Daily life | Hip to be Mom

I’m not sure what possessed me to buy a whole bag of this. But I did.

Yup, you see it right there inside that mushroom cap, peeking out from underneath the layer of cheese.

Quinoa!!

That’s right. Quinoa.

I’m sorry I can’t post a close-up because just looking at it gives me goosebumps! This is the best I can do. As long as I don’t see it, I’m fine. I mean, after all, it’s just a grain, right? And the name sounds so cool some celebrity will name their baby after it, just you wait.

So how was I to know an innocent grain could look so utterly unattractive when cooked?

Okay, here’s the story. I’ve been reading about quinoa. The rave reviews. The health benefits. The disclaimer, I’m not someone who falls for health fads like detoxes or enzymes or electronic belts that can jiggle away your belly fat (huh!), or whatever’s making the rounds on the internet today.

I prefer to err on the side of common sense and I do my homework before I even think about jumping onto the bandwagon. Exactly why I don’t bother with Facebook. Apparently some people (not all) get such a big kick from posting a bunch of bull. And people actually believe that bull!!

Quinoa, now that’s a different story. It’s not an urban legend. It’s not from an email spam written by some 10-year-old kid with too much time on his hands. Quinoa is supposed to be good for you and I thought we could actually be good together. But I just can’t stomach looking at it!

You know we don’t like to waste food. *sigh* So I forced down 4 of those quinoa stuffed mushrooms, Skye ate 3 with her eyes closed and Raine only managed 1 before she started to gag. We were laughing so hard we almost fell off our chairs as we tried to wash it all down with a gallon of iced lemon tea. Pretty traumatic but funny!

Now I have a whole bowl left over! No one’s going to eat it. So it’s going to the dogs. Or birds. Literally. I’m dropping the whole bag of it off at the park with a little note to our feathered and furry friends, Enjoy and here’s to good health! Skye, my animal lover, is going, Mom, are you trying to kill the birds in the park? Or the dogs? No, honey, they’ll be in the pink of health when they’re done with dinner.

I have a whole bag of uncooked quinoa in my pantry! It’s expensive and I don’t want to waste it. What am I going to do? I’m thinking maybe I should make quinoa dog food for Tyson. Now where do I find quinoa recipes for dogs?

This was supposed to be week 4 of Saturday Snippets but I didn’t quite get around to posting this on Saturday. So here comes Weekly Schmooze which will make its appearance either on Friday, Saturday or Monday hence giving me more time to procrastinate .

1. One day last week, a stranger rang our doorbell twice within a few hours. Unfortunately he didn’t look anything like Paul Walker or I might’ve opened the door.

2. Not sure how those 2 cars landed up on the road divider. Windscreen of the bigger car had a big old spider’s web on it. Don’t these things have airbags?

3. Almost got a ticket for double parking. Had to run into the store for 30 seconds to grab my baking supplies. The lady officer was so nice she beeped her horn to give all the double parkers fair warning. Saved by the bell. Bless you, ~~woman~~ ma’am!

4. I had no reason to think coffee wasn’t vegetarian until I read the news last week that crushed-up bugs is an ingredient in a very popular coffee. Starbugs, anyone?

5. Had this at Friday’s and am craving it again. The pasta, not the sodium. Think I’m going to cook this for lunch this week .

The countdown to Mother’s Day is on, well, at least if you want to get an early start. So for the next few weeks, I’ll be shopping for hip Mother’s Day gifts you can get for the other moms in your life, or hint for someone to buy you .

Call to Charm Cell Phone Handset in Red

Each season’s must-have gadget is sleeker and slimmer than the last, but that doesn’t mean an hour-long conversation with your coworkers, clients, or coterie will be any more enjoyable.

Fortunately, you’ve got this retro-inspired handset within reach, which invites you to enjoy the comfort and style of a classic wall phone, while communicating through your futuristic device. Just plug its curly cord into your phone or computers audio port and rest its sturdy plastic receiver on your shoulder. Also available in blue.

After securing your device with a simple snap on its ear, use this kitty’s tail to wrangle your collection of cords. Swinging from your bag by a brassy carabiner with a petite red heart on its chest, this charmingly functional feline is the loveliest way to pounce on every photo opportunity and urgent telephone call.

