Yes, ME, Wackydad! I have become a foodie. #foodie #meatheadforlife #foodobsessed #nowheat

I have to admit it.  I have become a foodie.  Yes, a foodie.  Stop shaking your head and laughing.  I'm serious.  This here obesession is real (Not that I need another obsession,   Just ask the wife).  

I am obsessed with all things food lately.  

I have written here in the past about my cooking as well as about my pressure-cooker obsessio, but now I am seriously neck deep in this stuff.  

I cook Every night.  

I sing while I am cooking.  Like happy-singing.  Like whistle-while-you-work kind of singing.  

I even regularly announce loudly, for the whole family to hear, that I am "Deglazing the Aromatics".  (What do you mean you don't know what Deglazing the Aromatics is....Oh it is amazing, and makes all food taste 1000 times better...Oh, I will have to share more about  that in another post) 

I even proclaimed in all seriousness the other night that I should have been a Chef.

Yup, OBSESSED!!!!!  

So, I figure, there is no place better to share all about my recent culinary escapades then here on good old Wackydads!

Just sit back, relax and check out some images from my recent handy-work.  You're gonna get hungry!!!

BEFORE - My homemade Chicken Chilli made with chicken I ground up myself.

AFTER - (SOOO GOOOD)  My homemade Chicken Chilli made with chicken
I ground up myself.

 

Fresh summer squash, balsamic, oil and butter.

Here's a picture of some fresh, local clams we dug ourselves, that are ready to be steamed and cooked in all different ways.  Love Narragansett Bay!

Steamed Clams with hot pepper flakes, beer, and pepperoni, thrown in during the
steaming processes for an Oh-So-Good flavor!

Home made Clam Chowder, steamed cherrystones, pasta with clams sauce, garlic butter, and hell, a Mexican Pizza thrown in for good measure. #food #rhody #narragansettbay

Eggs, steak, broccoli, black beans, healthy seed mix of some sort, and hot sauce of course. I ate two helpings!

Gluten Free Banana Bread made with help from my middle girl Ailey.  It was really good,
especially heated with butter the next morning.
 

Here is Ailey and I grinding up venison with our grinding machine
so that we can make all kinds of good stuff, like Venison Bolognese sauce.
This was sooo worth the work!

All the ingredients for my homemade Venison Bolognese sauce.

DONE - Venison Bolognese sauce.  Seriously good stuff.
My 6 year old had two huge helpings.

DONE #2 - Venison Bolognese sauce over gluten free pasta (gotta use
gluten free since I Gotta keep my girlish figure)

One of my Easy-to-Do favorites that the whole family loves.  Italian sausage roasted over regualr and sweet potato cubes.  The potatos get so delicious, with the sausage almost glazing them while they all cook together. 

A little change here from above.  Regular potatos and Winter squash prepped for roasting with olive oil, salt and pepper. 

Another Go-To favorite in our house all complete.  Country-style ribs
on the grill with roasted potatos and winter squash along with a Tomato-heavy
 tossed salad.  And of course GOOD SEASONING ITALIAN
DRESSING...since there is No Other salad dressing that compares.

More to come in the future.  Hope you enjoyed this "Eye-Candy" of delicious Food that I have created over the last few months.

Buon Appetito!!!!

- From Wacky Dad 

Wacky Wheat Belly

Yup,  I'm on a new diet.  I read both the Wheat Belly book, and the for Wheat Belly Cookbook and I have been intrigued enough to strictly follow the diet for the last 2 weeks. My first impressions are really good.  Basically the diet is a traditional low carb diet, which has always been my diet of choice, and one which I have been on and off for years. The big difference with Wheat Belly is that your intake of any wheat products is totally cut off, as opposed to the Atkins diet, which allowed the use of wheat gluten in many of its recipes. I have lost about 9 holiday pounds since starting the diet, but that isn't what strikes me as most impressive about this diet. I have noticed several beneficial side effects that I would not have expected as a result of a change in diet. Here they are.

