In honor of Father's Day, here's a tribute to the best fathers out there. There are three of them in my book:
First, my own dad. He's older now, with a medical condition I don't understand and he sometimes walks with a cane. But he has a heart of gold and would do just about anything for me. Always coming to my defense, asking me if I need $20 or if he can top off my gas tank, telling me how wonderful my children are turning out and how proud he is of all the things I have accomplished. My dad is the best there is. Whenever my dad feels ganged up on by all the estrogen in my family, I rush to his aid with my favorite expression: "I'm on your side, Dad". It's our inside joke, that no one else gets. I'm sad that he is so sick all the time, that he doesn't have the energy he used to. I dread the day I lose my dad.
Second, my husband. Another top notch, stand up guy. Totally willing to be the best model for our kids, even in ways that are far outside his comfort zone. I could list all the things he does for the kids but there isn't a blog long enough to hold it. And he takes everything in stride, showering the kids with patience and understanding, love and admiration. He even stayed home for a year after our son was born, not because he had to, but because he was presented with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity where we had the means to do it and he knew he it would be the most quality time he would ever get. Even though he might not say it, I know how much he enjoyed that year. My husband really is a true co-parent. He does dentist appointments and swim lessons and talent shows and parent teacher conferences. He helps with soccer drills and math homework. My kids have been truly blessed with their dad.
Finally, last, but certainly not least, is my father in law. He is actually my husband's step-father, but you would never know it. He always treated my husband like a bonus and not a burden, not just his "wife's kids". DH has always referred to him and thought of him as "Dad". My father in law is smart and fair, funny and wise. I know a fair number of people who either outright hate quietly dislike their in-laws, I am lucky to say that I love mine.
Happy Father's Day!!
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Yes, I Know
It has been 499 days since I last posted to my blog. I will try to be better. But truthfully, I am a working mom of three kids. I travel extensively for my job, which I love. And I don't always have anything insightful or meaningful or particularly interesting to share. So I will post when I feel like it, when the mood strikes me. It might be several times a month, or several months in between posts. So there are no apologies from me. Happy reading!
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Bees & the Kidness of Strangers
Funny story.....
Last week, I was grocery shopping with the kids. It was a beautiful day. I mean gorgeous. It was about 70 degrees outside with a slight breeze and no clouds. The perfect day to be outdoors. Apparently the bees thought so too.
As we were leaving the grocery store, a bee flew up to my cart and starting buzzing around the bag that had all my bread in it. Normally, I would expect the bee the quickly decide he had no interest in my bread and fly away. Not this time. Instead, the bee actually flew into the bag and stayed there. This posed a problem since I didn't want to load the bag into the car with the bee in it, and the bag was in such a position that if I moved the bags around it, I was afraid I would disturb the bee and he would come flying out and sting me. My solution was to get the kids settled in the car, by which time the bee should have lost interest in the bag and gone about his business irritating someone else.By the time the kids were in their seats and buckled up, I checked the bag to find that that bee was still in there. I tried a couple of things to get him to come out, including swatting a rolled up newspaper at the bag and shaking the bag a little bit. Nothing. He didn't want to come out. Finally, the bee flew out of the bag but he went right into the car. The kids freaked out since they were bucked in and couldn't escape him. I was totally helpless. I wanted to get him, but was afraid he would sting. And since my mother and her mother are deathly allergic to bee stings, its just easier for me to say I am too rather than admit I act like a three year old when a bee gets close to me. I've never been stung, and I don't want to know what it feels like to have my throat swell shut and an epi-pen jabbed into my butt. A nice motorist, seeing our distress, stopped to offer some assistance. I calmly explained that we were having trouble with a bee and that I was allergic. He looked very amused at this and got out of his car to help. With one swift move, he maneuvered the bee out of the car and slapped his hands together with the bee inside. Once the bee fell to the ground, he stepped on it for good measure. Problem solved, we have a hero. And a dead bee.
Whoops, spoke to soon. No sooner than our good Samaritan had driven off, two more bees appeared in our cart. Seriously?? This was unreal. They didn't hang around the cart too long, though; they just went straight into the car, sending the kids into another panic. This time, the kids didn't want to stay in their seats. The girls were huddled in the front holding on to each other for deal life and poor KC wasn't able to get his seat belt off. I really think that he was panicked because the girls were, and he had no idea this whole ordeal was because of the bee. But I digress. I unbuckled my son and let the kids out of the van, while trying to keep my eyes on the two new bees flying around. I could see one had flown in between the back seat and passenger's side wall. My solution was to encourage it to come out by throwing little boxes of raisins at it. Didn't work. Swatting newspapers, didn't work. 
