I am in a recipe rut. Even though I've got lots of recipes, it's been hard to find something I want to cook lately. I'm either too tired and what I want will just take too much work, or nothing sounds good. So, I'm looking for something super tasty, something different from my usual, and something fairly simple and/or speedy to make. I thought maybe a recipe exchange might work.
I've participated in many things like this before: kitchen towels, cute underwear (new, of course), recipes, etc. And I've tried it in a couple of ways: old fashioned chain mail letters and email. They never worked out for me. I would contribute my portion, but I never once got anything in return. Well, now I'm going to keep my fingers crossed and hope for better results by giving it a shot with my blog.
And, once again, I'll get the ball rolling. I'm going to go with delicious and easy to prepare dishes with some of my favorites from several recipe categories:
Main Dishes
4 Step Chicken
This is very simple, very quick, and it can be changed up in a variety of ways...
Step 1: Cook the chicken. (You can lightly dredge it in flour or bread crumbs if you want a slight crunch, or you can just season it on its own. But either way, you will cook it in a pan with a little bit of vegetable, canola, or olive oil.)
Step 2: Add the aromatics. (Remove the chicken from the pan, so it doesn't over cook. Add things like onions, garlic, herbs, and spices or any combination of them to the pan. Let it cook until tender.)
Step 3: Deglaze the pan. (Use chicken stock, lemon juice, or wine.)
Step 4: Finish the sauce. (Add a tablespoon of butter to the pan to slightly thicken the sauce. It will also add flavor and sheen to the sauce. Put the chicken back into the pan to soak up some of the flavors of the sauce for about 1 minute and then serve.)
Tater Tot Casserole
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 can cream of mushroom soup
4 slices American cheese
1 bag frozen tater tots
Season and brown the ground beef (I like to add diced onion to mine). Put into 9x9 or 8x8 square baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Spread enough of the soup (I like to use the cream of mushroom with roasted garlic soup) to cover the top of the beef. Place the cheese slices on top to cover the soup. Use enough tater tots to cover the cheese. Put in the oven for 35-45 minutes (or until cheese is melty and tots are crispy) at 350 degrees.
Soup
Chicken Tortilla Soup
2-3 chicken breasts
1 small-medium white or yellow onion
1 can beef broth/stock
1 can chicken broth/stock
1 can tomato soup
1 can rotel
1/2 can water
1/2 can corn
1/2 can black beans (rinsed & drained)
dash Worcestershire sauce
small (3 oz.) cream cheese cut into cubes
Cook chicken, let it rest, and cut into cubes or bite sized strips. Saute onions until soft. Put all cans, Worcestershire sauce and cream cheese into a 4 quart pot. Add chicken and onions. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and let simmer for 1 hour. Serve with strips of corn tortillas (or crushed tortilla chips), shredded cheese, and/or sour cream.
Desserts
No Bake Oatmeal Cookies
1 stick butter
1/2 c. milk
2 c. sugar
3 Tbsp. cocoa powder
1/4 c. peanut butter
dash vanilla
3 c. quick cooking oats
Melt butter in a 4 quart pot. Add milk, sugar, and cocoa. Stir completely, bring to a rolling boil, and boil for 2 minutes. Add peanut butter. Mix until smooth. Add dash of vanilla extract. Stir completely. Mix oats until combined. Remove from heat and drop by spoonful onto wax paper. Let cool in refrigerator for 15 minutes, until set.
Lemon Cake
1 pkg. yellow cake mix
1 pkg. (3 oz.) lemon jello
3/4 c. water
4 eggs
3/4 c. vegetable oil
Mix cake mix and jello together in mixing bowl. Add water, eggs, and oil. Mix well. Pour into 13x9 pan or bundt pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes. Let cool slightly. If using 13x9 pan, leave cake in pan. If using bundt pan, remove cake from pan and transfer onto a plate or cake stand. While still warm, prick full of holes and spread on glaze.
2 c. powdered sugar
1/2 c. lemon juice (warm the juice and the sugar will dissolve better)
OK people, it's your turn. I'm really hoping this works. I can't wait to try something new, simple, and delicious! :) :) :)
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Word to your mother...
Happy Mother's Day!! This is going to be a post in honor of all of the moms out there; both the ones I've known and the ones I never had the opportunity the know. But first...
