My kids are currently nuts about fresh spinach!  I can't believe it.  This veg has never been seen in our house (shame on me) and now, they can't get enough.  I know this will pass but I'm riding this wave while I can.  They watched an old cartoon with Popeye and now they want to eat spinach so they can feel themselves growing stronger.  I made quiche with wilted spinach last night and two out of three (not a bad ratio around here) liked it.  But they really like fresh spinach leaves scattered on burritos, sandwiches or just to eat.  Then they check their arm muscles for growth.  My kids are not lettuce eaters but love all the other things you'd put on a salad so we eat a lot of fresh vegs as side dishes (without the salad dressing which is even better for them).  In my house growing up, the only exposure I had to spinach was from a can, heated up with a touch of vinegar.  Ugh, (although I liked the vinegar part).  I've tried it frozen but, just never could get into it.  I think I was a young adult before I ever even saw fresh spinach and now you can get it everywhere.  I once saw a recipe for a salad with strawberries and spinach.  Interesting.  I know this spinach frenzy won't last but I hope their taste for it will continue.  I love introducing new and healthy foods to them.  It's even better when they like it.  I even like fresh spinach now.  I still think Popeye is way too violent and silly but all my kids saw was the message Popeye was intended to send:  Eat your spinach and you'll get strong.  Who am I to argue with Popeye?  My kids, of course, wanted to know WHY spinach could make them stronger.  I said that it had iron in it and iron was good for your muscles.  I've read that spinach is a good cancer-fighting veg but that's not what they wanted to know!  I should research to make sure I'm giving them correct info. 

On a more relevant note, we started school today.  It went well.  We are really low key about the whole thing and everyone was calm and cooperative.  They even enjoyed it.  Is this really MY house?  Let's hope day 2 goes as well. 

My tiger-striped robe has garnered some comments.  It's not a bright orange and black thick striped job but rather a realistic-looking velvet print, very cozy and feminine.  Got it on sale years ago through the Nordstrom catalog (gosh, I love that company!)  It was what I was wearing when the firemen came to our house last February when I called 911 about a small electrical fire at 6:00 a.m.  I thought nothing of it but my husband wasn't crazy about me wearing it for the firemen!  (As if they cared!)  No, the house didn't burn down.  But that's another story.