Aunt Julie...Mommy Blogger of the Year?

Isn't this face adorable? I'm talking about Soccer Boy, not me! But Eat Your Veggies! is being featured today on Project Mommyhood. Remember? I'm one of 12 Mommy Blogger of the Year Finalists.

Veggie Mom started this project more than a year ago, and I'm carrying on the family tradition. Veggie and I are the Dynamic Duo. All you have to do is vote. It's not that hard. Just click here and look for the poll on the right. Click Veggie Mom. Click Vote. And you're done!

Thanks to all of you for the support you've given me since I took over from Veggie Mom in July. You're the best!

We're All Top Moms!

What do Sarcastic Mom, Dooce, Scribbit, Confessions of a Pioneer Woman, Cheaper Than Therapy, An Island Life, If Mom Says OK, Fractured Toy, Stacy's Random Thoughts and Eat Your Veggies! have in common?

I know, you were going to say that we're all fabulous and fun to read, right? But besides the obvious, we're also all members of Alltop, one of the newest ~ and coolest ~ ways to stay in touch on the World Wide Web.

You'll find funny posts, like White Trash Mom's take on Peeps Gone Wild; you'll find fun seasonal posts, like The Opmom Blog's Crafty Easter; you'll find fresh posts like City Mama's thoughts on the Hipness of Goodwill.

Alltop is a great way to stay in touch and stay current on what your favorite bloggers are up to. Obviously, Little Ol' Veggie Mom has some big shoes to fill. So, please, click on the Alltop link in this post, or on the Alltop badge under my Welcome Wagon button down on the left sidebar, to see what's what.

And if you want to get in on the fun, Alltop's FAQs explain the site and how to become a part of this wonderful cyber-forum.

Have a little blog-hopping time penciled in for this weekend? Hop on over to Alltop. Where Veggie Mom, Dooce and The PW all have a place to call their own. Cyberspace really is the Great Equalizer. Indeed.

Google is My New BFF

Another 263 words for the Random Complexity Writing Challenge!

Many of my POPrs Pals have followed my technological odyssey~from The Blue Screen of Death, to the Almost-Dead Dell, to My New Brain, ad infinitim.

Well, your pal Veggie Mom faced another cyber-obstacle yesterday when she realized (a little too late) that she'd forgotten to back up the most precious piece of technoware she owns.

College financial info? No. Thousands of digital photos documenting my children's every breath and step? Of course not.

Tax documents? Nope. Work files? Nil. Digital music?

Oops.

Spent most of the day at work worried about the 3,607 songs I had patiently spent the better part of four years loading on to the old Dell. The one that crapped out on me. The one that bit the dust.

I forgot to back up the iTunes folder when I changed brains.

Ever the optimist, I decided to "Google" my problem. And guess what? It's entirely possible, with a little bit of patience, to transfer music from an iPod to a new desktop computer. I'm not going to say it was easy, but it wasn't brain surgery, either.

So I'm happy as a clam, with my updated iTunes 8-point-whatever, and all those songs, ranging from Abba and Beethoven to George Strait and Willie Nelson. In fact, I'm listening to my tune-age as I type this post.

Thanks so much to a guy I met on Google named Lifehacker. And props to Google for hooking us up. My musical journey isn't complete, but I'm on my way.

I've got 42.2 days' worth of songs to work through before the next crisis.

Pop'rs Part of SITS Spring Fling!

First things first~I've got a week-long giveaway goin' on, and it involves a $100 Tar-Jay Gift Card. For more info on that, Click Here.

Now, let's get down to today's post. Jammin' invited her friend Babar over to enjoy some Pop'rs...and to model some Posh Pop'rs Wear!

Of course, Uncle Lynn and little ol' Veggie Mom are participating in the SITS Girls' Spring Fling. It's the ultimate in giveaways...over at their site and all around cyberspace, too!

We're offering you a whole set o' Pop'rs~that oh-so-good-for-you and FUN seasoning, which encourages everybody to Eat Their Veggies! AND...wait, there's MORE...a Pop'rs T-shirt for everyone in the fam!

Pretty neato torpedo, huh? All you have to do is comment on this post. Uncle Lynn will pick the winner of today's giveaway by Random Drawing, and what could be sweeter than that?

