May 29

Foodie Fridays: 5 Ways to Eating Your 5-A-Day

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Moms are always nagging kids to eat their vegetables, but we sometimes struggle to get our own servings of the healthy stuff. Here are five steps to eating the recommended five servings of fruits and vegetables per day.

1. Pack ‘em in. Marketing does influence our brains and grab-and-go bags of apple slices and carrots make you more likely to choose a healthier option over the cookie or bag of chips.

2. Eat your veggies and fruit first. Got the munchies while you’re making dinner? Snack on raw veggies or fruit while you make dinner. Dive into the veggies on your plate before you put your fork into your protein or your carbs. They will fill you up faster and guarantee you fit in another serving.

3. Serve up a smoothie. Smoothies aren’t just for breakfast. They are an easy way to fit in your five servings of fruits and vegetables. Check out my smoothie recipe from a few weeks ago —

     http://3girlsandapug.com/?s=smoothies

4. Make a list. Write down all of fruits and veggies that you like and then scour your recipe books or online websites for new ways to enjoy the healthy favorites you already adore.

5. Try something new. I’ve cruised past fruits and veggies at the Farmer’s Market that I’ve never seen or even heard of.  We’ve given new fruits and vegetables a try and have found some great recipes online to take these new items for a test run.

Question: How do you get your fill of fruits and veggies in everyday?

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May 27

Wildcard Wednesdays: Taking Home Tootsie

Wildcard Wednesdays 1 Comment »

We brought Tootsie home this weekend and I think I deserve some serious accolodes from my third-grader for my good deed. Tootsie is her class hamster. She has no idea what a sacrifice this was for me as a motherd to allow a hamster in our home. I saw it as such a sacrfice that I want her to share the Tootsie story at my funeral some day as an example of the lengths I will go to to make my children happy at the expense of my own happiness.

I love pets. I write about pets. I’ve owned several pets over the years. But since we had a mouse infestation in our house (one of those lovely perks of building your own home that no one tells you) I can’t even think about a mouse without my skin crawling. Unfornately, all of these little pocket pets –hamsters, gerbils, mice, rats, etc.—all fit into this category for me now. I couldn’t watch The Tale of Desperaux or Ratatouille. It literally made me want to gag.

But when I looked into those big, earger, blue eyes of my daughter I couldn’t resist the begging anymore. She’s been begging me to bring Tootsie home all year and I’ve balked at every opportunity. The very thought of it makes the back of my throat start to get furry. But I didn’t want to disappoint her or pass on my fear of beady-eyed creatures on to my daughter, so I acquiesced and let her bring Tootsie home.

Overall, it was a positive experience. Aggie, our pug, was jealous. But that’s no surprise. She hates sharing affection and attention with anyone or anything. My husband volunteered (out of coercion) to supervise all out-of-cage experiences with Tootsie, so I didn’t have to fear any quick getaways by our furry visitor.

On Tuesday morning as I walked with my daughter to school, cage in hand, she beamed with pride. And frankly, so did I. I had overcome a fear or weakness of mine to provide a positive experience for my daughter. As she stood amongst her friends bragging about her awesome weekend of bonding with Tootsie she was in 8-year-old heaven. Some of her classmates, who had crowded around the cage to watch Tootsie scurry around his cage, piped up and said, “My mom hates rodents and won’t let me bring him home,” or “I wish I could bring Tootsie home but my mom won’t let me.”

 I turned to her and said, “See what a cool Mom you have. I let you do this even though it made me really uncomfortable.”

She looked up at me and said, “Hmmm…” Not exactly oozing with gratitude. But someday she’ll speak about her mother and hopefully remember that I put her needs above my own and made charitable sacrifices for her happiness. It’s one of the gems of motherhood that you have to wait 10 years, or 20 years, or many years until your children can verbalize appreciation for what you’ve done to guarantee them a happy childhood. I just hope I don’t have to wait until my funeral to have the words spoken.

May 26

Tidy Up Tuesdays: List of Lists

Tidy Up Tuesdays 2 Comments »

 

When I was pregnant, I once went left a week’s worth of groceries in the car for hours until I finally remembered they were still in the car. I used to leave my garage open for so many hours that my neighbor would come over and remind me to close it. I hardly have any brain cells left after having three children. It has eased up a bit since my girls are now older. However, I still fear that if I don’t write things down they won’t get done. As a result, I’m a list-aholic.

