a peek inside the fishbowl

Ohhh, how I remember the Wiggles. The girls loved the Wiggles. Heck, I did too. I found the songs pretty catchy, I’d often catch myself singing Hot Potato or Fruit Salad (YUMMY YUMMY) when I was in the kitchen (or worse, at work!). As far as children’s entertainers go, they are pretty good. And I always thought Anthony was pretty hot. (C’MON! Who do you think is the hottest Wiggle? I know I’m not the only one thinking about this.) :)

The Wiggles are big, but until now I didn’t realize HOW BIG. They perform over 200 shows annually across four continents, and have sold more than 24 million DVDs and videos, 8 million CDs and 8 million books in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. That’s a lot of Wiggle.

I saw the Wiggles – along with Captain Feathersword, Dorothy the Dinosaur, Henry the Octopus, Wags the Dog – when the gang was in Ottawa many moons ago. Taking kids to a live performance is very fun. If you haven’t done it, DO IT, and consider it early prep for enjoying live music later on in life. :)

I was recently offered tickets to this show as well as a DVD to review, but turned them down (we’re way past that stage now) …. but that doesn’t mean YOU won’t get a chance to go!

This giveaway is for a family four pack (4 tickets) in the 100 level to see The Wiggles Wiggly Circus Live! at Scotiabank Place in Ottawa on October 27 at 2:30 pm AND a copy of The Wiggles DVD “Hot Potatoes – The Best of The Wiggles”.

Approximate retail value of the prize is $140.

• All you need to do is to leave a comment below. EEEee–Zeeee.
• Please make sure you live in the Ottawa area and are available the day of the show!
• One entry per person please! We want lots of people to have the opportunity to win.
• I will do a random draw using Random.org at noon EST on Friday October 15, 2010. Please make sure you leave a valid email address. You can’t win if I can’t reach you.

p.s. if you don’t win, you can buy tickets online here. New for 2010 is the – wait for it – the Wiggles VIP Section. The $75 tickets are limited, and include the best seats in the house, an exclusive gift along with a colouring activity sheet and a chance to dance along with the Wiggles themselves! Hot Potato seats are still available in the $40 price range and will include a colouring activity sheet.

So who wants these tickets?

I derive much personal satisfaction from…

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Before I launch into the recipe I have to tell you about one of my favourite iPhone apps. It’s from the foodies behind Epicurious, one of my favourite recipe repositories. This app is like having a cookbook that fits in your pocket. A TECHNOLOGICAL MIRACLE. It’s helped me out when I’m feeling dreariest about cooking – whether I’m at home or already at the grocery store, wandering in a daze. This, my friends, is a great example of Technology That Works. (More info about the app here.)

So this is where I found this recipe for Fettuccine Carbonara. It’s also online here. It was, in a word, amazing. It’s a keeper. I don’t even care that I was the only person eating the rapini (a.k.a. Broccoli Rabe).

I followed this recipe to the letter, making only a few small alterations. (1) I used half a bunch of rapini. It’s slightly bitter tasting and I knew (correctly) it wouldn’t go over very well. (2) I put an egg on top of everyone’s helping, except one kid’s. She’s not an egg lover. But I tell ya, Most Delicious Thing Ever. (3) I didn’t have egg noodles, just regular fettuccine, and it was FINE.

The girls ate it – sort of. They picked out the rapini. I didn’t bug them about this TOO MUCH. I didn’t have a leg to stand on. Mark doesn’t eat rapini either. I kept mum when I saw tiny pieces of green clinging to the pasta accidentally make their way into their mouths. I WILL TAKE WHAT I CAN GET.

Sorry for this bad photo. I was too hungry.

I was suprised Emma ate this dish, because she really only likes pasta with meat-based spaghetti sauce. So I would chalk this up as a win. Sort of.

Let me know if you try this at home !

Next up, sesame chicken! Wish me luck!