Where is the fun??

I have totally fallen off of my fun bandwagon, it is sad.  We have been busy keeping warm, cleaning up after our dog, going to basketball practice, writing reports about the rainforest and the Dewey Decimal system, and of course watching way too much TV.

We figured out how to get movies from Netflix on our XBox and the kids have been demanding regular movie nights.  First we watched Benji, then Bolt and just now Tater and his dad finished watching some Tom & Jerry.  Lots of animal flick action!

I am busy writing over here at 43 Resolutions...and I did post a fun video of my dogs being silly, so maybe that will distract you momentarily while I get my act together to post more fun stuff over here.  I haven't forgotten about you!  Really!

Tater has been working on these little pegboard "fuse bead" projects (pictured at the top there) like a maniac. We have had them for a few years, and now he is coordinated enough to do them himself.  When the kids were smaller they would make me sort the different colored beads out for them, which was a bit tedious for me, but made them feel all management-like.

If you do a Google search on "pegboard beads" or "fuse beads" you can find them, or they are available at any craft shop and even in the toy department at IKEA.  Here are a few Amazon links to get you started: Perler Fuse Beads, Perler Small Pegboards For Fuse Bead Activities, Perler Fuse Bead Bucket Activity Kit.

We discovered that it is most cost-effective to buy a big tub-o-beads and the basic pegboards and then go print designs from on-line.  Google "fuse bead designs" and you will find tons of them for FREE!!

Tater does these en masse and then makes me get out the iron and fuse them all together.  I think he does this just for the novelty of seeing me with an iron in my hand.

Very rare.  With an element of danger that is very exciting...will I set something on fire??

I haven't yet.  But every time there is a chance!


Never a dull moment!

Showtime (and a recipe)

Oops. I went MIA there for a little while.  With Christmas and Winter Break and my new project and cleaning up Christmas...I just got a little distracted.  Sorry about that.

We did do a few fun things during the break.  The whole family went to see Disney on Ice at the Wachovia Center on December 28th.  The kids loved the show and the skating was really impressive.  They had a whole slew of Disney characters out there, including the new ones from the Princess and The Frog, which we also saw last week.

Aside from a Fantasia-like segment with skating brooms in the middle (that movie always freaked me out), the kids loved it - especially when the Toy Story characters came out near the end!

The deal on Disney on Ice Tickets is still going on through the end of this month, so if they are still performing near you, it's a fun event for the kids!

Another performance that we attended was the annual "Panto" at People's Light and Theater in Malvern.  This year it was based on Snow White - but the "evil stepmother" was an aging actress and "Snow White" was her sweet young daughter.  These shows are always fun - lots of audience participation.  Sadly, it ended last week - but check out other performances there - they do a great job!

As I mentioned, we saw The Princess and The Frog, which was very cute - and surprisingly, the heroine's mother survived the entire movie.  I think that is a Disney first!

We also saw Alvin and The Chipmunks: The Squeakquel and oh my...that is not a good movie.  Although the kids thought it was SO GOOD.  I wonder about them sometimes!

And, I know this is completely random, but since I can't eat cheese this month, I have been unable to make this meal for my family (because I would want to eat it!)  I made this a month or so ago, and everyone LOVED it.  And that hardly EVER happens!

So, if we can't be eating it, I thought maybe you could.

This is from the December/January issue of the Taste of Home: Healthy Cooking Magazine, which I may have to get a subscription for.

Echilada Lasagna

(I seriously thought the name alone would be enough to terrify my children - so I called it "Taco Lasagna")

1 lb lean ground turkey (I use the 93% fat free kind)

1 large onion, chopped (I used frozen diced onion)

1 large green pepper, chopped (I used frozen chopped peppers)

1 small sweet red pepper, chopped (I skipped this)

1 pkg fat-free cream cheese

1 tsp. chili powder

1 (10oz) can enchilada sauce

6 whole wheat flour tortillas

1 cup shredded reduced fat Mexican cheese blend (I like the Kraft 2% version)

1. In a large skillet, cook the turkey, onion and peppers over medium heat until the meat is no longer pink.

2. Stir in cream cheese and chili powder.

3. Pour enchilada sauce into a shallow bowl.  Dip tortillas into sauce to coat (I did them as I used them rather than having a big slimy pile of tortillas - and I used a brush to coat them).

4. Place two tortillas in a 13X9 baking dish coated with baking spray; spread with half of the turkey mixture, sprinkle with 1/3 cup of cheese (I may possibly have used more...maybe)

5. Repeat layers.  Top with remaining tortillas and cheese.

6. Cover and freeze for up to 3 months or bake, uncovered, at 400 for 20-25 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted.

7. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

8. Serve with salsa and sour cream (we use Greek Yogurt instead of sour cream) if desired.

9. To use frozen lasagna: Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.  Remove from the fridge 30 minutes before baking and then bake as directed.

Yummy.