Remember the Kumara Moth pupa I found in the garden?
I threw some potting soil on top of it and put it into Owen's bug kit and tonight it hatched!
It scratched its way up through the potting soil and tried to claw through the plastic.
Here's pictures.
Friday, April 29, 2005
Friday, April 22, 2005
Recipe Share
I got busted yesterday for bringing a knife to court. My plan was to stick it in the pig who ticketed me for making an illegal right-hand turn at LAX.
No, just kidding. Actually, I was at the Superior Court to pay a ticket and the security guard found a kitchen knife in my diaper bag.
It showed up on the metal detector and he pointed to it and asked me what it was. We had to dig through the bag and found it at the very bottom.
I was so embarrassed, I had to explain to the guy that I sometimes carry grapes or apples around for the kids and knives to cut them up.
He was very kind and kept telling me not to worry about it.
CHANGE OF SUBJECT:
So I get bored of trying to think of things to cook for supper. I'm not the most creative cook and I don't like to spend too much time in the kitchen- not because I mind cooking but because I can't leave the kids unsupervised for long.
I thought I would post some of my favorite few recipes- yummy, easy dinner ideas that you all can borrow, and then in turn, you all can email some to me (or post them on your sites). Deal? Deal.
Okay, here are a few recipes that I make often and that I've received compliments on.
1. CROCKPOT SPAGHETTI:
This is the only thing I make that EVERYONE loves, and it's EASY. Everyone is always surprised to find out it's just Ragu, cooked for a LONG time.
-Brown 1 lb. hamburger with some fennel seed and 3-4 large cloves of garlic (cut up).
-Drain grease, and toss it into a crockpot with a jar of Ragu (traditional flavor).
-Add a bay leaf, some extra basil, oregano, rosemary and thyme (add generously!).
-Cook on high for 4-5 hours. (Stovetop version: Cook on lowest possible heat with lid on for 1.5-2 hours).
-Serve over warm spaghetti.
2. CHILI-CHEESE DIP:
Also an easy crockpot recipe I got from my mom. It's an appetizer, I guess, but it's so heavy with hamburger that it's really more like a meal.
-Brown 1 lb. hamburger and drain grease.
-Throw into crockpot (can you tell I love crockpots?) with 1/2 lb. of Velveeta and a can of chili without beans.
-Cook on either high (1 hour) or low (2 hours) until melted and hot. You might need to stir occasionally to get the cheese all melted.
-Serve with tortilla chips for dipping (I think broccoli tastes good with it too), some lettuce and sour cream. Yum!
3. CHICKEN PARMESAN:
-Use as many boneless skinless chicken breasts and potatoes as you want. Thaw chicken and cut potatoes lenghtwise, leaving skin.
-Put about a cup of flour into a large Ziploc bag- add about 1/2 cup bread crumbs and 1/4 cup parmesan cheese. Salt the mixture to taste (other fun things to add: garlic powder/seasoned salt/pepper/whatever other spices you like).
-Shake the chicken and potatoes in the bag in manageable amounts and put in a large baking dish.
-Cut up 1/2 stick to a full stick of butter (depending on amount of chicken and potatoes) and place pieces evenly around baking dish.
-Pour 1 small can of tomato sauce over the chicken and top with shredded mozzarella cheese or more parmesan cheese.
-Bake in a 350 degree oven for around an hour or until chicken and potatoes are done.
4. CHICKEN PITAS:
-Cook a couple of boneless skinless chicken breasts in a covered frying pan for an hour or so (cook in olive oil). Cook until well done but still moist.
-When chicken is well-cooked, shred it into small pieces, coat with tons of Italian dressing and continue to cook for a few minutes until it's all moist and hot.
-Serve in warm pita bread topped with whatever kind of greens you like. I like spinach with Italian dressing.
5. RED MEAT MARINADE:
This tastes good on all red meat, particularly hamburgers and steaks. It's basically my Uncle Bob's, but I added a few things.
-Put meat in a shallow baking dish and soak generously with Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce (you can also add A-1 if you like.
-Sprinkle meat with meat tenderizer, garlic powder and seasoned salt.
-Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours- overnight tastes even better!
-For pot roasts, add an onion and lots of real garlic cloves.
Okay, ya'all, pony up. My family is sick of these same recipes over and over!
No, just kidding. Actually, I was at the Superior Court to pay a ticket and the security guard found a kitchen knife in my diaper bag.
It showed up on the metal detector and he pointed to it and asked me what it was. We had to dig through the bag and found it at the very bottom.
I was so embarrassed, I had to explain to the guy that I sometimes carry grapes or apples around for the kids and knives to cut them up.
He was very kind and kept telling me not to worry about it.
CHANGE OF SUBJECT:
So I get bored of trying to think of things to cook for supper. I'm not the most creative cook and I don't like to spend too much time in the kitchen- not because I mind cooking but because I can't leave the kids unsupervised for long.
I thought I would post some of my favorite few recipes- yummy, easy dinner ideas that you all can borrow, and then in turn, you all can email some to me (or post them on your sites). Deal? Deal.
Okay, here are a few recipes that I make often and that I've received compliments on.
1. CROCKPOT SPAGHETTI:
This is the only thing I make that EVERYONE loves, and it's EASY. Everyone is always surprised to find out it's just Ragu, cooked for a LONG time.
-Brown 1 lb. hamburger with some fennel seed and 3-4 large cloves of garlic (cut up).
-Drain grease, and toss it into a crockpot with a jar of Ragu (traditional flavor).
-Add a bay leaf, some extra basil, oregano, rosemary and thyme (add generously!).
-Cook on high for 4-5 hours. (Stovetop version: Cook on lowest possible heat with lid on for 1.5-2 hours).
-Serve over warm spaghetti.
