I had a definite "Duh!" moment today.
I was preparing dinner (meatloaf was on the menu tonight) with my assistant chef, when I realized I hadn't grabbed the breadcrumbs from the pantry. As I turned to walk into the pantry, I glanced at the counter and saw an almost empty bread bag on the counter. There were two end pieces left in the bag.
I'll admit it. I'm a discriminating bread eater. As a general rule I don't eat the ends of bread. On occasion I'll eat an open faced sandwich using the end, but it's very rare. There you have it. Sometimes the truth is ugly.
Anyway, probably inspired by some show on the food network in my subconscious, I decided to use the leftover ends to make breadcrumbs.
I grabbed my cheap Hamilton Beach food chopper, tore the bread into pieces, put the lid on, and turned it on high for, oh I don't know, 30 seconds or so. And then an amazing thing happened.
Right before my very eyes I had breadcrumbs.
Whole wheat breadcrumbs.
Breadcrumbs that probably cost all of .25 cents
So can anyone tell me why I've been spending 3 bucks a pop on store bought breadcrumbs? Anyone? No I didn't think so.
Oh, and you know what else I did? I added some Italian seasoning, a pinch of sea salt, and voilà, seasoned breadcrumbs.
It's the little things in life I tell ya. The little things
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Things that make you say "Aww"
Yesterday morning after washing Ian's face, I began the not too terrible task of brushing his teeth. Oddly enough he loves to brush and have his teeth brushed, he's weird that way. About halfway through I noticed that he was trying to say something I couldn't quite make out. "What are you trying to say Pooh?", I inquired as I removed the toothbrush from his mouth. He looked at me, and with a very serious expression, yelled out "HUG!", and then quickly threw his arms around my neck and gave me a tight squeeze. As I returned the embrace of my little one I was overcome with the warm mushy feeling, as I call it."Thank you Ian. That was so sweet." I said, as I gave him a kiss on the cheek. He smiled his cheesy little smile, and as I went to finish brushing his teeth, he decided to bless me with 3 additional hugs, each time yelling out "HUG!" right before.
So there you have it folks. Another story that may not mean a whole lot to you, but means the world to me.
photo from hien_it
Thursday, August 20, 2009
When Mom is away...
The boys will play
Hey Mom, did you know I could climb a 6ft ladder all by myself?
Hey Mom, you know how you won't let me stand in the swing? Dad will, and it's fun.
I mean REALLY REALLY fun!
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Time for cookies
(excuse the grainy pic to the left, it was taken on a cell cam)A couple of weeks ago the control panel on our stove went out and as a result we could no longer use the oven. Since it was an older stove that was already there when we moved into the house, we opted to get a new one instead of replacing it. When the new stove was finally delivered you know what we had to do don't you? Christen the new stove by baking chocolate chip cookies, of course. Dark chocolate chip cookies to be exact. How else are we supposed to get our antioxidants?
Anyway, since Ian loves to help with, well, anything, I enlisted his help and we got to work.
Are those cookies done yet?
Yummy, I like cookies. Oh, are you taking a picture of me?
Ok, I'm ready to take my picture now
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
M.I.A.
I haven't been posting that much here lately.
If I said things had been hectic at work and just calmed down in the past few weeks, so I now, finally, have the time to post, I'd be telling the truth.
If I said I had been busy with a nice visit from my Father-in-Law, followed by us packing up and heading out on the road ourselves, that would be true too.
If I said I needed to prioritize family time, paying bills, and laundry before surfing the web and blogging, again, that would be the truth.
But if I'm being HONEST, I mean completely honest, none of those are the real reasons I haven't been posting. The real reason you haven't seen me around these parts is because I've been spending time with some friends I have made.
For a little while now, not exactly sure how long, I've been receiving invitations to a very private, very exclusive party. When I first started receiving invitations to these uber-exclusive gatherings, I would think about going, but would always decline. "Nah," I would say, "I have too much going on to really make time for this", and I wouldn't really give it much thought. But one day my curiosity got the best of me and I decided to attend.
