Writer's Workshop 10-1-09

Mamakat's Writers Workshop was a little different this week... There are pictures included!

So I chose the prompt that asked to create a conversation between one of the pictures below...

Well, I decided to do all three pictures...

What fun!

Here goes!

Fred- "It was RIGHT HERE!...Sophia, I swear! Your Anniversay gift was RIGHT HERE! I was going to surprise you with it, out here in this field... a dear or a chipmunk must have taken it! Oh, it was so nice too... and diamond tennis bracelet, all baguettes... set in white gold... IT WAS RIGHT HERE!!!"

'You believe me... don't you?"

***

FRED - "Come on honey... forgive me... I DID NOT FORGET OUR ANNIVERSARY! I swear... I had a picnic all set up in the field... and your diamond tennis bracelet was in your sandwich!"

SOPHIA - "Uh huh... sure it was, Fred... You know... I don't NEED extravagant gifts... the picnic would have been great... but for you to lie about buying me an extravagant gift is just too much... stop kissing me... and by the way... WHO LEAVES A DIAMOND BRACELET ON A FIELD?" SOPHIA - "I'm hurt and angry Fred... I'm not a fool... you forgot and you are making this whole thing up..." FRED - {{thinking in his head}} Whew... she'll get over it, and I'll be off the hook for another year... I need to come up with a better lie next year... *** Saundra - Me? Cynical? You bet!!!

The ear, the fear, and the end is near...

I hate not being able to post on my blog when I want to.

I have been down with a terrible ear infection for the past 10 days straight... and yesterday,

all ... day... long... I was shuffled from one specialist to another about my hearing loss, effusion, and WHY on earth, is a 41 year old getting ear infections once per year???

The answer?? an inconclusive... "We can't figure it out... maybe it's allergies, maybe it's something else".

***

Thanks for narrowing it down for me Docs! I see where all that schooling came in real handy!

***

My entire family is on the healthiest eating regimen we have ever been on, and I KNOW it is the reason I have been able to semi function with this ear thing going on...

I am a good healer... always have been... but I heal sooo much better now that we have

eliminated ALL processed foods, EVERYTHING white, sugar, flour, rices, and completely switched 100% to brown and dark foods... and we eat our weights in fruits and veggies

all the time. I mean... TONS of fruits and veggies.

I buy 5 watermelons a week, AND WE EAT THEM!

I buy 10 cantaloupe, 30 each of peaches, nectarines, apples, pears, AND WE EAT THEM! ALL!

Butternut squash is my new best friend... I buy 4 a week and make soup out of it...

I buy ground turkey instead of ground beef,

etc...

My ankles are never swollen anymore,

my rings are slipping off my fingers,

all my shoes fit, all the time.

PMS is a thing of the past,

yet... I still got this stupid ear infection... like I have been for the past 4 years in a row...

and it's debilitating!!!

AND IT'S NOT EVEN WEDNESDAY!!!

***

Because of this infection, I have 55% hearing loss in my left ear, and they 'hope' it'll come back!

WHAT!!!!

DON'T TELL ME THAT!

It WILL come back...

case closed!

Drs. Doom and Drs. Gloom are so depressing!

No, I won't accept that... won't even let them put it out into the universe!

I need to find me a good Eastern Medicine doctor that does both.

Sheesh!

***

Alex tore his cast off... today was the day he was supposed to get it off, and he decided it was going to be earlier. That kid.

He leaves for Catalina tomorrow for the Seventh grade Science trip, so I'm sure that was his motivation for ripping it off early...

He's back to playing football and soccer and is happy now.

Boys are SO MUCH FUN!!!

***

My house is a mess... I've been babying my ear, and now it's time for some Mrs. Clean action.

I'm going to go listen to my Ipod blaster with my one good ear, (it sounds like everything is on Mono mode) and vacuum, dust and scrub some sinks...

I know... you are sooo jealous of my glamorous life... don't hate...

I'll let you come over do this for me if you like...

so you won't feel left out of all this fabulosity...

Thanks for listening...

Quick Fix "Go To" meal

When I'm in a bind as to what to make, or I didn't do my prep earlier in the week, due to life getting in the way... my favorite "go to" meal is a one dish meal...

Gather your favorite veggies and slice them up... add salt, pepper and lots of flavorful seasoning on them along with a little olive oil so the seasoning sticks to them...

and place in a hot 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes...

