mommy's cincinnati-style chili

my cincinnati-style chili is not strictly by the book. if you order cincinnati chili in cincinnati, it is ordered by number:
two-way:	chili served on spaghetti
three-way:	additionally topped with shredded cheddar cheese
four-way:	additionally topped with chopped onions
five-way:	additionally topped with kidney beans

Ingredients:
2 large onion chopped
2 pounds extra-lean ground beef
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground allspice
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon red (cayenne) pepper
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
30 ounce can of tomato sauce
32 ounce can of dark red kidney beans
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 cup water
1 (16-ounce) package uncooked dried spaghetti pasta

Toppings:
oyster crackers
shredded cheddar cheese
sour cream

Directions:
in a large frying pan over medium-high heat, saute onion, ground chicken, garlic, and chili powder until chicken is cooked. put chicken mixture in a slow cooker and add allspice, cinnamon, cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, unsweetened cocoa, tomato sauce, worcestershire sauce, cider vinegar, and water. cook on low for no less than two hours.

cook spaghetti according to package directions.

ladle chili over spaghetti and serve with toppings of your choice.

eureka!

elise did great today! the only accident today was a small one in the high chair. i believe we discussed this yesterday ;). she still needs a diaper to sleep in, and a pull up at nap time, but she is doing wonderful!

i even walked into the hallway at one point in time to catch her going into the bathroom to go all by herself! can't ask for much more than that!

big sister and big brother have been a big help, too! shelby has been quite the cheerleader and encouragement for elise. she even has her own sticker chart on the wall so she can get stickers when she uses the potty like elise does. how funny is that! nathan will occasionally sit and read and sing to her when she is tired of looking at and cooperating with mommy.

a recurring principle in my life is expectations. when i have realistic expectations, i can handle just about anything. so, here are a few things that i have had to continue resetting for myself this last weekend:

• she is working through more than i am
• i am multi-tasking at the brink of sanity, but i can do that. she is learning to recognize feelings in her body that is instinctual for the rest of us, trying to control those urges, and wanting to feel successful in accomplishing what needs to be done before she has an accident, and wanting to "do it self!"
• it will be okay!
• elise will be potty trained sooner or later. if she's not ready right now, we'll try again when she shows additional interest.
• take it a step at a time and it will be a memory to laugh about (tomorrow)
• maybe it was an accident that i had to clean up (or two at the same time), changing a third barely wet diaper, getting through daily chores while being constrained to the bathroom, feeling like we're starting our bedtime routine over again because she wants to completely undress to potty only after i've put them to bed, etc.

naked baby weekend comes to an end

stephon has given this weekend event a title. it will forever be remembered as the "naked baby weekend!" elise wouldn't keep a shirt on, and shelby kept taking her clothes off so she could be like elise. that made me laugh!

potty training today started out terrible! i'm not a morning person (in case you don't know me) and i tend to have to work a little harder to not get flustered in the morning if things are not going smoothly. and it wasn't smooth!

she peed in her high chair, which i knew was going to happen. it did with shelby, and it should be written somewhere ... "what to expect when potty training: they will pee in their high chair!" they are sitting, relaxed, and half naked... it's going to happen.

here's a little insight... part of the challenge of potty training for the child is getting the potty muscles to relax. this is why they frequently sit and can't do anything until they stand up and go on the floor! at some point, that will be the high chair. hopefully it won't be on mommy's lap! it can be on daddy's lap... i could use a good laugh right about now!

before i could get the high chair apart to clean it (it needed done, anyway, otherwise i have plastic under it so i can just dry, wipe, and disinfect it easily), she pooped in her big girl panties that she was excited to put on! uuugh! it was down her leg, on her feet, on the floor in the bathroom, on the potty seat, on my hands, on the toilet... sigh. okay, i can handle this. clean up the baby. have elise help me clean up the mess. hurry and fold the laundry in the basket so i can get the stuff out of the dryer. move the stuff from the washer to the dryer. wash a load of poo-clothes. finish washing the high chair. re-assemble the high chair.

another piece of good information... have the kid help you clean up accidents. they will see where the poo is supposed to go and will have a little more stake in preventing accidents. of course, this still needs to be done with a smile on your face! don't want to hurt your baby's ego and confidence!

i was really grateful for stephon's help today until he stopped me in mid-flight between disasters and said "she still smells poopy." this may not sound like a big deal, and i feel a little silly now that i'm writing it, but at that moment, my head spun and some poltergeist beast was fighting to come out!

i didn't kill him... didn't say much, really. he's been great this weekend! my sister said she was waiting to potty train until her husband was going to be home, i thought that was a great idea, so i borrowed it :) stephon fixed all the meals this weekend while we sat in the bathroom and helped me in my frenzy to get clean clothes and towels put up for that load that needed washed. potty training when you have help is definitely the way to go!

