What's for Dinner: Luau Salad

The warmer spring weather has us eating lighter, but still, there's always that question: What's for dinner? Tonight I used a little creativity and came up with a twist on the old standby of grilled chicken and salad, and we were all pleasantly surprised with the result, hereafter known as the Luau Salad.

 

So what's in it?

1/2 bunch romaine lettuce, washed/dried/chopped

2 handfuls baby spinach (from a bag)

1 cup sliced fresh strawberries

1 cup fresh pineapple, cut into 1 inch pieces

1/4 cup diced red onion

1 cup uncooked campanelle pasta

1/4 cup chopped dried mango

1/4 cup walnut pieces (or macadamia nuts would be great too!)

bottled raspberry vinaigrette and/or poppy seed salad dressing

Cook pasta in salted water according to package directions. Drain, and rinse in cold water to cool rapidly to avoid it becoming mushy. Put spinach, lettuce, onion, pineapple, and strawberries into a large salad bowl, add pasta and toss. Top with walnuts and mango.  

I topped ours with grilled chicken, which was first marinated in the raspberry vinaigrette dressing for 20 minutes. The same dressing is wonderful over the whole salad, or change it up with poppy seed dressing-I like Paul Newman's.

This was both kid and husband tested and approved! 

The Cover Charge

Did you know there is a $100 cover charge to get into Target? Yep. Sure is. It's automatically deducted from your account as you walk through the front doors-that's what those things disguised as anti-theft devices really are-automatic debiting machines. ADM's-the opposite of an ATM. Anyway, once they take the required $100 out of your bank account, you are allowed to choose $100 or more in merchandise, and they'll bill you the difference at the checkout. And how could you not find at least $100 in stuff you need to buy at Target? Impossible!

For example, today I went after lunch, with a baby and a 3-year-old in tow. The purpose of the trip was to buy a digital clock, and the pre-determined budget was $15. But then we walked in the door. ZAP! $100, just gone. Might as well just get our money's worth, right? The first stop is that darn dollar section, that they strategically place at the front of the store so you are immediately sucked in. And of course, they have more Sesame Street crap in that section than they do anywhere else-and of course it's all piled in the bottom two bins-right at the kids' eye level. Of course, a tantrum will absolutely ensue if I try to pry these new treasures from the kid's hands, so after a few minutes, I tell him to choose one thing, and he can only have it if he cooperates the rest of the trip. Phew, we're off to a great start! Yippee!

We're trucking down the aisle toward the home decor where we might find a clock, but I'm distracted. The kids' summer shorts & t-shirts were on sale 5 for $20-what a deal! I'll take 5 for the kid, and 5 more for baby! But wait-look-some of the same set of shorts & shirts are on clearance. For $2.50! Can't pass that up! I'll take 4 more! Ooooh look! There is an endcap in the baby section with all kinds of online only stuff on it-all greatly discounted! A designer nursing cover-originally $42.99 marked down to $9, Trumpette socks for $3.24, and wow, Pampers in an economy sized box for $18.98! I'll take them alllllll! Then I remembered that we use cloth diapers, so we don't really buy disposables. Dilema. Oh! Bingo! I have so many friends having babies, I might as well get some of these gems as gifts!

Moving on now, just need to get some Raid to take care of a small invasion of ants after the heavy rains we've recently had. Chugging back to the garden section, and we see all the kids' gardening stuff. And it's so cute. Little monkeys and faces and gloves and kneeling pads and rakes and shovels and squeeeee! I let the kiddo pick 2 things. But he wants a shovel and a pair of gloves. He must have the little rake to match, right? Toss it in the cart, why not, they're only $2.50 each. Oh yeah, Raid. Chug, chug. Found it, and it costs $2.24. Not bad! But I'd rather have the all natural stuff since we have kids and pets, but it's $7.  Well, it's still a better choice for my family, sigh. It's on the top shelf, which means it's a premium product, right?