Make Your Yogurt Yummy!

Meet Jammin'. She's a string doll, and she just loves her Pop'rs. Her People, including Veggie Mom, are sponsoring The Great New Pop'rs St. Patty's Day Giveaway. For more info on that, go here. But make sure you comment on this post, too, so that you can get more entries in our contest!

Did I tell you that this Pop'rs Giveaway features lots of fun stuff, including a Tar-Jay gift card? Thought so...

So, today Jammin's focusing on Pop'rs in yogurt. She likes to sprinkle Color Burst, Strawberry, Raspberry and even Cinnamon Pop'rs...she calls this concoction Jammin's Yogurt Surprise!

Pop'rs, the innovative and fun seasoning, invented by Uncle Lynn, comes in eight flavors, and is good for you, too! You might remember the infomercial from February's Giveaway...oh, those silly boys! But seriously, folks, Pop'rs are delish on more than veggies. And so good for you, too.

Tomorrow's the SITS Spring Fling, and we're offering Pop'rs Goodies for that, too...so make sure to tune in!

Snot Monster in the Howse

This Kute Kritter was Kreated by someone on the Web known as Laurab25. The poor guy looks exactly the way Veggie Mom feels.

Yes, I know. I've been this way since last Friday. Every time I think I'm making a quick recovery, I suffer a snotty setback. I'm falling way behind in my duties as a bloggy friend and confident. Promise to get back commenting soon!

I need to Think Lovely Thoughts. It worked for Peter Pan, didn't it?

Why You Should Eat Your Veggies!

In honor of "friendship Month," Mary Beth over at Blogmania is featuring bloggers that have developed enduring friendships through blogging. And guess who she featured first? I hate to brag, but listen to what MB said about me:

"You can feel her energy in her writing, which is quite an accomplishment. I can only imagine how spunky she is in person. From what I have seen, she is devoted to her friends and family, to promoting Pop'rs and to living life to its fullest."

Why thankyouverymuch, Mary Beth! Here's the full interview with Veggie Mom, if you're interested. And the photo above? Taken last summer, when we could get all 10 of us together at the beach!

Tell us a little about yourself, your family, etc......
Well, there are 10 members of the “extended” Pop’rs Family. First off, there’s Uncle Lynn, my BIL, the creator of the incredibly good-for-you, wonderfully fun Pop’rs…the whole reason I’m online, urging everyone to Eat Your Veggies! Uncle Lynn is married to Aunt Julie, whose bailiwick is yummy food, homemade quilts, family photos, gardening and, of course, the dogs, Moses and Rowdy. Aunt Julie is also my hubby Moker’s Little Sis. Uncle Lynn and Aunt Julie have four boys: Big Bear, Shark Boy, College Boy and Soccer Boy. On my side of the family, there’s me, Veggie Mom, who’s married to Moker, Aunt Julie’s Big Brother. We have two girls: College Girl and The Wild One.

Besides blogging, what are some of your hobbies?
Let’s see…I love to read, garden, go for long walks…I’m a fairly decent cook, and a pretty good writer, so I’d include those in my interests, too. But as far as being crafty? That’s Aunt Julie’s side of the family! Except for coaxing day lilies out of the soil every spring, I’m just not that handy!

How did you get started blogging?
Well, Uncle Lynn wanted to get the word out this new seasoning he developed at his plant in Northeastern Wisconsin. He thought it would be fun to blog about Pop’rs, and asked me what I thought about the idea. Several of my friends have started blogs, so I naturally was pretty enthusiastic. On June 16th of last year I finally got my feet wet! It took me a while to find Veggie Mom’s “voice,” but the rest, as they say, is history!

What do you like best about blogging?
I consider Eat Your Veggies! to be a forum not just for Pop’rs and the Pop’rs Family, but for my visitors as well. I love sharing my everyday thoughts and dreams. Plus, as a blogger I have a built-in “sounding board” in the blogging community. I love the freedom that the Internet brings. I can be sitting here in my dusty basement, and communicate with others halfway around the world! I also enjoy meeting new friends and making common connections. And I get a lot of encouragement and advice, which is nice!

