Only family that doesn't like it?

So I had a Costco size box of Chex Cereal and decided I'd make muddy buddies for the boys. Now I've never made them, and I've never eaten them but the recipe keeps coming up. I mean everything from an old episode of Jon & Kate plus eight (yes I admit it I use to watch it) to mommy food blogs to the chex ads have had this recipe.

So I decided I would make up a batch, the kids will love it. Right? Wrong. Johnny wouldn't touch the stuff and Billy ate one piece, gave me a weird look and walk away. Okay then I'll taste it. Ummmm yuck. I love chocolate, I love peanut butter (especially together) and powdered sugar, well it's sugar what's not to like? Well I don't know if it was the combo of all three or what, but I have to admit, gross. 

I guess that's one recipe that can be banished from this house. One down 500 million to go.

If you'd like to try it for yourself here it is, it sounds like everyone likes it but us.

Recipe and picture from Chex site:

Muddy Buddies

• 9 cups Corn, Rice or Wheat Chex®
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Into large bowl, measure cereal; set aside. In 1-quart microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter uncovered on High 1 minute; stir. Microwave about 30 seconds longer or until mixture can be stirred smooth. Stir in vanilla. Pour mixture over cereal, stirring until evenly coated. Pour into 2-gallon resealable food-storage plastic bag. Add powdered sugar. Seal bag; shake until well coated. Spread on waxed paper to cool. Store in airtight container in refrigerator.

Bad Week

Okay for the first time in a long time I can honestly say last week stunk! It started off okay but my back was still out from the week before. So things around the house aren't exactly pretty, since I haven't been doing much trying to baby it along.

Wednesday I took Johnny to his last scheduled swim class, and as the last 4 classes have not gone well, I'm glad it's over for now. We'll give Johnny a break and get the family use to the new schedules now that Billy's going to Kindergarten and Johnny's in Preschool 2 days a week. Anyways got there got Johnny in the pool sat myself down and looked at my phone, 2 messages. One was from Billy's school telling me he's thrown up and the second from Bill telling me he's on his way to pick him up.

Billy is sick all day but by 7pm we finally get some soup down him. The next morning he eats some toast and seems to be back to normal but has a runny nose, not wanting another repeat of the day before I keep him home, but Johnny goes to school. Bill also decides to work from home.

Friday Billy doesn't really want to go to school (he's afraid he's going to get sick again) but we talk him into it. I walk him to school, then walk back home. About a block away from home I see a neighbor with her mom's two dogs. As I bend down to pet them (I know these dogs I've pet them before) one of them lunges up at me and bites my cheek. I didn't know at first but the dog broke the skin in four places and I now have blood running down my face. I come home clean myself up. (Horrify Johnny in the process)

The bleeding stopped but it's sore. I think at the very least I need a tetanus shot. So I call my doctor who is booked solid for the day and is currently at the hospital, but leave a message to find out what I should do. I wait an hour and 15 minutes and call back I'm told the message was sent to him but they talked to his nurse and will give me a call back. I finally find out 2 hours later that they'll see me in about an hour and a half. Okay great of course this whole time Bill has stayed home because Johnny is home and we both know I can't take him with me to the doctors.  I get to the doctors and wait 45 minutes before I'm actually seen. I get a tetanus shot, antibiotics (that are sent electronically to my pharmacy) and told to keep putting ice and neosporin on the wounds.

I leave the doctors, go to Walmart (pharmacy) and find that they haven't processed it at all since they don't have my current insurance card. WHAT? Um what if I was just going to pay for it? Couldn't they put it in the system after? Sigh, okay get that done I'll wander around for 20 minutes, not like I'm in pain or anything.

I come back to the pharmacist saying oh do you have some medication already? "No, why?"..."Well because he put the prescription for 7 pills"...Me "No, the prescription is 2X a day for 7 days". Her  "Well that's not what he sent let me try to call him". Once again really? Don't you think when something looks wrong you should call the doctor to clarify or at least try to before I come to pick it up? Doc's phone was busy so I'm sent home with 1/2 the prescription and she'll call when she get the okay from the doc. The call from the pharmacy came back around 5pm Friday night.

Yep that was my week last week, sore back, puking boy, crying swimmer (who's also in clingy "mommy" mode), and a dog bite to top it off. Gee don't you wish you were me last week?

On a good side note, Grandma & Papa came down for the weekend. Saw Johnny and Billy get their new Karate Belts, and spent the day with them. Congratulations to my boys and all the other kids for a great test day and their new belts!!

Cooking

I really love cooking, however from what my family has been eating you wouldn't know it. I'm sitting here wondering why I don't cook more. I've been blaming it on being to busy, or to tired, and in some cases it's true. I think the frustrating thing is spending the time cooking a lovely meal and your family turns up their nose to it.

My family is picky, well okay Bill and Johnny are picky, Billy will eat almost anything at least once. I love veges and so does Billy, Bill and Johnny, not so much. Even Meatloaf which should be enjoyed by the family (no veges and it's beef, a favorite of Johnny's) Bill doesn't like.

I am however going to try to draw a line in the sand. I am going to figure out and plan meals for next week. Now all I have to do is figure out what I'm going to cook. I'll give you the low down next week on what is liked (if anything) and what the dog is going to get to try.

