Hello all! Boy am I behind. When my baby arrived earlier than expected, I ended up with blog backlog and I’m slowly attempting to weed through it. You will all be inundated with posts in the next week, so prepare yourselves!
Speaking of preparing.. As parents we realize that part of the process of preparing for a baby is the research. Getting to see and hear about products and birth information. That’s why I am thrilled to be part of the VIP Bloggers attending this year’s Northwest’s Biggest Baby Shower in PDX.
I’ll be covering the even live on Twitter and Instagram and then I’ll bring you an information filled post right here after the event. I’m excited to have the opportunity to interview January Harshe (of Birth Without Fear) and Liza Huber (of Sage Spoonfuls) as well as chat with some amazing brands (like Orbit Baby, Ergo Baby, Britax, Joovy, and Earth Mama Angel Baby!)
I will be giving away 10 standard couples tickets today! Then you can get in on the experience, too! Just head on over to Facebook for a chance to enter!
“I can’t wait to read your birth story” seems to be a common remark lately. I had a hard time deciding, as odd as this sounds for a blogging mama, how much of his birth story I want to share. I guess the natural thing would be to just start writing and see where it leads me.
Obviously this means the Diaper Bag Confessions Baby #4 has made his triumphant arrival. He was born a bit earlier than expected.. but we were all ready for him to be here and the dramas of the pregnancy to be over. He was born at 37 weeks 2 days – “early term” is how they refer to him. He was 4 pounds 15 ounces and 17 3/4 inches – “small for gestational age” they say.
Regardless of the labels and terminology, he is a strong, healthy little boy who never needed any additional care outside of the realms of a normal newborn, with the exception of blood glucose monitoring for the first 24 hours.. This is apparently routine for babies of his size.
His labor and delivery took me by surprise and was quite memorable. I had just seen my doctor at 2:00 in the afternoon. By 4:00 pm the contractions had started. I tried to sleep and couldn’t. Decided to take a family walk.. I made it one block and had to turn around. I ate dinner and argued with myself about whether or not I was in labor, after all.. I just had an appointment and it could easily just be cervical irritation. At 7:00 pm, when nothing was helping the contractions subside, my husband put the kids to bed, we called his parents and headed to the hospital. (This was playing out exactly how I hoped.. Kids put to bed as normal by us with little disruption in the routine!)
I wish I could say “then Tada! We had a baby..” But I can’t. Despite the contractions that were occurring every 3 minutes, no progress was being made and the hospital staff wanted to send me home. On the instruction of my doctor, I was sent home at 11:30 pm on “therapeutic rest” — basically a drug concoction to help me sleep. If it was false labor, I would sleep through it and eventually it would stop. If it was real labor, the rest would help with progress and eventually I’d be unable to sleep through the contractions.
We arrived home and I immediately fell asleep on the couch. That “rest” concoction was amazing stuff. However, 1:00 am arrived and I awoke. I woefully stumbled my way upstairs in tears. “I can’t sleep through this!!” I cried to my husband. He called the hospital.. “They sent her home at 11:30.. But now she’s in a lot of pain…” They instructed us to return. So, another call to the in-laws and another drive to the hospital. After a short pit stop for me to vomit in the parking lot (Seriously.. A lot of pain!), we made it back into the hospital around 1:45 am.
“You’ve progressed.. A little.. ” they said. “We’ll call your doctor and see what she wants to do.” She chose to have them give me IV fluids and keep me for monitoring. The intensity of contractions picked up.. But progress was sloooow coming. “We can’t admit you until we know you’re in actual labor.. and labor is defined as regular contractions that cause dilation and effacement..” The nurse said. Frustrated, I pleaded with them not to send me home again. I just knew I was in labor.. I had the regular contractions part.. I just needed the dilation! Fortunately for me, my doctor clearly knew it was actual labor as well. She continued to instruct them to keep me there and monitor me.
