Mama Sharon Says...

Maple Glazed Pork Chops (crockpot recipe)

2011-10-18T09:00:00.001-07:00

This is an original recipe I created back in my mid-20's when I discovered Grade B Maple syrup at Trader Joes and is one of my favorite Autumn meals. While I have changed it here and there like most times I use Apple Cider instead of the Mango Peach juice I used today. Sometimes I use rice wine vinegar or champagne vinegar. It just depends what I have on hand at the moment.

Grade B maple is wonderful for cooking because it's deeper and more rich in flavor then Grade A. It's also thicker in texture. If you cannot get Grade B syrup just use the regular Grade A but use only 1 Tablespoon of vinegar. Today I used a real good Grade A Medium Amber Maple syrup and still used the 2 T. of vinegar.

The end result is tender flavorful pork chops that will fill your home with the smell of autumn.

5-6 Chops about 1/2" thick (I use bone in because I think they are more tender but you can use center loin if you want)
1/2 Cup Apple Cider or Mango Peach juice without added sugar
1/4 Cup Maple Syrup
2 Tbsp. Red Wine Vinegar
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce
Allspice (just a pinch)
Salt (just a pinch)
2 Tblsp. Unsalted Butter
Spray Oil
In a small saucepan add Juice, Maple Syrup, Vinegar, Worcestershire, Allspice and Salt. Cook over low heat to reduce until it's more like a glaze. You'll see it getting darker and thicker. Turn off heat and set aside.

Season Pork Chops with Salt on both sides. If you use salted butter do not season the chops. Melt butter in large pan and brown the pork chops on both sides.

Spray large crockpot with oil and add chops. Pour glaze over chops being sure to coat both sides of each.

Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours.

Great served over brown or white rice. Also good sides are mashed potatoes, roasted acorn squash, mashed sweet potatoes or cinnamon apples.

Food trucks, food trucks everywhere!

2011-10-12T10:08:00.000-07:00

Oh yes, once again I turn to my blog after much time away. I've had this blog for many years, since 2006 and I really should use it more but really, is life that interesting? Is my life so interesting that I need to write all about it? Usually the answer is a solid NO! However, I have something to get out today and I think as long as time permits, I will write about this more as time goes on.

Ahhhh, the Great Gourmet Food Truck trend. In the Inland Empire where I currently reside near we cannot have these wonderful meals on wheels frequent the area. This lame county of San Bernardino has something against them and won't let them do business here. So twice a year they have about 50 trucks now meet in an arena in Ontario and charge a fee to get in on top of the fee for the food you buy. Not worth it. Not at all.

Two weeks ago my sweetie I dropped off my son at his dad's in Orange County. Since the OC is the mecca of so many amazing food trucks, including The Lime Truck which was the recent winner of The Great Food Truck Race on the Food Network, we decided to hit Twitter and find some good eats.

We bounced back and forth between a meet-up in Fullerton and another in Santa Fe Springs. We chose SFS simply because both The Lime Truck was there as well as the Grill 'Em All truck which was the winner of season 1 of The Great Food Truck Race. I have to admit, it was a good choice.

When we arrived at the location there were about 12 trucks. The Cuban truck from the most recent Food Truck Race was there as well but we didn't try it. To be honest, I forgot about them and realized what truck that was way later in the night after I was home already.

The lines of course were quite long. I went in the line for the Lime truck and Duane waited for Grill 'em all. I ordered an amazing lamb sandwich and also ceviche. The ceviche won them one of the challenges on the show so that was a must to try. Duane and I shared them while still in line for the Grill Em truck which opened quite a bit later then the other trucks. The lamb was amazing. It was made with ground lamb so it was more like a flattened burger placed in a very soft and fresh pita. It has taziki with fresh crisp toppings and sriracha as well. The ceviche was so good it converted Duane into liking crab, shrimp and scallops! It was perfectly marinated with lime and seasonings and served with fresh tortilla chips. We washed that down with a White Peach Limeaide that was good but if the name of the drink has white peach in it, then it would have been nice to actually taste some peach. All I tasted was lime. But it was still good and very refreshing.

So finally we made it to the Grill Em window to order and we decided on the Waste ‘Em all burger which included a 7 oz. burger with green chilies, pepper jack and beer soaked onion. We also had a side of fries with chipolte ketchup. The burger was good and very fresh. The onions were the best part. The fries were...fries. And the chipolte ketchup was ok, mine is better. So while finishing off the burger we got in line for dessert. You didn't think we would skip dessert did you? We chose the Chunk 'n' Chip truck which had a variety of homemade ice creams and fresh and hot baked cookies. I chose german chocolate ice cream in between 2 chocolate chocolate chip cookies. Duane chose vanilla bean ice cream on top of crushed cookies which were also the chocolate chocolate chip. NOW THAT WAS GOOD!

I wanted so bad to check out the seafood trucks but no way, not in this trip. I was full and frankly, out of money. The trucks we went to averaged from $3 to $10 per item. The food was indeed gourmet and very fresh. This is a great trend for those looking for a good meal at a reasonable price. It's fun too. Makes for a great sneak a date night.

Maybe next time we will check out the meet-up in Fullerton. I really want to track down the Lobsta truck and Barcelona on the Go. Yum!

The Wiggles Los Angeles 2010 - They never fail to please!

2010-08-03T22:54:00.000-07:00

For some people taking their child to see a children's entertainment group is something they do because they want to give their child a glimpse of fun and happiness but they themselves will say to their friends about how much they cannot wait until the show is over. After all, it's not like going to rock concert or a show they themselves would rather be at, right? Well perhaps but I can tell you that is absolutely not the case with going to a Wiggles show.

OK, maybe for parents of a new wiggler but I guarantee once the show begins and by the time it ends, parents will be talking about the show as if they just left their favorite rock performer. I know this because once upon a time, say 6 years ago I was that same parent.

The 1st Wiggles show I took my son to was in Long Beach, CA and I got the cheapest seats I could buy. Not only that, it was a last minute thought. I saw a commercial on TV and thought about how much fun for my son it would be to see them live. After all, we loved the shows back then on Playhouse Disney. Once the show ended I remember trying to see if I could afford tickets to the San Diego show which was to be the next day and then also Los Angeles which was that weekend.

Nothing has changed except my son is 8, almost 9 now and doesn't watch the shows that are now on Sprout but he never wants to miss a live show. Why is that? Because simply put, The Wiggles rock!

This year was amazing as always but different. My tickets were located in the Orchestra section which at the venue I was at is the section right above the floor seats. Long ago these and the floor seats were called "Hot Potato" seats and would have some kind of a Wiggly treat waiting for you. This year was no different. There was a cardboard activity sheet on every seat in my section. On the floor seats they had the same thing as well as a Wiggly Guitar cutout that was quite large in size. Large enough that a child could certainly make believe they're playing their guitar with Murray.

They added acrobatics into the show as of last year and that continued as a main theme this year. The theme and name of the show was Wiggly Circus although it wasn't very circus-like. They had "Ringo the Ring Master" as they did in the movie that was in the theatres not too long ago. (if you missed it I'm not surprised. The movie wasn't advertised very well. It was from a live show they did in Australia) They certainly don't have as many dancers on tour with them anymore. The large extravagant sets are gone and a simple stage is what you see. The jumbo video screens are gone too. It's very much back to basics like when I first saw them in Long Beach. But seriously it doesn't matter! Sets, schmets. They give the audience a full show leaving you totally entertained and smiling.

They visited many older songs like rock-a-bye your bear, fruit salad, the monkey dance, Here Comes a Bear, Captain Feathersword Fell Asleep On His Pirate Ship (Quack, Quack), Hot Potato and more. They also went into the audience quite a bit. For those that have never been to a Wiggles show you must know that they collect roses the children bring for Dorothy during the show. There is always at least 2 of the Wiggles along with a few Wiggly Dancers depending on the size of the venue that go into the audience to do this. It's always exciting seeing your favorite dancer or a Wiggle come to you and get your roses and of course if you brought one, a bone for Wags the Dog. Well this year, ALL FOUR WIGGLES collected roses and we were fortunate enough to have Anthony collect ours. He very graciously took a picture with my son and his friend. My son is the older one. It made their day!

After the show we stopped to talk to one of the main sound guys. I believe his name was Arnie. He was very nice and answered my question about Miki Field, Anthony's wife. Miki is listed as an entertainer in the program but I didn't see her on stage. For those of you with enquiring minds, it turns out Miki was not there after all. She was indeed on the UK leg of the tour and she will probably come back to "visit" during the latter part of the tour but she is taking care of the children back in Australia at this time. Also some info we received was about Alex. Alex used to be the main sound guy and we would always say hello to him as well. I know what you're thinking and we are not crazy, we actually have a reason for talking to these people and I will get to that in a minute. Anyway Alex is now working at Hot Potato Studios in Oz. He works with various bands that record there as well as the productions of The Wiggles. Last year Alex left the tour early as his second child was arriving. Now for the explanation of why we go to the sound booth after the show. A while back an amazing woman from Texas who will remain nameless for this blog post started collecting the bones that people would bring for Wags and then donate them to the local animal shelters. She soon organized people from all over the world to do this and I'll tell you, it's an amazing effort. So at the end of the show we go to the sound booth and collect the bones. For more information about collecting bones in your area please leave me a comment and I will put you in touch with someone who can help you organize that.

Well another year down and does my son want to go again next year when he's 9 going on 10? Crazy enough, YES! He really has a great time and until he says no, well this Wiggly mom is going to happily say yes and get ready to Wiggle!

Thank you US Family Guide for giving me the tickets to the show and allowing me to post my link to your site. If you are interested in reviewing a show and/or submitting your family friendly blog, go to http://www.usfamilyguide.com/.

Easiest and BEST pot roast recipe EVER!

2010-06-23T10:40:00.000-07:00

It's been such a long time since I posted to this blog but I am back! I'm going to start updating it more and hopefully I have at least one of my readers still. (right dad?)

So I work from home now so I have time to actually slow roast. This is good because I can purchase lower priced meats and braise them long enough that they taste amazing.

Well, I have a pot roast recipe for you that I have recently fell in love with. Jonathan, who is now 8 doesn't like the traditional way I made this roast but he'll eat it this way!

What you'll need:

2 pounds of boneless chuck roast
2 Tablespoons Oil
1 Tablespoon unsalted Butter
1 onion, sliced
2 cloves of garlic, smashed
1 bottle of red wine
2 cups of Vegetable Stock
2 cups of Beef Stock

What you'll do:

I use a Dutch Oven but you can use any heavy bottom pot as long as it can go from stove top to oven.

Pre-heat oven to 350
Heat oil and butter
Sear Roast on all sides
Set Roast aside
Add Onion and garlic and let cook for about a minute
Add the ENTIRE bottle of wine
Reduce until you have about a cup of wine in the pot
Add your roast back in pot
Add the stock
Cover
Place in oven and cook for about 3 hours
Take out and enjoy!

I serve this with mashed potatoes. The texture of the mashed potatoes and the richness of the meat go so well together.

Easiest Meatballs Ever!

2009-08-20T08:53:00.000-07:00

There are only so many hours in a day so of course whenever I can take a shortcut and still make a great and inexpensive meal I am a happy person! So here is my recipe for the easiest and a great tasting spaghetti and meatballs using one of my favorite kitchen appliances, the slow cooker.

For this I use the meatloaf meat from the butcher department in my grocery store. The reason is shortcut, shortcut, shortcut! It's already well seasoned and makes for great meatballs.

