Chicken and Shrimp Mojo

I am like 1/8th Cuban. Not that I was brought up with Cuban influences but my mom never let me forget her Cuban heritage. Lauren and I spent our honeymoon in Key West which is 90 miles North of Cuba and it was in Key West where I first tried Cuban food. I found that I really liked the citrus spicy Caribbean Cuban cuisine. During our first year of marriage I looked for various Cuban dishes to cook and I have a few that I have developed into a semi regular rotation in our house.

Knorr , the food company known for their side dishes and gravies, is having a recipe contest through Blogher, to promote their new Homestyle concentrated Chicken Stock.

In the past I have professed my admiration on this blog for chefs like Alton Brown and Guy Fieri. I am sure I have mentioned the shows Chopped, Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, and a few other Food Network programs as some of my favorites. I decided to enter the contest. If I win I may get a chance to work for Knorr as a consultant. It may be as close as I can get to having a food network type of gig. When I first met Lauren her favorite dinner was crab legs. After the last few times I made this dish Lauren has now proclaimed it as her favorite.

This is the recipe for my Cuban influenced Chicken and Shrimp Mojo with a Warm Avocado Mango Salsa.
Ingredients-for the Mojo Marinade
2tsp cumin powder
2 Heaping tsp of minced garlic
1 tsp chili powder
¼ tsp salt
2tbsp olive oil
1/2 container of Knorr Homestyle (concentrated) Chicken Stock
1/4 cup of water
1½ tbsp orange juice
1½ tbsp fresh-squeezed lime juice
2 large boneless chicken breasts
1 lb of Shrimp (raw, peeled)

For the Warm Salsa:
1/2 (the other half) container of Knorr Homestyle (concentrated) Chicken Stock
1 cup orange juice
1 tsp grated lime peel
2 tsp honey
4 tsp thick sweet soy sauce
5-6 tbsp of chilled, unsalted butter
2 firm but ripe mango, peeled, diced
1 1/2 ripe avocado, peeled, diced
freshly chopped herbs to taste (coriander, parsley, etc.)

To make the marinade: In a heavy medium-size skillet over a medium-high heat, toast the cumin powder until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the two tsps. of (Heaping Teaspoons as the picture above shows) garlic, olive oil, water, 1/2 container of Knorr Homestyle Concentrated Stock, chili powder and salt into pan and whisk together to make a thick marinade/paste, about 3-5 minutes,  (If you like spicier meals add more Chili pepper or some Cayenne)

                                             
Whisk in Orange juice and Lime juice and remove from heat. See the consistency of the Mojo above, that is kind of how you want it to look.  Let cool for 5-10minutes.

Pour marinade over chicken and shrimp, turning to coat. Refrigerate from 1 to 3 hours.

About 15 minutes before you are ready to cook the shrimp and chicken you will need to make the salsa.

SALSA --whisk together the remaining Knorr Concentrated Chicken Stock, orange juice, lime peel, honey and soy sauce in saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and reduce (approximately 5-8 minutes). Remove from the heat and quickly whisk in the pats of butter one at a time.

During that 5 to 8 minutes mentioned in the above paragraph is usually when I peel and chop/dice my Mango and Avocado.

Mango can be a pain in the butt to peel and chop but it is so worth it. Mango is also something the kids will definitely eat.

The first time I ever ate Avocado was on my honeymoon.

Combine the mango and avocado in medium bowl.

The recipe says you can drizzle sauce later onto the Chicken and Shrimp. I like to just pour it on to the Mango and Avocado and mix it all together.

Cook Chicken on a medium heat grill 7 to 8 minutes each side. Remember presentation side (smooth) down first on grill. Place shrimp (marinade and all) onto a piece of foil, when you flip the chicken, place Shrimp on grill for 7-8 minutes. It is at this point of the recipe that I want to make-out with my grill but I am afraid I would burn my mouth.  Move the shrimp around to get even heat. Remove chicken and Shrimp, cover and let rest for 5 minutes.

Sometimes we slice the Chicken breasts and sometimes we serve it just whole. Slicing it up makes enough for 4 people when you combine it with Shrimp.

We serve Chicken and Shrimp Mojo with rice and black beans and fresh herbs on top. Also to give the Shrimp a little bit of extra zing sometimes I squeeze some lime juice on it just before serving.
Here is a the complete  recipe to copy and paste and try at home. Prep time any where from 13 to 18 minutes, plus 1-3 hours to marinade.  Cook time: 14-16 minutes. 

What foods make you want to Make-Out with your grill?



Ingredients-Mojo
2tsp cumin powder
2 Heaping tsp of minced garlic
1 tsp chili powder
¼ tsp salt
2tbsp olive oil
1/2 container of Knorr Homestyle (concentrated) Chicken Stock
1/4 cup of water
1½ tbsp orange juice
1½ tbsp fresh-squeezed lime juice
2 large boneless chicken breasts
1 lb. of Shrimp (26-30 count.)

