Dream Catchers

  “Mommy, I had a terrible dream last night.”  Callie looked up at me as she solemnly recounted the dream  filled with witches and monsters, all the while playing with the bubbles in the bathtub.

  “Honey, it’s okay to have bad dreams sometimes,” I encouraged as I scrubbed the soap into her scalp.  Even though they are unpleasant, they are not real and we always wake up.” 

She closed her eyes as the warm water rinsed her hair.  Her eyes popped open and matter of factly she pointed out:  “Mommy—that dream catcher you gave me doesn’t work!”

  The fascinating part of this story was I’d given her the dream catcher nearly a year earlier, and we’d had only one conversation where I explained its purpose. Native American legend has it that good dreams slip through the web of a dream catcher during the night, and bad dreams become caught in the web and are perished by morning light.   It hung on her bed as a permanent fixture…and I’d still completely forgotten about it and assumed Callie had too.

  I was amazed by the memory of my 3 year-old at the time…and somewhat sad too.  I’d given her something she’d truly counted on and it had let her down.  I now think twice now before making promises of anything that has to do with folklore...or anything else for that matter that I'm not 100% confident in!  ~Trina

The Anti-Chicken Fingers Movement ~ Cauliflower Crust Pizza

I know what you're thinking!  I thought the same thing.  Disgusting.  However, the comments/reviews showed that it was actually quite yummy, and I figured...I'm always up for trying a new pizza recipe, esp one that's lower in carbs and fat than the regular recipe.  A veggie too?  Well heck, you could even call it healthy.  I warned Shannon: this is not pizza.  This is a cauliflower dish.  That way, he wouldn't be mad when it didn't taste like pizza.  Amazingly enough - after his first bite, his response was surprise.  He had three helpings, and asked for me to make it again the next day.  He even said he thought he liked it better than regular pizza crust.  That's what I call a successful meal!

ingredients:

• 1 cup cooked, smashed/riced cauliflower
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (for crust)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp crushed garlic
• 1/2 tsp garlic salt
• pizza sauce
• olive oil (optional)
• 1/2 pd lean ground beef (or your choice of meat topping) cooked
• Tomato sliced
• Light mix Italian or Cheddar Cheese

directions:

To "Rice" the Cauliflower:
Take 1 large head of fresh cauliflower, remove stems and leaves, and chop the florets into chunks. Steam until soft, then mash with potato masher until pieces are tiny, nearly the size of grain rice.  It doesn't matter if you have a few larger chunks.

One large head should produce approximately 3 cups of riced cauliflower. The remainder can be used to make additional pizza crusts immediately, or can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week.

To Make the Pizza Crust:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup cauliflower, egg and mozzarella. Add oregano, crushed garlic and garlic salt, stir. Transfer to the cookie sheet, and using your hands, pat out into a 9" round. Optional: Brush olive oil over top of mixture to help with browning.

Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes.

Remove from oven. To the crust, add sauce, toppings (mine was cooked lean ground beef and a tomato) and cheese. Place under a broiler at high heat just until cheese is melted (approximately 3-4 minutes).

*reminder that toppings need to be precooked since you are only broiling for a few minutes.

Happy Eating Friends!~Trina

The Anti-Chicken Fingers Movement - Caramelized Onion and Goat Cheese Crostini

I'm making this delicious appetizer for our reunion with Zac's family Monday night.  It's pretty easy to make and so very fabulous!  It's easy to eat while chatting with family or chasing after the kiddos! 

Caramelized Onion and Goat Cheese Crostini

2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
2 medium sweet onions, thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
24 slices (1/4-inch thick) French bread baguette
Nonstick cooking spray
1 package (4 oz) chèvre (goat) cheese, softened
1 package (3 oz) cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme or oregano leaves

1.In 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Stir in onions; cook uncovered 10 minutes, stirring every 3 to 4 minutes.
2.Reduce heat to medium-low. Stir in salt, brown sugar, and vinegar. Cook 30 to 35 minutes longer, stirring every 5 minutes, until onions are deep golden brown (onions will shrink during cooking). Cool slightly.
3.Heat oven to 325°F. Place bread slices on ungreased cookie sheet; spray lightly with non-stick cooking spray. Bake 6 to 9 minutes or until crispy.
4.Meanwhile, in small bowl, combine goat cheese and cream cheese; blending until smooth; set aside.
5.Place 1 teaspoon caramelized onions onto each bread slice; top with 1 rounded teaspoon cheese mixture. Sprinkle with herbs.

Holy Competition, Batman!

"I want the right seat!" And the race begins.  My two sons scramble their little feet to the car shoving and climbing to get to the right seat first.  The right seat. The glorious right seat.

This declaration made by Luke a few months ago, that the "right seat" was indeed the best seat in the car, became a subtle relief to me.  What's that you say? No more fighting with the kids to get them to the car?  All I have to say as we're leaving the house now?

"Whoever gets to the car first gets the right seat!" I shout out, keys in hand. I've never seen two kids get dressed and out the door so fast! 

Oh, but yes, it gets better...

"Whoever eats ALL their green beans first will be the strongest and the tallest brother!"  And their greens are gone!

"Let's see who can pick up all the toys the fastest!"  And our living room is clean!

They're even competing for our attention now.  If Zealand trips over the dog and hurts his elbow, Luke follows behind him crying out, "I just tripped over Yukon too and hurt my elbow too! Kiss me too!"

