Wish Us Luck

Tomorrow is the big day and I am pretty nervous. I don't how well Tyler is going to fly, but hopefully he does ok. I am also hoping there are enough things to do to keep him busy all day. I am sure he will love swimming, playing on the beach and visiting the animals at the zoo they have on site, so I don't know why I am so nervous. Just being a Mom I suppose. Sand and sun here we come!

Tantrum Time

Help! Tyler has recently started throwing tantrums. I don't know if it's just the age he's at or if it has something to do with the new day home we are using. I'm assuming it's just a stage. He acts like he doesn't want to be with Trevor a lot of the time, and sometimes both of us. It is really hard. Any words of advice from anyone? We seem to have lost our happy little boy for a while.

Make-It Monday

I'm a day late again, but oh well. I am going to give you 2 recipes today since I won't be around next week. I made each of these this week and was not disappointed. You may notice as Mom pointed out, that I seem to use a lot of chicken recipes. This is because it is really the only meat that Trevor likes to eat. Occasionally I can get away with some sort of pork or beef, but it is few and far between.

Sweet Muffins

 

(These are my muffins I made!)

2 eggs

1 c. milk

1/2 c. oil

3 c. flour

1 c. sugar

4 t. baking powder

1 t. salt

Topping:

3/4 c. flour

1/2 c. butter

1/2 c. sugar

Cut together with a pastry cutter or two knives until the butter is crumbly and in small pieces.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Blend all ingredients for the muffins together. Batter should be lumpy. Spray muffin pan with pan coating and fill muffin cups 2/3 full...( I prefer NOT to use the cupcake liners, these muffins are TOO big and need to be made directly in the pan). Combine ingredients together for topping and mix according to instructions. Sprinkle a little bit of topping mixture to the top of each cup of muffin batter and bake for 20-23 minutes. (DO NOT over bake these or they are dry...just cook until lightly browned but done...check at 20 minutes)

Source: betterthanburgers.blogspot.com

**I might suggest putting some cinnamon in the topping mix, or right in the batter for the muffins. They were good without it, but I think it would really add a little something. These were a big hit. Tyler and Trevor both ate them, and Trevor doesn't usually eat muffins much. Also, if you have a light pan I would use it. I tried both a light and a dark non-stick pan and found that the dark pan muffins were quite a bit darker and didn't puff out as much.

Chicken Tortellini Soup

 

8 ServingsPrep/Total Time: 30 min.

2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) chicken broth

2 cups water

3/4 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes

1-1/2 cups frozen mixed vegetables

1 package (9 ounces) refrigerated cheese tortellini

2 celery ribs, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon pepper

In a large saucepan, bring broth and water to a boil; add chicken. Reduce heat; cook for 10 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients; cook 10-15 minutes longer or until chicken is no longer pink and vegetables are tender. Yield: 8 servings (about 2 quarts).

Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (1 cup) equals 170 calories, 4 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 37 mg cholesterol, 483 mg sodium, 20 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 14 g protein.

Source: Taste of Home

**I loved this soup. It was something different and delicious. It almost tasted better the second day. I think that may be because when I warmed it on the stove, I added more chicken broth. I think next time, I will use more broth and less water for the base. I am also going to try pan-frying the chicken and then adding it, as Trevor is not a huge fan of the boiled texture. I thought the texture was fine myself though!

Free Fun for All *Warning-Tons of pictures

 You may be asking yourself "I wonder if he ate that whole cucumber?" Well, the answer is Yes. It took 2 different tries, but he ate the whole thing in a 24 hour period! What a Scott!

We took Tyler to Galaxyland today. He is free because he's under 2, and then one of us got to chaperone him on each ride for free. I think he had a pretty great time.

These two are of the Kiddie Convoy. He rode on the tractor all but one time that he went on it. He really seemed to like it.

This ride was the only one he was able to go on without a chaperone. He is 35" tall, which is the height requirement, barely. He cried like crazy when Trevor first put him on by himself, but once it started going, he loved it.

Here are Trevor and Tyler watching the Mind Bender. Tyler thought it was so cool.

Of course, a trip to Galaxyland is never complete without a ride on the carousel. This is how we started and finished our day. All in all it was a good time.

Random Things - "Challenge Accepted"

My sister thought it would be nice for us all to do this. I agree. It is fun to read about different people! Hey Mal - What's the quote in the Title from?

1. What time did you go to bed last night and were you alone?

11:15, alone. Trevor was watching Robot Chicken, which I hate, so I went to bed.

2. If you could be given ANY gift what would it be?

A Spa Weekend.

3. What was the last film that really moved/disturbed/thrilled you and why?

Inception. Let's be honest, I don't watch a lot of movies these days, but that one really made me think. I found it so interesting and entertaining.

4. What is your favourite TV show of all time ie you've seen them all, can watch it over and over again and quote lines from it?

I have two that are equally funny to me: Arrested Development and Seinfeld.

5. Whats your favourite way to wake up and whats the first thing you do?

Getting a nice big hug from Trevor or Tyler, and then having a nice hot breakfast.

6. What would you call yourself if you could choose your own name?

This is a hard one. I've only been Emily, but I really like the name Sofie.

7. If you had to do a bushtucker challenge (you have to eat insects/grubs etc) what would be the worst thing you had to eat?

