Top Ten Random Tips

In random order.
subtitled: apparently I'm obsessed with my freezer. Invest in a big box of freezer bags.


10. Put a tracking device on your kid. Most grocery/craft stores give away free balloons at their customer service desk. I do my shopping there first and tie one on Parker's wrist. Then if he wanders (at any store) I just look for the bobbing balloon.
9. Two is better than one. I buy two bunches of bananas. a small ripe and a larger bunch of green. As soon as my kids have downed the ripe ones, the green ones are ready to eat - not icky and brown.

8. Get Bulky. I buy bulk packages of meat. Then right when I get home I separate them into meal-sized portions and put them in freezer bags. With a permanent marker I write the (estimated) weight on the bag for easy defrosting. Then I just defrost one for dinner and know it will be the perfect amount. Two for company.

7. Feed your party guests what your family won't eat. For some reason citrus just sits in our fruit basket. Maybe it's because peeling is too much work, maybe it's because you're always gambling when you buy oranges. When they are about to pass their peek, I wash them whole with a little dish soap and slice them into disks. Then, you guessed it, freeze'em. The next time I have a party, I can throw them in the water. They'll add color, flavor and serve as ice.

6. Don't cry over chopped onion. About half an hour+ before I chop it, I stick my onion in the freezer. (it's getting pretty crowded in there) It freezes the vapors that make your eyes water. Which leads me to my next one...

5. Don't cry over chopped onion - part 2. Season your meat with onion soup mix. I do this for meatballs, tacos, lasagna, beef stroganoff, you get the idea. If gives you the onion flavor without having to chop one and without the crunchy little pieces that some picky kids won't eat.

4. Speaking of picky kids, get sneaky with them. Hil got me this awesome book for Christmas called Deceptively Delicious. Basically it sneaks healthy into everyday. My favorite is pureeing spinach and adding it to scrambled eggs. My mom gave me the idea to puree or finely mince zucchini and squash and add it to your spaghetti sauce.

3. If you can't beat'em, let them join you. I used to have a heck of a time getting dinner on the table (in our case island) before midnight. My kids were constantly whining for my attention. I'd give them snacks but then they wouldn't eat dinner. I finally pulled up a chair, put some juice in a pitcher and handed parker a spoon. He stirs quietly while I cook. Caden sits in his high chair with measuring spoons and cups.

2. Make breakfast for dinner. We love pancakes, and waffles for dinner. I like to double my batch and under cook the last ones. After they've cooled, I pair them in freezer bags and pop them into the party going on in my freezer. Then in the morning, I stick them (frozen) into the toaster on a higher than usual setting. {You may have to play with yours to get it right} They are lightly crisp on the outside and moist and fluffy on the inside due to the under cooking the night before.

1. Stick it to your lampshade. Lampshades get dusty because they are fabric. And you can't exactly use pledge on them. I just break out my sticky lint roller and go top to bottom. Then the lint goes in the garbage, not around the house.

There you have it. I would LOVE to hear other tips from you smart people out there.