Please join me, won't you?
I hope to see you kicking it at my spiffy new digs.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Thursday, June 17, 2010
15 Minute Chili
Yesterday I had to take Grand Master H to the doctor. H is four. He doesn't want to do anything he doesn't want to do. Ever.
He doesn't like to go to the doctor unless he is tagging along to watch his sister get shots. He might be a sadist.
He has a nasty rash on his left leg that is spreading and is now on the move to colonize his right leg.
He likes the toys in the waiting room. He likes the lollipops.
Other than those two things, he has no use for the doctor.
In fact, as we waited, he announced in his stage non-whisper that, "I hate Dr. C!" Not the way to make yourself popular, or avoid painful procedures, my little friend!
In hindsight, I am not overly fond of the Dr. C we saw yesterday. He was kind of gently trying to tell me that Baby C's weight might be a little high for her height. There was kind of a little unspoken, "you don't want her to end up like you, do you?" My gut reaction was to tell him to suck it. She is 2, for Christ's sake. I will be damned if I am going to "start watching her in-between meal snacks."
I may be in the market for a new pediatrician. I am not sure if it was just my PMS over-reacting, or if his concerns are legit. I am leaning toward him over-reacting.
The negotiations were complicated and involved bribery. Don't judge, it was a desperate move, I admit it. I have to use what I can here, people. I have stubborn-ass children. Let me just say, for the record, having smart AND stubborn children sucks.
In other news, my children won't wear clothes most days. Most days it looks like a trailer park down the dirt road near Crazytown around here. I have two kids running around, semi-nude, clad only in diapers, yelling their heads off. I can only imagine what the neighbors think.
Earlier this week, Grand Master H came running down from his room, shouting that he needed a napkin, "FAST!"
When I asked what the emergency was he stated the following: "There is poop all over the floor. Mommy, you can get the big one and I will get all the little ones!"
I will let you use your powers of imagination to picture what I found I when arrived in his room. This is supposed to be a food blog, after all!
A few days later, I stupidly put Baby C down for a nap wearing only a diaper. I tried to get her dressed, but she threw a hissy fit and ran away. She does that a lot.
When I went up to get her a few hours later, she announced that there was, "Poop in my bed." Naturally, I freaked. I saw several loads of disgusting laundry in my near future. Turns out it was a false alarm, she had peed all over her beloved Silkie and several stuffed animals, but no poop. A million thanks to ye gods of all things intestinal!
So, enough already about the bathroom, or non-bathroom habits of my wayward children.
Back to the chili recipe, woman!
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know. Who the the hell eats chili when the temperature is hovering in the 80s? Well, Mr. Smith requested this. When Mr. Smith actually goes to the trouble to request something by emailing me a link, I pay attention. I trot right out to the store and I make that recipe, dammit! I am that kind of wife.
It should be said that I am not a fan of chili. The idea of red meat in soup just gives me the willies. The turkey works very nicely for us instead of beef, but if you prefer beef, go for it.
The great thing about this recipe is I had most of the ingredients, so it was a no-brainer. I need more of those.
Also, it is quick and that is always appealing. We have a kind of wacky non-schedule schedule around here. Being married to Mr. Smith is very similar to being married to a doctor. I never know when he will be home, when he had lunch, etc. I just cook when I feel like it and if somebody eats it, I am happy. If they don't eat it, we have great leftovers.
This recipe does not call for salt or hot sauce, but it needs a little of both. You use your discretion here. Tastes are so individual as far as these two things are concerned, I can't give you measurements.
Ingredients
1 pound ground turkey
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 16 oz. can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 16 oz. can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 28 oz. can chopped stewed tomatoes
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1/2 cup salsa
Salt and pepper to taste
Tabasco sauce to taste
In a large pot, brown turkey with chopped onion.
Add beans, tomatoes, garlic, chili powder, cumin, and salsa to turkey mixture. Cook until hot.
Serve with cornbread, tortilla chips, cooked pasta, cooked rice or on top of a baked potato. Sprinkle with cheese or top with sour cream.