For the Warm Salsa:
1/2  (the other half) container of Knorr Homestyle (concentrated) Chicken Stock
1 cup orange juice
1 tsp grated lime peel
2 tsp honey
4 tsp thick sweet soy sauce
5-6 tbsp of chilled, unsalted butter
2 firm but ripe mango, peeled, diced
1 1/2 ripe avocado, peeled, diced
freshly chopped herbs to taste (coriander, parsley, etc.)

To make the marinade: In a heavy medium-size skillet over a medium-high heat, toast the cumin powder until fragrant about 2 minutes. Add the two tsps of garlic, olive oil, water, Knorr Stock, chili and salt into pan and whisk together to make a thick marinade/paste. Whisk in Orange juice and Lime juice and remove from heat. Let cool for 10minutes.

Add Chicken and Shrimp to marinade, turning to coat. Refrigerate from 1 to 3 hours.

Cook Chicken on a medium heat grill 7 to 8 minutes each side. Remember presentation side (smooth) down first on grill. Place shrimp (marinade and all) onto a piece of foil, when you flip the chicken, place Shrimp on grill for 7-8 minutes. Move the shrimp around to get even heat. Remove chicken and Shrimp, cover and let rest for 5 minutes.

SALSA --whisk together the 1/2 container Knorr Concentrated Chicken Stock, orange juice, lime peel, honey and soy sauce in saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and reduce (approximately 5-8 minutes). Remove from the heat and quickly whisk in the pats of butter one at a time.

Combine the mango and avocado in medium bowl. Scatter the mango and avocado around the chicken and Shrimp drizzle with sauce and sprinkle with fresh chopped herbs.

Serve with black beans and rice

Shifting Gears

Over the past year, in an effort to lose a few pounds and not die too early of a heart attack, I took up the exercise of running. Running is a good way for me to clear my head and think about the day ahead of me. When I was in the regular running routine I was always thinking clearly and at my creative best. Some of my best ideas and blog posts were composed while I was running.


In the year 2011 I have already logged in 233.2 miles of running. Some where around mile 190 I started to get bored. Running no longer was appealing to me and I found myself hitting a plateau mentally and physically. Instead of pushing myself physically I just clocked miles. I was no longer thinking clearly on my runs but rather getting lost in thought. To fix this boredom I got a bike. Not only would the bike fix my exercise boredom but it would also save me time and money. I decided by riding my bike to and from work, 6.25 miles each way, I would save the time because I was multi-tasking using the bike as exercise and transportation but I would also be saving money when gas is close to four bucks a gallon.

I cannot exercise with food in my stomach. My running routine was basic, wake up, have a cup of coffee, get dressed and then hit the pavement. When I would return I would have a solid breakfast, like eggs and bacon with toast, and then start my normal daily routine. Now that I am riding I need to plan my work-outs.  I need to prep my bike and other gear,  pack a change of clothes for the day, take breakfast, which now was a cereal bar or some granola (easy to pack in my bag) and lunch with me to work. One of the problems I run into is that after riding to work, I am so hungry I find myself eating both breakfast and lunch right way. Tuna fish sandwiches for breakfast is just, well, not really breakfasty enough for me.

The Granola bars and other types of snack type bars do not do the trick. I would still eat my lunch before 10AM. This leaves me little fuel for the ride home. Two weeks ago ProMax Energy Bars asked if I would be interested in trying their line of lower sugar bars. They said they would send me free Energy Bars for me to review on the blog.  I was having a problem they were offering a possible solution. Not only that, they said they would pay me for my honest opinion.

I am not a fan of meal replacement bars or other proteins snacks because I always feel like they are trying too hard to taste like a candy bar. Or they are trying too hard to mask something with super sweet chocolate. I think meal replacement bars should taste more like the gum Violet chews in Willy Wonka.

Let me just say that these Promax Lower Sugar Energy Bars taste pretty good, not great, but they do not seem like they are masking something. On a scale of 1 to 10 I would give the flavor a 7.  I had the Double Fudge and the Peanut Butter. I liked the double fudge better. They work great for what I need when it comes to filling my belly. The serving size is a bit more than a snack but not quite a breakfast or lunch. The only thing I don't like is that the chocolate coating or peanut butter coating on the bar comes off in the wrapper. It is bit messy to open. Not a very good thing in a bar that is supposed to be used for travel. The little flecks of chocolate that end up on my desk are difficult to suck up by mouth once they are stuck to purchase order documents.

The price per Promax Energy Bar is about $1.50 each if you buy them by the dozen which isn't too bad for a breakfast. It is cheaper and healthier and less calories than an Egg Mc Muffin. Now only if they would make an energy bar that tasted like a Mc Muffin, or even better a Bacon Energy Bar. Wait a minute I may be on to something. I am having  a "Feed Tuna Mayonnaise." moment. You see that? Biking is already clearing my head.

Promax is holding a contest called the Next Doer . Promax's tagline is "Life is Go" so Go enter their contest for a chance to win a trip to Hawaii.

