Yesterday, I went to the Grocery Store, and paid $103 for $233 worth of food. Yay me!  I love coupons. But anyway, enough bragging.

I came home with my haul, and put it away promptly.  My husband was at a rehearsal for his Middle School Band.  Yes, he listens to squeaky clarinets for a living. So I wanted something really easy for dinner.  We had some leftover Baby Back Ribs in the fridge, but not enough for the whole family. (plus, I wanted to hoard those for myself). So I pulled out the SeaPak Popcorn Fish I had gotten with a coupon, and proudly told the kids we’d be having POPCORN FISH for dinner!

Surprisingly, I heard a chorus of  ”Ewwwww.”  ”Yuk.” “Blech!” and I swear it was in harmony, too!

“What’s wrong with Popcorn Fish?” I asked.

“We don’t like that!”

“It’s just like Fish Sticks…” I reasoned.

And then, I got a great idea.  I made up a name they could NOT resist! One that would easily fit into a catchy song, so they would see how totally fun and yummy Popcorn Fish would be.

“… except it’s fish BALLS!!!”

{a moment of silence}

“YAY!! We like Fish Balls, yay!” As they danced out of the room to wait for me to cook their exciting, tasty dinner.

Seriously? A change of name is all it took? I’ll have to remember that next time I serve Brussell Sprouts, but somehow I don’t think that one will work.

My kids’ reaction reminded me of something my dad did when we were kids. I distinctly remember him coming in from grilling hamburgers, only to hear us moan, “Not hamburgers again!” “We don’t want hamburgers.” “Hamburgers are yucky!”

Brilliantly, my dad was thinking on his feet and said,” But these are not hamburgers… these are KIDburgers.”

“Kidburgers? Really? Yay! We love Kidburgers!”

I guess the apples don’t fall too far from the tree, huh? What creative names do you have for dinners at your house?

PS. Incidentally, we loved the Popcorn Fish.  They were actually much better than fish sticks, in my opinion, and I could tell they were made from big chunks of fish, not minced. I think I’ll try these in easy Fish Tacos next time. This post is NOT sponsored by Seapak, Fish Balls, my dad, or Roly Poly Fish Heads. (What? You didn’t listen to the song?)

This post is dedicated to Gregory Ng, Frozen Food Master, with whom I had the pleasure of reviewing Evol Frozen Burritos. We had one clear favorite of the bunch, click here to see which one.

I’ve been working feverishly on my listing of Summer Camps in Boone, NC, and beside some strange formatting issues on the page, it’s a comprehensive listing of all the summer camps around my area.

As I was putting together the list, I found myself wanting to enroll my children in EVERY ONE!  (With the exception of the overnight camps- not ready for that yet!)  They all look so fun and educational. My kids themselves want to do them all, too! Day camps, soccer camps, tennis camps, Parks and Rec camps, science camps, adventure camps, horse camps, so much more!

But, at the same time, I want the kids to hang out at the pool, ride their bikes in the neighborhood, play in the woods, pretend they’re princesses, and travel.

Of course, we can’t afford every camp as well, so we have to do some pickin’ and choosin’.  I’m thinking of having the kids write their favorite camps on note cards, then write pros and cons on each card.  Then, they can eliminate camps until they have a manageable number, probably two.

How do you choose which summer camps your kids will attend? Tell me in the comments!

(If you’re reading this in an RSS reader or email, click here to comment!)

The difference? “Social Justice” requires the forced redistribution of wealth and property by a central power.  Jesus taught that we should voluntarily give of our time and goods to those less fortunate, help them truly make  better life for themselves.  It is that choice that is powerful. When Christians use the term Social Justice to describe Biblical Charity, others may be interpreting your words differently than you mean them.

Today, I’m opening up the Blog Time Machine, and resurrecting this post from 2007.  Reading it this morning, I was taken aback with nostalgia, as Hip Chick is now 10!

Today I held an impromptu retirement ceremony. There were no guests, no speeches, no refreshments or parties afterward. The objects had fulfilled their duties faithfully for a time, and, frankly, I was thrilled to get rid of them. There comes a time, when certain clothing, yes clothing, has held on long enough, and it’s services are no longer needed.

You know the outfit…the one your daughter (or son, I suppose) just loves to wear and asks for every day. The one that was handed down to you from a friend or family member, and before you could take it out of the bag and hide it, she saw it. Her eyes lit up like it was Christmas morning, and she immediately had to try it on. But unlike all those brightly wrapped presents under the tree, this outfit is absolutely hideous, in your humble opinion.