Adapted from SparkPeople.com
Makes 4 servings.
He doesn't like to go to the doctor unless he is tagging along to watch his sister get shots. He might be a sadist.
He has a nasty rash on his left leg that is spreading and is now on the move to colonize his right leg.
H trying to spot the doctor before the doctor spots him!
He likes the toys in the waiting room. He likes the lollipops.
Other than those two things, he has no use for the doctor.
In fact, as we waited, he announced in his stage non-whisper that, "I hate Dr. C!" Not the way to make yourself popular, or avoid painful procedures, my little friend!
In hindsight, I am not overly fond of the Dr. C we saw yesterday. He was kind of gently trying to tell me that Baby C's weight might be a little high for her height. There was kind of a little unspoken, "you don't want her to end up like you, do you?" My gut reaction was to tell him to suck it. She is 2, for Christ's sake. I will be damned if I am going to "start watching her in-between meal snacks."
I may be in the market for a new pediatrician. I am not sure if it was just my PMS over-reacting, or if his concerns are legit. I am leaning toward him over-reacting.
The negotiations were complicated and involved bribery. Don't judge, it was a desperate move, I admit it. I have to use what I can here, people. I have stubborn-ass children. Let me just say, for the record, having smart AND stubborn children sucks.
In other news, my children won't wear clothes most days. Most days it looks like a trailer park down the dirt road near Crazytown around here. I have two kids running around, semi-nude, clad only in diapers, yelling their heads off. I can only imagine what the neighbors think.
Earlier this week, Grand Master H came running down from his room, shouting that he needed a napkin, "FAST!"
When I asked what the emergency was he stated the following: "There is poop all over the floor. Mommy, you can get the big one and I will get all the little ones!"
I will let you use your powers of imagination to picture what I found I when arrived in his room. This is supposed to be a food blog, after all!
Taking a little break after sprinting around the kitchen island for about 10 minutes.
A few days later, I stupidly put Baby C down for a nap wearing only a diaper. I tried to get her dressed, but she threw a hissy fit and ran away. She does that a lot.
When I went up to get her a few hours later, she announced that there was, "Poop in my bed." Naturally, I freaked. I saw several loads of disgusting laundry in my near future. Turns out it was a false alarm, she had peed all over her beloved Silkie and several stuffed animals, but no poop. A million thanks to ye gods of all things intestinal!
So, enough already about the bathroom, or non-bathroom habits of my wayward children.
Back to the chili recipe, woman!
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know. Who the the hell eats chili when the temperature is hovering in the 80s? Well, Mr. Smith requested this. When Mr. Smith actually goes to the trouble to request something by emailing me a link, I pay attention. I trot right out to the store and I make that recipe, dammit! I am that kind of wife.
It should be said that I am not a fan of chili. The idea of red meat in soup just gives me the willies. The turkey works very nicely for us instead of beef, but if you prefer beef, go for it.
The great thing about this recipe is I had most of the ingredients, so it was a no-brainer. I need more of those.
Also, it is quick and that is always appealing. We have a kind of wacky non-schedule schedule around here. Being married to Mr. Smith is very similar to being married to a doctor. I never know when he will be home, when he had lunch, etc. I just cook when I feel like it and if somebody eats it, I am happy. If they don't eat it, we have great leftovers.
This recipe does not call for salt or hot sauce, but it needs a little of both. You use your discretion here. Tastes are so individual as far as these two things are concerned, I can't give you measurements.
Ingredients
1 pound ground turkey
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 16 oz. can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 16 oz. can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 28 oz. can chopped stewed tomatoes
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1/2 cup salsa
Salt and pepper to taste
Tabasco sauce to taste
In a large pot, brown turkey with chopped onion.
Add beans, tomatoes, garlic, chili powder, cumin, and salsa to turkey mixture. Cook until hot.
Serve with cornbread, tortilla chips, cooked pasta, cooked rice or on top of a baked potato. Sprinkle with cheese or top with sour cream.