Time to get out of here before we buy anything else! Wait, what did we come in here for again? A clock! We're getting that and then leaving, really! We find just the right clock for my little guy's room, and we're heading to the checkout, but on the way we are again sucked in by one of those clearance end caps, this time in the home decor section. And, being a designer at heart, I can't resist the opportunity to "just look" at new pillows, placemats, sheets, kitchen towels, candleholders, ooooh dear. Quandry. I really have been meaning to replace our dishrags, and here are a bunch of the nice thick ones. And they're on clearance. But I talk myself out of it, I don't really need them, and I shouldn't spend the extra money right now. Except they match my kitchen colors, so I must have them, it's meant to be! Into the cart they go. But wait-do I need the coordinating hand towels too? I have enough right now, but they won't match the new dishrags exactly. And I probably won't be able to find matching hand towels when I do need them, so I should get the set now, right? Oh look! A matching pot holder! Ok. Enough, to the checkout we are going, with our blinders on. Here we go, chug, chug, chug.

Almost there, and then I see it. A gleaming wall of glass with brightly colored labels. With the big red numbers up on top of the display. It's wine. Organized by varietal, and color coordinated with each other. A new brand, I've looked at buying before but never tried, because it costs just a little more than I'd usually spend. But today, it's on a mega sale, so either it's really good, or really bad? But how would one know unless one samples it? I'll get a bottle to try tonight with the hubster since it's a good deal, he'll like that little surprise after the kids are in bed. And a second bottle for our girls' night in on Thursday, because I have to bring wine anyway. This just saves me a trip to the store later this week. Chug, chug, chug to the checkout.

We unload the cart, present the reusable bags for our five cent discount per bag, and ask for gift receipts for the baby items. I look at all the goodies on the conveyor belt, and mentally try to add/justify everything on it. Surely it can't be more than what, $65? The cashier finishes scanning our loot, and says, "132.74, will that be on your Target Red Card today?" I look back at her, or more specifically at her outline, because I'm dizzy from stickershock, and I have no idea how I could possibly have spent this much in just 35 minutes. I pull out the beloved Red Card and run it, which does save me 5%, so it helps, but still puts me at $124 after tax. And I think to myself, "Hey! You're only $24 over the usual! Not bad." And that is the story of Target and the $100 cover charge.

Bedtime Buggin'

Our three-year-old has entered into a phase of refusing naps and resisting bedtime. We have our routines down pat for both-but suddenly he's just not that into going to bed, at any time of the day. We're in that tough spot-the place where he no longer WANTS the nap, but he NEEDS the nap.

On a day that he gives into his body and falls asleep for the afternoon nap, he sleeps hard for 2-3 hours, and then is his normal happy, funny, bubbly self until a bedtime of 8-8:30. On a day when he does everything in his power to fight the sleep, and turns into barbarian toddler at our mere suggestions to take a nap, he is a complete mess by 6 pm, and is typically in bed and sound asleep by 6:30. I'm not talking about just being tired without a nap, I'm talking falling down, drooling, slurred speech, no appetite, dizzy, meltdowny kid, to whom we say "No", "Stop", "Don't" and "Take a time out" to more times in that last barely functional hour than we say those things in a normal week (with naps). While sometimes the early bedtime is nice, because it allows for a bigger chunk of adult time in the evenings, it also is a problem. Like if we want to go out to dinner, have friends over in the evening, or go for a walk to the park after we eat. And, on nights that my husband has to work late, that early bedtime means little or no Daddy/kid time, which they both really enjoy.