Ingredients:

2 lbs. Meatloaf (raw of course)

1 egg

Italian breadcrumbs

1 can or jar of pasta sauce

1/4 cup water

Directions:

Mix meatloaf and egg. Add enough breadcrumbs to bind. Lightly spray crockpot oil. Make meatballs about the size of a medium sized meatball. Not too small and not too large. Place meatballs in crockpot and cover with sauce and water. Set to low and in about 6 hours you will have perfect meatballs.

YUM...It's Chicken Enchilada Night!

2009-06-26T08:42:00.000-07:00

Oh yes, tonight is Chicken Enchilada Night!

Dave, my mom and I love my chicken enchilada's. Notice I didn't say Jonathan likes them. For this recipe we use a whole rotisserie chicken from the grocery store. Jonathan gets the dark meat from the chicken. That's his dinner with veggies. How on earth could I birth a child that doesn't like Mexican food?

These enchiladas are fresh and full of flavor. Also a very economical and easy meal to make. It should only cost about $13 to $20 for the entire meal and it feeds 4-6 people easily. You may even have leftovers. I don't because I have a husband that takes seconds. The recipe is not spicy for my mom's sake. But in the end on mine I do dash a bit of hot sauce on them for a kick.

Ingredients:

spray oil
1 already done rotisserie chicken
1 bag of 24 corn tortillas
1 small can of diced mild roasted green Ortega chilies, drained
1/2 cup of mild - medium salsa
2 cups of shredded Monterey jack and cheddar cheese, divided
1 can of red enchilada sauce
1 small can of sliced black olives
1/2 cup of sliced green onions
salt to taste if needed

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2) Spray a 2 qt. oblong baking pan lightly with oil

3) Take white meat off of your chicken and shred it up in a bowl.

4) Place your chillies and salsa in the bowl with the chicken and blend together so the chicken is well coated.

5) Add half of the cheese in the bowl and mix.

6) Add salt to taste if you feel you need it.

7) Place corn tortillas on a plate and microwave for about 10-15 seconds. You want them workable, not cooked or too hot.

8) Pour a little of the enchilada sauce on the bottom of the pan.

9) Hold a tortilla in on hand and with the other spoon the mixture in the tortilla.
It's OK to stuff.

10) Carefully roll sides of tortilla together and place seam side down in pan.

11) Repeat until your pan is full of enchiladas. It's OK to squeeze them in!

12) Pour the rest of the sauce and then the cheese over the enchiladas.

13) Place the sliced olives and green onions over the top on the cheese.

14) Cover with foil and bake about 25 minutes.

15) Take foil off and bake 5 more minutes

Take out of the oven and let the dish rest for about 5 minutes and serve.

A very sad day for the entertainment world

2009-06-25T15:05:00.000-07:00

First Farrah Fawcett dies at age 62 and now Michael Jackson at a mere age of 50.

May they both rest in peace.

A New Job for Dilly is HERE!

2009-06-22T17:49:00.000-07:00

I was so excited to check my mailbox and find a children's book I pre-purchased a while back. It's called A New Job for Dilly and is written by Rena Jones, Illustrated by Lisa Oakman.

This Dilly book is great. It is one of those books you want to read over and over and over. It's about a mouse named Dilly that LOVES pickles, especially the sour ones! (I can relate!) Dilly needed to be able to get more pickles so he set out to get a job. This book goes from A-Z and is perfect for any young child from around 4-8 years old.

When I got the book I showed it to Jonathan and he read it to me. He also brought it to school and read it to his class. We love this book and I think have already read it about 100 times! Our favorite page is when Dilly tried to be an electrician and he shocks himself. The picture cracked us up! The illustrations are so cute. (click here to visit the illustrator's website)

Rena Jones, Author Extraordinaire

I not only bought the book to support my friend but to support a new author. This is Rena's 1st published book. Rena always loved writing. She spent most of the 1990s writing letters to pen pals. Around the same time, she self-published three newsletters for pen pals. I wish I knew her back then because one of her newsletters was all about coffee! YUM! She began writing for children in 2003, after visiting Glacier National Park in Montana. A little mountain goat inspired her to write a story about him and her love for writing children’s stories began.

Rena is a home educator to her children and has been doing so for 11 years. Yup, 11 years! She also enjoys photography (Rena is an AMAZING photographer!), wildlife watching, camping, national parks, kayaking, music and even sour pickles. When not writing or taking pictures, she is usually being entertained by the crazy wildlife that frequents her mountain home. Seriously, she has crazy bears, squirrels...you name it! So different from Southern California!

Read to your child!

I have been a huge advocate of Reading is Fundamental for a very long time. I believe reading to your child every day for at least 15 minutes a day. When your child gets to the age where they are reading their own then have them pick out 2 books. One for them to read to you and another for you to read to them. It not only helps the child love books but they will become really great readers and gain a wonderful vocabulary. Spelling will come easier as well as more and more words become familiar.

Win an autographed copy of A New Job for Dilly!
All you need to do is leave a comment on at least FOUR of the seven blog stops. (blogs listed below) Rena will put your name in a pot and a winner will be chosen at the end of the tour. Please make sure she has a way to contact you. Please give your email address and at least your first name.

But remember, you have to reply to at least FOUR different stops to qualify. Rena will contact the winner at the end of the tour to find out how they'd like the book to be signed. Thanks and good luck!

June 21st – Sherrie Petersen
http://solvangsherrie.blogspot.com/

June 22nd – Beth Reinke

http://bethbencereinke.com/blog/

June 23rd – Elysabeth Eldering
http://jgdsseries.blogspot.com/

June 24th – Sharon Spray (THAT'S ME!)

http://mamasharonsays.blogspot.com/

June 25th – Adrienne Saldivar
http://a-saldivar.blogspot.com/

June 26th – Nikki Shoemaker

http://www.pinkpencil.blogspot.com/

June 27th – Vivian Zabel

http://vivianzabel.blogspot.com/

CLICK HERE to visit Rena's website.

CLICK HERE to visit Rena's Blog.

CLICK HERE to purchase the book.

Having a Pizza Party with the kids

2009-06-02T10:35:00.001-07:00

I just wrote this article for my first e-newsletter for Hey, That's Gourmet! So I thought I would post it here too. :)

Cooking with the Kiddos: Let's have a Pizza Party!

If you're looking for something fun to do with your child you should really think about cooking with them. It's a great way to spend some fun times and make great memories. It's also a way to be a sneaky and practice some math skills without your child even realizing it. You may even want to invite some of your children's friends over and make a play date out of it.

Here are some tips to help you plan ahead for your Pizza Party:

1.) Pizza is a great project and if you have a bunch of children over you can call your local pizza place and ask if they will sell you balls of dough. Most places will.

2.) Be sure you involve your child in the planning from beginning to end. You really want this to be fun for both of you and keeping your child involved is so important.

3) No idea is ridiculous! If your child wants to place peanut butter and jelly or mac & cheese or even chicken nuggets on their pizza then so be it! This is supposed to be fun! Just be sure if they want some thing really outrageous that you perhaps put the combo together for them and have them taste it to be sure they actually like it. That's a better way of going about it then just saying no and turning a positive into a negative. More than likely after they try it they'll change their mind.

4) Try a dessert pizza for a sweet touch instead of savory! You can start with the same dough, brushed lightly with olive oil and sprinkle it with a little cinnamon and sugar. Then place some thin sliced apples and maybe even raisins, we like the golden raisins. Then bake in the oven at 350 until the crust is golden and the apples are tender. Take out and let it rest for about 5 minutes. For a real treat melt down some caramels and drizzle over the apples after slicing.

5) You can really go all out visit one of my personal favorite websites GrowingCooks.com .They have a basic Pizza Chef Party Kit for cheap that includes a disposable apron and chef hat for your child, also a mini rolling pin, a pizza box they can decorate and a recipe card and 3 portion cups for toppings. What a great idea for a Pizza Party! They also sell the disposable aprons and hats separate if you wanted to buy several for your party or play date.

Another one of my favorite sites is ChildrensRecipes.com. http://www.childrensrecipes.com. They have a neat recipe for Veggie Pizza too! Have fun and let me know if you have any ideas about cooking with the kiddos.

Happy Cooking!

JONAS - Sorry but I have to follow-up on this

2009-05-03T22:23:00.000-07:00

In a previous post I mentioned that the very well known Jonas Brothers were going to be starring in their own show on Disney. That panned out as true. What I wrote that turned out NOT to be the case was the shows premise and that is the reason for this post.

Believe it or not the 3 biggest hits I get on this blog are on the i-Carly Spaghetti Tacos, my Granny's brisket recipe and the Jonas Bros movie post.

In the JB post I mentioned that the show was going to be called J.O.N.A.S. aka Junior Operatives Networking As Spies. This by all means was the case from what we have heard through the tweeny bopper network Dave and I have somehow ended up in the middle of. But the show aired on Saturday and they totally changed it. We figured that was the case from the commercials.

So what is the show actually about? I have no idea. I watched it with Jonathan and I swear, it's about absolutely nothing! If you figured it out, please tell me. It seems like it's about a group of boys, The Jonas Brothers playing themselves but live in a firehouse (and?) and are famous (OK?), are all supposed to be teens still in school, going to a private school. There is some HS girl (from Minute Men) that designs their wardrobe and a crazed fan friend.

I really don't get it. But I really don't have to. I'm mom. My son thought it was hilarious. He's 7. I asked him what it was about exactly and guess what, he couldn't answer that question.

So Jonas boys, we are a fan family but I hope you can get by purely on your fame because the show...not so good. You're not Seinfeld. You can't get away with a show about nothing. Or maybe according to the tweens, you can and you will. I think you may want to stick to doing what you do best, performing.

YAY J!

2009-04-23T09:14:00.000-07:00

I received Jonathan's report card in the mail and I am a proud mama of a straight A student. This is probably going to be the shortest blog post I have ever done but I wanted to give kudos to my son for doing such a great job this school year.

Next year he starts in a new school, public school. It's bigger and not a plush as he's used to but it's a really good school. I do feel that the work that goes into educating your child at home is worth as much as the time they are in school. Dave and I do our best to continually help Jonathan grow and learn. I am just so proud. :)

Itailan Skillet Chicken

2009-03-20T20:22:00.000-07:00

Tonight I realized I that the taco seasoned ground turkey I bought the other day went bad. I had just purchased a can of petite diced tomatoes and some sliced black olives for the taco casserole I was going to make for dinner tonight.

So with the bad turkey out of the picture, I had to think fast. Here was my healthy low fat solution.

I had already diced up some onion so I added it to my electric skillet and briefly sauteed it in a tablespoon of olive oil then discarded the onion so that the pan was seasoned.

Added 4 Chicken Breasts

Cooked until golden on both sides.

Added canned diced tomatoes, small can of sliced black olives, dried oregano, dried basil and a dash of sea salt.

Covered and let simmer for about 12-15 minutes turning the chicken once.

I served over jasmine rice.

It turned out fabulous and it was quick and very easy.

I really should have taken a picture but we were a hungry family! Next time I'll get a shot of it. There will definitely be a next time for this one!

Screaming girls and white Ray-Bans can only mean one thing...The Jonas Brothers movie is out!

2009-03-01T18:24:00.001-08:00

Yesterday we trekked up to Hollywood to see the very popular movie, The Jonas Brothers a 3D Concert Experience. Were we a little crazy to go on opening weekend? Maybe. But I'm glad we did.

