I'm hungry!

Hello friends.  This week is another busy week.  My husband is working second shift two nights this week and we are bowling two nights this week = not much cooking going on here.  :)  Monday night I didn't feel like cooking so we literally ate Ramen Noodles.  They are good once in a while.  I like to drain most of the water out so that it is less like soup and more like a bowl of noodles.  I felt like baking instead.  My Grandma called them Hello Dolly's but most people call them Magic Cookie bars.  Mmmh, they are so good.  Last night was one of the nights my husband was working so we had the go to meal that my blog is named for.  Grilled cheese and tomato soup.  I'm happy to report that I did not burn them and I mixed it up a little by making them on Rye bread.  Yum.  I usually cut the sandwich into several strips for the kids and then they dunk them in the soup.  This method has eliminated the "I don't want to eat the crust" drama and they actually eat the soup too this way.  I got those mugs for them a few years back at Crate and Barrel.  Not sure if they make them anymore.  Looks like they make a polar bear version now.  They are just the right size for the kids.

I know this next thing has nothing to do with food, but I thought it was so cute, I  wanted to share.  My husband wears a uniform to work and they do the cleaning of said uniform.  So we end up with all these wire hangers we don't need so I was determined to find a way to use them creatively.  The boys' Christmas parties are next week and I thought what I came up with would be fun for them to do.

                                      I figured we'd add the year and their names to them as well.
To make this, I just bent the wire hanger into a triangle shape.  Then glued tissue paper around it then cut it out with pinking shears, though you could use scrapbook scissors too.  Then decorated it with a bow and used glitter glue that you can get at craft stores that has the confetti in it already.

Well. I'm hungry, time for lunch!  Enjoy your day.

Monday, Already?!

I don't mean for so many days to go by in between posts, but I guess that is life in the real world. :)  Last Thursday we had enchiladas.  I don't really have a go-to recipe for these.  I just use what we have on hand. This time I had Ortega canned red enchilada sauce and used their recipe as a guide line.  I browned ground beef and then added 3/4 of a can of sauce and some cheddar a cheese.  I had flour tortillas on hand, so I wapped up three 'ladas for the kids in their own pan cause I wanted to bring up the heat level for the grown ups.  For that I added a can of diced jalapenos and half a can of black beans.  (I love black beans, I will add them to anything! When I lived in Florida,  this place had the best black beans and rice, I guess that started my love affair with the black beans.  Or maybe I like eating the to remind me a little of that time in my life?  Who knows! But you should just eat your black beans cause they are good for you!!)  Back to the enchiladas... I filled them, covered them with another can of sauce and lots of cheese.  Cheddar is what I had on hand.  Bake, and eat.  Yum.  We had corn on the side.  Friday night we had leftover manicotti that I had made before Thanksgiving and froze.  Easy night!  Saturday we put up our Christmas tree and the past couple of years, Dear Hubby has made soup on this day.  Keeping the tradition alive, B made Chicken Barley soup.  I had a bag of Bob's Red Mill Pearl Barley in the cupboard and we just used the recipe on the bag as a guide.  I'll post the recipe as written with our changes in parenthesis.

Chicken Soup with Barley
2.5 cups of water
2.5 tsp salt
3 lbs chicken parts
(we just used 2 boxes of premade stock and cooked up some chicken breast tenders)
1.5 cups sliced celery
1.5 cups sliced carrots
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 tsp dried Thyme (didn't have any, so we used poultry seasoning)
1 Bay Leaf
1/4 tsp pepper
1 lb fresh mushrooms (left it out since the only one who will eat 'shrooms is me!)
3/4 cup Bob's Red Mill Pearl barley

In a large sauce pan combine water, chicken, salt, celery, carrots, onion, thyme, bay leaf and pepper bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer, covered until chicken is tender (approx. 1 hour).  Meanwhile, slice mushrooms and set aside.  Remove chicken from broth and take meat off bones; cut into cubes.  Return chicken to sauce pan and add barley and mushrooms.  Simmer, covered until barley is tender, about 50 minutes.  Serves 8.  (since the chicken was cooked in a separate pan, we just added it all and cooked for about an hour.)

Sunday night's dinner I made stuffed zucchini.  Saturday I did an impromptu grocery shop (no list, just wandered the aisles trying to figure out what to get {I don't recommend this method! :)}) and I dunno, the zucchini just sounded good.  I bought some bulk Italian sausage and decided I could wing the rest.  I used this recipe as my guide.  I did boil the zucchini as it recommends, and I don't know if I would do that again.  The end result made for pretty soft zucchini and I like mine to have a firmer texture.  I didn't have roasted red peppers, but a regular red pepper so I diced it and sauteed it in olive oil and garlic and oregano.  Then I added some tomato paste thinned with some water.  I set that aside then browned the sausage.  I didn't have an onion, but I have a huge Sam's size bad of French's Fried Onions, so I chopped some of those up in my Pampered Chef Food Chopper.  I combined everything with some Parmesan cheese.  I filled the zucchini boats with the sausage mix, sprinkled on a bit more parm, onions and then doused it with pizza cheese (mostly mozzarella in it).  Baked for 30 minutes.  We had broccoli and jellied cranberry sauce on the side.  Both kids ate every bite, no fight.  Woo hoo!!  :)  I thought for sure little B would complain about the spiciness of the sausage but he did not.   Impressive!

Hope your week is filled with great eats & treats.  Hugs.

Crazy week!

So far this week is shaping up to be pretty hectic!  I have pretty much been gone all day, every day this week.  Whew.  I am tired!  So, not much cooking has been going on.  Monday night my husband had an appointment to go to, so it was just the kids and I.  At they boys' request, we had good ol' Kraft Mac n' Cheese.  I think I ate mine cold since I was trying to do 10 things at once.  Last night we had pancakes.  My Grandma made the best buttermilk pancakes.  I could eat them as fast as she could make them.  Her secret was to buy powdered buttermilk, usually found in the baking aisle and she just followed the recipe on the back of the can for pancakes.  The bonus at her house was she made her own syrup too.  She had some contraption called a vita mixer that she would make it in.  Gosh, I wish she were still here to teach me all she knew.  I miss her so much.... Anyway, we just had regular Log Cabin syrup with ours; and of course they get eaten faster than I can make them up.  Tonight Hubs brought home Chinese from the Lotus Room.  I got General Tao's but didn't love it.  A lot of people like this place, but every time I eat there, I'm disappointed and I think it's way over priced.  Hmpf... Guess I'm just a 'fast food' chinese kinda girl.  :P

I've had a few people ask me about holiday cookies.... I was thinking I'd compile a list if I ever get a few minutes.  :)  Aaaah, I have so much to do, and so little time it seems!  However, I know JESUS is the reason for the SEASON so, if I don't get all the decorations up~ no big deal; if I don't bake 10 different kinds of cookies~ no big deal; if I don't spend endless hours shopping for useless items~ no big deal!  The gift I'm trying to give myself this season, is JOY.  I want a joyful heart and to be a cheerful giver.  I wish for you the same!

HUGS!

Whoops! Sorry 'bout that!

