theripetomato's Profile

They are awesome for dressing a salad (not just serving it). Use a decent sized bowl and add your dressing, (i end up using a lot less if i use the tongs this way) and mix while shaking the bowl simultaneously and you will get a well dressed salad.

If you are not going for a full knock-down-a-wall type renovation, I would highly recommend mounting some lighting under the upper cabinets to really brighten up your work space. And i would do it all the way around.

Other ideas - Lighter color backsplash, remove clutter from countertops - reorganize your kitchen for the things you use daily/weekly and the rest can be stored elsewhere.

Good luck!

carvel ice cream cake? that is what we did and it was both awesome and a huge hit with our guests.

I'll also back the pasta idea - my son is almost always game for pasta. He also does well with "soft" meats like meatballs (turkey, beef, pork, whatever you like) or a turkey meatloaf. Sweet potatoes are also always popular with my toddler. Anything you can dip in "sauce" like ketchup, or cheese sauce or buttermilk dressing.

Toddlers are also known to declare everything yucky so definitely don't get upset if the kid gives you a hard time. If you have yogurt and fruit on hand as a back up just in case you should be in good shape.

I have weaned myself off caffeine 2x now for 2 pregnancies and I found it much easier to do the slow wean. i moved from full caff to half caff for a few days to 3/4 decaf to no caff. It's hard at first but you will feel much better when you are done. I did drink decaf throughout and have developed an immunity to the flavor of it.

Unfortunately after pregnancy i have tried to stay caffeiene free but it hasn't worked... 8/

Will second the recommendation to try sheep or goat's milk cheeses as they are sometimes tolerated where cows milk isn't.

Love it. Also love raw percatelli pasta. has a nice crunch to it.

I am not vegetarian but like to eat that way periodically and i find that lentils are very hearty. slap an egg on top and you have a tasty dinner:

http://theripetomato.wordpress.com/2009/03/17/lentil-and-brown-rice-bowl-with-poached-egg/

Our cat is too chunky to get up on the counter with any regularity (sounds like he may have some 'big boned' pals out there!) but he will make the effort to get up there if we have any fresh cut flowers, and in particular he goes nuts for baby's breath (no idea how that came about). So we have to put books/bags/etc on the bar stools so he can't jump up on them to get to the flowers.

With regards to food, he definitely gets extra affectionate when the refrigerator is open, etc, loves the sound of the can opener, but mostly it's meowing and pawing at our legs. If i want him to stop pestering me, presenting him with a half of lemon or some other citrus usually works really well.

I will say though that any plates left on the floor/couch/ other easily reachable places have been hard to keep him away from. I once fell asleep on the couch after having some bone-in chicken for dinner (in front of the tv) and when i woke up my kitty had dragged the carcass across the room and was happily chomping away. Lesson learned...

I bet you could baste them with a little butter and sprinkle with some spices (parm cheese, garlic salt, dill, curry powder, etc) and they'd be very tasty. I think i would definitely opt for baking them.