Now there are more bees in the cart. Oh jeez! The kids are screaming, running into the parking lot, people are staring, I am desperately trying to look calm and collected while not conveying my fear of a stupid bee sting. Finally I asked a store employee who was out collecting carts if he could help us. This poor 16 year old kids had no idea what the problem was and why this crazy lady with the hysterical kids couldn't handle the bees. But he went inside to get some bug spray and said he would load the bags into my car. Meanwhile, I am trying to hold onto my son so he doesn't get hit by a car, which even I admit would be worse than me getting stung by the bee or bees.
At last, a man came up to us and offered to help. I'm sure we were quite the sight, and I wouldn't blame him if he stood from a distance and chuckled a bit before coming over. But it was clear he could see our frenzy and wanted to lend a hand. Again, I calmly explained that we had been overrun by bees, the kids were panicking and I was allergic. Would he mind disposing of the remaining bees and loading my bags? My hero, my saint, my knight in shining armor did just that. He checked out the van, declared it bee free and loaded my bags. He explained that he had kids too and understood they freak out sometimes. Finally, we could be on our way.
Go ahead, get your laughs in.
When I told my husband about our trip to the store, he just shook his head. He has a crazy wife, crazy kids and shame in the neighborhood. He'll get over it. And I escaped without being stung by the bee.
Monday, January 18, 2010
I Have Everything I Always Wanted
.....And it totally sucks. Sorry, this post is going to be a downer, so if you want happy smiles and pixie dust, this is not it.
Do you ever feel that way? OK, not everything sucks, but one thing in particular sucks. I have the job I have wanted for a really long time. I started wanting it in college and I worked really hard to get it. I started at the bottom and learned everything I could so that when I finally landed my dream job two years ago, I would be ready. And for the first year, I was. I rocked. I was awesome. I had a great project that had a lot of impact and everyone was happy with my work. Then the second year slowed down and things became a little bit repetitive. In fact, I would have told you I loved my job up until Christmas. The the rug got pulled out from under me.
Most of this started after I made a mistake. Not a careless one. Just an honest mistake. But it was pretty serious and I deserved what I got for it. I didn't get fired or suspended but I got the dreaded lecture from the boss. But part of that conversation was about how I had lost my passion for what I do. At first, I didn't agree with her. I loved my job, after all, so how could I have lost my passion. Then as I spent time reflecting on the last year, I realized she was right. I had lost my passion. The reasons were varied and not really my fault, but I don't have the first clue where to go from here.
So what do you do when the only thing you've ever known turns out to be not for you? I am daunted by the possibility of starting over. ((((Sigh))). This sucks.
Do you ever feel that way? OK, not everything sucks, but one thing in particular sucks. I have the job I have wanted for a really long time. I started wanting it in college and I worked really hard to get it. I started at the bottom and learned everything I could so that when I finally landed my dream job two years ago, I would be ready. And for the first year, I was. I rocked. I was awesome. I had a great project that had a lot of impact and everyone was happy with my work. Then the second year slowed down and things became a little bit repetitive. In fact, I would have told you I loved my job up until Christmas. The the rug got pulled out from under me.
Most of this started after I made a mistake. Not a careless one. Just an honest mistake. But it was pretty serious and I deserved what I got for it. I didn't get fired or suspended but I got the dreaded lecture from the boss. But part of that conversation was about how I had lost my passion for what I do. At first, I didn't agree with her. I loved my job, after all, so how could I have lost my passion. Then as I spent time reflecting on the last year, I realized she was right. I had lost my passion. The reasons were varied and not really my fault, but I don't have the first clue where to go from here.
So what do you do when the only thing you've ever known turns out to be not for you? I am daunted by the possibility of starting over. ((((Sigh))). This sucks.
Friday, January 1, 2010
All I Want for Christmas
Yes, yes, yes. I know it has been 2 1/2 months since I last posted. I am a bad blogger. A lot has happened since October. I went to Rome for work (very cool), Thanksgiving has come and gone, Christmas has come and gone and it's now 2010. All I can say is: THANK GOD. 2009 was not a great year, despite the aforementioned trip to Rome, so here's hoping for a better year.