So far I have logged in 53 miles on the bike. After some quick math I have figured I have saved about $12.00 in gas so far. I am still trying to get the hang of the whole biking thing. Some days I feel like I am playing Frogger and some days I feel like I should be doing a paper route on my way to work. Wait a minute, hold the phone, I think I just had another idea.

I have a $10.00 I-Tunes gift card to give away to someone who leaves me a comment suggesting some decent music for me to listen to on my bike rides to work. I will choose one random comment in the next few days to win the $10.00 I-Tunes gift card. Please make sure you leave a valid way for me to contact you.


Disclaimer - I have been compensated for my time by Promax for sharing my opinion of their product with the readers of this blog.  However, my opinions are entirely my own and I have not been paid to publish positive sentiments towards the Promax Products. The I-tunes Gift card giveaway  is not sponsored by Promax and was totally my idea to solicit comments.

Super Cut

When I was a little kid I am pretty sure that my mom cut my hair. I don't ever recall going to a barber.

I think by the time I reached 5th grade I avoided haircuts all together (William 4'8 in 5th grade 5'4 with the Afro).

Somewhere around middle school I became very vain about how my hair looked. I was lucky enough that by the time I reached high school my sister was getting her cosmetology license. I was also lucky enough that my sister smoked. For a quick bicycle ride to the 7-11 and a pack of Marlboro I could get my haircut any time I wanted.

My sister had a pack a day habit. I had really nice hair in high school. Besides my eyes I always thought my hair was my best feature.

I still have nice hair although I no longer have my sister cut it. Now I either go see my cousin Jeannean, who is a Master Stylist which is like the Yoda of Hair Cuttery, or I go to the local Supercuts.

It has been a while since I have had my hair cut and it is getting bit unruly. The other day I received an email from the Supercuts people offering me a free haircut if I would tell the people who read here about their Hunt For Houston Promotion. If you go to Supercuts Facebook Page you can enter to for a chance to win a trip for 2 to Houston from April 1 – 5, 2011 for March Madness Basketball action. The package includes airfare, 4 nights’ hotel accommodations and $500 of spending money to help enjoy the on-court action. Follow the instructions on the Hunt For Houston promotion to enter a chance to win. Their contest ends on Saturday March 12th. I have nothing to do with how they will choose their winner for the free trip. I am merely passing along information.

A free haircut for me to post a couple of links is easier than riding my bike to the 7/11 for a pack of smokes.

Supercuts also offered me one prize pack (which includes $20. gift card to Supercuts, a $20. gift card to Sports Authority and a desktop basketball game) to give away to one of my readers. For a chance to win the prize pack just leave me a comment telling me what you consider is your best feature. I will pick one comment at random to win the gift card prize pack. I will take comments up until 11 PM Saturday March 12th. I will notify the winner via email so please leave a valid way to contact you.

Must be Italian.

"Frah-Gee-Lay. It must be Italian!" Mr. Parker says with excitement.

"I think that says fragile honey." Mrs. Parker corrects him.

Check out the rest of the entry here .

Decoy

I don’t know how it is for girls, but when changing the diaper on a little boy as soon as the diaper comes off they immediately reach for their penis. Read the rest of the post here Poop and Boogies Review

Confidence from the Bay City Rollers

The Bay City Rollers are kind of responsible for building my confidence. GO Here to read the rest of the post. P & B Review.

Left Out

"Billy, can you come up to my desk please?" asked Mrs. Tewksbury, my third grade hand writing teacher. She held up a mint green, triple blue-lined, news print writing paper with the letters BILLY M clearly written across the top.

I don't remember the specifics of the actual conversation but she said she wanted to use my paper as an example. I remember smiling, feeling proud that she was going to use my work to give the class a lesson on this new cursive writing we were learning. I was quite happy. I stood next to her as she held up my paper and asked for the class' attention.

"This" she said shaking the paper above her head "is an example of a messy paper."

I was horrified.

She took the three pronged wire thingamabob that held three pieces of chalk at the end and in a quick motion drew three even lines across the chalkboard. She then asked me to write the few letters we were learning in the space she just made. I picked up a single piece of chalk in my left hand and wrote on the board. As I moved, left to right, across the board I tried my best to perfect the various loops required in cursive, only to realize that my sleeve of my left arm had wiped away what I had just written.

I looked at my paper and saw that it was completely smudged. I looked at my left hand to see my left pinkie and outer palm edge were black with graphite.

The curse of a left hand-er.

Mrs. Tewksbury then took the opportunity to tell the class why it was important that Lefties either angle their paper or bend (contort) their arm to prevent smudges. She then gave a quick history lesson about how a long time ago, like in the 1950's, left handed people were considered evil. She explained that left handed people were required to write with their right hand and how that was better for teachers.

I felt the eyes of all the students watching me waiting to see if I had horns on my head. For the rest of the day I was excluded, left out, from the rest of days regular activities. Kids kept their distance at lunch. I was not picked up on a kickball team at recess. It was bad day.

I remember going home and telling my mom that my writing teacher thought I was evil. I was worried that other kids would not play with me. I was worried that maybe I would be left out of other school activities all the time. My mom told me not to worry. She said I couldn't be evil because she loved me and she would not love an evil person. My mom made me feel better.