THEN...

Add a protein... such as fish, or sausage...

If you want to do chicken or other meats, brown it in a pan first and get it almost all the way cooked through, then place the pieces directly on top of the veggies in the oven... and cook for another 15 minutes or so...

All the veggies get sweet, toasty and scrumptious...

We always fight over the onions in my family, so I ususally use two whole cut up HUGE onions, so there's enough for each of us.

Baby carrots are divine like this.

I NEVER, ever, EVER... boil my veggies... no flavor...

I broil them 95% of the time...

nothing but flavor...

BBQing them is awesome too...

especially eggplant and onions...

***

Salmon is my favorite fish to broil like this... and I add it raw the last 10 minutes... and it's perfect...

Add a salad and some fresh bread and enjoy!!!

Writers Workshop 9-24--09

If I were a superhero mom, and could have any power...

I WOULD GET RID OF WEDNESDAYS!!!

See previous post for reasons...

I'm pooped.

Why I have begun HATING Wednesdays.

~~~WARNING... LONG~~~

For the last 41 years... Wednesdays were just... you know... Wednesdays.

Nothing too terribly special about them...

Some people, that work outside the home, (those lucky hags)(just kidding...sometimes)

call it 'Hump Day". After Wed. there seems to be a light at the end of the proverbial tunnel and the weekend is just that... much... closer.

Since I have been a stay at home Mama for almost 16 years now... one day just bleeds into the next. Thank God for school, or I'd never know what day or month it was otherwise...

***

When I was ages 5-10, Wednesdays were a favorite day of mine. My Mom only did hair half a day on Wednesdays, and she was the one to pick me up from school, and we'd go run errands and get ice cream with her after school. Then we'd go home and she would watch General Hospital while playing "Operation" with me.

Wednesdays were so cool then.

And they've been fine all the rest of the years too... except for the past month.

I can't seem to catch a break on Wednesdays... these days.

***

Allow me to expound...

It all started when my hubby went on "his" vacation to the river to "hunt".

{I use the quotations marks because "I" didn't get a vacation for "me" this year...}

Whatever... I digress...

On September 2, Wednesday, also known as Doomsday around here recently,I was waiting in the carpool lane of my third son's school when I got an urgent phone call from William, telling me, he needs his football jersey early, can I get to his school in 3 minutes... "Sure, I say", but I can't just leave my 10 year old in carpool all evening... so I tell William to hang on, I'd be there as soon as I could.

So I'm waiting in carpool, when OUT OF FREAKING NOWHERE... and gust of 50 MPH wind WHIPS through the entire parking lot, carrying sand and leaves from the open fields surrounding us in the orange groves. I literally can't see in front of my car... and the teachers scramble to get the kids inside, out of the dirt and flying debris, my car is being pelted with twigs, sand, little rocks, paper, cups... all sorts of trash...

It went on for 15 straight minutes... then stopped.

It was soooo weird.

Johnny got into the car with his hair full of sand and gravel, and itchy eyes,

when the phone rings again, and William says his coach is punishing him for not being ready, nevermind, he was sorry he rushed me. Sweet kid... little did he know a mini Armegeddon was ensuing all around me. I called his coach to inform him that we were under the impression that practice was going to be starting at 4:30 and not 3:15 due to the extreme heat, and I had his clean jersey with me... and that he'd better not hold my kid responsible... I was the one that held it at home to get dry. William wanted to take it wet.

That went over well.

I am then informed that William's cleats are broken (how do you break cleats?) and yes, indeed, one was broken in two, (I didn't even ask) so we run over to Big 5, and pick up a pair that cost more than my first car payment. He has a huge foot!

So we rush out the door, to get out of the sweltering heat, into the air conditioned car, and

Johnny opens up his door, smacking my elbow hard, I instinctively turn around in pain, and

accidentally SHUT THE DOOR ON IS LITTLE TIPS OF HIS FINGERS!

Oh my God... I felt soooooooooo bad!!!

He screamed... I screamed, I opened the door, and Thank God, it was only the very tips

and he was fine in a couple of hours...

***

The following Wednesday, the morning started out all wrong.

We get these school reports all the time, called Edline, on the computer, after each homework assignment or test is taken, and we get results lickety split.

