Wednesday, October 29, 2008

The Kidds go to the pumpkin patch

Ethan, Benji, and I went to the pumpkin patch today with the Verano playgroup friends. Here's the 3 of us right after we got there...while we're all in good moods.
Benji poses with the pumpkins.
Ethan clambers over pumpkins with Kate.
Ethan pets a goat in the petting zoo. He also closely examined some fresh goat urine before I could stop him.
A lovely self-portrait.
King Ethan and Queen Kate on their throne.
A Kodak moment -- look at that smile!
Boy oh boy, was I tired when we got home! It was 90 degrees today, and we were all sweaty. The patch was also very dusty, so Ethan and I had to take a bath before naps.

What we've been up to the last few days

Sunday: Chad is gone in the morning for part of a UCI philosophy conference. Benji is sick with a runny nose, so I can't leave him in the nursery at church anyway. We stay home and Benji takes a short morning nap. In the afternoon, we have friends from Texas come. They are staying overnight. Ethan starts to get congested in the evening, and he hardly eats any dinner.
Monday: Chad's gone in the morning to work out. Our overnight guests are sleeping on the couch bed downstairs. When the kids wake up earlier than usual and our guests are NOT awake, I contain them upstairs for nearly an hour and a half (!!!), despite my subtle hints for the guests to wake up by going downstairs with both children to get Ethan a drink and make him some toast. The guests finally get up at 8:20, after the kids have been awake almost 2 hours. I'm already exhausted.
Chad's taking most of the day off to be with our guests. They go on a long walking tour of UCI, while I stay home and Benji takes a long morning nap (2 hours!) Then we walk to Aldrich Park and have a picnic, then we put the kids down for a nap. Ethan wakes up after an hour and a half, and vomits over the side of the crib. When I get him, I run for the bathroom and catch the rest of it in a towel. It's very mucousy. Benji wakes up early too.
That night, Ethan eats a lot of pizza, and after being in bed about 45 minutes, vomits copious amounts ALL over (carpet, sheet, mattress pad, crib bumper, blanket, and BLANKIE! How will he sleep without blankie while it's in the wash? (He does; I was amazed).
During the night, Ethan wakes up FIVE times, and Benji wakes up once. We are feeling weary.
Tuesday: I contain the kids upstairs for about 45 minutes, but this morning, I let them make as much noise as they want. The guests get up this morning at 7:40. I can't go to music class this morning since Ethan is sick, and we have to quarantine ourselves from other kids.
Chad takes the guests to the train station around 9 am. I start to clean up the aftermath.
We are allowed to play with Gugi since he's been sick with the same thing. This is my sanity today. Ethan seems okay; we play outside for nearly 2 hours, then he seems not so great, so we go in, and he watches a movie. We eat some lunch, then I put the kids down for naps.
Benji wakes up every 20 minutes for an hour and a half. Ethan wakes up after about an hour crying. I have to call Silvina to take Benji for me while I tend to Ethan. He sits in my lap for 30 minutes, heaving and almost vomiting, but never actually vomiting. Then he says he's ready to play and seems like a different kid.
We play outside till Chad comes home at 5:15. I gratefully escape to the gym for step aerobics, but work out very hard and come back in a worse mood because I'm so tired.
Ethan eats crackers for the dinner, goes to bed, and wakes up 5 times again. Benji wakes up once.
Wednesday: Ethan seems to be feeling much better. I'm hoping for a better day, and I think it will be. He didn't throw up yesterday, so I guess he's on the mend. He still has some stuff in his throat, and he voice doesn't sound great. We're going to Tanaka Farms (a pumpkin patch) today with the play group...

Friday, October 24, 2008

Menu for Oct 27-Nov 2

Next week’s menu
On Saturday, we pick up our first box of Angel Food (angelfoodministries.com), so I won’t be buying meat for awhile.
Monday: Margarita pizza, caprese
Tuesday: spaghetti and meatballs, frozen veggies
Wednesday: pumpkin soup, garlic bread
Thursday: hamburgers with frozen sweet potato fries from Joe’s
Friday: take out (have you noticed? This is a tradition we FAITHFULLY carry out every Friday night)
Saturday: leftovers
Sunday: pork chops with applesauce and stuffing, broccoli

Margarita pizza
1 whole wheat bagged dough (at Trader’s Joe’s)
Pizza sauce
Mozzarella cheese, grated
Half a purple onion, cut into small strips
Tomatoes, sliced
Parmesan cheese
Roll out pizza dough and put onto pizza pan. Spread a layer of pizza sauce over the dough. Sprinkle with onion strips. Cover with mozzarella cheese. Place slices of tomato over the cheese. Sprinkle a little parmesan cheese over the top. Bake at 350 for about 15-20 minutes. Let sit for another 10-15 minutes.

