I have a 4 1/2 year old son. Or at least I think I do. I can't tell anymore because some days I swear he's 14 years old. And still other days, he acts like he's 40 years old.
Lately, well more like for the past 2 months, Lil T has taken a liking to calling me "Mom". Not "mommie", not "mama", but "Mom". Maybe it's me, but I cringe at being called "mom". Little four year olds are not supposed to call you "mom". It should be "mommie". Seriously. Mommies are young, cute and full of fun. Moms are old, boring, and...old. Ugh, the little hairs on the back of my neck stand up every time he calls me "mom".
"Don't call me that please. It's mommie" I would say.
"Okay. Mom!" he would reply with his sarcastic hee-hee-hee laugh.
ARGHHHHH!!! I know. You think I'm nuts. A bit crazy, maybe. But let me try to explain.
Little kids (they're tiny and cute and adorable) should be calling you "Mommie". It just sounds gentler. A soft, warm and endearing sound to your ears...Mom-mie. It brings with it a sense of innocence. You picture a mother who's vibrant and young and lovely. I know, you think I'm nuts.
Kids can start calling their mothers "Mom" when they're older. Mom...it's not as sweet sounding anymore. There's no longer that sense of innocence. You picture a more authoritative figure, a woman who's a bit *gulp* older. When you hear "Muh-om" being called, you see a twelve or thirteen year old pleading whiningly to his mother to let him hang out with his buddies a bit longer. Or a teenager wanting to borrow the car. "Please mom, puh-leeeze can I go to the mall with so-and-so?" That's a mom. And yea okay, it's an age thing to me. I admit it. I guess I perceive "mommie" to a younger mother and "mom" to an older mother. Just my perception, not calling any moms old. Yikes, heaven forbid.
So to hear my 4 1/2 year old call me "mom", it just sounds so out of the ordinary. It's too weird. But I know he does it on purpose because he knows it irks me so much. And his best line yet? "Hi mom. Love you, mom." Anytime I tell him to do something he doesn't want to, he responds with..."ohhh-kay MOM". And I'll give him the evil eye, and he quickly replies with, "Love you, MOM!" Argghhhhhhh!!!!!
Friday, January 27, 2012
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Gong Hay Fat Choy!
Gong Hay Fat Choy!!!
May the year of the dragon bring you good health, much happiness, and plenty of wealth and prosperity!!!
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Winter's here...and soup's on!
Winter is finally here. This week, we've seen the temperature drop to a low 14 degrees. And this is during the day. Brrrrrr!!!! And last night, we even got some snow. But I guess this should be the norm for this time of year. That's okay. I don't mind a couple of days of frigid temperature. That's a couple of days, Mother Nature. Not months please! At least it gives me a chance to sport my Uggs, lol.
And...it's the perfect temperature to have SOUP! I love soup! Especially hearty, chunky soups. Give me my sweats, my fuzzy slippers, a big hot pot of soup and a loaf of crispy, warm baguette and I'm ALL set.
This coming Friday, I'll be going to a soup swap. What's a soup swap? Well, everyone brings 5 quarts of soup (frozen) and the soup recipe and get together and...you guessed it...swap soup. So you bring your 5 quarts and you leave with 5 quarts of different soups. And lots of written recipes. It's fun and a great way to try different types of soups. Much like a cookie swap, only a bit more healthier. So for the swap, I made my Tuscan White Bean, Sausage and Kale Soup. It's hearty! It's filling! And it's super yummie! I should know, I just had 2 big bowls of it. It's kinda like a Zuppa Toscana, but without the cream. I use sweet Italian sausage, but you can use a spicy sausage or add red pepper flakes to the soup, if you like it spicy. But because Lil T loves this soup as well, I opted to leave out the spice. If you want to make it even healthier, you can substitute the Italian sausage for Italian turkey sausage. This recipe makes a big pot of soup, enough to serve 8 - 10 people. So if you're like us, you might have lots of leftovers. But don't worry, this soup freezes very well and the leftovers are even tastier.
So enough chit chat. Head to the supermarket for the ingredients and LET'S MAKE SOME SOUP!
