Amharican Chop Suey

OK, I invented this myself, so I'm pretty psyched about it.

In the grocery store I saw a box of german dumplings (spaetzel) and it had a photo of beef stroganoff on it. That was one of my Mom's best home made dishes when I was a kid and it brought back a flood of memories, so I bought the spaetzel.

I get home, and remember no one else in my family likes sour cream, or gravy, or mushrooms - three important ingredients in stroganoff. Now what? Ta da! Amharican Chop Suey!!

1. Boil the spaetzel per directions on the package until plump and tender. Then drain.
2. Add about 1 lb of cooked meat (ground beef, or ground turkey, or ground pork, or shaved steak (like in a cheesesteak sandwich)) I used shaved steak.
3. Add one or two cans of spicy tomatoes. I used Hunts chili ready tomatoes.
4. Add spices. I used a little cumin and a little berbere.
5. Toss ingredients until blended thoroughly.
6. Serve piping hot in a big deep pasta bowl.

For vegetarian use peas, green beans, carrots, eggplant, zucini, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, tofu, etc instead of meat.

DEEEEEEELISH!!!!

jet fuel

Our home has a center chimney and traffic flows through rooms and hallways surrounding it.

One evening I am in the sitting room reading the paper and the kids are just running circles through the house. I was too absorbed in the newspaper to notice at first, but eventually they started panting and sweating, which got my attention.

I asked them "What are you doing?" and they both said in unison "Running too much. Have to get sleepy. Ate too much sugar."

Apparently they had raided the cookie jar when out backs were turned.

New Favorite Foods

I know. I've been a bad blogger. Between my job and tax season and the girls getting so active - no time.

The girls love meatballs. Love em. We go through at least one 100 count bag of frozen meatballs a week. Lunch, dinner, and bedtime snack.

Sherbet. The one indulgence we permit. No cookies, cakes, salty snacks, candy, soda, etc. Only sherbet. I can't decide whether they like the taste or the bright colors.

Granola bars - especially Nature Valley Honey and Oats. Toss up between these and meatballs for lunch. I swear they would slit their wrists if they could choose only one.

Orange Juice. Over two gallons per week. We buy the calcium fortified because they had a calcium deficiency when they arrived here. I guess I should test that assumption - lower legs that bent like a crescent moon might indicate a calcium deficiency, right?

Ketchup. On everything. Ketchup on ketchup. They look at each other like Beavis and Butthead when the ketchup bottle makes a farting noise. Cracks me up.