Caprese (Tomato, Mozzarella, and basil salad)
Slice some tomatoes, however thick you want. Slice fresh mozzarella and layer on top of tomatoes. Drizzle with olive oil. Place fresh basil leaves on top of the mozzarella.

Spaghetti, meatballs, and frozen veggies
The AngelFood box contains pasta, a jar of marinara sauce, frozen prepared meatballs, and bag of frozen veggies. Presto! Dinner is done!
I’ll make home-made meatballs another day…

Soup from a Pumpkin
(The pumpkin soup recipe is from Ethan’s Highlights High Five magazine. He wants to try it out, so I’ll be letting him “help” me cook. They say to serve it in a scooped out, clean pumpkin, which I will have on hand anyway to use for pumpkin carving the following day).
2 cups canned pumpkin
one apple, diced
1 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp butter
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
¼ tsp nutmeg
2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup apple juice
½ cup half and half (I’ll probably use 2% milk)
Put pumpkin in a bowl. Add sugar, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Stir. In a pot, cook the apple in the butter for about 5 minutes, till soft. Add the pumpkin mixture to the pot and slowly add broth and juice. Heat thoroughly, but do not boil. Add the half and half and serve.
I will serve it with pre-made garlic bread from Albertson’s.

Hamburgers with frozen sweet potato fries
Chad will be grilling our hamburgers. I’ll serve it with frozen sweet potato fries from Trader Joe’s (they are TO DIE FOR!)

Pork chops with applesauce and stuffing
2-3 pork chops
1 pkg stuffing mix for chicken
1 ¾ cup very hot water
4 apples - peeled, cored and chopped
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pour stuffing mix into a mixing bowl. Add the hot water. Mix together and leave for about 5 minutes. Spray bottom of pan (I’ll use a glass 8x8 dish). Lay pork on the bottom of pan. After stuffing mix has soaked up hot water, layer the stuffing mix over the pork chops. Cover with foil. Cook at 375 for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake another 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, make applesauce. In a saucepan, combine apples, water, sugar, and cinnamon. Cover, and cook over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes, or until apples are soft. Mash with a potato masher.
When pork and stuffing is done, serve with applesauce on top.

Saturday, October 18, 2008

Next week's menu

Next week’s menu

This week, I’m not buying any new meat. I have a bunch of frozen chicken that needs to be eaten before it gets too old, and I’m going to use the shrimp leftover from one of last week’s recipes.
Monday: Fiesta Chicken Pasta with tomato, mozzarella, and basil salad
Tuesday: curried lentils with endive, walnuts, and blue cheese salad
Wednesday: shrimp scampi with asparagus
Thursday: Greek grilled cheese and tomato soup
Friday: take out
Saturday: leftovers
Sunday: chicken enchilada skillet and broccoli

Fiesta chicken pasta
2 cups uncooked spiral pasta (I’ll use whole wheat pasta)
1 Tbsp oil
1 lb chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 cups chopped red peppers
¼ cup Italian dressing
1 Tbsp chili powder
½ cup salsa
½ cup sour cream
½ cup shredded cheese, optional (I’ll use mozzarella, since I bought a large 2-pack of it at Sam’s)
Cook pasta. Meanwhile, heat oil in skillet and cook chicken. Add peppers and dressing, and chili powder; cook 3 minutes. Stir in salsa and sour cream. Toss pasta with chicken mixture. Sprinkle with cheese.

Tomato, Mozzarella, and basil salad
Slice some tomatoes, however thick you want. Slice mozzarella and layer on top of tomatoes. Drizzle with olive oil. Place fresh basil leaves on top of the mozzarella.