Tuscan White Bean, Sausage and Kale Soup
- 1 pound Italian sausage, removed from casing
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into bite sized pieces
- 2 ribs celery, diced
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 2 medium potatoes, cut into bite sized pieces
- 8 cups of fat-free chicken broth
- 1 cup water
- 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes in juice
- 2 cans cannelini beans, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 small bunch of kale, trimmed from stems and coarsely chopped
- 2 tablespoons of fresh, chopped parsley (optional)
- salt and pepper to taste
In a large soup pot, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Saute the sausage, breaking it up into small pieces until no longer pink, about 3 -4 minutes.
Add the onion, garlic, celery, carrots, potatoes, thyme, and bay leaves. Saute until soften, about 4 -5 minutes.
Add the chicken broth, water, diced tomatoes, and beans. Bring to a boil. Lower heat to simmer for 35 - 40 minutes, until the vegetables are soft. The longer you let simmer, the more flavorful it will be.
Add kale and simmer for another 10 minutes. Add chopped parsley, if using. Remove from heat and serve. Best served with a big hunk of warm, crispy baguette.
And...it's the perfect temperature to have SOUP! I love soup! Especially hearty, chunky soups. Give me my sweats, my fuzzy slippers, a big hot pot of soup and a loaf of crispy, warm baguette and I'm ALL set.
This coming Friday, I'll be going to a soup swap. What's a soup swap? Well, everyone brings 5 quarts of soup (frozen) and the soup recipe and get together and...you guessed it...swap soup. So you bring your 5 quarts and you leave with 5 quarts of different soups. And lots of written recipes. It's fun and a great way to try different types of soups. Much like a cookie swap, only a bit more healthier. So for the swap, I made my Tuscan White Bean, Sausage and Kale Soup. It's hearty! It's filling! And it's super yummie! I should know, I just had 2 big bowls of it. It's kinda like a Zuppa Toscana, but without the cream. I use sweet Italian sausage, but you can use a spicy sausage or add red pepper flakes to the soup, if you like it spicy. But because Lil T loves this soup as well, I opted to leave out the spice. If you want to make it even healthier, you can substitute the Italian sausage for Italian turkey sausage. This recipe makes a big pot of soup, enough to serve 8 - 10 people. So if you're like us, you might have lots of leftovers. But don't worry, this soup freezes very well and the leftovers are even tastier.
So enough chit chat. Head to the supermarket for the ingredients and LET'S MAKE SOME SOUP!
Tuscan White Bean, Sausage and Kale Soup
- 1 pound Italian sausage, removed from casing
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into bite sized pieces
- 2 ribs celery, diced
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 2 medium potatoes, cut into bite sized pieces
- 8 cups of fat-free chicken broth
- 1 cup water
- 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes in juice
- 2 cans cannelini beans, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 small bunch of kale, trimmed from stems and coarsely chopped
- 2 tablespoons of fresh, chopped parsley (optional)
- salt and pepper to taste
In a large soup pot, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Saute the sausage, breaking it up into small pieces until no longer pink, about 3 -4 minutes.
Add the onion, garlic, celery, carrots, potatoes, thyme, and bay leaves. Saute until soften, about 4 -5 minutes.
Add the chicken broth, water, diced tomatoes, and beans. Bring to a boil. Lower heat to simmer for 35 - 40 minutes, until the vegetables are soft. The longer you let simmer, the more flavorful it will be.
Add kale and simmer for another 10 minutes. Add chopped parsley, if using. Remove from heat and serve. Best served with a big hunk of warm, crispy baguette.
Friday, January 13, 2012
Numbers Tell All
Wow, I can't believe it's already mid-January! I'm not sure where the days have gone, but somehow they've managed to sneak by me. It's been a very hectic and busy 2 months. Here's a bit of a recap (by numbers) of the last 2 months:
63: Days since I last blogged. Talk about LAZY!
15: Pounds lost since I started watching my diet a year ago. Goal was 10, but actually lost 15. WOOT..WOOT!!!
11: Dozen cookies baked in one day for Christmas.
2: Dozens of said cookies, I scoffed down myself.
1: Kindle Fire that my wonderful hubby got me for Christmas.
2: Skateboards in the house (Christmas gifts for Papa in Suburbia and Lil T).
1: Knee injury from said skateboard (Papa in Suburbia).
100: Times over the course of 2 months that Lil T has purposely annoyed me by calling me "Mom" instead of "Mommie")
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