My sincerest apologies for my fans (ahem, I know I mainly have imaginary ones, but just in case there are a few real ones  lol) for what, 10 days going by since my last post.  Last week my dearest friend's grandmother passed away and that sort of put a halt to everything for a couple of days, then we were getting ready for Thanksgiving, which we traveled to see my sis and we've just been relaxing since we've been back.  So let me see if I can recall anything we've eaten in the past week.  I think I mentioned making a banana cake a while back, oh well on FB I did.  It did not turn out to look pretty at all, it stuck in the pan for some reason, even though I PAM'd it to death.  I didn't think that it tasted that great but I left it a R's place and she loved it.  I think she even shared it with some other people and they gave it a thumbs up. I winged the recipe, so it's not one I can share, since I don't even know what I did~ thus the bad turn out.  Hmmm, I made a pecan pie (home made crust and all!) for Thanksgiving with my In Law's last Sunday.  It got rave reviews and there was only one tiny slice left at the end of the night.  Straight outta Betty Crocker.  Betty won't steer you wrong, I promise!  I got to thinking about this cookbook the other day, I am 90% sure my Grandma gave it to me a long time ago.  I wish so badly that I could remember for sure.  My book is quite beat up, I use it a lot, but I think I better take a little better care of it.  My Grandma had her first Betty Crocker cook book and when she passed my mother snatched it up, hopefully someday it will end up in my hands.  What a treasure.  Oh yeah, I made Betty's banana bread too.  She calls for nuts, instead I add chocolate chips.
One night I made Cheesy Manicotti.  It's just an easy one out of the Kraft Magazine (which is no longer FREE!).  The manicotti shells break easily, and stuffing them is kind of a pain, but they really are yummy!  I think I made these Tuesday night and we were leaving on Wednesday, so I froze the leftovers.  Friday night we had pizza, cause we're low on food.  That is the stinky part of going to someone else's house for Thanksgiving, you don't get any leftovers!  :(  Hubby has done all the cooking this weekend.  Love you, babe! Last night he made Buffalo Chicken Cornbread with Blue Cheese Salad and tonight he made Shepherd's Pie.  Both were pretty tasty.  I love the taste of wings, but not wings (too messy!) so the cornbread dish was pretty good.  Oh, B even took a picture of his dinner tonight.  (I usually forget!)  This frosty mug is filled with Michelob Marzen Oktoberfest Style beer, which in our opinion is pretty good.  Sorry for all the recipe links, but too many to type out tonight.  Gotta scoot to get my baby girl to bed!  Sweet dreams!

Lasagna Burgers

Last night I went with Lasagna Burgers (again out of the Rachael Ray Nov 2009 issue!).  The concept is really good.  I cheated on the burger part of it and wouldn't do that again.  But I was tired and it had been such a gloomy day, I didn't have a lot of heart to put into dinner, so I used some premade hamburger patties that were in the freezer.  Eh, making your own patties would have been much better.  I also cheated by using jarred sauce.  GASP!  I know RR would be disappointed in me, but hey, when you have a baby glued to your hip and only one hand to attack dinner with, you do what you gotta do.  I'm not above a few shortcuts, people! :)  My neighbor recently said, and I quote, "Ginger, your super duper June Cleaver skills intimidate me."  Clearly, she's not keeping up with my blog.  LOL  If you can read, you can cook!  But K, your super duper NURSE skills totally impress me, why else would I send my kid to your house for sliver removal???  :)  You keep my kids sliver free and I'll keep the sweets & treats coming.  Deal? 

Tonight I think I'll be figuring out a way to finish up that jarred spaghetti sauce but in the mean time here's the Lasagna Burger.  Give it a try!

Lasagna Burger
serves 4
1.5 pounds of ground beef, pork, and veal mix (sometimes called meatloaf mix--I can't find it at my local Kroger, but I think VG's carries this blend)
salt and pepper
2 Tbsp EVOO
1 small onion
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
one 14.5 ounce can Italian crushed tomatoes
1 handful basil leaves, shredded or torn
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1 cup of milk
a few grates of nutmeg
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup parmigiano-reggiano cheese (I just used parmesan)
4 hamburger or ciabatta rolls

1.  In a large bowl, season the meat with plenty of S&P.  Form into 4 patties, thinner in the middle for even cooking.  Drizzle with EVOO.
2.  In a sauce pan, heat 2 tbsp EVOO, over med heat.  Add the onion and cook until softened about 5 minutes; add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes more, then stir in the tomatoes and season with S&P.  Lower the heat and simmer for 5 mintues. 
3.  In a large skillet heat a drizzle of EVOO over med-hi heat.  Add the patties and cook, turning once until med-rare about 7-8 minutes. 
4.   While patties are cooking, in a small sauce pan, melt butter over med heat.  whisk in flour for 1 minute, then whisk in milk.  Season with S&P and nutmeg.  Then cook until thickend, about 5 minutes.  Stir in ricotta and parmigiano-reggiano. 
5.  Spoon some red sauce on the roll bottoms, then top with the patties.  Dollop the cheese sauce on the top of the patties and top with the top of the roll. 

Enjoy!  We had ours with broccoli.  I think this one was a keeper. 

*Sigh*  It's a gloomy morning, I hope it clears up.  When I looked out the window and realized it had been raining, my heart sank.  The last couple weeks have been so nice.  I must have sensed the gloom coming because last night I decided on The White Chicken Chili.  It's so easy, it's stupid.....

White Chicken Chili
1 48 oz jar white northern beans
1 large jar of salsa
2 teaspoons cumin
cooked, chopped or shredded chicken about a pound
and a bag of pepper jack cheese

heat through and serve, it's so good and simple!

We also had from scratch corn muffins.  Just use the recipe on the package, it's easier than you think and better than the box mix kind!  ;)

Teriyaki Pork & Mango Stir Fry

Last night I made Teriyaki Pork and Mango Stir Fry out of the Nov. Rachael Ray mag.  It said the prep was only 20 minutes, but I found it to be a lot longer than that...might or might not have anything to do with trying to keep a 3 year old's hands out of everything or keeping a six month old from crying her fool head off.  ;)  Anyhoo, I followed the recipe exactly and I was a little disappointed.  Mine looked nothing like the picture in the magazine. The flavors weren't as sharp as I would have liked...but my husband and kids ate it right up!  Hubby had seconds and packed the leftovers for his lunch.  Hmpf...go figure.  :)

Teriyaki Pork and Mango Stir Fry
serves 4  prep 20 min  cook 15 min
serve with steamed rice (I made minute rice)

1 lb of boneless pork chops
1/2 cup flour
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 small head of napa cabbage, cored and thinly sliced crosswise
4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
one 1-inch piece fresh ginger, finely chopped (about two tablespoons)  [I used some premade stuff in a tube, found in the produce section]
3 tbsp store-bought teriyaki sauce
2 mangoes, cut into matchsticks
2 cups bean sprouts

1.  On a work surface, place pork chops between 2 sheets of plastic wrap (or use an empty cereal bag), and using a meat mallet pound meat to 1/4 in thick.. Slice into 1/4 inch thick strips.  In a shallow bowl, whisk flour and salt.  Add pork and toss.
2. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 3 tbsp of oil over med-high heat.  Shake off excess flour from pork and arrange in  a single layer in the skillet.  Cook until browned and crisp on one side about 3 minutes; turn and cook, stirring until browned all over 2-3 minutes.  Transfer to plate.  [I found the meat to cook much faster than this, so be sure to keep an eye on it!]
3.  Add the remaining oil and cabbage to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally until the cabbage starts to brown 2-3 minutes.  [once cabbage begins to wilt, it goes fast have sauce ingredients ready to go!] Add the garlic and ginger; cook/stir 30 seconds.  Stir in the teriyaki sauce then toss pork and mangoes.  Serve over rice and top with bean sprouts.

If you've never had bean sprouts they have a very mild earthy taste, but provide a nice cool crunch.  The kids liked them.  I had a hard time keeping their hands out of the cabbage, mangoes, and sprouts while I was elbow deep in flouring the pork.  ;)   I'm pretty sure they are super good for you!

where did my weekend go?

