Food and New Clothes

This will be C’s first Thanksgiving where she can actually eat the food.  I’m looking forward to it.   I’m still introducing new foods to C and have made sure that she’s tried cranberries and pumpkin – in anticipation that she’ll eat cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie!   My mother-in-law and other relatives will be doing all the cooking – there should be a houseful of people and lots of food!

I also went shopping yesterday to look for some winter clothes for C.   She is on the small side and her 12 month old clothes are getting tight    I bought a few items for her in 24 months – perhaps they’ll carry her into next Fall also.  The new clothes make her look like such a little girl.   She got leggings, a skirt, and a cardigan sweater.   All very stylish

It’ll be great to spend family time with S and the rest of the family.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Baked Ziti

S and I have been watching the Sopranos on DVD for a while now (and still not done with the show).  One of the meals that the characters on the show mention quite a bit is “Baked Ziti.”   I wasn’t sure what it is, but then this recipe came across my Inbox.  So, I decided to give it a try.

It turns out that this meal is very much like lasagna – same type of meat and sauce baked in a casserole pan.  The recipe calls for different type of pasta (of course) and sour cream instead of ricotta cheese.   We had my brother and his family over for dinner – the Baked Ziti was a hit.   A 9 x 13 pan fed all of us (4 adults, 1 child), and we still had leftovers which went into the freezer for another time.

We’ll keep this meal in our dinner rotation.  Personally, I liked it better than lasagna because I like the pasta in the Baked Zita better.

Here is the Baked Ziti recipe from allrecipes.com.

The ingredients are here you can check it out and then click on the recipe if you want to try this yourself.   The amount will vary based on number of servings.   As some of the reviewers suggested, I mixed a quarter of the sour cream with the pasta before layering the pasta.

Dry Ziti pasta
Lean ground beef (can also use sausage)
Onion
Spaghetti sauce
Sliced Provolone cheese
Sliced Mozzarella cheese
Sour cream
Parmasean cheese 
Fresh basil

I made this over the weekend and was rushing so I didn’t get a chance to capture the finished meal in a photo.  

It’s a great meal.  Now, I know what they are talking about on the Sopranos.

Hand Soaps Don’t Have to be Boring

I love the Bath and Body Works handsoap!  The one that we use is the anti-bacterial foaming soap.  I find that it doesn’t clump up when you get to the end of the bottle.  And, a little foam goes a long way.  They are available in many different scents – all wonderful!  

Before last year, I had been waiting to be able to order these online for the longest time (since I never seem to have time to make it into their stores).   Finally last year, their website allowed purchases, and they had a great deal!   Free shipping for purchases over a certain amount.   I bought enough soap at the beginning of last December and still have one bottle left in my closet right now!   Not bad!

So, I just ordered more for the upcoming year.  They have a great sale price.  4 bottles for 10 dollars!   That’s cheaper than last year when I paid 3.00 a bottle (on sale).  And, there is free shipping on purchases over 60 dollars.  

I generally add each fragrance to my cart and then increase the quantity for some favorites.   The holiday fragrances I’m looking forward to are:   Twisted Peppermint and Winter Candy Apple. 

Here’s to hand washing! 

** I don’t know how long this sale will last. 

Back to Basics – Blocks

We’ve had a lot of toys, some we’ve bought and others received as gifts, which were hits and misses.  I consider a toy to be a hit when it captures C’s interest for more than a few months.  Misses are the toys that C doesn’t pick up often when placed in front of her.

This week’s Works-For-Me Wednesday edition is about toys which work.  That list can be long for us as there are several toys which C has loved from infancy to now.  But, one of them stands out – the Fisher-Price Brilliant Basics Baby’s First Blocks. 

When C was around 7 months or so, S suggested getting a toy for C that involved imagination and that didn’t make any noise or needed batteries.   We found these blocks and purchased them.   Here is what C has learned from them so far:

• Banging the blocks together make noise
• Tasting the smooth texture of the blocks as she puts them in her mouth
• Stacking the blocks and knocking them over
• Putting other little toys inside each block (the sides of the block cave in)
• Using the sorter to match the shape (this is a recent discovery.  Still working on this!)
• Learning shapes and colors (just starting on this!)
• Putting other smaller toys insider the tub
• And probably more that I don’t recall right now!

With all the toys out there, it is worthwhile to fall back to the basics!   C has had these blocks for more than a year, and she still plays with them.

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Check out more tips on this Works-For-Me Wednesday at “Rocks in My Dryer.”

All About Glasses – For Kids

I have the TV on and “Sid the Science Kid” is showing.  The episode today is all about glasses and vision.  Teaches why glasses are needed and what they do.   Sid and his friends talk and sing about glasses and vision.  On the website, there is a “science investigation” (since Sid is a science kid!) about vision that can be fun to do with kids.

It’s so great to see educational programs for kids like this.   C is a bit young for this, but as she gets older, I would definitely show her this episode (if I can find it in re-runs).  It’s important for her to understand the importance of vision and wearing glasses.  And, how it helps her.

This 2008 episode is showing on our public broadcasting service.   As per the description:

Grandma’s Glasses (#113) Duration: 28:46 CC Stereo TVY

Sid tries on Grandma’s glasses, but they make everything look blurry. Sid explores his sense of vision, and discovers that even though Grandma’s glasses make things look blurry to him, they make things look clear to her.

Voting Time

I voted!   I actually voted a week ago via voting by mail.   What’s nice is that the voting package also included an “I Voted” sticker in there for me to wear.  Which I’ll do around the house since both C and I have colds and will be skipping her music and gym classes today.

C and I are watching Sesame Street right now.   They are teaching kids about voting.  The choices are “Row Row Row Your Boat” vs “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.”   And, the muppets are using different ways to entice the tie breaker vote.   “Row Row Row Your Boat” sang on a pogo stick in a boat.  “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” sang on a cloud with a chicken.   Hard to choose