5:00 am came. BAM! Progress. FAST progress. “We’re going to go call her, now!” I was relieved. My doctor was on her way, as was my blissful epidural. “We’re going to try and hurry through the admitting process now!” Yeah.. I had yet to actually be admitted and that apparently needed to be completed prior to my epidural.
My doctor arrived, cracked a few jokes about me keeping her up all night and then everything stopped. “You stopped progressing.. Baby turned himself and he’s facing sideways. His shoulders won’t make it through this way.. So we need to get him to spin..”
That process was ridiculous and lasted over an hour. I had some great conversations with my doctor and husband.. Neither of which had left my side. My nurse’s shift ended at 7:00 am – she clocked out and returned to my room. “I’m staying for this.. I’ll go home when he’s here!” she said. Finally, at 7:44 am our little boy made his grand arrival. Much smaller than anyone anticipated, but much stronger than anyone expected.
This pregnancy was a physical and emotional roller coaster. Now that it’s over and I have this beautiful little baby in my arms, I am so thankful to have him and that he’s healthy. Especially after seeing the large bruise-like spot on his placenta – The source of the hemorrhage. This baby may be small, but he is mighty.
He is the perfect addition to our family and his brothers all love him so much. He’s 2 weeks and 5 days old now (today is his official due date!) and while we’re still adjusting to the balancing act of a new baby.. So far, four kids isn’t too overwhelming. Trying to balance adding in blogging is a little more difficult, but I’m figuring it all out. Slowly.
Our older boys both adjusted well when their younger siblings were born. Our oldest was, by far, the most flexible. He was a little over three, as self-sufficient as a 3-year-old could be, and change didn’t bother him. His little brother was induced, so we knew when it would happen and everyone was adequately prepped and taken care of. Honestly, at that time my largest concern was whether or not my in-laws would remember how much and when to feed the dog.
Our second born was also an easily adapting little boy. He was scheduled, but made his own schedule. If he was tired, he didn’t let little things get in the way of his sleep schedule. If he was hungry, he’d tell you. He preferred his home sleep environment, but other than that he was quite easily adjusted. I had early labor at home with our third for almost 36 hours – and a doctors appointment the morning of his actual delivery – so we knew he was coming. Had their things prepared, were able to brief the grandparents on their needs/wants and I felt confident in our plan.
Both of the older two had no significant reaction after their younger sibling was born. They enjoyed the new addition, adapted well to new schedules and habits.. And neither had any jealousy or resentment. It was a smooth transition.
Now here we are, attempting to prepare for the delivery of baby number four – and realizing things are much more complicated. Two of our kids in school during the week. There are now three of them.. But most of all, the complexities of our youngest make this process very hard to plan.
As I’ve mentioned, our toddler has some pretty significant physical, but mostly developmental, delays and disabilities. Some have specific labels attached to them (Sensory Processing Disorder, Speech Delay, Hypotonia) and others are yet to be labeled as their underlying cause is unknown. This had brought new priorities to the way we prepare for this arrival.
He doesn’t communicate well. The average person only understands about 30% of what he says. He doesn’t deal with change well.. At all. He requires structure. He has severe anxiety, especially around people and situations that are new to him – he also has sensitivities to noise and touch. When his anxiety kicks in, he simply shuts down. He’ll stand there and stare off into nowhere while his little body trembles and shakes. Then he covers his eyes and ears and eventually begins to scream in a panic. He also gets physically exhausted quickly resulting in muscle weakness – he will require constant supervision to prevent falls and injury in these situations.. and may need held or carried.
His routine must be followed completely or it will fail. Bedtime must be completed the same way every time. He even has a routine for the way his diapers get changed. He doesn’t do loud noise or busy environments well.. This means taking him out shopping or to a restaurant isn’t an option without one of us present to know how to counter-react to his stresses. And, food. His Sensory Processing Disorder has had the biggest impact on the food front. He is VERY particular about what he will eat, and fighting him or trying to force him to eat something will not go over well.