Monday already?  The good news is, you didn't miss much, last night was the first I cooked since last Wednesday. 
Friday night I got to escape for a little night out with my girls R, S, & W.  We went back to our hometown (which is only a few minutes away LOL) to enjoy some mexican food at Rancho Grande.  This place is seriously a hole in the wall; it's cash or check only, no booze, and I swear the place has not changed one thing in 20 years right down to the velvet pictures on the wall.  Luckily the food hasn't changed in 20 years either.  I get the same thing everytime, cheese enchilada dinner deluxe.  Mmmmh, taking that first bite is so, so good.  The corn tortilla and cheese, uh, just so good!  I might just lick the plate clean if I weren't in a public establishment....LOL 
Saturday we had a spur of the moment "playdate" with my husband's cousin, her husband and kids.  We ordered pizza from this place in Linden that is mainly a party store, but they do have good pizza.  Actually, it's the bread sticks that keep us coming back to this place.  They put about a half inch of "butter" in the bottom of the to-go box and then pile on the bread sticks and put a ton of parmesan cheese all over it.  I love soaking the breadsticks in the butter goo and parmesan.  They are very reminicent of old school Little Caesar's breadsticks.  I even lie to the children that the breadsticks are gone so that I can hog them all.  Terrible, I know.  I'd rather give myself the heart attack, ya know.  I'm just looking out for them.  ;-)  ha ha ha
The past few weekends Hubby has been making breakfast.  I am loving it.  About a month ago, we watched this Good Eats episode about eggs, and since then he's been testing out his egg skills.  I like my eggs over easy, sunny side up, runny~whatever you call it; however I cannot make them myself.  He's also been cooking up pancakes, waffles, and this Sunday was french toast.  I could really get used to his weekend specials.  I hope he continues! :)  So, for last nights dinner, I was pumped up to make this recipe I saw in the latest Rachael Ray mag (nov 2009).  I had to buy it because so many things actually looked good in there.  I used to subscribe to her mag, but then the recipes got so crazy that I let it go.  I found a good deal over at Mags for Less for less than $9, so I decided I'd subscribe again. 
My dinner turned out pretty good, but I would make a few changes if I made it again.  I'll put my changes in parenthesis. 

Beef, Cheddar and Potato Pie
serves 8   prep 45 min  bake 45 min

2 pounds ground beef
2 carrots, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
1 large onion, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
2 stalks celery, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
1 large clove of garlic, finely chopped
1 large baking potato, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch cubes
1/2 cup dark beer (we used Amber Bock) -you could totally use beef broth
8 oz shredded sharp cheddar cheese
salt and pepper
2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed but cold
1 large egg yolk, beaten with 1 tbsp water

1. Preheat oven to 375^.  In a large skillet, combine beef, carrots, onion, celery, garlic, and potato and cook, breaking up the meat, over medium-high heat until the beef is cooked through and some liquid has evaporated, about 15 minutes.  Lower the heat to medium, add the beer and cook for 10 minutes.  Add the cheese, 2 teaspoons salt (I would only use 1--two was way to salty for our taste) and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper.  Let cool.
2.  On a floured surface, roll out 1 puff pastry sheet inot a 12-inch round.  Place in a 10 inch skillet or deep pie plate.  Roll the remaining puff pastry sheet into an 11 inch round.  Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meat mixture into the pie pan.  Lightly brush the edge of the crust with some egg wash, then place the second sheet on top.  Press the edges to seal, then trim them to a 1/2 inch edge.  (NOTE: my bottom pastry did not finish cooking in the allotted time.  I would not use a bottom crust if I made this again. I also didn't bother with making the pastries into rounds, I just left them square and formed them into a circle in the pan, only trimming the top crust a little to make a circle shape.)
3.  Place the pie on a baking sheet.  Brush top with more of the egg wash and cut and "X" into the pastry.  Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt (again, a little much, just sprinkle a little on) and a 1/2 teaspoon of pepper.  Bake for 45 minutes, tenting with foil if the the crust darkens too quickly.  Transfer to a rack to cool for 15 minutes. 

Overall, this was really good.  The beer flavor was nice and mild.  It was just disappointing that the bottom crust was still a little doughy and the salt was a bit much.  The crust thing could have been my fault.  I used a Pampered Chef stoneware pie plate, maybe I needed to bake it longer??  Dunno, we were so hungry and of course when I pulled it out, the top looked done, so I had no idea that the bottom wasn't. 

Tonight we are having Teriyaki Pork-and-Mango-Stir-Fry, outta the RR Mag again.  I'll be sure to let you know how it was!

the sun is out!

I'm posting early today since I'm not really cooking dinner tonight.  Hubs & I have our first ever parent-teacher conference @6:30!  After meeting with B's teacher, Hubs & I are heading to Outback to use up a birthday gift certificate we got.  Woohoo!  Can't wait for the Blue Cheese Chop Salad and big ol' Raspberry Margarita.  Maybe I'll have steak too.  lol  Before we leave though, I will be whipping up some Kraft mac n'cheese, I think we might have a few chicken nuggets buried in the freezer somewhere and they'll get a frozen veggie too; probably green beans (their favorite!).  Dinner is served.  Granny is watching them while we are gone, surly they'll get dessert tonight.  ;)

Since my dinner is nothing to write about tonight, I thought I'd post this gem.  I made these a few weeks back and my friend A wanted the recipe!  Here ya go, A!

Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies
makes 48


2 cups creamy peanut butter
2 cups packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp baking soda
1 cup coarsely chopped cocktail peanuts
 Ganache
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
 Garnish
chopped peanuts


1.  Heat oven to 350* F.  Beat peanut butter, sugar, eggs, and baking soda in large bowl with electric mixer 2 minutes or until smooth and blended.  Stir in chopped nuts.


2.  Drop level tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart, flat side down, onto ungreased baking sheets.  Bake, one sheet at a time, 10 minutes or until cookies are puffed and slightly golden.  Cool 5 minutes on baking sheet; remove to wire racks to cool completely.


3.  Ganache: Microwave cream in glass bowl on high 1 minute or until it just begins to simmer.  Add chocolate chips; let stand 2 minutes.  Stir until chocolate is melted and smooth; spread over half of cookie tops and sprinkle with chopped nuts.  If ganache begins to firm up, microwave a few seconds at a time until easy to spread.

These are very rich cookies, but oh-so-good.  I got this recipe from Woman's Day magazine.  I guess I'm old since I read that ol' rag.

<3 Comfort Food <3

Tonight we are having Grandma's Biscuits & Sausage Gravy.  Mmmmh....  I think I have perfected the biscuits after a few attempts, well as good as I'm gonna get, I suppose.   Ya know how even if you make something *exactly* the way someone else did but it's still not quite right?!  No matter how close I come, I'll always be missing the LOVE that she put into it.  Maybe one day my kids will say the same of me.  Here's my plate of love:

I also made a couple of loaves of Pumpkin Bread.  It actually uses the entire can.  I hate pumpkin recipes that call for 1 cup--use the whole darn can, please and thank you!  My lovely neighbor J was gracious enough to give me a brick of cream cheese so I could slather it all over my pumpkin bread slices.  Mmmmhhh!  Yummy! 

I got this recipe from Allrecipes.com I use that site a lot.  I like how you can type in ingredients you have and search for a recipe. 

Ingredients


1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup water
3 cups white sugar
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 7x3 inch loaf pans.  (I used two 9x4s and it took a little longer to bake.)

In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water and sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Pour into the prepared pans.

Bake for about 50 minutes in the preheated oven. Loaves are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
 
I did follow the recipe as posted and found it to be a mild pumpkin flavor.  The outside has a nice crust and the inside is nice and moist.  The cream cheese on it is a nice addition.  I would probably bake this again. 
 

Terrific Tuesday

Ha!  That is said very sarcastically.  It hasn't been a terrible day, but Tuesdays are usually busy as E goes to preschool & I must drive him.  While he is there my friend A & I try to walk.  Today was a nice day for it.  After I pick up E we usually hang around to pick up B 45 minutes later, as they attend school in the same building.  Today we ran an errand to kill time.  Then we zip home & I have to fend off the boys from eating too much.  The baby needs to eat.  The dog wants out.  Looking through the mail, nothing good today.  Of course, check my email.  ;)  All in all it's a crazy time from 4-6 pm. 
Tonight for dinner we are having Pork Chops & "The Pioneer Woman's Sweet-Roasted Rosemary Acorn Squash Wedges," along with some mixed frozen veggies.  For the pork chops I searched around for a good one this morning and decided to combine a couple I looked at. 

