Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Healthy Stuffed Peppers


I got this recipe from parenting magazine back in 2006 and finally tried it! I tweaked the recipe a bit based on what I had in my pantry and my own tastes, so I'll post what I did. (The original called for mushrooms, which I am not fond of, so I often omit them from recipes or avoid recipes altogether if they call for mushrooms!).

4 red bell peppers, halved lengthwise, stems, seeds, and ribs removed
3/4 cup cooked rice
3/4 lb lean ground beef (I think next time I might try half beef and half ground pork)
14.5 oz can seasoned diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
3/4 cup corn
3/4 tsp paprika
1 cup grated low fat colby jack cheese (or enough to top each pepper half)

1. place peppers cut side up in a large roasting pan
2. mix remaining ingredients except cheese in a bowl. fill each pepper half, mounding the tops, then top with cheese. cover pan with foil and bake, covered at 400 degrees for 45 minutes, then uncovered 25 minutes.

You can also freeze the peppers and bake frozen at a later date. Bake covered at 400 for an hour, then uncovered for 25 minutes.

Each half is only 158 calories!

This recipe will be a new family favorite. I am so glad I finally tried it!

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Navy Band Great Lakes Brass Ambassadors




Husband's quintet did a series of kid concerts in schools a few months back. Here is a short clip of them playing in the North Chicago schools. Sadly my camera died soon after this was taken so this is all I have.

Saturday, June 19, 2010

First California Beach Experience




Here is a video of the kids' first California beach experience. Ben wasn't quite sure what to think, he mostly wanted to play in the sand. I don't blame him, that water was COLD!! There were lots of little crabs scurrying along the sand. I picked up some that were in shells but the kids weren't nearly as interested as I was. I apparently didn't do well with video taping the kids because this is a compilation of all the videos I took while at the beach. I had many photos of my daughter with her grandparents, but no videos. Oops!

Friday, June 18, 2010

Eating My Words

There are things I have said in the past, when I was childless, that I SWORE I would never do when I had children. When you are an adult but without children it is so easy to comment on parenting. Little do you know that being a parent is entirely different!

I am about to embark on the long drive from the Chicago area to Pittsburgh with my two small children all on my own. A very frightening thought, in my mind. So my husband decided it was time to buy dual screen portable DVD player. You know, the portable DVD player I SWORE we would never buy because I grew up doing long car trips and NEVER needed one myself? Yeah, that same DVD player just spent 10 hours in the car for a test run. And my goodness, am I glad we purchased them. I have never heard the back seat so pleasant for so long.

So here I sit, tired from the long drive, eating my words. I am sure another situation will happen again soon where I will be feasting again!

Monday, June 14, 2010

Mommy and Me Monday




Seeing the robotic dinosaurs at the Milwaukee Zoo. The kids were so excited, it was difficult to get both of them to look at the camera!


Mommy and Me Monday at Really, Are You Serious?
Hosted by Krystyn

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Can I Do This Alone, Please?

I'm about to open up here, dear readers. This post is not about my children, husband, nor my cats, so you might want to click "next blog" if you are not in the mood to hear about a very embarrassing, personal story.


So I will admit that I grew up being slightly ashamed of my body and embarrassed about its functions. I never asked questions if I had them, which I didn't because I preferred to just be ignorant. So when I got my first period, on vacation with my parents, and my mom bought me pads, I just assumed that is what I have to use. I never asked her otherwise, and I never asked my older sister. Tampons were a weird and foreign concept in my mind and I didn't care to try them. Water sports were avoided certain times of the month... good thing I wasn't into competitive swimming!

Fast forward to my trip to Los Angeles last weekend. Day before we get on the plane my period arrives. So I think... Great, I promised Jordan a trip to the beach and using the hotel pool. I cannot get out of this whatsoever, she would be crushed! So I insist we find a store before going to the beach so I can buy my first ever box of tampons. I am 28 years old and have NO idea what I am doing. I feel like a 12 year old sneaking a tampon out of her mom's bathroom and reading the instructions. "If this is your first time using a tampon, relax". Ok... Got it... relax. You know what? I'm an idiot. Really? That was so NOT a big deal! One tampon and I am totally a converted user!!

Anyway, here comes the punchline to my personal story. We were on our way to dinner one evening, meeting up with husband's family the second night we were there. I have to use the rest room and take my daughter with me in case she needs to go too. We get into the stall and I take out a new tampon. My 3 year old, a stickler for rules that were set by anyone but mommy, sees me take the tampon out and starts yelling at me in the stall "NO SMOKING MOMMY! NO SMOKING!!" I assure her I am NOT smoking, and she stares at me as I change the tampon. As we leave the stall she asks "mommy, when are you going to take that out?"

Next month I am doing this ALONE!

Friday, June 11, 2010

Preview

My blog has been on a bit of a hiatus. Here are two teaser pictures from our recent trip to Los Angeles!