Curried Lentils
(We get lentils free with WIC. I don’t love the taste or texture of them, but they are incredibly fiber-licious, so I eat them. And they are full of protein, so it’s a good vegetarian meal).
2 cups (1 pound) lentils (I use green ones)
1 large onion, diced
1 Tbsp oil
2 Tbsp curry paste
1 Tbsp curry powder
1 tsp tumeric
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp sugar
1 clove pressed garlic
1 can tomato sauce (14 or 15 oz can)
Wash lentils in cold water. Put in a pot with water to cover, simmer covered till tender (add more water if necessary). In large skillet, sauté onions in the oil. Combine curry paste, curry powder, tumeric, cumin, chili powder, salt, sugar, and garlic in mixing bowl. Mix well. Add curry mixture to onions and cook over high heat, stirring constantly for 1 or 2 minutes. Stir in tomato sauce and reduce heat.
When lentils are tender, drain briefly. Mix the curry base into the lentils and serve immediately.

Endive, walnuts, and blue cheese salad
(I’m trying endive, never tried it before. It better be good because its was expensive! The blue cheese crumbles are leftover from last week).
Cut endive leaves to bite size. Sprinkle walnuts and blue cheese crumbles over the leaves.
Serve with the following vinaigrette:
1 tsp Dijon mustard
3 Tbsp white wine (I’ll probably substitute rice vinegar or balsamic vinegar)
1 Tbsp mayonnaise
1 tsp kosher salt
½ tsp pepper
½ cup olive oil
Whisk all ingredients (except olive oil) together. While whisking, slowly add olive oil until the dressing is emulsified.

Shrimp scampi with linguine
Vegetable oil
Kosher salt
1 ½ lbs linguine
6 Tbsp unsalted butter
5 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp minced garlic (about 9 cloves)
2 lbs shrimp (I’m only using the ¾ lb that I have leftover from last week)
½ tsp pepper
¾ cup chopped fresh parsley
grated zest of one lemon
½ lemon, sliced in half-rounds
½ cup lemon juice
Drizzle oil in pot of boiling water with 1 Tbsp salt. Add linguine. Cook for 7-10 minutes. In another large pan, melt butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté one minute (be careful; the garlic burns easily!) Add the shrimp, 1 Tbsp of salt, and the pepper and sauté about 5 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat, add parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, and lemon slices. Toss to combine.
When pasta is done, drain the cooked linguine and put it back in the pot. Add the shrimp and sauce and toss well.

Asparagus
The trick to cooking good asparagus. Boil water in a large pan. When it comes to a boil, add the asparagus and cook for 2 or 3 minutes ONLY (depending on thickness of asparagus). Drain immediately and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with parmesan cheese or salt or whatever spice you like.

Greek grilled cheese and tomato soup (A NEW FAMILY FAVORITE!)
1 ½ teaspoons butter
2 slices whole wheat bread
2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese
2 slices mozzarella cheese
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 tomato, thinly sliced
1/4 avocado, sliced
Heat a skillet over medium heat. Butter one side of each slice of
bread. On the non buttered side of one slice, layer the feta
cheese, mozzarella cheese, red onion, tomato and avocado. Top
with the other slice of bread with the butter side out.
Fry the sandwich until golden brown on each side, about 2
minutes per side. The second side always cooks faster.
Serve with tomato soup.

Chicken enchilada skillet
1 Tbsp oil
1 lb chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 can fat-free chicken broth
½ cup Ranch dressing
2 Tbsp flour
6 tortillas, cut into small pieces
1 cup shredded cheese
½ cup salsa
Heat oil in skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook about 7 minutes, or until cooked through. Mix broth, dressing, and flour until well-blended; gradually add to skillet, stirring constantly. Add tortillas; stir to combine. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes.
Sprinkle with cheese, cover. Simmer 3-5 minutes, or till cheese is melted. Top with salsa.

Oh no, a political post...

