Magic Carpet Cleaner

"Cleaning your house while your kids are still growing is like shoveling the walk before it stops snowing."

-- Phyllis Diller

Now, I am not the world's best housekeeper.   It's not that I don't like cleaning.  I really don't mind it.  It's the picking up everybody's *stuff* in order to clean that really gets me.  So things get stained or dirty, and it kind of disappears in a mess of . . . stuff.*  Like some stains on the basement carpet.  The Wii Fit board fit nicely over them, so they've kind of been hidden and hence out of mind.

So, I pinned this a few weeks ago with exactly these stains in mind.  Of course, I completely forgot about it until I was looking for another pin. 

lizzy writes: magical carpet cleaner



I decided to give it a try.  In reading the directions, I couldn't really see the point of sprinkling on the baking soda, especially if this is a worked-in, old, dried-up stain like mine was.  If you're vacuuming it up, it's not going to react with the vinegar anyway.  But, to be fair, I did sprinkle it on some stains and didn't sprinkle it on others.  It made no difference.  ALL the stains came out.  See for yourself. 

I didn't have to scrub like I do when I use commercial carpet cleaners.  I dabbed.  Gently.  And these stains had been here a while.  Maybe a year or more. 

 

The extra nice part?  The carpets did not smell of vinegar at all. They have a nice citrusy, clean smell to them. So, finally another use for that HUGE bottle of white vinegar that sits in my pantry all year until easter comes along!

Eating the Alphabet - "C" Week

"C is for Cookie.  That's good enough for me." -- Cookie Monster

Wow!  Were the kids ever excited about "C" week.  Who would have guessed.  Until they listed all the c foods they could:  cookies, candy, chips, chocolate chips, cocoa, cream (as in whipped), corn dogs, cheese.......They went on forever!  And sure, I threw some of those in there as well.  Corn dogs are a nice easy dinner on those nights we have to run out for sports.

Cantaloupe - This is not a new food for us, but one I know everyone will eat if they have to.  W actually requested it in his lunch box (since the cherries made his lips itch).  We cut into one and it was so ripe and juicy that the juice spilled all over the counter and down the cabinets.  (I have never had that happen to me before.)  This was the sweetest most delicious cantaloupe I have ever eaten.

Carrots -  Made a fun salad for the boys with carrots, cucumbers and dried cranberries. 

Cauliflower - I've seen this for weeks in the store and now I had a reason to buy it.  As far as I have known my entire life, cauliflower has always been white.  I had now idea it came in a myriad of colors.  Sauteed with some olive oil and garlic, it was delicious.  (And pretty.)  They boys tried but didn't like. 

Cherries - Yum!  We've tried cherries before and W has tried and eaten them.  Now, however, both B and W eat them and B even asked for them in his lunch box.  (Unfortunately W seemed to have an allergic reaction to them.  He is staying away from them for a while.)  And again, these were highly endorsed by the guinea pig.  He's not that into fruits, so even he surprised me.

Coconut Water - This got a big thumbs down by everyone.  I mean, water shouldn't be sweet.  I don't know what I was expecting.  Plain water that was maybe fortified by coconuts somehow.  We won't be spending money on this one anymore.

Cous cous - Here was a big surprise.  Neither of the boys liked the cous cous.  They both eat rice so I thought they would enjoy this.  I even sprinkled it with some parmesan cheese to give it a little added flavor.  No go.  My friends said next time I should try the pasta-like pearl cous cous.

Cranberries (we ate Craisins) - A huge hit.  They LOVE them on salad.

Cucumber -W is into these mini cucumbers that we found at the store.  So he gets those in his lunchbox.

And for fun, as a family, we hit up one of our favorite fast-food restaurants as well.  Chick-fil-A.  Gotta keep that theme going.

And I even had my own special C week treat.  A chocolate chip frappe from McDonalds.

 

Bacon and Egg Stuffed Avocados

"...the avocado is a food without rival among the fruits, the veritable fruit of paradise" -- David Fairchild

Oh, how I love avocados.  That smooth, creamy texture.  The beautiful green color.  Although technically a fruit, I always have thought of it as a vegetable.  And how strange, to me, to just want to pick up a vegetable and eat it buy itself.

Now, as mentioned before, I am not an adventurous cook, and and loathe to try to combine different foods.  Avocados in my mind are good for eating, by themselves, or being made into guacamole.  Or when you find one of those HUGE ones at the Asian market, filling the middle with chicken salad.  (I already told you he's amazing with food!)  So I was shocked to see recipes on Pinterest where you actually cooked the avocado.  What?  That seems SO wrong.  But, since I love them so much, I had to try to see if they could be even better.  And they can be. 

Not too long ago, I found a breakfast recipe using avocados.  For real?  It comes from Recipe by Photo and you can see it here.  Bacon & Egg Stuffed Avocados

(I love step by step pictures.  It lets me know I am going in the right direction with my recipe.)

