Some success with veggies!

Okay - so I tried some of the tricks and recipes in the Deceptively Delicious book. I didn't get to the grocery store until Monday night so I didn't try as many things as I had hoped but here is how it went:

Tuesday: Quesadillas - I didn't really follow the recipe, I just used the trick of mixing butternut squash puree with the cheese. I used the tortillas my kids are use to (Costco uncooked tortillas - yummy), spread a little of the puree on them and then cheese. They didn't even notice. So, it was a success. Of course, they didn't get tons of veggies but they got a lot more than if I hadn't snuck them in.

Wednesday: Mini Pizzas - again, not exactly the recipe from the book but same idea. I normally use Rhodes white frozen roll dough but this time I switched to their whole wheat frozen roll dough and mixed the pizza sauce with some butternut squash puree. My kids LOVED it. They didn't even notice that the crust was different. So, mini pizzas were a huge hit.

Thursday: Tacos - I followed the recipe in the book. The kids couldn't tell the meat was cooked with tomatoes and the puree - but they aren't huge fans of tacos anyways. So, not a huge success but not really the recipes fault - my kids are picky.

Friday: Chicken Nuggets - I followed the recipe in the book using brocolli puree. I think it would have gone over better if I had used spinach puree (not as grainy). My kids love chicken nuggets but these were darker in color (due to the flaxseed meal). I think I will try them again but maybe just dipping the chicken in the puree (and I will try spinach) and then a breading I know they like - for example, the Captain Crunch chicken I make sometimes (it is a Planet Hollywood recipe and you can find it in the Jolley Family Cookbook - really yummy). Of course, the Captain Crunch part makes it not as healthy but if I can sneak some veggies in, it might be worth it.

So, I had some success. I think what I really am going to use from this book is the concept of sneaking veggies into food - but I am going to use foods and recipes that already work for us. I will let you know if I have any more success. I would also love to hear of any success stories anybody else has with getting their kids to eat healthy.

The Many Faces of Brecken!

I had a lot of fun taking pictures of Brecken today. It was kind of hard to keep him in the frame - he was jumping in his jumpy toy. The pictures above are a few of my favorites (that I played with a little in Photoshop) and below is a little slideshow of about 1/2 of the pictures I took. What a cutie! He is getting to be so much fun!

Fancy Toffee Brownies

My ward is having a dessert taste-n-swap tonight and this is what I am taking. So, I thought I would share it (it is also in the Jolley Family Cookbook but uses walnuts instead of toffee).

He sleeps - in his carseat that is!

Actually, Brecken is getting to be a much better sleepier. But this past week, he has fallen asleep pretty much every time I have put him in his carseat. Really, I just love pictures of sleeping babies (and sleeping babies themselves) and actually learned how to play with my pictures a little in Photoshop Elements and wanted to show them off. I am excited to learn more - too bad I have to do it late at night when I am really tired. Oh well, that is the price you pay as a mom.

Growing up TOO fast!

Today I registered Matthew for Kindergarten. I can't imagine sending him to school in the Fall - I just can't believe I will have two in school. It will be so weird, and sad, at least at first, to see Dallin and Matthew walking to the school bus every morning. They are growing up WAY too fast!

Super Hungry

When I went to get Gavin out of his bed this morning, the first thing he said, before good morning or hi, was:

"My tummy is super hungry!"

Jolley Family Cookbook 2007

Last year I finally got around to making a Jolley Family Cookbook - consisting of recipes from family and friends. I thought it would be fun to have it on my blog. There were some typos in the printed version which have been fixed in this version (that is, the ones I know about). If any more are found, I would love to be told about them so I can fix them. Anyway, I will try to add a list of the errors found (in case you have a printed version). There is an index at the end of the document, but it might be off a page (there was one recipe in there 2 times right in a row so I deleted one which might have messed up the page numbers). Here is the link - I will be adding to the side of my blog, somewhere.

http://www.webecke.com/JolleyFamilyCookbook2007Final.doc

Old School Cookies

For some reason I have really been craving the chocolate chip cookies I always made as a kid - the Nestle Chocolate Chip cookies (nothing fancy - just semi-sweet chips). So, this past week I finally made them again and they were so yummy! In case anyone else has a similar crazing, here is a link to the recipe:

http://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/detail.aspx?ID=18476

Deceptively Delicious

I am so excited about this cookbook by Jerry Seinfeld's wife, Jessica. It is all about getting your kids to eat better. They have 3 kids (6, 4, and 2) and they were having a hard time getting their kids to eat veggies (sound familar - it does to me). So, she has found ways to get the veggies into the food without the kids knowing - but she still offers a veggie with lunch and dinner so they still know it is important to eat veggies. Anyway, I had Ed pick up the book from Barnes and Nobles earlier this week and I have read most of it. I am so excited because it has recipes for things kids actually eat - like mac-n-cheese, tacos, hamburgers, pancakes, brownies, etc. We are trying to get our kids (okay - and me) to eat better. So, I am really hoping this helps. It is going to take some extra planning (like pureeing veggies for an hour Sunday night's) but I think it is going to be worth it. I haven't tried any of the recipes yet - I need to go to the store and buy a lot of veggies - but I will let you know how they are next week.