1. I'm historically a terrible sleeper. I have take meds of varying types for many years in order to sleep, with varying success. Even taking enough meds to put down a rhino, I never make it through the night without a period of wakefulness. I've never really been able to figure out a true solution to this problem and have always chalked it up to having too much on my mind. Although I haven't stopped taking my usual sleeping meds since starting the diet, I noticed starting about the second week I was on the diet, that I started to sleep uninterrupted through the night. Amazing! When you spend literally 15-20 years of your life waking up regularly at 2-3 in the morning for an extended period of time, and then actually sleep straight through the night for multiple nights on end, you definitely notice! I'm not sure what the reason for the change is, but I'm loving it!

2. I'm not hungry. It's true! Most of my friends and family know me as a guy who can put down epic portions of food, and can do it with panache! I can still do some damage when I want to, but that burning desire I've always had to pound down everything on the table has dissipated immensely. Satisfying myself at table has become a much easier prospect. I have to say, I have not tried to cut calories back at all, just cut out processed foods, starches, and of course the devil of all foods - Wheat. I've had a couple of crazy days at work where I never had a chance to eat until dinnertime. Usually you'd be taking your life in your hands to be in my presence on a day where I hadn't eaten. Now I feel a sense of hunger, but it is manageable and when I do finally eat, I can do it without gorging like a great white shark. I've also lost midnight snacking tendencies. A handful of unsalted in the shell peanuts are great after dinner, but no burning desire for cookies, etc. I totally love this new found sense of freedom from food!

Ailey cooking up a batch of low carb/wheat free Banana Foster.  Delicious!

3. My chronic upper back muscular pain is gone. I have historically had tense muscles to the inside of both of my wing ones of my back. Again I chalked this up to stress. My daughter Abigail has spent many a night digging into those particular muscles on my back to try to help loosen up her old dad. I'm hoping she doesn't read this, because those awesome night time back rubs are really the bomb, and still feel good even though I don't have the pain like before.

These three changes have been enough to convince me that there is something to this lifestyle change. One thing I do notice is that my need for water seems to have increased. I have found myself becoming dehydrated more, and I am making a concerted effort to drink water on a regular basis throughout the day. So far I can't say enough about the diet.  I'm hooked, and I think I'm going to be on this one for the long haul.  I'll continue to update you on whether I feel this is a sustainable lifestyle, but so far I am not having any problems whatsoever! I'd love to hear some of your experiences with a restricted carb/wheat diet. Comment away!

Happy Eating!

Wacky Dad

Radio Shack For the Holidays! #sponsored #MC

"I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting (#MC) for RadioShack. I received a gift card to facilitate a shopping trip and promotional item as a thank you for participating."

Holy Moly this year's holiday season has been a whirlwind!  I think that Thanksgiving being so late this year has made everything much more bunched up and hectic than usual.  I finally made it out tonight to do some Christmas shopping, and Radio Shack was my first trip of the season.  I actually went in with my oldest daughter Abby yesterday, but had to take notes and come back, because a lot of the things I saw were actually perfect for Abby.  Teenagers love electronics(so does their dad)!  I can't give away too much, because my family reads this blog, and I shopped for them!

 But I will give some vague hints.  For my oldest daughter I got her an all important Ipad accessory.  Abby actually has an Ipad program at her school.  They provide the Ipads, but we need to provide chargers, cases, etc.  There are so many cool products that help you become more productive on the Ipad, and Abby scored one of these.  That's as detailed as it gets!  My famous middle daughter Ailey is going to be the proud recipient of a cool new Bluetooth accessory for her Ipod (actually I think the whole family will be able to use this little beauty). Hint Hint - its electronic and you can use it in the shower!  Finally I picked up a creative electronic toy for my youngest Mia.  I can't wait to see her reaction to it!  I will share this since odds are she won't catch me (if she does I'll let you know!)

 http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2102914&znt_campaign=Category_CMS&znt_source=CAT&znt_medium=RSCOM&znt_content=CT2032058ProjectKits

We were at a family gathering this past weekend, and one of the kids got one of these as a gift.  It was a total hit, and the kids were at it all night long with it!  Nothing like playing with batteries, motors, and horns!

As always I was struck by the level of personal assistance I got when I walked into the store.  I was immediately greeted by an employee.  I noticed right away that he had his coat and hat on - odd.  Turned out that the heat was on the fritz, but even though he was bone cold he was still cordial and knew his stuff about the stores products!  Another thing I noticed was that Radio Shack has gotten a facelift.  It has a new fresh product line that is very relevant to the times, and everything was displayed very nicely.  All in all I couldn't have been happier with my experience.  I was in and out quickly, I got two of the three items I bought at aggressive sale prices, and the customer service was tops.  I highly recommend that all of you last minute shoppers like me head on out to Radio Shack for all of those crowd pleasing electronic stocking stuffers and more!  Visit the Radio Shack Holiday Hub to research before you go out in the cold!