Christmas was wonderful. Money has been tight, but we always manage to enjoy the holidays without going overboard and we try really hard not to tell the kids when we can't afford things. Not things like I new car; I have no problem telling them we don't have enough money for that. They are still at the age when $25,000 sounds like all the money in the world. But when the want things like a new soccer ball because the old one is deflated and it's halfway in between paydays and I wonder if I have enough gas to make it to work and three bucks for a soccer ball is completely out of reach. I hate saying I can't afford it for that kind of stuff. But I digress...
One of the girls really wanted an iPod for Christmas. I mean, really, really wanted one. It was all she talked about. She wanted to have music to listen to on the airplane and when she goes to sleep. And I had no problem with that. The Shuffle models aren't terribly expensive and as long as I know what music she has on there, I didn't have an issue with giving her an iPod. Except there was one problem.
If you have an iPod or any other commercially made mp3 player, they usually come with headphones. I think when Apple designed the iPod, they modeled the headphones on the heads of the linebackers playing for the the Chicago Bears. The ear buds are enormous! They are like the size of my thumb and I can't even get the headphones that came with my iPod in my ears. They are just too big. No biggie, right? I just buy different headphones. Mine are these cool pink ones with squishy foamy things over the speaker, so they smush into my ear and gradually expand, and it's a perfect fit to my ear. That was my plan for the Christmas iPod. Then, BAM - problem! Several months ago, Apple changed the design of the iPod Shuffle so the volume control is on the headphones and not on the player. Sure, you can buy additional headphones, but not the cool smushy kind. Only their kind. And that's when the guilt set in.
Up to now, I haven't had a lot of mom guilt. Some, but not a lot. I don't feel guilty about requiring homework before tv and clean rooms before play dates. I don't feel guilty that my kids have chores, that they might get grounded if they get overly mouthy or that have to get shots at the doctor's office. All of that falls into the category of "I did it for their own good". But when your child wants something, you don't have any objection to them having it, and you can't get it for them, then a new kind of guilt creeps in. I know it certainly won't be the end of the world for her if she doesn't get and iPod for Christmas. But to not be able to get it for her because of the stupid headphones is just silly. What kind of mother am I? I searched the Internet looking for an older model, but they were selling for twice their original value (sorry, don't feel that guilty). No stores carried them. What's a mom to do?
In the end, I improvised. She got an iPod that looks exactly like Daddy's. Same color and everything (wink, wink). Plus a new pair of headphones with the cool ear buds. I won't be able to pull this trick again, but for now it's a good solution.
But if you work for Apple and you are reading this: Change the headphones on the Shuffle so the volume control isn't on the headphones, and make the ear buds smaller for heaven sakes. Not everyone in this world has an orifice in the ear the size of a nickel!
There.....guilt gone.
Christmas was wonderful. Money has been tight, but we always manage to enjoy the holidays without going overboard and we try really hard not to tell the kids when we can't afford things. Not things like I new car; I have no problem telling them we don't have enough money for that. They are still at the age when $25,000 sounds like all the money in the world. But when the want things like a new soccer ball because the old one is deflated and it's halfway in between paydays and I wonder if I have enough gas to make it to work and three bucks for a soccer ball is completely out of reach. I hate saying I can't afford it for that kind of stuff. But I digress...
One of the girls really wanted an iPod for Christmas. I mean, really, really wanted one. It was all she talked about. She wanted to have music to listen to on the airplane and when she goes to sleep. And I had no problem with that. The Shuffle models aren't terribly expensive and as long as I know what music she has on there, I didn't have an issue with giving her an iPod. Except there was one problem.
If you have an iPod or any other commercially made mp3 player, they usually come with headphones. I think when Apple designed the iPod, they modeled the headphones on the heads of the linebackers playing for the the Chicago Bears. The ear buds are enormous! They are like the size of my thumb and I can't even get the headphones that came with my iPod in my ears. They are just too big. No biggie, right? I just buy different headphones. Mine are these cool pink ones with squishy foamy things over the speaker, so they smush into my ear and gradually expand, and it's a perfect fit to my ear. That was my plan for the Christmas iPod. Then, BAM - problem! Several months ago, Apple changed the design of the iPod Shuffle so the volume control is on the headphones and not on the player. Sure, you can buy additional headphones, but not the cool smushy kind. Only their kind. And that's when the guilt set in.
