Good Eats

Have I mentioned that I like to eat?

This is what I've been munching on as of late...

Ranch Crackers

After eating soup for 4 days straight, {post-op} I was searching for something with some sort of carbohydrate-like substance. I remembered these tasty little numbers from when I was little and I had to make them. I could eat these crackers all night, and that's exactly what I did. I weeded out all the overly-seasoned crackers while watching So You Think You Can Dance and it was great. Probably not the best idea to make a meal out of them, but they taste really great in soups and by themselves as a snack.

Taco Soup {WW style}

Yes, I know it's a challenge to even think of to turning the crock pot on when it's 120 degrees outside, but this soup is one of my favorites. It's has great flavor, is low fat, high fiber and is easy to throw together {plus it only takes 1 hour in the crock pot}. I follow the recipe here, and add some chips, cheese and sour cream once it's in the bowl.

I will warn those who don't tolerate fiber well, unlike myself. If you're body isn't used to such healthy doses of beans, spare your co-workers and or children, and save it for the weekend when you can better manage the aftershocks. KWIM? Better yet, start eating your fiber bars now so you can work up to it. I swear, some people are allergic to fiber and it's really frightening.

The Great Panini

I love me a good sandwich but sometimes the same old sandwich gets boring. This is where your trusty George Foremen Grill comes in handy. Get ye some sourdough bread, turkey, provolone cheese, herb cream cheese spread {cream cheese and a little ranch mix}, and finely chopped green bell peppers . Spread the cream cheese on each side and add your toppings. Lastly, spray a little butter on each side of the sammy and smash it in your grill. I present the delicious homemade panini.

Best thing about these is you can trade up the ingredients to keep it interesting, and even make the picky eaters happy. Just don't forget the cheese!

Orange Julius

This is my all time favorite ice cream drink creation, and is so much better than the Dairy Queen/Orange Julius impostor. There's nothing worse then expecting a refreshing ice cream wonder and getting some orange flavored milk. Can I tell you that the last time I bought one at the food court, I asked them to make it thicker than usual and they refused? That was my last foamy OJ done wrong.

Take some vanilla ice cream, skim milk and orange concentrate and blend it in your trusty Magic Bullet. I like mine SUPER thick, so I wait till I smell rubber burning from the MB base and then I know it's done!

Strawberry Limeade

A knock off of the Sonic variation, but still very refreshing. Take one lime, cut it, and blend it up in the MB with one cup of water {for 60 sec}. Pour this mixture through a strainer and discard the pulp. Mix the liquid with one-third cup sugar, one cup skim milk, one cup ice, and a few strawberries. Put in the blender, and you're done.

Do you have any favorites at the moment?

If only I had a little more toddler in me...

I would venture into the {seemingly} impossible, and stay for a while.

I would think long and hard before I jumped.

I would eat like no one is watching.

I would never look a horse in the mouth, whether it was a gift or not.

I would savor life's sweetness, one bite at a time.

I would gather those things which are dearest to me, and hold them close to my heart.

"My floaties teached me."

This week has been all about swimming. The girl's cousins are in town visiting, so we took the opportunity to have fun in the pool with them. Yesterday was the first time they wore floaties, and it made the biggest difference. They made more of an attempt to kick their legs and navigate themselves, and they loved not having to cling onto us like baby monkeys. It's really fun watching them learn how to work in the water. It reminded me of a home video of Kevin as a child when a neighbor asked him who taught him how to swim. He replied in the cutest most squeakiest voice,

"My floaties teached me."

We will be putting B&B in swimming classes next summer, possibly with the same lady that taught me how to swim when I was their age. I can totally picture them taking their first dive off the diving board, doing the monkey walk along the pool deck, learning to paddle singing "do as I'm doing," diving for tasty goldfish at the bottom of the shallow end, and learning the basics of swim strokes while chanting "chicken-fat-string bean." It must have been a fun couple of summers in my life as I seem to remember it all. I have a feeling it will be a lot of fun for my girls too.

Do you remember learning how to swim?

What Your Girlfriend Never Told You {about wisdom teeth extraction}

Right after surgery you will wake up confused but extremely happy.

So happy, that you will be making large hand motions in the parking lot and attempting to spell out the word "happy" on the dashboard with your finger. This happiness is just a side effect and is only temporary.

Swollen cheeks are totally in. Brush some bronzer on those babies and strike a pose. Some women pay mucho dinero for cheek implants, when a few extractions would do the trick.

Semi-frozen peas smell like dirty diapers. So while you might be wondering why your children continuously smell bad, fear not, it's just the nasty peas you have smooshed up against your face.

Soup, it's whats for dinner...and lunch...and dinner again...then lunch...and so on. While your family and friends are enjoying their pizza and Mexican fiestas, you will be slurping down a variety of soups and yogurts. If the veggies or meat in your soup become difficult to swallow, just toss them in your trusty magic bullet to create a quick meaty paste.

Pain medications sometimes cause dizziness along with the inability to operate heavy machinery. This could include household objects such as dryers, washing machines, dishwashers vacuums, and ovens. It is sometimes better to have someone drop you off at the nearest thrift store for a few hours, just so your don't attempt to do any cleaning while in such a vulnerable state.

While your gums are healing you are not suppose to brush your teeth or rinse for at least 24 hours. With all the pain and bleeding towards the back of your mouth, you will most likely not want to brush for an entire week. It is best to attempt to brush at least the front teeth, as others will notice your shiny pearls in front and not the moss covered ones in the back.

Lastly...don't blog when you haven't taken your pain medications. Your tone might come off as angry and irritable, and who wants to read that?

