Cheffin' It

Three brand spankin' new cooking things I recently tried:

A whole chicken meal.





Believe it or not, I never-ever-ever attempted before to cook a whole chicken. It is hard for me to hold that little body in my hand, see its form and throw it in the pot to cook. Tonight was the first attempt for me. I am such a sap. Before I put the bird in, I washed it gently, took out its stuffed giblets, patted its little butt, thanked God for blessing us with this cheap (30% off already reduced price - 5.00) chicken. I pouted my little lower lip, smothered it up in spices and salt and dumped it in the crock pot over some onions. It was really tasty. Eating meat is fine for me unless I see it in its carcass. Then, I am overwhelmed with guilt. Thankfully, Jesse took the chicken apart before I came home to eat with the family. I don't know if I could do it.


African cuisine.






For my pick in my book club, I chose the first in the series of The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency By Alexander McCall Smith. Since the setting was Africa, I thought why not to cooking African food. I used recipes from The Congo Cookbook (online). It was fun. I was a mess that morning trying to get everything in order but the food came out tasty. I made a peanuty soup with chicken in it, spicy ribs, fancy fish and sweet potatoes. We drank ginger ale and it was so much fun.


My own homemade stew.






Never before had I attempted a Beef and Barley Stew. It was thick. It was a bit too salty ( I need to simmer down on the salt adding). But we ate it and it warmed our bellies.

My Rights

I love my husband and adore my family. They are fun to be around and I would be amiss with out them. That being said - I decided I need to demand some rights around here. I hate to sound selfish, but putting myself on the back burner all the time hurts not only me, but my family as well.

Right No. 1: I have and demand the right to take time for myself just to do what I want to do.

• I have a closet full of crafty things I would love to complete.


• I have a stack of books I can't wait to read.


• I have many spiritual goals to achieve.


• I would love to take off sometime just to grab a cup of hot cocoa or smoothie and read at a book store or some other quiet place.


• I would love to take off at any given moment and watch a movie I want to see.
  

Right No. 2: I have and demand the right to exercise.

• Although this might sound crazy.. I love to run. I miss it. I drool at people as I drive by them and they are running with their dog or friend or by themselves - no, not because I think they themselves are "hot" but because I so want to be running right now!


• I am a tired, crazy, uptight mess. I am all those things but taken down a notch or two when I exercise.


• I need to schedule exercise in my day 5 days a week on top of active family outings 7 days a week.


• My mommy and wife skills are better organized when I work on myself first and this is especially when I work on my health.


• I insist the kids need a quiet break away from the TV and this will mean the TV is open for me to work on my various workout DVDs.
  

Right No. 3: I have and demand the right to enjoy the outdoors.

I love the fresh air on my skin and in my lungs. It is an exhilarating feeling.

I desire to go camping in the summer yet find it doesn't happen as much as I would like.

I yearn to find something in the winter that keeps me (and the whole family for that matter) active in the outdoors.

During the summer, especially here, if you don't go outside you miss out on so many opportunities to store up on "free" goods. Berries, fish, wood, wild game, vegetables, flowers...so many things!

S'mores. Need I say more? :-)

Three things I did today:

Went in to prequalify for a home! Yeah!

Did preschool at my home! Yeah! and Whew!

Picked up pictures of my baby! Yeah!

Making a Business Out of Life

I'm on my way to a dreamier place... but I don't know when.

Picture taken from www.definitivecaribbean.com

I have all these ideas in my head for a home business that sit there unsettled. I brainstorm, draw ideas, come up with business plans (yes, I am a business major), and fiddle with how to get them started. It would be nice to have some extra cash on the side for vacations and the like. Here are the three - yes, three I actually planned out:

1. A partnership with my sister making little artsy things we could sell at craft bizarres, online, and perhaps in businesses. (Got this one planned down to the nitty gritty.)

2. Making jewelry and bows and selling them via in-home demonstrations and online, eventually making it to the store market either owning a store which has workshops for adults and birthdays for little ones, or selling to stores directly. (Planned this one, but am unsettled on the start up costs as the beading and ribbon market is vast and I haven't put my finger on the best options yet.)

3. Doing massage as a contractor and making my own hours so I can pick up the kiddos after they get out of school... (This was my original idea and the one I had in mind as I attended college. I would still need to get licensed and figure out costs for this one. It still sounds a bit appealing to me.)

Now, if you know me, or even if you don't and just want to have your say.. post a comment and tell me which one you think is the best option. Not that I am going to run with it, but your opinion might help push me in one direction or the other! Thanks for the bloggy love!

Drink Up

I am aching for spring time to arrive around here. With all the angst, I look for springy things on the internet. Today, I decided I will post three drinks (non-alcoholic...sorry those who were looking forward to otherwise) I think work perfect for a light, springy, Easter meal:

Spring Fever from about.com - a four fruit drink.