Why I’m not voting for Obama
The most important are the abortion issue and the stem cell issue. It’s that simple. First of all, if you care to see pictures of what partial birth abortion looks like, see here, but be prepared to cry: http://www.nrlc.org/abortion/pba/PBA_Images/PBA_Images_Heathers_Place.htm
If you care to read a description of how a partial birth abortion is done, read here. I could not even read the entire thing; it is too heart-wrenching.  http://www.nrlc.org/abortion/pba/Haskellinstructional.pdf
Although there is currently a federal law banning partial-birth abortion (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Partial-Birth_Abortion_Ban_Act) that has been in effect since 2003; several states enacted laws specifically banning the IDX procedure (“intact dilation and extraction,” as the medical field calls partial-birth abortion) and defining a “born-alive infant.” In the state of Illinois, in 2001, 2002, and 2003; a state bill was proposed. It defined “born-alive infant” as a baby who showed signs of life apart from its mother, even if the baby survived an attempted IDX. Obama chaired the committee that voted this down before the bill made it to the floor. Obama voted against this bill, thereby showing me that he is okay with letting newborn babies die, not to mention killing unborn babies. Read all the details here: http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/obama_and_infanticide.html.
I CANNOT, with a clear conscience, vote for a man who doesn’t believe what I do here. This issue is the one I am the most passionate about and that I will not compromise on. I believe that life begins at conception (http://www.abortionfacts.com/literature/literature_9438MS.asp). Obama says he doesn’t know when life begins (see the Rick Warren interviews). Even if the partial-birth abortion legislation wasn’t an issue, early abortions are still an issue for me. He believes that abortion is okay; I believe it is murder. He even says that he wants abortions to be available for his daughters. I will not vote for a man who believes these things.
Also, because I believe that life begins at conception, I am against embryonic stem cell research (adult stem cell research is fine). Below, you’ll see one article all about how Obama promotes embryonic stem cell research.
I think that Obama would make a good leader. He says he’s a Christian, and he seems like a good, well-qualified man. A lot of his policies are excellent. I think he could do a lot of good for this country. But, I generally prefer small government to big government. My loyalties lie with the Republicans on most issues. For me to actually vote democrat would be a huge deal. And mainly, I just can’t do it when my ethical views clash this loudly with his. Sorry, Obama, I like you a lot, but I just can’t do it.
FOLLOWING, ARE A FEW EXCERPTS FROM ARTICLES CONCERNING THESE ISSUES. I HAVE ITALICIZED THE QUOTES AND THEN PUT THE SOURCE BENEATH IT.
This article is too long to cut and paste, but it's really good. It's includes a paragraph on how Obama wants to clone human embryo stem cells for the purpose of killing them in research. Need I say more? http://thepublicdiscourse.com/viewarticle.php?selectedarticle=2008.10.14_George_Robert_Obama's%20Abortion%20Extremism_.xml
But Obama's record on abortion is extreme. He opposed the ban on partial-birth abortion -- a practice a fellow Democrat, the late Daniel Patrick Moynihan, once called "too close to infanticide." Obama strongly criticized the Supreme Court decision upholding the partial-birth ban. In the Illinois state Senate, he opposed a bill similar to the Born Alive Infant Protection Act, which prevents the killing of infants mistakenly left alive by abortion. And now Obama has oddly claimed he would not want his daughters to be "punished with a baby" because of a crisis pregnancy -- hardly a welcoming attitude toward new life.
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/04/caseys_endorsement_lacks_fathe.html

Michelle Obama, the attorney wife of pro-abortion Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, is coming under fire for a letter she wrote defending partial-birth abortions. The 2004 letter, written to help Obama in his campaign for his U.S. Senate seat, opposes the ban on the abortion procedure. In February 2004, Michelle Obama penned a fundraising letter to help her husband Barack raise funds for his Illinois-based Senate seat. The letter contends the federal ban on partial-birth abortions "is clearly unconstitutional" and "a flawed law." Though the three-day-long partial-birth abortion procedure involves the partial birth of a baby during the middle trimester of pregnancy and the jamming of scissors into the back of her head to kill her, Obama's wife describes it as "legitimate" medicine. "The fact remains, with no provision to protect the heath of the mother, this ban on a legitimate medical procedure is clearly unconstitutional and must be overturned," Michelle Obama writes in the letter. She also said the Bush administration should not encourage the abortion practitioners who sued to reverse the ban to drop their lawsuit to make it unconstitutional. The Supreme Court later sided with Bush and Congress in saying the ban is legitimate. http://www.lifenews.com/nat3935.html

As a nurse at an Illinois hospital in 1999, I discovered babies were being aborted alive and shelved to die in soiled utility rooms. I discovered infanticide. Legislation was presented on the federal level and in various states called the Born Alive Infants Protection Act. It stated all live-born babies were guaranteed the same constitutional right to equal protection, whether or not they were wanted.
BAIPA sailed through the U.S. Senate by unanimous vote. Even Sens. Clinton, Kennedy and Kerry agreed a mother's right to "choose" stopped at her baby's delivery. The bill also passed overwhelmingly in the House. NARAL went neutral on it. Abortion enthusiasts publicly agreed that fighting BAIPA would appear extreme. President Bush signed BAIPA into law in 2002.
But in Illinois, the state version of BAIPA repeatedly failed, thanks in large part to then-state Sen. Barack Obama. It only passed in 2005, after Obama left. I testified in 2001 and 2002 before a committee of which Obama was a member.
Obama articulately worried that legislation protecting live aborted babies might infringe on women's rights or abortionists' rights. Obama's clinical discourse, his lack of mercy, shocked me. I was naive back then. Obama voted against the measure, twice. It ultimately failed.
In 2003, as chairman of the next Senate committee to which BAIPA was sent, Obama stopped it from even getting a hearing, shelving it to die much like babies were still being shelved to die in Illinois hospitals and abortion clinics.

