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Buffalo Chicken Dip Recipe

Lisa's Buffalo Chicken Dip

  

A couple weekends ago we went for a playdate, really it was a playdate for both the parents and the kids. While our kids played and went swimming the adults chatted, ran interference and had snacks. Diva and Eddie Haskell's friend Little Bit's mama, Lisa, brought Buffalo Chicken Dip, yum! It was scarfed up. Two dishes full! Here's the recipe:

3 lg cans of white Chicken
3 cups sharp shredded cheese
8oz ranch dressing
8oz Franks Buffalo sauce
8oz softened cream cheese

Drain and flake chicken add all ingredients and mix well. Sometimes I microwave the cream cheese for about 30 seconds to make sure it is softened and mixable. I bake in 2 separate casserole dishes. Bake at 350 for 30 min. Serve with chips.

Freezes well, so perfect to keep around for unexpected guests!

The Superfuzz Chunk

Superfuzz Chunk

Have you ever been really happy for someone but just a tiny bit sad for yourself at the same time? The kind of sad you must push down deep inside because it's totally unacceptable? I should probably start at the beginning, a few months ago when I realized something was not quite right with Superfuzz.

Superfuzz and I were making a minivan road trip to Ikea in Orlando with the kids one Saturday and decided to stop by California Pizza Kitchen for lunch before heading home. Typically, Superfuzz and I share an entree when we go out together and I would say our appetites are evenly matched. That day Superfuzz and I decided on a favorite entree, then she asked if I wanted to share a full size salad as well. A little out of the ordinary, but not too odd and I was hungry too, so I said okay. She then began to tear into the bread like a wolverine and devoured more than half the salad. When the entree came I helped myself to some of it, then watched her eagerly spooning the pasta repeatedly onto her plate. At the time, I didn't think too much, we all have times when we are hungrier than others. However, I did find it odd that the queen of "I'll have a box for half my entree please" was happily shoveling in more than a regular portion size.

About a week later Superfuzz asked when our last period occurred. For some time we have been on the same schedule. I told her my most recent date and she looked at me and made a comment about potential pregnancy. Not wanting to be an alarmist I said, "Maybe you should take a test." My mind though immediately went to the California Pizza Kitchen and then recalled another instance during which my usually portion controlled friend was ravenous. I already knew the answer, I remembered that hunger and with the combination of that and the late period it was a done deal. This was later confirmed by a test.

I am so excited for Superfuzz and her husband, Posh. They are going to make amazing parents! It's just that Superfuzz is my running partner. We run almost every race together, run two or three times  a week in training and having a baby will put her out of commission for all of marathon season. Last year we ran six half marathons together plus countless other small runs and training runs. The year before we ran a number of half marathons and our first full marathon together. Having her out of training for three months or so seems like an eternity.

I have loads of great friends and training buddies in my training group, just none that seem so well matched to me as Superfuzz in pace and other elements. I wait with excitement for each of her doctor appointments, happy that all is well. When she received her first ultrasound photos I was over the moon for her, remembering what a special time that was for UberGeek and I. Each milestone bringing her closer to the blessed event, the birth of a sweet little Superfuzz Chunk! I just have to learn to hide the Cheesy Poofs when she comes over.

Runnin' on Cat Pee

Runnin' on Cat Pee

Last Saturday UberGeek and I decided to go for a morning run in a nearby neighborhood.  We packed up the kiddos, loaded the Bob Ironman Duallie in the minivan and headed out. When we arrived and began to unpack we noticed the unmistakable odor of cat urine. UberGeek unloaded the stroller and I was devastated. That duallie is my pride and joy, not to mention I was banking on selling it for a decent amount when we were done with it. I sniffed it from bottom to top but couldn't find the source, yet the odor was definitely lingering. We decided not to waste any more time with the smell and set off on our run.

After a mile or so we turned off in another direction. Ubergeek, running along at a relaxed pace for him, turned toward me and said, "I think it's me." "What's you?" I replied. That's when he told me that he thought it was his running shirt that the smell of cat pee was coming from. I had to stop running immediately, "UH-AH!" I said, bent over at the waist laughing. Then I demanded to smell him, he was right, the shirt, which I had washed just a few days prior had the obvious smell of cat pee.

Apparently our rescue cat, Carpet, who we have not had fixed yet, has the hots for UberGeek and found his shirt in the clean laundry basket. That's what the vet explained, peeing on the clothing or items of someone close to the cat is a compliment of sorts. We've finally made the appointment to have her spayed, one urine soaked running shirt of love is enough.