You have such a strong network of online friends. Which bloggers have you created an especially strong bond with?
I’m close with several blogging buddies. Susie, from Susie’s Homemade is one of my faves…she and her wonderful husband, Jeff, just redesigned my blog, which is awesome! I also have a strong affinity for Karla at Zander and Me, and The Lovely Mannequin, at Fractured Toy. Mannequin’s friends, Frankie and Cupid, are the best…plus they’re featured in my new redesign as well. Check out the Polaroid in the upper left-hand corner that’s labeled “Pop’rs Pals”!

Do you share any common threads with your fellow blogging friends?
We all love sharing stories about friends, family, work and food. Especially food! And every time Uncle Lynn hosts a Great New Pop’rs Giveaway, I seem to make even more bloggy buds. Wonder why that is?

Any fun vacation plans in 2009?
The Pop’rs Family vacations every summer at North Carolina’s Outer Banks. We’ve been going there for years, and consider this lovely strip of sand more of a sanctuary than a vacation spot. Last year we were able to get all 10 of us there at once, which was a very special treat! Other than our annual beach getaway, though, I’ve been saving my sheckels…with two kids in college, I can’t afford a fancy vay-cay right now!

Generally Speaking...

Harrummmmmmmph! Looks like Veggie Mom is going to have to start Upping the Ante. I realize that we're a Family-Friendly Blog, what with Aunt Julie, Uncle Lynn and all those delightful Pop'rs Cousins, but this rating might do some serious damage to our Cyber Self-Esteem! Hmmmmmm...it must be all the Giveaways, huh?

When I started blogging way back in June, I didn't have a plan. Didn't have a clue. And all these posts later (209, if you're counting!), it's all come down to this.

On second thought, I think I actually like the concept of being Rated G. Means even more folks can come over here to join the fun, right?

Snagged this poll from Melissa B. over at The Scholastic Scribe. Take it yourself. Just curious, is all...

Why I Write~The Challenge, The Battle

Last week, I celebrated my 200th Blog Post. As part of the festivities, I mentioned that I had posted 200 bloggy entries in a row. Yup, since June 16, 2008. Which means that today's post will be Number 208.

Several of you want to know how I do it. Well, I can tell you for sure that it's not magic. I sit down here in my (slightly) chilly basement and often stare at the (dusty) old Dell Desktop for quite some time. Every so often, the words just flow~My Empty Nesters Post comes to mind. The most engaged I feel in the writing process is when my Cyber Buddies throw a bone my way; or when my ultimately creative SIL, Aunt Julie, has something pretty potent to say.

(And no, for those of you who are new to This Place or who might have forgotten~Aunt Julie and Veggie Mom are not the same person. She is she, and I am I, and that's the way it will forever be!)

Sometimes, like most of us in the Blogosphere, I write with a purpose. Sometimes, I write just for the heck of it. But the thing I'm most proud of is that I write. Every Day. The exercise is good for my mind, and keeps my fingers nimble.

Tiffany, of Poetry and Hums, seems to be a serious writer. She applies herself to her craft, and alerted us on Monday to a Writing Challenge. It's not a contest, but a quest, proposed a blogger named Aerin, over at In Search of Giants. The object is to write at least 1,000 words a month of creative non-fiction (which I love to compose) or fiction (which I don't have the grey matter to produce).

The Rules of the Challenge are simple. The Gauntlet has been thrown. And while I'm no fencer nor medieval knight, I have metaphorically picked up this piece of armor and I'm going into battle. I challenge you, dear friends, to do the same.

I only hope that Pop'rs Giveaways, Bloggy Bling and Misdirected Musings are allowed as part of my word count.

Please...

In keeping with The Season, we've got a nifty Quasi-Giveaway that everyone can try today! Brought to you by Just Lisa, No Filler, who acquired it from Dusty, and so on, and so on...This is not so much a Giveaway as an effort to Get the Spirit Back.

"He who has not Christmas in his heart will never find it under a tree," a Wise Man once said. And so, it is with tremendous belief and incredible hopefulness that Aunt Julie, she of such Crafty Inclinations, and Veggie Mom, the Queen of Quirks, present you with a Creative Christmas Challenge.