2. CHILI-CHEESE DIP:
Also an easy crockpot recipe I got from my mom. It's an appetizer, I guess, but it's so heavy with hamburger that it's really more like a meal.
-Brown 1 lb. hamburger and drain grease.
-Throw into crockpot (can you tell I love crockpots?) with 1/2 lb. of Velveeta and a can of chili without beans.
-Cook on either high (1 hour) or low (2 hours) until melted and hot. You might need to stir occasionally to get the cheese all melted.
-Serve with tortilla chips for dipping (I think broccoli tastes good with it too), some lettuce and sour cream. Yum!
3. CHICKEN PARMESAN:
-Use as many boneless skinless chicken breasts and potatoes as you want. Thaw chicken and cut potatoes lenghtwise, leaving skin.
-Put about a cup of flour into a large Ziploc bag- add about 1/2 cup bread crumbs and 1/4 cup parmesan cheese. Salt the mixture to taste (other fun things to add: garlic powder/seasoned salt/pepper/whatever other spices you like).
-Shake the chicken and potatoes in the bag in manageable amounts and put in a large baking dish.
-Cut up 1/2 stick to a full stick of butter (depending on amount of chicken and potatoes) and place pieces evenly around baking dish.
-Pour 1 small can of tomato sauce over the chicken and top with shredded mozzarella cheese or more parmesan cheese.
-Bake in a 350 degree oven for around an hour or until chicken and potatoes are done.
4. CHICKEN PITAS:
-Cook a couple of boneless skinless chicken breasts in a covered frying pan for an hour or so (cook in olive oil). Cook until well done but still moist.
-When chicken is well-cooked, shred it into small pieces, coat with tons of Italian dressing and continue to cook for a few minutes until it's all moist and hot.
-Serve in warm pita bread topped with whatever kind of greens you like. I like spinach with Italian dressing.
5. RED MEAT MARINADE:
This tastes good on all red meat, particularly hamburgers and steaks. It's basically my Uncle Bob's, but I added a few things.
-Put meat in a shallow baking dish and soak generously with Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce (you can also add A-1 if you like.
-Sprinkle meat with meat tenderizer, garlic powder and seasoned salt.
-Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours- overnight tastes even better!
-For pot roasts, add an onion and lots of real garlic cloves.
Okay, ya'all, pony up. My family is sick of these same recipes over and over!
Saturday, April 16, 2005
Thursday, April 14, 2005
What Came First?
Owen and I saw a fallen bird's nest yesterday with two broken eggs.
"What's this, Mommy?" Owen asked.
"Well," I said, "They're broken birdy eggs."
Owen examined them for a good long while. "Eggs," he said thoughtfully. "Two broken eggs."
I watched him with what I thought was an appropriate "sad mommy" look on my face, wondering if now was the time for Owen's first questions about death.
Instead, he exclaimed "More at the store!" and hopped back into his little car.
"What's this, Mommy?" Owen asked.
"Well," I said, "They're broken birdy eggs."
Owen examined them for a good long while. "Eggs," he said thoughtfully. "Two broken eggs."
I watched him with what I thought was an appropriate "sad mommy" look on my face, wondering if now was the time for Owen's first questions about death.
Instead, he exclaimed "More at the store!" and hopped back into his little car.
Saturday, April 09, 2005
Owen and Stewart both love the song "Roxie" from Chicago. They hum the bass line and also whisper "Rox-eeee."
So tonight I was singing the song to them and they were backing me up.
ME: "The name on everybody's lips is gonna be..."
BOYS: "ROXIE!"
ME: "The lady raking in her chips is gonna be..."
OWEN: (suddenly deadly serious) Mommy I want chips!
He was referring to the Lay's Sour Cream & Onion chips Jeff brought for them. Kyle and I busted out laughing and Owen got all pissed off because we weren't taking his request seriously.
So tonight I was singing the song to them and they were backing me up.
ME: "The name on everybody's lips is gonna be..."
BOYS: "ROXIE!"
ME: "The lady raking in her chips is gonna be..."
OWEN: (suddenly deadly serious) Mommy I want chips!
He was referring to the Lay's Sour Cream & Onion chips Jeff brought for them. Kyle and I busted out laughing and Owen got all pissed off because we weren't taking his request seriously.
Friday, April 08, 2005
Stewart 5 Days Old
My mom bought this beautiful amaryllis for me when Stewart was born. It hasn't bloomed again until now. I thought I should do a comparison photo next to it.
Tuesday, April 05, 2005
Kyle on Personal Trainers
So as you may know, Kyle and I are now members of Bally's Total Fitness. When you sign up, you get a free session with a personal trainer. Kyle attended his this evening while I puttered about the house, doing laundry, sweeping the porch, etc.
After throwing in another load, I was walking back to the door when I saw Kyle staggering up the walkway, white as a ghost.
He looked so horrible that first I thought he was going to tell me someone had mugged him and taken his iPod.
After he had caught his breath, he said "Well, when I signed up for the training session, they asked me if I wanted to request a specific personal trainer. Let's just say that the answer is YES, otherwise you might get a gigantic, ripped black man with a bulldog tattoo who will DESTROY YOU!"
He then retired to the couch to watch Idol.
I wonder if he will ever go back.
After throwing in another load, I was walking back to the door when I saw Kyle staggering up the walkway, white as a ghost.
He looked so horrible that first I thought he was going to tell me someone had mugged him and taken his iPod.
After he had caught his breath, he said "Well, when I signed up for the training session, they asked me if I wanted to request a specific personal trainer. Let's just say that the answer is YES, otherwise you might get a gigantic, ripped black man with a bulldog tattoo who will DESTROY YOU!"
He then retired to the couch to watch Idol.
I wonder if he will ever go back.
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