Here's a video of Christina Aguilara's "I Turn to You". For those of you that don't know, it's a song that she did for her mother. You're welcome to watch the enitre video, but pay close attention to the section between 2.42 and 3.22 for these lyrics: "For the arms to be my shelter through all the rain, For truth that will never change, for someone to lean on. For a heart I can rely on through anything For the one who I can run to oh I turn to you!"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gbb2D4fL5Q8
Now, imagine that it was me singing it. Ahh yes...there it is...the effect I was going for. :)
Just some of the moms I know/have known
~My mom is amazing. I know that everyone says that their mom is the best (and I'm not going to take that away from anyone), but let me just say that my mom is better than your mom. :) Really, though, she is wonderful. She means the world to me. She is one of my best friends. If I'm half the mom she is, then I'll be doing a pretty good job. All of my best traits, I got from her (including my singing and dancing skills). I'm so proud to be her daughter.
~My sister is incredible. She tried for a long time to get pregnant, and when she did, it was twins! She is wonderful with those 2 boys. This is truly the happiest I've ever seen her. She is still her, shall we say "spunky" self, just a more joy-filled version. I'm so happy for her.
~My sister-in-law, Sheila, is another example of the kind of mother I want to be. She raises her kids with such a Christian spirit. She does her parenting with such joy, peace, and a sense of humor. And she has been an amazing help to Kevin over the years (what with all her praying and praying and praying).
~My mom friends at work help me stay sane. They understand the stresses and the guilt involved with being a full-time teacher, wife, and mother. They gripe with me, laugh with me, and they inspire me every day.
~My 2nd mom, Teena Wood. When I met my best friend in 3rd grade, her mom became a part of my life, too. She was such a fun, kind, and funny woman and she passed away almost 6 years ago. Every time I shake a mustard bottle or make snickerdoodles I think of her (only those who knew her will get that).
~And all of the other moms in my life: my aunts, my grandma Roth, my cousins, and my other sister-in-laws...you are all strong amazing women, and I am so blessed to have you.
The moms I didn't get a chance to know
~My grandma Mason. While she did get to know me when I was a baby, she died when I was so young that I don't remember her. I know the stories that my mom tells, and I see the pictures that she has, but I don't have any memories of my own. I think about how my mom and her sisters turned out, so I know she must have been amazing. I am convinced that she was my guardian angel as a child, and I pray that she would be proud of the mother that I am today.
~My mother-in-law, Beth. I never had the privilege of meeting her. Like my grandma, I've heard stories and seen pictures. She was a beautiful woman. The way her children talk about her, and the way their faces light up when they do is evidence enough for me that she was an incredible mother, too. I often think about what she would have thought of me. I imagine what it would be like to talk, laugh, and make meals in the kitchen with her. I wish I could have seen her with Hannah and Mason, and every day, I hope that she thinks I'm doing a good job with them.
So, again, Happy Mother's Day to everyone! And so we can end on a lighter note, just picture me singing that Christina Aguilera song again.
:)
Here's a video of Christina Aguilara's "I Turn to You". For those of you that don't know, it's a song that she did for her mother. You're welcome to watch the enitre video, but pay close attention to the section between 2.42 and 3.22 for these lyrics: "For the arms to be my shelter through all the rain, For truth that will never change, for someone to lean on. For a heart I can rely on through anything For the one who I can run to oh I turn to you!"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gbb2D4fL5Q8
Now, imagine that it was me singing it. Ahh yes...there it is...the effect I was going for. :)
Just some of the moms I know/have known
~My mom is amazing. I know that everyone says that their mom is the best (and I'm not going to take that away from anyone), but let me just say that my mom is better than your mom. :) Really, though, she is wonderful. She means the world to me. She is one of my best friends. If I'm half the mom she is, then I'll be doing a pretty good job. All of my best traits, I got from her (including my singing and dancing skills). I'm so proud to be her daughter.
~My sister is incredible. She tried for a long time to get pregnant, and when she did, it was twins! She is wonderful with those 2 boys. This is truly the happiest I've ever seen her. She is still her, shall we say "spunky" self, just a more joy-filled version. I'm so happy for her.