Happy Shopping!

Wacky Dad

Radio Shack - Old Fashioned Values On New Fangled Products! #sponsored #MC

Disclosure: I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting (#MC) for RadioShack. I received a gift card to facilitate a shopping trip and promotional item as a thank you for participating.

     It's not often that you get an opportunity to write about a brand/company that you truly love.  As a kid I remember going into The local Radio Shack with my father, and remember being mind boggled by all of the transistors, capacitors, and every other manner of electrical gadget known to man.  My father was deep into electronics of all sorts, and Radio Shack was like a candy store to him.  Of course I thought it was all the coolest stuff as well (even though I had no clue what most of it did!).  Things haven't changed much over the years.  I still have trouble driving by a Radio Shack without stopping in to check out the latest gadgets, and when I bring my kids in to the store they're just as mesmerized as I am by all of the neat things in the store.  I bought my wife's Laptop at Radio Shack 2 years ago after striking out at all of the big box stores.  They had the best price and the most knowledge.  Radio Shack always seems to hire smart individuals who are truly passionate about electronics.  It refreshing when you go in the store and you don't get some bonehead that does't even know the difference between Android and IOS, or a transistor and a capacitor for that matter!

     This year Radio Shack left all of the fun up to the buyers to actually vote for, and ultimately pick all of the sale items for it's Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales with their "Name Your Deal" promotion.  What an amazing idea.  Let the consumer decide what they want the deals on!  The nation has voted, and the scores are in!  Visit the following link to find some awesome deals!  http://www.radioshack.com/home/index.jsp Whether you're looking for a new tablet, headphones, or a new phone, Radio Shack has a deal that you'll love, and I know you'll totally dig the shopping experience!


Happily Shopping!

Wacky Dad        

Keep It Cool and Dry With Gold Bond Powder Spray

“I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Gold Bond. I received product samples and a promotional item as a thank you for participating.”

I was totally pumped when I recently got asked to try out a new Gold Bond product.  You see I grew up with Gold Bond in the house.  Dad was an active guy, and he always had a bottle of Gold Bond hanging around.  Whether it was for riding the bike, running, or just plain trying to stay dry on a hot day, he almost always had a bottle on hand.  In turn I have used it as an adult, and have always love the product.  In my mind, Gold Bond is truly a "Man's Man" product.  I am often ribbed by my father Leo for writing posts about products that don't measure up on his "Manliness Scale".  Of course I ignore the meat head, but sometimes it does make me wonder!  I know that won't happen this time.

Quite simply, the new product that Gold Bond has out now is a spray powder.  What I love about it, is that when you apply it, it goes on a little wet.  It allows it to stick right where you need it, and then it dries out and is just like the regular powder product.  For most of us that need this type of product, you need it to stick "where the sun don't shine"!  Most of my readers know that I'm an avid cyclist.  If you're a rider you know what I mean, but if you're not a rider, you can probably appreciate what goes on inside the cycling shorts after 100 miles on the bike.  Heck, maybe the thought of it is why you're not a rider!  As an aside, I'll be riding 200 miles in one day in less than a month.  This ride is to honor my friend Karen Petty who passed away from Pancreatic Cancer.  All proceeds from the Karen Petty Double Century  will support the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network.  You can bet your bottom dollar that I'll have a can of the new No Mess Gold Bond Spray along in the support vehicle on ride day, just imagine how nice that cooling spray will feel after being in the saddle for 14 hours!