Finding someone capable of caring for him – someone he is comfortable with and someone who understands him – is proving very difficult. Until a month ago, he only ever let two people besides my husband and myself hold him.. They are close friends and don’t push his boundaries. He’s recently added one grandparent to that equation.. But it took a lot of work.
Our work with him doesn’t stop at just finding a solution for when our newest baby is actually born, but we need to also consider the process of adjusting after baby is born. When the routine changes. The schedules don’t align. Mommy and daddy must be shared with a new attention stealer. The loud noise of baby cries. Another car seat in the car. It will impact every single one of his very rigid specifications. Well, except for the food aspect.. At least we’ve got that on our side! (As long as I make sure my pantry and fridge are well stocked..)
To say I’m getting nervous about adapting a special needs child to the changes of a new sibling and the process of that new sibling arriving is an understatement. An entirely different process than I’m used to. We got ourselves so accustomed to the way things are for him now.. I’m scared I won’t be able to accommodate things properly. That somehow this will cause a regression for him.
We’ve bought him a baby, we’re talking through everything with him, he knows which items in the house are for new baby and which items are for him to play with.. We read him books about becoming a big brother and having new babies in the house.. But I’m well aware of the impact the new and unknown has on him – and perhaps I am preparing (… Or trying to prepare..) for the worst.
If you had asked me 10 days ago what I had purchased for this baby, I’d smile, laugh, and then state quite simply – “Pajamas.” If I were being more specific, I’d tell you “One pair of pajamas.”
That’s right. This isn’t my first ride on the baby merry-go-round so I wasn’t in a huge rush.
But here I am, 32 weeks pregnant and beginning to panic. Why did I wait so long?! Luckily, I was prepared enough to have built a Registry on Diapers.com – at least I know that anything I need can be here in 1-2 days! Even though I procrastinated, they never do!
The first items arrived from my registry last weekend. We had spent the day running around and arrived home to find a fabulous stack of boxes.. That were ordered the afternoon before!
Contained within those boxes were three items that, as the mom of soon-to-be-four children, I find very exciting!
In the first and largest box was a 4Moms Mamaroo. (In Silver Plush! Baby’s colors are blue and grey, so it is perfect!) If you already have children, you know that finding a safe place to set down an infant while you entertain/feed your older children or desire a shower is essential. If it can soothe and entertain baby at the same time – even better! When this baby arrives, I will have a toddler with special needs, a preschooler that is only at school for half of the day, and a 2nd grader that comes home daily with homework. The 4Moms Mamaroo is going to be a critical part of staying sane. Well, that and coffee. With the plush fabric, motorized motions that mimic how you move baby to soothe them, and a noise machine capable of hooking up your own MP3 player to – baby is sure to be comfortable. I may have to put Darius Rucker’s “Wagon Wheel” on repeat just so I can giggle as it moves back and forth playing “Hey, Mama Rock Me!” See, it is entertaining for me, too. An all around winner as far as infant seating and entertainment goes.
Contained within the second box were two other fabulous essentials. The first of which is the Baby Chef Steam Sanitizer. I breastfeed – but I know how critical it is to be able to hand someone else the baby and a bottle of pumped milk. It not only assists in my husband and older kids’ being able to bond with baby – but while they do that.. I can actually manage a shower or putting a healthy meal on the table. When you use bottles, getting them properly cleaned. Especially when you perhaps find one that has been lost under the couch for a week. The Baby Chef Steam Sanitizer allows me to sanitize baby’s bottles without needing to run an entire load in the dishwasher. I can guarantee with ease that I always have a sterilized bottle handy. I’m hoping it will work for pacifiers, too. We all know how germy those can get. It’s not obtrusive and sits neatly on my counter.
The last item of that first registry shipment was quite possibly my favorite. As most of you know from reading this blog, my toddler is completely in love with Sophie the Giraffe, PhiePhie to him. So much so, I still can’t get him to share PhiePhie, however.. It’s a product that babies adore and entertains them. Luckily – PhiePhie now has friends. Adorable friends. One of those friends arrived in that Diapers.com box. Gabin the Bear. Oh how I love that adorable little bear! I’ll admit, though, I have Gabin the Bear hidden still. I fear my PhiePhieMonster will love him as much as he loves PhiePhie – and I really want to have that sweet little bear for our new baby.
