Peachy Eats: Trader Joe's Alphabet Pasta

I usually don't browse the aisles at Trader Joe's very much (well, any grocery store, really). Because you know, once I strap TJ in his shopping cart cover, the timer starts ticking.

You know how it is with the little squirmers. If you don't have a game plan and a shopping list, you are a fair game for a mini/major meltdown... and lots of dirty looks from innocent bystanders.

One day, though, I got TJ on a good day. He was munching on his goldfish and really content. So after I checked off all my usual food items, I started going down the aisles and browsing (still at a moderately fast pace, mind you).

We love pasta. As I scanned the yummy carb section, a new package caught my eye. It may have been there for months, for all I know. But, because I had a bit of leisure to notice, I got really excited.. Alphabet Pasta!

I had been looking for quite a while for the little alphabet pasta I used to eat as a youngin'. But, the only thing I could find were the canned version with the tomato sauce. I wanted just the regular dry pasta.

TJ has been going through a downturn in his eating lately. It's been super frustrating to make his food, only to have him frown and make faces at it. So, when I saw this, I totally snagged it.

As a plus, it was organic. Oooo, fancy shmancy.. geez, these kids get the darndest best.

Anyways, I got home that night, super eager to cook up dinner. Here is my favorite Chicken Alphabet Soup Dinner:

1. I whipped out my frying pan and cooked breast tenders (10 min) each side.

2. After 10 min, I flip the chicken over one side and, I boil the alphabet pasta for the remaining 10 min.

3. At the same time, I boil some spaghetti pasta for hubby and me during the same 10 min.

4. On the 4th burner, I sautee some broccoli on med for 5 min covered, turning over now and then.

5. Once the pasta is done & drained, I break open a carton of Pacific Fresh Organic Chicken Broth into the pot and boil.

6. I chop up the chicken and voila, dinner is served! Alphabet soup version for TJ, and long soup noodles for the grown ups!

We love this meal because it's tasty, healthy, fast and fun. That night, TJ needed no help at all. No threats needed to gobble down this pasta! With every bite, he was hunting for the alphabets and loved eating the letters.

We now call him the "Pasta Monster"! Enjoy!

Just Peachy Baby Giveaway! Simply Organic Shopping Cart Covers

We just launched a new collection of organic shopping cart covers for Just Peachy Baby, called Simply Organic!

In celebration of our new organic additions, we have also received our first glowing review from CoolMomPicks, who is offering a Extra-Cool Giveaway! After months of hard work to add these eco-friendly cart covers to our collection of premium cotton prints, nothing beats the thrill of seeing our new organic cart covers wrapped up in a great review.

Check out the review and enter the Extra-Cool Giveaway CoolMomPicks! - enter by midnight tonight

Can you help spread the word and forward to friends and family?! There is no better referral than my online friends passing the news on! Thank you so much!

Remember to apply the special 10% Discount Code: JPBORGANIC (exp. 5/31/08 - good towards any organic purchase)

Here's the scoop on the Simply Organic cart covers:

Eco-conscious Mommies and Daddies will love living the green life grocery shopping with our Simply Organic Shopping Cart Covers. Unlike other shopping cart covers on the market, ours are earth-friendly, chemical-free AND ultra-chic. Here are the features that set Just Peachy Baby apart from the rest of the pack:

1. 100% Certified Organic Fibers. We use organic fabrics that are pure from harmful pesticides and chemical fertilizers. This is good news for babies with very sensitive skin where the slightest irritants may cause discomfort or allergic reactions. Available now in Calm Green, Petal Pink, and Sky Blue.

2. Non-toxic and eco-friendly dyes. We custom dye all our organic cart covers using only non-toxic inks and dyes, which is safe for people and the environment. We do not use harmful chemicals, making our fabrics gentle to babies and the earth.

3. Naturally anti-microbial. Our lightweight fleece is uniquely soft, made from a special blend of organic cotton and hemp fibers. Naturally anti-microbial hemp stays fresh with breathability, the ideal choice to help protect against germs.

4. Exclusive G-Free™ Bacteria Resistant Padding that resists mold and mildew (patent-pending). The padding is chemical-free and formaldehyde-free, without acrylic resins or fumes.

