Sneaky spaghetti

Tonight I made what I like to call sneaky spaghetti. I've read several cookbooks on hiding fruits and veggies in different dishes but I'm usually too lazy for all of the extremely large amounts of prepping that goes into those directions. Those recipes call for cooking and puréeing veggies to add to your dish. Tonight I simply used our cheese grater to make squash and zucchini invisible. I took 4 small squash and zucchini and cut the ends off then grated them into a bowl. I used cheater pasta sauce too (instead of diced tomatoes, tomato sauce and tomato purée with my own mix of seasonings) then I added some mild Italian sausage (the stuff I buy does not come precooked so I cook it in a separate skillet then cut it up and add it in when it is almost done but still a tiny pink inside) I also add a cup or more, depends on how I'm feeling hahaha of strawberry or orange homemade wine. I let all of that simmer almost at a boil for an hour or more if time allows so that all the flavors can blend and the veggies can soften up and the meat can finish cooking. Then I cook my pasta and stir it in with the sauce, I sometimes keep it separate but tonight I was anxious to get the kitchen cleaned up so that was one less pot I had to clean later if I mixed it all in one pot plus this way I'm sure all the sauce and noodles will get used. I don't like when all the sauce is gone and I still have a bowl of noodles or the other way around because I always feel like I need to make something to go on those noodles so they aren't wasted. If you have kids (or a significant other) who doesn't want to eat or try veggies I suggest making this and not telling them then see if they like it! Rhett and Rylan both say this is their favorite spaghetti! I don't have a problem with Rhett eating them but if my 4 year of sees the veggies he will completely eat around most of them, there are some that he likes though.

Ellen...

Did you know it only took Ellen around 20 shows to get on the cover of Oprahs magazine? I decided since I've been campaigning far longer than she has I want something better... I want to host with one of my best friends. OR!! I want to go somewhere cool like when she sent Sophia Grace and Rosie to the music awards to be her corresponder. I would be AMAZING at that!! So if you can hear me Ellen... I'm still writing to you!

Map of neverland

I took lots of ideas I found online and created a custom map of Neverland for the party on Friday. In the top left I put the Indian camp. Next to that in the water is skull rock, I couldn't find a skull clip art picture I liked so I used one with bones and just cut those off. Then on the right top is peter pans hide out. Under the Indian camp near the middle is the lost boys lazy woods. I forgot to mark the crocodile creek but it goes right down the middle. To the right bottom is pixie hallow. Mermaid lagoon is the water area right below where Tinkerbell hangs out. Then of course there is the pirate cove. I took an "x marks the spot" clip art and attached that then drew little dashes like I imagine you would find on a treasure map if you had to decide which way you needed to go.
While creating a gift basket I didn't discard the natural color ribbon that tied the baskets together that I used instead of bags or wrapping paper. That very ribbon that most people would throw in the trash is what I used to tie these little maps into cute rolls. I will find a basket of some sort to put them all in and it will make a cute decoration until the kids are ready to use them.

Dear Ellen,

Dear Ellen,
I've been trying to contact you for over a year now, there have been multiple letters with requests for my friends and I to get tickets so we can come to your show, I even sent you and Portia a formal invite to our wedding so you could enjoy some free food and booze on us. Not to mention the multiple shout outs on this blog and your Facebook page.... Geeze I guess we are just not important to you but I guess it is like that Garth Brooks song about thanking God for unanswered prayers....

Financially stable children

I just finished reading a great article about ways to teach your children how to be comfortable with money so they will use it wisely when they are young adults. My mom helped me open a savings account when I was a child but all I remember about it is asking to get money out to do the things I wanted to do such as go to the movies with friends (she always said no haha). Rylan has grasped the concept at 4 that he needs to do 3 things with his money. He has 3 jars, one for saving, you can't see in this one it's a typical bank, one for spending, we used a mason jar so he can see if he possibly has enough to buy something he wants, and one for donating, this one is a pot that you might plant flowers in. If I give him money for let's say having exceptionally good manners or getting a special note home from school about good behavior (he gets money for those things because I told him that right now that is his "job" to be good etc.) or if he does a chore for example feeding the cat without being asked,

