Sesame Street Trivia

I stumbled upon this video about the man who has provided the voice of both Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch for over the last 40 years; and though he is an interesting man in the interview, more interesting is the fact that Big Bird is meant to be a six year old and Oscar the Grouch is based on a New York City cab driver.

Quote of the Day

"People are giving birth underwater now. They say it's less traumatic for the baby because it's in water. But certainly more traumatic for the other people in the pool." ~Elayne Boosler

Picture of the Day

The gang of pink ladies had extended their territory to the baby pool.

Send your favorite kid pictures to: dalessandrochristine@gmail.com

Odd Balls

As I fed my son his daily serving of prunes mixed with oatmeal, my mind wandered to a recent posting I read on some celebrity blog that revealed the fact that the curious Olsen twins whisper the word "prunes" every time they pose for the paparazzi.

The intended effect is to appear cool, couture, and mysterious...I guess.

So, of course, I headed to the mirror to try the look on for size. As I stared at my reflection, that at the time bore no make-up and a frightful array of hair before a comb had tamed it, I whispered, "prunes".

The result: I looked likely someone who had experienced one of the more auditory effects of prunes, as opposed to any model-worthy expression.

Try it for yourself...and then add it to the list of items that evidence the Olsen twins' other worldliness.

Out of the Mouths of Babes

This morning, I said to my daughter, "Okay, it's time to put your bathing suit on."

She replied, "I'm sixteen years old. I'm not a child!"

This can mean only one thing: it is time to misplace our Little Mermaid DVD.

Profile of a Parent

If you have been a reader of this blog for a while, you may recall my mention of a very special friend, Susan, who has had the great misfortune of selling her soul to the devil. How do I know this? By 6 weeks postpartum, Susan was in better shape than I have ever been in my entire life (even that summer after 7th grade when I played soccer for 6 hours a day consecutively). Well, my fabulous friend is also this week's fabulous profile of a parent!

Name: Susan, Sue, Mommy, Ma Ma

Mother of: Abigail 3yrs, and Kyleigh 7 months, Ace (The Dog) 4yrs

What You Did Before You Were Someone’s Mommy: I was a mortgage loan officer for Chase Home Finance.

What You Do For Yourself Now: Going to school for personal training and nutritional consultanting.

What is your favorite thing about being a mother: Seeing your children smile with a sparkle in their eyes that says they love life!

What is the one thing you wish you’d known before you had children? How much sleep I should have stored in a sleep bank…I would definitely be making some withdraws lately!

What would you do with an extra free hour in your day? Read or work out…maybe sleep. Can I have two hours????

Who are your go-to people when you have parenting questions? My Mother.

What is the one thing your child(ren) do that always makes you smile? When Abigail sings "Somewhere Over the Rainbow", and when Kyleigh does the raspberries and spit goes everywhere.

Who is your favorite fictional mother? Caroline Ingalls from Little House on the Prairie .

If you could be someone you know for a day, who would it be? Oprah…just to see how it would feel for everyone to take my views as if they were God’s.

If you could ban people from doing something, what would it be? Ban the truck drivers to stop driving their tractor trailers on the NJ Turnpike or anywhere in the state…they cause so many accidents.

If you could make one mixed CD that would be the only music you could listen to for the rest of your life, what songs would you put on it? “Streetcorner Symphony” Rob Thomas, “Everyday” Dave Matthews Band, “Pink” Aerosmith, “Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” Aerosmith, “You Were Meant for Me” Jewel, “Bent” Matchbox Twenty, “Back to Good” Matchbox Twenty, “Billy Jean” Michael Jackson, “No One”, Alicia Keys, “Paralyzer” Finger Eleven, “Angel” Sarah McLachlan,…… and to keep me laughing “Holiday Road” from National Lampoons Vacation.

Send in your own profile by answering the questions above and forwarding them (along with a picture) to: dalessandrochristine@gmail.com

Monday's Meal

The following recipe is one of my "Old Faithfuls" in that it is very easy to make, serves 5-6 people, and is the perfect salad to serve for lunch, or with any number of favorite Mexican sides. Oh, and this recipe (along with 95% of my recipes), comes by way of my fabulous mother.


Taco Salad

Ingredients:

1 lb lean ground beef or ground turkey
1 packet of taco seasoning
1 head of lettuce, shredded for salad pieces
1 cup (or more, depending on taste) of crushed tortilla chips
1 cup of onion, chopped
4 roma/plum tomatoes, chopped
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup of Thousand Island dressing

Directions:

1) Prepare ground beef and taco seasoning according to package, allow to cool
2) Combine remaining ingredients with the taco meat to create the salad

Directions: