Tostones Recipe

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For New Year's Eve, A Special Treat -- Tostones

Sliced and twice fried, this delicious plantain treat is well-worth the effort. A recipe I learned from my ex-fiance's mother, it's one of my favorites and something I'm very picky about. The plantains should not be too ripe. They shouldn't be sliced too thick or too thin and they should be fried to golden-crisp perfection. These are unlike potato chips, thicker, meatier and with more flavor. Tune in tomorrow evening for this tasty Puerto Rican Tostone recipe complete with photo review.

Carnation Famous Fudge Kit, A One Mom Review

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Call Me the Queen of Easy

Frozen brownies in a box. Really. Seriously. Really.

And I love this, instruction number two on the back begins with "Remove brownies from cardboard box . . ." Target markets?

1) Those high enough to actually eat the box along with the brownies;

2) Incredibly inexperienced bakers unaware that cardboard boxes do not fare well inside ovens; and

3) Sleep-deprived mommies like me likely to toss the entire thing in the oven before reading the directions.

Step five troubles me though, "Allow to cool for about 5 minutes." Are you kidding me? Five whole minutes? By then I will have already filled up on Pop Tarts and Twinkies.

Super Fudge

Creamy, chocolaty warmth all wrapped up in a holiday treat, fudge comes but once a year in our house, and it's never made by me. Until now, that is.

Carnation's Famous Fudge Kit has given me the pre-packaged courage to share in my mother's role as family fudge-maker. It comes complete with a can of evaporated milk, semi-sweet chocolate morsels, a bag of marshmallows, a bag of "sugar mix," and a pan/gift tray. The only thing not included is two tablespoons of butter. Illustrated instructions are printed on the back of the box.

I think I can handle it. I've got to get a domestic move on after all. My husband is downstairs baking brownies.

Tune in soon for a review of the fudge making experience, complete with pictures.

Easier Than Apple Pie: Easy Apple Cinnamon Bake Recipe

The beginning of school and football always put me in an autumn frame of mind, ready for fall foliage and apple pie, regardless of the temperature outside. If it is still too hot where you live to get excited about firing up the oven, this Easy Apple Cinnamon Bake recipe offers a simple solution. It takes less than ten minutes start to finish and fills the house with a wonderful aroma.

Ingredients:

1 large apple (Red Delicious or Fuji are ideal)
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon sugar
1 dash nutmeg (Remember nutmeg comes from the same plant as mace. It can be overpowering, so proceed with caution. Omit if serving to small children.)

Directions:

Slice apple into quarters, peel, and slice again into 1/4 inch or smaller slices. Place in microwaveable soup or cereal bowl. Mix in 1 Tablespoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon sugar, and dash of nutmeg until apple slices are evenly coated. Cook in microwave on high for approximately 3 minutes.

Hints:

A little apple juice may be added prior to cooking, if you prefer softer, sweeter baked apples. For a more rustic result, and quicker prep, bake with apple peel on.

Mombot Monday -- Trader Joe's, The Magnificent Market

If you like healthy food, or low-calorie food, or gourmet food, or great bargains, you'll probably like Trader Joe's. Trader Joe's is the modern girl's answer to the mega market money pit.

With the feel of a small local grocer, Trader Joe's offers top quality baked goods, organic products and even gourmet foods for incredible prices. Quality is kept high by testing every product, and prices are kept low by cutting out the middleman.

You won't find shelves filled with Del Monte or Cheerios, but you will find canned vegetables and Trader Joe's O's plus organic strawberries, ready-made salads, and gourmet cheeses for significantly less than you would pay at Albertsons or Whole Foods.

The selection is outstanding, different than today's typical mega market, but more than ample to fill your cupboards, fridge and pantry.

To learn more or find the Trader Joe's in your area, just click this link to visit www.TraderJoes.com.

