AboutOne Twitter Chat….Raising Kids

I have recently discovered AboutOne.  It is an online website to “Safely Store and Manage Your Household Information”.  A great site to record memories, scan and keep important documents, and health info about the whole family. And now I am going to be a blogger for them, check it out.  (scroll down and you will see me!) I am going to write bi-monthly posts about Military Life….the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Today’s twitter chat was about raising kids.  Some great questions, some interesting answers.

Question #1: What are your tips for traveling with children? Do you travel a lot with your family?

We use to travel quite a bit.  When we were living in Connecticut we were only about 8 hours from my parents and I would make the drive with Jakob (and then Aiden too) about every three months.  It was a long day of driving, but worth it.  Most visits it would be just me driving, leaving Jason at home, so I had to make sure I was prepared.  Snacks, drinks and toys all within reach.  I made sure that all the snacks were portioned out, and easy to open.  Drinks were either juice boxes or premade sippy cups.  And when Jakob and Aiden were infants I made sure to have water from home, or bottled water, for their bottles so that there wasn’t anything in the water that their tummies weren’t use to.

The other side of travelling with children is entertainment….keeping them occupied = happy children!  DVD players in the car was key for us….the perfect distraction.  Now it takes a bit more.  Both Aiden and Jakob are obsessed with my iTouch.  They love the games (the free apps are awesome), and the videos and sometimes the music.   I have a feeling it will be a lifesaver for our cross country trip to Washington.  8 days on the road…help me!

Question #2:  How much TV do you let your kids watch? Do you limit? What are their favourite shows?

I am guilty of my boys watching a lot of TV.  I know it isn’t right, I know it isn’t good for them….I know.  Enough said.

Shows…..Phineas and Ferb, Team Umizoomi, Magic School Bus, most of the shows on PBSKids, and the Food Network!!  LOL

Question #3: Has your child ever been bullied? Have you talked to them about this issue?

Jakob has not been bullied at school.  And Aiden isn’t in school.  Jakob is a pretty popular kid, bit of a teacher’s pet too.  But there have been days that he has come home and said others were mean to a friend, which strikes a convo about how it isn’t nice to be mean to someone.  He knows what is good and bad behaviour, what is nice and what is mean.  He’s a good egg.

Question #4: How do you give your children quality time?

Jason and I try our best to spend some one on one time with each of the boys.  Jakob is old enough to sit through a movie, but Aiden isn’t quite there yet, so Jakob gets some one on one time going to the occasional movie.  Aiden gets special treats like trips to the ice cream shop.  We also do things like taking one out to run errands while the other stays home. 

We also swap out bedtime.  We each take a boy, read or talk, and tuck in.  That way they are getting equal attention from us.

It’s important. We make it a priority.

Question #5: How do you treat yourself?

I am happy to say that I am pretty good at treating myself.  I work dinners out into our budget so that there are days that I don’t have to cook.  I take time with my friends to get our nails done, go out for lunch, or even go to the bookstore for a coffee and poke at some books.  I am lucky.  I have a great husband who understands that “if Mama ain’t happy, no one is happy”.  Jason is great at hanging with the boys so that Mama can have some me time.

I also find a few minutes at the end of the day to reflect.  I keep a gratitude journal and write the highlights of the day.  Things I am thankful for.   AboutOne has a section on their site for keeping track of memories and I am looking forward to adding to that part of my account as well.

Whew….Those are some great questions, and long answers.  It was a great opportunity to hear what some other mother’s are going through, and realizing that I am not alone, that we all have similar things going on, choices to make, and love for our children. I will definitely be participating in the AboutOne chats on twitter.  You can too!  Wednesday mornings, 10 am EST, #AOChat  See you there?

Monkey Monday

 

This is how I spent 3 hours of my day…

at the ER with Jakob.  Unfortunately, he has a massive strep throat infection.  Oh, and did I mention he is throwing up too?!  Yes, fun times here at LBBO.

Sorry I don’t have a more interesting post today, and for the sad cell phone picture.

Hoping for a speedy recovery and some sleep sometime soon.  Fingers crossed.

Wordless Wednesday

Our Pooch

Cannot believe that she is going to be 8 next month….look at that grey muzzle.

Military Monday

Getting ready to pack our bags and head out West.  Time for the Stenzels to conquer a new post and a new state. Jason has orders to report to Ft. Lewis, Washington in March.  We have known about this for a few months now, but I haven’t really let it sink in.  The Army is known for changing it’s mind!  The fact that the movers will be here next month to pack up the house and move all our belongings to the other side of the country has crept up on me. I know, that sounds silly, but it is true the holidays kind of sucked up the time I thought I had. So now the planning begins. 