My heart goes out to any other moms that are pulled in many directions and are easily distracted by a potty crisis, catfights over toothpaste, and requests for snacks. Here’s a few of my tricks for keeping all of my ducks in a row even when our schedule is overflowing.

1. I love my cell phone calendar. It reminds me of all of our afterschool activities, birthdays, library book due dates, and pretty much everything else I need to remember in a day. When all three of my kids were on different school schedules I had an alert sound from my phone 15 minutes before they got out of school. I don’t know how many times I admittedly would have missed a pickup because I got engrossed in a project or an errand.

2. I love my notebook. I keep a small spiral notebook in my purse where I jot down ideas and notes and I make my weekly to-do lists. I always bite off more than I can chew in a week, but what doesn’t get done that week will be transferred to the next. I’m always amazed at how much I do get done and I try to focus on that and let the rest go. I also jot down my meal plan for the week and my grocery lists here, too. I always tote my notebook around with me and it’s amazing to me how many times I am glad I have had my meal plan list or grocery list tucked into my notebook when I’m out and about during the day.

3. I love lined sticky notes. On top of my weekly to-do list I paste a sticky note (I love the lined ones, but regular ones work, too) to write down reminders of what I must do that day. It’s handy for last minute things that come up that might not make the weekly to-do list. It also helps me to feel less overwhelmed about what I am trying to accomplish in a day if I can cross items off the short list. There is something really gratifying about crossing items off a list.

4. I love the fridge list. I keep a list of our doctors on our fridge so it’s easy for anyone to access it. It’s amazing how many doctors we have when you put them all on one list. After having a child with severe health problems, I learned that paramedics go the fridge first to look for medical information. They recommend having as much health history written on the sheet as well as medications each person in your home is taking.

Question: What do you do to remember all of the things you have to do in a day?

 

May 25

Mommy Monday: Memorable Memorial Day

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What are you doing to enjoy your Memorial Day?

May 22

Foodie Fridays: Grill It Up This Weekend

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Before I was pregnant with my first child I was practically a vegetarian. I really hadn’t been a fan of red meat in my life and I was started to have issues with eating chicken. I would say my meat issues had more to do with the texture than a health or ethical issue. Regardless, I was nearly a vegetarian until my 18th week of pregnancy. That’s when I began craving meat.

I was at the grocery store staring at the raw red meat while the butcher put out freshly cut steaks. Normally I would have been completely grossed out to even look that directly, but today I was hovering over the counter and nearly salivating over the thick cuts of meat. He asked if he could help me find anything and I replied, without thinking before speaking, “I want meat.” He looked at me a bit puzzled, so I felt the need to explain my condition. I touched by my blossoming bump and said, “I’m pregnant, but I don’t eat red meat, but staring at this meat is making me want some. Now.”

He laughed and said, “What kind do you want?” I had no idea what was what or how to cook any of it. He began giving me the 411 on beef and I was hooked on grilled beef for the rest of my pregnancy. (Ironically, all of that meat eating produced a nearly vegeterian child. Go figure.)

Since many Americans will be serving up favorites from the BBQ grill this weekend I thought I’d pass on of my favorite and easiest recipes from the grill. Enjoy!

Question: What do you like to grill? What’s your favorite tip for perfect food hot off the grill?

 

Canadian Grilled Meat

Your favorite meat (poultry, fish, pork or beef all work well with this mix of seasonings)

¼ cup Canadian Steak Seasoning (a.k.a. Montreal Steak Steak Seasoning)

¼ cup olive oil

1/8 cup red wine vinegar

½ cup water

Let marinade for at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours. Grill and serve with your favorite side dishes. 

May 21

Tried and True Thursdays: Fun in the Sun

Tried and True Thursdays 2 Comments »

With Memorial Day weekend upon us many families will be hitting the pool and the beach to kick off the unofficial first weekend of summer. Stock up now on the essentials you’ll need to stay safe and cool this summer.

