Homemade Mozzarella Bites!

If your kids are anything like mine, they go through food stages. My monster will love one thing one day and refuse to eat it the next. However, bite sized foods that he can dip, are always a win. Not to mention, Mom and Dad love them, too!

I found this recipe on Pinterest, but it originally came from the blog Never Trust a Skinny Cook. Apparently, some people were having problems with theirs melting into 'cheese puddles', however, mine came out just fine. This is something the kids can help you make, too, which is always a plus for me! So here it is:

Ingredients that I used:
Small bowl of 1% milk
1 (12count) package of 2% string cheese
Panko bread crumbs
I added parsley and garlic powder to the bread crumbs for flavor, but you can add whatever you'd like.

Preheat the oven to 425. Unwrap your cheese and start cutting into little balls.

They should end up looking kind of like mini marshmallows

Then, you dip the cheese bites into the milk. Transfer it to the bread crumbs and toss them around until they are as coated as possible. *Note- if you use panko bread crumbs, they will not look very coated, but it still works out really well. Toss them on a greased cookie sheet and put the in the oven for 6-10 minutes, depending on your oven.

This is what ours looked like.

Not only are they healthier than the fried or frozen mozzarella sticks, you also can turn this into a family learning/fun moment! Enjoy!! Let me know of any variations you might try, I would love to try them, myself!

The Big Bad Potty Training Monster

Hey guys! First off, I want to apologize for being MIA for the last month or so. My computer was stolen and I have been in he process of moving, among other lovely life things. I am pretty much moved, so I am hoping to be able to update a lot more. Let's get to it!

I'm sure you all have heard potty training horror stories and that its this long drawn out ordeal. In my personal experience, that's only half true. I am happy to say that I am the proud Mama of a 2 1/2 year old little boy and you get to hear (read) about our lovely transition from diapers to normal toilets.

I attempted to start potty training at about 18 months which is a little too early, in my opinion. However, I wanted to be that mom with the incredibly mature, well-behaved, advanced child. Who doesn't? I bought a little training toilet and bunch of cute little cheap toys and candy from the Walmart party section for prizes when my son went potty on his little toilet. I found this cool blog post on Pinterest that walks you through a 3 day potty training adventure Growing a Jeweled Rose. So, we gave it a try....3 different times... over a span of 3 months or so. Let's just say it never worked out.

So, I put it off for a little while because he clearly wasn't ready. then, I decided to just keep taking him to the bathroom when my husband or I went to see if showed any interest. Eventually, he started sitting on the toilet, bu still didn't go. He actually didn't go potty in his toilet until he was going in the bath and I quickly moved him over. I praised him so much that he started trying to go more often, bu still not enough to attempt real underwear. So, I kind of laid off a little again.

Then, out of nowhere, he decided he wanted to go on the potty all the time by himself and he did. It took about 3-4 weeks of solid potty training and him actually doing it really well before he went out of the house without a diaper on. I was so nervous he would pee his pants the first time I took him out without a diaper, but he did so well and told me when he had to go.

I know I have been rambling a bit, but I just wanted you to know that it won't always happen the first...or second... or even fifth time. Don't give up! Your child will let you know when they're ready, but don't be afraid to expose them to the toilet early. Also, be patient. Getting upset with them for having an accident or not going at all will make them associate the potty with negative feelings. Praise as much as possible! Positive reinforcement is your greatest ally. Use it! And last but not least, listen to your child. They are a lot smarter than we give them credit for!

What are some of your tips and tricks for potty training? Any horror stories? Also, don't forget to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter!!

Manic Mondays

Is it just me or do Mondays seem a bit more stressful that the rest of the week? You would think a person would get used to it after 23 years of having Mondays. However, I have not.

I set so many goals for myself to accomplish throughout the day and I only ever get about half of them done. My son always seems to be much more of a monster than usual, and I tend to give up on cleaning or baking, or whatever other task I was working on, before it even hits noon! Whoever tries to tell you this whole "parenting/housewife" business is easy, either hasn't done it, or they are lying through their teeth.

My Mondays usually end up with me and the monster going for a walk, a coupon haul, or vegging on the couch/floor playing. Not a terrible day, by any means, just incredibly unproductive.

I am thinking of making myself, my husband, my brother, and my monster all separate chore charts in order to try to prevent my Manic Mondays. Pinterest is amazing for finding just about anything, but you have to have an account. In order to get one, a friend who already has it, needs to invite you. You can try signing up without an invitation, but you'll be waiting forever to get an account. Before my invite, I had been waiting three months. WARNING: Pinterest is addicting! Don't say I didn't warn you!

How do you get over the "Monday Hump?" Is there some trick I don't know about? As always, if you have any questions, concerns, comments, suggestions, etc, feel free to email me at avittori@asu.edu.

Happy Almost Tuesday!!!