Here's my version, what I'm calling Ritzy Pork Chops
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
coupla sleeves of Ritz Crackers, smashed to smitherines
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 pounded out thin, pork chops

Scramble eggs and add the garlic & onion powder to it.  When you pound out your pork chops, be careful of your fingers!  (Tip: You know those heavy plasticy bags that cereal come is, well save them when they are empty--they are great for smashing meat in, won't break.  Sadly, I never remember to keep the bags!!!) Then dry the meat with paper towels, dredge in eggs, then cracker crumbs, and into the hot fry pan with the oil.  Cook to desired doneness, depending on thickness.  I made mine pretty thin, so it should only take a couple of minutes per side. 

For Ree's squash recipe, please visit: here.  If you've never checked out The Pioneer Woman, nows the time!  She's the whole package, folks!  I just saw that she was featured in People magazine! 

How was it?  Pork chops were pretty good, I over cooked them a bit (naturally with three distractions!).  The squash was good, maybe go light on the rosemary unless you really love it.  The kids had to pick out all the little stems.  I let Joy try a bite of the squash.  She seemed to like it, but really she has no idea what to do yet. 

Wow, Six months is a long time...

Okay, so my last post was in May. I had a baby, ya know! Besides being busy doing all that a mom of three precious hoodlums does, I didn't really think anyone kept up with my writings besides my bff, and she's only doing that because she's obligated to do so. LOL I felt this blog was lacking a direction. However, I think I have decided on one and hopefully from here on out will be able to keep up with it and have something to say that might be interesting.





I recently had a FB friend approach me for advice on what to make for a party she was hosting. I was so flattered that she thought of me! Then, my neighbor suggested that I blog about my cooking/baking as she is always asking me for a recipe or oohing and aahing over my "status updates" on Facebook when I talk about food. I had been thinking about it, and with that little encouragement, decided it was a good idea. :) Thanks Jess!





This blog will now be about what's for dinner in the real world! I am a busy mom of three kids under 5. I love to try new recipes, and, of course, have quite a few good ol' standbys. I tend to wing it a lot times, and some things I make (like chili) never seem to come out the same way twice. I'm not good at planning ahead. I know some who do that, but for me, how do I know on Monday what is going to sound good on Thursday night? I usually only shop every other week. We don't eat out that much. I do make things that are a total flop and some stuff is just outstanding, that I totally impress myself! Some things have special meaning to me and I make them with lots of love. When I bake, I usually wear an apron becuase I get so messy! So there you have it, a little bit about my habits.





Ironically, after a busy weekend and a late night last night I have no motivation for dinner tonight. So Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup it is. Hopefully I won't burn it.... ;-)

Still here...

Yep, I'm still here. Still pregnant. Just in case there are any strangers out there that follow my blog. The plan is for me to be induced on Thursday night, so it's expected for the official arrival to be on Friday, May 15th. Yay! Finally! Light at the end of the tunnel...er maybe literally?! ha ha! I've been having a lot of contractions, last night they even woke me up from my deep slumber. But, I guess they puttered out and haven't had much going on since I got up. My midwife keeps telling me that third pregnancies are the weirdest so... I guess all the contractions just play into that. I've been Believing for a manageable and quick labor, so maybe all these contractions are good, getting the body ready so that when labor kicks in for real, it will go fast. I'm confident it will go smoothly.

I had a great Mother's Day. We spent it will all parts of our family, it was very nice. The night before, I was really missing my Grandma. I had been in a pretty bad mood all day Saturday and then it kind of hit me like a ton of bricks... my first Mother's Day without her. I had a good cry, then felt a lot better. I miss her terribly. I am so sad that she isn't here to share in my excitement and joy for my daughter. I know she would have been so happy for us to finally be getting our girl. I'm sure she'll be "visiting" us from the other side, but gee, it would just be nice if I could converse with her!! I had a dream about her a few weeks ago that was pretty funny. I dreamt that her and I were at Bob Evans and the waitress pointed out that a tornado was coming. We just sat there. When it was over, she wanted to go back to her house to change her clothes or something. I was like, "grandma, your clothes are gone." She said, "WHAT!??!?!" and I had to tell her that she'd been dead for over 6 months and we got rid of her stuff. She was really mad (about getting rid of her stuff).

Okay, well kids want breakfast. Suppose I should feed them and myself. Have a great day!

Almost time...

Three weeks. Three [short] weeks until the hopeful arrival of my bundle of Joy! It's hard to believe that 9 months have gone by already. It's so funny how when you're young you can't wait to be older. The time seemed to drag by. Then you grow up and you realize time moves a lot faster. And when you have kids, it literally just zooms by. I long to go back sometimes. Not to before kids, but just rewind to the beginning of kids and try to enjoy it as much as possible. Not that I didn't, because I did, thus baby #3. ;-) I love being a mom, I love babies. Three year olds, not so much. Kidding!!! I never knew for sure if we were going to even have a #3 baby, so I feel very blessed that God provided this opportunity to us and I plan on savoring every moment I can. I have enjoyed this pregnancy and for the most part it's been problem free and very easy (minus the one week of hell from sciatica nerve pain). But then again, the first two were pretty simple too.



I can't wait to see my baby girl's face. Who will she look like? My oldest son is the spitting image of his father, and the middle one favors me a lot. What color hair and eyes will she have? B has brown hair and green/hazel eyes, EO has blond hair and the most beautiful blue eyes. There is a good chance she could be a red head. There's red on all sides of the family. That would be kind of funny if we had three kids that were three completely different combinations. I suppose it's entirely possible. I'm really hoping her personality is really easy going. At least the first year. ha ha ha... Oh, the anticipation! I can't wait, and now I really don't have to wait that much longer. My schedule is pretty busy, so hopefully my time spent waiting will be full of fun and adventure. Certainly, tomorrow night. Spending the evening with some of my bestest friends for dinner and a movie. On little last hurrah kid free kind of night. Can't wait!



I must rant about my lovely dog. Using the term lovely real loose here. Okay, this might be TMI, but he won't stop chewing up my underwear!!! He demolished TWO pairs just LAST NIGHT! I am about out of underwear now! In the past couple of weeks he's managed to ruin like 6 pair. Then the two last night. Like I want to run out and get underwear now?!! AND it's not my fault that he's gaining access to them. I am really good about putting my dirty clothes in the basket, but it has holes in the side of it that are probably the size of a 50cent piece. He some how pulls them through the holes. BUT someone keeps leaving the door to the bathroom open and it's NOT ME! If you know me, you know I'm super anal about doors being shut. I can't stand for a cupboard to be left open, or not shut evenly. I have to have the bathroom and closet doors shut in our room, especially when it's time for bed. I hate it when my husband doesn't clear out the microwave and it's flashing some random message. {okay enough of my pet peeves} You get the point. I'm not responsible! So... I guess this is just one way to clean out your underwear drawer... you can come have Roscoe visit for a week. You'll definitely be down a few pairs. :P

Oh, and a few words about American Idol. I wasn't surprised to see Matt go home. For a second I really wondered if it was going to be Adam. You know, one of those OMG-Can't-Believe-It things that would have everyone talking for days... I read in TV Guide that next year is to be Simon's last year. He assures that the show will go on with out him. He also predicts that Danny will be the winner this season....per usual, I just wanted to punch Paula in the face over and over. They really need to ditch her!!! OH! I never watched the season that Taylor Hicks won...so I don't know much about him. After last nights performance, I can see I'm not missing much. So is he a country artist?? what-ever!