On my first visit I met a woman that had given birth to a very premature baby -- it was also her first child. We had so much to talk about. We talked about the lingering twinge of guilt for not being able to carry our kids to term, the different types of therapy our kids had been through, the current delays they were experiencing. We talked about our concerns for their future development, and thoughts about family planning. That's when she told me that she had always sworn she would never have an only child, but now that she has lived the reality of having a premature baby, she was rethinking that theory. "Is it fair to even think about having another child if there is even the slightest possibility this could happen again?" she asked. I could only sigh and shrug my shoulders. I didn't have an answer for her and it broke my heart.
At the next get-together I was all set to talk Mrs. Preemie Mommy, only she wasn't there. Instead, I struck up a conversation with a working (outside the home) mother. We commiserated about trying to manage all of our responsibilities. We tried to figure out how to balance spending 9-10 hours away from home Monday through Friday with having quality time with our families, doing laundry, paying bills, cleaning the house, cooking, maintaining friendships, exercising, and much, much more. At the end of the conversation we walked away feeling even more overwhelmed than when we started.
After looking around and not seeing Mrs. Preemie Mommy or Mrs. Overwhelmed at the next gathering, I didn't know what to do or who to talk to. I didn't have to wait long before Mrs. Questioning Christian showed up. "I believe in God", she said "so much that sometimes it seems like I can feel His presence right beside me. I love moments like that. But then there are other times, times when I don't feel His presence at all. I pray for clear guidance, for direction, and months later I'm still clueless."
Yep Mrs. Questioning Christian, I feel your pain.
And those were just a few of the ladies I met. I also conversed with Mrs. Failed perfectionist, Mrs. I-am-the-only-one-that-feels-like-this, Mrs. Indecisive, Mrs. Fear of failure, Mrs. I-don't-have-any-friends, and I tended to chat quite frequently with Mrs. The-grass-on-their-lawn-is-so-much-greener.
Is it becoming clear yet? Yeah, I imagined it would.
As I'm sure you've surmised, I haven't been around these parts because I have been way too busy attending my very own pity party. I never intended to stay long, but a funny thing happens when you begin to dwell on your shortcomings and problems -- perceived or real-- you tend to elicit a more-the-merrier attitude and will find yourself making room for more negative thoughts to join in on the festivities.
Like attracts like and all that jazz.
So instead of hanging out with those friends, I've been spending some time with Mrs. Gratitude. She's been reminding me of all the things, the countless things, the oh so many things, I am grateful for. She's been keeping me in line when I feel the urge to strike up a conversation with my pessimistic pals, and when I'm tempted to feel like I've failed to live up to an unreasonable expectation I set for myself, she has reminded me that there are people out there (people in my own home even) that think I'm just swell, and it's OK for me to think the same.
If I said things had been hectic at work and just calmed down in the past few weeks, so I now, finally, have the time to post, I'd be telling the truth.
If I said I had been busy with a nice visit from my Father-in-Law, followed by us packing up and heading out on the road ourselves, that would be true too.
If I said I needed to prioritize family time, paying bills, and laundry before surfing the web and blogging, again, that would be the truth.
But if I'm being HONEST, I mean completely honest, none of those are the real reasons I haven't been posting. The real reason you haven't seen me around these parts is because I've been spending time with some friends I have made.
For a little while now, not exactly sure how long, I've been receiving invitations to a very private, very exclusive party. When I first started receiving invitations to these uber-exclusive gatherings, I would think about going, but would always decline. "Nah," I would say, "I have too much going on to really make time for this", and I wouldn't really give it much thought. But one day my curiosity got the best of me and I decided to attend.
On my first visit I met a woman that had given birth to a very premature baby -- it was also her first child. We had so much to talk about. We talked about the lingering twinge of guilt for not being able to carry our kids to term, the different types of therapy our kids had been through, the current delays they were experiencing. We talked about our concerns for their future development, and thoughts about family planning. That's when she told me that she had always sworn she would never have an only child, but now that she has lived the reality of having a premature baby, she was rethinking that theory. "Is it fair to even think about having another child if there is even the slightest possibility this could happen again?" she asked. I could only sigh and shrug my shoulders. I didn't have an answer for her and it broke my heart.