I am so glad that, even though I procrastinated, my Diapers.com registry has everything I need for baby listed on it and those items can be on my doorstep within a day or two. I can panic less now. I can even take advantage of the 10% registry completion discount for the truly last minute purchases that haven’t already been bought.
I’m more thankful than ever that I chose Diapers.com for my baby registry. Between convenience of delivery, free shipping, wide (and I mean huge!) variety of brands and product options, and the overall ease of use — I know that we will be well equipped by the time this baby arrives. (And if we aren’t, I can always place an order from the hospital and know it will likely beat me to my doorstep!) For more reasons I chose Diapers.com for my registry, feel free to go read my post “Shopping and Baby Registries.”
Your (and my…) friends and family can take advantage of Diapers.com’s special registry shopping promotion. 15% off a registry purchase! A registry that not only benefits you, but your friends and family, too!
I should probably go order some diapers, at some point in time, but as I’ve shown you all above – I don’t need to stress about them arriving in time.
Disclaimer: This post was sponsored by the Registry Program at Diapers.com. The opinions expressed are my own and honest. I was sent products for this review from Diapers.com.
I have said numerous times that we are not a family that conforms to the lines of gender bias. My boys are definitely tool-toting, rough-and-tumble kind if kids.. but they aren’t restricted to that. My boys adore Disney. All things Disney, right down to the Princesses. My oldest also loves the color pink. In fact, he says it’s his favorite color.
We have My Little Pony toys, Princess castles, baby dolls and strollers in our house. We also have Lego Ninjago, super heroes galore and a lot of cars/trucks/trains.
My boys have never thought anything of their interests. We’ve only used the phrase “Those are made for girls..” once and only with our oldest. Glittery pink TOMS shoes. I actually felt horrible for letting that phrase leave my mouth. WHY did it leave my mouth? I was afraid of how others would treat him if they saw him wearing them.
The world is not as accepting of the non-standard as our family is. This was proven yesterday, when in a fit of excitement our 8-year-old wanted to take his new Frozen doll, Elsa, for show and tell. We allowed it and he came home upset. His classmates, and some of his friends, laughed at him.
I gave him the only answer I could.. “Some people don’t think boys should play with dolls – but that is silly – and no one should ever make fun of someone for liking different things than they do!”
He proceeded to point out that no one laughed at the girl in his class that handed out Star Wars valentines. Or that no one made fun of their good friend, a girl, that had a super hero birthday party.
I’m sad. We clearly have made strides in embracing and empowering girls to be and like whatever they want.. But our society still shuns boys for doing the same if it doesn’t fit within the structured notions of the stereotypical male?
We praise companies for making building/engineering kits aimed at girls. She can do what boys can do, after all! We make construction vehicle toys in pinks and purples! Why aren’t we as accepting of boys who want to play daddy with dolls or fix someone’s hair?
8-year-olds should be enjoying life without the fear of being bullied, judged or ridiculed for their likes. And those doing the bullying and laughing? They learned it somewhere.
Parents, not all girls have to play with babies or dress up.. and not all boys have to do karate and play with trucks. Stop putting labels on young kids who simply just want to be KIDS. Not boy kids and girl kids.. But KIDS. Teach your children to be accepting of others, even if they don’t like the same things.
How boring would our world be if we were all limited to liking and thinking the same things?
I’ve seen the looks.. Me, pregnant, out and about with my 3 children and no ring on my hand. You’d think that this wouldn’t be an issue today, but it is. They look. They assume. People that find out my children and I don’t share a last name make the assumption even more. The truth is, I’m a very happily married woman.. I simply do not wear a ring. I also never changed my name.