Up to now, I haven't had a lot of mom guilt. Some, but not a lot. I don't feel guilty about requiring homework before tv and clean rooms before play dates. I don't feel guilty that my kids have chores, that they might get grounded if they get overly mouthy or that have to get shots at the doctor's office. All of that falls into the category of "I did it for their own good". But when your child wants something, you don't have any objection to them having it, and you can't get it for them, then a new kind of guilt creeps in. I know it certainly won't be the end of the world for her if she doesn't get and iPod for Christmas. But to not be able to get it for her because of the stupid headphones is just silly. What kind of mother am I? I searched the Internet looking for an older model, but they were selling for twice their original value (sorry, don't feel that guilty). No stores carried them. What's a mom to do?
In the end, I improvised. She got an iPod that looks exactly like Daddy's. Same color and everything (wink, wink). Plus a new pair of headphones with the cool ear buds. I won't be able to pull this trick again, but for now it's a good solution.
But if you work for Apple and you are reading this: Change the headphones on the Shuffle so the volume control isn't on the headphones, and make the ear buds smaller for heaven sakes. Not everyone in this world has an orifice in the ear the size of a nickel!
There.....guilt gone.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Toddler Flying
How old should your child be when you take them on an airplane? Well, after this week, my answer is NEVER! The girls are great on airplanes. We love to travel and are experienced in airports, so the girls have been doing it long enough to know the drill. My hubby, wonderful though he may be, really missed the boat with the travel preparations for this last trip.
We had a week long vacation planned out of town and had some last minute issues with the dogs, which meant that our original plan was to travel separately. I was going to take the girls on one day and my husband was going to take the dogs to the boarding place and follow us with KC the next day. Based on this plan, I was in charge of packing for myself and the girls. Easy, peasy, lemon squeazy. Clothes, socks, underwear, hair stuff, bathing suits, jackets, books, crayons and paper. DH was in charge of packing for himself and our son. But because of a problem with the shuttle driver and missing our flight, we ended up all going together.
Now, a pop quiz. If you are traveling on an airplane with a 3 year old, what should you bring with you?
A) toys
B) books
C) snacks
D) all of the above
E) none of the above; it's a short flight
Well, the correct answer, in every universe and plane imaginable, is never, EVER in a million years, E. I just doesn't happen. So what do you think got packed for him? Nothing. Nada. Zilch. Apparently the airline magazine and the SkyMall catalog were supposed to hold him over. Well, guess what? That plan didn't work. The flight out there wasn't too bad. But the flight home was a nightmare. Because I held up my end of the bargain for me and the girls, the boys were left to fend for themselves. I had no sympathy for that guy sitting across the aisle from me with the crazy, loud, hysterical little boy who was obviously bored out of his skull.
Air travel is a wonderful thing. But if you haven't done it before, here are my suggestions for a nice and quiet ride. At least three or four books, something along the lines of The Berenstain Bears or Aesop's Fables. A short story that doesn't require critical thinking skills to follow. Small Ziploc baggies filled with healthy snacks, like Goldfish crackers or small chunks of fruit. If you have an iPhone, there are some great apps for kids. (I have a couple, but I didn't pull it out for DH until other passengers started to complain). There a Wheels on the Bus app, a matching game with colors and shapes, and several others. Spend a few bucks on a few good ones. And some small toys. Not the entire collection of matchbox cars and every Barbie doll ever invented, but a few select distractions will go a long way toward a pleasant flight.
Next trip, I'm in charge of the packing.
PS - I've included a link to an article that has some good recommendations for iPhone/iPod Touch apps for kids in the "Favorite Links" to the right.
We had a week long vacation planned out of town and had some last minute issues with the dogs, which meant that our original plan was to travel separately. I was going to take the girls on one day and my husband was going to take the dogs to the boarding place and follow us with KC the next day. Based on this plan, I was in charge of packing for myself and the girls. Easy, peasy, lemon squeazy. Clothes, socks, underwear, hair stuff, bathing suits, jackets, books, crayons and paper. DH was in charge of packing for himself and our son. But because of a problem with the shuttle driver and missing our flight, we ended up all going together.