Happy Meal Planning, hopefully.

Cork Board for your computer

So we all have that endless "favorites" list on our browser, but who can remember what they actually are? When we did them and if they're still important? Oh and when we change computers they're usually lost forever, a good and bad thing in my case.

So in comes Pinterest.com, I've only used it for about a week and am really starting to like it, especially for my obsession with recipes. Looking at a site and see something you like? "Pin it" on your Pinterest page and there it is. The great thing is it shows the picture of your pinning. The bad part? If there's no photo it won't let you pin it.

Another feature is you can "follow" your friends page. This is great for my friends that also love cooking and baking. Want to follow me?  http://pinterest.com/traciesheldon/ It's all recipes I want to try right now, but it'll grow I'm sure as I start dreaming about a new kitchen and master bath.

Background Check?

So since Billy's started Kindergarten and I have Johnny in Preschool 2 mornings a week I'm going to start volunteering a bit in Billy's class room, and possibly the library. With school funding cuts the schools are in desperate need of volunteers, however I remember my mom volunteering at my elementary school also.

So the rule is if you're going to volunteer more than 1 hour a week you have to fill out some paperwork for an "official" badge and all. Okay, makes since. So the "paperwork" consists of your basic info, your form for getting fingerprinted, your info on any felonies, misdemeanors, etc. and a TB test.

Wow, have things changed since I was in school. I'm not sure if I feel comforted knowing that I don't have to worry about my child or scared to death that the world has come to this.

The sad thing in all of this is people have withdrawn their names, saying it's to much work. Okay the paperwork takes all of 5 minutes to fill out, the fingerprints take maybe 5 minutes (yes you do have to drive there but there is no cost), the TB test will be in October at the school for $15, or you can have your doctor do it, it will be good for 4 years. All the mothers are wondering what the parents that decided this was "to hard" have to hide.

As for me, everything's done except the TB test, will try to get it done next week. Oh and I get to come to school picture day tomorrow to get my picture taken...oh the memories, I hope it comes out better than most of my other school pictures.

Group Sports Begin

Saturday was the beginning of the end of our mostly peaceful Saturdays. Billy started T-Ball at the local YMCA. The nice thing about the Y's group sports is that it's one day one hour, 30 minutes for practice, 30 minutes for the game.

I use the term "game" loosely, no scores, hit the ball run to the first base and stay there doesn't matter if the outfield gets you out, or you could have run home. At the end of the 6 weeks you'll get a "Participation Medal". So I have a problem with this, for him right now fine to learn the game. However, this to me is the reason children (okay their parents) can't handle loss or not getting a trophy at every competition. I have no problem for kids under 5 doing this it's the idea of getting them out their to do it.

However, there comes a point when you have to teach your children that not everyone wins, and not everyone get the shiny trophy or pretty certificate. You have to teach your kids that if you want something you have to work hard for it and even if you do you still may not win. You need to teach your kids to be gracious winners and losers.

Yes children need to be children, they also need to learn that they have to work hard for what they want. Handing everything to them just sets not only them but you up for a fall later in life.

Blackout

So we had a major blackout in Southern California last week. The boys and I were in Carlsbad just getting to their Karate Class when it struck. The calls started coming in with how widespread it was, including my husband calling to say he had people calling in from parts of LA/Orange saying they were down too.

So my husband blocks away from where we were at work decided to head home, the usual 20 minute drive took him over an hour to do. By the time both boys had their classes I was 50 minutes later leaving and it took me almost 2 hours to get home. The strange thing was unlike normal disasters, the freeway was not the problem, it was the side streets. As soon as I was able to get off the main street and hit the freeway it only took me 10 minutes to get home.

So some of the lights have battery backups, that went to either flashing or full function. The problem was the mixture of these things. Four way flashing would have been easier in the long run since most people in So Cal have no problem blocking intersections. This practice creates nothing but pure gridlock. For the most part the people I saw seemed to stay calm, with the exception of a couple of people that seemed to have the need to blast their horn. (Really? Like the people ahead of you could move any faster) Or the guy that decided to just pull right in front of me that I almost hit.

Once home we had a strict no going in the fridge/freezer policy. We had plenty of bottled water that was warm but hey we were told at first we wouldn't be getting power back until Friday at the earliest. So we decided to hope for the best and try to keep our food as cold as possible for now in the hopes it wouldn't spoil.

The family walked next door so the kids could play and the parents could talk and listen to the Packer game. I mean how dare they have a blackout on one of the few days we here in San Diego can actually see a Packer game? When it started getting dark we came home grabbed the flashlights, battery powered lanterns and the solar/wind-up radio. Came to the conclusion we had no hot water thanks to our tankless water heater and yes it is gas with an electric ignition. Gas stove with electric controls also put us without an oven, however we could always use a lighter on the stove top.

We put the boys to sleep, still confused as to why we had no fans, lights, computers, or TV. I'm thinking it's time to show them some Little House on the Prairie. I also came to the conclusion that although I feel semi prepared there are still things I would like to add to our emergency supplies.

The lights for us came back on at 2am and life seems to have picked up right where it left off. Except for a few reports of stealing at a market down in San Diego, some stranded cars, and a few accidents, we all did pretty well. I hope people will become more prepared with this little reminder of what can happen.