Today’s question is:  Who drops their child at a complete strangers house for a sleepover and doesn’t pop in to meet the parents?

Background:  For the second time in a month I have been brought to complete disbelief in regards to some of my children’s friends.

About a month ago, my 10 year old wanted her friend from school to sleep over.  She attends a middle school now and there are children from all over our town.  Many that I have never met.  So this little girl is scheduled to come over, I spoke to the mom, very briefly a few days before so she could check to make sure I knew about the sleep over.  The night the girl came, she was dropped at the curb and came to the door by herself.  There was no parent, no discussion of when she’d get picked up in the morning, nothing.  I was shocked.

I mean, I could be a drunk, I could be a crazy person, I could be completely unreliable, I could be so many things and without coming into my door and meeting me, you’d have no idea. 

Fast forward a month, my 12 year old wanted to have her new friend sleep over.  Same deal, the girl is someone I’ve never met from the middle school.  My girl plans out the entire sleepover.  The mom never calls to double check.  I have absolutely no contact with the girl or the parents.  Once again the girl is dropped at the curb, she rings the bell and enters the house and I never see a parent.

I mean seriously, I could be a drunk, I could be a crazy person, I could be completely unreliable, I could be so many things and without coming to my door and meeting me, you’d have no idea.

Lucky for both of these parents, I am kinda normal! LOL

The thing is, I can not fathom sending any of my children to a someones house I’ve never met for a sleepover without 1. talking to them first and 2. coming to the door and meeting the parents.

We are talking about 10 and 12 year olds here.  Does anyone else think that’s a little young for a blind sleepover?  Or have I set my expectations too high on this one?

Today’s question is:  Why are new recipes oh so good?

Background:  The other day I created a new risotto recipe.  I still have kale in my garden, even though it’s now cold, and I want to use it up.  The kids will eat it, so I must use it.  I made this for dinner the other night and it was really good, so good my oldest girl had three helpings.  Enjoy!

Zucchini and Kale Risotto

1 zucchini, sliced
10 leaves of Kale, chopped
1/2 of an Onion, chopped
1 stick Butter
2 Cups Risotto
6 Cups Vegetable broth
1 T basil
1 Cup Pecorino Romano
salt and pepper to taste

Begin by warming the broth in a pan on the stove top.

In a pot, melt half the butter, add the onion, zucchini and kale and cook until tender.  Add the rice and the basil and stir until well coated with butter and heated through.  Now begin adding the broth, a ladle at a time, stirring until each ladle has almost been absorbed by the rice.  Do not let the rice dry out.  Continue adding the broth and stirring until the rice is tender and creamy but the grain is still firm (center of rice).  Taste and season with salt and pepper, add the remaining butter and cheese.  Cover and let rest a few minutes to melt the cheese and let the risotto relax a little.

Today’s question is:  Who mows their lawn in hair rollers?

Background:  We have one of those houses in the neighborhood, everyone has one.  You know, the house that keeps their Christmas tree up until June?

What?  Huh?

Every neighborhood doesn’t have one of those?  oh…….

Ok, well among other strange happenings in this neighborhood, we have the ‘keep the tree forever house’.  Today the kids and I were driving back from a school conference and the ‘tree lady’ was out mowing her lawn.

And………she was mowing in hair rollers.  Picture The Bloggess, but with blonde hair and a few huge curlers on the tippy top. She was out, in that get up, mowing the lawn like there’s no tomorrow.

The kids said, “mom take a picture, hee hee” and I said “she would see me and I’d probably make her mad, I am not taking her picture, even though she looks ridiculous!”

I’m having a hard time getting the image of a late 50′s blonde woman with big old hair curlers mowing her lawn out of my head.

People crack me up.

Today’s question is:  Why is the impromptu soup so good?

Background:  Last night I made a roasted turkey breast.  The house smelled so good.  I had been craving turkey for weeks.  One of the best things about cooking a turkey is the stock that can be made the next day and the leftover turkey possibilities.

This morning I started on my turkey stock by putting the carcass into some water with a bunch of vegetables and some spices. I let it simmer all afternoon.  I decided I would make turkey noodle soup for dinner.  I chopped up some onion, carrots and celery and began to saute it in some of the turkey stock with a bunch of spices.  I have found that sauteing in stock brings out the flavors in the vegetables you are sauteing.  It’s also a very healthy way to saute.

Sometime after I had chopped up the leftover turkey and added it to my vegetable saute I decided I just didn’t want to have turkey noodle soup.  So I made some changes to the rest of my additions and came up with turkey bean soup.  Here’s the recipe.

Turkey Bean Soup

1/2 onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
4 carrots, slices on bias
1 tsp celery salt
1 Tbl oregano
1 tsp dill
1lb turkey (or about 2 cups leftover turkey) cut up
28 oz Can diced tomatoes (I used whole and broke them up)
4 cups turkey stock (or chicken)
1 can pinto beans
1 cup water
5 kale leaves sliced
salt and pepper to taste

Add onion, carrots and celery into pot and begin to saute in some of the turkey stock.  Once the onion begins to soften add the celery salt, oregano, dill and a bit of salt and mix well while the carrot and celery tenderize.  Add turkey and mix well.  Add tomatoes, stock, water and pinto beans.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce to simmer and add kale.  Simmer 30 minutes to let flavors blend.  Serves 8.

Enjoy!

Today’s question is:  Why can’t I clean all the dishes before I go to bed?

Background:  Years ago I used to follow the fly lady, well follow may not be what it was, this was before Twitter.  Really I was signed up on her email list and I listened to what she said every day because I was overwhelmed with all the stuff in my house. She had one cardinal rule: Shine your sink before you go to bed.  If you check out her site and click on the beginner baby steps, you will see that this is the first step, go shine your sink.

I know this.  I practiced this every day for a long time before I decided I didn’t need the fly lady any more.

So why does my sink look like this:?

I know the key to feeling organized and happy is a clean sink, what is wrong with me? (and for the record it’s almost 11am and I still haven’t cleaned it.)  Maybe I need the fly lady again.

Today’s question is:  Why won’t my kids take a money bribe for their halloween candy?

Background:  Yesterday, when I was driving my middle girl to her dance class I said, “hey Daphne, will you give me all your candy if I give you $20?”  She quickly responded “no mom”.

I was shocked.

She won’t give me all her candy for $20?  I mean she could just go out and buy just as much candy with that $20 don’t you think?  Not that she would of course.

Maybe she just loves the idea of the candy a bit too much.  Here’s a picture of her with her beloved candy:

Today I offered up $40 for the candy and so far two of them won’t take the bait.  I just asked my boy and he said “totally no”.  OMG. What is up with that?

Apparently, our bribes aren’t so good.  We have to come up with a new plan, any ideas?

Today’s question is:  Why is stumbling on a new chili recipe always such a treat?

Background:  In my world, chili makes my day.  I love when the days begin to shorten and I start to crave warm hearty chili again.  I have many different chili recipes that I go to when I’m craving, but on a Monday a few weeks ago, I went looking for something different, something meatless.  I stumbled on a quinoa chili recipe from Savvy Vegetarian.  With the changes I need to make it my own I came up with a simply delicious meatless chili perfect for meatless Monday.

Quinoa and Bean chili