Italian Sausage Rigatoni and Italian Bread

So I made some Italian Sausage Rigatoni and Italian Bread the other day and it was fabulous!!! (Click link for Recipe)

The only thing I did differently with the bread was I used Bread flour instead of All-Purpose flour because it just tastes better. There is science behind the different ingredients used, if your interested these people helped me understand.

And the Rigatoni I topped with mozzarella cheese before serving.

Shelf life of Food

So I have been researching the shelf life of food because its one of the problems of big shopping trips. I buy everything at the beginning of the month but will it all last?

Well I found the site, Stilltasty.com it has almost every food and its shelf life.

Some important ones are:

• An opened block of cheddar cheese is good for about 3-4 weeks in the fridge and 6 months in the freezer.
• Open Liquid Coffee Creamer is good for 2 weeks in fridge
• Opened or Unopened Milk (whole, skim, 2%, 1%) Refrigerated is good until 1 week after sell by date
• Chicken Breast & other pieces, if refridgerated, lasts 1-2 days but if its frozen will last for 9 months
• Table Salt keeps indefinitely

Newest Adventure in Potty Training

So as you have read previously in Adventures in Potty Training and Latest Adventures in Potty Training, Potty training has been a fight that I hope goes much easier with Andrew but I don't know if I'm that lucky!

While going potty isn't a fight anymore and he stopped peeing in the bed at night, Now we are having aiming issues. Ah, the joy of little boys! I need to do the Cheerios trick but I keep forgetting to put some by the toilet. But he doesn't get it in the toilet every time. I feel like I am forever cleaning puddles from behind it! And if you don't know the cheerios trick basically drop on in the middle of the water and tell him to shoot at it. But I haven't had cheerios and now I do, so I am going to go right now and put a ziplock bag full on the back of the seat. Aiming training begins today!

Another annoying thing is, he keep taking his pants all the way off and running through the house half naked after hes is done, yelling "Mommy, I went!" And it doesn't bother me at home but we go to his friends' house a lot and they are girls. Not appropriate for my child to run through the house with no pants or underwear on with little girls around! I do love my children but this stuff is ridiculous! I guess he won't learn if I don't teach him....

Freezing Meat

So I was at a seafood place buying.. well, seafood, and the lady there was telling me about a way to preserve frozen meat (or fish) without having to buy a vacuum sealer.

Basically, after you have portioned the meat, wrap it tightly in cling wrap (or saran wrap... whatever you prefer) then place it in a good freezer bag (I can always find Ziplock Freezer Bags coupons and deals) and freeze until needed.

The picture of the meat below was frozen about a month or so ago. It has only a little frost on it, no freezer burn, and the color change thing I was complaining about in Bacon Cheeseburgers is NOT A PROBLEM! :) Also, defrosted like a breeze.

Crispy Chicken Nuggets

I loved this recipe! Some of my favorite chicken nuggets I have ever made!

Ingredients:

3 cups Crispix Cereal

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp seasoned salt

1/4 tsp paprika

1/8 tsp garlic powder

3 tbsp butter or margarine, melted

1 egg

1 tbsp milk

1 lb boneless chicken breasts, cut into chunks

Breading:

1. Place cereal in a zip lock bag and use a rolling pin to crush into tiny pieces.

2. In a bowl, mix together Parmesan, salt, seasoned salt, paprika, and garlic powder.

3. In a separate bowl, mix together milk, butter, and egg.

4. Dip Chicken first in the liquid mixture and then in dry mixture and set aside.

Cooking:

1. Put enough cooking oil in a skillet that it will cover the chicken and heat it on medium-high heat. (A good way to test if your oil is ready is a drop or two of water. If the oil pops and crackles its ready)

2. Place your chicken in the oil (I use a fork or tongs to put them in and take them out, never drop them in, its messy and dangerous)

3. Cooking on both sides until golden brown, remove chicken and place on paper towels to soak up the excess oil.

4. Once cooled but not cold, serve and enjoy! :)

National Consumer Panel

So I saw a post on one of the coupon sites I watch, Coupons and Freebies Mom about the National Consumer Panel scanner. They basically ship you a scanner and you scan and send in weekly your purchases. You accumulate points and they have a rewards program, so the more points you accrue the better the prizes. I just got my scanner in last week and I have already done several scans and transmissions. Its pretty easy to do, the equipment is self-explanatory. It just takes a few minutes of scanning your groceries when you get home. I have heard mixed reviews on it, some ladies have been doing it for years and love it, some have had major issues when they forgot or couldn't scan and did report for the week. I'm going to give it a shot because it doesn't take long to do and you get prizes. :) If your interested in signing up or seeing what its about click for the sign up page.

