Mommin' It Up!

August 26, 2011

In which the 7-year-old begs for more dinner

I’ve been enjoying my gig as a recipe reviewer on the Shared Tastes Panel for ReadySetEat.com sooo much in general, but one of the specific reasons is that I’ve really discovered some new recipes that my picky children will actually eat. And enjoy. Well, last night I made this recipe for BBQ Chicken Salad and Joshua just went crazy over it!

He kept telling me over and over that it was “the best dinner ever” and he asked me to make it again the next day (which I did not do, because I was out of Hunt’s Petite Diced tomatoes, or I would’ve)! It’s made with Banquet breaded chicken tenders, and I thought to myself when I was getting ready to prepare it, that it really didn’t seem like a very adult meal. BUT I loved it as much as Joshua did! And so did Bobby! It was absolutely deeelicious. Sophie even ate parts of it without fussing about it, and she is soooo picky. She eats mainly peanut butter & crackers and fruit (barely enough to stay alive). But she actually liked it, although I did have to force her to eat the lettuce. 🙂 I will say, the recipe calls for Ranch dressing and I don’t “do” Ranch, so I omitted that, but if you like Ranch then by all means make the recipe as listed. But do it soon! It’s too good to wait!

Now, even though I LOVED the BBQ Chicken Salad, I proved myself capable of making something more sophisticated as well. That’s right, I made EGGPLANT, baby!! Baked Eggplant Parmesan to be exact! This was the first time I’ve ever even purchased an eggplant and I was extremely skeptical of my ability on this one but the recipe was SUPER EASY and it tasted great! Bobby and I were both quite impressed with my efforts.

Finally, I have to mention one other recipe that I adored this month. I *may* have given myself a few pats on the back for this one: Quick Sweet and Sour Pork. I have three words to describe this recipe: YUM, YUM, and YUM! It was so good, I really can’t wait to make it again! Both kids also ate this one, even picky Sophie really liked the La Choy Sweet & Sour sauce on her pineapple.

I’ve loved these recipes but I’ve also loved how ReadySetEat.com not only gives you the recipes, but the complete nutrition information, the convenient Recipe Box so you can always find your faves, and the sale item locator so you can see which items in your chosen recipes are on sale at a grocery store near you. It really has made meal planning so much more easy and so much more FUN for me, and introduced our household to a good new variety of foods. If you haven’t checked it out yet, GO DO IT!! Yes, I am being pushy about this – because it’s a great resource! Go check it out and then come back and tell me which recipes look good to you!

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I am being compensated for my duties on the Shared Tastes Panel. All opinions on the recipes, as well as the reviews on ReadySetEat.com, are my own.

August 26, 2011August 25, 2011

Itsy-Bitsy IT’SGONNAKILLME!

So, remember the FUN ROOM? Well, it is at the back of our house, adjacent to the screen door than leads out to our deck. And earlier this week I noticed that a very industrious spider had built a beautiful, giant web in between the screen and the glass. It was pretty impressive, but I didn’t see said hard-working spider until later.

And when I did see it, I screamed bloody murder and jumped back four feet, even though I was inside the house and it was out. Because THIS is my newest tenant:

(Sorry, due to the fact that it’s sitting on it’s web on clear glass, I cannot seem to get my camera to focus on it. And if I get too close, it moves and when it moves I WET MY PANTS IN FEAR BECAUSE OH EM GEE IT’S FRICKING HUGE AND TERRIFYING!)

It’s big fat body that you see there, is about the size of my thumb. Ugh. I just shivered in fear while I was typing that.

So what is this thing? A heartless human-killer, or just the kind that kills other icky bugs that I should welcome to my window, or is it the kind you put a leash on and take for a walk around the block?

I wish it was the kind that LIVED SOMEWHERE ELSE.

Cause it is freaking this little wimpy girl OUT fer realz. Who wants to come over and capture it for me??

August 24, 2011

Infantino Comforting Play Collection

Since I’ve got a wee little baby guy now, I am enjoying reviewing baby toys with him! We gave away all our old baby toys so it’s nice to have some fun new things for him. Recently we’ve been enjoying Infantino’s Comforting Play collection, which I’m reviewing as part of the Infantino Test Drive program through Mom Central Consulting.

The Comforting Play Collection emphasizes the importance of soft,quiet play. They toys are cuddly and soothing and I really like them a lot! My favorite is the Tag-Along Chimes pictured above. They make the sweetest, quietest tinkling noise and are soft and fun to play with. We keep Jonah’s attached to his car seat straps and he L-O-V-E-S them!

My next favorite from the Comforting Play line is this cute Snuggle Pup! Jonah adores it as well!

This is a really sweet toy. Soft, cute, cuddly – Jonah loves to grab onto it and hug it. But even better, it plays sounds or music (three different kinds) that are soothing and not at all annoying! And the sounds play for 15 minutes before shutting off so I don’t have to keep constantly turning them on again. Yay for the Snuggle Pup! It’s a keeper.

Finally, there’s also a great teething toy in the Comforting Play Collection, the All-Around 1-2-3 Teether. It’s got three different shapes and textures for the three different stages of teething – Jonah likes all three RIGHT NOW.

There are eleven different products in this collection, from wrist rattles to crib toys – there’s something for every baby! All these products make great shower gifts, too! You can check them out at Infantino’s website.

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I am a participant in a Mom Central Consulting campaign for Infantino and have received various Infantino products as part of my participation.