Now, a pop quiz. If you are traveling on an airplane with a 3 year old, what should you bring with you?
A) toys
B) books
C) snacks
D) all of the above
E) none of the above; it's a short flight
Well, the correct answer, in every universe and plane imaginable, is never, EVER in a million years, E. I just doesn't happen. So what do you think got packed for him? Nothing. Nada. Zilch. Apparently the airline magazine and the SkyMall catalog were supposed to hold him over. Well, guess what? That plan didn't work. The flight out there wasn't too bad. But the flight home was a nightmare. Because I held up my end of the bargain for me and the girls, the boys were left to fend for themselves. I had no sympathy for that guy sitting across the aisle from me with the crazy, loud, hysterical little boy who was obviously bored out of his skull.
Air travel is a wonderful thing. But if you haven't done it before, here are my suggestions for a nice and quiet ride. At least three or four books, something along the lines of The Berenstain Bears or Aesop's Fables. A short story that doesn't require critical thinking skills to follow. Small Ziploc baggies filled with healthy snacks, like Goldfish crackers or small chunks of fruit. If you have an iPhone, there are some great apps for kids. (I have a couple, but I didn't pull it out for DH until other passengers started to complain). There a Wheels on the Bus app, a matching game with colors and shapes, and several others. Spend a few bucks on a few good ones. And some small toys. Not the entire collection of matchbox cars and every Barbie doll ever invented, but a few select distractions will go a long way toward a pleasant flight.
Next trip, I'm in charge of the packing.
PS - I've included a link to an article that has some good recommendations for iPhone/iPod Touch apps for kids in the "Favorite Links" to the right.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Breastfeeding Nostalgia
As I slowly start making my way through the piles of boxes in the new place, I am hit with a wave of nostalgia. Relishing all the time I spent when my kids were just the smallest of babies seems; it seems like it was only yesterday that I was bringing my oldest child home from the hospital. I was wearing a hideous striped maternity top and jean shorts. I was young and didn't have the first clue what to do with a baby, but somehow I entered the hospital with a baby bump and left a few days later with a pink bundle. We stopped at Auntie Donna's on the way home so she could admire the newest member of the family. I swear, that was something like 45 minutes ago. Now she's all grown up and I am trying how to figure out how to keep her little forever. Because once you let one of them grow up, you can't stop any of the rest of them from doing it either.
What triggered this trip down memory lane was the discovery of my Pump in Style Advanced Backpack in a box that I thought needed to be unpacked. For 2001, it was the latest in dual pumping technology. It came in a sleek backpack for discretion and two ridiculous looking suction cup type devices that made it possible to pump in half the time. It also came with four bottles with lids, a milk carrying case and handy re-usable ice back to keep my milk chilled until I could get it to a fridge. I didn't have it when I had the first baby; it took me a while to get the hang of breastfeeding and I gave up too soon. But when the second one was born, I was determined not to give up. So I shelled out something like $350 bucks for one of these, purchased new off e-Bay from a reputable dealer in Canada. I went everywhere with that. I had to travel for work and so on long airplane rides, I would dutifully get up every few hours and hook myself up in the lavatory (it also came with a battery pack for when an outlet wasn't available).
I was never one of those people who was terribly comfortable breastfeeding in public. I tried to patronize establishments that offered a mother's room or at least a padded bench. I always covered up. But I felt strongly that this was my baby's meal and I would give it to them wherever I saw fit. I supported women who chose to feed in the mall or on the bus or anywhere else. I boycotted businesses that asked women to cover up. It's our sex obsessed culture that saw breastfeeding as "eeewww". Equating breastfeeding to soft core porn offended me.
I always refused to throw out my pump, long past the time when I knew I would no longer need it. It seemed like I would jinx the good fortune that came with my children. I thought about selling it or giving it away (which you aren't supposed to do either, but if you are faced with the choice of a used pump with some new parts or not breastfeeding at all, then that's an easy decision to make), but I never did. Instead, it's been sitting in a box on the top shelf of my closet, only to be discovered today. So I ponder what happened to the last eight years when I could sit peacefully in my recliner with a Boppy pillow around my waist (a must have!) and a sweet nursing infant.
Time to dig out the photo albums and see what other memories I can dig up. Sigh.....