Alex wasn't adjusting as well to the difficult academic program at this school, as well as he was adapting to the social scene at this lovely school... that we pay THROUGH THE NOSE for. If he could get grades in texting, flirting, posse leading, and smiling at every Senior girl on campus... he'd graduate with honors... but reading, writing, math and all the other subjects... not interested. He does just enough to squeak by, and his teachers adore him, so I don't know how accurate a "B" is in one class...

Needless to say, I was not happy with the results of his first week, and a "Come to Jesus" was the morning routine that morning.

THEN!! the freeway is completely stopped... and I have to take the side roads the 10 miles to school... fine...we were making great time... he was a little whiny, but I think he got the message of what needed to be done...

We got to school on time, dropped them all off, went to pick up Johnny again, and got YET ANOTHER phone call... urgent... "Mom, Alex hurt his hand during football practice, the Sports Medicine Guy here at school says he needs to have Xrays right away.. how far away are you?"

So, no sand storm this time, but of course, Johnny's class was the LAST one out that day.

So we pick Alex up and went to urgent care.

Once I saw Alex's hand, I knew it was broken, and I was worried about his growth plate, but Thank God it wasn't damaged... they sent recommended an Orthopedic dude for the next day to cast him and see if their X-ray reading was correct.

It was.

***

Jump ahead to the following Wednesday...

I go to the mailbox to retrieve the plethora of bills that always await us...

and low and behold, an envelope from Loma Linda photo enforcement

shows up.

Yep... I GOT A TICKET FOR RUNNING A RED LIGHT THE PREVIOUS WEDNESDAY MORNING...

I was going 38 in a 45 zone, and the light had turned .34 seconds (NOT EVEN A FULL SECOND) AFTER I crossed the line. THE SUN is completely in my eyes in the photo, and they also sent lovely shots of me, my license plate, and a full video of my infraction... and the kids faces were blocked out from the photos... (it's a shame, they are so photogenic)

Remember that day the freeway was all stopped?

Yeah...

I love Wednesdays.

***

Jump ahead to today...

Alex BROKE his cast in two, pulled it off, our shower backed up, and after 3 different sized line snakes to clear the line, we had to call Roto Rooter to come out tonight at 11 p.m. to clear it to the tune of $200 for the 3 minute job... ( we never hire ANYTHING out...Bill does it all... but couldn't do this one)

A baseball board meeting went wrong and down a bad path,

and Johnny came home from school with a 103 temperature.

***

I HATE WEDNESDAYS!!!

I am skipping them from now on!

I am going from Tuesday to Thursday from now on...

Wednesdays can SUCK IT!

Ear issue... again.

I am having ear issues...

Another ear infection... yes.. me!

I scratched my ear canal with my fake, stupid nail, and it got all infected... again!

***

Did too much this weekend, instead of take care of it and myself...

paying the price now.

Will be back in a few days.

**

Be well, and keep your fingers out of your ears.

FFF Butternut Squash Soup

Butternut Squash peeled and cut in half...

Pureed soup

Just before pureeing it...

As you all know, I am on a journey of losing weight.

I am happy to report to having lost 30 pounds in exactly 2 months on my new eating plan.

I have a lot more to go... but I know I can do it forever because it so easy and makes so much sense!

Anyway... I have been LIVING on this particular soup and I wanted to share it.

I make a HUGE batch and pour it into a HUGE Lock N Lock container, and Bill and I take cups full each time we feel like having super nutrition.

It's Butternut Squash soup... and it is DIVINE!!

And sooo easy...

***

Butternut Squash Soup

**

1 peeled, seeded and cubed butternut squash...

(or if you aren't cheap like me, buy it all cut at at Costco.. about 2 bags.)

1 to 2 containers of fat free chicken stock (low sodium)

1/2 chopped onion

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 T Olive Oil

**

In a deep, preferably ceramic coated cast iron, but a deep soup pot will do fine too,

add the olive oil and onion and saute until translucent, add garlic and saute for 1 minute more,

add the cubed squash and the stock

and cook until all the squash is soft.

Pulverize until smooth as silk with a hand mixer or a food processor and add salt and pepper to taste.

It is LUSCIOUS!!!

I pour it into a coffee mug and microwave until warm and sprinkle with curry...

soooooo good!

Enjoy!

It had virtually no fat, only 100 calories per 12 oz portion, and tons of

vitamins and fiber!

Writers Workshop 9-16-09

Writers Workshop... here we are again... I just love this stuff!

I really do!

Here are the prompt MamaKat gave us to work with this week...

***

1. If you give Mama a moment...

