essence, they eat everything. This child will not ask whats for dinner, argue about servings, bargain over veggies.  They simply drown every item that touches their plate in Ketchup.  There are varying degrees of this addiction, starting with a small amount of ketchup on the side of a plate and escalating to bathing of food into an unrecognizable red soup.

This Addiction grows slowly, almost invisibly, and many parents don't realize they can help until it is much too late. The parents mean well and often excuse the behavior with lines like "I think it's gross to put ketchup on broccoli, but at least he's eating it!"

Be patient, this too shall pass. Your ketchup addict will eventually lose the taste for it. Or, at least, so much of it.

So What Can We Do?

There are no quick fixes for picky eaters and there are a great many lines of research out there to review.  If you want help, it is there to be found.  Whether you become the 'one bite of everything' parent or the 'don't make dinner time uncomfortable' parent, your child WILL BE OKAY.   The worst side effect of a picky eater is a parental headache.  It is been said that it takes a good ten, yes TEN, attempts at trying a new food before a small child will really make a decision about it.

So, instead of beating yourself up over what to make for dinner, just plan healthy.  Eat dinner as a family as often as you can and play fair as much as possible. Try to balance some tried and true meals with the hated ones. 

Breathe slowly and deeply.

And keep the Tylenol handy!!

Wendy Can't Cook, But I Sure Can Eat!!

There IS a down side to quitting smoking.  The weight gain!!! Now, it's not the act of not smoking that makes you pile on extra pounds, it's the random snacking you do when you are not paying attention.  When you normally would have spent that twenty minutes bundling up to go freeze outside, you may be nibbling on chips or candies, or whatever else may be handy.

If you remember, not so long ago, it was mentioned that I can't cook but I CAN bake.  Turns out that baking is a bit of a problem.

I have to have a little cookie dough when it's ready.

I have to try a cookie when they are fresh out of the oven.

I have to have a cookie the next morning with my coffee.

I have to have something!

I gave myself grace as the benefits of not smoking were plentiful.  I didn't worry about what I was eating or when.  I gave no consideration to grabbing a donut for myself and the kids when I stopped at Timmies for my coffee.  It was just one donut.  Really.  Or the cake for celebrating small things. And the leftover cake the next day.  They were just (not) tiny pieces....

But now it has been just about 4 months. (WOW, four months!!) It has got to stop!  I am not one to load my coffee with sugar, there are no 'hidden fats' that are tacking on to my backside... they are all obvious.  And I just seem to gravitate towards them.

Part of it is simply convenience.  Prepared snacks are easier than cutting up veggies...  But even easier than that.... is NOT EATING those snacks!!

I'm working on it now.  I will not cut these things out completely, but maybe I can limit it to weekends.  I am not one to give up all at once.  With smoking, I leaned on the nicorette, for this I will start slow.  Add exercise and reduce but not cut out everything.  I will also try to work on drinking more water and actually eating proper meals. I tend to graze all day then eat a big dinner.

It is also kind of sad that the addicted part of my brain is arguing that it is not worth it.  I NEVER had to worry about my weight before. Smoking does affect your metabolism and I started smoking when I was very young.  I could eat whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. Only once did I have 'diet' and that was after a baby and before my wedding. And if I'd had a bigger budget, I could have bought a new dress fitted to me, instead of getting ME fitted to the DRESS.  I've never been "skinny" but I've never been terribly over either.

Yes, I am still certainly very much a nicotine addict.  I'm sure I will this way be for a very long time. It seems unfair that this has to come out of it.  I know I can lose the weight, I just have to make a few changes.  But when I see those ooey gooey cinnamon rolls in the bakery or the kids ask me to make cookies... it can be really hard.  Like someone with an eating disorder, one who will think about a binge and purge, I will stand there and think 

"If I just started smoking again, I could go back to eating whatever I want..."

Quitting stuff is not very gratifying... but then I'm not completely sure if this is the addiction talking or the "I don't want to exercise" side of me talking.  And of course, there is the depression that likes to come and go... it could be that talking too....

There seem to be only two VISIBLE signs of quitting smoking.  

More money, and more waistline.

(Hmmmm.... money isn't everything.....)

So, Wendy needs to start cooking healthy, stop snacking so much and get moving!  

Let's go!

Dreaded Dish Duty

Sometime last year, I instated the 'Kids dish night' rule.  I declared that Monday and Wednesday were non-negotiable nights where the boys did dishes.  Having two days in the week meant that each one had one day to wash and one day to dry.

Yep, when given the options, siblings really can find ways to fight about everything.

Kids Dish Night worked GREAT the first week.  

I think we had one day the second week... but then mom has to help with the pots. And they really shouldn't be washing the sharp knives at that age, should they?  And mom puts away leftovers, and wipes the placemats.... and the counters....

Effectively, I had organized 2 days a week for the kids to wash plates, cups and silverware.  When I was doing the cleanup around them and they were either playing or fighting..... Kids dish night took about 2 hours instead of the 20 minute kitchen cleanup I had most days.

I am not really sure how to get this one sorted out.  But I've pretty much given up on kids dish night. It is still on the calendar, and I'm not telling anyone that I'm giving up.  But this week was so much different.

More fun, even.  Yes.  Fun doing DISHES.  I didn't believe it could happen!!

The night I asked for a sucker.... I mean, a helper..... and my 6 year old cheerfully volunteered, I learned something really neat!  I don't have to enforce kids dish night and have a night off dishes. What I wish for even more than a night off, is the HELP.  No, not even that.  Company.  Someone to talk to while I'm tidying is awesome.  Having someone else there makes it more fun.

I don't feel like an appliance!

I do, however, find it disturbing that this dishwasher picture is, ahem, TOP HEAVY. 

Dishwashers ARE built by men!

Having just one other person is nice.  Dividing the kids up, instead of forcing them to do dishes together, provides TWO great benefits.  Less Fighting and More One on One Time.

It was over dishes that I found out my younger son doesn't think it's fair that his brother gets to play at friends houses more than him.  

We had a towel fight, we had bubble wars, we had races, we told jokes and talked.  We 'guarded' the kitchen from outsiders, while we did our dishes.  I even had a chance to explain WHY I wash the counters and placemats, and teach the kids how to put leftovers away or finish the kitchen cleanup.  

Maybe when they are older, they'll have a better start than I did?  Not that I had a bad start, but there were a lot of things I just didn't have to do growing up, adult life was a bit of a shock!

The little princess even took her turn.  She had to use every cloth, sponge, scrubby and brush to do it, but those 5 tupperware bowls have NEVER been cleaner.  The 6 year old had to get in on her giggles too, I laughed so hard when they were fighting over the scrub brush or which bowl was for which person..... Eventually, I had to fill the bathtub so she could still play in the water but I could finally finish the dishes.

This is life. If the only time I have to chat with my kids is during supper and dishes, then I just might start to look forward to it.  Instead of dreading the dishes, I'm going to start looking forward to it. 

"Who do I get to visit with tonight?"