We took Jonathan months ago to see the boys from NJ perform at the Honda Center in Anaheim. That particular show was special because they were filming the concert footage for this movie that night. Demi Lovato then opened the show after becoming instantly huge from Camp Rock which was of course aired just weeks before. Also performing and a special guest in the movie was the very talented and also a teen, Taylor Swift. It was a really good and very long show. I think I blogged about it.

So the movie pleased Jonathan and all of the tweens and teens in the theatre. It showed some behind the scenes footage. Mostly shot in NYC. But all of the concert footage was Anaheim even though that was not mentioned.

Throughout the movie it was hard to tell if it was the girls in the movie screaming or the girls in the theatre! It was funny and I could totally relate since I would have been the same way if this were a movie about Duran Duran and the year was 1984.

When asking Jonathan what he liked best about the movie he said when they performed Burnin Up. He loved it in concert and I can see why. The movie was so well done that it didn't take away from the live feeling of being there at all.

As far as Disney Digital 3D goes this movie was way better than the Hannah Montana/Myley Cyrus movie but the Hannah movie seemed more "real" and not scripted. This was obviously scripted and "set-up" in many places for what was to be behind the scenes or footage.

The newest D-3D movie coming out is UP. We got to see an extensive preview and it looks great. Disney has really perfected the 3D movie experience since Meet the Robinsons came out. I don't know if Monsters and Aliens is Disney but it will be 3D and looks pretty good as well.

So after the movie we left with some posters and white JB 3D glasses only given out at the El Capitan and only this weekend. It was a nice reminder for Jonathan about the movie he just enjoyed so much. He is such a huge JB fan and has been since they had small appearances on the Disney Channel with Year 3000 and Kids of the Future (a remake of Kids of America made for the Meet the Robinsons movie). I have to admit that Dave and I do not mind the music either and as far as role models, so far so good.

One more note before I wrap this post up. Disney Channel will be premiering the new show JONAS in April. From the preview I am a little frightened of this one but of course Jonathan is counting down the days. The boys, Kevin, Joe and Nick are apparently Junior Operatives Networking as Spies (J.O.N.A.S.), who battle evil while working undercover as a teen rock band. Um..OK. Anyway, it looked quirky along the lines of The Monkees. We'll see how this one goes. It'll most likely be an instant hit simply because it is after all, The Jonas Brothers. Another sweet addition for the show is they are including their little brother Frankie known to fans as the "bonus Jonas." And for one last mention for fans of Camp Rock...filming for Camp Rock 2 has been mentioned to start at the end of this year. Apparently the entire cast is going to be back.

OK, Now after this post I think I need to go read a newspaper or do something a grown-up does. :)

Paul Harvey dies at age 90 and will be missed

2009-03-01T18:14:00.001-08:00

Below is the story from the AP. (posted here with proper permission of course) My husband and I love "The rest of the story." We discovered it when we lived in TN and seriously, there was nothing on the radio to listen to. We truly admired and enjoyed Mr. Harvey.

Broadcasting pioneer Paul Harvey dies at age of 90 from Associated Press

Go Carla...The Next TOP CHEF!

2009-02-24T08:32:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you but I love Top Chef. My husband and I wait patiently every Wednesday for 10 pm to turn on Bravo and watch the competition. And Top Chef New York was one of the best seasons so far.

This year rising up quietly yet quite quirky is the very talented Carla. At first we were thinking wow, a pastry chef, I wonder how far she'll go just doing dessert. After all, it seemed as though that's all she did. And then she really started showing the skills. And she won and won and won challenge after challenge.

So Carla go get em! Kick Stefan in the you know where and pop his over inflated ego. We love ya girl and can't wait to see what happens tomorrow!

You are what you eat...see!

2009-02-19T19:14:00.001-08:00

To make yourself into an M&M click here!

Holidays for a working mom is like getting to play SAHM

2009-02-16T16:54:00.001-08:00

I love and cherish holidays. I get to spend a whole day with Jonathan and just make the most of it.

Today it was raining so going to the park was not in the plans. Instead we started our day by catching up on Disney episodes that we haven't seen yet but had recorded. Then Jonathan worked on some crafty projects such as the "button" of himself he drew for me to wear today. I love it! It reminds me of Flat Stanley.

Once we picked up Dave from work at 2:30 we headed over to Metro Pointe in Costa Mesa and went to Colour Me Mine. It was so crowded when we walked in. There was a birthday party taking up most of the table space. By the way, what a great idea for a party! So we were told to come back in 30 minutes.

We headed over to Cozi. A fairly new restaurant in Metro Pointe. It's surprisingly affordable. I say that because it really doesn't have the atmosphere of a place that is so affordable. When you walk in the menu is on the wall and the concept is the same as a Pei Wei. The whole upscale fast food thing going on. So you figure out what you want then go to the register and order. They bring the food to you and they clear the tables. Dave had a meat pizza that is cooked in a wood fire stove. Jonathan and I split a smores for two. We already ate lunch at home. There was a couple sitting close to use that had some great looking sandwiches. One of which I think was the Chicken Tandori sandwich. It looked great! The smores were really a great idea for killing time with J. I knew what to expect too because a while ago I went to visit my sister in D.C. There was this place I think called X's and O's. They had the same smores treat on the menu. When it came to the table Jonathan's eyes lit up as big as the fire! He placed his marshmallow on the skewer and carefully toasted it. It was a little dangerous actually. The fire got pretty high and Jonathan kept lighting his mallow up! But it was fun. Dave's pizza looked good too. It had sausage, pepperoni and real bacon on it.

Once we finished at Cozi we headed back over to Colour Me Mine. We picked out what we wanted to paint and selected our colors.

Jonathan chose a megaphone. He's a HSM fanatic and even painted the letters HSM on it. (By the way...HSM 3 comes out tomorrow on DVD. Perhaps the added scenes will include the actual prom scene so we can figure out why the character Ryan is wearing a kilt in his "doll" form) I painted a mug.

I needed a pink mug and I was in a retro 50's mood for some reason. So I painted it pink with black dots and then wrote Mama Sharon Says... on it. Cool! Now I have an official mug to drink my coffee or tea out of while blogging. Dave didn't paint. He just played bubble breaker on his phone.

I had a great time and now we're home. Jonathan is still busy though. He's designing the gift bag for his friend Dylan's gift. We prefer this as opposed to buying a bag. It's more personal and less expensive too! Dylan's 7th birthday is tomorrow at Bears, Buddies and Toys in Huntington Beach. We are so happy to be going there because it looks so fun in the commercials. The kids get to dress up and play. They get to use their imagination and I love that!

Well time to figure out what to make for dinner. I don't know why I wait to the last minute to figure these things out. It's not like having to make dinner is ever a surprise! So off I go.

One last mention...the new ice cream cupcakes at Cold Stone Creamery are SO GOOD! We bought them this past week for my mom's birthday. YUM! Starting from the top...

Whipped Cream

Ice Cream

Cake

Fudge

Chocolate Cup

The chocolate cup it was all in was the only disappointing part. It was very chalky.

For more about amazing cupcakes check out one of my favorite blogs Cupcakes Take The Cake if you love cupcakes as much as I do!

Kodak makes it so easy...even for this busy mom!

2009-02-10T20:15:00.000-08:00

Last night I had an amazing opportunity to attend a very special and exclusive gathering hosted by Kodak and ScanMyPhotos in Irvine, CA. I want to say that when I was first invited I had no idea what I was in for. The invitation sent by Jacqueline Mangione the WW PR Manager at Kodak, simply said to bring LOTS of photos and there will be light sandwiches and Mimosas. OK while I don’t really drink, I never turn down a free meal. LOL! I’m kidding of course; I once turned down a meal when I was little and in camp. Gross! Have you seen camp food?

OK so let me get back to last night. I walked in about 5 or 10 minutes early and was greeted by Mitch Goldstone, the President of ScanMyPhotos, International (pictured with the kiosk) and his wonderful staff. I was brought to a Kodak Kiosk and shown some of the features. Did you know you can download photos from your phone into one of these? Kodak really thought of EVERYTHING! I have to tell you that I was slightly intimidated at first as I think anyone would be when they have no idea what to do. But then I put my USB stick in the port and pressed the “START HERE” button on the screen. Everything is guided by the touch screen which is great. The first thing I created was a DVD with a ton of pictures. And yes, I said the first thing! Mitch and Kodak were quite generous and I was quite grateful. I still am! Anyway, the DVD I made took me all of about 3-5 minutes to make. I selected my photos for the disk. I chose photos from the Big Bear trip last year, The Wiggle years, Jonathans past birthdays and Christmas photos. Once the pics were selected I got to go through a bunch of music selections. I chose What I Like About You. Then selected the DONE button and that was that. They processed the DVD for me as I went on to another project. All and all I came home with a poster, a calendar, a DVD, a package of reprints, a couple of 8 ½ x 11 photo collages of my chocolates and browniepops and a photobook!

The Photobook took me about 5-10 minutes to make. I don’t know exactly how long because I was having so much fun I totally lost track of time but it really was pretty quick. I should have been looking at the receipts that printed out to let you know how much this stuff would cost on a normal day but I suspect it’s less than you may think. I did look at the receipt for the photobook I created in which I added the max amount of photos allowed. If you’re not sitting down you may want to. It was only about $30. I am so not kidding! I even asked if that was correct. Again, thank you Kodak!

I was also given a tour of the back room. It was like going behind the scenes and was so cool. You wouldn’t believe what goes on back there. They have several people that work all day long to be sure your photos, no matter where you are in the country, are taken care of in any way you order. They have scanned over 9 million photos and will service you even if you are out of the country! They can restore those old photos and you will be blown away by the results that it will cause tears. The happy kind of course.

Then it was back to the Kiosk. I scanned a photo of mine that was of my brother Mike and me when we were very little. The original photo as you can see is faded and well, old. The kiosk has a feature where you can press edit photo and then restore the color. I couldn’t believe my eyes. It was like magic!

But if you don’t live near ScanMyPhotos then just go online to ScanMyPhotos.com and look for the information on sending your old photos to them and they will send them back with the new and improved versions. I’m not kidding! Hey dad...they will even be able to repair old damaged photos! You can trust them with your treasures. They really know what they’re doing. You can also search for a Kodak Kiosk near you by CLICKING HERE.

OK, so here is another crazy cool part of the evening. The Kodak staff was there filming footage so you may see me somewhere talking about this stuff. Who knows!

Remember the DVD I made? When it was finished they put it on the big screen in the store and as I watched it I got very emotional and for some reason the only word I could get out of my mouth was “WOW.” It really was so special.

I learned that I need to go back with Jonathan because he got a camera for Christmas. The kiosks are so easy to use that even my 7 year old can do it. Hey, do you have older kids? Make it a play date. Let them make a photobook. It’s less expensive than the place with the Rat and the games, right? And they won't come home with a junky toy that will break. Instead they will come back with a wonderful memory book.

I will be going back to ScanMyPhotos in the very near future. After all, I have 2 or 3 wedding VHS tapes I need to be put to DVD. But if you don’t live by then you can do everything online. Whether you pick it up or it gets mailed, they are a site to see. They have a blog too you should check out. Blog.Scanmyphotos.com.

Thank you Mitch and Jacqueline and all that put this on for us mom bloggers. I had a night of creating memories and learning new things that I will be putting to good use in the future. Also thank you for your very generous gifts. Thank you to Mom Bloggers Club too for putting out the word on requesting to be a part of this. I love being a mom blogger!