I had a ring. Two, actually. Then this crazy thing happened and I continued to lose a large amount of weight. My finger dropped 3.5 ring sizes. Not in one fast chunk, either. When we purchased my wedding ring, we were told that because of the process to enlarge it, it could not be shrunk down. So, it sits. Unworn.
I’ve just never felt the need to replace it. I know I’m happily married, my husband knows we’re happily married and a gold band on my finger wouldn’t reaffirm that fact. Besides, there are so many other things I would prefer to spend that much money on.
However, when people see the lack of ring, you can see the thoughts – “Oh, the young pregnant mom without a ring.. How sad for her.” I can only imagine their thoughts when they see my husband and I out together.. Him with a ring, me without. I don’t even have a ring indentation any longer.
But this is not about my weight loss or my wedding ring. It’s about judgmental people and assumptions. I don’t understand why we as people feel entitled to judge others based simply on what we see on the outside or what we think we know of them.
What you see or think you know is likely not enough to base any sort of judgement off of. The assumptions need to stop. Are you entitled to your opinion? Well, of course you are. We all have opinions. However, when your opinion is based off of false information that you’ve assumed on your own merely by what you’ve seen alone.. Your opinion no longer matters, even if you are entitled to have it.
Would you trust my opinion on a piece of baby gear I’ve never used? “Well, I saw it and it looks nice.. therefore it must be fabulous!” No. You want my opinions on products I’ve actually touched, handled, used. Products I’ve gotten to know.
If you wouldn’t buy a car without test driving it first, what makes you think you can properly judge a person, far more complex than a vehicle, simply by their outwardly appearance? You can’t. We should stop assuming we can.
When I was 14, I met a boy on the Internet. The days of AOL chatting and before online dating even became a thing. This boy, it would turn out, went to my school. He not only went to my school but he knew a lot of my friends. Our paths had crossed several times without aligning. Me, the shy choir girl with an extreme distrust in the male species. Him, the girl crazy band geek. It wasn’t until I sent him a random message via slow dial up Internet “I think I know you..” that we actually communicated.
We spent hours on end sending instant messages back and forth. I would nervously avoid speaking in person like the shy young teenager I was. Eventually we began actually talking, then talking turned to dating. Soon, we were inseparable. As much as we would both try to achieve the opposite. (It was high school after all..) We were like a boomerang.. Always flying right back to one another. Like most cheesy couples, we had a song. Our song was Shania Twain’s “You’re Still the One.” As a young girl in high school, I had no way of knowing that he was actually the one.
7 years ago today, 10 years after we started dating, we jetted off to Las Vegas and I married that boy.
Today is just 1 day of 2,555 days of marriage.. Which is just a fragment of the 6,205 days we’ve been together.. But for the past 7 years and for the rest of our years to come.. This date will stand as a reminder.. No matter what may come, no matter what we endure.. He’s still the one.
I remember a time when I was one of the only people I knew with kids. When I did finally venture out and make “mommy friends,” our kids were all similar ages. Too young to sell anything but slobber.
When THE cookie season would begin, I only knew because I would see them standing outside the grocery store.. Little girls in brown and green, peddling their highly addictive cookies with big smiles on their faces.
One year I was pregnant during this infamous, deliciously calorie rich season. I knew this was a dangerous combination. There were even days that I would make my husband use the cookie finder on their website to figure out which store they would be at on any given Saturday. Still, a box here and there wasn’t too bad.
Eventually we had a friend say “Hey, I know someone with a little girl selling these highly addictive cookies! Let me know what you want, and you can just order from her!” Okay.. I could do this. One girl, place one order, then call it good for the year. Hahaha. Right. I would still occasionally fall victim to the smiles outside the grocery store. My pantry stockpiled full of boxed cookies that would still not last long enough.
This lasted a couple years… and then this year came. Our close friends’ daughter is now selling these diet killing cookie concoctions. If I’m totally honest, she’s my favorite smile-wielding little girl, therefor I thought this would make it easy. Support one little girl in her cookie selling entrepreneurial spirit. So I ordered my stock pile, and that would be it, right?! Wrong.
