Monday rambling

Let's go with some bullets, shall we?

• I am feeling very inadequate! I realize there are 3 gazillion food blogs out there and I don't really consider mine one of them. Sure I share some recipes and show some pictures but I don't classify myself as a "food blog". But I like to read them for ideas! However, they sure do make a girl feel inadequate! I love love love to bake and cook but I look at their stuff and realize mine can be Hamburger Helper next to some of those! Slice & bake cookies from the tube! #1 problem. We don't eat enough of it! DS is so damn picky (more on a new development later!) FG and I try not to gorge ourselves on sweets. Those chocolate chip cookies I made last week? Even after sharing some with our dads, I still ended up throwing 4 cookies away. ACK! That kills me! Maybe I'll shoot for once in awhile stepping out of the basic recipe box and going for it. That's a start.
• I am loving the new kitchen. My family is loving the food!
• I've been pretty much sticking to my menu plan from last week. The only changes are that after work and DS's first REAL audition on Saturday, I didn't feel like a big meal. None of us really did. So we went out and that altered things. We'll have the stuffed chicken breasts tonight.
• I mentioned that we went out on Saturday. I was hungry for sushi even though FG and I just had it recently. DS has been asking to try it. The kid loves shrimp and now likes rice (especially with soy sauce). So we went for it. He was so excited. I was thrilled he was going to try something new. What is the first thing he tries new? A big glob of wasabi paste and no drinks to be found on the table to wash it down. Uh huh. The kid now says "I HATE wasabi!" Can't blame him. But he ate his shrimp, crab and fried tofu. He tried a piece of my crystal shrimp long roll. I was proud of him! DD wanted to try too but she just ate the shrimp and said she didn't like anything else. She stayed hungry because sushi ain't cheap!
• Last night DS also decided to finally try my pulled pork sandwiches and the potato pancakes. He asked for seconds! I've made both of these several times and every time he has turned up his nose at it. I finally told him that the meat is just like ribs but with no bone and the sauce is bbq sauce. I didn't tell him it's my own homemade bbq sauce though. I let him douse the potato pancake with applesauce (because really, who the heck cares! It's APPLESAUCE with no sugar, pile it on kid!). He gobbled it down and requested another immediately. Yay for him finally trying new things AND eating a lot!
• He also had two helpings of the chow mein I made. Don't ask me for a recipe. I have no idea what I did and if I'll be able to do it again. Dang.
• DS is frustrated because his younger sister weighs more than he does. There is a 3 1/2 year age difference. Oops!
• DS also had his first REAL audition on Saturday. Now we wait and see. I am nervous. I think it would be awesome for him to get a part but right now he's got a nasty snaggle tooth. I fear that will keep him out of the running.
• I need to get the kid to a dentist. It is soooo expensive without insurance. Insurance is sooo expensive in itself and as far as dental, not really worth paying it! But I have to find something for this kid and get his tooth pulled. The adult tooth is coming in in front of it and going forward. We even traumatized the poor kid and tried to get it out ourselves this weekend. Didn't work. I have to find a way to pay to have it done. I fear the bill and the terror for DS.
• It's been hot here. Now we will have a 30+ degree drop in daytime temps. So fun to go from shorts & sandals and 95 degree temps to 58 - 68 degree temps in the span of 2 days. Yes, yesterday we were swimming in my parent's pool and Wednesday we'll be in sweatshirts and long pants. Today, mid 80's, tomorrow, upper 60's. Lovely.
• The weather makes me want to make soup. Any favorite recipes that don't involve carrots, mushrooms or tomatoes? Please, pass them my way!