My dad sent me an email this morning, he lives in NY. He said he was going to look for a Kodak Kiosk place in his area. Again, If you want to look for a Kiosk in your area too CLICK HERE.

RENA...RENA...GUESS WHAT!!!!!

2009-02-01T22:55:00.000-08:00

I want to bring everyone back to a post I made in November or December of last year. I had just discovered Starbucks energy double shot drinks. Since then I have had many and even started drinking the Monster coffee energy drink. I LOVE THEM!! Just once a day though. It really mainly because they sell the Monster brand in Sam's Club so it's affordable. Anyway, to my point and this is why I originally directed the title of this towards my very good friend Rena.

I just read that hitting the shelves is a Cinnamon Dolce Double Shot. AWESOME!

Yes folks, it's the little things. :)

Score a touchdown with this AMAZING Jalapeno Appetizer!

2009-02-01T17:43:00.000-08:00

Bacon Wrapped Cream Cheese Jalapenos

10-12 Fresh jalapenos, cleaned out and split

1 package of cream cheese

1 package of bacon (not thick bacon)

Toothpicks

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Once Jalapenos are cleaned out (leave some seeds if you want more heat) stuff them with cream cheese, wrap each with a slice of bacon and bind with 2 toothpicks. Place on a baking sheet and into the oven for about an hour or until the bacon is crispy. When you take out of the oven let them rest about 5 minutes.

So this was my big contribution to my Super Bowl day.

Enjoy!

The old is new again

2009-01-30T14:42:00.000-08:00

Remember the frozen yogurt craze of the late 80's, early 90's when Penguin frozen yogurt and many others all opened around the same time? Even Seinfeld did an episode about a frozen yogurt place where the yogurt was so good and low fat but they found out it wasn't.

Well I don't know if self-serve frozen yogurt places are popping up where you live like there are here in Orange County. First it was the trend of the actually tastes like yogurt frozen yogurt places like Pinkberry that were opening. Now it's the self serve trend with a million and a half toppings.

Oh don't get me wrong, I am lovin' this! We just got a Cherry on Top store here in Huntington Beach and they have really good yogurt and many flavors to choose from. I love the peanut butter and the chocolate. The flavors change from time to time but there are seriously like 10 or 12 flavors. You serve yourself then go to the toppings bar which has many fresh fruits, candies, cereals, sprinkles, etc. Just tons of choices. But you have to watch it because you are charged by weight. They always have coupons so it makes it easy to go every now and then.

In the last 2 weeks I have noticed 3 other self serve frozen yogurt places close to opening in surrounding areas. I wonder how long this trend will last and how well so many competing businesses will do?

Sweet goodness I've been busy!

2009-01-30T13:22:00.000-08:00

I've said it before and I'll say it again, time just passes by way to fast. I've been very busy and with that, too tired to blog. Not to mention that by the time it's 10 or 11 pm and I've been at work all day on a computer and then at home either on the PC or laptop working on my own business, the last thing I want to do is type some more! :) But today I have found a moment so let me catch you up.

Dave is still working part-time hours at AAA so things are still pretty tight. We are making the best of it and eat a whole lot less pizza. Although we have discovered Haus of Pizza in Costa Mesa which makes a really good pie and is not hard on the wallet.

We also went to San Francisco for the day...yes the day for a food trade show. The Fancy Food Show to be exact. We woke up at 4 am, dropped J at nana's house by 5:30, drove to LAX and we were on a plane by 7am. We didn't get to see SF, we literally got to the convention center and then at 5 went back to the airport to get on an 8pm flight back to LAX.

Anyway we did get some great things from the show that will be up on the Hey, That's Gourmet! website. Such as handmade gourmet caramels from Montana. We are selling 4 oz bags with adorable satin ribbon on them. These caramels are so freakin good! One pack we have we chose to put Chipolte (the heat and sweet are so amazing), Celtic Sea Salt, Soft Butter Caramel and Pomegranate. The other pack has Maple, Chewy, Chocolate Celtic Sea Salt and Espresso. I'm telling you, these are the most delicious caramels I have ever had. They are all natural with no artificial anything and no preservatives.

We also added some chocolate covered caramel pops that have cute packaging and yes, they taste really great too. They are from a company called Route 29. We are now carrying some novelty items from them such as a tin just for Valentines Day with Milk and Dark Chocolate X's and O's, you know like hugs and kisses. So sweet and yummy! Also some chocolate covered marshmallows for Easter.

New Browniepops too! We added Toffee and Walnut. YUM-O. Browniepops were featured on Rachael Ray 2 weeks ago and we found out at the show the Hey, That's Gourmet! is the only retailer to sell all flavors. How cool is that! The pops have awesome packaging now as they come in their own little boxes.

So we've been working hard to get them up on Amazon.com as well as our site. There are a lot of photos to take and edit as well as the work it takes to actually put in the descriptions and such. We did receive our 1st amazon order last week. WHOO HOO! It was for 5 of the canisters of the Green Tea Dark Chocolate which is still our best seller. We hope to see many more come in soon.

So on to another subject. Did you know that February is national Pancake month? I just learned this. FiberOne has a new pancake mix that is so good! Just a random thought.

Well have a great and SUPER weekend! We don't watch football in our home so it's not such a big deal to us but I know it is to others. So have a great one and stay safe and sane.

Peace, Love and Ice Cream

2009-01-06T22:11:00.000-08:00

Jonathan just ate a Weight Watcher Cookies & Cream Ice Cream Pop and is at Peace! :)

Meatballs and Cottage Cheese

2009-01-06T20:32:00.000-08:00

I swear, sometimes it's like Dave and I have to be food artists or food make-up artists to get Jonathan to eat something other then hamburgers or chicken strips. I know that we aren't the only ones out there that have to be meal magicians.

For instance, last week...or maybe the week before, anyway one of these weeks I had some of that once in a while chance to place myself in a grocery store completely family free and while roaming in a daze enjoying the silence there was a mom arguing with her daughter of probably around 7. She sighed and said...you have to eat something, anything besides meatballs and cottage cheese. I giggled as I walked by grabbing a box of toaster strudels. Yes, the frozen soft version of a pop tart that my son eats for breakfast almost every day.

When I was a kid my step mom would put a plate in front of me of whatever we were eating for dinner and if I whined and cried that I didn't like it then I didn't get dessert and I pretty much starved and went to bed. Remembering how miserable this made me I made a decision I would never do that to my child. Now, I change my mind. As a mom and an adult I have the right to do that. Right? Well ok, I'm not going to starve him and make such threats but I don't make separate meals anymore.

How is this working for me? Pretty good actually. What I decided to do is make dinner more interactive. By this I mean either let Jonathan help make some part of the meal or ask him how he may want something prepared or maybe he would like a particular condiment on the side. Be positive, not negative. Why raise everyone's blood pressure with threats? Really all they do is ruin your great day, give you a headache, waste precious time together (especially if your a full time working mom) and most of all give your kid a bad memory to store in that head that remembers everything. Sure, this doesn't work all the time. Afterall, Jonathan has good days and bad days just like anyone else. But it's always worth the effort. I mean really, a year ago J wouldn't go anywhere near most of the foods he eats now and by the time we finally sit down and eat, we enjoy our time together.

So next time you you are thinking of making steak or salmon and your kid says all they want is meatballs and cottage cheese, find a way to add to the meal a little bit of my favorite seasonings...Love, Patients and Ketchup!

iCarly Spagehetti Tacos

2009-01-02T19:13:00.000-08:00

On the Nickelodeon hit show iCarly they always eat their favorite dinner, spaghetti tacos. Jonathan has been asking if I could make them for him. Tonight was the night. Here's what we did.

Ingredients:

1 box of crunchy taco shells

1 box of spaghetti (we used linguine)

1 jar of marinara

Tabasco optional

Cook the pasta. Heat up the shells according to the directions on the box. Heat the sauce. Mix the pasta with the sauce and fill the shells. I put some Tabasco on mine.

Don't knock it til' you try it. They are actually pretty good and Jonathan loved it. Any meal that is good and fun works for me.

Want portion control for the New Year...Check this out!

2009-01-02T09:07:00.000-08:00

I get emails from Delight.com which is one of my favorite window shopping sites. I would love to buy so much from there but my money gets allocated elsewhere for other silly things such as food, rent, bills...you know, the boring stuff. lol!

So I received my daily email from them about a cake pan that has happy birthday molded into it. I thought it was cool so I went and looked at it at the website and then while I was there I found cool silicone mats that help control portions. I know that not everyone needs it and I suppose if you did and you still wanted to cheat you could pile the food in the little squares. But then that's no fun.

Anyway, this product has two factors I like a lot.

1) They are a great idea and better than measuring a portion to your palm.
2) They have a cute factor to them and I love cute!

I love Delight.com. They are definitely a site for functional cute stuff. They even sell plant pots that are The cutest Self Watering Plant Pot Ever ( I didn't make that up) and paint tube door stops!

(this is not an ad I am getting paid to write. I simply love this site!)

Eye-YI-YI

2009-01-02T08:04:00.000-08:00

So Jonathan and Dave are on their way to school and work thanks to my mother-in-law and I sit here at home waiting for my ride to work. I couldn't drive this morning or yesterday because my contact scratched my eye. OUCH! I am so sensitive to light right now that I am sitting in front of my computer with my glasses on and my sunglasses on over them so the light from the monitor doesn't bother me. I have to be like this all day at work too. I look silly but at least I can keep my eyes open this way.

This happened to me before. A while back actually. If I just did what normal people do and take my contacts out at night and not sleep in them I would never have this problem. But I don't because I really don't like being blind in the morning when I wake-up.

I should be able to drive by this evening when I get off of work but until then I will work in pain.

Countdown to 40!

2009-01-01T10:59:00.000-08:00

SIX MONTHS AND COUNTING!

So why is 40 so much different then 30 or 20? I don't know the answer to this but it just is. I love my birthday so this is not going to be a time of being sad and depressed. It's going to be a celebration. It's going to be a time of reflection. It's going to be a time where I take a trip to the mall to look for a better cream to reduce those new little wrinkles showing up. :P

The first picture of the year

2009-01-01T08:33:00.000-08:00

Last night was the first time Jonathan really understood New Years Eve. He understood that after midnight it was going to be 2009 and we were putting 2008 behind us. It's funny looking through a child's eyes sometimes. Things we just know, they are just starting to really understand.

We watched the Disney channel all night because they were running a New Years Eve theme for the kids. If I made a bet on whether or not Jonathan would actually make it to midnight I would have lost. He not only stayed up until the clock turned but he was up for an additional half hour to watch a new episode of one of his favorite shows, Wizards of Waverly Place. He was tired, yes, but he was also on a mission.

So before he fell asleep I let him know that I absolutely did not want to be woken up early. I wanted to sleep until at least 9:00 am. Well that didn't happen. I woke up at 7, Jonathan was up at 8 and yes, Dave is still asleep and will probably be asleep until 10. I don't know how he can do it or why I just can't anymore?

Oh well, on to a day filled with putting away ornaments from the tree, throwing away the tree, cleaning the living room and doing laundry. What an exciting life I lead. :)

High School Musical: The Ice Tour

2008-12-31T20:28:00.000-08:00

If you have a tween or a pre-tween, I would suggest taking them to this ice show. It was so fun and not too expensive.

