Sharp Around The Edges» Family

7 Reasons Why I’ll Never Write a Parenting Blog

sharplisa — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 14:32:42 +0000

1. La Reina
2. Squidward
3. Ogre
4. Bratticus fka The Queen (Yes I know they both have the same nickname. Now ask me if I care.)
5. The Czar
6. The Emperor
7. The Khan

1 Bag, Five Dinners Update

sharplisa — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 20:37:32 +0000

I know you want to know, right? Here’s the deal: Everything was fine. The family was willing to eat everything and did. The macaroni and cheese was a big hit with the boys. I’d liken it to a chain restaurant and most of you know how I feel about those. I’d recommend it for cooks with limited skill and imagination but for the rest of us, I think we can do better.

Sort of like I should with the blogging

Frugal Fridays, The beginning…

sharplisa — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 17:06:19 +0000

I’m on a mission to save and make some cash, right? Isn’t everyone? And I get tons of “money saving tips” and “fast and easy menu ideas” in my e-mail all the time. So today and next Friday, I’m going to try one and let you know how it went. Kraft’s Food & Family magazine is full of recipes and coupons and such. The price is right (it’s free) so it’s worth a try.

One of the features of the website for Kraft Food & Family is what they’re calling 1 Bag, 5 dinners. This concept intrigues me so I thought I’d take a look. The premise is that time and cash strapped shoppers can not only get through the grocery store fast, they can get food on the table in a hurry too. A key feature of each of the menus I surveyed was frozen “It’s not delivery, it’s DiGiorno!” pizza every Friday. Pizza and a movie night? Awesome. The copy claims all the ingredients will fit in one bag and all of the menus feed 4 to 6 people. Nutritional information is included and that is a huge plus for me. The dishes all seem like things my not-too-fussy eaters will enjoy also.

Immediately apparent negatives: No side dishes are included. Not a salad, not a vegetable, nothing in most cases. I can’t see that flying too high in my house. Now, I should clarify that vegetables are included in a lot of the dishes and one dish features a side of corn on the cob. However, a cheeseburger by itself is not dinner, know what I mean?

Anyway, I thought that – just for my six loyal blog readers – I would give these a try. I’ll have to make concessions for the fact that I need to feed five every day so I’ll allow 2 bags but Monday morning, I’ll hit up the store and see if the claims are true. Next Friday, I’ll review the menus and let you know if they liked it. Okay?

Have any other things you want me to test and review for you? Leave me a comment and I’ll see what I can do.

Purification, Schmurification

sharplisa — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 23:52:09 +0000

The other day Sarge and I got the brilliant notion we’d try one of those Detox diets. These detox diets are very low in protein, no carbs and tons of vegetables. And by tons of vegetables I mean celery for breakfast and salads with no dressing for lunch. Salads with no dressing = gross. What have I done that I can’t even have a little vinaigrette? I am even okay with giving up coffee and my precious diet soda, but what has salad dressing done to hurt anyone?

But on Tuesday we undertook this venture. Breakfast was tahini butter (tastes like hummus) on toast with celery. In retrospect, I think that celery for breakfast should be illegal on all however many planets are in existence unless, of course, it’s stuck in a bloody mary. Lunch: plain salad and a baked sweet potato. And yet, I continued. I stuck with this plan for 2 2/3 days. Finally, I snapped. I called the Sarge.

Honey, I will give you a bottle of wine if we can have a G*d D*mn steak dinner.

God I love my enabler. Happy Love Thursday.

P.S. Because I’d already bought avocado for this detox, I got guacamole too. Just too awesome!

As a Compensation for the Downer Post…

sharplisa — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 20:48:46 +0000

And because I suspect you fear for my sanity, here is proof of the wonder that is the Wii.