Meat Pizza

I had a funny realization about two weeks ago. We were at Mellow Mushroom deciding on what pizza to get. I had my eye on the one with feta cheese and artichoke hearts... Andie had his eye on the meatiest, meat extravaganza with extra meat. We were discussing our options when Luke exclaimed "I want meat pizza!"

Andie smiled and gave Luke a high five.

I was over ruled by the boys!

That got me thinking... "meat pizza" is the new metaphor for my life! It's about to be THREE boys vs. ONE girl! What am I gonna do?!? :)

Let's be honest though... I wouldn't change it for the world!

Oh, and for the record, we got a split pizza - half my choice, half Andie's choice :)

For the Love of Spinach

We have a new favorite side dish at our house - cheesy spinach bars!!! That's right... I said SPINACH! I had to share this recipe as it is seriously kid friendly and seriously delicious!

(With the exception of about 4 bites, Luke ate ALL that is missing from this pan by himself!)


(He went to the bathroom to get a stool so that he could reach the island and dig in while I was finishing up the chicken and rice!)

First off, I must give credit where credit is due - this recipe came from Meal Makeover Mom's Kitchen. I tried it on a whim and have made it several times since! It is very easy to make and uses regular old ingredients that you probably already have on hand. Here is the blurb and recipe from their site:

Cheesy Spinach Bake

Makes 8 Servings

Frozen spinach rocks: It’s inexpensive, nutritious, and a convenience ingredient you can feel good about. On its own, it’s far from appetizing—and one could argue that from a child’s perspective, it’s kind of gross. But combined with Italian bread crumbs, Cheddar cheese, and grated Parmesan, this simple side dish takes on a flavor and texture that appeal to kids. With 20 percent bone-building calcium in each serving and a boatload of vitamin A, we hope you’ll add these gooey, cheesy spinach bites to your lineup of favorite family sides.

* One 10-ounce box frozen chopped spinach, thawed
* 2 large eggs
* ½ cup 1% low-fat milk
* 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil or melted butter
* ½ cup Italian style seasoned bread crumbs
* ½ teaspoon baking powder
* 1 cup shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese (4 ounces)
* ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
* Kosher salt

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly oil or coat an 8 x 8-inch baking pan or dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

2. Drain the spinach very well by pressing in a colander with the back of a large spoon and using paper towels to remove excess moisture. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, and olive oil until combined. Whisk in the bread crumbs and baking powder. Stir in the spinach, Cheddar cheese, and Parmesan cheese until well combined.

4. Spread the mixture evenly in the prepared pan. Bake until the mixture is set and the top is golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Slice into 2 x 4-inch rectangles and serve. Sprinkle the tops with a few pinches of salt to taste.

Nutrition Information per Serving (1 slice): 120 calories, 7g fat (3g saturated), 340mg sodium, 8g carbohydrate, 1g fiber, 9g protein, 90% vitamin A, 20% calcium


More proof of the deliciousness:

Make this recipe - you will not be sorry!!!

24 weeks

Well, one day early... I'll be 24 weeks tomorrow.

I had my 22 week appointment and ultrasound about a week and a half ago. Baby #2 was one pound, 2 ounces - 46th percentile for size. Right on track! At the time of the appointment, I was 22 weeks, 4 days and the little one was measuring 22 weeks, 3 days. Perfection! Next appointment is Rhogam shot and glucose test at 27 weeks - oh boy!

Rain Boots

Sometimes it's just fun to put on your rain boots!

Just a Random Good Day

Today has been a good day. One of those days where you just feel like you are on top of it and quite possibly - the best parent in the world. I'm trying to savor these moments before our life gets turned upside down again with the birth of baby #2! Ha!

To start off with, I gave the house a good cleaning last night (vacuumed, removed some spots on the carpet, picked up all toys, washed dishes, scrubbed counter tops, put away clothes...) SO the morning began with a spotless house. Man, that feels nice!! The first thing I hear coming out of Luke's room is "you've got a friend in me... you've got a friend in me..." Yep, he just busted out into song (from Toy Story) - love it!!! He woke up in a cheerful mood and immediately requested "flakes with almonds" for breakfast (aka: Special K with almonds). We didn't have any... but he was fine to substitute "flakes with oats" (aka: Special K with honey & oats). This kid is crazy for his cereal! We got off to school in a timely manner and Luke even put all of his toys away before we left the house. Score!

fast forward through the day - that was just filled with work.

Time to pick up Luke from daycare. He's transitioning from the Tugboat room to the Starfish room this week. Today was day two of the transition. When I picked him up this afternoon, he was still in the Starfish room (as opposed to just visiting the new room for an hour or two that day). The teacher said that he did so wonderfully that he just stayed over there all day! He was having so much fun playing with his new (and old) friends and he even got to play outside on the big playground! The teacher in the Starfish room told me how Luke was an absolute delight to have in class and that he was one of the most polite kids she had ever seen!! She said she'd never heard so many "please", "thank you", "can I do this?", or "may I do that?" from one kid in one day!

Ahhhh, what a proud moment!

To keep the good day momentum going, we went home and made a BBQ chicken pizza. This qualifies as "good day" material because I'm always excited to put a new spin on something that incorporates a few more veggies for the little one. So, instead of making pepperoni pizza, we made BBQ chicken - with red onions, yellow bell pepper, diced tomatoes, and mozzarella cheese. Luke LOVED it and ate a really good dinner!!!

Now time for the icing on the cake. Luke has been doing AMAZING with potty training (no accidents in weeks!) but he still struggles with going #2 on the potty. Usually, during the weekends, he'll just wait to poop until naptime or night time (when he's wearing a pullup).

So, before he gets in the bathtub, Luke said that he needed to go potty and he wanted to SIT (whoa... big step!! He's usually insists that he DOES NOT want to sit... only stand!). The little guy sits on the potty and while we are looking at a sheet of stickers, lo and behold, he poops in the potty!!! It was a big deal!

So, to summarize, the things that make me have a good day now that I'm a mom are: having a clean house, having a kid that wakes up in a cheerful mood, being praised for my kid's good behavior and manners, seizing the opportunity to make a meal a bit more healthy, having my kid eat well, and pooping in the potty. HAH!!!

It's the little things, right?