Kylie had her first trip to the dentist yesterday, following her sister's footsteps, she loves it and asked immediately if she could go back! When all else fails at least I can say that my kids love going to the dentist! Okay, this really probably has more to do with how awesome our dentist is but I'll take whatever credit I can get. When it was time for Sydney to see a dentist I researched all of the pediatric dentists with all of the fun kid stuff and cool decor and than realized that our dentist who is a family friend is also family practitioner and maybe we should give that a shot. The one thing I love about Dr. Greer is that he always explains everything, for years my old dentist had told me I needed my last 2 wisdom teeth pulled but never really explained why so I never had it done. Dr. Greer actually took the time to explain why they needed to come out and what consequences of not having them out would be (they were impacted) but also said I had time to do it and we would keep an eye on them until I was ready to do it. He takes this same approach with the kids, explaining everything, letting them hold the mirror and other tools before he sues them so they can see that they aren't really scary. I also think that having a joint appointment with a parent really helps. Sydney loves that when she goes Daddy is in the other room getting his teeth cleaned as well and it helps to reinforce that it's not a scary situation because Mom and Dad are having it done too.
Okay, it's not all roses and sunshine there is a downside to the trip to the dentist. As I attempted to have Kylie nap I didn't realize that her dental bag of treats had made it into her room. As we all know, Kylie loves to play at nap time rather than sleeping and some sort of mischievous activity always takes place.
Yes, this is what happens when your 3 year old goes to bed with dental floss, she unravels the entire amount of floss and now has a new toy. Good dental hygiene starts early, I'm told.
Moving on to a fun end f year activity. The end of a school year is always hard because there are always lots of people to thank for loving and caring for your kids. At Sydney's Walk-a-thon we got some great pictures of her with her Big Buddy and the two teachers who handle the kindergarten after school program. I thought it would be fun to paint and decorate frames.
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| Very serious work |
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Micheal's sells these wood frames for $1, we already had paint and I threw in some wood flowers and jewels that the girls can stick on their frames when the paint is dry. Overall an inexpensive craft day that hopefully the recipient will love.
On to my favorite subject.... FOOD! I used to watch a lot of Rachel Ray's 30 Minute Meals, at least before she became annoying and I could still tolerate watching her on TV. I do have some great recipes from her that have become staples in our house. One is a Meatball Sub recipe that I converted to a Spaghetti and Meatball recipe. I also use ground pork instead of ground sirloin, we just like the flavor better with the pork.
READER BE WARNED: there is an overwhelming amount of garlic in this recipe. If you have a loved one in law enforcement, I highly recommend not serving this to your loved one before a graveyard shift as said loved one's partner will really dislike you.
Meatballs:
- 1 1/2 pounds ground pork
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1 cup (3 handfuls), Italian bread crumbs
- 1 medium onion, chopped fine
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed and minced
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 teaspoons (several drops) Worcestershire Sauce
- 1/4 cup (a couple of handfuls) flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
- 1/4 cup (a couple of handfuls) grated Parmigiano
- Coarse salt and black pepper
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Place ground sirloin in a large mixing bowl and punch a well into the center of meat. Fill well with the egg, bread crumbs, onion, garlic, red pepper flakes, Worcestershire, parsley, cheese, and a little salt and pepper. Mix up meatball ingredients until well combined, yet not over-mixed. Divide mix into 4 equal parts, roll each part into 4 balls and space equally onto a nonstick baking sheet. Place meatballs in oven and roast about 12 minutes. Break a meatball open and make sure meat is cooked through before removing from the oven.
Bring a pot full of water to a boil and add your spaghetti noodles
Marinara Sauce
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, (2 turns around the pan)
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- A handful flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped, about 2 tablespoons
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 (28 ounces) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 (14 ounces) can chunky style crushed tomatoes
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add oil and garlic. When garlic starts sizzling, add herbs and crushed pepper. Allow oil to infuse for half a minute, then stir in the tomatoes and season sauce with salt and pepper. Bring sauce to a bubble, reduce heat, and simmer until meatballs are removed from oven.
Serve spaghetti and sauce with meatballs and enjoy.
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