They added to the line-up a preview of HSM3 and the skaters skated to 3 songs from that movie. Then they went on to act one which was choreography and music from the 1st movie and after the intermission was the second movie. The skaters were so talented. They were doing some of the basketball moves and flips on ice without missing a beat. I think the most amazing thing was in act one during the cafeteria reenactment when the skaters would jump up on table tops. Crazy Cool.

Happy New Year

2008-12-31T19:48:00.000-08:00

So what are you thinking about tonight as 2008 comes to a close? Is it your family, the economy or maybe about who else you can find on Facebook that you haven't spoken to in 20 or so years? :) All of these things are on my mind. About the Facebook thing...for some reason, more so lately, really long somewhat forgotten friends have managed to either find me or I found them because of a mutual friend. Crazy world we live in now where you can connect so easily and have the choice to do so.

For instance, there was this guy I dated for about 10 minutes, OK it was a few weeks and 10 minutes I think way back when I was 18? At the time while I was living on my own and held a couple of jobs he was the most grown-up person I knew. He worked at Northrop and had a real job and he was so young. He seemed kinda mysterious at the time but now that I think about it, maybe he was taking that angle to not bore me. LOL! Just kidding George. Anyway because of the wonderful world of modern technology we were able to catch up and guess what, he's still the most grown-up person I know. lol!

I've noticed so many different trends in 2008. Tweeter, blogging is becoming more and more of a trend both for people that want to tell a story, their story, just stuff or the biggest trend...blogging for money. So many give-a-ways (I won a cupcake decorator thingy) and people advertising other peoples stuff and getting paid for it.

So the economy is also an issue that concerns me. For many reasons of course but one also being the fact that I started Hey, That's Gourmet! in this horrible financial time. So let's just hope that people want to wallow in chocolate. :) Just kidding. Chocolate makes people happy and I know this first hand from being such a chocolate fanatic.

Dave and I are looking forward to January 19th. We will be in San Francisco for a food show where we will be tasting our way through a giant convention center. We attend this once a year now and I have to tell you that tasting aside, it's just fun. We are there for business but we are like little kids going from booth to booth taking in an learning about all sorts of new food trends. It's so much fun! We named the business very carefully so we can add more than just confections. But this year we are on a mission for a new line of caramels since everyone is making a salt caramel and we need some sugar-free and vegan chocolate as well as some real unique milk chocolates. Let me know what you like!

So now totally unrelated to this post - check out this picture I took of our menorah this year! Cool huh?

Happy New Year!

41 degrees during the day and getting colder at night!

2008-12-17T13:40:00.000-08:00

This is a short post just to say that it’s 41 degrees here in Southern CA today and I was not ready for it! I know that some may say, so what, it’s below zero here. But what you may not understand is you prepare for that. You buy warm clothing. My wardrobe, if you want to call it that, consists of short sleeve shirts and jeans. I have one heavy jacket that I bought 10 years ago and doesn’t fit much anymore. So yes, I am cold and I am not enjoying the rain, no matter how much we need it. OK, I am done whining...at least until it's 4pm and I have to go outside again!

Honest Scrap Award!

2008-12-17T08:55:00.000-08:00

My blog has been awarded the Honest Scrap Award by Rena. Scrap means left over, fragments, discarded material. Many times truth and honesty are discarded material, considered fragments and left over. People like us need to tell it like it is, and let the scraps fall where they will. There are 2 guidelines for receiving this award. One, you are to list 10 honest things about yourself. Make them interesting, even if you have to dig deep. Two, present the award to 7 other bloggers. So here are the 10 honest things about myself...

1) I don't lie, the guilt isn't worth it

2) I always put family first...always, always, always

3) I don't steal

4) My natural hair color is brown

5) I am a skinny girl in a fat girls body, honestly!

6) I return the shopping carts to the place they belong, even in the rain

7) I am a Jewish mom that loves her Christmas tree

8) I don't believe in purchasing something just to wear once and then return

9) I use reusable bags at the grocery store

10) I don't tell people things just because it's what they want to hear

Now for the 7 people I nominate: (read these blogs even though I don't comment much. Some I just started reading thanks to Mom Bloggers Club) Yes, most of the people listed have no clue who I am but I love their blogs!

1) Jenn

2) Kelly

3) Sunshine (although she has already been nominated by Rena, checkout her blog :) )

4) Jayne (although Sunshine nominated her, checkout her blog :) )

5) Deb - such a great blog!

6) Megan
7) Melanie

Tis the season for Rum Balls

2008-12-14T08:06:00.000-08:00

I was born in 1969 so I have something in common with one of my favorite holiday indulges, Rum Balls. We were both born in the 60's.

With the recipe below you can make some changes to suit your taste. I have experimented a lot and found that this is a pretty good recipe for experimenting. Instead of the Nilla Wafers you can use shortbread cookies. Instead of pecans or walnuts you can use hazelnuts. Instead of rum you can use bourbon. Also try adding extracts. I have used coconut extract and cherry extracts in the past. Just a little bit though like about a teaspoon or two. Be sure to plan ahead with these. They should sit in the fridge in an air tight container for at least 48 hours.

Yield 4 dozen

1 1/4 cups finely crushed vanilla wafers (easiest to use a food processor for this)
1 1/2 cups finely chopped toasted pecans or walnuts
1/2 cup confectioners sugar (powdered sugar - J calls it snow)
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (I like to use Hershey's European Cocoa)
2 tablespoons dark or light corn syrup
1/4 cup of rum (do not use 151 because it is too dry and will not work well)
Confectioners sugar, chocolate sprinkles, nuts and/or coconut for garnish

Simply mix all ingredients up to the rum together in the order given above. Make little balls and roll in powdered sugar. Place in a bowl or container and cover. Place in refrigerator for 48 hours. Take out of fridge and roll in confectioners sugar or any of the garnishes listed and serve. They are so darned good. And of course, not for kids.

J's Hip-Hop recital was today

2008-12-13T21:40:00.000-08:00

Jonathan takes a Hip-Hop dance class at the Boys and Girls club. They are a great organization around here. The studio they have is just for the arts and do their recitals twice a year.

Last year Jonathan went to Huntington Academy of Dance in HB and it was waaaaaaaay to serious of a dance center for such a silly kid. Plus a lot of the moms there were like stage moms and kinda freaked Dave and I out. We heard a lot of "when I was in dance" and "if you can't take it seriously then don't take it at all" and it was not a whole lot about just enjoying the classes and being a kid.

So in the recital Jonathan's class danced to the song Forever and they did a great job! In the middle of the routine everyone got a free dance moment and had to choose what they were going to do. Jonathan started break-dancing and he was front and center so he got some major attention. He was great! I am bias but he really was pretty good.

CONGRATS JONATHAN!

My Grandma's Brisket Recipe

2008-12-12T06:44:00.000-08:00

My Grandpa and Grandma (Joe and Frieda Rosen)

This is a recipe that does take up your day so be sure to plan well. My grandma used to make this brisket but she only used water. My sister and I use Broth. I personally like to throw in a cup of red wine but that would change the name to Sharon's Brisket Recipe and here I am giving my grandma's.

My grandma's name was Frieda Rosen. She was awesome. She was kind and taught me some very good life lessons. One in particular that I will never forget was when I was 16 and asked if she could buy my class ring for me. She said no. NO! I was shocked. I couldn't believe it! Knowing I was quite spoiled and expected everything in life to be handed to me, my grandma told me that the only way I was going to get that ring was if I bought it myself. She told me she absolutely didn't believe I could do it. So there it was. If I wanted a ring like all of my friends I actually had to pay for it myself. So I saved a portion of my paycheck from my part-time job at Baskin-Robbins for a couple of months and was able to order the least expensive ring they had. BUT I DID IT! And I did it all by myself. It was the first time I ever actually earned something totally on my own. It really changed me. I know it may sound silly but after that I started to really be a lot more responsible. One year later I upgraded that stupid ring just because I could. My grandma never forgot she did that for me either because she brought it up on the phone every now and then. She even told Dave about that lesson learned when she was out for my wedding. She said to me several times that although I was a brat as a child, she was very proud of how I turned out as an adult. She was right about the brat part. :) My grandma passed on about 5 years ago and I swear to you that there is not a day that goes by that I don't think about her.

My Grandma's Brisket Recipe (Courtesy of Jennifer Rosen & Mary Scotti)

Ingredients:
4-5 lb beef brisket
3 tablespoons Crisco (original recipe uses Nyafat (vegetable fat) which is very hard to find)
1 lg onion (minced)
Salt and Pepper
Good Hungarian Paprika (about 1/4 cup)
Half and Half of enough water and Beef Broth or Stock to cover meat (about 1 to 1 1/2 quarts)

In dutch oven or large pot, place oil in pot, melt down on medium heat, add minced onions and saute until translucent, add brisket, brown on both sides, season with salt, pepper and paprika to taste (the more the better) then cover brisket with water, cover and simmer for about 5 hours or until fork tender. Towards the end of simmering, last 40 minutes or so, tilt the lid a bit. This will make the juices simmer down and become thicker. When cooking is complete, slice on the bias and serve on a platter pouring the remaining juices over the meat.

Hooray for the internet during the holidays!

2008-12-11T15:49:00.001-08:00

I truly do not know how people shopped every year before the Internet came along. I mean seriously, have you been in the stores lately? The (majority of) employees are rude and don't want to be there, the shelves are either picked through or the merchandise is on the floor or worse, you end up buying someones return without knowing it!

This year while I was not able to afford much for Jonathan so I did ALL of my shopping online. I found that the deals I got were better than going to the store itself and I knew it was in stock and I didn't waste my time. I didn't have to stand in line for a half hour and I managed to get free shipping in most cases. Also have you noticed that there is merchandise you can only get online. I have been searching everywhere (calling of course) for the Pixar collection of short films on DVD and not one store in my very overpopulated area has it in stock. I ended up buying it from Amazon.com. I love Amazon because you can find everything under the sun there. And soon you will be able to buy from Hey, That's Gourmet! on Amazon.com. Dave and I just signed a 3 year contract so I guess we are in it for the long haul.

Anyway, back to what I was saying. I can't imagine what the heck my parents went through when I was little having to go from store to store. And believe me, when I was a kid there was a HUGE amount of floor space taken up by the mounds of wrapped packages for us kids. It was a truly amazing site! I wish some of the pictures still existed of Christmas's past. Our house was quite a site. The electric menorah in the window and a giant fake tree with hundreds of multi-colored twinkle lights in the "game room" just next to the living room. It was very warm and cozy. We had a wood stove that was in the middle of the room. I lived in Hopewell Junction, NY back then. Oh, anyway I'm getting off topic again. LOL! I do that a lot. So my parents (dad and at the time my step-mom) had gone shopping in that mess. Perhaps back then it wasn't like it is today. Maybe it was more fun?

So I am done shopping for this season. I bought Jonathan some very modest gifts. I got him that DVD from Pixar, a root beer making kit, a Camp Rock electric drum set and and an Ugly Doll. Ugly dolls are so cute and all the rage. So the only thing I have to do now is hit Walmart and Big Lots for some stocking stuffers. Tomorrow night Jonathan will be at school for Drop and Shop, an event his school does so parents can go shopping if they dare. I will be going to get those stocking stuffers and some wrapping paper and I am DONE!