5. Handmade in the USA, sweatshop free.

When you choose a Just Peachy Baby Simply Organic Cart Cover, you are purchasing a 100% sustainable and biodegradable product, that is recyclable, resusable and earth-friendly.

To view the collection, please visit: www.justpeachybaby.com

Thanks!

The Freedom of Childhood Honesty

"Mother's Day is for Eating!". That is what my little TJ answered, with a mouth full of pancake. Never mind he was eating MY special Mother's Day pancakes.

The morning started off great. I woke up to the sound of hubby busy in the kitchen, while holding a conversation with TJ. "Yes, TJ. I will come play with you. Just a minute." Heh, heh. Someone else is mommy this morning!

I was greeted with "Happy Mother's Day!" by my chorus of two. There was a vase of pink roses, a gift wrapped in blue with a white bow, and two cards waiting to be opened.

It appeared to be a Hallmark moment .... except:

After reading the Mother's Day card TJ gave me, I pointed to the image on the front of the cover. "Who is this kangaroo holding the baby kangaroo?", I asked him. "It's Daddy!" .. Awww, and I thought it was me!


As I took the wrapped gift in my hands from Hubby, TJ shouted, "No, Mommy it's mine! I want to open MY present!" .. Uh-oh ..


As Hubby poured homemade pancake batter made from scratch onto the hot pan, TJ sweetly requested, "Can I have a Pluto (shaped) pancake?" When the flapjacks were stacked up, there was Pluto and Mickey Mouse. It should've been no surprise then, that when I asked TJ, "What is Mother's Day About?", TJ answered joyously, "Mother's Day is for eating!"

LOL. I love my cutie pie. I love how honest he is. And more than anything, I love being the mommy that gets to hear all these surprising moments of honesty.

I am learning a lot from TJ. Being honest in the moment. It got me thinking. You know, growing up, we lose that childlike honesty. We learn to wrap ourselves in protective, safe answers that please others, but are not our true voices. TJ has made me re-think my people pleasing tendencies and challenge myself to be real and more open with how I really feel about things.

I can see that nothing TJ could say or do would turn me away from him. So, I think maybe that would also be true for me. Friends and family who truly love me and care for me may not agree with what I think/feel. But, they will still love me.

Isn't amazing the lessons children teach us? ... I am very surprised at how much TJ is teaching me all the time. Just be being himself. I hope I can learn to do that more and more myself.

First Barbecue of the Year!

Mother's Day was fantastic. I got to kick-back in the afternoon and get some reading done.

It was super because I usually only get me-time at night, after all the dishes are done. By then, I can only read so much. I read to say, "Hey, I got some reading done!". But, it's nothing as enjoyable as a Sunday afternoon reading, with a cool glass of ice water.

It was double the pleasure knowing I didn't have to cook that evening! No cooking for this momma!

Hubby and TJ put on our first barbecue of the year! And boy, did that charred carbon coated chicken smell great!

I had snagged this great steal at a garage sale over a year ago -- a Playskool Charlie Talking Grill.

As for us, we decided to go for it last year and get ourselves a nice, lookin' grill -- Weber Spirit E-310. It has 3 burners and a warming rack. We love garlic bread, so having the warming rack was definitely a factor in our consideration. And we went for 3 burners, imagining we'd have family & friends over, so one more for an extra $100 seemed worth the investment.

As for TJ's grill, I bought it for only $10 bucks and it wasn't even used (Score!). TJ was only an infant then, but I knew it would be a great one to have, so I grabbed it. TJ wasn't old enough to appreciate it when he was 18 months (other than throwing the plastic food and knocking or sitting on the grill). So, I stowed it away until this year.

At 2.5 years, TJ totally got a kick out of pretending. Although it took quite some time ~40 minutes to get that chicken to 180 degrees Farenheit, TJ played with it the WHOLE time!

He was serving hot dogs, hamburgers and lots of corn. Side by side with his daddy, TJ had a blast. And so did I!

So, fire up those bbq grills and get some charbroiled chicken cookin'!

Toddler Play: How Much Attention is Enough?