did i mention that my father-in-law came by for a surprise visit in the middle of all of this!? we were so glad to see him... but i had to laugh at the condition of, well, everything! LOL

the day ended great! elise came to me and used her words to tell me she had to go potty when she needed to go. at the end of the day, i got the best hugs after our potty-dance and stickers. she really seems proud of herself. i'm sure proud of her :)

no turning back now

she went poo poo in the potty today and pee pee in the potty tonight! woo hoo! i think she's going to stick with it!

stephon is feeling sad that elise isn't going to be his baby, anymore... stephon is feeling very happy that he may be done changing elise's nauseating diapers!

so here's a list of supplies that are helpful in potty training. some of these are in every potty training book out there, some i have figured out through trial and error with shelby and elise.

i thought it was important for elise to pick these things out so she would be excited about them:

• potty seat
• stickers for her success chart
• a favorite toy and a book each time we sat on the potty

everything else:

• large t-shirts
  • i used nathan's old t-shirts so she wasn't cold and since i use them to protect their clothes from stains, they are perfect for pitching if elise has an out of control accident!
• success chart
• i printed one from the learning curve website that matched her potty seat
• juice and / or a cup that she is excited to drink out of
• this gave me lots of practice cleaning up pee today, but in theory, it will give her lots of practice making it to the potty later...
• diapers for night time
• pull-ups for nap time
• a warm house!
• this was a good excuse to run my fireplace so elise wouldn't be cold since she apparently prefers to be naked.
• cheap toilet paper
• i know this sounds odd, but elise likes to drop in squares of toilet paper. while i believe the cost of toilet paper is well worth keeping her on the potty, why waste the good stuff!?
• rags large enough to clean up accidents
• disinfectant wipes
• trash bag to put between the high chair and the chair it's attached to

here wee wee go!

since we've decided to potty train this weekend, i spent the early morning getting the girls excited about going shopping for training supplies. i'm so excited, myself! i could be done with poopy diapers!

the girls and i started out the day at buy buy baby so that elise could pick out her very own potty seat :) i went there for two reasons: first, this is where we got shelby's potty seat and two, i thought that a baby store would be less crowded than wal-mart on 'black friday.' i ended up having to go to wal-mart for panties, tape, and stickers anyway. so, elise picked out a potty-seat with bugs on it, ofcourse! it's winnie the pooh, but the cushion itself just has various bugs and honey pots on it. shelby helped present several options. i think she's going to be a big help to elise!

wal-mart wasn't bad! there were a lot of employees, and the crazy people were all through there around 5 AM. there were still a few strung out, hyped up employees, but they provided us with a bit of entertainment. we picked out bug stickers for elise, some princess stickers for shelby, and panties for both. they wear the same size... okay, different brands for each, and 'E' in elise's. there are things sisters shouldn't share!

after their nap, we sat on the potty. nothing. about every half hour, we sat on the potty. nothing. however, twice she told me that she needed to go by throwing her arms up to me. aaand twice she pee'd on the floor. once, she pee'd down my leg. well, i guess we all started somewhere! incase you're dying for more details, she never did poop today! i have to think that she's atleast interested, because she did try to tell me a couple of times, and she did sit on the potty pretty easily. we read several books today!

laps

i'm finally in the pool again! woo hoo!

the girls and i have been sitting in childcare together for two weeks getting ready for them to hang out there without mommy. shelby is easy... she'll stay anywhere, i think! elise needs more time to get comfortable with the place, much like shelby did at her age. she's doing great now, so i get a whole hour to swim!

cincinnati zoo

we met jen and paige at the zoo today :) we had a good time.

the bird show was a lot of fun! talking to the cheetah trainer was pretty neat.

you sure do go through some interesting parts of town to get out of there, though!

bunny park

we had a great time at the bunny park, which is not it's real name, with sandy, gabby, and makayla today!

no more crib

i converted elise's crib into a toddler day bed. we'll see how this goes...

mommy's bunkhouse chili

this is wonderful! it's so good and so easy. throw it all in the crock pot in the morning and forget about it until dinner.

Ingredients:
1 pound ground chicken
1 package frozen peppers and onions
2 cloves minced garlic
1 bottle bass pale ale
2 cans (16 ounce) crushed tomatoes
2 cups jack daniels original barbecue sauce
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons oregano
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 cans red kidney beans

Directions:
brown chicken
mix all ingredients in a crock pot and cook on low for 8 hours

mommy's oats and wheat berry muffins

i know i'll be playing with this recipe. it's great like it is, but i'd like to experiment with whole grain mixes, other berries, and might try making cookies with this recipe as they would be much less messy for the girls to eat.

this recipe is great for road trips!