Armed With Technology Tea Infuser

Preparing a cup of perfectly steeped tea is always within reach when you’ve got this high-tech companion in your kitchen. Designed with a set of curving hinged arms that cling to the rim of your mug, this radiant tea-infusing robot makes sure the flavor is flowing through petite perforations on both sides of its futuristic metal frame.

Add a bit of your favorite loose leaf blend by giving its antennas a twist. When the initial phase is complete, return you state-of-the-art assistant to its coordinating silver tray, where it can dry without causing a messy meltdown. I assure you nothing could be sweeter!

Paw on Me Media Case

When you’re busy leaping from one event to the next, nestle your beloved digital companion in this cute, cat-shaped case. Made from soft black fabric with silvery, stitched features and polka dots adorning its exterior, this adorable accessory cradles your phone or music player with its plush, kitten-soft lining.

1. Came home from sitting in traffic for 1.5 hours and discovered our laundry’s all done. Elves are real, y’all!

2. Good thing my girls said to forget John Carter. Just read the news report that “Disney says ‘John Carter’ to lose $200 million”.

3. It totally shocks and disgusts me that people are still eating sharks fin soup! Hel-llo?? Wanna know what they do to those sharks? They fish them up, slice off their fins and throw them back into the water to die slowly! You (know who you are) might also like to know that sharks are living, breathing things that feel pain!

4. The girls are both working on their public speaking assignments. Wearing these thinking caps all week has been a strain. Well, at least we have the topics down pat. The rest should be a piece of cake. Still I’m starting to think maybe we all need a break. Thinking Cali .

5. Been a week of deep, meaningful discussions with my girls about what’s making news these days. From religion to prejudices to common courtesies to what makes a person tick. Tingles up my spine!

6. Today’s National Unplugging Day. Can you do it?

Shut down your computer… sorry, no can do!
Turn off your cellphone… gladly, it’s always in the other room anyways.
Stop the constant emailing, texting, Tweeting and Facebooking to take time to notice the world around you… no problemo.
Connect with loved ones… yup, me and the girls are connected on wifi.
Nurture your health… no sugar in my coffee.
Get outside… you kiddin’ me? it’s freakin’ 93 degrees out with a humidity of 930!
Find silence… listening to Ronan’s “When you say nothing at all”, does that count?
Avoid commerce… I would’ve if the utilities companies hadn’t robbed me of 196.30 today!
Give back… look who’s talking!
Eat together… we just had Chick in a Blanket (my version of Pig in a Blanket) – chicken wrapped in bacon. Roast carrots and potatoes. Iceberg lettuce with a touch of 1000 Island.

Have a fab weekend!

No, not me! No way. It’s just not me to jump out of bed, sail out the door in my PJs, hair like a tornado, teeth unbrushed, nah, not even if I’m running late.

Well, first off, we have these handy little contraptions called alarm clocks to ensure we don’t oversleep and miss class. We factor in plenty of time (more than an hour) for rush hour traffic and of course, for dallying over breakfast, shower and getting ready.

My kids know the drill. No one skips breakfast or the shower. No one leaves the house in their PJs. Same rules apply on the weekend and on vacation when we’re staying at hotels. I’m not a tiger mom but we do have rules.

Well, I’ve seen one of my neighbors outside her house, and a woman at a nearby gas station at 7:30 in the morning in just their PJs and not much else in the way of… shall I say, support systems, and it really freaked me out! I don’t know, might be a good thing to keep the neighborhood G-rated, ya know .

Saturday’s here again and it’s time for a 2nd snap at those weekly snippets. I’m sure you can tell by now that I’m a list lover. Once again, here’s my week of little things and thoughts that have been chugging along my mental tracks.

1. Finally kicked the sugar completely out of my morning coffee. Trick is to reduce a little at a time until it’s all gone.

2. Isn’t she gorgeous? Yes, that chilly hot gown too. Wow!

Image from nypost.com

3. Procrastinating on the weekly baking. Simply because afternoon naps are much more fun.

4. Happy that Tyson is recovering from his ear infection, thanks for my 2 budding vets who religiously cleaned his ear twice a day. Tyson, you’re a lucky guy to have 2 babes fuss all over you like that!

5. Still looking for that elusive iPhone 4S case of my dreams. I know, I know. It’s not like I’m picking out luxury stainless steel watches that I have to be so picky. Still!

6. And in celebration of St Patrick’s Day today, my nails have gone Irish. Well, 4 out of 5 ain’t bad, huh? Happy St Pat’s!