Man, I was so excited to try this.  And it is quite good.  Maybe I overcooked it a little, because the egg was a little drier than I would have liked.  And despite the bacon, it lacked a salt flavor, so maybe next time I would sprinkle some cheese on as well?  But overall, quite a great breakfast dish.  Packed with protein.  I was not at all hungry until lunch.

 

 

(From my board "What's for Breakfast?)

Eating the Alphabet - "B" Week

It's B week!

I may be carrying this alphabet thing a little to the extreme.  While out at the Glenmore Country Club in Virginia for mother's day with my in-laws, I came across a bean, beet and blue cheese salad.  In all fairness, I only got it because I wanted the boys to try the beets that were in it, but this salad was AMAZING!!!!!  I wish I had taken a picture because I can't find anything on the internet that even comes close to what this was.  (If I tell my MIL, she'll get the chef there to hand-write the recipe for me.  Yep.  She's that kind of determined woman.)  So the boys tried the beets and of course that was met with a chorus of loud, disgusted "yucks." 

So this week, the boys came grocery shopping with me and helped me pick out B foods.  Bananas was on the list.  Broccoli, baloney, Boston lettuce, bell pepper, beef and Boston Cream Pie Poke cake.  I did refrain from offering them brussel sprouts and bok choy.

Again, the verdict.

Beets - disgusting
Boston lettuce - tastes like regular (romaine) lettuce.  Even the guinea pig approved
Bell pepper - not liked by the boys, but again, the guinea pig was more than happy to eat their
               portions
baloney - B's preference and he ate it for lunch.  W still doesn't like it
Broccoli - ewwww.  Please see my post for Best Broccoli of your life (NOT)
Beef - DH and I enjoyed it very much
Basmati rice - both boys ate 2 helpings
Boston Cream Pie poke cake - THE highlight of the week.

They are very excited about C week next week.  To them, the possibilities are enldess - candy, cake, cookies, chips, etc.  I did have to remind them that there are other things that start with the letter C, such as cauliflower and carrots.  We'll see how we do.

Boston Cream Pie Poke Cake

“We must have a pie. Stress cannot exist in the presence of a pie.” -- David Mamet

 

My mother-in-law is a lady who knows everything.  She knows everyone in the family's likes and dislikes, preferences, etc.  And she will tell you and anyone else will to listen what those are.  For example, recently she took myself and her niece to a parenting lecture.  It was a fun morning and we all enjoyed ourselves immensely.  She offered to take us to lunch, and not being people to pass up free food, Kelly and I both agreed.  We ended up at the Corner Bakery, a restaurant chain very similar to Panera.  I was told we went because that was where Kelly prefered to go.  She was told the same about me.  Now, we're both smart enough, and experienced enough to know that was were Elaine wanted to go, but she'll never admit that out loud.  Whatver!  Free lunch is free lunch.
 
A few years ago, I had bought a Boston Cream Pie for something.  Is Boston Cream Pie a pie or a cake?  Anyone?  I think it's one of those things I never really figured out.  Anyways, upon seeing it,
my MIL said, "Oh that's Michael's (DH) favorite cake."  Really????  I never knew that.  Apprently neither did my husband.  So now it has become a standing joke that Boston Cream Pie is his favorite.  So when I came across this recipe from the Country Cook on Pinterest, I had to make it.  Boston Cream Pie Poke Cake
 
 

 

Now this is my kind of recipe.  Everything is ready made and you just kind of throw it together.  Quick and easy.  The kids were very involved in all parts of this.  They especially enjoyed poking the holes in the cake.  And that's when the realization hit me.  I tried a poke cake last summer using jello.  I think the reason that it didn't work is that I didn't poke the holes big enough.  I mean, I used a skewer, not a spoon handle.  Anyway, we followed this recipe to a T and it was AMAZING.  It was gone in 2 days.  And was a perfect "B" recipe to end our Eating the Alphabet week with.

(From my board "Eat Dessert First")

Best Broccoli of Your Live (NOT!)

"I do not like broccoli.  And I haven't liked it since I was a little kid and my mother made me eat it.  And I'm president of the United States and I'm not going to eat any more broccoli." --
George H.W. Bush

So, I have concluded that not everything on the internet is true.  Despite what the commercial for State Farm says.  If you haven't seen it, watch here:    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmx4twCK3_ITake

For example take the following pin on Pinterest:

 

Best Broccoli of your Life

 

 

The pin that I repinned, had the following comment:  "The Best Broccoli of Your Life. A friend said it tasted like a Ruggles (its a fancy restaurant in Houston, TX) style veggie. MAKE THIS. My husband HATES vegetables. And he absolutely loves, loves, loves this dish. He even talks about it to his friends and family. A fantastic broccoli recipe. Probably the best broccoli of your life."