~My sister-in-law, Sheila, is another example of the kind of mother I want to be. She raises her kids with such a Christian spirit. She does her parenting with such joy, peace, and a sense of humor. And she has been an amazing help to Kevin over the years (what with all her praying and praying and praying).
~My mom friends at work help me stay sane. They understand the stresses and the guilt involved with being a full-time teacher, wife, and mother. They gripe with me, laugh with me, and they inspire me every day.
~My 2nd mom, Teena Wood. When I met my best friend in 3rd grade, her mom became a part of my life, too. She was such a fun, kind, and funny woman and she passed away almost 6 years ago. Every time I shake a mustard bottle or make snickerdoodles I think of her (only those who knew her will get that).
~And all of the other moms in my life: my aunts, my grandma Roth, my cousins, and my other sister-in-laws...you are all strong amazing women, and I am so blessed to have you.
The moms I didn't get a chance to know
~My grandma Mason. While she did get to know me when I was a baby, she died when I was so young that I don't remember her. I know the stories that my mom tells, and I see the pictures that she has, but I don't have any memories of my own. I think about how my mom and her sisters turned out, so I know she must have been amazing. I am convinced that she was my guardian angel as a child, and I pray that she would be proud of the mother that I am today.
~My mother-in-law, Beth. I never had the privilege of meeting her. Like my grandma, I've heard stories and seen pictures. She was a beautiful woman. The way her children talk about her, and the way their faces light up when they do is evidence enough for me that she was an incredible mother, too. I often think about what she would have thought of me. I imagine what it would be like to talk, laugh, and make meals in the kitchen with her. I wish I could have seen her with Hannah and Mason, and every day, I hope that she thinks I'm doing a good job with them.
So, again, Happy Mother's Day to everyone! And so we can end on a lighter note, just picture me singing that Christina Aguilera song again.
:)
Monday, May 3, 2010
Calling all Wine Snobs...
OK, I know there are a lot of people out there in the world that LOVE wine. And I happen to know a handful of them...and at least a few of those read this blog. So, Kevin and I need help. We are looking to go beyond Arbor Mist (I know, I can hear the hisses, boos, and moans now). What we're looking for right now is red wine. Kevin's looking to lower his cholesterol (no, wine isn't the only thing we're doing on that front), and I'm looking to increase my classiness (as if that were even possible).
We found a wine that we like when we were out at dinner with a friend (how 'bout a shout out to our friend Elliott)...Riunite Lambrusco. We can find it at the local liquor stores and even at Walmart (which may mean that it's not so good after all). It's a chilled, sweet red wine which I think is more up our alley than a room temperature red.
But I think we may be open to trying some different reds...we just don't want to have to snurl our lips with every sip. So, to all of you wine-o's out there...please post a comment suggesting a good red wine or two.
Thanks!!! And happy drinking!
We found a wine that we like when we were out at dinner with a friend (how 'bout a shout out to our friend Elliott)...Riunite Lambrusco. We can find it at the local liquor stores and even at Walmart (which may mean that it's not so good after all). It's a chilled, sweet red wine which I think is more up our alley than a room temperature red.
But I think we may be open to trying some different reds...we just don't want to have to snurl our lips with every sip. So, to all of you wine-o's out there...please post a comment suggesting a good red wine or two.
Thanks!!! And happy drinking!
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Firsts...
Let's open up a little bit and talk about some firsts. I'll get the ball rolling, but then I want to hear some of yours, too!
First Celebrity Crush
Patrick Swayze...oh, man. I was in 2nd grade. I think it may have had more to do with the fact that my older sister, Jaime, and my mom had a thing for him. But I joined the band wagon, and I mean really...who wasn't on that band wagon back then. I got my first poster of him from my 2nd grade teacher, Mrs. Caples. There was some kind of "celebrities for education" program and he was the spokesperson one month. I guess I had mentioned my crush in class a few times, because when they got the new posters with the next celebrity for the next month, she gave me his. And looking back, as a 2nd grade teacher myself, I think that was probably pretty weird. I mean, I don't go around giving the girls in my class posters of Zack Effron or the Jonas Brothers, or anything. But then there was that one poster (you know the one I'm talking about) of him in the overalls, half undone, sitting down with his chest glistening with sweat...it was delightful.
