Happy Birthday Boy 1.

Six years ago this month I was laying in a hospital bed praying with everything in me to just make it through another day, another week of what had been a horribly scary pregnancy.

Things changed on April 10th. That day, my doctor decided things were getting a little too risky and that although still 4 weeks early it was better for everyone to go ahead and deliver.

After many tears, phone calls, prayers, and two units of blood I was taken to the O.R. In what seems like only minutes later, I was kissing the head of my sweet baby boy.

He was here.

He had all ten fingers and all ten toes.

He was early, but for the most he was okay, just the expected breathing complications.

He was taken to the NICU where he could be given oxygen and the monitored care he needed. We expected an NICU length of at least 3 weeks, but even as a newborn he had his own way of doing things. After a terrifying Code Blue call, and an emergency baptism with our family priest things started getting better. We left the NICU after only 17 days with a note from the doctor declaring him to be “a healthy, hard-headed handful”.

I’m happy to say in the last six years that doctor’s report hasn’t changed much. My sweet boy is very much still healthy, hard-headed, and man is he a handful.

    In honor of this new milestone, I’d like to share one of his favorite things to make.

It’s “semi-homemade” because sometimes that’s just how we roll in the non Betty Crocker or Martha Stewart world.

        Dirt Cake

You’re going to need
1/3 cup butter or margarine
1 8oz container of Cool Whip
1 package of Oreo cookies
2 packages of vanilla pudding mix
1 8oz container of cream cheese
1 cup powered sugar
3.5 cups of milk

Start by creaming the butter, cream cheese, and powered sugar together.

Now, in a separate bowl whisk the pudding mix, milk, and cool whip together.

Once that’s whisked together well, combine it with the cream cheese mixture.

This is his  favorite part: Crush the Oreos. It doesnt matter if you do it in a bowl with a cup, or  in a ziplock bag with the a rolling pin just as long as you get them crushed up.

Now all that’s left to do is put it together.

You can either mix the cookies in with the cream cheese pudding mix and serve it in a pail like my kid likes to do, or if you want to be a little “smancy” as he says it, you can make layers in a glass cake pan or serving bowl. To do that you just rotate a layer of crushed cookie and a layer of cream cheese pudding mix, and repeat.

This dessert you have to store in the refrigerator.

So, here’s to my baby's latest trip around the sun. Here’s to the doctors and the nurses that keep things calm and have steady hands in times of crisis, and to the teachers that love my boy in spite of his hard-headed ways.

Happy Birthday baby, I love you to the moon and back!
  
Now, dig in! 

An Easter Side-Dish Or Dessert

Can you believe that Easter Sunday is just around the corner?

I can’t hardly wrap my head around it already being here, even with the daily reminders I get from the kids.        

This will be the first Easter that Boy 2 is really big enough to enjoy decorating eggs and I can’t wait to see what he comes up with.

I’m sure you know by now that my kids are pretty competitive and they make everything, even egg decorating, into a challenge. They always try to out do what they did the year before. I think it’s going to be pretty hard to top the Harry Potter eggs that were made last year. Regardless of what they come up with I’ll love it, and they’ll love doing it. And, that’s all that really matters.

When I think of Easter Sunday, I think of three things: Easter Service, Egg Hunts, and Church Potlucks.

So, I’d like to share an old but favorite recipe for an Easter side dish or dessert, depending on how you see it, that’s perfect for a church potluck or your kitchen table.

Watergate Salad

You’re going to need:

1 can (20 oz.) crushed pineapple in juice, undrained
1 pkg. (3.4 oz) Pistachio flavored instant pudding
1 cup of mini marshmallows
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 1/2 cups of cool whip
   
Start by combining the pineapple (with juice), pistachio pudding, marshmallows. and pecans together in a large mixing bowl.
   
Once that is all mixed together really well you just stir in the cool whip.
   
Now comes the hard part, you need to let it refrigerate at least one hour before serving.
   
If you’re as impatient as me I suggest you grab an ooey gooey Cadbury egg to hold you over while the salad sets.

Trust me, it’s worth the wait. 

New Year, New Job, New Beginings and a New Recipe

Man what a year so far!

I started a new job. It’s been great so far. It’s always intimidating to be the newbie, but they’ve made me feel pretty welcomed. In addition to my new job and the new hours, Sam started daycare. That’s been a bit of a challenge. Well, for me anyways.  He’s in good hands and he really likes playing with kids his age. So, I just keep reminding myself that he loves it.

With the new job came new co-workers, and with new co-workers came new food request. Not recipes, they wanted the actual food. Since I can't really keep samples on the ready, I figured I'd just see if there was a way I could help them help themselves. You see, if I can give them some more recipes, especially ones for the Crock-Pot, then there is no reason why they can't feed themselves. 

This is easy, inexpensive and perfect for football; you can double or triple the recipe for more servings. Plus, it’s Weight Watchers friendly. The filling alone is 4 points plus, with the bun and cheese it comes to 8. It’s a filling complete meal; perfect for lunch or dinner.

It takes about 10 minutes of prep, but 10 minutes of prep to avoid an hour at the stove later is all right by me.

You’re going to need

1 lb Italian turkey sausage, removed from casing
1/2 cup chopped onions
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, chopped in 1/2-inch pieces
1 green bell pepper, chopped in 1/2-inch pieces
1 1/3 cups crushed tomatoes
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
salt and pepper, to taste

To serve it try

6 whole wheat potato rolls
6 slices reduced fat provolone
And, you may want to top with baby spinach

Start by cooking your sausage over medium to high heat.

While it’s cooking, roughly 5 to 6 minutes, you want to break the sausage into smaller bits; kind of what you would do when cooking ground beef or turkey.

Now, add in the onions and garlic, and cook another 2 minutes.

After that, you are ready to transfer it to the Crock-Pot and add the bell peppers, crushed tomatoes, rosemary and pepper.

Cover and cook on low 4 hours.

Just make your sandwiches and you are ready to go.

Silence Is Golden...

Silence is golden.

Unless you have kids..

It was a normal Saturday morning at our house. I was cleaning up the kitchen after breakfast. It was quiet.

It was quiet.

That should have been clue number 1.

As I loaded the dishwasher, I thought to myself "man the kids are being so good".

That should have been clue number 2.

I  continued cleaning still amazed that my children were playing so well together.

Playing well together?

And then it hit me. Like all moms when the quietness, and the good behavior, and the playing well together clicked in my mind I know something was up.

I ventured to the boys room opened the door to find a homemade zip-line.

That's right folks, my kids had worked together to build their very own zip-line.

IN THEIR ROOM!

They did it using only a jump rope, the bunk bed, and a single door knob.

Pretty cool right?

If the 9 year old and the 5 year old hadn't been placing their younger brother in an Easter basket for the ride down I might be a little more proud.