The deception has begun!

Thank you, Jessica Seinfeld! I had heard about her cookbook Deceptively Delicious when it first came out. There was a huge buzz about it the mom circle. Imagine getting fruits and veggies in your kids in a delicious way that they don't pick up on. Sounds too good to be true, doesn't it? To be very honest, I thought so too and didn't think twice about passing it up. That was, of course, until I saw Jessica pimping the book to the goddess of all talk show hosts, Oprah.

Jessica talked about being able to enjoy meals more because they were no longer filled with debate about how many more bites of veggies to eat. She knew the food her kiddos were gobbling up had great nutrition hidden inside. She felt really good about what she was serving. And as much as I thumbed my nose at this whole idea of pureeing veggies to sneak into food as being the next pet rock, she was starting to make sense to me.

As much as I try to provide really nutritious meals for my children, they eat like crap! The little one has a processed and cured meat addiction. Salami, bacon, pork roll (yes, we're originally from NJ. The rest of the world knows this as Taylor Ham, though anyone from NJ will quickly chime in that it's quite un-ham-like.). Both of my girls very rarely have vegetables despite offering them ALL the time. And trust me, we've fought the fight. There have been many meals that end up in time-outs and lonely kids ordered to sit there until they eat four bites of whatever green. When I was first married and dreamily let my mind wander into the future of our family, our dinner times were filled with happy and peaceful chatter about our day, our hopes and our dreams. There was a lot less correcting, demanding and yelling involved than in what actually materialized many years later.

So I thought about buying Deceptively Delicious for a few weeks, as is the standard waiting time for any cookbook I consider. I have about twenty, of which I only open a handful of them a handful of times a year. Did I really need another? We go through this same waiting period for new kitchen appliances as well. Finally I decided that yes, I did, indeed, need this book. As luck had it, a 20% off coupon from Barnes & Noble arrived the very next day. :-) The New Cookbook Gods were shining down upon me.

I took the gals to the dollar movie at the theater two doors down from the big B&N. (The Alvin and the Chipmunks movie was delightful, by the way!) After it was over, we walked down and my munchkins made an immediate break for the kids' section. We have like 80 Thomas trains, but there's just something about the train table they have there. I'll never understand, but whatever...

Flash forward through a tantrum over a Barbie ballet book to last night. I made the Hamburger recipe with cauliflower and a mac and cheese recipe with white beans. I was slightly skeptical, yet hopeful.

My kitchen has never been a bigger mess. And this comes from a chic who bakes all the time and hosts Thanksgivings. My sin, though, was making the purees just before I needed them. The devastation of my counter tops would have been less if I hadn't pureed and cooked at the same time. Regardless, the end result rocked! My husband and children ate both items without hesitation. Seriously, my children have never, NEVER had cauliflower in their little bodies. N-E-V-E-R! They ate it this time, happily. Even my darling, veggie-disliking, husband remarked, "These burgers are really good. What's in them?" He was none the wiser. Mwahahaha, my evil plan had worked!

I'll continue to review recipes from the book, but for now, Mrs. Jessica Seinfeld gets a huge momorable mention for this book! I'll shamelessly promote for her as long as my fam continues to enjoy the recipes. Tonight we'll be testing out the chicken nuggets and mashed potatoes. Fingers crossed the "veggies in children" result will be the same!

And while I'm at it, Jerry Seinfeld gets an momorable mention of his own. Loved the show, Jerry, and love your stand-up. We saw him perform a few years back and while the ticket price was a bit high, it was worth it! Between your wife's creative chef-ery and your comedic abilities, your children are going to be chock full of talent!

[photo courtesty of www.deceptivelydelicious.com]

The finer things in life...at a discount

Sometimes I think I have a split-personality. There's half of me that loves the nicer things in life. I yearn to indulge in fine dining, suites in hotels, exotic car rentals, brand names, etc. Then there's the more practical side that doesn't actually want to pay the high premium for these things. Where's the middle ground? Discounts! Join me in my high over my latest score.

My wedding anniversary is coming up. Last year hubby and I painted the town red without a second thought about money. And by "the town" I mean Vegas, baby! So when this year's anniversary started to roll around I, admittedly, got a little down that we didn't have any big trip planned. It's not that I really need a glam vacay to celebrate. Its more that I want his undivided attention and for us both to relax. We both work hectic jobs. When we're just home, even if our princesses are in their grandparents' care, we still feel the need to fire up the laptop, cook breakfast and other drags of daily life.

The other thing that's held me back from planning any trips this summer (Yes, we're so trendy. We're "staycating".) is the fear the media has planted firmly in me. We must conserve money. I've got a financial goal in mind and once we hit it, I'll feel better about loosening the reins a bit. Yet still...I want to go away with hubby.

I had been looking at shackin' up old school style in a local hotel for the night. But as luck has it, we live in a thriving vacation spot. Nightly hotel rates can be quite high. Plus, I find myself saying, "Why spend hundreds of dollars to stay in one when I can enjoy the beach on any given day anyway."