Bedtime has been another big battle for us lately. I should say here that he's been going to bed, in his own bed, by himself with a good routine, since he was a year old, so this part isn't new at all. The new part is the procrastination of sleep. Anyway, not sure if it's a developing imagination about shadows, ghosts, bumps in the night, or just that he wants more attention now that he's got a baby to share the spotlight with-either way, it seems that we get through our routine (bath, brush teeth, potty, pajamas, story, lights off, fan on, sing a song, tuck in, hug, g'night) and he whines, cries, yells, screams, kicks, and carries on and wants us to check on him. So we do, and there are demands-some more ridiculous than others, but usually anything from a recollection of a nightmare that he just wants to recount with us, to wanting a hug or a drink of water. Another fun game he likes to play is "Get ___ outta my room." It started with his books-we think he had a nightmare about the Cat in the Hat, so he doesn't like them in his room at night sometimes. Then it was his clock, which I told him I wouldn't take out of his room, so he climbed up and removed it himself-so now it's in the hallway, ticking away. The latest is that he doesn't like his curtains (Why not? They're happy! With orange and green cartoon hippos on them!) and he wants them out of his room, along with "Da button up 'dere. Take it outta here." Meaning the smoke detector. Ummm...No. I explained that those things are part of his room, and cannot be removed, sorry, no dice, go to sleep. Already. And these kinds of shenanigans will carry on for hours. We've tried going along with him, ignoring him, letting him cry, checking on him but not actually entering the room, time out, taking privileges away, and none of those are working.

Now that you've read all that fun stuff about how we got to this point, here is our newest idea: Don't Bug Me. That's right. I don't want my kid to bug me when he's in bed for the night. There, I said it. But it's true! I'm with him allllll day, and we do everything together. Sometimes we just need to see other people. Like my husband. Or Pinterest. Which is where I found the idea for bedtime passes-but I've taken this idea, and tweaked it just a smidge to include the icky-bug-boy-factor. Introducing the "Bedtime Bug Me Pass"! He's got two of them, and when the kiddo decides he needs a hug, a drink, or some random object removed from his bedroom, it costs him a pass. Once they're both gone, the next time we have to enter his room, we'll hit him where it hurts and take away his Sesame Street watching privileges for the next day. Strike two, and his CD's from the library are gone for the following day. (Nooo! Not Raffi!) Thankfully we haven't gotten to that point (yet).
So far, it's working. At naptime he lost a pass for throwing a fit, and then threw a bigger one when he lost the pass, so my husband gave him an (unofficial, of course) freebie and reminded him how the new system worked. He fussed for a few minutes, but did eventually nap. Success! Bedtime tonight was similar-a bit of a fuss at first, a reminder of the pass system, and a request to "check on me!" about 5 minutes after the official bedtime. That cost him a pass, which he was less than excited about, and continued a small amount of grumping afterward, but he did eventually fall asleep. Double Success! I think he likes holding the passes because they're still a novelty with their bright colors and insect stickers on them, but hey, whatever works. Hopefully this will get us over the edge into new naptime and bedtime territory and he won't even need to relinquish them after a few nights. Fingers crossed.

The Essentials

We made a road trip last weekend for a wedding. Anyone with small children knows what a task this is, and the challenges that come with traveling anywhere with little ones.

Here are some of the things we encountered along the way-and the translation to the kids:

• A day's drive to get there = Boring! I want out of my carseat!
• Meeting extended family = Lots of hugs from folks I don't know. Is Sesame Street on yet?
• A photographer = I'm a time bomb. I can only smile for so long, and then I'm going to cry, run away or spill juice on my shirt. Or maybe all 3 at the same time.
• A wedding ceremony = Be quite AND sit still? At the same time?
• A stay in a hotel (that was more like a museum) = Don't. Touch. Anything!
• A day's drive home = I'm tired! I'm cranky! I've been good all weekend! I want out of my carseat!

All of that aside, we made it through, mostly unscathed, the hotel room and its knicknacks intact, without going insane, and managed to have some fun and enjoy ourselves along the way. A lot of this is due to being prepared, staying relaxed, and standing firm when necessary (to minimize the inevitable overdone kid meltdown).

I've come up with a list of must-haves

for anyone brave enough to embark on a similar excursion:

1. Lollipops - Need your kid to be quiet? Like right now? For a long time? Present one of these magical candies to the child, seek approval of color. Rummage in bag until object of requested color is located. Unwrap. Insert in mouth. Repeat as necessary. (And while you're sitting there in church, take a moment to pray for a short wedding ceremony without a full mass or communion!)