Sitting in a parenting support group with other mommies, I was curious how other moms would answer this question: How much attention is enough or too much for a two year old toddler?

I remember when TJ was an infant, this wasn't even a question, since basic caregiving was a 24x7 job. Feeding, bathing, rocking, burping, diaper changing.... on and on. But, the whole question of how much attention is enough started emerging from moms in support groups as our babies began to crawl, walk, run, and now talk.

It seems with each developmental milestone, we see some growing capabilities, and we wonder, "Will I get any time to eat, wash my hair, return some email, prep for dinner.. or just take a breather?"

It turns out that the answer to this question varied widely, depending on the style of parenting and type of mom you are.

The first question our discussion facilitator asked us was, "How much time do you spend 1-1 time playing with your child? Not reading. Going to the park doesn't count unless you are one on one playing with him at the park."

There was a pause, as moms tried to run a mental calculation.

I was starting to feel a bit nervous. Hmm, let's see. I make sure I read for 30 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes in the afternoon. Shoot. That doesn't count as playing? Well, I still think it counts towards giving TJ attention. Still, I digress. Back to answering the question.

Hmm, I play in spurts. 5min or 10min or 15min spurts. Just enough to get TJ engrossed in some toy, pretend storyline, or craft/art activity to play independently for a while. How long TJ will play by himself, though, is an unknown variable, depending on mood or the alignment of the stars in the galaxy on that particular day.

I had a hard time figuring it out. Am I not spending enough time giving attention to TJ? Am I spending too much? Gosh, I'm often trying to encourage him to play by himself!

It turns out the answers varied, with some moms saying they spend less than an hour. One mom scheduled preschool for her two kids on different days so that she could spend 1-1 time with each different child. Another schedule once a month time alone with each sibling and rotated with her husband.

I was also happy to hear that some activities that I considered attention-giving with TJ was mentioned by another mom. This included: incorporating your child into your daily activities or chores, baking, and special crafts.

Very quickly, though, the discussion about how-much-attention-is-enough moved into the whole area of mommy needing time off for ourselves. Here are the top four things that moms crave the most, but just can't find time for (thus the desire for more independent play with our kids):

• Exercise
• Social interaction with other women
• Time with Hubby
  
• Just breathe/decompress
  

Most of the moms felt that there is so much housework, grocery shopping, cooking, caregiving and "family administration" that they feel envious of hubbies who get to come home and just roughhouse and play with the kids.

"Why are the moms always the ones to be the time master?"expressed one mom.

I came away from that day's meeting running through my mental list of things I like to do with TJ. I told myself to be more conscious of how much time I'm spending. It's okay to stop and play. But, it's also okay to give myself freedom to take time for my own sanity and self.

Overall, though, I think all moms spend different amounts, and types of activities depending on:

• Number of siblings
• Work schedules
• Parenting style
• Demands of homelife, housekeeping
• Level of family support (parents, grandparents, siblings of the couple, friends who help out)
• Level of activities, classes and lessons that the little kiddies have
• Babysitting/Preschool Availability

It's not a simple answer to how much attention is enough. But, this is definitely a hot topic for moms everywhere!

The Perfect Mother's Day Gift

Even though it's not Mother's Day yet, I've already received my Mother's Day gift. My gift this year didn't come in the mail and it wasn't wrapped up in a bow.

My Mother's Day gift arrived unexpectedly, when I least expected it (No, I'm not pregnant, so I didn't go into labor!) ;) .. I was just doing the dishes, working in the kitchen. It's a typical day that you'll find me standing at the sink, multi-tasking between being the dishwasher, prep cook, the toddler entertainer and the personal assistant to my celebrity TJ.

"MMMMOOOMMMEEEE! CAN I HAVE A PIECE OF PAPER?!" It doesn't matter than I'm just a couple feet away from him. TJ always feels it's important to holler, especially when he gets struck with inspiration.

"Oh, no," I thought, as I stand there with the rubber gloves soapy wet with dishwashing liquid. It's such a nuisance having to take the gloves off and stop midway. I was so close to finishing this one task. Can't I get one thing done, without having it chopped up into hundreds of little intervals?