Key Lime Cheeseball

Key Lime Cheeseball Recipe

I have been buying the mix for a Key Lime Cheeseball from Tastefully Simple and a couple other companies for years now. Finally I decided to try and create my own recipe. It turned out really yummy and people seem to like it. I have served it quite a few times. Kids especially like it due to the green color. I personally wish it was less green but I will not complain too much since I used to pay $6 per pack of mix and now I pay .89 cents for a box of Lime Jello.

1 8oz package cream cheese
1 box lime jello
3-4 tbs. sweetened shredded coconut
2 tbs. softened butter
zest from 1 lime
1 tbs. fresh lime juice
2-3 graham crackers crushed into crumbs

Mix cream cheese and butter at middle mixer speed until blended. Add 2/3 to 3/4 pkg of lime jello and the coconut to the mix and mix again. Add lime zest and lime juice and mix a final time. Scrape mixture from sides of bowl etc. and shape into a ball. Roll into graham cracker crumbs, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2-3 hours before serving.

Serve with graham crackers, graham pretzel twists or Keebler Bug Bites.  People will be licking the serving dish clean.  

Download Keylime Cheeseball Recipe

Summer Sangria Recipe

Summer Sangria Recipe

Around my house we also call this "Mother's Little Helper" but you can give it whatever nickname you wish. Once you bring it along to one gathering people will be requesting it all the time. That's OK because it's easy, elegant and inexpensive. Perfect for picnics, cookouts, beach gatherings, parties or showers. Usually I use my Pampered Chef Mix & Stir pitcher but for fancy company you could put it in a pretty cut glass or crystal pitcher. So nice with the fruit slices floating on top. I have also served it in those glass dispensers with the valves.

1 regular size bottle inexpensive red wine
1.5 cups orange juice
1/2 cup brandy
1/4 cup sugar (I use turbinado raw)
2 Tbs. Cointreau, Triple Sec or other orange liqueur
2 Tbs. Pomegranate liqueur (if you have it but don't make special trip, it's fine without)
2 Tbs. Grenadine syrup or Pomegranate flavored syrup
2 Tbs. fresh lime juice
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1 orange sliced
1 lime sliced
1 lemon sliced
1.5 cups lemon lime soda like Sprite

Mix all ingredients except sliced fruit and soda. Add sliced fruit. Add soda just before serving. I usually double this recipe with the big ol' bottle of cheap red wine.

Download Sangria Recipe

Tick Tock Biological Clock

A guest post from Christine, my young singleton friend:

So why, oh why would anyone want to read a blog post from me? No reason. Just the musings of a single 20-something whose biological clock is ticking louder than my Bob Marley "Could you be love?" ring tone (note the symbolism)…trust me, it’s loud. Or is it? Upon reflection, I don’t believe it to be as loud as I am told it should be. As a matter of fact, I almost cringe at the thought of putting down my bowl of ice cream and getting up from the couch during "Sex and the City" re-runs to stop a baby from crying, or worse yet, to wipe poop off a cute little hiney. I think I reached the epitome of this decision today, actually, when I walked into the classroom.

I teach adult education at a technical school and I was subbing for a World Culture class tonight (the topic, you ask? Female Genital Mutilation, but I digress…) At any rate, there was this strange cardboard doll on the desk, standing upright with yarn for nose and eyes. It was wearing a necklace and belt made from beads and looked like something I created from mom’s craft box when I was 8. "What’s that?" I asked, knowing it must be a prop for the students’ presentations. "That’s a fertility doll. In some cultures, if a woman is having trouble conceiving, they carry that doll around and treat it as they would their baby. It helps them get pregnant." Not only did I shudder as my student spoke, but I loudly entreated, "Yeah, can someone get that off my desk? I want to make sure I don’t touch it."

Ok, I’m not superstitious, but according to my mom, at our house if you say the word pregnant three times and click your heels together, you will be not only with child, but a toddler will also appear at your side. Being an unmarried Catholic (and therefore presumably still as pure as the driven snow) this would not be acceptable. No one moved the cardboard proxy, however, to my dismay. I accidentally touched it with a manila folder as I shuffled papers around, though. I will let you know how things turn out in 9 months or so.

Dry Pants Ice Cream

Dry Pants Ice Cream

We have been buying diapers or Pull Ups now for over four years. Both children were successfully potty trained around three years old and Diva went all night in underwear not long after. Eddie Haskell however, seemed to have a camel-like bladder that stored up an entire days urine for the night. During the day he almost never had an accident, we didn't even have to remind him to use the bathroom, oh but the nights were long. We started by not letting him drink anything after 6:30 or so in the evening and then of course taking him to the bathroom just before bed. Then we'd wake him before we went to bed around 10 to go potty again. It didn't seem to matter, he'd be totally soaked by morning.

