Toddler Pizza

I try my best to feed Henry a relatively healthy diet. But let's face it 2ish is not exactly a cooperative age. He knows enough that I can only trick him into eating healthy foods a bit. Personally, I have a little guy who will eat tons of cheese, most meat (well, toddler like meat such as nuggets (at least he will eat the Naked ones), turkey sausages, these chicken apple gouda sausages, and of course, fish sticks), tons of fruit, but vegetables? notsomuch.

Anywho, every toddler loves pizza and I've discovered this quickie 'pizza' I can make for him that makes me feel better than picking up a good ol' Hot N' Ready!

Ingredients:

One Arnold's 100% whole wheat Sandwich Thin

pasta sauce (I use Classico Florentine Spinach & Cheese - yay! he's eating a bit of spinach!)
One or two quick cook turkey meatballs
Italian shredded cheese

I just pop open the sandwich thin, spread on some pasta sauce, add some chopped bits of turkey meatball and then cover the whole thing with cheese. I usually set my oven to 350 degrees, but it's never done heating up by the time I'm done. I just pop it in while the oven is heating and it only takes about 5 mins. Just enough to get the cheese good and melty = happy toddler temperature ;-)

So, it's not rocket science, but HDog loves it and it's fast, which only adds to it's awesome factor!

A mix of things

Sorry, I realized I have been MIA blogger for the last two weeks. I have constructed the occasional post in my head, but have been busy with summer so it just hasn't happened. So, here I present to you, a completely random mix of things.

Very excited to see that iconic designer, Jonathan Adler, is being featured on Gilt Groupe on Wednesday of this week! Feel free to leave me a note or email me if by some odd chance you don't belong to Gilt and would like to. I'd be happy to send you the referral!

I read lots of other blogs and must share - I made this fabulous Watermelon Bombe as posted by Second City Soiree, only subbing raspberry sorbet for the watermelon, as I couldn't find watermelon. As for that subsitution: Appearance? A+. The darker red was so realistic! Taste? B-. I didn't care for the tangy mixed with creamy ice cream, but no one complained. I think I might try strawberry ice cream with added food coloring next time. Now I know I should have taken a picture as soon as we sliced into it. And yet I did not! Oops. Oh well. Here's picture of what remains :-) It looks a bit frosty, because we served it on Saturday night and then again on Sunday afternoon (yay for lots of visitors!). Really nice thing was that once I removed it from the bowl, all I had to do was wrap the whole hunk in press n' seal and toss it back in the freezer that way.

A bit of big (and completely unrelated) news, we have moved the HDog to a big boy bed! I did suck it up and purchase the PBK Riley bed I was eyeing and it really is the perfect fit for our space. His room did have to lose the gorgeous Land of Nod District 28 armoire ( Z was NOT PLEASED about taking it down to the basement since it weighs a ton!), but it was worth it. I will say, we had a laugh worthy episode where Henry broke out, but it's mostly been going well. Keep your fingers crossed for us!

Oh and lastly, I should add that being the design freak that I am, I hemmed and hawed over his bedding. I refused to buy some crazy licensed Disney/PBS/whatever bedding. I wanted something that will grow with him and was so happy to find this Colorblock set at Target. I also went with the coordinating striped sheet set. The best thing about all of this? It includes Orange & Blue, so when Z inevitably convinces Henry that he needs an Illini room, I just might be able to add some accents and keep this bedding!

Why my parents rock: Part 2

So, while my Dad was measuring, cutting and hanging wood, my Mom and I were tending to things indoors. My mother is a fabulous seamstress and made curtains for at least one room in each of my sister & I's homes since college, crib bedding for one of my nephews, pillow covers for me, and even fabulous quilts for each of her four grandsons! Her talents runneth over. Seriously, I feel like I need to take some hardcore sewing lessons so that I can do these things for Henry someday. Though having a boy, do you think he'll be annoyed when I want to make matching drapes for his dorm room?

The big indoor project for my lovely mother? Drapes for our master bedroom. My beloved Pottery Barn Kylie Peacock duvet was transformed. You can see the before here, and the after...

And a little one to match over at the window by my desk...

A few other projects helped out by Mom's handy work...arranging the shelves in the living room:
We of course did a bit of shopping, hitting up the local garden center, Joann fabrics (to pick out the pergola fabric) and Mom was so excited to visit our new HomeGoods here in the city. HomeGoods just might be our mecca, inexpensive, unique home furnishings all packed in one store? Thankyouverymuch! Mom of course managed to pick up a few things for her own home there. The big win for me from our shopping? This gorgeous pair of lamps for the living room:

There were many other small projects, hanging pictures, etc. and of course they spent quality time playing with Henry, reading him books, helping with baths, the list could go on and on and on. We had such a fun weekend! I feel so very fortunate to have been blessed with such amazing parents!