We declare everyone who visits This Blog Today a Winner! The Rules, such as they are, are Really. Quite. Simple:

• Be one of the first three bloggers to leave a comment on this post, which then entitles you to a handmade item from Aunt Julie, whom, you might recall, is also Crafty in the Kitchen. Sorry, no Quilts today...but we promise you won't be disappointed!
• You must post this challenge on your blog, meaning that you then must Pay It Forward, creating a handmade gift for the first three bloggers who leave a comment on YOUR post about this giveaway!
• The gift that you send to your Three Friends can be from any price range and you have 365 days to make/ship your item. This means you should be willing to maintain your blog at least until you receive your gift and have shipped your gifts. And, remember: It's the Spirit and the Thought That Count!
• When you receive your gift, please feel free to blog about it, sharing appropriate Linky Love!
• If you are not one of the Top Three Commentors on Today's Post, you're still a Winner in this Time of Grace and Giving. Please take this Symbol of the Seasonal Spirit and post it on your blog; start your own Pay It Forward Chain, and encourage your Bloggy Friends to do the same!

Aunt Julie and I would absolutely LOVE to see blogs everywhere festooned with the Pay It Forward Emblem...a Simple Symbol that Says. So. Much!

We are Family!

AJ, who claims to be A Little Bit Nutty, bestowed this Exotic Piece o' Brazilian Bling upon Veggie Mom's Head the other day.

The Portuguese translation links to the English word "proximity." In other words, "Este Blog investe e acredita na...Proximidade," means, roughly, "This blog invests and believes, in proximity." We blog to become closer...and, in turn, blogger helps us realize that closeness to others is always within our reach.

I agree with this Sweet Sentiment. Blogging does make us closer, don'tcha think?

As a winner and a spreader of the love within Our Big Bloggy Family, Veggie is required to pass this prize along to eight Bloggy Friends. And, friends, please don't forget to link to the Bearer of Good Tidings (in this case, Veggie Mom), before you Pass the Torch along to eight bloggers of your choosing. And so on, and so forth.

My Bloggy Family has grown so much over the months of Connecting in Cyberspace. Please congratulate these Bloggers for Bringing Us All a Little Bit Closer when you seen them on the Information Super Highway:

• Susie's Homemade.
• My Dogumentary.
• Not So SAHM.
• Life Goes On...
• Living and Loving Every Minute of It!
• Now Entering Momville.
• Rich in Love.
• Stitchinbythelake.

Enjoy, Ladies! And Thanks for bringing us all closer together!

Recipe Alert! We are hosting another *Aunt Julie's Recipe Week* starting tomorrow! If you remember our September Event, this will be another fanTAbulous time! Stay tuned all week...We guarantee a good time for all!

Bling-Bling Went the Strings of My Heart

My long-time Bloggy Friend, Melissa B., honored me yesterday with a Very Special Award. She created The Superior Scribbler Award to commemorate her 200th Post over at The Scholastic Scribe. This is what she said about little ol' Veggie Mom: "She's walking that Delicate Tightrope between Personal & Public. She helps promote her BIL's Fun Company, while making sure everyone knows that Her Family Comes First. There's absolutely No Other Blog like hers Out There. And who ever heard of Goats Grazing on a Roof before she wrote about them? Here's to being One-of-a-Kind!"

Why thanks so much, Melissa B.! And now I have the responsibility of passing this Bit o' Bling along to five very deserving Bloggy Souls. But first, The Rules, as stipulated by the Award's Creator:

1. Each Superior Scribbler must in turn pass The Award on to 5 most-deserving Bloggy Friends.
2. Each Superior Scribbler must link to the author & the name of the blog from whom he/she has received The Award.
3. Each Superior Scribbler must display The Award on his/her blog, and link to This Post, which explains The Award.
4. Each Blogger who wins The Superior Scribbler Award must visit This Post and add his/her name to the Mr. Linky List. That way, we'll be able to keep up-to-date on everyone who receives This Prestigious Honor!
5. Each Superior Scribbler must post these rules on his/her blog.