It was at this point in my life that my older brothers and sister, thanks to the movie The Omen, learned that triple sixes were the sign of the devil. I was born at 6 in the morning on June 6. I was also the 6th child. They made sure they pointed this out to me on a regular basis. This of course again made me think I was evil.

My older brothers also claimed that Rocky, our mailman, was the Devil, which made sense, since they also told me he was my real father.

-------------------------------------------------

GoodNites is having a great contest over at their site. They are asking people to write the next chapters of their incredibly awesome audio series Iggy and his Wiggy Bed. The winner will receive a $2,500 adventure package. I think that means vacation. Go and listen to the story and take a crack at writing the next chapter.

Go here to find more details and to enter the next chapter contest. Please enter. I get to be one of the judges and I am looking forward to seeing some of your entries.

GoodNites has other features on their site that parents may want to check out. They have their Bedwetting experts(which I think it is awesome that they call themselves that) and their Support Area for parents.

GoodNites has offered me the opportunity to give away a pretty cool prize pack to one of my readers. Go to this post to see a picture. The prize pack is valued at $175.00 which includes a 2GB Ipod shuffle, Logitech speakers, an Itunes gift card and a cuddle blanket.

For a chance to win this prize pack from Poop and Boogies and GoodNites, leave me a comment about any time ever felt left out, or singled out. I will announce the winner in a few weeks.

Check out these other bloggers who are also having this same contest.

The winner from my last Bedtime Theater post is Mary AKA Tattoo Mary.


-----------------------------------------------

Disclaimer--I have partnered with GoodNites® Sleep Pants for the Bedtime Theater program. I have been compensated for my time commitment to the program, which includes developing the Iggy’s Next Adventure story, sharing the program information with my readers, tweeting my blog entry and judging the Iggy’s Next Adventure contest entries. However, my opinions are entirely my own and I have not been paid to publish positive sentiments towards the GoodNites® products.”

Marketing Super Hero and Sausage

There has been some debate in various blogging circles about the approach marketers and advertisers take in working with bloggers. Many bloggers, some more than others, write/complain/mock on a regular basis about how they can't stand when and how marketers will write them asking them to pitch certain products.

Continue to rest of post click here.

Beat the Bully

I watched from across the room as Maxfield took a swing at his brother Wyatt. Wyatt dodged the fist. I reprimanded Max for trying to hit his brother. It is the number one rule in our house. Not because of any type of priority or anything, it is number one rule because it is the one we have say the most.

But as I watched Max trying to punch his brother I realized that he was not doing it right. His punch was all arm was coming in at the wrong angle. It struck me that if Max was ever to get into a fight in school he would not do well. I waited for his "time-out" to be over and I tried to teach him how to punch properly.

I explained that he was never to punch anyone unless he felt threatened. I then tried to explain the concept of threaten to him which did not go too well. I told him if another kid is pushing him or hurting him he has the right to defend himself. His first response should be to ask the other kid to stop. If the other kid does not stop Max should go to whatever adult is in charge. If there is no other adult around and the other kid continues to push or hurt Max, I instructed Max to ask the other kid to stop two more times. If the other kid continues after the third time I told Max he is free to punch back and remove himself from the situation.

Lauren and I do not see eye to eye on this. She would prefer Max remove himself from the situation right away. I always tell her I don't want Max to be a wuss. I want him to have the confidence to not back down to the bully. The best way to beat a bully is to beat the bully. I don't want Max to hurt another kid but I definitely don't want Max to get hurt himself.

I was letting Max punch my outstretched palms when Lauren entered the room. She asked what we were doing and I told her I was teaching Max to fight the right way. I told her about the "ask three times rule". She gave me a look.

"Max" she said "you know, that if anyone ever picks on you or is trying to hurt you, you should just walk away, right?"

Max nodded and punched my hand.

"You know you should just go to the teacher right?" she asked.

"Yes." Max said throwing another punch.

Lauren then shook her head at me in disappointment.

"What? I just thought he should learn to defend himself." I said. "Don't be mad."

She rolled her eyes. She then knelt down beside me and took Max's shoulders in her hands and started to position him in a different stance.

"If you are going to teach him to punch the least you could do is teach him the right way."

I gave her a look.

"Bill" she said "who is the black belt in this family?"

I then nodded and let my wife, who earned her black belt in karate five years ago, teach my son how to properly punch someone. I am such a wuss.

GoodNites website (which has all kinds of great resources for parents) has an excellent page called Bed Time Theater, where you can download stories for kids to listen to at bedtime. The themes of the stories of Iggy and his Wiggy Bed are about confidence, friendships, overcoming adversity and such. You should go there and listen. Even if you do not have kids of the age of bedtime stories you should check out the contest they are having. People can submit their own Iggy stories for a chance to win money as well as having their story become part of the GoodNites Bed Time Theater. And guess what, I get to be one of the judges of that contest. There is a sample story you can find here, which was written by nine bloggers one of which was me. Check it out, I think it is cool.