Ingredients:
3/4 oz lemon juice
3/4 oz mango syrup
1 1/2 oz apple juice
2 oz blood orange juice

Preparation:
Pour the ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice.
Shake well.
Strain into a collins glass half-filled with crushed ice.


Tropical and fruity non-alcoholic drink recipes lists many different fruity mocktails..


I like Afterglow. Tastes good, looks good, I'm good.

1 part grenadine syrup
4 parts orange juice
4 parts pineapple juice
Ice

Mix. Serve over ice. (High ball glass)

Tropical Storm Drink from cooks.com is intriguing as well:

1 (8 oz.) can chilled, crushed pineapple in juice
1 lg. ripe banana, peeled and chunked
1 egg
1/2 c. dry milk (powdered)
1/4 c. water
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. lemon juice
13-15 ice cubes

Combine all ingredients in blender. Cover. Blend medium speed about 1 minute or until ice is finely crushed. Serve in a hurricane glass.

Thursday Three 03-19-09

Gratitudes. Inspired by a blog full of fabulous hot beach scenes I recently spotted at Island Roys...

1. I am grateful for the stiff, slippery, crunchy snow and nose-hair-freezing-lung-squeezing air I breathe every day in the coldest parts of the winter. I am grateful for those days because they help me to appreciate the warm, sunny, soft, green, fresh-smelling days ever more.

2. I am grateful for living in this arctic area because there are really no massive bugs (unless someone is keeping one for a pet) nor snakes and instead, we have beautiful wild animals like moose, fox, and bear that you can spot a mile away...well, usually you can!

3. I am grateful for fabulous rock beaches you can skip rocks into the ocean from and collect amazing pieces of art for door stops and paper weights - or make awesome jewelry from. The rocks that travelled through time to collect on the beach from their watery home.

Thursday Three 3-12-09

I "felt" like having a little fun...

Fun and fantastic felt work:

1. Skip to My Lou posts a tutorial for a Felt Brown Bag Lunch!

2. Bella Dia posts a tutorial for Felt Flowers!

3. Martha Stewart has instructions for these sweet Felt Slippers!

Thursday Three 01-15-09

Items I found helpful now that all of my children are heading out of baby phase..
These are things I found VERY helpful when they were babies.

1 Especially for nursing mothers but comes in handy for any napping or bottle fed in your lap baby:
(I used mine for all three and found it extremely helpful. Especially for those days when I sat in the rocking chair at 4 am nursing half passed out. It helped to keep the baby in my lap instead of baby dropping to the floor with me wakening in a panic (don't ask :-)). I also found it was nice to place in daddy's lap while he sits so I can take care of other things.)

The Boppy

2 For parents with multiple children:
(This helped to free my hands yet allow the babe to sit up and enjoy the show - I only used this with my last baby and he used it only when he could sit up on his own...just a more secure place to put him as I worked in the kitchen, etc.)

The Bumbo (Just don't put it on an elevated surface!)

3 For anyone who wants to take a shower and know your child is reasonably safe:
(I am telling you Baby Einstein was like crack for babies...my older children still enjoy watching it with their baby brother. I would place the baby in the saucer, flip on the BE DVD and know the baby was comfortable, entertained and somewhat safe.)

The saucer (no wheels), Baby Einstein DVD combo!

As an added side comment: I wish I could figure out how to use one of these things better...I just didn't take the time that I should have. I am still trying to figure out how to use it with my 19 month bdbbboy. This wrap is called Storchenwiege!

Thursday Three 01-08-09

Realizations I have come to lately:

1) I need to "detensify" my neck muscles every once in a while. My neck is so tight, I think if it gets any tighter I won't be able to function. I miss yoga! Speaking of...a site about yoga positions. The cow face pose is nice for the neck!(Thank you Bethany for the site.)

2) I need to laugh way more. Especially with the children. Poor kids. Some days recently I had my "angry eyes" on from morning to night. "Geesh girl loosen up a little?!" I say to myself. Here is something that made me chuckle recently:

3) I am nowhere near the person I want to be but am way better than the person I used to be. Does that make sense? It does to me! Here is something I read yesterday that doesn't make any sense:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/06/AR2009010603370.html

Thursday Three 01-01-09

This is a New Year...fresh off the block..three goals I look forward to completion this year:

1. Lose at least 40 pounds. (My honey says once I meet my goal weight we are going on a cruise - yeehaw!)
2. Keep my paperwork organized. This entails lots of patience and fighting off the great urge I have to ignore all paperwork...along with lots of shredding now that I have ousted the old stuff. Anyone who doesn't visit me at my physical address can refer to this craziness: The black hole in my house.
3. Spend more time (at least an hour on non-hazerdous days) outside.

