Books I'm Hogging From The Library: The May 30, 2009 Edition

I'm going to use the term "books" rather loosely here.


Lost - The Complete 1st Season and Lost - The Complete 2nd Season :: I don't do "moderation" very well, especially when it comes in the form of a captivating show whose DVDs I can have home for three weeks, and no more. So if you've been wondering where I've been, look to the couch.

Mythbusters - Collection 3 :: Since we haven't had cable TV for two years, I'm looking forward to catching up with these guys.

101 Family Vacation Games: Have Fun While Traveling, Camping, or Celebrating at Home :: I'm still flipping through the book, but have yet to see my two favorite forms of keeping the kids entertained while traveling: faces glued to the TV and stuffing their faces with food.

The Starfish and the Spider: The Unstoppable Power of Leaderless Organizations :: I have a feeling that when I'm done with this book I'll be no closer to resembling a starfish or a spider. "Sloth" is more up my alley these days.

It's So Amazing: A Book about Eggs, Sperm, Birth, Babies, and Families :: Y'all know how much I rave about this series--this is the second one in the bunch. My oldest son has been asking lots of questions lately, so it's time for the next level of our "talk."

New Flavors for Desserts: Classic Recipes Redefined :: There are lots of fruit recipes in this cookbook. And since I'm trying to lose 20 pounds by the end of summer, I'm trying to find ways I can make dessert and eat it too.

Anyone else got their sloth on these days?

Baby Bjorn Bibs

**Revamp of a post from 2007. I am just wild about these bibs., and always get comments about them. And no, I am not given anything for my rave reviews. Just the satisfaction in knowing others find out about a product that's great.**


Just because I'm a card-carrying member of the "I Hate Stuff" Club, that doesn't mean there aren't a few products out there I like.

This is one of them.

So pay attention.

When my first little darling flipped my world upside down nearly eight years ago, I knew nothing about parenting. Of course, that much hasn't changed. But I did learn not to use cloth bibs which mold and vinyl bibs which catch nothing or (gasp!) disposable bibs which clog up the landfill.

And then one day, I discovered Baby Björn Bibs.

[Insert Hallelujah Chorus.]

Since I bought my first one seven years ago, I. have. not. needed. to. replace. it. one. time. I'm on my third child, folks! Seriously--one bib, used three meals a day, every day, has lasted me over seven years.

It is *reusable* at its best--one wipe and it's good to go for the next meal. [Which, in my house, is about every half hour.]

And did I mention the huge catch-all of a scoop? Hubs has been known to stick the bib around a kid's neck and use it as a self-serve snack tray. That's fantastic parenting right there, I don't care who ya are.

So if you have a baby, or a toddler, or just a desperate need to buy some STUFF, I recommend the Baby Bjorn Bib. It makes a great shower gift. I promise.

For more Works For Me Wednesday posts, head over to We Are That Family.

My Life In Pictures

In case you've ever wondered what "A Day In The Life" is like for me, check out my photos from Friday, May 22, 2009.

This picture is just a sampling of my life of leisure:

Snnnerrrrrrk.

I picked out fifty photos that cover my day, from sunup to sundown. Well, minus the "sunup" part, as I don't acknowledge that 6:00 exists more than once a day. Hope you enjoy my glamorous, homeschooling, mom-living kind of day. (Click here to see slideshow with captions).

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Chile Rellenos Burgers

In case you were tripped up by the name of this recipe, I give you, le dict-shun-air-ee:

chile re·lle·no : a stuffed chili pepper that usually contains cheese or meat and is fried or grilled

But silly me, I should know that my readers are refined and intelligent and already knew what "chile rellenos" meant.

As for the rest of you, "Mexican Burgers." Is that better?

These burgers are da bomb. You can fancy them up however you want--avocado, cilantro, whatever. They're great with or without the bread, so YUM. IT. UP.


Chile Rellenos Burgers

1 pound ground beef or ground turkey
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
4 ounces green chiles, drained and diced
1 cup shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese
-----
1/2 cup salsa
2 tablespoons ketchup
4 large sandwich buns
sour cream
lettuce

Mix first eight ingredients. Shape into four patties. Grill for four minutes a side (or cook on George Foreman grill for 4 minutes total). In a small bowl, combine salsa and ketchup. Place burgers on buns; serve with the salsa mixture, sour cream, and lettuce if desired. 4 servings.


More recipes and food talk over at Ann's Food on Fridays and the Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap.

Have a good weekend!