Here is a link to her website - she has even been on Oprah.

http://www.deceptivelydelicious.com/site/

President's Day Weekend at a Cabin

We have some friends (the Hanson's) that have a cabin up in Wyoming (I think that's where it is - I haven't actually been there due to either being pregnant or having a little baby when everyone goes) and they invited us to go with them and a bunch of our friends for the long weekend. Ed took Dallin and Matthew with him and I stayed home with Gavin and Brecken. Gavin was so sad when "the guys" left to go "camping" - but he survived. "The guys" had a great time sledding and playing with friends. They had so much fun that Dallin didn't want to leave - he told me he wants to live up there. They got to ride snowmobiles to get to the cabin, and for fun. But I do think they missed me a little - Matthew gave me the biggest hug when they got home. I sure did miss them! But they had a fabulous time! Hanson's, thanks for letting 3 of my boys spend the weekend with you at your cabin!
One clarification from the pictures above - there is indoor plumbing in the cabin, just not in the winter.

Yummy!

I gave Brecken rice cereal for the first time this weekend. He actually seemed to like it! He really likes sitting in the high chair - he likes to be able to see people and know what is going on.

Down to One in Diapers - HOPEFULLY!

February 15, 2008 - Yeah! We might be down to one in diapers. Gavin has been doing so well that I was brave today and put him in big boy underwear. He chose to wear his blue Mater underwear. I took a few pictures of him just in his underwear but I think Ed would kill me if I posted that. So this is a picture of him in blue jeans with NO diaper on - I hope they don't fall off!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Valentine's Day is a fun holiday with little kids. Dallin (6) thinks it is great. He had so much fun making his Valentine's and getting them. Matthew liked getting the treats - however, he didn't enjoy writing his name on the Valentine's for his class.

We lucked out and my cousin Angela came up from Arizona for the week to hang out with us (she didn't have to work so she drove up). So, Ed and I were able to go to lunch at my favorite place, Pizza Factory, and then we were able to go to a movie that night, Fools Gold. Thank you so much Angela!!!!!! It was a fun day. And it didn't hurt that Ed gave me a dozen red roses and a dozen white tulips. Valentine's Day was especially fun/meaningful to us this year because it was 10 years ago Valentine's Day that we got engaged - cheezy but true!

Feeling Better

February 13, 2008 - After 2 days on medicine, Brecken is feeling so much better (he had double ear infections). Look how happy he is in his jumpy toy! Too bad it was almost 11:00 pm when I took this picture last night - but at least he was happy. Now if he would just go to bed early - and I am not asking for 7:00 pm, I am just hoping to get him in bed by 10:00 pm. Oh well. He is feeling better so I can't complain.

Time Out

February 9, 2008 - Gavin was telling me how Matthew took one of his Doc Hudson stickers off his potty training chart (yes, we are working on it - he is GREAT at peeing in the toilet and not his diaper, he just needs help with the other). This is what he said,

"Matthew made a bad choice, he need go time-out!"

4 Months Old

My sweet little boy is 4 months old today (February 8, 2008) - and he had his 4-month check-up today. It was good he went to the doctor, not only to get his 4 shots and one oral vaccination (a new one), but to find out that he has double ear infections AGAIN! I hope he is getting all these ear infections from the RSV - but only time will tell. Luckily, he is on medicine now for his ears and hopefully he will go to bed tonight at a better time (he hasn't gone to bed until almost midnight the last 2 nights). I always love taking the boys to their well child visits so I can find out their stats. So, here are Brecken's:

Length: 25 1/4 inches (75% - that is short for my boys)
Weight: 19 lbs 3 oz (above 97% - Dallin weighed 22 lbs 3 oz at 4 months, Matthew & Gavin were about the same)
Head Circ: 43.8 cm (90%)

I think his length has to be wrong - all his 9-month sized clothes are getting too short for him, soon I am going to have to put him in 12-month sized clothes.

Happy Moment

Brecken had bronchiolitis and RSV about 2 weeks ago and was just getting over it, so I thought. I think he is getting worse again. Luckily, he goes to the doctor tomorrow for his 4 month check-up. I can't believe he is already 4 months old (even though it has been a VERY long 4 months with reflux and his recent sickness). Luckily, he still has moments of happy during the day - he loves this bouncer thingy we borrowed for our good friends. It has saved us!
- February 5, 2008

66 Cents

"Mom, did you get the 66 cents I left on the counter for you? I will give you more tomorrow if you are super great to me." - Dallin (February 7, 20008)

2007 Scrapbook Pages for Gram

Every year for Christmas we make scrapbook pages for my mom (Gram) - one of each of our kids, a family one, and any others we want (but for sure one of each kid). I was a little late in getting them done this year but I finally got them done and thought it would be fun to have them here - they sum up the last year for us (that and me laying on the couch sick). This was the first year I did digital which was a lot of fun but I have a lot to learn so these pages are pretty simple. Some day down the road (after I use up more of my regular scrapbooking supplies) I will switch to all digital.

Just a Little Snow! (January 2008)

Holy cow have we had a ton of snow this year! Ed took the boys out this weekend to see if they could find the sidewalk in the back - Ed said he had to dig 2-3 feet down to find it! What a crazy year! You can't even tell where our garden boxes are. And my neighbor spent hours yesterday plowing our little circle (the city for some reason won't plow it) - so there are huge piles of snow in front of our house! One of these days, Ed hopes to take the boys out to build an igloo! The boys don't really care what they do, they just like playing in the snow with their daddy (and getting hot chocolate from mom when they come in)!