Mommyville — Ma Whats For Dinner?

Happy Holidays to All!

December 23, 2011 By Alex aka Ma, What's For Dinner 8 Comments

Happy Holidays to all…

And to all a good night.

All of us here at Ma What’s For Dinner

Wish you and yours a wonderful holiday season.

We’ll be taking a break til the New Year…

But don’t fret…

We’ll be back in action soon!

Enjoy this time with your family!

Filed Under: Holidays, Kid Favorite Recipes, Ma's Memoirs

Tasty Tidbits – Holiday Tips

December 15, 2011 By Alex aka Ma, What's For Dinner 8 Comments

Just a few suggestions for this crazy time of year. It can be super overwhelming. Send us your suggestions. We’d love to hear what you do to keep sane over the holidays.

First off you’ll want to prepare for your holiday party. Good tips to keep things running smoothly are to get as much ready as you can before the big day. Nobody wants to be slaving away in the kitchen while everyone else is having fun gathering round the tree…

Here’s a few tips for the days leading up to the holidays…

1) Plan your menu at least a week in advance so you can make your grocery list and check it twice.
2) Who wants to hit the store this busy time of year? Send the hubs and the kids to the market to gather your supplies – be sure to include a very very detailed list….If I don’t mine comes home with everything under the sun.
3) Try some dishes that you can assemble in advance then toss in the oven just before dinner.
4) Set the table and the bar the night before, just one more thing off your list.

Handy ideas to have up your sleeves when the guests arrive to keep everything running smoothly…

1) How about an ice breaking game to get everyone in the holiday spirit. Sometimes when young cousins, or even grown adults don’t see each other a lot it can be a bit overwhelming come party time.
2) Have some crafts and coloring on hand to keep the kids entertained while you’re getting dinner ready and the adults are enjoying cocktails
3) Have plenty of kid friendly appetizers on hand, pigs in a blanket, cheese and crackers, fruit and crudite with dip.
4) Finally for a holiday party I always have a few extra gifts on hand…candles, trains, toy cars, a doll, picture frames, so nobody gets overlooked.

Filed Under: Ask Alex, Cooking Tips, Holidays, Mommyville Tagged With: christmas, entertaining, hanukkah, holiday entertaining, holiday ideas, holiday parties, making the holidays easier

Poison Apple Juice?

December 1, 2011 By Alex aka Ma, What's For Dinner 7 Comments

Are they kidding me?

Arsenic in the apple juice?

courtesy entertainmentdesktop.com

How could the FDA allow higher arsenic levels in the juice…

Than in drinking water?

And these levels are based on a full grown adult.

Not a child!

I’ve read the Consumer Reports test.

It appears that

Motts

Walgreens

and Welch’s Grape Juice

are the biggest concerns.

So what’s a parent to do?

What’s a country to do?

I’ll tell you one thing…

I’m not buying anymore til they figure all this out.

But what am I supposed to think about all of the juice they’ve already had??

What are you going to do?

Will you still drink it?

Will you give it to your kids?

Filed Under: Fruit Recipes For Kids, Mommyville

Binky Fairy – Part Three

November 29, 2011 By Alex aka Ma, What's For Dinner 2 Comments

As you know,

Super Coop turned 3 last week.

And in the grand Fitzpatrick tradition.

It was time to say goodbye to the bink via the Binky Fairy.

After quite a few tears…

Coop has held up like a champ.

Here he is proudly displaying his gift from the Binky Fairy.

Not familiar with the Binky Fairy?

Check out how we roll…

Bye Bye Binkies!

On each Fitzpatrick boys 3rd birthday the fateful day arrives.

The day the Binky Fairy comes to town.

Now it’s a simple enough idea. By three years old you’ve had your binky long enough and it’s time to send it off to another deserving little boy or girl who doesn’t have a binky.

We start prepping the story long enough in advance that everyone is well versed and knows what is expected of them.

Doesn’t mean it goes off without a hitch though…

So first the brave little three year old must gather up said binks…

Now you must gather up balloons left over from the joyous birthday celebration of the day…and attach all binkies to the end.

Now be brave young warrior and offer up your binkies to the Binky Fairy in a sacrifice of great importance.

See the Binky Fairy lives in the land of Stufftakorkenett when she oversees the production of the rare Binky Tree.

The Binky Tree needs brave little boys and girls to surrender their own binkies to be planted in vast valleys where they grow into Binky Tree orchards.

There the Binky Fairy watches over them to protect them from the dreaded monster…Chuzetollup

Chuzetollup never rests and is constantly on the prowl looking for binkies and toys to chew all up.

If the Binky Fairy is successful, and success only comes from the strength of little boys and girls who don’t cry without their binkies, then the Binky Trees can grow big and strong by morning.

And when the tree is grown it flowers into wonderful toys that will be returned by the Binky Fairy as a thank you to the foot of brave children’s beds.