This just asking for weeks of Nightmares...

Procrastination, Thy name is Mommy...

I'm always amazed--and a bit terrified at how much we are teach our children even when we don't realize it. It’s a running joke in our house that when Sydney was two and we bought her the super cute little tykes play kitchen, she had no idea what the oven even was, but knew immediately, without any instruction, how to work the microwave.

Lately I've been trying give Sydney more ways to help around the house. She is usually eager to help and loves to keep her "big girl" room clean and help vacuum and particularly make the beds. My newest chore for her is to help unload the dishwasher (I'm sure that comes as no surprise to those of you who have read my early dishwashing post.) Her task is the silverware. Today when it was time to unload the dishwasher I let her know it was time for the silverware to go in the drawer to which she responded, "Oh mom, I"ll worry about that this weekend, so just leave it." Ahhh Grasshopper, you learn well...

Cows

Here's a little social studies lesson, Vanessa Contessa style. (This is compliments of my totally awesome brother in law, John, who's blog never ceases to crack me up.) My favorite has to be Polynesian Capitalism.

• SOCIALISM: You have two cows. State takes one and gives it to someone else.
• COMMUNISM: You have two cows. State takes both of them and gives you milk.
• FASCISM: You have two cows. State takes both of them and sells you the milk.
• NAZISM: You have two cows. State takes both of them and shoots you.
• FEUDALISM: You have two cows. Your lord takes the milk and by his grace lets you live.
• TOTALITARIANISM: You have two cows. The government takes them and denies they ever existed. Milk is banned.
• MILITARIANISM: You have two cows. The government takes both and drafts you.
• CAPITALISM: You have two cows. You sell one and buy a bull.
• AMERICAN CAPITALISM: You have two cows. You sell one, buy a bull and open a successful local dairy. Then you have to close down cuz Wal-Mart comes to town.
• POLYNESIAN CAPITALISM: You have 8 cows and are happy to spend them all for Mahana.
• ENVIRONMENTALISM: You have two cows. Al Gore convinces you to pay him money because their farts increase the greenhouse effect.
• VEGETARIANISM: Cows are people too. So if you own two cows you own two people, and that’s slavery, so you’re evil.
• ANARCHY:You have two cows. Your neighbors kill you, spray-paint anarchy signs on the cows, and pierce themselves in various places.
• DEMOCRACY: You have two cows and everybody votes on how to divvy up the milk.
• REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY: You have two cows. Your neighbors pick someone to tell you who gets the milk.
• BRITISH DEMOCRACY: You have two cows. You feed them sheep’s brains and they go mad.
• JAPANESE DEMOCRACY: You have two cows. You give the milk to gangsters so you don’t loose face. The gangsters drop the milk on the way back to the hideout and then have to cut their pinky fingers off.
• AMERICAN DEMOCRACY: A politician from the heartland promises to give you two cows if you vote for him. After the election he is impeached for speculating in cow futures. The press dubs the affair “Cowgate”.
• POLITICAL CORRECTNESS: You are associated* with two differently-aged, but no less valuable to society, bovines of a non-specified gender. (* = the concept of “ownership” is a symbol of the phallo-centric, war-mongering, intolerant past.)
• COUNTER CULTURE: Dude, you got to have some of this milk and write about it on your blog. And don’t forget to fight the power cuz it’s all our parent’s fault.

Greeting card hilarity

Before I had kids, I used to love to go into a card store and just read all the funny cards (apparently I had no life, either) Now I've found something even better. The shoebox blog is a blog run by the funny people who write shoebox cards and it has reaffirmed my faith in the American workplace now that I know there somewhere this fun to work. My favorite are the "newsdroppings" and the fun links to other sites they put up. Anyway, when you need a chuckle (or a downright laugh) check it out-- this way you can laugh at greeting card like hilarity and still be in your pajamas (which, for some of you, would probably get you detained by security if you tried to do that at the mall.)

www.shoeboxblog.com

Treat of the Week #4

The king of the Castle went out a bought a fancy shmancy ice-cream maker this weekend. I'm not too excited about the price tag, but I am looking forward to all the new cold and creamy concoctions coming our way. Instead of following the basic recipe, we went straight for experimentation. Ice-cream-recipes.com has some great ideas. We thought the recipe for honey ice cream looked interesting, so we made that, but with our own little twist. We added broken up graham cracker pieces at the very end of mixing and then topped it with a little whip cream and (thanks to girl scout cookie season) garnished with a tagalong cookie. Very yummy, very creamy and a great subtle sweet flavor.