Here at Poop and Boogies GoodNites is giving away a prize pack valued at $175.00 which includes a 2GB Ipod shuffle, Logitech speakers, an Itunes gift card and a cuddle blanket.

For a chance to win this awesome prize pack please go to GoodNites Bedtime Theater site and listen to a couple chapters of Iggy. Then come back here leave me a comment telling me about how you deal with bullying, whether it is regarding what you teach your kids or maybe a story about you overcoming a bully when you were younger. I will select a random story to win the prize. You need to leave a comment here on the blog to be eligible for the prize pack.




Disclaimer--I have partnered with GoodNites® Sleep Pants for the Bedtime Theater program. I have been compensated for my time commitment to the program, which includes developing the Iggy’s Next Adventure story, sharing the program information with my readers, tweeting my blog entry and judging the Iggy’s Next Adventure contest entries. However, my opinions are entirely my own and I have not been paid to publish positive sentiments towards the GoodNites® products.”

First Cup

On average I drink about 10 cups a coffee a day. I need the first two, maybe three, cups. The rest, well, I just like coffee. I really like coffee.

I drink coffee black and I always find that the first cup of coffee of the day is the best. Not because my body craves caffeine or that I need the coffee to wake up, it is just the first cup always tastes the best. Every cup after that is, like, tainted by the taste of coffee already on the tongue.

I still remember my very first cup of coffee ever. I had slept over my friends house and I was the first to wake up. I always was and still am an early riser. I fumbled my way down the steps to the kitchen to get something to drink. I was not too familiar with my friend's house and while looking for a glass I opened and closed several cabinets which woke Mr. Wheeler, my friend's dad. He entered the kitchen, asked me what I was doing and he looked disappointed when I told him I was up for the day. Mr. Wheeler sighed and then proceeded to make coffee. I sat at the kitchen table reading the comic section of the paper and we made small talk.

When the coffee was finished brewing Mr. Wheeler handed me a cup of piping hot coffee and asked me how I took it. I told him I never had coffee before. He poured a little bit of cream and two scoops of sugar into my cup.

"Here, try this." he said and slid the cup in front of me.

That first sip was delicious. I was hooked. I was eight years old.

I don't think Mr. Wheeler knew at that moment that he was creating a great memory for me. Every now and then I put a little bit of cream and two scoops of sugar into my coffee and I think of Mr. Wheeler.

My dad was not happy about Mr. Wheeler giving me coffee. My dad did not care that I actually drank the coffee, my dad was more upset with the fact that he now had to share his coffee with me every morning.

Every now and then I like to treat myself to a good cup of coffee so I go to Saxbys. I go to Saxbys coffee for two reasons; one, my brother Anonymous is part of the Saxbys' organization and two, every cup of coffee they serve is like the first cup of coffee of the day.

Do you drink coffee? How old were you when you had your first cup? How do you like your coffee?

Saxbys gave me three $5 dollar gift cards (you are all singing that Subway commercial now aren't you?) as part of my "Poop and Boogies Turns Five" give-away month. Go their website Click Here and see if there is a Saxbys in your area. If you would like a chance to win one of the gift cards please leave me a comment and include the word Saxbys. I will select three random winners on Sunday.

Illustrator

My favorite book when I was a little kid was(a series)called Henry the Explorer. I really loved the story, which I would try to act out each week, and I loved the illustrations which I would try to copy using a box of Crayolas. As I got older my interest switched to comic books, which I would also try to act out but I had an easier time trying to recreate the images of the super heroes using colored pencils and paints.

For the longest time the only thing I wanted to be when I grew up was a cartoonist or illustrator. This is one of the covers to a comic book I created with my friend Bob when we were 8 or 9 years old. We went so far as to make up our own comic book company.


I was the Black Archer and Bob was the Silver Swordsman*. We also tried to act out the adventures we planned on drawing. There was one time where we used Bob's dad's hunting bow to shoot arrows at each other to see if we could catch them. It didn't end good, but it didn't end bad either.



Even as an adult I still have dreams of being an illustrator. This is as close to that dream job that I ever got.


Last summer I met Eric Wight, author and illustrator of Frankie Pickle and the Closet of Doom. My kids loved the book. I bought a few copies to give as holiday presents to other kids I know. I thought it would be a good idea to get one of those kids an autographed copy. I knew Eric lived in my area so I emailed him to see if I could meet up with him to get some books signed.

A few days later (this was early December) we met for lunch. We talked comics, books, Brad Meltzer and much more. I would like to think that Eric enjoyed our conversation as much as I did but I was the stalker and he was the stalk-ee, so maybe he did not. We did discuss his latest Frankie Pickle book, which Eric was nice enough to bring me a preview copy.

I brought the book home and read it to Max and Wyatt. Even with half of the illustrations missing (preview copy and what not) they both loved Frankie Pickle and the Pine Run 3000. Max loved it so much that after reading it for the 10th time he sat down and wanted to draw images from it.

