Wednesday, April 25, 2012

My Julie&Julia kick... Tired of the same ole meals


I loved the idea to this movie. Although I love Stanley Tucci and Meryl Streep the movie itself was a little disappointing.  This is not a post about a movie review though so moving on.  


I've been on a new recipe cooking mood and it's been wonderful.  I absolutely love cooking.  Cooking has always been one of those things that can bring my spirits up when I'm having a bad day.  Even if I'm slaving in the hot kitchen, piling up dishes and pans I know I'm going to have to clean later, I still love it.  It's the one thing I know I'm good at.  If I have a recipe and I can get all the ingredients and the tools I need, I can cook it.  


So, now that I don't have volleyball taking up my evening hours I have more time to prep dinner instead of throwing the same old chicken in the oven.  I love trying new recipes, so I was thinking if I could do my own little Julie/Julia project.  Of course I can't do it every night like Julie did in the movie because I do still have five kids.  However, those five kids and the hubby have to eat, so if I'm going to be busy with something it might as well be something they can eat! 


Two nights ago I tried a new meatloaf recipe.  I was rushing through a little bit and didn't season it as well as I wanted. But the meatloaf is gone, so it must have been good.  I tried this recipe last night and it was a big hit!  Even my oldest son, who hates any kind of food if it's not sweet, from a cereal box, or ramen noodles, ate it.  He ate a small serving, but he ate it.  My sister and I broke out a little white wine to go with it, and it was divine! 


Eight Layer Spinach Casserole
Click on the link for the recipe.  


*Note* I used penne pasta instead of egg noodles, and ground turkey instead of ground beef.  
Today I'm making stuffed pork chops.  Got to get to cookin'! 



Sunday, April 22, 2012

The Secret to Well Behaved Kids


People ask me all the time how do you get your kids to behave so well?  Like there is some big secret to being a parent that my husband and I are keeping to ourselves.  I hate to break it to people, but there is NO big secret to raising well behaved kids.  Just do what you know needs to be done.  Discipline your kids when they need it, talk to them about how they feel, teach them the value of work, teach them how to be respectful, and for goodness sake teach them some manners.  I don't understand why it's so hard for parents these days to BE parents. 

From now on when parents ask me how do I get my kids so well behaved, I'll ask one question.  "Are you best friends with your kids?"  If they say "Oh yes totally".  Then I'll say, "WRONG!  If your kids at one time in their lives don't hate you or want to run away, or think their lives are unfair because of you, then you are not being a parent.  You are being their friend.  And last time I checked I don't give a crap what my friends tell me to do, I'll do whatever the hell I want!"

Being a parent isn't easy.  It's the hardest thing in the world to know that what you do and how you shape these little people is the difference between whether they are "normal" and well adjusted OR just plain screwed up in the future.  Even with well behaved kids, I still wonder if they are not screwed up in some way or another.  Who knows we will just have to see.  I'll never stop trying though.  Not ever! 



Friday, April 20, 2012

Confessions of a Pisces


I believe this quote to be true.  Although this could apply to mothers in general, being a Pisces mother can magnify this fact ten times more.  Sometimes I don't realize I'm doing it.  I love helping people, and most of the time I don't think it's going to be that hard.  But sometimes, I get in over my head and then I just end up working myself into physical and emotional exhaustion.  And I know that I can spread myself thin sometimes, but my cousin made me realize how much I do put other people's desires higher than my own.  

It wasn't a serious talk or some deep discussion we were having.  I was telling my cousin about my Dad asking me to help them out with some dances for a dinner dance/luau they were going to have at their church.  My dancing days are so over it's not even funny.  And my initial answer was no of course.  But me being me, I think I can do anything.  I could do some research, make up some choreography for a hula, and something else, and then I could skype or video chat with my sister and teach her the dance so I didn't have to drive over an hour.  Yada yada yada, my brain keeps trying to figure out ways to help out my Dad. As I'm telling this to my cousin she just says, "But you are too busy with five kids".  That's it.  That's all she said.  Not only once, but twice. After I mentioned something else about maybe getting a part time job.  That's all she said.  So simple for her to just say it.  But how is it that it doesn't just click in my head that way.  Knock, knock, hello there you...yea you who is trying to do too much.  STOP IT!