Latkes, latkes and more latkes and a little brisket

2008-12-07T18:57:00.000-08:00

I know when Hanukkah is getting close because Jonathan starts begging for me to make latkes. I am planning to make a ton next week as I always do but I thought it sounded yummy enough that I made some tonight as well. Here is the recipe:

1 pound of russet potatoes (don't use waxy ones)
1/2 brown onion
2 eggs
3 Tablespoons flour
canola oil or vegetable oil

Peal the potatoes and put them in cold water. One by one grate them on the small part of a grater. Do not use a food processor or the larger grate because you are not making hash browns. You will want them to be a very fine grate.

When done with the potato, grate the onion the same way and mix in.

Place grated potato and onion in a strainer and strain out all of the water. This will not be a quick process. You may want to do it in batches. The reason for this very important step is because waterlogged potatoes do not crisp up.

Once drained add eggs and flour and mix well.

Add oil to a large skillet and heat to about 350. I use an electric skillet so I can control the heat.

Using a tablespoon drop in scoops of the potato mixture. Once in the skillet take the back of the spoon and gently flatten the center so it's not real thick.

Let brown then flip until golden brown. Take out and place on plate with paper towels or place a cooling rack over a baking sheet and place on rack. Lightly sprinkle with salt.

Serve with applesauce and/or sour cream

My family has enjoyed latkes for generations as many Jewish families have. I hope you enjoy them too. If you have any questions let me know.

I like to serve them with brisket. Here is the easiest brisket recipe in the world.

1 brisket
1 packet of onion soup mix
aluminum foil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Trim fat from brisket
Place in center of a very large piece of foil
Sprinkle half the packet of soup mix on the brisket and turn over
Sprinkle the other half of the soup mix on the other side of the brisket
Cover the brisket with the foil and be sure not to leave any holes or pockets that steam can escape from.
Place in a shallow roasting pan.
Place in oven and roast for 2.5 hours for a 2 lb. brisket
DO NOT OPEN OVEN OR FOIL DURING THIS TIME
When finished take it out of the oven and let it rest for 20 minutes before opening foil.
When done you will have a perfectly cooked brisket that made it's own delicious au jus.

Enjoy the holidays coming up!

Doubleshot..mmmmmmm

2008-12-02T14:37:00.000-08:00

Forgive me if I babble. Today I was sitting at my desk at work staring at the dual monitors I have. One monitor I have the program up that I enter all of the classes the company I work for teaches and on the other monitor I have my email up. I have been staring at these screens since 8:30 this morning with only a couple of breaks and I am tired! I guess waking up at 3:00 am because I couldn't sleep doesn't help either. But hey, at least I got time to catch-up on The 2 Gossip Girl and Privileged shows I had recorded.

So I am sitting here and I finally decided I had 2 choices. Either fall asleep on my desk or go downstairs to the liquor store in our building and buy an energy drink. I am not an advocate of energy drinks so you have to relize just how tired I must be.

I looked at the selection and I cannot believe all of the choices. There were juice drinks, soda drinks and coffee drinks. They claimed to be so crazy full of energy. I of course bought Starbucks Doubleshot Energy + Coffee, vanilla flavored drink. It seemed like the only thing I could actually get down. All the other drinks were full of sweet flavors and seemed gross.

I have to tell you that the Starbucks drink I got was awesome. The can is 15 Fl oz and 2 servings. 210 calories and 2.5 grams of fat for the entire can! The taste is great and it did give me a bit of a boost but it's not like I'm shaking from a caffeine overload. I loved it!

So if you find yourself falling asleep at work my advice to you is try this drink! It's awesome!

In the black?

2008-11-28T17:53:00.000-08:00

Why oh why did I venture into Toys R' Us today? Because of a birthday girl. Jonathan is going to a party for a classmate tomorrow and we hadn't had a chance to pick up her gift until today. What a mistake.

As we pulled into the parking lot of the mostly vacant strip mall that Toys R' Us resides in, Dave and I knew we shouldn't have waited until the infamous Black Friday to go birthday present shopping. Then on the other hand we thought we would be getting a great deal on an otherwise overpriced toy or game. We would usually go to Walmart as they have most of the same merchandise that is popular with the kiddo's. But Walmart BF would have probably been a really bad idea.

We parked and actually got a pretty good spot so we were thinking that maybe the crowds have past and we were going to breeze through the store. (are you laughing at us yet?) As we entered the store we stopped for just a second to glance at the beginning of point disaster. With each step we took there were more and more piles of toys and games and action figures and whatever else had been tossed from a shelf to the floor. The end caps were loaded with "deals" that were not very good. It was obvious that anything they actually had with a reduced price, was already gone and the rest was just full priced merchandise that the stores had and probably hoping people would buy as well. But really, I have never seen such mayhem and disorder. Employees were telling customers that needed direction to a product that they had no idea where it was because everything was so misplaced. The price scanners on the wall were not working so there was no way you could tell the price of something unless you took it to a register. Some toys were out of boxes and you had to step over things just to keep from tripping over something else.

I saw the news about what was happening today in other areas. Some news so horrible it doesn't need to be repeated. And in other places reports of people getting a deal on a TV for over $400 off. Of course those people have been in line since Wednesday. And they really were too! Jonathan and I spent our day at Colour Me Mine and Barnes & Noble in Costa Mesa on Wednesday once I was off work. There is a Best Buy there and there they were. The people lining up for the sale that would happen 2 days later. Knowing they would be missing Thanksgiving they still put their tents up and waited. According to the news channel that was out there early this morning, people were taking shifts to be sure they wouldn't loose their place in line. I would never do that. Funny thing is, many of the same deals went online yesterday at 10pm Pacific. But then again, many things sold out FAST! I went on to Walmart.com last night at about 10:05 and the Motorola Blue Tooth ear thingy was already sold out. It was marked down to $18. See, that's a deal! Last year I did get in line at Walmart at about 4 am. It was fun and I got a few good deals. I probably would have done it again but truthfully I didn't have the money this year.

At Toys R Us we did finally end up with a game for the birthday girl. The original Mystery Date game. It wasn't marked down, not even a cent. But it's something she'll enjoy. So I wonder if the stores will actually be in the black after today?

Are you addicted to your Blackberry?

2008-11-27T11:43:00.001-08:00

I was up really early today and watching the news. I saw the piece of the interview with Obama about how he really wants to keep his Blackberry because he is so used to it keeping him connected. Can you relate? I certainly can.

I have a T-Mobile Dash smart phone and I get every pennies worth out of it. I check my 5 or 6 email addresses several times a day and I use it to get on the Internet when I need to know something right then and there. I now also take advantage of the modem use and connect it to my laptop when needed.

I can't even imagine actually just having a phone anymore. Imagine what life would be if I had an iPhone? I may never look up! :)

Did I miss something? Was Obama already sworn in?

2008-11-24T13:25:00.000-08:00

I rarely use my blog for political rants but something has been bothering me and I need to get it out. Has Obama been sworn in yet? Is he an active president? He sure is acting like it.

I just read an article that stated he "blessed the Bush administration's bailout of the financial industry." Well that was very nice of him. I understand the country is in a major amount of despair but every time I see a new headline about Mr. Obama he is already acting as if he is the Commander in Chief.

Don't get me wrong, I am not a big fan (anymore) of President Bush and no, I didn't really support McCain or Obama either. But I think out of respect he should back off just a little and perhaps concentrate more on what he will do instead of what he is going to do now as president.

I understand a lot of people will disagree with me but please be respectful, this is my blog and a great place for me to vent. :)

Extra! Extra! Read all about it! AMAZON.COM MAKES SUPER MOM FEEL SUPER AGAIN!

2008-11-24T11:00:00.000-08:00

Amazon.com does it again! They addressed the problem of Super Mom's and Dad's not feeling Super. This applies to all people as well of course. They now package some items such as electronics and toys in an Amazon Frustration-Free Package, a recyclable box that is easy to open and comes without excess packaging materials such as hard plastic clamshell cases, plastic bindings, and wire ties.

So why can't manufacturers follow suit? Hopefully they will. This type of packaging is not only better for our hands and ego's but very good for the environment as well.

So there you have it. A company that addressed the problem of my Kryptonite.

TGIF

2008-11-21T08:35:00.000-08:00

It's Friday! WHOO-HOO! This week has been a very short one. It went by so fast. And I can't even believe it's almost Thanksgiving and then Hanukkah and Christmas.

I haven't been blogging so much lately because I really don't have anything interesting to say. The days have been so much around getting Hey, That's Gourmet up and running that I haven't really thought about much else. We have advertising on Google and Yahoo now. If you search through many different words such as Brownies, Browniepop, truffles, even football you may see out little ad come up.

Dave still works at AAA and his and everyone else in customer service that is "technically" part-time actually can only get part-time hours until whenever. Dave's supervisor said he just needs to hang in there and it'll change back to where he can work 40 hours a week even thought he's a part-timer. So he's been doing just that. Also about Dave, his shoulder is getting better through physical therapy. I don't want to mention his seizures because I don't want to jinx him.

Jonathan has been great too! He reads really well now and will read a chapter book over one with a bunch of pictures. He is also still a stellar speller. But an angel he is not. He received a detention 2 weeks ago for throwing an eraser at a classmate during reading time. He said the child irritated him pretty bad before class and he was still mad at him but he still should not have thrown that eraser. He learned from it so I guess the detention was fine. But on the other hand he has never done anything like that and I would have appreciated the teacher just giving him a verbal warning. Nobody should get detention on a first offense.

Tomorrow we are participating in another boutique selling our chocolates and sadly it's the last one we are scheduled for. I was hoping to find another one before Christmas. If anyone knows of a boutique still accepting vendors on any weekend day except December 13th please let me know. I would love to be able to have one more chance before Christmas.

To my sister, I hope the conference goes well and you get to relax soon.

For all of you that have a blog that I read I will be sure to read them today. Sorry I've been so bad about that. It's just been CRAZY!

Have a great Friday!

My Kryptonite

2008-11-20T08:47:00.000-08:00

Jonathan looks to me as some sort of Super Hero for the most part. I kiss his boo-boos,resolve his problems, feed him, reward him and so on. But I found out that even me who Jonathan considers to be the most super of all super moms has a weakness, a kryptonite. Plastic packaging is my krptonite.

Nothing makes me feel more weak then the packaging that toys, electronics and pretty much everything comes in. Jonathan asks me, Mommy can you open my toy so I can play with it in the car? So there I am with my keys trying to make some sort of tear without cutting myself. Sometimes I just have to say No J, I can't and he just has to deal with it until I can get to the scissors. Scissors by the way doesn't always cut the packages either. But eventually the Kryptonite is depleted and I get to the prize and win and then again I feel Super.

Where did the time go?

2008-10-05T19:06:00.000-07:00

I swear it was just Jonathan's 6th birthday and I was at Mile Square Park in the dark cleaning up after a full day of fun. I swear it was just Halloween when I was getting Jonathan dressed as a chef. I swear it was just Thanksgiving where I decided to cut corners and get a turkey dinner from Mimi's then throw it out because it was gross so I roasted a turkey anyway. I swear it was just Hanukkah and Christmas and there was that sweet feeling of neighborly love in the air. I swear it was just New Year's and I fell asleep at 9pm.

Well now it's Jonathan's 7th birthday on October 23rd and all of the above follows so quickly. Why does it feel like every special occasion happened just the month before instead of a whole year ago? Why do I feel like I want to just stop time and stare into the day I am in, instead of letting it pass by like we are in warp speed.

My dad is looking for an apartment that is large enough that we will be able to go and visit. My dad lives in New York so it's not like we can go every weekend. But I can't tell you how much I would love to be able to go at least twice a year. But there is the problem of time and that money stuff but I hope to make it at least once a year.