Twilight Turtle

So me and the boys when on vacation this week to visit my best friend. We have been going to bounce houses and the zoo, today we are going to the children's museum! During the day we have had a blast but the first night here was ROUGH! Both of them were so freaked out and upset that they cried for what felt like forever but they were so tired that neither of them could fight sleep any longer. Well my friend's daughter had this turtle that lights up the room with stars and both Jackson and Andrew really liked it! And since we are staying here a week we need something to make sleep easier. The next morning, we got up early packed up the car and went in search of this Twilight Turtle and finally found it at BuyBuy Baby. By the way its like a Bed Bath and Beyond for babies! I so wish they had one in Charleston... but its probably better they don't because I would spend way too much money in that store.

Anyway, the Turtle has been by far one of my best baby purchases!! We haven't had a single fight at night since I bought it and they go to sleep with ease. I'm very glad I got that turtle. The store also had a ladybug too if you want variety. The turtle was a little more than I wanted to spend on a night light, but it is plush (aside from shell) and it lights up the room in stars which is just the coolest thing ever. I definitely recommend this product!

Chicken Parmesan

So I made the a Chicken Parmesan from the Simply Recipes website... Just click the link for the recipe I'm just going to show my pictures! It was fabulous by the way!

Here is the sauteeing of the onions and garlic...

The amazing sauce! (I didn't have crushed tomatoes so I used petite diced, but I've made it since and the crushed tomatoes is very good too!)

I'm getting good at battering some chicken!

The frying of the chicken

Before the cheese

Before put in the oven

Finished!!

I wished for talking and thats what I'm getting...

So Jackson, my 3 year old (4 in August), has had his own language until about 6 months ago. He had plenty to say and all the right tone inflections but nobody could understand a word that child would say... even I couldn't understand! I just knew what he wanted by his hand gestures and facial expressions. Well I put him in speech therapy a couple of months ago. He was beginning to talk but only fragments of words, so I figured we'd try it out especially since he wasn't in daycare and is too young for regular school. Let me tell you, it has worked wonders!! That boy is saying things that shock me! He puts sentences together, sings full songs, says his prayers, counts to ten (before he could barely count to 5 and always left out 2), attempting his alphabet, and he gets his point across very well (If only he could remember to say please). It amazes me to think this little man is growing up so quickly. He talks to me, is drawing pictures legibly, feeds himself, puts on his clothes and shoes by himself. I am so in awe of how smart he is and how quickly he is learning. One thing this child has never had a problem with is sports or anything physically active. He loves playing sports and being active, when he was just a little baby he picked up a tennis ball and nearly knocked our heads clean off. He loves being outside and running and playing, I love it! He is shooting basketballs in a big boy net now. I don't know if I'm ready for all this but here is comes, ready or not....

Now Andrew on the other hand, he is a trip. At 18 months he is already trying to speak sentences, is very clear about what he wants, and is quick to scream if he doesn't get it. But his fine motor skills shock me! He can handle tiny objects and put them in there exact place. He is such a different kid than Jackson. Jackson is a more relaxed, stable, easy going kid; but Andrew is a stubborn, strong-willed, volatile child, always wanting to do things his way on his time. He is my challenge because hes too much like me. Everyday I see it with the way he responds to situations. But when this boy is happy, you can't help but want to just eat him up! He is a ham and loves attention. He needs constant holding and face time or else you will feel his wrath. Which is the most ridiculous thing ever because he is 1 year old! He is also too smart for his own good.

Only by God's grace alone are Tim and I going to make it through this with two God fearing, amazing little boys. And only by His grace are we going to still be sane at the end! :)