And aren't I the luckiest mommy in the world...when one son picks me a flower, my other son rushes to pick two.


Competition...I think I love you!

Who Gets Sick on Vacation, Anyway?

We arrived in Ellensburg, Washington at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday afternoon.  I was so excited to be out of the car-I ran to the store, bought diapers and a bottle of red wine, which I consumed entirely shortly after.  It was great to sit down in something other than car seats.  The kids ran around like wild hooligans, and my mother and I chatted and caught up. I didn't yet notice the tickle in my throat...

Friday night I was excited to see two close friends, one of which I don't get to see often and we've been friends since gradeschool.  We took the kids to the rodeo and when they got cold and bored, my mom took them home and we headed out to party behind the chutes.  There's something about seeing old friends, having drinks, and just being in my hometown.  Lots of hugs and smiles and just catching up on who's doing what and who's been where. We didn't get home until 2:00 a.m., where we decided to stay up longer, eat triscuits with melted cheese, dipped in sour cream (in my wilder and wooly days, I used to eat all kinds of crazy stuff after a night out) and talk about the night's events and whatever else was on our mind.  I'm sure this was the night that did me in, the tickle turned into a scratchy throat.  Clayton was up by 6:00 a.m., and I was a zombie.

We started partying again at noon, my best friend Laura was having her 30th birthday party and a bunch of girls got together to go to the rodeo, then go out and eat, then head to her private party to kick up our heels. Her friend Stasha and I had a few surprises planned; pictures from middle school, wild pictures from recently - just lots of memories for her and everyone to scour while hanging out and celebrating.  Laura is one of those people that's the life of the party, anytime she's around it's a good time, for sure.  I even have a few videos from her birthday that show proof of this...

After getting home at 2:00 a.m. with a full on sore throat, I knew I was in trouble.  Me, Clay and grandma woke up with a terrible sore throat and stuffy nose.  We didn't even leave the house day #1, and yesterday only left for a few minutes to go grab a bit to eat and take the kids to the park.  Today is recovery day however, and I will be out and about, visiting whoever I can!

While getting sick on vacation is super frustrating, I must say it was nice to have someone here to help with the kids.  Even though mom was sick too, she was there to help with naptime and getting the kids something to eat...so being sick wasn't as hard as usual.  Plus, I got to sit for long enough to watch Mermaids, a show on Animal Planet.  I will tell you this; I'm a believer in mermaids now!  A separate post to follow!

Sick or not, this vacation is going to be one to go down in the books!  ~Trina

The Anti-Chicken Fingers Movement ~ Pineapple Bacon Burgers

The perfect labor day weekend meal!  Serve with sweet potato fries or pasta or potato salad.  Enjoy! 

Ingredients

• 2 pounds lean ground beef
• 1/2 cup prepared barbecue sauce
• 1 (8 ounce) can sliced pineapple
• 8 slices bacon
• Whole wheat hamburger buns

Directions: 
Prepare grill for indirect cooking. In a large bowl, mix together hamburger meat and barbecue sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Shape mixture into 4 large patties. Place a slice of pineapple on top of each. Crisscross 2 bacon strips around each burger, and secure with toothpicks. Brush oil on grate. Place burgers on grill over medium low heat. Cook, covered, until the burger is cooked through. Turn often to avoid burning the bacon.  

Happy Eating Friends! ~Trina

Read This ONLY If You Are A Mom Who Enjoys Wine!

Thank you so much for all the videos you sent in!  Now, we need your photos! 

If you have any pictures-or videos- of your children driving you crazy, throwing a fit, or even being sweet, etc. - we'd like to add those to our video montage!  Please send them by 9/7 to leah.speer@gmail.com. Thanks!!

You love to drink wine.

You are a mom.

You long for just a moment of relaxation and maybe a little fun.

WE NEED YOUR HELP!

Inspire other moms to kick back, pour a glass of wine and ESCAPE!

“How?” you ask.

Just get a 5 second to 30 second video (SO EASY WITH THAT iPHONE OF YOURS!) of yourself enjoying your favorite go-to after a long day. Whether it’s that tall glass of red or refreshing glass of white. Girls’ night out, book club, bunko (have all the girls in one shot smiling and having a FAB time) or just you and the hubs on the back patio (he’ll gladly take a quickie of you with his phone, Miss Hot Thang!). Just you and your snuggie and The Real Housewives of New York City? No problem! Flip your iPad around and get a snapshot of yourself caressing that glass of vino!

The team here at Must.Have.Wine. are producing a video montage (set to the Black Eyed Peas song “I Gotta Feeling”) that we are going to post on YouTubeand send to every online Mom Magazine we can reach. Obviously, our hope is that it’ll go viral and thus send millions of people to our website (it’s being redesigned as you read this) so that millions and millions will buy our book Must.Have.Wine. when it is published in mid-October.

Send your videos or snapshots to Leah at leah.speer@gmail.com or post in on our Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/MustHaveWine/245052782182520?ref=hl

Just think, if it does go viral and they decide to show the clip on The Today Show, you can tell all your friends and family to look for you, you superstar!

DEADLINE TO BE A PART OF THIS EXTRAORDINARY EXPERIENCE September 7, 2012.

p.s. Extra bonus points if you are singing along to a part of the Black Eyed Peas song in your video!