My oldest daughter’s outfit is a “sailor” type outfit. White linen capri pants and top, both with rows of royal blue rick-rack trim. It even had a hat, which got “lost” about a year ago. Add a few red cherry appliques to make it more cheesy. (Did I say cheesy? I meant cutesy.) Anyway, I would cringe every time she begged to wear it, but I never had the nerve to throw it away, since she loved it so much.

Here she is wearing it at Princess’s birthday party. What’s so wrong with it, you ask?

• Well, first of all, it’s WHITE!! It’s like a magnet for dirt, food, and various and sundry other clothing enemies.
• Next, it doesn’t really fit. She is about as big around as a bean pole, and it falls off her.
• Third, what is linen’s favorite past time? Wrinkling!And I refuse to iron my kids’ clothes unless it’s a holiday or a portrait day.

At the party, it finally got Jello stains on it that I cannot get out. Why didn’t I think of this before!?  Strawberries, grape juice, mustard, anything! I’ve been such a fool! (I’m not being melodramatic, am I?) It’s not really that bad, but I’m glad it will finally be retired to the rag pile.

Now, I bet you’re thinking that I’m so superficial and un-spiritual, to care about her being in the perfect outfit, right? Sometimes, yes. I started out writing this just for fun, but I think God had another idea. Well, she is so beautiful, and it just didn’t do her justice. I’d rather see her in a dress that’s as beautiful as she is.

I wonder what “outfit” I’m wearing right now, that I think is so beautiful, but Father God knows doesn’t do me justice. Maybe it’s one of my many masks, as in the song on Ben’s blog today. Is he cringing every time I put it on? Or maybe it’s one of my activities or jobs that clutter up my life. I’m going to have to do some praying on that one.

Share your kids’ “outfits” with me if you have them.

I have an awesome friend, Amber, who introduced me to the fact that one CAN actually make great Barbecue Ribs at home! She and her husband had us over for ribs one day last summer.  You know, one of those days when you arrive right after lunch, let the kids play outside, walk through the garden inspecting the baby veggies coming up, cook on and off all day, and really get to talk. It was lovely.

But the RIBS! They were seriously amazing!  Since that first time at Amber’s house, I’ve been able to replicate the experience several times. This time?  I even made my own sauce!

First, let me share the method for making the ribs “fall off the bone” tender.

Cooking the Ribs

1. First, find a couple of racks of Baby Back Ribs on sale.  They were half-price at Harris Teeter last week, so I grabbed some!

2. Then, put the ribs into a big pot of boiling water, covering the ribs with the water.  Reduce the heat and simmer for three hours.  Yes, three hours. This will make them nice and tender and cook them through.

The Sauce

My husband and I really love the Stubbs brand BBQ Sauce. But today, much to my dismay, we only had about 1/4 of a bottle.  I refused to run to the store to get some more (gas prices, you know). SO… I made my own! This amount of sauce will cover one rack of ribs.

I started by mixing a basic Texas BBQ Glaze base in a small saucepan, over medium heat:

• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup Horseradish Mustard (Brown mustard will do)
• 1/3 cup white vinegar
• 1 cup brown sugar

Then, I tweaked it with a few extra ingredients (I raided my pantry. Barb is rubbing off on me) to taste:

• Cayenne pepper ( I guess I put in about 1/2 tsp.)
• Garlic Powder
• Hot Pepper sauce (like Franks or Texas Pete)
• Whatever else you like

It seemed really thin at first, but as you simmer, it will thicken up.  Make sure you stir constantly so the sauce doesn’t burn.  Simmer the sauce for 15 minutes or so, until it starts to thicken up.  TASTE as you go, to make sure you’re on the right track.  This sauce is extremely sweet unless you add a generous portion of hot sauce like I did.  It turned out the perfect combination of sweet and tangy.

The Grilling

Now, it’s time to hit the grill.  Place the ribs on a warmed up grill over medium heat.  While on the grill, brush sauce generously on one side.  Turn after about 5 minutes, and coat the other side with sauce. Keep turning every 5 minutes or so, until the outside is glazed and just a little bit charred.  You’ll know when they’re ready! And then? You eat way too many and talk for a week about how good they were!

Have you ever made Barbecue Ribs at home? What method did you use?

Shared at Beauty and Bedlam Tasty Tuesday

BOO!

{Evil laughing}

Shared with 5 Minutes for Mom, Divine Miss Mommy, Dear Crissy, Life With Lisa, Resourceful Mommy