So not only am I envious of my friends website, Piece of Cake Kitchen, for it's professional look, but now for the whole concept. I decided that I would try to write a menu, make a grocery list, and stick to it.
After I had this flash of brilliance, we took our weekly trip to the library. YES! I brought home seven cookbooks. O.k. so that was overkill, but as my mother always said, "Better safe than sorry." I was determined to do this.
I plowed through several of these cookbooks to find a few recipes that sounded good and didn't take exotic ingredients like Champagne vinegar - which sent my girlfriend to 5 (count them) different grocery stores. Why I would make anything for a 4 and 7 year-old with Champagne vinegar, anyway I have merged onto the Palin highway time to exit.
There is a wonderful produce market very close for which I am very grateful. The produce is not only fantastic but the prices are great. That's a real key for my family. Particularly, I buy apples and carrots in such quantities that the staff thought I owned horses. Sometimes it feels like I'm living with horses, but that's not the point. My point was that going to two stores is a weekly occurrence.
However, planning a menu, with real live recipes, that I was actually trying to follow (for once) meant not just two shopping trips this week, not three, not four...still guessing? I went to at least one of those flipping stores every single solitary day. Sometimes - with both children right in the middle of making one of those blasted recipes because I didn't have the key ingredient. I have never been so stressed out, gassed out, and planned out in my life.
Hats off to you Sister!! I do not know how you plan a menu, take care of 4 children and a husband, and still have time to manage a website. I'm never planning a weeks worth of meals again as long as I live.
I'm also not going to complain anymore when it's 5:00 p.m. and I have not started dinner, let alone thought about what I might be making. My resolution? Open a box of cereal for the boys, and a bottle of wine for me. It counts as dinner, in some countries!
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
others, I hope you enjoy
Little Boy Blue
Stop blowing that horn!
There are no cows to call
You'll wake the unborn!
Where are my little boys
Who once went to sleep?
They now in the living room
Wrestling like sheep!
Little Miss Muffet
too good for a tuffet
Wouldn't eat her yogurt today.
"I don't like Pink
She said with a wink
So I frightened Miss Muffet away.
Old Mother Hubbard
went to the cupboard
to get herself a good nip.
But before she got there
She had three kids in her hair
so she didn't get Nair a sip.
There was an Old Woman
and that's nothing new
She had so many children
she didn't know what to do.
Her brain turned to mush
her body was weak
if she sneezed and coughed
then everything leaked.
She jumped in the shower
threw food all about
called for a sitter
and went to Ladies Day Out!
On the road to St Id's
I meet a woman with 7 kids.
"Seven Kids" I said in horror
"Is that your vagina on the floor?"
Every kid had a bag
Every bag had a tag
1-2-3-4-5-6-7
She said they planned to stop at 11.
After thinking, "What the %*$#?"
How fast did I get out of St. Id's!
Stop blowing that horn!
There are no cows to call
You'll wake the unborn!
Where are my little boys
Who once went to sleep?
They now in the living room
Wrestling like sheep!
Little Miss Muffet
too good for a tuffet
Wouldn't eat her yogurt today.
"I don't like Pink
She said with a wink
So I frightened Miss Muffet away.
Old Mother Hubbard
went to the cupboard
to get herself a good nip.
But before she got there
She had three kids in her hair
so she didn't get Nair a sip.
There was an Old Woman
and that's nothing new
She had so many children
she didn't know what to do.
Her brain turned to mush
her body was weak
if she sneezed and coughed
then everything leaked.
She jumped in the shower
threw food all about
called for a sitter
and went to Ladies Day Out!
On the road to St Id's
I meet a woman with 7 kids.
"Seven Kids" I said in horror
"Is that your vagina on the floor?"
Every kid had a bag
Every bag had a tag
1-2-3-4-5-6-7
She said they planned to stop at 11.
After thinking, "What the %*$#?"
How fast did I get out of St. Id's!
Here's a little diddy...
It's national Poetry Month
As lovely as that can be,
I like to write little poems
As you can plainly see.
I've written them for family
My sister, brother, and Mom,
I've even written a poem
About a cat named Tom.
It really is nothing elaborate
To rhyme in verse as I do,
The hard part is finding a subject
That doesn't bore the hell out of you.
Sometimes when things get hairy
I speak in rhyme just like so,
It either drives everyone mad,
Or makes them laugh, HoHoHo!
The next time you have an occasion
Try rhyming, or free verse, or such,
I recommend you start easy
But I know you will love it so MUCH!
As lovely as that can be,
I like to write little poems
As you can plainly see.
I've written them for family
My sister, brother, and Mom,
I've even written a poem
About a cat named Tom.
It really is nothing elaborate
To rhyme in verse as I do,
The hard part is finding a subject
That doesn't bore the hell out of you.
Sometimes when things get hairy
I speak in rhyme just like so,
It either drives everyone mad,
Or makes them laugh, HoHoHo!
The next time you have an occasion
Try rhyming, or free verse, or such,
I recommend you start easy
But I know you will love it so MUCH!
Alive!
In honor of Earth Day tomorrow, I have been thinking about my favorite time of year. Winter in the Midwest can get so gray - gray sky, gray ground, gray trees, gray days. But with the end of winter comes Spring. A rebirth of not only the earth - but of life in the Midwest.
This is my time of year! With weather in the 30's at night so that you can still sleep snuggled up, but in the high sixties during the day so that you can wear shorts, I am a happy camper. Daffodils and tulips pop up and grass is getting greener by the moment and the days have gotten longer. We are outside until eight o'clock: we eat outside, and play outside, and the boys even pee outside!
The world seems to sprout over night. The typical Midwest Spring goes something like this: March 1st-3rd 65 degrees, March 4th-10th 32 degrees with scattered snow, March 11th-16th 68 degrees, March 17th-22nd (yes- the day after the official First day of Spring) rain 30-40 degrees. Do you get the picture? Then throw Easter into the mix, which you can guarantee will be freezing and wet because we live in the Midwest and all they sell are little spaghetti strap Easter dresses with no sweater and sandals.
It is still my favorite time of year. The bugs are not horrible yet, the nights are still cool, and even better when the sun is out, but I still need a sweatshirt to be comfortable. I know not everyone is having a grand time right now. One girlfriend locks herself in the house delivering hourly doses of allergy medication intravenously. But I am in Heaven, or as close as I would like to get for now.
Celebrate Earth Day - buy some reusable grocery bags if you haven't already. Or just unplug one appliance in your house while your gone during the day like the TV or the Computer. Better yet make it the refrigerator and you don't have to cook!!
This is my time of year! With weather in the 30's at night so that you can still sleep snuggled up, but in the high sixties during the day so that you can wear shorts, I am a happy camper. Daffodils and tulips pop up and grass is getting greener by the moment and the days have gotten longer. We are outside until eight o'clock: we eat outside, and play outside, and the boys even pee outside!
The world seems to sprout over night. The typical Midwest Spring goes something like this: March 1st-3rd 65 degrees, March 4th-10th 32 degrees with scattered snow, March 11th-16th 68 degrees, March 17th-22nd (yes- the day after the official First day of Spring) rain 30-40 degrees. Do you get the picture? Then throw Easter into the mix, which you can guarantee will be freezing and wet because we live in the Midwest and all they sell are little spaghetti strap Easter dresses with no sweater and sandals.
It is still my favorite time of year. The bugs are not horrible yet, the nights are still cool, and even better when the sun is out, but I still need a sweatshirt to be comfortable. I know not everyone is having a grand time right now. One girlfriend locks herself in the house delivering hourly doses of allergy medication intravenously. But I am in Heaven, or as close as I would like to get for now.
Celebrate Earth Day - buy some reusable grocery bags if you haven't already. Or just unplug one appliance in your house while your gone during the day like the TV or the Computer. Better yet make it the refrigerator and you don't have to cook!!
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Kudos to Piece of Cake Kitchen
In order to be technologically savvy in these modern times, I have decided you must either have A. no children, or 2. a boring job you hate. Since I can not claim either I am very quickly losing ground on all things "techie".
"Then how do you write this blog?" You might ask. Blogger.com made it very easy to get started and then I chose the "Create Blog page" as a favorite. Now when I actually get time, I choose the "Create blog page" from my favorites list and type away.
Slowly, I am starting to get familiar with other stuff you can do on your blog site. Maybe some of you have noticed, maybe not. (Is anybody out there??) I have added a link to a friends website and a voting poll at the bottom of my blog page. Since no one has voted in the poll yet besides me, I am assuming that no one has noticed.
I really encourage you all to check out her website, Piece of Cake Kitchen. She is not only hysterically funny, but the recipes are good too. We had book club together in another life and I do seem to recall some very scrumptious goodies. (Try the granola cookies!)
However, it is very intimidating to see a mother of four with her busy schedule producing this amazing website. I can't even get to my blog everyday. I have started a list that's now posted next to the computer of all the funny things my kids have done, or stupid things my husband's done, or annoying things strangers have done.....Sorry, I lost my train of thought.
Well, I have never claimed to be Martha Stewart, or anyone else rich, famous, and really really good at something. But I have always been good at giving credit where credit is due. You go Girl!!
"Then how do you write this blog?" You might ask. Blogger.com made it very easy to get started and then I chose the "Create Blog page" as a favorite. Now when I actually get time, I choose the "Create blog page" from my favorites list and type away.
Slowly, I am starting to get familiar with other stuff you can do on your blog site. Maybe some of you have noticed, maybe not. (Is anybody out there??) I have added a link to a friends website and a voting poll at the bottom of my blog page. Since no one has voted in the poll yet besides me, I am assuming that no one has noticed.
I really encourage you all to check out her website, Piece of Cake Kitchen. She is not only hysterically funny, but the recipes are good too. We had book club together in another life and I do seem to recall some very scrumptious goodies. (Try the granola cookies!)
