I'm so sorry :grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

It's been fun reading all the things everyone's pets have eaten :lol:. Gotta love 'em.

:w00t::lol::lol:

Dead flowers and 5 (out of 6) placemats. Everything else has been transferred to either the hutch or the floor because we just ate dinner.

I know :lol:. But he had his surgery in a hospital outside the US, right (or was it here?)? I just would wonder if maybe some contamination occurred there.

I'm not as mad as I should be...this is our third dog, and you know how it goes with the youngest. Our first dog ate 7 prepped grilled cheese sandwiches - she got into a lot of trouble for that. Our second dog steals pancakes - she just did it two days ago. But she has the good sense to go into hiding right afterward so we are all scratching our heads wondering where the pancakes went until we all have the Hallelujah of Understanding fall upon us. But by then, she's far from being caught. This dog, the third child, just gets a "bad dog" and his picture snapped while dh runs out to the grocery store to buy more burger and my fries get over baked.

:lol::lol::lol:

Well, from what I understand, the stomach upset is initial, but the problems thereafter don't really have much to do with an upset tummy - muscle soreness, headaches, appetite issues...I really do believe a lot more of our "undiagnosed" diseases stem from parasites of one sort or another.

This guy stole 5 organic, grass fed burgers awaiting grilling from my kitchen counter. To his credit, he did leave 1/2 of a burger, but only because he was caught red handed. During his admonishment, he burped and licked his lips repeatedly. Does this look like a thief who even begins to understand the full heft of guilt? I think not. Beware.

My gosh, Jennifer. :grouphug: to that poor kid - he's been through so much! Have you considered parasites? I know we didn't make it back from Mexico without some serious stomach upset (and issues thereafter). Since he spent time in a hospital, etc, that might be part of his ongoing issue. Something to consider. Hope he's feeling better soon. :grouphug:

We have Safe Eyes - supposedly it blocks particular videos based on content, but not the thumbnails (which stinks!). I get a daily report emailed to me and youtube is always in the "blocked" category, so I know it is blocking at least some things, but it does allow the things that are watchable (and likely blocking other "watchable" things, but it's better than anything else I've found).

So cool! :party:

At ten, I say let her do some strands or chunks whatever she wants to color them. I think by doing small amounts at first, she will gradually understand the abrupt change in her appearance, and possibly come to understand the drastic change a whole head of color can do. I was in 7th grade when I started coloring my hair (so, 12), and I let dd start highlights (purple and blond) that *I* put in at about 11. I guess I think it's a pretty benign (and easy to fix!) way to start making a statement about her individual self, and I'd be willing to do it as soon as a girl wanted to try it out.

Kinda. How about Butch? Bear and Butch. That's sweet. Or Buddy. Buddy and Bear. That's fun. Need a picture. Too hard to pick a name without a face. Post one asap! :D

I just use plain old raw Virginia peanuts. Sometimes I add a pinch of salt (literally a "pinch") and sometimes I don't. Toss them into the food processor and let 'em rip until they make peanut butter. The peanuts get warm enough in the processor to release enough oil to work - some other nuts require a tablespoon of good oil to get things going on.

Congratulations!

:grouphug:

I voted daily, but that's not entirely accurate - I didn't have a glass of wine today, for instance, and I generally don't if I know I have to go somewhere after dinner because I don't want to smell like it in a small space. Most days, though, I like to pour a glass of wine (an average 4-5 oz one) while I make dinner, then I add more for the meal itself. ETA - it's a rare occurrence for me to drink a beer - it would need to be a darn good microbrew and go very nicely with my meal, and I never drink liquor (mixed drinks, margaritas, etc) because I just don't like the sweetness.

Me too!!

Mmhmm, :iagree: I might even cry a little. But I would toss it.

Okay - so it was good :). I'll blog it later this week, but here it is: 2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil 4 lbs chicken parts (dh and ds said dark was better) salt and freshly ground pepper 5-6 cups chopped cabbage 1 large red onion, halved and sliced 4 cloves garlic, sliced 1 apple, diced 2 tsp caraway seeds salt and freshly ground pepper 1/3 c pure maple syrup 1/3 c cider vinegar 1 cup beer 1 Tbs stone ground mustard 1 tsp dried thyme Preheat oven to 400F. Heat the oil in a dutch oven over medium high heat. Sprinkle chicken generously with salt and pepper. Add chicken parts, a few at a time, and cook a few minutes on each side until golden. Set aside. In same dutch oven, add cabbage, onion, apple, and garlic. Cook about 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally (cabbage mixture will shrink by about 1/3 when ready). Stir in caraway seeds and season with salt and pepper. Meanwhile, in a large measuring cup or bowl, mix together the maple syrup, cider vinegar, beer, mustard and thyme. Nestle the chicken parts into the cabbage mixture. Pour the maple/beer mixture over all. Cover and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until juices run clear.

Denise, I like the way you think ;). However, a bottle of wine equals 750 ml, which is roughly 25 oz, which equates to about 2 1/2 glasses per person if 2 people are sharing. Given (our) state law, an individual can drink one glass per hour (not at a meal), and still be able to drive safely. Experience, body type, tolerance, and stomach content all play a part in the final equation, though. For the record, I would not take a bunch of kids out for dinner and share a bottle of wine with dh; I would do this if it were just dh and I, and I knew we were having several courses and dinner would take at least an hour and a half and we could enjoy the food and drink...something that, in my experience, hasn't included children in the past. I can't imagine needing to call a taxi over sharing a bottle of wine, given that scenario (and I wouldn't be toting anyone's kids along for that dinner).

Right now I'm cooking them with cabbage, onions, and apples, and a slosh of maple syrup, beer, cider vinegar and some spices. I'll let you know how it turns out. Maybe :D.

Okay. But are those the same people who will take someone else's children out to dinner and think nothing of ordering a glass of wine? Probably not. I am making assumptions here, it's true (because I don't know the family who took OP's kids out to dinner), but if I didn't know how I would handle it, I would never consider ordering a drink while I was in charge of another's family (or even my own, for that matter, regardless of who was driving).

Understood and a good rule (and I figured that was part of your reason). However, it might be wise to explain (especially with your 12 year old) the difference between driving drunk and adults having a glass of something with dinner. In once case, the person is schnockered and it is absolutely a terrible, potentially fatal idea. In the other, it is part of the dining and food experience, and one beverage to match a meal isn't going to end them up in the ditch. The difference is demonizing a beverage or describing to a point of understanding the potential affects of said beverage.