1. Target Spray Sunscreen. Thank goodness someone invented spray-on sunscreen. Thank you from mothers and kids everywhere. We use sunscreen every single day all spring and summer long and I’ve tested nearly every brand. Not only is the generic Target brand the cheapest of all of the spray-on sunscreens, I think it’s the best quality. Some of the other brands come out thick and goopy and others are just over-priced but don’t offer a better product. (Sunscreen is one of the many products you can have reiumbursed by your Flexible Spending Account, too. So make sure you keep the receipt and get paid back for protecting your family from skin cancer.)

2. Banana Boat Stick Sunblock. As much as I love the spray-on sunscreens, they just don’t work on faces. The old-fashioned creams are a pain, too, and inevitably get in the eyes of a wiggly toddler. But look no longer, I have found a great solution to covering the eyes,ears, nose and mouth (really…I’m not kidding) of your children. The sunblock stick goes on like a giant chapstick but it’s not greasy and messy but it offers great coverage.

3. Flavored Ice. My friend introduced me to flavored ice and I fell in love. It’s great in lots of drinks and even in just plain old water. Emeril would say it kicks it up a notch. Yes, you’re paying $2.50 for ice, but on a summer day when you’re tired of the same ol’ thing, it’s a nice way to find refreshment with a twist. It’s comes in lemon, lime, and orange varieties.

4. Fudgsicles. At only 100 calories these yummy childhood classics are healthier than a scoop of ice cream and they cool you off on a hot day while satisfying your chocolate cravings.

Question: What do you use to cool off and prevent sunburns during the dog days of summer?

May 20

Wildcard Wednesdays: Organizing Play Groups

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It’s always a careful balance in the summer between having down time to hang out and relax and dealing with the “I’m bored” melodrama. In an effort to curb the summer blahs I try to organize flexible summer play groups.

First, I make a list of all of the fun activities in our area that are free. For example, our local Edwards movie theatre does a Family Movie Film Festival and shows older G- and PG-rated movies twice a week on summer mornings. We also hit the area pools, beaches, parks and hiking trails.

Other ideas of things that are free include the following: programs at the mall, concerts and plays in the park, library storytimes and craft activities, area park programs, movies under the stars, and Farmer’s Markets.

Once I have a good long list of options I compile a schedule of activities. You may want to limit the list to one activity per day or you can list all of the activities that are ongoing, even if they conflict with others, to give people more options.

Next, I compile a list of moms and their phone numbers who are available during the daytime and are interested in joining the summer festivities. I attach their names and numbers to the back of the activity schedule and put a magnet on the back so it can be placed on the fridge. These can be moms you know from playgroups, school, church or other organizations. It helps if the moms already know each other on a casual basis.

The idea is that moms on the list can call any and all of the other moms on the list to join them for an outing. Hopefully, the list serves as a calling tree and makes for an easy and accessible way to have everyone join in on the fun. This way you can still be flexible and go where the wind blows you but if you need to get out of the house and enjoy the sunshine you have ideas at your fingertips for what you can do for free in your area with other families.

Question: What is your favorite free summer activity in your area?

May 19

Tidy-Up Tuesdays: Taming the Paper Monster

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My kids pile stuff on it and then run. It scares my husband and frankly sometimes it scares me. No matter how much I fight it, the monster still exists.

The monster I’m referring to is my paper pile on my kitchen countertop. It’s amazing how much I try to stay on it yet it continues to pile up. It’s really a mix of mail, must-dos and papers from school. Even in the green world in which we live we’re still far from a paperless system, and every mom yearns for a day when the paper monster will be tamed. But it’s the unfortunate reality of having kids in school, keeping up with a busy life, and managing a household.

 While it’s clearly not a perfect system in our home, we’ve tried to tame the beast by taking a few rather painless steps to slaying the monster.

 1.  Don’t feed the beast. When I get the mail every day I head straight to the trash can or recycling bin to get rid of the non-essential papers. Even being on the anti-junk mail lists we still get a remarkable amount of junk mail that goes straight to the trash or the shredder. Everyone should own a shredder and use it regularly.

 2. Don’t get burned by the dragon’s fire. I bought a handy filing box in faux leather to hold all of my bills and I also use it as my temporary filing system. Bills and important papers are filed into my handy filer. I have files for recipes I want to try–one for each of my kids to hold the school papers I want to hold on to, medical insurance problems to be dealt with, etc. I try to have folders for things that need a home but aren’t ready to be tossed or put in “dry” storage either. For example, when you make a phone call on a problem and even though the customer service rep says to you, “This should be fixed in the next month,” it’s still a good idea to keep the paperwork handy to double check in a month.

3. Don’t let the beast eat the masterpiece. I pile up my kids favorite masterpieces from school and their proudest accomplishments all year in a basket on a high bookshelf. Within the first week of summer break we go through the big pile and save whatever will fit in the box that we label for the year and put in “dry” storage in the garage. I let them make the call on what stays and what goes, but they can’t save more than what we have room for. Sometimes we take a photo with the posterboard to preserve the memory of the project instead of keeping the huge momento as a memorial. The kids actually love the process of going through their stuff and saying goodbye to another year of school while reminiscing in the good times they’ve had. It’s a good way to cap off a school year with a trip down memory lane.

Question: What do you do to slay your paper monster?

 

May 18

Mommy Mondays: My Furry Baby

Mommy Monday 3 Comments »

Sunday morning at 5 a.m. I had a visitor at my bedside. It wasn’t my 3-year-old with another nightmare about spiders or my older children needing a drink. It was my first born. My furry baby. My pug, Aggie. She had a tummy ache and wanted some comfort. I was exhausted from a long Saturday and didn’t get to bed until almost midnight. Needless to say, I wasn’t thrilled about my visitor and my husband was even less thrilled.

The pains of guilt I felt for inducing her stomach ache prompted me to hop out of bed and attend to her needs. We’d been gone for more hours than we’d planned on Saturday and when she gets lonely she refuses to eat. (Normally when we’re gone for long periods we send her to her “Auntie’s” house so she doesn’t have to be home alone.) But we were delayed on Saturday and got home later than expected and Aggie had given herself what I’ve diagnosed as a pug ulcer caused by Post-Dramatic Pug Disorder.

Aggie is not a normal dog. Anyone who has spent any amount of time with her knows this. Pugs in general are more human than canine, but Aggie got an extra dose of human. She’s a diva. She’s a drama queen. She’s needy. But I created the monster that she is so I have to deal with the consequences. Sunday at 5 a.m. the consequence was my own lack of sleep. Eventually I enticed her to eat and she was fine, but we were both exhausted.

Several weeks ago we heard noise coming from the girls’ bedroom long after we’d put them to bed. We opened the door a crack and to our surprise saw Aggie pouncing on the kids stuffed animals. The girls had lined up their animals on the floor in a careful row. Aggie, who had also been put to bed hours earlier, was wrapping her teeth around the jugular of her plush victims. Next she’d thrash it around before spitting it out and moving on downt the line. I don’t know what was more shocking – the fact that it was 11 p.m. and she was awake and playing in the dark of the night or that she’s 10 years old and was acting like a puppy. After several weeks of catching her in the act we actually had to put her in the toy-less room at night so she’d go to sleep.

Question: What stunts is your pet up to?

Check out Aggie on the inside pages of Puppies USA magazine in an article that Ann wrote for the 2009 Issue.

 

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May 15

Foodie Friday: Best Ever Triple Chocolate Macademia Nut Cookies

Foodie Fridays 1 Comment »

Move over Sandra Lee, I’m the semi-homemade queen. These Triple Chocolate Macademia Nut cookies are easy and delicious. Everyone will ask you for the recipe, but you can’t give it up because it’s too easy and it will blow your cover. It’s one step above the refrigerated cookie dough on the lazy mom scale.

Ingredients:

1 package Betty Crocker Double Chocolate Chunk Cookie mix

1/2 cup chopped macademia nuts

1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Directions:

Follow the package instructions, add in nuts and white chocolate chips and bake.

They rival anything at the cookie counter at Mrs. Fields in the mall. I made these a few weeks ago for the first time and my 3 year-old took a bite, chewed partially, opened her mouth to show me the yumminess, and then gave me two thumbs up. That’s better than a ribbon at the county fair!

 

 

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