Do your kids like zucchini?

I mean your preschool age kids? Mine have always been fabulous eaters but I think there is a point that even adventurous eaters become picky about green stuff.  So I know this idea about hiding good ole veggies in kids' meals is nothing new, but I wanted to show you just how easy it is.  At our house Mac n Cheese is always a hit (and kind of a staple). But it's far from a complete meal, so I add veggies,  but in a way that there is no getting around them.  They can't pick these shredded greens out and put them on their chair, or under their bowl, because they are tiny and they don't even notice them.  So I've done this with carrots and zucchini, and even mixed a ripe avocado into the cheese and milk mixture before.  Here it is with zucchini.
I use one small zucchini per box.

And while the water is boiling I use my food processor with the shredder attachment to grate the zucchini quickly.

Then I add the pasta to the water, and just before it is done (about 2 minutes before straining) I add the shredded veggies right on top of the pasta. Don't even mix them in, just let them sit on top. 

Then I strain and return to the pan (scrape the strainer for precious veggies that have fallen behind) add the sauce mixture like the box says, and VOILA!  (I added cubed avocado because they love it)

I know boiling veggies is not the best way, but it's better than no veggies at all!
Since I loathe getting out my Cuisinart and cleaning it, I usually shred a bunch at once to keep in the fridge and use throughout the week, in baked breads, quesadillas, eggs and of course more mac n cheese!

Here are my kiddos sick as dogs today, whining about everything, but not about dinner. They love it!

Play Date

Today we hosted our neighborhood playdate.  It was raining so we all stayed inside and played with play dough and did crafts, well Ellie did crafts with Izzy. But the majority of playgroup was boys today and they weren't all that interested in our "baby" toys. So I turned on some cartoons and that's what they did? How do you get boys to play? Axl is the same way, unless he is riding something outside or in, he just doesn't know what to do with himself. Next time I think I'll have some games for the boys, like tossing a bean bag or something like that.
Still no pictures, I can't figure out how to get them off my I phone and that's all I use nowadays.  I'm constantly posting pictures of our day onto instagram if you are on there find me; my username is dekellis.
I do want to catch up on my milestones and memories:
Axl is saying some two word phrases. His words are hard to make out, but he uses them repeatedly so I know what he is saying even though nobody else does.  But we notice that he understands everything we say and can point out everything on the page when asked to identify parts of a story.
Stella on the other hand usually doesn't say less than 15 word paragraphs! She is an accomplished talker and says any word she hears. Most people can understand what she is saying, when she isn't rambling on and on!
Ellie cut her own hair a few weeks ago.  I cried.  But honestly it turned out pretty cute and she gets tons of compliments on it (probably probing to learn why I would cut my daughters hair so short).  I think she learned a big big lesson on what scissors are used for, but we'll see.
I said before that Scott is working a ton, and that is because we are starting a new business...again.  I dug my feet in the ground and protested all the way but life sometimes takes you in a new direction and you just have to buckle up and take the ride! Scott learned so much in our last business that he feels this time around won't be so consuming, and he thinks he finally knows when to turn off the business man and turn on the family man....  I am always preaching to him that we need to work to live not live to work!  Opposites attract and that is true as far as our work ethic is concerned. 
At least our new business has it's roots in fun, we are going to be promoting 5k obstacle races, called "mud runs".  Have you done one? or have a friend who has? They are getting popular and I think everyone would enjoy it.  You don't have to be super fit, but you can be, and they are a great activity to do with a group of friends.  Here is our website. Check it out and tell me what you think.

Open mouth, insert feet!