Ingredients:
1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
2 small to medium bananas
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup fresh blueberries

Directions:
preheat oven to 375°F
microwave a jar of peanut butter until it becomes gooey and soft
line muffin cups with paper baking cups
process bananas in a blender until liquefied
add buttermilk and thoroughly blend until the mixture measures 1 1/4 cups
transfer mixture to a large bowl
add rolled oats to banana mixture and let stand for five minutes

in a second bowl, thoroughly mix baking soda, cinnamon, and salt
add flour and mix well

in the blender, combine maple syrup and egg; process until liquefied
add peanut butter and vanilla; Blend well
pour this mixture into the rolled oats; stir well
stir in the dry ingredients

lastly, fold in the blueberries

fill muffin cups about 3/4 full

bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean

makes 12 muffins

gramlene's one dish chicken and rice bake

originally, this recipe called for the chicken breasts to be left whole and cooked on top of the rice. i pressure cook them to make them really tender and break them apart and mix them in. this makes it easier for the girls to eat (and i don't like baked chicken breasts, anyway).

Ingredients:
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 1/2 cups brown rice
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon pepper
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
one bag frozen soup vegetables, thawed

Directions:
preheat oven to 375 degrees
prepare chicken in pressure cooker
prepare rice
mix soup, rice, paprika, chicken, and pepper
sprinkle with additional paprika and pepper
cover and bake for 45 minutes

mommy's tex mex bake

this will also probably change over time. i made the recipe once and have included my first round of improvements :)

Ingredients:
2 cups brown rice
2 cans (10 ounces) diced tomatoes
1 can green chilies
1 pound ground chicken, browned
4 - 6 cups tortilla chips, crushed
2 cans (15 ounces) seasoned black beans
2 pounds mexican cheese
guacamole
sour cream

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Spray a baking dish with cooking spray
prepare rice; set aside
combine cooked rice, tomatoes, chilies, and chicken; set aside
cover baking dish bottom with tortilla chips.
layer half of the cheese over the tortilla chips
top with beans and rice-tomato-chicken mixture
top with remaining cheese
bake, uncovered for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted
serve with guacamole and sour cream

the blind man

somehow we got to church very early today. that was nice for a change! i usually get there on time, but i still always feel rushed. elise practiced walking all over the church and i put a sticker on shelby's fingernail... it didn't even make it through sunday school. oh well, she loved it. she told me that she was a princess because of it.

what a great word today! pastor jim preached about the blind man in john 9. that man didn't even know who jesus was. when asked who had healed him, he said "the man they call jesus." this man was healed by jesus, and that miracle was so undeniable that he couldn't help but acknowledge jesus for what he had done and worshiped him.

the girls fell asleep in the car, and hardly woke up between the car and their beds :)

mommy and me ballet

i can't believe that i'm participating in a mommy and me ballet class! shelby loves it, though, and the teacher makes it fun. however, it is still so over the top girly! i may have to sign us up for the daddy and me build something class during the next session to remember who i am :) i do love being a part of something with shelby that she loves so much. her and elise are my little dancers. both of them could dance before they could walk.

elise is walking more and more. sometimes she toddlers around like that's her primary form of mobility... until she falls... and then she resorts to the trusted method of crawling. i can't blame her for sticking with that for as long as possible because she's so fast!

48 hours and counting

shelby says 'binkies at papa elf's house' at nap and bed time, but she's working through it. i honestly expected this to be harder than it has been.

she won't take a nap in her room yet, she starts out there and then i have to move her to my bed so she doesn't keep elise awake. yesterday that involved a lot of cuddling for comfort, and i did eventually turn the tv on. she's in there now, so we'll see if she falls asleep today. yesterday she fell asleep on the love seat.

i went to the doctor today. i have a kidney infection. the good news is that it's not bad enough to put me into the hospital yet! elise was slightly traumatized when i needed to go to the restroom to give my urine sample. dr. harper and three nurses were in the room trying to comfort her!

shelby weighs 35 pounds and is 3' 3". elise weighs 33 pounds.

shelby got a tour of a fire truck on our way home from the doctor! i found it interesting that shelby asked to touch one thing in every storage compartment on the outside of the truck. james, the fireman, put her into the cab of the truck. the truck was on and very loud, shelby wasn't too crazy about that, but she didn't seem too scared.

nathan, parish, and i went to nathan's parent / teacher conference today. it was really tough on nathan. he is having a terrible time with organization. i'm pretty sure that if he would decide that it's necessary and believe that he can do it he would just about have straight A's. i hope the conference was enough to light a fire under him. i have to admit that as a mother it broke my heart to see him under such duress today.

no more binkie!

today shelby gave her binkies to papa elf. he came to fix the garage door (yeah!) and the bathtub faucet(yeah!!) so i had her put the binkies in a baggy and give them to papa elf to take home to help baba quit smoking :) she wouldn't take a nap today, but tonight when she asked for it i reminded her that they went with papa elf for baba. she paused and thought about it for a second, said 'oh, oh ya' and that was it! she went to bed and to sleep with no problems!! this was just way too easy.

first steps and a slumber party!

elise took her first steps today! she's been standing for about a week, but today she took a few steps to stephon. both her and shelby took their first steps to stephon :)

tonight i couldn't find shelby when i went to make sure they were covered and warm. she was asleep in the crib with elise! it was SO cute!