Kids Say the Cutest Things!

Emma said the funniest thing, and I had to write it down before I forgot. In preschool, her class each received a little paper turkey. They were told to write about how you cook a turkey. Emma said, "Grandma makes it. She puts teeth on it. Puts it in the oven. Cook it for 1 min." Spoken like a true 4-year-old! It was so cute and funny! I had to hold my laughter in because she was giving me one a serious look. I tried thinking whether she had ever eaten turkey with teeth or what might have given her the idea that you put teeth on the turkey.

As a side note, my personal experience with baking turkeys hasn't been too great. The (one) time I attempted it, I had to call my Dad for emergency help. The caring Dad that he is, he left work and helped me gut it. As much as I like eating turkey, the gory contents of the cold, wet turkey made me lose my appetite for the bird (at least for a day or so). As my Dad and I struggled with that crazy turkey, I vowed to never again attempt the impossible (or at least the unlikely). I love to cook and bake, but that silly turkey was all I could take.

Anyway, we had a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and . . .yes, my Mom cooked the turkey and it was delicious!

Over the River and Through the Woods to Grandmother's House We Go!

It's so hard to believe that tomorrow is Thanksgiving. We are planning to spend the day with loved ones talking and savoring turkey, cranberry sauce, and all the trimmings. The kids are excited because they'll get to play with their cousins who they don't get to see that often.

Today USA Today online featured a thought-provoking article (that I skimmed) about a teacher from Florida who's written a children's book entitled America's REAL First Thanksgiving. Please click here to read the article: http://www.usatoday.com/life/lifestyle/2007-11-20-first-thanksgiving_N.htm Long story short, after conducting extensive research about the history of Thanksgiving, author Robyn Gioia challenges many of the steadfast beliefs that I remember being taught when I was a child (i.e. the first Thanksgiving was at Plymouth Rock and the Pilgrims and the Indians had turkey with mashed potatoes and corn from the Indians). It's an interesting article.

But, regardless of the specifics that occurred or didn't occur that 1st Thanksgiving, it's a wonderful time to reflect on our blessings. I'm so thankful to have a wonderful family, including my husband, 4 kids, parents, brother, in-laws, and friends. I'm happy to have a day to relax and spend with loved ones. I hope your Thanksgiving is a great one!

Our Roadtrip to Branson

Yesterday we all piled into my husbands truck and went for a scenic drive to Branson, MO (http://welovebranson.blogspot.com/). After playing at the park on such a gorgeous fall day, we started to get hungry. It was David's birthday, so we wanted to take him out to eat. After calling my sweet cousin Shelly to get some information, we decided to visit the 'Ol Hickory Steak and Catfish House in the quaint little town of Crane. (Please click here for directions: http://www.catfishrestaurants.com/catfish_restaurants_012.htm) It was so much fun and the food was delicious!

When we arrived at 4 pm, it was quiet (a perfect time to take four kids to a restaurant)! The atmosphere was casual and relaxed. They even had an old-time wooden checkerboard that the kids took turns playing with until our meal was served. David and I both ordered the fried catfish with cole slaw, sweet potatoes with butter and brown sugar, green beans, and homemade rolls. The kids and adult portions were very generous.

The pies looked delectable, but, unfortunately, we didn't have room for dessert. We were told that they were to have live music later on, but decided to catch the music another time. We will definately remember this wonderful restaurant in the future and be sure to recommend it to our friends and family!

Who Doesn't Love Pizza!

The kids and I made little pizzas last night for dinner and they were delicious and so quick and easy to make. I gave each child a flour tortilla and let them dress their pizza with cheese, sauce, and turkey pepperoni. Normally I would also offer green pepper, mushrooms, black olives, and onion, but I was low on ingredients. If you like thin crust pizza, you will love these! Just bake in the oven until the cheese is melted and tortilla is crisp!

Just for fun, here is a list of pizza toppings from around the world. Just memorize it and you can impress your friends!

Australia-Eggs

Bahamas-Barbecued chicken

Brazil-Green peas

Chile-Mussels and clams

Colombia-Guava

Costa Rica-Coconut

England-Tuna and corn

France-Fresh cream

Guatemala-Black bean sauce

India-Pickled ginger

Japan-Squid, mayonnaise, potato

Pakistan-Curry

Russia-Red herring

Here are America's favorite toppings, according to the Book of Lists: pepperoni, mushrooms, extra cheese, sausage, green pepper, and onions.

Fat-Free Brownies-Microwaveable

This is a great recipe that's so quick and easy to prepare. You prepare the brownie mix, then store it in a sealed container. Whenever someone gets a chocolate craving or is in the mood for a sweet treat you can have hot, fresh brownies within minutes. The best thing about this recipe is you can prepare individual servings rather than making an entire pan.

Fat-Free Brownie Mix

1/2 cup baking cocoa

3/4 cup flour

1 T. cornstarch

1/4 t. baking powder

1/4 t. baking soda

1/4 t. salt

1 1/4 cups sugar

f.f. plain yogurt, f.f. sour cream, applesauce, or water to mix

When you're ready for a brownie simply mix 2 T. of the dry mix with 1 T. of the yogurt, sour cream, applesauce, or water. I usually spread it out a little on a microwave-safe plate and microwave for approximately 30 seconds. This is soooo easy, and it makes the house smell like chocolate. MMMMMM! It's extra special with a dollop of cool whip.