And now for the Hard Part. Veggie Mom hereby confers The Superior Scribbler Award upon The Following Bloggy Phenoms:

1. Texas Word Tangle. I don't know how Rhea does it, but she does a great job! Her eclectic collection of thoughts, words and deeds is one of the most interesting reads in Cyberspace!
2. Zander & Me. Z's Mom, Karla, is just amazing! And her dissertations on Zander, Life, Politics and Pop'rs (yes, she's a Pop'rs Pal!) are amazing, too!
3. My Cup 2 Yours. I don't get over to see Genny as much as I should, but you all need to stop by to see her. This Gal Can Write, is all I'm sayin'...
4. One Krazy Kat Lady. Well, besides the Awesome Alliteration in the title of her blog, Marrdy is a sweetheart with a lot on her mind. Her recent post about her friend's son returning from Iraq is both heart-wrenching and heart-warming! And if you can't tell, Marrdy's a Cat Woman--and Extra Plus!
5. Fractured Toy. Ah, the Lovely Mannequin. She runs Giveaways Galore! She Rants! She Raves! Her Cryptic Comments will leave you in stitches if they don't leave you in tears! What's not to love?

Enjoy your Bling, ladies! It's been a pleasure, I'm sure!!

Orange You Glad I Didn't Say Banana?

The tag line of an old "Knock, Knock" joke. The real purpose of this post is two-fold.

First off, there's a Banana Shortage in Japan. In the past few months, banana sales have risen 70 percent in the Land of the Rising Sun due to The Morning Banana Diet, a weight loss craze that requires eating bananas for breakfast along with a glass of room- temperature water.

A Dole rep says he’s never witnessed such banana-mania. “People in Japan are rushing to the market to get their bananas before noon every day because after that, they’re all gone. The demand is crazy.”

Now to the actual Banana Morning Diet. Veggie Mom is not following this regimen, but is nevertheless fascinated by it:

• Eat a banana for breakfast. Eat more than one, if you're still hungry. Eat only raw, uncooked, unfrozen fruit.
• Eat anything you wish (including fried foods), as long as you're done with dinner by 8 p.m.
• Really pay attention to your food's texture and taste as you chew.
• No sweets before or after your meals. You may have a sweet snack (cookies, chocolate) around 3 p.m. Avoid ice cream, donuts and chips.
• You may eat fresh fruit for your snack, but if you really want a legit sweet, go ahead and go for it.
• Drink only room-temperature water. Mineral or filtered water are the best. Drink water in small sips, and never use it to wash down food.
• Go to bed by midnight each night.
• Don't put pressure on yourself to exercise. Exercise only if you want to.
• Keep a diet journal. Document your weight loss and eating habits. Follow Reina's Blog as an example.

OK, SITStas! Time to Share the Comment Love!!

Today's Secret is in the Sauce Blogathon got underway at Midnight, and Heather and Tiffany--those Hostesses with the Mostesses--are going full speed ahead 24/7 today. They're out to prove that SITS--their site that Encourages Comment Love and Blog Support--is where it's at!

Veggie Mom her own self can attest to that very fact. Over the past few months, SITS has promoted my Pop'rs Giveaways (another one's coming up for Halloween, so stay tuned!) several times, and helped Aunt Julie plug her Recipe Week in September. SITS also helped me Celebrate My Bloggy Centennial a few weeks ago. I was a SITS Featured Blogger last Monday, and I'm still getting comments from that post. More than 100 Bloggers have Shared the Comment Love about those darned Goats on the Roof, and they're still comin' in--that's some powerful Comment Love, SITStas!

Heather and Tiffany started SITS back in June. It's a kind of Bloggy Clearing House for all kinds of info, including Recipes, Blogging Tips, Giveaways, Saucy Blogs, and a whole lotta other stuff that's impossible to mention...the List and the Love keep changing all the time!

So, who have I met on this Ultra-Cool, Très Chic (that's for Heather--she says "everything sounds fancier in French"), Uber-Happenin' Bloggy Rest Stop on the Information Super-Highway? All kinds of friends, is my answer! But the SITS gals wanted me to limit my list to five for this post, so here goes:

• Just Lisa, No Filler. Lisa, aka greedygrace, just adopted Baby Adam. She's still Blogging Strong, though, as evidenced in her latest post, Declare Yourself.
  
• Half-Past Kissin' Time. Mrs. 4444 is a fellow Wisconsin Blogger, a recent Pop'rs Giveaway Winner, a dedicated teacher, and a Family Gal, as you can see in yesterday's Contribution to the Cyberspace Conversation, My Momma Don't Dance.
  