My first research project was schools.  School for Jakob and Aiden. I *hope* this is our last duty station and they wont need to make another change for several years.  This became a project of looking things up, asking people who had been there, or people who were going there where they were planning on living…etc.  I found out that the waiting list for living on post was looooong.  And the living spaces weren’t anywhere near what we would be able to get for our housing allowance. So we are searching for a house to rent.  And I think we have narrowed it to Lacey, Washington.  Good schools, close to post for Jason’s commute, and close to everything I need.  There are a few great houses that we are looking at – 3-4 bedrooms, great kitchen (a MUST for me), and backyard for the boys to play.  I also LOVE that most of the houses in WA have fireplaces.  I have not had a fireplace in my house in over a decade….I miss it so!

I will say that there are a couple things that I will miss about Georgia.  Definitely not the heat of the summer, that’s for sure.  But I will miss the friends I have made here.  I will miss the neighbours on my street.  The kids all around for my boys to play with.  The support and care they gave me for the year that Jason was gone.  I will also miss the great Company that Jason is in. The guys that he works with are pretty great.  His 1SGT, Hamilton, was amazing.  His Cpt, Cory Wallace, was the best leader I have met.  His LT, E. Olvera, is fantastic.  And the guys under him made the platoon a great one.  They helped bring him home safe and sound, and for that I will be forever grateful.

Getting off topic now. The move is right around the corner.  I need to get on it, stop being in denial of it actually happening and get my butt in gear.  Washington is waiting for us.

What is the first thing you do when preparing for a move?  Help a girl out, I could use a great checklist to make sure I am not missing anything!

PopTarts

I always worry about the snacks my boys eat.  I push for the healthier snacks. I push for fruit, whole grains.  And they don’t complain….they love it.  But sometimes I like to treat them.  There are a brand of Organic PopTarts that they really like.  But they are expensive, and not often on sale.  And when they are on sale I buy some and they are gone the next day!   C’est La Vie!

Some time last year I saw this post over at Oven Love.  It was perfect. Homemade PopTarts. Totally up my alley.  And the boys LOVE THEM.  I realized last week that I hadn’t made them in a LONG time.  So I made a plan, read : scheduled them in, and made my boys Homemade PopTarts filled with Nutella! 

Pretty cute, eh?

Here is the recipe I followed, though I used 1/2 cup butter….I am not a shortening gal.

Homemade Pop Tarts
(original recipe from Peabody)
For Crust:
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup butter, softened
3 tbsp. cold water

For Filling:
Jam (your choice)  Or you can use Nutella like I did!!

For Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
milk to thin
Sprinkles

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Combine flour and salt in a large bowl. Add shortening and butter and blend with a fork, pastry cutter, or your hands. Blend until mixture is fairly coarse. Add water, 1 tbsp. at a time, gently mixing dough after each addiction until dough forms a ball.
2. Place dough on a lightly floured surface and roll into a square/rectangle. To about 1/8 thickness. Cut out long strips about 2 inches wide and 3 inches long. Repeat until dough runs out.

 

3. Take one pie crust rectangle and lace 1 tsp. of jam on top. Cover with another piece of pie crust and crimp all four edges. Repeat with the rest of dough. Place Pop-tarts on a baking sheet with parchment paper, and bake for 7-8 minutes.
4. While pop-tarts are baking, make glaze. Place powdered sugar in a bowl. Pour milk slowing until it has a consistency of really thick syrup. 1/2 a tbsp. to 1 tbsp. might be enough.
5. Once pop-tarts are done and cooled, top with glaze. Add sprinkles and serve.

Trust me, make these…..your family will thank you.

What snacks do you like to make homemade for your family???  Send me links – I am looking for more things to make a healthier version for the boys!

Sunday Suppers

Growing up we had dinner together most nights.  Nothing fancy, typical dinners.  My mother expected us home for dinner unless we had told her otherwise.  At dinner we would discuss our day, school. etc….or we would just sit and not really talk about anything.  Typical family dinners.

Jason and I try to do the same, but with more fun! But there were nights when the boys were hungry before we were, and I had fallen into the habit of making them something different from what Jason and I were eating.  I had gotten tired of hearing “I don’t like that” or “That looks yucky”.   I am hoping to turn that around.  We are going to sit as a family – and dammit we will enjoy it! :)  Starting with Sunday Suppers.  I am going to introduce my boys to the old fashioned Sunday Dinners that you read about, or see in movies.  Traditional meals like Roast Chicken, Lasagna, Meatloaf (have never made one in my life), Fried Chicken, Pot Roast… etc….etc….those meals that you take your time making without the weekday rush.

And for these meals I will blog about one component…so Today I want to share a Sweet Potato recipe with you.  Tonight’s menu included  Roast Turkey Breast, Maple Mashed Sweet Potatoes, Green Beans Almondine, and Pumpkin Pie.   Mmmmmmmmm…….a delayed Thanksgiving meal.  Perfect for a rainy Sunday dinner.  Fingers crossed the boys will eat it. 