First Kiss
This one's far too embarassing to publicly share. But there are several of you who will read this and remember me coming to you, describing how it happened, and asking, "Ugh...is his tongue really supposed to fill up your whole mouth and just flop around like a dying fish?!" It was NOT good.
First Job
After applying at literaly 32 different places, I walk in to turn in my application at Pizza Hut and get interviewed and hired on the spot. I started out as a CSR (customer service representative), better known as a "phone girl". Due to my incredible skills on the phone, I quickly move up to waitress. I was pretty awesome at it. I really had a great time at that job. I enjoyed almost all of the people I worked with (everyone but Paula...the day time buffet waitress...she was trashy and down-right mean). I made pretty good money on tips and even got a couple of phone numbers. The most shocking, though, was when I was waiting on this family of 5. Everthing went fine, I got an average tip, and while the mom was getting the 3 kids cleaned up and ready to leave, the dad came up to me (within eyesight of his wife) and gave me a napkin with his phone number on it and told me to call him sometime. I was floored! It was also the place I met Kevin. I was waiting tables when he came in to interview for a delivery position. I know, super cute isn't it? A waitress and a delivery boy...it's the stuff movies are made of.
First Date
Well, this one's tricky. What I thought was my first date was actually just me being friends with a guy who was in the closet. I didn't find out until the next year that it wasn't actually a first date...because that was when he came out...and then did my hair for prom! So, I guess my actual first date (as lame as it may be) wasn't until I was 17...my senior. year. I went to a movie with a guy named Dakota (who actually may be reading this right now, so that's kind of weird). Who knows, I may find out that it wasn't technically a date either. But anyway, he came to pick me up in his old white checker cab, which everyone called "The Shaggin' Wagon". So, there I was thinking Dad would be all tougher-than-nails. But actually, he went out front and talked cars for a few minutes before we actually left....no big deal. We went to the move had some good old fashioned "is he/isn't he...should I/shouldn't I" hand holding moments, and a sweet kiss at the door when he dropped me off. Not more than 2 weeks after that, I went on my first date with Kevin. And the rest, as they say, is history.
First Car
My first car was a '96 Ford Explorer. I bought it in 2000. I put $4,000 down (and that's the only time I've ever had money to put down on a car), and had payments of $230/month....pretty sweet. It was white with a tan leather interior. There was a 6 disk CD changer in the console with a remote to use for changing the CD's/songs. I really loved that car. It got me to and from Abilene and San Angelo for 6 months. It got me from back and forth between Denton and Lewisville for school and work. It made a drive to South Dakota and back, and it safely took Cakes and me on our 4,000 mile honeymoon road trip. It also carried me safely through my first 7 months of my first pregnancy. It was a great car.
OK, so you've all either learned a little bit more about me or taken a little trip down memory lane. Now it's your turn. What are some of your firsts?!
First Celebrity Crush
Patrick Swayze...oh, man. I was in 2nd grade. I think it may have had more to do with the fact that my older sister, Jaime, and my mom had a thing for him. But I joined the band wagon, and I mean really...who wasn't on that band wagon back then. I got my first poster of him from my 2nd grade teacher, Mrs. Caples. There was some kind of "celebrities for education" program and he was the spokesperson one month. I guess I had mentioned my crush in class a few times, because when they got the new posters with the next celebrity for the next month, she gave me his. And looking back, as a 2nd grade teacher myself, I think that was probably pretty weird. I mean, I don't go around giving the girls in my class posters of Zack Effron or the Jonas Brothers, or anything. But then there was that one poster (you know the one I'm talking about) of him in the overalls, half undone, sitting down with his chest glistening with sweat...it was delightful.
First Kiss
This one's far too embarassing to publicly share. But there are several of you who will read this and remember me coming to you, describing how it happened, and asking, "Ugh...is his tongue really supposed to fill up your whole mouth and just flop around like a dying fish?!" It was NOT good.