Mombot Monday -- More Yum Yum for Your Money

These Gerber Graduates Mini Fruits (Banana Strawberry) are apparently like ambrosia to toddlers. The heavens open up, sunlight beams down, the birds sing and troubles cease to exist on the earthly plane when my girls are given this snack time favorite. The only problem is the little mathematician in my head cringes at their $2.99 price tag each time I pull them from the grocery store shelf. That is $2.99 for 1 ounce of freeze dried fruit. Which makes these little yum yums cost nearly $48.00 per pound. Yikes! What else costs $48.00 per pound? Maybe lobster? Really, really good lobster?

Thinking there must be a better way, I did a little research and found this on the Internet -- 100% Natural Cereal Toppers (Bananas & Strawberries). For significantly less money, it seems worth a try, so long as you order in sufficient quantities to balance the shipping cost.

*Graphic from CerealToppers.com web site.

Mombot Monday -- Mommy's Little Internet Secret -- One Step Ahead

I like things trendy and adore things classically stylish, but I love, love, love things practical. It is this love of things practical, greatly enhanced by becoming a twin mom, that led me to the discovery of the ultimate retailer of practical products for mommies and babies. One Step Ahead is the online place to go when you think, "Surely someone must have invented a ___(fill in the blank)___ for this by now."

A couple of weeks ago I was thinking there must be someone who sells wipes in a teeny tiny package rather than those ridiculously envelope-size "portable" wipe containers you see so many retailers peddling to moms. (I don't care what luxurious fabric you cover them in, they are still insanely oversize for carrying five or six wipes.)

Voila! This week my One Step Ahead catalog arrived featuring these:



I think I'm in love.

Of course that wasn't all to be found in the One Step Ahead treasure trove of practicality.

There is also this ultra large sun canopy which attaches to almost any stroller, a product I purchased last year and have enjoyed so much that I am considering buying another.

As if that isn't enough, there is also this:


The incredible insta-bib! Actually, they just call them bib clips, but imagine the convenience of never again having to tuck another dirty bib into your already overcrowded diaper bag. Just take it apart and throw the dirty part away. Yippee! While I haven't tried these yet, they are definitely on my short list of products to buy.

Another product I have tried is the Cozy Crib Tent. One of my girls has always been an incredible kicker, even before she was born. She was constantly kicking her leg through the crib slats and then getting stuck. Fearing she would seriously injure herself, I looked at many different solutions. The Cozy Crib Tent offered the perfect solution because it protected her from getting her limbs stuck between the crib slats and also prevented her from climbing out, leading to crib falls, when older. Additionally it allows excellent air flow and is transparent.

One Step Ahead offers many more products ranging from tub spout covers to a car seat that converts to a stroller for travel convenience. You can check them out yourself online at www.onestepahead.com.

(*I'm not receiving any sort of recompense for the glowing review above. I really just enjoy their products that much.)

Today's Double Feature -- Mom's Political Punditry and Mombot Monday

"Off-Ramp -- or Dead End?" from the February Issue of Harvard Business Review presents a case study of the choices professional women often face and offers excellent advice on managing the balancing act between career and family.

In the fictional scenario presented, Cheryl, a high-performing professional, is faced with the competing needs of her job and her daughter and finds herself at an apparent impasse. Advice from four different experts on how to approach the situation follows.

Overall, the advice comes down to one simple thing -- common sense. Essentially, present the solution rather than the problem. Demonstrate why your solution is better than the current situation for both the company and you.

My favorite piece of advice, the most realistic and straightforward, came from Evelyn Sevin, a partner in the Paris office of Egon Zehnder International, a global executive search firm:

My experience has taught me that while women should never feel guilty about asking for what they want, it's naive to think that employers can or should bend the rules for them. More and more companies are building flextime into their working arrangements, and this is to be commended; at the same time, global firms require that their senior women be able to travel, to work in different time zones, and to do what it takes to make the firm successful. Women can bring their own style to work, but the commitment of time and energy remains the same for every senior person, regardless of gender.