10 Marginally Interesting Ideas For A "Church Service"

I spend a good deal of my time thinking about what "the church" should look like in the 21st century. Riveting, I know. I don't blog about those thoughts very much because frankly, I have a lot more highly negative editorial commentary questions than I have answers.

One thing I do know about our good friend Jesus is that he was a mover and a shaker amongst those with the least. The least amount of...

• money
  
  
• food
  
  
• good health
  
  
• friends
  
  
• good behavior
  
  

And that's what I envision "the church" should look like today. Not just a one-hour weekly show service, but regular service to those with the least.

Shaun recently talked about a church in India that is doing just that. (Great post, by the way. Read it if you haven't already.) He then issued a blog-wide challenge to write about how the church in America could carry out the following motto: "Our witness is our service."

I'm no dreamer with a vision. But what I do have are ten solid ideas--projects that you, your family, or your church could do to serve those around you:

1. Make no-sew fleece blankets for chronically ill children in the hospital
   
   
2. Assemble care packages for homeless men and women
   
   
3. Host a baby shower with gifts going to the local pregnancy center
   
   
4. Run a food drive alongside another community event
   
   
5. Send cards and personal items to local men and women serving overseas in the military
   
   
6. Request a "wish list" from area teachers and then give them the needed supplies
   
   
7. Get to know your neighbors (idea #2) (idea #3) (idea #4) to build community and help meet their needs (friendship being a major need)
   
   
8. Provide a day of free medical services for those without insurance
   
   
9. Give away popsicles at the park
   
   
10. Provide clothing, shoes, and other items for foster care famil in your town
    
    

My hope is that the list sparks something that you could do in your community. What ideas would you add to this list?

(Be sure to check Shaun's blog where he has posted a compiled list of everyone who blogged on this topic.)

Spicy Grilled Chicken

I know that 17.75 of you will reject this recipe outright because you see the word "spicy." But in this case, "spicy" doesn't refer to "flaming hot," but to the actual number of spices used--many. I tried to rename the recipe, but somehow "Chicken That's Been Marinated With A Whole Heap Of Things And Then Cooked On The Grill To Perfection" didn't clear things up at all.

That aside, this is my favorite recipe for grilled chicken. The meat is always tender and flavorful. The ingredients look a little weird, but trust me: Weird is good.

That's also my personal motto.

Enjoy.


Spicy Grilled Chicken

3/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup grapefruit juice
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, or olive oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
1 whole garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons rubbed sage
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon pepper
6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

In a large resealable plastic bag (cereal bag!) or shallow glass container, combine all ingredients except the chicken breasts; mix well. Reserve 1/3 cup for basting and refrigerate. Add chicken to remaining marinade and turn to coat. Seal bag or cover container; refrigerate overnight. Drain and discard marinade. Grill chicken, uncovered, over medium coals for 3 minutes on each side. Baste with reserved marinade. Continue grilling for 6-8 minutes or until juices run clear, basting and turning several times.

Notes:

• This marinade freezes well. When bringing chicken home from the store, place meat in freezer bag along with appropriate amount of marinade. Thaw and grill as directed.

• If there are leftovers, the chicken can be served cold over a salad the next day.
  
  
• On the George Foreman (the only grill I own), the chicken cooks in about 7 minutes.
  

More recipes over at Ann's Food on Fridays and the Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap.

Also--as summer draws nigh, be sure to check out several of my other recipes great for outdoor gatherings.

Hiking The Oregon Trails

Hiking is going to be my exercise addiction for the summer, I've decided. Of course by saying "the summer," I really mean "three days."

Recently I took the kids and the Hubs on a hike through our state's largest park, Silver Falls. If you're a local Oregonian and want more info on hiking that park with kids, check out my latest article over at KATU.com.

And even if you aren't a local, you can at least take a minute to check out the view of my back side. I think Hubs takes those shots just to get me firmly attached to my other summer addiction: jiggling off the Play-Doh.

Here's to good hiking and "fun" summer addictions, my interwebby friends.

Books I'm Hogging From The Library: The May 9, 2009 Edition

Anyone else have librarians who know you by name? First, middle, and last? Mmm-hmmm. Here's my stash for the week:

Country Music: The Masters :: If I hear any snickering, I will HUNT YOU DOWN and leave a BIZARRE COMMENT on your blog. Oh wait. I do that already.

A Child's Introduction to Ballet: The Stories, Music, and Magic of Classical Dance :: I'm thinking of taking a year of the kids' "fine arts" schooling to focus on something besides The Masters. Because our good buddy Picasso? HE IS DEAD TO ME. So I'm tossing around the idea of doing a segment on dance. Why not?

