Ten Recipes That Rock From Around the Blogosphere

1. Amy's Yogurt Coffee Cake Muffins- Amy uses the word "tender" to describe these and it couldn't be more apt. These are so easy to make and use ingredients most of us always have on hand.
2. Lynn's Chicken and Bacon Lo Mein- Um... did someone say BACON? This is a man-pleaser, to be sure. (Quick time saving tip... you can easily use a bag of "California mixed veggies" for the cauliflower, broccoli, and carrots in this.)
3. Jessica's Jalapeno Burn Pizza- This pizza is a grown-up flavor-fest for the mouth. My kids will eat anything and this is no exception... but I tend to reserve it for my husband and me.
4. Crystal's Lazy Granola- I am not joking here: I eat this granola six mornings a week. I like it that much. Sometimes I make a peanut butter version. Sometimes I make my Chocolate Almond version. But it's all based off this recipe right here.
5. Tammy's Italian Cheese Bread- I told you all last week. I love this stuff. I make at least ten different versions.
6. Kate's Crescent Rolls- These are so good! Most often, I use them for making up Pigs in Blankets, but I make them just plain at holidays too.
7. Laura's French Toast- It's not that I really needed a recipe for French Toast, but this uses more milk and less eggs than my traditional method and that saves me money. That makes me happy! I'd never used flour before, but it really works out well... you should give it a try!
8. Joy's Peanut Butter Baked Oatmeal- It's the chocolate chips she added that push this one right over the edge into "dessert for breakfast" territory. So great with scrambled eggs after 8:30 am Mass!
9. Amy's Pizza Omelets- Can you tell I want to have breakfast with Amy? She and I share a weakness for eggs and cheese together... these yummy omelets have such great flavor and can easily stand in for a quick supper.
10. Lynn's Mexican Pizzas- Winner, winner, winner. The whole family went crazy for these. My husband despises beans, so I just melted some cheese between his tostadas. Worked like a charm.

Print out any and all of them- they are all tried and true and have been repeated MULTIPLE times here in the Parenting Miracles household! They are all either quick and easy to toss together or flexible enough to do lots of the work ahead of time. Bon appetit!

(By the way... I could have listed many more recipes from Amy and Lynn. They're both talented in the kitchen, yes, but so are many other bloggers. One of the big things that sets them apart? An easy to follow recipe index. I don't have one of those, but I'm realizing I need to work on it. It makes me at least ten times more likely to go to them to look for things to try... just something to think about.)

This post is linked to:

Top Ten {Tuesday}

Tasty Tuesday

Tempt My Tummy Tuesday

Menu Plan: 8/30- Back to School!

It's our first week of school here! Tuesday is the kids' first day back and I'm sending them off with an energy-boosting power lunch... (They are only 4 and 5 and have half-day school- both will be attending in the PM this year, making life simpler for Mama!)

Sunday:

B-Cereal, Applesauce, Milk

L-Pancakes, Bacon, Apple Slices

D-Sunday Supper at Bama & Papa's

Monday:

B-Scrambled Eggs, Toast, Juice

L-Pepperoni Pizza (My nephews are spending the day with us! We're looking forward to having them help us make a big ol' pizza to feed all five kids-- ages 1 to 10. :))

D-Lynn's Zucchini "Pizza"

Tuesday: (Our first day of school!)

B-Yogurt Muffins, Apple Slices, Milk
L-PB Toast, Choc Banana Smoothies (using chocolate yogurt as the chocolate part), lots of Fresh Fruit
D-Sweet & Sour Steak and Veggies over Rice

Wednesday:

B-Oatmeal with Apples & Raisins, Milk

L-Cheesy Beans & Rice, Water

D-Pigs in Blankets, Corn, Baked Beans

Thursday:

B-Hard-boiled Eggs, Yogurt Muffins, Juice

L-P,B,&J, Apples, Milk

D-Laura's Macaroni & Cheese, Broccoli

Friday:

B-Smoothies, Toast

L-Pigs in Blankets, Applesauce, Milk

D-Jalapeno Burn Pizza

Saturday:

B-Sausage "McGriddle" Sandwiches
L-Leftovers

D-Grilled Herb Marinated Chicken Thighs, Baked Beans, Biscuits (I'd just like to take a moment and confess to you all how hard that whole "marinade"/"marinate" thing is for me... I have to think SO hard every time. Am I the only one? Please, oh please, tell me there's someone else out there who struggles too...)

I'm really looking forward to Amy's Yogurt Muffins and Hard-Boiled Eggs on Thursday... I sometimes forget just how much my whole family likes hard-boiled eggs! Well, that's not entirely true. I don't like hard-boiled egg yolks... at all. Still, I love the whites (with a little salt!) and my four-year old happily scarfs up the extra yolks. Do you like hard-boiled eggs... and not just in the form of deviled eggs? ;)

This post is linked to Menu Plan Monday.