I made sure that I read him a pile of books and played trains before I launched into my chores. Why can't he just play by himself? Grumble, grumble.

Taking a deep breath, I remind myself, "This is why I became a mom. This is what you wanted. To be his mommy. Take your TJ commercial break. Just go." Exhaling, I channeled the preschool teacher in me and responded, "Sure! Let's get a piece of paper for TJ! What do you want to draw?"

I start heading for the art supplies: drawing paper, pens, paints, and crayons. I start visualizing the next 10-15 minutes melting away sitting at TJ's toddler table watching him create "art" and another 5-10 minutes cleaning up the "art".

"No, Mommy. I don't want to draw. I want to write a letter!" TJ holds up a letter that his grandma and grandpa had written him recently. We had read it together and explained to him it was a "letter" from Grandma and Grandpa.

"Oh, sure. Who will you write a letter to?" Okay, I'll play along.

"I am going to write a letter to Mommy!" TJ announces.

"OOOOOHHHHHH! YOU WILL?!" I was VERY excited. TJ's first letter to me!

"Can I have a pen, please?" TJ ignores my inquiry and wants to get down to business.

"What will you write in your letter?" I asked him as I handed him a pen. I was faint with anticipation. I knew his answer might be, "I don't know."

In the sweetest, most angelic voice to my ears, TJ says, "I will write, 'I love you, Mommy.'"

TJ gets super close to the paper and starts scribbles upon scribbles of writing on the "letter" (When TJ said he'd write a "letter", he literally meant the letter that Grandma and Grandpa wrote him).

After some furious writing, TJ puts down his pen. "Here, Mommy. This is for you."

As he hands me the most beautiful scribbles I had ever laid eyes on, I scoop my cutie pie into my arms and smother him with tickles and kisses. There, in that family room, cluttered with trains, planes and automobiles, I received the most perfect Mother's Day gift ever.

Even with dirty dishes in the sink.

Happy Mother's Day, mommies!

Peachy Eats: Toddler Snack, Summer Scoops of Melon

Oh, you know that summer has arrived when melons are no longer mealy and tasteless. When I cut open the two melons I picked up from the grocer's last week, a fragrant mixture cantalope and watermelon scent filled the air.

I was so relieved. I hate buying melons, only to open them up and just be a big disappointment. You know the feeling? .. I would get a craving for something sweet and juicy, pay for the multi-pounder fruit, lug it back home, wait and chill it, only to be let down.

Not this time! The melons are nature sweet without being too ripe. Firm, juicy, and full of vitamin C for TJ. It's the perfectly yummy, healthy snack for my growing toddler. He loves crunching on the balls and of course, toddlers love food in different shapes, familiar to them. Best of all, the melon balls are also easy to put a fork through, so it's hands-off toddler snacking break for me.

My tool of choice? Hands down the OXO Grips Melon Baller! Quick, fast action is the name of the game for getting a healthy toddler snack served up and ready to eat.

1) Quick. I can just quickly scoop out all the seeds with the baller easily, without having to stand there trying to scrape it off with the blade of a knife. It's a lot quicker than cutting cantalope slices. L-O-V-E I-T!

2) Clean & easy. The baller also comes with two different sized baller on each side. The bite size balls are easy for TJ to poke with his fork. There is a time and place for eating messy, juicy dripping watermelon or cantalope slices at picnics and bbq's. But, for everyday life for snacktimes at home, I prefer clean and easy.

I scoop the smaller bite size for TJ and the bigger bite size for hubby and me.

Why melons?

I love melons as a crisp, cold way to enjoy summer. Of course, nothing beats ice cream. But, it's just not health practical to have TJ and myself down scoops of ice cream everyday for snacking. (Plus, I'm serious. Eating ice cream immediately shows up on my hips the next day. I swear! Not chocolate, not pastries, not even candy. But, ice cream. Immediately.)

My two pics for melons are cantaloupe and watermelon. For some odd reason, my tongue and mouth get itchy after eating honeydew.

Here's the lowdown on why cantaloupe and watermelon pack a whole lot of nutrition and goodness.