(As a side note, PUN INTENDED, the orchestra book in the same series is a real winner.)

Get Known Before The Book Deal: Use Your Personal Strengths To Grow An Author Platform :: I still have no desire to write a book. But! I decided that if I wanted to travel-school across the country, I'd have to pay for the trip somehow. So get your book orders in now. I'm going on tour. In eight and three-sevenths years.

Artist to Artist: 23 Major Illustrators Talk to Children About Their Art :: See above: PICASSO. Illustrators are artists, yes? And they create art that makes sense to my kids. So: SCORE.

Reducing Your Carbon Footprint at Home, Reducing Your Carbon Footprint In the Kitchen, Reducing Your Carbon Footprint at School, Reducing Your Carbon Footprint on Vacation :: This set of children's books was so crisp and happy looking on the "New Books" shelf at the library, I just had to bring them home. They gave me their best puppy dog eyes. I caved.

Anyone reading or reviewing any books this week? Feel free to link back to your blog in the comments!

Oven Baked Chicken Parmesan

When paired with a whole-grain pasta and some salad, this meal is a filling and frugal way to go. It's surprisingly simple, and the chicken stays juicy and tender.

And if I wanted to have people over for dinner, this is something I'd whip up for my friends. The imaginary ones.


Oven Baked Chicken Parmesan

4 whole boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 whole egg, beaten
3/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1 jar (26-28 oz) Ragú Old World Style Spaghetti Sauce*
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
hot cooked pasta

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Dip chicken in egg, then bread crumbs, coating well. In 13x9 glass baking dish, arrange chicken. Bake uncovered 20 minutes. Pour Ragu sauce over chicken, then top with cheese. Bake an additional 10 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Serve with hot cooked pasta.


Hat tip to my mother-in-law who passed on this recipe to me several years ago. It's a keeper!

*Note about the sauce: I always use the "Old World Style." Not sure why, but I think it's because it's simple, and not as sweet as some of the other sauces tend to be.

For more foodie-type posts, head over to Ann's Food on Fridays and the Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap.

10 Ways To Reuse Cereal Bags

Cereal bags. An empty one appears every couple of days in my house, just begging to be reused. Here are some ways to do that:

1. Crush graham crackers or cookies to make crumbs
   
   
2. Use to marinate meat (fold and close the end with tape; place on another container to catch spills)
   
   
3. Pack sandwiches for a picnic
   
   
4. Fill with veggies to keep them crisp in the fridge
   
   
5. Shape cookie dough into rolls using a cut-apart bag
   
   
6. Tuck one in the diaper bag for stinky diaper disposal
   
   
7. Flatten chicken breasts or steak
   
   
8. Line the platter used to take burgers to the grill
   
   
9. Bag chicken bones and fat to keep the flies (and pets) out of the trash
   
   
10. Lay on the counter as a liner for packages of meat
    
    

What ideas can you add to the list?


For a whole bunch of other frugal ideas, head over to We Are That Family!


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I'm Buying Stock In Purell (And Prayer)

I was eight months pregnant with my first child when 9/11 hit. That was a great welcome into the world of parenting, letmejustellya.

I've always had an overdeveloped fear of death, and that went viral once the kids came around. Every threat wasn't just a threat to me, but to the three little people I'm responsible for. Call me an egomaniac, but I happen to think that my kids--for the most part--do better with me in their lives versus not.

Now. Onto my point.

Swine flu.

I've done my share of making jokes about the thing, and hopefully the whole pig gig will just blow over (or be sent to the sea).

But underneath all my lightheartedness is the ever-present fear that something awful will happen to me or my kids. Swine flu or no--I don't need much to feed the fear. And I've got three kids who have the independent streak of their mother and a great propensity for sticking their fingers in their noses/eyes/mouths. It is also not unusual for two of my three kids to lick the windows on the bus or kiss the telephone poles on the street.

Not. making. that. up.

So while everyone is saying, "just make sure to wash your hands," I'm saying, "YOU EVER TRY TO CONTROL THREE SQUIRRELY KIDS?"

No. I think not.

It's in these times of great out-of-controlness that I call on my friend Sara Groves to encourage me.

(Notes: It's Sara singing, but this is NOT her video; it's the best that YouTube could do. Also, the lyrics are below.)