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=51121

Barack Obama believes we owe it to the American public to explore the potential of stem cells to treat the millions of people suffering from debilitating and life threatening diseases … As many as 100 million Americans may benefit from embryonic stem cell research. As president, Obama would:
Promote Embryonic Stem Cell Research
Support Medical Advancement and Innovation
Expand the Number of Stem Cell Lines Available for Research
Ensure Ethical Standards
Obama introduced legislation in the Illinois Senate to ensure that only those embryos that would otherwise be discarded could be used and that donors would have to provide written consent for the use of the embryos.
Source: Campaign website, BarackObama.com, "Resource Flyers" Aug 26, 2007
http://www.ontheissues.org/2008/Barack_Obama_Abortion.htm

In 1999 he was the only Illinois State Senator to vote against a bill barring early release for (criminal) sex offenders. He voted against filtering pornography on school and library computers and he voted for sex education for kindergarten children through the 5th grade. Also, in 2001, he voted “present” on a bill to keep pornographic book and video stores and strip clubs from setting up within 1,000 feet of schools and churches.
Just as unsettling is his voting record on abortion. Twice, Obama voted against bills prohibiting tax funding of abortions.
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/77500/barack_hussein_obama_jr_defends_partialbirth.html?cat=9

Obama on Abortion
No litmus test; nominate to Court based on their fairness. (Oct 2008)
1990: Wrote law article that that fetus cannot sue mother. (Aug 2008)
FactCheck: Abortions HAVE gone down under Pres. Bush. (Aug 2008)
Ok for state to restrict late-term partial birth abortion. (Apr 2008)
We can find common ground between pro-choice and pro-life. (Apr 2008)
Undecided on whether life begins at conception. (Apr 2008)
Teach teens about abstinence and also about contraception. (Apr 2008)
GovWatch: Obama's "present" votes were a requested strategy. (Feb 2008)
Expand access to contraception; reduce unintended pregnancy. (Feb 2008)
Rated 100% by NARAL on pro-choice votes in 2005, 2006 & 2007. (Jan 2008)
Voted against banning partial birth abortion. (Oct 2007)
Stem cells hold promise to cure 70 major diseases. (Aug 2007)
Trust women to make own decisions on partial-birth abortion. (Apr 2007)
Extend presumption of good faith to abortion protesters. (Oct 2006)
Constitution is a living document; no strict constructionism. (Oct 2006)
Moral accusations from pro-lifers are counterproductive. (Oct 2004)
Pass the Stem Cell Research Bill. (Jun 2004)
Protect a woman's right to choose. (May 2004)
Voting Record
Opposed born-alive treatment law because it was already law. (Oct 2008)
Supports Roe v. Wade. (Jul 1998)
Voted NO on defining unborn child as eligible for SCHIP. (Mar 2008)
Voted NO on prohibiting minors crossing state lines for abortion. (Mar 2008)
Voted YES on expanding research to more embryonic stem cell lines. (Apr 2007)
Voted NO on notifying parents of minors who get out-of-state abortions. (Jul 2006)
Voted YES on $100M to reduce teen pregnancy by education & contraceptives. (Mar 2005)
Sponsored bill providing contraceptives for low-income women. (May 2006)
Rated 0% by the NRLC, indicating a pro-choice stance. (Dec 2006)
Ensure access to and funding for contraception. (Feb 2007)
http://www.ontheissues.org/Barack_Obama.htm

Monday, October 13, 2008

Jeremiah

I have a nephew!!!! Jeremiah David was born to my brother Mark and his wife (and my dear friend) Shonda on October 11, 2008 at 10:22 pm. He's a cutie! Congratulations to them, and hip-hip-hooray to Shonda who did it without drugs!