* She will FIX ALL THAT IS WRONG IN THE WORLD...

"nuff said...

***

If your pet could talk

, what would you want to know?

* This one is a doozy.

I have sooo many question for my dogs Jack and Daisy...

For instance...

My number one question... the one that seems to just 'say it all' is...

Come on... you know what it is... I don't really need to ask do I?

Now.. when I ask this question... you HAVE to understand that I live with 4 MEN!

There is an awful lot of lude and crude jokes in my home... ad nauseum.

It is the nature of the beast... I've stopped trying to fight it, and realized a long time ago

that this is a necessary evil. If they get it all out in my home, and don't say it outside my home... I'm fine... I can deal with it.

So here goes.

Jack, Daisy... men say all the time, that if they could reach themselves "vay down dere", they would never leave the house...

So, the question is...

"How do you function normally, and not do that 24/7?" Because according to

Saturday Night Live, and every "dude" show on the planet... THAT particular act is why men take yoga and gymnastics... for flexibility... if you know what I mean.

HEY... don't judge... MamaKat asked a question... and I merely answered her!

I can't stress enough... remember... all men here!

These questions come up all the time!

Especially when the darn dogs are orally manipulating themselves right in front of the men.

Okay, truth be told, my boys get all embarrassed and flustered... but my oldest... the 45 year old

LOVES to bring up the fact that dogs have it made in the shade...

Whatever!!!!

***

#3. If I could focus on 3 things in life and pursue them fully, what would they be and why?

Hmmmm...

Now, I'm going to answer this assuming it isn't talking about my family... I am going to assume that my family are all brilliant, drug free, alcohol abusing free, stand up, God Fearing men of God, that all have their Master's Degrees and great jobs and great wives and children...

Otherwise, that would be my three goals... each of my kids... having it all in life that is good, wonderful, and fun...

Sooo...

now that my boys are all set...

what 3 things would I pursue and focus on?

Gosh... that's a hard one... there are sooo many things I want/wanted to do!

1. More traveling all over the world. We have been to a lot of places... but more would be better I think... it would certainly help my writing... give me a lot more material, and different perspectives... I have always wanted to visit Egypt, India, Australia, and Tierra Del Fuego.

So yeah... I would pursue having my passport stamped everywhere...

***

2. I would pursue acquiring beach front property.

Somehow... someway... I will one day open my doors to the beach... I know it.

***

3. I would learn how to fly commercial airplanes.

Why? Why not!

Then that passport would be stamped for free! and I could take my brilliant, married sons and wonderful daughters in law, and grandchildren with me, to our beach front property and live happily ever after!

Wordful Wednesday

Click here for more Wordful Wednesday!

The official Back To School Photo...

New shoes...

New hair...

New clothes...

also...

Tons of homework...

Back and forth 4 times a day to school,

after school sports...

I need to paint my Expedition yellow and stamp my prices on the car door.

I forgot how much WORK their going to school is!

Ahhh. well... small price to pay for 7 hours of nothing but quiet per day!

Anger management should be a requirement for fame and fortune...

There sure is a whole lot of anger going on lately...

Serena Williams pulled a John McEnroe, Wilson calls out the Pres, and Kanye had his nose so far up Jay-Z's butt, he interrupted Taylor Swift onstage...

WTH???

My Yahoo homepage has been very busy these days... with headlines of the latest outburst...

I didn't actually "see" these things go on, but I did view the You-Tubes of them.

Each and every one of these people obviously have NOTHING else to do with their lives, than to make rude comments and totally give in to diarrhea of the mouth.

They have SO MUCH MONEY, so much adoration, so much... STUFF... they need to make

fools of themselves...

I get being angry.

I have three sons, (four if you count my hubby) remember?

I know anger, I know frustration, I know how completely unnerving it is to constantly repeat myself... day in and day out, I know how hard it is to raise kids these days...

What I don't know... is how to have soooo much money, soooo much influence, soooo much privilege that I start to allow myself to think that I can DO WHATEVER, SAY WHATEVER,

BE WHOMEVER I choose to be IN PUBLIC, on TV!

That's what I don't know.

So... I get being angry... we all do it.

We have all made mistakes...

I make them every day.

But to walk up onto a stage, take a microphone from a young girl and DISS her in front of millions... is just inexcusable.