• The Scholastic Scribe. Melissa B., or Mrs. Scribe, as her "Cherubs" call her, is another teacher and a former professional journalist who has So Much to Say on So Many Topics. She runs a Silly Sunday Sweepstakes every week. Check out the last S x 3 for more than a few chuckles!


• Zander & Me. Karla is another one of our Popr's Giveaway Winners. She has an adorable little boy named Zander, whom she profiles often, for good reason! Karla also has a soft spot for Critters of All Kinds. Everyone should follow her lead, and join in the Campaign to Save Ratchet.
  
• Candid Carrie. Carrie hosts her weekly Friday Foto Finish Fiesta, and it's so much fun! She's another Wisconsin Blogger, and a real Hoot-and-a-Half! Click on over to Now I Understand to understand why!

Welcome, SITStas! Don't Let This Photo Get Your Goat!

Don't have to tell ya, Bloggy Friends, that I almost fell outta my chair when Heather asked if little ol' Veggie Mom would like to be the Featured Blogger today. Would I? As we say in the Upper Midwest, You Betcha!

Aunt Julie, natch, snapped this photo of Uncle Lynn and the boys, marveling at the goats on the roof at Al Johnson's Swedish Restaurant & Butik in Sister Bay. This is a classic Door County, Wisconsin shot. BTW, a "butik" is pronounced sorta like "boutique," and, I'm told, means "gift shop" in Swedish. Stop by sometime for Swedish Meatballs or Swedish Pancakes--both delish!

For now, come on in, and make yourself comfy; we've cooked up some of our best dishes from Aunt Julie's Recipe Week, just for you! We were a tad sad, ya know, 'cause our Beloved Green Bay Packers got nipped by those nasty Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, but you SITStas have cheered us right up. Brett the Jet was idle yesterday; we'll have to catch up with him next weekend.

So, settle in and have a look around; and please do let us know what ya think! We're So Glad You're Here. And, don't forget to Eat Your Veggies!

*Recipe Week*, Day #2: May Williams Meatballs

Welcome to Day #2 of *Recipe Week*, perhaps a prelude to a New Recipe Blog called Aunt Julie's Apron Strings! Today's recipe is just right for the changing of the seasons, especially in the Upper Midwest, where nighttime temps are already in the 40s. We're gonna have a little story with this recipe, which comes from Your Very Own Veggie Mom.

When I was in kindergarten, we lived in an apartment house in suburban New York. Our next-door neighbors were an older couple named May and Ace Williams. My Dad was friends with Ace, and always talked about the beautiful photographs hanging in Mr. Williams' living room. I loved his wife, May, for another reason.

You see, both were very talented folks. Ace was a long-time photographer for National Geographic. He specialized in outdoor shots, especially in Alaska. He let me, a curious 5-year-old, look through the gigendous lenses attached to his cameras. He never seemed nervous that he was letting a kindergartener and her 2-year-old sister play with the beyond-expensive equipment.

May was a Talent in the Kitchen. She baked--oh, how she baked!--but her specialty was an interpretation of Swedish Meatballs, served over big, fat noodles. My Mom copied down the recipe, and forever after, this delish dish has been known in my family as May Williams Meatballs.

We moved away right before I started first grade. Mom and Dad kept in touch with the Williamses, until Geographic sent him overseas on another exotic assignment. It's been decades since last I played with Ace's cameras or scrounged a sweet sugar cookie or two from the ornately decorated plate on May's kitchen countertop. But I will, most of all, always remember her meatballs!

May Williams Meatballs

2 lbs. ground chuck

1/2 lb. lean ground pork

1 large onion, chopped fine, and sautéed in butter

2 beaten eggs

salt, pepper to taste

2 Tbs. parsley

1.5 cups Pepperidge Farm Bread Crumbs

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup

1 can Beef Broth

1 package Wide Egg Noodles

Mix together chuck, pork, onion, eggs, salt and pepper, parsley and bread crumbs 'til fully blended. Keep your hands wet while shaping small meatballs. Place the meatballs in a covered glass bowl overnight.