Additionally, "Off-Ramp -- or Dead End?" is excellent read in conjunction with "Discovering Your Authentic Leadership" in the same issue. The authors conclude that ". . . you do not have to be born with specific characteristics of a leader. Leadership emerges from your life story." The article goes on to explain that authentic leaders develop through learning from their life stories, knowing their authentic selves, practicing their values and principles, balancing their extrinsic and intrinsic motivations, building their support teams, integrating their lives by staying grounded, and empowering other people to lead.

Two articles worth reading especially because the advice offered is applicable to most aspects of life. Whether dealing with your boss, partner, toddler or grandmother, there are nuggets of insight and wisdom in these articles that will work for you.

Mombot Monday -- Keeping It Real, Not Ironing Sheets

My tip for the week? Let's be real. Despite the advice delivered on Oprah this past week, I do not iron my sheets twice a week. In fact, I doubt I will ever iron my sheets, because frankly, I would rather read a book, go for a walk, or volunteer at a homeless shelter. By comparison, ironing my sheets twice a week? Just seems like not such a high priority.

As parents, we constantly face the pressure of the clock. We are constantly prioritizing, then adapting and reprioritizing. There is always one more thing to be done that could make life better. Exercise more. Weed the flower beds. Cook meals from scratch. Grow a garden. Ironing sheets just doesn't appeal to me as adding that much to the greater good.

Maybe ironing sheets is your thing. Maybe it makes you totally happy. If so, more power to you, but if not, don't stress over it. In the grand scheme of things, tasks like ironing sheets and folding a fitted sheet into a perfect square don't have that much impact on life.

Here's my suggestion, each time you feel guilty about not ironing your sheets, or some other such thing, just think of the positive thing you did during the time you could have spent ironing sheets. For example, instead of ironing my sheets today, I walked to the park with my daughters.

I'll choose the walk to the park every time.

Mombot Monday -- Follow Up

As a follow up to last week's Mombot Monday article about online learning, the animated header above (imperfect as it is) is one I designed by learning from these helpful folks:

Jon Armstrong -- http://www.blurbomat.com/archives/2006/10/31/ (Photoshop tips from Dooce's husband)

Helpful Bloggers -- http://groups.google.com/group/blogger-help/search?q=header+photobucket&start=10&sa=N& (Blogger Help Group messages re implementing new headers)

Russell Brown -- http://www.russellbrown.com/ (Photoshop tips from an Adobe guru)

Janee -- http://www.myjanee.com/tuts/animation/animation.htm (Easy animation instructions)

If you would like more information, just leave me a comment and will be happy to post a more detailed explanation of the steps I followed.

The Mother Lode -- Thanks Cool Mom Picks

Cool Mom Picks sent me this great gob of goodies just for posting their Holiday Gift Guide button, the button I posted simply because they have truly great finds. I had no idea I could win prizes too. Bonus!

My fave from the whole bunch, the Skip*Hop Saddlebag in pink camo:



From the Skip*Hop website:

n. sad·dle·bag
1. One of a pair of pouches hanging across the back of a horse behind the saddle.
2. A pouch hanging from a saddle or over the rear wheel of a motorcycle or bicycle.
3. A stylin’ pouch from Skip Hop that attaches to the sides of nearly any stroller.

Check the cool karate pants from Beasty Baby. If only the "Cranky" pants came in my size . . .




I love this adorable lavender tee from Emotional Armor. Guess what. These come in mommy size.



From Mommytrackd, came these nifty eat sheets -- menu planner and grocery list all in one. Where have these been all my life?



Tired of picking up sippy cups off the sidewalk? Boy, am I. I can't wait to try this one. Drop Stop, from Atea Kids, is designed to prevent baby paraphernalia such sippy cups and teething rings from making their way to the ground.



Last, not least, this lovely lavender scented Head-to-Toe Baby Wash from Bug & Pickle, is a treat for the whole family. The scent is soft enough for baby, masculine enough for dad and fresh enough for mom.



Thanks Cool Mom Picks!