Turns out, I have multiple friends who all seem to have incredibly adorable little girls, all with those highly persuasive, ear-to-ear smiles.. All wearing the brown and green uniforms. And me, once again, in my ridiculously persuadable pregnant state. I can shield my eyes from the cookie flinging girls at the grocery store.. but from the sweet smiles of our friends’ kids?
What makes it even more catastrophic, though? This year they’ve all taken to social media! Facebook events, Instagram photos , tweets… “Who wants to support my ribbon-clad, wide-eyed, badge-seeking ball of smiles as she tries to meet her goal?” GAH!!! ME!! I DO!!! But wait.. I just bought my annual stockpile. What’s another box or two.. or ten. It’s for the kids.. Right? (Do you think this is an argument I can make to my OB-GYN when I suddenly gain 40 pounds by my next appointment? Probably not.. Darn.)
Let the cookie season in our area begin! And may my willpower be stronger than the gleefully giggling little girls. Not likely, but one can hope.
Happy New Year, everyone!! As we start this new adventure of 2014, things are finally starting to settle down (or at least feel like it..) around our house. I’m 23 weeks pregnant now, and so far things are going better than they were. I’m less restricted, less stressed (For another few weeks, anyway.. Ha!) and looking forward to what this year has to bring.
That happens to include planning our next adventure to Disneyland!! Every 18-24 months, we join our friends and take a child-filled trip to Disneyland. We really enjoy traveling together and our children are best of friends. This makes for a little chaos but a lot of fun! However, it requires a lot of planning, coordinating, compromising and flexibility.
I was thrilled when I found out a friend I met at Disney Social Media Moms: On the Road, Cam Bowman, was writing a book filled with tips and hints all about Disneyland. When she gave me the opportunity to review it for her, I had to jump on it! When she offered a book for me to giveaway to one of you? Even better!!
I’ll tell you all a secret before I start.. My husband snatched the book before I even got a chance to glance at it. He loved it. When he put it down long enough for me to grab, I can see why. There are a lot of books out there about Disneyland. Where to find Hidden Mickey’s, Which ride has the shortest line at certain times of the day, etc.. Cam’s book is different, at least in my opinion. 101 Disneyland Tips is full of ideas you may not have thought of and experiences you may not have heard of.
While my husband’s favorite tips are a little different than mine, We both loved the book. (For instance, he loves the idea of not buying souvenirs at the park.. but rather order them online or getting them at local stores and packing them with you. Money saved.. a man’s favorite thing. Haha) A few of my favorite tips in the book are about making the most of time in the park. If you can cut corners to avoid standing in line as much as possible, that is best, right? For instance, she suggests being flexible with your meal times. Most people will eat lunch between 11:30-1:30, so if you eat a later breakfast you can hit the rides while the masses are enjoying their meals and then hit the restaurants when the crowds have cleared out of them!
In 101 Disneyland Tips you will be captivated by tips on subjects like where to stay, strategies to use in the park, dining options and suggestions, lesser known experiences and so much more that I will let you read for yourselves!! (Did you know you can request a Jungle Cruise Map keepsake?! A souvenir your kids will love that you don’t have to pay for. Brilliant. Clearly a tip both my husband and I enjoy.) I had a lot of fun reading this book and I look forward to implementing so many of Cam’s tips into our upcoming vacation to hopefully make it a little different for us and even more memorable for our kids.
I am so pleased to give one of you a chance to win a copy of Cam’s book, 101 Disneyland Tips. I hope you will enjoy reading it as much as I (and my husband..) did! What sort of tips are you most hoping to learn from this book? Are any of you planning a Disney vacation soon? For a chance to win, please complete the Rafflecopter form below.
Disclaimer: This book was provided to me for review by Cam Bowman. The opinions expressed are my own and I was not compensated for my opinions.