The next day, sauté the meatballs in hot oil; they should cook very fast, until they are light brown. Drain the meatballs. Place them in a greased casserole dish. Pour out the grease from the pan you used to sauté the meatballs. Return the pan to the stove, and turn the heat to medium. Mix together both cans of soup, undilluted, making sure to pick up the residue from the sautéd meatballs as you stir. When these ingredients are well-blended, pour over the meatballs.

Bake the meatballs, with the lid on the casserole, for one hour at 350 degrees. Serve over Wide Egg Noodles. Enjoy!

Welcome to Wisconsin!

Hi, there! I’m Veggie Mom, the proprietress over here at Eat Your Veggies! Nice to meetcha! I started blogging back in June, at the behest of my BIL, Uncle Lynn. Lynn, also known as The Pop’r King, is a Wisconsin Legend in his Own Time. He makes Pop’rs, but that’s another story. Let’s just say he’s on a Quest, and it all revolves around his fun new product. If you have time after the tour, please drop by Uncle Lynn’s Great New Pop’rs Giveaway. You’ll be glad you did!

For those of you new to the Pop’r Family’s Story, let me introduce you. There’s Aunt Julie and Uncle Lynn, the Pop’r Queen and King, respectively, and their four boys: Big Bear, Shark Boy, College Boy and Soccer Boy. I’m Veggie, and I’m married to Aunt Julie’s bro, Uncle Mark. We call him Moker, and he’s our Guest Blogger today. That’s him in the photo above, tailgating at the famed Lambeau Field in Green Bay. We have two daughters: College Girl and The Wild One. The six kids together constitute the entirety of that Famous Northeast Wisconsin Gang, The Pop’rs Cousins.

Before we embark on our tour, we’d like to thank Debbie and all her friends at Blog Around the World, for this chance to showcase the Great State of Wisconsin! So sit back, relax, grab some snacks (the cheese curds are fresh!) and pay close attention, as Moker takes us on a tour of our Upper Midwest Home.

Moker, here, with all the news that's fit to print, and then some! Wisconsin has many mottos. Some of them, like "Forward,” “America’s Dairyland,” and the “Badger State,” are official, steeped in tradition and history. But most residents understand that the best descriptive slogan is “Eat Cheese or Die!”

Wisconsin, where one congressional district has more cows than people, is a national leader in the production of milk, butter and cheese, especially cheddar. Fans of the Green Bay Packers (12 NFL championships) are known as “Cheeseheads” and wear yellow foam rubber wedges on their heads. BTW, one of those foam cheeeseheads once helped prevent serious injury to a victim of a small plane crash!

Wisconsin also is famous for its beer and bratwurst, delicacies that celebrate the German and Polish immigrants who settled in Milwaukee. The Scandinavians–Norwegians, Swedes, Danes and Finns–who immigrated to the rest of the state brought along lefse, lutefisk and sandbakkels.

Living so close to two of the Great Lakes (Superior and Michigan), Wisconsin residents are hardy souls who enjoy delightful summers and falls and endure sometimes brutal winters. Only in Wisconsin can you have a White Christmas as well as a White Halloween and a White Easter all in the same year. No wonder the state leads the nation in per capita brandy consumption!

Wisconsin gets its name from an Indian word of various origins–the Algonquian word for "long river" or the Chippewa/Ojibwa Tribe word that means "grassy place" or "gathering of the waters." The towns of Oshkosh, Menomonie, Menomonee Falls, Oconomowoc, Aswaubenon, Kaukauna, Mukwonago, and Chippewa Falls, among others, are of American Indian origin.

Politically, Wisconsin is viewed as a progressive state that produced Gov. Robert M. “Fighting Bob” La Follette, maverick Sen. William Proxmire and Sen. Gaylord Nelson, the Father of Earth Day. Wisconsin also is the birthplace of the Republican Party (Ripon) and gave the country that infamous, disgraced “Commie Hunter” of the 1950s, Sen. Joe McCarthy.

Wisconsinites love their sports, especially the outdoor variety, including hunting, fishing (muskies), snowmobiling and skiing, and residents enjoy thousands of lakes, although they do grumble about the number of Illinois residents who head north and bag black and white Holsteins instead of deer every year!

Notable Wisconsin personalities include architect Frank Lloyd Wright, super computer inventor Seymour Cray Jr., pianist Liberace, actors Orson Wells and Spencer Tracy, astrologer Jean Dixon, and magician Harry Houdini, whose most famous trick may have been escaping from Appleton!

