30 November 2010
Andrew and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Play
Andrew had the star role as "Alexander" in his school play this month. His drama teacher, Mr. Rogan, had informal auditions for this role (the kids didn't know they were auditioning) and he saw something in Andrew for this part. When I read the script and saw how many lines he would have, it was a bit overwhelming. Andrew is not super verbal and I didn't know how he was going to be able to memorize all of his parts. We practiced, and practiced, and practiced every night....his teacher practiced, and practiced, and practiced with him at school every day. Andrew took direction from Mr. Rogan well and did what he was asked to do. He didn't once complain or question. And....he did awesome! He was so stinkin' cute on the day of his performance. I don't think there was a mother there that was more proud. He knew all of his lines (and even helped his classmates with theirs!). I think he may have a talent for this and we're going to enroll him in a theater summer camp this summer - he is very excited!
Here is the video of his play. It is based on the book, "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day."
28 November 2010
18 November 2010
17 November 2010
15 November 2010
First Laugh
I made Connor laugh today. He LOVES being dressed or changed. He can be upset and hollering, but when I lay him down on his changing table, he's all smiles. It's the funniest thing! So today when I was dressing him, he started giggling when I took off his shirt. He's also very ticklish under his chin. He also loves his bath - it's another surefire way to elevate his mood.
06 November 2010
02 November 2010
Survival Mode
My second child had three pudding cups, an ice cream sandwich, and some Halloween candy for lunch.
The End
31 October 2010
30 October 2010
26 October 2010
Freezer Meals: Beans
Beans, beans. The magical fruit. Well...you know how the rest goes. They are inexpensive, filling, and nutritious. Here is a great dried-to-canned-beans-conversion that I got from this blog: http://be-it-ever-so-humble.blogspot.com. When I no longer have bags under my eyes, I plan on restocking my freezer with individual bags of cooked beans, ready for recipes.
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Here is a conversion chart that I compiled to help me use more dry beans. All numbers are approximate, of course, but they've worked for me so far.
A standard can of beans is 15 ounces. Small bags of beans you get at the store are usually 1 pound, but sometimes 2.
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1 15-ounce can of beans equals:
Serves 16
Weight Watchers Points: 7
This recipe is adapted from my stepsister Cristiana. Beans can be dressed up in so many ways, so don't be afraid to add whatever you like. When I made this meal, I tried to pay attention to measurements so I could figure out how many WW points I was eating, but usually I just throw in whatever. I got 2 large meals out of this batch. To freeze: Let beans cool, then put in a ziploc freezer bag, label & date. To serve, just thaw and warm on the stove or in your crockpot. I cook my rice in a cooker the day of.
1 lb. dried pinto beans
1 lb. center cut bacon, cooked and drained and broken into bite size pieces ( bake in 375 oven for abt. 20-25 min., or until desired crispness)
1 onion, chopped
3 small cans diced chiles
green onions
tomato, chopped
6 oz. can tomato paste
3 T. beef bouillon granules (add this when beans are tender)
1 bay leaf
8 cups cooked white rice
There's no need to soak the beans. Just throw them in the crockpot along with the other ingredients (except for salt or bouillon). Cover with water to the top. Cook on HIGH for about 5 hours or until the beans are tender.
---
Here is a conversion chart that I compiled to help me use more dry beans. All numbers are approximate, of course, but they've worked for me so far.
A standard can of beans is 15 ounces. Small bags of beans you get at the store are usually 1 pound, but sometimes 2.
---
1 15-ounce can of beans equals:
- 1/2 cup dry beans, before cooking
- 1 1/2 cups beans, after cooking
- 2 cups dry beans, before cooking
- 6 cups beans, after cooking
- 4 15-ounce cans of beans
- 3 parts cooked beans
Serves 16
Weight Watchers Points: 7
This recipe is adapted from my stepsister Cristiana. Beans can be dressed up in so many ways, so don't be afraid to add whatever you like. When I made this meal, I tried to pay attention to measurements so I could figure out how many WW points I was eating, but usually I just throw in whatever. I got 2 large meals out of this batch. To freeze: Let beans cool, then put in a ziploc freezer bag, label & date. To serve, just thaw and warm on the stove or in your crockpot. I cook my rice in a cooker the day of.
1 lb. dried pinto beans
1 lb. center cut bacon, cooked and drained and broken into bite size pieces ( bake in 375 oven for abt. 20-25 min., or until desired crispness)
1 onion, chopped
3 small cans diced chiles
green onions
tomato, chopped
6 oz. can tomato paste
3 T. beef bouillon granules (add this when beans are tender)
1 bay leaf
8 cups cooked white rice
There's no need to soak the beans. Just throw them in the crockpot along with the other ingredients (except for salt or bouillon). Cover with water to the top. Cook on HIGH for about 5 hours or until the beans are tender.
25 October 2010
18 October 2010
Freezer Meals: Chicken with Gravy
I've had a few friends ask about freezing meals, so I'm going to post my recipes on my blog.
Before Connor was born, I stocked up our freezer with 20+ meals. I didn't have to cook for 6 weeks, which was SO helpful. (Side note: Friends & family also brought us dinner for the first two weeks - THANK YOU!!) Instead of spending time preparing a meal, we enjoyed the beautiful Fall weather playing outside!
