Pistachio Pesto - i.e., Bugs in Green Grass

Source: Parents Magazine, December 2010

Makes 6 cups.
INGREDIENTS
1 cup packed spinach
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup shelled pistachios
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. salt
1 clove garlic, quartered
12 oz. dried pasta, cooked and drained

DIRECTIONS
Put spinach, oil, nuts, cheese, salt, and garlic in food processor. Process until smooth. Toss with pasta and serve.


The boys picked out insect-shaped pasta.  We added lemon juice because the garlic taste was SO strong.
Score ended up being 2-1-2.  Daddy and I liked it. Spike ate it, however s-l-o-w-l-y and Curly wanted nothing to do with it.   Trilogy just stared at it.  The ease was a plus, but next time I'll think twice about mixing in all the pasta and instead leave some bugs who are allergic to the "grass" out for more picky eaters.

Ah....the time-honored ritual of Christmas cards!

Every November I open a tab with each of the online photo companies, upload our selected photo (post edited to leave out the stress of having that taken and choosing just the right one - you know that drill!) and look for the cutest possible combination of graphics, colors and available text space.

I forward my husband my passwords and he goes in to look at each of the choices.
I stress about the cost of something that kills trees and only gets looked at for 20 days, then tossed.
We debate.
We disagree on the choice.
We eat, sleep, go on with our lives.
Then, suddenly (yeah, right, as if Christmas comes as a surprise each year), it's the middle of December and I'm in a time crunch.
I blow off Husband's attitude to skip cards this year and, for the past 5 years, Shutterfly saves the day!

Given my past history, it's amazing that I'm so close to ordering this year's cards.  And it's only the last day of November.

So, without further delay...I think...am almost 100% positive...for 2010....we're using this one.  I'm a sucker for all things retro and all things blue = perfect.

There are many reasons Shutterfly stands out:

Their selection of cards gets cuter and more stylish every year!  Here's their latest batch of Christmas photo cards and holiday cards.  Of course, we do photo cards now that we have three cute faces to share, but pre-marriage my choices were the plain, boxed sets from the stationery store.  Now there's a huge variety of stationery cards that don't require matching outfits or pulling teeth to get smiles.

Another perk for my pocketbook - there are many price points.  I can't stomach the cost that some companies want me to pay per card but Shutterfly makes me feel wise and trendy without worrying that our card will be politely placed on the bottom of someone's card holder behind the free notepad from their realtor.
 
They also have calendars which I give to the grandparents EVERY year.  The benefit of such is that I can make sure they know all the birthdays and anniversaries they might otherwise forget (not naming names here, but someone forgot our youngest's 1st birthday this year....)  I make a special one for my grandmother using photos from all the extended family, adding new babies and new spouses is a must!  I finally got smart and set Gram's calendar to start in Feb of the next year so I can insert any last minute holiday pics from this  year and still get it to her without wasting a month.  Brilliant feature, Shutterfly.  Maybe I'll do an 18-month calendar for her this year.

Shutterfly also has my vote for supporting Heifer International.  In my classroom, every year, the kids and their families participate in a Read A Thon to raise money for the purchase of livestock to help families in third world countries become independent and self-sustaining.  10% of the purchase of these cards goes to Heifer!  Terrific!  They also support LiveStrong and the American Lung Association.  Albeit the cards aren't that cute, the point of Heifer is the livestock, not snowflakes and it's for a good cause, right?

Not only do they offer fabulous holiday cards, but we've done #2 and #3's birth announcements and thank you cards from Shutterfly.  Over the years, I've needed one copy here and there for baby books and such, so it's nice that they allow me to save all my old projects without a fee or minimum annual order.

#1 and #2 have first-year of life photo books from Shutterfly as well.  The quality of the glossy hard cover and the ability to caption and design each page made it simple for a brain-dead, lack-of-sleep mommy to create a book for each boy in the middle of the night.  Of course, Trilogy is already 16 months old and I have yet to order his, but it's created and in my cart now!

They always have coupon, codes and special offers so be sure to sign up for their email newsletter or connect to them on FB or Twitter.

December is just around the corner and I bet you'll be getting your first holiday card in the mail before the end of the week.  Some people are just that together, aren't they?  Well, now with Shutterfly and the reminder I'll get from my husband when he reads this post, you just might get mine by then too! =)

Happy Holidays!