I just read my last post and I can't believe how naive I was about getting a puppy.  If you have toddlers at home and are thinking about getting a puppy, don't do it! Mitt-Z is now 5 months old and it has been the toughest most chaotic 3 months since we picked her up.  Actually it was all sweet and Innocent puppy breath kisses those first 2 weeks... and then she started teething, jumping, chasing, biting, peeing/pooping all over the house, and not minding what so ever.  As my mom put it when she was watching the kids one day for us, it's hard enough trying to corral our 3 kids but when you add Mitt-z, it's just impossible.  We were trying very hard to train Mitt-z from the beginning but our 3 rambunctious kids were training her much faster in the ways of the wild west! I honestly at one point was ready to find her a nice loving home with parents who could spend every waking moment training her. 
The worst part of the situation was how she treats Pawco.  It is our worst fear that he would feel replaced, or forgotten, or second string, but I never thought about how she might torment him with her constant barking in his face. She bites at his neck and his ankles when he is trying to go potty, she chases him and pounces on his back when he is just trying to walk.  He is already unsteady because of his old hips and she is always making him lose his balance.  I think his health has even declined since we got her. 
Scott and I both know now that we made a mistake in getting a puppy.  To make matters worse we are starting a new business and Scott has less time than ever to spend training her.  So, at our witt's end I called around and found a dog trainer who would board Mitt-z for 2 weeks while training her everyday.  Would you believe that this trainer would take Mitt-z to her puppy classes as a mentor for the other puppies! Ha!
Two very Serene, quiet, easy weeks later we reluctantly got Mitt-z back, and we have been very pleased with the better more calm and collected version we have now.  The trainer assured me that Mitt-z was not retarded, in fact she is very smart and extremely dominant in nature (hence her behavior toward Pawco).
So now Mitt-z sleeps in a crate at night and when we can't be with her, and mostly stays on a leash in the house. She is showing improvement and I am more realistic about what to expect from her.  I hope one day she is a loving faithful companion to our children, and not looking at them like they are a ball to be chased and taken down and nibbled on!
So the other foot I stuck in my mouth was about us being "healthier than most families", hahahaha! I jinxed us big time! I can say that we ran out of our juice plus chewies for about a month, but I'm not sure that was the entire problem.  I joined a new gym in November and literelly since November we have had one cold after the other.  No joke, it has been the sickest winter for us ever!  Poor Axl always gets it the worst, but the girls still get it but they are able to fight it off quicker.  We have had fevers, snotty noses, throwing up, sore throats, and coughs, oh that cough! I have the cough right now! It is the worst. I can't tell you how many playdates and parties we have missed out on.  I can't wait to get better and stay better, soon I hope. 
Now I am stuck with the decision to cancel our gym membership. I love working out, but I hate getting sick. What would you do? Just stick with it and hope they build immunities or stop going and get chubby!
Anywho, I miss blogging but can never find the time, especially since I started sewing.  I have never loved a hobby as much as sewing, I am always thinking about a new project and sneaking off to my machine while the kids mess up the entire house. 
Until next time...

Juice Plus and little Mittzi

I started taking Juice Plus almost a year ago because I had heard and seen the benefits after my grandma had a doctor recommend that she take it for overall health and to combat her symptoms of dementia.  Because my mom and my grandma take it too I became a distributor. I've never started anyone else on it yet but I do like to spread the news about all the benefits. So I thought I'd put a link to my davisfamilychewsjuiceplus.com website here where you can look at all the studies that back the brand. Plus in the top right hand corner there is a link to a great video from a Lifetime morning show where Juice Plus was featured for supporting children's healthy eating habits.  They are not called a multivitamin because they really do so much more, they are called "real food nutrition" because they actually condensing the nutrients from all the foods you should be consuming daily but don't have the time or palette for into a concentrated capsule or chewie.  My kids all eat the chewies and love them.  We all really have been more healthy since we started them and I feel comforted knowing that even when Axl doesnt finish the greens on his plate at least he got all the same vitamins,minerals,  antioxidants and phytonutrients (enough for more than 7 servings of vegies) from his garden blend juice plus chewie.  Our immunities to common colds are the obvious difference that I've seen, just less sickness than the average family.  I can get you a sample of the chewies if you are interested or you can try them if you're ever over at our house. 

We got a new puppy this week! Ever since Nina died 3 years ago in August we have been shy to talk about getting a new dog.  Nina was the best dog, she is Pawco's mama and she was Scott's best friend and my companion.  She would lick my tears when I cried and while I breastfed Ellie she would sit guard by my side and keep visitors from coming too close.  She taught Pawco how to be gentle with Ellie and she showed him how to behave in our family.  He was so lucky to always have his mama by his side and was visibly depressed when she passed.  Because she was such a big part of our family we didn't want to replace her in any way so we waited.  But now that Pawco is well into old age (he is almost 12 and 10 is a long life for a boxer) we wanted to get a new family dog that can be our protector and our friend for the next 10 years.  And we want Pawco to show her the ropes. The breeder we found is awesome, she is extremely into her breed and she shows 3 boxers of her own.  She never breeds a boxer who has a genetic deficiency and the Dam and Sire are her own.  We decided to get a girl so that a few years down the road she can have a litter and we can bring another boxer into our family.  Boxers are great family dogs, they are people dogs, they have a ton of energy and need to be exercised daily. I feel like I'm going through new motherhood again with the nighttime whining and potty trips and all the work that proper training takes.  Wish us luck as our family has grown again!  Here is Mittzi (she is named partly after her four mitted paws and partly for my best friend Jordan's grandma who's name has always been a favorite of mine).