AI

So I never bothered to watch the last weeks American Idol after all the lame reviews. But here I sit this week through the torture. So far though, I guess it hasn't been too much. *OMG, this Burger King commercial is awful!!!!*

Lil- I like this song, I'm Every Woman. Let's see...she does look cute, I like the long hair. So far she hasn't sang very many words... Hmmmm...eh. I agree with Randy. Ouch, Kara was a bit harsh. Zip it Paula. Simon does not look amused. Yeah, buh-bye.

Kris-Is that dirt on his face??? Er, stick to the baby face! This version makes me think of China Grove. I don't care for it, but at least he made it his own. WTH is Paula talking about?!

Danny- EW & F-September. EW, the facial hair reminds me of George Michael. Sort of seems to be shouting the song to me. If Kara says he's on pitch, then he must have been on pitch. OMG, I totally agree with Simon, no "star" power on the stage for that song.

Alison-Hot Stuff. I love how she knows who she is and is consistent week after week with it. Hot stuff she is!! Although, she always seems a bit angry. Wow, I think Paula agreed with me.

Adam- If I Can't Have You. Nice. Pulled back a little for him. Seemed very short. Oh, Paula, sit down! Most memorable? I don't know about that Kara. IS PAULA CRYING?!!! oh, I could just punch her in the face. I like how Adam always gives credit where credit is due. Definitely seems very genuine.

Matt-staying Alive. Nice dance moves. Hard to do while singing... I hate those hats he wears. I suppose I'm just old. HOT...except the end note was a little weird for me. Where does Paula come up with all these coments. She must lay awake at night thinking of them.

Anoop's last? Oh, that means he must be the best of the night... we shall see.

Good grief... I have to pee again!! I swear I am going like every 5 minutes. So annoying!

Anoop--Oh, I think he got an eyebrow wax. Finally! What song is this? I didn't hear Ryan say... Ouch. Don't think he was the best of the night... Randy has said the same thing to every single contestant tonight!!! Yes, we get it they can all sing... I think Paula wants to take him home. ooooh, mediocre? maybe. Worst? No way..Beat it was the worst!!

Hmmm... dunno. It seems for sure that Lil will be going home. As for the other??! Hard to say.

Surprise!

My dear hubby came home last night with a surprise for me. A new flat screen HD Tv for our bedroom. We had this dinosaur RCA in there that my husband had as a teen. The remote didn't work half the time and the tv itself made a strange high pitched humming sound. We would like to have the new one hang on the wall eventually, but for now we moved his dresser so it could sit on top of that. Which, was a good thing because now there will be a bit more room for the bassinet to go in there. Now I just need a fridge in there. ha ha The nice surprise for my husband was that his new boss gave him an extra $500. I guess that is a good sign that the new boss is happy with my husbands first week of work there! =) Go B!

Well, I hear the monkey awake... better cut this short!

Hope you have a great weekend!

Happy Easter, a day late...

Hi! Happy Easter everyone! A day late, I know. But the good part of that is that I was too busy yesterday to even turn on my computer. We woke up and of course the kids came barreling down the stairs to see what the Bunny left. The Bunny was generous this year and left them each a two-wheel bike. Oh, and some candy of course. After they found all their eggs, I whipped up a quick breakfast of monkey bread, fruit salad, and scrambled eggs. I like monkey bread, but for some reason I can NEVER get the middles to come out cooked through all the way. So my husband & I picked around the edges of it and pitched the rest. We got ready for church and to my delight, my mother had accepted my invitation to join us, she got her about 9. We went off to church and it was really good. Although, I was dying to sit after the first song. Sciatica nerve, still aching. :( But Pastor was really good and my mom really enjoyed it. I've been wanting to ask her to go with us for quite some time, and I'm glad I finally did. I think she'll come back. Woo hoo! After church my mom went home and we went to my mother-in-laws for the remainder of the day. I love going there, the kids just want to hang with her & grandpa so we get a nice break. It was half way decent outside, so they spent a lot of time outside hunting for eggs and walking the trails and riding their bikes. We finally headed for home around 7:30. What a long few days we had.... Today back to the grind, which was not really what I had in mind. ;)


Today is Eo's birthday. He's 3. I guess he's not thrilled about it, every time we mention it he acts all shy and covers his face. Geez...I understand that when you turn 3-0, but 3? Gosh, he's starting early... We didn't know if we were having a boy or a girl while I was pregnant with him, I wanted my girl bad and had sort of talked myself into the fact that it was. But I knew deep in my heart he was a boy and was not at all surprised when my husband said, "It's a boy!" However, we hadn't settled on a name for a boy yet, so he didn't officially get a name for like 24 hours. His birth was one of my most proud accomplishments. I labored and delivered him without any pain medications what-so-ever. It was very liberating and powerful. I achieved my goal and was very proud for that. I look forward to accomplishing that goal again in a few weeks. =) Eo was such an easy baby we called him EZ. However, right now I would say he's the complete opposite of easy. I know, this too shall pass. Happy Birthday my baby boy! You make your mama proud.

Okay, while on our little vacay to Cincy, we hit the water park. I had a revelation there. I know these words will probably come back to haunt me, but I don't want my daughter to ever wear a bikini. I know... I know that it is probably super cute to put one on a baby or toddler, but if you start letting them do it from the get go, at what point can you pull back? I don't think you can, so if you never start then you have more leverage. I was just amazed at how awful most of these suits are. I saw like a 4 year old in one that had skulls all over it, which I have nothing against really, but what kind of message is that sending? Most of them even for little, little girls were these triangle top things. Um, hello?! Worst of all the tweens and teen girls who were sporting the bikinis and flaunting it all... all the old men were ogling over. Ick! I want my daughter to have respect for her body and flaunting all that skin in public ~I just don't think is appropriate. Lord Help Me. =)

Overwhelmed...

I was supposed to come home from our mini-get away relaxed and refreshed, right? However, I am feeling quite overwhelemed by everything all of a sudden.

Our quick trip to Cincinnati was really good. The kids really had a good time and we enjoyed making them happy. Ben & I got to appreciate the good eats that you can only get in Cincy and the kids rocked on at the water park and aquarium. I must say the water park was no where near as nice as Great Wolf Lodge and the aquarium could have been a little bit nicer, but over all it was all good. =)

I was unable to watch American Idol while we were down there. For some reason, we could not find the local Fox station and amidst the search, I stumbled upon Charlie Brown's Easter special and all channel flipping ceased, as my boys loooooove Snoopy. I did watch it when I got home and over all found the majority of it boring. I have read that people's tivo's cut out at the end, and so did my DVR. I think the show just actually ran long...because I never get cut out at the end. Maybe Paula shouldn't blow so much hot air... anyhoo... Not sad to see what-ever-his-name is go. Wow. Is he that forgettable? I can't even think of his name...chalk it up to pregnancy brain I guess.

Speaking of pregnancy brain...ugh! That is my problem today. I'm a mess. It's been a problem for a couple of days. On the way down to Cincy, I was bawling to some country song. Then I was reading some magazine article about not knowing if your 'done' having kids... I was a wreck. I couldn't even let a tear roll down my cheek though, for fear my husband would ask me what the heck was wrong. Having to tell him that I was crying about "not knowing" would have put him through the roof!! I know he's "DONE". He's been done. It's so crazy for me to even think that I might not be done~ what business do I have even contemplating a fourth when the third isn't even born yet?!!!! It's totally insane, totally pregnancy hormones. OBVIOUSLY! No sane person would be thinking about #4 when #3 is 6 weeks away from being born. *sigh* On our last night in Cincy, my sciatica nerve flared up. I was doing okay, the drive home was totally fine. However Friday when I got up, it was in full force. I had to do some errands in the morning and then spent the rest of the day on the couch with 3 pillows, blankets, and begging my kids to get me a drink or let the dog out. Thank goodness B was a great help. This pain is literally a pain in the rear end. Shooting pain. If I'm still, it's all good. I can lay or sit and have no issue. It's as soon as I move around or lean forward at all that the pain shoots in my rear. So, now having to deal with it for the past few days, It's starting to get me down. I really have had no complaints this entire pregnancy, but now this. I suffered this pain in my first pregnancy, but I think it was earlier on. Not this late in the game. The thought of having to endure this for 6 more weeks is not a good thing for me. I don't like just sitting, especially when it seems like so much has to be done before the baby comes. Did I mention that we have plans every single weekend this month AND next!? AND that my mother-in-law is going to be gone for like 10 days coming up--so that means I have an extra dog to deal with and no babysitter. AND my husband starts his new job on Monday, and I really don't know what to expect from that.