This is a new year in the Jewish Calendar so I will use that as my benchmark. I am going to start really looking around. Taking in the days ahead. Make Jonathan's 7th last as loooooong as I can. In July I turn 40. Ya, can you believe it? Anyway, it will not be a time of days forgotten. I will make this year sweet, memorable and worth the time to live.

Albert Einstein said "I never think of the future, it comes soon enough"

Time for the chickendance!

2008-09-05T20:20:00.000-07:00

Yes it may be time for that fun lovin festival Octoberfest at Old World Village down the street but that's not what I'm writing about here. My chickendance is for the roasted chicken I made for dinner tonight. (My sister is about to roll her eyes as I get to the details)

You may think it's just a roasted chicken, so what. But it wasn't. It was a 5 pound roaster that cooked in an hour and 20 minutes. That is so great for a mom that comes home on a work day at 6:00pm. If I were to make this in the oven it would take 30-40 minutes more time. That is precious time, dontcha know.

The other day a very large and heavy box arrived with a note that said, Love Dad. It was my NuWave oven. My dad has had one for a while now and loves it. I am a believer!

The first thing I cooked in this thing was a rather inexpensive london broil. With my dad's advice I didn't use salt or pepper to season. Instead I bought some Lawry's meat tenderizer without MSG and sprinkled some on the steak. In about 25 minutes I had an amazing dinner to serve my very hungry family. Added steamed frozen veggies from the micro of course.

For Jonathan it's tourture. He loves steak and watching it cook was not only entertaining but had to give him a lesson with patients.

As mentioned, tonight was the 5 pound roasted chicken. Seasoned with some lemon and garlic, salt and paprika I put my new centerpiece of the kitchen to work.

My mother lives with us and she is very weird about her chicken. She really doesn't like what the crockpot does to it. So we either buy a roasted chicken on the way home from work at a market or we have to make it at home. Well I have to tell you that at 99 cents a pound for twice the chicken, I would always rather roast it myself. Plus I have control of seasonings my family likes and no added oils when I make it at home.

So I seasoned the chicken and placed it in the NuWave oven. Set the timer to 40 minutes. When the timer went off I had to turn the chicken over. That's right...I had to turn the chicken over. I have to say that this is not easy and I need to figure out an clever way to do this. Once I I flipped it I set the timer to another 40 minutes. By this time Jonathan was saying "oh mommy it looks so good!" And it really did.

When the 5 pound chicken was ready it was only 80 minutes later. I MADE ROAST CHICKEN ON A WEEK NIGHT! Really it was perfect! Perfect, golden and juicy.

So what's on the menu tomorrow? Chicken tacos probably because there is so much leftover and did I mention it was SO GOOD!?!

Thanks again daddy!

A working mom stuck between a rock and a hard place

2008-08-21T09:32:00.001-07:00

Last Thursday Jonathan had to stay home from school because he was sick. So of course I have to take a day off of work. I took him to the doctor and she said just give him Motrin and he will be better by Sunday. So I did. And he wasn't. I had Friday off so technically I had to take 1 day off of work. Monday came and J is still ill. I took him to another doctor who took a chest x-ray and sure enough the 1st doctor should have prescribed him antibiotics because he has an infection in his chest. One step away from pneumonia. So here I am on Thursday and I am still not at work and Jonathan is still not at school. I tried, I really did. I brought him to school this morning and as soon as we hit the parking lot he threw-up. I was frightened. I knew my bosses were not going to be happy with me taking yet another day. I was right.

9:00am: My cell rings, it's my boss. She said, this is not good you can't be off this much.

So what is a mother supposed to do? Even if I had a sitter they won't watch a sick kid. Who wants to get sick from watching someone else's sick kid? And Dave can't call into work or he'll really get in trouble. My mom can't watch him for more than an hour at the most.

I run into this problem at least 2 or 3 times a year. How is a full-time working mom supposed to be a stealer employee and a perfect mom?

I honestly don't think the world will ever know.

A book you moms & dads need to checkout in January!!!

2008-08-20T18:50:00.000-07:00

So a huge congrats to my friend Rena Jones who is now a published children's book author. Her book comes out January 2009. It's called A New Job for Dilly.

Rena says "it's about a little rat who loves sour pickles. He's tired of having to steal them, so he decides to look for a job from A to Z. It's an alphabet picture book for kids ages 4-8 years." How cute is that!

So here is her very own Author page, again so cool! Check it out when you get the chance.

http://www.4rvpublishingllc.com/Rena_Jones.html

Congrats Rena!

Say Mac and Cheeeeeeeeeese and this that and the other

2008-08-07T20:03:00.000-07:00

Just out of the oven is the Stouffers Mac and Cheese. While it's cooling the salmon is in the oven and the green beans in the micro. I am on this blog blabbing while dinner is practically cooking itself and my kid is behind me in the living room watching the Upside Down show. Yes, I do have to get up a half a million times to check on things and it takes about an hour to complete a post. lol!

Do you do this? I work in an office all day so when I get home I have to compact my time into a multi-tasking mish mosh. Thank goodness I have my husband to help me when I get lost in front of my aging monitor. But then before I know it, it's 8:30pm and nothing is actually done except perhaps we are finally eating. Time is precious and there really is not enough of it.

Grey hair. I am 39 and I seem to be seeing a lot of these lately. Maybe I need to slow down? Maybe I need to not stress so much over time. Maybe I just need to dye my hair more and stay in denial that the grey is even there. It surprises me every time though. I think it's because I remember my teens and 20's like it was yesterday. While I am happy to be more mature and wiser, I don't see myself as aging. Well, at least not until I look in the mirror. lol! I do seem to babble on more now then I used to. LOL!

Ok, I am done blabbing now.

I took 3rd again this year

2008-07-12T17:12:00.000-07:00

So the judging is in and my Chocolate Chip Poundcake came in 3rd. So I am 3 for 3! I am a little disappointed because I really loved this recipe. But still, this is the 1st time I was in the pound cake class and I placed. Not too shabby!

Last year I received 3rd for my Huckleberry Angel Food Cake and the year before 2nd for my Cranberry Orange Angel Food Cake. NICE!

I'm looking forward to next July.

Mama Sharon's Helpful So Cal tips for a fun 4th

2008-07-01T20:01:00.001-07:00

Happy 4th of July!

*When showing up to a picnic late, don't eat the cole slaw that's been sitting out for 2 hours.

*If you are planning to go to Downtown Huntington Beach, make new plans unless you enjoy spending your holiday with 150 thousand people.

*If you are going to bar-b-que, be sure your propane tank is full BEFORE you start cooking.

*Don't get angry that the people on your street are still lighting fireworks at 2am. It's nothing new, you should expect it by now!

*If you decide to go see fireworks at the last minute and realize you drove around too long and missed all of them, don't worry, go the next night to Downtown Disney or park outside of Knotts. They have fireworks every night of the summer.

*Want more tender chicken before you grill? Soak it in buttermilk overnight.

*Please be safe and don't drink and drive!

Angel Flop Cake

2008-06-28T19:46:00.000-07:00

Well I guess I will only be making the chocolate chip pound cake for the fair this year. The angel food cake is just not working out. While it's always my favorite cake, the weather is not permitting me to make it. Such a delicate cake need air conditioning and not a house that gets 10 degrees hotter then the temperature outside.

I made the pound cake 3 times already and I have to admit, this is probably the best cake I have EVER baked. The glaze is awesome. It's a rich espresso glaze and it compliments the chocolate so well. I think I have a "fair" chance for 1st this year.

Wish me luck!

And now it's Summer

2008-06-22T19:15:00.000-07:00

Holy Smokes it's HOT outside! This past week Jonathan graduated from Kindy and we sat outside in 100 degree heat. Dave was burning pretty bad. I don't burn like that so I was o.k. Just really uncomfortable.

Anyway, summer is here and it's time to "chill" a little. All of Jonathan's activities are finished until September. All he has noware his swim lessons on the weekends. School starts for him on August 11th so he needs to enjoy his summer while he can.

It's also O.C. Fair time and you know what that means...CAKE COMPETITION! Whoo Hoo! The last 2 years I entered I made cakes that were kinda fruity angel food cakes. The 1st year was a cranberry-orange angel food and last year huckleberry. Did I come in 1st place? No! All because of chocolate. I was beat by chocolate cakes both years. So this year it's chocolate time. And, I am entering 2 cakes instead of just one. I Am entering a chocolate-raspberry angel food cake. I LOVE the combination of chocolate and raspberries. I am also entering a chocolate chip pound cake with espresso glaze. Oh My Goodness! I made the pound cake last night and brought it to a barbecue we went to today. It was a hit. It really is a great cake. I'd say good enough for best of show! :-)

Anyway, stay cool no matter where you are. If your in Australia, stay warm. :) I have dinner on the stove so I have to go. I'll post my recipes here on my blog if they place at the fair in July.

Toodles!

Wow is it really spring?

2008-03-20T18:48:00.000-07:00

As I watch the news I see the weather report from all over the U.S. Snow, rain storms, hail, etc. You would think that mother nature forgot that today starts spring.

When I was little in Hopewell Jct.,NY I used to love the air in the spring time. It was chilly in the morning but just enough for a light sweater or jacket. The winter coats were put away. The air even tasted good. It was crisp and there was always a light breeze. Once the flowers started blooming the air smelled a bit sweet in spots. And of course the birds were singing again and the deer started to venture out. Sounds like a movie, huh?

So here in Huntington Beach, CA it's about 51 in the morning and gets to about 73 during the high point of the day. Perfect! We have that light chill but then it's warm enough to enjoy. Much better than hot.

Spring has always been my favorite season. Happy Spring!

My little kitchen helper

2007-10-13T18:59:00.000-07:00

One of the best things about Jonathan growing up is his interest in helping me in the kitchen. He loves to wisk and to stir. I let him chop soft food with his safety knife too. I really don't know how I ever survived in the kitchen without my little helper!

As If!

2007-08-26T19:30:00.000-07:00

So Mattel should just be so embarrased. They had millions of toys recalled due to high amounts of lead levels and that can be very harmful for a child. And all of these toys were made in the good ol' U.S. of A...NOT! If they were there wouldn't be such a recall. They were all made in China. CHINA! When are the manufacturers going to learn that parents will pay a little more for QUALITY. We already pay for the crud that hits the shelves of the toy store. It's just so sad that it's come to this. Where is the common sense? Where is the trust in our country to make the items here? Yeah, Yeah, polution. Open factories and you have the United States destroying the ozone again. What IS the answer? Toothpaste. No no, toothpaste is not the answer but did you know Crest is made in the US and was not recalled this year. All toothpastes made in China were though. You Toms of Maine users were safe too.

So lets see there were toys recalled, pet food recalled, cars (mercedes benz) recalled, tires recalled, Sony recalled cameras. So what next? AS IF!

I really don't use this blog for my views like this but I am so sick of things being so tainted because they are made in China. It's just gross.

I know he's growing-up a bit, that's what kids do!

2007-08-18T08:34:00.000-07:00

Jonathan started kindergarten. He gets up in the morning and puts on his khaki uniform pants or shorts and his green Page Private School polo shirt. He is no longer a toddler. He is indeed a little boy. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

So where has the time gone? He's a size 7 and in shoes a 1. He grew out of "T's" a while ago yes. You know, 3T, 4T... but where has the time gone?