One particular hotel caught my eye as it's not on the beach, but has a beach club. It's quite upscale and basically sets us up to not really need to leave the property. Heck, there's even a shuttle to their beach club so I can enjoy cocktails pre- and during our beach time. :-) The problem, though is that it, too, is hundreds of dollars a night.

I finally conceded to just make a one-night reservation so I called to ask a few questions. My final question was...and here's the lesson, folks..."Do you offer a discount to locals?" I explained how we didn't have much time and didn't want to drive hours to another location. The customer service rep cheerfully reply, "We sure do!"

I was expecting the discount to be 10 - 20% off. I expected it to be closer to 10. Instead, the woman blew me away. It was a full 50%! Get out of town! "Done!" I exclaimed and we booked it immediately - for two nights. Happy Anniversary to us! But shhhhhh...hubby doesn't know. I just told him "I'm cookin' up something for that weekend." and his typically skeptical reply was "What if I don't like what you're cookin'?" LOL I think he'll come out of that weekend satisfied. ;-)

I must run. I'm off to the kitchen gadget store to replace the coffee press I just shattered on my hated tiled floor. It was one of hubby's prized possessions. So much for saving money!

Thoughts on parenting an "adult" teen from the mom of preschoolers

It seems like an oxymoron doesn't it? An adult teen? Yet, my family falls into that fun category. My brother's younger daughter is 19, living at home, causing her parents all kinds of heartache, yet legally an adult and theoretically not subject to their rules and opinions.

Let me preface this whole post by saying I love everyone involved, dearly. Dearly! And I fully admit that the best parenting expert is someone who has no children. In this case, it's someone who has no teenage children.

As I observed it, my niece, who is beautiful and brilliant, needle her parents with some valid issues and other things that were out of left field. It was humorous to watch her debate because when someone (me) who was unemotional and methodical about it asked tough questions she immediately went to a line of statements like "it's not my fault my parents had me." and "it's their job to deal with me." To me, that was the equivalent of throwing up a white flag of surrender.

As I tell my brother all the time, I'm just taking notes. One day I will also have two teenagers who will drain the color from my hair and elasticity from my facial skin. I fully expect the desire to take up smoking and drinking as a means of stress relief as daily massages and facials are too pricey.

Today I watched my sister-in-law fall into every trap my niece set. Each thing was like worm on a hook and my poor sister-in-law was a big trout, chomping at them all then sitting in silence and stewing. Her digital camera had photos of my niece smooching a guy she met while visiting. She showed up later than planned to say goodbye to the family before they left to go home. Her new "friend" slid into a comfort level with our family that made me...well...uncomfortable. My brother said he was a very confident guy. I wonder if it was actually insecure putting on a good act because before she left my niece was convinced he had a lot of money despite working out Outback and driving a 1998ish Corolla with heavy body damage and no hub-caps. No judgement, though. I was young once too.

They have a 12 hour drive home today. My brother has always preferred to drive through the night. I scoffed...I would just get too tired. Today I gave him credit for his strategic planning. Twelve hours between the hours of 6:00 PM and 6:00 AM gives him at least a few hours of silence as his wife and daughter break from fighting and sleep. The man is a genius!

So what notes have I taken during the past 7 days? Here's a synopsis.

1. It's really important for parents to be on the same team.

2. When kids cross over into the age where they are making independent and adult decisions, there is little you can do to control them. The best you can shoot for is guidance and suggestion.

3. I have lived to regret some decisions I've made. My children will do the same and while it'll hurt and there will be disappointment, that type of experiential learning is priceless. It can't be prevented even if it sucks.

4. Rules and standards have to be finite and concrete. A child, legally adult or not, need to know, understand and adhere to them. Adult children who refuse too are making a choice to not live with us any longer.

Sometimes I think it's not fair that my older brother has to be my teacher as it seems that his struggles turn into my guide book. His lessons learned are paid forward, I guess, so they aren't for nothing. I just wish I could repay him for all the free schooling. Note to self - if I ever win the lottery, he gets a cut!

RAOK in the grocery store for a pregnant gal

I want to give some snaps to a guy I met in the grocery store today.

I was shopping alone as my two girls hung out with their uncle and cousin at home. I happily buzzed in an effort get home as soon as possible before the Wii waved a white flag and surrendered from pure exhaustion.

As I stood in line to check out, a guy jokingly commented, "I want a piece of that cake" referring to the beautiful chocolate hunk sitting nicely with my order. I'm having company tonight, so don't judge me. LOL It's not a wicked case of PMS or anything.

I replied, "Come on over and have some, I think we'll have enough." Without missing a beat he said, "Well I have a pregnant wife and I'm sure she'd love it!" I looked over. Sure enough he was with a woman who looked tired, yet glowing. I'm thinking this guy, who I didn't even really look at, thought I was hitting on him! I give him applause, though, for throwing his wife in there to "set me straight".

I looked over to her and laughed, "Just bring a fork! Eating while pregnant is much more fun than eating sans baby!" She smiled politely and agreed. I think she was pleased at her husband because as I walked away, she held out her arm, wrapped it around him and started to scratch his back. So sweet!

