Food Fight

I'm on a healthy cooking kick lately. It's time to stop the slow, continuous 'spread' that seems to be happening to my backside, and it's time to put a limit on the endless chain restaurant dining in which my family has been partaking over the last few month I was inspired by this great blog: skinnytaste.com, which I originally found on Pinterest (one of my other current obsessions, but that is a post for another time). The blogger of skinnytaste.com, Gina, has amazing recipes that are easy to make, yummy and actually good for you! I made her Thai Coconut Curry Shrimp last night, and at first bite, the hubs fell instantly in love with me all over again! (It was that good!) Tonight I made Gina's skinny Cream of Zucchini Soup recipe. Hubs was giddy once more because it reminded him of a soup his mom used to make 'back in the day.' I was giddy because he was eating zucchini -- and smiling! The boys? Well, that was a whole other story. You see, my boys, to put it nicely, have never been adventurous eaters. And by not adventurous, I mean they refuse to eat anything with a green hue (or anything in a sauce, or anything too hot or anything that doesn't resemble a chicken nugget). I have to say, Boogah has improved over the past couple of years. He will at least try things now. Like last night, I gave both of them some sugar snap peas on their plates. Who doesn't like sugar snap peas? They're crunchy, slightly sweet -- quite refreshing actually. Boogah gave them a try. Well, he gave two pods a try, dissected a third one and left the remaining pea pods on his plate. Blue, on the other hand, 'tried' them by taking one look, observing their color, and concluding that he couldn't possibly be asked to put that in his mouth! They say you must choose your battles. Well, I've been in the heat of the food battle for so long that I rarely have the energy for it anymore. I tend to throw my hands up in surrender and give them what they will eat: hot dog with smiley face fries . And by the way, those who claim it's easy to get picky eaters to eat --'just continue to introduce your picky eater to a variety of healthy foods and eventually they will stop being picky'-- need to be punched, frankly. However, my worry about the boy's current and future health prods me to muster up the energy every once in a while to don the battle fatigues and jump back into the trenches. Tonight, due to my healthy cooking kick, was one of those times when I was geared up and determined to get a vegetable in them. I thought to myself, 'wouldn't it be great if the kids would actually eat some of this zucchini soup?' Bahahaha! Yeah right! I knew that to make this happen, I'd have to get creative. Now, I'm not particularly proud of the strategy I chose, but all's fair in love and war. So, I bribed my children. Yes, I flat out offered to pay them each $5 if they ate a cup of the soup. There. It's out in the open. Like I said, I'm not proud, but it worked! My sweet, materialistic angels actually ate zucchini soup! For money. I'm sure this shows my extreme lack of parenting skills -- on many levels -- but I experienced the sweet taste of victory nonetheless. It took Blue over an hour to choke down his soup, periodically feigning bouts of nausea, but with cold, hard cash at stake, he stuck it out and finished every drop. By the end, he had named it 'Crap Soup.' Oh well. He says the word crap and accepts bribes, but he ate a green vegetable! And in soup-form no less! Hallelujah! One more battle down, many more (I'm sure) to go, but they're worth the fight. Now, I wonder how much roasted cauliflower will cost me...

Breaking News

This just in...Ann Curry is (possibly) being sent packing from the Today Show! I'd like to say that I'm shocked, but let's face it, she was on borrowed time. We knew this day would come. Those Big Wigs at NBC had to throw her a bone once Meredith left, but we all knew they weren't serious. I bet they were all sniggering behind their hands as they told her the good news those (few) months ago. Poor Ann probably thought their smiles were so wide because they were happy for her. The truth was, however, that they would look like Big Wig T.V. Executive Asses if they passed her over AGAIN, so they decided to make it look like she got the gig -- they certainly weren't going to let her actually stay! After all, they couldn't ask Matt Lauer, The King of All That is Talk Show-y, to mask his intense annoyance for very long! I actually feel sorry for Ann. The other Today Show 'talent' have never truly accepted her. She's been tolerated but not accepted. Matt and Al act like the 'cool kids' who have been told by Mom to be nice to the 'awkward girl.' How I'd love to be a fly on the wall during Matt's time in the morning make-up chair. You know he's got a few choice comments about Ann's most recent 'touching' interview or her 'interesting' outfit choice from the previous day. I bet after the show, he and Al go back to Matt's office (and it would be Matt's office because I'm sure refuses to go in Al's office because he claims it smells like cheese) and do a full on pantomime of the morning's Ann highlights. Can't you just picture them laughing and carrying on about how Martha Stewart bullied Ann yet again during her segment on gold leafing your pet. "No, Ann...(giggle) you do NOT dip the dog... (giggle) in the leafing medium...(snort) you dip the brush...(bahahaha). Oh the ripples of laughter one must hear from behind closed Today Show doors! And all at poor Ann's expense, I'm sure. Yes, Ann can be slightly cloying, and you do kind of wonder who dressed her that day, but she seems like a nice person. I wish her the best in whatever she does next -- although, except for Barbara Walters, I'm not sure if there is much of a future for ex Today Show anchors. We'll see where she ends up -- I hope, for her sake, she lands a fabulous new gig -- because sometimes it's fun to see the awkward girl finally get to stick it to the cool kids!

She's Baaaaaack!

Yes, here I am! I'm back posting on my long (very long) neglected blog. It's been a lifetime since I posted on this blog - well, actually only three years, but so many things have changed since my last post, it sure seems like a lifetime! Since my last post: 1) My cat has gained 4 pounds -- I won't say how many pounds I've gained; 2) I've started and stopped a small home business or two; 3) My family and I moved further into the bowels of suburbia; 4) I turned 40, then 41 - how did that happen?!; 5) Boogah turned double digits and has mastered the pre-teen art of eye rolling; 6) Blue finished first grade and learned to read, and 7) I've gone back to work part time. Over these past few years, I've learned a few things: 1) That going back to work (even part time) after being home for 10 years with your kids is hard, but it makes you appreciate your time home with them much more deeply. 2) That you will not find your perfect job (after 10 years at home) the first time out of the gate. Managing other people's real estate closings has NOT turned out to be my dream job -- just sayin'! 3) That I fear (wake up in a cold sweat kind of fear) the impending teenage years; 4) And that I missed blogging! So, for better or worse, I'm back to jotting down all my inane ramblings - bet you're excited! Awww come on - you know you missed me! TTFN peeps!