Adapted from SparkPeople.com
Makes 4 servings.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
First Born
Being the first born carries a special weight to it. Of course, I may believe this because I am an oldest child. I am, in fact, the oldest child of two oldest children.
I am the "test run" of two "test runs." We are all the children of first-time parents, people who really did not know, in any material sense, what they were getting into. Some of us fared better than others.
I married an oldest child.
I am a glutton for punishment.
We have five oldest children (including our first born) living under one roof. As it turns out, that is exactly four oldest children too many.
We all want to be in charge. We all believe, on some level, that we are in charge, all the time. Picture Clash of the Titans...on Steroids.
As you can imagine, this causes no end of conflict on certain occasions...most occasions.
Something is not right. Something has broken and I don't know how to fix it.
Grand Master H has the metabolism of a coked-up hummingbird . The kid simply can't get enough calories in any given day. Some days he eats 6 eggs. Yup, my four year old can put away half a dozen eggs. In one day. He is a ball of energy. He hops up and down most of the day. He is enthusiastic and sweet, but he can fall apart when not tended to regularly...like every two hours, without exception.
Since last Thanksgiving, I have set alarms (every two hours) to make sure that he eats regularly and eats enough. This level of vigilance is really getting to me.
I think that I have failed him on such an epic scale and I have no idea how to remedy this situation.
The consequences of not feeding him every two hours are dire. He wails like a wounded animal. He cries uncontrollably. He screams. He rages. He spits. He hits. He kicks. He repeats a single phrase over and over and over again until the syllables become blurred and soaked with tears, mucus and frustrated rage.
He tells me he hates me. He tells me I am stupid. He tells me to shut up and get out of the house or the car. He tells me to go live in the green area.
We have had him tested for diabetes, hypoglycemia, etc.
The day we had to take him for his blood tests is tattooed on my memory.
I was not able to get him dressed because he kept ripping his clothes off. I waited in the car with him while Mr. Smith went in and checked us in. As soon as I let him out of his car seat, he skittered to the far side of the back seat and crouched on the floor.
He curled up there, crying and wailing, begging me not to take him into the lab to have tests. "I don't want to have the test" he yelled over and over again in a chant. Until the crisis somehow passed, that would be his personal mantra.
I tried to go to the other door to get him, he scampered to the opposite side. And so it went for several more attempts on my part to retrieve my terrified son. He begged me to just take him home. And I wanted to do just that, more than anything.
Finally, I climbed in the back seat and dragged him, in my arms, out of the car. He hit me and kicked me. He slapped my face and screamed into my mouth as I tried to calm him. He had to have felt he was fighting for his life, the poor thing.
It was taking everything I had to hang on to him and keep him from falling to the pavement. I gave up on the idea of shoes. I was carrying my wailing child into the office barefoot, clad only in his pajamas.
I can't even imagine what the other people in the waiting area thought of us, thought of our child, thought of our stellar parenting skills.
I don't know how many other people were there, I was so focused on keeping it together. I felt so overwhelmed, so helpless and so scared. I knew I had to do this. I knew we had to find out if there was something wrong with him, but the process required to find that out was so daunting.
The phlebotomist was amazing and got the necessary blood drawn without incident. I looked at his little face and he just sat there, stoic and weeping.
He got through it. We got through it.
We got him doughnuts. We bought him toys. But he still gets nervous when we drive near the location of the lab.
I felt wrung out and exhausted. I wanted to go home and crawl under the blankets and stay in bed for the rest of the day, for the rest week. But I could not do that, I can never do that, no matter how much I want to.
I am the oldest child. I have to take care of everyone. I have to take care of everything. I am the one who is responsible for holding everything and everyone together.
Yesterday, it happened again. The screaming, crying, raging went on for about half an hour. Sometimes it goes on longer...up to an hour.
So, every two hours, the boy's food alarm goes off on my phone. I stop what I am doing and begin negotiations with H before he falls apart. The clock is always ticking and I can hear it.
I am getting really tired of it.
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