New Year, New Ipad

The apps-school giveaway features a new iPad 2 and a bunch of education-related apps. Click to enter for your chance :-)

Smarterer

If you like to take quizzes (and see how smart you are!) Smarterer is definitely the place for you!  Take quizzes on how well you know places like Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, or how well you know software like Photoshop...and then invite your friends to take the quiz as well and compare scores.  You can even add questions to quizzes or create your own quizzes.  So get smart, and get Smarterer!
Submitted by bzzagent vegiemama

Parenting...From Varied Perspectives

suggested by Spelling Search

"If you have children, how different is parenthood from what you had expected? If you don't have children, how do you think parenthood would change your life?"

Parenting is harder than I ever expected.  The worst part is sticking to my guns when I have established a penalty for something.  It's so easy to be worn down by the constant begging, whining, and pleas for compromise.  I never dreamed how tiring it would be to be a parent.  I'm not just the mom...I'm the household manager.  I have to coordinate everything and make sure that everything gets done, whether it be by me, my husband, or my kids.  If something isn't done or we don't do something we were supposed to do, it ultimately falls back on me.  The emotional energy required is overwhelming...something I never dreamed of.  Before being a parent, I was really just responsible for me.  Now, I'm responsible for everyone in the family. 

The other thing that was never really something I thought about was that my kids aren't just little "mini me's".  They're not like I was as a child.  Well, not usually anyway, LOL.  Maybe that's a good thing.  No really.  Things that I was good at, they need help with.  The good thing is that they each have things they're good at that I never was good at!  Sometimes I have a hard time relating to the things they're not as good at...or I have a hard time knowing how to teach them if it was something I didn't struggle with myself.  Certain aspects of music learning are a good example of that.  Things that came easy to me are things that they have to work at.

One more thing that's a parenting mind-boggler is scheduling.  I don't know how some people accomplish everything that needs to be done, because I struggle.  It goes back to being responsible for everything, I suppose, but I never feel like there's time to get everything done.  I'm literally on the go from the time I get up til almost bedtime, every day.  If I sit down and relax, I feel guilty, because there's something that I've left undone in order to have a few minutes to myself.  Tonight, for instance, when I finally did sit down, I realized that ds hadn't practiced violin.  That involves me.  I didn't feel like having to put back on my mom hat, so I let him slack.  Again.  Bad me.

This is a short season of my life...soon, all too soon, I'll have an empty nest.  And then I'll miss this rat race called A Parent's Life.  I will miss it very, very, very much.

To read the other perspective from my teen, click here.

Vegetarian 100 Foods to Try

Let's see how I've done in my short life! Credits to About.com vegetarian.

1. Fresh young coconut
2. Vegetarian caviar
3. Truffle oil
4. Pomelo
5. Vegetarian black pudding
6. Kalamata olives
7. Saffron
8. Inari sushi
9. Huckleberries
10. Cashew nut butter
11. Banana roti
12. Laotian coffee
13. Goat cheese (not a particular favorite, but I've tried it anyway)
14. Chocolate chip cookie dough peanut butter milkshakes (in Chicago!)
15. Poutine (you can find a vegan version in Brooklyn)
16. Dolmas (stuffed grape leaves)
17. Gnocchi (not a favorite)
18. Roasted chestnuts
19. Baba ganoush
20. Wheatgrass juice
21. Soy cheese pizza
22. Yucca or taro root
23. Fresh grilled corn on the cob
24. Sangria
25. Macaroni and cheese
26. Persimmons (don't plan on ever eating them again, LOL ;-)
27. Indian barfi
28. Mangosteen
29. KFC Vegetarian Chicken Sandwich
30. Vegetarian turducken
31. Steamed edamame with sea salt
32. Saltwater taffy
33. Vegetarian Hot and Sour soup with lotus and woodears
34. Black sapote
35. Vegetarian Chinese steamed buns
36. Navajo tacos
37. McDonald’s Veggie Burger (it'll be a miracle if they ever sell one in my area...now BK, that's a good burger!
38. Sake
39. Gulab jamun
40. Fried pickles (YUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMY!)
41. Chai tea
42. Thai papaya salad (som tum)
43. Pecan pralines
44. Fried green tomatoes
45. Vegetarian s'mores (over a campfire of course!)
46. Stevia
47. Macadamia nuts
48. Nutella
49. Veggie corn dogs
50. Garlic ice cream
51. Jackfruit
52. Vegetarian shu mai
53. Mango
54. Tandoori masala
55. Fennel
56. Fried plantains
57. Horchata
58. Sweet potato fries (also butternut squash fries)
59. Sunchokes/Jerusalem artichokes
60. Caramel popcorn
61. French camembert
62. Tofurky
63. BK Veggie Burger
64. Vegetarian gyoza/potstickers
65. Sun dried tomatoes
66. Gartini (garlic martini)
67. Vegan cheesecake
68. Avocado maki
69. Durian
70. Brussels sprouts
71. Nutritional yeast
72. Real butterscotch (what! I'm supposed to eat my cat???)
73. Starfruit
74. Lemongrass
75. Chartreuse
76. Zapp’s or Tim’s brand potato chips (trust me on this one!)
77. Fortune cookies
78. Cotton candy
79. Salted lime margaritas (the non-alcoholic version for me!)
80. Vegetarian rice crispy squares
81. Vegetarian prawns or shrimp
82. Balsamic fig reduction sauce
83. Passionfruit
84. Marmite
85. Wasabi
86. Vegetarian fluff
87. Honey dijon mustard
88. Bubble tea/boba
89. Blueberry beer
90. Deglet noor dates
91. Chocolate covered espresso beans
92. Chinese or Taiwanese stinky tofu “choh doh-foo”
93. Vegetarian Tom Kha (Thai Coconut Soup)
94. Vegetarian reuben
95. Coconut oil
96. Peanut brittle
97. Creme brulee
98. Vegetarian jerky
99. Crystallized ginger
100. And last but not least, someday.....Carl’s Jr, Wendy’s and Jack-in-the-box Veggie Burger (Hey, a girl can hope, can’t she?)

 59 out of 100...guess I need to get working eating, LOL ;-)

Maple Time 2010

Scrapbook layout of the first day of sap cooking, March 2010.

Morels

Hidden treasure awaits,

Come, take a peek,

Don't tempt the fates

By resisting temptation to seek.

Where find this treasure?

You certainly will ask,

And I with pleasure

Am equal to the task,

As into the forest we trek.

From damp floor to mossy tree,

Our eyes blur as we continually inspect

Amongst leaves, the certain lee,

For certain characteristic wrinkle,

Soft, moist, smelling earthen,
Nurtured by rain's sprinkle,

Sun's warmth the grounds unburthen.

Stooping, we carefully pluck,

Not disturbing a single asci cell,

Counting the bounty of our luck,

The delectable, edible, precious morel.

@ vegiemama of Home-N-Vegie-Blog

Camping

Rain or shine, all is fine
When away from home we roam.
We pack meals in our home on wheels
Clothing, things we use, even our shoes!
Playing cards, perusing the bards,
Swimming, sightseeing, but no water skiing.
History abounds, from ships to Indian mounds.
A camping foray is our favorite way to play.

@ vegiemama of Home-N-Vegie-Blog