First Job
After applying at literaly 32 different places, I walk in to turn in my application at Pizza Hut and get interviewed and hired on the spot. I started out as a CSR (customer service representative), better known as a "phone girl". Due to my incredible skills on the phone, I quickly move up to waitress. I was pretty awesome at it. I really had a great time at that job. I enjoyed almost all of the people I worked with (everyone but Paula...the day time buffet waitress...she was trashy and down-right mean). I made pretty good money on tips and even got a couple of phone numbers. The most shocking, though, was when I was waiting on this family of 5. Everthing went fine, I got an average tip, and while the mom was getting the 3 kids cleaned up and ready to leave, the dad came up to me (within eyesight of his wife) and gave me a napkin with his phone number on it and told me to call him sometime. I was floored! It was also the place I met Kevin. I was waiting tables when he came in to interview for a delivery position. I know, super cute isn't it? A waitress and a delivery boy...it's the stuff movies are made of.
First Date
Well, this one's tricky. What I thought was my first date was actually just me being friends with a guy who was in the closet. I didn't find out until the next year that it wasn't actually a first date...because that was when he came out...and then did my hair for prom! So, I guess my actual first date (as lame as it may be) wasn't until I was 17...my senior. year. I went to a movie with a guy named Dakota (who actually may be reading this right now, so that's kind of weird). Who knows, I may find out that it wasn't technically a date either. But anyway, he came to pick me up in his old white checker cab, which everyone called "The Shaggin' Wagon". So, there I was thinking Dad would be all tougher-than-nails. But actually, he went out front and talked cars for a few minutes before we actually left....no big deal. We went to the move had some good old fashioned "is he/isn't he...should I/shouldn't I" hand holding moments, and a sweet kiss at the door when he dropped me off. Not more than 2 weeks after that, I went on my first date with Kevin. And the rest, as they say, is history.
First Car
My first car was a '96 Ford Explorer. I bought it in 2000. I put $4,000 down (and that's the only time I've ever had money to put down on a car), and had payments of $230/month....pretty sweet. It was white with a tan leather interior. There was a 6 disk CD changer in the console with a remote to use for changing the CD's/songs. I really loved that car. It got me to and from Abilene and San Angelo for 6 months. It got me from back and forth between Denton and Lewisville for school and work. It made a drive to South Dakota and back, and it safely took Cakes and me on our 4,000 mile honeymoon road trip. It also carried me safely through my first 7 months of my first pregnancy. It was a great car.
OK, so you've all either learned a little bit more about me or taken a little trip down memory lane. Now it's your turn. What are some of your firsts?!
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Words of Wisdom...
Although I was never a big Aaron Tippin fan, I always thought the song "You've Got to Stand for Something....or you'll fall for anything" had a good message and was cleverly worded at that. When I stumbled across these little sayings today, that song came to mind. I think some of them are good....... or at least semi-witty and mostly true. And for a lack of anything else to write about (I've just been busy, what with the kids, school, the house, errands, meals, grading papers, Dr.'s appointments, meetings, and things like that), I thought this would suffice. I added some thoughts/examples in italics next to some of them...
* Accept that some days you’re the pigeon, and some days you’re the statue.
* Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them. (This is very similar to the traditional "if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all.")
* If life gives you lemons, squeeze the juice into a watergun and shoot other people in the eyes.
* If you can’t be kind, at least have the decency to be vague. (example: "Hey, you cut your hair!" instead of "Wow, what did you do to your hair?")
* Nobody cares if you can’t dance well. Just get up and dance. (If I weren't such a naturally gifted dancer, I'd say that this was a philosophy of mine.)
* Always forgive your enemies....nothing could annoy them more.
* If you can't see the bright side of life, polish the dull side. (Even when things are crappy, they could always be worse.)
* Everybody is somebody else's weirdo. (...except for me, of course)
* The early bird catches the worm, but the 2nd mouse gets the cheese.
* If you can't learn to do it well, try to learn to enjoy doing it badly. (Ahh, I really liked this one. Always try to have fun with what you do...whether you're good at it or not. Life's too short...let's enjoy it while it lasts!)
:)
Saturday, April 10, 2010
It's the Simple Things...
"All the great things are simple, and many can be expressed in a single word: freedom; justice; honor; duty; mercy; hope."