Just a lot going on.

I'm feeling better though now. I have a stack of magazines I think I will indulge in and put my pajamas back on for the balance of the day.

Hope you have a great Easter.

A Shout Out to My Friend Amy!

My friend Amy made me this A-W-E-S-O-M-E scrapbook in anticipation of my baby girl. I've scrapped a little here and there, and enjoy it but it's very time consuming. Amy is what I'd consider a professional scrapper! The quality of her work is amazing! =)

PLEASE, please check her out at www.YourCustomScrapbook.com

Idol Recap of Top 9

Idol night. Woo-hoo. I just realized something too--hopefully by the time this show ends, the night of the grand finale, I'll be holding my baby girl in my arms instead of my belly. Yee Haw!

Oh dear, Why is Paula wearing a prom dress, AGAIN?!

an Usher song by Anoop...hmmm. Neat MJ jacket, way better than the dorky tie and sweater getup though. Eh, I don't think this song shows any range. I really preferred him in a slower jam. The fast ones just come off so dorky.

Megan--Oh Gawd! Bob Marley?!?! Is this any surprise? She's putting the nails in her coffin, I hope anyway. Eh. Ick. Talk about standing at the bus stop?!?!!! This girl has no confidence! Thank God it's over. Ah yes, a chair that would help out her awful body language, but probably not the awful voice.

I think they pay people to boo what the judges say...

Danny-What Hurts The Most (rascal flatts)- I have a hard time listening to any RF song ever since my Grandma died, because I automatically associate it with the RF song played at her funeral. That being said, I managed to sit through his performance. How many different pairs of glasses does this kid have?! I felt like he sang it with a lot of emotion, which was good. I liked it. Though sometimes when they take a song sung by a band it is a little weird for me.

Allison-Don't Speak. I love this song. Let's see... Not so sure about her wild hair but I bet Gwen would approve and I think it's bringing youth to her image. I liked it. She made it her own in a good way. Not blown away though. I think Gwen would have totally dug the out fit. I didn't think anything of it, I'm surprised the judges gave her such a hard time. I really liked the beginning with the guitar.

Scott-Just the Way You Are, Billy Joel- Do you think he looks like Kirk Cameron a la Growing Pains era?!! LoL! Well, at least an attempt is being made to look a little cooler. I've been sort of over this guy for the past few weeks, but I think he did very well and it's his best song yet. Very nice. BUT.... I don't see him being the right market for this audience.

Matt--You Found Me, The Fray-- Whew! He must have read my blog comments from last weeks show about his terrible outfit. He looks MUCH better this week. I loved how he was surrounded by people while performing the song, way cool stage presence. I thought it totally was awesome! I might even download this one. Rock on!!!
Wait...what?! Oh Paula, shut up. I can't stand anything that comes out of her mouth. OMG! I can't believe it! All bad reviews!!! No way!! Not fair!! I totally agree that it showed versatility!! Poor Matt! I hope America agreed with me!

Lil--Celine--I Surrender-- I don't even know what to say. Oh that sounds good-BORING! Too Safe! No charisma. She's lost something... I hope she finds it soon.

Adam--Play that Funky Music--Oh dear. Current record? Let's see.....
Um! Children watch this show!! Enough thrusting young man! I swear, he's channeling Elvis again this week. I don't know, probably could be a hit today, but I wouldn't buy it. I do agree with Kara, I do look forward to see what this kid is going to do next. There is no denying his talent and creativity.

Kris--Ain't no Sunshine--Last person usually knocks it out of the park. Will Kris? He plays Piano??!! Wow! HOT! HOT! HOT!! Ooooh, Kara can count tonight. Woo hoo! Best of the night for sure!

My Bottom 3-
Anoop, Megan & I guess Lil. I like her, but she's had weeks of wrong songs now...

It's Happening!!

I had to go to Walmart to get my eyes checked and order new contacts. I walked around a bit afterwards and it occurred to me that I am starting to waddle!!! ICK! Please Lord, let this babe come a *little* early. Maybe it's just the pants I am wearing. They are not very comfortable. Yeah, that must have been it...

I'll do another Idol recap tomorrow!

Hey-have you seen this awesome stuff at Target? OMG! I love it!!
http://www.target.com/b/ref=in_se_pagelist/190-6233325-8626260?ie=UTF8&itemsPerPage=33&node=1263103011&pricerange=&index=tgt-mf-mv&field-browse=1263103011&rank=pmrank&viewID=leaf&field- pricebin=&store=&size=33&rh=&page=1&fromBrowse=1

(obviously I have no idea how to make that a clean link with just a word... feel free to leave a comment on how to do so, if you know!)

Sharing My Husbands News

Okay, so I can't for the life of me figure out how to find his blog to simply just link it to mine... so I copied and pasted what I wanted to share from his. =)

I'm so proud and happy for him! Here is the details in his own words though:


Not a Banker Anymore

Thursday, March 26, 2009 at 11:08pm
Yes! You read that right! A couple of blogs ago I mentioned that there was a change coming. Here it is.I guess this is a special blog. For those friends/family who don't know, I gave notice to the bank that Monday that April 3 will be my last day there. My last day in banking. Crazy.I took a position as Chief Operating Officer of a local private company. It is a growing service concern with 200+ employees. It is a dream come true! I always had a goal of being an executive manager, but I always thought it would be as a banker. I am very blessed to have this opportunity. I thank God for providing my career with so many great opportunities along the way, but this one is the best! I can't explain why, with our economy the way it is, and so many folks hurting, any other reason why I have been given the opportunities I have. The Lord is looking out for my family and I, and I couldn't be more thankful.It was April 6, 1996. My first day as a banker. I got hired by The State Bank as a teller. Thereafter, I quickly understood that my calling was to be a banker. I later took jobs in credit administration, mortgage lending, credit analysis, commercial lending, and commercial lending management. I worked for The State Bank, Clarkston State Bank, Standard Federal Bank, The State Bank (again), and Davison State Bank. I met most of my best friends in the banking business. I will mention none, with fear that I will forget somebody. That is how many great people I met. I guess, looking back, that is the single most important thing I will take from my time in banking. Sure, I learned a lot of other stuff, but banking is a people business, and I met some of the best. The banking business grew me up. I have no earthly idea what would have come of me if I hadn't gotten so focused on my banking career. I was 19 when TSB hired me. I don't know why they did. I was kind of a punky kid. I was a hard worker, though. I quickly became proud to wear a tie everyday. My first manager, Mike Macklem (wonder where he is today), made it really clear that you had to have a BA to make it anywhere in banking. He also told me that the only way to make any money in the business was to get into commercial lending. In May, 2000 I was a college graduate, and in September, 2001 I was in the commercial lending department as a credit analyst. The successes came. In 2003 I became a Commercial Loan Officer at Clarkston State Bank, which at the time was affiliated with TSB. In 2006, I won the Professional Banker of the Year Award at TSB. The award is the highest honor provided to a salaried worker at TSB, and that was my proudest career moment. In December, 2007 I was made Vice President of the bank, which I was also very proud of, especially given my age (I was 31). In December, 2008 I was given the opportunity to manage the lending function of Davison State Bank in addition to my duties at TSB. They recently announced the sale of DSB, but managing the department for that short time was very rewarding. It has been a GREAT career. So, why am I leaving all of this? Opportunity. Very simply. There is risk in making a move that I am. However, I think there is just as much risk (if not more) in staying. Banking is in a time of transition. I don't know what will actually come of the business, given the economic troubles we face.So I did it. I have to pinch myself now and again. I am excited to start a new chapter.Anyway, my next blog will be back to baseball, simple minded politics, and updates on my walk with Jesus!
The Voice


So, a new chapter opens in our life. We are so blessed and looking forward to the new adventure.