If you have a blog and would like to check out what Shutterfly has to offer, click here. Disclosure - I did receive 50 free cards for promoting Shutterfly, but I was planning to use them anyway!  So that means I'm only paying for 75 of my cards =)

Organic milk. Is it worth it?

Every week I stand in front of the dairy section and debate my kids' health.   Is paying $5.99 for a gallon of organic milk versus $3.29 for a gallon of Trader Joe's no-Rbgh milk going to save them or haunt me years from now?
Here's a great break down from Healthy Child Healthy World on all the reasons I feel guilty when I walk out of the store and why tomorrow they'll be getting organic again.  (PS I never get it for myself, but why not when I am nursing?

Does your kid's book destroy the rainforest?

Wow.  Can't believe I never thought of this one?...Coincidentally I'm sitting next to a recycle can holding the remains of one Spanish-English flip book that didn't survive a 2 year old's naptime...
The RainForest Action Network (RAN) recently published a guide to the publishers who are and are not rainforest friendly.  Sad to see our Puff the Magic Dragon book is not a friend of the trees.  Shame on you Puff.
It's a good thing Simon & Schuster's Generation Green edition is!
Click here to see if you recognize some of the names on your spine...

Patch those holey jeans!

Sommer over at Green and Clean Mom posted a review of a new item, well not new, but you'll see what I mean.
JohnnyPatch takes recycled jeans and makes them into iron-on patches you can purchase and use.  Not sure myself if $9 per patch is worth it, but to not have to sew it, to have it look cute and not waste more space in the world by buying a brand new patch....
As the boys enter the next stretch of outdoor play, I'm sure we'll be needing a heck of a lot of these...free shipping = Yay!

Things you maybe knew about being a mom but were afraid to ask!s

This came through today from AlphaMom.
Hello.
Right on target.  Love the one about the puke.  Especially as my oldest is puking as we speak...=(
________________________________________________________________

by Chris Jordan

Nothing really prepares you for becoming a mother. Sure, people tell you what to expect, but until you actually have a kid or two, their words mean nothing. Needles in your spine? Dignity lost on the delivery table? You think after hearing everyone’s labor delivery nightmare stories that nothing else will shock you.
The only thing that prepares you for motherhood is becoming a mother.  And then you can have your own shocking realizations.
1: Loneliness.  Motherhood is very isolating.  Even when I had several kids I described my life as being lonely in a crowd.  Now that my kids are older I  have moved past this stage, but I still think it is one of those things mothers don’t talk about much.  Somehow it is taboo to admit that your baby doesn’t fulfill  every last desire that you have.
2: Your body will never be the same.  I’m not sure why this one shocked me so much.

Click here to read the rest.

Felt crafts

I found this for a friend and thought I'd share.
She wants to put a felt or flannel board in her daughter's room for storytelling fun!

No Poo - Am I brave enough?

For the past year I've treaded the "No Poo" waters...
It might be time to dive in.
Here are a few of the fabulous posts I'm visiting and re-visiting to build up my courage.
Want to join me on my swim into the world of No Poo?

BabySlime - a great break down on "fixes" as well

SimpleMom -  has short hair like me. (note - this is not me =)
Kitchen Stewardship -  my life wouldn't be the same without Katie and her tireless research into all things green and important to me now =)

Big Blue? Easy-peasy! Joe's always ready for a challenge!

This week's matchups!

Ladies and Gentleman - with the time change, you now have ONE EXTRA HOUR to vote for Joe Bruin!


Last night, my family and I cheered on the UCLA Bruins to their, literally, last second win over the Oregon State Beavers.  Proof positive that Beavers can't build a dam, our kicker made a last-second field from 51 yards to seal the deal and win the game!  17-14

During the game, I threw out the "Mascot Alumni" card and asked some of the Yell Crew to bring Joe Bruin over for a family portrait.  Always gracious and humble, Joe proudly walked among his fans to our section and gave us a 30-second private audience before wowing the rest of his adoring fans who had lined up for aisles.

Ever so strong, Joe offered to hold all three of the kids himself, but we knew he had to save his energy to take on Big Blue in this week's Capital One Bowl Mascot Challenge.  Have you voted for this studly, family-friendly bear yet?

Do it now - Vote!

Boo!

