Things that 13yr olds do quickly (this will be short)
1.  Eat
2.  Brush teeth
3.  Prepare lunch for school (doesn't really matter... refer to #1)
4.  Washing dishes (or any other chore that you've asked them to do... and you will probably have to redo it once they are 'done')

Things that take 13yr olds and excruciatingly long time to accomplish
1.  Getting out of bed
2.  Showering
3.  Getting dressed
4.  School projects
5.  Collecting clothes for laundry
6.  Getting information to a friend (now called texting and apparently it takes about 50 texts to get some simple homework information)
7.  Making themselves understood - because apparently that string of words (I'm pretty sure it was english but not positive) you just pelted towards me was supposed to have some meaning for me personally but it's going to take another 15 minutes of painstaking effort to break it down so that it becomes fully understood.
8.  Cleaning their room
I will end here because this list could go ad infinitum.

Kid #2 has been cleaning her room for a total of 1 1/2 weeks now.  She has thrown out as much garbage in that week and a half as our entire household would in 3 months.  The house reno has  included some work in her room and we decided to paint while we were at it (why not, right?)  This has upset her entire universe.  It meant cleaning up first and foremost.  Who would think that cleaning up a small room could take so long.  The books still have not make their way back to their shelf.  She has no room for anything (her words) but doesn't seem to understand that a closet could potentially be used to hang clothing in and not just piling things on the floor - this would help create more room elsewhere, right?  'Things fall off when I put them on the hanger'.  Yeah - probably because you are not using a hanger properly.
I don't understand why you still need to keep the broken (yes - broken) snow globe from 8 years ago.  Take a picture.
I don't understand why you are keeping the packaging from something you received as a gift 5 years ago.  It's packaging.
At the end of the day, I've decided that I really don't understand the 13yr old brain at all.  


Some things are simply not for me to understand.  What made total sense to me however was that I needed to get food into this 13 yr old belly very quickly because a low blood sugar meltdown was about to ensue.  This recipe comes together fast, tastes good and they don't have to chew it very much (refer to #1 in the 'quickly' list - digestion can be an issue).


Asparagus, red pepper and ground meat strata adapted from 'Pretty Yummy Foods'
serves 6 - 8

1/2 cup onion, diced
two bunches of asparagus, ends removed and cut into about 1 1/2 inch strips
1 cup red pepper, medium slices
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 lb ground meat (I used a mix of beef, pork and lamb)
1 1/2 boullion cubes
2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
3 tbsp honey
1 tbsp oregano
1 tbsp marjoram
1 tbsp chives
1 1/2 tsp salt
water
4 thick slices of bread, cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes
1 1/2 cups cheddar (I used old cheddar) shredded
6 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk

Preheat oven to 350° F.
Butter a 9x13 baking dish and set aside.
Heat a large, heavy bottomed pot over medium heat.
Turn the heat down to medium/low and add about 2 tbsp of olive oil. Add in the onion.  Cook for a couple of minutes and add the red pepper, garlic and ground meat.  Cook together for about 8 minutes or until the ground meat is almost cooked through (you will need to stir regularly to break up the ground meat).
Add in the asparagus strips and mix well.  Cook for another 4 minutes.
Add in the bouillon cubes, worcestershire sauce, honey, oregano, marjoram, chives and salt.  Mix well and add just enough water (about 3 - 4 tbsp) to keep everything from sticking and pull anything off of the bottom of the pot.  Check for taste and adjust if necessary then turn the heat off under the pot and set aside.
In the baking dish add the cubed bread and 1 cup of the shredded cheese.  Toss to mix.
In another bowl whisk together the eggs and milk.
Add the egg mixture to the bread.  Mix well.
Add the asparagus mixture to the egg/bread stuff.  Mix well.
Sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the top.
Bake for about 30 minutes or until the middle of the pan isn't liquid and the edges and top are golden brown.