Cucumber Brussel Sprout Pasta Salad

Ok.   So I find myself again in another quandary for dinner.  What to do and nothing is in fridge.  Well, I found a few things and rustled up a cold pasta salad.  Please be warned that I never use measurements in my cooking.  I do it just by taste.  Sorry for those who need exact measurements.  The idea is here and I hope you're inspired to make it your own!

Magic leftover pasta salad a.k.a. Cucumber and Brussels Sprout Pasta Salad

2 Cucumbers Quartered and sliced
Shredded Brussel Sprouts
Halved Cherry Tomatoes
Thinly sliced red onion (rinsed in water & dried)

Salt
White sugar
Pepper
Cayenne Pepper
Onion Powder
Garlic Powder
Dried Parsley
Dried Oregano

Canola Oil
Apple Cider Vinegar

1 lb pasta box

Place vegetables in bowl and macerate (sit in juices) with 1 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon sugar and seasonings to taste.  Sugar and Salt need to be excessive in order to macerate vegetables and tomatoes.

Start pasta water and add salt when water boils.  Cook pasta to your desired doneness.

Shake off water and add Canola Oil and seasonings to taste (do not add salt) and set aside to cool off.  Do not add vegetable mixture until pasta has thoroughly cooled off allowing the vegetables to steep in juices.  Adding seasoning onto hot past allows the flavors to seep into pasta salad.  As pasta is cooling add canola oil.

After the pasta has cooled taste the vegetable mixer with juices.   Mix pasta and vegetables (only) together when pasta is cooled.  Add 'juice' mixture a little at a time and taste as you go along.  Adjust your seasoning.  I have not found a cure for too much salt so following above according.  Refrigerate until needed.

Cutie- Pie's Favorite Thing this Week: Skidamarink lyrics and movements

♫ Skidamarink a dink a dink. [Put your right elbow in your left hand and wiggle your fingers.]
Skidamarink a doo. [Put your left elbow in your right hand and wiggle your fingers.]
I love you. [Point to yourself, hug yourself, and point to the other people in your group.]

Skidamarink a dink a dink.
Skidamarink a doo.
I love you.

I love you in the morning. [Make a big circle over your head with your arms, like the sun. Bend over to one side.]
And in the afternoon. [Stand up straight with your arms above you.]
I love you in the evening. [Bend over to the other side.]
And underneath the moon. [Make a small circle in front of your chest with your hands and move it over your head.]

Skidamarink a dink a dink.
Skidamarink a doo.
I love you.

(Repeat) ♫

R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Interpreting the meaning of the word respect for a child.

Every parent has the fear that their child will come into contact with other less than well behaved children... of course our children are angels!

However, with kids being kids, my son has needed me to explain what he is doing is not respectful.  Upon looking up the definition, I found it very unsuitable for my cutie-pie.  He would not be able to understand a word of the dictionary definition.  Then I went onto other notable kids websites but they wanted to teach me how to teach my child how to be respectful.  An actual good definition for my son has eluded me until now.  

I found it on the website talkingtreebooks.com. (http://talkingtreebooks.com/what_is_respect.html#sthash.jQ9hF6KI.dpbs)

If you scroll to the bottom it has a pretty good definition.  I've tweaked it for my son but all in all he understands the meaning perfectly.

Now every time he's acting disrespectful we recite the meaning of respect before getting off the 'Naughty Chair.'

Success!  My Cutie-Pie's behavior has been altered with minimal tears and grief.  Hallelujah!

Favorite Thing of the Week: Pocket Hose

Now that summer is practically over, I've used my Pocket Hose for a full gardening season.  I love, love, loved it!  It is fabulous and just like the commercials say.  It is light and easy to use.  I don't have to worry about kinks and undoing them as I go about my lawn and garden.  I needed 3 / 50ft hoses to get my entire front and back lawn.  However, I mainly used it for my multiple gardens.

At $30.00 a pop times 3 makes for a hefty investment but I was willing to pay since it was so easy to use after the 1st purchase.  Plus I got the other 2 half off... whew.  However, 2 of the hoses broke.  The first one had a puncture that leaked water and the second one just bursted apart like fire cracker and scared the bejesus out of me.