I've been using the Gold Bond spray for 2 reasons.  Keeping my feet dry while at work is first.  I'm a project manager for a construction company, and I always where boots to work. That coupled with driving around in my old beat up 1996 Chevy Truck with no air conditioning is a recipe for stanky feet and athletes foot.  Since I've starting using the Gold Bond Spray, there has been an incredible decrease in the gag factor from my wife and three daughters, when I take off the boots at the end of the day. Also my feet are starting to approach something that I can present in a public setting, for example flip flops.  I could clear a path in a crowded room when people used to see my "dogs" headed their way - before the Gold Bond Spray worked it's magic on my feet for the last 2 weeks. Secondly I've been using the spray pre and post ride for all of my cycling outings.  I have noticed a marked improvement in chafing that normally occurs, and an improved heal time between riding efforts.  As a rider this is important when you end you're summer a little plumper and more out of shape then you should be, and you really need to squeeze extra rides in to make up for it!  200 miles in a day is no joke!  The beauty of the spray can is that you can direct that cooling and sweat absorbing spray where the sun shines least, and it is darned easy to do!  

The short story is, if you ever sweat, then this stuff is for you.  Whether you're a man or a woman, this product deserves a place in the medicine cabinet.  I highly recommend this new innovative product from a company that has been the "Gold" standard in keeping us cool and dry for over 100 years! Well done Gold Bond!

High and Dry!

Wacky Dad   

A Teenage Daughter.

     I can't believe that my "baby" Abigail celebrated her 13th birthday yesterday. Where have all of those years gone? I remember taking Abby out hiking in a backpack carrier when she was about one or so. She used to fall asleep back there all of the time, and the way she was situated her head used to lean on top of my head somehow. I miss those days.
     I'm a father of three daughters, and each of them are so special to me, but there is just something about the first daughter that is just different. I think that part of it is the fact that we just have so much history together. 13 years worth! Even more actually. I used to read to my wife Cathy's belly before Abigail was born. I also used to torture the kid by using a Mag-Lite flashlight and shining it directly through Cathy's belly. You can actually chase the little sucker around in there. Probably why Abby is still afraid of fireworks. Who knows, but it was fun. Anyway I have always felt super close to Abby.
    Next to my wife and parents she probably knows me as well as anyone. When we spend time together we don't always have to talk, we just understand each other. She makes it so easy for her socially challenged father! She is wise beyond her years. I am so proud of her, and am looking so forward to seeing her grow into a young adult. I have no doubt that my first born will conquer the world in her own fashion. Truly I just pray for her to be a happy person, and to follow her dreams. If I can help her make those dreams come to fruition then I will bury myself to do it.

I love you Abby,

Your Wacky Dad

5 Eternal Truths Of Parenting 3 Daughters

1. Poop stinks. There just ain't no doubt about it. Little, big, short, tall, wide, skinny, it's all poop.  The days you stop wiping asses is one of the finest days of your life -  bar none.

2. All "boy" friends are evil. They are the devil incarnate. Their sole purpose in life is to give me acid reflux. That specific indigestion makes me want to castrate them. Hey boys, if your reading by chance... I will kill you if you screw up.

3. Having four women in my house is a free ticket to saintdom. Men,  If you qualify, I'll have a cold beer waiting for you.

4. Math homework sucks. Unequivocally sucks. Even thinking about it makes me want to yuke.

5. Brushing your 5 year old daughters hair is bound to shorten your life by 30 days every time you attempt it. Every time. I'm down about 18 years by now. My to ticket to saintdom is coming soon!

All kidding aside, I just couldn't live without all of my beautiful girls. I love you all!

Loving Dad Hood!

Wacky Dad

Riding Down Pancreatic Cancer On Two Wheels

4th Annual Karen Petty Memorial Double Century Bike Ride Against Pancreatic Cancer

September 28th, 2013

Karen Petty - The reason we ride!

I hope this note finds you all well. Many of you who I write to today are dear friends of mine and some of you who support my ride are only bound to me by a common cause. That cause is our desire to end Pancreatic Cancer. I started the Karen Petty Double Century in 2010 in an effort to honor my lifelong friend Karen Petty, and to raise funds to defeat the disease that took her from us. For those of you who know Karen, you understand why I ride in her memory. Karen was loved by all who knew her. Her family adored her. I adore all of Karen’s family as brothers, sisters, and aunts, and uncles even though we share no blood relations. I grew up calling Karen “Auntie” and her husband “Uncle” Joe. As an only child, I didn’t have siblings. Karen’s own kids, Jason and Kerri, and her Nephew Billy were my brothers and sisters, and they are as important to me as if we were related by blood. I grew up with all of them, and always felt a part of their family. It only felt natural to do something “big” upon Karen’s passing, not only to honor Karen’s memory, but to show her family how much they all mean to me. This 200 mile, one day bike ride, which starts at Karen’s house in West Warwick, RI, to her Cabin in Thornton, NH, started as a deed I thought was honorable enough to memorialize Karen. I believe it has proven so over the past three years.

Since Karen’s passing I have become very involved in the Pancreatic Cancer community in Rhode Island, and on a national level. I have been part of a team that raised over $550,000 for the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network in Rhode Island since 2010. The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network is the only organization out there that is attacking this disease comprehensively, and that is why they have my wholehearted support. This ride’s supporters have been a key component of that fundraising success. I feel we are making true progress in fighting this disease. This year Congress passed important legislation that will move Pancreatic Cancer research forward, and that is a direct result of the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network’s work in Washington. Our continued support of this great organization will be the keystone of driving a stake in the heart of this disease.

Myself and Pete Washburn at the start of the 2011 ride

Through my affiliation with the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, I have lost another close friend to this disease. Pete Washburn and I became quick friends when he was fighting pancreatic cancer. I never thought the disease would beat his fighting spirit, but even the strong succumb to this scourge. Losing Pete has only renewed my resolve to defeat this disease. Pete was a great supporter of my ride, and I have enjoyed meeting many of his family members, and fighting this disease side by side with them. I ride with his memory near to my heart at all times.

The finish line in New Hampshire on year two

This will be my fourth time riding this annual ride. For the entire 200 miles this year, I will be accompanied by two great friends, Greg Anderson, who has ridden the ride with me twice, and Ed Hernaez who has completed the ride once in 2012. We also have a contingent of 100 mile riders. Newcomer Billy Fitts, Karen’s nephew and my lifelong friend will be tackling the ride. Billy is taking this challenge on after being off a bike for 20+ years. John Braica, a close friend of mine and Karen’s will ride the last 100 miles with us. Also my buddy Bill Fontaine and my father Leo Costantino (69 years young) will ride those last 100 miles with us as well. This diverse group of riders is a testament to how Karen positively influenced everyone she knew. Her positive attitude lives on in her friends and family’s drive to destroy the disease that took her. We are welcoming other riders, but bear in mind that this is a one way, unsupported ride, so if you do choose to make the trek, you will have to provide your own personal support vehicle. Thank you to all of the amazing people in advance for joining this fight with me. They are all true warriors, and I know we can ride this disease down to the ground together, all in Karen’s name. To support this year’s ride please follow the instructions below.

Please visit: 

http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/karenpettydoublecentury/bikeride




Sincerely Determined,


Eric Costantino
AKA Wacky Dad

My Singing, Superstar Daughter!

I just can't get enough of my daughter Abigail singing.  I found out today that she did a cover of the Adele song "Someone Like You" on SingWho.Com.  I am always blown away by Abby's ability to sing.  I can say undeniably that she did NOT get this from her father or mother (Mom might contest this, but don't let her fool you)! Here is Abby in action.  we don't have any fancy recording equipment, but Abby makes it sound great anyway!

http://singwho.com/watch/4943#!id=4943

Enjoy watching my beautiful and talented daughter, and please share on Facebook and Twitter.  Abby would love to go to the top of the charts!

A Proud Dad,

Wacky Dad

Welfare Drug Testing - Yea or Nay?

I'm wondering what some of my readers thoughts might be on the subject of welfare drug testing.  Do you think this is the answer to an over burdened welfare system, or is it a sure way to starve the children of this country's drug using welfare recipients.

I can lean toward the conservative side on some subjects, and that side of me likes this idea.  As a father I think about the children who will be affected by this law, and it scares me.  I'd love everyone to weigh in with a comment on this one!

Thanks!

Wacky Dad

Death By Burger!

What a great 4th of July!  We were lucky enough to head up to New Hampshire this past holiday weekend and do some camping with our neighbors and close friends, Jen and Ed and their kids.  We also met my old buddy Billy, and my "Uncle Joe" up there and had a fantastic time hanging with all of them.  I don't want to say too much about the trip itself, because that will be another blog post. Gotta reserve my stories!  What I do want to talk about now is last night's dinner.  

Road Trip!