Prayers for This Child by Sara Groves

I do not know how I am to pray for this child
As a mother I don't want my baby denied
But in the waiting, in the waiting
I learned to hold on to the heart of God

Every instinct in me wants to shield him from pain
Take the arrows of misery heartache and blame
But in the sorrow, in the sorrow
I learned to hold on to the heart of God

I only have two eyes - be all seeing
I only have two hands - be everywhere
I do not know enough - be all knowing
I give my baby up into your care

I do not know how I am to pray for this child
I want to guard him from everything wicked and wild
But in the trial in the trial
I learned to hold on
And in the trial, in your trials
I learned to hold on to the heart of God

And that's what I'm praying today. With a tub of Purell in my pocket.

My Stomach Has Betrayed Me But My Online Pals Never Will

My stomach has betrayed me. It went and pigged out in the kitchen while I turned my back.

Funny that my legs haven't done the same by going for a run while I sleep. Though that would be awfully handy in my quest to remove the "Play-Doh" that is stuck to my bod.

What? Your kids haven't named your fat?

OH, I AM LOVED.

So in the midst of my self-loathing, I stumbled across a website called My Fitness Pal. Now while I generally don't like "pals" of the living, breathing type--I figured I could tolerate another website in my life.

I have no review of the site because, ummm, I just signed up for their free service ten minutes ago. But! So far, so good.

I told "My Fitness Pal" my basic body stats and weight loss goals. And then while clicking around trying to figure out how to enter the foods I'd eaten today, I accidentally clicked "submit" while the blanks were all empty.

And what do you know?

If I eat no food at all for five weeks straight, I'll lose 20 pounds!

And be dead!

MOOT. POINT.

But, before I get to the point of starvation, I wanted to ask for some input from the crowd.

• Have you ever used an calorie-burning, food-consuming online tracking tool?
  
  
• Have you ever been part of a weight-loss challenge (NOT DIET)--I'm talking about A GAME, A REWARD, A REASON FOR ALL THE PAIN--that worked? Maybe channel-flipping for charity?
  
  
• Have you ever read the cartoon that I quoted in the first paragraph of this post?
  

Oh, and by the way? I'm looking for something a little more than "yes" on the answers to those questions.

Bless you, my readers. My heart beats erratically for you.

Books I'm Hogging From The Library: The May 2, 2009 Edition

These are the books currently getting lost under my couch:

Probiotic Foods for Good Health: Yogurt, Sauerkraut, and Other Beneficial Fermented Foods :: Any book with "sauerkraut" in the title deserves to be brought home. Hubs will be thrilled.

Great American Artists for Kids: Hands-On Art Experiences in the Styles of Great American Masters :: I happened to stumble across this at the library while looking for school books for next year. I quickly realized it was by the same author as Discovering Great Artists, which gets rave reviews in the homeschooling world. At a quick glance, this American artist version looks just as good as the classic.

Snark :: I put this book on hold online seeing just the main title. But later I saw the subtitle: "Snark: It's Mean, It's Personal, and It's Ruining Our Conversation." Uh, wha?! Ruining? RUINING?!? No. Snark is not ruining our conversations. It's perfecting them. And I was more than happy to see that the reviewers on amazon heartily agreed. Snark, snark.

Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers :: I first read Mary Roach's work while flipping through Reader's Digest as a kid. I have no doubt her hilarious (shall I say, "snarky?") words were what sparked a fire in my pre-pubescent writer's mind.

So who's reading about something other than swine flu?

Spinach Salad With Warm Bacon Dressing

I figure if it takes brown sugar and bacon to get me to eat a whole plate of spinach, then SO BE IT.

The dressing (which is served warm) is what makes this salad so great. And when it's used in moderation, it really isn't that big of a hit to the muffin top.

Plus! Read this!

Research from Iowa State University (Ames) reports that eating a salad with full-fat dressing increases absorption of critical phytonutrients from the salad more than eating a salad with fat-free or reduced-fat dressing. [Source]

I love science! I love the internet!

So go eat your greens. And some bacony sugar-fat too.


Spinach Salad With Warm Bacon Dressing

SALAD
1 bag fresh spinach
4 small chicken breasts, grilled
4 whole green onions, diced
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
4 whole eggs, hard-boiled

DRESSING
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
4 teaspoons water
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup bacon bits

Mix the dressing ingredients together and warm in the microwave for one minute. For salad: Layer spinach leaves, grilled chicken, green onions, Parmesan cheese, and eggs. Top with dressing. 4 servings.

Notes:

• You can also make this salad into wraps by layering the spinach leaves, grilled chicken, green onions, and Parmesan cheese onto four tortilla shells, topping with dressing, and wrapping up.
  
  
• When I serve this as a side salad, I usually cheat and buy a small package of the pre-grilled chicken at the store. It works just fine and keeps me from blowing a gasket over dinner.
  

More recipes over at Ann's Food on Fridays and the Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap.