......Fall for Math and Raz Kids......do I love you or hate you?

I am fully aware that the future of our children's homework is moving to the computer. I'm not against that notion, but I think old fashioned ways of learning are being ruled out too quickly. 

With that being said, I have a love-hate relationship with the family laptop that our children use. As much as I think there are beneficial programs and do reinforce class lessons, the laptop causes a lot of arguing in our household. Here's what usually goes down:

Mae butts in and pounds the keyboard for a turn, just as you'd expect a 2 year old to do. The sister trying to do her assignment is frustrated and nudges (pushes) Mae away and she immediately starts screaming and wants to be held. 

Brody is frustrated because he doesn't have a log in or password for "Fall for Math" or "Raz" and whines that ABC Mouse is for babies. I am pretty sure he throws some "it's not fairs" in there and a "I'm never gonna get to Kindergarten." I am not sure what he's saying because Mae is still screaming in my ear. 

Both of the big girls will count the exact minute on how long the other sister got to use the computer and if one gets more time than the other, there is an argument. Usually the sister who is spending time talking to me about how we treat others in our home (not pushing Mae) gets the least time on her homework since we are re-visiting the family rule of keeping our hands on our own body. So now she's upset because I wouldn't "let her do her homework."

Today, we shut down the laptop for the rest of the week and our math homework was finding and counting all the loose change in drawers and odd places. 

Mae has no interest in what the big girls are doing, Brody played with legos and the big girls found $17 in change while doing their homework. They may have even smiled at each other too 👭

Win for the Balderach house tonight.

.....colorful eating- BBQ style......

BBQ is a staple in our lives. I married a Texan who contemplated for days who was going to be the lucky one to inherit his smoker when we were preparing to move from Texas to NYC. To me, the old smoker looked like a hunk of black metal junk with a rusty pipe attached to it and it was a mortal sin to repeat my opinion out loud. Fast forward 11 years since we moved to the northeast and I have gladly accepted the role of determining where and how to find creative recipes to consume all of the meat that Stefan pulls off his (new and improved) smoker. There are plenty of benefits to being in the burbs!

It has been close to a year that I have been keen on trying to find ways to change our eating habits in my family. We have made a lifestyle change to fresh, colorful meals. Sometimes it's a big win for me and the kids to eat color.....

Sometimes it's a huge miss.

See the hot pink and bright yellow? 

(Both colorful ideas were fun eating projects at Bambi's house).

 We believe just about anything tastes good with a little BBQ sauce on it or a special BBQ rub that Stefan has yet to share the actual spices he mixes with even me. This past weekend was the first beautiful spring day we have had, so it was no surprise that Stefan was preparing his smoker to kick off the season. When he smokes, he goes big; so three pounds of pork shoulder later and I was searching for recipes that would help us keep our eating this week clean and appealing to our tribe. 

 So behold: a creamy, cheesy casserole full of tangy, ooey-gooey goodness.

Cheesy BBQ Pork Pasta Bake

Servings: 4

Container count per serving: 1 red, 1/8 green, 1/2 purple, 2 yellow, 1 blue, 1 tsp.

INGREDIENTS

• 4 tsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp. flour
• 1 1/3 cup shredded 2% sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 3 cups cooked whole grain pasta (I used rotini)
• 1/4 cup green onion, chopped, plus more for topping (optional)
• 1/4 cup red onion, chopped
• 3 cups cooked pork, shredded
• 3/4 cup clean BBQ sauce (no sugar or corn syrup. If you can’t find any at the store you can make your own (other recipes for this casserole bake call for 3 cups. I went very light and figured we would add our own if we wanted more. The amount I used was the perfect amount for our taste)
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. ground mustard
• 1/4 tsp. pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat 2 tsp. of the oil in a medium saucepan on medium heat. When the oil is hot, whisk in the flour until it becomes a paste. Cook until the flour becomes a caramel color, about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally so it doesn’t burn.
2. Add the almond milk slowly, whisking until it thickens. Mix in the salt, pepper, and ground mustard. Next, add 1 cup of the cheese and whisk until melted and well combined.
3. Heat a small pan over medium heat and add the remaining 2 tsp. of oil. Add the chopped red onions and green onions and cook until soft and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add the onions to the cheese mixture.
4. In a casserole dish, add the cooked pasta, chicken and all of the BBQ sauce. Mix well until combined. Next, add the cheese sauce and mix well. Top with the remaining drizzle of your BBQ sauce and 1/3 cup of cheese.
5. Bake for 30 minutes or until cheese is melted on top. Top with more green onions, if desired.

This was a huge hit with the family and we also had enough left over for Stefan to take some to work. It was definitely a nice break from the standard pulled pork sandwiches that we were eating last spring. For those of you wondering what my serving size looked like, check this out.

I added a side salad, but next time I think I would add a side of cucumber, tomato, onion and a splash of balsamic vinaigrette.

Have it, fellow BBQ lovers!

Sponsor: Sprout Organics and a Giveaway!!!!

.....I do not follow horoscopes, but I am fully aware that my libra sign is a scale.....apparently, we libras strive for balance and harmony and I must admit, that does describe me to a tee........however, I stopped believing in perfect harmony a long time ago......

......for instance, in my household, nothing is ever running perfectly.....when we are excelling in one area, such as a seamless and timely bedtime routine; something else slips, like maintaining a clutter free house......when we are rocking the chore chart and every child is carrying a load of family responsibility, we are late to everything for the week or two we are emptying little trash cans and putting our shoes in their proper places......

......this summer, we are certainly thriving in fun......our days have been busy, but simultaneously carefree......the laid back theme has slipped into my meal planning and we have eaten more junk than I care to admit.....chicken nuggets, boxed mac n cheese, and even the disgusting lunchables have been consumed in the car for a quick bite before we head to another fun outing.....the pizza man delivered our pie for lunch today and greeted me, "hello again!" when I opened the door......yes, when one area thrives, another plunders and it's all okay.....

.....one thing that has eased my conscience is that in between the junk I have been serving for breakfast, lunch and dinner, we have all been snacking on the big box of sprout organic snacks that arrived last week......we have been alternating between the fruit and veggie crips and the yogurt bites and we are devouring them.......

.....even my five year old is fighting over her favorite flavors.....

.....they have been great to throw on the plate while I heat up a frozen boxed waffle for Brody.....it makes me feel ten times better that he has already consumed carrot puree blended into his strawberry bites; as I am pouring aunt jemima's high fructose corn syrup in a bowl for him to dip his waffle......

....at least we are off to the library, the pool and then a play date at the beach....no time for scrambled eggs or sliced fruit......

....but we do have our sprout organic snacks.....

.....all the packaging is BPA free and all of the natural ingredients in their snacks are organic wholesome fruit and veggie combinations with whole grains......

.....Sprout Organic Foods is offering one lucky winner a Sprout Organics Snack Sampler, featuring new toddler snacks- all four flavors of the fruit and veggies chews and yogurt bites......

.....you can enter for your chance to win here until Saturday, July 6th......

a Rafflecopter giveaway

.....good luck.....

......in the meantime, I will be using our sampler snacks as a nutritious supplement until the balance in our home shifts and preparing good, nutritious meals becomes a priority again.....

.....in the meantime, we are off for our summer fun......

#spon: Giveaway is sponsored by Sprout Foods. Products will be shipped direct from the company. Check out the new Sprout Foods website at www.sproutorganicfoods.com.