Now my freezer is depleted, and it's time to re-stock. My strategy is to triple one dinner, once a week. If anyone has a freezer meal recipe they enjoy, send it my way, I'm always looking for new recipes. I label and date each meal and keep a log of what I have in the freezer on a notepad on my fridge. If you don't have a deep freezer, you can still benefit from making a few make-ahead meals - it's so nice to have on hand when you're in a pinch!
I try to make meals that serve at least 6 - Randy likes to take leftovers to work the next day, and let's be honest, we eat a lot over here.
I'm going to start with my simpler, less time-intensive, meals first. This first one is from my friend Christy Ciccotelli. This is a comfort meal and we serve it with mashed potatoes (I make a large batch of mashed potatoes from a 10 lb. bag and freeze them flat in freezer Ziploc bags - I can get 4 dinners from a 10 lb. bag, a smaller family or a family that eats less than we do can probably get even more meals). You can also serve it with rice...
Chicken with Gravy (serves 6-8)
(triple the ingredients to make 3 dinners)
(Weight Watchers, 8 points)
In a 9 x 13 baking dish, whisk the soup and milk. Dip the chicken in egg and then coat each side of the chicken in the flour mixture. Brown them for a few minutes (you can use a little oil or Pam to coat the pan). Add the chicken into the soup mixture. Top the chicken with a little bit of cheese, and more salt, pepper & paprika if you want.
To freeze: (This can be frozen up to 6 mos.) Line a dish with aluminum foil, then parchment paper. Place the ingredients onto the parchment paper. Wrap plastic wrap on top of the dish and then cover with aluminum foil. Label & date, then freeze. When the meal if fully frozen, you can take the meal out of the dish - it can be frozen in just the aluminum foil.
To Serve: Remove the aluminum foil and plastic wrap and place in the same size baking dish (you can bake the dish with the parchment paper). Thaw in the fridge for at least 24 hours. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes. When I don't have time to thaw (and this goes for any of my freezer meals), I will cook at a lower temp for a longer amount of time.
Before Connor was born, I stocked up our freezer with 20+ meals. I didn't have to cook for 6 weeks, which was SO helpful. (Side note: Friends & family also brought us dinner for the first two weeks - THANK YOU!!) Instead of spending time preparing a meal, we enjoyed the beautiful Fall weather playing outside!
Now my freezer is depleted, and it's time to re-stock. My strategy is to triple one dinner, once a week. If anyone has a freezer meal recipe they enjoy, send it my way, I'm always looking for new recipes. I label and date each meal and keep a log of what I have in the freezer on a notepad on my fridge. If you don't have a deep freezer, you can still benefit from making a few make-ahead meals - it's so nice to have on hand when you're in a pinch!
I try to make meals that serve at least 6 - Randy likes to take leftovers to work the next day, and let's be honest, we eat a lot over here.
I'm going to start with my simpler, less time-intensive, meals first. This first one is from my friend Christy Ciccotelli. This is a comfort meal and we serve it with mashed potatoes (I make a large batch of mashed potatoes from a 10 lb. bag and freeze them flat in freezer Ziploc bags - I can get 4 dinners from a 10 lb. bag, a smaller family or a family that eats less than we do can probably get even more meals). You can also serve it with rice...
Chicken with Gravy (serves 6-8)
(triple the ingredients to make 3 dinners)
(Weight Watchers, 8 points)
- 2 cans cream of mushroom soup (I use cream of chicken because Randy doesn't like mushroom)
- 2 cans skim milk
- 1 1/2 - 2 lb. chicken (tenderloins, breast, etc.
- A mixture of flour, salt, pepper, & paprika (to dip the chicken into)
- 1 egg, whisked
- 1-2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
In a 9 x 13 baking dish, whisk the soup and milk. Dip the chicken in egg and then coat each side of the chicken in the flour mixture. Brown them for a few minutes (you can use a little oil or Pam to coat the pan). Add the chicken into the soup mixture. Top the chicken with a little bit of cheese, and more salt, pepper & paprika if you want.
To freeze: (This can be frozen up to 6 mos.) Line a dish with aluminum foil, then parchment paper. Place the ingredients onto the parchment paper. Wrap plastic wrap on top of the dish and then cover with aluminum foil. Label & date, then freeze. When the meal if fully frozen, you can take the meal out of the dish - it can be frozen in just the aluminum foil.
To Serve: Remove the aluminum foil and plastic wrap and place in the same size baking dish (you can bake the dish with the parchment paper). Thaw in the fridge for at least 24 hours. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes. When I don't have time to thaw (and this goes for any of my freezer meals), I will cook at a lower temp for a longer amount of time.
17 October 2010
15 October 2010
14 October 2010
Cookie Cutters
With three boys and haircuts every 5 weeks, this place has saved me. I used to cut their hair, but it involved lots of screaming and tears. They look forward to haircuts now. They come in, play until it's their turn, pick out their favorite movie or video game and chair to sit in, and then they get a balloon and sucker after. Can't ask for better than that...
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