When I wasn't happy about the leader of the free world in the past... I would NEVER... publicly

call him a liar... OR throw shoes at him... no matter how much I despised him.

Serena was upset... I get it... but you don't threaten to shove a ball down someone's throat on TV. You HAVE to know it's televised...

come on!!!

No, I'm not a musician, or a political figure or a sports star... but

there are LOTS of people in the public eye that mind their p's and q's.

I'm old school.

Just be cool in front of the camera.

What Beyonce did on stage, gave me hope for the future generation.

Her Mama raised her right.

I hear Taylor Swift won't be making comment about the incident... her Mama raised her right.

Kanye's Mama is gone... but I would hope she would slap him silly.

I know that there's no such thing as 'bad publicity'... that ANY publicity is good publicity...

but there are kids watching, and lots of parents don't see what went on as

bad... and that makes me sad.

Nowadays... EVERYONE has a camera.

EVERYONE has access to a computer... and most of them know how to post a video clip on it.

If these people are acting out this way in public... can you imagine what they are like

behind closed doors?

Yikes!

Nothing is sacred any longer.

It makes me especially angry when people with so many blessings act the fool.

They have an opportunity to teach and be someone positive for young ones to look up to...

and yet they balk and say... "I didn't ask to be a role model... I just want to do what I do and make my money"... too bad... money, influence and fame are a responsibility... in my book.

Bad form Kanye,

Bad form Serena,

Bad form Wilson...

Grow the heck up!

Alex's injury

Last week was a very interesting week... to say the least.

Monday, at football practice, Alex gets into the car with hurt hand... He is able to move it,

got some ice on it... we thought it was just sprained... it wasn't very swollen...

a couple of Tylenol, and a few days and he'd be as good as new....

HA!!!

Soooo not the case!

On Tuesday, I get a frantic phone call from William, telling me the Sports Medicine dude on staff at the school needed to take some xrays of his hand, he thought it may be broken...

I'm all... "Whaaaat?"

It was fine this morning... not swollen, and he even said it didn't hurt so much!

Then... I rushed over from picking Johnny up from school... and took one look at his hand...

and gasped...

I took him straight to Urgent Care around the corner from their school, they took X-rays, and

initally saw nothing.

Upon further scrutiny... they did see a little something, and referred us to an Orthopedist, who said... "I'm afraid there is good news and bad news... The good news... your growth plate wasn't touched at all... the bad news, you'll need a cast for 3 weeks."

I THOUGHT it was great news!!!

I was thinking 6 weeks... out from sports, damaged growth plate... all the bad stuff...

and it turns out...he'll have absolutely no lasting damage, should heal in no time flat...

AND he can already play football this week, as long as they CLUB up the cast!!!

Sooo cool!

Soccer won't allow us to play with a Club

(a huge, soft, bandage, like a socker bopper, so as not to hurt anyone else)...

WHATEVER!

I soooo hate Rec Sports!

I want Alex to wait the full three weeks... but Dad and coaches say they do it all the time,

and it's safe...

I'll just do a lot of praying and closing of my eyes.

The pictures below are out of order, cuz I never remember to click on them backwards...

Stuff before the casting starts...

Cute dude nurse putting on Alex's cast... yes... he CHOSE lime green... weirdo...

The interim cast to immobilize him before the Ortho appt. Ever the team player... he wore his spirit jersey to school for his team...

The lovely picture of his hand on the computer. The arrow isn't pointing to the break... the break is about two inches above it, on three fingers.

Look at the difference in size!!! Yikes!

The day after, at Williams first Varsity game, at the schools Annual Family Picnic and BBQ...

The cast was FULL of signatures by night's end...

90% from girls... SENIOR girls...

What IS that!!! They have to know he is only 13!!!!

Ugh!!!

My life is over...

Help me.

Cloud pictures...

My baby boy... looking like a full grown man... after a great game!!!

The spectacular sunset just before our game started last night...

Our team is the Eagles, and these clouds soared over us... like eagles...

cool huh???

Fun Food Friday!

Okay... so now our kitchen have "centers" for baking, coffee, spices, canned goods, oil bottles are filled, salt bins are filled, and MAYBE? some onions or other goodies have been pre-chopped/sliced?

Good...

Now let's get to some other ideas for things...