Honey Ice Cream
1 cup cream
6 egg yolks
1/2 cup fresh honey
2 cups milk
1 & 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Boil the milk in a saucepan, then lower heat to a simmer. In a bowl, beat the egg yolks and the honey. Add to simmering milk, stirring constantly and not allowing eggs to over-heat. Remove from heat after ingredients thicken, and strain. After the ingredients cool in bowl, add cream and vanilla. Pour into ice cream maker and follow manufacturers directions on how to freeze. ENJOY!

A weighty issue...

If only this was my problem...

Seriously though, isn't it funny how the perception of the perfect female figure has changed throughout the ages? I won't even bother putting up a current "help you look good in a swimsuit" ad from today for comparison because, if you are like me, you are bombarded with them every time you try to open a magazine. Its always crazy to me that we've gone from the sexual icon of Marilyn Monroe (who was reported to wear a size 14) to emaciated Paris Hiltons lollipops. Now, I for one, have never been a "skinny-minny." Even at my teeny tiniest I still had, shall we say, some junk in the trunk. So, I cannot empathize with the skinny girl who feels the need to put on weight. I know you are out there and I'm sure you are suffering... but I'm just here to tell you that if that is your biggest problem in life, then honey, go put on a bikini and enjoy it.
On the other side, I also have never felt the need to be a size 0... Do I want to be thinner? Of course! Could my body use some work? After two kids, I would think so. But never have I felt the desire to crash diet, starve myself, binge and purge, all for the sake of a few extra pounds.
Until I pick up a magazine...

Every other image or ad shows women they are not thin enough, not toned enough, not tan enough, not wrinkle-free enough, not (fill in your own self-esteem crushing adjective) enough!
And for what? Don't get me wrong, I'm all for being healthy and fit. But what concern is it of anyone else's but mine? Certainly not my husband who I know loves me for me (he'd have to after THOSE two pregnancies!) Certainly not my real friends who would still be seen with me at the beach in a swimsuit regardless of the size I'm wearing.
I guess my question is, what is it that is ingrained in us women that makes us care so much? Obviously we are not the only generation to care. The priorities and the ideal image change, but the need to conform certainly hasn't. Wouldn't it be nice if once you could pick up a magazine and every ad told you that you were perfect just the way you are? Sure it would, but then no one would be making any money....

Treat of the Week #3

Just south of here in Carlsbad, there is a chocolatier I am obsessed with. Chuao Chocolatier makes the most amazing chocolates in flavors that would surprise you a little. Some of the more interesting ones are the Chevere truffle with "A silky goat cheese and Pear Williams buttercream enhanced with a touch of crushed black peppercorns inside a dark Venezuelan chocolate bonbon." (can you say YUM!!) and the Le Citron with "Whole lemon pulp blended in a soft caramel, with fresh mint-infused cream, covered with Venezuelan milk chocolate."

My very favorite item, however, is their signature chocolate bar, the Spicy Maya. It’s a sweet and spicy wonderland with rich dark chocolate and a small taste chile, cayenne pepper and cinnamon. Trust me, if you're a dark chocolate lover, this is a must taste.

So at home yesterday, with all the rain outside, I wanted something a bit spicy and decided to capture my favorite decadent chocolate bar in a yummy fudgy brownie. I think it turned out pretty great. These turn out thick, gooey and fudgy, with a rich dark chocolate taste and a little tickle of heat.

The "I wish I was a" spicy maya brownie

4 oz. unsweetened chocolate
¾ cup butter
1 ¾ cups sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup flour
½ tsp cayenne pepper

½ cup powdered sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Melt together chocolate and butter until smooth. Cool for about 10 minutes. In a mixing bowl, combine melted chocolate mixture and sugar, mix well. Stir in eggs and vanilla. Add flour and cayenne; mix well. Line an 8x8 pan with foil. Pour batter into pan and bake @ 350 degrees for about 45-50 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for about 45 minutes or until to room temp. Combine powdered sugar and cinnamon together. Remove brownies from pan and cut into 9 squares. Dust with powdered sugar mixture and Enjoy!!