Now over the years I believe that anyone who comes to this blog on a regular basis wants to read about the Jackass named Eric Costantino, AKA Wacky Dad.  When I first started my blog it was easy to come up with a Jackass story every day, but as the years go by, it isn't easy to pull a "wacky" stunt every few days for a blog post.  Sometimes I have to write about the mundane.  I appreciate you all sticking through the lean times, but I have a true Costantino moment to write home about this time.

As many of my readers, family, and friends know I am a big eater.  I derive serious happiness from a great dinner and a glass of wine or a beer.  Last night we decided to head out to the Woodstock Inn in Woodstock, NH for dinner.  With kids and all, we had a party of 19 people.  Just a little background on the Woodstock Inn.  We've been going there for an awful long time at this point, and we love the site brewed Ales and Lagers that they showcase.  I went there with the intention of getting a light dinner and 2 or 3 beers.    I almost made it!  I sat down and initially picked out a Chicken Cobb salad and ordered a nice hoppy IPA.  All was well until the waitress lingered for a couple of milliseconds too long.  I re-opened the menu.  That is when I saw this.

Yup, The Double Death By Burger!

I don't know how I missed it the first time, but it definitely had my attention riveted now.  I yelled over to my buddy Ed who was at another table.  "Did you see the Death By Burger?"  He nodded yes.  Long story short we both ended up ordering the thing.  I often underestimate things.  This was one of those times.  I kind of poo-pooed the whole thing.  How bad can it be?  It might be 36 oz of beef, but that's before they cook it.  All manner of bullshit to convince myself that this thing was gonna be a cake walk.  Hell I thought I'd down the thing, score my t-shirt, and walk away with a full tummy and a smiley face.  I just never considered the consequences of what I was doing.  I should know better, Ed had taken me to a place called Luxe Burger for my birthday this past January.  Ed, Myself, and my old buddy Billy plowed through Luxe Burger's challenge, and we all finished it. Admittedly it was very tough, but we all brought home the t-shirt and were able to conquer.

Luxe Burger!

Maybe I was cocky.  I don't know.  I decided to take a walk down to Woodstock's wall of shame where they post the photos of all the other idiots who take on the challenge.  It took my breath away.  The first thing I noticed was the sheer size of the burger.  It was truly MONUMENTAL!  Then I noticed how many folks were on the wall of shame as opposed to the wall of fame.  It wasn't pretty.  There were at least 3 failures to one success.  Oh shit I thought.  What did I get myself into?  I waited with bated breath.  Here is what I got myself into!

That is a full sized plate.  Look at my wife's expression in the background!

It was gigantic.  The bread was extremely heavy, and the burgers were very dense.  This was serious stuff.  I was scared to be honest with you.  I was with 18 of the people that I love most, and I considered the fact that I might fail.  I really didn't think I was going to make it, and I was going to fail in front of all of these people I love.  I know this sounds stupid to all of you.  I hate to lose and I love a challenge.  It doesn't matter what the challenge is.  If I'm in it, I'm in it to win, or to conquer.  In my little mind this burger challenge was no different.  I was going to be pissed if I couldn't get through it.  I started.  I plowed through as fast as I could taking small sips of my drink as I went.  I got through half.  Ed was eating his at the same time.  He was moving along well too, but I could tell he was hurting.  I was too.  I just continued to eat, even after it hurt.  The burger was charred a little, and it started to really make me feel kind of sick after a while.  I kept going.  I had doubts at about 2/3rd's of the way through, but I just said F*&% it and kept going.  Ed threw in the towel, but he didn't have as much at stake here.  I had all of these friends and family watching me.  My daughters were standing over my shoulder cheering me on.  Next thing I knew the WHOLE restaurant was cheering me on!  It really would have been a fun moment if I hadn't felt like yacking on my plate!  I actually finished the damned thing.  I didn't yack it up, and I actually went for a swim after we finished, and didn't sink, or get a cramp!

The T-Shirt Back

What's the moral of the story?  Well there really isn't one.  I'm still an idiot, capable of sincerely idiotic acts.  I'm still "Wacky Dad".  I've still got it!  That's it.  I have reaffirmed my status as one of the premier morons in the dad blogger world, and I'm damned proud of it.  To all of my fellow dad bloggers out there I'd like to throw down the gauntlet.  Head up to the Woodstock Inn and take the challenge.  If you win, you might be able to enter the Wacky Club!

Bon Appetit!