My kids go to a non-traditional private school. They are only in school three days a week, they say the Pledge of Allegiance daily and are expected to complete a remarkable amount of homework on the two days they aren’t in school. Those three features may seem a little strange to some.. But the thing about our school that seems to get the most reaction from people is this: All lunches must be provided from home (that’s right.. No “hot lunch”) and the children are only allowed water to drink. I love this. It reassures me that my children will eat well, even when I’m not around.
One of our lunch box staples for our kids is yogurt. They love yogurt and I love that it’s good for them. When I was selected to be a Stonyfield Farms Yo-Getter (Their ambassador program) I was thrilled about it. Not long after I was selected, they provided me the opportunity to review the new Weelicious cookbook by Catherine McCord. Weelicious Lunches.
Knowing that it’s my job to send a healthy lunch with my child to school, and then provide lunch at home for my kids on the days they are home from school, I was thrilled at the prospect! One of Catherine’s “Pantry staples” is plain (or Greek) yogurt. This was exciting. New ways to implement a lunchbox staple into their lunch, along with new lunch ideas all together.
Right before my cookbook arrived, I was diagnosed with a subchorionic hematoma and put on restrictive rest. No extended periods of standing. This meant no time in the kitchen. However, I spent some time flipping through the cookbook and realized how simple, yet so yummy, her lunch ideas were. Perhaps I could pull this off after all. I waited until some of my restrictions were lifted and set out to find a good lunch idea!
In the Weelicious Lunches cookbook, you’re going to find ideas to fit all your needs. Whether that be a soup, a salad, a snack, perhaps you’re looking for a new sandwich or creative dip idea. She’s got you covered! The book is also filled with helpful tips, and my favorite: a recipe allergen guide.
I was drawn to the Veg-Wee Dip made with plain yogurt. It’s a close competitor to your traditional Ranch dressing, and considering my toddler drinks ranch dressing like no one’s business.. it was a sure hit! Its a great multi-purpose dip. From veggies to sandwiches, it adds a fun spin on lunch box food.
Catherine has given up permission to share a recipe from the book with you, and as good as the dip is, I want to give you a more creative and fun recipe to send your kids off to school with.. and if they’re like my kids, you may want to send some Veg-Wee Dip along for them to dip it in!
Most kids love chicken nuggets. Most parents are frightened by what may be contained within them. That’s why I’ve chosen to share with you Catherine’s “Easy Chicken Nuggets” which are also easy to freeze and enjoy later!
Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 375°F. 2. Place the chicken, mashed potatoes, parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt in a food processor and pulse until smooth and combined. 3. In a shallow bowl or plate, combine the bread crumbs and Parmesan. 4. With moistened hands, roll 1 tablespoon of the chicken mixture between your palms and flatten into “nugget” shape. 5. Gently press the nugget into the bread crumb mixture to coat. 6. Transfer to lightly sprayed or greased cooling rack on a baking sheet lined with foil. 7. Lightly spray the nugget with cooking spray. 8. Bake for 20 minutes, or until crispy outside and cooked throughout. 9. Serve hot with honey mustard, ketchup or Veg-Wee Dip.
Note: If you want the nuggets to be golden brown, place them under the broiler for an additional 2 minutes after cooking.
To Freeze: After step 5, place the chicken nuggets on a sheet tray and freeze for 30 minutes. Transfer to a ziplock bag, label, and freeze for up to 4 months. To bake, do not defrost; just add 3 to 5 minutes to the baking time.
I am so excited to be able to share this cookbook with you and both Stonyfield Farms and Catherine McCord’s dedication to healthy, organic food options your kids are sure to love.
I am also excited to say that Stonyfield Farms and Catherine McCord have graciously given one of you the chance to win a copy of Weelicious Lunches along with a fabulous collection of Stonyfield Farms coupons to get your healthy lunches off to a great start! a Rafflecopter giveaway
Note: I was provided with the Weelicious Lunches Cookbook and Stonyfield Farms coupons for this review. The opinions expressed are my own and I was not paid to write this review.