What triggered this trip down memory lane was the discovery of my Pump in Style Advanced Backpack in a box that I thought needed to be unpacked. For 2001, it was the latest in dual pumping technology. It came in a sleek backpack for discretion and two ridiculous looking suction cup type devices that made it possible to pump in half the time. It also came with four bottles with lids, a milk carrying case and handy re-usable ice back to keep my milk chilled until I could get it to a fridge. I didn't have it when I had the first baby; it took me a while to get the hang of breastfeeding and I gave up too soon. But when the second one was born, I was determined not to give up. So I shelled out something like $350 bucks for one of these, purchased new off e-Bay from a reputable dealer in Canada. I went everywhere with that. I had to travel for work and so on long airplane rides, I would dutifully get up every few hours and hook myself up in the lavatory (it also came with a battery pack for when an outlet wasn't available).
I was never one of those people who was terribly comfortable breastfeeding in public. I tried to patronize establishments that offered a mother's room or at least a padded bench. I always covered up. But I felt strongly that this was my baby's meal and I would give it to them wherever I saw fit. I supported women who chose to feed in the mall or on the bus or anywhere else. I boycotted businesses that asked women to cover up. It's our sex obsessed culture that saw breastfeeding as "eeewww". Equating breastfeeding to soft core porn offended me.
I always refused to throw out my pump, long past the time when I knew I would no longer need it. It seemed like I would jinx the good fortune that came with my children. I thought about selling it or giving it away (which you aren't supposed to do either, but if you are faced with the choice of a used pump with some new parts or not breastfeeding at all, then that's an easy decision to make), but I never did. Instead, it's been sitting in a box on the top shelf of my closet, only to be discovered today. So I ponder what happened to the last eight years when I could sit peacefully in my recliner with a Boppy pillow around my waist (a must have!) and a sweet nursing infant.
Time to dig out the photo albums and see what other memories I can dig up. Sigh.....
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Moving and other things that suck
This weekend, we have been busy moving. And it sucks. I mean it really, really sucks. It's the worst chore in the world. I would rather spend the entire day folding laundry and scrubbing toilets than have to pack or unpack one more box. Seriously, I would rather dance naked on the doorsteps of each of my new neighbors then have to move again. I may just set up shop here and refuse to leave, even if the Constable has to drag me out, because I will not move again. I say that every time I move, and I have moved four times in the last four years. So I guess we'll see.
Contemplating how much moving sucks led me to think of all the things that fall into the "sucky" category. Here is my list:
Contemplating how much moving sucks led me to think of all the things that fall into the "sucky" category. Here is my list:
- Boredom
- My car running out of gas
- Cold showers
- Winter
- Clogged drains
- Lack of kitchen cabinet space
- Disappearing spoons
- Socks that vanish in the dryer
- Meetings that last more than an hour
- The dog chewing up my sneakers
- Broken cell phones
- Grumpy kids
But on a positive note, the opposite of all those things are pretty cool. I mean, when I find a spoon hidden in the couch cushions or my kids are giggling and having fun, I feel like I have won the lottery! What could be better?
So for now, I will try not to dwell too much on the suckiness of moving and search for socks behind the dryer that might be a match!
Sunday, September 6, 2009
I'm jealous of your thighs
OK, maybe not your thighs, but in general, I have a great deal of envy for those women who have beautiful, slender thighs. David Letterman used to do this bit where he would make fun of President Clinton when he was jogging and and they would sing a song they called "Pasty White Thighs" and show clips of him in these skimpy running shorts (sorry for the image) and photoshop a cheeseburger in his hand or something. Anyway, the tops of my thighs touch each other when I stand and rub together when I walk and it's just awful.
I bring this up because I know I need to do something about them, and have been reminded about the importance of taking care of myself. One of my very dear friends learned recently that her husband may have cancer and an old schoolmate is getting her husband through cancer treatments as well. Both are young, vibrant, in shape guys who have a long fight ahead of them and their prognosis is improved by their physical condition. I'm afraid that if some terrible illness were to find me, I might as well thrown in my fat, sweaty towel since I can be described as neither "vibrant" or "in shape".
I wonder if the Thighmaster really works? But I draw the line at the Buttmaster. Some places I just can't go.
And in case you are wondering, I am cooking in the crock pot again today. Today is beef stroganoff and it smells delicious. So after today, I will have made three of the five non-boxed meals I set out to learn.