He now asks questions like, mommy when I'm a teenager can I date? Not really knowing what to say I answer simply...sure. He responded with a YES like he just won a game. Too funny.

And music is getting to be different. Good-bye Playhouse Disney, Hello Radio Disney! He has his own play list in my iPod. I put it on for him while he's doing his homework. He gets homework every Monday and it's due back on Friday. Also I put it on when it's time to pick up toys so he can dance and pick-up at the same time. It makes it less of a chore that way and the room get cleaned up way faster. So anyway his playlist consists of Aly and AJ, Corbin Bleu, Music from HS Musical and HS Musical 2, Miley Cyrus aka Hannah Montana, The Jonas Brothers and other pre-teen artists. So crazy! But yes, he still has some Wiggly songs in there too. He said last night that he still loves The Wiggles. He watches an occasional Wiggly DVD every now and then but he never watched the shows anymore. I guess I'll keep the plates on my car a while longer. hee hee

So what's next for my little pre-tween? Well I'm taking him to see HI-5 Live tonight. That should be fun. Google it if you have no idea who they are. :)

A Great week for Jonathan at camp!

2007-07-01T08:51:00.000-07:00

This past week was the 1st of 6 weeks for Jonathan at Camp Silver Gan Israel. He had a GREAT time!

The very first day was a little rough as they placed him in the 1st grade bunk due to his age. He will be 6 in October so they assumed he was going in to 1st grade. When they asked Jonathan what grade he was entering he of course said Kindergarten. He ended up getting switched into the Kindy room and it's working out well.

On Monday they went to SCATS. A real gymnastics facility where the kids tumbled and jumped. On Tuesday they went bowling. Jonathan has never been to a bowling alley and he said this was the best activity of the week. The alley put bumpers up for the little ones so they could have fun. And on Thursday they has a blast at Boomers. Every Tuesday and Thursday are set activities.

Every day they go swimming and Jonathan said that he made a new swimming buddy. They are in the very shallow pool so they can play and have fun. He is not currently getting lessons.

They also of course do arts and crafts, music and science. All of the activities work in some sort of Jewish something or other to keep it very spiritual. Every Friday morning the kids get to bake Challah to bring home for Shabbat.

He had a great time and even better times are coming up. A friend from his religious school starts in his class on July 9th. And that friend just happens to also LOVE The Wiggles! WHOO-HOO!

The Easter Beagle?

2007-04-08T08:48:00.000-07:00

So this morning Jonathan woke up and ran to the front door of the house to find a basket that was left by...The Easter Beagle. Yes, you read that right, the Easter Beagle.

Yesterday Jonathan asked if the Easter bunny was going to give him a basket full of candy and toys. In true Rosen fashion, I turned things around and said Easter Bunny? Why the Easter Bunny? We're Jewish so the Easter bunny will not be visiting us, WE GET THE EASTER BEAGLE! I went on to explain how if you're really good and you listen to your parents, the Easter Beagle will leave a small basket full of goodies outside the front door while you sleep. Also, the Easter Beagle only will leave a basket for the youngest and the oldest in the home.

Which brings me back to the beginning of this post. Jonathan ran to the door at about 7 am and found a small basket with a bit of candy and yes, a stuffed Snoopy. My mom received a little basket with some sugar-free candies.

THANK YOU EASTER BEAGLE!

2007-03-16T19:31:00.000-07:00

A Weekend of Wiggling...

So it all started the weekend before the shows at Amy's house. Julie and I drive down to San Diego to Amy's house for a sign making get together. Really I don't think we got much sign making done but it was a great excuse to hang out and have the kids really get reacquainted before the radical weekend we had ahead of us. The kids played Hullaballoo, a game I never heard of before that day and we sipped on iced tea and the best chicken salad I ever tasted. Then we headed home in the early evening with the kids totally wiped out. Jonathan slept in the car just long enough to regain energy to play when we arrived home.

Friday, March 9, 2007:

WAH HOO! The day started out great. We packed up the car with some snacks, the BRC (Big Red Car) backpack filled with the roses for Dorothy and water bottles since it was a HOT day. Jonathan had a Jelly sandwich and I had PB&J and we were off!

When we arrived close to the arena I called Amy as she was near where I was and we met in a parking lot and I followed her the rest of the way. Julie at that point was just about there as well. While in the car waiting to enter the parking garage, I noticed the people behind me cracking up at my WGGLMOM plates. They even took a picture of them with a camera phone.

We parked and walked up to the arena. I had a problem with my tickets and unfortunately, the tickets I sold had a problem too. That's a whole other Oprah which I'm not getting into here. I finally got in and it was amazing! The Cox arena is really a HORRIBLE venue but we were on the floor for the 1st show and Jonathan was able to hang out and dance with Zoe.

Before the show actually started they played the video message of Greg explaining his condition and showed him handing over the Yellow Skivvy to Sam. I cried. I think everyone did. However, Sam was of course great and very well received.

All the favorites were performed. Fruit Salad, Rock-A-Bye Your Bear and of course Toot Toot was the first song. The Overture was awesome with tap, ballet and Ben running into the audience. So much energy for the first minute of the show. They also did Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and the Itsy Bitsy Spider. The songs Jonathan said were so the babies can enjoy the show too! He's so funny.

During Teddy Bears Day Out they had the dancers in Teddy Bear costumes that were SO ADORABLE! I just wanted to give them hugs they were so cute.

In between shows Adam joined us and we all split a Pizza. OMG! I just realized I owe Amy and Adam $5 or $6 for that still. The 2nd show that day we were in seats just 6 rows up and J and I were actually thankful for that because we got to sit and relax and watch the show.

Jonathan got his swag at that show, a RTTR (Racing to the Rainbow) backpack mainly because it's the last one they are making with Greg on it, 2 T-shirts and a cup. The Wiggles have always reasonably priced their merchandise unlike Disney where at an ice show it's impossible to afford even cotton candy which goes for $15!

The day ended with Talking to Alex the sound guy for a bit then getting to meet Sam. Sam also signed the backpack. COOL!

Saturday and Sunday, March 10-11, 2007:

We were lucky enough to have gotten to stay at the Hilton Universal which of course was right at the Amphitheatre. We left late morning and checked in with enough time for J to take a bath and me a shower. Good thing to since I needed energy already. We had 4 shows to go! Two on each Saturday and Sunday.

Once it was time we headed to the show. Dave was able to join us for all four shows. This was something we had hoped he would feel well enough for and he did. That really made the weekend that much more special.
During the first show Jonathan got to give a football we made for Sam to him. He came down to us and then showed everyone and talked very briefly about it. During the same show I think Zoe gave Murray the coolest and biggest guitar pick I have EVER seen. He even read the really cool note on the back and recognized that Zoe has been to several shows. The kids were really having a great time. Oh yeah, we were too!

Amy and family were staying at the Hilton too so after the 1st show we went back to our rooms to get a drop of rest before Wiggling again. Jonathan wore his Murray clothes to the 1st show and changed into his Sam clothes for the 2nd.

After that 2nd show we headed to the Daily Grill for dinner and then back to the hotel for the night just to start again the next day.

On Sunday Jonathan and Zoe played for a while before we headed to the shows and they headed for a drive around Los Angeles. Julie, Mandi and Jimmy were at the Sunday shows with us.

We went to the 1st show on Sunday late because Jonathan was having fun relaxing. But we only missed a little. After all, it wasn't like we hadn't seen it 4 times already. We sat in our seats which were right near Alex and enjoyed a pizza and the show.

After the show we were lucky enough to see Paul, Anthony's brother and get pictures with him. He talked to me and Julie until a worker of the place wanted to kick Julie and I out. He was so nice and actually started the conversation with us.

During all of these shows, something I haven't mentioned yet, Julie and I were collecting the bones that people brought for Wags the Dog. Jonathan and I will be donating the ones we took to the animal shelter tomorrow.

During the last show of the weekend I had floor seats. DDD, just 4 rows back. AWESOME SEATS but ended up in the FRONT ROW because there were seats open next to Julie and the kids. OH MY GOD! It was just a whole other world from there. Mandi and Jonathan and even little Jimmy danced throughout the entire show. They were on the Jumbotron screens a lot! Jonathan and Mandi were also the kids that got to give their roses to Dorothy the Dinosaur. TOO COOL!

Well to top it off, at the end of the show Jonathan was given a Guitar Pick from Murray. It was the one he used during the show. He came over to J just before he left the stage and said "you're going to need this to play your guitar" and Jonathan was so happy! The weekend was complete. The day before 2 very special friends of J also were lucky and got guitar picks. But it really was special because they were the luckiest kids in the whole wide world and The Wiggles make them feel that way during each and every show. They Rocked and so did we.

I don't know how many more years we have to be able to do this. Jonathan may decide next year that he is just over it. It can happen! I'm really going to miss all of this when he does. As a family we are grateful to The Wiggles for giving us something we can all share equally. Whether it's me singing Do the Ooby Doo while doing the dishes and repeating every word that's memorized from hearing Live Hot Potatoes in the car several thousand times or Jonathan acting like a guitar god while rockin out to Eagle Rock. We all have been affected by the music and kindness and hope it will last another year.

Keep On Wiggling!

More endings...

2007-03-02T19:21:00.000-08:00

So I suppose everything must come to an end. Remember the day that you watched Beverly Hills 90210 end? Remember the feeling you had when you knew Brandon and Kelly were moving on? I do.

Television, it becomes quite a big part of your life when you invest so much time following the drama. And Felicity! She actually ended up with Ben and didn't she keep that hair of hers short?

My grandma watched Days of Our Lives every day just until she passed. She invested time in the silly story lines and such. I used to think it was kinda funny until it happened...the prime-time soaps.

With me it all started with 90210 and Melrose Place. Ah, Melrose place. There were lots of memories connected to that show for me. Anyway...then later came so many more brainless shows I got attached to. So when The OC aired it's final episode this past week, I was heart broken. I have to admit that they ended it with so much closure. Something you don't get from every ending. Seth and Summer were eventually married, Julie earned her degree and was on her way to making something of herself, The Cohen's moved to Berkley and Ryan turned out great of course staying together with the ever so high-strung Taylor. Anyway, the actual events of the OC ending is not what I am trying to get at here.

It just seems like so many shows I love are ending or have ended. Everwood went off the air last year and that was pure tragedy. However Bright did show up on the OC this last season and the chick who played Amy just made her appearance on Brothers and Sisters last week as a new main character.

I was watching the Disney channel with Jonathan and Dave tonight and another super cute spot of

television genius has come to an end. No, thank god it's not Hannah Montana. That would just really make me sad. I'm talking about Mike's Super Short Show. You know, the little spots in-between the shows that tell about different Disney dvd's, movies and things going on. I loved them but they are probably getting way too old for that. Besides that, I have seen the girl that plays Mike's sister in a lot of shows and I think a movie or two.

So what's next? What little mindless pleasure will be the next show to be cancelled. I'd bet money on Gilmore Girls. When that happens, I would suggest you give me time to absorb the sadness because I will be very unhappy that day.

Greg really is gone

2007-01-06T12:46:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I was at the Wiggles website and noticed that in a new banner ad there was an animation of the new yellow, Sam. I guess even though I knew Greg was really gone I just didn't expect to see Sam animated so soon. I don't know why really.
So we have the Bindi/Wiggles show next week and that will be the first time for us seeing Sam as the Yellow Wiggle and not a Wiggly dancer. It's going to be very strange I'm sure.

Bye Greg, we wish you all the best. You will so much be missed!