Idol Recap of Motown Night

I love having a DVR and getting to fast forward through all the hullabaloo and scripted crap that they think people really want to hear about. I must say I think Paula is so full of herself it's not funny. Why is she wearing some princess tutu dress? Dear Paula, the show is not about YOU!!! Stop being so damn dramatic, let the contestants SHINE.

Fast Forward...

Matt-Let's Get It On. I like this song. Sexy. Love him with the piano, love that he's getting up. Great performance. What I can't get over is the NOT-AT-ALL-SEXY Mr. Roger's Neighborhood sweater getup. WTH??? His outfit was so distracting for me that it lost some of the sexy appeal that he the song has. Who wants to get it on with a guy wearing that nerdy sweater, button up shirt and tie... ?! Phu-leeze!

Kris- How Sweet It Is. Song is fitting for him. I think of him as very sweet. I liked what he did at the beginning. It was just okay for me overall, but his cuteness adds bonus points from me.

Scott-Can't Hurry Love. Oooookay, so every week he picks a song sung by a woman and thinks he's changing it up, surprising the peeps. Eh...I'm over it. I do think any artist who can sing and play an instument is a class act, but I'm finding this poor guy to be quite boring. He needs to try to smile more during the performance, or at least look like he's enjoying it.

Paula is an IDIOT!

Megan- For Once In My Life. Before she even begins I'm thinking Ugh Ugh Ugh. I don't like her, never have.
She can't dance.
She's not comfortable.
Quite frankly, she can't sing.
When I close my eyes, all I can picture is an old lady singing. It's like that for me everyweek.
I'm so glad the judges came down on her. Please put us out of our misery, send her home!!!

Anoop-Oh Baby Baby. I was excited to hear Anoop. Even in his corny songs, I knew the boy could sing. Okay, another kind of sexy song but it's totally ruined for me by the awaful outfit!! Who is dressing these boys??!!! The performance was really good, this boy does have some talent!

Michael Sarver- Ain't to Proud To Beg. Another Ugh for me. He genuinely seems like a nice guy but as a performer, terrible. He makes way to many weird faces and moves the mic too awkwardly for me. Boring. Forgettable. I can't believe this bozo stayed on longer than Alexis Grace. :(

I almost always agree with Simons comments... yep, there is no way he can win. Say bhu-bye
bla bla bla...

Lil Rounds- Heat Wave. I think she was concentrating on the song so much that she didn't enjoy performing it and that really came out. Yes, it totally seemed rushed. She did look cute, I loved the dress. Hopefully she can kick it back up a notch next week.

Adam-Tracks of my Tears. First observanc-scary hair. Coupled with that outfit, I think he's just missing Elvis's sunglasses. Moving on.... as much as I don't really care for this guy, I think he knocked it out of the park tonight!!!!! I really think that song would be a hit (again) if recorded like that today! WOW. He even gets the standing O from Smokey. Rock on. I do think Adam is in a different league than most of the contestants in that he understands the artistry aspect of performing. Even if he doesn't win the title this season as The American Idol, he's going to be a star.

Danny-Get Ready. Last I checked there is no "T" in the word ready. Eh... Not overly impressed. I totally agreed with Simon, but now I can't recall what exactly it was I was agreeing with... ha. I guess he was that forgettable last night.

Allison-Papa Was A Rolling Stone.
Randy-blazin' HOT
Kara-Amazing
Paula-Awesome
Simon-Survivor
Me-I thought she did really well, But I sort of tuned out... I think she has a hard time connecting with the people who actually vote. The fact that she is only 17 but seems way beyond her years--I think sort of hurts her. She is an awesome singer so, I hope she stays because there are others who defnintely need to go home.

First up=Paula. Gawd. Can't we get rid of her?! I'm so sick of her and Simon's crap. ANNOYING!

My bottom 3 picks-Megan, Michael, & Scott.

So Sorry

Okay, It's clear that I suck at blogging. Or at least doing it on a regular basis. I feel like what I might have to say isn't very interesting, but I guess who cares?

Today I am waiting... I don't like waiting on things that have to do with depending on other people, as I've mentioned before. A new chapter is being opened in our lives and today was a big day for my husband and this transition. It's after one pm and I haven't heard from him yet. I have no idea how his day is going but I'm dying to know. He was pretty upset as he left this morning, which of course makes me upset. Even though good things are to come, it doesn't make any of this any easier.

I have a funny "Out of The Mouth of Babes" ~ this is a conversation between my 4 year old & I:
B: Are you pregnant mom?
me: Yes.
B: How did the baby get in there? Does God just shove it in?
me: Mmmmhmmm, yep, God just shoves it in.

LOL... I don't think I'm ready to have the birds and the bees talk with him just yet. ;-)

Speaking of my 4 year old... we went to his kindergarten roundup last week. Oh my. I can't believe my first born is already going to be going to *real* school. Some how preschool just isn't real. Having him gone 5 days for hours on end will be so odd. Just thinking of his first day of school, getting on that bus in six months makes me cry! I was mortified that I was blubbering at the open house about his first day of school. I am sure that most mothers cry on their child's first day of school, but SIX months before?!!! Must be the silly baby hormones.

Ah, baby baby. I'm counting down. Technically 9 weeks to go. According to my midwife on Thursday it will be 8 weeks. If my wish comes true, more like 6 weeks. I'm hoping for a mother's day baby. The full moon is May 9th. It's possible... trust me, I'll be doing everything I can to make the arrival of Baby Joy come a little earlier than May 24th. I've been feeling really good. I guess I am surprised by this. About a month ago, I found out my iron was low and ever since I have been consciously trying to make sure I get enough, I have just felt marvelous.

Guess I better mention my middle child. =) EO's been giving me a hard time. Must be the age. He'll be 3 in a couple of weeks. I am a little worried about how he'll be once the baby arrives. His favorite thing to do now is the complete opposite of what I want him to do. It's really hard to punish him because it always ends up seeming to punish B too. Like if EO won't pick up toys and I take them away then obviously B won't get to play with them either. And fighting with EO at bed time, just keeps B awake too. *sigh* hopefully it's just a stage...

Well, I guess that is all I can think of for now...my thoughts are elsewhere, waiting to hear from my husband.

Oh, and I will try to write a little more often... I have come to terms with the fact that my blog isn't going to be full of way cool pictures and such. ;-)

What a Beautiful Day!

I must start by announcing that today has just been a beautiful day here in good ol' Michigan. It's literally 60 degrees and sunny here--in FEBRUARY!!! Everyone you meet to day is in a good mood. I'm not so silly that I don't realize we'll be getting more snow before it's all said and done, but a little warmth and sunshine can put the hope back into us that spring WILL eventually get here, making the last few weeks of winter tolerable.

I have a new obsession...SONIC. Not so much the food, which was okay, but the DRINK selection is awesome! I love the slushy drinks and the limeades!! Sadly, I can't seem to get my timing right to go to happy hour between 2-4. What a pregnant girls dream!! =)

Tomorrow is my oldest son's Valentine's Day party at school. I'm helping out for the party and made from scratch heart shaped sugar cookies AND from scratch frosting. The kids will be putting on the frosting and other decorations...I sure hope they like them. It was a lot of work, and a little secret--the first time ever I have made my own sugar cookies. It took me all day.... not sure if I'll be signing up for that treat again! ;-) Now I just have to get B to sign all his little Valentines to hand out. He can write his name, but doing it 22 times in a row...well that's a challenge and I, of course, wait until the last night to have him do it.... oops!