The Case for Family Meals

According to a recent article in Time (http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1200760,00.html), Nancy Gibbs reports, "It turns out that when kids help prepare a meal, they are much more likely to eat it, and it's a useful skill that seems to build self-esteem." Statistically speaking, family meals eaten and/or prepared together protect children and teens from a multitude of pressures including: smoking, drinking alcohol, doing drugs, developing eating disorders, depression, and contemplating suicide. Sociologists have discovered that the more families make time for family meals the more the kids learn about socially acceptable behavior, earn better grades, and delay having sex.
It sounds like a win/win situation for everyone involved, but what if your schedule is so full of activities and appointments that eating together seems impossible? I completely understand how difficult it can be to set aside time to have family meals. Between sports, piano lessons, and homework it is definitely challenging for many families. I think consistency is the key. If you have to eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in the car every once in a while due to time constraints it's OK. If your evening schedule is jam-packed, perhaps setting the alarm clocks a little bit earlier in the morning would allow you to connect with your family during breakfast. It doesn't have to be extravagant; cereal or oatmeal with fruit, frozen waffles, or peanut butter on toast are quick and easy and give you and your child energy for the day. Simply planning to share several family meals together each week has so many wonderful social and health benefits.
If you have suggestions or stories about family meal time in your house please let me know. I'm always looking for new ideas!

Easy Delicious Taco Soup Recipe

I made this for my family last night and served it with grilled cheese sandwiches and baby carrots on the side. My kids love this and it's soooo easy! I put all of the ingredients in the crock pot and let it cook all day. Then, when dinner time rolls around. . . Voila! The recipe can be altered depending upon what kind of beans you have. Also, I use the mild Rotelle because most of our kids like it this way. Also, yesterday I didn't take time to thaw out ground beef (or ground turkey) so it ended up being a vegetarian main dish. Very satisfying, healthy, and budget-friendly! Oh yeah, my Mom gave me the recipe. . . Thanks Mom!

Chili or Taco Soup
1 pound lean ground beef (or ground turkey), brown and drain
1-15.5 ounce can navy beans, undrained
1-15.5 ounce can kidney beans, undrained
1-15.5 ounce can black beans, undrained
1-15.5 ounce can corn or hominy, undrained
2-14.5 ounce cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can Rotelle tomatoes
1 envelope Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix (sometimes I use pkg. of onion soup mix)
1 envelope taco seasoning
2 cups water
Combine ingredients in crock pot. DON'T DRAIN ANY CANS! Cook on low all day.
This soup freezes well. Yield: 12 servings
If you do Weight Watchers, 1.5 cups=3 points.

Awesome Rachel Ray Recipe for Kids

Drew received Rachel Ray's Cooking Rocks, Rachel Ray 30-Minute Meals for Kids http://www.rachaelray.com/ for his birthday last year. It features great recipes for children in different age groups. Most of the ingredients are easily found at our small town grocery store. I love this one because all of my kids love pasta. You can vary this recipe according to what you have in your pantry.

Pasta and Trees

Makes 4 Servings

1 pound broccoli tops

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 pound pasta: penne regate, corkscrew cavatappi, elbows, or medium shells

1 T. extra-virgin olive oil (evoo)

2 T. butter, cut up

1 cup grated Parmesan, Parmigiano Reggiano, or Romano cheese

Boil a large pot of water for the pasta. Separate the broccoli into small trees by pulling them apart. Put the broccoli florets into a pot and add water to cover the tops of the trees. Bring the water to a boil and add 4 pinches of salt to the water. Cook the broccoli 5 minutes and drain.

When the pasta water boils add 4 pinches of salt. Add pasta to pan. Cook to al dente according to package directions.

Put the evoo and butter in a big bowl. Add the hot drained pasta and broccoli to the bowl. Add the cheese and stir until the butter melts and the cheese mixes in.Add salt and pepper to suit your taste.

PS. I've found that referring to broccoli as baby trees helps endear the the veggie to the child, mine anyway.

Too Much Halloween Candy!

Five kids (our four plus Drew's friend), five costumes, two parents, one minivan, and loads of candy. That's what our Wednesday night looked like. Tootsie Rolls, Three Musketeers (my personal favorite), Mike & Ike, Heath, Snickers, Hershey Kisses, Mary Janes, Butterfingers, M&M's, Tootsie Pops, Twizzlers, marshmallow eyeballs, Whoppers, and Reese's. That doesn't even begin to cover the enormous haul of candy our little trick-or-treaters brought home. How can five kids accumulate so much candy in one and a half hours? It's amazing how much ground they can cover when sugar's involved! After returning home we dumped the sweet confections into a giant mixing bowl. It was the only thing I could find that was enormous enough to hold the stash. The kids (and us, the parents) eventually got the kids settled down enough to go to sleep

I feel guilty for having all this candy when there are so many starving people in the world. I had thought I might contribute it to a local group that's sending candy to the troops in Iraq. Unfortunately, I heard on the radio today the candy is already being sent.

I will count my many blessings and continue rationing out the daily candy allowance to our clan, that is until I come up with a better plan.