Mom's comment

I just read the earlier post comment from my mom and want to respond but thought I'd just as well make a new post.
Thanks mom, that was a sweet thing that I think we both wish for. We can only believe that he is seeing it all! But I really feel that I am keeping his memory alive for them, I know that through them I have become so much more in touch with my own loss and what it did to me. I'm so happy that we have you in our lives, and I couldn't ask for a better relationship for them with their grandmother. I love to see their happiness and excitement for every moment they spend with you. And that is true for Nani too, and grandma Rita. They love all their grandma's!


Please take care of yourself mom, Stella, Axl, and Ellie love you so.
 
 
 
Also, So much has changed and I haven't been keeping track : (  Here is a tidbit:
Stella is talking in long sentences her favorite thing to say now is "you're chubby", I don't think she knows exactly what she's saying, she probably thinks it's endearing since she hears it from us just before we kiss her belly or pinch her butt cheeks!!
I overheard Ellie calling to Axl when he wasn't listening to her directions when building a fort "Axl Micole!" It's the funniest thing because I use middle names when they are in trouble and Ellie uses Stell'as middle name for both Axl and Stella but she says M for N.
Axl can ride a razor scooter! I mean really ride it, he pushes around with one foot and is even starting to take his pushing foot off the ground and try to balance for a few seconds. I just think he's so coordinated! 

Wow, I have followers!

It makes me feel very special that I have followers of my blog, I honestly wasn't sure anyone was reading this except my mom (when I tell her to) and the occasional commenter!  Thank you for taking an interest in us, I know it's because my kids are cute and for my witty humor! Ha! 
Here are some pictures from Disneyland that I already posted on Facebook because it's so easy to post them straight to there.  But for those of you like Krista and Karen who don't FB, I thought you deserve to see proof that we visited the happiest place on earth and had the best time!

Honey Bears

These are like little balls of energy....My mom used to make these with me as a little girl, I still remember how fun it was.  She also used this recipe in her Kindergarten classroom and the class would do the measuring together as a lesson and then each kid would get to form their own balls and make a teddy bear.  When I make them now I just form small balls that are easy for kids to eat.  Kids love this snack but until recently I didn't notice how good it is for you.  I love that my own recipe is hand written in my brother's pre-teen handwriting (I remember when he rewrote his favorite recipes for my mom and gave her a cookbook for her birthday, somehow I ended up with the book) Makes me smile!


Here is the recipe along with illustration:

1/2 Cup Wheat Germ
1 Cup Powdered Milk
1/2 Cup Chunky or Smooth Peanut Butter
1/2 Cup Honey
1 tsp Vanilla

Hint (Wheat Germ is kind of pricey but if you keep it in the fridge and mind the expiration date you can get a few batches out of each can).



Mix together all ingredients, measure dry first then the sticky ones!

Scoop out even amounts of dough into your hands (I like to use a small cookie dough scoop)

Roll balls between your palms until smooth and not crumbly

Drop onto cookie sheet or in mini muffin tin so that they don't touch

                    Ellie uses the mini muffin tin and likes to make "teeny tiny ones for little mice"!

Freeze the Honey Bears for just 30 minutes or for as long as it takes you to eat them....usually just one day in our house!

Enjoy as an energizing snack with a glass of milk

So I did these pictures a few days ago, and couldn't wait to post this recipe so you could enjoy it too.  But then this morning I woke up to the bestest surprise from Scott.  He had our itinerary for Disneyland layed out on my bathroom counter! We are leaving later today and my mom gets to go too! OMG, I still can't believe it! Ofcourse I'll take lots of pictures and that will probably be my next post! YAY!  Oh yeah, we aren't telling Ellie till we get to the airport tonight, she tells us each day that we need to get back to Disneyland again, and today her dreams will come true! Wish us luck with the whole fam on a plane!

Here's one of me and my honey bear this morning!