My Three Top Recommendations if You Give Birth Scary Early

I hope you never need these tips. I pray (everyday- seriously) that fewer and fewer babies are born so very early. But it does happen. If you happen to be one of the ones who has a very, very premature baby, here are my three biggest recommendations for you:

1. Try to breastfeed. (Or pump.) There are times when mom's health hangs too much in the balance to make this a viable possibility but, if there's even a small chance, try to nurse. While breastfeeding is the gold standard for ALL babies, it is even more critical for these tiny preemies. Full-term newborns have received a whole lot of antibodies through the placenta during the third trimester. Very early preemies miss out on that last trimester and, as a result, all those antibodies. Breast milk is the ONLY way for mom to pass on that protection. Try.
2. Be nice to the nurses. (And the doctors... but especially the nurses.) The nurses who care for your baby will prove to be an invaluable resource to you. They can tell you, frankly, how your baby's doing. They are often the gatekeepers to when you are allowed to change, touch, or hold your baby. They can get you the answers you need. Nurses witness all manner of things and have to deal with all manner of people. Try to be the kind of person someone would want to help and your road will be much smoother.
3. Take care of yourself. You know that old adage about putting on your own oxygen mask before assisting your children? Yeah... my husband and I always roll our eyes at that a little bit just because it's very hard to imagine not taking care of our babies first. Still... you need to eat. You need to sleep. You need to realize you gave birth to a baby and, as such, need to recover. I am not in the camp that suggests you "go to a movie and out to dinner" and all that... but that's more just because I don't go out and do those things if I have a full-term healthy infant either. It takes me a long time to want to go out and leave a baby behind. That's just me and I'm not judging people who choose to "get away". What I'm saying is this: if you're not nourished and rested, you can't focus and make the best choices for your baby. You're going to have a lot thrown at you. It pays to be clear-headed.

There you go. Those are my three top tips if you're facing life after just having given birth what I call "scary early"...

What three tips do you have? Or what three things can you teach me?

"Women Have Rights" and blah, blah, blah...

Yesterday, I followed a link from my BlogHer sidebar over there on the right for an article entitled "Should Bars Refuse to Serve Pregnant Women?"

I really should have known better. Somehow I guess I thought that at least most of the commenters would share my opinion which, for the record, is...

"Um, NO. Absolutely not. They should NOT serve pregnant women."

I was wrong.

Turns out most of the comments centered around how refusing to serve a pregnant woman is sexist. That's it's prejudice against women. That it's a gender-issue and, after all, these are grown women who have a right to do what they want! No one could tell a man he couldn't drink because pregnancy is a uniquely "female" issue. Over and over, women insisted that we can not and should not put the well-being of a mere fetus over the choices of a grown woman who is already on this earth and, thus, is entitled to more rights than some little bunch of cells.

When did we women become so short-sighted that we can't see beyond our "rights to do what we want when we want"? When did we decide that having a glass of wine now is more important and more empowering than being the ones to bring life- life- into this world?

I just don't understand why someone would choose to bring a little life into the world if she doesn't want to take care of it. I don't think I'm being punished by being the one who carries our babies. I don't think my husband is oh-so-much luckier to not have a child within him. I am so blessed to have that honor and responsibility. I've never once felt "put out" by having a life growing inside of me... even when it meant enduring caffeine withdrawal headaches when I foolishly went cold-turkey with my first.

I realize, yes, that there are different opinions on how much (if any) alcohol is safe during pregnancy. There's no general consensus on that one other than the fact that "too much" is bad. Doesn't it make sense for a bar or restaurant to ere on the side of caution? If my five year old grabbed a beer and took a swig, it's unlikely to do any real harm. Does that make it right or something I should encourage? Of course not. It's too hard to determine "how much is safe" and that's part of why we just don't serve alcohol to children... and I think the unborn variety should be included in that.

Back when I was a waitress, I refused to serve a pregnant woman the glass of white zinfandel that she ordered. I have no regrets about that.

But, apparently, I'm in the minority with my views. I was shocked, to be honest. And maybe that's because I have a feeling many, if not most, of my readers might agree with me...

So... do you?

10 Ways to Serve Up Cheese Bread

It all started with Tammy's recipe for Italian Cheese Bread. It is SO good. I encourage you to just make it as is and eat it until you're stuffed. I have made that recipe more times than I can count and it is always well-received.