I bring this up because I know I need to do something about them, and have been reminded about the importance of taking care of myself. One of my very dear friends learned recently that her husband may have cancer and an old schoolmate is getting her husband through cancer treatments as well. Both are young, vibrant, in shape guys who have a long fight ahead of them and their prognosis is improved by their physical condition. I'm afraid that if some terrible illness were to find me, I might as well thrown in my fat, sweaty towel since I can be described as neither "vibrant" or "in shape".
I wonder if the Thighmaster really works? But I draw the line at the Buttmaster. Some places I just can't go.
And in case you are wondering, I am cooking in the crock pot again today. Today is beef stroganoff and it smells delicious. So after today, I will have made three of the five non-boxed meals I set out to learn.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Cooking minus the boxed helper
I am coming a long way on my goal to lean to cook five meals that don't come with a box containing the instructions. My mom got me hooked on this website called allrecipes. I can search for meals about a thousand different ways and save the recipes I like in my own personal recipe box. There are also reviews of most of the recipes and people can leave comments about what they changed that made it better. (No, I don't work for allrecipes. I just love the site.) I have tried several from the site and my favorites are the slow cooker/crock pot recipes. Since I am a working mom and I leave my house between 7 and 8 pm and don't get home until after 5, the crock pot really saves me. Here is what I have tried so far:
1) Tuna and macaroni casserole - this one is easy. Cook a box of mac and cheese and add a can of tuna, some milk, a can of cream of mushroom soup (the recipe called for cream of celery but I prefer the mushroom) and sprinkle some shredded cheese and parsley on top. Cook in a baking dish for 20 minutes on 350 and it's done!
2) French dip sandwiches - I cooked a roast in the crock pot for about 6 hours with a can of beef broth, condensed onion soup mix and about a half a bottle of heavy beer (again, I took liberties. Instead of using a whole bottle I only used about a half). Then I served it up on french rolls and used the juice for Au jous dip. Another hit!
3) Beef brisket - I've actually done this one before. I wasn't sure the kids would like it but they did. They raved about how good it was. This was also super easy. Put a 3 lb. beef brisket (not a corned beef brisket) in the crock pot. To make the sauce, mix two bottles of chili sauce, a packet of dry onion soup mix and a small spoonful of chopped garlic (or use 2 tsp. of garlic powder). Mix it all together and pour over the brisket. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. This is perfect for the long days when I have to leave early.
Next up is brown sugar meatloaf, which sounds really good. I don't really like meatloaf, but this got rave reviews. I wish I had pictures of what I have made so far so you could see my progress. I have brisket in the crock pot right now so I'll try to get a photo of it before I serve it.
Another good cooking tip I have learned is to wait until the grocery store puts meat on sale then stock up on as much as they will let me buy. Then I just separate it into the size I will need and put in baggies in the freezer.
1) Tuna and macaroni casserole - this one is easy. Cook a box of mac and cheese and add a can of tuna, some milk, a can of cream of mushroom soup (the recipe called for cream of celery but I prefer the mushroom) and sprinkle some shredded cheese and parsley on top. Cook in a baking dish for 20 minutes on 350 and it's done!
2) French dip sandwiches - I cooked a roast in the crock pot for about 6 hours with a can of beef broth, condensed onion soup mix and about a half a bottle of heavy beer (again, I took liberties. Instead of using a whole bottle I only used about a half). Then I served it up on french rolls and used the juice for Au jous dip. Another hit!
3) Beef brisket - I've actually done this one before. I wasn't sure the kids would like it but they did. They raved about how good it was. This was also super easy. Put a 3 lb. beef brisket (not a corned beef brisket) in the crock pot. To make the sauce, mix two bottles of chili sauce, a packet of dry onion soup mix and a small spoonful of chopped garlic (or use 2 tsp. of garlic powder). Mix it all together and pour over the brisket. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. This is perfect for the long days when I have to leave early.
Next up is brown sugar meatloaf, which sounds really good. I don't really like meatloaf, but this got rave reviews. I wish I had pictures of what I have made so far so you could see my progress. I have brisket in the crock pot right now so I'll try to get a photo of it before I serve it.
Another good cooking tip I have learned is to wait until the grocery store puts meat on sale then stock up on as much as they will let me buy. Then I just separate it into the size I will need and put in baggies in the freezer.
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