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Edible Trickery

A few weeks ago, I got the oil changed in the van. The 'waiting room' at the service department is not kid friendly by any stretch of the word, so we usually pack the kids into the stroller(s) and head over to Arby's for a quick snack and then stroll over to the strip mall that is next door - it's mainly small businesses (a Curves, some hair/nail shops, insurance, etc) with a grocery store and a Staples (or is it Office Depot?).

So, we usually opt for the Staples... who doesn't like drooling over office supplies? There's just something about being there that gets you inspired to *finally* get your life organized! We're still working on the organization part, but I did give in to my pen obsession and bought several packages of pens - enough to make up for a few year's worth of being a 'good girl.' I also bought two cookbooks that were on clearance: one about recipes that are sugar and flour free (I haven't looked at it yet) and another that I remember as being fairly popular a few years ago and, from a quick scan of the cover, that I *thought* was just healthy, yummy kid-friendly recipes. Last night, I finally got around to diving into the kid-friendly one and realized it's not just kid-friendly, but it's sneaky (which is good!). I suppose the title should have given it away: Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld (yes, she's married to Jerry). I'd seen this book in the bookstore before, but had never actually looked in it to discover just how much good it could do in my own kitchen! I wish I'd explored it sooner!

The entire cookbook incorporates some sort of pureed vegetable(s) or fruit(s) into traditional meals. I told you it was sneaky! For instance, last night I made Pita Pizzas. The recipe called for a layer of pureed spinach beneath the tomato sauce. I actually had to modify the recipe by using spaghetti sauce because I didn't have tomato sauce. In all honesty, I think it was better with the spaghetti sauce because the herbs and spices helped cover up the spinach flavor. If I had just used tomato sauce, it would have been more bland and the spinach might have stood out more. The kids DEVOURED this pizza. Our most picky eater, Lorelai, asked for seconds and THIRDS. My super-picky 14-year old sister (she has survived on macaroni and cheese pretty much from birth) even gave me the thumbs-up, which, coming from her, is *always* good to see! Even Shane, who is very anti-vegetables, thought it was delicious and asked if he could take *two* to work for lunch!

Some of you may already be very familiar with this book - after all, it was a best seller. But, it's new to me... and since I just 'discovered' this cookbook last night, I haven't had a chance to do meal planning and shopping. I need to find a recipe for dinner tonight that is quick and doesn't involve me heading to the store to buy lots of ingredients. I'll keep you updated on the outcome. :-)

Playing 'I Spy' with a three-year old is not easy! She never picks the object before the color - which leads me through a frustrating process of elimination!

Yay for being a boob nazi! A Wal-Mart employee told me I wasn't allowed to breastfeed in the store. I know my laws. Talked to asst mgr and got a $25 gift card.

Small Progress

So, I was a few days late, but I finally got those pictures uploaded. Because I backdate my entries to the date the photos were actually taken, they don't show up at the top of the blog. You can view the entry here, or just scroll down a bit.

Slacker

It's been three and a half months since I last posted. Has it been that long?! I've taken a fair amount of pictures, but our external hard drive took a turn for the worse and I have been hesitant to transfer any pictures from the SD card. I have more than three months to catch up on, but I'll be working in baby steps! Hopefully this coming weekend I can set aside some time to do some backdating, but tonight I will upload a super-cute set of the most recent pictures. We are still alive, I promise! :)

Spring Has Finally Sprung!

I had some free time outside with the girls while Lathel was napping, so that's why there are none of the baby boy.


Felicity pretending to eat a daffodil




Lorelai posing with a daffodil



Lorelai having fun outside in the spring weather.


I love this picture... it captures a part of her personality I've never quite been able to illustrate... can't really explain it.


Felicity running around with her sister.


Just being silly!


And off they go...


Lagging behind...


Goofball


They are going to love this photo when they become adults.


Felicity is talking to Lorelai as Lorelai leads her around.


Wait... Felicity wants to do the leading.


Holding hands as they make their way to the ditch...


So cautious.


Felicity appears to be explaning something.



One of my favorite photos of Lorelai... the blue sky in the background adds the perfect finishing touch.


I love her pose in this one.


I caught one in flight.