Wacky Dad

Summer Vacation With Goldfish Puffs!

With the kids home for summer vacation it seems like they eat about twice as much as normal.  Maybe it's all of the pool parties, and summer activities, but I swear that these kids are like little piranha's! 

Mia, Half Child, Half Piranha!

On a recent shopping trip we ran across a new product, Goldfish Puffs at Target. They sounded interesting so we grabbed a couple of bags, as well as a couple of the traditional Goldfish that my kids love.  For all of you that need gluten free snacks, it is good to know that these are a great go-to snack for your kids.  I happened to have all of my daughters with me when we were at the store, so we ended up getting two bags of the Goldfish Puffs and two bags of the regular Goldfish Snacks.  I never get out of the store easy when shopping with all of the girls!

We grabbed 2 flavors, Mega Cheese and Cheddar Bacon

We didn't waste any time digging into our new snacks.  It was lunchtime when we got home.  We decided to do a little taste test, comparing the old to the new.  The puffs were definitely a welcome change for my two older girls Abby and Ailey, Mia on the other hand is smitten with the pizza flavored traditional Goldfish Snacks.

A minding numbing array of Goldfish Snacks!

We ate our Goldfish out of hand, but also implanted them in our turkey wraps.  Definitely happy bellies all around, including Dad!

That's something you don't see every day!

After lunch we headed over to the neighbors pool for a fun afternoon of swimming and relaxing.  I'm not sure if all of those Goldfish we took with us swam into the pool filter, but most of them disappeared by the end of the day!  There were even some adult hands in the snack bag.

I'm glad we found this new snack before the summer!  Click Here for more info on this new Goldfish product!

Happy Summer and Happy Snacking,


Wacky Dad

Gone too Soon!

I was sad to hear the other day that James Gandolfini aka Tony Soprano passed away of a heart attack while traveling with his son. He was only fifty-one. Too young for-sure and sadly, he leaves behind a wife, son and very young daughter. A sad lose indeed.

All the tributes and conversations I was hearing about his acting talent and his off-screen, general good guy-ness got me thinking (yup, I do that sometimes). I knew I had watched quite a few of the Sopranos shows over the years but never the whole series from beginning to end. It was such a great show and I started to wonder what I might have missed in the episodes I hadn't seen. The other night I started watching the show again but this time from the very beginning. I plan to watch them each night until I get through them all.

Red wine in a little wine glass...
always on the table of a traditional Italian home

So I lie in bed each night with my earplugs in and my kindle fire on my chest, cracking up at all the crazy characters (who, by the way remind me of half the people I grew up around when with my Italian grandparents and their friends). The actors are awesome and the story lines are totally captivating. I love every minute of them.

My poor wife though, lying next to me in bed, can't be too thrilled about this new nightly routine of mine. I regularly wake her up when cackling away at whatever lunacy is happening on my little screen. And when I laugh, I howl like a bear and shake the whole freakin' bed in my fit of hysterics. She is definitely not enjoying this walk-down-memory-lane as much as me but sorry hon, Tony must live on!

On a side note, I found an article recently examining how the business people of the world could learn a thing or two about management skills from the ultimate Boss himself (Of course Tony's managing skills included using death threats to get things done but the article has some funny points). Check out the link below -http://management.fortune.cnn.com/2013/06/27/tony-soprano-james-gandolfini/

Tony's weekly "Board Meeting"

Here's to you James.   RIP

From this Wacky Italian Dad to you!

ANYONE ELSE OUT THERE DOING A SOPRANO MARATHON IN HONOR OF TONY TOO?

My Dancing Daughters!

This post is really a week overdue, but I wanted to get some photos up of my daughters at their most recent dance recital.  I can't believe how talented my daughter Abby has become on stage.

Here's Abby at the center of the photo.

It seems like yesterday she was three years old on the stage.  She is now in her 10th season as a dancer!  Unbelievable how time flies!  And my little Mia is just so damned cute up there.  I luckily got one of the best photos of my life as she finished one of her dances.

Mia at the end of her performance - They were dressed up as clouds. I think she pulled it off!

To my daughters I'd like to say well done!  Enjoy your summer off and get ready to put those dancing shoes on again for next year!  Congrats on a job well done!

Aristokat!

Well Deserved Bouquets!

Love,

Wacky Dad