Murder Mystery Dinner Night Out

I've got family in from out-of-town this week and when they're here I tend to turn into a tourist. Each time they visit, I, along with my mom, sister-in-law and nieces try to take a night to go out with just the girls. We've done restaurants and shopping to death. This year, we took a different approach - murder mystery dinner theater.

Admittedly, when it first started out I thought it was lame. While amusing, the bad over-acting made me roll my eyes. Besides...I was hungry. I felt like I could concentrate on the details of the "case" a little better after some salad.

As the night progressed, the case got more amusing. Random people out of the audience were chosen to talk about whether or not they had known the "deceased". The "detective" would ask "Nikki (or whatever the audience member's name was) do you like to dance?" Nikki would answer, "sure, with my friends." The detective would read a letter to her that was found in the deceased's pocket detailing her contract for employment at a local strip joint. It was pretty funny. That is, until, one of those guys tried to become the star of the show and played along a little too much. I'll hope for his family that he just had a drink or two too many. If he's that annoying in real life, I'm sure he's loads of fun to take out in public. Anyway..................

The meal, itself, was pretty bad. Salad was good and the dessert was good. The chicken, potatoes and veggies were over seasoned and disappointing...but I ate most of it anyway. LOL

By night's end, I wrote a novella detailed motives and ID-ing the killers. Others at my table were conned into believing I knew something they didn't. That wasn't the case, of course. I'm a writer and, let's face it, can make up crap pretty well.

During the awards ceremony several people were commended for their creative and correct answers. Unfortunately, you only got a prize if you answered ridiculously like "I did it. I was so mad that the chicken was so bad that I decided to take matters into my own hands and end the misery of this show continuing." Guess who ended up on this list? Yep - that guy. He said his wife did it because she was sleeping with one of the actors and blah blah blah...

I went into this night with a small attitude thinking it would be lame, but it turned out to be so much fun! Something like this would definitely be a fun girls night out, couples date, or a night out with your husband!

They say she's on her way out...I disagree

I admit it, I was slow to develop a deep love for almost all things Martha. But now that I am, it's almost like an addiction! They say she's on her way out. I'm not so sure. What's for dinner? IDK, let's ask Martha! While not a meal, my latest love are her large sugar cookies!

I recently scoured the site looking for content...true articles. Much to my surprise, they were scarce. Instead it's now filled primarily with recipes, photos, galleries, videos, lists and instructions. Back in the day, I remember far more narrative and commentary.

I'm an old school type of gal and initially found myself miffed. Would all of this new-fangled stuff really mean better quality? Ask my family...

I've never had luck with cut-out sugar cookies. I've honestly tried five or more times with various recipes. My problem, consistently, was fragile dough. I'd make it, refrigerate it, roll it out, cut it out with a cookie cutter and...drum roll please...failure. The dough around the cut-out wouldn't separate easily. I'd do my best to manipulate it, but all of that handling would warm it up. I'd try to lift the beautiful heart-shaped pre-cookie and put it on the pan and it would rip or fall apart. What frustrated me most is that it had already taken a good amount of time and effort to get to this point!

I'm pleased to say that Martha has reformed my bad sugar cookie habits all thanks to her videos! Check these babies out!

This Momorable Mention goes to Martha Stewart's site. Good job folks!

Life lessons via an African woman

It's this story that finally prompted me to start the blog I've been envisioning for quite some time. African women, while rich in culture and sense of duty, fall to the lower regions of the humanity scale.

As described, the woman featured in report chews on a twig, after she divides up the family's modest amount of food among two dozen children and her husband. Like most mothers, her motto is that the children come first. Even after "indulging" in her small portion of the only meal she'll eat that day, she takes only a few bites and then offers the rest to her family. She's quoted as saying, "I'm not hungry."

The problem is that there is little work. What's available pays very little and is physically taxing. The price of food and supplies has skyrocketed. A family that once ate three adequate meals a day can now only afford, basically, tasteless gruel.

It's glimpses into other's lives that put my own in perspective. This morning, as I read that article, I sipped on a lovely cup of tea and ate a banana. Thirty minutes prior, I chatted with my husband about how the astronomical gas prices have, indeed, affected my daily life. No more whimsical trips to the library, Target or beach. No sirree. I'm only out driving my SUV to spend our disposable income a few times a week. And while I'm at it, let me tell you about how my thighs and belly are too big. I have talked several times to a friend of mine who is having a cosmetic procedure to have her varicose veins erased, planning on following suit. I'm sheepishly writing this. It's almost shameful given the absolute lack of necessity that is reality for so many.

Yep, life is good. It's damn good. Now if only I can think of a way to nicely wrap that article and this post into a sentence that will politely remind myself and those around me when we get too wrapped up in problems that would only seem like a luxury to many.

Welcome!

Hello and welcome to Momorable Mention! I've pretty typically got a bunch to say about this and that, but never took advantage of a personal platform to talk about things. My platforms tend to belong to others and sometimes they may not want my full review on any given thing!

My name is Missy and I've got two preschool-aged munchkins. We're a pretty discriminating crowd. Fear not, though. I'll hand out praise as quickly as I'll dish criticism. I'm also very open to hearing your thoughts. Convince me I'm wrong! I'll admit it!

Thanks for reading...now hold tight. Here we goooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!