This.is.the.life...these.are.the.moments.

It’s these moments. right here. right now. It’s the everyday at the dinner table, in the bathtub, climbing naked up the stairs, giggling down the hall, getting tucked in bed and hearing *their* bedtime stories. That’s the stuff I want to bottle up in a Mason jar and preserve forever. These are also the things we so often take for granted because they happen everyday.

But, right now, Barrett always wants to wear this broken pair of baby sunglasses when he brushes his teeth. This crazy quirk is fleeting (I think, I hope—I know of almost no one who does this sort of thing in adulthood—and if they do it isn’t cute anymore). I need to slow down and enjoy this phase while it lasts. While I was on the phone with a client tonight, Bear came dancing through the house (naked) singing,”Shake your hips!” Sluurp! (that’s the sound of me soaking it up - this crazy, wonderful life…Ahh...This.is.the.life.

For dinner tonight, I made a meatloaf that I have made before with much success. Kyle gobbled his up so fast. People who see me feed him cannot believe how much he eats. They always say “Is he going to eat all that? That would feed my child (who is twice as big) for a week!”

This is an allergy recipe the whole family will enjoy even those without allergies! I created this recipe as a treat for my kids, but it turned out we all love it! Fritos are a special treat for the boys. They rarely get to eat chips so they get excited to see Fritos going in here. I am happy knowing that Fritos are nothing but corn and corn oil.

Kiss Your Mama, This is Good Meatloaf! Recipe
Contains no gluten, dairy, soy, nuts, rice, oats, barley, eggs

2 lbs ground beef
1 cup Fritos crumbs
1 cup Fritos, slightly broken
½ large white onion, chopped
½ cup chopped green bell pepper (you could substitute ½ cup pureed carrots if your kids will balk at the green bell peppers)
2 cloves garlic
½ TBSP salt
1 tsp pepper
½ TBSP dried cilantro (optional)


The kids will love to help crush the Fritos. Put them (the Fritos, not the kids) in a sturdy baggie, removing all the air and let them squeeze.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Use your hands to mix all of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Form the mixture into a loaf shape and…
My best meatlof tip is this: Use 3 slices of bread on bottom of a 9x13 cake pan (not a loaf pan) to soak up excess juice and grease. For my kids (wheat intolerant) I slice off the thin layer of meatloaf that touches the bread after it has cooked.
Bake at 350 for 1 hour.

A sauce for the Mamas and the Papas or anyone who can tolerate it (not allergic)
So Easy!
Take a jar of your favorite Salsa—my fave for this is Herdez Medium.
Pour the whole thing into your skillet and simmer. You are just looking for it to thicken up and lose it’s watery-ness. I add just a little salt, but you don’t have to. It will take about 5 minutes. Pour this over your meatloaf and enjoy!