Well, that concludes our tour of The Badger State. Hope you enjoyed yourselves and Moker, our Guest Blogger! Please feel free to snag some more snacks (we’ve got plenty of lutefisk left!) on your way out, and Don’t Forget to Share the Comment Love Before You Leave. Pretty Please?

Veggie Mom Exposé: Six Random Quirky Things

It's that time again, folks! Angela, over at Memoirs of a Chaotic Mommy, got the ball rolling by *tagging* me for a "Six Quirky Quirks" *meme.* I'd been dutifully compiling my list, when Channah, of Get a Grip, Mom! got in on the action, too, *tagging* me for "Six Random Things." Similar, but totally different, if ya know what I mean!

You know where this is headed, right? How 'bout a "Six Random Quirky Things About Me" *meme*? And I'ma gonna take it this time, folks, since Aunt Julie is resting up for the onslaught of entries to our Great New Pop'rs Giveaway. Didja see that Uncle Lynn's Giveaway was featured on SITS this morning? You Rock, Ladies! And remember, Faithful Readers: You can't win if you don't play!

So, without further delay, here are the Rules for our Little Ol' *Meme*:

1. Link to the person who tagged you.

2. Post the rules to your blog.

3. Write 6 random, quirky things about yourself and post 'em!

4. Tag 6 people at the end of your post and link to them.

5. Let each person you have tagged know by leaving a comment on their blog.

6. Let the tagger know when your entry is posted.

Six Random, Quirky Things About Moi? Let's see now...

1. I can say the alphabet backwards. My Nana taught me when I was 4.

2. I detest lima beans. Absolutely abhor them. Won't even look at them! If some are sitting on a plate near me, I. Will. Leave. The. Room!

3. I am a Cat Lady Extraordinaire. If it weren't for The Hubby, Moker, I'd have a lot more Feline Friends than two! One of my kitties, BTW, is pictured for this post. And you need to stay tuned this week...Moker's gonna be my Guest Blogger on Tuesday. It'll be a wild ride, for sure!

4. I put peanuts in my Coke. Seriously. Did you ever hear the song "Country When Country Wasn't Cool" by Barbara Mandrell? That's Your Veggie Mom, in a nutshell!

5. I usually count the stairs that I'm either ascending or descending. Some say I might be a tad OCD. Ya think?

6. I used to adore the Green Bay Packers. But Brett's a Jet now. So I've ordered my #4 jersey, in a different color green. Go, Jets!

That's all, folks! Except for that *tagging* business, which is such an important part of *memes*! So, then, here we go. Tag, You're It!

• And Baby Will Make 4
• Between Loads of Laundry
• Candid Carrie
• Exceptional Voyage
• Half-Passed Kissin' Time
• Pocket Change

Beat Those Back-to-School Blues With a Giveaway!

As promised, Dear Readers, it's that time again--Time for another Great Pop'rs Giveaway! This one's simple, since you're right in the middle of that Most Bittersweet time o' year and some of you, most likely, are fighting those Back-to-School Blues.

Here's the deal. Leave a comment here, explaining what this time of year (end of summer, back to school, seasons changing--whatever tickles your fancy!) means to you. That's it! At Midnight on September 5, EST, we'll select Two Grand Prize Winners by random drawing. What do you win? Why, a complete box of Pop'rs--All eight flavors!--that tasty and fun seasoning that really encourages kids to Eat. Their. Veggies!

Above, BTW, is a Parting Shot of the Pop'rs Cousins at the beach. We haven't done it in years, but we used to line them up here every year for a photo-shoot. We renewed the Family Tradition this year, before the kids get too old for going to the beach with the Old Folks!

Pictured, from the left, back row: Big Bear, The Wild One, College Boy, Shark Boy; front row: College Girl, Soccer Boy. For those of you who are new to the Pop'rs Family, The Wild One and College Girl are mine; the four boys are the Number One Sons to Aunt Julie and Uncle Lynn. And, to the Uninitiated, the answer is "no." Veggie Mom and Aunt Julie aren't the same person; Veggie is married to Auntie J.'s brother, Uncle Mark, also known as Moker. And who could wish for a better SIL?