How about school lunches?

***

Do your kids balk at certain food items?

Do they say they like a food one minute, and then when they take it to school, they trade it or don't eat it, saying they don't like a certain type of food, (when they just told you they love it?)

It's typical.

Number one... I taught my kids (oookkkaaayyy... scared them to, I admit it) that they should NEVER trade food items with other people... they may have touched their nose, or other region, and not washed their hands before making their kids lunch... or that ding dong my kids aren't allowed to eat, may look appetizing... but it could have been sitting in a hot car for a week...you just never know.

I tell them... when you get food from home, you KNOW I always wash my hands before handling food, and most of the time, wear gloves because my kids like spicy food, and don't want to inadvertantly touch my eyes later in the day and burn my eyeball out!

Step one's trading crisis averted...

***

Click Here and Here for some lunch ideas...

***

I have a drawer in the kitchen set up specifically for their pretzel pack, and fruit snacks.

I don't buy chips or twinkies or any snack cake food at all.

Load up on fruit... fresh or frozen... and your kids will stay healthy all year long.

***

The Japanese have it right!

Have you seen or heard of Bento Boxes?

They are fabulous boxes, sectioned off, with an entire lunch ready to eat.

Hot, cold, no matter...the lunch looks like a REAL MEAL... and not some malnutritious mess.

***

I truly believe that if our kids washed their hands often and ate more organic, fresh produce... the super bugs wouldn't be so super any longer.

***

Our grocery bill has been cut in HALF because of our new way of eating.

70% fresh fruits and veggies, and only a small amount of bread and meat, and eaten only at lunchtime for the bread and meats...

THE KIDS LOVE IT!

Every night we FEAST on HUGE bowls of cut up fruit, and fresh veggie homemade soups.

Oops.. of subject... sorry...

***

So... stock up on lunch faves when they are on sale... and make lunch at school a healthy, happy, sweet time for our kids!

September 11, 2001

Click HERE is where I was when the Twin Towers went down...

We will NEVER forget.

Ever.

Writers Workshop 9-10-09

MamaKat's Writer's Workshop...Check her out... she's hilarious!

This weeks prompt I chose is...

"List the pieces of you that come from those around you".

***

Wow... I love this one.

I completely believe that the people we meet and know and love become pieces of us... good, bad or indifferent.

While I take a full 80% credit for the bad parts of me... impatience, narcissism, skepticism, sarcasm... basically all the "isms", there are parts of me that truly belong to other people for grafting their problem or "giving" me permission to be the way I am.

***

I hate liars because I was lied to a lot growing up.

I'm not gonna say who lied, but rest assured I learned how to distrust things said to me

because of it. It has helped to make me an uber cynic. That's both good and bad.

Good.. because I'm nobody's fool now... I can see a lie from across the country.

Bad... because I assume EVERYONE IS lying to me.

***

I have a lot of distrust of friends these days, because of what a friend did a couple of years ago.

She had an affair on her hubby, and USED ME AS HER SCAPEGOAT... unbeknownst to me.

When her husband called me to rake me over coals for 'covering up' for her for the past year,

I was flabbergasted! I had no clue she was sleeping around, nor did I know she was using me as her alibi. She was my BEST FRIEND... and obviously she wasn't the same person with me, that she was in front of everyone else.

She even used my house, when I was in Italy for a month with my family, as her "LOVE PAD".

That'll teach me to never give anyone other than family keys to my house to water plants, take care of my dogs, and water my garden. Next time, I'll kennel the dogs, buy new plants when I get home, and put my garden on automatic water.

Needless to say, we are no longer friends... and I miss the friendship we had... but I don't miss all the drama that came with her friendship.

***

I have a hot Italian temper. Like the song sorta says... "I got it from my Papa!" I truly did.

He and I are 0-60 in 2.2 seconds.

It takes exactly NOTHING to set me off. Wait.. that's actually no longer true... the older I get, I find that I am getting less and less combative, and more "whatever" in my attitude.

I was hell on wheels in my 20's.

I was too busy with baby's and toddlers in my 30's...

and I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my 40's. I'm more Zen now... LOL! But don't ask my hubby... he'll say I'm sooo not! But I am... I really am!!!

shut up!

***

I've always had really, really high self esteem.