Funny - these are so close to my last goals I posted in 2007...hmmm I am seeing a trend here!

Somewhat boring to you I am sure, but oh so exciting to me!

Oh, yes, and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Thursday Three

Interesting tid-bits I learned this past week:

1 - Apparently employees are hard to come by and people with the worst customer service skills are now promoted to manager. What they really manage I am not sure.

2 - The years in high school I studied wrestling positions turned out to be fabulous while handling a tantruming toddler during diaper changes.

3 - When I am upset with my children, if I start laughing whether by going crazy or forcing it I find it is hard to have any more sour feelings. The kids look at me quizzically as though I need a straight jacket. Serenity now, serenity now!

Needless to say - it's been one interesting week.

Thursday Three 12-04-08

Three pieces of art I enjoy:

My Grandma's painting of a lake in Alaska: yet to be matted :-(

My Aunt and Uncle's bird clock they made us for our wedding present:

Artwork from Oladesign at Etsy:

I am still waiting for something from my artistically talented sister Sarah...?!

Thursday Three 11-27-08

Three things I am most thankful for:

An understanding of why I am here and where I may go beyond this life.

Family and friends (okay that's two wrapped up in one - but they can easily be combined because many of my friends are like family).

Laughter. I would go insane without it. No really. Or maybe I am already insane. No really! :0)

Thursday Three 11-13-08

Three places I would absolutely love to visit:

China: I mean, c'mon! Did anyone see the Olympics this year. My honey wants to see China (I think Jackie Chan inspires him?!) and I would love to visit an Asian country - there you have it. China it is.

Australia/New Zealand: I had a pen-pal from Australia that was interesting. He would write to tell me all about the beautiful and fun things he experienced in his homeland. Made me jealous. I still have green eyes! I think it would be a fantastic experience to see the sites, meet the people and see all the different animals of Aussie Land. New Zealand is also a fabulous place to visit as my friends from high school are living there and traveling around the country for a few years. Every picture they post takes my breath away.

The Caribbean: As stated before, we are in desperate need of a break. I think the first break I look forward to is a very relaxing one.. like a cruise to the Caribbean islands. Calgon take me awayyyyy..

Now doesn't that look so incredibly relaxing? Warm beach, cool drink, beautiful sites. Ahhhh.

Thursday Three

Three projects I am so ready to try:

1 - Michelle from Green Kitchen posted how to make sweater sleeve children's pants out of an adult wool sweater...

Those would look adorable on my T-Bone and would keep him warm during winter in Alaska!

2 - I acquired a papasan chair from freecycle and want to make a cushion for it. WikiHow is a fabulous place to find instructionals for this kind of project. The site also lists a how-to for a washable slip cover. (Yeah)

3 - I also acquired a coffee table from freecycle and have been putting off a project I thought up. I also found it on an apartment therapy site. The chalkboard table appeals to me because it looks fun and the children would play with it. Maybe they could play a game of tic-tac-toe while they watch a movie? Sounds fun to me!

Thursday Three 10-23-08

To ease my addiction for bedspread shopping, I would like to post three bedspreads/duvet covers I love...just window shopping. :0) As you can see, I am always changing my mind as to what I want the ambiance in my bedroom to be like. Perhaps I should just buy four (one for each season) and then I would ease my addiction a bit. That would be quite an investment. My poor hubby... :0)


Number one is the Restoration Hardware Floral Jacquard Bedding (I like the thyme version):

Number two goes to this more modern Scandinavian Pottery Barn Serafina Floral duvet cover:

Number three is this fabulous Serena Paisley Bedding from Crate and Barrel:

Have a fabulous time window shopping!

Thursday Three

Three pair of heels I wouldn't mind squeezing my feet into:

I love the old fashioned appeal to these shoes. I think they would look spectacular with black tights and a cute little stretchy dress of some sort - just to make them a bit more modern.

Black Tie-Up Vintage Inspired Maryjane Pumps at Plasticland .

Oh La La. The shoe is sexy. It has nice lines, is in a soft velvety texture, and lest I forget they are crimson red. These would be for an anniversary dinner or an extra special event/date.

Stuart Weitzman - Stitch Up Scarlet Multi Suede at Jildor Shoes.

Just KIDDING! No way would you see me in these crazy things.

If you are truly interested, they are Irregular Choice Cherry Loves It (Andrea does not) at zappos.com

Here is the third (for real):

I love the modern look of these bootie heels. Don't read to hard into that.. I like the gray color and again would pair them with the same color in tights that have a slight pattern to them. I would match them with a knee length skirt or dress plain in color. Boy I can't wait to lose some weight and go outfit shopping for skinnier clothes. That will feel good!

Me Too Fremont at zappos.com.