31 Weeks

Normally, this blog is all about the Tot. But today, I made something really tasty in my kitchen, and I thought I'd share. After all, it's a mommy-blog, right? Mommies cook.... sometimes.

White Trash Pizzas (updated version)

When I was in college, I was super-poor and only made just enough money each week to buy $30 worth of groceries for two weeks. So I improvised. Of course, there were the staples like Ramen and grilled cheese sandwiches, but every once in a while I'd crave pizza (like any other normal, red-blooded American college student). Even though there was a pizza shop below my apartment, (and a brewery across the street - it was heaven, believe me) sometimes all my money went for beer instead of food and... well... here we are. White Trash Pizzas. The cheap version is to make toast, spread some marinara sauce on, a few slices of cheese (preferably mozzarella, but these were hard times, folks), and a few seasonings. Voila! Pizza.

Here's a version involving a few more (but still cheap) ingredients.

5 pack of plain or egg bagels (or French bread, English muffins, etc.)
2 cups of marinara or pizza sauce
15 Roma tomatoes, sliced length wise
30 slices of mozzarella cheese (or one 8 oz bar)
1 small can of sliced mushrooms
5 slices of turkey bacon, cut into 4 pieces
2 Tbsp of butter
Garlic
Rosemary
Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Separate and lightly toast 5 bagels, or 10 bagel halves.

Place butter in a small microwaveable dish and sprinkle in garlic and rosemary. Microwave on high for 1 minute, or until thoroughly melted. Using a pastry brush, lightly coat the cut side of bagels with mixture.

Place on medium size cookie sheet prepped with cooking spray.

Microwave bacon on a plate covered in 4 sheets of paper towels (two under bacon, two above) for 2-3 minutes until done but not crispy. Once cooked, cut or rip into four sections.

Using a spoon, spread sauce onto each bagel half. Lay 3 pieces of cheese onto each mini pizza. Top with 3 Roma tomato halves, and two small sections of bacon.

Sprinkle garlic, rosemary, and Parmesan cheese as desired. Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until cheese is thoroughly melted and slightly golden.


There ya go mommies! "But Mama Spud," you may say, "You're an idiot. I've been making bagel pizzas forever."

Well.... too bad. It's delicious. Try the tomatoes and bacon. Try the seasonings. Don't buy the pre-packaged Bagel Bites with the scarily-symmetrical pepperoni. Mine are made with love. :-P
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Also, I took Tater Tot to the chiropractor again today. We're going next Monday again too. They're so very sweet and easy to get along with. It really irritates me when doctors offices get so demanding about payment. They want you to come to the office every week or so, and some expect payment as soon as you walk through the door. The office we are going to is very relaxed about it. They understand that they are asking you to visit a lot and they don't want you to suffer just because you can't afford it. I probably could have afforded it today, but I wanted to make sure all of my bills went through first, just in case.

Or if the house blows up tomorrow. You know, just in case.

Meanwhile, in baby land:

*She sits up for 4-5 minutes on her own.
*She crawls/creeps from my bathroom, through my bedroom, across the hall, into the kitchen, through the butler's pantry, around the dining room, and into the hallway again.
*She plays with Tupperware while I clean up the kitchen.
*She eats Banana Puffs (Wal-Mart version is cheaper - sorry Gerber, even though you give me coupons)
*She pretends to eat a puff and even says, "Yummy yum," but then sticks it to the front of her shirt.
*Chicken and Broccoli is not her fave. Nor mine.
*Apple Yo Baby yogurt IS a fave, though. It tastes like apple pie and heaven. I know. Trust me.
*She says "Hi" to Dr. Chiro, but doesn't like to be oppressed and be forced to lay on her back.

7 Months

We had an eventful day today. Woke up only once through the night and we all got up at 7:45am this morning. Back on schedule! By 10:30am, Tot was ready for a nap. When I came in to check on her...
... She was happily playing in her crib. So we tried a bottle again and then fell asleep for a long time. I came in to get her after a nice long 2 hour nap, and saw this....
....The Tot was just barely awake, but using the bumper as a pillow, sucking her thumb, and pressing her little face up against the railing. Then, we decided to crawl around on the floor a little bit....

... And play with Mommy a little more....

... Then we went to the chiropractor. I was really impressed and, if we can afford it, I would like to have her go as many times as needed. The chiropractor is a lovely young woman who is specially trained for pregnant women and babies. She offers better eating habits and sleeping patterns once her spine has been aligned. Also, help with her "crooked crack", digestion, fussiness, constipation, diarrhea, and a host of other ailments. I'm so excited! So far... so good.

30 Weeks

I'm taking the Tater Tot to the chiropractor's office on Friday. I just want to see if there's something in there that just isn't right.... or if I'm crazy. Probably the latter. But that damn crooked butt-crack bothers me because there's a history of scoliosis and corrective shoes on BOTH sides of the family.

Will let you know how that goes. One of the chiropractor's specializes in pregnant women and infants. Whoo-hoo! (Must remember to bring article from this month's Parent's magazine....)


Just like her mommy... blogging again...

29.5 Weeks

Carefully, place thick pillows around the edge of my bed and slid my arm out from under my sleeping babe. I tiptoed out of the room, decided this would make a cute picture, and went to find my camera. Even though I held down the flash, it still made a clicking sound and woke up Tater Tot just a little. Quickly, I ducked down under the footboard and waited until she fell back asleep. If I let her see me, it would be all over.

And then I snuck out to the computer to work on my blog. It's been a while, I know. My laptop died sometime in May. I've been using Spud's laptop, but the wireless internet has been spotty lately. So then I use the office PC that's plugged into the wall, but Jeff needs that sometimes too. Plus, vacations, two sets of out-of-town weeklong guests, RA training, move-in (Spud works for a college campus) and a baby that doesn't nap as long as she used to --- all add up to less and less time to sit and actually type.

I think I need to gripe for a moment though, before I leave to go check on the Tot. Last week, while my mom was visiting, a student came to the door of my house/Spud's office. The sign said CLOSED and the sign with the hours was clearly posted in the front window and on the glass door. It was lunchtime and Spud was not here. The student knocked and I called out from the living room, "We're closed!"

He knocked again.

I got up from the couch with my mom, the baby, and my mom's friend and went over to the door. I opened it slightly and said, "We're closed." I went to shut the door, and he said, "Is Spud here?"

"No," I said, pointing to the sign, "We're closed."

"Can I ask--" he started.

"No! We're closed. See? He's not here!" I went to shut the door again and as he turned off the stoop he said, under his breath, "B*tch..."

At that point, I was livid. How dare you come to my house and call me that with my family and child in the next room?! I got all "trailer-trashy" and re-opened the door, yelling, "What did you just say to me?"

As he was walking away, he said again, "I called you a b*tch."

"It's not my fault you can't read! It's closed!" So incredibly angry!

Apparently, his coach was made aware of the situation and supposedly the student is going to apologize to me and Spud. I saw him yesterday several times, and he made no effort to do so. It's sad that he has no manners and wouldn't even consider apologizing to me, if his coach had not given him the option of a bus ticket or an apology.

What was more upsetting to me is that I fear that someone will take it to the next level next time. What's next? A rock through the window, landing next to the Tater Tot? A drunk person fighting in my home at 2am with my sleeping daughter in the next room? A gunshot?


I'd rethink this student's admission, Admissions Department. Apparently, he failed the reading portion of the SAT's.

Raising a child on a college campus will be interesting....

29 Weeks

We've got a crawler here, folks.



Well, ok. Maybe not "officially" crawling.... creeping if you will. But she's doing it! She's mobile!



Nothing is safe.