2. Baby Wipes - Every parent knows these have multiple uses, but just in case I've thought of one you haven't, here's a rundown. I've used them for wiping messy hands and faces, cleaning off a picnic table, in place of a Kleenex, to tame flyaway hair, to remove food stains from my own clothes, to cool down a kid with a slight fever, to pinch-hit for forgotten deodorant (Ew! I know! But it works!), to clean off the plastic side of a diaper changing pad, to get muddy footprints off my leather car seats, as a makeup removing cloth, and...of course, for the obvious reasons too.

3. Bottled Water - Buy a case, and toss it in the car. It too has magical properties-it can not only provide hydration, but a bottle with a cap will entertain a 3-year-old for at least 10 minutes with it's popping, cracking, dripping, unscrewing, filling, dumping abilities. Beyond the obvious reasons, you can wet down napkins to wipe faces if you're out of Item #2 (see above), wash hands, or make it into a very fun and spectacular treat with a bit of that powdered flavored drink mix that comes in those cute colorful little packets. Suddenly boring water tastes just like children's Tylenol from 1986. Really.

4. Fruit Snacks - These things are as resilient as cockroaches, I'm pretty sure they can survive an apocalypse. Go ahead-test it out. Leave them in a hot car. Leave them in a frozen car. Carry them in a diaper bag for a few months. Put them in your back pocket. Drop them on the floor and step on the package. Once you've done all of these things, open them up and hand them to your kiddo. I betcha they look, feel, and taste just the same as the ones you bought on sale at the store last Tuesday. 

5. Boppy pillow - Sure, they're traditionally for infant feeding, but I've got more uses for this comfy donut shaped pillow. It's an instant nap spot for your toddler when you don't have a crib available. It's a lounging spot for baby when you don't want him to roll all over your questionable hotel room carpet. It's a safety net for baby when your kid cousin wants to hold him, but isn't quite old enough not to drop baby on his head. It's a supportive neck pillow for you, when you think you can finally doze off in the car (don't worry, if you do, a voice in the backseat will scream just as soon as you close both eyes.) Extra points if you put a clean pillowcase on it before you leave town, and gold stars for spritzing it with lavender essential oil for even more sleep temptation.

6. Receiving blankets - Similar invaluable multiuse item: Changing pad. Burp cloth. Nursing cover. Play mat. Seat protector. Towel. Blanket. Back support. Wrap for dirty laundry. Bib. Bandage. Sun protector. Carseat cover. Stuffed animal sleeping bag. Peekaboo essential. Cloth diaper. And, when really in a rough spot....Toga!

7. Corkscrew - preferably the folding waiters' style. Why? So if you get stuck alone in your hotel room while your spouse is celebrating at the reception and you're on bedtime duty, at least you can open the bottle of wine you tucked in your suitcase at the end of a hard day of traveling, kids, and family. Sit, sip, relax, repeat.

Armed & Dangerous.

Play with your food

Food. We eat meals 3 times a day, plus a few snacks in between. Our days sometimes revolve around meals-it's not just time to eat, but rather an event, a chance to connect with the family and friends, an invitation for conversation. It's also a learning experience-think about all of the opportunities to teach a child during a meal-everything from nutrition and where food comes from to traditions surrounding food and table manners, and lots more in between. In our home, we frequently "play" with our food, particularly at lunchtime.

For example: Circles for lunch

For a 3-year-old, this was fun! I ended up with this plate by accident, and then had to take a picture of it when I realized the theme I had going. He loves the "smorgasboard" type lunches, with just a little bit of everything that he can pick and choose each bite. He immediately noticed that everything was the same shape-though he pointed out that the grapes were actually ovals. Smart kid.

Another example: Peanut Butterfly Sandwich

Why not take something very ordinary-like the classic PB&J, banana, and carrot lunch and make it just a little more fun? I always cut the sandwich into four smaller sandwiches, but this time did it perpendicularly instead of diagonally. The half banana became the body, and the obligatory carrot sticks antennae. Just to test it out, I put it down in front of aforementioned smart 3-year-old, and he immediately said, "Mommy, that's silly! My sandwich is a butterfly!" He had fun deciding which antennae and wing to eat first, and we talked about the different colors of butterflies while we ate. Success.