No matter that I'm overweight... I still love me. My attitude is that if you DON'T LOVE ME TOO... it's YOUR problem... not mine.

I don't feel "less than a woman" or "out of place" because of how I look.

I am comfortable with WHO I am, and I always have been.

I owe that to my Mama. SHE isn't comfortable with herself as far as her looks go, BUT she made sure I didn't follow in those footsteps, and ALWAYS built me up. I owe my positive outlook on myself a little bit to her. She also... NEVER put herself down in my presence when I was a child.

Don't get me wrong... I don't love myself like to say...

"I'm the best... or... I Adore ME!".. I just mean that I accept and love myself where I am at...

don't feel the need to beat myself up... there are plenty of people in the world to do that for or to me... I don't need to contribute to it.

Every pound I have gained that I don't need, I feel like gave me a new sense of self that I wouldn't have had if I had stayed thinner.

Now that I am losing it, and know that my back won't put me in traction ever again, and my kids are older now and I can start putting myself back on my list... I will emerge a whole new person that I was supposed to be. Life is an evolution... and I must look at my weight as a necessary evil that I went through... and I am on my way to a different evolution. A healthy, energetic, healed-back woman... with a good 50 years ahead of her.

No sense looking in the past... there's no going back and changing it. I just choose to learn from it, and find the things that were wonderful and move forward...

I owe that to my parents... they are perserverance personified.

***

So that's me... a liar hating, Hot headed, 40+, mellowing out, weight losing, still loving herself where she is...

woman.

I wish only happiness and self love for you too.

Life is too short to put yourself down... there are 7 billion others on the planet ready to take that job... you have to love you.

God don't make no junk.

Fun, Food Friday... on Monday.

Okay, Okay, it's not Friday... but I had to get the pictures off my camera before this weeks football and soccer games.

So here is what I did as prep Monday night...

I saute's onions and red peppers (not shown)

Johnny grated cheese for the week in our antique cheese grater... the same one I used when I was a kid...

I made a killer salad

and I made three different kinds of Calzones for lunches for my men this week...

Meatball and Mozzarella, BBQ Chicken and Mexican seasoned chicken, onion and red pepper.

Take THAT Hot Pockets!!!

Oh yeah... I also made bagels for the week! This week was blueberry!

***

It only took me about 3 hours of work... so save about 20 for the week!

Lunches are made, veggies are cooked, chicken is ready, and bread dough is made for the entire week! So now I am free to attend Football and Soccer games without worry of how long dinner will be to make, or having to fix lunches every night... IT'S DONE! PREP ROCKS!!!!!

Fun Food Friday!

Well, this is narcissistic of me... isn't it??? LOL!

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Fun Food Friday

***

I had some other tool necessities suggested yesterday...

*

A food chopper

a garlic press

a microwave

and a take out menu...LOL!

Hmmm... We'll keep the microwave and toss the takeout menu...

It's expensive to feed a family every night on takeout... not to mention full of salt, fat and

hardly any nutrition at all!

It's our responsibility as Mom's to put good food into our family.

We'll get a list going soon of what's needed... for now... please go here a read the sidebars for lists of goodies...

***

So, now that you've gathered all your necessary items into one place, I want to talk with you about my favorite thing to do in the kitchen, and why I don't stress out about meals anymore.

P-R-E-P.

Getting stuff done ALL AT ONCE, and having what you need ALREADY CHOPPED, SLICED, COOKED OFF, ASSEMBLED or otherwise READY TO GO!

Once again please go here and read about prep at your leisure...

So... now we have all our most used items in one place,

and soon, hopefully, you'll read about what I mean by Prep.

First things first...

Make your list of dinners you want to make.

I will be providing you with LOTS of recipes on here, and you can always get some off my other blog. I don't use prepackaged foods, but if you do... go for it!

I also don't use too many canned things... once again... if you do... Brava!

I'm not here to judge... I'm here to help.

HOWEVER... please read your labels... LOTS OF SALT AND CHEMICALS exist in pre-packaged foods and canned goods...Fresh is ALWAYS best... but... this is my last time saying it.

I'm not a preacher...I'm just a cook.

***

Make a list of dinners and their ingredients and side dishes.

Do you find a recurring theme in your dishes?

