Good evening you guys!! Sometimes I feel that three posts are too much and two posts are too little. Squeezing a lot in tonight : )
After working for a while mid-morning, I went to strength class (so glad I did!!) and then came home to make dinner. I always feel so accomplished when I make crockpot meals early in the day! LOL.
My sister wrote a post about some of her staple meals, and I immediately bookmarked this crockpot Mexican casserole. It turned out more like a chili for us, but that was just fine because it was awesome!
After throwing it all in the slow cooker, I made my own little lunch — a turkey + havarti cheese wrap with all.the.pickles. Jalapeños, banana peppers, dill pickles. Those count as veggies right?! Plus some chips and grapes.
I met Mazen at camp/the pool for a little afternoon fun after that!
You know how after you’ve been swimming for an hour all you crave is a nice little crispy crackery salty snack? Snyder’s of Hanover sent me some packs of their new Wholey Cheese crackers to feature in a sponsored spotlight, and I knew they would make the perfect addition to our pool bag : )
I actually came across an ad in HGTV Magazine this week that described these like this: “It’s like delicate crispy flowers were watered by a cheese sprinkler!” HAHA — I agree!! They are so light and airy, and I love that they have little cheese holes (wholeys!). They come in a bunch of flavors, like smoked gouda and the two you see above, and they are made with real cheese and no artificial flavors or preservatives. They are also gluten-free for those of you who can’t have gluten but love crackers! Mazen loves ’em. #sponsoredbySnydersofHanover
After finishing up our snack, we jumped back in the pool and five seconds later…..the thunder rolled. Here he is back home not pleased about leaving the pool so fast while the sun was shining. (We would have stayed to ride out the thunder but the pool closed for a swim meet at 3pm.)
The squad.
We made the most of the afternoon though, and after showers we played “feuter” aka “theater” and rented the LEGO Batman Movie. I voted for Trolls or Moana but Batman won.
Snuggles were had by all.
When we got restless, we headed back outside to the garden to dig around. The Beanstalk Seeds are doing awesome!
We picked beans, carrots, radishes, spinach, and lettuce! Mazen did a great job tasting them all. Check Instagram for a cute video : )
This was my grandfather’s vegetable basket — so cool that I can use it for the same purpose!
So how was that chili? AWESOME. Topped with cheese, yogurt, and avocado. So good!! Mazen ate all of his too, which is a huuuuuge improvement from six months ago when he would have turned his nose up at something like this.
I’m about to get my little bean to bed. Thomas is out playing soccer, and I’m going to catch up on TV and reading!
Niiiiinight!
A crock pot dinner sounds amazing right now. It’s only 5pm for me, but I’m planning on making swordfish tonight! Wish I had done the crockpot thing like you did– so hearty and delicious!
That chili looks so good! And omg, your garden is really growing! My lettuce is just sprouting, and my carrots won’t be ready for months (I live in northern Ontario). But my almost 4 year old loves watering everything. I think it’s great for kids to see where their food comes from.
Yes, Mazen is so much more likely to eat it if he’s picking it!
I have similiar legs and I lolove the length and cut of your shorts. What brand are they?
they are the tie dye Sway shorts from Athleta. I don’t see them on the website anymore, sadly, because I love them! I have their Metro Shorts, though, and I love them too, and they are a very similar fit.
Longest carrot ever! I want some crackers right now,it would go well with my wine!
Your crockpot dinner looks super good… I’m hungry, and it’s only breakfast time here!
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
Are those not peas? They look good!
They’re the Sugar Ann Snap Peas, so yes I guess technically they are : )
“With mayos and ketchup AND mustard!”
“Umm yum! My favorite toppings for beans!”
hahah
hahahaha!! Hey, whatever it takes to get him to eat vegetables!!
Those Snyders crackers look awesome, and I’m so glad they’re gluten free so Matt can enjoy them too!
Kath, how did you get Mazen to eat a good variety of foods. My son is getting pickier by the day! He’s almost 5. He literally turns his nose up at almost everything these days. I don’t give him a lot of snacks so I’m reaching my wits end!
It has been a process, but this year has been life changing. Matt and I decided that around 4 he was old enough to eat “grown-up food” and we just got stricter about the “this is what’s for dinner” rules. Mazen used to complain about sitting at the table and after 20 minutes of whining he’d start complaining about what was on his plate, but I always tried to include something he was familiar with and didn’t push blended dishes too much. Matt involves him in cooking a lot too, and that has really helped in his house. Really I think just being firm about it and pushing through the whining has gotten us to the other side. And also doing a lot of talking about how good vegetables are “for your muscles!” He now knows whining won’t get him a PB&J and he’s also tried so many new things that he has acquired taste for them. He is by no means a perfect eater, but we have made huge strides this year. I think some of it is just him maturing too!
Thanks so much! I think you are absolutely right that being firm is key and I do tend to waffle too much when I see he is just refusing to eat. Really appreciate the response 🙂