Cantaloupe is also a great source of key nutrients. It's the highest of all melons in beta-carotene. Beta-carotene acts as an antioxidant in the body and may help reduce the risk of some cancers. It's also a good source of potassium and vitamins A and C.

Cantaloupes (although you might not notice the resemblance) are related to squashes, and rank somewhere between summer and winter squashes in terms of nutritiousness. They resemble summer squashes in their high water content and low calorie count. Excerpted from Peertrainer.com.

Watermelon is concentrated in powerful antioxidants. Sweet, juicy watermelon is actually packed with some of the most important antioxidants in nature. Watermelon is an excellent source of vitamin C and a very good source of vitamin A, notably through its concentration of beta-carotene.

Pink watermelon is also a source of the potent carotenoid antioxidant, lycopene. These powerful antioxidants travel through the body neutralizing freeradicals. Free radicals are substances in the body that can cause agreat deal of damage. . A cup ofwatermelon provides 24.3% of the daily value for vitamin C, and,through its beta-carotene, 11.1% of the DV for vitamin A. Excerpted from eMaxhealth.com.

Oh, one last thing. I am so happy to report that the watermelon I bought that was SO sugary sweet was one of those mini-watermelons. I've not had good luck with them in the past, but this time, it was a winner. I love the mini size because I can fit both sliced halves in my fridge. Plus, they're small enough that we can eat finish them without having to gorge ourselves on them everyday. Check it out.

Enjoy!

Peachy Find: LiteBrite Perfect Toddler Toy

Just looking at the pegs of Lite Brite gets me swooning. I can't take my eyes off those transparent, bright, happy colors. As I grab a handful of them, they seem to come alive with mischief and fun, tumbling through my fingers with their clickety-clack sound.

Ooooooooooooo.. I'm in Lite Brite heaven.

Okay, I know it's not really a toy for me, but I couldn't help but get super nostalgic when I saw Lite Brite out on the play table at one of fun classes I take with TJ. I ran over to the old school glowing monitor.

"Look, TJ! This is Lite Bright!" I squealed with delight.

I actually didn't need to make any introductions because TJ quickly brushed me aside and knew just what to do! Isn't that amazing!?! His cute little fingers picked the little pegs up and he just started inserting them in one by one. TJ became hypnotized by the transparent colorful pegs and was tranfixed. It was like he was in a trance!

I couldn't get him to let me poke even one peg in from that point on ("Hey, when is it Mommy's turn?" ... Silence.. ). It was the love of his life and the rest of the world around him melted away. A glazed happy look came over his face and my little boy was far away in Lite Brite heaven.

It was the longest I've ever seen TJ play with anything other than his trains. My heart skipped a beat. Oh, it's THE savior toy! I've got to go get it!

That afternoon, I rushed over to Target to get my Lite Bright for $9.99! Wow, that's a great deal for so much fun.

Well, just beware, at home, the hundreds (well seemed more like thousands) of pegs went flying across the floors. To TJ, it was time to experiment! He flew the pegs across the room, like a sower sewing seeds like mad after a bad winter spell. His eyes had a madman ferocity to them. He laughed like a villain with a secret plot to invade the playroom with flying pegs. Ha, ha, ha! TJ loved seeing the pieces fly everywhere.

Now, what do you think this peachy mama was thinking while havoc was being wreaked? ..

Laughing and smiling right along with my little munchkin! It's just hillarious to see him so crazy wild and happy. It reminded me of what I wanted to do whenever I was at my friend's house with Lite Bright (we didn't have one in our home), but knew I couldn't.

You go, TJ! Live it up! :)

Just a tip for those who want to bring such a thing home with your toddler: The new, modern version of Lite Bright has a little tray to hold the pegs. Don't use it! It is way to small and all it does is a trough for pegs to spill out.

I put the pegs in a plastic container and TJ was able to run his fingers through them and squish them around without having it all spilled out. Plus, the most important useage -- I was able to close the container with a lid and put in high up in the closet shelf. Otherwise, you might come out of the bathroom one day, and find your little munchkin with a VERY happy grin on his face.. and a floor colorful decorated ..... with Lite Bright!!

Enjoy!