Friday, October 10, 2008

Simple Mathematics

Tom + Katie = Tomkat
Ben + Jennifer = Bennifer
Brad + Angelina = Brangelina
McCain + Palin = McCailin
Or should it be McPalin??
Cast your vote here.

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Next week's menu

Monday: pesto pizza, mandarin orange salad
Tuesday: buttered whole grain noodles with sausage, green beans
Wednesday: broccoli quiche, garlic bread
Thursday: shrimp cobb salad with croissants (never tried this recipe before)
Friday: take out
Saturday: leftovers
Sunday: dinner at the neighbors’ house

Pesto pizza
1 whole wheat bagged dough (at Trader’s Joe’s)
jar of pesto
Mozzarella cheese, grated
Half a purple onion, cut into small strips
Feta cheese

Roll out pizza dough and put onto pizza pan. Spread a layer of pesto over the dough. Sprinkle with onion strips. Sprinkle with feta cheese. Cover with mozzarella cheese. Bake at 350 for about 15-20 minutes.

Mandarin Orange Salad
One bunch of green leaf lettuce
One can of mandarin oranges

Tear lettuce into smaller pieces. Toss with drained can of mandarin oranges. Serve with a vinaigrette.

Buttered whole grain pasta with sausage and green beans
One package of whole grain pasta
I pkg heat and serve beef sausage (on sale at Albertson’s this week)
Can of green beans that’s been in my pantry for a long time

Cook pasta according to package direction. Add some melted butter or margarine, just enough to make it not so dry.
Slice sausage and heat in the microwave. Add to noodles.
Serve with the green beans.

Broccoli quiche
2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, minced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 cups chopped fresh broccoli
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
4 eggs, well beaten (I used five because we get so many with WIC)
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350. Melt butter in a saucepan. Add onions, garlic, and broccoli. Cook slowly, stirring occasionally until vegetables are soft. Spoon vegetables into an 8x8 glass baking dish. Combine eggs and milk. Add salt and pepper. Stir in melted butter. Mix egg mixture with the vegetables. Bake at 350 for 50 minutes, and if possible, let sit for 15-20 minutes.

Hope’s Amazing Garlic Bread
Butter
Mayonnaise
Garlic
Grated cheese
Mix equal parts butter, mayo, and cheese (I use less majo than butter). Add pressed garlic to taste. Spread on bread, and toast in toaster oven.

Shrimp Cobb Salad
A Barefoot Contessa recipe (This salad actually calls for lobster meat, but that’s way too expensive, so I’m substituting frozen shrimp, which is on sale at Albertson’s Friday, Saturday, and Sunday with a coupon)

For the vinaigrette
1 ½ Tbsp Dijon mustard
¼ cup lemon juice
5 Tbsp olive oil
¾ tsp kosher salt
½ tsp pepper

For the salad
2 ripe avocados
juice of 1 lemon (I’ll probably use my bottled lemon juice)
1 ½ lbs cooked shrimp
1 pint cherry tomatoes (or other tomatoes cut up)
1 ½ tsp kosher salt
½ tsp black pepper
½ pound lean bacon, fried and crumbled
¾ cup crumbled English Stilton or other crumbly blue cheese (I’ll probably use the feta that I’m buying for the pizza)
1 bunch arugula, washed and spun dry

For the vinaigrette, whisk together all vinaigrette ingredients.
For the salad, cut avocados into ¾ inch dice and toss with lemon juice. If arugula leaves are large, cut in half crosswise. Put shrimp and tomatoes in bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss with enough vinaigrette to moisten. Add diced avocados, crumbled bacon, blue cheese, and arugula and toss again. Serve at room temperature
I will serve with store-bought croissants.

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Who says television violence doesn't affect children?

We have a Mickey Mouse DVD with a show on it where Minnie Mouse chases her cat with a broom because the cat tried to eat her pet bird.
The other day, Ethan came into the kitchen and got the broom out of the pantry saying he wanted to sweep. But then he started chasing Cairo with the broom. Chad said, "Ethan, do not hit Cairo; that is not nice."
Ethan replied, "But Mickey Mouse do it."
One word: SCARY!!!!

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

pb and j

Um...has anyone ever noticed that "pb and j" not only stands for "peanut butter and jelly," but it can also stand for "Pam Beasley and Jim"?
(Yes, I'm an "Office" fan).
Or, it can stand for "plum brownies and juice"
"pine, beech, and juniper"
"perfect blogging and jumping"
I could go on and on...