by Mom of the house on March 5, 2010
One of my favorite things to do is to cook for my family. I could use some fresh ideas from time to time, and I am sure that you could as well. My favorite meal this week was actually a pretty simple meal that is a family favorite in my house- Tacos! I use Old El Paso Taco Seasoning…but would be grateful for any recipe to replace this seasoning with a homemade version! When we prepare Tacos to eat a home, we try to include all of the fixins’ that you would get in a restaurant: Guacamole (smashed avacado with tomatoes, onions and garlic powder and a little lemon or lime juice), onions, tomatoes, lettuce, grated cheese, sour cream, refried beans, chips, salsa and sometimes even rice! Of course, I have a habit of putting so much inside my taco that it is difficult to eat…so, sometimes I don’t even try. I usually put all of my taco components on top of a big bed of lettuce and call it a Taco Salad! Although my salad concept hasn’t caught on very well with the rest of my family, any way you eat it – they are delicious!
by Mom of the house on February 27, 2010
Although we have had record snowfall here in the South, I am turning my thoughts towards Spring. While finishing the last bowl of my very own recipe Deer Sausage Potato Cheese Soup, I am planning my tomato plants for this year. Last year was our first year to attempt to grow vegetables (and in containers), and the results were very poor – to say the least! We really started them much too late and they hibernated I guess…they bloomed, but never produced until after summer was over.
This year, I am turning to the professionals. I have ordered two Tomato Success Kits from the Gardener’s Supply company. With a name like that, how could I go wrong? With a self watering feature, organic dirt and fertilizer…I am expecting a bumper crop of tomatoes! Now I need to learn how to can my own tomatoes! That is next on my list! Check back and I will post my progress.
by Mom of the house on February 17, 2010
Well, it SNOWED for over 24 hours in Texas! I can’t believe it! We lost our Internet connection for almost 2 days…. Actually, it was not so bad for me, but as my husband works out of our home and relies on the Internet to do his job, it was not good for him. Here is a picture of the Sheriff Snowman that he and the kids made on the last day of our cold weather. The temps never got much below freezing here, but since we got atleast 12 1/2 inches of snow, it is taking several days for the snow to completely melt. Even with temps int he 40’s, we still have some snow left from forts, snowmen, and leftover really big snow balls!
After the fun in the snow, we finished our 4 day weekend with lots of company and a birthday party for my – now 6 year old – son. What a big weekend! It will take me a few days to recover from all of the fun we had. With school back in session today, I have piles of laundry and general cleaning to do!
by Mom of the house on February 11, 2010
by Mom of the house on February 3, 2010
Yummy!
Reason # 1 to use my new Bosch Mixer: Cinnamon Rolls that look like this!
I have used my new Bosch several times…I am still getting acquainted with it, so to speak. But, when I made these cinnamon rolls, I couldn’t help but share them with you! I used the recipe directly out of the cookbook that came in the package with the mixer. I couldn’t have asked for a better result! The dough was kneaded just perfectly. I was able to press the dough out with my hands and WOW, did they rise beautifully! These were made for a special Sunday School class breakfast, but we had enough left over to share with the kids for a few days. Kenner says that he “wants giant cinnamon rolls for breakfast everyday!”
by FatDaddy on October 10, 2009
If you guessed that we have been doing some potty training, you are correct. Our youngest daughter, “Little Kate”, made a breakthrough today. She sat on the potty and actually peed in it! Hooyah! This is good stuff of course. Hopefully soon we will be using far less diapers! That means extra money in the pocket for … well, for spending on something else for the kiddos, of course. Or maybe more money for our dog Molly’s vet bills, which is a whole other topic.
But seriously, going pee in the potty is huge developmental step. I am thinking that mom can write a better article on potty training than I can … but I’ll start off with a few things I can think of.
So, Little Kate has been flushing pee-pee for others of us in the family for a while, but today is her first time to actually pee in the potty. She’s just over 2 years old. She has been moderately interested in the potty. She would sit on it, but then climb down and run off. With respect to potty training, perhaps the most important lesson we have learned is not to stress about it. If you stress about it, you will stress the kid. Then you are likely to get into a power struggle, and you really don’t want to go there because you are likely to lose that battle and have the kid peeing on the floor. For us, potty training is just not something that is all that critical at age 2. Sometime between 18 months and 3 years old, unless a kid has a biological problem, a kid will start using the potty with just a bit of help, when they are ready.
Well, sort of. You have to inform them about the potty. Let the girls be in the bathroom with mom when she goes, and let the boys be in the bathroom when dad goes. Let them flush. They love to watch it flush. To them it is magical! Also, let the kid sit on the potty on their special potty kid’s seat. We have one with Blue from Blue’s Clues on it. So, make a fun thing.
Another important bit that adds to the fun of it is that we have incorporated bribery into our methods. We call it “potty chocolate!” What is potty chocolate? Well, admittedly, those are two words that don’t really belong together. They certainly don’t sound appetizing, but to a 2 year old that doesn’t get a lot of sweets, having the reward of a chocolate chip or two (after flushing and washing hands of course) is a big deal. Now at some point though this causes a bit of a problem, because they will want chocolate every time they go potty. So, then there is the effort involved in weaning them off of the chocolate… but maybe that is blog post for another day. Or maybe you have ideas. Please let us know. Send us an email.
Please keep in mind that I am a parent, like many who are reading this blog, and am not a licensed professional. If you hit snags with potty training and need help, please consult with your doctor and/or an appropriately licensed expert! :)