However, it is very intimidating to see a mother of four with her busy schedule producing this amazing website. I can't even get to my blog everyday. I have started a list that's now posted next to the computer of all the funny things my kids have done, or stupid things my husband's done, or annoying things strangers have done.....Sorry, I lost my train of thought.
Well, I have never claimed to be Martha Stewart, or anyone else rich, famous, and really really good at something. But I have always been good at giving credit where credit is due. You go Girl!!
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Mikaela Update
Tuesday is the day! Keep Mikaela, her family, and all of the Doctors, Surgeons, and Nurses that will be working on her. If you would like to send her a note- via her mother- the address is jule_warmack@yahoo.com .
Need a little refresher? See blogs dated February 19th and February 27th.
Thanks!
Need a little refresher? See blogs dated February 19th and February 27th.
Thanks!
Sorry, It's been Forever!!
It feels like that first workout all over again. After I had my first baby I tried to establish a routine and get back to the Gym and just never got it accomplished. It wasn't until number two son was three that I finally got back to getting there twice a week - most weeks.
I have really fallen behind on my blog, and not because of the computer this time. Life just seems to be going faster and faster. It's like the Merry-go-round that we had on the playground of my grade school growing up. When we first got out to recess there might be one or two of us girls on the Merry-go-round just talking and pushing with our feet. Then someone volunteered to push, then some boys would come along, and well, we all know things slide quickly downhill when the boys get involved.
March was a busy month with visitors in our house. Which is awesome! It is always nice to entertain family. It's a lot of work, but it's worth it. I guess I just didn't not realize how much work. My wonderful, but annal retentive husband has this requirement that the house be spotless before anyone steps foot in it - it's a Greek thing. While I do not adhere to this theory, he can make my life a living nightmare if I do not appear to go along with it.
So, over the years I have learned a few tricks. I start with the bathrooms, which by the way have not been cleaned since the last guests left and we are heading for mid-April? Mid-April Holy @&$#- I digress. My trick is to use something like Pine-sol for the job so that when I am finished the entire house reeks of cleaner. It makes him think I've scrubbed the whole house. My other trick is to clean up the kitchen - really clean the kitchen. You all know what I am talking about. It takes an hour just to go through all the paper! How many worksheets do I need to keep to prove without a shadow of a doubt our sons attended school?
While it's my husband that is fanatical about cleanliness, at least he offers to help - vacuum. It's really the only thing he does well. He's cleaned toilets once in our fifteen years of marriage. He does dishes, laundry, picks up - a lot. The problem is he takes three times longer and twenty gallons of water to do the dishes. He's ruined enough clothes that he is skittish about the laundry, and as for picking things up. The problem is not that he picks-up, the problem is that not even HE can find it afterwards.
Needless to say we've had a wild and crazy month. My brother, sister-in-law, and nephew came for the first of hopefully many trips. Nana and Papa stopped by after being "in Fworida forevor". We've had a Birthday, a School carnival, and Easter.
I would say it's time to take a breath, but we have another birthday on the horizon, baseball has already started, and Soccer starts next week. There is no rest for weary!
I have really fallen behind on my blog, and not because of the computer this time. Life just seems to be going faster and faster. It's like the Merry-go-round that we had on the playground of my grade school growing up. When we first got out to recess there might be one or two of us girls on the Merry-go-round just talking and pushing with our feet. Then someone volunteered to push, then some boys would come along, and well, we all know things slide quickly downhill when the boys get involved.
March was a busy month with visitors in our house. Which is awesome! It is always nice to entertain family. It's a lot of work, but it's worth it. I guess I just didn't not realize how much work. My wonderful, but annal retentive husband has this requirement that the house be spotless before anyone steps foot in it - it's a Greek thing. While I do not adhere to this theory, he can make my life a living nightmare if I do not appear to go along with it.
So, over the years I have learned a few tricks. I start with the bathrooms, which by the way have not been cleaned since the last guests left and we are heading for mid-April? Mid-April Holy @&$#- I digress. My trick is to use something like Pine-sol for the job so that when I am finished the entire house reeks of cleaner. It makes him think I've scrubbed the whole house. My other trick is to clean up the kitchen - really clean the kitchen. You all know what I am talking about. It takes an hour just to go through all the paper! How many worksheets do I need to keep to prove without a shadow of a doubt our sons attended school?
While it's my husband that is fanatical about cleanliness, at least he offers to help - vacuum. It's really the only thing he does well. He's cleaned toilets once in our fifteen years of marriage. He does dishes, laundry, picks up - a lot. The problem is he takes three times longer and twenty gallons of water to do the dishes. He's ruined enough clothes that he is skittish about the laundry, and as for picking things up. The problem is not that he picks-up, the problem is that not even HE can find it afterwards.
Needless to say we've had a wild and crazy month. My brother, sister-in-law, and nephew came for the first of hopefully many trips. Nana and Papa stopped by after being "in Fworida forevor". We've had a Birthday, a School carnival, and Easter.
I would say it's time to take a breath, but we have another birthday on the horizon, baseball has already started, and Soccer starts next week. There is no rest for weary!
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