Life has changed radically since I last blogged, but we’re still a funny group and so I guess here is my first blog…

Goodbye again… for now at least…

This is me... I know gross... but true

I admit, I’m a potty mouth.

I could probably rival any trucker out there on a good day.

Recently my husband started putting me on speaker phone. Do you even know how annoying that is? I’m swearing away as happy as a clam and then he interrupts and says “Um… you’re on speaker.”

GRRRRRR

I’m going to put forth a huge effort to stop, but a friend of mine – also a PM – said it’s ok to swear, even in front of the kids as long as you put something kid friendly at the end.

Here are some glorious examples…

Mother F@%#!r Ice cream

Sh*t M &M’s

Dammit cup cakes

A$$ Hole Fluffy Fairy

The thought here is that the kids will only remember the ending so it’s OK to swear.

Hmmm… I’m still thinking about this one…

Anyhow, to my lovely spekerphone husband… we’re driving along one day and some guy pulls out in front of him and he says “F’in Jack Wad”…

Then Beanie questions “Daddy why is that man an F’in Jack Wad?”

Yes Daddy, why is that man an “F’in Jack Wad?”

That’ll teach him to continue to put me on speaker!

Surprisingly she chews it – for a long time too.

Well I was in the computer roomand Beanie comes running in…

“Mommy, Mommy- Roo threw her gum in the toilet”

In toe – Little Roo, hand dripping wet, chomping away…

“I got it!”

‘Nuf said…

Look Greek to you?

Well, it shouldn’t.

Here’s what it means…

This formula represents some of the most important steps parents can take to prevent childhood obesity:

5  Fruits and vegetables…more matters!  Eat at the very least 5 servings a day. To truly get all the nutrition kids need you should follow servings according to age and gender. However, if you are just starting out this is a good rule of thumb.  Limit 100% fruit juice as they can be high in sugar.
2  Cut screen time to 2 hours or less a day.
1  Participate in at least one hour of moderate to vigorous physical activity every day.
0  Restrict soda and sugar-sweetened sports and fruit drinks.  Instead, drink water and 3-4 servings/day of fat-free/skim or 1% milk.

There, now you know.

Now you’re empowered to change!

They know that I am a delicate creature that loves her pillow top mattress and bargain priced 400 thread count sheets. They know that bugs and I agree to disagree and tend to stay out of each others way. They know that I must shower each day and blow dry my hair before it frizzes up. I am a firm believer that cooking should be done on a stove and the dishes washed in a sink with hot running water. And they know that I am addicted to my blackberry and the Internet is a comforting friend.

With all that being said, I have agreed to put all that aside and for the love of my children so they can experience outdoor living for 3 days. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy being outside. (Mainly in the fall when it’s not too hot and the air smells like a friday night football game.) I just don’t enjoy sleeping, eating, bathing and the likes outside.

We are going with friends that camp on a regular basis so I think we’re in good hands. My first question to my girlfriend though was “how do you feed your family?” followed quickly by “And where do you refrigerate the food?” I wish I had a camera at that very moment. I didn’t, but here is the expression on her face. Perplexed.

After that, I could see that in her mind things quickly registered and she must have thought – “oh- she’s serious. I have to answer her.”

Tomorrow we are going shopping for food. We haven’t made our list yet, but as you all know, I do try to feed my children healthy food. We live by the 5 a day plus water so I googled “Healthy Camping” and to my surprise I did find many options. However I was informed we only have 1 pot so I’m thinking even though I found a ton of great recipes I don’t think I’ll be able to cook all them in the aforementioned ”1 pot”.

I did find a site with a plethora of “Hobo” style meals including the “Hobo Dinner”; “Hobo Style Potatos”; “Hobo Style Summer Vegetable Medley”; “Hobo Style Sweet and Savory Butternut Squash” and even a hobo dessert: “”Hobo” Style Sliced Apple with Cinnamon & Sugar”. (http://hubpages.com/hub/Healthy-Meal-Ideas-for-Camping)

I think I’d like to try the Hobo Dinner. I’ll have to pass it by my friend to see if it makes the list. If it does, I’ll let you know how it goes. If you have any suggestions for us… let me know!

In the meantime here is a camp favorite with little nutritional value, but lots of campfire fun – S’mores!

NEAT-O FACTOID: S’mores were first mentioned in the Girl Scouts handbook way back in 1927!

S’MORES

INGREDIENTS

• 1 large marshmallow
• 1 graham cracker
• 1 (1.5 ounce) bar chocolate candy bar

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat the marshmallow over an open flame until it begins to brown and melt.
2. Break the graham cracker in half. Now layer the chocolate between the cracker and the melting marshmallow. Be sure to cool the marshmallow a bit before eating.

A love of flowers, plants and all things outside.

With the two of them she has planted hostas, merigolds, a day lilly here and there and quite a few tiger lillies.

Every morning her and Beanie go outside to look at each little flower and talk about how every one has grown from the previous morning.

When my mom is not here, Beanie takes me on their walks and says “Look mommy, look how beautiful these flowers are. See all the pretty colors. I love the pink and purple and the orange.”

And as we walk from flower to flower, plant to plant, she tells me all about the ones that are still budding and how next year they will be even “bigger and fuller” than they are now.

Every now and then she will stop and just stare. Then she will say ”Look Mommy… look at our hostas. Look how big they are getting. ”

She is so proud.

And I am so proud of her.

Even when she is out in the back playing with her sister, when she thinks nobody is watching, she’ll stop, take her sister’s hand and the two of them will look at how all their hard work and planting is growing so beautifully.

My mom is moving soon and she won’t be here to take the daily walk and go through our flowers each morning.  She won’t have that cup of coffee in one hand and Beanie and Little Roo in toe to watch over their hard work.

I am so grateful for what my mother has given my girls. Something so intangible and so very special.

Memories. She has given them memories.

I have such warm memories of my own grandmother and all things she taught me. Like making pancakes and home made ravioli. I can remember sitting in her kitchen helping her roll out the dough, then gently adding the filling then pressing the ends with a fork.

I think I have some pretty big shoes to fill.

Grandma Franco’s Ravioli

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp. olive oil
Water as needed

Directions:

1. Mix flour and salt on kitchen table.
2. With mixture create a “mountain”.
3. Add a well in to your mountain.
4. Place egg, yolk, and oil in the well.
5. Mix ingredients with your finger tips.
6. Add a little water, pinch.
7. Knead into ball.
8. Cut into 4 pieces and roll or put pasta by hand or with a machine, flouring each ball first.
9. Take round cookie cutter or drinking glass and cut out dough. Set aside until ready to fill with ricotta filling.
   1. Note: If rolling by hand, roll extremely thin. You will want to be able to see through the dough if you were to hold it up to a window.

Filling:

For every pound Ricotta:

1 egg  
1 tsp. parsley

1 tsp.  basil
1 cup grated cheese

2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste

To make ravioli:

1. Place one round piece of dough bottom.
2. Add teaspoon of filling.
3. Place second round piece of dough on top and cinch ends together with fork.

You can either freeze them or cook immediately. You’ll know when the ravioli are done when they float in your pot of water.