I set my sights on making a Halloween wreath for our door this year. I had found this version that used black burlap, scrapbook paper, black paint and B,O,O. Here's my version of it =)

Cutting the burlap into strips almost sent me packing...but tying it wasn't so bad.  I liked how it turned out and am trying to resist the urge to add more to it.  I'll take pictures of the rest of our Halloween decorations soon.


Mr. P and I did agree that I'd be all Halloweened-out next year so I should probably skip Thanksgiving crafting this year so I have something to do with myself next Fall....;)

Cute reminder sign

Believe it or not...I apparently have a crafty bone in my left foot, second toe from the right. It's small and if I'm not careful I might break it on the buffet, but for now...it's still working and it helped me create this.


































I LOVE my children's feet. Could eat them for lunch with Magic Shell.

Oh, and btw, 99% of outdoor toxins can be kept out of your home by simply removing your shoes when you enter. Thanks in advance =)

Little Pickle Press

Little Pickle Press - a conscientious kid's go-to

Fabulous site with some great books and a money kit that I'm thinking of "investing" in =)

Cute Chore Chart idea

I like Frecklebox's personalized stuff and since I'm having trouble reminding myself to give Curly a magnet each time he helps out...maybe this will help me do my chore =)

We now return you to your regularly-scheduled programming.

Here's why people think I'm a freak =)  Although...truth be told: my kids think that Sesame Street only airs at Papa's house so they do get to watch it once or twice when we're there.  Other than that, they think the tv is for watching UCLA sports, nothing else =)

Here's a terrific article from the Greater Good Science Center that might help you better understand me =)
(i.e., pretty please stop arguing with me that my kids "need to learn about this stuff sometime"...they will.  when it's developmentally age-appropriate.)


_________________________________________________________________
Weighing the pros and cons of introducing television into our household

  

Dear readers,
As I write this, I am waiting for the cable guy (or cable person, as the case may be).  I haven’t had regular Internet access since June 17th, not that I’m counting.  So the cable person is coming to install a landline (no mobile phone service here, either), Internet, and, um, possibly cable TV.
I kind of want it. I haven’t had a TV hooked up for years.  Although I do take a smug pleasure in saying, “My kids don’t watch any TV,” I’m sure this is more annoying than inspiring.
People often say to me, “Don’t your kids feel left out that they don’t get to watch the shows that the other kids are watching?”  I honestly don’t think that they do feel left out, though they are only 7 and 9, so this may change.
To me, here are the pros of having television:

1. It would be fun to watch cooking shows with my children; maybe it would inspire them to spend more time in the kitchen with me.
2. If there is a show that all the other kids are watching (American Idol) it’d be fun to watch this together.

Although there is a tiny bit of evidence that some shows are, indeed, educational, clearly time spent reading or in other activities is a zillion times more beneficial developmentally, so I’d put educational shows in a neutral category—not really a “pro” of watching TV, but certainly not a “con,” either.
Here are the cons of television, for my family:

1. TV takes time that kids could be playing, reading, socializing or doing other, more developmentally beneficial activities.
2. My kids always seem really cranky after they’ve been watching TV.
3. Currently my kids are great at entertaining themselves by drawing, playing outside, and by playing with their pet rats (sounds gross, I know, but those pets are a positive thing).  I’m afraid they’ll lose this self-entertaining skill if they can do something that takes less effort, like watch TV.
4. TV may create a new battle-ground: “can I watch TV” begging.  I certainly know how to create limits (my mom only let my brother and I watch a half hour of TV per day) but I think my kids will still ask, beg, and cajole me to make exceptions.  I can also limit this behavior by taking away TV if they do it, but then I will have created a complicated new system ripe for arguments.
5. Even if I’m super-controlling about which shows the kids are allowed to watch, TV can have a pernicious effect on our perceptions of race and ethnicity.  New research shows that watching how black characters are treated on TV tends to affect people’s attitudes about race both consciously and unconsciously, and usually not for the better.  Why would I want to let actors’ and producers’ prejudices influence my kids?
6. Moreover, and I think this is my biggest concern, the influence of commercials, product placement, and celebrities—especially if my kids’ heroes are endorsing a product or style just by wearing it—is not happiness-making.  Consumption and materialism are in large part learned; the materialistic culture often represented on television creates beliefs and behaviors that ultimately make kids dissatisfied (and whiny) rather than joyful.