YMCA T-ball

Spring was our first time to try YMCA for a sport for Rylan. We didn't find the price to be too much. It was around 70.00 I think for the sport and that would include a jersey. There was an additional 40.00 fee since we were not members and that would be a one time fee for the whole year so if we decided to play another sport in the fall we would not have to pay that fee. The first day we arrived it was complete chaos which I thought was to be expected. We were given great reviews about the YMCA sport programs from a friend (they play in a different city though). The second week (it was once a week on Wednesdays) was yet another day where half of the time for the children was wasted because they decided there were enough players to create 2 additional teams so there would now be 4 teams not two and they assured us that this would be great so the teams could have chances to play against each other.

italian chicken sausage bake

On tonight's menu is baked penne with Italian sausage. I purchased a package of fresh chicken sausage on sale a while back for about 2.00 so today I took it out of the freezer and started to look for a recipe to use it in. I came up with this one that seemed like I would have everything here already and it sounds like it tastes good too. Instead of using white wine I am using some good ole' Italian homemade strawberry wine, I think the technical term for this stuff is moonshine but for all purposes of good reading material we will just call it "white wine". I took a little taste test of the "white wine" just to ensure it is still good from my last spaghetti (I always remember my pop doing that lol and now I know why). I am using sausage that is in the casing and I just cut it into round pieces but after looking at it cooking I'm thinking that next time I will just cut the casing off and cook it as if it is just ground meat for easier biting. Smells amazing so far.... I hope you try this one I already know its gonna be good and it has been super easy too!

PS- it is also under 700 calories which means I'll only be taking in around 2,000 tonight... not too bad... I mean compaired to the usual lol

Just excuses...

So I have punished myself "until my room is picked up"! I told the hubby today that I was no longer allowed to hang out with him until my things were taken care of. I have little piles all over the house where I come in and drop things and say to myself that I will return to tidy them up but never make it that far. I get up at 5 (well let's admit that it is more like 5:30 by the time my 15th alarm has gone off) and read a little news in bed, I picked up this habit from the hubby and it is a nice easy way to ease into getting out of bed. I get myself ready and eat breakfast then wake Rylan around 7 for his breakfast and I make lunch then get him dressed (after finishing my final touches) and we are off to school by 8 (ish) I return home to pick up breakfast and start on my list for the day. It's usually 9:30 by this time. I'm hungry again by 10 so I'm looking for my next snack. Rhett on most days invites me to lunch (I love our lunch dates) so not long after my snack I put away my list and I'm back out the door again. By the time lunch is over it is nearly time to go pick up Rylan since carpool line is anywhere from 2:10-2:20 to start lining up. So I try to get in one short errand instead of going home. Since they do spend a good deal of time in the classroom, as soon as Rylan gets into the car he asks to go to the park next-door to his school. He gets plenty of outside time and even more play time inside I'm sure I just don't want to admit that I've spoiled him to going somewhere after school each day. I let him play from 2:20 until about 4 and we get home around 4:15-4:30 depending on if I need to stop for items to complete the dinner menu or not. We get home and I get him set up, sandy shoes and socks off and picked up, back pack unloaded and lunch box washed out. Now it's time to start dinner and it's around 5:00 dinner is done around 6 and we eat then it is nearly bath time for Rylan so I wash his hands from dinner and let him play while I clean up dinner and the kitchen and eating areas. Then it is on to bath time (he usually wants a "long" bath) and so I leave the door open and he is singing so loud I know he is good to play for a while (plus he is four and not an infant who will drown if left alone) I try to do a load of laundry in this time and sometimes I will clean the bathroom he is in, wiping everything down in there is perfect at bath time especially if he is splashing water everywhere because I don't need a bucket of mop water. Now bath time is over we dry off and it is time for jammies and a story. I breath for a minute while dad brushes teeth and I try not to fall asleep while laying in his squishy bed. We say prayers then I am begged every night to scratch a tiny back. I would do it every night if I didn't fall asleep every time. He keeps up now with if I did it last night or not because I made a deal with him once that I would do it every other night. Notice I didn't really get any house work done in this typical day? Add in there trips to see friends and family on the weekends and you suddenly haw half packed bags and Easter candy that still needs to be put away a month later. Oh yeah and let's top that off with grocery shopping, room mom/end of the year party planning, and birthday/holiday gift buying planning and you are sure to find that there is always something that needs to be done here. I love every minute of it! Sooo I'm sure you can very well see why I have decided I am no longer allowed to hang out with my hunny until my "room is picked up" (isn't that what moms say?)