-- Sir Winston Churchill
~ Games: I had the pleasure of playing Catch Phrase for the first time....it is a very fast paced, loud, addicting, and fun game. I was also able to play Cranium last night with my husband, little brother, and friend. Now usually, Josh (my little brother) and I are an unstoppable force. But since neither Kevin nor Ashley were that into the idea of the game, we decided not to totally destroy them...we split up our game winning powers and played against each other. It was still fun...and, of course, my team won. And yes, I realize that it's not the games that were important. It's the time, interaction, and laughter with family and friends.
~ A 2nd Fridge: After about a year of coming home from the store and getting frustrated trying to cram everything into our fridge, or portion out some of the drinks, and only buying 1 gallon of milk at a time...we finally got a second fridge! No, it's not fancy. Kevin found it for $40 on Craig's List. But it does it's job. It is in the garage, and it holds all of the drinks that we can now buy in bulk, and it allows us to actually have room in our regular fridge. Is it lame that I find so much happiness in a 2nd fridge? But I guess it's not actually the fridge that's got me so excited, but it's a convenience...and one less thing to have to think about.
~ Nice Weather: The weather has been so nice these last few days! The kids have gone outside and played for hours (not all at once, but totaled throughout the day)! They have fought less and sweated/laughed more! Although I haven't been feeling well a lot of the time, I've managed to make it out there with them a few times. Trampoline, roller blades/scooters, and good old fashioned imaginative play...you can't beat that! And it's not the weather itself that has made me happy, but what the weather has allowed: good-natured fun (with less arguing and hurting each other), imagination, laughter, and smiles from the kids. Who wouldn't be happy about that?!
~ Texting/Facebook Wall Posts: Over the past few weeks, I have been doing more texting and posting on to people's walls on facebook. I was never a big fan of texting, but it's growing on me. I still don't know many of the texting short-hands, and I usually prefer to just type it the right way. But it is just a quick way to touch base with someone. It's the same thing with the facebook posts. It's a simple way (even if you're just leaving a sarcastic comment) of letting someone know that they're in your thoughts. Even though I'm not in the same town/state as some of these people, it's comforting to know they're never more than a click or two away. So, again, it's not really the technology that's doing something for me...it's the ease of staying in touch with your loved ones.
So to wrap things up, I think the unifying theme for all of these is: family, friends, and convenience. And the most important of these is convenience. JUST KIDDING! But it is nice, though isn't it?
-- Sir Winston Churchill
"Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things."
-- Antonio Smith
~ Games: I had the pleasure of playing Catch Phrase for the first time....it is a very fast paced, loud, addicting, and fun game. I was also able to play Cranium last night with my husband, little brother, and friend. Now usually, Josh (my little brother) and I are an unstoppable force. But since neither Kevin nor Ashley were that into the idea of the game, we decided not to totally destroy them...we split up our game winning powers and played against each other. It was still fun...and, of course, my team won. And yes, I realize that it's not the games that were important. It's the time, interaction, and laughter with family and friends.
~ A 2nd Fridge: After about a year of coming home from the store and getting frustrated trying to cram everything into our fridge, or portion out some of the drinks, and only buying 1 gallon of milk at a time...we finally got a second fridge! No, it's not fancy. Kevin found it for $40 on Craig's List. But it does it's job. It is in the garage, and it holds all of the drinks that we can now buy in bulk, and it allows us to actually have room in our regular fridge. Is it lame that I find so much happiness in a 2nd fridge? But I guess it's not actually the fridge that's got me so excited, but it's a convenience...and one less thing to have to think about.
~ Nice Weather: The weather has been so nice these last few days! The kids have gone outside and played for hours (not all at once, but totaled throughout the day)! They have fought less and sweated/laughed more! Although I haven't been feeling well a lot of the time, I've managed to make it out there with them a few times. Trampoline, roller blades/scooters, and good old fashioned imaginative play...you can't beat that! And it's not the weather itself that has made me happy, but what the weather has allowed: good-natured fun (with less arguing and hurting each other), imagination, laughter, and smiles from the kids. Who wouldn't be happy about that?!
~ Texting/Facebook Wall Posts: Over the past few weeks, I have been doing more texting and posting on to people's walls on facebook. I was never a big fan of texting, but it's growing on me. I still don't know many of the texting short-hands, and I usually prefer to just type it the right way. But it is just a quick way to touch base with someone. It's the same thing with the facebook posts. It's a simple way (even if you're just leaving a sarcastic comment) of letting someone know that they're in your thoughts. Even though I'm not in the same town/state as some of these people, it's comforting to know they're never more than a click or two away. So, again, it's not really the technology that's doing something for me...it's the ease of staying in touch with your loved ones.
