Category Archives: Recipes

Monday Madness

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Peak313 5 week challenge…Starts TODAY!!

Did you have a great weekend?  Goes too quickly doesn’t it??  Once again, Monday is upon us and thus begins the rat race once again…

I actually woke up early to make the kids this yummy Pinterest breakfast (and fruit) and it actually came out pretty good, so far….50% of the kids are still sleeping, at this time though, I am 2 and 0!  Pretty decent start!

OK, not super healthy, but since I’m not a huge Nutella fan these are safe for me!

I also knew I needed to get up and check out Peak313 for the plan for the week.  It’s my gym day at lunch and I need to print out some workouts….Hubby is my accountability partner so hopefully he’ll keep me in check @ home and my girls @ work will keep me in check there (we already have a workout calendar going to keep a visual on each other…it takes on a whole new life when you write it down!).  Exercise is fine for me, I’ve got that component, it’s the food I struggle with and since that’s roughly 80% of the game….it’s going to be a challenge, but I’m in.  A great way to bring in fall, wouldn’t you say? (#livingandactive on Twitter)

Off to the printer and then get these kids rockin’ and this day rollin’!!

Blessings!!

Friday Frenzy….

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It’s the end of the week AAAAAAAANNNNNNNDDDDD the end of the month, how in the???  what???  ugh.  You know when you’re growing up and all the old people your parents tell you, “The older you get the quicker time goes by”; I hate that they were right.  Therefore, as we roll out of August and into September (and subsequently get ready to celebrate our SECOND teenager) you can join me AND Jen and all her groupies/bloggies as THEY wrap up THEIR  week, too!

  1. I am having a little bit (just a touch) of CNMC 2012 envy.  It’s the Catholic New Media Conference and I think it would be a completely phenomenal way to spend a few days meeting a lot of these people I follow through blogs and podcasts, books and the National Catholic Register.  I’m sure I’d be a complete geek, stalker.  It would be fun though.  I imagine it to be a  huge pep rally going into the “Year of Faith” and New Evangelizer focus in the Catholic church.  I’ll have to put it on my bucket list.  Ah, but then I’d have to start a bucket list…  
  2. Partly because of the CNMC and Hurricane Isaac (in case you don’t know, it was a huge storm that took the same path as Hurricane Katrina did 7 years ago TO.  THE.  DAY.  right into Louisiana, Mississippi and some of Alabama) I joined Twitter.  Mainly just to get the updates.  I can’t change anything, but I need to be informed and my news input through the day is just sporadic between patients.  So.

    A pic from our Louisiana friends. Thankfully, they evacuated and are safe!

  3. In regards to Twitter , I don’t REALLY get it.  I think I may have just sucked myself into yet another social vortex.  You can follow me.  So far, I’ve got nothing to say (on Twitter), I’m standing there with my mouth wide open….I want to put the tweets into folders or something…can’t you organize it better?  Ah, for now I’ll just check in and scroll…..and scroll…..and scroll.
  4. Week 2 of school and I think we are getting into the swing here.  Some tasty meals (and quick…..I’ll add 2 new recipes in my recipe section if interested!), some extra graces for pushed back bedtime on sports nights and kids getting into their homework groove.  The key has been communication.  If we can keep this up……we’re golden.  I usually peter out about 2 weeks in and fall back into my ways, hopefully Hubby can keep me on track!
  5. And lunches….making them the night before a HUGE time saver.  HUGE I say.
  6. Workouts…ehhhhhhh, not quite on track this week, the rain has been killing us in the evenings (excuse 1) and I haven’t been going to the gym @ lunch b/c I am counting on walking in the evening and sooo……you can see the pattern.  I have seen what needs to be changed, I’ll take care of that next week!
  7. Resume is updated.  CPR is updated.  Professionally, I’m feeling pretty organized, let’s see if it brings me any luck…..I’m feeling God has something in mind for me and to say I’m stepping out and going blind is pretty fair.  I’m just putting it out there and we will see what happens.

The high schooler is stirring and thus begins the Friday Frenzy……I AM the EARLY girl today!  C ya, peeps!  Have a great weekend and be sure to blog….I’ll have lots of time @ the football fields between games and such!!

List making goes Techno!!

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OK.  I am a list maker.  And I LOVE to check things OFF my list….it makes me feel so accomplished!  I’ve been making them forever and like Kate Wicker, I remember putting “shower” on my list when my kids were small so that I could remind myself that I DID actually DO a lot during the day.  I still make lists, however, with 4 kids getting older and into more activities, additional schedules to juggle, school and sport fees to pay, work schedules, things to be done around the house, etc, etc, etc….(I’m sure you have a similar “list-issue” in your house) it gets quite boggled and I’ve lost SEVERAL lists which does NADA as far as list-productivity goes, so it was with great curiosity I read Dorian Speed‘s article on Catholicmom.com regarding EVERNOTE.  At first, I didn’t quite “get it” and how I would or could use this app.  However, I downloaded it to my MacBook and my phone and let me just say, Holy!!!  Cow!!!  This thing rocks.  Here are a few examples why I find it incredibly useful, maybe you’ll be a convert, too!

  • The app communicates between your PC/Mac/phone, whatev…..if you make a list or tag an article on your home computer and you are away from home, it’s on your phone!  And vice versa.  Ask yourself how many times you’ve “left it at home”.  Too many times to count for me.
  • You can make a list and edit it….
  • You can take a picture and that can be your list
  • You can make folders of lists…..disclaimer here…..I haven’t used this YET, but feel certain I will….Each kid needs their own folder as well as Hubby and I!
  • There’s a cutie little app called Skitch that can be used as well with it…a photo app for screen savers, however, I’ve yet to give it the patience it needs to figure it out…it’s a fun thing, not as much a productivity thing…plus I don’t do a ton of screen savers anyhoo..

