Working on the blog

I'm working on my blog right now trying to get things somewhat in order. I've got all these great ideas, and now I'm going to try to put them to work:)

Going with my cooking challenge

Since I'm still doing my new challenge of cooking one new recipe per week. Last night we have omelets and breakfast burrito's. I've never made omelets before. So I made hubby a egg, cheese, green pepper and bacon omelet. Actually two of them. He really liked them. Oldest daughter had eggs, cheese, green peppers, bacon and potato omelet. I chickened out and made a egg, cheese and bacon burrito. The little girls just picked the scrambled eggs, and bacon.
Most likely I'll be making a new recipe later in the week also, since this one really doesn't count.

Why does this surprise me??

Some people just have some nerve! I baby sit for two families. I've been baby sitting for both families for about the same amount of time. One family I wouldn't trade for anything in the world, the other well they have their days. Today being one of them!

I've told all my parents that I don't baby sit sick children! I don't know anyone who does. I mean come on if I child is sick not only do you run the chance of passing it to your own children and yourself, but the other children you watch. Not to mention what sick kid wants to be with a sitter or at school? They would rather be home with mom. Right???

So the one mom shows up here with her son today, half an hour late at that. Comes in and here is the talk we have...

Her: He says he isn't feeling good, but he just wants to stay home from school today.
Me: What's wrong with him.
Her: No answer
Me: Sweetie what's wrong with you. (talking to the child)
Him: My throat hurts
Her: He just doesn't want to go to school.
Me: Strep and a stomach bug has been going around.
Her: Well I told him he could stay with you today (pulling his lunch out of his bag)
Me: No, he can't stay here with me if he is sick.
Her: (putting the lunch back in the backpack) Well then your going to school.

She's lucky I kept him and took him to school. But, seriously if your child is sick why would you take them to school or the sitters house? Now he might have been wanting to stay home, but he might have been sick. He felt a tiny bit warm to me, but wasn't running a fever. It could have just been allergies etc. I've had a little sore throat when I wake up and I'm guessing mine is from allergies. People like that drive me nuts! She's called me before and said "So and so was running a fever this morning, but I've given him meds and I'm bringing him over". NO, your not. If your child is running a fever they can spread it to my children. Not to mention the rule at school is fever free for 24 hours before returning. GRR!!

Challenge

I've added another challenge to my crazy life (as if I didn't have enough already). I've decided that for the month of March we are going to try at least one new recipe per week. This past week we tried Cashew Chicken...I've all ready posted the recipe. I loved it! All of the kids tried it except two. One was out with friends and the other well, she's just a baby:) It's one that will be made again!
Needless to say you should have at least a weekly post from me this month on the "new" menu item and what we thought about it.

Oh the meal was easy to make, but next time I'll do all the cutting of chicken and veggies ahead of time.

Cashew Chicken

Ok, so my only complaint is that there wasn't enough sauce. So next time I make it I think I'll double the sauce. One good thing was that it wasn't very salty.

2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 1/4 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
3 tablespoons canola oil, divided
1/2 pound sliced fresh mushrooms
1 small green pepper, julienned
4 green onions, sliced
1 1/2 teaspoons grated fresh gingerroot
1 can (8 ounces) sliced water chestnuts, drained
3/4 cup salted cashews
Hot cooked rice

In small bowl, combine the cornstarch, brown sugar, brother and soy sauce until smooth; sent aside.
In large skillet or wok, stir-fry the chicken in 2 tablespoons oil until no longer pink. Remove and keep warm.
In the same skillet, stir-fry the mushrooms, green pepper, onions and ginger in remaining oil until green pepper is crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chicken, water chestnuts and cashews; heat through.
Stir broth micture and add to the pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Serve with rice.

She loved them!

Tired the sweet potatoes out yesterday. She loved them! She was sucking them off the spoon. Ate a whole cube and looked at me like I was crazy when they were all gone:) I've since made banana's, pears, and squash. Got to make apples, peas, green beans and peaches still. I'm really enjoying making baby food.

Starting March off right:)

So, yesterday was March 1st! I'm so happy that Spring is getting closer and closer. Although it's snowing outside today:(

After 5 children I've decided I'm going to make my own baby food for Avery! Not only will it be cheaper than regular baby food, I will know just what is going in it. I went out and bought a food processor, and 2 sweet potatoes. I figured I would start there. So I researched how to make baby food and man does it sound easy. Well it is very easy. I washed the two sweet potatoes, poked holes in them with a fork, wrapped them in foil and baked them in the oven. Well they were baking I cleaned some:) Pull them out of the oven, let them cool, pull the skins off and threw them in the food processor with some water. Filled the ice tray, put it in a ziplock and threw it in the freezer.





Store baby food .47 cents per jar, or .98 cents for a two pack (every where I live). It cost me $1.10 for two sweet potatoes and that gave me 16 meals for her at .06 cents a serving. AWESOME!

Even better, I plant a garden every year and can use the veggies from there to make her baby food....which means FREE! I haven't given her the baby food yet, because I started her on oatmeal yesterday. Which she loves! I'll have to take pictures when I give her the sweet potatoes.