So to wrap things up, I think the unifying theme for all of these is: family, friends, and convenience. And the most important of these is convenience. JUST KIDDING! But it is nice, though isn't it?
Friday, April 2, 2010
Easter Weekend...
Here's The Plan
Friday:
~ Take a 1/2 day from work and get the kids to Good Friday mass.
~ Get a head start on laundry.
~ Make delicious and colorful Easter sugar cookies.
Saturday:
~ Wake up early and get Mason to his soccer game.
~ Dye Easter eggs.
~ Get Hannah to her friend's birthday party.
~ Take care of last minute erands.
~ Make blackberry wine cake.
~ Make sweet tea.
~ Finish laundry.
~ Get Kevin to help me clean the house.
~ Hide the Easter eggs and the Easter baskets (complete with a series of riddles for the kids to use to find the baskets).
~ Go to bed at a reasonable hour.
Sunday:
~ Wake up early to find the previously hidden eggs and bakets.
~ Get everyone gussied up for Easter mass.
~ Get to church on time (which means early).
~ Go home and start a mini marathon of cooking a meal for 11-13 people: ham, rolls, broccoli rice casserole, green beans with bacon, mashed potatoes with gravy.
~ And have it all go off without a hitch.
Here's How it Really Happened
Friday:
~ I did take the 1/2 day from work, and I got the kids and myself to Good Friday mass. Apparently the church thought it was summer already...the AC was on full blast...the kids and I froze...and they complained the entire time.
~ I got a head start on laundry...not much else to say there.
~ The kids and I made sugar cookies. You might notice I left off the word delicious. Well, when we came to the part where we add the salt, I thought to myself "Wow...2 teaspoons is a lot of salt." So I checked and double checked the recipe. Yep, that's what it said. So, we make the cookies and we taste the dough. Something seems off, so I check the recipe again. Yep, 2 teaspoons. We roll, cut, bake, and decorate the cookies. OK, the frosting helped, but they're definitely a bit salty. So I check the recipe again (not that I can do anything about it now), and just as I thought (I can't believe I didn't see it before), the recipe calls for 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Yikes!
~ I then look down at the floor to clean up the crumbs and sprinkles and I see that a drop of blue food coloring landed on my new pink Converse shoes! This sets me over the edge...I'm mad now. But with a little bit of elbow grease and a lot of Spray n Wash, you can barely see it. Crisis averted.
~ But from then on everything else I tried to do either ended up making a mess or frustrating me some other way.
Saturday:
~ We woke up early and got to Mason's soccer game just in time. His team won their 2nd game, and Mason scored his very first goal!!!
~ We dyed eggs without making a mess on the table or their clothes (quite an accomplishment with Hannah and Mason).
~ While Hannah was having a blast at her friend's party, Kevin, Mason, and I ran all the errands we needed to.
~ Kevin fixed the computer in Hannah's room, and then I: cleaned the whole house, continued the laundry, baked a cake, and made the tea while Kevin took a nap. I know, I shouldn't have expected anything else. But in all fairness, he did have to wake up for work at 5:45 (which means that I had to wake him up twice between 5:45 and 6:00).
~ I finished laundry, hid the eggs and baskets, and placed the clues where they belonged while watching a movie, and went to bed at 1:00 (I know...rediculous, right?)
Sunday:
~ I woke up at 7:00 to make orange rolls for breakfast.
~ The kids were up at 7:15 to find their eggs and baskets. They totally loved the riddles they had to use to find their baskets. They both said this was the best Easter ever (of course, that's what they say every year...but whatever). Then while eating orange rolls, they had a very meaningful conversation about Easter. (Here's just a sample) Hannah: Mason, did you know Jesus died for all of us? Mason: Yeah! And he came back to life...he's amazing!
~ We got dressed and ready...and got to church on time! The kids were apparently done being sweet and thoughtful, though. They whined and argued off and on throughout most of the mass. Not to mention Mason being a typical brother and stepping on the back of Hannah's heels on the way to communion
~ We got home, changed clothes, and I cooked from 11:30-2:20. Our company came over, we all enjoyed ourselves, and everything went off without a hitch!