Eddie Haskell has a mind of his own. When he was three we had been attempting to potty train him for some time. He was having none of it, preferring the convenience of peeing in his Pull Up to the hassle of underwear. At home we forced him to wear underwear but at school he had to be able to go a few days without accidents in order to be sent to school in big boy underwear. Not long after Christmas, he asked us for the Geotrax Grand Central Station which he saw at Target. I told him that we could not afford to buy him that toy because we had to buy $14.99 worth of Pull Ups every bloody week. I told him that if he could go a week at school without accidents and save me the Pull Up money the toy was his. He got a gleam of determination in his eye which I figured would last about two hours, tops. Like his father however, when he decides he is going to do something, he does. That week he had two accidents, the entire week and we figured that was close enough, the Grand Central Station was his.

The kiddos are almost five and I began worrying that we would have to save money not only for college tuition but also for a lifetime supply of night time Pull Ups for Eddie Haskell. How would he get the girls? He'd forever be relegated to the role of Wingman wearing Pull Ups to bed! UberGeek had a plan. There is nothing Eddie Haskell likes better than treats, preferably ice cream. UberGeek laid down the potty gauntlet, if Eddie could go three nights with dry pants he could pick any treat spot he wanted to go to for dessert after dinner. That first night as we sat on the couch after tucking in the little people, we heard the patter of little feet down the hallway, the toilet seat lifted, a flush and handwashing many, many times. Eddie Haskell did make it through that first night dry as can be, he was dry the second night and the third too. He picked Kilwin's for his treat spot and I have to tell you that I think that was some of the sweetest ice cream I have ever tasted.

Sound Proof Your Kiddos

A common complaint of many of my friends with preschool age kids is their sensitivity to noise. This can make normal activities like going to see fireworks, trips to amusement parks (key the noisy car rides), the circus and all manner of activities torture for their parents and them. Please, don't even mention thunderstorms, those totally suck. It wasn't until recently that we got our bed totally to ourselves during a thunderstorm. There was sure to be a preschooler plastered to one of us, crying their eyes out, buried under our blankets. "Is it your turn, or mine?" we would ask as the clouds outside darkened. This started when our kids were about three and seemed to mainly affect Eddie Haskell.

I am happy to announce that I have a pretty decent solution. We finally bought those noise protector earmuff thingies and watched (drumroll please) fireworks for the first time on the 4th of July! The kids are now announcing that they will be watching the fireworks at Disney. Usually we have to run out of the park willy nilly before they begin.

By the way, so far I don't have a kickback deal with Amazon so this is just a tip from me to you. I'll let you know when I get the time to set up my affiliate marketing program so you can become distrustful of me.

 

Pelton Ear Muffs for kids
Pink or Blue Available Click Image to go to Amazon and purchase

Fireworks and Fabulousness

For the first time in many years we celebrated the Fourth of July in a public place. Eddie Haskell is terrified of two things, thunderstorms and fireworks. This year he announced that he is no longer scared of fireworks and that we as his parents were to take him to see them. Who were we to argue? As a precaution we bought those weird ear things people wear to mow their grass, one pair each for Eddie Haskell and Diva. We checked the city website about the evening event, made sure the kids got late afternoon naps, packed a bag and readied ourselves.

We parked in our old neighbor's beach lot and walked toward the oceanfront area where the festival was being held. As we approached the cordoned off festival a woman security guard said, "Sorry, no backpacks." Mind you I had read the website the very same day, which made no mention of a backpack ban. I said, "Well, I guess we can't go because everything we need to take two four year olds to their first Fourth of July is in that backpack." The children began to have that wide eyed look of terror they get just before they start screaming.  I think the woman sensed it because suddenly she lurched toward UberGeek and agreed to a search of the offending backpack. I called off the four year olds.

Then we found some overpriced, completely non nutritive food and chowed down before settling on a spot to spread our blanket. The kids split a snow cone so they were in seventh heaven. I also purchased two flags for them to wave and they were dancing around to the first band we saw on stage, a lukewarm act called Mint Julep.

Soon two guys with lawn chairs sat next to us, it was obvious they were pretty lit, but they were polite and friendly, still damp from a swim in the ocean. I didn't pay any attention to them until I looked over and noticed that the one closest to us was streaming blood down his leg. I ignored it for a minute, figuring he would soon notice that he was staining his towel a lovely cherry color. When it became obvious to me that he was either too drunk to notice or had lost all feeling in his leg I felt it my duty to inform him that he was in danger of hemorrhaging in a puddle on the grass and ruining my beach blanket. I'm not sure what's wrong with me that way. "Excuse me, sir, you're bleeding. Would you like some Neosporin and a Band Aid?" I offered. I was already reaching into my fully stocked backpack which also contained gauze pads and bio shield gloves, this was Jax Beach after all. "Nawwww," came the response. "Oh, all right" I said.

