10 Surprising Things My Boys Won't Eat

1. Mashed Potatoes
2. Rice - I never make it plain, mostly Risotto and they have only eaten it once. While watching their Dad. Copy cat.
3. Meat - as a sure thing. Sometimes yes. Sometimes no.
4. Tortillas with cheese - without picking the cheese out.
5. Cream Cheese
6. Soup. Nathan will eat Tomato but that's it.
7. Beans - other than Bush's, but who can resist Bush's Baked Beans
8. Bacon. This is pure insanity to me. Who WOULDN'T like Bacon? They at least it in the Turkey burgers.
9. Hot Dogs. Aren't all kids supposed to love Hot Dogs?
10. Brownies. Tried it. I think they are too rich.


~ Rice, Potato, Tortilla, Cream Cheese, Bacon lovin' Mama

Another Fine Recipe

I just couldn't resist sharing a recipe for turkey burgers. We had these last week and the boys just gobbled them up. Just know that they don't eat a lot of meat and so this is quite an achievement. The recipe is not mine, I got it from "Semi-homemade with Sandra Lee". I don't use a lot of her ideas but I did love this one to pieces and so did the family.

Apple Maple Turkey Burgers with Maple-Dijon Sauce


A few things I learned:
1. We grill these and they are the best when grilled. And I mean outdoor grill. The George Foreman grill totally dried these things out.
2. I can't seem to make the sweet potato fries crispy. If you figure it out, let me know.
3. I tried to find unsweetened applesauce chunks because the sweetened kind are too much. I ended up using unsweetened applesauce.
4. We actually eat these without the bun. I kept having leftover buns or getting moldy buns so I gave up. Now we eat them with just some of the maple-dijon sauce. Still, very, very good.
5. I buy good bacon. Yummy, thick, with some fat-on-it bacon. The burgers are very moist.
6. You may have two options when buying ground turkey: white breast only or just ground turkey. If you buy the ground breast meat, the bacon more than makes up for the possible dryness.
7. One time, I put too much applesauce in or didn't fully drain the turkey meat and they wouldn't stay in form on the grill.

I think that is it on these. They are delicious. If you like them, I recommend that you print the recipe because the Food Network sometimes takes down recipes.

~ Food mama

Two Perfect Oranges

Occasionally, I experience "magic moments", times that were just so good, you cannot recreate them. They live with you for decades and you remember them as clear as the day and minute they occurred. I had one tonight and it was a long time coming.

A few things to know about me:

1. My boys are picky eaters. At almost 3, they are squashing my "fire" as a cook.

2. I don't really like oranges.

When I was about 15, I was over at my best-friend's house. Her name was Lisa. And she was the quintessential best friend and the exact kind you hope for your kids to have during their school years. I still miss her today. My memories of her are so rich and easy to recall.

It was an ordinary day, we were at her house. I cannot recall anything else about that day. I don't know why I was there or what we did that day, with the exception of about 20 minutes. I can't explain WHY this is what I remember, but it is. She pulled out an orange. Although we had them at our house, it was always something my brothers liked, not me. They were odd. They had this white stuff I could not get off. They had weird skin, I just did not eat them. I couldn't even peel them.

We were laughing, talking about boys and school in general, I'm sure. She peeled the orange. We sat on top of her kitchen counter. The orange was so cold and so sweet, I forgot about the weird skins and enjoyed the sweet, juicy burst of sunshine that slid down my throat. It was, in a word, magic. I remember those 20 minutes like they were last week. I have not enjoyed an orange since that day. Until this evening.

Jamie playing with trains.

2 Oranges in the fridge. I must have been thinking about Lisa when I was in the grocery store and bought them. Taking a chance on loving them the way I did in that moment so long ago.

I don't know how to peel them. I had to use a sharp knife. I grabbed the orange and a napkin and took it to the table.

Nathan at the table eating Jamie's grilled cheese.

He asked for a Peach. A tiny piece.

Me: Nathan, this is an orange. Orrrr anggge.

I struggle to get the weird white stuff of the orange. I fail. I hand it to him anyway. He pops it in his mouth. Weird look on his face. Oh well. I'm not that fond of them either. Then... he gets this grin on his face.

Nathan: ORANGE!!!

I take a bite. It's sweet and juicy, unimaginable sweet, almost cartoon-esque in the absolute richness of the orange flavor. DE-LICIOUS!

Nathan and I took turns eating pieces of the orange. Tiny pieces and big pieces. White weird stuff and all. Chunky, odd-shaped pieces because I can't peel the orange so that it is a perfect wedge. Not like Lisa, but this...this was a magic moment. Me and Nate. Nate and me. Just the two of us, eating the only other perfect orange in the whole, wide, world.

I think I just might like oranges, maybe, a little bit.

~ Orange-i-licious Mama

"Publix" Service Announcement

I have officially lost my cooking mojo. No really. It's gone. I have gone stale with my exposure to new condiments, spices, anything. Gone, baby gone.

Mostly my brain is drained from having debates with my boys over the plan for dinner...

My Plan: Chili!

Jamie: Chickens!

Me: Not chicken, Chili!

Jamie No Mom. Chickens!

Nathan: Eggs!


They look at their plate and determine which item is most familiar and eat that. Then say they are all done. Swooosh! It sucks the creativity out of you.

Lately, I have been looking through cookbooks and newspapers for ideas on dinner...until a little inspiration hit me in the form of the cooking demo lady for Aprons, a Publix service for their customers! The food is, in a word, fantastic!

Last night, I made Calypso Chicken and Island Rice. We cooked everything outside on the grill and it really was wonderful! I didn't even mind that the boys didn't eat a single bite, in fact, I LOVED it because I enjoyed a wonderful (and plentiful) lunch!

A few weeks ago, I had my first bite of Tilapia - I should have known then that my new best friend - and inspiration - was a sweet woman at the demo stand in my supermarket. She is enthusiastic, tells you how easy it is and I get a nice little snack in the process. Here is the recipe for Lime Butter Fish with Easy Herb Pasta.

To make it easy for you, they have all of the ingredients right there for you so you don't have to hunt all of the store. And the best part? A little recipe card - FREE - to add to your collection!!!

So, for all of you seeking inspiration for a wonderful meal, I recommend checking out your local Publix or access their site for more recipes.


~ Calypso Island Mama

The Versatility of Ramen Noodles

Here are the top 10 reasons I love ramen noodles:

1. You can fix them in less than 5 minutes.
2. They are about $.25 per package
3. My boys love them!
4. My husband loves them!
5. When you are sick, they are a nice comfort food.
6. The boys will put one end of the noodle in their mouth and put the opposite end in my mouth so that we can SLURP! Cute!
7. You can make them nutritious by adding steamed vegetables
8. You can make them gourmet by sautéing flavorful vegetables and unusual seasonings (like chili pepper and garlic)
9. After sitting for a few minutes, they can be a long term binding agent to be used throughout your household.
10. They can be swept up or wiped off easily once they harden (which is the next stage in their bonding cycle).

~ Foodie