I felt, I don't know, I guess proud would be the word that my son was doing the same kind of stuff I did as a kid. I just hope he gets his mother's artistic genes.

Frankie Pickle and the Pine Run 3000 hits the stores Tuesday February 9th. If you have kids or know kids go out and buy it. It is a great read. I can't wait to get a "finished" copy.

As part of my 5 year blogging milestone I am going to give away two copies of Frankie Pickle and the Pine Run 3000. For a chance to win one of the books, leave me a comment telling me your favorite childhood book. I will pick two random winners (out of a hat). Please only one comment per person. Even if you don't have kids you should enter because I am sure you know a kid who would like this book. I will stop taking entries as of Friday February 12th. Hell I may even stalk Eric and see if he will autograph the books for you.

*The Black Archer© and Silver Swordsman© are Copyrighted to William and Bob 1978 or 1979-ish. Any use their names or likeness or recounts or rebroadcast of this blog post without proper written consent from the NFL or Greatest Comics Company is strictly prohibited by taste.

Bedtime

Most nights the job of putting Maxfield and Wyatt to bed belongs to me. I usually start the process at 7:30 by getting them in their PJs as they watch a TV show. At 8:00 we head upstairs to brush teeth, pee, say prayers and climb into bed. Every night the boys ask me to tell them a story.

Sometimes I read to them (which is difficult now that they are in bunk beds)but most nights I make up stories to tell them. Their favorite bedtime stories are The Adventures of Max and Wyatt, go figure, which is about two little boys with super powers. Max and Wyatt's powers change each night depending on the mood of the kids.

Some nights I just don't have it in me to tell a story. I know, I suck as a modern parent. I know, I am supposed to relish in the "right now" of it all by telling them stories as they drift off to sleep. But some nights, mentally, emotionally, I just can't.

A few months ago the PR people at GoodNites emailed me asking if I would be interested working with them again this year. They gave me a pitch about a bedtime story on-line I could download and let my kids listen to each night. They sent me the first four chapters of GoodNites Bedtime Theater stories of Iggy and his Wiggy Bed along with terms and conditions of our agreement. Seriously, the Ts and Cs really did not matter to me because I was really impressed with the quality of the bedtime stories.

One night I let Max and Wyatt listen to the first four chapters. They listened to the first four chapters for five nights straight. After that first week they asked if I could get more chapters. I was hurt. Even though I shushed them while we listened to the GoodNites story of Iggy and His Wiggy Bed, I lied and told them I could not get them more chapters of this "terrible story".

I know I suck as a parent demanding that my kids listen to me babble on about how my kids are superheroes. I know, I suck, I am supposed to relish in the fact that my kids did not need me to stay in the room and they drifted off to sleep.

If you have kids in the "bedtime story" age bracket I really do recommend you check out the GoodNites Bed Time Theater website, my kids love the stories. The writing and the narration are awesome.

The terms and conditions with GoodNites is actually pretty cool. They afforded me the opportunity to try and write a chapter of Iggy's story. They are also affording me the opportunity to do some give-aways in the next two months.

Poop and Boogies turns 5 this month and I plan to do a bunch of prize give-aways (with or with out the sponsors) so it is cool that GoodNites is doing this.

Go check out GoodNites Bedtime Theater. It is pretty cool.

My first Poop and Boogies Turns Five prize give-away will be this Tuesday (not sponsored by anyone) and it will invovle leaving comments. So go ahead and practice leaving a comment.

I have partnered with GoodNites® Sleep Pants for the Bedtime Theater program. I have been compensated for my time commitment to the program, which includes developing the Iggy’s Next Adventure story, sharing the program information with my readers, tweeting my blog entry and judging the Iggy’s Next Adventure contest entries. However, my opinions are entirely my own and I have not been paid to publish positive sentiments towards the GoodNites® products.

Fake Hurry Up Shuffle

Does anyone remember Sniglets?

Maybe there is already a word, I don't know, but I am, trying to come up with a word that describes the following.

You pull into a parking lot at the mall or super market and as you are driving down the entry way a pedestrian steps onto the curb. You, being the nice driver, stop and wave them across, giving them a safe walkway in front of you. The pedestrian then smiles, gives you a silent "thank you" wave and they proceed to cross the street. As a sign of their appreciation they try to hurry across, but they are not really hurrying, they are only moving their arms faster, their legs are not actually going any faster than a normal walk. The pedestrian is really just giving the illusion that they are trying to be faster but actually they are just shuffling across the road.

I call it the Fake Hurry Up Shuffle, but I think there needs to be a word for this. Any suggestions?


The winners from last Friday's contest, the two who guessed the closest without going over are Shannon who guessed $72.14 and Carter who guessed $69. (heh heh). The total Lauren and I spent at the Giant was $72.26. Thanks everyone for playing. Kraft also thanks you. Please check out their website.

Shannon and Carter please contact me at batmeaks at Verizon dot net. If I do not hear from you in the next 48 hours I will have to pick another winner.