At the next get-together I was all set to talk Mrs. Preemie Mommy, only she wasn't there. Instead, I struck up a conversation with a working (outside the home) mother. We commiserated about trying to manage all of our responsibilities. We tried to figure out how to balance spending 9-10 hours away from home Monday through Friday with having quality time with our families, doing laundry, paying bills, cleaning the house, cooking, maintaining friendships, exercising, and much, much more. At the end of the conversation we walked away feeling even more overwhelmed than when we started.
After looking around and not seeing Mrs. Preemie Mommy or Mrs. Overwhelmed at the next gathering, I didn't know what to do or who to talk to. I didn't have to wait long before Mrs. Questioning Christian showed up. "I believe in God", she said "so much that sometimes it seems like I can feel His presence right beside me. I love moments like that. But then there are other times, times when I don't feel His presence at all. I pray for clear guidance, for direction, and months later I'm still clueless."
Yep Mrs. Questioning Christian, I feel your pain.
And those were just a few of the ladies I met. I also conversed with Mrs. Failed perfectionist, Mrs. I-am-the-only-one-that-feels-like-this, Mrs. Indecisive, Mrs. Fear of failure, Mrs. I-don't-have-any-friends, and I tended to chat quite frequently with Mrs. The-grass-on-their-lawn-is-so-much-greener.
Is it becoming clear yet? Yeah, I imagined it would.
As I'm sure you've surmised, I haven't been around these parts because I have been way too busy attending my very own pity party. I never intended to stay long, but a funny thing happens when you begin to dwell on your shortcomings and problems -- perceived or real-- you tend to elicit a more-the-merrier attitude and will find yourself making room for more negative thoughts to join in on the festivities.
Like attracts like and all that jazz.
So instead of hanging out with those friends, I've been spending some time with Mrs. Gratitude. She's been reminding me of all the things, the countless things, the oh so many things, I am grateful for. She's been keeping me in line when I feel the urge to strike up a conversation with my pessimistic pals, and when I'm tempted to feel like I've failed to live up to an unreasonable expectation I set for myself, she has reminded me that there are people out there (people in my own home even) that think I'm just swell, and it's OK for me to think the same.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Gone, but not forgotten
1958-2009
Say what you will about Michael Jackson, but let's face it: He was an amazing song writer, a superb performer, an impeccable producer, and in my opinion, the best all around entertainer of my generation. I'm sure he will be missed by his family, friends, and fans, but his music will live on forever. You better believe that.
Yesterday to celebrate the life and musical genius of Michael Jackson, I danced to Beat it and Billy Jean, rocked out to Dirty Diana and Scream, became introspective listening to Man in the Mirror and Heal the World, and reminisced with Hubby as we told our stories about watching the Thriller video for the first time.
And then around 7:45 pm, when the You Rock My World video started playing and my silly 2 year old jumped up and began dancing and giggling, all I could do was look at him, smile, and say "You have no idea kid. You really have no idea."
RIP MJ
Photo from earnest70six
Sunday, May 31, 2009
I was robbed!
Stolen Item: A delicious panko breaded tilapia fish sandwich, served on a slightly toasted wheat bun, with homemade tarter sauce, a dab of ketchup, and a sliver of swiss cheese.
The prime suspect:
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It all started off innocent enough, or so I thought. The person in the photo above joined me on the couch after waking from his afternoon nap. He looked at my beloved sandwich with a certain sparkle in his eye. In hindsight, that should have tipped me off immediately.
Anyway, after a few seconds of sitting quietly, he leaned in and as fast as lightning took a small bite out of my sandwich as I was still holding it.
While I sat in shock, this little person seized the moment, and in one fell swoop took the entire sandwich out of my hands and began to chomp on it.
It was blatant thievery I tell ya...In my own household...On a Sunday!
The prime suspect:
It all started off innocent enough, or so I thought. The person in the photo above joined me on the couch after waking from his afternoon nap. He looked at my beloved sandwich with a certain sparkle in his eye. In hindsight, that should have tipped me off immediately.
Anyway, after a few seconds of sitting quietly, he leaned in and as fast as lightning took a small bite out of my sandwich as I was still holding it.
But wait, there's more.
While I sat in shock, this little person seized the moment, and in one fell swoop took the entire sandwich out of my hands and began to chomp on it.
It was blatant thievery I tell ya...In my own household...On a Sunday!
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