A few of the things that have come in handy FOR ME on Evernote that have helped me tremendously:

  • Putting in each boy’s class schedule and teacher for quick access if I need to communicate with the school as well as their Alpha codes
  • A picture of the school calendar to keep track of days off, holidays and early release days….I know, I know, just put it in the calendar…which I do, but I always seem to MISS something somewhere…it’s a cross-check
  • Pictures of freezer recipes for the week.  This made making the grocery list WAAAY quicker  since I didn’t have to flip through the mag to find them, but could just scroll through and find my recipes and ingredients!
  • Soccer schedule and fee calendar, getting those checks in on time….
  • Cheer schedule and snack list—-don’t want to forget MY day for frozen grapes—(next game), lest those cheerleaders be snack-less.

I haven’t convinced my Hubby to use it yet, however, he’s more of a touch it once and deal with it kind of person and I’m a write it down, ponder it, get back to it kind of person.  On the plus side, I’m losing FAR less lists and on Day 2 of school when our sweet 7th grader couldn’t quite remember his class schedule, I just copied it and texted it to him.  Sweeeeeeeet!!!

Ch-ch-ch-changes….

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Our fluffy, fatty learned to climb and jump and last night he decided to pull an all-nighter. Cats. Dirty little stay-out!!

Back-to-school always brings a new routine with it and, try as we might, it ALWAYS takes a couple of weeks of tweaking and a TON of patience as we all get in to our new groove.  I’m a structured person and change is rarely easy on me, however, God’s grace can carry us through…..if we let it and so far……so far…..a fairly successful week.  We only have a few binders to purchase and some extra loose leaf paper…not bad, not bad…

1.  Oldest son started high school.  New faces, new classes, taking the bus for the first time EVER and so far….so far…..he only got on the wrong bus the first day (coming home).  Aside from that, it appears his transition–especially the waking @ 5:30 a.m. change, has gone pretty well.

2.  Youngest son’s academic brilliance overshines his common sense on occasion and had a little lapse of such during a rainy afternoon resulting in major miscommunication with Dad.  All ended well, its times like these that I have to keep repeating to myself……he’s only 13, he isn’t using his full brain yet…he’s only 13….it’s painful though.

3.  Oldest daughter forgot her backpack one day BUT remembered her lunch.  Dad to the rescue which meant getting snagged in morning school traffic….GRRRRr…..tweak, tweak, tweak….must get in the habit of remembering all that’s to be remembered…

4.  With rain ALL week long the girls FINALLY had practices last night, so we’ve had mostly all family dinners this week!  Which I love.  And which will also be the biggest challenge for me with these evening practices messing up our dinner schedules, but see how good God is??….he eased me into it this week.  How often do YOU have family dinners??

This puppy is on sale now and has some GREAT dinner ideas….a lovely addition for our weeknight dinners…save money….save time…eat well….I like it, I like it!!

5.  Hubby has taken on the coupon challenge and is in the researching phase (and accumulation phase) of coupons and how to work the sales.  He is a detail guy and has infinitely more patience than I in these matters and I look forward to him steering this ship AND saving us some cash!!!  We’ve reigned in our grocery bill for our family of 6 (2 teen boys included) to roughly $600/mo…but I know we can go lower.  What’s your average??

6.  I finally broke down and bought new sneakers.  My work ones are shot, so I’ll swap out my walking ones for work (not my favorites) and use my new ones for walking.  Broke them in on the track at practice last night….3 miles!!  Nice.  Add to that 2 days at the gym (3 today) and I’m feeling pretty good about this week.  Woop woop!!  Definitely helps to manage the stress level!!

My feet liked these….on sale@ Kohl’s…

7.  Having dinner and a night out with one of my oldest girlfriends tonight and several other high school friends. She’s in town from California and it’s going to be a min-high school reunion!  She and I have been friends since 7th grade!!  It will be fun…but with an early game tomorrow morning this Mama will be home early-ish so I’m not so grumpy tomorrow.  That leaves Hubby on practice drop off/pick up, etc, etc….he’s the Bomb and a Blessing.  Balance.  All Balance.  A constant work in motion, isn’t it??  Have  a great weekend!!

Join in @ Conversion Diary and check out what Jen and the rest of the world have been up to!

Breakfast ideas that will make your stomach smile!

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The other morning I came up a with a quick-ish breakfast and it was savory enough to share, the bonus is that it falls into the “Healthy” category.  Niiiiicce!!!

Egg and Eggplant

2 slices eggplant seared in non-stick fry pan with Pam

1 egg, scrambled

chopped tomato

chopped spinach

small slice of cheddar

**I had already prepared the Eggplant.  Peeling and slicing it, salting and placing between paper towels for a day.  Cooked it quickly in a little olive oil on the stove and stored in Tupperware.  I’m the only one who eats it, so now it’s ready to go!

Scrambled the egg, added tomato and spinach, warmed up the eggplant all in one pan, threw the cheese on top until melted and made an eggplant/egg sandwich.  I’ve got to tell you, that baby had some staying power and I was feeling all kinds of healthy, too!

Yum!

An option for the not so healthy set..but completely delicious!

Chocolate chip scones

2 cups flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/4 cup heavy cream

3/4 cup chocolate chips  (**I make one scone without CC, we have a daughter who prefers them plain with a little honey…I know, odd…if she didn’t look so much like the rest of them, I’d have her DNA checked!)

Mix and knead, shape and bake @ 375 for about 15 minutes or until done.

**I’m NOT a good or patient scone shaper…I ball up the dough and squash it into a thick circle…voila! scone.  No one complains.

Notice the lone plain soldier in the upper right corner.
**for other recipes check my “RECIPE” section**