 

I've mentioned it before.  I am not a huge fan of veggies.  But broccoli is one of the vegetables that I do tolerate, and actually it is one of the only green vegetables that my kids will actually put in their mouths and injest.  But "THE BEST BROCCOLI OF MY LIFE?"  This has to be killer recipe.  DH has been out of town during the week, so I decided to make him a nice dinner for his homecoming.  Beef, basmati rice, and broccoli.  (Yes, I am aware they all start with the letter "B," but that is a completely different post.)

 

I prepared it exactly according to the recipe.  I usually err on the lesser time if there is a range because you can always cook something longer, but you can't uncook it once it's ruined.  It looked beautiful.  It looked exactly like the picture, which is why I didn't take a picture myself. 

 

However, it tasted horrible.  Oh, the lemon and garlic and everything was very tasty, and yes, there were crispy spots, but it was dry and horrible and stuck in your throat.  Even DH who will eat anything, literally, said "I'd rather eat plain steamed broccoli with nothing on it."  Ouch!   I can't believe he criticized my cooking like that.  And the kids, who as I mentioned above actually eat broccoli, took one look and announced that it would not even cross their lips.  I made them try it, and they did.  If you count a little itty bitty lick as a taste.  And now have probably ruined broccoli forever for them.  This is one recipe that will not be gracing our table ever again.

 

That being said, the beef was marinated in a delicious balsamic, dijon, and garlic marinade which I also found on pinterest here:  Balsamic Beef Marinade 

 

This was delish!  And although we don't eat steak very often, I will be making this again.  It was quick, easy and delicious!

For dessert tonight, there will be Boston Cream Pie Poke Cake.  But as I haven't actually cut into it, I will save that for another post - when I can honestly say whether it was a success or failure.

Anyway, I hope the girl from the commercial actually reads this post so she too can realize that everything on the internet, is in actuality, not true.



(I just realized that my marinade "Balsamic" started with the letter B as well.  Totally unintentional, but fully appreciated.)



From my board, "The belly rules the mind."

 

Eating the Alphabet - "A" Week

"A" is for Alphabet

 

 

This is my own little contribution to my blog and maybe sometime someone will see it and pin it to Pinterest where it will become an overnight sensation, and moms everywhere will thank me for such an amazing idea.  (One can dream!)

My 2 boys are notoriously picky eaters.  (I wonder where they get that from.)  I am shocked that W has not turned into a chicken nugget himself.  We go out to restaurants, he wants chicken nuggets.  I ask what they want at home for dinner and he says chicken nuggets.  It is at the base of his food pyramid of what he actually eats.

But the funny thing is, they do eat some foods that a lot of other people don't eat.  Soft-shell crabs anyone?  So I guess they are selectively picky.

So, we've got to change these eating habits.  I have bribed, begged, pleaded and threatened to no avail.  I want them to try new things, but make it fun at the same time.  So I came up with the idea of alphabet eating.  Each week, we are going to try new or differently prepared foods that start with a particular letter of the alphabet.  And to make it easy, we'll just start with the letter A and go alphabetically. 

Sounds like a great idea in theory.  And they were totally on board with it.  "What are we going to eat for X week mommy/"  That's 24 weeks away.  I can't worry about it now when I'm wondering how I"m going to pull off A week.  This has to be fun.  I can't just shove asaparagus and artichokes and anchovies on their plates and tell them to eat up.  So there will be some different foods, and some that we already eat.  After all, I don't want them to starve. 

I had a couple of ideas of what to buy for A.  So I went to the store and started looking around.  Right there in the produce section, the first thing I saw was Acai juice.  It seems like Acai is the new pomagranate because it is everywhere.  In juice, in yogurt, as a supplement.  Touting it's antioxident and vitamin C benefits.  Since I have never actually seen the actual fruit, I decided to go with the juice.  And I kept walking through the store to see what I could find.  Artichokes?  No, too difficult to prepare.  What's this?  An Asian pear?  Never heard of it, but they eat pears so we'll try it.  Anchovies?  Ick.  I wouldn't even eat them.

So here are the verdicts:

Acai juice - not bad, but has kind of a funny aftertaste.  Glad we tried it but we won't buy it again.

 

 

 

 

Almonds - both boys actually said they had tried them and liked them.  This is being added to our list
           of approved snacks

Apricot - we had to go with dried as fresh is not in season.  They don't particularly care for dried
           fruits to start with , but they willingly each ate one.

Avocado - both willingly tried it.  W does not like the texture, and B would prefere it as guacamole

Asian Pear - this was the biggest surprise of the week.  They both eat apples and pears and this is a pear that looks like an apple.  They each took a bite and turned their noses up.  Said it was too sour.  In all fairness, my mother-in-law both agreed that it does have a crisp tartness to it, but still sweet.

Angel Food Cake - we had to end the week with something yummy!

So all in all, I think it was a success.  I am not expecting them to like everything, but they know they have to try it and give it a fair shot.  I'm glad they liked the almonds, and I am looking forward to eating more Asian pears myself. 

Baby Chimp

For every minute you remain angry, you give up sixty seconds of piece of mind. 

--Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

 

 

For anyone who needs that piece of mind today....

You're welcome!