I am not paid for this endorsement nor did I get this item for free.  I will however keep going back for more since time is always precious and who wants to be spending it watering your garden and lawn.

Two thumbs up with caution.

The Pocket Hose a blessing and a curse. Gotta have it but it punctures easily.

First Day of Pre-School.

So Cutie-Pie had his first day of pre-school.  Hubby and I were so proud and anxious since the night before munchkin had a revelation that he was scared to leave us.  Luckily, all went well and in a moment of inspiration, I put all his stuffies outside to greet him and tell him how much he was missed!  

Cutie-Pie was so happy to see such a sight and he beamed from ear to ear pulling into the driveway!

Animal House
Stuffed animals greeting Pre-Schooler's 1st day home.

The first day of school coming around the corner.

Sorry for such a long absence from the blog.  I'm learning how to make this a routine and getting use to sharing my life with everyone and, yet, no one all at the same time.

So, my only child will be going off to his first day of school this year, half day pre-school every week day.  I'm so proud and yet so nervous.  He's such a beautiful boy inside and out that I don't look forward to any negative experiences that might happen to him.  He's so happy and shares without question that all these positive traits might get abused with others.  We all feel this way about our children (don't we?) so I can only hope that ignorance is bliss for my Cutie-Pie.

My Super Hero off to save the world!

Let's see what happens.  I can share my path to getting my family ready for this historic day and you can share your experiences, too.



 

Father's Day June 16th

An Introduction and Tadpole Analogy

So here goes...  My first blog article.  No fancy magazine pics.  No Norman Rockwell family descriptions. Just my family's true story.  We'll start off slow and eventually we'll get into the groove of things.  Perhaps, if I'm very good, Hubby will join us on this blog quest, too.  

Let's get started.

This year we moved to a new place in NJ.  Our place has a nice Main Street and a great park with the public library directly across from it.  This is where our 4 year old plays and gets to fish in the fresh water pond.  During a fun day of fishing, cutie pie noticed tiny things swimming in the water.  "Look, Daddy, tadpoles!"  Well, if we aren't the happiest parents in the world!  Baby, knows what tadpoles are.  So, of course Hubby went and got some (around 30 - yikes!) for cutie pie to see the metamorphosis of tadpole to frog/toad.  At first, Cutie-Pie was totally into it.  He gave them an overabundance of fish flake food.  (We found fish flakes the best choice.)  Then pppplllhh!  He could care less about the tadpoles.  Well, 19 died died within the first 5 days.  We had them in too much water.  No rocks or plants for them to rest or get oxygen from.  Strangely, I found the roots of the wild violet plants in our yard work great in the water!  So... now I'm changing the water and I'm the one mesmerized by our tadpoles' transformation.  Who knew I'd be so into nature?  Ew!

Park where tadpoles were found.  Just make sure if it's legal to catch wildlife and bring it home.

Cutie-Pie Fishing in Park

Tadpoles and Emerging Froglet

Tadpole Paradise: rocks (for resting), wild violets (for oxygen), sand from natural habitat, and bottled water (tap will kill them).

Home Sweet Home

Ah, what we do for our kids and pets.

Dinner time!

Just like our tadpoles, we moved (from NYC, to Seattle, to the Philadelphia suburbs, to Our Town) in NJ.  All due to my career in fashion, Hubby and I have lived in a few places but we're so glad to be settled in our new home, early this year.  Alas, the recession hit us hard, too, so we hope we can own our own home soon.

We've gotten so much better with our finances over the years through: bulk shopping, coupons, barely eating out and ordering in.  Long gone are the days of fluff and fold laundry service.  I must confess, I miss having my laundry done for me.  Our transformation as been slow and a bit painful.  However, I am excited our new home has a washer and dryer, dish washer, and a microwave.  I no longer feel as though I'm in a state of perpetual cleaning & cooking.  Yippee!  One would never realize I use to be a  fashion designer.   Ahhhhh, but that's a story for another day.  

See you again soon.

Please excuse the mess. We're making memories with our Cutie-Pie.