Meal Planning

My wife Lauren kind of made a new years resolution to be more organized, which, by some strange rules of marriage, means that I too , somehow, made the same resolution, which by some strange rule means I now have to clean up after myself and put things away "where they belong, not where you think they go."

One of the ways I wanted to try and reign in the chaos was to become more organized with how we do our food shopping. Planning meals and making accurate shopping lists, not only would our day to day lives easier but we could also save money by budgeting and only making one trip to the grocery store.

When we lived in Florida I made an Excel spreadsheet based on the contents of each aisle of the Publix super market where we shopped. It took some time to do but it was worth it. When I made our shopping list I sorted the items on the list by aisle number, shopping was never so easy. I never had to back track in the store because I forgot to get peanut butter and pass the snack aisle again and accidentally put 2 barrels of cheese balls into the cart. I shopped efficiently which saved time and money. Since moving back to PA I have yet to make a list like that.

A couple of weeks ago I received an email from Edelman who were doing some work with Kraft Foods. They wanted to know if I would interested in reviewing Kraft's new APP for the BlackBerry, Kraft Food iFood Assistant. Their website said the APP had a built in shopping list function which I thought would be perfect for me. Downloading the APP to my BlackBerry was free and Kraft offered to send me an AMEX gift card to "try the APP". Here is a disclaimer: I have been compensated by Kraft Foods to cover the cost of groceries to try out recipes and features on their iFood Assistant Lite 2.0 and to conduct a reader giveaway. My opinions are entirely my own and I have not been paid to post positive sentiments Kraft Foods or their mobile device offerings.

After receiving the AMEX gift card Lauren and I decided to try Kraft's 1 Bag 5 Dinners feature on their website. I clicked on the various menu buttons, adding the ingredients to my shopping list which would be accessible from my BlackBerry. I also printed the list and recipes from their website as backup. Lauren and I thought the whole experiment in planning our weekly meals would be fun and how cool that our first try would be on Kraft's dime. Lauren and I also put together our regular food shopping list for the week and we headed to the Giant Food Super Store.

Once in the store I tried to open the iFood application on my BlackBerry. It would not open. There was no decent signal. I then remembered that I can never get a decent signal in any large box store, ever. I kept trying and trying to load the APP but it would not work. I tried by the deli, nothing. I tried in the bakery, nothing. I tried in dairy, meat and seasonal sections and still nothing. It was very frustrating. It was good thing that I printed the list. We filled our cart with the Kraft ingredients as well as other items we would need and proceeded to the check out.

The check out clerk gave us our total. I swiped the AMEX gift card to compensate for the Kraft purchases. The card did not work. I swiped it again, nothing. There was that awkward moment where the clerk kind of rolled her eyes and looked at me like I was an idiot that did not know how to swipe a card. I told her it was a an AMEX gift card so maybe that was the problem. Which she then confirmed that it was a problem. Giant Food Stores does not accept American Express. I did the whole credit card shuffle in my wallet and presented my bank card to pay for our food.

Our fun experiment was becoming annoying.

Sorry, this post just became a Dennis Story (a Dennis Story is any story that goes on too long, named after my brother Dennis who does not know how to tell a short story).

Anyway, the actual recipes that we tried for the week, the whole 1 bag 5 meals, were all really really good. Each recipe for the week included using Kraft Lite Zesty Italian Dressing which really added a great flavor to each meal. One of the meals we used the dressing, instead of oil or butter, to saute onions, which I thought was a great idea. The APP itself is a great way to get recipes although I prefer just using their website. The practicality of the APP, being on a mobile device is not really, well, practical in my opinion. The shopping list feature, which to me is the one thing you would need the mobility of the APP for, could use major improvements. I do plan to use the Kraft website more often in the future for their recipes as well as their meal planning tips. They have a section Prep-and-Freeze which looks cool and useful.

As part of the deal for me trying their iFood Assistant, Kraft gave me two $50. gift card to give away to readers. So for a chance to win a $50 gift card we are going to play Price is Right. In the comments the two people who guess the total dollar amount Lauren and I spent at the Giant on our shopping trip (closest to the amount without going over) will receive one of the gift cards. Only one guess per person and I will not accept duplicate amounts so please read other peoples guesses. The gift cards are only valid for the US (but not at Giant).As a hint we spent over 40 but under 100 bucks. Remember the total is not just the Kraft items but our whole shopping trip. I will stop take guesses on Sunday 1/24/2010 at midnight. If you do not have a Blogger account (or a way for me to contact you) leave a comment but also email me at batmeaks at verizon dot net.

I will contact the winners on Monday.

Sleepy Stories

Now that Maxfield and Wyatt are in bunk beds I cannot read them bedtime stories anymore. They both want to look at the pictures and, quite frankly, I don't have the strength or stamina in my arms to hold the book out in their direction while reading, plus I can't read upside down (I always admired teachers who could). So now, I have to just tell them stories. Once they are settled into their beds I will lay on the bottom bunk with Wyatt to say prayers and tell stories for about 5 to 10 minutes.