~ I am now officially exhausted (more so than usual), and I can't wait until next weekend.
It was a VERY happy Easter!
Friday:
~ Take a 1/2 day from work and get the kids to Good Friday mass.
~ Get a head start on laundry.
~ Make delicious and colorful Easter sugar cookies.
Saturday:
~ Wake up early and get Mason to his soccer game.
~ Dye Easter eggs.
~ Get Hannah to her friend's birthday party.
~ Take care of last minute erands.
~ Make blackberry wine cake.
~ Make sweet tea.
~ Finish laundry.
~ Get Kevin to help me clean the house.
~ Hide the Easter eggs and the Easter baskets (complete with a series of riddles for the kids to use to find the baskets).
~ Go to bed at a reasonable hour.
Sunday:
~ Wake up early to find the previously hidden eggs and bakets.
~ Get everyone gussied up for Easter mass.
~ Get to church on time (which means early).
~ Go home and start a mini marathon of cooking a meal for 11-13 people: ham, rolls, broccoli rice casserole, green beans with bacon, mashed potatoes with gravy.
~ And have it all go off without a hitch.
Here's How it Really Happened
Friday:
~ I did take the 1/2 day from work, and I got the kids and myself to Good Friday mass. Apparently the church thought it was summer already...the AC was on full blast...the kids and I froze...and they complained the entire time.
~ I got a head start on laundry...not much else to say there.
~ The kids and I made sugar cookies. You might notice I left off the word delicious. Well, when we came to the part where we add the salt, I thought to myself "Wow...2 teaspoons is a lot of salt." So I checked and double checked the recipe. Yep, that's what it said. So, we make the cookies and we taste the dough. Something seems off, so I check the recipe again. Yep, 2 teaspoons. We roll, cut, bake, and decorate the cookies. OK, the frosting helped, but they're definitely a bit salty. So I check the recipe again (not that I can do anything about it now), and just as I thought (I can't believe I didn't see it before), the recipe calls for 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Yikes!
~ I then look down at the floor to clean up the crumbs and sprinkles and I see that a drop of blue food coloring landed on my new pink Converse shoes! This sets me over the edge...I'm mad now. But with a little bit of elbow grease and a lot of Spray n Wash, you can barely see it. Crisis averted.
~ But from then on everything else I tried to do either ended up making a mess or frustrating me some other way.
Saturday:
~ We woke up early and got to Mason's soccer game just in time. His team won their 2nd game, and Mason scored his very first goal!!!
~ We dyed eggs without making a mess on the table or their clothes (quite an accomplishment with Hannah and Mason).
~ While Hannah was having a blast at her friend's party, Kevin, Mason, and I ran all the errands we needed to.
~ Kevin fixed the computer in Hannah's room, and then I: cleaned the whole house, continued the laundry, baked a cake, and made the tea while Kevin took a nap. I know, I shouldn't have expected anything else. But in all fairness, he did have to wake up for work at 5:45 (which means that I had to wake him up twice between 5:45 and 6:00).
~ I finished laundry, hid the eggs and baskets, and placed the clues where they belonged while watching a movie, and went to bed at 1:00 (I know...rediculous, right?)
Sunday:
~ I woke up at 7:00 to make orange rolls for breakfast.
~ The kids were up at 7:15 to find their eggs and baskets. They totally loved the riddles they had to use to find their baskets. They both said this was the best Easter ever (of course, that's what they say every year...but whatever). Then while eating orange rolls, they had a very meaningful conversation about Easter. (Here's just a sample) Hannah: Mason, did you know Jesus died for all of us? Mason: Yeah! And he came back to life...he's amazing!
~ We got dressed and ready...and got to church on time! The kids were apparently done being sweet and thoughtful, though. They whined and argued off and on throughout most of the mass. Not to mention Mason being a typical brother and stepping on the back of Hannah's heels on the way to communion
~ We got home, changed clothes, and I cooked from 11:30-2:20. Our company came over, we all enjoyed ourselves, and everything went off without a hitch!
~ I am now officially exhausted (more so than usual), and I can't wait until next weekend.
It was a VERY happy Easter!
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