The thought of this grosses me out. I don't think I could eat anything. I'd lose for sure!

8. Whats the worst/most embarassing CD/Album you've ever owned and do you still have it?

SoulDecision. No, I don't have it, but I do have Jen's Ricky Martin CD :)

11. What characteristics do you dislike in yourself?

I am a pretty big pushover. I don't speak up for myself that easily.

12. Your favourite item of clothing and why?

Shoes and jackets tie for me. You can never have too many in my books. You can always wear a different one, depending on your outfit for the day!

13. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would it be and who would it be with?

A Mediterranean cruise with Trevor. That would be the ideal trip.

14. If you could have any animal/creature, What would be your ultimate pet be?

A monkey. Sure, it would probably be a little noisy and messy, but it would be so cool, and you could train it to do lots of different things!

15. What did you want to be when you were little and do you think you ever will be?

A lawyer, just like Matlock.

16. Whats the next planned event you're looking to in your life?

A week long trip to Mexico!

17. What were you doing before you started this?

Dropping Tyler off at Dayhome.

18. What was the last thing you ate that you really shouldnt of ?

I just ate 2 muffins for breakfast (homemade, recipe to come on Monday!).

19. If you were an ice cream flavour what would you be?

Strawberries and Cream

20. Who was the last person you spoke to that you didnt want to talk to?

A contractor from work. I am conducting a short customer service survey for all of our wholesale customers, so that means I have to call even the ones I don't like!

21. What was your favourite toy as a child?

I would have to say Barbie.

22. When was the last time you cried laughing and why?

I honestly can't remember. I vaguely remember it happening at Christmas at Mom and Dad's, but can't remember why.

23. What is stashed under your bed/mattress?

All of my different bags (purses, etc.).

24. What did you dream about last night?

Nothing.

25. What are you really afraid of?

Snakes, just like Indiana Jones. The thought of them gives me the heeby jeebies.

Happy Valentine's Day

Today is Valentine's Day and what a better way to show Tyler how much I love him than to send him to a brand new Dayhome! I'm sure he's doing fine now, but he was sure screaming when I dropped him off this morning. He does like it there, I could tell when we went downstairs to play for a bit before I left. I think they will take good care of him. He should be okay with going in about a week or so, and then we'll go on our trip and we'll have to readjust all over again! Ah, the joys of child care.

Update**
I just called to check on Tyler, and she said that he is doing really well. There are two other boys there, and she said they are laughing, sharing toys, and that Tyler is being quite the comedian! Good to hear. It makes my day a lot less stressful.

Make-It Monday

I made this yesterday, and we really liked it. The chicken was super tender and juicy and had a ton of flavor. I used way more potatoes and carrots so that we could eat it 2 days in a row, which meant I used quite a bit more dressing as well. The onion didn't seem to get that soft, so I might recommend a little saute before adding it to the dish.

Chicken, Potato and Vegetable Bake

 

prep time 15 min

total time 1 hr 15 min

makes 6 servings, 1/6 recipe (273 g) each

Recipe by: kraft

 

What You Need

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts (1-1/2 lb./675 g)

1-1/2 lb. (575 g) Yukon gold potatoes (about 3), peeled, coarsely chopped

3 carrots (1/2 lb./225 g), coarsely chopped

1 onion, coarsely chopped

1/3 cup Kraft Calorie-Wise Zesty Italian Dressing

2 Tbsp. Kraft 100% Parmesan Light Grated Cheese

 

Make It

HEAT oven to 400°F.
PLACE chicken and vegetables in large baking dish; drizzle with dressing. Cover.
BAKE 1 hour or until chicken is done (170ºF), uncovering after 50 min.
SPRINKLE with cheese.

kraft kitchens tips

Substitute

Prepare using sweet potatoes.

Substitute

Substitute red peppers for the carrots.

 

Calories 240

Mexico Baby

Well, I did it. I booked a trip to Puerto Vallarta today! We are taking Tyler for a week (Feb 28-Mar 7) all inclusive to Palladium Vallarta. It sounds like it will be pretty nice. I think we will have a great time. Hopefully he doesn't mind flying and sitting in our laps the whole time! He is totally free, so we figured why not take him, right?!

Make-It Monday

We had this with Mom and Dad when they were visiting and we all enjoyed it, I think!

Campbell's Golden Chicken & Noodles

Ingredients

• 2 (10.75 ounce) cans Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup (Regular or 98% Fat Free)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard (I used honey mustard and it was good)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 8 large carrots, thickly sliced
• 8 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 4 cups hot cooked egg noodles
• Chopped fresh parsley

Directions

1. Stir the soup, water, lemon juice, mustard, garlic powder and carrots in a 3 1/2-quart slow cooker. Add the chicken and turn to coat.
2. Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours* or until the chicken is cooked through. Serve with the noodles. Sprinkle with the parsley.

World Waterpark

We took Tyler to the water park today for the first time. We had some cheap passes, and he was free, so it was good. He had a great time. We were there for about 3 hours. He loved the wave pool and also the slide in the kid pool. He was good enough to be able to climb up and go down all by himself. It was fun to take him and see him have so much fun. Now we are all exhausted and will most likely have an early night (fingers crossed).

Tyler watching Buzz!