Epicurean Style

Bob Stroller

A while back I asked for some help in the stroller department of my life...maybe you remember?  Anyway, fast forward to about 3 days after my son was born and we headed out to get ourselves a double stroller.  I suddenly realized how much I walked EVERYWHERE!  And how important it was going to be for me to still have a way to get out of the house with two kids (I really didn't want to be stuck in doors all of the time).  

I had spent a fair amount of time on the internet researching strollers and then we spent an entire day driving around town "test driving" strollers.  

         ***Just as a little FYI, if some wants to start a business, this world is in need of a Stroller Store.  Seriously, it is so annoying that you can't head to one place and see all the strollers or when you get to a store you might only be able to see the box with the stroller in it.  When I am going to make as big of a purchase as a double stroller I want to really test it out--see how it folds up, turning ability, putting my kids in and out, pushing it, feeling the sturdiness etc.  So if you have a need to start a business in your life, thats my idea for you.  :)  I'd be your biggest fan!  

Anyway, I ended up with a Bob double stroller.  I looked at a million strollers that day and decided to give it a try (I loved that REI has a 100% satisfaction gurantee, and they really mean it--bring it back in one month or ten years, they'll take no questions asked.  Now that's awesome).  

The reasons I love this stroller:

-The boys can sit side by side.  They enjoy looking at each other. Plus Jackson can give Bennett his pacifier whenever I need him to.  :)

-It steers and pushes like butter.  You barely have to hold onto it or push it, it practically pushes itself.  And it can manuver tight corners.

-Super easy to fold up or open up--you just pull two levers and it folds itself in half and to open it just pops open.

-Fits through a standard size door frame...it doesn't look like it would, but it does everytime.

-You can actually fit a third child on the front if you need to (probably not safe for a young child, but we have stuck an older child on the spot easily and they don't fall off). 

-Kids are really secure.

-Handles bumpy terrain and not so smooth roads like a breeze.

-Storage area on bottom of the stroller easy to use and can fit quite a bit in it.

-Seats Recline

-It can hold an Infant Carseat (with the purchase of a metal bar).   

Downsides:

-Bulky, but seriously what double stroller isn't?

-This kind of fits with the above comment, but it doesn't fit in stores at the mall or bookstores very easily...just really tight spaces, but again I think most double strollers would have this problem

-Takes up the entire trunk when we put it in our car.

-Price...quite pricey at $500

  

Cooking Tip: Ground Beef

This week I am bringing you a cooking tip.  I know it is usually a recipe, but this is something that has made my cooking world, well, a millions times awesome-ER!  

This might not be new idea to some of you, but a few years ago I noticed my Mom doing this and thought, um, that would be nice...so I tried it and guess what I love it!  So, one of my secrets to happiness in the kitchen?  ...frozen browned ground beef.

  

(This picture shows sandwich sized ziploc bags (just because I was out of quart sized bags) filled not quite halfway full and then laid flat so they could be frozen and stacked more easily)

No you can't buy it already frozen and ready to go, although that might be a good idea for someone to figure out how to do that, this is a self done project.  When I need ground beef, I will buy about 4-5 lbs of it at a time.  I will brown it, just adding a little salt, pepper, and onion powder.  

Once it is browned and cooled and the excess fatty/oily yuck is dumped off.  I stick it into small freezer quart sized bags (I only fill each bag about 1/4 of the way full).  I write the date on all of the bags and put them into a gallon sized freezer bag (just to keep them all on one place).  

Now why is this so wonderful...okay so you are making any meal that calls for ground beef and you already have it ready.  The day you are preparing them meal, open your freezer and pull out one of your bags and you are good to go.  It cuts down on the meal prep the day of.  

When I see I am getting low, on ground beef, I will plan to have hamburgers or tacos and make more.  Or if I just know I have extra time some day make more that day.  

Seriously though, Shepherd's pie, lasagna, tacos (just pull it out and add taco seasoning), soups what ever recipe is that calls for browned ground beef, this is a huge time saver the day of.  

Just my little FYI.

Crayola Twistables

The product this week...Crayola Twistables.  I have a love hate relationship with these things.  Since this might get a little confusing I decided I would just make a list of reason to love them and reasons to not love them so much and let you decide for yourself, if they are worth trying.

Love Them:

-More crayon to be twisted down when you need it/No messy paper wrapper to be pulled off or down (when the tip has been used off the crayon

-No crayon flakes

-The packaging is fun and offers decent protection for the crayons

-love the see through effect of the crayon

-they don't write on skin

-they are entertaining to just twist up and down (can be good and bad)

-not worried about a mess or them drawing on something if they are twisted back up into their plastic frame (I can easily stash a few in my bag for Jackson to use, without bringing the whole lot of them).

Not so much love:

-a bit on the expensive side

-once they get twisted too hard and break they are really broken, you can't stick the long piece of crayon you are left with back in

-not washable

-dull tip. not a pointed tip (older kids/adults (like me) might care about)

-colors are a little more dull than traditional wax crayons

So I love them, but I also have my reserves about them.  You'll have to decide if my few set backs are still worth it to you.  

Recipe: Chicken Enchilada

My mom has made this for years, but it was my sister-in-law that decided to add the rice to it.  I love it both with and with out the rice, but I do think the rice might make it a little more filling.  I know this picture may not make it look fabulous, but it really does taste great.

Chicken Enchilada's

In a bowl Mix together:

1 can cream of chicken soup

8 oz. sour cream

3/4 cup of water

3 chopped green onions

1 7 oz can of Ortega diced green chilies

Cooked chicken, chopped (3-4 breasts)

    (I use the already cooked frozen chicken if I want to speed up the recipe)

Cook about 4-5 cups of rice

In a 9x13 pan layer the following:

Thin layer of soup mixture (the mixture above)

flour tortillas

Soup Mixture

Rice

Grated Cheddar Cheese

Flour Tortillas

Soup Mixture

Rice Grated Cheddar cheese

Bake 350-375 for 30 minutes