Better get on that....

Hope you're having a fab day!

My Boys

*sigh* There is something that occasionally happens in our house that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. My oldest son has night terrors every so often. I think he used to have them as a baby, but I just didn't realize it. He's always been a terrible sleeper-gave up naps by 18 months, used to frequently get up at 5 am and be ready to rock, at least now he sleeps good from 8pm - 6:30-7am most days. I tried a variety of things to get him to sleep and mostly out of my selfishness did whatever was easiest to get him there. But looking back on the times I was loosing my mind, I wonder if it was something way beyond my control? Once he started talking and could articulate, was when I realized that he suffered from these strange night terrors. Unless you've experienced it, you can't imagine how horrible, awful, helpless you feel when your baby is calling out scared for you and you are right there, but he has no idea. My son typically is crying during these crazy episodes and his eyes are open. He can be looking right at you but it not register. In the past I think we've topped out at like 10 minutes for this to go on, which is a lifetime. But last nights, was by far the longest we've had to deal with. It was around a half an hour. My husband came in and woke me up and said B was having a fit. So I stumble in there and he is crying, sobbing. I felt his face-a few real tears. He is flailing his arms around as if he's swimming in water. I try to roll him over, but his body is very tense and he gets mad that I am trying to change his position. I keep asking him over and over, "B what is wrong?" "Mommy's here!" For a while, I get little response from him. Eventually he starts responding, but he is still not out of the terror. I held him in my arms, trying to gently shake him awake, but he tells me to get away, leave him alone. *stab to my heart* I know this isn't my boy speaking to me. I hold him close even though he doesn't seem to want me to. I don't care. I know that when my son is normally frightened, he needs to be close to me. He finally calms down and as quick as it started it's over. He stopped crying, his breathing regulated and his body relaxed. I laid with him for a while, to make sure it was really over. It bewilders me this phenomenon. I have no idea if there is any real cause or what, but it is such an awful thing to experience to see your child frightened, scared and not be able to comfort him. Thank God these episodes don't happen that often. Somehow my youngest son slept peacefully in the same room through the entire thing! And, of course, when B woke up this morning, he had no recollection of the bad night.



On a funnier note, my youngest son's favorite word right now is "D-Gusting!" Everything is disgusting to him and he says it with much emphasis. He wanted cereal for breakfast, which I said no to since he wouldn't eat it. He ignored my decline and promptly got out the cereal, spoon and bowl. Fine. B had waffles and I ate a bagel. Soon, E starts saying "D-Gusting!" "I don't want my cereal, it's D-GUSTING!" He wants a waffle. I told him after he eats his cereal he can have a waffle. We battled it out for a while, I was mostly ignoring him tyring to get ready. Eventually he does eat the cereal, which by now in my book IS disgusting since it's so soggy. It was comical...I dunno, maybe you had to be there. But he likes to use this word often and it does not just apply to food. If B is roughhousing with E and it gets to be too much, E exclaims, "D-Gusting!!" I'm pretty sure I know where the application of this word came from too... we've been telling him that his dirty diapers are disgusting and he needs to go in the toilet. Ooops! Careful what you wish for. ;-)

No Mail Today...Such a Bummer!

I am weird, I guess, in the fact that I hate it when the mail doesn't run. I love running out to the mail box to open it and see what surprises await that day! I go out with such anticipation! If it ends up being serious junk, I walk back to the house slumped over and deflated. My enjoyment of mail probably started back when I was in middle school and began having pen pals. Back in the day when there was no such thing as email, blogs, and facebook--you actually mailed letters, usually hand written to one another. It usually came on cutesy stationary and maybe adorned with some fun stickers. What a mood lifter. =) I do still keep in touch with one of my "pen pals" from way back when. It's pretty cool, but of course now-a-days we rely on email mostly to keep in touch. Anyway, back to the enjoyment of checking my mail... Though I rarely get any hand written letters or cards in the mail other than at birthdays and Christmas these days, I still hope for something that will brighten my day. A catalog to dream in, a "free money" coupon (as I like to call them usually for $10), a magazine, something I ordered, and best of all "Freebies." I have this crazy hobby of scouring the Internet for "freebies" and free samples on a daily basis~ it can be just about anything and I'll sign up for it. Which really, sometimes is dumb because I will get something that I have absolutely no use for and eventually end up throwing it in the trash. But, opening the box to something other than junk and bills is just such a cheap thrill for me. So, as great as MLK was, I'm not sure it's really necessary for the post office to have the day off... ha ha ha ha... I know... call me crazy! Oh, and I'd love to open the mail box up to a treasure trove of just because cards, notes, or letters! *hint*hint* ;-)

What do you get when you bake sugar and butter?

I have been craving some cookies as of late and store bought ones just wouldn't do. We got a lot of snow today, so I decided it was a good day to bake. I made these yummy chocolate peanut butter cookies first, to help satisfy my husbands chocolate-only cookie consumption. They turned out very good and were delicious warm.

For myself I was looking forward to a repeat of some super yummy thumbprint cookies I had made before Christmas. Unfortunately, I didn't have quite enough flour to make the second recipe of cookies. I remembered I had some cake flour, but still didn't have quite enough. I had already creamed the butter and sugar, so it was kind of hard to quit at that point. I figured, I would just bake them at a lower temperature and that surely they would turn out fine. I scooped out two sheets of little balls, rolled them, filled a zip top bag with seedless raspberry jam and filled all 24 cookies. I put the first sheet into the oven and proceeded to watch their demise...

here there are maybe 5 minutes in...

a few minutes later...

"done"

So to answer the title question...a big, fat, sticky mess!!! I did try to eat one to see if miraculously they were one of those 'oops' that turn into a good thing, but they weren't. I had to toss out the remaining dough. What a waste!!! At least one batch turned out!

Waiting...

I would say I'm a decent waiter. I don't mind being in a long line at the grocery store or waiting my turn to order food, or at the bank (not that I really ever do that one, but it wouldn't bother me.) I am always telling the boys we have to wait our turn in line. However, when it comes to waiting on someone coming to your house~I tend to get pretty impatient! Not really in a bad way but I get antsy.

Today I am waiting for the cable guy. What a cliche! I arrived home yesterday to a cold house and my cable box making a very strange grinding noise. Upon further investigations, I realized one of my lovely children turned the heat to "off" and it was 52 degrees in here! Pretty cold considering it's like 20-something degrees outside. As for the cable box it lead to a dreaded call to the company asking for help. The cable works, but my DVR is totally irretrievable. Thankfully there wasn't too much on there and the couple of things I did want to watch I think I can watch on line. (In case you're wondering it's 10 Items or Less on tbs, http://www.tbs.com/shows/10itemsorless/ I love this show!! Quite hilarious! Also, I need to watch Redemption-24 to get ready for Sunday's premier of 24 season 7 http://www.fox.com/24/dossier/) Naturally, they give you this huge window of when he might come... supposedly before 12:30 today. I'm antsy. Not that we really had plans today. But ya know, what if he comes when you are in the bathroom and the kids let him in?!! I'm waiting for an important phone call, what if he comes then and my dog goes wild, as he always does when someone comes to the door.... the list could go on! Hopefully one good thing that will come of his visit today is that we get a new remote control. We've seriously had the same remote for at least 8 years. All the lettering has rubbed off and it's not in great shape at all. Sadly, my husband and I are very excited about the prospect of a brand new shiny remote control! woohoo! =)

What do you get impatient for?

I had to add this since I need shades to look at this beauty...ha ha ha