random recipe

we like spicy in this house, & the dudes are no exception. so we have a hard time getting them to eat usual toddler foods, but i found this chicken strips recipe & they (& we) love it! & it's super easy & quick, which is nice for me, since i get about 20 mins to throw dinner together.

it's a lb of chicken tenderloins (the little chicken breast strips, but i guess you could also just use boneless skinless chicken breasts), that you dip in catalina dressing, & then dredge in breadcrumbs & bake for 20 mins at 350. i've also added frank's hot sauce to the mix, & subbed italian dressing for catalina & it's good pretty much no matter what. & the guys actually EAT it, rather than feeding it to the cats! (ok, so the cats still get more than their fair share, but whatever. as long as the boys eat too, i'm happy.)

do you all have any quickie kiddie favs to share?

some of my recent favorite things

• homemade pita chips: pita bread (i use the real stuff, not that fluffy pocket bread crap most stores call pita bread, but you could probably separate that stuff into halves so its thinner & then use it) cut into 8ths, like a pizza, then brushed (both sides) with olive oil & i sprinkle greek seasoning over it, but you could use salt & pepper, garlic salt or mrs. dash & it would pry be equally good. then they're baked for 5 minutes at 400. soooooo good! they've been replacing chips in our house (way less fat & other nasty stuff) & even N likes them.


• roasted tomatoes & garlic: a big craving of mine lately. i make this all summer with tomatoes from our garden, but lately i've been buying the pints of grape tomatoes so i can make this at least once a week. slice some garlic, & toss that in with the tomatoes & olive oil until they're all coated, then pour into a baking dish & sprinkle with salt & pepper. (sometimes i throw on italian seasoning, but usually just salt & pepper) & bake in the oven for 20 minutes at 400, until the skins wrinkle & split. yum, yum, & yum. we just had these last night & i already want more....


• dove's nutrium body wash. i love this stuff!!!! i'm all dry & itchy (stupid stretchy pregnancy skin!) & this stuff rocks-- it's sooooo nice, you barely need lotion afterwards.


• my kids' new mozart music cube. the dudes love it, & it doesn't have that super annoying electronic beeping music that most musical toys do.


• IBC rootbeer. it's delicious. nuff said.


• boogie wipes. they really do work, they smell great, & the boys complain a bit less about having their faces wiped since they're so soft. & they're just saline, so they don't mess with conrad's skin.


• method tub & tile spray cleaner. it's a "green" bathroom cleaner that actually works as well as the chemical ones-- i am VERY excited about this one. & it even smells nice.

any new (or old) fav finds you want share?

(& i promise birthday pics are coming, i just haven't uploaded anything yet!)

a really yummy (healthy) sandwich

i recently discovered how easy it is to roast my own bell peppers, (wash them, seed them, cut them in half & bake on a foil-covered baking sheet at 450 for 20-30 mins, until the skins start to blacken & blister, then throw them in a ziplock for 30 mins & the skins come right off.) anyways, i've been making them & keeping them in the fridge to use all week, & found a really tasty random sandwich this morning.
i toasted bread, spread it with cream cheese, put on some roasted red bell peppers & a little red wine vinegar, salt & pepper & it was soooo good. its also really tasty with some sliced cucs or zucchini, or romaine, & i'm pretty sure it would be good with tomatoes instead of peppers too...