I have run through all of the classics such as the Three Bears, Three Pigs and Jack and the Bean Stalk. I have told them every origin story of every super hero that I know. I was quickly running out of ideas. I started to make up stories each night but after a long day and finally getting a moment to relax, being creative was a struggle. I decided it would be best for me to tell the kids the stories from my youth. I would tell them quick stories about Johhny Socko and the Giant Robot. I told them about Sigmund and his friends Johnny and Scott. I dazzled them with Steve Austin fighting Bigfoot.

One week, each night, I told them (the best to my recollection) the cliff notes version of the first couple of episodes of Starblazers. After the telling the story of Derek Wildstar, Nova and the Gamilons for 15 minutes I would start to fall asleep. I have a bad habit of talking in my sleep and being somewhat delirious. I would continue babbling for a few minutes only to have the kids wake me up so I would continue the space opera. I would have no idea where I drifted off in the story and I would need Max to recap for me.

"I'm sorry. I drifted off. Where was I Max?"

"The Gamilons attacked after Gopher and Captain Stuben fired the wave motion gun at Pluto's moon." Max told me.

I was groggy and wasn't sure I heard him."Who fired the wave motion gun?"

"You said Gopher and Captain Stuben but I don't know who they are. And Dad who is Mr Rourke?"



******************

GoodNites is still running their Special Bedtime Moments contest. If you enter the contest you have a chance to win GoodNites Bedtime Kit which includes a $100 gift certificate to Pajamagram.com, a $50 gift certificate to Borders as well as a blanket, journal, and tote bag from GoodNites. See image of prize on this post.

Contest Rules: Go to SpecialBedtimeMoments.com and share a special bedtime moment shared by you and your family (can be a story, tip for getting kids to sleep or rundown of your nighttime routine). You can enter again if you would like. Make sure you leave a comment here that you have entered the contest for a chance to win the tote gift bag.
The winner from my last post in June is Charity.

Disclaimer: I have partnered with GoodNites for this series of posts; I am being compensated for writing about my family's bedtime routine and for promoting this contest, not for endorsing a product.

Lord's Prayer

GoodNites has offered me an opportunity to host a contest. If you enter the contest you have a chance to win GoodNites Bedtime Kit which includes a $100 gift certificate to Pajamagram.com, a $50 gift certificate to Borders as well as a blanket, journal, and tote bag from GoodNites. Something like this.

Contest Rules: Go to SpecialBedtimeMoments.com and share a special bedtime moment shared by you and your family (can be a story, tip for getting kids to sleep or rundown of your nighttime routine), along with a picture. (My brother Anonymous is totally snickering right now).

Copy the URL of your shared bedtime moment from SpecialBedtimeMoments.com and (the URL copy may not work so please copy and paste your story in my comments) or tell me which story is yours (to let me know that you participated). In a few weeks I will pick the post that I liked best and announce the winner. I will have the same contest two more times between now and mid August.

Disclamier: I have partnered with GoodNites for this series of posts; I am being compensated for writing about my family's bedtime routine and for promoting this contest, not for endorsing a product.The Lord's Prayer
I put Maxfield and Wyatt to bed every night. Once Max is settled in the top bunk I lay down next to Wyatt in the bottom bunk and we say prayers. I try to start off the prayers by asking the kids what we are thankful for that day. After we thank God for the “Back Yardigans”, “gummy worms” or “the black Spiderman” we go through a list of family and friends and ask for blessings for them. Sometimes we add a couple of special blessing requests for people we know who are sick or need some extra attention from the big guy.

We always finish our prayers by saying the Lord’s Prayer. I usually start the prayer and the kids repeat after me. Every night I crack up at Wyatt’s version of the Lord’s Prayer. He either repeats what he thinks I said or whatever is on his mind at that particular part of the prayer. What follows is a compilation fo the various things he has said during the “Our Father.”

Our Father

Our Father

Who art in heaven

Who draws art in heaven

Hallowed be thy Name.

Hallowed be YOUR Name

Thy kingdom come

Thy kingdom come

Thy will be done

Thy willby done, Dad who is Willby?

On Earth as it is in heaven

On Earth and in Uncle Kevin

Give us this day

Give us today

Our daily bread

Our daily bread with butter

And forgive us our trespasses

And forgive us our tresspassesesseses

As we forgive those who trespass against us

I am not going to say that part. Who is Willby?

And lead us not into temptation

And lead us into temptation

But deliver us from evil

And deliver us our evil

Amen

AAAAAAAmen.

There are nine other bloggers who are participating in this contest. The Blogger who sends the most readers who post on SpecialBedtimeMoments.com can receive $1000.00 in children’s books to donate to the charity of their choice. I think I would donate the books to the SPCA because I believe that if dogs and cats could learn to read they would not need to be placed in homes. They also could probably go out and get jobs and be productive members of our society. Then I realized that the job market is pretty rough right now and we would not want some felines taking what jobs that are available so I would most likely donate the books to a children’s Hospital (not a hospital run by children but one that treats children) or maybe a needy school.

So go and post and leave me a comment.