What I mean is... do 3 of your dishes require chopped or sliced onions?

Do 2 of them require herbs or celery?

or Chicken? or Fish?

Do you eat a lot of potatoes, made in different ways?

See where I'm going here?

THAT'S WHERE THE PREP COMES IN!

***

If I know I am going to need sliced onions for 3 of my dishes this week...

WHY CHOP THEM EACH NIGHT?

Why not just chop all of them ALL AT ONCE? and use what I need each night, and store the other chopped onions in my fridge in a container?

If I know I am going to make chicken 2 nights...

COOK THE CHICKEN EACH WAY, ALL AT ONCE... either braise, or boil, or fry, or bake it

ahead of time and store it in the fridge.

Now... I understand that you just can't do that with EVERYTHING.. but with chopped veggies, herbs, salad ingredients etc... you certainly could!

Do you know how much time you saved yourself NOT having to chop that onion on Tuesday night? 5 minutes and smelly hands is a lot of time when the kids are hungry, the hubs is home, baths need to get done, and you are TIRED!

***

My kids LOVE an Italian grain called Farro (whole wheat berries)

It takes a long time to cook if I were to cook it every morning... AND IT IS SOOOOOOO

GOOD FOR THEM... for EVERYONE! Tons of fiber, vitamins, minerals... and very yummy.

So, I cook an entire batch on Sunday night, and store it in my Lock and Lock container for the week in the fridge... and when they want some, they just scoop it out.

I am Queen Mama when I do that...

Mornings are hectic enough without having to wait for a grain to cook.

***

For their lunches for school?

I cut all the lettuce, pickles, tomatoes, lunch meat and my homemade bread and store them in my shallow plastic containers ALL TOGETHER in different tiers of the Lock and Lock in my fridge. So when I need to make a sandwich... I just grab one stack of ingredients and I'm ready to go... no more searching for sandwich fixings.

***

The trick to make your kitchen WORK for you!

When I make coffee, ALL my coffee stuff in within reach...

When I make cookies, ALL MY baking things are all together... ingredients AND utensils needed.

It just makes for more and better cooking in the kitchen.

***

Now go on... get your kitchen as organized as you can, and I'll see you next week!

***

**All the information on this blog is proprietary TO ME!

Nothing can be reproduced, copied, pasted or used in reference, without express written consent by me, Sandra Shaver. If consent is given, a link back to my blog and my name MUST accompany any part used...

Friday Food

I said last week that I was going to stop my other 2 blogs and just write this one...

and quite frankly, I haven't touched my other two in a long time... but I feel there is still some valuable information on them, and they keep getting hits... so someone thinks it's valuable...

***

So, I'm gonna make good on the promise.

I wanted to slurp the other blogs on here, or even just cut and paste some of the better topics... but it won't let me cut and paste on blogger... why is that???

***

Anyway... those of you that know me...know that I am a caterer, Pampered Chef Consultant and

an all around foodie...

Although I've never been classically trained in Culinary school, I know my way around

the kitchen and all it's tools. My Mama and Papa are AWESOME cooks...

and my Aunts on both sides can cook CIRCLES around ANY Food Network chef... hands down.

***

I have a definite philosophy about cooking...

and it's this...

IT DOESN'T HAVE TO TAKE FOREVER TO MAKE A GREAT MEAL!

It just doesn't.

All you need is the will to learn some short cuts and to carve out some time once a week to do some prep... and you will be AMAZED what you can whip up for your family.

I am also a BIG believer in Cook Once, eat TWICE!

Are you ready to learn?

Are you ready for a series on this here blog?

I need a name for it.

I'll be posting on Fridays... so let's play with the F's... shall we?

Fantastic Food Friday?

Family Friendly Food Friday?

Fun Food Friday?

Help me!

I need a series name!

***

Okay... this week's homework is to ORGANIZE YOUR DRAWERS...

and put all in one place these items...

2 large bowls

1 whisk

measuring cups

can opener

wooden spoons

1 large knife

1 paring knife

cutting board

1 stock pot

1 frying pan

DON'T WORRY IF YOU DON'T HAVE ALL THOSE THINGS! Just comment on alternatives and I'll respond quickly!

The key is to have them ALL IN ONE PLACE, WHERE YOU CAN FIND THEM EASILY...

perhaps a basket in the pantry? or a drawer in the kitchen?

or in one area of your cabinets?

***

For me... gathering the ingredients and utensils is what I find overwhelming.

I have learned that having my most used items all in one place, makes me much more

willing to cook.

***

Ohhh I am sooo excited!

Okay... more tomorrow...

Get organized!!!