Then I turned to UberGeek, trying to alert him that a man was bleeding next to us. He just gives me "the look" the one I get when I am obviously over reacting to a man bleeding to death on a grassy knoll next to us. It's true that I am slightly more anxiety prone since my children were born.  I am so happy that they have made it intact to this point. I'll be damned if I will let them be dancing a happy Fourth of July dance one minute only to contract hepatitis from a drunken hemorrhaging man next to us the next. In my mind I visualize one misstep of their jolly game of leap frog resulting in them landing open mouthed on the bleeding leg of the man next to us WHO HAS GOD KNOWS WHAT KIND OF DISEASES. I wait until I think UberGeek is no longer paying attention and the men are watching the concert. Then I inch our blanket further away from Mr. Blood and Guts secure in the knowledge that my children are safer.

The Navy band comes on next and they rock! We are all singing songs and dancing, proud to be Americans. Before you know it it is fireworks time, oh and the kiddos love them! They are out until almost 11 at night, three hours past their bedtime. The next day, everyone is cranky, there are many timeouts but it was well worth it. We had a blast.

Tax the Fat, Pay for Health

Today I watched the White House's town hall meeting on health care reform, broadcast right to my computer at work. I was encouraged by the participation and the feeling that so many people know that something must be done. What discouraged me is that seemingly we overlook the obvious in our complex searches for solutions. Healthcare costs, a lot. However, the people who cost the most are the sickest. One of the reasons many healthcare experts cite for them being so sick is the fact that they may go many many years without comprehensive health coverage before reaching 65 or becoming disabled and qualifying for Medicare. At that point, they then have access to as much healthcare as they wish. The problem is, by that time most of their illnesses are no longer simply treated by good primary and preventive care, they now require major surgery and procedures at a very high cost.

A good example is heart disease, which can be prevented, especially for those with high cholesterol by maintaining a healthy lifestyle and taking a statin drug. However, if you have no insurance you are likely unable to pay the $150-200 doctor's visit plus $50 a month for Lipitor. You probably also will not be able to afford visits to a registered dietitian who will advise you to increase healthy fats like nuts, olive oil, and avocado and keep away from the nasty deep fried kinds. Instead, you will slowly get sicker until you reach 65 at which time we will all be happy to pay for you to have a triple bypass, lengthy hospital stay and rehabilitation. To me it makes a lot more sense to make affordable coverage available to everyone somehow and pay primary care physicians a reasonable office visit fee for great preventive medicine. We also need to treat primary care physicians like the gatekeepers to our health that they are, instead of as the low rent physician you see to obtain a referral to a "real" specialist. This is not to say there are not issues which should be treated by specialists, I just believe that a greater role and emphasis on primary and preventive care for everyone will result in lower cost.

This brings me to my next subject, we are fat in this country and it is costing us, lives and a lot of money. Why are we not taxing fast food and soda? (Probably because Ronald McD got a lot of lobby money) If you want to drink it, eat it and cost us all money that's your choice, but we are going to use your purchases to pay for your healthcare and healthy food for others, thanks very much. I think every fast food purchase should be taxed at a pretty hefty rate with perhaps the exception of some items meeting a 6g fat and 600 calorie limit, those can be put on a healthy choice menu. Tax soda too, if I see one more two year old with soda in a sippy cup I might flip my lid.

Fresh fruits and vegetables should be subsidized. For a country whose children will, for the first time, not live longer than their parents, we are not motivated enough. It is disgusting that in inner city neighborhoods children and their parents can find a convenience store full of inexpensive junk food and soda but not one banana. It's absolutely shameful. We have farm subsidies for millionaire agrobusiness owners, how about subsidies for people who want to eat American grown produce? Let them eat fruit and veggies, cheap!

How about encouraging employers and insurance companies to offer rate discounts for healthy behaviors? Maintaining a healthy BMI, not smoking or quitting, or if overweight following a dietitians plan and making gains toward healthy weight loss, attending a gym regularly etc. Even better, employers should be encouraged to have on site fitness facilities and allow extended lunch hours to staff who wish to work out during that time. Ooooh, you say, that extra 15 minutes could lessen productivity. Oh yeah? You ever looked up how much extra unhealthy employees cost employers in workers comp claims, sick leave and health benefits? They should be begging people to work out on their lunch break.

No more soda and candy machines in schools, bring in the apple cart, the yogurt vendors and bring back daily PE. I want to start a revolution! You want to really save on healthcare, make it more expensive to be unhealthy and less expensive to be healthy. Provide low cost coverage so that everyone can have preventive health care. We all pay, because at 65, everyone gets health insurance and it's in our best interest if everyone has had access to a healthy lifestyle and  health care up to that point.