I don't really know if I can.  It's become habit I guess.  If I'm not helping somebody with something I kind of feel like a slacker.  Which is why I volunteered to help with my kids and their annual Variety Show at their school.  Turns out I was THE ONLY parent that sent in the paper to volunteer.  I don't know if that's a sign for me to stop with the extra work on top of my number one job, but I'm still going to help out.  I've already told my kids I was going to help.  And it will probably be the last thing for a while.  Oh wait I volunteered with my daughters dance group too.  Okay after that.  That one will be the last time.  

Well we will see how well that goes.  Wish me luck!



Thursday, April 12, 2012

"Mom can you do....EVERYTHING?"

I laughed so hard when I saw this picture.  And not because I'm not this Mom, but because I AM this Mom.  I thought, "Wow I really need to stop doing this to myself".  Just the other day my 4 year old was in a really bad mood.  Everything I asked her was answered in a high pitched whiny little cry.  Oh how I hate that voice!  So she finally just said, "I need to go potty!"  To which I answered as patiently as I could muster, "So go potty already".  Then she cried in that voice "But can you walk me to the bathroom!"  To our bathroom down the hall, literally 5 steps away.  LOL! Of course I walked her.  She's my baby and she wasn't in a good mood.  Which is what I'm telling myself now so I don't feel absolutely ridiculous for being that mom in this picture.  The things we do for our kids. I hope I'm not the only one out there like this. Right?.....Right! (crickets)

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

The Hunger Games vs. Telesa The Covenant Keeper



First of all before I get all kinds of appalling comments and bashing, I'm not comparing these two books as a competition of which book was better.  Although it was hard for me to read S.C.  It felt like I was reading someone on A.D.D. jumping from one subject to the next without any warning it seemed to me.  And I had issues with the way she ended the books like it was just another chapter.  But it doesn't mean I didn't love the books and finished the trilogy in a matter of days.  It's just my opinion as a reader.  I know nothing about writing books, so that's all I'm going to say about that.  I just recently read THG trilogy and I loved the books, but was left with an obsession over some pretty depressing books in my opinion.  I've read Catching Fire twice already and went back to re read The Hunger Games, but I had to stop reading it.  

I thought, "I really need to stop reading this series.  I love it but it just leaves me feeling sad."  

So what's my cure for depression over fictional characters? Of course Telesa.  Except for the obvious "Girl on fire" in both books.  The story of THG and Telesa have nothing in common to me.  Both books are awesome.  But being that I was tired of reading about people dying and favorite characters being killed off, I started reading Telesa, AGAIN, for the umpteenth time.  The only thing good about my Alzheimer like memory is that I get to relive certain parts of my favorite books like it was my first time reading the book again.  For example, how did I forget about the whole Mele and Leila confrontation before Leila does her taupou siva while Daniel sings.  While I was reading through that I remembered why I wanted Leila to burn that heifer's face off...LOL.(harsh I know)  And my heart just melting with just the little gesture of Daniel's arms around Leila in a crowded McDonald's.  Or the way he sticks up for Leila against the Telesa "psycho bitches". (swoon) What girl doesn't want a man to stand up and protect her against unimaginable supernatural power?  No girl, that's who.  I haven't even finished re reading Telesa again, but I just felt like I needed to blog about it.  Poor Jason is still sick in the hospital, so I gotta get back to my reading. (As if Jason will stay sick if I don't finish reading. smh I need real friends. lol)  Anyway, if you haven't re read your Telesa book lately, you totally should.  It always makes me feel better.