Maple Mashed Sweet Potatoes

3 Medium Sweet Potatoes

1 – 2 Tbsp Butter

2-3 Tbsp Heavy Cream (or Whole Milk)

2 Tbsp Maple Syrup

Directions:

1. Peel Sweet Potatoes and slice into chunks.  Boil until tender – approx. 10 minutes.

2. Drain Sweet Potatoes (save water for your dog – makes their dinner delicious).

3. Put Potatoes back into hot pot, add butter, cream, and Maple Syrup.  Mash until desired consistency is reached.  Add more cream if necessary.    Season with salt and pepper.

Simple….but adds a nice touch to Sweet Potatoes.  My family loves them. 

I hope your family enjoys Sunday Suppers as much as I hope my boys will remember them.

If you have any suggestions or traditional recipes for Sunday Suppers, please pass them on….always on the lookout for new things to try/make.

Tuesdays With Dorie….MY choice!

 

I have been trying to write this post for over two weeks.  Seriously, two weeks.  And I had hoped to have something clever, something inspiring, but alas….my writer’s block continues.  I was hoping to get my mojo back once Jason got back from Iraq.  Having him home on vacation this past month has sent me into a bit of a tizzie….my routine was pretty much turned upside down.  Not that I am complaining (well, maybe a little), we are SUPER happy to have him home.  It has been nice to have someone to cook for, and to bake for….especially breakfast treats on the weekend, which brings me to this week’s Tuesday With Dorie goody….Devilish Shortcakes! 

I was perusing the TWD website the other month looking for my name to see when I would be making my choice and noticed that my name was NOT on the list.  I tweeted Mrs. Laurie lickity split and she quickly rectified the situation and let me know that my turn would be in November!  WHOO HOO….then came the challenge of choosing the right recipe, a daunting task.  And after choosing a couple of recipes that had already been done (before my time, and coming up the next week – duh) I chose the amazing, chocolatey goodness of the DEVILISH SHORTCAKES!

These shortcakes are fantastic.  They are light and airy, and have JUST the right amount of chocolate in them….enough to call it a dessert….but not too much that you can’t indulge and have them for breakfast – which is what we did.  I whipped up some cream, defrosted some mixed berries….and voila…breakfast.  All three of my “boys” were delighted.  They were quite the treat.

Thank you Dorie for providing me with a recipe that I can use as a weekend indulgence!

Devilish Shortcakes, from Baking; From My House to Yours  by Dorie Greenspan

For the Biscuits:

1 1/3 cups Whole Milk

1 1/2 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract

1 Large Egg

3 1/3 cups All-Purpose Flour

2/3 cups Cocoa

2 tablespoons Baking Powder

1/2 tsp Baking Soda

1/2 tsp Salt

1/2 cup Sugar

1 1/2 Sticks (12 tablespoons) Cold Unsalted Butter, cut into small pieces

Directions:

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat.

To Make the Biscuits:

Whisk the milk, vanilla and egg together.

Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar into a large bowl.  Drop in the butter and, using your fingers, toss to coat the pieces of butter with flour.  Quickly, working with your fingertips (Dorie’s favorite method), or a pastry blender, cut and rub the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture is pebbly.  You’ll have pea-size pieces, pieces the size of oatmeal flakes, and pieces in between – and that’s just right.

Pour the milk mixture over the dry ingredients and toss and gently turn the ingredients with a fork until you’ve got a very soft dough.  When the dough comes together, you’ll probably still have dry ingredients at the bottom of the bowl – just use a spatula or your hands to mix and knead the dough until it’s evenly blended. Don’t overdo it; it’s better to have a few dry spots than an overworked dough. Even with all the flour mixed in, the dough will be soft and sticky.

Spoon out about 1/3 cup of dough for each shortcake onto the baking sheet, leaving about 3 inches of space between the mounds. Pat each mound down until it is between 3/4 and 1 inch high. (The shortcakes can be made to this point and frozen on the baking sheet, then wrapped airtight and kept in the freezer for up to 2 months. Bake without defrosting – just add at least 5 more minutes to the oven time.)

Bake for 15 – 18 minutes, rotating the sheet from front to back at the midway point, until the shortcakes are puffed and give just a bit when prodded.  Pull the sheet from the oven and transfer the shortcakes to a cooling rack.

Then you can do with them what you please….we chose to cut them open and fill them with mixed berries and LOTS of whipped cream….see?  like this:

They are light, airy and oh so delicious.  Plain and simple.  We ate them later in the day plain, with large glasses of milk.  Thumbs up from the WHOLE family.

I hope you all enjoyed making them.  Everyone needs to check out all the others on the Tuesdays with Dorie Blogroll. 

Thank you all for your patience.  I will be doing my best to get back my blogging mojo….and have fun things starting in the new year.  2011 is going to be MY year.  I can feel it.  Do you have anything planned for 2011?  Tell me…maybe we can inspire each other.