Mombot Monday -- No Thanks to $9 Dish Soap

I love Restoration Hardware. Their products are classically designed, and comparatively speaking, not terribly expensive.

When I received their Early Spring 2007 catalog recently, I enjoyed a quick fantasy run through it. Although I found lots to love, I just couldn't help but find the humor in the $42 soap and lotion "3-Piece Caddy" seen here:



A bit pricey for three plastic bottles of dish soap, hand soap and lotion, don't you think? While I don't mind paying Restoration Hardware prices for the quality they offer in more significant items such as sofas or bed linens, I just can't see paying $16 for Restoration Hardware Dryer Sheets or $9 for Restoration Hardware scented dish soap. I mean, do I really need my dishes to be scented? No, I think not.



But I do love the look of the simple little soap and lotion caddy pictured above. Here's my solution and tip of the week. Peruse the catalogs of the places you love and learn which less expensive stores imitate their style. You can invest in quality for significant items like artwork and furniture and save a little on things that are less noticeable, such as dish soap and dryer sheets.

I found a similar soap and lotion caddy at World Market for $15. Granted it has a slightly different look, but for a price difference of nearly $30, that's a sacrifice I'm willing to make.



World Market and Pier 1 Imports often carry goods very similar to current offerings of Restoration Hardware. Their prices are lower, and you can find some great deals on sale.

Mombot Monday -- They Can Sense Weakness, You Know

It's true. Little children can sense weakness and smell fear too. Should you experience injury of any kind, do not show weakness. I repeat do not show weakness.

Upon returning home from my doctor's appointment with this lovely new accoutrement upon my foot, my darling baby girl with curly hair and big brown eyes and long eyelashes, took one look at me and knew I was easy prey.

She decided to test me by going for the cabinet door. When I told her "No, come here," she stared me in the eye, looked down at my injured foot, and then back up at me and told me "No."

When I took a step toward her, she prepared to run. She reminded me of a lioness stalking an injured gazelle. She knew instinctively that I was at a disadvantage.

She began to run.

And here is where I made my mistake. I showed weakness . . . and fear. I hobbled around my kitchen like a 1970's Weeble. I wobbled round and round, afraid I would fall down.

We circled the kitchen island at least twice before I realized this was going nowhere. I would have to pick up the pace. Once I caught her, she realized Mommy was still functional and the issue was resolved.

Mombot Monday -- When Specials Are Not Special

It's on special!

The special at a local grocery store this week was to sell my favorite brand of laundry detergent for 2 for $9 rather than 1 for $3.99.



Mombot tip of the week: Beware of the special. Just because the flyer says it is special does not mean it is. For example, I fell for this ad because it said 63 oz. to 100 oz. sizes were on special for 2 for $9. I assumed that must mean that the 100 oz. was on special for 2 for $9 because I knew the smaller size was regularly priced at $3.99. Oh yes, we all know what happens when we assume. So, I wasted my time.

Another time saver bonus tip, I try to make a mental note of which stores use this type of advertising frequently and avoid them all together. Although I noticed today, there are times when I might not.

Mombot Monday -- Quick Tip

Having two precious baby girls who spent a brief little stint in NICU, I quickly learned two things: 1) keeping baby's things clean is important, 2) time is always in short supply. I like to clean fabric books and dolls every week or two, but if I waited until I had time to wash them each by hand or "spot clean" as many of them recommend, they would be relegated to the Island of Lost Toys.

My solution? Mommy's little lingerie bag doubles as baby's toy washing bag. That great little zippered mesh bag that keeps delicate apparel safe on the gentle cycle so you don't have to hand wash (Yeah, right. Hand wash. Ha ha.) makes washing baby's fabric toys simple. Toss them in, zip up the bag and wash on gentle with a small load of delicates.

*A couple of disclaimers: Not every toy can withstand this treatment, so choose wisely, don't overcrowd the bag, use gentle detergent and no fabric softener, and be sure to examine toys closely for any tears before returning them to the play circuit.