Pineapples and Pierogi

Is it Tuesday?  I'm pretty sure it's supposed to be Tuesday.  Between being stuck at home, Noah missing so much school, them being gone over the weekend and then a delayed start this morning I'm beyond confused.  But I think it's Tuesday.  I know it's pineapple and pierogi day, though!

Since there was a delayed start this morning, we had a little extra time for Nita.  So when the kiddos noticed the flag was up we got on it.

Here's what she had to say:

Dear Detectives,

As you know, Nita loves to try local foods when she is busy trying to steal a state.  From communication we have picked up this week between her and BAD henchman, it seems like she is basking in the cuisine of her local hideout.

It appears she’s been eating a lot of one food specifically, but we don’t want to put it in writing here that we’re on to her, so here is some information that we have picked up on it so far – maybe you can figure it out.

·       Once picked, the food does not get any riper, it becomes juicier, but not sweeter once harvested.

·       European explorers discovered the food about 500 years ago.

·       The food was given its name because an explorer thought it looked like a pine cone.

·       They are a good source of Vitamin C and Fiber

·       It has a rough skin that has pieces that look almost like scales.

·       The flesh of the food is pale yellow to golden yellow and has a tough core in the middle that cannot be eaten.

·       The food (which is a fruit) is known for having a sweet and tart flavor. 

Hopefully you will be able to figure it out!  Once you do, solve the riddle below.  The location that is the answer to the riddle starts with the same letter as the food we’ve described above.  There is something waiting for you in that location.  Good luck, Detectives!

MOMG Intelligence

Riddle: If you need something on Mom’s computer to be on paper, send it here!

They weren't quite so quick to pick up on the fact that the clues were about a pineapple, but they did figure out the answer to the riddle pretty quickly...

Once there they got this:

Good work, Detectives!  That earns a sweet treat using pineapple!  Ask the Chief for assistance, we’ve provided her with the needed ingredients for you to make the enclosed recipe to enjoy.

MOMG Intelligence

Dole Whip Popsicles

Ingredients

·        1 20 oz can crushed pineapple

·        1 8 oz tub Cool Whip, thawed

·        juice from 1 lime

·        2 tbsp sugar

Instructions

1.     Blend together crushed pineapple, Cool Whip, lime juice and sugar.

2.     Pour mixture into popsicle molds and freeze.

And with the delayed start we had just enough time to 'whip' them up.

Into the freezer they went!  We were going to try them out tonight, but something way more important came up (more on that later)

The kiddos were off doing their own thing so I set in on my own project for the day - pierogi making!  My dad has requested some for Easter and I have also told some others that I would hook them up with my Polish masterpiece.  Amber and the adorable Mr. A and newbie Mr. E joined the Bean and I for the morning, and it was lovely to catch up and hang out.  Pierogi are not difficult, just time consuming!

So LJ, these are all for you!

This afternoon, Grant grabbed Noah from the bus and then picked up Kayla and I so I could make an actual trip to the grocery store.  I trust Grant, but there's some things that a girl has just got to do on her own.  Grocery shopping it definitely one of them.  I haven't really been menu planning because the fun things I like to make take lots of different items that I don't necessarily keep on hand all the time I don't want to keep asking Grant to grab random things from the store.  So for the next few weeks, I think we're going to be doing up some classics.  Or as my family calls it "real food"  I'm working on cleaning odds and ends out of the cupboard (I may actually resort to using that box of Hamburger Helper that's been in the cupboard forever :-p) and making do.  It makes me laugh because they're loving it.  Me, I'm missing 'playing' in the kitchen so the pierogi were a good distraction today.

Anyway, I got to go to the grocery store.  Then I got another night off cooking since we were invited over to the Aben's for homemade pizza and breadsticks to celebrate R's 5th birthday!  (And bumpy cake!!!) It was a fun evening and we were so glad to celebrate.  I heard Colleen call them "The Three Musketeers" tonight and it made me smile.  She also told me the other day that R and the Bean are acting more like siblings than ever - one hit the other so the other bit back.  Oh to be five again...

Woo hoo for 5!

I'm going to get to escape the house again for awhile tomorrow to help out at the Book Fair at Beechview.  Apparently I've been relegated to cash register duty, but I'm still glad to be able to go and help!  And NJ has a Den Meeting tomorrow night, so maybe something fun for the Bean and I while they're gone.  So until then...