Great addition to a Waste-Free lunch - ScrappyNaps!

A friend shared these terrific all-in-one placemat/napkin setswith me today.
The boys each picked out the fire-fighter hat and the robot sets.  I'm hoping that she'll have more fabric choices later on because Mama needs one of her choice to =)
20% off through Faberuna
Enjoy!

Family Day Out 2010- tomorrow Sept. 28th

We all know the importance of sitting down to dine with our kids.  Two programs are in effect this week to encourage us to remember how valuable this act it.

The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse declared today Family Day 2010. 

Tomorrow is Family Day Out 2010. Participating restaurants offer a free child's meal with the purchase of an adult's. Check out this link to the California Restaurant Association for more info.

 Thanks, First Lady Maria Shriver =)

Now can your husband pay off our state's debt?

Or at least support the schools??

Capital One Bowl - a little secret about me you may not have known =)

To all 13 of you....hehe

There's a little secret about me that 8 of you may not know...

I'll give you a hint:

I am not a lot less hairy than I was the last two years as an undergrad at UCLA.

My husband is very thankful about that for two reasons - 1) that's how he met me and 2) it no longer applies.

While growing up a UCLA fan (8th member of my family to attend), my family had season tickets (still do to this day) for Bruin Football.  My father (Class of '70) used to encourage my brother and I through subtle hints about the activities we could do while one day attending his alma mater.  Ever gender-correct, Dad would point out the awesome football team to JB and make me take notice of the beautiful, bubbly dance team, saying, "Someday, Jen will be cheering on the sidelines for JB."

Ahhh....a father's dream.

Not.  JB played baseball and I, well, I went for a less prestigious position - the female mascot, Josephine Bruin.

BOY DID I LOVE IT!

Not only did I meet my future husband and father of my own 3 Little Bruins.

As Josie, my head fell off twice, I was “mounted” by the Kansas Jayhawk and had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to represent UCLA while riding on a barge with the deafening band behind us on San Antonio’s RiverWalk for the Sweet 16.

Fast forward 12 years later....

I've been chosen for the Capital One Bowl Mascot Challenge as the official blogger for UCLA and Mighty Joe Bruin.
WAHHHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Why do I care about Joe when I was Josie?  Because behind every GOOD Bruin is a GREAT Bruinette...? HUH?

Check it out here (oh and GO VOTE)


Standings here 

VOTE

More to come, but thanks to Danielle Smith, Founder of Extraordinary Mommy, for this awesome opportunity!

Digital Children's Library

Check this out the next time you think you'll fall over if you have to read The Mine-O-Saur one more time..  Online Library

Hyland's BellaDonna

I recently went to Rainbow Acres, a local health food store, and found a homeopathic fever and inflammation tablet from Hyland's.  They make the teething tablets that I told you about before.  I was amazed at how many products they have (Hyland's).  They even have a tablet for nausea and vomiting....hmmm...maybe I could have a fourth child after all...
Here's a link from Amazon.  http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dhpc&field-keywords=hylands+belladonna&x=0&y=0
I just couldn't stomach getting back into bed with Tylenol after the recalls...
Happy Weekend!

Applesauce! Make Your Own

Our boys LOVE applesauce.  To hear my two-year old ask for it is a simple joy.  "Appuhsos"

As part of my make-my-own, save money kick, I've priced it out and it's more economical and more FUN to make my own applesauce.  Here's the recipe I follow:

Makes 4 jars.

15 medium apples (4 1/2 to 5 pounds)

1/4 cup water

1/2 to 1/4 cup sugar (depending on sweetness of the apples)

zest and juice of half a lemon

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

My helpful assistant juices the lemon.

1.  Peel apples if desired.  (I don't b/c I'm lazy and just scrub my organic apples really well.)

2. Halve and core the apples.  Cut into 4 slices.  (I use my apple slicer - much faster.)

3. Put sliced apples into a pot with a heavy bottom.  Add water, sugar, lemon zest and juice and cinnamon.

4. Cover and place over low to medium heat, stirring occasionally, until apples are very tender, @30-35 minutes.  Keep heat low at first to the apples don't burn. 

5. If peeled, simply mash them with a potato masher.  I just put them in my food processor.

6. Store applesauce in a covered container in the fridge for a week or two. (I repurpose applesauce jars from Trader Joe's.)