I've been making it for over two years now and, perhaps a year ago, it finally occurred to me that, really, what I had learned was a method. I gave myself permission to go wild with different dressings, cheeses, herbs, etc. and a whole new world opened up! After you've made (and fallen in love with) Tammy's recipe, come on back to me and try one of these ten variations*:

1. Honey Mustard & Kosher Salt, dipped in a cheese sauce
2. Butter, Rosemary, & a little Blue Cheese
3. Ranch dressing, Cheddar Cheese, & Bacon Bits
4. Thin Layer of Taco Sauce, Cheddar Cheese, & very thinly sliced Tomatoes
5. Ranch Dressing & PepperJack Cheese (the ranch cools the pepperjack!)
6. Parmesan Peppercorn Dressing, Tarragon, Mozzarella, & Freshly Grated Parmesan
7. Caesar Dressing, Jack Cheese, & Thinly Sliced Olives
8. French Dressing, Dill, Swiss Cheese, Skinny Strips of Deli Ham
9. Italian Dressing, Smoked Gouda, Roasted Red Pepper strips
10. Olive Oil, Roasted Garlic, Fresh Basil, Fresh Mozzarella

*Prepare the dough exactly as Tammy's recipe indicates. Stop before adding the dressing and herbs and top with one of the above combos... yum!

(I have had great success with halving Tammy's recipe and preparing a smaller bread in a 9" round cake pan. I do this all the time to have fresh bread with soup for lunch!)

Image credit.

This post is linked to:

Tasty Tuesday

Tempt My Tummy Tuesday

Top Ten {Tuesday}

Preparing Your Child For Public Kindergarten

My dear friend Jessica over at Life as MOM has so much wonderful advice to give. She has SIX children, you realize, so she comes armed with a whole lot of experience. While she has experience teaching in the public school system (and attending it herself back in the day!), she has chosen to homeschool her children. Since "sending children off to public school" is not on her résumé, I've been given the happy opportunity to share some "public school stuff" over there. Because, at the end of the day... no matter how we choose to educate our kids, we all want to be "on the road to joyful motherhood."

Go check out my latest contribution: Preparing Your Child For Public Kindergarten

Menu Plan: 8/22- The Last Week of Summer Break Plan

Sigh... all my lovely plans last week for our leisurely Thursday breakfasts went up in smoke. Turns out my husband has meetings every Thursday morning. Bummer! Still, I make my menu plans for four weeks at a time so, as a result, this week's Thursday morning calls for one of Daddy's favorite morning meals. I may just have to get up extra, extra early to make it for him!

Sunday:

B-Cereal, Yogurt, Juice

L-Scrambled Eggs w/ Bacon, Toast, Leftover Cinnamon Rolls (Given the choice of whole wheat toast or cinnamon roll, which would you choose? For my family, I made ONE piece of toast... ;))

D-Burgers, Sliced Tomatoes (from the garden!), Corn on the Cob, Chips

Monday:

B-Banana Bread, Cheese, Juice

L-Rice, Hot Dog, Strawberries, Milk

D-Meatball, Bell Pepper, & Onion Grinders

Tuesday:

B-Cereal, Applesauce, Milk
L-Zucchini Pizza Slices (thanks, Jessie, for pointing these out on Twitter!), Yogurt, Juice
D-Lynn's Chicken & Bacon Lo Mein

Wednesday:

B-Toasted Banana Bread w/ PB, Milk

L-Lo Mein, Tangerines, Milk

D-Beef Soft Tacos

Thursday:

B-English Muffins w/ Poached Eggs, Clementines (I scored 3.5 # of mixed clementines and tangerines for $1.50 recently... nice!)

L-Cheese Quesadilla, Applesauce, Milk

D-Souped-Up Tomato Soup, Cheese Bread (I've shared 10 ways to soup up tomato soup with you before... tomorrow I'll share ten different twists when baking your cheese bread!)

Friday:

B-Smoothies, Fruit

L-Cheese Bread, Grapes, Milk

D-Extra, Extra Cheese Pizza on a Cracker Crust

Saturday:

B-Banana Bread, Scrambled Eggs w/ Cheese
L-Leftovers

D-Turkey Burgers w/ Cheddar and Sliced Apple on Pitas (I really prefer Granny Smith apples for this meal, but I think the ones I have are organic Fiji... they'll have to do!)

Lynn's Mexican Chicken Salad was a hit last week! The kids liked it wrapped up in tortillas. Me? I like any excuse to make chips a major part of my meal. ;) Because I had chopped cooked chicken breast in my freezer, I didn't have to heat a single thing up in my kitchen and we still had a yummy, filling meal that covered all the food groups. In case you missed it, I shared how I make my own homemade Ranch-Style Beans last week... they came in handy with Lynn's recipe!

This post is linked to Menu Plan Monday.