Who's That Lady? Round 2 {answered}

I've decided to close the polls early as I am having my wisdom teeth extracted tomorrow, and I will probably be "out of it" for a while. Before I give you the answer, I wanted to give you a few more perspectives of this lady to see if they in fact confirm your guess, or change it.

Here was the lady you needed to name.

Now here she is from further away....

And here she is standing next to her sister...

Out of 22 votes

8 {or 36%} voted that lady was Brooke.

14 {or 63%} voted that lady was Brenna.

I was surprised, because it WAS the 36% that were right, as that little lady was indeed Brooke!

Now I thank you all for playing as you are all awesome for humoring me in my silly games. I know these were mostly just guesses and I applaud you for your effort. In order to help you out, here are a few clues when trying to tell "who's who?"

Brenna has a much rounder face than Brooke.

Like this circle.

Brooke's face is much fuller {notice I didn't say fatter} and longer.

More like this oval. (I think Brooke also has {a little bit} larger facial features as well.)

Brenna will allow me to put hair clips and rubber bands in her hair, but Brooke has a habit of pulling them out and having crazy orphan hair, as portrayed in this photo.

But don't be deceived as Brenna also has orphan hair potential.

Honestly, I think it just takes being around them and seeing them often to see the little differences, because they are there. I totally understand why people can't easily tell them apart, but after several trips to Yogurtland with us it will come.

Thanks for playing:)

The Not So Secret Life of Bees {A Childhood Story}

My bloggy-friend Emmy asked her readers to write about the silly and sometimes embarrassing things they did as a child. While I couldn't remember much about the Barbies and the My Little Pony incidents, this childhood story came to mind. So grab a snack, cause it's a long one.

Growing up, I distinctly remember having beehives in my backyard. My dad was a beekeeper for several years, and I became accustomed to the large wooden hotels that towered in the corner of our yard. Their four-walled homes balanced atop each other and found shade under our fruit-filled grapefruit tree.

You would think that being around these tempermental insects would have scared me as a child, but it didn't. Unfortunately, quite the opposite occurred. I seemed to grow in ignorance as I assumed that they would never hurt me, and that their only ability was to produce delicious honey filled combs for which we could season our fry bread with.

One humid summer day I found myself bored, and my 5 year old imagination got the best of me. I retrieved my little sister Christina, who was 4 at the time, and I told her of my elaborate plan for that afternoon. "Now you will be in charge of waking up the bees, and I will be in charge of waking up the ants," I instructed, with a stern tone to my adolescent voice. Like a giddy puppy she followed me, and we happily gathered the instruments necessary to complete our important tasks. After finding two sturdy tapping sticks and one charcoal umbrella, we were off into the backyard. I motioned Tina over to where the beehives stood silently, while I found myself a nicely established ant hill to paddle on. Once in position we both got to work, pounding our sticks in an effort to wake the dreaming insects from their slumber. "What a great idea," I thought.

It didn't take long for me to notice that Tina's task of waking the bees was getting much more of a reaction then my thumping of the ant-filled dirt. I quickly gave up on the dreadfully boring ants, dropping my stick and grabbing our trusty umbrella. It was time. As the bees continued to file out of their homes angrily, I threw open the umbrella and pulled it over my sister and I. We stood there in the stiff yellow grass in awe. The sight of dozens of of angry bees dancing around us was like being in the the center of a buzzing carousel. We were silent as the cloud of bugs attempted to penetrate our makeshift shield. I was so proud of our accomplishment. We had done it, and we were entertained. It was a success.

Suddenly, I noticed a lone bee fly under our umbrella and on to Tina who was directly beside me. It was just seconds before her shrill scream penetrated my right ear and she took off running. I instantly knew what had happened, and I ran into the house to report it to my Mom. As I scrambled to explain what had happened, I couldn't quite get the words out right. My Mom stared at me confused, as all she seemed to hear was the word "Pea" repeated a hundred times. Finally, she got the idea and we both darted for the backyard. As she rushed outside she found my sister Tina, who was obviously in a lot of pain. I couldn't help but feel partially responsible, as it was my idea. My silly, stupid idea. That was the last time we woke up the insects, and I understood why.

Who's That Lady? {Round 2}

Just over a year ago, I posted a picture of one of my girls and asked you to name that lady. Now that so much time has gone by, I thought it might be fun to see how you are all doing with the "who's who" game. I mean, come on...this blog is like 90% pictures of them anyways. Eventually you must pick up on some differences, right?

So here's the picture: {And NO CHEATING by looking at the other pictures to compare, mmmk?}

You can do this, I believe in you! If you don't believe in you, just take your best guess via the poll on the right. I won't be offended much, I promise.

Who's that lady?

Needs More Cowbell

Today was Cow Appreciation Day at Chick-fil-A. This meant a free meal to those who were willing to play dress-up. As soon as I heard the news, I went to work {whilst the children slept} and put together three outfits along with this totally awesome cow hat.

Everything I used was already in my house, and it was fun trying to be creative in making our costumes.

The girls dressed in black and white with black spots. It reminded me of how cute black and white outfits can be.

And of course we couldn't forget the tail.

All that was missing was cowbell. It needs more cowbell!

We met two of my sisters and my nieces there, and ate our deliciously free meals together.

It was UDDERly fantastic!

Let Them Be

When there's ice cream dripping down their clothing, the Spirit comes to comfort me. Speaking words of wisdom, let them be.

When they want a jumping contest now, and it's 110 degrees.

It whispers words of wisdom,

let them be.

Let them be,

let'm be,

let'm be,

oh, let'm be.

Speaking words of wisdom,

let them be.

{Lyrics adapted from the original Beatles song "Let it be"}